Trying to climb the social ladder by associating with relatives is clearly one way. But that would only lead to becoming a leisurely scholar or writer, not bringing glory to one's family.
Perhaps those scholars need to understand even more. Just think of those bloodied heads and those who were stripped of their official titles, and you'll realize that a scholar's duty is to study diligently and not to think about making irresponsible remarks about national affairs; that's not what they should be doing.
Most importantly, the emperor wouldn't allow them to do that; otherwise, their careers might end before they even begin. To die before achieving one's goals is something to be mourned when it happens to others. But to do it oneself is unbearable.
The matter is now considered settled for the time being. Zhu Yunying is generally satisfied and doesn't feel the need to escalate the case further; maintaining the current scale is sufficient.
It served as a warning to scholars and some civil officials, a reprimand to some military officers, the revocation of the titles of two marquises, and a reminder to members of the imperial clan.
This can be considered a win-win situation, and Zhu Yunying should feel satisfied. Many things cannot be solved once and for all, and one should not be too greedy. These are the things that Zhu Yunying should do, and he is quite content.
Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Marquis of Hanghai's title will soon be revoked. Zhang Rong will certainly not escape execution, and the stripping of his title is almost certain. At that time, the former "top general" under Emperor Ying Shi, and his entire family, will likely face dire straits.
While there was much suppression of civil officials, neither the Hongwu Emperor nor the Yingshi Emperor showed any leniency towards military officials!
Led by Xiao Zhu, Li Jinglong went to the Wuying Hall to request an audience. Although Cao Guogong had done most of the work, some credit had to be given to His Highness the Crown Prince first, a fact that Li Jinglong was well aware of.
"Cousin, there's no need for such formalities," Zhu Yunying said with a smile after the audience. "These matters are best left unrecorded by you, cousin. Why be so polite?"
Although Li Jinglong was inwardly cursing, he dared not actually do it. Even though he was half a member of the imperial family and a powerful figure in the military, he still needed to be mindful of his boundaries. He could offer polite words to the emperor, but taking them seriously would be tantamount to courting death. He could offer suggestions, but he couldn't make decisions for the emperor.
Especially matters concerning military merit are handled with extreme caution, and outsiders are not allowed to interfere.
At this moment, Xiao Zhu said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Duke Cao is mature in governing the country and fair in handling affairs, and should be rewarded accordingly."
Zhu Yunying looked at little Zhu with great interest and said, "Your great-uncle was posthumously granted the title of Prince of Qiyang, was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and his portrait is hung in the Temple of Meritorious Officials, ranking third. Your cousin was also a pillar of the court, inheriting a title and holding the authority of a general. If our Great Ming hadn't abolished the title of Grand Master of the Three Offices long ago, your cousin would certainly have been worthy of it too!"
Li Jinglong, standing beside him, was beaming with pride. He was a true winner in life, not only born into a noble family but also always highly favored.
Everyone outside says that the lineage of the Prince of Zhongshan is the mainstay, and that the lineage of the Prince of Kaiping is highly respected, but let's not forget that the lineage of the Prince of Qiyang is the true confidant of the Ming emperor and the one who truly controls the military power!
Little Zhu immediately said, "Grandfather is grandfather, and cousin is cousin. Besides, cousin can be granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace, Left Pillar of State, and additionally appointed as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince."
Zhu Yunying gritted his teeth and looked at Little Zhu, asking, "You're even more greedy than us. Tell me, isn't your title of the Third Tutor of the Crown Prince a bit too high?"
The Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince was Fu Youde, Duke of Ying, and the Grand Preceptor to the Crown Prince was Xu Huizu, Duke of Zhongshan. This was already a very high rank.
Little Zhu said with a grin, "Father, the three tutors of the Crown Prince are all ministers of the Eastern Palace, with no limit on the number of people or special appointments."
The meaning is quite clear: the Crown Prince's three tutors aren't just three fixed individuals. Therefore, having a large number of elite troops under the Crown Prince's command isn't a bad thing.
However, some things were quite appropriate in the Ming Dynasty, mainly because the position of the young Zhu was secure as crown prince. Therefore, bestowing titles and rewards upon some ministers could simply mean granting them official positions that were beneficial but costly, or more importantly, promoting them to higher ranks to show favor and honor.
Li Jinglong seems to have reached this point; he's a little confused and a little cocky now. He truly is the most trusted man in the royal family; the emperor's trust in him is unparalleled.
Perhaps it was because of his special background that Xu Huizu and others had the opportunity to become famous throughout the world. He, the Duke of Cao, was just born at the wrong time. He needed to sit in the central government and control the military for the emperor so that the emperor would feel at ease.
Although this meant missing out on some opportunities to make a name for himself, there was nothing he could do; after all, he was the Duke of Cao.
A confident Li Jinglong left the Wuying Hall in a daze, but threw himself into his work with high spirits and a radiant face. He was indeed in a high position of power, and there were indeed many things that needed his attention.
As for Zhu Yunying, he wouldn't say much. Once things were arranged, that was enough; there wasn't much else to worry about. With the arrangements made, things would naturally be taken care of by others.
After Li Jinglong left, Zhu Yunying slowly asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of Duke Cao's arrangements?"
Little Zhu immediately became serious and said, "Father, I believe that in this campaign against Goryeo, Duke Cao is intentionally showing favoritism to the founding line."
Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "Oh? Isn't the Duke of Ying from the founding line?"
Little Zhu was displeased and said, “Father, I am not young anymore. The Duke of Cao is mostly biased towards the nobles of Huaixi and the generals under the command of the Prince of Qiyang in earlier years. This time, the Duke of Ying has many generals under his command, and the Prince of Zhongshan also leads an army by himself. I remember that many nobles from Huaixi either attacked by sea or guarded the Three Guards of Busan.”
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
