Chapter 119: A Long-Term Plan

Chapter 119: A Long-term Strategy

"Rise and speak." The Grand Empress Dowager finally relented. After Zhu Qizhen stood up, she asked, "Tell me, what is this so-called long-term strategy of yours?"

Zhu Qizhen replied, "Your Majesty knows that my family rose to the throne as feudal princes. From the time of the Taizong Emperor until now, we have consistently pursued the policy of weakening the feudal lords."

"Things have already reached this point," the Grand Empress Dowager said. "Do you still wish to weaken them?"

Zhu Qizhen answered, "It is not that I lack affection for my kin, but as the imperial clan grows more numerous with each passing generation, I fear the imperial court will eventually be unable to sustain them."

"I do not wish to see the descendants of the Taizu Emperor raised like livestock. We must find a solution. While I have not yet devised a perfect one, no matter what we do, we cannot let those who are useful to the country suffer."

"Regardless of who it is, whoever can hold Luchuan and ensure that Burma no longer harasses our borders will have performed a great service. The court deals with so many tribal chiefs who shift their loyalties constantly. The Luchuan region, where the Si clan can muster an army of three hundred thousand, has enough population to serve as a prefecture of our Great Ming, and we can compel the various surrounding chieftains to submit to it."

"If we could annex Burma to the south, it would also be a great nation."

"Is that not far better than sitting idly at home, wasting away?"

"Furthermore, flowers do not bloom for a hundred days. If, one day, our Great Ming were to face a calamity, they could continue the ancestral line of the dynasty."

"If my second brother were not still young and lacking in experience, unable to handle such a responsibility alone, I would not even consider giving this to my uncle, the Prince of Xiang."

"Pah!" the Grand Empress Dowager scoffed. "What nonsense are you spouting? Is that the way an Emperor should speak?"

Zhu Qizhen lowered his head. "I spoke out of turn."

The Grand Empress Dowager no longer doubted Zhu Qizhen's intentions. It was not that she trusted him implicitly, but she at least believed he had no intention of intentionally leading the Prince of Xiang to his death.

She fell into deep thought, silently weighing whether this move was truly beneficial for the Prince of Xiang.

The Grand Empress Dowager possessed a sharp strategic vision.

She keenly felt the distance between Beijing and Luchuan, realizing just how difficult it was for the central government to exert control there. Precisely because of that distance, once the Prince of Xiang arrived in Luchuan, as long as he remained loyal, the court’s support for him would be constant and reliable.

The possibility of the Prince of Xiang ruling a great nation in the far south was not zero.

However, as a mother, she preferred that her children lived in peace and safety rather than seeking glory through conquest. She had long heard of the conditions in southern Yunnan; she feared the Prince of Xiang would not even be able to adapt to the climate of Changsha, let alone the far south, and would end up needing to return north to recuperate.

If he went to Luchuan and could not adapt to the local climate, what would happen?

These conflicting thoughts made it impossible for her to make a firm decision.

Yet, just as the Grand Empress Dowager hesitated, the Prince of Xiang had already received a message via carrier pigeon at his estate in Xiangyang.

After reading the note, his expression shifted through a myriad of emotions. He remained silent for a long time before saying, "Send for the Chief Steward."

A moment later, the Chief Steward of the Xiang Prince’s estate arrived.

Although he was a eunuch, his bearing showed no signs of a servant. He held a string of prayer beads in his hand and asked, "Your Highness, you summoned me?"

The Prince of Xiang handed him the letter. "Read this."

After reading it, the Chief Steward smiled slightly. "This is actually an old strategy of the Taizu Emperor, much like when he enfeoffed the border princes. If used well, it is naturally beneficial; but if used poorly, it is like holding a sword by the blade—it could lead to another 'Jingnan' uprising."

The Prince of Xiang asked, "And do you think my nephew is using it well or poorly?"

The Chief Steward sighed. "It is perfectly poised. The court is truly unable to reach Yunnan effectively. By enfeoffing a prince in Luchuan—a place that claims three hundred thousand troops but can barely support tens of thousands of elite soldiers—the court creates a buffer. From Yunnan to the south, there are natural barriers everywhere. One only needs to block a single pass to cut off the court's armies and destroy them in one fell swoop."

"Moreover, striking south from Luchuan to attack Burma would be an advantageous position. Burma spans thousands of miles; it is enough to sustain a kingdom for Your Highness. Once you have established your base there, would you even care to return and launch a rebellion?"

The Prince of Xiang sighed. "The Si family and his son are short-sighted. If I had an army of three hundred thousand, I would never dream of offending the Great Ming. I would simply sweep through the various Burmese tribal chiefs; would that not be superior?"

The Chief Steward said, "It seems, Your Highness, that you are tempted."

The Prince of Xiang retorted, "Well? As a disciple of Master Yao, are you not tempted? Or, now that your 'roots of vexation' have been severed, have you truly resolved to remain a mere steward in my household?"

The Chief Steward replied, "Amitabha. But have you considered the dangers, Your Highness? I am a man who has lived on the edge, so I fear nothing. It is you, Your Highness, whom I worry about."

The Chief Steward was indeed a direct disciple of Yao Guangxiao.

He had participated in the Prince of Han's failed rebellion, but seeing that the Prince of Han was not worth following, he had defected to the Prince of Xiang.

He was cut from the same cloth as Yao Guangxiao—the type of person who feared only that the world would be too peaceful.

His past actions—defecting to the Prince of Xiang instead of the Xuanzong Emperor after the Prince of Han's defeat—showed that he had no interest in the state of the world at all; his only desire was to display his strategic genius in times of chaos.

However, the Great Ming had been passed down for five generations, the people were compliant, and the land was stable. Despite various local issues, it could generally be called an era of peace.

He had naturally found no opportunity, forced to waste his time in the Prince of Xiang’s estate.

The Prince of Xiang gritted his teeth. "I have had enough. Being trapped in this city is worse than death. To others, Xiangyang might be a place of peaceful living, but for me, it is nothing more than a larger prison."

"I would rather die than continue living like this."

"So what if it is Luchuan?"

The Chief Steward advised, "In that case, Your Highness must act immediately. Send a memorial to the court and write a private letter to the Grand Empress Dowager to seal this matter."

"It would be best if you could join the expedition."

"It is not that I mean to criticize you, but while you have served at the center of government, you have never personally commanded on the battlefield. If you are truly enfeoffed in Luchuan, such warfare will become a daily occurrence."

"By joining the imperial army in the campaign against Luchuan, you will gain some experience."

The Prince of Xiang pondered for a moment. "Will the young Emperor agree?"

The Chief Steward replied, "Since he is the one who proposed it, he will certainly agree."

"Very well," the Prince of Xiang said. "I will write the letters now."

The Prince of Xiang worked through the entire night, drafting a formal memorial and a private letter to the Grand Empress Dowager, pleading for her support.

The Grand Empress Dowager was, after all, the Grand Empress Dowager; even a little bit of help from her would be enough for the Prince of Xiang to flourish in Luchuan.

If he didn't beg for her support now, when would he?

Every person with eyes in the world knew that the Grand Empress Dowager did not have much time left.

However, before the Prince of Xiang’s memorial reached the capital, two urgent reports arrived—one from Yunnan via an eight-hundred-li express, and the other from the Jinyiwei regarding intelligence from the Oirat Mongols.

The two reports arrived almost back-to-back.

Zhu Qizhen read the request for tribute from Luchuan first. He felt a wave of relief; the reinforcements would take time to reach Yunnan. Currently, while Luchuan dared not attack the Ming forces, the Ming forces also lacked the strength to attack Luchuan.

However, it seemed Luchuan had the capacity for further aggression, while the Ming forces were currently lacking.

Since Luchuan wanted to sue for peace, Zhu Qizhen was more than happy to let them waste their time, immediately approving the request with a vermilion brush.

Zhu Qizhen had already begun to push Wang Zhen aside and was reviewing the memorials himself. Wang Zhen was now left with nothing more than the power to organize documents.

As for the twelve thousand reinforcements requested by Mu Ang, the Ministry of War had prepared fifteen thousand. Aside from Meng Ying's original force of ten thousand, the rest were Southern troops.

This was done with the consideration that as the commander-in-chief, Meng Ying would have no personal loyalties among the troops if he did not have his own men, and might not even be able to control the fifteen thousand troops.

Thus, it was specially approved. The Beijing garrisons were not so short of men that they could not spare these few thousand.

Zhu Qizhen then wrote a personal letter to Mu Ang, instructing him to focus on defense and to ensure no more troops were lost before the main army arrived. He recounted the merits of the Mu family and encouraged him not to let down his ancestors. As long as he held out until the army arrived, it would be a great service.

Zhu Qizhen estimated that this should not be difficult to achieve.

After finishing with this matter, he opened the secret report from the Jinyiwei. He was both shocked and delighted, unable to believe his eyes. "Tuohuan is dead?"

Finally, Zhu Qizhen understood why the Tumu Crisis happened in the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong era, rather than the fifth or sixth year as he had originally anticipated.

The Oirat leader during the Tumu Crisis was named Esen, and he had only just risen to power this year.