"Second Uncle, this is enough." Zhu Xiong Ying said to Zhu Shuang with a wry smile, "Second Uncle, the annual allowance from Japan is enough to cover your expenses. If we arrest someone, it will only be twenty taels per person at most."
Zhu Shuang was displeased and began to bargain, "Twenty taels? That's better left for me to farm and raise horses! Nephew, you said you wanted to grow cotton, and your second uncle supported you. One laborer like that is worth at least forty-five taels!"
The heartless uncle and nephew haggling over the price is a description of the heinous business of human trafficking.
These two men simply felt it was only natural that such a deal needed to be clearly discussed and explained, mainly because the profits were simply too high. Zhu Xiong Ying paid no attention to those foreign barbarians, and Zhu Shuang disregarded them even more.
After Zhu Gang and Zhu Su arrived at the central command tent, they immediately began negotiating. They also received a share of the profits in Japan, and now that the price seemed to be increasing, they were naturally very tempted.
Capturing more prisoners of war not only allows them to sell for a higher price, but sending them to Japan also enables them to mine more resources and earn more silver.
Zhu Fu and Zhu Tan couldn't help but feel envious, because their elder brother, the Emperor, could participate in this business. They, however, were different; they hadn't sent anyone to Japan. So for now, they only received silver and salaries from the court, and while they could commit some minor misdeeds in their fiefdoms, they weren't exactly flush with cash.
These business dealings also reveal the closeness or distance between the Crown Prince and the Emperor, and also reflect the attitudes of the Emperor and the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is merely the figurehead; the attitudes of the two powerful figures behind him are what these princes truly care about.
Zhu Xiong Ying and his uncles were also discussing some matters. The search for the border must continue, as this was the attitude and order of the old Zhu and the eldest Zhu, and naturally, there was no way to disobey.
This doesn't mean that a general in the field is disobedient to orders; it's just a minor adjustment within a larger framework. Naturally, it's nothing serious, and these are things that everyone can accept without feeling any psychological pressure.
Dividing the troops was definitely necessary, and Zhu Xiong Ying knew this was quite important. He wasn't suggesting that his imperial uncles walk into a trap; he simply meant to crush some smaller tribes. These tribes were close to the border of the Ming Dynasty, which naturally indicated their low status.
It's normal for small tribes to be captured or wiped out. What the Ming Dynasty lacks right now is manpower, hard laborers who can do the work.
Now that the division of forces has been decided, and the plans and areas for exploring the borders have been determined, many things naturally fall into place, and everyone can now proceed with their tasks in a logical manner.
Watching Zhu Xiong Ying lead the large army away, Zhu Shuang and the others remained silent. This border search was indeed an order from the emperor and the crown prince. It was a series of tasks set by the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and they naturally dared not shirk their responsibilities. This was also the duty and obligation of some of the vassal kings.
However, they now have to think about some things. For example, the Crown Prince has a large army under his command, well-equipped and well-trained, with many veteran generals. This is actually a form of demonstration.
Or perhaps the Crown Prince doesn't need to demonstrate anything at all; this is just a slight display of power to make the princes straighten out their attitudes.
They were indeed imperial uncles, but the small number of troops they commanded was negligible. In the face of the imperial army, their forces were practically incapable of causing any trouble.
As long as they acted as good younger brothers, these princes dared not harbor any other thoughts in front of their elder brothers. The uncles weren't bad either; although they were elders, their nephew was far too cunning and possessed considerable power.
Faced with absolute power, any侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality) is tantamount to courting death. Being a good vassal king and fulfilling the duties entrusted to him by the crown prince and grandson might allow him to continue living a happy life as a prince in his fiefdom.
Zhu Xiong Ying had no idea what his imperial uncles were thinking. He was now leading his personal guards and the troops from the garrison, heading towards the heart of the desert.
These matters must be handled properly. Zhu Xiong Ying's personal command of the army this time was not just about seeing the scenery of the grasslands or deterring the Tatars on the border; he had other intentions as well.
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