Chapter 332: Who Wins or Loses Doesn't Matter, As Long As the Fight Looks Good

The Empress has not been pregnant to this day; it is Zhu Yijun's problem. Of course, this is definitely not a problem with his body, but a problem of choice.

He has no intention of letting the Empress get pregnant recently. The reason is simple: Wang Yaozhuo is still young, and underage pregnant women are still very dangerous in the current health environment of the Great Ming. For Wang Yaozhuo, at the age of sixteen, the risks of childbirth are extremely high.

When the mother is still developing, the fetus develops in the mother's womb, and the development will become extremely unstable, which may lead to miscarriage or even deformity. Moreover, the fetus born is very likely to die prematurely.

San Niangzi is very strange. The Great Ming Emperor has been married for so long, and the three concubines in the harem are really not living up to expectations. To this day, there is no news of pregnancy. Because of the lack of material conditions, giving birth on the grasslands doesn't have so many requirements; it's all about when you grab something, you give birth.

For example, when San Niangzi was grabbed by Altan Khan to be his wife, she was only nine years old.

Zhu Yijun looked at the surrounding environment: bright yellow silk curtains hanging, crane-shaped palace lanterns floating with wisps of incense, flanked by ceremonial officials, and palace maids and eunuchs standing by. Below the moon terrace, civil and military officials of the Great Ming sat on the left and right. In this scene, Zhu Yijun is the Emperor here. It is not appropriate for him to discuss these physiological problems with San Niangzi, this enchanting beauty, in this environment.

"Lady Zhongshun came to the capital this time to send back the distant frontier guards captured by the barbarian king. I am truly happy. This is Lady Zhongshun's loyal heart. I am a stingy person, but the teacher often tells me that for a ruler, there are only two words: reward and punishment. Lady Zhongshun has merit, so I naturally have rewards." Zhu Yijun chose to change the subject and asked people to show the rewards.

The problem of having children is not suitable for discussion on such a serious occasion.

"This is..." San Niangzi thought it was just the routine reward: the three-piece set of silver, imperial cellar wine, and cloaks. But this time, the reward was very generous.

A complete set of bestowed clothing, including a seven-pheasant crown, a jacket, a gold-embroidered cloud-mist pheasant-patterned cape, a round-collared robe with gold-embroidered chest and back decorations, a leather belt, gold pendants, jade tablets, etc., all made according to the rank of a Prince of Shun-Yi's consort.

When Altan was enfeoffed, the Prince of Shun-Yi was enfeoffed as a five-chapter barbarian king. According to the "Ceremonial Notes for Vassal States" compiled by Hu Ying, the consort of a five-chapter barbarian king does not have bestowed clothing. But this time, Zhu Yijun's bestowed clothing was an extra favor.

This thing is expensive to make and is made of silk. Even the Great Ming Emperor, who is rich as oil, doesn't have much silk in the palace; it's all taken to be sold to the red-haired barbarians in exchange for silver.

Besides the bestowed clothing, there is Lady Zhongshun's seal and ribbon, which is a gold seal the size of a thumb. This represents the Great Ming Emperor's recognition of Lady Zhongshun herself. This kind of recognition is very important, representing that the title of Lady Zhongshun has detached from the subordinate status of Altan Khan. Even if she detaches from Altan Khan himself, San Niangzi can continue to be active as a political figure, whether in the Great Ming or on the grasslands.

Crowns, belts, seals, and ribbons—these are the rewards given by the Emperor to San Niangzi herself.

The rest of the silver, ramie silk, and other items seem to be external objects.

The Emperor himself said that he is very stingy, but in this matter, the Emperor appeared very generous, and the rewards were very generous.

"Your subject kowtows and thanks Your Majesty for your holy grace." San Niangzi performed the great ceremony again and received the crown, belt, seal, and ribbon bestowed by the Emperor. If one day she really tears her face with Altan Khan, San Niangzi will also have a bit more confidence.

"I don't quite understand why Altan Khan was willing to agree to send these distant frontier guards back?" Zhu Yijun leaned on the back of the chair and asked his question. Altan Khan is a very strong-willed person, and his life's military record indeed qualifies him to be strong-willed. The Great Ming Emperor wanted them, and Altan Khan could have chosen not to give them.

Altan Khan fought all his life and rarely lost a battle. Even when he was old, he still had sufficient military talent, only suffering a few losses at the hands of Ma Fang, the former Datong Regional Commander and current Deputy Regional Commander of the capital.

Altan Khan, who was strong-willed all his life, didn't have many times when he yielded. Last time, the court didn't agree to Altan Khan borrowing the Hexi Corridor to go to Xining, and Altan Khan also made a fuss with the court for a long, long time.

"He wants to fight Altan Khan." San Niangzi explained the reason concisely.

The Tatar left and right wings used to be separated by the Greater Khingan Range, but now, the Tatar left wing, Altan Khan, has been forced to the west of the Greater Khingan Range, and the fundamental contradictions between the left and right wings have intensified again, competing for material resources and the fundamental contradictions of survival.

Zhu Yijun understood and said with a smile: "I thought Altan Khan and Altan Khan, the left and right wings, were going to have a great reconciliation and then jointly attack the Great Ming. Now it seems that the situation is not like this."

San Niangzi said bluntly: "We tried before. This spring, we combined our forces, but even combined, we couldn't beat the Great Ming army at this time."

The logic is also very clear. In summary, it is: I can't beat the Great Ming, but can't I beat you!

The crushing defeat of the combined forces made the reconciliation process between the left and right wings completely bankrupt, mainly because the loss was too ugly. The Great Ming almost didn't pay any price to repel the combined attack, making the left and right wings panic.

Facing the Great Ming that had recovered its strength, losing is a very normal thing. For two hundred years since the Hongwu era, as long as the Great Ming exerted its military power, the grasslands could only eat defeats. After losing for so many years, they were completely used to losing.

San Niangzi looked at Qi Jiguang, this man with some white hair on his temples, who was a presence feared by everyone on the grasslands. Unable to beat the Great Ming, in order to survive, they had to fight among themselves.

On one hand, survival resources are limited; on the other hand, heretics are more hateful than infidels.

San Niangzi said with a strange expression: "Taking military action against Song Yingchang, which is personally guarded by General Qi, is an extremely unwise decision by Altan Khan. Even if he used his eldest son as an excuse. But this defeat has damaged most of the prestige he accumulated. He must re-establish his prestige, otherwise rebellion may happen at any time."

"The grasslands and the Great Ming are different."

The Great Ming and the grasslands are completely different, but San Niangzi couldn't fully express exactly where they were different.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said with a smile: "I know what Lady Zhongshun means. What maintains rule on the grasslands is personal prestige, while in the Great Ming, what maintains rule is the system."

The Great Ming is too big. Relying on personal prestige to rule is simply not a long-term plan. Therefore, a widely recognized system is needed to allow the Great Ming court to operate normally, letting everyone from top to bottom perform their duties. But the grasslands are different. The rule of the grasslands often relies on personal prestige to proceed. Once personal prestige is severely damaged, rule will become precarious.

Altan Khan urgently needs a victory to re-consolidate his prestige and consolidate his rule.

"Your Majesty is holy!" San Niangzi praised sincerely. San Niangzi only had this feeling vaguely, but the Emperor's summary was very precise.

The Great Ming relies on the system, and the grasslands rely on personal prestige. The stability cannot be compared at all.

"No wonder the barbarian king was willing to agree to peace talks back then, even though the barbarian king had been winning all along, but he was still willing to bow his head and pay tribute." Zhu Yijun understood the reason why Altan was willing to negotiate peace during the Longqing era. The appearance of Ma Fang made Altan Khan suffer losses several times in a row.

If Altan continued to fight the Great Ming, before the Great Ming was defeated, Altan Khan himself would have his head chopped off by his subordinates and sent to the capital to claim credit.

This kind of thing has not happened before. In the fifth year of Jingtai, Ala Zhiyuan attacked and killed Yesan, and took Yesan's head to the Great Ming to exchange for rewards. Ala Zhiyuan sent the head to Li Bing, the Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief supervising Xuanfu military affairs, to exchange for a lot of wealth. Emperor Jing, Zhu Qiyu, out of various considerations, did not give Ala Zhiyuan any title. The grasslands have many internal strife, and later Ala Zhiyuan was also killed by his subordinates.

War with the Great Ming has no meaning for the barbarian king.

Even if he wins once or twice, so what? The Great Ming can recover after a little relaxation. If the barbarian king loses once or twice, he has to worry about his head being twisted off and kicked like a ball. Internal strife on the grasslands is even an ancestral rule.

The political stability of the Great Ming is far higher than that of the grasslands, because the politics of the Great Ming operates by relying on the system, while the politics of the grasslands relies on personal prestige to operate.

Zhu Yijun is very diligent, but most of the time he also follows the opinions of the cabinet ministers. If he wanted to be a muddled emperor, letting the eunuchs lay out the memorials every day, going to stamp a seal and then getting off work, not even going to the Wenhua Hall to listen to government, not even presiding over the new policies, not having to combine land and sea, not having to fight with the greedy households, the Great Ming court could still operate stably. Although it would slide slowly, it could also last until the day Zhu Yijun died.

The Wanli Emperor in history was so muddled, but the Great Ming's thick blood bar still lasted for more than seventy years.

Altan Khan cannot be muddled. If Altan Khan is not careful, his eldest son Sengge will be killed as a sacrifice to heaven to bear the price of defeat.

"Altan Khan wants to fight Altan Khan. Who does Lady Zhongshun hope will win?" Zhu Yijun thought about the Great Ming court's position on the internal strife of the Northern Barbarians.

San Niangzi asked curiously: "Who does Your Majesty hope will win?"

Which side should the Great Ming stand on? He thought about it and decided that standing on neither side, but sitting and reaping the benefits of the fisherman, was more appropriate.

The Great Ming doesn't need to support anyone. No matter who they support, they won't get any gratitude. Instead, it will arouse the common vigilance of the left and right wings. Altan and Altan combined their forces to attack Song Yingchang because they felt the terrifying pressure of the Great Ming, so they twisted into a rope. The Great Ming does nothing now, which instead allows them to fight each other to the death.

"Neither side should win, neither side should lose; just keep fighting like this." Zhu Yijun chose sincerity. Sincerity was the ultimate killer move, telling the Third Lady the Great Ming's stance.

It didn't matter who won or lost, as long as the fighting was spectacular.

The Third Lady was left speechless. The Great Ming was truly too honest. She was right there in the side hall of the Wenhua Palace; even if the Great Ming Emperor were just putting on a show, he should have supported his own vassal state. The Prince of Shunyi was, after all, a prince enfeoffed by the Great Ming!

Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "The Master says that since one doesn't intend to give, there is no need to give people unrealistic fantasies, only to have them fall into resentment because they cannot obtain what they seek."

"The Master is righteous." The Third Lady had no choice but to go along with the flow and offer praise; Zhang Juzheng taught well.

The Third Lady's intention in rushing to the capital so eagerly, even wanting to stay in the capital for the New Year, was very obvious. Beyond discussing the supply of wool business for next year, she hoped to secure the Great Ming's support for the Prince of Shunyi, Altan, during the conflict between the left and right wings of the Tatars. Even if she couldn't get explicit support, she had to obtain a clear promise that the Great Ming would not personally intervene.

The Great Ming's garrison at Song Yingchang was like a sword hanging over the heads of both the left and right wings, ready to fall at any moment.

But the Great Ming Emperor was so stingy that even when he was in a good mood, he still refused to offer even a single pleasant word, not even letting the Minister of the Court of Diplomatic Reception convey a message, but stating it directly to her face.

This made the Third Lady quite worried, her face full of gloom.

"Lady Zhongshun, why not talk about something everyone is interested in?" Zhu Yijun ended the topic regarding the internal strife of the Northern Hu; whether the Great Ming would intervene and when it would intervene all depended on the Great Ming's will.

The Third Lady's eyes lit up, and she said with great interest: "Giving birth to a child?"

The Great Ming Emperor's handling of the six-combination spear was vigorous and powerful; his waist strength must be quite good.

Zhu Yijun clenched his fists tightly, shook his head, and said: "My meaning is, the wool business."

The Great Ming needed more wool, and the grasslands needed to raise more sheep. Increasing the wool supply was a basic consensus, one that even surpassed the contradictions between the Great Ming and the Northern Hu. Even if the Great Ming and the Northern Hu fought to the death, fought until their livers and brains were splattered, it could not—and must not—affect the normal supply of wool.

Only after having a clear basic consensus could communication between the two sides be smooth.

Regarding the wool production for the coming year, Zhu Yijun and the Third Lady made a clear confirmation to ensure that next year's wool quantity would be greater than this year's.

The Third Lady very much hoped to purchase some of this new cargo, tires, to take back to the grasslands. The Great Ming's roads at least had official post roads, which could be considered extremely level, and even if there were bumps, they were limited. But the bumps on the grasslands were wild environments. The Great Ming's complete set of tires, hubs, leaf spring shock absorbers, etc., were of great temptation to the meat-eaters of the grasslands.

Zhu Yijun expressed his powerlessness. The rubber plantations in Lu Song had just gone into production, and the output was extremely limited. The Great Ming didn't even have enough for its own use, let alone supplying the grasslands. If there had been any surplus, would the Great Ming Emperor have had to dismantle his own Grand Imperial Carriage?

In an atmosphere of peace and harmony, the Great Ming Emperor ended the Third Lady's audience. The atmosphere was harmonious because, in the wool business, everyone had money to make.

After the Third Lady left, Zhu Yijun began the year-end meetings. The end of the year was the busiest month for the Six Ministries of the Great Ming.

This month, the abacus operators of the Ministry of Revenue had to audit the Great Ming's account books and make the budget for next year, especially the auditing, which was crucial and closely related to the Great Ming's official evaluation system; the Ministry of Works had to wrap up this year's major construction projects and make expected plans for next year's major construction to facilitate the Ministry of Revenue's budgeting; the Ministry of Justice had to cross-audit the case files from all localities for the year to prevent unjust, false, or wrong cases; the Ministry of Rites had to prepare for the New Year's celebrations, grand banquets, bestowal of seats, Aoshan lantern displays, etc.; the Ministry of War also had to further verify the distribution of military pay for this year.

The Inner Court was not idle either. The Twenty-Four Yamen of the Inner Court all had to undergo a comprehensive inspection in preparation for the New Year. The spring cleaning was not just about cleaning; there were also some palace maids and eunuchs with sticky fingers who needed to be dealt with. The Inner Imperial Treasury was especially important; it had to conduct a comprehensive audit of the assets within the palace and the Imperial Manors.

These were all happy troubles. In the past, when state funds were in great deficit, where would there be so much work? Before, during the New Year, both the Inner and Outer Courts were busy scratching their heads. The Ministry of War had to deal with soldiers demanding pay and rewards; the Ministry of Revenue could only find a crack in the ground to hide in when facing the officials, as not much of this year's salary had been issued; the Ministry of Works was everywhere begging for engineering payments. That was true trouble in the past, because there was no way to solve it.

There is only one kind of illness in the world, and that is poverty.

"Busy, all busy, it's good to be busy." Zhu Yijun looked at Tan Lun and said with a smile: "Grand Marshal, this trip to Xuanfu was extremely exhausting, but I still have to trouble you and General Qi. For this year's New Year silver for the Capital Garrison, I need the two of you to keep a personal eye on it. I don't want to arrive at the Northern Camp and suddenly have a soldier block my Grand Imperial Carriage, saying that this year's New Year silver was embezzled by someone."

"We obey the decree." Qi Jiguang and Tan Lun accepted the order.

During the New Year, every person in the Capital Garrison received one tael of silver. This was a rule set in the first year of Wanli, and it had been six years since then. The Great Ming Capital Garrison had a total of 100,000 men, so the New Year silver was 100,000 taels—a drop in the bucket for the Emperor.

"This year's New Year silver for the officials in the capital will follow the usual practice: two taels for those of the fourth rank and above, and one tael for those of the fifth rank and below. Grand Minister, the Ministry of Revenue's auditing will be a bit tiring; it's best to report the account books before the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month." Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Guoguang and Zhang Xueyan and said quite sincerely.

"We obey the decree." The two high officials of the Ministry of Revenue bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Yijun gave a whole bunch of tasks, then looked at Zhang Juzheng and said with a smile: "Master, have the arrangements for the outside officials and commoners coming to the capital for an audience this year been made properly?"

"No." Zhang Juzheng bowed and said.

"Ah?" Zhu Yijun was stunned. Zhang Juzheng, who had always been swift and decisive, actually had a day of procrastination?! Last year, when Zhang Juzheng was in mourning, he still submitted a memorial 'recommending' the outside officials and commoners for an audience. It was almost New Year, and Zhang Juzheng still hadn't handled it well?

"Receiving outside officials, elders, and commoners should naturally be decided by Your Majesty." Zhang Juzheng held one hand and said with great certainty.

After Zhang Juzheng returned to court from mourning, the biggest difference compared to before mourning was that Zhang Juzheng no longer overstepped his authority. Even with the Emperor's full support, Zhang Juzheng began to fulfill his own functions as the Grand Secretary, assisting in state affairs rather than acting as a regent, participating in every decision.

This was the biggest change.

"So be it." Zhu Yijun didn't say much more and agreed.

Zhang Juzheng went into mourning to return power; if he couldn't return power after returning to court, wouldn't the mourning have been in vain?

Zhu Yijun ended the court meeting and arranged the many tasks before the end of the year, with deadlines for completion, to ensure a peaceful New Year. This year's New Reform had two major directions: one was the selection and examination of officials, which had already been carried out as scheduled, and the system design had become more perfect after Wang Chonggu supplemented the supervisory officials; the relocation of wealthy households into the capital had also seen new contradictions, with thousands of wealthy households from the Southern Yamen arriving in the capital as scheduled.

"Your Majesty, does the Third Lady need to be arranged?" Feng Bao asked the Emperor. As for what to arrange, Feng Bao didn't say explicitly, but he believed the Emperor could understand his meaning.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment, shook his head, and said: "Forget it, it's troublesome."

It wasn't that Zhu Yijun disliked the Third Lady; this was indeed an exchange of bodily fluids, but wasn't it also a kind of political exchange? Within the framework of political games, and under the premise of ensuring safety, Zhu Yijun still had some interest in the enchanting beauty. Who isn't a Cao Cao at heart?

But this matter involved the succession of the Great Ming throne, so it couldn't be taken lightly. If the Third Lady were to run off pregnant, and if Zhu Yijun, in the dog-eat-dog struggle with the court officials, learned from the Daoist Master and couldn't even protect his own child, wouldn't that illegitimate child raised on the grasslands possess the legitimate right to inherit the Great Ming?

"Lady Zhongshun's idea is quite good, but it's just difficult to realize." Zhu Yijun greatly appreciated the Third Lady's idea. The Sinicization of the grasslands began with enfeoffment, but the Han Prince placed on the grasslands must be a Prince of the Blood; the rank of Commandery Prince was not enough to unfold Sinicization.

Then, to enfeoff a Prince of the Blood, it must be the Emperor's brother or the Emperor's son.

Zhu Yijun's gaze turned to the Prince of Lu, Zhu Yiliu.

Zhu Yiliu, who was listening to the government, inexplicably felt a chill. Dazed, he woke up with a start. He looked at his Imperial Brother and always felt... his older brother's gaze was ill-intentioned!

Zhu Yijun had originally wanted to throw Zhu Yiliu into Bansheng to be the Han Prince beyond the Great Wall, but after thinking it over, he still couldn't make up his mind. If he enfeoffed Zhu Yiliu beyond the Great Wall, Empress Dowager Li would definitely, certainly, inevitably fight Zhu Yijun to the death.

Zhu Yiliu couldn't go, and the Longqing Emperor had no other illegitimate sons. After calculating back and forth, only Zhu Yijun, the Emperor, could work his own waist hard.

By the afternoon, Zhu Yijun had finalized the list of outside officials and commoners and sent it to the Grand Secretariat. This was only because Zhang Juzheng was the Chief Grand Secretary; if it were someone else, Zhu Yijun really wouldn't have asked.

Letting Zhang Juzheng see it was because Zhang Juzheng was not only a minister but also a teacher. Zhang Juzheng directly attached a blank floating slip, indicating his attitude of not interfering much.

Another spring had arrived, and the end of the year was near. The Great Ming Emperor's carriage began to move frequently: the Northern Camp, the Xishan Coal Bureau, the Yongding Woolen Mill, the Happy Stele Forest outside Zhaoyangmen, the Nanhai Zi in Daxing County, the charity temples in the East and West Cities, and the nursing homes, and the Great Ming Empress had been accompanying him.

After inspecting these places, Zhu Yijun received outside officials at the Huangji Gate, and the first outside official received this year was King Shang Jiu of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

"My dear minister, have you adapted to the Great Ming?" Zhu Yijun let Shang Jiu, who was kneeling on the ground, stand up to answer.

"Very well, thank you for Your Majesty's great grace." Shang Jiu's personality was the kind that just muddled through; if he could live a good day, he would count it as one. The annual expenditure of 50,000 taels of silver was enough for Shang Jiu to live an extremely good life.

"That Yamada Arinobu has already been captured. I have fulfilled my promise." Zhu Yijun spoke of his promise. His golden words were jade; since he had promised, he had to fulfill it. In the imperial decree, he had promised to mourn the people and punish the guilty, to avenge the people of Ryukyu, so he would definitely punish the chief culprit. Yamada Arinobu had been shackled and sent to the capital.

Shang Jiu didn't know about this situation, and no one had mentioned it to him. Regarding Ryukyu and Japan, without the Emperor's order, no one dared to reveal it to Shang Jiu. This was the Great Ming's vassal ban, a ban specifically formulated for vassal kings, also known as the Happy Pig Raising Plan.

At this moment, Shang Jiu recalled the fear of being dominated by the Japanese pirates. That kind of anxiety finally turned into peace of mind in the presence of the Emperor. The chief culprit who had caused Shang Jiu to flee to the Great Ming for refuge was precisely the Japanese pirates.

"Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with this Yamada Arinobu?" Shang Jiu asked in a low voice.

Zhu Yijun asked with a smile: "Hand him over to you to deal with?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, I have no good method to punish this villain. It is better to hand him over to the Dissection Institute; the skills of the great physicians of the Dissection Institute are extremely professional." Shang Jiu thought it over; killing this Yamada Arinobu with one sword stroke wouldn't vent his anger, and if he didn't kill him, he had no good way to torture him, and it would also delay his enjoyment.

Professional matters should be left to professional people. That Wang Jinglong had spent six full years in that hell on earth, in the eighteenth level of hell, before ending his terrible life and walking the final stretch of his life. Death was not terrible; the time spent waiting for death was the most tormenting. And being neither dead nor alive, neither dead nor living, was the cruelest punishment in the human world.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment, nodded, and said: "Then send Yamada Arinobu to the Dissection Institute?"

"I thank Your Majesty for your great grace on behalf of the people of Ryukyu." Shang Jiu squeezed out two tears with effort. He was really doing quite well in the Great Ming. If he returned to Ryukyu, the Shuri Palace had been burned clean by a great fire. How long would he have to struggle after returning before he could settle down?

This was the last time Shang Jiu spoke on behalf of the people of Ryukyu. From now on, he would be the happy King of Ryukyu.

Zhu Yijun chatted with Shang Jiu for a long time, and after bestowing rewards, Shang Jiu left happily.

Zhu Yijun watched Shang Jiu's retreating figure. How much helplessness and how much sincerity were in Liu Chan's words in the State of Wei, "I am happy here and do not think of Shu," was unknown. However, this Shang Jiu was truly happy here and did not think of Ryukyu. The luxury of the Great Ming was something Ryukyu could definitely not enjoy.

For Shang Jiu, this was the best choice.

The Great Ming opened the seas, pointing its sword at Japan. As the maritime bridge of all nations, Ryukyu was such an important place that the Great Ming's means of coercion and inducement would only become more intense. This was inevitable under the drive of interests. On the other hand, for the stability of the maritime frontiers, the Great Ming expanded its navy, which was aimed at Japan. Ryukyu's position determined that Ryukyu was a battlefield.

No matter how Shang Jiu chose, for him, saving his life was a luxury, let alone enjoyment. And now, the offline monarchy he chose could definitely save his life and allow him to continue enjoying luxury.

For Shang Jiu, choice was greater than effort.

The second outside official Zhu Yijun met was Wang Xiyuan and Zhang Chucheng, who had returned to the Great Ming from Yunnan. These two were core members of the Zhang Party, students of Zhang Juzheng, and fellow townsmen of Zhang Juzheng. One was a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, and the other was a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War. Previously, they had always been the vanguard of Zhang Juzheng's party struggles. Wang Xiyuan and Zhang Chucheng had gone to Yunnan to supervise the copper of Dian.

After their three-year term expired, they returned to the capital to report on their duties, and then they would go to Huguang to serve as Circuit Censors, responsible for the dredging of the Yangtze River and the major task of casting copper coins.

Setting aside the identity of the Emperor, Zhu Yijun and these two were fellow disciples, so naturally, they had things to talk about. The copper of Dian, in terms of output, did not match the output of the Copper Town in Lu Song, but it was also constantly climbing.

Lu Song was already higher than the copper of Dian in terms of red copper supply, but this did not mean that Wang Xiyuan and Zhang Chucheng's mining of the copper of Dian was meaningless. On the contrary, it had extremely important significance for stabilizing the border regions.

"How is that Bayinnaung? Could he be a hidden danger for our Great Ming?" Zhu Yijun was very concerned about Bayinnaung of the Toungoo Dynasty, which had risen in the Indochinese Peninsula. During the Zhengtong period, the four expeditions to Luchuan had exhausted the imperial court.

"Bayinnaung is no match for the Qian Wei Wei Guo Gong's Mansion." Wang Xiyuan also said whatever he had to say; Bayinnaung just couldn't play against the Qian Wei Wei Guo Gong's Mansion.

Strength didn't allow it.

Zhang Chucheng thought for a moment and said: "The Qian Wei Wei Guo Gong might not necessarily be able to attack and eliminate Bayinnaung, but he can still repel the enemy. In the past few years, Bayinnaung has probed and attacked several times, all returning without success. I believe that as long as state funds are slightly sufficient, it is better not to move troops."

"The internal strife over there is also quite fierce."

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(End of chapter)