I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1063 Exhaustion through Warfare, Exhaustion and Excess
The Ming Dynasty primarily judged barbarians based on their culture.

After the fall of Malacca, Rui De chose to die for his country. Although he was sent as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty as an enemy, the Ming Dynasty did not humiliate him. The emperor even granted him a special official funeral and sent people to learn about his life and improve his epitaph.

Rui de was not a barbarian in terms of culture, and similarly, Marion, who chose to die for her cause, was also not a barbarian in terms of culture. Therefore, Zhu Yijun felt that giving her an official funeral was already a great honor.

But Rui and Marion's situations are still different.

If we simply divide them into factions, Rui was the envoy of the Goa Governor's Office, and he fought for the Goa Governor's Office his whole life, so he was in the enemy's camp. Marion was the Grand Patriarch appointed by the Emperor, so she was in the Ming Dynasty's camp.

Regardless of Marion's motives, her actions and her martyrdom ultimately greatly expanded the influence of the Ming Dynasty.

The court officials naturally believed that he should be given higher honors, but as a meritorious official of the Reform Movement, being buried in Jinshan Mausoleum was a bit too high a standard. Not only did the court officials think so, but even Emperor Zhu Yijun thought so.

The Ministry of Rites began holding frequent meetings to seek a solution.

Some believe that he could be buried with the emperor and enjoy the incense offerings for generations, because Jin Ridi, a Xiongnu prince during the Han Dynasty, surrendered to the Han Dynasty and eventually became a minister in charge of the state. After his death, he was given the posthumous title of Jing and was buried in Maoling.

Given Marion's contributions to expanding the influence of the Ming Dynasty, it would not be unreasonable for her to be buried in Jinshan Cemetery.

However, another group vehemently refuted this view, arguing that the Jinshan Cemetery was solemn and sacred, and it was absolutely unacceptable to bury a barbarian there. They believed that once this precedent was set, there would be endless troubles to come. Most importantly, Marion was being buried for the sake of the light of France, not for the Ming Dynasty. If she were to be buried in the Jinshan Cemetery, it would be difficult to convince the public.

This is truly difficult to convince the public. If you insist on doing this, then try to persuade His Majesty!
His Majesty was difficult to persuade, and so were his colleagues. The Ministry of Rites officials, who were very persistent in their ideological colonization and believed that the control over this tool should be strengthened, ultimately chose to agree with the opponents' approach.

The Ministry of Rites ultimately decided to bury Marion separately, six miles outside Jinshan Cemetery, with the rites due to a foreign king.

If in the future there are still foreigners who make important contributions to the expansion and development of the Ming Dynasty, or if the kings of those foreign countries in the capital want to be buried there, they can also be buried there.

After all, there were several foreigners serving as doctors of natural sciences in the Imperial Academy of Sciences, and they injected great vitality into the development of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yijun agreed to the plan because it was an established law of the ancestors. That's the advantage of having strong ancestors; there are precedents for everything.

In the sixth year of the Yongle reign, King Manara Kananai of Brunei led a delegation of 150 people to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. He suddenly fell ill and died in the Nanjing Huitongguan. Emperor Chengzu ordered that he be buried at Shizigang and that a spirit path archway, a stele pavilion, and a tomb be built.

In the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign, the Eastern King of Sulu (present-day Mindanao), Paduka Batara, came to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. On his return journey, he fell ill and died in Dezhou. According to the old custom, he was buried in the northern camp of Dezhou. The prince and queen kept vigil for the old king. Their descendants changed their surnames to 'An' and 'Wen' and became people of the Ming Dynasty. To this day, their descendants still exist.

The Ming Dynasty gave Ma Li'ang a final act of respect by burying her with the honors due to a foreign king, which was a very high standard, but it did not elevate her to the status of a meritorious official of the Reform Movement.

"The expenses for the official funeral and repairs should rightfully be borne by the Great Bright Church. Therefore, Lisbon, Portugal, should bear all the costs." Zhu Yijun looked at the Ministry of Rites' memorial and pondered Gao Qiyu's reasons for doing so.

The Ministry of Works estimated the cost at approximately three thousand taels of silver. Future repairs would cost no more than fifty taels of silver per year. This amount was a small sum for the Ming Dynasty, but the Ministry of Rites specifically emphasized that this cost should be borne by the Great Brightness Sect, not by the Ming Dynasty.

Besides requiring the Ministry of Revenue to conduct an annual audit and to clarify every account, this was also a gesture: the Ming Dynasty was superior to the Great Brightness Sect, and it was the believers' responsibility to make sacrifices, not the Ming Dynasty's. This gesture was very important.

People are strange sometimes. A little kindness is appreciated, but too much can breed resentment. Don't give too much, or people will become ungrateful.

The Ming Dynasty has already bestowed wisdom upon the Great Brightness Sect, something that money cannot buy. Therefore, there is no need to offer any additional preferential treatment. Only in this way can the relationship last.

Zhu Yijun ultimately approved Gao Qiyu's memorial in imperial seal. The Ministry of Rites was quite professional in matters of etiquette and law.

This standard was neither too high nor too low, higher than the emperor's initial proposal but lower than the burial at Jinshan Cemetery, which was in line with Marion's status. Moreover, the Ministry of Rites approved the posthumous title given by the Portuguese Heavenly Group: Saint of Light.

In other words, the Ministry of Rites did not include Ma Li'ang in the Ming Dynasty's posthumous title system.

It wasn't because Marion was a barbarian; Jin Ridi was a Xiongnu prince, yet he still received a posthumous title. The reason he wasn't given one was because Marion died for France.

The second and third things, the formation of the Western Merchants Alliance and the military campaign against Annam, were essentially actions taken by the Ming Dynasty to expand its financial resources. These matters could not be rushed, nor could they be delayed.

On the seventh day of the sixth month of the twenty-second year, the Ming Emperor convened a special court meeting in the West Flower Hall of the Imperial Study in the Huangpu River Imperial Palace to discuss matters related to the expansion of the West. Zhang Juzheng, who wrote the sequel to Journey to the West, and Qi Jiguang, who was fishing in retirement, were also invited to participate in this court meeting.

The first court debate went very poorly. The proposal to wage war against Annam did not pass smoothly. The Ministry of Revenue was the pro-war faction, while the Ministry of Rites was the pro-peace faction.

Grand Minister Shen Li accompanied the emperor south, and he held a very clear opposition to the military campaign against Annam, which was also the opinion of some ministers in the court.

During the court discussion, the majority still advocated for war, but it did not exceed two-thirds. According to Zhang Juzheng's "Memorial on Five Matters" from that year, the proposal was not considered to have passed the court discussion.

At this point, Zhu Yijun could have simply stated that his mind was made up. If stating his mind was too direct, he could have appointed the Western Study Office to replace the cumbersome cabinet and launched a direct military campaign against Annam.

If the campaign fails, the Western Study Office will be abolished and become a thing of the past.
If successful, Shen Li, this upright and honest minister and a meritorious official of the reform movement, would not be in such an awkward position. He would still be a cabinet minister, but the merit of pacifying the south would have nothing to do with him.

When cabinet ministers and the emperor disagree, it is a relatively mild and dignified approach for the emperor to find a way to bypass the cabinet.

Give it a try. If it works, great; if not, it won't cause too much harm.

However, Zhu Yijun still tried to persuade Shen Li, without saying that his mind was made up, nor did he completely bypass the issue. Of course, Zhu Yijun was not afraid that Shen Li would disagree, but he also joined forces with other ministers to hinder the war effort. Shen Li was an upright and honest minister, and he would not do such a thing.

The cabinet is, after all, a government official, and its authority is legitimate. By circumventing this rule, the cabinet ministers become mere figureheads.

“Since the Wanli Reforms, the Ming Dynasty has been waging war year after year, without a single day of peace. There are already signs of its militarism. As a cabinet minister, I cannot sit idly by and do nothing like other ministers, ignoring the situation and blindly flattering the emperor in order to seek temporary peace.” Shen Li was summoned by the emperor alone, but he still did not change his opinion and stated his reasons.

"Exhausting resources and engaging in reckless and aggressive warfare" means to exhaust all one's resources and to act rashly and recklessly.

This has never been a good thing. Once the imperial court gets used to solving problems through force, expansion, and conquest, it will use force more recklessly, going further and further down this path, eventually turning the whole world into a war machine, and then destroying itself in the constant wars.

History has proven time and again that the ultimate fate of militarism is self-destruction.

Long ago, Qi Jiguang told His Majesty the Emperor that victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, and no one is an invincible general who can win forever. Military means should always be the last resort.

Forgetting war is dangerous; loving war will lead to destruction.

"What the Grand Minister of Rites says makes sense." Zhu Yijun affirmed that Shen Li's objection was very pertinent and beneficial to the Ming Dynasty. Opposing the emperor did not mean that Shen Li was wrong. Zhu Yijun was domineering, but he was never the kind of domineering person who could not tolerate dissenting opinions.

Zhu Yijun frowned slightly and said, "But now the Ming Dynasty has already reached this point."

“Therefore we should pull back from the brink.” Shen Li immediately replied, “To prevent the people from being mired in the quagmire of war is benevolence and righteousness.”

Warfare and the resulting bloodshed are definitely not good things. The key issue is that the Ming Dynasty's military campaign against Annam this time was somewhat too deliberate, almost exactly the same as during the Yongle era when they casually found an excuse to attack Annam.

They could find any excuse to attack, conquer the country, rule for twenty years, and in the end, it would all be for nothing.

Wan Wenqing, that wicked scholar, demanded that the heads of the four great families come to the Ming Dynasty for a joint inspection. This was clearly an attempt to force the four great families to deliberately breach their agreement and create a pretext for war. It was far too deliberate.

A royal army must have a reasonable reason to launch an attack; only with a legitimate cause can it avoid defeat. Qi Jiguang repeatedly stated in his treatise on war that soldiers must fully understand why they are fighting.

"What if we launch a second campaign to quell the Japanese pirates now?" Zhu Yijun asked, somewhat curious about Shen Li's attitude toward war.

“That’s fine, Your Majesty. I will not object. I will even personally draft a proclamation for Your Majesty,” Shen Li replied quickly.

The extermination of the Japanese pirates was a completely justified campaign, not a reckless and aggressive act. The atrocities committed by the Japanese pirates still leave the Ming Dynasty scarred to this day, and the wounds have yet to heal.

The Ming Dynasty, or China, never deliberately denied its defeats. A mistake is a mistake, and pain is pain. Any attempt to cover it up is cowardly. Remember the hatred. A hatred that lasts for ten generations? A hatred that lasts for a hundred generations, can still be avenged.

The phrase "exhausting resources and engaging in reckless warfare" has two meanings: one is "exhausting resources," meaning to use up all one's wealth; the other is "reckless," meaning to act rashly and launch unreasonable wars.

"This time it was indeed a bit rushed." Zhu Yijun did not deny that this military campaign was indeed driven by a strong sense of self-interest.

On the one hand, it was to facilitate the establishment of the Western Merchants Alliance; on the other hand, it was to demonstrate our power overseas, that is, to teach Annam a lesson, so that the Western Merchants Alliance would know its strength and dare not harbor any rebellious thoughts, and would earnestly fulfill the agreements reached.

Finally, there are internal factors. The emperor and other ministers were driven by the pursuit of national revival. The Yongle Emperor's opening of the sea was a two-pronged approach, focusing on Annam and Luzon. By the time the Wanli Emperor opened the sea, Luzon had been the only leg that was being used for over twenty years.

If Annam is not transformed from a vassal state into a prefecture, it will be difficult to confidently tell our ancestors that the Wanli Reforms stabilized the nation, secured the country, and revitalized the Ming Dynasty.

In any war, the emperor needs a clear, reasonable, and just reason to persuade his ministers, court officials, and the people to participate in the war and give it their full support. Only in this way can the emperor remain invincible in the war, and even if he is defeated, the country will not be completely destroyed.

Qi Jiguang made this very clear in his essay "On War," in which he stated very clearly that unjust wars will ultimately fail.

If the main reasons for the war cannot even convince most people in the country, how can a political victory be achieved after a military victory?

A war that yields only military victory but not political victory should not be waged.

First, among the ministers in the court, the reasons for this war could not convince the ministers, led by Shen Li, and therefore could not convince the soldiers or the people of the Ming Dynasty. Annam, after the Wanli Reforms, behaved somewhat like Korea, not giving them a chance.

Zhu Yijun did not intend to make things too difficult for Shen Li. As a cabinet minister, Shen Li could have simply followed the crowd and chosen to protect himself at this time, loudly advocating for war. However, Shen Li stood up and called for a halt to the inevitable.

Shen Li himself did not need to participate in the war, did not need to go to the front line, did not need to commit murder, and even his family did not need to participate in the war because he was a cabinet minister.

If they won, Shen Li, as a cabinet minister, would also benefit; if they lost, it would be a mistake in the collective decision-making process, and had nothing to do with him. In fact, from a self-interested perspective, there was absolutely no need for Shen Li to stand up and say these words, but he still did.

If Zhu Yijun were to make things difficult for Shen Li because of this, that would be a sign of his incompetence. Whether Shen Li is upright or simply opposing for the sake of opposing, Zhu Yijun, as the emperor, could still distinguish between them.

The possibility of transcending the cycle is that China can periodically revive with a resurrection armor, entirely because someone needs to step forward, and someone will indeed step forward.

After Zhu Yijun dismissed Shen Li, he summoned Qi Jiguang, Chen Lin, and Luo Shangzhi.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" Luo Shangzhi's previous audiences with the emperor had all been in public. This was his first private audience, and he bowed with great respect.

"No need for formalities, please sit down." Zhu Yijun gestured for Qi Jiguang, Chen Lin, and Luo Shangzhi to sit down.

Qi Jiguang was old, while Luo Shangzhi was still young. Whenever Qi Jiguang saw Luo Shangzhi, he was very pleased, because Luo Shangzhi was not a general who had grown up during the invasion of the northern barbarians and the rampant Japanese pirates, but a member of the new generation, which meant that the Ming army had successors.

"Commander Luo has returned from his distant campaign. I will host a banquet for him in the Ten Kings Hall to reward his hard work during his long journey," Zhu Yijun said with a smile. The banquet in the Ten Kings Hall was a grand feast, and all the proper procedures, etiquette, and respect were to be observed.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty." Luo Shangzhi bowed again in gratitude.

Zhu Yijun asked with a smile, "General Luo, how is my troublesome younger brother doing in Jinshan Kingdom? In his letters, he only reports good news and not bad, afraid that Mother will worry about him. He doesn't dare to write in detail. Is he able to establish himself in Jinshan Kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, Prince Lu may appear carefree and irreverent on the surface, but he actually possesses a strong will. I believe that Prince Lu is fully capable of establishing himself." Luo Shangzhi recounted three reasons why he believed Zhu Yiliu could succeed.

Zhu Yiliu was actually a stubborn man, extremely stubborn. He knew that liking beauties from all over the world would be condemned by everyone, but he still did it anyway. He knew that the public trial system would definitely be criticized by the scholar-officials, but he still did it anyway. Even though Jinshan Kingdom was so far away, and even his elder brother suggested a way to switch the kingdom, Zhu Yiliu still went there.

On the surface, he seems stubborn, but deep down he has the courage to go even if there are thousands of people against him.

Zhu Yiliu went to Jinshan Kingdom to suffer hardships for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty and to ensure the long-term continuation of the maritime trade.

The first thing Zhu Yiliu did was to know how to farm. After arriving in Jinshan Kingdom, he personally engaged in farming. This can be considered as him learning from the emperor, but he learned it quite well. At least Zhu Yiliu did not waste the potato seeds brought by the Ming Dynasty merchant ships. He even built Jinshan Kingdom's own fire-making chamber to detoxify the potato seedlings.

Zhu Yiliu did not ensure that every household in Jinshan Kingdom had a chicken in their pot, but he ensured that everyone who came to Jinshan Kingdom ate potatoes.

The second thing was that Zhu Yiliu began to grind his own grain, which was a manifestation of his sense of responsibility. He personally handled all the affairs, big and small, with ease. At the same time, Zhu Yiliu also inspected the troops every day. Every soldier in the Jinshan Navy knew Zhu Yiliu, and Zhu Yiliu also knew every soldier in the Navy.

When Luo Shangzhi returned to the Ming Dynasty, 124 soldiers voluntarily stayed in Jinshan Kingdom and became Zhu Yiliu's personal guards. These 120 soldiers and junior officers became Zhu Yiliu's most important military reliance in the future.

The third thing is that Zhu Yiliu attached great importance to the relationship with the Ming Dynasty and made serving the Ming Dynasty the basic national policy of Jinshan Kingdom. This choice was quite wise.

This period marked the closest relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Jinshan Kingdom. The emperor was the elder brother of the Jinshan Kingdom's ruler. If this fundamental national policy could not be established at this time, it would be impossible to implement it later.

During the Zhou Dynasty, almost all the feudal lords were descendants of King Wen and King Wu of Zhou. As a result, as Li Si said, "Many of the sons and brothers enfeoffed by King Wen and King Wu of Zhou shared the same surname. However, they became distant relatives and attacked each other like enemies. The feudal lords attacked each other, and the Zhou emperor could not stop them."

If they are close now, the next generation will gradually become estranged, and over time they may even become enemies.

Therefore, for the Kingdom of Jinshan, the most important relationship was not with Mexico, Peru, and Chile, which were nearby, but with the distant Ming Dynasty.

These three events prove that Zhu Yiliu was capable, responsible, and courageous enough to become the founding ruler of the Jinshan Kingdom. The last event, in particular, demonstrates that Zhu Yiliu was able to distinguish between what was important and what was not, which is very important.

National affairs can be summed up in the four words: priorities and urgency. This is a direct manifestation of competence.

"Commander Luo, do you think this campaign against Annam is an unjust war?" Zhu Yijun asked a very important question. He hoped that Luo Shangzhi would tell the truth. He was the general in charge of the southern expedition and the vanguard officer. He had fought all the tough battles.

"I think we've acted too hastily." Luo Shangzhi pondered the matter again and again. He had just returned from a distant military post, and his words might cost him his position as the commander-in-chief of the Nanyang Navy. Even though it was a personnel appointment that had been confirmed long ago, everything was still uncertain until an official decree was issued.

"What does Commander Chen think?" Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Lin and asked for his opinion.

Chen Lin pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the navy is Your Majesty's sharpest sword, and military orders are as firm as mountains."

Chen Lin's words seemed to evade the topic, implying that the navy would fight bravely as long as His Majesty gave the order. However, he also answered His Majesty's question: if it were a just war with sufficient justification, he would not have avoided the topic.

In Chen Lin's view, it was still a bit hasty. Cabinet Minister Wang Jiaping catalyzed this war for the political capital of the Western merchant alliance.

Zhu Yijun did not ask Qi Jiguang for his opinion. Qi Jiguang had no way to stop the emperor from using troops. As a general, all he could do was support him.

The Ming Emperor held a grand banquet in the Ten Kings Hall and publicly announced the appointment of Luo Shangzhi. Luo Shangzhi would stay in Songjiang Prefecture for half a month before heading south to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nanyang Fleet. Zhu Yijun did not break his promise; the position of Commander-in-Chief was not a reward for being stationed far away.

Based on his military achievements in the Eastern Expedition, Luo Shangzhi was already qualified to be the commander-in-chief of the South Seas Navy. Lou Hu, the number one killing star of the Western Heavenly White Tiger, was not given a name for nothing. Luo Shangzhi's exile to the Kingdom of Jinshan was due to the emperor's favoritism in taking care of his own younger brother's enfeoffment.

As for the matter of taking military action against Annam, Zhu Yijun did not convene a second court meeting. If he were to forcibly launch a war, wouldn't he be following the example of the senile Felipe?

The expedition to England was the worst move Felipe ever made, ruining his reputation.

Just as Zhu Yijun was about to give up, news arrived in Songjiang Prefecture with a hydrofoil patrol boat, causing a huge uproar!

Annam blockaded Da Nang, prohibiting Ming merchant ships from stopping, stationing, resupplying, or purchasing goods in Da Nang, and even allowing any Annamese to attack Ming merchant ships.

"These scholars are truly vicious. Even Wan Wenqing, who likes to frequent brothels, is so vicious." Zhu Yijun looked at the report in front of him and fell silent.

Because his reasons were insufficient, it was easy for him to wage an unjust war. When he was about to give up, the four great families of Annam lost their composure.

Qi Jiguang frankly said that sometimes, war is a contest of patience. Whoever lacks patience will fall into the trap of injustice.

The reason for the attack was now clear, sufficient, and justifiable: the Annamese had struck first.

After receiving the official document for the joint survey in February, the four major families of Annam pretended to agree and discussed countermeasures. After much deliberation, under pressure, they made the wrong decision to take the initiative and drive away and attack the Ming merchant ships.

This triggered a wave of traumatic experience related to the Japanese pirates throughout the Ming Dynasty.

The purpose of establishing the Ming Dynasty's navy was to pacify the seas. We had just suppressed the Japanese pirates, but now Annam was showing similar tendencies. How could this be allowed to continue? How could the Ming Dynasty maintain peace if we didn't nip the danger in the bud?
Many of the victims of the Japanese pirate raids that ravaged Jiangnan are still alive.

The moment Annam issued this policy, which was essentially a license to privateer, it caused a huge uproar. Calls for war were endless, and even the most sarcastic and cryptic newspapers were somewhat taken aback this time.

Even several powerful and influential families in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces petitioned His Majesty in the official gazette to allow the Eastern Expedition to be resumed and to permit these powerful and influential families to donate money and grain to ensure the stability of the coastal borders.

Therefore, Wan Wenqing was an extremely vicious scholar.
From the perspective of the Ming Dynasty, it was just a routine inspection request. However, the Ming Dynasty had just mobilized 280,000 Han troops to destroy Yang Yinglong of Bozhou on the grounds that Yang Yinglong refused to participate in the inspection. This inspection was practically a sign that the Ming Dynasty was about to take military action.

Under such pressure, the four major families of Annam chose to strike first. This choice seemed very unwise, but it was very reasonable. It was a desperate struggle of cornered beasts.

Ultimately, the four major families of Annam understood the Ming Dynasty even less than Le Nhat, a Western barbarian.

Li Yashi was well aware of the moral disadvantages of the Ming Dynasty. This high morality was also an important pillar of transcending the cycle. The Ming Dynasty would never give up its high morality, as this was the priority, while territorial expansion was the secondary concern.

Now, the Ming Dynasty has a sufficient and clear reason, and the moral dilemma of waging an unjust war has been resolved.

“Your Majesty, I can somewhat understand why the Annamese would make such a decision. It’s not that Wan Wenqing, this scholar-official, is too malicious, but rather that the matter between the Ming Dynasty and Annam needs a resolution.” Li Yougong did not believe that it was simply due to the pressure exerted by Wan Wenqing.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty's policy toward Annam was extremely harsh. The issue of imported grain alone severely damaged Annam's vitality, but the Ming Dynasty remained unmoved. For Annam, such steadfastness was less desirable than a swift and decisive blow!

The blockade of Da Nang and the permission to attack Ming merchant ships were also meant to force the Ming to deliver this blow, to give a clear answer as to whether they live or die!
Li Yougong was constantly on the move. The Ming Dynasty always considered itself a gentleman, but in the eyes of these barbarians, the Ming Dynasty was a colossal behemoth that could crush them with a mere turn of its body. The malice of this existence was simply too much to bear.

If they fight and win, the Ming Dynasty will have no way to continue targeting Annam; if they lose, just like in 1400, Annam will simply submit to the Ming Dynasty again.

Anyway, this is how it has always been for the Annamese people. It's been 1400 years, and there's nothing wrong with continuing to live this way.

“That makes sense.” Zhu Yijun felt that Li Yougong’s words made some sense. It wasn’t the Ming Dynasty that was in a hurry; the Ming Dynasty could wait patiently. However, the matter of imported grain and foreign slaves had already overwhelmed Annam’s internal contradictions.

There needs to be a resolution between the Ming Dynasty and Annam.

Zhu Yijun issued an edict, and the war machine of the Ming Dynasty began to turn once again.

The specific battle strategy had already been planned in advance, and the strategies used in the Yongle and Jiajing reigns to conquer Annam were also used as a reference. This time, things were slightly different. The main force of the Ming Dynasty was at sea, while the land offensive was led by Liu Ting, who mainly provided support.

Soon, the Ming emperor received another memorial requesting permission from Dao Lansheng, the Lao envoy. Dao Lansheng proposed that if the Ming Dynasty needed it, it could attack Annam from Laos, and also hoped that the Ming Dynasty would allow the Lao people to participate in the war.

Dao Lansheng understood very well. Of course, the Ming Dynasty was happy about Laos's submission, but if the Ming Dynasty truly wanted to treat Laos as its own, it would have already begun to rule them. The reason for the delay in taking action, Dao Lansheng believed, was that Laos needed to pay a blood tax in order to be fully integrated, and participating in the war was undoubtedly the fastest way.

Dao Lansheng's memorial was very reasonable, because this was an inevitable process for the Miao people in the southwest to become civilized Miao, and then civilized Miao to become Han Chinese.

The Ming Dynasty's southwestern rule lasted for two hundred years, mainly due to the absorption of skilled Miao people through war. For example, in the Pingbo War, not only were there 280,000 Han troops, but also a large number of skilled Miao people who guided the way, which made the war go so smoothly.

Of course, Dao Lansheng wanted revenge even more. This little tyrant of Annam had bullied Laos more than once or twice, and this time the Ming Dynasty's military intervention became the best opportunity for retaliation.

(End of this chapter)