Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 704: Jurchens Seek Peace
Inside the Forbidden City, in the Golden Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, staring at the palace gate with a sharp gaze. He was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe with an exquisite five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his chest, shining brightly in the morning light. The palace was filled with sandalwood incense, and civil and military officials were standing on both sides, solemn and silent.

"Call the Jurchen envoy to the throne!" the eunuch's shrill voice pierced the hall.

The palace door slowly opened, and the Jurchen envoy Erdeni walked in slowly with three followers. They were dressed in simple animal skin clothing, which formed a sharp contrast with the magnificent palace. Erdeni was about 40 years old, with a resolute face, and the wrinkles on his forehead were like knife carvings, showing the traces of the wind and frost in the frontier. He touched his chest with his right hand and bowed deeply, with an extremely humble attitude.

"Erdeni, the envoy of the Jurchen tribe, pays his respects to the Emperor of the Great Ming. May His Majesty live long!" His Chinese was spoken with a heavy accent, but every word was clear.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "Stand up."

Erdeni stood up, but he didn't dare to look directly at the emperor, and his eyes were lowered. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The hall was so silent that even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the Jurchen envoy in front of him, and his thoughts went back to twenty years ago. At that time, the Jurchens also humbly expressed their submission, but secretly accumulated strength and eventually rebelled. The tragic scenes on the border described in those war reports - villages burned down, women and children killed - appeared before his eyes one by one.

"Your Majesty," Erdeni broke the silence, "On behalf of the Jurchen tribes, I come to beg for forgiveness and acceptance from the Ming Dynasty. We are willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty forever and be your most loyal subjects."

Zhu Yuanzhang tapped the armrest of the dragon throne with his fingers, making a dull sound. "Twenty years ago, your leader said the same thing."

Erdeni's face froze, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. "Your Majesty, it is true that what happened back then was the fault of our tribe. But now that the leader has changed, we sincerely regret it. After years of fighting, nine out of ten Jurchen people have lost their homes, and women and children are crying from hunger and cold. We are really unable to fight again."

Standing beside Zhu Yuanzhang, Crown Prince Zhu Biao frowned slightly, with a flash of pity in his eyes. On the other side, Prince of Yan Zhu Di had a blank expression on his face, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, then turned to the civil and military officials and asked, "What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Li Jinglong, the Minister of War, was the first to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Jurchens are fickle and have evil intentions. They may seem to have surrendered today, but they will surely rebel again tomorrow. I think we should seize the opportunity to pursue them and completely wipe them out to prevent future troubles!"

Yu Xin, the Minister of Finance, disagreed: "Your Majesty, the continuous wars have cost the national treasury millions of silver taels. If the war continues, it will hurt the country. If the Jurchens truly surrender, you might as well accept it to show the great Ming Dynasty's generosity."

There was a lot of discussion in the court, with those who advocated war and those who advocated peace each holding their own opinions. Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes swept through the crowd and finally fell on Zhu Di, who had been silent the whole time.

"Old Four, what do you think?"

Zhu Di took a step forward and said in a deep and powerful voice: "Father, I think this matter is of great importance and needs to be carefully considered. It is better to listen to the detailed explanation of the conditions for surrender by the Jurchen envoy first, and then make a decision."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. Erdeni saw this and quickly took out a roll of parchment from his arms and presented it with both hands.

"Your Majesty, here are the terms of surrender that our clan has drawn up. Please take a look at them."

The eunuch took the parchment and presented it to Zhu Yuanzhang. When he unfolded it, he saw the terms written neatly in both Jurchen and Chinese: pay tribute, send hostages to the capital, accept the jurisdiction of Ming officials, disband the armed forces...

Zhu Yuanzhang read it carefully, his brows sometimes relaxed and sometimes furrowed. The terms seemed sincere, but he knew the calculations behind the words. The Jurchens grew up in a bitter and cold land, and their characters were as tough as iron. How could they give in so easily?

"Erdeni," Zhu Yuanzhang closed the parchment, "these conditions seem to be comprehensive, but how can you guarantee that the Jurchen tribes will sincerely abide by them?"

Erdeni knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty, I am willing to guarantee it with my life! If any of my troops break my oath, I will be punished by heaven and earth!"

Zhu Di suddenly sneered: "What a great punishment from heaven and earth! The oath you made back then is still ringing in my ears, but now you are doing this again. Father, I remember what Mr. Lin once said - "Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand to stop Zhu Di from continuing, but a strange color flashed in his eyes. Mr. Lin, the mysterious strategist, had accurately predicted many changes in the war situation. His warning about the Jurchens is still ringing in my ears: "The Jurchens are like wolves, they are tamed but not transformed; they surrender today, but will rebel tomorrow."

The atmosphere in the hall became more and more solemn. Erdeni noticed the change and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. The followers behind him also began to exchange anxious glances.

"Your Majesty," Erdeni said in a trembling voice, "Our people are at the point of life and death. If the Ming Dynasty refuses to accept us, the Jurchens will cease to exist within three months. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao could not bear it, so he stepped forward and advised, "Father, if the Zhenren are truly willing to surrender, you might as well give them a chance to live. A sage once said, 'Repay evil with good, how do you repay good? Repay evil with justice, and repay good with good.' But I think that forgiveness is also a kind of strength."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his eldest son and sighed. Zhu Biao was kind but not decisive enough. A ruler must be ruthless and ruthless sometimes.

At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the palace. A general of the imperial guards hurried in and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, urgent news from Liaodong!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart tightened: "Speak!"

"The remnants of the Jurchens are gathering in the Changbai Mountain area, and there seems to be some unusual movements. Border scouts have also discovered that they are secretly in contact with Korean envoys."

"What?!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table and stood up, furious.

Erdeni's face turned pale and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please understand! This must be the work of a few stubborn elements. It is definitely not the intention of our people!"

Zhu Di's eyes flashed with coldness: "Father, this is a God-given opportunity! The Jurchens are seeking peace on the surface, but secretly preparing for war. Their hearts are worthy of death! I beg you to lead the army to fight and wipe out the Jurchens in one fell swoop!"

The pro-war faction in the court was immediately excited and asked for battle. Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand to signal for silence and looked directly at Erdeni.

"Messenger, what else do you have to say?"

Erdeni was trembling all over, knowing that the situation was hopeless. He raised his head in despair, tears flashing in his eyes: "Your Majesty, my people, my people..."

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped looking at him and turned to Zhu Di: "Old Four, what else did Mr. Lin say?"

Zhu Di stepped forward and whispered, "Mr. Lin said that if we allow the Jurchens to surrender, we will just be letting the tiger go back to the mountain. They are showing weakness now because they are powerless to resist. Once they recover, they will bite back. The northern nomadic peoples, from the Xiongnu to the Turks, and then to the Mongols, are all like this."

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes and thought, and the painful lessons of the northern border troubles of previous dynasties flashed through his mind. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become as firm as iron.

"Jurchen envoy, I understand your difficulties and desires, but the Ming court cannot let the traitors go easily, especially when you have been detrimental to the advancement of our Ming army. I hope you can understand."

Erdeni collapsed to the ground as if struck by lightning, and his followers behind him sobbed in despair.

"Your Majesty!" Erdeni struggled to get up, "Is this the end of the lives of one hundred thousand people in my tribe?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was unmoved: "I have made my decision. Come, escort the envoy out of the palace."

The imperial guards stepped forward and lifted up the limp Jurchen envoy. Before being dragged out of the hall, Erdeni suddenly cried out in a shrill voice: "Zhu Yuanzhang! You will regret this! The blood of the Jurchens will not be shed in vain! Our descendants will remember this day!"

(End of this chapter)