Lan Yu is currently enjoying immense prestige. With Tang He sidelined and Feng Sheng viewed with suspicion, Lan Yu seems poised to become the flag bearer of the imperial court and military. Even Fu Youde cannot compare, as Lan Yu is a confidant of the Crown Prince.
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't say much about it; he was still very busy, taking stock of his troops.
Zhu Biao returned to the East Palace and went to Zhu Xiong Ying's bedroom. He casually picked up the note written by Zhu Xiong Ying, and his expression became strange.
Zhu Biao coughed and asked, "Ying'er, I remember that all I gave you back then was the Jiangyin Four Guards, right?"
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and then said, "In the past two years, my grandfather has given me some authority over various matters. I was so busy after receiving the military tally that I forgot to return it."
Zhu Biao found it amusing and said, "So, Zhenhai Guard is now under your control too?"
"I only command the Fujian Provincial Military Command, but I don't manage the Fujian Provincial Military Command itself," Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile. "Father, I only command the navy now."
The Dusi, also known as the Duzhihuishisi, was the highest local military leadership organization in the Ming Dynasty, essentially equivalent to a military region.
The Dusi (都司) was divided into the Weizhihuishisi (卫指挥使司), Qianhu (千户所), and Baihu (百户所).
Each garrison had over five thousand men, divided into five thousand-household units: front, rear, left, right, and center. Each thousand-household unit was further divided into ten hundred-household units, each with 112 men. Each garrison was responsible for garrison duty in peacetime and for attacking or defending in wartime. In times of war, the imperial court would temporarily appoint generals, rather than a regional command (都司) directing the battle.
Zhu Biao found it amusing, then looked at it seriously, "You've really stretched your reach quite far, you even have a garrison under your command in the Military Governor's Office."
That's really the case. Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't embarrassed at all. "The various military commands and garrisons are too far apart, and each military command has its own jurisdiction. Father, I only manage the navy, specifically the navy near the coast. I don't touch the navy near the rivers and lakes."
"It's your doing that those naval forces couldn't get the ships," Zhu Biao said irritably. "The Longjiang Shipyard is now your responsibility. I remember a while ago someone from the Ministry of Works submitted a memorial, and the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites also joined in. The Crown Prince is in charge of the military, and he's even gone off to manufacture firearms. He also has a lot of money on hand."
Zhu Xiong Ying asked with a grin, "Did Grandfather put them in jail?"
Zhu Biao chuckled and then said, "A warning is enough; there's no need to imprison him. What those people said makes sense; the Crown Prince has touched many things. But your grandfather also said that he gave him the military power, so naturally he won't violate any taboos. In the end, it's those people in the Ministry of Revenue who are keeping an eye on your Maritime Trade Office."
Zhu Xiong Ying was speechless. "Father, it's not just the Ministry of Revenue, you've also set your sights on my Maritime Trade Office."
"You scoundrel!" Zhu Biao said irritably. "Your Maritime Trade Office? This is the Imperial Maritime Trade Office! I will take it back in a while. The Imperial Treasury is empty right now. If we manage the Maritime Trade Office well, our Great Ming will have more tax revenue."
I've only just started to see some results, and now the credit is being taken away.
Zhu Biao didn't care and continued, "Your imperial grandfather also meant this. Moving the capital will cost a lot, and the court will also need to wage war. The Maritime Trade Office should still be taken back to make it bigger. As for the navy, you can use it if you like."
“Father, I am your own son!” Zhu Xiong Ying said irritably. “The navy… well, I knew long ago that the Maritime Trade Office couldn’t be kept. But Father, our Maritime Trade Office can make money. We can bring back spices and gems from the Southeast Asian countries and make a lot of profits. If the court gets involved, we have to be careful about those officials.”
Zhu Biao nodded, then added confidently, "Your imperial grandfather has no leniency towards those corrupt officials; the administration has improved somewhat in the last two years. But we still need to be careful about what we should be careful about."
The main reason is that corruption was so severe during the Yuan Dynasty that even after the Ming Dynasty had been established for twenty years, the atmosphere in the officialdom was not good, even though Zhu Yuanzhang was ruthless in killing corrupt officials.
In fact, Zhu Xiong Ying understood that, not to mention the present era, even hundreds of years later, there would still be no shortage of corrupt officials.
Zhu Xiong Ying thought for a moment and said, "Father, since you have also seen the benefits of the Maritime Trade Office, I believe that if the court takes over, it will definitely be better than my small-scale efforts. However, further lifting the maritime ban will require more work from Father. Furthermore, once the court takes over, we must also pay attention to the navy."
Zhu Biao nodded and said, "You can keep the naval equipment. I only want the Maritime Trade Office and don't want to interfere with the naval affairs."
“My own son, I am your own son!” Zhu Xiong Ying said anxiously, “Although I have a large navy, I have never delayed the canal transport, sea transport, or the border army’s provisions. I have not delayed the Ministry of War’s affairs. I am just busy suppressing the Japanese pirates.”
Zhu Biao sneered and looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, saying, "You're not just suppressing Japanese pirates and eliminating sea bandits. How many people have left the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years? You've sent them to Southeast Asia, Japan, and even Korea."
Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying grinning foolishly, Zhu Biao said irritably, "If it weren't for your meddling, that King Jeon of Goryeo should have been given a posthumous title by now. It's been dragging on for two or three years, and the Ministry of Rites has had quite a headache with it."
This King Jeon, also known as the King of Goryeo, has been dead for over ten years. Logically, since this King of Goryeo had already accepted investiture from the Ming Dynasty, it meant that he should have received a posthumous title from the Ming Dynasty after his death.
In recent years, however, Wang Zhuan was ambivalent, accepting investiture from the Ming Dynasty while simultaneously flirting with the Northern Yuan. In truth, like the previous kings of Goryeo, Wang Zhuan lived in the shadow of the Yuan Dynasty. Although he once rebelled against the Yuan, he still considered himself a vassal of the Yuan.
In reality, the pro-Yuan forces in Goryeo were still very strong, and coupled with serious internal strife, Goryeo was killed by eunuchs and guards in the seventh year of Hongwu's reign.
Wang Zhuan, who had been dead for over a decade, was buried, but the Ming Dynasty never bestowed upon him a posthumous title. Previously, the Ming Dynasty and Goryeo were at odds, but things had improved slightly in the last two years. However, it seemed that Zhu Xiong Ying had designs on Goryeo, so Emperor Zhu naturally had no intention of granting him a posthumous title.
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