Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 483 What is the use of the uprising?
With Luo Wensu's initial defection, the rest of the matter became much easier.

Now that things were out in the open, Luo Wensu went a step further and privately expressed his stance to Ning Anqing, saying that if Liu Futong and Du Zundao did not agree to the surrender, Ning Anqing could come directly to him. As soon as the King of Chu's army arrived, he was willing to surrender the entire city of Xincai, thus opening a passage for the Shengwu Army to attack Runing.

Ning Anqing was naturally pleased, but he was still not entirely at ease. So, with Luo Wensu's tacit approval, he immediately wrote a long memorial explaining the complex situation of Liu Du's rebel army, and then had his accompanying guards send it back to Lu Jin by waterway.

In his memorial, he stated that Luo Wensu had agreed to the pacification and was willing to actively cooperate and perform meritorious service for the sake of a noble title. The Liu Du rebel army was currently a disorganized mess. If he did not return alive this time, he should have Lu Jin follow Luo Wensu's method to first pacify the powerful generals who held military power on the periphery of Liu Du, like peeling a cabbage, first peeling away the outer layer, and then the army would go straight to the core of Runing and wipe them out.

After arranging these "aftermath" matters and witnessing the memorial being sent away, Ning Anqing waited another day in Xincai before receiving an invitation on the seventh day of the second lunar month to go to Ruyang to discuss the matter of pacification.

Having done his homework with Luo Wensu beforehand, Ning Anqing noticed something amiss as soon as he arrived in Ruyang. The only prominent figures in Ruyang were Du Zundao, Sheng Wenyu, and Liu Liu, while Liu Futong, who was in charge of the entire army, was not there.

Ning Anqing already knew that Liu Futong was on the front line in Yancheng (Luohe), but he placed his younger brother Liu Liu in Ruyang, which inevitably suggests that he was monitoring Du Zundao. This shows that Lu Jin's previous judgment was correct, and it seems that Liu and Du really have a conflict.

Meanwhile, Du Zundao frowned upon seeing Ning Anqing for the first time and asked, "You look familiar, sir. Have we met somewhere before?"

Ning Anqing did not shy away from the topic and immediately smiled and said, "I have heard that Mr. Du was a student of the Imperial Academy of the Yuan Dynasty and also worked as a clerk in the Privy Council. I suppose you may have seen me there."

Du Zundao asked in confusion, "Oh? You are also a student of the Imperial Academy of the Yuan Dynasty? Then why are you under the command of the Prince of Chu?"

Ning Anqing immediately said, "To be honest, I am not very talented. I once studied at the Imperial Academy of the Yuan Dynasty and later served as a Vice Director of the Privy Council. I was ordered to guard Wuzhou. However, the Chu King's army launched a fierce offensive, and my troops were unable to resist. In order to prevent the people of Wuzhou from suffering, the whole prefecture surrendered and was taken under the command of the Chu King."

Du Zundao narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, a feeling of jealousy rising in his heart for no reason. Ning Anqing was a graduate of the Imperial Academy of the Yuan Dynasty, just like him, and both of them served as officials in the Privy Council. However, he himself was just a minor official in the Privy Council, while Ning Anqing had become the fourth-ranking official in the Privy Council of the Great Yuan Dynasty. Damn it, what exactly makes this person better than him?

"I didn't expect you to be a high-ranking official in the Privy Council of the Yuan Dynasty. May I ask what position you hold under the Prince of Chu?"

"I am but a lowly junior official in the Privy Council under the King of Chu."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Upon hearing this, Du Zundao burst into laughter. He had been somewhat jealous of Ning Anqing's previous resume and official position, but now that he heard that Ning Anqing was just a minor official in Lu Jin, he immediately mocked him.

"It seems that the Prince of Chu in Jiankang is not very magnanimous. A high-ranking official of the Yuan court's Privy Council, who brought a prefecture to his command, only got a minor official position as a physician. It seems that you are not valued either. I think you should change your allegiance and join my righteous army in the Central Plains. Perhaps you can get a position as a minister in the future."

Good heavens, Du Zundao has actually turned to the other side and offered amnesty.
To everyone's surprise, Ning Anqing was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled and retorted, "I was blinded by my own involvement and failed to see the corruption of the Yuan court. I helped the wicked and almost made a big mistake. It is already magnanimous of the King of Chu not to kill me. I am just a defeated general under the King of Chu. I have no merit or talent. How dare I accept the high position and generous salary of my lord?"

"Moreover, although I once served as a co-official in the Privy Council of the Yuan Dynasty, looking across the world, the Chu army has repeatedly fought against the Yuan Dynasty, and has it ever suffered a defeat? In this light, the Privy Council of the Yuan Dynasty is no better than the Privy Council of the Chu army than a group of mediocre talents. The King of Chu has many talented people under his command, so it is certainly not up to a mediocre talent like me to take charge. Therefore, I can only do some menial tasks to run errands for my lord."

These words made Du Zundao's face turn pale and then red. Ning Anqing was subtly mocking Du Zundao. "I am the fourth-ranking official in the Yuan Dynasty's Privy Council. I am not even ranked under the Prince of Chu. You, Du Zundao, are just a minor official in the Yuan Dynasty's Privy Council. You are not even as good as me. If I am mediocre, then what are you, Du Zundao?"

"Hmph, you certainly have a silver tongue, no wonder you were sent as an envoy. Speak, what exactly does the King of Chu want to tell us?" Du Zundao said with a cold snort.

Ning Anqing thought to himself that this man was so lacking in cunning and had such a narrow mind. No wonder His Highness said he had the airs of a powerful minister, arrogant and domineering; it was indeed true.
Ning Anqing glanced around dismissively before asking, "When will General Liu return? Now that I've told you, can Lord Du make the decision?"

Upon hearing this, Du Zundao's face darkened immediately, and he said coldly, "All matters, big and small, of the righteous army are decided by me and Liu Futong. If I don't agree, he alone cannot make the decision."

"Oh I got it."

Ning Anqing feigned sudden realization, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Liu Liu's disdainful expression, clearly disagreeing with Du Zundao's words. Before Ning Anqing could say anything more, Liu Liu proactively cupped his hands and said, "Let's wait for my elder brother to return before we talk about it. Even if we want to discuss it, both of us need to be here, right?"

Ning Anqing immediately feigned curiosity and asked, "May I ask who this gentleman is?"

"My name is Liu Liu, and Liu Futong is my elder brother."

"So it's General Liu, my apologies for not recognizing you. When will General Liu be back?"

"When I heard yesterday that the envoy was coming, I sent someone to Yancheng to deliver a message. There will definitely be a reply in two days at most. Why don't you wait two more days, envoy?" Liu Liu said very politely.

"Then?" Ning Anqing looked at Du Zundao again upon hearing this, but Du Zundao only snorted coldly and then turned and left.

Alright, no need to ask anymore, just wait.
Two days later, Liu Futong returned from the front lines, covered in dust. Now Liu and Du were finally together. Liu Futong was a straightforward person and didn't beat around the bush. He immediately asked, "What exactly did your King of Chu want to say to you?"

"Of course, we've come to save your army."

Liu Futong frowned upon hearing this. "What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly."

Ning Anqing immediately said, “General Liu should know better than I where your army is now. Although you are the founders of the Red Turban Rebellion, it has been three years since the uprising began, and you have only captured a few prefectures and one county.”

"Moreover, Henan Province has suffered greatly from the brutality of the Tartars and has also been hit by natural disasters in recent years. It is not to say that nine out of ten houses are empty, but it can be said that the land is vast but the population is sparse and the manpower is insufficient. Your army will find it difficult to replenish its troops. If you forcibly recruit soldiers, there will be no one to cultivate the land, and the food and pay will inevitably be unsustainable. Without soldiers and food, your army is still confined to Ruying."

"In contrast, my lord started his army only two months later than yours, and it has also lasted for three years. Yet my lord has already pacified several provinces, reached Sichuan and Chongqing in the west, the sea in the east, controlled Dongting Lake in the south, and looked towards Youyan in the north. Most of the land under heaven has been incorporated into my lord's territory. This is the favor of Heaven."

"Moreover, our army is well-trained and well-supplied, with a massive number of armored soldiers, and the Jiangnan, Poyang, and Dongting regions are all rice-producing areas, providing military supplies of tens of millions of shi (a unit of dry measure) annually. In every battle against the Yuan army, we have never suffered a defeat."

"Now that our lord has established his rule in the southeast and eliminated all the barbarians, he has the momentum to look north to Youyan and contend for the throne. However, before launching the northern expedition, we must first pacify the Central Plains and eliminate the threat on our flanks. Therefore, we have dispatched 800,000 troops to besiege Ruying Bianliang."

"Your troops are also part of the righteous army, and have made meritorious contributions in the rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty. They are also allies of our army, and often use the slogan 'Three thousand brave warriors, march straight to Youyan.' My lord does not want to fight among his own people and make a fool of himself in front of the barbarians in Bianliang. That is why I was sent here to ask your troops if you generals are willing to join my lord and fight against Youyan together?"

Liu Futong frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "The King of Chu wants us to join him in attacking Youyan, which is a good thing, but asking us to submit is probably a bit difficult, isn't it?"

"Oh? What troubles the general?" Ning Anqing asked immediately. Liu Futong continued, "As you just said, our army was the first to rise up against the Red Turban Rebellion. You raised your army under the banner of the Red Turbans, taking advantage of my momentum, and relied on me and Sesame Li to act as a shield in the north. That's how you were able to cross the river so easily. Otherwise, how could the lands of Jiangsu and Zhejiang have fallen into your hands?"

"Now that you have gained power, you expect us to submit? What kind of logic is that?"

Ning Anqing chuckled and immediately said, “At the end of the Qin Dynasty, eighteen princes rebelled against Qin. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the first to rise up. But what use is a first uprising? In the end, whoever wins the world will have the greatest merit and contribute the most. Emperor Gaozu of Han entered Guanzhong first and was able to establish his rule over the world.”

"Your troops are like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Although you were the first to rebel, you have few soldiers and little strength. Your achievements are not as great as those of Xu and Song. If your army is unwilling to submit, do you intend to declare yourself king?"

Ning Anqing smiled and glanced at them, then said, “I told you about your army’s situation at the beginning. Since Han Shantong died and his son Han Lin’er went missing, your army has lost its leader. If someone were to declare himself king now, I think your army would fall apart before any outsiders could invade. Under such circumstances, do you have any other choice but to submit to our army, General?”

"If you can't find Han Lin'er, your army will be like a rootless duckweed, a disorganized mess. Your army is the first to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty, so you won't submit to the Yuan invaders, will you? Even if the general really wants to submit to the Yuan invaders, I wonder what the soldiers below will think if they find out?"

Ning Anqing's words hit the nail on the head regarding Liu Du's forces. They truly had no choice now. Without finding Han Lin'er, they could not establish a system or unite their generals. If they forcibly declared themselves kings and established a system, they would immediately fall apart.

They are currently surrounded by Lu Jin and lack troops and food. It is impossible for them to fight their way out. The only option left is to surrender. As for whom to surrender, if they surrender to the Yuan court, will those righteous armies who joined them to fight against the Yuan still follow them?

Liu Futong also knew that Lu Jin had his life in his hands, and he really had no choice, just as Ning Anqing said. So there was only one last thing to discuss: what benefits could Lu Jin offer him?
So he immediately asked again, "If His Highness the King of Chu wants to recruit our army, what are your plans for settling us?"

Ning Anqing immediately raised one finger, "First, your army shall hand over all cities, and the old and weak soldiers under your command shall be dismissed and released back to civilian life. The remaining elite troops shall be reorganized according to our military system. The generals of your army shall either continue to command their original units or relinquish their military power and enter the court as officials."

"Secondly, although your army was not previously aligned with ours, your merit in rebelling against the Yuan dynasty has been recognized by our lord. Even if you do not achieve new merits in the future, when our lord rewards the generals, he will still reward your army's generals according to their merits, treating them equally with our generals, granting them the same titles in the court, and providing other officials with vacant positions to await them. What do you think?"

Liu Futong frowned. Lu Jin's offer was quite generous, especially the clause acknowledging their past merits and promising them the same rewards as the generals of the Holy Martial Army. This was sure to win over the hearts of the generals under Liu Du's command.

But Liu Futong still felt uneasy and asked again, "Then what titles does His Highness the Prince of Chu intend to grant us?"

Ning Anqing immediately said, “When Xu and Song generals surrendered, my lord treated them all the same. Xu Shouhui relinquished his imperial title and came to surrender, and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guiyi. Chen Youliang successively conquered Hanyang, Mianyang and Yueyang, and was also granted the title of Marquis by my lord.”

"Although the territory your army has recovered is not as large as that of Xu and Song, the lands of Runing, Anfeng, and Xinyang are enough for General Liu to be enfeoffed as a marquis. I wonder if the general is satisfied?"

Liu Futong raised an eyebrow and emphasized again, "Our army was the first to rise up in the Red Turban Rebellion, and it also attracted a large number of Yuan troops in the north, covering the flanks of the King of Chu. Otherwise, how could the King of Chu have so easily conquered Jiangzhe? Such great achievements, to only give him a marquisate, is that really appropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Anqing immediately said, "I have no right to decide this, but I would like to advise the general that some things are not yours to take by force, and that will only bring disaster upon yourself."

Liu Futong immediately narrowed his eyes, about to explode. Did this mean he was unlucky and unworthy of a higher title?

However, before he could refute, Ning Anqing raised his hand to interrupt him and said again, "Besides, General, you are a marquis now, but after you submit to my lord, won't you still have to launch a northern expedition? If you can make new contributions in the northern expedition, you may be able to be promoted to another rank. General, you are still so young, you have a long life ahead of you, and there will be plenty of battles to come, so why rush things?"
"If the title is too high, what will the other generals think? It's not about scarcity but about inequality, don't you think?"

Hearing this, Liu Futong took a deep breath to suppress his anger and immediately laughed, "You're right, how many soldiers does the King of Chu plan to leave for us?"

"General, are you familiar with our army's military system?"

I've heard a little about it, but I don't know the details.

"His Highness has instructed that your department is only allowed to retain the organization of one army, that is, two commanders-in-chief and six regimental commanders, totaling 27,000 troops. After reorganization, the imperial court will provide you with food, pay and armor, and you will be at His Highness's command. Any surplus troops will be dismissed and reduced to civilians. The imperial court can provide money, grain and land as severance pay."

Liu Futong thought carefully before saying, "It seems a bit too few. Even if we cut the old and weak, there will probably still be more than 27,000 soldiers. Besides, how can we accommodate so many generals with only two commanders-in-chief? You know the situation of our army. There are at least Luo Wensu, Han Yao'er, and Wang Xianzong, who are no less capable than me. How can two commanders-in-chief be enough?"

Ning Anqing replied, "Two divisions, one commander and one deputy commander for each division, that's a perfect arrangement for four commanders and deputy commanders."

"What if they don't want to be deputy?"

“Then I will try to persuade them. If I still can’t, then His Highness the Prince of Chu will persuade them personally. I think they will definitely agree,” Ning Anqing said immediately.

“If you can persuade them to agree, then I will agree. There’s nothing else to say. When will the King of Chu’s army come to take over the city?” Liu Futong saw that Ning Anqing had taken the initiative to do this, so he stopped worrying about it.

Ning Anqing then said, "General Liu has nothing more to say, but I have one more thing I hope the general can cooperate with."

"What is it?" Liu Futong immediately became alert.

Ning Anqing immediately said, "I hope that the general can take the initiative to submit a memorial to the emperor and make it clear in the memorial that you deliberately buried that stone figure only to oppose the Yuan dynasty. You should also make it clear that the Lotus Sect's tricks were just a last resort to oppose the Yuan dynasty. Now that you have realized your mistake, you should make it public. This will still be considered a meritorious act of the first uprising. What do you think?"

Liu Futong frowned immediately. This was an attempt to smear him. Submitting a letter of submission was fine, since he had already decided to surrender. But if the White Lotus Sect and the Stone Man were exposed, wouldn't the morale of the army collapse?
Just as he was hesitating, Ning Anqing spoke seriously again.

"This is also His Highness the Prince of Chu's intention. As for the truth of the so-called 'Ming King's birth,' the White Lotus Sect, and the Maitreya Sect, the general should know better than anyone else. Things are different now. The Yuan Dynasty is about to be destroyed, and the righteous army has gained momentum. There is no need to use such clumsy means to deceive the ignorant men and women anymore."

"Therefore, we hope that the general can reveal the truth to set things right, otherwise..."

"What else?"

"Otherwise, the general's rank would only go up to marquis."

Liu Futong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay, I'll write it."

(End of this chapter)