Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 457 The Su Family of Meishan: Su Yun is the Most Virtuous! (The End!)
In the spring of the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, the remaining snow in Bianliang City had not yet completely melted, but it had already been completely dispelled by the fervent atmosphere of preparations for the coronation ceremony.

The craftsmen worked day and night to repair the city wall, and the mottled bricks were repainted with vermilion lacquer, which gleamed with a warm luster in the morning sun.
Above the city gate, the newly carved plaque "Zhongdu" was lifted by a hundred strong men. The gold-powdered characters reflected countless rays of light in the wind, as if foreshadowing the glory of the new dynasty.

On the moat, twenty-four painted boats carrying musicians, with dragon heads carved on their prows swallowing and spitting out colorful silks, were rehearsing the welcoming music for tomorrow.

On the day of the grand ceremony marking the Mandate of Heaven, the fifth watch drum sounded, and the Zhuque Avenue in Zhongdu City was already under martial law.

Three-zhang-high vermilion banners lined the imperial road, each embroidered with black flame patterns, fluttering in the morning breeze.

People, wrapped in coarse cotton clothes, crowded on both sides of the street before dawn, with homemade red silk hanging around their necks, standing on tiptoe to look around.

An old scholar stroked his beard and explained to those around him, "This is an omen of the flourishing of the fire element. The fact that Emperor Taizu chose 'Great Ming' as the name of the dynasty was precisely in accordance with the prosperity of this fire element!"

At 3:45 AM, thirty-six golden-armored warriors carried the Nine-Dragon Sandalwood Carriage slowly out of the palace.

Su Yun sat upright in the carriage, the twelve symbols embroidered in gold thread on his black dragon robe undulating slightly with his movements. His face beneath the crown was calm as water, only the flames dancing in his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

As the imperial carriage passed by, the people knelt down, and the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed from the Vermilion Bird Gate all the way to the altar in the southern suburbs.

Above the altar, the nine-tiered white jade steps gleamed with a cold light.

Su Yun ascended the steps, stepping on the rose petals scattered by the sixty-four children, the jade pendant with dragon patterns at her waist making a clear, melodious sound as it struck the stone steps.

The high-pitched voice of the master of ceremonies pierced the sky: "The auspicious hour has arrived—to offer sacrifices to Heaven!"

Suddenly, three hundred musicians played the grand and majestic sounds of bells and chimes, the sounds of which mingled with the sounds of the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), as if celestial music were coming from beyond the nine heavens.

Su Yun accepted the jade disc from the priest and bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to the heavens. With each bow, he could hear the breathless silence of the 100,000 soldiers and civilians behind him.

As he unfurled the gold-embroidered sacrificial text and recited, "Now, by the mandate of Heaven, we establish the Ming Dynasty," eight flames suddenly rose from around the altar, soaring into the sky and making his figure appear like a celestial being.

The day after the grand ceremony celebrating the harmonious relationship between the emperor and his ministers, the ceremony for rewarding meritorious officials in the Zichen Hall was even more solemn.

Inside the hall, twenty-four dragon-carved pillars were wrapped in red silk, and the ink on the newly hung plaque above the throne, bearing the inscription "Upright and Bright," was still wet.

Su Yun held the gold book inlaid with jade, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below the steps.

Among the generals in the first row, Zhang Jie's left leg was still wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage—it was from when he was wounded by a stray arrow during the ambush at Yanmen Pass while covering the retreat of the main force.

When Su Yun personally placed the "Duke of Zhenguo" golden seal in his palm, the veteran general's fierce eyes welled up with tears: "This old minister's life was given to him by His Majesty!"

In the ranks of civil officials, Lü Huiqing held the letter of appointment as "Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion," his fingers trembling slightly.

He was once the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, but was demoted due to factional strife. Now, however, he has been entrusted with an important central government position by Su Yun.

"Your Majesty has forgiven me, and I, Huiqing, will repay you with my life!" His voice echoed in the empty hall, startling the white doves perched on the beams.

The most eye-catching was Su Guo, a young general clad in black iron armor. When he received the tiger tally as the "General Who Conquers the Barbarians," he suddenly knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, please grant me the command to fight! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard and trample the northern deserts!"

Su Yun personally helped him up, and their eyes met, conveying a trust that transcended that between ruler and subject.

After the implementation of the new policies and the rewarding of those who made contributions, the new policies swept across the country like a spring breeze.

The Ministry of Revenue rushed to print the "Equal Field Equalization Decree" overnight, and posted it on yellow paper with black characters in the yamen of various prefectures and counties.

In Yingtian Prefecture, veteran officials erected a high platform and publicly burned the tax books of the previous dynasty. The words "converted" and "purchased grain" were distorted and deformed in the flames, and the people applauded with joy.

Even more extreme, some people would tie a strip of cloth with the words "The Emperor is Wise" written on it to the tail of an ox, and lead the ox back and forth in the fields to celebrate that they could finally truly own their own land.

The military academy was located in the former Song capital's drill ground, and every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the sound of bugles would pierce the morning mist.

Under the plaque inscribed with "Stopping War is True Martial Arts" by Su Yun himself, young generals are learning sand table simulations and the use of firearms.

During a drill, the trainees successfully destroyed a simulated enemy camp using the improved "swarm" rockets. Su Yun, who was watching the battle, clapped his hands and laughed: "With such a powerful army, what worries do we have about the peace of the world!"

Inside the Wenyuan Pavilion, dozens of scholars worked day and night to organize classic texts. The "Collected Statutes of the Great Ming Dynasty," compiled under the supervision of Ping Zicheng, included the Baojia system, which was being tested in Sichuan, and the rules for the tea-horse trade in the Northwest, laying the foundation for the legislation of the new dynasty.

In the realm of diplomatic maneuvering, Su Yun employed a strategy that combined both firmness and flexibility.

The mission to Tibet brought with it exquisite Shu brocade, tea, and artisans skilled in firing pottery on the plateau.

When the head of the delegation handed Su Yun's handwritten letter to the Tibetan king, the proposal in the letter, "to open the Tea Horse Road and jointly promote trade," left the king speechless for a long time as he stroked the letter.

Faced with the remnants of the Liao Kingdom who had fled north, the envoy's letter was sharply worded: "If they remain obstinate, I will personally lead the Jingse Army to trample the northern deserts!"

Meanwhile, Su Yun secretly ordered Wang Shunchen to reinforce the border with troops. The dust raised by the iron cavalry could be seen dozens of miles away, forcing the remnants of the Liao Kingdom to send envoys to sue for peace.

In remembrance of the benevolent governance of our predecessors, Su Yun set an example in ensuring the stability of people's livelihoods.

In front of Wang Anshi's ancestral hall, he took off his dragon robe, changed into plain clothes, and personally placed the "Pillar of the Nation" tablet on the shrine.

"If the prince were still alive, how could the world have gone astray?" He sighed deeply at the memorial tablet, and all the ministers accompanying him were moved.

While Su Yun sat on the dragon throne in Zhongdu, overlooking the vast land, Lin'an City on the south bank of the Yangtze River was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

Just three days after the devastating news of Zhao Xu's death arrived, the bronze bell in the Imperial Ancestral Temple struck with a dull thud. The Zhao clan and officials argued endlessly before the coffin, and finally put forward the twelve-year-old Zhao Bing as emperor, hastily establishing the Southern Song Dynasty.

On the day the new emperor ascended the throne, a light rain fell from the sky over Lin'an City. The wide hem of his dragon robe trailed across the wet bluestone slabs, as if foreshadowing the precarious fate of this regime in a period of partial rule.

Su Yun stroked the map on his desk, the Yangtze River winding between his fingers. "Summon Zhang Jie and Zheng Chaozong to the palace."

He threw down his vermilion brush, and the ink spread across the map of Jiangnan.

The next morning, in front of the sand table at the military academy, two generals stared at the miniature model of Lin'an City. Zhang Jie stroked his beard and said, "Although the Yangtze River is dangerous, there are old Song Dynasty naval camps at Caishiji and Guazhou Ferry on the north bank. We can take them first as stepping stones."

Zheng Chaozong pointed towards Poyang Lake: "This humble general is willing to lead 30,000 elite cavalry to bypass Jiangxi, cut off their supply lines, and make it difficult for them to defend themselves from both ends."

Su Yun nodded, a cold glint in his eyes: "With a two-pronged approach, I will ensure that this isolated court has no chance to breathe."

When the news reached Lin'an, the Southern Song court was in an uproar.

Holding the young emperor in his arms, the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty looked at the panicked officials and slammed his imperial tablet onto the steps: "The shame of the Shaosheng Emperor has not yet been avenged; how can we allow the northern barbarians to invade again!"

He urgently dispatched a general to command the navy and set up a series of river-locking formations along the Yangtze River.

They also conscripted people from Jiangnan to reinforce the city walls, and all the trees within ten miles outside Lin'an were cut down and turned into barricades and logs.

However, the grain reserves in the granaries were only enough for three months' needs. The Minister of Revenue's hands trembled as he held the account books: "My lord, if we cannot reopen the canal transport route, the morale of the army will be jeopardized."

In the spring of the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Song Dynasty officially began.

Zhang Jie's eastern army rushed straight to Caishiji like an arrow released from a bow. The improved "Fire Dragon Emerging from Water" firearms roared across the river, burning the Southern Song navy's warships until they were completely gleaming.

General Niu Fu led his elite troops in a small boat loaded with gunpowder to break through the encirclement, but they were riddled with bullets by the Ming army's musket squad.

When the large flag bearing the character "Ming" was planted on the rocky shore, the river water had already been dyed crimson.

Meanwhile, Zheng Chaozong's cavalry appeared and disappeared unpredictably, capturing seven granaries in Jiangxi and cutting off Lin'an's lifeline.

Panic spread like wildfire throughout Lin'an City.

Rice prices soared three times a day, and the common people, clutching their copper coins, argued and shoved each other in front of rice shops. Some even drew their swords over half a bag of coarse rice. The young Emperor Zhao Bing huddled on his dragon throne, watching his prime minister denounce the appeasement faction in court: "The fate of our Great Song Dynasty is not yet over! You gentlemen should emulate Di Wuxiang and serve the country with utmost loyalty!"

But the sound of horses' hooves coming from outside the window made these bold words seem all the more pale.

Su Yun stood on the north bank of the Yangtze River, gazing at the firelight on the opposite bank, and smiled at Zhang Dun beside him, saying, "Cao Cao's defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs was due to his lack of knowledge of naval warfare."

Now our warships are reinforced with iron nails and equipped with firearms; the Yangtze River is nothing more than a footbath.

He wrote a challenge and ordered his men to shoot arrows into Lin'an: "If you surrender, the Zhao family ancestral hall can be preserved; if you fight, Lin'an will become the second Bianjing."

The prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, clutching a blood-stained challenge letter, ascended the city wall in the dead of night.

Under the moonlight, the lights of Ming warships on the Yangtze River formed a galaxy, while the remnants of the Southern Song navy were reduced to a few flickering candlelight.

He recalled Zhao Xu's despair before his death, and the scene of the people of Bianliang welcoming the Ming army with food and drink, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have done my best."

……

On the sacrificial altar, Su Yun, dressed in a black imperial robe, had a twelve-tassel crown with beads hanging down that swayed gently with his movements, reflecting points of golden light.

He looked down at the revitalized Zhongdu City, where Zhuque Avenue was bustling with traffic and lined with shops;

Outside the city, the fertile fields stretch for miles, the newly turned soil glistening with moisture under the sunlight, as farmers urge their oxen to sow the seeds of hope.

The spring breeze caressed our faces, and the air was no longer filled with the stench of blood; instead, it carried the fragrance of earth and the distant praises of the people for the new dynasty.

Looking into the distance, across the vast territory, the banners of the "Great Ming" embroidered with flame patterns flutter in the wind, as if announcing the arrival of a new era.

However, Su Yun knew in his heart that this was only the beginning, and there was a wider world waiting for the Ming Dynasty to conquer.

In the summer of the fifth year of the Hongwu reign (1389), the decisive battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty unfolded along the Yangtze River.

Outside Lin'an, the Southern Song emperor and his officials attempted to defend against the Ming army's attack by relying on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and the sturdy city walls.

However, Su Yun's strategic deployments were so intricately linked that the Southern Song court found it difficult to cope.

After Zhang Jie's Eastern Route Army achieved a great victory at Caishiji, it continued to advance eastward along the Yangtze River, constantly shrinking the operational space of the Southern Song Navy.

Zheng Chaozong's cavalry swept across Jiangxi and Fujian, completely cutting off the Southern Song's supply lines and retreat routes.

On the day of the decisive battle, warships were densely packed on the Yangtze River, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

The Ming army's warships had been meticulously modified, making them not only more sturdy but also equipped with a large number of advanced firearms. The "fire dragons emerging from the water" soared into the air, trailing long tail flames, and accurately struck the Southern Song navy's warships, instantly igniting them into a raging fire;
The musket team was neatly lined up on the deck of the warship. At a command, lead bullets rained down on the enemy ship, and the Southern Song soldiers fell to the ground one after another.

The Southern Song general personally commanded the warships to counterattack, attempting to break through the Ming army's blockade, but all efforts were in vain in the face of the Ming army's powerful firepower.

At the same time, Su Yun personally led the central army to launch a general offensive against Lin'an City.

Catapults continuously hurled huge stones and clay pots filled with gunpowder at the city walls, causing them to tremble violently and teeter on the brink of collapse.

The Ming soldiers erected ladders and braved a hail of arrows to climb up, engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the Southern Song soldiers defending the city.

After several days of fierce fighting, Lin'an City was finally captured. The Prime Minister of the Southern Song Dynasty carried the young Emperor Zhao Bing on his back and jumped into the vast sea, thus ending the Southern Song Dynasty.

With this, the Ming Dynasty completed the unification of the south, ending the long-standing confrontation between the north and south.

After pacifying the south, Su Yun turned his attention to the remnants of the Liao Kingdom in the north.

At this time, the Liao Kingdom was severely weakened by the previous war, and its remaining forces retreated to the northern desert, but still occasionally harassed the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

In the spring of the sixth year of the Hongwu reign, Su Yun appointed Zheng Chaozong as the Generalissimo of the Northern Expedition, leading an army of 200,000 to launch a northern expedition.

The Ming army advanced with unstoppable momentum, engaging in numerous fierce battles with the Liao army on the grasslands thanks to its powerful cavalry and advanced firearms.

On the banks of the Onon River, Zheng Chaozong cleverly used the terrain to set up an ambush.

When the Liao army entered the ambush zone, the Ming army suddenly launched an attack, raining down arrows and firearms like a storm.

The Liao army was thrown into chaos and suffered heavy casualties.

Yelü Hongji's nephew, Yelü Chun, led his remaining troops in a desperate resistance, but ultimately could not withstand the Ming army's offensive and had to lead his people to flee westward.

The Ming Dynasty's northern expeditionary army pursued their victory, driving the remnants of the Liao Kingdom further west and completely eliminating the threat from the north.

After the victory of the Northern Expedition, Su Yun began to address the problems in the southwest region.

In the seventh year of the Hongwu reign, the Ming army split into two routes and marched towards Dali and the various Tibetan tribes.

The army that attacked Dali was led by Ping Zicheng. He adopted a strategy of both kindness and force, on the one hand demonstrating the powerful military strength of the Ming army, and on the other hand promoting the policies of the Ming Dynasty to the people of Dali, promising them peace and stability.

Under intense pressure from the Ming army, King Duan Xingzhi of Dali was forced to surrender, and Dali was thus incorporated into the Ming Dynasty's territory.

Meanwhile, another army, led by Zhang Jie, launched an attack on the various Tibetan tribes.

The Tibetan territory was strategically important and easy to defend, but the Ming army, with its superior tactics and unwavering will, crossed snow-capped mountains and traversed valleys, engaging in a fierce battle with the Tibetan army.

Ultimately, the various Tibetan tribes were defeated one by one, and they all submitted to the Ming Dynasty and paid tribute, further expanding the Ming Dynasty's territory.

Having secured his land territory, Su Yun turned his attention to the vast ocean.

He knew that the ocean contained endless wealth and opportunities, and only by having a powerful navy could one occupy a place on the world stage.

In the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, Su Yun ordered a vigorous development of the navy, building a large number of advanced ships and training a massive naval force.

The Ming Dynasty's navy first set its sights on the Southeast Asian countries.

The fleet sailed out of the port in a grand procession, leaving all the Southeast Asian countries in awe.

With its powerful military and advanced technology, the Ming army quickly conquered numerous islands and city-states, bringing Southeast Asia under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

Subsequently, the Ming Dynasty's fleet continued westward, crossing the vast ocean, and eventually arrived at what is now known as the Australian continent.

The local indigenous people had never seen such a powerful army and advanced technology. Under the intimidation of the Ming army, they all expressed their submission.

The Ming Dynasty established a foothold in Australia and began the development and rule of this new continent.

After years of conquest and expansion, the territory of the Ming Empire reached an unprecedented level of vastness.

From the northern grasslands to the southern seas, from the eastern islands to the western deserts, the banners of the Ming Dynasty fluttered everywhere.

Standing on the city wall of the palace, Su Yun looked at the vast land and was filled with pride and satisfaction.

He knew that the vast empire he had personally built would stand tall in the East, becoming a legend and forever remembered by posterity!
And the saying, "Of all the virtuous members of the Su family of Meishan, Su Yun is the most virtuous," has resonated throughout history! (The End!)

Postscript: Thank you all for your support. I'm so glad I had a meal here. This book could have been written much longer, but I wasn't prepared enough. At this point, I've run out of ideas. Forcing myself to continue would be torture for me and for you all. It's better to end it here.

So, let's be clear, see you in the next book! The new book is already in discussions with the editor, and it should start shipping around early July. Please support it then! Love you all!
(End of this chapter)