Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 873 Mrs. Shetz
Zhu Su's idea was indeed to use the city to increase the court's control over Guizhou.

At this time, the imperial court's control over Guizhou was actually very weak. It was even worse than Lianzhou. Lianzhou at least had Lianzhou City under the control of the imperial court, but in Guizhou... the imperial court didn't even have control over a city or a pond.

Throughout the dynasties, this place was mostly governed by Tusi. Even if there were cities, they were mostly residences built by the Tusi themselves... As for official cities, there were actually none. During the Song Dynasty, although this place was called "Guizhou", in fact, there was not even a city wall of the Song Dynasty, let alone a city under its actual control. The rulers of the Song Dynasty were used to ceding land, and they did not feel sorry for their own ancestral land. Naturally, they looked down on this "smoky and miasmatic land" of Guizhou. Throughout the Song Dynasty, the rulers of Guizhou mostly let the Tusi tinker with it, and they were in a posture of "don't bother me".

It was not until the fall of the Song Dynasty, that is, during the Yuan Dynasty, that a "city" was built here in the true sense. In the 24th year of the Yuan Dynasty, the rulers of the Yuan court set up "Shunyuan Road" here and built a "Shunyuan City". The scope of Shunyuan City is very small, and even the city wall is just an earth wall. It is called a city, but in fact it is more like a military camp. The Yuan Dynasty set up the Eighth Shunyuan Xuanwei Division Du Yuanshuai Mansion here to directly control the Qianzhong area. It has jurisdiction over the Shunyuan Road Military and Civilian Appeasement Division, the Eighth and Nineth Anfu Division, the Guanfanmin General Administration Office and Dingyuan Prefecture. There are dozens of barbarian chief offices and dozens of prefectures and counties under it. The jurisdiction includes today's Guiyang City and Longli, Huishui, Changshun and other counties. At its peak, Yixibuxue Xuanwei Division, Bozhou Military and Civilian Appeasement Division, Sizhou Military and Civilian Appeasement Division (, were all controlled by the Eighth Shunyuan Xuanwei Division Du Yuanshuai Mansion.

As for why the Yuan court stationed heavy troops here? Of course, it was because Guizhou was very important. This place was a transportation hub in the southwest. During the Yuan Dynasty, the central dynasty stationed a post road in Daxing, the southwest. The post road from Huguang to Yunnan and the post road from Sichuan to Guangxi all passed through Guizhou, which made the strategic position of the region rise sharply and became a major military town in the southwest. Although the Mongol rulers ruled roughly, they were not lacking in knowledgeable people. Naturally, they knew that they had to clamp down on this place and strangle the throats of many chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou.

However, Shunyuan City, where the Yuan Dynasty stationed troops, had long been abandoned during the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty because the soldiers here were transferred away. At this time, it was lost in the passage of time, and the city walls that were originally built with earth were gone. Ai Cui, Song Qin and others were all long-standing local chieftains, and they naturally knew that the Yuan Dynasty had built a city here to control them in the past. Now that the Ming Dynasty also wants to build a city here, how willing are they?

Ai Cui returned to her tent with a heavy heart. His Royal Highness King Zhou of Ming asked them to think about it for some time, and to make sure to clear a piece of land for Ming to build a city within three days... The chieftains did not want Ming to build a city here at all, and Ai Cui was no exception. Naturally, she was sighing and had a headache at this time.

Among the Yi people, women have a slightly higher status than those in the Central Plains, and there is no rule that women cannot be taken with them when going out to war. Therefore, many elders in the tribe bring their wives and families with them when they go out. Ai Cui is no exception. His wife is called Shezi, the daughter of Hengshe, another chieftain of the Yi people. This lady Shezi is only 20 years old. Although her skin looks a little darker due to years of sun exposure, she is undoubtedly a very beautiful woman. Although he and Ai Cui are an old man and a young wife from a marriage alliance, they are in harmony with each other and the couple is very loving.

"What's wrong, my husband?" Mrs. Shetz noticed the strangeness in Ai Cui's expression. She came to Ai Cui's side and hugged her husband gently. "What's the matter that makes you frown... Is it that the King Zhou of the Ming Dynasty wants to harm us Shuixi?"

"Alas, yes and no... His Royal Highness Prince Zhou has really posed a difficult problem to us..." Ai Cui shook his head and smiled bitterly. He looked at his gentle wife and told her in detail what Zhu Su meant at the banquet just now.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shetz also frowned and began to think silently.

Mrs. Shezi was also born as a chieftain's daughter and was always smart. Since she married to Shuixi, she also assisted Aicui in many government affairs. In terms of wisdom alone, this amazing woman was actually far superior to her husband. So when she saw her thinking, Aicui couldn't help but show her expectant eyes.

After thinking for a long time, Mrs. Shetz finally relaxed her eyebrows.

"My husband... I think this is not a bad thing. Instead, it is an opportunity."

"Opportunity?" Ai Cui was stunned.

"My dear Shezi, you may not understand yet... King Zhou wants to build a city here, and this is not just about adding another city here." Ai Cui thought that Mrs. Shezi was too young and had not experienced the Shunyuan City during the Yuan Dynasty.

"The imperial court has a city here, and they have control over this land... We, the chieftains, have to be on high alert and cautious, and can only rely on the imperial court..."

"So what?" Mrs. Shetz interrupted her husband's chattering. "Aren't we now under the control of the imperial court?"

Ai Cui was stunned and couldn't say the rest of her endless words.

"You have seen the army of the Duke of Liang of the Ming Dynasty. It is a terrifying army... Why did they spend so much time here? Do you think they are really unable to wipe out those mere barbarians?" Mrs. Shez said solemnly.

Ai Cui's face changed. He had never thought about this level. Madam Shezi continued, "Why did His Royal Highness King Zhou summon us to the military camp? I think his meaning is very clear... The local barbarians who are rebellious in Sizhou are very weak. Why didn't the court recruit us local officials to suppress them? It's because the court has actually become wary of us."

"This prince is very merciful. He did not kill the chieftains in Lianzhou who are much weaker than us... But I believe that what he said must be an 'order', and he must be prepared to punish those who disobey his orders."

Ai Cui looked very unhappy. He recalled the scene of the Ming army's action that he vaguely saw in the camp at that time.

Even though the Zhou king's camp was far away from the inner circle of the Ming army, he could still vaguely feel the might of the Ming army and the clanging of swords. Such military might made him shudder.

"My husband." Mrs. Shetz advised at the right time: "I think... we should obey the wishes of King Zhou of the Ming Dynasty and unconditionally support his decision."

"We even... offered our own land!"

(End of this chapter)