novelSusiti Chapter 133 Why did Zhu Di win?
Chapter 133 Why did Zhu Di win?
"As far as Father is concerned, after obtaining the throne, he will eventually pass it on to his son. He is not stupid, so why would he compete with his own son for it?" Zhu Gaoxi cleverly retorted.
The old emperor nodded slightly in satisfaction. This was exactly the situation he had hoped for. "If he can help you secure your position, that would be a great achievement."
"Father will certainly not fail in his mission," Zhu Gaoxi replied on behalf of his adoptive father.
"Then tell Grandpa, what other mistakes did Emperor Jianwen make?" the old emperor urged, wanting to understand all the hidden dangers at once.
"Emperor Jianwen appointed Marquis Wu Gao of Jiangyin to guard Liaodong. In order to contain the Yan army and cooperate with Li Jinglong's northern expedition, Wu Gao and Yang Wen led troops to besiege Yongping."
Knowing he was no match for his father, Wu Gao was in no hurry to fight. As soon as his father arrived, he lifted the siege and retreated to Shanhaiguan.
After his father left, Wu Gao attacked Beiping again.
This happened repeatedly, causing the king a great deal of trouble.
Wu Gao was extremely loyal to Emperor Jianwen. He was meticulous and cautious in his military tactics. He frequently went and returned, constantly harassing the emperor, which made it impossible for the emperor's father to leave Beiping with peace of mind.
To completely resolve this major problem, the king decided to employ a strategy of sowing discord.
Under pressure from Emperor Jianwen, Prince Xiang set himself on fire, and his wife, Lady Wu, followed him to her death.
Lady Wu was the daughter of Marquis Jinghai, Wu Zhen, who was Wu Gao's uncle.
His cousin was forced to commit suicide. Although Wu Gao remained loyal, Emperor Jianwen was full of doubts and dared not trust him.
Taking advantage of Emperor Jianwen's suspicions, the father wrote a personal letter to Wu Gao and Yang Wen respectively. He was full of praise for Wu Gao, but he slandered Yang Wen. Then he sent someone to deliver the letters to the two of them, but deliberately switched them and pretended to have delivered them to the wrong person.
The letter Wu Gao received contained insults and slander against Yang Wensheng.
The letter in Yang Wen's hand praised Wu Gaosheng.
After seeing the letter, Emperor Jianwen became even more suspicious of Wu Gao and issued an edict to strip him of his title and exile him to Guangxi.
The two generals of Liaodong, Yang Wen and Wu Gao, were brave and resourceful. When they worked together well, they were able to fully utilize their fighting strength.
Without Wu Gao's strategies, Yang Wen dared not easily send troops, and his father was relieved of his worries about the rear.
Yang Wen's determination to protect himself and avoid sending troops was likely due not only to the loss of his best partner, but also to Emperor Jianwen's suspicious nature.
Emperor Jianwen shot himself in the foot, throwing his own plans into disarray and destroying his own foundation; it was no wonder he was defeated.
Seeing that the old emperor was deep in thought, Zhu Gaoxi stopped and did not continue speaking.
"When your father raised an army, what was Prince Ning doing? Who was he on?" the old emperor asked inquiringly.
Ningwang Zhu Quan's fiefdom, Daning, was an important border town located outside Xifengkou, connecting Liaozuo and Xuanfu. Situated at the junction of the Jurchen and Mongol peoples, its geographical location was extremely important.
Because this place was a strategic location fought over by military strategists, the troops of Da Ning, under the command of Prince Ning, were the strongest among all the vassal kings.
"Eighty thousand armored soldiers and six thousand chariots, the cavalry of the three guards under his command are all brave and skilled in battle."
It was entirely reasonable for the old emperor to ask this question.
Zhu Gaoxi slowly began, "After Father raised his army, Emperor Jianwen issued an edict ordering all the northern princes to return to the capital. The Prince of Liao returned to the capital by sea because the roads were blocked. The Prince of Gu also returned to the capital. The Prince of Ning did not set off for a long time. Moreover, the Prince of Ning once submitted a memorial to plead for the Prince of Yan. Emperor Jianwen was furious and stripped him of his three guards."
After their father defeated Wu Gao, he took the route through Liujiakou, then followed a side road straight to Daning. Upon seeing the Prince of Ning, the two brothers embraced and wept bitterly.
"Did Prince Ning join your father in raising an army?" the old emperor asked with a complicated expression.
Zhu Gaoxi pondered for a moment, "Half-heartedly, Prince Ning has already been suspected by Emperor Jianwen. He has no other way out but to join the Yan army and frequently draft proclamations."
The Prince of Yan once promised Zhu Quan, "If things succeed, I will divide the world among myself."
Zhu Gaoxi deliberately omitted this section.
"Who is stationed at Xifengkou?" the old emperor asked, indignant and puzzled. "Daning has been emptied out, what are they doing? Why haven't they sent troops to rescue it?"
"Commander Liu Zhen, Vice Commander Chen Heng, and Commander Bu Wan lead 100,000 troops from Daning to garrison Xifengkou," Zhu Gaoxi answered succinctly.
"They all surrendered to your father?" the old emperor asked cryptically.
"Father used a counter-espionage scheme to eliminate Bu Wan," Zhu Gaoxi said, minimizing the amount of information to avoid angering the old emperor.
"Chen Heng once served in the Yanshan Left Guard; he must have been demoted," the old emperor said with certainty, his judgment of character accurate.
Zhu Gaoxi nodded, indicating that the old emperor's guess was correct.
"What about Liu Zhen? Did he also surrender?" the old emperor pressed.
"He escaped," Zhu Gaoxi picked up the milk and took two big gulps. The old emperor reached out and gently patted him on the back a few times.
"All 100,000 troops of Da Ning have come under your father's command. From now on, your father will be even more powerful than a tiger with wings," the old emperor said with deep emotion.
Yunwen only knows how to use his power to suppress others and make them obey, but he doesn't know how to work together and unite as one. Have we really misjudged him?
The ability to unite the strengths of all parties and to make good use of people, rather than to play power games, is a fundamental skill for a ruler.
Yunwen was clearly not good at this.
The old emperor sighed heavily, "If there's something wrong, correct it; if not, strive to improve. We should correct our mistakes as soon as we realize them."
It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost.
Zhu Gaoxi sensed that the old emperor had made up his mind, so he ate quietly, taking every opportunity to replenish his energy.
"How badly did Li Jinglong suffer his defeat?" The old emperor mustered his courage and finally asked the question he least wanted to face.
"The Duke of Cao led 500,000 troops to besiege Beiping, while the city only had 20,000 old, weak and disabled soldiers. They held out for several days until my father led his troops back to reinforce the city," Zhu Gaoxi put down his cup, wiped his mouth clean, and then said.
"Your stepmother is a daughter of a military family, not to be trifled with. Your elder brother alone is so weak that he can barely walk. It will be very difficult for him to protect you," the old emperor believed in his judgment.
Zhu Gaoxi remained silent. The old general Gu Cheng had surrendered and helped Zhu Gaochi garrison Beiping, and Yao Guangxiao had offered advice. There was no need to tell the old emperor all of these things. Who knew if he would punish him in his rage? It was safer to reveal fewer details.
He's not an idiot; the more his cheap father's strength is exposed, the more passive their situation becomes.
Although the old emperor's heart is now much inclined towards us, anything can change until the very last moment, so we must not let our guard down.
Zhu Gaoxi didn't distrust his grandfather; he simply dared not place too much faith in the importance a cold-blooded emperor placed on family ties.
Always leave yourself a way out so that you can move forward or backward freely, and avoid being forced into a desperate situation where you can hardly move forward.
He wasn't used to relying on other people's kindness to live.
It's certainly a good thing if the enemy is willing to let you off the hook. But if the opponent is determined to kill you, you need to have a countermeasure in order to smoothly overcome the crisis and usher in the final victory.
Historically, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, survived countless near-death experiences. His eventual victory was not due to anyone's kindness, but rather to his relentless struggle, sacrificing many of his subordinates and persevering to the very end.
Seeing his eldest grandson deep in thought, the old emperor asked softly, "What are you thinking about, Xi'er?"
"Grandfather, I hope that history will not repeat itself, that the Jingnan Rebellion will not happen, that every member of the royal family will die a peaceful death, and that they will use their talents to work together for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty," Zhu Gaoxi replied earnestly.