The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Houzhao took Zhang Yong's advice to heart and then prepared to leave the capital secretly without saying goodbye.

For him, this was all too commonplace. After all, the Ming Dynasty was his, and he could do whatever he wanted.

However, he underestimated the deep-rooted persistence of those ministers. Before he could even set off, a group of young officials from the Hanlin Academy and the Six Ministries formed a team to persuade the emperor to change his mind. They went directly to the Zuoshun Gate and knelt down to remonstrate, immediately freezing the scene.

Enraged, Zhu Houzhao stormed into the Leopard Chamber, after which ministers began kneeling outside the chamber to remonstrate with him.

"What are they trying to do?" Zhu Houzhao almost killed someone in front of many of his confidants.

It seems that he is free in his heart, but is bound by worldly shackles, preventing him from fully displaying his talents.

Qian Ning said, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? It was you who personally issued the decree, saying that you would go to Xuanfu to lead troops to resist the Tatar invasion. This was spread beforehand, so this result is inevitable."

The implication is that this isn't someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Who's as honest as you?

If you're going to lead an army in person, fine, but it's not like you're going on a hunting expedition. There's no need to make it public knowledge.

Zhu Houzhao angrily retorted, "Then tell me, what method do I have to get directly to Xuanfu? Now that the news has spread, it seems it's true, as Zhang Banban said, that I can't even get out of Juyong Pass. Even if I do get to Xuanfu, what can I do?"

Jiang Bin was the most anxious person present.

After all, the person who had been instigating the emperor to personally lead the expedition was this opportunist.

But he really doesn't have a better solution right now.

"Are you all mute? Xu Tai, you're usually so resourceful, don't you have any objections?" Zhu Houzhao's gaze fell on Xu Tai, the military commander he usually trusted.

Xu Tai quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to obey your orders."

"I'm furious!" Zhu Houzhao paced back and forth anxiously, finally saying, "Zhang Yong, find some men to beat those people up. Beat up anyone who tries to stop them! I refuse to believe they're all tough as nails!"

Zhang Yong quickly advised, "Your Majesty, this matter should be considered carefully. Tang Yin's prophecy that the battle at Zhangjiakou would begin in April is actually scheduled to start in mid-April. Even if Your Majesty sets off immediately, there probably won't be much time to prepare once you arrive in Xuanfu."

Actually, Zhang Yong didn't want to go either.

Why would someone who lives a comfortable life in the capital, where everyone fawns over them, choose to suffer in the northwest with the emperor?

Qian Ning said, "Your Majesty, I have some thoughts, but I don't know if I should speak them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao, as if grasping at a straw, exclaimed, "Speak quickly!"

Qian Ning smiled and said, "Actually... you really don't need to rush. Perhaps the people in the court don't support you going because they don't believe in Tang Yin's prophecy."

"Is that so?" Zhu Houzhao frowned. "Is that all you think? You want to persuade me not to go? Did those ministers give you any benefits?"

"I'm innocent, Father!" Qian Ning quickly appealed to his emotions. "How could I possibly betray your trust? I also hoped to follow you in achieving great deeds. It's just that I think those ministers look down on your military abilities; they are short-sighted!"

Zhu Houzhao said coldly, "Whether they trust my abilities or not is secondary. The key is that they don't want me to take risks myself, after all, there have been problems before."

The implication is that my ancestor once led a major expedition and almost destroyed the Ming Dynasty.

Doesn't this make it even more difficult for me to realize my ambitions?

Qian Ning said, "That's exactly what I think too. You see, the Ming Dynasty doesn't even have an heir right now, and His Majesty has no brothers. If something really happens... ptooey, ptooey, what I mean is, we need to put their minds at ease."

"What kind of talk is this? Do you expect me to conjure up a son for them?" Zhu Houzhao frowned. "Even if he were born now, it would be too late. What can a little kid do? Are we supposed to wait a few years until the child grows up and becomes capable, then have him oversee the country while I personally lead the army?"

Qian Ning then probed, "Then why doesn't Your Majesty follow the example of Emperor Cheng of Han and Emperor Renzong of Song, and adopt someone from a foreign tribe into your family? This would eliminate the problem of raising a child, and the people in the court would feel a little more at ease?"

"What?"

Zhu Houzhao frowned and said, "I am still young. You want me to adopt an heir? Just so that I can lead troops into battle smoothly?"

Qian Ning said, "Back when Emperor Yingzong went on his campaign, he at least appointed his brother as regent, but on your side..."

Zhu Houzhao did not look well.

The problem is that he has neither a son nor a brother.

When someone is away on a military expedition, it's like having no backup plan. What can the ministers do? If something happens to you in the Northwest, who will inherit the throne? Won't the Ming Dynasty descend into chaos?

If another battle to defend the capital were to break out, it would be troublesome to find someone to lead the charge. Without a leader, could the Ming Dynasty withstand a second such ordeal?

Jiang Bin couldn't stand it any longer and questioned, "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. In order for His Majesty to be able to go on the expedition, do we really need to appoint a crown prince? Besides, who would be suitable? This is no joke; we must be careful."

Qian Ning said, "Father, this is just my humble opinion. Think about it, even if someone is adopted, it doesn't mean that he will be made the crown prince. The way to raise someone is to adopt them first, just like Emperor Renzong of Song or Emperor Gaozong of Song. They were adopted first and then raised for a long time. They even selected the most suitable one from among the adopted sons."

Jiang Bin immediately objected, saying, "That won't do."

"etc!"

Zhu Houzhao raised his hand to interrupt Jiang Bin's objection and asked, "Qian Ning, tell me, how confident are you about this?"

Qian Ning immediately said, "Your Majesty, Tang Yin is already on his way to the capital. According to his memorial, the Tatars have recently unified internally, and Batu Mongke, who calls himself Dayan Khan, will invade the border several times a year. He said that the next invasion is very likely to occur in June. If what he says is true, then why not have Your Majesty adopt an heir during these two months to silence the gossip?"

Zhu Houzhao asked, "Who can we turn to for help right now?"

Clearly, Zhu Houzhao was inclined to listen to Qian Ning's opinion on this matter.

It wasn't that he really needed to find a son, but rather to make it easier for him to lead troops to the Northwest, and to reduce the opposition from the court officials.

Qian Ning smiled and said, "Isn't Prince Ning's third son, Zhu Gongyi, also accompanying Tang Yin on this northward journey? According to Prince Ning's description, this son is also very talented. Let's adopt him for now, and there's no need to give him any authority. Just let him go out and deal with those old ministers, and perhaps that will allow Father Emperor to... lead the troops to the Northwest as he wishes."

Zhu Houzhao nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then looked at the people present and asked, "What are your opinions?"

Jiang Bin said, "Can you really believe Prince Ning's boasts about his son? What makes him think he can be adopted into the main lineage?"