Two hundred thousand troops!!!

Zhu Ying immediately realized that his vision was too narrow.

This is not a strategy for Annan, it's just a straightforward push.

Later, when Zhu Di attacked Annan, he sent more than 200,000 people. However, the more than 200,000 people in the early Ming Dynasty were much stronger than those during Zhu Di's Yongle period.

"Grandpa, there is no need for so many people. It's too much of a burden. Fifty thousand people is more than enough."

Zhu Ying said speechlessly, he didn't expect the old man to be so cruel.

You should know that Annan was listed as a country that would not be conquered, which meant that Zhu Yuanzhang simply looked down upon this small country of Annan.

Now that he knew about the abundant production of rice, especially the term "four-season rice", Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately ignited.

"You kid, I'm not talking about you. Although Annan is small, it has millions of people. Don't underestimate it. Although its fighting power is not strong, its soldiers should be more than 500,000. Otherwise, why do you think we don't fight it?"

The Ming Dynasty had some understanding of the situations of various countries. Zhu Yuanzhang listed Annan as a country that would not be conquered, of course he had his own considerations.

But our understanding of this is very limited, probably just about the country's size, population and military strength.

They don’t care about the economy, culture, or local characteristics.

Zhu Ying could only smile bitterly and said, "Grandpa, we are now responding to the request of the Annan royal family to send troops to assist. Fifty thousand is already a lot. If there are more, it will affect the local balance."

Zhu Ying knew very well that the arrival of 200,000 troops would surely arouse a common hatred of the enemy, and he would have to pay a greater price then.

Fifty thousand troops is a relatively acceptable number, and it can also intervene in the entire Kingdom of Annan. The most important thing is to understand the local situation, and the soldiers will also have a sense of familiarity.

The people of Annan became more receptive later on.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, grandson. But things like food need to be dealt with quickly. There is a food shortage everywhere in our Ming Dynasty right now." Zhu Yuanzhang said after hearing this.

I think my eldest grandson knows the situation in Annan better than I do.

After getting the old man's permission, Zhu Ying began to gather his disciples.

In fact, the dispatch of 50,000 troops was just a matter of an imperial edict. The key point was that Zhu Ying had to gather at least 30 disciples to go.

And before going there, training is required.

The 50,000-strong army went there not to fight, but to serve as a deterrent. The 30 disciples who accompanied them were the key to this.

Among Zhu Ying's hundreds of disciples, each one is no small character. Each one has undergone Zhu Ying's rigorous training before being able to become a disciple.

The roles played by these disciples in the past were similar to the concept of political commissars in later generations.

The first is the ideological guidance of the army, and the second is the integration of the power of the entire Annan Kingdom through alliances.

All we need to do is create a suitable opportunity to completely conquer Annan.

At present, Zhu Ying had no intention of ruling Annan in the name of the Ming Dynasty.

The ultimate goal is to demilitarize and debureaucratize the entire country of Annan.

All officials were appointed by the Ming Dynasty, all military forces belonged to the Ming Dynasty, and the soldiers recruited in Annan were transferred to other areas of the Ming Dynasty.

The currency, economy, laws, and even customs and culture all moved closer to the Ming Dynasty.

Taxes were also collected by the Ming government.

It is enough to temporarily retain the existence of the Annan royal family. As for the follow-up, we will see how the situation develops.

The Annan royal family aimed to drive the tiger to devour the wolf, but the Ming Dynasty was not a tiger, but a dragon.

Annan is destined to undergo tremendous changes in the future.

Fortunately, it was Liu Sheng who was here. Because he was worried about Zhu Ying's situation in the capital, he gathered most of his disciples here.

Currently, there are still more than fifty disciples who have entered the capital or arrived near the capital.

All personnel can be gathered within two days.

Because of this, the training of the palace guards will have to be postponed for a few days.

…

"He's here."

In Chunhe Hall, Lu spoke to Zhu Yunwen indifferently.

Zhu Ying entered Kunning Palace last night. Lu had already noticed it and soon got the news.

By now, almost all the officials in the palace have heard the news of Zhu Ying entering the palace.

After the fermentation of his last entry into the palace, and the deliberate spread of rumors by several eunuchs from the inner chambers, Zhu Ying's identity became clear.

"Mom, I want to go see my elder brother."

Zhu Yunwen's tone was a little nervous. He had previously confirmed his eldest brother's residence from Zhu Yunxun and Zhu Mingyue, and he had mustered up the courage to go there once.

However, Zhu Ying was training troops in the military camp at that time, so Zhu Yunwen could only go in vain.

But in Zhu Yunwen's heart, he was actually resistant to meeting his elder brother, and was even a little afraid.

He knew that once he met his eldest brother, things would be completely different, which meant that he would no longer have any chance.

But his mother told him that he had to go, even if it was to show it to the emperor, he had to pretend to be a brother with deep affection.

The weather in June changes suddenly. While Zhu Yunwen was still hesitating, the sky was already covered with dark clouds.

A light rain started to fall with crackling sound.

Obviously judging from the situation, it won’t be long before there are continuous heavy rains.

"Go ahead and pay your respects to your elder brother after dinner. Remember, be sincere and don't let your elder brother have any misunderstandings." Mrs. Lu warned.

She knew very well that in the future, whether it was the division of fiefdoms or other aspects, His Majesty would definitely listen to Zhu Xiongying's opinions.

Moreover, Your Majesty is already very old. As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The power transition stage must be completed quickly to prevent any accidents from occurring.

Now that everyone has moved into Kunning Palace, there is no need to think too much about other things. Just focus on the present.

Although Zhu Yunwen was reluctant, he finally decided to go as his mother arranged and meet his elder brother.

The rain started to fall quickly, but since this was the imperial palace, the eunuchs had already prepared umbrellas.

Upon receiving the news that his elder brother had returned to Kunning Palace, Zhu Yunwen prepared to set off.

…

At this moment, Zhu Ying was meeting with his uncle Lan Rong in Kunning Palace.

Yesterday, Zhu Ying inspected the Emperor's Twelve Guards, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he discovered a very serious problem.

Even the current palace guards are basically veterans who have followed the old man in battle for many years. Their loyalty is definitely unquestionable.

But there is a key problem: the age of the palace guards has generally begun to age.

It is estimated that the age of the twelve palace guards is around 40 years old.

For a soldier, this is considered the pinnacle, both in terms of combat experience and obedience.

But physically, things have started to go downhill.

This means that the high-intensity training that Zhu Ying has arranged next cannot be carried out.

Human nature is very subtle. Zhu Ying cannot simply eliminate these older soldiers, as this can easily lead to misunderstandings.

This made the soldiers feel disheartened, which was not what Zhu Ying expected.

Zhu Ying already had a plan in mind on how to place these older soldiers, and Lan Rong was the first person Zhu Ying had to convince.

"Uncle, are you feeling well recently?" Zhu Ying asked with a smile.

When Lan Rong heard Zhu Ying asking about his physical condition, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Then he said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have been feeling a little tired lately. I am old and can no longer bear it."

Zhu Ying looked at Lan Rong's white hair and beard, and felt a little sad. From his tone and eyes just now, he could feel that he was getting old.

Lan Rong is already 62 years old this year, and is still working as a commander.

"Don't think too much, uncle. Grandpa recently wanted me to integrate the Twelve Guards, but the training is too strenuous. I was worried that if I were older, my body wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Of course I know very well that you are all soldiers who once followed Grandpa to fight. It's not that I'm leaving the Twelve Guards, but I want to make some changes to the Twelve."

"In order to avoid misunderstandings among the soldiers, I specifically discussed this matter with my uncle in detail. I can only rely on my uncle to help me with this matter."

Zhu Ying said slowly that the sixty-two-year-old Lan Rong was still very prestigious among the entire Twelve Guards.

"Your Highness, please just speak. I, an old minister, will do anything to help you, and I will do it without hesitation," Lan Rong immediately stated.

Zhu Ying nodded. After all, they were her mother's relatives, so there would definitely be no problem in this regard.

Next, Zhu Ying shared his thoughts.

For all the twelve guards who are over 35 years old, a separate reform will be carried out and the guards will be reintegrated.

Those under the age of 35 are also reintegrated and adjusted into a group similar to a guard of honor.

The duties will remain essentially unchanged, except for a new drill program for those under the age of thirty-five.

For such a thing, Lan Rong would naturally agree, there was no reason to refuse.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang himself also carried out many reforms like this, and the Twelve Guards of the Emperor were also adjusted several times.

After taking a look at the weather outside, Zhu Ying kept Lan Rong for dinner before letting him leave.

It was raining heavily outside, and Zhu Ying was too lazy to move, so he started reviewing memorials directly in Kunning Palace.

In the Qianqing Palace in front, the old man was discussing with many ministers, mainly about the arrangements and details of high-yield crops such as sweet potatoes.

"It's incredible that there is such a high-yield crop in the world that can produce 1,000 kilograms per mu and is also cold-resistant and drought-resistant. This is simply a gift from God."

"The world is so vast that there are so many things. This kind of crop has never been heard of in thousands of years. If Your Majesty hadn't personally verified it, no one would believe it."

Many ministers sighed and showed extremely excited expressions on their faces.

Having been in politics for many years, they certainly understand the significance of these crops to the entire Ming Dynasty. Countless people will save their lives because of them.

In this day and age, who hasn’t seen the suffering of famine? Such scenes are truly heartbreaking.

There are many starving people who eat Guanyin soil until they die in order to have a false feeling of fullness.

"May I ask Your Majesty where these plants are being planted? Can we take a look?" a minister asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "Don't worry, the crops have already been planted. After a round of harvest, the yield per mu will be measured, and then the various departments will arrange for distribution to the people."

"What you need to do now is to list the distributed charters."

After hearing His Majesty's reply, everyone felt a little disappointed, but since this was a question concerning the fate of the Ming Dynasty, no one dared to say a word.

Food is the most important thing for people. This is not just a simple saying but a real fact.

At the end of every dynasty, the people always suffered from famine. If they could have enough food to eat, who would do something as deadly as rebelling?

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask where these godsend crops come from. I wonder if you know." The Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui asked.

When everyone saw that it was Minister Zhan who was speaking, they all fell silent and waited for His Majesty's answer.

Among these important ministers, only Zhan Hui had the courage to ask His Majesty directly.

When Zhan Hui was still a scholar, he had already served as the Censor-in-Chief, and he is currently the Minister of Personnel.

By the way, Zhan Hui’s father, Zhan Tong, was also the Minister of Personnel and Hanlin Academician.

There were two ministers from the same family. The only two who could take office during the Hongwu period were Zhan Hui and his son. This shows how much Zhu Yuanzhang valued them.

However, Zhan Hui's character was similar to that of Yang Xiu, the chief clerk under Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period.

Just like the later comment of Guoque on Zhan Hui: "Hui is intelligent and decisive, and is the most trusted person by the emperor. However, he likes to spy on the emperor's will, which eventually leads to disaster."

The phrase "likes to spy on the emperor's intentions" reveals that Zhan Hui likes to spy on the thoughts of his superiors and show off his talents.

Such people certainly don't have a good ending. In the Lan Yu case in history, Zhan Hui went to interrogate Lan Yu, and Lan Yu said, "You are my accomplice." Just like that, Zhan Hui was implicated and executed.

However, when Zhu Yuanzhang heard Zhan Hui's question, he fell silent and thought for a while before saying:

"The one who sent these crops was none other than our Crown Prince's eldest son, the eldest grandson of Emperor Ming, Prince Yu, Xiongying."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said the last four words "Yu Wang Xiongying", his voice was sonorous and powerful, and his tone was full of absolute trust.

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding among several ministers.

Currently in front of Zhu Yuanzhang were five Shangshu and three palace ministers.

These eight people were all so shocked that they felt it was difficult to breathe. When they reacted, they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even though his throat moved for the talkative Zhan Hui, he didn't say a word.

He likes to show off, but he is not a fool.

Who is that person, His Royal Highness Prince Yu? It is His Royal Highness Chang Sun who passed away ten years ago. Now that His Majesty suddenly mentioned him, no one knew how to answer and no one dared to speak.

"Why, do you think I'm kidding you? Ten years ago, my eldest grandson was lucky enough to escape with his life when the dragon in the Xiaoling Mausoleum rolled over and his coffin fell into the underground river. He just has some amnesia."

"As expected of our eldest grandson, he has been wandering in the wild for ten years and has built up such a great foundation. Now he has brought back high-yield crops that will save millions of people."

"God bless the Ming Dynasty! God bless my grandson!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that several ministers were silent, he spoke in a low voice, which gradually became higher.

Thinking back on everything his eldest grandson had done, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but applaud him.

Although many ministers had doubts, since His Majesty had said so, how could it be false?

Even if it is false, they cannot or dare to question it.

Upon seeing this, Zhan Hui immediately stood up and bowed to the ground, shouting loudly: "God bless your majesty, God bless your grandson!!!"

Upon seeing this, the other ministers immediately followed suit and bowed down, shouting in unison.

At this moment, Zhu Ying sat high on a chair on a high platform in the main hall of Kunning Palace, looking at Zhu Yunwen below.

Zhu Yunwen below took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his eyes, and bowed deeply:

"Your younger brother, Yunwen, greets you, elder brother! Respectfully welcome you back to the palace!"