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

As soon as Li Zhigang finished speaking, several other ministers in the hall nodded in agreement, clearly agreeing with the Minister of Rites's proposal to cultivate virtue and win over distant peoples.

Civil officials, naturally, would rather avoid war than fight, especially when they don't have military power.

All eyes of the officials once again turned to Zhu Di, waiting for the Yongle Emperor to make his own decisions.

"That's absurd!" Lin Yue retorted sharply. "Small groups of bandits can be wiped out, but if they mingle with the Jurchens and gain the protection of the court under the guise of pacification, they will become a major threat!"

In the past, the Turks were mixed with the White Huns. After being pacified, they turned against each other. The lessons of the past are still fresh!

The essence of governance lies in clearly distinguishing between good and evil and upholding the bottom line of human ethics.

Those who eat people are intolerable to Heaven and Earth, and are abhorred by both gods and men. If such people are allowed to bask in the emperor's rule, where is morality? Where is justice?

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the White Huns, after becoming allied with the Turks, turned against them and became the hegemon of Central Asia for a time. They plundered the Silk Road, and the Turks almost collapsed as a result, which can be described as a painful lesson.

The White Huns were Indo-European people with white skin, distinguished from those with yellow beards and red eyes, and they were nomadic people who came from the west.

Inside the hall, there was much discussion. The officials did not agree with Lin Yue's advice, but were curiously discussing whether people in Liaodong were actually cannibalistic.

Soon, with the sharing of many ministers with broad knowledge, everyone reached a consensus.

In the far north of Liaodong, there was indeed a group of barbarians who ate people and made a living by it.

It is said that because they often eat people, their eyelids become weak and unable to lift, their cheeks become swollen and puffy, and they often suffer from strange fevers, or become seriously ill and bedridden, or talk nonsense. Only fermented soybeans can alleviate their symptoms to some extent.

Zhu Di sat upright on the dragon throne, gazing intently at Lin Yue.

This madman is fierce and outspoken, yet he always manages to point out hidden dangers that ordinary people miss.

He originally intended to appease the Liaodong people, but he never expected that cannibalistic tribes would be mixed in with them.

Although it wasn't a big deal, it wouldn't look good if it were written into history books.

Seeing Zhu Di pondering, Lin Yue added, "Your Majesty, to secure the borders of Liaodong, we should adopt the strategy of eliminating evil and pacifying good. First, we should send elite cavalry to wipe out the cannibalistic tribes, and then we should distinguish the various Jurchen tribes."

Those who sever ties with cannibals and are willing to abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty will be permitted to trade. Those who remain obstinate will be intimidated by military force. In this way, the Jurchen people will naturally divide among themselves, and those who are more devoted to the rule of the Ming Dynasty will be selected.

Zhu Di slowly nodded, still thinking of appeasement, but with a distinction between close and distant relationships.

His gaze swept over the officials standing solemnly in the hall, and he said in a deep voice: "Vice Minister Liu advocated pacification in order to secure the border and cut off the Northern Yuan's support, while Lin gave advice to suppress evil in order to prevent hidden dangers and uphold the bottom line of human ethics."

Both of their arguments have merit.

Emperor Yongle paused briefly, then spoke in a loud voice.

"However, there are still two unclear aspects regarding the situation in Liaodong. First, whether the cannibals are a small group of wandering people or have already become a force to be reckoned with, and how deeply they are connected with the various Jurchen tribes."

Secondly, among the three Jurchen tribes, it remains to be determined which side allies with the evil tribes and which side is loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

"The matter of pacification concerns the safety of hundreds of thousands of people in Liaodong, as well as the national character of the Ming Dynasty. It should not be decided lightly."

Zhu Di said in a loud voice: "Issue my decree that the Vice Commander of the Liaodong Military Command shall immediately dispatch elite scouts to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the various tribes in Liaodong, their locations, and their acts of plunder. At the same time, clarify the connections between the Jurchen Haixi, Jianzhou, and Yeren tribes and submit a report in detail."

Anyone who leads beasts to devour people shall be executed.

Zhu Di's gaze fell upon the crowd below the steps, and he said decisively, "The proposal to offer amnesty shall be put on hold for the time being!"

After the Liaodong Military Command reports to the capital, a decision will be made based on the actual situation.

Court adjourned!

Not long after the court session ended, Lin Yue was led to the Qianqing Palace by an eunuch.

As soon as he stepped through the palace gate, Zhu Di's cheerful voice rang out from the main hall.

"No need for formalities! You've always been arrogant, lad. You've been imprisoned three times but still refused to bow down. There's no need to be bound by these empty formalities."

Zhu Di knew that Lin Yue was upright, unyielding, and unruly, and that he, the Yongle Emperor, also disliked formalities and didn't care much about such empty formalities.

For example, in the third year of the Yongle reign, a delegation from the Timurid Empire arrived in Nanjing, ostensibly to pay tribute, but in reality to probe the strength and weaknesses of the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, Timur openly defied Zhu Di and planned an eastern expedition.

Timur's envoy was extremely arrogant, refusing to perform the prostration ceremony and claiming that he "only prostrates himself before Allah and Timur the Great Khan." At the banquet, he deliberately provoked the guests by refusing to eat the special food provided in accordance with Islamic law and claiming that he suspected the Ming Dynasty of poisoning him.

Zhu Di was unconcerned about the arrogant behavior of Timur's envoy, instead saying, "Barbarian people don't know propriety, why be so harsh on them?"

However, this magnanimous behavior gave Timur the wrong impression. The Timur king thought that Zhu Di's weakness was a sign that the Ming Dynasty was afraid of them, so he really decided to launch an eastern expedition against the Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhu Di's good intentions did not receive a positive response from Lin Yue.

Lin Yue, who had always disregarded etiquette, not only did not stop, but instead straightened his robes and bowed, performing the salute seriously with neat and solemn movements, without the slightest perfunctoriness.

As he stood up, he suddenly raised his eyes, all respect vanished, and launched into a tirade against Zhu Di.

"Your Majesty has asked me to dispense with the formalities? I dare not!"

"Rites and laws are the fundamental principles of the world and the foundation of the state; how can Your Majesty so easily discard them with a single word?"

There was no other reason for doing this; it was purely to provoke Zhu Di.

Regardless of this or that, criticizing Zhu Di a few more times will surely benefit him in dying for the country.

"In the past, the Duke of Zhou established rites and music, which led to the thousand-year-old order of China!"

"The ruler is the guide for his subjects, the father is the guide for his son, there is order between legitimate and illegitimate children, and there is proper respect between elders and juniors. This is the foundation of the Ming Dynasty!" Lin Yue pressed on, his voice booming like a bell echoing through the hall.

"Your Majesty, as the Prince of Yan, raised an army and marched south. Four years of war have left countless bones exposed in the fields."

Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, instead of revising the rites and appeasing the people, you lightly declare "no more formalities"?!

Lin Yueji pointed at Emperor Yongle in the hall, his eyes wide with anger, looking every bit the righteous and stern loyal minister, but what he was saying was a fallacy of alarmist rhetoric about a slippery slope.

"If Your Majesty can disregard etiquette and law today, the feudal lords will follow suit and rebel against Your Majesty. In the future, your subjects will betray Your Majesty's grace and plot rebellion."

When the rites and music collapsed, the world descended into chaos!

Lin Yue spoke with tears streaming down his face, bowing his head as he offered his advice.

"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler of the Great Ming, yet you have acted in a way that violates the laws and etiquette of the Great Ming. You hold the highest position, yet you have treated the very foundation of the nation with contempt!"

How is this any different from the tyrannical Qin Dynasty of yesteryear?

"Today, I, Your Majesty, humbly request that Your Majesty uphold the importance of propriety and law. If Your Majesty insists on abandoning these fundamental principles, I am willing to die to remonstrate and set the record straight for the people!"

Lin Yue's words, whether spoken or implied, were all about "usurping the throne," "breaking the rules," and "disrupting the world," which could be considered a deliberate attack on Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was taken aback at first, but he wasn't angry: "You arrogant fool, you have quite the temper! I told you to dispense with the formalities, but you insisted on going against the grain!"

Emperor Yongle turned to the side and pointed to the old man in monk's robes beside him, introducing him.

"This is the monk Daoyan Yao Guangxiao. I relied heavily on his planning during the Jingnan Rebellion. Both of you are extraordinary people. If you have any good ideas in the future, you can speak frankly to me."