Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 207 Yu Qian took command and rebelled against the false emperor!
The bonfire is roaring.

Under the cover of night, the Shenji Camp was bustling with activity. Soldiers gathered around the bonfire, drinking and eating meat. Zhu Qizhen and Yu Qian, each holding a pot of wine, sat by the bonfire.

"Old Yu, I must lead the Northern Expedition myself next year!" Zhu Qizhen said after taking a sip of wine.

"No!" Yu Qian's expression suddenly became serious. "The Ming Dynasty is not in danger yet. This Northern Expedition may not be able to defeat Yesen in one battle. Your Majesty, it is meaningless for you to lead the expedition in person."

Zhu Qizhen's voice suddenly turned cold: "How dare you!"

Yu Qian put down the wine pot, knelt before the emperor, and said seriously: "Your Majesty, do you still remember the defeat at Tumu Fort? In my opinion, it is meaningless for the emperor to lead the army in person. When he arrives at the front line, he has to divide his troops to protect the emperor. In addition, the soldiers will fight for the emperor's sight and will be helpless everywhere. Your Majesty, think about it, when Huo Qubing conquered Langjuxu, Emperor Wu of Han did not lead the army in person. When Li Jing swept across Mobei, Emperor Taizong of Tang did not lead the army in person either."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Okay, I'll think about it. I only have one sentence, but you have so many. You have many words, and you have a point. Okay? Stand up and speak."

"Your Majesty is wise." Yu Qian stood up and sat down again.

After Zhu Qizhen took a sip, he pondered for a while and said, "We have to think of a way to defeat Yesenxian so that the Ming Dynasty can effectively control Mobei."

"Your Majesty, you analyzed this with me four years ago. That's impossible!" Yu Qian spread his hands and said, "Because we can't grow food on the grasslands, there is a shortage of supplies, and they are nomadic peoples with unstable herds. We simply can't effectively control them."

Zhu Qizhen was speechless and said, "What I mean is to control them as much as possible. Of course, we have to defeat them first, and then we can use strategies."

He recalled the Qing Dynasty in history books. After Emperor Kangxi pacified the Junggar Rebellion, there was no threat from the northern grasslands. The Qing Dynasty took a series of measures, which could be used as a reference.

While the Qing Dynasty was conquering the Mongolian territories militarily, it also focused on establishing alliances with the Mongolian tribes and consolidated its alliance with Mongolia through marriages between Manchus and Mongolians. This alliance not only strengthened the Qing Dynasty's military power, but also made the Mongolian tribes allies rather than enemies of the Qing Dynasty.

The emperor of the Ming Dynasty could also marry a woman from Mobei as his concubine, and he had to use the same trick that the Yuan Dynasty used to control Goryeo, that is, the king of Mobei and his next crown prince had to go to the Ming Dynasty as a hostage, be trained by the Ming Dynasty, and be sent back to inherit the position of the Khan when he came of age. In this way, the Khan would naturally be close to the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, nothing is 100% certain.

The Qing Dynasty implemented the League Banner System in Mongolia, dividing the Mongolian tribes into several banners and setting up fixed pasture areas to restrict the movement and contact between the tribes. This system effectively weakened the ability of the Mongolian tribes to unite, making it difficult for them to pose a threat to the Qing Dynasty.

The Qing Dynasty conferred titles on Mongolian princes and granted them generous treatment and salaries. Through the title system, the Qing Dynasty incorporated Mongolian princes into its own ruling system, making them agents and defenders of the Qing Dynasty in Mongolia. This system not only strengthened the loyalty of Mongolian princes to the Qing Dynasty, but also reduced the possibility of them launching rebellions.

"Your Majesty, we can use what you said!" Yu Qian said, "The former Yuan Dynasty also chose a royal family woman to marry into Goryeo as the queen, which also made the Goryeo king have the blood of the Yuan Dynasty and be close to the former Yuan Dynasty. This is why Goryeo was still loyal to the Northern Yuan Dynasty when the Northern Yuan Dynasty was defeated in the desert."

Zhu Qizhen frowned: "A royal family girl marries into Mobei? This will be considered as a marriage of peace, which is embarrassing."

Yu Qian shook his head and snorted, "Princess Wencheng's marriage to a distant place is a story that will be passed down through the ages!"

Zhu Qizhen took another sip of wine and thought about it.

"If I don't lead the army myself, then you, Old Yu, will take command!" He changed the subject, "Lead 500,000 troops to the north to avenge our previous defeat! I hope you can also be crowned the Wolf's Lair, achieving the highest honor for a military commander."

Yu Qian looked expectant, but smiled as he said, "Your Majesty, I am a civil servant."

"Get lost!" Zhu Qizhen glared. "You are in charge of military affairs and the Minister of War, and you still think you are a civilian? Look at your rough face, you are just a rough man."

"Your Majesty, are you at ease leaving 500,000 troops to me?" Yu Qian asked, looking up.

Zhu Qizhen laughed without hesitation: "Of course I trust you, Yu Shaobao! When I returned from Tumu Fortress, the first person I chose was you, Yu Qian. I trusted you then, and I trust you even more now."

Yu Qian bowed his head and kowtowed again: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Qizhen raised the wine jug and laughed loudly: "Come, I wish you a triumphant return in advance."

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

When the autumn wind blows, the chill quietly invades this ancient land. The orthodox emperor, wearing heavy autumn clothes, with his sleeves gently swaying in the wind, stands on the city wall, gazing at the vast, roaring desert outside the city.

When the wind blows, the sand flies, rolling up thousands of piles of sand, making a low and long roar. The Zhengtong Emperor sighed softly: "It's autumn again! Can I still go back to the capital?"

"Your Majesty is in trouble, right?" asked military advisor Wu Xingdao.

"Yes." The Zhengtong Emperor nodded. "I have gone through numerous hardships and dangers to escape from Mobei to Guanxi, and finally settled down in Dunhuang. I have also married a wife and will soon have a child. But now, I have to take the risk of going to the capital, which is a life-threatening situation."

Wu Xingdao looked into the distance without answering. He knew that the emperor wanted him to give advice, but he could not make the decision for His Majesty. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject: "A letter came from the capital, confirming that Yu Qian will lead the army to the north this time!"

"I regret not listening to Yu Qian's advice." The Zhengtong Emperor smiled bitterly, "Yu Qian is a talent! If the false emperor chooses him to lead the army, he may really be able to conquer the world."

Wu Xingdao sneered, "The Junshan Society's intention is that Your Majesty should write a letter to Yu Qian and win him over. He is leading an army of 500,000 to the north this time, and he has all the elite troops of the Ming Dynasty at his disposal."

The Zhengtong Emperor was shocked and asked anxiously: "Yu Qian? Can we win him over? Isn't it said that he supports the false emperor? Many of the false emperor's measures were implemented because of Yu Qian's support."

"That's because the fake emperor saw through Yu Qian. His actions are beneficial to the Ming Dynasty and the people, so Yu Qian certainly supports them." Wu Xingdao sighed, "Yu Qian has the people of the world in his heart, not the Zhu family."

The Zhengtong Emperor looked puzzled: "Do you still want me to write a letter to him?"

"Because Yu Qian was deeply favored by the late emperor." Wu Xingdao chuckled, "He is also a man who values ​​love. Your Majesty, writing to him is at least a chance."

The Zhengtong Emperor's eyes flashed with anticipation: "If we can get Yu Qian's support, great things can be accomplished!"

……

Beijing, Qianqing Palace.

After the small court meeting, Xu Youzhen and Li Xian stayed. Four years ago, they were the first to surrender to Zhu Qizhen, and now they are naturally Zhu Qizhen's most trusted ministers. Now one is the second assistant of the cabinet, and the other is the minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

"Do you two have anything to say?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

Xu Youzhen and Li Xian looked at each other, and Xu Youzhen spoke first: "Your Majesty, are you sure Yu Qian will be the commander of the Northern Expedition next year?"

Zhu Qizhen nodded affirmatively: "If not him, who should we choose? Only Yu Qian has this ability!" "Shi Heng, General Shi has been in charge of the military affairs of the northern border. Can't he do it?" Li Xian asked.

Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "Shi Heng is a talented general, but for the expedition to Mobei, I need a real commander. Yu Qian's ability is not inferior to Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty. He may really be able to seal the Wolf's Lair. What are you two worried about?"

Xu Youzhen took a breath and said directly: "Your Majesty, I don't trust Yu Qian! He... He has an army of 500,000. I am worried that the pseudo-emperor in the northwest will take the opportunity to win him over."

Zhu Qizhen's heart trembled.

He had not thought of this before. If the false emperor in the northwest tried to win over Yu Qian, what would he do if he ended up leaning towards him and rebelling with an army of 500,000?
will not!

Yu Qian would not rebel or raise an army.

Because he was the one who least wanted to see civil strife in the Ming Dynasty, and he least wanted to see the people suffer. Even though he had an army of 500,000, he couldn't take the capital in one fell swoop. If that happened, it would be a disaster for the Ming Dynasty.

All the efforts of the past four years will be in vain.

Yu Qian didn't want to see this situation.

"I believe in Yu Qian!" he said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty~" Xu Youzhen was anxious, "This kind of thing, even father and son can't trust each other, let alone Yu Qian? Your Majesty, don't forget that there is a mysterious Junshan Society in the capital. Maybe Yu Qian is a member of Junshan Society."

"He may be a member of the Junshan Society, but he will not rebel and cause civil unrest in the Ming Dynasty," said Zhu Qizhen.

Li Xian was also anxious: "Your Majesty, we can't take risks."

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment, then spread his hands and said, "Yu Qian is in command, but the commanders Shi Heng, Yang Guifang, Wang Yue, Zhu Yong, Bai Gui and others are all loyal to me. It's not like Yu Qian can rebel just because he wants to."

Seeing that the emperor was so persistent, Xu Youzhen and Li Xian stopped trying to persuade him. Xu Youzhen thought for a moment and said, "Yang Guifang will go with the army. We need to think about his position. It would be best if he could restrain Yu Qian."

Zhu Qizhen agreed with this point very much. He said thoughtfully: "It can't be the deputy commander, right? It can't be higher than Shi Heng, otherwise Shi Heng will be unhappy."

"It's the deputy commander!" Xu Youzhen said, "Shi Heng will understand. I will write a letter to him."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly. He also wanted to promote Yang Guifang as soon as possible. Especially in this Northern Expedition, he hoped that he could make great contributions. If he returned with a great victory, he could confer a title on Yu Qian and take away his military power. After that, Yang Guifang would be in charge of military affairs.

……

After Xu Youzhen and Li Xian left, Gao Gu, the Minister of Works, asked to see him. He came to report on the fleet's departure. The two fleets of the Ming Dynasty had already set out from Yingtian yesterday, both heading for America, but with different routes, one heading to North America and the other to South America.

"Your Majesty, although this voyage is not as large as Zheng He's voyages to the West, the equipment is much better than that time." Gao Gu said confidently, "We will definitely achieve our goal."

Zhu Qizhen was not so confident and was actually worried.

In this era, the weather could not be predicted, and it was very easy to encounter strong typhoons at sea. Although the Ming Dynasty's ships had been improved, such as increasing the hull width, adopting a round ship design and three-masted square sails, they were designed to enhance the stability of the ships in wind and waves.

However, he was still worried that the boat would be overturned if a super typhoon hit! And there was nothing he could do about it, he could only pray to God for help.

"The sailors going out to sea are all brave warriors of our Ming Dynasty." Zhu Qizhen praised.

"Your Majesty, please give them some practical rewards when they come back," Gao Gu bowed.

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand: "Lao Gao, it sounds like you are resentful. What's wrong? Who offended you? Tell me, and I will deal with him!"

Gao Gu's mouth twitched, and he did not answer the question, but continued to report: "Your Majesty, let's discuss the construction of the highway."

"Don't you disagree?" Zhu Qizhen asked with a smile.

"I have figured it out now." Gao Gu said, "The Ministry of Works must have something to do. In the past two years, our Ministry of Works has been busier than the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue. The ministers all say that the Ministry of Works will become the head of the six ministries. As the Minister of Works, I am of course looking forward to this day."

Zhu Qizhen knew that he was saying that he had too many things to do and was too tired. However, he pretended not to understand. If he really discussed the construction of the expressway with him, it would definitely not be the time to officially start the construction. Maybe they should explore the routes first, send people to explore the routes first, and then decide which ones to build first.

In his own idea, he first built a road from the border to the capital: Liaodong to the capital. This would facilitate future wars and allow the army to quickly reach the border.

Then there is the north-south trunk line: The Grand Canal, as one of the most important water transportation trunk lines at the time, connected the political center of the north with the economic center of the south. The construction of its coastal lines would greatly promote the circulation of materials between the north and the south and economic prosperity.

Specific route: Starting from the capital, go south along the Grand Canal, through Dezhou, Linqing, Jining, Xuzhou, Huai'an, Yangzhou to Hangzhou.

Next is the East-West Trunk Line: This line runs across the east and west, connecting the two important cities of the Ming Dynasty - Nanjing and Xi'an, and is of great significance for strengthening the economy of the east and west.

Specific route: from Nanjing via Xuzhou, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Shanzhou, Huazhou to Xi'an.

The next is strategic routes, such as the line from Guizhou to Huguang and Yunnan: Guizhou is located in the hinterland of the southwest and is a strategic route connecting Huguang, Yunnan and other places. The construction of this line will greatly improve the traffic conditions in the southwest region and will be beneficial to the court's management and control of border areas.

Specific routes: The Hunan-Guizhou Line starts from Changde Prefecture in Huguang, goes south to Chenzhou Prefecture, and then heads west through Pingxiyi to enter Guizhou; the Yunnan-Guizhou Line starts from Yunnan Prefecture in Yunnan, and heads northeast from Qujing Prefecture through Pu'an to enter Guizhou.

"Your Majesty, you have a big chess game in your mind." Gao Gu was shocked when he heard it.

He admired the emperor more and more. Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said, "It will take a long time to complete it, but the Ministry of Works can plan it first, and we will do it step by step."

"Yes, sir!" Gao Gu bowed and walked out.

Zhu Qizhen rubbed his head, walked to the window, and looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. However, he was not sad, but expectant. After traveling through time and becoming an emperor again, his ambitions grew.

When I read history books in my previous life, I felt sorry that the Ming Dynasty missed the great voyages, because it clearly had better conditions.

He frowned.

Well, I will make Ming Dynasty great!

(End of this chapter)