No matter how domineering Lan Yu was, he would not dare to say openly that Ming's army was the private army of the noble leader. Not to mention that at this time, he was not yet the Duke of Liang who would be famous all over the world and have power over the whole country.
At this time, he still had an innocent heart. After hearing what Zhu Su said, he quickly knelt down in front of Lao Zhu, kowtowed heavily and said, "Your Majesty, your Majesty, this is absolutely not what I meant!"
"Your Majesty, in this life, I just want to be a well-known hero like brother-in-law Chang! I will never be a disloyal person who respects himself as a soldier!" He raised his head, there was blood on his forehead, and his eyes were sincere.
When Lao Zhu heard him mention his late beloved general Chang Yuchun, his expression eased slightly. Zhu Su secretly saw it and breathed a sigh of relief, so he said to Lan Yu while the iron was hot: "In this case, what's the problem with the imperial court taking back its military power?"
"It is already a great kindness to be allowed to retain the title and enjoy wealth without looking into the past. The fact that my father is able to do this shows that he is not like Zhao Da, but he really wants to be with you. Uncles and brothers share weal and woe."
"Since you want to have fun, let you have fun. Is there any emperor in the past dynasties who can be so lenient? As for those who still have the spirit and want to continue to work hard, the imperial court will take back all the money you have saved. The ill-gotten gains are also an act to suppress military discipline and uphold the country's principles."
"Military lunch is pure. Do you think those big households who donated their land and shops to you really have no desires or demands?"
"You can eat people with short tongues. This is the time when the dynasty has just begun to rise, and we must set an example for future generations. Looking back, uncles and brothers, because of such extraneous things, my father had to bear the pain and punish them according to the laws of the country. Isn't it a small gain but a big gain? , It hurts those who teach you, but it hurts those who hate you?"
Zhu Su's words made sense and made many people think deeply. Lan Yu's face softened slightly, but money moved people's hearts, and he was indeed greedy in nature. He really couldn't let go of military power, and he didn't want to give up his family's property, so he smiled bitterly and said: "What the Fifth Highness said is true, but it's just that If we didn’t seek wealth, we don’t know what we would be doing on the battlefield.”
"Confused!" Zhu Su couldn't help but get angry when he saw that Lan Yu was still being tough. "The general loves Guan Yunchang. Don't you hear the story about Guan Yu hanging a seal to seal the gold and riding a thousand miles alone?"
"In his entire life, Guan Yunchang has never heard of how many fields and shops he saved for future generations. But his honor is as high as a mountain, even for you, the Marquis of Yongchang hundreds of years later."
"A man's ambition should be like the Yangtze River running eastward into the sea. Why should he be humiliated by the smell of copper!"
"Do you want to make a big and vigorous career and let the men of future generations look up to you, or do you want to stick to the mediocre life of a wealthy country? When people think of you, Lan Yu, they think of you as a greedy villain, even if you have one or two minor achievements. , but they don’t understand the righteousness and stick to the same place..."
Mentioning her idol Guan Yu, Lan Yu was shocked and woke up. Yes, if Guan Yu was obsessed with wealth and land, he would have surrendered to Cao Cao and become a mediocre general. No matter how brave he is, if he does that, he will be the same as Lu Bu at best. How can he be worthy of my admiration, Lan Yu?
Now, if I, Lan Yu, am obsessed with wealth, wouldn't I be the same as Lu Bu, who is greedy for money and lust? My only regret in life is that I can't have a drink with Guan Yu and talk about heroes. If I indulge in pleasure from now on and be reluctant to part with those ill-gotten gains, how can I drink with Emperor Guan under the Nine Springs after death?
"Lan Yu understands what His Highness the Fifth Prince said!" Lan Yu finally lost her previous dissatisfaction and her eyes became clear. "Lanyu is willing to give up his family wealth, just to continue to make contributions to our Ming Dynasty!"
"You don't need to abandon your family wealth, but you can't keep any ill-gotten gains from expropriation or donations from others!" Lao Zhu, who had been listening quietly, said at this time. Thorny Lanyu admitted his mistake on the spot and voluntarily paid the family property. This positive demonstration undoubtedly made him very satisfied.
He glanced at Zhu Su approvingly, and then said to the nobles present: "We know that you all carry the tiger charms used to mobilize troops."
"If anyone is willing to live in peace from now on, you can put the tiger talisman into this copper gui now. We will do what we say. Not only will you not have to contribute to the family wealth, but you will also receive three times the salary."
"But if you don't want to pay the tiger talisman and want to continue leading the army... we will assume that you have understood your mistakes and are willing to hand over your ill-gotten gains."
"We will send Jin Yiwei to investigate and visit each family. If they hand over their ill-gotten gains honestly, we will forget about it and you will continue to be your generals."
"But if there is someone who is procrastinating or trying to take advantage of loopholes, we have said everything that needs to be said and we will never be lenient."
"Don't say you didn't predict what you said!"
The terrifying imperial power once again enveloped the entire hall. The faces of the nobles turned pale, but no one dared to say a word. After a long time, Tang Shengzong, Lu Zhongheng and others handed over the military talisman, which also meant that they were willing to give up military power and die in the countryside with glory and wealth.
"Okay." Lao Zhu did not look coldly at them, but his tone was quite happy. "Come and convey our will. From now on, Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng will be restored to the title of Marquis of Yan'an and Marquis of Ji'an. Their salaries will be tripled and returned to their fiefdoms. Their descendants will be able to enjoy glory and splendor for generations to come and share the same ancestry with me, the Ming Dynasty!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you for your great kindness!" Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng knelt on the ground. Because they were not clear with Hu Weiyong before, these two fellow sufferers who thought they could take a step forward by relying on Hu Weiyong's power and get the title of Duke were once again beaten by the old man. Zhu lost his title, and the military power in his hands was also completely wiped out. This is why he quickly handed over the military talisman.
It's just the military power of 1,800 men. It's better to take it out honestly and exchange it for wealth and wealth.
Now that they can restore their titles, it is an unexpected surprise for these two people. For example, Zhu Liangzu and his like in the past were demoted to common people by Lao Zhu long ago, and they no longer even have the chance to enter the palace and receive favor today.
Seeing that these two brothers did not anger His Majesty, but instead received the Emperor's favor, some other Huaixi nobles also relaxed their hearts a little, and a few of them plucked up the courage to step forward and put the tiger charms in their arms on the bronze gui. among. Lao Zhu also comforted them one by one, without any anger or contempt.
These people are relieved.
"Okay. No one is willing to hand over military power, right? Then we will treat you as willing to pay your family property and accept the court's purge." Lao Zhu said.
Everyone in the field was silent. After all, everyone had given up a lot of things. Even though it was their own choice, it still hurt.
"Come here, send the Marquis of Ji'an and the Marquis of Yan'an back to their homes." Lao Zhu ordered. "The others will stay for now, we have military matters to discuss."
Tang Shengzong, Lu Zhongheng and others heard this and quickly resigned. They knew in their hearts that from then on, they were no longer the core group of powerful people in the Ming Dynasty. When the emperor wanted to talk about national affairs, he would naturally ask them to avoid suspicion.
These people feel sad, but they have no intention of turning back. They are the ones who are willing to degenerate and are willing to be eliminated for the sake of the petty profit in front of them...
"Okay." Not only did he solve the problem of the iron ticket to avoid death, he also took advantage of the situation to filter out those who no longer have the fighting spirit among the nobles. Lao Zhu felt quite relaxed. He poured himself a bowl of Kuding tea and said with a smile: "Don't be restrained. Next, we will talk to you about some benefits that interest you."
With that said, Lao Zhu gestured towards Zhu Biao and Zhu Su. The two brothers understood, and Zhu Su opened the long box he had just brought. Zhu Biao left the meeting and came out, obviously wanting to take over Lao Zhu's words.
(End of chapter)
