On the tree-lined avenue, Ming Chengzu and Lin Shangli, one behind the other, were admiring the scenery of the Imperial Garden while chatting about the past.
"If I go back twenty years, no, ten years, I will expand the territory of Ming Dynasty by half." Ming Chengzu was in a good mood, and said in a loud voice with his unique loud voice.
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"The Ming Dynasty's territory, both south and east, has reached the sea and cannot be expanded. If the emperor has this idea, we can only consider going west and north." Lin Shangli continued.
"It is no longer convenient to march to the west, whether it is the southwest or the northwest. The southwest is densely wooded, and the climate is humid and full of mosquitoes. The northern army is not used to it. The northwest has a vast terrain, although it is barren and uninhabited. The army's supplies
They have to be transported from the rear. But if we expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty and put several guard posts there, it is not impossible to develop. However, in the north, the land is fertile, but the climate is cold, and we can only grow one crop a year.
Further north, we can only make a living as nomads." Ming Chengzu said calmly.
Lin Shangli didn't answer, he couldn't figure out the emperor's thoughts.
Going back more than ten years, you still want to expand your territory. Do you mean that now, you are just going to defend the Ming Dynasty's existing territory?
But being content with the status quo and protecting the territory like this was not the usual practice of Ming Chengzu.
Forget it, I don’t know what you are thinking, so I won’t express my opinion at all and just wait for you to speak.
"Xiao Linzi, how do you feel about the current image of the prince?" Turning around, Ming Chengzu suddenly changed the topic.
"The current Crown Prince is handsome, mighty and agile. Due to bone removal, he is slightly shorter than before. His domineering temperament is still different from the Emperor. However, in every aspect, he is younger than the Emperor.
It's very similar. I looked at it and really liked it." Lin Shangli rolled his eyes and whispered back.
"You like it too?" Ming Chengzu smiled cheerfully, "I also like him very much in my heart. In the past few days, he came to greet me every day. Looking at him, I felt like I saw myself back then. Back then, I
When greeting Taizu, he also looked like he couldn't let go of his hands and feet. He was exactly the same as me."
"Both the emperor and Taizu were extremely wise emperors. They were talented and strategic, and they were strict in running the army. They also disciplined the prince with strict love. Therefore, as a prince, when I see the emperor, I still have a natural fear in my heart."
Lin Shangli chuckled.
"Yes, yes, you are right." Ming Chengzu smiled, raised his left hand, and tapped Lin Shangli with his index finger, "In those days, every time I paid tribute to Taizu, I saw Taizu's stern eyes, and my heart
I feel a little panicked for no reason.”
"Now that His Highness the Crown Prince sees the Emperor's eyes, he should feel the same way." Lin Shangli agreed.
"When he came to pay his respects, I tried my best to make myself look less like the Ming Emperor and more like a kind father. He shouldn't be afraid."
"Perhaps this is just His Highness the Crown Prince's respect for you. No matter when, in his eyes, Your Majesty is the father he always admires, or the father he admires the most. This kind of admiration makes His Highness the Crown Prince respect you.
Facing the emperor, I no longer have confidence." Lin Shangli laughed.
"This is not possible." Ming Chengzu twisted his face, "From now on, he will be the emperor of Ming Dynasty. I want to cultivate his aura of dominion over the world. How can such awe be achieved? I still hope that in his hands
Here, I will realize my unfinished wish and expand my territory of the Ming Dynasty by half."
Lin Shangli instantly understood that what the Emperor just said was his expectations for His Royal Highness!
But, were these words said casually, or did he want to reach the prince's ears through his own mouth?
Because Xiao Chen not only cured the prince's leg disease, but also mobilized the entire Dongchang to search everywhere and finally rescued the prince in Baoding Mansion. Everyone in the world knew that Dongchang and the prince were very close.
He is the Duke of Dongchang. Could it be that the emperor really wants to tell the prince through himself that he no longer doubts the prince's authenticity, and hopes that he will be fearless and continue to expand the territory for the Ming Dynasty?
"Your Majesty." A thin voice came from not far away.
Wang Xiaosi held the fly whisk in his hand and trotted after him. The layer of sweat on his head must have come from outside the Imperial Garden.
"Commander of the Jinyi Guards, Xu Kaiying, please see me." Standing five steps away from Ming Chengzu, Wang Xiaosi put the fly whisk in the crook of his arm, crossed his hands together, and spoke softly with his body bent.
"Xu Kaiying? I didn't tell him, what is he here for?" Ming Chengzu frowned.
This Xu Kaiying, if it hadn't been for Ji Gang's accident and he didn't want to use the manpower in the capital, he would never have let him be the commander of the Jin Yiwei.
Needless to say, he is kind and loyal.
But Jin Yiwei only does things for himself. Without those crooked intestines, how can he get things done according to his own wishes?
As expected, in the few months since he took office, nothing has been done or said, and when he was guarding the crown prince, he lost more than 600 royal guards.
This Xu Kaiying is really not the material to be the commander of the Imperial Guard.
"This servant doesn't know." Wang Xiaosi bowed again, "However, Commander Xu's face is full of frustration. There should be something important to report to the emperor."
"Frustrated? Frustrated for what?" Ming Chengzu said very dissatisfied, "Then meet him. I really want to hear what frustrated the commander of the First Forbidden Army in the capital."
"Your Majesty, should I ask him to wait in the imperial study room, or should I let him come over?"
"Let him come over. I am enjoying the scenery in the imperial garden and don't want to go back for the time being." Ming Chengzu said.
"Yes." Wang Xiaosi responded, stepped back for a walk, turned around and left in a hurry.
"Xiao Linzi, why do you think Xu Kaiying came here to see me?" He picked a bamboo leaf from the purple bamboo beside the path. Ming Chengzu looked at it carefully and then flicked it out with his fingers.
"This slave really can't guess it."
"Do you think he came to complain to me?" Ming Chengzu picked another leaf from the purple bamboo and looked at it carefully.
"Complaining?" Lin Shangli was startled, "Jinyiwei is an agency directly under the emperor. Maybe Commander Xu came to report to the emperor, I don't know for sure."
Ming Chengzu stretched out his hand and spread it out in front of Lin Shangli: "Look, this purple bamboo leaf is rolled up nicely."
Lin Shangli looked around and saw that the emerald green bamboo leaves were really rolled up into a small tube towards the back.
"Is this an insect?" Lin Shangli said, picking up the bamboo leaf in Ming Chengzu's hand, placing it in front of his eyes, and carefully looking at the inside of the leaf roll.
Ming Chengzu didn't speak, just smiled and waited quietly for Lin Shangli to reveal the answer.
Opening the leaf, there was a ball of spider silk inside. Inside the spider silk, lying quietly were five or six soft-bodied larvae of unknown insects.
"It's really infested with insects, please see, Your Majesty," Lin Shangli said.
"This bamboo is infested with insects. The leaves will look ugly at first. If it is not managed, the entire purple bamboo may eventually die. If people have problems and do not correct them, the final fate will be obvious." Ming Chengzu smiled lightly and turned around.
He turned around, took steps, and continued to move forward slowly.
"The Emperor said it was the Jin Yiwei?" Lin Shangli asked in a low voice as he followed behind.
"Yes." Ming Chengzu nodded, "Ji Gang was the biggest tapeworm in Jin Yiwei, and I cured him. Now, Jin Yiwei, who has just recovered from a serious illness, has no vitality at all. Xu Kaiying is loyal and responsible.
It is really difficult for him to be the commander of the Jinyi Guards. However, when he was in the Tianjin Guards, he was still a very talented person. Why can't he let go when he is in the Jinyi Guards?"
"The Tianjin Guards face mostly ordinary people. The Jinyi Guards face the high officials of the DPRK. Commander Xu may need some time to adapt."
Although Lin Shangli was very hostile to Xu Kaiying when he sued him for killing the Jinyi Guards captain before, compared to Ma Yunshan, who was bent on limiting the scope of Dongchang's firearms and full of crooked minds, he preferred Xu Kaiying to continue to be in charge of the Jinyi Guards.
"Perhaps, I summoned Ma Yunshan a little too frequently some time ago, and he felt uncomfortable." Ming Chengzu smiled lightly, "He's here, let's listen to what he said."
Not far away, a sweaty Xu Kaiying walked hurriedly behind Wang Xiaosi.
