Chapter 24: The Crown Prince Appointed as Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces

Empress Zhou favored Zhao Shiyao for her character and appearance.

As for Zhu Youjian, he was preoccupied with the fact that Zhao Yan was a legendary figure among the civil officials of the current dynasty—a man who could both fight in battles and lead armies.

Zhao Yan was a jinshi of the eleventh year of the Wanli reign. He rose to the rank of Minister of the Ministry of War and was granted the honorary title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. He had repeatedly toured the borders and led military expeditions, earning illustrious military merits. He was calm, perceptive, and resourceful, remaining unruffled in the face of great crises. His life was spent in military service, mostly planning strategies in the border regions. He once served as the Governor of Shandong, and in the second year of the Tianqi reign, he worked with the Governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, Yuan Keli, to suppress and pacify the White Lotus Rebellion in the Zou and Teng regions.

Furthermore, the Zhao family met the standards of a "great family" as described by Zhu Youjian.

In later generations, the Zhao family was a prominent clan that flourished in Yan'an, Northern Shaanxi, for hundreds of years throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. Zhao Yan's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all posthumously honored with the rank of Minister. The imperial court had a memorial archway, the "Guan Shu You Mao Fang," built in the city of Yan'an Prefecture to commemorate Zhao Yan's achievements, and they also erected the "Gongbao Shangshu Fang" in his honor.

The Zhao family boasted many high-ranking officials and held marital ties with other illustrious families, such as the Yang (Zhao) family, which had produced a Minister of the Ministry of War; the Xiao (Ruxun) family, which had produced a Regional Commander; and the Ma (Maocai) family, which had produced an Administration Vice Commissioner. Zhao Zhang, Zhao Yan's younger brother, served as an Assistant Secretary in the Court of Imperial Entertainments. Upon reaching his fifties, he resigned from office, returned to his hometown, and founded a family school, dedicating himself to virtue and education.

Zhao Zhang's second son, Zhao Dayin, served as the Regional Commander of Gangu and Assistant Regional Commander; his wife was the granddaughter of Hanlin Academician Wang Daren and the daughter of Magistrate Wang Bangbi. His third son, Zhao Tingkuo, served as a Guerrilla General of the Hanqiang Town; his wife was the niece of Grand Coordinator Bai Xixiu and the daughter of Jingkui scholar Bai Xicai. His fourth son, Zhao Longyin, was the Magistrate of Gushi in Henan; his wife was the granddaughter of the Juren scholar Wang Ping. His fifth son, Zhao Tingxi, served as the Magistrate of Tiantai; his wife was the daughter of the Huguang Administration Vice Commissioner Ma Maocai. His sixth son, Zhao Tingying, was a tribute student; his first wife was the daughter of Magistrate Yang Rugui, and his second wife was the granddaughter of Grand Secretary and Junior Guardian Yang Zhao and the daughter of Fengyang Circuit Surveillance Vice Commissioner Yang Zhengbi. His seventh son, Zhao Tingyang, was a selected tribute student; his wife was the daughter of the Henan Provincial Surveillance Commission clerk Xue Tingmo. His eighth son, Zhao Tingjia, served as a Director in the Ministry of Revenue; his wife was the granddaughter of Magistrate Ma Rulong and the daughter of Shangzhou Instructor of Education Ma Maohua. Zhao Zhang's second daughter was the daughter-in-law of Regional Commander Xiao Ruhui, and his third daughter was the wife of Guiding Magistrate Liu Eryi.

Zhao Guangyin, whom Zhu Youjian had chosen, currently served as a Director in the Ministry of War, and his wife was the granddaughter of Shaanxi Administration Vice Commissioner Yang Ji.

Such an intricately connected and deep-rooted family would likely never have been considered by the Ming royal family for a marriage alliance under normal circumstances. But at this moment, they were invaluable and would be a tremendous asset to Zhu Cilang.

This was precisely why Zhu Youjian did not object when Empress Zhou mentioned them. At present, Zhu Cilang’s identity had not yet been made public, so no matter how pleased Zhu Youjian was, he could not make an issue of it through public rewards. Fifteen years of imperial life had taught Zhu Youjian that in the officialdom, being too prominent would only invite the side-eyes and jealousy of others. Many so-called brilliant rising stars had died from the subtle and undetectable "praise to death" strategy.

Therefore, it was no wonder that Zhu Youjian would take the unconventional path of planning an exceptional marriage for Zhu Cilang.

It was, after all, a way to reward merit.

So...

The next question was whether Zhu Cilang would accept it.

At the thought of this, both Empress Zhou and the Chongzhen Emperor fell silent.

"Given Lang'er's temperament, one can only hope he grows more mature and steady, and returns to the capital soon." Clearly, Empress Zhou was not confident that Zhu Cilang would return.

At this thought, Empress Zhou quietly turned her gaze toward Si En.

Seeing this, Si En immediately lowered his head to the floor and remained silent.

Beside them, Zhu Youjian fell into deep thought. He knew that Zhu Cilang’s temperament was stubborn enough that even nine oxen could not pull him back; even with Zhu Youjian's status, it was difficult to make Zhu Cilang return obediently.

Reflecting on this, Zhu Youjian felt a slight unease, but the moment he remembered that Zhu Cilang was charging into enemy lines for his sake, he could not help but feel a pang of heartache.

"Wait..." Zhu Youjian suddenly realized something. He fixed his gaze on Si En and said in a deep voice, "Si En, speak at once! Where is Lang'er now?"

Thump...

Thud, thud, thud...

"Your Majesty, please forgive me... Your Majesty, please forgive me..." Si En began to kowtow incessantly on the floor, saying repeatedly, "It is not that this old slave refuses to speak, but the Crown Prince has strictly forbidden me from letting Your Majesty know. This old slave... this old slave..."

As he spoke, Si En continued to kowtow, and before long, his forehead was bruised and bleeding.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian grew anxious; judging by this posture, it was as if his forcing Si En would drive the man to suicide.

With this thought, Zhu Youjian suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Has Lang'er entered Kaifeng City?"

Hearing Zhu Youjian say this, Si En was stunned.

Wang Cheng'en, standing to the side, said softly, "Si En, while the Crown Prince’s filial piety is such that he does not wish for His Majesty to worry, can such a thing be hidden forever? Moreover, you and I are, first and foremost, servants of His Majesty..."

Hearing Wang Cheng'en speak this way, Si En’s face turned pale, and he trembled, "Your Majesty is wise... The Crown Prince... indeed... has entered Kaifeng City. He also gave me a letter..."

Having said this, Si En hurriedly took a letter from his bosom and held it high.

Zhu Youjian took it and read the letter, his eyes sweeping across the lines.

"The country is now in dire straits; millions of soldiers and civilians are barely surviving under the enemy's blades. The commanders are useless, and the officers are fleeing... As the Crown Prince of the Great Ming, in such a perilous situation, if not I, then who..."

Reaching the end, Zhu Youjian let out a slow breath, his eyes slightly moist. "Lang'er... why do this? Why must you do this... My Great Ming's empire has reached such a perilous state that even a child must risk his life like this?"

Empress Zhou, hearing this, was overcome with tears. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I have heard that the rebel bandits number in the millions and are besieging Kaifeng. It is so dangerous—what shall we do? Your Majesty, you must save Lang'er!"

Seeing the Empress so worried, Zhu Youjian frowned deeply. After a long time, he suddenly said in a low voice, "Forcibly dragging Lang'er back is likely impossible now. Things have reached this point; the only way is to let go entirely. I can no longer let Lang'er be fettered in the provinces. Currently, Lang'er has gone to Kaifeng as a mere Supervisor of the Shandong Army, and because of his age, many will surely look down on him. I must ensure Lang'er can hold his own! Only with power can he be truly safe!"

"Therefore, I shall appoint Lang'er as the Grand Marshal in charge of the armies of Henan, Huguang, Shandong, Shaanxi, and Sichuan! In charge of the entire war situation in the Central Plains!"

"And that Ding Qirui—after such a rare and historic defeat, should he remain in Kaifeng to be an obstacle to my Qilin son? Remove him, and make way for my Lang'er!"

"And isn't Hou Xun on the north bank of the Yellow River? He still has the two hundred thousand taels of military pay I sent with him! In that case, let Hou Xun be granted the title of Minister of the Ministry of War and Governor-General of Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan along the Yangtze River. Doesn't Hou Xun have a debt of gratitude to Zuo Liangyu? Order him to immediately dispatch Zuo Liangyu to redeem his crimes by saving Kaifeng. And Yang Wenyue... Hu Dawei... they must all gather at Kaifeng City to redeem their crimes through service and assist my Crown Prince!"