Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 170: Are Westerners Kind and Gentle? The Largest Uprising in History Before the Ming Dynasty! [Subscription Request]

Liu Kuan didn't expect that a month later, Zhu Yuanzhang was still thinking about the Western Industrial Revolution.

However, this also shows that Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to the social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.

Liu Kuan recalled what he knew about Western history and said, "Of course there is."

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered as he heard this. "What was the result? Was there any successful change of dynasty?"

Liu Kuandao said, "Historically, workers' resistance to oppression in the West can be divided into several levels. The first level is manifested by workers gathering together to march and go on strike, thereby making demands on those in power to improve their treatment."

"The second level manifests itself as riots, often without unified organization, where angry workers take to the streets, beating, smashing, looting, and even killing and setting fires."

"But this is also a way for them to express their dissatisfaction and anger, and also to improve their treatment. It does not mean to overthrow those in power and take over themselves."

"The third level manifests itself as uprising and revolution, directly overthrowing the government in power by force and establishing a new one."

“If we only look at the first two, there are many successful examples of Western workers resisting tyranny and oppression.”

"After numerous demonstrations, strikes, and even riots, it's possible that those in power and the capitalists will actually improve their treatment."

"But if they demonstrate the third form of resistance, the results are often ironic. Looking at later Western history, there have been a handful of instances where they overthrew the ruling royal government, but it wasn't long before power was usurped by capitalists."

“Although the capitalists did improve workers’ treatment to a certain extent in order to appease them after seizing power, there is no doubt that it is not the workers but the capitalists who hold power.”

After hearing Liu Kuan's narration, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were surprised at first, and then they fell into deep thought.

Neither the father nor the son had expected that the workers' uprisings in Western history would have such an outcome.

At this time, Liu Kuan added, "Also, in later history, the so-called workers' uprisings in the West, even at their largest, only affected a few large cities. In fact, even France, the country that Western workers most loved to rebel against, was actually about the same size as a province of the Ming Dynasty."

"For the next several hundred years in the West, France was always among the top three countries in terms of strength and territory."

"That is to say, even if a nationwide workers' rebellion broke out in a major Western country like France, the actual impact would be limited to our province."

"Finally, even if the workers rose up in armed uprising, the intensity of the fighting would be far less than what we have here, and there would rarely be bloodshed."

"The scope of these wars was often limited to the struggle for a few major cities. There had never been an incident in our history where a whole city or even an entire area was massacred, as in the peasant uprisings and dynastic changes."

After hearing Liu Kuan's addition, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were even more surprised. It could even be said that they had never expected this situation to happen.

Zhu Yuanzhang was incredulous and said, "According to what you said before, Western capitalists exploit workers so badly, and most of the time they just organize strikes and demonstrations?"

"Won't the authorities suppress such actions? Once the army is sent in, what's the point of the so-called parade?"

"Also, according to what you said, after they rose up and really fought against their own court, they seemed to behave... quite 'gentle'?"

At this time, Zhu Biao frowned and thought, "Brother-in-law, could it be that the people of the West are kind and docile by nature?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he shook his head to deny this guess.

"No, their capitalists exploited the people so much, and after the Age of Discovery, they invaded and enslaved other peoples around the world. It's clear that Westerners are not kind people."

"So, it's probably because the lower-class people are more docile?"

Liu Kuan smiled and said, "Your Highness, due to differences in culture and history, many things in the West differ from ours. As to how great these differences are, Your Highness, please listen to me tell you another story."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao both liked to listen to Liu Kuan talk about future events and things they didn't know, because this often meant broadening their horizons.

Both father and son immediately showed anticipation.

Liu Kuandao said, "Earlier, I talked about Western workers resisting oppression and tyranny. But before the Industrial Revolution, most of these workers were farmers and herdsmen. Didn't they also suffer from oppression and tyranny at that time?"

"In fact, any regime, in its later stages, will inevitably experience the emergence of incompetent monarchs, treacherous ministers, and jesters. This is accompanied by chaos in the court, corruption in the bureaucracy, a loss of control over local areas and grassroots organizations, and the loss of restraint on the powerful, gentry, and landlords, who begin to exploit the people."

"Through later studies of Western history, we have discovered that their various regimes performed much worse than we did in this regard."

"First, the proportion of enlightened and capable monarchs is far lower than ours, as is the proportion of good and capable ministers. This means that the periods of prosperity brought about by the establishment of their new regimes are often short-lived."

"The behavior of their monarchs and dignitaries during most of their regimes was similar to that of our late dynasties."

"Secondly, the proportion of free farmers in each regime throughout history has always been low, or very small. The majority have been slaves or tenant farmers of the powerful."

"This often means that their powerful elites can exploit their people even more recklessly, with little restraint from higher-ups."

"In fact, the powerful in the West are called lords and nobles. They have all rights within the territory, even the right to the virginity of women in the territory."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were both stunned.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but ask, "According to what you said, the ruling methods of these Western rulers seem similar to those of the Mongols? Or even more harshly treat the people than the Mongols?"

Liu Kuan thought about it and found that what Lao Zhu said was quite right.

So he laughed and said, "Your Majesty, in history, no Western regime has ever dammed the Yellow River like the Mongols did. Western monarchs and powerful people are not only cruel and harsh to their people, but also short-sighted."

Zhu Biao's brows furrowed into a frown as he said, "If that were the case, wouldn't farmers and herdsmen in the West often rise up in rebellion before the Industrial Revolution?"

Liu Kuan shook his head. "Your Highness's speculation is completely contrary to the facts. Before the Industrial Revolution, there were almost no large-scale riots by farmers and herdsmen in the West, or armed resistance to tyranny and oppression by the powerful."

"Even small-scale riots and rebellions are often quickly suppressed by the military led by the powerful."

"Speaking of which, Western history stretches back thousands of years, yet there has never been a single successful peasant uprising. There haven't even been any examples of peasant uprisings that expanded beyond a single city or region."

How could this be? !
Old Zhu and Zhu Biao looked at each other and felt that they were truly eye-opening.

Zhu Yuanzhang rose to power through a peasant uprising and became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Biao was well-versed in historical books of all dynasties, so what Liu Kuan had just said was almost unimaginable and incomprehensible to them.

China has had the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising since the end of the Qin Dynasty. Although Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty, was not a pure commoner like Zhu Yuanzhang who had nothing, he could not be called a powerful person either and was still an ordinary citizen.

Many of his generals came from the lower classes of the people.

The establishment of the Han Dynasty can be said to be a success of the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty. Although Liu Bang and others became the new feudal nobles, at least they overthrew the original regime and replaced the original wave of nobles.

Later, the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty, though unsuccessful, ended a 400-year period of turmoil within the Han Dynasty. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were also numerous uprisings by the lower classes, both military and civilian, though none of them were successful. However, these uprisings were numerous and often widespread—compared to the popular uprisings in the West described by Liu Kuan, almost every one of them could be described as "large."

The Sui Dynasty unified the north and the south, but within a few decades, the great uprising broke out at the end of the Sui Dynasty due to the tyranny of Emperor Yang of Sui and some problems left over from the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

This great uprising was naturally based on the vast number of peasants who could not bear the oppression of tyranny. However, many aristocratic families and powerful people left over from the Southern and Northern Dynasties saw the opportunity to participate in it, and eventually seized the fruits of victory in the uprising.

Even so, there were representatives of peasant uprisings among the princes at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and that was Dou Jiande, King of Hebei.

According to historical records, Dou Jiande's family has been farmers for generations, and he may have been a small landlord. The highest "official position" he held in the Sui Dynasty was only the head of a village. In terms of background, his family background was similar to that of Liu Bang.

Although Dou Jiande was defeated, he was regarded as Li Tang's strongest enemy before he unified the world, and Dou Jiande himself was also admired by Li Shimin.

Later, the peasant uprisings at the end of the Tang Dynasty were even more brutal, and the scope even affected almost the entire Tang Dynasty. There were also people like Huang Chao who attacked the capital several times, and staged a drama of "the inner treasury was burned to ashes, and the bones of the nobles were trampled on the streets", which almost changed the dynasty!
Although the Zhao Song Dynasty was defeated and oppressed by the Liao, Xia, and Jin dynasties, and was eventually destroyed by the Mongols, there are still many historical materials from the Song Dynasty in existence today. After reading these materials, Zhu Biao realized that peasant uprisings in the Song Dynasty were endless.

The largest of these was the Manichaeism uprising in Jiangsu and Zhejiang led by Fang La, and the peasant uprisings in Huguang, Hebei and Shandong were also quite large in scale.

Zhu Biao once discussed the history of the Zhao Song Dynasty with Zhu Yuanzhang. After analysis, he believed that if the Zhao Song Dynasty had not been oppressed by the external Liao and Xia dynasties, and if its administration and army had not been too weak, it would have been overthrown by peasant uprisings like the Han and Tang dynasties.

By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the scale and intensity of the Red Turban Rebellion far exceeded the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty and the peasant uprising at the end of the Tang Dynasty.

Decades ago, except for a few places such as Hebei, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Shanxi where the Mongol Yuan Dynasty had strong rule, the Red Turban Army was everywhere!
Among them were Han Shantong and Liu Futong, pioneers of the uprising who fought head-on against the Mongol army in the Central Plains and were ultimately crushed to pieces.

There were also Zhu Yuanzhang, Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen and others who rose up in the south, eliminated local Mongol nobles and replaced the local rulers of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

The most heroic of them was the three northern expeditions launched by Liu Futong after he took control of Han Song. Zhu Biao always sighed when he talked with Zhu Yuanzhang about the three northern expeditions of the Red Turban Army.

At that time, the Eastern Army was led by Mao Gui. In November of the 17th year of Zhizheng, they attacked Dadu from Xuzhou via Shandong. They won victory after victory and advanced into Hebei, forcing the Mongol emperor and his ministers to panic and want to move the capital.

However, the Mongols were still powerful at that time, and the Eastern Army led by Mao Gui was eventually defeated in Liulin by the various Mongols who came to support the king.

After the defeat, Mao Gui had to retreat back to Shandong to rebuild his strength.

The battle lasted nearly half a year.

The Western Army first led by Li Wu and Cui De as main generals, and in June of the 16th year of Zhizheng, they attacked Shaanxi from Henan.

At that time, the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in Shaanxi was also quite powerful, and there were capable Han generals like Li Siqi.

The Western Route Army fought repeatedly with the Mongolian Yuan army at Tongguan, and Tongguan changed hands several times.

Later, the Western Route Army bypassed the main force of the Mongol Yuan army at Tongguan, entered Shaanxi from Wugu Pass, broke through Shangzhou, seized Qipan Mountain, occupied Lantian, and marched straight to Bashang.

Unfortunately, he was eventually defeated by Mongol generals such as Li Siqi and Chagan Temur and was forced to retreat into Sichuan.

Later, Liu Futong sent generals such as Bai Bushin, Dadao Ao, and Li Xixi to reinforce the Western Route Army. Unfortunately, the reinforcements were defeated again and retreated into Sichuan.

Soon after the two western armies joined forces, they once again attacked Fengxiang Prefecture in Shaanxi from Sichuan. However, they were defeated miserably by Chagan Temur's pincer attack from both inside and outside the city of Fengxiang Prefecture. Tens of thousands of their men were beheaded by the Mongol army, and their corpses were scattered for hundreds of miles!

The defeated army in the west was divided into two. Li Wu and Cui De's troops went north and fought in Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. They persisted until the 21st year of Zhizheng, when they were captured and surrendered by Li Siqi.

Li Xixi led the remaining troops south through Sichuan to Huguang and Jiangxi, and finally surrendered to Chen Youliang.

Even if we count from the disastrous defeat in Fengxiang, the Western Route Army's Northern Expedition lasted for more than a year.

What shocked Zhu Biao the most was the Northern Expedition Army in the middle route.

The central route of the Northern Expedition Army was led by General Guan and General Po Tou Pan. In June of the 17th year of Zhizheng's reign, they attacked Shanxi from Caozhou, Shandong.

The Central Army also won victory after victory at the beginning, conquering Lingchuan, Gaoping, Luzhou, Taiyuan and other places. Later, because the Mongolian Yuan army intercepted it at a dangerous pass, the Central Army could not move eastward as planned to join the Eastern Army in Hebei, so it went north to capture Datong and Yanmen.

Later, he continued to move northward to the grassland and captured the Yuan Dynasty's capital Kaiping!
After that, they moved to Liaoyang Province. The Red Turban Army in the middle route had more troops than decreased, with the maximum number of people reaching over 100,000. At the peak of their power, they invaded Goryeo.

After entering Goryeo, the Red Turban Army marched southwards. Upon hearing the news, the Goryeo people followed them. By the time they reached the Goryeo capital of Kaesong, there were tens of thousands of Goryeo people who had joined the Red Turban Army!

Hundreds of thousands of Red Turban Army captured Kaifeng in one fell swoop!
The King of Goryeo fled south, and the Goryeo nobles trapped in the city offered their wealth and women to the Red Turban Army generals in order to save their lives.

At this point, although the Central Red Turban Army failed to complete the Northern Expedition mission assigned by Liu Futong, it was still at its peak!
It is almost like the restoration of Korea after the Tang Dynasty (the name Korea has existed since ancient times).

Unfortunately, it declined after reaching its peak.

According to reports from spies Zhu Yuanzhang later sent into Goryeo, the main force of the Red Turban Army in the middle, including Guan Yu, was destroyed at the end of December in the 21st year of Zhizheng, just before the New Year.

At that time, the heavy snow had just stopped for several days, and the main force of the Red Turban Army was mostly keeping warm in the camp outside the city. They lost their vigilance because they were tempted by the Koreans with women and money.

It would be a good idea for the powerful Goryeo general Lee Seong-gye to take advantage of the opportunity and enter Kaesong with thousands of elite cavalry with the cooperation of Goryeo's internal forces.

Afterwards, they cooperated with the Goryeo army in the south and defeated the Red Turban Army outside Kaesong City, capturing and killing more than 100,000 people!
In the end, only Po Toupan led more than 10,000 light cavalry to escape, headed north to Liaoyang, and surrendered to Bolo Temur.

The Red Turban Army's Northern Expedition lasted four years and was finally defeated...
However, although Liu Futong's three northern expeditions failed, they bought time and opportunities for the Red Turban Army in the south.

In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang stood out from many potential talents, unified the Red Turban Army in the south, and established the Ming Dynasty.

Afterwards, he led an army of 200,000 to 300,000 troops northward into the Central Plains and issued the "Edict to the Central Plains".

Drive out the barbarians and restore China. Establish laws and disciplines to save the people!

The first northern expedition destroyed the Yuan capital!
Although the Mongols retreated to the grasslands, the Ming Dynasty inherited the Red Turban Army's ambition and has conquered the Northern Yuan three times so far, vowing to destroy the barbarians!
It was because they knew about peasant uprisings throughout the dynasties and had personally experienced the massive and large-scale uprising like the Red Turban Rebellion in the late Yuan Dynasty that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao found it difficult to understand why there had not been a single peasant uprising in the West to overthrow the regime, or even a decent peasant uprising.

Old Zhu and Zhu Biao thought about these things, and it took them a long time to come back to their senses.

Zhu Biao could not help but ask, "Why are things in the West so different from ours?"

　First update.

　　[Sorry, I was so moved by the historical materials about the Red Turban Rebellion in this chapter that I was so excited to write that I didn't pay attention to controlling the proportion of historical materials in the article. Fortunately, this chapter is quite long, and I will try to write a few more free chapters with more words (200 words are charged, and if there are more than words but less than words, there will be no charge) as compensation.]

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(End of this chapter)