There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 256 Offering Soil
Zhou Ji didn't keep him in suspense and explained, "Your Majesty, the situation in Jiangxi is no longer what it was a few months ago. The Han army has advanced into Jiangxi, while the puppet Qing forces have suffered defeat after defeat there. If this trend continues, it will only be a matter of time before Nanchang falls. Jiangxi is no longer the foundation for Your Majesty's stable establishment of your empire."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded subconsciously, even Winged Tiger and Mischievous Demon agreed.

Zhou Ji, who killed all of Wang Zhu Wu's men, truly lived up to his reputation as a scholar; he was indeed quite capable.

Zhou Ji continued, “Jiangxi cannot allow Your Majesty to establish a stable foundation, and Your Majesty cannot simply abandon your existing territory. Moreover, even if Your Majesty were willing to surrender, the King of Han would not tolerate Your Majesty. Therefore, the only option now is to take the risk.”

"You'd better tell me quickly, Prime Minister, exactly how you plan to take it!" These words came from Zhang Fan, Zhu Wu's confidant and one of the few capable generals who could command troops. Even the training of Zhu Wu's new army was entrusted to this guy.

Zhou Ji said, "We will submit a memorial to the Great Han, stating that Your Majesty is willing to submit to the Great Han and offer up all the land and people of Ji'an Prefecture. We will then use this as a condition to request that Your Majesty be granted a fiefdom and be enfeoffed as the King of Gannan, to govern and guard the land of Gannan."

After these words were spoken, the generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they had said earlier that they couldn't defeat the Han army and wanted to run away, when it came to actually running away, they hesitated.

Because they were so reluctant to give up their wealth and status, these guys had been chased by the Han army all the way to Jiangxi in southern Hunan, where they struggled and fought hard. Only after finally defeating the Qing army and capturing Ji'an Prefecture did their lives begin to improve.

Now they have to flee again, hand over the territory they fought so hard to conquer to the Han army, and then head south to southern Jiangxi to rebuild their empire.

Southern Jiangxi was still under the control of the puppet Qing government, and it was said to be a poor and desolate place with nothing to offer. How could one expect to have a good life there?

Zhou Ji naturally understood what these people were thinking. He looked around and said to Zhu Wu, "Your Majesty, what I just said is our only way out. Although Ji'an Prefecture is several prefectures away from the Han army, the Han army will break through Nanchang sooner or later, and the pseudo-Qing government cannot stop them."

“Ji’an Prefecture may not be considered a place of outstanding people and resources, but it is still the best part of central Jiangxi. If Your Majesty stays in Ji’an, Your Majesty will be next when the Han army breaks through Nanchang.”

"To be frank, we currently only have Ji'an Prefecture. In terms of both military strength and numbers, we are still far from being able to defeat the Han army, and we can barely even put up a fight."

This was the truth, and Zhu Wu did not deny it; the generals even nodded in agreement.

If Zhu Wu were given more time to develop, and at least take over northern Jiangxi, he felt he would be able to truly confront the Han army.

Zhou Ji then said, "Therefore, it is unwise to stay in Ji'an Prefecture. Whether the Han army breaks through Nanchang or the puppet Qing holds Nanchang, they will inevitably have to deal with Ji'an Prefecture next. The only way to break the deadlock is to submit a memorial to the King of Han and offer Ji'an Prefecture as a pledge of your submission."

"The King of Han has gained a prefecture's territory for free. Not only will his guard against Your Majesty decrease, but also since southern Jiangxi is a poor and remote area, the King of Han is very likely to agree to Your Majesty's request and bestow upon Your Majesty the title of King of Southern Jiangxi of the Great Han."

"As for the land of southern Jiangxi, it is indeed mostly mountainous and forested, making it difficult to attack. However, the main force of the Qing army in southern Jiangxi is currently fighting against the Han army in Nanchang. If our army attacks southern Jiangxi at this time, there will be no resistance from the Qing army. Furthermore, Your Majesty can even raise the banner of the Great Han and use the prestige that the Great Han has just established to intimidate the prefectures and counties of southern Jiangxi."

"Moreover, despite what outsiders call a barren and desolate place, southern Jiangxi is not bad at all. If Your Majesty cannot take northern Jiangxi now, then taking southern Jiangxi can serve as a foundation for establishing your empire. Just like Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms story, Liu Bei was able to stand on equal footing with Cao Wei and Eastern Wu for decades after taking Ba and Shu."

"Southern Jiangxi is the Bashu region of Jiangxi. Your Majesty can first take southern Jiangxi to establish your empire, and let the Han army withstand the pressure from the puppet Qing forces in front of us. Once southern Jiangxi is completely pacified, we can then look back at the situation in northern Jiangxi and seize the opportunity to act. Even if things still don't go well, our army can continue south to Fujian and Guangdong to accumulate strength and await the will of Heaven!"

In short, it all boils down to one word: survival!

Zhu Wu's current strength is no match for the Han army, and he would also find it difficult to hold onto Ji'an Prefecture. Rather than waiting for the Han army to take it, it would be better to hand it over voluntarily in exchange for the Han army allowing them to move south to southern Jiangxi, and perhaps even exchange it for some money, provisions, and military equipment.

Although southern Jiangxi is mountainous, it is precisely because of these mountains that it was able to establish a foothold and better defend against the southward advance of the Han and Qing armies.

Furthermore, a crucial factor in southern Jiangxi is the presence of numerous Hakka people. These Hakka people are known for their fierce nature and are not native to Jiangxi. If they are properly recruited and won over, they could easily become Zhu Wu's fighting force.

After weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, Zhu Wu finally made a decision: "Alas, Mr. Zhou is right. We really can't beat that guy surnamed Nie right now. Since that's the case, we're not some cowardly little lady. Let's just humble ourselves before that guy surnamed Nie again, and simply give up Ji'an Prefecture to him. We brothers can continue to fight our way to the south of Jiangxi!"

Seeing that the king had really made a decision, the generals below the hall were somewhat unwilling, but they knew that they would definitely lose if they were asked to fight the Han army.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The old thief and his generals all bowed.

The Winged Tiger and the Mischievous Demon exchanged glances, each understanding the meaning in the other's eyes.

Previously, Zhu Wuyi defeated tens of thousands of Qing troops in one battle, which laid the foundation for their rebel army's victory. It can be said that he turned the tide and his prestige and power were beyond compare. Moreover, due to the previous losses in the battle with the Qing army, their strength was greatly reduced.

When Zhu Wu took over Ji'an Prefecture, they were even more helpless and could only be on guard every day, fearing that a bloodbath might break out one day.

But now, if Zhu Wu wants to give up Ji'an Prefecture and hand it over to the Han Dynasty, then the prestige he built up before will, if not completely disappear, at least be mostly lost.

Moreover, this wave of people went south to southern Jiangxi. Everyone was unfamiliar with the place and had to start from scratch, which gave them a lot more room to maneuver.

The two thieves, Winged Tiger and Mischievous Demon, secretly resolved that this time when they went south to southern Jiangxi, they would definitely part ways with Zhu Wu completely, and each of them would recruit a scholar to serve as their advisor.

Without the help of scholars, we really suffered a great loss; we were completely outmaneuvered!

……

Several days later, in Jingzhou.

The King of Han is urgently summoning his cabinet ministers for a meeting.

"Take a look at them all!" Nie Yu said, taking out a translated telegram.

The translation was first handed to Liu Jun, who read it quickly, smiled, and then passed it on to the others.

After everyone had finished reading, Liu Jun cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you on taking over another prefecture in Jiangxi."

Wang Ruoyu said, "Once Ji'an Prefecture falls, our army can then encircle Nanchang from both sides. Furthermore, with the 'Kill-King' suppressing southern Jiangxi for our Great Han, northern Jiangxi is already ours." Lü Zhihong also laughed, "After taking Ji'an, the Han army there shouldn't immediately raise the Great Han banner; instead, they can continue using the banners of the Ji'an bandits. The Qing will never suspect that Ji'an Prefecture has become Han territory, and their defenses against Ji'an will certainly be weaker than those against Nanchang. When the crucial moment arrives, a sudden attack from the Han army in Ji'an will surely throw the Qing army into chaos."

The ministers offered their suggestions and advice, and no one had any objection to taking over Ji'an Prefecture.

Why wouldn't you take a prefecture that's given away for free?
Moreover, this prefecture happens to border southern Hunan. If Ji'an is captured, the Han army can encircle Nanchang from both sides, and Nanchang will definitely not be able to hold out.

Once Nanchang falls, Jiangxi will be pretty much over.

The only issue to consider is probably the arrangements for killing Wang Zhu Wu. This guy has become smarter; he knows to use a prefecture his subordinates occupy to exchange for official recognition from the Han Dynasty, allowing them to rightfully occupy southern Jiangxi.

This is no small matter!

As the saying goes, if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper. If the Han Dynasty really conferred the title of King of Slaughter, then at least in the short term, the Han army would indeed be unable to take action against southern Jiangxi.

Because the Han Dynasty has not yet conquered the entire country, and even Nanjing has not been recovered, it cannot easily go back on its word. The previous attack and killing of the king could be understood as a verbal promise, which was not valid, and more importantly, no third party knew about it.

But things are different now. The Han Dynasty is no longer a makeshift regime. Not only has it officially established its kingdom and system, but it also has the "divinely bestowed" imperial seal, meaning it is now blessed by Heaven. The words of the King of Han are law, and once the investiture is made, it is done.

Sending troops to quell the massacre of the king without sufficient justification is a truly disgraceful act.

Nie Yu didn't care about table manners, but the scholars, common people, civil officials, and military generals below did.

Nie Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Taking Ji'an Prefecture comes with conditions: the title of King of Southern Jiangxi. Should we grant it or not?"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers began to ponder it seriously.

After a long pause, Gu Jingcai said, “Your Majesty, we can discuss the garrisoning of southern Jiangxi, but the title of King of Jiangxi must not be granted. Your Majesty is the King of Han. If Zhu Wu is granted the title of King of Jiangxi, wouldn’t that make him an equal to Your Majesty? Furthermore, even if the title of King of Jiangxi is a two-character miscellaneous title, it is still a royal title, and a legitimate royal title bestowed by Your Majesty yourself. This would be a disproportionate share of the Mandate of Heaven. Moreover, if a mere Ji’an Prefecture needs the title of King of Jiangxi, and the hereditary garrisoning of southern Jiangxi, what will Your Majesty reward other righteous armies that come to surrender and offer territory in the future?”

Nie Yu asked, "If not the King of Gannan, then what should we give him?"

Lu Zhihong then stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, there is no need to give anything. Zhu Wu surrendered Ji’an Prefecture because he knew he could not defeat our Han Dynasty, so he offered land in advance to gain benefits. Since that is the case, there is no need to be hypocritical or do superficial things. Zhu Wu wants both the hereditary governorship of southern Jiangxi and the title of King of Southern Jiangxi, which are essentially two different things. The value of Ji’an Prefecture is not that great, so we can only exchange one for it. Therefore, Your Majesty does not need to pay attention to the title of King; you only need to promise him the hereditary governorship of southern Jiangxi.”

"And then?" Nie Yu asked again.

Lü Zhihong then said, "I have three strategies:"
Firstly, Your Majesty could issue an edict appointing him as the Grand General of Southern Jiangxi, granting him hereditary authority over the region, allowing him to establish his own government and offices there. Though he would not hold the title of King of Southern Jiangxi, he would have the power. If this fellow is content with this, all will be well. However, if he were to declare himself King of Southern Jiangxi, that would be an overstepping of authority, and Your Majesty could use this as a pretext to launch a military campaign against Southern Jiangxi.”

Secondly, Your Majesty has only appointed him as the Grand General of Southern Jiangxi. If this fellow is not satisfied after conquering Southern Jiangxi and turns south to conquer Fujian and Guangdong, or seizes the opportunity to take over the prefectures and counties of Northern Jiangxi, then Your Majesty may, under the pretext of not submitting to Your Majesty, send troops to punish him.”

Thirdly, Zhu Wu has taken over the title of General of Southern Jiangxi from Your Majesty, and has lived a life of obedience and steadfastness, governing Southern Jiangxi hereditarily without daring to overstep his bounds. Therefore, our Great Han can emulate the Qing dynasty's policy of weakening regional power, claiming that the General of Southern Jiangxi is old and frail, and granting him permission to return to his hometown to retire, with his son succeeding him as General. Once his son has taken office, we can then, citing that the title of General of Southern Jiangxi is not a hereditary title, find any pretext to demote and relocate him, and everything will proceed smoothly.”

Good heavens, there really are three strategies, each more shameless than the last, and each one is self-justifying.

There's no way around it; the core principle here is might makes right. Whatever you say is right, and there will always be great scholars to defend you.

Nie Yu was convinced and nodded slightly: "What Minister Lü said makes sense. We will do as Minister Lü says." After saying that, he gave further orders: "The Ministry of Rites should quickly draft a decree of investiture and send an envoy to Ji'an Prefecture to carry out the investiture. The Ministry of War and the Grand Military Commission should send a telegram to Changsha, ordering the Governor of Hunan, Feng Xiuyong, and the Commander of the Third Division, Chen Younian, to immediately prepare for war and be ready to send troops to take over Ji'an Prefecture at any time."

"As ordered."

Gu Jing and Wang Ruoyu quickly bowed in response.

Nie Yu continued, "The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works must also be prepared. Although my General of Southern Jiangxi is here to offer land, he certainly won't leave us an intact Ji'an Prefecture. Each ministry must prepare money, grain, and officials in advance to prevent any civilian from starving or freezing to death."

"Follow the order."

The rest of the people followed suit and accepted the order.

After the important matters were discussed, the ministers did not leave immediately, but stayed to continue reporting on some miscellaneous matters that the cabinet could not usually decide.

The power of the Han cabinet was improved compared to that of the pseudo-Qing, basically restoring it to half the level of the former Ming dynasty. The other half was the military and political power that was divided between the Secretariat and the two major military and political offices.

Most of the memorials submitted were trivial matters. Although they were trivial and complicated, they could not be decided by the cabinet alone. They all had to be reviewed by the Prince of Han for final approval.

Among them is the newly submitted draft of the "Great Han Law" by the Ministry of Justice. The cabinet has basically approved most of this draft law, with only a few parts still under debate.

For example, the issue of female chastity, which was constantly debated by civil officials from beginning to end, was interpreted differently by the two laws, the Ming Code and the Qing Code.

The Ming dynasty believed that harassing women was a heinous crime and should be punished by immediate execution.

The Qing Dynasty believed that harassing women was a heinous crime, but execution was too harsh; instead, strangulation was recommended as a reprieve.

The civil officials on the Han side mainly engaged in dialectical debates about the laws of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The third faction had already been severely reprimanded by the King of Han. Of all the civil officials, they were the most outrageous; they married the woman they had humiliated after their attempt to seduce her failed. It was truly unbelievable that these men could come up with such a thing.

After carefully reading the difficulties in this clause of the Great Han Law, Nie Yu thought for a moment, picked up his brush, and wrote in vermilion ink: "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a great matter. Remarrying after one's husband's death is indeed a loss of chastity, but there are also unavoidable circumstances, which even the sages cannot prohibit. You should think thrice before making a decision!"

(End of this chapter)