Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 281 Do you believe it now?
The eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, the fifteenth year of the Yongli reign of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

At this time, Emperor Shunzhi had just passed away, and the newly enthroned Emperor Kangxi had not yet changed the era name. The Ming Dynasty was nearing its end.

If nothing unexpected happens, according to historical developments, the Manchu Qing regime will last for more than two hundred years from this point onward.

However, just as the Southern Ming was about to fall and the Qing regime was about to consolidate its power...

A group of unknown origins suddenly rose up and successively captured two provincial administrations in the southwest of the Qing government, causing the two to three hundred thousand Qing troops stationed there to flee in disarray.

The news spread quickly, shocking the Qing court, terrifying the surrendered Ming officials, and inspiring the rebel army and anti-Qing civilians.

In July, Zhu Di was busy governing Yunnan and Guizhou, communicating with the local chieftains who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and sending people to attack those chieftains who were loyal to the Manchus and Wu Sangui, in order to deter the villains in the southwest.

At the same time, they eliminated the remnants of the Manchu Qing dynasty in the southwest, communicated with Li Dingguo and Bai Wenxuan's troops, and even sent a team of soldiers to each prefecture and county to drive out and kill the local Manchu Qing government forces, thus restoring the entire territory of Yunnan.

It was only then that he realized how easy it was to conquer a country, but difficult to maintain it.

The two provincial administrations of Yunnan and Guizhou were equivalent to two provinces, with more than 30 prefectures and over 100 counties, requiring a huge number of officials.

Fortunately, the soldiers of the Hongwu army had received a large amount of modern education and were equipped with long-distance communication capabilities. Therefore, by sending fifty men to each prefecture and five men to each county, and having them managed militarized by the junior and senior officers, they were able to maintain order.

Additionally, local scholars who had lived in seclusion in Yunnan and Guizhou and opposed the Qing dynasty could be recruited to assist in the management. These included figures such as Qian Bangqi, Chen Qixiang, Gong Yi, and Liu Liansheng, who had lived in seclusion after the fall of the Ming dynasty and refused to serve the Qing.

These literati had many connections with the gentry left over from the Ming Dynasty. With their help, Zhu Di quickly established a civil service regime in Yunnan and Guizhou, thereby consolidating his political power.

Upon learning of the loss of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Qing court was furious and dispatched Oboi as the commander-in-chief, mobilizing a large number of troops to the southwest.

However, mobilizing large numbers of troops in ancient times was not so easy.

From assembling the troops and preparing the logistical supplies, to finally arriving in Yunnan after a long journey, it is estimated that it will take at least half a year.

Therefore, at least for this period of time, Yunnan and Guizhou will not be harassed by the Qing army and will be very safe.

Even if the Qing army didn't come, Zhu Di would go.

He dispatched several commanders of a thousand households from Zhaotong northward into Sichuan, where they captured Xuzhou Prefecture, which later became Yibin and Luzhou in Sichuan, and threatened to attack Chongqing.

Wu Sangui had already retreated to Chongqing, which frightened him so much that he retreated overnight to Tongchuan Prefecture, which is the area around Suining and Nanchong in Sichuan Province in later years.

The reason for retreating here was that the Sichuan Governor-General Li Guoying's troops were mainly stationed in Chengdu, while the Shaanxi Commander Wang Yizheng, after receiving the request for assistance, led 30,000 men south to Baoning Prefecture, which is the Bazhong area.

Although he was still at the forefront, Wu Sangui was at least somewhat relieved to have two reinforcements by his side. Moreover, his troops had fled in panic, and Sichuan was already devastated. It was not just that nine out of ten houses were empty, but rather that ninety-nine out of a hundred were empty.

With the people of Sichuan reduced to almost nothing after the Manchu Qing massacre, the entire population of Sichuan was only three or four hundred thousand, which was far from enough to support Wu Sangui's army. Therefore, he had no choice but to retreat to the side of his allies and seek assistance from Li Guoying and Wang Yizheng.

While Wu Sangui and Li Guoying's forces retreated from the Chongqing area to Chengdu, Suining, and Bazhong, the remnants of the thirteen Kuizhou tribes, based in Kuizhou Prefecture, gathered together and moved to Chongqing to seek refuge with Zhu Di.

We have no choice but to leave.

Because the Qing army was already assembling on a large scale.

There are two main routes into Sichuan: one is through Chencang in Shaanxi to the north, and the other is through the Three Gorges.

When the Qing army attacked Yunnan and Guizhou, they either went through Sichuan or Hunan.

Hunan was a difficult route, lacking the Yangtze River waterway and with a longer supply line. It was obvious that the Qing army would have crossed the Yangtze River from Hubei into Sichuan, and then marched south from Sichuan to attack Yunnan.

They would definitely have to pass through the Three Gorges along the way. With a main force of 200,000 to 300,000 Qing troops, it would not have been difficult for them to wipe out the thirteen families of Kuidong when they passed through.

Therefore, the thirteen families of Kuidong, led by Li Laiheng, Liu Tichun, Hao Yaoqi, Yuan Zongdi and others, had to make a strategic shift.

There are naturally internal disagreements as well.

Lacking organization and a leader for unified planning, the thirteen families of Kuidong were not subordinate to each other. Although they had 200,000 followers at their peak, they could not unite as one and were eventually defeated one by one by the Qing government, disappearing into history.

Some people wanted to leave when they heard that the Qing court was going to move south on a large scale, but others were reluctant to give up their base in the mountains and forests, which were easy to defend and difficult to attack, and could not leave their comfort zone.

In the end, some former Southern Ming officials who had gone into hiding after the fall of the Ming Dynasty and were preparing to head south to join Zhu Di found them when they passed through Kuidong and persuaded them to move.

no way.

Forced by circumstances, the main force of the Qing Dynasty was about to arrive, and even if they were reluctant to leave their homeland, they had to go.

At this time, Wu Sangui, Li Guoying, Wang Yizheng and other troops gathered in Sichuan. Then, Zhang Changgeng, the governor of Huguang, Dong Xueli, the governor of Hubei, Li Qifeng, the governor of Liangguang and other Qing troops from Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong, totaling more than 200,000 to nearly 300,000 troops, were stationed at the border with Yunnan and Guizhou, eyeing the land with covetous eyes, ready to attack Yunnan and Guizhou at any time.

The situation in the southwest changed dramatically in a short time, with various forces gathering.

If the main Qing army were to arrive, the number of Qing troops in the southwest would reach around 500,000 to 600,000.

This is almost equivalent to more than half of the military strength of the entire Qing Dynasty.

The remaining troops were mainly concentrated along the southeast coast to defend against Zheng Chenggong, in addition to the garrison troops in various places, totaling only three or four hundred thousand.

It can be said that the current situation in the southwest is very tense.

Amidst this turbulent situation, Burma, located further southwest of the Qing Dynasty, was also experiencing an even more tense situation.

When the Yongli regime first fled to Burma, the old Burmese king Mangda, who had a relatively good attitude towards the Ming Dynasty, took him in and provided him with a lot of food, clothing and other necessities. He treated Yongli quite well.

However, many ministers in Myanmar believed that since the Qing Dynasty had already been established, they should not offend the Manchus for the sake of the Yongli regime. They were also dissatisfied with Mangda's sending so many supplies.

Mangda's brother, Mangbai, then joined forces with domestic ministers and the army who were dissatisfied with Mangda's actions to launch a palace coup, kill Mangda, and seize power in Burma.

From then on, Burma's attitude toward the Yongli regime became increasingly indifferent.

If it weren't for the fact that Bai Wenxuan and Li Dingguo's tens of thousands of troops were still lingering on the Qing-Myanmar border, and that Bai Wenxuan had previously dealt a blow to Myanmar, defeating tens of thousands of Myanmar troops with just over ten thousand men, Myanmar would probably have already taken drastic measures against Emperor Yongli.

However, as Wu Sangui brutally suppressed the remnants of the Southern Ming forces, Bai Wenxuan and Li Dingguo's troops grew weaker and weaker, and their numbers dwindled, putting them in a rather dire situation.

In addition, Wu Sangui adopted a strategy of winning over Mang Bai and promised him many benefits. Under these circumstances, Mang Bai began to get restless and his mind started to stir.

By July, Mang Bai began to plan.

Because the Qing-Myanmar border was occupied by Bai Wenxuan and Li Dingguo, the main transportation routes were cut off, making communication extremely difficult. To this day, he still does not know that Wu Sangui has been defeated.

After all, Wu Sangui was defeated at the end of June, and Kunming is nearly 800 kilometers away from Ava, the capital of Myanmar, in a straight line.

Compared to the Qing Dynasty, which had a highly efficient postal system that could deliver messages to Beijing over a thousand kilometers in just a few days at an urgent speed of 800 li, the Qing Dynasty was much more efficient.

There is no such relay station system in Myanmar.

Secondly, their mountains are high and forests are dense, and the roads are difficult to travel, unlike the Manchu area where, once you leave Sichuan, there are vast plains such as Hubei, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hebei, so news can travel very quickly.

This has led Mang Bai to believe that Wu Sangui is still the ruler of Yunnan, and that as long as the Yongli Emperor is captured, Wu Sangui will give him many benefits.

On July 17, after an eight-day journey, Bai Wenxuan's troops finally arrived at Aniskan Town, about 60 kilometers northeast of Ava, the capital of Myanmar, after traveling about 200 kilometers.

In fact, they had arrived as early as July 14th, but Chen Gui and Yang Heng believed that Bai Wenxuan's arrival would deter the reckless Bai from making any rash moves.

Moreover, the situation is unclear now, so we should first find out what's going on.

Therefore, they did not enter Aniskan town, but instead went into the Mandalay mountains in northeastern Ava.

Ava is the site of Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar in later times. The place where Emperor Yongli and his people were located was about 30 miles east of Ava, in the southern part of the Mandalay Mountains.

In later generations, more than ten kilometers to the west of here is Mandalay Medical University. From the Mandalay mountains in the north, a small river flows south and eventually merges into the Mi River in the south. This river was called the Cursed Water at that time.

Emperor Yongli was on the east bank of the Cursed River when King Ava of Burma sent officials across the river to make a pact with the Southern Ming court by drinking from the Cursed River. Emperor Yongli was forced to send someone to the meeting.

As a result, just as they crossed the river and arrived at the oath-taking site at Taxia, they were surrounded by 3,000 Burmese troops sent by Mangbai. They killed all 42 officials of Emperor Yongli, as well as more than 300 followers. They also humiliated the concubines and their families, robbed them of their property, and imprisoned Emperor Yongli.

This is the entire process of the Cursed Water Calamity.

At this time, there was only one day left before the Cursed Water Calamity. Before this, Mang Bai had put pressure on the Yongli court twice, on the sixth and fifteenth days of the seventh month.

Although the Yongli court had a premonition that there was a trap involved, they had no choice but to accept the appointment, and were then massacred by the Burmese army on July 18.

After entering the Mandalay mountains, Chen Gui and Yang Heng immediately began reconnaissance. They operated at night, using drones, night vision devices, and thermal imagers to ascertain the surrounding situation.

The Mandalay mountain region has numerous Buddhist temples, many hidden deep in the forests, and many villages scattered throughout, making it difficult to completely conceal the whereabouts of such a large group of people.

Therefore, after discussion among Chen Gui and Yang Heng, it was decided to first send one hundred men across the jungle to reach the location of Emperor Yongli and join him in the cursed water disaster, kill all the Burmese army, and then have a reason to rush into the Burmese capital Ava and deal with King Mang Bai.

However, this plan was opposed by Bai Wenxuan.

He believed that there were too few people and that the safety of Emperor Yongli might be in danger. He suggested that a large army should be sent immediately to protect the emperor.

However, the objections were ineffective.

Because Chen Gui and Yang Heng reported to Zhu Di, Zhu Di approved their plan and ordered Bai Wenxuan to obey orders and not allow him to express his opinions.

Under Zhu Di's domineering influence, Bai Wenxuan had no choice but to accept it.

soon.

Chen Gui personally led a hundred people through the jungle. They were all sprayed with medicine to repel snakes, insects, and rodents. They avoided villages and people along the way, crossed mountains, and arrived at the east bank of the Cursed River on the night of the seventeenth.

Through drone observation, they discovered that within a radius of several kilometers, there were indeed some hidden entities secretly observing Emperor Yongli's every move. Continuing their investigation, they saw a group of tall wooden houses arranged in a ring, with the largest house in the center being Emperor Yongli's residence, which they called his "temporary palace."

Although he was in a foreign land, he still maintained his imperial demeanor.

This place was originally built by the Burmese King Mangda. Emperor Yongli and his entourage also brought a large amount of gold and silver jewelry and spent money to hire Burmese craftsmen to repair and build it. The houses are all magnificent and tall. Emperor Yongli's house is comparable to a courtyard in Jiangnan and really has the feel of an imperial palace.

At this moment, the village of the imperial palace was very quiet. Their group consisted of only a few hundred people, and they were outnumbered and outgunned. At night, only a sentry and patrol team of more than ten people were available to protect Emperor Yongli's safety.

Chen Gui led a five-person team wearing night vision goggles, easily evading patrol personnel and scaling the wooden wall to enter the courtyard.

Surprisingly, the outer courtyard was brightly lit, and there were people inside.

The group had already observed this through the drone, but they didn't pay it any mind.

In fact, many houses inside and outside the palace are still brightly lit. For example, the family of the emperor's brother-in-law, Wang Weigong, runs a casino where many officials gamble every day.

Ma Jixiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was addicted to pleasure, drinking with officials every day and having courtesans sing and dance for them.

Officials such as Pu Ying, Yang Guoming, and Ren Zixin also indulged in a life of debauchery, and even traded with the Burmese, spending money to have them build mansions, buy wine and prostitutes, and reveling in pleasure without caring at all about the hatred of the country's subjugation.

When Chen Gui and his group entered the house, there were no guards in sight at the door.

A quick scan with the camera revealed several people in the room talking to a man in a dragon robe.

"Your Majesty, we cannot agree to the Burmese's request; there must be a trap involved."

"I fear they have colluded with Wu Sangui to assassinate Your Majesty. Your Majesty should immediately head north to find the Prince of Gongchang."

"Yes, Your Majesty, you must not cross the river."

"Alas, how could I not know? But I am helpless. If I do not agree to the Burmese's demands, where will we, the ruler and his subjects, find refuge?"

A sound came from inside the house.

Although the Yongli Emperor's court had undergone numerous internal struggles, and most of the remaining officials were incompetent and foolish, even after the country was destroyed and he fled to Burma, he still only knew how to enjoy himself. However, there were still a few clear-headed and loyal ministers around him.

In recent days, the Burmese have been pressuring Emperor Yongli to cross the river and sign an alliance with them, and have even issued an ultimatum. It is clear to everyone that the Burmese are harboring malicious intentions.

Therefore, these ministers hoped to come and offer advice.

However, Emperor Yongli was incompetent and foolish; he was a ruler without talent and could not accomplish anything of substance.

Secondly, since Ma Jixiang now holds the reins of power, he has no choice but to follow Ma Jixiang's arrangements.

Therefore, he rejected the advice of his ministers and prepared to go with the flow.

Upon seeing this, Chen Gui ordered several of his men to stay outside the courtyard and control the gate, while he swaggered in alone.

"who?"

Suddenly, a person appeared at the entrance of the hall, and everyone in the hall was shocked.

One of the lame men immediately drew his knife and roared angrily.

"I am Chen Gui, Commander of the Imperial Guard of the Ming Dynasty, here in Burma to meet with Emperor Yongli on the orders of His Highness Prince Yan."

Chen Gui entered and glanced around, then looked at the man in the dragon robe sitting in the middle of the chair, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your subject Chen Gui greets Your Majesty!"

"Forehead"

The people present looked at each other, all on high alert.

But Chen Gui didn't seem to have any ill intentions.

The middle-aged man in the dragon robe sitting at the head of the table said after a long while, "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Chen Gui stood up and said, “Gentlemen, let me briefly explain my purpose. The Ming Dynasty will perish tomorrow. The Burmese tricked you into crossing the river under the pretext of drinking a cursed water oath, and then cruelly surrounded and killed you. Emperor Yongli was also captured by the Burmese and eventually handed over to Wu Sangui, who strangled him with a bowstring. Emperor Taizu Gao, having become an immortal, knew of the future and could not bear to see the Ming Dynasty fall into the hands of the Jurchen rebels. Therefore, he ordered Prince Yan to go first. He has already descended to earth to save the world and conquered Guizhou and Yunnan. He then sent me to rescue you.”

"What nonsense!"

The lame man was Commander Deng Kai, who shouted, "Where did this madman come from? Don't try to deceive His Majesty! Guards!"

He shouted, but no one answered.

Ironically, after the flood, Emperor Yongli intended to commit suicide, but Deng Kai persuaded him not to do so in the name of Zhu Yuanzhang. Now, however, he doesn't even believe Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

But that's normal, since anyone would think these words are the ramblings of a madman, so it's no wonder Deng Kai didn't believe them.

Chen Gui continued, “Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. His Highness the Prince of Yan has already conquered Yunnan and Guizhou, and His Majesty the Great Ancestor will arrive next month. Bai Wenxuan originally came to rescue you, but now he has been ordered by His Highness the Prince of Yan to obey my orders. Therefore, the troops are in my hands, so please obey my commands.”

"Hmph, you petty scoundrel."

Deng Kai drew his sword and was about to come over, but he was limping and not very fast.

Chen Gui calmly took a few steps back.

Five men suddenly appeared from the darkness behind him, their rifles all fitted with bayonets, and they glared fiercely at Deng Kai.

Deng Kai paused.

At this moment, he was the only military officer in the room; the rest were civil officials.

These were among the few loyal ministers of the Yongli Emperor, such as Deng Shilian, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites; Pei Tingmo, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet; and Tu Hongyou, Compiler.

Ren Zixin, who was supposed to be in charge of guarding the palace, was instead drinking, eating meat, and gambling at home.

The security of the imperial palace is now practically non-existent.

I'm all alone, while the other side has six. It doesn't matter if I die, but what if I hurt the emperor?
"Deng Qing, you may step back now."

Emperor Yongli was somewhat frightened, so he could only say in a gentle tone, "This brave man, could we have a proper talk?"

"it is good."

Chen Gui pulled up a chair and sat down, saying in a deep voice, "Then I'll have a good talk with you."

Then he recounted the story of how Zhu Yuanzhang became an immortal and ancestor, was furious upon learning of future events, and sent Zhu Di down to earth to save the world.

Then he talked about how Zhu Di fought his way from Hunan to Yunnan, how he drove away Wu Sangui, and how he finally sent him to rescue Emperor Yongli.

Finally, he added, "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can summon Ma Jixiang here. I have a way to convince Your Majesty."

"This"

Emperor Yongli hesitated.

Could this be someone sent by Wu Sangui, and is Ma Jixiang colluding with him?
But since one has no choice but to submit when under someone else's roof, he said to the eunuch Li Maofang beside him, "Go and invite Marquis Yong'an here."

"Yes."

Li Maofang agreed.

He then left the palace and hurried to Ma Jixiang's house to deliver the news.

Ma Jixiang was enjoying a drink at home when he was shocked to receive the news. After a moment's hesitation, he quickly gathered his men and began to surround the palace.

Fearing that he might harm Emperor Yongli, he dared not act openly. Instead, he had his men stand guard on the perimeter while he led more than ten guards inside, intending to assess the situation first and find an opportunity to protect Emperor Yongli before ordering an attack on the assassins.

Less than ten minutes later, Ma Jixiang rushed over. Upon entering the house, he saw a strangely dressed person sitting on a chair next to him, holding a strange short black tube in his hand. He didn't know what the person was doing.

Upon seeing this, Ma Jixiang first bowed to Emperor Yongli and said, "Your subject Ma Jixiang greets Your Majesty."

"No gift."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Brave Warrior Chen, the Marquis of Yong'an has arrived."

Emperor Yongli looked at Chen Gui and said, "How will you prove it?"

Chen Gui had already installed the silencer, picked up his pistol, and aimed it at Ma Jixiang's head.

Amidst the puzzled expressions of the crowd.

"biu!"

A faint gunshot rang out, and Ma Jixiang's eyes widened as he collapsed limply to the ground.

Everyone was stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Chen Gui put away his pistol and said calmly, "We have the capability to annihilate an army of a million with only five thousand men. We can wipe out the enemy from more than ten miles away. Does Your Majesty believe me now?"

(End of this chapter)