Zhu Yunying could roughly guess what Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan were thinking, but he didn't necessarily need to pay special attention to what they were thinking.
For Zhu Yunying, he was first and foremost the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and only then the 'second-generation head of the Zhu family'. He was naturally very clear about the distinction between primary and secondary roles.
Therefore, in the planning of certain systems and policies, Zhu Yunying may not necessarily be so inclined towards the imperial clan. He needs to consider the long term, not just the present, but also the future.
Looking at Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan, Zhu Yunying said seriously, "You uncles probably know that if we were to establish a kingdom in Goryeo, it would inevitably become a vassal state of our Great Ming. To be honest, we do not recognize the idea of a non-conquerable kingdom that our grandfather created years ago."
Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan felt even more uneasy. They were both princes, but they had no right to get involved in any important state affairs. If they even glanced at the court, they might be severely reprimanded by Old Zhu.
But their nephew was quite different; he not only didn't participate in court affairs, but even the wise, powerful, and unparalleled Hongwu Emperor sometimes had to consider Zhu Yunying's opinions and change some established policies.
Leaving aside the matter of the vassal kings for now, the country that was not subject to conquest back then was also abolished, all thanks to Zhu Yunying's good deeds.
This was the only one in the Zhu family who didn't follow the rules. Old Zhu's favoritism was undisguised, and his demands and expectations of Zhu Yunying were indeed exceptionally high. Perhaps it was because Zhu Yunying performed so well that Old Zhu doted on him so much.
Zhu Yunying looked at Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan and said, "You uncles should know that Goryeo has historically taken advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to expand outwards. Leaving aside the past, you should have heard about their attempt to attack Tielingwei a few years ago. This was also related to Yi Seong-gye and his son's plot to usurp the throne."
Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan naturally knew that Goryeo, which they originally thought was a small, foreign country, had always been restless.
In its early years, Goryeo had close ties with the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and even many years after the founding of the Ming dynasty, there were still many pro-Yuan forces in the Goryeo court.
The Central Plains court may seem to look down on Goryeo, but they all understand that once the Central Plains court's strength declines, Goryeo will become restless. In fact, they have always had high expectations for the land in the northeast.
Zhu Chun then said, “Your Majesty, if I were to guard Goryeo, I would naturally uphold the rules. As a subject of the Ming Dynasty, I must strictly abide by the laws and regulations of the court.”
Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Zhu Chun, "Eleventh Uncle, of course we trust you. But whether our descendants will take our words seriously is another matter. You all know why we are saying this now."
In reality, saying things too explicitly can be a bad thing, mainly because it can make both parties feel awkward.
Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan naturally didn't need to worry too much. They knew how powerful the Ming Dynasty was, and they also knew the abilities of Old Zhu and Young Zhu.
Since the Ming Dynasty was able to completely destroy Goryeo and then establish two vassal states, it was naturally able to continue its efforts to destroy those unruly vassal states. This was not surprising, because the Ming Dynasty possessed such absolute strength.
But who knows if all the emperors after the Ming Dynasty were wise? Who knows if the Ming Dynasty's national strength would continue to be strong?
Furthermore, if Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan had established a kingdom in Goryeo, they would naturally have recognized the identity of the Ming imperial family, and they would have felt genuinely proud to be descendants of the Zhu family.
But what happens after that? Once they establish their own kingdom in Goryeo, their descendants' sense of belonging to the Ming Dynasty will inevitably weaken. At some point, seeing the decline of the Ming Dynasty, perhaps the descendants of Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan will expand northeastward.
It is even highly likely that in order to unify Goryeo, the descendants of Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan would fight each other, or even attack the Busan Three Guards, etc.
This is not an exaggeration. It's just that there are some things that everyone understands the principles of, but it's not appropriate to say them in this kind of situation.
Looking at Zhu Chun, Zhu Yunying said seriously, "Uncle, you must know that the imperial army has already taken over Hamgyeong Province, Pyongan Province, Hwanghae Province and Gangwon Province, which are the eight provinces of Goryeo. Most of them are now under the control of the imperial court."
Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan naturally knew these things. Not to mention the imperial family members who were looking forward to being enfeoffed as kings in Goryeo, even ordinary people had heard of these things. This was proof of the Ming Dynasty's military might and was naturally worth publicizing.
"But over there, they rely on the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Wild Jurchens. These Jurchens are restless and often harass Liaodong." Zhu Yunying said solemnly, "If we go there now, we need to govern Goryeo and win back the hearts of the people, and we also need to strike at the three Jurchen tribes."
Zhu Chun hurriedly spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to win back the hearts of the people. The perverse actions of the Li family have aroused the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people, and now is the best time to win back their hearts."
Zhu Quan, without any hesitation, immediately said, "Your Majesty, I believe that to deal with disobedience, one should resort to tyranny. Those barbarians are mostly ignorant of the ways of the king and only respect power."
Zhu Chun's meaning was clear: he wanted to first consolidate his rule and govern the country. Once the country's strength was developed, it would naturally mean having more initiative, which was also something he was good at.
Having some experience in Shu, Zhu Chun knew his strengths and advantages. Therefore, if he were to go to Goryeo to establish a kingdom, he would definitely govern his territory well, rather than engaging in reckless warfare and immediately waging war everywhere.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
