Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 306 Overthrow Annam, Destroy the Pu Clan, and Exterminate the Five Clans!

In fact, both the Annamite royal family and the Semu people led by the Phu clan are now trapped.

Initially, the Han army annihilated the main force of the Annamese army on the north bank of the Phu Luong River. Upon learning this, the Annamese king and his officials knew that Thang Long Prefecture was indefensible and fled south in panic.

However, where can one escape?
The deputy commander of the Han army this time, Meng Gong, is a renowned "master of mobile defense" in the history of military affairs.

While the two armies were still facing off across the Fulang River, Meng Gong and Zhao He, after discussing the matter, had already given instructions to the three commanders of the navy.

On the surface, they flexed their muscles at the mouth of the Bach Dang River and outside the ports in southern Annam, threatening the coastal armies of Annam.

However, there are actually priorities, and the key point is Thanh Hoa Port.

The Annamese had already "planted stakes" in Thanh Hoa harbor, meaning they drove countless wooden stakes into the harbor so that large ships could only enter and leave at high tide.

However, China has its own heroes.

Historical records indicate that when the Yuan army besieged Xiangyang, in order to stop the Song army, they blocked the waterways for dozens of miles and set up "scattered star stakes," which were said to be impossible for even fish and shrimp to cross.

The two Song army naval generals, Zhang Shun and Zhang Gui, were not brothers but shared the same surname, yet both were highly skilled in swimming.

They led their soldiers, who were skilled in swimming, into the water and sawed through all the scattered pillars, allowing the Song army's ships to pass.

What is the essential difference between the Annamese “lower stake” and the Yuan army’s “scattered stake”?
The two brothers, Zhang Shun and Zhang Gui, are now serving in the Navy's Plain Blue Banner.

Most of the timber used for "lowering the stakes" in Thanh Hoa Port has already been destroyed by the two men and their naval warriors.

Just as the Han army crossed the Fuliang River, three naval commanders launched a direct attack on Thanh Hoa Port.

When the Annamite court learned that Thanh Hoa port had fallen and their retreat route had been cut off by the navy, they had no choice but to defend Thanh Hoa city to the death. Then, the navy dispatched 20,000 troops to completely surround Thanh Hoa city.

The Phu family fled with the Annamite court and were besieged along with them.

Zhao He took up residence in Thang Long Prefecture, and the entire army rested for a month. After all, although the Han army's losses on the north bank of the Phu Liang River were negligible, the pursuit of the remaining enemy along the 900-mile defensive line after crossing the river had greatly depleted their strength. Moreover, there were no longer conditions to implement such strict epidemic prevention measures, and six or seven thousand men had contracted the epidemic.

Only after receiving Zhao Shuo's reply did Zhao He lead his army from Thang Long Prefecture to the outskirts of Thanh Hoa City.

Qinghua City, also known as Huangying, is, as its name suggests, a purely military fortress with a circumference of no more than eight li.

When the Annamite court fled to this place, it had only 10,000 regular troops, 30,000 auxiliary troops, and more than 50,000 followers, as well as ordinary people and powerful families from the surrounding area. The total number of soldiers and civilians was less than 100,000.

The Han army besieging the city consisted of eight Han army commanders, three Song army commanders, and 20,000 naval troops.

The difference in combat strength is extremely large.

However, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, and Zhao He still made meticulous plans.

First, use conscripted troops to attack the city.

Zhao He still felt that Annam's population was too large. He would gather all the surrendered Annamite men between Thang Long and Thanh Hoa, totaling 70,000, and form a conscripted army to attack Thanh Hoa.

Ten days later, with 70,000 conscripts almost entirely wiped out, Zhao He then announced the order for a general offensive in the central command tent.

The navy's 20,000 men should be fighting on the open sea; there's no need to attack the city this time. They will join forces with Meng Gong's commander to defend the outer perimeter, ensuring no one from Qinghua City escapes.

Others, totaling ten thousand households.

Three Song army commanders, each with a rank of ten thousand, attacked the eastern city wall.

The original three commanders of the Han army—one from Guangxi, one from Guangdong, and one from Fujian—attacked the west city wall. The newly transferred commanders from Guangxi and Guangdong attacked the south city wall. The newly transferred commander from Fujian, together with Gao Da's troops, attacked the north city wall.

Qinghua City is rectangular, and this arrangement is very reasonable.

Finally, Zhao He said, "Once we capture Thanh Hoa, the war in Annam will be nearly over. You could say this is our last major battle in Annam. The commander who is the first to breach the Annam royal palace after capturing Thanh Hoa will be awarded the 'Pioneer of the Vanguard' medal for his entire battalion. All members of that commander will receive double the spoils. The commander of that commander will be promoted to commander of ten thousand!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Highness!"

After conquering Annam, new Wanhu (military units) will definitely need to be established.

Now Zhao He has directly offered a reward of ten thousand households, which has made the soldiers' blood boil.

Of course, capturing Qinghua City was too easy; based on this achievement alone, the head of the ten thousand households would not be able to be promoted to the rank of flag lord.

However, when a new commander-in-chief emerges from among the generals under his command, the original commander-in-chief not only feels very proud, but also gains a great ally. The other commander-in-chief are happy to see this happen.

Boom boom boom!
The following day, with the roar of catapults, the Han army launched a general offensive against Thanh Hoa.

Thunderclap bombs exploded on the city wall!
A seven-and-a-half-pound stone was hurled at the Qinghua city wall!
One spear and three swords, with a deathly howl, reaped the lives of the Annamese.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Break through Annam and kill the Annam Emperor!"

"Whoever enters the palace first will be the vanguard in breaking through Yue!"

……

The Han army, carrying ladders, pushing siege towers and battering rams, launched a simultaneous attack on all four walls of Qinghua City.

The Annamese garrison in the city was already small, and after ten days of attack by the Han army, how much fighting strength did they have left?
Before long, a Han army commander and his soldiers occupied a section of the city wall.

This Han army commander was named Niu Fu, and he was one of Gao Da's subordinates.

According to historical records, Niu Fu was also one of the outstanding Han Chinese figures who emerged at the end of the Song Dynasty.

At that time, Niu Fu was the garrison commander of Fancheng in the Song Dynasty, and together with Lü Wenhuan, the garrison commander of Xiangyang, he resisted the siege of the Yuan army.

He repeatedly analyzed the Yuan army's strategic intentions of "encircling by land and water" and "long-term attrition," pointing out that if the blockade was not broken, Xiangyang and Fancheng would eventually fall.

Finally, the Yuan army used a divide-and-conquer tactic to break through Fancheng. Niu Fu led more than a hundred elite soldiers in a street battle against the Yuan army. Despite suffering more than ten wounds, he persisted in resisting until he was exhausted and threw himself into the fire to commit suicide.

Incidentally, he is said to be the 20th generation descendant of Niu Sengru, a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, and belongs to the same Niu family as Niu Gao, a famous general who resisted the Jin Dynasty in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Regardless of whether the legend is true or false, Niu Fu wielded a giant axe and fought with increasing ferocity.

He was the first to scale the walls of Qinghua City, and led his troops down the city wall, heading straight for the imperial palace.

Just then——

"The mountains and rivers of the South are the abode of the Southern Emperor, their destiny clearly ordained in the Heavenly Book. How dare these rebellious barbarians invade? You will soon witness their utter defeat."

With a resounding battle song, a force of six or seven hundred Annamese soldiers, all clad in iron armor and clearly regular Annamese troops, charged bravely toward the direction of Niu Fu's army.

Six or seven hundred men would be a lot, considering that Thanh Hoa City only had ten thousand regular Annamese troops in total. After a ten-day siege by seventy thousand conscripts, and with troops having to be divided to defend the four sides of the city walls, how many mobile forces would be left?

It is even quite possible that these six or seven hundred men were the last mobile force of the Annamese!
"Brothers, follow me!"

Niu Fu, wielding a giant axe, led his thousand-household troops straight to meet the enemy.

On the other side, a nearly fifty-year-old Annamese general, wielding a long spear, also shouted: "Kill! Kill the traitors! For His Majesty, for Dai Viet!"

boom!
The two armies clashed fiercely, and in the blink of an eye, the battle reached a fever pitch.

The sounds of clashing weapons, the screeching of blades cutting through armor, the screams of soldiers, and the muffled thuds of maces striking helmets... were all intertwined.

"go to hell!"

Niu Fu struck an Annamese soldier squarely in the neck with his axe, severing his head at the neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

"kill!"

Niu Fu's axe-handled iron mace slammed down, creating a bloody hole about an inch in diameter that pierced through the underlying tissue on the face of an Annamese soldier.

The Annamese soldier screamed and collapsed to the ground, his limbs twitching occasionally before he became still.

...In no time, Niu Fu had killed seven people and charged directly at the nearly fifty-year-old Annamese general.

"who are you?"

Niu Fu understood that under these circumstances, a high-ranking Annamese general who still commanded so many elite Annamese troops must be a very important figure in Annamese. He raised his axe and asked.

However, the Annamese general merely snorted coldly, and with a single step forward, his spear pierced directly into Niu Fu's chest and abdomen.

Upon seeing this, Niu Fu showed no sign of panic. Instead, he neither dodged nor evaded, but instead swung his axe horizontally to parry.

when!
After a loud crash, Niu Fu easily knocked the Annamese general's spear away with his great axe.

Dang Dang Dang!
After seven or eight consecutive blows, the spear in the hands of the Annamese general could no longer withstand Niu Fu's immense strength, and the spear was knocked away into the air.

Niu Fu's great axe spun around, bringing a fierce wind as it struck the Annamese general.

The Annamese general knew he had no way to avoid it, and could only close his eyes, waiting for the moment of death to come.

Unexpectedly, the iron axe did not continue to swing, but instead stopped directly at his neck.

"Hmph, you've got guts, but your skills aren't all that great. I'll ask you one more time: who exactly are you?"

"Kill me!" the Annamese general said with his eyes closed.

However, by this time, Niu Fu's soldiers had already captured or taken prisoner the men of the Annamese general.

Desperate to save his life, one of the prisoners exclaimed, "That is Chen Shoudu! It is the Grand Tutor Chen Shoudu!"

"Oh? He's Chen Shoudu?"

Niu Fu had certainly heard of Chen Shoudu's reputation and exclaimed happily, "Logically speaking, you're even more important than the Emperor of Annam! Men, tie him up!"

"Yes."

Armored soldiers stepped forward and bound Chen Shoudu tightly.

Then, Niu Fu pointed his axe forward and said, "Brothers! Charge! Follow me into the palace. We've got this title of Vanguard of Breaking Through!"

"Come on!"

Niu Fu led his soldiers in a fierce charge forward.

However, there was no palace siege. Before even reaching the palace, a large entourage was seen approaching in a grand procession.

The leader was a man of Semu ethnicity in his fifties or sixties, who shouted loudly, "The Emperor of Annam is here! The entire royal family of Annam is here! I, Pu Kaizong, hereby abandon darkness and embrace the light!"

……

……

Two hours later.

"So, Pu Kaizong, now that things have come to this, do you still want to live?" Zhao He looked at Pu Kaizong with a rather amused expression.

"No! This old man never wanted to live!"

Boom boom boom!
Pu Kaizong kowtowed three times to Zhao He, saying, "This old man betrayed China and deserves to die. My son also betrayed China with me and should also be executed. However, my four grandsons are innocent, and those Semu children are innocent. I beg Your Highness to show them mercy and grant them a way out, considering that we betrayed China at the last moment and captured the Emperor of Annam!"

"Yes! We have sinned, but we have also done good for China. Please, Your Highness, have mercy!"

"If you spare our children, we will be eternally grateful for the Crown Prince's great kindness, even if it means our deaths!"

"Please spare our child, Your Highness! We are willing to offer you all our wealth!"

……

Pu Shougeng and the group of Semu prisoners knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

They are now filled with immense regret.

Who could have imagined that the malaria in Annam wouldn't be able to defeat the Han army? They never dreamed that the gunpowder they offered to the Annamite people would not only have no effect, but the Han army would also bring out new gunpowder weapons, such as muskets, and defeat the Annamite elephant army.

Originally, they wanted to escape south to Champa, but the Han army cut off their retreat and trapped them in Thanh Hoa City.

Had they known this would happen, they would have endured it for decades, even centuries, waiting for the Zhao Shuo Khanate to decline before launching a rebellion, instead of two years ago!

What can they do after making such a grave mistake?
If they were to resist to the death, their entire clan would surely be exterminated, leaving no one alive. It would be better to sell out the Annamite royal family to ensure the survival of their descendants.

As long as I can survive!
Their descendants will uphold their faith!
Their descendants will rise again one day, and they will avenge them!
However, how could Zhao He possibly let them have their way?
Having witnessed his eldest son's western expedition, he understood all too well the nature of these Semu people—people who had education but no national identity. Moreover, Zhao Shuo had already given strict orders; how could he disobey?
"Alright, stop wasting your energy."

Zhao He shook his head slightly and said, "The Song Dynasty treated you well, yet you betrayed the Song. The Annamese were also unprepared for you, otherwise you wouldn't have had the chance to capture the Annamese royal family. Since you betrayed the Song Dynasty first and then betrayed Annamese, why should I believe in your loyalty?"

Pu Shougeng quickly said, "What we mean is, our child..."

"I will not raise the child of my enemy, lest I cause future trouble. There is a Chinese saying, 'To cut the weeds, you must pull them out by the roots.' Guards!"

"exist!"

"The entire Pu clan, except for the young women, shall be torn to pieces! All other non-Muslims, except for the young women, shall be executed!"

"Yes!"

Armored soldiers stepped forward and dragged Pu Shougeng, Pu Kaizong, and the others away.

"Please, Your Highness, have mercy!"

"Our child is innocent, please forgive him, Your Highness!"

"No! You can't treat us like this!"

"We've done a great service! In the future, who would dare to surrender after offending you?"

"Zhao He, you will go to hell! Your whole family will be trapped in the fires of the true god, never to be released!"

……

These Semu people initially begged for mercy, then their words became threatening, and finally they uttered vicious curses.

However, it's no use, nothing at all.

Infidelity once, not a hundred times.

In the minds of the Zhao family father and son, those who betray China have only one path: death!
Then, Zhao He ordered his men to bring Annam Emperor Trần Đức and "Supreme Father" Trần Thụ Đức into the central military tent.

"Your Highness, have mercy! Your Highness, have mercy!"

As soon as Chen Jiong entered the central command tent, he knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

Chen Shoudu, however, remained resolute, saying, "Your Majesty, do not act like a child! Death is death, what is the big deal? Even if today, my Great Yue is destroyed, my Chen clan is destroyed, but the spirit of Great Yue will live on forever. One day, when China declines, Great Yue will rise again! And you and I, who die heroically, will both be heroes of Great Yue!"

Zhao He snorted coldly and said, "Chen Shoudu, don't be so optimistic. Do you know how I will deal with you two, and how I will deal with Annan?"

"At worst, I'll be torn to pieces. What do I have to fear?"

"To cut you into a thousand pieces would be too lenient."

Zhao He said, “I will inflict the same punishments I have used in the West on you two. First, I will skin you alive, then peel off your skins and use them to persuade the Annamese in the southern mountains to surrender.”

After a pause, Zhao He continued, "Their surrender is not the end of the matter. I will slaughter every man of the Nguyen, Le, Dinh, Ly, and Tran families in Annam! Hmph, the revival of Dai Viet? Let's see how you revive it!"

(End of this chapter)