But looking at it now, it's clear that Lan Yu was just daydreaming. His current training of troops and deployment of defenses are very likely just doing the work for someone else, because it's unlikely that fighting will break out in the Northwest anytime soon.

Fu Youde was fortunate. He had already established his dominance in the southwest and recovered Yunnan and Guizhou, which seemed to be the pinnacle of his military career. However, after Emperor Ying Shi ascended the throne, he immediately launched a northern expedition, which was also a great victory. Coupled with his recent triumphant return from Goryeo, this was also the zenith of his military career, making him seem to have reached the highest position in the court.

Even Fu Youde felt that he was now the number one general in the court, and even Liang Guogong Lan Yu could not compare to him. After all, whether it was the order or ranking of the conferment of titles at the founding of the country, Lan Yu was not as good as him. In fact, Lan Yu was only Fu Youde's deputy general when he was conquering Yunnan and Guizhou.

As for Xu Huizu and Li Jinglong, despite their high positions and power, Fu Youde considered them to be his juniors. If it weren't for their good backgrounds, they might not have achieved anything, let alone be comparable to him.

As the de facto number one military general, Fu Youde felt that he now needed to shoulder the responsibility.

Fu Youde had little interest in instructing nobles or generals at the Martial Arts Academy. He did want the Central Military Command, but the emperor clearly trusted Xu Huizu, or even Chang Mao, more.

Although brave and upright, Fu Youde was also aware that there were some things he couldn't fight for, and his status wasn't suitable for them. Therefore, he shouldn't dream of taking control of the capital's guards; that was impossible. He should instead focus on doing things for the military merits.

In fact, Fu Youde was well aware that although he considered himself to be in relatively good health and felt he could still lead troops into battle, he was also aware that he had essentially reached the limit of his power, which meant he would likely have no more opportunities to lead troops.

Tang He and Feng Sheng were like this before, and now it's Fu Youde's turn.

Even if one sometimes feels resentful or unwilling, one can only accept it, because throughout history, many great generals met the same end. If one can die peacefully, that would be the best outcome; if one's merits continue to grow, then the emperor will become suspicious.

While he understood these principles, it didn't mean Fu Youde intended to do nothing. He also knew that even if he did some things now, he wouldn't actually be breaking any rules, because those were simply the duties of a military officer.

Moreover, the current emperor is considered benevolent and magnanimous, so there is no need for him to care about certain things.

Fu Youde did indeed have his own thoughts and ideas, mainly believing that even if they were busy with domestic affairs, they shouldn't diminish the importance of military merit. Even if they weren't busy with war, the Ming Dynasty still needed to train its troops and prepare for war.

These are no small matters; they concern the military strength of the Ming Dynasty, and many things need to be prepared in advance.

Zhu Yunying was well aware of Fu Youde's thoughts. In fact, it wasn't just Fu Youde who thought this way; other military officers also had similar thoughts to varying degrees.

Don't be fooled by the fact that military families live a life of luxury and ease in Yingtian Prefecture. When it comes to fighting, these people don't falter. They need to demonstrate their presence; military families need to constantly go to war to ensure their wealth and honor, and to earn more military merits and rewards.

If the civil officials were complacent and the military officials were lazy, then it would obviously not work. The military officers of the Ming Dynasty have not yet become corrupt and decadent, and their fighting strength and ambition can still be guaranteed to a certain extent. That is the fact.

Looking at Fu Youde, Zhu Yunying said helplessly, "Duke of Ying, as I have said before, the Ming Dynasty needs to recuperate for a few years. After so many years of continuous warfare, it should rest and recuperate for a few years, or we will repeat the disaster of Emperor Wu of Han's excessive military campaigns."

At this moment, Fu Youde quickly said, "Your Majesty, we are not requesting an imperial decree to send troops. It is just that the Ming Dynasty is currently at peace, and many garrison troops have long since become lax in their military preparedness. I believe we should train the troops and properly discipline those derelict soldiers."

This is quite true. Despite the Ming Dynasty's constant warfare over the years, its territory remained peaceful, with virtually no rebellions. This meant that some military garrisons had indeed become somewhat lax, and it wasn't surprising that weapons were stored away and horses were allowed to graze freely in some areas, since there was no need for war preparations.

Fu Youde's thoughts seemed rather simple. Since he couldn't lead troops into battle now, and since the Ming Dynasty had no intention of provoking any wars, he could find a reason to train the troops. This would allow the military elites to demonstrate their strength again and let the civil officials see the power of the military.

War is not just about leading troops into battle; the preparations made beforehand are equally important.

Moreover, in such preparations and training, one can actually strive for more rewards and allow some soldiers to benefit.

These can be considered one of Fu Youde's subtle strategies; he wanted to emphasize the importance of the Wuxun Group, and there were many ways to do so. Fighting seems to be the most direct method, but there are other ways as well.

Zhu Yunying naturally understood the validity of Fu Youde's words, as they reflected the actual situation. Military preparedness was of paramount importance; one could not expect an untrained army to be invincible upon entering the battlefield.

Without sufficient training, it's difficult to build a truly strong army, a fact Zhu Yunying was always aware of. Ensuring adequate training for some of the Ming Dynasty's garrisons certainly seemed essential.

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