Chapter 110: Deliberating on Luchuan

Chapter 110: Debating Luchuan

Zhu Qizhen returned to the Forbidden City as per his routine, and the meeting concerning the Luchuan issue became an urgent necessity. Over the past day or two, figures from all sides had been buzzing with discussion about the situation in Luchuan.

Zhu Qizhen first reviewed the memorials submitted by various factions. As he had expected, public sentiment was inflamed; the majority of court officials supported a massive troop surge into Yunnan to strike back at Luchuan. However, there were dissenting voices. Zhu Qizhen discovered two men who opposed the expedition: Liu Qiu, a director in the Ministry of Rites, and He Wenyuan, the Senior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Both men possessed the stature of distinguished ministers.

Liu Qiu, the director, was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations in the nineteenth year of the Yongle reign, the same year as Yu Qian. Yu Qian had once mentioned Liu Qiu to Zhu Qizhen, describing him as a gentleman of the old school. Yet, Zhu Qizhen did not value him highly. His service record revealed he was merely a literary official; serving in the Ministry of Rites, he held great prestige among the literati, but in Zhu Qizhen’s eyes, he was nothing remarkable.

He Wenyuan was different. He had risen through the ranks as a local official, having achieved the finest record of governance in eastern Zhejiang. He had climbed the ladder step by step from magistrate to prefect, and he knew far too much about the hidden ills of the provinces. If he said a plan would not work, there were naturally sound reasons for it.

Therefore, Zhu Qizhen set aside the memorials supporting the reinforcements and carefully read He Wenyuan’s submission first. He Wenyuan’s argument hinged on two main points: first, the logistical difficulties of a campaign in Yunnan would inevitably cause unrest throughout the realm. Second, the issue of post-war governance: the land could not be occupied, and the people could not be governed; in the end, the imperial court would be forced to withdraw. Such a scenario offered no benefits to the court.

He also proposed a solution: dispatch a heavy-hitting general to hold Yunnan, much like Zhao Chongguo’s pacification of the Qiang tribes—farming while fighting, keeping troop levels low, and allowing time to take its course. Success would surely follow.

Zhu Qizhen felt there was merit in He Wenyuan’s words, but capable generals were hard to find. If Mu Sheng had been capable, he would not have allowed Luchuan to grow to such a state. Yet, the Mu family had held Yunnan for two generations; replacing them with another general would be difficult, not only because of the Mu family’s local influence but because there were so few generals truly up to the task.

He Wenyuan intended for the war to be confined to Yunnan, arguing that even if it took a long time, it would not matter. The general sent to hold Yunnan would need to be young enough to endure the southern climate, capable of managing troops in the saddle and tilling the fields upon dismounting, and strong enough to overawe the Mu family and force them to serve the court’s interests. Zhu Qizhen did not have such a general in his repertoire. Moreover, He Wenyuan had served in the interior for too long and lacked a true understanding of the situation in Luchuan. In his view, Luchuan was a mere speck of land with fewer than ten thousand troops, unaware that the core of Luchuan held hundreds of thousands of people, with influence stretching over a thousand miles. It was a kingdom in all but name, its power only slightly inferior to Annam. Zhu Qizhen feared that without a significant troop increase, Dali and Chuxiong would be in danger, and Yunnan would be lost to the throne.

Winning was easy; ensuring lasting peace was the difficulty. Only after finishing He Wenyuan’s memorial did Zhu Qizhen look at those from officials supporting a full-scale deployment. This was a method he had learned from the Empress Dowager: no matter the circumstances, examine the minority opinion first. It was not that the dissenting voice was always correct, but when the entire court spoke with one voice, expressing a different opinion required immense courage. Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, such views deserved careful consideration.

Among those supporting the war, there were two memorials Zhu Qizhen scrutinized. The first was from Zhang Fu, and the second from Yang Rong. Zhang Fu needed no introduction; he was always a hardliner in foreign affairs. Even when the entire court favored abandoning Annam, Zhang Fu had argued his case to the end. Now, he stated clearly in his memorial that failing to increase troop strength in Yunnan would be tantamount to abandoning the province.

Yang Rong was far more rational than Zhang Fu, yet he went a step further. If Zhang Fu was still debating why the court must send reinforcements, Yang Rong was already outlining a strategy: he recommended Wang Ji to oversee the campaign, with Jiang Gui as the field commander, leading a portion of the frontier forces and troops from southern garrisons to march into Yunnan.

Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and said to Wang Zhen, "Take the other memorials supporting the deployment, summarize them, and have them ready for me to read upon my return."

Wang Zhen immediately replied, "As you command."

There were at least several hundred memorials supporting the war. Zhu Qizhen would not read them all one by one; he had more important business—to see the Empress Dowager. After all, she was the one who truly decided the major affairs of the court. She might not necessarily want to stir up such a storm over Luchuan. With this in mind, Zhu Qizhen took Yang Rong’s and He Wenyuan’s memorials with him.

Upon arriving at the Cining Palace, Zhu Qizhen saw the Empress Dowager lying on a recliner, swaying back and forth, her eyelids drooping as if she had already fallen asleep. The Empress Dowager seemed to be aging with alarming speed. Time seemed to be racing past her. Only a few years ago, she moved with the agility of the wind and required no assistance, but now her spirit was far worse than before, and a cane had become her constant companion. This was likely one of the reasons she was intentionally pushing Zhu Qizhen to the forefront.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Zhu Qizhen whispered, kneeling halfway before the recliner.

The Empress Dowager mumbled something before opening her eyes. Seeing Zhu Qizhen, she said, "Emperor, you have come."

"It is your grandson," Zhu Qizhen replied.

The Empress Dowager said, "You have done well; you have gained some composure. It is I who have grown old and thought somewhat erroneously." Zhu Qizhen knew she was referring to his decision not to return from the Southern Park immediately, but to wait until the hunt was concluded as planned.

"It is all thanks to your wise guidance," Zhu Qizhen smiled.

"Little flatterer," the Empress Dowager said. She stood up from the recliner, and Zhu Qizhen immediately went to support her. When he had first started supporting her, it was merely a gesture, but now he could feel the weight of her body. She had truly grown old.

Zhu Qizhen supported her as they took small steps forward. "You have come because of the Luchuan matter, haven't you?" she asked.

"You are wise, Grandmother," Zhu Qizhen said. "Regarding this affair, since the Cabinet, the Six Ministries, the Five Chief Military Commissions, and the Censorate are all involved, I ask for your instruction on what the procedure should be." As some had observed, the larger the meeting, the harder it was to reach a unified decision. Most decisions were made before the assembly; the meeting itself was merely to align minds.

The Empress Dowager sighed. "Emperor, have I been wrong? I only wished for a peaceful life—is that so bad? The Tatars are one thing; they are blood enemies, but what is this business with Luchuan? Can one no longer live in peace?"

"Grandmother," Zhu Qizhen said, "Luchuan is also a blood enemy."

The Empress Dowager looked surprised. "Is it?"

Zhu Qizhen had to explain the origins of the conflict. "The Prince of Qianning crushed the father of Ren Sifa and divided Luchuan into over a dozen native chieftaincies. Now, Ren Sifa seeks to restore his family’s legacy."

The Empress Dowager had reached the main hall and sat down on a chair. "I remember now. The Battle of Dingbian fought by the Prince of Qianning—that was his family."

Zhu Qizhen was torn between laughter and tears, unsure if she had truly forgotten or if she had simply never considered Luchuan of any consequence.

"It seems we have no choice but to fight now," she said. "What is the proposal from the people below?"

Zhu Qizhen immediately presented the memorials of Yang Rong and He Wenyuan. The Empress Dowager’s eyesight was failing, and she was too impatient to read them herself, so she had Zhu Qizhen read them aloud. After he finished, she fell silent for a long time.

"Emperor, what is your opinion?" she asked.

"Grandson truly does not wish to fight," Zhu Qizhen replied. "Our great enemy is the Oirat, and I do not agree with any move to transfer troops from the Nine Frontiers, or even from the Capital Garrisons. However, relying solely on the southern garrisons will likely be insufficient to pacify Luchuan. It is a dilemma."

"What do you think of what He Wenyuan said?" the Empress Dowager asked.

Zhu Qizhen thought to himself, *As expected, she still prefers He Wenyuan’s approach.* This was exactly why he had brought that memorial. He felt it was more in line with the Empress Dowager’s wishes than Yang Rong’s. He sighed and said, "Grandson knows that Minister He’s method seems better, but it will not work."