Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 183 Who in the world would believe that I am fake?

It rained heavily in Taishan County.

In Xinning Township, which is closest to the sea, all the people here have been evacuated. Zhang Lun led 5,000 troops to ambush here because he got the news that the Japanese pirates were going to attack Taizhou in three groups, and the strongest group would pass through here.

The heavy rain pattered on his face. He wiped the rain with his hand, staring at the front with a sharp gaze. The guard beside him asked in confusion, "General, are five thousand people a little short?"

Zhang Lun shook his head. "There are 20,000 Japanese pirates this time. They are divided into three groups, each with only a few thousand people. I want to bring more people to ambush, but the battle line is too long, and we have to leave soldiers to guard the important towns along the way. These 5,000 people are made up of the troops from Taishan County."

The guard's eyes gleamed, and he clenched his sword tightly: "General, we have 5,000 men, even if the enemy has 10,000 men, we will still kill them like crazy."

Zhang Lun stood up, glanced at the soldiers behind him, and said in a deep voice:
"Don't underestimate the enemy! The Japanese pirates are indeed extremely powerful. Some of their warriors have practiced swordsmanship for at least five years. In close combat, their swords rarely collide with our weapons. They are extremely calm when they strike, looking for opportunities to strike, and only aiming to cut the weak parts that are not covered by armor. If they don't strike, it's fine. If they do strike, they will definitely cause serious injuries."

"Of course, we now have the Mandarin Duck Formation, which is specifically designed to defeat these warriors. Everyone, cheer up! We will defeat the arrogance of the Japanese pirates with a great victory."

As he finished speaking, footsteps were heard in front.

The Japanese pirates are coming!
"Everyone, get up! In this battle, I'm going to defeat these sons of bitches fairly and make them tremble with fear!"

……

The first group of Japanese pirates to arrive consisted of only 3,000 people. They advanced with laughter, thinking that they could plunder and kill on a large scale again. There was a bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes.

Not long after they walked, they saw the Ming army blocking the road, ready to fight. But the pirates were not panicked at all, and were eager to try, because according to their experience, as long as they rushed up to fight in close combat, the Ming army would flee in panic.

"idiot!"

The leader of the Japanese pirates drew his long sword and immediately ordered a charge to repel the Ming army and plunder. When they charged, they found that the Ming army gathered in groups of three or two, which made the Japanese pirates even more excited. This would be another game of cat and mouse.

But the Japanese pirates did not realize that the Ming army was organized into groups of eleven men, without any disorder. When the Japanese pirates were about to rush to the front of the Ming army, Zhang Lun ordered:

"Array up!"

This is the Mandarin Duck Formation. After several months of training, Zhang Lun has figured out the principle of the Mandarin Duck Formation, which is used for group fights.

A nearly perfect battle formation, thanks to its exquisite position layout and weapon equipment configuration. The team is composed of eleven people, with the captain as the core, he stands in the middle of the front, and the other ten soldiers are divided into two teams, following closely behind.

Although they were few in number, they held five different weapons and formed four coordinated attack networks. Following the captain were two shield warriors equipped with javelins. They not only used shields to build a solid defense line for themselves and their companions, but also took the lead in attacking the enemy with javelins.

Providing cover for the shield warriors are the wolf-whip soldiers who come after them. As a unique weapon, the wolf-whip has a strange structure, with a long iron stick as the frame, and densely covered with iron branches and barbs.

Behind the wolf-whip soldiers are four spear warriors. As the backbone of the team, once they find the enemy, they will use their spears as spears to pierce the enemy formation.

At the end of the line were two dagger masters, who alertly guarded the flanks to prevent enemy attacks and provided comprehensive protection for the spearmen.

Arranged in this way, the formation was flawless. The eleven people cooperated with each other and supported each other to jointly build an impeccable killing formation.

The Japanese pirates didn't know this, and they played their Bushido and rushed forward. But soon, they were met with a wave of javelin rain, which was accurate and fierce, and they fell down in an instant.

"idiot!"

The remaining Japanese pirates rushed forward desperately, thinking that as long as they rushed into the Ming army, they could defeat them. However, this time, they were wrong. After finally reaching the front of the army, they were blocked by shields. Then, the wolf-whip came over. After being hit, they didn't die? The barbs on it could tear off several layers of your skin.

Not hit by the wolf-whip? Sorry, there are spears waiting for you. Want to fight back? There are wolf-whips and shields in front of you. When they rushed here, a large number of Japanese pirates died, and the Ming army suffered no casualties. The Japanese pirates finally realized the horror of this strange formation. They stopped playing Bushido and ran for their lives.

Unexpectedly, more than a thousand Shenjiying appeared from both sides of the road, and gunfire rang out. Zhang Lun ordered a final attack to wipe out the Japanese pirates. From the few remaining captives, he learned that they were only the vanguard, and another 5,000 people went straight to Taishan County.

"It's bad, General, let's go back for help. We have transferred the main force from Taishan County, and there are only a thousand or so defenders inside." The bodyguards were anxious.

Zhang Lun did not seem to be panicked. He directly chopped the captives and ordered 500 men to stay behind to hang the bodies of the 3,000 Japanese pirates in a row on the beach for a spectacular view.

He had fully learned from Yang Guifang's construction of the Jingguan in Mobei, and when he issued the order to wipe out the Japanese pirates, their bodies would be hung by the sea.

After issuing a series of orders, he led his troops back to Taishan to provide support.

"General, speed up, otherwise Taishan will be breached."

"Taishan will not be breached!"

"Why? There are only a thousand or so defenders."

"Because Shen Manqing is here!"

……

Taishan County.

Shen Manqing stood on the city wall. Just now, a spy reported that 5,000 Japanese pirates were heading for Taishan County. As the prefect of Taizhou, he went to the front line to guard Taishan, where he was the county magistrate.

He had been the county magistrate for two years and was very popular among the people. So when he learned that 5,000 Japanese pirates were coming, he was not panicked even though there were only 1,000 soldiers guarding the county.

First, he issued a notice, calling on the people of the city to defend the city, and opened the armory to distribute weapons to the people. He certainly knew that relying on untrained people to defend the city would only increase momentum, but the combat effectiveness would definitely not be good.

What he wanted was to increase momentum and delay time. He believed that Zhang Lun would win and come back to Taishan for support, and he only needed to hold on until Zhang Lun returned.

At dawn, the five thousand Japanese pirates arrived, howling and rushing towards Taishan County, thinking that they would plunder the city and then eat, drink and have fun. But when they arrived at the foot of the city tower, they were numb.

The battle flags on the tower were flying, shouts of killing were deafening, and the tower was full of people, who seemed to have been waiting for them for a long time. The Japanese pirates wanted to make a tentative attack, but Shen Manqing gave an order, and arrows and muskets were fired at the same time, with overwhelming momentum.

The scene was so huge that from the perspective of the Japanese pirates, there were at least tens of thousands of people on the tower! How could they fight with so many soldiers? The enemy's firepower was quite strong.

In fact, Shen Manqing called on half of the county's people to go up to the tower, and even the women came to wave the flags. Seeing this, the Japanese pirates did not dare to attack rashly, and retreated to set up camp, preparing to find out the situation. But God did not give them a chance. At night, Zhang Lun came back. He led the army to charge directly into the enemy camp. Shen Manqing in the city decisively led the army in the city to attack from the front and back.

The people on the city wall waved flags and shouted. The five thousand Japanese pirates felt that they were surrounded by at least a hundred thousand troops and fled in panic.

……

Beijing, Qianqing Palace.

Yu Qian, the crown prince's assistant, came in hastily, holding a memorial in his hand. "Victory! Victory! Your Majesty, a great victory was won at Taishan. Ten thousand Japanese pirates were beheaded and severely damaged. The other two groups of Japanese pirates all retreated on their own."

Zhu Qizhen took the memorial, glanced at it quickly, and praised: "Hey, Zhang Lun, how come you are the same as Yang Guifang, hanging the bodies of the Japanese pirates on the beach? No, no, no, this is more deterrent than building a Jingguan. Just think of the scene of 10,000 bodies hanging in a row. It's spectacular!"

Yang Guifang held her forehead and took the memorial to share with Xu Youzhen, Dong Yuchang and others. Yu Qian frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, isn't hanging the body a bit too much? The person is dead, we..."

"What's wrong?" Yang Guifang interrupted, "To deal with the Japanese pirates, you have to be so ruthless! We have to tell Zhang Lun that from now on, no one will be left alive when dealing with the Japanese pirates. Kill them all!"

Zhu Qizhen also agreed: "They are brutal pirates, we don't need to talk about benevolence and righteousness."

Yu Qian hesitated to speak, but finally said nothing. He received an orthodox Confucian education, emphasizing the importance of winning people over with virtue. But the current Majesty, as well as the younger generation such as Yang Guifang and Zhang Lun, who are favored by the Majesty, are all taking evil paths.

"Your Majesty, should we let Zhang Lun pursue the victory next?" Xu Youzhen asked.

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment and said:
"The Japanese pirates retreated to the sea, and it would be hard to find them in the vast ocean. Our warships are not yet large enough. It would be dangerous to go to the sea rashly. The Japanese pirates are more familiar with the sea than we are. Of course, if we can find the islands where the Japanese pirates are entrenched, we can selectively attack them."

"If we want to solve the problem of the Japanese pirates, we have to solve the fundamental problem. Japan will soon enter the Warring States Period, which will last for more than a hundred years. If they are in chaos, the Japanese pirates will not be eliminated."

He had read this history, so he explained the current situation in Japan to them in detail. At present, the Ming Dynasty and Japan have almost severed diplomatic relations, and they have no idea about the situation in Japan.

During this period, the struggles between local daimyo in Japan became increasingly fierce. The authority of the Muromachi shogunate was almost gone, and it was unable to effectively control local forces. Local forces split off and formed multiple political and military groups. In order to expand their power and territory, these daimyo continued to wage war, causing the entire Japan to fall into a long period of war.

A few years later, Japan will face the Onin War, marking the beginning of the Japanese Warring States Period.
The direct cause of the Onin War was the issue of the succession rights of the eighth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Ashikaga Yoshimasa had no sons, so he planned to pass the position of shogun to his younger brother Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. However, his wife Hino Tomiko gave birth to a son, Ashikaga Yoshinaio, which made the issue of succession rights complicated. The shogunate's governors Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Munezen supported different heirs, forming two opposing groups.

In 1467, the Onin War officially broke out. Hosokawa Katsumoto gathered 16 troops to the northeast of Kyoto, called the Eastern Army; Yamana Munezen gathered 11 troops to the west of Kyoto, called the Western Army. The war spread from Kyoto to the whole country, and two-thirds of the shugo daimyo joined the war. The two sides launched a fierce tug-of-war, with both sides winning and losing.

Zhu Qizhen thought carefully and thought that he could take advantage of the chaos in Japan to make some good moves. Even if he couldn't occupy Japan, he could at least let them consume their internal forces. He couldn't let Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who came later, have a chance.

When Japan was in chaos, he supported agents and controlled Japan.

"Your Majesty, this is an opportunity for our Ming Dynasty." Yang Guifang's eyes lit up after listening to Zhu Qizhen's introduction.

The ministers in the palace did not realize that something was wrong. Only Yu Qian noticed that His Majesty had just talked about the future of Japan. How did His Majesty know that? Reasoning?

Everyone else thought it was His Majesty's reasoning, but Yu Qian was skeptical. He increasingly believed what the Duke of England said, that the Emperor in front of him came from the future.

……

The next day, morning.

Zhu Qizhen announced the news of the great victory at Taishan. This battle killed the most Japanese pirates. Not only did the morale of the Ming army in the southeast increase greatly, but even the officials in the court felt excited when they heard about it.

Shang Lu, the chief minister of the cabinet, bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and brave. You plan and win the battle thousands of miles away. The great victory at Taishan is truly due to your Majesty's divine power. The Japanese pirates are terrified and our army's morale is high. This is all a sign of your Majesty's wisdom and God's blessing on the Ming Dynasty."

Then, the assistant Xu Youzhen congratulated him: "The great victory at Taishan is truly due to your majesty's power and virtue. The soldiers obeyed your orders and the Japanese pirates surrendered. This victory not only boosts our military prestige, but also demonstrates your majesty's wisdom. We are willing to follow your majesty to face the national crisis and defend the Ming Dynasty to the death."

Seeing that Yu Qian did not speak, Yang Guifang had to bow as a representative of the military: "I am very excited to hear about the great victory at Taishan. This is due to your Majesty's wise decision and the bravery of the soldiers. The Japanese pirates were arrogant and now they have suffered such a defeat, which is really gratifying. Your Majesty is wise and wise, and God bless the Ming Dynasty. I am willing to follow your Majesty to discuss national affairs and protect the peace of the country."

Finally, all the officials knelt down and congratulated in unison:

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to the Ming Dynasty!"

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to the Ming Dynasty!"

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to the Ming Dynasty!"

Yu Qian looked at the ministers, then raised his head to look at the young emperor sitting on the dragon throne. He felt deeply moved that now everyone in the court and the country respected his majesty, and that his majesty had completely secured the throne.

All of this was earned by your Majesty. He promoted new policies at home and won the hearts of the people; he repelled Yesen and this time defeated the Japanese pirates and defended the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

Your Majesty's holy name has become even more glorious.

Zhu Qizhen, sitting on the dragon throne, glanced at the kneeling ministers, his heart pounding.

Who in the world would still believe that I am fake?

……

After leaving court, he did not take a sedan chair but walked back to the Qianqing Palace.

The cold autumn wind made him clear his mind. Just because he was firmly seated on the throne did not mean there was no danger. If he wanted all the ministers in the court and the people of the world to fully recognize him as the emperor.

That will only bring them benefits, irresistible benefits. Even if everyone in the world knows that he is fake, they will only say that he is real.

What is an irresistible benefit? Of course, it is huge wealth!
The Ming Dynasty was going to embark on the great voyages and be the first to occupy those undiscovered places, especially America, where there were huge silver and gold mines.

In my previous life, I read in history books that the Spanish Empire became the first empire at that time because of the huge wealth brought by the great voyages of discovery. Of course, its subsequent decline had its own reasons.

(End of this chapter)