Fu Shanhe

Chapter 579 Receiving the Political Legacy
As soon as the figures for the funds raised were announced, cries of anguish immediately filled the city of Nanjing.

The official purpose was to send them out to raise funds, but the problem was that they were trapped in Nanjing. Where else could they raise funds besides paying out of their own pockets?
The worst off are the idle officials who have no real power and limited daily income.

But the Tatars didn't care about all that; once the task was assigned, it had to be completed.

Those who fail to complete the task will have their homes confiscated, and those who deserve execution will be beheaded.

Wealthy officials are equally unhappy.

Since the northern barbarians attacked, his businesses have been severely impacted.

No matter how high the profits are, they cannot withstand the chaos and turmoil of war.

Especially after he defected to the Northern Barbarians, local officials stopped coming to pay their respects, and the previous tributes were cut off.

With their savings dwindling and the threat of extortion from the northern barbarians looming, everyone was filled with anxiety.

If officials are in such a state, the lives of local gentry and common people are even more miserable.

In order to gather enough food for their army, the Tatars plundered the local areas relentlessly.

Those who cannot produce the money and grain will immediately face the punishment of having their homes confiscated and their entire family exterminated.

Even if the money and grain are paid in full, a new grain collection team will come to the door in a few days.

So much so that even before the decisive battle began, a large number of people fled from the areas controlled by the Northern Barbarians.

Having witnessed the atrocities committed by the northern barbarians, the fundraising efforts for the loyalist army suddenly became much smoother.

The local gentry, who had been attracted by the promises made by the Northern barbarians, were instantly brought back to reality.

The lesser of two evils.

Although both armies were plundered, the loyalist army was more discreet and managed to leave behind some spoils.

The northern barbarians not only devoured them completely, but also crushed their bones and extracted their fat.

……

Hangzhou Prefecture, the camp of the loyalist army.

"Reporting to the Marquis, bad news has arrived from the north: the northern barbarians breached Nanjing five days ago."

Six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Duke of Chu, the Duke of Wei, the Marquis of Weiyuan, and over a thousand other loyal and righteous men, along with the emperor, drowned themselves in the river and died for their country.

Left Censor-in-Chief Shu Jinglun, Vice Minister of Revenue Zhai Congshuang, Vice Minister of War Gu Tianyou... led the officials to surrender to the Northern barbarians.

......"

Lan Linjie reported excitedly.

After waiting and waiting, we finally received this exciting news.

With the fall of Nanjing and the death of the emperor, the Great Yu Empire, which had lasted for three hundred years, was destroyed.

The last moral shackles that had been weighing on their lord vanished.

Without the shackles and constraints, the struggle for the world will then be a matter of each person relying on their own means.

Judging from the current situation, there are only three forces involved in the struggle for power.

An anti-king alliance entrenched in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, northern Hubei and Hunan, and northern Jiangxi.

The Tatars who occupied parts of Liaodong, Beizhili, Shandong, and some prefectures in Nanzhili.

And the Marquis of Hanshui who occupied Southeast Asia, the Indochina Peninsula, and Guangdong and Guangxi.

This power distribution underwent a dramatic change with the fall of the Great Yu Empire.

While the Northern Barbarians' annihilation of the Great Yu Empire may seem glorious, the one who truly inherited the Great Yu Empire's legacy was Li Mu, who raised an army to defend the emperor.

Fujian, Zhejiang, Huguang, Jiangxi, and parts of Southern Zhili were nominally part of Dayu territory, but with the arrival of the loyalist army, actual control had shifted to Li Mu.

"Pass down the order to have the logistics department prepare the altar and mourning clothes."

Tomorrow, the entire army will wear mourning clothes; I will bid farewell to His Majesty and all the loyal and righteous men!

Li Mu gave the order with a sorrowful expression.

Watching helplessly as the Great Yu Empire, which had lasted for three hundred years, came to an end, he was deeply conflicted.

Recalling his early days in office, when he risked his life for the Great Yu Dynasty, he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

"My lord, what should we do with the families of those traitors?"

Xiang Xinghan asked.

Having inherited the legacy of the Great Yu, and with so many officials in Nanjing defecting to the Northern Barbarians, it's natural that some of their families remained under their rule.

Choosing sides in chaotic times comes at a price. Although the Great Yu Empire is gone, it doesn't mean their betrayal goes unpunished.

According to the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, treason is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

First, the properties of the entire clan of the surrendered officials were confiscated, and all those involved in the case were detained.

If someone abandons darkness and seeks redemption, and performs meritorious service to atone for their crimes, their family members may be spared the death penalty.

If we follow this path to the bitter end, after we recapture Nanjing, we'll use their heads to appease the late emperor.

Li Mu replied expressionlessly.

In the final years of a dynasty, it was to be expected that officials would defect.

Relatively speaking, the bureaucratic group of the Great Yu Empire performed quite well.

During the empire's time of crisis, several reforms were launched to save it from peril, and although they all ended in failure, everyone did make an effort.

Even when the empire collapsed, there were still so many loyal and righteous people willing to die alongside the emperor.

Perhaps there are various schemes hidden behind this, but a wise person judges by actions, not intentions.

Loyal and righteous people deserve praise, while traitors deserve severe punishment.

I receive the emperor's salary and share his burdens.

Everyone under heaven may surrender to the enemy, except for princes, nobles, and civil and military officials!

The Great Yu Dynasty was incapable of purging them, but he, the heir to the empire, was.

……

Nanchang Prefecture.

"It's over!"

"The sky is falling!"

Upon receiving news of the fall of Nanjing, Chai Tianyou's mind went completely blank.

Having served as an official in the Great Yu Dynasty his entire life, he simply couldn't accept the sudden collapse of the Great Yu Empire.

"Your Excellency, the nation is in peril; you must pull yourself together!"

Wang, the advisor standing nearby, hurriedly offered some advice.

Even though the imperial court is gone, life must go on.

Although Jiangxi did not need to directly face the threat of the northern barbarians, the southward-moving Central Plains rebels were also a major enemy.

"What's the use of cheering up?"

"For the sake of the overall situation, I hereby hand over all military command authority within the province to the Marquis of Hanshui for unified command."

Do you think these powers can be regained now that the imperial court is gone?

Chai Tianyou said with a bitter expression.

They thought it was just routine cooperation, but they never expected that this temporary cooperation would give away all their chips.

When the imperial court was in power, everyone worked together as colleagues.

Now that the imperial court is gone, everyone is going their own way.

Given the Marquis of Hanshui's prestige in the army, it's a pipe dream to think he can get back the military power he's given away.

The governor of Jiangxi, who had no military power, had no choice in the face of chaos.

"Your Excellency, what seems like a misfortune may actually be a blessing in disguise!"

"The chaotic world has arrived. Looking at the whole world, the three most likely to seize the world are the Marquis of Hanshui, the Northern Barbarians, and the rebels."

Everyone knows what kind of people the rebels and the northern barbarians are. For the sake of your reputation, you must not get involved with them.

The Marquis of Hanshui is the only option; it would be better to seize this opportunity, go first, and gain merit by following the emperor's lead.

Master Wang smiled and offered his advice.

When the Great Yu Empire existed, even if people had ideas, they would suppress their ambitions.

Now that the empire has vanished, whether the Marquis of Hanshui likes it or not, he will step into the limelight.

The chaos has fully begun, and it's time for a new round of power reshuffling. In times like these, choosing sides is more important than hard work.

As a secretary, he had no choice, but Governor Chai did.

Regardless of which side it is, the defection of a high-ranking official like the governor to the capital would bring positive effects.

Even if he doesn't get a title or a high-ranking position, at the very least he can earn the merit of following the emperor's lead.

If you're lucky and make some contributions, you might even be able to join the ranks of the founding nobles.

As for going further and becoming the core of the startup team, they are already several steps behind.

"This……"

When faced with a crucial decision, Chai Tianyou suddenly hesitated.

In chaotic times, all sorts of unexpected events can happen.

A major battle that will determine the course of the world is about to break out, and choosing sides at this time also carries political risks.

"My lord, this is an opportunity that will not come again!"

Seeing that his master was unable to make up his mind, Master Wang immediately urged him.

Frankly speaking, if he had a better option, he wouldn't want to follow Li Mu.

The practices of the Annam Protectorate had a tremendous impact on Confucian scholars.

Although the Four Books and Five Classics still exist, the specific interpretations of the classics have become unrecognizable in many places.

The privileges of scholars were completely abolished.

Unfortunately, his rivals, who stood on the opposite side of the Marquis of Hanshui, were truly unhelpful.

The northern barbarians slaughtered their way south.

Discussing the great path of sages with these barbarians is like casting pearls before swine.

Despite having ample experience in rebellion, the anti-king alliance's thinking remains stuck at the level of bandits, and they wiped out the local gentry they controlled.

Compared to its competitors, the Marquis of Hanshui, who advocated reform and sought to cultivate the intellectual community, became the best choice.

The imperial examination system was reformed, and Confucian classics were reinterpreted, but the method of selecting talent through examinations remained unchanged.

For scholars, the bottom line was a smooth path to officialdom through the imperial examinations; the specific content of the examinations was negotiable. Since the inception of the imperial examination system, almost every dynasty has adjusted the examination content.

So many founding emperors did it, the Marquis of Hanshui simply made a more in-depth adjustment.

He could only console himself with the thought that he couldn't fight city hall.

"Enough, sir. Draft a memorial for me. I intend to enthrone the Marquis of Hanshui as emperor!"

Chai Tianyou's reply startled Master Wang.

Just moments ago he was hesitating about whether to join the Marquis of Hanshui, but in the blink of an eye he was already thinking about how to gain merit in supporting him.

"Your Excellency, isn't this too fast?"

"The late emperor has just died; even if the Marquis of Hanshui had ideas, he wouldn't act so quickly."

Master Wang couldn't help but offer his advice.

He could understand the desire to claim credit for his support, but such eagerness was excessive.

The young emperor's body is barely cold, and they're already in a hurry to change masters. If word gets out, their reputation will be ruined.

"Don't worry, there have been people who have been convicted for various reasons throughout history, but I have never heard of anyone being convicted for urging someone to ascend the throne."

I am neither a direct descendant of the Marquis of Hanshui nor possess any extraordinary talent. If I want the Marquis of Hanshui to remember me, the only way is to take an unconventional path.

Now that this memorial has been submitted, I am the first high-ranking official to urge him to ascend the throne.

Even if he were punished by the Marquis of Hanshui, it would not diminish the political significance of his persuasion to ascend the throne.

Later, when the governors and viceroys of the various provinces realized what was happening, this good opportunity was no longer available to me!

Chai Tianyou said confidently.

His years of experience in officialdom taught him that when it comes to political alignment, one should either not take a position at all, or if one does, one must go all out.

Being hesitant and timid when it comes to stating one's position because of concerns about one's reputation is a major taboo for officials.

As for whether he will be branded a petty and treacherous person, that depends mainly on the Marquis of Hanshui's opinion of him.

After all, the contents of official documents are strictly confidential, and as long as the Marquis of Hanshui does not want them to be leaked, the outside world will not know.

……

As news of Nanjing's fall spread, similar scenes unfolded across various regions.

After overcoming the initial period of panic, officials in various regions began to look for ways out.

Officials in the areas where the loyalist army was stationed immediately pledged their loyalty to Li Mu.

Even the few die-hard loyalists of the Great Yu Empire were powerless to help in the face of the morale shock brought about by the empire's collapse.

The members of the imperial family were even more terrified, rushing to change their names and surnames, fearing that they would be purged as remnants of the previous dynasty.

In order to survive in the chaos of war, many people sold their family businesses at a discount and joined the ranks of those who went to Southeast Asia.

During this process, some members of the imperial clan also chose to go against the tide, attempting to turn the tide.

Unfortunately, the political prestige of the Great Yu Dynasty was completely exhausted during the previous round of the Ten Emperors' Ascension.

Before they could even gather their troops, they were met with the iron fist of the local government.

The succession of imperial power requires legitimacy, but even more so, it requires strength.

To think that one could gain the support of the entire nation simply by virtue of being a member of the imperial family is nothing but a pipe dream.

If turning the tide were that simple, then there wouldn't have been only one major resurgence during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, among so many unified dynasties in history.

Nanjing City.

As the loyalist army drew ever closer, the Tatar kingdom's leadership also felt the pressure.

"Great Chanyu, the enemy is attacking from four directions; they are courting death."

On the battlefield, speed is of the essence. As long as we attack fast enough, we can defeat them one by one!

Arutan Wanhu solemnly advised.

From the map, the Tatar Kingdom and the anti-monarchy alliance appear to occupy a vast territory, but the people in these areas are suffering from poverty and hardship.

The economically prosperous and agriculturally developed regions were basically within the control area of ​​the Marquis of Hanshui.

The army now supporting the emperor is building a strategic encirclement around the Nanjing-Zhenjiang line.

The longer the time drags on, the more solid the encirclement will become.

Even before the two sides had started fighting, they had already put enormous psychological pressure on the Tatar Kingdom.

"Arutanwanhu, you're thinking too simply."

The temperature is so high that we feel stuffy inside the main hall.

Do you think it's possible to have soldiers wearing armor and fighting against the enemy under the scorching sun?
Even if the soldiers can overcome the difficulties, the warhorses can't take it!
Even with daily watering to cool the warhorses, over a thousand still died of heatstroke in the two months leading up to summer.

If we were to engage the enemy in a decisive battle at this point, the cavalry would be worn out before the battle even ended!

Interior Minister Sarina immediately objected.

In a decisive battle during the sweltering summer, the cavalry would face the greatest pressure, yet their greatest advantage would also lie in their cavalry.

Launching a decisive battle at this point would be tantamount to abandoning the advantage of cavalry.

What's worse is that their abandonment of cavalry advantage doesn't mean the enemy's cavalry is also rendered useless.

The warhorses from the north have just arrived and are not yet adapted to the southern climate, but the warhorses that grew up in the south can.

A similar problem was encountered when the Mongol Yuan Empire marched south.

There are two solutions: either give the soldiers and horses ample time to adapt, or launch an attack in a different season.

If they launch a major war regardless of the actual difficulties, it won't be long before their cavalry are turned into infantry.

"Humph!"

"If we remain inactive, the enemy won't stay idle."

Earlier you said that as long as we take Nanjing and destroy the Great Yu Empire, we can break the morale of the Yu army.

Now that Nanjing has been captured and the Great Yu Empire has been destroyed, what will be the final outcome?

The Yu army in various regions not only did not collapse, but their morale soared after they sided with the Marquis of Hanshui.

If no action is taken soon, my southern expedition, launched at any cost, will have been nothing more than a boon to that scoundrel Li Mu!

Arutan said indignantly.

After capturing Nanjing, the Great Yu Empire was indeed doomed, and none of its anticipated strategic goals were achieved.

As they delved deeper into the inventory, they were dismayed to discover that the corrupt officials of the Yu Dynasty were even deceiving their own people.

Not only was the quantity of stockpiled supplies less than expected, but there were also serious problems with their quality.

The warehouse was filled with grain on top, but it turned into mud on the bottom.

Interrogation of the officials in charge of guarding the warehouse revealed that during the siege of Nanjing, grain prices had skyrocketed, and these people had resold off the stored grain in order to make huge profits.

In the past, this kind of behavior would harm the Great Yu Empire, and they would be happy to see it fail.

Now that these supplies have become their spoils of war, the Tatar leadership can no longer smile.

Although the money earned from selling grain eventually ends up in their hands, it's easy to turn grain into money these days, but difficult to turn money into grain!
After the fall of the Great Yu Empire, the most important grain-producing areas all fell into the hands of Li Mu, who imposed the strictest embargo on them.

Even transporting a single grain of rice across the border would result in someone losing their head.

Merchants are just greedy, not tired of living.

Smuggling large commodities like grain is extremely difficult to keep secret.

In addition, given the questionable reputation of the Northern Barbarians, very few people were willing to engage in such a business.

"The situation is out of control mainly due to the unfavorable progress on the battlefield. Arutan Wanhu

According to our initial expectations, we should have already seized the entire Jiangnan region by now, instead of being trapped in the two prefectures.

If we conquer the Jiangnan region, the ones worrying about money and supplies will be the enemy!

Sarina retorted without changing her expression.

When it comes to eloquent debate, ten military generals can't match one civil official.

The Great Yu Empire was like this, and the Tatar Kingdom would be no exception.

At the beginning of the southward expedition, everyone had very high expectations for this campaign.

The strategic plan formulated was naturally optimistic.

The Tatar high command was clamoring that they would conquer Jiangnan in one battle.

Unexpectedly, the climate and geographical conditions in Jiangnan are vastly different from those in the north, severely limiting the cavalry's performance.

The anticipated sweeping victory did not occur; instead, it turned into a brutal siege.

If it weren't for internal problems within the Yu Dynasty, they wouldn't even have been able to cross the Yangtze River.

"enough!"

"I called you here today to solve a problem, not to listen to you arguing."

We must come up with a plan today on how to fight the next battle.

If you don't have a strategy to defeat the enemy, then shut up now!
General Shi, General Cao, you have had contact with the Marquis of Hanshui. What are your thoughts?

Seeing the argument escalate, Hugjil immediately reprimanded him.

As the Tatar Kingdom grew stronger, its internal conflicts became increasingly acute.

In the past, they could reconcile internal conflicts by plundering from outsiders.

Now that the war has suffered a setback, the problems have suddenly been brought to the forefront.

The influx of a large number of Yu Dynasty officials exacerbated this contradiction.

Compared to these surrendered officials of the Yu Dynasty, the political struggle methods of the Tatar high command were ridiculously naive.

The Yu Dynasty officials who came to join them not only acted as strategists, offering advice and plans, but also amplified the desires hidden deep within their hearts.

Of course, in this process, there will inevitably be instances of using others to do one's dirty work.

The Yu Dynasty officials outwardly tolerated the atrocities committed by the Tatar generals after they entered the city, but that did not mean these scholars would not seek revenge.

If direct revenge is hopeless, then join the enemy's adversary.

"Great Chanyu, that scoundrel Li Mu is like a fog, impossible to understand."

This person had turned the tide many times and made great contributions to the country and the state of the Great Yu, but he was unwilling to enter the court to assist the emperor.

His reputation among officials and the public is exceptionally good.

If I were to truly offer my opinion, it would be that he was outwardly loyal but inwardly treacherous!

Shi Shichang answered with a nervous expression.

(End of this chapter)