Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

"what?"

"Thoughts that shouldn't be there?"

Upon hearing Zhu Gaoxu's words, Zhu Di was even more bewildered: "No, what exactly do you want, kid? Just say what you want, no need to beat around the bush."

He had a vague intuition that what Zhu Gaoxu wanted to tell him was very important, but after Zhu Gaoxu talked for a long time, he still didn't quite understand what Zhu Gaoxu was trying to express, so he became a little anxious.

Zhu Gaoxu looked up at Zhu Di, speechless. He felt he had made his hints clear enough, but Zhu Di still didn't understand.

Zhu Di met Zhu Gaoxu's gaze and said, "What are you looking at me for? Speak!"

Zhu Gaoxu gave a bitter smile, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Father, what I mean is, you should stop coveting the throne!"

After saying that, he shut his mouth and waited quietly.

"Craving the throne?" Zhu Di was taken aback. He looked at Zhu Gaoxu in front of him, blinked, and finally understood. He laughed and scolded, "You brat, what nonsense are you talking about? Don't worry, I won't think about the throne anymore."

He saw the situation very clearly and was truly and utterly impressed by Zhu Yunwen's abilities; otherwise, he would never have joined Zhu Yunwen's ranks in the first place.

“That would be perfect, Father. You don’t know, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are absolutely loyal to His Majesty. Although His Majesty has entrusted them to you, believe it or not, they can attack you instantly with just one order from His Majesty,” Zhu Gaoxu said.

"I believe you!" Zhu Di nodded.

"Ok?"

Zhu Di's attitude left Zhu Gaoxu somewhat bewildered. Although he knew that Zhu Di had inquired about the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the meaning Zhu Di expressed still left him dumbfounded.

"What? You underestimate your father too much, kid? If your father didn't even have this much insight, how could he have made such a great name for himself?" Zhu Di laughed.

"Uh..." Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Di, whose face was full of pride, and couldn't help but twitch his lips. However, after learning that Zhu Di still had no intention of taking the throne, he was genuinely relieved.

He was afraid that Zhu Di was still not giving up. If that were the case, Zhu Di would definitely not have a good end. As long as he could not deal with the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, it would be absolutely suicide for him to fight against Zhu Yunwen.

"Gao Xu, what are you and your uncle whispering about?" Li Jinglong spurred his horse over.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to give my father a proper reminder to keep a close eye on the grasslands for His Majesty." Zhu Gaoxu chuckled, not telling Li Jinglong the truth, in order to avoid complicating matters.

Zhu Yunwen's decision to have Zhu Di guard the grasslands shows that he trusted Zhu Di. At this point, if he were to bring up the fact that Zhu Di had previously competed with him for the throne, it could very well lead to an unexpected situation.

Zhu Gaoxu was very clear that although no one was mentioning Zhu Di's uprising and his struggle for the throne with Zhu Yunwen, everyone around him had not forgotten it. In fact, some people were already planning how to bring it up.

Li Jinglong did not doubt Zhu Gaoxu's words and echoed, "Fourth Uncle, Gaoxu is right. It is not easy for you to have the current situation. It is all thanks to His Majesty's trust. You must not let His Majesty down!"

"Rest assured, now that I have joined His Majesty's ranks, I will naturally have no other thoughts." Zhu Di nodded.

Although he looked down on Li Jinglong, he clearly understood that thanks to the merit of surrendering the city, Li Jinglong still had a lot of influence with Zhu Yunwen. Moreover, Zhu Yunwen seemed to value Li Jinglong quite a bit. This created a situation where Li Jinglong might not be able to help him much, but he was more than capable of ruining him.

“Uncle, please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean anything by saying these things. I just don’t want to see you go down a path of no return. You should have seen the current situation clearly. His Majesty’s ascension to the throne is inevitable. Even the grasslands have already knelt down.” Li Jinglong thought for a moment and explained.

Zhu Di smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Jinglong, I know you mean well. We've known each other for a long time, and I know your personality very well."

"Hmm!" Li Jinglong nodded, seeing that Zhu Di did not harbor any resentment, and put the matter out of his mind.

"By the way, Uncle, how long do you think it will take before there's unrest on the grasslands?" Li Jinglong changed the subject and started talking about the grasslands.

Zhu Di shook his head and said, "I don't know, but there is one thing I do know: if the grasslands fall into chaos, I will follow Your Majesty's instructions and restore stability to the grasslands in the shortest possible time."

As he spoke, a look of anticipation appeared in his eyes. He had five thousand Great Snow Dragon Riders and five thousand Tiger Leopard Riders in his hands, as well as a map depicting the grassland region. He was truly eager to lead his army to conquer the grassland.

"Uh..." Li Jinglong saw the excitement in Zhu Di's eyes and was stunned. At this moment, he suddenly realized that Zhu Di was an absolute war maniac.

Subconsciously, he glanced at the Snow Dragon Riders and Tiger Leopard Riders not far away, and couldn't help but think that once Zhu Di had a map of the grasslands and a powerful army, the grasslands were probably in trouble.

He had known Zhu Di for quite some time, but to talk about his acquaintance and relationship with Zhu Di, we have to start with his father, Li Wenzhong.

Li Wenzhong was Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew and was an outstanding military strategist. Although Zhu Di was Zhu Yuanzhang's son, he was born during the period when Zhu Yuanzhang was building his empire. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang could not pay much attention to his son Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was born amidst the flames of war. As a child, he was filled with curiosity about the battlefield and was constantly exposed to things related to warfare. During this period, Li Wenzhong gradually came to Zhu Di's side. He and Zhu Di were cousins, so their relationship was closer than that of others.

Besides their close relationship, Li Wenzhong was also a skilled military strategist, which was incredibly tempting for the young Zhu Di. As a result, he often pestered Li Wenzhong to ask him about various things related to warfare, and Li Wenzhong patiently taught Zhu Di in every way.

It can be said that a large part of Zhu Di's achievements can be attributed to Li Wenzhong. Li Jinglong was Li Wenzhong's son. Because of Li Wenzhong's teachings and their similar ages, Zhu Di and Li Jinglong became acquainted over time.

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Li Jinglong and said, "Jinglong, perhaps His Majesty appointed my father to guard the grasslands precisely so that he could teach those people from the Northern Yuan a lesson. After all, you should know very well what kind of people they are."

Li Jinglong was taken aback upon hearing this, and immediately showed a look of astonishment. He smiled and said, "Well, you know what, His Majesty might actually have that in mind." Although he was not good at fighting, due to his background, he had been on the battlefield more than once and had dealt with the Northern Yuan many times. He was very familiar with the Northern Yuan's character.

Yingtian Prefecture, on the street.

Zhu Yuanzhang took Tang He's hand and they left the courtyard together, then went for a stroll on the street.

"Take a look, examine it closely, it's all top-quality fabric."

"Candied hawthorn berries are sweet and sour, and crisp and delicious."

"A sesame seed cake, a big, fragrant, and crispy sesame seed cake."

"Steamed buns, big steamed buns with thin skin and generous filling."

"We only have fifty bottles of spices from the Western Regions. Come and take a look!"

"."

On the streets, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air, and people came and went. In just over a month, Zhu Yunwen's reforms had already begun to show results. Yingtian Prefecture was still the same Yingtian Prefecture, but it had become many times more prosperous.

"It's only been a month, and Yingtian Prefecture has changed so much. If we stayed in the courtyard longer and only came out every few months, we might be shocked by the changes in Yingtian Prefecture." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a look of amazement.

At this moment, a sense of melancholy, as if he were getting old, welled up in his heart. His eyes were filled with complex emotions. He had witnessed Zhu Yunwen's ability to govern the country, and it was no less than his ability to fight wars, and perhaps even more terrifying.

It is common knowledge that force is the easiest thing to do, but there are too many factors to consider when it comes to managing things. The changes in Yingtian Prefecture at present undoubtedly show that Zhu Yunwen is right. If things continue like this, it may not be long before the people of the Ming Dynasty really will not need to pay taxes for farming.

The idea of ​​farming without paying taxes is truly absurd. According to his original thoughts, even if such a thing were to be realized, it would probably take a very long time. But now, he feels that it might not take long.

"The changes are indeed significant. Who would have thought that the reforms implemented by Prince Yuntong regarding commerce would be so terrifying?" Tang He nodded, his face full of deep agreement. He too was shocked by the changes in Yingtian Prefecture.

It's no exaggeration to say that Yingtian Prefecture is changing every day, and its development momentum is like it's on a fast track, running at breakneck speed.

Looking at the smiles on the faces of the people coming and going, Zhu Yuanzhang, for the first time, began to doubt his own judgment and abilities: "Is commerce the future of the dynasty? Is it a mistake to prioritize agriculture and suppress commerce?"

Tang He noticed that Zhu Yuanzhang seemed lost in thought and asked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Spending these days with Zhu Yuanzhang has given him a renewed sense of the feeling of fighting alongside Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the world, the bond between brothers, and the feeling that he no longer needs to be careful with his words all the time.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, came to his senses, and said, "Tang He, do you think we were wrong?"

"Huh?" Tang He was a little confused when he heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words. His eyes were full of doubt. He said, "Your Majesty, what are you talking about? I don't quite understand."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at the bustling crowd before him and said, “Look, Yuntong carried out commercial reforms and abolished our policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. As a result, you can see the scene now. The economy of our Great Ming is taking off. This proves that Yuntong’s methods were correct.”

Having said that, he did not continue.

However, Tang He understood the implication in his words: Zhu Yunwen's measures for the development of the dynasty were completely opposite to those of Zhu Yuanzhang. In this situation, if Zhu Yunwen was right, then Zhu Yuanzhang was undoubtedly wrong.

Tang He pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Your Majesty, I do not think your measures are wrong; it's just that the focus is different."

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze and looked at Tang He.

Tang He continued, "In my opinion, neither your emphasis on agriculture and suppression of commerce nor the development of trade by Prince Yuntong is wrong. The difference is that one is steady and the other is more tyrannical."

As an observer, he clearly saw the essence of the matter: whether it was the emphasis on agriculture and suppression of commerce or the reform of trade, both of these things were aimed at making the Ming Dynasty better.

However, both measures have requirements. In Tang He's view, Zhu Yuanzhang's approach was the choice of most people. He might try to accelerate the commercial reforms of Zhu Yunwen step by step, but in the early stages, it was necessary to focus on agriculture and suppress commerce to build up the foundation.

The commercial reforms seem very good, and if implemented well, they could indeed accelerate the development of a dynasty, perhaps making one year equivalent to ten or eight years of development through prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. However, this approach requires certain conditions, and Zhu Yunwen is now relying on absolute military force to push this forward, something even the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang could not achieve.

To put it simply, anyone can do trade and commerce reform, but as the saying goes, "the faster you go, the more likely you are to break a bridge." At this point, there needs to be sufficient safety net measures, otherwise, the situation could completely collapse.

The collapse of the Yuan Dynasty in its later years was due not only to the ruling class's lack of intention to maintain a long-term occupation of the Central Plains, but also to the significant role of trade interests.

The prosperity of commerce led to economic take-off, involving a massive amount of money. Not to mention, even Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, could not control the profits involved. Although Zhu Yuanzhang was bloodthirsty in his later years, those clans still did not submit despite the killings.

In movies and TV dramas, the emperor is portrayed as aloof and supreme. However, the truth is that the court is always a battleground. The emperor can kill one court official, five court officials, or ten court officials, but so what? The newly appointed court officials will still not be of one mind with the emperor. This is the nature of the clan system.

"Rampant?" Zhu Yuanzhang murmured to himself, his gaze returning to the bustling street before him, his face full of emotion: "Indeed, it is quite rampant."

You have to admire him. Honestly, even if he had three to five years, he probably couldn't have achieved what he's seeing now, yet Zhu Yunwen accomplished it in just over a month. (End of Chapter)