Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 524 The Great Purge in Goryeo
"Now that we've done most of the necessary experiments, let's assemble the first-generation machine as soon as possible and run it here in the workshop for a while. If there aren't any major problems, let's start mass production."

After the two came out of the pyrography workshop, Lu Jin immediately gave instructions to Tao Guangyi.

Tao Guangyi nodded, then asked, "I will arrange it as soon as possible, but even if it is mass-produced, how many will be produced, and who will use them?"

Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "First of all, we need to change the power source of the three state-run ironworks in Luzhou, Dangtu and Xuzhou from water power to steam power, especially the rolling mills and automatic forging hammers."

"Then, the cannon boring workshops that were previously located in Jiangyou will all be dismantled, and all the equipment will be moved to Jiankang. Also, the musket production business of the Luzhou Ironworks will be moved here along with the craftsmen. A new Jinling Arsenal will be set up outside Jiankang City, and all cannons and muskets will be produced here. They can be located in the north of the city to centralize production and control the spread of technology, so as to prevent others from learning it."

"After these factories are renovated, another factory will be built in the south of the city, specifically for the production of various machine tools and machinery. Then you will design some woodworking equipment such as saws and install them in the shipyard in Longjiang. There are also salt wells in Dingyuan and Sichuan, which also need steam engines."

"Once all of these are completed, there will be many civilian textile factories, pencil factories, paper mills, printing plants, enamel factories, brick factories, glass factories, chemical plants, and other places that need steam engines. At least several hundred or even a thousand units will need to be mass-produced."

"At that time, you can mass-produce and improve the technology simultaneously. Once the technology is mature, you can continue to develop the next generation of steam engines and try to manufacture steam locomotives. There will be a demand of at least a thousand units. As long as you can manufacture them, are you worried about not having a place to use them?"

"I see, then I understand."

Upon hearing this, Tao Guangyi immediately nodded, finally understanding Lu Jin's intention: to install steam engines in every possible place in the country where machinery could be used.
"Good. Then you can stay here and make the arrangements as soon as possible. I'll head back to the palace now. Don't forget to gather the students in the science class tomorrow. We now have usable experimental equipment, and I'm going to give you a chemistry lesson."

"Yes!"

Tao Guangyi immediately agreed, then saw Lu Jin out of the workshop. After Lu Jin returned to the palace, he summoned the heads of the workshops and began to assign them tasks.

The following day, as the year-end approached, other departments in the imperial court were taking stock of their year-end performance, summarizing gains and losses, and preparing for the holidays. Only the science class led by Lu Jin was busy every single day. Until the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year, a group of people were still in the laboratory, learning from Lu Jin how to prepare three acids and two bases.

Previous courses were limited by a lack of experimental equipment and teaching aids, and Lu Jin only taught them some theories. However, physical chemistry is ultimately an experimental science. Relying solely on rote memorization is not only slow to learn, but also makes it difficult to understand some experiments without seeing them in person.

In particular, the knowledge of these ancient people is not as good as that of modern middle school students. At least they have seen electric lights since they were born. Many things that seem like common sense in later generations have to be learned from scratch now.

At the same time, Lu Jin also took care of some government affairs. The construction of the new Jinling Academy outside the city had been put on the agenda. The design, sketches, and models had begun. Land was being acquired outside the city, and building materials were being prepared.

However, the specific start date will probably have to wait until after the battles in Fujian and Guangdong next year. Otherwise, the movement of troops would be extremely costly, and the imperial court is not wealthy at the moment. In the context of a major war, it really does not have the spare capacity to support such a massive project.

However, even if Jinling Institute of Technology cannot be built in a short time, the training of teachers cannot be delayed any longer. Lu Jin has already asked the cabinet to draft an edict to announce to the world at the beginning of next year that literate people should participate in teacher training and come to the normal school in Jiankang for centralized training next year. The normal school will be temporarily located in the original examination hall in Jiankang.

If you think that teaching Chinese only requires recognizing characters and having a lesson plan, then you definitely can't teach math without first teaching the teacher. And even for Chinese, if you want to be a teacher, you at least need to learn pinyin before you can teach your students.

As for whether the Ming Dynasty actually had enough literate people to be teachers, there's really no need to worry about that.

Historically, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang created the "Great Proclamation of the Ming Dynasty," requiring all people in the country to study it. Those who had the "Great Proclamation of the Ming Dynasty" in their homes could have their sentences reduced for crimes, while those who did not would have their sentences increased. With such a massive task of popularizing the law, the number of teachers who taught the "Great Proclamation of the Ming Dynasty" alone was extremely large.

According to records, there were as many as 19 legal teachers gathered in the capital to study and teach the Ming Dynasty's Great Proclamation. If all 19 literate people were trained to become teachers, would Lu Jin still have to worry about not having enough teachers?
Moreover, even if we assume that each primary school has fifty teachers, a thousand schools would only have fifty thousand teachers, which is far less than the actual number needed.

In addition to the preparations for education, the two troops that were recalled to participate in the Northern Expedition, including Zhu Liangzu's Second Army, finally arrived in Jiankang before the New Year and prepared to rest and spend the New Year in the camp outside Jiankang.

Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army, having returned from Inner Mongolia outside Zhangjiakou, had a longer march and had only just arrived in Shandong.

Upon receiving the report, Lu Jin immediately ordered the Ninth Army to halt in Liaocheng, Shandong, for the Lunar New Year. They were to rest and reorganize in Liaocheng for a month before continuing their southward advance. During the rest period, soldiers were not allowed to leave their barracks without orders, to prevent them from harassing the civilians.

Then they allocated funds to them so they could buy New Year's goods in Shandong. They also had Shi Nai'an, the military propaganda chief, send four cultural troupes to perform for the soldiers.

Meanwhile, just as Lu Jin's northern expedition was successful and he returned to the capital, and the country was preparing for the New Year's Day festival, the Goryeo Peninsula, which bordered the Ming Dynasty, had just experienced a bloody purge.

Yeom Ti-sin, the former prime minister of Goryeo who was sent back by Lu Jin to report the news, was escorted across the Yalu River and returned to Goryeo territory in November.

However, this man had served as prime minister before, and he was quite cunning. He was well aware of the cruelty of political struggles. During Lu Jin's northern expedition, he wiped out all the pro-Yuan leaders of Goryeo, as well as several non-pro-Yuan generals. Now that the die is cast, Lian Tichen will definitely go back to assist King Wang Jeon of Goryeo in purging the pro-Yuan faction within the country.

However, although these pro-Yuan leaders were killed, their influence in Goryeo was still deeply entrenched and not to be underestimated. If the news were made public rashly and a purge were launched, it might provoke a strong counterattack from the pro-Yuan faction, and could even lead to a coup or a major disaster.

So, as soon as Lian Tichen crossed the Yalu River and returned to Goryeo, he found a familiar friend in Sinuiju, a border town, and hid the heads he had brought back at his friend's house for safekeeping. He didn't dare tell even this friend what had happened in Dadu (Beijing), nor did he reveal whose heads those were, only asking him to keep quiet to avoid trouble. After making these arrangements, Lian Tichen returned alone to Gaegyeong (Goryeo's capital), where he met Wang Zhuan. On his way back, Lian Tichen told everyone he met that the Yuan Dynasty had been destroyed by the newly risen Ming Dynasty, that Dadu had been captured by the Ming army, and that the Yuan emperor and crown prince had been captured alive. He also said that the envoys and generals sent by Goryeo had all been detained by the Ming emperor, and he dared not mention that they had been killed.

Although this move inevitably disturbed the pro-Yuan faction, as long as the people had not been killed, there was still hope for peace talks between the two countries. For a time, many ministers from the pro-Yuan faction advised King Jeon that the Ming army was powerful and had even easily destroyed the Yuan Dynasty. They suggested that Goryeo should immediately submit a memorial to the Ming Dynasty, pay tribute, and exchange the detained Goryeo envoys and generals for them, thus establishing new diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Anyway, they were already sons of the Yuan Dynasty before, so what difference does it make who they are sons to? Now it's just a matter of changing fathers. If they can establish a relationship with the newly rising Ming Dynasty, they can still maintain their power in the country.

Wang Zhuan, of course, had different ideas from them. Upon hearing that the Great Yuan had been destroyed, he was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He was also unsure of the attitude of the newly rising Ming Dynasty towards Goryeo.

Moreover, now that the Yuan Dynasty has been destroyed, it is a great opportunity for him to purge the pro-Yuan faction in the country, seize real power, and break free from the control of the Yuan court. How could he be willing to give up this opportunity?

Wang Zhuan immediately summoned Lian Tichen, who had returned from the Ming Dynasty, and asked him about the specific situation in Dadu, as well as the specific information about the Ming emperor and the Ming army. Unexpectedly, Lian Tichen immediately ordered Wang Zhuan to shield himself from everyone around him, and not even the eunuchs, palace maids, or the queen were allowed to be present. This was because Wang Zhuan's wife was a Mongol, and many of the eunuchs around him were also pro-Yuan. Of course, he dared not let these people know about his conspiracy with Wang Zhuan.

Seeing his cautious and solemn demeanor, and given his existing trust in Lian Tichen, Wang Zhuan agreed to Lian Tichen's request. He dismissed all the guards, eunuchs, and palace maids, leaving only him and Lian Tichen present. Only then did Lian Tichen reveal the truth about the situation in Dadu.

Upon learning the truth, Wang Zhuan was shocked and horrified. He was overjoyed, shocked, and furious. He was pleased that the newly enthroned Ming emperor, Gongshu Jin, also harbored such hatred for the Tartars and wanted to join forces with him to eliminate the remaining forces and influence of the Yuan court. Gongshu Jin even took the initiative to help him kill the leaders of the pro-Yuan faction, seemingly preparing to help him purge the pro-Yuan faction and seize real power in Goryeo.

What was astonishing was that this Ming emperor, who had come from a traitorous background, had an excellent grasp of the situation in Goryeo. He directly pointed out that Goryeo was currently facing internal and external troubles: interference from the Yuan court outside, arrogance from pro-Yuan factions inside, serious land annexation within the country, widespread refugees, and frequent raids by Japanese pirates in the south, who had even almost reached the Goryeo capital.

And so they threatened them, saying that the two countries' territories would be divided according to the territory left by the Yuan Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty would inherit all the land left by the Yuan Dynasty. Even the Shuangcheng General Administration Office, which was forcibly occupied by the Yuan Dynasty, and Jeju Island would belong to the Ming Dynasty. If Goryeo dared to invade the Ming Dynasty's territory, they would be dealt with while Goryeo was beset by internal and external troubles!

In this way, Wang Zhuan's idea of ​​'recovering lost territory' naturally fell through.

The Ming army's northern expedition was too fierce. They mobilized 500,000 to 600,000 troops at once. They not only recovered Dadu and Liaodong, but also occupied a large area of ​​territory in southern Mongolia. Even the Yuan emperor and crown prince were captured alive by the Ming army and could not escape. To this day, hundreds of thousands of troops are still stationed in the north, as if they are ready to cross the river and attack them at the slightest provocation.

In this situation, how could Wang Zhuan dare not take Lu Jin's words to heart? He really dared not underestimate this fierce army that had just destroyed the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Finally, what angered everyone was that the newly enthroned Ming emperor, Gongshu Jin, was far too domineering. Not only did he kill those pro-Yuan faction leaders, but he also wiped out several Goryeo generals they had sent over. Of the thousands of Goryeo soldiers, only one hundred were released in the end; the rest were all taken prisoner. It seemed that he had no intention of returning them. Such a domineering style was simply too much!
King Jeon was furious and shocked, but fortunately, Lian Tichen was mature and prudent and quickly calmed the Goryeo king down. He explained that the most urgent task was to purge the pro-Yuan faction in the country first. The truth would eventually come out. Although he was currently concealing the news of the assassination of the pro-Yuan faction leader, he could not hide it for long. He should think of a solution as soon as possible.

Wang Zhuan then took a deep breath and immediately discussed the purge with Lian Tichen. The first priority was to secure reliable military power. Although Lu Jin had killed many Goryeo generals, Goryeo was still a military regime and had many capable generals within its borders.

Besides the generals Liu Zhuo, Yuan Hao, Luo Yingjie, and Cui Ying who were killed, there were also three generals in Goryeo at this time: Zheng Shiyun, An You, and Li Fangshi, who could command tens of thousands of troops.

In the original history, during the Longfeng Northern Expedition, after Guan Duo's central army captured Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo, it was generals Zheng Shiyun, An You, Li Fangshi, and Cui Ying who led 200,000 Goryeo troops in a counterattack, annihilating the main force of the central army in Gaegyeong. Guan Duo himself also died at their hands.

Although Cui Ying has been killed by Lu Jin, Goryeo still has three generals who can command tens of thousands of troops, so Wang Zhuan is not without capable men.

Moreover, these three men originally had no connection with the pro-Yuan faction and were trustworthy senior generals.

Wang Zhuan immediately summoned Zheng Shiyun and asked him to organize a reliable force that was free from the influence of pro-Yuan factions.

Although Zheng Shiyun had not received orders to deal with anyone directly, he immediately guessed Wang Zhuan's intentions upon hearing what Wang Zhuan said, and was immediately in a dilemma. He did not mind dealing with those pro-Yuan factions, but he was afraid of being bitten instead of killed.

We must either do nothing or go all out. We must not give the pro-Yuan faction a chance to retaliate. Otherwise, if they realize what's happening and put pressure on Wang Zhuan in the court, what if Wang Zhuan betrays them?
At this point, Zheng Shiyun made a request to Wang Zhuan to see the heads of those people. Only if these pro-Yuan leaders were really dead would he be willing to make up his mind to take action with Wang Zhuan.

Wang Zhuan hesitated upon hearing this, mainly because he also wanted to see the severed heads. The information he had received was all from Lian Tichen's side of the story. Although Wang Zhuan trusted him greatly, it was better to be cautious in such a political struggle that concerned his life and fortune.

Lian Tichen immediately informed the two that the heads were hidden at a friend's house, and asked Zheng Shiyun to send a reliable person to Sinuiju to retrieve the heads.

A few days later, after Wang Zhuan and Zheng Shiyun saw the heads of those people, the two rulers finally made up their minds to launch a purge.

Wang Zhuan first set up a trap, then suddenly attacked the key ministers of the pro-Yuan faction, fabricating charges and killing them. He then immediately ordered Zheng Shiyun to send troops to massacre the Quan family, the Lu family, and the Qi family, the maternal clan of Empress Qi. These three major families were wiped out in one fell swoop.

The remaining pro-Yuan officials in the Goryeo court immediately fell silent, too frightened to even breathe.

However, Goryeo was also going through a turbulent period, and King Jeon did not dare to go too far. He personally displayed the heads of the pro-Yuan leaders to everyone, officially declaring that the Yuan Dynasty had been destroyed and that Goryeo and the Yuan Dynasty would have no further connection. Only then did he "mercifully" spare the lives of the other pro-Yuan minor forces, warning them not to collude with foreign powers again, before letting them go.

This purge lasted for a full month. Almost all the main members of the Quan, Lu, and Qi families were killed. A few distant relatives and collateral branches were also exiled by Wang Zhuan to Daqing Island, which was also where Emperor Yuan Shundi was exiled as a child. It was considered the best place for the pro-Yuan faction to settle down.
(End of this chapter)