Han Shizu

Chapter 2181 Peninsula History: Centennial Tone
It can be said that the rebellion launched by the two marquises Liu Jiyuan and Liu Jichu was doomed to failure from the very beginning. Even beforehand, one could make an absolute judgment that there was no possibility of success.

Politically speaking, Yu Annan and the other two were rebelling against the ancestral royal court. Their actions were untenable in terms of justice and it was difficult for them to win the hearts of the people (the hearts of the Han people who were the core ruling class).

For the Han Dynasty, this was a challenge to the vassal system that had been thoroughly established since the reign of King Sejong, and it was also at the beginning of the new emperor's accession to the throne. No matter what the reason, this behavior was destined not to be recognized by the court, but would instead lead to a crackdown.

Even if the two marquises really defeated the Jiaozhi court with their powerful army and usurped the throne of Annan, they would inevitably encounter a stronger counterattack. And putting aside the possibility of the empire's central government being directly defeated, as long as they issued an imperial edict, the Liu clan states in the peninsula and Southeast Asia would not remain indifferent, at least Linyi, which borders Annan, would never sit idly by.

The third Linyi King Liu Jirong was, as his name suggests, a warmonger. During his ten-plus years in power, he launched more than twenty wars, half of which were directed against Zhenla in the north. He forced Zhenla to move westward and basically completed the annexation of the Tonle Sap Lake area, which was originally the core of Zhenla's rule.

As for other countries in Southeast Asia, whether it is for justice or simply for profit, they will take action under normal circumstances. You know, among the countries in Southeast Asia, Annan is undoubtedly the most mature and prosperous region, and there is no shortage of covetous people around it.

At the same time, due to the rapid development of maritime trade, mature shipping routes and frequent exchanges, the links between the countries in Southeast Asia have become increasingly close, and sea transport has become more efficient and convenient in terms of military deployment and transportation logistics.

Therefore, the rebellion of Marquis Wen and Marquis Wan was doomed to failure from a strategic perspective. The two men started their rebellions out of resentment and did not consider the political consequences at all. How could they have a good ending?

On the other hand, even if we put aside all external interference, as far as the Kingdom of Annan itself is concerned, the strength of the two states of Wen and Wan, plus the two states of Gan and Meng that were invaded by them, totaling four states, is really dwarfed by the strength of the Jiaozhi court.

The energy that Annan can mobilize is several times or even ten times that of the two marquises. Therefore, as long as they can withstand a wave of attacks from the rebels, all that awaits them is failure.

When General Zheng Quan was holding the main force of the rebels outside the city of Yian, it was not difficult to imagine how the situation would develop. As the 50,000-strong army formed by the Jiaozhi court to suppress the rebellion marched south under the command of General Zhao Congzhen (the great-grandson of Zhao Kuangyin and brother of the son-in-law Zhao Congzhi), the situation suddenly changed and went in a direction that was unfavorable to the rebels.

The two sides fought several battles in Huanzhou. The rebels, who were at a disadvantage in terms of military strength, support and food, were finally defeated by the joint expedition of Zhao Congzhen and Zheng Quan. Liu Jiyuan and Liu Jichu led the remnants to flee back to their lair in a panic.

The Annan royal army, led by Zhao Congzhen and Zheng Quanren, crossed the Yue Plain to the west and attacked Wen and Wan states, intending to wipe out the remaining bandits and completely eliminate the two stubborn problems for the Annan court.

This process lasted for three years. There were many reasons for this. First, the two marquises had been operating for a long time, had a favorable geographical location, and had a strong defense, but this was obviously secondary.

There are two main reasons. First, after the great victory, fighting broke out within the court of Jiaozhi, and some people who were dragging their feet appeared. Second, after the rebellion of the two marquises, the indigenous people in Annan who had suffered oppression for many years and were dissatisfied with the Han people rebelled again, causing disaster to all counties and prefectures. While Jiaozhi was besieging Wen and Wan states, it also had to focus a lot of energy on suppressing rebellions in various places.

Prior to this, Liu Jiyuan had sent envoys to contact the cave tribes and barbarian tribes, promising them great benefits to lure them into rebellion and respond to his army.
But no matter how slow the process seemed, with Jiaozhi determined to cure the stubborn disease, it was only a matter of time before the two marquises Wen and Wan fell. Liu Jichu could not bear the pressure and surrendered to Zheng Quan in September of the second year of Zhengtong. He and his entire family and subordinates were taken to Jiaozhi for questioning. Considering that he surrendered voluntarily, Liu Jidan only ordered the execution of Liu Jichu himself. As for his family and descendants, they were spared, demoted to commoners, and driven out of Annan.

In comparison, Liu Jiyuan was much tougher. Facing the siege of Zhao Congzhen's army, he refused to surrender. Relying on Wendan's solid city defenses and the money and grain that had been stored for many years, he fought hard and even launched counterattacks from time to time. He broke Zhao Congzhen's siege several times and forced him to retreat and reorganize.

In this way, it dragged on until the spring of the fourth year of Zhengtong. Liu Jiyuan, who had persisted for another year and a half, was finally defeated by Zhao Congzhen when he was trapped both internally and externally and had no way to continue.

This stubborn resistance angered Zhao Congzhen and also annoyed the Jiaozhi court. Eventually, all the women and dozens of descendants of Liu Jiyuan were killed. Liu Jiyuan's body was also crushed to ashes, in an attempt to ensure that this rebellious and unrighteous person would never be reincarnated.

The rebellion that occurred in Annan between the second and fourth years of the Zhengtong reign had far-reaching consequences and great significance. This was a rebellion started by the royal family, and from then on, the fights between royal families in the Southeast Asian countries became more frequent and fierce. Under the feudal system, the dukes and marquises who had food, money, and soldiers also had the ability to launch rebellions at any time.

At the same time, this situation of fighting within the same family gradually became bloody, and it was also the beginning and symbol of the execution of Liu Jiyuan's entire family. Although they share the same roots and even the same race, after hundreds of years and generations, the so-called blood connection is just an adjective, which is far less moving than power and interests.

It can be said that the "Rebellion of the Two Marquises" was like opening a Pandora's box. Its negative impact continued to spread to the surrounding areas, profoundly affecting the entire Nanyang region, and also promoting the transition of the Nanyang feudal state history to the next stage.

As for Annan, the impact was more direct. On the negative side, the fierce and protracted war greatly depleted Annan's national strength, interrupted its upward development rhythm, and intensified the struggle and chaos within the court.

With this as a lesson, after the end of Liu Jidan's reign, the Annan royal family began to frequently seize the throne by force and stage coups, which accelerated the decline of royal power and the rise of aristocratic families.

Of course, there is still an advantage. At least after this chaos, the Jiaozhi court completed the actual control over the vast areas of the four southwestern states. The two marquises Liu Jiyuan and Liu Jichu still played a positive role in the Hanization and development.

At the same time, after this rebellion, due to the increasingly acute conflicts between Han and Yi people and the resentment of the indigenous people who made up the majority of the population, the Jiaozhi court began to make concessions to these indigenous people in various ways.

Specifically speaking, it means to further absorb them into the military and political system of Annan in terms of politics, economy and even military. Of course, the basic premise is that they must be obedient and sinicized subjects.

It seems that this is the consistent policy of sinicization and assimilation, but compared with the past, there are bolder concessions of power and benefits. The real ethnic assimilation in the Annan region has also begun to accelerate.

This led to the rise of a large number of indigenous nobles in the following decades, and they played an important role in the Annan system. The rise of these people, on the one hand, consolidated the rule of Annan, and on the other hand, made the political environment of Annan more complex and changeable.

It was not until a hundred years later that Annan truly formed a mature, stable, and unified political system.
(End of this chapter)