June of the 26th year of Hongwu.

It has been a year since I arrived in the capital with Prince of Yan Zhu Di last year.

For the capital, or the entire Ming Dynasty, this year has seen earth-shaking changes.

Because of the appearance of Zhu Ying, the most orthodox eldest grandson, the inheritance of the Ming Dynasty became extremely stable.

As for the open and secret struggles between emperors and crown princes in various dynasties in history, there was not even a hint of it.

Firstly, Zhu Yuanzhang was old. In today's world, his age could be considered extremely long.

Secondly, Zhu Ying is still very young. He is only 20 years old this year and has a long life ahead of him.

Of course, the most important thing is Zhu Yuanzhang’s doting on his eldest grandson.

It can be said that he is very tolerant in every aspect. Some of the original taboos are nothing to Dasun.

At this moment in the Qianqing Palace, the grandfather and grandson were looking at a map.

The territory on this map is so vast that it covers everything, and the map is also called the Fengshui Map of All Nations.

"The world is so big, but our vast Ming Dynasty only occupies a small corner of the map. Compared with the rest of the world, the gap is huge."

"The territory of Mongolia was once more magnificent than that of the dynasties in the Central Plains. It's a pity that Genghis Khan did not have the cultural heritage of China."

"After this, not only was there nothing left of this vast territory, but it was also given to others as a gift."

"Apart from leaving a deep mark in history, in the end many of their descendants still live on that grassland."

"At present, only Timur has some talent, but even so, he has to bow down to us."

"But my great grandson, please remember that in the letter he sent to us, he put himself in a very low position. A person who owns such a territory must be a man of great talent and strategy. How could he be willing to be inferior to others?"

"On the surface, he is kowtowed to us, but in fact, he might be plotting against our Ming Dynasty."

Looking at the geomancy map of all nations in front of him, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but sigh from his heart.

Some things, especially places you have never been to, are just a rough and vague concept in words, but when you see the map, the feeling is completely different.

The origin of this map is naturally not something that can be said about who completed it, but rather that Zhu Ying recalled some general memories of maps from his previous life and then collected maps from merchants from various countries.

Finally, through continuous splicing and modification, this universal feng shui map was completed.

It is impossible to say that it is extremely accurate, but generally speaking, there is not much difference.

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned Timur was because when Zhu Ying was drawing the picture, he deliberately asked the painter to divide the territory directly controlled by the Ming Dynasty and the territory indirectly controlled by the Ming Dynasty.

Although there were garrisons in places like the U-Tsang Command Center in the Western Regions, Liaodong, and Nurgan, the actual appointment and dismissal of officials and management and administration were not within the decision-making of the Ming Dynasty court.

There are not many Han people living there. As for the local natives, the people's loyalty to the Ming Dynasty is a matter of opinion.

After removing these places, the territory of Ming Dynasty and the territory of Timur on the map seem to be not much different.

In the westernmost part of the Western Regions, where Ladakh is located, it borders the Eastern Chagatai Khanate to the north and the Delhi Sultanate to the south.

To the west was the Timurid Empire.

In the middle of this, Kashmir is also involved.

Judging from the map alone, the Timurid Empire has already posed a threat to the Ming Dynasty.

"Grandpa, Timur is now at war with the Golden Horde to the north, the Eastern Chagatai Khanate near the Ming Dynasty, and the Delhi Sultanate."

"Submission is just a temporary measure taken by Timur. This shows that Timur is a man who can bend and stretch. We should be on our guard against him."

Zhu Ying nodded in agreement.

Up to now, Zhu Ying actually had no idea whether Timur would die suddenly as happened in history.

If he really survived, it would be a big trouble.

"We heard from the Embroidered Uniform Guards that the eldest grandson gave the secret recipe of cement to Timur's grandson, whose name was Mahe." Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Ying replied, "Yes, his name is Pir Mahema. After cement appeared, he learned about it from the Chamber of Commerce and began to think about the secret formula of cement. Later, he even wrote a letter to his uncle Shah Rukh, who was fighting against the Eastern Chagatai Khanate on the grassland."

"I asked him to deliver a batch of valuables. The letter was intercepted by my grandson, and then someone was sent to deliver it."

"Shaharu did the same. He sent a large amount of gold and treasures. However, my grandson had prepared people in the Western Regions, and they took them away on the way."

"I was originally thinking about blocking the matter of the cement secret method, but then I thought it would be better to give it to him."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously, "What do you think of this? Tell us about it, grandson."

As for the situation on Timur's side, Zhu Yuanzhang knew only that such a country existed, but he had no idea about it in depth.

After all, the Western Regions alone are extremely far away from the capital of the Ming Dynasty, let alone the areas outside of the Western Regions.

Zhu Ying smiled and said, "It is said that Timur admired Genghis Khan very much and imitated Genghis Khan in his ruling methods."

"Unlike Kublai Khan, who valued Mongolian culture, in the areas they conquered, it was a complete act of slavery."

"The Mongolian cavalry itself does not have the ability to produce. All their property and food come from plunder. Even the army under their command is the same."

"This also led to the people of all countries in the areas conquered by Timur being in dire straits and suffering terribly."

Having said this, Zhu Ying stopped talking.

Because the old man has the most say on these things. The reason why the rebel army was able to continue to grow was not because the Mongols came to power illegitimately.

In the final analysis, the people don't care about these things. The most important thing is that everyone's life can no longer be sustained.

In an age when people can't even get a bite of food to eat, talking about family and country is all nonsense.

In the nearly 100 years of the Yuan Dynasty, the Han people who lived in the late Yuan Dynasty were all born during the Yuan Dynasty. They did not consider themselves Mongolians, but they knew that they were Yuan people, just like the generation born at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

In their hearts, they are the enlightened ones.

The term "Ming people" has nothing to do with race. No matter if they are Xianbei, Xiongnu, Mongolian, or Jin people, anyone born after the founding of the Ming Dynasty will consider themselves Ming people.

There were quite a few officials with blue eyes, blond hair, or even red hair in the Ming Dynasty, but no one would pay special attention to them on the streets.

"What a great grandson, you are quite capable. Timur will surely be delighted if we send him this cement. He is warlike by nature and wants to restore the glory of Genghis Khan. He is extremely aggressive."

"On the surface, Timur's construction of roads and bridges greatly increased the speed of the cavalry, but given his temperament, it's obvious that the roads would be made of corpses and the bridges would be made of bones."

"Under extreme oppression, the people in the conquered areas will inevitably rise up in resistance. Of course, this requires a good opportunity, an opportunity to break the myth of Timur's invincibility."

"It only takes a little setback, and Timur's seemingly ironclad rule will collapse."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, and he was naturally very happy.

Because in his eldest grandson, he saw the idea of ​​war.

It is said that the best military operation is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their soldiers, and the worst is to attack their cities.

Timur's career was nothing more than conquering armies and attacking cities.

The only thing that can be called a diplomatic strife is submission to the Ming Dynasty.

But for Dasun, a secret recipe for cement can damage the foundation and make it full of cracks. It would take a lot of labor to build roads everywhere in such a large territory.

"Grandson, are you planning to attack Timur?"

Having said that, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized that there was a deeper reason, which was the consequences of Timur's road construction.

A good road is like a double-edged sword. While it brings advantages, it is also a disadvantage.

His army can be mobilized faster and attack faster.

Similarly, the enemy's army can also enjoy this.

Of course, the strategy Zhu Yuanzhang was talking about here was not about war, but about wealth.

Zhu Ying nodded: "Let's give it a try. It won't hurt anything. I'm more optimistic about Pier Ma Heima."

"Now he has an elder brother named Mahima Sultan. I heard that his brother is not in good health and is extremely lustful and fond of drinking. His body is almost hollowed out."

"There aren't many good doctors in Samarkand. They are all charlatans. I think this guy might be cured to death."

"Pir Mahmud was the posthumous son of Jahangir, the eldest son of Timur. He was born forty days after his father's death. Timur originally designated the eldest son as the heir, but Jahangir died early, and the second son Umar Shaykh also died early in battle."

"The third son, Miran Shah, suffers from mental illness due to a head injury in the battle. The youngest son, Shah Rukh, is too kind and is not liked by Timur. He is not performing very well in the current war with the Eastern Chagatai Khanate."

"So Timur designated Pir Mahma's elder brother Mahma Sultan as his successor."

"If his brother dies, then Pirmahem is the best successor to Timur."

Listening to Zhu Ying's analysis and introduction of Timur's family, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly sighed heavily with a hint of sadness.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Ying asked subconsciously.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his grandson lovingly, and then said, "I found that Timur is also a poor man. Under the inheritance, he has a similar situation to us."

"His eldest son died young, so the huge territory can only be passed on to his grandson. What is the difference between his eldest grandson and our eldest grandson?"

"But what makes me feel relieved is that my grandson is much better than his grandson. Even if I go now, I can rest assured that the Ming Dynasty will be handed over to my grandson's hands."

Zhu Ying said helplessly: "Grandpa, what nonsense are you talking about? With Grandpa's current physical condition, it is a foregone conclusion that he will live to be a hundred years old. Even if he lives to be a hundred or twenty or thirty years old, I think it is normal."

"Grandpa is only 66 now. In my opinion, even if he lives for another 60 years, what difference will that make?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "If I live another sixty years, my eldest grandson will be eighty years old by then. How can I possibly live that long?"

"If you are old and still alive, you are a thief. We don't want to be a thief."

Zhu Ying said seriously, "That's possible. Grandpa has always been in good health. Besides, I checked the history books and found that there is a record of Sun Simiao. Grandpa must know him."

"He was born in the Western Wei Dynasty, lived through the Sui Dynasty, and died during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty at the age of 142. This is 16 years longer than what my grandson said, that my grandfather would have lived another 60 years."

"He can live so long, so why can't grandpa? From my grandson's point of view, he must be able to live, even if he can't."

"My grandson is not talking nonsense. Grandpa knows about medicine. I have already made preparations and am committed to developing medical talents."

"Especially those doctors related to Sun Simiao, I will try my best to invite them all to the capital and study more methods related to prolonging life."

Who wants to die early? It is said that the older you get, the more afraid you are of death.

For Zhu Yuanzhang, the whole world was the kingdom he conquered. Although he was a little superstitious, he was used to the fighting on the battlefield, so he was not so afraid of death.

The reason Zhu Yuanzhang wants to live a few more years is undoubtedly the appearance of his eldest grandson, which is his biggest concern.

After hearing what his eldest grandson had just said, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt that there was some truth in it.

"Is there any crown prince who lives for sixty years in this world?" Zhu Yuanzhang said jokingly.

Zhu Ying said solemnly: "Let alone sixty years, even if I am the grandson of the emperor for the rest of my life, that would be the happiest thing for me, because I can always be with you."

"To be honest with you, Grandpa, I don't have too many expectations or ideas about being the emperor of the Ming Dynasty."

"The closer I am to the position of emperor, the more I understand that while the emperor enjoys power, it also means taking on too much responsibility."

"Grandpa's daily hard work, I have seen it with my own eyes. Being an emperor, how can I be as free as I am now as the crown prince?"

"Besides, with grandpa in charge of the Ming Dynasty, I dare to let go."

"Without grandpa in the court, I would be overwhelmed just dealing with those civil officials."

Zhu Yuanzhang heard this and snorted coldly: "Whoever dares to bully my grandson, I will exterminate his entire clan. Just wait and see, grandson, I will help you to control these civil officials and make sure they dare not have any thoughts."