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

"It seems that Li Jinglong really did take the wrong path before." Zhu Gaochi shook his head. Although the matter sounded unbelievable, he had clearly seen Li Jinglong's performance just now. Li Jinglong's appearance was too natural.

The more natural he appears, the more adept he is at handling things. Due to his background, Li Jinglong has always been trained as a military general and has never been properly taught by civil officials. Under such circumstances, the fact that he can still handle things so skillfully shows that his talent is truly extraordinary.

"Fortunately, Li Jinglong is not good at fighting." Zhu Gaochi shook his head and said.

Zhu Gaoxu was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked at Zhu Gaochi with a puzzled expression.

Zhu Gaochi explained, "Li Jinglong is a nobleman. If he is exceptionally skilled in both civil and military affairs, do you think he can be any good?"

He spoke these words very softly, and only Zhu Gaoxu knew them. Of course, this was also because he knew Zhu Gaoxu well enough. Although Zhu Gaoxu usually seemed carefree, he was not stupid and knew what to say and what not to say.

Another point is that Li Jinglong is not good at fighting, which is a natural flaw that prevents him from achieving the level he claims. Finally, Zhu Yunwen is too powerful. Even though Li Jinglong is very good at fighting, he still cannot compete with Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen's rise was like a comet, and his experiences have been carefully studied by many people, including Zhu Gaochi. He was very certain that in the Ming Dynasty, dragons had to coil up and tigers had to lie down.

Zhu Gaoxu was not stupid. He quickly understood the meaning behind Zhu Gaochi's words. His expression immediately changed, and he lowered his head and remained silent.

Having a minister who is skilled in both civil and military affairs doesn't seem to be a good thing.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Zhu Gaoxu and smiled, saying, "Second brother, what's wrong with you? Are you worried about Li Jinglong? It seems you two have a good relationship!"

Zhu Gaoxu remained silent, offering no defense against Zhu Gaochi's words. This silence was tantamount to acquiescence.

Zhu Gaochi didn't hide anything and continued, "Alright, Second Brother, you don't need to worry about Li Jinglong."

"Huh?" Zhu Gaoxu was taken aback by Zhu Gaochi's words, then looked up at Zhu Gaochi with a puzzled expression: "Brother, what do you mean by that?"

Zhu Gaochi shrugged and said, "It's very simple. Not to mention that Li Jinglong's ability to fight is poor, he simply doesn't meet the requirements I'm talking about. Even if Li Jinglong were truly both a scholar and a warrior, it wouldn't matter in the current Ming Dynasty."

"Why is it okay?" Zhu Gaoxu was incredibly curious.

At this moment, after hearing Zhu Gaochi's words, his worries had completely disappeared. Just as Zhu Gaochi understood him, he also understood his elder brother very well.

In terms of fighting, Zhu Gaochi may not be as good as him, but in terms of scheming and vision, he is still somewhat inferior to his elder brother.

Of course, this situation only occurs under the current circumstances. Back in Beiping, he never acknowledged Zhu Gaochi's excellence; in fact, he always took care of Zhu Gaochi.

"Because of Your Majesty!" Zhu Gaochi took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty?" Zhu Gaoxu was taken aback.

Zhu Gaochi nodded: "That's right. I don't know if you know His Majesty, but I know him very well. His Majesty is full of mystery. His power is suffocating. To put it bluntly, I felt a greater pressure from His Majesty than from my grandfather."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Gaochi, who was looking serious, thought for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "Brother, I don't feel any of the oppressive force you mentioned. On the contrary, I feel that His Majesty is very approachable. Of course, I admit that His Majesty is powerful."

"Your Majesty is approachable?" Zhu Gaochi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head and gave a wry smile: "Second Prince, do you want to listen to what you're saying?"

"Huh? What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what you said?" Zhu Gaoxu looked puzzled; he felt that this was exactly how things were going on!

“It might not be a problem for you, but ask the tribes on the grasslands if they think His Majesty is approachable?” Zhu Gaochi asked.

Zhu Gaoxu shut his mouth and stopped talking, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Let alone the tribes on the grasslands, even Zhu Yunwen himself did not have an approachable image of Zhu Yunwen in his mind.

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Now that we're back in Yingtian Prefecture, has His Majesty told you how to resolve the Annam issue?" Zhu Gaochi asked Zhu Gaoxu.

The generals in the army were all aware that the King of Annam had asked the Ming Dynasty for help. Zhu Gaochi was also very curious about this and wanted to know what Zhu Yunwen's attitude was.

Zhu Gaoxu said, "His Majesty may want to intervene, but he has not said exactly how."

Not long ago, Zhu Yunwen did share some thoughts with him about the current unrest in Annam, asked for his opinion on the situation in Annam, and asked what the chances of victory were if he were to lead troops.

After speaking, Zhu Gaoxu hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother, do you think it's good for us to get involved in Annam's current situation? I always feel that Annam is a quagmire right now, and we shouldn't get involved. After all, think about it, even the king has come to our Great Ming for help. The situation is obviously as bad as it can get."

Zhu Gaochi nodded and said, "The situation in Annam is indeed not optimistic. However, I feel that His Majesty's intention to intervene in Annam may be based on some schemes that we are unaware of. I wonder if you have noticed that His Majesty is very concerned about the affairs of Annam."

"Yes, that's right!" Zhu Gaoxu nodded. He had seen Zhu Yunwen holding something that looked like a map and scribbling on it several times. He had also asked Zhu Yunwen about it and received confirmation that Zhu Yunwen did indeed have a map of Annam.

Although he was very curious about how Zhu Yunwen had a map of Annam, it was at that moment that he learned that Zhu Yunwen had some plans for Annam that he was unaware of.

The vast crowd headed towards the palace.

Not long after, they entered the palace.

Zhu Yunwen informed everyone that a banquet would be held that evening, and then dismissed everyone except for Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and six others.

Everyone was very sensible and, after receiving Zhu Yunwen's order, they all stepped away.

"Tell me, how did you talk to Chen Tianping?" Zhu Yunwen found a chair and sat down, waving to Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the other six, signaling them to sit down as well.

Although he was not in Yingtian Prefecture, he had received a great deal of intelligence from Jiang Huan, and therefore was very clear about what was happening in Yingtian Prefecture. "Your Majesty, Chen Tianping is now willing to pay any price to gain your support," Xia Yuanji stepped forward and said respectfully.

Zhu Yunwen's gaze fell on Xia Yuanji, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "Lord Xia, I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to be able to talk to Chen Tianping to this extent."

Before Xia Yuanji could even manage a smile, he continued, "If I were to take this opportunity to annex Annam, would Chen Tianping agree?"

Xia Yuanji paused for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, if you intend to annex Annam, that is not impossible, but you must not be so blunt in your conversation with Chen Tianping."

Although Chen Tianping has nothing now, if Zhu Yunwen speaks too bluntly, Chen Tianping may not help the Ming Dynasty much in the end. He may be more inclined to believe that the Ming Dynasty and Hu Jili will both suffer losses.

“Your Majesty, Lord Xia is right. Although Xia Yuanji is penniless now, he is still the King of Annam. If you intend to take this opportunity to annex Annam, he can still provide us with some assistance,” Xie Jin also stepped forward and said.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said softly, "Don't get excited. I was just joking. I will not annex Annam, and I don't even want a single city in Annam."

While expanding territory was desirable, Zhu Yunwen desired colonization and rule even more. Zhu Gaochi was absolutely right; Zhu Yunwen had his eye on Annam (Vietnam) long ago. In Zhu Yunwen's strategic plan, Annam was a crucial foothold for the Ming Dynasty to expand its influence in Southeast Asia.

"You don't want the cities of Annam? This..."

When Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and the others heard Zhu Yunwen's words, they all showed hesitation. Zhu Yunwen's attitude was already very clear: he would definitely get involved in Annam's affairs. Under such circumstances, why did he not want Annam's cities and lands? Was this really just to maintain the face of the suzerain state?
They were all a little confused. If he didn't take any benefits, then they wanted to persuade Zhu Yunwen: if he didn't take any benefits, why should he care about the life and death of the Annam Chen family?
"Your Majesty, are we really not going to accept any benefits?"

"Your Majesty, we must take Annam's cities, otherwise it will be a huge loss."

"Your Majesty, although our Great Ming is the suzerain state of Annam, our soldiers cannot shed their blood for the Tran family's kingdom in vain!"

"."

Everyone spoke out one after another.

Originally, they thought Zhu Yunwen had his own plans, but after hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, they were stunned. Helping the Chen family of Annam for nothing was absolutely unacceptable!
"You..." Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and the others kneeling in front of him, his expression one of utter astonishment.

However, he wasn't stunned for long. He quickly came to his senses, waved his hand, and said, "You've misunderstood. Get up."

Let Chen Tianping get the Ming Dynasty's military strength for free? That's absolutely impossible!

"A misunderstanding?"

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and uncertainty.

However, they still obeyed Zhu Yunwen's orders and stood up from the ground.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and the others in front of him, pondered for a moment, and then said what he was thinking: "I will intervene in the Annam matter this time, and I really do not want any land in Annam, let alone any city in Annam."

Seeing that Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and others wanted to speak, he waved his hand and said, "Don't rush, let me continue."

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others looked on with suspicion, swallowing back the words they were about to say. They all frowned, wanting to hear what Zhu Yunwen's plan was. They would absolutely not agree to help Annam for free.

"I intend to send a garrison to Annam!" Zhu Yunwen stated his purpose.

To put it bluntly, his goal was to control the entire Annam region without participating in its administration. This method was somewhat similar to colonization, but also somewhat similar to South Korea in later times. To put it even more simply, he wanted to bleed Annam dry to support the Ming Dynasty.

"Stationing troops in Annam?"

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others were stunned upon hearing this. This result was far beyond their expectations and left them completely dumbfounded. Such a method simply did not exist in the current era.

"Hehe, what do you think of my idea?" Zhu Yunwen said with a smile.

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others looked at each other, their expressions full of hesitation, unsure of what to do.

The main problem is that they had never encountered anything like this before, so they were a little unsure how to handle it.

"Your Majesty, if we send troops to Annam, I wonder who will pay for the military expenses? Moreover, we helped Chen Tianping reclaim the throne, is it really enough to just send troops to Annam? Isn't that a bit too lenient on Chen Tianping?" Yao Guangxiao took a deep breath and asked.

Zhu Yunwen said, “Since the troops are stationed in Annam, the military expenses should naturally be paid by Annam. They not only have to pay for the military expenses, but also for welfare, weddings and funerals, casualties and so on. Moreover, Annam needs to set aside an extra sum of money every year. In addition, if the Ming Dynasty needs anything in the future, Annam needs to provide some supplies to the Ming Dynasty.”

His words were very vague, but Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and everyone else understood the deeper meaning behind Zhu Yunwen's words: this was a direct exploitation of Annam.

They hesitated only for a moment before making their decision.

As the old saying goes, those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. What's wrong with making the people of Annam suffer now so that the people of the Ming Dynasty can live a better life? Besides, it will be the rulers of Annam who will take action, and it will have nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, your plan is excellent, I agree!" Yao Guangxiao said.

"I agree!"

"Your subject agrees!"

"."

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and others spoke up one after another. It turned out they had truly misunderstood. Zhu Yunwen not only wasn't going to help the Chen family of Annam for free, but he was also going to seize Annam's resources. As cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty, they couldn't think of any reason to stop such actions. (End of Chapter)