Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1209: Slip of the tongue
"This is just your guess. Do you think it can actually work?" He Renlong retorted.

Zhang Xianzhong shook his head and said, "While it is just speculation, it is not impossible for this matter to come true. Besides, you have not been looking at the intelligence these days. The previous intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard clearly stated that Sha Dingzhou already had relations with the Mangbai people in Burma. Under such circumstances, what is wrong with paying a small price to ask Burma to send troops?"

"A mere price? You make it sound so easy." Cao Wenzhao retorted, "Once Burma attacks Yunnan, the unrest in Yunnan will no longer be a local rebellion. Burma has such wolfish ambitions to occupy our territory. After Sha Dingzhou defeats our Ming army, do you think he would willingly hand over the territory in western Yunnan to Burma? How could he be willing to do that?"

“Why not?” Zhang Xianzhong looked at Cao Wenzhao as if he were a fool and sneered, “You’re not Sha Dingzhou, how do you know he wouldn’t do it? Besides, what if we give part of western Yunnan to Burma? As long as Sha Dingzhou can control Yunnan and completely resolve the current crisis, what does a little territory matter? Anyway, this territory doesn’t belong to Sha Dingzhou, it belongs to our Great Ming. Even if we give it to Burma, Sha Dingzhou will still have at least two-thirds of Yunnan, which is much larger than his original territory. What more could he want?”

"Furthermore, Sha Dingzhou has invited a wolf into the house, joining forces with Burma. It won't be so easy for the court to recover Yunnan in the future. No matter how small Burma is, it is still a country. If Burma joins forces with Sha Dingzhou, its military strength and power will be completely different from what it is now. Even so, it will not be easy to completely quell the rebellion in Sha Dingzhou, let alone if Burma intervenes with troops. As long as the court cannot take back Yunnan in a short time, whether Sha Dingzhou declares himself king or uses Yunnan as a bargaining chip to merge with Burma, Yunnan will essentially be separated from our Great Ming."

"What good would this do for Sha Dingzhou? Isn't he afraid of being cursed by future generations after his death?"

"Benefits? Only the benefits in our hands are real. As for what happens after death, who cares? We're already dead, so what if future generations curse us?" Zhang Xianzhong sneered and shook his head, then said, "I know you all find this unacceptable, but think about it carefully: would Sha Dingzhou do this if he were desperate? But I'll say this now: if I were Sha Dingzhou, I wouldn't just hand over western Yunnan to Burma. As long as I could kill Mu Tianbo and take over half of Yunnan, becoming a king there, I'd even acknowledge Wang Mang of Burma as my father!"

After Zhang Xianzhong uttered these resolute words, the scene fell silent. Everyone stared at Zhang Xianzhong, speechless, unsure of what to say.

Although Zhang Xianzhong's words were harsh, upon closer examination, they did contain some truth. Moreover, Zhang Xianzhong was of humble origins, and his actions were driven solely by self-interest, a trait somewhat similar to Sha Dingzhou's. How could Zhang Xianzhong, starting as a minor border officer, raise an army of over ten thousand men in just a few years, rise to the same level as the rebel leader Gao Yingxiang, and even earn the bandit title of "Eight Great Kings"? He was no ordinary man.

Over the years, Zhang Xianzhong kept a low profile in the capital. Even in the General Staff Headquarters, he was just an ordinary councilor. He would smile before speaking to his colleagues and would not cause trouble outside. Over time, people gradually forgot his original identity and only remembered him as a surrendered rebel leader.

But a tyrant is a tyrant; Zhang Xianzhong is still the same Zhang Xianzhong, he has simply concealed his brilliance over the years. Now, after Zhang Xianzhong uttered these words, coupled with his self-righteous demeanor, people suddenly remembered the power and cunning of Zhang Xianzhong when he was a bandit leader, and realized that the current Zhang Xianzhong, deep down, is still the same Zhang Xianzhong.

The scene was completely silent, with only the slightly heavy breathing of the crowd. No one spoke, and no one knew what to say at this moment.

After a moment, Emperor Zhu Shenzhui stood up and walked out without a word. Hong Chengchou and Wang Jinwu exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed. The people from the General Staff, including Wu Xiang, quickly bowed and saw the emperor off. Zhang Xianzhong did the same, but at this moment he was extremely uneasy, wishing he could slap himself a few times. He hadn't originally intended to be so blunt; he only wanted to state his judgment. However, provoked by Cao Wenzhao and He Renlong, he didn't know why he had acted rashly and blurted out the last few sentences. He knew immediately that what he said was bad, but what was said was already said; could he swallow it back?
With the emperor, the chief minister, and the second chief minister all gone, there was no point in the others remaining. Everyone looked at Zhang Xianzhong, many with complex emotions in their eyes, before leaving without saying a word.

Wu Xiang was the last to leave. He glanced at Zhang Xianzhong, walked over, patted him on the shoulder, sighed softly, and turned to leave. After Wu Xiang left, Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but laugh bitterly, his heart filled with resentment. He had been hiding for so many years, but he hadn't expected to act rashly at this crucial moment. What was he to do now?

With a deep sigh, Zhang Xianzhong was deeply worried about his impending fate. If the emperor believed he still harbored rebellious intentions, he feared he would no longer be able to remain a wealthy man. He might be convicted, stripped of his title, and exiled to a remote region, where he would end his life in disgrace.

He himself was fine, even death wouldn't matter. When Zhang Xianzhong raised his army, he risked his life for a future. Death meant nothing to him; he wasn't afraid of it. His surrender back then wasn't because he was greedy for life, but because he understood his situation. If he didn't surrender, there was no way out. Besides, he had to think about his four adopted sons and the brothers who had followed him for many years.

But things are different now. Zhang Xianzhong, who had spent many years on the battlefield, had no descendants. He had thought he would never have any, which is why he adopted Li Dingguo and other sons as his heirs. However, in the capital, Zhang Xianzhong had taken many wives and concubines and hired imperial physicians to treat his health. Last year, one of his favorite concubines finally became pregnant and gave birth to a son. The birth of this son overjoyed Zhang Xianzhong; this was his only child after so many years! Having an heir at nearly fifty years old, how could Zhang Xianzhong not be ecstatic?
But he had actually said the wrong thing today, and he might be in trouble from now on. Zhang Xianzhong himself was not afraid of anything, but his only worry was his young son. Thinking of his son who was still learning to speak, Zhang Xianzhong's heart felt like it had been suddenly gripped, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Duke Dingbian! Duke Dingbian!"

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was thinking about these things, a voice rang out behind him.

Coming to his senses, Zhang Xianzhong turned around and saw that it was actually Lu Jiude. "Eunuch Lu..." He quickly bowed to Lu Jiude, who was the Grand Eunuch of the Qianqing Palace and the Chief Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a favorite of the Emperor. Not to mention this empty-bucket count, even the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet would greet Lu Jiude with great respect as "Eunuch Lu."

“Lord Dingbian, please come with me. The Emperor wants to see you.” Lu Jiude’s voice was high-pitched, but when he spoke in a low voice, it was clear to everyone. Zhang Xianzhong was stunned for a moment, then nodded and followed Lu Jiude.

Lu Jiude led Zhang Xianzhong away from the General Council's residence and headed east. They soon arrived at Xihua Gate. With Lu Jiude's assistance and the waist token he showed the guards, Zhang Xianzhong easily entered the palace. Once inside, Lu Jiude didn't take Zhang Xianzhong to the Qianqing Palace, but instead led him to another area, seemingly not far from the inner palace. Zhang Xianzhong had never been to this area before, and felt somewhat uneasy. It wasn't until they entered a courtyard and saw the sign hanging there that he realized he had arrived at the Yangxin Hall.

Upon arriving at the garden outside the palace, Lu Jiude asked Zhang Xianzhong to wait a moment while he went in to report. A short while later, he came out and invited Zhang Xianzhong to come in.

Zhang Xianzhong thanked her, straightened his clothes at the entrance, and then entered after his name was called. Once inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Zhang Xianzhong found that the layout was somewhat similar to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, but much smaller, almost a miniature version of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Emperor Zhu Shenzhui was sitting in the East Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He did not sit on the main dragon throne, but on the bed to the left of the dragon throne. He was reading a memorial in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw that it was Zhang Xianzhong. He slowly put the memorial in his hand on the low table next to him.

"Your subject Zhang Xianzhong pays his respects to Your Majesty..." Zhang Xianzhong stepped forward and performed a grand salute. Zhu Shenzhui did not remove himself from the ceremony. After watching Zhang Xianzhong finish his bow, he raised his hand to let him rise and then pointed to an embroidered stool that had been placed to the side for him to sit on.

After thanking him, Zhang Xianzhong carefully sat down, placing his hands neatly on his knees. He didn't dare look at the emperor, keeping his eyes lowered and staring at the ground beneath his toes.

"Zhang Xianzhong!"

"Chen is here!"

"What you said at the General Staff Office today may not have been pleasant to hear, but it did make some sense."

“I was talking nonsense at the time. That was not my true intention. I…” Zhang Xianzhong hurriedly said.

Zhu Shenzhui waved his hand and said calmly, "I don't think it's nonsense. I just spoke the truth in a moment of panic. You don't need to worry. The General Council is the military institution of our Great Ming Dynasty, set up to make military decisions for me. As a councilor, it is your duty to discuss military affairs and simulate battle situations. I am not a foolish ruler, and I will not punish a subject for saying something that is not to my liking."

Zhang Xianzhong felt much relieved. It seemed there was still room for redemption. The emperor had made it clear that he hadn't blamed him for his slip of the tongue, so perhaps he could get through this ordeal.

Zhang Xianzhong hurriedly rose and bowed to the emperor again, repeatedly begging for forgiveness and expressing his gratitude. After the emperor asked him to rise and sit down, Zhu Shenzhui immediately asked, "In your opinion, what is the most likely scenario for the situation in Yunnan? What is the probability of Burma sending troops?"

"Your Majesty..." Zhang Xianzhong hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. At this moment, the emperor was being direct, telling him to speak his mind. There were only the two of them in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, no outsiders. He could speak boldly without fear of punishment, but if he concealed his thoughts and spoke only half of what he meant, he would not be blamed for his punishment.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said to the emperor, "I believe the third possibility is the most likely, and the chances of Burma sending troops are at least 80%. The court must be on guard, especially the Duke of Qian in Yongchang. If Burma sends troops and catches the Duke of Qian off guard, the situation in Yunnan will be beyond repair."

(End of this chapter)