The throne? No, my goal is the stars and the sea!

Zhu Gaosui's words exploded in Zhu Gaoxu's mind like a bombshell.

Father Emperor... is running out of time?

He suddenly grabbed Zhu Gaosui's collar, his eyes bloodshot, and growled, "Is what you're saying true?"

"Absolutely true!"

Zhu Gaosui's expression was also extremely grave. "The imperial physicians say that Father Emperor sustained many hidden injuries from his campaigns in his early years."

"Now, he's caught a chill, and with the anger burning in his heart, he's already like a lamp with no oil left."

"He's only holding on by a thread."

"If that thread snaps, even an immortal couldn't save him."

Zhu Gaoxu released his grip, his whole body feeling as if all strength had been drained. He staggered back two steps.

He had always believed his Father Emperor was invincible.

He never expected that this iron-blooded emperor would one day fall.

But then, an unprecedented surge of ecstasy and ambition began to grow wildly in his heart.

Father Emperor is going to die.

Then Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, that fat slob, is always sick and probably won't live much longer either.

So, who will the empire of Great Ming ultimately fall to?

In the past, his greatest opponent was the Crown Prince's eldest son, the Imperial Grandson Zhu Zhanji.

But now, there was another one... Zhu Zhanjun!

A Zhu Zhanjun who commanded three thousand invincible cavalry, possessed wealth rivaling a nation, and had a terrifyingly deep cunning!

"No! I absolutely cannot let him live!"

A ruthless killing intent flashed in Zhu Gaoxu's eyes. "He's already gained power. If we let him develop further, in the future, both of us brothers will die by his hand!"

"I think so too."

Zhu Gaosui nodded in deep agreement. "Second Brother, we must find a way to eliminate him before he returns to the capital!"

"How?"

Zhu Gaoxu frowned. "His three thousand Great Snow Dragon Cavalry are impervious to blades and spears, and immune to fire and water. Our men can't even get close to him."

"If direct force won't work, we'll use indirect means."

A sinister smile curled on Zhu Gaosui's lips.

"Don't we still have 'friends'?"

He said meaningfully, "Although Esen has been defeated, the main force of the Oirats is still intact."

"We just need to 'accidentally' reveal Zhu Zhanjun's marching route to them."

"And then tell them that Zhu Zhanjun carries secret weapon blueprints that can make an army invincible."

"Do you think Esen will be tempted?"

Zhu Gaoxu's eyes lit up instantly.

"Kill with a borrowed knife! A brilliant plan! A brilliant plan indeed!"

"Exactly."

Zhu Gaosui sneered. "No matter how powerful Zhu Zhanjun is, he only has three thousand men."

"As long as we lure him into a trap set by the Oirats, even the most powerful army will be worn down to death!"

"Moreover, it's freezing cold now, with heavy snowstorms."

"If he 'accidentally' dies on his way back to the capital, wouldn't that be a perfectly normal occurrence?"

"At that time, we just need to shed a few tears of sympathy for him in front of Father Emperor, and who would suspect us?"

The two men exchanged a smile, seeing the undisguised greed and malice in each other's eyes.

A deadly scheme targeting Zhu Zhanjun was thus quietly taking shape.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhanjun, whom the two considered a thorn in their side, was leisurely roasting a whole lamb by the fire in his own tent.

He had no awareness of being the Grand Marshal of all armies, nor the joy of impending rewards.

Before him, there were no opened military reports, nor battle maps.

Instead, there was a... giant world map, visible only to him.

This was a function that came with the system.

The map clearly marked the territories, populations, troop strengths, and national power assessments of all countries in the world at that time.

Great Ming was a dazzling gold, with a national power assessment of "Powerful."

And to the west of Great Ming, on a similarly vast land, a blood-red name was marked.

Timurid Empire.

National Strength Assessment: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!

[System Notification: Detected Host completing "Battle of the Northern Desert" sign-in quest, rewarded 100,000 National Fortune Points.]

[System Notification: Detected Host has initially integrated the Ming military strength, initiating the next stage main quest - "Shadows of the Western Regions".]

[Quest Objective: Before the Timurid Empire's eastern expedition, dismantle its war potential and completely eliminate its threat to the Great Ming.]

[Quest Reward: ???]

Zhu Zhanjun looked at the blood-red area, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes.

He understood the terror of the Timurid Empire better than anyone of this era.

It was a vast military empire spanning Central Asia, established by the "Lame" Timur.

Its founding monarch, Timur, claimed to be the "Successor of Genghis Khan," and had fought countless battles throughout his life without a single defeat.

Historically, after conquering all of Central and Western Asia, he had gathered hundreds of thousands of troops and prepared to march east to the Great Ming.

If he hadn't died of illness on his way to the eastern expedition, the Great Ming would have faced the most severe challenge since its founding.

And now, at this point in time, it was the peak of the Timurid Empire's national strength.

"Oirats? Tatars?"

Zhu Zhanjun looked at the two dim red dots on the map, representing the Oirats and Tatars, which he had already crippled, and scoffed dismissively.

"They were merely appetizers."

His finger heavily landed on the blood-red "Timurid Empire."