The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 594 Make a decision and then act
"The White Lotus Sect is rampant in Shandong. I have promised the local tyrants to train their own troops and leave the mess to Zheng Sen. Why is Zhao Rushi still defending Jinan instead of returning to Liaodong immediately?"

"Your Majesty, you may not be aware that in the middle of this month, Zheng Chenggong sent Shi Lang to attack Dengzhou. The Zheng army destroyed the tomb of Yuan Shaobao, opened the coffin, and mutilated the body... The Yuan family members guarding the tomb in Penglai were also killed by them. General Zhao said he wanted to avenge Yuan Shaobao and led the Eighth Corps to hold Jinan and Jining, blocking the Zheng army's westward advance. He has been holding the position for over a month..."

On February 25th of the first year of Guangde, in the lobby of the Chengtian Prefecture government office in Huguang.

After the main force of the Qi army crossed Shanhaiguan, it quickly moved south, and stopped all the way. When passing through Henan, it only stopped at two stations (the former residence of Kang Yingqian in Jize County and the hometown of Empress Dowager Zhang in Kaifeng).

In mid-February, after a month and a half of trekking, the troops finally arrived in Huguang, and the 20,000-strong army hid in Anlu.

Anlu is the hometown of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. After Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao of the Ming Dynasty died without an heir, Zhu Houcong came to Beijing from the vassal state to inherit the throne.

Soon after, the court promoted Anlu Prefecture to Chengtian Prefecture, and the attached county was named Zhongxiang. Jingmen Prefecture of Jingzhou, Dangyang and Qianjiang counties, as well as Mianyang Prefecture and Jingling County were ceded to it.

Chengtian Prefecture is Anlu Prefecture of Da Qi, which was once the forefront of the confrontation between Qi and Ming.

Conflicts continued to break out between the Qi and Ming sides on the Huguang front. After the Qi army occupied Anlu, it changed its name to Anlu Prefecture. After the Ming Dynasty regained the area, it was restored to Chengtian Prefecture.

During the Ming Dynasty, Chengtian Prefecture had enfeoffed three vassal kings, namely: Prince of Ying Zhu Dong, Prince of Liang Zhu Zhan'e, Prince of Xing Zhu Youlang, Prince of Shou Zhu Youying, and Prince of Jing Zhu Zaizhen.

It is said that the dragon energy in Anlu is too strong and ordinary princes cannot suppress it at all. Living here will shorten their lifespan. In history, all the princes who were enfeoffed in Anlu were short-lived and had bad fates.

Liu Zhaosun was superstitious by nature and naturally avoided these things. After the army captured Anlu City, the emperor did not set up Xingluan in the magnificent old prince's mansion, but directly moved him into the simple state government office.

At this moment, Liu Zhaosun sat at the head of the table, carefully examining a map. Zhangdong and Liu Xingzuo stood on either side. Several Ming officials in robes knelt in the hall, examining the patterns on their chest patches. There were prefects, county magistrates, and two captains of the garrison. Wu Xiao and Lin Yu led the imperial guards on either side. At the gates of the yamen stood a row of soldiers, armed with muskets and long swords. They were the combat troops of the First Corps.

The Emperor took a copy of the imperial report from Liu Xingzuo, glanced at it, and sneered, "Ma Jinzhong and Li Cheng, two small fry, dare to compare themselves to Zhang Xun and Tian Dan? When it comes to defending a city, Zhao Lujiao is their ancestor!"

At that time, Zhao Lujiao held Kyushu and was besieged by the shogunate forces for two years, but he was able to escape unscathed in the end.

The retired emperor threw the official report to the ground, and with a sharp glance swept over the surrendered officials in the hall, and asked Zhang Dong, "How many days will Jinan have enough food and grass to sustain us?"

Zhang Dong thought for a while, hesitant:
"Last year, I heard from Xie Yang that the food in Linqing's treasury is enough for an entire corps to eat for three months. Jinan should have even more. Moreover, the Eighth Corps is not fully staffed right now, so it should be enough for them to eat for at least half a year."

"What about my neighbor to the west? What's going on lately?"

"Zhang Zicheng and his gang are still fighting among themselves. There has been no fighting in Shanxi. The rest of the situation is unclear."

The Emperor was somewhat dissatisfied: "I have handed the Mino Guard over to you. Not only must you monitor all officials and gather intelligence, but you must also have a clear grasp of the details of each prefecture and county. Everything must be under control, and we must make plans before taking action."

Zhang Dong looked ashamed.

Smoke of war rose everywhere, and military intelligence was in the air. Huguang, Liaodong, Jianghuai, and other battlefields deployed a large number of manpower to spy on military intelligence.

Zhao Lujiao's defense of Jinan was an emergency. The Suoyi Guard was completely in the dark on the battlefield in Shandong, not to mention Shaanxi where various bandits were fighting endlessly.

"Well, if he wants revenge, let him do it. As long as he can hold Jinan, wait for me to destroy Zuo Liangyu, occupy Nanjing, and march north to cut off the retreat of the Beijing camp and Zheng Sen, then he can survive."

Zhang Dong whispered, "Didn't His Majesty say before that after our army captured Nanjing, we would take advantage of the situation and march south to attack the pirates' lair?"

"Warfare is the art of deception. Fujian will certainly be attacked. Perhaps a small force will march south, or perhaps it's just a feint. Everything is still uncertain. However, Koxinga is young and full of vigor, just as I was in Hetuala. He may die this time, either in Liaodong or on the way back to Fujian. It all depends on luck."

"I am deeply moved by Zhao Lujiao's kindness to his friend. I have decided to go to Shandong to rescue him—of course, after defeating Zuo Liangyu. Has Wu Aheng's fleet set out yet?"

In the lobby of the Anlu Prefecture government office, in front of a group of surrendered officials, the retired emperor and his two intelligence chiefs talked openly about various military details, as if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and the rise and fall of dynasties were just numbers marked on a map.

The surrendered officials kneeling in the hall were terrified. Even a fool could know that after hearing this, their death was probably not far away.

Not long ago, Zuo Liangyu's army arrived at Huguang with great momentum, and seemed to be ready to destroy the State of Qi in one fell swoop.

Unexpectedly, the situation had changed dramatically in just over ten days. Of course, at present, only the person involved, Kunshan Gong, was still unaware of it.

"Where is General Qin's Fourth Corps now?"

Liu Xingzuo hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, General Qin sent a messenger yesterday saying they had reached Luotian but were blocked by floods and were taking a detour via Xishui."

flood?

This spring, the Jianghan Plain experienced a peach blossom snow, and the temperature was much lower than in previous years. At the end of February, the ice and snow melted, and the water levels of the Han River and the Yangtze River rose sharply. Floods were not uncommon.

"We've reached Xishui, which is very close to Jiangxia. Bandits are rampant in the Huanggang area. Tell Qin Jianxun not to get entangled with the local bandits, but to take a detour south to cut off Zuo Liangyu's retreat."

"Your Majesty, please consider this in detail. I cannot wait."

Liu Zhaosun pointed to a small dot on the map and continued to ask.

"Where are the four armies under Zuo Liangyu now?"

"Your Majesty, except for Li Cheng and Ma Jinzhong who are still defending Jiangxia, the rest of the troops have already set out to encircle Huangpi from the east, south, west, and north. We expect to close in on Pugang within two days."

Liu Xingzuo pointed on the map to the emperor, Liu Zhaosun nodded and asked:
"Where's Zuo Liangyu?"

"They're still in Chongyang. They haven't left yet. Our men in Chongyang encountered two Yebushou from the Fifth Corps. They were planning to jointly assassinate Zuo Liangyu."

Liu Zhaosun stared at Chongyang on the map. It was a small city near Hunan, and he hadn't expected the map to be so clearly marked. This map was the latest work by Xu Guangqi and Ginnige, and it was quite detailed. While not every blade of grass or tree was visible in detail, every important village and river was marked.

Liu Zhaosun even saw on it a sparsely populated tourist attraction that he had visited in his previous life.

"To assassinate him directly would be too easy for him. Zuo Liangyu has done too many bad things over the years. We can't let him die so easily. We must capture him alive and put him on trial."

This sentence announced Zuo Liangyu's final fate.

Zhang Dong took out a small notebook he carried with him and wrote down the emperor's orders one by one.

"Your Majesty is far-sighted. The Ming army is pressing on Jiangxia from all sides. Zuo Liangyu's 80,000 troops have surrounded Pu Gang in the Huangpi Jiangxia area, preparing to cooperate with Ma Jinzhong from inside and outside to wipe out the Fifth Corps in one fell swoop. They have all come out. We came at the perfect time. If we had come earlier, they would have escaped. If we had come later..."

"Don't worry, Pu Gang will be able to hold on even after a few days. He's just like Zhao Lujiao, a skilled defender of the city. Back then, he was alone in Linqing, but he managed to hold on for over a year. That's why I used him as bait."

"Zuo Liangyu has been suppressed by me for so many years, and every time he fights, he loses miserably. Now that the opportunity has come, it's inevitable that he will get carried away."

Zhang Dong praised him sincerely, "Your Majesty has maintained a surprisingly righteous defense, employing both false and real tactics, and using offense instead of defense. With a lone army, he has lured the Ming army out en masse, leaving no trace. Now the three armies are encircling us. As long as General Qin circles to the south, Zuo Liangyu will be unable to escape!"

Liu Zhaosun raised the pencil he was using to mark the map and, like a private school teacher teaching his students, highlighted the key points for his two subordinates:
"Emperor Hongguang has been controlled by Ruan Dacheng or sidelined by Zheng Chenggong for these years. It has been truly difficult. This time, I will help him purge his inner circle and eliminate these two warlords, allowing him to sit on the throne with peace of mind. Only when he is at ease can I be at ease. The important city of Nanjing can be captured without bloodshed."

"Send a report to Qin Jianxun, informing him that I have been leading a large army and have been lying dormant in Anlu for three days. Tell him to make a detour to Yueyang as soon as possible. Don't be greedy for cities or land along the way. Be careful to intercept the Ming army's scouts. If fighting breaks out in the north, he will be responsible for blocking the Ming army's retreat."

Zhang Dong wrote and drew in his notebook.

Liu Zhaosun thought for a while and said:
"I know Qin Jianxun feels guilty for losing Xuzhou and Jianghuai. Remember to add a sentence in the report, telling him that this time we must completely wipe out the left thieves, avenge our fallen brothers, and restore the honor of the Fourth Corps."

The retired emperor turned his gaze to the map in his hand and marveled at it.

"It seems that this person needs to be calm and focused to study. Old Xu retired from his official duties and, without the distractions of official documents, he spent less than a year at home unemployed, and he began writing books and drawing maps."

After praising Xu Guangqi for his excellent map, the retired emperor turned his gaze from the Jianghan Plain to the north.

Zhang Dong finished recording and when he heard Xu Guangqi mentioned, he quickly replied:

"Your Majesty, I have sent people to investigate. Since Lord Xu was dismissed from office and returned home, he has only been socializing with relatives and old friends. He has refused to see any outsiders. He usually writes poetry, talks about love and romance, and only talks about the past dynasties. The younger generation of fellow townsmen wanted to form a Fushe Society and asked Lord Xu to take the lead, but he refused."

The Emperor Retired disagreed, saying, "It's all right to occasionally form a society and discuss and comment on state affairs. The Great Qi is not the tyrannical Qin, much less the Shang Tang. Even though I am violent, the people won't turn their backs on me."

Zhang Dong nodded thoughtfully.

The Emperor pointed at the surrendered Nanming official who had been kneeling on the ground for a long time and said in a peaceful tone:
"For example, you all, can't I kill you?"

"Of course."

"However, among you, there must be capable ministers and generals, people who truly work for the people. Regardless of the pseudo-Ming Dynasty or the Great Qi Dynasty, the state has spent a huge amount of money to train you to take the imperial examinations and select you to become officials. It would be a pity to kill you with a single blow. I have always valued talent."

"Some of you have been coerced by the false Ming, and have hidden secrets you cannot express. Two countries are at war, each serving its own master, and I understand that. However, if you can repent and reform, and work hard for the Great Qi in the future, you can be reinstated. Now, take off your beastly robes. As long as you are not a treacherous and evil person, you can be used by me."

Zhang Dong and Liu Xingzuo looked at each other after hearing this, while Pei Dahu and Wu Xiao opened their mouths wide.

According to imperial conventions, these former Ming officials who surrendered were subject to strict interrogation, and only one in ten would survive after being released from the imperial prison.

The retired emperor changed his ways today, gave up killing, and reused the surrendered officials. It seems that the world of Da Qi has really changed.

"Of course, if you are stubborn and unwilling to wake up, I won't make things difficult for you. To avoid serving as an official in the south, you can only endure the grievance and work in various factories and mines first. Once you have figured it out, you can make a decision..."

A group of officials from Anlu County of the Southern Ming Dynasty immediately began to take off their outer official uniforms, knelt down together, and shouted "Long live the emperor!"

Zhang Dong took a glance and saw that there were only a few people in official uniforms standing still in the hall, standing out from the crowd.

Pei Dahu waved his hand, and Wu Xiao brought a few guards and took those people away.

Da Qi is no longer the Da Qi of the past.

After experiencing so many things, Liu Zhaosun gradually realized that compromise and balance were the only way to maintain political balance, and killing people and massacring cities were just means.

The long-term stability of an empire depends not on the butcher's knife, not on loyalty, not on slogans, but on the support of one or two core classes.

The emperor needs to delegate power to those below him, cultivate vested interests, and then use various means to tie these people to the imperial power.

The vested interests can be local tyrants and evil gentry, civil officials and aristocrats, craftsmen and scientists, military groups, or even eunuchs.

This is the way of playing in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the way of playing in the Qing Dynasty, and the way of playing in all unified dynasties.

"The world is in turmoil, and the people are weary of war. I have been chosen by Heaven. It is time to end the conflict. Zuo Liangyu, Zheng Sen, your time of death has come."

The time traveler used his pen as a sword and chopped down at the cities on the map, such as Jiangxia, Gaizhou, and Jinan.

(End of this chapter)