Chapter 500: Senior Grand Secretary and Junior Grand Secretary, Please Restrain Your Divine Powers!

"Biyilu Lanlu, yi qi shanlin" (To blaze a trail through brambles and thorns to open up the mountains) has never been an exaggerated phrase. Before the Western Zhou Dynasty, the forest coverage rate in the Yellow River Basin exceeded 53%, and could even reach 65%. The forest coverage rate of the Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world, is 58%. At that time, the Central Plains, from temperature to climate, were no different from the current Yunnan, a land running with elephants, hippos, and crocodiles.

The enfeoffment of the Zhou Emperor was a promise to the feudal lords: a team of soldiers, the feudal lords led this team, controlled the traffic arteries, built cities, felled trees, and reclaimed fields. This was the background of the enfeoffment system.

The typical example of the Great Ming's enfeoffment system was never the Prince's mansions in various places, especially after the Hongwu reign, the Jianwen reign's reduction of feudal lords, the Yan Prince's Jingnan campaign, and the Yongle reign's ban on feudal lords. The feudal lords who were enfeoffed without land and held titles without ruling the people had no administrative power, and even needed to report to the court for approval to leave their mansions.

The typical example of the Great Ming's enfeoffment system was the Duke of Qian's mansion, guarding the Southwest.

However, the Duke of Qian still had no administrative power. The Great Ming had perfect Governor, Censor, Three Commissions, and Prefecture/County official offices in Yunnan, so it still followed the basic principles of the Great Ming's enfeoffment system: enfeoffment without land, and holding titles without ruling the people.

Losing a battle, with commanders and battalion commanders being killed, was not a shameful thing. Qi Jiguang always said to the Emperor that victory and defeat were common matters for soldiers.

The Southwest, which had been peaceful for many years, had not fought for a long, long time. It was normal to have some problems. As long as they could be corrected in time, it was enough. If there was insufficient defense against the raw Miao, then use the Han army. The Sichuan Regional Commander Liu Ting led troops into Yunnan, and the situation improved.

Zhu Yijun was still relatively optimistic about the war situation in the Southwest. As for Akbar of the Mughal Empire, Zhu Yijun hoped that Akbar the Great would live up to his title of "the Great" and not make the wrong choice.

Shah Maimaiti just didn't know the Emperor's worries, otherwise he would definitely tell His Majesty the Emperor: The respected Akbar the Great is a normal person, not a brainless person like Mang Yingli. If he puts on airs with the Great Ming, will the business still be done? Akbar now only wants to sell cotton to the Great Ming, obtain a large amount of cheap, high-quality cotton cloth from the Great Ming, and then act as a middleman to sell the cotton cloth everywhere.

Zhu Yijun, Zhang Juzheng, and Wang Chonggu finally made the decision to "wait and see" regarding the situation in the Southwest, observing and observing. If it was really beyond their reach, they would imitate the three expeditions to Luchuan and mobilize the Beijing Camp to go. If it really became a rotten sore, they would have to use a sharp blade.

It was just that in that case, the price would be a bit high.

"Since the Onin War 110 years ago, Japan has entered the era of Warring States Daimyo. In the hands of Oda Nobunaga, there was finally a trend of ending the chaotic war. For the Japanese, Oda Nobunaga was not the 'Great Fool of Owari,' nor was he a demon king, but a heroic figure. In order to end Japan's internal chaos, Oda Nobunaga gave up the idea of being the ruler of the world and chose to compromise with the Great Ming." Zhu Yijun said with great emotion.

Oda Nobunaga wanted to kneel, but the Great Ming didn't necessarily want to accept this dog.

"Through the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office, Oda Nobunaga hoped to pay tribute to the Great Ming. Oda Nobunaga hoped to obtain the Great Ming's investiture." Zhu Yijun talked about the purpose of the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office. Oda Nobunaga's son, Oda Nobukatsu, first went to the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office to negotiate. After the negotiations failed, Oda Nobunaga sent an envoy to Nagasaki again, asking the Nagasaki Governor to convey Oda Nobunaga's idea of being willing to bow down and submit.

"Princess Yingjia, Zhu Xuanying, and the Imperial Son-in-Law, Yin Zongxin, wanted to bring their three-month-old child to the capital to visit their relatives. I intend to refuse. The child is so young, and the sea journey is bumpy, so there is no need to toss back and forth. Wait until he grows up." Zhu Yijun talked about another thing in Yin Zhengmao's memorial. Princess Yingjia and the Imperial Son-in-Law had a son who was already three months old. They originally planned to return to the capital to take a look, but the child was too young, and Zhu Yijun was afraid that something would happen. Wait until he grows up.

During the Yongle reign, the Great Ming enfeoffed the Luzon Governor-General Xu Chailao. Later, under the general trend of "promoting literature and suppressing martial arts" and "banning the sea," only a stele remained.

"I never thought that the Japanese Daimyo could collect annual tribute to the point of 'eight public and two people,' and also collect coinage tax." Zhang Juzheng also said with great emotion. These Japanese Warring States Daimyo were really more and more like the local gentry and powerful families of the Great Ming. One was not reducing rent in a disaster year, leading to the disaster of extermination, and the other was not satisfied with an 80% tax and wanted to collect coinage tax.

A reckless person like Mang Yingli was still a minority. Under heavy pressure, Oda Nobunaga chose to admit defeat.

"There is no room for reconciliation." Zhu Yijun and the Senior and Junior Grand Secretaries finalized the result of this matter. There was no possibility of reconciliation. For everyone in the Great Ming regarding Japan, it was about the same as Xu Wei and Sun Keyi, who would rather blow up the Nagasaki gunpowder warehouse and perish together than have the Great Ming intervene militarily. For the current Great Ming, reconciling with Japan was as absurd as Zhao Gou killing Yue Fei to negotiate peace.

"Gaitu Guiliu" (Replacing Tusi with appointed officials) was in progress.

There were too many means in every dynasty, and there were too many examples.

In Yin Zhengmao's view, this was a matter of course. The Duke of Qian's mansion and the Governor of Yunnan had operated for two hundred years. Although they would occasionally pull each other's hair, overall, it was a stable Southwest border, a stable hereditary succession.

"I only know now that going to Jilong Island (Taiwan) now is to go to Ryukyu first, then go south from Maobitou to Danshui Town and Xinglong Village, instead of crossing the strait between Fujian and Jilong. The navy is indeed an indispensable talent." Zhu Yijun looked at the map and said in a daze.

This was a successful experience, a path dependence. The Duke of Qian's mansion shared the same fate as the Great Ming, hereditary succession.

The Nagasaki Governor-General's Office, Xu Wei, Sun Keyi, and others were controlling the flow of treasure notes. The Nagasaki Governor-General's Office's swallowing speed of Japanese silver, Japanese slaves, and courtesans was not infinite, so the treasure notes of 100 million guan sent by Zhu Yijun to Japan could be used for a long, long time. However, the Warring States Daimyo were generally dissatisfied with this control! This coinage tax was a bit like the "Three Treasures of Fortune and Salary"—once you got involved, it was very difficult to quit.

Where could a king without a stable military, political, military, and economic system be so easy to be? Why not follow the stable route opened up by the Duke of Qian's mansion through brambles and thorns, and instead have to be at odds with the court?

The Great Ming's methods were too cruel and too ruthless. Oda Nobunaga couldn't hold on.

Look at those kings. Because of a piece of cowhide, they lost their heads, were held hostage by powerful ministers, were usurped by ministers, died in civil unrest—Annam, Siam, Luzon, Brunei, Java, Malacca, Ceylon, Japan, etc. The kings changed one after another, and the banners on the city walls changed. How could one describe it as rotten and chaotic?

Ashikaga Yoshiaki was the Japanese King enfeoffed by the Great Ming during the Yongle reign. In order to intervene in Japan, this banner of Ashikaga Yoshiaki still had to be used. It was acceptable to keep Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the Great Ming because Ashikaga Yoshiaki no longer had the strength to continue to be the Japanese King. It was just an excuse. Anyway, the final result must be the end of the line.

The journey was long and tiring, and the child could not bear it.

"I and the Junior Grand Secretary have the same opinion. Whether he surrenders or not does not affect the promotion of the Great Ming's government decrees." Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu had completely consistent attitudes on this matter: do not accept the surrender, read it and don't reply.

Hereditary succession, the top of the hereditary official rank—this was what Yin Zhengmao wanted. Being a king himself, how could it be better than leaning against a big tree to enjoy the cool?

Zhang Juzheng always thought about problems from a political perspective; he was a ruthless political machine.

Stability, hereditary succession—in the Great Ming hinterland, it was a common practice for the hereditary official class, but for the overseas Governor-General's Offices, it was a luxury.

"Since the last time the State Duke Zhengmao reported that he wanted the Great Ming to collect taxes, the Luzon Governor-General's Office began to establish official offices such as prefectures, states, and counties. This was a good start. Luzon is no longer short of officials." Zhu Yijun talked about the follow-up to Yin Zhengmao's request for the Great Ming to collect taxes.

After Luzon gradually stabilized, Yin Zhengmao naturally wanted to further "Wang Hua" (civilize) Luzon.

August 15th was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it was also the day the "Dragon Roaming" was launched. When Lin Fucheng returned to the capital, it was already August 23rd. On August 26th, the "Dragon Roaming" had completed its first sea trial. The fast sailing ship set off from Songjiang New Port and arrived in Ryukyu in just one day, and then spent less than five days circling Jilong Island, resupplied at the Penghu Inspection Office, and returned to Ryukyu, returning to the Great Ming again.

Not short of officials, because the development of navigation technology made going to Luzon no longer an adventure, and also because Luzon gradually stabilized, making it easier for officials to do things when they went to Luzon. At the beginning of the Great Ming, the Great Ming was not short of people going to Yunnan. Correspondingly, the Great Ming was not short of officials going to Luzon now.

"Your Majesty is holy and has a heart of benevolence." Zhang Juzheng had no objection. Visiting relatives and meeting the Emperor, returning home to visit parents and elders, was a political means. There was no gap between the Great Ming and the Luzon Governor-General's Office. If there was a problem, they could go to the capital to visit relatives and explain the situation.

Reconciling with Japan, was it just because they couldn't explain it to the people? And there was the Duke of Fengguo, Qi Jiguang, who had pacified the Japanese all his life. How would he face this matter?

"The conditions are still good, but there is no need to accept his surrender." Wang Chonggu said quite affirmatively: "The Southeast coast has been harassed by Japanese pirates for decades, the people are in misery, and every household is wearing mourning clothes. Accepting his surrender, the court cannot explain it to the people."

"The Japanese treasure notes..." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial from the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office and said with some mockery: "These Daimyo are really greedy."

Oda Nobunaga was indeed a figure, a rare talent in Japan, but it was useless. The Great Ming would execute its plan to destroy Japan in an orderly manner.

Songjiang Governor Shen Shixing reported the good news and presented the news of the fast sailing ship's first sea trial to the Emperor.

"Oda Nobunaga is willing to bow down and submit, accept the Great Ming's investiture; pay an annual tribute of 300,000 taels of silver; accept the issuance of the Great Ming's treasure notes in Japan; open Japanese ports; Oda Nobunaga promises to implement the 'one public and two people' tax system, settle the common people, and reduce Japanese pirates; cooperate with the Great Ming fleet to strike Japanese pirates." Zhu Yijun handed the memorial to Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun also doubted before why Philip II would appoint Antonio as captain and let him bring the galleon to the Great Ming, knowing that Antonio was an opponent. Philip II didn't want to either, but there was no one else to use. Now Philip II's galleon also had to rely on Marcus's guidance.

The reason Lin Fucheng knew this was because the local commoners all knew that among these seven mountain bandit dens where the bandits gathered, three were filled with hired thugs kept by the local squires and gentry of Gaoyang County, while the other four were people forced by desperation to turn to banditry.

If the Great Ming were to enfeoff another Oda Nobunaga who had the strength to be king, that would represent reconciliation between the Great Ming and Japan.

Zhang Juzheng finished reading and handed it to Wang Chonggu.

This maritime trade, without experienced captains and pilots, the Great Voyage was like General Li Guang entering the grassland, dizzy and confused.

The Taiwan Strait was called "Daheigou" (Big Black Ditch) by the Min people. Crossing this Big Black Ditch was a very difficult thing. Now there were two routes to Jilong Island. One was from Shuangyu, Ningbo, to Ryukyu, and then south to Maobitou, which was the northern end of Jilong Island, named because it looked like a cat's nose; the other route was from Yuegang to the Penghu Inspection Office, and then to Xinglong Village (today's Kaohsiung). Both of these routes had to avoid the complex currents of the Big Black Ditch.

In other words, it was easier to go south to Nanyang from the Great Ming coast than to go to Jilong Island. This was why this big island of Jilong had not been developed on a large scale for so many years. Since the Ryukyu Prince's mansion moved inland and the Great Ming navy was stationed in Ryukyu, the development process of Jilong Island had accelerated significantly.

Whoever controlled Ryukyu controlled Jilong Island.

Ryukyu, Yu Dayou, and Chen Lin all said it was the key place for the Great Ming's maritime territory. This was indeed the sea beam of all nations.

A ship went from Shuangyu, Ningbo, to buy timber in Danshui Town. Because it couldn't hire a navy, it had to risk going to sea, planning to charge straight at Danshui Town from Shuangyu. As a result, it walked for several days, and when it saw the shore again, it had already arrived in Qiongzhou...

The navy was an extremely professional talent. They made trouble and didn't let the court expand recruitment, made trouble and wanted treatment, and even the Great Ming Emperor endured it, talked to the navy, and explained the details of the expansion. And the conversation between Shen Shixing and the navy was also gradually being verified. The Great Ming's maritime trade was gradually flourishing, and the demand for the navy was increasing.

Now it was "ships waiting for people." The major maritime merchants had also reacted, smashing silver into various maritime schools, fearing that the maritime schools would not have enough funds and close their doors, and there would be no one to use.

"Five maritime schools were built in five Shipping Commissions. Is that not enough?" Zhu Yijun was a bit scratching his head. The development of opening the sea to the present, the growth rate of talent could not keep up with the expansion rate of maritime trade. The major maritime merchants had now come to their senses and began to clamor to start more maritime schools.

Feng Bao said in a low voice: "It's not just the navy, there are also geologists looking for mines, silversmiths casting silver coins, and master craftsmen in all walks of life, all of whom are lacking."

Was it only the navy that was lacking? It was all walks of life that were lacking talent.

Because the navy had a greater impact, it was more intuitive, but the gaps in other industries were actually very, very large. Systematic cultivation of talent had become the top priority of the Great Ming.

Zhu Yijun thought for a while and said: "Dividing subjects to govern learning is imminent."

Dividing subjects to govern learning, it was easy to say, but the resistance of the Great Ming's traditional scholar-officials was also a problem that the court had to consider. After the court's administrative power was restored, it did have the ability to force the cow to drink water.

But this also involved a problem: reading Confucianism could lead to becoming an official. This was the fixed promotion channel for scholars to become "people above people." The scholars of the Great Ming were also unwilling to learn other subjects, and the local gentry, powerful families, and wealthy families would not read them, and they could not realize the leap of class. What was the point of learning them?

Therefore, those who learned these were only poor people, and these poor people had no money to study. The Great Ming needed to make huge investments in education to have results.

"Ten years to grow trees, a hundred years to grow people." Education was a long-term investment, and the short-term benefits were not clear. Only long-term benefits would have an intuitive embodiment.

Organizational structure, development, funds, scale, directionality, enrollment quantity, source quantity and quality of faculty, etc., were all problems that dividing subjects to govern learning had to solve.

Zhu Yijun wrote these few things on paper one by one.

The main contradiction was the current situation of the Great Ming's lack of professional talent and the scholar-officials' monopoly on knowledge. The secondary contradiction was the students' lack of recognition of professional colleges and the need for professional colleges to enroll a large number of students.

In terms of organizational structure, it must be separated from the original Imperial Academy, Taixue, and Gongyuan system. This would trigger intense conflicts; and in terms of development direction, it would be based on professional talent rather than cultivating officials, which triggered secondary contradictions;

In terms of funds, it was not a problem. The inner treasury and state treasury had large amounts of silver, and the maritime schools also had the experience of interest-free student loans;

In terms of faculty, the Imperial Academy of Sciences could provide part of the faculty. Master craftsmen from all walks of life could become faculty. Neither the source quantity nor quality needed to be worried about; and the three-level schools of the engineering regiments could provide students, and the directional schools would not lack employment directions.

Zhu Yijun wrote the plan on the memorandum, put down the steel pen, copied his plan, and finally picked up the vermilion pen and solemnly wrote: 【Royal Institute of Technology】.

Named after the Royal, it was naturally funded by the inner treasury. This was to reduce the resistance of the court, whether it was to break away from the original education system or to challenge the scholar-officials' monopoly on knowledge. Imperial power was a sharp weapon. And the name of "Technology" was to distinguish it from Confucianism. Confucianism was extremely disgusted with machinery, thinking it was speculation.

The Master said: "Those who have machinery must have mechanical affairs, and those who have mechanical affairs must have mechanical hearts. Mechanical hearts exist in the chest, then purity and whiteness are not prepared; if purity and whiteness are not prepared, the spirit is not fixed; if the spirit is not fixed, it is not carried by the Dao."

"Order the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites." Zhu Yijun handed the imperial edict he had written to Feng Bao and let Feng Bao send it to the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites.

The Imperial Academy of Sciences was a research institute, and also cultivated talent, but the threshold was extremely high. It was mainly responsible for exploring the boundaries of the known world, the infinite principles of all things. The Royal Institute of Technology was mainly to cultivate talent in all walks of life, and from among them, select the best to become Five Classics Doctors.

Dividing subjects to govern learning, Royal Institute of Technology—when Zhang Juzheng saw these words, he immediately covered them up and asked the Zhongshu Sheren to call Wang Chonggu and Wan Shihe to the Wenyuange to discuss matters. When it was not determined to be done, it was not convenient to let more people know.

Wang Chonggu, Wan Shihe, Wang Guoguang, and Zhang Juzheng sat in four directions, and the memorial was placed on the table in the middle. The autumn temper was more unpredictable than summer. This wind was often accompanied by rain and arrived suddenly. One autumn rain brought one cold. Zhang Juzheng asked someone to take a few cloaks and put them on.

"What should be done?" After everyone finished reading the imperial edict, Zhang Juzheng exhaled and asked for everyone's opinions.

The Great Ming needed talent, and every industry was waiting to be fed. Dividing subjects to govern learning was imperative, but it was also easy to become a fuse for intensifying contradictions.

The radical Wang Chonggu immediately said: "Your Majesty's consideration is extremely comprehensive, and all aspects have been considered. What else is there to say? Just do it."

"This matter is of great importance, and it may shake the foundation of the country." Wan Shihe expressed his attitude. This matter was really not as simple as imagined. Moving education was moving the foundation of the local gentry, powerful families, and wealthy families.

Why did the Gao Yang He family not reduce rent in a disaster year? The He family had completely completed the annexation. Why were they still unwilling to give the people a way to live? For the He family, laborers and poor people were better off without land, and even without any production tools, because in this way, laborers would have no choice but to rely on selling their labor for a living.

This was the process of labor alienation into commodities.

The reason why the He family dared to do this and could do this was because it had always been like this. The monopoly of knowledge by the local gentry, powerful families, and wealthy families, and then the monopoly on power, the whole process of labor alienation into commodities, was the result, not the cause.

"It's okay, they will deceive themselves." Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "You overestimate the courage of the local gentry, powerful families, and wealthy families. How many people dare to take risks? Just do it. It's not their turn to rebel."

"Not their turn?" Zhang Juzheng frowned.

Wang Chonggu was very sure, his tone was exceptionally confirmed: "At most, they will scold a few words. The more they have, the more they are afraid of losing. As long as they are not pushed into a corner, and have a little bit of living space, it is very difficult to completely give up everything they have. The manors, mulberry fields, land, long-term and short-term workers, and family wealth owned by the powerful and wealthy families are their wealth, and also their shackles."

"The poor people have nothing, no shackles, so they will fall into the mountains as bandits, will loot the He family, and kill the He family's whole family, because they themselves have nothing to lose."

"I am a person who has come over. Listen to me on this matter. Do it boldly! Besides being able to shout a few words, what else can they do? Weakness and compromise are deeply rooted. If you ask me, just incorporate the Imperial Academy into the Royal Institute of Technology. No need to distinguish. Everyone can take the imperial examination, become a scholar, and become an official."

Wang Chonggu really understood the powerful and wealthy families very surely. He himself was a powerful and wealthy family, and he had rich experience in rebelling. Rebel? As long as there is a trace of living space, they will not rebel. Those shackles will firmly restrain their wild ambitions. They will also deceive themselves: the Great Ming court is for talent, and the Great Ming is better, so they can earn more.

Where does the Great Ming have a stage for the powerful and wealthy families to rebel?

Deng Maoqi, Ye Zongliu's millions of people, etc., were the mud-legged people who had nothing, so they could have great momentum. There were also the princes who intended to follow the path of Prince Yan Zhu Di to become Emperor. But now, because the Daoist master's branch entered the Great Ancestor's line, and the descendants were not prosperous, the stage for the princes to rebel had gradually disappeared.

"You say this is inexplicable. Oh, the struggle to earn, all to put shackles on yourself. Human effort is all to put shackles on yourself. This logic simply doesn't work." Wan Shihe looked at Wang Chonggu and felt that Wang Chonggu's logic was really absurd!

Struggling to fight, and in the end, everything is to put shackles on yourself. Human effort is all to put shackles on yourself. This logic simply doesn't work.

"Minister of Rites, it's a pity you are still the Minister of Rites." Wang Chonggu smiled and said: "Don't hide it from the Minister of Rites, this is all experience."

Rebel experience, not everyone has it. Wang Chonggu was no longer ashamed to talk about the fact that he was a rebel in the past. Rebel experience, on the contrary, helped him govern the country.

"It seems to be the case." Zhang Juzheng's brows were twisted into a knot. Rebel experience became Wang Chonggu's unique advantage. Who can reason with this?

Wang Chonggu said happily: "So, just do it boldly. Leave the civil engineering matters to me. The engineering regiments need to build things. The Royal Institute of Technology and the ten king cities should be built together. Build them around the North Tucheng of the North Camp. His Majesty anyway inspects the military horses every day, and can go around when he has nothing to do."

"This is my opinion. You decide. I have something else to do."

After Wang Chonggu finished speaking, he stood up. His attitude had been expressed very clearly. He not only agreed with His Majesty's method but also felt that His Majesty's steps were a bit small and too conservative.

Wang Chonggu walked to the door, suddenly walked back, picked up the imperial edict and looked at it carefully again, sighed and said: "If His Majesty is short of money, my old Wang family also has some family assets, but it is named after the Royal, so that's it. It's a pity, it's a pity."

This time Wang Chonggu really left. Chonggu Imperial Road, Wang Chonggu almost went to see the stele inscribed by His Majesty every seven days. The imperial road brought him too much reputation. Every time he saw that stele, he was exceptionally at ease. So, if it wasn't named after the Royal, Wang Chonggu wished he could undertake it alone. When the time came, it would be called Chonggu Institute of Technology. Who else could say he was a treacherous minister!

It was a pity that His Majesty was obviously very sensitive to power. From the beginning of the imperial edict, it was named after the Royal.

"Wang Junior Grand Secretary is becoming more and more like the original Tan Sima, doing things more and more radically." Wang Guoguang frowned and looked at Wang Chonggu's back, saying meaningfully.

Wan Shihe could understand Wang Chonggu's mentality. He shook his head and said: "He is getting old, and he is becoming more and more anxious about his reputation after death. He always feels that there is not much time left."

"Is it possible that this is also Wang Chonggu's 'doubling'? Doubling the execution, making the government decrees unable to be promoted." Zhang Juzheng said with some suspicion.

"The Emperor said that the Senior Grand Secretary has a prejudice against Wang Junior Grand Secretary, and it is really a prejudice. If he really wants to double it, he wouldn't do it this way." Wan Shihe waved his hand repeatedly. The dispute between the Senior and Junior Grand Secretaries over the iron horses had just fallen under the mediation of the Emperor. This could not cause any more disputes.

Zhang Juzheng's prejudice against Wang Chonggu was an unsolvable knot, just like His Majesty's vigilance against civil officials. It was an unsolvable problem.

(End of chapter)

"Clearly, both the Provincial Governor and the Duke of Qian underestimated the infiltration of the Ming by Ava. Once the war began, those raw tribesmen pointed the way for the enemy forces." Zhang Juzheng was quite understanding of this matter, as he had an informant in Yunnan, Wang Xiyuan.

Wang Xiyuan was Zhang Juzheng's direct subordinate, who had once served as the vanguard during the decisive battle against Gao Gong.

Wang Xiyuan analyzed some of the problems at the beginning of the campaign; the lack of preparation had allowed the enemy to exploit loopholes, but adjustments had now been made.

With Liu Xian's son, Liu Ting, leading the Han army from Sichuan into Yunnan, the situation had completely improved, and they had even launched several counterattacks; the main issue had been the Ming side being caught off guard.

Zhu Yijun said with a solemn expression: "War is a dangerous and ominous affair, and that is indeed the case. This battle has ended in a stalemate, and I fear that people's hearts are restless; those Tusi in the Southwest must all be harboring some thoughts."

Zhu Yijun naturally had his concerns; once the Tusi of the Southwest rose up in unison, it would be even more difficult for the Duke of Qian's mansion to handle.

"We can just cook them all in one pot!" Wang Chonggu said, still very optimistic: "If it really comes to it, we can fight them for eight or ten years and see who can't hold out first. The Duke of Qian has the Ming as his support, but can Ava possibly go and seek support from the Goa Viceroyalty? The Goa Viceroyalty can barely protect itself."

"What if Mang Yili seeks support from the Mughal Empire?" Zhu Yijun immediately said: "Arrogant troops will surely be defeated."

Wang Chonggu was immediately stumped. The defeat of the Goa Viceroyalty in the Strait of Malacca already showed signs of collapse, but Mang Yili running to the Mughal Empire for help was indeed a problem.

"Then what should we do? It is Mang Yili attacking our Great Ming; could it be that our Great Ming must negotiate peace with him?" Wang Chonggu's expression turned somewhat ugly as he recalled unpleasant matters.

"The situation is far from that dire," Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "It is just that there hasn't been a war for a long time, the blades have become dull, and people have become a bit slack. After a long period of peace, such problems are bound to arise."

"It would be best for the Mughal Empire not to make a mistake; Akbar has enough trouble managing his own household, so it would be better not to overreach."

Akbar and Shah Muhammad were both Turkicized Mongols, descendants of the Timurid Empire that had moved south; the Mughal Empire also had its own internal contradictions and currently shared many common interests with the Ming in trade.

It was merely Zhu Yijun being overly cautious in his assessment of the enemy.

(End of this chapter)