Chapter 352: The Number One Criminal Minister

Just as Qin Liangyu breached Kunming, news of the Daxia army's great victory on the banks of the Lu River was only just reaching the Forbidden City.

The Grand Secretaries had been summoned again to the palace, kneeling on the ground, heads bowed toward the floor, hearing only the clatter of brushes, inkstones, and memorials scattered across the floor around the imperial desk—clatter, clatter, crash.

"Fu Zonglong!" Chongzhen roared. "I was truly blind to have chosen such a paper-talking man to be Governor-General of the Southwest! A mediocre minister ruins the state—death is too good for him!"

In his towering rage, Chongzhen paced back and forth atop the imperial dais, speaking as he walked: "And in his memorial, he dares to say, 'The sovereign holds the general reins; specific matters of battle and defense should be delegated to generals and marshals.' He dares to say, 'A sovereign's orders may be disobeyed when circumstances warrant'!

Arrogance!

Utter insolence! Incompetence beyond measure! A mediocrity, the greatest mediocrity of all! Truly the number one criminal minister of our dynasty!"

None of the Grand Secretaries kneeling below spoke up on Fu Zonglong's behalf.

First, everyone understood that with the Emperor in such a rage, pleading would be useless.

Second, Fu Zonglong was rigid and upright by nature—he had dared to write in his memorials to Chongzhen that the Emperor should interfere less in frontline affairs, so his official documents and letters to the various ministry heads and Grand Secretaries were naturally even less courteous.

Thus he had offended too many people without realizing it, and the Grand Secretaries were unwilling to speak for him.

To be fair, Fu Zonglong had at most lost the remote border province of Yunnan—an impact on the Ming far less severe than losing Jiangxi or Guangdong.

Calling Fu Zonglong the number one criminal was mainly because his words were too blunt and had provoked the Emperor's wrath.

Even if the remonstrance was correct, if the manner of persuasion was wrong, it was still a crime.

After Chongzhen had cursed Fu Zonglong for a long while, his anger finally subsided somewhat. He sat back on the throne and ordered: "Issue the decree—have Fu Zonglong come to the capital immediately." The Grand Secretaries understood in their hearts: Fu Zonglong was finished.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhou Yanru still advised: "Your Majesty, the rebel Lin has annihilated the Sha-Pu rebel army and, riding the momentum of his great victory, his invasion of Yunnan is a foregone conclusion. To replace Fu Zonglong at this moment—I fear the entire Southwest…"

Chongzhen cut him off coldly: "Is the Southwest the Southwest of the Great Ming, or the Southwest of his Fu Zonglong?"

Zhou Yanru pressed his head to the floor.

Wen Tiren, seizing the moment, said: "I report to Your Majesty: what Grand Secretary Zhou says only sees the peace of one corner in the present, not the great hidden danger of days to come. When a small sore first appears, a sharp blade can excise it—the skin and flesh suffer minor damage and heal within ten days. But if one begrudges a moment of pain, hides one's illness and fears treatment, and indulges the ailment until it grows, in time it rots the sinews and corrodes the bone, spreading across the whole body. This is common physician's reasoning, and the same applies to governing the state.

Fu Zonglong was originally a trusted old subordinate of Minister Zhu. Since the Zhu family governed the Southwest for over a decade, the military officers of Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Hunan, and the civil officials of prefectures and counties, are mostly his relatives and old associates. Given time, this will surely become a disaster.

Removing this small trouble now is for the pacification of the Southwest and a hundred years of lasting order. To delay and indulge would be to nourish an abscess and brew calamity. I humbly request Your Majesty's sage decision."

These words struck exactly the chord in Chongzhen's heart. When he was still a prince, he had suffered deeply from the factional strife between the Donglin and the eunuch faction, and after ascending the throne, what he hated most was ministers forming cliques.

Fu Zonglong had defied imperial orders first, and entrenched himself in one region second—he absolutely could not be kept.

Chongzhen then said: "Exactly so. There is no need to discuss this further. The Grand Secretariat should quickly select a replacement for Fu Zonglong. You may all withdraw. Grand Secretary Zhou, remain." Zhou Yanru stayed in place, not understanding why, hearing only his colleagues' footsteps departing. The Emperor then dismissed the eunuchs and attendants, and the hall soon became quiet enough to hear one's own heartbeat.

After waiting nervously for a long time, he heard the Emperor speak in a genial tone: "Grand Secretary, please sit and speak."

Zhou Yanru sat on the stool, feeling as though he were sitting on a bed of needles.

He heard Chongzhen ask leisurely: "How goes the war in the Northwest?"

Zhou Yanru, not immediately grasping what the Emperor truly wanted to ask, answered truthfully: "According to the October military dispatches, the roving bandits number five hundred thousand, spread across the three Jin provinces.

The prefectures and counties of Shanxi have all fallen, and in Zhili, Shandong, and Henan, roving bandits have also risen in response."

Ever since Yang He, Governor-General of the Three Borders, was imprisoned, Hong Chengchou had shouldered the great burden of suppressing bandits in the Northwest. Over the past months he had won countless victories, but with no grain in the north, the more bandits he wiped out, the more there were.

No sooner had Hong Chengchou annihilated Wang Ziyong's ten thousand men than the latter retreated into the mountains and could raise a force of twenty thousand again within half a month—and meanwhile, prefectures and counties in Hong Chengchou's rear also saw rebellions.

The roving bandits were like weeds—impossible to eradicate completely—and so today's situation had come to pass.

Fu Zonglong had said in his memorial that the chaos in the Southwest was not due to military failure but to insufficient grain and pay—and the same applied to the Northwest.

But since Chongzhen would not listen to Fu Zonglong's remonstrance, Zhou Yanru also chose to play it safe and said no more.

Chongzhen was silent for a moment, then shifted the topic, asking about Sun Yuanhua's purchase of cannons from the Dutch barbarians.

Zhou Yanru said: "Since the opening of the port at Dengzhou, we have purchased thirty-three heavy cannons, three thousand cannonballs, and over ten thousand catties of gunpowder. However… however, according to the red barbarian merchants who come and go, the rebel Lin has stationed his cannon ships in the waters off Jeju Island and Tsushima Island, specifically plundering merchant vessels. He has already sunk five merchant ships in transit, inflicting heavy losses on the red barbarians. The red barbarians have petitioned to join forces with the Denglai naval forces to suppress the rebels."

"Hmph! The nature of sea bandits!" Chongzhen slapped the armrest of his throne and cursed.

After a moment, he asked about the situation of the Jianzhou barbarians in the Northeast.

Since the battle of burning Fenghuang City, the Jianzhou barbarians had been conserving their strength and stockpiling grain and fodder. The area from Shanhai Pass to Jinzhou had recently been relatively peaceful. Even the military funds for the Northwest had been squeezed by the Grand Secretariat from the Guan-Ning Army.

Chongzhen said slowly: "In the Grand Secretary's view, among the Jianzhou barbarians, the roving bandits, and the rebel Lin—which is the true mortal threat to the Great Ming?"

Zhou Yanru suddenly understood the Emperor's meaning and broke out in a cold sweat of terror. His body trembled slightly, and for a long time he dared not answer.

What the Emperor intended to do would benefit the state, but for his ministers it was extremely inauspicious—if mishandled, it could invite eternal condemnation through the ages.

Even a man as willing to bear the blame as Zhou Yanru could not help but feel fear at this moment.

Chongzhen was not impatient. He spoke again, unhurriedly: "The Great Ming's borders blaze with war on all sides, and the treasury is empty. If we strengthen the southern army, the northern borders lack pay; if we focus on northern defense, the rebel Lin will seize the opportunity to attack cities. Pursuing both fronts simultaneously, the state's strength cannot hold out long—a choice must be made."

Zhou Yanru stepped down from his stool and kowtowed: "Your Majesty is sagely."

Chongzhen stepped forward and personally helped Zhou Yanru up, saying with a kindly expression: "Here there are only the two of us, sovereign and minister. The Grand Secretary is advanced in years—no need to perform the rites so often."

After guiding Zhou Yanru back to his seat, Chongzhen chatted about many household trifles and asked after the welfare of Zhou Yanru's family.

Zhou Yanru's ancestral home was in Yixing, where his relatives, relying on his official authority, had been committing crimes and bullying the countryside. A few months earlier, they had just sparked a popular uprising in Yixing, and his family, along with Zhou Yanru's only son, had all fled to the capital to avoid disaster.

When Chongzhen asked about this matter, his words clearly carried hidden meaning—both consolation and a warning.

When they then returned to matters of state, Zhou Yanru no longer dared to play word games and could only answer according to the Emperor's wishes: "I report to Your Majesty: I believe the Jianzhou barbarians in Liaodong are merely a skin ailment, while the roving refugees and the rebel Lin are the true mortal threats.

Among them, the rebel Lin's Nanxia occupies the prosperous southeastern lands and is the most troublesome—the full strength of the realm should be mobilized to eradicate him."

Chongzhen sighed: "I think the same, but the south has no troops available. Generals of the Guan-Ning Army like Zu Dashou refuse to march south easily, citing the need to guard against the Jianzhou barbarians. Alas…"

Zhou Yanru knew in his heart that the Emperor's mind was made up. As Chief Grand Secretary, whether he stuck his neck out or kept it in, the blade would fall all the same—so he might as well speak plainly: "Your Majesty, since ancient times, governing the borders has never relied solely on armor and slaughter.

The Han and Tang dynasties, to temporarily halt the clash of arms and free up grain and supplies, first settled internal chaos—there were also policies of loose rein.

Only when the Central Plains are pacified and the treasury is full, then one can re-equip the cavalry and ride out through the passes—that is the truly comprehensive plan.

If one refuses to see the people's hardship and insists on war purely for the sake of honor, that is merely chasing empty fame. Therefore, I presume to be bold and request: make peace with the Jianzhou barbarians."

Chongzhen was overjoyed inwardly. Putting on a moved expression, he stepped down from before the imperial desk, grasped Zhou Yanru's hand, and said: "You are truly a minister of public loyalty who serves the state. But I worry that the people of the realm will not understand the Grand Secretary's pains."

Zhou Yanru assured him: "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will select a reliable person to handle this matter, and will never let the inner details become known to anyone."

Only then did Emperor Chongzhen set his mind at ease and release Zhou Yanru from the hall.

By now it was evening, with light snow falling, and the grounds outside the hall were a sheet of white. Chongzhen called out to Zhou Yanru: "Grand Secretary."

Zhou Yanru turned back and clasped his hands in salute: "Your Majesty."

Chongzhen said softly, "The road is slippery in the snow, Grand Secretary. Walk slowly."

Nanning.

Zhu Yixun, bearing the letter of persuasion written by his grandfather, went personally to meet Lin Qian.

Lin Qian looked at the letter and remained silent.

Zhu Yixun clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Fu Zonglong was a subordinate of my grandfather's, serving under him in the southwest for over a decade. If my grandfather urges him to surrender, he will not remain unmoved.

Now that Yunnan has been taken by Great Xia, with Chongzhen's mean-spirited nature, he will surely vent his anger on Fu Zonglong. With Yuan Chonghuan's fate as a warning, Fu Zonglong likely cannot escape death either, and since his family is all in Kunming, there is no reason for him to die in foolish loyalty.

For this persuasion attempt, I have seventy percent confidence!"

Before Lin Qian could reply, the Army Chief of Staff Xu Fengjie spoke up: "Your Majesty, Guizhou may not be wealthy, but it is the water-and-land hub of the southwest. The main post roads from Guiyang lead respectively to Yunnan, Huguang, Sichuan, and Guangxi.

Control the Wujiang River crossing, and our army can sail downstream to take Chongqing directly; control the Qingshui River, and we can pass through the Yuan River into Dongting Lake, threatening the heartland of Huguang.

The entire middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze can then be fully occupied by Great Xia!"

Xu Fengjie paused, then continued: "Although Yunnan's terrain is fragmented, it also has flat basin lands, favorable for our army's decisive gunpowder battles.

Over ninety percent of Guizhou is mountainous valleys, making decisive battle difficult. If we send troops to attack, not to mention the waste of supplies, it would be absolutely impossible to pacify in the short term." Of course, what Xu Fengjie said about the benefits of taking Guizhou referred to the convenience of attacking Guizhou after Fu Zonglong surrendered, not that Fu Zonglong could bring the entire province of Guizhou over in surrender with him.

To make an entire province switch allegiance at once — not even a civil official governor could accomplish that, nor could a warlord ruling a region.

The Regional Commanders, Chiliarchs, Prefects, and County Magistrates in every locality are all men with their own calculations. Fu Zonglong couldn't even command them to campaign in Yunnan or suppress Guangxi; expecting them all to surrender on the strength of a single document from the Governor-General is nothing but wishful thinking.

Zhu Yixun said, "Regardless, Fu Zonglong is the Governor-General of the Five Southwestern Provinces. Though he only actually controls three now, he is still a grand frontier official. If he surrenders, it will be no less than heaven-splitting and earth-crumbling for the Ming court, and Fu Zonglong's subordinates as well as my grandfather's old officers will come one after another to request surrender."

Xu Fengjie's eyes gleamed: "Your Majesty, let this young man give it a try."

Lin Qian's hesitation was not because he didn't understand the benefits of persuading a surrender, but because he was considering the choice of envoy.

Great Xia's Foreign Affairs Department had a reputation abroad, and Lin Qian had heard something of how Xu Chen persuaded surrenders when he accompanied the army. He truly had no confidence in that approach, so he decided to let Zhu Yixun try. He said, "Fine. Remember, any condition can be negotiated — but you must return safely. Also, you are not permitted to threaten him with his family." After Zhu Yixun withdrew, Lin Qian returned to his room to continue reviewing documents. Though he had arrived in Nanning in person, his work could not be set aside, so the documents had been brought along with him. When he grew tired of reviewing, Lin Qian lay back in a reclining chair and had Ranqiu read and write on his behalf.

Ranqiu picked up a document, looked at it, and said, "Your Majesty, this is a document from Kunming, reporting that Mu Tianbo has already taken the tonsure and become a monk at Miaogao Temple." Lin Qian sighed softly. Thinking of a thirteen-year-old youth who, having experienced great rises and falls, had seen through the mortal world so early and entered the Buddhist gate, he couldn't help but feel some regret. Yet for the last Duke of Qian, this was already the best choice. With his identity, it was fated that he could never be an ordinary person — even if he hadn't become a monk, he would only have been a caged canary.

Even if Great Xia did not place him under house arrest, there would always be others scheming to make use of him by some means or another.

So Lin Qian said, "Let him go cultivate at Taihua Temple. The temple enshrines the ancestors of the Mu clan, so it counts as keeping vigil for his forebears. Inform the temple not to treat him harshly."

After Ranqiu noted the instruction, she picked up another new memorial: "Your Majesty, this is a report of victory from Meng Tingchuan, commander of the Liaodong naval forces. On the first day of the eleventh month, in the sea south of Jeju Island, one Dutch merchant ship was sunk."

"Understood," Lin Qian said.

This was the result of the commerce-raiding campaign. Ever since learning that the Dutch had built an arsenal in Nagasaki to produce cannons for sale to the Great Ming, Lin Qian had transferred the three fifth-rate ships — Lingcang, Hengcang, and Pocang — to Meng Tingchuan, specifically to intercept Dutch merchant vessels.

The design objective of the fifth-rate ships was precisely for commerce-raiding operations, and now the results were clearly significant.

Ranqiu picked up the next memorial and said, "Your Majesty, this is from the Maritime Customs Administration. Since the tenth month, civilian merchant ships bound for Hirado have been returning one after another. By the end of the month, nineteen had already been plundered in various sea areas."

He Sai's treasure ship fleet had warship escort, so the wokou hired by the Dutch found it hard to strike at them, and instead took out their anger on civilian merchant ships.

This was clearly the Dutch retaliation against Lin Qian's commerce-raiding campaign.

Of course, tracing further back, it was also the Dutch who first provoked by establishing the arsenal. The Dutch might accuse Lin Qian of first laying a financial trap with delivery vouchers, while Lin Qian could say that it was Coen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East India Company, who had first brazenly invaded Macao...

This cycle of mutual accusation could go on endlessly. His grudges with the Dutch ran too deep — distinguishing who struck first no longer mattered. Driving the Dutch out of the South China Sea was what mattered.

So Lin Qian said, "Is there any document from the beacon tower?"

Ranqiu searched for a while, found one, and said, "Yes. The Yandun Shipyard reports that this month, all four fourth-rate ships have been launched and are currently undergoing sea trials."

Lin Qian sat up straight, concentrating in thought. According to last year's shipbuilding plan, the navy was to build six fourth-rate ships in total — four at full speed in the first year, then two more in the following year.

Not to mention that the Japanese shogunate was growing increasingly restless, and a great war was inevitable sooner or later.

After defeating the Dutch, Great Xia's occupation of the South China Sea would not be the completion of its mission. In Lin Qian's plans, Great Xia would use the South China Sea as a fulcrum in the future, advancing in both eastern and western directions.

To the west, trade with the Mughal Empire needed to be opened up — its saltpeter and cotton both required massive imports, and its cheap, high-quality cotton textile industry with its long history was also in urgent need of disruption.

To the east, the Pacific needed to be conquered, and Oceania and the Americas developed.

Oceania was unsuitable for farming but suitable for herding. Combined with highly developed maritime shipping, it could become Great Xia's overseas animal husbandry base. And the Americas were even more crucial — setting aside all other specialties, the mere fact that rubber originated in the Americas was enough. To develop the steam engine, rubber was indispensable, and to obtain rubber, one had to send people to explore in person.

This substance could not be obtained through theft or purchase. Although European colonists did not understand rubber's value, they kept strict watch over all American products without distinction.

With the navigational technology of this era, rubber would also be very difficult to transplant elsewhere. Even if transplantation succeeded, it would take seven or eight years to mature. In the early stages of industrialization, it would still have to be planted and harvested on the American continent.

So overall, warships still needed to be built, the military still needed to be expanded, and colonies still needed to be seized.

It would be best to conclude matters in China's southwest as soon as possible. If Fu Zonglong could surrender, that would be ideal.

Thinking of this, Lin Qian said, "Issue the order: have the General Staff make preparations early. Once Zhu Yixun has a result, we return to Guangzhou.

Also, have He Sai wait for me in Guangzhou. I want to see him immediately upon my return."

Late at night, in the Governor-General's residence in Guiyang, a candlewick popped a spark, and the flame cast Fu Zonglong's shadow long and tall.

At this moment, Fu Zonglong was pacing back and forth in restless anxiety.

On the table lay a military dispatch from Yunnan sent through the province. The Great Xia army had breached Qujing half a month ago, Wu Bikui's remaining forces had been annihilated, and the post road between Guizhou and Yunnan had been reopened.

And Kunming had fallen to the Great Xia army even earlier — so what would become of his family?

Ever since he had assumed the post of Governor-General of the Five Southwestern Provinces, he had followed court orders to oppose Great Xia at every turn, repeatedly launching campaigns against Guangxi. Though he had never managed to hold a single prefecture or county, he had still killed Great Xia soldiers and consumed Great Xia's money and grain.

Would Great Xia spare his family now?

Thinking of this, Fu Zonglong couldn't help but shiver. He looked up toward the outside of the residence, thinking that his household servant Old Li had been gone for over half a month now — a letter should be coming back soon.

As long as his family was safe, even if they were placed under house arrest by Great Xia, he would accept it.

Now that he had lost his army and his territory, his term as Governor-General of the Five Southwestern Provinces had reached its end. Once he was removed from office, he would no longer pose a threat to Great Xia. Surely, given the King of Xia's benevolence and righteousness, he would not make things difficult for his family.

Fu Zonglong paced for a long while more, until Fu Xi said, "Master, it's the third watch now. Please retire to bed. Uncle Li may not necessarily send word today."

Though Fu Xi also bore the surname Fu, he was a household-born servant — that is, a descendant of the Fu family's slaves — responsible for Fu Zonglong's personal care.

The relationship between household-born servants and the master's family was very complex — not entirely master and servant, but mixed with a measure of familial gratitude. Thus Fu Xi spoke with some familiarity. Fu Zonglong paced a few more circles, his heart nagged by a vague sense of foreboding. He looked at Fu Xi again and said, "What happened to Yuan Chonghuan's family in the end?"

The master had asked this question many times before, but Fu Xi still answered without any sign of impatience: "His whole family is living well in Guangdong. His younger brother Yuan Chongyu is still in the timber business, and I hear the family has even made a bit of money.

Yuan Chonghuan's widow has not remarried. She stays with her mother-in-law and gets by well enough. No one in the village bullies them."

"Alas!" Fu Zonglong sighed. "To treat the families of enemy generals so well — the King of Xia's breadth of mind is truly admirable!"

Then the two were silent for a long while. Fu Xi was so sleepy his head kept nodding. Fu Zonglong used a needle to trim the candlewick, when suddenly his fingertip felt a sharp pain and the needle fell onto the table. The sound was not loud, but the room was very quiet, and it startled Fu Xi awake.

Fu Zonglong pinched his fingertip and squeezed out a drop of crimson blood — it turned out that in his agitation he had been holding the needle backwards.

Such a scratch could hardly even be called a wound, yet seeing blood was never a good omen, and the unease in Fu Zonglong's heart grew heavier.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the Governor-General's residence, and someone said in a low voice: "Is the master asleep?"

Fu Zonglong recognized it as the voice of Old Li, the family servant, and immediately opened the door, saying: "Come in quickly and speak!"

Old Li was covered in mud, his clothes ragged, with a bloody scratch across his face from a tree branch. Seeing Fu Zonglong, he fell to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with tears: "Master, this old servant has returned..."

Seeing him in such a state, Fu Zonglong's heart sank halfway, and he could barely remain standing. Clutching his chest, he said: "My mother and the others... they..." Old Li said tearfully: "They are all well! This old servant saw them — the old mistress, the mistress, and the young master, all safe and sound! The whole household is fine!"

"What? Say that again?" Fu Zonglong had already been overcome with grief, and suddenly hearing such good news, he could hardly believe his ears.

Old Li wiped his tears and said: "It's just that the house was burned down, and quite a bit of grain was looted... oh, and the master's paintings and calligraphy..." Fu Zonglong interrupted: "Who cares about paintings and calligraphy at a time like this! Just tell me how they escaped the danger — was anyone hurt?"

Old Li nodded hastily: "Yes. When Sha Dingzhou rebelled, Kunming was in chaos, and the Sha soldiers were looting everywhere. The mistress led the entire household to take refuge in a mountain cave and escaped disaster.

Later, when the grain ran out, a servant went down the mountain to buy food and learned that the Xia army had already wiped out the rebels. Our residence was also placed under protection by General Qin's men. The Xia army not only left our household completely unharmed, but looked after us in every way! When the old mistress's asthma flared up, the army physician even came to the residence to treat her."

"Really?" Fu Zonglong murmured to himself, retreating a few steps before sitting down heavily in a chair. The nerves that had been taut for over half a month suddenly relaxed, and his vision went dark before his eyes.

Though he had been reduced to a hostage, at least he had survived...

A wave of drowsiness washed over Fu Zonglong. After rewarding Old Li, he retired to bed attended by Fu Xi.

The next morning, Fu Zonglong rose feeling refreshed. Though he still faced the mess of the three provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Huguang, knowing his family was safe lifted a great weight from his heart.

Just as he was reviewing official documents, Fu Xi came in to report: "Your Excellency, Great Xia has sent an envoy. This is the summons warrant."

Fu Zonglong took it with a bitter smile, thinking to himself: "They move fast!"

Great Xia's protection of his family was certainly not out of sudden kindness — they were coming to collect their due.

He was no Fang Xiaoru; he could not treat his family's lives as nothing. Yet he also did not wish to betray the bond between sovereign and minister. It seemed he would have to play along with pretense today. With such thoughts, Fu Zonglong set the summons warrant aside and said to Fu Xi: "Take the envoy to the main hall. I will follow shortly."

Before long, Fu Zonglong had prepared his words and arrived at the main hall. He was just raising his hands in greeting with a smile when he suddenly froze — he actually recognized the visitor.

Wasn't this the grandson by the side of His Excellency Zhu? Named Zhu Yixun.

Although Zhu Xieyuan was managing supplies in Taiping Prefecture, he held no formal official position in Great Xia for the time being, and since it concerned military intelligence, it could not be leaked. Thus outsiders did not yet know that Zhu Xieyuan had abandoned the darkness for the light.

Zhu Yixun clasped his hands in greeting: "Uncle Fu, it has been a long time."

Fu Zonglong had worked alongside Zhu Xieyuan in the southwest for over a decade, and the two had a close personal friendship. Zhu Xieyuan was practically a mentor to Fu Zonglong. Before Zhu Xieyuan, Fu Zonglong was of the junior generation, so naturally Zhu Yixun addressed him as "Uncle."

Fu Zonglong was both surprised and delighted. He invited Zhu Yixun to sit and inquired about Zhu Xieyuan's current situation — partly out of genuine concern, but more so to probe indirectly the purpose of Zhu Yixun's visit.

Zhu Yixun then recounted all his experiences since arriving in Guangzhou.

Especially how Zhu Xieyuan had taken command at Taiping Prefecture and pacified the Sha-Pu rebellion in three months — hearing this made Fu Zonglong's blood boil with excitement.

He clapped his hands in admiration and praised: "With His Excellency directing from the rear and General Qin fighting at the front, even the Jianzhou barbarians beyond the pass would be no match! Let alone the petty Sha-Pu rebellion — what a satisfying victory this was!"

He deliberately made no mention of Great Xia, nor of Lin Qian — this too was a subtle statement of his position.

Yet the envy in his voice was unmistakably genuine.

Since ancient times, campaigning in the southwest had always placed the greatest importance on grain and provisions.

When Zhu Xieyuan and Qin Liangyu entered Yunnan, supplies and provisions flowed in an unending stream. One of them only managed logistics while the other only fought battles — effortless and carefree, achieving merit and glory as easily as drinking water.

In contrast, he, Fu Zonglong — nominally the Governor-General of the Five Southwestern Provinces — in reality received not a single coin from the court for provisions, having to raise everything himself, while being constantly urged to fight: one moment ordered to attack the rebel Lin first, the next rebuked for failing to suppress the She-An rebellion.

Meanwhile, fierce generals held troops and defied orders, local strongmen stood everywhere, tusi chieftains endlessly haggled, officials at court ceaselessly attacked and impeached him, and his colleagues obstructed him openly and covertly.

Comparing the two situations, Fu Zonglong truly wanted to cry from envy.

Had he possessed even three-tenths of the conditions enjoyed by Zhu and Qin, the She-An rebellion would have long been pacified — how could he have ended up achieving nothing?

Seeing that the moment was right, Zhu Yixun produced the letter written by Zhu Xieyuan.

Unexpectedly, Fu Zonglong refused to accept it. He said: "I already understand His Excellency's intent, but I have received the emperor's grace of recall and appointment, entrusted with the affairs of the Five Southwestern Provinces. I cannot betray His Majesty's kindness, and so I dare not accept your instruction.

Additionally, please convey to His Excellency that Yunnan has been taken by Great Xia. Zonglong feels his guilt is profound — three days ago I already submitted a memorial requesting dismissal, and henceforth I will no longer oppose Great Xia."

Zhu Yixun looked at him with a strange expression, and after a moment said: "Uncle Fu thinks this nephew has come to persuade you to surrender?"

Fu Zonglong said: "What do you mean by that?"

Zhu Yixun said: "I have come to save Uncle's life!"

Yahei

Fenyuan

Pen