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

"Thank you!"

Pei Boqi cupped his hands in greeting to Xia Yuanji.

Chen Tianping also cupped his hands in greeting.

Afterwards, the two left with Xia Yuanji and headed towards the palace.

Xie Jin, Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, Yao Guangxiao, Fang Xiaoru, and the others looked at each other, completely bewildered by the scene before them.

They never expected that something like this would suddenly happen.

Annan was in turmoil, and as a result, they sent their plea for help directly to the Ming Dynasty, with the king himself coming to ask for assistance.

Now, a fact is clear: the situation in Annam is certainly very serious; otherwise, a king would not have fled.

This raises the question of whether the Ming Dynasty should provide assistance. It is conceivable that if they did, the Ming Dynasty would have to expend a great deal of energy and resources, and there is no guarantee of success.

After all, Annam is far from Yingtian Prefecture, and the terrain there is complex. In addition, the rebels are powerful. All these factors combined mean that if the Ming Dynasty were to rescue Annam, it would have to pay a heavy price.

"What do you think? Should we rescue Annam?" Xie Jin took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the position of Grand Secretary.

Although Xia Yuanji was a strong contender for the position of Grand Secretary, he was not willing to give up and did not give up directly. For example, now that Xia Yuanji had taken Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi to the palace to see Xu Miaojin, he took the opportunity to discuss the Annam matter with Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, Fang Xiaoru, Yao Guangxiao and others.

Of course, whether or not to send reinforcements to Annam would ultimately fall to Zhu Yunwen, but that didn't stop them from having a chat. In fact, such a chat could even strengthen the relationship between them.

In this way, if he and Xia Yuanji are evenly matched in the competition for the position of Grand Secretary, and Zhu Yunwen asks for the opinions of other cabinet members, wouldn't he win?
“I don’t think we should help them. The reason is simple: the King of Annam has already come to ask for help, which shows how dire Annam’s situation is. If our Great Ming were to intervene rashly under these circumstances, we might end up getting ourselves into trouble. Although Annam is very respectful to our Great Ming and pays tribute every year, that doesn’t justify our Great Ming paying so much for them,” Hu Ying said.

Yang Shiqi nodded and continued Hu Ying's words, "I agree with Lord Hu's opinion. We really can't save Annam. Although Annam is very obedient, we can't let our Ming army help the Annamite royal family fight a war, can we? There's no reason for that."

Yao Guangxiao thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Although I also think we shouldn't take action, based on my understanding of His Majesty, if His Majesty finds out about this, he will most likely help. We can now consider how to settle Annam. After all, as Lord Hu and Lord Yang said, this expedition to Annam will definitely be a tough battle. Under these circumstances, we must plan carefully and never let ourselves suffer heavy losses while helping Annam suppress the rebellion."

When Xie Jin, Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, and Fang Xiaoru heard Yao Guangxiao's words, they were all taken aback and began to ponder them.

Everyone knows, and is very clear, that whether or not to send aid to Annam depends mainly on Zhu Yunwen's decision. If Zhu Yunwen chooses to send aid to Annam, then they really need to consider how to make up for their losses from Annam, or even make a profit.

“Lord Yao is right. His Majesty has just won a great victory on the grasslands. If he knows about Annam’s aid now, he will definitely agree. Under these circumstances, we don’t need to plan ahead,” Fang Xiaoru said in a deep voice.

"Sigh, how did things get so chaotic in Annan? We hadn't received any news about it beforehand."

"Who can argue with that? Let it be chaotic, especially since the situation is so serious."

"Gentlemen, we must have a good discussion. Sending troops to Annam is not out of the question, but the premise is that we must obtain enough benefits."

"."

The cabinet members began to discuss the matter, each offering their own opinion.

At first, most people chose not to send troops, but after further analysis, they realized that the Ming Dynasty could not avoid this matter at all, and the situation in Annam would eventually spread to the Ming Dynasty no matter what.

To give a simple example, when the Tran family controlled Annam, they were very obedient and sent money, goods, and various other things to the Ming Dynasty every year. But what if Annam were to have a more capable and ambitious king next?
Throughout history, most powerful and ambitious rulers have one thing in common: they are extremely ambitious.

When applied to an individual, ambition is a positive trait, indicating that the person is capable. However, this doesn't apply to an emperor. Of course, it's not entirely inapplicable, especially considering the current situations in Annam and the Ming Dynasty.

"Where you stand determines where you stand." Xie Jin and others were all part of the Ming Dynasty, so their thoughts naturally leaned more towards the Ming. Therefore, they felt that an ambitious Annamite king was not a good thing, because it would harm the interests of the Ming.

These people are a group that depends on the Ming Dynasty for their existence. If the Ming Dynasty is in trouble, they will naturally not fare well either.

Due to geographical location, some of the Ming Dynasty's territory borders Annam, which means that if Annam becomes powerful, it is easy for friction to occur between it and the Ming Dynasty.

"No matter what, let's prepare first," Xie Jin said.

First, prepare to send troops to Annam. That way, if Zhu Yunwen chooses to come to Annam's aid, they can use it. If Zhu Yunwen chooses not to come to Annam's aid, they will only have wasted some time and will not suffer any other losses.

"Okay!" Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, Yao Guangxiao, and Fang Xiaoru nodded.

The other side!
Xia Yuanji led the anxious Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi to Xu Miaojin.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!" Xia Yuanji bowed in greeting.

"See the Queen!"

Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi also bowed in greeting.

Xu Miaojin had learned the whole story from Jiang Huan beforehand, and also knew the identities of Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi.

"Get up, everyone!" Xu Miaojin waved her hand.

"Thank you, empress!"

Xia Yuanji, Chen Tianping, and Pei Boqi stood up.

Xu Miaojin looked at Chen Tianping and said softly, "I have heard about what happened. I am very saddened by what happened in Annam. However, since His Majesty is not in Yingtian Prefecture at the moment, you will need to wait for a while."

Given Annam's current situation, sending aid would be no different from fighting a war with Annam. Rashly starting a war with another dynasty, even though Annam is just a small country in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, is still not something that Empress Xu Miaojin can easily do.

In the entire Ming Dynasty, there was only one person who could freely wage war against other countries, and that was Zhu Yunwen.

"This..." Chen Tianping turned to look at Pei Boqi beside him. Pei Boqi was filled with bitterness and said, "I understand. In that case, I will trouble you."

In fact, he had already prepared himself mentally before meeting Xu Miaojin. After all, although the Empress was noble, she still had no say in matters such as foreign wars.

There's not much we can do about this situation except accept our bad luck. Who would have thought the Ming emperor wouldn't be staying in the palace?
"Lord Xia, please take good care of the King of Annam," Xu Miaojin said to Xia Yuanji.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xia Yuanji nodded, then turned to Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi and said, "Gentlemen, let's go!"

Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi bowed to Xu Miaojin, then turned and walked away.

Xu Miaojin watched Xia Yuanji, Chen Tianping, Pei Boqi and the others leave and shook her head: "I really didn't expect that Annam would break out in such a serious internal strife."

After a moment of silence, she decided to leave the palace to talk to Zhu Yuanzhang about this matter.

Annam is considered a junior ally of the Ming Dynasty and has always been very obedient. Whether or not to intervene in Annam's affairs this time will affect the future situation, so we must be cautious.

Huitong Hall!
Xia Yuanji settled Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi in, saying, "You can stay here without worry. I've already spoken to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so you don't need to worry about your safety."

Before Zhu Yunwen makes any clear arrangements, both Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi must be protected.

"Thank you, sir!" Pei Boqi bowed and said, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Having received no reply from the Ming Dynasty, his biggest worry at this moment was his safety. After all, the people chasing him and Chen Tianping were right behind them and would probably catch up to Yingtian Prefecture soon.

They have no guards around them at all. If they are caught up, they will definitely die.

Fortunately, the Ming officials made very good arrangements, assigning the Embroidered Uniform Guard to protect them.

He was no stranger to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had visited the Ming Dynasty many years ago, and an incident there left a deep impression on him.

Now that we have the protection of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, we have no worries about safety, let alone anything else. The next step is to figure out how to get the Ming Dynasty to help us.

Of course, he was prepared to pay a heavy price in order to get the Ming Dynasty to take action. After all, he knew very well what the situation in Annam was like. For the Ming Dynasty to come to Annam's aid was not much different from taking Annam itself.

If you want someone else to send troops to fight for you, then you naturally have to promise them enough benefits; otherwise, why would they do it?
Xia Yuanji waved his hand and said, "Alright, you must be exhausted from traveling all the way to the Ming Dynasty. I won't disturb you any longer. You should get some rest."

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

"General Pei, what should we do if the Ming Dynasty doesn't help us?" Chen Tianping looked at Pei Boqi with unease.

Although he is the current King of Annam, he is not very old, just a teenager.

Moreover, he was not originally qualified to inherit the throne, so he was not trained from childhood. Under such circumstances, it is quite normal for him to react in this way when suddenly faced with the situation. In fact, it can be said that his performance is already very good.

"No, the Ming Dynasty will definitely help us," Pei Boqi reassured Chen Tianping patiently, over and over again.

Of course, while he appeared to be comforting Chen Tianping, he was actually comforting himself as well. After all, the Ming Dynasty was now Annam's last hope and the only reason that sustained him.

"What if?" Chen Tianping asked hesitantly.

Pei Boqi shook his head, his expression unwavering: "Unless something goes wrong, the Ming Dynasty will definitely help us!"

He had already made up his mind that in order to gain the help of the Ming Dynasty, he would betray everything in Annam and would never let that traitor Hu Quy Ly get away with it.

Chen Tianping looked at Pei Boqi's face, which was gradually becoming somewhat ferocious, and shut his mouth in fear.

"Your Majesty, please rest well. We are safe now." Pei Boqi noticed that he had lost his composure, took a deep breath, and said to Chen Tianping.

Chen Tianping hesitated for a moment, then asked, "General Pei, are these men sent by the Hu bandits to hunt us down?"

Pei Boqi knew what Chen Tianping was about to say, and interrupted him before he could finish, saying, "Your Majesty, it's alright, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will protect us."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Chen Tianping's face showed a hint of doubt. This was the second time he had heard these three words.

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the Ming Dynasty’s secret service. Its personnel are all elites selected from the army. With their protection, the few people Hu Jili sent can’t touch a hair on our heads,” Pei Boqi said.

Chen Tianping stared at Pei Boqi's appearance for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief, completely relaxing. He walked to the bed next to him and collapsed onto it, whispering, "If there's no danger to our lives, it's fine for us to stay in the Ming Dynasty like this."

The frantic escape nearly drove him to the brink of collapse. He had several close calls with death and almost died. Under such circumstances, having no worries about his safety was truly wonderful.

Pei Boqi looked at Chen Tianping lying on the bed, opened his mouth, and finally let out a long sigh without saying anything.

When he finally has a moment of peace, he stops being a bad person.

In fact, when Hu Quy Ly decided to rebel, when the previous king was killed, and when only Trần Thiên Bình remained of the entire Trần clan, a sense of responsibility had quietly fallen upon him.

Ordinary and uneventful?

Sorry, such a life does not belong to Chen Tianping. A Chen Tianping who has no value whatsoever is not worthy of the protection of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Pei Boqi knew in his heart that the peaceful days before them would continue until the Ming Emperor returned to Yingtian Prefecture, and that day would be the pronouncement of their fates.

However, he didn't tell Chen Tianping any of this. The transformation from a spoiled brat who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun to someone who had suddenly experienced a life-or-death escape was far too cruel for Chen Tianping. Therefore, letting Chen Tianping rest was one of the few things he could do right now. (End of Chapter)