From the perspective of later generations, Zhu Zhanji's decision to abandon Jiaozhi was undoubtedly a terrible move. It not only allowed the former lands, conquered by the fourth Zhu, to become foreign territory once more but also caused the Great Ming's South China Sea strategy to completely collapse.
However, it's not entirely Zhu Zhanji's fault.
As the imperial grandson raised by the fourth Zhu himself, and Jiaozhi being territory conquered by the fourth Zhu's troops, it would be pure nonsense to say Zhu Zhanji didn't want to hold onto Jiaozhi.
Yet, facing continuous rebellions, primitive and backward transportation, the ultimate outcome was "one side unrest, the imperial army repeatedly called upon," coupled with immense downstream pressure, Zhu Zhanji could only abandon Jiaozhi.
Of course, it wasn't entirely without means to hold onto Jiaozhi. If they had emulated my Qing Dynasty and the Japanese, turning the entire Jiaozhi into scorched earth, they could naturally have secured Jiaozhi.
After all, the Great Ming wanted Jiaozhi's land, not Jiaozhi's monkeys.
Unfortunately, the Great Ming's status was that of a suzerain – the Great Ming was akin to the father, the prefectures and counties and inner tributary states of the Great Ming were akin to legitimate sons, while outer tributary states like Jiaozhi and Joseon were like illegitimate sons.
No matter how disappointing an illegitimate son might be, a father could not burn down his son's house, nor could he kill all of his son's people.
From this perspective alone, the tributary system was indeed less straightforward than the colonial system.
What was even more absurd was that the problems Zhu Zhanji faced were largely the same problems Zhu Jinsong was facing now.
Bai Ziqi, that foolish fellow, had gone on a killing spree in Jiaozhi but failed to finish the job, stirring up the resistance of the surviving Vietnamese. If the Great Ming were to then declare Jiaozhi as annexed under a prefecture and county system, it would only push those Vietnamese into fully siding with Nguyen Phuc Anh.
Similarly, the soldiers of the Great Ming might not be able to adapt to Jiaozhi's climate and geographical environment.
If there was any advantage for the Great Ming, it was that its military system was more advanced and it placed greater importance on the navy. Relying on the naval superiority of the South China Sea Fleet, it would be easy to occupy some of Jiaozhi's ports.
This point was very different from the Zhu Zhanji era.
Although the Treasure Ship Fleet of the Zhu Zhanji era was a dominant force at sea, the Great Ming court at that time never seemed to consider the Treasure Ship Fleet as a formal participating army.
Likewise, the high officials of the Great Ming at that time also never thought of relying on sea transport to solve logistical problems.
This was not only because of the millions of canal workers but also because they feared trouble, especially since accidents at sea would result in heavy losses. No one was willing to take responsibility, and with the ancestral prohibition of the sea as a shield, maritime transport never truly got off the ground.
However, the Great Ming court under Zhu Jinsong did not have this problem.
Ancestral precepts?
Who dared to talk about ancestral precepts with an emperor who led rebellions, trained his own troops, personally fought in battles, and was victorious in every engagement? What if you talked about ancestral precepts, and he talked about swords?
As the old saying goes, if you can't beat them, find a way to join them.
The high officials in the Great Ming court did not dare to contradict Zhu Jinsong. Moreover, the maritime trade with barbarians like France and England had truly allowed these officials to taste the benefits, so maritime transport naturally received attention.
In addition, since Zhu Jinsong had been pouring money into the North Sea Fleet, East Sea Fleet, and South China Sea Fleet, the scale and combat effectiveness of these three fleets were quite considerable.
To say they could directly confront the English fleet was pure nonsense, but eliminating the Vietnamese's few small sampans was an easy task, wasn't it?
With his mind made up, Zhu Jinsong summoned Zeng Cheng and other high officials to the temporary palace.
Zeng Cheng and the other high officials were also quite excited.
Why were these officials so excited? Why was Zhu Zhanji's decision to restore Jiaozhi to its status as an outer tributary state repeatedly brought up, not only being called "territory abandoned by Xuanzong" but even being compared to my Qing's policy of ceding territory no matter how distant?
Because of the pent-up frustration!
Before Zhu Yuanzhang established the Great Ming, the Central Plains endured the constant loss of territory by the Great Song, and then experienced the rule of the Yuan Dynasty. The literati of the Great Ming dreamed of repeating the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties and thoroughly reclaiming Jiaozhi.
When Zhu Zhanji was preparing to abandon Jiaozhi, who opposed it most fiercely? It was Xia Yuanji, who managed the Great Ming's treasury and constantly cried about its emptiness!
If it weren't for Zhu Zhanji abandoning Jiaozhi and Nurgan Regional Military Commission, this fellow wouldn't have been mocked as a mere emperor.
Similarly, the officials under Zhu Jinsong were all eager to reclaim Jiaozhi immediately!
"Pacifying Jiaozhi shouldn't cost much, should it? Our treasury will advance thirty million Long Yuan in military funds!"
"Our Ministry of Personnel isn't as wealthy as the treasury, but we can handle the required officials!"
"Our Ministry of Works too. We'll compile the topographical maps of Jiaozhi drawn between the Yongle and Xuanzong eras overnight and deliver them to the Five Military Commissions tomorrow morning – but, we request that the Kunlun slaves there be prioritized for the Ministry of Works."
"Our impoverished ministry doesn't have much to prepare, nor does it need any Kunlun slaves, but we can allocate a batch of books, and perhaps a few impoverished scholars, to ensure the next generation of Jiaozhi people can read."
Looking at these civil officials, who were more excited than each other, Zhu Er Dan, the leader of the Front Military Commissions, was dumbfounded. Should it be our Front Military Commissions who go to the front lines to fight? Why are these civil officials more excited than me, a mere soldier?
After thinking about it, Zhu Er Dan also patted his chest and shouted, "Three months, at most three months, our Front Military Commissions guarantee that Jiaozhi will be completely pacified!"
Zhu Jinsong waved his hand. After all the officials quieted down, he said with a smile, "No need to make such a big fuss."
"As soon as the army of the Front Military Commissions departs, Bai Ziqi will immediately surrender. As for Nguyen Phuc Anh, we can deal with him slowly."
After discussing the details with the officials, Zhu Jinsong, in the capacity of the Great Ming Emperor, published an article in the "Great Ming Newspaper."
"I have received the Mandate of Heaven and inherited the glorious enterprise. Since my ascension to the throne, my sole wish has been for the people to prosper and the world to be stable, and I have not dared to slacken for a moment."
"Currently, the rebels Bai and Nguyen are causing chaos, plunging Jiaozhi into warfare and placing the people in dire straits. I have no choice but to uphold Heaven's will and follow the people's hearts, dispatching the Heavenly Army to pacify Jiaozhi and establish prefectures and counties to bring peace to the people."
"On this expedition to quell the rebellion, I hope all officers and soldiers understand my intentions, and commit no offense against the people of Jiaozhi. As for Nguyen, Bai, and their ilk, if they surrender early, they may yet retain their noble titles. As for those who follow the rebels, their past transgressions will be forgiven. When the Heavenly Army arrives, all must ensure their families are safe and return to the rule of the Great Ming at an early date."
"If there is stubborn resistance, the Heavenly Army will arrive and turn them to dust."
"Do not say I did not warn you."
As soon as the new issue of the newspaper was released, the people of the Great Ming felt a bit confused. The current emperor had published many articles in the newspaper, revealing the secrets of my Qing Dynasty and teaching people to rebel, one after another.
The problem was that His Majesty's articles were always written in plain language, even the imperial edicts announcing to the world and some official documents issued by the court were written in entirely plain language, so that all people could understand them. Now, suddenly, such a florid and ornate article appeared; what was the plan?
Of course, whether the people of the Great Ming could understand this article was not important. What was important was whether Bai Ziqi and Nguyen Phuc Anh could understand it.
Bai Ziqi, of course, was indifferent. Upon seeing the article, he immediately ran to the Zhennan Pass and surrendered, raising a white flag.
Nguyen Phuc Anh, however, upon seeing the article, cursed loudly, "Shameless brat! I sent him a memorial offering congratulations and requesting investiture, and he ignored it, allowing that fellow surnamed Bai to wreak havoc on my Annam's territory. Now that the fellow surnamed Bai can no longer hold on, this Zhu brat wants to reclaim the former lands of Han and Tang? Truly shameless!"
Nguyen Phuc Anh's son, the ten-year-old Crown Prince of Annam, Nguyen Phuc Canh, stood in the "Royal Palace Hall" and timidly looked at the enraged Nguyen Phuc Anh, asking, "Your Majesty, do we... still have hope?"
Nguyen Phuc Anh's expression froze. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, "Remember this, Annam can only be Annam of the Annamese. The emperor of the Ming cannot take Annam away! The Emperor Yongle, whom the Ming people greatly extol, could not take it, and neither can this current Ming emperor!"
After Nguyen Phuc Canh nodded, Nguyen Phuc Anh looked at the French missionary Baidulou, standing next to Nguyen Phuc Canh, and said, "I have a matter I wish to entrust to Mr. Baidulou, and I hope Mr. Baidulou can agree to it?"
Baidulou nodded and said, "I wonder what I can do for you?"
Nguyen Phuc Anh looked at Nguyen Phuc Canh, then at the outside of the "Royal Palace Hall," and slowly said, "I wish to ask Mr. Baidulou to send my sons to France for temporary residence, and they can return after we have repelled the Ming army?"
However, Baidulou only shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I truly cannot help you with this matter."
As Nguyen Phuc Anh was looking bewildered, Baidulou continued, "His Majesty the King of France has become an ally of the Emperor of the Great Ming."
"Last time I took Your Highness to France for help, His Majesty the King of France made it very clear: Europe belongs to France, and the Far East belongs to the Great Ming."
"Therefore, you should find a way to surrender to the Great Ming Emperor, or you can find a way to defeat the Ming army."
"In short, France will absolutely not interfere, nor will it accept Annamese refugees in France, let alone..."
Before Baidulou could finish speaking, Nguyen Phuc Anh said angrily, "Since France is unwilling to help me, I will not trouble Mr. Baidulou."
The more he thought about it, the more angry and furious he became. Nguyen Phuc Anh simply instructed a nearby maid, "Come, escort Mr. Baidulou away to rest."
If I had the confidence to defeat the Ming army, would I need you to take my sons and daughters and run away?
Also, what did you French say before?
As long as we ceded a small island and a port, you would send troops to help me fight in the Far East.
Now that I've agreed to cede the small island and port, not only are you French not sending troops, but you're also refusing to shelter my family?
Nguyen Phuc Anh's attitude also made Baidulou unhappy.
Did I say that France would not accept Annamese refugees, but did I say that all of Europe would not accept Annamese?
You are driving people away before they have even finished speaking?
Then I won't bother with you anymore!
Damn it all!
Baidulou, indignant, followed the maid out of the so-called "Royal Palace Hall." Nguyen Phuc Anh then summoned all his confidantes and said, "I have some bad news for you: the escape route we previously discussed is no longer viable – Baidulou said that France has formed an alliance with the Great Ming and will absolutely not shelter our offspring, nor will they shelter any Annamese."
Upon hearing Nguyen Phuc Anh's words, the Annamese high officials also became agitated and shouted, "Indeed, these Western barbarians are unreliable!"
"If they won't accept us, then they won't accept us. At worst, we'll arrange for our families to go to Siam first, and then fight the Ming army to the death!"
"Precisely! I will first send my parents, wife, and children to Siam, so I will have no worries. Even if I die at the hands of the Ming army, I will have no regrets!"
Nguyen Phuc Anh also nodded and said, "I think the same. However, sending away our families does not change the reality of the Ming army's strength. To defeat the Ming army, you must honestly obey my commands."