Chapter 123

He slowly rose from his seat in the main hall.

"Come, Su Qiao, tell me..."

"Your Majesty, please ask."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's tone shifted abruptly as he roared at Su Qiao until his voice cracked.

"How much silver did the Prince of Yan give you to speak so fervently on his behalf in court?"

"What? Fourth Brother, how much silver did you give him?!"

"Why has everyone fallen silent?!"

Over all these years.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had seen every kind of person.

Yet he had never encountered anyone like Su Qiao.

This did not even qualify as buying fame outright.

Once this spread, Su Qiao would become the first monstrous figure since the founding of the Great Ming!

Could it be that Su Qiao simply wished to become famous?

What could he possibly hope to gain?

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's emotions were already on the verge of collapse.

However, Zhu Di, within the chat group, suddenly fell silent.

"Father, something is wrong!"

"This matter is not right!"

"It actually seems feasible!"

Zhu Di, who had just been roaring until his voice cracked, instantly froze in place.

He muttered involuntarily.

"Feasible?"

Huang Huang Zicheng, Su Qiao, and the others could not see the chat group.

Hearing Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly utter the word "feasible," everyone immediately panicked.

Huang Huang Zicheng remained kneeling on the ground.

"Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be done! Partitioning the land is a path to chaos; the people of the realm thirst for order, so how can we partition the land to invite chaos!"

Even Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen knelt down and cried out loudly.

"Imperial Grandfather, even if I were to cede half of Jiangnan to Fourth Uncle, I absolutely cannot become a ruler who brings calamity to future generations!"

Yet Zhu Di, within the chat group, spoke excitedly.

"Father, it is feasible!"

"Dividing the realm along the Yangtze is naturally impossible."

"But I have a territory where he can be settled!"

"Years ago, a powerful minister in Annan usurped the throne and slaughtered the entire royal family; I sent troops to help the Annan princess restore the kingdom, but since there was no king left, we had to annex Jiaozhi."

"However, in recent years, Annan has shown signs of growing increasingly powerful."

"I can enfeoff Second Brother in Jiaozhi!"

"Annan's foundation is quite good; it is just that Eldest Brother currently finds governing it too troublesome and not worth the cost."

"But once Second Brother is enfeoffed there, it will become worthwhile!"

"Internally, it secures the imperial clan; externally, it expands our borders—a profit with no loss."

"If he governs well, he may become a king or even an emperor; the court can send troops, grain, officials, and clerks to assist in governance, since it is essentially free land; if he loses his domain and flees back, we can simply support him again, and I doubt he would have any grounds to complain."

103, revised; clear cache and view again.

Zhu Di's words served as a reminder to Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang.

Enfeoff his sons and grandsons overseas?

As soon as this thought arose, it began to linger incessantly in Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had not failed to consider this before.

The so-called Nine Frontier Princes were, in essence, enfeoffed beyond the borders.

Princes such as the Prince of Zhou, the Prince of Liao, and the Prince of Ning.

In truth, their fiefs had not been permanently established; they were only temporarily stationed at key strongholds along the nine frontiers.

Starting in the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang began leading the Prince of Jin, Zhu Gang, and the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, to gradually encroach upon the northern steppes.

First, Dongsheng City was built, and the Prince of Zhou was enfeoffed there; afterward, Daning City was constructed, and the Prince of Ning, Zhu Quan, was enfeoffed in Liaodong.

This shows that from the very beginning, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang intended for these sons to gradually build cities and fortifications to encroach upon the grasslands.

However, this historical process was interrupted by Zhu Di's Jingnan Campaign.

Yet Zhu Di's words suddenly struck a chord with Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang.

Who said.

That expansion must always proceed northward?

Su Qiao had previously stated that Jiaozhi was also a land of fish and rice; the several states of Annan covered thousands of li, easily accommodating ten or eight sons without issue.

If the Great Ming ever suffered disaster in the future, would it not be better to buy grain from one's own relatives than from outsiders?

Moreover, these lands were never part of the Central Plains' ancient commanderies; if these sons possessed ambition, they could venture forth on their own, whether by land or sea, where could they not go?

Furthermore.

If all these sons remained within the Great Ming.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had already seen what fate awaited them in the future.

In the Battle of Xingshan, who suffered the most?

Huang Taiji?

Or perhaps Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian?

The one and only person who truly felt heartbroken and empathized deeply was none other than a single individual.

That person was Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang!

Every one of these feudal princes was Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's own flesh and blood!

"Enfeoff the princes overseas, establish many relatives..."

Thinking of this.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes grew increasingly bright.

Meanwhile, everyone in the Donggong, hearing Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang muttering to himself, turned pale with fright.

Even Su Qiao felt a moment of panic.

Old Zhu, have you gone mad?

Do you really intend to tear this empire in two?

This won't have any impact on me after I return, will it?

Just then, a streak of golden light suddenly flowed through the chat group.

Immediately afterward, a line of faint gray text appeared within the chat group.

[The national fortune of Great Ming has received a phased enhancement. American crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and chili peppers have been arranged for merchants to deliver to Jin Ling City in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu. Group Master, please take note and explore.]

Looking at this line of text in the chat group.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's brows involuntarily furrowed.

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Old Fourth, what is this thing? Have you heard of it?"

Emperor Emperor Emperor Emperor Chengzu the Cultured:

"I haven't heard of it either. This 'potato,' is it a bean from the earth?"

Emperor Sizong the Martyred:

"Great-Grandfather, this must be an immortal object; could it perhaps turn stone into gold?"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang surveyed the chat group, the corners of his mouth unable to resist rising upward.

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Who gives a damn what this thing is."

"Let us find it first before discussing further."