The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

The next day, Lin Yue returned to Chaotianmen, the place he had always been loyal to.

Zhu Di was a pretty good person. As long as you accomplished something, he would reward you immediately and rarely hesitated.

At the Fengtian Gate court assembly, after the bell tolled three times, all officials stood solemnly.

Lin Yue, dressed in a blue robe, stood in the ranks of court officials. Before he could even stand still, he heard Liu Jun, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, step forward to present his memorial.

He was originally a secretary in the Ministry of War, and in the first month of the first year of the Yongle reign, he was promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Left, and was eager to show his talents to the new emperor.

Liu Jun stepped forward, bowed, and held the tablet in both hands, saying, "Your Majesty, the Liaodong region borders the remnants of the Northern Yuan to the west and Korea to the east. The three Jurchen tribes, Haixi, Jianzhou, and Yeren Jurchen are scattered beyond the Great Wall, stretching for thousands of miles."

Since the Hongwu era, various tribes have either sent envoys to pay tribute or occasionally engaged in plunder. However, in recent years, the Northern Yuan tribe has repeatedly sent people to contact the Jurchens, attempting to form a pincer movement. If this trend is allowed to continue, it may lead to renewed chaos on the Liaodong border.

He paused, then said earnestly, "In my opinion, we should seize this opportunity to send envoys to pacify and win over the enemy!"

Envoys should be dispatched to the three regions. The Haixi and Jianzhou Jurchens have long been in trade with the Central Plains, so their leaders should be granted the titles of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, and be granted official seals and robes. Although the Wild Jurchens live in the far north, envoys should also be sent to proclaim the decree and grant them the titles of Thousand-Household Commander and Hundred-Household Commander.

At the same time, two trade markets were established in Kaiyuan and Guangning, allowing the Jurchens to exchange horses, furs, and ginseng for grain, ironware, and cloth from the Ming Dynasty. Each tribe was also ordered to send its sons to Beiping as hostages to demonstrate their loyalty.

"In this way," Liu Jun looked up at Zhu Di on the dragon throne and said loudly, "the Jurchen tribes, having received the honor of official titles and the benefits of trade, will surely be grateful for Your Majesty's kindness and submit to the Ming Dynasty."

"They reside to the east of the Northern Yuan, thus severing their arm and preventing the Northern Yuan from supporting each other. The Liaodong Garrison can also use the Jurchens as a shield, saving the cost of hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there. It's truly a win-win situation!"

Jin Zhong, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, immediately stepped forward and echoed, "Vice Minister Liu is absolutely right!"

Your Majesty, the Liaodong garrison needs to transport one million shi of grain every year, which costs hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, and the people are burdened with heavy corvée labor.

If the pacification of the Jurchens is successful and trade is established, the Ming Dynasty can acquire horses to replenish its military supplies and enrich its treasury. With stable border defenses, corvée labor can be reduced, and the costs of transporting grain can be saved, all of which will benefit the country and its people.

Seeing everyone's united efforts, Li Zhigang, the Minister of Rites, also expressed that he had something to say.

He had always advocated winning over distant lands with virtue, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, a true ruler has no outsiders; he wins over distant lands with virtue."

Although the Jurchens were barbarians on the border, they admired the Chinese civilization.

In the past, Emperor Taizu pacified the Jurchen tribes of Haixi, and various tribes sent envoys to pay tribute. Liaodong was peaceful for more than ten years. Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, it is appropriate to carry on Emperor Taizu's legacy, to demonstrate the power and virtue of the Ming Dynasty by bestowing titles and ranks, and to win their favor by promoting trade and mutual exchange.

In this way, distant peoples will submit, and all barbarians will be subdued. This will not only demonstrate Your Majesty's sagacity but also strengthen the defenses of Liaodong. This can be considered a way to pacify distant peoples.

Zhu Di sat upright on the dragon throne, listened to the ministers' advice, and found it reasonable.

Upon ascending the throne, his immediate priority was to stabilize the border regions. Liaodong, as the northern bulwark, was crucial to the overall situation.

The words of Liu Jun and others took into account both military defense and finance and etiquette, and every sentence hit the nail on the head, which can be described as very good.

Zhu Di slowly spoke: "What you have said is all reasonable."

"With the remnants of the Northern Yuan still entrenched, Liaodong remains unsettled, and the borders of the Ming Dynasty are difficult to pacify."

The Yongle Emperor's gaze swept over the officials in the hall, his tone growing increasingly firm: "My mind is made up. I hereby order Liu Jun to take the lead, in conjunction with the Ministry of Rites..."

Lin Yue, who was in the queue, suddenly turned pale. It was only the first year of Yongle's reign, and Zhu Di was already going to take in a cannibal tribe?

Thinking of the devastating national calamity of the late Ming Dynasty in the year 1444, Lin Yue said he could not stand idly by.

Lin Yue strode forward abruptly, his green robe fluttering in the wind, and raised a resounding voice in protest.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! The Vice Minister is mistaken. We absolutely cannot pacify the Jurchens of Liaodong at this time!"

The entire court was shocked. Lin Yue had previously been fined for making irresponsible remarks about foreign vassal states, and now he dared to contradict them in court.

And wasn't he sent to the shipyard by His Majesty before? Why is he back in court?

Liu Jun's face darkened: "Why did Lin, the Censor, say such a thing?"

Although the various Jurchen tribes have their own conflicts, they are all barbarians under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty. Appeasement can end the fighting; why can't it be done?"

Lin Yue was furious, his voice booming like a bell that echoed throughout the palace.

"In Liaodong, the remnants of the Xianbei, the Uriyangkhai, and the Jurchen lived together, and there were also cannibalistic tribes from the far north roaming there!"

This tribe is not benevolent; they eat human flesh. Some are skilled archers who shoot people they see and then eat their flesh raw.

These cannibalistic tribes were intertwined with various Jurchen tribes, and some smaller Jurchen tribes even allied themselves with them, conspiring to plunder.

Lin Yue spoke with great passion and fervor, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials.

"What distinguishes humans from beasts is that they possess propriety and righteousness. Those who eat people abandon propriety and righteousness and destroy human relations. How are they different from jackals and wolves?"

"A tribe that leads beasts to devour men is constantly plagued by fever; their wickedness is condemned by Heaven, and cannot be changed by education! The benevolent rule of the Great Ming Dynasty extends its blessings to those who possess propriety and righteousness, not to nurture such wicked beings!"

"If we send envoys to pacify them," Lin Yue said loudly, "firstly, it will be difficult to discern which of the Jurchen tribes are colluding with cannibals, and we fear that we might bring the wolves into the Central Plains."

Secondly, the act of appeasement allowed the evil practice of cannibalism to spread, leading to even more severe border troubles in the future.

Thirdly, the court has lost the trust of the loyal people of Liaodong, who have suffered greatly from plunder. How can their hearts be held when the court actually appeases a clan that associates with cannibals?

Zhu Di, seated on the dragon throne, looked at Lin Yue, who was speaking passionately below, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

He was somewhat afraid of Lin Yue's advice, fearing that if he said a few words, he would be subjected to a barrage of criticism.

Zhu Di simply fell silent, turning his gaze to the officials on both sides, and began to enjoy the spectacle.

The Ming emperor was extremely busy with state affairs, so he didn't care about such trivial matters; he would listen to whoever won the argument.

"Lin Gejian is mistaken!"

Minister of Rites Li Zhigang could no longer contain himself and stepped forward to bow.

As a staunch supporter of Confucianism, he highly valued the principles of benevolence towards distant peoples and the cultivation of moral virtue. How could he tolerate Lin Yue's denial of the policy of imperial rule?

He was furious after losing the argument last time and spent a long time reviewing the game in private. This time, he was determined to win decisively and wipe away the shame.

The Book of Documents says: "To pacify those far away and be able to reach those nearby, to cultivate virtue and be sincere to the people." Our Great Ming Dynasty is a celestial empire, and should subdue those far away with civil virtue, not with military force!

Li Zhigang stood holding his scepter, quoting classical texts with resounding force.

"In the past, when Cheng Tang overthrew Jie and King Wu conquered Zhou, they spread benevolence and virtue throughout the world, which led to the prosperity of all nations paying tribute. Although the Jurchens in Liaodong have a few tribes mixed with evil people, they are still people who admire civilization. How can we easily abandon them?"

He looked up at Zhu Di, his words righteous and stern.

The Analects says, "If people from afar do not submit, then cultivate your virtue and culture to attract them."

Lin, the remonstrating official, was worried that cannibals would cause trouble, but if the path of pacification was cut off because of this, trouble might break out on the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the evil habit of cannibalism is not something that people are born with, but rather a result of the harshness of the border regions and the lack of proper education.

Our Great Ming should send envoys to proclaim the Emperor's virtues, teach them farming and weaving techniques, and pass on the principles of propriety and righteousness. In time, bad habits will naturally disappear, and the people's hearts will naturally turn to us.

Li Zhigang turned to look at Lin Yue and angrily rebuked him: "When the Taizu Emperor pacified the various tribes in Yunnan, they also had a tendency to plunder. However, after decades of education, they are now all obedient subjects of the Ming Dynasty."

Lin Gejian feared that appeasement would invite trouble, but if they did not appease, the Jurchen tribes would have nowhere to turn and might be coerced by the Northern Yuan or other evil forces, which would only exacerbate the border troubles!

The Great Ming Dynasty, a superior nation, should naturally be magnanimous. If it shrinks back because of a few risks, how can it demonstrate the breadth of its magnanimity?