Han Shizu

Chapter 2096 Taizong Chapter 43 The World in the Shadow of the Han Dynasty (Part )

In the spring and February of the sixth year of Yongxi's reign, we were in Linyi State and Jinlan Prefecture.

Surrounded by two mountains, Cam Ranh Bay is different from usual times. The merchant ships coming and going are restricted and the shipping lanes are vacated to ensure smooth entry and exit of the harbor.

By the harbor, flags were flying, drums and horns were blaring, and a large number of soldiers lined up here, waiting to set off, especially the three thousand soldiers in the middle, all wearing fine and even luxurious chainmail.

This is the essence of the entire Linyi Kingdom's army and the most powerful guarantee for the entire feudal kingdom. It took Linyi King Liu Shu a full ten years to build 5,000 troops, and now he has sent 60% of them at once.

The remaining troops are mainly composed of three parts. One is the local army of the prefectures and counties under the Linyi Kingdom, and the other is the volunteers composed of Han merchants and people. Of course, the servants (cannons) and servants (ashes) composed of the local indigenous people are also indispensable. The total number of bits and pieces adds up to enough. More than 20,000 people.

It is not easy to organize an army of this size for the current Linyi State. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is a military force. And those who plan to move out of the empty nest must be big.

On the high platform where everyone was watching, Liu Shu was wearing a red robe and a crown on his head. With a solemn expression, he handed the royal sword in his hand to the crown prince Liu Wenyan and said: "My son, all the troops and horses in the country are in your hands. Be careful and I hope you will triumph." !”

"Yes!" Liu Wenyan had only calmness on his young face. He knelt down on one knee, took the sword in both hands, and swore with great emotion: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will take the land of Hezhou when I go here. I will not return to my master until I break Zhenla." !”

After saying that, Liu Wenyan stood up and pulled out the royal sword that was awarded by Emperor Shizu when Liu Shu came to the country. The sword, which was made of fine steel and had been tempered for thousands of times, shone brightly in the sun, followed by the words "must win". The mountain call resounded throughout Cam Ranh Harbor.

As the order to "board the ship" was issued, under the leadership of the commanders of each army, the expedition officers and soldiers boarded the ship one after another. Nearly 20,000 people, together with the logistics supplies, took more than half a day to complete. For this expedition, Lin Yiguo used all its resources, not only elite soldiers, but also all big and strong ships.

On the main ship, Liu Wenyan, who was dressed in military uniform, leaned on the railing on the building, his eyes always fixed on Liu Shu, and said in a firm and confident tone: "Liu Gong, this expedition will be successful!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, even if the Zhenla army is prepared, its main force must still be used to resist the imperial army in the north. Our army's attack this time is a fatal blow. Zhenla Kingdom cannot resist it. Starting from the attack on Annan , it is doomed to fail!"

Next to Liu Wenyan was a young general who was a few years older than him. He was also the deputy general of the Linyi National Army, Liu Gong, and the military director of this expedition.

Liu Gong was originally a domestic slave of the Duke of Chu, but he was smart and capable when he was young. Until Liu Shu granted the title of Linyi and took his family's belongings to the south to work hard, Liu Gong, who was already smart and capable, quickly rose to prominence. In particular, his military talents, whether in training, command, or combat, were outstanding.

At the age of 18, he began to be reused by Liu Shu and began to lead the army independently, suppressing tribes in various places and establishing actual rule.

For a long time before Lin Yi became a state, Annan Road's rule over the southern region was only nominal. Those who actually occupied the place were the nobles, officials, and tribal leaders of the original occupied city. In this situation , the same was true after Liu Shu sealed the country.

Therefore, although Shizu granted the place to Liu Shu and provided a lot of support, it still took a process to establish a truly effective rule.

This process was inevitably accompanied by swords and bloodshed, in which Liu Gong made outstanding contributions.

In the past ten years, in addition to Jinlanzhou where the royal city is located, Liu Shu established a total of 7 states in Linyi Kingdom, basically advancing and expanding along the coastal plains. To the north are Gyeongju, Fuzhou, and Pingzhou. , to the south are Ningzhou, Shunzhou, Songzhou, and the other one is Dezhou to the west of Jinlanzhou, which is to protect the safety of the royal city.

Of the seven states, four were occupied and ruled under the leadership of Liu Gong, while the remaining three were due to the contribution of the crown prince Liu Wenyan.

Up to now, two young men, one 27 years old and the other 20 years old, are the backbone of Lin Yi's military. Only in such a country and situation can such young heroes have the opportunity to rise to the top.

Of course, this was also the reason why King Lin Yi Liu Shu dared to employ people.

At the port, Liu Shu still stood, watching the fleet that was gradually moving away towards the mouth of the bay. Time has passed, and Liu Shu, who was once absurd, is now forty-two years old and looks more and more like a real king.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Your Majesty is gifted with talents. He will definitely succeed in his journey!" An elder beside him, probably seeing Liu Shu's worry, couldn't help but comfort him.

The old man's name was Fu Zhaohui. From this name, he knew his identity. He was the son of Fu Yanlin. From the seniority level, Liu Shu had to call him his cousin, and now he was the Prime Minister of Linyi.

"Prime Minister!" After hearing what he said, Liu Shu raised a finger and solemnly ordered: "We must ensure the supply of the army and take out all our family assets. This is a great opportunity. We must not miss it! Also, send I sent a letter to the expedition camp in the south, telling my nephew that my uncle has tried his best to support him. I hope he can continue to exert influence in the north and wish him an early success."

When he said this, Liu Shu's face, which was dried by the sea breeze, couldn't help but reveal a little cunning look.

Maybe many people underestimated Liu Shu, or even misjudged him, or maybe the absurdity of the first thirty years was just to play life and enjoy it. Putting all this aside, just looking at the performance after ten years of feudalism, you will find that Liu Shu, the king, actually did a pretty good job.

In ten years, Liu Shu established a complete set of administrative management systems, which was the basis for effective management of the feudal state. At the same time, through political and military means, with the eight coastal states as the core, he achieved control of the original occupied territory. Basic integration.

In terms of population, more than 200,000 immigrants were recruited from the country, which fundamentally consolidated the rule of the Han people on this land step by step.

Economically, it vigorously develops Cam Ranh Port, as well as coastal agriculture and fishery, actively communicates with the Han Dynasty, encourages business, and obtains considerable benefits just by providing berthing and supply services for merchant ships traveling from south to north.

It can be said that from all aspects, Liu Shu performed well in the feudal country, and his Linyi Kingdom also developed vigorously.

Liu Shu himself does not have any extraordinary talents, nor is he a military and political wizard, but the most important thing about being able to achieve what he is today is that he has a clear understanding of himself and will make full use of his own advantages.

What are his most prominent advantages are two things. One is the title given to him by Emperor Shizu and the sacred right to rule this land, and the early support from the imperial court in terms of personnel, money and food plus the Duke of Chu. With the rich accumulation of the government, when these two advantages are fully utilized, there will be no disadvantages.

At the same time, Liu Shu is also a person who knows how to share. Power, wealth, land, and population are never all taken for granted. Except for Jinlan Prefecture, the military and political officials of the seven prefectures and counties were all descendants of nobles from the country, or officials who had made pioneering achievements. Liu Shu clearly shared the power of rule with them. They, the powerful Han people, enjoy this land together.

It's not enfeoffment, it's better than enfeoffment. Of course, this approach is also the most conducive to development. Whether it is Anton or Anxi, as the experimental fields for the Han Dynasty's foreign colonization, it also provides the best reference for latecomers like Liu Shu. Even though the geographical environments are very different, they are basically The principles are the same.

Under the organization and management of Liu Shu's government, there is no doubt that the degree of civilization and development of Lin Yi State has been significantly improved. But to the current level of development, there are too many places to rest on one's laurels, and now, Liu Shu decided to find another foundation for the future of Lin Yiguo.

That place is in the southwest of Linyi Kingdom, a place called "River Island" by the top leaders of Linyi Kingdom: the Mekong River Delta. Linyi State, which basically occupies the original land of Champa, has its natural advantage in agriculture and fishery. After all, it is the birthplace of Champa rice, and the basic situation is three crops a year.

However, the land of Linyi and the riverside plains suitable for farming are long, narrow and crowded. They can support people, but they cannot support them in a long-term and rich way, especially with the arrival of so many "upper-class" people who have seen the world in the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, finding a more fertile land that can provide more resources and support a larger population has become an urgent need for the upper class in Linyi. The Mekong Delta, which has excellent water, soil and climate conditions, has naturally become Lin Yi's goal.

In fact, the situation in the delta plain is not a secret to the Han merchants who have been traveling between the Han Dynasty and Nanyang for many years. As long as the Han people who are accustomed to farming have seen the water and soil conditions there, they will salivate. feet.

Lin Yiguo's spying on the delta also triggered a strong reaction from his neighbor Chenla. As early as the Kaibao period, the two sides had already competed for this treasure land. Of course, it was the Han merchants and armed immigrants supported by Lin Yi State who landed from the sea, expelled the indigenous people, and established strongholds.

As far as the Zhenla Kingdom is concerned, the behavior of the Han people broke through the bottom line of business in the past, and their ambitions were revealed, which was aggression, and they naturally launched a counterattack.

However, in the early stages, the conflict was not too intense. It was just that you raided my stronghold and I looted your town.

However, in the reign of Yongxi, as Lin Yi gradually got on the right track and with the strengthening of military construction, the intensity of the conflict began to increase.

In the third year of Yongxi's reign, the Chenla Kingdom organized tens of thousands of people and launched an expulsion operation against the Han people, intending to drive the Han merchants and people in the delta into the sea.

After hearing the news, Liu Shu sent Liu Gong to lead three thousand troops to resist the enemy. They fought hard. With Liu Gong's excellent command ability and Lin Yi's army's equipment and combat effectiveness advantages, he successfully defeated the Zhenla Kingdom's operation.

It was also from the third year of Yongxi's reign that the relationship between Zhenla and Lin Yi was completely broken. In terms of national strength alone, there is no country or power in Indochina that can compare with Chenla, not even Linyi.

If the two sides fight face to face, Lin Yiguo may not be able to fight, and Liu Shu will not be willing to fight. However, after all, Liu Shu's Linyi is not the surrounding indigenous countries and tribal forces. He has a steady stream of power input from the country. Every immigrant and businessman that passes through is an improvement in its strength.

The most direct one is the support from Annan Road, and there is the endorsement of the imperial court on this matter. Every time Liu Shu reported to the court for help, saying that he was facing the threat of Zhenla's attack, he was always able to extract some benefits, and the provider was naturally Annan Road.

In the winter of the fifth year of Yongxi's reign, the Chenla Kingdom launched an attack on Annan Road. The background was also based on this. To be fair, the court was dragged into the water by the Linyi Kingdom. Of course, the Chenla Kingdom's proactive provocation was indeed stupid.

Starting from October last year, Hou Yanguang, as the deputy commander of the southern army, has led the Guangdong and Guangxi armies southward and began to suppress the rebellion in Annan Road. He killed many people and the effect of counterinsurgency was also very good. In a month's time, most of the people were suppressed. The rebels basically no longer exist. Some tribes choose to be humble and submissive again. Those who refuse to surrender can only seize the mountains and plateaus in the west and north to fight guerrillas.

By the time Liu Wenhuan, the head coach, arrived at Annan Road to govern Jiaozhi, the rebellion in the northern part of Annan Road had been basically put down.

In December, the Han army, which had rested for a while, went south to Huanzhou to attack the invading Zhenla army. There was no doubt about the result. Although the Zhenla army mustered up the courage to fight, they were quickly defeated by the Han army's attack. The proud war elephant troops could not even withstand a round of artillery attack.

During the Battle of Huanzhou, the roar of Chinese artillery resounded for the first time on the land of Indochina.

The Chenla army suffered a disastrous defeat, with thousands killed and more than 30,000 prisoners. It stands to reason that the mission assigned by the imperial court is almost complete. It took two months to quell the chaos and defeat the enemy, which was perfect.

However, at Liu Wenhuan's insistence, after regaining all the lost territory, the Han army took advantage of the situation and counterattacked into the territory of Zhenla Kingdom. In order to gain more achievements, even though it was criticized by many conservatives, it was still the Han Dynasty's first priority in opening up territories. meritorious service.

As you can imagine, compared with the counterattack in Annan Road, the invasion of Chenla Kingdom is not that easy. The difficulty was not the enemy, but the rudimentary road transportation, difficult logistical supplies, and the miasma of poisonous insects. Even though the soldiers were mainly from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Annan, they still suffered huge casualties during the march.

Even so, in January of the sixth year of Yongxi's reign, the Han army successfully captured a large number of cities and lands in the north of Chenla Kingdom. In particular, Wendan City was also occupied by the Han army.

Wendan is not a simple city. It was called "Wanxiang" in later generations. The Chenla Kingdom was once divided into land and water Chenla. In China, the land (northern) Chenla is called Wendan Kingdom. It can be imagined that this city has great influence on the country. The importance of Chenla Kingdom is that it is almost the backbone of the country to the north.

As for Liu Wenhuan's decision to attack Zhenla, the most excited person is Liu Shu, his uncle. During the counter-insurgency period, Lin Yi also launched an attack on Zhenla in the south, but the scale of the war was never large. After all, the development of the entire Indochina Peninsula depended on the battle of Huanzhou.

When Liu Wenhuan's troops entered Zhenla, Liu Shu's side began to carry out large-scale mobilization. When the news came that Wendan City had been captured by the Han army, Lin Yiguo's side could not sit still at all, so in addition to the necessary defense, Outside, the army poured out of the country and headed straight for the Mekong Delta.

Liu Shu and his ministers had full considerations in choosing such an opportunity. First of all, Zhenla suffered heavy losses in the north, and their main focus had to be on dealing with the unrelenting Liu Wenhuan army, which greatly reduced their military pressure. .

At the same time, Liu Shu was also afraid that the imperial court would stop Liu Wenhuan's actions. Based on the foreign policy of the emperor's second brother in recent years, this was very possible.

Therefore, Liu Shu must seize this opportunity tightly. It is really rare for the court to "work hard" like this. Once he misses it, he doesn't know when the next time will be.

And Liu Shu's judgment was very accurate. When Lin Yi's army captured the city and territory in the Mekong Delta, recruited surrenders and rebels, and defeated Zhenla's army, people in the Xijing court were already making suggestions, hoping to bring back Liu Wenhuan's "runaway wild horse". "Yes."

Regarding Liu Wenhuan's unauthorized invasion of Chenla and the increasing scale of the war, opposition voices inevitably became stronger and stronger as time went by.

(End of this chapter)