On the eighth day of February in the fourth year of Taichu, the Nanming court paid the annual coins, tea, cloth and other materials as scheduled.
The two parties delivered the goods in Xuzhou.
Hou Xun and Ruan Dacheng, representing Qi and Ming dynasties respectively, had a banquet at Wangyue Tower. The two sides once again reiterated the "brotherly friendship" between the two countries.
Ruan Dacheng handed over about 200 criminals who had fled to Jiangnan since the first year of Taichu (mainly local tyrants and evil gentry in Huguang area) to Hou Xun.
In return, Academician Hou announced that the Fourth Corps (Qin Jianxun's Department) stationed at the Huaihe Defense Line would withdraw to Huguang. In the following time, the Qi army would no longer threaten Hefei.
The delivery process was smooth and smooth. Small boats filled with silver, tea and cloth crossed the Huaihe River and arrived at Xuzhou Pier. After registration, they were loaded on horse-drawn carriages and sent to various places in Daqi.
~~~
On February 12, a rebellion broke out on Ping'an Road. Some large households were unwilling to leave their homeland and incited their tenants to attack the local Qi army, killing and wounding dozens of soldiers.
The rebellion was quickly put down.
In order to avoid the expansion of the rebellion, Deng Changxiong did not carry out large-scale revenge, but only killed several Korean gentry who took the lead in making trouble.
After this battle, the situation on the peninsula gradually stabilized, and soon the first batch of wealthy Korean households embarked on a journey to Liaodong.
Man Gypsophila led a group of Shanxi merchants to continue collecting money everywhere on Ping An Road.
By the end of February, the star-studded Huitong Bank had absorbed more than five million in silver, and the deposit performance of other Shanxi merchants was also gratifying.
The pigs are almost fattened and it's time to kill them.
~~~~
Liu Zhaosun's main energy was once again directed to the north.
The proposed landing in Japan was postponed indefinitely. It would have to wait until at least eight years later, after at least two enemies were eliminated, before Daqi could beat Tokugawa Iemitsu.
The most dangerous enemy is already approaching.
Tsarist Russia, with European support, was determined to fight with its new neighbor in the east.
The time traveler is not afraid, at least he still has the home field advantage.
Given the transportation conditions of the seventeenth century, Tsarist Russia was simply unable (even the Japanese Kwantung Army more than three hundred years later was also unable) to project tens of thousands of troops from Moscow to Sakhalin.
Travelers also know this, so they have always been optimistic about the situation in Sakhalin. Until a few days ago, I heard that there were more than a thousand Cossacks outside Ninggu Pagoda, and Ninggu Pagoda was in danger.
Large-scale military intervention by Tsarist Russia is of course out of the question, but small-scale infiltration can still be achieved.
According to this idea, the Cossacks who were broken into pieces arrived in the Far East one after another. They met in the city of Yaksa and prepared to launch an attack on this strong city.
At the same time, Dulbert's tribe, which invaded the Horqin Grassland, also received full support from Tsarist Russia.
Zasak, the great Khan of Dulbert's tribe, had just driven away Bumbutai and the Horqin people under her command.
This descendant of the Golden Family, whose prestige and power had reached its peak, decided to imitate Lin Dan Khan and become a real Great Khan.
Unfortunately, there is no legal basis. After careful consideration, Zasak decided to collude with Sarhutuktu.
The famous Ramamatuktu brought a golden Buddha (which should be the statue of Zhenwu God) that he claimed had been consecrated in Wudang Mountain.
Such a clumsy lie is not only clumsy, it simply insults the intelligence of the grassland people. However, there is still an endless stream of herdsmen who believe in the Golden Buddha.
Maybe it’s because everyone’s life is too hard.
In short, the two people's commercial flattery seemed to be the rebirth of Kublai Khan and Phagpa (Note 1).
Relying on this mutual hype, Zasak Khan, who was supported by the Russians, rapidly improved his strength, his troops and horses were stronger, and his firearms became sharper, and he regarded himself as the lord of the grassland.
~~~~~
After occupying Horqin, Zasak was busy gathering and contacting the Mongolian tribes, and there was no sign of eastward invasion for the time being.
Liu Zhaosun did not dare to take it lightly. After finally defeating Lin Danhan, Zasak was about to show up again. The power game in the Mongolian grassland was like whack-a-mole.
The Korean War had just ended, and the ministries were in urgent need of rest. This season was not suitable for launching attacks on the grasslands.
The Ministry of War and the General Staff formulated an autumn combat strategy, and the Civil Affairs and Chamber of Commerce also received orders to complete preparations for the Western Expedition within half a year.
The quiet moment after the war was broken again.
The top priority is to defend Sakhalin Island and annihilate the invading enemies. According to the intelligence sent back by Jiang Liu'er, there are about 1,500 Cossacks approaching Ningupa.
In early February, Emperor Wu Ding led a group of his retinues across Tieling Kaiyuan and headed north into Fuyuan to inspect the northern defense line.
According to the comparison of combat power between the two sides, in order to completely wipe out the invading enemy, one thousand more reinforcements must be sent to Sakhalin Island.
~~~~~
The convoy rolled over the muddy road and headed north. After passing Fuyuan, it left the territory of Daqi. As it went forward, the cement road disappeared.
"How many troops does Ning Guta have?"
"With less than five hundred, the Cossacks were driven away the year before last, and the main force of the Fifth Corps withdrew."
Farming has just begun on Sakhalin Island. There is insufficient arable land and a severe shortage of food and supplies. If it were not for snatching on the spot like the Cossacks, it would be difficult for the army to survive on the island.
Emperor Wu Ding planned to build this land as an advance base for the conquest of America. He did not want to copy the colonists' method in North America: killing all the indigenous people.
"Five thousand people can't stand. General Pu ordered the soldiers to withdraw early, and now there are more than 400 people left."
After listening to Li Sanguang's introduction, the Supreme Emperor felt uneasy. These more than 400 people will be divided into two groups, one to guard Ninggu Pagoda and the other to guard Sakhalin Island.
"Fortunately, the local natives and the Cossacks are at odds with each other. Many people volunteered to join Daqi as auxiliary troops. In total, the number of troops should be more than 2,000."
"Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly there was a violent explosion outside, like thunder falling from the sky, horses croaked continuously, and the convoy was noisy.
The heat wave caused by the explosion easily pushed open the carriage door and pushed the two men to the ground. There was a cry of surprise from outside, followed by the sound of firecrackers blasting and bowstrings vibrating.
After a while, Pei Dahu poked half of his head in. Seeing that the Supreme Emperor was safe and sound, he said cautiously:
"Your Majesty! There was a group of thieves lurking in the forest just now, throwing bombs. Judging from the technique, they looked like Jin Yiwei."
Liu Zhaosun said oh, he didn't expect that the Ming Dynasty had been destroyed for so many years, and there were still remnants of the previous dynasty who wanted to assassinate him.
"It's really haunting. So many people want to kill me. Is anyone alive?"
Pei Dahu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, there are more than twenty assassins in total, most of them have been killed on the spot by the Imperial Guards, and two were captured alive.
An assassination plot like this could be encountered by the Emperor almost every time he traveled. The identities of the assassins were diverse and their origins were from all over the north and south. They included former Ming gentry, Zhang Chun's old subordinates, former ministers of Emperor Apocalypse, and Shandong merchants whose property had been confiscated. Occasionally, there are still some remnants of slavery...
Emperor Wu Ding had long been accustomed to these assassinations. At first, he would interrogate the other party as to why they assassinated him. The answers he got were also all kinds of strange. In addition to avenging the former Ming Emperor Zhu Youjian, avenging Houjin Khan Huangtaiji Dudu, and avenging his house after being ransacked The big family members wanted to take revenge, and some assassins even said that they had to let Liu Zhaosun die because he could not take part in the imperial examination.
After experiencing a series of assassination operations such as dozens of explosions, poisonings, cold arrows, and arson, the time-travelers began to lose interest in these assassins and only regarded them as dead people. Every time the Imperial Guard caught the assassins, Then he handed it over to the Capricorn Guards. Liu Xingzuo or Zhang Dong interrogated the assassin in person. After the assassin's accomplices were found out, they were executed secretly. During the whole process, Liu Zhaosun would not even look at the assassin.
But today's situation is a little different. I don't know whether it was the Korean rebellion that aroused the compassion of the Supreme Emperor, or because Emperor Wu Ding was really bored today. He asked Pei Dahu to bring the two surviving assassins to the dragon chariot. He wanted to know Meet these long-lost assassins.
"Your Majesty, these are all desperadoes. If there is anything useful to see, just chop them into pieces with a knife."
Dongfang Zhu was worried about the safety of the Supreme Emperor and whispered from the side. Eunuch Dongfang was also injured in the big explosion just now. He was covering his head and his ears were buzzing.
"These thieves are going one after another to assassinate me. It's not easy to do so. I haven't seen them for a long time."
A moment later, the two half-dead assassins covered in blood were brought over and knelt in front of the carriage. Liu Zhaosun gently jumped out of the carriage, pushed away the shield blocking the front with one hand, and slowly drew out the Yanling Saber.
Senti was about to pronounce judgment on the two assassins when Emperor Wu Ding interrupted with a sword, pointing the tip of the sword at the assassins on the ground and said:
"I have no grievances against you, why do you want to assassinate me?"
There are still stains of blood around the carriage, reminding the living people that a tragic battle took place here just now.
"Tyrant! Bah! You are a beast, you have no king and no father. You slandered Confucius and slaughtered Yan Shenggong. Now that the scientific examination is abolished, you are the enemy of scholars in the world. I hate that I, Fan Jin, am weak and can't kill you. I'm sorry. The late emperor..."
Fan Jin knelt on the ground with a plop, and kowtowed several times facing the south. Liu Zhaosun was still guessing who he was kowtowing to. Suddenly, a mouthful of spit mixed with blood spurted out. Fortunately, the blood droplets softened after flying a few feet. Soft fall.
The guards rushed forward, punching and kicking him. Pei Dahu became furious and pushed down his stubborn head.
"Are you Fan Jin? Did you win the exam?"
Liu Zhaosun pulled out the Yanling knife, put the tip of the knife against Fan Jin's chin, and slowly lifted up the bloody head.
A face twisted with anger appeared in front of him, with gray hair and beard at the temples and deep grooves on his face, indicating that this person had really lived in poverty for ten years and had no one to care about him.
"After ten years of hard work, no one asked me, but once I assassinated the whole world, I abolished the scientific examination to make the world's scholars live a better life. Why do you want to kill me?"
Emperor Wu Ding asked in confusion.
"Not only am I going to kill you, but all the scholars in the world are going to kill you. You are so clever and shameless. I think your violent Qi is just like the violent Qin. It will soon fall apart. You..."
Liu Zhaosun waved his hand impatiently to interrupt him.
"Everyone in the world who wants to kill me, if they stand together, can line up from Moscow to Tianxin City. You only know how to study, but do you know where Moscow is?"
Fan Jin was speechless. He didn't expect that the tyrant who slandered Confucius and Mencius and abolished the imperial examination would ask this question.
"In Russia, yes, I am indeed guilty, but what virtue and ability do you have, so that you can kill me on behalf of everyone in the world? How can you write an article?"
"Times have changed. If you can write articles, you can only be a copywriter. You cannot be an official, let alone dominate."
Fan Jin was confused.
The target of his assassination exuded an inexplicable aura of terror that made him dare not move.
The guard brought a basin of cold water and poured it on Fan Jin's head. A ball of white heat rose from the ground.
Although spring has entered Liaodong early in February, it is still extremely cold with water dripping into ice.
A basin of water was poured on Fan Jin, making his teeth chatter from the cold and his whole body shrank into a ball.
"If you want to kill me, it's not impossible. It's just that you have to have a better reason to take him with you."
The two guards dragged Fan Jin towards the river as if dragging a man to death.
The remaining one was kneeling on the spot trembling.
The guards chipped away at the ice on the river and soon dug out a hole the size of a bucket. Fan Jin was tied up and hung in the ice hole.
The guards scooped up water from the river and poured it down from above their heads. Fan Juren turned into an ice sculpture at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Tell me, why do you want to assassinate me? Tell the truth, I don't have to kill you."
Emperor Wuding looked at the other assassin.
"I, I am..."
"Be bold and call yourself a grassroots citizen in front of the Supreme Emperor!"
Pei Dahu picked up the scabbard and wanted to hit again.
"stop!"
Liu Zhaosun signaled the commander of the imperial guards to step back, and then looked at the last assassin lovingly.
This is an elderly man in his forties or fifties, with a sallow face and thin muscles, his eyes are full of vicissitudes of life, his fingers are trembling, and he dare not raise his head to look at people.
"Brother, maybe you don't know what you are doing? Are you being deceived? I am your great savior, but you have come to kill me. But it doesn't matter, tell me why you want to kill me, tell the truth. To be honest, I can forget about it and spare you."
Liu Zhaosun looked at the little old man with interest, like an elder preparing to enlighten a young man who had gone astray.
"Caomin, Caomin is a tenant of a distant relative of Luo Sigong, the former Jinyiwei commander... In the fourth year of the Apocalypse..."
Pei Dahu interrupted again: "What's the sixth year of Tianqi? Zhu Youjian died in three years. There is no Tianqi anymore. That was the first year of Wuding!"
"Yes, yes, in the first year of Wu Ding, the army arrived in Henan. You confiscated Uncle Luo Sigong's property, robbed all his family property, and killed all his people."
Pei Dahu said angrily: "Now that I have killed them all, who are you?"
"Back, back to Master Luo, I am a long-time employee of Master Luo's family and works as a herdsman for their family."
"Chief worker?" Liu Zhaosun said thoughtfully, "Your master's affairs have nothing to do with me. You should go find Shen Lian and seek revenge from him. He was the one who killed Luo Sigong back then. What are you doing with me?"
Shen Lian has been dead for many years.
"The Daqi Chamber of Commerce took away all the cattle, sheep and horses. The villain had no food to eat and loved to gamble. He had no choice but to join the breakout army and fight with Liu Zongmin. He was defeated by General Pu's soldiers in Henan. He fled to Shandong and became Mr. Wang's slave. Xiangyong, Mr. Wang and others were defeated by the Qi army again. They were hungry and had no food to eat, so they followed them here..."
"them?"
"They are servants of the Luo family. The Chamber of Commerce ransacked their house and confiscated the money they had stored in Mr. Luo's house, so they have been fighting to death."
"Oh, that's it. You have a miserable life. A man in his fifties still wants to assassinate me."
Liu Zhaosun sighed.
"Do you know how many assassins have died in my hands?"
The old assassin immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed as if pounding garlic.
"The common people don't know that the person who assassinated was the Supreme Emperor. If they had known, they would not have died. They only said that they wanted to rob a big family."
Emperor Wu Ding slowly put the sword back into its scabbard and boarded the carriage.
"I keep my word and will spare your life. However, you will never be able to escape the serious crime of assassination. Send me to Ninggu Pagoda to help Jiang Liu'er and the others defend the city."
Note:
1. Phagpa (Tibetan: ???????; March 6, 1235 - December 15, 1280), whose full name is Phagpa Luochui Jianshen. The fifth generation leader of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the founder of the Sakya regime in Tibet, and the first Sakya Dharma King. The first imperial master of the Yuan Dynasty.
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