As winter passes and spring comes, the flowers are red and the willows are green.
Maodong's three girls ended their hibernation and were playing chess and listening to music in the courtyard. They could no longer play, and Li Qing was playing.
In the past, the three girls played the piano and he listened to the music, but now it's the other way around.
Li Qing's fingertips were flying, playing the banjo, and the gentle notes burst out happily, nourishing the body and mind.
After the song was played, the three women came back from their intoxication and said with a smile: "Sir's piano skills are so superb that few people in the world can match them."
"That's right," Li Qing said with a proud look on his face, "Not to mention unique, there are only two or three people who can reach my level."
Hongxiu asked: "Sir, are you going to go on the Northern Expedition?"
"Well, this is the last time." Li Qing said softly, "When I come back, we will return to Jinling and no longer interfere with the affairs of the DPRK and China."
"Okay." Hong Xiu nodded with a smile.
Wanling and Lianxiang are also happy.
In fact, they don't like Peiping, just because there is a husband in Peiping.
…
Seven days later.
The army left Juyongguan.
The troop dispatch this time was not large. Including the soldiers transporting supplies, there were a total of 170,000 soldiers, and the combat troops were just over 50,000.
Zhu Zhanji, like Zhu Di, was a suspicious emperor, but he was not as good as Zhu Di and did not have a good elder to supervise the country, so he took Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji, Yang Shiqi and others with him.
The euphemistic name is to bring them knowledge, but in reality it is to prevent them from doing things behind their backs.
Zhu Zhanji was almost thirty, but still had no son, so he had to be on guard.
The crown prince has not yet been established, and the country's foundation is unstable.
~
The march was not too strenuous as the water and grass were abundant.
The boundless grassland, the blue sky, and the white clouds are refreshing and refreshing, especially when the wind blows and the green grass waves undulate, it is spectacular.
It was the first time for Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji to experience such scenery, and they all looked delighted and were very excited about poetry.
Li Qing was too lazy to listen to their noise, so he lay down on the horse, turning his ears off and immersed in his own world.
Yang Shiqi looked at Dequ'er. He also imitated Li Qing, but fell off his horse and almost broke his ribs under the horse's hoof. He never dared to follow Li Qing's example again.
Marching was boring, and within a few days these civil servants went from happy to sick, with their heads drooping all day long, like eggplants beaten by frost.
Only Zhu Zhanji could sit in the dragon chariot, and there was no carriage, so he could only ride on horseback.
However, scholars have a flexible mind, so Yang Rong felt comfortable lying on the grain truck shamelessly.
The others followed suit, and they all looked like uncles.
These people are not young anymore, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are old men. Zhu Zhanji does not care about being on the line, and sometimes he will let them ride the dragon chariot when he is riding.
This moved a group of old guys quite a bit.
With a small move, Zhu Zhanji changed his image in their hearts.
Li Qing was quite satisfied with Zhu Zhanji's imperial mentality: Zhu Zhanji was really made to be an emperor.
He wasn't interested in the dragon carriage, he was tired of it.
In contrast, he prefers leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a view of the grassland scenery without blind spots.
In the evening, set up camp.
Shuaiying.
Zhu Zhanji ordered people to bring wine and meat to eat and drink with Li Qing.
"Time flies so fast. I remember that I was only sixteen years old when I first went out with the army, but now I am approaching my thirties." Zhu Zhanji sighed with emotion.
Li Qingshen felt the same way: "It's quite fast. I remember the first time I went on an expedition with the army, it was with Taizong. At that time, he was much younger than you, in his early twenties..."
Barabara...
Zhu Zhanji was speechless and couldn't get a word in at all.
His temperament rose instantly, making him look very childish.
After eating and drinking, Zhu Zhanji asked: "I guess this battle will be difficult to fight. Do you have any clever ideas?"
"Haha... you're in trouble." Li Qing stretched, "We are not here to fight, but to show force and let the tribes on the grassland know that the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty is also a good martial emperor, thus psychologically weakening their Desire for aggression.”
Li Qing took a sip of wine and said, "As the saying goes: attacking the city is the bottom, attacking the heart is the top; the essence of war is to achieve the goal, and the best choice is to achieve the goal without using weapons."
"I understand." Zhu Zhanji said regretfully, "But if we can win a beautiful battle, that will be a complete merit."
"You're just enjoying your success." Li Qing exposed it mercilessly, snorting: "In war, people will die, okay?"
Zhu Zhanji: "...Which emperor doesn't want to leave a mark in the annals of history, even if he even thinks about it?"
"Whatever you want, you can dream about anything, whether it's as good as Emperor Qin or Han Wu." Li Qing shook his head and laughed, sitting up, "I'm going back to sleep."
"Uncle Qing."
"Um?"
"After this time, do you really want to leave?"
"Um."
Zhu Zhanji sighed: "You can accompany Taizu, Taizong, and Renzong to the end, why can't you accompany me."
"Because I also have my own life." Li Qing said seriously, "And because you make me feel at ease."
"Can I understand that you are complimenting me?"
Li Qing smiled and nodded: "I'm just praising you."
…
The shadow that Zhu Di left on the grassland tribes was too great. Wherever the Ming army went, the tribes either fled or came to pay their respects, giving Zhu Zhanji no excuse to beat them.
On the other hand, Jian Yi and Yang Shiqi were all full of energy and insisted on finding faults to achieve meritorious deeds.
However, all their proposals were rejected by Zhu Zhanji.
Starting an unreasonable war will only make the tribes in the grasslands unite, which will not be beneficial to the overall situation.
Zhu Zhanji is a very rational person. He also wants to make achievements, but he will not ignore the overall situation for his own selfishness.
The army marched quite smoothly.
Tuhuan, the leader of Wala, received the news and led his generals to travel hundreds of miles to see him.
In the handsome camp.
Zhu Zhanji met with Tuo Huan and his generals, and they talked cordially.
Tuo Huan was also very flattering to the new emperor of Ming Dynasty. After doing business with Ming Dynasty, he became really popular.
People on the grasslands regard looting as a matter of course, but that is because they have no choice but to do so because of insufficient resources.
Being able to do business in a friendly manner and not having to hang your head in your belt to earn a living is what they naturally want.
"Have the Tatars invaded Oara in recent years?" Zhu Zhanji asked.
Tuo Huan cupped his hands and said: "Relying on the power of His Majesty the Emperor, the Tatars have not launched any troops against Oara, but..."
"But it doesn't matter."
"Their invisible force is very powerful now." Tuohuan said worriedly, "The Tatars claim to be orthodox in the grassland, and their appeal is very strong. Now many tribes have joined the Tatar tribe. Once the Tatars attack, it will be difficult for Oara to deal with it."
"Haha...really?" Zhu Zhanji glanced at Li Qing.
In front of foreigners, Li Qing had to give him face, so he continued: "King Shunning exaggerated, taking refuge and being annexed are completely different things;
The tribes were forced to surrender to the Tatars under pressure, and this subordination relationship was quite weak. When the Tatars and Oara swordsmen faced each other, they would only keep a distance and would never take the initiative to get involved. "
Tuo Huan blushed. He naturally understood this, but he just wanted to drag Ming into trouble, or else increase trade.
"What Marquis Yongqing said makes sense, but the Tartar tree has big roots and deep roots, so we have to guard against it!"
Li Qing smiled and said nothing.
Jian Yi and others on the side wanted to add a few words, but they had no talent and knowledge, but they did not understand the situation outside the customs. They were afraid of making things worse, so they had to keep silent.
Zhu Zhanji thought for a while, "What are your plans?"
Tuo Huan cupped his hands and said tentatively: "Treat him in his own way."
"You want to establish a descendant of Genghis Khan as the puppet khan to control the voice on the grassland?" Zhu Zhanji hit the nail on the head.
Hiss~ This new emperor of the Ming Dynasty is so shrewd, no less than Yongle... Tuohuan's heart trembled, and he smiled apologetically, "Your Majesty the Emperor is wise, I think so to help the Ming Dynasty better fight against the Tatars." .”
After a pause, he added: "Of course, I will listen to His Majesty the Emperor as to how to do it. If you ask me to do it, I will do it. If you don't let me, I will not do it."
His posture was very low, fearing that he would offend the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty and lose business.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanji didn’t even think about it, “Okay!”
Just agreed? I was stunned by the joy, but it was quickly replaced by ecstasy, and I bowed my head and bowed:
"Thank you, His Majesty the Ming Emperor!"
When Jian Yi and others saw this, they wanted to stop him, but Zhu Zhanji glared back.
Zhu Zhanji smiled and said: "Just setting up a puppet Khan may not be able to compete with the Tatars. I have a gift for you!"
