Fu Shanhe

Chapter 545 The Battle of Orthodoxy
"enough!"

"If you want to argue, go outside and argue. Don't get in my way!"

Hugjil couldn't help but swear.

Since establishing his kingdom and declaring himself king, his temper has become much more restrained.

Especially after cramming on a lot of Han Chinese culture, even his way of scolding people became much more refined, unless he really couldn't help it.

These disputes, which at this moment appear to be differences in the Tatar Kingdom's policies, actually conceal a struggle for royal power.

Unlike the well-established succession system of the Great Yu Dynasty, the power transitions on the grasslands were more often governed by the principle of the survival of the fittest.

As Hugjil grew older day by day, the people below him gradually became restless.

Not everyone has a broad perspective and thinks about seizing the foundation of the Great Yu Empire.

Most Tatars do not have lofty ideals.

In the eyes of these people, they'll take every opportunity to rob south, and deal with the future later.

Their backward productivity meant that they constantly teetered on the brink of life and death.

Instead of thinking about the future, live in the present.

The rise of the Tatar Kingdom has only lasted for a few decades, and it has not yet reached the point of changing people's fundamental beliefs.

The thoughts of those below were clearly unacceptable to Hugjil; he wasn't dead yet!
"Great Chanyu, please calm your anger!"

Everyone hurriedly tried to persuade him.

An aging king is still a king; the older he gets, the less he will allow his dignity to be violated.

Everyone clearly understood this point; once Hugjil made up his mind, no one dared to openly obstruct him.

The decision-making power regarding the current policy towards Yu is in the hands of Hugjiltu; others only have the right to make suggestions.

"Humph!"

"The Chanyu has decided not to wage war against the Great Yu Dynasty for the time being, and will do everything in its power to encourage them to return to the capital."

As for the tribe's financial and food shortage, the Goguryeo Kingdom should increase its annual tribute by another 30%.

You, the kingdom's high-ranking officials, must set an example by practicing frugality from now on.

Once the fish have taken the bait, we'll march south and wipe out the Great Yu in one fell swoop!

Hugjil gave the order expressionlessly.

The downfall of the Shanxi merchants dealt a heavy blow to the Tatar Kingdom.

Without supplies from Dayu, the Tatars had to tighten their belts.

Fortunately, Goguryeo filled the gap; otherwise, life would have been unbearable.

Even if it's tough, you have to grit your teeth and persevere.

The Great Yu Empire was both weak and powerful.

The Battle of Xuzhou serves as the best negative example.

Even the dying Yu dynasty, when it gets really fierce, can still swallow up hundreds of thousands of Liaodong rebels.

From a purely military perspective, the Tatar Kingdom's current resources are only two to three times that of the Liaodong Garrison at its peak.

They seem to have become much stronger, but if they were to blindly head south and engage in a decisive battle with Yu's army, the outcome would be uncertain.

The Marquis of Hanshui, who held a commanding position in the Annam Protectorate, seemed like an overpowered character, capable of winning any battle.

Faced with such a formidable enemy, Hugjil was equally uncertain.

To increase his chances of victory, he was willing to delay the decisive battle and lure the Yu army to the northern lands so that the Tatar cavalry could have full advantage.

……

Without the Tatars taking the lead, the various Guifang tribes, which had long since become a disorganized mess, also suppressed their desire to move south.

For a time, the northern border unexpectedly enjoyed a long-awaited peace.

Unfortunately, the people are destined not to enjoy such peaceful times.

With the continued natural and man-made disasters, the northern part of Dayu is gradually being hollowed out, with the population loss in the border areas being particularly severe.

The local people either starved or died of disease, joined the rebel army, or migrated to Annam Protectorate.

At this moment, it has become the norm in the border region that there is no human habitation for dozens of miles around.

The garrison troops withdrew, and the border residents disappeared.

To gain anything by crossing the Great Wall, one must venture deep into the heart of the Great Yu, where the risks and rewards are severely disproportionate.

"Your Majesty, in this region of Shanxi, we have basically robbed all the big households that we could."

Staying here any longer, this winter looks like it won't be easy!

The middle-aged scholar's words gave the Prince of Jin a real headache.

Before the rebellion, he was just a butcher; he wouldn't know anything about these things.

He rose to become a rebel leader purely by being pushed forward by the tide of the times.

In name, he controlled half of Shanxi, and his territory was among the largest of all the rebel armies in the country.

In reality, the area he controlled had already been ravaged by his fellow rebels.

Both wealth and manpower were screened out.

It was only after the Guanzhong rebels strategically shifted their operations that a large area of ​​territory was vacated, giving him an opportunity.

The situation was basically the same in other cases of rebellion against the king in Shanxi.

Their military strength was far inferior to that of the rebel alliance that occupied Guanzhong and the Central Plains.

"Strategist, what do you think we should do now?"

The Prince of Sanjin rubbed his forehead and asked.

"Your Majesty, the land of Jin is in ruins and is not a place we can stay for long."

Leaving Shanxi was inevitable.

However, there's a specific reason why you should go that way.

Once we go north beyond the Great Wall, we'll reach the territory of the Guifang people. We lack cavalry, so we certainly can't go there and invite a beating.

Besides, they're poor too, and their lives are probably not much better than ours.

Aside from livestock, there wasn't much else to steal.

Heading east, you reach Beizhili, where most of the area is under the control of the imperial court.

The troops stationed there were border troops who had been withdrawn from the Great Wall, and their combat effectiveness was among the best in the world.

With our limited resources, we're definitely no match for them.

The Guanzhong Plain to the west and the Central Plains to the south were both within the sphere of influence of the rebel alliance.

We are all righteous soldiers, and on the issue of opposing Yu, we are allies.

It's not feasible to find food on their territory, but asking them for a route south shouldn't be a problem.

It is said that in the Hubei-Sichuan border region, they were blocked by government troops and their battle lines could not advance an inch.

They probably wouldn't refuse to have another fresh force joining them.

"We simply can't reach an agreement. After entering the Central Plains, we'll turn around and attack Southern Zhili!"

Wang Boxi analyzed it in layman's terms.

In fact, compared to the previous few years, Shanxi has had favorable weather this year.

Unfortunately, it all came too late!
Since the imperial court lost Shanxi, the province has been ravaged by rebel armies, leading to a sharp decline in the local population.

After the rebel army from other places left, the local rebel army took control of Shanxi, but things didn't improve much.

Governing local areas has never been their forte.

From beginning to end, no one thought about organizing the resumption of production; instead, they did plenty of messy things that harmed the local area.

So much so that even in a year with favorable weather, they didn't reap any benefits whatsoever.

This is not only the case in Shanxi, but also in Shaanxi and Henan, where no one is organizing the resumption of production.

Lacking the ability to generate its own revenue, it can only resort to robbing and seizing.

"Okay, let's do it that way!"

The King of Jin slapped his thigh and said.

Since his own brain isn't working well, he might as well not use it at all; he just needs to listen to advice.

That's how the foundation was laid.

However, this scene only brought endless sorrow to Wang Boxi's eyes.

It's good for the eldest child to listen to advice, but being too obedient can become a problem.

The leader lacks the necessary strategic vision, making it difficult to attract talent in chaotic times.

Even if he worked himself to death, he still wouldn't be able to conquer the world.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Wang Boxi responded immediately.

No matter how worried you are inside, you can't show it on your face.

Perhaps because things were going too smoothly in the early stages, he actually dared to hope that with a makeshift team, he could compete with the feudal lords for the world.

After regaining his rationality, he suddenly felt enlightened.

Conquering the entire country is too difficult, but taking a step back and establishing a separate territory is still something that can be planned.

However, though the world is vast, everything belongs to someone.

Establishing a separatist regime is no easy task. The Three Jin regions, once possessing strategic passes, were a promising base of operations, but unfortunately, they were too devastated.

It was even more impossible for them to establish a separatist regime in the heart of the Central Plains; they simply couldn't hold onto such a strategically vulnerable region.

The real area that could be planned was the southwestern border region of the empire.

Even if dynasties change, they are the last to be affected.

The most ideal place, of course, is the fertile land of Sichuan.

It not only boasts the advantages of mountains and rivers, but also has abundant resources.

In an instant, he decided to adjust his plans. After heading south to join forces with the rebel alliance, he would look for an opportunity to attack the Shu region.

As for Yunnan and Guizhou, which were also located on the border of the empire, he rejected them from the very beginning.

It wasn't because the two places were poor, but mainly because they were too close to the Marquis of Hanshui.

If they don't cause any trouble, that's fine. But if they establish a local power base, they're likely to face a fierce attack from their neighbors.

……

Yong'an, the residence of the Marquis of Hanshui.

While the situation in Da Yu was turbulent, the Annam Protectorate remained steadfast.

The cabinet sent him several letters inquiring about his opinion, but Li Mu did not respond.

If it's a matter of sitting down and discussing principles, he can offer some guidance.

If it has to be put on paper, then there's no point in discussing it.

Given his status and position, his letters were bound to be thoroughly analyzed.

Even a suggestion can end up with him taking the lead.

Once a fait accompli is established, he will be held responsible for the resulting political consequences.

They've made a mess, and now they have to clean it up.

If he is not in his position, he will not seek his government.

I definitely shouldn't get involved in something that's thankless and requires a lot of effort.

"My lord, after the Burmese expanded their army, they are now garrisoning troops on the border."

It seems that after gaining the support of the Westerners, their confidence has grown considerably, and they even dare to test our reaction.

The students suggested that the troops stationed at the border should teach them a lesson, letting the Burmese king know his place!

Li Mu felt a little awkward after hearing Lan Linjie's words.

Recently, a number of his trusted ministers have expressed their intention to send troops to Myanmar.

It should be the job of military officers to advocate for war, so why have the civil officials in the Protectorate become so belligerent as well?

If we follow these people's logic, then even if we resolve the issue of the Kingdom of Burma, it will only be the beginning.

Before long, the South Asian subcontinent will also be targeted.

He had no interest in the neighboring Mughal Empire.

Looking at the whole world, the only country that can rival the Great Yu in terms of population is probably this one.

The exact number of people in the subcontinent is currently unknown, but it is certainly over 100 million.

Such a large quantity cannot be digested and integrated.

They might not be able to assimilate them, and instead their own civilization might be polluted by the caste system.

Even if the Confucian scholars were greedy, their moral integrity was still far superior to that of the Brahmins.

"There's no rush. Let them have a good New Year first, and then send troops after the spring planting next year."

When dealing with the Kingdom of Myanmar, we shouldn't just think about eliminating it; the best approach is to expel it.

The Protectorate has also gathered a considerable amount of intelligence on the South Asian subcontinent. What are your thoughts on this?

Li Mu asked with a smile.

Perhaps addicted to expansion, the officials of the Annam Protectorate changed their disdain for the surrounding vassal states from the time of the Dayu Dynasty.

The officials were very proactive in gathering intelligence on their neighbors.

Each department has also developed its own classification table based on its specific circumstances, which serves as the primary basis for formulating foreign policies.

"My lord, Sindhu truly lives up to its name; its entire body is poisonous!"

"The Mughal Empire, established by those remnants of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, completely disregarded ethics and morality; it was simply the biggest cancer in the world."

The despicable caste system, the filthy and bizarre culture...

If possible, it would be best to eradicate them at their source, lest they remain and wreak havoc on the world!

Wang Jingchuan said indignantly.

When he first obtained intelligence about the Mughal Empire, he suspected that his subordinates were making up stories to fool people. How could such a perverted culture exist in the world?

Even if Jie and Zhou were alive, they wouldn't have done so many terrible things.

Ironically, the Mughal Empire embodied all of these traits, completely contradicting the education he received from childhood.

In the eyes of the principled scholars of the Great Yu Dynasty, the Mughal Empire should not have existed.

"My lord, Lord Wang is right, this poison should not exist."

Besides causing immense suffering to the people, the local land is fertile and suitable for agricultural production.

Over the years, they have accumulated a vast amount of wealth.

It's such a waste to leave it in the hands of those beasts!

Wei Xinzhi, who was in charge of finance, said with a regretful expression.

It's clear that he's eyeing the wealth of the Mughal Empire.

While the Annam Protectorate's fiscal revenue was indeed growing rapidly, there were simply more places to spend money.

The development of Southeast Asia, in particular, requires substantial investment in infrastructure.

No matter how much money you have, you'll spend it all by the end of the year.

Furthermore, there are numerous public welfare projects that await government funding before they can be implemented.

If he weren't concerned about saving face, he would have suggested that the army go out and plunder long ago.

As if they had touched a nerve, after the two started talking, a group of civil officials clamored for troops to be sent to destroy Burma first and then crush India.

On the contrary, the military generals were a step slower in their reaction, and their requests to join the battle were even slower than those of the civil officials.

Besides being driven by self-interest, this is also intertwined with a struggle over the orthodoxy of the Way.

In this era when morality had not yet declined, many intellectuals had their own philosophies of life, but most of them were defeated by reality in middle age.

The high-ranking civil officials of the Annam Protectorate were an exception.

Although there are some differences from their initial ideals, they share a grander proposition: "Recreating China."

Working with a sense of mission, the passion in my heart has not cooled down with age.

Looking at the specific operations, it's clear that wherever the Protectorate's army went, Confucian moral principles were brought along.

The standardization of writing, cart tracks, weights and measures, ethical norms, and territorial boundaries promoted by Qin Shi Huang was further perfected here.

From language and writing to folk customs, everything is moving towards unification.

Such a great achievement is bound to leave a strong mark on history.

In the eyes of many, the Mughal Empire was undoubtedly a heretical entity, posing a potential threat to everything in the Annam Protectorate.

Whether it's the population size or the corrupt local civil servants, either could potentially impact us at some point in the future.

After all, the fact that these people have integrity doesn't mean that everyone in the world has integrity.

For the nouveau riche and gentry who wanted to enjoy wealth forever, the caste culture of India was exactly what they desired.

The aristocratic politics of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties was essentially a caste system.

However, the inherent pride of the Chinese people makes them unwilling to accept the class constraints imposed upon them.

After barely surviving until the Tang Dynasty, the aristocratic politics finally came to an end.

In the eyes of many, Sindhu is a successful example of a powerful and influential family, and even goes a step further on that path.

Driven by moral conviction, everyone unanimously decided to eliminate this cancer.

Compared to the civil officials, the military generals were less educated and less familiar with history, and did not realize the dangers of India at the first moment.

Shouting for war is purely a professional instinct.

After all, war is the source of military achievements, and conquering a vast empire can certainly enrich their personal resume.

"Alright, conquering India is something to do after we conquer Myanmar. Right now, we should focus on development."

The Mughal Empire, established by the remnants of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, was far larger than any of the smaller states.

To eliminate this cancer, bloodshed is inevitable.

Our army is not a butcher; if we keep killing, the soldiers' morale will suffer greatly.

So to complete the task, we also need a knife, a knife for doing dirty and tiring work.

This knife could belong to a Guifang person, a Tatar person, or even a Japanese person.

Li Mu answered calmly.

The question I just asked was essentially a test.

He was very satisfied with everyone's reaction.

The fact that these civil officials were able to choose to strike decisively against the Mughal Empire, a potential threat, at the first opportunity proves that they have not yet changed their ways.

(End of this chapter)