Chapter 815 The Grand Duchy of Moscow(1/2)
Li Chenggui surrendered.
When he got the news that the Japanese country was destroyed, even though Qicheng Island was right in front of him.
"It's useless. Let's all surrender."
Li Chenggui is sixty-six years old this year. He was originally full of energy, but the moment he received the news, it seemed as if all his energy had been drained away.
In his plan, even if the Japanese nation failed, he could still take a boat to Nanyang to escape.
But it was too fast, so fast that he couldn't accept the news.
In his opinion, the failure of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was at best just that Kyushu Island fell into the hands of the Ming Dynasty again, rather than that he himself was captured alive.
Almost most of the Japanese military strength was lost on Kyushu Island, which meant that the entire Japanese country was suddenly merged into the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
He couldn't accept this fact.
The most important thing is that in this way, he has no way to escape. The Ming Navy can completely use its hands to block the entire sea area.
Besides, at this age, there is nothing he can do to escape.
"Father, we still have a chance. We can still go to the sea. In such a big sea, it is impossible for the navy of the Ming Dynasty to catch us all."
"We have people, money, and ships, so we can go to Nanyang. If we can't stay in Nanyang, we can go further."
"There will eventually be a way to survive."
"Father, don't give up on yourself."
The one who is most reluctant is actually Li Chenggui’s second son, Li Fanguo.
He had finally endured the death of his brother, and saw his father proclaiming himself the King of Korea, and he could inherit the throne, and now it suddenly became like this.
He doesn't want to die, he still wants to live well.
My father is already sixty-six years old, but he is only forty-two years old, and he can still live for a long time.
"Guo'er, it's useless."
Li Chenggui walked to a big rock and leaned on it gently.
With white hair and cloudy eyes, he looks like an old man in his twilight years.
"Even if you want to leave, can you really leave? Look at the ministers in the distance. Maybe you should listen to what they are saying."
"They are discussing how to save their lives and how to dedicate us to the Ming army."
"You can also go to the soldiers and listen to what they are discussing. They are discussing how to surrender to the Ming army in order to get a chance to survive. Maybe they can also make some merits or something."
"If Japan had not been defeated so completely, and if Japan could have persisted for a while, we would still have a chance."
"But now, the situation is over, the people's morale has been lost, and no one is willing to follow you to the days of escape."
Li Chenggui said while looking at the sea in the distance.
The waves kept crashing on the coast, one wave just flattened, another wave rose again.
"No, father, I don't believe it."
Li Fangguo went crazy and ran to far places to question others.
Li Chenggui just watched quietly. Not long after, he saw his son being knocked to the ground.
But the crowd from afar did not come.
Because beside Li Chenggui stood Wang Hu, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard.
"Wang Hu, I have caused trouble for you. I originally wanted to give you glory and wealth, but I didn't expect it to end up like this."
"When the Ming army comes over later, you can use my head in exchange for some credit. At least you can save your family."
"This may be the last thing I can give you."
"I will always remember your life-saving grace back then. It's a pity that I can't thank you properly anymore."
Even when a person is about to die, his words are good. Li Chenggui looked at Wang Hu who was still sticking to his side at this time and said softly.
Wang Hu's eyes were a little complicated.
After hesitating for a moment, he said: "Actually, the king shouldn't thank me. I was following the order of my boss, so I was by the king's side."
After saying this, Wang Hu breathed a sigh of relief.
I have to say that after following Li Chenggui all these years, he has never treated me badly.
Li Chenggui was a little surprised, and then he laughed.
"Wang Hu, the boss you are talking about is the grandson of the current Ming Dynasty."
Wang Hu replied: "Yes."
Li Chenggui didn't mean to be angry, but instead sighed: "It seems that I didn't lose unjustly. Back then, the Qunying Chamber of Commerce was popular in Korea, and I guessed that there was a conspiracy."
"When Dao Yan came to Goryeo, I thought I had underestimated the Qunying Chamber of Commerce. I didn't expect that now, I have underestimated it again."
"The person who saved my life is the person I have always trusted the most. I don't even trust my son that much, but I didn't expect that he was someone else's."
"But having said that, I still have to thank you for your life-saving grace, otherwise it would be meaningless."
Wang Hu hesitated for a moment, but did not say anything.
What he wanted to say was that the person who attacked Li Chenggui back then was completely arranged by his employer in order to gain Li Chenggui's trust.
From beginning to end, this is a game.
A game specially set for Li Chenggui.
Wang Hu felt that telling the truth at this time would be a huge blow to Li Chenggui.
Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect.
For more than ten years, Wang Hu has been by Li Chenggui's side, and Li Chenggui has always treated him like a brother.
"Your Majesty, maybe this is not necessary. Now that the Goryeo royal family has been extinct, your Majesty is the King of Koryo. According to the policies currently implemented by the Ming Dynasty, as long as your Majesty sincerely submits, your life will be preserved and you can live a life of retirement."
Wang Hu persuaded.
What he said is also correct.
No matter which country the Ming Dynasty dealt with, even if it subverted the social structure, it never killed the royal family.
Even if Benya is lost now, there is a high probability that he will be kept in captivity in the capital rather than executed directly.
Including Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Japanese royal family, the Annan royal family, and the Champa royal family of the Japanese kingdom.
"It's not necessary. I'm already at this age and most of my body has already been buried in the soil. I might as well die a generous death."
"You'd better take my head in exchange for credit."
"That's fine. Since you are a grandson of the Ming Dynasty, you will be rich and wealthy even if you want to come back to the capital. I don't have to worry about you."
"I would like to ask you to take care of my descendants in the future."
Li Chenggui requested.
But Wang Hu refused.
"No need to be so great, just live a good life."
Li Chenggui could only smile bitterly.
At this time, the sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance, indicating that the Ming army had arrived.
Li Chenggui naturally had no intention of resisting, and neither did his soldiers. When they saw the Ming army, they surrendered directly.
——
Hongwu thirty-four years, October 18th.
Korea and Japan all surrendered to the Ming Dynasty.
After the original four provinces of the Japanese Kingdom were established, the Goryeo Chengxuan Administrative Envoy Department was established.
The territory of Goryeo was not very large, and it would be enough to just set up one province. There was no need to create several provinces.
Due to the sudden increase in the vast territory, Ming Dynasty now feels quite indigestive.
The main reason is that new territories require more officials to be dispatched for jurisdiction, governance, and education.
The number of official positions that had been continuously added now could only be increased again by the imperial court.
Especially in the former Japanese region, the number of officials needed was even greater.
There are also Champa, Chenla and Siam.
Ming Dynasty now has almost no alternate officials, and all alternate officials have been directly arranged.
The education aspect is even more directly open to the public. Anyone who has achieved scholar status in the Ming Dynasty and is willing to go to any country to serve as a school teacher will be free of travel expenses, and there are also a large number of welfare subsidy policies.
Zhu Yuanzhang was a little lucky that when Sun Da launched school education, the number of scholars continued to increase. Otherwise, how could the imperial court have so many officials to fill these areas now?
Although wars continued, the Ming Dynasty's military strength did not actually suffer much loss.
In terms of food, in Nanyang where rice can be grown in winter, this is not a big problem.
To be continued...