Great Ming: Surely It's Normal for My Fief to Be a Little Bigger

Overnight, he finds himself in the Yongle era, reborn as Zhu Gaosui, Prince of Zhao of the Great Ming. Thinking about how his life is supposed to end, and looking at Zhu Gaochi, who pretends to be friendly, and Zhu Gaoxu, who keeps trying to draw him into opposing Zhu Gaochi and promises to split the Ming Empire with him, Zhu Gaosui feels only danger. How tall is the grass on the grave of the last person who believed someone would split the realm with him? For a moment, Zhu Gaosui is torn. Now that he’s here, should he keep competing for power, or become an idle prince? Zhu Gaochi has the support of scholar-officials, while Zhu Gaoxu has the support of military generals, nobles, and their relatives by marriage. Looking at himself and thinking of his future, Zhu Gaosui realizes that even becoming an idle prince could be a problem. He falls silent. “If the road ahead is blocked, then I’ll go out and carve a new one!” As a prince with real power in the Great Ming, how could he let others push him around? If he can’t win the contest for power, and stepping aside won’t work either, then he’ll seek a distant fiefdom, build up his own forces, and make sure no one dares entertain the slightest thought of opposing him. A carefree life without strength ultimately means living at others’ mercy, and it won’t save him from being confined. Just then, the Jiaozhi rebels launch a counterattack and the Ming army suffers a crushing defeat. Zhu Di plans to send Zhang Fu to lead another campaign to quell the rebellion, and Zhu Gaosui knows his chance has come. He’ll put down the Jiaozhi rebellion, make Jiaozhi his fief, develop the region, expand west into Southeast Asia, south into the Nanyang, east into Japan and Sakhalin Island, and launch expeditions to West Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Years later, gazing at his vast fiefdom, Zhu Gaosui stands brimming with confidence. “As Prince of Zhao of the Great Ming, it’s only natural for my fief to be a little bigger, right?” When the court finally realizes just how vast Zhu Gaosui’s domain is and how formidable his power has become, everyone falls silent.