The first year of Heavenly Selection (the twenty-second year of Qianlong), September

Annam, Lang Son Province(1)

The Annan Army was stationed in a camp

It was raining diligently.

Even though Annam is located in the tropics, the weather in September is very hot, but for those who are soaked in rain, it still makes people feel a chill and uncomfortable.

At this moment, the ranks of the Annan army were chaotic, and the morale was even more sluggish. Looking at the scene in front of him, Ruan Hui (2), who had been ambitious and ready to conquer Guangxi and then annex Guangdong, was now doubly sad.

Remembering that a few months ago, when their nearly 100,000 Annan troops had just entered Guangxi, it could be said that they were overwhelmed and like no one, no matter how they burned, killed and looted, they did not encounter any fearful resistance.

However, when they came into contact with the bandit army, they were completely defeated.

Now, the bandit army, which has become the Yi Army, is even more powerful. After several major battles with the Yi army, the main force of their Annam army was almost defeated. Many of these main forces were old men who followed him to rule Annam, but most of them were lost here.

What is the way forward? The second emperor of the Xishan Dynasty, who was known for his military prowess and ended the division between the north and the south for more than 200 years (3), was a little confused.

Now, they haven't even seen the figure of the Yi army, and they were beaten like lost dogs by the Guangxi villagers under the call of the Yi Dynasty (4), and they returned from Guangxi to the territory of Annam.

Whether the Yi Dynasty will attack Annam, and when it will attack Annam, Ruan Hui has no bottom in his heart.

If there is really a regret medicine in the world, Ruan Hui will definitely not be self-righteous and laugh at the waste of the Qing army, and he can't even beat a group of rebellious people from mud legs. It wasn't until he met Yi Chao that he finally understood what "Yelang arrogant" was.

Even the elephant soldiers that they were proud of themselves would be so vulnerable in front of the opponent's muskets and cannons.

"No wonder we want to call the name of the country 'Yi', is it really the god of fire to protect it? Firearms are so powerful that people can't get close, how can they fight? This time, maybe I'm really wrong, and maybe I'll lead to Annan's downfall. Looking at the lifeless barracks, Ruan Hui felt a sense of loss in her heart again.

"If it doesn't work, it's better to go to the book to show that the Yi Dynasty has won the Heavenly Empire, and establish a vassal relationship with them, anyway, they love to do this. Then take more money to bribe their ministers, as long as I can resist their forces a few more times, under the opposition of their ministers, I don't believe that the emperor of the Yi Dynasty can really fight me to the end with all his troops. After all, the Manchu side was the key they really had to deal with. ”

Although he felt deeply lost, after all, Ruan Hui's throne was won by himself step by step, how could he not afford the setback of failure? Soon, he cleared his mind.

"Not only this Yi Dynasty, but even the Manchu side must have a good relationship. In this way, a three-legged trend is formed. Slowly, Yi Chao can only acquiesce to me like Song Zhixixia. And when the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the Yi Dynasty fight to the death, it will be when I can send troops to occupy Liangguang again. ”

Thinking about it, Ruan Hui's mood slowly improved a lot. Although the defeat was lost this time, as long as Annan is still in his hands, he still has the capital to get up.

"Isn't Yijun a firearm! When I recover, I will also vigorously develop firearms, and I must not be defeated in such an unknown way. Ruan Hui clenched his fists tightly and secretly determined.

The sky is gradually clearing.

The rain of autumn and summer comes and goes quickly.

At this moment, Ruan Hui's mood slowly cleared up like the weather. Even though the morale of the army is still low, after having a plan for the future, Nguyen Hue has regained his self-confidence again.

However, just when Ruan Hui looked up at the sky, exuding an aura of preparing to fly into the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun, he saw a minister of the Xishan Dynasty hurriedly running in front of him and called:

"Your Majesty, it's not good, I just received the news that the fleeing Xianzong Li Weiao (4) went to Guangzhou to ask the Emperor Yi Dynasty for vassal relations and asked the Yi Dynasty to send troops to Annam to maintain his orthodoxy in Annam."

And now, the emperor of the Yi Dynasty has also issued a decree to admit that Li Weiao is the orthodox of Annam, and will soon send troops to Annam. And Li Weiao also issued a document to the people of Annan, asking us people in Annan to cooperate with the Yi army and jointly overthrow us. ”

Note (1): It is said to be a province, but it is actually similar to our county.

(2): Nguyen Huy, also known as Nguyen Van Hue, called himself Nguyen Quang Binh to the Qing Dynasty, was a famous military figure in Vietnamese history and the second emperor of the Tay Son Dynasty. Because of the era name Guangzhong, he was known as the Emperor of Guangzhong in history, and he was famous for his military talents.

(3): Annam, since the Ming Dynasty, the Later Li Dynasty has always been the co-ruler of the "world". However, later Mo Dengyong usurped the Later Li Dynasty and established the Mo Dynasty. Annam changed its rulership for a time, and it was not until four years later that the Later Lê dynasty, with the support of the Zheng and Nguyen families, was restored and occupied the south, confronting the Mo dynasty.

Since then, Annam has entered a period of more than 200 years of division between the north and the south.

It was not until the second year of Hongning of the Mo Dynasty in Vietnam and the fifteenth year of Guangxing of the Later Li Dynasty that the Later Li Dynasty destroyed the Mo Dynasty.

However, Annam was divided again, with the north controlled by the Truong family and the south controlled by the Nguyen family. The titular co-owner, the Emperor of the Later Li Dynasty, was a complete puppet and was under the control of the Zheng clan.

Until the outbreak of the Tay Son Uprising, the three brothers of Nguyen Hui successively destroyed Nguyen and Zheng, unified the whole country, and established the Tay Son Dynasty.

The historical Annan Xishan Uprising should have been in 1771, and it was brought out in advance here for the needs of the plot.

(4): In order to mobilize the people of Guangxi to kill and injure the invading Annan army, and at the same time to reform the Tusi system in Guangxi, Zhang Rui issued an order to the people of Guangxi: the imperial court will directly use silver money and property to buy the heads of the invading Annan army.

The price is: the head of each ordinary Annan army is five taels, the head of Wu Chang and the like is ten taels, the hundred general class is thirty taels, and the total number of thousand is one hundred taels...

As long as it is the head of the Annan Army, if you get the exchange point of the imperial court, you can get a full amount of silver. It can also be exchanged for salt, goods, etc. at the same price.

As soon as this order was issued, the Annan army, which could still be powerful in Guangxi, suddenly became a walking silver and two heel goods, and many Annan troops were beheaded before they even reacted.

As the Yi Dynasty continued to fulfill its promises, the situation of the Annan Army in Guangxi became more and more dangerous. After all, the Annan army killed a lot of people when it invaded Guangxi, even if the Yi Dynasty did not give an order, the people of Guangxi hated them to the core, not to mention that now the imperial court has also issued an order to offer a reward?

It was precisely because of this order that the Annan army led by Nguyen Hue was defeated so quickly. And all the Yi Dynasty needed to spend was two or three hundred thousand taels of silver or goods.

It was in this way that Ruan Hui felt so aggrieved that she had been defeated.

(5): Li Weiyao, the emperor of the Later Li Dynasty, known as Li Xianzong in history, and the era name Jingxing.