It is obviously not enough to just impose an outright ban and the assistance of the Heroes Chamber of Commerce to completely implement the sanctions and blockade on the grassland.

Afterwards, several generals will be needed to patrol the border and crack down severely on all those who are involved in the interests and secret smuggling.

Lan Yu is Zhu Ying's first choice.

"I don't know what Your Highness wants me to do, just tell me what you want me to do, I will do my best."

Hearing that there was something to do, Lan Yu suddenly became excited.

What he was most worried about was that he would be left idle. If he continued like this, he would gradually fade into the margins of power, or military power.

Zhu Ying said: "It is extremely important to block the grassland now. Uncle knows this. I have spent a long time in the Western Regions before, and I was also engaged in smuggling. There are also many businesses on the grassland."

"I am of course very clear about what the situation might be like under the ban."

"After the ban, all goods will inevitably increase in price on the grassland. Those who do business only need to transport the goods once to make several times or even dozens of times the profit before."

"There will always be those who are so bold as to forget that their ancestors were bullied and try their best to do this business."

Having said this, Zhu Ying stood up.

Seeing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had stood up, Lan Yu naturally had no reason to sit still, so he stood up as well.

Zhu Ying continued, "They will use a large sum of money to bribe local officials, even the officers of the garrison. I think my uncle knows very well what kind of morals those officers of the garrison are."

"They will even try their best to find the local big families in the village and pretend to be them to sneak across the border. Ordinary people are short-sighted. For a little money, they will naturally try every possible way to take a chance."

“These are the top priorities.”

"Relatively speaking, the invasion of the grassland is not that important."

When Lan Yu heard this, he immediately knew what he had to do at the border, which was to tidy up the entire border.

This is an offensive job.

Military officers at the border who want to embezzle, businessmen and anyone else who has anything to do with the interests of the grassland will all be targets of crackdowns.

After this, there will be many gifts and even a large amount of gold and silver in front of you.

Lan Yu knew that he was notorious for his greed for money.

Seizing people's land and so on, after all, is all for money. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has entrusted such an important matter to me, it has always been a real test for me.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will definitely be able to accomplish this."

After Lan Yu understood, he bowed and spoke solemnly.

Zhu Ying stood up and nodded, "Others don't believe in my uncle, but I do. When I proposed that my uncle go to the border, many people did oppose it, but I am the only one who knows that my uncle is no longer the uncle he used to be."

"If you need any money, just tell me. Who can earn all the money in the world?"

"If this plan succeeds, the grassland will no longer be a threat to our Ming Dynasty. It is just to eliminate the threat of the grassland. This is not what I want. The Mongols can rule the Central Plains, so why can't our Ming Dynasty rule the grassland?"

At this point, Zhu Ying's tone was somewhat lamented; "Before the end of the Han Dynasty, the grasslands were never seen as an enemy by the Central Plains. However, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Central Plains was in turmoil, and nine out of ten Han people were left alone. Emperor Wu of Wei brought the Hu people into the Central Plains to fill the dwindling population of the Central Plains, which laid the hidden danger of the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China."

"During the rebellion of the Eight Kings of Jin, the grasslands gradually rose to prominence. Genghis Khan, a great hero, created a vast territory for Mongolia. Kublai Khan even entered the Central Plains and changed the pattern of the Central Plains dynasties that had remained unchanged for thousands of years."

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has been established, we must pursue something."

Zhu Ying stared at Lan Yu with a sharp gaze and said, "Uncle, you should know that I am not a king who only wants to maintain the status quo. Now that the Ming Dynasty is so prosperous and the country is rich and the people are strong, if I don't take this opportunity to expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty, I will be ashamed."

"My uncle is a famous general. The Battle of Buir Lake is well-known throughout the world. Looking at the many generals in the Ming Dynasty today, how many have the talent of my uncle?"

"Nowadays, many vassal kings can establish their own countries overseas. Since my uncle is the Duke of Liang, it is not impossible for him to take the next step."

"When I first entered the palace, my uncle helped me a lot. I know this very well and I always remember it."

"If Uncle can once again make an unparalleled contribution, then I will make an exception for him once, so what's the harm?"

It's a big pie in the sky.

Zhu Ying's words gave Lan Yu goosebumps.

The implication of this statement was almost explicit: if the entire grassland could be taken over, the title of Prince Lan Yu would be promised.

Nowadays, being a prince is more than just a title. It also means that one can build a country overseas like other vassal kings.

Seeing such a big pancake, Lan Yu felt so hungry that he wanted to swallow it all in one bite.

“Your Majesty… ...”

Lan Yu bowed, his lips trembling with excitement, and he was unable to speak.

Zhu Ying waved his hand, signaling Lan Yu not to say more, and then said: "Uncle, don't be too happy. Seizing the grassland is as difficult as ascending to heaven. What I just said may not be possible for you, uncle. But if you can do it, I will not be stingy."

"I have to walk step by step and eat my meal mouthful by mouthful. From now on, I will be free from my uncle in the grassland affairs."

Lan Yu immediately bowed deeply and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will devote my whole life to the grassland affairs until my death."

I think you are willing to die for the title of prince.

Zhu Ying looked at Lan Yu with a smile on his face, and he knew everything very well in his mind.

It is said that it is easy to change the country but difficult to change one's nature.

The border is thousands of miles away from the capital. He knows that Lan Yu is thinking this way now, but it is hard to say whether he will be corrupted after working at the border for a period of time. From a probability perspective, it is still very likely.

If you want to suppress it, you must have higher ambitions.

Can the title of prince be given by those businessmen?

Is the possibility of establishing a nation overseas something that those grassland tribes can provide?

With such a goal, Zhu Ying believed that although the strategy for the grassland could not be fully implemented, Lan Yu would definitely work wholeheartedly.

"Uncle, you must keep the things you just said a secret in your heart. If the news gets out, it will surely cause jealousy from others."

"Secrecy leads to success, while disclosure leads to failure. If my uncle really makes great achievements in the future, but is interfered by such a small-time person, it will be very difficult for me to do my job."

Upon hearing the instructions from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Lan Yu immediately stated that he would keep this secret strictly and would never tell anyone about it.

Afterwards, Zhu Ying looked at Lan Yu who left full of energy, and knew that from now on, he had truly won Lan Yu's heart.

Clap, clap, clap.

After Lan Yu left, applause was heard from the back of the hall.

"My eldest grandson is really good at this. From now on, Lan Yu will definitely focus all his attention on the grassland."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked out from behind with a look of regret on his face.

Before Lan Yu came, Zhu Yuanzhang was with his eldest grandson, and then he hid behind the palace to see how his eldest grandson would deal with Lan Yu.

Now it seems that Da Sun's ability to control people has really been passed down from him.

"This is all thanks to grandpa's good teaching. I am learning and applying it now." Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang grinned and said, "Come on, let's stop flattering each other here."

"It seems that we have underestimated our eldest grandson this time. He is going to take real action against the grassland and even promises something as important as the throne of the prince."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying knew that the old man was still somewhat dissatisfied.

In the old man's mind, there is no possibility of a king with a different surname, but now he wants to break this rule.

Once this precedent is set, it will be difficult to do the same thing later.

There are also people with different surnames like Wang Daming. There are six of them now. All of them were given the title posthumously, so it is just an honor.

What Zhu Ying promised to Lan Yu was naturally the king of a different surname when he was still alive.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhu Ying said, "The world is so big that it is far from being the only one in the Ming Dynasty. If there are really a few people who can expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty, even if they establish a country overseas, what will happen?"

"The foundation of the Ming Dynasty is still far from enough to control the current territory. Even if the more distant places are nominally under the control of the imperial court, in reality the imperial court cannot reach in."

"My grandson believes that if the Ming Dynasty can continue to prosper, then even the territories that have been sealed off will naturally belong to the Ming Dynasty. If it declines in the future, it will be like the former Song Dynasty, where it was simply taken advantage of by foreign races."

"Thinking back to the time when the King of Qin conquered the world, the Central Plains was just Henan. Now, the former southern barbarians and Lingnan are now part of the territory of our Central Plains Dynasty."

"So my grandson thinks that rather than letting these places fall into the hands of foreign races, it would be better to incorporate them into the Central Plains."

"In a thousand years, history will have its own achievements."

These words immediately moved Zhu Yuanzhang.

People are selfish.

The same is true of Zhu Yuanzhang.

For the sake of the Ming Dynasty of the Zhu family, Zhu Yuanzhang was willing to raise the butcher knife.

Even if he was an old brother, he could only apologize after he got to the bottom.

But what his eldest grandson said today made him see a new direction.

In fact, this direction does exist. It has always been there, but people often ignore this choice.

The situation is simple to talk about, but when it really happens to you, it is like being trapped in a game.

What moved me was not my eldest grandson’s thoughts, but the kind of person he was.

This is what a wise king is.

"Today we finally understand why the eldest grandson can put aside his previous prejudices when dealing with these uncles, such as the fourth son. It turns out that in the eldest grandson's heart, he sees more than just what is in front of him."

"I thought before that the eldest grandson was very ambitious and was determined to expand the territory, so he didn't hesitate to engage in militarism."

"Now it seems that we were wrong. The ambitions of our grandson are far beyond what we thought."

Zhu Yuanzhang's sigh was sincere.

Da Sun didn't just say this, he really did it all the time.

As the saying goes, one should judge by actions rather than intentions. Previously, Zhu Yuanzhang had always been worried that some of the actions of his uncles, including his younger brothers like Yunwen, were just for show.

Once I die, it may not be like this anymore.

Now it seems that I underestimated my eldest grandson.

I underestimated the ambition of my eldest grandson.

In fact, Zhu Ying was certainly not a saint, and was very different from what Zhu Yuanzhang had in mind.

It's just that with some memories of the previous life, he seems to have a longer-term view on the issues of family and country.

What he sees now is not just the Ming Dynasty.

More importantly, it is China.

Life on earth is but a hundred years.

And in the future history, there will be countless hundreds of years.

Will a small wave affect the tide?

No, he wants to be the butterfly that flaps its wings.

…

After eating the pancake, Lan Yu naturally felt like he was given an injection of chicken blood, and was full of energy.

Once people have a clear goal, they will naturally have more motivation to move forward.

At this moment, the three words "King of a different surname" were all in Lan Yu's mind.

Ever since he was conferred the title of Duke of Liang and appointed as the Grand General, Lan Yu understood that his power had reached its limit.

After experiencing Zhu Ying's suppression, Lan Yu only thought about protecting himself.

But now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has given him a higher step, a higher choice.

"Will I become the first living king of a different surname in the Ming Dynasty?"

"Will I become the first general of Ming Dynasty to establish a country overseas?"

When Lan Yu thought of these two sentences, his fists gained three times more strength.

After returning to the Duke of Liang's Mansion, Lan Yu immediately summoned his former subordinates and began to announce the possibility of heading to the border soon.

Many generals were also very excited.

For military generals, fame and fortune can be achieved on horseback.

Only the outbreak of war means fame, wealth and honor.

These generals are different from Lan Yu. They still have a lot of room for improvement. If they don't fight, it will be a difficult process to improve their military merits.

After giving some instructions, Lan Yu set up a banquet and had a drink with many of his generals to cheer himself up.

…

The news of the grassland embargo was soon published in the official gazette.

When the people of the capital saw this, they just chatted with each other, because the grassland was too far away for the capital.

No matter what the court does, it has nothing to do with me.

Eat when you should eat and drink when you should drink.

But for many businessmen, this is a very important matter.

The merchants along the border, mainly those from Shanxi, were particularly anxious.

This move by the imperial court greatly reduced their business.

When most Shanxi merchants saw the news, they felt sad, but they were not too upset.

Especially those who are engaged in smuggling, they are actually somewhat happy.

Originally, they were doing illegal business, but now that the embargo has been lifted, their profits can be increased several times as much as before. This is really good news.

Only the top Shanxi merchants understand that things may not be that easy.

Because the person who led this embargo is the boss behind the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce, the current Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

This is a big businessman who was able to start from scratch.

The smuggling of snowflake salt was once a dominant business.

How could you not know the trick here?