Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 489 Faith and Loyalty, Old Zhu's Shock!
The reason why an army possesses strong combat power is fundamentally due to its rigorous organizational structure and the ironclad military discipline that maintains that structure.

Once freed from the constraints of the organization and broken up into smaller units, soldiers are no longer soldiers, but indistinguishable from ordinary civilians.

This plan to disguise themselves as merchants and leave the country in batches may seem like nothing more than changing clothes and altering the itinerary, but in practice, it placed extremely high demands on the discipline and cohesion of the army.

This is not only a strategic shift, but also a true test of the military's spirit.

In fact, prior to this, soldiers of this era found it difficult to disperse and act independently.

Given the opportunity, many people would rather risk fleeing than continue serving in the army.

The collapse of the garrison system in the late Ming Dynasty was not simply due to insufficient military strength, but more fundamentally due to the depletion of manpower.

Large numbers of low-ranking soldiers deserted, and their military records became empty.

The original quota for a garrison was 5,600 people, but in reality, it was often difficult to even gather 500 people.

The numbers on paper may seem impregnable, but in actual combat, they are practically useless.

The tactic of sending soldiers to blend in with the fleeing civilians and seize the opportunity to attack the city has existed since ancient times.

But that is often a short-term expedient, and it cannot last too long, let alone be a long march.

Otherwise, the soldiers might actually turn into civilians and run away.

However, this operation was different. From Jiayuguan to Biesbali, it was a journey of more than 3,000 li, and the route also required crossing a dry desert, with treacherous terrain and harsh environment.

During this long journey, the soldiers had to travel in batches, disguised as merchants, crossing the blockade line in small groups.

The question is, will they desert halfway through?
When they arrive in Beshbaliq, will they be able to quickly regroup?
Can it be reorganized into a fully-organized and disciplined fighting force?

No one can guarantee anything about this.

Throughout history, the reason why border troops have been so brave and fierce is often because they are "people with nowhere to retreat to and nowhere to escape to!"
Those who find themselves in perilous situations will naturally fight to the death and never retreat.

If we were to give them a way out, wouldn't some of them take advantage of the chaos to scatter and flee?

It's hard to say for sure.

However, Sha Qiyang was confident in this, and his eyes even revealed a hint of pride.

He respectfully said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that all the new soldiers who went on this expedition were volunteers, and none of them were forcibly conscripted."

"Upon hearing that they were to march on Beshbaliq, the soldiers were all filled with enthusiasm and eager to try."

"I have long hoped to have this battle, to serve my country, and to make contributions."

"They knew this operation was extraordinary, and they understood the importance of maintaining secrecy."

"Your humble servant swears by the military flag that no one will leak secrets without authorization, and no one will dare to desert in the face of battle."

Old Zhu nodded slightly. He was a veteran of many battles and naturally had a deep understanding of military strategy and tactics.

Judging from the disciplined appearance and orderly formation of the troops before him, he could tell at a glance that this was a well-trained and elite force.

However, the true quality of an army cannot be fully discerned from its appearance alone.

Whether it can withstand the test of long-distance stealth and dispersed operations will ultimately depend on its performance in actual combat.

It needs to be tested by time and the battlefield.

The soldiers of the new army were divided into dozens of groups, marching in small teams, with groups ranging from fifty or sixty men to no more than one or two hundred men.

They changed their clothes, disguised themselves as merchants and travelers, and set off from the pass one after another.

On the vast grasslands, merchant travel of this size is quite common.

If there are only a few people, they will usually team up with each other before the pass to make sure there are enough people to travel together, in order to avoid encountering bandits or other accidents along the way.

Once the group had gathered to about fifty or sixty people, they formed a separate line and filed out.

Moreover, those who can venture into the grasslands and conduct business on their own are mostly strong and robust men, and very few would bring along the elderly, women, or children.

Therefore, these new army soldiers disguised as caravans did not arouse suspicion from others.

Beyond Jiayu Pass lies an endless desert and vast grassland.

Old Zhu's "business travel" group was naturally the largest.
Not only were there the original Imperial Guards who accompanied them, but Sha Qiyang himself led a team to protect them, making the defenses extremely tight and the security extremely tight.

Old Zhu sat in the carriage, no longer possessing the imposing presence of his former self, but his demeanor remained reserved and profound.

Although there were no smooth official roads like those in the capital here, the carriages were well-crafted and the shock absorption was extremely well done. After several days of travel, the ride was not too bumpy.

Several days later, they arrived at a tribal settlement in the heart of the grassland.

The local herders had already lowered their guard and, upon learning that the travelers were merchants from afar, came to greet them.

The tribal chief personally hosted the guests with the most precious mare's milk wine, and also slaughtered sheep and cattle to hold a banquet in welcome.

Old Zhu's gaze swept casually around, but suddenly settled on a corner.

It was a wooden statue, no more than a foot tall, and it was unclear what kind of wood it was made of. The lines were rough but the outline was distinct.

One by one, the villagers knelt before the wooden statue, their expressions devout and their movements solemn, as if worshipping a deity.

Strangely, the statue bore a striking resemblance to his grandson, the current Emperor Zhu Yunwen of the Ming Dynasty.

Old Zhu's heart stirred slightly. After everyone had finished kneeling and bowing, he called over a middle-aged herdsman who had just finished his greetings and asked in a gentle voice:
"How come the 'Grand Master of the Nine Heavens Mystic Sect' that you worship looks so much like the Emperor of my Great Ming Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man burst into laughter and said, "Similar? No, not similar! The 'Grand Master of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Cycle' we worship is none other than the Supreme Emperor, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty himself!"

Old Zhu was stunned.

The middle-aged man before me had a face full of pride and admiration, making no attempt to hide his reverence: "Now we are also subjects of the Great Ming Dynasty, bathed together in the boundless grace of the Holy Emperor. What an honor, what a blessing!"

"But the Eastern Chagatai Khanate in the west is still stubbornly ignorant and tries to rely on their so-called 'master' for protection. They are really foolish and ignorant, and will bring about their own destruction."

When Old Zhu heard these words, he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and could hardly believe it.

Back then, he raised an army and led troops to conquer the north and south, destroying the Yuan Dynasty and driving out the Tartars. Those nomadic tribes that fled back to the grasslands hated the Han people of the Central Plains to the bone, almost to the point of irreconcilable enmity.

The enmity runs deep, as irreconcilable as ice and charcoal.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the two sides have fought for many years, with blood staining the borderlands and there has never been a moment of peace.

Later, Zhu Yunwen ordered Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng to personally lead a large army on a northern expedition to pursue and completely wipe out the remaining forces of the Northern Yuan, thus ending the years of fighting and restoring peace to the region.

Even if the war ends, hatred remains deeply rooted in people's hearts, and it cannot be resolved in just a few years.

Old Zhu was convinced that these tribes were only outwardly submissive to the Han people due to the pressure of power, and that they must still harbor resentment and hostility towards the Han people deep down.

The so-called "hospitality" was nothing more than a perfunctory courtesy and politeness to the powerful, a mere pretense. Unexpectedly, this middle-aged man before them held such heartfelt reverence for the Ming Emperor, harboring no resentment towards the Central Plains, but instead filled with utmost respect.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to voice his doubts directly: "You really don't hate the Han people of the Central Plains at all? Don't you hate the emperor of the Ming Dynasty?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment, then asked in return, "Hate? Why should I hate?"

"The Holy Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty is the deity I admire most. I burn incense and worship him every day, praying that he will protect my family. How could I dare to harbor any resentment?"

"I am already extremely grateful to be born in such a prosperous era, to be bathed in the glory of the Holy Emperor, and to enjoy peaceful years."

Old Zhu was still not giving up and continued to press: "But back then, when you occupied the Central Plains, you were arrogant and domineering, with ten thousand horses galloping around. What a glorious scene that was!"

"Now I'm being driven back to this desolate grassland, to be a herdsman who lives by water and grass, tending cattle and horses, enduring wind and rain, and sleeping in the open. Even the carefree and happy days of the past are gone. Don't you feel a little resentful?"

Old Zhu knew very well that many grassland tribes had never realized that the Central Plains had been the ancestral home of the Han people since ancient times. Instead, they believed that since they had once held great power and ruled the Central Plains, they should forever ride on the heads of the Han people and act arrogantly.

Now that their rule has been overthrown by the Han people, it is only natural that they feel their own things have been plundered and they and their families have been driven out by the Han people, and it is only natural that they feel extremely resentful.

He was prepared to hear that suppressed resentment, even the bitter complaints.

However, the middle-aged man shook his head firmly and repeatedly, without any hesitation in his expression.

"Those who can lord it over the Central Plains are a very small number of important figures, those noble lords and tribal leaders. How could it be a place for us poor herdsmen who spend our days herding sheep and horses?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of suppressed resentment from the past.

“In the past, when the Yuan Dynasty ruled the Central Plains, what benefits did we ordinary people get besides serving in the army and fighting on the battlefield every year?”

"We're all destined to be beasts of burden," he said, his gaze drifting to the distant grasslands, as if he could still see the smoke of war from bygone days.

“Military service was arduous, and wars were constant. Many people were forced to lose their families and lives. Countless died on the battlefield or were left disabled.” He paused slightly and added in a low voice, “Those days were truly unbearable.”

Old Zhu was stunned again.

That is indeed true.

The Yuan Dynasty was different from other dynasties.

During the Yuan Dynasty, Han Chinese, especially those in the south, were exempt from military service.

Even if you want to join the army, you can't.

Because the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty only trusted people from the original nomadic tribes.

However, the Yuan Dynasty had a vast territory and a penchant for launching wars of external expansion, so wars were inevitable.

However, how many people are there in a nomadic tribe in total?

As a result, almost all able-bodied men in nomadic tribes were endlessly serving in the military and fighting everywhere.

In fact, they did not enjoy any benefits at all; on the contrary, they were burdened with a heavy burden because of it.

"Now that the Ming emperor has subdued the grasslands, the tribes have stopped fighting and killing each other, and we are no longer involved in those endless wars."

"There is no longer any war between the grasslands and the Central Plains. How can people not feel grateful for such peaceful days?"

The middle-aged man paused, his eyes becoming clear and calm: "Look at your caravan, didn't you bring us things we can use?"

“We no longer need to take up arms and plunder at the risk of our lives. We can simply exchange wool and horses fairly, exchanging goods for money, and everyone will be happy.”

"If life can continue like this, who would want to go back to war and bloodshed?"

Who still remembers those turbulent times?

"Who becomes emperor or Khan has never been the most important thing for us ordinary people."

The middle-aged man said, "Since the Holy Emperor unified the grasslands, this is truly the first time we have lived a peaceful and comfortable life."

"Compared to the life of risking one's life on horseback every day and living in constant uncertainty, life is now infinitely more stable and peaceful."

"Moreover, the Holy Emperor not only stopped the war and secured the borders, but also sent many good people to the grasslands."

He said this with a slightly excited tone, “Some doctors treated our wounds and illnesses, some taught us how to raise cattle and sheep better, some taught children to read and write, and there were even honest and capable officials who could mediate conflicts between different tribes.”

"The grassland is becoming more and more prosperous every day. There are more livestock, more food, the tents are stable, the children are smiling, and our hearts are at ease."

"All of this is thanks to the kindness of the Holy Emperor. We all remember it in our hearts."

At this point, his tone became solemn, but a sacred piety appeared on his face: "In our hearts, he is not an ordinary man, but the son of the Eternal Heaven, the holy lord sent by the Eternal Heaven to rule the world and save all people."

“We believe in him, we worship him, we set up statues of him in our homes and offer incense every day.”

"The Holy Emperor has already issued a decree, proclaiming to the world that he is not only the Son of Heaven of the Han people, but also the ruler of all nations and regions."

"Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, that is his territory, and all are under his protection."

At this point, the middle-aged man seemed to be enveloped by some kind of invisible glory, and unconsciously straightened his back and his eyes shone brightly.

"To be born into this world and to be able to bask in the glory of the Holy Emperor is the greatest blessing and honor of my life."

“Those who dare to defy him, refuse to submit, or even harbor disrespect are going against the will of Heaven.”

"These people should all be killed and cast into the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated!"

Old Zhu was still somewhat incredulous after hearing what he had said.

But looking at the middle-aged man's devout expression, one could tell that the other party was not lying to him.

It's unbelievable that people's hearts on the grasslands have changed so much.

In the evening, bonfires were lit in the village, and people sang and danced to welcome the arrival of the "caravan" and celebrate their peaceful and happy life.

During this period, beautiful women from nomadic tribes frequently flirted with the men from the Central Plains.

They all hoped to find a man from the Central Plains and marry him there.

According to tribal legends, the Central Plains had become incredibly wealthy because it had been ruled by the Holy Emperor for an even longer period.

As long as they marry into the Central Plains, they can live a life of plenty.

Unfortunately, the soldiers were on duty and none of them were in the mood for romantic escapades.

These grassland girls are destined to waste their efforts.

The caravan continued its journey early the next morning.

……

(End of this chapter)