Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 269 A calculated move against the father-in-law
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has brought you food." Zhu Zhanhe was just about to ask someone to serve him a meal when Xiao Xizi, who had run around several times, came in again to report that the Crown Princess, Xia, had brought him food.

"Come in." Hearing that his wife had brought him food, Zhu Zhanhe felt a surge of relief. He couldn't help but think: "My wife really cares about me. She took such good care of me last night, and now she's brought me food. She's so considerate!"

"Your Highness, Lord Xia has also arrived. He says he has something to report." After reporting that the Crown Princess had brought the meal, Xiao Xizi did not leave immediately. Instead, she looked at Zhu Zhanhe with some difficulty and said.

"Uh~? Lord Xia is here too, then come in as well." Zhu Zhanhe felt a bit overwhelmed when he heard that his father-in-law had something to report again. For the time being, he had no choice but to let his father-in-law come in and have lunch with him.

"Your Highness, I originally intended to invite Lord Xia in as well, but the Princess Consort is blocking the door and won't let him in. She said that Your Highness didn't eat well yesterday and hasn't eaten yet today either, so she'll only let Lord Xia in to report after Your Highness has eaten," Xiao Xizi reported to Zhu Zhanhe with a troubled expression. After all, this was clearly not a matter that a lowly eunuch like him could decide, and he could only turn to the Prince for help.

"Uh~" After hearing Xiao Xizi's report, Zhu Zhanhe was speechless for a moment. After all, his wife and father-in-law were facing off outside the door, which made him very embarrassed.

"I'll go myself." Faced with his wife blocking the door and preventing him from entering, Zhu Zhanhe had no choice but to go himself. After all, if he didn't go, the situation outside might become quite complicated.

After hearing Zhu Zhanhe's words, Xiao Xizi visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't afford to offend either of the two people outside the door, let alone the fact that the Crown Princess was pregnant. He was completely helpless in the face of this.

"Sir, Father-in-law." Zhu Zhanhe arrived at the door and saw his wife, Xia, blocking his way like a roadblock, obstructing his path as he carried documents. The usually upright Xia looked distressed and helpless. Behind the Crown Princess, Xiao Zhi stood innocently, carrying a large food box. Upon seeing Zhu Zhanhe, Xiao Zhi's eyes lit up with joy, and Zhu Zhanhe quickly took his wife's hand and softly called out.

Hearing her husband's voice, Xia Shi's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and she greeted Zhu Zhanhe with a happy smile. Seeing this, Xia Yuanji felt as if his own wife had betrayed him, and his heart was bleeding.

"Father-in-law, please come in quickly. We just finished talking with General Liu and the others and haven't had lunch yet."

"Father-in-law, you haven't had lunch yet, have you? I happen to have something to discuss with you. Since you're here, let's go in and eat while we talk." Zhu Zhanhe, of course, noticed his father-in-law's unfriendly expression, so he quickly changed the subject and invited him in for lunch to ease the awkward situation.

After hearing Zhu Zhanhe's words, Princess Xia rolled her eyes at her father, Xia Yuanji, and then gave her husband a sweet smile. With her husband's help, she entered Chengyun Hall, while Xiao Zhi, carrying a lunchbox, strolled in behind her.

Seeing the scene before him, Xia Yuanji couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: This daughter was definitely a waste of his time! Afterwards, Xia Yuanji sighed and helplessly walked into Chengyun Hall. After all, his son-in-law had invited him to dinner, so there was no reason for him not to eat!

But after entering the house, something even more heartbreaking happened to Xia Yuanji. His pregnant daughter personally placed the food in front of her son-in-law and then diligently laid out a dozen or so lavish dishes, half meat and half vegetables, in front of him.

When it came to his side, the maid Xiaozhi served him a bowl of rice, with only a pitiful three or four vegetarian side dishes. This scene completely broke Xia Yuanji's defenses. "I've completely wasted my time raising this daughter! What an ingrate!" he thought.

Zhu Zhanhe ate his meal heartily, as his wife was picking up food so quickly that his bowl was overflowing. Meanwhile, Lord Xia Yuanji found the food utterly bitter and unpalatable. Soon, the awkward lunch for both father-in-law and son-in-law was over. Little Sesame quickly cleared the dishes and put them back in the lunchbox. Princess Xia, watching her husband finish the last sip of soup, gently wiped Zhu Zhanhe's mouth before leaving Chengyun Palace, her small belly swaying with satisfaction and pride.

Before leaving, Xia gave her father, Xia Yuanji, a disgruntled look. She felt that her father's arrival had caused her husband to eat less, and he might not have even had a proper meal!
"Your Highness!" Seeing his daughter, who was clearly favoring outsiders, leave, Xia Yuanji felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart again, feeling extremely uncomfortable. However, he suppressed his melancholy and prepared to quickly finish his business with his son-in-law, Zhu Zhanhe, before leaving, so as not to see his son-in-law and upset himself.

"Father-in-law, I really do have something to discuss with you." Zhu Zhanhe interrupted his father-in-law and spoke first. He wanted to talk about something important first to calm his father-in-law down or distract him before getting to the important matter, so as not to upset his father-in-law and cause him trouble.

"Your Highness, please speak." Seeing his son-in-law interrupting him, Xia Yuanji couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows again, but in the end, he still patiently let his son-in-law speak first.

“Father-in-law, our teacher came today and brought a copy of the True Dragon Treasure Scripture, wanting to promote Taoist culture. After careful consideration, I have decided to send Tuolong, assisted by my uncle Wei Jizhong, to fully deploy in the navy and escort a team of Taoist priests and the True Dragon Treasure Scripture into Annam to jointly expand our territory.”

At the same time, send another team of Taoist priests to escort them into the army camp, so that both teams of Taoist priests can establish Taoist temples in the cities we occupy, and use the True Dragon Treasure Scripture to educate the people! Zhu Zhanhe told his father-in-law without hesitation about the series of plans he had previously organized with the old Taoist priest.

"His Highness has sent out a crocodile dragon?!" Upon hearing that his son-in-law had sent out a crocodile dragon, Xia Yuanji was so surprised that he forgot all his previous intention to cause trouble for his son-in-law.

"Yes, Father-in-law, most of the people in Annam believe in the Hu religion, while Taoism is less common. So, my teachers are here to promote Taoism!"
In Annam, because their scholar-official class adheres to Confucianism, I believe they would absolutely support the full adoption of Sinicized education.

Therefore, I would like to ask my father-in-law to think of a way to send some officials to various parts of Annam. On the one hand, they can familiarize themselves with the handling of political affairs and then gradually seek further development. On the other hand, they can carry out education in Annam and make them completely become subjects of our Great Ming Dynasty from the root!
I believe that in less than thirty years, the nearly five million people in the entire Annam region will be the people of my Great Ming!

"And this kind of operation can be repeated indefinitely in places like Myanmar and Cambodia!" Zhu Zhanhe said to his father-in-law, Xia Yuanji, with a meaningful look.

"You think you can play tricks on me?"
"Your Highness, are you playing a game of open strategy with me? You still want to play open strategy with me?!" Xia Yuanji stared wide-eyed at his son-in-law in astonishment. At this moment, he truly understood the old Taoist's helplessness in the face of open strategy. He had also witnessed the power of his son-in-law's schemes firsthand—completely under his control, utterly unsolvable!
"Ahem, Father-in-law, what are you saying? I'm just trying to promote Confucian culture. How can you call this a conspiracy?" Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father-in-law innocently and quickly defended himself.

Xia Yuanji rolled his eyes speechlessly and complained to his son-in-law: You've already got my Achilles' heel, and you still say it's not an open conspiracy? If I really manage to Sinicize the entire Annam region, and even Cambodia, Siam, and Burma, under your scheme, my future status will definitely rival that of the Confucian sage!

Isn't this a calculated move against me? You're trying to get me to work myself to the bone, and you even want me to recruit others to work for you? You've gone to such lengths. Tell me, as a scholar, how am I supposed to avoid such a calculated scheme? And you still say it's not a calculated move?

(End of this chapter)