Old Zhu nodded, but still reminded him, "Although Goryeo should indeed be taken over, if we let Yi Seong-gye deal with it slowly, the people of Goryeo might accept him in ten years or so. Now is a good time to take it over, but Goryeo is not easy to attack."
“So, all these years, I’ve been keeping some nobles and scholars from foreign lands at the Four Barbarian Tribes Pavilion. It’s good to bring a group of them over. Most of those people are powerful families from the vassal states, and they will be an asset to our Great Ming.” Little Zhu said earnestly, “Once we conquer Goryeo, it will be easier to completely destroy the Mongol Yuan forces. Then it won’t be three armies anymore.”
Leading Xiao Zhu to the map, Old Zhu asked, "We don't need to worry too much about the affairs of Dongying; your fourth uncle and his men can handle it themselves. The cotton-padded clothes and provisions are ready in Goryeo, so it's easier to mobilize troops."
Old Zhu suddenly laughed and said to Zhu Yunying, "A few years ago, you wanted to plant cotton and open up land in Liaodong, where there was plenty of land but few people. Now look at you, it seems you've long since set your sights on Japan and Korea."
Unfortunately, Goryeo, though seemingly a small country, possesses considerable strength. Its weather is also one of Goryeo's advantages. If the war drags into winter, it will be a test for the Ming army. Moreover, the living conditions of the Ming's northern border troops certainly need improvement.
"In the past two years, my grandson has also sent out quite a few Imperial Guards. Many places in Southeast Asia have crops that can be harvested three times a year. Although some people there are not well-educated and malaria is a problem, if we can take over there, our Great Ming will not need to worry about food shortages in the future."
Hearing what Xiao Zhu said, Lao Zhu said worriedly, "Ying'er, we know that's good land. But we can't be greedy and try to take everything at once. Even though our country is strong, we can't let all the surrounding areas swallow it up at once."
“So let the imperial uncles seal it off. Even if we conquer it, the spoils will still rot in our Zhu family’s pot.” Zhu Yunying said, with some anticipation. “I understand that these things can’t be done overnight. Even if I conquer these places, it will take a long time to govern them. Perhaps it will take a long time before we see any results when Yin’er is in power.”
This is not an exaggeration; it is a fairly basic fact: the level of productivity is what it is.
Lingnan can only be considered somewhat developed now; it's not truly a wild and untamed land. However, Yunnan, and even the Jingchu region, still needs further development; it hasn't yet become a true production base for the Ming Dynasty. As for Liaodong, it's even more dire; self-sufficiency is a challenge for them.
Therefore, to expect the development of the Indochina Peninsula, the conquest of Southeast Asia, and large-scale development at this point is indeed asking too much and is practically impossible. These are not things that can be accomplished in a short time, and even with the strength of the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to do all of these things at once.
Dominating the entire world in an instant was out of the question. Even bringing all of Asia under his control now seemed unrealistic to Zhu Yunying. Capturing strategically important locations was a more realistic option.
Some things really can't be rushed, and you really can't be too greedy.
Looking at his grandson, whom he was incredibly proud of, Old Zhu felt very gratified. His grandson had had a smooth and successful life, but this hadn't made him arrogant or unrealistic. Although he had never experienced hardship growing up, the boy wasn't unaware of the struggles of ordinary people.
With such a successor, Old Zhu felt he could abdicate in peace. While he was still not senile, he wanted to observe his grandson's ability to handle things smoothly after ascending the throne. He believed he still had some strength left to provide guidance.
Zhu Yunying understood perfectly well that this conversation essentially signified a dialogue between two 'emperors'. For him, the next step was simply to await Zhu Yuanzhang's abdication ceremony and his own enthronement ceremony.
Perhaps this could indeed bring about more changes to the Ming Dynasty.
As for whether this is good or bad, we'll have to see what happens next and whether he has the ability to take this already well-established empire to an even greater height!
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