Seiwa

November of the fourth year of Yongle

The imperial army marched into Annan from Guangxi and Yunnan.

Shen Xuan led his troops down to Kailing Pass and rushed to attack Qinzhan.Hearing that the bandit army set up an ambush at Qin Station, General Yingyang ordered the governor, Lu Yi, and the governor, Huang Zhong, to lead the search. When they found the thief, they were captured and killed immediately.

"If the bandits flee, they must go to the eastern capital. Before the boat division arrives, our army can build a pontoon bridge at Changjiang City Bridge and set up wooden forts to patrol the river for defense. After joining forces with Deputy General Zuo, we will dispatch the bandits to both the eastern and western capitals."

Zhang Fu's proposal was approved by more than half of the generals.

Since the invasion of Annan, Zhang Fu has become more calm and thoughtful in his actions, and every suggestion can be pointed at the vital point.The generals who had worked with Zhang Yu all lamented that the tiger father has no dogs, and Shi Meiquan knows it, so he can smile freely.

As the commander-in-chief of the army, Shen Xuanguang accepted the suggestion of his subordinates that whenever there is a war, they should wear armor and stand under the banner, and say loudly: "When a man succeeds in serving the country, it is time to serve the country!"

When the drums sounded, it was not uncommon for the coach to take the lead in the charge.

An Nanjun didn't know Shen Xuan. Even if he had heard of his reputation and met him for the first time, it would be difficult for him to connect the jade-faced Xuanjia Duke Dingguo with the legendary God of Killing.

In general, tragedy can be expected.

The cavalry could not be deployed in densely forested areas with water nets, so Shen Xuan ordered the cavalry to retreat, and the infantry to step forward, facing the enemy with a battle formation formed of firecrackers and long spears.

The chariot with the mask and tarpaulin was pushed forward, the tarpaulin was uncovered, and the black muzzle was facing the Bangzhai made of wood, bamboo and mud.

In the eyes of the Ming army, the Annan people's city-state is completely a tofu project, and has nothing to do with the word "solid".

In terms of the depth of the city, the Ming Dynasty dared to be the second, and no one dared to be the first.

It's time to let these short-sighted frogs in the well go to Nanjing City to observe it, or go to the frontier to broaden their horizons, so that they can really know what a strong city is and what a fortress is.

The Annan defenders at the top of the city opened their bows and arrows, set up trebuchets, and occasionally there were a few firecrackers. According to their shapes and black smoke when they were fired, it was not difficult to guess that they were fire sticks eliminated by the Ming army.

These fire sticks did not pose a threat to the army, so why they appeared in the hands of the Annan people is worth pondering.

"Invite Li Canjun to come." Shen Xuan held clairvoyance, looked towards the direction of the city, and gave orders to the soldiers, "Just say that the commander has something important to discuss with him."

Whether it was moths in the Ministry of War and the five-army governor's mansion, or whether someone had the audacity to teach Annan the technology of making firecrackers must be investigated to the end.

The soldiers are fighting desperately in front, but there are villains who do such things for their own self-interest, they really deserve to be killed!

Li Canjun arrived from the rear army, Shen Xuan handed him the clairvoyant and said: "Li Canjun, please take a look."

Li Canjun, who was dressed in a crimson official uniform and wearing golden pheasant patches, also noticed the problem, and his face was solemn, "In the opinion of the general army, what should we do with this matter?"

"I was ordered by the emperor to conquer Annan, and the military affairs should be the most important thing. Please join the army and take care of this matter."

Li Canjun's expression changed, Ding Guogong's words were indeed true, but even if he worked hard on the military, he would not delay in educating the court.

Thinking about the deep meaning in Shen Xuan's words, Li Jun gripped the rein tightly, faintly agitated.

"Your official understands the meaning of the duke." Li Canjun cupped his hands on the horse and said, "This kind of rebellion against the imperial court will definitely be reported to the emperor!"

"So good."

Shen Xuan raised his clairvoyance again, without further words, Li Canjun turned his horse back with an upright face.

He didn't clarify the matter thoroughly, but it was already tacit.

Shen Xuan gave Li Jun the opportunity to make meritorious deeds in front of the emperor, and Li Jun naturally wanted to accept his favor.Even if there is a lot of risk hidden behind this credit, which may affect the nerves of a certain big man in the court, Li Canjun must firmly grasp it.

"The Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, the Military Weapons Bureau, the Military Battle Bureau, and even..." A certain feudal lord!

Li Jun murmured, his excitement was no less than that of being admitted to the gold list back then.

With the army on an expedition, the commander is Duke Ding, the deputy generals are Marquis Xiping and Marquis Xincheng, all capable ministers who are valued by the emperor.There are also Jingnan heroes like Li Bin, Marquis of Fengcheng, in the army. If Li joins the army to make meritorious service, his chances are very slim.

It is impossible for him to dictate in the military, and it is even more impossible for him to slash and kill with a knife and gun.

Before he set off, the goal he set for himself was nothing but success, and he kept his mouth shut when he raised his account before the war, and acted like a yamen.When the class teacher returns to the court, he can continue to serve in the Ministry of War and not be robbed of his job by a colleague, it is considered a success.

Unexpectedly, a surprise fell from the sky, Duke Ding suddenly gave him such a big gift.

The Son of Heaven has long intended to rectify the Six Divisions in Nanjing, the Hanlin Academy, Dali Temple, Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Six Divisions, all of which are haunted by Jinyiwei.

Since the rise of the six ministries in Beijing, the efficiency of officials in Nanjing and the tacit understanding in the officialdom have made the emperor displeased.It's a matter of time before you get under the knife.The difference lies in where the knife is cut, whether the first knife is to cut the flesh or let the blood out.

Li Jun understands that his memorial will become a sharp knife in the hands of the emperor, and there will be a bloody storm in the court.

"so what?"

Thinking of the news he got before leaving Beijing, Li Jun's expression turned cold instantly.

Want to replace him?Also see if you have this ability!

If the other party is unkind, don't blame him for being unrighteous.

Do a round of criticizing the current malpractices, impeaching corrupt officials and admonishing officials, the emperor reuses it without mentioning it, and it will be famous in history.

Pulling the reins, Li Jun looked back. It is said that Duke Ding and Uncle Xing Ning are very close friends. Being too close to Duke Ding would arouse suspicion. But it makes more sense.

Ever since Daning made his fortune, who didn't know that Uncle Xingning was a God of Wealth no matter how big or small?

"join the army?"

"nothing."

He should carefully consider how to write the Shangshu to the emperor, which is more appropriate.

Li Jun returned to the rear army, and Shen Xuan ordered to bombard the city.

Five French cannons and more than a dozen tiger squatting cannons lined up. Amidst the thunderous cannon fire, a huge gap was smashed into the earth wall less than three meters in an instant.

A huge iron ball fell from the sky accompanied by a roar, and when it was brushed by the iron ball, it would either die or be disabled.Annan's army, who was accustomed to bullying its neighbors, had encountered such a powerful enemy for the first time since the year of Hong Wu. Let alone face-to-face combat, it would be thankful not to be smashed to death by an iron ball.

The Ming army seemed not in a hurry to attack with the whole army, but wanted the Annan people to fully experience the power of artillery.

Small sample, if I don't beat you up, do you really think I'm invincible?

The defenders in the city were panic-stricken, and Xipinghou's firecracker team was already frightening, but the artillery of the Ming army was the bigger killer.

If it weren't for Mu Sheng's tricks, the usurping King Hu would not try to get the fire sticks eliminated by the Ming army, let alone exchange porcelain and silk several times higher than the value with the big food merchants for firearms on board.

The Hu family has always hoped to obtain the craftsmen and firearms manufacturing technology of the Ming Dynasty, and for this reason they did not hesitate to invade the borders of the Ming Dynasty several times, robbing food and livestock, and even looting the population.It's a pity that no matter how well King Hu thinks, it's just a delusion.Even if there are craftsmen who can make firearms in Guangxi, how can they be easily snatched away by him?

Not only did his calculation fail, but Zhu Di missed him because of his brave behavior.

Generally speaking, anyone who is targeted by Emperor Yong Le will not end well.For example, the Northern Yuan Dynasty, or Tatar.

Annan was very unlucky, he ran wildly on the road to death, and handed the stick to Zhu Di while running.If you behave like this, if you don't deal with him, you will feel sorry for Zhu Di's conscience.

Emperor Yongle showed great kindness, and the Ming army was devastated. He used new firearms and cold and hot weapons to form troops, and taught the Annan Hu family the most vivid lesson.

It doesn't matter if you die, but it matters a lot if you die at the inappropriate time, in the inappropriate place, and in front of the inappropriate people.

Its end is often a one-way ticket to the Palace of Hades.

Want to return, unless a miracle happens.

After several salvos of artillery fire, the so-called "city" in front of them basically became ruins of earth, rocks and broken trees.

"Siege!"

When the order was issued, Shen Xuan himself felt that something was wrong.Looking at the Annan defenders fleeing in all directions in the ruins, they temporarily changed the word "catch people".

The ordered Ming army divided into several teams, put away their firecrackers, and attacked the fleeing Annan defenders with only crossbow arrows.

Some of the arrows are smeared with poison, the dose is not fatal, but it can paralyze the limbs of the person hit by the arrow, making them unable to move.

The poison was gifted by Dao Meng, a local official in Luzhou, and Mo Sui, a native of Nance.Many of the Ming troops who pursued were warriors sent by native officials and neighbors and friendly troops who had long been dissatisfied with the Hu family.

"General Rong, do you want to send troops to station?"

Shen Xuan looked at Zhang Fu who was leading the team, and then at the ruined city-state, the meaning was obvious, stationed here?How to station?

Zhang Fu stopped talking.

It seems that there is no way to station.

As December approached, the battle situation was urgent. Compared with building a house, it was obviously more important to attack Annan's eastern and western capitals.

As for whether the Annan people will make a comeback after the army leaves, as long as they have brains, they will basically not do so.The wall that can withstand the artillery is gone, and then run back, line up and wait to be hit by an iron ball?

Qin stood for a while, and the guards at various passes set up by Annan heard that the Ming army was coming, so they abandoned the pass and fled after a few miles away.

The army advanced triumphantly all the way to the north of the Fuliang River, and successively regained the land occupied by the Hu family. At the beginning of December, they joined forces with Baihe, the outpost army of Marquis Xiping.

The forward generals sent by Mu Sheng are all in command of Yu Rang. Seeing Shen Xuan, Yu Rang elaborated on Xipinghou's marching plan.

"The left deputy general ordered the general to arrive here, Hou Zongrong, and ordered the general to report to the general. When the army enters Annan, they will all obey the orders of the general, and there will be no exceptions."

Seeing Shen Xuan nodding his head, Yu Rang said again, there are [-] village chieftains leading the army, and they hope to fight against the rebellion together with the army.

"We are at odds with the Li family's thieves!"

The dark-skinned, short but extraordinarily strong son of the chieftain led the army himself, and the scar on his chest was given by the Annan Army.

"Your Majesty's kindness is profound and far-reaching, and he recommends people with sincerity. If you ask for it, I will naturally accept it."

Shen Xuan agreed to the request of the eight hundred villages, and ordered the warriors in the six hundred villages to be properly settled.

The next day, the army set off and continued to advance towards Annan.

This time, the army will face a defensive line that stretches for more than [-] miles, centered on the eastern and western capitals of Annan, formed by water network dense forests and bamboo thorn fences.

The sentinels reported that many wooden poles were lowered at the river mouth to block the Ming boat division. Deep ditches and shallow moats were dug around the villages and along the roads, and bamboo thorns were inserted all over the place.

There was a puppet judge from Daizhou who sentenced Deng Yuanyuan, Motamoyuan from Nancezhou in Jiangfu, etc. to come to see him, and secretly reported that the Hu family in Annan sent all the old, young, women and children in the country to guard the city. With Liang Minxian and Cai Bole as commanders, they secretly set up elephant formations, waited for work with ease, and launched a surprise attack when the army was exhausted.

After the news report, the coach's account fell into complete silence.

From Shen Xuan down, everyone was "shocked" by Annan's generosity.

It turns out that there is no best at blowing, only better at blowing.

Meng Qinghe blew up the imperial court's 30 troops into 80. Although 50 was an imaginary number, the 30 troops were all real soldiers.

Annan is good, directly blowing out a land and water army of 700 million!

Counting the Annan citizens at this time, it is unknown whether they can reach this number.Emperor Yong Le didn't even speak so loudly, Hu Yiyuan was hit on the head by a stone falling from the sky, right?

According to Xing Ningbo, this is the so-called spiritual victory method?

It can be seen that Annan, who claims to have a land and water army of 700 million, and Smecta, who has a history of tens of thousands of years, should have quite a common language.

"cough!"

Shen Xuan clenched his fist to his lips and coughed lightly.

He has gone through many things since he was young, learned to fight as soon as he was sensible, and went to the battlefield when he was able to wield a long spear. The Tartars and enemy troops who died under his hands are countless.

To be honest, except for Meng Qinghe, who occasionally wanders into the void, the people and things that can surprise him can definitely be counted with a single slap.

Annan's information really shocked him for a while, and he couldn't even listen to it as a joke.

Shen Xuan, Zhang Fu and the others were all wondering, how stupid was the Chen family to be robbed of the throne by the Hu family?Or is it that small countries with few people are like this, bragging and not drafting, which is seriously divorced from reality?

"Zong Rong, according to my subordinates, it is better to break out of the camp today!"

Such a brain lacks a string, it is impossible to say that it is immortal.

"No hurry." Shen Xuan said, "This is just a few people's words, not enough to be fully believed. You should send people to investigate the facts before making a conclusion. The army is out, going deep into the enemy's territory, and you should be cautious in everything. It is not advisable to trust credulously, and it is even more inadvisable to underestimate the enemy. .”

Most of the generals were not aggressive, and the general who proposed to pull out the camp quickly calmed down after being broadcast by Shen Xuan, grinning embarrassedly, "President Rong, it's my subordinates who made a mistake."

Seeing him like this, all the generals laughed.

Laughter spread to the ears of the warriors accompanying the army, admiration and surprise arose at the same time.

As expected of the Celestial Army, there is no sense of urgency before the battle, and they must be confident.

This is the demeanor of the Shang Kingdom, the majesty of the Heavenly Army!The Annan rats, who usually show off their might and power, are nothing but a pile of dregs!

In December of the fourth year of Yongle, the Ming army's boat division cleared the sunken wood in the river mouth, and the army crossed the river by boat, breaking through several city defenses in Annan.

Xinmao, general Xiping Musheng who conquered Annan Zuofu personally led troops to fight, captured the Xuanjiang River, marched to the north bank of the Taojiang River, joined forces with the army led by Shen Xuan, and confronted Duobang City on the opposite side of the river.

Shen Xuan ordered the right deputy general Xincheng Hou Zhangfu to lead his troops to cut wood and build a boat, and sent horse infantry to cut wood and build a pontoon bridge [-] li downstream of the Tao River, as a gesture of crossing the river to confuse the enemy.

Sure enough, the guards in the city caught the trick and sent people across the river to chop and burn the pontoon bridge by night.The Ming army's ambush soldiers took advantage of the situation and rushed out, beheading more than [-] people, capturing five river boats, and injuring countless enemies.

Since then, the defenders of many countries have been strictly guarded, and the Ming army simply built boats and bridges in the daytime, even if the arrows from the city interfered, it would not affect it in the slightest.

Really impatient, Shen Xuan ordered to bombard the other side.

The huge iron ball rolled down, but the city wall was unobstructed, but the people were so frightened that they lost their voices.

After a few times of deterrence, the Ming army was refreshed, humming a little song while building the bridge, and occasionally raised their heads and smiled friendly at the defenders on the city.

The defenders in the city almost collapsed.

Out of the city to sneak attack, dare not.

The archery interfered, and an iron ball hit him immediately.

Scolding loudly, people have amplifying tools in their hands, and their voices are several times louder than their own.

But just stay in the city like this, waiting for the Ming army to build the bridge, and push the chariots and cannons to attack the city?

The general defending the city hugged his head and slammed it against the wall. Is there such a thing as bullying?Do you have!

Just when Shen Xuan led the army to bully... uh... crusade against Annan, Pingxiang and the surrounding areas launched a vigorous mass production campaign to get rid of poverty and become rich.

"If you want to get rich, build roads first! If you want to build roads, cut down trees first!"

Regardless of how these two slogans are despised by environmentalists, under the mobilization of Li Qingqing, the magistrate of Pingxiang County, the strong men in the county and the villages led by the surrounding chieftains took up machetes and axes one after another, and followed the route of the imperial army to go to Annan Start a logging campaign.

When the felled timber was transported back, it was sent to the Pingxiang county government office, where Li Daling's clan brother came forward to buy it at a price.

Regardless of Li Qingqing's low official position, the Li family he was born in was quite a force in Siming Mansion.Li's father was the last magistrate of Pingxiang County. Li Qingqing was not selected by the imperial examination and the Ministry of officials, but directly inherited his father's position by the emperor's grace.

This is almost impossible in Yingtian and Shuntian prefectures.However, in Guangxi, Yunnan and other places, only local clans like the Li family have enough strength to subdue the subordinate chieftains and border residents.

Take a look at someone who is not familiar with the place?

It will be missing within a month.

Meng Qinghe cooperated with Li County Magistrate to make money, and Zhu Neng also participated in a share.The chieftain led the warriors and the southwestern border residents to carry out logging campaigns. By the way, they cleared up the remnants of the Hu family hidden in various places after the army left, and also dug out many grain depots stored by the Annan army. It was a surprise.

Meng Qinghe didn't dare to make decisions without authorization, and after discussing with Zhu Neng, he dispatched his own soldiers to catch up with the army and deliver a letter to Shen Xuan. At the same time, he wrote a memorial about his alliance with Duke Li Daling to distribute "war wealth" and delivered it to Beijing.

It was Zhu Neng's personal guard who delivered the letter, and this personal guard had another identity, the former Jin Yiwei.

It is conceivable that this memorial will definitely be submitted to Yulan as soon as possible.

After the personal guards set off, Zhu Neng took a careful look at Meng Qinghe, made money from the war, and sent money to the emperor, and it was clearly on the table. How did this head grow?

Zhu Neng understood Emperor Yongle, as long as this memorial arrives in Beijing, if he wants to trouble Meng Qinghe, it will depend on whether the emperor agrees.

"Brother is really talented, I feel ashamed to be my brother."

Meng Qinghe: "..."

Ever since Cheng Guogong was recruited to make money together, this "brother", who is full of mouth, calls him younger brother with an unshaven face, doesn't he think he is inferior?

Putting these aside, think about it carefully, hugging Emperor Yongle's thigh, and then leaning against the big tree of Cheng Guogong, it seems not bad?