Chapter 6

Yao Guangxiao entered the palace.

As the confidant of the Yongle Emperor and a monk, his dual identity made it more convenient for him to enter and exit the palace than ordinary ministers.

Today, the Yongle Emperor had just concluded a lecture at the Wenlou Pavilion.

It was clear that the Yongle Emperor was very dissatisfied with the lecture. His displeased expression turned to a cold snort when he heard that Yao Guangxiao had come to pay his respects and was summoned into the Wenlou Pavilion: "All the ministers talk about setting an example for the people to follow and governing with virtue to transform those who do not lead... Such nonsense..."

Yao Guangxiao boldly interrupted the Yongle Emperor: "Your Majesty, this poor monk has just returned from Hu Yan's house."

The Yongle Emperor asked: "How was it?"

"I gave it a try."

"Hmm?"

Then, Yao Guangxiao recounted what had happened at the school. Soon after, a eunuch came in carrying a stack of 'memorials.'

The Yongle Emperor forced a smile: "Dealing with a few rascals, why go to such lengths?"

Yao Guangxiao smiled but said nothing.

The Yongle Emperor said: "Very well, let's see what these rascals have to say."

Neither the Yongle Emperor nor Yao Guangxiao had high expectations. What could a group of young people write that would be insightful?

As expected, most of the 'memorials' were as dull as chewing wax, failing to pique the interest of the Yongle Emperor and Yao Guangxiao.

So, the emperor and his minister picked up the memorials one by one, chatting idly: "Has the edict to reprimand the crown prince been issued?"

"It should have been."

The Yongle Emperor looked at Yao Guangxiao with a meaningful glance.

The word "should" was very significant.

It implied that... this matter was not handled by Yao Guangxiao, and he had not inquired about it.

The Yongle Emperor withdrew his gaze and nodded, but in the next moment, he suddenly burst out in anger: "Full of nonsense, what is this boy's head filled with? Straw?"

Yao Guangxiao glanced over and saw that it was Zhu Yong's memorial.

The Yongle Emperor's face turned ashen, but he still held back, flipping to the next memorial. When he saw it, his eyes widened, and his beard began to tremble.

Yao Guangxiao: "..."

This memorial was even more bizarre, completely blank.

There were only two words... Zhang Ze!

The Yongle Emperor was utterly exasperated.

His face flushed, his chest heaving, he could not utter a word.

Yao Guangxiao was also speechless.

But a moment later, a misty layer appeared in the Yongle Emperor's eyes, and a tear finally rolled down his cheek.

The Yongle Emperor sniffed, this man who had never flinched even in the midst of bloody battles, was now shedding tears.

The Yongle Emperor covered his face with his sleeve and sobbed: "Zhang Yumei (Zhang Yu's courtesy name) was such a hero, how could he have produced such a scoundrel? If he were to know that his descendants are so incapable, he would surely blame me for not taking good care of the Zhang family... A tiger father, a dog son, a tiger father, a dog son!"

Yao Guangxiao said: "Your Majesty, please take it easy, after all, he is still a child."

"Such a young age and already like this, what will he be like when he grows up?" The Yongle Emperor gritted his teeth, wiped away his tears, and said angrily: "His father once risked his life to save me, charging into the enemy's ranks and dying in battle. I cannot let him down. Zhang Ze, this rascal, lacks discipline, so I will discipline him myself."

He then pointed to the scattered memorials on the desk and could not help but curse: "Look at these people... Is there a single one who is promising? Their fathers and brothers, every one of them, were outstanding, yet they have been so poorly disciplined!"

As he spoke, he picked up another memorial, opened it, and said fiercely: "Look, look at what it says... 'The emperor guards the national gate, this humble minister believes... The key to the Ming dynasty's prosperity lies in moving the capital...'"

Reading this...

Suddenly, the Yongle Emperor felt something was amiss.

This was a randomly picked memorial, but the five words "The emperor guards the national gate" struck a deep chord in the hearts of the Yongle Emperor and Yao Guangxiao.

The emperor and his minister looked at each other, momentarily speechless.

Especially Yao Guangxiao, his expression was extremely serious. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "Your Majesty, how does this boy know about this?"

The Yongle Emperor had already wiped away his tears, and Yao Guangxiao's words were very significant.

What does "The emperor guards the national gate" mean? It means moving the capital to Beijing.

Why move the capital to Beijing? Historically, some have said it was because Zhu Di was once the Prince of Yan, and his base was in Beijing, so he had a special affection for it.

Of course, this was not the real reason.

The fundamental reason was that a man of Zhu Di's strategic vision clearly understood the greatest problem facing the empire.

Although the Ming dynasty had unified the country, the heart of the problem was always in the north. The northern nomadic tribes, though severely weakened, still posed a significant threat.

At this point, the entire Ming dynasty was in a terrifying situation. To defend the north, a large and elite army was necessary.

However, the distance from Nanjing to Liaodong and the Yan-Yun region was over a thousand miles, making it difficult for the emperor to control the army. Currently, these border troops could still be managed, but in the future, there was a risk of a situation similar to the late Tang dynasty, where regional warlords held power.

Of course, during the Song dynasty, to prevent the growth of border troops, a good strategy was devised: strengthening the center and weakening the branches. This involved training the most elite troops as the imperial guard, stationed in the capital, under the emperor's direct control, thus avoiding the problem of unruly generals.

However, this strategy also had significant drawbacks. With the best troops stationed in the capital, the border regions were left weak, leading to the rise of the Liao, Jin, and Mongol empires, and the Song dynasty was forced to adopt a policy of compromise and retreat, ultimately losing its unified rule.

Zhu Di, having spent a long time on the border, was well aware that the Ming dynasty would face this problem, and it was almost unsolvable.

Either let the border troops grow too powerful, or abandon the Ming dynasty's border defense. Neither the Tang nor the Song military systems were acceptable to him.

After the Jingnan Campaign, Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao had discussed this issue.

In the end, Yao Guangxiao proposed the strategy of moving the capital to Beijing.

By moving the capital to Beijing, the empire's elite troops could be stationed along the Beijing line. These troops would be under the emperor's direct control, preventing the rise of regional warlords. At the same time, Beijing was already a border region, and in the event of a northern invasion, these elite troops would serve both as the emperor's guard and the border defense, achieving two goals with one action.

At this point, Zhu Di had already made up his mind to move the capital.

However...

Zhu Di held the memorial, still frowning in thought, as a new problem arose.

Moving the capital was a major decision. Once it began, it would require enormous resources, and more importantly, the emperor would have to move to Beijing, and all the officials would have to follow.

But these officials and nobles were already well-settled in Nanjing, and compared to the prosperous capital, Beijing was almost a desolate place.

Moreover, Zhu Di had just ascended the throne, and the situation was still unstable. If he proposed moving the capital now, it could lead to chaos.

Therefore, Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao decided that this matter could not be rushed and must be kept secret. Only they knew about it, and it could not be revealed to a third person.

But now... a young boy had submitted such a memorial.

Yao Guangxiao looked at Zhu Di, his eyes filled with doubt, as if asking, "Your Majesty, did you leak this information?"

Zhu Di also looked at Yao Guangxiao with suspicion.

But in an instant, both of them put aside their doubts, as they understood each other. They were cautious people, and such a significant matter would not be leaked.

Zhu Di said: "Could this boy... have come up with it on his own?"

Yao Guangxiao asked: "Who is this person?"

Zhu Di looked at the signature and was stunned again.

He slowly said a name: "Zhang Anshi... Is Zhang Anshi... Is he...?"

Yao Guangxiao cleared his throat: "Is the person Your Majesty is referring to the brother-in-law of the crown prince...?"

Zhu Di looked at the memorial again. Not only did it propose "The emperor guards the national gate," but it also clearly explained the reasons.

Zhu Di could not help but say: "This boy's handwriting is like a dog's scrawl, but his reasoning is very clear. Such a rascal, how could he have such insight? Isn't he a complete scoundrel?"

At this point, Yao Guangxiao thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, seeing is believing. Rumors are not to be trusted. But... how should we handle this matter?"

Indeed, what was supposed to be a simple inquiry had turned up a big fish.

Zhu Di, with his hands behind his back, frowned and suddenly sneered: "A boy like this should not have such insight. Could it be the crown prince...?"

Yao Guangxiao, upon hearing this, immediately showed a pleased expression: "Then, this poor monk must congratulate Your Majesty."

Zhu Di also felt greatly relieved.

He did not like the crown prince, partly because the crown prince was too fat and did not look like a ruler, and partly because he thought the crown prince associated with a group of corrupt scholars, spouting empty talk of benevolence and righteousness. Such a person... could be a scholar, but not a good emperor.

How could an emperor be so soft-hearted?

But if this insight was indeed due to the crown prince's teaching, it would certainly make him look at the crown prince differently.

Zhu Di waved his hand: "This matter, we need not inquire further. Further inquiry might lead to rumors of moving the capital. It is not the right time yet. This matter, only you and I know, and the crown prince, should be kept confidential."

After saying this, Zhu Di could not help but show anger, saying resentfully: "The other children, I see, are all rascals. Find a few particularly bad ones and deal with them severely, especially Zhang Ze. I will not rest until I break his legs for his father!"

"Really break them?"

Zhu Di said sternly: "Yes!"

After they had made their plans, Yao Guangxiao suddenly said: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Not long ago, Your Majesty issued an edict to reprimand... the crown prince..."

Zhu Di's face suddenly stiffened.