Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 73 The Dragon and Snake Transformation: The Gradually Taking Shape of the Jingnan Entrepreneurial Team!

"Your Highness."

Yao Guangxiao saw through everything from Zhu Di's changing expression and said, "Those who achieve great things throughout history have never been bound by trivialities."

"Your Majesty also faced a predicament in your early years, and underwent a transformation that resembled that of a dragon and a snake."

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"I understand."

Zhu Di's eyes flickered, and he nodded.

Since ancient times, the country has always belonged to the capable, so he certainly wouldn't be so pedantic as to not understand this.

There's a saying in Go: "Gold corners, silver edges, and grass belly."

"The golden corners refer to the four corners of the board, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"The silver edges refer to the four edges of the chessboard, and are secondary!"

"Finally, there is the grass belly, the central area of ​​the chessboard, which is surrounded by enemies on all sides, making it easy to attack but difficult to defend."

"All dynasties throughout history have followed this pattern in their rise to power."

"The Qin, Han, Jin, Sui and Tang dynasties all established their capitals in Guanzhong. During the reign of Kublai Khan, the Yuan dynasty established its capital in Beiping, which was called Dadu, in the Hebei area."

"However, Guanzhong and Hebei have declined and gradually lost their original important status, and Shu is closed off and cannot achieve the goal of becoming a king or hegemon."

"Only Jiangdong has a dense population since the eastward migration of the Han Chinese, and the area around Taihu Lake is full of fertile fields."

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"Our dynasty originated in the southeast and established its capital in Nanjing, thus occupying a corner of the country."

"When His Highness was enfeoffed in Beiping, the only one who could be compared with him was the Prince of Qin."

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"But outside Guanzhong, Hexi and Hetao have been recovered, and Beiting and Mobei serve as natural barriers, leaving no room for us to fight."

"Once the Kings of Qin and Jin are enfeoffed, the court and the people will certainly not allow them to control real power. The only people they can command are the three guards of the princes."

"Your Highness is different. Liaodong is not yet pacified, and neither Goryeo nor Japan have submitted a memorial to the Ming Dynasty to acknowledge their subservience and pay tribute."

"His Majesty established the Southern Protectorate, which was originally prepared for Your Highness."

"The tribes on the grasslands have already regarded Your Highness as the messenger of the Eternal Heaven. This is the power Your Highness can utilize."

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"Throughout history, among all the princes, only Your Highness possesses such power."

""

Yao Guangxiao meticulously listed Zhu Di's trump cards one by one, and what he revealed was astonishing.

"Monk."

Zhu Di curled his lip and said sarcastically, "Have you forgotten that I have been summoned back to the capital?"

"My third brother is not married yet. It will take at least a few more years until I get married and take up my fief."

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"It's too early for you to say these things now."

""

"Your Highness must not be so humble about yourself."

Yao Guangxiao interrupted Zhu Di, his face serious, and said, "Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure."

"His Highness being in the capital does not mean he has no influence over Beiping."

brush!!!"

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Di's eyes, and he asked uncertainly, "You mean Father will allow me to remotely control Beiping?"

"His Highness's three bodyguards crawled out of piles of corpses."

"The current emperor will naturally not allow Your Highness's guest army to linger in the capital at all times."

Yao Guangxiao said firmly.

Just kidding. Who was Zhu Yuanzhang? He was a powerful man who rose from a beggar and a novice monk to the throne. How could he not know about the Xuanwu Gate Incident?

If Prince Yan Zhu Di's 16800 men were placed in Yingtian Prefecture, even an army of 100,000 might not be able to stop them.

"That's interesting."

"continue."

Touching his chin, Zhu Di continued to look at Yao Guangxiao.

"This humble monk believes that His Majesty should allow His Highness to remotely command the southern and northern regions of the Gobi Desert to defend against the remnants of the Yuan forces in Liaodong."

"The Prince of Yan's Protectorate Army will definitely be transferred to Beiping to protect the region."

"This is the best time for Your Highness to intervene in both places, thereby weaving a vast net that covers North China."

"When Your Highness takes up your fiefdom, Yan will surely become the strongest fiefdom in the world."

Yao Guangxiao's resounding words echoed in the side room.

"it is good."

Zhu Di shouted his approval, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Although he was a time traveler and had memories of the general course of the Ming Dynasty, he was not clear about the details. Yao Guangxiao's appearance filled this gap and gave him the most direct and effective advice for reference.

No wonder that throughout history, those who vied for power and the throne always needed their own think tanks; it was indeed very important.

"Does Your Highness think that if you don't want to do it, there's still a chance to change things after returning to the capital?"

Yao Guangxiao pressed him further with questions.

"Monk."

"If I do this, the court and the people will be shaken."

""

Zhu Di said with a complicated expression.

"hehe."

Yao Guangxiao sneered: "Your Highness's achievements have surpassed the Crown Prince's prestige in the court and among the people."

""

"How could His Majesty allow this to continue?"

"The scholars of eastern Zhejiang all supported the Crown Prince, and the nobles of western Huai also respected him."

""

"Isn't Your Highness surrounded by enemies these days?"

""

Zhu Di was speechless; it seemed he really didn't have his own support group.

Wang Baobao had just surrendered, and Xu Da had always sided with Zhu Yuanzhang, relying solely on his three thousand battalions, five armies, and Shenji battalion to conquer the world.

That's not enough, let alone governing the country. The important ministers of the Yongle era, such as the Three Yangs and Xia Yuanji, are either just born or only a few years old.

"Human hearts are made of flesh."

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"The officials of the Prince of Yan's mansion were indeed from Zhejiang, but they did not make the same choices as their fathers."

"In their minds, His Highness is far more legendary than His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Why doesn't Your Highness try to nurture them and weave wings for them?"

"Yao Guangxiao saw Zhu Di's predicament and proposed a solution."

"Um."

Zhu Di nodded slightly and made a mental note of it.

"Although His Majesty does not allow His Highness to leave, His Highness is not completely bound hand and foot."

"Your Highness can't get involved in the Secretariat or the Grand Military Commission. Why doesn't Your Highness create an opportunity for yourself?"

"Create your own opportunities?"

Zhu Di turned to look at Yao Guangxiao, the black-clad monk, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"The right of princes to participate in politics is a power granted by His Majesty."

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"At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the laws and regulations were in their infancy, especially the official system of the court and local governments, which were mostly based on the Yuan Dynasty."

"The former Yuan dynasty had a vast territory. The Mongols lived a nomadic life and enfeoffed Han Chinese hereditary lords to govern the local areas and collect taxes."

"The Ming Dynasty is different. The Ming Dynasty must be able to effectively manage local areas and avoid a repeat of the situation in Fengyang."

"Your Highness's actions in the northern deserts and the northern court were all exemplary in governing the army and managing the government."

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"I'm sure His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince will consult His Highness on this matter."

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Yao Guangxiao stroked his long beard, looking confident and composed.

Governing the local area.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's eyes flickered. His mind was filled with memories of the future, and this was exactly what he was looking for, hitting right into his comfort zone.

The Ming and Qing dynasties can be considered the absolute pinnacle of feudal dynasties, and many of their systems are highly relevant to our understanding, such as the Grand Secretariat, the Grand Council, and the three-tiered system of provinces, prefectures (states), and counties. In light of the current situation, many of these systems could even skip the present and directly enter the modern era.

Zhu Yuanzhang's abolition of the Central Secretariat, his direct control of the Ministry of War, the transformation of the Grand Military Commission into the Five Military Commissions, and the establishment of the Three Offices in the local areas all had great room for improvement, which presented him with opportunities.

PS: The four corners are: Guanzhong (northwest), Shu (southwest), Hebei (northeast), and Jiangdong (southeast).

The four border regions: Qilu (Shandong), Jingxiang (Hubei), Hanzhong, and Sanjin (Shanxi).

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Grass belly: Central Plains (present-day Henan)