Chapter 43: The God of War of Ming!

"Your Majesty Chongzhen, may I ask about the matter of the deposed Crown Prince? Why has this happened?"
Zhu Zhanji was baffled. Even if he were to be deposed, he deserved to understand the reason.
"No rush. Let me address the second matter first."
Zhu Youjian shook his head, raised his second finger, and declared, "Abolish the Inner Academy and execute the eunuch Wang Zhen."
"No problem! I will issue an edict and see to it as soon as I return!"
Zhu Zhanji, panic-stricken, responded in haste.
The moment he heard the words 'Inner Academy,' he was alarmed, especially when Zhu Yuanzhang cast a sharp, penetrating gaze his way—it made his skin crawl.
After all, the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang had personally decreed: no inner court officials were to learn to read or write.
Yet the Inner Academy had been established by Zhu Zhanji's own decree, specifically for eunuchs to gain literacy.
At best, this violated ancestral teachings; at worst, it was tantamount to trampling them underfoot.
He would never have imagined that he would one day stand before the founding emperor himself.
"Grandson, what is the purpose of the Inner Academy in the Xuande era? Something about it feels wrong," Zhu Yuanzhang asked, frowning.
"This matter begins with Emperor Yongle," Zhu Youjian replied.
"No, Grandson, do not speak carelessly. I know nothing of this Inner Academy!" Old Zhu Di and Zhu Lao Si spoke in unison, shaking their heads and shooting warning glances.
Neither was foolish; the Inner Academy sounded ominous, and coupled with the name Wang Zhen and the panicked look of their grandson, a dreadful notion arose:
Was it not a place for eunuchs to learn to read and write?
Upon hearing Zhu Youjian’s words, the two elders' hair stood on end, their pleading eyes caused Zhu Youjian to hesitate for a couple of seconds, deciding to skip over the Eastern Depot for now.
Otherwise, the two might be scared to death.
Zhu Youjian changed the subject: "The grandson of Emperor Yongle, Emperor Xuande, undertook a seemingly trivial act in the early Xuande years: he allowed eunuchs to study literacy, establishing the Inner Academy as a place specifically for eunuchs to learn to read and write."
"What! Allowing eunuchs to learn to read and write?!" Zhu Yuanzhang thundered, slamming the table and berating Zhu Zhanji:
"You brat, you’ve turned the world upside down! Are there not enough examples in history of eunuchs seizing power? I set down the imperial family’s ancestral law forbidding eunuchs to be literate—did you feed it to the dogs? You even established a school for these castrated men!"
"Taizu Grandfather’s admonition is just!" Zhu Zhanji shrank back, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"Grandfather, please calm your anger. This child simply acts without thinking. I will certainly scold him properly on your behalf," Hongxi, the portly emperor, said with a forced smile.
"Taizu Grandfather, rest assured, I will never again commit such foolish acts!"
Hongxi’s Zhu Zhanji quickly seized the opportunity, solemnly promising, not forgetting to subtly criticize Emperor Xuande.
"Hmph!"
Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang sit down, still glaring at Emperor Xuande with newfound disdain. Once his temper cooled, he turned to Chongzhen and asked:
"Grandson, why must this eunuch Wang Zhen be executed? Has he committed crimes that have thrown the court into chaos?"
That was indeed the heart of the matter for Zhu Yuanzhang; Wang Zhen must have caused such turmoil that even future generations would mention him.
Emperor Xuande nervously listened. He remembered Wang Zhen well: a talented man, adept at employing others, whom he assigned to serve Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen.
Besides tending to the prince's daily life, Wang Zhen taught him to read and write, showing the emperor’s appreciation.
"More than that!"
Zhu Youjian shook his head. "The chief eunuch Wang Zhen was the first in Ming dynasty history to wield power. He cared for the Xuande Crown Prince and taught him literacy, so the prince obeyed his every word."
"After Prince Zhu Qizhen ascended and Empress Dowager Zhang passed away, the Ming dynasty nearly became Wang Zhen’s own. This is one reason I advocate deposing the Crown Prince."
"That treacherous eunuch dared to seize the throne! All thanks to your actions, you brat!" Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes bulged in fury.
Emperor Xuande wished he could crawl under the table, but still clung to hope and weakly asked:
"If so, then just execute Wang Zhen; why depose the Crown Prince?"
"Because Zhu Qizhen was, after Li Jinglong, the second to be hailed as Ming's God of War," Zhu Youjian sighed.
The two Zhu Dis exchanged glances. They knew well what kind of talent Li Jinglong was—fifty thousand troops routed by eight hundred, abandoned the army and fled!
A feat that shocked the ages!
No one surpassed him in pure military genius; it wasn’t warfare, but rather social maneuvering.
Unless they had witnessed Zhu Qizhen’s achievements, their opinion would be unwavering.
"In the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong era, the Oirat leader Esen invaded the frontier. Ming’s God of War Zhu Qizhen, incensed, vowed to emulate his father and great-grandfather, leading three major camps and two hundred thousand elite soldiers north, rallying to crush the Oirats!" Zhu Youjian paused.

The emperors nodded in approval, inwardly agreeing: not bad—worthy of the Zhu family name and Ming’s imperial blood.
Emperor Xuande beamed, "Qizhen is not bad. Perhaps he is insufficient as a ruler, but skilled in campaign and strategy—a true monarch on horseback."
A monarch on horseback?
"This God of War did campaign in the north for years, earning the title, though barely," Zhu Youjian said with an odd look. "But the Zhengtong Emperor had more than one name: Oirat exchange student, Doorstep Sovereign, all renowned in the annals of history."
"But these are not easily explained in a few words. This time, I shall take you all to the fourteenth year of Zhengtong, to witness this extraordinary military command firsthand."
"Excellent," Zhu Yuanzhang replied, sharpening his blade, his teeth clenched. "Grandson, when do we depart? I cannot wait any longer. This time, I will personally behead that eunuch Wang Zhen!"
"No need to rush, Taizu Grandfather. The journey is fraught with danger; we need soldiers for protection," Zhu Youjian said to Zhu Lao Si, "Are Sheng Yong and Tie Xian in Nanjing?"
With two hundred thousand elite troops in Zhengtong, why bring more? Though the emperors found this puzzling, they said nothing and went along with Chongzhen’s plan.
So far, he had always been right.
"They have been waiting in Nanjing, ready at your command," Zhu Lao Si replied.
"Good. I will assign them to the Chongzhen era to guard the capital, and mobilize one hundred thousand Hongwu troops as well. That should ensure our safety."
After calculating, Zhu Youjian finally felt secure and solemnly informed Zhu Yuanzhang:
"Then, we shall set out for the fourteenth year of Zhengtong! Witness the Tumubao Incident—the campaign that nearly destroyed our Ming dynasty!"
Nearly destroyed the dynasty!?
The emperors’ faces turned pale.
…