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

"Not occupy Annam, but just station troops there?" Zhu Yuanzhang and Tang He were both stunned upon hearing this, as they couldn't quite understand Zhu Yunwen's actions.

They could have occupied it, but they didn't; they just stationed troops in Annam.

Although the fate of Annam was in the hands of the Ming Dynasty after the garrison was established, it would have been much better to simply occupy Annam once and for all, which would have been far superior to garrisoning troops.

“Your Majesty, the grandson of the Emperor Yunwen may have deeper thoughts, we just haven’t seen them yet!” Tang He said after thinking for a moment.

In his impression, Zhu Yunwen was by no means a person who acted on a whim. Every step he took was carefully considered. Moreover, many times, the things Zhu Yunwen did seemed very incomprehensible to others, but in the end, Zhu Yunwen's actions were often correct.

Upon hearing Tang He's words, Jiang Huan nodded and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Xin is right. Although the plan of the grandson of the Emperor Yuntong to station troops in Annam seems very puzzling, I can see that Your Majesty has a deep plan in mind. It may be better to station troops in Annam than to directly occupy Annam."

"Is stationing troops better than direct occupation?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and fell silent. He couldn't understand why stationing troops was better than direct occupation. No matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out the reason.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, Tang He and Jiang Huan wisely refrained from saying anything more. They had already said what needed to be said, and there was no need to add anything more, otherwise they would only be asking for trouble.

After a long sigh, Zhu Yuanzhang let out a long breath, his mind relaxed, and said, "Forget it, let's not consider this matter. Yunhu has more ideas than us. You are right, maybe we didn't understand the reason. Since Yunhu wants to station troops in Annam, let's go with his idea."

His eventual compromise stemmed primarily from his understanding of the current situation. He knew he had no control over anything, and under such circumstances, what could he do even if he disagreed? His opinion was simply unimportant.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Jiang Huan and Tang He both said.

Although they had considered the reasons why Zhu Yuanzhang ultimately compromised, they certainly couldn't expose him directly. They needed to maintain Zhu Yuanzhang's dignity. Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't stubborn in the end, but chose to compromise. Under such circumstances, they only needed to agree with him, without having to pay a heavy price.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, said nothing more, picked up his wine cup and said, "Come, let's drink!"

Tang He raised his wine cup, clinked it with Zhu Yuanzhang's, and then tilted his head back to drink the wine in one gulp.

Zhu Yuanzhang put down his wine cup, waved to Jiang Huan beside him, and said, "Jiang Huan, there's nothing for you here. Go and stay with Yun Tong. He'll be busy there tonight and might need you."

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

Of course, even without Zhu Yuanzhang, he wouldn't have stayed in the courtyard for too long. His main purpose in coming here was to deliver a message to Zhu Yuanzhang, and once the message was delivered, he would naturally have to return as soon as possible.

"Bang!" Jiang Huan slammed the door shut and headed towards the palace.

Inside the courtyard, Zhu Yuanzhang and Tang He drank together, reminiscing about old times.

As he drank cup after cup of wine, Zhu Yuanzhang gradually became drunk.

"Tang He, don't you think it would be great if our sister were still alive? We would want to show her just how outstanding Yun Tong is. But then, our sister would probably scold us."

"However, if my sister were still alive, that brat Yunheng probably wouldn't have been thrown over the high walls of Fengyang. My sister would definitely have stopped us."

"Sigh, Biao'er is gone. Our most sensible and obedient Biao'er is gone. Tang He, you know, Biao'er was always very obedient to us when he was little. In the end, he left without saying a word. How could he be so heartless!"

"To be honest, I feel guilty towards Yunwen. I thought Yunwen was good before, but after this experiment, I realized how wrong I was. Yunwen is filial, but as an emperor, he is unqualified. Fortunately, Yunwen is here. If it weren't for Yunwen, I can't even imagine what the Ming Dynasty would be like now."

"Tang He, do you think Yun Tong will ever acknowledge us again? I regret it now, I really regret it."

"We want to make it up to Yunhu, but the harm we've caused him is too great. How can we ever make it up to him? We're really afraid that even when we die, we won't be able to get Yunhu's forgiveness. If that happens, how will we face our sister and Biao'er in the afterlife!"

"."

Zhu Yuanzhang was rambling on and on, his eyes glazed over, clearly drunk.

Tang He listened silently without offering any opinion. He knew that since Zhu Yunwen raised his army in Fengyang, Zhu Yuanzhang had been burdened with many things. It might not be a bad thing for Zhu Yuanzhang to bring these things up sooner rather than later.

Of course, knowing so many of Zhu Yuanzhang's secrets was not a good thing for him personally. Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang was very different now than before, and this change made him a little safer.

Tang sat quietly, successfully playing the role of a listener, without interrupting Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the palace!
The banquet was very lively. As instructed by Zhu Yunwen, everyone let loose and drank heartily, determined to get drunk.

"Cheers, everyone!"

"Your Majesty, if you ever lead another campaign in person, please be sure to take me with you!"

"Your Majesty, don't worry about me! If you ever lead another expedition in person again, I want to be your vanguard!"

"Your Majesty's northern expedition this time was truly exhilarating. Those bandits on the grasslands probably never dreamed they would have such a day."

"That's for sure. To be honest, let alone those traitors from the Northern Yuan, even when I was heading north, I didn't expect the war to develop into this situation."

"Conquering the grasslands is something only the Tang Dynasty has accomplished throughout history, and it was done under Emperor Taizong. Before that, only Emperor Taizong could do it. From now on, we will add another person to the list. Your Majesty has also accomplished it. Moreover, Your Majesty is even younger than Emperor Taizong of Tang. If I may say something arrogant, our Ming Dynasty will definitely surpass the peak of the Tang Dynasty in the future."

"That's right, that's right! His Majesty is even younger. Our Great Ming Dynasty will definitely surpass the Great Tang Dynasty and usher in an unprecedented golden age. At that time, all nations will come to pay tribute!"

"."

The ministers had all drunk quite a bit, and they began to speak up one after another.

A group of generals who followed Zhu Yunwen north were praising him wildly. This was understandable, as their experience of following Zhu Yunwen north had completely changed their understanding of the world.

Previously, the Ming army had been suppressing the Northern Yuan army, but this time, following Zhu Yunwen, they completely overwhelmed the Northern Yuan and ruthlessly crushed them. Who wouldn't be excited by such a scene?
The Northern Yuan, which once ravaged the Central Plains, is now being forced to grovel at the feet of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Yunwen. The feeling is simply too good to be true!
The generals who followed Zhu Yunwen north boasted, and the civil officials who did not follow him were not to be outdone. They directly brought up Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and then compared him with Zhu Yunwen.

Although Li Shimin achieved great things in history, Zhu Yunwen cannot reach the same level of achievement. However, when compared to Li Shimin at the same age, Zhu Yunwen completely surpasses Li Shimin in every aspect.

Moreover, to be fair, in the current Ming Dynasty court, whether civil or military officials, there is truly no one who does not have full confidence in Zhu Yunwen. "Alright, alright, everyone has gone too far," Zhu Yunwen said with a wry smile, waving his hands repeatedly.

While it was nice to be praised, he became a little embarrassed as the courtiers' tales grew increasingly outrageous. Besides, his own people knew his own situation; everything he had was due to his extraordinary abilities.

Although Li Shimin was powerful, he was playing with superhuman abilities. Under such circumstances, it's perfectly normal to defeat Li Shimin; it would be strange if you couldn't defeat him.

Time passes minute by minute.

After the banquet, everyone was drunk and left the palace in a daze.

Zhu Yunwen kept Zhu Gang and Chen Tianping behind for a banquet, but he did not forget the important matters.

Annam involves the Ming Dynasty's influence in Southeast Asia and is related to Zhu Yunwen's series of plans. Of course, the most important thing is that Zhu Gang and Chen Tianping are both there, and Xia Yuanji has also prepared him in advance.

Royal study room!
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand at Zhu Gang and Chen Tianping and said, "Please sit down!"

"Swish!" Zhu Gang sat down casually. Ever since he confessed his feelings to Zhu Yuntong and was accepted by Zhu Yuntong, he had relaxed completely.

Chen Tianping was a little uneasy, but after seeing Zhu Gang sit down, he hesitated for a moment and then sat down as well.

Zhu Yunwen's gaze fell on Chen Tianping, and he said, "Chen Tianping, I have already heard about the situation in Annam. Xia Yuanji has already told you my requirements, hasn't he?"

"Whoosh!" Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Chen Tianping stood up abruptly, his expression extremely respectful: "Your Majesty, Lord Xia has told me that I have no objection to the Ming Dynasty's stationing of troops in Annam."

Although he had made all the preparations, he knew clearly in his heart that this was the final test. If he couldn't get through this test, then everything he had done before would have been in vain.

"Don't be nervous, just sit down and talk!" Zhu Yuntong waved his hand with a smile after seeing Chen Tianping's appearance.

He could understand Chen Tianping's state at this moment. An exiled king was now entirely dependent on the Ming Dynasty. It could be said that Chen Tianping's future fate was entirely in his hands.

That truly is a matter of one thought leading to heaven or another to hell.

Under such circumstances, Chen Tianping's reaction is perfectly normal; someone else might have reacted even more dramatically.

"It's alright, it's alright, I can stand!" Chen Tianping said with a big smile.

Zhu Yunwen shook his head, not continuing to speak with Chen Tianping, but instead looked at Zhu Gang and said, "Third Uncle, I entrust the matter of Annam to you."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will never betray Your Majesty's trust!" Zhu Gang stood up, cupped his hands in a fist salute, and said.

He knew that Annan's situation was complicated, but he had made up his mind that no matter how difficult Annan was, he had to win it over. This was his pledge to Zhu Yunwen, and he had to deliver this test paper perfectly.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Gang and said, "Third Uncle, I still maintain that safety comes first in everything."

"Thump!" Before Zhu Gang could speak, Chen Tianping suddenly knelt on the ground, his expression extremely excited: "Your Majesty, I thank you! The Chen family of Annam will be loyal to the Ming Dynasty for generations to come!"

Zhu Yunwen sent Zhu Gang to Annam, which delighted him greatly. Firstly, Zhu Yunwen had promised to help him, and secondly, Zhu Yunwen had directly sent a prince, which showed how much he valued the matter.

It is no exaggeration to say that, in Chen Tianping's eyes at this moment, it was only a matter of time before he returned to Annam to sit on the throne.

"Uh..." Zhu Yunwen was talking to Zhu Gang when he was suddenly taken aback by Chen Tianping's actions. After regaining his senses, he waved his hand at Chen Tianping, somewhat amused and exasperated, "Alright, get up!"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!" Chen Tianping was very obedient and stood up from the ground.

Zhu Gang looked at Zhu Yunwen with a hesitant expression, and asked again, "Your Majesty, is it really only a matter of stationing troops in Annam this time?"

Upon hearing Zhu Gang's words, Chen Tianping perked up his ears and secretly observed the changes in Zhu Yunwen's expression.

“Not bad!” Zhu Yunwen nodded, then his gaze fell on Chen Tianping and he said, “Chen Tianping, you happen to be here. Listen carefully, this time I am sending troops to Annam, but I will only station troops in Annam and will not occupy any of Annam’s land.”

Chen Tianping breathed a long sigh of relief and knelt on the ground once more: "Your Majesty the Emperor's kindness is something I truly do not know how to repay!"

Annam, in the imperial court!

Hu Hancang sat on the throne.

Hu Jili stood beside Hu Hancang.

"what's the situation?"

"Why is Hu Hancang sitting on the throne? What does Your Majesty intend to do?"

"Could it be that the news is true, and the king intends to pass the throne to Hu Hancang?"

"Hu Hancang has the bloodline of the Chen family in his body, so I have no objection to him sitting on the throne!"

"Although Hu Hancang's surname is Hu, he has half Chen blood in his veins. If he were to sit on the throne, that would naturally be the best outcome. I just don't know if Your Majesty will really pass the throne to him."

"."

Seeing Hu Hancang sitting on the throne, the group of courtiers were all filled with surprise, and then a series of thoughts popped into their minds.

However, after a calm analysis, a large portion of them felt this was a trick by Hu Quy Ly, and they didn't believe he would really relinquish the throne. (End of Chapter)