Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 136: The feudal vassals changed their seals to the unsealed land

The fourth day of September.

It's a moment of application.

Hall of Martial Arts.

Zhu Di looked at the "Surveyed Map of the Five Continents" on the imperial table. After sitting alone for two quarters of an hour, he decided to listen to the opinions of Yao Guangxiao and Zhu Gaoxu.

"Li Xing?"

"The servant is here."

Li Xing walked quickly and bowed into the hall, saluting.

Zhu Di ordered: "Send someone to invite the prince's young master (Yao Guangxiao) and the prince to come here to see me."

"The slaves obey the order."

Li Xing respectfully accepted the order, then bowed and retreated.

Zhu Di watched Li Xing leave, and then shouted to the palace gate: "Where is the prosperity?"

"My servant is here." Changsheng walked in quickly and saluted.

Zhu Di took a look at Changsheng, who had been promoted to the position of Supervisor of Ceremonies, and said: "The affairs that the Supervisor of Ceremonies and Supervisors have to handle are relatively complicated, can you still adapt to it?"

"As long as I can share your Majesty's worries, I am not afraid of hardship." Changsheng replied respectfully.

Zhu Di nodded and said, "Well, you take people to carry the map of Jiuzhou from the side room to the main hall."

"My slave, please take your orders." Changsheng bowed quickly and said.

After Changsheng retired, Zhu Di lowered his head, looked at the map on the imperial table, and fell into deep thought again.

Not long after, Changsheng directed two waiters to bring in a giant ink map like a screen from outside.

When Zhu Di heard the noise, he picked up the sea map on the table, stood up and walked around the table. He walked to the map with his hands behind his back and stared at the large area where Ming Dynasty was located, silent.

Changsheng wisely led the two waiters to bow and retreat.

"My son-in-law pays respects to his father."

Zhu Gaoxu came to Wuying Hall, bowed and saluted.

Zhu Di nodded and said, "You came just in time."

While he was speaking, he handed the map in his hand to Zhu Gaoxu and said, "I received this map last night. It was sent secretly by Zheng He's people who took four months."

Zhu Gaojiu unfolded the map, and after just a quick glance, he found that the domestic Central Continent, the four overseas continents, east, west, north, south, and surrounding islands marked on the map were almost the same as those on the Great Nine Continents World Map.

Of course, for more than a year, almost every three or four months, Zhu Di would receive a map secretly sent back by someone sent by Zheng He.

It's just that those maps are fragmentary, and they only draw maps of parts of Southeast Asia or the West. They are not as broad as this map covers.

"In Zongwangfang, there will be a small commotion every three days and a big commotion every ten days. Which month doesn't cause a few troubles?"

Zhu Di looked at the huge map, frowned and said: "We can't delay it any longer. The few thorns in Zongwangfang have to find a way to change the seal and get them out."

"Father."

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Some places are not suitable as places for vassal changes."

Zhu Di nodded and said: "I called you and Master Daoyan here this time to discuss the matter of changing the title."

The father and son continued chatting for about a quarter of an hour, and then heard Yao Guangxiao's voice coming from outside the hall.

"This poor monk has met His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Yao Guangxiao bowed.

Zhu Di turned around and stepped forward quickly, raised his hand to help Yao Guangxiao up, and said, "Master, there is no need to be polite."

Then, he signaled Zhu Gaoxu to hand over the "Conquered Map of the Five Continents" sent by Zheng He to Yao Guangxiao.

Seeing Yao Guangxiao studying the sea map, Zhu Di explained: "I received this map last night. It was Zheng He who sent someone to send it secretly."

After Yao Guangxiao saw the picture, he was surprised and said: "The directions of the Central Continent and the Four Overseas Continents marked on this map are consistent with the "Yugong Dajiuzhou World Map" drawn by His Highness the Crown Prince three years ago with reference to the relevant classics of the "Shan Hai Jing". The directions of the five continents are almost the same!"

"good."

Zhu Di nodded and stroked his beard and said: "The map of the Great Five Continents sent by Zheng He to survey and draw confirmed that the positions of the Great Five Continents on this map of the world were correct. Of course, the confirmation of the overseas North Continent was also due to the contributions of Jin Yiwei and Nurgan Dusi. in."

It is said that once this map came out, many courtiers doubted the authenticity of the location of the Great Nine Provinces marked on the "Great Nine Continents World Map". The strange thing is that Zhu Gaoxu did not deny the speculations of these courtiers at that time.

However, as the number of nautical charts sent back by Zheng He's people has gradually increased in recent years, Zhu Di has discovered one island after another in the South and West Oceans that can correspond to the map of the world.

"According to Taizu's order, I changed the title of kings overseas. Where do you think this map is suitable for the establishment of vassal states?"

Zhu Di stood with his hands behind his hands, looking at the map of the Great Nine Continents and said.

Just when he was looking at the map and asking questions, the thoughtful Yao Guangxiao had already seen in his eyes that this change of vassals was unusual.

Based on Yao Guangxiao's understanding of Zhu Di, although Zhu Di was a generous person, he considered things far-sighted and would definitely not cede the rich land to the vassals, so that the vassals would grow into a force that threatened the imperial court in the future.

"Your Majesty really wants to implement Zong Zhou's feudalism?"

Yao Guangxiao asked softly.

Zhu Di nodded heavily and said, "Not bad."

He turned around and sat down, motioned for Yao Guangxiao and Zhu Gaoxu to take their seats, and then called Li Xing to bring some cakes and tea.

"Overseas Nanzhou (Antarctic continent) is a world of ice and snow, and it is not suitable to establish a vassal. How about overseas North Continent?" Zhu Di asked.

In view of the relative strength of the Eastern Zhou countries in history, Yao Guangxiao believes that usually, the more advantageous a country's geographical environment is, the greater its development potential will be.

Overseas Beizhou is in the north of China's Divine Continent, covering Mobei and further north. Except for Mobei, which is occupied by grassland people, the further north is an unowned land.

It is full of wastelands, ice fields, swamps, and forests, but there is very little cultivated land. People who have been there call it the "Northern Wasteland."

"If you change the vassal status and go overseas to establish a country in Beizhou, it will be like exile. And to go there, you need to pass through the grasslands occupied by Tatars or Oaras. This move will not only damage your majesty's holy name, but will also inevitably be opposed by the kings. "

Yao Guangxiao gave his advice.

Zhu Di nodded, and then asked Zhu Gaoxu, "What does the prince think?"

"Master's words make sense. For now, overseas Beizhou is indeed not suitable as a place for the vassals to be re-confessed." Zhu Gaoxu said respectfully.

The overseas North Asia he drew is the North Asia region of later generations. Places close to the Arctic Circle are not suitable for habitation. Even if people of later generations still have difficulty surviving there, let alone now?
But he knew that the places at the junction of North Asia and East Asia, such as Mobei, Nurgan and other vast areas, were still habitable.

However, it is currently unrealistic for the kings to change their titles. After all, they have to face the harassment of nomadic tribes on the grassland.

Zhu Di asked again: "How about overseas Xizhou?"

"Father." Zhu Gaoxu continued: "The Overseas Western Continent is to the west of our Chinese Divine Continent. There are dozens of big countries, hundreds of small countries, countless tribal chiefs, and there are ancient countries with civilizations no less than China. Among them, the Timurid Kingdom It is a big country whose strength cannot be underestimated." He stood up, pointed to an area southwest of the Ming Dynasty on the map, and continued: "In addition, there are two major peninsulas in the Western Continent overseas, one is Persia and the other is Peacock. It is said that this The two major peninsulas are more than thousands of miles in length and width, and are about the same size."

"I know the Persian Peninsula."

Zhu Di followed Zhu Gaoxu's words and said: "According to the map sent by Zheng He, the Persian Peninsula is full of deserts and wastelands, which is a useless land. It is also not suitable as a place for kings to change their titles."

"His Majesty."

Yao Guangxiao spread out the sea map in his hand, his eyes fell on the South Asian subcontinent in later generations, and said: "According to historical records, the Peacock Peninsula has fertile land, countless fertile fields, and its own unique civilization. During the Qin Dynasty, a great country was born on that land. It’s called the Peacock Kingdom. That’s why Zheng He labeled this place the Peacock Peninsula.”

Zhu Gaoxu then continued: "The Peacock Kingdom is like a flash in the pan, and has long since disappeared in the long river of history. Now it has become fragmented, with hundreds of large and small countries. Although it has a large population, the Peacock people are not good at fighting and are easy to conquer."

When Zhu Di heard this, his eyes instantly fell on the Peacock Peninsula, frowning in thought.

"Your Majesty, please see."

Yao Guangxiao analyzed: "The Peacock Peninsula is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It has the convenience of navigation and trade, but it is also far away from the court. If a vassal is established here, the vassal king can do bold things without being constrained by the court. Therefore, the poor monk thinks that the kings are the best The place to be renamed is actually the Peacock Peninsula!"

"As long as the territories of the vassals are demarcated in a staggered manner, so that among the vassal states there is me and you are the only one, and we can check and balance each other, we can prevent one of them from getting bigger and avoid the emergence of a strong vassal that threatens the imperial court."

"What Master said is not unreasonable." Zhu Di nodded and said, "Let me think about it."

Then, he stared at the Peacock Peninsula area on the map and began to ponder.

Zhu Gaoxu, who was sitting next to Zhu Di, frowned as he looked at the Funan Peninsula on the map.

After a long time, Zhu Di raised his hand and pointed to the Funan Peninsula on the screen map and asked: "What if the Funan Peninsula is used as the place where the kings changed their titles?"

"Your Majesty, as far as the poor monk knows, the Funan Peninsula has high temperatures all year round and is covered with forests, swamps and miasma. It is full of snakes, insects and beasts. The mountains and rivers are dangerous, and even savages live in it."

Yao Guangxiao said respectfully: "Although this place is suitable for living, if we establish a vassal here, we will not only have to deal with the intrusion of barbarians and barbarians, but also face the hot climate and dangerous mountain terrain."

Zhu Di asked: "What does the master mean?"

"Your Majesty, although the environment of the Funan Peninsula is slightly harsher than that of China, there are also large rivers running through it. Therefore, the products are abundant and the land is fertile. Champa rice, which is harvested three times a year, originated from this peninsula."

Yao Guangxiao added: "Therefore, the poor monk believes that the Funan Peninsula is like Huguang in the Ming Dynasty. It can only be divided into counties and counties, but it cannot be enfeoffed."

"My son agrees with the young master's theory."

Zhu Gaoxu gave Yao Guangxiao a thumbs up in his heart, and at the same time stretched out his hand to draw a big circle on the screen map.

He drew the Peacock Sea Islands and Nanyang Islands on the left and right sides of the Funan Peninsula into the circle, and said: "Father, please see, after the Ming Dynasty opens the sea, if it wants to coerce all overseas countries, it must first make the small countries on the Nanyang Islands surrender. .As a result, the location of Funan Peninsula becomes crucial."

Zhu Di was a military genius with a great strategic vision. When he heard what Zhu Gaoxu said, he instantly captured the location of the Funan Peninsula. For the Ming Dynasty, which had already opened the sea, it was a strategic location that must not be abandoned.

In the original history, Emperor Yongle Zhu Di decided to "prefecture and county Annan" after careful consideration.

With the imperial court directly in charge of Annan, there was a deeper strategic consideration, that is, to realize the Ming Dynasty's military power in Funan Peninsula, to echo the maritime fleet led by Zheng He, and to jointly consolidate the Western tribute system by land and sea.

After the "Prefecture Annan", the Ming Dynasty can more easily control the Funan Peninsula. It can control Champa, Siam, and Chenla in the near distance, and it can control Manchuria and the peninsula near Sumatra, Old Port, and Guawa in the far distance. , Bo Ni and other countries.

In history, Zhu Di once said: "The thieves in Annan will be captured, and the land of the South China Sea will be solemn and clean."

His words revealed the most direct influence of the Ming Dynasty's "county Annan".

Unfortunately, Ming Xuanzong later abandoned the Jiaozhi Chengxuan Envoy Department. This move greatly damaged the Ming Dynasty's prestige in Southeast Asia and also greatly reduced the Ming court's prestige towards the southwestern chieftains.

The negative impact caused by Emperor Xuande's "abandonment of Jiaozhi" was long-term and fatal to the Ming Dynasty.

This incident dealt a heavy blow to the Ming Dynasty's international reputation in the Western region, shook the Ming Dynasty's status as a suzerain state, and triggered a series of geopolitical earthquakes, resulting in many foreign countries not paying tribute.

After that, the people in power in the Ming court stopped the strategy of going to the Western Seas, which caused the Ming Dynasty's military power in the Southeast Asian region to disappear, which further led to the loosening and disintegration of the Ming Dynasty's tribute system in Southeast Asia.

Zhu Gaoxu believes that as a traveler, he must change the "abandonment of Jiaozhi" incident and make the Funan Peninsula an inherent territory of China. Wouldn't it be beautiful?
"Father, if the kings change their titles to overseas, the imperial court will naturally continue to patrol the sea permanently if it wants to show its majesty. Compared with the southeastern coast, the Funan Peninsula is closer to the Southern Ocean and the Western Ocean."

Zhu Gaoxu said respectfully: "Therefore, I believe that this place must not be enfeoffed."

"How about overseas Dongzhou?"

Zhu Di had an idea in his mind, but he still needed to understand Zhu Gaoxu and Yao Guangxiao's views on overseas Dongzhou.

"Your Majesty, this poor monk doesn't know much about overseas East China."

Yao Guangxiao said bluntly: "Zheng He marked the largest piece of land there as 'Jue Dao' on the map, which shows that it should be relatively primitive and desolate."

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Father, my son and I don't know much about overseas Dongzhou."

After hearing what the two said, Zhu Di fell silent again.

Yao Guangxiao stroked his beard and looked at Zhu Di with a smile, and asked respectfully: "I wonder where your Majesty would like to establish a vassal state after listening to the advice of the poor monk and the prince?"

After Zhu Di hesitated for a moment, he slowly said: "I care about the Peacock Peninsula and the Nurgan region."

Yao Guangxiao seemed to gain something after hearing this, and turned his attention to the places north of Liaoxi and Liaodong on the map.

"Although the Nurgan region is cold, it is not without its merits. It faces Liaodong to the south, which is advantageous for trade, and it faces the Whale Sea to the east, which is also convenient for navigation."

"The plains between the east of the Xianbei Mountains and the south of the Changbai Mountains are vast. There are hundreds of rivers and lakes there, and there is a lot of fertile land that can be opened up for farming."

Yao Guangxiao suggested: "If a vassal is established there, once the vassal master imitates Liaodong and implements the land reclamation policy, it will inevitably become a threat to the court a hundred years later. Therefore, the poor monks oppose your majesty's move to transfer the vassals to the Nurgan area."

"These places are close to our border with the Ming Dynasty. If we cannot conquer them, they will become a disaster sooner or later."

Zhu Di had a different view and said slowly: "Because it is too far away from the imperial court, communication is inconvenient, development is too difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, the only way to manage the Nurgan land is to enfeoff it. Best policy."

In fact, he knew very well that the Jingchu land in the Ming Dynasty was still being reclaimed. Even if the imperial court had set up the Nurgan Dusi to start reclamation and construction there, how many Han family members would be willing to open up wasteland and farm there?
Only by letting the vassal king go there to establish a country, promising huge benefits to the people, and attracting a group of people to go there, can effective rule be established in Nurgan in a short period of time.

"The Peacock Peninsula is vast enough to entrust dozens of clan kings to establish a country."

Zhu Di added: "The Nurgan region is also very vast. However, I plan to entrust at most three of the king's younger brothers to build a country there, and the enfeoffed land will be close to the Whale Sea."

"My father is a man of great talent and strategy. He wants to establish a vassal outside the Great Wall and rule the barbarian people with the king of Xia. He intends to turn the barbarians into Xia. He also wants to build a lasting legacy for the sons of China. He changed the title to several princes and uncles and established a country in the land of Nurgan. I feel that feasible!"

Zhu Gaoxu echoed.

Of course he understood Zhu Di's plan. After all, reaping the benefits is the only way to become emperor.

Let the kings develop it first, and then find reasons to cut down the vassals later.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yao Guangxiao was as smart as a demon, so he naturally saw Zhu Di's plan, stroking his beard and smiling.

Zhu Gaoxu then said: "Father, I am worried that your uncles may not agree."

"It's okay, I have my own concerns." Zhu Di said in a deep voice.

PS: I’m tired of watching the infighting plot. This book focuses on describing the world after the Ming Dynasty opened the sea. I hope you guys will like it!Please give me recommendation votes, monthly votes, chapter comments and likes!
(End of this chapter)