Zhu Zhanji looked at the blue sky and white clouds, then looked back at the long army, his face full of joy.
He thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of leading troops out of the fortress, and also had a strong interest in this vast grassland.
"Life is still too short." Zhu Zhanji sighed softly, "If you give me a hundred years, I will be able to gradually incorporate the entire grassland into the territory of the Ming Dynasty without using weapons. The people inside and outside the customs will truly become one family, regardless of each other."
The population of the grassland is only one-tenth of the Ming Dynasty, but the area is extremely vast. It has no towns and the grassland tribes do not live concentratedly.
They are so scattered that they can be relocated at any time, so conquest by force alone is simply not feasible.
Zhang Fu heard his sigh, turned the horse's head and came closer, cupped his hands and said: "The emperor has great ambitions, and I am willing to do the work of dogs and horses."
In the past, when the King of Han rebelled, Zhang Fu was also criticized, claiming that he had colluded with the King of Han.
However, Zhu Zhanji did not fall for the trap. Zhang Fu was already a very popular minister. Even if the King of Han came to power, what could be given to him?
Therefore, he still put Zhang Fu in great importance and increased his salary, and his favor was even better than before.
This also moved Zhang Fu more and he followed him more loyally.
Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Is the Duke turning sixty this year?"
"It's only sixty after the New Year." Zhang Fu said seriously, "I can still do my job."
"Well... sixty is not too old." Zhu Zhanji said with a smile, "Do you want to take charge of the army again?"
Zhang Fu was excited, and then he was stunned: "I didn't mean that..."
"Huh? There's no need for that," Zhu Zhanji said with a smile, "I have never doubted the old man. We are a family."
The word "old" was added, and the meaning was self-evident. Zhang Fu had been around for so many years, and he was not just a reckless man, so he immediately stopped talking.
It's not that Zhu Zhanji doesn't trust Zhang Fu, but that the latter's reputation is now scary.
Fengtian Jingnan, Cheng Xuanli, Assistant Military Minister, Guanglu Doctor, Zuozhuguo. These titles are enough to intimidate hundreds of officials, and Zhu Zhanji will never give him power again.
Zhu Zhanjila said as if he was talking about his family: "The late emperor once said that although the Duke of the State is a military minister, he knows how to be polite to the six ministers; the Duke of the State shows kindness to the virtuous and is loyal to the country..."
Zhu Zhanji was boastful and Zhang Fu was modest, heading north all the way.
…
Oara tribe.
Boyan Timur successfully took over Oara with the imperial edict issued by the Ming Emperor. Some people were dissatisfied, but they still admitted it openly.
Because it was granted by the Ming Emperor!
No one dares to go against the Ming Dynasty. Not to mention the Ming Dynasty's military force, just cutting off trade will make them extremely uncomfortable.
However, Boyan Timur was too young after all, had no great talents, was not good at planning, and had no dazzling achievements.
He was able to sit in this position only because of his status as the son of Tuohuan, the former leader of Wala, and the imperial title granted by the Ming Emperor, nothing more.
As for the tribes on the grassland, what they pay most attention to is personal ability.
They don't have the style of the Central Plains Dynasty, which is about nobles and nobles, and succession. What they want is a strong man who can lead them to survive.
Except sweating.
Boyan Timur was the nominal leader of Oara, but in fact, he could not command the tribe.
He knew this himself, but he had no choice.
The simple and honest young man in the past is now full of sorrow, and he is no longer as carefree as before.
"Father, you are right, we still have to rely on the Ming Dynasty!" Boyan Timur took a sip of wine and said bitterly: "But the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is unwilling to help the child!"
At this moment, the curtain was raised, and the bodyguard came forward to report: "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty has come to the grassland!"
"What?" Boyan Timur became more energetic. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the guard's shoulders, his voice trembling, "Seriously?"
The guard was in pain at being caught, so he quickly said concisely, "We are already less than two hundred miles away."
"Okay, great." Boyan Timur was overjoyed, "Hurry up and send orders to all the generals to accompany me to greet the Ming Emperor."
His waist immediately hardened, and the support finally came.
~
Three days later.
Boyan Timur and his tribal generals came to the Ming army to pay homage.
Zhu Zhanji heard that Boyan Timur was leading the team, and he believed even more in the accuracy of the previous information.
When I came to the battle, I saw Boyan Timur's ecstasy and the different expressions of the generals, and I basically concluded that what Boyan Timur said before was true.
There has really been a big change in the grassland, which is good news.
After a brief thought, Zhu Zhanji expressed that he wanted to visit the Oara Base Camp.
He needs to learn more about the details before making a decision.
Before they were released, the various tribes of Oara would still have concerns, but now they are gone. They are already weak enough. Without the support of the Ming Dynasty, it is inevitable that they will be eaten by the Tatars. This is just the opportunity for the Ming Emperor to see how miserable they are.
They are not stupid either. They know that the Ming Dynasty aided Oara in order to fight against the Tatars, and they also know that the Ming Dynasty will not let Oara be destroyed.
The two sides arrived at the Oara base camp all the way. Zhu Zhanji observed the words and expressions, and through what he saw and heard, he completely believed the fact that Oara was seriously damaged.
It is possible for one or two people to act, but it is difficult for one or two thousand people, and all of them have no flaws, not to mention that Zhu Zhanji still checks at will without a fixed target.
After a short period of thinking, Zhu Zhanji made a decisive decision: Ming Dynasty and Oara would join forces to attack the Tatars together.
Hearing the news, Wala Xingfu almost fainted.
This is like two children fighting, one beating the other until his nose and face were swollen, but at this moment, the parent of the child who was beaten comes, so there is no need to take revenge or complain.
Walashuai camp.
Zhu Zhanji sat at the head of the table, Zhang Fu sat at the head, followed by Boyan Timur.
"How many troops can Oara send to attack the Tatars this time?" Zhu Zhanji asked.
"Your Majesty, if you can come up with..." Boyan Timur gritted his teeth, "Twenty thousand."
He is an honest child... Zhu Zhanji nodded. According to his analysis, this is the current limit of Wala.
After pondering for a moment, he said loudly: "You don't need so much, just ten thousand will be enough."
Then, he added: "The main force of the Ming army this time is up to you. This battle will be fought by the Ming Dynasty."
Shock, ecstasy, disbelief... flashed across the faces of the generals in Oara. They could not even imagine such a situation.
Boyan Timur's face turned red and he said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, Wala can fight."
Generals: You are so fucking stupid!
They looked at Zhu Zhanji nervously, but Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "No need!"
After hearing this, these people really relaxed.
At the same time, he was dissatisfied with Boyan Timur's righteous act. It was really bad luck to have such a thing on the stall.
Zhu Zhanji took in the expressions of these people and said with a smile: "Boyan Timur is the king of Shunning whom I conferred. You must be loyal to him."
After a pause, his tone suddenly turned cold: "Whoever disobeys him is rebelling against me."
"My minister obeys the order." The generals were shocked and hurriedly raised their hands in agreement.
Only then did Zhu Zhanji smile again and stood up and said: "The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty have been traveling all the way and need to rest for a few days. You should also prepare to attack the Tatars in seven days."
"yes!"
…
Returning to the Ming Army's commander's camp, Zhang Fu couldn't help but said: "The emperor's move...is somewhat inappropriate!"
"How to say?"
Zhang Fu analyzed: "It is true that Oara suffered serious losses, and it is true that the Tatars are stronger. But if Ming Dynasty directly helps Oara to attack the Tatars, then the Tatars will definitely not be their opponents;
Once the loss of Tatar exceeds that of Wala, the balance will be broken, and..." Zhang Fu said with heartache, "I feel sorry for you."
"Haha..." Zhu Zhanji laughed.
"Your Majesty...why are you laughing? But I said something wrong."
"Yes, you are right." Zhu Zhanji stopped laughing, "You can think of it, how could I not think of it?
But have you ever thought about Tartar?”
Zhang Fu shook his head blankly: "I... don't understand."
Zhu Zhanji explained: “With so many of us coming to the grassland, we can’t hide it from anyone at all, and we can’t hide it when we come to Oarabu with great fanfare.
And judging from the battle between Tatar and Wala, Arutai is by no means the soul of the Tatars, at least not the only one, so this battle cannot be fought at all."
"If that's the case, then why does the emperor still... Oh, I understand." Zhang Fu sighed: "The emperor wants to let the Tatars understand that the Ming Dynasty will not only assist Oara in terms of materials, but also in terms of troops;
This will prevent them from rashly touching Wala, give Wala time to breathe, and at the same time gain Wala's loyalty."
Zhu Zhanji nodded, "Yes, but these are not the main thing. My real purpose is to help Boyan Timur secure his position as the leader of Wala."
"Why does the emperor prefer him so much?" Zhang Fu was a little confused.
"Because he is loyal, has no ambition, and is not very smart."