Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 499 The Most Ruthless Man in the Ming Dynasty! Is Old Zhu Going to Lead His Army Through Eurasia?
"Your Majesty, this is an urgent matter from the court. It is a letter written by His Majesty himself, imploring Your Majesty to return to the Great Ming as soon as possible and not to linger in such a dangerous place as the Western Regions."

The guard knelt down and bowed. As soon as he finished speaking, he presented a secret letter in a brocade pouch with both hands.

It turned out that Zhu Yuanzhang had secretly dispatched troops out of the pass to launch a surprise attack on Beshbaliq from a distance of 1,000 li. As the commander-in-chief, Sha Qiyang hurriedly ordered all troops to follow the plan and sent someone to report the matter to the court with an urgent message.

Today, roads within the Ming Dynasty are unobstructed, national highways are extensive, and post stations are everywhere, making the speed of intelligence transmission far superior to what it used to be.

The journey from Jiayuguan to Jinling was over 5,000 li, and it required crossing numerous mountains and rivers. However, thanks to the extensive construction of national highways with cement roads and the relay stations, the report was delivered to Jinling in just ten days.

Upon receiving this news, all the officials in the court were extremely shocked.

Emperor Zhu Yunwen was also extremely shocked.

It was fine for Lao Zhu to travel around the Central Plains, since he was familiar with the place and the people, and the situation was under his control.

Could we venture deeper into the Western Regions?
The area is sparsely populated, vast and far away, and the desert climate is unpredictable. It is not part of the Ming Dynasty's territory, so it is a place full of variables. How can we be careless?
They also led their troops to attack Beshbaliq.

What a fuss!

But it was too late to stop Lao Zhu now that things had come to this.

Zhu Yunwen immediately ordered the Military Affairs Department to urgently dispatch three brigades of new troops to assemble at Jiayuguan, ready to provide support or launch an attack at any time.

At the same time, he mobilized the intelligence bureau and the military intelligence department to send a message by carrier pigeon to deliver his handwritten admonition to Zhu De to the secret agents who were hiding in Beshbali, so that they could forward it.

Old Zhu and the new army soldiers traveled from Jiayuguan all the way to Beshbali, a journey that took them more than a month.

Although Zhu Yunwen sent the urgent message after receiving the news in Jinling, and the round trip was more than 10,000 li longer than that of Zhu Yunwen and his men, the speed was much faster.

As soon as Zhu Yunwen stepped into Beshbali, a personal letter from Zhu Yunwen arrived.

It was undeniably a joyful occasion.

Old Zhu unfolded the letter and saw that every word was sincere and heartfelt, filled with the grandson's worries and longing for his grandfather.

Although the handwriting is really not good, it is undoubtedly handwritten, and the emotions are revealed between the pen and paper.

Unexpectedly, after reading it, Old Zhu snorted coldly, casually tossed the letter aside, and began to reminisce about the past: "That kid, didn't he also leave a letter behind and take it upon himself to lead an army on a distant expedition to Japan, leaving us alone in the palace to live in fear? Now that it's our turn to go out for a stroll, he's all anxious?"

He chuckled as he said this, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "We'll just do the opposite of what he wants."

His gaze swept across the three people still kneeling on the ground, and Old Zhu's tone suddenly changed, becoming sharp as a blade:

"You three, do you still want to atone for your crimes by doing good deeds?"

Upon hearing this, the three were overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your humble servants are willing to obey the Emperor's orders and thank the Emperor for his great kindness!"

Old Zhu raised his hand to stop their bowing and said, "Although Beshbalik is a vast area, its total population is only a million, which is less than a prefecture in the territory of my Great Ming, and less than one-tenth of the total population of the Great Ming."

"Moreover, the world is now unified and the country is at its peak. The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are well-equipped with firearms and their battle formations are well-organized."

"If the two sides were to engage in battle, even if a hundred Biesibali joined forces, they would still be no match for my Great Ming."

“Your plan to recapture Beshbaliq this time has indeed been a remarkable achievement, and we are aware of that.”

Old Zhu paused, his eyes sharp as knives: "But you falsely conveyed the imperial decree and mobilized troops without authorization, which is a serious crime. Although the merit of recapturing Beshbali is commendable, it is not enough to offset the crime."

The three men's expressions changed slightly, and they lowered their heads in silence.

"However," Old Zhu changed the subject, "if you can perform another great service for the court and clear your name of past transgressions, not only will your crimes be pardoned, but you will also be granted a title and a high rank, your name will be recorded in history, and your name will be remembered for generations. Are you willing to give it a try?"

The three men almost simultaneously prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed: "Please, Your Majesty, enlighten us and guide us through our confusion!"

Seeing their fearful and apprehensive appearance, Old Zhu finally showed a satisfied expression and said, "The Western Regions have always been the throat of the trade routes on the Silk Road."

"But do you know that the Silk Road does not stop at the Western Regions, but leads to a more distant west. From the Western Regions westward, it passes through countless other countries."

"Not long ago, Zheng He's treasure ship fleet crossed the four seas, circumnavigated the earth, and returned safely to Nanjing."

“Long before he set sail, my grandson drew up a nautical chart and marked the outline of the land. It was later verified that the chart was accurate to the millimeter.”

"According to the nautical chart, it is possible to reach the western countries by sea."

"From the land, one can also travel directly to Europe."

At this point, a glint of light appeared in Old Zhu's eyes, as if he could see the vast lands and mountains thousands of miles away: "Back then, Genghis Khan swept across the grasslands and dominated Central Asia. Afterwards, he enfeoffed his five sons with titles according to their military merits. Apart from the former Yuan Dynasty, he established four other khanates: the Golden Horde, the Chagatai Khanate, the Ögedei Khanate, and the Ilkhanate."

"These khanates all inherited Genghis Khan's hegemony, engaged in militarism and greedy expansion, and once swept across Eurasia."

"Among them, the Golden Horde and the Ilkhanate were the most prominent, with their territories extending to the far west, especially the Golden Horde, which at one point reached deep into Europe."

"Although the major khanates all came from the same lineage, they were rife with contradictions and constantly engaged in warfare."

"Now, some of these khanates have already perished, while others are still barely clinging to life."

"We were just thinking that the world is so vast, and the descendants of Genghis Khan were able to traverse Eurasia and establish four Khanates that reached all the way to the far west."

"Now, our Great Ming Dynasty is prosperous and powerful, and its military strength far surpasses that of the grassland tribes of that time."

"If they can do it, then our Great Ming Dynasty can certainly do it too."

"The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, also known as the Sovereign of the World, should rightfully rule over the four seas and eight wastelands, dominate the nine provinces of the world, and govern the entire human realm."

"We have made a decision to personally lead the new army from this place to conquer the western lands and set foot in the far west."

"We do not want to incorporate those foreign lands into our territory, nor do we want to forcibly establish prefectures and grant titles. We only wish that they, like Siam, Pegu, and Goryeo, would form an alliance, regard the Ming Dynasty as their superior country, and remain friendly for generations to come."

"In this way, merchants of our Great Ming Dynasty can travel freely throughout the world, without hindrance to all nations, exchanging goods and engaging in trade with other countries, thus forging friendly relations with them."

"Let the Ming Dynasty truly become a suzerain state where all nations pay tribute and the world respects it."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the three people in front of him, then his tone suddenly changed:
"In order to quell the rebellion of Beshbaliq and to make a name for yourself in history, you have forged imperial edicts, borrowed money, and privately mobilized troops. According to the law, you should be punished with a severe penalty."

“But considering that you have the country at heart and are not entirely driven by personal gain, and that you have also made some small contributions, we will give you this opportunity.”

"You are granted the opportunity to redeem yourselves through meritorious service, and will continue to serve as envoys of the Ming Dynasty, paving the way for us and investigating the mountains, rivers, and customs of the countries along the route."

"I will personally lead the new army to conquer thousands of miles of land and let the dragon flag of the Ming Dynasty be planted in every kingdom in the West."

"If this mission succeeds, your past sins will be wiped clean."

"If one can achieve extraordinary merit, not only will one be blameless, but one will also be promoted and honored, bringing glory to one's family."

"Eternity later, future generations will remember your deeds and sing your praises."

At this point, Old Zhu's gaze suddenly turned calm. He looked down at the map in his hand, as if he could see countless bones, beacon fires, and banners through the paper.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang has never had any enthusiasm for expanding territory.

He once criticized many emperors in history for their pursuit of empty fame in expanding their territories, which led to rivers of blood and people being displaced and scattered.

Pitiful are the bones by the Wuding River, still the dream of those in their secluded chambers.

Behind every war lies the shattering of countless families.

Bones buried far from home, souls unable to return; how many heroes have become nothing more than tearful dreams of others.

Even the most powerful empire cannot withstand endless expeditions and losses.

Moreover, this kind of territorial expansion yields no benefits whatsoever.

Because the journey was too long, food and ordinary supplies could not be transported back to the Ming Dynasty to replenish the country's strength.

Only some useless "precious items" can be taken back.

However, the Ming Dynasty needed to send people to garrison the area and even continuously supply food and materials.

This business deal left him with nothing but losses.

Old Zhu was naturally unwilling to do it.

In his governing philosophy, in addition to resisting foreign invasion and safeguarding the borders and the people,

The Ming Dynasty must never expand outwards.

To this end, Zhu Yuanzhang even made a clear stipulation in the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" that the surrounding countries were basically listed as "countries not to be conquered"!
However, Zhu Yunwen gradually shook the old ideas deeply rooted in Zhu's heart through his practical actions and tangible results.

Under Zhu Yunwen's rule, the Ming Dynasty successively conquered Japan, the Northern Yuan, the Jurchen tribes, as well as Siam, Pegu, and other countries and regions.

Surprisingly, these wars not only did not deplete the national treasury, but instead yielded substantial gains and a resounding victory.

As he repeatedly expounded on his governing philosophy and economic principles in his letters to Zhu Yuanzhang, if the Ming Dynasty wanted to prosper for a long time, it had to continuously develop resources and expand external markets.

Only by exploring the outside world and breaking the old closed pattern can a country's wealth and vitality continue to grow vigorously.

At first, Lao Zhu was quite confused by these "new learning" concepts, feeling that they were all in a fog.

I've always had a vague understanding of terms like "resource circulation" and "market development."

But now, seeing everything take root and flourish, he has finally begun to understand the true meaning behind it all.

Zhu Yunwen's proposal of "expanding territory" did not mean completely conquering foreign lands and forcibly incorporating them into the territory, as previous emperors had done.

Instead, it employed a combination of military deterrence and economic incentives, employing a "carrot and stick" strategy to persuade those countries to willingly establish diplomatic relations and engage in trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Once both sides reach a consensus, Ming Dynasty merchants can move freely between them, with goods and currency flowing in abundance. Profits can be generated continuously simply through "normal" trade.

Compared to conquering land by force and then maintaining public morale with an iron fist, this method only requires a little demonstration before signing a treaty.

Its cost is so low and its effect so high that it is thousands or even tens of thousands of times more effective than direct conquest!
If a place is forcibly conquered by force, it may seem like the territory has been expanded, but in reality, it hides countless hidden dangers.

The existing political organization system will collapse in the war, and rebuilding a new order will be a long and arduous task.

What's more troublesome is that conquest is not the end, but the beginning of another.

What follows is the high cost of maintaining control.

Sending officials, stationing troops, pacifying the people, and providing for the populace...

All of these are continuous sources of fiscal expenditure.

The most challenging aspect lies in the fundamental differences in culture, religion, language, and ethnicity.

For various reasons, it was extremely difficult for the Ming Dynasty to truly win the hearts of the people.

In the eyes of many people from other ethnic groups, the Ming Dynasty was not a guide to civilization, but an oppressor, a foreign power that descended from the sky and sat high above them.

They will not feel grateful; instead, they are more likely to harbor hatred and rebellious feelings.

They will not regard the Ming Dynasty as their parent country, but as usurpers and invaders!
This is the deepest hidden worry.

An "imperial illusion" that appears stable on the surface but is actually rife with undercurrents is far more terrifying than any visible enemy.

To truly win over a completely different country to the Ming Dynasty is no easy task that can be accomplished overnight.

That would require an extremely long period of time and an investment of countless amounts of gold, silver, manpower, and resources. It would take a comprehensive and multi-layered approach, especially by leveraging the power of education and propaganda, to subtly instill the values ​​of the Ming Dynasty into people's hearts generation after generation, and only then could a sense of belonging and identity be gradually cultivated.

The required investment in this process will be like a bottomless abyss, making it daunting.

Not only is the return on investment nowhere in sight, but it is also highly likely that the principal will not be recovered, and continuous losses will become the norm.

In the long run, perhaps it will yield real benefits hundreds of years later.

But the question is, how will the Ming Dynasty sustain this long transition period?
If the empire itself is severely weakened in order to maintain this model of rule, or even collapses prematurely due to excessive financial support, then it will be a huge loss!
If we change the approach and simply make them nominally respect the Ming Dynasty, acknowledge its suzerain status, and allow Ming merchants to freely enter and exit, invest in factories, engage in trade, and exchange goods within its territory, then all the troubles can be easily resolved.

They continued to maintain their own system, laws, and daily operations. The Ming Dynasty did not need to interfere, nor did it need to spend huge sums of money to send officials and troops to implement the system, nor did it need to bear huge administrative costs and political risks.

In this way, the Ming Dynasty could securely obtain resources from them while also dumping its domestically produced goods on them, thereby continuously supplying the Ming Dynasty's industrialization, expanding raw material production areas and vast markets, and forming a complete cycle.

Ultimately, they were just "doing business" with each other.

On this basis, by adding a touch of clever public opinion guidance and cultural export, showcasing the prosperity, benevolence, and leniency of the Ming Dynasty through various means, we can "tell" them that doing business with the Ming Dynasty is a "win-win" situation and also greatly benefits them. Not only will those foreign people not harbor resentment, but they will also yearn for the Ming Dynasty and develop a sincere admiration for it.

They would actively regard the Ming Dynasty as an ideal country, fantasizing that the Ming Dynasty was a "heavenly kingdom on earth" and their "spiritual home".

Without the need for firearms or cannons, the smoke of war would rise everywhere, and they would "submit" to the Ming Dynasty from the bottom of their hearts and willingly follow it.

Although not a single soldier of the Ming Dynasty crossed the border, it effectively held the power of discourse and dominance over the entire world.

Most importantly, all of this can be achieved with almost no cost of conquest and without shedding a single drop of blood.

Not only did the Ming Dynasty not have to bear the heavy burden of expansion, it was also able to continuously absorb world resources to nourish itself, making the foundation of the empire increasingly solid and its appearance ever new.

This was Zhu Yunwen's true blueprint!
……

(End of this chapter)