The Crown Prince's arrival at court was a novel event for many civil and military officials, and something that required their attention.

Furthermore, the Crown Prince stood directly at the front of the civil officials' procession, which aroused considerable speculation among some. They felt that the Crown Prince's actions must have a deeper meaning, and that they needed to carefully consider it.

This was no small matter. After all, neither the Hongwu Emperor nor the Yingshi Emperor were particularly friendly to the civil service, a fact well-known to many. The low status of civil officials was a source of deep resentment for many scholars.

But things are different now. Emperor Hongwu dared not offer much advice. As for Emperor Yingshi, many scholars had given up on him. Now, the Crown Prince can shoulder the expectations of the entire nation for the son of a sage!

After shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times, Zhu Yunying's expression turned solemn. After all, this was the official court, and of course, it needed to be taken seriously. This seriousness wasn't just about the court attire; one's own attitude was also extremely important.

Zhu Yunying's expression was very calm, and he began the morning court session according to the established procedures. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

Receiving officials who were leaving the capital or foreign envoys was a standard practice of the Zheng Dynasty, and it was something Zhu Yunying was supposed to do.

It seems to have had some effect; since the campaign against Goryeo, the Ming Dynasty's deterrent power over some neighboring countries has been increasing. This is different from the campaign against the Tatars and other remnants of the Mongols, and has a different significance for many of the countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty.

During the Yuan Dynasty, many countries did indeed submit to the Yuan Dynasty and feared the terrifying fighting power of the Mongol cavalry. However, after Emperor Hongwu drove the Mongols away, many people also feared the army of the Ming Dynasty.

However, in general, the Ming Dynasty doesn't seem likely to launch attacks on any country. At most, it would only reclaim its existing territory, so there's nothing to be nervous about. At most, it would just be a matter of submitting to the Ming.

Goryeo is different. Although modern Goryeo is different from the former Goguryeo, it still shares some continuity. They have their own culture, ethnicity, and relatively stable regime, making them a formidable opponent.

But this very regime was destroyed by the Ming Dynasty, a situation quite different from the Tang Dynasty's conquest of Goguryeo. Some of the countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty are now trembling with fear.

In the past, when people became vassals, they thought it was just a formality, at most it just sounded bad. At worst, they would accept investiture and pay tribute.

Anyway, there was no real loss. The Ming Dynasty only gained a nominal title and would not interfere in the affairs of its vassal states.

But things are different now. Goryeo was destroyed without warning, under the pretext of the Goryeo king and his sons' regicide and patricide. The implications of this have made many people quite nervous.

In particular, in Annam, the Tran Dynasty, which lasted for 175 years, was overthrown by Ho Quy Li, who deposed the young emperor and established himself as king. Now, the Ho Dynasty of Annam is in power.

The Ming Dynasty had a lot of thoughts and ideas about Southeast Asia. Whether it was normal commercial exchanges or the continuous dispatch of various envoys, there were some different meanings behind it.

Moreover, some of these people weren't fools; they spotted Ming Dynasty spies, unidentified merchants, and even scholars studying in the Ming Dynasty—none of them seemed to be simple characters.

It was hard not to care, because the Ming Dynasty did indeed seem to have a lot of thoughts and ideas about Southeast Asia.

In addition to the affairs of the Annam Ho Dynasty, there were many other countries fighting each other, and there were also some ridiculous and absurd things happening.

If the Ming Dynasty were to seize upon this weakness, they might very well launch a military campaign against it. After all, the Ming Dynasty currently appears far too powerful; it had already conquered Goryeo, a small part of China, so the vassal states of Southeast Asia would be even more formidable.

To be honest, the struggling island nation of Japan existed even before the fall of Goryeo. Their war between the north and south gave the princes of the Ming Dynasty an opportunity. Before the emperor could even enjoy unification, they were driven north by the Ming army. Not only is their territory shrinking, but they are now in danger of being destroyed at any time.

These were all regimes with established legacies, but so what? The Ming Dynasty didn't care about legacies. As long as they had a handle on something, the Ming Dynasty would raise an army, something that everyone with eyes could see.

In the past, when people talked about ethics and morality, and about education, some vassal states might outwardly show respect. But deep down, they might not have taken it seriously.

But now things are different, because they know that the Ming Dynasty is powerful and might just launch a military campaign in a fit of anger, and could very well destroy the country.

The golden age of all nations paying tribute did not materialize, and it differed somewhat from the prosperous Tang Dynasty in history. However, the emperors, officials, and people of the Ming Dynasty had become accustomed to it, and more and more vassal states came to pay tribute, with the status of their envoys becoming increasingly prestigious.

After all, the Ryukyu Kingdom of Chuzan had set a good precedent. Regardless of whether it was to apologize or not, the fact that the King of Chuzan personally went to court set a very good precedent and served as the best example.

Might makes right, and occasionally demonstrating national strength can make neighboring countries think twice – that's the best proof.

Xu Huizu's return to the capital is also a good demonstration of his abilities. This top military officer of the Ming Dynasty participated in numerous major battles. Whether it was the previous Northern Expedition or the recent war against Goryeo, although he was only a deputy general, who would dare underestimate his status!

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