Zhang Xian and Yang Zaixing were edicted to enter the Beijing Saint.

Zhu Ming went straight to the point and asked, "If you are allowed to attack the southwest and be stationed in the wilderness for a long time." Would you like to? Don't say anything against your will. If you have a grudge, it will not be beautiful in the future. ”

The two of them knelt on one knee as if they had been rehearsed.

The former said: "Do your best, and then die!" ”

The latter said: "I will go wherever the official family tells me to go, and I will never complain." ”

In the northern provinces, there are too many fierce people. Moreover, the Kingdom of Jin has been destroyed, and it is difficult to have a major war in the short term.

If you are transferred to the southwest, it will be easier to make meritorious contributions and be promoted.

Zhu Ming said: "There is a state in Guangxi called Ziqi, which was attached to China at the end of the Song Dynasty. In fact, it was the faint monarch Zhao Ji who was so happy that the local civil and military officials did what they liked, giving wealth and livestock to lure the barbarians to submit. ”

"After the destruction of the Song Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty did not reward the wealth again, and the leader of Qizhou actually established his own country."

Ziqi is located in the southernmost part of Guizhou Province, bordering Guangxi and Yunnan, and is located in the middle of a poor and remote mountain.

The leader coveted the wealth of the Guangxi magistrate and donated his land to attach it during the reign of Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Although it was only a nominal offering, it was also regarded as a frontier expansion for Song Huizong.

At the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the leaders of Ziqi came to pay tribute.

At that time, Zhu Guoxiang gave back some gifts according to the market price and canonized his official position. However, the leader of Ziqi thought that the official position was too small and the rewards were too thin, so he directly claimed to establish the Ziqi country.

Jumping beam clown, Zhu Ming has never been too lazy to care.

Ziqiguo kicked his nose and face, and constantly encroached on the border territory of Guangxi. The territory eroded by the Ziqi Kingdom, although it is also a place of bondage, but after all, it nominally belongs to the Ming Dynasty!

Zhu Guoxiang sent envoys to warn him many times, and Zhu Ming also asked the Guangxi garrison to run to help the barbarians there fight twice.

In the past two or three years, Ziqi finally stopped eroding the land boundary of Daming, and turned around to run to occupy the land of Dali.

This is very awesome, a small country in the mountains, provoking Daming and Dali at the same time......

When Zhu Ming finished speaking, Yang Zaixing said that he was incomprehensible: "This native chieftain of Qiguo is not afraid of attracting a two-sided attack from Daming and Dali?" ”

"It's poor, and the climate and geography are very harsh."

Zhu Ming explained: "Shicheng County in Dali has been encroached upon a little by Ziqi State. In the face of the aggressive self-defeating state, Dali's internal strife was seriously difficult to recover. As for my Ming court, if it hadn't ended the war in the north, I'm afraid I wouldn't have taken care of such a remote place. ”

Historically, it was really successfully reversed by the country.

They took advantage of the turn of the two Song Dynasty to declare independence and establish a state, frantically eroding the border between the Southern Song Dynasty and Dali.

And as a middleman, he bought military horses from Dali and sold them to the Southern Song Dynasty, and used the money earned to purchase armor to develop the army.

In the later period, even swallowed Xuanwei, Pu'an, Shizong, Maitreya and other places in Dali, and there was only a straight line distance of more than 100 miles from Kunming.

Zhu Ming said to Yang Zaixing: "You are from Hunan, and you are relatively close to Guangxi, so you should adapt to the climate there." You go to Guangxi to train 6,000 elite soldiers and station them in Guile Prefecture (Baise City). ”

"Yes!" Yang Zaixing received the order.

Zhu Ming said: "The south is mountainous, which is different from fighting in the north. You can go to Hunan first and see how Bai Qi trains his troops. It was a modified version of the Mandarin Duck Formation, each Mandarin Duck Squad, equipped with five flintlock pistols. Every four mandarin duck squads are equipped with a small cannon, and those small cannons can be carried by two people to move quickly. ”

Yang Zaixing arched his hand and said: "When the minister goes to Hunan, he must learn the method of military training." ”

Zhu Ming also said: "In the five provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Jiangxi, although the phenomenon of abandoning children has decreased sharply in recent years, there were many abandoned children at the end of the Song Dynasty. In times of war, there were also many orphans. Those orphans were adopted in the Salesian Bureau, the Infant Bureau, and many of them are now in their teens. Go and gather these orphans as the foundation for the new 6,000 elites. ”

"Yes!" Yang Zaixing said.

The use of teenage orphans as the backbone of the Guangxi New Army is mainly based on the following considerations:

First, orphans who grow up in welfare institutions may have strange personalities, but they are certainly manageable.

Second, without family ties, they can be stationed in Yunnan and Guizhou in the future, and settle down in Yunnan and Guizhou.

Zhu Ming continued: "This new army needs to be trained for at least a year before it can be brought to fight against the barbarians. Let them first adapt to the climate and environment in Guilezhou, and doctors and medicines must be prepared enough to prevent water and soil adaptation and Guangxi miasma. The doctors of Lingnan Medical College have a sound approach. There are medicines for external application and internal administration, and they must drink more Lingnan herbal tea, and no soldier is allowed to drink raw water. Mosquito repellent should also be aware that many miasma diseases are caused by mosquito bites. ”

Yang Zaixing silently wrote it down.

Zhu Ming also said: "The south of Ziqi is Temo Road, the hometown of the former Song Dynasty rebel general Nong Zhigao. It was only attached when the Song army defeated Nong Zhigao and went to capture Nong Zhigao's biological mother, and he hadn't taken care of it for decades. Although the chieftains of the Nong clan belonged to the Ming Dynasty, they asked for rewards every year, prayed for promotion every year, and plundered the border people if they did not go well. ”

Moreover, Temo Road is located at the junction of Guangxi, Dali and Annan. After you conquer the Kingdom of Ziqi, keep an eye on the movements of Temo Dao at any time, and look for an opportunity to slaughter the chieftains of the Nong clan! Take there, you can attack Dali to the west, and Annam to the south. ”

"Yes!" Yang Zaixing gave up.

Temo Road, that is, Guangnan County and Funing County in later generations.

It originally belonged to Dali, and after the rebellion of Nong Zhigao, it was forced to submit to the Northern Song Dynasty, and now it is to the Ming Dynasty. However, they have been eye-to-eye with Dali and Annan, and from time to time they have to go down the mountain to rob the border people.

After talking about Guangxi, Zhu Ming began to talk about southern Sichuan again.

Zhu Ming said to Zhang Xian: "You are from Sichuan. I went to recruit orphans and teenagers in Sichuan, as well as young people who lacked land to cultivate, and also used the improved mandarin duck array to train 6,000 elites. Stationed in Yibin for a year of drilling, immediately go south to destroy the Mahu Department! ”

"Yes!" Zhang Xian stood up.

The territory of the Mahu Department is in the area of Mabian, Suijiang and Leibo.

From time to time, they would go north to plunder the border people, causing headaches for officials in Yibin, Qianwei and other places. These tribes are one of the main reasons why the number of Han people in southern Sichuan is difficult to develop, resulting in a state of precariousness for the Han people on the border.

The war in the north has ceased, and it's time to clean up those southwestern barbarians.

Obedient nature gives them preferential treatment, even providing them with cattle, seeds, and advanced agricultural technology.

But those tribes who make trouble twice in three days, Zhu Ming has endured them for a long time. When the time comes, once the army is dispatched, there is no way to surrender, and the leader must be destroyed!

In addition, Lin Chong has gone to Nanping (south of the Qijiang River) to train troops, and he is also training 6,000 elites.

As long as the time is ripe, it will be a four-way attack.

Bai Qi led 8,000 elites and entered Guizhou from Xiangxi.

Lin Chong led 6,000 elites and entered Guizhou from Zunyi.

Zhang Xian led 6,000 elites from southern Sichuan into Yunnan.

Yang Zaixing led 6,000 elites from Guangxi into Yunnan.

Under the command of the four people, in addition to their thousands of elites, they will also send garrisons from several southern provinces to follow, and they will eventually meet in Kunming and Dali.

……

Zhang Xian and Yang Zaixing retreated, and Zhu Ming called his eldest son, Zhu Kang, King Yu.

"The child meets his father!"

Zhu Kang's personality is becoming more and more stable, which is just the opposite of his biological mother Zheng Yuanyi.

Zhu Ming smiled and asked, "Have you been able to adapt to the military academy recently?" I let the teachers treat them equally, and they didn't show favoritism because they were princes, right? ”

Zhu Kang replied: "There is no favoritism, but it is not so harsh. The child is not very comfortable at first, but then he gradually gets used to it. The children's astronomy, geography, mathematics, logistics and other subjects are the best in the class. It's just that...... It's just a little inferior to other subjects......"

"This is normal," Zhu Ming comforted, "many students in the military academy, outstanding young officers from various armies. They have made meritorious contributions on the battlefield, and they themselves are good at it, and coming to the military academy is nothing more than further study. How can you and some young students compare with them in mounted archery, foot shooting, formation, and physical fitness? ”

"The child has to practice hard," said Zhu Kang, "I have learned to ride a horse since I was a child, and my riding skills are also excellent, even if I am not as good as shooting arrows on horseback." ”

Zhu Ming took out three maps and pulled his son to his side: "Since you are excellent in geography, look at these three maps." ”

Zhu Kang hurriedly identified it carefully.

One is a miniature version of the map of the Tang Dynasty, which also depicts Central Asia.

One is the map of the Ming Dynasty drawn this year, Yunnan, Guizhou, Western Xia, Western Regions, Mobei...... These places were all subject nations or submissive tribes.

One is a map of Southeast Asia drawn according to the memories of the Zhu family's father and son, combined with the descriptions of maritime merchants and envoys.

"How?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhu Kang replied: "Compared with the Tang Dynasty, the territory of the Ming Dynasty is too small. ”

In fact, these three maps are clearly double marked.

Zhu Ming deliberately asked the cartographers to draw the subject countries of the Tang Dynasty as the territory of the Tang Dynasty, but he also listed the subject countries of the Ming Dynasty.

In this way, a strong contrast is formed, the territory of the Ming Dynasty is pitifully small!

Zhu Ming pointed to the location of the Champa state, which was close to half of the territory of Vietnam in later generations: "This is the Champa city, although it belongs to the Ming Dynasty, but it often violates the yang and the yin, and plunders the Ming merchants who go to sea." ”

"Did the father let the child grow up and lead the army to conquer the city?" Zhu Kang guessed.

Zhu Ming smiled and said, "If the Champa Kingdom is destroyed, I plan to reward you." The land, the population, the wealth there...... It's all yours. It will also leave you some troops and officials to migrate one or two thousand Han people. You choose the name of the country, because you are the king there. ”

Although Zhu Kang is only a teenager, he has also read history books, and he knows how different this kind of real king is from the princes and county kings who stay in the country.

Hearing that he could actually own a country, Zhu Kang was surprised and delighted, and his heart suddenly beat wildly.

Zhu Ming poured cold water and said: "It is very remote there, and it is definitely not as prosperous as China." Moreover, there are winds in the dry season and rainy season, and it is difficult to bear the heat when it is hot, and there is also the so-called miasma. And the people don't speak Chinese, and they don't know Chinese characters. Even if you are a king there, you will be a match to some. ”

Zhu Kang was born in the midst of wealth, and he had little understanding of remote poverty.

In Zhu Kang's view, since he is the king, how poor can he be? Miasma or something, you can take it to the doctor.

"Children are not afraid of difficulties!"

Zhu Kang had already made up his mind to be the king, and he also made up his mind and said: "Within thirty years, the child will definitely turn the city of Zhancheng into Han land!" ”

Zhu Ming shook his head and said, "Thirty years is not enough, I'm afraid you will have to work hard for your children and grandchildren." ”

Zhu Ming pointed to the Angkor Dynasty, the Queen's Kingdom, Bagan and other places next to him: "These states, after you have established a firm foothold in the city, you can lead troops to conquer them. You and your descendants, as long as you don't attack the Ming Dynasty, no matter how much territory you fight, the Luoyang Imperial Court will recognize it! ”

Zhu Kang looked at the huge territory, both eyes glowing.

Zhu Ming also taught his son how to govern: "Brahmanism is popular in Champa. While you use Confucianism to educate the people, you must also support Buddhism a lot and use Buddhism to attack Brahmanism. Of course, if Buddhism develops too well, it can also destroy the Buddha and destroy the temple and confiscate the monks' property. However, there must be a limit to the destruction of Buddha, and it cannot really be destroyed, and it is necessary to use Buddhism to rule over foreign races. Among them, you can slowly experience it yourself. ”

(End of chapter)