Chapter 161 Hu Weiyong wanted to learn from Li Shanchang, but Lan Yu couldn’t learn from Chang Yuchun?

The original Yuexiang Tower has now been renamed Yujing Pavilion.

At this moment, on the top floor of Yujing Pavilion, Zhu Gang, Zhu Biao, Chang Mao and Zhu Di were all sitting together.

As for Zhu Chong, who is usually inseparable from him, he has been trapped in the army these days. After all, he is about to go on an expedition.

Don’t think that going to war in ancient times meant just sending troops.

Especially since it is a very cold and freezing season now, we cannot send troops lightly.

So once the snowstorm subsides, the army will set out, but before that, no matter whether it is formulating strategies or unifying armaments, we must be careful.

"Third brother, I would say you should just let your uncle go, and don't let him come to my house all day and complain to me."

Several people sat together, and Chang Mao looked at Zhu Gang and spoke.

"Stop, that's your uncle, not my uncle. I don't have an uncle."

Zhu Gang made a stop gesture and shook his head.

"Okay, my uncle, you can just let him go?"

"Don't let him bother me all day long."

There was a hint of helplessness in Chang Mao's eyes, and he said.

"He's a scoundrel. If I can control him, can I still close the door and refuse visitors?"

Zhu Gang also rolled his eyes.

"If it weren't for the case of Little Ming King and the parade of scholars in eastern Zhejiang, I would have been so busy that he wouldn't have had the nerve to come see me."

"Otherwise, my imperial study will not be peaceful."

Zhu Biao also shook his head.

As for who exactly is this person they are talking about?

Even Zhu Biao had to call him uncle.

So, in the entire Ming Dynasty, is there anyone that Zhu Biao can call uncle?
Chang Yuchun's brother-in-law, Lan Yu.

That is, the younger brother of Lady Lan, wife of Duke of E.

Zhu Biao, who married Chang Qingyun, was naturally Lan Yu's nephew-in-law.

Chang Mao, Chang Sheng and Chang Sen are naturally Lan Yu's nephews.

As for Lan Yu, he is not well-known in this era of brilliant generals.

But for later generations, this name is known to everyone who knows a little history.

Lan Yu, a native of Dingyuan, Fengyang Prefecture, was the brother-in-law of Duke of E Chang Yuchun and one of the founding generals of the Ming Dynasty.

Lan Yu was first assigned to Chang Yuchun's tent. He was the first to enter the formation in every battle and made many military exploits. He was promoted from Guanjun Zhenfuji to Qianshi of the Metropolitan Governor's Office.

In the fourth year of Hongwu, Lan Yu followed General Fu Youde to Sichuan and captured Jinli.

In the fifth year of Hongwu, during Zhu Yuanzhang's second northern expedition to the desert, Lan Yu was affiliated with Xu Da's central army.

Xu Da appointed Lan Yu, the deputy governor, as the vanguard officer and started out of Yanmen Pass and defeated Kuyuk Timur's cavalry in Yemachuan.

He also defeated Kuokuo at the Tula River, and Kuokuo fled.

In the seventh year of Hongwu, Lan Yu personally led his troops to capture Xinghe and captured 59 people including Tielimichi, Duke of Yuan.

So he is quite famous now, but what made Lan Yu's comeback was the 11th year of Hongwu, when he and Mu Ying joined forces to suppress the rebellion in Xifan.

As a result, he was granted the title of Marquis of Yongchang and a hereditary certificate.

From then on, Lan Yu made a complete comeback and his achievements were recorded in history.

But he was also arrogant and conceited. He became increasingly overbearing and kept many slaves and adopted sons, and took advantage of his situation to act tyrannically.

Lan Yu even forcibly seized the land of the people of Dongchang. When he was questioned by the censor, Lan Yu became furious and drove the censor away.

Even when Lan Yu was returning from his northern expedition, he arrived at Xifeng Pass at night. The officials guarding the pass failed to open the gate in time to receive him. Lan Yu then ordered his troops to destroy the pass and break in. When Zhu Yuanzhang heard about it, he was furious.

Some people also said that Lan Yu had an affair with Yuan Zhu's concubine, which caused the concubine to commit suicide out of shame. Zhu Yuanzhang severely blamed Lan Yu for this.

So the Duke of Liang, which originally belonged to Lan Yu, became the Duke of Liang.

But Lan Yu still did not change his ways. He spoke arrogantly when serving the emperor at banquets. He held all the power over the promotion and demotion of officers in the army.

After Lan Yu returned from the Western Expedition, he was appointed as the Prince's Grand Tutor. Lan Yu was unwilling to be below the Dukes of Song and Ying, and said, "Can't I be the Grand Tutor?"

Can Zhu Yuanzhang tolerate this?

This is no longer arrogance, nor is it self-pollution, but rather extreme arrogance and heinousness.

So regarding Lan Yu's death, looking at history, Lan Yu had to die, whether from a political perspective or from an emotional intelligence perspective.

The ruler was young and the country was in disarray. He was arrogant and domineering, raised an adopted son, and ignored the laws of the court.

No matter which one it is, Lan Yu must die.

Moreover, Zhu Yunwen, the grandson chosen by Zhu Yuanzhang as the crown prince, was born out of wedlock, not a legitimate son, and had almost no connection with Huaixi.

It was impossible for Lan Yu to truly be loyal to Zhu Yunwen. After all, Zhu Yunwen had a younger brother, Prince of Wu Zhu Yunhuan, who was Lan Yu's nephew.

This makes it clear that even if Lan Yu did not deserve to die, he still had to die.

But Lan Yu deserved to die, because if Lan Yu hadn't died, could the emperor of the Ming Dynasty still have the surname Zhu?

Everyone should understand this.

Especially since Lan Yu was at the peak of his career, and with his military achievements, if Zhu Di dared to launch the rebellion, he would not even be able to leave Beiping.

Therefore, there will no longer be the term "Fengtian Jingnan".

After all, it is the same old saying: times create heroes, heroes create times, and it is fate that led to the emergence of Emperor Yongle and Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty.

And now Lan Yu was traveling around, hoping to participate in the Western Expedition and pacify Tubo.

But unfortunately, the generals for the expedition have already been decided and there is absolutely no possibility of change.

So even if Lan Yu wanted to, it would be of no use.

After all, those who truly hold power are now sitting in the Yujing Pavilion.

"Third brother, why don't you let Lan Yu go?"

"In case I finally have some peace and quiet these few days, he will come to my imperial study to make trouble again."

"I can't bear this."

Zhu Biao raised his head again and looked at Zhu Gang.

"Then change his arrogant attitude and don't think that just because he leads the troops, he can participate in every battle."

"The imperial decree and the generals are already in place. How can they be changed just because of him?"

"Without Lan Yu, will there be no generals capable of fighting in the Ming Dynasty?"

"Let alone my elder brother Mu Ying, even Deng Zhen and Tang Ding under my command can lead an army on their own, and neither of them is worse than Lan Yu."

"And if we indulge you today, what will happen tomorrow?"

"If he doesn't obey the rules, let him stay at home and reflect on his mistakes, so that he won't become arrogant and domineering in the future, causing endless troubles."

Zhu Gang still shook his head.

Lan Yu was indeed a good fighter, but in this era of brilliant generals, the Ming Dynasty did not lack Lan Yus.

Leading the troops to the north and pacifying the grassland in one fell swoop, which general under Zhu Gang's command would not be able to do the job?
So of course Lan Yu had to be used, but not at this time.

At least we should temper Lan Yu's arrogance and not let him think that he can do whatever he wants just because he has led an army and fought a battle.

This is because the Ming Dynasty does not need unruly generals. If a general insists on his own way and refuses to obey orders, he will be useless even if he can fight big battles and win them.

The imperial court wouldn’t use it either.

Who made the court always have a backup, that is Zhu Gang. In terms of military performance, he suppressed the Northern Yuan Dynasty and won every battle. Who wouldn't be afraid of him?
In terms of respect, he was the legitimate son of Hongwu, the King of Jin of the Ming Dynasty, and the commander-in-chief of Shanxi.

Which one of the blue jades can compare to it?

"I'm afraid that in the end, Lan Yu will beg you."

Zhu Biao certainly understood what Zhu Gang meant, but he still smiled bitterly and shook his head.

After all, Lan Yu was very stubborn and would not give up until he achieved his goal.

So when these two people come together, sparks will definitely fly.

"Then let him come to me and ask me if I can cure his illness?"

A hint of coldness flashed across Zhu Gang's eyes, and he spoke softly.

"He is indeed a little spoiled and unrestrained. It would be good to have someone to treat his illness."

"But everything has a limit. Don't mistake his aggressiveness. After all, my father-in-law thinks highly of him. One day, he may become a pillar of support like my father-in-law."

Seeing this, Zhu Biao spoke again hurriedly.

Both Chang Yuchun and Xu Da had a very high opinion of Lan Yu.

Moreover, Lan Yu is still young and is being cultivated by Chang Yuchun. He hopes that one day Lan Yu can become a pillar of the dynasty.

Continue to expand the territory for the Ming Dynasty and make unprecedented contributions.

That's why there is so much indulgence. What's more, Chang Yuchun himself is not a good person. He is cruel and bloodthirsty.

Even if Lan Yu, who followed Chang Yuchun, did not learn the essence of it, he probably had some understanding of it.

After all, Zhu Gang has always had some guesses?

Could it be that Lan Yu learned such arrogance and domineering behavior from Chang Yuchun?

Come to think of it, the ways these two people do things are almost alike.

But it is obvious that Lan Yu does not have the brains of Chang Yuchun, nor does he have the same treatment as Chang Yuchun.

Who is Chang Yuchun?
Zhu Yuanzhang would always protect his trusted and beloved generals no matter how big the chaos was. Even in the original history, Zhu Yuanzhang never regretted the marriage even after Chang Yuchun died.

Zhu Biao still married Chang Qingyun and made her the crown prince's principal wife. She was the future queen. Although she died early because of Lu, it was clear that her status was extremely high and could not be compared with that of ordinary people.

Then why do you, Lan Yu, compare yourself with Chang Yuchun?

I'm afraid that in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, Lan Yu can't even compare to a single hair of Chang Yuchun, or the tip of a tiny hair on the cow's ox.

But to put it bluntly, the Ming Dynasty was indeed quite weird.

Hu Weiyong wanted to learn from Li Shanchang, thinking that Zhu Yuanzhang would tolerate him, and then he would be in trouble.

Lan Yu followed Chang Yuchun's example and also thought that Zhu Yuanzhang would tolerate him, and then he was left in the cold.

To put it bluntly, isn't it good to be yourself?

You must learn, learn and learn.

Look at Xu Da. He never formed cliques in the court and was extremely cautious, fearing that he would arouse suspicion from Zhu Yuanzhang.

But these guys just had to jump onto Zhu Yuanzhang's face, how could they not die?

"The higher the evaluation, the more outstanding it is, and the more you must follow the rules. Otherwise, if you become arrogant and domineering in the future, you may make a big mistake."

Zhu Gang glanced at Zhu Biao and spoke.

"Your words don't sound right. Are you slandering our old man?"

Before Zhu Biao could speak, Chang Mao felt something was wrong.

What's the hidden meaning of this statement, Zhu Gang, who are you alluding to?

Arrogant and domineering, not following rules, isn't this what their father Chang Yuchun is like?
What's more, Lan Yu was brought up by Chang Yuchun. So what these words mean is that those brought up by Chang Yuchun are arrogant and domineering, and do not abide by the rules.

"That's right, but I'm not slandering the master."

Zhu Gang nodded first, then shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

Chang Mao was slightly stunned.

"You don't understand this?"

Zhu Biao's brows furrowed slightly.

"Your father and our old man are brothers in life and death. As long as you don't rebel, no matter how serious the crime is, the old man will forgive you if he can. If not, he will just punish you slightly. How much love does this show?"

"Let's talk about the third child. He has been very stubborn since he was young. The old man loves him but is also angry with him. Coupled with your father's indulgence, the third child has become more and more arrogant and domineering. He refuses to be disciplined and even leaves Beijing in anger. He is capable of doing anything."

"So think about it, why is this happening?"

“To put it bluntly, whether it’s your father, the third brother, or me, we are all spoiled by the old man.”

"But if Lan Yu learns from your father, then the old man will not love the whole family as well as the whole family."

"After all, ever since Lan Yu led the troops, his temperament has become much more flamboyant. Although he has restrained himself somewhat, I can already see a hint of arrogance in him."

"Given time, I'm afraid I'll be even more unyielding than your old man."

Zhu Biao looked at Chang Mao, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Biao had already figured out what Zhu Gang meant.

That is, what Lan Yu did might not cause Zhu Yuanzhang's displeasure, because Zhu Yuanzhang would not pay too much attention to Lan Yu.

At least not now.

But Zhu Gang had already paid attention to Lan Yu and saw Lan Yu's arrogance. In time, he would definitely cause great disaster.

That's why he wanted Lan Yu to control his temper. Just like this expedition to U-Tsang, one more general or one less general is just some personnel changes and strategic adjustments.

It is impossible to affect the overall situation, but Zhu Gang just doesn't let Lan Yu go, which means that Zhu Gang wants Lan Yu to sit on the bench.

You have to make Lan Yu understand that you are a god of war only when the court needs you, but when the court doesn't need you, you have to learn to keep to yourself.

Eating, drinking, and enjoying wealth and glory are all earned through hard work, so it is not shameful.

But they were afraid that Lan Yu would exploit the people and become more arrogant.

After all, the lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds. Almost half of the Huaixi nobles are such people.

It's impossible to spend time reorganizing Lan Yu again, right?

Therefore, once Lan Yu became too arrogant, Zhu Yuanzhang would be the butcher who would await him.

Even if Zhu Yuanzhang did not take action, Zhu Gang would personally send Lan Yu off.

"Lan Yu can be Big Brother's arm, but Big Brother doesn't lack such a pair of arms."

"With me here, no matter how big the storm is, I can calm it down in a snap of my fingers."

Zhu Gang also raised his head and smiled lazily.

If it were the original history, based on Lan Yu's personality, Zhu Yuanzhang might have been more lenient with Lan Yu.

But today, even if Crown Prince Zhu Biao died early as in history, Zhu Biao's lineage would never become emperor again.

Even if Zhu Xiongying pleased Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang would not make Zhu Xiongying the crown prince, but would make Zhu Gang the crown prince.

Because this is the situation, and only Zhu Gang can stabilize the overall situation.

To put it bluntly, as long as Zhu Gang was still alive, Zhu Yuanzhang would dare to kill Lan Yu if he dared to be arrogant and domineering.

After all, isn't it more convenient for your own son to use it than a blue jade?
"By the way, when I was in Taiyuan, I researched some gadgets when I was bored."

"There are exactly four of us today, so let's have someone bring it over for some entertainment."

After a pause, Zhu Gang turned his head and looked at Li Heng beside him, and said softly: "Go downstairs and find a box marked with mahjong, and then bring the box up."

(End of this chapter)