Zhu Yunwen and the Prince of Ning's "Dialogue in the Hall"

Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, was Zhu Yuanzhang's seventeenth son. In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, he was granted a fief in Daning.

Daning lay beyond Xifengkou Pass, in the territory of ancient Huizhou. It bordered Liaodong to the east and Xuanfu to the west, making it a strategic stronghold in the You-Yan region.

Zhu Yuanzhang had good reason to entrust such an important stronghold to Zhu Quan.

When the venerable Cai Dongfan wrote the Comprehensive Mirror of Ming, he offered this assessment: "Among the founding emperor's sons, the Prince of Yan excelled at war, while the Prince of Ning excelled at strategy."

In other words, by Cai Dongfan's reckoning, a schemer and rebel like Zhu Di was merely good at fighting, whereas the Prince of Ning was the truly resourceful one.

In truth, taking those words at face value gave only a one-sided picture.

Beyond what each "excelled" at, they possessed other abilities as well.

The Prince of Ning not only possessed profound strategic insight but was also brave and skilled in battle. He had joined forces with other frontier princes on several campaigns, his might striking awe across the northern wilderness.

Eighty thousand bowmen, six thousand war chariots!

Such was Zhu Quan's strength!

And those eighty thousand were eighty thousand cavalrymen! These horsemen were mercenaries made up primarily of Mongols-the renowned Uriankhai Three Guards, also known as the Doyan Three Guards. Their fighting strength stood unrivaled throughout Great Ming!

A side hall.

After Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, paid his respects, Zhu Yunwen smiled and sent Shuangxi and the others out. Then he sat down and said to Zhu Quan, "Uncle Ning, before you leave, I specially summoned you to the palace because there are certain matters troubling me. I hope you can lend me a hand."

Zhu Quan was only twenty that year. With his fair complexion and long beard, he had a distinctly scholarly air. Seeing that Zhu Yunwen spoke gently and put on none of an emperor's airs, he relaxed and said softly, "Your Majesty's affairs are Great Ming's affairs, and therefore your servant's affairs. Whatever Your Majesty entrusts to me, I would not dare leave undone."

Holding his teacup, Zhu Yunwen briefly savored its fragrance and asked, "Uncle Ning, what do you think of the Prince of Yan?"

Zhu Quan's heart jolted. Looking at the composed Zhu Yunwen, he inwardly raised his guard and said, "The Prince of Yan is a pillar of the empire's northern frontier. He possesses both strategy and courage, excels in warfare, and sweeps across the battlefield with few who can match him."

"Heh, a very fair assessment. Yet the more that is true, the more uneasy I feel."

Zhu Yunwen produced the secret report Li Jinglong had written. Zhu Quan bowed as he accepted it, returned to his seat, and unfolded it. His face instantly went pale.

Although Li Jinglong had focused on Zhu Di and even implicated Xu Huizu, he had dragged Zhu Quan into it too!

That traitor!

He actually sold out both me and the Prince of Yan!

Li Jinglong, oh, Li Jinglong! From this day forward, you and I cannot live under the same sky!

What else could he say?

Zhu Quan hurriedly dropped to his knees and cried, "Your Majesty, I harbor no disloyalty whatsoever! These are Li Jinglong's false accusations..."

"I was not speaking of you. I meant the Prince of Yan."

Zhu Yunwen spoke in a low voice.

How could Zhu Quan spare any thought for the Prince of Yan now? He continued, "Your Majesty, I have been feeling unwell lately and wish to remain in the Capital to seek medical treatment. As for Daning, please appoint another capable commander..."

The best way to protect himself was to remain right beneath the emperor's eyes.

In Great Ming, distance did not make the heart grow fonder. It only bred suspicion.

What if, while he was out there risking his life, some minister accused him of using his troops to build his own power, colluding with the Five Army Commandery, and plotting treason? He would not even have a chance to explain himself.

Change my fief. I must change my fief!

Zhu Quan was terrified.

Zhu Yunwen stepped forward, helped Zhu Quan to his feet, and said with a smile, "Uncle Ning, if I did not trust you, why would I show you this secret report? I know very well what you have done in Daning. Ah..."

Zhu Quan thought, If he trusts me, does that mean he distrusts my fourth brother, Zhu Di?

Seeing His Majesty sigh like that, could he be worried that Fourth Brother will rebel?

Surely not. Fourth Brother may be fierce, but he would not dash an egg against a rock and seek his own death.

After all, the Capital had four hundred thousand troops, and another four hundred thousand were stationed around Beiping Prefecture. That did not even include the guard garrisons elsewhere or Great Ming's navy.

"I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens!"

Zhu Quan gritted his teeth.

Better a fellow cultivator die than this poor Daoist. Fourth Brother, forgive me. Your younger brother has been driven into a corner. If you must blame someone, blame that shameless traitor Li Jinglong.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Quan and laughed heartily. "Let us put aside sharing my burdens for now. Why don't we work through how the situation in Beiping might develop?"

"Work through it?"

Zhu Quan was puzzled.

Could something like this actually be worked out in advance?

Your Majesty, do you think you are Zhuge Liang, predicting the division of the realm into three from some shabby thatched hut? This is the imperial palace of Great Ming...

Zhu Yunwen walked to the desk and unfurled a scroll, revealing a map of Great Ming. He picked up a bamboo pointer, indicated Beiping Prefecture on the map, and said to Zhu Quan, "Uncle Yan possesses great talent and deep designs. Out of regard for our family ties, I have repeatedly taken precautions and stationed troops in Beiping. All I seek is his loyalty."

"Yet human ambition is like oil poured onto a raging fire, its scorching heat difficult to quell. I am deeply troubled. Since only the two of us are here, I will speak plainly: if Uncle Yan truly harbored disloyal intentions, how would he act?"

Looking at the map and listening to Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Quan almost wanted to pray for the Prince of Yan. The rebellion had not even begun, yet the emperor had already decided he would rebel-and intended to work out how he would do it.

Fourth Brother, your life is far too miserable...

"How does Your Majesty think Fourth Brother-no, the Prince of Yan-would act?"

Zhu Quan had no choice but to play along.

Zhu Yunwen tapped Beiping Prefecture. "If the Prince of Yan wishes to plot something, it will take more than words. First, he will prepare weapons and provisions and drill his troops. Soldiers and provisions are manageable, but forging weapons creates noise. So he will have people dig underground chambers within his residence to forge weapons, then keep poultry above them to cover the noise..."

The corner of Zhu Quan's mouth twitched. His Majesty could even come up with a method like that?

Zhu Yunwen continued, "To buy time and lessen my concerns about him, he will employ an especially ruthless tactic..."

"Ah? What tactic?"

Zhu Quan stared at Zhu Yunwen in surprise.

Zhu Yunwen chuckled. "Without relinquishing his military command, how can he dispel my concerns? There are only a few possibilities: he becomes gravely ill, suffers a serious injury, or goes mad."

"Mad? Goes mad?"

Zhu Quan's eyes widened, as though he were listening to a story.

But was His Majesty not rather terrible at storytelling?

Zhu Di was extraordinarily fierce. Riding a hundred li on a raid was easy for him. How could such a strapping man go mad?

Zhu Yunwen smiled calmly. "Of course, many people have feigned madness to escape disaster. Sun Bin, Sima Yi, Tang Bohu..."

"Wait, Your Majesty. I know Sun Bin, and I know Sima Yi, but who is this Tang Bohu?"

Zhu Quan considered himself a well-read scholar, yet he had never heard of anyone in history named Tang Bohu.

Zhu Yunwen felt frustrated.

You may not know who Tang Bohu is, but your great-great-grandson Zhu Chenhao does.

Still, if he changed history, Zhu Quan probably would not go to Nanchang. Then his great-great-grandson would have no opportunity to rebel, and Tang Bohu would have no opportunity to feign madness.

Zhu Yunwen did not know how many unforeseen events his constant butterfly-wing flapping would bring to the future Ming dynasty... Would those astonishingly brilliant figures of history still appear?

With me as emperor, where will Great Ming go?

Can I truly steer this colossal vessel weighing countless tons?

Zhu Yunwen's gaze gradually hardened. He shot Zhu Quan a look and continued, "The Prince of Yan will buy time and seek an opening. And his greatest opening will not be seizing Beiping Prefecture. It will be you!"

Zhu Quan recoiled in horror and exclaimed, "Me?"

Zhu Yunwen smiled and pointed toward Daning. "I have made countless arrangements in Beiping. The only gap is you."

Zhu Quan was so frightened that his soul nearly flew out of his body. He hastily knelt and cried, "Your Majesty, I am wholeheartedly loyal to the court and harbor no disloyalty! Please grant me permission to move my fief to Jiangnan. Let me find a place where I can live out my days in peace."

Looking at the map, Zhu Yunwen ignored the kneeling Zhu Quan and continued, "The Prince of Yan will secretly send someone to find you, or come himself. Then he will use a stratagem to take your Doyan Three Guards, forcing you to march south with him. This will allow him to break the encirclement of Beiping and gain control of most of its territory."

"Afterward, I will fight a great war against you. If I win, you will die. If I lose, the Prince of Yan will usurp the throne. As for you? Heh, even your best outcome will merely be exile to some distant place, a prince imprisoned in his own fief."

Zhu Quan trembled all over. Every word Zhu Yunwen spoke pierced his heart!

Zhu Yunwen rolled up the map and looked at the shivering Zhu Quan. Calmly, he said, "Uncle Ning, I am telling you this only because I hope you will choose the right side. I need you to watch the Prince of Yan. If he shows any disloyalty, I hope you will acquit yourself well."

Zhu Quan had never felt such fear before, not even when facing thousands upon thousands of troops.

Zhu Yunwen's words were utterly unrestrained, each aimed straight at his life!

"Rise. I trust you, and I trust your abilities. So share my burdens. When you grow old and wish to return, I will give you Shaoxing Prefecture."

Zhu Yunwen bent down, pulled Zhu Quan to his feet, and spoke solemnly.

"Shaoxing Prefecture?"

Zhu Quan was stunned.

Shaoxing Prefecture was a prosperous place, governing the eight counties of Shanyin, Kuaiji, Shangyu, Xiaoshan, Sheng County, Xinchang, Zhuji, and Yuyao. It was very close to Hangzhou Prefecture.

That place was even better than Songjiang Prefecture!

His Majesty had actually promised him such a place?

Zhu Quan also understood that a vassal prince who continued commanding a large army would sooner or later be dealt with.

When his father Zhu Yuanzhang had been alive, he had trusted Zhu Quan completely. Commanding troops away from court had given him little cause for concern.

But the emperor now was Zhu Yunwen, who might not trust him. Better to settle things early, return south, and follow the example of Zhu Zhi, the Prince of Liao, by becoming a peaceful vassal prince. That would also leave his descendants a way to survive.

"I will obey Your Majesty in all things."

Zhu Quan made up his mind to stand beside Zhu Yunwen. As for his fourth brother Zhu Di, all would be well if he lived peacefully. But if things truly unfolded as the emperor said, Zhu Quan would not be above "putting righteousness before family"!

Watching Zhu Quan leave, Zhu Yunwen wore a faint smile. He sat on the desk, picked up a memorial, and unfolded it. Then he laughed and instructed Shuangxi, "Summon Wang Shen of the Imperial College."

"Li Zhigang, Guo Lian..."

Su Muzhe read the names on the list, then looked at the recommendations Wang Shen had written and could not help smiling. Although Wang Shen came from a Confucian scholarly background, his way of doing things was not bound by tradition at all.

The talents he recommended had not been found through searching, but through testing.