The Ming Dynasty: A Modern Return, Building an Overseas Empire

Yang Shiqi's face was solemn, his brows were furrowed, and he had only one thought in his mind: what exactly did their emperor want to do?

"How dare the Three Guards of the Prince of Han so openly march south! Why didn't they stop them along the way! Don't they know this is a capital offense!"

"Don't even mention those are the Three Guards of the King of Han; without orders, no one's troops can be moved!"

The group was in complete chaos. Although their faces remained expressionless, their hearts were filled with fear.

They were very afraid, very afraid of one particular outcome.

That is, Zhu Di wanted to take action against Zhu Gaochi, so he specially sent Zhu Gaoxu's three guards to the capital, but they knew nothing about it.

Although it was a question, the fact that the three guards of the Prince of Han could openly come to the capital without being obstructed along the way made it very clear that Zhu Di had allowed them to pass!

Was Zhu Di worried that the capital garrison might have been secretly won over by Zhu Gaochi? So he sent Zhu Gaoxu's Three Guards over?

But wasn't Zhu Gaochi supposed to go to sea to assume his fiefdom?

At this moment, no one could remain calm.

That's a massive army; this is no joke!

The chaos that ensued when Zhu Di entered the capital during the Jingnan Rebellion was now constantly replaying in their minds.

"Don't panic! Since there's nothing to hide, others will probably find out soon."

"Let's wait a bit. Once the Censorate and other departments find out, they'll definitely get restless. We'll go there immediately after the Censorate's censor goes to Jiming Temple!"

"No, we know that the news will definitely be slower than that of the Ministry of War. When the Ministry of War receives this news, the other ministries will surely find out soon after."

We need to hurry to Jiming Temple now, or we'll run out of time!

After a few words, the group, disregarding their inner turmoil, immediately set off for Jiming Temple.

Meanwhile, within the capital, news of the Han King's three guards' rapid southward advance spread, startling everyone.

Everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pan, but they couldn't come up with a single clue.

At this moment, everyone was distracted from state affairs and used their connections to find out what had happened.

Ministers and vice ministers of various departments dared not delay, especially the Ministry of War, which rushed to Jiming Temple at the first opportunity.

The news of the Han King's three guards marching south hung over everyone like a persistent gloom.

Meanwhile, some people with ulterior motives seemed to sense an opportunity and began to operate in the shadows.

As the news spread, even ordinary people felt a sense of oppression.

The once bustling capital city suddenly began to spiral out of control.

Many people began hoarding food and supplies, squandering their meager savings on everything they could to fill their stomachs.

Ultimately, the Commander of the Capital Garrison personally led troops to maintain order, and the capital gradually became quiet.

The Capital Garrison Command was independent of the Five Military Commissions and was directly under the emperor's control.

This means an army that the emperor could directly order without going through the Ministry of War.

It can also be understood as private soldiers.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is also included, and there are now more than twenty-two guards.

What appears now are the Golden Guard and the Feathered Forest Guard, which are further divided into five guards: left, right, front, rear, and center.

However, after the Tumu Crisis, except for a few core military forces such as the Embroidered Uniform Guard which remained under the direct control of the emperor, all other military power was incorporated into the Ministry of War.

At the same time, after the Tumu Crisis, the Oirat Mongols pressed into the capital, and Yu Qian, the Minister of War, took charge of everything and controlled the military, which led to a certain phenomenon.

When the capital city is in the midst of war or a major crisis, the then Minister of War can temporarily and directly command the army.

Before the Tumu Fortress Incident, no matter how much the civil officials made a fuss, they could only talk.

After the Tumu Crisis, the civil officials' commotion went beyond just words.

The further you go, the more pie you control, and the greater your power becomes.

The capital city gradually became deserted, but the spread of news continued at a rapid pace.

Soon, some observant people noticed another anomaly: the usually active Imperial Guards were nowhere to be seen at this crucial moment!

The Imperial Guards in the capital seemed to have vanished, ignoring the fact that such a major incident had occurred.

Rational people keep their doors closed and pray in their hearts, while many more continue to strive.

Some people who tried to reason with Zhu Gaoxu were thrown out by Niu Cheng and the guards of the Prince's Mansion.

Zhu Gaoxu did not tolerate the individual censors who shouted curses outside the Prince's Mansion. He directly beat those who were standing and carried them outside.

The entire capital city was filled with unease, yet it remained remarkably orderly and quiet.

All those spoiled brats have disappeared and are now confined to their homes.

Officials that ordinary people accidentally encounter also suddenly become kind.

Jiming Temple.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi in front of him with a gentle expression.

"Boss, I understand what you mean."

With me here, nothing in the capital will change.

If the second son wants to cause trouble, let him. Let's see how long he can keep it up.

Now it's just the two of us, father and son. Tell me the truth, what are you really thinking about your second son's decision to go to sea and settle down here?

Looking at Zhu Di's loving expression, Zhu Gaochi's face softened, and he was no longer tense.

"Father, I don't know what the second son is thinking about."

Father, you still have to go on a northern expedition. It would be good for the second son to stay behind and help you fight against the Oirats and Tatars.

I just don't know why the second prince suddenly wanted to go overseas to his fief. Overseas, far from the court, it was not easy to meet. Sometimes when he missed someone, he would just send a message. The round trip took too long.

I'm thinking of trying to persuade my second son to stay after I return to Beijing.

Zhu Di listened quietly, his mind still replaying Zhu Gaochi's words about the barrenness of overseas regions, their distance from the court, and the long time it took to exchange messages.

In fact, this is exactly what he has been worried about.

Zhu Gaoxu clearly didn't trust Zhu Zhanji, and Zhu Gaochi was in poor health, so he was afraid that such a thing would happen.

After a moment's thought, Zhu Di slowly spoke.

"Now the second son is very determined. If you go back and try to persuade him, you may not be able to change his mind."

"Eldest brother, what do you think? If we send the second brother to Japan to assume his fiefdom, and he happens to take care of Japan while he's at it, thus preventing the Japanese pirates from harassing our Ming Dynasty's coastline at the source, is that feasible?"

Zhu Di gradually began to be tempted by Yao Guangxiao's proposal.

Now, he also wants to see Zhu Gaochi's attitude and thoughts.

Zhu Gaochi was shocked to hear this: Japan had become a vassal state?

After a quick thought, it seemed that sending Zhu Gaoxu to Japan wasn't so unacceptable to him.

In an instant, Zhu Gaochi abandoned his previous idea and, without fully considering it, had to stick to his original thought.

That was to prevent Zhu Gaoxu from going to sea to assume his fiefdom.

He truly didn't know what Zhu Gaoxu was planning, nor could he imagine what was so good about the outside world, but stopping him was the right thing to do.

"Father, the Northern Yuan is the real threat to our Great Ming. The Japanese pirates are just a minor problem. As the defense against the Japanese pirates gradually improves and the coastal guards strengthen their defenses, we will surely be able to effectively contain them."

Moreover, Japan is difficult to attack, and now it has severed ties with our Great Ming. The Second Prince's trip will inevitably involve a major battle.

Japan is well-rested and difficult to attack, so it will be difficult for the second son to go and assume his fiefdom.

Father, the second son has rendered meritorious service and shed blood for this country. It's too unfair to treat him like this.

Now that the second son is just throwing a tantrum, I, as the eldest brother, am willing to take the punishment in his place. I implore Father, please let the second son stay.

Zhu Gaochi was deeply moved, his eyes welling up with tears, his true feelings evident.

At this moment, Zhu Gaochi was completely a responsible and caring older brother.

Zhu Di glanced at Zhu Gaochi, his eyes flashing.

"Eldest brother, you said you're willing to take the punishment for second brother, which means you're willing to go to Japan to serve as a feudal lord in second brother's place?"