Chapter 219: The storm and clouds change (I)

Li Weizheng didn't sleep all night, and the backbone of the Ming Dynasty broke overnight. Although Li Weizheng knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was very ill, he did not expect that he would die from a sudden illness. It can be said that Zhu Yuanzhang's death disrupted Li Weizheng's deployment, but it was also an opportunity for him.

Li Wei was standing in front of the window, and his mood was very chaotic. It was not until now that he finally confirmed that the history of the Ming Dynasty had changed because of his arrival. Zhu Yuanzhang should have died three years later in the 31st year of Hongwu. But now he died of illness early. Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen should have ascended the throne. So what about Jingnan? Will it happen like history? Is the King of Yan Zhu Di ready? Also, King of Qin Zhu Feng, who is ambitious for the throne, is almost certain that he will raise an army to seize the throne. The key is whether he has completed the army now. King Jin, King Qi, King Chu, and even King Ning Zhu Quan, who is far away on the border, are also interested in taking the throne.

Zhu Yuanzhang died a little too early. Zhu Yunwen had only been in the Eastern Palace for more than a year. He had no talent and virtue. How could he convince the public? Who would have recognized him?

Li Wei was walking back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back. Now he was thinking about himself. How should he plan the world after Zhu Yuanzhang's death? The chess player has changed, and his chess game should also change. What chess should he play against Zhu Yunwen? To be honest, Zhu Yunwen is not scary. He relies too much on his master. He is actually playing chess with Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, Fang Xiaoru and others. Li Wei was sneering. He is confident in dealing with these corrupt scholars. The key is Zhu Di, which is his opponent. Yao Guangxiao's strategy and Zhu Di's demeanor. If he hadn't known a little about the future, Li Wei's righteousness would have considered himself not their opponent. Now that history has been changed, can he still predict the future?

Li Weizheng suddenly developed ambition, so why did he be afraid? He was different from nothing to something, and won Liaodong and Goryeo? Strength! No matter how shocking Yao Guangxiao was, no matter how awesome Zhu Di was, the key was still strength. Li Weizheng suddenly had an enlightenment that Zhu Yuanzhang's death opened up a vast world for him, and he would no longer have to be restrained.

We should play chess in the world and do things in the world.

"Sir, please see you." Sun Ji and another subordinate bowed to Li Weizheng.

Li Weizheng picked up several letters and handed them to Sun Ji and said, "Send someone to Guizhou immediately and tell Lu Siyuan that he can leave Lan Yu and return to the side of King Yan, and tell him that I hope he will become Zhu Gaoxu's confidant adviser. This matter is very important to me, so that he must complete my plan."

"Subordinate to obey the order!" Sun Ji took the letter, but he did not leave. He knew that Li Weizheng had something to order him.

Li Wei nodded and said, "The second thing is to go to Xi'an Prefecture, find Shao Wenda, and ask him to do as I say. If I do it, I will reward him more. Okay, just these two things, you go!"

"Sir, say goodbye."

Sun Ji left, and another subordinate Fang Lan bowed to Li Wei and said, "Please give me instructions."

Fang Lan is also one of Li Weizheng's personal soldiers. After several years of training, he can still stand alone. He is from the capital and has a wide relationship with the capital. Li Weizheng ordered him to return to the capital to establish a spy network at the beginning of the year. He happened to come back to report his work. Li Weizheng smiled and said, "I originally planned to send you a pigeon letter. Since you are in Liaodong, I will give you a few tasks. First, touch the interests and hobbies of Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, Fang Xiaoru and others, and find their weaknesses. Second, contact me with Fitingan and Luo Guangcai. I guess the Jinyiwei's life is not easy now. I will give them my handwritten letter. In addition, I need to find a way to establish a few eyeliners for me in the palace, as soon as possible!"

"I understand, so I will return to the capital."

Li Wei was setting up a few things. At this time, it was almost dawn. He felt a little tired and lay on the rocking chair in the study to take a nap. The next morning, he left Jinzhouwei and took a boat to the territory of Zhu Zhi, western Liaoning.

The strategic position of western Liaoning is obviously much more important than that of Liaodong. It controls the Liaoxi Corridor, blocks Shanhaiguan, and guards the Mongols' only way to go south to the Central Plains. At the same time, it separates Yan Wang Zhu Di and Liaodong Li Weizheng, so that Zhu Di can never directly obtain Li Weizheng's army. In addition, it connects to Daning in the north and controls a gap between Yan and Ning Kingdom, thus separating Zhu Di and Zhu Quan, making Yan, Liao and Ning Kingdom three countries have a font-shaped structure and are mutually supportive. Therefore, western Liaoning is a natural barrier to Liaodong, blocking all forces' infiltration into Liaodong outside.

Five days later, on the third day of the first lunar month, Li Wei arrived at Guangning City, Liaoxi, where the Liao Palace was located under the escort of a thousand cavalry. Although it was the New Year, Guangning was also in the grief of the emperor's death like other parts of the Ming Dynasty. Mourning was worn all over the city, and with the heavy snow just now, the whole city was like a white ocean.

However, Liaodong and western Liaoning are relatively remote. Apart from knowing the news of Zhu Yuanzhang's death, I don't know other news. I don't know whether the new emperor succeeded to the throne, what the dynasty name has been changed, and I don't know whether the national amnesty was implemented after the new emperor ascended the throne. They don't know these things. Therefore, in Liaodong and western Liaoning, the current dynasty name is still temporarily in the 28th year of Hongwu, waiting for the imperial edict from the court to be issued.

The Liao King Zhu Zhi was both sad and a little uneasy at this time. Like all the sons of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Liao King Zhu Zhi also had some ambitions, but he also knew that the throne was not his turn, so he became very realistic, just to keep his vassal state and throne and be a monarch of a small country. Zhu Zhi had just received news that his neighbor, Li Wei, was visiting in person, and Zhu Zhi was a little stunned. Because of their different responsibilities, he and Li Wei were getting along well in the past few years. Everyone was sweeping away the snow in front of the door. The soldiers from western Liaoning were not in Liaodong, and the soldiers from Liaodong did not go to western Liaoning. The two of them only gave each other some gifts during the holidays. They had never met again since they fought Goryeo.

However, there was a little unhappiness between them last year. First, at the beginning of the year, his father ordered him to monitor Li Weizheng to prevent him from expanding westward, so Zhu Zhitun had heavy troops on the west bank of the Liao River, and Li Weizheng also deployed heavy troops on the east bank of the Liao River, which kept the atmosphere on both sides of the Liao River in a state of tension. Secondly, Li Weizheng did an inappropriate thing and sent people to abduct nearly a thousand scholars in Liaoxi, which was relatively well-developed. Although Zhu Zhi also knew that this was Li Weizheng's strategy to invade Goryeo, he had always felt uncomfortable without his consent in advance.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang let Li Weizheng go to Lan Yu for the time being, which has something to do with Zhu Zhi. In his report to his father, he clearly pointed out that Li Weizheng had ambitions, but not to the Ming Dynasty, but to Goryeo. He wanted to be the King of Goryeo. It was Zhu Zhi's words that made Zhu Yuanzhang know Li Weizheng's intentions, so that he could distinguish between inside and outside. He first dealt with Lan Yu, who was even more threatening to the Ming Dynasty, and then to Li Weizheng, who wanted to be the King of Goryeo. So from this perspective, Zhu Zhi inadvertently helped Li Weizheng a big favor.

Although the death of his father made Zhu Zhi not in the mood to accept the visit from the guests, Li Weizheng was a prince after all, and Zhu Zhi also vaguely guessed the reason why Li Weizheng came. His father's death and the domestic political situation was unknown, so he also wanted to discuss it with him.

So, Zhu Zhi went out of the city to welcome Li Weizheng's visit. The two met at the city gate. Li Weizheng bowed and said, "Your Highness, have you been together for several years, are you safe?"

Zhu Zhi saw that Li Wei was wearing a white cloth around his waist, and he couldn't help but feel a little moved. He was wearing mourning for his father! He quickly replied with a smile: "General Li is right next to me, but he never wants to visit me, so I feel a little like a dream today. Has General Li really come?"

Li Weizheng smiled and said, "Your Highness knows that my affairs are cumbersome, I want to fight against Japanese pirates, and I have to fight against the northern invasion of Goryeo, and I have to resettle hundreds of thousands of immigrants. So it is understandable that I can't come. But today I came to apologize to Your Highness. Last year, in order to promote Chinese in Goryeo, I abducted thousands of scholars from western Liaoning. I did not inform you in advance. To show my sincerity, I would like to give you 100,000 stones of Goryeo rice to Your Highness as military rations."

Zhu Zhi was overjoyed. He was worried about the lack of military rations, so Li Weizheng sent it. But he was not stupid. If Li Weizheng just wanted to apologize, it would be enough to give 10,000 or 20,000 stones, but now he has sent 100,000 stones, which means that he has a deep meaning. Zhu Zhi quickly waved his hand and smiled, "I have accepted the sincerity of the General. Please follow me to return to the royal palace and let us talk to each other."

The charcoal fire in the study was very strong and warm as spring. Zhu Zhi ordered people to prepare more than a dozen side dishes and asked someone to warm two pots of wine. He and Li Wei sat opposite him.

Zhu Zhi took out a copy of the "Goryeo Miscellaneous Newspaper" and said with a smile: "General Li runs a newspaper in Goryeo, but I can't feel the taste of Goryeo at all. It's completely our Ming Dynasty. General Li is very smart and used the name of Goryeo to avoid the eyes and ears of his father. He commented on current affairs like the "Goryeo Miscellaneous Newspaper" to let his father know, but he wanted to confiscate his family. However, the newspaper was very well handled and I liked it very much. I read it every day, but it's a pity that I couldn't see the newspaper that day."

"Your Highness is so serious. In fact, such miscellaneous newspapers have been around since ancient times. The streets and alleys of the Song Dynasty can be seen everywhere. Now it is only in the early Ming Dynasty. Of course, the speech will be more strict. I think in a few decades, such newspapers will be visible all over the streets of the Ming Dynasty." Li Wei was downplaying and did not want to talk about newspapers.

Seeing that he refused to say more, Zhu Zhi smiled and put the newspaper aside. At this time, several maids brought wine and food, and slowly retreated. Zhu Zhi poured Li Weijing a glass of wine and said, "The father died too suddenly. The Fengyang soldiers were performing soldiers two years ago. I went to Beijing to meet my father. Although he could no longer move at that time, he was in good spirits. I thought my father would slowly recover after resting for a year or two, but unexpectedly it deteriorated."

After saying that, he covered his tears and slowly scattered the wine in his glass on the ground. It was a kind of grief for his father. Li Weizheng also scattered the wine on the ground. He sighed and said to Zhu Zhi: "The ice is three feet long, not a day's cold. The root of the emperor's illness has already accumulated. It was just Lan Yu's rebellion that caused his illness. I also think like Your Highness that as long as the emperor recuperates well, his body should slowly recover, but the emperor did not rest. He worked hard for Lan Yu's rebellion. Then the Feng Fu case occurred, killing nearly 20,000 people! Such a hard work, how could his illness be cured? Of course, it is getting worse and worse. Therefore, it is reasonable to have the most unfortunate death. Your Highness, the emperor has gone, so let's mourn and follow the changes!"

Zhu Zhi nodded silently, pondered for a long time and said, "Now I am very worried that the new emperor is full of energy and has no experience, and will do some stupid things that will make the world feel heartbroken."

"For example, what stupid thing is?" Li Weizheng asked without saying a word. He had already heard that Zhu Zhi was testing him.

"For example, I believe that I am not the only one who is worried about the vassals. All the vassal kings are worried about this. If the conditions are ripe, or if he has thought carefully, he can properly place us. I am afraid that he will not know anything when he is young, and he will be very enthusiastic for a moment, and he will do whatever he wants, and he will eventually cause a disaster and cannot end. Alas! In fact, they are all family members, why bother with each other?"

Zhu Zhi poured another glass of wine for Li Weizheng. Li Weizheng picked up the glass and said frankly: "Your Highness, I came to you with sincerity today. I will tell you that I came to reduce the vassal states and wanted to discuss this with Your Highness."

"What are you worried about? You are not his emperor uncle, and you were his confidant! No matter how much the vassal is reduced, it will not be your turn. I think you are worried about nothing." Zhu Zhi smiled bitterly.

"Otherwise! Although the vassals cannot be cut off, once the vassals trigger a mutiny, I am afraid that my Liaodong will not be calm anymore. If the emperor ordered me to take over Liaoxi, would you say I will obey or resist the order? If the King of Yan starts up again and the court orders me to enter Yan territory, I will get involved in the internal affairs of the royal family step by step, do you think I can still survive?"

Li Weizheng's words changed Zhu Zhi's face. He knew that Li Weizheng's words were very reasonable. Zhu Yunwen was afraid of the King of Yan and would not dare to send troops north easily, so he wanted to cut off his own vassal state. Most of the time, Li Weizheng was honest about this, which meant that he was unwilling to do so. He pondered for a while and asked hesitantly: "What about General Li's suggestion?"

Li Weijing drank the wine in the glass and sneered: "My greatest hope is that Liaodong will maintain the status quo. We are all in peace. I am here for this matter today."

This sentence hit Zhu Zhi's thoughts, and he also hoped that way. Seeing that Li Weizheng had already said it, he no longer concealed himself, and said in a deep voice: "I hope that way too, but I don't know what to do now. Please teach me General Li."

Li Wei saw that Zhu Zhi had already set off, so he smiled and said, "Your Highness, I have actually thought about it carefully. The emperor passed away too quickly. He has only been in the Eastern Palace for more than a year. Both his qualifications and prestige are far from comparable to his father. Although he is young and impulsive, his masters will think carefully and will not let him act hasty. His top priority is to sit firmly on the throne, promote benevolent government, and gradually eliminate the serious impact of the Feng Fu case on the court officials and the court's throne; in addition, the guards

The commander, commander of each province, has been almost killed. Now all the people are promoted are newcomers. It is not yet known whether he is loyal to him. If he wants to reduce the vassal states, of course he must first hold the military power. This will take time. Third, Guizhou Lan Yu, who has hundreds of thousands of troops and is eyeing Hunan and Shu. If the vassal states are reduced, it will cause bloody battles within the royal family and Lan Yu has picked up the benefits of the fisherman, will he not consider this consequence? So I infer that he will never act rashly in the vassal states within two or three years."

Zhu Zhi suddenly realized what he said. He stood up and thanked him, "I heard that the General's vision is profound. Today, I saw that it is indeed worthy of his reputation. I feel relieved if I have such words from you."

"No! No!" Li Weizheng chuckled and shook his head, "If things were so simple, I wouldn't come, let alone give your Highness a hundred thousand stones of rice."

Zhu Zhi was stunned. He didn't understand what Li Weizheng meant, "Sir General, can you explain it more clearly?"

"It's very simple. The superiors don't want to cut down the vassal states. Don't the subordinates want to seize the throne?" Li Wei said coldly with his eyes narrowed.

Zhu Zhi understood that Li Weizheng was referring to the second brother, King Qin and King Yan. He knew very well that the ambitions of these two people were probably the only one in the world who did not know. "What do you mean is that they will take my vassal state first?" Zhu Zhi was not stupid. He understood what Li Weizheng meant.

"There are two possibilities: one is to seize the troops of His Highness's vassal state, and the other is to ask His Highness for help. But no matter which one is possible, His Highness will eventually lose his country. Does Your Highness understand what I mean?"

Before he knew it, Zhu Zhi's ideas were already held by Li Weizheng. Every word Li Weizheng said hit his heart. After all, Zhu Zhi is only twenty years old this year and is more focused on martial arts. Although he has gained a little knowledge in the past two years, he is far from being compared with Li Weizheng's scheming. After a deep conversation, he gradually became dependent on Li Weizheng.

He sat forward and asked sincerely: "I really don't understand, please teach me."

Li Wei was right after he was observing his expression. Seeing that Zhu Zhi had been completely trapped, he slowly began to close the line. "I won't say that I will take over your vassal state. Let's ask your priest for help. If the court wins in the end, your priest will of course have nowhere to stand. If the new emperor wins in the end, he will seize the throne with his vassal state. Will he allow your vassal state to exist again? So I said, no matter which one is possible, your priest will eventually lose his country."

Zhu Zhi was silent. Although Li Weizheng did not say who this person was, he knew very well that there would be no one except the fourth brother Zhu Di. He was actually very afraid of Zhu Di. He followed Zhu Di to attack Mobei two years ago, but his 20,000 cavalry were conquered by Zhu Di and did not return it. If the fourth brother seized the throne, his land in western Liaoning might not be able to be saved.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhu Zhi's mind. He glanced at Li Weizheng. Seeing that he looked very serious, Zhu Zhi understood. It turned out that Li Weizheng was also afraid that Liaodong would be annexed by the fourth brother, so he came to find him. He wanted to cooperate with him to resist the fourth brother's annexation of Liao territory, so he gave 100,000 stones of rice. Since he understood this, Zhu Zhi's heart relaxed. It was indeed a wise and effective way to cooperate with Li Weizheng to deal with the fourth brother. In the end, he maintained the status quo and Li Weizheng to manage his Goryeo.

Thinking of this, Zhu Zhi smiled slightly and said, "General Li doesn't need to persuade me anymore. I agree to cooperate with you to resist the Yan soldiers' advance westward."
Chapter completed!