Volume One: The Infant Dragon Opens Its Eyes - Chapter 138: The Ambition of Prince Xiang

Chapter 138: The Ambitions of Prince Xiang

However, Zhu Qizhen’s choice of Liu Dingzhi was actually meant to serve as a successor for Yu Qian.

Yu Qian had served as the Prefect of Shuntian for several years and had achieved many notable accomplishments. Zhu Qizhen could not possibly keep him in the position of Shuntian Prefect forever. Following the flood control efforts on the Lugou River, Zhu Qizhen was already prepared to take the opportunity to overhaul the entire river system of Hebei.

Naturally, someone had to shoulder this responsibility.

Perhaps others were suitable, but Zhu Qizhen trusted Yu Qian above all.

More importantly, he wanted to transform the Northern Metropolitan Region into Hebei Province.

To be honest, Zhu Qizhen found it somewhat incomprehensible why the Six Ministries, which belonged to the central government, still directly administered local prefectures and counties, thereby shouldering the functions of the Northern Metropolitan Administration Commissioner.

This was the case not only for the Northern Metropolitan Region but for the Southern Metropolitan Region as well.

Zhu Qizhen did not believe this arrangement was rational.

After all, given the map of the Great Ming dynasty as it stood, Zhu Qizhen was accustomed to the provincial divisions of later generations. Yet, he had long understood the importance of dynastic precedents in this era; before possessing absolute authority, it was best to flow with the current.

Let us set this matter aside for the moment.

Just as Zhu Qizhen had seen Yu Qian off, Wang Zhen came to report, saying, "Your Majesty, Prince Xiang has entered the palace and is currently in the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility."

Zhu Qizhen paused slightly and said, "Let's go and pay a visit to our imperial uncle, Prince Xiang."

Just as Zhu Qizhen was preparing to visit his uncle, the Grand Empress Dowager and Prince Xiang were already weeping in each other's arms.

Modern people could never truly comprehend the partings of the ancients.

When the ancients spoke of the parting of the living and the death of loved ones, they were not listing two separate things, but using a hendiadys, because often, parting in life was tantamount to eternal separation.

When the Grand Empress Dowager originally sent Prince Xiang off to his fief, she could not help but wonder in her heart whether she would ever see this son again. Now, her health grew weaker day by day, and she knew her time was running out.

She was practically counting her days.

Seeing her youngest son at this moment, how could she suppress the surging emotions within her? Mother and son wept bitterly and aloud, only quieting down after a long while.

Composing her emotions, the Grand Empress Dowager asked, "What are your true thoughts regarding the matter of Luchuan? Speak your mind. I still hold some weight before the Emperor. If you are unwilling, I will risk this old life of mine to block it for you."

Hearing this, a flash of tears crossed Prince Xiang's eyes. He replied, "Mother, if your son could remain in the capital to accompany you, there is nowhere else in the world I would wish to go. But I know this is simply impossible. Since that is the case, what difference does it make where I go? Whether in Changsha or Xiangyang, it is nothing more than a grand cage."

"Mother, you understand your son—I am not resigned to this."

Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager sighed inwardly.

Among her three children, the Grand Empress Dowager had naturally valued the Emperor Xuande most because he was the eldest son, but the one she cherished most was Prince Xiang. Not only was Prince Xiang her youngest, but he had also grown up by her side, whereas the Emperor Xuande had been raised at the knee of the Yongle Emperor.

Although this maternal estrangement could not sever the natural bonds between mother and son—and since Prince E was a sickly invalid who could never shoulder heavy burdens, while the Emperor Xuande had inherited the throne and possessed the entire realm—she felt all the more tenderness and pity for Prince Xiang.

However, the Grand Empress Dowager knew the gravity of the situation; no matter how much she loved Prince Xiang, she would never disrupt the established order. It was absolutely impossible for Prince Xiang to remain in the capital.

Yet she also understood that Prince Xiang was truly unresigned.

If Prince Xiang were like some vassal princes who drowned themselves in drunken stupors, it would be one thing. But he was not like that; he possessed considerable capability.

It was precisely because of his capability that Zhu Qizhen had selected Prince Xiang.

For someone devoid of grand ambitions, drowning in pleasure in the provinces might not be so bad. But how could anyone with true ability endure such torment?

The Grand Empress Dowager asked, "Have you thought it through? Since you have this desire, Mother will help you achieve your wish. However, Yunnan is plagued by pestilence, and Luchuan is a land of critical military peril. Once you go there, I fear that—"

Prince Xiang replied, "Your son understands. Since I have made my decision, I shall not regret it."

"Very well," the Grand Empress Dowager said. "I shall use my old prestige before the Emperor to have you sent to Yunnan to oversee the army. However, once you arrive in Yunnan, you must yield to the Marquis of Baoding and not make arbitrary decisions."

Upon hearing this, Prince Xiang was overjoyed and said, "Your son understands."

If he went to Yunnan to command troops now, even if he could not interfere directly in military affairs, he would still hold the position of supreme authority. He would undoubtedly secure a share of the credit for conquering Luchuan.

At the same time, he would be able to select elite soldiers and fierce generals from the southern expeditionary force, eventually establishing his own three personal guards.

A prince with military achievements was entirely different from a prince without them.

Speak of the Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.

Just as the Grand Empress Dowager finished speaking of Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qizhen arrived.

Upon entering, Zhu Qizhen first bowed to the Grand Empress Dowager. Prince Xiang then bowed to Zhu Qizhen, and subsequently, Zhu Qizhen returned the bow to Prince Xiang.

Prince Xiang's bow to Zhu Qizhen was the rite of ruler and subject, while Zhu Qizhen's bow to Prince Xiang was the rite of nephew and uncle.

This was the protocol left behind by the Founding Emperor: when a prince of the blood met the Emperor, they first observed state rituals, followed by familial etiquette.

The Grand Empress Dowager said, "His Majesty has come at the right time. Your uncle is willing to pacify and guard Luchuan. However, since Luchuan is a remote territory isolated in the south, I worry he may not adapt and wish for him to go to the army beforehand, commanding the Yunnan forces with the dignity of a prince of the blood. Rest assured, it is merely an empty title."

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen hesitated slightly in his heart.

This was entirely different from Prince Xiang merely guarding Luchuan.

If he were only guarding Luchuan, Zhu Qizhen would at most leave tens of thousands of troops with Prince Xiang and have various local chieftains submit to his authority. Backed by the resources of Yunnan, Prince Xiang would have more than enough strength to defend while lacking the power to expand, though he might still secure the support of the chieftains in attacking Burma.

However, launching a counteroffensive against Luchuan and treating the Mu family as fools was a completely different matter.

Yunnan already harbored a considerable number of troops, and with the addition of fifteen hundred thousand reinforcements, the total military force in Yunnan exceeded two hundred thousand. This was no small number.

Although it was said that Prince Xiang would only hold a nominal title in Yunnan, a title was still a title, and Prince Xiang might well transform that reputation into substance. After all, Beijing's reach could hardly extend so far into Yunnan.

Doing this meant taking a risk.

Seeing Zhu Qizhen hesitate, the Grand Empress Dowager said, "Since you are unwilling, then do not let Prince Xiang go to Luchuan. By your own logic, Prince Xiang will sooner or later command troops independently. If you cannot tolerate him commanding troops in Yunnan today, how will you tolerate him establishing a foundation in Luchuan in the future?"

Knowing full well that the Grand Empress Dowager was employing a tactic of retreating in order to advance, Zhu Qizhen nonetheless recognized that her words were entirely correct.

If Prince Xiang established a foundation in Luchuan with the backing of the Great Ming, and if his lineage produced several generations of enlightened rulers, it was entirely possible that a century later, the capital of the state of Xiang would no longer be in Luchuan, but in Yangon.

If Zhu Qizhen could not tolerate a future state of Xiang, rather than coming to blows over it later, it was better not to let Prince Xiang go to Luchuan at all.

Yet Zhu Qizhen thought to himself: "The military strength of the Great Ming is concentrated in the Nine Garrisons and the Capital Elite Divisions; these hundreds of thousands of troops have not moved at all. As for those commanding troops in Yunnan—Meng Ying, Mu Ang, and others—they are all scions of meritorious noble houses. As long as I treat them with an even hand, they will never defect to Prince Xiang. If I hold such an overwhelming advantage and still managed to be defeated by Prince Xiang, then I might as well step aside."

"Moreover, Yunnan is not Hebei after all. The Mu family has guarded Yunnan for generations; how is that any different from vassal princes? No, the difference is that the Mu family's power in Yunnan was even greater than that of ordinary vassal princes, yet the Mu family never rebelled against the Great Ming down to the very end."

"True, it was partly due to the Mu family's unwavering loyalty to Beijing, but it was also because Yunnan simply could not sustain a massive army on its own and required central support. One merely needs to dispatch a capable general to garrison Guizhou; even with thirty thousand troops in Yunnan, the force would collapse without a fight due to a lack of grain."

Zhu Qizhen said, "Her Ladyship is entirely correct. I grant this request. However, even if I grant it, I fear it will not pass easily in the court."

Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager finally understood Zhu Qizhen's underlying intention.

This was precisely Zhang Zhong's original strategy.

Zhang Zhong understood well that the Emperor's authority was not yet sufficient to forcefully push through such a policy in the court—one could even call it a major shift in the national policy of the Great Ming.

Unless Zhu Qizhen replaced the entire Six Ministries and the Grand Secretariat.

Yet there was one person who could accomplish this: the Grand Empress Dowager herself.

Pondering for a moment, the Grand Empress Dowager said, "This must be the stratagem of that boy Zhang Zhong. He is a clever child, truly a pity. I approve it."

Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly and said, "Her Ladyship should keep Your Uncle here for a few more days. In a few days, Your Uncle will need to ride at a gallop toward Yunnan."