Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 374 The real bad news: eternal submission and annual tribute?
In the Annam court, an old minister asked in a trembling voice:

"General Li, with 30,000 Vajra Realm experts, how could Annam possibly defeat them with the full strength of the nation?"

"No way!"

The old Annamese general, kneeling on the ground, shook his head with tears in his eyes: "The Vajra Realm is known for its physical body being as strong as Vajra, with every move possessing the strength of a thousand pounds. It can kill tigers and leopards, and is ten times more swift and fierce than a tiger. One person can be worth a hundred armored soldiers."

"An army composed of 30,000 Vajra Realm experts."

"Even if Annam were to fight to the death and mobilize the entire nation for war, could it possibly muster an army of a million?"

"Is it possible to gather a million suits of armor?"

Annam, being confined to a remote corner, did not fully understand the power of the Vajra Realm. General Li, however, was a living Vajra Realm martial artist in his youth, so how could he not know?

Dozens of Vajra Realm experts are nothing to worry about.

With hundreds of Vajra Realm experts, if Annam were to fight a desperate, all-out war, it wouldn't be entirely without a chance of victory.

It can reach the realm of thirty thousand Vajra.

That's not equivalent to 300,000 of the most elite troops, but rather to a massive army of three million pressing in.

How can Annam possibly withstand this?
Despair spread throughout the Qingliang Palace.

How many fools are actually standing in the imperial court?

They understood...

The fall of Annam is imminent.

"and……"

General Li's voice, like a cuckoo crying blood, carried an inescapable despair and desolation: "According to the frontline battle reports, the general leading that Tian Ce Army composed of 30,000 Vajra Realm experts is suspected to be... a terrestrial immortal."

"Among his accompanying guard battalion and central army camp, there are even grandmasters of celestial phenomena who can walk on air and change the weather with every gesture!"

“Number of people…”

"No fewer than a hundred people!"

If the 30,000 Vajra Realm brought Annam profound despair.

General Li's subsequent words were like opening a gaping abyss, causing everyone to fall into it, only to watch helplessly as despair and fear completely overwhelmed them.

"One hundred Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena??"

"Impossible, General Li. Even if you add up all the masters on the weapons list compiled by Bai Xiaosheng, the list of martial arts masters in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty, there couldn't possibly be a hundred Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena."

"How could the Ming Dynasty, which is attacking Annam, possibly send a terrestrial immortal as general and a hundred celestial grandmasters to assist the central army?"

“Absurd, ridiculous.”

In the imperial court, Li Weichang roared wildly, his voice trembling and tinged with a hint of a sob that moved the listeners.

A hundred grandmasters of celestial phenomena!

In the past century, Annam has produced only three grandmasters of astronomy, each of whom is of great importance and can even be considered equal to Le Duy Truong, the ruler of Annam.

No one understood the significance of the Grand Master of Celestial Phenomena better than the officials of the Annam court.

Back when the Chenghua Emperor was in power, a grand master of astronomy fled from the grasslands and passed through Annam. He single-handedly built up the imperial palace, forcibly broke into the imperial treasury, and stole a large sum of money.

Decades ago, a master swordsman from the Ming Dynasty went south and single-handedly broke through Annam with his sword, easily escaping the encirclement of tens of thousands of troops.

Thirteen years ago, a Ming Dynasty prince named Zhu Wushi heard a rumor from somewhere and mistakenly believed that the Tianxiang Kingdom had been destroyed and Annam had obtained Tianxiang cardamom. He carried a small mountain to the pass and threatened the Annam royal family to hand over Tianxiang cardamom.

Annan once again realized how much of a threat a grandmaster of celestial phenomena posed to a small country like theirs.

But they never dreamed that in recent years, the Annamite royal family had been working hard to win over experts, and even supported a local Annamite astronomical master and an overseas astronomical master, thinking that they would no longer suffer such humiliation.

Xu Changhai led 30,000 Cangyun troops, conquering thirteen cities in one night as if they were in an empty land. Soon, his army would be at the gates of the city, and he also brought with him a hundred revered Grandmasters of Celestial Phenomena.

In that instant, immense fear completely overwhelmed the entire nation of Annam.

What imperial ambitions, what national dignity—all become the most laughable and vulnerable illusions before this overwhelming force! "Annam may perish, at worst, the old story will repeat itself."

"To submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute."

"It's just a matter of reinstating the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission."

Le Duy Chang's mind raced. This wasn't the first time Annam had surrendered and then rebelled again. They had only recently broken away from the Ming Dynasty and truly become independent, so returning to the Ming's embrace wasn't something too difficult for anyone to accept.

As long as his Li family bloodline continues.

surrender!

It was not a shameful decision for Li Weichang.

“Yes, surrender…” Li Weichang’s lips trembled violently, “Draft…draft a surrender document! Quickly! Draft a surrender document!!”

He suddenly sprang up from his throne, acting like a madman, and pointed at the civil officials in the hall, roaring, "Immediately send an envoy to tell the Ming Dynasty, to that Ming army, that Annam... Annam is willing to reunite with the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission! To be a vassal for eternity... to be a vassal for eternity! To pay tribute every year, with absolutely no disloyalty."

"Hurry! Go now!!"

……

Annam, outside the Thang Long Imperial City.

Zhu Jianqiu gazed at this imperial city, which was far inferior to even half the size of the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty, his eyes as calm as still water.

"military adviser."

"The King of Annam submitted a letter of surrender, expressing his willingness to be a vassal of the Ming Dynasty forever and to pay tribute every year."

A Tian Ce soldier came to report and handed the surrender document to Zhu Jianqiu.

Zhu Jianqiu took the surrender document, glanced at it casually, and then ordered the Tian Ce soldiers beside him to put it away. "He was willing to surrender before we attacked the city, but now that our army is at the gates, he surrendered his entire country? What country is he talking about?"

"Besides..."

"This is not their surrender; it is the Xuanjia Secret Guard paving the way for us."

Zhu Jianqiu chuckled and spurred his horse toward the Ascending Dragon Imperial City, with the Tian Ce banner fluttering behind him and thousands of Tian Ce soldiers following him with overwhelming momentum.

Inside the imperial city, King Le Duy Chang of Annam removed his bright yellow dragon robe, a symbol of supreme power, and wore only a plain white linen garment. His hair was disheveled, his upper body was bare, and he held a plain white jade disc in his mouth.

His hands were tied behind his back, and he knelt at the front of the cold stone ground, his head buried deep, almost touching the ground.

Behind him, the queen, princes, princesses, and all the high-ranking officials had removed their crowns and were dressed in the simplest plain clothes, kneeling in the most humble posture, a dark mass, no one daring to raise their heads. The air was filled with a heavy atmosphere of despair and humiliation.

tread!tread!tread!
The sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.

Zhu Jianqiu gazed at the King of Annam and his ministers before him, his eyes calm and unwavering. "King Le Duy Chang of Annam?"

With all his might, Le Duy Chang spat out the jade disc he was holding in his mouth, his forehead slamming heavily against the cold stone ground again and again, making a dull thud. He let out a mournful cry that sounded like he was crying blood: "Your sinful subject Le Duy Chang... leads... leads all the subjects of Annam... to surrender!"

"I wish...I wish to restore the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission...to be the eternal bulwark of the Great Ming, to be a vassal state forever, to pay tribute every year, and to have no disloyal intentions! I beg...I beg the Heavenly Army of the Supreme Kingdom, to have mercy! Have mercy!!"

Li Weichang was in tears.

He had made up his mind to submit to the Ming Dynasty and presented a letter of surrender.

Before his decree even left the palace, a group of mysterious experts stormed in and slaughtered everyone. All the imperial guards were as fragile as leaves in the wind. Of the two celestial masters worshipped by Annam, one was killed and the other was crippled before they could even meet.

In less than two hours.

The royal palace in Annam, including the entire Thang Long royal city, has changed hands.

It wasn't until Zhu Jianqiu led the Tian Ce soldiers to the outside of the imperial city that those mysterious experts cooperated to open the city gates. Only then did Li Weichang realize that those mysterious experts... were also people of the Ming Dynasty.

But he knew it was too late.

By the time he realized it, Annam's power was already waning.

Li Weichang had no chips left.

(End of this chapter)