Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 448: God refuses to take what he wants
When the news of the war in Outer Yunnan spread to the Southeast Asian countries, disputes broke out first between the Zheng brothers and father and son in Thang Long Prefecture.

Le Duy Tan, the nominal ruler of the Le Dynasty, was also given the "honor" to listen to their argument - after all, the matter involved the next decision, and the Le family needed to report to the Ming Dynasty and request for enthronement.

"I'm almost seventy!" Zheng Song said sullenly. "Ruan Huang's son is a great man. He has taken control of the south in just three years. He calls himself the Duke of Renguo and has set up three divisions. The officials in the prefectures and counties do not listen to the court and now they are even refusing to pay taxes! If we don't send troops to destroy him now, will we wait until I die and he accumulates more troops and money?"

His younger brother Zheng Du frowned: "But it's hard to fight in the south."

Zheng Du was an extremely important person of Zheng Song. He held the position of Taifu and commanded many troops of the Northern Dynasties.

He was telling the truth. Going south, there were many natural dangers, and the passes were easy to defend but difficult to attack. Although Fuchun, where the Nguyen clan was entrenched, was not far from the border controlled by both sides, it was difficult to cross the dangers of Hengshan and Linh River.

"It's not easy to fight now, and it will be even harder in the future!"

Zheng Song insisted on his own opinion.

Although he is a man of his word, if even his own brother and son have different ideas, then it will be useless even if he forces them to go to war.

"The remnants of the Mo family are still entrenched in the northwest." His eldest son Zheng Xun looked at his younger brother Zheng Chun. "If it is according to what my second brother said when he went to the Ming Dynasty to meet the emperor last time, the Ming emperor said that whichever family has quelled the civil strife and won the support of the people will be the first to be asked to confer the title. If we talk about the civil strife, the Mo family is the most important. Nguyen Phuc Yuan... after all, he is married to my Zheng family. As long as the remnants of the Mo family are quelled, and we agree with Nguyen Phuc Yuan, it is not impossible to divide the river and rule separately."

"How can we rule by dividing the river!" Zheng Song looked at his two more capable sons. "The civil strife mentioned by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, are they referring to the remnants of the Mo family? Now that the Ming army has arrived, the remnants of the Mo family entrenched in the Cao Bang area are the traitors who usurped the throne. We don't want to ask the Ming Dynasty to send troops to wipe them out, but as long as the Ming Dynasty can send warships to help us wipe out the Nguyen family, it will be a restoration of order. Since the legitimate Le Dynasty is here, the enthronement will be a piece of cake!"

Li Weixin sat there calmly, his fists clenched in his sleeves, and looked at Zheng Chun who had been silent.

Cut the soil for help?

Mo Dengyong only surrendered his household registration and books, but he did not actually lose any land.

But the Emperor Ming today is no longer the same as he was before. Judging from what has been happening in the Ming Dynasty over the years, he really has ideas about land.

"Father, Gaoping is easy to defend but difficult to attack. But if we give it to the Ming Dynasty, what will happen to Shenglong in the future?" Zheng Chun finally spoke.

"The Ming army has sent troops to Burma and is conquering Japan. How could they send troops to wipe out the remnants of the Mo family in such a hurry?" Zheng Song stared, "Of course they will help us to wipe out the Nguyen family first. With the strength of the Ming Dynasty, are they afraid that we will go back on our word? What about Thang Long... This is also a test! If the Ming Dynasty intends to conquer us again, is Thang Long easy to defend? On the contrary, we should show our obedience and send envoys to the Southern Capital. The Ming Dynasty has now set up the Xingang Xuanwei Division, and is trying to make the big country in Southeast Asia submit obediently."

He looked at Zheng Du again: "Nguyen Phuc Yuan had colluded with Westerners before, that's solid evidence! The Ming Dynasty sent troops to Malacca to expel the Westerners. Have you forgotten what happened a few years ago?"

"...Brother, are you saying that we should do this to test whether Ming has the intention to annex Thang Long?"

"That's right!" Zheng Song saw that he was a little shaken, and immediately softened his tone, "Gaoping is a poor place with bad water and bad mountains. What's the point of Ming Dynasty wanting it? If they want even that kind of place, then they should really defend it. The place where the Ruan family is entrenched is indeed easy to defend but difficult to attack, so we should destroy them first. That way, even if Ming Dynasty sends troops to attack, there will be more places to retreat to."

"...The Ming Dynasty has strong ships and powerful artillery. The south is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but this is only true for us. For the Ming Dynasty... they can just drive in from the sea."

"So we have to test it first." Zheng Song looked at Li Weixin, "One is to ask the Ming Dynasty to wipe out the remnants of the Mo family and occupy Gaoping. The other is to send a navy to help us. If they succeed, they will be given the three lands of Champa. Since the Ming Dynasty has set up a new port, and ships are coming and going, wouldn't it be better to set up a port there? It can also deter Cambodia and Siam."

"Brother, you mean, let's see where Daming chooses?"

"Anyway, all the Champa vassal states are now under the remote control of the Nguyen family!" Zheng Song nodded.

The Champa he mentioned was what the Ming Dynasty called Champa. Jiaozhi and Champa had been at odds with each other for hundreds of years. But now, Jiaozhi has taken over a large area of ​​Champa's prime land, leaving only three small areas of Champa, Huaying and Nanpan, splitting them into vassal states, while nominally still having a Champa monarch.

The terrain is long and narrow, and Thang Long’s control over the south, where the Nguyen family is now entrenched, is difficult to guarantee, let alone the three more distant Champa areas?
But for the Ming Dynasty, it was a good supply point on the way from Nandu to Xingang. In addition, it was not far from Zhenla, which was very suitable for deterring Zhenla and Siam further west.

If Ming chose that place, it would mean that Ming was not obsessed with Jiaozhi. As long as Jiaozhi was obedient, why would Ming send troops to Jiaozhi?

They tried it many years ago, but how could the Jiaozhi people be so easy to rule?
But Zheng Chun always thought about the Ming Emperor he had met.

Can they really test the Ming Dynasty? Or, isn't it the biggest signal that the Ming Dynasty just refuses to confer the title?

He felt that his father was becoming more and more foolish as he grew older, and the key point was... he was always unwilling to give up power.

Now he wanted to give the three Champa lands or Cao Bang land to the Ming Dynasty, just for him to finally unify the north and the south.

Shouldn't the Ming Dynasty make more preparations for the future while it is busy now? Nguyen Phuc Yuan was able to contact Westerners, which shows that he was an ambitious person. Those Westerners ran to the east sea and occupied a small island a few years ago. The Ming Dynasty rushed over to drive them away. Wasn't it because they were worried that Jiaozhi would obtain firearms from them?

Zheng Chun felt that they should go west now and occupy more mountainous areas instead of just staying by the sea.

If we keep the Ruan family and the Mo family in Gaoping, they may be able to rely on each other in the future.

"Father is right. Since we are going to march south, you need to go and supervise the camps in person. I will first supervise this year's grain taxes in preparation for the army's departure." He said this to Zheng Song, and then nodded slightly to Li Weixin with a firm look in his eyes.

Li Weixin couldn't help but feel excited, but tried his best to restrain himself: Has Zheng Chun made a decision?
Zheng Song did not suspect anything, but was overjoyed, and then looked at Zheng Du and his eldest son. He did not know what his good son was planning with his son-in-law Li Weixin, so he just concentrated on arranging the southern expedition.

At this time, in Phu Xuan in the south, Nguyen Phuc Yuan had two daughters in front of him.

The eldest daughter, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nghien, and the youngest daughter, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nghien, were both quite petite, but they both had excellent figures and outstanding looks.

"When you go to Champa, there are only two things you need to do. One is to make sure they don't take advantage of me trying to resist Zheng and establish their own regime in the south to cause trouble. The other is to give birth to a son! He will never dare to neglect you!"

This was the mission he gave to his eldest daughter.

As for his little daughter, Nguyen Phuc Yuan was even more serious: "After you go to Nandu, the important officials of the Ming Dynasty will send you to Beijing to meet the emperor after seeing our letter! Our Nguyen family was the first to kill the Mo family tyrants, but now the Zheng family is holding the Li family hostage and persecuting loyal officials! Humph, what Li Dynasty royal family? I have evidence to prove that the heavenly army has a legitimate reason to go out! When the Ming Dynasty sends troops to attack, our Nguyen family will be allowed to establish a country and have the land of Nanyue!"

Under the military might of the Ming Dynasty, the Zheng and Nguyen families, who were confronting each other in the north and south, were choosing different routes.

However, due to the powerful naval force of the Ming Dynasty, the two Vietnams, North and South, which were strolling along the coastal areas, both began to think of selling each other's territory.

It’s just that Ruan sold more.

Since the Western barbarians have retreated in horror, his plan to use their power to forge cannons has been interrupted. He doesn't know when the Ming naval master will cause trouble for him, so he might as well kneel more thoroughly.

Moreover, in terms of strength, he is still a long way from Zheng.

"Also, you must say that I am willing to send troops to Zhenla to seize the fertile land along the river. The Ming Dynasty purchased a lot of grain, and those foreign companies coveted the fertile land along the Khmer River. After Zhenla restored its country and moved its capital, it was wary of its neighbors and had almost no foreign relations. Before the emperor's southern tour, they did not send anyone to go, which was very disrespectful. Tell His Majesty the Emperor that I am willing to grow more grain for the Ming Dynasty!"

This was an opportunity he keenly seized.

Given the vastness and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, I don't know why it has been purchasing large amounts of grain from the Southeast Asian countries in recent years.

If the Ming Dynasty is short of food, what better place is there than the place where the Zheng family is entrenched and Zhenla?

He could only defend, but could not destroy Zheng, but Ming could. Back then, Ming only wanted that place.

Now the Ming Dynasty is launching a massive attack on Yunnan. Isn't it because there are vast plains and big rivers there, which are suitable for farming?
"Shunguang has the dangerous Hengshan and Lingjiang River in the north and the solid Haiyunbei Mountain in the south. The mountain produces gold and iron, and the sea produces fish and salt. It is indeed a place where heroes can display their talents. If we can tame the people and train our troops to fight against the Zheng family, we can build a legacy that will last for generations."

Nguyen Phuc Yuan’s ears are still ringing with his father’s last words before his death.

But now that the Ming Dynasty is so ambitious, why does he need to tame the people and train troops to fight against Zheng?

Submitting to the Ming Dynasty is also an eternal cause!

Since the Ming Dynasty had established the Southern Capital and the Xingang Xuanwei Division, was it necessary to keep so many chaotic vassal states that were uncultured and uneducated in Southeast Asia?
Nguyen Phuc Yuan could not be fooled by the looks of those foreign companies.

But Nanyang is so big that the Nguyen family will always be able to establish a foundation for the country.

His two daughters set off on their journey, one to the south and one to the north, by boat.

As long as we can stabilize Champa and get permission from the Ming Dynasty, we can move in this direction from now on.

Zhu Changluo didn't know that another beautiful Annan girl was walking towards him with a great gift, nor did he know that the head of the Li family and the second son of the Zheng family were plotting to assassinate Zheng Song and seize power.

He had no time to take care of the affairs of Jiaozhi at the moment. The first step of his Nanyang strategy was to retake Malacca, control outer Yunnan, and build the outermost line of defense.

As for Jiaozhi, it will be the fruit in the fence when the time comes.

At this moment, the Mid-Autumn Festival has just passed, but the first cold wave has already arrived.

The temperature observed in the capital dropped by more than ten degrees overnight.

Is this the second consecutive year of cold winter?

Zhu Changluo knew that the Little Ice Age would last for a long time and would not be so rapid at the beginning.

But the signs are really becoming more and more obvious.

(End of this chapter)