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

Xia Yuanji raised his hand, looked at Zhu Yunwen, and said, "Your Majesty, your plan is very good, but what if Chen Tianping doesn't agree?"

In his view, Chen Tianping was a crucial point. Zhu Yunwen's plans for Annam were too deep. If he agreed to Zhu Yunwen's conditions, it would be almost the same as betraying the country. Under such circumstances, although Chen Tianping was the nominal king of Annam, he might still refuse.

The main problem is that the situation is too easy to guess, and there is no possibility of concealment. As long as the Ming Dynasty has troops stationed in Annam, it will be equivalent to strangling Annam. This is obvious.

“Yes, what if Chen Tianping doesn’t agree?” Xie Jin, Hu Ying and the others frowned.

Fang Xiaoru thought for a moment and said, "This matter is actually quite easy to handle. If Chen Tianping does not agree to our conditions, then our Great Ming will not send troops."

Upon hearing Fang Xiaoru's words, everyone felt a bitter smile. The current situation was no longer about whether or not the Ming Dynasty should intervene in the Annamite turmoil, but rather that the Ming Dynasty wanted to plunder Annamite's resources. Under such circumstances, if Chen Tianping did not agree to the Ming Dynasty's conditions, it would not be a problem for the Ming Dynasty not to send troops, but at the same time, it would also cause the Ming Dynasty's plan to plunder Annamite's resources to fail.

"Lord Fang, His Majesty is now about to intervene in Annam's affairs," Yao Guangxiao reminded him.

Fang Xiaoru seemed to be deep in thought. After he spoke and no one else echoed him, he realized that something was wrong. Perhaps he had been thinking too simply.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said with a smile, "What's with all those expressions? The situation in Annam is easy to resolve."

"Easy to solve?" Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at Zhu Yunwen with puzzled expressions.

This was clearly a very troublesome matter, so how could it be solved so easily? However, looking at Zhu Yunwen's expression, it was clear that he already had the answer in his heart, which made them very curious.

Zhu Yunwen said, "I am not lying to you. The matter is indeed easy to resolve. There is an old saying in the history books: 'It is easy to invite a god, but difficult to send him away.' Since Chen Tianping has come to our Great Ming for help, we should naturally agree to his request. After all, our Great Ming is the suzerain state of Annam. As for our conditions..."

At this point, Zhu Yunwen paused slightly, deliberately drawing out the last syllable, and then said calmly, "Annam has no choice but to agree to these conditions, whether it's their way of speaking or not."

The fat meat has been delivered to our doorstep; how could we possibly let it leave? Such a thing has never happened before in history.

"This..." Hearing Zhu Yuntong's domineering and oppressive words, the crowd looked at each other, bewildered. They realized that Zhu Yuntong had his eye on Annam, this lucrative prize.

However, upon closer examination, the prospect of continuously extracting resources from Annam is a tremendous temptation that they themselves would find impossible to resist.

Yao Guangxiao raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, what if Chen Tianping would rather die than surrender?"

Although Zhu Yunwen's words were very domineering, the situation was still very troublesome. The Ming Dynasty could use its power to intimidate people, but what if Chen Tianping was willing to pay the price of his life rather than agree to the conditions proposed by the Ming Dynasty?

“That’s right, what if Chen Tianping isn’t afraid of death?” Everyone looked at Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen shrugged and shook his head, saying, "You guys are a bit too old-fashioned."

"Outdated ideas!"

Upon hearing Zhu Yunping's words, everyone's hearts sank. They were all intelligent people and naturally understood that these four words were not kind. However, on the other hand, what could they do if Chen Tianping refused to yield even in the face of death?

Persuade Chen Tianping? That would be tantamount to compromising with him. At that point, Chen Tianping would be even less likely to agree. As for continuing to put pressure on him, Chen Tianping isn't even afraid of death, so what else is there to fear?

Zhu Yunwen said, "Fine, since you don't understand the core of the problem, let me explain it to you. Is Chen Tianping really the only member of the Chen clan left? The Chen clan ruled Annam for hundreds of years!"

After speaking, Zhu Yunwen's eyes held a half-smile, his expression playful.

"Huh?" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and the others were taken aback upon hearing this. The next second, they all realized what Zhu Yunwen meant. If Chen Tianping was really stubborn, then they would use a trick to replace the prince with a cat.

When it comes to political intrigue, the Central Plains region is the best.

"Your Majesty, you are right. We were indeed old-fashioned." Xia Yuanji bowed.

Xie Jin, Hu Ying, and others followed suit.

At this moment, they were all inwardly bitter. Their feelings were like those of someone who had spent their whole life playing with eagles, only to have their eyes pecked out by the eagle. The frustration was indescribable.

They all understood the trick of "switching the prince for a cat," including Fang Xiaoru, who was the weakest in political maneuvering. However, they did not immediately think of using these tricks in the case of Annam.

However, they cannot be entirely blamed. Their mistakes were largely due to feudal etiquette. Although Chen Tianping only held the title, he was, after all, the King of Annam. This title may mean nothing, but in the eyes of some, it was like a golden statue.

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and others were too concerned about Chen Tianping's identity, so they subconsciously refrained from using those underhanded tricks. However, after Zhu Yunwen's reminder, they realized that if the Ming Dynasty were to send troops, the king of Annam could be Chen Tianping, Chen Tianyun, Chen Tianba, Chen Tiancheng, or others.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. As long as the Ming Dynasty is strong enough to suppress the powerful minister Hu Quy Ly who is causing trouble in Annam, then it will obviously be up to the Ming Dynasty to decide who becomes king of Annam.

As for the court officials, Annam certainly had loyal officials like Pei Boqi, but judging from the fact that only Pei Boqi was with Chen Tianping at this moment, there were probably not many loyal officials in Annam. Of course, it is also possible that all the loyal officials had been killed by Hu Jili, but in any case, this matter was beneficial to the Ming Dynasty.

The scarcity of loyal courtiers meant that once the Ming Dynasty controlled Annam, it could easily install a puppet ruler to achieve its goals.

"Alright, you all know my purpose. You may all leave now. I'm a little tired, so I'll go and rest. Oh, and send someone to inform Chen Tianping to attend the banquet tonight as well." Zhu Yunwen waved his hand.

The physical fatigue was fake; his longing for Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou was real. After all, he had the system at his disposal, and the good things he could get from signing in were countless. Fatigue was simply not a thing for him. Of course, although he did miss Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou, he certainly couldn't say that outright.

"We take our leave!" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others bowed and then left the main hall.

After the six people left, Zhu Yunwen took a deep breath and walked towards the inner palace with excitement. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, especially since he had just married Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou. The novelty hadn't worn off yet when he went on the northern expedition.

Conquering the grasslands was certainly a great achievement, but the sleepless nights he endured were also very real. However, with the army on the front lines, he managed to suppress his feelings.

If he wanted beautiful women from the grasslands, he could simply have the grasslands offer them to him later. There was no need to risk unnecessary complications for the sake of momentary pleasure. Moreover, he needed to set an example for the generals in the army: no women were allowed in the military tents while on campaign.

The inner palace, Kunning Palace!

Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou had already finished dressing up, each one looking radiant and captivating, enough to make anyone's mouth water. At this moment, the three women were chatting absentmindedly.

"The grassland environment is harsh. I wonder if Your Majesty's appearance has changed since your trip to the grassland."

"Regarding the matter of Annam, how do you think His Majesty will handle it?"

"I heard that the crowds that went to welcome His Majesty blocked the roads. His Majesty's prestige among the people is truly high now."

"."

The three women chatted about this and that, but what they really cared about was whether Zhu Yunwen missed them. However, no one brought it up in front of the other two.

"His Majesty has arrived!" A eunuch's shrill voice rang out from outside the palace.

"Whoosh!" Upon hearing this, Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou stood up at the same time, their eyes flashing with undisguised joy, and stepped forward to greet them.

Zhu Yunwen stepped into the palace.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects!" Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou bowed in greeting.

Looking at the three beautiful women before him, Zhu Yunwen felt his breathing quicken. He suppressed his agitation and helped them up, saying, "My beloved consorts, please rise!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou stood up. They secretly glanced at Zhu Yunwen. Compared to before the northern expedition, Zhu Yunwen's appearance had not changed much. Their worries about the harsh grassland environment and Zhu Yunwen's skin becoming rough and dark were not true.

Of course, there are changes as well. Compared to before the northern expedition, Zhu Yunwen now exudes a more heroic and martial aura. Although his appearance has not changed much, his temperament is even more captivating.

Looking at Zhu Yunwen, a blush unconsciously rose on the faces of the three women. They didn't notice the change in Zhu Yunwen, but they felt that he was even more handsome than before.

A faint fragrance wafted into Zhu Yunwen's nostrils, causing his heart to flutter.

"All of you, step back!" Zhu Yunwen steadied himself, waved to the palace maids and eunuchs serving on both sides, and then walked calmly into the palace.

Xu Miaojin, Zhang Yan, and Zhao Rou were taken aback at first, but then their blushes deepened. The three women exchanged glances, their expressions shy, and obediently followed behind Zhu Yunwen.

"Whoosh!" Zhu Yunwen sat on the bed, looked at the three women, and smiled, "My three beloved consorts, did anything major happen in Yingtian Prefecture during my northern expedition?"

He noticed the tension in the three women's hearts, so he decided to say something to ease the atmosphere. Since they were all there and couldn't run away anyway, he wasn't in a hurry.

As an emperor, one must naturally maintain a certain demeanor; one cannot be too hasty, for that would be beneath one's dignity!

"Your Majesty, nothing major has happened in Yingtian Prefecture, except for one minor incident: unrest has broken out in Annam, and King Chen Tianping has come to our Great Ming seeking help," Xu Miaojin said.

Upon Zhu Yunwen's inquiry, the three women indeed relaxed and were no longer so tense.

Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou exchanged a glance, then stood up at the same time and said, "Your Majesty, if there are no other instructions, we will take our leave."

Although they were both Zhu Yunwen's concubines, they both knew in their hearts that they were not as good as Xu Miaojin. Therefore, they were very sensible and prepared to leave, leaving time and space for Zhu Yunwen and Xu Miaojin.

Xu Miaojin blushed instantly upon hearing Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou's words, but she didn't say anything more. She didn't want to be with other women; that would be too embarrassing.

"Who said I didn't give any orders? Both of you, sit down," Zhu Yunwen said.

"Huh?" Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou, who were about to leave, were stunned and at a loss when they heard Zhu Yunwen's words.

Their words to Zhu Yunwen were just polite formalities; their real purpose was to leave the palace. However, they did not expect that Zhu Yunwen would actually give them instructions.

The two exchanged a glance, both somewhat amused and exasperated, before turning their questioning gazes to Zhu Yunwen.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"Whoosh!" Zhu Yunwen stood up, a mischievous grin on his face, and stepped forward to hug Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou, one in each arm: "During this northern expedition, I missed the three of you very much on the march!"

"Ah!" Zhang Yan and Zhao Rou exclaimed, realizing Zhu Yunwen's intention.

Xu Miaojin stood aside, dumbfounded, staring at everything before her. When she came to her senses and tried to leave, Zhu Yunwen grabbed her arm: "Empress, where are you going?"

Before she could answer, Zhu Yunwen pulled her forcefully into his arms.

at the same time!

Huitong Pavilion.

Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi were discussing their plans to meet Zhu Yunwen.

Although they had done everything they could to increase the chances of Zhu Yunwen winning the battle against the Chen family who were coming to Annam's aid to a very high degree, they still felt very uneasy when facing Zhu Yunwen, who truly had the power to make the decision.

"General Pei, what should we do if the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty refuses to agree?" Chen Tianping paced around the room for a while before finally looking at Pei Boqi.

Pei Boqi smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, don't think too much about it. We've done all we can now. The rest is beyond our control. We should just leave it to fate. However, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

Chen Tianping waved his hand and said, "General Pei, there's nothing we can't talk about. Please speak frankly."

Pei Boqi nodded, looking at Chen Tianping with a serious expression, and said, "Your Majesty, I feel that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty will agree to help us!" (End of this chapter)