My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 282 The Death of Prince Shunyi

Zhang Jingxiu showed no excitement at being appointed as the temporary captain; instead, he looked at Li Jing with concern.

With the firepower of the Zhigu, it could have easily crushed the pirates with its cannons.

Li Jing chose to board the pirates to capture them alive.

Zhang Jingxiu really couldn't understand why the captain would take such a risk.

Close combat is very risky; a pirate who shoots a stray arrow could kill an experienced warrior.

Li Jing noticed the confusion in Zhang Jingxiu's eyes, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"Scholar, how can you become a qualified seaman without experiencing a boarding operation?"

Just as they were talking, two galleys finally approached the Zhigu.

The pirates threw iron hooks with ropes attached toward the Zhigu, cheering with howls that sounded like ghosts wailing.

The iron hook caught on the gunwale of the Zhigu, and the distance between the two ships was gradually reduced.

Immediately afterwards, gangplanks with iron hooks on both sides extended towards the Zhigu and were firmly attached to the hull.

These springboards have iron hooks on both sides. Once hooked, they are extremely difficult to release.

This was boarding action. Li Jing stopped talking to Zhang Jingxiu and went straight to the deck of the Zhigu.

The Zhigu was already taller than the two galleys, and its superstructure was even taller. Li Jing drew his sword and shouted:
"Follow me!"

He jumped directly from the top deck and landed on the deck of the left-hand rowing ship.

The boatswain then led the men from the other side to jump onto the right-hand galley.

As the sailors began to board, both galleys were smashed and rocked violently.

Zhang Jingxiu calmed down and began to direct the remaining sailors on the Zhigu to defend against the pirates.

First, there were artillery pieces.

At this point, the Zhigu's height became a disadvantage, because the gun turret was higher than that of the galley, and the gunners had to lift the stern of the cannons to face the pirates surging over the gangplank.

Because the gun barrel needs to be cooled and reloaded, the gunners know that they only have one chance to kill, and they are all waiting for the best opportunity.

At this moment, Li Jing had already jumped onto the deck of the galley. Perhaps because he did not expect the Zhigu to counterattack so quickly and fiercely, the pirates on the gangplank hesitated and crowded for a moment.

"put!"

The cannons fired fiercely, and iron balls tied to the wooden plugs scattered from the muzzles, instantly turning the pirates at the forefront of the boarding ramp into a bloody mist!
Large numbers of iron pellets continued to fly, causing enormous casualties to the pirates.

By this point, the outcome of the boarding operation was practically a foregone conclusion; the pirates on both ships had unilaterally turned the Zhigu into a training ground for their troops.

Li Jing jumped onto the oar-powered sailboat and immediately delivered a heavy chop to the neck of the pirate in front of him.

The heavy blow severed the pirate's neck, and blood spurted directly onto the pirate's sails.

Li Jing's beautiful heavy slash further ignited the sailors' fighting spirit, and the unsuspecting pirates were all cut down to the ground.

Those pirates who managed to dodge the cannonballs and board the Zhigu encountered the fleet's arquebusiers and were once again met with their bullets.

after the war.

Li Jing left a few pirates behind and imprisoned them in the cells of the Zhigu ship. Then he cut the gangplank chains of the two pirate ships and let them drift in the sea.

As Li Jing gave the order, Zhang Jingxiu couldn't help but ask, "Captain, what about the oarsmen?"

Li Jing did not rescue the oarsmen; he simply cut their iron chains and then left them, along with the heavily wounded pirates, on the oarsman to fend for themselves.

Li Jing said, "A merciful person cannot command an army, and we cannot sail with two ships. What if there are pirates hiding in the oars?"

After Li Jing said that, Zhang Jingxiu also fell silent.

However, Zhang Jingxiu didn't have much time for moral struggle, as the interrogation results of the pirates came out quickly.

It turns out that the pirates attacked the Ming Dynasty navy because of a rumor circulating in the South China Sea that a fleet flying the Ming Dynasty dragon flag was carrying the Ming emperor's treasures and was heading towards Manila.

As for why the Ming emperor wanted to transport a ship full of gold to Manila, there were various rumors among the pirates.

Upon hearing this news, Li Jing frowned.

This trip to Southeast Asia was indeed not as simple as it seemed.

As for who exactly didn't want the Ming fleet to arrive in Manila, Li Jing had a few guesses in his mind.

But now is not the time to discuss this issue. Li Jing ordered the smoke signals to be lit again, and this time the smoke signals finally received a response, and a Ming Dynasty ship appeared in sight.

Half a day later, the fleet regrouped, and Li Jing reported the pirate attack to Admiral Li Chao.

After listening to Li Jing's report, Li Chao, instead of being angry, smiled and said:
"These despicable scoundrels actually dare to use such shameless means to prevent us from entering Southeast Asia. It's utterly laughable!"

Then Li Chao looked at Chen Hao, the envoy beside him.

As the fleet admiral, he naturally had to make decisions together with the supervising eunuch when faced with such a situation.

If Chenhao insists on returning, then Li Chao will definitely have to consider his opinion.

The head eunuch had kept his eyes closed until Li Chao finished speaking, then he opened them and said:

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has only been absent from the South Seas for a hundred years, yet these villains are so rampant. Since they are coming, we might as well clear the sea route."

Upon hearing that Chen Hao also supported him, Li Chao immediately gave the order:
"Maintain the course and hoist all the dragon flags for me!"
-
Su Ze had no idea that the simple sentence in the "Handheld Ming Dynasty" that "the navy arrived safely in Manila in just ten days" had actually involved so many twists and turns.

However, at this time, the focus of the Ming Dynasty court had quickly shifted from the Southeast Asian issue to the north.

Anda Khan, or rather, the Shunyi King appointed by the Ming Dynasty, is dead.

When this news reached the capital, it immediately caused a great stir.

There was no way around it. Although the Ming Dynasty had signed a contract with Anda Khan's tribe, it was clear to everyone that the contract was entirely maintained by Anda Khan himself.

It can be said that Anda Khan's own political prestige maintained the stability of the grasslands and also upheld this agreement.

With Anda Khan dead, not only is the treaty with the Ming Dynasty in jeopardy, but even the existence of the Anda tribe is in question.

The steppe regime has always been a "big tent," with many small tribes pledging allegiance to Anda Khan as a single individual, rather than to the entire Anda tribe.

Moreover, there are many problems within the Anda Department itself.

The emperor urgently summoned the cabinet ministers for a meeting and also issued a special decree requiring Su Ze to attend.

At this meeting, Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies who had previously served as an envoy to Bansheng City, gave a detailed account of the situation in the Anda tribe.

Huang Taiji, the eldest son and successor of Anda Khan, himself opposed Anda Khan's policy of paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty.

However, due to the circumstances at the time, the agreement to pay tribute was only reached after the Battle of Dongshengwei.

Within the Anda tribe, there was also a group of hardliners who believed that they should not submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute, and that Anda's request for tribute was an act of weakness.

Huang Taiji also received support from this part of the political forces.

After listening to Wang Shizhen's report, the Longqing Emperor frowned and looked at his ministers, asking:

"Is war about to break out again in the Nine Garrisons?"

At this moment, Minister of War Cao Bangfu stepped forward and said:
"Your Majesty, with the Earl of Dingyuan stationed in Shanxi and the Dongsheng Fortress protecting it, the Anda tribe will not easily march south."

"But in such turbulent times, there are always villains who want to take advantage of the chaos, so it is necessary to order the nine border regions to be strictly guarded." "However, the Ministry of Revenue has reduced the border defense funds this year."

Upon hearing this, the Longqing Emperor understood Cao Bangfu's meaning, and he waved his hand, saying:
"Five hundred thousand silver dollars were allocated from the imperial treasury to mobilize the nine border garrisons for border defense."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Su Ze stood obediently in the corner and sang a line of praise along with the other officials.

It must be said that Emperor Longqing was quite magnanimous in this respect.

He was also aware of the difficulties faced by the outer court, and the expenditure of border defense funds was itself for national defense, so he had never been stingy in this regard.

Having resolved the border issue, the Longqing Emperor then turned his attention to his senior officials.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng stood up and said:
“Anda was the Prince of Shunyi, appointed by the court. Now that he has passed away, the court should send an envoy to offer condolences.”

Wang Shizhen stepped forward and said:

"Your subject is willing to go."

Seeing the cooperation between Zhang Juzheng and Wang Shizhen, Su Ze realized that the officials of the Longqing era were indeed responsible, demonstrating the capabilities of a strong governing team.

Sending a condolence delegation was naturally intended to test the attitude of the Anda tribe.

Gao Gong added a reminder:

“Wang Honglu can concurrently serve as the envoy for bestowing titles.”

The envoy was a messenger responsible for publicizing the imperial decree of investiture.

Gao Gong's meaning was simple: if Huang Taiji was willing to accept the investiture from the Shunyi King, it would mean that the Anda tribe would continue to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.

If Huang Taiji does not accept the investiture from the Shunyi King, it means he intends to overthrow the tribute system established by Anda and restart the war with the Ming Dynasty.

The Longqing Emperor nodded repeatedly, granting all requests from Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong.

After the ministers and officials had left, Su Ze was kept behind by the emperor.

Looking at the elders in the hall, Su Ze suddenly felt immense pressure.

No, Your Majesty, why are you keeping me, a fifth-rank official, here while you're discussing matters with the Grand Secretaries?

However, the five elders only glanced at Su Ze, and Li Chunfang cupped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, I still maintain that we should continue to pay tribute to the Anda tribe and it is not advisable to wage war again."

The Longqing Emperor was also somewhat troubled, as the Ming Dynasty was under tremendous pressure regarding the matter of the tribute system.

At that time, the pro-war faction among the officials was also very strong. It was Su Ze who submitted a memorial and overruled the objections of the majority, which led to the granting of tribute.

But I never expected that Khan would die so quickly.

Experience also taught the emperor that when the situation on the grasslands was unstable, they might choose to plunder the Ming Dynasty to divert attention from internal conflicts.

Moreover, Huang Taiji, the successor of Anda Khan, is himself a warmonger.

If border conflicts break out, the Northwest will once again fall into turmoil, and the hard-won opportunity for peaceful development will be lost again.

The Longqing Emperor swept over the Grand Secretaries and landed on Su Ze.

The Longqing Emperor said, "Minister Su, it was you who overruled the objections and submitted a memorial requesting the investiture of the emperor. What is your opinion on this matter?"

All the elders' eyes fell on Su Ze.

What do I think?
Faced with the gazes of the cabinet ministers, Su Ze could only say:

"Your Majesty, I agree with Chief Minister Li's view that it is not advisable to start another border war."

The Longqing Emperor frowned and said:

"But our Great Ming has no intention of waging war. What if the Anda tribe wants to march south?"

Su Ze said:

“Your Majesty, when the Prince of Shunyi was alive, Huang Taiji opposed the granting of tribute, but after the Prince of Shunyi passed away, Huang Taiji may not have been truly opposed.”

The Longqing Emperor was somewhat confused, at which point Gao Gong interjected:
"On the grasslands, the dynasty is not as established and the foundation of the state as it is in our Great Ming Dynasty. The Prince of Shunyi has several sons, and Huang Taiji's position is not secure."

"In his later years, the Prince of Shunyi was also preparing to change the heir apparent, so Huang Taiji naturally had to maintain his military force to protect himself."

“Those gathered around Huang Taiji must be tribes that oppose the policies of the Shunyi King.”

The Longqing Emperor suddenly realized what was going on.

The chaotic succession on the grasslands was one of the reasons for the demise of the Yuan Dynasty, as fierce internal strife erupted with each succession to the throne.

But that's the point; the people around Huang Taiji will inevitably influence his policies.

Su Ze said:

"In fact, since Anda established the tribute system, grassland trade has become increasingly prosperous, and there have been no more large-scale conflicts. This shows that the Shunyi King's request for tribute was an inevitable trend, and most tribes agreed to the tribute system."

"If these people can all show their support for Huang Taiji, then Huang Taiji's stance can also change, and he will not be able to go against the general trend of the grasslands."

The cabinet ministers all nodded in agreement; Su Ze was indeed right.

In the past, when the grasslands raided southward, it was actually the lower classes who were trying to survive, while the upper classes were after products from the Ming Dynasty.

Now, through the establishment of tribute ceremonies, the opening of horse markets, and the permission for merchants to trade, the lives of the upper classes on the grasslands have actually improved.

As for the lower classes of the grasslands, they were never considered human beings by the upper classes, and their opinions were not important.

The real problem is how to get these people to support Huang Taiji and make him understand that paying tribute is the collective will of the grasslands.

Su Ze provided a solution.

"Your Majesty, there is a tradition of levirate marriage on the grasslands. I believe that after Wang Honglu goes to the grasslands, he can persuade Third Sister to marry Huang Taiji."

After Su Ze finished explaining his method, all the Grand Secretaries nodded in agreement, and Zhang Juzheng even praised it, saying, "Brilliant!"

This has already surpassed the political acumen of the Longqing Emperor, Li Chunfang explained:
"Your Majesty, although Third Lady is a woman, she has a great influence on the grasslands. When Anda Khan was old and ill, she handled all the political affairs."

"In other words, after the death of the Prince of Shunyi, the tributary faction on the grasslands all followed the lead of the Third Lady."

“If Third Sister marries Huang Taiji, Huang Taiji will gain the support of the tribute faction. At that time, he should be able to distinguish which is more important.”

Now the Longqing Emperor understood.

Huang Taiji opposed the tribute system in order to win over those who opposed Anda Khan, as a means of self-preservation.

Now that Anda Khan is dead, he needs the support of these people to secure his position as the ruler of the grasslands. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty and the grasslands will have no choice but to go to war again.

Only by starting a war can Huang Taiji secure his power.

If San Niangzi could marry Huang Taiji, Huang Taiji would directly gain the loyalty of the faction that supported the tribute system on the grasslands, thus stabilizing his position as Khan. Naturally, there would be no need for him to gain power through war.

After the Battle of Dongshengwei, there was a consensus among the grassland leaders that even Huang Taiji might not really want to go to war with the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Longqing said:

"Prelude!"

(End of this chapter)