My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 123 What is High Emotional Intelligence? (Leaning Back)

Although the investigation process was skipped, Zhu Yuanzhang was still in no hurry to take action.

He first wrote a letter to Liu Bowen, asking him to continue investigating the case of embezzling rations and to mislead others.

Then Zhu Shuang was summoned to the palace and ordered to use the Embroidered Uniform Guard to cooperate with the military's actions.

Then he summoned someone no one would have expected: Fang Guozhen.

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "What do you want with him?"

Zhu Shuang was also a little puzzled. Fang Guozhen had surrendered more than two years ago and had been behaving himself in Yingtian. Why was he looking for him now?

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Fang Guozhen was a powerful figure at sea back then. He knows the background of all the major maritime merchants better than anyone else."

"Show him this list; you might get some unexpected insights."

The two brothers suddenly realized, but Zhu Shuang said with some disdain:
"They're just some big businessmen, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said unhappily, "Even a lion needs to exert its full strength to hunt a rabbit."

"Moreover, the Ming Dynasty has only just unified the country, and the people's hearts are not yet won over."

“Targeting so many powerful and wealthy households at once is likely to trigger a backlash.”

"If the loss of important information leads to civil unrest, it would be a great loss."

Zhu Biao agreed wholeheartedly, but Zhu Shuang still felt that those people were being overrated.

With the knife handle in our hands, are we afraid they'll rebel?

Zhu Yuanzhang saw through his thoughts and felt quite helpless.

This son was really spoiled before. Although he has changed a lot since following Ma Yu, some of his bad habits have not been eradicated.

However, he didn't try to persuade him further. He believed that verbal instruction was not very effective for this kind of problem, and that the person would correct it after suffering a couple of setbacks.

Soon Fang Guozhen arrived at Qianqing Palace and respectfully bowed to the three of them.

Logically speaking, he had no need to be so polite to Zhu Shuang, but the old man Fang was known for his flexibility and adaptability.

When he was a warlord, he was very adept at dealing with people.

He not only befriended Zhu Yuanzhang but also helped him purchase warhorses.

Zhu Yuanzhang was able to build a cavalry force even though he was in Yingtian, thanks to Lao Fang.

However, Fang Guozhen then surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty and enjoyed the treatment of a Yuan official.

He used his status as a Duke of the Yuan Dynasty to help Zhu Yuanzhang buy horses.

Later, Zhu Yuanzhang sent troops to attack him. After being defeated, he fled to the sea. When he had no other choice, he wrote a letter to surrender.

That letter was also exceptionally well-written:
You are like a father to me, and I am your child. The conflict between us is just a small friction between family members.

As the saying goes, "Take a small beating, but run away with a big one."

When you reprimand me, I listen respectfully. When you send men to beat me, I have no choice but to run away.

If I don't run, I'll be beaten to death, which would be putting you in an unjust position.

After reading it, Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed deeply moved. He wrote a letter rebuking him and then allowed him to surrender.

They even gave him an official position, but it was a nominal one, and he only received a salary.

But in any case, he was one of the few warlords at the end of the Yuan Dynasty who managed to die a peaceful death.

Under the influence of Ma Yu, the new etiquette and legal system of the Ming Dynasty established the same rank for princes and princesses.

When ministers meet them, they only need to perform the etiquette of superiors and subordinates.

If a high-ranking official of the first rank met them, a simple polite greeting would suffice.

Fang Guozhen was, after all, a warlord who had surrendered, so he was given a fairly high rank and there was absolutely no need for him to perform a grand ceremony for Zhu Shuang.

But he did it anyway, and he did it very naturally and sincerely.

Anyone who meets him will think he is an honest person.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was also full of smiles. After he finished bowing, he took the initiative to speak:

"Guozhen, how have you been lately? If you need anything, just let us know. Don't make yourself suffer too much."

Fang Guozhen said gratefully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am eating and sleeping well in Yingtian."

"These are the good days we never dared to dream of back then, how could we feel wronged?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly: "Su Qin once said, 'If I had two acres of land in Luoyang, how could I wear the seals of the prime minister of six states?'"

"Now, Guozhen, tell me, if we could have lived in peace back then, why would we have started a rebellion?"

At this point, he sighed and said, "Guozhen, what you said really resonated with us."

"Back then, if we could have enough to eat, who would have done this job that could cost us our lives?"

Fang Guozhen echoed this sentiment, reminiscing about the hardships of those years.

In short, people rebelled because they couldn't survive, and the Yuan Dynasty was wicked and deserved to be destroyed.

However, he finally flattered him, saying, "My rebellion was merely a means to survive, while Your Majesty's uprising was ordained by Heaven; the two are not comparable."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and laughed, "You are indeed eloquent."

Zhu Biao, standing to the side, admired Fang Guozhen inwardly. No wonder his father could accept her; her emotional intelligence was indeed very high.

Zhu Shuang just scoffed, saying it was too spineless and that someone like Lao Ma was more admirable.

After a few more casual words, Zhu Yuanzhang got down to business.

He handed him the list and said, "Are any of these people familiar to you?"

Fang Guozhen glanced around and found that many of them were indeed powerful figures he was familiar with, which made his heart skip a beat.

Have these people rebelled? Or does the emperor suspect me of having connections with them?
Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have seen through his thoughts and took the initiative to give a brief account of the Fengyang Imperial City Case:
"...Most of these people come from the southeast. We'd like to ask you if you know anything about them."

Fang Guozhen was relieved, but also shocked by the behavior of these people.

They dare to do something like this? They're really courting death.

After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Most of these people are local powerful figures with considerable strength."

"Although there was no regional separatism at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, many families built fortified villages and raised many private soldiers."

"Therefore, they have never taken the imperial court seriously. I have heard that some families even use eunuchs in private."

"I just didn't expect them to be so lawless, daring to steal building materials from the capital."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly; it seemed the matter was far more serious than he had imagined.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Shuang were both shocked. They built fortified villages, raised private armies, and even employed eunuchs.

This guy really thinks he's some kind of local tyrant; no wonder he dares to buy materials for the imperial city.

Zhu Biao couldn't help but say, "No wonder my cousin keeps saying that the world's system of etiquette and law has completely collapsed."

"The power of the clan gentry in the south is even stronger than we thought."

Zhu Shuang nodded in agreement, and at that moment he finally understood why his father had to mobilize the army.

And why would they ask Fang Guozhen to inquire about the situation?

If we don't clarify these things and rashly arrest people, it might really cause chaos in the southeast.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

No wonder Lao Ma always said I was too arrogant; it seems he was indeed a bit arrogant.

Fang Guozhen sighed inwardly, realizing that Ma Yu's status was indeed extraordinary.

The crown prince publicly called him his cousin, which truly showed he didn't consider him an outsider.

That's truly enviable.

It's a pity my identity is too sensitive, otherwise I would have insisted on getting to know him.

After that, Fang Guozhen recounted the names of the people on the list that he knew.

Zhu Yuanzhang marked them all, especially those families with influence at sea.

After Fang Guozhen finished speaking, he tactfully took his leave.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not try to persuade him to stay, but instead repeatedly told him to speak up if needed and not to be too hard on himself.

After he had walked away, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Shuang and asked, "How was it?"

Zhu Shuang said with shame, "I was too arrogant. I never imagined that the power of the powerful families in the southeast would be so great."

However, he then added, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is still too understaffed."

"I devoted all my manpower to investigating finance and taxation, to the point that I neglected this crucial information."

"How about we expand the scale a bit more?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "It's time to expand it. Let's add another garrison."

"However, you don't need to worry about this matter. You heard what Fang Guozhen said just now. Send someone to investigate immediately and provide accurate information as soon as possible."

Zhu Shuang replied dejectedly, "Yes."

After returning to the Ma residence, Zhu Shuang first sought out Ma Yu and recounted the incident:
"I never imagined that the power of those powerful clans would be so great."

Ma Yu was also somewhat surprised. A fortified village? Wasn't that something from hundreds of years ago?
But thinking about it, it's normal. The chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty lasted for decades, and it was quite normal for local clans and powerful families to build defensive structures in order to protect themselves.

Thinking about this, he said, "There are historical reasons why Southerners like to stick together."

Zhu Shuang asked curiously, "Oh? What historical reason?"

Ma Yu said, "It is impossible to trace back to when the fortified villages were first built."

"However, it is certain that it originated in the northern border region."

"It was used by the local people to spontaneously defend against the invasion of nomadic groups from the grasslands."

“During the Han Dynasty, fortified villages were common along the northern border.”

"Let's talk about the South. During the pre-Qin period, only the states of Wu and Yue originated from the Central Plains."

"After the Qin Dynasty was established, it dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops to conquer the region and established the three prefectures of Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiangjun."

"Later, Zhao Tuo established the Nanyue Kingdom."

"But at that time, the number of Han Chinese in the area was only around 500,000 to 600,000, and most of the time it only remained at around 200,000."

"During the reign of Emperor An of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the country experienced the most extreme decade of climate due to the cold period."

"In order to cope with the extreme weather, Empress He Xi relocated hundreds of thousands of disaster-stricken people to settle in Jingzhou."

"This is also why Jingzhou was able to develop and play an important role during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period."

"The first large-scale southward migration of Han people in a true sense occurred during the Eastern Jin Dynasty."

"But at that time, the south was undeveloped and there were many barbarians."

"They were not very friendly to the Han Chinese who migrated there, and the two sides fought frequently."

"At that time, the imperial court could not be relied upon, and the people could only band together to cope with the situation."

"So the fortified villages in the north, which were used to defend against nomadic tribes, were moved here by the people who migrated south."

"The Han people relied on fortified villages, farming while fighting against the barbarians."

"During the struggle, the two sides also exchanged ideas, both culturally and economically, and in terms of blood ties."

“Many barbarians were assimilated into Chinese culture during this process.”

"It took hundreds of years for the Jiangnan and Jingchu regions to be developed on a large scale."

"During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Han people migrated south on a second large scale, and places like Huguang were also developed."

"That's why the South became prosperous."

"It can be said that the fortified villages played an important role for a long period of history."

Zhu Shuang suddenly realized and said, "I see. But since the fortified village is so important, wouldn't destroying it be indirectly helping the local barbarians?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "Starting from the Southern Song Dynasty, the power of the Han people in the south had completely overwhelmed the local barbarians."

"The historical mission of the fortified villages has been completed, so there is no need for them to continue to exist."

"In fact, the fortified villages had basically disappeared by the Southern Song Dynasty, and the local people were more likely to stick together in clans."

"It was only because of the inaction of the Yuan Dynasty court, coupled with the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, that fortified villages reappeared."

"And don't think that fortified villages are all good; they also have a lot of problems."

“Fortified villages can not only be used to defend against barbarians, but also to confront the imperial court.”

"Fortified villages are mostly built by blood ties. Don't assume that just because you're related by blood, you'll all love each other." "They have a strict hierarchy. The clan chief and elders are the elite, while the lowest-ranking people live worse than cattle."

"And they will be enslaved for generations to come, with no chance of ever being freed."

"In addition, they would often plunder people from other places and imprison them in fortified villages as slaves."

"It can be said that countless corpses are buried beneath every fortified village."

“In times of chaos, fortified villages do have positive significance, but in times of peace, they become places where filth and evil are hidden.”

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has unified the world, it needs to re-establish the system of rites and laws, and even the power of clans will be suppressed, let alone the fortified villages."

"Therefore you don't need to have any psychological burden. Destroying it with swift and decisive means is the greatest help to the people."

Zhu Shuang nodded and said, "I'm relieved to hear that."

After that, he summoned Mao Xiang and the others and made arrangements accordingly.

Finally, he casually remarked, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is about to expand by one garrison, then everyone won't have to work so hard."

Unsurprisingly, Mao Xiang and the others' eyes practically lit up when they heard this.

They're not stupid; they naturally know that expanding the organization will create many more problems.

These elderly people have the best chance of competing; they might just be able to become a thousand-household commander themselves.

If you want to get promoted and make money, then you should naturally look at your achievements.

No, this job has to be done perfectly.

They immediately set to work and investigate the details of the people on the list.

On the other side, Ma Yu also let out a long sigh.

The powerful clans in the south have historical reasons, many of which can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Historically, it did indeed play an important role at one time.

They made a great contribution to the development of the South.

But as he often said, history is changing, and no system is immutable.

That's how clan power works.

It's time to make them disappear.

Without the disappearance of clan power, the family model cannot be truly established, and individual initiative cannot be brought into play.

Human rights are just empty words.

It not only hindered the progress of the ritual and legal system, but also constrained industrial development.

This is not something he made up; it has been proven by history.

In the previous life, the Ming Dynasty silently dismantled the fortified villages, but did not strike at the clan power. By the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, it had completely lost control.

Those clan gentry and powerful families openly used eunuchs as servants.

They didn't even respect imperial power, let alone anything else.

Therefore, he had no objection to Zhu Yuanzhang's expansion of the policy and his use of this opportunity to eliminate some powerful and wealthy families.

The blood we shed now is all so that more people at the bottom of society can live a slightly better life.
-
Inside the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the records in his hand, silently plotting something in his mind.

After a long time, Zhu Biao finally couldn't help but ask:

"Father, what are you thinking about?"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed to the names of those maritime merchants and said, "Fang Guozhen said that many of these maritime merchants have connections with Japanese pirates and the remnants of Zhang Shicheng."

"We're thinking, maybe we can make use of this."

Zhu Biao understood after a moment's thought and said, "Are you trying to lure the snake out of its hole? To use this opportunity to strike at the Japanese pirates and Zhang Shicheng's remnants?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Yes, what do you think?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment before saying, "We can give it a try. General Wu Zhen of Jinghai has been training troops in Quanzhou for a year now, so it's a good opportunity to test the results."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "That's right, just as I thought, but how to implement it in detail still needs to be discussed."

"Let's wait for further news from the second son before making a decision."

Zhu Biao nodded: "It would be best to let my second brother try to bribe a few informants and get more information."

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Tell him a message: be careful and don't alert the enemy."

Zhu Biao responded, indicating that he understood.

Then Zhu Yuanzhang added, "However, no matter what we do, it is time to reward our meritorious officials."

Now, apart from Liaodong, the Western Regions, Sichuan, and Yunnan, the rest of the country has basically fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, and the meritorious officials are eagerly awaiting their rewards.

If this drags on any longer, they'll start to complain.

Moreover, the imperial court relies on the military merit groups who come from the grassroots to carry out major reforms.

Only by completely binding them to the imperial court will they join forces with the court to crack down on local powerful clans.

They even supported the imperial court's suppression of Confucianism.

The best way to bind military merit groups is undoubtedly through titles of nobility.

Zhu Biao nodded again and said, "Rewarding meritorious officials at this time can also divert everyone's attention and provide cover for the next operation."

“It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”

Preparations for rewarding meritorious officials began at the beginning of the year.

It took the Ming Dynasty more than ten years to gain control of the country, and the military achievements during that period are difficult to calculate.

The period of separatism in Yingtian was relatively easy to handle, as Zhu Yuanzhang was already preparing to contend for the throne, and his military achievements were well-documented.

You can pretty much confirm it by just flipping through the military merit book.

The trouble was in the early days, when everyone was just trying to survive and no one was thinking about fighting for the world.

Therefore, there were no specific records of military achievements, or the records were incomplete.

The already limited data was further depleted during several transfers.

Therefore, calculating this part of military merit is very difficult, and we can only check them one by one.

After more than six months of statistics, a relatively accurate result was finally obtained just a few days ago.

Even so, we can't guarantee that nothing has been missed.

But there's nothing we can do; if there are any omissions, we can only add them later once everything is confirmed.

So on the fifteenth of October, Zhu Yuanzhang finally issued an edict to confer titles upon meritorious officials.

The imperial court also held a grand investiture ceremony.

The emperor, empress, crown prince, and all the princes attended.

The meritorious officials who received the titles collectively paid homage to the emperor, empress, and crown prince.

Then the Ministry of Rites would issue the prepared imperial edicts, seals, and clothing to the meritorious officials.

After a series of rituals, the celebration finally came to an end.

In fact, less than half of the meritorious officials were actually able to attend the investiture ceremony.

Most of the generals were out on missions.

For example, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Wu Zhen, and others could only receive their titles remotely.

However, since it was a joyous occasion, Zhu Yuanzhang still sent envoys to various armies to announce the imperial edicts of reward and conferment.

This is also a way to boost morale.

Just as they expected, the matter of bestowing titles upon meritorious officials instantly overshadowed all other topics and became the hottest topic at the moment.

People everywhere, whether they have connections or not, are discussing this matter enthusiastically.

Many people have developed the idea of ​​joining the army to earn military merits and change their fate.

Master Ma and Aruwen, dressed in coarse linen clothes, were discussing the matter of bestowing rewards with a group of old men.

His words were full of envy and longing for the meritorious officials who had been awarded titles.

Yes, the two of them were using fake identities to have fun, and no one knew their real identities.

They assumed it was just an ordinary family living in the city.

At first, Aruwen was a little hesitant, but he gradually got used to it and became even more enthusiastic about going out every day than Ma Baye.

I've basically given up alcohol, and my health has visibly improved.

This made Wang Min even more grateful to Ma Yu.

At this moment, the two old men, like ordinary people, spoke with envy for the meritorious officials.

He expressed that if given the opportunity, he would definitely send his child to the army to earn merit.

"We've been peasants for generations, we have nothing but a worthless life."

"Go all out to win a title and a good reputation for your wife and children, and you'll have no worries about wealth for generations to come."

"Danger? What isn't dangerous? If it weren't dangerous, would we be the ones getting this chance?"

"It's only because the chaotic times have just ended. In a few decades, I'm afraid ordinary people like us won't even have the chance to risk our lives."

If this is the case among civilians, it's even more so in the military.

Those who received the rewards were all moved to tears, and kowtowed in gratitude towards the palace.

Those who didn't receive any reward were green with envy.

They couldn't wait for a powerful enemy to appear so they could charge in and earn some military merit.

Among those who received the honors, two stood out for their exceptional behavior.

One was Liu Bowen, who knew his own situation well and was genuinely surprised to be granted a marquisate in the end.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.

Perhaps I really misunderstand the emperor?

Regardless of the circumstances, having been promoted to prime minister and then granted the title of marquis, he should repay his country with his life.

But deep down, I also felt a bit helpless, knowing that there was really no way to avoid some trouble in the future.

I only hope that the emperor will not become obsessed with power struggles and will govern the country with integrity.

The other one is Li Shanchang. After receiving the title of Duke, the last weight was lifted from his heart.

Despite some misunderstandings with the emperor, he remains the greatest contributor to the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Her position in the emperor's heart was irreplaceable.

However, thinking about what happened in Fengyang Imperial City, he was filled with resentment.

I thought they were just skimping on money and supplies, but I never expected they would be secretly selling materials from the imperial city behind my back.

If it weren't for the deep bond between me and the Emperor, I would have been truly implicated by you bunch of fools this time.

You want me to save you? Bah! I'd rather tear you to pieces.

However, this matter is very sensitive, and the emperor is already very angry.

We must resolve the issues concerning the Six Schools of the Imperial Academy and ease tensions with the Emperor.

Some people were dissatisfied with the investiture.

Those were scholars from some prominent and wealthy families.

Look at the nobles of the Ming Dynasty, they're all peasants.

At other times, these people would have to kneel down and speak to us.

Now, thanks to their military achievements, they've actually climbed above us.

Hmph, you're nothing but a monkey in a crown, just wait and see you make a fool of yourselves.

Once the world is unified, civil affairs will be prioritized over military affairs, and the world will still need to be governed by us.

Let's see if you're still so glamorous then.

While the world's attention was drawn to the rewards, the Embroidered Uniform Guard quietly completed the screening of the people on the list.

After obtaining detailed intelligence, Zhu Yuanzhang finally issued an edict to the troops stationed in various parts of the south.

At the same time, he sent a handwritten edict to the provincial governors, instructing them to cooperate with the army's actions and find ways to appease the people.

(End of this chapter)