36: Chapter 36 Imperial Grant! Control over the military forces of three provinces!

As the first rays of dawn spilled over the gate tower of the Meridian Gate, the civil and military officials had already gathered in the Fengtian Hall.

Within the ranks of officials, several conspicuous spots were left empty, and even more eye-catching were the two soft couches at the very front of the formation.

Duke of Liang General Lan Yu and Duke of Cao Li Jinglong were each carried in on a couch, handled with great care by the Jinwu Guard. Both were lying on their stomachs, covered by brocade quilts, with only their heads visible. General Lan Yu's complexion was ashen and his lips were chapped, as if he had just crawled out of a coffin. Duke of Cao Li Jinglong was doing slightly better; he even winked and made faces at the military officials he was familiar with. However, any significant movement aggravated the wounds on his back, causing him to grimace in pain and hiss sharply.

In the ranks of civil officials, Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai stood together, their eye sockets sunken from a sleepless night. They watched those two soft couches, and looked at the faces of the surrounding Huaixi Nobility—each face displaying a mix of schadenfreude and trepidation—and their hearts sank to the bottom.

The dragon throne was empty; Zhu Yuanzhang had not come again.

Just as the officials were feeling anxious and whispering among themselves, Eunuch Wang Fu walked in slowly, holding a bright yellow imperial decree in his hands. Without any preamble, he began to read aloud:

"By the order of the Emperor, the mandate reads:"

"Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong is brave, resolute, loyal, filial, sincere, and dignified in appearance, much like my own style. He is hereby specially enfeoffed as the Prince of Wu. Respect this!"

These few dozen words were like a thunderbolt exploding within the Fengtian Hall.

The entire civil official faction fell into instant, deathly silence.

Prince of Wu!

Everyone knew what these two words implied.

Back in the day, the founding Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang had claimed the title of Prince of Wu after sweeping away Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, before ascending the throne as Emperor!

This was no longer a hint; this was an explicit declaration! It was placing the crown of the heir apparent directly onto the head of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong! What, then, of Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, who was still confined in the Eastern Palace? Was he a joke?

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng felt his vision go black, and the entire Fengtian Hall seemed to spin. Had Qi Tai not been quick-witted enough to support him, he would have nearly collapsed on the spot.

On the other hand, the military officials presented a completely different scene.

Although veteran generals like General Feng Sheng and General Fu Youde maintained solemn expressions, their slightly trembling beards and the irrepressible gleam in their eyes already betrayed their inner ecstasy.

Chang Sheng was flushed with excitement, and General Wang Bi grinned foolishly. Duke of Cao Li Jinglong, lying on his soft couch, was so excited he wanted to turn over, but the result was another bout of heart-wrenching, intense pain that made him let out an "Ouch!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, who was standing at the very front, slowly stepped forward. Facing the empty dragon throne, he lifted his robes and knelt, his movements composed and his voice steady.

"Your subject, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, receives the decree and expresses gratitude."

Eunuch Wang Fu cleared his throat and produced a second imperial decree.

"The decree reads: Duke of Liang General Lan Yu is arrogant and tyrannical, lax in governing his household, and has indulged his adopted son to wreak havoc among the locals. However, given his contributions to the nation and considering his remorse, he is hereby stripped of his dukedom and demoted to Marquis of Liang. Seventy to eighty percent of his family assets are to be confiscated, and he is to reflect on his mistakes at home for one year. Duke of Song General Feng Sheng, Duke of Ying General Fu Youde, Duke of Cao Li Jinglong..."

The decree was long, naming the Huaixi Nobility one by one. The punishments were undoubtedly severe.

Titles were demoted, assets confiscated, and even the nominal positions held by their clansmen in the military were completely stripped away. This meant that the family fortunes they had accumulated over decades were more than half gone in a single night.

Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu struggled to rise and express his gratitude, banging his head heavily against the edge of the soft couch, his voice hoarse: "This guilty subject... thanks the Emperor for his heavenly grace."

At his bow, a vast crowd behind him knelt down.

"Your subjects receive the decree and express gratitude!"

In their voices, there was unwillingness and heartache, but more than anything, there was the relief of having survived a catastrophe.

Duke of Cao Li Jinglong lay on the couch with his face buried in his arms, his shoulders heaving, though it was unclear if it was from pain or tears. The abacus in his mind was clicking loudly; his title of Duke of Cao had been demoted to Marquis of Cao, and he would likely have to return those recently purchased Suzhou courtesans. As for the calligraphy and paintings from previous dynasties he had collected, he feared they would not be preserved either.

Heartache, heart-piercing heartache.

But upon reflection, he, Li Jinglong, had traded eighty military canings and half his family fortune for a ticket to the new dynasty for the Li family. As long as the Third Imperial Prince could secure that position in the future, what did the little bit he had lost amount to?

When that time came, he, Li Jinglong, would be the true God of War of the Great Ming!

Thinking of this triumph, he couldn't help but let out a "Hehe" laugh, which aggravated the wounds on his back, causing him to grimace in pain until tears streamed down.

This ghostly appearance of laughing and crying at the same time made General Wang Bi, who was nearby, feel a chill, and he couldn't help but spit.

"Good-for-nothing wretch."

Eunuch Wang Fu put away the decree, and everyone thought that this heart-stopping morning court session was finally over.

Unexpectedly, he pulled a third imperial decree from his sleeve.

The texture of this decree was different from the previous two; it was not made of bright yellow silk damask, but of a deep black fine silk, embroidered with silver thread depicting a Xiezhi with glaring eyes.

This was a format never before seen since the founding of the Great Ming.

"The Emperor has a decree." Eunuch Wang Fu's voice suddenly rose, permeated with an eerie chill.

"By the order of the Emperor, the mandate reads: The Jiangnan region, a land of fish and rice, has always been a vital area for the imperial court's tax revenue. However, in recent years, there have been many cunning scoundrels who conceal farmland and evade taxes, leading to an empty national treasury and a lack of provisions for the border armies. My heart is deeply troubled. Therefore, I hereby specially establish the 'Imperial Commission for Land Investigation,' dedicated to investigating farmland, salt and iron, and commercial taxes in Jiangnan. Anyone who obstructs this will be treated as guilty of treason."

Upon reading this, Eunuch Wang Fu paused and raised his eyes to scan the crowd.

"By imperial command, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong is to oversee the affairs of the Commission, with authority over the military of the three Jiangnan provinces, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the three provincial offices. He is granted the authority to act as the situation dictates and to execute first and report later!"

After this decree was read, not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the entire Fengtian Hall.

If the first decree was a blade swung at the Huaixi military faction, then this second decree was a knife poised to be plunged into the heart of the Jiangnan civil official and gentry faction!

Furthermore, the one wielding the knife was Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong!

Authority over the armies of three provinces, authority over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the power to execute first and report later!

What kind of power was this? Since the founding of the Great Ming, has anyone ever been granted such heavy authority? This was almost handing over the power of half of the Great Ming to that fifteen-year-old youth!

General Lan Yu and the others looked at each other, seeing extreme shock in each other's eyes. Chang Sheng was flushed with excitement; his nephew was truly about to soar into the sky! General Fu Youde, however, thought on a deeper level, a glimmer of sharp insight flashing in his cloudy eyes.

This move by the old Emperor was truly brilliant. It both struck at them, these arrogant soldiers and fierce generals, and gave them an opportunity to redeem their merits. Investigating the farmland in Jiangnan was a task that would offend people to death and would inevitably be met with a frantic counterattack from the Jiangnan gentry.

When that time came, who would be the sharpest blade in the hands of the Prince of Wu?

Besides this bunch of Huaixi martial men who had just been skinned alive and were eager to prove themselves again, who else could it be?

The old Emperor was using them as a blade to cut the purses of those sour civil officials who were always at odds with them!

Having figured this out, General Fu Youde not only stopped feeling heartache but actually felt quite comfortable.

Damn it, to be able to rob those sanctimonious people of their money, what did losing a little family property matter?

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng's lips trembled. He wanted to refute, to cite classics and denounce this act as a chaotic policy, but the moment he looked up, he met the cold eyes of Eunuch Wang Fu on the high steps.

The words Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng had on his lips could not be spoken, not even a single one.

...

"Your Highness, the floor is cold, please get up..." Inside the Duanben Palace, a young eunuch knelt beside Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, his voice filled with a whimpering tone.

Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen seemed not to hear. He slowly raised his head, and that face, usually known for its gentle appearance, now looked somewhat ferocious.

"Prepare the carriage! We go to the Qianqing Palace!"

"Your Highness, Chief Eunuch Wang said..."

"Get out!" Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen kicked the young eunuch away, his eyes bloodshot. "I am the Grand Imperial Heir of the Great Ming! Whoever dares to stop me, kill without mercy!"

He rushed out of the Wenhua Hall as if he had gone mad, stumbling, followed by several eunuchs and palace maids who were scared out of their wits.

Outside the Qianqing Palace, Eunuch Wang Fu, having finished reading the decrees, was waiting there with several young eunuchs.

"Your Highness, why have you come again? His Majesty is an old man and has just fallen asleep..."

Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen did not listen to his nonsense at all, pushed him aside, and charged straight inside.

"This servant is a slave and dare not stop Your Highness. But Your Highness must think clearly: once you step inside, there will be no turning back."