Chapter 54: Enfeoffment Overseas

"There is nothing much to elaborate on. I am merely reminding you to be cautious of Yao Guangxiao."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down again. "You mean this man is dangerous, and if left unchecked, he might incite rebellion?"

Chen Lin nodded. "That is pretty much what I mean. However, if utilized properly, he can also be a major asset. My suggestion is to follow the historical trajectory and let him stay by the Fourth Prince's side."

"I don't want that! I wouldn't want that even if I died!" Zhu Di was still kneeling, a look of despair on his face.

Zhu Biao walked over and helped his fourth younger brother to his feet. "What are you afraid of? Everything has been laid out and discussed clearly. Besides, haven't you not done anything out of line yet?"

"Big Brother! That is a demonic monk! Putting him by my side is just plotting to destroy me! I refuse, most resolutely refuse!"

Meanwhile, Zhu Yuanzhang pulled Chen Lin aside. "How exactly does history unfold, and what role does this Yao Guangxiao play in it?"

Chen Lin shrugged. "I can only say that when your fourth son ultimately decided to raise troops in rebellion, it was Yao Guangxiao who instigated it."

"Had there been no Yao Guangxiao, your fourth son would most likely have been killed by the esteemed Grand Heir you chose."

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath. "Then why on earth are you still letting this man stay by the Fourth Prince's side? What if, come that time, the Fourth Prince..."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang overturned his own line of reasoning.

"No, that's not right. The Crown Prince is still here; the Fourth Prince would never dare to act recklessly. Then what is your intention in doing this?"

Chen Lin gave a sly chuckle. "You have seen the world map. Do you have no thoughts on it at all?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"My meaning is that the Great Ming can only be the Emperor's Great Ming. There cannot be any vassal kings half-independent of the imperial court. That is a path to self-destruction. In history, are there really so few examples of regional military governors and vassal kings rebelling?"

Zhu Yuanzhang defended himself, saying, "But those are all my sons..."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice gradually trailed off. Even he lacked the confidence to guarantee that these sons of his would not rebel in the future.

Even if his sons did not rebel, what about his grandsons? What about the fourth and fifth generations?

Should a foolish monarch emerge among the Crown Prince's descendants, might a vassal king step in and replace them?

Was Yunwen not replaced by the Fourth Prince?

Though he did not know what exactly transpired in between, and since the meat stayed inside the pot as it was still the Zhu family's realm, he could accept it.

Yet once chaos erupted on all sides, what if the Mongol Yuan in the northern borders seized the opportunity to push south?

"Then your meaning is..."

For once, Chen Lin spoke with absolute solemnity. "No vassal kings shall be enfeoffed within the borders of Great Ming. Enfeoffment of vassal kings shall only take place overseas."

"Hiss~~~" Zhu Yuanzhang drew in a sharp breath of cold air.

"You want to have the Fourth Prince pioneer overseas, with that Yao Guangxiao assisting him?"

Chen Lin nodded. "Correct. I understand your fourth son's capabilities far better than you do. He is, in history, a Taizong second only to Li Shimin. Serving merely as a domestic vassal king is a severe injustice to his talents. Why not let him loose overseas, where fish leap in a boundless sea and birds soar across vast skies, to carve out new territories for Great Ming and for Huaxia?"

"But what if the Fourth Prince grows strong and prosperous—will he not launch a counter-offensive against Great Ming?"

The corner of Chen Lin's mouth curved upward. "Do you have so little faith in the Crown Prince, or is it that you have no faith in my Industrial Revolution?"

"You mean that Great Ming must exclusively hold the strongest industrial might, and advanced weapons and equipment must not be easily leaked to the vassal states?"

Chen Lin patted Zhu Yuanzhang on the shoulder. "As for how to restrict vassal kings, you have far more experience than I do. Coupled with the fact that overseas vassal states are separated from Great Ming by vast oceans, unless a monarch of Great Ming is utterly incompetent, how difficult would it be for an overseas vassal king to turn around and devour Great Ming?"

"To step back ten thousand steps, if an overseas vassal state were truly to defeat the central court of Great Ming, that would only mean the central court had rotted to its very core. What use is there in keeping such a central court? It would be far better to replace them with a new batch of men to restore and revitalize Great Ming!"

Frowning deeply, Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth. "Let me think about this. Let me ponder this very carefully..."

"Take your time pondering, then. This is a grand plan spanning a century; it cannot be altered overnight. I will take your fourth son to go meet that Yao Guangxiao first."

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed not to hear him, continuing to pace back and forth in deep thought.

Chen Lin grabbed Zhu Di by the arm. "Let's go. Why are you still kneeling?"

"I'm not going! If you don't make things clear, I'll die right here to prove my innocence!"

Zhu Biao stepped forward to comfort him. "Rest assured, Father and Big Brother both believe you."

"But Big Brother..."

Zhu Di still wanted to explain further, but Zhu Biao hauled him straight up to his feet. "Go on, have a good talk with that Yao Guangxiao. Big Brother will wait for your news."

"Big Brother, do you truly believe me?"

Amused, Zhu Biao planted a kick squarely against him. "When has Big Brother ever lied to you? Scram, scram, scram~~~"

As Zhu Di was dragged away by Chen Lin, Zhu Biao instantly switched expressions. "Father~~"

Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang snap back to his senses, roughly recounting everything Chen Lin had just said.

Upon hearing this, both Zhu Biao and Empress Ma fell into a prolonged silence. After a long while, Empress Ma spoke. "Chongba, we cannot simply take Chen Lin's words at face value. You must fake your death as soon as possible and travel to the future world to inspect the historical records. Otherwise, we will always be led by the nose by Chen Lin, which puts us in a very passive position..."

Zhu Biao also chimed in, "Father, can I die along with you? I also wish to go take a look at the future world."

"Nonsense! Can the two of us die together? Should any unexpected accident occur, who would inherit Great Ming?!"

Zhu Biao sighed. "That is true. Then I shall rank behind you."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved a hand. "We will discuss this 'afterwards' later. What are your thoughts on enfeoffing territories overseas?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment. "It sounds quite reasonable, but the court is already struggling just to cope with the Mongol Yuan. If our younger brothers are enfeoffed overseas, we cannot expect them to start with empty hands; we must provide them with troops and supplies. Does the court currently have the capacity to produce such things?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. "That is true. However, as Chen Lin also mentioned just now, this is a grand plan spanning a century; there is no need to rush it overnight."

"I believe it is necessary to thoroughly study its feasibility. We could begin with places closer to home, such as Goryeo, Annan, Liuqiu, and Luzon."

"Coupled with the yield per mu of that corn Chen Lin presented this time, he surely possesses even higher-yielding crop seeds on his side."

"With an abundance of food, we can recruit a greater number of soldiers."

"And then there is his Industrial Revolution..."

"With his future world as our backing, enfeoffing territories overseas might indeed be feasible!"

On the other side, Chen Lin dragged Zhu Di to find Yao Guangxiao. The three of them sat in a circle around a stone table, staring at one another with wide eyes.

Yao Guangxiao possessed a towering physique and a piercing gleam in his eyes. Facing Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, he showed not the slightest trace of timidity, instead sizing him up openly.

Feeling exceedingly uncomfortable under that gaze, Zhu Di snapped back, "What are you looking at? Stare any longer and I'll gouge your eyeballs out!"

"Amitabha. His Highness is destined by fate to be a hero among men. This humble monk is willing to follow by Your Highness's side and chant sutras to pray for blessings for the Empress."

"A hero among men my foot! I have no desire to be any hero. Go stay wherever it's cool!"

Chen Lin interrupted, "Don't be like that! You two are a match made in heaven. With me around, the two of you are destined to share a bed."

"Share a bed my foot! Believe it or not, I'll slaughter him right now!"

Smiling cheerfully, Chen Lin stood up and stepped back. "Please, begin your performance..."