Chapter 684: Annan Is Returning to the Fold?

Le Weiji, emperor of the Great Yue Kingdom (the formal name of the state within Annan), walked trembling with fear through the Palace of the Prince of Qingdu in the city of Thanh Hoa Prefecture.

In the capital Thang Long, Emperor Le still had a few supporters — Thang Long was close to China and more deeply influenced by Confucian thought, and there were quite a few bookish pedants who truly regarded Emperor Le as the emperor of Great Yue!

But here in Thanh Hoa Prefecture, the old stronghold of the Trinh clan, people knew only the Trinh and knew nothing of the Le!

So if Lord Trinh Trang ordered him to hang himself from a beam in the Palace of the Prince of Qingdu, he would have no choice but to obediently string himself up.

Hanging himself would at least mean a clean death; refusing to hang would mean being beaten half to death and then strung up anyway — that was how his father had died. These days, for some reason, the moment he closed his eyes he dreamed of his father Le Weixin, his face bruised and swollen from beatings, being strung up alive.

The previous Lord Trinh, Trinh Tung, had stood to one side roaring with laughter — where was even a shred of the bearing of a subject?

Even a treacherous minister, even a Cao Cao, could not be so utterly devoid of decorum, could he?

And these days Le Weiji had also heard rumors that the Ming Prince of Yunnan, who had occupied Thang Long, had come to Annan under a secret edict from the Son of Heaven of Great Ming to uphold justice.

Oh — that is, to uphold justice for the Le king!

From now on one could not openly murder a sovereign like that; if a sovereign had to be killed, it would have to be done in secret!

But Le Weiji felt not the slightest gratitude toward Zhu Cilang, because he knew that the Zhu emperor's meddling would very likely get him killed. He might have been able to drag out a few more years of life; now he might well die at any moment.

Because Trinh Trang, like his father Trinh Tung, was a ruthless man who feared neither heaven nor law! Killing an emperor or two — he would not so much as furrow his brow.

So Le Weiji, having learned the lesson of his father Le Weixin's gruesome death, was utterly obedient to Trinh Trang — a model filial son! Oh, more filial than a filial son; at least Trinh Trang's own son was far more filial!

How could Trinh Tac compare with him? Trinh Tac could hold his chest high before his father and often talked back to the old man. Old Trinh had only had Trinh Tac in middle age and spoiled him beyond measure; he could never bear to make him hang himself.

If anything happened to Trinh Tac, would the old man not weep himself to death?

But Le Weiji was not worth nearly so much. The last time Trinh Trang spoke of chastising the Nguyen lord, Le Weiji had kindly reminded him that the Truong Duc ramparts would be hard to assault — and that had provoked old Trinh, who cursed him out in front of the ministers and told him to abdicate at once!

How could Le Weiji dare say no? He immediately yielded the throne to his son Le Weiyou — and had to do it joyfully, without the slightest hesitation.

Even so, his life still hung by a thread; at any moment a noose could end it.

Just as he was waiting for death without a word of complaint, good news — oh, no, it should be bad news — arrived. His son Le Weiyou had somehow died in the army. Le Weiyou had no son to succeed him, and Le Weiji had no other sons (he would later, but not now), so he had no choice but to return to the furnace and become emperor again.

But Le Weiji still lived in terror. He had no son, but he did have nephews!

Perhaps Trinh Trang, because the Son of Heaven of Great Ming was meddling, would hang him and put one of his nephews on the throne — Le Weiji's nephews had no blood feud with the Trinh family, after all!

The very thought of being hanged made it hard for Le Weiji to breathe, but he dared not refuse to go see Trinh Trang, and dared not even walk slowly; panting all the way, he reached the great hall.

Upon entering the hall, he first looked up at the ceiling. No hanging rope!

Good, good.

"This subject, Marquis of Huaiging, Wu Gongde, greets the Regional Commander!"

Someone saluted Le Weiji — though without kneeling, only with a bow and clasped hands.

Le Weiji was startled. He looked at the military officer before him, dressed in a Ming python robe. "You said you are..."

"Marquis of Huaiging, Wu Gongde!"

"Then who is the Regional Commander?" Le Weiji asked again.

"You!" Trinh Trang said irritably from the side.

Oh, another abdication... The emperor was gone, turned into a Regional Commander. Who knew how many more days he had to live?

Le Weiji looked piteously at Trinh Trang. "Prince of Qingdu, We — no, I mean, to whom should I abdicate?"

"Abdicate?" Trinh Trang glared at him. "Abdicate what? You are the Regional Commander of Annan, enfeoffed by Great Ming!"

"Me? I'm the Regional Commander... it seems there is such a thing." Only then did Le Weiji breathe a sigh of relief. He did not dare go sit on the imperial throne, but stood and spoke with Trinh Trang. "Then do I still serve as emperor?"

"Serve as what?" Old Trinh's eyes glared. "Even the Ming Prince of Yunnan cannot be emperor, and you still want to? That Prince of Yunnan wants to make you a city lord — Lord of Thang Long. Do you want to go?"

City lord?

A city lord who truly had authority? Or merely the master of Thang Long Prefecture's city?

Tears welled in Le Weiji's eyes — the Ming Prince of Yunnan was truly a good prince! What a pity he himself had not the fortune to enjoy his kindness.

"I do not want to go!" Le Weiji said through gritted teeth. "I am perfectly fine in Thanh Hoa. I will not go anywhere."

"Not going is not an option!" Trinh Trang said coldly. "The Prince of Yunnan has said that from now on our Trinh family, the Nguyen of Quang Nam, the Mac of Cao Bang, and the Wu of Tuyen Quang shall jointly govern Annan and jointly protect you, the Le king!"

Was this real?

Le Weiji was stunned. What day was it today? How could such a good thing happen?

No, no... impossible. Trinh Trang must be testing me.

"I will not go!" Le Weiji said. "I will stay with the Prince of Qingdu."

"Hmph!" Trinh Trang snorted. "Stop pretending. I will not detain you. I have already drafted a memorial to the Son of Heaven of Great Ming, requesting enfeoffment as Marquis of Thanh Hoa. Once the enfeoffment comes through, I will let you go!"

Could he really leave? Le Weiji, tears in his eyes, looked at the grim-faced Lord Trinh.

Trinh Trang snorted again. "You should also submit a memorial, requesting enfeoffment as King of Annan. The Great Yue emperor can no longer be. From now on, at most you will be King of Annan!"

"King even within the country?"

"Of course!" Trinh Trang said through gritted teeth. "In the future there will be Ming officials in Thang Long protecting you. Could you still shut the gates and call yourself emperor?"

What? Ming officials protecting him as well?

Le Weiji was wild with joy inside!

This was wonderful — he would not die. A true lord of a prefecture, with endless glory, wealth, and rank to enjoy!

Long live the Son of Heaven of Great Ming, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!

He was already shouting "ten thousand years" in his heart!

The memorials of Le Weiji, Trinh Trang, and Wu Gongde, along with another memorial from Zhu Cizhao, were quickly sent by sea to Guangzhou, and then rushed by 600-li express relay to Nanjing. About twenty days later, they were laid upon Zhu Cilang's imperial desk.

The Zhu emperor himself could scarcely believe it. Was Annan really about to return to the fold?

Although it had been raised from a Regional Commander Office to a kingdom, and had changed from internal territory to external vassal.

But Great Ming could now dispatch a Regent to Thang Long, and the Regent could bring troops and be responsible for protecting the King of Annan!

This meant Annan had become a true vassal state of Great Ming, and its ruler could no longer call himself emperor!

Moreover, with a garrison and a Regent, the King of Annan could rely on Great Ming for his survival, which also made him Great Ming's representative in Annan.

Perhaps in the future Annam will become as obedient as Joseon, even if it cannot yet be made into a province with commanderies and counties. But considering Annam's national strength and its record of repeatedly resisting the northern dynasty, turning it into a loyal vassal state is still a very fine outcome.

With this vassal state, the Great Ming will be able to use it as a rear base and continue expanding in Southeast Asia.

Thinking this far, the Zhu Emperor gently set down Li Weiqi's memorial, then looked with a smile at the senior ministers attending the joint meeting of the two imperial councils.

"Excellent! Annam quarreled with us for two hundred years, and now it has finally submitted!" Zhu Cilang said with a laugh. "Since Annam has submitted, our dynasty's southern gate is now thrown wide open."

He paused. "Since the King of Le wishes to return to Thang Long, exchanging Thang Long for Champa is no longer suitable. We shall exchange Xin'an Prefecture for it instead. Henceforth the southern Nguyen will have a coastal foothold in the north and can maintain contact with Phu Xuan by sea. If necessary, troops can also be sent from Xin'an Prefecture to rally to the throne, and the arrangement by which the four lords jointly safeguard the King of Le will be settled."

The King of Le will be delighted — from now on, four masters will dote on him together.

Zhu Cilang continued, "As for the King of Yunnan, his merit this time is not small and is enough to offset his past faults. Order him to lead his troops south by sea to pacify the Kingdom of Champa. After Champa is pacified, he shall be reassigned as Commandery Prince of Rinan and Military Commissioner of the Jinghai Army, garrisoning the territory of Champa. And in the territory of Champa, the Jinghai Army commandery shall be established!"

(End of Chapter)