Han Shizu

Chapter 2161: Sejong Chapter 37: Ending
From the perspective of Emperor Liu Wenji, when he received the secret report from Wanyan Shilu, he naturally had mixed feelings. In addition to being shocked and horrified, he also felt an indescribable sense of anticipation and excitement.

But in the end, even the anger at the beginning of the northern tour was calmed down, and all the negative emotions were suppressed by this memorial, returning to a calm and rational state. Liu Wenji also had to calm down, seriously think about the threat of Andong State, and reflect on whether there were any loopholes in his decisions and actions.

It has come to this! Why has it come to this?
Looking back, Liu Wenji suddenly realized that even though he had reached Youzhou, he still didn't have an accurate solution for Anton. Weakening and suppressing Anton was a must, but how far to go and what specific measures to take made Liu Wenji think carefully.

Especially the latter, is it really necessary to tear off the face with Anton, fight a war, and use the most direct and violent means to eliminate the disaster? This is certainly not what Liu Wenji wants. War is a national affair, how can he start a war without authorization, let alone between the vassal states.

Based on this, Liu Wenji couldn't help but feel regretful when looking back on his previous actions. He found that he was arrogant, which was a mistake he had not made in the past few decades.

The King of Andong was old, and Liu Wenji wanted to take advantage of his age, but if he really regarded him as a worthless person, it would be too arrogant. At least, Liu Wenji never thought about how to deal with the dramatic changes in Andong caused by his pressure.

For Liu Wenji, he never regretted the exclusion and suppression he adopted against Anton. What he could not tolerate was his own lack of consideration and the low-level mistakes he made in his planning.

Wanyan Shilu's report served as a reminder to Liu Wenji, allowing him to reflect and plan more comprehensively and prudently. Therefore, after arriving at the Youzhou Palace, Liu Wenji overturned all the scheduled itinerary, canceled the court meeting, and did not see the civil and military officials from the three provinces of Yanshan, North and South, and Liaodong who had been waiting for him. Liu Wenji went straight into the palace, locked himself up alone, and studied a map of the Northeast carefully.
At this point, how to deal with it has become the top priority, and Liu Wenji must consider it carefully and clearly. Of course, as the emperor of the empire, Liu Wenji will not be intimidated by a mere Anton, an old Anton king, and he still has this confidence and ambition.

However, as an emperor known for his prudence and good strategy, he also had to consider more possibilities and consequences. To be fair, a direct fight between the Central Government and Anton, beating him to a pulp, might be a way to "cure the root cause".

However, regardless of the military problems, the adverse political impact and even backlash were not something that the empire or Liu Wenji could easily bear. As for the long-standing self-esteem of Andong, the country was conferred by Emperor Taizu, so how could they dare to destroy it lightly?

An Dong's rebellion and betrayal of the ancestral temple and the imperial court was an opportunity to gain a legitimate position, but this involved another issue that Liu Wenji was more concerned about. The imperial vassal tribute system had only been stable for a few years, and the central government and the various countries had just begun to become familiar with the new exchange relationship. As one of Liu Wenji's major achievements in the Jianlong era, how could he be willing to destroy it?

If it really came to that, even if Anton was dealt with, it was conceivable how serious the negative impact of the internal strife on the imperial power would be. At the same time, no matter what the cause was and who was right or wrong, the central court and the feudal states would inevitably become more alienated. Liu Wenji would not dare to bear the crime of destroying the imperial feudal state system established and consolidated by Shizu and Taizong.
In the Youzhou Palace, Liu Wenji thought for a whole night, thinking about many, many things, and far-reaching things. Until the next day, when the emperor and local ministers were still hesitant, he began to meet with the directors normally.

Regarding the affairs of Andong, Liu Wenji met with four people in total. One of them was Zeng Hui, the governor of Liaodong. He personally listened to his detailed reports on all aspects of the relationship between Liaodong and Andong. Liu Wenji respected this old official who was not a close confidant but was quietly governing Liaodong for the court, and listened to his reports very seriously.
The second one was Zhang Jian, the Minister of War. Of course, there were many obscure points in his words, but Zhang Jian also understood the emperor's intention with his intelligence. In this regard, Zhang Jian's attitude was also very clear. The achievements of Andong's fifty years of development were not easy to come by and should be cherished. The contradiction between the central government and Andong should be dealt with according to the rules and regulations. Unless the situation is irreversible, it is best not to fall into a war.
The third was Xiao Gong, the Shaofu who accompanied the emperor. This was his most trusted and trusted adviser. He had no reservations about Xiao Gong and directly explained all the situations and asked for his opinions. In this regard, Xiao Gong and Zhang Jian actually held similar views. They both considered the overall situation and the political influence that Liu Wenji cared about.

However, Xiao Gong also believed that it was necessary to see further developments in Andong. Once there was any actual action to betray the court, it would be destroyed without hesitation and without mercy. Before that, the court must make corresponding preparations, especially in Liaodong Road.

The fourth one is Xiao Hui, the commander of Longqi Army at that time. From the deputy commander of Da Nei to the commander of Longqi Army, it can be seen that Liu Wenji trusted and valued Xiao Hui, and almost intended to train him to be a banner in his army. You know, Longqi Army was the army that Emperor Shizu made his fortune in, and its status as "the best army in the world" has not been shaken to this day.

Liu Wenji simply asked Xiao Hui about military issues, and Xiao Hui's answer was very affirmative. If Andong resisted the world with a corner of the country, the court only needed to proceed steadily, stick to the right path, and win with national strength, and Andong would have no choice but to perish.

But at the same time, Xiao Hui also rationally proposed that given Andong's geographical advantages and the harmony of the people, the imperial court would need 200,000 troops and more than a year to pacify it. Without such preparation, the court should not rashly launch military action.

It is worth mentioning that among the ministers who accompanied the emperor on this northern tour, there was also an important figure, the Deputy Privy Councilor Cao Wei. As Yang Yanlang was old, the daily affairs of the Privy Council had actually been transferred to Cao Wei.

However, when it came to such a major matter concerning the country of Anton, Liu Wenji did not discuss it with him at the first opportunity. It is conceivable how inadequately prepared he was regarding the issue of Anton, especially when faced with an increasingly complex and difficult situation.

However, Liu Wenji was not alone after all. With the advice of his civil and military colleagues, he could be more calm when dealing with the situation in Andong. At least he restrained his arrogance and made fewer mistakes.

On the third day after arriving in Youzhou, Liu Wenji issued another decree, ordering the Liaodong troops to be on martial law, close the passes and lock the roads to resist the invasion on the grounds of the Liaodong barbarian rebellion. At the same time, he ordered Xiao Hui to lead the Longqi Army of more than 13,000 people to march eastward to Liaoyang.

Under the emperor's personal efforts, the Youzhou Palace gradually became a "mobile camp". Liu Wenji even established a decision-making body dedicated to the affairs of the northeastern border based on the ministers accompanying the emperor and the top leaders of the three provinces of Yan and Liao. This can also be seen as a precursor to the military mobilization of the three provinces.

Deep down, Liu Wenji did not want to fall out with Anton, but if Liu Wenyuan did not know what was good for him and continued to treat the court in a rude and arrogant manner, or even launched a military confrontation, he would never tolerate it.

Everything depends on Liu Wenyuan's final choice, whether he will stop at the brink of disaster. But before that, the court must make all necessary preparations, and accelerate the preparations, in order to make up for the previous arrogance.
On the fifth day, another memorial from King Anton Liu Wenyuan arrived in Youzhou. This time, it was much more "normal". The choice of words, tone and attitude showed the submissiveness and respect of a vassal. The tiger Liu Wenyuan finally put away all his arrogance and fangs.

However, in that memorial, Liu Wenji felt a murderous aura, and the meaning of iron cavalry and golden swords was vividly expressed on paper. Liu Wenyuan also petitioned the emperor, saying that the Wanyan Jurchens had ulterior motives, harbored rebellious intentions, betrayed the court, and killed and plundered the people. He hoped that the court would strictly control the northeastern border of Liaodong and cooperate in suppressing the rebellion so that the rebels would not slip through the net.

With the control of the country by the Anton court, people like Wanyan Shilu, even if they know how to be patient, they may not be unaware of it. When the disloyalty turns into a change, the thunderous sanctions from Anton will follow. As a king, what he hates most is deception and betrayal, and Wanyan Shilu committed both of them on Liu Wenyuan's side.

And with Liu Wenyuan's pride, how could he tolerate it? Being targeted and suppressed by the imperial court would be one thing, but you, a small member of the Wanyan tribe, are so bold as to try to provoke and profit between the imperial court and Andong. Do you really think that I am easy to bully?

When Liu Wenyuan's memorial arrived in Youzhou, King of Andong Liu Wenyuan had already put on his armor again and led an army of 30,000 to attack the Wanyan tribe's stronghold: Wanyan City. He quickly completed the purge of Wanyan's subordinates in the surrounding areas and laid siege to the city.

Wanyan Shilu, who had been worried, was immediately frustrated. Instead of receiving the expected response from the imperial court, the An Dong king's army came. No matter what, at this point, Wanyan Shilu had no choice but to go all the way.

On the one hand, he sent envoys to Youzhou to complain and seek help and sue Andong before the siege. On the other hand, he urgently ordered the elite tribesmen led by his uncle Xie Lihu who were foraging in Huanglongfu to return for rescue. At the same time, he organized the soldiers in Wanyan City to hold out stubbornly.

Besides, Emperor Liu Wenji had a somewhat contemptuous impression of the Wanyan tribe, and laughed at their lack of ability. With Liu Wenji's shrewdness, even if he could not see all of Wanyan Shilu's schemes, he could always get a glimpse of them. It was for this reason that when Liu Wenyuan and Wanyan Shilu's reports were placed on the imperial desk for comparison, Liu Wenji felt like watching a show, and did not take any further action for a while.

In this way, in the late autumn of the sixth year of Jianlong, the largest war in thirty years broke out in the northeast. It was regarded as a cleansing of the house by the State of Andong and was identified by the court as an Andong civil strife.

The battle lasted for quite a long time, from August of the sixth year to March of the seventh year, and ended with the fall of Wanyan City and the surrender of Wanyan Shilu. For Anton, this was a dramatic change, as no one could have imagined that a small Wanyan City and a small Wanyan tribe could make Liu Wenyuan's 100,000 soldiers and civilians stop at the city.

Moreover, the rebellion of the Wanyan tribe gradually led to the rebellion of the barbarians that affected the entire Yazi River Basin. In the former, Wanyan Shilu led the people to resist stubbornly and refused to surrender. Of course, Wanyan Shilu's prestige and command played a big role, but the more important reason was the protection of Andong's long cold climate.

As for the latter, it originated from the core soldiers of the Wanyan tribe led by Wanyan Xielihu. Although they were reinforced by the Andong army on their way back to Wanyan City, they took advantage of their cavalry to escape into the mountains and forests. Afterwards, they led the remaining troops to fight guerrilla warfare with the Andong government army. While harassing Andong counties, they also constantly instigated resistance from other Jurchen tribes in order to share the pressure on the Wanyan tribe.

Wanyan Xielihu's efforts really paid off. Under Liu Wenyuan's rule, many barbarian tribes in Andong were more or less resentful. When Wanyan City was not conquered after a long siege, the resentment was released.
This is the biggest chaos and challenge faced by the Kingdom of Andong since its establishment. Of course, as long as the imperial court does not take sides, it is difficult for the barbarians to really shake the rule of the Kingdom of Andong. Otherwise, it would be too much to underestimate the decades of development of the Andong army and people, and too much to underestimate the control of the Andong dignitaries over the country.

In the face of absolute strength, the quelling of the chaos was inevitable, especially when the upper class nobles of Anton also mobilized and concentrated their forces to cooperate with Liu Wenyuan in the extermination of the Jurchen tribes. What they protected was not only Liu Wenyuan, but also their own status as the ruling class.

However, even so, such a turmoil still had a great impact on the country of Andong. On the one hand, the country suffered a great loss of national strength, and the military and civilian forces suffered huge losses. The production and living order in the core ruling area of ​​the Yazi River Basin suffered a serious disruption. Thousands of soldiers were killed under the city of Wanyan, including many elite soldiers of Andong.

But every disadvantage has its advantages! In the short term, after such a turmoil, Andong has dispelled a lot of fear from the court. You know, at the beginning of the civil strife, the court troops on the Liaodong border were under martial law and defense, ready to go north at any time, especially after Xiao Hui led the army north and stationed in Tongzhou and Huanglongfu.

However, in the later period, the latent force loosened. On the contrary, the Liaodong army began to help fight against the roaming bandits, maintain order on the border, and shelter the people of Andong who fled the war.

From a long-term perspective, the conservative and independent forces of the Jurchen tribes represented by the Wanyan tribe suffered an unprecedented blow in this turmoil, especially the Wanyan tribe. Almost all of its old nobles and leaders were wiped out, and the rest were all made into slaves, working hard to atone for their sins in the ice and snow.

Along with this, ethnic and class contradictions in Andong were released and eased over the past thirty years. Killing and death always calm people down and remind them of the beauty of stability and peace. The deeper assimilation process of the barbarian tribes under the rule of Andong also began. The number of non-Han registered citizens doubled within the next ten years.

Of course, after pacifying the rebellion, the affairs of the Kingdom of Andong, or the affairs of King Liu Wenyuan of Andong, were not over. The imperial court was still a difficult hurdle for him.

The easing of relations between the two sides began with a series of softening memorials issued by Liu Wenyuan during his suppression of the rebellion, and officially returned to normal when Liu Wenji left Youzhou and went west to Taiyuan for inspection.

In the summer of the seventh year of Jianlong, after handling internal affairs, Liu Wenyuan personally led the Andong delegation to Luoyang to pay homage. In addition to generous gifts and the heads of the rebel leaders, they also brought more than 20 criminals in prison carts - officials from Andong who were engaged in human trafficking.

Doing this also shows that Liu Wenyuan has completely surrendered. One can only imagine how tormented he must have been when he made such a decision, as someone so proud and strong as him.

In this regard, Emperor Liu Wenji was tolerant.
(End of this chapter)