The twenty-second year of Hongwu arrived just like that. Zhu Xiong Ying, as was his custom, took his younger siblings to the Kaiping Prince's Mansion on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Chang Lan Shi was very happy to see her eldest grandson, who was handsome and had fair skin and red lips.
In fact, Chang Lan was also a little anxious, as none of her three sons had any children.
Zhu Xiong Ying sat calmly in the head seat. Even if Chang Yu Chun were still alive, this position could only belong to Zhu Xiong Ying.
"Uncle, once the weather gets warmer, I'll head to Beiping first," Zhu Xiong Ying said to Chang Mao. "Uncle, you're going to take charge of something. Remember to keep plenty of troops in Beiping with you."
Beiping, naturally, is also known as Yuan Dadu.
It is said that the layout of the streets in Yuan Dynasty's capital city laid the foundation for the basic structure of the future capital.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the basic layout and palaces of Dadu (Beijing) were relatively well-established. After Xu Da captured Dadu, he added an earthen wall in the northern part of the city, transforming the city walls into a "日" (sun) shaped layout.
Chang Mao was a little excited; life in Yingtian Prefecture was incredibly boring. "Your subject obeys the decree."
“The remnants of the Yuan dynasty are weak now, but we must not be careless, Uncle.” Zhu Xiong Ying said, “We still need to train our troops diligently. Marquis Dingyuan will also accompany you to Beiping this time to consolidate the border army.”
Marquis Dingyuan, Wang Bi, was naturally the general who followed Lan Yu in defeating the Northern Yuan at Buyur Lake, but Chang Mao could restrain him. Not to mention that Wang Bi was part of the Chang faction, Chang Mao was now the Duke of Zheng, a rank one level higher.
Remembering something, Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and looked at Lan Yu, "Duke of Liang, are you reluctant to part with this valiant general?"
Lan Yu quickly replied, "His Highness the Crown Prince has issued the decree, and I obey."
Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and nodded, then continued, "Duke of Liang, you'll be going to Sichuan in a few days. Would it be alright if your adopted son accompanied you?"
Lan Yu's face turned a deep purplish-red. He already had over a hundred adopted sons in the army. He was playing the same game that Zhu De used when he was the commander-in-chief, only with even more adopted sons than Zhu De had.
Lan Yu immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "This humble general was arrogant and reckless; please punish me, Your Highness."
“Now that they’ve been dismissed, there’s nothing to worry about,” Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile. “However, the Duke of Liang still needs to keep an eye on his family. Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Ru Chang is under my jurisdiction. I’ve received quite a few reports about him these days.”
Zhu Yuanzhang renamed the Censorate as the Grand Censorate, but its functions remained unchanged; it was the highest supervisory, impeachment, and advisory body.
Chang Lanshi looked embarrassed, then furious. Ignoring the presence of the Crown Prince, she grabbed a teacup and smashed it heavily in front of Lan Yu!
"Get out!" Madam Lan was truly angry, furious. "The Crown Prince has been planning for you for so long, considering the continuation of the Lan family line, and what have you done?! Since you won't listen to this old woman, then don't set foot on my Chang family's door!"
Lan Yu quickly pleaded, "Sister..."
"Grandson, don't let him go to Sichuan this time!" Chang Lanshi said angrily to Zhu Xiong Ying, "This scoundrel doesn't know what's good for him. From now on, don't worry about whether he's good or bad!"
Lan Yu was about to cry. Although she was called the older sister, Lan Changshi could also be considered both a mother and an older sister. Despite being a great general in the army, Lan Yu was just a younger brother in front of Lan Changshi. This was a psychological trauma stemming from the beatings and scoldings he had suffered since childhood.
Zhu Xiong Ying hurriedly said, "Grandmother, the Duke of Liang is busy with military affairs and is probably unaware of the family's arrogance."
Lan Yu nodded repeatedly. "I don't know. Even if I did know, even if I was the one who instructed them, I still don't know."
Chang Mao quickly pleaded, "Mother, please forgive Uncle this time!"
Chang Lan looked coldly at Lan Yu and asked, "You really don't know anything about this?"
Seeing Lan Yu shake her head, Chang Lan Shi immediately said, "Since Kong Shi doesn't know how to manage a household, have her come to the manor tomorrow to learn some rules! Although I am a member of the Chang family, I can make decisions about the Lan family's affairs, can't I?!"
Lan Yu gave a fawning smile and said, "Yes, yes! It should be elder sister who makes the decision!"
Chang Lan glared at Lan Yu, then looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, "Your Highness, what exactly did this arrogant scoundrel's wicked servants do?"
Zhu Xiong Ying sighed and said, "Previously, they seized farmland in Dongchang. When the censor investigated, the Duke of Liang drove the censor away. This is something my maternal grandmother knows. Now, the Duke of Liang's manor has many servants, and many of them are tyrannical and cruel because of the Duke of Liang's power. Not only do they seize farmland, but they also beat and kill people."
Lan Yu panicked and quickly tried to explain, "Sister, I really didn't know about this, I really..."
"You scoundrel!" Chang Lan was so angry she was about to have high blood pressure. Should this be explained to her? It should be explained to the Crown Prince!
Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Lan Yu and said, "My cousin gave birth to her eldest son last year, who should inherit the title of King of Shu. The King of Shu will be enfeoffed this year, so the Duke of Liang should go and supervise the construction of the cities in Sichuan."
This task was given by Old Zhu, and Lan Yu naturally dared not disobey. This was also a way for her to take care of her daughter and son-in-law a little.
"Since you have received the imperial decree, this old woman will take care of the affairs of the household!" Madam Chang Lan said with murderous intent and disappointment. "The dignified Duke of Liang, your wicked servants committed evil deeds, and you were kept in the dark! Return to the manor today and immediately beg for forgiveness!"
Lan Yu was actually quite aggrieved, because many of his colleagues had done the same thing. They were all risking their lives, putting their heads on the line, and now they had made great contributions.
Seizing a few plots of fertile land and killing a few civilians—what a big deal! Would His Majesty the Emperor really punish a general like me, a pillar of the court, for so many civilians?!
Seeing Lan Yu's expression, Zhu Xiong Ying simply shook his head slightly. Some people are just like that; expecting them to change immediately isn't very realistic.
Furthermore, people like Lan Yu, once they lose their fighting spirit and their drive, might lose their brilliance on the battlefield and become just another ordinary person.
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