The place of Annan is very different from later generations.

In terms of communication, it is similar to other territories of the Ming Dynasty. At most, there is a slight Annan accent when speaking.

For example, the indigenous minorities just have heavier accents, and their written language is no different from the current Chinese characters.

Culture, politics, military, people's livelihood, etc. are all the same as those of the Han people.

Annan had been a part of the Central Plains dynasty since a long time ago. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, due to geographical factors and the weakening of the Central Plains dynasty, it gradually became independent.

The Mongols unified China, but made Annan a vassal state and didn't bother to pay any attention to it.

Firstly, this place is poor and shabby, with nothing to rob; secondly, there are many mountains and dense forests here, and the Mongolian cavalry is totally unsuitable for fighting here. Moreover, the Mongolians find the environment here even more difficult to accept than the Han people.

So just let it go.

After Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, he felt that this place was not a good place. After all, he had never been there. As Zhu Yuanzhang grew up under the rule of the Mongols, his impression of Annan was influenced by the Mongols.

Plus, Annan is very obedient.

In December of the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang sent a prefect named Yi Ji as an envoy to Annan to issue an imperial edict.

In the edict, Zhu Yuanzhang first briefly introduced his identity, and then informed the other side that most of their forces had been defeated, and if they wanted to coexist peacefully, they should quickly acknowledge his orthodox identity.

The edict said: "In the past, when the emperors ruled the world, they treated everyone equally, regardless of distance, wherever the sun and the moon shined. ... The country was named Ming and the era name was changed to Hongwu. Recently, the Yuan capital has been conquered, the territory is unified, and the orthodox tradition has been inherited."

We are now living in peace with people near and far, sharing the blessing of peace. However, the rulers and chieftains of the four barbarians are far away and have not heard of it, so I have issued this edict, hoping that you will be aware of it.

At that time, the Kingdom of Annan was in the late Chen Dynasty, and the king was Chen Rihong.

Chen Rixiang had already heard of Zhu Yuanzhang's reputation when he was competing with Chen Youliang for supremacy.

Now the Ming Dynasty is as bright as the rising sun, so Chen Rihong naturally dare not neglect it.

He immediately sent Shaozhong Daifu Tongshi Min and others as envoys to Nanjing to pay tribute and request enthronement.

You should know that although the Annan people call themselves emperors, they have always called themselves kings to the Central Plains dynasties. Now they ask the Ming Dynasty to confer the title, which means they respect the Ming Dynasty as the orthodox.

Annan was the first to pledge allegiance, which left a good impression on Zhu Yuanzhang and made him feel quite honored.

In addition, there are so many small countries, and each of them is very poor. If they were all taken over by the Ming Dynasty, it would only increase the burden.

When the Ming Dynasty was first founded, its territory was already large enough. At the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang had great ambitions and wanted to expand the territory.

Later, he found that even the governance of the current territory was extremely difficult, so he gradually gave up this plan and turned his attention to managing internal affairs and developing people's livelihood.

A difference of one thought led to the division of Annan and the Central Plains into two countries in later generations. If Annan had been governed like Yunnan, the situation would have been very different.

Now Zhu Ying has transferred 50,000 troops here, and his purpose is obvious.

"Liu, our army is less than ten miles away from the capital of Annan, Thang Long City. Your Excellency, do you think it is necessary to send an envoy to notify us first?"

"Now that our 50,000-strong army is at the gates of the city, I'm afraid that Thang Long City is already in chaos."

Wei Xing, the commander of the army, asked Liu Sheng respectfully.

Liu Sheng came with the army and was appointed by Zhu Ying as the commander of the Annan Army. He had the power to supervise all Ming soldiers in the Annan region and punish or demote them.

This means that all the people and soldiers in Annan must be under the control of Liu Sheng, the military supervisor.

"Shenglong, you are so arrogant. You are just a tiny country, but you dare to compare yourself to a dragon? Where do you put our Ming Dynasty?"

"Hmph, no need to report. Our Ming army has just arrived here, so we should teach them a lesson and let those who have evil intentions know how to treat our Ming soldiers."

"We need to make them aware of their status. They are just vassal states of our Ming Dynasty."

Liu Sheng looked into the distance and could vaguely see the outline of a city, but compared to the city of Daming, it was just a small place.

At most, it is equivalent to a county town. Even the upper counties cannot compare with you. It can be regarded as a middle-level county.

"I will obey your orders."

Wei Xing's face was vaguely agitated; he didn't want to just go through this peacefully.

These 50,000 troops were not ordinary garrison soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, but garrison soldiers from the capital. Many of them had fought on the battlefield and won meritorious service.

Starting from Nanjing, passing through Hunan and Guangxi provinces, and then arriving in Annan.

Needless to say, within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, after entering Annan, wherever he went, everyone knelt in submission. This made Wei Xing, who had always wanted to take action, feel very bored.

Aren't there many bandits in Annan? How come I can even see their shadows all the way here?

If the Annan bandits knew what Wei Xing was thinking, they would definitely curse at him.

We are bandits, not fools.

Fifty men can ensure that you will not return, and five hundred men can make a fuss depending on the situation. As for you, you have fifty thousand men.

As they walked along, the earth shook and even the tigers were scared away.

Are you thinking you don't want to live anymore and are in a hurry to reincarnate?

No, how could we bear to kill such a good laborer? He will just become a logistical laborer.

After Liu Sheng finished his instructions, he returned to the carriage.

After all, he is already very old, and his body cannot handle just walking or riding a horse.

Including Li Xiucai, they all benefited from his blessing.

But now Li Xiucai is already dizzy.

"How can you be so useless that you can't even bear this little suffering?" Liu Sheng cursed directly.

Li Xiucai said weakly: "This is different. We passed through the mountains all the way from the Western Regions, and the land is flat. Although it is a bit rugged, it is not bad."

Liu Sheng said: "But on the water, the boat was rocking and the waves were shaking, but you didn't react at all."

Li Xiucai replied: "Although I am from the north, when I was taking the imperial examination, I often went to the south. I was not used to it at first, but after a while, I got used to it."

Liu Sheng shook his head speechlessly and said, "At my age, I have heard of people getting seasick and carsick, but this is the first time I have heard of people getting mountain sickness like you. Okay, get ready."

"We are now on flat land. Only ten miles ahead is the capital of Annan."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiucai immediately stood up from the carriage and said happily, "It's true."

Liu Sheng said: "Come out and take a look, then you will know."

Hearing this, Li Xiucai, who had been sick just now, suddenly became like a different person. All his energy and spirit returned, and he hurriedly got out of the car to check.

I saw hundreds of thousands of mountains, forgotten behind me, piled up one after another.

Before our eyes is an endless vast plain with lush grass, rivers and streams. There are a few mountains, which can only be called hills.

There is an isolated city in the distance, and there seems to be a swaying figure.

"I'm here, I'm finally here. After months of hard work, I've finally arrived. This is where I'm going to serve as an official from now on."

Having said this, Mr. Li hastily straightened his clothes and smoothed out the wrinkles, looking like a real official.

Liu Sheng was also quite speechless. This guy was really cunning when it came to being an official.

No wonder the boss said that after arriving here, we still need to keep an eye on him and not indulge him too much just because he is an old man from the Western Regions.

Nowadays, scholars study very hard, but none of them serve the country or the people. Ninety-nine percent of them return home in glory and bring honor to their family.

The army set out at daybreak and it was almost noon.

It should have been time to cook, but the morale of the soldiers was high and no one wanted to live outside the city.

So he just ate some dry food while walking.

An hour and a half later, at the foot of Thang Long City.

The 50,000-strong army was majestic, neatly dressed and in high spirits.

On the city gate, there were already several people in fancy clothes standing, and many soldiers were tense.

Liu Sheng, Wei Xing and Li Xiucai looked at the city wall, which was only 15 feet high, without feeling nervous at all.

If you dare disobey, the general will use his cannon to shatter the city gate in a few dozen breaths.

Wei Xing waved his hand, and a horse galloped out from the army column and went straight to the city gate.

A slit opened on the side, signaling the knight to pass the document over.

"How dare you! This is the imperial decree of the Great Ming Emperor. How dare you enter through the side door? Open the main door immediately!!!"

The knight shouted and roared so loudly that the soldier behind the door trembled and quickly closed the door and went up to report.

Perhaps they knew that it was the Ming army, and the fact that there were 50,000 elite troops outside did not seem to be a threat to Thang Long City. Not long after, the central city gate opened and a group of people in official uniforms appeared.

The leader wears a crown and royal robes.

"I am a humble person from a small country, and I am here to meet the envoy from a superior country."

The King of Annan, who took the lead, bowed and saluted. He was Chen Rikun, also known as Shunzong Chen Yong, the son of Chen Shuming.

As the King of Annan, when the army was approaching and the situation was unclear, he actually went to the top of the city wall in person. This undoubtedly made Wei Xing, Liu Sheng, Li Xiucai and others respect him more.

In fact, they don’t understand the situation in Annan yet.

Annan is currently under the Chen Dynasty, and the person who holds real power is the retired emperor Chen Yizong, also known as Chen Shuming in the Han Dynasty, the ninth monarch of the Chen Dynasty.

During Chen Shuming's reign, Annan faced many political difficulties, including disloyalty and rebellion by important officials in the court and invasion by Champa.

To this end, Chen Shuming purged the rebels when he was emperor, and later took corresponding measures to adapt to the current situation. At this time, his relative Li Jizhen (Mao) gradually gained power.

Chen Shuming supported the Chen Dynasty's political situation for a quarter of a century. Looking at this period as a whole, the Chen Dynasty was in a state of rapid decline.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Chen Riqun, the King of Annan, came forward directly.

Chen Rikun now has a look of deep surprise on his face.

Wei Xing also showed corresponding respect, dismounted, saluted, and then negotiated.

After receiving a definite answer, Chen Rikun hurriedly said, "General, please come into the city quickly. If you wait too long, it would be impolite of me."

After he finished speaking, he said with desire and hesitation in his eyes: "But if the general's soldiers enter in droves, they may disturb the citizens of the city."

However, after considering it in his mind, he said firmly: "Let's listen to the general's plan."

Since ancient times, soldiers have not entered the city, but now Chen Rikun no longer cares about so much.

He was very grateful to Li Jili for driving him to the city gate.

Chen Rikun really wanted to jump up and shout now. He didn't expect that his eldest daughter would be so supportive. He had given up hope in the first place.

Now she has actually become the Crown Prince's concubine and the future imperial concubine.

Fifty thousand Ming soldiers crossed the sea to protect Annan.

Looking at the mighty appearance of the Ming soldiers, Chen Riqun really wanted to go up and touch them. This was his last hope to truly take charge of Annan in the future.

Judging from this feeling, I'm afraid that five Annan soldiers may not be able to defeat one person.

The saying "One Han can defeat five Barbarians" is truly well-deserved.

Looking at the current situation in Annan, the retired emperor is old and ill, and is in a daze all day long.

The court was controlled by Li Jili, who was just a puppet emperor.

But who would be willing to be a puppet obediently? However, his elder brother had been deposed by the emperor due to Li Ji's report to the emperor, so he did not dare to make any move.

But now...

There was already a gleam of brilliance in Chen Rikun's eyes.

Wei Xing was somewhat overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the King of Annan, but he still replied: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. Although I am the commander of this army, I must obey the command of the military supervisor in everything I do."

When Chen Rikun heard this, he bowed and said, "I wonder where the military supervisor is now."

Wei Xing pointed to a carriage in front of the army.

Chen Riqun understood immediately, and then, regardless of the king's etiquette and his own safety, he ran towards the carriage in small steps.

This made Wei Xing a little confused.

The attitude of King Annan is really humble.

Because he was anxious, he fell down when he was near the carriage and one of his shoes fell off.

But Chen Rikun didn't care at all, even though the army was paying attention to him.

He walked quickly to the carriage and said respectfully, "I am a humble man from a small country. I am honored to meet the military supervisor. I hope you will be willing to see me."

Liu Sheng was in the carriage, and had been paying close attention.

Liu Sheng already had some understanding of the situation in Annan, but he did not expect that the King of Annan would be so humble.

I know in my heart that the current situation in Annan seems to be more serious than I imagined.

However, this is also a huge opportunity.

Without much hesitation, Liu Sheng quickly got off the carriage, lifted up Chen Rikun's hands, and said with a moving tone: "How can I trouble the king to receive me like this? I am so embarrassed. It's windy outside the city, let's go into the city first."

Chen Rikun said hesitantly, "I wonder how the military supervisor is going to arrange for this elite army."

Liu Sheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, my king. The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty have strict military discipline. After entering the city, they will not affect the people in the slightest."

Chen Rikun said hurriedly: "If that is the case, then I am relieved. Please ask the military supervisor to lead the soldiers into the city."

After a round of negotiations, Chen Rikun got on Liu Sheng's carriage, held his hand and stood at the front of the carriage.

In front were hundreds of soldiers, led by Wei Xing, leading the way.

Chen Riqun stood in front of the city gate and gave loud orders, opening all the gates to welcome the Ming Dynasty army into the city.

The officials on the city wall and the guards at the city gate, after some hesitation, decided to open the gate.

After all, to the outside world, Chen Riqun is the King of Annan.

Although they actually only obeyed the orders of the powerful minister Li Jili.

But the army is besieging the city and refusing to open the gates, which is against the king's will. Are they going to go to war with the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, the suzerain state?

Looking at the neat military appearance and terrifying momentum, who would not be frightened?

Chen Rikun stood on the carriage, watching his orders being executed, his heart filled with satisfaction.

Since becoming the emperor of the Chen Dynasty, he has not had a good night's sleep, for he is afraid that one day when he wakes up, he will follow in the footsteps of his elder brother and be killed by the powerful official Li Jizhen.

Subconsciously, he gripped Liu Sheng even tighter.

Liu Sheng felt the force on his palm and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.