The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 423 New World

On July 28th of the first year of Wuding, the entire 14th Army stationed in Linqing, and the remnants of the 1st and 3rd Armies, defeated the Northern Expeditionary Ming Army at Guangji Gate, killing 5,000 Ming soldiers in battle and taking nearly 10,000 prisoners. They also seized 150,000 dan of grain and fodder, 2,870 mules and horses, 6,700 bolts of cloth, 9,400 jin of silk and cotton, and 1.53 million taels of silver...
The historical records state, "After this battle, the rich and fertile land of Jiangnan for ten years was completely returned to Taizu, and the Ming rebels dared not look north anymore." (Note 1)

The four Jiangbei camps were almost completely destroyed, with losses exceeding 40,000 men. Except for Zuo Liangyu who managed to escape without firing a single arrow, Wu Sangui, Liu Zeqing, and Huang Degong were all beheaded by Emperor Wuding. The Qi cavalry pursued the Ming army southward to Guanxian County, and chased them for 300 miles before returning.

From then on, the Linqing Defense War, which lasted for nearly two months, ended with a great victory for the Qi army.

On July 29th, Emperor Wuding issued an oral edict:
"God damned Ming thieves! You killed my wife, dug up my imperial tomb, attacked my city, and slaughtered my people! How despicable! Zhang Mazi, take your men and select a thousand newly recruited, obedient, and honest men from among the captives. Kill the rest! I order you to do so!"

On July 2, Zhang Dong, the chief of the Imperial Guard (formerly the Central Army Guard), led pacification troops and, with the assistance of the th Army, took the Ming army prisoners to the Aotouji Stone Dam (Note ) for execution. The th Army sent executioners, who took half an hour to behead all the more than prisoners. The blood flowed along the stone dam into the river, turning the water of the Huitong River red, and the people of Linqing who were watching were all terrified.

~~~~~
Emperor Wuding's palace was located in the Linqing Grand Canal Chaoguan Yamen, a courtyard house with five entrances and the largest mansion in Linqing Prefecture. The emperor lived in the innermost wing. Zhang Dong led twelve guards (including a cook) to station in the wing rooms on both sides of the Chaoguan Yamen. Pu Gang selected fifty soldiers from various camps to strengthen the protection of the palace.

Zhang Mazi arranged for guards to patrol the palace day and night, fearing that someone with ill intentions might harm the emperor. Of course, for Emperor Wuding, these guards were more of a ceremonial guard. If an assassin dared to attack, it would most likely be Liu Zhaosun protecting the guards, not the guards protecting the emperor.

On the night of the beheading of seven thousand captives, Emperor Wu Ding bathed and changed his clothes with the help of two maids.

The two maids were originally the daughters of the Gaotang prefectural governor. Their family was destroyed in the war, and they were stranded here and were bought by a Linqing medicine merchant for a large sum of money.

The drug dealer was very quick-witted. Upon hearing that the emperor was in a hurry to go hunting in the south and had not brought the palace maids with him, he immediately asked his steward to use two sedan chairs to send the two beauties to the customs office that night.

Zhang Dong heard that the drug dealer and General Pu were familiar with each other and were both his own people, so he searched the place thoroughly and let the two beauties in.

~~~~~
Emperor Wu Ding washed off the blood on his body, tied up his white hair with a net scarf, put on a thin undershirt, and lay on a wooden pillar with hanging flowers, surrounded by the elegant fragrance of two women.

This step-out bed is huge in size, and the front door fence is engraved with patterns of unicorns, phoenixes, peonies, etc. with sophisticated knife skills. It is said that this is also the contribution of the drug dealer.

Liu Zhaosun carefully observed the exquisite patterns carved on the baffle. He had been in Kaiyuan for five years and in the capital for two years, holding a high position in the government, yet he had rarely seen such a luxurious bed. It seemed that Linqing's reputation of "surpassing the two capitals in prosperity and being the richest in Qi County" was indeed true, and that he had been too lenient towards merchants in the past.

It's time for a change.

The oriental official who offered to give money and people attracted his attention.

Emperor Wuding heard from Pu Gang that many merchants in Linqing were colluding with the Ming thieves, and that the clerks and doormen of the prefecture and county government offices were preparing to launch an internal rebellion during the siege of the city by the Ming army.

A wasp flew into the gauze curtain, buzzing around recklessly. The whale oil lamps surrounding the curtain kept spinning, staring at the people in the tent stealthily.

Liu Zhaosun looked at the poisonous creature nonchalantly for a while, then a cold light flashed in his eyes. He struck out like lightning, and in a split second he caught the poisonous bee and crushed it alive...
Looking back, I saw two stunningly beautiful women still bathing through the thin gauze curtain, revealing their graceful figures.

Liu Zhaosun's throat moved slightly, and the image of Lady Zhang Yan emerged in his mind.

He stayed with her in the tomb for a full forty days.

It might be because of the fierce battle with the Ming army yesterday, in which he killed hundreds of people in a row, which consumed too much physical strength. Although he rested for a day, he still felt a little weak. It was not until he took a bath with Old Song's medicinal soup just now that he recovered a little.

Emperor Wu Ding closed his eyes, imagining the scene of a river of blood on Aotou Rock today, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

After a while, the two beauties who had just finished bathing saw the emperor sleeping. They looked at each other, chuckled, and took off their clothes, revealing their graceful figures. They walked over quietly and climbed onto the bed. Liu Zhaosun, who was already snoring loudly, suddenly opened his eyes and waved to them, saying:

"Go down."

~~~~~
On the second day of August, Dongfang Zhu got up early, washed and dressed, and without even having breakfast, he took his servant Daian and some gifts and hurried to Linqing Wanghe Tower to pay a visit to his new friend, Xing Zhongyi, the training officer of the 14th Guards Army.

Pu Gang and the instructor Xing Zhongyi originally lived in the Chaoguan Yamen mansion. When the emperor suddenly went south to Linqing, the Chaoguan Yamen, the largest mansion in the state capital, naturally became the temporary palace.

The chief officer and the instructor of the Imperial Guard moved out of the yamen and moved to Wanghe Tower in Hexi.

Compared with the Chaoguan Yamen, Wanghe Tower is obviously simpler, but it is also the most prosperous and important place in Linqing City.

Xing Zhongyi's guards saw Dongfang Zhu coming over with something, and stopped the two of them from a distance at the door.
"Master Dongfang, Instructor Xing is not here,"

"Not here?" Dongfang Zhu touched his forehead and muttered, "Not here. Could he have gone to a brothel?"

The guard's face paled and blue upon hearing this. Seeing no one around, he quickly pulled Dongfang Zhu up and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense! If the patrolling soldiers hear you... you know that according to Kaiyuan military law, soliciting prostitutes is punishable by death!"

Dongfang Zhu smiled and nodded, then stuffed a silver ingot into the guard's sleeve. The guard quickly threw the silver out of his sleeve and moved three or four steps away, avoiding Dongfang Zhu as if he were the plague god.

He chuckled, picked up the silver, and said, "Forget it, forget it. I know the temper of you Kaiyuan soldiers. You can't even give the silver away. If you don't want to accept it, then don't accept it. What's the point? Quick, go call your instructor Xing and tell him that I have something important to see him about! It's too late, and you can't afford to be implicated!"

The guard knew that Dongfang Zhu had defrauded the Jiangbei Fourth Battalion. After being frightened by him just now, he was afraid that this powerful drug dealer would cause more trouble, so he stamped his feet and turned to go inside.

After a cup of tea, Xing Zhongyi, dressed in military uniform, came to the door in person. He stretched his neck to look at both sides of the street, and then said to Dongfang Zhu:

"Master Dongfang, why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming? I could have come to pick you up."

Dongfang Zhu chuckled, bowed slightly, and apologized for bothering him. "Brother Xing, long time no see. Can we talk upstairs?"

Xing Zhongyi looked Dongfang Zhu up and down, and seeing how anxious he was, he gritted his teeth and let the wealthy businessman who had just made a great contribution in.

The instructor walked in front, climbing up the stairs. Dongfang Zhu used to drink tea and listen to storytelling here, so he was quite familiar with the route. Following Xing Zhongyi, he climbed up to the third floor with ease.

As we passed by the guest rooms, we saw that they were filled with military officers and clerks wearing the black uniforms of Qi State, who were busy sorting out the accounts.

The black antelope flag and the flag of the 14th Guards Army at the door fluttered gently in the breeze of the Wei River, making a rustling sound. Dongfang Zhu had heard from Xing Zhongyi that the people working here were all clerks from the army and officials stationed in the local area by the State of Qi. Dongfang Zhu had dealt with these people before, and they were basically the same as the guard at the door just now: stubborn and stubborn, and it was not easy to win them over with money or women...

Xing Zhongyi pushed open the door of the innermost living room on the third floor and walked in. A guard was standing at the door.

Dongfang Zhu asked the servant to stand at the door, and without even looking at the instructor's bitter face, he acted familiar and walked in without waiting for anyone to greet him.

Xing Zhongyi opened the door and said to Dongfang:

"Brother Dongfang, I've been busy counting the captured items these days and haven't had time to drink tea with you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

After he said that, he didn't even look at the gift that Dongfang Zhu brought. Without waiting for the drug dealer to enter the house and sit down, he pretended to see the guest off.

Dongfang Zhu was a little embarrassed, laughed dryly twice, and said in a low voice:

"Brother Xing, I'm not here to give you gifts today. I'm here for something else. I understand the rules of Kaiyuan. I won't give you gifts, so I won't cause you any trouble!"

The instructor's tense nerves relaxed a little, and he waved his hand for him to sit down.

Dongfang Zhu smiled and put down the gift box, then sat down next to the instructor. Without further ado, he got straight to the point:

"Brother Xing, does the Emperor want to..."

He raised his hand and made a beheading gesture.

Xing Zhongyi gave the guard a cold look, and the guard quickly closed the door and retreated.

After the guards left, he whispered:

"I've heard that you, Dongfang Zhu, are incredibly omnipotent. Today I've gained some valuable insights. How did you learn this news?"

Dongfang Zhu chuckled and didn't answer. He reached out to open the gift box on the table.

Seeing this, Xing Zhongyi wanted to open the door and send the guest away.

Dongfang Zhu quickly stopped, patted the instructor's shoulder, and said with a smile:

"I've been tossing and turning in the North Canal for over twenty years, and I've seen all sorts of people, including some who would eat people without leaving any bones. But I've only seen someone as stubborn as the Kaiyuan soldiers once in my lifetime. I'm impressed!"

Xing Zhongyi saw him put away the gift and his expression returned to normal. He smiled and said:
"Brother Dongfang, you're so kind. Do you know how many people the emperor executed to enforce military discipline? He also used trade equity as a check and balance, and this multi-pronged approach is what has led to the military's current splendor."

Dongfang Zhu nodded repeatedly. He was not interested in the military discipline of the Qi army. When he heard about killing people, he shuddered in his heart and said quickly.

"Instructor Xing wants to save my brother! Although I call myself the tyrant of Linqing, I've never killed anyone, nor done anything treacherous or evil. It seems the emperor wants to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs and wipe them out completely!"

Xing Zhongyi smiled and said:
"Did those two women tell you?"

Dongfang Zhu nodded repeatedly, and mentioned the incident of Emperor Wu Ding crushing a hornet, and then started talking about the current situation of the canal, and talked incessantly for a long time.

Xing Zhongyi listened and clapped his hands in praise:

"Seeing the big picture from the small details, great! Brother Dongfang is a great talent. If he can help Da Qi, he will have a bright future!"

Dongfang Zhu knew that his life was in danger. A few days ago, he witnessed with his own eyes the scene of Emperor Wu Ding sweeping through the Ming army on the city wall. It was truly like a god descending to earth, killing a hundred people with one blow.

If it was just brute force, it would have been fine, but the emperor beheaded all 7,000 captives. The method was so cruel and decisive that I still feel terrified when I think about it.

Given the current situation in Linqing and the decline of the Grand Canal, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the emperor would most likely take action against the wealthy merchants in Linqing, not to mention that these people had previously committed suicide by colluding with thieves. However, he was still unclear about how many people the emperor was going to kill...

Thinking about being implicated and losing his life in vain - this violent emperor even killed children, he didn't care whether he had made any contribution - when Dongfang Zhu realized this, he showed a strong desire to survive, and sent Meiji and a bed that day...
"Lord Xing, please stop joking. Assisting Da Qi is nothing. I should be thankful to God for being able to save my life and property!"

Dongfang Zhu started to cry as he spoke. He knew very well that when the butcher knife fell, not only one life would die, but the whole family would also be implicated.

At this moment, he, the local boss of Linqing, felt a chill that went through his bones.

Xing Zhongyi said nothing, just sat there looking at Dongfang Zhu. After Dongfang Zhu cried for a long time, he sighed and slapped his thigh:
"Forget it, forget it! We've known each other for a while. I know what kind of person you are, even if others don't. Today, I'm risking my life to tell you that the emperor is indeed going to massacre all the merchants in Linqing. I don't know anything else, and I don't dare to ask."

"Kill all the merchants in the city... Please, Lord Xing, save me! Please, Lord Xing, save me!"

Dongfang Zhu fell to his knees with a thud, his eyes full of panic. Xing Zhongyi stepped forward to help him up, asked him to sit down, and handed him a cup of tea. Dongfang Zhu took the tea, but his fingers couldn't stop shaking and the tea spilled all over the floor.

"I'll give you a method. Whether it works or not depends on your luck. But you have to swear an oath first. You can't say that I told you this."

After hearing this, Dongfang Zhu quickly wiped away his tears, bit his finger, pointed to the sky and swore a solemn oath.

Xing Zhongyi pulled him to his side and said in a low voice:
"I heard that some time ago, Emperor Wuding captured a woman from the traitor Zuo Liangyu's camp. This woman is very important. You must..."

Note:
1. See "The Veritable Records of Emperor Taizu of Qi, Volume "

2. Aotouji: It is located on the protruding place of the central island of Linqing. During the Zhengde period, stones were piled up to build a dam here, which looks like the head of a turtle. The Linqing and Huitong sluices of the Yuan Dynasty Grand Canal and the Nanban and Xinkai sluices of the Ming Dynasty Grand Canal are divided into left and right like the feet of a turtle. The Guangji Bridge is located behind it like the tail of a turtle. The prefect Ma Lun named it "Aotouji".

(End of this chapter)