"Bei Yuan is gone?"

Zhu Ying did not expect that the last news before the grassland froze was the fall of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

It is unclear whether this news is good or bad for the current Ming Dynasty.

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang was eating roasted sweet potatoes, and said to his eldest grandson in some confusion: "Our Chongli Marquis is gone, and I was thinking that when the spring comes next year, I will lead a million troops to the grassland, and will this guy surrender to me directly?"

Mailibala is Elbek, the current emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

He was the grandson of Emperor Shun of Yuan and the son of Emperor Zhaozong of Yuan.

After being captured, he lived in the capital and was granted the title of Marquis of Chongli. Later, he was sent to the grassland to become the emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

For the Ming Dynasty, Elbek was in the best interests of the Ming Dynasty, because Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well what kind of person Elbek was, or what kind of person Zhu Yuanzhang had trained him to be when he was in Nanjing.

Raising a dragon and a phoenix is ​​a very difficult task, but raising a person to be useless is much easier.

Over the years, the threat posed by the grassland to the Ming Dynasty has been continuously reduced, and this is naturally due to Elbek's contribution.

Zhu Ying said: "The one who did it was Guilichi. He joined forces with the Asut tribe and took advantage of the ice to lead his people to attack the Northern Yuan court directly when the Northern Yuan Dynasty relaxed its vigilance."

"The Asut tribe was guarding the southern gate of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. When Guilichi's army arrived, they immediately turned against them, so that the Northern Yuan Dynasty had no time to react at all."

"Guilichi abolished the name of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and called himself the Mongolian State."

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and said, "The leader of the Asut tribe must be Alutai, right? I remember that this guy has a very good relationship with the three guards of Duoyan. The wife of Azashili, the commander of the Taining Guard, is the daughter of Alutai."

Zhu Ying nodded: "This time, Guilichi's alliance with Alutai was indeed a good move. After usurping the throne, Alutai helped to unite the Khorchin tribe. He has always had a good relationship with the Khorchin tribe. Now that the grassland situation has been stabilized, Guilichi has successfully ascended to the position of Khan."

"After Guilichi became Khan, he opened the Northern Yuan treasury and took out all the food to distribute so that his people and the tribes that followed him could survive the winter."

"What a pity! This winter should have caused great damage to the grasslands, and would have been beneficial for the northern expedition to the grasslands next spring. I didn't expect this to happen."

The grassland was poor, but the Northern Yuan Dynasty was rich.

Especially in recent years, when we have been on good terms with the Ming Dynasty.

Unlike other grassland tribes, the Northern Yuan Dynasty, as the remnants of the Mongols from the Central Plains, was greatly influenced by the Central Plains culture in politics and culture.

Therefore, the Northern Yuan Dynasty had sufficient grain reserves.

The grain reserves of the Northern Yuan Dynasty are now in Guilichi's hands. Although they may not be enough to feed all the tribes on the grassland, most of them can survive the winter.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Given Alutai's cleverness, he may have secretly united with the three guards of Doyan. These guys are probably thinking of rebellion again."

The Three Guards of Doyan had a history of rebellion. In the second year after their establishment, they rebelled. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to send Fu Youde and Guo Ying to attack them again, and they finally surrendered.

Under the current circumstances, Zhu Yuanzhang believed that the three guards of Doyan would most likely betray the Ming Dynasty again.

"We will issue an imperial edict to the three of them, ordering them to come to the capital to meet the emperor immediately. If they refuse to come, they will surely betray us."

When Zhu Ying heard this, he understood what the old man meant and asked with a smile, "What if he comes?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said: "Since you are here, you should stay in the capital and enjoy your old age."

In the past, it was done for appeasement, but now that the Ming Dynasty is about to launch a northern expedition, there is of course no need for this.

The three traitors from Duoyan must be taken down.

The Ming Dynasty now has its own 20,000 heavy cavalry, so it doesn't need the Three Guards of Doyan that much.

…

Kyushu Island, Japan.

After a month's journey, Zhu Ying's order finally arrived.

The four groups of angels went to the King of Qin, the King of Jin, the King of Yan, and the King of Qi respectively.

Prince Yan's Palace.

Zhu Di frowned as he looked at the angel who was approaching him and stood up to show his respect.

As a vassal king, he did not need to kneel down to receive Zhu Yuanzhang's edict.

"The Northern Expedition is imminent. Order Prince of Yan Zhu Di to return to the capital immediately to participate in the Northern Expedition."

After the angel finished reading, he smiled and said to Zhu Di: "Prince Yan, please accept the order."

Zhu Di stepped forward to take the order and winked at Ma Sanbao beside him.

Ma Sanbao quickly took out a heavy bag from his sleeve and stuffed it into the sleeve of the eunuch who was reading the imperial edict.

The eunuch felt it and immediately smiled.

"If there is anything that King Yan does not understand, please feel free to ask. I will tell you everything I know."

Every eunuch likes to be an angel, and receiving benefits has become an unspoken rule.

Zhu Di was far away in Japan, and although he had made some arrangements for the Ming Dynasty, it was not easy to get news from places like the imperial palace.

It would be better to directly ask the eunuch who delivered the order, which would save a lot of trouble.

Zhu Di thought for a moment and said, "I wonder if the order from the Crown Prince was only passed on to me, or to the other three kings as well."

The eunuch replied, "The four kings all have orders to return to the capital."

Zhu Di asked again: "I wonder if there have been any changes in the palace recently."

Hearing this, the eunuch looked embarrassed. The Prince of Yan's question was too broad and might easily involve some secrets.

As a eunuch, he knew very well that there were some things he could say and some things he could not say.

When Zhu Di saw this, he was shocked and thought that something big had really happened.

He immediately winked at Ma Sanbao again.

Ma Sanbao understood immediately, and said to the eunuch behind the eunuch who delivered the imperial eunuch with a smile: "You all must have come from afar and it is very tiring. I will take you to rest for a while and taste some special delicacies from Japan."

The eunuchs who came along did not dare to speak and could only look at the eunuch who delivered the decree.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly. Then the few people followed Ma Sanbao and left.

"Please take a seat, sir. Someone, bring the tea."

"King Yan is polite."

After taking his seat, Zhu Di said, "Please tell me, eunuch, if there is any major change in the palace."

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict hesitated for a moment and then replied, "When we set out, His Majesty had caught a cold and was seriously ill in bed. His Majesty ordered the Crown Prince to be the regent, and that day the Crown Prince asked us to leave for Japan to deliver the imperial edict."

When the eunuchs who delivered the imperial edict set out, Zhu Yuanzhang's worry had not yet been relieved. All they knew was that the emperor was critically ill, and then they received the order and set off.

This led to Zhu Di being misled.

"What, the Emperor is critically ill and the Crown Prince is the Regent!!!" Zhu Di exclaimed and immediately stood up from his seat.

"Don't deceive me, my king."

"Tell me, did the Crown Prince ask you to say this on purpose?"

Zhu Di turned around and drew out his sword, staring at the eunuch who delivered the order with murderous intent, as if he was going to take his head if they disagreed.

The matter is of great importance, so he must test its authenticity.

The eunuch who delivered the decree was so frightened that he knelt on the ground immediately and said, "How dare I deceive the prince? Such a big event has been widely spread in the palace. Even a small eunuch knows about it."

"All officials know that the Crown Prince has ascended the throne. Your Majesty only needs to send someone to investigate and he will surely know about this."

Zhu Di had a cold expression on his face. He placed the sword directly on the shoulder of the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict. He only needed to pull away and wipe the sword to kill the eunuch.

"You have to know that I have a few spies in the palace. Even if you can deceive me for a while, I will have plenty of ways to kill you on the way to the capital."

Zhu Di didn't trust the officials at all. If this was a setup, then his eldest nephew must have kept the news secret long ago, and only a few people knew about it.

However, thinking of this, Zhu Di also understood that if it was really a conspiracy, these eunuchs who conveyed the imperial eunuchs' orders would probably not know about it.

"Your Highness, please spare me, Your Highness, please spare me. Everything I said is true and I would never dare to lie to you." The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict turned his head slightly and saw the sharp sword on his shoulder. He was almost scared to death. When had he ever seen such a scene before?

Zhu Di was silent for a moment, then his stern face suddenly turned into a smile, and he put the sword back.

"I was just joking with you, you look how scared you are. This is a Japanese custom, I don't think you will mind."

"The ground is too cold, and the father-in-law can't get up yet."

Zhu Di made up an excuse and said.

The eunuch who delivered the decree carefully glanced over his shoulder and found that the sword was indeed gone. He immediately stood up slowly and said with a smile: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the joke you played on me."

Zhu Di nodded: "Okay, you can leave first, Sanbao will make arrangements."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, Zhu Di immediately ordered his servants to call the princess over.

This matter is of great importance, and Zhu Di must discuss it with the princess.

When Xu Yihua heard the news, she hurried over. She also heard about the imperial decree in the backyard.

After Xu Yihua arrived, Zhu Di dismissed his attendants and showed the imperial edict in his hand to the princess.

After reading it, Xu Yihua looked at Zhu Di with some confusion.

Zhu Di then said, "I asked the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, and he said that my father was critically ill when they were about to set out."

With just one sentence, Xu Yihua knew what Zhu Di was thinking, and then asked, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Di shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"This time, the Crown Prince, in the name of regent, used the Northern Expedition as an excuse to demand that the four of us return to the capital immediately."

"My eldest nephew is very thoughtful and has many secret agents in Japan, always delivering news from Japan. He must be very aware of what we are doing now."

"If this is a trap, and my father is in imminent danger, or even has passed away, then if we go to the capital, it will be like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth, and there will be no possibility of returning to Japan."

"My eldest nephew has a kind face but a cruel heart. He hides a knife behind his smile. He has been away for ten years and has no family affection to speak of. Or maybe he couldn't wait to draw his sword when our father passed away."

"If you refuse to obey the order, the four of us kings will unite to fight against the Crown Prince."

"The personal guards of this king have a total of more than 100,000 troops. The other three kings have about the same number. The 45 troops guarding Kyushu Island in Japan form a self-contained system. Even if the crown prince wants to send troops to attack, he must consider the follow-up matters."

"Then we will surrender and become our vassal. As long as we avoid the capital, we can defend our vassal state."

Xu Yihua heard this and said, "Your Highness's ideas are indeed correct, but all of this is based on the premise that the emperor has passed away. What if the emperor has not passed away?"

"If the emperor had not passed away, you would have to obey the emperor's order and personally go to the capital to apologize. Given the emperor's temper, if you acted like this, your title would definitely be stripped, your vassal state would be abolished, and you would be demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the capital."

What Xu Yihua said was what Zhu Di was most worried about.

If it was the imperial edict from his father that came today, Zhu Di would get up and set off without hesitation.

But this time it was the Crown Prince's decree, issued in the name of Regent, which made Zhu Di think more.

Xu Yihua said: "Could it be that the Crown Prince did this on purpose, setting up a trap within a trap?"

These words made Zhu Di's heart skip a beat.

He immediately thought that if his father had really passed away, his eldest nephew would definitely conceal the matter and then secretly convey the decree in the name of his father.

Of course they couldn't be suspicious, and even if they did have doubts, they had no choice but to set off.

There will be no return then.

Zhu Di said in a deep voice: "Given my father's temperament, if he were critically ill, he would never let us return to the capital and create any obstacles for the crown prince's ascension to the throne. Even if he died, the decree he gave us before his death would only be not to allow condolences."

"My identity as the eldest nephew is because of the pressure from the emperor, so no one dares to gossip. Although the crown prince now controls the military power and has made the capital city like an iron barrel, no one dares to rebel. However, the emperor will certainly ensure stability, and also to avoid fratricide."

"While Father is worried about us causing trouble, why not worry about the Crown Prince taking the opportunity to attack us?"

"The royal family has been ruthless since ancient times. Father oppresses us, and he also oppresses the crown prince. If he is gone, will the crown prince still be the same as before?"

Xu Yihua frowned and said, "Your Highness means that my father is critically ill, but we are not sure whether he can recover or not."

"The Crown Prince has ordered us to come. If we don't go, then after Father recovers from his illness, he will naturally punish us."

"If we go there and our father has passed away, the Crown Prince will be able to deal with us freely."

Zhu Di nodded with a cold face: "My eldest nephew is very cunning. When he was in the palace, he never showed any thoughts about my uncles. His title of king overseas made my father very happy."

"Think about it, when my nephew first entered the palace, my father had already announced to all officials that Yunwen would be the crown prince, and we were just waiting for an auspicious day to confer the title."

"As the eldest grandson of Emperor Ming, didn't he have any thoughts about the throne at that time? But what did he do? Not only did he not target Yunwen, but he made friends with Lan Yu, and at the same time offered advice and suggestions and reformed the military. He did not target Yunwen openly or secretly at all."

"He knows very well that his father is arbitrary and he only needs to do what the emperor's eldest grandson should do. He doesn't give Yun Wen any leverage to force him to give in."

"You have to know that before this, he was a smuggler at the border, a businessman who robbed houses, lived on the edge of a knife, and made huge profits."

"Don't even mention amnesia. Even if you haven't lost your memory, what kind of family affection can you have after not seeing each other for ten years?"

"It is such a person who, after entering the palace, showed his gentleness, cared about the country and the people, and was kind-hearted. Do you believe it? Anyway, I don't believe it. It's really a big joke."

"If he really wanted to do that, why would he suppress me secretly and transfer Daoyan away with just a little bit of trickery?"

"At this time, my father is critically ill, and he issued an order for us to return to the palace. Isn't the hidden meaning here obvious?"

When he said this, a somewhat ferocious look appeared on Zhu Di's face.

Because it was he who brought Zhu Ying to the capital, so he ended up losing more than he gained.

Precisely because Zhu Ying was familiar with himself, he clearly knew the importance of Daoyan.

"Your Highness, what you mean is a rebellion?" Xu Yihua's expression was calm.

Zhu Di gritted his teeth and seemed about to shout out the word "rebellion", but when he thought of his father, the two words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter them.

After a while, Zhu Di collapsed in his seat: "Let's tell the three kings to discuss the matter together. I think they should also know about the current situation of our father."

"Even if they rebel, only the four kings can unite to resist the Crown Prince."

Hearing this, Xu Yihua sighed slightly and said, "In fact, even if the Crown Prince deals with us, he will only take over the vassal state. We will not lack wealth and glory."

Zhu Di waved his hand to interrupt, not wanting to listen anymore, and said, "Notify my second brother and the others, and we'll talk about it then."