Chapter 114: The second generation descendants of Huaixi nobles, the most talented general Xu Yungong, and a female scholar.

The morning court session on the second day was also the only peaceful one in recent days.

After Zhu Gang and Zhu Chong finished their morning court session, they drove their carriages straight to the Daxiangguo Temple.

Zhongshu Province.

"Marquis Jiang Xia, what brings you here?"

Hu Weiyong sat on the stage, looked at Zhou Dexing who was already sitting on the chair below, and asked softly.

"Prime Minister, you are in charge of the tax distribution, and officials and gentry pay taxes together, but the three parties also work together to measure the land."

"So you must know the purpose of De Xing's visit today."

Zhou Dexing lowered his posture very low and spoke respectfully.

no way.

Now that the Jiangnan gentry has fallen, Zhou Dexing and the Huaixi Group are no longer as close as they used to be.

Even if we want to mend the relationship now, it will be of no avail.

So it is better to choose a big tree. After all, it is nice to sit under a big tree and enjoy the shade.

Especially Hu Weiyong, who is now in power and in charge of the Secretariat, can be said to be deeply trusted by the imperial power.

Although he seemed to be a lone minister, he offended the Huaixi Group, the Zhejiang East Group and the Jiangnan Group.

But its influence and followers are still spread throughout the government and the opposition.

After all, even if others don't know, how could Zhou Dexing, who is isolated from the world, not understand it?

Since ancient times, the Secretariat and Lantai, also known as the Censorate, have played a role of mutual restraint.

But could the Censorate of the Ming Dynasty really compete with the Secretariat?
No.

Because whether it was the Imperial Censor Chen Ning or the Chief Censor Tu Jie, they both had some subtle relationship with Hu Weiyong.

Moreover, the current Censorate is just a decoration, and all it does all day long is impeach trivial matters.

Perhaps the only ones who are truly targeting the core are some upright old censors.

This is because the emergence of the Jinyiwei eliminated most of the responsibilities of the Censorate and also reduced its power.

"Your Majesty, that is the thunderous wrath in Fengtian Palace. Anyone who steps out of the queue will be spared death."

"And you are a hero of Huaixi, one of the twenty-eight marquises of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The most you can do is punish me."

"So why didn't you stand up that day?"

"Instead, you came to me today to ask for help?"

Hearing this, Hu Weiyong looked at Zhou Dexing deeply again and said.

The land survey in Jiangnan was a three-party project, but it did not mean that Hu Weiyong was unaware that Zhou Dexing had a large amount of land in Jiangnan and had not reported it to the court.

However, once the matter was discovered, it was suppressed by Qin Wang Zhu Chong. Apart from the officials involved in the investigation, only a few high-ranking officials knew about it.

And with Hu Weiyong's intelligence, how could he not figure it out?

Or maybe Hu Weiyong thought more!
Zhu Yuanzhang lived and rose from Fengyang, which was the place where the Ming Dynasty was founded. Zhou Dexing was also from Fengyang, but he had never committed a crime in Fengyang?
On the contrary, Yu Jiangnan has a lot of land under his name that cannot be accounted for.

In particular, the gentry and powerful people who managed the land for Zhou Dexing were also among the most prominent aristocratic families in Jiangnan.

Then there is a more intriguing flavor.

The most intuitive of these is that Zhou Dexing turned and threw himself into the arms of the gentry and powerful people in the south of the Yangtze River.

But there was one thing that Hu Weiyong didn't understand.

So why did Zhou Dexing seek refuge with the gentry and powerful people in Jiangnan?
Is this of any benefit to Zhou Dexing?

Don’t forget that the Huaixi Group is composed of old people who followed Zhu Yuanzhang and were also the greatest founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty.

So even if he had to take sides, Zhou Dexing should have understood that Huaixi was far superior to Jiangnan.

But Zhou Dexing was still determined to follow the Jiangnan gentry, and was deeply involved in the case.

There is definitely some secret here.

"It's not that I don't want to stand up, but that I can't stand up."

Zhou Dexing smiled bitterly, then shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, Your Majesty and I have known each other since we were young, so I know your Majesty's character too well."

"I have always been a man of my word, but I did this stupid thing from beginning to end."

"In the early years of Hongwu, I closed the door to visitors and never interacted with any officials in the court. Even my brothers who had shared life and death with me, I never interacted with them."

"For weddings and funerals, other than formal invitations, I just exchange pleasantries as usual, and never have any deeper interactions."

"Therefore, His Majesty even called me to the Imperial Study and praised me, saying that among all the ministers, I was the most dutiful and the most disciplined."

"In this case, how can I stand up?"

"Although those acres of land are in my name, only a few people know about it."

"So I was hoping for the best, thinking that even if the court investigated, they wouldn't be able to find out who owned these fields. They were actually in my name."

"But I still underestimated the Imperial Guards and the Prime Minister."

"The land register submitted to the Ministry of Revenue only lacked all the land in my name. I knew then that this matter could no longer be hidden."

"But when the King of Qin returned to the palace yesterday, he did not mention this matter in public. I knew that there was still a glimmer of hope."

As he spoke, Zhou Dexing stood up again, knelt down in front of Hu Weiyong, and kowtowed, saying, "Please, Prime Minister, save my life. If you need me to do anything in the future, I will repay your kindness with my own death."

As a marquis of the Ming Dynasty, his status was no less than that of Hu Weiyong. In fact, because of his title, he was even higher than Hu Weiyong.

But even such a person knelt down in front of Hu Weiyong today.

It is enough to see that the power of the Secretariat is so high that it is simply beyond the reach of others.

"Jiang Xiahou, your words are too kind."

"You and I have served in the same palace and have been friends for many years. How can I stand by and watch someone die without helping him?"

Hu Weiyong quickly stood up, walked to Zhou Dexing, slowly helped Zhou Dexing up, and said, "I'm just a little curious. You and His Majesty have known each other since childhood. With such a close relationship, why don't you go directly to His Majesty?"

"Besides, you have the iron scroll of immunity from death in your hand. Even if you have committed a thousand crimes, unless it is treason, you can be spared from death."

After saying this, Hu Weiyong looked at Zhou Dexing curiously again.

"The Iron Scroll of Immunity is what will save my life. I don't want to move it unless it is absolutely necessary."

"And your majesty has said before that anyone who is executed later should be subject to national law first."

"So even if I go to beg His Majesty, if no one speaks for me, my life can be saved, but this friendship and wealth will come to an end."

Zhou Dexing let out another long sigh.

There is no impenetrable wall in this world, and the truth will never be hidden.

Even if the Lu family was wiped out and all nine clans were killed, Zhou Dexing was not involved.

But Zhou Dexing was always worried, so this iron scroll of immunity from death must not be used in this matter.

And this friendship with Zhu Yuanzhang is sometimes also a means of saving lives.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang even knelt down and begged God to forgive Ma Sandao's sins.

Zhou Dexing had made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty, so it was only a few acres of land that would not kill him.

"Jiang Xiahou, do you know who suppressed this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong nodded slightly and said.

"Mr. Prime Minister?"

Zhou Dexing asked tentatively.

"I don't have that ability. Don't forget, this is a three-party collaboration."

"Even if I want to protect you, you have to ask others whether they agree." Hu Weiyong shook his head again.

"His Royal Highness King Qin."

Zhou Dexing understood it instantly and blurted it out.

"Yes, it is His Royal Highness Prince Qin."

Hu Weiyong pulled Zhou Dexing back to sit on the chair, and then continued: "So the one who can save your life is not the Secretariat, but the Qin Palace, or the Jin Palace."

"After all, you are still their uncle, so the two princes will still give you this little bit of face."

"It's just that how to say it, how to do it, I can only point you in the right direction, and I can't help you with anything else."

After saying this, Hu Weiyong glanced at Zhou Dexing who looked thoughtful.

"I understand. Thank you, Prime Minister."

"I will repay your kindness today by tying a grass and holding a ring tomorrow."

As he spoke, Zhou Dexing stood up again and bowed to Hu Weiyong.

"You're welcome."

Hu Weiyong still reached out his hand to support Zhou Dexing, shook his head and smiled: "The most urgent thing is to go to the two princes and properly resolve this matter."

"Well, don't worry, Prime Minister. If De Xing can escape this disaster, from now on, he will respect you as his superior."

After Zhou Dexing nodded, he said solemnly again.

After the fall of the Jiangnan Group, Zhou Dexing had no way to return to the Huaixi Group.

But he was just a military man, and he knew it very well, so without a big tree, the torrent of the court would submerge him in an instant.

Regardless of whether he was a founding hero or a marquis of the Ming Dynasty.

Then the Huaixi Group are not warriors?

Don't forget that Li Shanchang, the first meritorious minister of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, was deeply favored by the emperor and was ranked Duke of Korea. He was the backbone of the Huaixi Group.

Therefore, the best plan for now is to become a disciple of Hu Weiyong, in the hope of protecting oneself in the turbulent times and avoiding unexpected disasters.

"That's true. We are all loyal to His Majesty, so we should put the country first."

Hu Weiyong spoke very nicely, but he couldn't stop smiling.

Although I don’t know what secrets there are between Jiangnan and Zhou Dexing, if I could get him to my side.

With his power as a Duke, he could definitely lend a helping hand to Hu Weiyong.

Then getting rid of constraints and breaking free from coercion is just around the corner.

After all, everything in this world cannot escape one word, and that is "power".

But they never remembered that for hundreds and thousands of years, no matter it was a dispute over orthodoxy or a contest between civil and military officials, the one word that could not be escaped was not "power".

It’s the word “reason”.

The so-called greater good comes first, and one must occupy the greater good, otherwise one will never be able to achieve anything.

As for "power", you can only master "power" if you gain "reason".

Hu Weiyong has already lost justice and righteousness. No matter how much he does, it can only stir up some waves but cannot shake the majestic sun and moon.

What are the sun and the moon?

The sun and the moon are the laws governing the movement of heaven and earth, washing away darkness and bringing light to the world.

When they come together, they become bright. The bright moon over mountains and rivers can also wash away sins, restore the world's mountains and rivers, and bring a ray of hope to millions of people.

Daxiangguo Temple.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, and greetings to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. Your Highness, my Lord."

After the carriage stopped, Zhu Gang and Zhu Chong had just stepped off the carriage when a young man came towards them and saluted them.

Behind this young man, there is a girl in a green shirt.

Her face was like a pear blossom just blooming in spring, pure and elegant, with skin as white as cream, eyebrows as lightly drawn as distant mountains, eyes as smoky as autumn water, long eyelashes slightly curled, and red lips without any makeup.

An exquisite green silk shirt fits her slender figure softly. It is embroidered with elegant plum blossom patterns, and the edges are outlined with gold thread, which shows her elegance and elegance without losing the girl's agility and innocence.

"Xu Yungong?"

Zhu Gang hesitated for a moment and then asked.

"It's Yun Gong."

The young master, Xu Yungong, said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

But between these words, Zhu Chong on the side always felt a hint of admiration.

But think about it, as Xu Yungong was the eldest son of Xu Da, Duke of Wei, it was natural that he could not be unaware of Zhu Gang's military achievements on the grassland.

It was normal for Xu Yungong, who was born into a military family, to have some admiration for Zhu Gang.

But he was also a tough guy in history.

Xu Yungong, changed to Xu Huizu in the future.

In the 21st year of Hongwu's reign, he inherited the title of Duke of Wei. After Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he was further conferred the title of Prince Taifu.

After the outbreak of the Jingnan Campaign, Xu Huizu, as the commander of the Southern Army, covered Li Jinglong's retreat in the Battle of Baigou River, returned with his entire division, and won a great victory over the Yan Army at Qimei Mountain.

Later, Xu Huizu was transferred to Nanjing, and the Huaibei Southern Army was isolated and defeated.

So from this we can see that if Jianwen had not listened to the slander and continued to appoint Xu Huizu as the general, Zhu Di might not have been able to win.

But to be honest, for political purposes, the Xu family can be said to have won. After all, they are betting on both sides, so no matter which side wins, the glory of the Xu family can be preserved.

As for why Jianwen wanted to summon Xu Huizu back to the capital?
There have always been two theories among the people.

One reason was that the court spread a false rumor that the Yan army had been defeated and that the capital must have good generals, so Xu Huizu was recalled.

As for the remaining one, someone slandered Xu Huizu, saying that he did not fight with all his strength because the Prince of Yan was a close relative.

That's why Xu Huizu was recalled to the capital.

Regardless of the reason, from the moment Xu Huizu was recalled, the situation was already hopeless for Emperor Jianwen.

But why do you say this guy is so fierce?

That's because when Zhu Di was about to cross the Yangtze River, Xu Huizu still led his troops to meet him at Puzikou and successfully blocked Zhu Di.

However, the Southern Army General Sheng Yong fought again and suffered a great defeat, and all of his navy fell into the hands of the Yan Army. The Yan Army was then able to cross the river and capture the Jinchuan Gate in Nanjing.

To put it bluntly, the situation was hopeless and Jianwen had reached the end of his rope. Even with loyal ministers and capable generals, it was difficult to reverse the situation.

"Then this person should be the eldest daughter of the Xu family, Xu Miaoyun, who is known as the female scholar, right?"

Just as Zhu Gang was thinking, Zhu Chong's voice sounded again.

Zhu Gangte came back to his senses at this time and looked at Xu Miaoyun in front of him.

"Miao Yun greets His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

Xu Miaoyun bowed again.

Xu Miaoyun was smart and clever since childhood, had a photographic memory, was proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, and was known as the "female scholar" and the most talented woman in the capital.

If Zhu Gang had not fled the capital in anger and refused to get married, Xu Miaoyun would have been canonized as the Princess of Yan and become the Princess of Yan Zhu Di this year.

That is the famous Empress Tianqi Shengwen who was later known as Renxiao Ciyi Chengming Zhuangxian.

But now, maybe not.

"No need to be so polite. You don't need to address your sister or brother as Your Highness."

Zhu Gang nodded slightly and said with a smile: "You can just call me Second Brother or Third Brother."

(End of this chapter)