Chapter 1085

Pan Yun spoke softly: "He is a subject of the Great Ming; no matter what crime he committed, hiding will never solve anything. I respect him for his courage in rebelling, but darkness breeds deceit—his flight has left the Dai and Han civilians trapped in the mire of his treason. Does he intend to become a rat?"

Pan Yun said calmly: "You should return the man to us."

The Lao envoy looked embarrassed, bowing respectfully under the gaze of the Great Ming officials and answering, "Yes."

Lao's sheltering of Si Jifa was an accident; previously, he had always hidden in the region of Burma.

When the late emperor perished in Datong, Si Jifa, hiding in Burma, immediately organized forces to retake Luchuan. But Wang Ji's army advanced, not only intimidating Si Jifa into inaction but also sending envoys to reprimand the Burmese Si.

At this time, Burma was divided into three Si: the Burmese Si, Diwuci Si, and Daguci Si. These three Si were not at peace with each other, yet all submitted to the Great Ming and recognized it as their suzerain.

Diwuci Si and Daguci Si were deeply dissatisfied with the Burmese Si's reckless behavior, so during Zhu Qiyu's ascension, the three engaged in minor conflicts several times.

Daguci Si reacted violently, demanding Si Jifa's execution.

Frightened, Si Jifa fled through Siam to Lao. At the time, the Lao king, seeing the Great Ming's transition of power, desired the southern portion of Yunnan's Che'er Si territory, so despite his ministers' opposition, he sheltered Si Jifa.

They sent troops to probe, but suffered an initial defeat, crushed by the young prince of the Mu family of Yunnan.

The king then retreated, but since he had already spoken, withdrawing now would make it hard to explain to his ministers, and he could not bring himself to expel Si Jifa.

The two sides remained in this awkward stalemate until the emperor's last birthday, when they seized the opportunity to mend relations with the Great Ming, and the matter was quietly buried.

The previously unceasing border conflicts entered a period of honeymoon; the Mu family of Yunnan even opened a border market between the two nations.

For the past two years, the Great Ming had somehow grown stronger in military strength.

Although no fighting had occurred, both sides maintained military camps at either end of the market, occasionally visiting each other and exchanging information.

The morale of the Great Ming soldiers improved daily, especially last year—though the soldiers were the same, they seemed utterly transformed.

The Lao king, who had long been secretly seeking an opportunity to seize Che'er Si and Menggen Fu, naturally sensed the difference, and his desire to act was suppressed again and again; now, he could no longer recall wanting to act, and only wished to repair relations.

So as soon as the Great Ming's imperial letter arrived in Lao, the Lao king ordered his people to gather rare treasures and dispatched envoys to the capital.

The envoys were instructed to mend relations at all costs; as long as no land was ceded and no king replaced, all other conditions could be negotiated.

Even if the Great Ming demanded increased tribute, they could agree.

But the Great Ming's tribute from its vassal states had always been symbolic, and it always returned generous gifts, so it had little impact on Lao.

The Great Ming demanded neither land nor a change of king—only the return of the rebel Si Jifa.

He must be handed over!

As the Lao envoy wiped sweat and agreed, he glanced toward the Burmese Si envoys nearby and muttered: "But my kingdom holds only Si Jifa and his thirty-two subordinates; his family is not among them."

Pan Yun turned to the Burmese Si envoys.

The Great Ming officials all turned their gazes toward the Burmese Si, their stares oppressive.

Now it was the turn of the three Burmese Si envoys to sweat.

This region of Burma was also plagued by constant warfare; though divided into three Si, they were not fully severed, somewhat resembling the Warring States period of the Central Plains—vassal states were kin by marriage yet rivals in competition.

Regarding the changes in Great Ming soldiers, the Burmese Si felt it more acutely, for border clashes had occurred frequently these past two years.

Why, during Zhu Qizhen's reign, had the campaign against Luchuan dragged on for years without result?

Luchuan's complex terrain, dense forests, and heavy miasma were one reason; another crucial factor was Burma's covert support.

Each time Si Jifa's family failed, they fled to Burma, hid for a year or two, regrouped, and launched another attack—like an indestructible cockroach reborn.

It was precisely Burma's repeated sheltering and probing that convinced Zhu Qizhen to persistently crush Si Jifa's rebellion and refuse his surrender.

He ascended the throne as a child, weak in court influence; all vassal states to the north and south watched hungrily. He desperately needed a war to consolidate his power, demonstrate the Great Ming's might, and deter neighboring states from daring to trespass.

Subsequent events proved his policy was not entirely wrong: whenever the Great Ming showed weakness or faced a crisis of succession, all surrounding states turned their eyes upon it.

Even Japan, separated by the East Sea, dared to organize fleets to attack the coast whenever the Great Ming changed emperors irregularly;

let alone the northern Hu and the southwestern barbarian states, all eager to bite off a piece of the Great Ming.

Externally, this was true—but internally…

The Great Ming's imperial power struggles seemed inconspicuous, but they were not absent—they merely lurked in the shadows.

Ultimately, what surprised everyone was Deng Maoqi and the other peasant rebel leaders: they did not seize the chaos to rise up; instead, they slowed their offensive, allowing the imperial court to focus sufficient attention on northern defense.

In short, these vassal states appeared respectful toward the Great Ming, but the Great Ming must not grow weak—if it did, it would be attacked by all.

Even Korea, now reverent as if the Great Ming were its savior, would turn its gaze toward Liaodong—the region bordering it, rich in forests, medicinal herbs, and farmland—should the Great Ming face crisis.

Because of frequent clashes, the Burmese Si keenly noticed that last year, the faces of Great Ming border soldiers grew healthier, their air of decay vanished, and they radiated an indescribable vitality.

It was as if rice seedlings, previously planted in rocky, barren soil, deprived of water and earth, suddenly received water and fine soil fertilizer—the stalks thickened, leaves spread green and lush, every vein brimming with life.

The Burmese Si spent a long time investigating, and finally learned that the Great Ming court had not only repaid years of unpaid wages but also enabled soldiers to quickly reconnect with their families; daily, they could communicate with loved ones through some device.

Wounded and elderly soldiers were sent home to work in workshops established by the Ministry of War, earning money that not only paid for their own medical care but could even support their families.

In just three months, the Great Ming's military camps became an entirely different place.

A camp so formidable that even Si Jifa's son, Si Lufa, saw no hope of victory.

Their morale was too strong, too dazzling.

Thus, this time, the Burmese Si were especially obedient: upon receiving the imperial letter, they immediately dispatched envoys to join the delegation.

Seeing all eyes upon them, the three exchanged glances, rose, walked to the center of the hall, bowed low, and respectfully pledged they would return Si Jifa's wife and children to the Great Ming, along with all Luchuan civilians who had fled to Burma.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly as she nodded subtly to the Emperor.

Zhu Qiyu, who had been an invisible presence, immediately praised them for their great righteousness and publicly granted all four men wine.

Oh, including the now-silent Lao envoy.

After finishing his cup of wine, Zhu Qiyu was wondering whether he should say some ceremonial words to ease the atmosphere when Pan Yun suddenly turned to the Japanese envoy: "And how did you come here?"