Grandfather, I'll Take This Deal!

Grand Marshal of All Troops Under Heaven!

These seven words exploded like a thunderclap above everyone's heads.

The Great Ming Dynasty had never had such a position since its founding.

This was not just a title; it represented the supreme command of all armies in the Great Ming Dynasty!

Below one person, above ten thousand!

To obtain the technology of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, Zhu Di had actually offered such a shocking price!

Prince Han, Zhu Gaoxu, and Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, heard the title and their eyes instantly turned red.

During the Jingnan Campaign, they had rendered meritorious service to Zhu Di and considered themselves the most capable generals in the Great Ming Dynasty.

Yet for so many years, Zhu Di had only enfeoffed them as kings and never given them true military authority.

Now, Zhu Zhanjun, this brash young man, with an army that appeared out of nowhere, was going to soar to the heavens and become the Grand Marshal of All Troops Under Heaven?

They were unconvinced!

"Your Majesty, absolutely not!"

Zhu Gaoxu was the first to step forward in opposition. "Zhanjun is young and lacks experience. How can he shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

"This will chill the hearts of all the soldiers under heaven!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhu Gaosui quickly added, "Military authority is a vital state instrument. How can it be easily granted?"

"I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Zhu Di cast a cold glance at them and remained silent.

He simply looked at Zhu Zhanjun, awaiting his reply.

All eyes focused on Zhu Zhanjun.

This was a temptation no one could refuse.

As long as he nodded, he would become the most powerful prince in the history of the Great Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhu Zhanjun unexpectedly shook his head.

"Not interested."

He answered crisply and decisively.

"What?"

This time, it was Zhu Di's turn to be stunned.

"What did you say? Not interested?"

Zhu Di couldn't believe his ears. "That's the Grand Marshal of All Troops Under Heaven! Do you know what those seven words mean?"

"I do."

Zhu Zhanjun counted on his fingers. "It means I'll have to worry about provisions every day, worry about military pay, worry about training, worry about fighting."

"It means I won't be able to sleep in anymore, can't watch cricket fights, can't listen to folk songs."

"This job is too tiring, I won't do it."

He waved his hand with a look of disdain, as if the position that countless people dreamed of was some kind of dirty, arduous chore to be avoided at all costs.

The great tent fell into dead silence.

Everyone looked at Zhu Zhanjun as if he were a monster.

Is... is this still a normal person?

Zhu Di's mouth twitched violently several times.

He had schemed against countless people throughout his life, only to find that all his strategies and methods seemed so pale and powerless before this grandson.

Because you never knew what he would say or do next.

He played the game completely outside the rules!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Di said "good" three times, laughing in extreme anger. "If you don't want to be Grand Marshal, then what do you want?"

"You must give me a price!"

"Well..."

Zhu Zhanjun rubbed his chin, his eyes darted around, and he suddenly pointed at the captured Mongol soldiers outside the tent, chuckling.

"Grandfather, I can give you the technology and the blueprints."

"I only have one condition."

"Speak!"

"These 100,000 captives taken this time, all of them belong to me!"

"What do you want these prisoners for?"

Zhu Di frowned.

One hundred thousand prisoners was no small number.

Just feeding and housing them daily was a massive burden.

Furthermore, these were wolves from the grasslands, wild and untamable, capable of rebelling at any moment.

According to past practice, dealing with such prisoners meant either burying them all alive to prevent future trouble, or selecting the strong young men among them, dispersing them into the army to serve as cannon fodder.

"Of course, it's for… making use of waste."

Zhu Zhanjun gave a mysterious smile. "My workshops and mines are in dire need of manpower."

"Let them dig mines, build roads, and engage in construction. It's better than feeding them for nothing, isn't it?"

"Moreover, I guarantee that within three years, I can train all these wolves from the grasslands into guard dogs for your household."

"At that time, with a single command from you, they will bite whomever you tell them to."

Zhu Di looked at him deeply.

In his grandson's eyes, he saw something he had never witnessed before, something called "ambition."

It wasn't an ambition for imperial power, but a grander, more incomprehensible… desire for control.

"Good, I promise you."

Zhu Di finally nodded. "All one hundred thousand prisoners are yours."

"But you must also promise me that within three months, I want to see the first batch of new troops equipped with Shenbi Crossbows!"

"No problem! Deal!"

Zhu Zhanjun snapped his fingers crisply. "Grandfather, I've made this deal!"

A monumental transaction concerning the future of the Great Ming was thus hastily concluded between the grandfather and grandson in just a few words.

With the matter weighing on his mind resolved, Zhu Di's mood improved.

He looked at Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, who were still in shock beside him, and his expression darkened again.

"You two still have the nerve to stand here?"

Zhu Di said coldly, "I was trapped on Great Snow Mountain with no supplies. Whose fault was that?"

"The one responsible for escorting the supplies was one of your men, Gaoxu, wasn't it? Why were they so late?"

"The one responsible for gathering military intelligence was your scouts, Gaosui, wasn't it? Why were you so easily outmaneuvered by the enemy?"