Zhu Xiong Ying patiently explained, “Grandfather, I know that Confucianism should be used, but deep down I will not give it much importance. I believe you have also seen that I have been single-mindedly restricting Confucianism all these years, not wanting those people to control the career paths of civil officials in the court.”
Hearing Zhu Xiong Ying say this, Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction. This was something he was quite proud of. Over the years, Zhu Xiong Ying had promoted many craftsmen and officials, which caused many Confucian scholars to complain, feeling that those non-traditional scholars becoming officials disgraced the Confucian identity.
But there was nothing they could do; the Crown Prince had forced the issue forward, and it seemed the Emperor himself was allowing and tacitly approving of it.
Faced with such a domineering grandfather and grandson, these Confucian scholars, while earnestly admonishing and deeply distressed, often had no choice but to acquiesce. The reason was simple: some of their views were simply not adopted.
Old Zhu looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and said with a smile, "That's good. As long as our Ying'er understands, that's fine. We've become the prime minister, and a few years ago we revised Mencius to elevate the emperor's position. We can't go astray and make those scholars afraid of us as emperor!"
"Grandpa, I actually like having so much power," Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu. "I also understand that some of my ways are disliked by those people. I don't have time to argue with them. What I want is for them to obey and do what I'm told."
Old Zhu had no doubt that these were Zhu Xiong Ying's true feelings. He knew that his grandson was a strong-willed person, and he knew that his grandson also had an insatiable desire for power.
It seemed that he no longer had to worry about some things, and Old Zhu felt much more at ease. As long as the Gongyang School wasn't dug up from the dusty archives, Old Zhu would feel at ease. He didn't want to cultivate a group of scholars who opposed the emperor and clamored to share the rule of the country with him.
After chatting with Zhu Xiong Ying for quite a while, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needed to handle some official business. He was still very diligent in his duties, mainly because he had no choice but to be diligent now, as there were too many things to do and Zhu Xiong Ying had not established any cabinet or similar institutions.
Under such circumstances, Zhu Xiong Ying needed to be even busier, handling all kinds of matters, big and small. This was no easy task, and it was something Zhu Xiong Ying did every day, leaving her little time to rest.
Zhu Xiong Ying, who was reviewing memorials in the Wenhua Hall, looked up and said while stretching his wrists, "Let the Duke of Liang come over, and the Duke of Zheng and the Duke of Wei also come over."
Wang Chengen naturally accepted the order immediately. However, he didn't need to personally deliver the decree. He had some eunuchs under his command, and these errands were naturally done by them.
Zhu Xiong Ying continued to review the memorials with great focus. There were too many things to do, so he couldn't afford to be careless or slack off.
When the three dukes arrived, Zhu Xiong Ying put down his brush and went straight to the point, "Duke of Liang, you once led troops to quell the rebellious and disloyal forces in Yunnan and Guizhou. Now that you are being put in command of troops again, do you have any complaints?"
Lan Yu's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "This humble general obeys the order!"
Lan Yu was indeed quite excited. He had previously led troops to quell rebellions in the Yunnan-Guizhou region and was relatively familiar with the area. Leading troops back to the battlefield was something he had been looking forward to. Moreover, this time, leading troops could be considered fighting for the Crown Prince.
Looking at Lan Yu, Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "This time, I hope you can fight for a little longer and train some soldiers who can fight bravely in this miasma-ridden land."
Lan Yu was taken aback for a moment, then immediately understood. "Your Highness, do you intend for this humble general to drive the rebels to the Champa and Annam regions?"
Zhu Xiong Ying laughed. Lan Yu didn't have much political acumen, but his awareness on the battlefield was very high, which pleased Zhu Xiong Ying.
"Remember to leave some troops there, and the Duke of Wei will also go with him this time." Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Xu Yun Gong and continued, "If possible, drive some of the chieftains and rebels to the Minzhou and Ganzhou areas."
Lan Yu and Xu Yungong immediately understood that the Crown Prince's intention this time wasn't necessarily to swiftly annihilate the rebels in Yunnan and Guizhou. Rather, he was looking for a pretext to wage war in Annam, which was also intended to put pressure on the Tumed and other Mongol tribes, indicating that he was planning to take action in the Western Regions.
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