Watching his great-grandson splashing around in the bath, Old Zhu casually asked, "If we're going to hold a banquet today, will it mean the weapons are sheathed and the horses are let graze freely?"
Zhu Yunying shook his head. He knew what Old Zhu meant. "It's not that bad. We've been fighting for so many years, so we're just going to take a short break and train our troops. The Northwest isn't settled yet, and we'll definitely have to fight again in a few years."
This is also true. Although the Northern Yuan has split into two factions, one has just been eliminated. However, one faction remains entrenched in the northwest, where the war is far from over, or even has truly begun. This is clearly unacceptable.
The war must still be fought, but Zhu Yunying needs to temporarily accumulate strength. The Ming Dynasty is indeed powerful, but it also needs to consider the well-being of its people; otherwise, it will be nothing more than reckless militarism.
Old Zhu naturally understood Zhu Yunying's meaning, and he felt that this was indeed more appropriate; it would be good to remain peaceful for a few years.
"We've always thought you're the kind of person who wants to be a martial emperor, and you're happy with everything you see." Old Zhu joked with a smile. This was one of his judgments. "In our opinion, there's probably no land you wouldn't want, and you'd want to take it all."
This is not an exaggeration. When Zhu Biao was alive, Old Zhu and Zhu Biao talked about these things quite a lot, and they thought that Young Zhu would definitely be conquering everywhere.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, various Tibetan tribes submitted to the Ming, and Emperor Zhu established the Ü-Tsang Regional Military Commission. While the Tibetan government now operates under a system of monastic officials, Emperor Zhu also aimed to separate religion and politics, ensuring that Tibet would no longer be subject to the concentration of religious and political power in one person, family, or faction, as was the case during the Yuan Dynasty. This guaranteed political stability and smooth communication between the central government and the Tibetan region.
Zhu Yunying valued the U-Tsang Commandery highly, even though many people thought it was poor and chaotic.
However, in Zhu Yunying's eyes, that place was a treasure trove. If managed properly, it could control places like Sikkim and Bhutan. If there were surplus resources, the Ming Dynasty might even be able to march directly south; the vast expanse of India was still very attractive.
Of course, this is just speculation. The Ming Dynasty doesn't have the resources to manage India right now. Constant conquest would likely lead to militarism and instability within the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yunying is currently unable to manage India, but he must control places like Tibet, which are strategic locations to leave to his descendants and must be kept under the control of the Ming Dynasty.
Further northwest, Zhu Yunying also coveted the Western Regions. Although many of these areas were not currently under the Ming Dynasty's control, Zhu Yunying was determined to reclaim them. A unified dynasty would certainly need to conquer the Western Regions.
Don't even mention that the area is currently impoverished and unable to produce grain; it's also a strategic location. If managed properly, the Tartars would lack a large territory to expand, and the Central Plains dynasty could receive considerable protection.
In the southwest, heading south would lead to Annam and other countries, which Zhu Yunying had long desired to conquer. Taking over Southeast Asia was even more important than conquering India, because Southeast Asia was relatively easier for the Ming Dynasty to effectively control.
To the north, there's no question about Goryeo. If the time is right, they could launch a two-pronged attack, and Yi Seong-gye's newly usurped dynasty would surely be destroyed.
By then, the Ming Dynasty would have a better chance of controlling the northern nomadic peoples. Once the Far East was developed, the ancestors of the wild boar skin would have virtually no place to live.
Zhu Yunying coveted these strategic strongholds, wanting to incorporate them into his territory. However, he also knew to act within his means, and the next few years would certainly be spent accumulating national strength and carrying out some reforms and adjustments.
It is perfectly normal to temporarily put the war aside, and it is a choice that Zhu Yunying had to make.
Zhu Yunwen suddenly felt like slipping away; he felt these things weren't for him to hear. His ambition was to be a wealthy and leisurely prince; matters of state didn't concern him much.
Zhu Yunying glanced at Zhu Yunhua, who was trying to slip away, and chuckled, "Yunhua, take a bath and warm yourself up."
Old Zhu beckoned to Little Zhu and scolded Zhu Yunwen in an annoyed tone, "Sit down and listen. If you have even half the talent of your elder brother, I'll kick the bucket right now!"
"If we were even half as capable as my elder brother, my grandfather wouldn't be able to rest in peace even after he's passed away." Zhu Yunwen had no choice but to complain, "These things are not suitable for us to hear about."
Old Zhu was so annoyed by his 'little grandson' that he rolled his eyes. Fortunately, his great-grandson suddenly snuggled into his arms, so Old Zhu decided not to argue with the good-for-nothing grandson and instead decided to tease his great-grandson, which was much better.
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