"Okay, what a Mu Chun. He has the same style as his father. It seems that if we leave the southwest to him, he will not disappoint us."
In the morning, there was an urgent report from the border. Muchun, the current Marquis of Xiping, led an army of 200,000 to defeat the coalition forces of Luchuan, Awa and Menggen. All the lost territory had been recovered.
We are currently asking the imperial court for instructions on whether to continue the march.
Upon hearing such news, all the civil servants who had previously impeached Xiping Hou Muchun bowed their heads and remained silent.
The military attachés at the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion were all in high spirits.
Mu Ying's son, Mu Chun, and most of the military attachés in the Fifth Army Commander's Office were familiar with each other. Fu Youde, for example, was with Mu Ying when he conquered Yunnan.
At that time, Muchun had already joined the army.
Under the guidance of Mu Ying, Mu Chun naturally treated Fu Youde and others as uncles and had a close relationship with them.
Moreover, Mu Ying, as the adopted son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was also a member of the Huaixi noble military generals group. He was once the core of the princelings. Although he later guarded Yunnan and had less social interactions, the relationship was there.
"Now that Xipinghou has won, I will discuss with you my beloved ministers what to do with the Three Kingdoms next. Whether we should continue the fight or let the Three Kingdoms make some compensation."
Zhu Yuanzhang then spoke.
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Youwen, the right servant of the Ministry of Revenue, who was Fu Youde's cousin, stepped forward and said, "Please play."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Accurate performance."
Fu Youwen said: "I believe that Luchuan has rebelled many times and has bad intentions. The royal family has received favors from our Ming Dynasty and is ungrateful. We should mainly suppress them."
"This time, the other two countries have joined forces to take advantage of the Ming Dynasty's foreign war. It can be seen that there is a lot of rebellion in the back of their heads."
"The people who are in charge of the Luchuan Kingdom today are very ambitious and ambitious. Even though King Qianning had broken his strength in the battle of Dingbian, he still had no reason to surrender sincerely."
"Why don't we go straight up with the army, take the capital of the country, remove the royal family, and establish a new king, who will be my Ming Dynasty's imperial edict."
"This way we can achieve long-term peace and stability, and the Luchuan Kingdom will not dare to do it again."
After listening to Fu Youwen's performance, Zhu Yuanzhang did not express his position.
After a while, Chen Sidao, the left minister of the Ministry of War, came out and said: "Please play."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Accurate performance."
Chen Sidao bowed and said: "I think Fu Shilang's idea is too radical. Now we, the Ming Dynasty, have raised an army of 500,000 to conquer the Japanese country. It has cost a lot and there is no visible benefit yet."
"Although the war in Japan is going smoothly now, the food shortage is very serious. Recently, a large amount of food has been shipped on ships, which is a heavy burden on the Ming Dynasty's treasury."
"Although the three countries of Luchuan, Menggen, and Awa have the intention of taking advantage of the situation, they have been pacified by Xipinghou in one fell swoop. If they attack again at this time, the losses will be too great."
"To put it simply, Yunnan is extremely vast, and the chieftains from all sides are not completely stable, and there are occasional rebellions."
"It would be okay if the Marquis of Xiping wins all the way, but if there is any dissatisfaction and there are disobedient chieftains in the southwest, they will definitely not be willing to surrender and will never rebel again."
"In this way, when the army goes south, the southwest territory will be empty, and it will be extremely easy for the territory to become unstable. When the army returns, all previous efforts will have been wasted. If it does not return, it will be difficult to suppress it, and it will be in a dilemma."
"Moreover, the three kingdoms of Luchuan, Ava, and Menggen have dense mountains and forests, very few rice fields, and high water vapor, which is not suitable for high-yielding crops. The food needed by the 200,000-strong army depends on Yunnan farming, which may not be enough.
It can transport grain to the imperial treasury and consume the treasury empty."
"I believe that we can stop the conquest and focus on stabilizing Yunnan. If Yunnan has a vast territory, it is already a bit reluctant for Xipinghou to suppress it. If the territory expands further, I am afraid it will be difficult to maintain."
Chen Sidao's words were naturally recognized by many civil servants.
The key lies in the last sentence.
Now the military and political power in Yunnan is in the hands of Muchun. Although he is only a marquis, he is actually no different from the king of Yunnan.
For the Ministry of War, the province of Yunnan is now no longer under its control. Almost all transfer orders are decided by the Yunnan side or Prince Mu's Mansion.
The imperial court's power over Yunnan has been reduced to the extreme.
Especially now that Mu Ying is dead and Mu Chun is the successor.
The former Mu Ying was His Majesty's adopted son, so naturally there was nothing to say, but Mu Chun was not the same. Who can guarantee that he has no ambitions anymore.
Judging from the current situation, it is not a big problem for Muchun's 200,000 troops to conquer Luchuan, not to mention conquering the Three Kingdoms.
But this further expanded the power of Prince Mu's Mansion.
Yunnan is located on the border and has a vast territory. After further expansion, the number of soldiers and horses will be even greater.
It's okay to surrender all the way, but if there is disobedience, it will be a disaster for Ming Dynasty.
After the performance of Fu Youwen, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Chen Sidao, the right minister of the Ministry of War, the Fengtian Hall began to become lively.
Officials kept reporting, either in favor or against.
The focus is on analyzing the pros and cons of fighting or not fighting.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Ying sighed in her heart.
Being an emperor is really not easy.
As far as the current arguments of the two sides are concerned, there is no difference at all. It can be said that each has its own reasons. It is difficult to say that one side can completely overwhelm the other.
In the end, the final decision naturally fell on the emperor.
Even Zhu Ying did not dare to say which choice was completely correct.
For example, for some emperors in history who were relatively mediocre in talent, who could know whether it was right or wrong to make a choice at this time.
Behind some seemingly foolish decisions, there may be a rationale behind them.
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand, and the eunuch Liu He, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony and ceremony next to him, immediately said loudly: "Quiet!"
The discussion in Fengtian Hall then became quiet.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Dasun, what do you think about this matter?"
Zhu Ying knew that the old man would definitely ask him questions, which could be regarded as a test.
Zhu Ying replied: "My grandson believes that beatings are still necessary."
Zhu Yuanzhang did not refute or agree, but asked: "Dasun, tell me your opinion."
Zhu Ying nodded and analyzed: "Shilang Fu is right. Regarding the Luchuan Kingdom, there have been many rebellions. It is obvious that he has been hiding his disobedience for a long time. Whenever there is any opportunity, he will immediately carry out rebellion."
"This joint effort with the other two countries to send troops is obviously not a temporary initiative, but has been planned for a long time."
"Even if we don't fight this time, if I, the Ming Dynasty, have any chance in the future, I will rebel again. From this point of view, the Luchuan royal family has become a very ambitious person."
"So my grandson thinks it's appropriate to fight, and it's not Luchuan. Meng Gen can't let it go either."
Hearing this, there was an uproar in the court.
Even Fu Youwen of the main website did not expect that His Highness Taisun would not only attack the Luchuan Kingdom, but also the Menggen Kingdom.
Zhu Yuanzhang also frowned and said: "Conquering both countries at the same time will put a lot of pressure on the Marquis of Xiping. If things don't go according to plan, there will be some trouble."
Zhu Ying bowed and replied: "Menggen's country is small, but only 20% of the territory of Luchuan. The Luchuan country took the lead in this attack on our Ming Dynasty, and even borrowed troops from Ava."
"Even so, there are only more than 100,000 soldiers. It can be seen that the national strength of the two countries of Luchan, Sichuan and Gen is not strong now."
"Furthermore, the troops of Xipinghou who defeated the Three Kingdoms are so powerful that the country of Menggen in Luchan must be in chaos."
"The Red River rises from the south and passes through the four countries of Luchuan, Menggen, Lancang, and Annan. Now in Annan, there are 50,000 elite soldiers of our Ming Dynasty, who can echo back and forth to contain Lancang."
"The small country of Menggen only has 30,000 soldiers, enough to march directly into its capital and change the world. Luchuan does not need more than 100,000 soldiers. It only has an army of 80,000. If we take advantage of this opportunity to win, we should be able to defeat the enemy like a broken bamboo."
"There is no need for the Marquis of Xiping to come personally and lead 90,000 troops back to Yunnan to stabilize the territory."
"After taking over the two countries, abolishing their royal families and establishing a new king, all the money and food for our march in the Ming Dynasty will be borne by the two countries. There is no need to pay it all at once. It can be divided into ten or twenty years and paid every year."
"The soldiers in the two countries will implement the shift system of our Ming Dynasty guard station. They will go to Yunnan for training and fielding, and they will be replaced every few years."
"You can also promote young talents from the Yunnan chieftain clan to serve as civil and military officials in the two countries, control them, and slowly penetrate them."
"The newly established kings of the two countries will be enthroned by me, the Ming Dynasty. When the enthronement is granted, he should come to the capital to have an audience."
"The prosperity of our capital will frighten their hearts, and the military power of our capital will frighten their gods. This will destroy their disobedience."
After Zhu Ying finished speaking, there was silence in the court hall.
This novel method is something that most officials today have never thought of.
In the view of many officials, the only way to treat a foreign country is to incorporate it into the Ming Dynasty or to allow it to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.
But His Highness Taisun's method is totally different.
Although it has not been included in the Ming Dynasty, it has been completely isolated from all aspects, and a series of arrangements will gradually strengthen control.
Zhu Ying's approach was based on demilitarization and then on enlightenment.
Similar to colonial methods, but not exactly the same.
Slavery still exists in areas such as Luchuan and Menggen, including Lancang and Annan, which are very different from the current situation in the Ming Dynasty.
What Zhu Ying wants to do is to use the more advanced system and culture of the Ming Dynasty to encroach.
After Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he smiled and said: "Da Sun's method is very good. Dear friends, do you have any ideas or additions?"
After listening to this, the officials below had nothing to say.
Your Majesty has already said so.
Immediately, officials from all walks of life began to play.
"His Royal Highness Taisun's method really opened the eyes of the ministers. Compared with the competition for talents just now, it is especially ridiculous."
"His Royal Highness Taisun is really smart and quick, and I will never be as good as him."
"This countermeasure can not only stabilize the territory of Yunnan, but also deal with the disobedience of the two countries. Such a good policy, even if the ministers are thinking hard, they can't come up with it."
Waves of compliments came one after another. No one would be stingy with a few words of praise for such a good thing.
Zhu Yuanzhang also nodded happily.
After all, these arrangements made by Da Sun are indeed very good.
In fact, there is another point in this matter, which is the issue of loyalty to Prince Mu, but Zhu Ying did not mention it.
He naturally knows that history has long witnessed the loyalty of Prince Mu's Mansion. Even though it has been inherited for nearly three hundred years, Yunnan has always been very stable under the control of Prince Mu's Mansion.
Moreover, Prince Mu's loyalty to the Ming Dynasty has never changed in any way.
Once the question of loyalty and reliability is removed, things become simpler.
"Since my dear friends don't have any other opinions, let's make this decision according to Da Sun's method."
"Soldiers are very quick, so the Ministry of War immediately drafted the document and rushed it to Yunnan for 800 miles."
Zhu Yuanzhang said decisively.
Ru Yu, Minister of the Ministry of War, bowed and said: "I obey the order."
After the morning dynasty, inside the Huagai Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Dasun, are you so assured of Muchun's loyalty to our Ming Dynasty?"
This is Zhu Yuanzhang's doubt.
Zhu Yuanzhang has always had great trust in Mu Ying, his adopted son, so he gave the entire Yunnan to him.
But it's a bit strange for the eldest grandson to be like this.
After all, the eldest grandson had never interacted with Mu Ying. He might have met Mu Chun when Mu Ying was buried.
But at that time, the eldest grandson had not yet entered the palace, so naturally there was no relationship.
The key issue in Luchuan at present is not actually whether to fight or not to fight. Zhu Yuanzhang's original intention was that if Da Sun had not proposed it, he still did not want to fight.
It’s not that he is afraid of changes in Yunnan, but in Zhu Yuanzhang’s view, Yunnan is already big enough, and making it bigger or smaller is not a critical issue at all.
Moreover, the proximity of small countries like Luchuan put some pressure on Yunnan. Coupled with the complexity of the chieftains within the territory, the descendants of the Muying family could only focus on governance.
And Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that his trust in Mu Ying, or even Mu Ying's son Mu Chun, did not mean that his descendants would have the same trust.
After Mu Ying's descendants managed Yunnan well, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his descendants would definitely not let him dominate.
Naturally there will be checks and balances.
Some things are not just about the present, but also about the future.
Zhu Ying heard this and replied: "Of course my grandson has never met Xipinghou, but he has other ideas, so he decided to attack Luchuan and Menggen."
Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously: "My grandson is just telling me what he thinks."
Zhu Ying replied: "The four kingdoms of Luchuan, Menggen, Lancang, and Annan are close to our Ming Dynasty. In addition to the four kingdoms, there are also Champa, Lanna, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Ava, Baigu and many other countries.
It’s quite confusing and complicated.”
"Now that the Ming Dynasty has opened up sea restrictions, the countries in the southeast happen to be in the Western Region."
"My grandson has long had the idea that after the Japanese country is initially pacified, we, the Ming Dynasty, will form a maritime fleet to carry out trade in the West and spread the prestige of the Ming Dynasty beyond the four seas."
"That's why I have today's idea."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he knew that the great sun wanted to attack the entire Western Ocean, gain benefits from it, and expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
The 50,000 Ming elites stationed in Annan were the first nail planted.
Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a while and said: "What the Ming Dynasty lacks most now is not the expansion of its territory, but the lack of talents to govern the local areas, including their loyalty. These great grandsons should give more consideration."
Zhu Ying nodded and replied: "My grandson just thought that these places are not actually barren. Yun Wen had proposed earlier that he wanted to seize the city and create a vassal state. My grandson has agreed."
When he heard that Zhu Yunwen was going to capture the city, Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled. This was something he had never thought of.