Five Military Commanderies.

The place that was once the most prosperous now gives people the feeling of a leisurely government office.

Those who were able to enter here at the beginning were all nobles of the Ming Dynasty, and the lowest level of qualification was to be a centurion.

As he controls the military power of the entire Ming Dynasty, people from the Ministry of War have to be cautious when coming in.

Walking in the government office, seeing dukes and marquises is a common sight.

However, as Zhu Ying continued to drain power from the Five Military Commanderies, the nobles currently in office were now left with no soldiers left.

The separation of military and political power led to the withdrawal of the military farming economy that was originally under their control.

As for military training, it is basically controlled by the Ming Military Academy.

"I haven't been back for two years. I didn't expect that everything here has changed completely."

Lan Yu said with some sigh.

During these two years, Lan Yu had been on the grassland reorganizing the military and preparing to establish a military town.

The Ming Dynasty planned to develop the black soil, and the first to be targeted were naturally the military households.

The overall relationship with the Northern Yuan Dynasty is still good. Some minor frictions are inevitable, but we must also consider safety measures in order to prepare for a rainy day.

No one knows how long the honeymoon period between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty will last. This is an unbelievable thing in previous history.

It has been less than two years since the establishment of Beiyuan Mercenary Industry. Many people in Daming believe that this is probably a delaying tactic by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and conflicts will surely break out again in the future...

The grassland people have a simpler view. They don't care what happens tomorrow, as long as they can have enough to eat today. They live for this meal, so it doesn't matter who they are.

There is no concept of country on the grassland itself, so naturally there is no so-called concept of home and country.

Many nobles who have some status in the tribe would try to send their sons to study in the Ming Dynasty, or even obtain household registration in the Ming Dynasty.

In the absence of war, the economic gap between the two sides is evident.

Everyone yearns for a better life, but now that you can’t snatch it away, of course you have to find a way to squeeze in.

Without the border barriers, life in the Ming Dynasty was very enviable for the grassland people.

As the two sides get to know each other better, the envy becomes deeper and deeper.

In the absence of farming, nomads simply rely on fate to provide them with food, and it is common for them to go hungry one day and eat the next.

If you can obtain household registration in the Ming Dynasty, you can go to the Ming Dynasty to work.

This is much more comfortable than being on the grassland.

Not only can I have two meals a day, but I can also earn a lot of money. This is simply the good life I have always dreamed of.

It is said that the lower-class people in the dynasty are miserable and have a hard life, but compared with the lower-class people of nomadic peoples, they are already happy.

If you have no money to eat, you can still beg.

On the grassland, when there is nothing to eat, the sky is vast and the wilderness is endless. You may starve to death without seeing anyone. There are no weeds on the ground, it is completely bare.

There is still Guanyin soil when there is famine in the Central Plains. Even if you die of overeating, you will be a well-fed ghost.

All that is left on the grassland is despair.

So this is the reason why the mercenary industry in the Northern Yuan Dynasty is so prosperous today, because it is the Grandson of the Ming Dynasty who gives him a living, which is something that no Khan can do.

Even for Genghis Khan, whose territory was so vast, the people at the bottom were not called common people, but slaves.

"I heard that the court is building an imperial platform recently. The Duke knows about this."

The person who spoke was Cao Zhen.

As Lan Yu's right-hand man, Cao Zhen naturally came back with him.

Hearing Cao Zhen's words, Lan Yu just shook his head slightly: "I have only been back for two or three days, how can I know this clearly? Just by listening to the name, I know that this is probably arranged by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"We still need to know something about these things, especially about some of the decisions made by the Crown Prince. You will understand after going to the grassland that the Crown Prince has the final say in the world now. If you go against his will, no one will have a good ending."

There was a hint of sigh in Lan Yu's voice.

Who could have imagined the Ming Dynasty today.

The Huaixi noble group, which once served as the core of the crown prince, is now not in tatters, but it no longer has the momentum it once had.

Huaixi was recognized by the Crown Prince and His Majesty, but the current Crown Prince does not recognize it at all.

In terms of the dependent relationship, it should be the Crown Prince who wins over the Huaixi noble group as his helper, so that he can govern the world stably. He must also think about what to do after he ascends the throne.

Who knew that the Crown Prince would first set up a Public Security Bureau, then separate the military and politics, and finally set up a military academy.

Relying on the more than 5,000 people given by Your Majesty at the beginning, they gradually swallowed up the military power of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Thinking back on this kind of thing now, Lan Yu still finds it hard to believe.

"Of course, Duke, you haven't noticed that His Royal Highness is famous from the top to the bottom."

"Even the servants in my house are obsessed with the good of the Crown Prince. They have longevity tablets in their homes and offer sacrifices day and night, more devoutly than worshipping Buddha."

Cao Zhen said with some amazement.

Lan Yu frowned slightly: "Say less such things in the future."

"Whether it's high-yield crops or a large number of factories, ensuring workers' wages are all related to the people's livelihood in Ming Dynasty."

"You and I naturally don't feel much about it, but for the people, this is a huge favor."

"Those servants in your family also have their own relatives and friends. Everyone can directly feel the changes in their lives."

"In the future, be more careful with your words, especially your choice of words. Don't be so rash. If you are caught by someone, you will be in trouble."

Hearing this, Cao Zhen quickly said, "I didn't pay attention just now. I won't do that again in the future."

The reason why Lan Yu mentioned Cao Zhen was because there was a hint of ridicule in the tone of Cao Zhen's words just now.

It wasn't a big deal, but Cao Zhen was a marquis, and this identity involved a lot of implications, the most important of which was the crown prince.

If this were to get to the ears of someone with ulterior motives, it would be seen as disrespectful to the Crown Prince.

"Duke, where should we go from now on?"

Cao Zhen glanced into the yamen yard and saw that the guards were still at the door and there were not many idle people around, so he felt relieved.

Now, apart from his own family members, the soldiers under his command seem unreliable.

Because of the retirement system, today's soldiers have a way out. As long as they work hard, they will not have to worry about having nowhere to go after leaving the army.

Even if one does not have the opportunity to enter the Public Security Bureau, one can still receive a very generous retirement pay.

This money came from the imperial treasury, which meant the emperor paid out of his own pocket.

This also extended the soldiers' loyalty directly to the crown prince.

According to the current merit system, an ordinary soldier can receive a maximum retirement pay of about 150 strings of treasure notes upon normal retirement.

Perhaps in the eyes of the powerful, this is just the cost of a meal.

But for ordinary people, this is a huge fortune.

In an ordinary village, you can build a house, get married, do some small business and live a peaceful life.

"What else can we do? Of course we have to follow the orders of the Crown Prince. As long as we obey, the Crown Prince will still use us."

"The grassland is fine for now. No one can predict what will happen in the future. The Crown Prince has been quite good to us. Apart from not having military power now, we have everything we need."

"You know what happened with Duke Cao, right? He took an ocean-going fleet to inspect all nations. What does this mean? It means that His Royal Highness's heart is far more than the current Ming Dynasty."

"There will certainly be no shortage of wars in the future. In my opinion, the next step will be Southeast Asia."

"While I have nothing to do in the capital during this period, I should read more books about Southeast Asia, learn about the situation there, and make adequate preparations."

Lan Yu analyzed and said.

The generals of this generation are now in their prime, and naturally they want more merits.

When they went to the grassland, the crown prince actually hinted to him that he should become the king of the grassland, but the situation was different now, so Lan Yu naturally did not dare to mention this topic.

Of course, he also knew that this could not be blamed on the crown prince. After all, the King of Yan had been captured, and peace was the main rule on the grassland now, and there was no room for maneuver.

But Lan Yu was naturally unwilling to give up, so he turned his attention to Southeast Asia.

There are many countries in Southeast Asia. Apart from Annan and Champa, there are still a lot of others.

With his current status, Lan Yu could go one step further, which is similar to the situation of overseas vassal kings, occupying a place far away from the Ming Dynasty as his hereditary fiefdom.

Since the Crown Prince had mentioned that idea before, it means it is still feasible.

"It's just that we have been back for several days, but His Majesty and the Crown Prince have not summoned us. Do they want to leave us idle?"

"A few old brothers came to see me yesterday, and their words were nothing more than these. If the Crown Prince doesn't want us old brothers anymore, there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Cao Zhen was feeling a little worried.

Because according to previous practice, when generals like them came back from outside to report on their work, they would be summoned and comforted personally by His Majesty.

But this time, it was already the third day, and there was no movement in the palace.

If it was just His Majesty, everyone would ask for an audience directly, but when it comes to the Crown Prince, things are a little different.

The situation in the court seems simple, but it is actually extremely sensitive, especially for the military officers who lead the troops.

In the prosperous capital, coupled with the recent announcement, everyone is treading on thin ice, and no one knows what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is thinking.

It would be bad if these generals who had just returned to the capital caused any trouble and were misunderstood by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Precisely because the situation was unclear, after returning to the capital, Lan Yu did not gather a few friends for a drink, but went to the Five Military Commandery to work obediently.

Since Lan Yu acted like this, the generals under him naturally became more obedient, and no one wanted to cause any trouble at this time.

There is a feeling of depression in my heart.

"Don't be impatient, just wait."

"Anyone who offends the Crown Prince at this time will be asking for trouble."

"The content of this notice is actually irrelevant to us. Most of the previous lands have been handed over. This is the Crown Prince's plan to crack down on the emerging wealthy families. Don't get involved without reason."

Lan Yu said with instructions.

Whether it is restricting grain hoarding or purchasing land, it has little to do with nobles like Lan Yu.

They had already handed over their land, and living in the capital, who would bother to store food for a few years? Even if they had food, they would have nowhere to store it.

"Hey, why do we have to go back to Beijing at this critical moment? It's so annoying." Cao Zhen said helplessly.

At this time, there was a noise coming from the outer courtyard.

The two of them stopped talking, looked at each other and looked out of the yard.

I saw several eunuchs trotting over in a hurry.

The guards on duty naturally didn't dare to stop him.

"Duke Liang, Duke Liang."

The eunuch who took the lead was Guo Zhong, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department who was close to Zhu Ying.

"Eunuch Guo."

Lan Yu also stood up and went to greet him.

Guo Zhong is currently a popular figure around the Crown Prince, and even Lan Yu has to treat him politely.

"It's great that Duke Liang is here. The Crown Prince has ordered that Duke Liang come to the palace to meet the Emperor."

Guo Zhong was finally relieved to see Lan Yu. He was afraid that Lan Yu would have left when he arrived at the Governor's Mansion.

"Wait until I come back."

Lan Yu whispered something to Cao Zhen, and then followed Guo Zhong into the palace.

When Cao Zhen saw this, he finally felt relieved.

As long as the Crown Prince still recognizes Lan Yu, those who follow him will not be afraid of having nothing to do.

Huagai Palace.

Because there are more concubines in Kunning Palace now, it is naturally a bit more inconvenient.

After all, in this world, there are a lot of rules between men and women, especially in the palace.

So under normal circumstances, Zhu Ying would be in the Huagai Palace.

It’s only a few steps away.

"I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Lan Yu bowed respectfully.

"No need to be polite, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Ying smiled and said, "This trip to the grassland must have been hard for Duke Liang. He was exhausted from the long journey. I originally wanted to let Duke Liang rest for a few more days and relax. I also wanted to get some things done earlier."

Just one sentence made Lan Yu's worries disappear.

It turns out that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not summon me because he cared about me and let me rest for two days. I was overthinking it.

"It's not hard. This is what I should do." Lan Yu replied quickly.

Zhu Ying had no intention of continuing the pleasantries and said directly, "Duke Liang should have heard about Duke Cao's voyage to the West."

Lan Yu replied, "Your Highness, I have indeed heard something about it."

Zhu Ying nodded slightly: "I have a concubine, a princess of Zhenla. My Ming Dynasty has no dealings with Zhenla on this matter."

"So I thought of sending a team to Zhenla to represent the Ming Dynasty in the handover with Zhenla and convey this matter."

"After thinking it over, I feel that Duke Liang is the most suitable person. I wonder if Duke Liang is willing to help me make this trip."

Lan Yu's eyes lit up. He didn't expect good things to come so quickly.

I was thinking about things in Nanyang before, and now I’m here again.

"I will do my best to fulfill my mission." Lan Yu replied immediately.

Zhu Ying said, "Then I'll have to trouble the Duke of Liang."

Then he said leisurely: "The situation in Nanyang is complicated, and conflicts continue in some local areas. We don't need too many troops this time, but we can't weaken the reputation of our Ming Dynasty, so let's take 30,000 soldiers with us."

Under Zhu Ying's meaningful gaze, how could Lan Yu not understand the Crown Prince's intention?

This is a clear attempt to intervene in the situation in the South Seas region.

"I will obey the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."