Zhu Jingyuan was sitting in the reception room of the Arms Department, speaking out his various thoughts as if chatting with the two principals, Li Rui and Wang Lai.
Ask the two people to record it carefully, then pass it back to the corresponding department, and conduct experimental verification according to priority.
In a blink of an eye, it was time to leave the office. Zhu Jingyuan said goodbye to Wang Lai and Li Rui and went home accompanied by Guan Tianpei.
Guan Tianpei specially prepared a separate carriage for Zhu Jingyuan, so that Zhu Jingyuan did not need to wait for Zhu Jianyan's return.
Zhu Jingyuan was a little surprised, but he still accepted the arrangement honestly. Anyway, the old emperor should not harm him.
When the sun set, Zhu Jingyuan came to the door of his house and noticed that there was a circle of guards around him.
There are usually guards around the palace, but today the number was several times greater.
Moreover, the soldiers' clothes are all from the navy, and they should be the guards brought by Guan Tianpei.
Zhu Jingyuan paused at the door and bowed his hands to the surrounding soldiers.
He silently expressed his gratitude before walking into his familiar home.
At the same time, the palace of the ninth son of the emperor Zhu Jianfeng on the same street had more guards than usual, but many of them came from the regular guard team.
At the back door of the palace, a carriage slowly stopped.
Military Minister Cao Zhenyong, who was dressed in casual clothes, got off his horse, walked quickly into the back door of the palace with his head lowered, and was led into the living room of the back hall of the palace by the waiting servants.
Zhu Jianfeng sat on a chair in the lobby, holding a bright yellow scroll in both hands, his brows knitted together tightly.
Seeing Cao Zhenyong come in, Zhu Jianfeng immediately waved his hand, dismissed all the servants, and handed the scroll in his hand to Cao Zhenyong.
Cao Zhenyong took it with a solemn expression, opened it and took a look, and was completely sure that it was an imperial edict.
The content of the imperial edict made Cao Zhenyong feel particularly confused, and his expression became uncertain.
Zhu Jianfeng was also very confused. He guessed that after Cao Zhenyong read it, he couldn't help but ask:
"Cao Junji, my father asked me, as the representative of the royal family, to go to the Cape of the West to deal with the so-called princes of the Western Yi. What does this mean?"
Cao Zhenyong carefully closed the scroll and put it back on the table respectfully. Although it looked confusing, it was an imperial edict after all.
Cao Zhenyong thought for several seconds before carefully analyzing and saying:
"I believe that His Majesty's request seems reasonable, but in fact it sends His Highness to a place where he cannot interfere with the court..."
Zhu Jianfeng stood up directly, clapped his hands excitedly and said:
"Yes, there are more suitable candidates for this kind of thing. The eldest brother is the eldest son according to tradition, and the second brother has been the minister of Honglu Temple for a long time, so he is more suitable for this job than me."
Zhu Jianfeng complained a few words, then turned around and looked at Cao Zhenyong:
"Have the father really made a decision to drive me out of the capital at this juncture? What should I change at this time?"
Cao Zhenyong understood what Zhu Jianfeng was talking about, but at this time he just kept silent.
Zhu Jianfeng became even more angry when he saw Cao Zhenyong not speaking:
"What on earth is Father thinking? Are you really planning to choose that naughty kid directly?
"Father, does he want to overthrow the ancestral system since Renwu? Doesn't he remember the old events of Jianwen?"
Cao Zhenyong squinted his eyes and sighed:
"Your Highness, you have to be careful about what you say about Jianwen's past. Where do you put yourself?
"Your Majesty's thoughts are, at most, nothing more than a 'good saintly grandson'."
Zhu Jianfeng immediately realized that the "good saintly grandson" refers to Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Xuanzong and Xuande.
Zhu Zhanji's grandfather, Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, praised his eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji as a good saintly grandson.
So many people later believed that it was the good saint Zhu Zhanji who helped his father Zhu Gaochi retain the throne by winning the favor of his grandfather Zhu Di.
The current lineage of Ming emperors happens to be all descendants of Zhu Zhanji.
This made Zhu Jianfeng even more irritable, and the pressure that had been accumulated in his heart for a long time completely exploded, so much so that he became a little incoherent:
"This is not in line with the ancestral tradition! The second brother is already forty-five years old!
"After the ancestors, the oldest one who ascended the throne was only thirty-eight years old.
"The other ancestors are all between 28 and 32 years old, how could my father choose the 45-year-old second brother!
"The key is, what ability does second brother have? How can he compare to me!"
Cao Zhenyong smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly and said:
"Your Highness, there is actually no such ancestral system as you mentioned, those are just conventions.
"The key point is that Emperor Shizu said that as long as it is beneficial to the country and the country and to safeguarding national interests, all ancestral systems can be changed.
"Even if there really is an ancestral system, Your Majesty can still use this sacred word to modify it.
"His Second Highness' ability may not be particularly outstanding compared to yours, but after all, he has completely passed all assessments and practical training.
"The most critical reason is that His Highness has a good son, who has completely captured His Majesty's mind."
Zhu Jianfeng was stunned for a few seconds, then his eyes widened suddenly, he looked at Cao Zhenyong and said loudly:
"Cao Junji, what should I do now? Should I go to Xiyang Cape?"
Facing Zhu Jianfeng's final soul torture, Cao Zhenyong thought for a few seconds with his eyes closed.
In the end, I did not... and could not make a decision for Zhu Jianfeng. Instead, I told him all the situations and let Zhu Jianfeng make his own decision:
"If Your Highness follows His Majesty's request and goes to the Western Cape for errands, he should not receive special treatment in the future and should be no different from other princes.
"If His Highness refuses to go, he will be resisting the decree, which means he will completely abandon normal means.
"Then, it goes without saying that if you succeed, if you fail... the lightest case will be deprivation of the title, the worst case will be life-long imprisonment...
"His Majesty directly issued the errand for you ten days in advance. He did not issue an order at the last moment, and he took you on the road directly on the spot.
"This is not only a time for you to choose and prepare, but also a fearless calmness and dominance. Your Majesty may want to see what you can do.
"Your Highness, you can think about it yourself. If you don't go to the Western Cape, you can be somewhat sure that things will happen..."
Zhu Jianfeng listened to these simple situations and sat back down weakly without thinking carefully at all:
"I don't have any confidence at all..."
The Ming Dynasty after the Renwu Dynasty has gradually transformed into a modern country and is no longer a dynasty in the classical era.
Normal public affairs are no longer done based on people. Unless there are special circumstances, positions will not be set up based on people. Instead, the scope of duties and responsibilities will be determined first, and then personnel will be assigned to serve.
Although the princes and clan members may hold various official positions, they are all parts inserted into the state machine and have no ability to transcend rules and authority.
They usually do not have the opportunity, and there is no need at all, to develop the ministers of the court as their own work team.
Ministers usually will not accept this development, and most of them will not take the initiative to seek refuge with a certain prince as their "lord" in advance, as they did in ancient times.
Because before these princes ascend the throne, they have to work in the local area for more than ten years like ordinary officials.
It is impossible to directly repay those ministers who want to serve them directly, and it is impossible to run a party group with a subordinate relationship between monarch and ministers with themselves as the center.
Before they became emperors, they could have subordinates or allies who relied on each other, but it was difficult for them to have ministers who would repay their lives with their lives.
After becoming the heir, he ascended the throne soon, so there was no need for an official to take special refuge.
