The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 832: Conquering Annan
Annan is the homeland of the Han and Tang dynasties. As early as the Qin Dynasty, it became a county of the Qin Empire.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Zhao Tuo, the Qin Nanhaiwei, took advantage of the war in the Central Plains to establish his own regime and proclaimed himself the King of Nanyue.

Emperor Wu of Han destroyed the Nanyue Kingdom and established three counties, Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen, in the northern and central parts of Annan.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the emperors of the Central Plains dynasties were busy with their own civil wars and temporarily had no time to take care of this marginal area in the southeast. The Annan Jiedushi Wu Quan then split off and established himself as king.

After the Anshi Rebellion, the situation in Lingnan became complex and turbulent. During the Xiantong period, Annan's military forces were used to block Nanzhao's invasion of Tang Jiannan, which led to Nanzhao's invasion of Annan.

Nanzhao's two invasions of the Tang Dynasty's southwestern region disrupted the central government's ability to control the region and disrupted people's livelihoods. During the suppression of the Nanzhao rebellion, Gao Pian established his position through military exploits. After retaking Annan, he established the Jinghai Army's de facto influence there, ultimately growing it into a major separatist force in Annan.

By the time of the Song Dynasty, the defeated Song Dynasty had failed to recover Hehuang, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, or Western Xia, let alone conquer Annan. Consequently, in the eighth year of the Xining reign, the Annan eunuch Li Changjie led his army to capture three prefectures in Guangxi, taking cities and territory, and returning with hundreds of thousands of Song civilians as captives. Furious, Emperor Shenzong of Song dispatched General Guo Kui to lead the battle. While the Song army achieved victory, plague hampered their efforts, preventing them from expanding their gains. Ultimately, peace was negotiated with Annan, with the return of the captured civilians and the Song Dynasty granting Shunzhou to Annan.

In the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol general Wulianghatai led three armies from Yunnan to invade Dai Viet. Initially, the Yuan army made good progress, capturing Thang Long, the capital of the then-Ten Dynasty of Annan. Emperor Tran Taizong was forced to retreat to the Tien Mu River. On December 24th, the Annan army, leveraging its naval superiority, defeated the Mongol army at Dong Bu Tou. Forced to retreat, the Mongol army, passing through Guihua Village, was attacked by the Nanman people, led by the village chief He Feng. The repeated defeats, coupled with the unfamiliar climate, demoralized the Yuan army and forced them to withdraw. The first Mongol invasion of Vietnam ended in failure.

In the 21st year of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols again invaded Annan. Initially, they were unstoppable. To buy time to defend themselves, Annan sent Princess Anzi to the Yuan commander, Toghan, to gain a respite. By then, the Yuan army was beginning to show signs of fatigue. The following year, with the Yuan army weakening, Suodu retreated. He was intercepted by Annan forces at Xijie near Xianzi Pass, captured, and beheaded. The Second Mongol-Vietnamese War, which lasted approximately six months, ended in another crushing defeat for the Yuan army.

In February of the 25th year of the Zhiyuan reign, the Yuan Dynasty dispatched troops from the three provinces of Jianghuai, Jiangxi, and Huguang, along with troops from Yunnan and the Li army from four overseas prefectures, to attack Annan. Zhang Wenhu and others accompanied the army, transporting 700,000 dan of grain by sea.

Initially, the Yuan army advanced with unstoppable force into northern Vietnam. However, during a skirmish, the Annan army looted some of Zhang Wenhu's grain ships. To prevent further looting, Zhang Wenhu ordered the rice to be sunk at sea and retreated to Qiongzhou. Later, due to scorching weather and insufficient food supplies, the commander decided to withdraw. The Annan army ambushed the Yuan navy at the Bach Dang River, crushing the Yuan army and annihilating it. Wumar and others were captured. The third Mongol-Yuan invasion of Vietnam was a failure.

The era came to the Ming Dynasty. In the fourth year of Yongle, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty ordered an expedition to Annan. However, the Annan army was defeated miserably under the powerful offensive of the Ming army. The Ming army was unstoppable. In less than a year, they captured the "emperor" and his son alive and recovered Annan.

Later, when Zhang Fu became commander-in-chief, Zhu Di warned him to take advantage of the winter to quickly eliminate the bandits, as the hot weather would surely bring on malaria. Zhang Fu, being Zhang Fu after all, quickly achieved victory in the Annan campaign, capturing both the Eastern and Western Capitals. Le Qui Lê burned down his palace and fled to the sea.

In the fifth year of the Yongle reign, Zhang Fu pacified Annan and captured Le Qui Ly and his son. Le Qui Ly was taken to the capital, where his whereabouts remain unknown. Some say he was killed, while others claim he was castrated and left to serve as a eunuch in the East Factory. From this point on, Jiaozhi, which had been separated from the Central Plains during the Five Dynasties, was once again incorporated into the Central Plains dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty established the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Office.

In the seventh year of the Yongle reign, war broke out again in Annan. Zhang Fu led a second expedition against Jian Ding and Chen Jikuo, who had usurped the throne. By the first month of the eighth year, the campaign was over, with Jian Ding captured. The Ming History records that several thousand men were beheaded and a Jingguan built, but Jikuo was not captured.

In the 13th year of Yongle, the remaining forces of Chen Jikuan rebelled again, and Zhang Fu suppressed them again.

After his sage grandson Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne, he adopted a strategy of shrinking the border, abandoning the Hetao area and Annan, and stopping Zheng He's voyages to the West.

In the second year of Xuande, the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration was abolished and the status of the King of Annan was recognized. At this point, Annan was completely separated from China and became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty from a province.

In the 15th year of the Jiajing reign of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty, Annan had not paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty for many years, which angered the Emperor Jiajing, who was in power.

In order to teach his younger brother a lesson, Emperor Jiajing prepared to send a large army to attack Annan. Later, on the advice of his ministers, Emperor Jiajing did not attack Annan directly, but instead sent an official named Mao Bowen to Annan as an envoy to explain the benefits and disadvantages to Annan.

The result was that King Mo Dengyong of Annan and dozens of his ministers bound themselves and knelt before Ming officials at Zhennan Pass, offering land and surrender. The Ming then demoted Annan to the rank of Annan General Commissioner, a subordinate state to a territorial dependency. Its thirteen prefectures were reorganized into thirteen pacification offices, each with a pacification officer, deputy governor, deputy envoy, and assistant governor, each subject to the demotion and promotion of the general. The Mo family was appointed the Annan General Commissioner, a hereditary rank of second rank, subject to a three-year tribute. In theory, Vietnam was once again part of China.

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In the early stage, they deliberately showed weakness and made a gesture of seeking peace. When the weather was hot and the enemy was tired and exhausted, with insufficient food and grass, and unable to adapt to the climate and water, they suddenly launched a counterattack and defeated the opponent.

This has been Annan's usual tactic for hundreds of years, and this simple tactic has always been effective.

However, this time, this trick was not very effective against the Emperor Retired of Da Qi.

The capital of Annan, the Eastern Capital. The densely packed tents of the southern expeditionary army stretched from the foot of the Eastern Capital all the way to the shores of the South China Sea. Black military flags spread out like a forest, covering the entire Annan region.

The small Eastern Capital City was like a lone boat in the vast ocean, surrounded by the southern expeditionary army. The fierce artillery fire of the Qi army eroded the defenders' defense line like a tide.

After entering the Red River Delta, the Qi army won victory after victory, annihilated more than 50,000 main forces of the Annan army outside the capital, and then began to besiege the Eastern Capital.

On August 16, the Qi army completed the siege of the Eastern Capital. Thousands of fortresses and wooden buildings outside the Annan capital were completely destroyed by the Southern Expedition Corps. Countless fortresses and wooden buildings were burned down. The fire continued and black smoke rose into the sky. Also reduced to ashes was a group of Annan soldiers who came from the direction of Thanh Hoa to reinforce.

On August 20th, with foreign aid cut off and no other options available, Emperor Qingde of Annan, Li Weiqi, announced the cancellation of his imperial title, abolished the name of Annan, and sent envoys to pay tribute to the Great Qi.

Li Weiqi begged to follow the old example of the Joseon Li family, be loyal to the Great Qi, and guard Annan for generations. From then on, he paid 3 million taels of silver and 30,000 dan of fine rice to the Great Qi every year, and sent the crown prince Li Weixi to Tianjing (Junzhou) as a hostage.

Li Weiqi hoped to use this condition in exchange for the emperor's withdrawal of troops.

Liu Zhaosun was of course dissatisfied with such conditions.

Therefore, the retired emperor did not receive the Annan envoys at all, and directly put Hong Chengchou in charge of the peace negotiations. Hong Chengchou beheaded all the Annan envoys, leaving only one alive, and took a message to Li Weiqi, rebuking him for "his wild and rebellious words, and his lack of the courtesy of a subject. Jiaozhi has been China's ancestral land since ancient times, and he is vainly trying to divide the land and grant it fiefdoms. It is truly a wolf's ambition!"

After sending away the Annan delegation, Li Dingguo ordered the engineering battalion of the First Southern Expedition Corps to continue digging trenches, strengthen the blockade of the city, and use artillery to fiercely bombard the north gate, preparing for a general attack.

Every day, ships loaded with ammunition and supplies set sail from ports such as Guangzhou and Xiamen, crossed the South China Sea, and arrived at Hoi An Port in central Annam. After unloading at the port, they were transported to the front line in Dongdu without stopping.

This time, the retired emperor has been planning for three years and has accumulated strength to lead the army in person. He will not repeat the mistakes of the previous two times. At least in terms of material supply, the Qi army will not fail again and will not give Annan any opportunity to take advantage.

Li Weiqi had no choice but to send another envoy, promising to pay 5 million taels of silver and 50,000 dan of fine rice every year.

However, this time the envoy was beheaded as a sacrifice before he could even meet the emperor.

What the retired emperor wanted was not only to abolish the imperial title of Annan, but also to restore the county system here and completely annex and digest it. He would definitely not leave any King of Annan here.

Of course, any ruler who was somewhat capable in every dynasty had attempted to annex and digest Annan, but unfortunately they all ended in failure.

"Sometimes, I think of the Wanli Emperor of the former Ming Dynasty. Why did he go against all odds and use military force against Nurhaci?

Hong Chengchou understood the emperor's intention very thoroughly. After thinking for a moment, he replied:
"Your Majesty's wisdom and might are so great that he does not leave disaster for future generations."

Liu Zhaosun looked at the Eastern Capital engulfed in flames.

"How does Commander Hong think we should respond to the King of Annan's third request for peace?"

Hong Chengchou said thoughtfully, "To cut the grass, we must remove its roots. We have spent tens of millions on three campaigns against Annan. If it were just for a peace agreement, it would be more trouble than gain. Moreover, the barbarians fear power rather than virtue. If we don't kill them all, they will surely rebel."

(End of this chapter)