Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 395 Beating Up the King of Pegu! The Treacherous Warlord!

Zhu Shou's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile quietly appearing.

That smile conveyed both the confidence of someone in charge of planning and the composure of someone who had the situation under complete control.

It seems that the campaign against Pegu is progressing much more smoothly than he had anticipated.

Although the power of the central dynasty of Pegu is not yet sufficient to bring all local forces under its control and achieve unification of the entire territory.

However, the fact that they were able to maintain the basic framework of a dynasty and were not completely overthrown by local warlords is enough to show that they still possessed a certain level of strength.

This point was confirmed in previous exchanges with the Siamese side.

The intelligence provided by Siam indicated that Bago was embroiled in warlord conflicts and regional separatism, but the Bago Central Dynasty remained the most powerful force in the entire Bago region.

Now, with the support of the Pegu Central Dynasty, it will undoubtedly be much easier to subdue those local warlords who have carved out their own territories.

It's like suddenly receiving a powerful boost during a difficult battle, making the originally rugged and bumpy road smooth.

"You just said that you are willing to give everything to repay the Ming Dynasty army?" Zhu Shou's expression was calm, and his tone was indifferent, but it carried an undeniable authority.

When Binyaho heard the Ming general ask him a question, he felt that his words had moved the Ming general, and he was overjoyed. He quickly replied, "Willing! Willing! Whatever Ming requests, as long as my Pegu Dynasty has it, I will definitely satisfy it without hesitation."

Behind Binyaho, the Pegu ministers who had come with him were all dejected and silent.

What else can they say when their own king has already compromised so ruthlessly?

At this moment, many of them were filled with helplessness and sorrow, but under the overwhelming military might of the Ming Dynasty, they could only choose to remain silent.

Zhu Shou glanced at Bin Yahu with disdain, his eyes full of contempt and disdain.

This person is truly extremely afraid of death!

His appearance bears some resemblance to Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty.

Back then, when Emperor Huizong of Song faced the Jurchens, no matter how harsh or unreasonable their demands were, he agreed without hesitation, just to save his own life.

Later on, he even heartlessly gave his own wife and daughter to the Jurchens, allowing them to humiliate them, completely disregarding the dignity of the royal family and the disgrace to his family.

Isn't Binjaho the same today?
In order to survive, they were willing to abandon all dignity and bottom lines, and voluntarily expressed their willingness to accept any conditions proposed by the Ming Dynasty.

However, the Ming Dynasty was not like the barbaric and brutal Jurchens.

The Ming Dynasty was a land of civilization and etiquette, and naturally would not do anything as heinous and immoral as the Jurchens.

However, the necessary punishment is still indispensable.

Otherwise, not only will it fail to instill fear in those audacious individuals, preventing them from easily offending the majesty of the Ming Dynasty and oppressing the people of the Ming Dynasty overseas, but it will also set a bad example for other countries in the surrounding region.

This led them to mistakenly believe that the Ming Dynasty was a weak and easily bullied "good guy" who could be provoked and bullied at will.

They thought that as long as they regretted their actions after oppressing the people of the Ming Dynasty, there would be no serious consequences.

Zhu Shou's face was cold and stern, his gaze fixed on Binyaho, and he said in a deep voice: "As the king of the Pegu Dynasty, you should shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people."

"If from the very beginning you had taken the matter of the people of my Great Ming being harmed and enslaved seriously, and taken decisive and effective measures, how could those local warlords have dared to act so recklessly and arrogantly?"

"Why do they dare not seize the people within the direct jurisdiction of your Bago Central Dynasty to enslave them, but instead extend their evil hands to the people of my Great Ming?"

"Isn't it because they know that if they arrest the people under your jurisdiction, you will definitely intervene, but when it comes to my Great Ming, they think they can bully them at will without any scruples!"

"Furthermore, according to the information I have, there are also many Ming people who have been defrauded or kidnapped and forced into slavery within your directly controlled territory."

"It's only because your Pegu kings don't have mines that such heinous acts haven't become as rampant as they have among local warlords."

"The people of our Great Ming have suffered countless hardships and torments in your territory of Pegu. As the King of Pegu, you are deeply responsible for this and your guilt is grave!"

"Considering that you have taken the initiative to come and apologize, which shows some sincerity in your repentance, I could have treated you leniently."

“Someone, take the thorny branch on his back and whip him ten times as a warning to others.”

"Let everyone know the consequences of offending my Great Ming!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a guard stepped forward quickly and swiftly removed the thorny branch from Binyaho's back, then raised it high and whipped it hard across his body.

"Snap!"
"Smack!" Two times!
"Snap!" Three times!
……

As the king of Pegu, Binyaho was used to a life of luxury and had never been beaten like this before.

In an instant, a scream like that of a pig being slaughtered rang out.

The ministers of Pegu were both angry and fearful, staring blankly at the scene, but none of them dared to speak or beg for mercy.

Fortunately, the ten lashes ended quickly.

Zhu Shou stepped forward, looked at Binyaho lying on the ground still groaning in pain, and coldly asked, "Are you convinced?"

"I...I...I admit it. I deserve this punishment. I just want the General to calm down and let me go!"

Binyaho responded weakly, his voice trembling with sobs, his eyes filled with terror and pleading.

After being beaten, Binyaho's fear of Zhu Shou and the Ming Dynasty intensified.

He curled up on the ground like a frightened quail.

Zhu Shou nodded slightly, his expression softening, and then slowly bent down to personally help Bin Yahuo up from the ground.

He led troops for many years, fighting in the north and south, and had seen all sorts of subordinates and enemies.

He knew Binyaho, a cowardly and timid man, very well.

He knew all too well that the more you threatened or intimidated this cowardly person, the less likely he was to have any thoughts of resistance.

That's why he decisively ordered his men to beat up Binyaho.

The goal is to instill in him a deep sense of awe for the Ming Dynasty from the bottom of his heart.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has always rewarded those who have made merits and punished those who have committed offenses."

Zhu Shou's expression was solemn, and his voice was steady and powerful, as if every word carried immense weight.

"You have allowed the people of my Great Ming to suffer in Bago, which is an unforgivable mistake."

"The ten slaps I gave you just now were your punishment."

"So that you'll remember this bloody lesson."

"But your timely realization, your admission of your mistakes and your willingness to surrender are commendable and a merit."

"As long as you sincerely repent, and if Bago can make peace with our Great Ming in the future and help each other, our Great Ming will naturally be magnanimous and will not deliberately make things difficult for you. On the contrary, it will protect you."

"I will ensure your unwavering throne, lasting for generations to come, with your lineage continuing unbroken."

Binyaho had just been whipped and was in great pain, but Zhu Shou forcibly "helped him up".

This action caused him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

But he was filled with fear and dared not show it at all. He could only grit his teeth and endure the excruciating pain.

Upon hearing Zhu Shou's promise, Bin Yahuo's previously dim eyes instantly lit up, his joy overflowing. He could no longer care about the pain and blurted out, "General, is this really true?"

Zhu Shou said loudly, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. I am the dignified Marquis of the Great Ming, the Minister of Military Affairs, and the commander-in-chief of the Great Ming on this expedition. My words and deeds represent the prestige of the Great Ming Dynasty. How could I speak carelessly?"

Binyaho knelt heavily on the ground with a thud: "From now on, Begu will obey the orders of the Great Ming without question!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhu Shou smiled with satisfaction and said "good" three times in a row. Then, he reached out and pulled Binyahuo up from the ground, patted him gently on the shoulder, and said in a gentle voice, "Then you should tell me in detail about the situation of the local lords in your Bogu."

"I can also send troops to sweep away these separatist forces and help you unify Bogu."

From the perspective of the Ming Dynasty, a unified Pegu would undoubtedly be more conducive to the development of economic and trade relations between the two sides.

After all, peace and stability are the foundation and prerequisite for doing business.

If war continues and flames rage, although it is possible to do some business in military supplies, the profits are far less than those from developing resources during peacetime.

At this moment, Binyaho's feelings were like those of someone on a roller coaster, a mixture of surprise and joy.

Just moments before, he was filled with despair, thinking that he had offended the Ming Dynasty and that it was uncertain whether he could save his life.

But the situation took an unexpected turn, and they suddenly received a promise of "support" from the Ming Dynasty.

With the Ming Dynasty as their powerful backing, the fragmented and warlord-controlled Bogu might one day be able to unify.

His previously precarious and unstable throne as the King of Pegu would henceforth be as stable as a mountain.

At that moment, Binyaho followed Zhu Shou closely, heading towards the commander's tent.

Just then, a loud voice suddenly came from afar: "Duan Xiao, the governor of Pegu, has come to request an audience with the Grand General of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Duan Xiao?" Upon hearing this name, Bin Yahuo jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his face filled with anger and excitement: "It's him, it's him!"

"The territory he ruled had a large number of jade deposits. The vast majority of the people who were tricked from the Ming Dynasty and forced into slavery worked day and night in the mines there, suffering torture and humiliation."

"General, this man is guilty of heinous crimes. We must not let him go."

Bin Yahuo gritted his teeth with hatred whenever Duan Xiao was mentioned.

This man was extremely arrogant and disrespectful to his king, completely ignoring and trampling on the orders of the Bago Central Dynasty.

Previously, Binyaho had sent troops to conquer Duan Xiao, wanting to teach this arrogant man a lesson.

Unexpectedly, his own army suffered a crushing defeat and lost all face.

Over the years, Duan Xiao's power has grown wildly like weeds, becoming stronger day by day.

Gradually, it began to show signs of replacing the central dynasty of Pegu.

If it weren't for Binyaho still holding the title of "righteousness," and the other warlords not wanting Duan Xiao's power to become too great, he, as king, would probably have been replaced by Duan Xiao.

Now that Binyaho has clung tightly to the "thigh" of the Ming Dynasty, he naturally hopes that the Ming Dynasty will step in and properly deal with this local warlord who is causing him so much trouble.

Zhu Shou, however, seemed not to have heard Bin Yahuo's urgent cries. He remained calm, raised his hand, and waved gently, signaling to the soldiers to let Duan Xiao come over.

Duan Xiao stepped forward steadily, his face displaying just the right amount of respect. After bowing slightly, he began to speak:
"General, I have heard that some lawless individuals are using heinous methods such as fraud and kidnapping to force the people of the Ming Dynasty into slavery, and are even operating mines under my jurisdiction."

“I was completely unaware of these atrocities before, and I always thought that those mining slaves were purchased through legal means.”

Therefore, it was ignored.

"Until the Ming Dynasty sent its Heavenly Army to punish these people, bringing with them detailed case files of their crimes."

"Upon learning the news, I immediately dispatched troops to arrest and imprison all the criminals involved in the fraud, kidnapping, and trafficking of Ming Dynasty citizens."

"At the same time, all the Ming people who were forced into slavery will be released without exception."

"We did not intervene before because we were completely unaware of it."

"I hope the General will forgive me and not take offense."

Duan Xiao's words were clear and well-organized, and his tone was sincere.

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply, his attitude respectful and humble.

Binyaho was so enraged by these words that he turned red in the face.

He suddenly stretched out his hand, trembling as he pointed at Duan Xiao, and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense here!"

Then, he quickly turned around, bowed to Zhu Shou, and said urgently, "General, please do not believe the lies of such treacherous officials."

“He was clearly aware of these heinous acts all along, and even participated in them personally.”

"Now it's only because the Ming army is pressing in that he knows he's no match for them, so he hastily arrested the criminals and released the Ming people in an attempt to escape punishment."

"General, we must not let this villain get away!"

Zhu Shou ignored him, his expression calm, and looked at Duan Xiao, asking slowly, "You said you were unaware of this all along?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Xiao's face turned serious, and he spoke with a righteous air: "That's right."

“Those miners in the mines all have contracts of servitude, and I had previously sent people to check them carefully.”

Zhu Shou nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and continued to ask, "I will investigate this matter myself."

"You said those thugs have all been arrested and detained by your troops? Where are they now?"

Duan Xiao bowed and replied respectfully, "There are a total of 755 criminals, including 87 ringleaders and the rest are their henchmen."

"I have already sent people to bring them all here."

"In addition, there were a large number of Ming Dynasty civilians accompanying them."

"To prevent any misunderstanding from the Ming army, I have ordered them to temporarily encamp three miles away. I have come alone to report the situation to the General."

Compared to the flustered and cowardly King Binyaho of Pegu, Duan Xiao, the local warlord, was noticeably more composed and experienced in his actions.

However, such people are often more cunning, more insidious, and more difficult to control.

A glint flashed in Zhu Shou's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Alright, take me there to take a look."

"As the General commands," Duan Xiao replied.

He then led the way, his pace neither hurried nor slow, displaying complete composure.

Zhu Shou led a group of Ming soldiers, under the guidance of Duan Xiao, and soon arrived at the Bago military camp three miles away.

This area was originally an open riverbank.

It is currently the dry season, and the riverbed is dry, naturally forming a large open area.

A large number of soldiers from Pegu, as well as the people of the Ming Dynasty who had suffered greatly, gathered here.

Those Ming Dynasty citizens looked haggard, pale, and emaciated, as if a gust of wind could blow them over.

Their clothes were tattered and torn.

Many people still bear clear, shocking scars.

Furthermore, many people have already suffered disabilities due to excessive and cruel abuse.

On the other side, Pegu soldiers guarded rows of people who were tightly bound by iron chains.

The people of the Ming Dynasty looked at those people with eyes filled with deep-seated hatred, as if they wanted to tear them to pieces to vent their anger.

Without a doubt, those must be the thugs who lured and kidnapped them to Bago.

……

(End of this chapter)