The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 535: Stab Qi
On the eighth day of the second month of the fourth year of Taichu, the Southern Ming court paid the annual tribute, tea, cloth and other supplies as scheduled.

The two parties completed the transaction in Xuzhou.

Hou Xun and Ruan Dacheng sat in the Wangyue Tower and feasted, and both sides reaffirmed the "brotherly friendship" between the two countries.

Ruan Dacheng handed over to Hou Xun about two hundred criminals (mainly local tyrants and evil gentry in the Huguang area) who had fled to the south of the Yangtze River since the first year of Taichu.

In return, Grand Secretary Hou announced that the Fourth Corps (Qin Jianxun's troops) stationed on the Huaihe River defense line would withdraw to Huguang, and the Qi army would no longer threaten Hefei in the future.

The delivery went smoothly and steadily. Small boats loaded with silver, tea, and cloth crossed the Huai River and arrived at the Xuzhou wharf. They were registered under the supervision of civil officials and the straw raincoat guards, and then loaded onto horse-drawn carriages and transported to various places in Da Qi.

~~~
On February 12, a rebellion broke out in Pyeongan Province. Some wealthy families were unwilling to leave their homeland and instigated their tenants to attack the local Qi army, killing and wounding dozens of soldiers.

The rebellion was quickly put down.

In order to prevent the rebellion from escalating, Deng Changxiong did not carry out large-scale retaliation, but only executed several Korean gentry who led the riot.

After this battle, the situation on the peninsula gradually stabilized, and soon the first group of wealthy Koreans embarked on a journey to Liaodong.

Mantianxing and a group of Shanxi merchants continued to collect money in various places in Ping'an Road.

By the end of February, Mantianxing's Huitong Silver Shop had absorbed more than 5 million taels of silver, and the deposit performance of other Shanxi merchants was also gratifying.

The pigs are getting fat, it's time to slaughter them.

~~~~
The landing in Japan was delayed indefinitely. It would take at least eight years, and at least two enemies would be eliminated, before Da Qi could have a chance to defeat Tokugawa Iemitsu.

The most dangerous enemy is approaching.

Tsarist Russia, supported by Europe, was determined to fight its new neighbor in the East.

The time traveler was not afraid at all, at least he had the home advantage.

Given the transportation conditions in the 17th century, Tsarist Russia was simply unable (even the Japanese Kwantung Army more than 300 years later was equally unable) to deploy an army of tens of thousands of people from Moscow to Sakhalin Island.

The time traveler has always remained optimistic about the situation on Sakhalin Island.

Until, the number of Cossacks had exceeded a thousand and Ningguta was in danger.

Of course, large-scale military intervention by Tsarist Russia was out of the question, but small-scale infiltration was possible.

The Cossacks, who were divided into small groups, arrived in the Far East one after another and gathered in the city of Yakutsk, preparing to launch an attack on this fortified city.

At the same time, the Dürbert tribe received full support from Tsarist Russia and drove away Bumbutai and the Khorchin people under her command.

This descendant of the Golden Family reached the peak of his prestige and power, and he decided to emulate Ligdan Khan and become a real Khan.

After careful consideration, Zasak decided to collude with Sharhutuktu.

The well-known Rama Matu Ketu brought a golden Buddha (presumably the statue of Zhenwu God) that he claimed had been consecrated in Wudang Mountain.

The lie is not only clumsy, it is an insult to the intelligence of the grassland herdsmen. However, the herdsmen who believe in the Golden Buddha still flock to it.

Maybe life is too hard.

The two men's commercial flattery made them seem like the reincarnation of Kublai Khan and Phagpa (Note 1).

Thanks to the mutual hype and the support of the Russians, the Jasak Khan's power increased rapidly, with a strong army and powerful firearms. After occupying Khorchin, the Jasak was busy gathering and contacting the Mongol tribes, and there was no sign of an eastward invasion for the time being.

Liu Zhaosun did not dare to take it lightly. After finally defeating Ligdan Khan, the Jasak was about to emerge again. The power game on the Mongolian grassland was as fun as whack-a-mole.

The Korean War had just ended and all units were in urgent need of rest and recuperation. This season was not suitable for launching an attack.

The most urgent task is to defend Sakhalin Island and wipe out the invading enemy. According to the information sent back by Jiang Liuer, there are about 1,500 Cossacks approaching Ningguta.

At the end of February, Emperor Wuding and his entourage crossed Tieling Kaiyuan and headed north to Fuyuan to inspect the northern defense line.

Based on the comparison of the combat power of the two sides, in order to completely wipe out the invading enemy, another 1,000 reinforcements must be sent to Sakhalin Island.

~~~~~
The convoy rolled over the muddy road, squeaking as it moved northward. After passing Fuyuan, it left the territory of Da Qi. As the cement road disappeared, the carriage became more and more bumpy.

"How many troops does Ningguta have?"

"Less than 500. The main force of the Fifth Corps withdrew after driving out the Cossacks two years ago."

"War costs money, so it's right to withdraw."

Military farming had just begun on Sakhalin Island. There was a shortage of arable land, and food and various supplies were in short supply. If the army had not plundered on the spot like the Cossacks did, it would have been difficult for it to survive there.

The Three Alls Policy was not Liu Zhaosun's style. Emperor Wu Ding planned to use Sakhalin Island as a forward base for conquering America, so he could not copy the colonists' tactics in North America:
Kill all the indigenous people.

After listening to Li Sanguang's introduction, Liu Zhaosun felt uneasy.

More than 400 people had to be divided into two groups, one to guard Ningguta and the other to guard Sakhalin Island.

It's ridiculous that there are only more than 200 defenders on such a huge Sakhalin Island.

"The local people and the Cossacks are sworn enemies, and many of them have volunteered to serve as auxiliary soldiers. In total, there are over 2,000 of them, and they barely have enough food to eat."

"We still need to plant more sweet potatoes and potatoes,"

Liu Zhaosun said meaningfully: "In the future, when you capture Cossacks, don't kill them all. Let them go to Siberia to grow potatoes..."

The words were not finished.

"Boom! Boom!"

There was a loud explosion outside, like thunder falling from the sky. Horses neighed all around and the convoy was in chaos.

The heat wave from the explosion pushed open the car door and knocked Li Sanguang to the ground.

Curses were heard outside, followed by the sound of muskets firing and bowstrings vibrating.

Pei Dahu quickly poked half of his head in, and seeing that the emperor was safe and sound, he said cautiously:
"Your Majesty! A group of thieves are lying in wait in the woods, throwing bombs. Judging by their tactics, they look like the Imperial Guards."

"Jinyiwei?"

Liu Zhaosun said "oh" and his consciousness returned to a long time ago.

Even after so many years since the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there are still remnants of the former dynasty who want to assassinate him.

"The ghosts are still there, are there any alive?"

Pei Dahu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, there were over twenty assassins in total, most of whom were killed on the spot by the Imperial Guards. Only two were captured alive, including a scholar."

"Okay, it's not that easy to kill me."

The emperor encountered similar assassinations every time he traveled.

The assassins' identities are varied and their hometowns are spread all over the north and south.

There are former Ming gentry, Zhang Chun's old subordinates, Emperor Tianqi's old ministers, Shandong merchants whose property was confiscated, and occasionally some remnants of Jiannu and Ligdan Khan...
He was no longer surprised by these assassinations. At the beginning, he would interrogate the other party to find out why they wanted to assassinate him.

The answers are all kinds of strange.

Some wanted to avenge the former Ming emperor, some wanted to avenge the Later Jin Khan Huang Taiji Dudu, some wanted to avenge the wealthy families whose property was confiscated and their clans were exterminated, and some assassins even wanted to become famous.

It is said that when you are in the underworld, assassinating Emperor Wuding is one of the shortcuts to fame.

After dozens of explosions, poisonings, hidden arrows, and arson attacks, the time travelers lost interest in these assassins and simply considered them dead. Once captured by the Imperial Guards, they would be handed over to the Suoyi Guards for disposal. Liu Xingzuo or Zhang Dong would personally interrogate the assassins, and if they identified their accomplices, they would secretly execute them.

During the whole process, Liu Zhaosun would not even look at the assassin.

However, the situation today was a little different. Perhaps it was because the Korean rebellion aroused the sympathy of the retired emperor, or because Emperor Wuding was really bored today, he asked Pei Dahu to bring the two surviving assassins to the dragon chariot. He wanted to meet these long-lost assassins.

"Your Majesty, you are a desperado. What's there to see? Chop him off with one blow!"

Dongfang Zhu was worried about the safety of the emperor, so he whispered to him. Eunuch Dongfang was also injured in the explosion, and he was holding his head with a buzzing sound in his ears.

"The thieves keep coming one after another. It won't be easy. I should take a look at them."

Two assassins, covered in blood and half dead, were brought over and made to kneel in front of the carriage.

The retired emperor gently jumped off the carriage, pushed away the shield in front of him with one hand, and drew out his goose-feather knife.

Just as Sen Ti was about to speak, Emperor Wu Ding interrupted him with a sword:

"Why do you want to assassinate me?"

There were bloodstains around the carriage, reminding the living that a fierce battle had just taken place here.

"Tyrant! Beast! You have no king or father, you slandered Confucius and slaughtered Duke Yansheng! You abolished the imperial examinations and are the enemy of all scholars. It's a pity that I, Fan Jin, am alone and weak and cannot kill you. I feel ashamed of the late emperor..."

Fan Jin kowtowed several times facing the south, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. The blood foam flew a few feet before falling softly.

The guards punched and kicked him, and Pei Dahu suppressed the stubborn head.

"Are you Fan Jin? Did you pass the imperial examination?"

Liu Zhaosun placed the tip of the knife against Fan Jin's chin and slowly lifted up the bloody head.

A face distorted with anger appeared before my eyes.

The gray hair on his temples and the deep wrinkles on his face show that this scholar had studied hard for ten years but no one paid attention to him.

"Ten years of hard study, no one cares, but one day, the whole world will know you!"

"I abolished the imperial examinations for the sake of world peace. Why do you, a corrupt scholar, want to kill me?"

"Not only do I want to kill you, all the scholars in the world want to kill you. You are just like the tyrannical Qin, your life will not be long! You..."

Liu Zhaosun waved his hand impatiently.

"Lori, let's go!"

"If all the people in the world who want to kill me were to stand together, they could form a line from Moscow to Tianxin City. Do you know where Moscow is?"

Fan Jin was speechless. He never expected that the tyrant who slandered the sages Confucius and Mencius and abolished the imperial examination system would ask such a question.

"In Russia, yes, I am indeed guilty, but what virtue and ability do you have to kill me on behalf of the people of the world? Just because you can write articles?"

"Fan Jin, times have changed. If you can write articles, you can only work as a copywriter. Don't think about becoming an official, and don't think about being a tyrant."

Fan Jin was speechless.

Emperor Wuding exuded an inexplicable terrifying aura that made him dare not move.

The guard brought a basin of cold water and poured it over Fan Jin's head, and a cloud of white hot steam rose from the ground.

Spring arrived early in Liaodong in February, but the weather was still extremely cold, with water freezing into ice.

The basin of water poured on Fan Jin made his teeth chatter with cold and his whole body curled up into a ball.

"It's not that you can't kill me, but you need a more convincing reason. Take him away."

The two guards dragged Fan Jin towards the river as if he were a dead person.

The remaining one was kneeling there and trembling.

The guards dug a hole in the river as thick as a bucket, and Fan Jin was tied up and hung in the hole in the ice.

The guards scooped up river water and poured it over his head. Mr. Fan turned into an ice sculpture at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“I, I am…”

"How dare you call yourself a commoner in front of the Emperor!"

Pei Dahu swung the scabbard and was about to hit someone again.

"stop!"

Liu Zhaosun signaled the commander of the imperial guard to withdraw and looked at the last assassin with loving care.

An elderly man in his forties or fifties, with a pale and thin face, a haggard look, trembling fingers, and not daring to look up at people.

"Perhaps you don't know what you're doing? Tell me why you want to kill me. Tell me the truth, and I'll forgive you."

Liu Zhaosun looked at the old man with interest, like an elder ready to enlighten a young man who had gone astray.

"My name is Li Yanhong, and I'm a tenant farmer. In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign..."

Pei Dahu interrupted, "What's the sixth year of Tianqi? Zhu Youjian died in the third year. There was no Tianqi at all. That was the first year of Wuding!"

"Yes, it was in the first year of the Wuding reign. The army arrived in Henan, confiscated all the land and property, and killed everyone."

Pei Dahu said angrily: "Since we have killed them all, who are you?"

"Yes, sir, I am a farmhand in Mr. Luo's family, herding cattle."

"Master Luo?" Liu Zhaosun seemed to be lost in thought. "You should go find Shen Lian and seek revenge on him. He was the one who killed Luo Sigong. Why are you looking for me?"

Shen Lian has been dead for many years.

"The Great Qi Chamber of Commerce took away all my cattle, sheep, and horses. I had no food to eat, so I had no choice but to join the rebel army and follow Liu Zongmin to rob the wealthy. Five years ago, I was defeated by General Pu in Henan. The year before last, I fled to Shandong and became a local militia under Master Wang. Master Wang was defeated by the Qi army again. Driven by famine and without food to eat, I followed them here..."

"them?"

"They were the servants of the Luo family. The Chamber of Commerce raided their property and confiscated the money they had stored at Master Luo's house. That's why they've been fighting to the death. The leader of the group is called Fan Jin. He was a failed scholar who took the imperial examinations for over ten years before finally passing. When he was about to go to Beijing for the imperial examination, he heard that the imperial examinations had been canceled. His wife ran away with someone else, and he was so angry that he cursed the emperor every day..."

"Oh, it's a sad story."

Liu Zhaosun shed a crocodile tear.

"Do you know how many assassins have died at my hands?"

The old assassin knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"I didn't know the assassin was targeting the Emperor. If I had known, I would never have come. They just told me they were here to rob a wealthy man."

Emperor Wu Ding sheathed his sword, got on the carriage, and looked around.

"Li Yanhong, I keep my word and will spare your life. However, you will be punished for the crime of assassinating the emperor. You will be sent to Ningguta to help Jiang Liuer defend the city."

Note:
1、八思巴（藏文：；1235年3月6日－1280年12月15日），全名八思巴·罗追坚参。藏传佛教萨迦派第五代首领，西藏萨迦政权的创始者，第一任萨迦法王。元朝第一位帝师。

(End of this chapter)