Han Shizu

Chapter 2167: Sejong Chapter 43: Conquering the Southwest
The rebellious sentiment was raging and sweeping across the southwest. Although core prefectures and cities in central and northern Yunnan, such as Shanchan, Lizhou (Dali), and Jianchang, had been as solid as a rock and had never been lost, the southwestern rebellion that affected Yunnan and Guizhou was enough to make the imperial court uneasy.

What mattered to the imperial court in the Yunnan-Guizhou rebellion was not how many barbarian tribes and chieftains rebelled, how many unruly people rebelled, how many towns were destroyed, and how many officials and civilians died. To be honest, even if Yunnan and Guizhou were completely destroyed and all the people died, it would not matter to the imperial court, after all, it was difficult to shake the foundation of the empire.

Where is the core ruling area of ​​the empire? It is always in the Central Plains and Hebei. Of course, in the past two or three decades, with the rapid economic development and prosperity of the southeastern Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, they have gradually caught up and become the most core and powerful driving force for maintaining the operation of the empire's ruling order.

As for other places, border areas such as the northwest, southwest, Shanyang, and northeast, although they are also inseparable parts of the empire and play a tripod role, they are always inferior and belong to the face and symbol of a powerful empire.

For the sake of the dignity and glory of the empire, and in order to maintain the great reputation of the "Golden Age of Jianlong", the imperial court would not allow rebellion or betrayal to occur. The empire in its heyday also had enough strength to suppress violence and chaos. For a unified central empire, no matter which side experienced serious unrest, it meant that there was a problem with the empire's rule, and it would inevitably seek a solution.

On the other hand, the development of things is universally connected. Even though high mountains, dense forests, poisonous insects and miasma are still important obstacles to the connection between Yunnan and Guizhou and the outside world, the Jianlong era is very different from the past, and the connection is becoming increasingly close.

Even Emperor Xuanzong's Tang Dynasty was able to conquer Nanzhao, not to mention the fact that Yunnan and Guizhou had been under the rule of the empire for decades. At the same time, if the situation in Yunnan and Guizhou deteriorated for a long time, then the southern counties of Jiannan, western Guangxi, western Hunan, and even Tubo on the other side of the plateau, which have highly similar terrain, climate, ethnic distribution, and governance, would inevitably be affected. If the scope is expanded, it would be the best places that the court would have to protect at all costs.
Although it has been more than 30 years since the Sichuan Rebellion, its impact and lessons still exist. At least for Emperor Liu Wenzhi and his ministers who experienced it personally, they dare not be too careless.

Therefore, for the sake of peace in the southwest and the rule of the empire, it is natural that the court paid increasing attention to the rebellion in Yunnan and Guizhou, and it must be nipped in the bud as soon as possible, and the impact must be controlled within the Yunnan and Guizhou regions as much as possible.

Seeing that the chaos was expanding and the bandits were spreading, and that the local government and the army were unable to control them, the empire finally took formal action from the central level down. The imperial edict to march into Yunnan and Guizhou to quell the rebellion and the formation of a quelling army were officially implemented in the tenth year of Jianlong (1027).

Of course, although the imperial court under Liu Wenji's leadership could not avoid some slow and arrogant "empire diseases", its efficiency in handling affairs, especially on major military and national issues such as the Yunnan-Guizhou Rebellion, would not be so slow.

There were two reasons why the rebellion was delayed until the tenth year of Jianlong's reign. First, the court waited, observed, and understood the development of the rebellion, hoping that Yunnan and Guizhou would handle the situation on their own. Second, after the beginning of autumn in the ninth year of Jianlong's reign, the court had begun intensive preparations for suppressing the rebellion, raising food and weapons, and mobilizing troops. It took more than half a year to build an iron-clad encirclement around the important cities in Yunnan and Guizhou and their surrounding areas.

Emperor Liu Wenji may not be proficient in military affairs, but he knows the overall situation, the general situation, and the strategy. At the same time, there are also many outstanding military talents around him to plan the expedition. There are three main people who plan the overall military situation in the southwest for Liu Wenji: Zhang Jian, the Minister of War, Xiao Gong, who was transferred from the Ministry of Finance to the Palace Supervisor and the Privy Councilor, and the most critical Deputy Privy Envoy Cao Wei.

Cao Wei was also the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Rebellion, and was appointed by Liu Wenji as the Southwest Recruiting Envoy and Governor of the armies of Jiannan, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou. At the same time, Cao Wei was also assigned two deputies, the Southwest Inspector Zhe Weichang and the Guangdong and Guangxi Inspector Cao Keming.

There is no need to say much about Zhe Weichang. He is the direct descendant of the Zhe family and is in his prime. The veteran general Cao Keming is the nephew of Baizhang Bo Cao Guangshi. He is a general who has been on the battlefield for a long time and has strong command and response capabilities. Even though he is over 60 years old, he can still draw the sword and control the bow, and he has been stationed in Guangxi all year round.

In the eyes of many imperial officials, Cao Wei was able to reach a high position and become the "Executive Deputy Privy Councilor" of the Privy Council because of his resume and family background. Although he participated in the suppression of internal rebellions several times during his military career, he did not have many achievements that could convince the public.

Of course, this is a common problem for all military commanders in the Peace Empire system. Their origin, resume and qualifications are the main basis for their promotion. After all, unlike the generals of the older generation, almost everyone can show their outstanding military exploits. However, due to Cao Wei's high position, this point was magnified.

Therefore, the trip to the southwest was not only a major event for the Han Empire, but also a battle of proof for Cao Wei himself. However, such an opportunity did not come until the twilight of his life. In the tenth year of Jianlong, Cao Wei was already 55 years old.
War is the best school for soldiers and the most efficient training ground. In the process of suppressing the rebellion in the southwest, a group of young generals gradually emerged, such as Yang Wenguang (youngest son of Yang Yanzhao), Tian Sixie (grandson of Tian Renlang), Ma Changyi (grandson of Ma Renyu), etc., who all came from prominent family backgrounds.

Obviously, no matter how much the emperor feared the military meritorious officials and how much the resulting attacks and suppression he incurred, when the country was in real trouble, he would inevitably lean towards them when selecting soldiers and generals.

Of course, Liu Wenji had the intention of appeasing the nobles, but the nobles' deep influence on the army was also an important factor. The Yunnan-Guizhou Rebellion was good for the nobles to a certain extent, at least it made them feel proud and happy to turn over!

During the war, no one dared to suppress and restrict the people openly. In terms of the overall situation, Liu Wenji did not allow people who dragged his feet or dissented.
Of course, in addition to the nobles, there were also elites from humble backgrounds who rose to prominence through this process, such as the famous Di Qing. Under Cao Keming's command, he first followed him to quell the riots in Guangxi. Because of his bravery in combat, he was discovered by Cao Keming, who was on patrol, and was promoted twice to become a junior officer.

Later he marched into Yunnan and attacked Ningzhou, the gathering place of the rebels who initiated the rebellion. Now that he had people under his command, he performed even better. Not only was he brave and daring in battle, but he also knew how to use strategies, observe the situation, and know his strengths and weaknesses. In the end, he personally took the head of the chieftain of the Ayue tribe, which made Cao Keming look at him in a different light.

After that, Di Qing became unstoppable. Although he was only in his early twenties, he gradually became the sharpest knife under Cao Keming, often stabbing those difficult and tough rebels.

Before the rebellion was quelled, Di Qing was just a poor soldier. After the rebellion was quelled, he was already the commander of an army under the Eastern Route Army, becoming a mid-level general with outstanding military exploits. He was also on the list of generals who returned to the court to offer their contributions, and was able to enter the palace and see the emperor.
Of course, an experience like Di Qing's is still a legend among legends and an exception among exceptions, even under the emperor's political tendency to promote and value generals from humble backgrounds.

Cao Keming was not the only one who could help him reach that point. Di Qing joined the army at the age of 16 and spent three years to become a squad leader. Later, he was recommended by Yao Yilu (whose ancestor was Yao Yuanfu, the Duke of Fen, who was a prefect in the early Qianyou period) who was the commander of the Fenzhou army, to serve in the Imperial Guards in Beijing.

The imperial court wanted to conquer the southwest, so it was impossible to use all the local troops. The Fengsheng Army where Di Qing was was transferred to the southwest, and he was transferred to Cao Keming's command along with the left wing.
After the Southwest, Di Qing's mentor became the emperor of the Han Dynasty. However, even though he later became a typical figure among Liu Wenji's generals from humble backgrounds, before Di Qing became successful, it was still the military nobles who helped him.

In the military system of the Han Empire, the nobles controlled the upward channels and firmly occupied the middle and high-level positions. However, at the grassroots level of the imperial army, it was not stagnant, and not all the nobles were so narrow-minded and selfish.

Let’s talk about the Yunnan and Guizhou rebellions again. The imperial court paid an extremely high price to quell them. It mobilized 300,000 soldiers and civilians, spent more than 10 million strings of cash, consumed more than 2 million shi of grain, and took more than three years.

War is becoming more and more expensive for the Central Empire. Of all the manpower, less than 30% is used to suppress bandits and quell rebellions. The remaining 70% is invested in the various logistical costs of maintaining the war.
In the matter of suppressing the rebellion in Yunnan and Guizhou, Cao Wei adopted the strategic policy of "military first, politics second, slow progress, and defeat them one by one". After all, he was a minister who had been in charge of military orders in the Privy Council for many years, with high vision and broad vision, and he understood the nature of war.

Therefore, in many places, the process of suppressing the rebellion was to use military threats first, political appeasement as the main method, and interest bribery as the last resort. In fact, the so-called Yunnan-Guizhou joint rebellion was just that the rebellion was widespread, with many forces involved, and caused great adverse effects, but it was not that all the people in the province rebelled.

At the very least, the bureaucrats and the army were still firmly loyal to the imperial court, or to their own power and interests. It was impossible for the Han powerful people to be of the same mind as the barbarians. They might try to take advantage of the situation, but they would not go all the way to the end. Especially after the imperial court launched a large-scale military operation, many Han powerful people and local tyrants took the initiative to participate in the suppression of the rebellion, providing manpower, money and effort to assist the royal army in suppressing the bandits.

Even the chieftains in areas like Shanchan and Lizhou did not follow the poor barbarians in rebelling against the imperial court. They were in the core ruling circle of the provincial capital, were more influenced, were more deeply sinicized, and understood the power of the imperial court and its "bottom line" better.

At the same time, under the rule of the empire, in their exchanges with the Han people, they gained more benefits than being exploited. Therefore, among these chieftains, there were few who rebelled and many who waited and watched. When the royal army entered Yunnan, many of them provided them with food and drink and served as guides.

With so many factors and the combined efforts of the three parties, the Yunnan-Guizhou Rebellion lasted for some years, but its end was inevitable. This was inseparable from the imperial court's strong power and the results of decades of sinicization. This was the general trend.

As for military affairs, Cao Wei mastered the strategy of "advancing step by step" to perfection. Under his overall command, several groups of troops eliminated the rebels step by step in a very calm manner and order.

Yunnan and Guizhou are like a chessboard. Before making a move, the interference factors outside the chessboard must be cleared. Cao Wei led the army to pacify the southern part of Jiannan, and then to Chang'an in Hunan, while Cao Keming pacified Guangxi. After the periphery was cleared and settled, the troops were gathered, and the food, weapons and livestock were fully prepared, they officially marched to Yunnan and Guizhou.

During the march, Cao Wei also used a large part of his military and civilian manpower to ensure logistics and build roads. The intensity of his efforts was so great that when news reached the capital, it caused some strange rumors. It was said that Cao Shumi led an army of 100,000 and hundreds of thousands of civilians to build roads in the southwest at a cost of millions of grain and salary from the state.

Although it was a huge expense, an ugly scene, and a lot of criticism, the consolidation of transportation was also one of the most important factors in the smooth pacification of Yunnan and Guizhou. After the turmoil was quelled, many of the road projects during the war were upgraded to official roads, becoming thoroughfares connecting the prefectures of Yunnan and Guizhou.

Cao Wei almost completely upgraded the transportation between Yunnan and Guizhou, which greatly facilitated internal transportation and strengthened external connections, and played a huge role in the recovery and development of Yunnan and Guizhou after the chaos.

The Yunnan-Guizhou rebellion continued until the early spring of the 13th year of Jianlong, when the last rebel group in Tengchong was annihilated by the Han army, and it was officially declared over. This riot was undoubtedly a comprehensive and severe destruction to the two regions of Yunnan and Guizhou.

The economy was paralyzed, all industries were depressed, and due to the war, the transportation of supplies was difficult. Although most cities maintained their defensive security, many people starved to death, resulting in a huge wave of "exodus from the city".

The loss of population was obvious to the naked eye, but due to the ambiguity of the population of Yunnan and Guizhou, it is difficult to calculate the exact number of deaths. However, judging from the population register submitted by the second emperor to the Ministry of Households in the 15th year of Jianlong, the registered population was more than 300,000 less than before the chaos.

In the mountains and forests of Yunnan and Guizhou, there appeared a large number of ruins of barbarian villages and buildings. They were deserted and eerie. Before the rebellion, these places were not densely populated, but at least there was smoke from cooking fires.

Over the past few decades, the imperial court has appointed 194 chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou. By the 61th year of Jianlong, only were left. More than of them disappeared because they were either destroyed by the imperial army or annexed by other chieftains during the chaos.
The final result of the Yunnan-Guizhou Rebellion was a mess, but it was not without some positive significance. At least, after a vigorous reshuffle, social resources were redistributed, social contradictions were alleviated, and with the enthronement of new chieftains, the court's control over Yunnan and Guizhou was actually strengthened, and the assimilation of Han civilization into the local area was further deepened.

Once Yunnan and Guizhou are stable, the entire southwest can enjoy decades of peace.
In addition, this chaos also led to a large number of tribal people flowing south to Pagan and Annan, which had a major impact on the rule of the two countries. Needless to say, Annan sent troops to suppress them, but they were not completely eliminated and gradually merged with the locals, becoming an uneasy force active on the border between Guangnan West Road and Annan.

As for the Pagan Kingdom, based on their anti-Han stance, those people quickly united with the already declining Pagan Kingdom to confront the Linhai Kingdom, allowing it to survive for a few more years.

Later, due to conflicts over land, tribes, and power struggles, the two countries broke up. After a fierce battle, Pagan was destroyed. Of course, Linhai State finally took advantage of the situation and took the opportunity to unify the Burmese region, completing the unfinished work of the founding monarch Liu Wenhai.

However, those "Li tribes" who had already taken root, although they submitted to the Linhai Kingdom, were always a threat to the north, active in the mountainous areas on the border between Yunnan and Linhai for hundreds of years.
(End of this chapter)