Chapter 779: The Doomsday in the Flames

The former western capital of Annam, Thanh Hóa Province.
After Annam became the Jiaozhi Administrative Region under the Ming Dynasty, the palace walls surrounding the western capital were demolished. After the structures that violated regulations were removed, the remaining parts were repurposed, eventually becoming the Thanh Hóa Provincial Government Office. Yet now, with Chen Tianbao and his men taking control of Thanh Hóa once again, renaming it the Western Capital and calling it Qinghua Chengzheng, this office was elevated to the status of a palace.

Since the uprising, Chen Tianbao had claimed to represent the Chen family of Annam. After luring Chen Zhi, the Marquis of Rongchang, and his army deep into an ambush and annihilating them, he, at the advice of his ministers, set his sights on Thanh Hóa Province and eventually captured it through a combination of internal and external efforts. This place was the former western capital of Annam, located further south than the eastern capital, Jiaozhou Province, and right by the sea. This not only strengthened his claim to legitimacy but also allowed for easy retreat via sea routes.

Although he had no time to renovate the palace during the war, Chen Tianbao still ordered his subordinates to plunder many Ming people doing business in Thanh Hóa, using their valuables and decorations to adorn the palace. Fortunately, he heeded his ministers’ advice and distributed much of the wealth to the local people. By employing cunning tactics, he managed to win over many soldiers and civilians, giving the place a grand appearance.

Now, the three main halls of this government office served as his hall for receiving ministers. The original plaque reading “Zither Hall” had long been removed and burned as kindling; in its place were the four characters “Qinghua Chengzheng” written by him himself. To distinguish himself from the Hu Dynasty, which promoted the Nham script, and to win over his ministers who regarded Chinese characters and Confucianism as the true orthodoxy, he immediately reinstated Chinese characters as the standard after rising to power. He was proud of his elegant handwriting and fluent Mandarin.

Thus, the so-called main hall was filled with a strong Chinese atmosphere. Aside from the hanging plaque, there was a bronze cauldron adorned with dragon patterns on all four sides, burning agarwood, placed on a desk below. On a wall nearby hung two ink-wash landscape paintings of Song Dynasty style, acquired from some wealthy household. On a rosewood carved stand in the corner stood a sky-blue Ru ware vase with intricate carvings. Even the chairs and stools were painted red with gold trim, exuding a magnificent atmosphere.

Yet in the main hall at that moment, Chen Tianbao was furious. He had just learned that Chen Hua had betrayed him by joining forces with Liu Sheng to defeat his 30,000 troops guarding the river. Though enraged to the point of nearly spitting blood, he still hurriedly arranged ships for escape. But as he busied himself removing the military provisions stored in Qinghua Prefecture and looting the treasures, some officials came to see him, earnestly advising him to fight to the death against the Ming army and not retreat easily, so as not to let the Champa people look down on them.

Furious at the old men’s persistent advice, Chen Tianbao roared, “It was you who said Chen Hua was reliable! If not for your assurances that he had long intended to betray the Ming and declare independence, we would have brought many troops here and even repelled the Ming army. With those iron chains blocking the river, they wouldn’t have been able to advance so far! If we must fight to the death, fine—let the man sent by Champa command. Doesn’t he want military power? Give it all to him!”

Chen Tianbao claimed to be the brother of Chen Tianping, but the old ministers here knew exactly how distant that relationship really was. Hearing this, they, who were dissatisfied with the Ming’s conquest of Annam, could not help but weep. Everyone understood Champa’s motives in providing them with weapons, food, and other supplies—they only wanted to drive out the Ming and then suppress Champa in turn. But who would have thought that in his panic, Chen Tianbao was actually planning to hand over power to the Champa?

Annam and Champa were sworn enemies. It might be possible to use them to restore their country, but how could one allow them to have equal status?

“Don’t look so dejected. I’m just saying we should quickly take ships and head to the sea. We still have a foothold in the south. If we lose Qinghua Prefecture, so be it—after all, we can’t take those troops and civilians with us. It’s better to hand them over to that Champa man. If the Ming army launches a massacre, we can still rally more people in the south! No matter how powerful the Ming army is, it won’t be able to truly take root in Annam! It’s hateful that Old Huang Fu still refuses to die. If he died, those fools who hoped for his benevolent rule would finally wake up!”

The old ministers exchanged glances for a while and had to admit that although Chen Tianbao was foolish in some matters, he was extremely shrewd in others. Yet they had spent two years carefully planning to capture Qinghua Prefecture to create momentum; they had also invested heavily to persuade Chen Hua, even risking exposing their secret agents, just so that Chen Hua could keep earning merits. Retreating to the south might allow them to rely on Champa’s resources, but the road ahead would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.

After a long while, an old minister finally spoke with difficulty, “Let’s follow the King’s wishes… We shall take our leave first!”
Another minister who still wanted to offer advice was pulled away and forced to leave the room with the others. Once outside in the courtyard, he said angrily, “Xidu is a fortified city. If we hold on, we can resist for at least a few months and wear down the Ming army! Moreover, by next spring, when plagues will be rampant, their army will surely fall into chaos! We’ve put in so much effort to take control of this place. If you want to leave, go ahead, but as long as I’m still here in Xidu, I’d rather die than let it fall!”
“Alas, as an old saying goes, ‘You drive wolves out the front door only for tigers to enter through the back.’ With Chen Hua’s failure, our situation has become extremely difficult! Champa and Annam have been enemies for generations. If it weren’t for restoring our kingdom, we wouldn’t have accepted their support in terms of weapons and troops to drive out the Ming. It won’t be easy to deal with them now, either… But Xidu will surely fall. Don’t waste your life here needlessly. Let’s retreat to the south, regroup, and try again!”
Yet the furious minister still refused to give up: “What you say is true, but Xidu has so many people. If we take one person from each household, we’ll have thousands more. When the battle turns stale, we can send in men, women, and children alike. Even if the Ming recapture Qinghua Prefecture, it will be a ruined city! As long as the fighting starts, I don’t believe the Ming army, with such few men, can handle it all!”
“Stop talking! It’s better to save some strength. Don’t forget how many people that butcher led here and killed, and how many men and women were captured and taken to the Central Plains. If we use this same tactic here in our own Xidu of Annam, do you really want the whole country to turn into ashes? Do you truly not know, or just pretend not to know, how many people from prominent families in Annam have been sent to the imperial academy over the years under Old Huang Fu’s policy? When they return and rally the people, how many will still believe in our legitimacy? Enough! Leave this mess to those Chams. Let’s clean things up and leave quickly!”
Although it had already been discovered that the Ming army was transporting supplies by sea, some in the new Chen dynasty suggested attacking those supply ships by sea to cut off the Ming’s supplies. However, sea ships were not as easy to build as flat-bottomed boats on rivers. Over two years, the new Chen dynasty only managed to build ten warships, barely sufficient for self-defense or offensive actions. Thus, those ships were reserved for the previous attack on Xidu and could now be used for retreat. After handling the military affairs in Xidu, Chen Tianbao boarded a ship with his trusted ministers and troops, immediately ordering to set sail, without the slightest hint of reluctance.

To become a king and rule supreme was indeed his dream, but what’s the point of being king if one loses one’s life? Jiaozhi faced the sea to the east, with many harbors suitable for entry and exit. Zheng He had once suggested using this place as a supply base for his treasure fleet, but since the region would fall into chaos again as soon as the army left after each campaign, this idea was ultimately set aside for safety reasons. In Chen Tianbao’s view, this made it easier for him to escape unimpeded.

Now, sitting in a lavishly decorated cabin, he lazily embraced a woman and said with a smile, “They say the Ming emperor is so wise, but in my opinion, he’s not that great. Jiaozhi employed so many civil and military officials, yet with just one call from me, many people wholeheartedly followed me. He sent people to the West time and again, yet now we still travel openly by sea. Once we reach the south, it will be like fish leaping in the vast sea and birds flying under the open sky!”

“Your Majesty is truly wise!”

As soon as these flattering words were spoken, a sudden cry came from outside, followed by continuous noise. Chen Tianbao became angry immediately, pushing the beauty aside and demanding sharply, “What’s going on? Who’s making all this noise?”

At that moment, a guard rushed in, knocking the door open in panic and saying, “Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! There are many ships at sea—more than ours! They have prominent flags on them; they must be the Ming’s… Ming treasure ships!”

At first, Chen Tianbao was shocked and angry, but soon that anger turned into sheer terror. He almost jumped up from his seat, but a large wave caused the ship to tilt sharply, nearly making him fall. Still, he pushed away the guard who tried to help him and stumbled out of the cabin. After struggling to reach the deck, he saw those large ships with billowing sails in the distance, his face turning deathly pale.

“How is this possible? Weren’t their ships said to still be in Siam? If I had known this, I would have rather held onto the Western Capital…”

Hearing the muttering beside him, Chen Tianbao became furious and glared sharply. Only when he recognized the gray-haired old man did he turn away in annoyance. To win over these loyal Chen family officials, he had married all their daughters, so he couldn’t afford to be too disrespectful now. Leaving the panicked old man behind, he strode to the bow and growled at the captain who followed him, “Whatever it takes, get rid of those ships right away!”

Upon hearing this request, the captain immediately felt extremely distressed and said to Chen Tianbao in a humble tone, “Your Majesty, the treasure ships of the Heavenly Dynasty can carry up to twelve sails at most, and at least six or seven. They are faster than ours, and if we follow the coastline, we will surely be blocked. If we head west with the wind, we might be able to avoid them, but they are more familiar with these waters than we are…”

Chen Tianbao, whose forehead veins were bulging, had no time for such details. Without hesitation, he roared, “Stop talking so much! I want results, not explanations! Use whatever route you need, as long as you can get rid of them. Otherwise, if the Ming troops catch up, you’ll all die with me!”

Thinking of what had happened to the rebels before, everyone on the ship shuddered. The captain swallowed hard. Without further delay, he ordered the helmsman and gathered all the sailors. After some time of raising sails and turning the ship, along with the oarsmen exerting all their strength, the large ship indeed accelerated. Since their ship had more sails and oarsmen than the others, they soon left them far behind.

In such a critical moment, although the others on the ship were nervous, they were too preoccupied with saving themselves to worry about their allies, hoping only that the Ming troops would move more slowly. Perhaps because of their desperate wishes, though those large treasure ships chased quickly, the other ships distracted them greatly, so only two ships managed to close in. As the speed increased, the older men couldn’t withstand the strong wind. Despite their fear, they had to retreat to the cabin to take cover.

Yet the two pursuing ships were also fast. In just half an hour, Chen Tianbao could clearly count the nine large sails on them, not to mention the sharp-eyed captains and sailors. The deck was filled with noise, and Chen Tianbao could barely stand upright without the support of two guards due to the ship’s high speed. As the two ships got closer, he tightly gripped the palm of his left hand with his right, until suddenly, flames appeared on those ships, causing his pupils to contract sharply.

It was the Ming army’s firearms again!

Since Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, adopted Zhang Yue’s suggestion—rewarding craftsmen who improved firearms and punishing those whose weapons failed to meet standards—by establishing strict reward and punishment systems—modern cannons now had a range of a hundred more steps than before, reaching four hundred steps. Coupled with a favorable wind, those dozen or so flaming arrows rushed toward the large ships with a whooshing sound, looking truly terrifying. Chen Tianbao instinctively closed his eyes and only opened them after a while to find himself unharmed; he immediately collapsed in exhaustion.

Contrary to his sense of relief, the helmsmen on the ship grew increasingly anxious. With the strong winds at sea, it was difficult to ensure the accuracy of the cannons, and things would be even worse as the distance shortened. They were now far from the coastline, and if even a small spark landed on the sails or the ship’s hull, the entire vessel would be doomed, and everyone would end up feeding fish in the sea. So he did everything in his power, but repeated frantic attempts to circle around only resulted in the enemy closing in faster.

As if to prove that fear brings about what it fears, when the distance between the three ships narrowed significantly, the two ships behind fired more divine arrows. This time, one of the flaming arrows pierced the main sail, and immediately, the fire spread rapidly with the help of the wind. Amidst the overwhelming red flames, although Chen Tianbao saw many people running back and forth to put out the fire, all his strength was drained, and he collapsed, losing consciousness.