Fu Shanhe

Chapter 522 The Tragedy of Yongning
The Tatar royal court.

"Great Chanyu, this cannot continue."

Those Yu cavalrymen are like a stubborn skin disease; once you're on them, you can't get rid of them.

What's even more infuriating is that their firearms are far more powerful than those that unscrupulous merchants sold to us.

We've suffered heavy losses in several encounters!

Arutan Wanhu said indignantly.

In terms of cavalry quality, the Tatar Kingdom was second to none at the time.

Unfortunately, no matter how elite the cavalry was, it could not make up for the gap in weaponry and equipment.

If you want to charge in and engage in close combat with the enemy, you'll first have to endure several rounds of gunfire.

When the troops are few in number, they are taken down before they can even get close to the enemy.

When there are many soldiers, the enemy will run away before they can get close.

Upon reaching the coastal area, we entered the enemy's naval gunfire zone.

Compared to the army's artillery, the enemy's naval artillery was truly formidable.

If one is unfortunate enough to be hit, one will be instantly reduced to ashes.

They did attempt to retaliate, but their field artillery was less than one-tenth the power of the enemy's.

Even if we bring out the heavy artillery to defend the city, it won't be a match for the enemy.

As a result, the Shanxi merchants, who were originally their best partners, are now seen as unscrupulous merchants by many Tatars.

"Ok!"

"The enemy is becoming increasingly rampant, which has seriously affected the tribe's production. This passive situation must be changed."

However, these Yu soldiers were all generals under that scoundrel Li Mu, and they were extremely cunning.

No matter how we change our tactics, they won't take the bait. Does anyone have a brilliant plan?

Hugjil asked, frowning.

He has fought in many battles over the years, weathering all kinds of storms.

They were stumped by a detachment of the Yu army.

All the most capable and skilled warriors in the clan were transferred there, but they still couldn't hold off the enemy.

"Great Chanyu, the enemy is coming from the sea, and there must be islands in the near sea to serve as strongholds."

The best approach, of course, is to destroy the enemy's stronghold and cut off their retreat.

But this requires the participation of the navy, and unfortunately the kingdom has no navy.

"Or perhaps we could try transferring the Goguryeo navy here and see if we can find the enemy's lair and wipe out these bandits in one fell swoop!"

Erdun stepped forward and offered his advice.

However, the uncertainty in his tone revealed his lack of confidence.

It wasn't that there was a problem with the military deployment; the main issue was that the navy was a completely unknown area in the Tatar Kingdom.

They had excellent cavalry generals and excellent infantry generals, but they lacked excellent naval generals.

He was completely clueless about how to command the navy in battle.

Even if they could mobilize the navy from their vassal state Goguryeo, whether they could defeat the enemy was still an unknown.

After all, no matter how much the Great Yu Dynasty declined, it was not something that the surrounding vassal states could take advantage of.

"inappropriate!"

"Erdun Wanhu, you overestimate the strength of the Goguryeo people!"
Their navy consisted of only a few dilapidated ships and was nowhere near comparable to the navy of the Great Yu.

Even if we find the enemy's lair, we must launch a landing operation.

If the enemy navy returns during this time, we'll be trapped like turtles in a jar.

Interior Minister Sarina hurriedly objected.

Encountering the enemy at sea is truly a situation where "one can only cry out to heaven, but heaven will not answer; one can only cry out to earth, but earth will not respond."

Finding the enemy's strongholds in the near sea and striking them in the heart is something you can only dream about; actually doing it would be pure suicide.

The ocean is different from a small stream; huge waves are a process of survival of the fittest.

There's no need for a fight; once they're on board, it won't be long before a large number of them faint.

"If we can't fight back, we might as well just give them the coastal areas and save ourselves from being attacked every day."

"I refuse to believe that even if we relocate our people inland, they'll still dare to come and cause trouble!"

Nichileg slapped his thigh and said.

Yu Jun frequently came ashore to harass the Tatars, causing them immense suffering.

While the losses from a single attack may not seem significant, the total losses over the past few months are comparable to those from a major battle.

The losses suffered by ordinary people were far greater than those of soldiers.

The Yu army that launched the attack had no sense of martial ethics and killed anyone they saw when they entered Tatar villages and towns.

Although they did their share of such atrocities during their southward invasion, that doesn't mean they can allow others to follow suit.

If this passive situation does not change, the Tatar Kingdom will be worn down and destroyed in a few years.

“The relocation of the Nichileg Wanhu clan sounds simple, but it is actually very difficult to implement.”

Liaodong is indeed a vast region, but most of it is poor and rugged, with limited areas suitable for the people to live in.

The villages and towns that are now clustered together are mostly built along rivers and streams.

After migrating, it becomes difficult to find areas with better natural conditions.

Rather than relocating the tribe on a large scale, it was better to build a city on the spot to defend against enemy attacks.

Most importantly, we must consider the political implications.

The Tatars were the overlords of the grasslands, and an overlord must always maintain his dominance.

Once concessions are made, in the eyes of the various tribes of the grasslands, it will be seen as a sign of the decline of hegemony.

The Guifang people have never been willing to submit to us. If they show any signs of decline, it will inevitably trigger a new round of civil war on the grasslands.

Sarina shook her head and said.

Political correctness is an unsolvable problem.

On the grasslands, the strong prey on the weak, and only the strongest can become the overlord.

Compared to the Guifang tribe, the Tatar tribe was at a significant disadvantage in terms of both population and military strength.

He became the overlord of the grasslands, partly through military conquest and partly through political maneuvering that divided the Guifang tribe.

It's hard to win people's hearts and minds when a hegemon doesn't have overwhelming advantages in all aspects.

The ambitious individuals within the various Gui Fang tribes constantly plotted to replace them.

Compared to the Yu Dynasty people who came from afar, the growing power of these Guifang tribes posed a far more deadly threat to them.

Throughout the history of the grasslands, most nomadic peoples perished in internal conflicts.

If they encountered an army from the Central Plains dynasty that they couldn't defeat, they could run away; at worst, they could cross the desert and enter the northern desert region to graze their livestock.

If all else fails, you can head west.

As long as they run fast enough, the Central Plains dynasties will not be able to catch up with them.

The Xiongnu, Turks, and Yuezhi—these historically renowned nomadic peoples of the steppes—all established great empires after leaving East Asia.

But once they are replaced as the dominant force by other nomadic tribes, their only fate is annihilation.

If the Tatars hadn't been so poor, the Guifang would have been completely devoured by them long ago.

The saying "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts" is even more convincing on the grasslands.

"The matter of making concessions should not be discussed again."

Building city walls and fortresses to defend against enemy cavalry attacks is one solution.

"Send out the order to conscript 150,000 laborers and 2 million shi of grain from the Goguryeo Kingdom to ensure the smooth progress of the project."

Hugjil immediately made the decision.

Since there are only a limited number of people in my own clan, I can only make things difficult for my younger brothers first.

In fact, not only did they draw laborers from Goguryeo for these projects, but they also used a large number of Goguryeo people for farming in ordinary times.

As for the Guifang people, they're good at fighting, but they're really not good at construction. They also use a lot of laborers in the Yu Dynasty, but the Yu people refuse to submit, and a rebellion can easily break out if they're not careful.

Placing the construction in the coastal area would allow these unstable elements to mix with the Yu Dynasty cavalry, which would be tantamount to helping the enemy establish a stronghold along the coast.

The Southern court, confined to a corner of the country, appeared to have weakened national power, but its finances were actually more abundant.

A large group of gentlemen in the capital were all in the hands of the Liaodong rebels, which saved a lot of money.

Once they establish a foothold along the coast, the enemy is fully capable of keeping them at bay indefinitely.

……

Reaching out to lift the curtain, Emperor Yongning gazed at the long marching army, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The last time he personally led an expedition, he was still the supreme emperor, holding the power of life and death over countless people.

This time, the situation was completely reversed during the southern expedition.

He was nominally the emperor, but in reality he had no power whatsoever.

The loss of power alone is not unacceptable, but the fact that this southern expedition is against our own people is unbearable.

Regardless of what kind of people the Southern court is, with the Liaodong army and its thugs as a foil, they are all loyal subjects of the Great Yu Dynasty.

In his dreams, Emperor Yongning repeatedly fantasized about a loyal army coming to rescue him from the chaos.

After waking up, he worried that the loyalist army would come to attack.

Even if it's just a nominal title, he is still the Emperor of Great Yu. Once the loyalist army comes to attack, he might not even be given this honorary title.

After the previous incident of deposing and installing emperors, no one in the court wanted him to regain power.

The reason for not establishing a new ruler was to maintain the overall situation.

Once the Liaodong rebellion is quelled, there's a good chance they'll have to select another capable person from the imperial clan and force him to abdicate the throne.

The last time he abdicated, it was to hand over the throne to his son; he had to compromise for the sake of the bigger picture.

It would be too humiliating to hand over the throne to an outsider again.

Throughout history, emperors who rose and fell twice serve as negative examples, and he certainly didn't want to be associated with them.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt, which also deepened his hatred for the Shi family.

Even though he was isolated from the outside world, he knew that the Great Yu kingdom was in danger.

Even if the rebellion is quelled, the lost prestige of the court will never return.

On a steep section of road, Emperor Yongning suddenly leaped out of the carriage, his body landing directly under the horse's hooves, followed by a scream.

Upon seeing the emperor's accident, the Liaodong soldiers guarding him instantly changed their expressions.

The middle-aged general on horseback was especially terrified when he saw Emperor Yongning trampled under his horse's hooves.

After a brief moment of distraction, he hurriedly dismounted to check.

Now he can only hope that Emperor Yongning is still alive, otherwise the charge of regicide will be pinned on him.

At that time, there will be nowhere for him to stay in the whole world.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel; the mangled and bloodied Emperor Yongning looked no more than alive.

"What are you all doing gathered here? His Majesty has died suddenly and unexpectedly! You guards, why aren't you running for your lives?!"

In the midst of the chaos, the middle-aged general had a sudden inspiration and immediately shouted.

During the imperial era, if the emperor had an accident, his guards would be implicated and punished.

Although Emperor Yongning was a puppet emperor, he was still an emperor.

The Shi family owes an explanation to the world for their tragic deaths during the march.

These imperial guards are definitely going to be in trouble.

Although such an approach may not be convincing to everyone, doing it is certainly better than doing nothing.

People tend to follow the crowd blindly. When they see someone suddenly change their marching route, many soldiers follow suit.

Some people who were dissatisfied with the Shi family also joined in the commotion, further exacerbating the chaos.

In the blink of an eye, the marching troops were thrown into chaos.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the army, the middle-aged general seized the opportunity to leave the ranks.

Although he was Shi Jingfeng's confidant, it was better for his boss to bear the blame for regicide.

With his small frame, he really can't handle it.

"Send someone to check what's happening in the central army, and why the army is in chaos?"

Realizing something was amiss, Shi Jingfeng immediately gave an order.

A large army is not something an ordinary person can command.

The hundreds of thousands of troops marched south, and there were many troubles along the way.

However, the central army's position was special, as it included not only nobles and civil and military officials, but also the emperor's carriage.

To prevent these people from colluding, he specifically ordered their carriages to be separated and sent trusted confidants to monitor them.

The current chaos is very likely caused by these people.

He wasn't worried about anything else, except that if someone took advantage of the chaos to control the emperor, he would be in a passive position.

After all, of the Shi family's hundreds of thousands of troops, only tens of thousands were true loyalists.

The remaining troops were all incorporated into the army under the banner of Emperor Yongning.

……

"Prime Minister, something terrible is happening!"

"Your Majesty, you are dead!"

Upon hearing the devastating news, Shi Jingfeng was completely stunned.

If it weren't for the quick thinking and timely assistance of his personal guards who helped him off his horse, he probably would have fallen to the ground.

This personal expedition was entirely his doing.

If the emperor were to have an accident, he would have to bear full political responsibility.

"His Majesty is in excellent health, how could such an accident have happened?"

Shi Jingfeng asked incredulously.

During the years he was imprisoned, Emperor Yongning, after his initial bewilderment, continued to eat and drink as usual.

Without the hassle of official duties, and forced to abstain from sex.

His body is actually much stronger than it was during his reign.

Although the situation changed slightly after he fell into his hands, his overall health was still good.

Under normal circumstances, there should be no accidents when traveling by horse-drawn carriage.

"Brother, according to the soldiers we captured..."

During the march, His Majesty suddenly jumped out of the carriage and was trampled on the head by the warhorse of the Left Army Commander.

Realizing the situation was dire, the soldiers guarding nearby all chose to flee for their lives.

When I arrived at the scene to investigate, His Majesty's body had been trampled and mangled by the chaotic soldiers.

......"

After hearing Shi Jinglin's explanation, Shi Jingfeng gave up his last hope.

I thought Emperor Yongning had given in to reality, but I never expected that he would still be able to deliver a ruthless blow at the crucial moment.

While it appeared that the emperor committed suicide, in reality, Emperor Yongning used his own life to brand him with the infamy of regicide, thus completely cutting off the Shi family's path to seizing power.

Unlike the young emperor who fell into the water, this time the emperor died in full view of everyone.

There were too many witnesses at the scene, and the news had already spread like wildfire.

"What about the people who served His Majesty? Why were they allowed to commit suicide?"

After calming down, Shi Jingfeng questioned him sharply.

Even a puppet emperor receives some official treatment.

Besides the guards outside, there were two palace maids inside the carriage, which would normally prevent any accidents from happening to the emperor.

(End of this chapter)