Zhu Ying never expected that the old man would come up with the idea of ​​going to the West.

It is true that both the old man and Zhu Di essentially wanted to increase their influence in history, so it is not surprising that they had such ideas.

In the past, the old man was busy with government affairs and the succession of the Ming Dynasty, so naturally he would not think about these things. Now he is much freer, and the Ming Dynasty is strong enough, so of course he has to show off the majesty of the Celestial Empire.

Of course, Zhu Ying fully supports such a decision.

"Since the eldest grandson also thinks it's a good idea, then we have to make some arrangements. Let the eldest grandson take care of the preparations."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

Now the government affairs in the court have begun to become easier, but he always wants his eldest grandson to do more.

Although his eldest grandson was indeed excellent and managed many aspects in an orderly manner without any mistakes, Zhu Yuanzhang always felt uneasy when he saw that his eldest grandson seemed to be doing nothing every day.

I have been working diligently as an emperor for so many years. Even the eldest emperor Zhu Biao was busy with endless government affairs.

As a result, when he came to Dasun's place, he either took his beautiful daughter out for fun or strolled around the capital every day.

Which wise ruler in history lived like this?

"Well, since grandpa has spoken, then I will personally support this matter." Zhu Ying replied helplessly.

He could sense what the old man was thinking, but there was nothing he could do but nod in agreement.

"We must bring out the most elite troops of our Ming Dynasty during this tour of the world. We know that you, my great grandson, must be thinking of doing some business or something, but these are secondary."

"First of all, it is about the records of various countries along the way. Not only the topography and geomancy, but also the local customs and practices must be noted in detail. This will also facilitate future dealings."

"Regarding the voyage to the West, we must first publish it in the official gazette so that these countries will have a general idea of ​​what is going on. Don't let them think that the Ming Dynasty is going to attack them and cause a misunderstanding."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment and asked, "Grandson, how do you think we should decide on the candidates for this voyage to the West?"

In history, it was Zheng He who sailed to the West.

Now Zheng He naturally followed Prince of Yan Zhu Di to Japan, so of course it was not his turn.

Zhu Ying hesitated for a moment and then said, "Grandpa means to choose from among the nobles or from the clan residence."

The selection of people to go to the West is very important, because to a certain extent, they represent the image of the Ming Dynasty.

And identity is also a key factor.

Zhu Ying did not mention the eunuchs, because it was obvious that there was no eunuch in the palace who could take on this important task.

The reason why it was Zheng He who was mentioned in history was that although Zheng He was a eunuch, he had experienced many things with Zhu Di because of his campaign to pacify the rebellion, which was not comparable to that of a simple eunuch.

Zheng He was a eunuch, but in fact he was more like a civil servant.

The nobles that Zhu Ying mentioned are the royal relatives, which is quite consistent with their status.

The clan house refers to the old man’s sons and grandsons.

The identities of princes and grandchildren will make communication easier when visiting various countries.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a while and asked, "Grandson, what do you think of Duke Cao?"

Zhu Ying was stunned. He didn't expect that the old man liked Li Jinglong.

But on second thought, Li Jinglong is indeed more suitable.

First of all, in terms of appearance, Li Jinglong was born noble, with graceful manners and a polite demeanor in his conversation.

Such a person would definitely be a superstar in the future, and he is truly blessed by God.

Besides, Li Jinglong is quite experienced in both leading troops and doing trade.

If he were to go to war, Zhu Ying would have to think a lot. Regardless of whether it was true or false, Li Jinglong's reputation as the God of War was still a bit intimidating. Zhu Ying was also unsure whether it was just talk or a hidden spy.

It is different from going to the West, it is more about diplomatic relations, and face is more important.

"Duke Cao is indeed good."

After some thought, Zhu Ying also thought it was possible.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Okay, then let Jinglong go. I have always been optimistic about him."

Zhu Yuanzhang had always liked his nephew Li Jinglong, so when he was thinking about candidates for the Ming Dynasty's voyage to the West, he directly proposed Li Jinglong.

…

"Your Majesty allowed me to go to the West?"

After hearing the news, Li Jinglong was a little confused. He originally thought that he would no longer be valued.

I didn't expect such a sudden reversal today.

Before this, he knew that he seemed to have offended the Crown Prince because he was too close to Prince of Yan Zhu Di.

Since being recalled to the capital, although he was serving in the Five Military Commanderies, he no longer had real power.

After the military system was reformed, the power of the Five Military Commanderies was almost hollowed out by the Crown Prince.

Students who graduated from the Ming Military Academy continued to infiltrate the garrisons, spreading from the capital to the entire country. Even the most remote areas could not escape.

Moreover, at the beginning, students of the Military Academy had two paths: either go to the capital, or start from remote places.

In the blink of an eye, the Ming Military Academy has been established for four years.

In four years, more than 10,000 seniors have graduated.

These ten thousand people were not very noticeable, and none of them controlled the military power. Even the most outstanding group of them, who barely reached the level of a thousand households, did not even have a commander.

But even so, relying on the sworn loyalty of a large number of middle-level military officers, Zhu Ying's power was greatly extended.

Prior to this, the Five Military Commanderies was in charge of training and production.

Don't underestimate the name of training. Soldiers' loyalty to their generals is often reflected in training.

In the absence of war, illiterate soldiers would naturally obey the general's orders.

However, according to the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the training of the army now must learn the new training methods of the Ming Military Academy. Even the commander of the garrison has no power to interfere.

This meant that although these seniors who graduated from the Ming Military Academy did not have a high status, they held real power in every garrison and had a large number of soldiers loyal to them.

Shrouded in the glory of the Ming Military Academy's graduation, ordinary recruits felt completely different when they heard that their instructors were graduates of the Ming Military Academy and were considered disciples of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

As for production, the Five Military Governorates gradually lost control. Since the policy of separation of military and political affairs was implemented, the division between military households and soldiers has become very obvious.

In the past, the commander was in charge of the garrison, but now the production aspect is being gradually withdrawn.

In this way, the two major powers of the Five Military Commanderies were transferred. Apart from commanding troops in battles, the power was no longer in their hands on a daily basis.

People like Li Jinglong, who served in the Five Military Commandery under the title of Duke of Cao, had no official duties at hand.

It seems that they can still receive salaries even though they have nothing to do, but they don't care about these salaries at all.

It was such a subtle and silent method that there was no chance for resistance.

After Li Jinglong received the news, he thought about it and asked to meet the crown prince the next day.

"Your Highness, Li Jinglong, pays respect to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"No need to be polite, please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

In Kunning Palace, Zhu Ying looked at Li Jinglong's behavior and conversation, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Every time I see Li Jinglong, I can't associate him with the word "idiot" in history.

Today's aesthetic is no longer sissy. Li Jinglong is a real martial artist. His body cannot be described as a burly man, but he is very strong.

When he was a child, Li Jinglong was similar to Zhu Di, and grew up in a military camp.

Zhu Ying felt strange. All the men around him, including Zhu Di, were rough and rude. But why was Li Jinglong so talented in writing, with none of the ruffian spirit of a soldier in the barracks?

Maybe some people are born like this, no wonder Zhu Yuanzhang valued and liked them.

"Regarding the voyage to the West, Grandpa has already sent someone to inform you, I wonder what you think about it."

"Originally, you didn't want to come to my place today, but I still want to talk to you. Grandpa also said that we should see what you think first. After all, this is a long journey of thousands of miles, and it may take many years to come back."

"In the next few years, you will almost have to live on the sea. If you don't want to go, that's fine. Just say so."

Zhu Ying spoke first and said that this was also what the old man meant.

If Li Jinglong is more resistant to this matter, then we will look for other candidates.

This is because the old man remembers the old friendship with his nephew Li Wenzhong and does not want his nephew to work too hard.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. The Crown Prince values ​​me. I am also very interested in the affairs of the sea. When I heard the news yesterday, I was so excited that I tossed and turned and could not fall asleep."

"I waited until dawn and could not wait to meet His Highness, for the purpose of patrolling all nations."

"I have loved traveling around the world since I was a child, and seeing the local customs and people. I am really excited to have this opportunity."

Li Jinglong was speaking from the heart. He really liked jumping around everywhere. Perhaps this had a lot to do with his childhood experiences. Others felt that fighting wars was very tiring, but Li Jinglong enjoyed it.

When Zhu Di was going to Japan to establish his fiefdom, Li Jinglong wanted to go with him, but was rejected by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Now being able to travel around the world is of course what we wish for.

Especially recently, exotic beauties are particularly popular.

This is of course because of Zhu Ying.

The Concubine Na and the recently crowned Concubine Dan have a great influence among the nobles.

Things like aesthetics are always the same, and the concept of beauty is at the same level no matter what type.

Exotic beauties give people a sense of curiosity.

In the capital, the prices of exotic beauties are now very high, and many nobles take concubines just for the sake of exotic beauty.

When they talk about it, they would say: This is the same as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

When someone's influence becomes very great, his preferences will become the preferences of many people, which is similar to the concept of celebrities in later generations.

For example, in later generations, celebrities promote products. Some things are obviously very ordinary and average, but because the celebrity says he likes them and they are useful, everyone thinks they are useful.

With Zhu Ying's current status, his influence can only be described as unparalleled. Anything related to the private life of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the biggest topic of conversation in the entire capital, not to mention the canonization of a concubine.

The original Champa Princess Ananiyya could be said to be sent by a small country, but the Zhenla Princess Sultana, as anyone who knows a little bit of information knows, was chosen by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself.

What's more, I recently took him to Japan.

Of course, Li Jinglong's marriage was arranged by Empress Ma, so he had never taken a concubine. He only had one son and one daughter, but now he suddenly had the idea of ​​taking a concubine.

The one at home was not a tigress, but Li Jinglong himself did not want to take a concubine.

Li Jinglong was a scholar at heart, and he was ordered to travel around the world. How could he refuse such a good thing?

"Since Duke Cao thinks it's a good idea, then that's great. Speaking of which, Duke Cao is the only relative left in our Zhu family."

"Grandpa mentioned this several times when he was talking about sailing to the West. So when it came to promoting the power of the Ming Dynasty, the first person I thought of was my cousin."

Zhu Ying said with a smile, and changed the way he addressed him from Duke Cao to the way he addressed his private relatives.

At that time, Li Jinglong's father, Li Wenzhong, saw most of the founding heroes being killed because of the Hu Weiyong case, so he repeatedly submitted memorials to advise Zhu Yuanzhang, which made Zhu Yuanzhang very angry.

Therefore, he was directly imprisoned. Later, Empress Ma persuaded him. Among the dozens of relatives of the Zhu family, only his nephew Li Wenzhong was left. If he was executed, all the relatives of the Zhu family would be gone.

Li Wenzhong's mother was Zhu Yuanzhang's second sister Zhu Funu.

When she was a child, Zhu Funu often helped her parents' family and was very kind to Zhu Yuanzhang and loved him very much.

The key point is that Zhu Funu did not enjoy the blessing of Zhu Yuanzhang. The Red Turban Army rebelled in the year of her death.

Because of his love for the woman he loved, Li Jinglong was very popular in the palace.

Zhu Ying himself did not bear any grudge against either Zhu Di or Li Jinglong. Taking back the military power of the Five Military Commandery was the general trend and was not directed against Li Jinglong.

This is what Li Jinglong himself felt.

When Li Jinglong heard the title of cousin, his eyes trembled immediately, knowing that the Crown Prince no longer remembered his past.

But he did not dare to be arrogant, and immediately said: "I will definitely not let down your Majesty and the Crown Prince's trust."

Zhu Ying smiled and said, "This time we are going to the West, we will first go to Southeast Asia. Yunwen has always been very close to my cousin. This time my cousin's first stop is Champa. I think Yunwen will be very happy."

"When the time comes, I will select some new and interesting things that are only available in the capital, and you can take them all with you, my cousin. Don't say that I, as the eldest brother, don't care about him."

"The weather in Nanyang is hot, and winter feels like summer. Let's wait until the New Year is over before setting off."

"During this period of time, my cousin must go to the navy to get familiar with it."

"If you are prone to seasickness, you need to adapt to it in advance."

Li Jinglong said: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have been a good swimmer since I was young and can adapt to life at sea."

"I will definitely convey the Crown Prince's concern for his cousin Yunwen."

Putting aside Zhu Di, Li Jinglong and Zhu Yunwen actually had a very good relationship.