I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1025 Yin Zhengmao's Final Scheme

“Luzon was Annam during the Yongle Emperor’s reign when the sea was opened. When Luzon fell, the sea opening ceased.”

"After I die, Luzon will become a focal point of the game. You must defend this land, protect it, and the Ming Dynasty's opening of the sea must continue." Yin Zhengmao, wrapped in a blanket, looked at the starry sky and said to Yin Zongxin.

Yongle's conquest of Annam ultimately led to Annam's abandonment. There were many strategic maneuvers behind this, but the most important was the lucrative profits from maritime trade.

As long as Luzon remains under the control of the imperial court, the general direction of opening the sea route cannot be changed.

Under the general direction of opening up the sea, there are countless smaller directions, and Luzon itself is the stabilizing force of this general direction. As long as Luzon remains the main trunk, the imperial court will never be able to ban the sea again.

As for the East Pacific Merchant Alliance, Luzon copper mines, plantation raw materials, Han towns, etc., they are all branches.

"I understand," Yin Zongxin nodded firmly.

The Ming Dynasty established governor-general offices in Nagasaki, Ryukyu, Luzon, Palembang, Kinchi, and Jifu overseas, as well as the Kingdom of Kinsan. Among them, Ryukyu was incorporated into the Songjiang Prefecture after being incorporated into the royal kingdom.

Nagasaki was a bridgehead for the Ming Dynasty's attack on Japan and a war zone. The three governorates of Old Port, Kinchi, and Jifuku were not fully developed due to factors such as the time of their opening and distance. As for the Kingdom of Jinshan, it goes without saying that the symbolic significance of the royal family's contribution to opening the sea was greater than its practical significance.

Only Luzon, due to its earliest development, proximity to the Ming Dynasty, and the weak resistance of its people, achieved the highest level of cultural assimilation.

By holding Luzon, we safeguarded the fundamental national policy of the Ming Dynasty to open up the seas.

"This is the Ming Dynasty's last chance," Yin Zhengmao muttered to himself. Could it be done? Yin Zhengmao couldn't control it. People are not even in control of their own lives, let alone when they die.

If you look at the geomantic map of Southeast Asia, you will fully understand why Yin Zhengmao said this: Yongle opened the sea route to Annam (Vietnam), which is near the coast, while Wanli opened the sea route to Luzon (Luzon), which is far away. These are the two legs of the Ming Dynasty's opening of the sea.

Now, with one leg still able to walk, if Luzon's leg were to break like it did back then, the Ming Dynasty would never have another chance to open up the seas.

Yin Zhengmao was somewhat dazed. He saw a shooting star suddenly streak across the sky. The shooting star was as big as a bucket, growing brighter and brighter, heading southeast. He didn't know where it landed. His gaze finally fell on the vast expanse of coconut trees swaying in the wind, and he slowly closed his eyes.

"Father?" Yin Zongxin's expression changed drastically, and he called out twice urgently, but Yin Zhengmao on the recliner never woke up again.

On the 22nd day of the 12th month of the 20th year of the Wanli reign, Yin Zhengmao died at the Governor-General's Office in Luzon at the age of 80.

Yin Zongxin did not disobey his father's orders. On the seventh day, when the funeral was held, he burned his father's body and carefully placed the ashes in an urn, preparing to go to Beijing the following year to be buried in the Western Hills Mausoleum.

"Your Highness! The barbarians are causing trouble!" A coastal patrol officer rushed into the mourning hall and shouted, "Urgent report from the Cebu Islands! The news of the death of Lord Koxinga has just arrived in Cebu, and the lords of the Thirty-Six Mountains have heard of it and are causing trouble in the South Seas."

"Father, forgive your unfilial son for not being able to observe mourning before the spirit tablet." Yin Zongxin kowtowed three times before the tablet, then stood up and loudly proclaimed, "Fubo Camp, Chengbo Camp, follow me on the expedition!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Lieutenant General Xu Zhen and Wang Hu stepped forward and said loudly.

"Valiant Battalion, Brave Battalion, guard Manila and the towns and villages well. Anyone who responds to the rebellion will be killed without mercy, and their relatives will be punished as well!" Yin Zongxin picked up his long sword and issued another order.

"Your subordinates obey." Lieutenant General Qian Sanyi and Zhou Yantai stepped forward, cupping their hands in acceptance of the order.

Yin Zongxin has disappointed Yin Zhengmao. Yin Zhengmao had always wanted to cultivate Yin Zongxin into a scholar-official, after all, Yin Zhengmao was a member of the Qilin Yin clan, a cultural aristocrat. In recent years, while fighting abroad, Yin Zongxin had been constantly reading, but in the end, he turned into the warrior he is now.

"My lord," Princess Yingjia said softly, draping the python-patterned cloak over her husband's shoulders.

Yin Zongxin turned around, grasped his wife's hand, and said solemnly, "Madam, after Father fell seriously ill, these barbarians became restless. Once the obituary was announced, their rebellious intentions became even more difficult to suppress. I must go; otherwise, the people's hearts will be unsettled, and there may be great chaos."

"If they don't return, you should take the third son back to the heartland immediately to ask for reinforcements. Father will not forgive them."

Yin Zongxin was a son-in-law of the emperor. In informal settings, he addressed the emperor as "father" or "father emperor," while in formal settings, he addressed him as "Your Majesty" or "Your Majesty." Although Yin Zongxin was a military man, he adhered to etiquette and never violated it.

"Come back safely, I'll be waiting for you." Princess Yingjia hugged her husband, and after a while, she let go and said, "Go now."

A true man should stand tall and upright. Princess Yingjia had no intention of stopping her husband. Even if he died in battle, she would not leave. The death of one consort was not enough, so she would add a princess to the list. That would be enough.

The Emperor's wrath was enough to boil the entire South Seas.

Yin Zongxin set off, boarding the Qilin, hull number 017. It was the 17th fast sailing ship of the Ming Dynasty and the flagship of the Luzon Governor-General's Office. This ship was a gift from His Majesty to Duke Yin Zhengmao.

His Majesty the Emperor owes Luzon nothing; on the contrary, His Majesty is never stingy with any meritorious official who has contributed to the expansion of the territory.

This is also why Yin Zongxin did not want to be a scholar-official. The turmoil in the court would naturally be dealt with by His Majesty. As long as he killed the barbarians, Luzon would belong to the Ming Dynasty. Once the barbarians were all dead, no one would accuse him of cruelty. History would only record one sentence: "The Yin family governed Luzon and brought great order."

Great order is great order; as for how it came about, there's no need to be so clear about it.

In addition to the Kirin, there were two other fast sailing ships, hull numbers 022 and 027, which also accompanied the naval expedition. These three fast sailing ships also belonged to the Luzon Navy.

The Luzon Navy had five battalions: Pingbo, Fubo, Chengbo, Anbo, and Ningbo; and five infantry battalions: Xiaoyong, Fenyong, Yiyong, Hanyong, and Zhongyong.

The ten battalions, totaling 30,000 troops, were stationed in various Han towns and copper towns throughout Luzon to ensure the stability of Luzon.

As the fleet set sail, before heading towards Cebu Island, a trimaran hydrofoil appeared in the distance. News came from the coastal defense patrol that the Ming Dynasty's Nanyang Fleet reinforcements, totaling 6,000 men, had arrived at Miyan Port to support Yin Zongxin's campaign.

This is the source of Yin Zongxin's confidence; behind him is the entire Ming Dynasty!

Three days later, the Fubo Camp and the Chengbo Camp appeared on the Cebu Islands. Yin Zongxin stood on the deck and bow, looking at the sea, and said with a strange expression, "How dare they! Small boats can defeat large ships? The English are talking nonsense, and these barbarians actually believe it."

Clearly, the tribes of Cebu chose to confront Yin Zongxin's attack head-on!
The intention was to use so-called wolf pack tactics to repel the Luzon navy.

The English claimed they defeated the Spanish Armada with small ships, but the truth is, it was the raging Atlantic storms that defeated the arrogant Felipe.

When Yu Dayou established the navy and naval academy at Jinze Garden in Songjiang, he said more than once: Naval battles are nothing more than large ships defeating small ships, large guns defeating small guns, many ships defeating few ships, and many guns defeating few guns.

It's all about having powerful ships and cannons!

The naval battle began quickly, with smoke billowing across the battlefield. The wolf pack tactic was somewhat effective, as the smaller boats were more maneuverable, resulting in a low hit rate for the Ming navy's cannons. Several salvos only managed to destroy two of the enemy's smaller boats, which greatly emboldened the Cebu barbarians.

But soon, these barbarians realized they were wrong.

Because at sea, bigger is better, more is better. Even if a large ship rams a small ship, it can sink the small ship without causing any damage. Moreover, in boarding combat, small ships are at a natural disadvantage.

Hit the high and hit the low, beat the pen down.

The barbarians couldn't even climb the high gunwales of the Ming ships, while the Ming army relentlessly attacked from the ships, eliminating the enemy's manpower.

Most importantly, the initiative on the battlefield was firmly in the hands of the large ships. With all kinds of oil, gold, and lead bombs raining down on them, the barbarians had no way to deal with it. And crucially, the large ships could board whenever they wanted.

In the absence of widespread firearms and heavy artillery, and given the relatively low accuracy of heavy artillery, it was quite rare to sink enemy ships directly with artillery in naval battles. This meant that warships were essentially floating castles rather than simple means of transportation.

Boarding maneuvers are the final steps in fortress siege warfare, used to seize control of ships and achieve ultimate victory.

The initiative in the boarding maneuver was in the hands of the larger ships. The Luzon Navy had a total of 28 ships, while the Cebu Fleet had a full 82 ships. In terms of numbers, the Luzon Navy was at a disadvantage, but on the battlefield, the Luzon Navy achieved a completely overwhelming victory.

Even though the barbarians suffered heavy casualties and finally managed to climb onto the deck of the large ship, they could not win. They had to face the hook-and-sickle spears, long swords, and flintlock guns of the Luzon soldiers.

The well-trained and well-equipped Luzon soldiers ruthlessly reaped the lives of the barbarians.

"Bang!" Yin Zongxin jumped onto the enemy's flagship. This ship was one of the enemy's large ships, a three-masted deck ship. This ship was big enough, but it looked particularly small in front of the thirty-three-zhang-long Qilin.

The Cebu Islands, with their thirty-six mountains, are a result of the benevolent rule of Yin Zhengmao in the past.

In the beginning, Yin Zhengmao always thought of governing the people of Suiyuan and Luzon like the kings of the region. However, with the rise of pirates and constant attacks on the Han people, Yin Zhengmao, witnessed by Lin Fucheng, changed from benevolent to violent in the midst of constant conflicts.

Li Yaz had repeatedly peddled the idea to the emperor that excessive, unnecessary goodwill during the expansion process was a moral disadvantage.

Although Li Yashi said it countless times, some lessons can only be truly understood by experiencing them firsthand; they cannot be taught by others.

"Yin Zhengmao is dead! You invaders from the Ming Dynasty, get out of our homeland!" a very burly man roared.

"What are you babbling about?" Yin Zongxin frowned. He didn't quite understand the foreign language the man was speaking. He patted the clasp of his long sword at his waist, and the sword fell to the ground with a thud. He grabbed the hilt and drew the six-foot-five-inch long sword. Because the sword was so long, it was drawn in this way: the clasp was released, the scabbard fell to the ground, and the sword was dragged on the ground.

Qi's longsword has a blade five feet long, but only the front edge is sharpened to the width of a palm, leaving the unsharpened part for gripping. The handle is one foot and five inches long, and it weighs two catties and eight taels. It is a powerful weapon for naval warfare.

Yin Zongxin gripped the hilt of the sword. His grip was strange; he held the end of the hilt with his left hand and the end with his right, crouching slightly forward. Martial arts are indeed complex, but with practice, they essentially boil down to four key elements: center of gravity, power generation, feet, and shoulders.

This starting stance takes all four aspects into account. Only through long-term training in standing stance and horse stance can one achieve a stable lower body, which is half the battle won. By accurately observing the opponent's feet and shoulders, one wins the other half.

"kill!"

With a thunderous roar, Yin Zongxin charged towards the thieves on the deck with his sword and dozens of his soldiers. The strong men were unarmored, while all the Ming soldiers were fully armored.

If you have armor, you can fight an unarmored opponent until you're exhausted.

Yin Zhengmao did make the mistake of being too kind, but he did not allow the Yi people to obtain armor, firearms, blunt weapons, crossbows, and other items. Even if the Yi people were lucky enough to obtain one or two sets of armor, they would slowly decay due to poor maintenance.

Knowledge is very valuable, and maintaining weapons and equipment is also a form of knowledge.

The bandit leader, wielding only a three-foot-long waist knife, tried to dodge Yin Zongxin's approach with his heavy armor. The armor, weighing a total of fifty pounds, indeed hindered his movement, and the bandit leader's strategy was entirely correct.

However, the bandit leader underestimated Yin Zongxin's strength and was unable to escape Yin Zongxin's sweeping attack.

Yin Zongxin was too fast. His six-foot-long sword had a wide attack range. With just one sweep, the bandit chieftain was slashed in two long wounds on his waist and abdomen. Blood gushed out, his strength began to drain rapidly, and his reactions became sluggish.

Yin Zongxin, not one to back down, stepped forward and executed a T-shaped counterattack. With a flash of light, half of the bandit chief's neck was severed, and his head hung from his shoulder. This time, the blood didn't splatter too high. Three breaths later, the bandit chief's burly body fell straight down.

"Kill!" Yin Zongxin roared again and charged toward the next bandit.

Just three hours later, the Luzon troops achieved a great victory, capturing two three-masted deck ships, twelve two-masted seagoing vessels, and not counting the remaining small boats. They killed 1,700 enemy soldiers and captured 2,000. Towards the end, the enemy's morale was completely shattered, and they began to collapse.

One three-masted barge and four two-masted ships fled, and the soldiers had already given chase.

The thirty-six mountain bandits then realized that Yin Zongxin was even more ruthless than his father, Yin Zhengmao, and his methods were far more formidable. Yin Zhengmao was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and although he practiced martial arts, he rarely engaged in combat himself. Yin Zongxin, on the other hand, was not particularly good at studying, but possessed exceptional martial prowess.

Yin Zhengmao had already designed the system. Yin Zongxin only needed to kill people. Killing people was simple; once someone was killed, they would die.

The Luzon navy suffered no losses. Excellent damage control and watertight compartment design resulted in only three ships being damaged in the battle. After repairs, these ships were able to continue fighting. The Luzon navy suffered 27 wounded and 11 killed.

"The hook spear invented by Commander Qi and Commander Yu is truly remarkable." After inspecting all the spoils, Yin Zongxin once again expressed his sincere admiration for Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou.

Yu Longqi and Hu are truly worthy of their reputations.

In actual combat, Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou invented a powerful weapon for large ships to bully small ships: the hook gun. This hook gun was launched from a ballista and had three iron hooks at the front. Once it hit a ship, it could firmly drag the small ship.

Once hooked, the small boat loses all its maneuverability and can only be manipulated at will by the large ship.

Besides the heavy hook gun that requires a ballista to fire, there is another type of hook gun with a head weighing four ounces and a shaft seven feet long. This type of hook gun is top-heavy and light-footed, and it doesn't require any special technique to wield. It is used by large ships to bully small ships. As long as it hooks the enemy when boarding, it can drag the person into the sea.

Even with over a hundred cannons, the number of enemy soldiers killed by artillery fire was less than those killed by these two types of hook guns. This was mainly because the enemy ships were too small, making the hook guns more efficient at catching and killing the enemy. In a battle between ships of the same class, the power of artillery would be clearly demonstrated.

Yin Zongxin wrote a detailed battle report. In this battle, the strength that the Thirty-Six Mountains had painstakingly accumulated was scattered by Yin Zongxin's punch. He could now go to the capital of the Ming Dynasty with peace of mind to request an imperial decree to inherit the Sishui Marquis's mansion.

He left behind the Fubo Camp to continue clearing out the Thirty-Six Mountains, eliminating the enemy's manpower to the greatest extent possible.

When Yin Zongxin led his troops back to Manila, the city was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The good news had already reached them, and it was also the New Year, so the atmosphere was festive everywhere.

Princess Yingjia, Zhu Xuanchang, wearing a cloak, stood in the Guanchao Pavilion, holding a telescope and constantly looking at the sea. When she saw the dragon flag, the seven-star flag, and the Yin clan's flag of the Qilin ship, Zhu Xuanchang's face lit up with joy. She ran downstairs and headed towards the pier.

As soon as Yin Zongxin stepped down, Princess Yingjia rushed into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

"Alright, alright, let go, there are so many people here," Yin Zongxin said softly, hugging his wife.

"No." Princess Yingjia shook her head vigorously. She didn't care about any of that. She was a princess. In the entire Luzon, apart from her husband, who could control her? Who would dare to control her?
Zhu Xuanchang said in a low voice, "You have no idea how worried I was about you."

Yin Zongxin laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. I often go on expeditions in Chijun Mountain. These bandits are no better than those in Chijun Mountain Port or Yuanxu Islands."

Zhu Xuan Chang thumped her chest forcefully and said again, "It's different. Thirty-Six Mountains has large ships, but the Red Army Mountain Port pirates don't."

Zhu Xuanchang didn't really understand the specific differences between fast sailing ships, five-masted ocean-going ships, and three-masted deck ships, just like a man doesn't understand the needlework techniques of Suzhou embroidery.

All she knew was that there were large ships in the Thirty-Six Mountains, and that they were difficult to attack. If they were easy to attack, why didn't Yin Zhengmao eliminate the Thirty-Six Mountains when he was alive, instead of leaving them until now to allow the hidden dangers to erupt?

Clearly, Zhu Xuanchang only saw the good side of Yin Zhengmao: he was highly respected, charitable, and of excellent character. The princess did not see the bad side.

Zhu Xuanchang clearly underestimated the sinister intentions of a scholar. Everything Yin Zhengmao did was purposeful and extremely malicious.

Yin Zhengmao left the Thirty-Six Mountains to the present for two purposes. The first was naturally to establish Yin Zongxin's authority; the second was to create a breeding ground for them.

Gather all the barbarians who are dissatisfied with the Governor-General of Luzon at the Thirty-Six Mountains, then wipe them out in one fell swoop. Then deliberately let similar pirate forces run rampant, continue to gather them up, and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Repeat this cycle until all the tough nuts are identified and killed.

This is a filter in the Governor's Office; even if Yin Zhengmao didn't say it, Yin Zongxin would understand.

Princess Yingjia didn't need to understand these evils at all. She could just be a princess and enjoy her husband's love, because her father was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Yongle reign, Huang Fu was stationed in Annam. Annam was unable to form an effective resistance force. As soon as Huang Fu, this utterly corrupt scholar, left, the situation in Annam immediately fell out of the control of the Ming Dynasty, and eventually the Le Dynasty of Annam was established.

Scholars are all good at scheming, and Yin Zhengmao is no exception.

"Your Majesty has given me an even bigger ship!" Yin Zongxin said cheerfully. "Let it go, we've just returned from a triumphant trip and we still have things to do."

"No." Zhu Xuan Chang bowed again. Her husband was her everything. Normally, she had to act like a princess, but today, with her husband's triumphant return, she wanted to be a little woman.

"Ah!" Zhu Xuanchang suddenly exclaimed, because she had been lifted off the ground and was being held in Yin Zongxin's arms.

When the families of the returning navy and the Han people of the Han towns in Luzon saw the soon-to-be governor-general pick up the princess, they immediately started to cheer, and the cheers grew louder and louder.

Zhu Xuanchang blushed deeply, nestled in her husband's arms, too afraid to look or listen; her behavior today had been far too bold.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Yin Zongxin arranged all matters at the Governor's Office and set sail aboard the Qilin.

On the ninth day, he arrived at Miyan Port. On the tenth day, he arrived at Xinglongzhuang on Jilong Island. On the twelfth day, Yin Zongxin arrived at Danshui Town. On the fourteenth day, he arrived at Naha Port in Shuri Prefecture, Ryukyu. After resting for three days, he set off again. On the second day of the second lunar month, Yin Zongxin arrived at Penglai Port in Shandong. On the fourth day of the second lunar month, Yin Zongxin arrived at Tanggu Port in Tianjin Prefecture.

It took Tianjin twenty years to go from a garrison to a prefecture. In October of the twentieth year of the Wanli reign, the population of Tianjin had exceeded one million. Tianjin Prefecture was changed to Tianjin City, and the construction of Tianjin City began.

Tianjin was the maritime gateway to the Ming Dynasty capital, with the ports of Lushun and Penglai serving as its main entrances.

Yin Zongxin looked at the ceremonial guard at the port in disbelief. A dragon banner fluttered in the wind, and thousands of other banners waved. The iron armor of the imperial guards gleamed under the morning glow. His Majesty's dragon banner stopped below the Tide-Watching Pavilion in Tanggu Port.

His Majesty has actually come in person.

Guided by a barge, the Qilin slowly docked at Tanggu Port. His Majesty, dressed in a dragon robe, walked out of the Guanchao Pavilion. Zhang Juzheng, who was enjoying his retirement, stood behind His Majesty, and the group walked step by step to the pier.

Yin Zongxin and Princess Yingjia hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects, performing the grand ceremony of five bows and three kowtows. The emperor simply said, "Rise," without saying anything more, his gaze fixed on the bridge of the Qilin.

The imperial guards, their faces solemn, began boarding the ship, and the sounds of horns and drums gradually subsided.

The imperial guards entered the cabin. Commander Zhao Mengyou carried Yin Zhengmao's coffin, while the other guards carried the coffins of fallen heroes. All the coffins were identical in size, only one foot square. Inside the wooden coffins were only ashes, and the bronze plaques on them bore inscriptions detailing their lives.

Zhu Yijun stood solemnly by the pier, took the dragon flag from Zhu Changzhi's hand, and covered Yin Zhengmao's coffin. His hand trembled slightly as he placed it on the coffin and said in a low voice, "Lord Guoxing, you've worked hard. You're home, you're home."

Zhu Yijun prided himself on being a magnanimous scholar, a heartless political machine, and a great actor, yet at this moment, his eyes were red, his thoughts were swirling, and his eyes were brimming with tears.

Yin Zhengmao died far from home, and only his ashes returned to his roots.

Zhang Juzheng understood His Majesty very well. His Majesty seemed ruthless, but in fact he was very sentimental. His ruthlessness was just a protective facade to maintain imperial authority.

Zhang Juzheng also advised His Majesty that deep affection is short-lived, and that birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. His Majesty is young, and such scenes will occur countless times in the future.

Zhang Juzheng also knew that His Majesty's tears were not a means to win people's hearts, but came from the bottom of his heart, a deep sorrow.

His Majesty never considers personal gain when making decisions.

With a solemn expression, Zhu Changzhi covered the coffins of the remaining eleven people with a dragon flag.

Once, Zhu Changzhi asked his father, "What are these people after, one after another, for?" The emperor replied, "The ocean is dangerous, the barbarians and natives are dangerous. They know the danger, but they still go. After they die, they don't even leave behind their remains, only a handful of ashes."

His father told him: A true man should be like this.

Zhu Yijun took Yin Zhengmao's coffin from Zhao Mengyou, returned to his imperial carriage, placed it beside him, and signaled Feng Bao to return to the capital. Yin Zhengmao and the martyrs' coffins would be temporarily placed at the Beidaying Camp and buried in the Martyrs' Shrine seven days later.

Grand Minister Shen Li strongly supports His Majesty descending the steps to Tianjin Prefecture to escort Yin Zhengmao back to the Ming Dynasty, but Shen Li disagrees with His Majesty carrying the coffin, as this is against etiquette.

When the late emperor passed away, Your Majesty did not even carry his coffin. This honor of being a pallbearer is a bit too high.

The emperor said: The Grand Minister of Rites' objection is ineffective.

The Grand Minister of Rites was nearly stunned with anger and felt dizzy. "Your Majesty, are you being polite? Your objection is ineffective; you must give a reason!" This rigid refusal put the Ministry of Rites in a difficult position.
Since the emperor didn't give a reason, the Ministry of Rites had to find one themselves, and they actually did, and their explanation was quite reasonable.

Yin Zhengmao was the Imperial Surname Lord, and the Imperial Surname Lord had a Jade Register from the Imperial Clan Court. Yin Zhengmao's surname was Zhu, and he was called Imperial Surname Zhengmao. This was a family that the Emperor, as the clan head, had personally recognized. Therefore, it would not violate etiquette for the Emperor to personally escort the coffin!
Shen Li and Gao Qiyu discussed it for a long time before finally coming up with an explanation.

Zhu Yijun certainly knew that Yin Zhengmao could preserve his remains and return them to the Ming Dynasty, instead of his ashes, and he also knew about the pirates in the Cebu Islands of the Thirty-Six Mountains. All of this was a scheme, and it was a scheme that targeted Zhu Yijun, the emperor.

Yin Zhengmao's thoughts were nothing more than blood ties and loyalty. Only with blood ties could one receive imperial favor. He was indeed scheming against the emperor and gambling that the emperor had a conscience.

Yin Zhengmao was right; he knew he was bound to win.

During his nineteen years as governor, His Majesty granted his every request, even those he didn't ask for. Those three fast sailing ships were not something Yin Zhengmao begged for; they were a gift from His Majesty.

Zhu Yijun didn't care about these calculations, because Yin Zhengmao was not only doing it for himself and his descendants, but also for the great cause of opening up the seas of the Ming Dynasty.

Yin Zhengmao's exploration of Luzon laid the most solid foundation for the Ming Dynasty's opening up of the seas and its management of Southeast Asia. If Southeast Asia were to become the Ming Dynasty's backyard in the future, then Yin Zhengmao's achievements would be more than enough to warrant such a high honor from the emperor.

Yin Zhengmao went to Luzon because after defeating the Japanese pirates, he had no choice but to send his three thousand soldiers away. These three thousand were desperate criminals, and they were ruthless and difficult to completely eradicate.

In order to give these three thousand soldiers a place to go and to persuade Lin Afeng to surrender, Yin Zhengmao launched a surprise attack on the Philippine Governor's Office and established the Luzon Governor's Office.

To outsiders, Yin Zhengmao may not be a hero; he killed countless people, and many barbarians died at his hands. But to the Ming Dynasty, he was a hero.

It wasn't until they boarded the train and the train's whistle shattered the tranquility that Yin Zongxin slowly came back to his senses. He grasped his wife's hand and asked with a look of doubt, "Madam, do you think my father... is he really a member of the royal family who has been living away from home?"

Yin Zongxin didn't believe the rumor that had been circulating for almost twenty years, but at this moment, he began to have some doubts.

“I think so,” Princess Yingjia said after thinking for a moment, very seriously.

Yin Zongxin and Princess Yingjia were both from the Ming Dynasty, and after much deliberation, this was the only reason they could give.

Although the concept of "the world belongs to all people" circulated among the scholar-officials, it did not take root in people's hearts. Most people in the Ming Dynasty still believed in the family-based world system that had existed for thousands of years, with the emperor as the ruler, the minister as the minister, the father as the father, and the son as the son. Yin Zongxin and Princess Yingjia provided a rational explanation for the emperor's preferential treatment.

Their thoughts were not unique, but rather the thoughts of most people in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yijun had the Crown Prince stay overnight at Wuying Tower, and the emperor, upon returning to Tonghe Palace, finished dealing with the accumulated memorials of the day.

"No, Luzon is going to send eight thousand thugs this year? Yin Zhengmao is really good at scheming!" Zhu Yijun looked at Yin Zhengmao's last memorial in his hand and was quite surprised. Yin Zhengmao had actually laid a trap for him!
Zhu Yijun carefully considered the matter and shook his head, saying, "No, really no! At most... I'll give you four thousand. These thugs are people too, not fruit on a tree that ripens only once a year."

(End of this chapter)