Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 384 Is this even possible? Congratulations to the King! Congratulations to Ayutthaya!

These words left Zhu Shou speechless and deeply shocked.

With a solemn expression, he clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, saying, "Mr. Li's insightful views are truly admirable!"

Upon seeing this, Li Sicong quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying with trepidation, "Lord Zhulu, what is your status? Such a great honor is something I, Li, am truly unworthy of!"

"This is all thanks to His Majesty's foresight in making detailed arrangements well in advance."

Zhu Shou was filled with emotion as he recalled the past: "Back then, when I first entered the Ming Military Academy, I became His Majesty's student and listened to His Majesty's lectures."

"His Majesty once said that war is a continuation of politics, and war serves politics."

"At the time, I felt that what he said made a lot of sense, but I was also a little confused and didn't quite understand it."

"It was because at that time I always thought that His Majesty was just a young boy."

"Although he is exceptionally intelligent, unparalleled throughout history, when it comes to the real skills of leading troops into battle, how can he compare to us veterans who have spent our entire lives fighting on the battlefield?"

"We became his disciples simply because of his noble birth; he was the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty at the time. It was not because we were inferior to him in ability."

"Now, upon careful consideration, I am shocked to realize that my initial thoughts were completely wrong."

"Your Majesty's ability to lead and manage troops is far superior to that of us generals, by a thousand times or even ten thousand times."

"My meager abilities are like fireflies in front of Your Majesty. How dare I presume to compete with the sun and moon? It is far too presumptuous of me."

"As for strategic planning, it is far inferior to His Majesty's, and cannot be compared at all."

"It's a pity that when His Majesty was giving the lecture, I was distracted and didn't listen carefully."

"If one could learn even one ten-thousandth of His Majesty's abilities, it would truly benefit one for a lifetime."

Looking back, I truly regret it.

His face was full of regret, and his remorse was palpable.

Li Sicong looked at him, burst into laughter, and said, "General, there's no need to be so upset."

"I have heard that His Majesty has specially compiled several textbooks for the students of the Ming Military Academy, one of which is called 'Ten Military Principles' and the other is called 'On War'."

"If the General has the time, he might as well study it carefully."

Zhu Shou reached out and scratched the back of his head.

As a rough-around-the-edges man who came from a military background, he knew a few words but never liked reading.

Making him read those thick, heavy books would be worse than killing him.

But the thought of learning His Majesty's superb skills in leading troops and strategizing through these books made Zhu Shou grit his teeth and say, "I really need to take a good look at them."

"If all else fails, find a few scholars, have them read the books first, and then explain them to me."

Upon hearing this, Li Sicong clapped his hands and exclaimed, "General, what a brilliant idea!"

The two had a pleasant conversation, and the previous misunderstanding had long since vanished.

Zhu Shou was curious and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty's military talent is unparalleled throughout history, and your ability to govern the country has never been seen in thousands of years."

"I wonder if Your Majesty has also written any books on governing the country?"

Li Sicong stroked his beard, a gentle smile on his face, and slowly said, "I heard from Lord Yang that His Majesty is currently writing a book called 'The Wealth of Nations,' which is intended for court officials to study the way of governing the country."

"But the book has not been published yet, and I have not had the opportunity to see it."

"According to Lord Yang, the content discussed in the book is all unprecedented knowledge, yet every word and sentence hits the mark of the sages, making it an unparalleled treasure for governing the country."

"If future government officials can study this book well and use it to govern the country, there will be no worry about not achieving national prosperity and strength."

The "Lord Yang" mentioned by Li Sicong is naturally Zhu Yunwen's "secretary," Yang Rong, the Minister of State Affairs.

He had a close personal relationship with Yang Rong, and it was through Yang Rong's recommendation that he was promoted and sent as an envoy to Siam and Bagan.

Most of the books that Zhu Yunwen "writes" now are based on oral accounts, which were then compiled and edited by Yang Rong.

Yang Rong was naturally well aware of these circumstances.

At this point, Li Sicong seemed to suddenly remember something and continued, "Speaking of which, there is another matter. His Majesty originally planned to write a book called 'Das Kapital,' but later, for some reason, he suddenly stopped writing it, saying that the time was not yet ripe and that the Ming Dynasty did not need this book at present."

Zhu Shou became even more curious, his eyes wide open as he stared at Li Sicong, eagerly hoping he would say more.

Although Zhu Shou was completely baffled by books like "The Wealth of Nations" and "Capital," at this moment, he was like a curious child, with a strong sense of curiosity welling up inside him.

"His Majesty once told Lord Yang that as long as the Ming Dynasty is still in the hands of the Zhu family, then 'Das Kapital' will be of no use."

"Unless one day, the descendants of the Zhu family no longer rule the Ming Dynasty, then 'Das Kapital' will become a divine work that stirs up the world and saves the people."

"Therefore, Your Majesty does not intend to write this book for the time being."

"Having 'The Wealth of Nations' to govern a country is enough!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "You can't just say things like that."

Li Sicong quickly clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "The General is absolutely right. I was rash and did not consider things carefully."

Although Zhu Shou still had doubts, he knew that some things were not worth investigating, so he naturally changed the subject: "Siam has just been defeated by the Ming Dynasty and still has to compensate our Ming Dynasty for its military expenses."

"It will be no easy task to make everyone, from princes and nobles to commoners, feel no hatred towards the Ming Dynasty."

Often, strategy is easy to talk about, but difficult to execute.

Li Sicong shook his head slightly, a confident smile on his face, and said with certainty, "This is not difficult. As long as we cooperate a little, the Siamese government will guide the people of Siam to admire and yearn for the Ming Dynasty and regard it as their closest friend."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou was taken aback, his face filled with doubt. He stared intently at Li Sicong, as if trying to find the deeper meaning in his words, clearly puzzled by this statement.

Seeing this, Li Sicong patiently explained: "Now that Siam has suffered a great defeat, how can they tell the people of the whole country that they were defeated and forced to surrender, and can only obediently accept the conditions proposed by the Ming Dynasty and compensate for huge losses?"

He paused, a sly glint in his eyes, "They'll definitely say that Siam and the Ming Dynasty only had a minor misunderstanding, and that the Ming Dynasty is actually a friend of Siam, and that this military intervention is to protect them."

"They would even boast that the Ming Dynasty's dispatch of troops was at the request of the King of Siam and the court, a great achievement for them, and a great good deed done for the country and the people, in order to show off their own abilities and make the people grateful to the King and the court."

"In this way, as long as we cooperate with the Siamese government's propaganda and don't expose their 'little tricks,' the Siamese people will naturally support the Ming Dynasty, yearn for it, and admire it greatly!"

"As exchanges between the Ming Dynasty and Siam become closer, they will learn about the wealth and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, and their yearning for it will grow stronger."

And this kind of operation?

Zhu Shou was stunned once again.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that these words made a lot of sense.

Gradually, the expression on his face changed from initial shock to sudden realization.

This approach allowed the Siamese court to save face and save face.

Only in this way could the Siamese court fully cooperate with the Ming Dynasty.

This is the one that best serves the interests of the Siamese court and also the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

A true "win-win" situation!
No wonder both sides emphasized in the treaty that it was signed "under the principles of equality, voluntariness, fairness and justice".

At the time, he also felt it was glaring and made the Ming Dynasty seem less imposing and powerful.

Why should the mighty Ming Dynasty, the Celestial Empire, be "equal" with tiny Siam?

Now, he finally understands the intricacies of the matter.

With a confident smile on his face and a glint of wisdom in his eyes, Li Sicong said loudly, "Now that things have settled in Siam, it will be much easier to solve the problem in Bagan."

According to intelligence carefully gathered by the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency, the Ming people imprisoned in Siam and enslaved constituted only a very small portion of the population.

Most of the Ming Dynasty's people were imprisoned in Bagan.

There were deeper reasons why the Ming Dynasty navy arrived in Siam first, rather than heading directly to Bagan.

Although Bagan is adjacent to Siam, its coastline is in the opposite direction.

To get to Bagan by sea, you must first pass through the Malacca Strait.

The journey would be much longer.

That's why the army first settled in Siam.

Another key factor is that the once glorious Bagan Dynasty had actually long since disintegrated. Although the Pegu Dynasty inherited most of Bagan's territory, it only maintained a superficial unity.

Internally, it was actually a warlord war, and the situation was chaotic.

It is said that those despicable human traffickers colluded with local indigenous warlords, their power deeply entrenched and their relationships complex.

For the Ming Dynasty, dealing with the problem of Bagan was far more difficult than dealing with a unified dynasty like Siam.

Moreover, since Siam borders Bagan, the Ming Dynasty could leverage Siam to gain a deeper understanding of Bagan's specific situation, thereby accurately identifying the entry point and the key to solving the problem.

Furthermore, after the Ming Dynasty and Siam signed a cooperation treaty, Siam, as the Ming Dynasty's new "military ally," was even able to send troops to assist the Ming Dynasty in jointly resolving the problems in Pagan.

Although the Siamese army was weak and could not be compared with the Ming army, it was still a local native and was undoubtedly an ace in the rough as a "guide and vanguard".

Li Sicong was already fully prepared for this, and his mind was racing with calculations; everything was going according to plan.

……

The atmosphere in the Siamese court was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

The special envoy sent to the Ming army camp did not return overnight, like a heavy boulder pressing on everyone's heart, casting a dark shadow over the court.

"Could it be that the Ming Dynasty would disagree with the peace talks?" A minister asked, his face filled with fear and his voice trembling.

"If the Ming Dynasty disagrees, what will they do? Will they attack the city directly?" another minister asked immediately, his tone full of anxiety and unease.

"Siam is utterly vulnerable to the firearms and cannons of the Ming Dynasty." Another minister said with a sorrowful expression and a mournful tone, as if he could already see the tragic scene of the city falling and the country perishing.

At this moment, a minister stepped forward and suggested tremblingly, "Your Majesty, why don't you go hunting in the north of the city and leave Dachengfu temporarily? Even if the Ming army captures Dachengfu, they probably won't stay there for long. Once they leave, we can return safely."

"If we really have no other choice, perhaps this is the only option." The other ministers nodded in agreement, their eyes revealing helplessness and panic.

The so-called "northern hunting expedition" was just a fancy way of putting it.

Everyone understood that this was actually a way to escape the city and save their lives.

However, their suggestion was immediately and decisively rejected by Ramaputta II.

His face was contorted with rage, his eyes burning with fury. He said indignantly, "A hunting expedition to the north? Isn't that just handing over the Great City to the Ming army for nothing? The legacy of our ancestors has been entrusted to me. How can I be so irresponsible as to abandon it!"

“Ayutthaya is the foundation of Ayutthaya, our root.”

"I will never allow myself to abandon the Great City and desert my post!"

Anyone who suggests abandoning the city will be killed without exception!

Ramaputra II's roar echoed in the court, and the ministers were so intimidated by his imposing aura that they fell silent, no one daring to utter a word.

But many people still exchanged glances, secretly plotting to find an opportunity to slip out of the palace.

After all, saving one's life is the most important thing at this time.

At such a critical juncture, they had long since forgotten about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

How could these ministers truly stand with Ayutthaya in life and death?

If it weren't for the urgency of the situation and the lack of time to escape, they probably would have already fled the city on their own and wouldn't be attending court at this time.

"Although the special envoy has not returned, the Ming army has not yet opened fire to attack the city. Perhaps there is still a chance for things to turn around."

Ramaputra II naturally guessed what his ministers were thinking.

In order to calm people down, he could only force himself to remain calm and comfort them in this way.

These words did have some effect, and the expressions of many Siamese ministers softened slightly. Indeed, at this time, no news might truly be good news.

If the Ming army hadn't attacked the city, there might still have been a glimmer of hope for a peace negotiation.

At this moment, they could only place their hopes on this slim possibility, hoping that Buddha would protect Ayutthaya, persuade the Ming army to accept the peace talks, and save Siam from its peril.

Everyone was gripped by fear and anxiety, their hearts pounding in their chests, when suddenly a guard's loud and urgent shout rang out from outside: "Your Majesty, the special envoy has returned!"

"Summon them immediately!" Ramaputra II exclaimed excitedly, jumping up from his throne.

His voice trembled slightly with excitement, and a spark of hope ignited in his eyes.

Soon, the Siamese envoy who had been sent to the Ming army camp earlier hurriedly stepped into the main hall.

As soon as he entered the palace, before he could even catch his breath or kneel down to pay homage to the king according to etiquette, he could not contain his excitement and shouted, "Your Majesty, I have been fortunate enough to fulfill my mission. The Ming army has not only agreed to accept the peace talks, but has also expressed its willingness to sign a military alliance treaty with my Ayutthaya."

“From now on, I, Ayutthaya, will be protected by the Great Ming army, and Your Majesty’s kingdom will be as solid as a rock and completely secure.”

"Your Majesty, I congratulate you!"

As he spoke, he strode inside.

At this point, he walked to the center of the main hall and knelt down with a thud.

"What?" Ramaputra II stared wide-eyed in astonishment, his mouth agape, his face filled with disbelief, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable.

"How is this possible? You're not lying, are you?"

“How dare I deceive Your Majesty?” The envoy raised his head, his eyes firm: “I have signed the ‘Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement’ with the Great Ming. The articles are here. I ask Your Majesty to review them and sign them personally.”

As he spoke, the special envoy raised the treaty that would determine the fate of Siam high in both hands, as if holding a priceless treasure.

Ramaputra II could no longer contain his eagerness. Disregarding his royal dignity, he strode down from his throne, snatched the "Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement" from his hand, and stared at it with wide eyes, scrutinizing it word by word.

His face, like the ever-changing sky, first surged with wild joy, his lips curled up and his eyebrows smiled.

Then his expression turned to deep worry, his brows furrowed, and his eyes filled with seriousness.

In an instant, a hint of anger surfaced, his teeth clenched, as if he was trying his best to suppress his inner dissatisfaction.

But gradually, his emotions calmed down, and he regained some of his kingly composure.

Ramaputra II was an extremely shrewd man; how could he be easily misled by the grand and eloquent words in the treaty?
However, he was also very clear in his heart that Siam, under the military might of the Ming Dynasty, had already done its best and it was extremely difficult to secure such a treaty.

Frankly speaking, even if the Ming Dynasty proposed even more demanding conditions, what right or ability would Siam have to refuse?

Since that's the case, why not go with the flow, follow the Ming Dynasty's wishes, and cleverly package this defeat into an unprecedented "great victory"!
In this way, his prestige in the country will not be damaged, but the rule of the Siamese court will be more stable!

Compared to admitting defeat, losing prestige, and being condemned by the people for the incompetence of the court and the foolishness of the king, this was the best possible outcome!
Upon thinking of this, Ramaputra II suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily, as if all the gloom had vanished: "Excellent! My dear minister has lived up to my expectations and has managed to sign such a good treaty. It is truly a blessing for Ayutthaya!"

"The fact that Ayutthaya was able to turn the tide and was protected by the Ming Dynasty is all thanks to you, my dear minister."

"I will reward my beloved minister handsomely!"

"I'll reward you with ten manors, ten thousand taels of gold, and a promotion of three ranks!"

Upon hearing of this generous reward, the kneeling "envoy" was overjoyed, his face beaming with delight: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty. I congratulate Your Majesty and Ayutthaya!"

In the grand hall, although the ministers were still unclear about the specific contents of the treaty, they understood from the conversation between the king and the envoy that Siam had successfully turned the tide.

Furthermore, there will be the "protection" of the Ming Dynasty in the future.

Although many ministers also sensed the subtle "profound meaning" behind this "protection".

At this point, unless someone is completely foolish, no one would dare to point out this hidden truth.

On the contrary, everyone was beaming with joy, as if they had truly witnessed a great victory.

"Congratulations to the King! Congratulations to Ayutthaya!"

"Congratulations to the King! Congratulations to Ayutthaya!"

"Congratulations to the King! Congratulations to Ayutthaya!"

All the ministers in the hall knelt down, and cheers echoed throughout the hall for a long time.

King Ramaputra II was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Ayutthaya has signed a treaty of friendship with the Ming Dynasty, forging an everlasting alliance. This is a great event, and it is also inseparable from the efforts of all the courtiers of Ayutthaya!"

"By imperial decree, the entire city of Ayutthaya shall celebrate for three days to commemorate the signing of this treaty."

After he finished speaking, he picked up a pen and solemnly signed his name on the "Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement".

……

(End of this chapter)