Chapter 376: The Fall of Nanjing

"Enough!

We will discuss the matter of money later.

The recovery of Nanjing is a piece of good news that the whole world should celebrate.

Issue a proclamation as soon as possible and send the news to every corner of Great Dayu; I want everyone to know that rebellion has no good end.

Urge Grand Secretary Xu as well; the fighting in the Shu region is truly not going well!"

Emperor Yongning's words left the Qingliu faction members feeling very awkward.

Grand Secretary Xu was already one of the few people in the Qingliu faction who understood military affairs.

But if one were to bring up his military record, the gap between him and the nobility or imperial relatives was truly quite large.

Even if they wanted to boast about him, they wouldn't know where to begin.

Yet, the brand of Grand Secretary Xu was an important political resource for the Qingliu faction, one they absolutely could not abandon.

"We obey your decree!"

Following the hundred officials in echoing the Emperor's words, the various officials of the Qingliu faction were also worrying about their own futures.

In the Great Dayu Dynasty, without the support of a faction, it was difficult to reach a high position relying solely on one's own efforts.

Everyone's official career depended half on their own maneuvering and half on being tied to their faction.

For the sake of one's career, switching camps was common, but the prerequisite was that one had to have value.

Not everyone had the capital to keep jumping back and forth.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu is advanced in years and lacks the strength to preside over the great battle at the front lines.

Now that the situation has improved, I suggest recalling Grand Secretary Xu and selecting another high-ranking official to be responsible for the war in the Shu region."

Left Censor-in-Chief Ding Yushi stepped forward and said.

If one couldn't handle it, one couldn't handle it; some things could not be forced.

Back then, when Xu Wenyue left the capital, it was originally out of helplessness.

Yin Zuo and the two other Qingliu leaders had given Emperor Yongning that terrible idea so that they could rise to power themselves.

It was the Emperor's pressure, combined with backstabbing from within the Qingliu faction, that forced him into the position of Viceroy.

Looking at it from the perspective of the group's interests, this was also a strengthening of the Qingliu faction.

From the situation at the time, once the new Emperor took personal control of the government, it was a certainty that Yin and Zuo would enter the Cabinet.

If Xu Wenyue had also remained in the capital, the influence of the Qingliu faction would have been too great, something no emperor could tolerate.

They never expected that not long after Grand Secretary Xu left the capital, Yin and Zuo would explode into a scandal.

The charge of colluding with the Bai Lian Sect fell upon them, crushing Yin and Zuo and leaving the entire Qingliu camp battered and bruised.

The various major factions in the court all kicked them while they were down, and the Qingliu disciples who had studied under the two were all stained with political blemishes, ending their official careers.

The places where the rebel army rampaged happened to be the stronghold of the Qingliu faction, dealing them another heavy blow.

Even now, they have not recovered their vitality.

With the situation developing as it has, the Qingliu faction members in the court have become quite loose.

Each has their own small agenda, and when encountering problems, they are unable to unify their stance, often undermining each other.

Taking the suppression of the rebellion as an example, when the proposal to employ the nobility was first made, the strongest support came from the Qingliu faction, and the fiercest opposition also came from the Qingliu faction.

With their factional strength dispersed, they were often at a disadvantage in confrontations with other factions.

Occupying the high position of Left Censor-in-Chief, Ding Yushi still wanted to advance further.

Relying on the support of the dispersed Qingliu faction members was clearly not enough to get him into the Cabinet.

To take this step, the only hope was to bring Xu Wenyue back to the capital to preside over the big picture.

"Your Majesty, Lord Ding's words are reasonable.

The war in the Shu region has been delayed without progress, and if this continues for long, it is easy for mishaps to occur.

I suggest that after the war in Jiangnan ends, we transfer the Prince of Zhenyuan to lead the Huguang troops into Shu to suppress the rebellion."

Minister of War Luo Zefeng responded immediately.

The Ministry of War had long been dissatisfied with the war in the Shu region.

The various Viceroys in the south were all advancing triumphantly, but only Grand Secretary Xu had failed to achieve results.

To stabilize the situation in the Shu region, he even made major concessions to the various tribal chieftains.

If he weren't a bigwig in the Qingliu faction, the censors would have long since slapped him with the label of humiliating the nation and forfeiting its sovereignty.

However, while the person presiding over the war in the Shu region could be changed, bringing Grand Secretary Xu back was another matter entirely.

To say nothing else, the various ministers in the Cabinet would not want another ancestor over their heads.

The gold content of a regent minister was simply too high.

Even if the Emperor took personal control of the government, they would still hold a transcendent status in the court.

The two from the nobility faction were easier to deal with; they were military generals and not on the same track as everyone else.

When military matters were not involved, they basically didn't say a word.

Xu Wenyue was different; he was a civil official himself, and his prestige both inside and outside the court was high.

Once he returned to the court, he could instantly build a power base that even the Senior Grand Secretary couldn't suppress.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of War's opinion is very sound.

Huguang borders the Shu region, and letting the Prince of Zhenyuan lead troops into Shu is most in line with the current situation.

Grand Secretary Xu has been running around outside for so long; it is time for him to return to the capital."

Wan Junhui took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.

Others didn't want Xu Wenyue to return to the court, but he was different.

The Emperor was too hard to serve, and this broken Senior Grand Secretary position had him busy cleaning up messes every day.

Whoever wanted to do it could come and do it; in any case, he didn't want to.

With the virtuous and prestigious Grand Secretary Xu back, he could just retire and yield the position to a worthy successor.

Not only would he throw off the trouble, but he could also gain a good reputation.

"Senior Grand Secretary, this matter needs to be considered in the long term.

The war in Jiangnan has not yet ended, and the Huguang troops are one of the main forces for suppressing the rebels; it is not appropriate to move them lightly for the time being.

The situation in the Shu region cannot do without Grand Secretary Xu; we must not act rashly for now!"

Gu Jiaxi immediately retorted.

Although he didn't know what the Senior Grand Secretary was thinking, he certainly didn't want to see Xu Wenyue return to the court.

Affecting personal power was one thing, but the key was that the current court couldn't afford to be tossed about.

After Xu Wenyue returned, the momentum of the Qingliu camp would surge, and they would definitely stir up trouble.

A new round of factional strife would be ignited, and no one could say what would happen afterward.

"Grand Secretary Gu, the rebel army in the Huguang region has long been cleared out.

The rebel leader Fu has been driven out of Nanjing, and the rebel armies in Jiujiang, Nanchang, and other places must be demoralized.

The war south of the Yangtze River will end in the near future; it might even be over already.

If we are lucky, the remnants of the rebel leader Fu have already been annihilated on the banks of the Yangtze.

Even if a mishap occurs and they luckily flee to Jiangbei, there is the Liaodong cavalry waiting for them.

In chasing down remnants, cavalry is much more efficient than infantry; they won't be able to stir up any trouble.

No matter how tricky the situation in the Shu region is, it is not as difficult as recovering Huguang was.

Among the several major rebel leaders of the Bai Lian Sect, the strength of the rebel leader Wei is at the bottom.

With the Prince of Zhenyuan taking the field, I think the problem won't be big.

For the sake of the big picture of suppressing the rebellion, I implore Your Majesty to make a decision soon!"

Wan Junhui forcefully stated his position.

In order to extricate himself, he could no longer care about his colleagues.

Reason told him that once the situation improved, many people in the court would stir up trouble.

If he didn't escape the sea of bitterness early, it would be difficult to leave with dignity later.

……

"Enemy attack!"

The main force of the navy was concentrated in the north, leaving the central and southern regions with empty defenses.

When the Annan soldiers at the pier issued a warning, the pirates disguised as merchant ships had already begun to land.

"Kill!"

Following an order from Zhu Zhongxuan, the pirates began their journey of slaughter.

The government's amnesty order still held a not-insignificant attraction for this group of pirates.

To return to one's roots and go home in glory—this was the beautiful dream of countless people.

Even if there were potential risks, everyone was willing to try.

Compared to the main force of the Annan Kingdom, these miscellaneous soldiers left behind in the rear were clearly easier to bully.

Some slow-reacting dock workers also unfortunately became souls under their blades.

In any case, the court's amnesty order recognized severed heads.

Killing the innocent to claim credit held no psychological pressure for these pirates.

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

"Pirates... pirates have landed!"

"So many thieves!"

"There are over a thousand ships alone; I'm afraid there must be tens of thousands of people!"

Hearing the news brought by the soldiers, the Prefect of Yanzhou was completely stunned.

Although Yanzhou Prefecture was not bad, it didn't have the charm to attract tens of thousands of pirates to visit.

With so many people, they could go and raid Hanoi.

"Are you sure they are pirates and not the Dayu army?"

Ruan Baiyi asked with concern.

Yanzhou Prefecture was unremarkable economically, but it had significant military value; during the Tang Dynasty, this was the location of the Annan Protectorate.

If the Dayu army attacked Great Yue from the sea and chose to land here, it was entirely possible to split Great Yue in two.

"Prefect, your subordinate saw very clearly; the thieves who landed are definitely pirates.

From the moment they landed, they have been burning, killing, and looting all the way; it doesn't look like they intend to occupy it for long."

Having received the definite news, Ruan Baiyi became even more confused.

What virtue or ability did he have that his jurisdiction would actually attract so many pirates!

"Pass down the order to immediately seal the city gates and have the yamen runners conscript able-bodied men from the city to defend it.

Arrange for someone to seek reinforcements from Hanoi and have the imperial court send help as soon as possible!"

Ruan Baiyi immediately issued the order.

Regardless of anything else, pirates were always easier to deal with than the Dayu army.

He was also a well-informed person.

The Emperor leading hundreds of thousands of troops and gaining nothing at the front lines was enough to prove that the enemy was not a soft persimmon.

If tens of thousands of Dayu troops came, this battle would be impossible to fight.

Pirates looting while the house is on fire—that is to plunder wealth; let them finish looting outside the city, and they will naturally leave.

Although this way of thinking was a bit unscrupulous, it was the only thing he could do at the moment.

The elite forces from all over had all been transferred to the front lines, and those left behind were mostly the old and weak.

The navy that defended the coast had also suffered heavy losses in the previous great battle.

Even if the imperial court wanted to rescue them, they were willing but lacked the strength.

Choosing to seek help from above was just doing one's human duty and leaving the rest to fate.

……

On the sea, the skull flag fluttered in the wind, and countless pirates were landing in a steady stream.

The once-prosperous pier had already been reduced to a living hell under the pirates' destruction.

Fresh blood dyed the earth red, corpses filled the streets, and the sound of women weeping could be heard from time to time.

As the planner of this operation, Zhu Zhongxuan stood quietly on high ground, not speaking.

He had seen this scene before many times.

Pirates themselves represented destruction; there was no such thing as maintaining military discipline.

Everyone was just doing business together; as the leader, he only had nominal command and no mandatory restraint over the other pirates.

If it were a regular army, after a successful landing, they should have pressed forward in one go.

At the very least, they should have taken Yanzhou Prefecture before considering looting.

Unfortunately, this force was a pirate coalition, and everyone thought of profit first.

Plundering for wealth was always the first priority, and attacking Yanzhou was also for the sake of looting, not for any so-called strategic value.

"Boss Zhu, do you think that by doing this, we can lure out the Annan navy?"

The scholar in green asked.

Compared to the group of pirates, his scholar attire made him clearly out of place.

However, the gentle and elegant scholar appearance was just his disguise; at sea, he also had a nickname: the Life-Taking Scholar.

He was more adept at killing people than slaughtering chickens and ducks.

"Whether we can lure them out, we'll know in a few days.

To plunder the Annan Kingdom, we must find a way to resolve the threat of the navy.

If the enemy army hides in the port and doesn't come out, then we will keep looting and killing.

When the Annan gentry are scared, they will naturally force the navy to set sail!

By the way, tell the people below to keep their eyes peeled.

It doesn't matter how many Annan people we kill, but if they are Dayu people and they reveal their identity, then we cannot kill them indiscriminately.

Our spoils of war still need the imperial court's help to fence, so don't accidentally kill government officials."

Zhu Zhongxuan said with feigned indifference.

He didn't dare to take the task entrusted by the Marquis of Hanshui lightly.

If it were truly just to lure the Annan navy into a decisive battle, there were better ways; there was no need to run so far.

Essentially, coming here this time was to help clear the field.

Compared to North Vietnam, the South Vietnam region was less influenced by Central Plains culture and needed to be cleaned more thoroughly.

In a sense, Yanzhou Prefecture was the dividing line.

The further south they went, the more they needed to play the villain and clear obstacles for the imperial court's rule.

Zhu Zhongxuan did not resent such a task.

He still had a strong sense of belonging to the Great Dayu Dynasty.

His miserable experience was because of poverty, not because of government persecution; there was no deep hatred between the two sides.

Being able to exchange fame and wealth by helping the imperial court expand its territory gave him no pressure at all.

The reputation of the Marquis of Hanshui was also well-known at sea.

A small person like him was not worth the Marquis breaking his word.

"Boss Zhu, what exactly did the Marquis of Hanshui promise you that makes you work so hard?"

The Life-Taking Scholar asked suspiciously.

Deep down, he was full of jealousy.

The imperial court intended to offer amnesty, yet they hadn't invited him.

Although the people and ships under his command could only be considered upper-middle among the pirates, he had brains!

In terms of military record, he wasn't much worse than these large pirate groups.

Limiting the scale of the pirates was mainly to avoid attracting too much attention and drawing the imperial court's focus.

He had succeeded in hiding himself, but when the imperial court offered amnesty, they had also overlooked him.

Self-proclaimed as a scholar, his desire for an official position far exceeded that of other pirates.

"Scholar, didn't I tell you? There really is nothing.

Except for the promise that severed heads of Annan soldiers can be exchanged for amnesty from the imperial court, everything else depends on the situation.

What official position one can obtain mainly depends on performance on the battlefield and how high a position the court is willing to give.

High positions and generous salaries are definitely not to be expected; in all likelihood, it will just be a small official post.

If they really promised a high position, I wouldn't dare to sit in it.

It would be too hot to handle!"

Zhu Zhongxuan spread his hands.

Heaven and earth are my witness, he really wasn't lying.

He wasn't the only one who attended the meeting that day.

Hiding the truth, only to have it revealed by others, would instead ruin his character.

But this frankness still aroused the suspicion of the pirate leaders.

Everyone was worried that they had sold everyone else out for their own gain.

"Boss Zhu, you say that...

If we didn't trust you, we wouldn't be following you.

It's just that the imperial court is too stingy; they don't take us brothers seriously at all!"

The Life-Taking Scholar said with feigned indignation.

(End of chapter)