The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 322 The Strategy for Conquering Yunnan
Time flies by in the leisurely days, and before we know it, it's the end of spring.

The sun on the Chengdu Plain is growing increasingly scorching, carrying the unique humidity of Sichuan and heralding the imminent arrival of the sweltering summer.

However, the good weather over the past few days did not make Jiang Han feel comfortable; on the contrary, it made him increasingly nervous.

Looking at the cloudless sky, his brows furrowed involuntarily.

"Something's wrong..."

According to Jiang Han's understanding of the past two years, early summer is usually the time when the rainfall in Sichuan is most abundant.

Every now and then a torrential downpour would come, nourishing the seedlings that were about to enter a critical period.

However, rainfall has been significantly lower than usual this year.

For many days now, the sky has been clear and blue without a single drop of rain.

Jiang Han had a vague sense of unease. Could it be that a severe drought was coming?
He immediately summoned his personal guards and gave them instructions:
"Immediately issue orders to all prefectures, states, and counties to conduct thorough inspections of the water levels of major rivers, streams, and ponds within their jurisdictions, and to investigate the soil moisture conditions in the fields!"

"Local governments must be on high alert and take precautions against drought!"

"Once any signs of drought are detected, report directly to the King with urgent dispatches!"

Although the order was issued, transportation was inconvenient in this era, and the area in southern Sichuan was mostly mountainous and hilly, so it would take some time for the information to be fed back.

"Hopefully... I'm just overthinking it."

"Maybe it will rain in a few days."

Helpless, Jiang Han could only pray silently in his heart.

If a widespread drought were to occur, not only would people's livelihoods be severely affected and autumn grain production reduced, but it would also directly impact his next strategic plan.

Autumn will arrive in two or three months, and after the harvest, it will be time to wage war.

After several months of rest and recuperation, his troops are now strong and well-equipped, with high morale.

Li Zicheng, who was stationed in the Sichuan Provincial Military Command, has recently been sending letters to Chengdu repeatedly.

Most of these letters begin with reports on trivial matters concerning civil affairs and military equipment within their jurisdiction;

But as you turn to the second half, the sense of eager anticipation between the lines becomes impossible to conceal.

The conversation was essentially about the situation in Yunnan, the movements of the Tusi (local chieftains), and so on.

Jiang Han saw right through Li Zicheng's intentions. He knew that Li Zicheng was getting restless after Shao Yong pacified Guizhou and wanted to send troops to attack Yunnan as well.

With provisions and weaponry nearly ready, Jiang Han felt it was time to formally put the plan to conquer Yunnan on the agenda.

On the third day of the fifth lunar month, the atmosphere was solemn inside the central military tent at the drill ground outside Chengdu.

The civil and military officers, led by Zhao Sheng, the principal of the Ministry of Revenue, Li Xinghuai, the principal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Cao Er, Li Zicheng, Li Laowai, and others, were already lined up in the tent according to their rank and waiting.

When Jiang Han, dressed in casual clothes, strode into the tent, everyone rose to greet him.
"Your Majesty!"

Jiang Han walked straight to the head of the table and pressed his hands together in a gesture of respect.
"Alright, we're all family, no need for formalities."

"I'm sure you all know why I've gathered you all here today."

He turned his gaze to Zhao Sheng beside him and gave the order:

"Manager Zhao, you go first. Tell everyone the intelligence you've recently gathered from Yunnan, so they have a general idea."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing Jiang Han's instructions, Zhao Sheng bowed and accepted the order. He then took out a booklet from his pocket, which was filled with densely packed intelligence.

Since Zhao Sheng returned from Zunyi, Jiang Han's life has become much easier.

He dumped most of the miscellaneous tasks on Zhao Sheng, while he himself spent his days lingering in the academy and the harem.

Zhao Sheng had no complaints about this; on the contrary, he was full of enthusiasm.

He came from a scholarly background, and these were the jobs he had always dreamed of.

If he hadn't been framed by those damned officials back then, who accused him of studying by lamplight in the middle of the night because he wanted to emulate Huang Chao's rebellion, he would never have become some kind of damned rebel lamplighter.

With his talent and learning, he might have already passed the imperial examinations and become a scholar.

Of course, as the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. If I hadn't rebelled in a fit of anger, I wouldn't have met the king.

Given his military leadership skills, he probably wouldn't have lived to see the day he could establish his own independent territory; he would have died long ago under the government army's encirclement and suppression.

If I were to try my luck in the imperial court, at my age of thirty, with no connections and no money, I might end up sitting on the sidelines even if I passed the imperial examination.

Unlike now, he has become the number one figure among civil officials.

Although he could not govern the country like the prime minister, Zhao Sheng was content.

Accumulating grain for famine relief and planning military supplies are also excellent practices. This feeling of gradually expanding territory is incredibly motivating.

Zhao Sheng cleared his throat, opened the booklet, and began to read:
"Fellow colleagues, based on our army's extensive reconnaissance and information provided by traveling merchants and surrendered Ming officials, the current situation in Yunnan is roughly as follows:"

"First, there were the Ming government's key military and political officials in Yunnan."

"Currently, the nominal supreme commander of Yunnan is still the Mu family, the Duke of Qian, who have ruled Yunnan for generations."

"The current Duke of Qian is named Mu Tianbo. He inherited the title at the age of ten and served as the General Who Conquers the South."

"hear"

At this point, Cao Er, standing in the ranks of military officers, suddenly spoke up, interrupting him.
"Brother Zhao, how come this guy surnamed Mu inherited the title at such a young age? Is his father dead?"

"Can a ten-year-old really govern an entire province?"

Before Zhao Sheng could even speak after being interrupted, Jiang Han went up and kicked Cao Er in the butt.

"Damn it, we're a regular army now, we told you to change your address a long time ago!"

"This is the central command tent. Don't act like some bandit, calling everyone 'Brother Zhao' or 'Head of Li' all the time!"

Cao Er got kicked in the buttocks and immediately straightened up:

"Order!"

He then scratched his head and looked at Zhao Sheng:

"Master Zhao, please speak, please speak."

Zhao Sheng shook his head helplessly, then dropped a bombshell:

"There's a reason why Mu Tianbo inherited the title so early: his biological father was poisoned to death by his biological grandmother."

"what?"

Upon hearing this news, everyone present was stunned.

Zhao Sheng was very certain and continued to add:

“That’s right. His father, Mu Qiyuan, was arrogant and lawless, and allowed his servants to harm the people.”

"Yu Jian, the Yunnan Provincial Inspector, arrested the Mu family's lawless servants according to the law, but Mu Qiyuan actually mobilized troops and aimed cannons at the Provincial Inspector's office."

"This matter shocked the court and the public. In order to protect the Mu family, his mother, Lady Song, had no choice but to kill Mu Qiyuan with poisoned wine."

"Therefore, Mu Tianbo, who was only ten years old, was able to inherit the title."

Zhao Sheng looked around at everyone and pointed out the far-reaching impact of this matter:
"Mu Qiyuan's arrogance and his eventual poisoning had a very bad impact."

"While this move quelled the unrest at the time, it also severely weakened the Mu family's prestige in Yunnan."

"How can a family that needs to poison its own children to maintain internal order gain the trust of local chieftains?"

"In addition, Mu Tianbo is young, and the affairs of the mansion are mostly managed by his mother and her former retainers."

"With a young ruler and a volatile state, authority is weak; this is an opportunity our army can seize." Jiang Han instructed after hearing this.
"The lineage of the Duke of Qian is a noble family that existed since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. They have been guarding Yunnan for more than two hundred years, so we cannot be careless."

"Go on."

Zhao Sheng nodded and picked up the booklet again:
"Regarding officials transferred to other posts, the current Governor of Yunnan, Wang Shide, is someone we need to keep an eye on."

"This man was no ordinary person; during his time as military supervisor in Guizhou, he assisted in suppressing the rebellion of An Bangyan."

"During his tenure as the Left Provincial Governor of Guangdong, he also annihilated the pirate Liu Xiang, who had been entrenched there for many years."

"Wang Shide was an honest and upright official. After taking office in Yunnan, he devoted himself to rectifying official corruption and pacifying the local area."

"Although constrained by the officialdom environment, his abilities and stance dictate that we must deal with him seriously."

Hearing this, Jiang Han couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Shouldn't Liu Xiang have been wiped out by the Zheng family?

With the Ming court's pitiful navy, how could they possibly annihilate Liu Xiang?
Besides, Wang Shide wasn't the main force in quelling An Bangyan's rebellion; shouldn't it have been Zhu Xieyuan, Hou Liangzhu, and others who contributed the most?

As a military supervisor, Wang Shide could only do odd jobs at most.

Tasks like troop deployment and battle fighting are basically none of his concern.

Therefore, Jiang Han could only remain skeptical about Zhao Sheng's information for the time being, and would keep an eye on him later.

"Aside from the Duke of Qian and the officials appointed by the imperial court, the most powerful force in Yunnan was the Tusi (chieftains).

"Like Guizhou, Yunnan also had many chieftains with complex and intertwined relationships."

"The Ming army in Yunnan is weak and not worth worrying about. What we really need to be wary of are the local chieftain militias."

"These chieftain soldiers live in the mountains and forests year-round, are familiar with the terrain, are fierce and warlike, and only obey the orders of the chieftains, not the laws of the imperial court. They are the actual fighting force on the ground in Yunnan."

Zhao Sheng explained in detail:
“Pu Mingsheng, the chieftain of the rebellious Ami Prefecture, died of illness in the seventh year of Chongzhen’s reign.”

"However, his wife, Wan, was no ordinary woman. She inherited her husband's followers and territory and successfully took control of the southern Yunnan region."

"It is worth noting that Wan has remarried into the Shadingzhou tribe of Mengzi Tusi, and the two Tusi have merged into one, greatly increasing their power."

“This Sha Dingzhou is the son of Sha Yuan, the chieftain of Wangnongshan. He is young and strong. Although he still submits to the Mu family on the surface, he is making more and more underhanded moves.”

"I'm afraid that if this goes on for too long, chaos will break out in Sha Dingzhou."

“We need to pay close attention. I think if necessary, His Majesty can even catalyze or intervene in this matter.”

After hearing this, Jiang Han pondered for a moment:
“This Sha Dingzhou has big ambitions, and he should not be allowed to live.”

“You’re right. We can take advantage of his ambition and secretly support him, so that Sha Dingzhou will start fighting the Ming army first.”

After hearing this, Zhao Sheng added at the opportune moment:
"Your Majesty's insight is excellent, but you must be mindful of the limits to avoid raising a tiger that could become a threat."

"Although the lineage of the Duke of Qian is weak now, there are still many loyal chieftains, such as Long Zaitian, chieftain of Shiping; Wang Yangzu, chieftain of Xi'e; Lu Yongming, chieftain of Ningzhou; and Diao Xun, chieftain of Jingdong, each with their own strength."

"In addition, there is the Mu clan chieftain of Lijiang. The Mu clan has been a loyal supporter of the Ming court for generations, and their strength should not be underestimated."

"The head of the family is also known as the Wood Heavenly King, and his main military campaigns are directed against the Tubo Three Tangs in western Sichuan: Jiantang, Batang, and Litang."

"Overall, under the maintenance of Governor Wang Shide and the Duke of Qian's government, Yunnan was relatively calm on the surface."

"Although there are undercurrents beneath the surface, if our main Han army launches a major offensive into Yunnan, these local forces will likely regroup due to external pressure."

After summarizing the information, Zhao Sheng closed the booklet in his hand and returned to the train.

Silence fell over the tent as everyone digested the information and pondered how to wage war against Yunnan.

After waiting for a long while, Jiang Han finally spoke, asking in a deep voice:

"Alright, that's roughly the situation."

"Tell me your thoughts, what are your strategies for conquering Yunnan?"

After a brief silence, Li Zicheng stepped forward first, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the key to the situation in Yunnan lies in the Mu family's lack of prestige, which makes it difficult to effectively unite the forces of all sides."

"As Chief Zhao said before, if our Han army sends troops, the various forces in Yunnan that were originally eager to try will likely unite."

"Therefore, I believe that we should focus on political division, secretly instigate the chieftains to rebel, and then take advantage of the Ming army's suppression of the rebellion to advance from multiple directions, achieve a swift victory, and give them no chance to regroup or unite."

Jiang Han nodded after hearing this:

"Be more specific."

"Yes!"

Li Zicheng then walked to the map and explained:

“Our army can send envoys to secretly contact Sha Dingzhou and others who harbor ulterior motives and incite them to rebel.”

"Once the Yunnan officials have quelled the rebellion, we will advance in three routes."

"The first route is the main force of the northern route, heading south from Xuzhou, Sichuan. On the way, it splits into two groups, one taking the Jinsha River waterway and the other advancing along the Xuzhou-Wumeng-Dongchuan land route."

"This main force will eventually stop west of Qujing, Yunnan."

"Although this road is steep and dangerous, it can be used to cut off the connection between Kunming and Qujing by surprise."

"The troops under my command are experienced in mountain warfare, so taking this route should not be a problem."

Seeing that Jiang Han didn't react, Li Zicheng became a little anxious, but he could only continue explaining:
"The second route is the main force of the eastern route, which enters Yunnan from Guizhou."

"General Shao left a portion of his troops in Guizhou. They can take Anshun and the Yunnan-Guizhou official road to attack Qujing from the east."

"The third route is a detachment from the southern route and can be used as a surprise attack."

"This route may go south from Jianchangwei in Sichuan and enter the area of ​​Wuding, Chuxiong and Dali Prefecture in Yunnan."

"This detachment's mission is not to attack fortified positions, but to disrupt southern Yunnan and support the activities of the Tusi (chieftain) forces such as Sha Dingzhou and the Wan family."

"These prefectures are very close to Kunming, so the Mu family will probably take some action."

After Li Zicheng finished speaking, everyone in the tent nodded in agreement.

This approach not only takes into account military advances but also the current political situation in Yunnan.

That sounds very feasible.

If we were to select some officials and merchants from Sichuan who are knowledgeable about the customs and culture of Yunnan, the success rate would likely be very high.

Jiang Han looked at the map, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded after a while.

Seeing this, Li Zicheng's eyes lit up; there was hope!

As expected, Jiang Han strode back to the head of the table and gave the order:

“That’s right, let’s do as General Ren says.”

"The main attack will be from the north, the feint from the east, and the surprise attack from the south. We will advance on all three fronts, supplemented by political division!"

"Our primary objective is to capture Qujing, the eastern gateway to Yunnan, and then threaten Kunming."

He then looked at Li Zicheng.
"Since it was you, General, who proposed this strategy, then your unit will be the main force in this battle. Once you return, you will begin preparations and submit a detailed plan of advance."

Then, he looked at Zhao Sheng:
"Your Ministry of Revenue should make preparations. Your caravans should intensify their infiltration and intelligence gathering efforts among various forces in Yunnan."

"Especially the various chieftains!"

After he finished speaking, the civil and military officials inside the tent responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

"I obey your orders!"

(End of this chapter)