The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is over.
It can be said that everyone is happy.
Zhu Di got the military power he wanted, and the vassal king was no longer a hidden danger to the Ming Dynasty.
Although the vassal king handed over his military power, the emperor gave them many benefits that they could not refuse.
Perhaps the only person who was dissatisfied was Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Household Affairs.
After that little game, he also understood that the vassal system had to be changed, but even if it had to be changed, he couldn't give the money and food for many years to the clan vassal king at once!
After the banquet was over, Xia Yuanji refused to leave and asked to come to see the saint.
When Zhu Di heard the news, he looked relieved.
He ordered someone to call Xia Yuanji over, and the emperor and his ministers just walked leisurely in the palace, admiring the rare Mid-Autumn night scene.
"What? Still feeling sorry for the money and food?" Zhu Di chuckled.
Xia Yuanji looked solemn and said seriously: "Your Majesty, this is too much."
"The money and food in the national treasury now are all donated by the ministers in the previous time, and this year's tax and food have been collected early. If it is collected again, it will be no different from raising taxes. It will be a burden on the shoulders of the people. It will only get heavier..."
"Okay, I understand what you mean." Zhu Di smiled, "But you misunderstood one thing, that is, the final interpretation of the clan's year-end bonus is in my hands!"
Final interpretation?
What does it mean?
Xia Yuanji was stunned and did not react.
"To put it simply, it is the clan's year-end bonus, which vassals will be awarded and which vassals will not be awarded. The specific amount is decided by me, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."
"After all, if you want to get the clan's year-end bonus, these clan vassal kings must complete the three targets. Now that the new clan vassal system has just been implemented, there will definitely be many people who will look down upon it this year, so they will not give it to me. The reason for their year-end bonus!”
"Now, do you understand?"
As soon as these words came out, Xia Yuanji was overjoyed and bowed to Zhu Di with sincerity and said: "Your Majesty is wise, but I am stupid!"
The words were spoken so clearly. If he, Xia Yuanji, could no longer understand, he would not be an able minister in the future.
"How wise am I!"
Zhu Di shook his head and laughed: "This is all the idea of that bastard Li Hongbi!"
Li Hongbi?
The crown prince of Cao Guogong?
This guy actually has such talent?
Xia Yuanji was really shocked now.
He had never had any contact with Li Hongbi before, but it was only that time that they got to know each other.
That time, Li Hongbi came up with a destructive method of carving stone tablets, which promptly solved the court's food shortage dilemma. However, Xia Yuanji was taken advantage of and is still criticized by many courtiers to this day.
Because of this, Xia Yuanji could not help but feel resentful towards Li Hongbi.
After all, he is tantamount to taking the blame for Li Hongbi, and no one will feel good about it.
Now as soon as he heard the name Li Hongbi, and heard that His Majesty the Emperor meant that Li Hongbi had also given suggestions on the policy of reducing vassals, Xia Yuanji's mood suddenly became complicated.
There is no doubt that Li Hongbi is a talent!
"Your Majesty, such a talented person is truly a blessing to our country!"
"I would like to transfer Crown Prince Hongbi to our household department. I hope your majesty will give you permission!"
Hearing this, Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
"Speaking of which, do you really think you and Li Hongbi don't know each other? You two behaved like strangers last time."
Xia Yuanji was stunned when he heard this, and then shook his head honestly.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that this is indeed the first time that I have met Crown Prince Hongbi."
"Then this is strange." Zhu Di took a deep look at Xia Yuanji, "It was this bastard who recommended you to me, calling you a finance and taxation expert who can take charge of the household department and coordinate money and food for the Ming Dynasty!"
What?
How could it be Li Hongbi?
Xia Yuanji froze on the spot.
He never knew which benefactor recommended him to His Majesty. At first, he thought it was the Prince's Young Master Yao Guangxiao. After all, this Young Master has unpredictable powers.
But Xia Yuanji never thought that the person who recommended him would be Cao Guogong's eldest son, Li Hongbi!
He, Xia Yuanji, had been complaining about others before, thinking that he had taken the blame for others...
When he thought of this, Xia Yuanji's face turned red with embarrassment and he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in!
Because of Li Hongbi's recommendation, he, Xia Yuanji, was placed in high regard by His Majesty the Emperor, and his official career was further promoted to Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He officially entered the ranks of the Nine Ministers and took charge of the central power of the court!
For officials, this is a rebirth of kindness!
Xia Yuanji said goodbye and left knowingly, but he was in a daze.
Zhu Di had been observing the changes in Xia Yuanji's expression, and he finally confirmed that Xia Yuanji and Li Hongbi were indeed not familiar with each other, and they were the kind of people they had never met before.
But in this case, why did Li Hongbi know that Xia Yuanji was talented and still had the courage to recommend Xia Yuanji to the emperor?
This little brat has a lot of secrets!
Zhu Di thought for a long time, but couldn't think of a reason, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
Soon he came to Kunning Palace, where a family banquet was being held.
Empress Xu, the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi, the second prince Zhu Gaoxu, the third prince Zhu Gaosui, and the eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji are all here.
In fact, Zhu Di now has many grandsons, and Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui also gave birth to sons, but compared with Zhu Zhanji, these grandsons are incomparable.
First, Zhu Zhanji is Zhu Di's eldest grandson, and he himself is the heir under the patriarchal etiquette system.
Secondly, Zhu Zhanji was born with a vision and a halo.
On the night when Zhu Zhanji was born, Zhu Di, who was still King of Yan at the time, had a dream. He dreamed that his father, Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, gave him a big gui.
In ancient times, Dagui symbolized power. Zhu Yuanzhang gave Dagui to him and said to him: "The descendants of the descendants will be prosperous forever."
After waking up, Zhu Di was recalling the scene in his dream and felt it was very auspicious. Suddenly someone reported that his grandson Zhu Zhanji was born. Zhu Di immediately realized that the scene in his dream was reflected in his grandson. He immediately ran to see his grandson. He saw that Xiao Zhanji looked very much like himself, and had a heroic look on his face. Zhu Di was very happy after seeing it and said hurriedly: "This is the blessing of the Ming Dynasty."
It was precisely because this eldest grandson came into the world and was born with a vision that strengthened Zhu Di's determination to launch an army to quell Jingnan. And the facts proved that this eldest grandson was indeed the destined king.
Therefore, both Zhu Di and Empress Xu loved Zhu Zhanji very much. Even though Zhu Di did not like his eldest son Zhu Gaochi, he was extremely fond of his eldest grandson.
No, Zhu Di had just walked into the main hall of Kunning Palace. Everyone was busy saluting, but Zhu Di waved his hands impatiently, then quickly walked forward and lifted his beloved grandson up.
"Skin monkey, what's wrong? Do you miss Grandpa?"
"I think so!" Zhu Zhanji replied in a sweet voice, "I miss you so much, grandpa!"
"Hahaha... What a filial and good boy. Give grandpa a kiss!"
"Ah, it hurts! Grandpa, your beard pierced me!" Zhu Zhanji complained, then broke free and threw himself into Queen Xu's arms.
When Zhu Di saw this, he burst out laughing and felt much better.
However, when this scene fell into the eyes of Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, they were very dissatisfied, but they did not dare to explode, so they could only endure it for the time being.
Especially Zhu Gaoxu, everyone knows that his father loves him the most, but who knows that among the people his father loves most, there is also Zhu Zhanji, and this eldest nephew is even more favored than him!
Zhu Di sat on the main seat, looked at the three sons in front of him, and thought about the crown prince again.
He wanted to say something, but seeing the slightly pale Queen Xu next to him, he didn't say anything in the end.
"Okay, today is a family dinner, so I won't say much else."
"Second and Third, you two are always disobedient, please control your temper from now on and don't cause trouble again!"
"Our family is together safely. This is more important than anything else. Do you understand?"
"Dad, I understand," Zhu Gaoxu said hurriedly.
Zhu Gaosui also nodded and said: "Don't worry, dad, my son knows he was wrong."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Di was greatly relieved.
"The four of us haven't had a drink together for a long time!"
After hearing the song and knowing its elegant meaning, the three princes immediately picked up their wine glasses and then took turns to toast.
It was a great family dinner, and we had a great time. At least we had the atmosphere of family reunion to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
But everyone knows in their hearts that this is just now.
The matter of the crown prince is like a thorn in the hearts of the four of them, father and son!
