The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 662 Review 1642 Hometown Cherry Blossoms
“How many people died in Fujian?”

"Your Majesty, according to statistics from Fujian civil officials, since the 7th Corps entered Fujian to quell the rebellion on February 5, the second year of Guangde, by the end of last month, a total of 3,780 people have died from famine, plague, and massacres by Ming bandits in the nine prefectures, two states, and 71 counties of Fujian. Among them, 127 people died in Min County, 82 in Changle County..."

The emperor interrupted Xie Guangkun's lengthy narration and looked up at the slim and capable Zhang Dong.

"What about the reality?"

Zhang Mazi's expression was indifferent: "Your Majesty, two hundred thousand people."

Liu Zhaosun's face changed drastically, his breathing became rapid, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

Dongfang Zhu quickly winked at Zhang Dong.

The emperor covered his face with his hands, and his emotions could not be seen.

"Two hundred thousand people died. This will go down in history!"

After he finished speaking, he immediately shook his head and said, "Impossible, it's impossible for so many people to die."

Zhang Dong ignored Dongfang Zhu's look and said in a resolute tone:
"Your Majesty, including the missing people from all over the country, I'm afraid the number is more than 200,000."

The retired emperor lowered his head in pain, his veins bulged, and the teacup he was holding shattered into pieces.

Several close confidants were silent and stopped talking.

Liu Zhaosun shed a tear as he faced the Zhenwu God enshrined in the main hall.

Dongfang Zhu consoled him, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God. If you want to blame someone, blame the Ming thieves for their disregard for human life, using civilians as cannon fodder, and robbing them of their food. These 200,000 people were killed by the Ming thieves."

As Eunuch Dongfang spoke, he winked at everyone around him. Zhang Dong ignored him. High Priest Francisco stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, you are the King of Kings and the ruler of the world. Your army has saved those poor people from hell. Without Your Majesty, the people of Fujian would still be suffering from plague and pirates, just like the peasants in medieval Europe. Justice would never come to them."

Liu Xingzuo also echoed, "The high priest is absolutely right. The remnants of Zheng Sen, especially Zhangzhou garrison commander Chen Jin, are simply ruthless. They drive women and children up to the city walls to throw stones every day, forcing the entire city to be buried with the Zheng family..."

The emperor waved his hand to signal everyone to stop talking.

I thought I could occupy Fujian without bloodshed, but I didn't expect to pay such a heavy price in the end.

Even if half of the 200,000 people were withdrawn, they could be used to reclaim Sakhalin Island.

"I heard the siege of Zhangzhou hasn't been lifted yet?"

Zhang Dong nodded and said, "It's been exactly forty days. The Ming thieves can't hold on any longer."

Before the emperor could speak, Liu Xingzuo explained to Wang Zengbin:
"Your Majesty, Zhangzhou is different from Quanzhou. The situation in this city is much more complicated."

The Emperor's gaze was sharp. "I heard one of your men was murdered in Zhangzhou?"

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case. The people in the city reported it to Chen Jin."

More than ten straw raincoat guards arranged by Liu Xingzuo in Zhangzhou were betrayed by the Fujian people and were eventually torn into pieces by five horses by Chen Jin.

Both publicly and privately, Liu Xingzuo hated Zhangzhou to the core, so he fully supported Wang Zengbin's siege of the city.

"Your Majesty, as you can see, Zhangzhou is the Zheng clan's stronghold. Many of the people are fishermen and could turn pirates at any moment. While it's not an exaggeration to say that all of them are pirates, it's not an exaggeration to say that 60 to 70 percent support Zheng Sen. A head-on attack would only result in heavy casualties. Surrounding the city without engaging in battle is a good strategy."

Several people nearby also echoed.

The retired emperor said nothing more and walked straight out of Wenhua Hall.

Dongfang Zhu Francisco followed behind.

As the emperor walked, he muttered to himself:
"Sometimes, I miss the first year of the Wuding reign, when bandits came from Shaanxi with overwhelming force. Plague broke out in the capital, and the dead piled up like mountains... Although the situation was difficult and dangerous, and we were on the verge of death, everyone worked together. As long as I gave an order, no one dared to disobey. I said to attack east, never west. The soldiers were full of vigor and invincible. Now, generals often disobey the king's orders, and the killings are in the tens of thousands. The fields are filled with blood and the boats are covered with blood!"

In the third year of Guangde (1644), the retired emperor was over forty years old. He was radiant and energetic. He could easily have sex with ten women at night. He did not look like a man in his forties.

However, his old friends died one by one, state affairs became more and more difficult, the world and people's hearts became more and more cruel, and beneath his immortal body, his heart was rapidly aging.

The landscape is picturesque, and people's hearts are as hard as iron.

An originally soft heart will become harder and harder.

Dongfang Zhu thought the emperor was feeling sad, so he whispered to comfort him:

"Your Majesty, you worry too much. All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are his subjects. Your Majesty is the sole ruler, and who in the world would disobey?"

The Emperor smiled and said, "Of course I don't doubt their loyalty. Anyone who betrayed Da Qi has died. However, this time, too many people died, and I'm still a little uncomfortable with it."

You'll get used to it later.

"Mencius: Li Lou, Part 1": Fighting for land means the fields are filled with dead people; fighting for a city means the cities are filled with dead people.

Liu Zhaosun wanted to achieve even greater achievements than Kublai Khan.

So, how many people does the emperor want to kill?

One hundred thousand?

one million?

Or ten million?

Obviously, it was not just the killings that filled the fields and cities like in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Dongfang Zhu saw that the emperor's mood had eased a little, and then he advised:

"Your Majesty, what I saw in Yangzhou was nothing short of hell. The Luo Jiao Canal Army, in their quest to destroy the canal, resorted to all means, burning, killing, looting, and committing every atrocity imaginable. Allow me to be bold, but Prime Minister Lu was right. I also believe that the people of Fujian, bewitched by Zheng Sen, are many thieves. I suspect that the events of Yangzhou and Guazhou have just passed, and General Lin Yu's body is still warm. With the loss of so many soldiers, the various regiments are filled with resentment. General Wang's cavalry are all invaluable. The Ming thieves in Zhangzhou have nowhere else to turn. A forced attack would likely result in a desperate situation, with casualties no less than those in Yangzhou and Guazhou. A siege would be a poor choice, and the starvation of so many civilians is the fault of the Ming thieves."

Liu Zhaosun listened patiently to his father-in-law's words and said solemnly:
"The main culprit is the Ming thief. Once we capture Zheng Sen and Zuo Liangyu, I will tear them into pieces to thank the people of the world."

~~~~~
At the turn of summer and autumn in the third year of Guangde, the Qi army was invincible on the southeastern battlefield. The cavalry of the Seventh Corps trampled all over the land of Fujian, and the powerful ships and guns of the Sixth Fleet roamed across the west of the East China Sea.

The retired emperor, who was stationed in Nanjing, was paying attention to the battlefield in Fujian while also keeping an eye on affairs in Yangzhou, Shaanxi and other places.

Deng Changxiong recruited 8,000 new soldiers in Shaanxi and intensified their training in preparation for the upcoming battle southward. The prefectures and counties of Shanxi and Henan near Shaanxi had begun to requisition food and fodder to assist the Second Corps in entering Sichuan.

Emperor Guangde Liu Kan continued to implement the project of abolishing the grain transport system in Yangzhou.

Ten days after Yangzhou, all voices opposing the abolition of the canal almost disappeared.

However, sea transportation, which replaced canal transportation, has always been bumpy and has not progressed smoothly.

In early September, a fleet of grain-carrying ships was heading north from Yangzhou and was suddenly attacked when passing the sea off Dengzhou.

All the food was looted by pirates, and all the boatmen and sailors were killed or wounded. According to two helmsmen who escaped back to Tianjin, the fleet was attacked by Japanese pirates and sea thieves who spoke Minnan dialect.

There is no doubt that this is Zheng Sen's masterpiece.

While the Sixth Fleet was suppressing the rebellion in Fujian, Zheng Sen colluded with Japanese pirates and frequently dispatched troops from Kyushu Island to harass Shandong.

The Japanese pirates did not go ashore, but only plundered ships near the coast and disrupted the north-south shipping.

The Eighth Corps stationed in Dengzhou lacked ships and was unable to deal with the pirates.

The chief officer Zhao Lushi wrote five blood letters in two months, begging the emperor to send troops to the east as soon as possible to launch a war to annihilate the country against the Japanese pirates.

In the letters of request for battle, written with blood, the Eighth Corps had been preparing for a long time, waiting only for the order to launch an attack on the Japanese pirates in Kyushu. The retired emperor neither supported nor opposed this fanatical act of revenge.

In a private letter to Zhao Rujiao, the emperor wrote:

"I yearn for revenge for Yuan Shaobao all the time, but Fujian is still unresolved. The Sixth Fleet has suffered losses from the battles of Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and Yangzhou, and needs urgent repairs. You should be patient and continue training in Shandong. The Zheng rebels are rampant now, and the expedition to Japan, originally scheduled for three years from now, must be brought forward. I promise you that as early as next spring or summer, I will use your Eighth Corps as the vanguard to land in Kyushu and pacify Japan. Then you will be able to kill your enemy with your own hands. I will drink with you in Edo Castle, using Tokugawa Iemitsu's head as a wine vessel..."

On the fifth day of the eleventh month of the third year of Guangde, three days after the Battle of Zhangzhou ended, the retired emperor issued an edict to suspend court for three days and not eat for forty-nine days in memory of the people who died in Zhangzhou.

Under the advice of many ministers, the forty-nine days was reduced to four days.

On the eighth day of November, Yuan Keli's son Yuan Shu was appointed Governor of Fujian. Together with Zhang Yunxiu, Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, he handled Fujian government affairs and assisted in the preparations for the Seventh Corps to enter Guangdong.

The war to recover Guangdong and Guangxi will soon begin again.

On the ninth day of November, Emperor Guangde Liu Kan led his entourage back to Nanjing.

On the same day, the third batch of 5,000 grain transport troops were sent to Sakhalin Island and various places in Beihai.

The great task of abolishing the canal was successfully completed.

On November 12, Wu Xiao, Li Zicheng and others brought back Lin Yu's relics from Yangzhou.

The retired emperor led his ministers five miles out of the city to greet them at Longsheng Pass outside the city.

Longshengguan Wharf.

The flags are lined up and the army looks solemn.

Ships loaded with grain and cloth were docked at the dock, and food and fodder collected from Yangzhou and Guazhou were continuously transported into the imperial capital.

The abolition of the grain transport system and the subsequent Battle of Yangzhou yielded huge gains, but the plunder of silver from Huizhou merchants amounted to tens of millions of taels, and countless tea and silk fabrics, not to mention the assets and goods of Huizhou merchants and those trading with other places.

Xie Yang stood at the front of the team, holding a large stack of yellow account books. It took the civil affairs officials more than a month to register and list the huge amount of wealth seized in Guazhou and Yangzhou, and they have been busy until now to compile the books.

At the beginning of noon, the emperor came in a hurry, accompanied by the high priest Dongfang Zhuhe, striding over.

The officials of Da Qi were talking about it, their faces filled with joy.

It is unprecedented that the court could firmly control all the wealth of the Grand Canal.

The treasury's income this year will definitely double. More importantly, with this piece of fat, the empire's precarious finances can finally be alleviated.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, the emperor slowly walked towards Xie Yang.

Xie Guangkun's arms were bent as he held a mountain of account books in his hands.

He lowered his arms deliberately as if to show off his victory.

Surrounded by a large group of civil affairs officials, he was obviously the focus of everyone's attention today.

The emperor walked up to Xie Yang.

"Your Majesty, these are the various prefectures in Yangzhou..."

Liu Zhaosun gently pushed Xie Guangkun away and continued walking forward. Dongfang Zhu caught the account book that was about to fall to the ground.

A dense group of civil affairs officials in front made way.

The emperor walked straight to the back of the crowd as if no one was around.

Wu Xiao held the worn chain mail in both hands, his eyes slightly red.

Li Zicheng burst into tears, holding up his huge mace, the edges of which were covered in blood.

The two men didn't notice the emperor coming, and stared blankly at what he was holding in his hands, as if he was holding the whole world.

Liu Zhaosun stretched out his arms, circled around Lin Yu's relics, and walked like a Taoist priest.

He took off his crown, let his hair down, brandished his sword, and looked up to the sky.

Under the astonished gaze of tens of thousands of subjects, Liu Zhaosun, who was skilled in summoning spirits, chanted an ancient ballad:

"Duo..."

"Hey, shhh..."

"The soul has gone and will never return!"

"They are all used to it, and their souls will be relieved when they go there."

"Come back! I can't trust you with anything."

"Soul, come back! The South cannot stop here."

"Come back, come back soon!"

"The soul leaves... and returns..."

~~~
On November 13, the retired emperor summoned Lin Yu's wife, Fujiwara Chiyoko, to the Shengshen Hall.

Also summoned were Chiyoko's son Hayashi Zhenyu and brother Zhang Fujiwara Kyoji.

The eunuch from the Imperial Household Department read out the imperial edict aloud:

"...award a thousand gold coins, confer the title of First Rank Imperial Consort on Chiyoko, and confer the title of General of Hangzhou Prefecture on Lin Yu's son..."

Fujiwara no Kyoji quickly pulled his sister to receive the order and express his gratitude, but Chiyoko did not move.

The retired emperor extended his big hand, signaling Fujiwara no Kyoji to excuse himself from the ceremony.

Chiyoko stared at Liu Zhaosun, the half-human, half-god figure sitting on the dragon throne, looking at the king whom her husband had mentioned countless times.

"Yu'er and I do not want any reward or title, we only ask Your Majesty to agree to one thing for us."

The young eunuch scolded, "How dare you, a barbarian, you don't know how to live or die! Your Majesty's reward, how can I take it back!"

The eight-year-old Lin Zhenyu immediately protected his mother, waving his fist and looking at the guards on both sides.

Fujiwara Kyoji quickly grabbed his nephew and whispered to his sister in Japanese to persuade him.

The retired emperor suddenly turned his head to look at the eunuch who was announcing the decree, waved his finger lightly, and the eunuch flew out.

"Tell me what you want. As long as I can do it, I will agree to it."

Fujiwara Chiyoko shook off her brother's pull and said to the retired emperor in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:

"I dreamed that the cherry blossoms in my hometown were in full bloom. I wanted to take Yu'er home, back to where the cherry blossoms were."

The young eunuch was still looking for his teeth on the ground.

The Emperor said to the mother and son with a pleasant expression:
"Japan is a dangerous country. Lin Yu has many enemies. If we go back now, they will seek revenge. I will send a warship to escort you to the Ryukyu Province, where there are cherry blossoms. After we destroy Tokugawa Iemitsu, I will take you back to Osaka. What do you think?"

Chiyoko handed her husband's spirit tablet to her son and bowed:
"On behalf of my husband, I thank Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)