The soldiers were very excited, so they led Zhu Yunwen and Zhao Qingzhu into the military camp and headed towards the largest tent in the center of the camp.
Once outside, a soldier immediately went in and informed General Li Jinglong inside.
At this moment, Li Jinglong was sitting in a chair with a plate of mutton and a jar of fine wine in front of him, leisurely eating meat and drinking wine.
The soldier entered and said:
"General, there are people from the imperial court outside."
Li Jinglong spoke without any concern:
"Let them in."
After saying that, he continued eating meat and drinking wine. After the soldier left, Zhu Yunwen and Zhao Qingzhu slowly walked in a short while later.
After Zhu Yunwen walked in, he saw Li Jinglong still drinking heavily and coughed.
Hearing the cough, Li Jinglong looked up in confusion, about to express his dissatisfaction.
After all, he thought that he was of a very high status and was a Duke. Even if the court sent people to inspect and study the work in the area, they should be respectful to him. How could he dare to cough in front of him?
However, just as he looked up to reprimand them, he suddenly froze.
Because he discovered that the person standing in front of him was actually the Crown Prince.
This startled Li Jinglong, who immediately dropped the meat in his hand, stood up, wiped his mouth with his clothes, walked over, and knelt down abruptly, saying:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince... This humble general was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me..."
Zhu Yunwen slowly placed his hands behind his back and spoke calmly:
"General Li, you have quite the airs! I sent you here to guard Annam, but you're just drinking and eating meat all day long, enjoying yourself immensely!"
Hearing Zhu Yunwen's sarcastic words, Li Jinglong was indeed somewhat frightened and immediately explained:
"Your Highness, I...I just..."
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said:
"No need to explain, I came here this time to see the state of the Annamite military camp."
Li Jinglong immediately inquired:
"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived in Annam and visited the Provincial Administration Commission. However, I heard that he had already left Annam before, so why is he here today?"
Zhu Yunwen sneered:
"My whereabouts are always elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail. Besides, I shouldn't need to explain to you where I go or where I appear."
Li Jinglong immediately nodded and said:
"Of course, of course... How dare I inquire about His Highness the Crown Prince's whereabouts..."
Li Jinglong could also tell that Zhu Yunwen's words were somewhat unfriendly. Therefore, he was as careful as possible when answering various questions, afraid that he might do something to offend Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunwen continued:
"The reason I came to Annam this time is twofold: firstly, to understand the situation of the people of Annam and the local political decisions; and secondly, to see the situation of the local army."
Although the local system of the Ming Dynasty was very clear, the provincial administration was responsible for political affairs, the judicial system was responsible for the provincial judicial commissioner, and the military administration was responsible for the military commander.
However, the real command of the army was still held by the military generals sent by the imperial court, while the commander-in-chief played a more significant role, primarily in managing local garrisons, handling various affairs, and providing various services.
This is equivalent to the function of a local military department.
They could not directly control military power.
Therefore, the actual commander of the army in Annam was Li Jinglong, and upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Li Jinglong immediately reported:
"Your Highness, please rest assured, I will certainly not fail His Majesty's trust. Therefore, I always regard the situation of the Annam army as my top priority."
Therefore, we have been strictly managing the affairs in accordance with the imperial court's regulations. Your Highness, please rest assured.
Zhu Yunwen glanced at Li Jinglong, then said with a half-smile:
"Of course I trust you. If I didn't trust you, why would I have sent you to this place?"
Li Jinglong thought Zhu Yunwen was genuinely praising him, so he smiled smugly.
However, Zhu Yunwen narrowed his eyes and said to Li Jinglong:
"You audacious Li Jinglong, do you still not know your crime?"
Li Jinglong was startled and looked at Zhu Yuntong with a puzzled expression, while Zhu Yuntong continued:
"You're over-training your troops. Tell me, what is your intention?"
Upon hearing Zhu Yuntong's words, Li Jinglong felt a sudden panic and realized that Zhu Yuntong was doubting him.
Indeed, if local generals excessively train their troops without adhering to the imperial court's regulations, they are highly likely to arouse suspicion and conjecture from the court. Faced with this situation, Li Jinglong quickly explained:
"Your Highness, it's only because I'm strict with my subordinates that..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yunwen sneered and said:
"Do you think you can fool me? I'm afraid you've been secretly colluding with this Annamite governor, haven't you? Don't treat me like a fool."
Now that I've come this far and said these things, it's because I have solid evidence. If you're still trying to get away with this, you don't need to.
In fact, Zhu Yunwen had no evidence at all. He was just guessing in his mind. He felt that the Annamite commander and Li Jinglong were acting strangely and their behavior was beyond normal operation, which made Zhu Yunwen very suspicious.
Therefore, it's highly likely that they are plotting a rebellion.
As for evidence, there really isn't any.
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