Chapter 72

"With this matter settled, all of you shall immediately go to procure and purchase weapons!"

The assembly of civil and military officials looked at one another.

From each other's eyes,

these civil and military officials saw the despair in the other's heart.

After the court dispersed, the ministers, who in days past chattered like a flock of sparrows, now met only with a sigh.

"Sigh..."

They looked at each other in silence; at this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

In the hearts of the entire court of civil and military officials,

the Great Ming had clearly been sentenced to death.

Hurry and, while you still hold some power in your hands,

grab back as much as you can!

However, what these people failed to notice was

that perhaps because this army was composed of the imperial clan,

Zhu Youjian, when approving silver this time, did so with truly effortless flow.

Vast amounts of silver were allocated to the Ministry of War and the Imperial Clan Court as if money were no object.

It is just that these scholar-officials did not know

that this silver was precisely what Zhu Youjian had approved for them to embezzle.

What Zhu Youjian was brewing was the most extensive case since the founding of the Great Ming, involving a list of officials so vast it was expected to exceed the sum of the Four Great Cases of Hongwu.

On the other side, on the night before the Imperial Guard marched out,

after much deliberation, Zhu Youjian ultimately sent an edict into the hands of all scholar-officials and military nobles of the Great Ming.

69, Old Zhu: "This brat dares to deceive us; do not let him escape!"

This edict was very clear.

The offspring of all court ministers may enter the Imperial Guard to campaign.

It is just that the entire court of civil and military officials are ultimately not of the Zhu family.

Therefore, no explicit restrictions were made.

The edict had been issued.

Only one night remained.

That night, almost no lights were extinguished in the homes of all high-ranking officials and nobles.

The scholar-officials, dukes, and nobles of each household were discussing something.

At dawn the next day,

several hundred "prodigal sons" still gathered beneath Qihua Sect.

Most among them were Marquises and Earls.

For instance, sons of the Marquis of Xinjian, the Marquis of Chengyi, the Marquis of Huaiyuan, and the Marquis of Lingbi all went to campaign.

Among these, the one of highest rank was none other than the youngest son of Duke Dingguo, Xu Yunzhen.

Soon, Lan Yu sent people to take these individuals away.

And on the city tower, Wang Chengen, hiding behind the arrow slits, had already ordered someone to quietly record the names and backgrounds of these people.

What these prodigal sons did not know was

that they used their own lives

to save their entire clans.

The Emperor cannot possibly hold the duties of all officials by himself.

Afterwards, Zhu Youjian would still need people to help him control the court.

And these nobles who voluntarily sent their sons to campaign were obviously the most suitable candidates.

Because the matter of the Imperial Guard marching out was, in itself, a mess.

If they lost the battle and died, there were still so many Princes above; how could the merit possibly fall to you scholar-officials and noble sons?

And if they won, it was even simpler; there were still so many Princes; on what basis would you think the awarding of merit would fall to you?

This war, which originally carried a heavy air of "show," having lost its original gilding effect,

naturally became a laborious and unrewarding transaction.

And it was precisely at such a time that those who still willingly sent their sons to campaign were the true "pillar ministers" of the Great Ming!

It is just that at this moment in the Qianqing Palace,

before Zhu Youjian, a crowd of eunuchs and maids had prostrated themselves.

Empress Zhou sat before Zhu Youjian, her face iron-green.

Zhu Youjian's heart seemed to sense something.

"Empress, has something happened in the palace?"

Empress Zhou forced a calm look and said to Zhu Youjian,

"Cilang... Cilang has left with General Lan..."

Zhu Cilang was the eldest son of Zhu Youjian.

He was also the first Crown Prince since Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao to be officially established as the heir to the throne by virtue of being the legitimate eldest son.

After Empress Zhou finished speaking, Zhu Youjian felt the world spin before his eyes; Wang Chengen and others hurried forward to support him.

"Your Majesty, do not panic; we servants will immediately send people to pursue. General Lan has not yet left Shanhai Pass; he can be caught."

Zhu Youjian's jaw clenched tight; looking at Wang Chengen who was preparing to rise, he struggled to lift his hand and finally squeezed two words from between his teeth.

"No need."

When Zhu Youjian issued that imperial decree last night.

Zhu Cilang was in the Qianqing Palace.

Shortly after the memorial was sent, Zhu Youjian sensed that Zhu Cilang's condition was somewhat off.

Wang Chengen helped Zhu Youjian up from the floor; after he drank two sips of warm tea, he gradually came to, his eyes hollow as he gazed at the great hall before him and said sorrowfully,

"So many imperial uncles, great-uncles, sons, and nephews have already gone."

"Huan'er is also of the Zhu family's blood and bone; how could he remain aloof? As for the one who will leave a foul name for ten thousand years, one person—me, the Emperor—is enough..."

After a long while, the Zhu Youjian who had come to his senses then remembered Zhu Yuanzhang in the chat group, who had been cursing him for who knows how long.

After dismissing his attendants, Zhu Youjian painfully opened the chat group.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Your son Youjian respectfully reports to my Great Ming's Founding Emperor, Emperor Taizu Gao."

"This morning, the imperial clan organized the Yu Lin Guard; one hundred thousand combat troops and one hundred fifty thousand support troops have been dispatched to Songshan."

"Qin Wang, Jin Wang, Shen Wang, Liao Wang, Chu Wang, Tang Wang... the Crown Prince, all are joining the campaign!"

Zhu Yuanzhang, who had originally been impatient, gradually sobered up upon seeing the two characters "Crown Prince" at the end of Zhu Youjian's message.

In any case.

This descendant from a later generation before him.

Has not shamed me!

And at this very moment, Zhu Youjian was also sending messages to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Ancestral Grandfather, please examine clearly; your son humbly believes this is what our Zhu family owes the people of the world..."

"Recently, your son has repeatedly read the Veritable Records of Crown Prince Yiwen."

"There is one sentence that left a deep impression on your son."

"It is better for the hundred officials to weep than for the common people to weep; it is better for one family to weep than for an entire circuit to weep."

"For our Zhu family to be the one weeping is better than the sacred vessel gathering dust!"

Founding Emperor Taizu Gao:

"Then, when will our children arrive at the battlefield?"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"As soon as ten days, at the latest no more than one and a half months."

Upon seeing this message, Zhu Yuanzhang sank heavily onto the dragon throne.