Then came the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when Xun Zhi and Yang Pu led a legion of prisoners to conquer Wiman Joseon in just over half a year. They then established the four commanderies of Zhenfan, Lintun, Lelang, and Xuantu in the former territory, which became known as the Four Commanderies of Han.
However, this did not mean the complete extermination of the Korean people and regime. During the Western Jin Dynasty, the Central Plains were once again in turmoil, and Goguryeo, which rose in the Liaodong region, took the opportunity to expand its power in the Northeast, gradually encroaching upon and completely occupying the valleys of the Four Commanderies of Han.
The Central Plains dynasties lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun for five or six hundred years, which is why the northern regions are still difficult to win back the hearts of the people even after more than thirty years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
Goryeo has its own ethnic group and culture, and although it is influenced by Confucian culture, it is not entirely appropriate to say that they share the same roots.
Zhu Yunying said earnestly to Old Zhu, "Actually, we think Fifth Uncle is the most suitable. Fifth Uncle has experience in governing the fiefdoms, and he is capable and promising. However, it is not necessary for Fifth Uncle to go; Grandfather, you must always have a trusted son by your side."
Old Zhu seemed somewhat displeased, saying with a hint of disappointment, "Among our children and grandchildren, your fifth uncle is the least ambitious. We feel it's unfair to that kid.
“It’s not unfair. He’s busy collecting and composing music right now, probably because he’s afraid of offending us as his older brother.” Zhu Yunying laughed and said, “He can’t be idle either. We’ll have to drag him over to do something sooner or later. If he doesn’t want a good place like Goryeo, he can go to Annam or the Western Regions later.”
Old Zhu stroked his beard and laughed heartily, saying, "Alright then, we'll keep your fifth uncle here with us, and you can drive them away after we're gone."
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile and said, "Uncle Shu, we now favor Uncle Shu. It's just that Uncle Shu is a bit too weak. We are currently in a fiefdom in Goryeo, which is close to the three Jurchen tribes. Those savages are not easy to deal with."
Old Zhu was silent for a moment before offering his thoughts: "Your Uncle Shu will wait a bit longer. We'll talk about it after we take Kaijing. Although he has experience in leading troops, he's not entirely reliable. Let your Uncle Ning go; he's good at fighting the barbarians."
Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, was four years younger than Zhu Yunying, meaning he was the same age as Zhu Yunying's younger brother, Zhu Yuntong.
Zhu Yunying's eyes lit up at the suggestion. He had actually considered it before, but had some concerns. Now that Old Zhu had spoken up, there was naturally no problem.
However, unlike the dissolute Zhu Yunwen, Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, was intelligent and studious from a young age. After the great victory at Buyur Lake, some former Northern Yuan officials who had surrendered subsequently rebelled again. Prince Ning had also gained experience in Xuanfu and Daning, and was known for his strategic acumen.
It's often said that Zhu Di was the most skilled military strategist among Zhu Di's sons, but Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, was certainly no less capable. Even Zhu Di admired his military training abilities. In reality, during the Jingnan Rebellion, Zhu Di wouldn't have suddenly amassed such a powerful army if he hadn't coerced Zhu Quan into joining him.
Historically, Prince Ning was stationed in Daming with 80,000 armored soldiers and 6,000 chariots. The cavalry of the Doyan Three Guards under his command were all brave and skilled in battle.
Zhu Yunying nodded and said to Old Zhu, "Then we need to have a good talk with Uncle Ning and get him to go to Goryeo. As for fighting the barbarians, I reckon Uncle Ning would be happy to do so. Then, with the cooperation of our Nurgan Commandery, the three Jurchen tribes will be gradually devoured."
Old Zhu smiled and nodded, saying, "Your Uncle Ning is skilled in battle and brave, but he's not very clear-headed and lacks foresight. You'll have to send him some capable ministers and officials, since he's not good at governing his fiefdom."
Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, could have been a great general of the Ming Dynasty, but his status as a member of the imperial family prevented him from realizing his ambitions. Now, however, he has been given the opportunity, and perhaps an invincible general will emerge from among them.
As for this great general, he is actually not very good at governing his fiefdom. It seems that he has put all his skill points into military affairs, so his domestic affairs are naturally a bit lacking and not quite up to par.
Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and said, "Then let's throw Pan Xi in front of Yin'er. They are about the same age anyway."
Zhu Panxi is Zhu Quan's eldest son. Although Zhu Quan is still a young man, it is estimated that he will be busy fighting wars in the coming years. Governing a fiefdom is something that not only Zhu Quan needs to improve, but Zhu Panxi also needs to start learning.
Old Zhu smiled and nodded in agreement, saying, "That makes sense. Letting him follow Yin'er will help him improve."
By the way, the Ning Prince's lineage in history always thought about rebelling, largely because they were tricked by Zhu Di.
When Zhu Di coerced Zhu Quan into lending him troops, he promised that the two brothers would divide the empire equally. However, after Zhu Di gained power, he not only refused to return the troops to Zhu Quan but also claimed that Daming was in decline and instead reassigned Zhu Quan to Nanchang. Even this reassignment to Nanchang was not smooth; Zhu Di initially wanted other places as capitals, and he was constantly being pressured and monitored.
Old Zhu nodded and said, "That's settled then. You can make these decisions yourself."
“If we were to make the decision ourselves, Grandfather wouldn’t have come. Such an important matter needs Grandfather’s help to steer it, so we can feel at ease.” Zhu Yunying said with a smile, trying to please him. “Grandfather should also go and talk to Uncle Ning first, so that we can speak frankly with Uncle Ning.”
Old Zhu chuckled and pointed at Zhu Yunying, saying, "All your uncles are afraid of you. Especially those around your age, which one of them isn't afraid of you? You were precocious, arrogant in your youth, and have a deep mind."
Zhu Yunying was speechless for a moment, and said irritably, "In my younger days, I didn't want to play with my uncles because they were too childish and I didn't want to tease them. Now, they're all afraid of me. I don't think it's because I mistreat the imperial family; they're all afraid of me sitting on the dragon throne."
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