The empire has been plagued by disasters year after year, and food is a material that is in dire need. Zhu Youxiao was already thinking about using troops against Annan at this moment.

Although Annam has long been aware that the Ming Dynasty is very likely to conquer Annam in the south, but now Annam is in civil strife, and Annam is divided into two, and the one who occupies the north is Li Weiqi of the Later Li Dynasty, in fact, he is just a puppet now, and the actual power is the powerful minister Zheng Jie, the king of the Qing capital, that is, the Zheng family, and the one who occupies the south is the Ruan lord.

"I am going to use troops against Annam in October." Zhu Youxiao said.

"Your Majesty, now that the empire is suffering from disasters everywhere, I am afraid that the treasury will not be able to support the military salaries needed for the southern expedition, especially in terms of grain, the food stored by the empire is simply not enough to support the needs of a major war." Sun Yuanhua said.

"Now that Annam is in civil strife, the lives of the people are miserable, and Annam is also the territory of the empire, how can you sit idly by? I had discussed with the Metropolitan Governor's Office that since the Zheng Ruan dispute, Annam's national power had been greatly weakened, and it was a good opportunity to use troops, and this expedition would only require a maximum of 50,000 soldiers and horses. Zhu Youxiao explained.

"The monthly salary of 50,000 soldiers and horses is more than 150,000 silver dollars, not counting the soldiers' pensions, the needs of the soldiers' mobilization, the consumption of wartime materials, and other expenses, if these expenses are counted, the cost of 50,000 soldiers and horses in a month will exceed 500,000 taels of silver dollars." Sun Yuanhua said.

"50,000 soldiers and horses can take Houli in the north and south of Annan in a month at most, and after capturing Houli, I will stop the army." Zhu Youxiao said.

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that after the disaster situation in the empire improves, it is the best policy to use troops against Annan." Li Rixuan also objected.

"I planned this matter a few years ago, and then due to the influence of the Northern Expedition to Khalkha and natural disasters, the southern expedition to Annam has been delayed until now, and now the Zheng Ruan dispute is the time to use troops against Annam, if this opportunity is missed, once the north and south of Annam are unified, the cost of the southern expedition to Annam will be even greater." Zhu Youxiao insisted.

……

Zhu Youxiao's insistence made the cabinet finally agree to Zhu Youxiao's decision to go south to Annan, but the time was pushed to early November.

However, what Zhu Youxiao didn't expect was that at the beginning of November, Sun Chuanting led the army out of Zhennanguan, and Zheng Jie surrendered without a fight. Zhu Youxiao had the feeling of punching the cotton.

"Annan surrendered?" Zhu Youxiao confirmed again.

"As soon as Sun Dudu's army left Zhennan Pass, he met the envoy sent by Hou Li to ask for surrender, and now the army is still coiled in Zhennan Pass, waiting for His Majesty's next will." Wang Liqian replied.

"I remember that Annan once sent troops to invade Guangxi, why did he surrender so easily this time?" Zhu Youxiao asked.

"The empire's cultural and martial arts are better than before, and His Majesty's soldiers are all looking forward to surrendering." Wang Liqian said respectfully.

"Zheng Jie's surrender so easily, which makes me very unhappy! It took me a long time to convince the Cabinet, and it felt ...... It's so unpleasant! Zhu Youxiao said unhappily.

"Your Majesty's intention is to order Sun Dudu to continue the march." Wang Liqian asked softly. Wang Liqian really couldn't understand what was wrong with Zhu Youxiao, if he changed the emperor, he would immediately accept it happily, and the next thing was to be rewarded.

"No, I need an excuse to continue using soldiers." Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said.

"Your Majesty, do you mean to cause trouble?" Wang Liqian asked softly.

Zhu Youxiao thought for a while and waved his hand and said: "Spread the decree and order Sun Chuanting, the governor of the Guangzhou Governor's Mansion, to immediately take over the border pass between Houli and the empire. ”

"No."

"If there is resistance, the whole city will be slaughtered." Zhu Youxiao thought for a while and said.

"No."

……

After receiving Zhu Youxiao's holy decree, Sun Chuanting immediately summoned Annan's envoys.

"Your Majesty has decreed that you have agreed to accept the surrender of the envoy of the Leto Capital, but Your Majesty demands that Annan immediately deliver these passes to the Empire." Sun Chuanting said.

"This ......" The envoy looked at the passes marked on the map and understood that if these passes were handed over, the whole of Annam would no longer be in danger.

"What? Don't you want to? Or does the envoy of Li Du want to bully the king? Sun Chengzong said coldly.

"The lower officials can't call the shots in this matter, and the lower officials need to report to the higher-ups." Hearing Sun Chengzong's words, the envoy broke out in a cold sweat, he understood that if these passes were not surrendered, the army of the Ming Dynasty would immediately attack Annan.

"Three days, Your Majesty only gave me three days, after three days, I will send a large army to take over all the passes marked on this map, if the Li Du Commander is unwilling to surrender these passes, then I will lead the army to take it." Sun Chuanting said coldly.

"My lord, is three days too rushed? Please also ask for a few more days. The envoy pleaded.

"Your Majesty has only given me three days, how can I postpone it? To postpone is to deceive the king, and there is nothing I can do. Sun Chuanting refused without hesitation.

"I'll leave for the Western Capital immediately, and I'll give you an answer within three days." The envoy gritted his teeth.

"Remember, there are only three days, and when the hour arrives in three days, I will send troops." Sun Chuanting advised.

……

Annan's envoys did not dare to stay longer for a moment, and immediately left Zhennan Pass and rushed to the western capital. After Zheng Ji heard Daming's conditions, he immediately understood that the current Daming emperor was different from the previous emperor, in the past, when China was strong, Annan immediately bowed down to Chen Chen, and the Chinese would naturally wave their hands very benevolently and righteously, and they would not blame the past; As soon as he found out that China was weak, Annan immediately thought about seeing if he could take advantage of it.

Zhu Youxiao didn't eat this, he didn't just want to have Annan in name, but wanted to change the land in Annan and completely turn Annan into a province of the empire, and even he planned to reduce the population of Annan a lot, and after reducing the population of Annan, he would emigrate from the empire.

Zheng Jie knew that this battle with the Ming Dynasty was inevitable, so he immediately ordered the passes to be closely defended, and at the same time ordered the envoys to go to Zhennan Pass again to see if they could find other ways to persuade the Ming court to give up using troops against them.

Sun Chuanting is not a person who sits and waits for news, as soon as the messenger of Annan leaves, Sun Chuanting's 20,000 vanguard troops will take the lead in setting off, and on the third day, this 10,000 vanguard troops will be in the important town of Langshan, Duobang has always been the military important place of Annan's defense of the Ming Dynasty, the location is extremely important, in the Ming Chengzu period, it was once broken by Zhang Fu with 5,000 strange soldiers.

Although three days gave the Annan army time to prepare, it also gave the Ming army time to prepare, the Ming army's heavy artillery transportation has always been an extremely time-consuming and laborious matter, but three days is enough time for the Ming army to transport the heavy artillery to the front line.

Three days later, Sun Chuanting waited for the envoy of Annan, but did not wait for the result he wanted.

I can only code one chapter today, and I didn't sleep last night! Today is another day of work, so sleepy!

(End of chapter)