Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 286 The Sun Rises in Chongqing

Zhu De's manifesto spread like wildfire throughout the Qing court.

With their powerful productivity, the Manchus could copy tens of thousands of copies of a single document they banned, and this repeated bans were ineffective, seriously shaking the foundation of the Jurchen Manchu rule.

Therefore, by October, members of the Kangxi cabinet, led by Sony, kept urging Aobai to advance and kill the enemy.

Ao Bai, however, had no way to express his bitterness.

He longed to advance as soon as possible and eliminate the Ming rebels entrenched in Yunnan.

However, sending out hundreds of thousands of troops is no small matter.

In addition to tens of thousands of Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners troops, there were also more than 100,000 Green Standard Army troops, totaling more than 200,000 soldiers.

Including the laborers who escorted the grain and supplies, the number had reached nearly 500,000.

Such a huge and bloated group, not to mention the endless sea of ​​people, just the supplies they carried stretched for dozens or even hundreds of miles without end.

Especially in areas like the Three Gorges where roads are narrow, although ships can be used for transportation, they can only carry up to one-third of the load, and the remaining two-thirds still have to be carried on foot.

Cavalry and infantry, carrying countless tons of supplies, moved at a snail's pace. If they encountered an accident along the way, such as falling rocks on the mountain or their carts breaking down on the road, they would have to move the rocks, kill the horses, and throw away the carts, wasting time.

From preparations in mid-July to departure in early August, the journey from Beijing to Hubei was relatively fast due to the flat terrain; the more than 1,000 kilometers were covered in less than a month.

But those three or four hundred kilometers after entering the Three Gorges are really tough, especially since summer and autumn are the rainy season on the Yangtze River, and a rainstorm can delay things.

As a result, they marched more than ten kilometers a day, a pace comparable to that of a tortoise.

After a bumpy journey, and more than a month of travel, they finally passed Zhongzhou and approached Chongqing in early October.

Meanwhile, the Ming army in Yunnan had also launched an offensive.

In September, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched Fu Youde, Lan Yu, Feng Sheng, Tang Shengzong, Lu Zhongheng, and others, each leading one thousand Hongwu guards, three thousand Southern Ming soldiers, and more than ten thousand conscripted laborers to launch a surprise attack on Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and other places.

At this time, Zhu had already amassed more than 100,000 followers in a very short period of time.

In addition to the 20,000 troops of the Hongwu Army that he led, Bai Wenxuan and Li Dingguo's troops also numbered about 20,000.

Next are the people who joined the army during this period.

Since Zhu Di took over Yunnan in early July, under his governance, Yunnan was freed from the shadow of the Manchu occupation, and the exorbitant taxes that Wu Sangui had imposed on the local chieftains were also swept away.

Wu Sangui levied taxes and grain requisitions on various parts of the southwest not only to support his hundreds of thousands of troops, but also to secretly accumulate strength and prepare for a future rebellion.

Zhu Di, on the other hand, did not need so much grain and money. Not to mention comparing it with modern productivity, the productivity of the Hongwu era alone was already many times greater than that of the early Qing Dynasty, so there was no need to exploit the southwest.

As a result, after comparing the two, the chieftains of various ethnic groups in the southwest and the Han people all felt that it was better to be subjects of the Ming Dynasty. They all missed the Ming Dynasty and became loyal to it, eagerly requesting to join the army to fight the Tartars.

Both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di welcomed this enthusiasm.

It's not that they lack soldiers.

With 20,000 Hongwu soldiers, they could have wiped out the entire world at that time, let alone the Qing Dynasty.

Even though the West had already gone through the Age of Exploration and exploited the Americas, becoming incredibly wealthy, they still couldn't compete with drones and artillery.

But they lack cattle and horses.

We can't expect the Hongwu soldiers, who are already carrying assault rifles and mortars, to push rapid-fire cannons.

There are also unmanned helicopters.

This thing is much bigger than a drone. The empty weight of my country's domestically produced unmanned helicopter is four or five hundred kilograms. When equipped with weapons such as rockets, missiles, machine guns, and laser cannons, the total weight can reach one or two tons.

Although they also brought some transport vehicles, they were still unable to carry out large-scale transport due to the difficulty of resupplying fuel during long marches and the lack of skilled drivers.

Therefore, it was inevitable that a large number of cattle and horses would be conscripted to do the work.

Although they were cattle and horses, countless people in ancient society were willing to be such cattle and horses.

After all, they were paid and fed, and didn't have to risk their lives on the battlefield. They were just doing hard labor. In the ancient environment, they weren't just cattle or horses; they were practically in paradise.

Old Zhu's team expanded rapidly in a short time.

If we didn't have enough cattle and horses, we could probably recruit an army of two or three hundred thousand in a short time.

It was October, just after the late autumn of September had turned into winter, and the temperature in the south had dropped sharply.

The Little Ice Age had not completely ended during this period; it was not until the end of the Kangxi reign and the Qianlong reign that the Fourth Little Ice Age completely ended it.

It was even at the peak of the fourth Little Ice Age.

Between 1650 and 1700 AD, the cold reached new heights.

Taihu Lake and Poyang Lake have frozen over multiple times, and Guangzhou even witnessed the rare spectacle of "three days of blizzard, with trees covered in ice."

Therefore, even though it hasn't snowed in Yunnan and Sichuan since the beginning of winter, even in Yunnan, a place with spring-like weather all year round, there is a bit of chill in the air. The daytime temperature is in the teens, but at night it's only around three or four degrees.

In September, Lao Zhu officially set off from Kunming, heading north through Xundian, Dongchuan, and Zhaotong. From Zhaotong Prefecture, he entered Xuzhou Prefecture in Sichuan, which is the later Yibin City.

After that, they traveled down the Yangtze River, passing through Luzhou, to Chongqing Prefecture.

The journey covered approximately 700 kilometers, with about 13,000 Hongwu troops under his command, more than 50,000 Southern Ming soldiers, and 130,000 conscripted laborers to escort supplies, totaling nearly 200,000 people.

As before, Xu Da stayed behind to oversee Yunnan, while Ji He transported supplies between the modern era and the Southern Ming.

Zhu Cibei ascended the throne as emperor, and the Yongli Emperor bestowed upon him the title of Prince Gui to accompany him.

His ancestors helped him conquer the country.

It would be a wonderful thing to sit back and enjoy the fruits of one's labor while receiving patriots from all over the country who flocked to resist the Qing Dynasty every day.

It had rained in Chongqing a couple of days ago, and the official road was wet. The convoy crossed the Yangtze River in Luzhou and arrived in Chongqing by land. The Jialing River was surging to the north, and the Yangtze River was rolling to the east. A gentle north wind was blowing, which was refreshing.

Old Zhu sat inside the Dongfeng Mengshi, with Zhu Di driving in front and Zhu Yunfeng sitting beside him. If a cannonball were to hit them, the Ming Dynasty would be doomed.

However, their Dongfeng Mengshi is the most advanced military-grade aircraft, capable of withstanding sniper bullets and ordinary artillery shells. As long as it's not a missile, its survival rate is generally very high.

At least the Manchu Tartars certainly didn't have missiles, so they were very safe.

Old Zhu looked around.

Outside the carriage window, troop after troop of cavalry roared past, and across the open fields, groups of soldiers carefully pushed supplies by wagons and horses.

From an aerial viewpoint of a drone, one can see countless teams lined up in long rows, slowly moving forward along a wide road on the vast plains south of the Jialing River and west of the Yangtze River.

Such a scene appeared in the classic film "The Great Battle".

To maintain order among the Yunnan and Guizhou soldiers who had joined the army, the Hongwu soldiers went to great lengths. They even executed many soldiers with poor discipline. Combined with Zhu Yuanzhang's powerful personal prestige, this was the only way they were able to achieve this.

Otherwise, what we would see now would not be countless long lines of troops, but a large number of soldiers scattered across the wilderness, like scattered soldiers, with no military discipline whatsoever.

"Dad, we're almost in Chongqing. It looks like someone's waiting for us there."

Zhu Di had already driven the car to the front of the procession, and the rolling hills of Chongqing could be seen in the distance.

Chongqing is a mountain city, but its main urban area is surrounded by plains in the southwest, including places like Rongchang, Dazu, Yongchuan, Dianjiang, Tongliang, Hechuan, Shapingba, and Jiulongpo.

This area is also known as the Western Chongqing Plain.

But that's about all there is to it. Most of the rest of Chongqing is hilly and mountainous, with lush vegetation and abundant forests, making the roads very difficult to navigate.

We've only just entered the mountainous region of Chongqing, a few kilometers from the main urban area, but there are already people waiting in the distance.

"It should be the Thirteen Families of Kuidong. Let's go take a look."

"Yes."

Zhu Di stepped on the gas.

Although it is a mountainous area, there are still roads.

The warrior roared forward along the uphill official road. The slope wasn't too steep; after all, it could climb even a 70-degree slope, so a 20-30 degree slope was nothing to it.

In the distance, the forest is dense and overgrown with weeds. Dozens of people are waiting by the roadside outside the woods.

There were officers from the Hongwu era, as well as rebels from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

These people were Li Laiheng, Liu Tichun, Hao Yaoqi, Yuan Zongdi, and the other thirteen families from Kuidong.

The Hongwu officer was Liu Mingyi, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He was ordered by Zhu Di to lead 500 men north to sweep away Wu Sangui's forces in Yibin and Chongqing, and was currently stationed in Chongqing Prefecture.

Liu Mingyi had long since subdued the thirteen families of Kuidong.

You can't argue with that. If there were any troublemakers, he would have shot them dead long ago. Trying to engage in the traditional Ming Dynasty infighting with Hongwu's people is like an old man eating poison; he's tired of living.

The rumbling car stopped by the roadside, and Li Laiheng, Liu Tichun, Hao Yaoqi, Yuan Zongdi and others were so frightened that they backed away, filled with terror.

To them, the Dongfeng Mengshi's wide body and roaring engine were like a terrifying giant elephant charging towards them, enough to make them feel their liver and gallbladder shatter.

Liu Mingyi remained unmoved and stood quietly by the roadside.

The car stopped, the window rolled down, revealing Old Zhu's calm face.

"I see your Majesty!"

Liu Mingyi and his two deputy officers immediately knelt on one knee, their faces showing fanaticism, as if they had seen the sun in their hearts.

Behind him, Li Laiheng, Liu Tichun, Hao Yaoqi, Yuan Zongdi and others exchanged glances and then hurriedly knelt down and said, "Greetings, Emperor Taizu."

"Ah."

Old Zhu nodded and said, "Get up."

"Yes."

Liu Mingyi stood up.

What is the current situation?

Old Zhu did not get out of the car.

Liu Mingyi then said, "The Jurchens have set up camp north of the river, and Wu Sangui and others have also arrived in Tongchuan and other places."

Let's go into the city and take a look.

"Yes."

Liu Mingyi then led the way.

The cars and the large convoy behind them slowly drove towards Chongqing.

After traversing numerous hills and mountains, we gradually arrived at the foot of Chongqing, where the roads became increasingly difficult to navigate.

This refers to the Dongfeng Mengshi, which has a high chassis and specially made tires. Any other vehicle, not to mention ordinary sedans, or even a typical off-road vehicle, would struggle on this terrain. However, Chongqing has historically been a major city in Southwest China. Although the official roads are uneven, the surface is still quite good, mostly consisting of rammed earth surfaces about one or two meters wide, just wide enough for the Dongfeng Mengshi to maneuver.

Unless it rains heavily and makes the road muddy, the dry, hard rammed earth road surface will at most test the Dongfeng Mengshi's hill-climbing ability.

It just so happens that it has exactly what it needs.

After climbing uphill all the way to the city gate, we couldn't go in because the gate opening was too narrow.

Old Zhu, Zhu Yunfeng, and Zhu Di got out of the car.

All three were wearing specially made thermal underwear, which covered them up tightly, so they didn't feel cold even though the weather was slightly chilly.

After getting off the bus, Lao Zhu habitually put his hands behind his back, but then realized that he was not wearing a wide-sleeved dragon robe, so he let his hands hang down naturally and looked over calmly.

The area around the city gate was already packed with people.

Apart from his personal guards controlling the surrounding high points and keeping everyone outside, the surrounding area within twenty zhang was full of people.

These were all people brought out by the thirteen families of Kuidong, numbering around seventy to eighty thousand. Compared to their peak of over two hundred thousand, after years of suppression by the Qing government, their numbers had dwindled to less than a third of their former strength.

Moreover, the total number of soldiers in the thirteen families of Kuidong was only over 20,000, with the rest being mostly family members, the elderly, women, and children.

At present, the entire Sichuan province has been massacred by the Qing army, with less than one-hundredth of the population remaining. The remaining members of the thirteen families in Kuidong were forced to move to Chongqing with the help of Liu Mingyi. Upon hearing that the founding emperor had arrived, they all came to watch.

"Is that the founding emperor?"

"Definitely, didn't you see Commander Liu already went over there?"

"It was so far away, I only saw one old man."

"I can't see the founding emperor clearly."

The onlookers in the distance all stood on tiptoe to watch.

With the Manchus constantly besieging and suppressing them, everyone lives in fear and trembling.

But Liu Mingyi, with only a few hundred men, intimidated the hundreds of thousands of Manchu troops who dared not approach.

For every step Liu Mingyi took forward, the Qing troops retreated a step. They even fled to Chengdu, Mianzhou, Baoning, and other areas in western and northern Sichuan.

Overnight, Liu Mingyi and his few hundred men took control of eastern and southern Sichuan, allowing them to swagger southward from eastern Sichuan and evade the main force of the Qing government coming from Beijing to suppress them.

This sense of security left everyone with nothing but gratitude for the Hongwu Ming army, and the news of the arrival of the Ming Taizu filled them with hope.

Thus, this gratitude materialized, and people flocked to pay homage to the founding emperor.

It's just too far away now, I really can't see it.

Seemingly sensing the enthusiasm of the people, after entering the city, Old Zhu did not go directly to his residence in the city, but instead went up to the city wall.

The city wall is high above, and the surrounding trees have been cleared, providing an extremely wide view. You can see the open fields inside and outside the Nanji Gate and the streets inside the city from afar, and you can't tell how many people are densely packed there.

Everyone looked up towards the city gate in the distance.

To the south lies the vast Yangtze River, and to the north is the road into the city. Climbing the steps leads to the main urban area.

Old Zhu looked down at the surroundings.

Zhu Di looked around and cleverly summoned drone pilots, ordering them to take off.

Immediately, dozens of drones took off into the air in a grand procession.

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

"what is that?"

"It looks like a bird."

"Don't talk nonsense, this must be the ancestral artifact of the Great Ancestor."

"Citizens of the Great Ming!"

Just then, a sound came from the drone, which, amplified by a loudspeaker, traveled a great distance.

It can be heard within a radius of one or two kilometers.

The people were thrown into turmoil.

But then the drone continued, "Standing before you now is His Majesty the Great Ming Taizu Emperor!"

"Your Majesty is saddened by the fact that in the final years of the dynasty, the people suffered greatly, and the Jurchens plundered and slaughtered the Han people."

"So he descended to earth to save the world and rescue all people from suffering!"

"You must always remember His Majesty's benevolence and be grateful for His Majesty's kindness. With His Majesty the Great Ancestor here, there is justice; with His Majesty the Great Ancestor here, the Ming Dynasty is at peace!"

"He will ensure you have enough to eat and warm clothes. He will ensure you are no longer bullied by the Tartars and no longer have your heads chopped off by the barbarians."

"Long live the founding emperor!"

With the drone's final shout.

The people below, stirred by the emotions, became excited and fanatical, kneeling down and shouting, "Long live the founding emperor! Long live the founding emperor!"

The people raised their hands high and kowtowed repeatedly. The cheers were not very orderly at first, but in the end, they became a huge roar, with one wave higher than the next.

Old Zhu stood on the city wall, slightly stunned.

He had only intended to stand on the high ground and survey the terrain, but he hadn't expected his son to be so perceptive and to glance at Zhu Di unexpectedly.

Zhu Yunfeng just pursed his lips.

He had actually thought about it, but he didn't need to flatter Old Zhu, so he was too lazy to do it.

Who knew that the fourth brother was such a sycophant?

If a different emperor were to replace the crown prince with someone whose position is not secure, the fourth prince would have to be relegated to the position of heir apparent.

"The people!"

Old Zhu took the tablet from his fourth brother, pressed the speaker button, and said into the tablet's microphone, "I am Zhu Yuanzhang!"

"Long live the founding emperor!"

People became even more emotional, and many were already in tears.

"Stand up, everyone! There's no need to kneel!"

Old Zhu stood on the city wall. Someone brought him a high platform, and he stood on it, waving his right hand to the people.

But the people below became even more excited when they saw him. Some kowtowed, some clapped and sang, and some cried uncontrollably.

In the final years of the fallen dynasty, a group of surviving people met the founding emperor, Taizu. How excited and thrilled they must have been!

"Arise, all of you, rise!"

"Be flat!"

"I order you to rise!"

Old Zhu repeated it several times.

The people below slowly got up from the ground.

He still raised his hands high and kept jumping, shouting, "Long live the founding emperor!"

"What I want to say is, long live the people!"

"The people of our Great Ming Dynasty are suffering too much."

"Since the fall of the country and the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Tartars have ravaged the Central Plains, and countless people have become slaves of a conquered nation and obedient subjects of the Tartars."

"Many families were torn apart, and Sichuan was completely ravaged by the Tartars."

"Only you remained dignified and unyielding, unwilling to submit to the Tartars, and fought to the very last moment."

"I truly believe that you are the heroes of the Ming Dynasty!"

A few words.

Countless people below shed tears.

Many of the thirteen families in Kuidong are actually from Sichuan.

The consequences of Zhang Xianzhong's massacre in Sichuan were not that severe.

However, after the Manchus arrived, the population of Sichuan declined sharply.

During the years of fighting between the Daxi Army and the Manchu Tartars, hunger, plague, war, and massacres ravaged the entire Sichuan province.

Ninety-nine out of a hundred houses are empty; this is the most accurate description of Sichuan today.

The remaining people were unwilling to be slaves of a conquered nation. In fact, even if they wanted to be obedient subjects, they would be slaughtered by the Tartars. So they might as well resist to the end.

So they followed the remnants of the Great Western Army and the Great Shun Army into the deep mountains and forests, continuing their struggle against the Qing government.

However, as the Manchus launched their campaigns, their survival became increasingly difficult, and many of them died in the encirclement and slaughter, with fear enveloping each of them.

but now.

With the arrival of Zhu Yuanzhang, the despair and gloom were swept away, replaced by a yearning for hope!

"A hero should not kneel before anyone, including me."

"I hereby declare that all the people of the thirteen households in Kuidong will be awarded the title of Anti-Japanese Heroes, and each household will be given twenty mu of land, all of which will be tax-exempt. Furthermore, they will not be required to kneel before officials, and will have priority in joining the army!"

"Long live the founding emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"

The roar rose again, a sound like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, as if enveloping the entire city of Chongqing.

This time.

Everyone wholeheartedly supported the old man mentioned above.

It's not just about giving them land.

At the same time, it was also because, as an emperor, he was so approachable and kind to the people.

that moment.

Perhaps if Old Zhu asked them to die now, they would all be willing!
(End of this chapter)