Attending court was a perfectly normal thing for Zhu Xiong Ying, and he was used to it.

Upon arriving at the imperial court, Zhu Xiong Ying appeared to be "resting with his eyes closed," almost as if he were practicing Zen meditation. Old Zhu also tacitly agreed, not speaking much on certain matters, rarely mentioning Zhu Xiong Ying's name, and seldom allowing Zhu Xiong Ying to express his opinions or views.

Just wait patiently. Zhu Xiong Ying is waiting for Zhuo Jing to draft the memorial, which will take a day or two. Now is not the right time for Zhu Xiong Ying to get close to Zhuo Jing or force some people to take a stand.

While listening to some political discussions, Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly felt something was amiss. He sensed that some people might have become complacent and content with a life of leisure. Or perhaps some felt that it was no longer suitable to continue waging wars everywhere, and that it was time to put away their weapons and let their horses graze freely.

Some civil officials believed that it was not advisable to continue waging wars everywhere. Even if there were some rebellions within the country, they were merely minor barbarian uprisings in the southwest border regions, which were not significant. The court felt it was not worthwhile to continue sending troops to Japan.

It's true that Japan has vast silver reserves; occupying that place would be enough. Now, they're sending troops and supplies, which is far too distant to be directly brought under their rule. The main problem is that even after conquering it, they'll be enfeoffed as feudal lords, making them regional rulers. This kind of arrangement is viewed very negatively by the civil officials, who strongly oppose it.

Zhu was furious and quite dissatisfied with the views of some civil officials, feeling that these people were just causing trouble.

Seeing that Old Zhu was still angry, Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile, "Grandpa Emperor, what's the point of getting angry with those people!"

“Those people think they are subjects of our Great Ming Dynasty. They don’t recognize the princes we enfeoffed, and you don’t like it either.” Old Zhu slammed his fist on the table and said loudly, “We’ve already assigned your imperial uncle to fortresses and strategic locations, expecting them to respect the emperor, repel the barbarians, and protect the court. And you’re still not happy! Now that you’re overseas, you’re still causing trouble!”

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said with a grin, "They lack vision. Those people only think about the Central Plains court, so they naturally look down on overseas territories. They only think about being officials in the Ming Dynasty, without considering that Grandfather is also the father of the Imperial Uncles. Grandfather, please don't be angry. In the future, your grandson will also continue to fight for the world. The Imperial Uncles have their own places to go."

Old Zhu deliberately put on a stern face and said in an annoyed tone, "You are the worst of all. Those civil officials are afraid that the court will start a war. They talk about exhausting the country with military force all day long, thinking that we can enjoy peace. But you are the opposite. You just send your imperial uncle to the barbarian lands to be the king of the Liao people."

Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't afraid. He carried a pile of memorials to the small desk and said, "Grandpa, you're wronging your grandson. If Uncle doesn't want to stay within the Ming Dynasty, then he can go to the barbarian lands to establish his own kingdom. If he doesn't want to go to the barbarian lands, he can still be a wealthy prince in the Ming Dynasty. Grandpa, this kind of treatment wasn't available in the previous dynasty."

Old Zhu said irritably, "It existed in the previous dynasty; those princes of the Mongol Yuan dynasty all had their own khanates."

Well, what Old Zhu said isn't wrong either. After the Mongol Empire split, it did indeed have several khanates, with the four khanates being the most common explanation.

Batu, the second son of Jochi, Kublai Khan's eldest son, established the Golden Horde. Chagatai, the second son of Genghis Khan, was granted the Chagatai Khanate. Tolui, the youngest son of Genghis Khan, was the sixth son of Tolui, who established the Ilkhanate. Ögedei, the third son of Genghis Khan, was granted the Ögedei Khanate.

Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile, "Grandpa Emperor, this is actually quite good. Our imperial uncles have established their own kingdoms overseas, as long as they respect the Ming Dynasty. With their own lands, their descendants will also have a place to live in peace. Furthermore, for the court, on the one hand, it reduces the burden of princes, and on the other hand, it provides more protection for the Central Plains."

Old Zhu snorted coldly and said irritably, "I think you just don't want us to treat your royal uncles too well."

That's not wrong, mainly because Emperor Zhu treated the royal family exceptionally well. It seems fine now, but in a few decades, the pressure the royal family would put on them will become apparent. As for the later stages of the dynasty, the royal family's treatment became an even heavier burden.

Old Zhu also began reviewing the memorials, and then said, "Ying'er, if your royal uncle wants to go to the barbarian lands, then let them go; that is their destiny. But you must promise us that you will not exile them to the barbarian lands."

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly replied, "Grandpa, don't worry. After all, they are my uncles. How could I possibly harm them? My thinking is simple: my uncles are ambitious and have aspirations. They want to establish their own kingdoms overseas and have their own ancestral temples. If they don't want to go, they can stay in the Ming Dynasty. My second son's temperament is such that I'm afraid I can't get rid of him even if I try."

Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh. That kid Zhu Yunwen was truly impossible to get rid of. Even if the entire empire were conquered and given to him, the boy probably wouldn't want it. Because the Ming Dynasty was prosperous, he was content to eat, drink, and have fun here; he had no desire to become a king in some barbarian land.

Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Japan can be considered a stronghold of our nation, as can Korea. I'm thinking of taking back places like Annam. It's not a bad thing that there are some small kingdoms around the Ming Dynasty."

"Aren't you afraid that your royal uncles will become powerful over there?" Old Zhu said quietly. "None of your royal uncles are well-behaved. In the past, it was only because your father kept them in check that they were able to keep them in check. Otherwise, look at the abilities of your royal uncles."

Zhu Xiong Ying would not object to this. Although many of his uncles seemed to have low moral standards and committed atrocities in their fiefdoms, most of them also possessed talent and ability in leading troops.

Leaving aside my fourth uncle Zhu Di, Prince Qin Zhu Shuang and Prince Jin Zhu Gang also led troops. My sixth uncle Zhu Zhen pacified the barbarian tribes in Yunnan and Huguang several times, and my seventh uncle Prince Qi Zhu Fu participated in the Northern Expeditions several times.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!