Chapter 79 One Hundred and Fifty
The officers and soldiers stationed in Kunming practiced daily, setting up a training ground within the camp. When Zhu Yuhuan and Toghto Boluo arrived, promising a bow and arrow competition and a musket test, they all made way and rearranged the field. Targets for bows and arrows were farther away than those for muskets, so for convenience, targets were set up at varying distances.
Watching the soldiers prepare their muskets, carrying targets and equipment, Zhu Yuhuan turned to Tuotu Boluo and said, "Mu Ang should have sent his men to gather information about Luchuan's military situation, but his immediate priority is to return for training. It will be up to you, the guerrilla general, to take over. Although Mu Ang has been demoted to Vice Governor by His Majesty, he still possesses considerable knowledge of the southwest and combat proficiency. You must consult him before he returns."
Tuotuo Boluo certainly understood this and said, "Yes, I will do my best and will never let down the trust of Your Majesty and Your Highness."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but chuckle when he heard him say this. He said, "If you only know how to fight on the battlefield, then at most you can only be a general. The Duke of Ying didn't get to where he is today just by taking a few heads in the army."
Tuotuo Boluo was stunned when he heard this, but soon understood what Zhu Yuhuan meant.
Being a brave general is good, but if you want to be successful, it is not enough to just fight bravely. You also need to have the ability to collect intelligence, analyze the situation, and make decisive decisions. These are the basic qualities that a famous general should have.
Seeing that he had understood, Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "It's good that you understand. This expedition to Luchuan is larger in scale than the previous one to pursue the Tatars, and it will be easier to achieve merit. Whether you can seize this opportunity depends on you."
When Toghto Boluo knew that he was transferred to conquer Luchuan together with Wang Ji and Jiang Gui, he realized that he had become a person trusted by the emperor.
If he hadn't been recommended by Princess Shunde, how could he be what he is today?
Tuotuo Boluo saluted and said, "I understand."
Seeing Huai En standing guard, Zhu Yuhuan said, "Apart from the battlefield, you must put into practice the method I told you about governing local officials and people. I will also be heading to southern Yunnan later. You can consider this as helping me test the waters in advance."
Tuotuo Boluo was startled and asked, "Your Highness...Your Highness is also going to southern Yunnan?"
He saw it clearly when Wang Ji and Jiang Gui were present. When they heard that Zhu Yuhuan was not going to southern Yunnan in person but was appointing them, they were clearly relieved. But from what the princess said now, it was clear that she still wanted to go in person...
Zhu Yuhuan didn't hide anything from him and nodded slightly, saying, "Of course. Although not now, I will go eventually." Seeing Tuotuo Boluo's surprised look, she continued, "It would be best if I personally handled this matter. That way, Your Majesty would be relieved."
If it were someone else leading a large army to cultivate Yunnan, Zhu Qizhen would definitely be worried, but Zhu Yuhuan was a royal princess, so she was naturally different from those ministers. Otherwise, Zhu Qizhen would not have ordered Zhu Yuhuan to join the army to attack Luchuan.
As for Zhu Yuhuan, in her opinion, there are people who can do their best to complete this task, but they are unable to spare the time to come to Yunnan. It would be better for her to come in person. What's more, Zhu Yuhuan has high hopes for Yunnan. With Yunnan as a demonstration, Guangxi, Guizhou and other places also have reason to improve.
Otherwise, it would take an incalculable amount of manpower and material resources just to suppress the rebellion, quell the chaos, and wage war. It would be better to resolve it all at once.
Tuotuo Boluo couldn't help but say, "The border people grew up in the mountains and behave in a rough manner. Their language and customs are very different from those of the Ming Dynasty. Why should Your Highness bother with this?"
Zhu Yuhuan was a little amused and said, "That being said, if this land is to truly be under the control of the imperial court, the people on this land must be treated as ordinary citizens of the Ming Dynasty. If you hold a high position and don't consider the people, it's only a matter of time before you fall into the mud." She paused here, looking at the box of firearms that had been moved out, and then said, "Besides, this expedition of 120,000 troops to Luchuan is the best time. If we want to eliminate future troubles and prevent the native officials of Yunnan from colluding with Luchuan, we must complete the transformation of the native officials into officials as soon as possible and replace them with officials appointed by the imperial court. That way, if there is an invasion, they can actively resist and pass on the news to the capital."
When Toghto Boluo heard the words "reform the native system" for the first time, he couldn't help but repeat them in his mind several times.
Although he did not know much about government affairs, he could understand from the princess' words that "reforming the natives and returning them to the Han people" was definitely not an easy task, and he did not know how long it would take to complete.
The eldest princess could have returned to the capital after the Luchuan expedition and enjoyed a life of luxury, not to mention that there were other people coveting the eldest princess's power to assist in the administration. If she delayed returning for a few years, the capital would probably have changed a lot. Who knows how the emperor would treat the eldest princess by then.
For Princess Yu Shunde, the best strategy would be to resolve the Luchuan issue, return to the capital as soon as possible, and return to the center of power.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at him with a burning gaze and said, "Too long of a standoff with Luchuan is not good for the country. The imperial censor Liu Qiu, who submitted the memorial that day, was right. The Oirat to the north is currently at its peak. If Yesen truly unifies the grasslands, I'm afraid they'll soon turn their wrath against us. Therefore, we must not allow the southwest to become a burden to the Ming Dynasty."
Toghto Boluo met her eyes and was moved by her eyes which were as determined as ever.
He knew very well that Princess Shunde was good at speaking, but she would do her best to follow through on whatever she said. This was what made her respectable. For this reason, almost no official who had come into contact with her could say a bad word about Princess Shunde.
"Your Highness, General, everything is ready."
It happened that the soldiers had already cleaned up the venue and brought over the assembly parts of the hand cannons, gunpowder, and lead bullets. Zhu Yuhuan said no more and he and Tuotuo Boluo each took a bow and arrow and shot at the target. From fifty steps, to one hundred steps, and then to one hundred and fifty steps, the two were evenly matched and both hit the bull's eye.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at the target getting farther and farther away and couldn't help laughing. "No, we can't compete anymore. If we compete again, I won't be able to beat you."
Tuotuo Boluo was still wondering if he could still hit the target from 200 paces. When he heard Zhu Yuhuan's words, he immediately said, "I dare not claim that I can hit the target every time from 200 paces. Besides, Your Highness often handles government affairs, but he is more proficient in archery than a military officer like me. It shows that Your Highness's strength is superior to mine. I dare not compare with him anymore."
Not to mention Toghto Boluo, even the other soldiers and military officers who witnessed the whole process were stunned to see that Zhu Yuhuan could hit the target every time.
Previously, they had wondered why the emperor had allowed the eldest princess to accompany the army, and they weren't worried about her getting into trouble. Although she looked tall, she didn't seem very strong. But looking at her archery skills, she could easily take the heads of the rebels. Why should the emperor worry?
Seeing that everyone around him was stunned, Toghto Boluo's deputy general coughed twice, and cheers immediately rang out in the camp.
There is only one way to convince others in the military camp, and that is to demonstrate strength that is admirable enough.
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