Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 302 Let the Tartars Exterminate Their Race

The sounds of gunfire, screams, explosions, and surging waves filled the entire sea surface.

Zhu Yuanzhang concentrated all the light mortars in his army, and deployed thousands of mortars in Zheng Chenggong's fleet to bombard the Qing army sailing down the Min River.

Wooden sailboats and ships were blown to pieces, the vessels were damaged and sank one after another, and countless pieces of wood floated on the sea.

Floating along with them were countless small black dots that hadn't been killed by the explosion.

Many were struggling and calling for help at sea, while others clung to planks, surrounded by floating corpses.

That's because so many people have perished at sea.

Seventy or eighty thousand people were killed in the bombardment. Many Manchu soldiers were killed, and their blood flowed out, pooled together, and turned into this light red color, which shimmered in the setting sun.

Moreover, the Ming army continued its bombardment, causing the sea to churn and ripple, resulting in an increasing amount of blood surfacing.

This is the open sea.

If this happened in an ordinary river, the blood of 70,000 to 80,000 people blasted to pieces would probably turn the entire river crimson.

The bombardment continued until evening, when the cries and screams gradually subsided, drowned out by the fierce sea wind.

Suddenly, in the distance, rows of spines appeared on the sea surface. They were the spines of sharks. They had smelled the blood and were coming in groups. At first glance, there were at least several hundred of them.

Zhu Yunfeng observed this scene through a drone and was slightly surprised.

Because this is only the shark with its back exposed.

It's probably a great white shark.

There are also many dark shadows below the surface, or perhaps sharks that do not expose their backs when hunting.

For example, the longfin shark and the bull shark.

However, there have been no reports of so many sharks appearing in the Fujian region in later generations.

However, upon closer examination, it makes sense.

I read this when I was researching for my novel: many sharks, including great white sharks, are widely distributed in the East my country Sea and northeastern waters of Taiwan, which is near the DYD area in later times, not far from Fujian.

The reason why there are not many sharks in the near sea is because eating shark fin was popular all over the world from the millennium to 2010, and my country and other countries fished sharks extensively.

And it's not just great white sharks; all other types of sharks have been caught, leading to a sharp decline in their numbers.

Later, my country enacted various relevant laws to protect these fish species.

However, the sharks in the East China Sea have been secretly and illegally fishing, which has been repeatedly prohibited but not stopped, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of sharks in the East China Sea and sharks are rarely seen in the near waters.

However, this is ancient times.

In ancient times, without the industrial capabilities of later generations, fishermen relied on small wooden boats to fish in the nearshore waters, never venturing too far, posing no threat whatsoever to sharks or other marine life.

The East China Sea has always been one of the most suitable habitats for sharks, so it's normal for a large number of sharks to exist there. They will inevitably swarm there when they smell blood.

This is only the first batch.

The stench of blood was overwhelming due to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

While great white sharks and true sharks don't actually like to attack humans, they are easily attracted by the smell of blood.

Most importantly, sharks don't like to stay in the deep sea; they prefer to swim in shallow waters.

Thus, influenced by the strong smell of blood, hundreds and thousands of sharks passed through Zheng Chenggong's fleet and swam in a mighty procession towards the waters surrounding the Tartars' location.

Few of the Tartars are still alive today; at least 70-80% have either been killed by bombs or drowned.

Even if they weren't killed by the explosion, they could easily be stunned by the shockwave and sink to the bottom of the sea, where they would be submerged by the ocean tides.

But thousands of people were also adrift on the sea.

But at this time.

Someone was horrified to see the shark's back slicing through the water as it approached, and exclaimed in horror, "What...what is that?"

"Sea wolf, it's a sea wolf."

"Hurry, run."

"Don't kill us, don't kill us, please let us ashore, we surrender."

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu”

The sounds of wailing and howling spread in all directions, and screams and cries filled the air.

Those who survived were either lucky enough to avoid being killed in the explosion, or they found a piece of wood that allowed them to float.

They were either good swimmers or originally soldiers of the Manchu Fujian Navy.

These people are mostly fishermen recruited locally who often fish in the sea and are naturally very familiar with sharks.

Especially great white sharks.

In ancient times, their official name was shark or shark fish, while they were popularly known as sea wolves.

If a lone boat sets sail and is attacked by a group of great white sharks, it is in danger of being capsized and losing its life in an instant.

Upon seeing so many sharks approaching, the Tartars panicked and scattered in all directions, swimming towards the shore.

However, they were met with bullets.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta."

The Ming soldiers on the shore indiscriminately pulled the triggers, causing brilliant bursts of blood to erupt on the sea surface.

The blood further stimulated the sharks, and many sharks surged towards the black dot floating on the sea, beginning a gluttonous feast.

"what?"

Standing on the shore, Old Zhu observed the situation with a drone and wondered, "Why do these sharks only eat corpses and not bite people? I was thinking of having them feed the fish more."

Zhu Yunfeng, who was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see such a bloody scene, had been squatting there playing on his phone. Hearing Lao Zhu's words, he casually replied, "Sharks like to eat corpses, even rotting carcasses. They don't usually attack people unprovoked. They only bite humans swimming in the sea when they mistake them for fish. Once they kill them, they don't bother to eat them because they don't like the taste. They prefer fatty foods like seals and dolphins. But now the sea is full of corpses, and there's so much meat. They'll definitely eat the free food, so they prioritize eating the carcasses."

"I see."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "Since that's the case, then let's continue fighting. Don't let a single Tartar land. I'm annoyed by these money-grubbing rats. Let the sharks eat more of them and cleanse the world of its filth."

By nightfall, there were almost no living people left; the sea was filled with floating corpses.

Countless sharks were drawn by the smell of blood; large carnivorous sharks from an estimated radius of hundreds of kilometers all swam over.

There are even large crocodiles, known as the Chinese Hanyu Crocodile.

This type of crocodile was widely distributed in the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins in ancient times. With climate change, it migrated south and lived in rivers or estuaries in Guangdong, Fujian and other places.

Experts predict that it will perish in the late Qing Dynasty.

According to bones unearthed in Guangdong and Fujian provinces and local county records, there were signs of the existence of the Chinese Han Yu Crocodile in Guangdong and Fujian provinces during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Some people in later generations believed that these were saltwater crocodiles, but their skulls were very different from those of saltwater crocodiles, and their body length reached 6 meters, making them larger than saltwater crocodiles.

Ancient records often mention cannibalism, and they were frequently killed by people recruited by local governments.

We are still in the Little Ice Age of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The global climate is getting colder and colder, and they are constantly migrating south, all the way to the vicinity of the sea in Fujian, Guangdong and other places.

By this time, the sea was a mess, and with the sea breeze blowing, the Qing army no longer had a single intact ship.

Many ships were blasted to pieces by cannon fire, their skeletons sank into the sea, and splinters of wood drifted with the sea breeze.

As time passed, the blood was washed away by the waves, the remains fed to fish and shrimp, and the shipwrecks sank to the bottom of the sea. In just a few days, the sea would be exactly as it was before, leaving nothing behind. After only two or three days, the number of corpses and wood chips floating on the surface had decreased significantly. The number of sharks and crocodiles roaming around had also decreased considerably.

The ocean is using its inclusiveness, acceptance, and love to smooth over all the upheavals and changes in the world.

Like the traces left by the passage of time.

The Battle of Langqi Island was the last battle fought by the Manchus in the southern region.

From then on, no more Manchu Tartars appeared in the south.

After the Battle of Langqi Island, Zhu Yuanzhang led his troops back to the capital.

It was already late December, the year 1661 was coming to an end, and the new year was about to begin.

From the time Zhu Yunfeng and his group arrived on June 3rd of the lunar calendar in 1661 until the end of December, in just about half a year, the world situation has undergone earth-shattering changes.

The Manchus could only retreat to the northern hinterland, or even the Hebei and Beijing area.

Large areas of Henan, Shandong, and Anhui fell into chaos. Without the suppression of the Manchu government, countless local rebel armies rose up, and attacks on counties and prefectures occurred frequently.

The southern region, on the other hand, was much more peaceful and tranquil. Officials were reassigned to various places, government officials were conscripted, and garrison troops were organized to quell the unrest.

Zhu Cibei also temporarily established the capital in Nanjing, set up the imperial court, appointed Zhang Huangyan as the Grand Secretary, and appointed Wang Fuzhi, Huang Zongxi, Lü Liuliang and others as Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and Ministers of the Six Ministries, and changed the era name to Chengwu.

The reign titles are all carefully chosen. For example, the reign titles of the Southern Ming Dynasty were named as follows: "Hongguang" meant "to restore the great cause" and "Longwu" signified the revival of military power. Emperor Yongli took the character "Yong" from his title "King Yongming" to form "Yongli".

Therefore, these reign titles often need to strike a balance between continuity and change.

Zhu Cibei was too embarrassed to ask for change.

He was only able to restore his country because of Zhu Yuanzhang and his followers.

Therefore, let's keep it simple and straightforward.

Chengwu means to inherit the Hongwu era, expressing that it is the successor to the prosperous era created by Hongwu, and at the same time, it also proclaims the legitimacy of the orthodoxy established by the Taizu Emperor.

Every time a court assembly was held, Zhu Cibei would sit high on the platform and first recite the name of the founding emperor to the south, and then recite the name of Emperor Taizong (Zhu Di) to the northwest, always keeping the legitimacy on his lips, before he could hold a meeting with the court officials.

It was on December 28th that Old Zhu returned to Nanjing, the city he had always been loyal to.

The Nanjing Imperial Palace is bustling with activity, undergoing a major construction project.

Apart from the first few palaces which are relatively intact, nearly half of the central and harem palaces have collapsed and need to be repaired promptly.

Money is negotiable.

The Ming Dynasty is currently not short of money at all.

Yunnan is still sending supplies continuously.

Large numbers of Tartar bandits were wiped out in various places, and grain and taxes transported from the Grand Canal to Beijing were seized. There is still money and grain in Nanjing.

Zhu Cibei, accompanied by his former eldest son Chen Daniu, the current Crown Prince Zhu Heyao, and his second son, who had changed his name from Chen Erniu to Zhu Heyuan, rushed to welcome the founding emperor and personally went out of the city.

"Grandson pays respects to the Great Ancestor and wishes the Ancestor boundless happiness and longevity."

Upon approaching, Zhu Cibei and his family knelt on the ground.

Old Zhu lifted the carriage curtain, glanced at him, and said, "Get up."

"Thank you, Taizu."

Zhu Cibei approached and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty must have had a long and arduous journey."

"Get on the bus, ancestor."

Zhu Yunfeng lifted the carriage curtain and waved to him.

"Alright, my grandson."

Zhu Cibei hurriedly got into the carriage, leaving his two sons staring at each other beside the carriage, only able to follow along.

After boarding the vehicle, the guards from both sides joined together and continued towards the city gate.

"What happened?"

Seeing Zhu Cibei's ingratiating smile, Old Zhu asked with a smile.

Zhu Cibei smiled and said, "It is like this. A large number of rebel armies in Anhui, Henan, Shandong and other places have sent official documents to the court, hoping to join the court. I wanted to agree, but with the Emperor Taizu here, I dare not make a decision on my own. Moreover, if I agree to them, I will have to send troops to guard the city. Although Nanjing has a large number of troops, I know my own limitations and do not have the ability to mobilize troops."

"hehe."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "You did well, but you were a bit too cautious. You were afraid to take any risks. That's both a strength and a weakness."

Zhu Cibei hurriedly smiled and said, "I have been timid as a mouse all my life, but I know that listening to my grandfather is the right thing to do. Even if my grandfather wants me to die, I know that it is for the sake of our Ming Dynasty, and I have no complaints."

"Hahahahahaha."

Old Zhu burst into laughter.

In fact, he would definitely be unhappy with his descendants' timid nature under normal circumstances.

After all, Zhu Cibei was not a great ruler. His only advantage was that he was very cautious and did a good job in domestic affairs and logistics, making arrangements with great care to avoid major mistakes.

However, what a powerful ruler in chaotic times needs is not to be cautious and prudent, but to find the enemy's weaknesses and seize the opportunity to boldly and proactively strike the enemy.

Just like this time.

The Qing dynasty's influence in the south was swept away, and chaos also broke out in the north.

Under normal circumstances, a powerful ruler should immediately dispatch a large army north. Even though Zhu Yuanzhang had taken the elite troops to Fujian, Nanjing still had more than 100,000 former Southern Ming troops, such as Li Dingguo, Bai Wenxuan, and Yuan Zongdi, stationed there.

Compared to Zhu De, Xu Da, Fu Youde, and others, Li Dingguo and Bai Wenxuan were certainly not as capable militarily, but they could still recover Henan, Anhui, Shandong, and other places that no longer had troops.

Even so, Zhu Cibei remained very conservative, cautious, and took things one step at a time, not daring to overstep any boundaries. In Zhu's eyes, he was not a qualified emperor.

But the words came back again.

As a member of the lower-class imperial family who had fallen on hard times, Zhu Cibei spent his early years in the streets and escaped the Qing court's search for more than ten years. Naturally, he had developed the ability to read people's expressions and speak eloquently.

The horse made Old Zhu very happy. As the saying goes, one cannot hit a smiling face, and Zhu Yunfeng often talked back to his ancestor.

Now, seeing how cautiously and flattering Zhu Yunfeng's lineage founder was towards his own ancestor, Zhu Cibei would certainly seem more pleasing to the eye in comparison.

Moreover, he could help quell the chaos, and after quelling the chaos, there was often a need for an emperor like Zhu Cibei who sought stability and development.

Otherwise, if we are too radical, the country's newly restored strength may be shaken up again.

"Alright, let Li Dingguo and the others handle these matters."

After laughing, Zhu said calmly, "No need to delay. We will set off after the New Year to wipe out the Tartars along the Grand Canal. I will leave for Beijing next month. I will use the Tartar emperor's head to pay tribute to the countless people of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Cibei bowed respectfully and asked, "Don't you want to rest?"

"No more rest."

Old Zhu closed his eyes, his thoughts already drifting north. He calmly said, "Let's rest and recuperate. If the Tartars escape, we'll have to go to the border to find them. So I order Zheng Chenggong's fleet to head north immediately, conquer Shandong, and reach the Bohai Sea. Since they've come to slaughter my Chinese Han people, they should all die on my Chinese land. There's no need for them to go back!"

This time, he wanted to annihilate the Tartars, and he couldn't let Dorgon escape to Siberia with his troops like last time.

Even though the Tatars froze and starved to death in Siberia during the Little Ice Age and suffered a lot of hardship, there were always some who survived.

If they are not all killed, who will pay for the blood debt committed by Dorgon and Dodo?

(End of this chapter)