The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 169 Reminds Feng Sheng

Inside the tent, candlelight shone brightly.

Seeing that his eldest uncle Chang Mao's stubborn temper was flaring up, he spoke with a tone full of protectiveness.

Zhu Xiong Ying felt a warmth in her heart, but smiled and said, "Uncle, you're going too far!"

"My nephew doesn't have that kind of ability! As I just said, this victory in Liaodong was the result of everyone's efforts—"

"On the other hand, the situation remains severe, and we must not be careless!"

"Firstly, Nahachu has surrendered, and hundreds of thousands of his followers are awaiting resettlement!"

"Secondly, the remnants of the Yuan dynasty in the northern deserts are still sharpening their swords; unless this threat is eliminated, the northern border will remain unsettled!"

"Therefore, for the entire Ming Dynasty, it is far from the time to reward those who have rendered meritorious service."

The destruction of the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty was always the core objective of the Northern Expedition!

Historically, after pacifying Liaodong, Zhu Yuanzhang resumed preparations for war in the same year!

The following year, under the leadership of his maternal uncle Lan Yu, the army was finally won in the Battle of Buyur Lake!

Now, the northern border is teeming with renowned generals, well-trained soldiers, and ample provisions.

They were determined to launch another war in the northern deserts and achieve even greater results!

Zhu Xiong Ying paused for a moment, then continued, "When I wrote to the Emperor before, I also suggested that once the Liaodong war was over, the main force of our Great Ming should continue to stay in the Beiping, Daning, and Kaiping line to recuperate and stockpile grain!"

"Once the weather warms up next year, we can seize the momentum and decisively defeat the Yuan invaders!"

Chang Mao was delighted to hear this.

"We'll wait until the day our troops march out of the northern desert, and we'll personally capture that Togus Temur! We'll tie him up and show him to His Majesty, and make our nephew proud!"

Chang Mao spoke with such certainty.

This amused Zhu Di.

He glanced sideways, stroked his beard, and said, "The Duke of Zheng's courage is commendable!"

"But military campaigns involve many factors! Even on the battlefield, caution is still necessary—"

"Especially the northern desert region, which is far inferior to Liaodong. It's vast and sparsely populated; in the harsh winter, people can freeze to death!"

"Moreover, the remnants of the Yuan cavalry are skilled in riding and archery, and often appear and disappear without a trace. If we launch a hasty attack, we will only get surrounded."

"Just like this campaign against Nahachu, our Great Ming Dynasty prioritizes a steady and methodical approach, advancing step by step to secure a decisive victory and eliminate border threats forever!"

Let's discuss the implied meaning behind Prince Yan Zhu Di's words.

This is clearly a warning to the Crown Prince's brother-in-law that he should prioritize the overall situation and not act rashly!

Over the years, as a vassal king, he had dealt with the Yuan invaders quite a bit while guarding the border!

Much of what is said here is based on experience.

Chang Mao understood, but pretended not to. He glared at him and chuckled, "What the Prince of Yan said!"

"Don't we have our good nephew around? He's giving us advice from behind, so we just need to charge forward and not worry about anything else! As for these brain-intensive tasks, we can leave them to our nephew!"

The multiplication table of three times seven equals twenty-one already existed as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods!

The Chu and Qin bamboo slips unearthed in later generations all contain records of this!

This clearly demonstrates the wisdom of our ancestors!

It's truly breathtaking!

Hearing what my uncle said...

His unwavering belief was evident in his words.

Zhu Xiong Ying had mixed feelings.

His uncle, just like Master Zhang in the novel, was rough but meticulous, loyal and righteous, and also impulsive and brave!

Zhang Fei had the protection of Emperor Zhaolie of Han, Liu Bei, and his maternal uncle, Chang Mao, who naturally had him as his nephew!

But without his nephew, along with his maternal uncle Lan Yu, their fate would inevitably be tragic!

Furthermore, the reason I kept his eldest uncle by my side last time, thanks to Feng Sheng's suggestion, was also for protection, to prevent any unexpected situations from arising.

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said, "Uncle, don't worry! Your nephew will definitely lead you to victory in the future!"

Chang Mao laughed continuously after hearing this.

The other noblemen, including Li Jinglong and Xu Yungong, who were also in the tent, each had their own feelings.

The eldest grandson of the emperor is truly a man of deep affection.

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Xiong Ying turned around and looked at his fourth uncle, and couldn't help but ask, "I discussed the resettlement of the surrendered soldiers with you before. Did you submit a memorial to the Emperor regarding this, Fourth Uncle?"

As a prince responsible for guarding the border, Zhu Di had a duty to perform this task.

When his nephew asked, he didn't hide anything and quickly nodded, saying, "My nephew is right!"

"Just yesterday, we sent a memorial to the capital by express courier!"

"Furthermore, I have spoken with my father that when the time comes, some of the able-bodied surrendered soldiers can be incorporated into the garrisons according to the plan discussed with General Feng, to continue to assist in guarding the border! The other part will go to the Beiping and Daning areas to cultivate land!"

"As for the elderly, the weak, women, and children, they can be dispersed among the various prefectures and counties, given a place to live, and exempted from taxes for three years!"

"Furthermore, as my nephew said, only Han people can provide a stable foundation for the pacification of our Great Ming territory. Therefore, the policy of resettling people to populate the border regions is an inevitable step!"

"Just a few months ago, my father and I wrote to each other, and both mentioned this—"

Currently, we are summarizing the Mongol-Yuan period.

For the sake of peace and unity, Zhu Di, though believing that the Chinese and barbarians should be one and avoiding division and separation, always upheld the fundamental principle of maintaining Han rule.

However, even with these thoughts and ideas, there are hidden dangers—

For example, excessive affluence ultimately led to the rise of the Jianzhou Jurchens!

Hearing his fourth uncle's words, Zhu Xiong Ying pondered for a moment and said, "Fourth Uncle's considerations are indeed more comprehensive than mine!"

"My imperial grandfather has always wanted to completely resolve the border troubles, and he values ​​the livelihoods of the people in the border regions even more!"

"Based on the details presented by my fourth uncle, this approach can both appease the surrendered people and replenish the local population—a win-win situation. I'm sure the court will agree after deliberation!"

At this point, Zhu Xiong Ying looked at the others in the tent and said, "However, given the large number of surrendered soldiers, General Feng will certainly need some manpower to assist and guide them in the subsequent pacification efforts!"

"And in Beiping, there's my uncle and Brother Li, who are in charge of the new recruit training!"

"As for the others, such as Uncle Xu and Uncle Tang, why don't we set off for Jinshan tomorrow to assist in reorganizing the surrendered soldiers?"

Upon hearing this arrangement, Xu Yungong, Tang Ding, and the others immediately agreed.

It was already late at night.

With Nahachu's surrender, there are still many important matters to be addressed.

After the meeting concluded, Zhu Di, Chang Mao, and the others departed.

Zhu Xiong Ying was alone in the tent. He took the plum juice handed to him by San Bao, took a sip, and fell into deep thought.

For example, this Northern Expedition did not encounter any major problems.

It was much smoother than I had imagined!

But when he thought of Feng Sheng, he couldn't help but feel worried.

After all, Lao Feng was a master at fighting, but he could never get rid of his greedy nature!

Naha was born into the Northern Yuan dynasty and served as a Grand Commandant. He occupied Liaodong for many years and amassed a great fortune.

How could Lao Feng not be tempted?

According to historical records, Feng Sheng was stripped of his military power because he hoarded treasures and forcibly married the daughter of a Mongol prince!

Given Lao Zhu's fiery temper, if he commits the same offense again, he will inevitably be severely punished!

Unfortunately, Feng Sheng was the commander-in-chief and was on the front line, while he stayed behind and could not personally supervise him!

At this critical moment, we still need to think of a way to offer some reminders from the sidelines!