Chapter 81: Running into a Gunpoint
When the army set out again and the ministers dispersed, Zhu Zhanji handed her helmet to Wang Jin, who was standing beside him, and said, "You, follow your father in the carriage."
"yes."
Wearing armor, Zhu Yuhuan was naturally sweating, and he could only pick up a fan to fan himself after getting on the carriage.
Seeing her sweating, Zhu Zhanji smiled and teased, "Now you know it's not easy to accompany the army, right? Patrolling the border is different from hunting. It not only tests the commander and the soldiers, but also requires understanding the people's sentiments."
Zhu Yuhuan followed his words and said, "The Lu River is a canal. It not only nourishes the people of the region, but also plays an important role in transporting food from north to south. But now it has become a disaster. It is necessary for you to understand the people's feelings and provide relief and preferential treatment to the affected areas."
Zhu Zhanji tapped Zhu Yuhuan's forehead and said, "I'm glad you understand. Border patrols not only cover the outside of the border, but also the inside. We need to see if the enemy poses a threat or poses a threat to us. We also need to see if there are any corruption within the country and if officials are treating the people harshly."
He helped Zhu Yuhuan straighten the armor on his arm and continued, "When your father and your great-grandfather first went to war, he was only sixteen years old. When we first left Nanjing, we were filled with joy and excitement, determined to follow the emperor and achieve unparalleled achievements. However, as we headed north, we found that there were no people lining the roads to welcome us, only the wailing of the wind... War is not a fun thing. Once a war breaks out, the people along the border are at risk of having their families torn apart and their lives destroyed at any time. The martial virtues that everyone praises are actually a calamity for the common people."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded seriously and said, "That's why Daddy came to patrol the border, to deter the bandits and protect the people living on the border."
Seeing her quick understanding, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "You are a teachable child." He raised his hand, slightly parted the curtains, and looked out at the scenery with a sigh. "In the 21st year of the Yongle reign, around this time, I followed your great-grandfather north, only to discover that all this land was ownerless and wasteland. Years of war had burdened the people with taxes and forced labor, and they had risked their lives to abandon their land and flee. Wheat was growing on the ridges of the fields, but no one was harvesting it. People would rather starve than leave their homes, hoping to 'find a way out' elsewhere."
Zhu Yuhuan followed his gaze and looked into the distance. Although there were signs of flooding in the fields, many farmers were harvesting as usual. They were not affected by the imperial carriage and were no longer the wasteland they used to be.
Zhu Zhanji lowered the curtain, looked into his daughter's eyes, and said, "Huanhuan, do you understand what a prosperous age is? A prosperous age isn't just about punishing people, it also requires prosperity for the people. Your charity, and the annual national disaster relief funds, are ultimately just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Daddy established the Wunong Temple and sent agricultural officials everywhere to encourage farming, promoting greenhouses and farm tools, all so that the people of the world can be self-reliant. This is the true key to creating a prosperous age."
Zhu Yuhuan understood what he meant and said, "The ruler is like a boat; the common people are like water. Water carries the boat, but it can also capsize it. Only by being kind and loving to the people can a country maintain long-term stability." Before Zhu Zhanji could praise her, she continued, "Confucius said: 'A boat cannot move without water; water will sink if it enters the boat.' A ruler cannot govern without the people; if the people rebel against him, the country will fall. Therefore, a gentleman must be strict, and a villain must be disciplined. Daddy is kind to the people and ruthless to bandits; that's exactly how it is."
Zhu Yuhuan could understand Zhu Zhanji's dilemma. The vast tracts of land conquered by Zhu Di required continuous investment of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to support them. At this time, he should have stopped expanding and focused on internal development. However, Zhu Zhanji, known as "a good saintly grandson, who can bring prosperity to three generations," inevitably hoped to become an emperor comparable to Zhu Di. Therefore, Zhu Zhanji promoted farming while conducting border patrols, trying to strike a balance between the two.
——My Emperor Xuande is not only an outstanding civil official, but also an equally impressive military commander.
Zhu Zhanji did not expect Zhu Yuhuan to answer so fluently. He smiled and said, "It has been a long time since I asked the lecturers about your homework. It seems that you have made great progress again."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Zhu Zhanji and said sincerely, "Knowledge gained from books is always shallow. To truly understand this, one must practice it. It's easy to talk about principles, but it's hard to actually do them. Father, you have been given a mandate by Heaven. Just do it, and the history books will naturally record everything. Thousands of years from now, will the people of the world not know what a prosperous era is?"
Zhu Zhanji was secretly shocked to see that she knew his thoughts so well, and felt a little regretful. He said, "Daddy really underestimated our Huanhuan."
Zhu Yuhuan sat up straight and said solemnly, "I am already very satisfied to receive this compliment from my father."
Zhu Zhanji patted his daughter's shoulder and said, "Dad is still looking forward to seeing the surprises in your farm during this border patrol."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled brightly and said, "Originally, I only had one surprise in mind, but today, seeing the flooding of the Lu River and the suffering of the people, I had another idea. I'll just treat it as a surprise for Daddy. When I return from my border patrol, I will definitely not let Daddy down."
"That would be great."
In September, the border patrol team entered Jizhou and headed towards Shimenyi. After passing Sanhe County, the road gradually became flat, and Zhu Zhanji no longer sat in the imperial carriage, but rode forward like the other soldiers.
Unlike the bleak scenes caused by floods seen in Sanhe County and other places before, the plains were full of wheat ears. From afar, farm carts could be seen moving on the fields, and farmers drove oxen forward, leaving behind large pieces of wheat straw wherever they went, indicating that all the grain had been put into bags.
Zhu Yuhuan was riding on a horse and saw this scene. He couldn't help feeling excited. He felt that he seemed to have really changed, and this change was far more obvious than when he was in the palace.
Zhu Zhanji noticed Zhu Yuhuan's mood and said with a smile, "Look how happy you are."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Zhu Zhanji and said with a smile: "Of course I am happy. Only Daddy can do such a good thing that benefits the people."
Her goal was achieved, so what was the difficulty in praising the emperor a few words?
This flattery made people feel relaxed and happy. Zhu Zhanji narrowed his eyes slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips. "The further east we go, the more barbarians there are. You must stay by your father's side."
Zhu Yuhuan readily replied yes, which made Zhu Zhanji look at him sideways. He joked, "Dad thought you were going to say that a minister should protect his king."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Dad, you have wise and brave ministers and generals under your command, so why do you need a daughter? Otherwise, wouldn't it be a dereliction of duty for me?"
"That makes sense."
After a few days, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but observe his daughter. He found that not only did she never complain about her hardships, but she was also as punctual and capable as an ordinary soldier, and her toughness was no less than that of men.
She was smart in the capital, observant and cautious, but she could still behave perfectly at the border. It was obvious that Zhu Yuhuan would never slack off just because she was a girl. He was more and more satisfied with her, and his original mind became more active.
Zhu Yuhuan treated his two younger brothers equally and was very close to them, never leaving any of them behind. Zhu Yuhuan himself was both virtuous and talented. Before the Crown Prince married, if Zhu Yuhuan could teach him by words and deeds, he would be able to guide the Crown Prince on the right path.
Zhu Zhanji was very satisfied with his daughter. If she was a son, Zhu Zhanji would not have had any consideration for the position of crown prince. But Zhu Yuhuan was a girl, which was a pity for her talent.
The only trouble was that the relationship between Concubine Sun and Zhu Yuhuan was a bit strained, but fortunately, the crown prince was now back in the hands of his own mother, Empress Dowager Zhang, so Zhu Zhanji no longer had to worry.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed Zhu Zhanji's occasional glances at him, but pretended not to notice anything. He pointed to the distance and said, "Dad, that's Shimen Posthouse up ahead, right?"
Zhu Zhanji looked in the direction she pointed and said, "Yes, further north is Xifengkou."
Zhu Yuhuan thought for a moment and asked, "So the place we passed by yesterday was Zunhua?"
Zhu Zhanji nodded slightly and said, "Zunhua has been a place of iron smelting since the Tang Dynasty. In the first year of the Yongle reign, your great-grandfather set up a factory here to mine and smelt steel." At this point, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Compared with the blast furnaces in Zunhua, those of you in the imperial city are nothing. Many of the farm tools used in the north come from Zunhua."
Zhu Yuhuan's eyes lit up and he said, "It really is a holy place. It would be great if I could go and see it if I had the chance."
This was an ancient heavy industrial city! The ability to smelt iron on a large scale not only demonstrated its abundance of resources, but also demonstrated the presence of the most sophisticated technology of the era!
"Aside from iron smelting, I remember there is also a hot spring in Zunhua. However, this is an iron smelting site after all, and is far inferior to the imperial palace in Xiaotangshan."
Zhu Yuhuan had some impression of Xiaotangshan and couldn't help but smile, but didn't say anything③.
"After that, the entire army will stay at Xifengkou, Shimen Post Station, rest for a day, and continue to march eastward." After Zhu Zhanji gave the order, the guards around him naturally passed the message down to inform the entire army.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the father and daughter arrived at Shimen Posthouse, the garrison commander had already sent someone to report that the Uriankhai bandits had invaded the border and had entered Daning. It was obvious that they were going south through Huizhou, and their destination was probably Zunhua or other places.
Zhu Yuhuan quickly calculated in his mind: Daning was approximately 400 li from Zunhua, and Xifengkou was north of Zunhua, roughly 40 to 50 li between them. This meant that the distance between them and the Wuliangha was now only a little over 300 li. It had only been seven days since Zhu Zhanji set out on his border patrol. The Wuliangha might not have gathered any intelligence; they were likely simply raiding south before winter arrived to survive. They had never imagined the emperor's patrol force would be here. They were outnumbered, and it was a perfect opportunity to deliver a crushing defeat.
Zhu Yuhuan had an idea in mind, and when he took a secret look, Zhu Zhanji's eyes lit up.
Zhu Zhanji was just trying to show off his ability in both civil and military affairs, but the Wulingha had walked into his trap.
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