Lan Yu and Chang Mao were undoubtedly nervous. They had been in the Wenhua Hall for half an hour, during which time the Crown Prince had not said a word, but had been reviewing memorials.
Such silent oppression is the most terrifying. Even the arrogant and domineering Lan Yu and the fearless Chang Mao had to be on edge at this moment. Even those who usually seemed simple-minded and lacked political wisdom knew that the Crown Prince was truly angry and was giving them a warning.
Setting down the memorial, Zhu Xiong Ying calmly asked, "Have you thought it through?"
Chang Mao immediately spoke up, admitting his mistake without hesitation, "Your Highness, I know I was wrong."
Zhu Xiong Ying remained expressionless, calmly asking, "Alright, then tell me exactly where you went wrong?"
This left Chang Mao somewhat speechless. The Crown Prince was acting unpredictably. Normally, simply bowing one's head and admitting fault would have been enough; there was no need to dig deeper or continue questioning the matter.
Seeing Chang Mao's stammering and hesitant manner, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally understood. He truly had no way to deal with his uncle. Chang Mao sometimes seemed to possess 'great wisdom,' but more often than not, he just had some petty cleverness.
Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Lan Yu and asked, "Duke of Liang, why do you not agree with His Majesty's decision to abolish the Embroidered Uniform Guard? You should know that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is responsible for supervising all civil and military officials. In recent years, the downfall of some nobles has been inseparable from the influence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Not to mention Lan Yu, Chang Mao was also aware of these matters. The downfall of civil and military officials was indeed largely due to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards). Their instigation and expansion of implicated officials caused many civil and military officials and nobles to fall from grace.
Lan Yu dared not conceal anything, and simply said, “Your Highness, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can monitor all officials. In recent years, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has indeed committed wrongdoings and acted recklessly, and has also caused shocking cases. However, these people are ultimately a good knife, making lawless officials feel like they have thorns in their backs. Furthermore, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is ubiquitous and is very good at collecting intelligence.”
This is indeed true; the Embroidered Uniform Guard has indeed done a lot over the years, and their existence is indeed quite necessary.
Leaving aside the fact that the Hu Weiyong case implicated many civil officials and nobles, the existence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone would have made many civil and military officials at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty fickle or disloyal to the Ming.
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, with a hint of mockery, "The Duke of Liang is right. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is indeed a formidable weapon, capable of making civil and military officials wary. But Duke of Liang, the cases of Guo Huan, the Empty Seal, and Hu Weiyong have already been settled, haven't they?"
Lan Yu was stunned at first, then broke out in a cold sweat. Chang Mao, meanwhile, lowered his head and dared not speak. They seemed to understand why the Crown Prince was so angry.
These major cases were significant events in the imperial court in recent years. The prime minister was deposed, many nobles were stripped of their titles, and civil officials were executed one after another. The administration was rectified, and the situation of corruption improved somewhat.
Those in the know naturally understand that these cases were initiated by His Majesty the Emperor, and that this was a matter of absolute imperial authority. However, there is some hidden information: the late Crown Prince played a significant role and exerted considerable effort in these cases.
Chang Mao had previously used this as an excuse in court to link these cases and Li Shanchang with the "traitor," which now appears to be doing more harm than good, even implicating the former crown prince.
Realizing their mistake, Chang Mao and Lan Yu could no longer remain calm. They had no choice but to admit their error.
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't bother to say anything more. She knocked him awake and said, "You can all leave now. In the future, if there are any similar matters, don't rush to take the lead. Think it over and observe first."
Zhu Xiong Ying was actually quite helpless. Originally, according to his and Old Zhu's expectations, the discussion about disbanding the Embroidered Uniform Guard was supposed to start with a battle between civil and military officials below the third rank. Ministers and Dukes of the rank of civil and military nobles would definitely have to get involved, but it absolutely couldn't be this early.
However, Lan Yu went all out right from the start, and Chang Mao made a direct move, causing the newly erected stage to collapse. Many actors hadn't even appeared yet, and the show was over just like that.
It would be a lie to say that they weren't annoyed, and it would be a sign of strong mental fortitude not to feel both amused and exasperated. But there really wasn't much they could do. Lan Yu and Chang Mao didn't have much experience with these kinds of things, and those two weren't exactly reliable in such matters.
What needed to be said had been said, and what needed to be reprimanded had been given, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that was about enough. Although it was a bit difficult to stage a good show step by step, the things that needed to be done still needed to be done.
For example, if it's difficult to continue such a grand performance according to the script, then we have to act it out and sing it out. Directors, screenwriters, and judges like Lao Zhu and Xiao Zhu don't personally go on stage, but they can direct others to go on stage.
The young Zhu walked unsteadily toward the Wuying Hall. Old Zhu was probably still busy with state affairs at this time, so he must have been quite busy.
Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying approach, Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh, "Did those two idiots get a scolding?"
"I've said a few things, to put it bluntly." Zhu Xiong Ying said with some helplessness and a bit of a complaint, "Grandpa, what exactly has Lan Yu been thinking about all these years? Fu Youde has even gained some understanding, but Lan Yu hasn't made any progress at all."
Old Zhu thought for a moment and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "He is a pure warrior, his mind is on the battlefield. If Lan Yu's mind starts to turn to the court, we will not be at ease. A person must have edges and temperament. If Lan Yu loses his temperament and edges, he will be useless."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
