Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Youjian's mention of developing the North Pacific shipping route to Prince Qing was not just empty talk.

The following day, he summoned the vassal lords who were enfeoffed in the North Pacific to discuss the matter.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, who was to be sent to Japan to assume his fiefdom and whose territory was also along this route, said:
"In my opinion, Japan is the most important country on this shipping route."

"No matter where you start, going to Japan is always closer."

"We must conquer Japan to control this sea route."

Those nobles who planned to be granted fiefdoms in Japan echoed this sentiment.

As the northern core of the first and second island chains, Japan holds an irreplaceable position.

Whether for coastal defense or maritime trade, this place must be occupied.

They urged the emperor to launch a campaign against Japan as soon as possible and to occupy the entire country.

They were willing to lead their guards into battle to assist the imperial court in its campaign against Japan.

Even King Injo of Joseon, who was about to depart to return home, took the initiative to say:

"Your subject is willing to dispatch troops to assist the court in conquering Japan."

"I only ask that the court allow the Korean troops to join, so that Korea can avenge its past grievances."

Many Koreans have not forgotten the hatred caused by the Imjin War.

When they heard that the imperial court was going to conquer Japan, they were willing to provide assistance.

In particular, Li Zong has been in the Court of Colonial Affairs for the past few months and has been interacting with many nobles.

He did this to curry favor with these nobles and to cooperate with them.

Therefore, in addition to expressing his willingness to send troops, Yi Jong also offered the Busan Free Trade Zone located in the south of Korea, saying he was willing to use the port to provide logistics for the court.

Zhu Youjian was very pleased with his loyalty and praised him, saying:

"If the conquest of Japan is successful, Prince Shunren can also send one of his sons to Japan."

"The Ming Dynasty will not mistreat loyal vassal states; Joseon can become one of the twelve vassal states."

Li Zong was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately bowed to thank the emperor.

He stayed in the Ming Dynasty for the past few months in order to integrate into the Court of Colonial Affairs and strive for the position of one of the twelve regional governors.

Now that his wish has finally come true, it means that the Ming Dynasty has fully accepted him. How could he not be overjoyed!

Zhu Youjian then seized the opportunity and said:

"North Korea is densely populated and has limited land, so the population should also be limited according to the amount of arable land to prevent people from struggling to make a living and causing unrest."

"This campaign against Japan will not only require the Korean royal court to send troops, but also allow nobles to recruit soldiers and take them to Japan."

"Once the North Pacific shipping routes are stabilized in the future, we can also move to the fiefdom of the Shunren County Duke in the Americas."

"What does Prince Shunren think? Is he willing to relocate the people?"

How could Li Zong dare to utter a single word of refusal? He immediately expressed his willingness.

Although he knew that population could create wealth, as the Ming emperor said, too many people were also a burden and a source of instability.

Now, having some of the Ming nobles recruited will alleviate the burden on Korea.

As for what will happen in the future, there will be other solutions; North Korea will not lack manpower.

Seeing that Li Zong agreed, not only did Zhu Youjian show a satisfied expression, but the other nobles also looked delighted.

If they could recruit soldiers in Korea, it would be even easier to conquer Japan.

Especially given the precedent of the Yuan dynasty's failed campaign against the Japanese, they preferred to use Koreans as the vanguard.

What Zhu Youjian also wanted to do was to have the Koreans clear out the Japanese, making room for the Ming people who had migrated there.

Things that are inconvenient for the Ming people to do can be done by the Koreans. Use the Koreans to stir up hatred, and then the Ming can play the good guy.

He instructed the nobles present:
"North Korea and Japan have frequent interactions and are more familiar with each other."

"We should use Koreans to control the Japanese, as an auxiliary force for the Chinese."

“Especially those Koreans who naturalized in the Ming Dynasty can be regarded as Chinese.”

"Korea is an outer vassal state that has already been incorporated into China, and its monarch is a prince of the Ming Dynasty. You cannot treat them as outsiders."

These nobles were to be received by Prince Shunren, and treated with the same courtesy due to a prince.

Since the people needed Joseon's assistance in establishing their own vassal states, they naturally gave Joseon a lot of face.

After exchanging greetings with these people, Li Zong truly felt like a nobleman of the Ming Dynasty.

Then, at Zhu Youjian's suggestion, everyone decided to establish the Beiyang Group Company, modeled after the Dongning Group and the Nanyang Group, to operate shipping and trade in the North Pacific.

The interests of all rulers and future rulers are also connected through this company, forming a stable community.
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However, Zhu Youjian did not immediately agree to the nobles' suggestion to expedite the campaign against the Japanese pirates, saying:
"This year, the imperial court will continue its campaign against Annam, and next year it will pursue the Jurchens and conquer the Mongolian steppe."

"Grand Secretary Han also proposed to conquer Burma, while the various vassal states of Southeast Asia wanted to conquer Java and expel the Dutch."

"Even if the Ming Dynasty is strong, it cannot wage war everywhere."

"We need to determine the order of priority and conquer them one by one."

Let them discuss and determine the order of conquest.

When these nobles heard that the Ming Dynasty had so many directions for conquest, their eyes turned red with envy.

This is not something that doesn't concern them; it concerns their vital interests.

The direction chosen by the imperial court determines which direction will be prioritized for conquest. Military spending, equipment, and troops will all be allocated there first.

Thinking of the land, population, and wealth of those places, these people felt they couldn't give up and hoped to take over the places they had their eyes on as soon as possible.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, said:

Emperor Taizu of Song said: "How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?"

"Of all the surrounding countries, Japan is the closest to the Ming Dynasty and also the least compliant."

"I believe that we should prioritize the conquest of the Japanese pirates, and then, following the policy adopted for the Matsumae Domain, relocate the compliant Japanese lords to the South Seas for fiefdoms."

"This way, both options are convenient!"

This is the imperial court's strategy for dealing with Japanese feudal lords; it sounds quite reasonable and feasible.

But the key question is whether the nobles in Southeast Asia are willing. If they are not, this matter will need to be debated.

Zhu Youjian did not want the nobles to be a monolithic entity. He established titles such as Shuntian Noble and Zhongxing Noble in order to divide them.

The Beiyang and Nanyang factions were divided by region, and their conflicts provided the emperor with an opportunity to mediate.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian, who had already decided to delegate power and act as the adjudicator, said to them:
"According to the previously established rules of procedure, launching a war requires joint consultation between the Cabinet and the five branches of government."

"Whether to conquer the north first or the south first, you nobles of the Court of Colonial Affairs can vote on it yourselves and come up with an opinion."

"Then a court meeting was held to determine the direction of the expedition. The task was then handed over to the Privy Council for execution, and a battle plan was formulated."

"Now we need to take the first step: the nobles of the Court of Colonial Affairs should discuss this together. We can send a message to the nobles of Southeast Asia, asking them to come to the capital in person or send representatives to vote."

"Together with the Tang Fan case, a vote will be held at the end of the year to decide."

Let them fight it out themselves, and then make the final decision yourself.

The more fiercely these people argue, the better, so that their right to decide will be demonstrated.
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After leaving the palace, these nobles immediately began to coordinate and decide whether to conquer the north or the south first.

Those who were enfeoffed in the north naturally wanted to conquer the north first.

Those who were enfeoffed in the south wanted to conquer the south first.

A few years earlier or later makes a big difference. Now, many nobles envy those who get to choose their fiefdoms first.

If the court's policies change in a few years, they won't even have time to cry.

Therefore, the supporters of the two proposals engaged in a heated debate.

There were many nobles who led the northern expedition, and most of them were meritorious officials from Liaodong, commanding the strongest military force of the Ming Dynasty.

However, there were also many meritorious nobles who were sent to conquer the south, because Zhu Youjian arranged for the founding dukes and marquises who had been left behind to go to Annam to establish their own fiefdoms. In addition, the princes of Qin, Tang, Lu, and Chu were also enfeoffed in Southeast Asia.

Even if something happens to Tang Fan now, they can still make a big impact.

So the two groups argued for a long time, but the deadlock remained. Only Prince Fu and Prince Lu could represent the two noble groups to negotiate a peace.

Prince Lu, Zhu Changfang, was not particularly interested in politics; this time he was simply being forced into it. He said to Prince Fu:
"Luzhou has been developed and is currently being cultivated."

"Whether to conquer the south first or the north first, to be honest, I don't care."

"If you just want the nobles of Southeast Asia to give up, you should at least show some sincerity."

"We can't just send vassal kings to Southeast Asia and let them seize the land there."

This was the thinking of many noble families in Southeast Asia. They had already determined that the Southeast Asian countries had virtually no strength to resist the Ming Dynasty. They considered the lands of Southeast Asia as their own and naturally did not want others to take a share.

These people scoffed at the idea of ​​the Beiyang nobles to abandon the Japanese feudal lord in Southeast Asia.

They could take it themselves and had no intention of sharing it with others.

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was able to compete with Emperor Taichang for the crown prince position in the past, proving he was no incompetent fool.

However, due to suppression in previous years, they had to restrain themselves.

Now that he is old, he no longer has any desire to compete for the throne.

The current emperor is willing to relinquish power, and his abilities are gradually being revealed.

Facing Zhu Changfang, a "Buddhist disciple" devoted to Buddhism, Zhu Changxun said:

"Who said that all those sent to Southeast Asia were feudal lords?"

"And Japanese slaves."

"His Majesty has long said that the northern barbarians and the southern Japanese pirates pose the greatest threat to the Ming Dynasty."

"The Japanese are cruel and tyrannical, and are barbarians comparable to the Jurchens."

"We must destroy such an enemy's country and its people, and make it disappear completely."

"Therefore, all the people of Japan, except those who are extremely obedient and willing to be assimilated, are reduced to slaves."

“These slaves are perfect for being sent to plantations in Southeast Asia to discipline the natives.”

"What do you think of this generous gift? Would the nobles of Southeast Asia be willing to accept it?"

Zhu Changfang was terrified upon hearing this, and even dropped the Buddhist prayer beads he was playing with.

He never expected that Prince Fu would be so ruthless towards the Japanese, determined to wipe them out completely.

This was even crueler than the treatment of the Annamese; the entire Japanese population was to be reduced to slavery.

He said with a hint of reluctance:
"Japan is also a Buddhist country, isn't this too cruel?"

"I believe we should be a little more lenient and spare some of the submissive Japanese."

Upon hearing this, Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, remained silent, gazing towards the palace, and whispered:

"Does my brother think that I can be granted a fiefdom in Japan without any cost?"

"His Majesty has ordered me to eliminate the Japanese invaders and establish a vassal state in the north that is entirely Chinese, so that together with the Han vassal state, I can suppress the entire Japanese."

"This is not something you or I can decide; we must obey the emperor."

Zhu Changfang fell silent. He knew that his current position was due to the fact that he had been removed from the royal family and became a member of the imperial clan, posing no threat to the throne, and that he supported the emperor in everything.

Otherwise, why would he stay in the capital? He might have already been sent to his overseas fiefdom.

Therefore, he could only say:
"Since His Majesty has made this decision, we shall obey."

"To be honest, His Majesty is farsighted in many ways."

"I really suspect he is a true god from heaven."

As a Buddhist, he firmly believed in the existence of gods and Buddhas.

Moreover, he hoped that what the emperor said was true: that his grandmother was the Nine-Lotus Guanyin Bodhisattva and that he was a Buddhist disciple.

Upon hearing these words, Prince Fu knew that persuading Zhu Changfang was now a sure thing.

He laughed and said:

"His Majesty is certainly insightful and far-sighted!"

"What you call benevolence is indeed true. The Ming Society treats Japanese monks and Buddhist believers with special favor."

"But the so-called Shintoism, and their usurped emperor, must be reformed or eliminated."

"In the future, Japan will only have orthodox religions recognized by the Ming Dynasty, and will not allow the existence of heretical religions."

He explained to Prince Lu the policies he planned to implement in Japan.

Hearing this, Zhu Changfang knew that the emperor had already made up his mind. Naturally, he no longer insisted, and after receiving a promise from Prince Fu on behalf of the Beiyang nobles, he agreed to prioritize the northern expedition.

The two noble groups reached an agreement: after conquering Japan with their ships, they would then assemble their navy to expel the Dutch from Southeast Asia.

The Ming Dynasty's maritime strategy prioritized the north over the south.
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This decision immediately impacted Han Kuang's plans.

He intended to conquer Myanmar to supply timber for the planned shipbuilding industrial park.

Now that the nobles have decided to prioritize the northern campaigns, the South Seas, especially Burma in the southwest, will naturally be left to wait.

He was somewhat unwilling to give up and wanted to argue, but he was swayed by the suggestion brought by Wen Tiren and finally gave up the idea:
"Han Gong wants to conquer Burma because he intends to obtain teak from there."

"But teak is not only found in Myanmar, but also in places like Siam."

"I believe we can start with trade and have Siam and other places supply timber."

"When the time is right, we will send people to conquer Burma."

"Otherwise, a rash expedition to Burma that fails could damage the Prime Minister's prestige."

"Does Lord Han think that Yuan Chonghuan is absolutely certain of victory?"

This immediately hit the nail on the head regarding Han Kuang's biggest concern:

He also lacked confidence in Yuan Chonghuan.

In the past, Yuan Chonghuan's merit in defending Ningyuan was very prominent in the Ming Dynasty.

Even though Juehua Island was abandoned because of this, the imperial court still recognized his achievements.

However, after the emperor reformed the military and drove out the Jurchens, his achievements in defending the city suddenly became inconspicuous.

On the contrary, their flaws, such as being reckless and disobedient, became very apparent.

The reason he completely submitted to the emperor this year was partly because Yuan Chonghuan made a mistake in Annam, which implicated him.

Han Kuang was genuinely worried about using this to conquer Burma again.
What if the campaign fails? How will we handle that?

He didn't want to submit to the emperor again because of Yuan Chonghuan.

Wen Tiren, having discerned Han Kuang's psychology, boldly stated:

"In my opinion, Burma is not invincible, but we need to change the leadership."

"Yuan Chonghuan and Han Gong had a close relationship, a fact known to both the court and the public."

"Everyone else can use Yuan Chonghuan, but not Han Gong."

"Otherwise, if Yuan Chonghuan gets into trouble, Han Gong will be implicated."

“If I were to head the Grand Council, things would be different.”

"Whether he recommends Yuan Chonghuan or someone else, the success or failure of the Burma campaign will not affect Lord Han."

"After all, everyone in the court and the public knows that I am not on the same side as the Donglin faction."

He boldly expressed his thoughts, hoping Han Kuang would support him in taking command of military secrets. (End of Chapter)