As soon as King Xiao Ming died, Zhu Yuanzhang completely severed his connection with the White Lotus Sect.
As a result, the White Lotus Sect was no longer willing, claiming that the world should have belonged to the White Lotus Sect, and that you, Zhu Yuanzhang, betrayed your faith and killed your master to seize the throne.
However, they also don’t think about it, who is Zhu Yuanzhang? How can a person be angry?
Therefore, starting from the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang officially issued an edict to ban the White Lotus Sect, and clearly stipulated in the "Da Ming Law" that those who have the head of the White Lotus will be hanged, and the followers will each have a hundred sticks and travel three thousand miles.
In order to resist, the White Lotus Sect held many uprisings among the people. For example, in the sixth year of Hongwu, Wang Fo'er of Luotian County used the White Lotus Sect to start a rebellion, claiming that Maitreya Buddha was born. In the 18th year of Hongwu, Peng Yulin of Fujian also started a rebellion in the name of the White Lotus Sect. The emergence of these situations also made Zhu Yuanzhang more determined to ban the White Lotus Sect.
In the Jianwen Dynasty, they were busy fighting civil war. After Zhu Di came to power, they were busy fighting Mongolia. The focus of the court gradually shifted to the north, and the control of non-governmental organizations such as the White Lotus Sect gradually relaxed.
To this day, everyone just turns a blind eye. As long as you don’t make trouble, I don’t have time to talk to you.
However, the White Lotus Rebel Sect could no longer sit still!
What surprised Zhu Qizhen was that this time, the White Lotus Sect actually colluded with the Japanese pirates, and the nature of the matter changed.
In the past, when you made trouble, it could barely be regarded as a grudge between brothers. Now if you collude with Japanese pirates, it is treason!
Song Guxi also understood this after thinking about it. With a pretty face full of pear blossoms, she sobbed: "The slave family didn't know that they dared to rebel and would collude with Japanese pirates..."
Zhu Qizhen asked: "Aren't you the White Lotus Saint? Your status in the religion is not low, right? Did you not know anything about it beforehand?"
Song Guxi's face was full of grievances, and she pouted and said: "The slave family thought that the White Lotus Sect persuaded people to do good and cared about the people of the world. Who would have thought... they actually colluded with the Japanese pirates. The slave family should not consider this saint!"
"If you don't want to be a saint, why don't you go to a brothel and sing?"
"Your Majesty, please stop making fun of me. At worst, you will find a down-to-earth man to marry and stop asking about these rights and wrongs."
Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment. Why did this sentence sound so familiar? Could it be that in the legend... find an honest man to marry?
Sure enough, honest people are all taking the blame...
"Tell me, what is your status as a saint?"
Song Guxi sighed and said quietly: "Because the White Lotus Sect believes in the Pure Land Bodhisattva, the reincarnation of the Bodhisattva is a saint. Now that I think about it, the so-called saint is just a name."
"What are you responsible for?"
"When the slave family came to the capital at the order of the leader, they didn't give any specific tasks. They just said that they would stand firm and wait for the opportunity to act. Later, they settled in a brothel for the purpose of gathering information. Last year's case of Fan Ji, a merchant, was the slave family.
The clues obtained and the looted property were also distributed to the poor people."
"Who distributed the property? Did you witness this process with your own eyes?"
Song Guxi was stunned for a moment, then shook her head slightly and sighed: "Whether those properties were distributed to the poor people or sent back to Nanjing is unknown. Now it seems that the Nu family may have been deceived again..."
"Okay, let's recover well. I'll see you again tomorrow."
Zhu Qizhen turned around and left. Song Guxi's eyes were a little reluctant, her lips trembled slightly, but she didn't say anything else.
As night falls, Queen Qian has been waiting for a long time.
Seeing the emperor's tired look, he took the initiative to squeeze his shoulders.
"The emperor went to Xishan again?"
"Yeah!"
Zhu Qizhen closed his eyes, and his mind was filled with things about the White Lotus Sect and the Japanese pirates. He must find a way to kill these two in one pot and prepare for the opening of the sea.
"Your Majesty..."
Queen Qian asked cautiously: "How is Miss Song's recovery?"
"It's okay, it went smoothly."
"I heard that Miss Song was born in a brothel. If she stays in the palace to recuperate for a long time, I'm afraid it would be... inappropriate..."
Zhu Qizhen heard the implication of Queen Qian's words. It's no wonder that having a brothel woman next to him really doesn't have a good impact.
"However, before her injury healed, she had a falling out with the White Lotus Sect again, and she had no place to stay for a while."
Queen Qian then said: "It is better to send Miss Song to the Imperial Mansion to recuperate, and then send someone to guard her. This can avoid rumors and protect her at the same time."
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and nodded: "That's okay, but I have to wait until she gets better before I go see her. She is still too weak to get out of bed."
Empress Qian felt relieved and said: "I have arranged for people to serve Miss Song. Your Majesty, you can go about your business. There is no need to worry here."
Zhu Qizhen was really sleepy, so he responded and fell asleep.
Queen Qian sat on the bedside and sighed silently, with a look of resentment on her face.
The next day, as soon as the morning session ended, Yu Qian ran over.
Zhu Qizhen hadn't finished breakfast yet. When he heard Yu Qian's request to see him, he quickly put down his bowls and chopsticks and came to the Imperial Study Room.
"I have thought about it over and over again. If I want to annihilate Bai Lian and the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop, I can only resort to tricks."
Zhu Qizhen's eyes shone brightly and he urged: "Tell me quickly, how can you just follow the plan?"
Yu Qian replied: "The white lotus is hidden among the people, and the Japanese pirates have been wandering on the sea for a long time. If the court takes any action, they will definitely be dormant. Therefore, if you want to lure the snake out of the hole, you must let them see enough benefits. For example, Huai'an Prefecture has 60,000 yuan."
The civilian husband is a very good temptation, but now that the imperial court has issued an order to collect the white lotus, they will definitely be more careful."
"Do you want me to take back my will?"
"I'm afraid it's too late to withdraw my decree now!"
Yu Qian shook his head and said: "What I mean is that the imperial court's decree will continue to be implemented, but it can be done secretly and just for show. As for the White Lotus Sect's targeting of Huai'an Mansion, Quan pretends not to know about it, and also wants to order Wang Yonghe
If we continue to recruit more civilians, if 60,000 is not enough, we will need 100,000. The White Lotus Sect will never give up this opportunity easily."
Zhu Qizhen nodded secretly. Song Guxi was not dead, and the White Lotus Sect must know the news. If the court remained unmoved, it would make people suspicious. It would be better to bluff to cover up the court's arrangements for Huai'an Mansion.
Yu Qian continued: "The next thing is about Nanjing's military strength. I suggest that the emperor issue a decree and order the king of Jing'an County to seize the vassal, and Nanjing sends troops to escort. In this way, Nanjing's soldiers and horses can be transferred away. In this way, the White Lotus Sect and the
The Japanese pirates will definitely take action."
"Lead the snake out of the hole, how to arrange the counter-insurgency troops and horses next? How to mobilize the troops and horses without the other party knowing?"
"I suggest that you cannot mobilize troops on a large scale. You can arrange a small number of elites to go to Nanjing in advance and wait for the opportunity to fight the opponent. I have estimated that the opponent's strength will not exceed 50,000 at most. With new firearms, only a few thousand people are enough to annihilate them.
Of!"
Zhu Qizhen quickly thought about Yu Qian's plan, recruited more civilians, transferred troops from Nanjing, and Zhang Fu, the king of Jing'an County, joined the vassal...
If you were a White Lotus sect, you would definitely not be able to bear such temptation.
In this way, all it takes is an elite unit equipped with flintlock rifles to attack, and the opponent can be caught off guard.
"I still have a question, what should I do with the civilians in Huai'an Prefecture? Are they really waiting for the White Lotus Sect to incite them to rebel?"
These are all people of the Ming Dynasty, and they are innocent.
We cannot just watch them being used by the White Lotus Sect and then die in the war.
Yu Qian said: "I have a way to make the White Lotus Sect's trick fail. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, these common people will not rebel!"
"Oh?"
Zhu Qizhen's face was full of doubts. Can you manage so many people?
Even a hundred thousand well-trained soldiers may mutiny at any time if not managed well, let alone a hundred thousand civilians!
"I request the emperor's order to go to Huai'an in person. As for the mobilization of troops and horses, why not leave it to the Three Thousand Battalion. I wonder what the emperor wants?"
Zhu Qizhen is very confident in the combat effectiveness of the Three Thousand Battalion. This is his elite unit. All members are currently being trained to be equipped with flintlock rifles. It has been transformed into a modern combat force to deal with the White Lotus Rebellion and Japanese pirates. Come to think of it
No problem.
As for Yu Qian's request to go to Huai'an Mansion in person, I don't know what kind of medicine he is selling in his gourd.
"Do you have to go? Can't Wang Yonghe?"
"I'd better go there in person. Otherwise, it will take a lot of time to send letters back and forth from Huai'an to the capital. The war may start at any time. In the event of an emergency, Wang Shilang may not have time to react."
"What will happen to the Ministry of War if you leave?"
"You can order Zuo Shilang to take over the position of minister temporarily, and the emperor will personally take command in the capital. I think there won't be any problems."
Zhu Qizhen thought carefully about it for a long time, and found that Yu Qian's method was feasible. As for the matter of the people in Huai'an Prefecture, since he said there was a way, he would definitely not let him down.
"Okay, that's it, you go down and make arrangements!"
Yu Qian bowed and resigned, and Zhu Qizhen ordered Jin Ying to announce that Zhang Fu had entered the palace.
After Zhang Fu received the holy message, he rushed over in a hurry.
During the Emperor's Northern Expedition, he stayed in the capital. Apart from waiting for the battle report from Mobei, he basically had nothing to do every day.
In addition, I bear the title of a county king, and I always feel uncomfortable.
If you don't find something to do, I'm afraid something will go wrong.
"I bow to the emperor!"
"Zhang Qing's family doesn't need to be polite. Come and have a seat!"
Jin Ying brought a Jin Dun, and after Zhang Fu thanked him, he sat down in front of him.
"I wonder what the emperor's orders were when he summoned the old minister?"
Zhu Qizhen said straight to the point: "I would like to ask the Qing family, when will they prepare to become a vassal?"
Zhang Fu suddenly became excited and stood up again.
"The emperor is going to let the old minister... become a vassal?"
"Of course!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "Don't be nervous, sit down and talk!"
Zhang Fu sat down carefully and said: "I can take over the vassal state at any time, but... I need to borrow some troops from the imperial court."
You're kidding, you sent me to Annan Kingdom. I don't lead troops, how can I become a vassal?
Do you want me to go over and tell people, this is my territory, please get out of the way!
I'm afraid the only result is to be chopped into pieces...
Of course Zhu Qizhen also understood this, and said directly: "How many soldiers and horses does the Qing family need, but it doesn't matter!"
"This...this..."
Zhang Fu immediately hesitated, because becoming a vassal himself was equivalent to declaring war on Annan. Is the court ready?
Just after conquering Mobei, they have to attack Annan again. Can the Ming Dynasty bear such a toss...
"Your Majesty, does this matter require long-term consideration?"
It’s not that Zhang Fu doesn’t have the guts. He personally led the army in the battle against Annan. Now if you want to fight, you can do it. At least you have to prepare!
If, like what happened in the 14th year of Orthodoxy, if we declare troops today and set out three days later, that is not a war, but a loss of lives.
Zhu Qizhen asked: "Is one month of preparation time enough?"
Zhang Fu nodded. Although one month is a bit hasty, it is still enough.
However, he didn't understand why the emperor was so eager to drive him away.
Could it be that you are addicted to fighting?
"I estimate that I will need to borrow at least 50,000 troops from the imperial court. Your Majesty, please rest assured that as soon as I arrive at the fiefdom, I will hand over my military power as soon as possible."
Zhu Qizhen smiled faintly and said: "I will give you one hundred thousand!"
"Not so much!"
Zhang Fu waved his hand repeatedly and said: "Fifty thousand is enough!"
Zhu Qizhen said: "This is what I thought. The Qing family set out from the capital with their family members and guards. When they arrived in Nanjing, they were escorted by the Duke of Wei with Nanjing soldiers and horses. After arriving in Yunnan, they joined forces with the Duke of Guizhou and entered Jiaozhi together. I don't know.
What do you think the Qing family wants?"
After Zhang Fu heard this, he nodded and said: "That's very good, but... I am worried that the imperial court will mobilize troops and waste money and food. If some young people take advantage of the empty army in Nanjing to commit treason and evil, then I will become the Ming Dynasty."
The sinner!"
"You don't have to worry about these, I still have a mission for you."
"Your Majesty, please speak!"
"When the Qing family arrives in Jiaozhi, they will capture that bitch who calls himself the king. I want to ask him face to face why he doesn't obey my will?"
Zhang Fu's expression changed. Just say that you can just let me lead the troops to fight against Annan and return the vassal status. That's nice to say...
He thought quickly in his mind: Nanjing sent 100,000 soldiers and horses, Yunnan had roughly 50,000 soldiers and horses, and with the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Guizhou in charge, it would not be difficult to capture Annan.
Thinking of this, I suddenly became excited.
Just saying that the emperor would never forget me, Fa Mobei asked me to sit on the bench in the capital. It turned out that he was planning to attack Annan!
Okay, let’s fight!
"I have another request..."
"But it doesn't matter!"
"Can you bring some of the new muskets and artillery to the old minister?"
"Of course!"
Zhu Qizhen was happy and said immediately: "In the Battle of Mobei, our army's new firearms exposed many problems. Now Wang Gong Factory is making every effort to improve them. The new batch has not yet been put into mass production, so we can only give you the original one."
Batch."
"No problem, I want the old ones!"
Zhang Fu was immediately excited. These firearms have been tested in actual combat. Even if there are problems, they will be overwhelming on the battlefield.
When he first conquered Annan, the coach was Zhang Fu's father, Zhang Yu.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yu died unexpectedly during the battle, and Zhang Fu became the head coach.
After the fall of Annan, Zhang Fu originally wanted to guard it for generations. However, the imperial court started a war with Mobei and urgently needed to return to the imperial court, so he gave up this idea as a last resort.
This time, the old dream can finally come true again!
Thinking of this, Zhang Fu burst into tears with excitement.
"I swear to God, Jiaozhi will definitely return to the territory of the Ming Dynasty!"
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "I believe you, go and prepare!"
Zhang Fu said seriously: "Old minister... obey the order!"