The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 721 Clearing the River of Pests

Early in the morning, Leng Tianlu got up early, went to the river to fetch a bucket of water, washed his face with the cold river water, rubbed it twice with a towel, and then used it to wipe the three long daggers one by one until they were as bright as snow.

Boom!
After pulling the powerful bow ten times, his arms still showed no signs of soreness. He also disassembled the delicate crossbow and cleaned and oiled every part.

Leng Tianlu is a famous warrior in the army. Generally, people like him are rarely lined up as line infantry and shot in formation. They are basically used as night guards.

For Ye Bushou, bows and crossbows and swords are definitely more useful than muskets because these things can be used in various scenarios and all kinds of weather.

After exercising and sweating a little, Leng Tianlu started walking back. When he arrived at the door of his house, his wife and five concubines were all up.

His wife came from Dongxiang County (Xuanhan) in Sichuan, and they got engaged when he participated in the Western Expedition.

So compared to others, Leng Tianlu is treated very well. At least there is no language barrier with his partner, and his family can feel more at ease.

"Master, be careful when you go. The lives of those Bukharans are cheap. One hundred of them are not worth one of my husband. If you can kill them, then do so. Don't risk getting injured. It's not worth it."

"Women's talk!" Leng Tianlu's face was full of displeasure. "Who can think about those things when they are on the battlefield? If you kill one more person, you will contribute more. Not only can you survive, but the chances of your comrades surviving will also be greater.

If everyone is still calculating in the moment of life and death, how can we fight this war? "

That's how rough men are. His wife knew that one should not have any distracting thoughts on the battlefield. She said that just because she felt sorry for him, but Leng Tianlu was completely unromantic.

However, his wife was already used to him like this, and did not refute him at the moment. She just took out Leng Tianlu's blue foam-studded armor, bright red silk sash, and vermilion lacquer helmet with golden dragon pattern, and then the wives and concubines put them on Leng Tianlu together.

This outfit is not something that ordinary people can have, because it is modified according to the emperor's military uniform.

The only difference was that the black armor was changed to a green foam-studded armor, and the black and gold-based conical hat helmet of the Zhenwu Emperor was changed to a red lacquer helmet with a golden dragon pattern.

Therefore, even among the castle lords, less than half of them could receive this set of military uniform from the emperor.

This robe is quite tasteful. It is a genuine product of the Eunuch's Clothing Bureau and is made strictly according to each person's height and waist circumference by a master tailor.

Because even someone like Leng Tianlu, who is not very good-looking, would look much more heroic when wearing it.

The wife looked at her husband with stars in her eyes, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. The concubines looked at him with deep awe.

This blue and red military uniform is the embodiment of Xia Fan's authority in the Dayuan Basin.

In fact, not only them, but Leng Tianlu's children were also stunned when they saw their father in military uniform.

Then the two sons looked at him with envy in their eyes. They put their hands in their mouths and watched with saliva dripping. At such a young age, the seed that military uniforms were the most handsome was planted in their hearts.

The two daughters rushed over, clamoring to be held by their suddenly heroic father, but were quickly pulled back by their mothers because the ceremony was about to begin after they put on their clothes.

Leng Tianlu walked out of the gate. Outside the gate came his two nephews, three Han warriors who were under his jurisdiction and were originally subordinates in Leng Tianlu's army, as well as five Hui warriors and fifteen Kokand servant cannon fodder.

The Han warriors, including the two nephews, were all musketeers. They wore black iron helmets and orange double-breasted shirts with a round white area on the chest with words such as "Xia Fan Zuowei Huomusketeer" written on them. They wore black trousers and white leggings.

The reason why they no longer wear mandarin duck battle robes is because this newly designed military uniform has more pockets, which is more suitable for the practical needs of musketeers to carry a lot of things.

As for the five Hui warriors, they wore foam-studded armor and white Fanyang hats, and were equipped only with spears, short swords, round shields, bows and arrows.

In the Xia vassal state, the role of Hui warriors was either to be cannon fodder at the start of a war, or to reap the spoils after the Han army defeated the enemy. Therefore, they were basically not equipped with firearms and were all hand-to-hand combat soldiers.

As for the fifteen Kokand servants, they were wearing their own clothes and were so thin that they shivered in the cold wind, not knowing whether they were afraid or really cold.

After Leng Tianlu walked out of the gate, five Han warriors and five Hui warriors quickly lined up in two rows, holding swords and guns, looking straight ahead.

Leng Tianlu pretended to walk back and forth and inspected them, then he said loudly: "In this battle, we are ordered by the emperor to go out and conquer the Bukharans. We must kill them and make them fall to the ground, greatly enhancing the prestige of the Han people and the Xia vassal state.

Therefore, let me be frank: anyone who dares to delay and fear death, even if it is my nephew, I will purge him and enforce military law!"

After hearing this, the ten warriors immediately half-knelt and answered loudly: "We will certainly fight bravely and will not be afraid of death."

"Okay, then let's drink this bowl of wine for our relatives and march to Zhenxi Pass!" Leng Tianlu waved his hand, and the relatives who had already prepared the wine came forward under the leadership of Leng Tianlu's wife.

The parents offer a bowl of wine first. If the parents are not present, the brother and sister-in-law will serve instead. Everyone performs a military salute instead of kneeling. After thanking the parents (brother and sister-in-law) verbally, they drink a full bowl of wine.

Then the wives and concubines came forward, and the warriors stood up straight. The wives and concubines symbolically straightened the warriors' clothes, then bowed and said:
"Alang, you are out there, just fight for your country. We will take care of you at home. I would rather hear about your heroic deeds than hear about your crimes."

At that time in Dayu, soldiers' behavior on the battlefield had to be reported to their families. The so-called black report was that if a soldier violated the rules or even feared death and surrendered, the government would come to his home to report it.

Because paper documents are usually wrapped in black cloth and hung on the door for three months, black newspapers are often used to represent bad news.

"Leng Tianlu, can the ancestors of the sixteen families of Changshun Fort be fed next year?"

Mr. Shi Sanye, the only elder in Changshun Fort, was in good health at the age of sixty. He followed his grandson to Dayuan. He held a gong, struck it with a clang, and shouted loudly.

Since the White Lotus Sect was developing in the direction of rebuilding the clan among the northern Han people, and the people below had the need to colonize, naturally some traditions also came back.

The most important one is the ancestral blood meal in the Spring and Autumn Period. Among these blood meals, the highest level is not the three animals, but humans.

Specifically speaking, the more noble the status of the captured enemy people, the happier the ancestors would be.

This kind of ritual began to decline in the early Han Dynasty, and there were almost no rituals after the Han Dynasty. In today's northwest, under the pressure of the painful environment, it has returned in a way that makes people feel numb.

This also explains the grassroots situation of the Xia vassal state in the Dayuan Basin. In fact, it was a true restoration of the Zhou rituals.

The emperor far away in the capital was the Son of Heaven of Zhou, Li Xianwen, the Prince of Ningxia, was the lord of the county appointed by the emperor, the vassals from princes to fortress lords in the vassal state were the nobles and officials, the Han warriors were the scholars, the Hui warriors were the countrymen, and the conquered Kokand people were the savages.

Although after the large-scale Han immigrants arrive and the bloodline is completely cleansed, this set of things that are completely backward in terms of China's current productivity will definitely disappear.

But for now, it works well and is cruelly and humorously in keeping with the productivity of the river.

Therefore, when Leng Tianlu heard the elder Shi Sanye ask if he could let his ancestors eat his blood, his blood boiled and he shouted "Yes!"

At the same time, he swore in his heart that during this expedition to Bukhara, he would capture a descendant of Khoja and bring him back, disembowel him in the ancestral hall of the sixteen families, so that the Leng family and the ancestors of the sixteen surnames of Changshun Fort could enjoy the most prestigious feast among the seventy-seven forts in the county.

"The heavenly soldiers of Changshun Fort, set off!" When Mr. Shi San heard the satisfactory answer, he immediately struck the gong in his hand and shouted happily.

Many children who didn't know what was going on also cheered, and the sound of firecrackers popped, as if it was New Year's Day.

Leng Tianlu was the first to mount his horse, followed by ten warriors behind him. The Kokand servants hurriedly followed, carrying their loads and pushing wheelbarrows.

Leng Tianlu and his men must first gather at Zhenxi Pass, and then organize themselves into troops and conduct training. They will only set out on the expedition after a month when the temperature is slightly higher.

As the sound of firecrackers rang out in Changshun Fort, firecrackers also exploded in other forts. Soon, the further Leng Tianlu and others walked, the more people in military uniforms came out of the forts, and gradually gathered into a sea of red.

The Hui people and Kokand people on the road were all frightened and knelt down on the side of the road, not daring to raise their heads.

Moreover, those who joined along the way were not only the vassal soldiers dispatched from various forts, but also a large number of Han Chinese knights who brought their own horses, swords, and even muskets.

Most of these people were non-eldest sons of Han Chinese families in various forts. Although Xia Fan had only been established in the Dayuan Basin for more than three years, Li Xianwen had been in charge of Hexi and Longyou for more than ten years before that. A large number of northwestern warrior families followed him to Dayuan, so there were quite a few wanderers in the vassal state.

The reason why they were willing to prepare everything for the war was that the Xia clan, like the relatives and vassal states of Southeast Asia and the East, did not allow the division of fiefs of all meritorious officials. The eldest son born to the first wife was the successor, and the same rule was followed if the eldest son died young.

Therefore, many of their elder brothers' healthy legitimate sons and illegitimate sons would rush out to establish military merits while their father was still the head of the family and could buy weapons and money for them, so that they could also get a fiefdom.

For these noble children, once they become ordinary people from nobility, it would be more painful than being killed, so risking their lives is the best and fastest choice.

Otherwise, you can only study, go to the Imperial College from five in the morning to nine in the evening, and become the emperor's favorite chemist, naturalist, biologist, doctor, etc.

It is not easy to be a child of the nobility, except for the eldest son. You have to risk your life to ensure that you do not fall into the lower class.

. . . . .

"No, absolutely not!"

"Father, we absolutely cannot agree to this. Is Chen Guangyao crazy if he wants Xia Fan to be a laborer to transport supplies for him?
Since the seventh year of Guangzhong (1782), for thirteen years, the entire northwest has achieved such momentum under my father's governance.

From the thousands of miles of military stations from Lanzhou to Dihua, and the thousands of agricultural cooperatives of all sizes, every one of them is the result of your hard work.

Now, we are not allowed to pick peaches from the tree. This is an insult to Xia Fan. We will never agree to it!"

The one shouting and yelling in Dingxia City, the capital of the Xia vassal state, which was originally the capital of Kokand, was Li Xingtai, the second prince of the Xia vassal state.

The reason why Li Xingtai was so excited was that Chen Guangyao wrote to him, hoping that after Xia Fan had raised enough supplies, he would not rush to attack Samarkand in Bukhara, but first cooperate with the Western Expedition Army to capture Tashkent and its surrounding areas, and then attack Samarkand.

Moreover, the food, horse feed, bedding and ammunition for the people along the way had to be supplied by the Xia clan. Later, when they continued to fight southward in Samarkand and other places, the Xia clan still supplied most of the supplies, and most of the laborers were recruited from the Dayuan Basin.

It was obvious that in Li Xingtai's view, Chen Guangyao had positioned Xia Fan as a logistical support role, which made him really unable to tolerate this.

Of course, there was another important reason why Li Xingtai reacted so strongly, that is, there were also factions among the Fujian and Guangdong meritorious officials within Dayu.

For example, there is the Yuanxiong faction represented by Li Xianwen, the pro-Dang (referring to Mingxiang people) faction represented by Chen Guangyao, the Hakka military merit faction represented by Ye Xianchun, the Annan faction represented by Wu Wenyong, the Minnan faction represented by Wu Rang and others, and the Chaoshan faction represented by Chen Lian. The most embarrassing among them is Li Xianwen's faction. They are indeed members of the Fujian and Guangdong meritorious officials, but Li Xianwen fled from Sichuan to Southeast Asia. This resulted in him being a Fujian and Guangdong meritorious official, but he had no family or hometown party in Fujian and Guangdong.

Therefore, among the Fujian and Guangdong meritorious officials, some people did not even consider Li Xianwen as one of their Fujian and Guangdong meritorious officials.

This actually doesn’t matter to Li Xianwen, because he doesn’t consider himself a Fujian or Guangdong person in his heart. He can be a Sichuanese or a Shaanxiese, but he is not a Guangdong or Fujianese.

Moreover, given Li Xianwen's contributions and qualifications, he can only be a boss in any faction and cannot be a younger brother.

If he still wants to mix with the pro-party faction, the Hakka faction and the Chaoshan faction, and be the boss of so many Fujian and Guangdong meritorious officials, then what do you want to do, rebel?
But for Li Xingtai, it was very unacceptable because his mother was the eldest princess of Yue State and the emperor's only sister.

He felt that he was 100% a member of the Fujian and Guangdong nobles, the top one among them, and a big-name figure who was naturally pro-party.

Therefore, Li Xingtai was very disgusted with Chen Guangyao's subdivision method, which clearly did not regard him as a descendant of the Ming people, and he was the kind of person who would explode at the slightest provocation.

"Yes, my king. We have suffered so much and shed so much blood, but in the end we are just slaves. This is absolutely unacceptable."

"Why did Chen Qianjun let Xia Fan serve as a detachment? How are we inferior to him?"

Not only the second prince Li Xingtai could not accept it, but the generals of the Xia clan were also unable to accept it and started to shout.

Li Xianwen, the Prince of Ningxia, who was over fifty years old but in very good health and well-maintained, took a look at the guys in the room and understood everything clearly.

For soldiers, the right to take the initiative represents huge benefits.

It is no exaggeration to say that big cities like Samarkand and Bukhara are mountains of gold and silver. Whoever enters them first will make a fortune, not to mention the most important military merit.

Therefore, Xia Fan's generals and warriors not only hoped that Xia Fan would take the lead in the attack as in the past, but also hoped that Li Xianwen could step forward and compete for the position of commander-in-chief to destroy the Bukhara and Khiva Khanates and the Grand Marshal of the Western Army.

But Li Xianwen didn't want to fight.

His status is now high enough that the emperor is willing to give the Dayuan Basin to his brother-in-law.

Moreover, the money, resources, technology, etc. invested in the Dayuan Basin in the past three and a half years alone amounted to 20 million silver dollars. They even gave away important national equipment such as steel mills and cement plants. What else could he ask for!

Moreover, the Western Army in the entire Western Expedition included not only the elite soldiers brought by Chen Guangyao from the Northeast, but also the Mongolian Qiexue who had recovered a certain combat effectiveness in the south, west and north of the desert, as well as the Beijing camp such as the Yangwu Army.

In the third batch of Pingxi troops that will go on the expedition in the future, there will be at least three guards of the imperial guard, and the total number of combat soldiers alone will be at least 100,000.

Li Xianwen must be crazy to dare to become the Grand Marshal of the Western Army and command the Guards when his identity is already so sensitive.

Prince Li is already fifty-two years old. He only needs to get the title of King Xia, and his life will be complete. He absolutely does not want to do such a thing as hanging himself.

However, as the king, he had to take care of the needs of his subordinates. Li Xingtai happened to be outspoken, so Li Xianwen immediately took advantage of the situation and fired at his son fiercely.

"You bastard!" King Li slammed his hand on the table and cursed while pointing at Li Xingtai's nose:

"Chen Guangyao is your elder, your Majesty's cousin. His mother is your great-aunt, the Princess Gushi, the adopted sister of your maternal grandfather, Emperor Taizu Xian. How dare you address your uncle by his first name!"

Li Xingtai immediately became dispirited. Calling an elder by his name was indeed a big taboo.

“Xia Fan is where he is today thanks to the contributions of us who overcame obstacles and sacrificed our lives, but you must understand that many people cannot even be qualified to do so.

You are good at fighting, but others are just wimps? Why can you be the local rulers in this prosperous Dayuan Basin, while others can only serve as soldiers and work hard?

That is because His Majesty favors you and knows that you are good men loyal to the country, so he is willing to give you the opportunity to make merit and be rewarded.

If His Majesty doesn't give you a chance, you will be facing the earth and back to the sky for the rest of your life.

If I hear anyone claiming all the current achievements as his own and thinking that the court owes him something, I will tell him to go to Zhanzhou, you thief.

Let me see what you can do without His Majesty, the country, and the court!"

Li Xianwen became more and more angry as he spoke. He grabbed the tea bowl on the seat and threw it at Li Xingtai.

Li Xingtai didn't dare to hide, but he had a very thick skin. The tea bowl shattered on his forehead, but he didn't even get a scratch.

When the other generals saw that the king was angry, they also knelt down and frightenedly advised the king not to be angry.

Li Xianwen sighed. He could no longer continue to scold, but had to appeal to his emotions and reason with him. He stood up, looked at the kneeling general in the room, and said softly:

"You all know why our Xia clan was able to obtain Dayuan.

After all, we Han people are a minority in this river. If something happens, we have to rely on Wanli to transport supplies from Hexi and Longyou, and big problems will arise sooner or later.

Your Majesty, if you want to destroy the bandits of the Blaha and Khiva Khanates, you must have a reliable logistics support base, and that is our Xia Fan.

Therefore, Your Majesty generously awarded us the entire Dayuan Basin. Over the years, the money spent on building water conservancy projects, highways, steel mills, arsenals, and cement plants for us could be piled up into mountains.

Why, when it comes to us, the Xia clan, being asked to contribute, we refuse to do so? Not to mention being a minister, but as a human being, how can we behave like this?"

These words were reasonable and logical, and Li Xingtai and the soldiers of Xia Fan all lowered their heads in shame. Li Xingtai knelt in front of Li Xianwen and said with red eyes:
"I have gone too far. Please don't be angry, father. Don't let your anger damage your health. I will serve as an auxiliary soldier. Even if I am an auxiliary soldier, the warriors of our Xia clan can perform excellently."

Alas! Li Xianwen sighed deeply, and with a distressed look on his son's forehead, which was actually not injured, he said to the kneeling soldiers:

"Everyone, stand up. Remember from now on that loyalty to the country is paramount. I believe that His Majesty has seen and remembered the merits and hard work of Xia Fan's warriors."

"Your Majesty, the military attendant Fang Weidian has arrived."

When the military generals heard the eunuch's report, they all stood up quickly. The military attendant was not one of their own, but a half-imperial envoy assigned to Xia Fan by the court.

"Your Majesty, former General Chen Guangyao's arrangement was probably based on the overall situation. He wanted to prepare for a safe battle, not necessarily to use the Xia clan as an auxiliary force."

Although Fang Weidian was a scholar, he was also quite knowledgeable about military affairs. In history, Fang Weidian was in charge of logistics during the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion in Fukang and Anping.

Therefore, as soon as he saw the atmosphere in the room, he knew what these Xia Clan generals were angry about.

"How could so many brave men be used for logistics? I guess the former general is just afraid that Xia Fan will take credit and act rashly before His Majesty's appointment comes down, so he's deliberately focusing on this."

Li Xianwen thought about it and felt that it was possible. Otherwise, Chen Guangyao was not the commander-in-chief, so sending a letter from Yili to Xia Fan would be a bit unnecessary.

"Duke Dingguo is not a narrow-minded person. He is also very sensible. If it were Wu Wenyong, he might fight for it, but Chen Guangyao is unlikely to do so."

Li Xianwen spoke slowly, then looked at Fang Weidian, "Nan Ou, you know I have no intention of becoming the Grand Marshal of the Western Army. I am old and I am afraid I cannot bear such a big responsibility."

Fang Weidian smiled slightly. It was both true and false that Li Xianwen didn't want to be the Grand Marshal of the Western Army.

The fake one is that no one wants to get such a high position with special significance, and the real one is that Li Xianwen, considering the impact from all aspects, really does not want to take over.

"Your Majesty has not yet reached the end of his heroic years. I feel that only Your Majesty is qualified to take on the position of Grand Marshal of the Western Army in this region of the Central Plains.

However, considering that this battle is too far from the Middle-earth and is extremely important, Your Majesty may choose to have the Crown Prince lead the battle remotely, and then have the various armies unite and attack together. He may also choose to have the Prince of Hanchuan or another prince come to take charge."

Li Xianwen nodded. He also felt that this was the most likely possibility. After all, so many Beijing troops and guards had to be dispatched. Neither he nor top-level governors like Chen Guangyao were suitable to be the chief commander.

The two chatted for a few more words, and suddenly the guards came to report that the imperial angel with red feathers had arrived from eight hundred miles away.

Li Xianwen was a little confused, but he quickly took Xia Fan to the outside of the city to welcome them. After more than an hour, angels with a large flag of a red background with a golden sun and moon and a flag of a red background with a golden sun and swastika arrived.

However, the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict stepped aside and did not accept Li Xianwen's kowtow. Instead, he said with a smile:

"His Majesty has ordered that Your Majesty does not need to kowtow, and the imperial edict is still on its way."

"Your Majesty has spoken out, the mysterious sect in Hezhong has harmed our Han family for two hundred years, causing unrest in the northwest and causing our Han people to kill each other. I cannot sleep or eat until this revenge is avenged.

"Order the Prince of Ningxia to assume the position of Grand Marshal of the Western Army, commanding a force of 150,000 men to ruthlessly suppress the rebellion, avenge the grievances, and spare our descendants from worry!"

"Your Majesty!" Li Xianwen was stunned for a while as if struck by lightning, then he shouted with tears of gratitude and knelt down towards the east with a thud.

He really didn't expect that his sworn brother and brother-in-law, the emperor, would trust him so much that he would actually let him be the Grand Marshal of the Western Army.

Everyone in Xia Fan's household, who had just been making a big noise in the house, was now blushing with shame, and tears of emotion welled up in their eyes.

"Your Majesty, do you remember the oath you two brothers made when you started the rebellion in Hoi An?" the eunuch admiral asked softly.

Li Xianwen raised his head, tears in his eyes, "Back then, Your Majesty and I started an uprising, claiming we were rebelling against Zhang Fuluan, the powerful official in Guangnan. But in reality, we were just petty thieves, not worthy of being a threat to Your Majesty.

When we started our rebellion, we said that we would expel the Tartars and restore the Han territory, and we would eliminate all injustices in the world and bring peace and prosperity to the people."

"Excellent!" The eunuch admiral laughed. "His Majesty said he believes the king has not forgotten this great wish. Now that the world is at peace, only the great vengeance in the northwest remains unresolved. He wants the king to go all out and not show any softness."

Li Xianwen understood what Mo Zibu meant, kowtowed three times towards the east, and said loudly:
"Please ask the angel to report to His Majesty. I, Li Xianwen, know what to do. I know how to prevent Hezhong from becoming a bed of plague that plagues China!"

(End of this chapter)