Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 38 Risks and Rewards, Backhand!

Prince Yan's Mansion.

Zhu Di started fishing again.

The more times like this, the calmer he becomes.

It has to be said that this is one of Zhu Di's greatest strengths.

Very patient!
Yao Guangxiao did not sit cross-legged and chant sutras anymore, but leaned on the railing and looked into the distance.

A breeze blew, and the wide monk's robe fluttered in the wind.

In the afterglow of the sunset, it has a sense of otherworldliness and immortality.

A guard hurried over.

"Your Highness, the King of Wu has led the Jinyiwei to surround the Duke of Liang's mansion, saying that they want to arrest the Duke of Liang."

Zhu Di turned around and glanced at Yao Guangxiao, a flash of surprise flashed across his face.

Zhu Yunhuan actually wanted to capture Lan Yu. This matter seemed a bit strange no matter how you looked at it.

"And on what charge?"

Zhu Di asked.

"King Wu refused to reveal the reason and just told the Royal Guards to follow his orders."

Then, the guard repeated the conversation between Zhu Yunhuan and Jiang Lin word for word.

Zhu Di waved his hand to signal him to leave.

"Without the Emperor's order, he dared to act on his own and mobilized a thousand Jinyiwei to openly surround the Duke of Liang's Mansion and arrest Lan Yu."

"My nephew is really bold!"

He asked, "Monk, what do you think about this?"

Zhu Di's way of addressing Yao Guangxiao has always been very confusing.

Sometimes he is called a monk, sometimes he is called a master, it all depends on his mood.

However, it can also be seen from this how close the relationship between the two is, which is why they address each other so casually.

"What a brilliant move, Your Highness Prince Wu!" Yao Guangxiao exclaimed.

Zhu Di stared at him, somewhat puzzled and with a hint of ridicule.

"Given Lan Yu's prestige in the army, even if Father wants to deal with him, he has to prepare for a few months first, just in case."

"He was so reckless that he sent the Royal Guards to arrest someone without the Emperor's permission."

"Why didn't I see what was so brilliant about his move?"

"Is being reckless and lawless what you call 'high', Master?"

Zhu Di turned his head to look at the float below the fishing rod on the water and said, "He is acting so rashly. I'm afraid that when he goes to court tomorrow, the memorials impeaching him will fly like snowflakes."

Yao Guangxiao laughed and said, "He dared to openly ask for the crown prince in the court. Aren't there a few people who have reported him these days?"

"Didn't Your Majesty punish him?"

"Instead, he was promoted to King of Wu."

"If someone else were to do what happened today, they would be doomed to die."

"But if he did it, it would just solve the problem I gave him."

"Your Highness, the King of Wu, is even more powerful than I thought!"

Yao Guangxiao exclaimed softly!
Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, and asked back: "Have you solved your problem?"

He suddenly remembered something and his expression suddenly turned ugly.

"Yes!" Yao Guangxiao said.

"Your Highness told him that His Majesty wants to deal with Duke Lan Yu of Liang."

"But, Duke Lan Yu of Liang is his great-uncle and one of his greatest reliances in the court."

"But the King of Wu is your majesty's grandson. In terms of loyalty and filial piety, he should stand with your majesty."

"The challenge we gave King Wu was to make sure he didn't stand on either side."

"And the solution for the King of Wu now is to share your Majesty's worries and show filial piety to his descendants."

"If your majesty wants to deal with Lan Yu, he should do it himself, put justice above personal ties, and capture Lan Yu first."

“This is loyalty and filial piety.”

"Lan Yu was arrested by him, but he didn't charge her with any crime, only some old stories." "Your Majesty has already punished those who should be punished."

"Now they have captured Lan Yu, what is this?"

"So, in the end, Your Majesty had to let him go."

"In this way, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu has fulfilled his loyalty and filial piety, and has also helped my great-uncle Lan Yu to overcome this difficulty, thus preserving his own foundation in the court."

"Isn't this a good solution that has the best of both worlds good enough?"

Zhu Di's face turned pale, and he said in a deep voice: "Not only that, it was me who revealed the news to him."

"If Lan Yu is fine after this, and he is fine too, then I, the one who "stirred up discord", should be severely punished by my father."

Yao Guangxiao smiled and nodded, saying, "More!"

"Your Majesty is unwilling to appoint him as the crown prince because he is worried that after his death, the King of Wu will not be able to control those military generals and nobles."

"For the King of Wu, these people are his foundation in the court, and they are also the biggest obstacle for him to become the crown prince."

"Today, I arrested Lan Yu without any order, which is to prove to His Majesty that he can control those noble generals and Lan Yu."

"Your Majesty, you don't have to worry about passing the throne to him, or your relatives seizing power."

"In this way, the biggest obstacle to the establishment of King Wu as the crown prince will be completely removed."

Zhu Di asked, "So, for such a big matter, he didn't ask for permission. Was he doing it on purpose?"

Yao Guangxiao said: "That's right."

"The power of King Wu is far beyond my expectation."

"This move may seem crude on the surface, but it is actually extremely sophisticated."

"I just don't know whether he came up with this idea himself or if there was someone else who gave him advice."

Zhu Di smiled bitterly and said, "It doesn't matter. It's the same no matter which one it is. The most important thing right now is to quickly break his trick. Monk, what do you think?"

Yao Guangxiao smiled calmly and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry too much."

"Although this move by the King of Wu is brilliant, it is also very dangerous."

"It's an emergency. I'm afraid he didn't have time to inform Lan Yu in advance."

"Besides, he is also afraid of having any private contact with others because if he is discovered, it will backfire."

"Without prior discussion, Lan Yu has a hot temper and I'm afraid he might not surrender."

"If the two sides start fighting over this, the consequences will not be something he can control."

"I heard that there are 500 servants in Lanyu Mansion, all of whom are veterans of many battles in the army."

"They voluntarily took off their battle robes and entered the Duke's Mansion to protect Lan Yu."

Zhu Di asked: "So what?"

Yao Guangxiao said: "If the two sides fight, swords have no eyes, and something happens to Lan Yu, and a man with great merit is tortured and dies innocently, then the nobles and meritorious officials in the court, and the generals and soldiers in the army will surely be outraged."

"Your Majesty, you have no choice but to push him out and punish him!"

"Your Majesty did not immediately send someone to convey an order to stop him because he wanted to see if he could really control Lan Yu, this fierce horse!"

"If he passes this level, he will naturally gain a lot."

"From then on, I really gained the capital to compete for the throne."

"If he can't make it, he will fall into the abyss!"

Zhu Di thought for a moment, nodded and praised: "Master, you are right! It is indeed the case. In your opinion, can my nephew pass this test?"

Yao Guangxiao smiled but did not answer, but waved towards the shore.

The guard standing guard in the distance saw this and ran over quickly.

"Go, immediately send troops to notify the nobles and meritorious officials in Jinling City and the suburbs of Beijing, as well as the generals who command the troops, especially the nobles who are close to Duke Suo Lai of Liang."

"Go tell them that the King of Wu led his troops to surround the Duke of Liang's mansion without the order of Your Majesty, and wanted to capture the Duke of Liang. Tell them to stop them and rescue him!"

Zhu Di, who was standing beside him, clapped his hands and laughed when he heard this, praising him: "Great! Once these people start fighting with the Jinyiwei led by my nephew, things will get out of control. Master, this move of yours is even better!"

Yao Guangxiao stroked his beard and said, "There are two more young princes, who are also my backup arrangements."

Zhu Di frowned and said, "What use can these two little kids have?"

Yao Guangxiao did not say anything, deliberately keeping the secret, and said, "Your Highness, just wait and see the show."

(End of this chapter)