Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"Messenger from the Ming Dynasty?"

In the "Imperial Palace" of Shenglongfu, the eastern capital of the Annan Kingdom, Hu Jiya, Hu Hancang and his son, the Supreme Emperor of the Great Yu Kingdom, and the Emperor of the Great Yu Kingdom looked at each other in disbelief.

A war is about to begin. Why did Ming Dynasty send an envoy here?

But no matter what the intention is, we still have to meet once.

"Envoys from the Xuanming Dynasty can come in," Hu Jisao said.

After a while, two men wearing official uniforms of the Ming Dynasty were led into the "Imperial Palace".

These two people were Li Zhigang's confidants, named Zhu Quan and Zhang respectively. Seeing that Li Zhigang had stepped down and had no future in the Ministry of Rites, they took the initiative to send Annan as an envoy. After Annan was captured, he would serve as the chief envoy of Jiaozhi. Good location.

And this kind of mission before the war was the price.

As long as he is not beheaded by the Annan people, he will definitely be promoted in the future.

After seeing these two men, both Hu and his son were slightly startled.

Just because the two men in front of them were somewhat different from the Ming envoys they were familiar with.

One is tall and thin, and the other is short and fat. They are two extremes, and their expressions do not seem to have the aloof feeling of the previous Ming envoys, but rather a little careless.

"Are you the envoys of the Ming Dynasty?" Hu Jiya asked after seeing the other party's official robe.

Zhu Quan and Zhang had discussed the issue of addressing each other before. Now the Ming Dynasty does not recognize their "thrones" and only thinks that they are traitors seeking to usurp the throne. However, it is not good to say it in front of others, so they simply avoid it. Don't talk.

"Yes, we are the imperial envoys who came to deliver the order this time." Zhu Quan replied.

Although he was confused, he still had to give him the face he deserved.

"You two have come a long way. Thank you for your hard work. Please sit down."

"Thank you."

After Zhu Quan and Zhang sat down, Hu Jima asked with a smile: "May I ask why you came here this time? Could it be that the Ming Dynasty wants to shake hands with me, Dayu, to make peace?"

"of course not."

Zhang pouted Hu Jishen without hesitation. Although they were afraid of death, they still understood some basic things, that is, there is bullying between people and between countries. Since they represent the Ming Dynasty, then You should neither be too arrogant and have your head chopped off, nor be too weak and make people look down on you. You should let it go lightly on small issues, but never give in on key issues.

Today's dialogue is a critical issue.

Zhu Quan and Zhang had a red face and a bad face. Now it was Zhu Quan's turn to be the red face.

Zhu Quan bowed slightly and saluted and said: "I came here on orders, but there is only one thing to do."

Hearing this, Hu Hancang frowned and looked at his father, and said, "In that case, let me listen first."

The two people automatically ignored the self-proclaimed "I". Next, Zhang took out the imperial edict given to him by Emperor Yongle and read it to them.

"The Emperor Chengyun of Heaven has issued an edict: Now that the Chief Envoy of Guangxi has come, the Annan State has sent people to pay tribute and apologize for their sins. It turns out that Hu Jiya and his son's crimes were difficult to tolerate. Now that they have reformed, he is the only one to handle the fifty thousand taels of gold and elephants. One hundred to atone for his sins.”

"If the gold and elephants are not enough, I promise to replace them with pearls, jade, treasures, etc., so that the number is enough, and the army will not advance. If the tribute is not enough, the army will advance to carry out heavenly punishment. Even if it is too late, it will be regrettable."

"The Ministry of Ceremonies wrote a document and sent people to tell him that he knew it and admired it."

Hu Jiyou and his son knew very well the rules of the Central Plains Dynasty. "Edicts" are for the people of the world; "Zhiyue" are for officials, usually with the meaning of giving favors; "Edicts" are used for rewards and punishments, usually It means a warning.

Judging from the full text of this imperial edict, or the last sentence, it is obvious that it was transcribed from Zhu Di's oral instructions. It is full of carelessness and does not look like a formal credential.

Hu Ji Yao and his son exchanged glances. Obviously, they both believed that this was a delaying tactic by the Ming Dynasty, and it was a rather clumsy delaying tactic. It was not intentional at all, and it was just to buy time for preparations to launch a full-scale attack.

In fact, this is indeed the case, and Zhu Di made it clear in his imperial edict to Li Jinglong.

"According to your plan, I sent my envoys Zhu Quan and Zhang to Annan with a message from the Ministry of Rites to collect their gold and elephants. Your plan is very good, but it is because you want to relax your ambitions, which is not true. Zhu Quan and others are leaving, I will tell you, and the two of you already know your intention."

"Therefore, I ordered you to stay in Shenglong Mansion for only five days. If there are not enough measures to be taken within five days, you can follow as many as you want. You will receive them first and then send someone to collect them. After Zhu Quan and others enter, the army will also advance. If you encounter any trouble, The person who is the cashier of the golden elephant should hold it and make inquiries, but he must not let him know that he is sent to be held."

Finally, Zhu Di also thoughtfully warned Li Jinglong to pay attention to confidentiality, "Now that Zhu Guan is waiting for you, the details of the matter must not be known to anyone, for fear that the soldiers will become slack after hearing this, and they will record a message to show you, so you must keep it secret. The ancients said: Things must be kept secret. If the secret is not kept secret, it will cause harm, so you should be careful."

Look, this is because he is worried about Li Jinglong. Even though it was Li Jinglong who proposed the plan, even though Zhu Di also felt that Li Jinglong made a clever move, it was far from being as simple as it seemed.

However, Zhu Di still gave him the support he deserved. Not only did he send Chen Tianping, Prince of Annan, to escort him over, but he also brought over Liu Sheng's artillery unit and the Flying Eagle Guard hot-air balloon unit. Finally, he transferred Xu Yingxu to Come and serve as his advisor.

Back to the present, the reactions of Hu and his son were quite different.

"Haha! It's so ridiculous, so unreasonable!"

When he heard the end, Hu Hancang couldn't help but stand up and cursed angrily.

Hu Jishen was also very angry, but kept a calm attitude.

Although there is no other way now, the two countries are already at war with each other, and there is no way back. Even if they surrender and offer gold and elephants, Ming Dynasty will most likely not stop.

"People of the bright side don't speak secretly."

Zhang said with a ruthless look on his face: "Since you don't accept it, you must also know that now our Ming army has gathered in Guangxi and Yunnan, and can break through your peripheral positions north of the Furiang River at any time, and is about to attack the city."

"So, I advise you two, it is better to accept the conditions earlier! Don't make any mistakes!"

Zhu Quan also advised: "Yes, we have an old saying in China, which is that losing money can avoid disaster. If a problem can be solved with money, why must it lead to wars and bloodshed?"

Well, the names of these two people are really correct.

One more thing to mention here is that when we attack a city, we are attacking a multi-state city.

The location of Duobang City has a relatively well-known name in later generations - Lang Son!

Anyone who knows a little bit about the history of the two countries knows how important this place is for military strategists. It can be said that as long as you take the commanding heights of Lang Son, you will have a clear view along the Fuliang River, and you can hit wherever you want with cannons mounted on it. Where to hit.

And just like the significance of Hengshan to the Champa Kingdom, Lang Son is also the natural geographical dividing line of Annan Kingdom. To the north of Lang Son, there are undulating mountains and dense jungles; to the south of Lang Son, there are rice fields and dense water networks. The plain between Daming and Annam, the main official road runs from here, which can go directly to Thang Long, the eastern capital. Zhu Quan and Zhang walked along this road. Lang Son is not only a transportation hub, but also It is the barrier gate of Thang Long Palace. Once Dobang City on Lang Son is captured, it means that Annan Kingdom has basically no chance of making a comeback.

On the contrary, if Duobang City can be nailed there like the Diaoyu City in the Southern Song Dynasty, then the entire Fuliang River defense line will be as stable as Mount Tai!

Of course, the Hu family and his son were very aware of the importance of Lang Son, so they ordered the Annan army to build a lot of forts here. In addition to bringing in all Annan's naval forces to assist in the battle, they also relied on the Fuliang River and Tao River and other natural chasms. Large sections of city walls were built, and almost all of Annan's elite troops were deployed.

In addition, the old muskets left over from the Yuan Dynasty's conquest of Annan and the occupation of the city were also used, and a large number of bed crossbows were also placed on the defense line, and all arrows were specially coated with poison.

With more than 100,000 troops and more than 200,000 auxiliary soldiers and civilians, the Annan Kingdom has devoted all its efforts to build this defense line along the Fuliang River. The Hu family and his son have sufficient confidence to believe that the Ming army will definitely defeat this defense line. Blood flow!

Seeing the expressions of the two of them, Zhang smiled lightly and said, "What, are you really going to fight stubbornly?"

"Although you hold hundreds of thousands of troops and occupy the favorable terrain of the Furiang River, with your small military strength, you cannot stop the footsteps of my Ming Dynasty's 800,000-strong army."

"What's more, even if you can defend it for a while, my Ming Dynasty will dispatch millions of reinforcements to help in the battle. Do you think you can defend it for a lifetime?"

Of course, the Hus and his son did not know the exact number of troops deployed by the Ming army. Although they were not easy to scare, they also knew that during the Battle of Jingnan, the Ming Dynasty did often see large-scale battles with hundreds of thousands of people. Saying 800,000 might not be that big. It was a lot, but it was really a lot if folded in half. The Ming army really wanted to use human lives to pile it up and dye the Furiang River red.

However, Hu Hancang still took a deep breath and said solemnly: "This land has been the place where my ancestors have grown up. There is absolutely no way I will abandon it to the enemy."

"Go away, even if you die here, I will not agree to your conditions!"

Hearing this, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, showing a playful expression.

"It seems that you have a deep affection for this land, and it has become your home."

"Pop!"

Hu Jiyou suddenly clapped his hands.

Zhu Quan and Zhang were still confused as to what kind of medicine the other party was selling.

The moment they took steps, a group of guards rushed in from outside and surrounded Zhu Quan and Zhang.

Looking at the scene in front of them, they finally understood Hu Jima's purpose.

"You dare to detain the Ming Dynasty's envoy?" The smile on Zhu Quan's face disappeared and he stared at Hu Jiyou.

Hu Jiya smiled slightly and said nonchalantly: "Just kidding, I just want to invite you two to be our guests for a while."

Zhu Quan and Zhang suddenly changed their expressions. They clearly wanted to take them hostage!

"The heavenly soldiers have arrived and you have turned into powder!" Zhang said angrily.

"hehe."

Hu Jiya was a very simplified version of Sima Yi. He had been planning for his whole life to usurp the throne before he became an old man. He was very thick-skinned and did not mind the other party's curse at all. Instead, he smiled and said: "Actually, you don't have to worry too much, as long as you surrender." I, Dayu, can get high-ranking officials and generous salaries at your fingertips. In addition, I will give you the status of aristocrats, let you enjoy the best treatment, and grant you land and wealth!"

"The Emperor is right. I am a wise king who is kind and loving to the people. I will not treat loyal Han ministers like you badly." Hu Hancang also said vowedly.

"Haha... Such a wise king who is kind and loving to the people." Zhang Yangtian roared, as if he was going crazy.

After a long time, he stopped smiling and stared at Hu and his son: "You are indeed capable of plotting to usurp the throne, but you actually want to use such lies to trick me into surrender! But my family has been loyal to the Ming Dynasty for generations, and I would rather die standing still. , and I will never live on my knees!”

Seeing Zhang's determined attitude, Hu Jima sighed helplessly.

Then, he slowly raised his palm, and the guards on both sides immediately pulled out their knives and aimed them at the necks of the envoys.

Hu Jiyou said indifferently: "You are smart people and you should know how to choose."

Zhu Quan and Zhang, on the other hand, remained silent.

The next moment, their vision went dark and they fainted.

——————

Hu Jishao sat in the pavilion of the "Imperial Garden", drinking tea and resting.

Not long after, three Annan people who looked like civil servants came in. It was Chen Gongsu, the Sanjiang pacifier, Mei Xiufu, the general judge, and Jiang Bin, the general judge.

"It takes a lot of hard work and a trip to Guangxi."

Hu Jiyou said with a smile while looking at Chen Gongsu's expression.

Chen Gongsu was a relative of the Chen Dynasty. He had always been close to Hu Jiya in the past. Although he massacred all the Annan clan members, he did not kill Chen Gongsu. However, this did not mean that Hu Jiya was at ease with Chen Gongsu. In fact, he had always been wary of him.

Sometimes, when it comes to wars between countries, envoys can be regarded as an excuse for war.

But this time, Hu Jisao planned to use Chen Gongsu as consumables.

This is the same as Zhu Di not sending any important officials as envoys.

"It is your duty to contribute to the country!"

Chen Gongsu bowed slightly and said, "I just have a request."

When Hu Jisao heard what Chen Gongsu said, his heart skipped a beat and said, "But it doesn't matter."

Chen Gongsu said: "I want to take fifty people with me to Guangxi."

Hu Jima frowned after hearing this, and he pondered for a moment before agreeing: "That's no problem."

He knew that he could not refuse this request. After all, the two armies were about to fight. As the pacifier of Sanjiang, Chen Gongsu held great power and had to lead troops to protect himself. No one could say anything.

The other two people had no right to speak and were only used to make up the numbers for the mission. Seeing that Chen Gongsu agreed, they didn't say anything more.

Chen Gongsu cupped his hands and stepped aside.

Hu Jishao immediately ordered the guards to bring up the prepared gold and silver jewelry.

These things were all the inventory accumulated by the Annan Chen Dynasty over the past few decades, and they were all taken over.

"The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty demands gold and silver. In addition, there are a hundred elephants. Please send them all over. I hope a truce can be stopped."

"In addition, the Ming Dynasty's envoy is a little acclimated to the Shenglong Mansion. Now that he is ill, it is difficult to move. Please tell Ming Dynasty about it when the time comes."

Hu Jisao waved his hand, indicating that everyone could leave.

Hu Jiya said: "When you come back, we will have a banquet and wine to entertain all the meritorious ministers."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Chen Gongsu and others bowed their hands and left.

Looking at everyone's retreating figures, Hu Jima sighed and murmured: "I really hope these people can die in the Ming Dynasty!"

He picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and said softly: "Here comes someone."

"My subordinate is here." A loud reply came from outside the door.

"Take five hundred goshawk warriors and escort Chen Gongsu into the Ming Dynasty. Remember, if Chen Gongsu and others make any small moves, they will be killed without mercy!" Hu Jisao ordered.

"yes."

These goshawk warriors are the dead warriors he trained with his own hands, and many of them are spies who are good at secretly spying on information.

Diplomacy is the last dance before war.

The Ming Dynasty tried to paralyze Hu Ji Yao with a clumsy delaying strategy, but Hu Ji Yao saw through it. Although he detained the Ming Dynasty's envoy, he did not kill him but found a reason for being "acclimatized". At the same time, he met the conditions of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, he also sent an envoy.

If the Ming Dynasty released Hu Jiya's mission, then the Goshawk Warriors must have spied on the Ming army's intelligence along the way; if the Ming Dynasty detained the mission or killed Ji Qi, Hu Jiya would have nothing to lose. Chen Gongsu originally wanted to see the Ming army. It was not pleasing to the eye, and those Goshawk warriors were completely useless in his eyes.

A win-win, no matter what, it's a win. Qin Shihuang touched the wire and won!

But is this really the case?

"Why do we let Chen Gongsu go?" Hu Hancang came in at this time and asked in confusion.

Hu Jisao smiled, glanced at his son, and said, "Chen Gongsu's family has been the Chen Dynasty's ministers for generations. Although they have always supported us, are they really willing to sacrifice their lives for us all their lives?"

"It's just that Chen Gongsu is very cunning. I'm afraid he will play some tricks."

"So let's just let the Goshawk Rui follow him to avoid trouble. If there is any mistake, he will be killed."

Hu Hancang finally couldn't help it anymore: "But if you know that Ming Dynasty is going to take action, why should you empty the treasury to give it to Ming Dynasty?"

Seeing that even though his son had become emperor, he was still so petty and worried about money, Hu Ji Ya was furious.

"Snapped!"

Hu Jima raised the crutch in his hand and gave him a hard shake.

"Idiot! Do you think your father and I can't see that the Ming Dynasty doesn't plan to use money to withdraw its troops? The Ming Dynasty needs a delaying strategy to prepare, but we don't need it? Pan Maxiu and his troops are conquering the city in the south, don't they? Doesn’t it take time to withdraw? Doesn’t it take time to repair? Anyway, we are the defenders, and it is impossible to attack the Ming Dynasty. The territory of the Ming Dynasty is too vast. There is no point in leaving the Furiang River defense line to attack. It is better to buy some time as well. Return and train the troops from the southern conquering kingdom."

Hu Hancang was at a loss for words, but he quickly added: "But, we will do whatever the Ming Dynasty says, which is really cowardly!"

Hu Jisha shook his head and sighed: "This is the general trend. The Ming Dynasty is powerful and our power is weak. Apart from this method, what else can we do?"

But Hu Jisao immediately cheered up. He pressed his son's shoulders, looked into his eyes and spoke seriously.

"Remember, this is not a shame. The emperors of the Chen Dynasty were not more arrogant to our father and son than these envoys? But who is sitting on the throne now?"

"The one who laughs last is the real winner."

Upon hearing this, Hu Hancang quickly nodded in agreement.

——————

More than ten days later, Longzhou Mansion.

The envoy from Annan State has arrived, but Li Jinglong has no time to receive them at this time. He is planning his "little military operation" with Xu Yingxu and Liu Sheng.

"Why do you want to ask for gold and elephants from Hu and his son? Do you really think that the Ming Dynasty lacks his gold and silver treasures? No, this is what I suggested to Your Majesty. The important thing is not the gold, but the elephants!"

"What does Mr. Cao Guo mean?" Liu Sheng asked with gazing eyes.

Li Jinglong smiled and said: "The Annan Kingdom has always had war elephant troops as a weapon, just like the iron kite to Xixia and the iron floating map to the Jin Kingdom. Now our army has many firecrackers and artillery, which may have a miraculous effect on it, but only in Guangxi." There are too few elephants to be verified. Instead of transporting them from Yunnan and Guizhou, it is better to have Annan send them to us. This is one of the reasons."

"The second thing is, have you ever heard of the story of 'Cao Chong weighing the elephant'?"

"Of course I've heard of it."

"Elephants must not use the pontoon bridge to cross the Furian River, otherwise it will collapse, so it can only be transported by heavy stern ships. Our army has hot air balloons and telescopes. We only need to let the Eagle Watch observe once from the hot air balloon. , the number, distribution, and reaction speed of the large warships hidden in the water stronghold by the enemy navy were all known to our army."

In this way, Liu Sheng suddenly realized.

In fact, Liu Sheng really only thought about the same level as Hu and his son, thinking that Ming Dynasty was performing a "clumsy delaying strategy", but he had no idea that the gold and silver treasures they loved were just to add to their wealth!

What Ming Dynasty really needs is these one hundred elephants!

In addition, the action of sending an envoy has a third meaning.

"Then what is Cao Guogong's plan?" Xu Yingxu pointed at the map.

Li Jinglong raised the letter in his hand, which was exactly what Zheng He had sent back to Guangxi by sea a while ago.

After Xu Yingxu and Liu Sheng circulated it, Xu Yingxu asked: "Are we going to land at the port of the Champa Kingdom as the Sanbao eunuch said, and then attack Hengshan Pass and attack the Annan Kingdom from the north and the south?"

"No."

Li Jinglong shook his head and tapped the baton directly on one point.

"this?"

Xu Yingxu and Liu Sheng were both a little surprised.

"Isn't this a little too bold?"

There was a reason for the two people's surprise, because the location Li Jinglong pointed to was none other than the western capital of Annan Kingdom, Qinghua Mansion!

Annan has two capitals. The eastern capital, Thang Long, is located in the core area of ​​the Red River Plain, while the western capital, Thanh Hoa, is located in the coastal area. It is also the largest city in Annan, with a large population and an extremely developed economy.

Of course, this also means that the local defense force is very strong, and it is obviously difficult to force a landing from here.

But once successful, the results are immediate.

Not only does it have important political significance to capture the enemy's Xidu, but it also has great military significance, which is equivalent to directly cutting off the Annan Kingdom in the middle!

"Do you understand why we have to send an envoy to delay the attack even though we can launch an attack now? It's because Zheng He's letter and Pan Maxiu's withdrawal time are synchronized, and we have to wait for Pan Mahiu and their troops. The troops in Annan Kingdom that may become a variable in the end were transferred to the Furiang River defense line in the north. As a result, the entire south is completely empty, and our army can kill it with one strike!"

Next, Li Jinglong explained to the two in detail the amphibious landing tactics Jiang Xinghuo taught him.

"Our army is in the north, facing off against the enemy on the Fuliang River. After Qinghua lands, the enemy will be in a panic when they are attacked from both sides. Regardless of whether the Hu family and his son bring their troops back, they can use thunderous force to concentrate heavy artillery fire to cover the crossing of the river. Completely break through this natural chasm, and if the two are combined, Annan will be defeated and our army will win!"

At this moment, Cao Ada, a general of the family, suddenly came to report.

"My lord, a servant from the Annan Kingdom secretly came to see him, saying that his master entrusted him with an important military intelligence report."

Li Jinglong, Xu Yingxu, and Liu Sheng were all stunned.

What does it mean?

Jiang Gan stole the book or Xu You ran away at night?