Ou Anmin had never expected this.

The Ming Crown Prince could be so despicable as to directly destroy his family.

Even his two sons were dug out.

It was clearly written in the family letter that all the more than 400 people in the family had been sent to prison.

If he doesn't return to Ming Dynasty, he will have to stay in prison forever.

Prison, is that where people stay?

Of course, Ou Anmin's current impression of the Ming Prison is still stuck in the past, and he doesn't know that due to Zhu Ying's reforms, the current prison is not as horrifying as it was back then.

Ou Anmin, who was worried, began to ask for information everywhere and was very sad to find that it was not just him. Almost all the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty had encountered the same situation as him.

I don’t know why, but under such circumstances, Ou Anmin felt a little more fortunate.

Maybe it's because I saw others doing the same thing, so I felt a sense of resonance.

When you feel sad, you will feel better when you see others feeling sad too.

Among them, a Han official of the Northern Yuan Dynasty became a little crazy after reading the letter from home.

"This is impossible. I was kidnapped when I was five, and my parents are unknown. Now I am over 50 years old, and this book actually says that I still have a mother who is still alive."

"Ridiculous, extremely ridiculous!!! Hahahahaha..."

"But why is it that the scene described in the family letter is so similar to the dream I had when I was a child?"

"Is it a scam created by the Ming Dynasty, or is it a complete fabrication?"

"If this is true, then my mother is still alive in this world?"

"I am an unfilial child. I regret not listening to my mother's instructions. I was too eager to play and missed the time, and was kidnapped by the bad guys."

"My father died in a foreign land in search of me. Is this all true?"

"No, I have to go and find out."

"If mother were really still alive, I...I...I...wuwuwuwu..."

With the powerful household registration system of the Ming Dynasty, it is not difficult to get to the bottom of a person's affairs; it just depends on how much it costs.

After all, under the pressure of the Jinyiwei, how could ordinary people dare to hide anything?

As for the brokers, if they encounter the Jinyiwei, they basically have no room for resistance. They will be killed if they are told to do so. It is that simple.

Even though a long time has passed, it doesn’t matter if you can’t remember it. The punishment will make you recall it slowly, even if you wet the bed when you were three years old.

In this way, even if this Han minister of the Northern Yuan Dynasty had disappeared since childhood, he had to be found.

This action really shocked all the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty is serious.

That night alone, a large number of Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty left without saying goodbye, followed the Ming Dynasty's caravans, and fled back to the Ming Dynasty overnight.

Why did they serve the Northern Yuan Dynasty?

Is it for the scenery of the vast grassland?

No, how could they, who grew up in the Central Plains, adapt to the nomadic life on the grassland? Some things only seem less important because they are covered up by power.

The idea of ​​returning to one's roots is more important in today's world, especially when family members, wives, children and grandchildren are all under threat. What is the point of being rich?

When Bei Yuan held court the next morning, things seemed a little empty.

There were originally more than forty Han officials in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, but now there are only four left, including Ou Anmin.

It’s not that it’s too late to leave.

In fact, when the family letter arrived yesterday, the Ming caravan had already explained that they had discussed with the Northern Yuan Emperor and that they could leave with peace of mind and that no action would be taken.

It can be regarded as the last bit of dignity between the monarch and his subjects.

However, four people, including Ou Anmin, had some other ideas.

"Imperial Censor Ou, they have all left, why don't you leave?" Elbek asked curiously while sitting on the dragon throne.

Below him was the livid-faced Hartaiji.

Harjitai had never expected that Elbek would suddenly do this without telling him, which was tantamount to dispersing all his advisers.

Elbek was originally sent to the Northern Yuan Dynasty by Zhu Yuanzhang.

And Hargitai was the first to retreat.

Therefore, he was more familiar with the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and had a closer relationship with them.

Elbek, who lived in the Ming Dynasty, was initially rejected by the Northern Yuan Dynasty. After all, he returned as a captive and was granted the title of marquis by Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty.

Just in terms of bloodline, Elbek is the first-line heir.

The Northern Yuan Dynasty was influenced by the Central Plains and had fundamental differences from the Mongols in many aspects. Therefore, Elbek was still the one who finally inherited the throne of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

The reason why Elbek was extremely fond of Haohaidayu, the Oirat minister, actually had a lot to do with the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

After all, when it comes to the struggle for power, Han ministers have extremely strong advantages, while Mongolian ministers are relatively weaker in all aspects.

Hartaiji himself also controlled a part of the army, and with the support of Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, he always posed a great threat to Elbek's throne.

This time, with the help of Zhu Ying, all the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty were eliminated, and his voice in the court was greatly strengthened.

Under such circumstances, no matter how unwilling Hartai was, he had no choice but to look at Ou Anmin with hope.

Ou Anmin bowed and said, "I did not choose to stay in Beiyuan. My family is now in great trouble. I am restless here and can no longer serve Your Majesty with all my strength."

When saying the word "loyalty", Ou Anmin's eyes were not looking at Elbek, but at Hartaiji.

These words sounded like they were addressed to Elbek, but in fact, Ou Anmin was expressing his own thoughts to Hartaiji.

Elbek smiled and asked, "You could have left last night, why did you have to wait until the morning court today? Is it for your own reputation?"

"Or tell me some other ideas."

Ou Anmin did not pay much attention to Elbek's teasing, but bowed to Elbek and also bowed to Hartaiji.

He sighed leisurely and said, "When I was born, the Yuan Dynasty unified China, but the situation at that time was already like a dying patient."

"After I passed the imperial examination and entered the official career, I was determined to change the status quo. I served in the Imperial Censorate and tried my best to ensure that more people were treated fairly and justly, so that the country would be stable."

"All my life, I have been eating the food of the Yuan Dynasty officials and doing the work of the Yuan Dynasty officials, but I can only watch the Yuan Dynasty fall apart."

"The Yuan Dynasty did not fall after Zhu Yuanzhang, but rather it was due to internal fighting among the various factions within the Yuan Dynasty that it gradually fell into ruin."

"Even at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was just a traitor. He was just a small character among many traitors. Who could have imagined that there would be such a grand occasion today?"

"Looking back on the past, I feel sad. I say this not to discuss our previous successes and failures, but to tell Your Majesty that both Ming Zhu Yuanzhang and Ming Taisun have done their best to investigate our situation as Han officials in the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"They are looking for weaknesses and forcing us to leave Beiyuan and return to Ming. We are not allowed to serve Beiyuan. Their intention is very obvious, which is to clip Beiyuan's wings."

"If we leave now, all Han people who want to serve the Northern Yuan Dynasty in the future will be afraid. The Ming Dynasty's crown prince has set a precedent, and future emperors will naturally follow suit and block this road."

"Your Majesty, you should know that even a powerful man like Genghis Khan could not conquer the Song Dynasty. Even Mongke died in the Central Plains. The only one who was able to conquer the Central Plains was our Yuan Shizu, who was able to do so with the help of the Han people."

"I don't know how the Northern Yuan Dynasty will develop in the future. I came to the court today just to tell Your Majesty that you must be on guard against the Ming Dynasty's Grandson. This man is young and promising. He started from scratch and is proficient in business, military, internal affairs, and psychological warfare."

"Even though the Ming Dynasty has such a vast territory, it is still not satisfied and wants a larger territory."

"Your Majesty, please give more consideration to the future direction of the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

After saying that, Ou Anmin knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

This means that relations with the Northern Yuan Dynasty will be completely severed in the future.

He knew very well that after returning to the Ming Dynasty, he would no longer have any chance of being reused. Not only would he be under surveillance, but he would also not be able to participate in state affairs.

Elbek's original playful expression gradually faded away. He felt the sincerity in Ou Anmin's words just now.

No matter how he fought in the court before, Ou Anmin's heart was always with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and he was a truly loyal minister of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Subconsciously, Elbek looked at Ou Anmin and the other three.

Not only the four of them, but also those Han ministers who left last night, even though they had many ideas of their own, to be honest, they were all loyal ministers.

After the Yuan Dynasty experienced repeated collapses, he was still willing to stay in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, which speaks for itself.

In fact, Elbek also knew that when the Ming Dynasty was first established, these Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty were offered very good treatment and conditions.

And they resolutely chose to follow the Northern Yuan Dynasty which was constantly losing and seeing no hope.

From the familiar Central Plains, to this unfamiliar grassland area.

Thinking of this, Elbek couldn't help but sigh softly.

And Hartaiji, who was sitting below, already had tears in his eyes.

Although Ou Anmin in front of him had no official title, in Hartaiji's eyes, he was his teacher.

Ou Anmin has been responsible for the education of Hartaiji since he was a child.

There was only a brief hesitation in his mind. Without waiting for Elbek to speak, Hartaiji took two steps forward and knelt down in front of Ou Anmin.

"Teacher, this is the first time I call you that."

"I never thought that there would be a day when you would leave me. You have always been by my side throughout my life."

"The situation is like this, and it's hard to change. I can't let the teacher abandon the family for my own selfish desires."

"Today I will perform the disciple's etiquette and practice for my teacher."

"Give me some wine!"

Hartaiji almost choked with sobs as he spoke these words.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Ou Anmin was appointed as Hartaiji's instructor, and the two have been together almost all the time for nearly thirty years.

The fact that Ou Anmin did not choose to leave actually had a lot to do with Hartaiji.

However, within the Yuan Dynasty, due to his status as a prince of Hartaiji, he could not recognize a Han minister as his teacher.

Therefore, although they were master and disciple in reality, they were never master and disciple in name.

In Hartaiji, a drink came.

The guards under his command looked at Elbek.

Elbek nodded slightly.

At this point, there is no need to talk about being unhappy over such a small matter.

"My Lord, why...why do you have to do this?"

Ou Anmin was in tears at this moment.

He spent more time with Hartaiji than with his own son.

Humans are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless?

Having watched Hartaiji grow up since he was a child and slowly grow up under his guidance, a father-son relationship has slowly developed between them.

Even now, it is hard to let go.

Hartaiji moved his knees, held Ou Anmin's hands, looked at Ou Anmin seriously and said, "Teacher, once a teacher, a father for life. Please forgive me for not being able to take care of you in your old age, but if there is anything, I will definitely do my best to help you."

The two of them had usually hidden their feelings in front of Elbek, but at this moment, they no longer had any reservations.

After all, Ou Anmin is about to leave.

At this moment, Ou Anmin couldn't help but hug Hartaiji in his arms, and the emotions in his heart suddenly burst out at this moment.

Elbek just watched and didn't say anything.

After what Ou Anmin said earlier, he now felt mixed emotions.

But the reality is very clear. Even if he knew it, there was no point in changing it. Judging from the changes in the Northern Yuan Dynasty during this period, the conspiracy of the Ming Crown Prince was something he could not stop.

In front of such a person, even if you confront him forcefully, you will be the only one who gets hurt in the end.

Cooperation is the best option at present.

It seems that the Ming Dynasty Crown Prince did not mention the importance of abandoning the Northern Yuan Dynasty's Han ministers before, but judging from the preparations for them, it can be seen that he had made sufficient preparations in secret.

Elbek also heard that even if there was a Han minister who was alone, the Ming Dynasty's Jinyiwei would find his parents who had been missing for decades.

…

Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty returned to the Ming Dynasty one after another.

Zhu Ying quickly published the incident in the official gazette.

Of course, Zhu Ying did not say anything about the methods and preparations he had taken in the court report, but instead described the time when he went to negotiate with the Northern Yuan Dynasty and reached a peace treaty with them.

Seeing that most of these Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty had missed their hometown for ten years, he was deeply moved and asked the Northern Yuan emperor to release them to return to the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, each of these Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty was a man of real talent and learning.

During the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, competition was much more intense than it is now. Those who were able to enter the court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty as Han Chinese were considered the best.

The Mongols had no shortage of lackeys and had a large number of slaves of their own. Simple flattery was useless. One had to have real talent and make tangible political achievements to be valued by the Mongols as an exception.

There was no need for Zhu Ying to destroy their reputation. The Ming Dynasty was now very short of talent, and there were too many vacancies in government positions across the country.

Too many people cannot even read and write. Even if we vigorously promote education, it is impossible to see results in just one or two years.

It takes a hundred years to grow a tree, and ten years to cultivate a person.

It will take at least eight or nine years before a new generation of Ming Dynasty talents can be truly nurtured.

During this period, all aspects of the Ming Dynasty also developed rapidly, especially the development of industrialized basic literature. There is never too much talent.

The return of all Han officials from the Northern Yuan Dynasty also greatly increased the authority of the Ming Dynasty.

Although there was no detailed explanation in the official report, anyone who knew a little about the situation knew that the root cause of the matter was not that simple.

It was also a good deterrent, making those who wanted to subvert the Ming Dynasty feel sad.

As for the overall situation of the Ming Dynasty now, it is almost sunny.

After reducing the threat from the Northern Yuan Dynasty, the scattered tribes on the grassland were simply unable to maintain their resistance against the Ming Dynasty.

Among them, corn feed is particularly precious to the grassland.

Why was it difficult for the Ming Dynasty to raise a large number of war horses? The most critical reason was the pasture grass on the grassland.

The concentrated feed needed for war horses was previously unavailable in the Ming Dynasty.

It is not easy to grow forage grass, so the shortage of horses in Ming Dynasty has become a very common phenomenon.

The opposite of this is naturally the small number of cavalry.

The situation is completely different now. With corn as concentrated feed, raising war horses has become much simpler, and large-scale horse breeding has started on the border.

Various horse farms were opened one after another, and large amounts of corn feed were also piled up toward the border.

Due to the shortage of corn feed, people now rarely eat corn. All of it is supplied to the border for raising horses.

And because of changes in market demand, the price of corn has also risen significantly in a short period of time.

The entire Northwest region has begun to plant corn on a large scale. Everyone knows how scarce corn is now.

…

Ming Dynasty, Palace of Heavenly Purity.

"You've done a great job in these three months, grandson."

"If we reach a peace treaty with the Northern Yuan Dynasty and supply them with goods, then the Mongols on the grasslands will give birth to a large number of children."

"The grassland itself is not enough for them to live on, so their dependence on our Ming Dynasty will become stronger and stronger."

"The development of firearms cannot be ignored. Whether it is new muskets or various types of artillery, we must pay more attention to them."

"With better firearms, we won't be afraid of these Mongols breaking through the pass. If we can control their daily necessities, the grassland will only be a help to us in the future."

"What did you mean by borrowing troops?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled very happily, as his eldest grandson had finally solved a big worry for him.

From the current perspective, the threat level from the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been reduced to the minimum in all aspects.

Even in trade, the Ming Chamber of Commerce still made some profits. Combined with border taxes, it also made a lot of money from trade.

The weather has been getting colder in recent years, and grassland furs have always been a best-seller in the Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was not very clear about the matter of borrowing troops.

Zhu Ying smiled and said, "Grandpa, I'm talking about mercenaries, not borrowed soldiers."

“There’s a huge difference here.”

"In my mind, mercenaries are a group of a dozen or at most dozens of people in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, who are hired individually in various fields, but not under a commander."

"The cooperation between them is mainly with our private chambers of commerce and families."

Zhu Ying gave a brief account of this.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed after hearing this: "You have gone around in circles and confused me."

"After all, isn't this what guarding is?"