Yang Ling, He Bingwen, Prefectural Magistrate Liu, and the snowy cat father and son exchanged cups and chatted merrily. Suddenly there was a 'kuang lang' sound, a huge man slammed open the door and stumbled in. The laughter in the room immediately stopped.
Sitting in Yang Ling's arms was a petite and pretty girl, her stage name was' Xiang Zhu 'er'. But no matter how delicate this' Xiang Zhu 'er's' body was, that warm, fragrant, and soft jade still weighed more than forty catties. Ever since she threw herself into the arms of this young and handsome imperial envoy, her body turned into a dog skin plaster, sticking to his body so that even if he tried to push her away, it would not budge.
Yang Ling's thigh was already numb from the pressure of this Xiang Zhu, but he had something on his mind. Tonight it was clear that he was going to the brothel with the snowy cat to seek pleasure, so he had to feign ignorance and force himself to endure. As soon as he saw Liu Da Bang Chui, Yang Ling knew that the matter had arrived. He took the opportunity to slam the table and sternly shouted, "This official was drinking wine with several officials, who told you to barge in?"
As he said this, he took the opportunity to push Xiang Zhu 'er's slender waist. This girl saw that the imperial envoy's expression was stern and seemed to be angry, but she did not dare to not stop while she was ahead. She quickly lifted her pink buttocks and dodged to the side.
Liu Da Bang Chui also knew how to be mischievous, he stared with his pair of mung bean eyes and shouted, "Marshal, quickly go and take a look, Xue … Xue Mao's people have rebelled, right now there are people everywhere outside the city, shouting that they want to kill Marshal and take over the city of Fuzhou. The common people in the city are all in chaos."
"What?" Yang Ling suddenly stood up and stared angrily at the snowy cat. He Bingwen flipped the table with a 'hua la' sound, his large hand reached out and grabbed the snowy cat's third son over, grabbing him by the throat. Prefectural Magistrate Liu ran to the door in a panic, he spread his arms like an old hen and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone come quickly, someone come quickly, arrest the rebel! Arrest the rebel! "
The guards outside the door rushed in, and the Snow Cat's personal guards also rushed in. However, they were outnumbered, and in a moment, they were surrounded by Yang Ling's men. For a moment, both sides were at daggers drawn.
The snowy cat panicked and said, "Stop, everyone stop, this … this must be a misunderstanding, without my order, they would not dare to attack the city."
Yang Ling sneered and said sternly, "Well said. Without your order, no one would dare to attack the city. So now that someone is attacking the city, is it because of your order? Snow Cat, oh Snow Cat, it's easy to change mountains and rivers, but it's hard to change a person's nature. The imperial court has treated you well, but I didn't expect you to have such wild ambitions. You actually used the trick of enlistment to attack the city and rebel. How should you be punished?! "
"I'm wrongly accused, my lord. I don't know … I don't know what kind of rumors they heard to do such a shameful thing. I have always been by your side, how could I have ordered them to commit murder? I … I will dismount and go to the top of the city wall to stop the soldiers. Please give me a chance! "The snow cat said with a sad face.
His heart had already sunk. To be able to become the overlord of a region from a bandit's lair of deception, how could the snow cat be a person with no heart and no mind? In fact, no matter how smart he was, he was still just a pirate, a Jianghu person that even a small prefectural magistrate had never seen before.
The Emperor and the imperial edict were sacred and unquestionable even in the eyes of these Jianghu bandits who regarded the law as dog's fart. In reality, these people who were far away from the court believed in the words of gold and jade even more than the officials in the court.
In addition, his fleet had already returned to Fuzhou several times, and Yang Ling had always treated them like his own subordinates. He had never been wary of his people or his ships. Even though the snow cat was as cunning as a ghost, he did not have any suspicions.
But now that he had inexplicably heard that pirates were attacking the city, the snow cat immediately sensed that something was wrong. However, he did not want to think about the worst. He only hoped that he could quickly restrain his subordinates who had suddenly attacked the city for unknown reasons. As long as he did not give Yang Ling any evidence, he would be able to save his life and plan for the future.
Yang Ling stared at him for a long time, then slightly waved his hand. The guards held their swords and took a few steps back.
Yang Ling nodded and said, "Alright, I will give you a chance. You and I will go to the top of the city wall. If you can order the rebels to put down their weapons and accept the guards, I will let you go for now. I will find out the truth tomorrow. I will not let one person go unjustly, but I will also kill one person. If the rebellion is true … Master Wendao, you cannot be pardoned! The three noble young masters will have to suffer a little. Guards, watch them. "
He was the fish on the chopping block. What else was there to say at this point?
Snowy Cat agreed dejectedly, and ordered his guards to put down their weapons and let themselves be tied up. His three sons were also taken into custody, and the guests who had been guests just a moment ago became prisoners in an instant.
The four famous prostitutes stared at this scene with their beautiful big eyes. Yang Ling turned his head and the frost on his face immediately melted. He smiled and bowed to the ladies and said, "Ladies, you must be frightened. I will immediately go to the city wall to fight the enemy. Ladies, please go back. Before the truth is known, please keep your mouths shut."
The ladies hurriedly nodded and Yang Ling hurried to the top of the city wall with the snow cat. Behind the snow cat were four foreigners with Plum Blossom crossbows. If he dared to make the slightest movement, blood would immediately splatter on the spot.
On the east side of Fuzhou, the angry pirates were clamoring outside the city gate. However, they did not have any weapons that could be used to attack the city. Therefore, although the noise was frightening, it was mostly just cursing and roaring. If they were to attack, they would be helpless for a while.
But the guards on the top of the city wall did not dare to be careless. Groups of soldiers looked solemn. All kinds of defense equipment were moved to the prepared location. The patrolling and passing orders were in a hurry, shuttling back and forth like fish.
The snow cat, accompanied by Yang Ling, climbed up to the highest point of the city wall. For a moment, lanterns and torches were lit, illuminating the city wall as if it was daytime. It became the biggest bright spot in the night. If it was not for the bleak atmosphere, at first glance, it would look like a stage for opera.
And the main character of this opera, Yang Xiaosheng, had already rolled up his long sleeves and was reading loudly on the 'stage', "Why did the bandits below the city attack the city and rebel? All of you don't know life from death. I, Yang Ling, am here. If you put down your weapons and surrender, I will spare your lives! Snow cat, you speak! "
Two foreigners pushed the snow cat and appeared on the other side of the city wall. Two Plum Blossom crossbows were pointed at his waist. Behind him, to enhance the effect, another foreigner carried a lantern and held it shakily above his head, illuminating his sickly pale face due to his skin disease.
There was a moment of silence at the top of the city wall. Then someone discovered the face that was enhanced by the light. It was indeed the snow cat. The two foreigners on his left and right were standing on both sides of the wall. They were hidden by the high ground, only exposing the snow cat at the top of the battlement. It looked like he was standing there without any restrictions.
Someone shouted loudly, "Look, look over there, it's Master Cat … Bah! It's the snow cat. He's really with the one surnamed Yang. "
The snow cat lay on the battlement and looked down. The top of the city wall was bright and the bottom of the city was dark. The torches could only illuminate the shadows of people, but not their faces. He said anxiously, "Bastards, do you want to rebel? Who told you to come here? Did the Sleeping Demon trick you? Where's Er Dan, ask him to come and see me! "
Below the city wall, a tall man raised his hands to stop the group of bandits from making a ruckus. He slowly took a few steps forward and said, "I say, Master Cat, let's not beat around the bush. We brothers have been following you through fire and water for more than a day or two. Leave us some words so that we can die with clarity. Are you colluding with the soldiers to kill us all? "
"F * ck you!" The Snowy Cat panicked, he was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot. He could tell from the voice that it was the Lord of Xiankong Island, Hu Da Ming. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hu Da Ming you son of a b * tch, where is this place? Where is this place? Are you going to kill the soldiers and rebel? Why would father kill you? You said the soldiers are going to kill you, but where are they? "
He changed his tone and begged, "Brother Hu, don't be stupid. This must be … must be … must be some people who don't want to surrender to the imperial court spreading this rumor on purpose. Listen to me, listen to me, put down your weapons and tell Mr Yang what you want. I will not harm you. I swear on the ancestral tablets of the Wen family that I will guarantee your safety and will not harm you! "
"Pfft!" Hu Ming Destiny Bai heard the snow cat asking him to put down his weapons and he was even more convinced that he was up to no good. Hu Ming Destiny Bai sneered and stepped back. He pointed at the top of the city wall and said, "Do you think you are the only smart one in the world? Pfft! We are blind to follow a bastard like you! Brothers, you all saw it. The snow cat wants us to put down our weapons and let the soldiers deal with us. Do you agree? "
"No! No! Kill the soldiers! Kill all the soldiers! Brothers, let's rebel! "The people below the city wall were in an uproar.
He Bingwen had put on his helmet and armor and climbed up to the top of the city wall. He shouted, "The Donghai pirates pretended to accept the offer of amnesty and attacked the city at night to rebel. The imperial envoy was kind enough to appease them, but the pirates are stubborn and evil. Kill them!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom ~ ~ ~ "Tongues of fire spewed out from the battlements. There were four cannons on the tower and eight cannons on the battlements on the left and right walls. As soon as He Bingwen said 'kill', the twenty cannons roared and fired at the same time.
The barrels of the cannons were filled with iron nails, lead pellets, and small stones. When the cannons were fired, everything within a radius of sixty feet was within the range of their destructive power. The twenty cannons hit the city wall and many people fell. Screams and curses were heard everywhere.
The snow cat saw this and felt sad. Did this row of cannons look like they were hastily prepared to prevent the pirates from rebelling? They had dug a f * cking pit and were waiting for my people to jump into it! It's over, it's all over now.
Tens of thousands of pirates from the Donghai openly accepted the offer of amnesty from the imperial court. This matter was known to the whole world. No matter how evil Zhantou Yang was, he wouldn't dare to harm them. But now, his subordinates seemed to have been bewitched by someone and actually believed that he and the imperial court wanted to annihilate them.
If they wanted to save their lives, the only way was to immediately put down their weapons and accept the interrogation of the soldiers. At that time, Zhantou Yang wouldn't dare to ignore the fact that the six to seven thousand people under the city wall were captured. He would brazenly slaughter them in the name of rebellion.
But logic was logic and understanding was understanding. How many people in the world knew the logic but still didn't do it? Let alone the fact that the pirates under the city wall suspected that he was colluding with the soldiers. Even if they still believed him, if he told them to put down their weapons, would they be willing?
If he was the one under the city wall, at this point, he would also be riding on the back of a tiger, unable to turn back. At this point, could he still trust the imperial court? If he abandoned his weapons and surrendered when he was under the city wall, could he trust the imperial court's pardon? Who would have six to seven thousand men and horses under his command put down their weapons and put their lives in the hands of the other party without any resistance?
The snow cat closed its eyes in pain. Yang Ling's plan was too simple and too insidious. It was so simple that when it happened, he could easily see through it. It was so insidious that he could clearly see through it, but he had no way to solve it.
It deeply grasped the weakness of human nature and grasped the psychology of people. Just like an iron chain crossing a river or a ship sinking straight down, one would die if they crashed into it or jumped off the ship. You could see the danger, but you had no choice but to follow the plan and brace yourself to fight for a chance of survival. But was there still a chance of survival?
As the sounds of the pirates fighting rose, the sound of cannons sounded from the forest north of the city. Groups of soldiers with Shandong accents rushed out, cursing and swearing. What came first was a dense rain of arrows. At the same time, soldiers appeared on the right. Amidst the rising and falling shouts of 'son of a b * tch', the sound of cannons being fired was like thunder. In the distance, six fiery dragons snaked over. Those were the eight thousand soldiers who were originally stationed on the east bank of the river.
Surrounded by the soldiers, there was no chance of survival!
Whether it was the pirates below the city or the snow cat on the city wall.
The snow cat watched in pain as the soldiers swallowed up his hard-earned capital bit by bit. It felt like a knife was being twisted in his heart. Yang Ling looked at him silently. With a desolate sigh, like the autumn wind brushing through withered leaves, he quietly turned around and walked to the other side.
The snow cat saw Yang Ling's movements from the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he let out a desperate roar. Suddenly, he bent his fingers like an eagle's claws, and with his feet as light as a leopard, he pounced towards Yang Ling.
"Puff, puff, puff." Two barrels of Plum Blossom crossbows, ten oily arrows, all pierced into his back. The snow cat staggered and fell to the ground. He struggled to get up. His knees trembled for a moment before he stood up. He stared at Yang Ling with eyes that seemed to pop out of their sockets, and howled, "Yang!"
Yang Ling's figure paused for a moment. He didn't turn around. He just tightened his cloak and continued walking along the city wall. Beside him, cannons spat out tongues of fire as he passed, mercilessly pouring down the city wall.
The snow cat glared at Yang Ling's back. His eyes were already starting to blur, and it was as if a black fog was drifting in front of him. He Bingwen coldly waved his hand, and a guard standing with his hand on his saber suddenly leaped over. In midair, he raised his saber and shouted, "The snow cat has plotted to assassinate the imperial envoy. He has evil intentions. Behead!"
The saber glowed, and the saber flashed like a wheel.
The sharp edge of the saber swept across the snow cat's neck, and his head flew into the air …
* * *
The sky was bright, and the battle of Shuangyu had come to an end. Eighteen thousand soldiers searched the two islands to the left and right, and found silk, tea, porcelain, and countless spices and jewels shipped from the Southeast.
The fur seal had injured a leg in the chaotic battle and couldn't walk properly. When he escaped to the rocks on the edge of the island, he hadn't even climbed onto a small boat when he was dragged back like a dead dog by a swarm of imperial soldiers.
Now, there were still some soldiers searching the caves that dotted the island like stars in the sky, bringing back a few pirates who had been hiding. More than ten ships of goods and treasures had already been transported away by the sea, and now the soldiers were escorting many women and children onto the ships.
Every ship was carrying a portion of the pirates back. They were driven into dark cabins and wouldn't see the light of day until they reached Fuzhou port. A large number of pirates were gathered on the spacious and flat bluestone beach, surrounded by archers who were watching over them.
Han Wu and Peng Xiaobai were commanding the ships to leave when suddenly someone hurried over to report, "Your Excellency, two large ships have appeared three miles south of the port. Should we send someone to intercept them?"
Han Wu and Peng Xiaobai looked at each other in surprise. Han Wu rushed to ask, "What kind of ships are they? Can you tell the way? "
The soldier said, "They're still far away, so I can't tell the way. But they're definitely not Ming Destiny's warships."
Peng Xiaobai asked, "Are there no obvious signs on the ships?"
The soldier said, "Yes, there's an image of a sea eagle on the mainsail."
Peng Xiaobai laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Don't stop them. Let them enter the port and then cut off their retreat. These are the ships of Sula's great smuggler, Ah Gui. They don't know that Shuangyu has already fallen into our hands. They're here to transfer goods. "
The soldiers concealed their tracks and waited for the two ships to enter the port before revealing themselves. Sure enough, they blocked the two ships filled with all kinds of goods. Preliminary estimates put the value of the goods on the two ships at no less than a hundred thousand taels of silver. The two ships naturally changed owners, and Han Wu sent troops to bring the people and goods to Fuzhou.
Throughout the morning, as fleets of fur seals were escorted by the Ming army to Fuzhou, there were more than thirty smuggling merchant ships from Korea, Japan, Zhan City, and Java in the north, with a total value of several million taels of goods, coming and going, coming and going. Only then did Han Wu realize the scale of Shuangyu's smuggling.
Even with the court's continuous campaigns to suppress pirates and the frequent battles on the sea, there were still so many merchant ships that avoided all obstacles to come to trade. Just how much smuggled goods did Shuangyu handle every day when it was at its peak? He interrogated the leader of the pirates and obtained information that at its peak, there were two hundred ships entering and leaving Shuangyu every day. Han Wu was speechless.
Han Wu had originally wanted to burn down all the houses and caves on the island after escorting everyone back to Fuzhou, but he immediately changed his mind after hearing the situation. He ordered the four thousand soldiers stationed on the island to take off their military uniforms and temporarily change into pirate uniforms. They were specifically responsible for receiving smuggled merchant ships that didn't know about Shuangyu and walked into the trap. He and Peng Xiaobai waited until dusk before escorting the last batch of pirates onto the warship and sailing towards the cloudy horizon …
※ ※ ※
The news of the great victory in the southeast and the wiping out of the pirates and Wokou reached the capital. The Emperor of Zhengde was overjoyed. He was still living in Leopard's room and had completely regarded it as his home.
The Emperor of Zhengde held the military report and read it over several times. He slapped the table and laughed. "Subject Yang really did not disappoint me. Half of the southeast has been swept clean. Good! Good! Haha, Old Liu, immediately send an imperial bulletin to all the civil and military officials. Let those gossiping fools know. "
"The Old Slave obeys the imperial edict." Liu Jin responded with a fake smile.
At this time, the people waiting on Zhengde were Liu Jin, Zhang Yong, and Qiu Ju. Liu Jin had taken advantage of the time when Yang Ling was away from the capital to successfully extend his power to the outer court. He had filled up the power vacuum created by the removal of several old officials who were pillars of the country.
Those who were not part of the outer court had all thrown themselves under Liu Jin's wing. Now that Liu Jin was in charge of the inner court and had a few capable spokespeople in the outer court, his power was unparalleled. Other than Yang Ling, who was traveling outside, no one in the court could compare to him in terms of seniority, power, or the degree of the Emperor's favor.
Zhang Yong, Dai Yi, Mou Bin, and the others deliberately showed fear and did not dare to oppose him. This further encouraged Liu Jin's arrogance and pride. As for the three scholars in the court, Jiao Fang was cunning. According to his plan with Yang Ling, he was now submissive to Liu Jin. There was no other reason than to imitate Liu Jin's strategy of putting his political enemies on the stove and using the officials to burn them.
However, Yang Ling sensed that Liu Jin was using this strategy to advance by retreating and humiliating himself. In the end, he pushed away the power and gave up the advantage, resolving this move. But what about Liu Jin? Was he willing to be left alone or was he willing to give up power?
The other two scholars were no match for Liu Jin in the political arena. Li Dongyang was bright and secretive. He knew how to get along with people. Even though he did not agree with Liu Jin on politics, he never refused him face to face and did not give him face. Instead, he discussed it in private.
Fortunately, the two mostly discussed state affairs. Li Dongyang's political power was not a stumbling block for Liu Jin. Therefore, Liu Jin gave him face and accepted most of his objections. Therefore, the two seemed to get along well on the surface.
As for Yang Tinghe, he was young and impetuous. He looked down on the eunuch and made Liu Jin unhappy several times in court. However, from then on, most of the memorials he submitted to the emperor were delayed, rejected, and discussed again.
In the days when the war in Jiangnan was tense and there was no definite news coming back to the capital, Liu Jin took advantage of Zhengde's anxiety and annoyance to hand over Yang Tinghe's memorials reporting disasters and asking for money and rice. Then he coldly provoked a few words. Finally, he angered Zhengde. He called Yang Tinghe over and reprimanded him. Only then did Yang Tinghe understand Liu Jin's sinister and vengeful personality. From then on, he was much calmer.
The silence of the three scholars became a form of connivance. As Liu Jin continued to plant her trusted aides and attack the old officials, the political team left behind by the Hongzhi Dynasty had experienced repeated confrontations with Yang Ling and suffered repeated losses. Then, Liu Jin continued to attack them both openly and covertly. The political team left behind by the Hongzhi Dynasty was getting weaker and weaker. It was no longer as grand as it used to be.
Liu Jin smiled and said, "Speaking of which, it is because Your Majesty has a good eye for talent. You didn't care about the court's tight budget. Whether it was manpower or financial resources, you did your best to support the southeast in suppressing the pirates. That's why there are such results. Pacifying the southeast, Your Majesty is the main merit! "
Qiu Ju saw that Liu Jin's power was great and had completely fallen to his side. Hearing this, he hurriedly laughed and cooperated, "Yes, Your Majesty. Since the Hongwu era, the Japanese pirates have constantly come to Ming Destiny to cause trouble. For this matter, Ming Destiny specially issued an edict to the Japanese King to severely reprimand them. After calculating for a hundred years, the Japanese pirates have never stopped. But now, Your Majesty, they have suffered a great loss. "
Liu Jin suddenly knelt on the ground, "Such a hundred years of disaster has been quelled in one day. This is really a joyous occasion for our court. Your Majesty's great martial arts. Old Slave congratulates my Majesty, congratulations to my Majesty. In the opinion of the Old Slave, Your Majesty should perform a temple ceremony and tell this great news to the late Emperor's spirit in heaven. Then, you should issue an edict to execute the leader of the pirates who was captured alive to show the glory of Ming Destiny's country … "
Zhengde was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth and said, "What you said makes sense, makes sense. Such great news should be told to the late Emperor. Hehehe, I'll leave this matter to you. Go to Hanlin Academy and choose a good literary talent. Write an elegiac speech and inform the Observing Sky Officials to choose an auspicious day. I want to burn incense and pray to the heavens!"
Liu Jin happily kowtowed and said, "The Old Slave obeys Your Majesty." At this time, a small yellow door hurriedly walked in and bowed to Zhengde, "Your Majesty, the King of Manchu, Su Duanma, requests an audience."
Zhengde frowned, "Why is that fat old man here again? He comes eight times a day, isn't he annoying? "
Zhang Yong smiled apologetically, "Your Majesty, Su Duanma lost his country, it's no wonder he's anxious. Mister Yang is a calm person and only reported the victory to Your Majesty after the Southeast provinces were basically pacified. But the news of the Southeast provinces' military defeating the pirates and the navy's ships and cannons had already reached the capital. When the King of Manchu heard this, he was naturally moved. If he wants to restore his country, he still has to rely on Your Majesty."
Zheng De's expression softened a little. He smiled and said, "He's my subordinate, and he's being bullied by a few red-haired pirates from the horizon. Of course, I have to support him. However, he's too impatient. How can I not be annoyed if he keeps nagging? Hehehe, forget it, call him in. "
The small yellow door bowed and went out to pass on the imperial edict. Not long later, a white and fat old man dressed in foreign clothing with beautiful pheasant feathers on his head ran into the room.
He lifted his gown and stepped through the door, his head still looking at the ground. Without lifting his eyelids, he ran straight to the corner of the table and knelt down in front of the dragon writing table with incomparable accuracy. He prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Lowly subject Su Duanma pays respect to His Majesty the Great Emperor Zhengde of Ming Di. Long live the Emperor!"
Zhengde grunted twice and waved his hand, "Get up, get up. There's no need to pay your respects every time. Why did you come to see me today? Is the food and accommodation not suitable? "
Su Duanma quickly kowtowed and said, "No, no, no, it's very satisfactory. This small official is very grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. This small official heard that Ming Destiny has won a great battle in the Southeast. The East Sea pirates and the four big pirates have all been settled. This small official specially came to congratulate my Majesty. "
"Hehehe." Zhengde smiled and gave Liu Jin a look. Liu Jin quickly went forward to help the King of Manchu up and said with a smile, "Your Royal Highness, please get up. His Majesty has just received the report. You're very well-informed."
Su Duan Mamo stood respectfully at the side, bowing slightly as he said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Governor Yang Ling was very effective in supervising the war in Jiangnan, and that the Great Light Army was invincible, suppressing the bandits in the six southeastern provinces, crushing them like dry weeds and smashing rotten wood. I couldn't contain my joy.
To think that the Western red-haired foreigner relied on his military force to forcibly occupy Manchuria, now seeing that our Great Imperial Army is invincible, as long as our Emperor shows mercy and sends a group of troops, won't it be as easy as turning one's hand to recover Manchuria? This small official once again pleads my Majesty to send troops to help this small official restore my country. Your Majesty, this small official begs you! "
Su Duanma couldn't help but burst into tears when she said this. She knelt on the ground and repeatedly kowtowed.
Zhengde picked up Yang Ling's thick memorial. The memorial mentioned the war in the six Jiangnan provinces. It was only briefly mentioned and did not show off his military achievements. However, it described the importance of the Strait of Manchu in detail and repeatedly mentioned the significance of this place to Ming Destiny.
In Zhengde's original intention, he didn't care much about the pirates occupying Manchu. He was more concerned about the King of Shu's rebellion. Since he ascended the throne, the Imperial Mausoleum, the Great Wall, the Tartars in the North, the Japanese pirates in the South, and the navy was rebuilt. The national treasury was extremely empty.
Not only was the Kingdom of Heavenly Province a very rich place, it was also almost unaffected. The King of Shu had the best reputation among the vassal kings and the most financial resources. If he really intended to rebel, this would be the thorn in Zhengde's heart.
Therefore, he originally wanted to send Yang Ling to Shu to investigate the King of Shu's rebellion as soon as the matter of the pirates was settled. Now the news from Sichuan said that the King of Shu had been recuperating in the Qingyang Palace and there was no movement at all. The matter of Manchu would have to be settled sooner or later.
He opened the memorial and read the last paragraph again, "Your Majesty, to go north to Liaodong, there is more than just the Shanhai Pass. To the west, there is more than just the Hami Guard. However, my Ming Destiny's vassal states want to admire the heavens. Ming Destiny's merchant ships want to reach the four seas. Manchu is a place that must be passed through. Therefore, Manchu cannot be lost.
The barbarians are full of ambition and their aim is definitely not just Manchu. If we allow the barbarians to occupy Manchu, their ambition will inevitably grow and the various countries of the Southern Seas will be in danger. What do the barbarians intend to do after encroaching on the islands of the Southern Seas?
Now the sea is vast and boundless. It is not something that my Ming Destiny's ships can cross. To travel between ten thousand countries, we must pass through the Southern Seas. Manchu is the throat of Manchu. If the throat is choked by others, no matter how strong one's limbs are, they will still be controlled by others. Therefore, Manchu should be taken quickly. Following the example of Ryukyu, we will permanently station our soldiers to cut off the barbarians' ambition. We will urge them to only take the path of peaceful trade. This is a serious matter with long-term implications. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider. "
"Hmm … I have considered your request over and over again. But at that time, the war in the Southeast was urgent and I could not spare my hands. Now, it is not impossible for you to borrow troops from me. But, Minister Su, the Western Barbarians come from the sea and can also go from the sea. If I send troops there and the barbarians flee, they will come back after my troops retreat. What will happen then? My troops can't always go back and forth, go back and forth, ah. "
"This …" Su Duan Ma finally understood Zhengde's intention. But thinking about it, Zhengde's words made sense. Besides, he was originally a king who was supported by a group of loose tribes. He did not have a strong army to support him. If Ming Destiny wanted to take it, he would have taken it long ago. Now that he stationed his troops here, he definitely did not have the intention to usurp his throne.
As for sharing the benefits of the trade, Su Duan Ma was well aware that once Ming Destiny's sea trade was opened, the merchant ships in the Strait of Manchu would be like carps crossing the river, day and night.
These sea merchants of different countries with different customs would inevitably be in chaos without a strong army and customs to suppress and manage them. If any of the powerful sea merchants caused trouble, he, the king, would have to continue to run. Cooperating with the Ming court was the best choice.
Therefore, Su Duan Ma immediately knelt down and promised, "The bandits in the Southern Seas have always been difficult to clear. I beg Your Majesty to permanently station the Heavenly Army and Manchu in Manchu to expel the pirates and share the sea trade. I beg Your Majesty's permission!"
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