RPAGF Chapter 89 The Key to Victory or Defeat
Chapter 89 The Key to Victory or Defeat
With manpower in place, Zhu Jixi became even more motivated and arrogant.
Zhu Yunwen's wedding was over, and Zhu Jixi had no reason to stay in Wenhua Hall. However, he lacked this awareness, which angered Zhu Yunwen, who had no choice but to issue an order to leave.
Zhu Jixi feigned ignorance and acted with extreme shamelessness, saying, "Grandpa sent me."
Having exhausted all other options, Zhu Yunwen went to the old emperor for help.
"Grandpa, Uncle Eleven wrote a letter saying that Yuexuan misses you," Zhu Yunwen subtly suggested.
The old emperor knew that the Crown Prince's real intention was not what it seemed; he wanted Zhu Jixi to leave the capital as soon as possible, and at the same time, he wanted to invite Fang Xiaoru, whom he had long admired, to come over.
"Let Ji Xi come to the Qianqing Palace. We'll think about your eleventh uncle's matter again," the old emperor gently granted his grandson's request.
Zhu Gaoxi couldn't understand why Zhu Yunwen would ask the old emperor for help with such a trivial matter.
Zhu Jixi alone has put you in such a difficult position. Can't you outwit him and make him run around in circles?
As the crown prince, what are you afraid of him for?
Fang Xiaoru is currently teaching the heir Zhu Yuexuan at the residence of the eleventh prince, Zhu Chun, the Prince of Shu.
Fang Xiaoru was from Ninghai, Zhejiang, and was a fellow townsman of Ye Dui, a famous Confucian scholar at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.
As Liu Futong's three-pronged northern expeditionary force began to falter, the famous Yuan general Chaghan Temur persuaded Emperor Shun of Yuan to send envoys to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang to surrender.
When Ye Dui arrived in Yingtian, he presented Zhu Yuanzhang with the "Military Strategy: One Principle and Three Items," suggesting that "we should cut off Li Chahan in the north, annex Zhang Jiu Si in the south, pacify Wenzhou and Taizhou, take Fujian and Yue, establish the capital in Jiankang, and expand our territory to Jiang and Guang. If we advance, we can cross the Huai River to the north to conquer; if we retreat, we can draw a line along the Yangtze River and defend ourselves."
It is worth mentioning that Xu Da and Chang Yuchun used the "city-locking method" proposed by Ye Dui when they besieged Zhang Shicheng's stronghold, Pingjiang Road.
Fang Xiaoru's father, Fang Keqin, was summoned to Beijing in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign to take the Ministry of Personnel examination. He ranked second and was appointed as the prefect of Jining. He later died in the case of the blank seal.
Fang Xiaoru was intelligent from a young age and studied under the famous Confucian scholar Song Lian. He was recommended to the emperor twice. Zhu Gaoxi secretly admired Fang Xiaoru's brilliant resume.
However, although Zhu Yuanzhang praised his upright character, he did not entrust him with important responsibilities. The first time he met him, he politely sent him home. Ten years later, when they met again, he only appointed him as a professor in Hanzhong.
Upon hearing of Fang Xiaoru's virtuous reputation, Zhu Chun appointed him as the tutor of the crown prince and treated him with great courtesy.
Zhu Yunwen had long admired Fang Xiaoru and wanted to summon him to the capital to serve him day and night.
However, what puzzled Zhu Gaoxi was that, since five imperial examinations had been held during the Hongwu era, why had Fang Xiaoru never passed the examination?
It should be noted that Fang Xiaoru was three years older than Zhu Di, so there was no issue of him not meeting the age requirement.
Both were important officials of Emperor Jianwen. Huang Zicheng was the third-ranked scholar in the eighteenth year of Hongwu's reign, while Qi Tai was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the eighteenth year of Hongwu's reign.
The old emperor was always eager to find talented people. If Fang Xiaoru was a capable minister and official, why didn't he promote and give him important positions?
During the Jingnan Campaign, Fang Xiaoru offered advice and strategies at three crucial moments.
The first time, he took advantage of the conflict between Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaochi to persuade Emperor Jianwen to use a counter-espionage scheme, which triggered internal strife within the Yan army.
In the battles of Jiahe and Gaocheng, the southern army dispatched by Emperor Jianwen suffered heavy losses.
Subsequently, Zhu Di sent troops to burn a large number of grain ships, causing the Southern Army to lose millions of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.
When the news arrived, the capital was in an uproar, and Emperor Jianwen panicked.
Fang Xiaoru suggested sowing discord between Zhu Di and his son Zhu Gaochi.
He sent a secret letter to Zhu Gaochi, the heir apparent who was holding Beiping, using the title of Prince of Yan as bait to persuade him to surrender; at the same time, he sent another person to inform Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu, who was accompanying him on the expedition, that Zhu Gaochi had secretly communicated with the court.
However, after receiving the letter, Zhu Gaochi sent it to Zhu Di intact, along with himself.
The counter-espionage plot failed.
The second time, he persuaded Emperor Jianwen to cede territory and sue for peace, thus delaying the military offensive.
In the Battle of Lingbi, Zhu Di completely defeated the main force of the Southern Army. From then on, the Yan Army never encountered strong resistance again north of the Yangtze River.
A few days later, Zhu Di led his troops to capture Sizhou, paid homage to the ancestral tombs, and two days later captured Xuyi, and then successively occupied Yangzhou and Gaoyou.
Emperor Jianwen hurriedly dispatched officials to various places to recruit troops. Fang Xiaoru suggested sending people to cede territory and negotiate peace in order to buy time and wait for the recruited troops from the southeast to arrive in the capital.
As a result, Zhu Di sternly refused: "Crosting territory is meaningless; I only want treacherous officials."
The third time, he advised Emperor Jianwen to defend the capital to the death and await reinforcements, and that if all else failed, he should die for the country.
Zhu Di led his troops to advance on the capital, and Emperor Jianwen was terrified and at a loss. Some ministers advised him to leave the capital temporarily and go elsewhere in order to make a comeback.
However, Fang Xiaoru, with a righteous spirit and impassioned words, earnestly urged Emperor Jianwen to die for the country.
As a result, Prince Gu Zhu Hui and Duke Cao Li Jinglong opened the Jin Chuan Gate to welcome the Yan army into the city, the palace caught fire, and Emperor Jianwen disappeared without a trace.
Perhaps Fang Xiaoru's writing was so good that Zhu Yunwen resonated with him, Zhu Gaoxi guessed.
Zhu Gaoxi didn't want to waste too much energy thinking about things that didn't concern him.
Zhu Yunwen actively expanded his think tank, simply to solidify his position as crown prince.
However, in Zhu Gaoxi's view, the results may not be significant.
Therefore, there's no need to pay attention to it; it's more important to focus on doing your own thing.
With the old emperor's permission, Zhu Yunwen immediately returned to the Wenhua Hall and asked the persistent Zhu Jixi to leave.
Zhu Jixi arrived at Qianqing Palace looking dejected.
In order not to disturb Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun, the old emperor took him to a side hall.
The old emperor might earnestly advise Zhu Jixi on some important points, reminding him that navigating the world requires more than just a sharp mind to succeed.
Zhu Gaoxi looked up at the window, lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Youdun asked with concern.
"Brother, have you ever encountered an untamable wild horse?" Zhu Gaoxi asked meaningfully.
"Horses may be wild, but they are still animals and don't have brains. If we starve them for a while and then try to get closer to them, we can always find a way," Zhu Youdun calmly analyzed.
"Grandfather has been sincerely trying to persuade Wang Baobao to surrender, but Wang Baobao has always refused to submit. What should we do in this situation?"
Zhu Gaoxi was somewhat worried that the old emperor might use Zhu Jixi to test him.
Zhu Jixi's confident and arrogant nature indicated that he had long yearned for the throne.
If the old emperor were to set a task for him, he would have to find a way to subdue Zhu Jixi.
What needs to be done to get Zhu Jixi to willingly let go of his obsession?
"How did Grandfather win in the end?" Zhu Youdun asked with a smile.
In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, after Xu Da's failed northern expedition, the old emperor, having learned his lesson, promptly adjusted his strategy, abandoning the initiative to attack and instead adopting a proactive defense.
At that time, the Ming army needed to be integrated, the economy had not yet recovered, and the rule was not yet consolidated. Yunnan was still controlled by the Yuan Liang King, the Sichuan region was still under the control of the Great Xia regime founded by Ming Yuzhen, and the famous Northern Yuan general Nahachu was entrenched in the Liaodong region. Overall, the Ming Dynasty was not strong enough at that time.
The old emperor's decision to change his strategy based on the actual situation, focusing on cultivating his inner strength and accumulating power, was undoubtedly the most appropriate choice.
The border residents were relocated to the interior, and a scorched-earth policy was implemented. Garrisons were added to military strongholds along the Great Wall, cities and passes were built, a large number of troops were added, and land was cultivated for defense, thus constructing a solid defensive line.
Relying on the solid economic strength gained from recuperation and development, they eventually wore down Wang Baobao and his master, Emperor Zhaozong of Northern Yuan, Ayushiridara.
Zhu Gaoxi felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his mind was suddenly enlightened.
Concentrate your energy and focus on developing your own strength and strengthening your defenses; this is the way to victory.
A prolonged standoff between opposing sides cannot be achieved without substantial economic strength.
Therefore, the key to victory or defeat lies in whether or not one can maintain and gradually expand their economic advantage.