Zhu Ying could actually guess some of the things happening in Japan.

The four feudal lords earned too much money in Japan and therefore raised a large number of private soldiers. Zhu Ying naturally did not worry that he would not be able to keep them under control.

Even if the old man is gone, he can easily suppress the four feudal lords of Japan.

After all, many of their personal guards came from the capital.

This move is also a warning. If they really disobey the order, the old man will certainly deal with them.

Zhu Ying also knew that no matter how worried and afraid Prince Yan and others were, they would still come to the capital to obey orders in the end because they could not afford to take the risk.

Historically, before Zhu Di launched the Jingnan Rebellion, he could only rely on pretending to be crazy and stupid to deceive Zhu Yunwen.

The current Ming Dynasty could not be shaken by Zhu Di. There was no Lan Yu case, and the veteran generals and soldiers were all there. The military schools set up by Zhu Ying in various places had trained a large number of outstanding middle-level officers, and gradually replaced the previous illiterate soldiers, strengthening Zhu Ying's control over military power.

The most important thing is that Zhu Chong, the Prince of Qin, and Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin, would not follow Zhu Di. Although they seemed to be the four great vassal kings, in fact, Zhu Chong had a very good relationship with Zhu Gang and Zhu Ying.

Zhu Chong was able to go to Japan largely because of Zhu Ying.

Including when he was imprisoned and sent to the southwest to suppress the aborigines, it was Zhu Ying who helped speak in front of the old man.

Not to mention Zhu Gang, whose hostility with Zhu Di was always assisted by Zhu Ying.

Although now, due to interests, the four Japanese feudal lords want to unite on the surface.

One was to embezzle the mineral resources together, and the other was to fight against Japan.

But to say the opposite is impossible.

Zhu Di also wanted to discuss the matter with Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang.

As a result, when the two heard the news that their father was critically ill, they didn't think about the Crown Prince at all and immediately prepared to set off for the capital.

The King of Qi always listens to his brothers.

Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang were somewhat cruel, but they also truly loved their father.

The two were not as wary of the crown prince as Zhu Di was. After all, Zhu Ying had never taken action against them. Instead, he helped them in various ways.

Besides, the imperial edict also said that they were being sent back only in order to march north to the grasslands.

Zhu Di had no choice. There was no point if the four kings did not unite.

He also figured it out. No matter what the outcome was, now was not the time to disobey the order.

…

The first person to arrive at the capital was not the Four Kings, nor Zhu Yunwen, but King Ning Zhu Quan.

Ning Wang Zhu Quan went to Goryeo under Zhu Ying's arrangement and learned everything about Yao Guangxiao.

As a prince, Zhu Quan was obviously more powerful than Yao Guangxiao. During this period, Goryeo was subservient to the Ming Dynasty, especially after the expedition against Japan, Yao Guangxiao returned with victory and developed a huge power in Goryeo.

The idea of ​​Lee Seong-gye becoming king was shelved, and the Goryeo royal family still existed.

As the weakest of the three parties, the Goryeo royal family could only choose to cling tightly to the Ming Dynasty.

After all, even if the entire Goryeo was annexed by the Ming Dynasty, the title of their royal family would not be abolished. But Lee Seong-gye wanted to seize their royal family, which is a completely different concept.

He was originally like a puppet and had no power at all. Once Lee Seong-gye usurped the throne, the consequences can be imagined.

So the choice becomes much simpler.

When facing Yao Guangxiao, Lee Seong-gye still had some strength to fight back, but when facing Ning Wang Zhu Quan, he was really helpless.

This is not to say that Zhu Quan is smarter than Yao Guangxiao or that his political methods are more tough.

It was his status as a prince of the Ming Dynasty that gave Lee Seong-gye a sense of oppression.

Besides, Lee Seong-gye is only a powerful official and has not yet seized the throne. Even if he has really seized the throne, he will be three points weaker than Zhu Quan.

The relationship between the vassal kings and their vassal states depends to a large extent on the strength of the suzerain state.

If the suzerain state is strong, the vassal king will be strong and the vassal state will be weak.

If the suzerain state is weak, the vassal kings will be weak and the vassal states will be strong.

Today, the Ming Dynasty rules over the four seas, intimidates the world, and has an army of more than two million. This level of strength is extremely rare in the history of the entire Central Plains dynasty.

Therefore, the surrounding small countries were of course very cautious and obedient towards the Celestial Empire, and did not dare to make any offensive moves.

In name, vassal states are subjects of the suzerain state.

Under such circumstances, King Ning Zhu Quan had a very good life in Goryeo.

But he also came with the Crown Prince's request.

Zhu Ying did not intend to completely incorporate Goryeo into the territory of the Ming Dynasty at one time, but instead asked Zhu Quan to open many Chinese schools in Goryeo to spread Chinese language and characters.

During this period, Goryeo did not have its own writing system. Everyone spoke Chinese and wrote Chinese characters.

The reason for opening schools was to break the blockade of knowledge by the Goryeo nobles and give ordinary people the opportunity to access knowledge.

The situation of the Goryeo family was even more serious than that of the Ming Dynasty. Their hierarchy was more strict, and the exploitation of the lower classes by those in power was very intense.

This situation did not change even after Goryeo was divided into two.

Zhu Ying knew very well that if he tried to take over Goryeo from the perspective of the aristocratic families, he would only be able to gain Goryeo for a short period of time, as these aristocratic families were most fond of rebellion.

It is easy to seize a piece of land, but difficult to seize the hearts of the people.

Therefore, he could only secretly push for an impact on Goryeo's social structure, causing it to undergo tremendous changes, and then guide it to integrate into the Ming Dynasty.

Only such a Goryeo can truly become a part of the Ming Dynasty.

As King Ning, he opened Chinese schools in various places in Goryeo, and those people from aristocratic families could only watch helplessly, without being able to do anything.

Even though many aristocratic families turned to Lee Seong-gye because of this, Zhu Quan didn't care.

After all, Goryeo is too small.

The Ming Dynasty could easily capture Goryeo by sending out tens of thousands of troops with enough firearms.

Compared with the Ming Dynasty, this tiny country is not at the same level at all.

The reason why Zhu Ying gave up Goryeo and chose to develop in Annan was because Goryeo had too many limitations, and no matter how it developed, it would only be like this.

End of the year.

The trains from the nine borders to the capital have basically been opened.

The reason why Zhu Quan was able to reach the capital as quickly as possible was because of the train.

Sitting on the train, feeling the unparalleled speed, Zhu Quan was in shock and excitement.

"No wonder the Crown Prince dared to march north. With this kind of divine weapon, the problems of manpower and logistics are completely solved. What can the grasslands use to resist?"

"Next year's Northern Expedition will surely bring great victory to the Ming Dynasty."

Although it was said to take three to five days, it actually took nearly seven days from the time Zhu Quan boarded the train to arrive in the capital.

The train does not go directly to the capital.

With current engineering technology, it is not possible to build a bridge by cutting through the mountain.

Therefore, the railway route can only be mainly on plains. When encountering a big river, people get off the train and take a boat, and then get on the train again from the other side of the river.

But even so, it is absolutely incredible for the entire Ming Dynasty.

The third day after Zhu Quan arrived in the capital.

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Yunwen also arrived.

The ship they were riding on was not a conventional one, but a Ming Dynasty steam-clad ironclad ship.

While railways were being vigorously developed, the development of steam ironclad ships did not stop. However, due to the problem of coal, steam ironclad ships moved in stations.

The new port north of Champa, close to Annan, was a supply station for steam-powered ironclad ships.

A large amount of coal is transported here every day for storage and supply.

In order to save coal, under normal circumstances, steam ironclad ships would not frequently travel between Annan, Champa and the Ming Dynasty.

As the emperor's grandsons, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Yunwen were of course qualified to ride.

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Yunwen, who were sitting on the steam ironclad ship, were shocked and at the same time, they were even more in awe of the Crown Prince.

Zhu Gaochi was okay. Although he was the prince of Yan, he actually didn't have much ambition and was kind and gentle.

The little flame in Zhu Yunwen's heart was pinched out before it even started to burn.

Because he had lived in Champa for a long time, the weather was hot even in winter. Therefore, Zhu Yunwen, who had just arrived in the capital, had not adapted to the cold and caught a cold accidentally.

During this period, Zhu Yuanzhang even went there to visit him.

No matter what, this is his own grandson and the eldest brother's offspring.

It was already the end of the first month when the four great princes arrived in the capital.

Although the imperial edict was sent over years ago, there are no trains or steam-powered ironclad ships to reach Ming from Japan, so the only way is to travel at the current speed of horse-drawn carriages. Nearly a month is already very fast.

This year is the 33rd year of Hongwu.

It is said that on the second day of the second month, the dragon raises its head, and on the third day of the third month, Xuanyuan is born.

On March 3, the birthday of Emperor Huang, a grand court meeting will be held to announce matters related to the Northern Expedition and officially launch it.

There are still several days before March 3rd. The busiest places are not the palaces of the princes, but the homes of the military generals and nobles in Huaixi.

Especially Lan Yu.

"Duke Liang, our Ming Dynasty is going to launch a northern expedition, and the Crown Prince has ordered all the princes to return to the capital. This is to let the princes compete for credit."

"I wonder if the Duke of Liang has heard some rumors about what the Crown Prince is planning to do with us old people."

"We can't just sit around in the capital for such a big thing."

Yang Chun, the left commander of the front army, spoke in a loud voice.

He has been staying in the capital for many years. His status sounds noble, but the military power in his hands can be said to be declining day by day, and his prestige is no longer there.

Even if there was a war, it had little to do with his Five Military Commanderies, so the Crown Prince skipped the Five Military Commanderies and sent troops directly.

The news of the Northern Expedition had just come out, and Yang Chun was still thinking about making more achievements, but not only did His Majesty make no arrangements, but what he got was the news that the princes had returned to the capital.

This made Yang Chun feel very resentful.

Zhu Zhe, the Right Commander of the Rear Army Commander's Office, also echoed at this time: "Commander Yang is right. We have been idle in the capital for many years. Previously, the Five Armies Commander's Office was in charge of the training affairs, and we often trained outside."

"Now the Crown Prince is setting up a military school and coming up with some new training methods. Training has nothing to do with us anymore."

"If there is no war in the court, we will be happy to have some free time. However, the Crown Prince has forgotten about such an important matter as the Northern Expedition. What's the reason for this? Does he think that we old officials are too old to lift the sword?"

"The Duke of Liang has a very close relationship with the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince entered the palace, although we did not express our opinions, we all supported him in our hearts. As for the Northern Expedition, let us, the old generals, at least contribute to the Ming Dynasty."

The commanders of the front and rear armies spoke, and the others followed suit.

It's just a desire to gain some credit.

Ultimately, it’s a question of power.

The imperial court delegated power to all officials, mainly to civil officials rather than military officials to manage government affairs.

Zhu Ying held the military power tightly, cutting off the fire from bottom to top.

Under the pretext of not tiring the many meritorious officials, he easily seized the right to train troops and cultivate land.

The appointment, dismissal and promotion are the responsibility of the Ministry of War, but in reality they are the responsibility of the Crown Prince.

The Ministry of War originally had little presence in front of the Five Military Commanders' Office, but with the Crown Prince's order, the military officers could not disobey it.

In those days, in order to prevent the military commanders from gaining power, Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that the Five Military Commissions had no right to dispatch troops, and the power to dispatch troops was directly controlled by the emperor.

The only thing left to the Five Military Commanderies was the power to command troops.

The so-called power to command troops meant that whenever there was a war, the emperor would temporarily appoint someone to serve as the commander-in-chief to lead the garrison troops to go to war. When the war was over, the commander-in-chief would return the seal and the army would be returned to the garrison.

However, this time Zhu Ying transferred the princes back to Beijing, which most likely meant that he was going to take action against the military command power of the Five Military Commanderies.

Now, the commanders-in-chief of the Five Military Commanderies could no longer sit still.

If this continues, then the Five Military Commanderies will become a mere decoration.

A snake cannot survive without a head, a bird cannot fly without a head, and a person cannot move without a head.

The Five Military Commandery could be described as the private domain of the Huaixi military generals and nobles, and Lan Yu was the leader.

Therefore, everyone came to the Duke of Liang's Mansion, just to let the Duke of Liang take the lead and fight for power for themselves.

Everyone knows that Duke Lan Yu of Liang is the Crown Prince's great uncle.

Lan Yu looked up and saw that there were twenty or thirty people in the hall, all of whom were from Huaixi and were also core members of the entire Huaixi noble group.

Of course, not everyone is saying this.

People like Zhang Yi, Marquis of Heqing, and Cao Zhen, Marquis of Jingchuan, who were closer to Lan Yu, basically did not speak.

They are a little different. First, they are old and can't stand the pain of fighting.

For example, Fu Youde, who led the elite cavalry of the Ming Dynasty, felt overwhelmed after defeating a wave of Northern Yuan cavalry and wanted to retire and return home.

Moreover, they are all hereditary marquises, so there is not much meaning in trying to seize this merit. Given the importance the Crown Prince attaches to military power, it would be easy to arouse suspicion.

Including Lan Yu himself, although he was not old, his achievements had reached the top and he was already a duke. Was he going to ask for the title of prince?

Although Zhu Yuanzhang never said that only those with the surname Zhu could be enthroned as kings, starting from the Hu Weiyong case, everyone knew his Majesty's temper.

Most of those who were speaking were about the same age as Lan Yu, some older, some younger, and were of fighting age.

Some of them wanted to retain power, while others wanted to take advantage of the Northern Expedition to make further achievements and advances. They all had similar demands.

So I am unwilling to miss this battle.

Lan Yu had no other choice in this situation.

I can only agree to go to the palace tomorrow to meet His Majesty and the Crown Prince to discuss the Northern Expedition.

With the promise from Duke Liang, everyone calmed down a little and left after eating and drinking.

Afterwards, Cao Zhen said with some worry: "The Duke should really plead for the generals. The Crown Prince did not send an imperial edict. The Duke should understand the meaning of this."

"And over the years, the Crown Prince has been tightly controlling the military power, rectifying the garrisons, training new soldiers, and retiring old soldiers. For the Crown Prince, we have become an obstacle."

"Regarding the Northern Expedition, the Crown Prince obviously wants the various princes to take the lead, and the credit for the achievements goes to the royal family, not the Governor's Office. If the Duke speaks directly to him, I'm afraid the Crown Prince will not be pleased."

Lan Yu sighed and said, "Of course I don't know, but the situation is like this, I have to go there to get an explanation."

"I'm afraid that the Crown Prince deliberately didn't mention the Five Military Commandery this time, just to take this opportunity to thoroughly reorganize the military power. I just hope that the Crown Prince can give some back-up plans for the Five Military Commandery in consideration of its great contributions to the Ming Dynasty."