Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

After a confidential conversation, Jiang Xinghuo personally saw off Xie Jin in casual clothes from the side door, and then returned to his room.

Just when he was about to discuss the specific details of the counterattack with Zhuo Jing, a middle official suddenly came to deliver Emperor Yongle's oral instructions.

Jiang Xinghuo was stunned, wondering what Emperor Yongle wanted from him at this time.

"Your Majesty, what did you say?"

The lieutenant who was wearing a blue t-shirt and delivering the order smiled bitterly and said, "Master Imperial Master, this servant really doesn't know."

Judging from his attire, he was probably a low-ranking eunuch. He was probably just delivering a message, so it was normal for him not to know anything.

Jiang Xinghuo thought to himself: "Could it be that Zhu Di was shaken? But this seems unlikely. How could Zhu Di be the person alienated by a few words?"

With many worries on his mind, Jiang Xinghuo followed Zhongguan back to the palace.

Along the way, he was thinking about what Emperor Yongle wanted to do with him. Could it be that something serious had happened?

The current situation was delicate. Thinking of this, Jiang Xinghuo became even more cautious.

"Master, please wait a moment. I will go back to report to Your Majesty right away."

The lieutenant brought Jiang Xinghuo outside Fengtian Hall, bowed and saluted.

"Thank you." Jiang Xinghuo returned the favor and waited for the lieutenant to go in and report back.

Not long after, another chamberlain from Fengtian Palace came out. This chamberlain was able to serve Zhu Di, so he was of high rank. He was wearing a sunflower collared shirt with a rhinoceros horn belt around his waist and was facing Jiang. Xinghuo said respectfully: "Master National Preceptor, Your Majesty has invited me!"

This was a fourth-grade young eunuch named Zhang Baoer, but he had always been close to Zheng He. He had been an armed eunuch in Prince Yan's palace in the past, and Jingnan had been on the battlefield.

As the two walked, Zhang Baoer said in a very low voice: "National Preceptor, this is Annan's matter. Your Majesty said it must be you."

When Jiang Xinghuo heard this, a big stone fell in his heart. As soon as he raised his sleeves, he was pressed down by Zhang Baoer, who smiled and said, "His Royal Highness the Second Prince told me to wait for this moment." It’s convenient for you.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghuo's eyebrows stretched and a smile appeared on his face. He gently patted Zhang Baoer's arm as a gesture of gratitude.

Zhu Gaoxu fought for four years and traveled thousands of miles. He didn't even know how much he got in terms of loot. What's more, the civil servants had concerns. However, it was common practice for military officers and nobles to compare their property, land and houses, so Zhu Gaoxu didn't mind others at all. Knowing that he is rich, he doesn't mind throwing away money. As for how much money he actually has, he may not even know it himself.

In fact, because he was generous and favored Zhu Di, Zhu Gaoxu's popularity in the palace was much better than that of Zhu Gaochi. Even Aiwujiwu, Jiang Xinghuo, his master, also received some care.

This can be regarded as filial piety in a certain sense.

"Thank you, father-in-law." In the hall, Jiang Xinghuo nodded again and walked inside.

As soon as I set foot on it, I smelled a strong fragrance assailing my nostrils. I saw that the huge Fengtian Temple was magnificent and resplendent. It was extremely luxurious after being re-decorated. The fragrance came from the wood, and I didn't know what kind of wood was used.

Sitting on the throne at the top of the hall is a majestic man wearing a crown and dragon robe, it is Zhu Di.

"See Your Majesty." Jiang Xinghuo said symbolically.

"There is no need to be polite, Imperial Master, just sit down."

Emperor Yongle waved his hand and told Jiang Xinghuo to sit down, and then made no other moves.

While waiting, two palace maids walked into Fengtian Palace with refreshments. They put their things away and respectfully left.

Jiang Xinghuo sat on the Jindun and couldn't help but wonder, what kind of medicine was sold in this gourd? Wasn't it about Annan? Why do you invite me to eat and drink?

"Master, try this cake."

Jiang Xinghuo picked up a piece of pastry, which looked different from the ones on the market.

Seeing that Zhu Di himself picked up one whole and chewed it, it didn't look like it was poisonous.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Jiang Xinghuo carefully took a bite. The pastry melted in his mouth, with a hint of sweetness, and then it was sweet and cool. After eating, he felt a little unsatisfied.

"What kind of ingredients is this made of? I haven't seen it in Nanjing before."

Jiang Xinghuo resisted the urge to continue tasting and asked.

Zhu Di wiped the cake residue on his beard, picked up two more and stuffed them down in one breath, took a sip of tea, and then said.

"This is the secret Paphiopedilum cake that the Champa envoys paid tribute to. This flower is also found in Guangdong and Guangxi. It has the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving coughs, but no one has ever used it to make cakes."

"I see."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded to express his understanding, but he immediately realized the crux of the problem: "Now is not the day to pay tribute. Why did the Champa Kingdom send envoys to pay tribute?"

Zhu Di's eyes showed appreciation and he said with a smile: "I called the Imperial Master here today just for this reason. The reason is simple."

Zhu Di threw a memorial to Jiang Xinghuo. Jiang Xinghuo opened it and glanced at it, taking the initiative to filter out the useless nonsense.

"Annan also invaded the territory of his subjects with his fleet troops, and the people suffered harm. The tributes came back, and all the gifts they had given were seized. He also forced the subjects to wear their crowns, seals, and make them their subjects. He also occupied the territory of Shali. The land of Ya and other places has been attacked and robbed again, and I am afraid that I will not be able to survive on my own. I would like to accept the land and ask (the Ming Dynasty) to rule it with officials."

This means that when Zhu Di ascended the throne last year, he had already sent envoys to North Korea, Annan, Champa, Siam, Java, Ryukyu, Sumatra and other countries. In the first month of the first year of Yongle, they basically came to pay tribute. Okay, I put together a "Ten Kingdoms Come to Korea" to give Zhu Di a face.

Zhu Di was very happy, so he gave them many rewards and allowed them to conduct tribute trade. The incident mentioned in this memorial that "the tribute personnel were arrested and the items given were plundered" refers to this incident, which happened around Around mid-February of this year (walking from Nanjing to Annan), the Champa Kingdom found out about the incident, then verified it and sent envoys to complain. After a lot of trouble on the road, it is now early May.

The rewards given to Champa by the Ming Dynasty were looted in Annan's country. Considering that Annan and the Ming Dynasty always refused to deal with them, it is difficult not to think that this was instigated by the Hu family and his son.

Obviously, an emperor with Zhu Di's character would not allow a small country to slap him in the face.

He will erase the genealogy of anyone who dares to slap him in the face, and foreign kings are no exception.

Therefore, Zhu Di was very angry. In addition, the Champa Kingdom had a very good attitude and asked to donate its territory to the Ming Dynasty to rule. He also brought many special products as tribute, so Zhu Di naturally favored the Champa Kingdom in his heart.

"I hope your Majesty will make it clear."

After reading it, Jiang Xinghuo stood up and handed back the memorial, asking Zhu Di what he meant.

Seeing Jiang Xinghuo nodding, Zhu Di continued with satisfaction: "There is an old minister of Annan named [Pei Boxi] who fled to the Ming Dynasty. He is currently living next to the Champa State envoy, and he named him to see you, the national advisor. Therefore, we need the Imperial Advisor to stop by and have a look. In addition, [Chen Tianping], who claims to be the grandson of Annan, is also there. Officials from the Ministry of Rites cannot identify the authenticity of his identity. If the Imperial Advisor is not sure, our last group of envoys sent to Annan Yang Bo will return in two days, and although he may not know, we can confirm with him then."

Yang Bo and others were sent to Annan to investigate the truth about Hu Jiyou's usurpation of the throne of the Chen Dynasty in Annan. They returned to Guangdong safely not long ago. The navy of Guangdong sent a clipper by sea to report the news.

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said: "Negotiating with the envoys of the Champa Kingdom and Annan's former ministers who fled to understand Annan's situation. Apart from that, does your Majesty have anything else to explain?"

Zhu Di thought for a while and finally said: "In addition, Annan has always had disputes with the Ming Dynasty on border issues. If you need to use this as a reason to start a war or want to know the relevant situation, the National Advisor can also choose to go to the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion to check the relevant documents. .”

After listening to what Zhu Di said, Jiang Xinghuo narrowed his eyes and his brows became a little more solemn.

The war between Ming Dynasty and Annan is a sensitive topic. If it is not handled well, it will definitely cause unnecessary twists and turns. However, after all, this matter is indeed something he has been pushing hard for. He has nothing to do with it, and there is no reason to refuse. .

"no problem."

Zhu Di said happily: "Thank you for your hard work, Imperial Master. This matter was originally the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites."

In fact, in the Ming Dynasty, receiving foreign missions was the responsibility of the Huitong Pavilion under the Ministry of Rites. Although there was still a Honglu Temple, its responsibility was to be in charge of the ceremonial class and no longer managed reception affairs. Only the officials in charge of the Huitong Pavilion were added. The title of Shaoqing of Honglu Temple.

Zhu Di also felt helpless. He said: "But now Li Zhigang, the Minister of Rites, has been imprisoned. Song Li, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, is controlling floods in the south of the Yangtze River. Wang Jing, the left minister, is shouldering the important task of preparing for the [anniversary of Taizu's death] and cannot get away." "

"But this matter is also important. After all, this is the first 'commodity dumping market' that the Ming Dynasty can get. When fighting a war, the division must be famous, so I need the national division to take the time to sort out and coordinate the affairs of Annan. As well as the affairs of the Champa State. In short, it is a bit cumbersome, and the opinions of all parties are inconsistent. The ideas of other people are still stuck in the tribute system. When handled, it is definitely not as safe as the national division. Only the national division You know what we need, so it’s really up to the National Master to handle this kind of thing.”

In fact, when Zhu Di was halfway through speaking, Jiang Xinghuo knew what he meant. It was still Zhu Di's old trick of not bothering the two masters with one thing, and using it to death if it is useful.

Inspire new manufacturing power - manufacture high-quality and low-cost cotton textiles - attack Annan to obtain the commodity dumping market - sell goods to obtain interest rate differentials. Since this set of logic was proposed by you, Jiang Xinghuo, Annan's affairs are inseparable from you. Bar? Annan beat up Champa, and Champa came to complain. It just so happened that there was no one in the Ministry of Rites, so go ahead and don't refuse.

"What about time?"

"It doesn't take much work, about a day or two."

"Okay, I will take care of this matter in these two days."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't refuse. Reform was very important, and conquering Annan was also very important. He really had to pay attention to Annan's affairs.

Hearing Jiang Xinghuo's affirmative reply, Zhu Di finally showed a smile and continued to taste the secret Paphiopedilum cake that was offered as tribute to Champa.

"Then I'll bother the Imperial Master." Zhu Di said vaguely.

——————

After leaving the palace, Jiang Xinghuo pondered on the little gray horse heading to the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion.

Historically, the Vietnam region has long been subject to or under the rule of the Central Plains regime, so the two country names "Annan" and "Vietnam" are related to this. For example, the name "Annan" first appeared in the sixth year of Yonghui, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. In the late Tang Dynasty, Annan was controlled by the Jinghai Jiedushi. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Wu Quan separatized Annan. During the Song Dynasty, Annan had always been against the iron-blooded Song Dynasty, and it was only in the Southern Song Dynasty that tribute was paid.

Since ancient times, the conflict between Annan and the Central Plains Dynasty has always existed. In the Song Dynasty, it was even more serious than now. After all, it is just a border friction now. But in the Song Dynasty, Annan invaded Qinzhou, Lianzhou, Yongzhou and other places on a large scale. In the battle of Yongzhou In the middle, Su Yan, the prefect of Zhizhou, resisted vigorously and burned himself to die for his country after the city was broken. However, Annan went on a mass killing spree, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people in Qin, Lian and Yong prefectures, and captured the people before returning.

As for the border friction between Ming Dynasty and Annan during the Hongwu Dynasty, Jiang Xinghuo really didn't know much about it. He could only check the information first. He was in no hurry to meet those "foreigners".

Since the military-related powers in the early Ming Dynasty were mainly concentrated in the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion rather than the Ministry of War, Jiang Xinghuo first arrived at the archives of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion to briefly understand the border dispute between Annan and the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, a minister whom Jiang Xinghuo didn't recognize quickly came over and saluted him.

Wang Bin reminded at his side that Jiang Xinghuo had just learned that this was Xu Yingxu, the second son of King Xuda of Zhongshan, the father of Rong'er and Xian'er. He had been transferred from his original post since the end of the Jingnan crisis and had been seated. He has been on the bench for nearly a year, taking care of the documents of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion and some logistical chores.

"Why did the Imperial Master come here suddenly?"

"Investigating the border dispute between Annan and Ming Dynasty." Jiang Xinghuo said bluntly.

Hearing this, Xu Yingxu's expression changed slightly: "Master, if you are investigating this issue at this time, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

Of course Xu Yingxu means well. Everyone knows that the recent remarks about some "super saint" have caused a storm in the city. Combined with the previous incident of Li Zhigang, Jiang Xinghuo is at the center of the storm. He can't even take care of his own troubles. How can he still have the time to do it? Study Annan’s affairs?

"Thank you very much, Xu Qianshi. I came here on His Majesty's orders."

After hearing this, Xu Yingxu nodded clearly. There was nothing more to say.

"But Jiang really wants to know about Annan's situation, and I hope Xu Qianshi will give me some advice." Jiang Xinghuo said with a faint smile.

Xu Yingxu agreed: "Since the Imperial Master insists on investigating, I will tell you the specific situation and follow me down."

The reason why Xu Yingxu calls himself a subordinate is because Zhu Di stipulates that the imperial master is a super-grade, equivalent to a prince or a prince, and his position is the minister of the Central Military Governor's Mansion. The hereditary rank is the commander (third grade). Much lower.

Jiang Xinghuo followed the other party into the archives, but felt a little strange in his heart: "Obviously he is the second son of the King of Zhongshan, but he is in charge of the archives, and he is so respectful to me."

However, it was not easy to ask questions about these matters. Jiang Xinghuo could only silently follow the other party and study it later.

Although there is not much oil and water in the archives, it is indeed an important place of confidentiality. Many confidential documents, maps, and landscape maps are stored in the archives. It also has relatively strict humidity and temperature conditions, so people feel uncomfortable when they first enter. , it is obviously a sunny day in May, but it is so cool that it makes people feel hairy.

Walking to a shelf, Xu Yingxu picked up a piece of yellowed paper, looked at it for a few times, put it back, then pointed to other things on the shelf and said: "Master Imperial Master, please take a look. There are three items placed there. The files for more than ten years are all about the wars on the Annan border and related situations in Annan."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his head and glanced around the case library. He saw that these things were stacked neatly and there was not much dust. In front of each shelf was a long table, with two stacks of string strings neatly placed on the table. Jiang Xinghuo took a look at the white paper he had picked up. It seemed to be used for borrowing and registration. It had the function of returning it and selling it. One copy was kept in the library and the other was used as a voucher for the borrower.

There is Xu Yingxu's red seal on the registration paper, and the seal ribbon is hanging on the other party's waist. From this point of view, although Xu Yingxu may not worry about these specific matters, even if it is logistical chores such as managing the record library, Even with his status as the son of the King of Zhongshan, he did not slack off completely in a job that was of a sideline nature. He did not make an empty mark. Instead, he at least had an idea of ​​what was going on, which is considered diligent. At least he was like the other Xun who just held a position and wandered around outside every day. This is how noble children compare.

Of course, Jiang Xinghuo couldn't look through so many files one by one, but with Xu Yingxu here, he could just ask directly, and he could also take a test on the school.

"What has been the scale of Annan border conflicts in the past, and what are the causes of conflicts?" Jiang Xinghuo asked.

Xu Yingxu replied: "The overall strength of Annan is far inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty. Under the rule of successive Annan kings, there was barely any trouble in the country. However, except for the large area of ​​​​the Red River Plain, the northern territory of Annan is mostly mountainous. The people in the Ming Dynasty were both fierce and poor. They were able to hunt in the mountains like monkeys. They mainly relied on hunting animal skins and collecting medicinal materials for a living. They often clashed with the people who entered the mountains on the Ming side. The scale was basically hundreds of people. Most of them look like people. Moreover, the land bordering southern Annan and Champa is distributed along the coastline. It is extremely narrow and cannot accommodate too many people. Therefore, tens of thousands of people are forced to leave their homeland every year, and some make a living at sea. , and some fled to Qiongzhou Island and other places. Not only that, although the cultivated land in Annan accounts for a large proportion, in fact due to the extortionate expropriation of the nobles, domestic materials are poor. For the same reason, although rice is highly productive, it cannot feed the people all year round. How many people."

Jiang Xinghuo listened quietly, and he had realized something.

Sure enough, Xu Yingxu continued: "According to statistics from the Guangxi Capital Command and Envoy Department, the taxes Annan needs to collect from the country every year reach about 30% of the people's income, and this does not include the landlord's part. In other words, if there is a little If there are natural disasters or man-made disasters, there will be no food to eat. As a result, the people's lives will become worse and worse, which will naturally become unstable. In order to calm the people down, Annan often recruits men to join the army and provokes conflicts with surrounding areas. National war, for these small countries, Annan is also the most hated enemy country by all countries."

Jiang Xinghuo sighed softly: "You mean, most of the friction was actually caused by Annan?"

Xu Yingxu said with certainty: "Of course, because the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and a small population (in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, the Guangxi Chief Envoy Office, which mainly bordered Annan, had 210,267 households and 1,463,119 people). Compared with the territory of Annan, It was relatively small and had a population of more than three million people. The extortionate expropriation by the powerful and landowners made the originally fertile plain land unable to support so many people. Therefore, Annan has been encouraging the chieftains and people in the mountainous areas to invade the Ming Dynasty northward. soil of."

"Don't the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion and the Ministry of War know about these things?" Jiang Xinghuo asked with a frown.

"Know."

"Have you ever fought back?"

"No."

Jiang Xinghuo was silent for a long time after hearing this, and suddenly asked: "Do you know why you never fight back? Do the officials of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion and the Ministry of War all live for a living? Let the country suffer humiliation!"

Xu Yingxu sighed and said: "The Governor's Office of the Fifth Army and the Ministry of War have long known about the situation in Annan. However, the Ming Dynasty has regulations that Annan is a country without conquests. All national conquests must be reported to the court. If it is carried out privately, it is treason. The crime ranges from beheading to public display to the serious crime of killing all nine clans. So I have been swallowing my anger and never fought back against Annan."

Seeing Jiang Xinghuo's gloomy expression, Xu Yingxu hesitated for a moment and finally told the truth behind this seemingly absurd phenomenon.

"The center of gravity of the country's military preparations was in the north. During the Hongwu Dynasty, the Northern Yuan Dynasty was still eyeing him. The North Yuan Dynasty was the biggest enemy of the country. Emperor Taizu Gao did not want to fight on the north and south fronts, and most of the chief envoys of Guangxi were on the border. The chieftain’s territory, so for the country, the people who died were the people of the Ming Dynasty, but their strength was not weakened, so they just let it go."

"oh?"

Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. Xu Yingxu was able to give such detailed information at the first time. It was obvious that he had worked hard. Such a person may not be as good as his father, General Xu Da. Although he is a commander-in-chief, he is extremely qualified to be a staff officer.

Jiang Xinghuo looked slightly surprised, then a smile appeared on his lips: "Xu Qianshi seems to know all these things, right?"

"This subordinate only occasionally heard my father talk about it during his lifetime, and often liked to look through files to relieve his boredom." Xu Yingxu said hurriedly.

Jiang Xinghuo nodded slightly, then changed the subject, pointed to the archive materials on the shelf and said, "Please Xu Qianshi, please show me some representative ones."

Xu Yingxu complied with the instructions, and then took out a few files and handed them over: "Master Imperial Master, please take your time and read them. If you need to take them away to borrow, you can directly register and take them back to read. If you don't have any other instructions, I will leave first." .”

"I understand, thank you Xu Qianshi." Jiang Xinghuo responded.

After Xu Yingxu left, Jiang Xinghuo began to read the archive materials.

"First, Huang Guangcheng, the local official magistrate of Siming Prefecture, reported: This prefecture has established Siming Prefecture since the old Yuan Dynasty, and later changed it to Siming Road Military and Civilian General Administration Office. It has jurisdiction over Zuojiang Yizhou County Dongzhai, extending to Shangsizhou in the east and Tongzhai in the south. Zhu, the Yuan soldiers marched to Jiaozhi and marched hundreds of miles to Tongzhu. They set up Yongping Village with ten thousand households of soldiers and civilians, placed troops to guard it, and ordered people to pay their troops.

In the Yuan Dynasty, there were disturbances, and Jiaoren (people from Annan) attacked Yongping Village with their troops. They then crossed Tongzhu for more than 200 miles, invaded Siming's territory of Qiuwen, Ru'ao, Qingyuan, Yuan, Tuo and other five counties, and forced the people to join them. . Therefore, all the annual taxes in the five counties were handed over to the local officials. The former government failed to handle the situation, which resulted in the invasion and oppression by the foreigners.

Dongdeng is actually thought of the Ming Dynasty, and the friends are called Tongzhujie. I tried to report it, and the Mongolian court sent Yang Jing, the Minister of Punishment, to gather together to confirm the matter. However, there is still room for research on Jianwu's ambition. The five counties before Annan were begged to return to their old feudal lordships, and the copper pillars were still used as boundaries. "

Attached to this archived material is Zhu Yuanzhang's reply: Order the Ministry of Household Affairs to prepare the report and send envoys to Annan to return it.

In addition to these files, Jiang Xinghuo also read other files. These files were placed in categories, including the changes in the political situation of Annan and the surrounding Siam, Champa and other countries, as well as the spies sent by the Ming Dynasty to Annan. A summary of the various news that came back, as well as the general situation of Annan society.

Looking at these thick documents, Jiang Xinghuo said to himself: "This is really overwhelming. It takes a lot of effort just to read it."

However, this was his first time reviewing such confidential military files, and it was quite new and exciting for him.

He sat at the table and flipped through it carefully, tore out a piece of white paper, and used the pen and ink on the table to sometimes read the file and sometimes pick up the pen to make comments. He was busy for three hours and did not type until it got a little dark. He yawned and rubbed his sore eyes.

Oil lamps cannot be used in the archives for fear of catching fire.

"Finally done!"

Looking at the things recorded on the paper, Jiang Xinghuo can be regarded as half an "Annantong" in a short period of time, at least not in a state where he only knows the name of the enemy country that will attack next.

I also have a basic understanding of the social, political, economic, historical and other situations of Champa, Siam and other countries.

"Huh~"

After taking a deep breath, Jiang Xinghuo stretched his limbs and moved his muscles. He felt refreshed and his whole body felt much more relaxed.

After folding the piece of paper and putting it into his sleeve, Jiang Xinghuo stood up and walked out of the document library to have a meal and rest for a while.

As a result, Jiang Xinghuo bumped into Wang Bin, who was rushing back in a hurry. However, the few soldiers sent to him by Zhu Gaoxu did not move at all. It was obvious that Wang Bin had received some news.

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat when he saw Huikong following Wang Bin.

After Zheng He left, Huikong was the old monk's direct offline. Normally, he wouldn't run around. If he came to see him, he must have something important to do.

Wang Bin wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Huikong has just received the news and asked me to tell you quickly that the old minister of Annan [Pei Boxi] who wanted to see you by name before and fled to the Ming Dynasty had an incident with the members of the Champa mission next door. We got into an argument, got stabbed and seriously injured, and are now on the verge of death. You must quickly go to the Huitong Hall under the Ministry of Rites!"

——————

The Huitong Hall is a large area, and it is not far from the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion. It can be reached quickly on horseback.

Jiang Xinghuo walked into the Huitong Pavilion with several attendants. Under the leadership of the deputy envoy of the Huitong Pavilion (from the ninth rank), he walked straight towards a courtyard.

Jiang Xinghuo had already learned some things about Pei Boxi in the archives of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, and got some more detailed information on the way.

Pei Boxi is not an old man as his name suggests. On the contrary, Pei Boxi is a general of Chen Kezhen, an opponent of the Hu Dynasty. Chen Kezhen is a staunch royalist general of the Chen Dynasty. He once launched a war against the Champa Kingdom and even killed the Champa King Zipeng'e, who was known as the "heroic king".

Here is an additional mention, if you still remember the "Currency Game: Simulating the Yuan Dynasty" that Jiang Xinghuo played with Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong, then you should still remember the famous Iron-headed Boy of the Yuan Dynasty, the King of Zhennan Tuohuan who failed to capture the city after three attempts. .

In fact, during the Yuan Dynasty, facing huge military pressure from the Mongols, Annan and Champa once formed an alliance of iron and blood, and their relationship was very close.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. When the common enemy of the Mongols was lost, the two countries quickly turned against each other. Annan and Champa combined were basically the Vietnam of Jiang Xinghuo’s previous life. Annan was in the north and Champa was in the south. During the Chen Dynasty in Annan, Champa successively lost the central Vietnam areas of Jiang Xinghuo's previous life such as Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Hue (where the Tran Dynasty court established Shunzhou and Huazhou).

After Zhi Peng'e came to the throne, Gou Jian was very aggressive. In order to enhance the military strength, he actively practiced battle formations and trained soldiers, so that the sergeants could work hard and endure hardships. He also designed a set of elephant formation fighting methods. The military power of occupying the city, For a long time, it was not as good as Annan, and the situation changed when Peng'e was captured. This is the so-called "since the capture of the city by Li and Li, the soldiers were timid. When Annan arrived, they would flee with their families, or gather in tears and surrender, until Peng'e was captured." , Sheng Ju taught lessons, gradually changed old customs, and became brave and endured hardships, so he often joined the bandits and became a big trouble for Annan."

It is not surprising that Pei Boxi followed Chen Kezhen to kill the leader of ZTE, who had a high status in the hearts of the Champa people, and caused today's hatred.

In fact, Zhu Di was right. The officials of the Ming Dynasty still thought of the old tribute system. The fact that they could arrange a pair of old enemies together speaks volumes.

As soon as Jiang Xinghuo approached the courtyard, he smelled a strong smell of medicine, and then several doctors gathered together.

There was a big man lying on the bed. There was a shocking knife mark on his abdomen, his clothes were dripping with blood, his face was as pale as paper, and he was dying.

But even so, it still couldn't suppress the arguments of the three doctors around him about his physical condition.

The group of people gathered around Pei Boxi, arguing with faces red in the face.

"Doctor (from the Song Dynasty, the highest-ranking medical officer was called a doctor, followed by a doctor, and from now on he was called Yixiao and Zhihou. From the Ming Dynasty, he was called a doctor), is my father's condition serious?" A man in a green shirt said with a sideways Mandarin with a Guangxi accent asked anxiously.

What I want to say here is that because he was dissatisfied with the Hu family's control of power, Chen Kezhen launched a coup in the second year of Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, trying to kill the Hu family's father and son who had usurped the throne. Unfortunately, they failed and were killed. So his remnants were led by Pei Boxi. Next, they were defeated and reached the northern mountainous area of ​​Annan. However, in the fourth year of Jianwen, this remnant army was still wiped out by Hu's heavy troops. When Pei Boqi fled north, his parents, wives and daughters who stayed in the Annan royal city were all killed by Hu. , there is only one son with him, and that is the man in blue shirt named Pei Wenli.

A middle-aged doctor muttered: "Don't worry, he's just in a coma now."

Pei Wenli's worried heart relaxed a little, and asked again: "What about later?"

".He will die soon."

The middle-aged doctor said matter-of-factly.

"What did you say?!"

Pei Wenli wanted to rush forward, but was pinned to the ground by the soldier.

"We came all the way to defect to the Ming Dynasty. The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty ordered me to wait for summons, but what about you? Are you treating us like you are just another person?"

Pei Wenli roared angrily, and her blood instantly turned cold, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Shut up."

The middle-aged doctor scolded and continued: "This is the Ming Dynasty. It is not the turn of people from other countries like you to roar and arrogantly say that it can't be cured. Even if it can't be cured, the Jade Emperor can't save your father."

"you!"

Pei Wenli was furious.

Another doctor looked at Pei Wenli with a bit more contempt and ridicule. Doctors like them who are used to seeing life and death have already become hard-hearted. They don't care about the lives of ordinary people at all, and even treat patients with them. The emotions of the patient's family members can be ignored.

"Okay, stop arguing." A young but majestic voice sounded.

"You haven't met with the Imperial Master yet?"

Raising his hand to stop everyone from saluting, Jiang Xinghuo walked over quickly, frowned and glanced at Pei Wenli, then moved his gaze to the three doctors, and finally stopped at the older doctor with gray hair.

The deputy envoy of Huitong Pavilion understood and asked for Jiang Xinghuo.

"Doctor Liu, is it really hopeless?"

The old doctor sighed, shook his head and said, "The injury is too serious and there is no way to save him."

Hearing this, Pei Wenli was shocked all over, and her eyes suddenly turned red.

"father!"

Pei Wenli threw herself on the edge of the bed, crying bitterly, with sadness in her eyes, and murmured: "Is our Pei family really doomed? Is there no one who can punish the Hu family's traitors?"

Jiang Xinghuo patted Pei Boxi's shoulder gently and whispered, "Maybe there is a glimmer of hope."

Pei Wenli raised her head, looked at this great man with tears in her eyes, and asked: "What can I do? Please ask the Imperial Master to save my father! Your Majesty did not see him, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites were also prevaricating, but he knew about your Wei Ming, he has something important to report to you! You have to save him!"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and looked at Huikong.

"let's go."

Huikong's lips moved, and finally he nodded dejectedly. He took out the needles and threads, small wine bottles and other items that he often carried with him for some reason, and began to operate on Pei Boxi after disinfection.

The bleeding was stopped first, and then Pei Boqi's intestines were skillfully knotted and stuffed back. Then, the wound was cleaned and sutured.

"One shot, two shots, thirteen shots."

He sewed a beautiful bow and used small scissors to cut off the excess thread at the end. Huikong wrapped a sterilized strip of cloth around his wound, and then re-fixed the broken bones with splints.

This kind of surgery is so complex that it is difficult for ordinary doctors to perform it, because they usually only prescribe decoctions.

But to Huikong, who had already had several surgeries, it seemed normal. He was even happy with his progress.

——This is his own original sewing technique!

"Just breathe and observe."

After Huikong finished all this, he packed up the tools and put them back in his bag, then breathed a long sigh of relief.

Pei Boxi's life was finally saved. Although the patient was still unconscious, the vitality conveyed from his body was obviously much stronger. After the bleeding was stopped and the wound was sutured, he should be out of the dying state. If there is no problem, he will be out of the state of death in another day. He will probably wake up in a while.

No matter what, this time the mission assigned by the National Master was a complete success!

Thinking of this, Huikong couldn't help but feel a strong joy in his heart.

At this time, Pei Wenli on the side recovered from the shock and looked at her father lying on the door panel with an expression of great surprise.

"National Master, please take a moment to speak."

Seeing Wang Bin's searching eyes, Jiang Xinghuo signaled that it was okay and took Pei Wenli to a corner of the Huitong Pavilion.

"Tell me, why does your father insist on seeing me?"

Pei Wenli did not answer, but took out a memorial from her pocket, which was written in standard regular Chinese characters. Annan's nobles had a high degree of Chineseization, and their daily writing and dialogue were not much different from those of the Ming Dynasty.

Jiang Xinghuo opened the memorial and read it carefully.

"I am the Annan Chen family. My grandfathers were both ruling officials and died in state affairs. My mother is a close family member of the Chen family. Therefore, I have served the king since I was young and received the fifth rank. Later, I was appointed to Wujiehou Chen Kezhen as his general. Hongwu San In the twelfth year, Dai Kezhen led his troops out of the East China Sea to fight against the bandits.

The treacherous minister Li (before the Hu family changed his surname) and his father and son killed their master and usurped the throne, massacred loyal ministers, and annihilated hundreds of people. His brothers, wives, and daughters were also slaughtered. They sent people to arrest the minister in order to increase the number of people. When he heard about the incident, he abandoned his car and fled. He fled and lived deep in the mountains and forests, where he lived in a prison with wild apes. He was loyal and depressed.

I have recently heard that the emperor has ascended to the great treasure and has unified all directions. I am so eager to exterminate this thief. I will take advantage of the danger and get to the border. I will shoulder the responsibility with the merchants and come out. In April of this year, from the beginning to Siming, the lawsuit was picked up and delivered, and fortunately it saw the light of day.

The treacherous minister Li Ji was the son of the old minister Li Guo, who was engaged in Chen family affairs. He stole favors and favors, but his son Cang Yi Taigui was appointed. Once he succeeded, he killed and captured him. He changed his name to Hu Yiyuan and his son Hucha. He changed his name to the Yuan Dynasty in ignorance, disrespected the imperial orders, and wreaked havoc on the people. The people complained about their injustice and cried out to heaven and knelt down to the earth. The loyal ministers and good men were saddened.

The minister's righteousness is inspired by China, and he is arrogant about heaven's virtue. I hope that everyone will treat the innocent people with mercy, raise up the troops who attack, and continue the righteousness. The clouds must be united to respond, and the thieves must be wiped out, and the treacherous villains must be wiped out, and the descendants of the Chen family can be reestablished to take charge of this land. Then the barbarians from far away will look up to him, he will be a vassal, and he will be a vassal.

The minister is not talented and has committed suicide to express Bao Xu's character. He dares to die and beg for mercy. I look down upon Your Majesty to express my condolences. "

The article is good, everything that needs to be introduced is introduced, and everything that needs to be praised is also praised, but it seems that is all.

"So, what do you want to say?" Jiang Xinghuo asked as he weighed the memorial.

Pei Wenli pointed to the words "Restore the descendants of the Chen family" on the memorial, and asked in a very low voice: "Don't you think the sudden appearance of Prince Annan's grandson [Chen Tianping] is too coincidental?"

Jiang Xinghuo's eyes were fixed on Pei Wenli.

"what do you want to say in the end?"

Pei Wenli sighed and said bitterly: "The matter is now over, there is nothing to hide."

"This [Chen Tianping] is not a grandson of our Annan Kingdom at all. His real name is Ruan Kang, and he is Chen Yuanhui's domestic slave. During the Guangtai period, he followed Chen Yuanhui to surrender to the Champa Kingdom. Now I have seen that the Ming Dynasty may be planning to raise troops. Annan, so he came to the Ming Dynasty, claimed to be the son of my Annan Yizong, changed his name to Chen Tianping, and asked the Ming Dynasty to raise troops to help him avenge him."

In the flash of lightning, Jiang Xinghuo blurted out.

"So he is a person sent by the Champa State? And you, father and son, probably saw him going to the residence of the Champa State's mission today, and revealed or got a glimpse of his identity. The people from the Champa State's mission just thought Kill and silence?"

Pei Wenli smiled bitterly and said, "That's right."

What a drama!

In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, Champa has always been a small country bullied by Annan. Unlike Annan, who was always against the Ming Dynasty, he naturally sympathized with Champa, so he received the tribute mission from Champa and re-sent the mission after it was plundered by Annan. When the news came to Daming, Zhu Di even went to Jiang Xinghuo alone and asked him to handle the matter.

But who knew that Champa would actually pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger!

If this is indeed the case, then I am afraid that the Champa tribute mission was "robbed" in Annan, which makes a lot of sense.

As for the puppet that Champa supports [Chen Tianping], trying to weaken Annan with the help of the Ming Dynasty, what he did was even more silent. In other words, this person must have something that can be manipulated by the Champa, and when he came to the Ming Dynasty, he Perhaps there was a dispute with the Champa mission over some matters, otherwise Pei Boxi would not have seen it.

Jiang Xinghuo sorted things out: "And the reason why your father Pei Boqi wants to meet me alone by name is because His Majesty has been reluctant to see you, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites will not care about your previous grievances at all, and It is very easy for the news to leak out, so after hearing my name, I wanted to try to tell me this secret."

"Master Imperial Master is indeed as smart and smart as the legend says. I can't hide anything from you."

Although everything made sense logically, Jiang Xinghuo did not relax his vigilance.

Jiang Xinghuo looked at Pei Wenli and asked, "So, what do you and your father want from the Ming Dynasty? Of course there are ancient loyal ministers like Shen Baoxu, but you two may not be."

Pei Wenli's eyes seemed to have a blazing flame. He looked at Jiang Xinghuo and said, "My father is a famous general in Annan. He has fought under Chen Kezhen for many years. There are countless former subordinates and subordinates of General Chen in Annan's military circles. My father’s colleagues, we need Ming’s help to return to Annan, avenge the Hu family who massacred our family, and make our family a prominent family in Annan!”

Pei Wenli didn't say it too explicitly, but Jiang Xinghuo understood.

He wanted the Pei family to become a powerful family like the Hu family, which supported the military and respected themselves. Annan had always had a tradition of usurping the throne from powerful families, which was quite similar to the Sima family's generation of Cao.

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said: "If your father can wake up, lead the way for Ming's army, and help Ming successfully invade Annan, all you want is for Ming to do it smoothly, right? It's up to you. He looks like a Confucian scholar, but has he gone to school?"

"Of course I have entered. I admire Wang Hua and demand myself according to Central Plains etiquette everywhere."

"Oh, then when you came to Ming Dynasty, have you ever heard of Jie Jin Jie Shidu?"

A hint of surprise flashed between Pei Wenli's brows: "Of course I've heard of him. This is the most talented man in the Ming Dynasty. I yearn for him, but it's a pity that I haven't had the chance to meet him."

"It doesn't matter, I will introduce you to him. Recently, Mr. Jie is short of a friend. If you have anything to do, you can talk to him more."

Looking at Pei Wenli who couldn't hide the joy on her face, Jiang Xinghuo shook his head in his heart, he was still too young.

Walking out of the corner, Jiang Xinghuo called Wang Bin.

"Disarm Prince Annan [Chen Tianping] and the envoys from the Champa Kingdom and bring them all over."