Chapter Thirteen: The Unknown Victory

  The Little Prince

  Here we introduce the great achievements of this little prince brother, no need to report his household registration, just list what he has done:

  In the sixth year of Zhengde (1511), in March, the Little King led his troops with 50,000 men to invade the Yellow River loop and defeated the border army before leaving.

  In October, Little King Wang led his troops of 60,000 into Shaanxi, plundering over 10,000 people and livestock.

  In December, Xiao Wang led his troops of 50,000 men to attack Xuanfu, killing the defending general Zhao Ying and commander-in-chief Wang Ji.

  In the seventh year of Zhengde (1512), in May, Xiao Wangzi led his troops to attack Datong, attacking and capturing Baiyangkou. The defending army was unable to withstand them, and they plundered goods and left.

  In the ninth year of Zhengde (1514), in September, the Little King led his troops to attack Xuanfu, breaking through Huai'an and Wei Prefecture, roaming freely for hundreds of miles, plundering at will, with no one able to stop him.

  Seriously, this is just a casual excerpt. In history, many people's names only appear once or twice, but this brother's exposure rate is really not ordinary. Every year, he has to show his face several times, either robbing people or robbing things, or killing certain commanders or defending generals, and it's really impressive.

  Where did this little prince pop out from? That still needs to be said from the beginning.

  Esen's power declined after he was defeated in the Tumu Crisis and killed by his own men. After his death, the Oirat's power waned, while another tribe, the Tatars, continued to grow stronger.

  The Little Prince was the most outstanding talent in the Tartar tribe, an excellent military commander.

  Under his command, the Mongolian army continuously invaded the Ming Dynasty border, defeating all the famous generals of the Ming Dynasty at that time (Wang Shouren had not yet appeared), and never encountered an enemy.

  Later, the situation became more and more severe. In August of the 10th year of Zhengde (1515), the Little King actually mobilized an army of 100,000 to launch a large-scale attack on the border. He was in high spirits and even dared to camp overnight on Ming territory, stretching for over 70 miles! Along the way, he plundered and killed without encountering any resistance, while the Ming army could only hold its ground and retreat, not daring to come out.

  If you carefully read through historical records, you will find that the Ming army did win some battles, but these victories were somewhat problematic.

  For example, in the seventh year of Zhengde, August, Qi Yun, a famous general who had put down the rebellion of Anhua Wang, once made a victory report, which roughly said that the young prince recently led a large army to attack the border of Shahe, and I led the troops to launch a strong counterattack, defeating the enemy in one fell swoop.

  Such a victory is truly worth celebrating, next let's take a look at the spoils of war - three beheaded.

  The final report of losses was: more than 20 people killed, countless wounded, and 140 horses stolen.

  After receiving the report, a minister in the court immediately made a true on-site restoration: A small group of Mongolian soldiers came to rob horses, successfully robbed horses and killed many people. Qi Yuan avoided the storm and solved several scattered people who did not escape.

  From then on, this little prince became the most headache-inducing person for the prime minister. Whenever people mentioned this big brother, no one wouldn't shake their head and sigh, except for one person.

  Unlike his father Zhu Youyuan, who was a pacifist and disliked trouble, Zhu Houzhao was the opposite. He loved to stir up trouble and enjoyed military affairs. When he heard about this formidable enemy, he was delighted and had always wanted to go out and compete with him.

  The officials immediately and resolutely rejected his proposal as soon as they thought of Tumu Fortress.

  But the inexpressible excitement in his blood was irrepressible, even the King of Heaven would have to go and fight a battle!

  With the help of his subordinates, he finally took the first step - leaving Zhu Xian.

  Arch-rival

  Zhu Houzhao knew that the enemy was right next to him, but he wasn't afraid. Instead, he had an expectation, expecting the appearance of the enemy, especially that little prince who made people change color when talking about tigers.

  Under the encouragement of this sentiment, he rushed to Xuanfu, a key town on the border, but after making a fuss in Xuanfu for several days, he found that it was unexpectedly very peaceful here, and there was no sign of Mongolians.

  So he decided to move forward once again, to the real military front line - Yanghe.

  Yanghe thus became his new base of operations, and he thereby became the temporary supreme commander of the border region.

  Soon after, the commander of Datong, Wang Xun, received a strange letter, which told him to guard the city well and train his troops with peace of mind. The signature was very long - "General Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs, General".

  Wang Xun was puzzled, although he didn't read many books, he knew the ranks of officials more or less. When did this thing appear? He hurriedly went to look at the recent imperial documents, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't figure out what kind of official this was.

  He repeatedly read this letter with a loud tone, and it didn't seem like a joke. After inquiring from many sources, he finally found out that the letter was actually written by the Emperor himself.

  Originally, Mr. Zhu was quite serious and responsible, he thought that as a military commander, without a title it would not do, so he gave himself this official title, and also stipulated his salary and benefits, anyway, he was giving them to himself, so it didn't matter.

  The border generals were confused by this, dizzy and disoriented, hoping he would leave soon, but Zhu Houzhao had made up his mind to stay.

  Must wait for that person, must.

  He did not ultimately disappoint.

  In the tenth month of the twelfth year of Zhengde, Wang Xun, the commander-in-chief of Datong, received an urgent report from the border that a small king of the Mongolian Tartars was leading an army to attack with 50,000 men.

  There was no doubt that this was a large-scale attack, and he hastily reported to the Emperor, hoping that he would leave early, even if it meant his own death, for if anything happened to the Emperor, his entire family would be implicated.

  However, Zhu Houzhao told him that he would not leave.

  Not only did he not retreat, but he also instructed Wang Xun to immediately assemble the troops and march north to actively attack the Tiele army.

  Wang Xun received the order, but only smiled bitterly. He thought that this emperor, who didn't understand military affairs and had never been on a battlefield, was giving blind orders. With such a small number of troops, it would be good if they could hold their ground, let alone launch an attack?

  He sighed, and still led his troops to depart. Can you not listen to the emperor's order? It is said that before leaving, he also booked a coffin and arranged for his children. In his opinion, this time was more ominous than auspicious.

  Yang and Zhu Houzhao were in a state of extreme excitement, the long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived.

  He heard the news of Xiao Wang's arrival and immediately ordered Wang Xun to attack, Jiang Bin opposed it. Although this brother is not a good person, he has strong military capabilities. He believed that with Wang Xun's troops, they could not launch an offensive.

  Zhu Houzhao ignored him and continued with his orders:

  "Liaodong General Xiao He and Xuanfu Commander-in-Chief Shi Chun led the army to garrison Julu Fortress and Tiancheng."

  "Yang Sui's deputy generals Hang Xiong and Zhu Luan, and the mobile corps commander Zhou Zheng, led their troops to garrison Yanghe, Pingxu, and Weiwu."

  "All troops must assemble within ten days and be ready for deployment at any time. This order is final!"

  Jiang Bin was stunned, and in an instant, the playful young man had disappeared, replaced by a seasoned and composed commander who had been through many battles.

  Zhu Houzhao ignored Jiang Bin beside him and issued an order. After that, he waved his hand to drive everyone away.

  Before meeting that person, one must be well-rested and in top condition.

  A hundred miles away, the Little King who led the invasion seemed to have sensed something too. He deviated from his usual route of advance and headed south towards Wang Xun's camp, where he would face an unprecedented challenge.

  Zhu Houzhao keenly sensed the change in his opponent and immediately adjusted his deployment:

  "Liaodong General Xiao Xi and Xuanfu Patrolman Shi Chun left their garrison post in a hurry to reinforce Wang Xun."

  "Deputy General Zhu Luan and Commander-in-Chief Zhou Zheng will set out today to follow the Tatar army, and are not allowed to launch a surprise attack."

  "General Zhu Zhen and Deputy General Zuo Qin immediately mobilized their troops and stationed them in Yanghe, without engaging in battle."

  Then he closed his eyes and began a long silence.

  Jiang Bin stood on one side, not daring to make a sound, but before retreating, he still couldn't help muttering: Such military strength is still not enough.

  The seemingly sleeping Zhu Houzhao suddenly opened his eyes and smiled:

  "Don't rush, it's just getting started."

  Wang Xun felt that he was going to be finished off, having just learned that the young prince's large army had already set out towards him. With so few soldiers under his command, he would either be killed by others or trampled to death.

  Who made himself do such a job? It seems that he can only sacrifice his life for the country.

  However, at this time, he suddenly learned that the Liao Dong General Xiao Tuo and the Xuan Fu You Ji Shi Chun had led their troops to reinforce him. Overjoyed, he ordered the entire army to mobilize, determined to fight bravely against the enemy, engage in a decisive battle with the Tartar army, and hold on until reinforcements arrived.

  12th year of Zhengde, 10th month, jiachou day

  The war broke out in Yingzhou, Shanxi Province, and the Battle of Yingzhou officially began.

  Xiao Wangzi led his troops on a long and arduous journey, finally finding the main force of the Ming army (or so he thought), and was overjoyed. After all, it wasn't easy to bring 50,000 men out, and not getting enough spoils would be embarrassing to return with. Without hesitation, he launched an attack.

  Wang Xun was very brave and knew that his troops were not many, so in order to prevent the enemy from seeing through the flaws, he went all out to fight as soon as he came up, launching a full-scale charge. This desperate way of fighting also confused the young prince, who made an incorrect judgment and did not dare to launch a general attack immediately, giving Wang Xun time to survive.

  Both sides fought fiercely outside the city of Yingzhou for five miles, fighting all day until dusk, when the young prince discovered he had been deceived.

  The other side has been turning around for so long, and he was actually deceived for so long. He was very angry, but it was already almost nightfall. In order to prevent unexpected situations from arising, he ordered his troops to surround the Ming army, and wait until the next day to cut Wang Xun into eight pieces.

  But things are always changing.

  The next day, heavy fog.

  Wang Xun was delighted, and he took this opportunity to uphold the truth that a good man does not suffer losses in front of him. He slipped into Yingzhou City, but what made people laugh and cry was that when the thick fog cleared, he found that Zhu Lian, the deputy general who was responsible for tracking him down, had also crossed over from the Mongolian army to his side.

  The Little Prince was furious, and Ming Jun not only failed to be defeated, but instead grew more numerous with each battle. He lost his patience and began to gather his troops, preparing to attack the city. But before he could even prepare, trouble came again.

  The defenders inside the city seemed even more impatient than they were, and actually took the initiative to launch an attack outside the city. The young prince hurriedly welcomed the enemy, and soon discovered that the confidence of the city's troops was justified.

  Liaodong General Xiao He and Xuanfu Commander-in-Chief Shi Chun finally arrived with their troops, just in time. Upon learning this, Wang Xun immediately ordered a pincer movement against the Tiele army. Now, he finally saw a glimmer of victory.

  Unfortunately, however, it was only a glimmer of hope, for his enemies were 50,000 elite Mongol cavalrymen, led by the brilliant military commander Prince Khalid.

  The little king's reputation was not undeserved. He was not intimidated by this momentum, and in an extremely short period of time, he had already made an accurate judgment: the enemy's forces were still insufficient.

  He calmly issued orders, dividing his troops into two divisions, each facing the enemy and keeping a considerable distance to prevent the enemy from merging again.

  His several moves achieved a strange effect. Wang Xun, who had always been cunning and clever, was unable to deceive his way past this time. After repeated impacts, they were once again divided and surrounded.

  Wang Xun was finally at his wit's end and thought that there was no other hope left.

  At this moment, Zhu Houzhao called Jiang Bin over.

  "Assemble the troops immediately and go into battle!"

  Jiang Bin looked at him with a puzzled expression, without saying a word, but his question was very obvious:

  Where is the army?

  Zhu Houzhao knew his doubts and directly gave the answer:

  "I had previously secretly ordered Zhang Yong, Wei Bin and Zhang Zhong to lead the army to come and meet in battle, they have arrived on time."

  Jiang Bin finally understood what Zhu Houzhao was waiting for during those days.

  Zhu Houzhao stood up, his usual joking demeanor gone, replaced by a fierce and murderous aura. He loudly said to Jiang Bin, who was still in a daze:

  "It's my turn now, send troops!"

  Enigma

  In summary, Zhu Di's strategy was to first dispatch a small force to lure the enemy into battle, then use the tactic of adding oil to gradually increase his troops, holding down the enemy while gathering a large force for the final decisive battle.

  It turned out that his plan was successful.

  On the 4th day of the 6th month, Zhu Di personally led a large army from Yanghe and advanced towards Yingzhou. He couldn't wait any longer.

  Wang Xun, who was also besieged, had been through many battles, but this time he was also exhausted from despair to hope and then to disappointment, changing three times a day without getting tired. Now that the reinforcements have arrived and the response has arrived, it is still useless, and he counts on his fingers, but he does not find any other troops that can come to rescue him.

  Of course, he didn't dare to expect Zhu Houzhao's help, because this emperor was an unreliable person.

  At dawn, the Mongolian army launched a general attack. Wang Xun led his troops to fight to the death, but it was still difficult to repel the enemy. Just as he was about to collapse, he suddenly found that the Mongolian army began to retreat!

  Zhu Houzhao finally arrived, and he was very timely. He ordered the troops to launch a surprise attack on Yingzhou day and night without stopping. Just as they saw Wang Xun being surrounded and beaten, they decisively ordered the troops to charge forward. The Mongolian army was unguarded and was defeated again, and the three armies merged at this point.

  Zhu Houzhao saw the good and stopped, without launching a pursuit, but instead ordered the whole army to camp on the spot. Now he had 50,000 to 60,000 troops in his hands, enough to have a good fight with his opponent. He believed that the enemy would not retreat at this time.

  The Little Prince was thoroughly depressed, first he fought against Wang Xun and couldn't take him down, instead two more troops appeared, now another big shot emerged, with a grand attitude, but no one knows what his background is.

  Anyway, it can't be settled like this, let's see what this newcomer is capable of!

  From the historical data at that time, Little Prince may not have known the identity of his opponent, but in any case, he still gathered all his forces and prepared to fight this mysterious opponent.

  The next day, still shrouded in thick fog, the Little King hastened to deploy his troops and prepare for a final assault. Before long, the fog gradually cleared, and he was astonished to discover that the Ming army had formed up in neat ranks, waiting for him not far ahead.

  Zhu Houzhao was extremely nervous, although since childhood he had yearned for a life of gold armor and iron horses, and heard the legendary stories of his great ancestors. But when the fierce Mongolian cavalry truly appeared in front of him, their shouting voices unceasing, the gleaming blades reflecting a dazzling light that dazzled his eyes, only then did he clearly realize that fighting was not a fun thing to do.

  But things have come to this point, should we retreat with our heads hung low?

  Isn't this the moment I've been waiting for? He clenched his fists tightly. Sweeping across the land, invincible in all directions! What our ancestors have done before, why can't I do it too?

  The spirit of martial valor revived in his body, courage returned to him, under the gaze of all soldiers, he drew out his sword and let out a hoarse shout:

  "Charge!"

  The battle has begun.

  Seeing Ming army launched an unexpected attack, Little King also fought desperately, he launched a general offensive order, with more than 1 million people repeatedly killing each other outside the city of Yingzhou, back and forth, according to historical records, both sides fought back and forth for over a hundred times, at a stalemate.

  It turned out that Zhu Houzhao was an excellent commander, who remained calm in the chaos of war and rode back and forth among his troops, boosting their morale. This fearless move greatly boosted the morale of the Ming army, and the soldiers fought bravely, launching countless tidal waves of attacks against the Mongolian army.

  The war went on for a day, and neither side used any strategy or tricks. It was just a matter of who could fight more desperately and win! The battle continued until the afternoon, when the Mongolian army couldn't hold out against the countless Ming soldiers, who were like wolves and tigers, as if they had taken stimulants. The young prince also couldn't hold on, he originally only wanted to come and grab some things, but he ran into this nemesis, and ended up losing a lot of money. Under duress, he could only issue that humiliating order:

  "Fall back! Fall back!"

  Zhu Houzhao didn't read books and didn't talk about war etiquette. When he saw the Mongolian soldiers retreating, he ordered the whole army to pursue them. Unfortunately, the weather was not favorable, and they chased all the way to Shuozhou, only to be stopped by a sudden fog, and could only return.

  This is an unwritten war, not because I'm lazy, but because there's too little historical record. Zhu Houzhao's brother was secretly out, with no historians by his side and few literati. He himself was semi-illiterate, while Jiang Bin, Zhang Yong, and Wang Xun were all even more unrefined than him. Can't expect much from them.

  It is worth mentioning the outcome of this battle, historical records show that 52 Ming soldiers died and 16 Mongolian soldiers died. There is also Mr. Zhu's oral history - "I personally killed one!" That's all.

  I had previously raised doubts about the records in history books many times, but this time I can say with certainty that this record is indeed problematic. Because it's a conclusion that goes against common sense.

  Everyone can imagine what a concept of 100,000 people is. If it were today, that would be ten divisions. Let alone fighting a war, even if they were just holding a military exercise, there would often be around ten deaths. Even if both sides were only using wooden boards to slap each other, the number of casualties wouldn't be limited to this amount.

  In fact, both sides were really fighting with knives and guns, and they fought for a whole day. The parties involved in the battle were neither compassionate monks nor the Boxers who had practiced qigong. As for high-end goods like golden armor and iron clothes, at least they were not popular among Mongolians.

  Let's talk again about Zhu Houzhao's words - "I personally killed one!" This sentence is often used by later generations to mock him for bragging, but in fact, after careful analysis, it can be found that what he said may very well be true.

  It is known that Zhu Houzhao was very conspicuous on the battlefield, and many people were staring at him all the time. Under the gaze of the public, he was also a noble emperor, and it would be very embarrassing to lie in front of everyone. Moreover, if you want to boast, you don't need to say that you only killed one person, just casually mention ten or twenty, thirty people, isn't that enough?

  However, Zhu Houzhao insisted: "I killed one with my own hands!"

  There is only one.

  So I believe what he said was true, and according to records, the Mongolian army only lost 16 people in this battle of Yuzhou. It seems that Zhu Thickened had very good luck, because his 50,000 men only killed 15 people. At this rate, he would definitely win the first prize if he bought lottery tickets.

  So the conclusion is: Zhu Houzhao was smeared, and the Battle of Yingzhou was also smeared.

  It's not hard to guess who is smearing him, but it's also not good for us to make guesses.

  It is laughable that the evidence of framing is so ironclad, even the historian's records left a flaw - "He invaded the border in later years, but did not dare to penetrate deeply".

  Originally only sixteen people died, and the notorious Little Prince "dare not go deep", it seems that he is indeed a name that does not match reality, empty and superficial.

  In all the battles of the Ming Dynasty, the ignored Yingzhou War was inconspicuous, but this neglected battle was the only proof of Zhu Houzhao's bravery and fearlessness.

  Who would have thought that in the midst of a vast army, galloping and charging forward, everything would be swept away!

  Only remember, the harem of the leopard house is muddled and tyrannical, licentious and shameless!

  The setting sun was like blood, the strong wind rolled up the yellow commander flag, gazing at the direction of the enemy's chaotic retreat, proudly turning his horse's head, and returning to the imperial court.

  That moment of supreme glory and honor, you know, and only you know.

  Escalation

  The battle is over, the addiction has passed, but Zhu Houzhao still doesn't plan to go back. He hasn't had enough fun yet. He lingered outside for several months before returning. By the first month of the 13th year of Zhengde, he was preparing to leave again. However, this time there was a problem - his grandmother had passed away, and he reluctantly returned home to mourn for a few days.

  Not long after, he suppressed his grief, wiped away his tears (if any), and went traveling again. From the second month of Zhengde 13 (1518) to Zhengde 14 (1519).

  In February, he made four trips throughout the year, traveling over a thousand miles, and finally returned to the capital.

  In the meantime, he also had a sudden idea and formally appointed himself as "General Governor of Military Affairs, General Wuwu, General Officer", with the spirit of entertaining to the end, he also gave himself a name - Zhu Shou.

  Of course, when this name first came out, it caused confusion. Gradually, everyone got used to it and confirmed that Zhu Shou was indeed Zhu Houzhao. After all, a name is just a symbol. If you call him Zhu Tousan, we'll all recognize it, as long as you don't keep changing it back and forth.

  The struggle between the minister and the emperor continued like this, with both sides advancing and retreating, trying not to tear their faces apart, maintaining a delicate balance.

  But by February 25 this year, the balance was broken.

  On this day, Zhu Houzhao suddenly issued an imperial edict, stating that he was tired of playing in the north and wanted to go play in the south. However, he did not think that this edict would become a fuse.

  The ministers had had enough, and Yang Tinghe took the lead in speaking out, voluntarily submitting a memorial requesting that he take two days off and not go out again.

  But Zhu Houzhao's heart was already wandering, and he didn't want to stay in the north anymore. He wanted to go to Jiangnan area for a trip, so he ignored this matter.

  But the ministers' long-held anger began to erupt, and soon, officials from the Six Ministries in Beijing, the Thirteen Circuit Supervisors, the Six Ministries in Nanjing, the Thirteen Circuit Supervisors, high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries, and even local officials stationed in the capital all submitted memorials requesting that he not make the trip. Day and night, Zhu Houzhao's ears were filled with only two words:

  "No! No!"

  Many officials also took the opportunity to attack his other actions, such as going out for tourism and waging war without authorization, and the words were extremely harsh, even saying things like "destroying the country and exterminating the nation".

  Zhu Houzhao was really angry.

  How dare you be so arrogant! Are you going to rebel?!

  His patience has run out.

  On March 20th, the Thunder's anger finally erupted.

  On this day, 107 people knelt densely outside the Meridian Gate. These were all high-ranking officials who had submitted memorials to admonish him. Zhu Houzhao specially picked them out and gave them a glorious task - to kneel in punishment.

  The specific implementation method is that more than 100 people get up during the day and do not need to go to work, just kneel here, kneeling for six hours (12 hours) before getting off work. Effective date: within five days from today.

  Note: Successfully kneeling down can receive a surprise souvenir - thirty beatings with a wooden ruler.

  This was a very serious political incident, the ministers who signed the petition were severely beaten, and more than ten people were killed after being counted, but they eventually became the final winners.

  When Zhu Houzhao saw the wounded ministers, he hesitated and understood that they were for his own good, so he publicly stated that he would no longer go south to play.

  This travel turmoil came to an end, the ministers were spanked, suffered physical pain, but gained spiritual victory, Zhu Houzhao vented his anger, but left a bad reputation.

  So this time, there is no real winner in the struggle.

  It's a pity that such a tragic scene has occurred, and if anyone is to blame, it can only be Mr. Zhu Di who was born several hundred years too early. If he had been reincarnated later, he would have been able to travel freely and without so many officials controlling him, and his name would still be revered in history.

  By that time, it's not necessary to call it a southern tour anymore. This name is too rustic and should be called "incognito visit" or "down to Jiangnan". It's also not necessary to sneak around alone, you can bring eunuchs, palace maids, guards, and ministers. If you're in the mood, you can even bring monks. Along the way, investigate the people's situation, punish corrupt officials, or bring a thousand people and eat your way through, anyway, you don't need to spend your own money, and nobody will oppose it.

  According to the general plot rules, you can usually meet a few beauties halfway through, and with mutual affection, leave behind a legendary tale of a romantic hero. From then on, it will be passed down for thousands of years, admired by millions.

  Alas, who made you born at the wrong time? Mr. Zhu Houzhao, just accept your fate.

  It was all like this until June when everyone stopped because of a stunning piece of news that spread to the capital: The Prince of Ning had rebelled.

  Hatred

  One hundred and nineteen years ago, Ning Wang Zhu Quan met with Yan Wang Zhu Di who came to pay his respects. Due to a moment of carelessness, this benevolent brother, the most skilled in battle among all the imperial sons, was deceived by his elder brother and taken captive to Beijing, helping him conquer the world and pacify the difficulties.

  To make Ning Wang sell his life, Zhu Di also promised that once he successfully obtained the world, he would divide it in half, with each person getting half.

  Of course, afterwards he naturally forgot the whole thing. The King of Ning didn't mind, but asked to go to Hangzhou for a few days of comfort, and was not allowed. The King of Ning still didn't mind, hoping to go to Wuchang, and was not allowed.

  Finally, he ordered Prince Ning to go to Nanchang. Prince Ning did not resist or complain, but packed his things and left obediently.

  Ning Wang is not a man without temper, he just knows very well that losing his temper or protesting has no use at all because he doesn't have the power to set conditions.

  But his anger was unappeasable and he charged his sons never to forget the shame they had suffered.

  The seeds of hatred have been passed down from generation to generation, and finally bloomed at this moment, and the person who turned them into fruit is Zhu Chenhao.

  Zhu Chenhao was a very ambitious person. As the descendant of Ning Wang, he inherited his ancestors' hatred and the personality of being good at fighting and being cruel. At the same time, he also saw through Zhu Houzhao's not being a man who could be trusted to do his job as emperor. After a long period of observation and consideration, he decided to take action.

  But soon he discovered a big problem - no soldiers.

  Because the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, was a rebel himself, he was especially wary of the princes rebelling. So when he became emperor, he carried out a large-scale reduction in troops, naturally cutting the guards of the princes.

  Arriving at Zhu Chenhao's place, it was almost a mere shell of an army, with only a handful of personal guards and some broken guns and knives. This was all he had to his name. He could barely catch a thief, let alone start a rebellion.

  That's really funny too.

  It was impossible to recruit soldiers openly, which would be equivalent to writing "rebellion" on his forehead. In desperation, he thought of an ancient wisdom in Chinese culture - taking the back door.

  His first backer was Liu Jin, who sent a large sum of money and requested the restoration of his guards. Liu Gonggong waved his pen and approved it. Zhu Chenhao was overjoyed.

  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Liu Gonggong was beheaded. The person who succeeded him didn't accept bribes and with a stroke of the pen, his guards were dismissed.

  Zhu Chenhao couldn't even cry out of frustration, this money was just given away for nothing. He cursed those scoundrels who took the money but didn't do anything, while continuing to raise funds and send gifts. This time his target was Qian Ning.

  Qian Ning and Qing Lian are like fire and water, they can't coexist. He didn't say a word and accepted it, and clearly stated that if there's any difficulty, brother, just speak up.

  With his help, the Ning Wang's guard was re-established and he had a recruitment quota again. However, he found that these soldiers were not enough. After some thought, he came up with a brilliant idea - recruitment.

  He recruits mainly: thieves, robbers, pirates, hooligans, vagrants and other unstable elements that affect social harmony. Moreover, there are no restrictions on education, gender or age, as long as they can cause trouble.

  The names of the leaders of these recruited criminal gangs are also distinctive, such as Ling Eleven, Wu Thirteen, and Zhu Babei, a poor peasant from those years. In comparison with Zhang Jiuxi, a smuggler, it can be seen what kind of people they are.

  This pattern of integrating soldiers and bandits also determined the way his troops fought - fighting while looting, which was an unavoidable thing, as they had long been engaged in a special profession and had developed good working habits.

  No matter how messy it is, people are gathered together anyway, so just let it be.

  Apart from military strength, Zhu Chenhao encountered another problem - relationships. To successfully rebel, he needed a good network of connections. He utilized the Jiangxi government office in Beijing (equivalent to the Jiangxi Provincial Government Office) to befriend many officials and expand his connections, frequently inviting people to eat and drink together, creating a big stir.

  The officials of the imperial court were all aware of his actions, and some even reported them to the authorities. However, strangely enough, Yang Tinghe, the chief minister at that time, turned a blind eye to this matter.

  The reason is simple: Yang Tinghe accepted Zhu Chenhao's bribe.

  Don't be surprised, this is recorded in historical materials. Mr. Zhu Chenhao spent money to build relationships and would not let go of the first-in-command, so he treated him well with good food and accommodations, and arranged entertainment for him. As a result, Mr. Yang Tinghe turned a blind eye.

  Of course, Yang Tinghe did not support or know that Zhu Chenhao had decided to rebel. He thought this person just wanted to pull some connections. At that time, the prices had already risen, but the wages had not risen, so it seemed that Yang Tinghe thought taking some black money was nothing new.

  Life is difficult and the salary is not enough, at that time another senior minister Yang Yiqing also did extra income-generating things, but he mainly helped people write words and epitaphs, and then collected people's manuscript fees, which can be considered as paying for labor.

  In any case, Zhu Chenhao relied on money to pave the way and open up his connections network, laying the foundation for his future career. From the situation at that time, Zhu Houzhao himself was not very willing to be emperor, and treacherous courtiers such as Qian Ning and Jiang Bin were also rampant, and the civil official group seemed to have lost hope in Zhu Houzhao.

  Not only did he occupy a favorable position, but also had someone in the court responding to him, and victory should be quite assured.

  So he finally made up his mind, determined to break the peaceful environment, determined to use countless innocent civilians and soldiers' lives to achieve his ambition. From the development of later events, it is possible that he may have succeeded, but to achieve this "success", an additional hypothetical condition must be added:

  If there was no Wang Shouren.