I'm really not doing business

Chapter 719: The more you persuade me to forgive you, the more ruthless your majesty becomes

Oda Nobunaga was lying. His ambition was to sweep across the three kingdoms, including the Ming Dynasty. The so-called three promises, not to cross Seoul, to cede Incheon, and to swear not to invade the Ming Dynasty, were like farts. After reading the letter, Zhu Yijun was very, very sure that the words between the lines of the letter were full of delays.

The entire Ming Dynasty, even a pig, understands one thing: the Japanese pirates must not be allowed to land! If the Japanese pirates land, the Ming Dynasty will never have peace!
Zhu Yijun held the letter and angrily criticized the King of Korea because the King of Korea did not even know how to conduct diplomacy and had not made any specific and clear promises.

"The King of Korea has not even promised to provide food and fodder until now, and is still trying to tie the Ming Dynasty to the chariot by using the laws of the Ming Dynasty's ancestors and the motherland. I have clearly told the Korean envoys that there is not enough food and fodder in Yizhou, and my army cannot go to Jiuliancheng to fight in Korea! Don't even think about it!"

"The King of Korea is still asking Lee Houbai to lobby his ministers, trying to get the Ming Dynasty to bring its own food and fodder." Zhu Yijun threw Oda Nobunaga's letter aside and said angrily.

The Joseon King Yi Sun, who is now criticized by Zhu Yijun, lost his capital to the enemy in 19 days. After his death, his temple name was Seonjong, which was soon changed to Seonjo in the hands of his son.

Seonjo? How could he be called the ancestor? He was the king who lost the capital in just 19 days.

Moreover, Korean civil and military officials in later generations spoke highly of this man. His greatest achievement was to preserve the rule of Korea from the Japanese pirates and the Ming Dynasty soldiers. His second greatest achievement was to realize the Fanhu, that is, to make the Jurchens, the Outer Khalkha, and part of the Uriankhai pay tribute to Korea, which is the so-called offensive and defensive alliance against the Ming.

This is what Lee Sun called King Seonjo's greatest achievement.

But what was the price of Lee Sun's actions? The people of Korea. His two-faced behavior made it difficult to determine the exact time for Ming to enter Korea. Even Zhu Yijun, who was far away in Ming, had heard about the atrocities committed by the Japanese pirates in Korea.

The eight provinces of Korea were devastated.

Whenever a place was conquered in Korea, the nine divisions led by Konishi Yukinaga, Kato Kiyomasa, Kuroda Nagamasa, Kobayakawa Takakage and others would immediately start a massacre.

Minister of War Zeng Xingwu took out a few newspapers and said, "The Ming Dynasty's coastal defense inspector Shui Shangfei is active in Korea. I have a few books here about the tragic scenes Shui Shangfei witnessed, including the tragic events that occurred in Seoul, Suwon, Hongju, Cheongju, Gwangju, Busan, and other places."

"As the scout of North Korea, Chen Tiande is responsible for the activities of 120 coastal defense inspectors in North Korea to spy on the enemy. This is Chen Tiande's report."

"I'll read two books. This is a bit cruel. Please forgive me, gentlemen."

"The Japanese pirates drove the Korean people into Seoul and built several ponds, drawing water from the Han River. They began to store water in the afternoon and release water in the morning. Each pond could hold about a thousand people. Each squadron would send one to two hundred foot soldiers to drive the people of Seoul into these ponds. They would use long poles with knife heads, and anyone who tried to get out of the pond would be stabbed back."

"A two-year-old child was picked up by a long-pole spear. The child's mother stood up suddenly and tried to snatch her child back. She knew that her child was dead and she would die too, but she still wanted to take the child back. However, she was poked into the water by another pirate, causing the pirates to laugh."

"The daimyo of the Japanese pirates demanded that the bodies be piled together to prevent the spread of plague. In a courtyard in Seoul, there were piles of bodies, men, women, and children, placed randomly. Some were headless, some had their stomachs ripped open, some had their hands and feet chopped off, and some were cut in half. On the wall of the courtyard, there were countless heads signed, and in the house, there were dozens of children's heads signed neatly."

"The blood in the room was three inches thick and had frozen into clots, just like the bodies outside. You can see that after death, monks performed rituals in these courtyards to help the dead souls to rest in peace."

"Both sides of the Han River are filled with frozen bodies. The reason for this is to prevent the North Korean army from counterattacking. When the spring comes next year, these bodies will flow down the Han River into the sea."

"For many massacres, the Japanese pirates didn't have to do it themselves. They just had to drive the people away. There were many Korean Hwarangs, whose arms were covered with tattoos, who became running dogs of the Japanese pirates. The Japanese pirates called them the Hwarang Association, or the Imperial Army. They were responsible for driving the people away. Many crimes were not only committed by the Japanese pirates, but also by the Hwarang Association, which was even worse than the Japanese pirates."

Zeng Xingwu finished reading the first volume, which was a report of the tragedy on the first day after the fall of Seoul, which was sent back to the Ming Dynasty at an express speed of 600 miles.

Oda Nobunaga fought in the name of the Emperor of Wa, on the grounds that the King of Korea refused to go to Kyoto to pay homage, so the war was called the Imperial Army.

"The Japanese pirates are lying. They told the people of the city that some people were resisting the imperial army. They said some people shot arrows from the windows, some people stabbed, and some people hugged gunpowder and died with the imperial army. This is a lie. No refugee in Seoul dared to resist. The talk of resistance is just an excuse."

"The Japanese pirates did not want to take prisoners. I saw with my own eyes a civilian kneeling at the feet of the Japanese pirates, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy. The Japanese pirates stabbed him to death with a short knife, and then used a long Japanese sword to chop off his head. Because they did not know how to chop off the head, they chopped it off more than ten times, and the head was still hanging on the neck. The Japanese pirates left in dismay."

"The next day, at dawn, I (Chen Tiande) was awakened by screams. The massacre had begun again. I went out and saw a Japanese warrior with four foot soldiers chasing three civilians. A woman was holding a naked baby, about four months old. During the escape, the baby fell to the ground and was about to die. The woman was shot to death by an arrow. Cheng Ding fell while running, and the Japanese pirates caught up with him."

"I (Chen Tiande) stepped forward and showed the fire card, intending to save the adult. But as I walked over, an ashigaru stabbed the adult's neck with a short knife three or four times, and blood flowed all over the ground. The Japanese pirates warned me not to interfere. I confronted the enemy with three coastal defense inspectors, and finally the Japanese pirates exchanged quick words and retreated."

"I learned from the merchants accompanying the army that Oda Nobunaga and the Japanese daimyo required all the Japanese pirates who entered Korea not to attack the Ming people. The Ming people who are still active in Korea are easy to identify. They are tall and strong, have two horses, and have long and short weapons and firearms. So I can see these, but what about what I can't see?"

"Should I do something? Maybe, but nothing."

"On the first day alone, more than 20,000 people were killed by the Japanese pirates in Seoul using various means. I don't know how long the Japanese pirates will kill or how many they will kill, but I know the killing will not stop and will intensify, just like the crimes they committed in the southeast of Ming Dynasty."

“The stability of the southeast lies in the sea.”

Zeng Xingwu finished reading the second volume. He still had many such Tangbao in his hand. He looked at the silent ministers and continued, "Chen Tiande was fooled by the Japanese pirates when he was very young and was castrated by them. He only wanted to destroy the Japanese pirates when he was alive. He hated them very much."

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty knew about Chen Tiande's experience. This tough guy with no children and no worries had the biggest dream of dying in the war to destroy Japan.

So Chen Tiande went to the most dangerous place. He had a huge hatred for the Japanese pirates, but that does not mean his record was biased. On the contrary, Zeng Shengwu did not read out the worse atrocities in order to take care of the emperor's feelings.

Zeng Xingwu continued, "This is just Seoul, and it is only the beginning of Seoul. These tragedies are happening in every part of Korea. Every time a massacre takes place, the Japanese pirates will dance a dance to celebrate the harvest."

"The Japanese drums with family crests printed on them were constantly being struck. The flute was a musical instrument that made a sharp sound, short and sharp, echoing through the sky. The warriors who were selected to dance all carried a plain cloth bag with their names written on it. Inside the bag were the looted goods. At the end of the street, there were many tablets for the so-called heroic spirits of the pirates."

"The moment the gong sounded, the Japanese drums were lifted up, the Subu soul flags were erected, and the dance to celebrate the harvest began."

"Oda Nobunaga once strictly prohibited this kind of dance. Even in Japan, if you danced this kind of dance in your own home, you would be severely punished, and even be beheaded in public. Because the Japanese daimyo fought each other, they often committed various murders and often celebrated like this. Oda Nobunaga couldn't control it. The Japanese pirates in Korea would dance once every time they completed a massacre."

In the Wenhua Hall, all the ministers were silent. Killing innocent people and claiming credit for their achievements was a crime that was not allowed in the Ming Dynasty. Even Ningyuan Hou Li Chengliang was accused of this, which was like a piece of mud stuck in his crotch, and there was no way to explain it.

They were all military personnel. The Nine Battalions of Zhejiang had started patrolling to fight floods since the 34th year of Jiajing, as the Japanese invasion had gradually subsided. To call the Japanese warriors "beasts" was a compliment.

On the surface, it was a celebration of the harvest and a memorial to the heroes, but in reality it was a ceremony to celebrate the massacre. This was difficult for Lord Ming to understand. Obviously, Oda Nobunaga also knew that this was wrong, but he could not control or restrain it.

The so-called wisdom of checks and balances of King Yi Sun of Joseon, the wisdom that the Ming Dynasty's soldiers could not be too strong, and the Japanese pirates could not be too strong, preserved the rule of the Joseon royal family in the cracks, which was achieved at a tragic cost to the people.

This is a loss of morality.

Zhu Yijun was also silent. He closed his eyes for a long time before opening them. He looked at all the ministers and said, "The Ministry of Rites knows about this and will urge the Joseon side to prepare enough food and grass for the army for five months and store them in Yizhou. The Ministry of War knows about this and will send a letter to Liaodong Dusi and Ningyuan Hou to send officials to conduct a thorough inspection and report to the court."

"Wenyuan Pavilion has drafted an edict. Yi Sun has lost his way. He is deprived of his throne as the King of Joseon. From today on, the Crown Prince Gwanghaegun will take over the throne. He must actively raise food and fodder. If he delays the opportunity to fight, he will be killed without mercy!"

"If I continue to grind my teeth with such a group of insects, I will be laughed at by the world for being weak!"

"A swarm of insects!"

Zhu Yijun's order was tantamount to violating the ancestral laws and the ancestral precept of not conquering a country during the Hongwu period. Zhu Yijun no longer abided by it and instead interfered deeply in the affairs of Korea because, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he really could not tolerate the Korean ruling class, which was a group of insects.

The Japanese pirates have always been like this, they have not learned to behave like three parts of humans, and they are seven parts of bestiality deeply rooted. Even Oda Nobunaga knew this very well. However, Korea is known as the Little China, but the ruling class is such insects, which Zhu Yijun cannot tolerate.

Someone was responsible for the fall of Seoul, and that person was King Yi Sun of Joseon. I don't know what the values ​​of Joseon are like. How could such a bastard be called the ancestor? This kind of rubbish will only be cursed in the Central Plains.

Even Li Longji, who created the Kaiyuan Prosperity, was laughed at for nearly a thousand years after he fled Chang'an in a hurry. Zhang Juzheng even quoted Li Longji's deeds many times to teach Your Majesty how to overcome difficulties and let Your Majesty take it as a warning.

"I obey your order." Zhang Juzheng stood up and bowed his head with his ministers to accept the order. Just as Qi Jiguang said, the Ming Dynasty had the power to control the seas, so whatever it did was right, but Japan did not have the power to control the seas, so whatever it did was wrong.

Zhu Yijun looked at the Ministry of War and said, "Send an order to the Nagasaki Governor's Office, demanding that Oda Nobunaga order a complete withdrawal from Korea. Otherwise, the heavenly troops will surely arrive."

This imperial edict, like Oda Nobunaga's letter, was actually a lie that had to be told. The gist of it was that if Oda Nobunaga withdrew his troops, the Ming army would not go.

Oda Nobunaga was determined not to withdraw his troops. Even if he gave the order, he could not withdraw. The arrival of the heavenly troops was not a declaration of war, but a warning before the war. The proclamation swearing to go to war was the declaration of war.

In just nineteen days, the Japanese pirates committed dozens of indiscriminate massacres. Zhu Yijun's orders accelerated the pace of the war.

When Yi Sun-sin met the emperor, he expressed his hope that the Ming army would save the Korean people from their desperate situation. When the Ming emperor first heard this, he did not take it seriously. But now he has a deeper feeling that the Ming army is indeed a heavenly army for the Korean people and it has indeed saved them from their desperate situation.

During the court discussion that day, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor reached a consensus to accelerate the process of war. During the court discussion, there was one very strange thing, that is, the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense inspectors could actually operate openly in the enemy-occupied area, and the Japanese pirates actually followed the military orders and did not take action against the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense inspectors. It was not that the Japanese pirates obeyed the orders, but that they did not dare to take action.

Because there were 100,000 naval forces behind the coastal defense inspector, the Youlong was parked in the harbor of Jeju Island.

After the court meeting, Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang stayed in the Wenhua Hall. They held small meetings for major events and closed-door meetings for minor ones. The purpose of this closed-door meeting between the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and his right-hand men was to determine the direction of the war. "Your Majesty, we will swear to march out at the beginning of next year. I think we can let Li Rusong lead three cavalry battalions and go first to Jiuliancheng. Once the food and grass are gathered, we will immediately intervene. At the same time, the navy will cut off the pirates' maritime supplies." Qi Jiguang stood in front of the geomancy map and informed His Majesty of the first phase of the battle plan formulated by the Military Academy.

Cutting off the Japanese pirates' sea supplies means that the Ming army can land and fight from any point on the long coastline. Now the Japanese pirates are on the peninsula like a snake in Changshan. The advantage of control of the sea allows the Ming army to cut them off at any time.

Doing so would force the Japanese pirates to retreat strategically and open up the situation for the Ming army to enter Korea.

A very domineering and crushing style of play. The confidence that gave the cautious Qi Jiguang to formulate such a battle plan came from the thirteen years of military development and His Majesty's constant visits to the Beida camp to review the troops day after day, regardless of wind or rain.

The Ming emperor used his hard work and perseverance to provide a top-down solution to the crisis of trust among the emperor, generals and soldiers, while Qi Jiguang provided a bottom-up solution by reporting to the emperor and saving the people.

It was these two solutions that laid the foundation for the invincibility of the Ming Dynasty’s capital army and navy.

Zhang Juzheng said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I think we should be careful not to fight this war, so as not to harm the enemy and the army."

"Sir!" Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng in surprise and said, "Sir, you first proposed to enrich the country and strengthen the army in the first year of Wanli. You also promoted the new policy of fully paying the Ming army in the third year of Wanli and implemented it in the sixth year of Wanli."

The matter of reviving the military was an important part of Zhang Juzheng's new policy! Now Zhang Juzheng reminded the emperor to prevent the war from becoming a mess.

"Your Majesty, reinforcing military power and preventing the enemy from nurturing their own strength are not contradictory." Zhang Juzheng said with certainty: "If the war really turns into a mess of nurturing the enemy, we must negotiate peace and end the war quickly. We must not delay the implementation of the Ming Dynasty's new policies because of Korea."

"The war has not yet begun. The court should make all possible preparations."

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, was silent for a moment and said, "Sir, what you said makes sense."

Zhang Juzheng’s meaning was very clear. He should not let the situation on the Korean Peninsula hinder the development of the Ming Dynasty or interrupt the progress of the Ming Dynasty’s new policies. The interests of the Ming Dynasty were higher than the interests of Korea.

His words also show a cautious attitude of considering failure before victory. As a decision-maker and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty who is admired by hundreds of millions of people, he must remain rational enough and distinguish between priorities.

Zhu Yijun strongly agreed with this.

The strategy of the Central Plains dynasties has always been to defend the north, to attack the Western Regions when they are strong and to defend when they are weak. They generally take the offensive towards the southwest, which is the Lingnan countries. The Korean Peninsula poses less threat to the Central Plains dynasties due to its shallow strategic depth, small area, sparse population, backward economy and many other reasons, and should not be a strategic direction.

But history is often unreasonable. The direction of the Korean Peninsula often develops into the main strategic direction, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences.

For example, Emperor Yang of Sui launched three expeditions to Goguryeo and was defeated in all three battles, and eventually even the Sui Dynasty was destroyed.

By the time of the Tang Dynasty, during the reigns of Zhenguan and Yonghui, the Tang Dynasty was the most powerful empire in the world. It took five large-scale military operations to completely settle the northeastern front. The Tang Dynasty paid a huge price for this. Due to the constraints and encumbered by the northeastern front, the Tang Dynasty's wars against the Turks and Xueyantuo in the north and against Tuyuhun, Tubo and Western Turks in the west were greatly affected. The Tang Dynasty often fell into strategic passivity and was short of troops.

The Ming Dynasty is in the process of reopening the Western Regions. If it had followed the old path of the Tang Dynasty, the battle line in the northeast would have turned into a messy war in which the enemy was nurtured and the Ming Dynasty's plan to reopen the Western Regions would have become a mirage.

Fang Xuanling, the prime minister of the early Tang Dynasty, left a will to Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, on his deathbed: Your Majesty's reputation and merits are enough, and you can stop expanding the territory. If Goryeo violated the loyalty of the vassal, it could be punished; if it harassed the people, it could be destroyed; if it could become a threat to China in the future, it could be eliminated. Now that you have not made these three points, and you are bothering China, avenging the humiliation of the previous dynasty at home and avenging Silla abroad, isn't it that what you save is small, and what you lose is great?
Fang Xuanling said, Your Majesty's reputation and merits are enough, and the expansion of territory can be stopped. If Goryeo people violate the loyalty of the emperor, kill them; if they harass the people, destroy them; if they become a threat to the Tang Dynasty, get rid of them; but if there is no such crisis, dragging down the Tang Dynasty only to avenge the Sui Dynasty and to seek revenge for Silla is an act with little gain and great loss.

Zhang Juzheng's advice at the closed-door meeting was consistent with Fang Xuanling's last words, that the Ming Dynasty should not be dragged down by the issue of the Korean Peninsula.

A bad war that only encourages the enemy to gain support is a burden.

"If the war turns into a mess, there is no need to negotiate peace. The Ming army in Beijing will withdraw, and the Ming Liaodong Army will enter Korea, which will be led by Li Chengliang and his son. We can keep the pirates for our own benefit. We can periodically open the cage door of the Yamatai naval port and let some Japanese pirates into Korea. We can let Ningyuan Hou keep the pirates for our own benefit and kill them for fun, and also bleed the Japanese mainland. It's not a bad idea. What do you think, sir?" Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng and gave another answer.

A controllable way of keeping the enemy for your own protection, a very ruthless way of playing.

Negotiating peace was a very humiliating choice for the Ming Dynasty. This thorn in the side became a burden during the Chongzhen period. Emperor Chongzhen intended to negotiate peace with the Jiannu, but the influence and public opinion in the court forced him not to do so.

After much deliberation, Zhu Yijun decided that he did not necessarily have to negotiate peace. It was also okay to just drag it out like this. Anyway, the Liaodong Army had been harboring the enemy for its own benefit, and the Ming Dynasty also wanted to destroy the Japanese. The battlefield was in Korea, not in the Ming Dynasty. Whenever it came to such a blood-bar battle, the Ming Dynasty's blood bar would make the enemy despair.

"Ah?" Zhang Juzheng looked at His Majesty, somewhat surprised and doubtful. His Majesty's words were truly cold-blooded and heartless. They were actually robbing Japan of its own energies. Moreover, as long as the Japanese pirates invaded regularly, the Koreans would remember the fear of being poisoned by them, which would be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty's rule on the Korean Peninsula.

Zhang Juzheng's life can be described as an omnipotent one. As long as he was alive, no one dared to overturn the new policies. If there was any regret, it was that Zhang Juzheng had been advising His Majesty on the way of benevolence and forgiveness for thirteen years, but the more he advised, the more ruthless His Majesty became.

"I think it's a good idea." Zhang Juzheng acknowledged His Majesty's ruthlessness.

Qi Jiguang hesitated to speak. If he told Zhang Juzheng about His Majesty's smallpox tactics, Zhang Juzheng would probably understand it better. His Majesty did not listen to any of his advice to be kind and forgiving. Qi Jiguang did not say it in the end because that was His Majesty's last resort. In this battle, the Ming Dynasty might not win, but it would definitely not lose.

Li Rusong was going to lead three cavalry battalions to set off first, heading to Liaodong, and then to Jiuliancheng on the border. After waiting for food and grass to arrive, they would enter Yizhou, Korea, and the Ming army would begin to directly intervene.

Li Rusong once again became the vanguard general of the Ming Dynasty.

On the 25th day of the 12th lunar month in the 13th year of the Wanli reign, Zhu Yijun arrived at the Wuying Tower in Beidaying, waiting for the military parade and the departure ceremony to begin.

Zhu Yijun held the seal of the deputy general for pacifying the Japanese pirates in his hand, looked at Li Rusong, and said sternly: "Li Rusong, you are the most powerful general of the Ming Dynasty. I have always known your bravery, but the responsibility of the vanguard is heavy. Remember not to rush in rashly. The Ming Dynasty can afford it now. Everything should be planned before it is decided. If the King of Korea goes back on his word, or even colludes with the Japanese pirates, we will withdraw from Korea and make long-term plans."

"When the time comes, I will send the Beijing troops to capture them all in one fell swoop."

Zhu Yijun handed the seal of the deputy general of Pingwo to Li Rusong and continued, "Now that you have received the seal, you must know that you are responsible for the lives of tens of thousands of people. You must not take it lightly."

The Ming Emperor leaned forward and whispered, "General Qi told me that only those who understand the saying that victory and defeat are common in the military can be a general. When you arrive in Korea, fight well. If you can't win, run away. Staying alive is winning. As long as you have a green mountain, you will not be afraid of a lack of firewood. I will support you in the court. You don't have to risk your life for Korea."

"Ah?" Li Rusong didn't know how to express his surprise. The emperor's instructions were to run away if he couldn't win and not to fight for the Koreans. This was really beyond his expectations.

Zhu Yijun had no military talent, but when he watched the Wanli Korean War, he found that generals like Li Rusong and Chen Lin fought some very stupid battles. They could obviously take a step back, then gather superior forces and destroy the opponent, but they often refused to retreat, and would not retreat even when 500 people were facing 50,000; they could obviously reduce the losses, but they just insisted on fighting; they clearly had cavalry, but they could not take advantage of their mobility and fought to the death with the Japanese pirates.

A careful study will reveal that it was not that the generals did not know how to fight, or did not take the lives of the soldiers seriously, but that the Ming court did not trust these generals, and instead believed the words of King Lee Sun of Korea. This partial listening and believing resulted in the generals on the front lines having to advance even if they could not move due to lack of food and grass. Not advancing would be a crime, and they would be more terrified and afraid to fight, leading to defeat.

Therefore, Zhu Yijun warned the Ming army not to fight for Korea, as their king himself did not take Korean lives seriously, and the Ming army should also be more flexible.

"This is a secret message. Please keep it. This is my highest instruction. If anything goes wrong, I will take care of it." Zhu Yijun handed a secret box to Li Rusong. Inside was a secret message under a seal. There was only one sentence in it, and he said that there was no need to risk your life for Korea. The fact that they dared to make such a promise showed that the Ming Dynasty could afford it.

The Ming Dynasty was the Celestial Empire, and the worst possible outcome would be a disastrous war in which the enemy was nurtured and invaded.

Qi Jiguang stood aside and wanted to say that a kind person cannot lead an army, but he didn't say it in the end. He felt that the emperor's instructions were right. We should ask why for everything. Why should we ask for such empty words as "for the sake of our parents' country"? Only when the frontline soldiers are relieved of their burdens can they be more flexible in fighting.

The horns were blown in the camps. The horns of the Ming Dynasty’s northern camp sounded. The auspicious time for departure had arrived and the army was ready to set off.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty walked step by step from the Wuying Tower to the parade ground and looked at the cavalry camp that had gathered on the parade ground. There were ten thousand soldiers in the cavalry camp, wearing cotton-padded clothes and jackets, cotton-padded shoes on their feet, and bulging military bags on their backs filled with quilts. Every soldier wore a felt hat.

This hat was invented by Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty. It is made of rex rabbit fur. This kind of rabbit comes from France. It was introduced to the Ming Dynasty by Antonio, the King of Portugal in the third year of Wanli. According to Antonio, the rex rabbit is the king of rabbits. Its fur is soft and warm, and it is easy to breed and has delicious meat.

Antonio was not bragging. After the Rex rabbit was introduced to the Ming Dynasty and carefully bred by Baoqisi, it became an extremely important source of fur in the Ming Dynasty’s imperial farm.

The felt hat is made entirely of leather, with a hardwood board on the front as support to block wind and snow, while the outer earmuffs have a chin strap to fix the ears from frostbite, and there are buckles in the front of the outer earmuffs to protect the cheeks. The entire outer earmuffs and neck guard can be folded to the top, so there will be no inconvenience in movement even in spring and autumn.

People can freeze to death in spring and autumn. The temperature changes rapidly and people can freeze to death from hypothermia.

This hat was nicknamed Wanli hat and Changsheng hat by the soldiers. Each soldier was issued two hats and could receive one hat every year. This was a great favor from the emperor, because a pure leather felt hat could be used for more than ten years without being damaged. If you take good care of it, it would not be excessive to pass one hat down to three generations. However, His Majesty issued one hat to the soldiers every year, so that in the three-level school in Beidaying, every child who was still studying could wear such a hat.

The price to be paid was that millions of rex rabbits in the imperial farms would be killed every year, and the rabbit meat would become one of the major meats used to reward the three armies. Rex rabbit meat was also called immortal meat by the soldiers.

The rabbit meat is delicious and Zhu Yijun likes it very much.

The cost of this hat is only two cents of silver, and the annual standard for clothing, uniforms, and bedding for each soldier is three silvers, which is a benefit in addition to the regular military salary of eighteen taels.

"The Ming army is mighty!" Zhu Yijun did not give long speeches, he only said this sentence every time he went on an expedition.

Because the Ming army is really powerful.

(End of this chapter)