Jingming

Chapter 482 Officials aiding Korea

Compared to North Korea, the war in Ryukyu is naturally less suspenseful.

The most likely variable is not encountering any sea storms on the way.

Fortunately, the country's fortunes were booming, and the Toyo Marine Division's fleet arrived smoothly.

Mao Longyin knelt down weakly on the bow deck and cried bitterly.

Hu Zongxian, who was appointed from the imperial study room to the military affairs meeting and served as the army staff officer, looked at the Naha Port and Shuri Castle area not far away, his heart heavy and his brows furrowed.

Behind him, the Ryukyu girl holding the hands of her younger brother and younger sister was originally known as Ao Toriya Megumi, Shikana Shi, and Tokudai.

Her sister Guiyue also survived. Now looking at the ruins there, she can’t help but cry: “Father, my brothers and sisters…”

"The Japanese pirates are so heartbroken!" Hu Zongxian turned around and helped Mao Longyin, and then saluted the great Zhu Nu and Taitung Gong Shang Yuan. "Both Yaeyama Island and Miyako Island are frequently robbed, not to mention here. Of course. Needless to say at this time, the Japanese pirates knew that the Ming Dynasty was planning to conquer, so they first destroyed the human power, destroyed the harbor and roads, and plundered property. Now that Ryukyu has suffered such a disaster, the country is actually destroyed. Taitung Gong and De Da Please rest assured, Zhu Nu, the Ming Dynasty will capture and kill the guilty chiefs and Japanese thieves to comfort the heroic spirits of Ryukyu."

De Da Zhu Nu's hands were cold, and now she was filled with only hatred and powerlessness.

She took her younger sister to hide in the Yaeyama Islands in the southwest. In Ryukyu, the most severe punishment was exile to the Yaeyama Islands. It is closer to Taiwan, but except for the Miyako Islands, which is more than a hundred miles away from the main island of Ryukyu, you need to sail hundreds of miles further to reach the main island where the capital is located.

Even the poorest Yaeyama and Miyako Islands were plundered by Japanese pirates. She originally imagined what the main island would look like among the people who fled there.

Seeing it with my own eyes now is like hell.

There was no human habitation, only ruins.

The Ryukyu Islands were originally prosperous and had tens of thousands of people. How many people are left now?

And with all this, can we blame the Ming Dynasty for wanting to conquer the Japanese country? Those who committed such cruel and evil deeds were Japanese bandits.

Hu Zongxian was in a heavy heart: "The princes in the court have never thought that the blood letter wishing the girl was not an exaggeration. I have seen it with my own eyes, and it is difficult to find such beastly behavior in the history books! Liu Xian, first find a sheltered harbor and anchor for the time being. , use small boats to carry people ashore, and repair the port. General Xu, you need to search the island first, so I would like to ask General Mao and De Da Zhu Nu to lead the way, or there may be people who survived and are hiding. Except Be wary of the Japanese pirates who have retreated to the northeast. This Ryukyu Island... is now sparsely populated. We must first send some boats to Yaeyama and Miyako to move some people here..."

Liu Xian, who had just passed the martial arts examination, was assigned to the Dongyang Navy, and now he took the lead.

What Hu Zongxian has to do is to provide assistance based on the actual situation.

But what we need to advise now is not how to drive away the Japanese bandits from Ryukyu first, but how to clean up the mess they left and prepare for the next conquest of the Japanese country.

He had to report the situation before him and return to Beijing as soon as possible.

The Japanese pirates actually destroyed the most prosperous main island of Ryukyu: everything that could be burned was set on fire; the stone houses that could not be destroyed were all taken away with their valuable belongings; and the inhabitants of the island were all taken away. , it seems that what was written in the blood book, "young and strong girls were kidnapped, and all the old and weak were slaughtered" is not a lie.

How could such a Ryukyu Island, which lacked manpower and materials, be used as a springboard for the Ming army to further expedition to Japan without the injection of great efforts and external resources?

Directly exterminating the population will be the biggest difficulty that the Toyokai Division will face when it launches its troops to Japan from the direction of Ryukyu.

"The Ryukyu Islands are like this, and over the Amami Islands..." Mao Longyin no longer had any luck with his family's survival, and burst into tears, "There are more than 150,000 people in the Ryukyu Islands, only a dozen or two or three! It's too late. It's too late..."

Hu Zongxian clenched his fists while listening to the sound of the waves and his painful cries, and after being silent for a while, he said: "The Ming Dynasty will avenge this revenge for Ryukyu! The surviving people of Ryukyu survived the catastrophe, and the Ming Dynasty will definitely take care of their future happiness!" I will inform Your Majesty that grain and other necessary goods will be transferred to Ryukyu from Zhejiang, Fujian, and Taiwan. Everyone, please put your condolences first and rebuild the port first!"

They're all here, it's June.

The news was sent back to Beijing. After the order was issued, it would take several months before the fleet actually arrived.

From the end of February, the Liaodong Army first crossed the Yalu River and attacked from north to south. At the end of March, the Beiyang Navy and the Maritime Great Wall Company and Maritime Administration escort fleets led by Yan Shifan also attacked from Jeju Island and Tsushima Island respectively. North Korea's southwest and southeast sides will first blockade and attack the coastal areas.

Because Queen Wending and Yin Yuanheng were involved in a coup, Li Yi and Prince Wang died one after another within a few months. How could North Korea, with its unstable people, face the Ming Dynasty's navy and army?

Among them are leading parties such as Li and Refugee.

Now, Song Liangchen's general flag and Ming Sanchen flag have been planted in Kaesong, Gyeonggi Province.

Kaesong was the capital of the Goryeo Dynasty for nearly five hundred years. After the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, the capital was moved to "Nanjing" during the Koryo Dynasty, and its name was changed from Hanyang at that time to Seoul.

Kaesong and Seoul both belong to Gyeonggi Province, and are only dozens of miles apart. Even if the road is curved, it reaches your heart.

The Daming Palace in Kaesong was originally the palace of the Goryeo Dynasty and also served as a residence for foreign envoys. Later, it was renamed Sungkyunkwan, where the Imperial Academy cultivated talents.

Now the Joseon Dynasty has established its capital in Seoul, where a Sungkyunkwan building has also been rebuilt. As for the Daming Palace in Kaicheng, the civil and military decisions of the Ming Dynasty such as Gong Yongqing and Song Liangchen were now in charge.

"We must be on guard against the rebels in Xianjing Road!" Gong Yongqing said to Song Liangchen, "Liaodong frontier troops entered the court. Although His Majesty ordered Jianzhou Jurchens not to help the rebels, they may not listen!"

The first to be settled on land were the frontier troops of the Yin Yuanheng camp on Ping'an Road south of the Yalu River. With the wave of refugees, the surrounding areas of several border towns were already considered "solid walls and clear wilderness." And under the power of the New Ming Army's artillery array, how could the walls and gates of these border towns withstand this?

In addition, Li personally went to the front line as the original prince to call for surrender. Although the generals who participated in the siege and killing of the prince were unforgivable, how could the low-level generals and ordinary soldiers be willing to die together?

The opposite side is a genuine Ming Dynasty elite soldier!

This routine was unstoppable in the north of Ping'an Province. It was not until Pyongyang in the south of Ping'an Province that he and Yin Ren and Prince Wang originally "protected orthodoxy" that they encountered their first serious problems.

The person stationed in Pyongyang was Yin Yuanheng's closest partner, and he was also the executor who broke into the city and poisoned Yin Ren and Wang Shizi. They are the core enemy. Can they be trusted after surrendering? Even if Li wanted to avenge his family, he couldn't let them go. This battle was actually a real siege.

In order to survive, the defenders worked really hard. Unfortunately, Pyongyang, which had just been conquered by them, had not had time to repair some of its defenses. The Ming Dynasty's firearms were not at the same level as their cold weapons.

After the city was broken, Li was left there.

The matter of killing those rebels was naturally left to him and those who had surrendered before.

In addition to leaving a thousand elite troops with Pyongyang as the center to keep the north-south grain roads open and keeping an eye on the generals and Li who had surrendered, Song Liangchen then went straight to Kaicheng.

The Hwanghae-do between Gyeonggi-do and Pyongan-do was waiting for the wind when the comparison of combat power in the north was clear. In other words, the elites have long been mobilized to Gyeonggi Province to "defend Seoul."

Song Liangchen sighed: "Even if the officials appointed by the imperial court enter the court, and now they can't understand the language, it will be difficult for the two cities of Ping'an and Huanghai behind them to be stable. Even if there are hidden worries in Xianjing Road, it is time to fight quickly and solve them first. We will reach Seoul, capture the culprit, and decide the overall situation. All in one go! As soon as Marquis Yangwu arrives in Incheon, we will advance in two directions!"

"Uncle Dongying is still in Gyeongsang Province, right? If Yin Yuanheng fled eastward to Gangwon Province..."

Song Liangchen didn't care: "As long as the army enters Seoul, the big thing will be decided! The next step is just to change the flag and appease the local area! Gong Shilang, leave the battle to me, you should return to Pyongyang to take charge of the overall situation. Judging cases, farming, In civil affairs, it is best to let the common people of Ping'an and Huanghai praise the Ming Dynasty's merits, so that the subsequent matters will be much easier to handle."

Gong Yongqing also knew that the next thing was more important, and he was preparing to return to Pyongyang with great expectations.

In his capacity as a foreign official and an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, he was fighting for not only the hearts and minds of the people, but also the civil and military, gentry, and wealthy households in the northwest of North Korea who were in panic.

Which people should be united as his team to govern North Korea in the future, and which people should be sacrificed to win the hearts and minds of the people, will almost always be decided by him during this special time. Now, inside Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace, Yin Yuanheng felt great fear and panic.

When things go well, power can blind people like him, who actually have no real ability, into thinking that they have it all.

The Ming Dynasty suddenly changed its attitude towards the North Korean crown prince dispute, which had been laissez-faire and unwilling to intervene for many years, and the speed of its reaction was beyond Yin Yuanheng's expectation.

It doesn’t take more than a few months in total!

In such an era, the development of many major events is not measured in years?

Privately, he believed that he had been successful enough in stabilizing the overall situation within a few months. Although there were twists and turns that Yin Ren had been prepared for, since he had successfully eliminated them, the next step was to bribe the inside and then "report to the emperor for approval".

Could it be that Queen Wending is a fake queen and the new king is not the son of the old king?

In the past, when Lord Yanshan was around, didn't Li Yi "anyway" also have many inside stories, and it was actually a coup by the old school of Xun?

Now that the Ming army has arrived in Kaicheng, Yin Yuanheng and Queen Wending are helpless.

"I have told you long ago that not only the prince, but other concubines are also hidden dangers!" Queen Wen Ding hugged her still young son, her face a little distorted, "That little beast killed his brother and dared to lead the Ming army to come. Kill your brother to seize the throne!"

"They're all already here!" Yin Yuanheng was very irritated, walking around the hall and staring at the other courtiers who had their heads lowered.

He knew that the greater danger now lay within Seoul.

The army of the Great Kingdom is approaching like a broken bamboo, with princes leading the way, under the banner of suppressing rebellion. These people know that they are probably defeated, will they act as insiders in order to survive?

Yin Yuanheng's eyes seemed to be trying to identify possible traitors among them.

"Don't think you can get away! You have all bowed before the king when he succeeded to the throne!" Yin Yuanheng roared uncontrollably, "What about the Ming army? As long as you hold on..."

He talked endlessly, but it was nothing more than some clichés about the Ming Dynasty's exhausted army and expeditionary expedition, which failed to succeed, and that after the new king succeeded to the throne, he appointed officials and made wishes.

In fact, he also knew that it was useless, but after all, he had been named as the culprit in the appeal. If you can't win, you will die.

surrender? How could Li accept it.

escape? So why are you so deliberate?

Besides, once the breath is broken, can you escape? I'm afraid that many people in front of me will immediately switch sides, chase him and capture him as a token of surrender.

"The news from the north has spread, and those stupid people are saying that Li is preparing to offer his land and become a vassal before asking the Ming Dynasty to send troops! They are talking about destroying the powerful and dividing the land among the people. How can any of you escape? Why is the orthodoxy of the country and the country so clear at a glance? ! How can those unfaithful, unfilial and traitorous traitors win the hearts of the people? All civil and military forces, as well as local noble families, will definitely help with their full strength to support the orthodoxy. King Qin’s army will arrive soon! If we hold on for more than a month, the situation of the battle will be very different!"

He was trying his best to stabilize the situation, but what he said was not wrong. Such news was indeed spreading.

Li walked with the Ming army. Originally, the Korean clan only thought that he was borrowing the power of the Ming Dynasty to return to the country to fight for the throne.

But by the time he was in Pyongyang, he had started to "distinguish loyalties and traitors" from Ping'an Road, and he had indeed done something to clear the land with the help of the first batch of Ming Dynasty officials.

Those Korean people who had fled to the Ming Dynasty really believed Gong Yongqing's promise, and then they wholeheartedly helped the Ming army enter the DPRK and advance with overwhelming momentum.

Now the wealthy families of Ping'an Road and Huanghaidao have begun to regret it.

But is it useful?

Chicheng Bo Li Yuan was still very young, but when he stayed by Li's side, he just said with certainty: "Don't worry, Mr. An Dong, we will not be established until we break it! Everyone in the special operations battalion under my command is a good soldier. A truly kind family, An Dong." Dong Gong pointed it out. As long as the people stand on the side of An Dong Gong and the Ping'an Road and Huanghai Road are combed, things will soon be stable."

Li looked at him with some fear.

This is a figure that the big families of Ping'an Dao are now extremely jealous of. Although he has only appeared here for a few months, why does he need Li to point out so many "houses of great evil" to him?

Ming Dynasty seems to have already known about the famous evils committed by many well-known wealthy people in Ping An Dao. The perpetrators, crimes, and evidence of the crimes were quickly found and brought out.

Thinking of the Ming merchants who had flocked to Ping'an Road and Huanghaidao for so many years after the opening of border trade, Li became more aware of the early plans of the Ming Dynasty.

He Li is just a banner. It is the "Qingtian Grand Masters" of the Ming Dynasty who really take action to avenge the grievances of some people here and destroy the evil families and divide their lands.

Li knew that there would be more and more such Qingtian lords.

Now, there is a special banquet in the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City.

Zhu Houcong said solemnly: "I have high hopes for choosing you! Whether it is you or the interpreters trained by the Ministry of Etiquette and Foreign Affairs over the years and assigned to you, this time you must understand my intention of appointing you to aid Korea! If you can North Korea has made great achievements, and will be reused in the future, whether it stays there or returns to the Ming Dynasty! Let the North Korean people return to their hearts, let the North Korean people make full use of it, increase the output of the mountains, forests and fields, and make the people rich and the country strong, which will also benefit the Ming Dynasty in the future. Only when you go there to make decisions for the Korean people can you truly educate them and make them one in the future!"

"I will live up to His Majesty's high expectations!"

Zhu Houcong nodded and looked at the King of Liao: "I haven't hid anything from you. This is a great plan for the Ming Dynasty. The descendants of the Zhu family must pay attention to it. If you go here with your heart, I will sacrifice it to the ancestral temple and clearly order the descendants: The King of Liao will With such great merits, I will never be demoted, and I will enjoy the honors and honors of the king for the rest of my life!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

After these few months, the two vassal kings who were selected were also clear.

The reason why the prince was not selected was firstly because the other princes were still young, and secondly because the future goal of North Korea, a place where Chinese education was more basic, was still to turn it into solid soil. However, the Shu king's lineage wanted to go to Ryukyu, which was smaller, but it could exist as a vassal state for a long time.

The reward for the King of Liao's careful management is that after such great achievements, there is no need to worry about being demoted. Even if North Korea really only establishes one or several new provinces in the future, they can still live there forever and enjoy the honor and wealth of the country forever.

No matter how you say it, it is certainly more comfortable and comfortable than just living in the Prince's Palace in Beijing.

The premise is to cooperate with Ming Dynasty's plan and obey Ming Dynasty's arrangements.

"Come, drink this cup to the full, and I will make a great journey for you!"

Shen Lian stood up, held the wine glass and said loudly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Having stayed in the imperial study room, he knew better how much the emperor valued this attempt: Hu Zongxian and he were all arranged to leave the emperor in this major event.

In the past, there was no shortage of conquests against surrounding areas in all dynasties, but never before had the preparations been more thorough and the methods more perfect than this time.

It was originally aimed at the goal of being treated as a solid ground and treated as a common people by the people of the Ming Dynasty. A large number of translations were prepared in advance, referring to the past laws and the new laws formulated by the Ming Dynasty laws. Now there are so many in A young official who grew up in the new academic era.

After being elected, during this period of time, I personally listened to the hadith in front of the emperor, and listened to the emperor solemnly explain the principles and directions.

Now there is this special banquet and grand trip.

In the north of the Ming Dynasty, with the tragic situation after the war there and the Ming Dynasty having decided to change the situation for Korea and implement a new system, what the people in Hebei, Shandong, Xuanning, and Jiliao are thinking about now is: whether to go there to see it. Look, is there any chance?

"It should be like a Loop, with a lot of land to divide, right?"

(End of this chapter)