"Well done, Mu Chun, he really has his father's style. It seems that if we leave the southwest to him, he will not let us down."

At the morning court session, there was an urgent report from the border that the current Marquis of Xiping, Mu Chun, led an army of 200,000 and defeated the coalition forces of Luchuan, Ava and Menggen, and all the lost territories had been recovered.

Now we are asking the court whether we should continue the advance.

Upon hearing this news, the civil servants who had previously impeached Xiping Marquis Muchun all lowered their heads and remained silent.

The military officers at the Five Military Commandery were all delighted.

Mu Chun, the son of Mu Ying, was familiar with most of the military officers of the Five Military Governor's Office. For example, Fu Youde had fought with Mu Ying in Yunnan.

At that time, Mu Chun had already joined the army.

Under Mu Ying's guidance, Mu Chun naturally treated Fu Youde and others as uncles and had a close relationship with them.

Moreover, Mu Ying, as Zhu Yuanzhang's adopted son, was also a member of the Huaixi noble military group and had once been the core of the prince's party. Although he later guarded Yunnan and had fewer social interactions, the relationship was still there.

"Since Xiping Hou has won, you can discuss the treatment of the three kingdoms. Should we continue the war or make the three kingdoms pay some compensation?"

Zhu Yuanzhang continued.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Youwen, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who was Fu Youde's cousin, stepped forward and said, "I would like to play the game."

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Approved."

Fu Youwen said: "I think that Luchuan has rebelled many times and has bad intentions. Its royal family has received favors from the Ming Dynasty but is ungrateful. We should suppress them."

"This time they have joined forces with the other two countries, hoping to take advantage of the Ming Dynasty's foreign war to invade us. This shows that they have a rebellious mind."

"The ruler of Luchuan State now is Si Renfa, who is extremely ambitious. Even though the King of Qianning had previously broken his vitality in the Dingbian War, there is still no reason for him to sincerely submit to him."

"Why not march straight up with a large army, seize their capital, remove their royal family, and establish a new king, who will be crowned by our Ming dynasty."

"Only in this way can we achieve long-term peace and stability, and Luchuan State will not dare to commit crimes again."

After listening to Fu Youwen's memorial, Zhu Yuanzhang did not express his opinion.

After a while, Chen Sidao, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, came out and said, "I would like to make a report."

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Approved."

Chen Sidao bowed and said, "I think Minister Fu's idea is a bit too radical. Now that my Ming Dynasty has raised an army of 500,000 to conquer Japan, it is extremely costly and there is no visible benefit at present."

"Although the war in Japan is going smoothly, the food shortage is very serious. A large amount of food and wages have been shipped on board recently, which is a heavy burden on the Ming treasury."

"Although the three countries of Luchuan, Menggen, and Awa wanted to take advantage of the situation, they have already been pacified by Xiping Hou in one fell swoop. If we attack them again at this moment, the losses will be too great."

"Just Yunnan is a vast area, and the local chieftains are not completely stable, and there are occasional rebellions."

"If Xiping Hou wins all the way, it will be fine. But if there is any dissatisfaction, the chieftains in the southwest will definitely not be willing to submit and will never rebel again."

"If the army goes south, the southwest will be empty and unstable. If the army returns, all the previous efforts will be wasted. If the army does not return, it will be difficult to suppress the rebellion. We will be in a dilemma."

"Besides, the three kingdoms of Luchuan, Ava, and Menggen are densely forested, with very few rice fields. In addition, the humidity is quite high, which is not suitable for high-yield crops. The food needed by the 200,000-strong army will be difficult to meet if it relies on farming in Yunnan. At that time, we can only transport food from the imperial court to the national treasury, which will be a waste of the national treasury."

"So I think we can stop the war and focus on stabilizing Yunnan. If Yunnan has a vast territory, it would be a bit difficult for Xiping Hou to control it alone. If the territory expands further, I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain."

Chen Sidao's words were naturally recognized by many civil servants.

The key lies in the last sentence.

Now the military and political power of Yunnan is controlled by Mu Chun alone. Although he is only a marquis, there is actually no difference between him and the King of Yunnan.

For the Ministry of War, the province of Yunnan is no longer under its control. Almost all transfer orders are made by Yunnan or the Prince Mu’s Palace.

The imperial court's power over Yunnan has been reduced to the extreme.

Especially now that Mu Ying is dead, Mu Chun is the successor.

Mu Ying was once the emperor's adopted son, so there was naturally nothing to say about him. But Mu Chun was not like that. Who could guarantee that he had no ambitions?

Judging from the current situation, Mu Chun's 200,000-strong army would have no problem conquering Luchuan, let alone the Three Kingdoms.

But this further expanded the power of Prince Mu's Mansion.

Yunnan is located at the border and has a vast territory. After further expansion, the number of soldiers and population will be even greater.

It would be fine if they were to submit all the way, but if they had rebellious intentions, it would be a disaster for the Ming Dynasty.

After Fu Youwen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Chen Sidao, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, finished their reports, the Fengtian Hall began to become lively.

Officials kept submitting memorials, either in favor or against.

The focus is on analyzing the pros and cons of war and non-war.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Ying felt a little sad.

Being an emperor is really not easy.

As far as the arguments of both sides are concerned, there is absolutely no difference between them. They both have their own reasons, and it is difficult to say that one side can completely overwhelm the other.

In the end, the final decision naturally fell on the emperor.

Even Zhu Ying didn't dare to say which side's choice was completely correct.

For example, in some history, when emperors with relatively mediocre talents made choices at this time, who could tell whether they were right or wrong?

Some seemingly foolish decisions may actually have their own reasons behind them.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand, and Liu He, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, immediately shouted in a loud voice: "Silence!"

The discussions in the Fengtian Hall fell silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Grandson, what do you think about this matter?"

Zhu Ying knew that the old man would definitely ask her questions, which could be considered as a test.

Zhu Ying replied: "My grandson thinks that beating is still necessary."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not refute or agree, but asked: "Grandson, tell me what you think."

Zhu Ying nodded and analyzed, "Minister Fu is right. There have been many rebellions in Luchuan State. It is obvious that they have been harboring rebellious intentions for a long time. If there is any opportunity, they will immediately rebel."

"This time, the alliance with the other two countries to send troops was obviously not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a long-planned one."

"Even if we don't fight this time, if there is any chance in the future, the Ming Dynasty will rebel again. From this, it can be seen that the Luchuan royal family has become a group of people with ulterior motives."

"So my grandson thinks that he deserves to be beaten, and not just Luchuan, but Menggen as well."

Upon hearing this, there was an uproar in the court.

Even Fu Youwen at the main station did not expect that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would not only attack Luchuan Kingdom, but also Menggen Kingdom.

Zhu Yuanzhang also frowned and said, "To attack two countries at the same time will put a lot of pressure on Xiping Hou. If things don't go smoothly, there will be some trouble."

Zhu Ying bowed and replied, "Menggen is a small country, only about 20% of the size of Luchuan. Luchuan was the leader of this attack on the Ming Dynasty, and even borrowed troops from Ava."

"Even so, there are only a little over 100,000 soldiers. This shows that the national strength of Luchuan and Gen is not strong now."

"Moreover, the Marquis of Xiping has defeated the armies of the three kingdoms, and his momentum is high. The country of Menggen in Luchuan must be in chaos."

"The Red River rises from the south, passing through Luchuan, Menggen, Lancang, and Annan. Now in Annan, there are 50,000 elite troops from the Ming Dynasty who can respond from front to back and contain Lancang."

"Menggen is a small country, even if we only have 30,000 soldiers, we can directly enter its capital and change the world. Luchuan does not need more than 100,000 soldiers, even if we have 80,000 soldiers, we can take advantage of this opportunity to win and be unstoppable."

"Marquis Xiping does not need to come in person. Lead 90,000 troops back to Yunnan to stabilize the territory."

"After conquering the two countries, we will abolish their royal families and establish new kings. The money and food for the Ming army will all be borne by the two countries. They don't need to pay all at once, but can be paid annually for ten or twenty years."

"The soldiers in the two countries will follow the Ming Dynasty's garrison rotation system, go to Yunnan for training, cultivate land, and be replaced every few years."

"We can also promote young talents from the chieftain clans of Yunnan to serve as civil and military officials in the two countries, control them, and slowly infiltrate them."

"The newly-appointed kings of the two countries will be conferred titles by the Ming Dynasty. When the title is conferred, they must come to the capital to meet the emperor."

"Use the prosperity of our capital to shock their hearts, and use the military strength of our capital to shock their spirits. This should be able to destroy their rebellious hearts."

After Zhu Ying finished speaking, the court fell into silence.

This novel approach is something that most officials today have never thought of.

In the eyes of many officials, the only way to deal with foreign countries is to incorporate them into the Ming Dynasty or make them pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.

But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s approach is completely different.

Although it has not been incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, it has been completely marginalized in all aspects, and a series of subsequent arrangements will gradually strengthen control.

Zhu Ying's approach is based on demilitarization and then education.

Similar to colonial methods, but not exactly the same.

Places like Luchuan, Menggen, Lancang, and Annan still have slavery, which is very different from the current situation in the Ming Dynasty.

What Zhu Ying needs to do is to use the more advanced system and culture of the Ming Dynasty to erode it.

After listening to it, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Grandson's method is very good. My dear ministers, do you have any ideas or additions?"

After hearing this, the officials below had nothing else to say.

Your Majesty has already said so.

Immediately, officials from all walks of life began to submit their reports.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince's method really opened my eyes. Compared with the dispute just now, it was particularly ridiculous."

"Your Highness is truly a man of quick wit. I am far inferior to him."

"This countermeasure can not only maintain stability in Yunnan, but also calm the disloyal hearts of the two countries. This is the best strategy. I can't think of it even if I rack my brains."

There were waves of praises, one after another. No one would be stingy with a few words of praise for such a good thing.

Zhu Yuanzhang also nodded happily.

After all, these arrangements made by the eldest grandson are indeed very good.

In fact, there is another point in this matter, which is the issue of the loyalty of Prince Mu's Mansion, which Zhu Ying did not mention.

Of course he knew it. History had long witnessed the loyalty of the Prince Mu's Palace. Even after nearly three hundred years of inheritance, Yunnan had always been very stable under the control of the Prince Mu's Palace.

Moreover, the loyalty of Prince Mu's Mansion to the Ming Dynasty has never changed.

Once the question of loyalty and reliability is removed, things naturally become simple.

"Since you, my dear ministers, have no other opinions, then let's follow your eldest grandson's way and make it a done deal."

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Order the Ministry of War to immediately draft a document and send it to Yunnan at an expedited rate of 800 miles."

Zhu Yuanzhang made the final decision.

The Minister of War, Ru Huang, bowed and said, "I obey your order."

After the morning court session, inside the Huagai Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Grandson, are you so confident in Mu Chun's loyalty to our Ming Dynasty?"

This was Zhu Yuanzhang’s doubt.

Zhu Yuanzhang always trusted Mu Ying, his adopted son, so he handed over the entire Yunnan to him.

But it is a bit strange that the eldest grandson behaves like this.

After all, the eldest grandson had never had any contact with Mu Ying, and he might have met Mu Chun when Mu Ying was buried.

But at that time, the eldest grandson had not yet entered the palace, so naturally there was no relationship between them.

The key to Luchuan at the moment is not whether to fight or not. Zhu Yuanzhang’s original intention was not to fight if his eldest grandson had not proposed it.

It’s not that he was afraid of changes in Yunnan, but in Zhu Yuanzhang’s view, Yunnan was already big enough, and whether it was a little bigger or smaller was not a critical issue at all.

Moreover, the presence of small countries such as Luchuan nearby also put some pressure on Yunnan. Coupled with the complexity of the local chieftains in the country, the descendants of Mu Ying had to focus their energy on governance.

Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that his trust in Mu Ying, and even in Mu Ying's son Mu Chun, did not mean that his descendants would have the same trust.

When Mu Ying's descendants governed Yunnan well, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his own descendants would definitely not allow them to dominate alone.

Naturally there will be checks and balances.

For some things, it’s not just about the present, but also the future.

Zhu Ying replied, "Of course, my grandson has never met the Marquis of Xiping, but I have other ideas, so I decided to attack Luchuan and Menggen."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously: "Grandson, just tell me what you think."

Zhu Ying replied: "Luchuan, Menggen, Lancang, and Annan are close to our Ming Dynasty. In addition to these four countries, there are many other countries such as Champa, Lanna, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Ava, and Baigu. It is quite chaotic and complicated."

"Now that our Ming Dynasty has lifted the ban on sea trade, the countries in the southeast are just in the Western Ocean."

"My grandson has long had an idea. After Japan is initially pacified, the Ming Dynasty will organize a maritime fleet to sail to the Western Ocean for trade, and spread the prestige of the Ming Dynasty beyond the four seas."

“That’s why I have this idea today.”

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he knew that his eldest grandson wanted to attack the entire West, gain benefits from it, and expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The 50,000 elite Ming troops stationed in Annan were the first nail buried.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a while and said, "What the Ming Dynasty lacks most now is not the expansion of its territory, but the lack of talents to govern the local areas, including their loyalty. Grandson should give more consideration to these issues."

Zhu Ying nodded and replied, "My grandson was thinking that these places are not actually that poor. Yunwen had proposed to go to Champa to establish a vassal state earlier, and my grandson agreed."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that Zhu Yunwen was going to Champa, he was slightly stunned. This was something he had never expected.