Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 531 A subject has disgraced the emperor's favor

The religious chaos in Fujian at the end of the Yuan Dynasty had reached an unbelievable level; Fujian could even be compared to a religious museum, where anything imaginable could be found.

For example, there's Christianity left over from the Song Dynasty, Hinduism from Southeast Asia, and Judaism brought over by the Semu people of the Yuan Dynasty, which wears blue hats and is called the Blue Religion. There are all sorts of religions, so many that it's a bizarre mix. There are even quite a few black people in Quanzhou, which is just outrageous.
In addition, the Yuan Dynasty's four-class system meant that among the diverse groups in Fujian, the "Southern Han Chinese" were at the very bottom, suffering all kinds of oppression from these foreign tribes.

Given this situation, the imperial court certainly couldn't afford not to make a strong effort to rectify the situation. Naturally, this was the main focus of the attack on Fujian. Militarily speaking, they didn't pose much of a threat to the Shengwu Army.

Seeing that everyone readily agreed, Lu Jin then instructed Yu Yunzhou, who was present, "Violently suppressing and destroying all kinds of cults is the job of the army, but how to deal with the remaining followers and how to confiscate the heretical scriptures of various cults is your task as the Right Provincial Governor."

"At that time, we can encourage the people to report, whether it is between relatives or neighbors. Once someone is reported to have cult scriptures in their home, the main culprit and his/her whole family will be exiled and all their property will be confiscated. The court will not take a penny. All the proceeds from the confiscation will be given to the informant. We must make good use of the power of the people so that these evil heretics have nowhere to hide. Do you understand?"

Yu Yunzhou quickly cupped his hands and said, "Understood, Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered."

"Hmm." Lu Jin nodded, then looked at Fang Guozhen, Liao Yongzhong, and the others.

"Don't delay too long this time. Set off tomorrow. The Second Army has been resting in Jiankang for four or five months, and its combat strength should have recovered well. Don't give me any excuse to delay."

"Especially Fang Guozhen and Liao Yongzhong, your flanking force will be taking the sea route, and by June, it will be the typhoon season in the western Pacific. Taking the sea route will no longer be safe. You will depart from Hangzhou and arrive in Quanzhou in a few days. After Fang Guozhen's fleet arrives in Quanzhou and Liao Yongzhong's flanking force lands, you need to make arrangements in advance as to find shelter from the storm to avoid major losses."

"Military operations are nothing more than the right time, the right place, and the right people. We must calculate the impact of the right time in advance. Fang Guozhen, you are known as the Sea Spirit by the people of Taizhou. I suppose you don't need me to remind you about the typhoon."

"Your Majesty, I am well aware of the power of typhoons. Thank you for your instructions. I will make proper arrangements for the naval fleet's itinerary and the preparation of shelters. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Well then, I don't have any arrangements for your journey. You can hold a small meeting to discuss the marching speed of the two armies, set a date for their rendezvous, and then prepare to set off."

"I will obey your orders!"

After Zhu Liangzu and the others left, Lu Jin kept Chang Yuchun and Shi Heng, the chief instructor of the Fifth Army, behind and gave them some special instructions.

Attacking Guangdong and Guangxi was not a big deal for Chang Yuchun, who had fought many major battles. Moreover, the Guangdong warlord He Zhen was not a formidable enemy. The key was the geographical location of Guangdong and Guangxi, which was extremely important.

Guangxi, in particular, borders the "Da Yue Kingdom" to the south and Yunnan to the west. Yunnan is currently under the control of the Liang King of the Yuan Dynasty and the Duan family of Dali. With the two joining forces, they can muster an army of over 100,000, making them a formidable enemy that cannot be ignored.

Lu Jin immediately instructed the two men, "This time when you march into Guangdong and Guangxi, use military force as a secondary measure and appeasement as the primary means. Especially Qiongzhou Island, don't forget that I still have a great use for this island."

"Secondly, after advancing into Guangxi, you must immediately begin to investigate and mark the border between Guangxi and Annam. Annam is still full of treacherous intentions. In recent years, they have invaded Champa in the south and Guangxi in the north. However, they only dare to occupy land secretly and do not dare to openly wage war against our Great Ming. But you must still be prepared for the two countries to be enemies for a long time and confront each other on the border."

"I can give you a heads-up here: regardless of whether Annam is prepared to submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute, I will not accept it, much less bestow titles upon them. Annam is an integral part of the Han and Tang territories, and I will take it back sooner or later. You don't need to make this public; just keep it to yourselves."

Chang Yuchun and Shi Heng exchanged a glance upon hearing this, and immediately nodded, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will always keep this in mind."

"Well, then there's Yunnan. The Liang King of Yunnan, Bazalawarmi, is a die-hard. He still has nearly 100,000 troops under his command, and he will never be easily pacified."

"And then there's the Duan family of Dali. The Duan family does seem to want to submit, but only on the condition that I allow them to continue ruling Dali and become local emperors in Yunnan. But how can I tolerate the existence of a country within a country? Sooner or later, there will be another great war in Yunnan!"
"After you advance into Guangdong and Guangxi, you should send at least one army to garrison the border area between Guangxi and Yunnan. At the same time, do not slacken your training and you can also send out elite scouts to scout out the situation in Yunnan in advance."

"Once we have pacified Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Sichuan this year, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I plan to launch the Yunnan campaign next year."

"At that time, I will send the Second Army, which has finished fighting in Fujian, to be the main force for the conquest of Yunnan. They will attack from the front. At that time, your Fifth Army will also need to provide some support from the Guangxi direction. Although you will not send out your main force, you should make preparations in advance."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand," Chang Yuchun replied, bowing once more.

"Well, then there's the issue of civil administration. After you advance into Guangdong and Guangxi, Shi Heng will temporarily act as the Provincial Treasurer of Guangdong and Guangxi. As for the local officials, I will immediately send them to Guangdong and Guangxi after this year's imperial examinations are over. But before these civil officials arrive, I don't expect you to achieve any political achievements. Just keep Guangdong and Guangxi stable and prevent any trouble. Do you understand?"

Shi Heng quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject understands."

"That's settled then. You all prepare yourselves and set off immediately. First, head to southern Jiangxi to join up with Liao Yongjian and Deng Shunxing's 10th Army Group. Also, take Xiong Tianrui, who recently joined us, with you. Keep an eye on him. Then, make arrangements for the advance plan and march towards Guangdong and Guangxi immediately. Don't delay too long."

"Yes, Your Majesty, please rest assured!" Chang Yuchun and Shi Heng immediately stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and then withdrew.

After all the generals left, Lu Jin had Feng Guoyong, Xia Yu, and others explain the plan to advance into Sichuan again.

Of the five army groups of the Holy Martial Army, half of Liao Yong'an's First Army Group is stationed in Shanxi, Hetao, and southern Inner Mongolia. The other half, namely the Fourth Army Group under Miao Daheng, has remained in the Yiling (Yichang) area since the end of the last Henan-Hunan-Jiangxi Campaign, and was not even taken on the Northern Expedition.

Miao Daheng's Fourth Army Group was originally intended by Lu Jin to attack Sichuan, and now it is finally going to be put to use.

Feng Guoyong's plan for the Sichuan campaign was relatively simple: a two-pronged attack. One force, led by Miao Daheng's Fourth Army Group, would advance from Yichang upstream along the Yangtze River into the Sichuan Basin. The other force would be Yu Tingyu's Fourth Front Army. During the previous Northern Expedition, the Fourth Front Army had sent a division under Fu Youde as a detachment, advancing from Chencang to Hanzhong. This time, Fu Youde would again serve as a detachment, leading a division from Hanzhong through Micang to attack Bazhong, then from Bazhong to Langzhong, and finally from Langzhong directly into the heart of Chengdu.

The reason for not taking the Jinniu Road is because of Jianmen Pass there. Throughout history, no army has ever been able to break through Jianmen Pass from the front. The terrain there is so despairing that just looking at it makes one feel hopeless. In comparison, the Micang Road is much easier to travel than the Jinniu Road. Once you enter the Chengdu Plain, it is flat and unobstructed. The only drawback is that it is a bit more roundabout than the Jinniu Road.

However, the terrain of the Micang Road is also rugged and difficult to traverse. This detachment from Hanzhong is a surprise force, so it does not require many troops. One division is enough, and at most one or two Imperial Guard regiments can be added.

In addition, the main force of the Yuan army in Sichuan led by Dashibadulu had already been annihilated by the Shengwu Army in the Jingmen area. Sichuan is now sparsely populated and has a weak military force. It is uncertain whether there are any troops left to continue the resistance.

This Sichuan campaign was less of a campaign and more of an armed training march. As long as the two armies reached Chengdu, it would be considered a victory. It was estimated that there would be no real hard fighting. Therefore, Lu Jin did not take it seriously and did not need to summon the relevant generals back to the capital for a special meeting to give them instructions.

Give direct orders to Miao Daheng and Yu Tingyu, instructing them to launch the Sichuan campaign on June 1st of this year, in accordance with the operational plan formulated by the Privy Council. It is currently mid-March, and there are still more than two months for them to send messages and make preparations by June 1st, which is more than enough time for them to use.

Despite launching campaigns in Fujian, Guangdong, and Sichuan simultaneously this year, the intensity of these three campaigns is far less than that of the previous Henan-Hunan-Jiangxi Campaign, the Central Plains Campaign, and the Northern Expedition. After all, the Central Plains Campaign and the Northern Expedition were over, and the main Yuan army forces that needed to be eliminated had long been eliminated. The remaining local warlords were no match for the Shengwu Army. This is why Lu Jin dared to launch attacks on three fronts at the same time.

After explaining the battle plan and the mission's return visit to Goryeo, the first half of the second year of the founding of the Ming Dynasty was spent in busy work.

In late March, the investiture delegation led by Luo Guanzhong returned to Goryeo by ship on time with Lian Tichen. Lian Tichen looked sickly. During this mission to the Ming Dynasty, he had not accomplished any of the tasks entrusted to him by Wang Zhuan. It was pitiful that he was over fifty years old and had been greatly angered by Lu Jin, who had extorted so much tribute from Goryeo. He didn't know how to explain this to Wang Zhuan when he returned.

However, as long as Goryeo doesn't dare to turn against the Ming Dynasty, no matter how resentful they are, they can only grit their teeth and swallow their anger.

On the Ming side, after Lu Jin issued the three-directional campaign orders, the main forces of Zhu Liangzu and Liao Yongzhong's Second Army also began to assemble at the front line. Since Chuzhou Road had voluntarily surrendered, it automatically became the southernmost part of Zhejiang under the control of the Ming, and the campaign would naturally begin from here.

On the side led by Zhu Liangzu and Feng Sheng, the main force split into two routes. Feng Sheng led half of the main force, starting from Lishui in Chuzhou Road, passing through Qingtian and Wenzhou, and then advancing south along the coastal plains, pushing all the way towards Fuzhou.

Zhu Liangzu led the other half of the main force, starting from Yongfeng (Guangfeng) next to Shangrao, and crossed the plain between Wuyi Mountain and Xianxia Ridge. First, they attacked Pucheng, then took the entire Jianning Road (Jian'ou), and then continued to sweep Yanping Road (Nanping). Finally, they turned east from Nanping, attacked Fuzhou along the Minjiang River, and went to Fuzhou to join forces with Feng Sheng. After the two armies joined forces, they continued to push southward to Putian.

Quanzhou was then handed over to Liao Yongzhong's detachment and Fang Guozhen's navy.

Once Fuzhou and Quanzhou, the two core cities of Fujian, are captured, the remaining areas such as Zhangzhou and Changting can be pacified with a simple proclamation. Then, the religious activities throughout the province can be gradually eradicated.

Meanwhile, Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army Group had to first go to southern Jiangxi to join Liao Yongjian's Tenth Army Group before it could officially advance towards Guangzhou. They still had a long way to go, and it was estimated that they would have to wait until the same time as Sichuan to launch their attack.

In late April of that year, just as the fighting had begun in Fujian, Luo Guanzhong's delegation, along with Lian Tichen, arrived in Goryeo by ship.

Moreover, their return route was quite interesting. The delegation traveled on ships of the Ming Dynasty navy. After heading north from the mouth of the Yangtze River, they first stopped and rested for a day in Jiaozhou Bay, Shandong. Instead of going to Liaodong, they crossed the entire Yellow Sea directly from Jiaozhou and arrived at Ganghwa Island near Gaegyeong, Goryeo. They actually went directly to the Goryeo capital by sea!
Although such a route is somewhat dangerous, such as the possibility of encountering Japanese pirates along the way, the ships of the Ming Dynasty navy are large, so if they do not engage in combat with the Japanese pirates, there is not too much to worry about. On the contrary, the benefits of this route are much greater, namely, it can be used to subtly intimidate Goryeo.

If the Ming Dynasty really wants to attack you, don't think that the Ming Dynasty can only go south through Liaodong and Shuangcheng General Administration. It can also take the sea route from Shandong and directly bring its troops to the gates of Gaegyeong, Goryeo. This is both a deterrent and a way of telling the Goryeo monarch and his officials that your concern that Shuangcheng General Administration is a threat to Goryeo in the hands of the Ming Dynasty is completely unnecessary. Do you think that without Shuangcheng General Administration, the Ming Dynasty has no way to deal with you?
Lian Tichen could naturally see the purpose behind Lu Jin's arrangement, and at the same time, he was so angry that he cursed inwardly. Is this how you comfort people? It would be better not to comfort them at all. Isn't this saying that Goryeo is full of flaws and that their desire to resist the Ming Dynasty is just self-deception?
Well, that's certainly a valid point. After all, Goryeo is a peninsula country. From a purely land warfare perspective, Goryeo still has thousands of miles of land depth. However, if the Ming Dynasty had a sizable navy, Goryeo would have almost no strategic depth, and the Ming Dynasty could land on any of Goryeo's coastlines at any time.

On April 26, the mission landed directly in Gaegyeong. Wang Zhuan was greatly shocked to see that the Ming mission had arrived in Gaegyeong. He first had Luo Guanzhong and others settled in before immediately summoning Lian Tichen.

“Mr. Kai, what’s going on? Why did you and the Ming delegation land directly in Kaijing without informing the country beforehand?”

Lian Tichen immediately knelt on the ground with a thud and burst into tears, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. My mission to the Ming Dynasty has truly disgraced Your Majesty."

Wang Zhuan's face immediately turned pale, and he hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened?"

Lian Tichen then tearfully recounted the details of the negotiations, causing Wang Zhuan's face to turn pale and then red, filled with anger, fear, but mostly helplessness.

“He won’t return the two prefectures of Xianxing and Yongxing, and he’s using the four commanderies of Han as leverage. Does he really intend to start a war with Goryeo?” Wang Zhuan murmured, trembling all over.

Lian Tichen quickly raised his head, "That's not the case. I think the Ming emperor was just using the four Han prefectures as an excuse, but in reality, he was just looking for a reason not to return Xianxing and Yongxing prefectures."

Wang Zhuan breathed a sigh of relief, but then said helplessly, "He still demands so many tributes. I can still find a way to get him 20,000 horses, but where am I supposed to find 20,000 tribute women?"

At this moment, Zheng Shiyun, who had been silent until now, hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, but still offered a suggestion.

"Your Majesty need not worry. Since the Ming emperor also said that these 20,000 tribute women are for rewarding the soldiers and not for the emperor himself, there is no need to make special selections. They don't need to be from noble families; any woman will do."

"Now there are displaced people all over Goryeo. The court can open the granaries to distribute food and provide relief to the disaster victims. They can also buy some women from the disaster victims. In this way, it won't be difficult to gather 20,000 tribute women. Anyway, there are plenty of disaster victims who sell their children for a bite of food."

Wang Zhuan was taken aback upon hearing this, frowned, and then said, "That is indeed a solution."

(End of this chapter)