King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

At night, Ma He delivered the sorted intelligence.

Zhu Tan had no idea what specific method he used, but when Ma He came, there was still blood on his fingers that had not been washed clean.

This guy is also a tough guy.

After looking at the information carefully, Zhu Tan frowned, snorted coldly, and looked very displeased.

Tang He, who was standing by, saw this and asked softly, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

"look by youself."

Zhu Tan handed the information to Tang He. Tang He took a look at it, frowned, and said in a deep voice.

"These beasts, how dare they do this!"

"Occupying Changguo is really a bold move!"

Tang He held the intelligence in his hand, looked at Zhu Tan and said, "Just for this reason, it would not be too much for Your Highness to lead his troops eastward to destroy Japan."

"Although Changguo is small, it is also the territory of our Ming Dynasty!"

"Look behind you."

Zhu Tan moved his body and leaned gently on the soft couch behind him.

Tang He continued to read down. The more he read, the deeper his frown became, and the angrier he became.

After reading it, he threw the information on the table fiercely and said sternly: "Fuck their ancestors! These guys should be smashed to pieces!"

"Your Highness, the matter in Fujian..."

"Don't worry about what's going on over there, father-in-law." Zhu Tan said softly, "With your status, it's not easy for you to show up."

A lot of hidden information was dug out from the four captured Japanese pirates, and each piece of information was shocking.

Firstly, the gathering of Japanese pirates was indeed the idea of ​​the Yamana family from Japan, and it was also a direct order from their head. Although there were more than a dozen waves of Japanese pirates besieging Changguo County this time, they were all under the command of the Yamana family.

They wanted to occupy the entire Changguo, and take advantage of the Ming Dynasty's poor navigation to establish a long-term base here and normalize robbery.

Secondly, it was indeed the Pu family who received the supplies from the Japanese pirates in Quanzhou, Fujian. Although the family was not very clear about the Japanese pirates in the northern border, they knew that they were generous and always charged a higher price for everything they sent, as if they were intentionally supporting them.

Thirdly, the Japanese pirates near Changguo were only a part of them. As Zhu Tan expected, a large number of them were gathered near the coast of Fujian. Some of them might have landed on the Penghu Islands (Taiwan) and were prepared to stay there for a long time.

Upon seeing this news, Zhu Tan suppressed his anger and tried not to lose it.

Tang He, a senior official of the founding of the country and a general who had fought in hundreds of battles, really could no longer suppress the situation. He looked at Zhu Tan and said with gritted teeth.

"Your Highness, the Japanese pirates are worthy of death!"

"Both Penghu and Changguo belong to the territory of the Ming Dynasty, but they want to take them for themselves!"

"I beg you to go out and wipe out the Japanese pirates immediately!"

Hearing this, Zhu Tan did not say anything, but his mind was working quickly, thinking about what to do next.

The current situation seems to be worse than he thought.

He thought that if five warships went out to sea at the same time, it would be easy to wipe out the Japanese pirates without any problems.

But now it seems that the Japanese pirates' strongholds are very loose, and they have been doing such things for a long time.

They can be found in Changguo, Fujian Islands, and Penghu Islands. Their total number is probably no less than tens of thousands.

Although the three warships led by Zhu Tan can still destroy all the coastal strongholds of the Japanese pirates, it will take some effort to wipe out all the Japanese pirates along the coast in one fell swoop.

"Your Highness?"

Seeing that Zhu Tan didn't say anything, Tang He simply stood up and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, don't hesitate!"

"We must attack immediately, before they can react, and go straight to the heart of the enemy, and destroy their main force first!"

"The Japanese pirates, where is the main force?"

Zhu Tan shook his head, looked at Tang He, and said, "Father-in-law, please sit down first. We must beat him, but we must follow the rules."

"If we rush over recklessly, they will just flee. We can't stay here forever. Once the warships leave, they will come back."

“That won’t be decisive.”

Upon hearing this, although Tang He was still angry, he had no choice but to sit down and sigh heavily.

"I never thought these pirates would be so bold."

"If we leave it alone, they might land in large numbers and attack the city."

These things are obvious. How much money can be made just by looting the coastal villages?

If Zhu Tan were a Japanese pirate, he would also find a way to gather strength, capture a city, and then sweep away all the wealth inside, making a fortune in one go.

Tang He sat down, and Zhu Tan looked at him and asked softly, "Looking at the intelligence carefully, don't you think there is anything wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

Tang He frowned and picked up the information again.

After reading it just now, he only felt his blood boiling and didn't think too much about it. But when he read it again at this moment, his heart was moved.

"There is a big problem with the Pu family in Fujian!"

Tang He said, "The pirates' goods were stolen. Not many people in the Ming Dynasty dare to help them sell the stolen goods on a large scale. If they are profit-seeking merchants, they will definitely take the opportunity to bargain and gain huge profits."

"But why does the Park family want to give more?"

Tang He frowned, looked up at Zhu Tan, and asked, "What do they want?"

"I can't figure that out either."

Zhu Tan shook his head.

With this much information at the moment, even if he has modern thinking, he cannot see the truth behind the fog.

But the Park family's behavior was indeed strange. They paid a higher price to purchase the supplies sent by the Japanese pirates and provided them with various conveniences. Isn't this aiding the enemy?
They want the Japanese pirates to become bigger, but what good will it do them if they become bigger?
"If the Japanese pirates succeed, they will get more benefits?"

Tang He said doubtfully, "That's not right. If it's too big, it will definitely attract the attention of the court."

"The Pu family is just a rural gentry in Quanzhou. The imperial court can destroy them in a snap. Aren't they courting death?"

Zhu Tan was also a little confused.

Even if there is someone behind the Park family who is making a fortune from the national crisis, they don't have the courage to do something like aiding the enemy.

Once the old man finds out, given his devilish temper, executing the entire family would be the least of the punishment. He might even strangle the dog to death and break the eggs.

Taking such a big risk just for the possibility of getting more money in the future?

Isn't this crazy?

Zhu Tian couldn't figure it out, so he gave up and said, "Father-in-law, take two warships tomorrow and go to Penghu first."

Zhu Tan looked at Tang He and said, "There are many islands and reefs in the Penghu Archipelago. We don't need to fight them quickly. We just need to find their largest stronghold and wipe it out in one fell swoop, and then slowly clean them up."

"As for the area near Fujian, I'll do it."

"What do you plan to do, Your Highness?"

Tang He was not afraid of fighting at all, especially when facing the Japanese pirates, he was afraid that he would not kill enough.

But he was still a little worried when Zhu Tan asked him to handle Fujian's affairs on his own.

"Otherwise, let's report these matters to the court and let His Majesty make the decision."

Zhu Tan shook his head and said, "Father-in-law, do you think that the old man doesn't know about the Fujian coastal area and the Japanese pirates?"

Hearing Zhu Tan say this, Tang He was stunned. He had never thought about it in this way.

After Zhu Tan's reminder, he immediately understood.

Who was the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty? He was a great leader who emerged from the midst of thousands of troops. Not to mention his political tactics, his spies and guards all over the world could allow him to know what was going on in the world without leaving his house.

The incident on the Fujian coast caused such a big stir, but the emperor said nothing, let alone mentioned it. Instead, he agreed to Zhu Tan's proposal to lead the army to wipe out the Japanese pirates. This is intriguing. "This Park family."

Zhu Tan gently tapped the table and said softly, "It's a big story."

"Father knows about this but keeps it a secret. I'm afraid he has the same doubts as you and I."

"Then your majesty means that Your Highness..."

"Father didn't say it clearly." Zhu Tan sighed and said with a smile: "You know my father, he is always very good at scheming against his own son."

Tang He was stunned when he heard this and didn't dare to respond.

Even if Zhu Tan dared to say this, he didn't dare to listen.

In the entire Ming Dynasty, perhaps only Zhu Tan dared to speak like this to the old man.

"It's settled now. Father-in-law, you must gather your troops tonight and set out tomorrow."

"I stayed in Changguo for two days, and then went straight to Fujian."

Hearing this, Tang He felt a little puzzled and asked, "What are you waiting for, Your Highness?"

Zhu Tan smiled gently and said, "Wait for my dear fourth brother."

……

Midnight, Yingtianfu, Forbidden City.

The night is quiet and everything is silent.

There were still candles lit in the imperial study. Zhu Yuanzhang was leaning on the couch, looking at Jiang Lin, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in front of him with a gloomy face.

Jiang Li knelt on the ground respectfully at this time and said in a deep voice.

"Quanzhou Park's activities have been very active recently. The flow of goods has increased by 30% compared to the past. They have also secretly purchased refined iron, grain and other items in surrounding cities."

"I have already found out that Park has raised private soldiers in the mountains of Quanzhou, numbering no less than several hundred."

"Most of the officials in the left governor of Fujian, Guo Zaifeng, the right governor of Fujian, Liu Yutang, the prefect of Quanzhou, the prefects and county magistrates under his command, and the officials in the left and right governors' offices and the secret inspection offices, were involved with him."

"Whether these people knew that Park raised private soldiers, I have not yet found out."

Jiang Li's voice was very calm, and he knelt on the ground without any emotion.

After a pause, he continued, "The matters concerning Zhejiang Province that Your Majesty instructed us to do have also been investigated."

"Changguo was frequently harassed by Japanese pirates. County Magistrate Wang Junliang had submitted petitions many times, but all of them fell on deaf ears. Most of them were related to the prefect of Mingzhou (now Ningbo), who must have had something to do with the Japanese pirates."

"If your majesty has the order, I will investigate thoroughly."

After Jiang Lin finished speaking, he just knelt there quietly. Since the emperor didn't say anything, he didn't speak again, and he didn't dare to stand up.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him calmly, paused for a moment, and then whispered, "Prince Lu has arrived in Changguo?"

"Yes."

Jiang Li immediately replied: "His Royal Highness Prince Lu arrived near Changguo the day before yesterday and attacked the Japanese pirates that night. One day later, he cleared out all the Japanese pirate strongholds in Changguo."

"I only know the news, I don't know the specific battle report."

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "You have a good nose. You know everything I ask you."

"Is the matter of the Park family deeply involved with the people in the capital?"

Jiang Li heard this without any hesitation and said directly: "Deep."

"Eleven of the six ministers and high-ranking officials in the court have correspondence with the Park family, and among them, Li Bin, the chief official of the Secretariat, has the most frequent correspondence with the Park family."

"But no corruption has been found yet. I am investigating thoroughly."

"Let's investigate this matter secretly first."

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes slightly and said softly, "Don't move too much."

"I accept the decree."

"Go down."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, and Jiang Li immediately stood up, bowed and retreated.

After Jiang Li left, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression remained unchanged. His eyes swept across the dome with carved beams and painted buildings, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

……

The next day, on an island reef off the coast of Shandong.

Zhu Di stood on the warship, looking at the devastation on the islands and reefs in the distance, and the corpses that were blown to pieces, with a slightly frown on his face.

Zhu Neng was next to Zhu Di at this time, looking a little unhappy, and said softly.

"Your Majesty, we have been fighting for two days but have not found the main force of the Japanese pirates. We have only been fighting small battles."

"His Royal Highness Prince Lu..."

Zhu Di's expression changed, and his displeasure became even more intense. He then snorted and said, "You little bastard, you have learned to hide your thoughts from me."

"Pass the order down, the whole army will set sail, no need to go to Tamra, go straight to Changguo."

Hearing this, Zhu Neng's face changed and he said, "Your Highness, if we go out without permission, the court will..."

"What does it have to do with the imperial court?"

Zhu Di said with a smile: "Prince Lu is the chief officer of this expedition against the Japanese pirates. We are just following orders. What's wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Neng immediately grinned and bowed, saying, "Yes!"

It has been a few days since they went out to sea, but Zhu Di is not in a very good mood.

The reason is very simple. He didn't fight any valuable battles.

There are not many islands and reefs from Shandong to Zhili, and even fewer Japanese pirates on them.

Using the might of the ironclad warships to annihilate these small groups of Japanese pirates numbering about a hundred people was like using a cannon to kill a fly. Before they even felt anything, the battle was over.

For several days, Zhu Di didn't even get off the boat.

At first, he was somewhat excited when he heard the news about the Japanese pirates, but later he became completely numb and didn't want to pay any attention to it.

Wherever the armored warships passed, the simple strongholds of the Japanese pirates were crushed into dust.

For a war like this, Zhu Di didn't even have the face to mention it, let alone military achievements, let alone the satisfaction it brought him.

Thinking about what Zhu Tan had said to him about sharing the military merits, Zhu Di was so angry that his teeth were itching.

Although he had to agree to Prince Lu's request to go to war due to the tyranny of his old man, he also wanted to gain military merit and show off in front of his old man.

But what kind of achievement can be achieved by doing such petty tricks now?

It seems that he has fallen into Zhu Tan's trap.

Therefore, after clearing out the last Japanese pirate stronghold in front of him, Zhu Di directly abandoned his previous plan and did not plan to enter Tamra. Instead, he ordered his troops to advance directly southward to destroy the Japanese pirates.

Upon hearing this order, the soldiers under Zhu Di cheered.

They had been waiting for more than a day or two. Every time they arrived at an island or reef, the artillery would bombard it. Just when they were about to land on the island to kill people, they could only see a mess.

Where are the Japanese pirates on the islands and reefs? They have all been blown to pieces, so who are they going to kill?
Going to the battlefield but having no battle to fight, having all the energy but not knowing where to use it, these brave soldiers of the Beiping Military Commission were going crazy and naturally agreed with Zhu Di's order.

So, on that day, Zhu Di led two ironclad warships under his command to ride the wind and waves and head straight to the south.

At the same time, Changguo County, the county seat.

Zhu Tan was standing in the square in the county town at this time, watching his soldiers rebuild the city wall.

Wang Junliang stood aside, his face showing no joy or sadness. (End of this chapter)