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

Chapter 385 The Generals Return to the Capital, Kunlun Slave
He took over Yunnan and pacified Myanmar.

The Battle to Recapture Annam.

The war that destroyed Siam.

Xu Changhai and Zhu Jianqiu led 30,000 Tian Ce soldiers southward, and every battle they fought along the way was reported in detail to Zhu Jinzhen whenever he asked.

At the same time, a list of the rare treasures seized during this expedition will be presented to you.

Zhu Jinzhen casually flipped through the pages and found that most of the so-called rare treasures were just rare treasures in the eyes of ordinary people, and were not particularly novel to him.

Only two things are worthy of my attention.

"The Great Brahma Golden Heaven Melon?" Zhu Jinzhen looked at Xu Changhai; this was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.

"Your Highness, it is a special kind of watermelon with a golden-yellow exterior. It is a Siamese specialty that only the Siamese royal family can enjoy. It is said to have the effect of strengthening muscles and bones, and its taste is exceptionally sweet."

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Xu Changhai's face. When he first heard about the so-called "Brahma Golden Melon" named after Brahma by Siam, he also thought he had acquired a rare treasure.

Moreover, it was the rare and precious fruit that His Highness valued most.

result……

When Xu Changhai finally understood what this so-called "Great Brahma Golden Melon" was, he was greatly disappointed.

Despite its peculiar properties, it does indeed have the effect of strengthening muscles and bones, and eating it regularly is beneficial to health.

To say it's useless...

It's pretty useless.

Its bone-strengthening effects are not much different from those of ordinary medicinal herbs. Apart from being much sweeter than regular watermelons and having a unique exotic flavor, it doesn't have much else to offer.

"Bodhi fruit?"

Zhu Jinzhen looked at it again.

Siam is predominantly Buddhist, although it is not a mainstream Buddhist sect but rather worships Brahma (the eight-faced Buddha). Nevertheless, it possesses customs and traditions comparable to some Buddhist countries in the Western Regions.

Surely the name "Bodhi" couldn't have been chosen randomly?

A blush crept across Xu Changhai's face, but he didn't answer. Instead, he gestured to Zhu Jianqiu beside him. The latter bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this Bodhi fruit is indeed extraordinary."

"It is said to be a rare and precious fruit that was brought to Siam by an Indian monk hundreds of years ago. It is said to have the effects of greatly tonifying kidney yang, strengthening the body, making people feel intoxicated by Bodhi, floating on air, and relieving all kinds of worries in the world."

"Even members of the royal family in Siam generally cannot enjoy this."

"wait……"

Zhu Jinzhen listened with a strange expression. He could understand the first part, which was about replenishing kidney yang and strengthening the body. But the latter part, which was about being drunk like a bodhi tree, floating like an immortal, and relieving all kinds of human sorrows, sounded so much like the characteristics of Siam.
"You're saying that eating this will make you feel like you're floating on air?"

"Can it really relieve all human sorrows? How?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Zhu Jianqiu didn't understand why Zhu Jinzhen was reacting so strongly, but he still answered truthfully.

"It is said that those who eat the Bodhi fruit will feel as if they have entered a fairyland, as if they have ascended to paradise, and will completely forget themselves. Even if they have a thousand worries, they will feel relieved and happy after eating it."

"It is said that after eating the Bodhi fruit, although it can relieve worries, one will become obsessed with the dreamlike fairyland that one can't help but linger in."

Zhu Jinzhen: “.”

He stared speechlessly at the Bodhi fruit on the list, with a feeling that he might have been tainted by something unclean.

"You've met before?"

"Or...did you take it?"

Zhu Jianqiu's heart skipped a beat. He could hear the change in Zhu Jinzhen's tone and subconsciously glanced at Xu Changhai next to him, who shrugged at him.

"Your Majesty, this item was indeed captured."

"We only know its effects, which were obtained when we captured the King of Siam during the conquest of the Siamese capital. The specific effects were described by King Phanalai of Siam and Siamese officials."

"We have not taken any of these medications."

Zhu Jianqiu answered truthfully.

"That's good."

Zhu Jinzhen breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll bring in a couple of death row inmates later. Forget it, why don't you guys just find someone in Siam to try it out and see if it's addictive, irresistible, and constantly draining your energy and spirit?"

"If possible, destroy it on the spot."

"Whether it's fruit or seedlings."

"If you don't know how..." "There's no need to bring it back."

Originally, Zhu Jinzhen thought that the Bodhi fruit was somewhat similar to something else, so he decided to destroy it. However, he quickly changed his mind and abandoned the idea, believing that everything has its own value.

He was only speculating; there was no need to let a species completely disappear.

"Yes."

Zhu Jianqiu replied respectfully, but couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. It seemed that their offering had backfired, as if they had tried to flatter the horse but ended up hurting it instead.

If they had known that this thing was so disliked by their prince, they wouldn't have bothered to have it hidden away when it was seized from the Siamese royal palace.

Zhu Jinzhen naturally saw through Zhu Jianqiu's little scheme, but he didn't expose it. He simply turned the page and said, "Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony."

"I have ordered your residence to be prepared."

"In addition, the official seals and court robes of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions have also been prepared for you."

"I'm giving you two hours. You need to bring back something from the battlefields of Siam and Annam. Do it as soon as possible."

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Jianqiu and Xu Changhai bowed and accepted the order.

……

Two hours later.

Zhu Jinzhen withdrew the Anywhere Door and opened the door leading to the U-Tsang Commandery.

The Grand Commander of the Tian Ce Prefecture, who was fighting abroad, was brought back directly through the Anywhere Door. Qin Yiyan, the Deputy Commander of the Tian Ce Prefecture who was in charge of reorganizing the five border regions of Shanxi, Xuanfu, Datong, Yansui, and Ningxia in Yinchuan, and Song Senxue of the Cangyun Army were also temporarily recalled to the capital.

"Your subject, Li Chengen, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"Your subject, Qin Yiyan, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"This humble general, Song Senxue, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"Yes, no need for formalities."

Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand to help everyone up from a distance, and then repeated the same words he had previously given to Zhu Jianqiu and Xu Changhai: the official seals of the Six Ministries and the Five Military Commands, and the court robes for tomorrow's enthronement ceremony, had already been prepared for them.

In addition, there was their residence in the capital.

"Cheng'en, you must be tired from your campaigns abroad."

"According to the secret guards' report, after you crushed the Auxiliary King's sect, you crossed the Himalayas and utterly destroyed Kathmandu?"

"Serving Your Highness in battle, this humble general dares not complain of hardship." A slight smile appeared on Li Chengen's cold face, and then he nodded and said, "The Prince's Sect and the people of Sidazang are colluding with the people of Kathmandu to disrupt the border."

"Since I have been ordered by the King, how can I allow them to run rampant against the people of my Great Ming Dynasty?"

"In a fit of rage, he led his troops to raze Kathmandu to the ground."

"Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Forgive me?" Zhu Jinzhen knew that Li Chengen's "forgive me" did not mean he would easily resort to violence or destroy Kathmandu, but rather that he felt Li Chengen's actions were a decision made in a fit of rage and without permission.

"When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the military orders."

"Besides, your expedition to the Ü-Tsang Commandery was a long and arduous journey. By the time my orders arrived, the fleeting opportunity would have already passed. You did a great job this time, what crime have you committed?"

"on the contrary……"

Zhu Jinzhen smiled faintly: "You have defended the borders of our Great Ming Dynasty, protected our people, and defeated enemy countries. This is a great achievement and you should be rewarded."

"That……"

Li Chengen was secretly delighted and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, what about the matter of me capturing over 700,000 Kunlun slaves?"

"Kun...Kunlun slave?"

"Over seven hundred thousand?"

Zhu Jinzhen's eyelids twitched, and he looked at Li Chengen in surprise: "Why did you capture so many Kunlun slaves?"

Li Chengen was taken aback, then lowered his voice and whispered, "Your Highness, have you forgotten?"

“Three years ago, a merchant from the Sui Dynasty came to Jiayuguan with a group of Kunlun slaves. You saw him from afar and said that if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely capture some Kunlun slaves to mine.”

"And you're saying this is a top-of-the-line mining tool?"

(End of this chapter)