Some of Ma Sanbao's actions may seem domineering to some, and he may indeed seem to lack consideration for the difficulties faced by some small Southeast Asian countries. These are probably true, and there's not much to say about them, because some of Ma Sanbao's actions are indeed domineering.

Zhu Yunying could understand some of Ma Sanbao's actions; ultimately, those small countries had their own difficulties. However, the Ming Dynasty had its own plans, and it certainly wouldn't ignore a pirate group like Chen Zuyi's.

Whether it's appeasement or suppression, these are clearly things that should be done. After all, the areas where these pirates are based are also places where the Ming Dynasty's fleets are frequently active, and these pirates have plundered Ming Dynasty merchant ships to some extent.

As for the Chinese who seek a living in some Southeast Asian regions, they probably have their own plans.

Zhu Yunying didn't consider them remnants or abandoned people, but he also knew that once those people chose to leave the Ming Dynasty, they could no longer be considered true Ming citizens. Because neither Chen Zuyi nor Liang Daoming could be considered proper Ming citizens anymore.

Zhu Yunying may have had his own calculations regarding these people, but he essentially used them. To say that he treated them like the people of the Ming Dynasty was clearly unrealistic; Zhu Yunying wasn't that benevolent, and the Ming Dynasty didn't have the resources to care for them.

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At most, it just makes these people seem to have someone to rely on. Of course, these people also need to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty to do certain things.

Chen Di is now somewhat frustrated because the emperor's attitude seems ambiguous. Zhu Yunying clearly approves of Ma Sanbao's domineering behavior overseas and doesn't think there's anything wrong with it.

Even judging from some of the emperor's actions, he actually seemed to approve of Ma Sanbao's methods.

This was somewhat of a difficult situation for Chen Di. Traditional Confucian scholars like him generally believed in the teachings of the sages, and often preferred to appease and bestow favors upon foreign lands, which was a rather traditional approach.

For example, when foreign states came to pay tribute, the central dynasty would invariably reciprocate with even greater gifts. Indeed, the primary approach to these foreign states was appeasement, even to the point of granting their every request, as this seemed to demonstrate the magnanimity of the Celestial Empire.

However, the Hongwu Emperor of the past was relatively good. Although he suppressed the remnants of the Mongol Yuan dynasty in every way, he generally maintained a policy of appeasement towards ordinary foreign states. But Emperor Yingshi was different. He never showed much tolerance towards foreign states and often schemed against them.

Whether it was the former Japan or the recently conquered Korea, it all seems to be Emperor Ying Shi's scheme to make those foreign countries lose their states and become vassal states of the Ming Dynasty.

The former grandeur of the Celestial Empire seems utterly impossible to the Ming Dynasty now. The so-called benevolence of the Celestial Empire appears to be worthless in the eyes of Emperor Ying Shi, who at times appears even more pragmatic than some merchants.

Some foreign lands and so on seemed to him to be nothing more than fish on a chopping board; this was the way of the King of England.

Those foreign states that wanted to protest to the Ming Dynasty seemed to be indulging in wishful thinking. Their plans were simply impossible. The Ming Dynasty had its own schemes and arrangements.

By the time the imperial decree is delivered, Ma Sanbao and his men may have already finished their battles overseas and wiped out the pirates. They might even incur the wrath of some smaller foreign countries, and the imperial army might have already landed in some of those countries.

All of this is very possible, and this is definitely not Chen Di worrying unnecessarily.

Chen Di left the Wuying Hall with mixed feelings. Having such a domineering emperor might not be a good thing for some of the countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty. As the Minister of Rites, he would inevitably have many headaches because of this.

But there's nothing that can be done about it; that's just the emperor's nature. All Chen Di can do now is to do his utmost to assist the emperor; that's what he should be doing.

Some traditional leniency was indeed superfluous in Zhu Yunying's eyes. For him, the surrounding small countries also had their own destinies, and many things were actually very realistic.

Zhu Yunying certainly understood that even though the Ming Dynasty was currently powerful, it could not annex all its neighboring countries, nor could it completely overthrow the states of some small countries or transform them into vassal states of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family. This was indeed unrealistic.

Furthermore, we should not underestimate those vassal states; they also have their own traditions and cultures.

Places like Annam were certainly much weaker than the Ming Dynasty. However, they also had their own history, their own system of governance, and so on, which are all facts.

Even throughout the history of these countries, there has been a long tradition of resisting the Celestial Empire. Whether in the past or present, it's essentially the same. Often, their dynasties have been broken, but they secretly continue to build up their strength, ready to rise up and rebel at any opportunity.

Therefore, these were all factors that Zhu Yunying had to consider. This is why, even though the Ming Dynasty's navy was constantly active in the South Seas, it did not send a large army south, nor did it take advantage of the change of dynasty in Annam to launch a direct military campaign.

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