diymy Chapter 17: Beat Your Brother Early!
Chapter 17: Beat Your Brother Early!
"Hmph!" Zhang Yan hummed in dissatisfaction. "I have been busy for so long in selecting a consort for Prince Xin. I have selected many noble ladies. Their portraits have been drawn, their family backgrounds have been investigated, and their character and appearance are all excellent."
"As his sister-in-law, I've worried myself sick over him!"
Prince Xin, on the other hand, didn't care about anything and even made excuses to shirk responsibility, saying things like, "How can I have a home when the Jurchens have not yet been destroyed?"
Wait for the Jurchens to be subdued? That would take forever!
"So?" Zhu Ming blinked, looking at his sister's angry grumbling, and couldn't help but laugh.
Zhang Yan is usually dignified and composed, maintaining a steady and dignified demeanor befitting an empress; it's rare to see her like this.
"So Your Majesty, please give me a definite answer and let Prince Xin get married as he should, so he won't have to run around all the time!" Zhang Yan said.
After all, princes must marry when they reach a certain age; this is a royal rule and also her duty as the empress.
She could not fulfill her duty as long as Prince Xin did not marry him.
The invitations, portraits, and messages sent by nobles increased day by day, overwhelming her.
Yes!
Zhu Ming rested his head on Zhang Yan's lap, looking at the canopy above his head, and suddenly became a little lost in thought.
He is a modern soul, free from all attachments, and not particularly interested in the tradition of continuing the bloodline.
But he is now the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
The bloodline of the emperor is not just his own affair, but a matter for the entire nation.
Zhu Ming thought that Zhu Youjian was of age and it was time for him to get married so that he could have more children for the Zhu family and make things easier for him.
Otherwise, those civil officials would constantly submit memorials expressing concern for his harem, which would be quite annoying.
But...
Zhu Ming couldn't help but twitch his lips as he recalled the changes in Zhu Youjian over the past year.
Having been in the military camp, Zhu Youjian is now not only like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, but also more like a pig that has broken out of its pen!
No, pigs aren't that capable of causing trouble.
To be precise, this kid not only went to various military camps every day to "spar" with the generals!
It's called a friendly exchange, but it's actually a fight.
Today I'll spar with this general, tomorrow I'll spar with that brigade commander, and the day after tomorrow I'll wrestle with some chiliarch.
The key point is that he can actually win.
I wonder if those military officers went easy on me!
Moreover, this guy eats several times more than the average person.
As a result, a perfectly healthy fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy quickly developed a muscular physique within a year.
The change was so drastic that it startled Zhu Ming.
In the past, Zhu Youjian was so thin that he was like a bamboo pole, swaying in the wind. Zhu Ming was always worried that he would be blown away by a strong wind one day.
Zhu Youjian now stands there like a wall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with arms thicker than Zhang Yan's thighs.
Zhu Ming once privately asked the imperial physician, "Is Prince Xin's physique normal?"
The imperial physician stroked his beard, pondered for a long while, and said, "His Highness Prince Xin is exceptionally gifted; he is... a martial arts prodigy."
Zhu Ming immediately thought that something was wrong with the script.
Shouldn't Zhu Youjian have become Emperor Chongzhen, thin and weak, frowning every day while reviewing memorials, and finally hanging himself on Coal Hill?
How come he turned into a muscular hunk?
It's gotten even worse in recent months.
Ever since Zhu Youjian ate a special kind of roasted meat here, he has become addicted to this spicy stuff!
Chili powder was something Zhu Ming planned to sell at Baohe Store. He intended to gradually introduce it to the market after Wang Tiqian brought back goods from Southeast Asia or Xu Guangqi cultivated enough chilies.
As a result, Zhu Youjian came directly to his door and, through persistent pleading and cajoling, managed to get several kilograms of money out of him.
With the addition of chili powder, Zhu Youjian's meals became completely unrestrained.
I have to eat spicy grilled meat with every meal, including grilled lamb, grilled beef, grilled pork, and grilled chicken!
He can grill any kind of meat, then sprinkle chili powder on it, and eat it, and then want more.
The meat in the Zhu Family Army camp was basically all flaunted by this "muscular Chongzhen" Zhu Youjian.
After showing off Zhu Jiajun's, he went to Baiganjun's side to show off their Tujia sheep.
The soldiers of the White Spear Army initially welcomed the prince, finding him approachable and unpretentious.
Later, when they discovered that the prince was there to freeload, and that he was doing so with a clear conscience, without any hesitation or reservations, their attitude underwent a subtle change.
Fighting, eating meat, and meeting female soldiers—it really didn't stop Zhu Youjian from running wild everywhere!
Thinking of this, Zhu Ming couldn't help but sigh.
He looked down at his arms. He had developed strong muscles from doing carpentry and other work, and his physique was considered quite good, but it was still a bit lacking compared to Zhu Youjian's.
So to be honest, Zhu Ming was starting to lose control of his silly younger brother, who had clear eyes but was a bit foolish!
However, this incident actually led Zhu Youjian to forge a deeper connection between himself and Qin Liangyu's White Spear Army.
Qin Liangyu, the female chieftain of Shizhu, was the commander of the White Spear Army, one of the most influential military forces in the Sichuan region.
Her attitude directly determined the actions of other chieftains in Sichuan and the southwest.
Now, Zhu Youjian had a few meals of roasted mutton with Qin Liangyu in Xiangshan, recited two poems, and talked about chili peppers—and Qin Liangyu expressed her opinion.
With the full support of this female chieftain, it was a significant step forward in the process of subjugating other chieftains in Sichuan and the southwest.
Originally, this step might have been officially initiated only after the so-called "Yisi Incident," but now, it has been laid out ahead of schedule by accident.
"Your Majesty, are you listening?" Zhang Yan's voice came from above, and she was slightly annoyed to see that Zhu Ming was still in a daze.
"I'm listening!" Zhu Ming snapped out of his reverie and said slowly, "Once you and Consort Liu have chosen your partners, I'll give Fifth Prince a good beating!"
"?" Zhang Yan opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and then said, "No wonder Prince Xin is like this, it turns out he learned it from you, Your Majesty! Like father, like son! Be careful he doesn't get seriously injured!"
"Don't worry, with Fifth Brother's physique, he won't get hurt!" Zhu Ming grinned slyly. "In a few years, he won't be able to fight anymore! You have to discipline your younger brother while you can!"
"..."
Zhang Yan didn't say anything more, but just looked down at Zhu Ming, who was resting his head on her lap, and sighed softly.
Zhu Ming also closed his eyes, enjoying the long-awaited relaxation.
He's been so tired these past few days!
Whether mentally or physically!
He has completely embarked on the path of no return—the path of imperial family!
He never expected that the first time he truly began to directly handle matters of the court after the Tianqi Explosion would be filled with a series of trivial incidents.
Previously, he had always relied on remotely controlling Wei Zhongxian to control the court and command the officials, which made things much easier.
This is probably the clever use of the term "treacherous minister".
But the people in and out of the court only knew the Nine Thousand Years Old, and not the Emperor Ten Thousand Years Old.
This gave him a sense of frustration, and the longer he remained in power, the faster and more tragically Wei Zhongxian would die!
He knew this better than anyone else.
Historically, Wei Zhongxian was purged after Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne. He was forced to commit suicide, and his corpse was mutilated after his death.
In this timeline, although he wouldn't let Wei Zhongxian suffer such a tragic end, Wei Zhongxian's blade still needed to be used to slaughter the gentry of Jiangnan, so he couldn't let it dull too early.
After all, Zhu Ming isn't stupid!
He knew the course of history, knew many secrets already recorded in history books, and knew even more things that were not written in history books but truly existed.
Each and every one of them, like countless ropes, wrapped around us from all directions—
In Liaodong, the Jurchen cavalry were eyeing the pass with predatory intent; in the southwest, the chieftains outwardly submitted but inwardly harbored their own ambitions; and in Jiangnan, the imperial court could not collect taxes, while the gentry were raking in the profits.
Wang Tiqian's voyage to Southeast Asia to open up maritime trade was like snatching food from the jaws of a tiger from the mouths of the people in Jiangnan; the Ministry of Works' reconstruction of the Ordnance Factory to manufacture firearms domestically was like sharpening its own knife.
The Donglin Party members used the natural disaster to their advantage, claiming to "plead for the people" while secretly plotting to "enter the cabinet and become prime minister"; Shanxi merchants smuggled goods to aid the enemy, continuously sending ironware and grain to Liaodong, profiting from human suffering.
Border troops' rations and pay were cut at every level, leaving soldiers to guard the border on empty stomachs; the reform of the garrison system and land reform aimed to shake the very foundation of the gentry class.
Forging the King, setting up the last move—that's the last card, hopefully I'll never need to use it.
In short, these historical secrets must be revealed by him, bit by bit, with every stroke of the pen, to continue writing the glory of the Ming Dynasty.
He was originally an outstanding successor of modern socialism, and had a wonderful life with 996 blessings.
It was just a chance encounter during a drowning rescue that led to her transmigrating into the body of the Ming Dynasty's Tianqi Emperor.
He desperately wanted to know what had happened to him, but he was unaware that he had been drawn into the vortex of history...
Inside the hall, the night breeze blew and the lamplight flickered!
Outside the palace, the cold moon hung high, its clear light shining down.
This ancient imperial city stands silently in the moonlight, awaiting tomorrow's sun.
Wang Tiqian will be back tomorrow.
Zhu Cijiong will return safely tomorrow.
Tomorrow, new memorials will be sent to the Qianqing Palace.
Tomorrow, the students of the Imperial College will continue their "pleading for the people".
Tomorrow, those lurking in the shadows will continue their shady dealings.
Tomorrow, Zhu Ming will continue his chess game.
And so, step by step, step by step, they imagined bringing the Ming Dynasty back to its former glory!
And now, the Ming Dynasty has sailed further and further away from this dilapidated ship of the Ming Dynasty…
Until, they stumbled into a thick fog…