Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 361: Changes in Kunming (Part )

In the palace of King Qin.

Ding Kuichu said respectfully to Sun Kewang: "Your Majesty, the Tartar army has been defeated and Nanjing is no longer a threat. Your Majesty has lived in Kunming for a long time and misses the Xiaoling Mausoleum very much. You want to return to Nanjing to pay homage to the late emperor's mausoleum!"

Hearing this, Sun Kewang's eyes narrowed involuntarily. Seeing that Sun Kewang did not answer, Ding Kuichu hurriedly continued, "The King of Qin protects the court and is truly the pillar of the country. Your Majesty wants to follow the example of the Mu family and let the King of Qin rule over Yunnan and Guizhou for generations!"

Sun Kewang did not answer. He knew in his heart that Yongli wanted to run away. It must be because he had recently revealed to others that he wanted to rebuild Dashi, which scared Yongli. Yongli felt it was unsafe to stay there and wanted to run away to Meng Jun's rule. The idea of going back to worship the Xiaoling Mausoleum was just an excuse.

As for the hereditary title of governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, it was just a condition used to exchange for the fact that the Yongli court had been brought under his control. He already had complete control over Yunnan and Guizhou, so why did he need Yongli to confer the title on him?

How could the palace guards and Jinyiwei under Yongli escape from Kunming without his consent?

After a long while, Sun Kewang showed a meaningful smile and said to Ding Kuichu: "Minister Ding, Meng Jun is holding his troops and moving the court to Nanjing. I'm afraid he is like a sheep falling into a tiger's mouth!"

Upon hearing this, Ding Kuichu said righteously: "The court has a great reputation. The loyal people in the world are like stars. How can the court be sheep? Moreover, I have seen that King Zhou is not an ambitious person. The words of King Qin are a little inappropriate."

Sun Kewang snorted coldly, but in his heart he was quite disdainful of Ding Kuichu. He was a vindictive man and had no tolerance for others. How could such a person become the prime minister of a country?

For Sun Kewang, his ambition does not stop at controlling the imperial court. After two years of hard work in Yunnan and Guizhou, Sun Kewang, who has accumulated strength, plans to seize Sichuan next.

However, having the imperial court in his hands had both advantages and disadvantages. At least the chieftains in Yunnan were relatively obedient. Sun Kewang wanted to re-establish the Kingdom of Dashi, but the reaction of the chieftains in Yunnan and Guizhou was something he was worried about. Therefore, Sun Kewang repeatedly spread the idea of re-establishing Dashi, which was meant to test the chieftains in various places.

Thinking of this, Sun Kewang said to Ding Kuichu calmly: "Meng Jun's ambition is obvious. The cabinet actually said that he is a loyal and righteous person. It is really ridiculous. If Your Majesty comes to Nanjing, I will assert that the one who will overthrow the Ming Dynasty in the future will be this person!"

Ding Kuichu thought to himself, "If you don't leave, you will be the one to destroy the Ming Dynasty. If you go to Nanjing, the Ming Dynasty has been supporting the gentry in Jiangnan for a hundred years. No matter what, your chances are better than in Yunnan."

Ding Kuichu smiled and said, "Your Highness is worrying too much. The Ming Dynasty has nurtured scholars for more than 200 years. It is deeply rooted. How can it be easily usurped by thieves?"

This statement seemed to be a double entendre, referring directly to Meng Jun and implicitly criticizing Sun Kewang. After hearing this, Sun Kewang just sneered.

The situation changed drastically at this time. Zhou's army occupied Wuchang and Jingzhou and defeated the Qing army. Its power soared and it became the most powerful force in the world. Sun Kewang was worried that if Yongli ran to Meng Jun's hands, would it increase his reputation and appeal.

Thinking of this, Sun Kewang looked at Ding Kuichu and said, "Your Majesty's every move is watched by the whole world. You should take your time to consider whether to return to the capital."

After Ding Kuichu left, Sun Kewang summoned his two trusted confidants Zheng Guo and Wang Aixiu.

Both of them were the vanguards who secretly encouraged Sun Kewang to become emperor, but they disagreed on Yongli's desire to return the capital to Nanjing.

Sun Kewang said hesitantly, "Today, I have the emperor in my hands, but I don't have the ability to control the princes like Cao Cao did in the late Han Dynasty. But now Meng, Li, Zheng and others all ignore it. There are constant disputes in the court every day. I am overwhelmed by it. The court is like chicken ribs to me!"

Wang Aixiu agreed and said, "Your Highness, Meng Jun is now so powerful because he issues all the political and military orders. If he is released to the emperor, I assert that the Zhou army will be in chaos. As the saying goes, the golden horn has a silver edge and the grass belly has a silver edge. Our Daxi has occupied Yunnan and Guizhou, and has become the golden horn. Without the constraints of the court, it will be beneficial to Your Highness. This is a good strategy!"

Zheng Guo firmly opposed it. He advised Sun Kewang: "Your Highness, this proposal is absolutely not feasible. Your Highness has not yet defeated Li Meng and his kind, and has not yet experienced the benefits of having the emperor in hand. Your Highness, haven't you heard of the story of Yuan Shao not welcoming the emperor, but the King of Wei welcoming Emperor Xian?"

"Yuan Shao was defeated at Guandu. If he had won, what would it have to do with the Han Emperor?" Wang Aixiu retorted.

Zheng Guo did not reply to Wang Aixiu's words, but continued to persuade Sun Kewang: "Your Highness, the emperor is in Yunnan and Guizhou now, Meng Jun dare not easily march south, but if the emperor returns to Nanjing, then Meng Jun will definitely follow the emperor's order and march south. The Meng army is already the strongest among the southern heroes. If they get the emperor, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. This is a great harm to Your Highness!"

Wang Aixiu also felt that Zheng Guo's words made sense. After thinking for a while, he said, "The officials of the Ming court have been fighting among themselves. If they return to Nanjing, they will surely cause unrest in Mengzhou."

Zheng Guo shook his head and said earnestly: "Even if that's the case, what's the harm? Since Meng Jun started the army, most of the generals and officials have been promoted by him, so the chaos will not be too serious. If he gets angry, he can kill the chicken to scare the monkey and seal off the palace. There are many ways. Such a hero will not be tied up by a few scholars!"

After listening to Zheng Guo's words, Sun Kewang fell into deep thought. Although the Zhou army had not yet reached Yunnan and Guizhou, its power was strong. If Yongli ran to Nanjing, which led to their further advancement, he would regret it.

Sun Kewang frowned and said in annoyance, "Leaving the emperor here, it's a mess, it's really annoying. I killed some minor officials last year, but it didn't help. With this entanglement, when will Daxi be able to recover?"

Hearing this, Wang Aixiu perked up and said in a hurry: "Your Highness, don't worry. The eunuch Pang Tianshou has secretly surrendered to Your Highness. He has been in the court for a long time, so he naturally knows who has evil intentions. Capture and kill all these people. Who will dare to stop Your Highness then!"

Sun Kewang asked: "But now the emperor wants to leave, how can I refuse him?"

"That's easy. We just need to let the emperor issue an edict, ordering Meng Jun to go to Kunming to see him. If he doesn't come, he will be considered deadly. The emperor is weak, so how dare he leave!" Zheng Guo said confidently.

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(I will continue to update during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Can I make up for what I owe you?)