Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Chapter 3531 The Kingdom of Nanyue

"Your Majesty, please look." Du Yingwu bowed and pointed to the Zhangrong cloth being carried by two eunuchs.

After admiring and stroking it for a while, Li Yanghuan exclaimed, "This is truly a gift from heaven. Uncle is indeed reliable in his work."

Du Yingwu said, "The Ming Dynasty forbade Zhang Rong to go to sea. I spent a lot of money to allow Ming Dynasty merchants to risk taking them out."

"Reward!"

Li Yanghuan continued to stroke the Zhang velvet and said to the eunuch beside him, "Use these two bolts of Zhang velvet to sew a dragon robe for me."

Du Yingwu then pointed to the clock, which was about half a person's height, and said, "Your Majesty, this is a pendulum clock."

"Legend has it that the skill was bestowed upon the Ming Dynasty's retired emperor by an immortal, who then passed it on to the craftsmen."

Li Yanghuan asked, "How do we confirm the time?"

Du Yingwu personally demonstrated the operation and then explained the hour hand and scale in detail.

Today, the four-sided clocks in Kaifeng and Luoyang have minute hands.

However, due to their ingenious design, more than 80% of the clocks sold in the market only have an hour hand.

The machine in front of me only has an hour hand.

Li Yanghuan sat there, staring at it for more than half an hour, before nodding in admiration: "The clock hand is indeed moving; this thing is truly ingenious."

Just as the uncle and nephew were playing, a eunuch ran in to report: "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor requests an audience."

Li Yanghuan frowned: "Why is he here again? Tell him to wait!"

Li Yanghuan held this chief regent in high regard.

But in the last two years, he has become impatient, always feeling that the other party is taking advantage of their age and that he has to be dissuaded from doing anything.

It's perfectly normal to say you raise auspicious beasts and seek elixirs of immortality, isn't it?

Grand Tutor Zhang actually used the example of the incompetent Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, saying that those who did such things were rulers who would bring about the downfall of their kingdoms.

It's obvious he's cursing himself!

Li Yanghuan summoned several of his favorite ministers, had palace maids perform songs and dances, and feasted and made merry with his uncle.

As evening fell, the eunuch came again to report: "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor has been waiting for a long time."

Li Yanghuan asked in surprise, "He hasn't left yet?"

"We've been waiting," the eunuch replied.

Li Yanghuan was at his wit's end and said, "Let him come over."

The chief regent was named Le Bo Ngoc, but he changed his name to Truong Bo Ngoc five years ago in order to distance himself from the Le Dynasty.

Zhang Boyu knelt down tremblingly: "This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Although Li Yanghuan had already embarked on the path of a tyrannical ruler, he was very clever and resourceful. He smiled and said, "Grand Tutor, there's no need for such formalities. Quickly, please offer the Grand Tutor a seat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhang Boyu was helped to sit down by the eunuch.

Li Yanghuan asked, "I wonder what important matter the Grand Tutor has to discuss?"

Zhang Boyu said, "The Ming Dynasty has long since replaced the Song Dynasty and is the legitimate successor of the Central Plains."

"Recently, news has come that the Jin Dynasty in the north has been destroyed and the Ming Dynasty has regained all of the former Liao territory."

"Your Majesty, it is time for my Great Yue to submit to the Ming Kingdom."

Li Yanghuan replied, "Our Great Yue dominates the south, and we are now at peace both internally and externally. Do we still fear the Ming Dynasty?"

"Both Champa and Zhenla have become vassals of the Ming Dynasty,"

Zhang Boyu said.

"Last year, the two countries joined forces to attack. Although my Great Viet army was mighty, it still took a lot of effort to defeat them."

"If the Ming Dynasty were to make a move one day, attacking from three sides along with Champa and Zhenla, how would we defend ourselves?"

Li Yanghuan was certainly not stupid. He immediately sensed that the matter was somewhat tricky and subconsciously nodded, saying, "Grand Tutor is right."

Zhang Boyu continued, "After submitting to the Ming Dynasty, we will take the opportunity to wipe out the barbarian chieftains and warlords in the north!"

In the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, there were many semi-independent tribes at this time.

The Ly Dynasty of Vietnam arranged marriages, marrying princesses to tribal chiefs.

While appeasing and incorporating the tribes, the government also made those tribes the vanguard of the invasion of the Song Dynasty, constantly harassing the Chinese border every now and then.

But now, the Vietnamese monarchy and its officials want to eliminate those tribes!

This is because Vietnam's system and ideology are changing rapidly.

In recent decades, Vietnam has been expanding rapidly, frequently invading its neighboring countries.

Whether it was invading Champa and Zhenla, or sending 100,000 troops to fight the Northern Song Dynasty, it was all driven by the domestic political environment.

The founder of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam was a merchant's son who bribed his way into becoming the commander of the royal guard and even married a princess.

Taking advantage of the internal strife in the Le Dynasty and the young age of the crown prince, he donned the yellow robe!

The Ly Dynasty of Vietnam seized power illegitimately, leading to numerous rebellions.

While reforming and consolidating power, it was also necessary to win over civil and military officials and divert internal conflicts through foreign wars.

A mandatory military service system was implemented nationwide, and the army reached a scale of three able-bodied men supporting one soldier!

They also promoted the feudal manor system, granting titles and land to civil and military officials in a frenzy.

To pay for the heavy military expenses, and to acquire more serfs, the Vietnamese court chose to actively engage in foreign aggression.

Moreover, they often conquered territory but didn't want it, only robbing goods and people to take back to their home country.

Vietnam sent 100,000 troops to attack the Song Dynasty. Although they initially plundered countless things, they soon faced retaliation from the Northern Song.

As a result, the influence of Vietnam's military cliques has been greatly diminished.

Civil officials seized the opportunity to rise to power and began to adopt the imperial examination system. In recent years, they have even relied on military reductions to improve the finances.

Chapter 3532 Supremacy

With the civil service system already relatively mature, external aggression and expansion were unsustainable. The next step was to deal with the separatist forces within the country.

The chieftains in northern Vietnam who have married princesses for generations not only frequently raid China to the north, but also frequently plunder Vietnamese people to the south. They are the primary targets for elimination by the civilian government!

Zhang Boyu said, "Only by submitting to the Ming Dynasty can we escape the danger of being attacked from three sides."

"Moreover, eliminating the barbarian tribes in the northern mountains is also a way of showing goodwill to the Ming Emperor."

"As long as we stabilize the Ming Dynasty, when we attack Champa in the future, the Ming court can remain neutral."

"That makes sense!"

Li Yanghuan was persuaded: "Immediately select envoys and tribute to go to the Ming Dynasty to request investiture."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhang Boyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that the young monarch might act impulsively.

Vietnam, now under the control of civilian officials, may no longer be as aggressive, but it is by no means going to settle down.

Because the feudal manor system remained unchanged, the feudal lords craved war.

They dared not provoke the great northern power again, and from then on they could only target Champa and Zhenla, continuously sending troops to plunder wealth and people.

When Yang Zaixing led his 6,000 new troops through Yongzhou (Nanning), he happened to meet Xia Dajun, who was coming from Guizhou.

In addition, Chen Keda, the prefect of Yongzhou, and Wu Kui, the vice-prefect, held a meeting.

Xia Dajun spoke first: "I was ordered to pacify the various barbarian tribes in the southwest, and I just came from Ziqi Kingdom and Temo Road."

"The self-proclaimed ruler of Qi was unwilling to relinquish his country and title, but only wished to accept the investiture of the Ming Dynasty and become a vassal state."

"The chieftains of Temodao have all expressed their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, but I fear that some of them may be disloyal."

Temodao was a tributary state established during the Song Dynasty. In name, it was on the same level as Yongzhou, but it was always administered by the prefect of Yongzhou.

Chen Keda, as the prefect, explained the situation, saying, "The various barbarian tribes of Temodao have always only outwardly submitted."

"Only by sending troops to fight two battles and inflicting heavy losses on them will they truly become loyal to the Ming Dynasty."

Yang Zaixing asked, "How many local militia and cavemen are there in Yongzhou now?"

Prefect Wu Kui replied, "There are more than 80,000 local and village laborers, most of whom sincerely submitted to us."

"If there is war, we can call for a battle."

"So many?" Yang Zaixing asked in surprise.

Chen Keda smiled and explained, "It's all thanks to the corn and sweet potatoes."

"The agricultural officials carried corn and sweet potato seeds and taught the people of various ethnic groups how to cultivate crops."

"Grain production in many mountainous areas has increased dramatically, and leaders and people of all ethnic groups have benefited from the emperor's grace, making them more willing to obey the orders of the Yongzhou government."

Ethnic minorities are scattered throughout Yongzhou.

Following Nong Zhigao's rebellion, the Northern Song court revised its conscription system.

During Wang Anshi's reforms, he even ordered Yongzhou to establish a baojia system, requiring all ethnic groups to participate in the baojia system.

The establishment of the Baojia system and the conscription of able-bodied men into the army signified a further control over ethnic minority tribes.

Those tribal chiefs must have concealed some information, but they dared not openly defy the imperial court, so they all chose to report some and hide some.

Until the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the number of local militia and cavemen in Yongzhou remained below 50,000, and the government could conscript them into the army at any time.

However, less than ten years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the number of non-Han ethnic minorities registered in Yongzhou nearly doubled.

This is mainly due to the promotion of corn and sweet potatoes, which has brought tangible benefits to ethnic minority tribes.

Their territory is full of mountains, which are perfect for growing corn and sweet potatoes, and the Ming Dynasty even sent agricultural officials to provide guidance.

Wu Kui said, "More than 80,000 men cannot all be conscripted, otherwise the various tribes will surely rebel."

"Recruiting 10,000 men as soldiers and another 10,000 men as laborers is already the limit for Yongzhou."

“Yongzhou has another 3,000 garrison troops, and can also temporarily recruit several thousand Han soldiers and twenty to thirty thousand civilians.”

Yang Zaixing nodded and said, "That's enough."

"We don't expect the Han soldiers and local soldiers who were temporarily recruited to go out of the city to fight. It's enough if they can hold the captured city."

"I have been ordered to train a new army, which will take a year."

"I can guarantee that there will be no major trouble in Yongzhou within a year," Chen Keda said firmly.

Yang Zaixing said, "That would be best."

Chen Keda was a capable and efficient official, but he came from the Chen clan of Xianyou.

In his family, two corrupt officials were arrested last time, one of whom was his own brother.

Chen Keda was dismissed from office, then pardoned and reinstated by the emperor, and was demoted to the desolate place of Yongzhou.

He harbored some resentment towards the imperial court, but he was even more eager to make meritorious contributions and be promoted to wash away his stains, and expanding the territory was the best way to do so!

Yongzhou is very special.

To the northwest lies the newly independent Ziqi Kingdom, to the west is the unruly Temodao, and to the southwest is a long border with the Ly Dynasty of Vietnam.

Chen Keda asked, "What is the court's view on the Annam border?"

Yang Zaixing said, "Annam need not be a concern for the time being."

"The next step is to first destroy the Ziqi Kingdom, subdue the Temodao, and then launch a four-pronged attack on Dali from southern Sichuan, western Hunan, and Guangxi."

"After destroying Dali, we'll deal with Annam."

Upon hearing this, Chen Keda and Wu Kui were instantly invigorated.

Chapter 3533 Tribute

They were all officials implicated in a corruption case and were demoted to this position.