Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 282: Removal of Title
In Lin'an City, the streets were filled with soldiers of the Ming army patrolling everywhere.

Some foreign soldiers hiding in the city were dragged out from time to time and then beheaded by Ming soldiers. Traces of fire and fire could be seen everywhere in the city.
As the Ming army captured Lin'an, Sha Dingzhou's rule in Lin'an Prefecture completely collapsed.
The Ming army had previously sent two detachments. Yuanjiang Tusi Nasong attacked Mengzi, while Xu Mingchen attacked Amizhou.

After Xu Mingchen learned that the Ming army had captured Lin'an, he began to spread the news of Sha Dingzhou's defeat along the way. Sha Dingzhou's wife Wan Caiyun and others who were originally stationed in Amizhou were also shocked when they learned that Lin'an had been captured.

Once Lin'an was broken, Amizhou became an isolated city. Sha Dingzhou was a rebel who raised an army. He was a real traitor. Others might still surrender, but Wan Caiyun, as Sha Dingzhou's wife, could not even surrender.

After Wan Caiyun learned the news, he fled to Mengzi with the soldiers of Ami Prefecture overnight. After Xu Mingchen's army arrived, Ami Prefecture also opened the city and surrendered.

After the Ming army occupied Lin'an, the troops did not stop. Although Lin'an City was broken, Sha Dingzhou was not captured, but fled to his old nest Mengzi.
Ma Bao ordered 3,000 Tengxiang troops to garrison the city, while the remaining Ming troops were sent to various places to quell the rebellion.
Li Dingguo and Gao Yigong led two battalions of 6,000 people to pursue Sha Dingzhou, besiege Mengzi, and annihilate Sha Dingzhou
The Tusi Camp consisted of two to three thousand people, and was dispersed to various prefectures and counties south of Lin'an to wipe out the Tusi barbarians of all sizes in Lin'an Prefecture who were dependent on Shadingzhou.
The Ming army's demands this time were very clear. They would not accept surrender. All the chieftains and barbarians in Lin'an Prefecture had to either surrender their land and register, and completely change their status to that of a commoner, or be completely wiped out. There was no third option.

After receiving the order, the Tusi Camp soldiers rushed into the southern part of Lin'an Prefecture and began to attack and plunder the large and small Yi villages in Lin'an Prefecture.

The chieftains in the chieftain camp also understood the intentions of the Ming court. The Ming court was obviously very angry about Sha Dingzhou's rebellion and was ready to completely clean up Lin'an Prefecture.

Before the Tusi Camp entered Lin'an Prefecture, Ma Bao and his men had to impose strict restrictions on the Tusi Camp soldiers. When passing through towns along the way, they also camped outside the city and strictly prohibited Tusi soldiers from entering the city.

But after the Ming army entered Lin'an Prefecture, they completely relaxed their control over the Tusi camp.
Shiping Prefecture is not mentioned. Shiping is under the jurisdiction of Long Zaitian, the deputy general of the Tusi Camp. It is impossible for the Tusi Camp to enter the city to rob.
However, except for Shiping and other cities in Lin'an Prefecture, the Ming army allowed the Tusi camp to plunder. After Tonghai and Lin'an were captured, the Ming army occupied the government offices and treasuries, and the Tusi camp was allowed to plunder the city.
The Ming army also offered the same conditions to the chieftains during the campaign against Lin'an Prefecture.

The Ming army was responsible for half of the food and fodder for each army. The cities and barbarians in the entire Lin'an Prefecture were allowed to be attacked and plundered by the Tusi camp, and all the spoils belonged to the Tusi. However, there was only one rule: they were not allowed to kill the Han people in Lin'an Prefecture at will.
Although the Yunnan Province is a mixture of Yi and Han people, it is not difficult to achieve this goal. To distinguish between Yi and Han people, one can tell them apart by looking at the clothes they wear.

Those who wear hemp clothes and short brown robes with their hair tied up are Han people, and those who wear short coats of homespun cloth and shawls are Yi people.

Ma Bao and others sent missionaries to various Tusi armies to supervise the matter, and then the Tusi armies began to march towards Lin'an Prefecture.
Most of the chieftains recruited by the Ming army came from the east and west, and had no relationship with the chieftains in Lin'an Prefecture, so they had no burden to plunder.
With the support of the Ming army, the chieftains' camps of various tribes were scattered everywhere, and a large number of Yi villages with hundreds or thousands of people in Lin'an Prefecture were destroyed one after another by the chieftains' army.

The gold, silver, cloth, food, and women in the Yi village all became spoils of war for the Tusi armies.

After the various Tusi armies looted a few places, they saw that the Han military supervisors in the army really didn't care and didn't ask them for the spoils, so they also became eager to fight.
The Tusi troops went their separate ways to plunder. Once they encountered a stronghold or city that was difficult to attack, several Tusi troops would gather together to attack together.
Under the attack of the Tusi army, many Yi villages and Tuzhou in Lin'an Prefecture were defeated and destroyed one after another.
Lin'an Prefecture was in chaos, but for Yunnan Province, the Sha Dingzhou Rebellion, which had lasted for more than a year, had basically come to an end.

"Great victory, great victory"

"The imperial army defeated 30,000 rebels outside Lin'an City. The imperial court has captured the thieves' nest, Lin'an."

The Ming cavalry rushed into Kunming to report the victory, and the people in the city were jubilant when they heard that Sha Dingzhou's rebels had been destroyed. That night, countless families in the city set off firecrackers and fireworks, and the whole city was filled with joy.

The news of the Ming army's capture of Lin'an spread quickly, and Yunnan Province began to settle down.

As the people in Yunnan Province settled down, Zhang Huangyan and the three officials of Yunnan Province officially began to implement the military settlement system in Yunnan Province.
The scope of the land clearing by the Ming court was roughly Yongchang Prefecture. The areas east of Yongchang Prefecture, south of Lijiang Prefecture, and north of Lin'an Prefecture were all within the scope of the land clearing.
This area is not only the lost territory recovered by the Ming army from the Shadingzhou rebels, but also the essence of the entire Yunnan Province.

In the area of ​​​​clearing fields, the noble estates belonging to the Mu family, the fields privately occupied by local chieftains, and the unowned fields caused by war are all within the scope of clearing fields.
All these fields will be assigned to the Yunnan Provincial Governor's Office for military use.

After Sha Dingzhou's rebellion, there was a lot of killing in Yunnan Province. In the process of chasing Mu Tianbo, Sha Dingzhou also killed and plundered along the way in order to force the various tribes in Xixi to surrender.

After Dali, Menghua and other places were conquered by Sha Dingzhou, most of the people in the city were killed by Sha Dingzhou. As a large number of people were killed, there were many unowned fields in Yunnan Province at that time.

Under the urging of the three Yunnan provincial offices and the governor-general, all prefectures and counties quickly counted the farmland in Yunnan Province. After the three Yunnan provincial offices compiled the data, a total of more than 860,000 mu of farmland was cleared.
When the prefectures and counties of Yunnan Province cleared the fields, the people of Yunnan Province thought that the court was just clearing the fields as usual and then recruiting refugees to resume production.
But when the three departments of Yunnan Province announced the military settlement system and all these fields were included in the military settlement, the whole Yunnan Province was suddenly caught off guard.
September is already autumn, but the weather in Kunming is still a bit hot.

In the backyard of the Governor's Mansion, Yang Weizhi sat on the left side of the hall, and on the right was Mu Tianbo who hurried back to the city.

Yang Weizhi looked at the silent Mu Tianbo, but his face was calm. Mu Tianbo didn't speak, and Yang Weizhi didn't speak either. He just picked up the tea on the table and drank it.

In the lobby, Mu Tianbo saw Yang Weizhi's leisurely look, and finally lost his temper and said in a deep voice

"Governor Yang, the imperial court wants to survey the unowned land and take it back for military settlement. Tianbo has no objection."

"But the farms in these prefectures and counties are clearly the land of the Mu family. How can the three departments of Yunnan Province regard the farm of the Duke of Qian as unowned land and include it in the military settlement?"

Yang Weizhi looked at Mu Tianbo who was trying to hold back his anger, but his face remained unmoved. Yang Weizhi put down his teacup and spoke softly.

"Since the Duke of Qian knows about the military settlement, he should also know that this matter is handled by Governor Zhang. Why did the Duke of Qian not go to find Governor Zhang, but come to question me instead? What's the reason?"

Mu Tianbo's face darkened when he heard this. Why didn't he go to find Zhang Huangyan? Of the 860,000 acres of land cleared in Yunnan Province this time, nearly 500,000 acres belonged to the Mu family's estate.
The wealth accumulated by the Mu family for generations has been lost, and now only these fields and estates are left. After Mu Tianbo knew that these estates were taken away, he didn't even care about the encirclement and suppression of the remnants of Sha Dingzhou, and hurried back to Kunming.

After Mu Tianbo rushed back to the city, he immediately went to Zhang Huangyan, but Zhang Huangyan directly stated that these fields were all stolen property recovered from the Sha bandits by the court and should be handled by the court.
After Sha Dingzhou occupied Yunnan Province, he also occupied the Duke of Qian's Mansion. Naturally, the Mu family's mansions in various places in the east and west were also included in his name.

But how can this be counted? These fields are recorded in all counties. They were clearly the property of the Mu family before. How can all these meritorious fields of the Mu family be taken away now?

Mu Tianbo tried to argue with Zhang Huangyan, but Zhang Huangyan didn't listen at all. After several arguments, Zhang Huangyan simply avoided him on the grounds that he was busy with official business. Mu Tianbo had no choice but to go to Yang Weizhi.

Mu Tianbo had a gloomy look on his face. He was about to rebuke Zhang Huangyan for being disrespectful to his superiors, but before he could say anything, Yang Weizhi suddenly spoke up.

"Duke of Qian, do you know that Governor Zhang recently came to see me and asked if there were any loyal and brave chieftains in Yunnan Province who could be of great use other than the Mu family?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Tianbo was stunned at first, but then his face turned furious. How could he not understand what Yang Weizhi meant? Zhang Huangyan actually wanted to take away his title of Duke of Qian!
Who does Zhang Huangyan think he is? He is just a mere official governor. He is so bold!

Mu Tianbo was furious and was about to think of a way to deal with Zhang Huangyan. How could his Mu family allow a mere governor of Yunnan Province to bully them?

Mu Tianbo thought about it, but suddenly found that he had no way to deal with Zhang Huangyan at this time.

Mu Tianbo's mind suddenly flashed back to the roaring fire from the Ming army's formation under Lin'an City, as well as the densely packed limbs and broken arms under the city after Lin'an City was broken.
The imperial court entered Yunnan to quell the rebellion, and the imperial army did indeed defeat Shadingzhou, killing many of the Sha bandits.

But that was the imperial army. These brave soldiers had nothing to do with his Mu family. The soldiers of the Mu family had been killed by Sha Dingzhou when he rebelled.

The only thing Mu Tianbo can use now is the soldiers in the Tusi Camp, but will the Tusi in the Tusi Camp threaten the Ming court for him?
It is impossible. After seeing the Ming army slaughtering 20,000 people in Sha Dingzhou with only 9,000 people under Lin'an City and leaving them almost intact, no chieftain in Yunnan Province would dare to provoke the Ming army at this time.
Mu Tianbo's eyes flashed with panic, and he forced a smile on his face and said

"Let's talk about the affairs of Xunzhuang, why does Governor Yang have to threaten us for no reason?" "My Mu family has been guarding Yunnan Province on behalf of the court. The Duke of Qian has been a meritorious official for generations and has made great contributions to the country. How can a small governor like Zhang Huangyan shake us?"

Yang Weizhi looked at Mu Tianbo who was trying to remain calm, and sighed softly, saying

"Duke Qian, do you think I am helping Zhang Huangyan to intimidate you?"

"I and the Duke of Qian are friends in need, but I have never met the Governor Zhang. Why would I do such a disgusting thing?"

"The Duke of Qian is a man of many generations of meritorious officials, and the imperial army has certainly pacified Sha Dingzhou by now, but does the Duke of Qian really think that the rebellion in Yunnan Province is over?"

Mu Tianbo's expression suddenly darkened when he heard this. How could he not understand what Yang Weizhi meant? The rebellion in Yunnan Province was quelled, but shouldn't someone be held responsible for the loss of Yunnan Province?
The Mu family has guarded Yunnan Province for generations, but it is precisely because of this that the Mu family is now more guilty.

Yunnan Governor Wu Zhaoyuan acquiesced to the rebellion and has now been dismissed from office and charged with crimes. Yunnan's three departments acquiesced to the rebellion and all officials in the three departments have been dismissed from office and purged.
The civil officials of the three departments of Yunnan Province have all been imprisoned, but what about the Mu family?
Can the Mu family, a military official who has guarded Yunnan Province for generations, really let the court cover up the loss of Yunnan Province as if nothing had happened? How is this possible?
Yang Weizhi looked at Mu Tianbo, who looked pale, with a calm expression on his face, and said

"The Mu family has been Dukes for generations, how glorious it is. Duke Qian, do you still remember that two years ago, Tang Fantai was blocked in front of the government office by your servants and forced to resign?"

"The Duke of Qian's Mansion is so powerful that it overwhelms the three courts. Many ministers in the past dynasties have impeached your Mu family, but the court still continues to show favor and honor your Mu family. Duke of Qian, do you know why the court is like this?"

When Mu Tianbo heard this, his face turned even paler. The Mu family had occupied millions of acres of land in Yunnan Province, and normally treated the three departments of Yunnan Province as nothing. Why did the court still favor the Mu family?

Is it really because of the friendship between the ancestors of the Mu family and Emperor Taizu hundreds of years ago? How is it possible? After hundreds of years, any friendship has long disappeared.

The reason why the Ming court could tolerate and even favor the Mu family was because the Mu family could defend Yunnan Province for the court and suppress the Tusi.

But now Sha Dingzhou has rebelled. Not only has the Mu family failed to suppress Sha Dingzhou, but they have also allowed Sha Dingzhou to seize Yunnan Province, forcing the court to send troops to Yunnan to quell the rebellion at such a critical moment.

Since the Mu family is no longer able to defend Yunnan Province for the court, what use does the court have for the Mu family? Why can't the court take away the Mu family's title?
Mu Tianbo's face became panicked, and he couldn't help but speak

"My Mu family has been stationed in Yunnan Province for generations and has made great contributions to the court. How can the court remove my family's title just because of this one negligence? This is so unfair..."

Mu Tianbo was interrupted by Yang Weizhi as soon as he finished speaking. Yang Weizhi's expression turned cold and he said

"Yes, the court should never remove the title of the Mu family at this time, but it is not because your Mu family has made contributions to the court."

"Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there have been many families with great contributions, not just your Mu family, but how many of these families with great contributions are still alive now?"

"Rewards are given for merit and punishments are given for faults. This is the rule of the imperial court!"

"The Duke of Qian's Mansion has an outstanding reputation among the chieftains of Yunnan Province. Your Mu family has received the emperor's favor for generations, and has long shared the same fate with the court. It is impossible for you to betray the court. How can you replace it with a loyal and brave chieftain who is hastily found?"

"Zhang Huangyan is a frivolous scholar who suddenly came to Yunnan Province, but he has no idea about the details of Yunnan. He only saw that your Mu family was hindering the military settlement, so he ignored the situation in Yunnan Province and wanted to remove your family's title."

"The Yunnan Province has just been settled. The most important thing at this time is to appease the various tribes in central Yunnan and make the chieftains of each tribe return to their hearts again. If the Yunnan Province is not settled, what can he use to promote military settlements?"

Mu Tianbo's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said

"Yes, this time the imperial court entered Yunnan to quell the rebellion. Our Qianguo Mansion contacted the chieftains of various tribes to send troops, which was also a contribution to the suppression of the rebellion. Now it can help the imperial court stabilize the people's hearts in Yunnan Province."

"My Qianguo Mansion is familiar with the situation of the chieftains of various tribes. How can a mere official like Zhang Huangyan talk about replacing them?"

Yang Weizhi watched Mu Tianbo relax, but his expression became stern and he said in a cold voice:
"Although I do not agree to remove your family's title, this is not a reason for you to oppose the imperial court."

"You have been in Yunnan Province for a long time, and you only have eyes for Yunnan Province, but you have no idea about the situation in the world."

"The Tartars have now officially invaded Sichuan Province. His Majesty the Regent has personally led an expedition to the southwest for this matter. In the future, the imperial court and the Eastern Tartars will surely be in a long-term stalemate in Sichuan Province."

"Among the several provinces in the southwest, Sichuan Province has become a battlefield. Your province is poor and narrow. At this time, only Yunnan Province can serve as the southwest's granary to supply the needs of the front-line troops. This is also the reason why the court has established military settlements this time."

"The Yunnan military settlement is related to the war situation in the southwest. It is a major plan personally decided by His Highness and the court. At this time, let alone your Qianguo Mansion, even if the princes and dukes stand in the way of this matter, they will definitely be crushed by the court."

Mu Tianbo's expression changed slightly when he heard this, and he said in a deep voice
"Then Governor Yang, what do you think I should do at this time?"

Yang Weizhi ignored Mu Tianbo's expression and spoke directly

"Your Qianguo Mansion still has 300,000 to 400,000 mu of farmland. Isn't this enough for your Mu family to use?"

"Although the traitor Wubi Kuina is rebellious and unjust, he did say one thing correctly. If there were no Ming Dynasty, there would be no Duke Mu of your family. Now that the Eastern Tartars are invading and the court is in danger, it is time for your Mu family to be loyal to the court."

"If your Mu family is truly loyal to the court, you should support the court's military settlement system, and find a way to suppress those chieftains and prevent them from causing trouble. Only in this way can I plead for your Mu family in the court."

"If you are still obsessed with that little piece of land and want to threaten the court, then I can do nothing to you. How the Qianguo Mansion wants to act is up to the Qianguo Duke himself, and I will not say anything more."

Mu Tianbo's face was uncertain. He was silent for a long time before he replied:

"Tianbo, I will definitely think about this matter carefully."

After Mu Tianbo finished speaking, he did not say whether he agreed or not, and stood up to say goodbye.
When Yang Weizhi saw Mu Tianbo leaving, he did not stand up to see him off. He just sat on the chair and watched Mu Tianbo turn around and leave.

Mu Tianbo's figure quickly disappeared outside the hall. Not long after Mu Tianbo left, a young man wearing a third-rank Yunyan official robe suddenly came out from the back of the hall and sat down on the chair where Mu Tianbo had just sat with a calm expression.

(End of this chapter)