Chapter 6

At such a time of peril.

Why should the Zhu family not step forward?

Before Su Qiao had even finished speaking, he continued at once.

"Your Majesty just said that with powerful enemies encircling us from without, the empire must issue a clear edict summoning all State-Preserving, State-Assisting, and State-Serving Generals and Captains to take the field and repel the foreign invaders—then this crisis can be broken!"

As he said this, Su Qiao's gaze instantly flared with fervor.

But before Su Qiao could go on.

Huang Zicheng leapt forward again.

"Your Majesty, if this is meant for future monarchs, and the realm has enjoyed peace for hundreds of years, how can the imperial clan perpetually train in arms? If you send these soldiers to the battlefield, what is it but sending them to their deaths?"

Su Qiao snorted coldly and declared loudly.

"Anyone who cites two hundred years as an example fails to see that our Great Ming imperial clan, living in comfort and abundance, must already number no fewer than hundreds of thousands."

"What can those foreign enemies beyond the passes do? The Jurchens and Mongols, even united under the Bu Alliance, number no more than ten thousand per tribe."

"If we lose the realm because of this, would it not be a laughingstock?!"

Huang Zicheng did not yield an inch, and shouted at once.

"Audacious! Where do you place the lives of the imperial bloodline?!"

Su Qiao stared fixedly at Huang Zicheng and shouted.

"If we win, we win; if we lose, the Son of Heaven has ample grounds to confiscate their estates!"

"At that time, whoever embezzles will not merely be disregarding the imperial grace—he will be an enemy of the Zhu family."

"Confiscation is nothing! Annihilation of the entire clan is still insufficient to quell the people's fury!"

"The imperial clan has lived for generations on the people's fat and marrow; even if they die in battle, they serve as an example to the realm—what is wrong with that?"

With that, Su Qiao drew a deep breath.

He stared fixedly at Huang Zicheng and asked.

"If this lord were a starving peasant, and seized the realm, would the imperial clan have any chance of survival?"

"If those foreign enemies beyond the passes breached the passes, would the imperial clan have any chance of survival?"

"All people in the realm may surrender; all may rebel!"

"Only the imperial clan may not surrender or rebel!"

"Thus, the Zhu family's blood shall redeem the Great Ming realm, and future generations shall still retain their princely titles!"

"The Zhu family's realm is stained by the Zhu family's blood—what is wrong with that?!"

6, Old Zhu, do you really believe this?!

For a moment.

Huang Zicheng stood frozen, utterly speechless.

Every word Su Qiao spoke was treasonous, heretical.

But was any of it wrong?

No!

All people in the realm may surrender to rebels, to invaders!

Only the Zhu family cannot!

Only Zhu men cannot!

Because every Zhu man, in theory, holds a claim to the throne!

Su Qiao stared coldly at Huang Zicheng and continued.

"If the rebels within the passes seize the realm."

"The Zhu family might still cling to the hope of the tale 'So Happy as to Forget Shu.'"

"But if the barbarians beyond the passes breach the passes, how could the Great Ming imperial clan possibly survive?"

"This lord must not forget—from whose hands did our Great Ming seize its realm?"

In the Jinsen Hall.

Everyone stood frozen in place.

From whose hands did the Great Ming seize its realm?

The Yuan! The barbarians!

If the Han realm were to lose the realm again.

Every Zhu person would be a living banner—raise your arm, and all would answer!

How could the barbarians beyond the passes allow Zhu men to live?!

Finally, Su Qiao's tone paused.

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said calmly.

"If the imperial clan's men march beyond the passes to fight to the death—even if the entire force is annihilated—Your Majesty can imagine the prestige the Great Ming Son of Heaven would then command."

"What does it matter if rebellious peasants run rampant?"

"Are they not Han? Can they stand idly by while the Han lose the realm?"

"At that time, if they continue their misdeeds, they will be Han traitors—eternally despised by all!"

"Your Majesty must understand: some men are more useful dead than alive!"

"They will die anyway—better to die fighting beyond the passes than to be captured after the fall of the realm, and show true heroism?!"

"Is it not better to die for the realm?"

Is it not better to die for the realm?!

Su Qiao's words were a knife, plunged deep into Old Zhu's chest.

Even though Old Zhu was filled with rage by Su Qiao's words.

Yet Zhu Yuanzhang could not find a single flaw with which to rebut Su Qiao.

Either way, it's death.

Why not leave the pass and stake everything for the Jiangshan of the Zhu clan?

What's more, some people, once dead, are indeed far more useful than alive!

Once tens of thousands of Zhu clan members die in battle beyond the pass.

Whatever the Son of Heaven wishes to do will become entirely natural and proper.

Should any civil official dare to embezzle even slightly, it would be making an enemy of the Zhu clan.

The Son of Heaven would not even need to lift a hand.

The Gedide Sect members throughout the land would rise up en masse to impeach them.

The same logic applies even more so.

So many Zhu clan members have died in battle.

A堂堂藩王—pardon, a堂堂藩王 who still hoards so much grain, having his house confiscated would already be an act of the Son of Heaven's benevolence.

If it truly came to a reckoning among the common folk, such a person would not even be allowed into the clan register or ancestral tomb!

As for the meritorious ministers, is it any different?

The "share weal and woe with the realm" inscribed on the iron vouchers with vermilion writing was not written for them to look at!

Blood is the easiest thing to make people see red with killing.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright upon the dragon throne, drew a deep breath, and gnashed his teeth as he deliberated for a long while.

Yet Su Qiao's voice kept on plucking at Old Zhu's heartstrings.

"Once the imperial clan is utterly wiped out beyond the pass, Your Majesty may well consider how the common folk of the realm would then think of the Zhu clan."

"Your Majesty may also consider how the Shi Guan of later ages would record the annals of our Great Ming dynasty!"

"Looking across all twenty-three dynasties! Only the Zhu Ming dynasty had its imperial clan die in battle to defend the realm!"

"Even if in the end the realm is still lost, our Great Ming shall surely leave a fragrant name for Wan Shi!"

"From then on, wherever there are Han people in the world, not a single one will not take pride in the Zhu clan."

"What is a foundation lasting ten thousand years?!"

"This is a foundation lasting ten thousand years!"

"Your Majesty's Great Ming—its name shall surely stand shoulder to shoulder with those of Yao and Shun without yielding the slightest ground! Henceforth, whenever the nation faces peril, the people of that age shall never forget the descendants of the Zhu clan!"

Su Qiao's words were like one big pancake after another.

Force-fed ruthlessly into Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth.