Chapter 87 Shooting the Tiger Personally
Taking advantage of this gap, Wang Jin ordered someone to bring a table and serve some snacks so that the father and daughter could rest together for a while.
Zhu Yuhuan sat on a chair, looking at the cattle and sheep scattered all over the field. He counted them in his mind and said, "In addition to the rewards for the officers, I want to leave some of the cattle and sheep that my father gave me for the people in Huizhou and other places. Although the number is insignificant, it is enough for them to survive the winter."
Zhu Zhanji didn't expect Zhu Yuhuan to say that, but after thinking about it, he understood what Zhu Yuhuan meant. Many of these cattle and sheep might have come from the counties invaded by the Uriankhai. Rather than saying they were spoils of war, it would be better to say they were taking back things that originally belonged to the people. Instead of letting the court spend money on disaster relief and poverty alleviation, and letting officials at all levels exploit them to a greater or lesser extent, why not let people send these cattle and sheep to the people in various places.
After a moment's thought, Zhu Zhanji said to Wang Jin, "It's inconvenient to herd cattle and sheep along the way. Let's have a quick inventory. Apart from some baggage, leave most of these animals, camels, horses, cattle and sheep to distribute to the local people who have been plundered. This matter must be handled properly. Submit the memorial to the capital promptly. I will have the cabinet pay attention to it."
"I will give the order right away."
Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Yuhuan, father and daughter, looked at each other and smiled.
Zhu Yuhuan hesitated for a moment, but took advantage of Zhu Zhanji's good mood to ask, "Father, are you really not going to the trade area to take a look? Or perhaps send a eunuch there? This would give Alutai a glimmer of hope and make him work harder for us..."
Seeing the hope on her face, Zhu Zhanji asked, "Huanhuan, why do you think the Wuliangha, Tatar, and Oirat barbarians keep coming south?"
Zhu Yuhuan did not hesitate and answered decisively: "The northern barbarians plundered the people's property for money and for life."
In this case, wouldn't it be good to give them a channel to exchange for money and food, strive to achieve peace and stability on the border, accumulate strength, and then conquer the other side?
Zhu Zhanji nodded slightly and said, "These people have only brute force but no strategy. They came south simply for money and food... Look at the Wuliangha people, from Daning to Huizhou, have they ever considered occupying a city, pacifying the people there, or even massacring them? These captured Wuliangha bandits, wherever they go, they take the loot with them. As long as they can grab food, they won't fight for a long time, let alone consider holding on."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't expect Zhu Zhanji to say that. She was stunned at first, but soon understood and said, "Dad means that although these people call themselves the Northern Yuan Dynasty, they have never thought of ruling the world like the Yuan Dynasty did."
"That's right." Zhu Zhanji looked at the endless, hazy mountains and rivers in the distance and said affirmatively, "They have lost the heroic spirit of their ancestors and are no different from bandits and thugs. Such fools will never amount to anything significant, let alone shake the Ming Dynasty. Whether they submit to us or harass us or invade us, what is there to fear?"
Zhu Yuhuan understood the implication of Zhu Zhanji's words, and his heart felt as if a basin of ice water was poured over it, chilling him to the bone.
If she were just a princess, she might not have any extra thoughts. As a noble, she was high above everyone else, so why should she care about those below her? But she was also an ordinary person, and she understood what survival and dignity meant.
In the eyes of Zhu Zhanji, and indeed of most emperors, these border harassers were concerned only with survival, not with vying for control of the state. Even if these invincible, indestructible enemies marched southward to plunder, the emperor considered them mere minor riots.
In this case, why spend a lot of energy on a project that is doomed to have no returns?
War can bring peace to the world, and allowing these bandits who will not invade the Central Plains to go south to graze horses can also bring peace to the world. Now that the country is prosperous, these bandits will never be able to kill their way to the capital, and will not threaten the safety of the emperor, so the emperor naturally has to choose a way that makes him feel most comfortable.
As for the civilians who died in this minor conflict, the territories lost, the dignity destroyed, etc., compared with the nominal continuation of the country and the glory of the emperor, they are nothing at all.
The so-called "emperor" was known for his benevolent government and love for the people, superficial tactics and schemes, and most importantly, cruelty. Whether it was abandoning Jiaozhi or not valuing the trade, it all stemmed from the same reason.
It’s not that the emperor doesn’t understand, it’s that he doesn’t want to do it.
This is also why, except for the northern Zhili area, other parts of the north still often saw uprisings by the people.
In such a peaceful and steadily developing society, people will not do these dangerous things easily unless they cannot survive.
Zhu Yuhuan habitually controlled her expression. She was silent for a long time, as if she was thinking about Zhu Zhanji's words.
But only Zhu Yuhuan himself knew what she was thinking at that moment - for a moment, Zhu Yuhuan wanted to grab Zhu Zhanji by the collar and tell him what would happen next.
The Tumu Incident, the Duomen Incident, the country is on the verge of collapse...
Zhu Yuhuan gazed at the boundless expanse of land, at the ignorant cattle and sheep grazing with their heads down, and suddenly felt no different from them. It was just that the cattle and sheep knew nothing, while she knew everything and yet was nothing. The initial excitement she had felt upon seeing the farm tools seemed to vanish in an instant. Zhu Yuhuan seemed to have changed something, yet nothing had changed.
The dark cloud that had always hung over her head was so close to her for the first time. Zhu Yuhuan clearly saw a pile of corpses in the unfathomable darkness, and stretched out his hand towards her ferociously.
Zhu Yuhuan subconsciously looked up at the sky, but there were no dark clouds in sight. Instead, there was the unique blue and vast sky outside the Great Wall. The cold wind blew across her cheek, and she noticed that Zhu Zhanji's eyes were rarely filled with doubt.
Finally, Zhu Yuhuan said as usual: "I understand."
The return journey from Huizhou took about four days. The army camped at Xifengkou, and Zhu Zhanji assigned his men to guard the pass, fearing that the bandits had other accomplices who hadn't been driven out. The commander guarding the pass had long known of the emperor's arrival and had reported a ferocious tiger within the pass, which had repeatedly killed people. This minor incident didn't need to be reported, but the commander's specific report was simply an excuse to invite Zhu Zhanji to come in person.
Zhu Zhanji returned victoriously and didn't care about the little tricks of guarding the pass. He brought a group of ministers to watch, and Zhu Yuhuan naturally followed.
A tiger was surrounded by people, its steps becoming a bit impatient, its once-soft fur now tangled, a sign of having been restrained for a long time. Sensing someone approaching, the restless tiger immediately crouched, its amber eyes darting between the crowd.
Everyone thought it was about to pounce and immediately became alert, but when the tiger didn't move, someone started to flatter it, saying, "It seems that this big beast also knows the weight of Your Majesty's authority. It dared to roar just now, but now it's as quiet as a cat."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers echoed them.
Zhu Zhanji glanced at the trapped tiger and saw its gaze finally locked onto him. It showed an expression of great interest and said, "This beast is looking for someone to kill it. In a situation of siege, the only way to survive is to defeat the chieftain."
Zhu Yuhuan, who was standing beside Zhu Zhanji, was startled when he heard this and looked up and down at the tiger thoughtfully.
"I see."
Zhang Fu was afraid that the emperor would become playful and do something, so he immediately signaled to the people around him to pay attention to the emperor's safety. Wang Jin understood and naturally stood in front of Zhu Zhanji silently.
The tiger's eyes, as big as glass marbles, looked back and forth, but found that it could not break through the encirclement of the warriors, and it could not help but roar anxiously.
The so-called "dragon trapped in shallow water" is probably like this. The tiger's roar is not very majestic, but it has a sense of helplessness.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at it and suddenly felt a sense of sympathy. He whispered to Xu Gong beside him, "Give me the bow and arrow."
Xu Gong responded and was about to hand it to Zhu Yuhuan, but Zhu Zhanji had already taken the bow and arrow and aimed at a tiger not far away. As soon as he let go, the tiger screamed and fell to the ground. Everyone immediately pounced on it and subdued the tiger in no time.
Zhu Zhanji then returned Zhu Yuhuan's bow to Xu Gong and said with a smile: "This bow is good. Shooting tigers is a bit unfair. Shooting people is more suitable."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at the feather arrow that belonged to him stuck straight into the tiger's body, but his heart suddenly became enlightened because of Zhu Zhanji's unintentional words.
People can shoot tigers because tigers are animals. Whether or not one can shoot people depends on who is shooting and who is being shot.
If Empress Dowager Zhang can do it, why can't she?
Zhu Zhanji didn't know what Zhu Yuhuan was thinking. He just raised his hand and patted his daughter's shoulder, jokingly saying, "Daddy will have someone skin this tiger and remove its tendons. How about making you a tiger headband?"
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "The tiger headband is useless, so why not make tiger head hats for my two younger brothers?"
Zhu Yuhuan doesn't know if this world is the world she once lived in, but she is willing to believe that this world is her world, and she is even more willing to believe in herself.
Now that she has started, it is like rowing against the current, with no way back.
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