Chapter 107 Nightmare Nightmare Dissipates Quickly
After Chen Biao opened up his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang and his confidants were able to find fault very quickly.
Some of them may have been deliberately dug by Zhang Chang, and some may have been unintentionally dug by Zhang Chang due to his habitual thinking of using culture to control military power.
Regardless of whether Zhang Chang did it intentionally or unintentionally, Zhu Yuanzhang put the blame on Zhang Chang.
However, after a thorough discussion, Zhu Yuanzhang also understood the benefits of keeping Zhang Chang.
He not only needs correct advice, but also advice like Zhang Chang's that contains hidden traps, so that he can learn how to identify traps in advice.
When he became emperor, he knew that most memorials were filled with selfish motives, and he had to learn to distinguish them from now on.
Many emperors did not want to be good emperors, but they lacked the ability to be good emperors and could not distinguish between loyalty and treachery.
The servants brought steamed rice to the table. The hungry Zhu Yuanzhang ate a bucketful, patting his stomach. He said, "I finally understand why dynasties are bound to fall. The success or failure of a dynasty depends entirely on the ability of the emperor. As long as one emperor is a fool, the dynasty is doomed."
Chen Biao said, "That's true, but Dad, could you please stop saying such scary things? Look how scared the uncles are that their faces are pale."
Zhu Yuanzhang burped, patted Chen Biao on the head, and said, "Emperor Wu of Han once said, 'Since ancient times, it has never been heard of a family ruling the world for a long time. But if it is not my father and son who lose it, it will be fine.' My lord is such an open-minded person, he must have been mentally prepared long ago."
Emperor Wu of Han actually said this, which is from "Taiping Yulan".
The confidants looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, then looked at Chen Biao who was patting his head. They didn't know what they felt in their hearts, but they had smiles on their faces.
If the lord's goal is just "as long as the one who loses is not my father or son", then the requirements for himself are too low.
Will Biao'er destroy the country? Even if the lord's reckless behavior almost destroyed the country, Biao'er would kick the lord off the throne and sit on the throne himself, and the Ming Dynasty would be stabilized immediately.
Judging from Biaoer’s analysis of the official system today, he was definitely a powerful emperor.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked his confidants to continue working overtime. Chen Biao rubbed his eyes. A young boy who was growing up couldn't stay up late, so Zhu Yuanzhang urged him to go to bed.
At daybreak, Zhu Yuanzhang escorted his confidants out of the Chen family's gate and allowed them to catch up on some sleep for half a day.
When leaving, Song Lian bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and said half-jokingly: "My lord, your homework will be more difficult."
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "Add more, add more. If you are willing to teach, I am willing to learn. Alas, Biao'er always says that I don't study hard. I really don't have time."
Others urge their sons to study hard, but in the Zhu family, the son urges his father to study hard. Their positions are completely reversed, which is ridiculous.
Ye Chen laughed: "This will only make the lord suffer more."
Zhu Yuanzhang continued to sigh: "I will try my best."
Li Shanchang said angrily, "Stop putting more pressure on the Lord. Be careful that he doesn't give up on himself and let Biao'er govern the country while he only focuses on fighting."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "Old Li! What a good idea!"
Li Shanchang was so angry that he rolled up his sleeves.
Song Lian and Ye Chen hugged Li Shanchang's arms on the left and right.
"Mr. Li, forget it, forget it. The Lord is joking with you, don't believe it."
"The Lord is not such an irresponsible person. He is reluctant to tire Biao'er. Don't worry."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily and slammed the door shut, locking his confidants outside. He was extremely rude and arrogant.
Li Shanchang was so angry that he stamped his feet.
Kang Maocai huddled between Hua Yun and Yan Qian, muttering, "How could the lord be so private with you? Absolutely, absolutely..."
Li Shanchang turned around and snorted coldly: "That's not the lord, it's Chen Guorui. Since you can enter and leave the Chen family, you must distinguish between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Guorui, otherwise you will lose ."
Li Shanchang kindly reminded him, turned around, got on the carriage and left.
Hua Yun patted Kang Maocai's shoulder and said, "Mr. Li means that since Biao'er is here, the master is Chen Guorui. Don't make a mistake."
Kang Maocai kept thinking about what Li Shanchang and Hua Yun said while sitting in the carriage on his way home. He thought about it for a long time, and the more he thought about it, the more headache he got.
He couldn't help but sigh deeply, and sighed again that he hadn't reached this position yet, and it was really dangerous for him to know secrets that he shouldn't know.
After Zhu Yuanzhang locked his confidants outside the door, he hummed a song and went to see Chen Biao.
Chen Biao seemed to be sleeping uneasy, tossing and turning constantly.
Zhu Yuanzhang held Chen Biao in his arms and patted him gently a few times, and Chen Biao's brows relaxed.
"You're so old, and you still have nightmares?" Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and tapped Chen Biao's nose, stuffed his son back into the quilt, and went back to his room to sleep.
After Chen Biao returned to his room to sleep, he kept having nightmares.
Perhaps he had analyzed the Ming Dynasty's official system too much today, and he had a related dream at night.
Chen Biao has not systematically read the history related to the early Ming Dynasty. His understanding of the early Ming Dynasty is limited to sporadic glimpses from film and television dramas, and the "keyboard politics" that he occasionally sees on the Internet, which is the economic system and changes of the Ming Dynasty introduced by teachers in economics classes.
But in his dream today, he went through the three major cases in the early Ming Dynasty in the first person.
Chen Biao knew that there were four major cases in the early Ming Dynasty, which were manifestations of Zhu Yuanzhang's "tyranny", but he did not know the details.
In the dream, it seemed as if scattered information was integrated together. It could also be that Chen Biao had talked too much about official systems during the day and filled in his own imagination, so he "saw" some details.
In the case of blank seal, officials stamp the document in advance and then fill in the specific content .
Zhu Yuanzhang learned about this several years later and was furious, but the officials told Zhu Yuanzhang that this would increase efficiency and was an unspoken rule in the officialdom. Everyone did this, and many people scolded Zhu Yuanzhang for being tyrannical.
The Guo Heng case started with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Guo Heng, and the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Punishment, the Vice Minister of War, the Vice Minister of Works and others were all implicated, and they were responsible for embezzling 24 million dan of fine grain.
Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the recovery of the embezzled grain, and Wu Yong and others in the Ministry of Justice sharpened their knives and attacked small landlords and wealthy families across the country, arousing public resentment.
Zhu Yuanzhang killed Guo Heng and others as well as the Criminal Court, and replaced the court officials.
Then there was the Hu Weiyong case, which was later called a "wrongful case" by people in later generations.
When Zhu Yuanzhang first killed Hu Weiyong, he did indeed fabricate the charge of "treason".
The only reason Hu Weiyong was killed was because he was arbitrary and dictatorial. Many important government affairs were handled without telling Zhu Yuanzhang; many of Zhu Yuanzhang's generals would first pay a visit to Hu Weiyong seeking his protection.
However, when Hu Weiyong was killed in the 13th year of Hongwu, not many people were implicated; it was not until the 23rd year of Hongwu that Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly reopened the old case and implicated countless accomplices of Hu Weiyong.
Ten years later, did Zhu Yuanzhang really find out something? Or did he think of Hu Weiyong over and over again, feeling that he hadn't killed enough and suddenly went crazy and wanted to kill another group of people?
Chen Biao didn't see the reason from his dream.
He only saw himself sitting next to his father, whose face was blurred, circling the names of the people he wanted to kill one by one with a red pen.
Everyone says that Zhu Biao is kind and weak, but they don’t know how to open the history books and see who was the main person in charge of the three major cases in the early Ming Dynasty.
In other dynasties, ministers played the good guy and the emperor played the good guy to win people's hearts; in their two dynasties, the emperor shouted that he wanted to kill someone and played the good guy, while the prince said "forget it" and played the good guy to enhance his reputation in the court.
The founding emperor killed everyone he could, and the succeeding emperor gained a reputation for being benevolent and had the opportunity to recuperate.
Zhu Biao was raised by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, so how could he be a kind and weak person?
"Dad, it's okay. I'm here with you."
"Dad, don't worry, you still have me."
"Dad, I will shoulder everything with you."
"Dad, I'm just going on a long trip. It's not my first time going on a long trip. Don't worry."
"Dad, it's just a cold. Look, I can even give you a memorial analyzing the relocation of the capital. How serious can this illness be?"
"Dad... I'm sorry... You're alone... No, you're not alone, you have a brother... I..."
Chen Biao turned over.
"father……"
Chen Biao turned over again.
"sorry……"
Chen Biao turned over with great effort and was held in Zhu Yuanzhang's arms, who patted his back gently.
The nightmare was gone, and Chen Biao slept soundly all night without any dreams.
When the sun touched his butt, Chen Biao got up refreshed. He had forgotten everything about his nightmare last night. He only remembered his father hugging him and crying, "Biao'er, don't leave me."
Chen Biao said to Zhu Yuanzhang, who went to bed "early" and got up just as "early" as he did, "Dad, I dreamed last night that I was running in front of you, and you were holding my legs and I was dragging you along, crying and shouting, 'Don't leave me behind.' Hahahahaha, Dad, you cried so miserably."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked down at Chen Biao's short legs and said, "I want to hug your legs and cry. This is a bit difficult."
Chen Biao was furious and said, "I'll be even taller when I'm fourteen or fifteen! I'll definitely be taller than you by then!"
Completely clueless about official rules and regulations, Zhu Wenzheng, who had gone to bed early like Chen Biao, swallowed the tea egg in his mouth and looked up, saying, "Brother Biao's legs have grown longer. Now Fourth Uncle can hug his legs and cry?"
Zhu Yuanzhang smacked Zhu Wenzheng on the head with his chopsticks: "Shut up! I think you really deserve a beating!"
Zhu Wenzheng rubbed his head and said, "Okay, fight! If I get injured, I won't have to go to Guangdong!"
Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily: "Get out!"
Chen Biao laughed so hard that he almost choked.
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Alright, eat your meal, and then laugh again. Biao'er, didn't you say riding horses in the farmhouse wasn't enough fun? Let Wenzheng take you to the military camp outside the city, and by the way, help me supervise Hu Dahai's homework."
Chen Biao said, "Ah? That's not good, right? I'm not familiar with him."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "You say you're supervising for me, but you're actually supervising for the lord. The lord doesn't like him. Wait until the evening when the weather is cooler, and the lord will write you an imperial edict. You can also check the literacy of the soldiers in the barracks and give them some lessons."
Zhu Yuanzhang did not act on a whim.
He had made this plan when he agreed to let Zhu Wenzhen return to heaven to recuperate.
Biao'er's status among the core civil officials and core military generals was already high enough. Zhu Yuanzhang originally thought that this was enough, but after the Battle of Hongdu, he saw the name of "Little Military Advisor" spread throughout the army, and he couldn't help but become a little greedy.
As long as he has identified Biao'er as his successor, his loyal ministers will definitely be loyal to Chen Biao.
But if Biao'er also has a high status among the soldiers, then even if some ministers do not want to support Biao'er for their own interests in the future, the military and public sentiment is in Biao'er's hands, and they will be powerless to do anything.
This is how Zhu Yuanzhang made his fortune.
So what if the generals of the Haozhou Red Turban Army were replaced? He was the one who recruited the soldiers in the later period, and he was the one who subdued all the capable and battle-hardened generals. Even if he was stripped of his military power, the soldiers still obeyed him.
That's reputation.
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't bear to let Chen Biao go to war to gain merit, so he thought of letting Chen Biao go to the military camp to be a teacher.
