I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1010 Bloodless Loyalty, Supreme Grace

The ministers, led by Zhang Juzheng, disagreed with the emperor on the issuance of paper money. This disagreement ultimately ended with the emperor's compromise to continue issuing paper money.

The apparent disagreement was that the emperor believed there was an over-issuance of currency, while the ministers believed there wasn't. However, the root of the disagreement lay in the anchor that the paper money was based on.

The emperor only looked at the currency itself and the inflow of silver when it came to monetary issues, which was fine, since the emperor was responsible for the paper money he issued.
It's fine if ministers focus on monetary issues without considering the currency itself, or just silver; ministers are responsible for the overall development of the nation.

Ultimately, Zhu Yijun yielded to the overall development strategy. Even five years later, when the Ming Dynasty's paper money finally exploded, and the lack of sufficient silver to redeem it triggered a crisis of confidence, Zhu Yijun was prepared. At that time, he could only seize the three major silver mines in Mexico.

If the foreigners suffer any more, then Emperor Zhu Yijun will have to bear the blame!

The second core issue of this court meeting was that Zhang Juzheng expanded the scope of the large-scale investigation. The purpose of the Grand Secretary's purge of Zhang's faction was to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the entire bureaucracy of the Ming Dynasty. Improving the administration was a complex and multifaceted task, but in simple terms, it was about metabolism.

Once the officialdom becomes stagnant, even the best system cannot be implemented.

This metabolism is not just about replacing old people with new ones in terms of material things, but also about replacing old ideas with new ones. Those who cling to the old ways of their former students, mentors, and acquaintances will be eliminated and replaced by a new generation of officials who are recognized for their integrity, who do more, rise faster, and go further.

Material things are the carriers of thought. When new people replace old people, thoughts change, and gradually the atmosphere in officialdom changes. Of course, the standards of good and evil can change with time, and the right and wrong of thoughts will also change.

Perhaps a hundred years after Zhang Juzheng, the upright officials will be considered wrong, while his protégés and former officials will be considered right.

Every move Zhang Juzheng made was highly purposeful, and he would not give up until he achieved his goal.

The third core issue at the court meeting at the end of March was the simultaneous advance of eight routes and the pacification of Bozhou by an army of 240,000 men. The court had been holding back for a year on this matter! If it weren't for the great cause of conquering Dongyu in the southwest, Zhu Yijun would not have even been willing to give Yang Yinglong these two opportunities.

The reason for such a grand display was that Qi Jiguang had explained a basic logic of game theory to the emperor: when an elephant and a mouse go around in circles, they might accidentally twist their ankle.

So don't play games with rats; if you're going to fight, just kill them.

After the court meeting, when Zeng Shengwu left the Wenhua Hall, he talked with Liang Menglong for a long time. Liang Menglong was about to leave for Chengdu. Zeng Shengwu, who had extensive experience in suppressing the Nine Silks, repeatedly reminded Liang Menglong not to be soft-hearted at all. If he didn't know whether he should do something or not, he should listen to General Liu Ting.

Liu Xian and his son Liu Ting, the Earls of Jiang'an, had been fighting in Sichuan for many years. Liu Ting knew exactly what kind of wicked schemes these hereditary chieftains were plotting whenever they made any move.

For example, when Luo Cheng and Wang Zhihan went to Hailongtun as envoys, Yang Yinglong's son Yang Chaodong ran out to kill them. Liu Ting had anticipated this would happen, so he arranged for someone to meet them in advance.

Liu Ting knew that these hereditary chieftains would stage such a 'father-son feud'—either between a subordinate or a son. If they succeeded, there would be no feud; if they failed, the son could be pushed out to take the blame.

Zeng Shengwu said in a low voice: "Guo Cheng, the adjutant general who fought back against the bandits at Loushan Pass during this pursuit, was extremely brave. At that time, he was in charge of the barbarian chieftain A Da and personally guarded Jiusi City. Jiusi City was located on a cliff and was quite steep. Guo Cheng led his men to climb over the mountain and use ropes to slide down into the city, broke through Jiguan Fort, then broke through Jiusi, and captured the bandit chieftain A Da alive."

Liang Menglong then understood and said in a low voice, "So that's how brave he is. No wonder Yang Chaodong could only return defeated."

"Furthermore, the Miao people in the Ten Thousand Mountains are extremely difficult to deal with, both mature and unripe. When the army marches in to suppress them, the bandits scatter into the forests. Once the army leaves, the bandits gather again. It is truly like a wildfire that cannot be extinguished, and the spring breeze that brings them back to life. Suppressing them will cost a fortune, but if we don't suppress them, the southwest will never have peace. We are caught in a dilemma."

"Therefore, the imperial court and local government officials are always too lazy to pay much attention to them." Zeng Shengwu explained to Liang Menglong how troublesome these southwestern barbarians were.

The main army left, and the bandits vanished without a trace. The bandit leaders occupied strategic locations, such as Hailongtun, a place over a hundred feet high with only one path leading up the mountain. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. After the main army left, they regrouped.

As a result, the imperial court and local government officials did not have high expectations of these local chieftains. If they were to remain stable, the court would not make things difficult for them. However, Yang Yinglong was clearly not stable and even wanted to launch attacks everywhere, so he could not be allowed to live.

"Please teach me, Grand Marshal," Liang Menglong said hastily.

"Zhuge Liang once used bronze drums to pacify the barbarian frontiers; if the drums were lost, the barbarian fate would end."

"This rule applies to Toungoo as well. Among these hereditary chieftains, whoever has the most bronze drums is the strongest. Whoever has bronze drums is the hereditary chieftain. This thing is like the Imperial Seal of the State, which signifies that the ruler is ordained by Heaven and will live forever. It is a symbol of divine right of succession." Zeng Shengwu told Liang Menglong the most crucial point of this battle.

The heads of traitors like Yang Yinglong and Yang Chaodong are not important. If all the drums are taken away, the hereditary chieftainship of Bozhou will vanish. Even if Yang Yinglong survives by chance, without the bronze drums, no one will recognize him.

This Zhuge bronze drum symbolizes the Mandate of Heaven in the southwest and is very difficult to counterfeit.

"This drum is quite valuable in the southwest. The one with the loudest sound is the best, and it can be exchanged for a thousand oxen. The next best is seven or eight hundred. If you can get two or three drums, you can usurp the title of king. Beat the drum on the mountaintop, and all the barbarians will gather." Zeng Shengwu gave a detailed introduction to the style of the Zhuge Drum.

The bronze drum is about two feet tall and one foot eight inches in diameter. It is divided into a torso, waist, and feet. The drumhead protrudes slightly, the drum walls are relatively thin, the torso is slightly convex, the waist is constricted, and the feet are flared outward like a trumpet.

The center of the drumhead is decorated with a shallow relief of a twelve-pointed sun pattern. Both the drumhead and the drum body have three relatively wide main halos, composed of cloud and thunder patterns, xi patterns, egret patterns, and other decorative patterns. This kind of bronze ware with extremely intricate patterns cannot be made by either raw or cooked ware.

"Thank you for your guidance, Grand Marshal." Liang Menglong understood the key to this battle. In terms of war theory, these bronze drums represent the will of the people, the embodiment of the enemy's resistance. When the army marches in, the important thing is to take these drums and kill the stubborn bandit chief. Without the drums, these bandits cannot gather, and the war in Bozhou can be completely quelled.

"The Ministry of War has the actual artifacts; go and take a look before heading to Sichuan." Zeng Shengwu and Ping Jiusi obtained a total of ninety-three bronze drums, the best of which was sent to the Imperial Treasury. The Ministry of War has three Zhuge bronze drums. With the actual artifacts for reference, Liang Menglong will not let them go.

These were all experiences that Zeng Shengwu had gained in flattening the nine silk threads, which he then passed on to Liang Menglong.

After the court meeting, Zhu Yijun left Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, Second Grand Secretary Ling Yunyi, and General Qi Jiguang behind to discuss matters in the Imperial Study of Tonghe Palace, mainly focusing on the pacification of the Bozhou barbarians.

"Is it really unnecessary to send elite troops from the capital to Sichuan for this battle?" Zhu Yijun asked Qi Jiguang for his opinion. With 240,000 Han troops advancing in the southwest from eight directions, Zhu Yijun was afraid that they would hinder each other and make a fool of himself.

With the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison in command, even if something goes wrong, there are ways to cover it up.

“Your Majesty, sending troops would be counterproductive; I believe it is unnecessary.” Qi Jiguang gave a clear answer. He knew that His Majesty was not knowledgeable in military affairs, so it was perfectly normal for him to think this way.

Qi Jiguang explained in detail why it backfired. He sent the Beijing garrison to Sichuan. The Beijing garrison and the local Han troops were not under the same command system, making coordination even more difficult. This inevitably led to competition for credit, creating a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Qi Jiguang said with a complicated expression, "If the war is over in three months, that's fine. But if it drags on for years, the elite troops of the capital garrison might start fighting with the local Han troops. It would be like the imperial army fighting with its own left hand, which would only make Yang Yinglong laugh at us."

"They'll fight?" Zhu Yijun said in great surprise.

"Yes," Qi Jiguang said, shaking his head. "Definitely."

"When the Ming Dynasty entered Korea to quell the Japanese pirates, the 30,000 troops of the Beijing Garrison clashed with the 40,000 troops of the Liaodong Army. This happened more than once. The most serious incident involved 400 elite soldiers from the Beijing Garrison fighting with 400 soldiers from the Liaodong Army. Each soldier received 20 lashes, and both sides remained resentful."

"This is not surprising. During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a similar situation when five routes attacked Xia. What was originally an overwhelming advantage turned into a defeat."

Sending the Beijing garrison to reinforce the troops seemed like a safety net, but it was actually a foolish move.

If this goes on for a while, the Beijing garrison will think that since they come from the capital, they will definitely boss people around. The local troops will naturally be dissatisfied and will secretly sabotage the Beijing garrison. There will be no need to pacify Bozhou; they will just fight amongst themselves.

Moreover, when conflicts arise between the Beijing garrison and local troops, the Beijing garrison will suffer losses. In order to avoid being punished by military law, they fight bare-handed whenever a fight breaks out. Melee fighting is considered a violation of the garrison and is punishable by beheading. When fighting bare-handed, only courage and bravery matter, and there is less emphasis on cooperation and coordination.

Four hundred soldiers from the Beijing Garrison and four hundred soldiers from the Liaodong Army fought hand-to-hand. The Liaodong soldiers were tall and strong, but the elite soldiers from the Beijing Garrison were not to be outdone. In the end, they fought to a draw. The Liaodong soldiers would privately say to the elite soldiers, "They've been paid so much, but they're nothing special!"
Soldiers are most prone to fighting each other, and the elite soldiers of the Beijing garrison were particularly irritable, with nowhere to vent their anger, so they took it out on the Japanese pirates.

"I see." Zhu Yijun was speechless. He never interfered in the specific command, but if he had, the Ming army would never have won so easily all these years!

Zhang Juzheng and Ling Yunyi exchanged a glance, both still somewhat shaken. They had been in favor of sending the Beijing Garrison to reinforce the troops, but now that Qi Jiguang had explained, they realized that it was not advisable. No wonder Grand Marshal Zeng Shengwu had refused without hesitation!

Zeng Shengwu repeatedly emphasized that the Southwest Han Army was trustworthy, not only because they could be trusted not to hoard troops and become arrogant, but also because they could be trusted to win. He cautioned against adding unnecessary complications that could backfire.

Who considers you barbarians to be fellow countrymen? Even after two hundred years of Ming Dynasty rule over Yunnan, this idea remained very common among the Han soldiers.

Eight routes advanced simultaneously, with 240,000 Han troops. Seven of these routes were mainly responsible for garrisoning and armed patrols to intimidate the local chieftains. The main force consisted of only 30,000 troops under Liu Ting. If the forces were insufficient, troops would be drawn from the other routes to supplement the strength.

This battle in Pingbo was more about showing off and expanding Toungoo's territory, securing a stable rear.

"General Qi, there are some things I don't understand. In your latest treatise on war, you said: 'Without blood ties, there is no supreme grace. Therefore, we should promote both civil and military affairs.' What does this mean?" Zhu Yijun asked, having finished discussing important matters.

He didn't quite understand the concept of blood ties.

"Blood righteousness." Qi Jiguang repeated the word hesitantly. The reason he was vague was that he didn't want to be too clear. Although it was only two words, it was very heavy.

Qi Jiguang said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty is fair in rewarding and punishing, but in fact, most of the credit for the war is taken by the generals, and the soldiers do not receive much. One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers, not only the remains of the enemy, but also the sacrifices of our own soldiers."

“My deputy general, Chen Dacheng, has killed countless enemies throughout his life. His bravery and wisdom are by no means inferior to mine. However, even though I have become the Duke of Fengguo, he is still my deputy general. Now he is old and frail and has no more opportunities to fight.”

If Chen Dacheng heard this, he would definitely point at himself with a question mark on his face.

Chen Dacheng was self-aware; he knew he wasn't cut out to be a general. He had once served as the commander-in-chief of Jizhou, but later found that he simply couldn't handle all the various matters.

These words were Qi Jiguang's self-deprecation, but in fact he was talking about the distribution of military merits. In war, most of the military merits were taken by the generals, while the junior officers got the scraps and the soldiers got the soup.

Even so, this soup is quite oily.

Qi Jiguang explained it very clearly: if the generals who occupy a dominant position in the army do not fight alongside their soldiers, there will be no camaraderie. The generals will not treat the soldiers as human beings, which is why things like embezzling military pay and enslaving soldiers happen.

With no war for a long time, how could the generals clearly feel that it was the soldiers who were supporting them with their blood and lives? How could they possibly treat the soldiers well?

If peace lasts too long and military preparedness is neglected, it's not just about weapons and equipment, but also about morale and organization. If a major war breaks out suddenly, the generals will not know their soldiers, and the soldiers will not trust their generals. In such a situation, it will be a losing battle after another, and a complete rout.
This is bloodless righteousness, and supreme grace.

Qi Jiguang said helplessly, "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty has become what it used to be. The Ming army's might is awe-inspiring, and the barbarians around us are all subservient. The Ming army has no place to use its strength. Without fighting, there is no righteousness. It is inevitable that we will promote both civil and military affairs."

The promotion of literature and military affairs was not merely a trend or public opinion created by scholar-officials, but also an inevitable consequence of the long-term absence of war, which naturally led to the decline of the army's combat effectiveness.

For example, generals like Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Li Chengliang, Ma Fang, and Liu Ting, who had led troops in battle for many years, all knew that the first priority for a military commander was to never be greedy for merit or act rashly. Li Rusong had heard this phrase so many times that he was practically worn out, but he still didn't take it seriously until he suffered losses on the Korean battlefield.

Over time, people will forget this ironclad rule.

Without war, there would be no bond of brotherhood between generals and soldiers. Generals would treat soldiers as servants, the organization of the army would decline, combat effectiveness would continue to decline, and all kinds of burning, killing, and looting would inevitably occur. Coupled with the prevailing public opinion of promoting civil affairs over military affairs, this over-military confrontation would become inevitable.

"To prevent the promotion of literature and the suppression of military force, are we supposed to rely on nurturing bandits to maintain our own power?" Zhu Yijun frowned. According to Qi Jiguang's theory, nurturing bandits to maintain our own power was the only way forward.

"Not entirely," Qi Jiguang said with certainty. "For example, reopening the Western Regions and dealing with Japan are not things that can be completely resolved in ten or twenty years. And the southwest is also a direction for military operations at this time."

The Ming Dynasty's decisive victory in pacifying Bozhou will only last for about twenty years.

Twenty years is the time of a generation. The next generation of chieftains in the southwest will forget the pain once the wounds have healed, and they will have to do it again. This cycle will continue. With the support of the reform of native chieftains and the replacement of native chieftains with centrally appointed officials, the Ming Dynasty's rule over the southwest can continue.

His Majesty's kindness can never be fully repaid, but it will be forgotten. In just twenty years, it will be completely forgotten.

Supporting bandits to maintain their own importance is a minor strategy; the key lies in the court's strategy. If the court does not want to expand its territory and chooses to carefully calculate lost lands, then local armies can only support bandits to maintain their own importance. However, if the court's strategy is still to expand its territory, then there is no need to support bandits to maintain their own importance.

The Ming Dynasty was a prefecture-county imperial system, and its success depended mainly on whether the emperor had ambitions. Once the emperor became complacent, the ministers sensed the danger and naturally tried their best to create an image of long-lasting peace.

In the Battle of Yingzhou, Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty and his youngest prince led hundreds of thousands of troops in a five-day battle outside the city. The Ming Dynasty did not achieve a complete victory; it was the youngest prince who cleaned up the battlefield. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty could only count sixteen people who had their heads taken as a reward.

But after this battle, a bond of brotherhood was forged between the soldiers and generals, and the little prince dared not venture south for decades.

"So be it." Zhu Yijun concluded this military audience.

"We take our leave." Qi Jiguang and Ling Yunyi rose to take their leave.

Zhang Juzheng stayed behind alone mainly to communicate with the emperor about tax matters, including the internal investigation of the tax bureau mentioned by Qi Jiguang. Zhang Juzheng's purge needed the emperor's support; without the emperor's support, he would accomplish nothing.

The massive machine of the Ming Dynasty began to turn, actively preparing for the Pingbo War. Even before Liang Menglong entered Sichuan, small-scale conflicts had already begun.

Yang Yinglong has powerful backers, not just himself, but also a group of chieftains and hereditary rulers in the southwest who feel that Sichuan is vulnerable and can take advantage of the situation.

The Ming Dynasty had a system in place to manage these chieftains and hereditary rulers. However, their rebellion this time was not about re-establishing the Dali Kingdom, but rather a desire for the court to loosen its grip. For example, the system of joint surveys that often resulted in beheadings would be avoided if Yang Yinglong succeeded. In such cases, other chieftains and hereditary rulers would no longer participate in the joint surveys.

If the imperial court wins, then they can only continue to Chengdu or Chongqing for joint investigation and be interrogated by the imperial court.

The Ming army's initial reconnaissance efforts did not go smoothly, as the Miao people hiding in the mountains began to frequently attack Ming scouts who entered the mountains.

Liu Ting was a highly professional strategist. He quickly adjusted his tactics, not rushing to decide the outcome in one battle, but instead devising a step-by-step strategy, using familiar Miao as a guide to take down all the strongholds one by one.

The first six months were just small-scale battles, testing the waters, not a full-scale offensive.

While the Ming Dynasty was preparing for war, Zhu Yiliu, the ruler of Jinshan, and Luo Shangzhi, the general of the Jinshan Navy, began the first step of the military merit-based land system after February. The first step was to conquer the barbarians. This first step was to open up the road to Maiden Silver Mountain and resume mining in Xiaoyinshan, Jinshan City.

A silver mine that produces three million taels of silver a year is extremely important to the Ming Dynasty and to Jinshan City. Gold cannot be used directly as money, but silver can.

However, the war did not go smoothly because the Kingdom of Jinshan was fighting on two fronts, which led to the dispersion of its forces.

"We must take good care of all the wounded soldiers and use all the medicines stored in the Prince of Lu's mansion to treat them." Zhu Yiliu stood at the entrance of the wounded soldiers' camp, having just inspected the twenty wounded soldiers injured in the attack.

Without needing anyone to explain, Zhu Yiliu already understood the fundamental meaning of blood ties.

Seeing the wounded soldiers lying on their sickbeds, their flesh mangled and in excruciating pain, Zhu Yiliu fully understood that everything he had was sustained by the blood, flesh, and lives of the people of Jinshan.

The Kingdom of Gold Mountain and the Hopi people went to war again because of the girl Silver Mountain.

The Ming Dynasty wanted to open a road to the Maiden Silver Mountain, but was blocked by the Hopi people. The chieftain of the Hopi people demanded that the Golden Mountain Kingdom hand over his daughter, Ivymoda, who was one of the beauties of all nations in the Lu Prince's Palace.

These are all excuses and reasons; this is a battle for survival.

“The Hopi tribe can beat us many times, but they can only lose once,” Luo Shangzhi said to Zhu Yiliu. This time, the Jinshan Kingdom suffered a loss due to the twenty wounded soldiers.

The reason for the loss was simple: Jinshan Kingdom lacked sufficient military strength. During this period, Luo Shangzhi and 1,500 naval soldiers were not in Jinshan City, but in Long Beach Port (now Los Angeles), which was 1400 miles south by water.

The journey by water is 1400 li, and it takes only five days to reach the destination after setting sail. Long Beach Port has a superior geographical location, never freezing all year round, with an annual rainfall of 12 inches, and flat terrain. The Ming Dynasty has developed two million mu of farmland here, and set up camps on every 10,000 mu, with a total of two hundred plantations established in Long Beach Port.

Luo Shangzhi went to Long Beach Port to take charge when a group of pirates from the Mexican Governor's Palace wandered there. As soon as Luo Shangzhi wiped out all the pirates, he rushed back to Jinshan City without stopping or lowering the sails.

This is why Jinshan Kingdom is currently facing difficulties. Fighting on two fronts is too strenuous, but it has to deal with threats from both directions. Even Lou Hu and Luo Shangzhi are struggling to keep up.

Barbarians have always been like this. Even though the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance has been established, these kinds of petty tricks will definitely continue. Barbarians are unreasonable. They will never do business properly if they can rob, and they will only talk about reason when they can't rob.

As Luo Shangzhi said, the Huopi tribe would be completely wiped out after just one defeat, which was no exaggeration, because the entire Huopi tribe was located in a basin surrounded by towering mountains, with only one mountain path no more than seven miles wide for passage.

The Yi people call this mountain path the Antigo Pass, which means the path of life. This path of life is also the only mountain path in and out of the basin.

Once the Golden Mountain Kingdom seizes this vital mountain pass, the Hopi tribe will be trapped like turtles in a jar.

"Let's remove the naval guns," Luo Shangzhi thought of a solution.

The Jinshan Kingdom was not lacking in the strength to conquer the mountain pass, but rather in the firepower to defend each camp. Under the relentless harassment, it could only retreat to Jinshan City.

Before the Prince of Lu took up his fief, they were in a state where neither side could do anything about the other.

Things have changed now. The Prince of Lu has taken up his fiefdom and has more firearms support. Sooner or later, this mountain road will fall into the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

"Dismantle the ship's cannons?" Zhu Yiliu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "It's not exactly a risky move, let's dismantle them!"

The reason they didn't dismantle it before was because they were worried about conflict with the Mexican governor's office and coastal defense. Luo Shangzhi's victory at Long Beach Port will buy them a buffer period. It doesn't need to be too long, just three to five months, which will be enough time for the Jinshan Kingdom to build Zhenyi Pass.

Once Zhenyi Pass is completed, the Huopi people will be like grasshoppers in autumn, unable to hop around for more than a few days.

Zhu Yiliu agreed to dismantle the ship's cannons for use on land. After resting for seven days, Luo Shangzhi left Jinshan City on the third day of the fourth month, leading 1,500 naval troops, divided into ten teams, towards the Antigo Mountain Pass.

Zhu Yiliu did not give much command, but instead handed over all authority to Luo Shangzhi. The Prince of Lu himself led all his guards to hold their ground and prevent enemy attacks.

Seven days later, the battle began, and good news kept coming. On the tenth day, Luo Shangzhi brought good news: the entire Antigo Mountain Pass had been occupied, and the construction of Zhenyi Pass could be arranged.

After confirming the intelligence was true, Zhu Yiliu ordered the Earl of Jinshan to lead a thousand men and ten thousand slaves toward Zhenyi Pass.

Quan Tianpei sat on a donkey cart, holding a monocular telescope, constantly looking around as they walked until they reached the army's encampment. Quan Tianpei and his eleven thousand men were not disturbed in any way.

A general who can fight must know how to fight. Quan Tianpei had to admit that a general who knows how to fight is different.

The reason why Jinshan Kingdom had failed to conquer the mountain pass and build Zhenyi Pass despite its efforts over several years was because Xie Ruixiang, who had previously commanded the Jinshan City Guards, was a former pirate. He was ruthless but not very good at fighting, which led to constant harassment from the Yi people during the construction of Zhenyi Pass.

Luo Shangzhi, on the other hand, was completely different. He built enough outposts and small hollow beacon towers along the mountain path to deal with small groups of barbarians. Even though Quan Tianpei didn't understand military affairs, he could see the ingenuity in it.

These mountain outposts and beacon towers were not placed arbitrarily. If you strike the head, the tail will come; if you strike the tail, the head will come. As long as you attack one place, other places can rush to your aid, forming a mutually supportive defensive network.

Quan Tianpei did not see Luo Shangzhi immediately, because Commander Luo had personally gone to a place thirty miles away with scouts to investigate the enemy situation. Thirty miles was enough time for the army to react, allowing them to advance or retreat with a clear plan and ease.

As dusk fell, the sound of horses' hooves echoed as Luo Shangzhi led his cavalry back from afar, raising clouds of dust behind them.

"Whoa!" Luo Shangzhi pulled on the reins with one hand, used his waist and abdomen to lean back slightly, and the horse came to a smooth stop without rearing up. Only then did Luo Shangzhi dismount.

When a horse stops running, it raises its forelegs high, a posture called "raised rear". This posture looks majestic, but it is actually quite dangerous. Once a horse learns this posture, it is very difficult to change it, especially for warhorses. If they raise rear in response to a stimulus, it will bring more danger.

"Has the Earl of Jinshan arrived?" After dismounting, Luo Shangzhi removed his bow and arrows and handed them to a guard beside him.

"I arrived at noon, and the geomancer was already conducting the feng shui consultation." Quan Tianpei said with a smile, "Commander Luo truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran of countless battles, taking down the mountain pass in one fell swoop!"

For Luo Shangzhi, this might be an insignificant battle in his life, but for the Jinshan Kingdom, it was a battle to establish its nation.

Luo Shangzhi shook his head and said, "The Hopi people are not good at fighting. They will flee at the first sign of trouble and then lie in ambush. Taking the mountain road is just the beginning. We still need to be careful and vigilant to prevent enemy harassment."

Luo Shangzhi did not become complacent because of the initial victory. He believed that the real victory would come when Zhenyi Pass was successfully built.

"How is Jinshan City?" Luo Shangzhi asked about the situation in Jinshan City. If Jinshan City was attacked by pirates, then Luo Shangzhi would have no choice but to abandon Zhenyi Pass and go to its rescue.

Quan Tianpei's expression was slightly complicated. He said in a low voice, "His Highness Prince Lu played the empty city stratagem. He made some wooden fake cannons and put them on the ships, allowing the warships to continue patrolling as usual. The Mexican pirates did not know the truth and naturally dared not attack rashly."

The Mexican pirates, who had just been bitten by snakes, dared not gamble that the Ming Dynasty navy's cannons were empty of shells.

(End of this chapter)