The prince sat at the top, and all the prime ministers, associate ministers, assistant ministers, assistant ministers, etc. from the Prime Minister's Office attended the meeting. These part-time ministers from the imperial cabinet, the Six Ministries, the Taijian, the Governor's Office, etc. all looked solemn.
In particular, Qian Qianyi, the Zuo Jianyi doctor of the Jian Yuan, was as listless as an eggplant beaten by frost today, and even the hair exposed under his black gauze hat was covered with a lot of white frost.
"The Zuo Jianyi of the Admonition Yuan impeached Geng Zhongming for dozens of serious treason crimes. The Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Admonition Yuan, the Ministry of Punishment, Dali Temple, Jinyiwei, and Dongchang followed the order and jointly investigated. As usual, they ordered the suspension of Geng Zhongming's governorship in North Korea. He temporarily accepted the seal of North Korean general and summoned him to Beijing immediately for investigation. Xu Yaozu, the deputy admiral of the Liaodong Defense Battalion, led a team of bidders to Yuanshan Port in Shuangcheng Prefecture to take over..."
Wen Anzhi, the first assistant bachelor of the cabinet and the chief prime minister, reported to the prince.
"After receiving the order, Geng Zhongming did not wait for Xu Yaozu, the deputy admiral of the Liaodong Defense Battalion, to arrive at Wonsan Port, but directly handed over the seal to Shi Xu Shilong, the governor-general in North Korea, and then returned to Beijing with a group of soldiers. From Wonsan Port, he walked along the Great Wall of Korea He took the land route to Sinanju Port and then went to Donggangpi Island. On the second day after landing on the island, he left a confession and hanged himself.
Geng Zhongming failed to trust and appreciate His Majesty. He made many big mistakes and was lost. He will not be forgiven even if he must die. He can only apologize with death and cannot see the saint again."
After Wen Anzhi finished his report, the palace was silent for a while.
The young Crown Prince was sitting at the top, looking back behind him. Behind a bead curtain, there was a figure. Emperor Zhu Yihai was behind the curtain at this time. There were several bookshelves there, on which were placed many inscriptions, memorials and even book files. , the emperor stood among the bookshelves and looked through a book. It was Geng Zhongming's confession and his last words.
Zhu Yihai ignored the prince.
The prince turned around, coughed slightly, and faced the ministers: "Geng Zhongming didn't need to go through Pi Island when he returned to the court. Why did he hang himself on Pi Island?"
This may also be the doubt in many people's minds.
In fact, you can return to Daming by sea directly from Wonsan Port. Wonsan Port is located in Yongxing Bay in the East Korea Sea. This is the deepest bay in the East Korea Bay and is the best natural harbor.
A squadron of the East China Sea Fleet is stationed here, which is not affiliated with the Governor-General of Korea. Because of its natural deep-water port and the Ming Dynasty's East China Sea strategy in recent years, the imperial court's development of the outer Northeast mainly relied on the sea. Therefore, the port of Wonsan was It became lively.
In particular, the Ming Dynasty intended to use this port to secretly support the Baishan Jurchens and deter North Korea. Therefore, a few years ago, it used the unrest in the northern border of North Korea as an excuse to send the East China Sea Fleet to establish a military port here. Later, it developed trade and made this place a An important port for entrepot trade, processing, manufacturing and transportation.
A map of Liaodong and a map of the Korean Peninsula were specially hung on a copper screen in the hall today.
Of the Eight Korean Routes, three of them, namely North Hamgyong Province, South Hamgyong Province and North Pyongyang Province in the north, are all completely occupied by Baeksan Jurchens.
Wonsan Port is located at the southernmost tip of South Hamgyong Province. It was originally assigned to Gangwon Province by North Korea and even became the capital of Gangwon Province. However, it is now under the control of the Ming army and is actually assigned back to South Hamgyong Province. It is the Shuangcheng Dudu Mansion.
As for the Ping'an North Road at the mouth of the Yalu River, the Koryo Great Wall runs diagonally through it. Originally, the western end of the Koryo Great Wall was built near the south bank of the Yalu River estuary, but now the Jurchens actually crossed the Great Wall and actually controlled the entire Ping'an North Road, which is roughly the same as the Ping'an North Road.
The watershed between the Chongchuan River and the Datong River is the boundary. The entire Chongchuan River is under control on both sides. Parts of South Pyongan Province are also controlled by the Jurchens.
South Hamgyong Province reaches the Chemnyeong Mountains in the north, the Mocheolyeong Mountains in the northeast, the watershed of the Taedong River in the west, and the sea in the east, including the entire Yeongheung Bay and the most fertile river bay.
The plains are collected.
In fact, the so-called Baishan Jurchens are just a pretense created by the imperial court. There is no real Jurchen at all. There used to be Jurchens from the Changbaishan tribe, but now the Jurchens in the Great Wall of Korea are actually a mixture of Jurchens from all ethnic groups. Many of them are from the Ming Dynasty.
The nails were intentionally sent to be planted, and the sign Changbai Jurchen was erected intentionally by the Ming Dynasty.
The three northern borders of North Korea they occupied were also deliberately done under the instructions of the Ming Emperor. Without the emperor's support, they would not have been able to integrate them together, and they would not necessarily be the opponents of the new North Korean army today. And if they unite themselves
Yes, if we really want to fight against the Great Wall and become independent, we will not stop our troops in plain areas such as the Datong River after occupying these strategic highlands in the north.
The Changbai tribe now actually controls more than three roads in the northern border of the Korean Kingdom. After accepting some guidance from Zhu Yihai, the prince also rejected North Korea's request for the Ming Dynasty to help suppress the Jurchen separatist regime in the north. North Korea was very dissatisfied, and the Ming Dynasty
If they don't take action, then they will take action themselves.
In these years, we have also established a new army, with Ming-style equipment, Ming Dynasty instructors, and staff. Not only are they equipped with a large number of firearms, but even the military uniforms are imitated Ming-style. Basically, all senior officers of the new Imperial Guard Army have Ming Dynasty
With the experience of studying abroad, middle and low-level officers have also been trained by Ming army instructors, and everyone can speak Ming Mandarin.
This new army is the pride of North Korea and the source of their self-confidence. The King of North Korea sent his crown prince to take command and led the new army in three towns with more than 30,000 troops. He planned to go north to quell the rebellion, vowing to annihilate the Jurchens and capture them.
He was sold to the Ming Dynasty as a slave.
It was a good idea. Before dispatching the troops, they also gave out rewards to the soldiers. As a result, the army marched in three directions, but the result was unexpected. The North Korean New Army, which had fought many tough battles with the Ming Army in the past, also performed well, but this time it failed.
Without the Ming Dynasty's professional battlefield intelligence support, they were always unable to obtain timely and accurate intelligence after entering the enemy's territory. They were either defeated in the air, their logistics were attacked, their forwards were ambushed, etc.
The North Korean army marched in three directions, only to be lured into the mountains and then attacked endlessly. Although the North Korean New Army also learned from the Ming Army in using firearms, almost all of them were equipped with muskets, and even equipped with many cannons, but marching in the mountains
, the road was difficult to navigate and the artillery was difficult to carry and maneuver. After being constantly harassed, the Koreans began to abandon their heavy artillery and baggage and pursue them lightly.
But the North Korean army, following the example of the Ming army, made their armor lighter or even armor-less. The musketeers replaced the archers and even gave up armor. For one thing, the Ming army's cotton armor was not cheap and they couldn't make it themselves.
It was cheap and good, and the cotton armor was actually quite heavy, so they also followed the Ming army's light infantry route and wanted to use the fierce firepower of the musketeers to create a pure output type.
In the past, the Ming army led the North Korean army in Liaodong, in the Horqin Grassland, the Xilin Gol Grassland, the Hulunbuir Grassland, and even in Heilongjiang, Lake Baikal, and the Kamchatka Peninsula.
With the cooperation of artillery and cavalry, they almost never encountered an opponent. No matter whether they were Jurchens of the Eight Banners or Tsarist Russian Cossacks, they were all defeated by their firepower.
But the Korean army forgot that this trick is not easy to learn.
After the North Korean army gave up their artillery and baggage and pursued lightly into the mountains, they made another big mistake. Unable to obtain timely and accurate intelligence, they could not find the exact location of the Jurchens, so they began to divide their forces.
The troops were originally divided into three groups, with more than 10,000 troops along the way. Now after entering the mountains, the infantry, artillery, and baggage were separated, and the troops had to be divided again.
As a result, the Korean troops became more and more scattered, scattered in the mountains of the northern border. Then, they were intercepted and killed by the Jurchens, and their communication was cut off. They were defeated one by one, ambushed, surrounded, and attacked at night. All kinds of means were used.
On the one hand, he was like a blind man, knowing nothing about the enemy situation on the battlefield, but on the other hand, he received help from the Ming army, and even the secret lines in the Ming army continuously reported information, so he knew everything.
The Jurchens' cavalry and archery are still sharp. They maneuver through the mountains with strong bows and heavy arrows. Even they are not short of firecrackers. In particular, they use a large number of heavy muskets and small artillery, but they leave the Korean army behind with heavy firepower.
Being pressed and beaten.
It only took a short time for the North Korean New Army to devour thousands of miles like a tiger before the war, and then quickly collapse thousands of miles away. In the end, two-thirds of the ace new army in the three towns did not come out in the mountains. They were either annihilated or captured.
The captives were finally put on slave merchant ships in Sinuiju, Sinanju, and Wonsan Ports, and transported to the Central Plains.
It was this defeat that frightened the King of Korea so much that he went south to visit Busan and sent ministers to Wonsan and Beijing to ask the Ming Dynasty to come forward.
The Baishan Jurchens were very arrogant and wanted to seize the opportunity to capture Pyongyang and Seoul.
The Ming Dynasty acted as if this was your family matter and did not want to get involved, which made the matter continue to worsen. Soon the so-called Baishan Jurchen Allied Forces were actually commanded by the Ming Army behind the scenes. They really fought all the way along the west coast to the gates of Pyongyang, and the prince closed the door.
The city did not dare to fight, so the Jurchens directly circled the city and sent troops to attack the prince. However, they were ambushed by the Jurchens and returned again defeated. The defeated troops retreated to Pyongyang and did not dare to leave.
The Jurchens went south directly to the royal capital Seoul, and countless Korean nobles fled to Ganghwa Island, and even to Busan and Jeju, hoping to be protected by the Ming army.
North Korea was frightened every day and kept sending envoys to the Ming Dynasty to ask for help. At this time, the Ming Dynasty finally came forward. First, it sent a sailor from Dongjiang Town to the mouth of the Datong River, and then along the river to Pyongyang and entered Pyongyang to assist in defense.
Another Ming naval force that set out from Jeju Island went north to the mouth of the Han River. It first landed on Ganghwa Island at the mouth of the river, where it took over the camp castle on the island. Then it garrisoned troops and set up artillery. Then another part of the navy arrived at the capital along the Han River.
Seoul.
The Jurchens voluntarily withdrew to Beihan Mountain City, while one battalion of the Ming army was stationed in Nanhan Mountain City on the south bank of the Han River, and another detachment entered Hancheng in the north of the river.
Officials of the Ming Dynasty hosted peace talks on the Han River warship. The Kingdom of Korea and the Baishan Jurchens talked on the ship for several days. North Korea wanted to count on the Ming Dynasty to drive away the Jurchens and even recapture the three northern borders. But this whole thing was planned by the Ming Dynasty. Of course
Impossible to agree.
The so-called Baishan Jurchen chiefs were even more aggressive. In the end, the Koreans had no choice but to sign the Seoul Treaty, recognizing the independence of the Baishan Jurchens in the three northern territories of North Korea. The three roads were assigned to the Baishan Jurchens. From then on, they would not invade each other and enjoy eternal peace.
The Ming Dynasty is a witness. At the same time, in order to ensure security, North Korea requested the Ming army to station troops in North Korea for a long time. Pyongyang, Ganghwa Island, Incheon, North and South Hansan Fortress, and even Seoul have set up Ming army garrison bases. They are even willing to bear the military expenses of the garrison.
Most.
These were also written into the Seoul Treaty, and it even stated that if the Baishan Jurchens crossed the border and invaded North Korea, the Ming Dynasty was obliged to send troops to help defend North Korea, and even sent troops to repel the Baishan Jurchens.
The Koreans called this war the Nine Years of Chaos and the Jurchen invasion of Baishan. The Ming Dynasty called it the Korean Incident of the Nine Years of Shaotian. The time before and after was very short, but the result was to rewrite the historical pattern of Korea. From then on, they spent countless generations of hard work to win the war.
The northern region was all taken away, and even a lot of them were picked up.
After the Baishan Jurchens signed the treaty, they withdrew their troops and plundered some more when they returned. Although they did not capture any major cities such as Pyongyang and Seoul this time, many villages were looted.
Before the war, Korea's morale was high, but in the end it received the most painful beating. Not only did it cede territory, but it also had to pay a large sum of thanks to the Ming Dynasty. Finally, it invited the Ming Dynasty to garrison, and it also had to bear military expenses every year. But these can only be shattered.
After swallowing their teeth and blood, they finally had to borrow money from the Ming Dynasty to purchase new equipment. Their three new armies lost two-thirds, and their equipment was almost completely lost, especially the heavy equipment. They could only continue to borrow money from the Ming Dynasty to purchase new equipment.
Daming bought it, and if he didn’t have that much money, he borrowed money.
Use iron ore and coal mines as collateral.
The Ming Dynasty was making a lot of money. After the Baishan Jurchens successfully occupied three roads, they immediately changed them into three governor's offices and established the Baishan Protectorate. Then they turned around and joined the Ming Dynasty, becoming the same Ming Dynasty as the Bohai Protectorate.
In Jisi Province, half of these territories were under Jurchen self-governance, and half were under the direct jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty was also able to station troops in several key areas of North Korea to further control the Kingdom of North Korea.
By the way, you can also earn another round of arms money.
Not long after the dust of this war settled, Geng Zhongming was impeached and recalled to the DPRK for many serious crimes of treason. Then he handed over the seal of military power, but ended up committing suicide on Dongjiang Pidao. The timing seemed a bit coincidental.
Geng Zhongming also played a great role in the Korean Incident. He was the behind-the-scenes commander of the Baishan Jurchen Army. This guy had been in Dongjiang for a long time, and later followed Huang Taiji in his two expeditions to Korea. He knew Korea very well, and the war he commanded was indeed fought.
Very good.
It's very strange that he died suddenly now, and that he died at this point in time with Pidao.
Geng Zhongming first arrived by land from Wonsan Port to Sinanju at the mouth of the Chongcheon River. There is a port there and he can return directly to Beijing.
But his route was to go north to Phi Island.
This is a very special place for him, a place where he has struggled for most of his life. What does he mean by committing suicide here? Is he returning to his roots, or is he hiding something else? Did he want to gather his old cronies here to rebel? Did he commit suicide?
Qian Qianyi believed that Geng Zhongming did not commit suicide, but was most likely forced to kill, or simply killed by the emperor. The person who took action may be Jin Yiwei or Dongchang, but they were all doing dirty work for the emperor anyway.
When he thought of his green hair, there was a hint of hatred in his eyes as he looked behind the bead curtain.
"Back to Your Highness, the investigation from Dongjiang said that Geng Zhongming had been in Dongjiang for many years and had great affection for the island. There were also many tribesmen and old tribesmen on the island, and they were too embarrassed to go to Beijing to meet the saints, so he finally
Choosing to end his life on Phi Island may also be a way to hint to the saint about his past achievements, and hope that the saint can be open to him and show mercy to his wife, children and clan members."
"Since it is confirmed that it is suicide, please discuss how to deal with it." The prince said.
Qian Qianyi suddenly stood up.
"Your Highness, I believe that although Geng Zhongming committed suicide, his crimes cannot be erased by death. He committed many serious crimes such as deceiving the emperor and treason, and he will never be forgiven. Even if he hangs himself now, he should be punished in accordance with the law. He should be investigated and punished according to the law.
Nine tribes!”
The bead curtain sounded.
Zhu Yihai walked out of it, wearing a dragon robe, and walked to the hall.
"Geng Zhongming was a man of many capriciousness in his life. He was originally a soldier of the Ming Dynasty, but he surrendered to the Jurchens, and then surrendered to the imperial court. But later he rebelled, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty again, and then returned to the Qing Dynasty. Anyway, there are merits and demerits. If you really want to say that three points of merit are seven points of fault.
His faults outweigh his merits. For the sake of the country and the nation, I once accepted him, treated him well, and used him very seriously. However, he still had evil intentions and evil intentions. It is really unforgivable. Now he has ended up like this. It is his own fault and his own fault.
You can’t live!”
At this time, the emperor stood up to give Geng Zhongming a final verdict and final disposition.
Even until his death, Geng Zhongming could not escape the reputation of being a capricious, treacherous and traitorous minister.
Although people die, their sins remain.
"Deprive Geng Zhongming of all official positions and titles,"
"Deprive his fathers, ancestors, descendants, and wives of the imperial edicts and gifts,"
"Confiscate all his property."
"His son Geng Jimao was demoted to a commoner, and his family moved to Yongning Temple."
"The three direct clans of the Geng family moved to the Suiye River in the Western Region to live. The nine other clans, except for the three direct clans, all moved to Longyamen.
The emperor paused and said, "Although Geng Zhongming was a traitor and traitor, he did play a part in expelling the Tartars and reviving the Ming Dynasty and made some achievements. I specially give Geng Jimao 10,000 silver dollars so that he can settle down in Yongning.
I will provide for my mother, my wife, my children, and a hundred acres of land in Yongning.”
"The Geng clan moved to various places, and each of them was given ten pieces of silver and ten acres of land."
Zhu Yihai finally issued a decree that the Geng clan members were not allowed to take the imperial examination, join the army, or serve as officials for three generations, and were not allowed to move back to the Central Plains for five generations.
This treatment is somewhat unexpected.
Geng Zhongming was impeached on such a serious charge and it was basically confirmed. He would not be able to escape death unless he committed suicide, and he would even be implicated in his clan members and even his old relatives.
But now after Geng Zhongming committed suicide, the emperor did not kill anyone in the Geng family, not even his own son. Although his brothers, relatives and relatives were implicated, they were not killed, but their homes were ransacked and exiled. This is already extremely unexpected.
The emperor also ordered that a kneeling statue of Geng Zhongming be cast in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Ming Dynasty, and it will forever kneel in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Ming Dynasty as a warning to future generations.
He will be nailed to the pillar of shame forever and will not be sentenced to death.
Qian Qianyi's body was shaking uncontrollably. Seeing Geng Zhongming's fate, he knew the essence of it.
If the king wants his minister to die, he must die.
Now that the world is at peace, the emperor has to settle old accounts. Geng Zhongming did not die from corruption, accepting bribes, overcoming the Korean clan girls, secretly befriending the Jurchen chiefs, etc., let alone smuggling, doing business and hiring private individuals. He just died because he had repeatedly betrayed the Ming Dynasty.
Liquidated due to black history.
Thinking that he, who had lost his wife, might be next, Qian Qianyi's vision suddenly went dark and he fell to the ground.