Chapter 457: Building momentum, breaking momentum

In the eyes of the Jianghu Shogunate and people like Mori Terumoto and Shimazu Yoshihiro, the Ming Dynasty seemed to be patient enough this time.

The real “battle” has not yet come, so there is naturally no possibility of any peace talks at this time.

There was absolutely no way the shogunate would simply bow its head and give an excuse to those outer daimyo who were still unwilling to accept their fate.

But the battlefield is after all in the west, the “border” where the power of the outer daimyo is most concentrated.

Zhu Changluo had already let them decide on the situation at the front line. If Shen Yourong wanted to use those pirates, he could use them. He knew the importance of it.

Tian Le knew better.

Today he taught Zhu Youjian as usual. As long as he was in the capital, he would have three such classes every month.

“Why did Dad and the Privy Council draft this strategy? Tell me why.”

These classes are now in the question-and-answer format. Zhu Youjian has already passed the stage of just laying the basics. What he needs now is a more specific and profound understanding – taking one thing at a time as an example.

“My father once said that all military and national affairs should be based on power and wealth, and then on people and responsibility.” Zhu Youjian thought for a long time before answering, “This power, first, the Ming Dynasty has the power of weapons, second, the vassal generals have the ambition to expand the territory and enfeoff, and third, the righteousness of avenging hatred and eliminating disasters…”

Zhu Changluo taught him to first analyze the background situation, identify the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and risks. Then consider the economic situation, the conveniences and limitations of financial resources. Then consider the candidates. If something is to be done, who can take on the responsibility? All parties involved in the whole thing need to be analyzed. Finally, after starting to do something, how to delegate authority and clarify responsibilities.

Zhu Youjian was stuck at the third ring. “As for finance, I already know that my father and the court officials have come up with a plan. As for personnel… Old Grand Tutor Tian and Marquis Xiliang are certainly the best choices, but Marquis Xiliang is seriously ill and Old Grand Tutor Tian is also old. I don’t understand why the strategy is not to make a concerted effort since the army has already set out? If we have to wait for the Eastern Fleet and the Northern Army to prepare first, if something happens to Old Grand Tutor Tian and Marquis Xiliang, there is no need to change the generals at the last minute.”

Zhu Changluo nodded slightly: “When it comes to personnel, you should not only look at the personnel on this side, but also the personnel on the other side.”

As the crown prince, Zhu Youjian now has access to a lot of information.

Hearing this, he asked tentatively, “Father, are you saying that the old chief of the Japanese pirates has just passed away, and there are undercurrents. We can’t miss this opportunity?”

“That’s the consideration. Everything should be guided by circumstances and not dogmatic.” Zhu Changluo affirmed his judgment. “For major events like this, you have to learn from history. In the past hundred years, Japan called itself the ‘Warring States’, but in fact it was more like the end of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that there were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn Period and no gentlemen in the Warring States Period. That is still in terms of order and the means of national war. But in the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, warriors were in power and order was gone. Today they are ministers, tomorrow they are kings, so that Zhao Song had to correct the wrongs and re-clarify the order after gaining the world. In Japan, there was a similar saying in the past hundred years, called the lower overthrowing the upper…”

This is often the case in the case analysis class between father and son. Zhu Changluo hopes that he can apply what he has learned flexibly, know how to look at problems comprehensively, and know how to grasp the essence and distinguish between primary and secondary contradictions.

In terms of momentum, the Ming Dynasty wants to build its own momentum while breaking the opponent’s momentum.

Since the decline of the Ashikaga clan, the so-called “Warring States Period” there is actually divided into two stages. The first stage is more like the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The shogunate is still in place, and local daimyo are fighting each other. The climax of this stage was ended by Oda Nobunaga, who conquered the Muromachi shogunate and exiled Ashikaga Yoshiaki. He looked down on the world with the attitude of a world leader, but he could not create a truly stable era from then on.

Because the old order has disappeared, this behavior itself is a kind of rebellion by the lower class, and there are more cases of rebellion by the lower class in various places. If it is just force and coercion, it will only encourage more ambitious people without completely changing the old system.

As a result, the Honnoji Incident soon occurred and Oda Nobunaga died.

Then came the second “world man” Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose “innovation” was nothing more than external conquests, hoping to balance the many daimyo forces that still existed with new interests. The failure of this strategy was not because he died of illness midway, but because they did not have the strength to do so. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s actions were nothing more than an attempt to divert internal conflicts.

The current situation was established by the third “Tenka”. After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa family became the most powerful party, but the power of local daimyo was still not eliminated.

“Those military laws seem to be aimed at re-establishing order and respecting the status of local lords, but in fact they are very effective.” Zhu Changluo explained to him, “Local daimyo have to travel between their fiefdoms and the shogunate every year. Who will take care of local affairs?”

Zhu Youjian was somewhat confused: “Father, you mean… the Tokugawa family wants to use this method to make those local names just empty names?”

“Yes, in the long run, the shogunate is actually helping the retainers of each domain to collectively overthrow the superiors and seize local power.” Zhu Changluo laughed, “Tokugawa Ieyasu is an old fox. If he continues to use this trick, he will still succeed if there is no external force to break this trend. After all, after so many years of fighting, the shogunate already has enough power to suppress the local daimyo. If this continues, the power of the shogunate will only grow stronger. As for the domain lords, all the money and food must be spent on sankin-kotai, and they can’t take care of local affairs themselves. Instead, their retainers get benefits, and many of them will be loyal to the shogunate.”

If any daimyo committed a crime again and was demoted or even stripped of his title, the Tokugawa family’s Edo shogunate system could have more and more hereditary daimyo and continuously expand its actual control range.

“Father, do you mean that the Privy Council decided on this strategy in order to force them to not be able to act calmly?”

“That’s right. They used the safe method of dripping water wearing away a stone. The Ming army has already arrived, so they can’t be so calm without launching an attack. If you were the shogun, would you be worried that the important officials in the border areas that you still cannot control would surrender to the Ming?”

Zhu Youjian nodded, that was for sure.

“Toyotomi Hideyoshi wanted to stabilize his prestige and reward meritorious service by invading Korea and the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Now that the Ming army has arrived, the Tokugawa family has another choice: just use the territory they are familiar with to resist the Ming Dynasty. What else can they worry about? If the Ming Dynasty sends troops in advance, it will only cost more money and food. But now that they have shown their military power and seized Tsushima, but have not really fought a decisive battle with them, there are only two possible situations in the future.”

“One possibility is that they started the chaos first, some surrendered, and some were dissatisfied with the shogunate’s deployment. The other possibility is that the shogunate brutally suppressed them and deployed troops on the front lines. If they won, they would be stable from then on, but if they lost, their vitality would be greatly damaged.”

“That’s right. The situation that the Ming Dynasty least wants to see is that they work together, not caring about the gains and losses of the moment, and want to take advantage of the terrain and lure our officers and soldiers deep into our territory.” Zhu Changluo looked at him with a smile, “Now do you understand why we have to use Old Master Tian?”

“He was able to suppress the soldiers’ desire for glory and battle!”

Zhu Changluo looked at him and didn’t say anything else.

Zhu Youjian felt uncomfortable being looked at by him and lowered his head slightly: “Father, your son…did I say something wrong?”

“That’s right. What they said all along is right.” Zhu Changluo sighed, “They taught well.”

Zhu Youjian was shocked and stood up to admit his mistake.

Zhu Changluo waved his hand and said, “You are the crown prince, and the teachers will be your subjects in the future. Their wisdom is your wisdom. But since you have already thought through this matter that is being discussed by both the government and the people, you don’t have to pretend that you don’t understand it in front of me. In addition, you need to have your own understanding and judgment.”

“…I understand.”

“Dad is not worried about your excellence. Dad is just worried that I haven’t taught you the real truth. Next, I will ask you the next case, and you should think about it thoroughly. If there is something you don’t know, Dad will tell you some of the truth. Tell me what you think about the setting of the Ming Dynasty Bank.”

The Ming emperor was already investing more energy in training his successor, while Zheng Song of Jiaozhi was worrying about how to deal with his successor.

When he thinks back to the danger that happened that day, he still feels scared.

If the giant elephant he was riding had not suddenly raised its trunk, the arrow shot from the powerful crossbow would have hit him directly in the face.

In front of him at this moment, there was Zheng Chun, the rebellious son who was tied up and kneeling on the ground, and Li Weixin who was surrounded by his personal guards. Li Weixin was shaking with the white silk in his hand, and behind Zheng Song, his daughter, Li Weixin’s “Queen” Zheng Yuzhen, was still crying and begging: “Father, please forgive him this time…”

“Take him away! If you can’t tell right from wrong, you will go with him!” Zheng Song shouted angrily, “Let you brothers and sisters see this, just to let you know: Even if you betray me, I still can’t bear to kill you. But he…”

Zheng Song stared at Li Weixin and said, “I supported you, married my daughter to you, and gave you wealth and honor! The Nguyen rebels are still here, and the war is about to begin. How are you going to repay me?”

“…wealth and splendor.” Li Weixin looked down at the white silk and muttered to himself, then he laughed, his laughter getting louder and louder, “What a splendor! The splendor and splendor of the Li family can only be obtained through charity from King Ping An…”

Zheng Song was furious. He strode forward and grabbed him by the collar. “Lei family, Le family, bullshit Le family! People say that, and you really believe it? You are such a ruthless person! Le Vining is someone that Nguyen Gan found out of nowhere. He had no son, so my father established your grandfather, saying that he was the fifth-generation grandson of the brother of the founding emperor of the Le Dynasty. Do you really think the genealogy is so clear? Your grandfather wanted to harm me back then, and I didn’t expect you to do the same now!”

Li Weixin knew he was going to die, so he smiled as he faced his angry face. “Since you have done a great favor to my family, why would my grandfather, me, and your own son want to harm you?”

Zheng Song pushed hard with his hand, then turned around and stared at his son like a wounded beast.

Li Weixin was naturally pushed to the ground by him, and his son Zheng Chun now had a calm look on his face, ready to be killed or cut.

“Why?” Zheng Song asked.

Zheng Chun looked up at him and said, “My uncle was in power back then, and didn’t my father take over when he led his army to war and was defeated? If my father hadn’t forced him to flee to the remnants of the Mo Dynasty, how could the remnants of the Mo Dynasty survive now?”

“But this position is not yours!” Zheng Song kicked him in hatred, “Tell me! Did your elder brother participate in this?”

Zheng Chun just smiled and said, “Father, guess?”

“…Hang him, hang him!”

Zheng Song gave the order, and several guards behind him approached Li Weixin.

Zheng Song just kept gasping for breath, staring at his son with murderous eyes, but then he seemed to lose focus.

Zheng Chun is only the second son. A hundred years later, the eldest son should be in power. Why would he conspire with Li Weixin to assassinate him?

It’s not his turn.

Is it the eldest son or his younger brother who is behind this?

In such a precarious situation, could he allow the entire Zheng family to fall apart just because of his suspicion?
Zheng Song didn’t know that the assassination was just a little early, and when he was seriously ill in the future, the internal strife of the Zheng family really came as expected. Not only his two sons, but also his younger brother Zheng Du was involved. Zheng Song was first held hostage by his younger brother, and Zheng Chun, who saved his life, was also killed by his younger brother. His eldest son fled to Thanh Hoa to fight against his uncle.

The seriously ill Zheng Song was eventually abandoned by his brother on the side of a road in the wild and died.

Behind him, the sound of Li Weixin struggling continued to be heard, and finally stopped.

Zheng Chun’s face turned pale as he watched Li Weixin die in front of him.

Zheng Song seemed to have aged several years in an instant and felt exhausted.

This time, he not only had to face civil strife, but also had to face a covetous Ming Dynasty.

He hadn’t figured out what to do yet, but he knew that now that Li Duy Tan was dead, the Nguyen family would definitely make a fuss about it.

Should we continue to support a new Le Emperor, or just like Le Loi did back then?
But now Annan is no longer oppressed by Ming officials, and the Ming Dynasty is also…

In this most honorable hall in North Vietnam, Zheng Song was at a loss for a moment.

To their west, the defenders of the city of Ava surrendered before the rainy season arrived despite the encirclement.

Because if they are blocked in the city for the entire rainy season and cannot get supplies from the south, they will only be consumed.

When the dry season comes again, how much fighting spirit and morale will they have to resist the Ming army’s heavy artillery?

Ava City has been the royal capital for many years. When Zhu Changhao and Mu Changzuo stepped into it, they couldn’t help but look around.

The imperial edict has arrived. Zhu Changhao looks at the city in front of him that will belong to him, and his heart cannot help but recall the first time the emperor met Zhu Changhao.

At that time, he was only worried about being imprisoned in Fengyang like his other brother. Who could have thought that one day he would become a prince who truly owned a country?

“Prince Mu.” He held Mu Changzuo’s hand affectionately, “Your Majesty’s order has arrived. Let’s choose a day to prepare for the founding ceremony. We need to express our gratitude, invite the angels to watch the ceremony, reward the ministers, appoint officials, and many things need to be done before the dry season arrives.”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.” Mu Changzuo saluted excitedly, “Your Majesty just wants Burma to be legitimate, and the officials of the Lifanyuan have already left the capital. With the grace of the great country, the personnel of Burma are under the control of Your Majesty. As long as the three armies are rewarded appropriately, it will only take three to five years to wipe out the remnants of the Toungoo Party!”

“There are also Lanna and Cheli. Since they are close neighbors, we must first discuss the borders and make peace.”

“I understand!”

“Your Majesty wants copper and iron. Starting next year, the three armies will be self-sufficient, so mining cannot be delayed and the land cannot be left uncultivated. The next step is to open up the area leading to Shalian Port…”

They are both a “king and subject” relationship and a “father-in-law and son-in-law” relationship.

The Ming Dynasty’s pattern in Outer Yunnan had already taken shape. Although Toungoo had been operating here for a long time, his small firearms unit and elephant formation were still unable to resist the more violent Ming artillery and the matchlock musket units that had begun to be gradually eliminated.

The chieftains in the southwest of the Ming Dynasty wanted to establish chieftain territories here that were more in line with their traditions.

They all fought for their own interests – with the support of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)