Daming Greedy Wolf Star

Chapter 399 The Former Rival

Shuntian Mansion, the Imperial Palace.

The King of Wu's lineage has basically packed up their things and is waiting for the arrival of spring.

When spring comes and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty goes on a personal expedition, the King of Wu will withdraw from Shuntian Mansion and move to Yingtian Mansion. When the news they have been waiting for comes, the King of Wu will let Zhu Zhanyu stay behind. In Shuntian Prefecture, Wu King Zhu Gaoxu retreated south to Yunnan Prefecture.

This is a deal, a bargaining chip given by both parties, but it is not necessarily the final outcome.

Of course, after more than ten years of training, although Zhu Gaoxu's brain is still unable to drift, simple sharp turns are still no problem.

The King of Wu's lineage will not give up the Shuntian Mansion that they finally obtained without any reason, let alone hand over control that they have worked hard to obtain.

Although there is an empress dowager...oh no, she will be the empress dowager next year.

Although the Empress Dowager Zhang and the Empress Dowager Sun Ruowei were present, at that time, the emperor was still a child, and many matters still had to be left to the cabinet and the six ministries.

After all, it is an ancestral precept that the harem must not interfere with politics.

But at the moment, the emperor has not yet personally conscripted, and the lineage of King Wu has not moved out of the palace, so there is still a somewhat tense atmosphere in the palace.

For those at the top, everything is a done deal and they don’t need to worry too much about what will happen or what will happen.

But for other people, such as palace maids, chamberlains, and even some concubines, they live a life of trembling and walking on thin ice every day.

Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Thin smoke drifted from the incense burner, and a few wisps of water vapor slowly drifted from the teacup on the table. Zhu Gaoxu and Queen Mother Zhang, who were sitting opposite each other, looked at each other in silence.

I don't know how long it took before Mrs. Zhang slowly broke the awkward atmosphere.

"Zhan Ji sent me a message yesterday, saying that he would not be attending this year's New Year's Eve dinner. He had to take good care of himself and wait for next year's Northern Expedition."

"This year, I might have to trouble my second brother to host it."

"Sister-in-law, you're welcome." Zhu Gaoxu bowed his head slightly.

He still respected Mr. Zhang very much.

Emperor Taizong's empress Xu passed away very early, and passed away in the fifth year of Yongle. From that time on, the Zhang family was in charge of the harem, including Emperor Taizong's.

There is an old saying that an eldest brother is like a father and an eldest sister is like a mother, but in fact there is another saying: an eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.

In fact, there were many times when even Zhu Gaoxu wondered why they turned against each other after they became rich and powerful, even though they were such good brothers before Jingnan.

Can we share adversity or wealth?Zhu Gaoxu doesn't think so.

Is it the temptation of power and the expansion of desire?Zhu Gaoxu doesn’t think that’s entirely true.

In fact, in this matter, perhaps Zhu Gaoxu fought because his efforts were not proportional to his gains, or perhaps it was because Zhu Zhanhe was so outstanding that Zhu Zhanji suddenly became crooked, giving Zhu Gaoxu a chance.

But no matter what, just like Emperor Taizong Fengtian Jingnan back then, no matter how many reasons he had, Zhu Gaoxu was still wrong today.

Even if he is just asking for the reward he deserves for his efforts, even if it is to ensure the future of Ming Dynasty after Zhu Zhanji grows crooked, even if he is just trying to prove himself to his father and elder brother...

Even if there are many reasons, he is still wrong. Maybe in the near future, Ming Dynasty will embark on a broad road, but now, Ming Dynasty is really in chaos.

This chaos was caused by his son Zhu Zhanhe, and he also caused it.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but think of what Emperor Taizong said when he entered Yingtian Mansion.

From today on, I will be an eternal thief.

Today, this sentence can still be said about him. Since the day he entered Shuntian Mansion, he has been an eternal thief.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but sighed softly, took out a letter from his sleeve pocket, and pushed it in front of his sister-in-law.

"This... was sent back by Zhan He. It was originally sent to me, but he said two things on it. Maybe you should read it, sister-in-law."

"For Zhanji..."

When he said this, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly paused and swallowed what he wanted to say next.

Standing up slowly, bowing slightly to Mrs. Zhang, Zhu Gaoxu turned around and left the Yangxin Hall.

……

Watching Zhu Gaoxu leave quietly, Zhang just sat like that, not moving for a long, long time.

I don't know how long it took before Mrs. Zhang moved her somewhat stiff body, slowly reached out, took out the letter on the table, and slowly opened it.

In fact, what Zhu Zhanhe sent to his father was not so much a letter as a battle report, but it was a battle report, but it also seemed like a letter.

Because it contains two different things.

The first thing is the progress of the Western Expedition to Europe so far.

Zhu Zhanhe described in the letter the scope of what he had conquered after the Western Conquest of Timur's Empire, and even attached a sketch in which Zhu Zhanhe explained himself to Zhu Gaoxu by comparing it with the Ming Dynasty. How many places have been won so far.

In addition to this report, there are also some matters related to Nanzhou Prefecture and Xiangzhou Prefecture, including the supplies needed for the future Western Expedition to Europe.

Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but sigh.

As the saying goes: if you compare people, you will die, if you compare goods, you will throw them away.

In fact, for so many years, people throughout the Ming Dynasty have known that Zhu Zhanhe, the murderous god, was going around in conquests. Many people even criticized Zhu Zhanhe verbally and writtenly for this, thinking that he was a tyrant who only knew how to fight without considering the national strength.

But in fact, after so many years of fighting, how much ground did Zhu Zhanhe conquer?It can be said that few people in the entire Ming Dynasty have a specific concept.

Almost everyone can only use those news, even rumors, to judge how many places Zhu Zhanhe has laid down.

But after Zhu Gaoxu and his family took over the feudal domain, Zhu Zhanhe conquered the Wa country first, and then the Dayue country, all of which were small places.

Although there are also large places such as Siam, Nanzhang, Khmer and Delhi Sudan, those places together are not as vast as the Ming Dynasty.

But people have forgotten that it was because of Zhu Zhanhe that the Uszangdusi and Nuergandusi of the Ming Dynasty were stabilized. Even the old land of Tatar was completely controlled because of Zhu Zhanhe.

These areas were subconsciously classified as the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Zhanhe's contribution was subconsciously ignored. In the end, the only thing that was remembered by people was the Jingguan that stood on the bank of Kuoluan Haizi.

That was supposed to be proof of the soldiers' military merit, but now it became evidence of Zhu Zhanhe's cruelty and bloodlust.

Later, people had no idea about Zhu Zhanhe's expedition to the Timurid Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and his current expedition to Europe.

For thousands of years in the Central Plains, even from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States, there have been very few exchanges with them. I have no idea how big the land is, how many people there are, or how much land Zhu Zhanhe conquered. .

Therefore, in people's hearts, even in the hearts of the Zhang family, Zhu Zhanhe was still just a prince of Wu who was on an expedition.

They had never imagined, or even thought, that even if they gave up the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanhe would already be a monarch who created a great kingdom in the Celestial Dynasty.

Looking at the sketch in front of him, Zhang finally realized that the place Zhu Zhanhe had taken was no longer comparable to that of Ming Dynasty. Even if there was no Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhanhe would not care because he was already strong enough to ignore it. It’s reached the point of Ming Dynasty.

Thinking about it, Zhu Zhanhe has never used the soldiers from the Central Plains except for the fact that the imperial court sent soldiers there when he conquered the Wa Kingdom in the east for so many years.

In fact, even during the eastern expedition against Japan, the soldiers sent by the imperial court were not there to support them, but to pick the big peach of Shijian Yinshan.

Hands slowly fell on the table, Mrs. Zhang raised her head slightly, feeling a strong sense of powerlessness in her heart.

Originally, although she wanted to preserve the Ming Dynasty and give an explanation to her father-in-law and her husband when she went to Huangquan a hundred years later, Zhu Zhanji was still her son after all, and he was the son she devoted the most to.

Why didn't she want to help her son regain his former position and regain his former rights?

But now, looking at the sketch drawn by Zhu Zhanhe, she really knew that her son had no chance.

Moreover, even if she was unwilling to do so, she now had to admit that Zhu Zhanhe was far superior to Zhu Zhanji.

Ask yourself, Mrs. Zhang doesn't think her son can do what Zhu Zhanhe did, even if there is no enemy of King Wu's lineage, even if the whole court works together, even if the people don't say a word, completely Support your son.

Reality is always so cruel.

However, the cruelest thing is far more than that.

The reason why this letter looks like a battle report, but not exactly like a battle report, is because Zhu Zhanhe said another thing at the end of the letter.

In fact, Zhu Zhanhe didn't think too much, just because the current King of Wu actually no longer needs to take the Central Plains seriously.

A large number of Han people migrated to the Indochina Peninsula, so that more than [-]% of the population in Indochina today is Han. In addition, there is the great help of Uzzandus and the fanatical Asan of the Sultan of Delhi. .

There is no shortage of people in the lineage of King Wu, let alone food.

He knew that his father had nothing to pursue now, and the anger and competition he had back then had all disappeared with the departure of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Hong Xi.

Therefore, Zhu Zhanhe advised his father that if he felt tired, he might as well let it go and return things and rights to Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanhe didn't think too much, he just wanted his father to take a rest, and he was not afraid that Zhu Zhanji would come back to power, because he could enter Shuntian Mansion once, he could enter Shuntian Mansion a second time, and he could capture Shuntian and even the entire If you control Ming once, you can take it a second time.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't think it was a big deal, because although he was no longer angry or fighting, he still wanted to leave something for his son. Even if his son was already outstanding, he still wanted to do something with his best.

But all this was a huge blow to Zhang.

From Zhu Zhanhe's words in the letter, Zhang understood one thing.

For Zhu Zhanhe, the Central Plains is actually a fundamental obsession. If it were not for this fundamental obsession, then the current Ming Dynasty would really be nothing to him, and he might not even be interested.

The gap between the opponents of the past and now is already so large.

Zhang stood up slowly, but it could be seen that she had undergone some changes.

Slowly walking towards the back of Yangxin Hall, the empress dowager who was still struggling for her son in the past was also a mother, but now she has become a little rickety, even walking a little staggering.

(End of this chapter)