Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 938 0933 [Femme Fatale Woman]

(The fleeing war elephant in the previous chapter was changed to being shot more than 20 times.)
Seeing Du Yingwu fleeing in defeat, the Annan troops that were surrounding him from several directions laid down their weapons and surrendered one after another.

Only a few die-hards knew they could not escape and would be liquidated even if they surrendered. Some led their troops to fight for their lives, while others abandoned their troops and fled.

"Your Highness, our army has won!" Han Jing clasped his hands together.

"The enemy is vulnerable," Zhu Kang was very happy. This was his first experience of a major battle. "Quickly bring the doctor to treat the wounded."

Han Jing said, "We have sent someone to invite a military doctor."

The soldiers in the front were still chasing him, and Zhu Kang was left with only more than 200 wounded soldiers for protection.

There were tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers around, and Han Jing was afraid of trouble, so he asked the defected Annan general to receive them. They had to throw away their weapons and sit in the fields, and no one was allowed to return to the edge of the fields.

Zhu Kang walked to the corpse of a war elephant. There was a big hole on the top of the beast's shoulder, but it still ran for more than ten meters before falling down.

Han Jing drew his sword and cut the leather cord of the war elephant armor, and found that it was actually a double-layer composite armor of leather and iron. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Just this armor is better than many elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty."

Long Kan, who had changed sides in the battle, explained in a flattering way: "Several decades ago, our country's war elephants encountered the Song army. The Song army used a powerful crossbow (the Shenbi bow) to shoot the elephants. When the war elephants rushed to them, they used swords to chop the elephants' trunks. The war elephants were frightened by the pain and stepped on their own people. Later, the armor of the war elephants was improved, and even the trunks of the elephants were covered with leather armor. Even with all the strength of the country, they could only support more than 30 war elephants."

It can be seen that the combat effectiveness of the northern army of the Song Dynasty at that time was still very strong. They did not collapse even when the war elephants rushed in front of them. Instead, they were able to organize soldiers to chop the elephants' trunks.

"Why didn't Annan use war elephants when the Ming army attacked last time?" Zhu Kang asked.

Long Kan said: "At that time, the elephant soldiers were taken to the south by the traitor Du to fight against Champa and Zhenla."

Zhu Kang no longer paid attention to the war elephants and turned to comfort the wounded soldiers.

At present, the number of Ming army casualties has increased to 4, all of whom died from arrows.

Several others had lost too much blood and fell into a coma. Their companions were bandaging them urgently to prevent the wounds from bleeding further.

There were more than two hundred people injured by arrows. In addition to those who were in critical condition due to excessive bleeding, there were also two people who were shot in the eyes.

These were all the casualties of the Ming army: four killed, many unconscious, two people one-eyed, and more than two hundred people shot by arrows.

After learning the truth about the situation, the defecting general Long Kan was filled with awe and even fear.

This doesn't make sense. This is a battle involving tens of thousands of people!

Why did only four people die?
If Long Kan knew Qi Jiguang's military achievements, he would understand that this situation was normal.

In the first battle, Qi's army killed 308 Japanese pirates, captured 2 alive, and those who drowned were not counted. Qi's army also lost 3 soldiers.

Then 1500 Qi's troops wiped out 2000 Japanese pirates, with 3 of their own men killed.

Crossed the sea to attack the island, wiped out more than 1000 Japanese pirates, and lost 13 of his own men.

Defeated several thousand Japanese pirates and beheaded more than 700 of them. No one was killed.

More than 3000 Japanese pirates were burned or drowned, and more than 900 were beheaded. 69 of their own men were killed in the battle.

This time, 69 soldiers of Qi's army were killed because the guide was bribed by the Japanese pirates and led Qi Jiguang to a fortified camp guarded by 4000 Japanese pirates.

The terrain was extremely unfavorable to Qi's army because it was the Japanese pirates' predetermined battlefield.

Under the circumstances that the troops were difficult to deploy, and they were ambushed and attacked, and many of the vanguard soldiers were shot and wounded, the Qi family army forcibly captured the enemy camp and wiped out all 4000 Japanese pirates! If you look at it this way, isn’t it even more outrageous that only 69 people were killed?
In addition, when 13 people were killed, they crossed the sea to attack the island and directly destroyed the Japanese pirates' nest!
There was another one where 16 people were killed in a more ridiculous siege battle. Yu Dayou also participated in the battle. More than 6000 Japanese pirates defended the 8-meter-high brick and stone wall...

In the time when 24 people were killed, they first captured four Japanese pirate camps, and then attacked the Japanese pirates who fled to the mountains nine times and wiped them out.

In all the battles that Qi's army fought in the south, whenever the number of casualties exceeded three, it was either in a siege or an ambush.

In normal combat, the limit for Qi's army to have three casualties was already reached.

The Ming army was a firearms version of the Mandarin Duck Formation, and it was a paddy field battle that was advantageous to them. No matter how many Annan soldiers there were, it was difficult to siege them. Isn't it normal that only four people were shot dead?
The military doctor rushed over from outside the city of Beijiang Road with his apprentice and medicine.

Xie Hong also sent someone to come, saying that after surrendering the Annan navy, he would directly sail to attack the city. Of course, he failed to take it down, but as Du Yingwu fled, the defenders in the city chose to open the gates and surrender.

After a while, Han Jing's deputy general Nie Luqing came back with the defected eunuch Du Yi and said, "Your Highness, this eunuch deliberately blocked our army's path and let Du Yingwu escape!"

Du Yi panicked and argued: "General, I was the first to defect. How could I let the thief Du get away?"

Zhu Kang asked the Annan officials to question the surrendered soldiers, and the captured Annan central army soldiers all confirmed that Du Yi was the first to defect.

"Let him go. He has done nothing wrong and has no merits," said Zhu Kang.

Nie Luqing said indignantly: "It was really him who blocked several passages, which prevented our army from pursuing quickly. I did not lie. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can ask the Ming soldiers!"

Zhu Kang had no choice but to ask his own soldiers in person, and they all said it was true.

Du Yi continued to argue: "I am also leading troops to hunt down Du the bandit, but my soldiers are too confused and I cannot control them."

"Forget it, go gather your soldiers." Zhu Kang was too lazy to pursue the matter, and now was not the time to do so.

Du Yi's thoughts were simple. He had feelings for the dead king and felt that Du Yingwu would definitely lose, so he chose to change sides at the last minute.

But he also had feelings for Du Yingwu. If Du Yingwu's biological father had not taken him in, Du Yi would have starved to death when he was a few years old. At the critical moment, he wanted to give Du Yingwu a way out.

Han Jing said: "Your Highness, we should send hundreds of elite soldiers to take Thang Long Prefecture by boat. We must not let the Du bandits regroup!"

Zhu Kang said: "You are fully responsible for the arrangements."

Han Jing not only took 500 elite soldiers with him by boat, but also took away several surrendered generals under Du Yingwu.

They only carried one day's worth of dry food and took a boat straight to Thang Long Prefecture.

As the Beijiang Road City was attacked by the navy led by Xie Hong, Du Yingwu did not dare to go to the dock outside the city to find a boat when he fled. He ran for several miles with a few personal soldiers before finding a fishing boat by the river. By the time he rowed back to Thang Long Prefecture, it was too late. Han Jing led 500 elite soldiers to the city and asked the surrendered generals to run outside the city to shout.

"I'm Long Kan! The Du bandits have been completely annihilated. One hundred thousand Ming soldiers will arrive tomorrow. Why don't you open the city and surrender immediately?"

"Hurry and open the city gates. I am the military supervisor Du Yi. Du Yingwu has been defeated."

"Who is the one guarding the city..."

Several Annan surrendered generals took turns shouting, and the soldiers defending the city were shocked and confused. Some officers ran to inform Du Yingwu's cousin Du Siwu.

Du Siwu was horrified upon hearing the news, and he didn't care about anything else, just took the Queen Mother Li, the little king, and the baby prince brother and fled. He didn't care about too much money, and only took away a box of gold and silver, his family, some slaves and more than a hundred soldiers.

How could five hundred Ming soldiers block all the routes?
When Han Jing learned the news, Du Siwu had already fled.

The 20-year-old Queen Mother Li was unwilling to live in hiding for the rest of her life. On her way to escape, she asked, "General, why are you running away?"

Du Siwu said: "My cousin has already aroused public anger, especially by killing more than ten ministers. How can the families behind those ministers let it go?"

Queen Mother Li said, "Du Yingwu's rebellion has nothing to do with the general."

"During the coup, I was the one who led the troops to garrison the palace." Du Siwu said.

Queen Mother Li said: "The general and I were both coerced by the thief Du. Moreover, the general's sister is Queen Mother Du, and those Ming troops were invited by Queen Mother Du."

Du Siwu was stunned and clapped his hands violently: "Yes. Why should I run away?"

Queen Mother Li said again: "General, we have shared hardships together. Should we work together now?"

Du Siwu said: "The Queen Mother is absolutely right."

"Kill that kid!" Queen Mother Li said lightly.

Du Siwu was dumbfounded: "The Queen Mother is talking about the baby?"

Queen Mother Li said, "The late king had only three sons. One has already died. If another dies, my son will be the late king's only son. Saving my son and me is also saving the general himself."

Du Siwu's mind was a little confused, and the feeling seemed to make sense.

So, he really took action!

He forced the wet nurse to throw the baby into the river (the baby accidentally fell into the water), and while he ordered the soldiers to rescue the baby, he killed the wet nurse in anger.

Then, he held the baby's body and cried loudly, beating his chest and stamping his feet, saying that he was sorry to the late king.

Queen Mother Li was young and beautiful, but she was also as vicious as a snake.

But she really doesn't have much ambition and doesn't have much wisdom.

Historically, the civil officials united to dismiss Du Yingwu from his post, thus eliminating a powerful official. However, Queen Mother Le was obsessed with adultery and recalled Du Yingwu to serve as an official, completely ignoring her own son, which led to Du Yingwu's bloodbath in the court.

A few days later, these guys returned to Thang Long Prefecture and were immediately arrested and put under strict custody.

Zhu Kang looked at the dead baby and said, "These two are really cruel. How was the interrogation?"

Xie Hong said: "Those eunuchs and soldiers all said that the wet nurse accidentally let the baby fall into the water. It should be a play. Even if others can see it, they will never admit it, otherwise they will be suspected of being accomplices. Of course, if we really beat them to death, someone will definitely confess. But that would be a confession under torture, and the Annan officials will suspect us. It's best to do this, so that the Annan officials will suspect that Li family."

Zhu Kang was confused and said, "Your Majesty's intention is to appoint a new king. Now the baby has been killed, and there is only one heir left. How should we respond?"

Xie Hong said: "You can report to the court and let Your Highness marry Li, so that he can legitimately become the regent of Annan."

Zhu Kang shook his head repeatedly: "I won't marry that vicious woman!"

Xie Hong said: "It's just a marriage, it doesn't mean you have to sleep in the same bed with her, it's just a title. The most urgent thing is to quickly stabilize the situation in Annan."

Zhu Kang bowed and said, "Please teach me, sir."

Xie Hong said: "Internally, appease the civil and military officials, reward those who have made contributions on the battlefield, and those who were killed by Du Yingwu, and posthumously honor them. There is a rebel named Shen Li in the northwest, who has captured Taiyuan Prefecture and claims to be a member of the royal family and wants to seize power. Your Highness should, in the name of the King of Annan, order all officials and gentry across the country not to collude with the rebels to cause chaos."

"As for the traitor Shen Li, do not send troops to destroy him for the time being. Let him continue to attack the provincial capital and make the Annan officials anxious, and then send troops to destroy him."

"Du Yingwu and his remaining followers will all be confiscated and exterminated. Their property should be distributed among the officials and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, especially the land. This will make the people brought by Your Highness feel completely at ease. The Annan officials who are not satisfied with Your Highness as the regent can all be labeled as the remnants of the Du thief, and their property should be confiscated and exterminated to distribute their property."

"Too many people were abducted by General Yang last time in Thang Long City. The King of Annan relocated local people, but only half of the population was restored in the city. We can send people to Guangzhou to recruit merchants, especially merchants and craftsmen, and give them shops and houses when they come. This will allow Thang Long City to recover quickly, and it will also increase the Han population."

"Also, reorganize the remaining Annan army. Order the Annan military commanders who hold military power to send their young daughters to marry your Highness as concubines. Only by marrying those military commanders can your Highness gain control of the military power."

"After marrying the military commander, we should also promote the imperial examination. Your Majesty will allow the scholars of Annan to go to Ming Dynasty for the imperial examination. After Your Highness announces this, we will ask for many Confucian classics from Ming Dynasty. It would be best if we could invite a great scholar. This way, we can also win over the civil servants and scholars of Annan."

"I heard that the temples in Annan have countless temple fields. If the rewards are not enough, they can accuse some temples of being the remnants of the Du thieves and confiscate those temple fields and distribute them to the Ming soldiers!"

"Once Your Highness has taken control of the situation in Annan, you can reform the system next year. Imitating the Ming Dynasty, the government offices will be changed to the cabinet, six ministries, and provincial systems. The army will be changed to the system of commanders-in-chief, generals, and inner and outer garrisons. These reforms will make it easier for the Ming Dynasty to annex Annan in the future."

"The land system will not be changed for the time being. Especially the land tax, a lot of it will be taken back by the central government and used as military expenses. Now that the Annan army has been drastically reduced, we should not restore the original number of soldiers during the reorganization, which is equivalent to a disguised disarmament. On the one hand, it can prevent the Annan army from rebellion, and on the other hand, more land tax can be collected for emergency use. At that time, if Your Highness reduces some of the land tax as appropriate, it will win the reputation of being kind and the love of the Annan officials and people."

"Commercial taxes must be changed..."

Xie Hong spoke for more than ten minutes and only gave a rough idea.

Zhu Kang was so impressed that he bowed and said, "Sir, you are truly a talented person!"

Xie Hong said modestly: "I have been the Right Governor of the Ming Dynasty. Any Governor can feel at ease when he comes to Annan."

(End of this chapter)