Early the next morning, Li Jinglong, Li Zengzhi, Xu Zengshou, and the others mustered three thousand troops on the drill grounds.
Zhu Yunwen personally saw them off with a group of princes and ministers, delivering a rousing speech about "bringing lasting peace to the South Sea and safeguarding our mountains and seas." It set the blood of Zhu Di, the Prince of Ning, Xu Huizu, and the others boiling.
Everyone had expected Li Jinglong to hang his head and resist through inaction. After all, he was going to Guangzhou. Not only was it a distant journey, but the place was backward, nowhere near as prosperous as the Capital. Going there to fight was scarcely any different from being sent into exile.
Yet no one had expected Li Jinglong to be so spirited, imposing, and bold, without a trace of resentment or dejection. He declared, "I will not return until the sea bandits are subdued," urged the emperor to "eat well, sleep well, and enjoy yourself," and told him to await his "report of victory" without worry. Then he laughed heartily and led his men out through Zhengyang Gate.
Unable to make sense of it, Xu Huizu glanced at Zhu Yunwen, then looked away.
Zhu Yunwen's explanation for adding Xu Zengshou to the southbound expedition was that he would supervise Li Jinglong on the emperor's behalf. Should Li Jinglong act improperly, he could submit a secret memorial.
Xu Huizu did not entirely accept that explanation. The emperor was plainly transferring nobles connected to the Prince of Yan away from the Capital to weaken the prince's strength.
Since the emperor would not say so openly, Xu Huizu dared not ask.
After all, he was Xu Zengshou's elder brother. If the emperor considered Xu Zengshou one of Zhu Di's men, then how did he view Xu Huizu himself?
Over the next several days, Zhu Yunwen focused on the New Army initiative, personally taking part in its training and the implementation of related policies. Xu Huizu, Tie Xuan, Xie Jin, and others continually joined the effort, refining the New Army's policies and training methods.
On the fourth day of the eighth month, Zhu Yunwen promoted Song Sheng, an assistant commissioner of the Central Army Commandery, to its right commissioner. For his meritorious defense of Xiliang, he was granted the title Pacifier of the Qiang and ordered to participate in training the New Army.
On the fifth, Yang Wen, commander-in-chief of Liaodong, was granted the title Marquis of Dongyuan and assigned to defend Liaodong;
On the sixth, Xu Zhong, assistant commander of the Jiyang Guard, was transferred into Guizhou to exercise overall command over the native chieftains.
On the seventh, Chen Heng, assistant commissioner of North Zhili, was transferred to Fujian and stationed along the coast.
For several days in succession, Zhu Yunwen either appointed or transferred a batch of military officers. A careful look at the map revealed that these men were either being sent against Zhu Di or being moved away because of him.
While Zhu Di was still in the Capital, Zhu Yunwen laid out a vast net. From Liaodong to Datong, from Mobei to Shandong, from Beiping Prefecture to Shanhai Pass and Kaiping, a total of four hundred thousand troops sealed off Beiping completely.
Naturally, Zhu Yunwen's series of transfers did not escape Zhu Di's notice. Yet Zhu Di could do nothing but watch helplessly as Zhu Yunwen acted again and again, planting formidable figures in the heart of his own territory.
Zhu Di understood that Zhu Yunwen had not yet taken action. He was waiting-waiting for him to submit completely!
But Zhu Di did not want to give up just like that!
The initial period of deep mourning finally ended.
With one hand, Zhu Yunwen managed the New Army and pushed reforms to strengthen the military; with the other, he attended to the people's livelihoods. He overturned unjust convictions from the Hongwu era, granted compensation where it was due, recalled those who should be recalled, and reduced taxes in Guangxi, Guizhou, and other regions.
He both won the people's hearts and eased the empire's internal tensions, maintaining a relatively stable situation.
What somewhat surprised the court was that Zhu Yunwen never showed any intention of curtailing the princes' power. He never even mentioned it, merely summoning a few princes into the palace from time to time to chat about family matters in a rather intimate manner.
Zhu Di, on the other hand, remained in the Prince of Yan's Palace and rarely went out.
One day, while Zhu Di was reading a military treatise in his residence, he suddenly heard Qiu Fu shout outside the door, "Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty, long live, long, long live!"
Zhu Di started. Zhu Yunwen had actually come to the Prince of Yan's Palace in person?
"Rise."
Dressed in everyday clothes, Zhu Yunwen had Shuangxi, Liu Changge, and Xu Huizu following behind him.
Zhu Di hurriedly opened the door. Seeing Zhu Yunwen's warm expression, he was about to perform a full ceremonial bow, but Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and supported him. "Fourth Uncle, today I have come only as family, not as emperor."
"Good, good, good."
Zhu Di said "good" three times in succession, then stepped aside to invite him in. "Your Majesty, please take the seat of honor. Qiu Fu, bring tea."
Zhu Yunwen entered the study, walked over to the desk, and picked up The Art of War. He read softly, "The momentum of one skilled in warfare is like rolling a round stone down a mountain a thousand fathoms high. Such is momentum. I have heard that you are particularly skilled at using momentum in battle, Fourth Uncle."
Hearing this, Zhu Di was secretly alarmed and hurriedly said, "Not at all. Your subject merely carried out the founding emperor's strategies."
Zhu Yunwen shook his head slightly. "In the twenty-third year of Hongwu, you led an army through Gubeikou in the Great Wall. Upon learning that Nair Bukha and the others were encamped at Yidu, you happened to encounter heavy snowfall. Sparing yourself no hardship, you moved through the snow, struck straight at their camp, and caught them unprepared-just like rolling that round stone down a mountain a thousand fathoms high."
"Yet you did not launch a sudden assault to kill Nair Bukha. Instead, you chose to subdue his army without fighting and forced him to surrender. Without losing a single soldier, you took in tens of thousands of his tribespeople and hundreds of thousands of horses, camels, cattle, and sheep. That was truly a triumphant return."
"More than once, I have wondered: with your mastery of warfare, Fourth Uncle, if the two of us ever faced one another, might I-not last even a single encounter against you?"
Zhu Di was horrified, his soul nearly frightened out of his body.
For the emperor to say something like that-was he not directly accusing him of planning a rebellion and meeting him on the battlefield someday?
"Even if I died ten thousand deaths, I would never dare become Your Majesty's enemy!"
Zhu Di had no choice but to lower his head and declare his allegiance. He hurriedly said, "The founding emperor made me Prince of Yan and assigned me to defend Beiping Prefecture solely to safeguard Great Ming's northern borders. I dare harbor no selfish motives, much less oppose Your Majesty. If Your Majesty will not retract those words, I shall take my own life here today!"
Zhu Yunwen looked earnestly at the slightly trembling Zhu Di, fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Fourth Uncle, I was merely making a comparison, letting my imagination wander. I was not saying you harbored disloyal intentions. Why be so alarmed?"
Cold sweat poured from Zhu Di.
Damn it, you already said it, and now you expect me not to panic?
Who says something like that so bluntly?
My poor heart!
"Very well. I take it back."
Seeing that Zhu Di was genuinely afraid, Zhu Yunwen spoke.
Just as Zhu Di breathed a sigh of relief, Zhu Yunwen suddenly grew serious. "Fourth Uncle, are you sincere toward me?"
"Heaven and earth can bear witness!"
Zhu Di hurriedly answered.
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and said to Zhu Di, "Then I would like to ask you for a few men, Fourth Uncle. Would that be possible?"
Zhu Di's eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked uneasily, "Who does Your Majesty wish to have?"
Zhu Yunwen smiled calmly. "The empress dowager is devoted to Buddhism. I have heard there is a monk named Dao Yan at Qingshou Temple who is well versed in Buddhist teachings. I would like to invite him to the Capital. Will you consent, Fourth Uncle?"
Zhu Di stared at Zhu Yunwen in shock.
Dao Yan was his trusted strategist. Many of his important decisions bore Dao Yan's influence.
If Zhu Yunwen took Dao Yan away, he would find it difficult to move a single step. In the future, he would not even be able to find a suitable person with whom to discuss important matters!
This move pulled the firewood from beneath the cauldron!
It was far too vicious!
Yet what unsettled Zhu Di most was the meaning hidden in Zhu Yunwen's words!
When Great Ming was first founded, Zhu Yuanzhang believed Buddhism "secretly supported royal governance" and "quietly aided the sovereign's order," so he established the Court of Benevolence to manage monks and nuns throughout the realm.
In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Court of Benevolence and established the Bureau of Buddhist Registers and the Bureau of Taoist Registers. The Bureau of Buddhist Registers was the highest institution overseeing monks nationwide, a central agency governing monastic officials.
Prefectures had a Bureau of Buddhist Administration, subprefectures a Bureau of Buddhist Rectors, and counties a Bureau of Buddhist Assembly.
The offices of these Buddhist bureaus were housed in local temples.
Dao Yan was also a monk, and thus under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Buddhist Registers. Ultimately, he fell under central authority. With a single word from Zhu Yunwen, the bureau would have to obediently transfer Dao Yan to the Capital.
Yet Zhu Yunwen was asking him for the man!
He was even asking whether he consented!
What was the hidden meaning?
Zhu Di understood perfectly. Zhu Yunwen was saying:
Zhu Di, I know Dao Yan is your man. Now I want to use him. Will you give him to me or not?
At this point, Zhu Di felt his whole body turn cold. Zhu Yunwen knew far more than he had imagined!
He was stripping away his core strength, step by step!
Yet he had no way to stop it!
Trembling slightly, Zhu Di said, "Qingshou Temple falls under the Bureau of Buddhist Registers. If Your Majesty requires him, you may summon him freely. Surely there is no need to consult your subject."
Zhu Yunwen nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Shuangxi. "The Prince of Yan has no objection. Convey my verbal decree: have the Bureau of Buddhist Registers notify Qingshou Temple and order Dao Yan to enter the palace to recite sutras and pray for the empress dowager. Send men to escort him. There must be no delay and no mishap of any kind."
Shuangxi acknowledged the order and hurried away.
Zhu Di's heart trembled.
Losing Dao Yan was like losing an arm!
Even if he rose in rebellion, he would probably struggle to take a single step, beset by difficulties!
Zhu Yunwen breathed a sigh of relief. He understood Dao Yan's importance to Zhu Di even better than Zhu Di himself did.
Historically, during the Jingnan Campaign, one crucial reason Zhu Di bypassed Jinan and the court's main army, abandoned everything, and drove straight toward Nanjing was that Dao Yan had strongly urged him to stop fighting over individual cities and strongholds and take Nanjing directly!
It was precisely because of this that Zhu Di fought his way to Nanjing and gained possession of the realm!
Without Dao Yan, even if Zhu Di stirred up trouble, he probably would not stir it all the way to Nanjing.
Looking at the uneasy Zhu Di, Zhu Yunwen smiled. "Fourth Uncle, there is one more man I would like."
Zhu Di's expression was grim. Not knowing whom Zhu Yunwen intended to ask for this time, he said, "Who does Your Majesty want?"
Zhu Yunwen smiled. "Zheng He!"
"Zheng He?"
Zhu Di froze.
He could not recall anyone by that name.
Yet judging by the expectant look in the emperor's eyes, he did not seem to be joking.
"Your Majesty, who is this Zheng He? I truly cannot recall him."
Zhu Di looked at Zhu Yunwen in puzzlement.
Zhu Yunwen was startled. Had he remembered incorrectly?
That shouldn't be possible. During Zhu Di's reign, Zheng He sailed to the Western Seas seven times. His initial mission was to search for the Jianwen Emperor, who might have fled overseas, and it later evolved into commercial, diplomatic, and political activities.
Zheng He was one of Zhu Di's men.
"You really do not know?"
Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Di uncertainly.
Zhu Di shook his head repeatedly, called Qiu Fu over, and asked, "Is there anyone named Zheng He in the Prince of Yan's Palace?"
Qiu Fu considered it carefully, then shook his head. "Your Highness, never mind the Prince of Yan's Palace-I have never heard of anyone named Zheng He even in the army."
Zhu Di dismissed Qiu Fu, then looked at Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunwen grew anxious. Without Zheng He, where would he find a highly capable navigator? Without such talent, how could he go to South America to dig up its local specialties?
Whether he would get to eat beef stewed with potatoes depended on this Three Treasures Eunuch.
A eunuch?
That's right!
Zheng He was a eunuch!
Before you continue