The Ming Dynasty: Reshaping the Land

Chapter 15 The Strategy of Relocating the Town

As Li Yuan reported, Li Jinglong's expression grew increasingly grim.

Marquis Yongping, Xie Cheng, was alright. After receiving the letter, he contacted the Datong border warehouse, and the Li family's caravan resumed normal operations.

However, when the King of Qin and Marquis of Yichun, Huang Bin, received Li Jinglong's letter, they politely said they would take care of him.

However, the message sent back by the caravan was that both sides were completely unchanged, and it was clear that King Qin and Huang Bin did not take them seriously.

"My lord, what should we do?" Li Yuan asked, his face full of worry. If things continued like this, the profits of the merchant caravans in Shaanxi and Beiping would be pitifully small.

"Let's continue in Beiping for now. As for Shaanxi, we don't need to do his bidding for Qin Wang's benefit!" Li Jinglong pondered for a moment, "Withdraw the Shaanxi caravans and let them go to Yunnan!"

"Yes, my lord, I'll make the arrangements right away!" Li Yuan bowed and said.

Li Jinglong handed the blueprints to Li Yuan and instructed, "Take these blueprints and find craftsmen immediately. The most urgent task is to renovate this clubhouse!"

"Yes, Your Excellency, I'll arrange it immediately!" Li Yuan replied, then reported, "Your Excellency, the other day you instructed me to find some channels to buy people, but there are none in Nanjing right now. If we want to buy, we can only go to Beiping, Gansu, and Liaodong!"

Li Jinglong nodded: "I understand. You keep an eye on the construction; I'll figure out how to hire people!"

After Li Yuan left, Li Jinglong returned to his seat and began writing a letter.

The following day, Li Jinglong was summoned to the Eastern Palace by Zhu Biao.

Upon entering the hall, Li Jinglong discovered that Zhu Biao had already finished reviewing the memorials and was sitting behind his desk with a gloomy expression, rhythmically tapping a memorial in his hand.

Upon seeing Li Jinglong approach, Zhu Biao handed him the memorial, which, though puzzled, was still read through.

This was a memorial from an imperial censor impeaching Zhou Dexing, the Marquis of Jiangxia, for embezzling farmland while he was guarding the border in Fujian. Li Jinglong was reading it when he heard Zhu Biao's cold snort.

"Look at them! They hold high positions, yet they oppress the common people like this. In my opinion, Father Emperor was right; they've had too much of a good life and have forgotten their humble origins!"

Li Jinglong never expected that someone would hand him a ladder just as he was about to climb onto the roof.

"Your Highness, the lawlessness of dukes and marquises is a common occurrence in every dynasty. There's no need for you to be so angry!" Li Jinglong advised. "Marquis Jiangxia is a long-serving minister of His Majesty. In my opinion, it's best to leave it to His Majesty to handle!"

"Jiujiang, why do I feel that you are biased in your words?" Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow.

Li Jinglong, seemingly oblivious to Zhu Biao's expression, smiled and said, "Your Highness, it's not that I'm biased, but these arrogant and unruly soldiers, besides you and His Majesty, who else would they listen to?"

"According to you, it's just a simple reprimand?" Zhu Biao frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Li Jinglong's handling of the matter.

Li Jinglong smiled slightly and said respectfully, "Your Highness, these nobles act with impunity because they rely on their meritorious service and their close relationship with His Majesty."

"Heh!" Zhu Biao sneered, his eyes icy.

"Your Highness, if we punish them according to the law, I fear they will be dissatisfied and cause trouble in their camp!" Li Jinglong feigned concern. "If they are to be punished, they should be summoned to the capital!"

"Stir up trouble?" Zhu Biao scoffed. "Do you think they dare?"

It has to be said that Zhu Biao was exuding domineering aura at this moment!

"Your Highness, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it!" Li Jinglong said, feigning hesitation.

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Please speak freely!"

"Your Highness, the empire has just been pacified, and border troubles have not yet been eliminated. His Majesty's dispatch of dukes, marquises, and princes to guard the borders is truly a last resort! However, while it is beneficial for dukes, marquises, and princes to be stationed in one place for an extended period, it also has drawbacks, and the drawbacks outweigh the benefits!"

"Why does Jiujiang say that?" Zhu Biao asked suspiciously.

Li Jinglong cupped his hands in greeting and continued, "Does Your Highness know about the chaos caused by the regional military governors at the end of the Tang Dynasty? Although our dynasty has implemented a system of separating command and control, it is not beneficial for generals to remain stationed in one place for too long."

Zhu Biao glanced at Li Jinglong: "Jiujiang, the Song army was separated from its generals, weakening its fighting strength. Aren't you worried about repeating the same mistake?"

Li Jinglong shook his head and said, "Your Highness, we should learn from the lessons of the former Song Dynasty. My suggestion is not to separate the soldiers and generals, but to exchange the commanding generals."

When dukes and marquises are stationed in a region for three years, they exchange military posts. This does not affect the army's combat strength, but it reduces the likelihood of the stationed generals cultivating personal relationships and engaging in illegal activities.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao gave a meaningful smile: "Jiujiang, what makes you say that? You also come from a noble family; aren't you afraid of being isolated from the nobility?"

"Your Highness, although I am of noble birth, my father once taught me that I am first and foremost His Majesty's subject, then His Majesty's son or nephew, and only lastly, a person of noble birth!" Li Jinglong said with righteous indignation.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes, and he then asked, "I will consider Jiujiang's words. You just said that it's not acceptable for princes and generals to be stationed in one place for an extended period, so why not replace the princes as well?"

After weighing the options, Li Jinglong said, "In the long run, it would be best to replace the prince, but ultimately it depends on His Majesty and His Highness!"

Seeing Zhu Biao deep in thought, Li Jinglong sighed inwardly: Although the method of switching can not be completely eliminated, it is undoubtedly a shackle, but also an opportunity.

As for whether he was isolated, Li Jinglong didn't care at all; the most dangerous thing was that the military generals Xun Gui banded together!

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Li Jinglong: "Jiujiang, today's matter must not be publicized. This is a serious matter, and I need to discuss it with your great-uncle before making a decision!"

Li Jinglong nodded: "Your Highness, I am merely offering a suggestion. How and when to implement it is entirely up to Your Majesty and Your Highness to decide!"

Zhu Biao nodded: "Alright! We'll go to the Jinshen Hall later, and you'll come with me!"

"This..." Li Jinglong instinctively wanted to refuse, "Your Highness, I'd better not go!"

"Since this suggestion came from you, it'll be easier to explain if your great-uncle asks," Zhu Biao said with a smile.

Li Jinglong felt bitter inside, all because of Huang Bin!

He's only been in power for half a month and he's already caused two major incidents. How can he possibly survive this?

Upon arriving at the Jinshen Hall, after Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang relayed the news, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up when he looked at Li Jinglong! However, upon hearing that the prince was also to be relocated, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

"Second daughter, it's one thing for military generals to be relocated, but for a prince to be relocated as well is probably inappropriate. Princes are already stationed on the frontier in harsh conditions; to have to relocate them now seems a bit excessive."

Moving house is like setting off a fire. Whether you are a military general or a prince, the more property you acquire in the local area, the greater your losses will be when you move to a new town.

Old Zhu didn't care much for his military generals, but he did care much for his son!

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong couldn't help but inwardly criticize Zhu Yuanzhang for protecting his own son: "You, Zhu Yuanzhang, set the lowest salaries in history for officials, but set such high salaries for your own son, who is also a powerful landlord. You've ruined the entire Ming imperial family."

Li Jinglong cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, as Your Highness and I have discussed, the relocation of the Prince still requires Your Majesty's decision."

"Hmm!" Old Zhu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Let's discuss this another day!"

"But I'm also curious, why did you suddenly bring up the relocation of the town?" Old Zhu's face showed a mysterious smile, making Li Jinglong feel a little guilty.

He kept wondering: Could it be that Old Zhu knows about my affairs?

"Does Your Majesty want to hear the truth or a lie?" Li Jinglong probed.

"What about the truth? What about the lie?" Old Zhu asked with great interest, and Zhu Biao, who was standing to the side, also became interested.

"The truth is that I am thinking of the long-term stability of our Great Ming Dynasty. No matter whether they are military generals or princes, they should not stay in one place for too long!" Li Jinglong said solemnly.

"And what about the lies?" Old Zhu asked, looking on with amusement.

Li Jinglong took in Lao Zhu's expression, which further confirmed his suspicions.

"My grandson was bullied by His Highness Prince Qin and Huang Bin!"