Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 114 Did the fourth brother train this way? The King of Han doesn't believe it.

Nearly two hundred fierce Japanese pirate vanguards were all captured, with most killed on the spot. A few were spared, but what fate awaited them was a question that needed no further explanation.

On the Xunzhou side, although dozens of people suffered minor injuries, no one was seriously injured or killed in battle. This was a complete victory, a glorious victory created by the people of Xunzhou who were "all soldiers".

The people of Xunzhou were beaming with joy, but they didn't forget what to do next. They silently cleaned up the battlefield, piled up the Japanese pirates' corpses like garbage, and burned them clean.

The entire Guantian Hall was deathly silent! You could hear a pin drop!
Zhu Di suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, leaning forward with his eyes fixed on the sky. His pupils contracted due to extreme shock, and his knuckles, white from gripping the armrests, trembled slightly.

The pill in Zhu Gaochi's hand had already fallen to the ground. His mouth was agape, and the color drained from his fat face, leaving only extreme horror.

He couldn't imagine that those coastal people who were once described in reports as "pale and emaciated" and "displaced" had become such terrifying warriors under the command of the Fourth Prince.

Zhu Gaoxu's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, his eyes filled with disbelief, horror, and a deep-seated fear. He had led the most elite border troops and fought the most brutal battles, but he had never seen such a bizarre and terrifying fighting style.

This isn't military combat at all; the entire land and the entire village have come alive, devouring the invaders. What kind of soldiers did Lao Si train?!
The image finally settles on the mountain of corpses and the silent people of Xunzhou, with a line of scarlet characters slowly emerging, carrying the aura of iron and blood:
Two hundred Japanese pirate vanguard troops attacked Xunzhou and Wanghaijiao.

All shall perish! —Those who violate our maritime borders, though far away, shall be punished!

Only then did a deep and powerful voice slowly rise in the sky, carrying a cold declaration.

This is Xunzhou! This is a place where the entire population is mobilized for war! The Ming Dynasty's maritime borders will be forever secure!

The sky slowly darkened.

Inside the Guantian Hall, all was still deathly silent. Only the heavy breathing could be heard.

Zhu Di slowly, very slowly, sat back on the dragon throne, as if he had exhausted all his strength. He closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.

He recalled the "spendthrift" he had called him, the daily consumption of two eggs and free goat milk, and his disdain for the fourth brother's theories.

Is it worth it?

The answer has been written vividly on the beaches of Xunzhou, and in the awe-inspiring sky, with the blood of the Japanese pirates.

When Zhu Di opened his eyes again, there was no longer anger or doubt in them, only a deep, almost solemn, complex light.

Zhu Di slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his body sinking into the wide backrest, shadows covering most of his face, making it impossible to see his expression.

With his eyes closed, his fingers unconsciously tapped the cold rosewood armrest, making soft, tapping sounds that seemed to strike the tense nerves of everyone in the hall.

That victory, achieved by ordinary people and bordering on massacre, was far more shocking than any victory report from an elite government army.

It overturned Zhu Di's understanding of "soldiers" and "civilians," and made him feel unprecedentedly complex emotions towards his fourth son, Zhu Gaoshuo, who was far away in Xunzhou—shock, fear, and even a hint of admiration that he himself was unwilling to admit.

After a long while, Zhu Di slowly opened his eyes. His deep-set eyes, sharp as quenched blades, swept over his three sons standing respectfully below. His voice, though not loud, carried an undeniable penetrating power, breaking the suffocating silence. "You all saw it?" Zhu Di's gaze slowly moved across the faces of Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui.

"What kind of 'soldier' ​​did the fourth brother train in Xunzhou using his 'spendthrift' methods? Two hundred elite Japanese pirate vanguards were all beheaded in less than half an hour after landing! Not a single one of them died in battle! Ha..."

He let out a cold laugh that was hard to decipher, and his gaze finally settled on the huge map of the sea frontier. He pointed heavily at the coastal area that was specially marked and belonged to Xunzhou.

"The scourge of Japanese pirates has ravaged the southeastern coast for a long time! The garrisons are in disarray, the navy is exhausted, and countless amounts of money and grain have been wasted, yet the results have been minimal, causing suffering to the people and bringing shame to the emperor!" Zhu Di's voice suddenly rose, filled with the thunderous rage of an emperor.

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over his three sons once more, and posed a startling question.

"Since the fourth brother has such means to train such a 'surprise army' and can win the hearts of the people, making them willing to be the vanguard and fight to the death, how about putting all the military power for the defense and suppression of Japanese pirates along the southeast coast, from Guangdong and Guangxi to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, under his control?"

boom--!
These words were like a thunderbolt striking the heavens.

Zhu Gaochi suddenly raised his head, his fat face filled with astonishment, followed by deep worry. He knew his father too well; this was by no means a simple praise, but more likely a fatal test.

Entrusting military power over the entire southeastern coast to a prince who had been enfeoffed? This was unheard of since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and the risks involved were enough to shake the foundation of the country. He subconsciously looked at his two younger brothers.

Sure enough, Zhu Gaoxu's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He was like a tiger whose tail had been stepped on. He took a step forward, his voice hoarse and distorted with extreme anger and jealousy.

"Father! No! Absolutely not!" he almost roared.

"The fourth prince merely relied on some strange skills and tricks to win people's hearts. He only managed to wipe out two hundred Japanese pirate vanguards. What kind of achievement is that? The military power along the southeast coast is related to half of the Ming Dynasty's territory and its people. How can it be treated so lightly and entrusted to a mere prince? This is a path to disaster! Your subject firmly opposes it!"

Zhu Gaosui followed closely behind, his face equally grim, but his tone held a more sinister calculation than Zhu Gaoxu's.

"Second Brother is absolutely right! Father, although Fourth Brother's actions in Xunzhou have yielded some results, his methods are far too outrageous! He spends every day on eggs and goat milk, indulging in extravagance. If this trend continues, the princes of various regions will follow suit, and how will the national treasury be sustained? The people's hearts will turn to the princes, where will the court be placed? Where will His Majesty be placed? Not to mention, are the 'soldiers' that Fourth Brother is training truly the court's soldiers, or are they his private army from the Prince of Qi's mansion? Giving them all military power risks nurturing a tiger that will become too powerful to control! I urge Father to reconsider!"

The two brothers were now united against a common enemy like never before.

Zhu Gaoxu's actions stemmed from naked jealousy and fear of losing military power and influence, while Zhu Gaosui was more insidious, directly elevating Zhu Gaoshuo's "everyone is a soldier" strategy to the level of shaking the foundation of the country and threatening imperial power.

They knew all too well that once the fourth prince took control of the military power in the entire southeast, given the methods he had demonstrated and the "model" effect of Xunzhou, his power would expand to an alarming extent.

At that time, what role will those brothers play?

Just as the second and third sons were vehemently opposing, Zhu Gaochi took a deep breath, moved his obese body forward a step, bowed deeply to Zhu Di, and spoke in a steady and clear voice.

"Father, I believe that although what the Fourth Prince did in Xunzhou was extremely costly, his intentions were commendable and his results were remarkable! The Japanese pirates are causing havoc, poisoning the people, and shaking the foundations of the nation. Only swift and decisive measures can eradicate them. Since the Fourth Prince has such a brilliant and effective method, if this method can be widely promoted, it may be able to cure the deep-seated problems that have plagued the southeastern coastal areas of our Great Ming for decades!"

(End of this chapter)