The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 528: Destroy the Famous City and Recruit Heroes

The household slaves and maids kept coming in and out of Anhe Palace, until finally, only Park Congming was left in the hall. The sounds of cymbals, gongs, trumpets and drums in the distance were getting closer and closer, and even the sounds of bamboo whistles of the Qi army's spearmen advancing could be heard.

Park Tsung-ming participated in a series of battles during the Ming army's eastern expedition to Japan in the second year of the Chongzhen reign, personally serving on the front lines from the landing on Tsushima Island to the conquest of Kyushu. Therefore, he was quite familiar with the Qi army's tactics. If he had not betrayed Kim Eung-ha and chosen to join Yi Sun-eui, he would have been at least a deputy general of one of the ten corps.

"Since ancient times, everyone has to die. I will leave my loyalty to shine in history! I would rather die than fall into the hands of the thief Liu!"

Pu obeyed the order, drew his sword, faced south, kowtowed three times and bowed nine times, took off his goat hat, and said with his hair loose:
"Your Majesty, I feel so ashamed of your grace. I have been so honored by your promotion and favor. I will repay you in my next life!"

After saying this, he raised his sword and was about to commit suicide.

At this time, the injured head servant who had just been dismissed by Park, gently pushed open the half-closed palace gate, looked around, and saw that there was no one in the empty hall. He glanced at Park Yushi who was reciting poetry, quietly closed the door, and whispered to Master Park:
"Master, the Seven Star Gate has been captured by Liu the thief, and the other gates are probably no longer safe. Everyone in Anhe Palace has fled, let's go too."

Pu followed the order without saying a word, nodded blankly, and then swung the sword violently, slashing it towards his neck. The head servant snatched the blade and shouted:
"Master! Absolutely not! The southern city gate is still in our hands. The gatekeeper Jiang Yuhou and I are from the same hometown. If we go south now, we can also go to Incheon, Seoul, and follow the king to Ganghwa Island. Just like the Goguryeo King Gao Zang in the Tang Dynasty and the warrior Cui Yu in the Song Dynasty, as long as we retreat to Ganghwa Island, the thief Liu will not be able to hold out for long and will withdraw. I have already found a carriage and gathered fifty servants to escort you..."

"what!"

Park Congming screamed, his eyes fixed on the locked door in front of him. The intense pain made his whole body spasm like a twisted snake. He looked down and saw a dagger embedded in his abdomen, leaving only the handle exposed.

"Song Zhongya, you..."

The head servant twisted the dagger around the master's waist, covered the master's mouth with his iron arm, and said in a pleasant manner:

"Master, you've seen it too. The Qi army is about to massacre the city. That beast, Liu Zhaosun, won't even let go of his confidants, let alone you and me. I really have no other choice but to lend you my head so that I can save my family's lives. That Li's Suoyi Guard said that anyone who captures the commander's head and surrenders will not only be spared from death, but will also be given an official position and rewarded with silver. We Simida have long since stopped fighting. It would have been better if you had let everyone retreat to Ganghwa Island earlier. Why did you insist on staying and fighting Liu Zhaosun to the death? You want to die yourself, not letting the people escape, forcing them to climb the city to fight, forcing the entire city to die with you, but I don't want to die..."

The servant named Song Zhongya was still chattering, and it was not known whether it was because of nervousness or excitement, but the hand holding the dagger kept shaking, and his body swayed rhythmically with Park Congming, as if he had the hiccups.

Pu Congming never dreamed that one day he would be murdered by his closest servants and sent to Liu Zhaosun as a token of his allegiance.

Seeing that the master was silent, the servant loosened his iron arm and heard Park Congming speak incoherently on his deathbed:
"Old... I fought to the death for Korea, what's wrong with that, you bunch of idiots..."

Song Zhongya immediately covered the master's mouth again, and while stirring the dagger, he explained:

"Master, don't worry. I, Song Zhongya, am not a treacherous person. Master, I have always treated me well. Today, I will give you a quick death and will not let you die in sorrow."

After saying that, he twisted his iron arm hard, and with a snap, he broke the neck...
The gate of Anhe Palace slowly opened, and Song Zhongya, covered in blood, followed Li Zicheng out of the palace. They came to a barricade outside the palace where people were still resisting. Li Zicheng threw a head high into the air, and the servant shouted:
"The Chief Censor is dead. Surrender and you will not be killed!"

~~~~
"Pyongyang is broken, right?"

Three miles north of Qixingmen City is the main camp of the Qi army.

Emperor Wuding summoned civil and military officials to discuss matters to be done after the city was captured.

Pei Dahu had just come from the Seven Stars Gate and quickly reported back:
"Your Majesty, half an hour ago, the First Corps captured the Seven Star Gate and breached the East Gate. Further troops are entering the city. According to your majesty's orders, the South Gate is open for the Koreans to escape."

Liu Zhaosun nodded with satisfaction. Everything was as he expected, and everything was progressing according to his plan.

"How are the battles of the Southern and Eastern Armies going?"

Emperor Wuding turned his gaze to Liu Xingzuo, and the intelligence chief immediately took out two reports that had just been sent back from the front line and handed them to the emperor personally.

The emperor took the newspaper and read it, and the smile on his face became more obvious.

"Great, great! Li Jong's reinforcements, originally planned to be 220,000 strong, have only reached 80,000. Half were stopped by Wu Aheng in Huangzhou, and the other half by Deng Changxiong in Cheorwon. Deng Changxiong, with only 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers, reported in a report that 'the Korean soldiers not only refused to surrender, but also attempted to counterattack the Second Corps.' He asked me if, after defeating the enemy, we should seize the opportunity to march south and capture Seoul in one fell swoop."

There were sounds of amazement in the big tent, and everyone was amazed. You know, only an elite force like the Second Corps could accomplish such a thousand-mile stealth, a sudden attack and a swift defeat of the enemy after a high-intensity march.

"The Sixth Corps fought from Busan to Pungcheon, frightening Yi Jong half to death. I will not threaten the King of Joseon anymore. For now, I will spare his life."

Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Hou Xun quickly echoed, "Our emperor is wise and powerful, able to win victories thousands of miles away. He is certainly no match for the barbarians of the Eastern Frontier. Li Zong is fickle, treacherous, and unfaithful. He is truly despicable and must not be let off lightly!"

Several civil servants, including Ge Yewen, Lu Zhenfei, and Du Yinxi, also congratulated the retired emperor, celebrating the fact that the Great Qi had pacified the two northern regions and expanded its territory.

Liu Zhaosun asked everyone to sit down, and the guards brought wine, venison and preserved fruits.

The king and his ministers feasted.

The faces of civil officials and military generals showed joy.

This victory was hard-won. For this Eastern Expedition, everyone in Da Qi, from the Prime Minister to the ordinary people, worked hard and shed blood. Several officials in the civil affairs and workshops died in a row... Now, this nightmare is finally over. Da Qi has become the final winner. Everyone finally doesn't have to worry that the emperor will repeat the tragedy of Emperor Yang of Sui's expedition against Goguryeo.

Emperor Wu Ding ordered Dongfang Zhu to invite Empress Dowager Cisi to the banquet. Jin Yuji, dressed in red armor, sat gracefully next to the retired emperor and kept pouring wine for her husband.

"The best strategy is to attack the enemy's strategy. Now that Pyongyang has been captured, the most urgent task is to negotiate with Yi Jong and sign a treaty similar to the Niuguan Treaty. This will not only motivate the soldiers of the army, but also provide an explanation to the people of Daqi."

The wine glass that Liu Zhaosun held stopped in mid-air. As everyone looked over, they saw that the person who spoke was none other than Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chuanting.

"Go on." Emperor Wuding put down his wine glass and looked at his trusted minister intently.

Since there is no plan to annex the eight provinces of Korea this time - Da Qi does not have the strength to do so at present - then peace talks should be put on the agenda before the war ends. This is the political quality that distinguishes politicians from civil servants.

Emperor Wuding stared at Sun Chuanting for a long time and felt more and more that this deputy prime minister was very competent.

"Then, according to Elder Sun, what should Great Qi ask of North Korea this time?"

Sun Chuanting bowed, left his seat, and walked straight to the map hanging on the wall of the tent. He said to everyone:

"I believe that we should force Yi Jong to cede the two northern provinces (Hamgyeong and Pyeongan), pay annual tribute to Daejeon, and allow the Joseon crown prince to enter the country and be sent to Gyunju as a hostage."

Everyone looked calm and composed. All the colleagues present were familiar with Sun Chuanting's character, so it was nothing surprising that he was so decisive and ruthless.

The retired emperor raised the remaining wine high up, holding the tall glass tightly in his hand. In the light of the whale oil lamp, the bright red grape juice in the glass looked like human blood. As the time traveler gently stirred it, the blood flowed like a river and sea.

"anything else?"

"besides,"

Sun Chuanting looked around and his eyes fell on the emperor.

"All Korean prisoners captured this time must be executed, and some of those in Seoul who advocate war must also be killed. In addition, the port of Busan must be occupied by the Sixth Corps, or rather leased, with a symbolic payment of silver to sever ties between the Koreans and the Japanese pirates."

Liu Zhaosun continued to play with the wine glass and said slowly:
"Will Li Jong agree to kill the pro-war faction?"

Sun Chuanting said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. These are the conditions for peace talks. Your Majesty is informing Li Zong, not discussing them with him."

Emperor Wuding smiled and nodded.

"Any more?"

Dongfang Zhu sucked in a breath of cold air. He was a high-ranking official who came from a local background. When he heard about beheading prisoners, he felt dizzy. As far as he knew, the Shanlu army had captured at least 10,000 Korean soldiers in the seven provinces of Korea (except Gangwon Province which was not involved in this war).

Sun Chuanting didn't care about the suspicious looks of his colleagues around him, and said word by word:

"Destroy the famous city and recruit heroes."

Emperor Wuding suddenly became interested and leaned forward slightly despite Jin Yuji's pulling.

"Lord Sun, please tell me in detail."

"I remember your majesty said that we must completely annihilate the enemy in this battle. Now that we have won a great victory, let's block the south gate as well and catch the enemy in a trap."

A group of civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment. They knew very well what Sun Chuanting meant by "catching a turtle in a jar".

"The Koreans are good at fighting, and they fight again and again despite repeated defeats. If you want long-term peace and stability, you should follow the example of the First Emperor and demolish Pyongyang and relocate its inhabitants to Dingzhou and Yizhou, stationing large armies there and garrisoning them."

Everyone agrees that North Koreans are good at fighting, but wanting to demolish the city of Pyongyang is really a bit too much.

Why can't we emulate anyone else, but why do we have to learn from the tyrannical Qin Dynasty?

Liu Zhaosun clapped his hands and praised:
"Good! Sometimes, killing is the simplest and most effective way to solve a problem. It's what you call the best policy."

"I deeply feel the pain of the Ming's loss of Jiaozhi. Seizing the prestige of this great victory, I request that the Supreme Emperor issue an edict to relocate all heroes from Pyeongan Province and Hamgyong Province with assets exceeding 10,000 taels to Junzhou. Those who fail to relocate within the stipulated time will have their entire clan exterminated! This will allow us to monitor the rebels closely, strengthen Tianxin City, and dissipate the morale of the court. In thirty to fifty years, this area will be completely under the rule of Great Qi."

(End of this chapter)