Zhu Chun quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have no objection. I heard years ago that the Imperial Navy, under Your Majesty's command, found a silver mountain, which greatly excited me. In recent years, the Ming Dynasty has no more worries about silver, all thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom."

Such blatant flattery was a common sentiment among many officials of the Ming Dynasty. Who would have thought that the Japan they looked down upon actually possessed an inexhaustible wealth of silver?

If it weren't for Zhu Yunying's reckless actions in his early years, and if it weren't for Emperor Yingshi's wisdom and intelligence, the vast silver mine would have fallen into the hands of those barbarians.

Silver was of paramount importance, so it was no surprise that the Ming Dynasty wanted to maintain control over it. The presence of the Busan Three Guards, the garrison on Tsushima Island, and the constant readiness of Tianjin and Weihaiwei were also considered perfectly reasonable.

So now the Ming Dynasty needs a passage through Goryeo, which is not surprising to everyone. If the Ming Dynasty were to make a decisive move, many people might be quite surprised.

Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan both understood that they naturally dared not have any other thoughts, but they couldn't guarantee that their descendants would be just as dutiful. Or perhaps the future emperors of the Ming Dynasty would certainly be exceptionally wise.

Therefore, making preparations in advance is for the sake of 'long-term stability and security,' and in fact, it is to minimize trouble for future generations and avoid certain things from happening.

For Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan, achieving a complete Goryeo was naturally the best outcome, but that was merely the most extravagant of hopes. It was not surprising that the Ming Dynasty would inevitably continue to control Goryeo and Japan.

Even if it's a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, a vassal state established by the Ming imperial family, it's still a vassal state at heart. "Being a petty person first, then a gentleman later" won't do any harm. Most importantly, this means the two countries will now be on friendly terms—this is an absolutely momentous event!

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