Chapter 128: A Strategy of the Ages
Zhu Chong's words made Zhu Biao look surprised. After being the crown prince for so many years, this was the first time someone said he was surprised.
Especially since this person was his younger brother, a younger brother who had required him to rack his brains to help him just a few months ago!
"Second brother, I never thought you could see things so clearly. Honestly, I'm really impressed by you!"
Zhu Biao sincerely admired: "If we could switch places, I think you would be more suitable to sit in my seat!"
Zhu Chong was frightened when he heard this, and even covered Zhu Biao's mouth with his hand, "Brother, don't hurt me, this is fatal!"
Seeing Zhu Chong's horrified expression, Zhu Biao suddenly realized that he seemed to have said something wrong. He smiled awkwardly, moved away from Zhu Chong's hand, but sighed inexplicably.
When Zhu Chong heard what Zhu Biao said, he suddenly became uneasy, and then began to look around. He knew what the Jinyiwei around Zhu Biao did, and God knew whether he had also placed his own people around the prince.
If Zhu Yuanzhang knew what the prince had just said to him, given his extremely suspicious nature, even if the prince was his biological son, he would probably die!
But seeing Zhu Biao's lonely look, Zhu Chong suppressed the urge to flee and gently patted Zhu Biao's shoulder.
"Brother, don't overthink it. Our father is still very strong. If the sky falls, let him hold it up first. We are both his subjects and his sons. We still have a lot to learn."
"Don't let your imagination run wild. Just be a good Crown Prince. Whether the Ming Dynasty can truly achieve long-term peace and stability in the future depends on you and your descendants. I can't worry about that!"
Zhu Chong said to Zhu Biao sincerely, "Don't worry, big brother. Once I finish the things I have on hand, if the Mongols in the north haven't been dealt with by our father yet, I will help you deal with them!"
Hearing Zhu Chong's boast, Zhu Biao couldn't help but be surprised, "You? Second brother, you can't joke about this. If I take it seriously, our father will take it seriously too!"
"That's what I've always thought." Zhu Chong chuckled and said, "Actually, I think you need to have a good talk with our father about those of us brothers. No, I mean those of us brothers who like to fight and kill, like me and Xiao Si."
Zhu Chong said this with a mysterious look on his face, "Tell our father not to keep us in the Central Plains, and not to grant us any territories. Instead, let us point to any territory outside the Ming Dynasty on the geomancy map, whether it's the north or the sea."
"As long as you like it, that place will belong to our Zhu family in the future. As for whether you can get that piece of land, it depends on your ability. After you get it, you will be self-sufficient. Don't rely on the court for everything. We are not helpless!"
"Second brother, what do you mean by that?" Zhu Biao was startled by Zhu Chong's words. "You want to split the land and become king? You..."
"Divide the land and crown a king?" Zhu Chong shook his head. "Brother, you used the wrong word. Listen carefully, I'm talking about outside the Ming Dynasty, not inside our Ming Dynasty."
"Like I just said, when I have time, I can recruit soldiers and take over the land of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. I can then ask my father to give it to me as a fiefdom, and I'll guard it for generations to come for the Ming Dynasty. What do you think?"
"You...are you serious?" Zhu Biao swallowed hard, shocked by Zhu Chong's words.
"Of course it's true. Those people from the Northern Yuan Dynasty said that this was their birthplace. I went straight over there and flattened their birthplace. Then I built a few more cities there and incorporated that land into the territory of our Ming Dynasty. What do you think, brother?"
When Zhu Chong said this, it was as simple as drinking water, but it shocked Zhu Biao. He could never have imagined that Zhu Chong would take the initiative to propose to guard the border for the Ming Dynasty, and the territory he was guarding was the territory seized from the Mongols.
"Second brother, I know you wouldn't say this for no reason. Tell me why you think so." Zhu Biao stared at Zhu Chong with his sharp eyes, his expression more serious than ever before.
"Nothing else, I just don't like my father always doing things that waste people's money and time, and I don't want you to grow old prematurely with him."
Zhu Chong patted Zhu Biao's shoulder and said, "Brother, you are only a few years older than me, but look at how old you have become after being the crown prince for so many years. And our father, you are not acting like an emperor or a crown prince, you are really making yourselves suffer."
"He hopes to establish a stable kingdom for his descendants to enjoy, and he wants to drag you along to become an ascetic. This is simply unreasonable."
Zhu Chong became more and more excited as he spoke. "We are not useless people in the Zhu family. How can we rely on our parents and brothers to protect us all the time? We can only hide in the back while watching the war in the Ming Dynasty spread. What kind of thing is this?"
"Now that we know who the Ming Dynasty's enemies are, we should just do whatever it takes. Chop them up, skin them alive, whatever it takes, but definitely not resort to any means necessary!"
"In my opinion, it can be summed up in one sentence: no marriage alliances, no indemnities, no cession of territory, no tribute. The princes guard the borders, the emperors die for the country, and we work together to create a prosperous Ming Dynasty that is unprecedented and unparalleled!"
Hearing what Zhu Chong said, Zhu Biao's eyes widened. He really didn't expect that his own brother would think this way.
No marriage alliance, no compensation, no cession of territory, no tribute. The prince guards the national border and the emperor dies for the country. Let's work together to create a prosperous Ming Dynasty that is unprecedented and will never be repeated!
These words were quite domineering, and it was something he had always wanted to express but could not. He did not expect that Zhu Chong would say it first.
"Second brother, have you already had a plan to deal with the Northern Yuan Dynasty?" Zhu Biao directly brought up the topic.
"Of course. I have prepared more than one plan. Do you want to hear it?" Now that things have come to this, there is no reason for Zhu Chong to hide it from Zhu Biao.
"Tell me, brother, I'm all ears!" Zhu Biao personally poured a cup of tea for Zhu Chong, his eyes full of hope.
"Actually, there are many ways to deal with the small Northern Yuan Dynasty. I thought about it for a long time and finally came up with three methods. But I was actually very conflicted about which one to use because I wanted to do it myself."
"Don't keep us in suspense, just tell me." When Zhu Biao heard that Zhu Chong had three ways, his eyes lit up even more, and he couldn't help but urge him repeatedly.
"The first one, just four words, is to reduce the population and exterminate households." Zhu Chong uttered these four words sinisterly, which immediately stunned Zhu Biao.
Zhu Biao was originally concentrating all his attention, waiting for Zhu Chong to come up with a brilliant plan that was unprecedented in history, but he did not expect such a terrifying word to come out of Zhu Chong's mouth.
Zhu Biao's face instantly turned purple, his hands clawed, shaking as if in a convulsion, his lips trembling, but for a long time he couldn't utter a single word...
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