Chapter 124 The Confrontation between Zhang Chang and Chen Biao
Every time Chen Biao saw his father make this expression, he felt very unlucky.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang was already his lord, it was not necessary for our family to mourn when someone in the lord's family died... Well, after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, our family really had to mourn together.
Chen Biao accepted this reality with depression.
"So Dad, you must not get involved. No matter which one you choose, something bad will happen in the future. If you get involved, even if the emperor doesn't settle accounts with you, you will be recorded in history books, saying that you formulated this rubbish policy." Chen Biao warned.
The later kings of keyboard politics would not think about the social reality of the time. If everyone is on top, I am fine. Although they have been dead for many years and do not care about being pointed at, they still avoid the disgusting things that can be avoided.
Who doesn’t like to be famous after death?
Zhu Yuanzhang said in a daze: "Oh, okay."
Ma Xiuying was anxious: "Biao'er, I can only watch the descendants of King Ming..."
Ma Xiuying stopped talking midway, as if she felt extremely uncomfortable just by saying those words.
Chen Biao could be perfunctory to his father, but his mother was also sad, so he had to talk to her nicely.
Chen Biao pulled a chair next to Ma Xiuying, took her hand, and said, "There's no such thing as an immortal family in this world, just like there's no such thing as an immortal dynasty. As for the so-called millennial families, if you look closely at their genealogies, you'll find that the current direct descendants are more distantly related to the original founders than they were five hundred years ago when everyone was one family."
Chen Biao smiled soothingly and continued, "I've told Dad before that even if you can manage your son, you might not be able to manage your grandson. Once a person closes his eyes, even if he wants to worry about his children and grandchildren, it's impossible. Even if you personally raise and educate your son, after you pass away, he might lose his mind and become a prodigal son."
Ma Xiuying said sadly: "That's true."
Chen Biao continued, "Some of the drawbacks I mentioned earlier about the arrangements for the princes will become apparent immediately, while others will gradually become accumulated problems. In fact, the best option now is to choose 'accumulated problems'. Every dynasty has countless problems. With wise emperors, all problems can be covered up. But with one or two generations of incompetent emperors, all kinds of problems will emerge, and the royal family is no exception."
Zhu Yuanzhang muttered, "To put it bluntly, the person sitting on the throne is still the most powerful. Biao'er, if you were sitting in that position, which one would you choose?"
Chen Biao was speechless: "Dad, you will lose your head if you say such things."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at his family and said, "If this gets out, everyone present here will lose their heads, so I'm sure no one will spread it."
Three adopted sons: "..."
Yes, yes, yes, we will all be implicated. After all, you are our adoptive father.
Zhu Wenzheng said: "Biao'er, tell me, I want to know too. After all, I might become a king of a different surname!"
Chen Biao said with a straight face, "What do you mean by 'Wang with a different surname'? Your surname is Zhu, not Wang with a different surname. From now on, if anyone asks you, just say so. Remember, never say you're a member of the Chen family again!"
Zhu Wenzheng raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, Biao'er, don't interrupt, just speak!"
Chen Biao glared at Zhu Wenzheng before saying, "Why choose? We'll choose the useless ones, but we'll take all the smart ones!"
Everyone looked at Chen Biao with indescribable eyes.
Li Wenzhong stopped swatting mosquitoes and said, "Brother Biao, are you teasing us?"
Chen Biao said, "How could that be? I'm serious. Why do we have to follow a policy? We follow a policy because we're worried that our future generations won't be clear-headed, so we can only give them an option with fewer mistakes. I'm so capable, how could I not know which child is suitable for what?"
He counted on his fingers.
"Those who enjoy fighting should be sent to the frontier to defend and expand the territory. They should be assigned a loyal civil official to diligently manage the logistics, and the lands they conquer should be transformed into the territory of the Ming Dynasty."
"Those who enjoy logistics should also be sent to the frontiers, and assigned a loyal military commander. The two of them will complement each other with both civil and military skills."
"Those who don't like to go out should stay in the capital, go to the six ministries, study literature and science, balance the power of the court, and increase the emperor's control over the court."
"If he's truly useless, teach him to be cautious and not cause trouble. When you need someone to participate in tedious rituals, send him out. That's like making good use of the waste."
"If you really encounter someone with a bad character who brings disaster to the country and the people, you should either put him under house arrest for life or exile him to the frontier to cultivate land."
Chen Biao spread his hands and tilted his head: "Isn't it very simple?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's jaw almost dropped: "That's it?"
Chen Biao straightened his head and said, "Yes, if they meet a clear-headed and intelligent emperor, what can a few young brats do? Besides, I don't particularly want to be the emperor. When I am old and the crown prince has grown up, I will abdicate and let the crown prince ascend the throne. I will be in charge of education, inspect the country, and serve as an imperial envoy for the crown prince. When I die, the crown prince will surely have firmly established himself on the throne. This succession to the throne will definitely be smooth."
Zhu Yuanzhang felt relieved: "That's true."
Chen Biao said, "As for my son and grandson, how they treat their descendants is up to them. If they don't do a good job, they will be blamed in history books. As the saying goes, people can only take care of their own affairs before they die, not after they die. Since you can't do that, why worry about it? The most I can do is set a good example for future generations."
Zhu Yuanzhang patted his stomach and said, "That's true... Biao'er, Dad is hungry."
Feeling relieved, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt hungry.
Chen Biao held his forehead with his hand and said, "Dad, we just finished our meal... I'll ask someone to bring some dried fruits and meat snacks. Can you fill your stomach first?"
Zhu Yuanzhang refused: "No, I don't believe there's no more mutton noodles. Another big bowl!"
Zhu Wenzheng quickly said, "I'm hungry too!"
Li Wenzhong continued to swat the mosquito: "Give me some too."
Chen Ying said embarrassedly, "Biao'er, I...ahem, I want some too."
Chen Biao: “…Oh.”
He turned to look at his mother.
Ma Xiuying suppressed her laughter and said, "Mom, no need. They are still growing, so they should eat more."
Chen Biao: “…Oh.”
They have no body at all and are just a bunch of good-for-nothings!
Chen Biao was still worried that these people would not be able to digest what they had eaten, so he went to the kitchen to make some light and easy-to-digest food for them and did not let them continue to eat mutton noodles.
As soon as Chen Biao left, Zhu Yuanzhang collapsed in his chair.
Chen Ying hurriedly wiped the sweat off Zhu Yuanzhang's forehead and fanned him, while Li Wenzhong served tea to Ma Xiuying.
Only Zhu Wenzheng remained nonchalant. "Godfather, Brother Biao is right. No matter what we choose, there will be problems in the future. So, we can choose everything or nothing. Let's train the princes first. We can use those who are useful and keep those who are useless."
Ma Xiuying thought for a moment and said cruelly, "Didn't Biao'er tell you the story about wheat or millet? We can't raise them all. We can raise them until our grandchildren, so why should we raise our great-grandchildren? Those without titles should just study hard and practice martial arts to earn a future for themselves."
Zhu Wenzheng nodded. "We can conquer the world even though we don't have enough to eat or wear warm clothes. Our descendants will grow up in a honey pot, taught by famous teachers. If they still grow up to be useless, what's the point of raising them? I can just throw them out and let them fend for themselves. I can't afford to lose face like that."
Zhu Yuanzhang pulled at his collar and took a few deep breaths: "Let me think about it again."
It’s not that he doesn’t know his son is right, he just can’t accept this reality.
According to Biao'er, his generation and Biao'er's generation wouldn't have too many disputes. However, if the emperor wasn't clear-headed, for example, he appointed a crown prince but favored the concubine's youngest son, or he grew old and confused and became suspicious of the excellent crown prince, or even had no children at all and was unwilling to cultivate outstanding royal family members in advance...
The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more he felt that it would be difficult for the dynasty to continue.
When Zhu Yuanzhang was struggling, he suddenly thought of the heavenly book that Biaoer gave him.
This thought was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, not only sobering him up but also making him shiver a little.
Zhu Yuanzhang thought of his previous ambitions and the idea he once had of becoming the one who created the world.
Now, he was thinking about how to make the Zhu family the emperor forever? How to make the Ming Dynasty immortal?
How could there be an eternal dynasty in this world? How could there be an emperor who would forever stand above the people?
I established the Ming Dynasty only to show that productivity had not yet developed to the point where an emperor was no longer needed.
The last emperor of my Ming Dynasty cannot be a king who loses his country, he must be a king who loses his empire!
The anxiety and pain in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart receded like the tide, leaving only relief and shame.
"There is no, nor should there be, an eternal dynasty in this world. I simply want to teach my descendants that whoever sits on the throne must prioritize the people over themselves. If the court truly becomes irreparably corrupt, those with the ability will emulate me and lead the rebellious people in overthrowing the corrupt Ming. If they cannot do so, at least they should not become obstacles to the people's journey towards a better future."
Zhu Yuanzhang straightened his spine and sat up straight.
His three adopted sons and his wife, who had been with him through thick and thin, all sat or stood up straight.
"When a prince breaks the law, the common people are equally guilty. Even if I can't bear to kill my own sons, they should be imprisoned for life. As long as this can be done, the struggle for the throne will not be too chaotic. If this cannot be done, it means that the Ming Dynasty should be overthrown. There will be nothing to commemorate."
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened, a relaxed smile forming. "The Ming Dynasty won't perish in my hands, or in Biao'er's. Biao'er will certainly teach his children well. The goal of the three of us, grandfather and grandson, is to create a prosperous era that surpasses the Han and Tang dynasties, as Biao'er has said. After that, it all depends on the abilities of our descendants. Zhu Wenzheng."
Zhu Wenzheng stood up and knelt on one knee: "My Lord."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I will first appoint you as the King of Yan, and assist Biao'er in rectifying the north."
Zhu Wenzheng said proudly: "Yes, my lord! Hehehe."
He glanced at his two brothers, whose expressions were distorted with jealousy.
Didn't you expect it? I was the one accompanying Biao'er!
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, and Zhu Wenzhen stood up and returned to his seat.
Zhu Yuanzhang said again: "Li Wenzhong."
Li Wenzhong knelt down and said, "I will be your last one!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I appoint you as Duke of Han. In name, you will assist the Prince of Yan, but in reality, you will assist Biao'er. Whether you can be crowned a king depends on your ability."
Li Wenzhong immediately said, "Thank you, my lord! I will definitely live up to your expectations!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Chen Ying."
Chen Ying knelt down nervously: "I am here."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Biao'er said you should go to Yunnan, but if you go to Yunnan now, I'm afraid you will be unhappy."
Chen Ying knew he should have said, "As you command, my lord," but he moved his lips, then knelt on one knee, then on both, and kowtowed, begging, "My lord, my merits are not enough to warrant a title. Could you please allow me to follow the Crown Prince for some more experience?"
Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and helped Chen Ying up. "Okay, you can follow Biaoer first. You'll have plenty of achievements to make if you follow Biaoer, so don't worry. Let those restless veterans fight in Yunnan, and then I'll give you the jurisdiction. Although I know you want to stay with Biaoer, who else but you can guard Biaoer's southwestern border?"
Chen Ying choked up and said, "Thank you, my lord, thank you, foster father. I was just being willful."
"While you are still young and I am not old, you can be willful. I can help you." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, "Okay, everyone sit back. Don't wait for Biao'er to come back and reveal the secret. I wonder what delicious food Biao'er has made."
Zhu Wenzheng rubbed his stomach and said unhappily, "Ah, so the three of us have to follow Biao'er? That's boring. I thought I was the only one. Biao'er, please don't make anything fancy. I just want to eat a lot of meat."
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying glared at Zhu Wenzheng.
If their adoptive parents were not still here, they would definitely have a good discussion with Zhu Wen.
Biao'er makes food for you, and you're still picky? Where's your face?
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement: "Yes, I just want to eat meat."
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying: "..."
They didn't dare to glare at their adoptive father who was also their lord, so they decided to have another sparring match with Zhu Wenzhen later.
What Chen Biao brought was indeed a bit fancy.
He cut bean sprouts, beef and mutton into small cubes and made tofu soup with fresh tofu pudding and green beans.
"Add water, add a lot of water, drink water to fill you up." Chen Biao kept muttering while seasoning the food, and the chefs were trying to hold back their laughter.
Chen Biao prepared a large bucket of tofu soup and asked someone to carry it to his house in several rice buckets.
I just finished eating and I want to eat again. What should I do if I overeat? Drink water!
When Chen Biao brought the tofu soup, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Wenzheng's faces fell. Seeing their identical expressions, it was as if they were father and son.
"I hate tofu," Zhu Yuanzhang said dejectedly. "Biao'er, do you know Jade White Jade Soup?"
Chen Biao scooped a large bowl for his father: "I know, isn't it just cabbage and tofu soup?"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "Do you know?"
Chen Biao said, "We have this dish in my Chen Family Restaurant."
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't finish his words. The Jade White Jade Soup he was talking about was definitely not the kind sold at Chen's Restaurant. The soup made with rotten vegetable leaves and sour tofu was the Jade White Jade Soup he remembered.
Zhu Yuanzhang really hated tofu. When he was begging, he ate too much sour tofu.
But Chen Biao scooped him a large bowl. He didn't want to offend his son, so he took a small sip and then lied that he was full. He would go to the kitchen to find meat after Chen Biao went to sleep.
But as soon as he took a bite of the Eight Treasure Tofu Soup, his eyes lit up: "So delicious!"
Chen Biao said, "Dad, what are you surprised about? I cook for you, so how can I make Jade White Jade Soup? This is called Eight Treasures Tofu Soup, but it doesn't have eight treasures... well, it's just something."
Zhu Yuanzhang buried his head and ate bitterly.
His three adopted sons had already started walking without raising their heads.
Although they knew that Chen Biao had "bad intentions" in making soup for them, this tofu soup was really delicious.
Ma Xiuying was curious: "Is it really delicious? Biao'er, give me a small bowl. Don't scoop too much, I just want to taste it."
Chen Biao was like a waiter: "Okay! Here I come!"
Today, Chen Biao successfully fed the gluttons at home with tofu and water, and did not make them upset. This is a cause for celebration, and Chen Biao is very satisfied.
After nightfall, the four adoptive fathers and sons met in the kitchen.
One person was holding a chicken, one was holding a duck, one was holding a large piece of meat bone, and another was holding a jar.
Chen Ying asked, "Would you like some of the palace's aged fine wine?"
Three people: "Come on, come on!"
When Zhu Yuanzhang secretly went out, Ma Xiuying stood up, sighed, put on her clothes and went to find someone to make some digestive medicine.
The family has had enough food for many years, so why are these people still acting like starving ghosts?
The next day, Zhu Yuanzhang urged Chen Biao to return to heaven.
Chen Biao had no choice but to hastily hand over the affairs and return to Yingtian with Zhu Wenzhen to prepare for ancestor worship.
As the only adopted son given a surname by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Wenzheng was indeed qualified to participate in the ancestral worship. However, it was rumored that the fact that Zhu Wenzheng did not serve as the chief priest, but Chen Biao, was a sign that Zhu Yuanzhang valued Chen Biao and was also a warning to Zhu Wenzheng.
"Zhu Yuanzhang must have wanted to tell Zhu Wenzheng that, although he was given the surname 'Zhu,' he wasn't a member of the Zhu family. He shouldn't harbor any inappropriate thoughts just because the Crown Prince hasn't appeared yet," Zhang Chang said to his subordinates. "Perhaps this can be exploited."
Zhang Chang simply refused to believe that his close friend Chen Zuren was scolded to death by a young boy.
He insisted that Chen Zuren must have been killed by the Ming army and then insulted because he would rather die than surrender.
Even though the newspaper was in his hands, Zhang Chang refused to believe it.
Mr. Chen has such a strong mind, how could he be so distracted by a few words from a young boy?
Even though Zhang Chang was excited after seeing the "righteousness of gaining the country" and "far surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties", he still did not believe it, was unwilling to believe it, and could not believe it.
"Contact Zhang Shicheng's people and get them to spread the news that Zhu Wenzheng is dissatisfied with the sacrifice and wants to defect to Zhang Shicheng." Zhang Chang's eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't slept well for many nights. "I will personally incite Zhu Wenzheng!"
The subordinate hesitated and said, "Will Zhu Wenzheng really defect? Even if he does, Zhang Shicheng won't treat him any better than he does here."
Zhang Chang said, "It doesn't matter whether he wants to defect or not. When everyone around him says he wants to defect, he must defect! Zhu Yuanzhang will definitely be in pain if his most trusted adopted son defects. This is the only way to tell Brother Ji Zishan's spirit in heaven!"
After saying this, Zhang Chang covered his face with his sleeves and burst into tears.
Seeing this, the subordinates stopped trying to persuade him.
In order to avenge Chen Xueshi, any risk was worth taking. Even if Zhu Wenzheng saw through their scheme and was not forced to defect, it would still leave a thorn in the hearts of Zhu Wenzheng and Zhu Yuanzhang.
There was another reason why they chose Zhu Wen Zheng. When Zhu Wen Zheng was adopted as Zhu Yuanzhang's son, he was called "Chen Wen Zheng" and was Chen Biao's cousin.
They didn't believe that Chen Zuren died in a verbal fight with Chen Biao, but they did believe that Chen Zuren's death was probably related to the evil Chen Biao. Perhaps it was his bad idea.
If people were to believe that Zhu Wenzhen was dissatisfied with the sacrifice, it would not only sow discord among Zhu Yuanzhang, but also between Zhu Wenzhen and Chen Biao, causing the Chen family to split.
If Zhu Wenzhen really defected, he might be able to sow discord between the Chen family and Zhu Yuanzhang, and take care of the child of the Chen family at the same time.
In Dadu.
Before leaving, Chen Biao left a letter to Zhu Yuanzhang, asking Zhu Yuanzhang to summon and reward Zhang Chang's son, and publicly praised Zhang Chang for being Zhu Yuanzhang's undercover agent in the Yuan Dynasty in his early years and now being Zhu Yuanzhang's confidant, which was a good relationship between the monarch and his minister.
Chen Biao had already compiled the script for the play and was waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang to promote it.
Chen Biao said to his father proudly, "Dad, you must tell the Lord not to be offended by Zhang Chang just because he is a Yuan traitor. You must reward him generously for this Yuan official who has turned his back on the right path. This will attract more Yuan officials who are worried about being rejected to defect to the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Yuanzhang was really upset: "He doesn't really support us, and we're still rewarding him?"
Chen Biao leaned on his father's shoulder and said with a wicked smile, "My family is proud that Zhang Chang served the Ming Dynasty. Later, the former Yuan officials who surrendered took Zhang Chang as their role model and backbone. The world all regarded Zhang Chang as a hero who rebelled against the tyrant Yuan emperor because he cared about the people. Does it matter who Zhang Chang supported in his heart?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was still upset: "Why spend so much energy on him?"
Chen Biao said, "Father, he's a high-ranking official of the Yuan Dynasty, a crucial pawn in our lord's pacification of the northern nobility. In the future, our lord will still have to rely on the nobility to govern the country. All our officials are from the south. Although I believe in their loyalty and integrity, if we don't establish a balance of power between the north and the south from the very beginning, I'm afraid the newcomers won't necessarily uphold their integrity once the old officials are replaced."
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, realizing the seriousness of the matter: "I understand, I will definitely persuade the lord."
Chen Biao smiled and said, "Besides, Zhang Chang hasn't revealed his true colors yet, so the lord can't kill him easily. He does his job well, so the lord still has to use him. If the lord is unhappy, it will make Zhang Chang even more unhappy, and the lord will feel relieved."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it and couldn't help laughing: "Biao'er still has more bad ideas!"
Chen Biao was dissatisfied: "What a bad idea! Such a good idea!"
Zhu Yuanzhang straightened Chen Biao's staggering body, helped him tidy up his clothes, and touched the bun on his head.
Chen Biao now loosened his topknot and tied up his hair.
"Be careful on your journey." Zhu Yuanzhang said reluctantly.
Just after meeting, the father and son have to separate again.
Chen Biao smiled and said, "Yeah! Don't worry, Dad!"
