Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"Your Majesty should always tell me what you want to do. Only then will I know if your Majesty has a chance."

Zhu Di stood up and took out the globe from behind the screen and started pointing.

"Here, here, there, and there."

"I want them all!"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded: "What your Majesty wants to do is difficult, but as long as your Majesty is willing to try, you can eventually do it."

Zhu Di's eyes lit up, and he stared at Jiang Xinghuo, waiting for the other party's answer.

You see, people are different. If it were another emperor, it would have been extraordinary to achieve what Zhu Di achieved in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life. But Zhu Di's vision was broadened by Jiang Xinghuo. Instead of being satisfied, he wanted to Want more.

Of course, although in prison, Jiang Xinghuo once told him that Ming Dynasty could become an empire on which the sun never sets, but could what others told him be the same as what he wanted?

In the past, he just listened casually, but at this time, he also knew that his life had embarked on a new trajectory.

However, the most important question still needs to be answered by Jiang Xinghuo, that is, how can the Ming Dynasty become an empire on which the sun never sets?

This is certainly not a meaningless question, and the answer is definitely not "just hit it outside and be done with it."

But since ancient times, the rule of empires has been limited. Over the years, there has been only one empire that is close to unlimited, and that is the Mongol Empire. However, the Mongol Empire was in Eastern Europe and North Africa in the west, Tianzhu and Champa in the south, and Champa in the east. Japan has actually encountered its limit.

But even an empire like the Mongol Empire, which was only close to its limit, only lasted for a few decades before completely falling apart.

Therefore, the answer Zhu Di needs is a truly effective path.

"Effective control of the empire depends only on two efficiencies, the first is the efficiency of troop transportation, and the second is the efficiency of communications."

"As for the answers to these two questions, I actually told His Majesty in prison."

Zhu Di seemed to have remembered something: "The Imperial Master is talking about [Iron Horse] and [Thousand Miles of Documents]?"

"good."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said again: "Whether the latter is wired or wireless, it may not appear in twenty years, but the former will definitely appear as the industrial revolution progresses."

The steam engine is the most important product of the first industrial revolution. With the emergence of the steam engine, human society will undergo earth-shaking changes. Trains and steamships will greatly improve human transportation efficiency, and will be compared with the previous manpower, wind, etc. Momentum makes a very different difference.

Of course, today's Ming Dynasty still has a long way to go before it can produce a steam engine that can really be put into industrial use. Technology, materials, supporting industries, and markets are all real problems. This is not to say that Jiang Xinghuoshou Once you rub one out, everything will be fine.

The simplest question is that the original use of steam engines was to pump water from mining areas. If the labor cost of the Ming Dynasty is extremely cheap, using steam engines is not as good as using people. Who will you sell the steam engines to? If others don’t buy it, will they be forced to share it?

Even if I buy it, do I need to deal with subsequent maintenance? Jiang Xinghuo can't transform into a machine repairman and repair steam engines every day, right? Does that mean we need to cultivate a whole set of technicians who know how to operate, maintain and repair the equipment? At the same time, is it necessary to have a set of standardized production processes and technical indicators to reduce failure rates and facilitate maintenance?

"but."

Jiang Xinghuo narrowed his eyes slightly. He glanced at Zhu Di and said, "Your Majesty needs to resolve the matter at hand now."

Zhu Di frowned: "How to say?"

"Whether it is [Iron Horse] or [Thousand Miles of Documents], the foundation of their birth is based on an economic system that can achieve a virtuous cycle and external expansion. There is no doubt that economic needs will lead to technological innovation. .What we are facing now is whether His Majesty is determined enough to take the first step in reforming the economic system."

Everything, since there is a choice, there is a price.

Zhu Di got what he wanted to know, so what was the price?

"The reform has entered a new stage. Not only does it need to reform business, but at the same time, the court must use appropriate fiscal and monetary policies to promote economic development. In addition, the production of the country's main handicrafts and raw materials should also Formulating a master plan is just like using the examination method to evaluate civil servants. It may take three years or five years, it is always necessary.”

"Your Majesty, you must remember that today's world is a big chessboard. Whoever can strike first is the winner. Whoever controls the chessboard can control everything in the world. But if you want to win, you must first cultivate your inner strength to the extreme."

"Ming Pao" has a serialization of martial arts stories. Once serialized, it became popular all over the country, so Zhu Di could still understand the meaning of the word "neigong" which evolved from Taoism.

Jiang Xinghuo's words made Zhu Di fall into deep thought.

Jiang Xinghuo is asking for more power from him, and this power is different from the past. It is not a specific matter, but the planning leadership of almost all economic products of the country except agricultural products.

This kind of power is not unfamiliar. Shang Yang obtained it, Sang Hongyang obtained it, and Wang Anshi also obtained it.

As the saying goes, "This is how you should manage money for the world."

It's just that unlike his predecessors, Jiang Xinghuo's gameplay is obviously more novel and his version iterations are faster.

Jiang Xinghuo no longer relied on the administrative authority brought by the simple bureaucracy, but paid more attention to the use of later economics and finance methods to lead economic reforms with a top-down approach.

"Is this what the Imperial Master wants?" Zhu Di stared at Jiang Xinghuo.

"Yes." Jiang Xinghuo said calmly.

Zhu Di took a deep breath and said, "Let me think about it."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't force him. Although Zhu Di said "everyone is allowed", who wouldn't say it when he said it? Saying it is one thing, being able to do it is another matter entirely, so he saluted and prepared to leave.

"I'll send it to you."

Zhu Di followed Jiang Xinghuo out of Fengtian Palace and came to the palace wall further outside the palace. The little gray horse had been waiting for a long time.

"My farewell."

Jiang Xinghuo cupped his hands and saluted not so respectfully.

"National Division."

Suddenly, Zhu Di stopped.

"I promise you twenty years, five four-year plans, and I want to see everything you said."

Zhu Di patted Jiang Xinghuo's shoulder and sighed softly: "Go!"

"According to the order!"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded, turned over and jumped onto the horse.

"drive!"

As the little gray horse neighed, Jiang Xinghuo whipped the horse, and the little gray horse clicked in the vermilion palace wall that was obviously very wide but seemed very narrow.

The next day, two imperial edicts came from the palace.

The first imperial edict was granted to the national preceptor, Shangzhuguo, Tejin Ronglu, Fengtian Fuyun, sincere and loyal civil servants, and Jiang Xinghuo, the president of the reform affairs yamen, to raise funds for the establishment of the Central Bank of the Ming Dynasty, and to manage the country's financial planning. .

The second imperial edict ordered Cao Guogong, Zhu Guo, Tejin Guanglu Doctor, Fengtian Fuyun Tiecheng Xuanli Wuchen, the Zuo Governor of the Central Army Governor's Office, and the five-star general Li Jinglong to receive the seal of General Zhengyi, serve as the commander-in-chief, and succeed the Eastern Army. The commander-in-chief of the Route Army continued his campaign against Annan.

——————

There was no war on the Northern Front.

It would take at least three months for the Ming Dynasty's eastern and western armies to complete the deployment, assembly, food and fodder storage, and adaptation training from the southern governor's offices.

When Li Jinglong arrived at the logistics supply hub of Longzhou at the end of August after going through many ups and downs, what he saw was a mess.

There is an old saying that has been said badly, "before the troops move, the food and grass go first." War is really not a strategy game. It does not mean that with one click of the mouse, hundreds of thousands of troops can move regardless of terrain, fatigue, and logistics. Then click to start the game, and the final result of victory or defeat is actually ten thousand times more complicated than this. It is not an exaggeration.

In the Longzhou official office, Huang Fu, the minister of the Ministry of Industry who arrived here early to take charge of the army's logistics, was a little numb. The situation was very bad. It was beyond his expectation. It was so bad that he had one head and two heads.

Huang Fu took a sip of tea and let out a long sigh.

After Li Jinglong took off his military uniform, freshened up and changed back into his official uniform, he looked at Huang Fu who was sighing and asked doubtfully: "Why is Huang Shangshu so depressed?"

Huang Fu took out a document and handed it to Li Jinglong, and said with a wry smile: "The total number of chief envoys, local soldiers, soldiers, and auxiliary soldiers in the south should be 80,000. They were originally scheduled to gather in Longzhou in early September."

Li Jinglong raised his eyebrows. Although he didn't take a closer look at the scene when he arrived, it didn't look like there were 80,000 soldiers surrounding Longzhou City.

"But now that August is almost over, you have brought twenty elite guards from along the Yangtze River. These people from the various administrative envoys in the south have not arrived yet. It is not that they have not arrived, but they have arrived at all. Very few.”

Compared with Huang Fu's head, which is as big as a bucket, Cao Guogong, who has full operational research and logistics skills, expressed his emotional stability in this situation. He has seen many bigger and more tragic battles. Which battle did Jingnan fail? Aren't hundreds of thousands of people running back in chaos? Give him some time and he can reorganize his training, replenish his food and fodder, and go into battle again.

What's more, it's not a big defeat now, it's just that the gathering is a bit stretched.

"Have you sent me a message?"

"Hurry up."

Huang Fu pointed to the mountain of documents on the public case: "It's countless, but if you don't come, you won't come."

"As for coming."

Huang Fu was speechless for a while: "Yesterday, only 107 soldiers from the Nandan Guard were brought here. I went to check them out in person, but I am afraid that only a handful of them are strong and usable, and the rest are either young. , or he is sick and lacks food and clothing, and looks like a beggar."

"Nandanwei?"

Li Jinglong closed his eyes and thought for a moment, and the specific location of Nandanwei appeared in his mind. He opened his eyes and asked again: "From Nandanwei to Longzhou Mansion, are there no supplies in Liu and Xun Mansion along the way?"

"No, the prefects of Liu and Xun Prefectures responded because many military households fled. If they were not provided with supplies, these military households would still be able to go to Longzhou Prefecture just for a bite of food. But if they were given supplies, they would flee directly. They even turned into bandits and caused trouble to one side. There were too many military households passing through the border, and the two governments were poor. It was said that they really could not afford the supply, and these people did not receive instructions."

Huang Fu was also helpless. He came here from Nanjing Central and experienced the difficulty of doing things for the first time. This kind of difficulty is not something that can be solved by saying that you have a high status and can kill people casually, but that you have to solve it in a real way. Problems are the answer, and the existence of these problems is not because others are deliberately trying to shirk the problem, but they all have their own difficulties. From everyone's standpoint, there seems to be nothing wrong, but the result is that things cannot be done.

"and."

Huang Fu pointed to the officials who were still busy in the official office and said: "The civil servants brought from Nanjing are not very adaptable to the environment here. They can only rely on local squires to do things. However, the Ministry of Household Affairs originally appointed Zhao who was responsible for transporting grain. The other officer is now dead in Nanning, and Huang Duanshi, the one I entrusted with urging the transportation of arrows and gold sore medicine, is also dead in Tianzhou, and the rest of the messengers have not returned yet, and there is really no one to handle the matter."

Li Jinglong listened to Huang Fu's explanation of various difficulties while flipping through the documents given to him in his hand.

Because Li Jinglong's position was not fixed before and he was always on the move, all the letters and official documents that needed to be handled by him, the general and general of the army, were sent to Longzhou Mansion.

"The left deputy general in the campaign against Annan, Xiping Hou Musheng, reported: Now we have transported 220,000 shi of grain to various places in the Yunnan Chief Envoy Department, and went to Lin'an and Mengzi to collect and store it for later use. Yunnan well salt has also been moved to Kaizhong, Mengzi. And Allocate an additional 10,000 officers and troops to the Yunnan Dusi, entrust the capital to command Wan Zhong, Badu and other leaders, and station a company in Mengzi's outer camp to collect and transport grain stores as a sign of solidarity."

Li Jinglong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Mu Sheng of the West Route Army was doing the logistics work in an orderly manner, but the following content made him frown.

"In addition, there will be heavy rains in summer, and there will be flash floods that wash away the roads. The gathering of local soldiers in Sichuan and Guizhou may be hindered. Please don't worry, chief military officer. The department will gather before the agreed date."

Li Jinglong didn't know whether it was a real flash flood or a fake flash flood, but what is certain is that Mu Sheng's meaning is very clear. The West Route Army will prepare everything it should and will not delay the overall situation. But you have to count on me to attack Annan first. Then don't count on it.

But this was a reasonable thing. Li Jinglong didn't have much entanglement and just said to Huang Fu.

"Huang Shangshu, there are some things in Guangdong and Guangxi that you still don't understand. It's not that you lack ability, but that someone is obstructing us."

Of course, Huang Fu was a little confused about the extremely unsatisfactory work that was currently being carried out, but he really didn't know the secrets involved, so he asked Li Jinglong: "Who dares to hinder the imperial court's expedition to Annan? What is the purpose? I would like to hear the details. .”

"The troops from the various chief envoys in the south who entered Guangxi from the north were delayed in this way. I am afraid that there was some discord between Han Guan and the generals in each capital. The Han barbarians were bloodthirsty and had not had much trouble with the surrounding generals in recent years. Happy, the generals in all the capitals have great opinions on Han Guan."

"In the past, he wore the seal of General Zhengnan to guard Guangxi and control the officials and troops of Guangdong and Guangxi. But just recently, His Majesty asked him to go to Jiangxi to train troops and quell the local rebellion. In addition to Guangxi, he also controlled the four capitals of Guangdong, Fujian, and Huguang. But his qualifications were too low, his personality was domineering, and he offended too many people. How could the Fujian and Huguang bureaus subdue him? The appointment was withdrawn not long after, and he was sent back to Guangxi, but the relationship was also forged."

Huang Fu, a minister of the Ministry of Industry, naturally did not understand the factional struggles within the Ming Dynasty's military circles. At this time, hearing what Li Jinglong said, he had some understanding.

Han Guan, like Li Jinglong, was the second generation of the founding nobles. He was the son of Han Cheng, the loyal and strong marquis. In his early years, he served as a guard in the imperial palace. Lao Zhu admired him very much, so he was appointed the right guard commander of Guilin. From then on, Han Guan worked in Guangxi for nearly twenty years, becoming the commander of the capital of Guangxi and the deputy general of Zuo in the Southern Conquest.

In Guangxi, Han Guan is famous for his ruthlessness in suppressing native rebellions. He may not be able to fight against tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of troops, but he is a master in small-scale public security warfare.

Han Guan once captured barbarians from Yishan and other counties and killed more than 2,800 people at one time. As the deputy general of the southern left army, Han Guan followed the governor Yang Wen to attack the local official Zhao Zongshou of Longzhou. Well, that is where Li Jinglong and Huang Fu now sit. The previous local emperor here did not accept surrender at all and killed more than 10,000 people at one time. As a result, Longzhou Prefecture returned to its native land.

Han Guan has a fierce personality and has no tolerance for those who should be killed or punished. He can be said to have a mountain of orders when running the army. No one in Guangxi's capital army dares to violate them. Moreover, Han Guan has always had zero tolerance for captured rebels. As long as he is caught, he will be punished. The capital punishment was imposed, and occasionally one or two people were spared, and their noses and ears were cut off, and they were asked to go back and tell the barbarians everywhere. As a result, the barbarians lost their courage, and Guangxi became peaceful.

However, Han Guan's fierce and domineering temperament was extremely unpopular not only with the local barbarian officials in Guangxi, but also with his colleagues.

"In this way, the officers and soldiers of the various divisions did not intentionally delay, but had a tacit understanding to enter Guangxi as soon as possible and join forces to embarrass Han Guan?"

"yes."

Li Jinglong was not worried. He thought for a while and said: "Han Guan was my subordinate when we were in Dezhou. So, I will send a message to Nanning in my own name and ask Han Guan to come to Longzhou Mansion. The other chiefs of the capitals, I am also familiar with most of them, either my father's disciples and former officials, or my old friends from the old army. As the saying goes, "it is better to dissolve enemies than to make enemies." Right now, we still have to focus on the important affairs of the country, that is, a fight in Longzhou Mansion. It's not a bad idea to shoot a halberd at the gate."

Li Jinglong said a lot, but Huang Fu only heard two words from it.

——Contacts.

After Zhu Di decided not to use the main force of the 230,000 Yan army around Nanjing, why did he transfer troops all the way from Shandong to Zhu Neng as the troops directly under the general military officer? The reason is that the interests of various factions in the Southern Army are entangled, and Zhu Di is afraid that Zhu Neng will not be able to command without direct troops.

Whether it is Cao Guogong Li Jinglong or Wei Guogong Xu Huizu, they can handle the relationship between the various factions of the Southern Army, because the generals in the southern capitals are basically the second generation of the founding generals of Hongwu. These people may be the same as Han Guan, not The eldest son in the family does not have a title, or his father does not have a title and is just an ordinary general. However, they still have a deep influence in the local military circles of the Ming Dynasty. They have basically been entrenched and operating in a certain place for more than ten or twenty years. This kind of local snake, if the knife handle is not strong enough, it doesn't matter, you can't move them.

The problem of troops gathering on time has been temporarily solved, and Huang Fu's focus has returned to logistics.

"You still have to use the Kaizhong method. I would like to give Huang Shangshu two suggestions. I have discussed them with the Imperial Master."

"Of course, it is up to you, Mr. Huang, to decide the final outcome. After all, His Majesty has entrusted you, Mr. Huang, to take full responsibility for the logistics."

Li Jinglong had obviously thought deeply about this issue, and had discussed it with Jiang Xinghuo before going on the expedition.

"The first one is to open the provinces in Guangdong and Guangxi. The Guangdong Salt Class Tisu Division should have accumulated a lot of salt. Now that the army is marching to Annan, it is appropriate to send the wealthy families of the officials and people to Taiping Prefecture to transport grain in exchange for salt. Every time Five Dou of rice is not limited to Guangdong and Haibei. It can be used in all the coastal areas of Guangdong and Guangxi. In addition, it can be stopped only when the grain reserves there are sufficient. Therefore, the scope of salt introduction is limited to Guangdong and Guangxi, and it is not limited to Guangdong or Guangxi. .”

That is to say, there is a "small" problem with the opening method, that is, not only the output of salt farms along the coast are different, the opening indicators are different, but the prices are also different, but the most important thing is that salt can only be distributed after The salt class promotion department of Shiohiki is sold at the Chief Secretary's Office!

What's the meaning? That is, no matter where you transport the grain, the salt you bring must be exchanged and sold at the exchange place, but the sales price will not necessarily be greater than your cost.

Then I took the salt from Huang Fu Shangshu of Longzhou Prefecture, Guangxi, and went to the designated salt exchange place to redeem it. If the salt exchanged was sold in Guangdong, it would be a loss for me. Can it be shipped back? Are they sold in Guangxi?

no! Cross-border sales are equivalent to selling illegal salt.

And you broke the law, you know?

The "Da Ming Code" stipulates that anyone who sells illegal salt will be punished with a hundred sticks and three years in prison.

In fact, let alone how many people can finally return to their hometown after three years of apprenticeship, just say a hundred sticks. If you really need a hundred sticks to hit them firmly, they will die on the spot.

Therefore, this kind of crime can actually be equated with the death penalty at certain times, and this sometimes refers to the time when you have no money to build relationships, or when you have money to build relationships but the officials in charge are interested in your family property.

In addition, those who sell illegal salt and carry weapons will be given a first class; those who falsely accuse ordinary people will be given a third class; those who resist arrest will be executed.

In order to raise enough food in a short period of time, the first way Li Jinglong and Jiang Xinghuo discussed was to expand the scope of salt introduction from a single chief envoy in Guangxi or Guangdong to the entire Guangdong and Guangxi.

In other words, no matter which salt farm in Guangdong and Guangxi you buy salt from, you can sell it anywhere in Guangdong and Guangxi.

In this way, merchants will be much more profitable, because in the past, they could only exchange salt and sell it in Guangdong. But the problem is that most of Guangdong is close to the sea, the salt production is large, and the salt price is low!

But if you can get salt from Guangdong and sell it to the mountains of Guangxi, the local toast salt price will be much higher. Although there are some risks, how can doing business be without risks? As long as they can make money, businessmen can just put their heads in their belts.

Huang Fu nodded after hearing this. He knew that this was probably Jiang Xinghuo's idea, but no matter who came up with the idea, as long as it can solve the current problem, it would be good, so he asked: "What about the second one?"

"The second is that the imperial court provides subsidies to encourage merchants from Jiangnan and Zhejiang to transport grain by sea to Guangxi ports, and then the government is responsible for transshipment from the port to Longzhou Prefecture."

One thing needs to be explained here: why did Zhu Di ask Huang Fu to come all the way to Guangxi to be responsible for raising logistics supplies? Can't we just transport the grain directly from the capital?

The answer is no, because the maritime transport capacity currently controlled by the imperial court is seriously insufficient. The sea-going ships have basically been taken away by Zheng He. Although the sea-going ship plans are still being made at the speed of dumplings every year, they are currently being carried out in shipyards everywhere. Assembling, can't count on it.

All the transport capacity of the inland water division was used to transport troops. According to the plan, the troops would be transported one trip at a time, and they could barely keep up. But if transporting food was added, it would delay the military aircraft.

Instead of taking waterway, is it possible to use land transportation? It certainly won't work, because Nanjing is too far away from Guangxi, and the people also need to eat food on the road. Optimistically speaking, if one stone of grain is transported to Guangxi, twenty stones of grain will be consumed on the road.

Therefore, the government or the military, relying on existing transportation capacity, cannot solve the logistical problem by transferring transportation from Jiangnan.

The two methods given by Jiang Xinghuo and Li Jinglong are to start from other aspects. One is to open the market locally in Guangdong and Guangxi, and the other is to carry out sea transportation through Jiangnan merchants.

And since the emperor delegated power to Huang Fu in this matter, only Huang Fu could make the decision.

"Huang Shangshu, I hope that my sons and daughters can celebrate the New Year in Shenglong Mansion, the eastern capital of Annan Kingdom." Li Jinglong expressed his attitude.

The meaning is very simple. If the delay continues, if the logistics and food supplies are not ready for a long time, the war in Annan will not be launched, and the window period from October to December will be missed. Miasma will be everywhere when it rains and heats next year. If we want to fight again, But it’s difficult.

"OK!"

Huang Fu finally made up his mind. Although it was in conflict with his ideas whether it was to open China to France or to subsidize Jiangnan merchants, it was his duty to follow the emergency and be responsible for raising the logistics for Annan's army. , it is more important to solve the immediate problem first.

Well, but as for the bottom line, if it is broken once, it will be more flexible next time.

The problem of assembling the army and raising logistical supplies was finally solved. Li Jinglong breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, but another thing came to his mind.

He needs a lot of maritime transportation capacity, and the Ming Dynasty's maritime transportation capacity is currently in the hands of Zheng He. Where is Zheng He?

After the news that Zheng He's fleet had landed in Champa State, no new news came back for a long time, which made Li Jinglong a little worried.

Although Zheng He's fleet has a total number of 20,000 people, most of them are boatmen and sailors, and there are only a few thousand combatants. Li Jinglong is worried that if he fights on land, he will face several times or even ten times the number of enemies. Will Zheng He be able to sustain it? .

After all, this was the first year of Yongle, and the scale of Zheng He's fleet was far from reaching its peak.

Nowadays, the strategic posture of Annan Kingdom is basically to attack from the south and defend from the north. The Annan Army in the north gathers defenses in the cities and fortresses along the Furiang River. In order to prevent the Annan Kingdom from being attacked from both sides when the Ming Dynasty invades, they take the lead in deploying their elite troops to the south. Attack, trying to first destroy the Champa State, or completely defeat the main force of the Champa State's army, and then return to the north to concentrate all efforts against the Ming Dynasty.

There is nothing wrong with the strategic decision of the Hus and his sons. To fight with the weak against the strong is to eat the weak enemy first, and then concentrate all efforts to form a local advantage, thereby defeating the powerful enemy.

In the battle of Saarhu in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, wasn't this how the old slave fought? No matter how many ways you come, I will only go all the way. I will first take advantage of the weak and then attack the strong.

Therefore, if the Annan Kingdom does not attack the Champa Kingdom first, then as long as the Ming army on the northern front starts a large-scale offensive, the Champa Kingdom on the southern front will definitely attack the Annan Kingdom from behind. After all, the two countries are feuding countries, and generations of people have sacrificed their lives and Hatred poured out with blood cannot be resolved, and adding insult to injury is the only natural result.

The Annan State did achieve great results through raids. The territory to the north of the Champa State was basically occupied. Even the capital of the Champa State, Indrapura, was directly threatened by the Annan State's military front.

——————

There is fighting on the southern front.

Outside Indrapura, the capital of the Champa Kingdom, tens of thousands of Annan soldiers were arrayed on the plain.

The leader, wearing gorgeous armor and riding a precious horse, was the heroic general of Annan Kingdom—Pan Mahiu!

He looked up at the not-so-high city wall of the capital city of Champa, with a cold look on his lips, and said indifferently: "Today, I will bloodbath the entire Indrapura, kill all the people in Champa, and capture Jaya alive. Sanghavarman V (the Lai of Champa)!”

Pan Mahiu waved his hand: "Attack!"

In an instant, thousands of foot soldiers in front moved together, looking at ladders, oars, shields, sandbags and other objects, rushing straight towards the city wall.

On the city wall.

"Report——"

A scout hurriedly rushed up to the city wall, and the Champa King Sun [Bupo Liangweijiaolan Desheng Namo] who was responsible for guarding the city immediately greeted him.

"Where are the armies of the Celestial Dynasty?" Bupo Liangweijiaolan Desheng Na Mo looked at the Annan army coming in like a tide and asked eagerly.

Although Indrapura is the capital of the Champa Kingdom, to be honest, although there are many people in this so-called capital, the level of city wall construction is comparable to that of a county town in the Ming Dynasty.

"We haven't been contacted yet!" The scout's voice was almost crying.

At this time, in the Champa army guarding the city, the officers' cheers came one after another.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!", "Get your crossbows ready!"

In an instant, with the advent of war, there was a sudden commotion on the city wall. The inexperienced city guarding officers hurriedly mobilized archers and crossbowmen to prepare for the battle.

In fact, not to mention the soldiers of the Champa Kingdom, even these officers have not fought in a war for more than ten years.

During the Peng'e period, the army of the Champa State was very powerful. Not only did they launch a massive Northern Expedition, they broke through Thang Long, the eastern capital of Annan, burned and looted, they also defeated Annan's army at Shi Nai Port and killed Chen Ruizong. But the good times did not last long. , when the two kings Zhi Peng'e and Luo Aai ruled, it was the last period of strength for the Champa Kingdom.

Today's Champa Kingdom, not only has a combat power of five, it can also be said that everyone can bully it.

On the city wall, hundreds of crossbowmen were extremely nervous.

"What should we do?! How should we defend? Why haven't the Chinese army arrived yet? If it hadn't been for the help of the Chinese army last time, we wouldn't have been able to defend it."

"Don't worry, there are only a few thousand enemies in the first wave. They should be able to block it. We just need to shoot arrows!" A young commander comforted everyone. He picked up his bow and arrows and aimed at the troops under the city without hesitation. Draw a bow and shoot an arrow.

call out--

Sharp arrows flew out and landed among the Annan army outside the city with a screaming sound.

With the commander taking the lead, the crossbowmen of the city defenders also began to shoot boldly.

"Whoosh!" A dense rain of arrows fell.

"Pfft!", "Uh-huh!"

The arrows fell on the enemy and burst into bursts of blood, but unfortunately it could not stop the Annan army's offensive.

When the ladder was set up on the top of the city, Pan Mahiu, the leader of the Annan Kingdom, personally wore armor, carried a round shield on his arm, and held a steel knife in his mouth. He took the lead in climbing up. The city wall was only a few feet high, and it was not even a few meters high. He went up in no time.

"Hahaha!"

"It's just a rain of arrows, but I can't help but kill you!"

After using a round shield to block a hail of arrows, as Pan Maxiu expected, the Champa army was unprepared. Not to mention rolling wood and stones, they were not even prepared for gold juice.

Encouraged by their commander's brave advance, the Champa army under the city roared, and then countless swords, spears, swords and halberds pierced the top of the city.

"Ah!" A scream came out, and instantly blood splattered on the city wall.

On the top of the city, thousands of soldiers guarding the city were shocked when they saw the Annan people coming up.

The last time they had the help of the Ming army, they did not feel how powerful the Annan people were, and the Annan people did not carry any siege equipment last time, so after being repelled by the Ming army under Zheng He, they burned the debris and retreated to the north. Returned, and the Champa Kingdom, under the power of dogs and men, even had some contempt, but now the bloody fact gave them a heavy slap in the face.

Without the Ming Dynasty, they would be no match for the Annan people!

And precisely because of this delay, they missed the best opportunity to push the Annan people back down the city.

In fact, in ancient siege battles, the attacker's attack on the city does not mean victory. On the contrary, there are countless examples of battles in which the attacker attacked the city and was pushed back every day, such as the famous Battle of Jade, The Battle of Suiyang.

But it is a pity that the Champa army was frightened by the enemy and did not have this awareness.

"Hahahaha! Do you think you can stop my army with this little mob? It's just wishful thinking!"

Pan Maxiu massacred all parties at the top of the city, killing more than a dozen defenders one after another, and directly cleared a large open space. The following Annan troops continued to board the city.

"Hide quickly!"

The soldiers guarding the city were so frightened that they rolled and crawled to the side. They had just recovered from the shock.

"How can these Annan people be so powerful?"

"What the hell is this?!"

On the city tower, a group of soldiers from the occupying country were frightened. At this time, as the capitulationist counselors in the crowd spoke, the defensive situation quickly evolved into a rout.

"No, a large number of enemy troops have rushed in. Everyone, please retreat quickly!"

"Run, run, run!"

There was chaos on top of the city, and the soldiers were frightened. They fled frantically, and some even dropped their weapons and turned around to escape. This caused the originally well-prepared defense line to collapse.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the enemy troops rushing in, the king of Champa, Sun [Bupo Liangweijiaolan Desheng Namo], cursed: "These trash!"

However, seeing that the city wall could not be defended at this time, he had no other choice, so he drew out the sword from his waist, shouted, rushed down first, and killed an enemy soldier with one blow: "Brothers, go back and defend." The palace!”

Just as the king of Champa Sun [Bupo Liangweijiaolan Desheng Nama] began to retreat back to the palace with some elites, following Pan Maxiu's order, the army of Annan Kingdom also followed him and rushed into Champa Kingdom. in the capital city.

In the capital city, the originally bustling streets were deserted, and all the shop doors were closed. The people looked through the cracks in the doors and windows, looking in horror at the charging enemy troops.

"It's over!" Countless people looked at the Annan army in horror, and they were all trembling with fear.

The palace is built more solidly than the walls of the capital city.

"The bold thief dares to break into my palace in Champa!"

A group of Champa Imperial Guards were arrayed against the palace wall.

"kill!"

Pan Maxiu did not slow down at all, and still led the elite to charge.

"Bang bang bang!"

The soldiers around Pan Maxiu collided with the palace defenders, and a fierce fighting broke out instantly.

A bloody killing officially began.

"Kill these traitors, kill these bastards!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The Royal Guards of the Royal Palace were very capable of fighting. Soldiers from the Annan Kingdom fell to the ground one by one, but soon, soldiers from the Annan Kingdom who entered the city were continuously replenished.

King Sun of Champa [Bupo Liangweijiaolan Desheng Namo] gritted his teeth and slashed one person away with his sword: "Keep killing me!"

The soldiers under his command also fought with all their strength, but there seemed to be a steady stream of them on the other side.

Gradually, the palace guards retreated steadily, and their injuries became more and more serious.

"Wang Sun, we can't hold on like this!"

"Yes, there are too many enemies!"

"Withdraw!"

…

The soldiers were almost shattered.

If this continues, they will all be killed sooner or later.

King Sun of Champa City had a gloomy face. He clenched his fists, his eyes were scarlet, and he stared into the distance with hatred.

"I will never take a step back today!" he roared angrily.

"Boom!"

At this moment, a huge sound came from the distance.

"Reinforcements are coming!"

Hearing the sound in the distance, the soldiers were delighted and looked around.

Last time, it was this sound, the cannons and muskets of the Ming Dynasty!

as expected.

From afar, we could see the dark Annan army in the distance beginning to be squeezed towards here.

"It's the Chinese army. The Chinese army is here to save us!"

"Help!"

"We are saved!!"

The soldiers of the Royal Palace Guards were all excited.

"not good!"

At this moment, Pan Maxiu also saw the situation behind him, and his expression changed drastically.

"Could it be that these Ming troops jumped out of the cracks in the rocks?"

"How can it be!"

Pan Mahiu's eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost.

His plan was flawless, he pretended to retreat, and then waited for many days to confirm that the Ming army was gone before attacking the capital of the Champa State again. How could so many Ming troops suddenly appear?

"do not care!"

"Kill them all first, kill all the enemies in front of you, and then attack the palace!"

Although he was shocked by the sudden appearance of these Ming troops, Pan Maxiu was a battle-hardened warrior after all. He quickly reacted and immediately ordered his troops to launch a fierce attack and occupy the palace. With their large number of people, they could infer the Ming Dynasty. military.

"kill!"

Pan Mahiu personally picked up the sword and charged forward with his elite troops.

The two sides collided fiercely.

The soldiers under Pan Maxiu's command were brave and powerful, fighting together with the royal guards of the palace.

"kill!"

But the inspired palace guards were obviously not weak either. After the people outside died, they were still resisting inside.

With the appearance of the bed crossbow, Pan Maxiu's elite troops were suppressed.

"No, we must find a way!"

Pan Mahiu looked anxious. If the situation was allowed to develop like this, I'm afraid he would die here today!