Chapter 261: With a strong character, he persuades people to be loyal, and Shi Xiu surrenders to Duke Yansheng!
“Does Jia Cong have any other orders?”

At this time, Emperor Shunde asked.

“Return to your majesty!”

“My Lord has offered a reward, and the whole world has been informed!”

“A reward of one million taels of silver is offered to each of the thirteen chieftains who rebelled in Yunnan and Guizhou.”

“If anyone can deliver his head, all past wrongdoings will be forgiven and he will be recommended for the title of third-class viscount!”

……

“This……”

“As expected of the Marquis of Jing’an!”

“Such an open conspiracy, such a grand move…”

Everyone present was like an old fox and could see the ins and outs of this bounty at a glance.

If it was three days ago, this reward would have been useless.

The Yunnan-Guizhou region has been in a state of devastation, which is in line with the Fujian rebels and the Western joint fleet at sea.

If things go wrong, Daqian will lose several provinces in the south.

In this situation, no one would dare to take the reward even if it was very high.

After all, even if you get the kill, you have to be able to give it away.

But the situation is different now.

The Western joint fleet lost more than half of its strength, and most of the masters above the third level were killed.

The Fujian rebels were also put down.

Anyone could see that these thirteen rebellious chieftains were at the end of their strength and their defeat was only a matter of time.

The Yunnan-Guizhou region is not a monolithic entity.

Compared with the military expenses such as food and wages needed for a large army to go out for a sweep, the expenditure of 13 million taels is simply a good deal.

As for the promise of title to the third-class son.

It seems that the reward standards are too high.

In fact, this is the real conspiracy to kill people without shedding blood.

If you can kill thirteen rebellious chieftains, then bring them out to claim the reward.

He must be a leader with certain power in the local area.

After being conferred the title, his position was destined to be on the side of the imperial court, and it was impossible for him to integrate into the local chieftain system.

The conferring of thirteen viscount titles resulted in a significant increase in the court’s control over the Yunnan-Guizhou region.

No one can find any fault with it.

As for what would happen if the chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou regions secretly colluded with others and no one accepted the reward?
When the army marches forward, it may not just be the rebels that are wiped out.

The chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou regions were well aware of this trick.

The opportunity is given, it’s your choice to live or die!

……

“As expected of the Marquis of Jing’an…”

“What a great bounty for this manifesto! The Yunnan and Guizhou regions will be pacified within a month.”

The chief minister of the cabinet, Lord Li, sighed.

Suddenly I felt like I had lived in vain for decades, especially in terms of mental strategy.

Even though he has been in charge of the cabinet for such a long time, he has accumulated a lot of political experience in power struggles.

But when it comes to means, no one can catch up with Jia Cong even if he flatters.

After sighing, he said to Lin Ruhai enviously.

“Master Lin has found a good son-in-law!”

Even if one ignores his talent for cultivation, this kind of intelligence and strategy is enough to make him a great man.

“Mr. Li, you are too kind. Before my late wife got married, she loved Cong the most.”

“Now it can be considered as a close relationship.”

Lin Ruhai replied with a smile, feeling fortunate in his heart that the marriage was arranged in front of Jia Min’s grave outside Yangzhou city that day.

……

“Your Majesty, the Marquis has also issued an order for all government offices in Fujian to collect food and money locally!”

“The army led by General Sui Maoxiang will arrive in Quanzhou Prefecture within half a month!”

After everyone finished discussing, Dai Quan continued.

“I have always said that Jia Cong has always been generous in his actions.”

“How can it be so simple to just quell the rebellion and defeat the Westerners’ combined fleet next time we go south?”

This time, it didn’t cause much trouble.

Except for the Minister of Revenue Chu Shen’an, all other ministers had guessed it.

Jia Cong made arrangements six months in advance and built a shipyard in Jiangnan.

How could it be so simple to just defeat the Western fleet?

“Pass on my decree, appoint Marquis Jing’an Jia Cong as the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition and the Chief Commander of the Nanyang Road Army!”

“Overseeing all Nanyang affairs!”

“As the fake empress, I have the right to do whatever I want!”

“Chase the fleeing Western soldiers and make sure to destroy them!”

Emperor Shunde walked to the front of the map and looked up at it for a moment.

Then he spoke.

The Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition to Suppress Rebellion was an honorary title, not a permanent position.

It is similar to the official position such as General Suppressing Rebellion given when a military general goes to war.

It was only because of Jia Cong’s status that his title was changed from general to marshal.

As for the later commander-in-chief of the Nanyang Road Army, he was in charge of all affairs in Nanyang.

The power to exercise authority and act at one’s own discretion.

It can be said that Jia Cong was given enough rights.

In the name of pursuing the Western fleet, the countries in the South Seas can attack whomever they want!

This is not over yet, Emperor Shunde continued.

“The Ministry of Revenue should speed up the collection of food and fodder! Requisition ships from the coast, and use sea transportation if possible, or land transportation if not, and deliver them to Quanzhou as soon as possible!”

“Recruit 100,000 young and strong men from the southeastern coastal areas to follow the army as an aid!”

“Make sure to ensure all needs of Marquis Jing’an’s army are met!”

“Order the deputy commander of the Beijing Camp, Ma Shang, to draw another 50,000 troops from the Beijing Camp, board the ship from Tianjin, and arrive in Quanzhou within half a month!”

“Also, send a message to the Guangxi camp to prepare for battle. If Jing’an Hou’s battle goes smoothly, head straight south and support from the left!”

“From today on, all matters in the court will be based on Marquis Jing’an’s southern expedition.”

“All departments should coordinate with each other. Anyone who shirks responsibility or delays will be dismissed from office and stripped of his title!”

“Anyone who delays military operations will be treated as treason!”

The orders were given one after another, seemingly simple.

However, he mobilized almost all of Daqian’s power and used the whole country’s strength to support Jia Cong.

Without him!

The existence of the fifth realm is willing to help the imperial court expand its territory, and behind it is the strong support of the mysterious sect “Luotian Sect”.

This is a wonderful thing that emperors in the past few hundred years would not even dare to dream of!

But now he has been encountered by Emperor Shunde.

“Your Majesty, the Beijing camp has been in turmoil for the past two years. Last month, Marquis Jing’an went south and transferred another 10,000 elite troops.”

“If we withdraw another 50,000 troops, it will be difficult to maintain our fighting strength!”

“Secondly, a lot of soldiers have been transferred from the nine borders in the past two years to supplement the Beijing camp, as well as the newly established Shenwu Camp.”

“I am worried that if we continue to withdraw troops, the Tatars and Oirat tribes in the northern steppes will become disloyal.”

At this time, Duke of Wei Chu Zhaogang spoke up to remind him.

It’s not that he was deliberately going against Jia Cong and hindering him, but it was entirely out of consideration for the overall situation.

Now, not only has the combat effectiveness of the Beijing Camp dropped drastically.

In the past two years, elite troops have been withdrawn one after another, and the military strength of the nine important border towns has become dwarfed by comparison.

“Tatar, Oirat?”

“I heard that there is a sacred mountain in Tatar and Wala respectively?”

Emperor Shunde turned his gaze to the Tatars and Oirat tribes located to the north of Daqian on the wall map, his brows furrowed.

This is the biggest concern that Daqian has faced in its 100 years of existence.

“Your Majesty, during the Yuan Dynasty, the previous dynasty relied on the power of Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.”

“The Yuan court is vast, and we are not confident that these two families will dominate the country.”

“He recruited many evil cultivators and collected various techniques to train his own masters.”

“After Taizu founded the country, the violent Yuan Dynasty was expelled to Mobei, and the Buddhist sect and Tibetan Buddhist forces withdrew, and these people followed them to Mobei.”

“Later, the Tatars and the Oirat rose up, and these people also split into two groups, living in the mountains, which were called the sacred mountains.”

“There are quite a few experts among them.”

The Prime Minister Li Ge Lao, who knew some of the inside story, spoke up.

“I once followed the Emperor to the north and encountered the master from the Divine Mountain.”

“He is proficient in various evil arts and has caused a lot of trouble to the army.” Duke Wei Chu Zhaogang, who was standing nearby, added with a frown.

The strength of Tatar and Oirat should not be underestimated.

The key point is that if Daqian marches south with the whole country, the northern border will inevitably be in turmoil, whether it is the Oirat or the Tatar.

Even though there are always conflicts on the grassland.

But when facing Daqian, they can always join forces to fight against it.

I will definitely not sit idly by and watch Daqian grow stronger.

……

“Then don’t replenish the Beijing camp for now, and wait until the army returns from the southern expedition!”

“Your Majesty, the capital is empty. If…”

When the ministers heard this, they hurriedly began to persuade him.

But Emperor Shunde had already made up his mind.

“Daqian has been established for a hundred years, and I have been on the throne for six years. Now, overseas, Westerners are already ahead of us.”

“If I miss this opportunity, I don’t know how long I will have to wait!”

The Beijing camp is empty, but there are still the emperor’s seventeen personal guards hidden in the Shenjing City, so it is not completely empty.

……

“There is one more thing, Your Majesty. The Kong family started a rebellion in Fujian…”

After discussing the southern expedition, Cabinet Prime Minister Li put another important issue before Emperor Shunde.

the Kongs!

This is a huge mountain that scholars all over the world cannot avoid.

Enter the officialdom through imperial examination!

There is not a single Confucian scholar in the world, including all the civil and military officials in the court, who has not read the works of Confucius and Mencius.

This kind of relationship is nothing under normal circumstances, but if the court really demotes the Kong family to traitors, who knows how much chaos it will cause.

“The court will not make a final decision on the Kong family’s affairs yet.”

“Let’s see what Marquis Jing’an does next.”

Emperor Shunde rubbed his forehead, trying not to put all the pressure on Jia Cong.

The truth is that he himself doesn’t know how to deal with it.

“Okay, my dear ministers, go down and prepare.”

“While the Western fleet is seriously injured, this is our best chance to make great progress. We cannot afford to make any mistakes!”

After the cabinet and the top civil and military officials in the court reached a consensus.

Daqian began to operate at full capacity.

In the past, all dynasties that conquered Southeast Asia usually sent troops from Guangxi or Yunnan.

But this time it was different. Jia Cong planned to land from the sea.

Several naval forces had already transferred a large number of personnel to Jia Cong’s command, and now most of them were directly mobilized.

Only a small number of anti-theft patrol personnel were left.

The remaining ones were all transferred to Quanzhou!

A large number of ships were requisitioned along the coastal areas.

Three years ago, even if there were orders from the imperial court, the maritime merchants along the coast would certainly have pretended to obey them but actually disobeyed them.

Who would be willing to take out their most valuable merchant ships to support the imperial court?

But now it’s different.

Most of the maritime merchants gathered in Jiangnan, Fujian and Guangdong!
The first two, one is a fertile land of Shintoism, and the other has the influence of the Mu family, the former Prince of Dongping and now the Marquis of Dongping.

As for Guangdong, Jia Cong has now stationed his troops in Quanzhou Prefecture, with the sword hanging high.

Who dares to pretend to obey but actually disobey?

The ship requisition was much easier than expected.

With Quanzhou Port as the base camp for the southern expedition, a large number of troops, horses, food, fodder, weapons and other supplies began to gather continuously.

In addition, among the officials, the uproar caused by the “Exhortation to Punish Confucius” was no less than the national preparations for war.

Written by Jia Cong himself, it tells the story of the rebellion started by the Kong family in Fujian, which led to the fall of three prefectures and countless people being displaced.

Until Kong Zongren betrayed his allies, and finally extended to the Kong family!

It started from Shandong, Jiangnan, Fujian and Longxi, and a large amount of manpower and material resources were invested in it.

Three million copies were printed in a row!

In just half a month, it spread throughout Daqian!
With a strong character, Shi Xiu surrendered!
In the past, Jia Cong’s angry rebuke of Kong Chengxi outside the city of Nanjing in Yingtian Prefecture spread throughout the world.

Qufu
the Kongs
“To plot treason against one’s country is disloyalty; to abandon an alliance in the face of war is injustice!”

“You are using the blood of the Most Holy One to bring shame to our Master!”

“History is long and unfaithful, and shameless. It is hard to find another one like him!”

“So it is said…”

“So it is said…”

The housekeeper of the Confucius Mansion took a copy of the “Exhortation to Punish Confucius” and read it in a low voice.

As he finished reading, his voice became lower and lower, and he stumbled.

“Keep reading!”

Kong Yanjin’s face turned pale and he squeezed out three words from between his teeth.

There was no other way, so the old butler gritted his teeth and uttered the last sentence in fear.

“So it is said: A man of steel persuades people to be loyal, and Shi Xiu surrenders to the Duke of Yansheng!”

“boom!”

As soon as he finished speaking, dark golden aura rose into the sky.

There is a faint hint of black in the literary atmosphere.

The huge study was turned into a mess in an instant.

Even the old butler who had served the Kong family for generations was affected and spurted out a mouthful of blood. If he didn’t have some cultivation under his belt,

I’m afraid he will die immediately.

“Jia Cong, little boy!”

“Jia Cong, little boy!”

“Too deceiving!”

Kong Yanjin’s face was filled with anger and he roared continuously!
A manifesto of more than a thousand words.

But in Kong Yanjin’s eyes, every word was like a knife.

Just as the poetry and prose of the Song Dynasty said.

Others carry swords, but I have a pen like a sword.

Every strike of the sword did not draw blood, but each strike stabbed directly into the lifeline of the Kong family!

Fame, prestige!
It not only concerns the status of the Kong family in the hearts of scholars all over the world.

It is more related to the share that the Kong family can occupy in the Confucian and Taoist rules that have been nurtured by hundreds of Confucian and Taoist schools for countless years.

If even this is lost…

“If the ruler treats his subjects like dirt, then the subjects will treat the ruler like an enemy.”

“How dare you, Jia Cong, take things out of context and disregard right and wrong!”

“Somebody come!”

“Send everyone out!”

“Within three days, all these manifestos must be destroyed!”

After a few violent gasps, Kong Yanjin tried to calm himself down.

But I didn’t expect the old butler to look embarrassed.

“Tell the master that Jia Cong has printed at least a million copies and sent people to various places to spread the word.”

“I am afraid……”

“I’m afraid it’s too late to destroy it.”

“How unreasonable…”

When Kong Yanjin heard this, he was about to get furious again.
At this moment, he was stopped by a voice coming from the back hall.

“Okay, Patriarch, don’t vent your anger on others. In the final analysis, it’s all my fault…”

“If I hadn’t failed to see through Jia Cong’s plan, the two old friends of the Yan family wouldn’t have died, and I wouldn’t have…”

Kong Zongren walked out from the back hall.

Kong Zongren, who was approaching the end of his life but still managed to maintain the appearance of a middle-aged man.

At this moment, he has become completely old, with white hair and beard and his face is full of wrinkles.

His back, which used to be straight, became hunched.

He looked so old that anyone could tell that he would not live long.

“Uncle, how could this be your fault?”

“It is obvious that Jia Cong is a cunning kid who has taken the words out of context and misinterpreted the meaning of our ancestors’ writings.”

Upon seeing this, Kong Yanjin quickly suppressed his anger, stood up, supported the man and tried to comfort him.

Here is a two-in-one chapter for you. Please give me your monthly votes, everyone!



(End of this chapter)