Chapter 440
1 Unification 2 Yuan
...
Taking Heian-kyo (Kyoto) and capturing Emperor Shirakawa, Emperor Toba, Emperor Sutoku, and all members of the Japanese imperial family and nobility did not mean that the whole of Japan had been conquered.
After all, there is still a vast territory in the north of Heian-kyo.
However, in ancient times, the fall of a country's capital and the capture of its royal family were tantamount to the destruction of the country.
King Zhou of Shang set himself on fire at Lutai, the city of Chaoge fell, and the Shang royal family was either killed or captured. The Zhou people established their capital in Luoyi, and the Shang dynasty came to an end. During the Yongjia Rebellion of the Western Jin Dynasty, Luoyang and Chang'an fell one after another. Emperor Huai and Emperor Min were captured by the Xiongnu. The Western Jin royal family fled south in panic, losing all their northern homeland, and the Western Jin Dynasty perished. Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty, surrendered naked. Jinling fell, and the entire Li royal family was moved to Bianjing. The reign titles, rites, and military affairs of the Southern Tang Dynasty were all abolished, and the dynasty came to an abrupt end.
Furthermore, historically, after the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan were captured by the Jurchens, and the capital city of Bianliang (Kaifeng) was captured by the Jurchens. Although Zhao Gou quickly declared himself emperor, and the Song Dynasty still had millions of troops and tens of millions of people resisting the Jurchens, history still considers the Northern Song Dynasty to have perished.
To put it simply, there are usually three clear signs that a country has truly perished:
1. When the monarch is captured, killed, or forced into exile, the royal bloodline is severed or loses its appeal, making it impossible to issue decrees or maintain sacrifices, and the world loses its core of loyalty.
Second, the capital fell, the core territory was occupied, local prefectures and counties lost their central control, and either surrendered or rebelled, and the original administrative divisions completely collapsed.
Third, the national title was abolished, and the original official system, calendar, clothing system and other national systems were no longer implemented. The conqueror's system of rites and laws was adopted instead, and cultural and political identity was completely reconstructed.
The Song Dynasty's conquest of Heian-kyo and the capture of the Japanese Emperor, Retired Emperor, Emperor, and the entire imperial family severed Japan's legal foundation.
Even though there were still remnants of resistance in northern Japan at this time, they were unable to raise the banner of "serving the emperor and restoring the monarchy".
Because they no longer had a royal family to rely on, nor a national title to depend on, they were merely scattered soldiers engaging in plunder, not genuine national resistance.
Therefore, at this point, Japan can be considered dead.
Soon, Wu Yong sent all the Japanese imperial family members and nobles to Beijing.
—The Japanese nobles who surrendered the city were also sent to Beijing by Wu Yong. Wu Yong told them that they must accept the special pardon of His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty and be re-educated by the Song Dynasty before they could return to Japan.
During this process, Wu Yong confiscated a large amount of gold and silver jewelry and sent it back to the Song Dynasty to present to Zhao Yu.
When the Japanese imperial family and nobles arrived in Beijing, Zhao Yu, as was customary, took all the daughters of the Japanese imperial family, nobles, and relatives into his harem. The young and beautiful women remained in Zhao Yu's harem for him to enjoy at his leisure, while the older and less attractive ones were imprisoned in the Shou Kang Palace, where they were forced to live out their days alongside elderly people from other countries.
Meanwhile, all the men in the Japanese imperial family and nobility, regardless of age, were imprisoned in the Castle of Ten Thousand Nations for a period of time to be screened. Those who had committed no wrongdoing or caused any harm were selected and given the opportunity to be pardoned by Emperor Zhao Yu. Those who had committed wrongdoing or caused harm were imprisoned until their deaths.
Next, Zhao Yu issued a series of imperial edicts based on the principle that "Japan has perished and its legal relationship with Japan has been severed," to appease the territories that Japan had already recovered and to exterminate the remaining enemy forces:
The first edict was "Announcement to the Provinces of Japan".
By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty decrees:
With the fall of Heian-kyo, the Retired Emperor, the Emperor Emeritus, the Emperor, and the imperial family of Japan were all captured and imprisoned. The dynasty's fate was sealed, and its former title was abolished. For there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings on earth. Since ancient times, no fallen kingdom has ever survived without a ruler. King Zhou of Yin was overthrown, and the Zhou dynasty established its rule; the Western Jin dynasty was relocated, and the Jiangnan region inherited the throne. This is the clear manifestation of Heaven's will: those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish.
I, by the mandate of Heaven, now rule over the four seas, and the land of Japan is now within my domain. I hereby decree that all powerful clans in the various prefectures surrender immediately and unconditionally, or they may retain their lives and some of their wealth and status. If they remain obstinate and resist stubbornly, they will be defying the mandate of Heaven and disturbing the people. Wherever the Song army goes, everything will be destroyed, and it will be too late for regrets.
Attached is a joint statement signed by the captured Japanese nobles, and a portrait of the three emperors in prison attire, to prove the truth. You all understand the current situation; do not harbor any illusions. Quickly send your sons as hostages, present a petition of submission, and so that we may protect our borders and people, and share in peace. If you dare to delay or hesitate, or secretly form rebellious factions, you will be met with thunderous wrath, and your entire clan will be punished. Beware!
This is it.
The second "Order to Suppress Bandits and Offer Amnesty".
By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty decrees:
Japan, having entered into the imperial court, has exhausted its imperial lineage. However, remnants of the Jin dynasty and stubborn island barbarians still remain, occupying strategic passes and plundering the people, disrupting the borders. A true ruler punishes the wicked and comforts the people, aiming only to eliminate violence and maintain order. How can such rebellious forces be allowed to continue to wreak havoc on the land?
The Japanese Pacification Commissioner Wu Yong, the Japanese Commander-in-Chief Zhang Jun, and the Japanese Military Governor Liu Guangshi are hereby ordered to lead a large army to suppress the rebellion from multiple directions. All those who resist orders, whether they are Jin invaders or island barbarians, shall be executed without distinction of leader or follower. Those who repent and surrender shall be pardoned for their past crimes. If they surrender cities and weapons and lead their people to join us, they shall be granted official titles according to their abilities. If they capture and kill the rebel leaders and redeem themselves through meritorious service, they shall be generously rewarded.
If you remain obstinate and stubbornly resist, relying on your natural defenses, or secretly collude to plot another rebellion, wherever our Great Song army goes, mountain fortresses will be leveled, river strongholds will be destroyed, and all will be burned to ashes, leaving no survivors. You rebellious bandits should consider that the mandate of Heaven is inviolable and the royal army is invincible. Decide whether to go or not as soon as possible, lest you bring about the calamity of your clan's extermination.
All generals must strictly enforce military discipline, prohibit the harm of burning and looting, care for the people who have surrendered, and quickly eliminate the remaining rebels to bring peace to the region.
This is it.
The third measure was to abolish the Japanese writing system (that is, to abolish the Japanese Man'yōgana, katakana, and hiragana, and to fully promote the use of Chinese characters, with only Chinese characters allowed in Japan), and to promote the adoption of Han Chinese hairstyles and the wearing of Song Dynasty clothing.
The fourth decree is to abolish Japanese currency and mandate that all Japanese territory use Song Dynasty currency. Those who disobey this order will be severely punished.
The fifth measure was to abolish all of Japan's old systems, change Japan's original "country, district, village" to "state, county, township", adopt the Song Dynasty's official system, print the Song Dynasty calendar, and order local governments to adopt the Song Dynasty's reign titles.
The sixth measure was to allow people from the Japanese region to participate in the imperial examinations. Those who passed the examinations would be given priority for assignment to the Japanese region to participate in its governance.
The seventh measure was to open granaries and distribute grain to relieve disaster victims caused by war.
The eighth measure was to seize all the gold and silver mines in Japan and bring them under the control of the imperial court. The government would recruit people to mine gold and silver using the most advanced mining and management techniques, while continuing to explore gold and silver mines in Japan and offering rewards for the development of advanced gold and silver mining and exploration technologies.
The ninth step is to prepare for the autumn harvest.
The tenth route involves comprehensive trade with the Japanese region.
and many more……
It is worth mentioning that Zhao Yu issued the highest directive, which was that the Japanese region should only be developed as a resource-rich and agricultural area, and at most, tourism should be allowed. Industrial development and military industry development were not permitted.
With Zhao Yu's supreme instructions, Wu Yong and a group of Song Dynasty ministers and generals continued their conquest of Japan.
At the same time, large quantities of gold and silver were secretly transported back to the Song Dynasty...
……
With the situation in Japan largely settled, Zhao Yu then turned his attention to the grasslands.
After the Song Dynasty conquered the Northeast, severely damaging numerous nomadic tribes on the grasslands, abducting a large number of the elderly, women, and children, blocking trade with the grasslands, and establishing the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism on the grasslands, the grassland population plummeted. According to incomplete statistics, the population of the Mongolian Plateau at this time may have been less than 300,000.
The reason why the population on the Mongolian Plateau shrank so quickly was mainly because the trade blockade imposed by the Song Dynasty cut off the tribes' access to ironware, silk, cotton, and grain. As a result, during the harsh winter, the nomadic people on the grasslands, despite their skills in riding and archery, suffered losses even in hunting due to the lack of iron weapons. They were also unable to form an allied army to raid southwards. Those nomadic tribes that relied on migrating to avoid disasters and plundering resources from neighboring tribes suddenly lost their livelihood. With the arrival of heavy snow, the number of people dying from cold and hunger increased daily.
In order to survive, those nomadic tribes on the grasslands either went further north to Kievan Rus' to compete with the Slavs for living space, or went west to compete with the Western Regions for trade routes on the Silk Road, or simply sent envoys to the border states of the Song Dynasty to express their willingness to submit to the Song Dynasty, become registered households of the Song Dynasty, and accept the Song Dynasty's treatment.
—Leaving aside the nomadic tribes of the grasslands to the north and west, let's just talk about those nomadic tribes that came to submit to the Song Dynasty. First, the Song Dynasty selected young men to join the Song Dynasty's Western Army. Then, the Song Dynasty split them into small groups of people, each numbering at most a few hundred households, and relocated them to various parts of the Song Dynasty. Some were even simply relocated to Jidi or Japan.
How many people would be left in the nomadic tribes of the Mongolian Plateau after all this?
It is worth mentioning that today, the Mongolian Plateau is not only sparsely populated, but also, due to the large-scale development of the Yellow Sect by the Song Dynasty, nearly 30% of the people on the grasslands have become monks.
Because the Yellow Sect was supported by the Song Dynasty, it had food, and joining the sect allowed people to seek refuge. The Song court even stopped pursuing its past crimes.
When disaster strikes, this becomes the preferred refuge for the people on the grasslands.
Unfortunately, the grasslands have suffered many disasters in the past two years.
Therefore, a large number of people from the grasslands choose to become monks or nuns in the Yellow Sect.
The Yellow Sect also preaches "cause and effect, reincarnation" and "abstaining from killing and war". The key point is that these grassland people who have left home can live a life of plenty as long as they do not have children, copy scriptures, and chant Buddhist prayers. Why would they risk their lives to burn, kill, and plunder everywhere?
Feeling the time was right, Zhao Yu issued an edict that this autumn, led by the nomadic people who had surrendered to the Song Dynasty, the Song army would be divided into three routes, led by Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Wu Jie respectively, to enter the grasslands. The objective was to annihilate the Mongol Kingdom located in the eastern and central parts of the Mongolian Plateau, roughly encompassing the area around Burkhan Khaldun, the source of the Onon, Kerulen, and Tula rivers, and to capture Temujin's great-grandfather, Khabul.
This time, the Song army did not adopt the tactics of agricultural peoples, nor did it adopt the new tactics of the Song Dynasty that mainly used firearms. Instead, it adopted the tactics of nomadic peoples, namely "light cavalry carrying provisions, long-distance raids, dividing and encircling, and burning their pastures".
Specifically, this time the Song army abandoned the cumbersome grain and baggage train, and used elite cavalry with their own dry rations and mare's milk to travel day and night without engaging in prolonged battles; when they encountered small groups of tribes, they defeated them without lingering, and focused on finding the main force of the Mongol Kingdom; after breaking their camps, they did not plunder their wealth, but prioritized burning pastures and cutting off water sources, leaving them with no place to graze and no food to sustain their lives.
This method was devised by Zhang Chun and Li Lin, drawing on the strategy of "using light cavalry to control light cavalry" employed by Emperor Kangxi during his campaign against Galdan, and incorporating the tactics of "plundering the court and eradicating the foundation" employed by Emperor Qianlong during his western campaign against the Dzungars. This method was the most likely strategy to pacify the grasslands.
Once the battle tactics were formulated, the Privy Council would directly command these three armies.
Yue Fei's Eastern Route Army set off from the northeast, advanced eastward along the Kerulen River, avoided the Mongol outposts, and went straight to the left flank of Burkhan Khaldun.
Han Shizhong's central army marched straight from the southern grasslands to the Tula River;
Wu Jie's western army guarded the upper reaches of the Onon River, blocking the Mongol people's westward escape route to the Western Regions.
Before the battle, half (at least one-third) of each of the three Song armies were actually Song cavalrymen of nomadic origin. Each soldier had three horses, wore light leather armor, and their rations consisted mainly of dried meat, fried rice, and compressed biscuits. Their main strength was speed.
It could even be called an ancient version of Blitzkrieg.
As soon as the Eastern Route Army entered the grasslands, Yue Fei only sent small groups of cavalry to burn the winter pastures of the grassland tribes along the way and intercept and kill small groups of nomadic cavalry.
When the majority of nomadic cavalry from the Khabul tribe arrived to reinforce them, Yue Fei had already laid an ambush. He used a small number of bombs he carried to scare the enemy's horses, and then used his elite cavalry archers to launch a surprise attack. In one battle, he destroyed the enemy's main force and seized the Kerulen River crossing, cutting off the nomadic tribes' escape route to the east.
The nomadic tribes of the grasslands had many camps along the Tuul River, but Han Shizhong did not attack them one by one. Instead, he personally led three thousand elite troops, bypassing the strongholds along the way, and headed straight for the location of Khabul's royal court.
Caught off guard, the royal garrison was overrun by the Song army, and Khabul hastily led his personal guards to flee west.
Instead of pursuing them, Han Shizhong ordered the burning of the royal court's pastures, seizing control of the families, livestock, and grain of the nomadic tribes on the grasslands, cutting off their foundation for resurgence, and leaving the main force of the nomadic tribes fleeing westward as homeless wanderers.
After that, Han Shizhong ordered the families of the nomadic tribes on the grasslands to build temporary fortresses along the Onon River and stockpile grain and fodder, so as to wait for the enemy to attack.
When Khabul led the remnants of the nomadic tribes of the grasslands westward to the Onon River, they saw that the river was turbulent and the Song army's fortifications were impenetrable. They wanted to turn back eastward, but learned that Yue Fei had already blocked the Kerulen River. They wanted to head north to the extremely cold land, but found that the pastures had been burned and the horses had no grass to eat.
Seeing that the morale of his troops was low, Wu Jie ordered the entire army to attack.
Like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow, the nomadic tribes of the grasslands were unable to coordinate their efforts, and their members either surrendered or fled.
At its lowest point, Khabul only had a few hundred personal guards left.
The three Song armies eventually joined forces at the foot of the main peak of Burkhan Khaldun Mountain, encircling the remnants of the nomadic tribes on the grassland.
At this time, the nomadic tribes of the grasslands had been without food for three days. A large number of warhorses had been slaughtered and eaten, so much so that the cavalry had become infantry. The soldiers were suffering from cold and hunger, and after repeated defeats, they had nowhere to turn and had lost their former fierce spirit.
Before the battle, the remnants of the once fierce nomadic tribes of the grasslands, seeing that the situation was hopeless, defected and led the Song army.
Yue Fei personally went to the front lines and promised, "Those who surrender will be spared death, registered as civilians, and given three years of labor reform, with no reprisals for past offenses." Seeing that the punishment was so lenient, the grassland people laid down their weapons and surrendered.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless and that he was abandoned by his followers, Khabul sighed to the heavens and drew his sword to commit suicide, but was stopped by the strong soldiers around him and was eventually captured by the Song army.
The battle lasted three months. The Song army used nomadic tactics to defeat the nomadic enemy, annihilated all those who resisted, and dismantled the tribes of those who surrendered, relocating them to southern Mongolia, Liaodong, Jidi, and even various parts of Japan, where they lived among Han Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese.
Khabul, along with his family and the chiefs and nobles of various tribes, were escorted to Beijing. The women were sent to Zhao Yu's harem, while the men were imprisoned in the City of Ten Thousand Nations.
Subsequently, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict designating the grasslands around Burhan Mountain as the "Royal Pastureland," stationing government troops there, and sending skilled animal husbandry experts to build numerous large ranches to provide the Song Dynasty with a stable supply of cattle and sheep, while strictly prohibiting private nomadic herding.
In addition, Han migrants reclaimed wasteland in areas where crops could be grown (such as the Hetao region).
In various parts of the Mongolian Plateau, more Gelugpa temples were built, lamas were rewarded, and the steppe people were guided to become monks, thus perpetuating the teachings of "abstaining from birth and childlessness" and "refraining from killing and war."
Not long after, Zhao Yu issued an edict to build two railways on the grasslands, one leading to Khatun City and the other from the northeast to the Western Regions.
After this, the Song Dynasty completely incorporated the vast grasslands into its territory, and there were no more large-scale nomadic tribal rebellions on the Mongolian Plateau. Zhao Yu finally realized his grand vision of "unifying the two dynasties and achieving long-term stability." The stability of his rule over the grasslands far exceeded that of previous dynasties in the Central Plains...
...(End of chapter)