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

"Huh?" Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi were stunned when they heard Xia Yuanji's words. They looked at each other and saw a hint of confusion in each other's eyes.

Given the current situation, Chen Tianping has already gone all in. Under these circumstances, Xia Yuanji no longer needs to hide anything. However, Xia Yuanji still maintains that the Ming Dynasty has no interest in the Annam territory.

Xia Yuanji was a cabinet minister of the Ming Dynasty. Such a position would certainly have given him knowledge of the Ming Dynasty's strategic plans for Annam. But if that's the case, does it mean that the Ming Dynasty really had no interest in Annam's territory?

"What's going on?" Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi were both filled with confusion.

After calming himself down, Pei Boqi cautiously said, "Lord Xia, my king said that even if the Ming Dynasty were to take over Annam, it would be no problem at all."

The idea that the Ming Dynasty had no interest in Annam's territory was so unbelievable that he felt like he was dreaming. How could such a thing be possible?
Xia Yuanji observed the changes in Pei Boqi and Chen Tianping's expressions and admired Zhu Yunwen's decision even more. The decision not to occupy Annam was truly brilliant. It would not only reduce Annam's resistance but also maximize the exploitation of Annam. However, he showed no sign of this on his face and said, "General Pei, I have already said that His Majesty has no interest in Annam's territory!"

When Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi heard Xia Yuanji say once again that the Ming Dynasty was not interested in Annam, they finally realized that they had not been dreaming. The Ming Dynasty really did not intend to occupy Annam.

Although they found it hard to believe, they knew Xia Yuanji's identity very well. Considering their current situation, they didn't think Xia Yuanji would deceive them, because there was absolutely no need for him to.

As Chen Tianping just said, even if the Ming Dynasty were to occupy Annam, it would be no problem at all. Under these circumstances, it would be pointless for Xia Yuanji to continue trying to deceive them.

Furthermore, Chen Tianping's statement about letting the Ming Dynasty occupy Annam was not just a casual remark; he was genuinely prepared for it. Of course, this was also because he deeply hated Hu Jili and because his current situation was quite dire.

Everyone has a sense of comparison. As the saying goes, it is not poverty that is to be feared, but inequality. As the king of Annam, he not only lost his throne, but the usurper, Hu Quy Ly, was also enjoying everything that belonged to him and even sent people to hunt him down. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly be on good terms with Hu Quy Ly?

At the same time, he knew that with his abilities, it was impossible for him to take revenge on Hu Quy Ly. Under such circumstances, it might not be a bad choice to use the strength of the Ming Dynasty to directly fight Hu Quy Ly. Moreover, in that case, he might be able to live a very comfortable life in the future. After all, he sold Annam to the Ming Dynasty. In return, it shouldn't be a big problem for the Ming Dynasty to make him a wealthy man.

Because he had this plan in mind, after misunderstanding Xia Yuanji's intentions, Chen Tianping went all in and sold the entire Annam to the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Tianping looked embarrassed and said, "Lord Xia, I misunderstood. I'm really sorry. But does His Majesty the Emperor really not want to take Annam? I can offer my help. Really, I'm not joking!"

Although Xia Yuanji had already said it twice, the matter was so important that he had to carefully confirm it again and again to make sure it wasn't just polite talk, otherwise it might affect some of his subsequent judgments.

He had already considered it carefully. As long as Da Ming helped him, no matter what the final outcome was, it would definitely be better than Da Ming not helping him. However, Da Ming's attitude would determine what he should do next, so he had to be sure of Da Ming's purpose.

Xia Yuanji looked at Chen Tianping with a strange expression. He had truly seen something new today. There was actually a king who was eager for others to occupy his territory. What kind of mentality was that?

Suppressing his urge to interview Chen Tianping, he shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, please don't continue this matter. His Majesty is indeed not interested in occupying Annam. As long as Your Majesty agrees to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops in Annam, that will be enough!"

He had witnessed Chen Tianping's reaction from beginning to end, and at this moment, he was extremely excited. He clearly understood that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he had probably made the right bet. He vaguely saw the position of Grand Secretary beckoning to him.

"Yes, yes, Lord Xia. When may I go to see His Majesty the Emperor?" Chen Tianping nodded repeatedly and said to Xia Yuanji. At this moment, he couldn't wait to see Zhu Yunwen and settle things.

Looking at Chen Tianping's appearance, Xia Yuanji couldn't help but smile. He felt a strange unease; Chen Tianping seemed afraid that the Ming Dynasty would change its mind. No, this was about stationing troops in Annam. From then on, the life and death of Annam would be directly controlled by the Ming Dynasty. Shouldn't such a matter involve much hesitation and a reluctant agreement? Why did Chen Tianping seem so afraid that the Ming Dynasty would disagree?

Calming himself down and suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to be in such a hurry. I'll go to the palace and speak with His Majesty later. If all goes well, we can finalize things at the banquet tonight."

Zhu Yunwen's goal is to station troops in Annam, and Chen Tianping has already agreed. This means that the matter is now just waiting for a definite formality. Given this situation, what is there to rush?

He didn't believe Chen Tianping would dare to lie to him. If he did, he wouldn't be the one to suffer. After all, Zhu Yunwen had already said that Chen Tianping had no choice in the matter of Annam. If he dared to play tricks on the ministers of the Ming Dynasty, he would really be asking for trouble!

"Yes, yes, His Majesty the Emperor even asked me to attend the banquet tonight. Look at my brain, I'm so stupid." Chen Tianping came to his senses, patted his head, and looked apologetic.

After delivering his message and having made a significant gain, Xia Yuanji decided not to stay any longer and said, "Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, I will go and attend to my duties."

He needed to quickly inform Zhu Yunwen of the good news that Chen Tianping had agreed to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops in Annam. Delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances. What if other cabinet ministers also learned of this news and informed Zhu Yunwen first? In that case, wouldn't the position of Grand Secretary that he had just secured fall into the hands of someone else?
That was something he absolutely could not accept!

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Lord Xia, please go ahead with your business!" Chen Tianping said with a smile. Although he had done Xia Yuanji a great favor, in his opinion, Xia Yuanji's help to him was also immense.

He even felt that Xia Yuanji was absolutely indispensable to all his current advantages.

Xia Yuanji nodded, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Chen Tianping, and turned to leave.

After Xia Yuanji left, Chen Tianping and the others let out a long breath. Then, a look of wild joy appeared on his face: "General Pei, did you just hear that? We're saved now!" Although the Ming Dynasty had stationed troops in Annam, and Annam's neck would be in the Ming Dynasty's hands from now on, so what? His life was definitely going to get better. How could he not be happy about this situation!
“Hmm!” Pei Boqi nodded. Although he was also very happy, the thought of being stationed in Annam in the future dampened his excitement. Of course, he could understand Chen Tianping’s feelings.

The current situation is very clear. Although Annam is going to have a tough time, for Chen Tianping personally, the current situation is something he would never dare to dream of.

Looking at Pei Boqi's expression, Chen Tianping understood what he was thinking and waved his hand, saying, "General Pei, don't overthink it. The current situation is something we never dared to imagine before. It's no exaggeration to say that we could laugh in our dreams now."

Pei Boqi looked at Chen Tianping, who was gesticulating wildly, and gave a wry smile: "Your Majesty, after the Ming Dynasty stationed troops in Annam, Annam's situation will be very passive in the future!"

He was at a loss in the face of the current situation. Hu Jili was a jackal, and the Ming Dynasty was a tiger. He could kill the jackal by using the tiger, but how to deal with the tiger afterward? Compared to the jackal, the tiger was much more difficult to deal with!
Chen Tianping waved his hand and said, "General Pei, don't think about that now. In the current situation, we should deal with Hu Jili, shouldn't we? As for the Ming Dynasty, we can think about that later. Don't be ungrateful. To be frank, I've already prepared for the possibility that the Ming Dynasty will swallow up Annam. Right now, the Ming Dynasty is only stationing troops in Annam. This situation is much better than I imagined."

Pei Boqi looked at Chen Tianping, who had an optimistic expression, thought about it carefully, and then smiled: "Your Majesty, I was mistaken!"

After careful consideration, he felt that Chen Tianping was right. As for his worries, they weren't wrong, but they were a bit premature. It wasn't the time to consider these things. Moreover, if Daming misunderstood and stopped helping, that would be a real problem.

After figuring things out, Pei Boqi was immediately filled with fear. If it was really because of him that the Ming Dynasty originally intended to help Annam but then stopped, wouldn't he become a sinner against Annam?
Things have priorities. Dealing with Hu Jili is obviously the first thing to consider. As for how to deal with the Ming Dynasty later, that can be discussed when that happens. To think about the Ming Dynasty now is simply a bit brain-dead.

Chen Tianping patted Pei Boqi on the shoulder and said, "General Pei, I know you are worried, but we are thinking too far ahead now. Besides, how can you say for sure what the situation will be like then?"

The Ming Dynasty's garrison in Annam theoretically meant that Annam would be strangled by the Ming Dynasty and lose its initiative. However, who could say for sure what the actual situation would be like? After all, no one knew what the situation would be like in the end.

Furthermore, even if Annam were to be choked by the Ming Dynasty, so what? Annam and the Ming Dynasty are far apart, which provides many factors that can be manipulated. Of course, he will not say anything about these things at the moment, after all, he still needs the help of the Ming Dynasty!
Before the great upheaval in Annam, he would never have had any of these thoughts. However, hardship is the best catalyst for maturity, and it is no exaggeration to say that he has been completely transformed!

Pei Boqi was taken aback by Chen Tianping's words, then seemed to realize something and suddenly exclaimed, "Your Majesty!"

Chen Tianping waved his hand at Pei Boqi and said, "General Pei, there is nothing we can do right now. We must rely on the Ming Dynasty."

Pei Boqi looked at Chen Tianping and nodded emphatically: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

The Chen Tianping before him felt unfamiliar, but at the same time, he saw in Chen Tianping the hope for Annam's rise. The Chen Tianping he had treated like a child had unknowingly grown up and his strategies far surpassed his own.

Using leverage against each other, he sought a glimmer of hope from the most dangerous situation, and for this he bet everything he could. Suddenly, he thought of Chen Tianping's previous act of selling Annam to the Ming Dynasty. Judging from Chen Tianping's current behavior, it seemed that he had just been deceived by Chen Tianping.

In the palace!
After leaving the meeting hall, Xia Yuanji tried his best to suppress his excitement and strode towards the palace.

He knew perfectly well what awaited him ahead, so he absolutely could not show the slightest abnormality, otherwise, who could say for sure whether things would go wrong, at least there was a possibility.

Because the matter was so important to him, he could not tolerate any mistakes.

They arrived at the palace.

"Lord Xia, what can I do for you?" Ma Sanbao stopped Xia Yuanji and asked with a smile.

He dared not offend Xia Yuanji, a cabinet minister who was a potential prime minister, too much.

Xia Yuanji cupped his hands and said, "Eunuch Ma, please inform His Majesty that I have something very important to report!"

"Something extremely important?" Ma Sanbao frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Is it military intelligence?"

If it was a matter of national importance, he would risk being punished by Zhu Yunwen to report it to him. Otherwise, if he delayed the battle, given his favor with Zhu Yunwen, he would inevitably be punished afterwards.

Xia Yuanji shook his head and said, "No!"

After a moment's hesitation, he added, "It's related to Annam!"

"Annan?" Ma Sanbao breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "Lord Xia, His Majesty returned to the capital today, and after a long journey, he is already asleep. Why don't you go back first?" (End of this chapter)