Di Ming

Chapter 450 Capturing Two Rebels: The Southern Dynasty Stabilizes Sichuan and Shu, Dethroning Two Ming Courts and Annihilating Yelang.

It turned out that after Zhu Yin sent Cao Wenzhao and Ding Hongying to pursue An Bangyan, he was still not entirely at ease. In order to capture An Bangyan as soon as possible, he had Xiao Hei collect a scent sample of An Bangyan, and then had Murong Gou Dan take it south.

Just as Cao Wenzhao and Ding Hongying were feeling frustrated because they had lost track of An Bangyan and She Chongming, Murong Gou Dan arrived with Xiao Hei.

Sure enough, as soon as Xiao Hei made a move, it immediately locked onto the two people's auras, and tracked them for dozens of miles through the old forest, finally finding them at this mill.

She Chongming and An Bangyan originally thought they had shaken off the Ming army, but who would have thought that just when they were most hoping to escape, they were discovered by the Ming army again.

Damn!

The two men looked at Xiao Hei and immediately understood how the Ming army had discovered them.

Because of this big dog!

"She Chongming, An Bangyan." Ding Hongying approached slowly, holding a long sword, and sat calmly on the millstone. "You two are quite adept at escaping, making me search for you across mountains and valleys. Weren't you fighting each other before? How come you're now brothers who have shared hardships?"

Ding Hongying smiled sweetly, but there was no smile in her eyes, only endless sarcasm and mockery.

"You're supposed to be big shots who can shake the Southwest with a stomp of your foot, how did you end up like this? Where's your army? Why don't you even have a single personal guard?"

"How about this? You two fight each other right in front of me. Whoever bites the other to death, I'll spare them. Is that alright?"

To track down these two rebels, she spent four hours trekking through the deep mountains and forests, exhausted and drenched in sweat. Was it easy for her?
Looking at the beautiful and valiant female general of the Ming army before him, She Chongming roared, "It's just death! Our lives are not for you, a woman, to decide! I want to see the Regent! Our lives are entirely up to the Regent!"

"I also want to see the Regent!" An Bangyan said through gritted teeth. "Whether we live or die is up to the Regent and the Emperor! If you kill us, you won't be able to explain it to the court!"

Although the two were utterly despondent, they still clung to a sliver of hope that they might survive. They hoped that Zhu Yin would be magnanimous and spare their lives and those of their families in order to appease the southwestern warlords.

"Hahaha!" Ding Hongying laughed heartily, leaning on her sword, as wild and unrestrained as a man. Before her laughter subsided, her pretty face suddenly darkened, and she said in a chilling tone:
"Grand Tutor? Your Majesty? Weren't you very arrogant when you rebelled? Didn't you establish the Great Liang Kingdom and call yourselves the King of Liang? Didn't you ask the court to bestow upon you the title of King of Qian?"

"The Grand Tutor personally wrote a letter full of sincerity to pacify you, appealing to your emotions and reasoning with you, hoping that you would pull back from the brink and return to the right path. He kindly persuaded you with promises of high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, and even condescended to exchange birth certificates with you and become sworn brothers. Is this because he is afraid of you?"

"Grand Tutor is kind-hearted, magnanimous, and loves the people like his own children. His heart is as vast as the sea. He tried to persuade you to surrender because he did not want the people to suffer. It is a pity that Grand Tutor's good intentions were misplaced."

Upon hearing this, She Chongming and An Bangyan recalled Zhu Yin's previous letter urging them to surrender, and were filled with remorse.

It was thought that with the Ming Dynasty divided between North and South, and the Southern Ming army easily defeated, this was the perfect opportunity to rebel and seize territory. The Zhu Yin, celebrated by the Han people, was certainly an exaggeration and not a threat.

Who knew Zhu Yin was so formidable? His reputation was indeed well-deserved. They were no match for him; their army was annihilated in just over two months, and they were defeated and captured!

They opposed the Ming Dynasty, and now they've ended up like this!
Ding Hongying felt a surge of joy, like eating Aunt Wei's ice cream on a sweltering summer day, and continued:
"In truth, what do your so-called military strength and regional dominance amount to in the eyes of the Grand Tutor? Even the retired emperor of Beijing is within the Grand Tutor's grasp, let alone you narrow-minded chieftains. In this world, the Grand Tutor can destroy whomever he wants and promote whomever he wants. The Grand Tutor is a reincarnation of a star deity, a god descended to earth. Even if you were ten times stronger, the Grand Tutor could destroy you with the ease of turning his hand."

“If you can calculate one step, the Grand Tutor can calculate three steps. If you can calculate three steps, the Grand Tutor can calculate ten steps.”

She stroked the little black dog's smooth, satin-like fur. "She Chongming, the Grand Tutor's beloved dog is also named Black Tiger. He said that you shouldn't be called Black Tiger because you've insulted the name of his beloved dog."

Over the years, she has followed Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei and read some books, especially military books, and her speech has become more refined than before.

As Ding Hongying finished speaking, she felt even more pleased to see She Chongming and An Bangyan's faces turn ashen.

"Guards!" Ding Hongying shouted.

"Yes, sir!" a group of Ming soldiers responded in a thunderous voice.

Ding Hongying waved her hand, "Tie them up tightly and take them back to the Grand Tutor for disposal!"

"Understood!" A group of fierce soldiers rushed up, tied She Chongming and An Bangyan up tightly, and gagged them.

Then, like carrying a hunted wild boar, they carried the two of them down the mountain.

The Bo woman in the mountain village turned pale with fright when she saw the Ming army suddenly appear and She Chongming and An Bangyan being taken away like prey by the Ming army.

She overheard the discussion and realized that the two men in distress were actually the famous She Chongming and An Bangyan.

Many years later, when the Bo woman was very old and chatting with the villagers, she still said that she had slept with An Bangyan, the leader of the Shuixi rebellion, and took out the gold ring that She Chongming had given her, saying that it was a gift from the great rebel She Chongming.

……

The Ming army camp in Jianzhou.

Last night at midnight, the Ming army and the Shuidong army, which had defected during the battle, decisively defeated An Bangyan. The Shuixi army erupted in mutiny and lost its commander.

The Ming army and the Shuidong army killed more than 20,000 Shuixi rebels with almost no effort, and the remaining more than 10,000 surrendered, resulting in another resounding victory.

Moreover, this time, the Ming army suffered even fewer casualties, with only a little over three hundred men, and only a hundred of them killed in action.

In the blink of an eye, the elite troops and generals that Shuixi had relied on to maintain its dominance for thousands of years were almost completely wiped out overnight.

Only a few thousand weak soldiers remained in Shuixi, and they were powerless to protect the Shuixi stronghold.

The two powerful warlords of the Cuan family in the southwest had always been closely allied and in cahoots, dominating the southwest with their own ambitions and acting arrogantly behind closed doors. Now, their rebellion, which began only a month ago, has been swiftly and decisively suppressed by Zhu Yin, and both are facing the danger of annihilation.

Of the 90,000 elite troops of the two rebellions, 60,000 were killed, their heads piled up like a mound of skulls. The remaining 30,000 became prisoners of the Ming army.

The once powerful Cuan family chieftains have lost their military strength.

After Zhu Yin's great victory, Song Wanhua, filled with both relief and lingering fear, led his younger brother Song Wanchun and other generals from Shuidong, carrying military registers, seals, and command tokens, and nervously approached the Ming army camp. They respectfully knelt and kowtowed before Zhu Yin's command tent, where the banners adorned with the sun, moon, and stars were displayed, and loudly proclaimed:
"Your humble servant, this lowly, sinful subject, Song Wanhua, Assistant Prefect of Guizhou Pacification Commission and General Xuanwu of the Great Ming Dynasty, requests an audience with the Regent Grand Tutor! I beg for forgiveness with thorns on my back!"

He had just knelt down when a hearty laugh came from inside the tent.

"Hahaha! General, no need for such formalities! You're too kind!"

Then two guards lifted the curtain, and a nobleman in magnificent armor came out of the tent to greet Song Wanhua, helping him up and saying:
"General, no need for formalities! You are a meritorious official of the court, how can you be called a criminal! Please rise! Please come inside to talk!"

"Seeing you, General, is like seeing an old friend! With your help, the southwest can be pacified!"

Upon hearing this, Song Wanhua's anxious heart finally settled down, and he then looked up to examine the renowned Regent Tutor, Mr. Zhihu.

The regent of the Ming Dynasty, only nineteen years old, was strikingly handsome, with a face like jade, and bright, sparkling eyes that exuded a refined and otherworldly aura. Although incredibly young, he could not conceal the imposing presence of someone who had long held a high position; his every gesture was authoritative and commanding, radiating authority without anger.

But his radiant smile and warm demeanor made people feel an irresistible urge to get close to him, yet also made it difficult to offend him.

Although they were so close, Song Wanhua felt as if they were worlds apart, as if an unparalleled hero from ancient times had stepped out of history books and appeared vividly before him, as if he did not exist in this world.

Song Wanhua had seen countless people and many heroic figures. But it wasn't until he met Zhu Yin in person today that he truly understood what extraordinary talent and a person of exceptional talent and destiny were.

Hearing about someone is not as good as seeing them, and seeing them is even better than hearing about them!
Zhu Zhihu of Jiangning is truly a hero of the world!

Upon seeing Zhu Yin, Song Wanhua was immediately captivated by him. He was overjoyed at his own defection and felt deeply fearful of his previous actions in joining She and An in their rebellion.

Song Wanhua's honest face broke into a flattered smile as he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is extremely ashamed. I am deeply grateful for the Grand Tutor's kindness. I am overwhelmed with gratitude! Please, Grand Tutor!"

He followed Zhu Yin into the main tent, where he saw Ming army generals in gleaming armor. Among them, second only to the commander-in-chief, was a familiar face: Yang Yinglong.

When Yang Yinglong saw Song Wanhua, he laughed and said, "Old Song, could it be that you had been plotting with the Grand Tutor all along, pretending to support the rebels in order to switch sides in the face of battle?"

This statement is, of course, somewhat sarcastic.

Song Wanhua, with a thick skin, feigned surprise and said, "Old Yang, how did you know? This is the Grand Tutor's brilliant plan. It's laughable that She and An were kept in the dark all along, completely unaware that they were being manipulated by the Grand Tutor. Even a grain of rice can shine, and they overestimated themselves and tried to stop a chariot with their bare hands. How could they not be defeated? I feel ashamed for these cowards."

"You..." Yang Yinglong didn't expect that Song Wanhua would actually accept it so readily and take the opportunity to say that this was the Grand Tutor's brilliant plan and that he was the Grand Tutor's backup plan.

This man appears honest and kind, but he's actually cunning. No wonder An Kunihiko was stabbed in the back by him.

"Hahaha!" Zhu Yin laughed loudly upon hearing this, pointing at Song Wanhua and saying to the generals, "That's right, General Song was originally one of my secret troops! He didn't really rebel, but was just using a scheme against me! Moreover, these families in the southwest are not just General Song alone!"

Upon hearing this, the generals all laughed good-naturedly. They knew, of course, that this was the Grand Tutor's magnanimity, deliberately giving Song Wanhua a way out and downplaying the stain of his rebellion. At the same time, it planted a thorn in the side of other chieftains who might also be plotting rebellion: anyone who joined forces would become suspicious of each other, suspecting that some of their allies might be court collaborators like Song Wanhua, capable of delivering a fatal blow at a crucial moment.

In this way, it becomes difficult for those who unite to rebel to trust each other.

The Grand Tutor's schemes are truly unfathomable. He can effortlessly transform the mundane into the miraculous, and casually orchestrate a plan to destroy the very soul.

Upon hearing this, Song Wanhua felt grateful but couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This regent's cunning and profound scheming were truly unmatched. How could She Chongming and An Bangyan possibly contend with him? Their defeat was entirely justified.

At that moment, Zhu Yin invited Song Wanhua to sit down, treating him like an old friend, showing no sign of treating a surrendered general. He also praised the Shuidong Army for its bravery and skill in battle, adding glory to the royal army, which was quite a show of respect for Song Wanhua.

After calming Song Wanhua down, Zhu Yincai got down to business.

Of course, his giving Song Wanhua face was also part of a scheme. It all depended on whether Song Wanhua would be sensible enough to comply. Song Wanhua was a clever man who knew how to read the situation, and he would likely cooperate willingly.

Zhu Yin sat back in his commanding seat and solemnly said, "Thanks to the bravery of our soldiers and the blessings of the world, our army has won many victories, including two great victories that wiped out 90,000 elite troops of the She'an rebels."

"Now, She'an's entire army has been wiped out, and they are as panicked as stray dogs and as desperate as fish that have escaped the net. Even if the two traitors manage to escape back to Yongning, they will be at their wits' end and barely clinging to life. Even if they put up a last-ditch resistance, they will soon perish and their death is imminent."

"She'an's rebellion is a heinous crime, an unforgivable offense. The court will surely dispatch a mighty army to quell the rebellion, eradicate the evil completely, and uphold justice..."

"Grand Tutor!" Song Wanhua stood up as expected. "This humble general is most familiar with the terrain of Shuixi. This humble general is willing to lead troops to wipe out the remaining bandits in Shuixi, to serve the king diligently, and to serve the Grand Tutor with all his might, even unto death!"

He knew very well that this was an opportunity. And it was an opportunity that Zhu Yin had deliberately given him.

Now that we've betrayed both the She and An families, there's no turning back. If we don't kill the snake, we'll only suffer the consequences. Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly and eliminate it completely!

Only by uprooting and exterminating the She and An families can the Song family avoid retaliation.

Zhu Yin secretly praised Song Wanhua for his tact and said, "Oh? General Song is willing to volunteer to wipe out the remaining bandits?"

Song Wanhua said resolutely, "She'an is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb! It is not difficult for me to destroy him! I am willing to sign a military pledge that if I fail to eliminate the wicked She'an, I will accept my punishment!"

"Excellent!" Zhu Yin clapped his hands. "General, you are so righteous! Since you are so loyal, how could I dare to fail you! Then appoint General Song as the General Who Suppresses the Rebels, and lead your troops to wipe out Shuixi and capture the An clan!"

"This subordinate obeys!" Song Wanhua accepted the order.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Once General Song has achieved his goal, I will submit a memorial to the Emperor, along with his previous and subsequent merits, to confer upon General Song the title of Marquis of Guiyang, a hereditary title!"

Song Wanhua said, "Thank you, Grand Tutor!"

"Grand Tutor!" Yang Yinglong stood up, not to be outdone. "This humble general is familiar with Yongning and is willing to lead the troops of Bozhou to conquer Yongning and capture the She clan!"

"Excellent!" Zhu Yin said happily, "With General Yang in charge, the She clan can be destroyed! General Yang shall be appointed General Who Punishes Bandits and wipe out the remnants of the Yongning faction!"

"We'll celebrate your victory when the prisoners are presented at the Meridian Gate!"

This was precisely Zhu Yin's goal: to have the Tusi soldiers annihilate the Tusi soldiers!
This is a grand plan to pacify the southwest. She and An are the sacrifices for the Ming Dynasty to establish its authority in the southwest.

Zhu Yin looked around at the generals and said, "The An and She families were the cause of our extermination. Yongning and Shuixi are the ancient lands of Yelang. It is said that the capital of the ancient Yelang Kingdom was located in Shuixi."

"The imperial court's suppression of Yongning and Shuixi was like the Han dynasty's annihilation of Yelang."

His words stirred the blood of the generals.

As everyone was discussing, Zhu Yin suddenly heard a familiar "woof woof" sound outside. Immediately afterwards, a large, shiny black dog swaggered into the tent, acting as if no one else was there and treating all the generals in the tent as if they were nothing.

"Haha!" Zhu Yin laughed. "Little Black, Little Black, you've done another great service?"

Xiao Hei walked up to Zhu Yin and whimpered twice. Zhu Yin patted its head and laughed, "Old buddy, you're really something! You get a commendation! Where's the prisoner?"

"Here they are!" A clear voice rang out, and then Ding Hongying and Cao Wenzhao escorted She Chongming and An Bangyan, who were bound hand and foot, into the main tent.

The two of them were actually carried in, like two pigs.

Yang Yinglong and Song Wanhua were greatly relieved to see the two men captured. With She Chongming and An Bangyan captured alive, the remaining remnants of the Yongning and Shuixi armies were even less of a threat now that they were leaderless.

"Kneel down!" She Chongming and An Bangyan were forced to kneel in front of Zhu Yin's position in a very disheveled manner, and their hair was even pulled. They looked extremely embarrassed and humiliated.

Yang Yinglong and Song Wanhua were relieved, but also deeply moved.

She Chongming and An Bangyan were once powerful and influential in the southwest. How glorious they were!
But in just a few days, he has fallen into such a state, where life is worse than death!
"Grand Tutor!" She Chongming was intimidated by Zhu Yin's upright posture and dignified demeanor. "This humble general deserves to die ten thousand deaths! This humble general knows his mistake!"

An Bangyan also shouted hoarsely, "Grand Tutor, please forgive me, this humble general was misled by She Chongming, and did not intend to rebel. The An family has always been loyal to the Ming Dynasty..."

At this moment, the two of them finally realized what they had missed.

It’s a pity that there is no regret medicine!
Zhu Yin roared, "How dare you, you scoundrels, deceive me! Since you dare to rebel, you will surely be exterminated along with your entire clan!"

"Do you know the arrogance of Yelang? The former territory of Yelang is in Shuixi and Yongning! If only you had known this would happen!"

"Your rebellion has caused the deaths and injuries of countless Ming Dynasty citizens! I kindly wrote to you to persuade you to surrender, but you not only remained unmoved and went your own way, but you also wrote back to humiliate me! You have humiliated the imperial court!"

"Abolish the Yongning and Guizhou Pacification Commissions! From this day forward, the An and She Commissions will cease to exist! The She and An clans will be exterminated!"

Pointing at the two men, he said, "Take them to Nanjing immediately, have the three judicial authorities determine the verdict, and execute them by slow slicing!"

Upon hearing the words "death by a thousand cuts," She Chongming and An Bangyan were terrified and could no longer help but shout:
"Grand Tutor, spare me! Grand Tutor, spare me!"

"Grand Tutor! This sinful subject is willing to serve the court, resist the Burmese rebels, and atone for my sins through meritorious service!"

"Grand Tutor! My An family has been stationed in Shuixi for generations and enjoys great popularity. We are willing to send troops to serve the court to the death! Please, Grand Tutor, show mercy..."

"It's too late now!" Zhu Yin waved his hand in disgust and shouted, "A true man should die when he should die! Why act like this!"

"Take him away! Send him to the capital in a cage!"

"Understood!" The soldiers rushed forward, gagged the two men, and carried them away again.

The generals were all delighted to see this.

They were unaware that the She'an Rebellion in history had raged for over a decade, leaving the southwest devastated and its people impoverished.

Zhu Yin's campaign and capture of She An took only a little over two months, which can be described as incredibly fast.

The next day, Yang Yinglong and Song Wanhua led their respective troops south as ordered.

With the southward advance of the two armies, the fate of Yongning and Shuixi was already sealed.

The former territory of Yelang will once again be plundered and wiped out!
...

On this very day, Princess Shuning finally arrived at Zhu Yin's camp with a group of Qiang female guards.

"Let me in! The Grand Tutor is my cousin!"

"You won't let me in? Fine, then go tell the Grand Tutor that his cousin has arrived and wants to see him!"

...

That's all for today. Thank you, and please support me! Today was so busy and tiring; my eyes are blurry and I'm dizzy…

(End of this chapter)