Old Zhu returned to his hometown, and now Yingtian Prefecture was truly ruled by Emperor Zhu Yunying. Even though Old Zhu had previously said almost nothing and left most of the matters to Zhu Yunying, many people still knew that the most influential person in the Ming Dynasty was still the Hongwu Emperor.
As for Emperor Ying Shi, he was just a 'minor emperor,' and he was not necessarily the one whose word was law in the Ming Dynasty.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying's expression was serious. "Last year, the Tatar pseudo-Khan Elbeg sent troops to harass the border. The various Tatar tribes fought and killed each other. Now is the best time for our Great Ming to send troops."
The Mongol Yuan Dynasty ended its rule over the Central Plains, and the Mongol court retreated to the Lingbei Province, historically known as the "Northern Yuan." The Mongolian Plateau was then rife with internal strife and numerous warlords, particularly the Western Mongols, led by the Oirats, and the Eastern Mongols, led by the Tatars.
The term "Tatar" is actually a general term for the Northern Yuan regime, the direct line of Genghis Khan, and the grassland tribes in the eastern Mongolian Plateau under its rule.
In fact, the hidden dangers in Mongolia have never been eliminated.
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had been constantly fighting, always hoping to completely defeat the Northern Yuan. The Battle of Taiyuan, the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expedition, the decisive battle of Cheneryu, and the raid on Yingchang, among others, almost crushed the Northern Yuan and drove them to the Mongolian steppe.
Lan Yu's surprise attack on the Yuan court at Buyur Lake almost completely disrupted the core of the Northern Yuan's regime.
The last emperor of the Northern Yuan, Togus Temur, was killed ten years ago, and now Borjigin Elbeg has succeeded to the throne, but his identity remains a mystery. In any case, he is definitely not Togus Temur's son; Togus Temur's eldest son was killed, and his second son was exiled by the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yunying's expression was serious, mainly because he seemed determined to win this battle, as the three armies of the Ming Dynasty had already assembled.
Just as Zhu Yunying was preparing to launch a war, another minister stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, waging war will inevitably cause hardship to the people and waste resources!"
"Your Majesty, the Tatars have done nothing wrong. The Ming Dynasty has provoked this war, which is an unjust war!"
Well, when Zhu Yuanzhang was considering starting a war, there was almost no opposition from the court officials. But now it's different. As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang left Yingtian Prefecture, some ministers jumped out to oppose the war.
The reason is actually quite simple: many scholars felt that war should not be waged rashly. Furthermore, once war breaks out, a large number of military men will inevitably make meritorious contributions again, further elevating their already relatively high status.
Perhaps it was also the thinking of some literati, who were 'Confucian' and had a natural aversion to war. They didn't care about any 'great revenge' at all; they were just a group of emasculated Confucian scholars who wanted to use Confucian virtues to influence the barbarians.
Zhu Yunying was definitely unhappy, but he remained outwardly calm. Even someone as powerful as Zhu Yunying couldn't always have absolute authority, and there were always dissenting opinions. Even the domineering Zhu Yunying wouldn't immediately resort to violence because of those dissenting voices; he still maintained a certain level of decorum.
Zhu Yunying appeared to be quite benevolent, perhaps because the old Zhu was too domineering, making the new emperor seem relatively virtuous. The ministers also understood that their new emperor would generally not be punished for his words.
Zhuo Jing might have some objections to this. He shouldn't be considered to have been punished for his words. It was mainly because Zhu Yunying didn't trust him with his work that this confidant became the one who was abandoned and became the second-rank Shanxi Provincial Governor.
This was a very high-ranking official position. The provincial governor was the emperor's representative in the region, hence the title "provincial governor" or "regional governor." While not quite a regional lord, he was certainly a high-ranking official in charge of the administration and finances of a province.
"This is a national war. The army is about to set out. Anyone who disrupts the morale of the troops will be severely punished!" Zhu Yunying said solemnly, displaying the majesty of an emperor. "This war is a national war personally planned by the retired emperor. Are you not afraid of being disrespectful?"
Using someone else's name as a shield is a tactic that Zhu Yunying is adept at using. This is probably because Zhu Yunying is used to establishing Zhu's reputation, and others naturally become very obedient in such situations.
Well, it seems there's really no way to change this situation; this major battle is definitely going to continue.
Otherwise, a major act of disrespect would be inevitable. These civil and military officials knew all too well what kind of person Zhu Yuanzhang was. They could be a little assertive, they could voice their objections, but they also knew very well that they couldn't oppose the war Zhu Yuanzhang was planning.
Ultimately, it all comes down to Zhu Yuanzhang's immense power; the Ming emperor's authority was vast, and the influence of the military officials far surpassed that of the civil service. If these people wanted to pull off any schemes or force an order, it would be impossible.
Zhu Yunying felt it was better to forget about being a micro-management master. Not to mention that in this era of poor communication, it was impossible to remotely command, even in an era of convenient communication, it was better not to give orders if you couldn't be on the battlefield in person.
Moreover, the Ming Dynasty is not lacking in capable and battle-hardened generals, and Zhu Yunying is not lacking in strategists or generals who can lead the charge. For him, it is enough to stay in the capital at this time; the matters on the battlefield can be left to the soldiers.
We can just talk about military matters briefly. The main thing is that the preparations have been thorough enough, so there's nothing to worry about. All we need to do now is wait patiently.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
