While keeping Old Zhu company in the sun, Zhu Yunying became restless. "I'm sweating. We need to sit on the porch for a while."
"Wang Chengen, drape a cloak over the Emperor, don't let him get cold." Old Zhu turned his head to look at Wang Chengen and reminded him, "It won't do if he gets cold one minute and hot the next. You're with the Emperor, you need to be aware of these things."
Wang Chengen quickly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands and will certainly serve Your Majesty well."
"Alright then, serve the emperor well. We'll even have a tomb for you right next to the emperor's mausoleum." Old Zhu said lazily. "You're quite a good servant. We sent you to serve the emperor back then because you were obedient and well-behaved. We didn't misjudge you. You're a good person."
This is praise for Wang Chengen, and it can be considered a great honor for him.
Those who were buried alongside the emperor were mostly members of the imperial family and high-ranking officials, such as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Li Wenzhong, who were buried on the back side of Zhongshan Mountain. These officials helped Zhu Yuanzhang establish the empire during their lifetimes and were buried with the Xiaoling Mausoleum after their deaths; they were all first-rate meritorious officials and confidants.
It's obvious that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't take the other eunuchs seriously; his Xiaoling Mausoleum doesn't have any eunuch tombs.
Wang Chengen was filled with gratitude, while Zhu Yunying sat directly on the porch, drinking tea to cool off a bit.
"I heard you're planning to set up some kind of martial arts academy. What's your intention?" Old Zhu asked Zhu Yunying lazily. "You're not interested in our old generals anymore and are planning to get rid of them all at once?"
Zhu Yunying put down his teacup and said with a smile, "That's not true. Emperors pass on their skills to their subordinates, and military generals should be the same. It's not good to expect them to go to the battlefield to kill enemies now. We're not happy to just collect their salaries for nothing. They should contribute their skills and pass on their knowledge of leading troops in battle so that our Ming army can become strong."
Old Zhu remained noncommittal, only saying, "We know that most of our old brothers are peasants. It's fine to ask them to kill, but asking them to teach is asking too much."
"Those who followed my grandfather in conquering the world were mostly heroes from humble backgrounds, but they spent half their lives on the battlefield and made great achievements. Whether it was talent or luck, they were all quite good." Zhu Yunying said with a smile, explaining, "We are not asking them to take the imperial examination. Teaching military people is naturally about marching, deploying troops, and fighting on the battlefield, not about pedantry."
Old Zhu nodded slightly, indicating his approval. Expecting those veterans to teach and educate needed to be assessed based on the specific areas of knowledge they were to teach. They certainly possessed considerable skill in methods of killing and warfare.
Zhu Yunying had no need to hide anything from his grandfather, so he said, "I remember telling my grandfather about this before."
"I've said it before, for quite some years now." Old Zhu nodded and said to Zhu Yunying, "Zhao Kuangyin released his military power over a cup of wine. We also killed quite a few people a few years ago to consolidate military power and prevent those people from becoming too powerful."
Zhu Yuanzhang did indeed take action against military officers in previous years. A large part of the reason why he wanted to enfeoff princes was that his family was poor and he wanted to use these members of the imperial clan to divide and weaken the power of those generals who commanded troops.
Zhu Yunying agreed with these points, and said, "This time, my grandson is setting up a martial arts academy to further consolidate military power. We also think that there should be some inheritance in the military and civilian system. Scholars can take the imperial examinations, and generation after generation of scholars can enter the court. Our military achievements cannot rely solely on fighting; they must also be learned, so that the military strength of our Great Ming can remain at its peak."
Old Zhu remained noncommittal, only grumbling, "Can something like military strategy be taught? What if we encounter a capable person who rebels?"
Zhu Yunying couldn't help but complain, "Grandpa Emperor was a rebel, don't be fooled by the fact that everyone looks like a rebel!"
After being glared at by his grandfather, Zhu Yunying immediately changed his tune, "Grandfather's concerns are valid, but our martial arts academy is not easy to enter, and it's not easy to rebel in our Great Ming. I actually have some ideas of my own, and I plan to discuss them in detail with Grandfather, and then bring out the regulations for the martial arts academy so that the people below can follow them."
Old Zhu nodded; his grandson was quick to understand. "Alright, dinner will be here, and he can stay here tonight."
"Alright, let's go back and check on our daughter first, then we'll come back for dinner," Zhu Yunying said with a smile as she stood up immediately.
Watching Xiao Zhu run off, Old Zhu couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He doted on this grandson terribly, but this grandson, the moment he got back, was already thinking about his daughter!
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