Seiwa

Chapter 183

In June of the fifth year of Yongle, following the capture of Li Jiyao and his son, the Annan Li family collapsed like a pan of loose sand, without any desire to resist.Hearing the arrival of the Ming army, he immediately packed up his belongings and fled in all directions.

It is still dangerous to go to neighboring towns, and sooner or later you will be wiped out if you go to the mountains to become a robber. Going to the sea is the only way to survive.

The army of the Ming Dynasty was busy suppressing the bandits of the Li clan who had fallen into bandits, so they had no time to pay attention to them for the time being, and only waited for their hands to be free before picking them up one by one.

The local chieftains who made profits from transactions with the Ming Dynasty and the Annan natives who were hired by Ming Dynasty merchants and held iron rice bowls played a huge role unexpectedly.

Compared with the Ming army, the natives are more familiar with the local conditions.

High mountains and dense forests, deep rivers and swift waters are not a problem.

It doesn't matter whether you go up the mountain or down the sea, take the road or take a shortcut, but any possible escape route will be ambushed by chieftains and natives, day and night, rain or shine, and firmly guarded.

Relying on the wooden sticks and stones in their hands, the natives spread out a big net. As long as they are caught in the net, there is no possibility of escape.

It was lucky to be brought alive before the Ming army. Many descendants of the Li family were beaten to death by the natives, and what was brought before the Ming army was nothing but a corpse beyond recognition.

In order to identify their identities, the Ming army had to tell the natives that arresting people is worthy of praise, and it doesn't matter if you beat them up. Don't slap your face, otherwise your identity will not match and you will not be able to claim credit.

The natives remembered that the captives sent to the Ming army, whether they were alive or dead, would no longer be unrecognizable like pig heads.

The "big shots" who slipped through the net were captured one by one.The false crown prince Li Rui, the false Liang king Li Li, the thief general Hou Hudu of Dongshan Township of the false Zhu Kingdom, and others ran to the mouth of the sea with all their might, but they still failed to escape.

The natives' methods were neat and their actions were swift, and the Ming army who took the prisoners couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Fu and Li Bin sent people to ask Shen Xuan whether they could select soldiers from the local natives to supplement the vacancies in the expeditionary army.

"Although the natives are not fully trustworthy, ordering them to guard the soil is a way to avoid the resurgence of rebellion."

Since the imperial court dispatched troops to pacify Annan, they suffered from illnesses and then experienced several wars. Many states and important places such as the two capitals needed to stay in the garrison, and there was a large shortage of conscript troops.It is impossible to continue to draw soldiers from Guangxi, Yunnan and other guards, and then transfer border troops from other guards.

"For one thing, most of the natives have tenants in their families, and they depend on our merchants for food and clothing. Second, during the usurpation period of the Li clan, they oppressed the natives a lot. , You can choose those with physical strength to serve as the banner army. Tu Renming is grateful for the grace of heaven, and will go all out."

The messenger rushed to Pingxiang, but was in vain, Shen Xuan had already led his troops to Liuzhou, so he had to ask Duke Cheng and Uncle Xing Ning to convey the proposal of Marquis Xincheng.

"Choose soldiers from among the natives?" Zhu Neng read Zhang Fu's letter and pondered for a moment, "It's not impossible."

A considerable part of the Ming army, especially the frontier army system, was composed of subordinate tribes.For example, Duoyan Sanwei was established entirely by the Wuliangha tribe.The [-] Battalion established by Emperor Yongle also used the Wuliangha cavalry as the main force, supplemented by brave frontier troops.

Most of the newly-established guards under the jurisdiction of Liaodong Dusi, military and civilian commanders, commanders, Tongzhi, Qianshi and thousands of households, etc., are mostly Jurchen and Tatar.

Gansu Ningxia and other frontier guards, there are many Huihui and Wala herdsmen in the banner army.Further to the west, Yilibali and other guards also have high-nosed and deep-eyed West Asians, Central Asians, and descendants of cannibals from the Mongolian and Yuan dynasties.

Counting the descendants of Russians and Eastern Europeans who stayed in northern Xinjiang, it is not an exaggeration to describe the Ming army at this time as an international column.

In Zhu Neng's view, it is not a big deal to select natives to supplement the army, and the emperor will agree to it if he plays it to the court.

But Meng Qinghe felt it was unbelievable. He kicked the door of his neighbor's house, robbed his homestead, and then brought them here to fight for him?

Aren't you worried about backwaters?

Zhu Neng gave Meng Qinghe a strange look, "This is a common practice."

Not to mention the Ming army, the Wala led by Mahamu originally belonged to the West Asian nation conquered by the Mongolian Yuan.His front feet were bruised and his face was swollen. He got up, turned his head and followed the big army to deal with those who were weaker than himself.

In fact, Oala's combat effectiveness is not weak, and being able to fight against the Tatars with a small number of troops is enough to prove this.It's a pity that both Mahamu and Guilichi were born at the wrong time. When they met Daming in Zhu Di's era, they were pushed to the ground and kicked to death.

In the same way, Annan was defeated by the conquest army. Most of the Annan natives were people who had been plundered from Linfeng. There were also a small number of Daming border residents who had been oppressed by the Li clan. Their status was lower than that of the common people. They had no sense of belonging to the Li clan. Not strong.

Once they were recruited into the Ming army, their status would change immediately. It would be a good way out for them to pay their own military salary, exempt a small part of the family from corvee, or to farm, or to be a tenant for Ming merchants.

The status has improved, and if they don't want to fall back to the original position, these natives will become the most beneficial weapon for the Ming Dynasty to control Annan.After all, after trying to live a "civilized" life, no one would want to be a savage in the deep mountains and dense forests.

"Another day, Brother Wei will talk about this more for virtuous brothers. It's fine in front of Brother Wei. Only after being killed by the gang in the Five Army Commander's Mansion will they find out. It's a big joke."

Meng Qinghe touched his nose and stopped talking.

On the whole, these natives are no different from Ruan Jingzhen and Ruan Xizhou who defected to the Ming Dynasty. If they want to keep their status and wealth today, they will definitely not let the Li family have another chance to stand up.That's why they went up and down the mountains and seas to arrest the descendants of the Li family like chicken blood. It is pure nonsense to say that it is for the benefit of Daming, and it is all for themselves in the final analysis.

Zhu Neng called the army, "Take Zhang Baihu and go to Liuzhou."

"Follow the order!"

"When you see Duke Ding, tell me that I agree with you."

"Yes!"

The personal guard led the order, and Zhu Neng's attention returned to the open map.

Fang Langzhong, a member of the military department who accompanied the army, spent several months to further improve the maps of Annan, Champa, and Laos.Especially in Annan, the rivers, fortified cities, fields, dense forests, and various forces in the territory are clearly marked on the map.

Compared with the original abstract painting, it is a qualitative leap.

Some areas close to Guangxi and Yunnan are specially drawn with charcoal. This is the logging site of frontier residents and the main area where merchants purchase land.It is roughly estimated that about one-third of Annan's land has been drawn in, and as time goes by, the area enclosed by charcoal will continue to expand.

You never know the full extent of things until you see them.

Meng Qinghe smacked his lips, how rich were the merchants of the Ming Dynasty? Is this the momentum to buy Annan?

The Chen family was destroyed, and the Li family was arrested. The conscript army set up a commanding envoy in Duobang and other places, and recruited local officials and chieftains to take charge of civil affairs temporarily.Under such circumstances, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty who spent a lot of money to buy land naturally gave the green light all the way.

The local rich family who sold the land thought very clearly that Annan's future fate is still unknown.Referring to Annan's own practice, the meat eaten into his mouth will definitely not be spit out again.Instead of clinging to the land, it is better to exchange it for gold and silver. If something goes wrong and you have to run away, the gold and silver can be packed, but the land cannot be transported.

There are not a few Annan people who have this kind of thinking.Despite the continuous influx of merchants from the Ming Dynasty, Annan's land prices did not fluctuate much. The merchants simply joined hands to buy all the adjacent land plots to form a better protection.

It doesn't matter if you can't farm. Logging alone is also a big income.

The imperial court wanted to build big ships and build the city of Beijing. As long as there was a way, the wood would never worry about selling.

Meng Qinghe joined in the fun and bought a piece of land with a sum of money.Ding Guogong's money is under his control, so naturally it will not be left behind.

When Zhu Neng learned about it, he slapped the table, "My brother is not kind, how can such a good thing be forgotten as a brother?"

I don't have many people around me, but I have a lot of money.Buy land, grow food!

Thus, Meng Qinghe discovered that compared to Cheng Guogong's wealth, he was still considered a poor class.

Is Qiu Fu rich?

The news of Cheng Guogong and Ding Guogong's purchase of land spread, and the officers of the conquest army also began to buy land one after another.The Duke of the country has made a move, it must be all right.A profitable business must not be missed.

Xiaoqi and the ordinary guards don't have much money, so they can only join forces with their fellow villagers to buy hundreds of acres of land, hire local natives to cultivate it, and divide the harvested grain according to the amount of money contributed.

Later, the general banner, hundreds of households, and thousands of households followed suit. Commanders and governors were no exception.

Soldiers naturally don't know what a "shareholding system" is, and they rely on the bloody friendship on the battlefield and their integrity.

When military commanders do things, they pay attention to being quick, precise and ruthless.The soldiers moved very quickly. Starting from the border, Annan's land was constantly being eaten away, and it was soon connected with the merchant's fields.

The king of Shu and other clans entrusted in Sichuan heard the news and went to the court one after another to ask the court to allow them to also buy land in Annan.It doesn't matter if the land purchase is allowed, and the guards are cut again.

The upper form of the clan was sent together with the memorial to the army.

Emperor Yong Le turned over the lists of his brothers and nephews, read the petitions for conscripting the army and recruiting people from the land as soldiers, and finally unfolded the map of the southwestern states sent by Meng Qinghe in the name of the two princes.

The map is huge, and the imperial case cannot be put down at all.

"Hou Xian."

"The servant is here."

"Call two people."

"Yes."

Hou Xian went outside the hall and called four middle officials on duty, and the five of them worked together to lift up the map and unfold it.

Mountains, rivers, walled cities, forests, and even roads under construction are marked.

In Xinuang Pavilion, a needle can be heard instantly.

Zhu Di stood in front of the picture with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the highlighted part, his cheeks tightened, and then he laughed.

"it is good!"

Turning around and walking to the imperial case, he said: "Put the picture away, and go to Wenyuan Pavilion to pass on my will. The King of Shu's request, I agree."

"The slaves obey."

From June to July of the fifth year of Yongle, there was a sudden wave of land buying among businessmen and clans in Daming.

Rich merchants from all over the Central Plains organized horse teams and opened several trade routes from north to south, and then from south to north.

It reaches Siam in Champa in the south and Xuancheng in Liaodong in the north.

The work of conquering Annan's army came to an end, and the last force of resistance was wiped out in the mountains. Zhang Fu immediately sent someone to ask Shen Xuan for instructions on when to give credit to the court.

The good news needs to be delivered, and the prisoners of war have to be transported to Beijing. The Annan Chen family is almost impossible to find.

"You should ask Cheng Guogong for instructions on everything."

After giving an answer, he sent the messengers, and Dingguo raised his sword and mounted his horse, and went out of the camp to look for the thieves.

That's right, it's searching, not clearing.

During Shen Xuanren's stay in Liuzhou, the local thieves and the native officials who occasionally acted as thieves suffered bad luck.

Ding Guogong is a god of killing, and his officers and soldiers are also not good.In less than half a month, [-] officers and soldiers swept across the cottages in Liuzhou and Xunzhou, captured hundreds of bandits, and thousands of people died under the swords of the officers and soldiers.

Shen Xuan's vicious reputation spread throughout the southwest, Zhang Fu, Li Bin and other generals did not dare to go beyond him, and Xiping Hou Mucheng wanted to give him some points.

When he was asking for credit, he took a step back and pushed Cheng Guogong to the front of the stage.Only then did everyone recall that the chief officer of the Annan army was originally appointed by the imperial court to be Duke Cheng Zhu Neng.

"Ding Guogong is high righteous."

Sincerely, he sent a dozen good person cards to Shen Xuan.

Those with keen minds and deeper thoughts, such as Hou Musheng of Xiping, Hou Zhangfu of Xincheng, Li Bin of Fengcheng, etc., were enlightened, and immediately jointly wrote a letter to Cheng Guogong, expressing with one voice that although the territory of Annan is peaceful, there are still many aftermaths. It is impossible for subordinates to send good news and present prisoners to Beijing.

"Also ask the Duke of the state to choose those who have made extraordinary achievements from the army, and thank you for the help."

In short, the matter of Annan has yet to be cleared up. It is better to leave the high-end and high-end matters such as sending good news and presenting prisoners to generals who have made great achievements.

Zhang Fu provided Zhu Neng with many ready-made candidates, "Liu Sheng, the governor, led the boat division to defeat the bandit army on the river...Several soldiers in Chai Hutong captured the son of Li bandit...Wu Ruqing, a native of Nance Prefecture and a native of Annan, etc. Mu Daming made great achievements in capturing the fake prince Li Rui and others in Wanggaoshan, Anhaikou."

In a word, leave the difficulties to yourself and give the credit to others.

What a spirit of dedication!

Zhang Fu, Li Bin and the others were almost moved by themselves. After receiving the orders of Cheng Guogong and Ding Guogong, Liu Sheng, who was driven away to the shelves, was not stupid. He understood the truth and was depressed.

Liu Dudu clenched his fists and looked at the starry sky with luck. No matter how lucky he was, he still exploded.

"This group of XXXX! They are full of ink, and their hearts are black!"

Liu Dudu roared at the moon, wanting to compete with the fierce tiger.

The guard standing behind him scratched his head in bewilderment, going to Beijing to offer up captives, showing his face in front of the emperor, such a good thing that he couldn't ask for in eight lifetimes, how could the governor be so angry that his head was smoking?

Zhu Neng, who delivered the letter, took a sympathetic look at the snarling Liu Dudu, and then at the bewildered comrade, and sighed, it's a blessing to be stupid.

In July of the fifth year of Yongle, the team of prisoners who conquered Annan's army set off for Beijing.No matter how hard Liu Dudu held his breath, he would put on his armor, put on a smiling face, bid farewell to his comrades, and set off on the road as scheduled.

The fellow native officials looked excited. They left the impoverished mountainous area and went to a civilized international metropolis. They didn't have to pay for their travel expenses, board and lodging.

After the successful completion of the bandit suppression work in Liuzhou and Xunzhou, Duke Dingguo sent someone to inform Han Guan, the governor of Guangxi, and led his troops around Pingyue Mansion, Wuzhou Mansion, and Nanning Mansion, and then went to Qinzhou.

Under the sound of horseshoes and the long sword shining white, the whole of Guangxi suddenly became peaceful.

Do not pick up lost items on the road, and do not close the door at night.All the border residents worked hard, and all the native officials gave their fortunes.

Neighboring Guangdong and Yunnan were also affected. The rebel movements led by chieftains all disappeared, and the rivers and seas in the southwestern provinces were clear.

Being dishonest is not an option, no one wants to recruit Duke Ding.

Rebellion belongs to recreational activities in leisure time, in order to enrich spiritual and cultural life.

It's not worth losing your life for this.

Only if you are good to me, good to everyone, help each other to develop together, work hard to get rich together, praise the court if you have something to do, and praise the emperor if you have nothing to do, can you avoid this killing god.

Under the deterrence of Dingguo Gong, the propaganda envoys of the prefectures in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places went hand in hand and made progress together.For quite a long time, there was no news of the chieftain's rebellion.

When Duke Dingguo returned to the capital, everyone suddenly discovered that the standard of living had improved, and the neighbors who used to be more fist-fighting in the past were smiling faces when meeting each other.

There is food to eat, fields to plant, and trees to chop. There is really nowhere to use the strength. Follow the route formulated by Xingningbo and join the construction team of the imperial court. The daily wages will definitely be quite a lot.

Under such circumstances, the chieftain was unwilling to be lonely, and shouted from a height, and no one would respond even if his voice was broken.

Busy with making money, who has time to rebel, his brain is flooded!

With the stability of Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, Ding Guogong's killings reached a new height, but the situation of having no friends has not been improved, and it is getting worse.

In this regard, Meng Qinghe is happy and worried.

Fortunately, with Shen Xuan as a comparison, I am not the most annoying.

What is worrying is that the Duke of the State belongs to his own family, and the two who have no friends will spend the rest of their lives together, and they feel helpless when they think about it.

"No way, life is never perfect."

Xing Ningbo sighed and packed his luggage. The imperial court ordered him to go back to Beijing with Cheng Guogong.

Generals such as Zhang Fu and Li Bin will stay in Annan for a while, and Shen Xuan cannot leave for the time being.

There are various indications that the descendants of the Chen family are indeed missing, and the imperial court already intends to set up a chief envoy in Annan.Before the official edict is issued, the Annan army must stay to maintain the situation.

It wasn't long before Annan's entire territory was pacified, and no one hoped that there would be another disturbance at this time.

Meng Qinghe and Zhu Neng set off soon.

The people of Pingxiang County poured out of the city, and several elderly people, supported by their children and grandchildren, waited in front of the city gate early, just to send Xing Ningbo back to Beijing.

"Uncle is Pingxiang's benefactor. People in Pingxiang have nothing to repay. They can only prepare a jar of water and wine, and an umbrella for the people. I wish uncle a smooth journey and every step of the way!"

Even if you have been mentally prepared, your eyes will still be red when you are on the scene.

"Meng, I'm ashamed!"

Standing in front of the Pingxiang city gate, Meng Qing and Chang bowed to the ground.

Then he got on his horse and didn't dare to look back.

Zhu Neng sat in the carriage, looked at Meng Qinghe with red eye circles, and then at the Wanmin Umbrella on the carriage.

It seems that he still underestimated this virtuous brother.