It was no secret that Zhu Yunying was preparing to rectify official corruption.
The court and the public alike are paying increasing attention to this rumor, as many can clearly sense that the emperor is serious about it. This is definitely not a minor incident, and many people may suffer as a result.
Of course, many people may benefit from this, but at this stage, it's best not to think about so many things. Doing your duty and avoiding trouble at this sensitive time seems to be more important.
The founding duke Chang Mao was aware of this, and he didn't really care too much about so-called taboos. He often associated with some military officers, seemingly not caring at all about arousing the emperor's suspicion.
It is worth noting that his father-in-law, Feng Sheng, lost his military power due to the emperor's suspicion. However, that may also be because Feng Sheng's achievements were too great and he had become a major force in the Ming Dynasty's military.
As for the fact that Feng Sheng had private dealings with his son-in-law, Prince Zhu Su of Zhou, this was naturally a more sensitive matter. It was only natural that it aroused the emperor's suspicion, since Zhu Su was enfeoffed in Kaifeng at that time.
After finishing the wine, Chang Mao, who was hosting a grand banquet, said, "Today, let's take the liberty of saying a few words, whether we should or shouldn't. I also want to remind everyone that those of you here are all in charge and hold positions in the court. Mind your own business. If you haven't cleaned up your mess, figure it out yourself and don't go around harming others."
It's not really thanks to nature, after all, Chang Mao is not young, and his status and position in this middle-aged area are very high.
Most importantly, the military officers who came this time were mostly second or third-generation descendants. So, as the theoretical head of the Chang faction, it was quite normal for Chang Mao to remind or, rather, give everyone a warning at this time.
After glancing at the crowd in the hall, Chang Mao continued, "We nobles are all of the same blood, and even those who are kind are related by blood or kinship. However, times have changed. It's not that I don't cherish old friendships, but nowadays, anyone who doesn't know how to be virtuous is cutting themselves off from the military ranks."
That was a rather strong statement, but it sent a shiver down many spines. Since the Founding Duke had said so, it seemed the capital inspection was taking the matter very seriously, making any underhanded tactics at this time unlikely.
Although the Ming Dynasty clearly distinguished between civil and military officials, just as some nobles wanted to gravitate towards the civil service, many civil officials also wanted to get closer to the military officials. After all, the military power of the Ming Dynasty was strong, and many of their titles were hereditary, which meant they enjoyed wealth and prosperity.
If one could establish a connection with the Duke of Kaiguo or the Duke of Zhongshan, that would be an extraordinary achievement. While it wouldn't guarantee a meteoric rise in rank, it would certainly provide a powerful patron in the court, making advancement and wealth much easier.
Unfortunately, these two seemed to be quite self-disciplined. At least they didn't want to get too close to civil officials, and even if some military officials wanted to get close, they would keep a certain distance. They only cared about the existing relationships with those few families and managed their existing small circles well.
The Chang and Xu families are already wealthy and prominent enough. At this point, they don't need to think about further expanding their family's prestige; that would actually be counterproductive. They should learn to be content and restrained—that's what they should be doing.
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and all the necessary reminders had been given. If some people remained obstinate, Chang Mao wouldn't feel any guilt. Good words are useless against those stubborn fools; he had already done what a leader should do.
Besides, he was just the person in charge, and those people were all marquises, heirs, and the like. They were all incredibly prominent figures with their own circles, so there was no need for the Duke of the Founding to handle everything for him.
After everyone else left, Chang Sheng said, "Brother, although we've given some pointers today, I doubt some people will take your words to heart."
Chang Sen chimed in, "That's for sure. After all these years of enjoying wealth and luxury, many of them have only ever lived in comfort. If we're talking about spoiled brats, at least we've all been on the battlefield. Look at us today, several of them are sitting there all slumped over, not showing a trace of military merit."
Chang Mao didn't mind and said, "We've said what we needed to say and done what we needed to do. Many of these people have families who helped them through hardship. We haven't treated them unfairly. If something really happens, we'll have the confidence to speak up when we run into those uncles and elders someday."
That's the truth. Our Chang family is wealthy now, but we haven't forgotten our old brothers. We've said everything we needed to say, but your unfilial descendants didn't listen, so you can't blame anyone else.
Remembering something, Chang Sen said, "Li Jiujiang is also a smart man. Duke Cao has met with quite a few of his students and old friends these past few days."
Chang Mao then said, "He's different. The Prince of Qiyang is the Emperor Emeritus's nephew. Those who serve under the Duke of Cao are closer to him than we are."
That's right. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were both generals under Zhu Yuanzhang. Even if they had some childhood friendship, they were still officials outside the capital.
But Li Wenzhong was different; he was Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew, and he represented the power of the Zhu family's clan.
Even now, things are different. The Chang and Xu families were just noble families, at most with the added status of being maternal relatives, which made them appear even wealthier. Of course, this also meant they were more sensitive, as rulers throughout history have always been wary of maternal relatives.
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