Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 246 Chen Puwen's Experience
Chen Puwen was born into the Yimen Chen family of Jiangzhou, a prominent family in Jiangxi.

The Chen family of Yimen in Jiangzhou was very active during the Song Dynasty. They produced several generals during the Southern Song Dynasty. When the Mongols marched south to destroy the Song Dynasty, they caused a lot of trouble to the Mongols. Therefore, when the Mongols marched south, they massacred many members of the Chen family of Yimen in Jiangxi.

Therefore, throughout the Yuan Dynasty, the Chen family of Yimen in Jiangxi kept a very low profile, and almost no one of them served as an official for the Mongols.

It was not until Xu Shouhui rebelled and proclaimed himself emperor that Chen Puwen and Chen Pulue immediately surrendered to him, becoming one of the few forces within the Xu Song system that directly served Xu Shouhui himself, in addition to the factions of Peng Yingyu, Ni Wenjun, and Zou Pusheng.

In addition to this relationship, Chen Puwen has another identity. He is also a relative of Chen Youliang, and can be considered an uncle.
Chen Youliang, Zhang Dingbian, Zhang Bixin and others rebelled in Hubei in 1350, half a year earlier than Liu Futong, Han Shantong and others. However, due to insufficient publicity in the early stage, they failed to make a big name and had only a few thousand soldiers.

Later, after Xu Shouhui, Peng Yingyu and others started a rebellion, Chen Puwen immediately joined them. In the twelfth year of Zhizheng, which was the beginning of this year, Chen Youliang joined the Xu Song camp through the introduction of his uncle Chen Puwen. This move immediately made Xu Shouhui very happy. As the mascot emperor, he finally had Chen Youliang's troops loyal to him.

So in January and February, when Chen Youliang had just made some military achievements, Xu Shouhui appointed him as the commander-in-chief and supported Chen Youliang to become an independent military leader. The purpose of Xu Shouhui doing this was naturally to support an army loyal to himself, and the stronger the better.

Unfortunately, he himself did not expect that Chen Youliang, whom he had high hopes for and regarded as his own, would eventually kill him with a hammer and usurp the throne to become emperor.
However, these have not happened yet. At this moment, Chen Puwen, who has brought a large army to himself, is still regarded as a confidant by Xu Shouhui.

Therefore, he hoped that his confidant Chen Puwen could go to Luzhou as an envoy to persuade Lu Jin to surrender and then bring him an army of 100,000 so that he could use Lu Jin's force at his disposal, so that he could sit firmly on the throne.

Seeing Chen Puwen cooperate and come out to ask for orders, Xu Shouhui immediately waved his hand and said, "Okay, then Mr. Chen will go on the mission, and Puxiong, you will stay as well. Tell Mr. Chen about the last mission to Luzhou."

"Yes, we obey your order." The two men immediately stepped out and received the order.

After other irrelevant people left and only Xu Shouhui, Peng Yingyu, Chen Puwen and Yang Puxiong were left on the scene, Yang Puxiong then recounted the details of his last mission to Luzhou.

After Yang Puxiong finished speaking, Chen Puwen stroked his beard and said, "So, this time I go there, I want to see how they are building the city in Huoshan, and whether there are any changes to the garrisons and city defenses in various places?"

Peng Yingyu nodded and said, "Yes, Lu Jin is definitely not an easy person to deal with. The reasons for his refusal last time were all excuses. He will definitely not give in easily this time. Moreover, we have lost so many cities this time. Lu Jin will definitely not take us seriously. Therefore, even if the negotiation fails this time, we must find out the details of Luzhou. If he still refuses to surrender in the future, it will be easier to attack him in the future."

Chen Puwen nodded, then frowned and asked in confusion, "So, is my mission this time mainly to act as a spy or to win over the enemy and make peace?"

Xu Shouhui said quickly, "We should still focus on persuading him to surrender. I think Lu Jin is not someone who is ignorant of current affairs, and his subordinates are all righteous men who are against the Yuan Dynasty.

"Besides, the conditions and concerns they raised last time were not without reason. We are afraid of being branded as attacking the rebel army, so how can Lu Jin be an exception? Therefore, it is understandable that he does not want to have friction with Liu Futong.

"Besides, he has dozens of cities, 100,000 elite soldiers, tens of thousands of cavalry, and two powerful naval forces. If we can get this powerful force, the Yuan court south of the Yangtze River will no longer be our opponent. Even if he asks for a higher price, it is understandable."

Yang Puxiong frowned upon hearing this, and finally couldn't help but said, "Your Majesty, if you want to be pragmatic, I think the military advisor is right. We should make alliances first, recruit them second, and be hostile to them last.

“Your Majesty also knows that Luzhou is powerful. If you want to recruit them, I think it will be difficult to convince them to surrender even if you only go there once or twice. After all, they have 100,000 soldiers and horses, and they have so many civil officials and generals, county magistrates and prefects under their command. It will take more than one or two times to convince all of them. If you want to really convince them to surrender, I think we need to think about it for a long time.

"But it is not impossible for us to agree to fight against the Yuan army together. We can reach an agreement right now. Once we drive away the Yuan army, we will take all of Jiangxi and Jiangzhou, which borders Anqing of Lujin. Then we can put our troops at the gates of the city, use threats and inducements, and we are not afraid that Lujin will not surrender."

Xu Shouhui certainly wanted to keep Lu Jin's troops in his own hands, but what Yang Puxiong said was not unreasonable and was more feasible.

So he gritted his teeth and made up his mind, "Then follow Pu Xiong's advice. Alliance is the main thing, and recruitment is the secondary thing. First, convince Lu Jin to send troops to help us. After we capture Jiangzhou, we will continue to talk to him and his civil and military officials. If we can persuade one person to submit, I don't believe that Lu Jin will not submit. That's it. Let's all retreat and prepare for our own actions."

"Yes, I will take my leave."

After Yang Puxiong and Peng Yingyu left, Xu Shouhui sent someone to quietly invite Chen Puwen back. After sending away the outsiders and only the two of them were left, Xu Shouhui spoke.

"Pu Wen, there are some things about Lu Jin in Luzhou that you may not know. The military advisor does not want him to surrender. In fact, it is because the military advisor has some grudges with Lu Jin. That is why I do not want Pu Xiong to go as an envoy."

"Oh? So that's how it is. Then what is the festival about?" Chen Puwen asked curiously.

Xu Shouhui then told the story of the Chaohu navy, Peng Yingyu's two apprentices, the tragic death of Zhao Pusheng, the missing whereabouts of Li Pusheng, and the Chaohu generals who followed Lu Jin to power.

Peng Yingyu's thoughts were also easy to guess. First, he suspected that Zhao Pusheng was harmed by Lu Jin. Even if it was not Lu Jin who did it, he probably watched him die without saving him. Second, Peng Yingyu wanted to kill Lu Jin and then support his apprentice Li Pusheng to take power and take Lu Jin's 100,000 troops into his own hands. Therefore, he strongly opposed Lu Jin's surrender.

After hearing this, Chen Puwen suddenly realized, "So the military advisor has such a feud with Lu Jin. What exactly is your majesty planning? How do you want me to discuss this trip?"

Xu Shouhui said immediately, "Of course, it is best to make them surrender. If they fail to surrender, it will not be too late to form an alliance with them."

Chen Puwen thought for a moment and then asked, "Your Majesty, if Lu Jin is willing to submit, what official position can Your Majesty promise him?"

Xu Shouhui continued, "Last time we appointed him as the governor of Bianliang Road, he said that the position was too low and Bianliang was now in the hands of Liu Futong. He said that we appointed him this position to provoke him to fight with Liu Futong, and he did not want to bear the stigma of attacking the rebels, so he refused to accept the position.

“If he is willing to submit this time, and he controls so many counties, I think he can be given the title of Prime Minister of Huaixi Province, and allowed to open a government office. The civil and military officials under him can be made the left and right prime ministers of Huaixi Province.

"There is also his Shengwu Army, which has four generals under it. Among them, Yu and Liao were both former generals of the Chaohu Navy. If they are willing to submit, they can be given the title of marshal, which is better than the current commander-in-chief."

Chen Puwen hesitated for a moment and asked again, "Your Majesty, what if Lu Jin asks for a title?"

Xu Shouhui stood up and turned around twice, as if he had made up his mind, and then he said, "If he is willing to bring 100,000 troops and surrender loyally, what's wrong with giving him a title? I heard that Lu Jin was originally from the Gongshu clan, a descendant of Lu Ban, and his ancestor was also a doctor of the State of Lu. If he asks for a title, I will definitely treat him as a duke. "Just ask him whether he wants the Duke of Qi, the Duke of Lu, or the Duke of Chu. It's up to him to choose. I will also confer the title of marquis to those marshals under him, as long as they are willing to surrender and obey my orders."

Chen Puwen was so surprised that his mouth opened wide. He didn't expect Xu Shouhui to be so generous. This also showed how much he wanted to conquer Lu Jin. But think about it, with Lu Jin's strength, if he was willing to sincerely submit, then the title of Duke would be really worth it.

But then Xu Shouhui spoke again.

"However, this title cannot be given now. After all, he is not a brother who started the rebellion together. Currently, the military advisor, general, grand tutor, and many other generals have not been given titles. Your nephew Chen Youliang has also made many military achievements, but he has not been given a title either. This Lu Jin is no exception. If he is given a title now, others will definitely not accept it.

"But I can write him a letter to explain the matter and make a promise in advance. As long as he is willing to surrender and make military achievements, I will definitely fulfill my promise when I reward him with a great reward in the future."

Chen Puwen nodded immediately and said, "With your majesty's promise, I am confident that I can persuade Lu Jin to submit."

Xu Shouhui immediately grabbed Chen Puwen's hand and said emotionally, "At this critical moment, we should still put national affairs first. The military advisor has a grudge against Lu Jin, but how can we reject him or even regard him as an enemy? The most urgent task is to destroy the Yuan Dynasty.

"Sir, you introduced me to Youliang before and brought thousands of soldiers to me. I am very happy. I hope you can make new contributions and say that Lu Jin has surrendered. I will never forget your great contribution."

Upon seeing this, Chen Puwen immediately cupped his hands and said, "This is my responsibility, I dare not claim credit for it. Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my best."

Xu Shouhui heard this and gave another instruction, "But what Puxiong said just now also makes sense. After all, the Shengwu Army has a large number of troops, and it is impossible for all of them to be of one mind. One mission may not be able to convince everyone. If the negotiation fails this time, sir, please do not offend Lu Jin, so that you will have a chance to continue to fight for it in the future."

"I will definitely keep it in mind!" Chen Puwen responded again.

"Okay, then go and prepare. This time, bring 500 soldiers and go through the mountains. Huanggang has been captured by the Yuan army, and you may encounter Yuan soldiers on the road. You must be careful on the road. If you really can't get through, you can retreat first. It won't be too late to go again after we take back Qizhou Road and Jiangzhou."

"Yes, I will obey your command."

In the twelfth year of Zhizheng, at the end of April, Chen Puwen, an envoy of Xu Song, led 500 soldiers and crossed the Dabie Mountains again to Luzhou on a diplomatic mission. The group walked in the mountains for nearly half a month, and it was not until mid-May that they arrived at Huoshan County of Lu'an Prefecture, which was the original Gubu Town, but now it has been upgraded to a county again.

Yang Puxiong told him that the last time he came here, a city was being built here. The person stationed here at that time was a captain named Zhang Huan, who was originally a general of the Yuan army in Luzhou and under Zuo Junbi. Later, he was conquered by Lu Jin.

Now I come to Huoshan again. Half a year has passed and the castle here has been built. Although the city is not big, it is built on a dangerous mountain road. It is covered with stone bricks on the outside, and a deep trench is dug outside the city to introduce mountain spring water as a moat. Only hundreds of soldiers are needed to guard this pass, which is truly 'one man guarding the pass against ten thousand men'.

Looking at the red flag fluttering in the wind on the top of the city wall, Chen Puwen immediately ordered his soldiers to go up and report. As a result, the one who came out this time was a general named Wu, also a commander of a thousand households.

This was after the Battle of Anqing, when the Shengwu Army expanded again. In order to prepare for the future crossing of the river, Lu Jin adjusted the deployment of the western defense zone in advance, transferred Zhao Yong's 11th Regiment to Lu'an, and transferred Yu Tingyu's nd Regiment originally stationed here back to Luzhou. In this way, after Lu Jin left with the Imperial Guards, Yu Tingyu would be stationed in Luzhou.

Therefore, what Chen Puwen saw this time was Wu Guoxing, the captain of the 11th Regiment, who was Wu Liang in the original history.

Wu Guoxing looked up and down at Chen Puwen, who was wearing a red brocade round-collared official robe, black cloth boots, and a black gauze hat, and asked, "Are you the envoy of the Song State? What's your name?"

Chen Puwen shook his sleeves and said with his hands behind his back, "I am Chen Puwen, and I am here on a diplomatic mission to Luzhou under the order of His Majesty the Emperor. But is Officer Zhang in person?"

Seeing him like this, Wu Guoxing didn't bother to talk back to him. He put one hand on the hilt of his knife and stroked his beard with the other hand and said, "So it's Ambassador Chen. My apologies, but the battalion commander Zhang you're looking for is not here. He was transferred a long time ago. I, Wu Guoxing, am the battalion commander of Qianhu. I'm here to guard this place under the order of General Lu."

"It turned out to be Officer Wu."

"Exactly. I wonder if the envoy named Li who came last time is doing well?"

Chen Puwen raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, and immediately replied, "Your Excellency may have remembered it wrongly. The envoy sent by His Majesty last time was named Yang Puxiong, and there was no envoy with the surname Li."

Upon hearing this, Wu Guoxing burst into laughter and said, "Hahahaha, that's right, your surname is not Li, but Yang. I was just testing you. What if you were sent by the Tartars to defraud the city?"

Chen Puwen was stunned, and then he laughed and said, "General, you are smart. Can you let me enter the city?"

Wu Guoxing nodded, "Okay, but according to the old rules, your soldiers cannot bring weapons into the city. The weapons will be kept by me, and I will return them all when the messenger leaves."

Chen Puwen also knew what happened last time, so he agreed without hesitation, "Okay, then please lead the way and pass on the message, General."

"Messenger, please come and greet the brothers of the Song army. They have come from afar. Take them to the camp to rest first."

At Wu Guoxing's command, a company of 200 soldiers immediately ran out of the city gate.

The soldiers of the Shengwu Army were fully armed. Each of them wore a set of red straight cloth armor, a black iron breastplate on his chest, a four-petal iron helmet on his head, and two black iron arms like lobster shells on his arms. They flashed a faint blue metallic luster in the sun. This was armor that had been oil-quenched to blacken and rust-proof.

The soldiers lined up and ran past him, making a rustling sound of their armor plates rubbing against each other. Although the sound was small, it was still very obvious when more than two hundred people made such a sound together. Seeing this scene, Chen Puwen narrowed his eyes.

(End of this chapter)