Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 384 Trivial Matters of Mount Hua, Zhu Jinzhen's Good Intentions

the other side.

Mount Hua, the Eastern Peak, is home to the Jade Maiden Peak.

Ning Zhongze, who was overjoyed to see her husband return safely, had no time to rejoice that her husband had finally achieved his wish and was able to be promoted and ennobled, when she heard the devastating news that struck her like a thunderbolt.

Ning Zhongze's lips trembled, and her body shook uncontrollably: "You... Senior Brother, what did you say?"

Yue Lingshan, who was inside the room, was also dumbfounded.

She suspected that the person who had returned was not her chivalrous and heroic father at all, but someone who had disguised himself as him and returned to deceive her and her mother, Ning Zhongze.

But the next moment, Yue Buqun's words shattered the disbelief in her heart.

Yue Buqun clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the capital and said with a smile, "I am favored by His Majesty and can be directly promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the Eastern Depot. Moreover, judging from Director Cao's words, His Majesty seems to value me highly and intends to let me succeed Cao Zhengchun as Director of the Eastern Depot."

"Junior sister, Lingshan, isn't this a joyous occasion?"

Why aren't you laughing?

Ning Zhongze's face was deathly pale, and his body swayed precariously.

laugh?
How could she still smile when her husband was going to become a eunuch in the palace?
Yue Lingshan managed to force a smile that was more like a grimace: "Father, if I remember correctly, the people of the Eastern Depot seem to be..."

"Eunuch?"

Yue Buqun readily admitted, nodding calmly: "That is indeed the case. The Eastern Depot are His Majesty's close attendants, able to move freely within the palace. How could they maintain proper decorum without being castrated?"

The inner palace was a forbidden area, and any man who trespassed there would be sentenced to death.

No one is an exception.

Not to mention the Forbidden City's imperial palace, even the backyard of the former Prince Su's mansion, Yue Buqun had heard from his fellow secret guards that it was full of women and no one was allowed to set foot there.

Anyone who dares to even peek into the ground will end up being fed to the dogs in a mass grave.

"Father, since you know, why?" Yue Lingshan supported Ning Zhongze, who was swaying and whose face was flushed with an unusual blush, with an expression of disbelief.

Ning Zhongze, feeling a mouthful of blood rise to her throat, also cast a questioning glance at Yue Buqun.

Yue Buqun ignored him and laughed to himself, "The Deputy Supervisor of the Eastern Depot has a chance to rise to the top in one step. I believe no one can stand by and watch such an opportunity slip through their fingers."

"As for..."

Yue Buqun looked at Ning Zhongze, whose eyes were filled with despair, and a hint of shame appeared on his face, but he quickly hid it. He then used a secret telepathic communication method to tell Ning Zhongze some things that were difficult to say and that Yue Lingshan could not know.

Ning Zhongze's expression changed repeatedly, and her gaze toward Yue Buqun became completely different.

Disappointment, self-mockery, pain, despair...

Finally, he even revealed a look of utter heartbreak that terrified Yue Buqun.

"Father, how can you do this to me..."

"Alright, Lingshan." Ning Zhongze suddenly spoke, stopping Yue Lingshan. Meeting her distressed gaze, he gave a self-deprecating bitter smile and said to Yue Lingshan, "Help your mother go to bed and rest. Mother is tired."

"As for you..."

"Senior brother, I hope you won't regret your choice today."

"I'm tired. Since you, my senior brother, are so ambitious and willing to do anything for the position of deputy supervisor of the Eastern Depot, then... you are no longer welcome here. You may leave!"

After Ning Zhongze finished speaking, she said no more and turned around to let Yue Lingshan help her back to the bed to rest.

He even closed his eyes and refused to look at Yue Buqun again.

Seeing Ning Zhongze's pained expression, Yue Lingshan angrily shoved Yue Buqun out of the room and began questioning her father about why he was so heartless.

After concealing some of the facts, Yue Buqun also revealed some of his plans.

Inside the room. Ning Zhongze's eyes snapped open, and she suddenly raised her hand to cover her mouth with a silk handkerchief, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she stared at the tightly closed door, uttering a low, frightening voice: "Senior brother, you will regret it, you will definitely regret it."

……

Time flies like water, and a few days have passed in a flash.

Battle reports from the front lines kept arriving.

Siam was destroyed in two days, and its king received the same treatment as the king of Annam.

They both surrendered with jade in their mouths and sheep in their arms, their bodies bare.

The difference is...

As a vassal state that had once submitted to the Ming Dynasty, Annam did not resist the Ming's renewed rule with great intensity, whether it was the remnants of the Annam court after its destruction or the general populace.

However, the resistance in Siam was dozens of times more intense than that in Annam.

Within two days, the garrison in Tian Ce Prefecture suffered dozens of attacks and assassinations. These attacks included not only counterattacks organized by members of the royal family, but also attacks initiated by local gentry, nobles, and common people from various parts of Siam.

result……

Naturally, it was a brutal suppression.

Even the strength of a single nation cannot stop the Tian Ce Army led by Xu Changhai. Now that their country has been destroyed, how much trouble can the remaining remnants stir up?

The capital city, the Wenhua Hall.

After the dazzling light of the Anywhere Door disappeared.

Two figures appeared out of thin air inside the main hall.

Xu Changhai and Zhu Jianqiu, both exuding an aura of iron and blood, were only stunned for a moment before they came to their senses and bowed to Zhu Jinzhen: "Your subject, Xu Changhai, greets Your Highness."

"Your subject, Zhu Jianqiu, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"Yes, no need for formalities."

Zhu Jinzhen smiled and waved, helping the two up from a distance.

"Your Highness summoned us back in such a hurry, is there something important you wish to instruct us on?"

"No, it's just that I received another urgent battle report from the front lines today, and I wanted to see my two most trusted ministers." Zhu Jinzhen shook his head with a smile, paused, and then continued, "With the coronation ceremony approaching, I know you have been fighting hard abroad, so I have opened a portal to let you participate in this grand event."

"This……"

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

Xu Changhai and Zhu Jianqiu were stunned for a moment before they immediately understood what Zhu Jinzhen meant.

The excuse that she missed the two of them after hearing the battle reports from the front was just that—an excuse.

His Majesty's true intention was probably to open a portal and bring them back from the battlefields of Siam and Annam, knowing they would miss the coronation ceremony.

Seeing that the two understood his intention, Zhu Jinzhen smiled, gestured for them to rise, and inquired about the war between Annam and Siam.

What comes out on paper is ultimately shallow.

Zhu Jinzhen was quite curious about Zhu Jianqiu's process of conquering thirteen cities in Annam in a single day. He praised Zhu Jianqiu's ability to destroy Annam in one day and even his idea to order the secret guards to take action in advance to prevent the Annamite king from surrendering.

"Thanks to Your Highness's great fortune, the soldiers are willing to risk their lives."

"Only with the help of subordinates can one truly make a difference in Annam."

Zhu Jianqiu bowed humbly, saying that the real credit belonged to Zhu Jinzhen, not him. He added that any other general leading the Tian Ce soldiers could have achieved similar feats.

Xu Changhai nodded secretly. If his prince hadn't elevated the strength of the Tian Ce Army to a level that was difficult for ordinary people to reach, the war in Annam would not have been so easy, and his subsequent suppression of Siam would not have been so simple.

(End of this chapter)