Fu Shanhe

Chapter 574 The Final Chapter
The Tatar royal court.

"Great Chanyu, news has come from the city: the matter is settled!"

Erd reported with delight.

For a fortified city like Nanjing, attempting to breach it from the outside would inevitably come at a heavy price.

Back then, the White Lotus rebels sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives here in order to capture Nanjing.

The grassland allied forces were not good at attacking cities, and if they insisted on a direct assault, the cost would certainly be high.

The auxiliary troops, who were the main force in the siege, had long been complaining, and there had even been several mutinies in the camp.

If the Tatar Kingdom wanted to conquer the world, its small force alone would certainly not be enough.

Even with the addition of the Guifang people, their strength was still insufficient.

In the process of conquering the world, it was inevitable to rely on the auxiliary army composed of surrendered soldiers of the Yu army.

In fact, since entering the pass, the status of the auxiliary army has been quietly rising.

It has now become an indispensable military force within the Tatar Kingdom.

"it is good!"

"Tell those spies that as long as they help me open the city gates, they will be rewarded with promotions, titles, and privileges for their wives and children."

The privileges that the Mongol Empire granted them, I can also grant them!

Hugjil immediately started making grand promises.

He had only a superficial understanding of the history of the Mongol Yuan Empire, let alone being familiar with the policies they implemented in Han-dominated areas.

If it weren't for the Yu Dynasty scholars who sought refuge with him and frequently reminisced about the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, he wouldn't have known that the Mongol Yuan Empire was so popular among the gentry.

It doesn't matter if he's not familiar with it; that doesn't stop him from making empty promises.

As for whether the promise can be fulfilled, that's a matter for after we've conquered the world.

"The Great Khan is wise!"

The crowd shouted in unison.

The Yu Dynasty people inside the tent were clearly more enthusiastic in their cheers.

It's clear that there are more than just one or two people who hope to return to the Mongol Yuan era.

Things are still relatively good now; in the early days of the Yu Dynasty, those old remnants and their descendants caused quite a stir.

The bloodshed that occurred in the early years of the Yu Dynasty was an attempt to purge the influence of the old guard and their descendants.

Unfortunately, the subsequent emperors failed to continue the policy of cracking down on such problems, allowing the toxic ideology to persist.

"General Shi and General Cao, you are most familiar with the Great Yu."

Do you think this operation will be successful?

Hugjil asked tentatively.

In order to seize power, the Tatars have devised a strategy of "using the enemy to control the enemy," which is currently being tested.

Shi Shichang and Cao Zirui were not the first Yu Dynasty officials to defect to him, but they were the most representative Yu Dynasty officials.

The former brought the remnants of the Liaodong army, while the latter surrendered the city of Yangzhou.

"In the power structure of the Great Yu Empire, the gentry group occupies the most important position."

The court's major decisions were almost all made by them.

However, this group is highly divided, with numerous groups of varying sizes formed due to conflicting interests, which frequently engage in fierce infighting.

Among them, the Qingliu Group has the greatest influence, and the Jiangnan region is their stronghold.

In previous years, his anti-tax movement angered the public and attracted the joint suppression by the noble group and various factions in the north.

The Southern political groups that had originally been allied with them also took the opportunity to kick them while they were down.

The Jiangnan gentry, outnumbered and outgunned, suffered heavy losses, which also depleted the strength of the Qingliu Party, before things finally calmed down.

The remaining Qingliu Party members are still the most important political force in the Da Yu officialdom.

However, this group has one characteristic: from top to bottom, they all like to talk but don't like to handle things.

There may be some deficiencies in its execution capabilities.

Shi Shichang offered a tactful reminder.

As a military general who had long followed the Qingliu faction, he was fully aware of their underhanded tactics.

They shout slogans with great fanfare, but when it comes to actually doing the work, they often make a complete mess of things.

Despite possessing the most abundant political resources, they have failed to produce many impressive achievements.

Back then, when they fought against the eunuch faction, they were suppressed and beaten.

Later, when they clashed with the nobility group, they were suppressed again.

Now they're at odds with the cabinet again, and they're still at a disadvantage.

It's not that the competitors are that strong, but rather that once Qingliu Group gains the upper hand, it will inevitably cause trouble.

The most typical example is the White Lotus Rebellion.

Originally, it was just to stir up some trouble, put pressure on the imperial court, and prepare for the overthrow of the eunuchs.

The eunuch faction was suppressed, but the manipulators messed things up, costing the Great Yu Empire half its life.

If it weren't for the rise of the nobility against the odds, the Great Yu Empire would have been gone long ago.

Just as the imperial court had caught its breath, they took advantage of the absence of the powerful nobles in court to successfully frame the Marquis of Wuyang, triggering a chaotic power struggle between the civil and military officials.

In order to appease the noble aristocracy, they were forced to set a precedent by allowing nobles to join the cabinet.

I thought they would learn from their mistakes, but to my surprise, a few years later they went and encouraged Emperor Yongning to personally lead the expedition.

This wave of consequences was even more severe, directly leading to Emperor Yongning, who was close to the civil official group, being forced to abdicate to quell public anger.

Even after suffering a severe blow, they still don't know how to behave themselves.

A few years later, an anti-tax movement was launched in Jiangnan, which indirectly forced the Liaodong garrison to rebel.

In a sense, the decline of the Great Yu Empire was always accompanied by the turmoil caused by the Qingliu Group.

If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that a political group could cause so much trouble in a row.

Upon suddenly finding himself on the same team as Qingliu Group once again, his first reaction was fear.

"Great Chanyu, what General Shi said is very true."

Few of the civil officials in the Yu Dynasty were reliable.

To be on the safe side, it would be best to win over a few military commanders and open the city gates directly.

Cao Zirui then delivered the final blow.

He had not participated in the major historical changes that followed, so he did not have a deep understanding of them.

However, during his time defending Yangzhou, he truly experienced the unreliability of the imperial court.

Knowing full well that the enemy was pressing in, they even dared to embezzle the money and provisions of the garrison in Yangzhou.

If supplies were plentiful, he wouldn't be in a hurry to surrender.

If Yangzhou could hold out for a few more months, the situation in the south would be very different.

"Ok!"

"What you all say makes sense; these people are indeed not up to any good."

But it doesn't matter, it's just a way to make use of waste anyway, so it doesn't matter if the operation fails.

At this moment, the people in the city are in turmoil, and the morale of the army is at its lowest.

News then spread that high-ranking officials of the court had surrendered. Even if that traitor Li Mu came in person, he wouldn't be able to hold Nanjing!

Hugjil nodded and said.

This is exactly what he wanted to see.

The essence of using Yu to control Yu is to take advantage of the internal contradictions among the people of the Yu Dynasty and guide them to fight and restrain each other.

Whether the Qingliu Party members were capable or not is not important.

The main reason they were willing to spend the effort to win them over was because of their reputation.

To conquer the world, strength alone is not enough; one also needs prestige.

Unlike Li Mu, who was known as the God of War of the Great Yu, this Tatar Chanyu had a completely negative reputation within the Great Yu territory.

In the past, he could have ignored it.

If one decides to fight for the world, then one must clear one's name.

The simplest approach is to find a person of high reputation to endorse him.

If those great Confucian scholars hadn't been tricked into going overseas, they would have been the best candidates.

Unfortunately, once the person was in Li Mu's hands, there was no way to return them. The only option was to settle for cooperating with a member of the Qingliu Party who had a good reputation.

"The Great Khan is wise!"

"Since we want to demoralize the troops in the city, why not send letters into the city under the guise of the puppet emperor? By the way, we can also borrow the names of the Kong and Meng families."

The middle-aged scholar below hurriedly offered his advice.

The Tatar Kingdom's path to conquering the world was entirely forged through bloodshed and battle; these Yu Dynasty civil officials who had come to join them had no chance to make a difference.

With Nanjing on the verge of falling, if he doesn't come up with a plan soon, he might not even have a place in the next meeting.

After all, there were too many civil officials in Nanjing.

Whether in terms of status, position, or personal reputation, none of them can compare to him, this nobody.

"Ok!"

"You are in charge of this matter. Any means are acceptable as long as they can damage the morale of the troops in the city."

Remember to first use the puppet emperor's name to bestow the title of Duke Yansheng upon the man surnamed Kong, and then bestow the title again in my name.

"That brat Yongning lacks magnanimity, even stingy with the title of Duke Yansheng. I, however, am not stingy."

Hugjil said casually.

In bestowing official titles and ranks, he was far more generous than the Great Yu Empire.

The only problem is that these titles are not very prestigious, and even within the Tatar Kingdom, they are not widely recognized.

Any Tatar general could disregard these Yu Ren nobles and dukes.

The main reason for choosing this time to confer the title of Duke Yansheng was to wash away the infamy of massacring the Duke Yansheng lineage back then.

It's infuriating to think about. They just wanted to rob someone, but who knew that the previous Duke Yansheng would be so unlucky as to die from serious injuries?

Given that the Great Yu dynasty had investigated and confiscated the property of all branches of the Kong family after the war on charges of colluding with the enemy, and had also dealt with the title of Duke Yansheng in a cold shoulder, he strongly suspected that it was an internal power struggle within the Great Yu dynasty.

The meat was all eaten by the powerful and wealthy of Da Yu, but the blame was all pinned on him. Just thinking about it makes me feel so aggrieved.

After dragging it out until now, the opportunity to clear their name has finally arrived.

The Kong family members all stepped forward to prove that they did not kill the previous Duke Yansheng, so what else could the others say?

"The Great Khan is wise!"

The crowd shouted in unison again.

……

Nanjing City.

The atmosphere in the court was off from the very beginning of the morning court session.

The shift from nine emperors standing side by side to ten emperors ascending to the heavens was incredibly stimulating for everyone.

Throughout the entire history of China, no one has ever been so adept at playing games.

This farce is destined to be recorded in history, and as witnesses to it, no one can be truly happy about it.

Even the most loyal followers of the Great Yu Dynasty realized at this moment that the imperial court was doomed.

Defeat on the battlefield can be overcome by fighting back, but once people's hearts change, it's truly over.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that a member of the royal family has declared himself emperor, which is shaking the foundation of our Great Yu Kingdom."

The Censorate recommended that the court immediately issue an edict ordering local governors and viceroys to organize a swift and decisive crackdown to intimidate the people!

Left Censor-in-Chief Shu Jinglun was the first to fire the cannon.

Although he sided with the Northern Barbarians, he has not yet joined them; he is now the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Great Yu.

When faced with such acts that trample on imperial power and shake the stability of the country, it is natural to state one's position.

To make the performance more convincing, he even convened the censors before the morning court session to reach a consensus.

"Lord Shu, you are right!"

"No matter who it is, if they dare to declare themselves emperor, the court must punish them severely."

……

In the blink of an eye, a unified call for war and slaughter had formed in the imperial court.

As for why so many members of the imperial family declared themselves emperors, and why they all chose to do so at the same time, everyone tacitly chose to turn a blind eye.

You can think whatever you want about things without evidence, but you can't just say things out loud.

The unprecedented unity among the civil and military officials completely baffled the young emperor on the dragon throne.

One by one, they all consulted him, but the problem was, when had he ever made a decision for the imperial court?

In the past, all matters, big or small, were decided by the officials through discussion, and his opinion was not important at all.

Now, all the officials were throwing questions at him at once, which was really putting him in a difficult position.

The courtiers knew that doing so was immoral, but now it was the princes and nobles of the imperial family who were rebelling and declaring themselves emperors.

Once an order is given to suppress them, it will inevitably involve a large number of members of the royal family.

The more chaotic the times, the more necessary it is to use swift and decisive measures to deter others.

The news spread so fast that before the imperial court could make a decision, it had already caused a great uproar throughout the city.

The cabinet's attempt to handle the matter discreetly is simply not feasible.

At this point in the situation, whoever gave the order will bear the infamy of slaughtering the royal family.

But things couldn't be delayed any longer.

If the response is slow, some local officials might defect to the fake emperor for personal gain.

Once this trend takes hold, the legitimacy of the Nanjing court will be seriously challenged, and the power held by the officials in the court will also be rendered useless.

Among the main reasons given by these pseudo-emperors for their rebellion, one common one is that in chaotic times, "the country relies on a long-lasting ruler."

In their proclamations of condemnation, each official portrayed the Nanjing court as traitors and rebels.

They were accused of supporting a young emperor solely to seize power.

Lies may not hurt, but the truth is a deadly weapon.

The fact that the young second son of the Prince of Changsha was able to ascend to the throne was not only due to balancing the various factions in the court, but also largely a product of everyone's selfish motives.

Once the truth is exposed, even the best self-control will crumble.

"Your Majesty, all the officials are waiting for your reply!"

The eunuch's whispered reminder pulled the young emperor back from his daze.

After hesitating for a moment, he said in a trembling voice:

"Oh, then let it be as you all say!"

The scene before them, in the eyes of the officials who had been bribed by the Northern barbarians, was a sign of a lack of the qualities of a ruler.

My initial anxiety immediately subsided.

"I will obey your orders!"

Having received the emperor's permission, the courtiers immediately responded.

Although doing so was somewhat unethical, at least the blame was shifted to someone else.

In the future, it could be recorded in history books with great fanfare: Upon hearing of the imperial clan's plot to rebel, the emperor was furious and ordered their execution.

"The frequent emergence of false emperors has caused widespread panic in the city."

"My lords, what strategy do you have to appease the people?"

After the brief interlude ended, Wan Huaijin decisively moved on to the next topic.

Suppressing the false emperor is urgent, but appeasing the people in the city is of paramount importance.

"Your Excellency, the Northern barbarians are despicable and shameless."

Letters were continuously being sent into the city, and the news had already spread.

Despite our repeated denials, we were still unable to reassure the soldiers and civilians in the city.

To boost morale, we request the imperial court to allocate one million taels of silver to reward the officers and soldiers defending the city!

The Duke of Chu spoke first.

Talking empty words is useless; the soldiers don't care about grand principles, they only care about money.

No amount of flowery talk can compare to the effectiveness of a pot of braised pork.

Unfortunately, with the enemy besieging the city, even if the imperial court were willing to spend money, it wouldn't be able to find that much pork in the city.

Even if the troops could only offer some rice and flour at this moment, the supply would be limited.

Saying that there's plenty of wine and meat is just a layman's talk.

It has nothing to do with money. The main issue is that with current productivity, even if wealthy and powerful families made selfless contributions, it would be impossible to achieve this.

Pork, mutton, and beef have long been removed from the market.

Even the ministers in the imperial court, if they wanted to eat meat at this moment, could only get cured pork.

(End of this chapter)