Hearing Lan Yu's question, the eunuch touched the jade pendant in his hand, weighed the pros and cons, and then slowly spoke, "Since Duke Liang wants to know, let's talk to you."
"Thank you, my father-in-law!"
Next, the eunuch passed the order to tell Lan Yu about all the rumors during this period and what happened in the court that day.
After listening to the eunuch's words, Lan Yu was stunned.
When the eunuch saw Lan Yu, he was silent, "If Duke Liang had nothing to do, our family would leave. In addition, since the Supreme Emperor and His Majesty have declared your punishment, Duke Liang should leave the prison as soon as possible."
After saying that, he turned around and left the cell, and the silence of death returned to the cell. Lan Yu did not leave, but sat back in the corner, his imperial edict was tightly held by him, and his knuckles turned white due to force.
"Ouyang Lun...what are you planning?" Lan Yu murmured in a low voice, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes, "There is the Supreme Emperor who imprisons me. During this period, all kinds of rumors are flying everywhere, saying that I, Lan Yu, betrayed the Huaixi Party and gave the rest of the Huaixi Party to survive!"
"This is to destroy me and to use me. It would be too disappointing for you to do this."
"And Li Shanchang! I thought no matter what, you would save me because we are the Huaixi Party. I didn't expect you to give up so easily. Do you believe that I will betray you?"
When he talked to himself, Lan Yu looked at the corner of the prison. There was a corpse there. When the corpse was alive, it came to assassinate him, but was killed directly by Lan Yu. You must know that this guy came at the beginning with the idea of saving him, so the biggest suspect was Li Shanchang.
"There is also Ouyang Lun. If he insisted repeatedly, the Supreme Emperor would never let me go so easily, but in the end Ouyang Lun said nothing, and he did not settle the score with Zhou An in the end. This guy really couldn't see through it."
Now Lan Yu is becoming increasingly unsatisfied with Ouyang Lun. She obviously has the opportunity to completely kill him, but she does not do so.
He knew that it was not because Zhu Biao was ruthless, but because someone was manipulating him behind him. And this person is the Supreme Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and it may also be Ouyang Lun!
He felt like Ouyang Lun and Zhu Yuanzhang were playing chess, and his Lan Yu was just one of the many pieces on the chessboard!
"Does... he want me to be alive and become a chess piece in his hand?" Lan Yu secretly guessed in her heart, and a sneer appeared on her face. He knew that although he had temporarily lost power, as long as he was still alive, he still had a chance to turn the tables.
The torches outside the cell gradually went out, and darkness once again enveloped the entire space. Lan Yu leaned against the cold wall, closed her eyes, but her heart began to think about every step in the future.
Time flies a month.
It was a little dawn, and there were already crowds of people outside the palace gate. The officials gathered together in groups of three or three, whispered, waiting for the palace gate to open. The morning breeze was slightly cool, and a few fallen leaves were rolled up, and a tense and depressing atmosphere filled the air.
Several officials stood in a corner of the palace wall, whispering about the recent storm in the court.
"Have you heard it? Ouyang's prince consort has been in office for one month, but there is no movement at all." A young official wearing a blue official uniform said in a low voice, with a little confusion in his tone.
An older official next to him stroked his beard, squinted his eyes, and smiled meaningfully: "Young man, don't be impatient. Ouyang Lun is very cunning. The more silent he is, the more uneasy he feels. I'm afraid that those of the Huaixi Party can no longer sit still."
"But since he has taken over the position of general, why don't he take advantage of the situation and completely eliminate the power of the Huaixi Party?" the young official asked in confusion.
The elderly official shook his head and whispered, "You are still too young. Ouyang Lun has always been as steady as Mount Tai. He does not move, but may not be a move. Perhaps he is making arrangements in secret and waiting for the opportunity to start a difficult situation. The Huaixi Party is deeply rooted in the military. How can it be easily shaken? If you are not careful, it will cause trouble."
Not far away, several Huaixi Party officials also gathered together with a serious expression. One of them whispered: "Ouyang Lun has no action this month. Is he really just waiting and watching? Or is he already making a secret arrangement and ready to attack us?"
The other man snorted coldly, with disdain in his tone: "Hmph, no matter how good or bad he is, he is just a new general. Our Huaixi Party has a deep foundation in the army, so how can he shake it for a while? In my opinion, he is just bluffing."
"Besides, he is not the only one in the cabinet general! He is definitely not the only one who says it."
"Don't be careless!" The official in charge frowned and interrupted, "Ouyang Lun is definitely not an ordinary person. He can promote military reform before he takes charge of the military cabinet and weaken our power. Now that he is officially in power, how can he do nothing? We must deal with it carefully and must not let him catch the handle."
On the other hand, several officials of the Prince Consort Party who supported Ouyang Lun also gathered together and whispered.
"Mr. Prince Concubine, there has been no action this month. There have been many discussions in the court, and the people of the Huaixi Party are even more ready to move. Should we do something to calm people's hearts?" an official asked in a low voice.
Another official shook his head and whispered, "No need. The prince-in-law has always been steady in his actions. Since he chose to keep his troops still, he must have a deep meaning. We just need to wait and see what happens and wait for the opportunity."
"However, the Huaixi Party is deeply rooted in the military. If they do not act as soon as possible, they may take the opportunity to counterattack." The previous official frowned.
"It is because of this that we cannot act rashly." Another official smiled slightly, and a glimmer flashed in his eyes. "The Huaixi Party is now a frightened bird. If there is any movement, it will reveal its own feet. All we have to do is wait for them to jump out."
The palace gate slowly opened, and the eunuch loudly proclaimed: "All officials come to the court to be on duty!" The officials sorted out their clothes and walked into the palace gate one by one.
Zhu Biao sat in Fengtian Hall, holding a top secret material published by the Science and Technology Research Institute - the introduction of the Ming Dynasty's cutting-edge weapons, but his eyebrows were furious. For the past month, he has been studying in the Science and Technology Park every day, from firearm manufacturing to military engineering, from tactical deduction to logistics management, and the courses are arranged in full swing. Although he benefited a lot from these courses, he always felt a little uneasy in his heart - these courses were taught by engineers from the Science and Technology Park, while the new military cabinet general, his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun, never showed up.
He never told him about the military cabinet.
"What is Ouyang Lun planning?" Zhu Biao was full of doubts. He knew that Ouyang Lun was a far-sighted person and would never be silent for a month for no reason. However, the military affairs of the military cabinet have been handled by other generals, and Ouyang Lun seemed to be out of the matter, which made Zhu Biao feel very puzzled.
Just as he was thinking, an eunuch hurried over and bowed to report: "Your Highness, the prince consort has just gone to the military cabinet and started working!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao stood up immediately, with a hint of anxiety flashing in his eyes: "He has finally shown up! Hurry up, follow me to the military cabinet!"
A moment later, Zhu Biao rushed to the military cabinet. When I opened the door, I saw Ouyang Lun sitting in front of the desk, holding a volume of documents in his hand, with a calm expression. Seeing Zhu Biao come in, Ouyang Lun smiled slightly, stood up and saluted, "Why is Your Majesty free to come here today?"
Zhu Biao waved his hand, with a hint of anxiety in his tone: "Brother-in-law, you have shown up! What are you doing this month? You don't ask about military affairs in the military cabinet, but let me learn engineering techniques in the Science and Technology Park. Although these courses are indeed useful, I am more worried about the situation of the military cabinet!"
Ouyang Lun smiled and signaled Zhu Biao to sit down, with a calm tone: "Your Majesty, don't worry. Although I have not personally handled military affairs in the past month, everything is under control. The other generals in the military cabinet have outstanding abilities and no major problems in daily military affairs."
Zhu Biao frowned and said, "But brother-in-law, since you have taken over as the general, you should make a difference, right? The people of the Huaixi Party are eyeing each other. If you don't move, they may take the opportunity to counterattack."
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Ouyang Lun picked up the teacup, took a sip, and his eyes were deep: "Your Majesty, governing the army is like controlling the water, and being anxious will cause chaos. My silence this month is to make some people relax their vigilance and reveal their flaws."
Upon hearing this, a trace of enlightenment flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes, but then he asked again: "What are the plans for brother-in-law next? You can't keep holding the troops like this, right?"
Ouyang Lun put down the teacup and his expression gradually became serious: "Since Your Majesty asks, I will no longer hide it. What I want to promote next is an unprecedented reform - the professionalization reform of soldiers."
"Soldiers' professional reform?!" Zhu Biao was stunned, obviously unfamiliar with this word.
Ouyang Lun nodded and explained slowly: "Yes. At present, the army of the Ming Dynasty is still mainly recruited by the conscription system. Most of the soldiers are temporarily recruited peasants, soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime. Although this system can save military expenditure, the training and combat effectiveness of soldiers are difficult to guarantee. Professional reform means establishing a standing army, where soldiers take military service as their profession, receive long-term training, and work full-time. In this way, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly improved and can better deal with sudden wars."
Zhu Biao was stunned when he heard this, and after a while he came to his senses: "This... this is indeed a bold idea! But I'm afraid there is a lot of resistance to implementing it?"
Ouyang Lun smiled slightly, and a sharp flashed in his eyes: "There will naturally be resistance, especially the Huaixi Party. Their forces in the military are deeply rooted and they will inevitably strongly oppose them. But because of this, I need this month to plan. Your Highness, the reform matter is not urgent or slow. We need to do it step by step, starting with the pilot, and then implement it in full."
Zhu Biao took a deep breath, and his heart was both shocked and excited. He finally understood that Ouyang Lun's silence this month was not inaction, but preparing for this unprecedented reform.
"Brother-in-law, I understand." Zhu Biao nodded solemnly, "If necessary, I will support it with all my strength!"
Ouyang Lun smiled and patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder: "I feel relieved if Your Majesty has this heart. However, the road to reform is long and His Highness needs to learn more, especially the courses in the Science and Technology Park, which will come in great use in the future."
Zhu Biao nodded and responded, and his heart was full of expectations for the future. He knew that this reform would completely change the military structure of the Ming Dynasty, and he would also play an important role in this change.
After listening to Ouyang Lun's explanation of the professionalization reform of soldiers, Zhu Biao was shocked and had more questions arose. He pondered for a moment and continued to ask: "Brother-in-law, the professional reform of soldiers is important, but the problems within the army are not just about the training and combat effectiveness of soldiers. Now the Ming army is full of factions, and the Huaixi Party and the Honorary Group are all in power. Most of the generals in the army are from small groups, and some generals are even loyal to their own factions rather than the court. If these problems are not solved, it is probably difficult to truly implement the reform."
Ouyang Lun nodded, a hint of praise flashed in his eyes: "Your Majesty is indeed keen and sees the key to the problem. The professionalization of military personnel is only the first step. Next, I will implement two more important measures, establish a clear military honor system and establish a military academies."
"Soldier Honor System? Military Academy?" Zhu Biao frowned slightly, obviously not very understanding of these two concepts.
Ouyang Lun smiled slightly and explained patiently: "First of all, the military honor system is to reshape the spiritual core of the army. Although the current Ming army is loyal to the court on the surface, many soldiers actually do not have a real sense of national honor in their hearts. They are more loyal to their generals or factions, and some even just want to make a living. In this state, the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the army are naturally difficult to guarantee."
He paused and continued, "So, I plan to establish a complete military honor system, including medals, honorary titles, promotion mechanisms, etc. As long as the soldiers make meritorious on the battlefield or perform well in daily training, they can receive corresponding honors and rewards. These honors are not only material, but more importantly, spiritual recognition. We must make every soldier understand that they are fighting for the country and the people, rather than working for a certain general or faction."
"A situation like Lan Yu raising a large number of adopted sons will not happen again!"
Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly when he heard this, and his eyes gradually lit up: "In this way, the soldiers will have a sense of belonging and honor in their hearts, and the cohesion of the army will be greatly enhanced!"
"That's true." Ouyang Lun glanced at Zhu Biao with approval and continued, "But this is not enough. The honor system can only solve some problems. To fundamentally change the atmosphere of the army, it also needs to start from the source. This is the second measure I want to implement to establish a military academies."
"Military Academy?!" Zhu Biao repeated thoughtfully. (This chapter ends)