Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 156 Lushun and the Navy

With a plan in mind, Zhu Youjian planned to wait for the envoys stationed in the DPRK to arrive in Beijing before deciding on the specific strategy.

For the Ming Dynasty, which had experienced great ritual discussions, the behavior of the Korean king was not surprising at all.

Moreover, the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty were able to come up with many ways to deal with this behavior of the King of Korea after being taught the lesson of the Great Ceremony.

These methods of theirs are basically useless in the Ming Dynasty, but they can be used in North Korea to give the King of North Korea a taste of their power——

The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty who had experienced a great ceremony would definitely let the King of Korea know what the same trick should not be used a second time:
The simplest way is to directly canonize the biological father and mother of the King of Korea. This stabilized his throne and forced him to accept it.

But the North Korean king's plan to use the posthumous title of parents to attack non-heroes also came to nothing.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty could also confer titles on others at the same time, forcing the king of Korea to accept them as well.

The Ming Dynasty conferred titles on his parents as the king of Korea, which seemed to be a great thing to help him secure his throne. But things cannot be viewed simply. The emperors and ministers of the Ming Dynasty who had experienced the great ceremony knew that the king of Korea wanted to use the posthumous title of his parents to distinguish among the ministers who were willing to surrender to him and who were unwilling to cooperate. The Ming Dynasty interrupted this process by directly naming the parents of the King of Korea. This will lead to the North Korean king being unable to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy and unable to consolidate his power.

At the same time, if the Ming Dynasty's canonization of North Korean noble titles is accepted, it means that in addition to being loyal to the king, North Korean ministers are also loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

They could completely bypass the King of Korea and directly contact the Ming Dynasty.

Especially after the Ming Dynasty envoys were stationed in North Korea, these people became more reliable.

Those non-heroes in Korea who were unwilling to submit to the king were likely to attach themselves to the Ming Dynasty and continue to oppose the king of Korea.

After determining this strategy, Zhu Youjian not only needed officials who were proficient in maneuvering to take charge of this matter, but also needed to select a North Korean nobleman and ennoble him with a title——

He needed someone who could check and balance the Korean king and manipulate the Korean monarchs and ministers.

The most ready choice for this candidate is Gwanghae-kun. Zhu Youjian asked Mao Wenlong:

"Can you contact Gwanghae-kun?"

"If I canonize him as an earl, will he accept it?"

Mao Wenlong was a little surprised. He didn’t know why the emperor wanted to knight Guanghai Jun. He responded:
"Kwanghae-kun is imprisoned in Ganghwa Island. Your Majesty wants to canonize him, and he will naturally accept it."

"But his reputation is too bad, and he once had money behind his back."

"I thought it was enough to save his life without conferring a title."

Without listening to Mao Wenlong's advice, Zhu Youjian said:
"No matter what you say, Lord Guanghai is the king officially canonized by the Ming Dynasty."

"His life must be preserved, and his status cannot be kept secret."

"After being canonized as an earl, Lord Gwanghae's status will be finalized, and the King of Joseon no longer has to worry about him regaining the throne."

"I plan to grant Jeju Island to King Gwanghae as a territory and make him a real land king."

"The officials of the Guanghai Territory are based on the Ming Dynasty Palace. The Chief Secretary of the fifth rank manages the affairs of the territory, which consists of the Government Affairs Office, the Tingwei Office, and the Weiwei Office. The left Changshi is in charge of government affairs, and the right Changshi is in charge of justice. Then there is the Zhengshi Department Join the military mansion at the fifth level and manage the territorial army."

"Mao Qing has been in North Korea for a long time, so he should help Lord Guanghai more. Select a few talents from Dongjiang Town to serve as chief historians and join the army."

Mao Wenlong was surprised when he heard this, and soon understood. On the surface, the emperor asked Gwanghaejun to establish a territory, but in fact, he separated Jeju Island from North Korea and handed it over to Dongjiang Town for management.

This made him excited, and he no longer had the idea of ​​persuading the emperor not to canonize Lord Guanghai, so he recommended:
"My in-law, Shen Shikui, should avoid Dongjiang Town according to His Majesty's order. I recommend him to join the army as the leader of Guanghai."

"As for the position of chief historian, there is currently no one in Dongjiang Town who can fill it."

"I have a candidate here, but I don't know whether to mention him or not?"

Appreciating Mao Wenlong's initiative to transfer Shen Shikui away, Zhu Youjian said:
"If you have something to say, just say it. You don't have to worry so much."

"This is a private conversation and there is no need to worry about blame."

Mao Wenlong mustered up his courage and said:

"The former governor of Liaodong, Wang Huazhen, was very kind to his ministers."

"I think that although he is incompetent in running the army, he is qualified to serve as a long history."

"I am willing to return all my official ranks to the imperial court one by one to atone for the death penalty of Wang Huazhen."

Wang Huazhen fell into Guangning, which was punishable by death according to law. Mao Wenlong had the opportunity to display his talents because Wang Huazhen asked him to lead the army alone. He went to the imperial court many times, asking for merit to atone for Wang Huazhen's death penalty.

However, the Ming Dynasty's practice has always been that the merits and demerits do not offset each other, let alone the merits and demerits of the same person. Therefore, the matter has never been passed, and Wang Huazhen is still in prison. However, due to Mao Wenlong's plea, he was never executed. Like Yang Hao before him, he was a person who was sentenced to death but was not executed.

Originally, Mao Wenlong was not too anxious about this matter, because he knew that since the court had never killed Wang Huazhen, it would not suddenly kill him.

But Zhu Youjian sent Yang Hao to Dongjiang Town for public execution, which not only made the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang happy, but also reminded Mao Wenlong——

The court may have Wang Huazhen executed at any time to cheer up people's morale.

Now, taking advantage of the emperor's good mood, Mao Wenlong brought it up again and asked for atonement for Wang Huazhen.

Zhu Youjian frowned, very dissatisfied with this. People with great achievements like Xiong Tingbi were executed by the court, but Wang Huazhen and Yang Hao were never executed. He felt that this matter was too ridiculous. I plan to resolve this matter when I deal with old cases in a while.

Now that Mao Wenlong brought this matter up in person, although Zhu Youjian wanted to punish Wang Huazhenming in a canonical manner, he had to worry about Mao Wenlong's thoughts——

It is really unreasonable to argue with a general under his command over a damned person.

Thinking about how he had exiled so many damn eunuch officials overseas, Zhu Youjian said:
"Recalling Wang Huazhen's achievements in helping to establish Dongjiang Town, he is pardoned and exempted from the death penalty. He will be exiled overseas in the future and will not be allowed to return except by special decree."

"This person will be exiled to Jeju Island from now on. Admiral Mao will have to decide what to do!"

Mao Wenlong was overjoyed when he heard that the emperor had spared Wang Huazhen from the death penalty.

Although he is not completely exempt from guilt, he does not have to worry about being executed.

I just don’t know the punishment of being exiled overseas. Is Wang Huazhen willing to accept it?
Although Mao Wenlong wanted to let his old boss return to his hometown to spend his old age in peace, he thought of the reasons he had mentioned to the emperor before and the emperor's special statement that "you are not allowed to return unless there is a special purpose", so he thought it would be better not to say it again. Lest the emperor become impatient and execute this person directly.

At the same time, he also began to realize. It’s not entirely a good thing that the emperor values ​​​​the law too much——

It is good for such an emperor to have clear rewards and punishments, but he will not tolerate violations of laws and prohibitions.

You should be careful in the future, lest you break the law and your merits will not be worth your sins in the future.

Not wanting to mention Wang Huazhen again, Zhu Youjian ignored the matter and said to Mao Wenlong:

"Mao Qing should pay more attention to the affairs of Guanghai Territory."

"If this territory can be established, I plan to confer several more Korean monarchs."

"Especially in the area bordering Hou Jin, we need to find a few people who can fight, preferably those who have enmity with Hou Jin, and seal them there. Help Ming build a blockade and help North Korea resist Hou Jin."

"You have been in North Korea for many years, and you should know some powerful people in North Korea. You can contact them and ask them if they are willing to become kings."

With his eyes widened, Mao Wenlong finally realized that the emperor was playing a big game of chess.

Thinking about the emperor asking him to recommend Guanghai Territory's long history and joining the army, Mao Wenlong said:
"Do the long history of these territories and joining the army require court appointment?"

Zhu Youjian said without hesitation:

"Since it is the territory of the Ming Dynasty, of course it is appointed by the imperial court."

"It's just that the territory belongs to the feudal lord. The court only appoints the fifth-rank chief historian and junjun. Other officials let the chief scribe and junjun discuss with the lord."

"Mao Qing can train more talents to serve as chief historians and join the army." "If you have Koreans under your command, you can also make them kings."

This reply made Mao Wenlong even more excited. He stayed in North Korea for several years, and of course he had North Koreans under his command.

Even when Hou Jin invaded this year, Mao Wenlong rewarded North Korean volunteer generals such as Li Zhongjie and took in North Korean officials and civilians who had taken refuge. He can get in touch with volunteers from all over North Korea.

Mentioning these people to the emperor, Zhu Youjian was very happy to hear that there were volunteers in North Korea.

The King of North Korea was worried that these people would threaten his rule, but Zhu Youjian was not worried at all and said:
"Report their names, and based on their past achievements and strength, give them knighthoods."

"I plan to establish the title of Chengtian overseas. Those who have made great achievements can be granted the title of Bozinan, and those who have made less merit can be granted the title of knight."

"The border areas between North Korea and Ming Dynasty can be sealed to these volunteers."

"I will ask the envoys stationed in the DPRK to do their best to do this well."

"From now on, you can use the Shang Fang Sword I awarded you to dispatch these volunteers."

With that said, Zhu Youjian asked again:

"We need to be cautious about this matter and don't leak it at will. We should first establish Gwanghae Territory in North Korea and let North Korean subjects see examples before talking about it."

"There is also Jeju Island, which will be the base for contact between Ming Dynasty and Golden Corner Guards in the future."

"We need to explore a route to support the Golden Corner Guards."

Hearing that the emperor valued the golden corner guard so much, Mao Wenlong was a little disapproving and said:

"The Golden Corner Guard is too far away and beyond the reach of the imperial court."

"I think that instead of attaching importance to Golden Corner Guards, it is better to attach importance to Lushun."

"I talked with Li Zunzu who was passing through Dongjiang Town. Although the terrain advantage of Jinjiaowei is good, Lushun is not bad either."

"The topography of the two peninsulas is similar except that there are no neighboring islands to the south."

"Furthermore, there are islands such as Guanglu Island and Changshan Island around Lushun, which can also station troops and support Lushun."

How could Zhu Youjian, the great man of Lushun, not know that this was an important military location. When Mao Wenlong mentioned it, he immediately asked:
"Is Lushun still in Ming's hands?"

"How many places are there in southern Liaoning?"

Mao Wenlong was a little embarrassed, because most of Liaonan was lost under his hands, so he could only bite the bullet and said:

"Lushun currently has General Mao Yongyi in charge of 3,600 officers and soldiers."

"Li Kuang, the former Lushun general, first burned the imperial grain, sank equipment, seized ships, forced the strong men, and escaped with his brother Li Yue."

"Nowadays, Lushun has suffered a lot of damage and is in urgent need of repairs by the court."

Zhu Youjian didn't care whether Mao Wenlong was shirking responsibility when he heard that Lushun was still in the hands of the court. He was very surprised and extremely excited at the same time——

With this strategic location in hand, the imperial court would have a fulcrum to deploy troops to southern Liaoning.

The most important thing now is to strengthen the defense of Lushun to prevent it from being taken over by Hou Jin.

Recalling the map he had seen in his previous life, Zhu Youjian briefly drew it on the ground. The more I look at it, the more I feel that Lushun is easy to defend but difficult to attack, making it an excellent place.

Pointing to the narrowest place in the north of Lushun, Zhu Youjian asked Mao Wenlong:
"What is this place?"

"How wide is it at its narrowest point?"

Mao Wenlong was very familiar with Lushun. Although he was a little unaccustomed to the emperor's drawing method, he quickly saw that what the emperor drew was Lushun.

This surprised him at the emperor's erudition, and he did not dare to underestimate the young emperor. replied:

"This is Nanguan Ridge, fifteen miles apart on both sides, like the waist of a gourd."

"Before entering the capital, I met Sun Guozhen, the governor of Denglai, and discussed with him the construction of a wall in Nanguan Ridge to keep the captives out."

I really didn't expect Sun Guozhen to have such insight. Zhu Youjian felt that this person was a talent even more, and immediately replied:
"The Nanguanling city wall must be built as soon as possible. Lushun must not be lost. It must be used as the fulcrum of the imperial court's attack."

"We need to send more spies to let the people of southern Liaoning know that the Ming Dynasty has not given up on them. They cannot be disappointed and completely surrender to Hou Jin."

Speaking, Zhu Youjian said:
"The military strength in southern Liaoning must also be strengthened."

"It's not enough to have just one general. We need to have two or three battalions and set up brigade-level units."

"The leader is called the brigade general and is treated as the deputy commander-in-chief."

"This candidate is recommended by You and Sun Guozhen. You must choose a reliable person."

"The city wall must be built as soon as possible, and more forts must be built to make Lushun impregnable."

"How much food is needed? Let Sun Guozhen raise it. If you need the court's support, please report it."

He attached great importance to Lushun because Zhu Youjian found that he seemed to have found a breaking point in Liaodong. He also carefully inquired about the terrain of Lushun to see how many troops could be stationed in Lushun.

Mao Wenlong introduced it carefully and was very pleased that the emperor valued Lushun so much. The topography of Lushun was introduced one by one, and the surrounding islands were also drawn.

I heard Mao Wenlong say that there are twin islands on the west side of Lushun, not an island. Zhu Youjian glanced at Mao Wenlong strangely, and finally knew where he was killed in history. It turned out that it was in Lushun, a military important place, that Yuan Chonghuan executed an imperial edict and killed Mao Wenlong.

Of course this matter will not happen now. Zhu Youjian feels that just by avoiding this matter, he will be worthy of Mao Wenlong.

Looking at the islands around Lushun, as well as the routes to Hepi Island and Juehua Island, Zhu Youjian thought of the Ming Dynasty's advantages at sea, and felt that they should be integrated into the overall plan, and they could no longer be independent.

Liaodong and Lushun are so close to Tianjin by sea, so grain can be transported by sea, making supplies more convenient.

Especially for Juehua Island, he felt that Liaodong's landlubbers couldn't use it well, so it was better to separate it and let the navy command it:

"Is Yu Zigao coming soon?" 』

"I ordered to summon Yu Zigao to Beijing at the end of August. It has been almost three months now, and he should have arrived. 』

As a descendant of Yu Dayou, Yu Zigao made meritorious service when he recaptured Penghu. Zhu Youjian felt that he should be better at navy than these generals in the north.

You can set up a naval admiral to be responsible for water warfare and transportation matters.

Zhu Youjian had some expectations for Yu Zigao, and hoped that he could explore ways to reorganize the scattered navy in the north and play a greater role.

If the Ming Dynasty's naval force was adequate, it could use Lushun as a base to attack from all sides along the Liaodong coastline, leaving Hou Jin defenseless and rescuing the fallen Liao people.

Even if the navy becomes stronger, it can learn from Zheng Chenggong's tactics in history, forcing the Jin Dynasty to move to the border and ban the sea, and abandon the coastal areas.

　"Chongzhen Changbian" April of the first year of Chongzhen:
　　Sun Guozhen, the governor of Denglai, reported six things:

　　One discussion is about repairing Lushun. Reading Lushun in the south is the gateway to Denglai, separated from the Imperial City Island by a sail. To the north is the important area of ​​​​Jinfu, and the road connects to Liaoyang.

　　The situation in Hong is isolated and difficult to defend. There is only one line of road in Nanguan Ridge. The two sides are fifteen miles apart. Like a gourd joined at the waist, it becomes one, and when it is cut off, it becomes two.

　　It is advisable to build walls on the mountains and rebuild the enemy's tower. There are many detectives for defense. Select land and water officers and soldiers, build many sand boats, and lead generals to accompany them on tours. Place a large number of troops here for training and plowing. Tun, there is no need to pay for the beef from the mainland.

　　Then he divided the sand and rivers into the north and south flood mouths of the bay. I heard that the land here is fertile and densely covered, so it can be defended and garrisoned. The land troops returned from Jin, the boat division arrived at Gaitao, and they worked together to reach Haizhou and Niuzhuang. This is the ultimate plan for recovery.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)