Chapter 161: Eradicating the Remaining Scourge

The seventh year of Hongwu, the fifth day of the seventh month.

At dawn on Yakushima, a thin mist shrouded the mountains and forests, and the sea still bore the scent of last night's blood.

Inside the Great Ming camp, soldiers were clearing the battlefield.

The Wa army corpses were gathered on a vacant stretch by the beach, piled into several small hills.

By Li Wenzhong's order, they were all incinerated, and the ashes scattered into the sea.

The bodies of the fallen Great Ming soldiers were carefully prepared, washed, clothed in clean garments, and readied for transport back to Sunren City for burial.

Inside the Central Command Tent, Li Wenzhong was receiving reports from the various divisions.

"In this battle, our forces lost 873 men, with over 1,200 wounded; the Wa army suffered more than 3,100 dead, and we captured 2,400 prisoners, of whom about 800 are lightly or heavily injured," the quartermaster read, holding a booklet.

Li Wenzhong, expressionless, nodded and said, "After verifying the list of the fallen, send it to the Ministry of War for compensation according to merit; treat the wounded promptly, and transport the seriously injured back to Sunren City by ship."

"Yes."

"What shall be done with the prisoners?" the Vice General asked.

Li Wenzhong sneered, "The Wa are cunning and fickle; keeping them is useless. Relay the order: escort all prisoners to the dock and handle them according to the old rule."

The generals inside felt a chill.

The old rule meant the samurai were killed outright, leaving only a few youths, who would then be dragged to mine.

Of the 2,400 prisoners, at least a thousand must be killed.

"Duke Cao, this…" someone began, then stopped.

"What, you think it's cruel? Do you know how the Wa would treat us if we were defeated and captured? They would cut off our heads, stick them on bamboo poles for display, and skin us to make drumheads!"

Li Wenzhong looked up and said,

He stood, walked into the tent and said, "War is inherently brutal; showing mercy to the enemy is cruelty to our own people. Our expedition to Wa Country is for the gold and silver mines, to eliminate future threats."

"If we do not employ thunderous measures, how can we deter the petty rebels?"

The generals fell silent.

"Execute the order," Li Wenzhong said coldly.

"Yes!"

…

At the dock, the prisoners were marched to the beach.

Great Ming soldiers formed a line, rifles aimed at the prisoners.

Li Wenzhong and Zhu Yong stood on a height, watching below.

Zhu Yong watched, saying little.

He recalled, from his past‑life memories, the atrocities of the Wa pirates invading China, and the Nanjing Massacre…

In this life, since the chance arises, we must let these Wa know what the might of the Celestial Empire is.

The order was issued.

Great Ming soldiers stepped forward, began pulling out the warriors clad in leather armor, holding sword sheaths, and forced them to kneel on the ground.

Blade flashes, heads fall to the ground.

Fresh blood stains the sand red.

The prisoners trembled in terror; some collapsed on the ground, others wet their trousers.

After the killings, Li Wenzhong walked to the prisoners and shouted in Wa, "Listen, you were supposed to be executed, but the Ming Emperor is merciful and spares your lives.

From today, you are Ming mining slaves, to be sent to Sado Island and Ishimi Mountain to mine as penance; if any harbor dissent, be killed without mercy!"

The interpreter loudly translated.

The prisoners knelt, bowing their heads, daring not to look up.

"Send them down, load them onto ships, transport to Sado Island," Li Wenzhong gestured.

Soldiers escorted the prisoners onto boats, sending them in batches to Sado Island's gold mines and Ishimi Mountain's silver mines.

There, a great need for labor existed.

…

In the afternoon, Li Wenzhong gathered the generals to plan the next steps.

"Yakushima is pacified, the Wa Country's Southern Court is utterly destroyed, but Kyushu, Shikoku, and various parts of Honshu still harbor scattered resistance; our next move is to split forces and eradicate them."

He pointed at the map and said.

The generals gathered around.

"General Tang He." Li Wenzhong looked at Tang He.

"Your servant is present."

"You will lead your unit with ten thousand troops, responsible for eradicating the remaining forces on Kyushu Island; remember, rebels are to be killed, surrenderers demoted to mining slaves and sent to Sado Island," Li Wenzhong said.

"Yes!" Tang He bowed.

"General Lan Yu."

"Your servant is present."

"You will lead your unit with eight thousand troops to clear Shikoku Island; Shikoku is mountainous, beware of ambushes," Li Wenzhong warned.

"Your servant understands."

Li Wenzhong also selected a few more commanders, assigning tasks.

Finally, he turned to Zhu Yong and said, "Cousin, you will accompany me leading the main force of twenty thousand to Honshu Island, to eradicate the remnants of Zuoli Yiman's old troops, and simultaneously take over Ishimi Silver Mine."

Zhu Yong nodded, "Very well."

"Remember, this war has three objectives: first, to completely pacify Wa Country; second, to control the gold and silver mines; third, to establish lasting rule."

"Any resistance must be killed without mercy; any place with gold or silver deposits must be firmly controlled."

"Yes!" the generals replied in unison.

……

On the tenth day of the seventh month, the Ming army split its forces and set out.

Tang He led his troops northward to Kyushu, Lan Yu crossed the sea to the Four Countries, while Li Wenzhong and Zhu Yong led the main force by ship to Honshu.

After two days of sailing, the fleet arrived at the western coast of Honshu.

Iwami Mountain lies in the western part of Honshu Island, facing the Sea of Japan, and its silver mines are abundant.

The fleet anchored at Yamaguchi Port, where the local garrison had already fled.

Li Wenzhong ordered a landing, swiftly secured the port, and then marched toward Iwami Mountain.

At the foot of Iwami Mountain, a simple camp already existed.

It was a forward base previously established by the Ming army's vanguard, garrisoned by five hundred troops to guard the silver mine.

The defending commander was a thirty‑something Thousand Household named Liu, who hurried out to greet Li Wenzhong and Zhu Yong upon their arrival.

"I, Lieutenant Liu Yong, have the honor to see Duke Cao and Prince Wu."

"No formalities needed. How are the silver mines?" Li Wenzhong gestured as he spoke.

Liu Yong led the two men to the mine entrance and said, "Reporting to Duke Cao, the silver mine has been preliminarily surveyed; the vein is deep and the reserves are considerable.

However, extraction is difficult and requires a large workforce."

The mouth of the cave was deep, and the sound of clanging picks echoed from within.

Several Ming soldiers escorted a group of Wa mining slaves, who were using crude tools to extract ore.

"How many mining slaves are present now?" Li Wenzhong asked.

"About eight hundred, all war captives, but manpower is far insufficient; at this rate, not much silver can be mined in a year," Liu Yong replied.

Li Wenzhong nodded and said, "More mining slaves will soon be sent; over two thousand captives from Yakushima have already been taken, and more will follow. You must prepare to receive them, strengthen the guard, and prevent uprisings."

"Understood," the lieutenant replied.

Zhu Yong curiously peered into the mine; it was dim, illuminated only by a few oil lamps.

"It's so dark—how can work be done?" he asked.

Liu Yong forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, it is indeed difficult, but this is all we can do for now."

Zhu Yong scratched his head and remained silent.

He thought to himself that after returning to court, he would speak with the Ministry of Works to obtain lighting equipment.

This would also improve efficiency.

……

After taking control of the Iwami silver mine, Li Wenzhong left three thousand troops to garrison it, and led the main force eastward to suppress resistance forces across Honshu Island.

Honshu Island is vast and its terrain complex; the rebels hide in mountains and forests, making the suppression quite arduous.

Yet the Ming army was well equipped, possessing Flintlock Guns and cannons; wherever they went, resistance was swiftly crushed.

In early August, the Ming army reached Kyoto.

The former Japanese capital now lay desolate.

After Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's defeat, Kyoto had no ruler, the aristocracy fled, and the common people were terrified.

Li Wenzhong took up residence in Kyoto, issued a proclamation for the people's safety, declared Great Ming's rule, and demanded submission from all regions.

At the same time, he began to establish a governance system.

"The Wa Country cannot be leaderless, yet we cannot let the Wa people hold power. Cousin, how should we govern?" Li Wenzhong said to Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and replied, "I don't understand governance, but I think we should have our people in charge, with the Wa as assistants."

Li Wenzhong smiled, "You're right. I intend to establish a Japanese Bu Zheng Shi Si Official, with court‑appointed officials to govern, setting up garrisons in each region."

The Wa may serve as clerks, but cannot hold important posts or wield Military Authority.

"What about the Jin and Silver mines?" Zhu Yong asked.

"They will be directly administered by the court, with the Ministry of Works sending specialists to supervise extraction. All Jin and Silver will be shipped straight back to Great Ming. From now on, Wa Country will be under Great Ming's rule, paying tribute annually and forever remaining a vassal."

Li Wenzhong smiled.

Zhu Yong nodded and replied, "That is excellent."

……

August 15, Mid‑Autumn Festival.

The Ming army held a celebratory Banquet in Kyoto to reward the three armies.

The Banquet was set in the former Ashikaga Shogunate residence, with the commanders gathered together.

Li Wenzhong raised his wine cup and said, "Gentlemen, the campaign against Wa has lasted six months; today it is essentially pacified. This victory owes itself to the soldiers' lives and His Majesty's great blessings.

I, this general, offer you all a cup!"

The generals raised their cups and drank together.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere was lively.

Zhu Yong sat beside Li Wenzhong, his head down as he ate.

He ate heartily, with a dozen empty bowls before him.

Li Wenzhong looked at him and smiled, "Cousin, in this campaign against Wa, you earned the greatest merit—three strikes shattered Hakata, you cut down Kikuchi Takehikari in battle, and your fame terrifies Wa."

"When we return, His Majesty will surely grant you a great reward."

Zhu Yong chuckled, "I'm already Prince Wu; what more reward do I need? The more Great Ming prospers, the more satisfied I am."

The generals laughed upon hearing him.

Liao Yongzhong said, "Prince Wu's bravery is unmatched; when the Wa hear his name, they are terrified and call him the 'Ghost King.'"

Lan Yu added, "That's right. When I was clearing the Four Countries, some Wa, upon hearing that Prince Wu might arrive, surrendered immediately."

Zhu Yong scratched his head and said, "I don't look that scary either."

The others laughed again.

The Banquet continued until late night.

After the Banquet ended, Zhu Yong returned to his residence.

Zhang Wuhe and Chen Heng attended to his washing and dressing.

"Prince, are we heading back soon?" Zhang Wu asked.

"Hmm, the battle's over, it's time to mine. Once we've extracted some ore, we'll take some together; then we should return to court," Zhu Yong said.

Chen Heng laughed, "Prince, the princess will probably have run away this time, right?"

Zhu Yong's eyes brightened.

Huan Huan was born in April of Hongwu Year Five; now a little over two years old, she should be able to run.

It's been half a year since we left; we really miss them.

There's also Guanyin Nu, also mother and father, also elder brother…

"Almost done; once we finish the business, we'll go back," Zhu Yong said with a simple smile.

……

On the 20th of August, General Lan Yu and other commanders reported in succession that the pacification of Kyushu and Shikoku was essentially complete.

With that, the entire Wa Country was pacified.

Li Wenzhong began to arrange the follow‑up matters.

He submitted a report to the court, recommending the establishment of a Japanese Bu Zheng Shi Si Official, stationing twenty thousand troops, garrisoned at Kyoto, Hakata, and Edo.

At the same time, he requested the court to send Ministry of Works officials to oversee the extraction at Sado Gold Mine and Iwami Silver Mine.

The report was sent to Yingtian by a swift vessel.

In early September, the first batch of extracted Gold and Silver began to be loaded onto ships bound for Great Ming.

Sado Gold Mine produced gold, Iwami Silver Mine produced silver, and there were also gold and silver ores from Hirigari Mine.

The three mines could each yield a hundred taels of gold and a thousand taels of silver per day.

The fleet, laden with Gold and Silver, set sail toward the ocean.

On the dock, Li Wenzhong and Zhu Yong watched the departing fleet.

"Cousin, Dad will surely be pleased when these Gold and Silver are taken back," Zhu Yong said.

Li Wenzhong nodded, "His Majesty will surely be gratified; with this Gold and Silver, the Great Ming Treasury will be fuller, allowing more great affairs to be undertaken."

He looked westward, toward Great Ming.

The Wa Campaign of Hongwu Year Seven concluded here in full.

Great Ming expanded its borders, adding a new vassal state and acquiring countless gold and silver ore deposits.

And all this has only just begun.