Since ancient times, the poor have been literary and the rich have been military.

Zhu Ying has never been stingy in building the Black Armor Guards.

There is meat in every meal, and you will be full every time.

As long as you can eat it, you can eat as much as you want, beef or mutton, all served in big bowls.

Physical strength is something that depends entirely on training and diet.

Without a strong physique, those special trainings cannot be carried out at all. Only the top 1,000 people among the more than 8,000 Xuanjiawei are able to go down to the river naked and practice martial arts in this severe winter.

In fact, the Xuanjiawei winter swimming event has been practiced many times in the military camp, and they have been practicing in the river for some time.

And this time, it was also Zhu Ying's intention.

Because the New Year is approaching, many people come to the capital, the most lively city in the entire Ming Dynasty.

For example, officials reporting on their work, foreign ministers paying homage, merchants doing business, etc., would all come to the capital.

At this time of year every year, merchants hope to make a fortune, foreign officials hope for rewards from their superiors, and local officials want to listen to the words of the emperor.

For example, the court’s arrangements for next year.

Of course, most of the local officials who rushed back to the capital at this time were hoping to find some connections and make some moves.

Even if there is no opportunity, at least I can consolidate my official position.

When wishing New Year's greetings to your superiors in the capital, you must be clear.

Due to various factors, the capital city is now almost at its busiest. Zhu Ying ordered the Xuanjia Guards to perform martial arts outside the Zhengyang Gate and at the riverside dock in order to demonstrate the value of warriors and to promote military service.

So far, the effect seems to be very good.

The fame spread throughout the capital that same day.

And this news soon reached Zhu Yuanzhang.

Out of curiosity, Zhu Yuanzhang asked his eldest grandson to transfer the Xuanjia Guard over to take a look.

What kind of fierce and powerful army is this?

In the palace martial arts arena, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the tall, mighty, and resolute-eyed black armor guards and was extremely surprised:

"Good, very good, this is the strongest army we have ever seen."

Zhu Yuanzhang was generous in his praise.

The fact that they could gain recognition from Zhu Yuanzhang, who had fought wars all his life, was enough to show how powerful the Xuanjiawei were now.

Just standing there, you can be as still as an ice sculpture.

The muscular bodies and fierce eyes show how powerful these soldiers are.

"If we can have an army of 10,000 people, it will be enough to sweep across the world and be invincible. Even if the opponent has an army of 100,000, we can charge directly and kill them."

"Grandson, the Black Armor Guards know how to ride."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Ying smiled and replied, "Riding and matchlock muskets must be practiced every day. What my grandson wants to build is the musket cavalry. Even if the number is small, it will be of great use on the battlefield."

"It can fight on horseback or off horseback, and it can also be used for long-distance raids."

These soldiers have undergone intensive training in all aspects, and their quality is the best of the Ming Dynasty.

"A soldier who has never seen blood is not a good soldier. When Da Sun is ready to take him out for a test, he must be able to fight and win on the battlefield. Don't just be a show-off."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a smile.

Zhu Ying replied, "My grandson has the same idea. When spring comes, I will let Uncle Seventeen lead them to Shaanxi to see some blood. We will know whether they are good or bad after a walk."

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little surprised. He didn't expect that his eldest grandson trusted the Seventeenth Prince so much that he would even hand over his own personal guards to him.

"It seems that Little Seventeen has to take advantage of the eldest grandson's kindness. Such soldiers are given credit for their contributions." Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Zhu Ying said: "Seventeenth uncle is good at planning. With such soldiers, we will be even more powerful. With the intelligence coming from Shaanxi, we should be able to break through the key points and quell the rebels in a very short time."

"Uncle Seventeen's biggest problem in the past was not whether he could win or not, but how to pacify the rebellion quickly without causing too many casualties and delaying the spring ploughing."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. The so-called rebels had never been taken seriously. The Ming Dynasty had so many elite soldiers and generals that there was no place that could not be pacified.

However, when thinking of the generals with military power, Zhu Yuanzhang had a few words he wanted to say to his eldest grandson.

With a wave of his hand, Liu He immediately arranged for a carriage to come over.

In the Qianqing Palace, heat filled the air, driving away the coldness that had just been felt.

"I'm old, and my body can't take it anymore. I can't stand it after just two incense sticks of time."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt his body gradually warming up and his hands and feet becoming more flexible. He couldn't help but sigh.

At this age, you can no longer do whatever you want.

Horse-drawn carriages were prohibited in the imperial palace, and Zhu Yuanzhang always walked wherever he went.

It is no longer possible now. At the advice of his eldest grandson, Zhu Yuanzhang also arranged for a personal carriage. The imperial physician also said that he was prone to rheumatism if he often caught cold.

"Grandpa, what you said is wrong. With a body like this, even some strong men in their forties are not as good as him. Those who are over fifty can't compare with Grandpa."

"But what the imperial physician said makes sense. No matter how healthy your body is, you still need to be nurtured. Grandpa, don't try to be stubborn."

Zhu Ying sat next to the old man. There was no bowing or anything like that. He just chatted happily like an ordinary grandfather and grandson.

Zhu Yuanzhang enjoyed this feeling very much.

This is the true family happiness.

It was really displeasing to other princes and grandchildren to see him trembling with fear.

Feeling that it was about time, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

Liu He arranged for the palace maids and eunuchs to leave one by one, and then stood guard two meters away from the main hall of the Qianqing Palace.

"How is Lan Yu doing lately?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a deep voice.

Hearing this serious tone, Zhu Ying immediately understood what the old man meant and replied:

"Lan Yu has been handling various matters in the Public Security Department for some time. As the New Year is approaching, the affairs of the Public Security Department have also become busy."

"Those Huaixi disciples also caused him a lot of trouble."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, sighed, and said with some emotion: "We can conquer this world, but it is inseparable from the help of some old brothers."

"Now, the old brothers have passed away, and now only Brother Tang is left, and he seems to have health problems."

"Don't blame me for being cruel and sending them away. In fact, their power is too great, which makes me feel uneasy every night."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head and looked at his eldest grandson and said, "Grandson, you have blamed me in your heart because of these things."

Zhu Ying shook his head and said, "He is arrogant because of his meritorious service, has formed cliques, and has brought chaos to the government. He has no ambition to make progress, so he should be killed!"

"Those who rob their neighbors, oppress the people, act recklessly, and indulge their evil servants should be killed!"

At this point, Zhu Ying paused for a moment and continued, "Those who endanger our Ming Dynasty and destroy our Ming Dynasty should be killed!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he smiled.

There are too many people in this world who do not recognize him.

But who knows the pain in his heart?

Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t feel much after listening to the first two paragraphs, but he really resonated with the last sentence.

This world belongs to the Ming Dynasty and the Zhu family.

Anyone who dares to touch it must die.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased that his eldest grandson was able to realize this.

"There are too many old brothers in Huaixi. Now they follow us to build our empire. We have not treated them unfairly since we won it."

"But there are always some brothers who always feel that what they have obtained is not enough, and they would not be satisfied until I give up the throne to them."

"We don't want to kill them, but we have to. For example, about 70% of the generals in the army now have unclear relationships with the old brothers in Huaixi."

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped talking, as he believed that his eldest grandson should understand what he meant.

Lan Yu was not in the army, nor did he hold the position of Grand Commander, but everyone in the Five Military Commandery had to give Lan Yu face.

According to the secret investigation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lan Yu is still as powerful as ever, and the nobles in Huaixi follow his lead.

This made Zhu Yuanzhang feel quite fearful.

What he was afraid of was not Lan Yu, but he was worried about the future of his eldest grandson.

The military power now seems to be under the control of Da Sun. If anything happens, the generals headed by Lan Yu will definitely give strong support.

Zhu Yuanzhang had no doubt about this.

But if I am gone, and Lan Yu has no opponent, will he still listen to his eldest grandson obediently?

If there is any disagreement, should we listen to Da Sun or Lan Yu?

Lan Yu, who was already a duke, was able to gain the merit of following the emperor once again after his eldest grandson ascended the throne, and he would surely become extremely powerful.

Can this world still belong to the Zhu family?

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his eldest grandson was very outstanding, but some things could not be completely conquered by any means. The way of an emperor lies in balance.

Once you lose balance, some things can be said.

This is true throughout history.

Zhu Ying began to ponder in his heart.

In fact, he has already started preparing for these aspects. Lan Yu's going to the Public Security Bureau can be regarded as a kind of weakening.

But at present, the weakening is not obvious.

Because in the eyes of others, Lan Yu and he have a close relationship and will definitely rise in the future, so his position as the leader of the Huaixi nobles is still very stable, even more solid than before.

Just by looking at the old man's eyes, Zhu Ying knew clearly.

Old man, this is murderous intention.

Perhaps it was because of how powerful the Black Armor Guards were, or perhaps it was for some other reason, that the old man felt that the Lan Yu faction should be eliminated.

Otherwise, there will always be hidden dangers in this government and the world.

Even though his reputation in the army was already very high, it could not be compared with Lan Yu, who had fought in blood for many years.

Lan Yu's advantage lies not in himself, but in the entire Huaixi military generals and nobles group, who have penetrated into the upper and middle levels of all the armies.

Most of these middle-level officers are military generals from Huaixi. Their influence comes from their comrades-in-arms and the emotions they have gained from fighting together. They cannot be completely replaced by some favors.

It was precisely because he knew all this that Zhu Yuanzhang's murderous intent never stopped.

Taking out Lan Yu's file and handing it over to the eldest grandson was, to some extent, helping him to gain support from powerful forces.

But now, the eldest grandson has grown strong and the throne has been secured. What was once the cornerstone for progress has become a stone blocking the way backward and it is time to remove it.

Zhu Ying was indeed hesitant at this moment.

Knowing the nobles of Huaixi is just like in history.

Although he could completely control the military power, it would undoubtedly be a huge loss to the Ming Dynasty as a whole.

Mid-level officers, especially those with major war experience, are the most scarce.

According to historical records, after Zhu Di seized the throne, he personally led five military campaigns, drove away the Tatars, and defeated the Oirat.

On the grassland, he established a great reputation.

However, behind this reputation, there is a embarrassing situation where there are no generals available.

The massive lack of middle-level officers led to a sharp decline in the Ming army. Almost all the famous generals died in the Lan Yu case, and talented generals who could be of great use were scarce.

It is easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it is difficult to get a good general.

In the eyes of ordinary people, it seems that as long as the quality of the soldiers is high enough, the armaments are advanced enough, and the logistical support is sufficient, they can fight at will.

In fact, it is not.

In a world where generals mainly rely on cold weapons, this is simply too important.

The emergence and formation of a great general often comes after a long war.

It is even more difficult for a famous general.

An incompetent general can lead to the death of thousands of soldiers.

Even in the later era of hot weapons, wisdom in war is extremely difficult to come by, otherwise there would be no peace and prosperity.

Zhu Ying trained his troops in imitation of later generations, providing them with money and high-intensity training to build an iron army.

It also has insights that are different from those of the present day, which can help grow wealth and improve people's livelihood.

But when it comes to real warfare, he may not even be as good as a general whose name only appears in history books.

Not to mention famous generals like Zhu Di and Lan Yu.

That was the strategic and military talent honed during ten or even dozens of years of war, which could not be compared with mere talk on paper.

"Let's give our eldest grandson two years. We should be able to wait for two years. If we don't see any hope of improvement by then, we will be able to wait for two years."

"Grandson, don't blame me for being cruel."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the struggling expression on his eldest grandson's face, pondered for a while, and said in a deep voice.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang could guess a little about what his eldest grandson was thinking, but in his opinion, the Zhu family's kingdom was far more important than anything else.

The Ming Dynasty's million-strong army is missing the nobles of Huaixi. It is only a temporary fall, but we must plan for the long term.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Zhu Ying replied after hearing this.

If we cannot completely control the Huaixi nobles within two years, we will not be able to keep them.

However, in Zhu Ying's opinion, there is still a great chance of success.

Although the grandfather and grandson did not say anything, their meaning was clear.

What Zhu Ying needed to control was not Lan Yu, nor other nobles who had already achieved success, such as Cao Zhen, Zhang Yi, Zhu Shou, and Wang Bi.

But those middle-level officers whose names are unknown.

For example, when Zhu Yuanzhang and Lan Yu led their troops in Handong, Gansu, they wanted to delay the battle, but were stopped by the generals in the army.

Only when you have such prestige can you be said to have true control over the military power.

Once an imperial edict is issued, even if it means death, one must submit and accept the punishment without any resistance.

"There is a rift between your fourth uncle and Lan Yu. Lan Yu once complained to your father, and your father told the fourth uncle, and there was resentment between the two."

"You should be aware of the relationship between your third uncle and fourth uncle, so don't worry too much."

Zhu Yuanzhang's words were meant to tell Zhu Ying.

Zhu Di can be used and is capable of being used. When he is used, whether it is Lan Yu or Zhu Gang, they can be used to restrain each other.

Don't discard it just because of a previous relationship.

"Grandson understands."

Zhu Ying nodded in reply.

In fact, he had been thinking about it ever since he talked to the old man the day before.

If the feudal lords had not been weakened, would Zhu Di really have rebelled?

Even if he really rebels, can he succeed by himself?