Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The Mu family, Duke of Qian, is a special existence in the Ming Dynasty.

As one of the five duke families of the Ming Dynasty, the Duke of Qian has ruled Yunnan for generations. Although his influence in the capital is not that great, he can be regarded as having a hereditary fiefdom.

The reason why the feudal system promoted by the current emperor is believed by people is because of the example of the Mu family of the Duke of Qian. People believe in the credibility of the Ming imperial family.

After the emperor allowed his vassals to build mansions in the capital and prepared to grant a house to the Duke of Qian, the status of the Mu family of the Duke of Qian was bound to rise.

Unexpectedly, the current Duke of Qian died suddenly at a young age. This made the senior Jinyiwei officials who learned the news feel that there was something fishy.

Especially since Xu Bengao used carrier pigeons to urgently send back this message, it further indicated that the story behind this matter was by no means that simple.

When the Jinyiwei commander Zheng Shiyi and Fang Hongzan, who assisted him in managing the Beisifang, saw the news, they both felt it was a difficult situation and didn't know how to tell the emperor.

"Why don't we wait a little longer until more accurate news arrives?" Fang Hongzan asked tentatively.

Zheng Shiyi was a little moved for a moment, but when he thought of the various rules set by the emperor, he shook his head dejectedly and said:
"According to the rules set by His Majesty, this kind of urgent top-secret information should be delivered as soon as the palace gates are opened."

"Even if it is subsequently proven false, it will not be our fault."

"But if you don't send it, you know the consequences!"

If the news is sent now, it is possible that the emperor will be furious and thus be irritated, but if the news is not sent, the consequences will be more serious.

As the commander of the Jinyiwei, Zheng Shiyi knew that he could not afford to delay. He got the position of Jinyiwei commander by chance. If he concealed such important news from the emperor, he was sure that he would not be able to continue in this position.

After all, the emperor had long used Lu Bing's example to tell the Jinyiwei personnel that what the emperor needed most was loyalty, and everything else came second.

So, Zheng Shiyi calmed down and, risking the emperor's wrath, sent the news to the palace.

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youjian, who was handling Shaanxi affairs and arranging for the transfer of Shaanxi civil servants to civilian military officers, was furious when he heard the news and ordered:
"check!"

"Let me get to the bottom of this matter."

"A great Duke of Ming cannot die suddenly and without explanation!"

Let the Jinyiwei collect information about Yunnan and immediately send personnel to Yunnan to investigate.

He didn't know why Mu Qiyuan died, and even speculated that someone was obstructing his enfeoffment and using Mu Qiyuan's life to warn those nobles who wanted to enfeoff.

This made him furious. He stood up and paced back and forth, trying to figure out the impact of this incident:

"If a feudal noble could die suddenly and without any clear reason."

"Then how many nobles would be enthusiastic about going overseas to serve as feudal lords?"

"It seems that we need to formulate a policy to make them feel more at ease."

The way to make the feudal nobles feel more at ease is very simple, which is to expand their power.

Although Zhu Youjian was reluctant to do so, after Mu Qiyuan's sudden death, he had to take some action to reassure the nobles of the fiefdom. He could not let Mu Qiyuan's sudden death affect the plan of enfeoffment.

Now, he could only hope that the matter was simple and would not make things more difficult for himself.
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Guizhou, Guiyang Prefecture. Xu Bengao, who had arrived here for more than half a month, felt that the matter was serious at the first moment after learning the news of Mu Qiyuan's sudden death, and sent the message back to the capital by carrier pigeon.

He came from the capital and had already learned from the Jinyiwei that the emperor was going to divide the fiefdoms. As an example of the Ming Dynasty's fiefdoms, the Mu family was of course of great concern.

Therefore, when Zhu Xieyuan, the governor of Sichuan and Guizhou, and others were worried about the war situation in Yunnan due to Mu Qiyuan's sudden death, Xu Bengao, the Southwest Pacification Envoy, was more worried about the impact on the feudal policy.

Seeing that Zhu Xieyuan and Yuan Chonghuan were still arguing about whether to send troops, Xu Bengao said anxiously:

"Two old gentlemen, what time is it now? Why are you still arguing about this?"

"If we don't handle the Duke of Qian's affairs properly, we will all suffer in the future!"

Zhu Xieyuan was very surprised when he heard this. He didn't know what this matter had to do with him, so he asked:
"Mu Qiyuan was poisoned to death by his mother, Madam Song. What does this have to do with us?"

“Where did the phrase ‘suffering because of this’ come from?”

Yuan Chonghuan was also puzzled and didn't know what Xu Bengao meant.

Xu Bengao was so anxious that he jumped up and down, explaining:

"The emperor intends to divide the fiefdoms, and the news has already spread throughout the imperial guards in the capital."

"Now that the actual fief of Duke Qian has been in trouble, do you think it will have any impact on the fiefdom?"

"Will the nobles in the capital who are looking forward to being enfeoffed blame us?"

Unlike Zhu Youjian's concern about the unrest among the nobles in the fiefdoms, Xu Bengao was worried that the emperor might become more cautious about the enfeoffment because of Mu Qiyuan's reckless behavior.

After all, he was in Guiyang and learned more things. He knew that what Mu Qiyuan had done could be considered treason.

If the emperor had doubts about the enfeoffed nobles and further restricted their power, those nobles who were looking forward to enfeoffment would definitely hate them to death.

Zhu Xieyuan and Yuan Chonghuan also realized the seriousness of the matter after hearing what Xu Bengao said. If it really had such a big impact on the feudal system as Xu Bengao said, every one of these military and political leaders in the southwest would be hated by the future feudal lords.

Not only them, the two of them are a little worried now. After the news of what Mu Qiyuan did is sent back to the capital, can the emperor fulfill his promise to let the meritorious soldiers stay in the capital for life after the She'an Rebellion is quelled?

If this affects the morale of the army, they will regret it.

Zhu Xieyuan thought of this and seemed to have no idea what to do. He asked Xu Bengao with great concern:
"Now that things have come to this, what can we do?"

Seeing Zhu Xieyuan like this, Xu Bengao suspected that Zhu Xieyuan was deliberately targeting him. But he did protect Yuan Chonghuan these days, so that Yuan Chonghuan, the military envoy in charge of military affairs, had the confidence to argue with Zhu Xieyuan, who was in charge of the overall situation, on military matters.

At this point, he could only swallow his own bitter fruit and said:

"The most urgent task is to define the Duke of Qian's actions. We cannot call it treason and make His Majesty wary."

"But there needs to be an explanation as to why he was poisoned to death, and an official needs to take the blame."

Zhu Xieyuan did not answer and looked at Yuan Chonghuan, who always liked to argue with him.

Before working with this person, he had never imagined that there would be a subordinate so bold as to try to put his boss in a difficult position.

What he regretted most now was that he sent Fu Zonglong to take charge of the war in Sichuan instead of sending Yuan Chonghuan out.

If this person had been sent away earlier, there wouldn't be so much trouble.

Yuan Chonghuan did not think he was meddling. Having made great contributions in Liaodong, he felt that the praise Zhu Xieyuan and others received for fighting against the chieftains was all exaggerated.

If the emperor had appointed himself as governor-general instead of some useless military commander, he would have put down the She'an Rebellion long ago instead of delaying it until now.

Facing Zhu Xieyuan's gaze, Yuan Chonghuan showed no fear and said loudly:

"The matter of the Duke of Qian has come to this point, and the Governor and the Provincial Inspector of Yunnan who had a dispute with him must be responsible." "The Governor should use the Imperial Sword bestowed by Your Majesty to bring the Governor of Yunnan Xie Cunren and the Provincial Inspector of Yunnan Yu Cheng back to the capital to be punished."

"This matter has been clearly seen by the officials in the court, and we have a clear conscience."

When Zhu Xieyuan heard what he said, he seemed a little bit unconvinced and asked Xu Bengao:
"Is this really possible?"

"Does the imperial sword in my hand have this power?"

"Didn't Governor Xu say that we can only use it after the approval of the Guards and the Imperial Guards?"

"Can you two sign your consent to my using the Imperial Sword?"

Xu Bengao was so anxious that he was about to cry. He deeply regretted that he had supported Yuan Chonghuan some time ago and said these words. At this time, he hurriedly explained:
"That's the rule for correspondence with foreign enemies. The guards and royal guards are to write down the contents of the letters. This is to avoid being framed later if you can't explain it clearly."

"General Zhu can make all other decisions on military and political affairs. Your Majesty bestowed upon General Zhu the Imperial Sword in order to grant him full authority."

"All officers below the rank of general can be subject to military law; generals and above can be dismissed with the imperial sword and escorted to the capital for questioning."

Zhu Xieyuan couldn't believe it, as if he didn't know that the imperial sword in his hand had such great power. He asked several times in succession, and after Yuan Chonghuan and Xu Bengao confirmed that he could use the imperial sword to take the governor of Yunnan and the inspector back to the capital for questioning. Then he gave an order, summoned his personal guards, and ordered:

"Yunnan Governor Xie Cunren, Provincial Inspector Yu Cheng, and Duke of Qian Mu Qiyuan attacked each other, leading to this change."

"Order him to be dismissed immediately and brought back to the capital for trial."

"Yuan Chonghuan, the military governor of Sichuan, Guizhou and five provinces, will temporarily serve as the governor of Yunnan."

After the token was issued, the guards immediately obeyed the order. Yuan Chonghuan and Xu Bengao were stunned.

Neither of them had expected that Zhu Xieyuan would take this opportunity to drive Yuan Chonghuan to Yunnan.

Looking at Zhu Xieyuan's stern eyes, Yuan Chonghuan wanted to argue, but he didn't say anything. Because he had realized that if he dared to say no, Zhu Xieyuan would not mind at all, and would use the imperial sword to dismiss him and escort him back to Beijing.

Even if I had the protection of my teacher and friends at that time, I would not be punished. But my reputation would definitely decline, and I would be considered unworthy of being a subordinate.

This was unbearable for Yuan Chonghuan, who was committed to making great achievements and returning to Liaodong. So he could only give up the idea of ​​seizing power from Zhu Xieyuan and comfort himself that he could lead troops independently in Yunnan and not suffer from Zhu Xieyuan's anger here.

So, he accepted the order and planned to go to Yunnan to take up his post with his old subordinates.

But this is not the end. After Zhu Xieyuan accepted the order, he immediately reminded:

"Once in Yunnan, General Yuan must stick to his duties and not act recklessly."

"The mission of the Yunnan officers and soldiers is to recapture Wusa Prefecture in southern Sichuan, and then follow the river to attack Shuixi."

"I don't care how you beat me, but if you disobey my orders and forget what I say, then don't worry about me bringing out the Imperial Sword again."

After warning Yuan Chonghuan, Zhu Xieyuan said to Xu Bengao:

"Xu Zhenfu Envoy, I should have made no mistake in using this Imperial Sword, right?"

"The pacification envoy will take good notes and report to the court later."

Xu Bengao was already stunned at this time. He finally understood why Zhu Xieyuan, a civil servant who had never fought in a war, rose through the ranks after the outbreak of the She'an Rebellion and took on the important task of governing five provinces.

This is a true commander, not a mediocre person like Gao Di and Wang Zhichen. Yuan Chonghuan and I treated him the same way we treated Gao Di and Wang Zhichen, which was a mistake.

So he quickly made his attitude clear at this time, saying that he had taken note of everything and would report back to the emperor.

Then he urged Yuan Chonghuan to go to Yunnan to take up his post.

He now knew that the two of them combined could not defeat Zhu Xieyuan. Not to mention that before he left, the emperor had asked him to provide support to Zhu Xieyuan.

If the emperor knew that after arriving in Guiyang, he not only did not provide support, but instead colluded with Yuan Chonghuan to seize power, he would never protect him but would remove him.

So he could only say sorry to his relative Qian Longxi in his heart. He wanted to replace Zhu Xieyuan like Gao Di and Wang Zhichen, but it would be difficult for him and Yuan Chonghuan together to do it.

At this time, Zhu Xieyuan, who was the governor-general of five provinces and governor of Guizhou, and had sent the admiral and the military guard to Sichuan and Yunnan, had completely grasped the power to command the Guizhou troops.

Zhu Xieyuan, who had trained troops for several months, could not wait a moment after Yuan Chonghuan left. He used the strategy previously planned by Min Mengde and ordered Yuan Chonghuan to lead the Yunnan troops to Wusa, and Fu Zonglong to lead the Sichuan troops out of Yongning and Bijie. He personally led a large army to station in Luguang, forcing the rebels to fight a decisive battle.

Xu Chengming, the general commander of Bijie, Guizhou and other places, first made a contribution and successfully recaptured Chishuiwei by sending troops from Yongning.

An Bangyan was greatly shocked when he heard this, and sent troops to guard Luguang, Yachi, Sancha and other key locations, and sent a force to feint an attack on Zunyi. She Chongming, who called himself the Great Elder of the Four Ethnic Groups and the King of Daliang, led an army of more than 100,000 and attacked Chishui first.

Zhu Xieyuan was overjoyed when he learned about this. What he feared least was a decisive battle with the rebels, but he was worried that they would hide in Shuixi and not come out.

After learning of the movements of An Bangyan's rebels, he gave advice to Xu Chengming to lure the rebels to Yongning. He also sent General Lin Zhaoding to attack from Sancha, Deputy General Wang Guozhen to attack from Luguang, and Liu Yangkun to attack from Zunyi to attack the rebels' lair.

An Bangyan was confident in his bravery and planned to defeat the Ming army in Yongning first, and then resist the other generals, so he hurriedly led his troops to fight.

Hou Liangzhu, the general commander of Sichuan, and Liu Kexun, the military supervisor of Yongning, led 13,000 soldiers and horses to block An Bangyan's army of 100,000.

Seeing them fighting like this, Xu Chengming led his troops to return for support.

An Bangyan was unable to resist and occupied Wufeng Mountain and Taohongba, relying on the geographical advantage to defend himself.

At this point, the rebels were already trapped in a jar. Victory was only a matter of time, the only difference was whether they could be completely wiped out.

Xu Chengming wanted to stabilize the situation and wait for more troops to arrive so as to complete Zhu Xieyuan's plan and achieve his goal in one battle.

Hou Liangzhu could not wait any longer. A few days later, he saw an opportunity and led his troops to attack the enemy camp. General Xu Chengming and others followed suit and defeated the rebels.

In the chaos, Xu Chengming's generals Zhao Guoxi, Lei Yingqian and others chased and killed An Bangyan in Hongtuchuan, and captured his body intact. However, they were intercepted by Shu soldiers and had to take a detour for several days before returning.

At this time, Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun had already given the credit for beheading An Bangyan to Hou Liangzhu's son Hou Yingshen, and the credit for beheading She Chongming to Liu Kexun's son Liu Zhenghua.

The Shu soldiers and the Qian soldiers began to compete over merit.

Fu Zonglong was in the rear and did not catch up with the battle, and the same was true for Zhu Xieyuan. Moreover, as the governor of Sichuan and Guizhou, he was also the governor of Guizhou, and was considered by the Shu soldiers to be biased towards the Guizhou soldiers. He had no choice but to invite Xu Bengao, the Southwest Pacification Envoy of the Jinyiwei, to come and ask him to make the decision.

After all, the duty of the Jinyiwei is to record military achievements.

Thinking of the military guards who also had the responsibility of recording military merits, Zhu Xieyuan felt the necessity of establishing a military guard system. If there were military guards and military guard lieutenants who were always recording at the front line, it would be difficult for the Shu soldiers and the Qian soldiers to compete for merits.

Xu Bengao looked at the reports of Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun and felt something was wrong. It was impossible for such a coincidence that An Bangyan and She Chongming were beheaded by their sons.

Therefore, he did not believe the two people's reports. However, Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun did make great contributions in this battle, and it was also related to the dispute between the Shu soldiers and the Qian soldiers. As the Jinyiwei pacification envoy, he did not dare to make a decision easily, so he could only report the matter to the court and ask for a decision.

At the same time, he quickly spread the news that the main force of the Shean rebels had been destroyed through pigeons, letting the emperor and ministers in the capital know that the Shean rebellion would soon be quelled.

Zhu Xieyuan has sent an envoy to persuade An Wei to surrender. (End of this chapter)