Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Prince Yu Zhu Kang went to Annan to be the regent, so he naturally had to bring a team of civil and military officials.

The head of the civil officials was Xie Hong, who was a Jinshi in the same year as Zhu Ming.

His younger brother Xie Ze was also the immediate superior of Song Huizong at the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

The teacher of the Xie brothers was Zhang Tingjian, who once served as Cai Jing's staff. Later, because he was unwilling to follow Cai Jing's nonsense, he was labeled as a member of the Yuanyou Party and was sent to Guangxi, so he accepted the Xie brothers as students there.

The head of the military officer was Han Jing, who was also a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Historically, he recruited soldiers to serve the king, and defeated the Jin army that went to the countryside to plunder many times when the Jin soldiers searched the mountains and seas. He also followed Yue Fei to attack the giant bandit Cao Cheng, led 3,000 soldiers to chase Cao Cheng to a desperate situation, and Cao Cheng had to surrender to Han Shizhong. Then he was ordered to rebuild the Cuifeng Army, completely quell the chaos in Fujian and Guangdong, and actively resume production after the war. Unfortunately, he was dismissed from office by Qin Hui, and the people of Lingnan built a temple to worship him.

The Cuifeng Army, created by Han Jing, was the top elite in Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi at that time. It had strict military discipline and dared to fight to the death.

But before it had time to fight the Jin soldiers, the army was demoralized due to Han Jing's dismissal, and it was lost in history books. Until the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, more than a hundred remnants of the Cuifeng Army held Chaozhou, making Chaozhou the last city to fall in the Southern Song Dynasty. After the general Ma Fa organized the people to evacuate, his family committed suicide and died for the country.

Han Jing in this time and space had an equally wonderful growth experience.

He first recruited soldiers in Shanxi to serve the king, intending to go to Beijing to eradicate the "Zhu thief".

As a result, he got the news of the alliance between Song and Jin, and was so angry that he stayed in Shanxi to fight guerrilla warfare with the Jin soldiers, and was then incorporated into the second-line troops under Zhang Guangdao. When the army was expanded, Han Jing was transferred to Hebei as a garrison officer, and had been leading troops in the second-line troops under Yue Fei. He graduated from the military academy two years ago and was promoted to the third general of the Hunan garrison (the head of the third regiment).

Although this man's archery and horsemanship skills are far inferior to Yang Zaixing, he has a good talent for training soldiers and governing the people.

"Are you going to Annan with Senior Han?" Zhu Kang was overjoyed.

Since the establishment of the military academy in the Ming Dynasty, Han Jing is recognized as the top student and a tough guy with full marks in all subjects.

Han Jing bowed and said, "Meet His Royal Highness Prince Yu."

Zhu Kang said, "Senior is stationed in southern Hunan, and I have long wanted to visit him."

Han Jing said, "This time I received the transfer order to follow His Royal Highness to Guangxi. From General Yang Zaixing, 300 soldiers will be selected as the base, and the new army of 3,000 people will be expanded to Annan."

Zhu Kang asked, "Recruit new soldiers locally to expand?"

"Not recruiting new soldiers, but recruiting retired veterans from Guangdong and Guangxi. They can go to the battlefield after one month of training." Han Jing explained.

For others, being transferred to Annan is like being exiled.

But Han Jing was very happy. He dreamed of making achievements, but he had always belonged to the second-line troops, and the opportunity to make achievements was always very small. He is not a direct descendant of anyone, and there is no war for him to fight if he is transferred to Hunan.

Although he is now going to Annan, he can fight and gain merit, and he has become a direct descendant of Prince Yu.

Zhu Kang pulled Han Jing aside and whispered, "The only student in the Daming Military Academy who scored full marks in all subjects was transferred to southern Hunan two years ago. Many people were puzzled. It turned out that His Majesty had already planned to let Senior Han familiarize himself with the terrain and climate of the south and follow me to govern Annan!"

Han Jing also figured it out recently, and sincerely praised: "Your Majesty is far-sighted and truly a great ruler!"

A civil servant came by boat: "Your Highness, Mr. Xie is ready and can leave for the south at any time. Officials, doctors, interpreters... are all in place."

"Mr. Xie is a great talent," Zhu Kang asked, "May I know your name?"

The civil servant hurriedly said: "I dare not be called your name. I am Qin Xin, and my hometown is Guizhou. I have listened to Your Majesty's lectures and followed Your Majesty to Beijing. When I was in Hanzhong, I was ordered to be a county magistrate. A few years ago, I was promoted to a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhu Kang was thoughtful and basically understood what was going on.

Qin Xin, a loyal and meritorious official, was thrown to Annan. He must have committed some crime. The emperor suppressed the case and sent him to Annan to make meritorious contributions.

There was also Xie Hong, the chief civil servant assigned to Zhu Kang, who had already served as the Right Governor. He was probably guilty of a crime, but it was not particularly serious, so he was sent to Annan.

Bai Qi personally saw him off with his wife and children, and Zhu Kang went straight to Guangxi with his civil and military entourage.

Yang Zaixing had been waiting in Yongzhou for a long time, pointing to the five hundred soldiers and said, "These are all unmarried men. Please treat them well, Your Highness Prince Yu."

"I will never let you down!" Zhu Kang said with a bow.

Zhu Kang's idol is his father, and he imitates him in every word and action. Sometimes his acting skills seem poor, but they are not offensive, and he is quite courteous to the wise and humble.

...

The commanders of Guangdong and Guangxi had already received orders from the Ministry of War and began to recruit veterans in various counties.

Don't talk about resettlement and transfer, it was not popular in ancient times.

Take the end of the Northern Song Dynasty as an example, the Western Army recruited good family boys to fight, and the theoretical resettlement fee was ten strings of cash per person. After the war, they were sent home, and at most they were given some food rations, and the military pay and resettlement fee were not enough. How could there be any resettlement after retirement? They all went back to their hometowns to farm.

The Ming Dynasty paid enough military pay, and anyone who dared to withhold food and pay would lose his head directly!

Just based on this, soldiers had no complaints. Every year when recruiting soldiers, many farm boys signed up enthusiastically, so that they could not only receive pay, but also learn skills and gain experience in the army.

After retiring, those with honest personalities returned home to farm.

There were also many active veterans who went to the government to apply for jobs as errand boys and policemen. Or they could guard the homes of rich families, or even serve as guards for caravans.

Especially the veterans in border areas, many caravans like to recruit veterans when they want to go abroad to transport goods. They will also prepare weapons and armor for the veterans - in border provinces, in addition to firearms, civilians are allowed to own leather armor and crossbows, as long as they are not iron armor, bed crossbows, or divine arm bows.

This is the case in the northern border, and the southern provinces are no less.

Veterans from Hunan, Sichuan, and Guangxi often escort caravans to the barbarian territory.

Veterans from coastal provinces like to work for sea merchants. They are not sailors, but merchant ship guards.

In this era, there are no escort agencies, and merchants have to recruit people themselves!

After an imperial edict came down, veterans from Guangdong and Guangxi signed up one after another, but unfortunately only those under 30 were recruited. And there are only 2,500 places, and not many are allocated to each state and county, and they have to compete in martial arts to be selected.

500 Guangxi field elites and 2,500 veterans are Zhu Kang's direct troops.

The two-month training in Yongzhou was mainly for the soldiers to get used to each other. There was no need to start training from scratch in terms of military formations and martial arts.

They landed in Yong'anzhou City (Halong City, Vietnam) by boat. It was winter at this time, the climate was not hot, and the rainy season had passed.

Chen Kai, an Annan official who went to Luoyang to complain, ran outside the city and shouted: "The traitor Du Yingwu murdered the king and the prince, abolished the queen, stole the power of the country, defiled the palace, and killed loyal people. Now the Queen Mother Du is furious and invites the heavenly soldiers from the Ming Dynasty to eradicate the traitors and rebels. Do you still want to resist stubbornly?"

The prefect and the garrison stood on the city and looked at each other.

After Du Yingwu took control of the government, he promised many benefits to the civil officials and military generals. Except for those court officials and political enemies who were excluded, most of the civil officials and generals accepted the reality.

They did not support Du Yingwu's power, but they would not stand up to oppose it.

But now the Ming Dynasty soldiers have come, and they are also under the sign of the Queen Mother Du. With such a legitimate reason, the civil and military officials of Yong'an Prefecture really had no intention of resisting.

After a while, the city gates opened wide.

Zhu Kang did not show up in person, so Xie Hong could handle such a small matter.

Xie Hong brought Chen Kai, an official from Annan, and ordered the garrison commander to bring 200 soldiers with him, and asked the prefect to be responsible for raising food and grass.

Then he rushed to the mouth of Taiping River. The Annan Navy, which had been beaten by the Ming Navy once before, surrendered hurriedly and helped transport soldiers and food and grass.

Along the Taiping River to Wu'an Prefecture, the city gates were also opened quickly.

…

Thang Long Prefecture was already in chaos.

Du Yingwu recruited troops and sent envoys to seek peace.

He planned to cede territory in exchange for the withdrawal of Ming troops.

If there was no way to reconcile, then fight.

If he lost the war, he would take the remnants to the Ailao Mountain area. By the way, take the two-year-old king and the king's baby brother away.

In a mansion in the city, Wu Dai, Yang Siming, Su Xiancheng and other ministers were discussing in secret.

Wu Dai said: "Your Majesty is far-sighted. When he offered his mother to marry the Queen Mother, he anticipated that there would be traitors causing chaos. Now that Queen Mother Du has invited the heavenly soldiers from the Ming Dynasty, it is time for us to make efforts. You should make them understand the righteousness and instigate the soldiers of the Imperial Guards to prevent Du Yingwu from jumping off the wall and murdering all of Your Majesty's descendants!"

"After the traitor Du usurped power, he rewarded the soldiers of the six armies and promoted many confidants in the army," Yang Siming said, "If we rashly instigate the Imperial Guards to rebel, I am afraid it will backfire."

Su Xiancheng is mature and prudent. Chong: "It would be best if the battle could be fought without bloodshed. I will go and test the Tu thief's attitude and persuade him to return the government and appoint the third prince (baby) as the king. This will also give an explanation to Queen Mother Tu and the Ming Dynasty, and perhaps persuade the Ming Dynasty to withdraw its troops. Foreign troops entering the country, even if they are invited by Queen Mother Tu, will do more harm than good to Dai Viet."

Yang Siming asked: "Are you afraid that the Ming army will not leave after it comes?"

Su Xiancheng said: "Even if the Ming army will leave, the people along the way will be robbed countless times."

Everyone agreed.

The last time Yang Zaixing withdrew his troops, he emptied Thang Long Prefecture. The barbarian soldiers in Guangxi and the defeated soldiers in Annan have robbed several counties and prefectures and have not recovered yet.

Wu Dai said: "We still have to prepare for both..."

Just then, there was a sudden commotion outside, and the faces of the ministers who were plotting changed drastically.

"The traitor Wu Dai colluded with foreign soldiers and caused chaos in Dai Viet. He deserves death!"

A group of Annan imperial guards rushed in, killing anyone they saw and robbing any money they saw. Only young women could survive.

Several ministers were so scared that they jumped over the wall and fled, but were captured and killed by the imperial guards inside and outside the wall.

Wu Dai stood in the courtyard and shouted angrily: "Even if you don't remember the kindness of the late emperor, can you resist the Ming army? For the public and private, you'd better put down your weapons... ugh!"

An arrow shot and hit Wu Dai in the chest, and he fell to the ground in pain.

The imperial guards sneered: "What kindness did the late emperor do to us? He abolished the army, reduced military pay, and made military officers bow down to civil officials. He also provoked the Ming army and abducted the people of Thang Long Prefecture. My father-in-law's family was abducted to Guangxi... Kill them all!"

A rain of arrows was shot, and the ministers were shot like hedgehogs.