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

In the small courtyard!
When Zhu Yuanzhang learned that the King of Annam had come to the Ming Dynasty seeking help, he frowned and pondered the matter.

"A powerful minister has usurped the throne!"

"Looking at it this way, our approach back then was completely correct!"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed inwardly.

Comparing Annam to the present, he thought of the Ming Dynasty. After Zhu Biao died, he carried out a large-scale purge of the nobles of Huaixi. The reason for doing so was that he was afraid that the country he had conquered would be taken away by outsiders.

After a moment of reflection, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and regained his composure: "It's not easy to send reinforcements to Annam now!"

The fact that the king has fled shows just how dire the situation in Annam is. This also means that if the Ming Dynasty were to intervene, it would be no less effective than simply conquering Annam.

However, on the other hand, if the Ming Dynasty were to send troops to conquer Annam, wouldn't it be better for the Ming Dynasty to simply occupy Annam directly? Why give it to Annam? That would be too good for the Ming Dynasty!

"How will Yunhu handle this matter?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, putting himself in Zhu Yunhu's shoes and trying to deduce how Zhu Yunhu would deal with it.

After a moment, a bitter smile appeared on his face. If it were Zhu Yunwen, the Ming Dynasty would most likely intervene in Annam's affairs. But the problem was that Annam's current situation was a quagmire, the kind of situation where effort was wasted and no reward was given.

"Your Majesty!" Jiang Huan stepped forward, interrupting Zhu Yuanzhang's train of thought.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Jiang Huan and asked, "What is it?"

"Her Majesty the Empress requests an audience!" Jiang Huan said respectfully.

"Miaojin? What does that girl want from us? Hmm... it must be about Annam requesting aid. Let her come over." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, having roughly guessed Xu Miaojin's purpose.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jiang Li nodded, turned and walked away.

After a while.

Xu Miaojin approached Zhu Yuanzhang, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Get up!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Miaojin, you've come to see us because the King of Annam has asked our Great Ming for help, haven't you?"

Xu Miaojin nodded: "Your Majesty is wise, and this is precisely why I have come."

She was not at all surprised that Zhu Yuanzhang knew about it.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "To be honest, before you came, we were thinking about this matter. In our opinion, Annam is a quagmire, and our Great Ming should not step into it."

"This quagmire?" Xu Miaojin was taken aback. She hadn't expected Zhu Yuanzhang to be so blunt. However, though the words were rough, the reasoning was sound. The current situation in Annam was indeed a quagmire for the Ming Dynasty. Stepping into it rashly would easily result in heavy losses.

"So, Grandfather thinks it's better to leave Annam alone, right?" Xu Miaojin asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "I am more inclined to leave it alone, but I think if Yunhu finds out about this, he will definitely intervene."

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaojin looked up at Zhu Yuanzhang with a puzzled expression.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked helpless and said, "Don't look at us like that. When Yunhu went north, we advised him against it, and he actually did what he promised and conquered the grasslands."

To seek advantage and avoid harm?

That might be true for others, but for Zhu Yunwen, it was a matter of sweeping through everything, wiping out all advantages and disadvantages.

Annam is indeed in a quagmire, but if Zhu Yunwen is determined, can this mere quagmire withstand the onslaught of the terrifying cavalry, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry? Most likely not.

Xu Miaojin nodded and said, "I've also thought about it. If His Majesty finds out about this matter, there's a high probability that he'll intervene. However, even if our Great Ming is going to intervene, we absolutely cannot be taken advantage of. We must make Annam pay a lot of benefits."

Asking the Ming Dynasty to work for Annam for free? Don't even think about it; he would never agree to such a thing.

"That's for sure!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, looking at Xu Miaojin's appearance, and shook his head with a smile: "Miaojin, although Yuntong is a bit impulsive, he's definitely not stupid. He wouldn't help Annam for nothing. Although Annam is indeed very obedient, it's still absolutely impossible."

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Xu Miaojin looked embarrassed. She was also a little anxious. After all, anyone with eyes could see that it was best not to get involved in the current situation in Annam, but Zhu Yunwen's personality meant that once he found out, he would definitely take action.

"By the way, you must protect the King of Annam well. If Yun Tong really intends to use this opportunity to interfere in Annam, the King of Annam will definitely be a very good excuse," Zhu Yuanzhang reminded him. He was worried that Xu Miaojin might be careless and fail to protect Chen Tianping, resulting in Chen Tianping's death.

It's easy to imagine that Chen Tianping would definitely be hunted down by the usurping ministers of Annam. If he were to die in Yingtian Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty, not only would the pretext for sending troops to Annam be gone, but it would also diminish the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, since this was a murder on Ming territory.

"Grandfather, I have made all the arrangements. I have sent a group of Imperial Guards to protect you, and there will be absolutely no mistakes," Xu Miaojin said.

"Good!" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xu Miaojin, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he became. A deep regret rose in his heart once again. Such an excellent Xu Miaojin should have married into the Zhu family earlier.

"Grandpa, please get some rest. I won't disturb you any longer!" Xu Miaojin said as she stood up after finishing her business.

Although she didn't seem to talk much with Zhu Yuanzhang this time, she felt much more at ease than before, and she had a clearer judgment on the matter of the King of Annam's plea for help.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, smiling broadly: "Go!"

Xu Miaojin bowed slightly, turned around, and walked away.

As Zhu Yuanzhang watched Xu Miaojin's departing figure, a thought suddenly popped into his mind: "Yuntong married Miaojin because he was attracted to her intelligence and beauty. So, what is Yuntong's purpose in taking a liking to Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou?"

He had already had Jiang Huan investigate thoroughly, and it was clear that the Zhang and Zhao families had absolutely no contact with Zhu Yunwen before their daughters were married into the palace. Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou had never even met Zhu Yunwen.

And most importantly, neither Zhang Yan nor Zhao Rou are the kind of stunning beauties who could cause trouble, which makes this situation quite puzzling.

"Could it be that Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou are also hiding their true abilities?" A thought popped into Zhu Yuanzhang's mind. Of course, the reason he thought this was mainly because he was inspired by Xu Miaojin.

Xu Miaojin's background was far superior to Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou's. However, Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou entered the palace at the same time as Xu Miaojin. Although Xu Miaojin eventually became Empress, having experienced countless ups and downs in his life, he could easily see that her position as Empress was largely due to her birth. In other words, in Zhu Yunwen's mind, Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou were of equal status. Of course, there might have been differences, but he couldn't distinguish them. If even he couldn't discern the differences, one can imagine how small the gap was.

But that's the crux of the problem: why? Why are Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou chosen to be with Xu Miaojin? Xu Miaojin has looks, a good family background, and ability. Why are Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou chosen to be with Xu Miaojin?

Previously, he had been very puzzled by this question, but had not been able to find the answer. At this moment, Xu Miaojin's performance made Zhu Yuanzhang's heart stir. Could it be the ability of Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou?
He had never thought of it from this angle before, but now that he thought about it, he suddenly felt that the possibility was very high.

"Hoo," Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, shook his head vigorously to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts, looked up at the northern grasslands, and strode back into the house.

Beiping, Prince Yan's Mansion!

The parliament ended, and Arughtai, Mahmud, and others left Beiping and returned to the grasslands.

in the garden.

Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Di were chatting, with Zhu Yunwen doing most of the talking while Zhu Di mentally memorized what he was saying.

"Your Majesty, are you really leaving now?" Zhu Di was somewhat hesitant. He was confident in his abilities, but what Zhu Yunwen had entrusted to him was control of the grasslands.

He often ventured north into the depths of the grasslands to cause trouble for the Northern Yuan, but controlling the entire grasslands was a completely different story. He worried that if he didn't do a good job, he would disappoint Zhu Yunwen's expectations.

Zhu Yunwen understood Zhu Di's thoughts, reached out and patted Zhu Di's shoulder, saying, "Fourth Uncle, don't underestimate yourself. I believe in you!"

Historically, Zhu Di inherited the glory of the Hongwu Emperor and created the peak of the Yongle Emperor. Although some people jokingly called him Zhu Gaochi's General Who Conquers the North, and some civil officials plotted against him by giving him the name Yongle, a name associated with a rebel, none of this could overshadow Zhu Di's own excellence.

Controlling the grasslands was a task that might have been difficult for others to handle, but Zhu Di and Zhu Yunwen were completely at ease with it.

"Your Majesty." Zhu Di looked at Zhu Yunwen's appearance, opened his mouth, and was a little unsure of what to say, but he was deeply moved.

Without a single doubt, without a single suspicion, without a single concern, they simply trusted him. This trust extended not only to his abilities but also to his loyalty. Such magnanimity is something most people would never possess.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Zhu Yunwen with an unwavering expression and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will never let you down. Even if it means my death, I will keep the grasslands under control."

"Fourth Uncle!" Zhu Yunwen said earnestly, "If you really encounter mortal danger, I hope you will protect your own life first."

Zhu Di stared blankly at Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen said, "Only by living can we have a chance!"

Zhu Di took a deep breath and nodded emphatically: "Yunyi, I understand."

"By the way, this time when I return to Yingtian Prefecture, let Gao Chi come back with me," Zhu Yunwen said.

He knew Zhu Gaochi's abilities. Such a talent should be active in the court, or serve as his advisor, helping him come up with ideas, rather than being wasted in Beiping.

"Alright, I'll talk to the boss about this later." Zhu Di nodded. Zhu Yunwen had mentioned this to him before, so he wasn't too surprised.

"After returning to Yingtian Prefecture this time, I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to lead troops out to fight again," Zhu Yunwen lamented.

Zhu Di said, "Your Majesty, this is actually a good thing. It shows that our Ming Dynasty has many capable generals, which is a sign of prosperity. Moreover, you are of noble birth, how can you spend all your time leading troops to fight in the north and south? That would be too inappropriate."

"A man of immense wealth? Is it not appropriate for him to lead troops in campaigns across the country?" Zhu Yunwen was taken aback at first, then looked at Zhu Di with a strange expression.

It would be one thing if someone else said this, but it sounds strange coming from Zhu Di's mouth.

Historically, Zhu Di's life was simply extraordinary. He was a true honey badger, always either fighting or on his way to war. In the end, he even died on horseback.

Now, this person is telling him that the emperor's body is of utmost importance and that it is inappropriate for him to wage war in the south and north?
Seeing Zhu Yunwen's strange look, Zhu Di asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Your Majesty? Did I say something wrong?"

While asking the question, he secretly pondered it in his mind and did not think that what he said was wrong.

Zhu Yunwen shook his head and said, "It's nothing!"

"Your Majesty!" At this moment, Ma Sanbao hurriedly walked over and whispered in his ear, "News has come from Yingtian Prefecture that a riot has broken out in Annam, a powerful minister has usurped the throne, and now the King of Annam has come to the Ming Dynasty to ask for help."

Zhu Yunwen looked surprised and said, "How coincidental that this happened!"

After thinking for a moment, he said to Ma Sanbao, "You write back to the Queen for me, asking her to protect the life of the King of Annam. Everything else will be dealt with after I return."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ma Sanbao nodded, turned around and walked away.

Zhu Di looked at the situation before him with a puzzled expression. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew it was something serious.

"Fourth Uncle, are you curious about what happened?" Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Di and smiled.

Zhu Di didn't hesitate and nodded directly.

Zhu Yunwen said, "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that Annam is currently experiencing an internal strife, and the King of Annam has come to our Great Ming, hoping that our Great Ming will send troops to help him."

"An internal strife has broken out in Annam? The king has come to the Ming Dynasty for help!" Zhu Di accurately captured two key pieces of information.

His brows furrowed, and he said, “Your Majesty, although Annam is very obedient to our Great Ming and pays tribute every year, I think we should not interfere in Annam’s current internal strife.”

"Oh? Why?" Zhu Yunwen remained noncommittal.

Zhu Di said, "The reason is simple. If it were Annamite officials coming to ask for help, that would be one thing. But now it's the King of Annam who has come to ask for help. This means that the usurpers in Annam have already seized power. Under these circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for our Ming Dynasty to send troops. It would be no less difficult than directly conquering Annam." (End of this chapter)