In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 904 The Ming and Northern Yuan Collude
Shi Ziyan was taken back to the rear army.
During his escort, he saw the army moving slowly.

We also saw a neat, orderly, and unhurried formation.

He suddenly felt a sense of relief.

If it were the Ming army, then at least they wouldn't have lost to the Jurchens.

Only then did he begin to wonder why the Ming army had appeared there.

Shi Ziyan dared not think too deeply about it.
Soon, he was led by the soldiers into this meticulously organized and disciplined formation.

He quickly fell into suspicion.
Because these people don't look like Ming soldiers.
Especially the unpleasant smell on his body, which made him seem like a grassland person.

This left him looking bewildered.
Who exactly is this army in front of us?
Shi Ziyan was taken to the central command position.
I spotted the young man standing on the ground, holding a map.

With just one glance, Shi Ziyan abruptly held his breath.

Upon seeing this person, he was certain that he was a wise man!

Especially that faint hint of indifference in his eyes,

And the condescending gaze, looking down at ants, he couldn't be wrong.

"Kneel down."

A soldier struck him hard on the knee joint, and Shi Ziyan fell to the ground.

It was only at this moment that a sense of fear arose in his heart, and he came to his senses.

"You can understand Mandarin, right?"

The young general's voice was very calm, seemingly nonchalant, but it sent a chill down Shi Ziyan's spine.

Because he didn't try to cover it up, he just said it openly and honestly.

Shi Ziyan nodded with difficulty:

"Understand."

"I will ask you questions, and you will answer them, shall I?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in Shi Ziyan's eyes, then he nodded slightly.

After making this decision,

He became listless, as if he had lost all his energy.

Lu Yunyi knew that this was what it looked like when one's inner convictions were shattered.
"Tell me about the defenses of Shun'an City. Besides you rabble, are there any other soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion flashed in Shi Ziyan's eyes.
However, he quickly disappeared without a trace, shaking his head.

"Shun'an City's garrison only numbered 1,800, but they mobilized all of them for this battle against the enemy, along with some local militia."

"In other words, Shun'an City is currently undefended."
Have you received any military orders from Kaesong recently?
For example, troop deployment and the transport of provisions.

"Yes, news came from Kaijing that the Jurchens have entered the country."

Instruct us, the garrison troops of the Northwest Circuit, to maintain strict vigilance and report immediately upon discovery.

They also said that troops were being mobilized in the three border areas, and that we should not panic, and moreover…

Shi Ziyan hesitated and stammered as he spoke.

Gong Xianzhi showed no politeness, drawing his long sword sharply and shouting:
"Put your hands on the ground."

The soldiers immediately pressed Shi Ziyan's hand down.

He shook his head hastily, his face showing fear:

No, no, no, I'll tell you, I'll tell you.
News has arrived from Kaijing that Prime Minister Li is personally leading troops to the Northwest Circuit to annihilate the Jurchens!

These words brought a brief moment of calm to the chaotic noise.
Lu Yunyi looked at him with a strange expression, his eyes narrowing.

"Is Yi Seong-gye coming to the Northwest?"

Such a contemptuous voice and indifferent attitude

This made Shi Ziyan even more certain that although the soldiers in front of him were nomads from the grasslands, their generals were Ming people!
"Yes, the military order that arrived three days ago instructed us to prepare for the arrival and to replace some old military equipment to avoid displeasing Prime Minister Li."

Shi Ziyan spoke at length, in great detail.

As Lu Yunyi listened, he glanced at the map, his brows slowly furrowing.
Judging by the time, Yi Seong-gye should have already left Gyeonggi Province, but whether he has reached Seogyeong is still uncertain.

Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi felt a pang of regret.
If we can get into Seogyeong, we might be able to meet Yi Seong-gye there sooner.

After a moment's thought, Lu Yunyi waved his hand and gave the order:
"Bring the people along, and we will enter Shun'an City."

Shi Ziyan's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he abruptly raised his head.

Looking at the young general before him, he remained speechless for a long time.

Gradually, he felt the eyes of the soldiers around him turn red, and a murderous aura began to spread!
"Can you take us into the city?"

Lu Yunyi spoke from his elevated position.

Shi Ziyan remained silent for a long time, and finally shook his head:

"I cannot take you into the city."

"Then we'll take it in ourselves. It'll just be a small town."
Once inside, all casualties from the siege will be repaid tenfold.
"For every one person who dies, I will kill ten of you. That seems a bit low, let's make it a hundred."

A single, casual remark sent Shi Ziyan trembling like a leaf.
He knew the cruelty of the Jurchens, and he also knew that the Ming people were indifferent to these small countries.

He believed these words more than ever before.

"If you take us in, I can promise you our lives will be spared if we hand over the money."
After all, we Jianzhou Jurchens came here to make money, not to kill.

"Okay, I'll take you in."

Rumbling--

The not-so-tall gates of Shun'an slowly opened.

The noise was especially noticeable in the darkness, startling many birds away.

Shi Ziyan looked at the open city gate,
He was extremely listless, as if he had lost his soul.

Lu Yunyi smiled and looked at the city gate ahead, patting him on the shoulder:

"Don't worry, we Jianzhou Jurchens have a military system and military orders."
The brothers only wanted to seize some money; they believed that if they paid the money, they could live.

"Alright, after entering the city, gather the remaining soldiers together. Now, the Jianzhou Jurchens will take over the city's defenses."

Upon hearing these words, Shi Ziyan suddenly felt a sense of admiration.
To lie so blatantly is truly befitting of a person from a superior nation.

He calmed his thoughts and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth:

"I hope the general will treat the people of the city well."

"Hahaha, let's go into town."

Lu Yunyi burst into laughter and waved his hand forcefully.

The vast army began to enter the city.
Shun'an City was not large to begin with; it could be considered a garrison city of Xijing.
At this moment, more than 10,000 soldiers suddenly entered, instantly filling the military camp to capacity!

The noise woke many people up at night.

They sat up blankly, listening to the clanging of armor outside, their eyes full of confusion.

As time passed, the darkness of the night gradually faded.

A deep blue curtain hangs in the sky, and light re-gathers in Shun'an City.

Many people who got up early to prepare breakfast were surprised to find that...

There were more unfamiliar patrolling soldiers on the streets.

They had sturdy armor, straight spears, and tall horses beneath them.

"Are the elite troops from Kaijing here?"

Many people thought this way but didn't pay much attention.

However, some wealthy families in the city were not as ignorant as the common people.

When they saw the soldiers guarding the door, their expressions changed drastically. They tried to close the door, but were stopped by long spears.
"Open the door, or you will be killed without mercy."

A simple sentence rang out simultaneously throughout the city, causing many wealthy people to freeze in shock.

The sky was somewhat gloomy at the Shun'an County government office.

The flickering candlelight in the room cast long, slender shadows of Azashiri and Tuoluhuchar.

The reflection on the mottled wall made it look eerie and terrifying.

Inside the room, a group of Shun'an City officials sat anxiously.

Their faces were filled with terror, and their eyes revealed deep fear!

How come the Jurchens entered the city when I woke up?

A short while later, a group of soldiers escorted a wealthy family member from the city into the city.

These wealthy families, accustomed to a life of luxury, had never witnessed such a spectacle before.
At this moment, they were so frightened that their legs went weak.

Several of them even collapsed to the ground and were dragged forward by the soldiers.

Their fine clothes were now disheveled and in a sorry state.

Torhuchar sat in the main seat.

He looked at these wealthy people with disdain, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

He spoke in fluent Mandarin, and said loudly:

"You guys probably know why we're here."

Hand over all the money you've hidden.
If you behave, I'll spare your lives; if you don't hand them over…

He paused here, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, then slammed his hand on the table.
"Then don't blame us for being ruthless and outright robbing you!"

Upon hearing this, the wealthy men's faces turned deathly pale, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

One of the larger households appeared to be a bit older.

His voice trembled as he said, "Sir, we...we really don't have much money!"

The harvests have been poor these past few years, and we've almost gone hungry."

Tuoluhuchaer looked over blankly, then suddenly burst out laughing.

He stood up, slowly walked to the wealthy man, looked down at him, and said:

"Oh? You think I'd believe your nonsense? I'm giving you one last chance, pay it or not?"

The wealthy man gritted his teeth and said, forcing a smile:

"Sir, we really don't have the money."

A hint of impatience flashed in Toruhuchar's eyes. He waved his hand and said coldly:

"Chopped."

As soon as he finished speaking, two soldiers stepped forward.

They pinned the wealthy man to the ground, and one of the soldiers drew his long sword and raised it high.

The blade gleamed coldly in the candlelight.

The wealthy man stared wide-eyed in terror and shouted:
"My lord, spare my life! I'll surrender, I'll surrender!"

A smug smile appeared on Tuoluhuchaer's lips as he waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to stop.

The wealthy man was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

It took him a while to recover, and he quickly said:

"Sir, I... I still have some silver at home. I'll have someone go and get it right away."

Tuoluhuchar nodded in satisfaction and said:
"That's more like it. If we had done it this way earlier, we wouldn't have had to suffer like this."

After saying that, he looked at the other wealthy households and said loudly:

"And you all? Did you hear that? Don't force me to take action."

Other wealthy families, seeing this scene
They dared not resist in the slightest and all expressed their willingness to hand over their money.

When Tuoluhuchaer saw that his goal had been achieved, he arranged for men to take these wealthy families home to collect their silver.

After receiving the order, Ariza led a troop of soldiers and escorted these wealthy families out of the county government office.

Along the way, the wealthy families wore mournful faces, secretly lamenting their plight, yet dared not resist.

They returned home and opened the hidden cellar.
They carried out boxes of silver, jewelry, and other valuables.

The soldiers' eyes gleamed with greed as they looked at the glittering treasures.
But they still followed military regulations obediently.
The valuables were registered and then transported back to the county government.

As boxes of valuables were carried into the county government compound,
Azashiri and Tuoluhuchar were both stunned.

Inside the courtyard, silver taels were piled up like mountains, bathed in the light of the rising sun.

They were illuminated until they sparkled and dazzled the eyes.

Tuoluhuchaer circled the pile of valuables several times, feeling his lips grow dry.

"Are these Koreans really that rich?"

Azashiri took a deep breath, remaining relatively calm. Looking at the valuables, he said with emotion:

"I never imagined that this small city of Shun'an would hide so much wealth."
It seems these Koreans are just like the wealthy families of the Ming Dynasty.

They act pitiful on ordinary days, but secretly they're all easy targets.

Just then, Lu Yunyi, who had heard the news, walked in.
He looked at the mountain of wealth before him, a hint of surprise on his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Looks like we've had quite a haul this time."

Azashiri quickly stepped forward and said with a smile:

"General, this is all thanks to you. If it weren't for your wise decision, we wouldn't have been able to obtain so much wealth."

Lu Yunyi smiled slightly and said:

"Alright, register these assets."

These large items should be discarded; everything should be based on the speed of marching.

Tuoluhuchaer and Azashili nodded in agreement.

Tuoluhuchaer thought carefully and asked:
"My lord, may I ask when we will continue our journey?"

Lu Yunyi looked around again and said:

"Shun'an City is now under our control."
Let's rest here for two days and see what happens. Brothers, get some rest; there's another tough battle to come.

The two men looked alert and immediately straightened their backs.
They knew that the so-called fierce battle was fought by the elite troops led by Yi Seong-gye!

If the General Staff's prediction is correct, Yi Seong-gye is probably already on his way to Seo-kyung.

In the direction of Xijing, Yi Seong-gye was wearing heavy armor.

Riding a tall, warhorse, followed by a vast army!
They marched at breakneck speed, the thunderous sound of their horses' hooves echoing along the official road, the dust they kicked up obscuring the sky.

Lee Seong-gye's face was grim, and his eyes revealed deep worry.

He looked ahead, praying that nothing bad would happen to Xijing.

When he arrived at the city of Xijing, he saw that the city gates were tightly closed and the guards on the city walls were on high alert, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He pulled on the reins and shouted:

"Open the city gate!"

A moment later, the city gate slowly opened.

The commander of the Xijing city defense forces led a group of soldiers out to greet them.

Upon seeing Yi Seong-gye, the general immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said:
"Greetings, Prime Minister Li. Fortunately, you arrived in time."
The Jurchens have already come, but fortunately, the city of Xijing is well-defended and its defenses are strong.
Instead of attacking the city, they headed northwest.

Then, an old soldier and a young soldier at the west gate recounted in detail what had happened that day.

Upon hearing this, Yi Seong-gye felt a wave of fear wash over him.

We almost, almost got separated from Gyeonggi Province and Northwest Province!

How many of them are there? What is their equipment like?

The general replied:

"According to reports from scouts, there are approximately 10,000 men, well-equipped."

What about the military system?

"It appears to be divided into three armies: front, middle, and rear. There are scouts providing support on the outer perimeter, and cavalry guarding the flanks. Moreover..."

The city's garrison commander had an extremely strange expression.

"Prime Minister Li, I am not trying to boost others' prestige while diminishing my own."

But I believe those Jurchens are far more elite than the garrison troops of Xijing.

Yi Seong-gye's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he said:
"Pass down the order: pursue them immediately!"

We must not allow these people to run rampant on our Korean soil!

Upon receiving the order, the army immediately changed direction and circled the city, pursuing the enemy to the northwest!
Yi Seong-gye sat astride his warhorse, his mind filled with countless thoughts, his eyes deep-set.

Ten thousand men, cavalry, advanced military system, and clear hierarchy.
Is this a Jurchen?
His doubts deepened, but he hesitated to make a definitive statement.

Taking a deep breath, Lee Seong-gye looked at Lee Ji-ran not far away and asked in a deep voice:

"how do you feel?"

Li Zhilan, whose real name was Gulundoulan Timur.
Son of Arabuhua, the leader of the Jurchen people. His ancestors were Jurchens from Hamgyeong Province. During the reign of King Gongmin, he led his people to rebel against the country and join Goryeo!
He is now sixty years old, his body is frail, and his face is deeply wrinkled.

But his eyes were still very clear, and his expression was very healthy.

His expression was grave at that moment, and upon hearing the question, he slowly shook his head.
"Prime Minister Li, these 10,000 people could not possibly be Jianzhou Jurchens."

Yi Seong-gye clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"What about the Haixi Jurchens? I've heard that their four elite tribes can hold their own against the Northern Yuan cavalry without being at a disadvantage."

"Prime Minister Li, the elite troops of the four Haixi tribes have all been wiped out by the Ming army, and several tribal leaders have also been killed. They are in chaos now."

Yi Seong-gye fell silent. If it couldn't be the Haixi Jurchen, then it certainly couldn't be the Wild Jurchen.

Therefore, there seems to be only one truth.

"I see."

Li Zhilan looked worried, pursed her lips slightly, and lowered her voice to a minimum.

"Prime Minister Li, the situation is urgent; we cannot afford to be his enemy."

"They've already attacked our home, and you're still going to tolerate it?" Lee Seong-gye's voice was low and filled with a chilling intent.

"Prime Minister Li, they entered the country from the northeast and traveled nearly 500 li at high speed. They committed very few acts of burning, killing, and looting. I suppose they have their own purpose."

"What purpose?"

Li Zhilan took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

"I request that Minister Li return to Gaegyeong and leave the rest of the battle to me."
In any case, Prime Minister Li, you must not put yourself in a dangerous situation.

Yi Seong-gye's pupils suddenly contracted:
"You mean they're reinforcements sent by the royal family, and their target is me?"

Li Zhilan didn't say anything more, but her meaning was clear.

After much deliberation, Yi Seong-gye finally made a decision.

"Continue forward; ten thousand elite cavalry will enter the territory."
I must go and see who they are and what their purpose is.

Having said that, Li Zhilan didn't say anything more, but instead cupped her hands in a respectful gesture.

"Your subordinate will fight to the death to protect Prime Minister Li."

(End of this chapter)