My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 117 Untitled
Empress Ma had said similar things several times, so Zhu Yuanzhang was not surprised.

The only difference this time was that he began to seriously consider her words.

Liu Bowen's contribution was neither particularly great nor insignificant.

He was considered great because he did indeed offer many useful strategies.

In particular, the Battle of Poyang Lake, a decisive battle that determined the fate of the nation, relied heavily on his planning.

It's considered small because this is the only area where he can be proud of his achievements.

Strategists are essentially advisors who provide advice to their lord and answer any questions he may have.

They are not the ones who make the decisions, nor are they the ones who carry them out.

But the transition from theory to implementation of a plan is as vast as heaven and earth.

To give an example, everyone knows that Xiang Yu burned his boats and broke the cauldrons, turning the tide of the war and laying the foundation for the destruction of the Qin Dynasty.

However, apart from Xiang Yu, it is highly unlikely that anyone else could have pulled off this plan.

Even if a time traveler came and told Xiang Yu that he could burn his boats, his achievements still couldn't compare to Xiang Yu's.

The awkward position of strategists lies here: they only provide theoretical strategies, while the real credit goes to the decision-makers and implementers.

However, the risks borne by strategists are correspondingly smaller.

Even if the plan has problems, the decision-makers and implementers will bear the responsibility, and they will rarely be implicated.

Therefore, although the strategist's achievements may seem great, in reality they are very limited.

Of course, this doesn't apply to top strategists like Zhang Liang.

There's a saying from an old life: "A staff officer without a chief is like a fart that makes no sound."

Zhang Liang's role was even greater than that of the chief of staff.

However, Liu Bowen was not the chief of staff of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty was able to establish itself because of the countless people who offered their advice and strategies.

The ones that people are familiar with are just a few of the more well-known ones.

For example, Zhu Sheng proposed the general policy of "building high walls, storing plenty of grain, and delaying the declaration of kingship."

This was mentioned in the history books of junior and senior high school in my previous life.

For example, Mr. Ye Dui, who presented the "Military Affairs: One Principle and Three Strategies".

Many people are not familiar with Ye Dui, but he is actually a very capable person.

One of the core principles of his strategy was to take Yingtian as the foundation and resolutely refuse to surrender to the Yuan Dynasty.

The "three eyes" refer to the steps of the action:

1. First, take Zhang Shicheng to eliminate the threat from the east;

2. Seize the national treasures of eastern Zhejiang to consolidate the southeastern coast;
3. Finally, they launched a northern expedition to the Central Plains and overthrew the Yuan Dynasty.

He even wrote down the general tactics for defeating the enemy.

For example, to defeat Zhang Shicheng, one must first capture Pingjiang; to attack Suzhou, one should not launch a direct assault, but rather employ a siege strategy.

At first, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe in the superstition and sent people to launch a strong attack on Suzhou City, but they suffered heavy losses and still failed to capture it.

In the end, they only managed to capture Suzhou by besieging it and exhausting all the food supplies inside.

Looking back at Zhu Yuanzhang's steps to unify the country, his overall strategy was roughly similar to that of Ye Dui.

It's no exaggeration to say that Zhuge Liang is alive today.

However, Ye Dui's strategy contained absolutely no information about Chen Youliang.

This may seem strange, but some clues can be gleaned from his overall ideas.

For example, he believed that "China's fortunes are reviving, while the Hu people's fortunes are coming to an end."

It's easy to see from this idea that he was a typical "Chinese" who had no good feelings towards the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

The reason why his proposed plan did not include information about Chen Youliang was most likely because he did not want to get involved in the internal strife among the Han people.

What? You're saying Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen weren't Han Chinese?

The problem is that Zhang Shicheng surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty early on, became the Grand Commandant of the Yuan Dynasty, and later proclaimed himself the King of Wu of the Yuan Dynasty.

He not only surrendered verbally, but also supported the Yuan Dynasty with practical actions.

It supplied grain and provisions to Dadu (Beijing) for nearly ten years.

They also colluded with the Yuan Dynasty to eliminate the Han-Song regime and killed Liu Futong and other Red Turban Army veterans.

Fang Guozhen also submitted to the Yuan Dynasty and transported grain for the Yuan Dynasty.

In Ye Dui's mind, they were all traitors, and it was only right to eliminate them.

But Chen Youliang was different. He was also a leading figure in the resistance against the Yuan dynasty and had a greater ambition to unify the country than Zhu Yuanzhang.

Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that he did not write about how to fight Chen Youliang because he did not want to get involved in the internal strife among the Han people.

You two rely on your own abilities; whoever wins will rule the world.

It cannot be ruled out that he used the same strategy on Chen Youliang as well.

The document given to Chen Youliang likely also lacked information about Zhu Yuanzhang.

Of course, all of this is just speculation; only he knows the truth.

It wasn't until the Battle of Poyang Lake that Liu Bowen truly shone.

Ye Dui's strategy lacked information about Chen Youliang, a gap that Liu Bowen filled.

Thanks to Liu Bowen's strategy, Zhu Yuanzhang won this crucial battle.

The strategies of these three men, when combined, perfectly encapsulate Zhu Yuanzhang's entire journey from vying for supremacy to ruling the country.

Zhu Sheng's strategy bought him time to develop and solidified his foundation.

Liu Bowen's strategy helped him defeat his biggest rival.

Ye Dui's strategy laid out the steps for him to unify the world.

If all these strategies came from the same person, then the sum of its parts would definitely be greater than ten.

This person is undoubtedly Zhang Liang of the Ming Dynasty, and it is only right that he be granted the title of Duke.

However, this credit, when divided among three people, was not enough to confer a title upon any one of them.

Let's start with Zhu Sheng. His only highlight was the nine-character policy, after which he was just a relatively capable official.

Moreover, due to his advanced age, he resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

Mr. Ye Dui, also known as the Fourth Plum Blossom Master, was a man who appeared and disappeared without a trace.

He never took up an official post; he merely offered Zhu Yuanzhang a strategy from afar before disappearing.

Only Liu Bowen consistently shone brightly in Zhu Yuanzhang's ranks.

Besides the Battle of Poyang Lake, he also offered advice and strategies on many occasions.

Furthermore, he also participated in the construction of the Ming Dynasty's administrative system.

The small, scattered contributions add up to a considerable amount.

So his contribution was neither too great nor too small.

There's not much of a problem with granting him the title of Earl; he would be worthy of being granted the title of Marquis.

The key is to see what Zhu Yuanzhang is thinking.

Previously, Zhu Yuanzhang doubted his loyalty and naturally did not want to grant him a title.

In the original history, he was granted the title of Earl of Chengyi.

This title is quite interesting; it's based on doubting your loyalty, so they give you a title for 'sincerity'.

But things are different now. The cold season is like a sword hanging over our heads, ready to fall at any moment.

The Ming Dynasty must undergo reforms to leave a more substantial legacy for its descendants.

Moreover, through Ma Yu, he also learned about Liu Bowen's thoughts.

Although he still doubts Liu Bowen's loyalty, he is no longer as obsessed as before.

The key point is that the Ming Dynasty now truly needs more people like Liu Bowen to step forward.

Therefore, granting him the title of earl would indeed be insufficient.

If you want to win people's hearts, you have to be willing to invest.

This was actually Empress Ma's intention: "The Ming Dynasty is far from being able to let its horses graze freely; it still needs the soldiers to serve, and we cannot be stingy with rewards."

"Otherwise, the soldiers will lose heart, and who will be willing to serve the court?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang went along with the flow and changed his mind:
"Alright, we'll listen to you and grant him a marquisate."

He then changed the title of Earl of Chengyi to Marquis of Chengyi.

This also means that the original six dukes, twenty-four marquises, and three earls of the Ming Dynasty became six dukes, twenty-five marquises, and two earls.

Of course, this only applies to those who are alive and have been granted titles for their merits.

Many who were posthumously granted titles after their deaths, as well as those who were granted titles for other reasons, are not included in this count.

For example, Ma Yu's title of Duke of Xu was not included in the calculation.

Although Empress Ma did not know what he was thinking, she was still very happy to see that he had finally listened to her advice.
"It's much more pleasing to the eye."

Zhu Yuanzhang said nothing more and had the final list sent to Tao Kai, the Minister of Rites.

He was tasked with writing the imperial edicts of investiture based on the list, and producing seals, clothing, and other items.

After finishing these tasks, he said, "I wonder how things are going in Fengyang."
-
Fengyang Imperial City construction site.

Stonemason Pan, looking at the overseer in the distance, spat on the ground and cursed:

"That black-skinned turtle, I'll kill him sooner or later."

Huang Gang stopped what he was doing, took a breath, and said:
"Stop overthinking it. They're officials, and you're just a commoner. What right do you have to mess with them?"

"Work hard, or he'll find fault with you again, or you'll get a beating again."

Pan Zaozi cursed, "I've only eaten one meal since yesterday, how can I have the strength to work? If they have the guts, they can beat me to death."

His voice unconsciously rose considerably, and those around him lowered their heads upon hearing it, fearing they would be implicated.

Several close friends quickly tried to persuade them.

Pan Zaozi grew increasingly angry as he spoke, and threw his hammer to the ground.

"Damn it, I quit."

The overseer in the distance finally noticed something was wrong, and, wielding a water-and-fire stick, cursed and said:
"Don't let your employees slack off. If we don't finish today's work, everyone will be punished."

Pan Zaozi angrily retorted, "Punish me? If you have the guts, then kill me."

"Where did the promised rations and pay go? How are we supposed to work on an empty stomach?"

The overseer was furious: "You lowly commoner, it is an honor for you to work for the royal family, yet you dare to ask for food and pay."

"I think you've become lawless. Today I'm going to beat you to death."

As he spoke, he raised the water-and-fire stick and smashed it down on her head.

After being hit several times, Pan Zaozi completely lost his mind. He rushed towards the stick, tackled the overseer to the ground, and started punching him.

The overseer was used to being arrogant, and he never expected anyone to dare to resist. He was completely stunned by the beating.

All I could do was hold my head and endure it.

The surrounding craftsmen were also enraged, and they all stopped what they were doing to cheer for Pan Chisel.

"well played."

"Kill this black dog."

"Let them cut back on their food rations."

The commotion quickly alerted the other supervisors, who immediately reported it after discovering the situation.

A squad of soldiers quickly rushed over.

The craftsmen who had been watching the spectacle quickly squatted down and pretended to continue working.

Pan Zaozi was arrested.

The foreman who had been beaten before finally got his chance to get revenge and beat him until he was covered in bruises.

The matter was then reported to the officials above.

They simply said, "A lowly commoner dares to defy the imperial court; he must be severely punished."

Then Pan Zaozi was put in shackles and displayed to the public.

The shackles, weighing over a hundred pounds, were so heavy that he couldn't even lift his head.

The laborers and craftsmen all lowered their heads and dared not utter a sound when they saw this.

Only a few people, such as Huang Gang, who were on good terms with him, tried to plead for him.

Not only did it have no effect, but I also got beaten up.

Correspondingly, the officials became even more arrogant, constantly referring to the common people as "lowly people."

Little did they know that a spark had been ignited in the hearts of some. Three days passed in this way, and Pan Zaozi was bound in shackles for three days.

He survived only because Huang Gang and others secretly fed him and gave him water at night.

But everyone knows that this is not a long-term solution; if things continue like this, Pan Zaozi will only face death.

Just as everyone was thinking about how to save him, the overseers suddenly changed their expressions.

They took the initiative to release Pan Zaozi and even gave him three days off to recuperate.

He became kinder to everyone and even gave everyone half a month's worth of food.

For a moment, everyone was a little confused.

Could it be that these people have changed their ways?

However, everyone was very happy to receive half a month's worth of food rations.

The flame in my heart was extinguished silently.

But not everyone is like that.

Lying on his hospital bed, Pan Zaozi said resentfully, "Those dogs aren't that kind."

“Something must have happened that we don’t know about, forcing them to do this.”

Huang Gang advised, "No matter what, you've been given some food, so be content."

Pan Zaozi angrily said, "We've had our rations withheld for more than half a year, and now you're satisfied with just half a month's worth?"

"You're just going to throw away the rest of your rations?"

Huang Gang sighed, "So what? Since ancient times, the common people have never fought against the officials. We can't beat them."

Others also tried to persuade them to stop making a scene, saying they couldn't win against them.

Pan Zaozi knew what everyone was thinking, and he also knew that persuasion was useless, so he could only say:
"I suspect some important person is coming. Keep an eye out for me, and let me know as soon as possible if a high-ranking official does come."

Huang Gang was shocked and said, "You're going to sue me? Are you out of your mind?"

Pan Zaozi said, "How much longer do you think we can live if things continue like this?"

"Rather than starve to death or be beaten to death by them, I'd rather take a gamble. I refuse to believe that they can still block out the sky."

Huang Gang tried to persuade him for a long time to no avail, so he could only promise to keep an eye out for him.

However, to everyone's surprise, the next day after everyone went to work, two supervisors came and took Pan Zaozi away.

When Huang Gang and the others returned from work in the evening, they discovered that he was missing and immediately went to ask the supervisor for details.

At first, the supervisor said he didn't know, but later, getting impatient with the questions, he said:

"He was transferred to work elsewhere. This was a decision made by higher-ups, so don't ask around."

Such an excuse wouldn't fool a three-year-old, so Huang Gang and the others naturally didn't believe it.

When they thought of Pan Zaozi's threat to file a complaint, a bad feeling immediately arose in their hearts.

However, no matter how much they suspected, they had no way to change anything since they had no personal freedom.

Not only that, but in the following two days, officials tightened their control over them again.

People are not allowed to move around freely, they must be accompanied to the toilet, and they are not allowed to gather and chat, etc.

The more they acted this way, the more Huang Gang felt that Pan Zaozi might be gone.

The thought of his good brother being murdered reignited the flame in his heart, and it burned fiercely.

However, he did not voice his thoughts this time.

Pan Zaozi's affair made him suspect that there was a mole among them betraying them.

In order to avoid arousing suspicion and then disappearing, he could only try his best to disguise himself.

We'll wait and see if any important figures are coming over, then we can find an opportunity to complain.

He did this not blindly, but based on his own speculation.

The officials are so eager to silence witnesses and have tightened control over people's personal safety; the person who came must be a big shot.

And it's very likely they're not part of their group.

It's worth taking the gamble.

If it doesn't work... I'd rather die a glorious death than die here in such a humiliating way.

Two days later, he heard from his fellow workers that a high-ranking official from the imperial court had indeed arrived.

All the officials, big and small, in charge of the construction of the imperial city bowed and scraped before that high-ranking official.

Huang Gang was overjoyed and then began to think of a way to meet that high-ranking official.

But before he could take any action, a shocking piece of news arrived the next morning.

All the officials in charge of the construction of the imperial city were arrested.

A group of burly men dressed in brocade robes walked around, banging and shouting as they carried gongs:
"His Majesty heard that there were corrupt officials who mistreated laborers and craftsmen during the construction of the Imperial City, so he specially appointed the Grand Censor as an imperial envoy to investigate the matter."

"If anyone has been wronged, they should be reported immediately."

"Lord Liu will surely stand up for everyone."

Most people simply chose to remain silent. To stand up for the people? Who would believe that?

Huang Gang could hardly believe his ears. The Emperor knew? And even sent an imperial envoy to investigate?
Your Majesty is wise.

He jumped out without hesitation: "I have been wronged, please investigate, Imperial Envoy."
-
Liu Bowen didn't arrive very quickly, after all, he didn't come alone.

This time, they're here to investigate a corruption case. If someone came alone, even if he were the prime minister, it would be very difficult for him to come back alive.

Although the law stipulates that officials of a certain rank who are murdered are subject to legal consequences.

Then all the officials in the place where he was killed should be punished, and the chief administrative official should bear the main responsibility.

But no one can guarantee that someone won't resort to desperate measures.

Therefore, for this trip, Zhu Yuanzhang assigned him a battalion of imperial guards for protection.

He was also given the authority to mobilize the Imperial Guards of Fengyang.

With these preparations, his journey to Fengyang naturally slowed down.

Therefore, the news that the imperial court was going to send an imperial envoy to investigate a corruption case reached Zhao Yanjun, the person in charge of the Fengyang Imperial City, four days in advance.

Imperial Censor? Liu Bowen?

Zhao Yanjun was shocked. If it were an ordinary person, he wouldn't have cared at all.

So what if he's an imperial envoy? He's Li Shanchang's man; who would dare disrespect Prime Minister Li?

At worst, I'll give you a share of the embezzled money, and send a few small fry to take the blame.

However, this approach was ineffective against Liu Bowen.

However, being a worldly man, he quickly calmed down.

Such a big matter could not possibly be unknown to Prime Minister Li; he would surely issue instructions.

Just follow the instructions and act accordingly.

He didn't just sit idly by; he understood the importance of appearances.

First, he destroyed some of the evidence, and then warned all officials not to give themselves away.

"If anyone gets caught, they should keep their mouth shut. Your families will be taken care of."

"If you dare to make baseless accusations, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

He also ordered that the craftsmen be treated better in the past few days, and even gritted his teeth and paid them half a month's worth of food and wages.

Given the weak nature of these lowly people, they wouldn't dare to speak out if they had food to eat.

However, feeding several thousand people for half a month is still a considerable sum of money.

It hurts to send these things to those lowly people like this.

No, once this is over, I must get it all back, with interest.

To his surprise, he waited and waited, but never received any instructions from Li Shanchang.

This made him feel uneasy.

He immediately sent someone to the capital to find Li Shanchang and inquire what had happened.

However, Fengyang was neither too far nor too close to Yingtian, and before the people he sent had returned, Liu Bowen arrived first.

Zhao Yanjun was not alarmed and led the officials from the construction department to greet them.

A lavish welcoming banquet was prepared, and the garrison commander of Fengyang and the commander of the Fengyang Imperial Guard were invited to accompany them.

In his mind, Liu Bowen would definitely conduct a detailed investigation to find evidence.

This takes time; don't expect to gain anything in less than ten days to half a month.

In that time, he would have already communicated with Li Shanchang and found a solution.

As I said before, at worst, we can just find a few scapegoats.

However, to his surprise, at the welcoming banquet, Liu Bowen, who had been all smiles, suddenly changed his expression:
"No one is allowed to leave."

"Anyone who attempts to leave here before the case is fully investigated will be treated as a criminal."

This immediately caused an uproar, and the scene became chaotic.

Zhao Yanjun was shocked, then said angrily:
"Lord Liu, even if you are the Imperial Censor, you have no right to restrict the freedom of so many officials, do you?"

The scene immediately quieted down, as if everyone had found their pillar of support.

"Yes, yes, we are all officials appointed by the imperial court. You have no right to restrict our freedom."

"We want to impeach you for overstepping your authority..."

Liu Bowen said calmly, "When I set off, His Majesty granted me the authority to act expediently."

Zhao Yanjun snorted coldly and said, "So what? I am a fourth-rank official appointed by the court. Without His Majesty's edict, who would dare to touch me?"

Liu Bowen sneered, "What a coincidence! Before I set off, His Majesty gave me three imperial edicts, one of which was to remove you from all your posts."

Zhao Yanjun was shocked: "Impossible! You're talking nonsense! How could my loyal Emperor..."

Liu Bowen, no longer bothering with pleasantries, said coldly:

"You embezzled funds and grain for the construction of Zhongdu and deducted the wages of the craftsmen. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already found out, yet you still dare to deny it."

"Guards, take Zhao Yanjun away and interrogate him severely. Make sure he spills all his accomplices."

Four Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Zhao Yanjun, who had collapsed to the ground, away.

But the matter did not end there; Liu Bowen then ordered the arrest of seven more officials.

They were all people whose secrets had been compromised by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Next, he will use these people as a breakthrough to uncover this corruption case.

In fact, what the Embroidered Uniform Guard provided was only intelligence, not evidence.

Normally, Liu Bowen would definitely investigate the evidence first before arresting people.

This is the procedure stipulated by law, and he doesn't want to break it easily.

But the situation is different now. The Ming Dynasty is going through a turbulent time, and there are too many more important things waiting for him to do.

There wasn't much energy to waste on these insects.

Therefore, he used the evidence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest people directly, and then went on to collect new evidence.

The remaining officials were all ashen-faced and dared not utter another word.

Liu Bowen scanned the crowd and said:

"If anyone voluntarily surrenders to the authorities, their punishment will be reduced by one degree."

All the officials lowered their heads and no one spoke.

Liu Bowen ignored them and turned his gaze to the garrison commander of Fengyang and the commander of the Fengyang Imperial Guards:

"Gentlemen, His Majesty also has a secret decree for you."

Both men were greatly surprised and quickly got up to receive the imperial decree.

Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang did not punish the two men; on the contrary, he comforted them.

They were instructed to cooperate fully with Liu Bowen to thoroughly investigate the case.

The two men breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said they would cooperate with Lord Liu to thoroughly investigate the case.

Liu Bowen offered a few words of encouragement to the two men and then let them leave.

Are they really that clean?

Everyone knows it.

However, as long as the two are not directly involved, we should not touch them for the time being.

Otherwise, if we really push these people to the brink and they unite, things will become really difficult.

The most urgent task now is to thoroughly investigate the corruption case in the capital.

After taking control of the key officials, Liu Bowen ordered the collection of evidence from the laborers and craftsmen.

(End of this chapter)