The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 131 Father and Son Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

At Zhu Yuanzhang's command, everyone immediately entered the banquet hall.

Then, they took their seats in order of seniority.

After the palace maids had set out the dishes.

Empress Ma pointed to the dish beside her, a plate of braised pork, and said to the eunuch, "Place this dish in front of Ma'er!"

"Horse, have a taste. It's still your favorite flavor. I specially added rock sugar inside. Your mother personally oversaw it and had the imperial kitchen stew it for over an hour until it's practically melted in your mouth!"

Empress Ma doted on her adopted son!

Today's dishes were all made by the imperial kitchen according to the dishes that my adopted son, Xu Sima, liked, as I remembered them!

Upon seeing this, Xu Sima quickly stood up and said, "Thank you, Mother!"

As soon as you pick up a piece of meat and put it in your mouth, you'll feel its soft, sweet, and fragrant flavor melt instantly on your tongue.

As he chewed, tears welled up in his eyes again, this dignified seven-foot-tall man. He nodded and said, "Mother's cooking is still the best, exactly the same as when I was a child!"

"If the horse likes to eat, let it eat more!"

'

Empress Ma was very pleased. As she spoke, she pointed to the dish next to her and said, "And this fish has few bones, try it too!"

""

Xu Sima echoed in agreement.

During this period, Empress Ma did not forget her eldest son Zhu Biao, her eldest grandson Zhu Xiong Ying, and her other children and grandchildren.

He kept asking the eunuchs to bring the dishes in front of him over.

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood and had a eunuch bring out osmanthus wine, a tribute from the local area, to drink with his sons.

As the eldest nephew, Zhu Xiong Ying inevitably led his younger brothers to step forward and offer toasts, and the uncle and nephew exchanged many words!

After the family dinner ended, it was getting late.

The crowd gradually took their leave.

It was clear that his grandfather, Biao'er's father, and his uncle, Xu Sima, still had some things to say to each other.

Zhu Xiong Ying, supporting her grandmother, first returned to Kun Ning Palace.

After moving to the Huagai Hall, they entered the warm pavilion.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne and offered seats to his two sons.

After shielding himself from view, Old Zhu, his face flushed from drinking, looked down, stroked his beard, and solemnly said, "Ma'er, we have already drafted an imperial edict to summon you back to the capital this time. You are hereby appointed as the Vice Commander of the Central Military Commission, a position of the second rank!"

"After all, you've spent over ten years in Henan and are familiar with military affairs. You'd be a good fit to help Biao'er organize military affairs across the region!"

On the way back, his younger brother Zhu Biao had already told him about this matter.

Xu Sima immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness. I will do my utmost to assist His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Get up!

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand, glanced at his eldest son, and turned back to say, "I know your abilities; Biao'er often praises you. I trust you with the military affairs this time!"

"Furthermore, as you are in the Central Plains, you should know that the greatest threat to our Great Ming Dynasty is none other than the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty!"

"Furthermore, since Wang Baobao's death, the remnants of the Yuan dynasty have been fragmented. Yet Nahachu still occupies Jinshan and commands an army of over 200,000. For many years, he has been harassing us from the south. If this threat is not eliminated, we will not be at peace, and neither will the Ming dynasty!"

Father's words are over.

Zhu Biao then added, "Just as my father said, without eliminating Nahachu, it will be difficult to launch further battles!"

"Several months ago, Father Emperor decided to launch a formal campaign next year to recover the Liaodong region!"

"However, the enemy has been operating for many years and has deep roots, so the imperial court dares not take it lightly."

Zhu Biao expressed some of his concerns.

After a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "What Biao'er said is exactly what we're worried about!"

"What are the horse's thoughts on next year's war?"

Upon hearing this...

As the effects of the alcohol wore off, Xu Sima became much more sober. After a moment's thought, he slowly replied, "Your Majesty, to the best of my knowledge, Nahachu is not a top-tier warrior, but he excels in defensive tactics and guerrilla warfare!"

"Furthermore, as the Crown Prince just stated, this man has been entrenched in Jinshan for many years, with fortifications scattered throughout. His soldiers are mostly veterans. If our Ming army launches a strong attack, we will inevitably suffer heavy casualties! Moreover, given the sheer number of his cavalry, once they scatter, it will be difficult to encircle and annihilate them all!"

"Moreover, on the surface, the remnant Yuan Dynasty appears to be fragmented, but Nahachu still maintains a connection with Benyashiri in the northern desert!"

"If our Great Ming Dynasty presses too hard during our campaign, their people are very likely to unite!"

"Therefore, in my opinion, this northern expedition must not be rushed. We must proceed step by step, first severing the connection between the two sides, then gradually retaking Liaodong and forcing Nahachu to surrender. This is the best strategy!"

Xu Sima's strategy.

However, what Zhu Xiong Ying said when he left Beijing with Lan Yu was not much different.

The discussions that Zhu Yuanzhang and his ministers, including Xu Da, had over the past few months also included this consideration from a holistic perspective.

Old Zhu stroked his beard and said, "What Ma'er said makes sense. We had a conversation with Tiande the other day. If our Ming army goes deep into Liaodong and is bogged down on the battlefield for a long time, food and supplies will be a major problem, especially since the remnant Yuan cavalry are elusive and easy targets for surprise attacks!"

"For next year's war, we must strengthen our defenses the most."

The Northern Expedition was discussed.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the urgent report that had arrived yesterday, and, intrigued, pondered, "There is a region in the southwest that Ma'er is unaware of, but Ying'er already led a large army to attack Luchuan at the beginning of the month!"

"Their troops split into three routes, each departing from Tengchong, Jingdong, and Lujiang—"

When discussing the war in the southwest, Xu Sima frowned and said, "As far as I know, the mountain roads in the southwest are rugged, making it difficult for a large army to deploy. The chieftain's troops are also skilled at ambushes, and their elephant cavalry is the most troublesome; ordinary arrows and swords cannot harm them."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "We were worried about this too. Back then, when Lan Yu and his men pacified the southwest, they suffered a lot at the hands of the elephant cavalry!"

"However, don't worry, Ma'er! Last year, our eldest grandson proposed using fire arrows to attack the enemy! Ying'er tried it and found it extremely effective!"

"But since the beginning of the year, a considerable amount has been transported from various places, which should surely be effective in dealing with those elephant troops—"

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang turned to the side, pointed to his eldest son Zhu Biao, and said, "Around the middle of the year, following Biao'er's plan, let Ying'er handle everything. Contact the chieftains of Cheli and Pingmian, who have a grudge against Silunfa, and promise them that as long as they help us fight Luchuan, they will be promoted and ennobled after the war!"

"Over the years, Silunfa has been cruel and ruthless, and the chieftains under his command have long been dissatisfied!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Sima's eyes lit up.

As the saying goes: "Father and son go to war together, brothers fight tigers together."

The younger brother Zhu Biao and the eldest nephew Zhu Xiong Ying jointly planned in the capital.

Mu Ying was in charge of the battle at the front lines.

With everyone united, how can we not defeat the Luchuan army and restore peace to the southwest?

Xu Sima rose, bowed, and said solemnly, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"With this complementary strategy, coupled with Wenying's consistent and steady approach to warfare, and his years of experience in Yunnan giving him a thorough understanding of the local situation, we are confident that we can pacify Luchuan in one fell swoop!"

The adopted son's words struck a chord with Old Zhu.

He patted the armrest and said in a deep voice, "The horse is right!"

"We also wish for peace and stability as soon as possible! For Yunnan is the rear of the Ming Dynasty, and it must not be allowed to descend into chaos!"

"Once Luchuan is pacified, we will have Ying'er continue to guard it, so that the border defenses can be strengthened! This way, the court will have no worries about the rear and can launch a full-scale northern expedition in the next year or two to wipe out the remnants of the Yuan dynasty in one fell swoop!"