For the Zhao Song ruler, when looking back over a century of events, those who had rebelled against authority were too numerous to count, and those who had stirred chaos were as plentiful as fish crossing a river.
Therefore, after founding the Song, although he was most skilled in military affairs, he instead worked together with Zhao Pu to examine the past. In the end they established a system in which civil officials and military commanders restrained one another.
According to the later generations' saying that dynastic succession inherits the past while opening the future, the Ming dynasty should have been able to observe how Zhao Kuangyin used the system of mutual restraint between civil and military to pacify the troubled age and restore unity.
Yet how could it be that the Hongwu Emperor showed such little restraint toward the meritorious nobles?
From which "past" had this been inherited?
Or was it because the Song had failed to restore full unification, leading the Hongwu Emperor to believe that the Song system was not a successful example?
When this thought arose, Zhao Kuangyin could not help letting out a long sigh.
The matter of the "candle shadow and axe sound" was hardly something he could have foreseen.
Elite troops, abundant provisions, ample wealth, and numerous capable generals, yet in the end the reputation of "the Chariot God of Gaoliang River" was produced. Who could have predicted such a thing?
Then came the Yongxi Northern Expedition. From thousands of li away the emperor attempted to command the army without delegating authority. In the end the commander could not control his generals and suffered a crushing defeat. This was an incomprehensible method of failure no matter how much he thought about it.
Thinking of this, the Zhao Song emperor reached out and patted his younger brother on the shoulder.
"Later generations joke that the Ming perished because of the Hongwu Emperor. Yet perhaps the Ming truly perished because of you."
There was naturally a large element of jest in these words, but no matter how Zhao Guangyi rubbed his smooth head until sparks nearly appeared, he still could not understand the causal connection behind it.
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head. In his heart he also sighed.
How could he not know that in chaotic times it was impossible to silence the voices of the world? When later generations judged history they would certainly list him among those who had caused turmoil, just as earlier the people of later times had said he had "deceived an orphan and a widow" when speaking of Song history.
Yet the Song had taken the Tang as its mirror. Emperor Taizong of Tang had the incident of Xuanwu Gate, yet it did not diminish his achievements in civil governance and military success.
He had originally believed that, as he and Zhao Pu had discussed, he could restore unity to the realm, allowing his accomplishments to outweigh any criticism.
Instead he ended up with such a younger brother.
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head inwardly and made a firm resolution.
For the coming year he would follow the imperial physicians' advice, restrain his appetites, and focus on cultivating his health and spirit. Now that he had received the illumination of the light screen, he must certainly reverse fate and set disorder back upon the proper path.
…
Inside Huagai Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang listened to the account from later generations and likewise spoke with force.
"Looking through all the previous dynasties, how many rulers have treated their old companions with the same generosity as I have?"
"Iron certificates, estates, servants, stipends. Which of these have I withheld?"
"Yet with such lives free from worry about food and clothing, how could they still compete with the common people for a single mouthful of food to survive?"
Li Shanchang naturally did not dare answer such a question.
As the younger voice from later generations continued listing the privileges of the meritorious nobles one by one, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger visibly continued to rise.
Zhu Biao was able to understand some of his father's anger.
After all, when the iron certificates were issued in the third year of Hongwu, his father could be described as spirited and confident. But when the iron list was issued again in the fifth year of Hongwu, disappointment had already appeared.
Zhu Biao had even heard from his mother that on the night before the iron list was promulgated, his father had reviewed memorials in the Eastern Pavilion throughout the entire night. The lights in the pavilion did not go out until the sky was pale with dawn.
From this point alone, what the later generations said was indeed correct. His father truly had once held great expectations for the old companions who had helped pacify the realm, hoping to share prosperity with them for generations.
Yet even though he could understand this, Zhu Biao did not quite dare to offer any advice now.
Fortunately, he did not need to soothe his father.
What the light screen was saying at this moment was in fact familiar to nearly everyone present in Huagai Hall. Because of this, the few words that they did not understand became particularly conspicuous.
For example, the remark that every dynasty had its own parasites.
For example, the statement that "before the imperial princes even had the chance to exert their strength."
These words immediately caused the faces of Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang to turn somewhat pale.
Among the Ming princes, the only ones who had already taken up their fiefs were the two of them.
Moreover, each knew his own affairs well.
Zhu Shuang knew that his extensive construction projects in Xi'an had caused complaints among both officials and commoners. His father had even written letters reprimanding him. Yet since the palace in Xi'an was about to be completed and his elder brother had supported him, he had not taken the matter too seriously.
Zhu Gang was even worse.
Although he had indeed treated the cook kindly afterward because he had been reprimanded by his father for whipping him, he had instead vented his anger on other servants. His father simply had not learned of it yet.
Zhu Biao also subconsciously glanced at his second and third brothers.
Whenever those two had angered their father before, he had spoken on their behalf. Seeing things now, could it be that his concern for brotherly affection had actually been a mistake?
However, this thought only lingered briefly in Zhu Biao's mind.
Because he knew that his father probably had no time to deal with his second and third brothers right now.
"Indeed, our imperial house has produced disgraceful matters. Excessive indulgence has produced a son whose conduct resembles that of beasts."
The Son of Heaven truly had no time to deal with the two frightened princes. Instead he immediately gritted his teeth, feeling that his earlier speculation had been correct.
He did not understand the playful phrases of later generations, but they were still Chinese characters. After someone explained them, the meaning could easily be grasped.
The so-called "exerting strength" clearly meant stirring up trouble like the meritorious nobles and shaking the foundations of the Ming.
As for how the imperial princes might shake the dynasty…
The Son of Heaven looked around the hall, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his sons.
In the end he simply issued a calm order.
"Since we have encountered the light screen, there is no need to hurry about departing the capital. Remain in the capital for now. Cultivate virtue and listen to the teachings of later generations to refine yourselves."
This time even Empress Ma remained silent and did not attempt to stop him.
Zhu Biao could also guess the reason.
The matter of Hu Weiyong had only recently concluded. If his father's suspicion proved true, he certainly would not rest without investigating it thoroughly.
Yet Zhu Biao could not help sighing inwardly.
Why did the Great Ming encounter so many troubles?
[Lightscreen]
[Since Zhu Yuanzhang granted limitless favor to the group of meritorious ministers in the early Ming, the noble group of that period inevitably carried a very clear regional characteristic. Later this was commonly known as the Huai-xi faction.
This was similar to the situation in the Eastern Han, where among the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, nineteen came from Nanyang and Yingchuan.
Those who followed the dragon always benefit from proximity. Those near the water pavilion see the moon first.
From the iron certificates it is not difficult to discover that Zhu Yuanzhang's understanding of politics at the founding of the Ming was actually very simple.
Since we brothers fought together to seize the realm, then we brothers will sit together and rule the realm.
As for people outside that circle, do not bother calling. We are simply not familiar.
During the Hongwu era there was an Assistant Instructor of the Imperial Academy named Bei Qiong. He entered official service in the second year of Hongwu and retired after eleven years, just before the Hu Weiyong Case. Thus he can absolutely be considered a firsthand witness of the political ecology of the early Hongwu period.
In his writings he recorded the appearance of the early Ming central government in very direct terms.
"On horseback ride men in short garments, most of them guests from Chu. In the city those who wear tall coiffures are half men from Huai."
At that time the capital of the early Ming was located in Yingtian Prefecture. From a geographical perspective this region clearly belonged to eastern Zhejiang. Yet most of those within the city who wore tall coiffures were people from the Huai region.
According to the geographical divisions of the early Ming, eastern Zhejiang and Huai-xi were not even adjacent. Western Zhejiang lay between them.
Therefore, whether intentionally or not, Zhu Yuanzhang's decision in the third year of Hongwu to distribute rewards among his old brothers effectively opened the first stage of factional struggle in Ming history.
Huai-xi meritorious nobles against the scholars of eastern Zhejiang.]