To be honest, Zhu Yunying and Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) are quite similar in some ways, and they are of the same lineage.
For example, they feel perfectly justified in taking advantage of someone's weaknesses. They also see many actions as expressions of trust. They feel no unease or guilt; on the contrary, they see it as a sign of trust and appreciation for their subjects.
There's absolutely no problem with that. After all, they're the emperors. Not only do they have a commanding view, but from their perspective, many things become very simple to them, and many things become justifiable.
This is what the emperor thought, and many of his ministers also believed this. Being able to undertake tasks that others couldn't was a sign of the emperor's trust and a testament to one's value and being favored by the emperor.
Chang Mao seemed to understand, and looked at Zhu Yunying and said, "Your Majesty, if any colleagues bring up this matter again at tomorrow's morning court, I will make things worse."
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile; this was one of Chang Mao's strengths. Chang Mao was indeed very suitable to handle many things. His identity was too special; many people were helpless in the face of Chang Mao's unreasonable demands, and naturally felt inferior in his presence.
Zhu Yunying then reminded them, "In the morning court sessions these past two days, many military officers have expressed their grievances. We know they are mostly afraid of the Emperor's might, but these matters are only causing us trouble. We also need to be careful with my uncle's side."
Chang Mao naturally understood and hurriedly replied, "This subject naturally understands. These past two days, this subject has also been unsure of Your Majesty's intentions and dared not act on my own. Now that this subject knows what to do, of course I cannot let those people cause trouble for Your Majesty."
Chang Mao spoke with such confidence, for he was one of the two most powerful military figures in the Ming Dynasty court. Even if Xu Huizu were in the capital, Chang Mao would dare to say such things, let alone now that Xu Huizu was in Goryeo preparing to return to the capital.
Although the military ranks were not a monolithic group, Chang Mao knew that if he was determined to do something, most of the military officers would have to shut up.
Whether he was a spoiled brat or a son of a tiger and a dog, Chang Mao didn't really care about those opinions. He only needed to know that his imperial nephew had done a good job as emperor, and that would be enough for him to live up to his parents' and elder sister's expectations, as well as the ancestors of the Chang family.
Zhu Yunying continued, "That's good. We know that many military families have their own agendas. But generally speaking, we still think that military families should not get too close to civil officials."
Chang Mao was a little embarrassed, feeling that this was the emperor giving him a warning, which was quite normal.
It's normal for families with military merits to be so closely connected, often related by blood or marriage.
For example, Liao Yongzhong, whom Zhu Yuanzhang once considered "one of the best, two of the best" during the campaign to pacify Shu, was closer to the Xu faction and even related to Tang He through marriage. However, this Marquis of Deqing, who had once imprisoned the young Ming dynasty scholar Wang Hanlin in Guabu, was also sentenced to death for illegal acts such as using dragon and phoenix symbols. Fortunately, his title could still be passed down.
The title of Marquis of Deqing is currently vacant, mainly because Liao Yongzhong's son, Liao Quan, who inherited the title, also died of illness more than ten years ago. Zhu Yunying is not very satisfied with Liao Yong, who should inherit the title.
Liao Yong, the heir of the Marquis of Deqing, is not close to the Xu faction, remains distant from the Chang faction, and keeps his distance from the Fu faction. This former Gentleman of the Palace and Vice Commander of the Left Army Commandery, along with his younger brother Liao Ming, both failed under Fang Xiaoru. Dressed like a scholar, he always speaks in classical Chinese.
This infuriated Zhu Yunying. These two were indeed a bit of a scoundrel, completely clueless about the situation.
Zhu Yunying didn't mind the military officers indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, nor did he mind their dissolute lifestyles. If they were ambitious, that would be even better. Military officers could certainly study, but it wouldn't be good if they spent too much time with learned scholars like Fang Xiaoru or became too close to the civil service.
In reality, after Fang Xiaoru was killed by Zhu Di, it was Liao Yong and his brother Liao Ming who disposed of Fang Xiaoru's body. As a result, Liao Yong was killed and his entire family was exterminated; his uncle and brother were exiled to the army; and his mother and other women were enslaved in the laundry department.
It should be noted that Liao Yong's mother was Tang He's eldest daughter, but she was also humiliated and abused in the laundry department. She was not allowed to wear shoes or socks and had to wash clothes barefoot, and was enslaved until death.
The military merits were so strongly tied to the civil service, which is why Zhu Yunying still wouldn't allow Liao Yong to inherit the title. If it weren't for the contributions of Liao Yongzhong and Liao Yong'an, and if Liao Quan hadn't at least served in the military campaign against Shu, those two clueless "scholars" from the Marquis of Deqing would have been subjected to much harassment.
Given their current behavior, Liao Yong'an's hard-earned title may soon lose its legitimacy to be passed down. At that point, they will truly have to rely on scholarship and books, and may very well become utterly mediocre.
Chang Mao was also in a dilemma. After all, Marquis Deqing was not part of the Chang faction; it should be the Xu faction's responsibility. Furthermore, those two brats in Marquis Deqing's household were clueless, treating the martial merit assessment set by His Majesty as a joke. Now, there wasn't a single person in the entire household who could ride a horse or draw a bow.
Moreover, more than thirty years had passed since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and many military merits were still closely connected. However, many others gradually declined or were rendered idle after losing their titles and military power. The Deqing Marquis's Mansion was one such example of an idle mansion.
Having been scolded for no reason, Chang Mao was definitely not going to swallow his anger. He was going to cause trouble for Xu's 'nephew' and teach them a lesson.
Chang Mao is now considered to represent military merit, and he is the only one who gets reprimanded. No one else has the right to do so. This is a reflection of Chang Mao's special status and position.
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