In the awkward silence, Zhu Di suddenly spoke to himself, "Even with 500,000 against tens of thousands, I could win..."
The unspoken meaning in the words was automatically understood by everyone: either Li Jinglong was too useless, or His Highness the Prince of Yan was too powerful.
As the father-in-law of the Prince of Yan, Xu Da stroked his beard and thought that his son-in-law was good at leading troops and fighting battles, but he was not as magical as those famous generals in history books who seemed to be gods descended to earth.
So either our allies are too amazing, or the enemy is too stupid—Li Jinglong is such a useless guy!
Don't even talk about how heroes are born like heroes; this thing isn't even as good as one of his father's fingers.
Xu Da was suddenly startled. They were all founding generals. If his Xu family produced such a person, wouldn't he also become famous?
no!
When he got home, he established a family rule: all Xu family descendants who joined the army must start as lowly soldiers!
Most of the other military officers present shared this idea.
Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his teeth, his face turning pale and then flushed, his expression unpredictable. Li Jinglong's heart was pounding from his gaze.
Old Zhu was heartbroken. His nephew's lifelong reputation had been ruined by his son, and this shameful act would probably go down in history.
"Get out of here, and don't ever come near me again." Zhu Yuanzhang kicked the "Great Ming War God" off the stage, not even wanting to look at him again—for fear of shortening his lifespan.
No, what did Liu Xian say before? Oh, right, her family also produced a "Great Ming War God".
Zhu Yuanzhang surveyed the hall filled with officials, feeling that each of them had a thieving glint in their eyes, all waiting to see the Zhu family make a fool of themselves.
Should we find an excuse...?
Just then, Liu Xian, understanding and considerate, spoke up:
"Do you think the first generation of war gods of the Ming Dynasty was amazing? Actually, the second generation surpassed their predecessors."
Everyone was terrified; how could the student possibly surpass the teacher?
They couldn't even imagine it.
It's alright," Liu Xian said kindly, waving her hand. A "screen" appeared in mid-air, as clear as water.
Several blurry figures suddenly appeared on the screen. The leader was dressed in a dragon robe and had a tall and straight posture. Even though his face was not clearly visible, he could be identified as a young man.
A commotion arose among the crowd, who looked at the screen with a mixture of fear and murmurs of surprise.
Are these some kind of demonic soul-capturing spells?
Li Shanchang was so frightened that he took a few steps back, but fortunately a pair of hands supported him from behind.
Looking back, he saw Hu Weiyong, whom he had promoted. Hu was both capable and "loyal," and Li Shanchang had always been quite fond of this younger man.
"Thank you very much." He nodded his thanks to the younger man, sighed, and Hu Weiyong, quick-witted, smiled and whispered:
"Prime Minister, there's no need to worry. The spell that Liu Xian used was probably meant to show what the future might be like. Look at that one in the dragon robe, that's the second-generation War God that Liu Xian mentioned... Ah, he's moving!"
In the scene, the man in the dragon robe slams his hand on the table, his clear, youthful voice filled with nobility and domineering authority.
"I have decided to personally lead the army to attack the Oirat Mongols. My ministers need not stop me!"
Then a man dressed in eunuch's robes, but standing at the forefront of the court officials, stepped forward and spoke with great passion:
"Your Majesty is wise. Our founding emperor was exceptionally brave and skilled in warfare. He rose from humble beginnings to become a god of war... The Mongol Yuan Dynasty... and later Emperor Chengzu was no less capable than his father, with outstanding military achievements."
Previously, the late Emperor had personally led an expedition to punish the rebellious Prince of Han. Your Majesty, following in the footsteps of your ancestors, is personally leading an expedition to boost morale. We, your subjects, can only do our utmost to assist you.”
As you can see, this person wields considerable influence. After he finished speaking, people gradually echoed his sentiments, while dissenting voices were few and far between.
Dead eunuch! Treacherous minister! Traitor!
Everyone present was inwardly cursing this man, wondering what he was up to and whether he was a spy sent by the Oirat Mongols.
What would happen if an incompetent and arrogant emperor personally led a military campaign?
Zhu Yuanzhang kindly provided the answer: being utterly defeated by the enemy or being hacked to pieces by one's own army.
A good-for-nothing should stay obediently in the palace, where there's a risk of rebellion by treacherous officials. How dare you go to the army?
"Your Majesty, I have a suggestion to offer!"
An official rushed out from the crowd; it was Hu Weiyong. His face was contorted with grief and indignation. He first kowtowed three times with a series of loud thuds.
“Eunuchs are treacherous and wicked, causing chaos in every dynasty. They flatter, distort the truth, and fawn on the emperor. Your Majesty, I implore you to issue an edict to prohibit eunuchs from seizing power and disrupting the government, otherwise, catastrophic disaster is already imminent!”
These words were righteous and eloquent, and they resonated with the ministers.
The scene shows eunuchs attending court and seemingly holding high positions of power. What must the other officials think of this?
All the hard work and bloody battles of studying are no match for the eunuch's ruthless knife. What a disgrace!
Li Shanchang was very pleased, feeling that he had not misjudged the man; he was indeed a loyal minister.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very annoyed. Damn it, he had already issued an edict to suppress the eunuchs, strictly prohibiting palace officials from interfering in politics, and those who violated it would be executed.
Whose children or grandchildren, who should be skinned alive, ignored the prohibition and gave power to the eunuchs? Although there are occasionally some honest and upright people among these eunuchs, most of them are villains!
Zhu Di suddenly felt an itch on his scalp...
Zhu glanced at Hu Weiyong kneeling on the ground, too lazy to repeat his decree, waved his hand to dismiss him, and then ignored him.
How could he possibly let anyone know that it was his unfilial son and grandson who changed his decree and disregarded him?
Thinking this, Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes. No matter who it was, it was related to the fourth prince. He would give him a beating tomorrow.
Unaware of the emperor's thoughts, Hu Weiyong stood frozen in place. Li Shanchang, unable to bear it any longer, kicked him twice with his toes.
The scene continued, and as everyone expected, the man in the dragon robe led a vast army on a personal expedition to Tumu Fortress to fight against the Oirat Mongols.
First, the command was chaotic and they were caught off guard, causing the morale of the soldiers to plummet.
Under Zhu Yuanzhang's cannibalistic gaze, the man in the dragon robe was terrified and issued one foolish order after another to the army, some of which were even contradictory.
In contrast, the Oirat army was well-commanded and attacked from both sides, with the last small group of Oirat soldiers capturing the man in the dragon robe.
Well, the most gratifying thing is that the dead eunuch was beheaded.
But no one could be happy; a deathly silence permeated every inch of the air.
The emperor was captured—a humiliating disgrace!
Zhu Yuanzhang's cold voice rang out:
"I haven't read many books, but I remember two emperors who were captured: Emperor Huizong of Song and Emperor Qinzong of Song."
I never imagined that such a person would be among my descendants.
Everyone fell silent, lowering their heads and daring not to utter a word that might offend the emperor.
Liu Xian, oblivious to the atmosphere, nodded brazenly and scoffed, "Your Majesty's example is quite good; they are indeed very similar."
"Oh, in what ways are they similar?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's voice seemed to come from an icy hell, freezing all life around him.
"Shh, I can't give away any spoilers," Liu Xian said mysteriously, putting a finger to her lips.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
