Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 70 Why is this emperor becoming more and more shameless?
Xu Da was stunned on the spot and forgot to eat the pancake in his hand. He no longer felt the deliciousness of the food cooked by Queen Ma.

His head was buzzing and he was in great confusion.

No...what on earth is going on?!
How come things are completely different from what I thought?
Did the higher-ups make a mistake?

At this critical moment, the superior summoned me. Shouldn't I discuss how to deal with Li Shanchang's counterattack?

Why did you directly bring up Miaoyun’s marriage?

He even directly said that he wanted to betroth Miaoyun to the King of Yan, a big monkey whom he extremely despised and thought was absolutely impossible?

What is a surprise?
This is the surprise!
This matter was too sudden, especially as it was so far from Xu Da's original idea, and it also involved the marriage of his most beloved eldest daughter.

Even a figure like Xu Da, who commanded thousands of troops and fought fiercely with the enemy without changing his expression, was confused and panicked at this moment.

And I wanted to slap myself twice.

I have nothing to do, why am I talking about Old Chang's daughter becoming the Crown Princess?

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed the changes in Xu Da's expression and couldn't help laughing in his heart, feeling very happy.

Tiande always looks calm and composed, as if nothing can shock him.

How are you now?

Are you confused by yourself?
It is very rare for this scene to happen to Xu Da.

Especially since this was caused by his own hands, and Tiande's most outstanding daughter will soon become his daughter-in-law.

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the happier he became.

If the marriage had not been finalized yet and Tiande had not been allowed to continue to be persuaded, Zhu Yuanzhang would definitely have been unable to hold back his laughter and show his back teeth.

Moreover, he also knew that Tiande looked down on his fourth brother.

At least now it is looked down upon.

This is not to say that the fourth son in my family is not outstanding, but the standards of the fourth son and Tiande for choosing a son-in-law are quite different.

Of course, the fourth child now, apart from being his father, has not really shown anything remarkable.

With a "clang", Xu Da couldn't hold on to the uneaten pancake in his hand and it fell to the ground.

This also woke up Xu Da, who was in a brief daze, and he quickly picked up the pancake.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang, he said in a panic: "Take the throne...Take the throne. Miaoyun is still young and not yet of marriageable age..."

"If I remember correctly, Miaoyun was born in the eighth year of the Dragon and Phoenix era, right?
It is now the eighth year of Hongwu. According to the lunar age, I am already fifteen years old, so it is time to talk about getting married.

My daughter is grown up, and she will eventually be allowed to marry. Tiande, are you planning to keep her by your side for the rest of her life and let her grow up as an old maid?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not give Xu Dadu a chance to speak.

Miaoyun is such an outstanding girl, she must be my daughter-in-law.

Xu Da paused again, obviously not expecting that the superior would remember his daughter's age so clearly.

After thinking about it, I immediately came up with a new excuse.

“Sir, my family situation is rather special. My wife passed away early, and the rest of my children are still young.

I have been in Peking all year round.

Miaoyun takes care of all the big and small matters at home. If she gets married, there will be no one to take care of the family affairs."

Zhu Yuanzhang had obviously anticipated what Xu Da would say.

"This is easy to handle. Let the fourth brother and the others make the marriage agreement first. There's no need to rush Miaoyun into marriage.

It won’t prevent Miaoyun from helping you with the household.

Besides, even if she married the fourth brother later, Miaoyun would still live in Yingtian for a long time.

If something happens in your family, can Miaoyun just stand by and watch?
Can your son-in-law, Lao Si, just stand by and watch?
Can we, as relatives, just sit back and watch?

Besides, there is more than one way to solve the problem.

Let me arrange a marriage for you, Tiande. Then you will have a partner and a housekeeper at home.

Isn’t everything okay now?”

Xu Da was speechless again, but he was extremely anxious.

How can the person in power be so talkative?
A set of little principles.

Why do I feel like the higher-ups know everything I say in advance?
"To the top, this..."

"I know. Tiande looks down on our fourth son and thinks he's not good enough for Miaoyun. Miaoyun will be wronged if she follows him."

Zhu Yuanzhang used his ultimate move.

When Xu Da heard this, sweat broke out on his forehead and he became even more panicked.

"no no!"

He waved his hands repeatedly to deny it.

"Your Highness the Prince of Yan is extremely outstanding, and his future achievements will surely be astonishing.

I am worried that Miaoyun is not worthy of His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan."

Zhu Yuanzhang's slightly stern face was suddenly filled with smiles.

"Tian De, you are too modest. I have had my eye on Miao Yun for a long time and wanted her to be my daughter-in-law.

This girl is very outstanding and is more than qualified to be the fourth brother.

You don't have to think too much, and you must not underestimate yourself.

This matter is settled!"

Xu Da was stunned and furious.

Even though he's in power, he's still so shameless!
I was just being modest, but he really continued to say what I said?
Isn't this nonsense? My own Miaoyun is naturally more than enough to match the King of Yan!

But the key point is that Prince Yan is really not the son-in-law that he wants to choose for Miaoyun!

But when I think of Miaoyun’s marriage, he is the first person to be excluded!

"Tian De, I'm also very optimistic about Miao Yun, my sister-in-law. I've had a lot of contact with her over the years.

When I saw this child, I liked her from the bottom of my heart, just like seeing my own daughter.

Sister-in-law knows that you are reluctant to let go. This is how everyone feels when marrying off their daughter.

Especially marrying such a sensible daughter.

But my daughter has grown up and will eventually get married.

I'm here to make a promise to you. If Miaoyun marries us in the future, we will definitely treat her like our own daughter!"

Queen Ma also spoke and made a solemn promise.

Upon hearing this, Xu Da sighed inwardly.

Now that things have come to this, how could he refuse?
He must agree to this marriage.

Not to mention how many bad consequences he will suffer in the future if he doesn't agree, his daughter will never be able to get married from now on.

There was no need for the emperor and the empress to tell her that no one else was allowed to marry Miaoyun. No one from other families would dare to marry Miaoyun.

"Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm too proud of myself, I'm just afraid that Miaoyun is not worthy of His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan.

Since my superior and sister-in-law don't mind Miaoyun's dullness, I am naturally satisfied with this marriage."

“Hahaha, Tiande, I knew you were a reasonable person!

Let me tell you the truth, Tiande. This guy Lao Si may not look very impressive at first glance, but he is actually quite talented.

There is no limit to what you can achieve in the future.”

Seeing that Xu Da finally agreed and the marriage was settled, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled particularly happily and revealed some real future news to Xu Da.

Although because of his rebirth, Biao'er would not die early and the Jingnan Rebellion would not happen again, the possibility of the fourth brother becoming emperor was basically zero.

But Zhu Yuanzhang still dared to tell Xu Da at this time that the fourth brother would achieve extraordinary success in the future.

There is a saying that heroes are made by the times, and this is indeed true.

But we cannot ignore people’s subjective initiative.

He is the only person in two thousand years who successfully rebelled as a vassal king, became emperor, and created the Yongle era of prosperity.

No matter how much people say that heroes are made by the times, there is absolutely no way to ignore the fourth brother's own abilities.

This is the core of the fourth child.

Moreover, as his own son, the fourth child is not short of opportunities and circumstances.

If there is no Jingnan situation, I, as his father, will create another situation for him.

Nothing can be said to bury the fourth brother's ability.

The fourth brother was able to turn the tide in such an unfavorable situation as the Jingnan Campaign. In the future, as long as he is properly trained by himself, he will surely shine in the situation that he has created for himself.

Zhu Yuanzhang already had a good plan in mind for the future of his sons.

If it can be done well, it may even allow the fourth prince to achieve better results than the Jingnan Campaign, obtain the throne, and create the Yongle Era of Prosperity!
But it is obvious that Xu Da did not agree with Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

At this time, he had "sadly lost" his daughter, and he felt that Zhu Yuanzhang was just bragging about himself.

He didn't think that Prince Yan would be very powerful in the future.

Any of these sons who came to power pales in comparison to the crown prince.

I'm not talking about status, but just knowledge, means, and how one behaves.

"These ministers are not worried, nor do they think too much about it. As long as he treats Miaoyun well after they get married, that's all that matters."

Xu Da said with a forced smile.

"You don't have to worry about this Tiande, just put your heart at ease!
I promise you that after the fourth brother marries Miaoyun, he will definitely treat Miaoyun well.

They will be a loving couple, just like you and I!"

Zhu Yuanzhang promised Xu Da.

But after hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Xu Da became even more worried.

Because the son who was in power had a criminal record of being mean to the princess.

For example, the King of Qin, who was in a high position, decided to marry Wang Baobao's sister. She had both status and appearance.

She is truly worthy of the King of Qin.

But after the marriage, how did the King of Qin treat her?

He never looked at me straight in the eye and always scolded and insulted me.

It has been several years since they got married, but the Princess of Qin's belly has not moved.

According to reliable sources, the King of Qin has never touched her even once since their marriage.

The King of Yan was also a stupid, rough guy, and at first glance, he looked just as good as the King of Qin.

He was really afraid that his daughter would end up like the Princess of Qin after marrying the King of Yan.

Even though the King of Yan is different from the King of Qin and would not do things so excessively, it is still very uncomfortable for him to be like the King of Jin who likes to go to the Qinhuai River whenever he has nothing to do after getting married.

It can be said that the actions of his two brothers, the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin, played a significant role in Xu Da's reluctance to let his daughter marry Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was innocently implicated.

However, Xu Da soon stopped worrying about this matter.

It was not Zhu Yuanzhang who made Xu Da believe that after the fourth brother and Miaoyun got married, he would really treat Xu Miaoyun wholeheartedly.

Instead, Zhu Yuanzhang told Xu Da another piece of news.

For Xu Da, this was earth-shattering news!
"Supreme, is this true?!"

Xu Da's voice suddenly rose an octave!
He was no longer as elegant and easy-going as before, and had forgotten some etiquette. He stared at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked questions.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally would not blame Xu Da's behavior at this time.

To be honest, when he decided to tell Xu Da the news, he had already anticipated Xu Da's reaction. He knew Xu Da too well, and he knew too well how important the news he was telling him was to Xu Da.

"Of course it's true!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not disappoint Xu Da. He nodded vigorously, confirming the correctness of the information he had just told Xu Da.

"Sir, where did you get the news?"

Xu Da looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked again.

It’s not that he has to dig deep into the matter, it’s just that the news revealed by his superiors is too important!
He couldn't help but take it seriously and didn't want to make any mistakes in this matter.

But it was only after asking this question that Xu Da suddenly realized that his actions were extremely inappropriate.

According to the superior's temper, if he wanted to let me know how he got the information, he would have told me just now.

If he didn't tell others about it, it would prove that the source of the information was not what his superiors wanted him to know.

Come to think of it, I have been stationed in Peking, responsible for the defense of the north for many years.

Over the years, he could be said to have been on the front line of the fight against the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty that had fled into the grasslands.

On the northern grassland, I also tried my best to spread out a lot of spies.

Even in some grassland tribes in the south, there are people who have been bribed by their own people.

He has always had first-hand intelligence on the remaining forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in the north.

As a result, now I am completely unaware of this.

However, the superior bypassed him and knew the news first, and spoke so confidently.

This was what shocked him the most, and it also showed how clever the method used by the person who got to the top was.

It is normal for those in higher positions to want to keep things secret and not reveal them easily.

"My Lord, I beg to return to Peking immediately, mobilize the army, and wait for an opportunity to fight!

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must not be missed.

Even if we can't completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty, we must seize the opportunity to cut a piece of flesh from it!"

After realizing that he had asked the wrong question, Xu Da immediately volunteered to fight, no longer worrying about where his superiors got the information.

As soon as these words came out, Xu Da's whole demeanor changed instantly, and his fighting spirit soared into the sky!

Although there is only one person here, it gives people the feeling of being in front of thousands of troops.

Xu Da's desire to fight was not fake. He really wanted to return to Beiping immediately to take charge of military affairs and wait for an opportunity to fight a good battle!
The reason was simple, because the superior had just told him a piece of news—

Wang Baobao’s health is failing. He will die by September this year at the latest!

How could Xu Da remain calm in the face of such news?

This is Wang Baobao!
Even though the Northern Yuan Dynasty was so devastated, it was still able to barely hold together and maintain its rule.

One of the most important reasons is that there is still Wang Baobao.

This man was the last glory of the Yuan Dynasty.

There is a subtle sense of being the spiritual leader of the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty.

This person is really capable and is called a remarkable man by his superiors. They had previously wanted to recruit him to surrender.

When Wang Baobao encountered him and others before, he was defeated repeatedly and barely escaped several times.

But in the fifth year of Hongwu, he suffered a severe blow.

The Ming Dynasty divided its forces into three groups and launched a northern expedition, intending to completely destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty, but it suffered a major setback.

His central army fell into Wang Baobao's encirclement, resulting in the death of more than 10,000 elite soldiers on the battlefield.

As for Li Wenzhong's Eastern Army, the defeat of the Central Army resulted in a large number of Yuan troops being unable to be restrained and surrounded by the Yuan Army, resulting in heavy losses.

Only Feng Sheng from the west achieved victory...

This battle was truly unforgettable. It was the first defeat Xu Da had suffered since he took command of the army.

If we had not been defeated in this battle, the remaining court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty would have been defeated in one fell swoop. Why would we have to wait until now and not completely destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty and end the battle with it?
After that battle, Xu Da dreamed of taking revenge and avenging his previous humiliation!
But after that battle, the Northern Yuan Dynasty further retreated and no longer easily fought with the Ming Dynasty.

He was filled with anger and had no chance to vent it.

Now, after suddenly hearing the news from his superiors that Wang Baobao was in poor health and would die by September this year at the latest, how could Xu Da bear it?
Given Wang Baobao's current status among the Tartars, if he died, once the news got out, the impact on the Northern Yuan Dynasty would be fatal.

This would be a great opportunity to fight, and he didn't want to miss it!

Xu Da also believed that the superior chose to tell him this news at this time because he must want him to fight on his own.

He knew better than most people that the people in power hated the Northern Yuan Dynasty more than he did and wanted to destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty's royal court as soon as possible.

Completely end this battle that has been going on for many years.

However, the next moment——

"Tian De, no, we can't send troops now."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xu Da and shook his head.

Xu Da was stunned.

Obviously, what Zhu Yuanzhang said was once again beyond his expectations.

"To the top, this..."

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "We also want to seize this opportunity and send troops immediately to completely destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty and wipe out its territory!

However, the conditions do not allow it now.

If we really send out troops here, we will definitely run out of food and supplies."

After hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Xu Da became even more confused.

“Sir, last year in the Ming Dynasty, there were no major droughts or floods.

It can be said that the weather is good and the harvest is favorable.

The superiors also vigorously promoted immigration and restored production in various places, resulting in a good grain harvest.

Since the fifth year of Hongwu, there were no large-scale military operations in the sixth year and the seventh year.

There should be enough food and supplies to sustain a major war, so how could this amount of food and supplies be..."

Having said this, Xu Da suddenly stopped and couldn't go on.

After a pause, he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Asking for the throne means...Will Li Shanchang hinder us?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, agreeing with Xu Da's opinion.

"This... Li Shanchang has also been with the superior all the way, and the superior has treated him very well.

Although there are some conflicts regarding the affairs of Zhongdu City, the overall situation... perhaps we can understand it clearly.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to destroy the Northern Yuan Tartars in one fell swoop. It is time to tolerate each other for the sake of the country.

No matter how big the matter is, we should put it aside for now and destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty first..."

Xu Da swallowed his saliva and said to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and shook his head again.

"Before the Ming Dynasty was established, Li Shanchang would be like this. More recently, before the Yuan Dynasty was conquered, Li Shanchang would also be like this.

But now, Li Shanchang will definitely not tolerate it for the sake of the country.

After the Ming Dynasty was established and there were no strong external enemies, many people became lax.

We have said that the founding of the Ming Dynasty was not the end, but the beginning, and there are still many difficult battles to come.

But many people didn't listen.

Li Shanchang is no longer the Li Shanchang of the past..."

Xu Da fell silent after hearing this.

Since Li Shanchang came to power, he has been in charge of the central government, and he is in charge of the coordination of food, fodder and supplies.

For nearly twenty years.

When evaluating merits, the superiors called him Xiao He, and designated him as the greatest meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, even though he had never led an army in battle. There was a reason for this.

But Li Shanchang was the reason for both success and failure.

Before the troops move, the food and fodder must go first. If Li Shanchang insists on not working hard, the logistical supplies such as food and fodder going to the front line will certainly be greatly affected.

Even if I knew that Wang Baobao was going to die, I would still miss the opportunity...

Xu Da couldn't help but clench his fists.

"We are not making malicious assumptions about Li Shanchang or wrongly accusing him.

We have received clear news that Li Shanchang has already started sending people to greet local officials across the country.

Let them slack off in government affairs with various legitimate reasons in the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xu Da and told him another piece of news, which added fuel to the fire.

Xu Da’s fist became even harder!

How did the situation come to this?
Li Shanchang...how dare he?

If it were just the matter in Zhongdu City, although Xu Da had some opinions about Li Shanchang, they were not particularly big.

But at this time, Li Shanchang put personal interests above public interest and was about to hinder the team and cause the loss of such a great opportunity to fight. Then... Li Shanchang would be truly unforgivable!
He must follow the leader and have a good fight with Li Shanchang!

Only by defeating Li Shanchang can we avoid being constrained by Li Shanchang when we go to war in the future!

Of course, there is another solution to this problem at this time.

That is to surrender to the emperor, rebuild the Zhongdu city, and then move the capital to Zhongdu.

Xu Da reacted quickly and understood what Li Shanchang really wanted by doing this.

The purpose is to force the superiors to bow their heads and submit.

But...how is this possible!

Is Li Shanchang really stupid? After all these years of holding power, has he really lost his mind and become insane?

Have you even forgotten what the temper of the superior is?
That's true that when faced with a strong opponent, one becomes stronger and would rather break than bend!
Did Li Shanchang really think that he could make the higher-ups submit by commanding so many local officials?
Therefore, there is only one way left for Xu Da.

That is to follow the superior, fight a good battle, and tear all of this to pieces!
Of course, if possible, Xu Da, who had fought for half his life, did not want to fight this battle.

Because in the past wars were fought against external enemies, but this time we have to deal with internal enemies.

Many of them are old acquaintances who have had friendships in the past and have worked together for the Ming Dynasty.

"Master, I will do whatever you say next!
This kind of atmosphere must not be encouraged!"

Xu Da expressed his position to Zhu Yuanzhang with a serious face.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

Xu Da was reliable, and Li Shanchang had arranged a marriage with Xu Da and told him that Wang Baobao was about to die. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for battle arose, but Li Shanchang was dragging his feet at this time.

Completely brought Xu Da into the united front.

There is no need to worry, because Xu Da will not join him in the desperate charge.

"With Tiande's words, we feel relieved!"

Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and held Xu Da's hand.

"A mayfly wants to shake a tree? Next, let's clean up these insects!
There is no way to govern the Ming Dynasty with these insects around!"

Even though he was feeling very excited at the moment, Xu Da was still slightly stunned and couldn't help but look at his hand that was being held by his superior.

Is he going to imitate Emperor Guangwu and shake hands with others when he comes to power?

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't notice Xu Da's little trick, and started to talk to Xu Da about what he needed Xu Da to do next...

(End of this chapter)