At this moment, Old Zhu suddenly said, "If there really are that many nanmu trees, why don't we use nanmu for our coffins too?"

“Grandpa, your coffin is made of nanmu wood,” Zhu Yunying said with a grin. “Even if Grandpa supports his grandson, there’s no need to make up such an excuse.”

Upon hearing Zhu Yunying's words, Old Zhu immediately glared fiercely at Little Zhu. This grandson was quite considerate when he was young, but the older he got, the less considerate he became, always deliberately sabotaging things.

In fact, Emperor Zhu's Xiaoling Mausoleum is basically completed, and construction is still ongoing. However, since Emperor Zhu is still alive, it is not advisable to stop construction according to regulations.

In fact, Xu Huizu and the others could all understand that even Chang Mao, who seemed somewhat reckless, was not someone who would listen to words without understanding their meaning, especially when facing Lao Zhu and Xiao Zhu, he would definitely be able to listen to words without understanding their meaning.

It seems the retired emperor is somewhat tempted by the Southeast Asian countries. He might not care much about things like nanmu wood, but he would naturally be interested in lands where rice could be grown three times a year—those would certainly be ideal places for farming.

Furthermore, although the Ming Dynasty was rich in resources, Emperor Zhu knew that it still lacked some important mineral deposits.

For example, with the massive influx of silver and the implementation of paper money, the Ming Dynasty now strictly restricts the use of copper coins. However, the Ming Dynasty's copper shortage is also an undeniable fact. Moreover, although the Ming Dynasty has iron ore mines, the quality of these ore mines is not particularly high.

Zhu Yuanzhang was a pragmatist through and through. He was not particularly interested in large-scale wars unless he had no choice but to fight, or unless it was for the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty.

However, if it could bring enormous benefits to the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang would naturally be tempted. As for the rule of not conquering certain countries, Zhu Yuanzhang had long ago abolished that clause in the ancestral precepts, as can be seen from the Ming Dynasty's conquest of some places in Japan and Korea.

Zhu Yunying then continued, “The countries of the South Seas are inherently unfamiliar with the ways of the king, and the barbarian lands are mostly lawless and disobedient. I also believe that conquering those places is a way to promote civilization.”

Zhu Yunying's words are just for show; they're merely an attempt to find reasons to start a war. These are hardly reasons, but they're actually the easiest to use, given the Ming Dynasty's overwhelming strength. So, any pretext for war can be easily found.

Moreover, many civil officials would likely support this reasoning. The reason is simple: promoting education and spreading the teachings of the sages throughout the world is also their mission.

It's enough that everyone knows the truth about these things. Even if he's trying to have his cake and eat it too, it doesn't really matter; Zhu Yunying certainly wouldn't care. Empty fame is insignificant; for him, tangible benefits are what matter most.

While everyone was still pondering, Zhu Yunying continued, "I have also thought about it. If the Ming Dynasty were to control those places, it would be quite difficult. The Ming Dynasty cannot station troops there for a long time, otherwise it would be too heavy a burden on the court. If the Ming Dynasty values ​​them, it can grant them fiefdoms and grant them the title of suzerain of the Ming Dynasty and have them pay tribute."

Old Zhu fell silent even more. He was quite familiar with this matter; in fact, the Ming Dynasty was doing something similar.

Needless to say, Japan is already beginning its process of granting fiefdoms. As for Korea, both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang consider it theirs for the taking, and they will definitely make their move once the time is right.

As for the Southeast Asian countries, they seem like a good option. Some ambitious members of the Ming imperial family could be settled in these places, where they could obtain land to start their own businesses and become rulers of a country, rather than just wealthy princes.

There were quite a few members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family, and many of them had reservations about not being allowed to take up their fiefdoms. If it weren't for Zhu Yunying's overwhelming power, and if the old Zhu (Zhu Yunying) hadn't still been alive, some of them might have started to cause trouble.

Look how good Emperor Zhu Yunying was; he went to great lengths for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family. Although he couldn't grant them fiefdoms domestically, he could simply help them establish 'family businesses' overseas.

A vassal king wasn't enough; a king would be even more impressive, granting him a vast territory and territory—this kind of treatment is no joke!

With this in mind, Zhu Yunying became even more determined to conquer the Southeast Asian countries!