It was not only a trap for Tsangba, but he had also set a trap for him.
After Zhu Ci realized what was meant, he flipped over and straddled Fu in the middle of the night, asking, "Are those hundreds of merchant caravans really all in trouble?"
Fu steadied his waist, nearly unable to react; after all, the two had just shared an intimate moment, he had suddenly asked such a question.
Coming back to his senses, he smiled and said, "Of course not."
He had nothing to hide from Zhu Ci.
He admitted openly that he was indeed setting a trap for Tsangba, seeking a reason for the Great Ming to launch a military expedition.
As for whether Tsangba would admit it or not, it didn't matter; now, from top to bottom, the Great Ming knew that people had died in Tibet and Mongolia.
And the Great Ming also put forth a slogan: Never abandon any of its citizens.
Well, this slogan was undoubtedly proposed by Zhu Ci.
Perhaps these words are not very elegant, but they are absolutely straightforward; even an uneducated commoner could understand the meaning behind them.
Zhu Ci not only wanted to eliminate the threat posed by Galdan, but also wanted to use this matter to give the people confidence and enhance national cohesion.
These things need to be accumulated slowly, much like a sense of national pride.
Zhu Ci looked at him for a long time and said in confusion, "I don't think I ever said I had designs on Tibet, did I?"
Fu stroked both sides of Zhu Ci's slender waist and said slowly, "Your Majesty once drew a map that is vastly different from those of the past or the present. I suspect you must have seen it before; given Your Majesty's temperament, it is only a matter of time."
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Fine, if we don't strike while our martial spirit is high, it will be difficult to clean up the mess later. *Cat sharpening its claws. jpg*
Next update at 6:00 PM~
Chapter 290
Fu had seen that map before; it was completely different from the map of the Great Ming and was much larger.
Although Zhu Ci said at the time that he had just sketched it casually and then burned it for fear of others seeing it, Fu had a good memory and had memorized it all.
He just felt that if the maps were consistent and could provide some comfort to the Little Emperor's homesickness, then it wouldn't be a problem.
Anyway, it was just something done on a whim; if it's useful, it's useful, if not, then never mind.
It was no different from the Han envoys committing suicide in the Xiongnu territory back in the day.
Of course, he wouldn't actually cause any loss of life, otherwise the Little Emperor would definitely throw a fit with him.
Zhu Ci leaned down to kiss him and said, "My Grand Secretary is indeed incredibly attentive."
Fu gripped his waist and asked, "Then how will Your Majesty reward your servant?"
Zhu Ci smiled, pried his hands apart, rolled off him, saying, "Sleep!"
Fu gritted his teeth, flipped over to grab Zhu Ci's wrist and pin it above him, then leaned down to kiss him and said, "Tomorrow is a day of rest; Your Majesty can sleep tomorrow."
Tsk, someone has learned bad habits.
Zhu Ci thought about it and then deliberately leaned in to take a bite out of Fu, right on his Adam's apple.
This time, they truly wouldn't need to sleep at all.
The two of them were not sleeping, Li Zicheng was not sleeping either.
After Li Chuangwang's return, he finally received the rewards he deserved and was titled Prince of Shu.
However, the Prince of Shu, who had originally thought he could spend his remaining years in peaceful retirement, discovered that he was apparently still expected to lead troops on a campaign.
Because he could deal with the Mongols without needing a Messenger Chen.
He was also more accustomed to the Mongolian terrain, even if he had traveled east before and was traveling west this time.
Being heavily relied upon was certainly a good thing, but Li Zicheng felt no small amount of pressure in his heart.
Everyone saw how imposing he was as he fought all the way to Shenyang and cut off the Qing Army's supply lines, but no one knew the pressure he faced while leading his men through the arduous trek across the grasslands before arriving at Shenyang, nor the several times they ran out of food.
When the final report was submitted, most of the soldiers were reported as fallen in battle to cover up his mistake.
Of course, it might not have been to cover for him; one could tell from His Majesty's expression at the time what was going on. He simply wanted to grant those soldiers the title of martyrs and more pension money.
After all, if death was caused by a commander's mistake, it could not be recognized as a martyr's death.
Now that he was being sent to the grasslands again, to be honest, Li Zicheng himself felt a bit of psychological trauma.
He didn't sleep all night and finally decided that he had to go on the expedition.
Although he was given the title of Prince of Shu and a fairly large fiefdom this time, the most important thing—hereditary rights—was not granted.
Although the Emperor was somewhat stingy with titles and even more stingy with hereditary titles, almost all founding meritorious officials, especially those with extraordinary military achievements, received hereditary titles, even if their descendants inherited them at a lower rank.
Setting aside everything else, even Liu Zhaoji and Shi Kefa both received earldoms that could be inherited. Li Zicheng's contributions were no less than theirs, yet in the end, he was nothing more than the Prince of Shu.
One must know that after his surrender, he had already been granted the rank of Prince.
Therefore, although his transgressions were not displayed openly, the Emperor had actually kept a record of them against him.
This was his chance; whether he could redeem himself through service and advance further would depend on this moment.
Zhu Ci would certainly not allow him to lead the troops there alone, but would instead have the Tumet assist.
Lamazabu was very attentive to this, because with his second son already having entered the Grand Secretariat, he had gradually begun to understand the rules of the Great Ming Court.
After returning from the Capital this time, he also obtained the title of Earl of Guiyi; it was not low, but it was not high either, only his son would be able to inherit the title; once it reached his grandson, it would not be possible.
Lamazabu also wanted to make further progress, but for that, he would need military merit.
Before, he had been worrying about where to get military merit, as Southern Mongolia had already been dispatched to farm.
He had even considered targeting the Northern Mongolia before, but it was nothing more than a passing thought.
Unexpectedly, now that the Great Ming was moving against Tsangba, the one coming was an old acquaintance.
When Li Zicheng arrived with his team, Lamazabu gave this Prince of Shu a proper reception.
After several rounds of drinks, Lamazabu asked, "Your Highness, is His Majesty's intention merely to teach Tsangba a lesson?"
Although Li Zicheng's face was flushed red from drinking, he was very sober, he deliberately feigned a state of being half-drunk, saying, "Naturally."
Lamazabu said hesitantly, "This.. This official does not question Your Majesty's decision, it is just that this matter is indeed quite difficult to handle."
“*Hic*~ So, you're saying..”
Setting aside that Tsangba's journey is long, there are also the four tribes in between—the Dzungar Mongols, the Khoshut Mongols, the Durbet Mongols, the Torghut Mongols. If we try to bypass them to attack Tsangba, I fear we would be caught in a pincer attack from both sides.
“Oh? These four tribes.. do they.. do they actually dare to oppose my Ming Kingdom?”
Lamazabu poured him another bowl of wine and said, "In other times, they naturally wouldn't dare, but.. Tsangba, or rather, Awang Lousang Jiacuo, is of extraordinary significance to them; they might even go to rescue him."
Faith is a difficult thing to define. Even though these four tribes are currently fighting each other to the death, if the Living Buddha were truly attacked, they might actually lay down their current arms and unite against an external enemy.
Li Zicheng narrowed his eyes and asked, "Then.. in your opinion, brother.."
Lamazabu's eyes lit up instantly: "It would be best if these four tribes are rendered incapable of interfering in the battle."
This meant that the four tribes had to be conquered before dealing with Tsangba.
Li Zicheng appeared somewhat hesitant: "This.. the only one challenging our national prestige is Tsangba. The four tribes of the Ordos are still respectful toward the Great Ming; if we launch a military expedition without cause, I fear the Imperial Court will hold us accountable."
What Lamazabu said did make sense, but it wasn't absolute, because their route could completely bypass the Ordos Mongols to launch a blitzkrieg against Tsangba.
According to Li Zicheng's understanding, there were no firearms over at Tsangba's side; even if there were, they would all be the most outdated kind.
Obviously, Galdan had also kept a card up his sleeve regarding the Living Buddha.
In this situation, as long as the Ming Army is equipped with Long-range Matchlocks and Rapid-fire Guns, they can launch a surprise attack; at most, they would need a hundred Single-shot Rocket Launchers, even the Dongfeng Bronze Cannon would not be necessary.
Lamazabu knew that Li Zicheng must have his concerns, so he poured another bowl of wine and said, "Galdan is a man of great ambition, far from a commoner. If we do not strike him now, he might invade our borders in the future, dealing with him then would likely be a thousand times harder than it is now. Not to mention.. the Oirats and my Ming Kingdom have a long-standing feud. Given the current Emperor's temperament, this grudge will be settled sooner or later."
Li Zicheng acted as if he were truly drunk, nodding repeatedly and saying with a slurred tongue, "Y-yes.. you are right, we.. we must defeat them first."
Lamazabu was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "With His Highness's words, this official will absolutely do his utmost to cooperate!"
Li Zicheng gave an affirmative response, his eyes gradually closed.
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: I knew that once Li Zicheng was released, the situation would become unpredictable. He couldn't be a total goofball, could he? *Cat shakes head and sighs. jpg*
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 291
After Lamazabu finished tricking him, he had people help Li Zicheng into the military camp.
After Lamazabu's men left, Li Guo personally brought in a basin of water and said, "Uncle, Lamazabu definitely had ulterior motives; he intentionally got you drunk."
"There is no ill intent." Li Zicheng opened his eyes; although he still reeked of alcohol, his gaze was extremely clear, he did not look drunk at all.
Li Guo looked at Li Zicheng, his eyes filled with incomprehension.
Li Zicheng said nonchalantly, "He just wants merit."
After speaking, Li Zicheng couldn't help but say with emotion, "His Majesty's decision to let Suherbairu join the Grand Secretariat was truly brilliant."
Even if Beijing had just experienced the fires of war, its prosperity was nothing compared to Guihua City. Lamazabu and the others did not stay in Beijing for long, the Emperor did not have anyone specifically showcase the lifestyle of the capital, so they did not gain a deep understanding of it.
And after living there for a while, Suherbairu would find that while the climate in Beijing was not much different from Inner Mongolia, there were vast differences in many other aspects.
As long as he mentioned it once or twice in his letter, Lamazabu would not be able to resist the temptation.
Even if we take a step back, since he has already completely surrendered, does he not desire higher titles and more wealth?
This is all normal; he and Li Zicheng were in complete agreement. Since both of them had such thoughts, it was a perfect match.
However, the next day, after Li Zicheng woke up, he still acted as if he had spoken too much after drinking, looking at Lamazabu with a face full of regret and complaining, "I drank too much last night, this.. words spoken in vino veritas.."
Hey, hey, hey.. friend, don't you Han people have a saying that truth comes out after drinking?
Li Zicheng bickered with Lamazabu for a long time, half-joking and half-serious, before finally sighing and saying, "That makes sense, but.. there still has to be a reason, right?"
"That reason is quite easy to find." Lamazabu was not worried at all.