Chapter 108

"Any war is a continuation of politics."

"As long as this battle is not won, the Son of Heaven of Great Ming has already lost in the imperial court!"

"Does it matter whether it can be preserved or not?!"

"With two hundred thousand men completely annihilated, future civil officials of Great Ming will use this as a precedent to warn later monarchs never to lightly venture beyond the pass."

"If these two hundred thousand men returned alive, would that not also serve as a negative example?!"

"From the moment these two hundred thousand men marched out of the capital in grand fashion, the Son of Heaven had already lost in the imperial court!"

"No matter how you return, wasting the people's resources, mobilizing the masses, and seeking grandiose achievements, there will always be a huge label ready to be pinned on you!"

"In other words, the moment the Capital Camp troops began to move, the Son of Heaven of Great Ming had already lost half his military authority."

94, Zhu Di: "Fan Zhong, so you've gotten old too, have you?"

The moment Su Qiao finished speaking.

The entire Qianqing Palace immediately fell into a deathly silence.

It was not until this moment that Zhu Di, suddenly coming to his senses, could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen was so anxious that tears were about to fall.

"Great-Grandfather, could there be a traitor among the court officials? I've long felt that Yu Qian doesn't look like a good person."

Zhu Di gritted his teeth and couldn't help but roar in anger:

"Shut up! What do you know, you idiot!"

The moment he finished speaking, Zhu Di frantically began tagging Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian in the group chat.

A moment later, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian, who had spent the whole day immersed in research at the Ministry of Rites, finally opened the constantly flashing chat group.

Emperor Sizhong the Martyr:

"Great-Ancestor, what's wrong?"

Emperor Emperor Emperor Emperor Chengzu the Cultured:

"After the Battle of Tumu, did any Son of Heaven of Great Ming ever personally command the army again?"

Emperor Sizhong the Martyr:

"Great-Ancestor, what you say is truly funny."

"With the incident at Tumu standing as a warning, which dynasty's Son of Heaven would dare to lead troops in person again?"

"Just a while ago, when Huang Taiji fought his way to the gates of the capital, there were still people using this very issue to block me from leading the army."

Zhu Di's expression gradually grew grave.

If one views the Tumu Incident as a game of chess played within the imperial court.

Then Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen had already lost the moment he led the troops into battle.

This was equivalent to handing over the military authority of the entire realm directly into the hands of the civil officials.

Suddenly, Zhu Di sensed something amiss.

Emperor Emperor Emperor Emperor Chengzu the Cultured:

"Then what of the martial nobility I left for you? What of those noble houses destined to endure as long as the state itself?!"

Emperor Sizhong the Martyr:

"Great-Ancestor, given the situation at Tumu, do you think anyone could have survived? The Duke of Chengguo, Zhu Yong, and the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, all died in battle; let alone those Marquises and Earls below them."

Before Su Qiao.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's expression gradually turned gloomy.

He had finally found the reason why Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian was so constrained in everything he did.

It turned out the root of the illness lay with that fellow Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen!

"Su Qiao, is there no turning point for this matter at all?"

Su Qiao said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, the turning point for this matter is very simple."

"As long as the later monarchs of Great Ming can win, isn't that enough?"

"When the Son of Heaven leads the army in person, there can be only one result!"

"That is victory!"

"Once defeated, the result will inevitably be shattered prestige and power slipping from one's grasp; therefore, the Son of Heaven must either not move at all, or be certain of victory!"

Having said this, Su Qiao's expression shifted, and he casually picked up a bamboo stick from the sand table, saying disdainfully:

"Take this recent incursion by the Tartars as an example!"

"If the Son of Heaven wins, this overwhelming merit belongs solely to the Son of Heaven!"

"The Son of Heaven's prestige will rise like the midday sun, and in the future within the imperial court, he will be able to command others as easily as using his own arms and fingers!"

"But if the Son of Heaven is defeated."

"Your Majesty can imagine the outcome."

"The situation in the Yan-Yun region remains one of certain victory; this overwhelming merit will then be claimed by a minister who saves the times!"

"Therefore, in this battle, the Son of Heaven can only win."

"But he cannot win."

"He doesn't even care about saving face anymore."

"He simply lacks the capability, you know?"

"If he keeps fighting, he'll end up losing to the Japanese pirates pirates."

The corners of Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Take this kid back!"

Commander Commander Jiang Huang still stepped forward and whispered in a low voice,

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, in another spacetime, Zhu Di, upon hearing Su Qiao's words, couldn't help but slap his own thigh.

"That's right, Father! This kid is correct!"

"War is merely the continuation of politics!"

"It's just that his temper is a bit foul."

"But all capable people are like that; when Yu Qian first entered the court, he was also arrogantly unrestrained."

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-grandfather, your subject has investigated; this man is named Su Qiao, and he died as a martyr at Xiaoling when you entered the city during the Jingnan Campaign."

Reading Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's message, Zhu Di wished he could slap himself twice across the face.

Why did I bring this up when I had nothing better to do!

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang stared fixedly at the sand table before him.

Gritting his teeth, he whispered in a low voice,

"Damn it... I simply do not believe it!"

Two hundred thousand troops were completely annihilated at Tumu Fortress!

A minister who saved the nation turned the tide and preserved the capital.

What kind of ammunition does this give the entire court of scholar-officials to use against us!

"Fourth Son!"

Zhu Di's body involuntarily trembled.

"Father... regarding the Jingnan matter, I truly did not mean it; I had my difficulties, so please do not remain angry."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly in a low voice, saying,

"Are all these people from Tumu Fortress your former subordinates?"

"Hm? You're not scolding me anymore? Wait, Father, what do you mean by this...?"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth and whispered in a low voice,

"If we sent you instead, could you win?"

Zhu Di gasped sharply, and suddenly a killing intent soaring to the heavens radiated from his body.

Staring at the chat group before him with eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, he declared righteously in a low voice,

"I can!"

"Good! Now I shall send you over! Coordinate the handover with your side."