Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 34

Chapter 60: Opening the Gates

In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), after the Liaodong Military Command first negotiated peace with the Later Jin, the Kharachin Mongols allied with the Later Jin. In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1627), after Yan Mingtai swore an oath not to negotiate peace with the Later Jin, the Kharachin Mongols broke their alliance again. Seeing that the Kharachin Mongols were constantly wavering between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin, in the first year of the Chongzhen reign (1638), the Ming Dynasty generously rewarded the Kharachin and Chahar Mongols with a total of 360,000 taels of silver to incentivize them to fight against the Later Jin.

However, the Chahar and Kharachin Mongols were fighting amongst themselves, and the Ming Dynasty was powerless to stop it. The Kharachin Mongols repeatedly requested the Ming Dynasty to mediate, but the Ming Dynasty was unwilling to anger the Chahar Mongols, as they still hoped the Chahar would attack the Later Jin.

In the first month of the second year of the Chongzhen reign (1639), after the Liaodong Military Command again negotiated peace with the Later Jin, the Kharachin and Khalkha Mongols, utterly disillusioned with their future, once again allied with Huang Taiji.

Among them, the Kharachin Mongols were the fastest to defect to the Later Jin. By the end of February of the second year of the Chongzhen reign (1643), the Kharachin Mongols had already been organized into banners, and the Later Jin quickly completed the incorporation process, establishing the Mongol Eight Banners in addition to the Manchu Eight Banners. Soon after, Bu Shitu, the "Prince of Shunyi" appointed by the Ming court, defected to the Later Jin, and the Mongol Eight Banners now consisted of two banners.

In the second year of the Chongzhen reign (1643), a great famine struck the border regions, and various Mongol tribes requested the Ming Dynasty to open border markets for rice. The Kharachin Mongols, which were the Mongol Eight Banners of the Later Jin, also made a similar request. The entire court believed that rice should not be sold to the Later Jin army.

Yuan Chonghuan first requested Chongzhen to issue 700,000 taels of silver as domestic currency. Chongzhen stated that he did not have that much money because maritime taxes, mining taxes, and other commercial taxes had been suspended, tea taxes had been greatly reduced, and this year's salt taxes had not yet been collected. Yuan Chonghuan refused, saying that without issuing domestic currency, the Guan-Ning Army risked mutiny.

This argument infuriated Wen Tiren of the cabinet. Since Emperor Chongzhen had suspended commercial and industrial taxes, the border armies of Ningxia and Xuanda, which had previously relied on domestic currency for support, had lost their source of funding. Wen Tiren argued that Pingliang owed 700,000 taels of silver in military pay, and Xi'an owed 800,000 taels, yet the Qin army did not mutini; Yansui owed 1.5 million taels, and the soldiers had not received their pay for 27 months, yet the three border armies did not mutini; the Xuanda army had not received their pay for 13 months, with Xuanzhen even lacking rations for five months, yet the Xuanda army still relied on loans from merchants to survive without mutiniing; the Guan-Ning army took 70% of the national revenue, yet they wanted to mutini! On what grounds?

However, Emperor Chongzhen rejected Wen Tiren's proposal, but still managed to squeeze out 300,000 taels of silver to be transported to Yuan Chonghuan. The courageous Yuan Chonghuan then used the excuse of insufficient military pay to order the sale of Ningyuan's military rations to the Later Jin army without reporting to the court.

In early March, rumors spread throughout the border regions, unanimously claiming that the Kharachin Mongols were stockpiling military provisions for their southward advance. Chen Renxi, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, happened to be inspecting the border. He urgently reported to the court that of the 10,000 men of the Kharachin Mongol tribe, 8,000 were transporting military provisions for the Ming army outside Ningyuan Pass, including over 400 Manchu bannermen from the Later Jin dynasty.

Emperor Chongzhen, unaware of this, was greatly alarmed upon hearing the news. He immediately issued an edict severely reprimanding Yuan Chonghuan, the military governor of Jiliao, stating, "Reports indicate that the Western barbarians are buying goods, clearly to support the Eastern barbarians. Using the enemy to supply the traitors, how can this be allowed?" Chongzhen ordered Yuan Chonghuan to immediately cease selling military provisions to the Later Jin army and to explain his actions.

Yuan Chonghuan, however, defied the edict without hesitation, simultaneously blockading Dongjiang Town in an attempt to starve Mao Wenlong to death. On one hand, Yuan Chonghuan was selling military rations to the enemy at an exorbitant price, while on the other hand, he solemnly assured Emperor Chongzhen on behalf of the Later Jin and Mongol Eight Banners, "These people are begging desperately, willing to offer their wives as hostages, and we guarantee we will not dare to lure the Jurchens into invading Ji and Liao."

Upon receiving the report, Emperor Chongzhen again issued an order strictly prohibiting the sale of rations to the Later Jin army, stating, "The Western barbarians are colluding with the Jurchens, and this is a matter of great importance to guard against. The report states that various barbarian groups are buying cloth and silk in the east, clearly indicating cooperation. How can this be used to control the Jurchens? The governors and viceroys are ordered to strictly prohibit this." Since Yuan Chonghuan's promise to pacify Liaodong in five years, Emperor Chongzhen had never rejected Yuan Chonghuan's memorials. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen made a small exception for Yuan Chonghuan, allowing him to distribute rations

based on the number of people. However, trade was forbidden; otherwise, he would be punished for "colluding with barbarians." Yuan Chonghuan, however, once again disobeyed the imperial decree… At this time, in the western part of the Ming Empire, Shaanxi Province had not seen a single rain in a year, and the people mostly ate tree bark. After the tree bark ran out in September, the people began to eat soil and stones to fill their stomachs, and within a few days, many died from bloating. Yang He requested Emperor Chongzhen to allocate 100,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, but the emperor resolutely refused.

That same year, Henan suffered a severe famine, with people resorting to cannibalism. Similar to Shaanxi, the starving people of Henan soon began eating human flesh and using human bones to make soup. The provincial administration commissioners of Henan and Shaanxi pleaded with Emperor Chongzhen to at least exempt the disaster-stricken areas from taxes. The emperor replied, "Understood," but taxes still had to be collected; if they couldn't be collected, all local officials would be dismissed and fined.

Under Emperor Chongzhen's strict orders, the provincial administration commissioners of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan mobilized border troops to requisition grain and silver, managing to seize 90% of the tax revenue from the disaster-stricken people, thus fulfilling the task assigned by the emperor. After exhausting all his resources to exploit the people, Emperor Chongzhen then transported this grain, stained with the blood and tears of the people, to Ningyuan, where Yuan Chonghuan sold it to the Later Jin army.

As the Liaodong Military Command persisted in trading with the Later Jin army, the amount of grain Yuan Chonghuan sold to them became incalculable. This unprecedented large-scale grain trade led to a severe shortage of grain reserves for the Liaodong Military Command. The Guan Ning Army and the Liaodong Military Command sold grain until their own reserves were insufficient to sustain military operations.

...

October 9th, the capital.

Having received news of the successful pacification of Fujian a few days prior, the emperor ordered commendations for Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi. Furthermore, the emperor read Zhu Yifeng's memorial three or four times.

In his memorial, Zhu Yifeng boasted of his achievements, claiming that once the pacification tax was implemented, the debts owed to the people would be quickly repaid. To prove he wasn't exaggerating, Zhu Yifeng volunteered to serve as the Fujian governor for several more years, until the debts were cleared, before handing the position cleanly to the next governor.

This confident memorial deeply impressed Emperor Chongzhen. At the time, the Grand Secretariat drafted land proposals with a "favorable edict," but Chongzhen still felt it wasn't enough. The emperor told the Grand Secretariat that what he admired most wasn't Zhu Yifeng's confidence—though rare even in the Ming Dynasty—but also not unique to Zhu Yifeng. What moved Chongzhen most was Zhu Yifeng's sense of responsibility. For centuries, most Ming officials were mere plasterers, busy fixing problems while in office, leaving behind only a mess after they left. A diligent, honest, and kind

person like Zhu Yifeng was truly rare.

As a result, the emperor greatly rewarded Zhu Yifeng, encouraging him to work hard. He said that if the repayment went smoothly in two years, Chongzhen might promote him to Minister of Revenue or directly select him for the Grand Secretariat.

Today, Wen Tiren and Li Biao were working in the Wenyuan Pavilion, drafting proposals for memorials from various regions. Among them, Zhu Yifeng's proposal caught Wen Tiren's attention. Zhu Yifeng responded to the emperor's edict with utmost speed, while firmly stating that he was unfit for the emperor's promotion. Regarding the previous Jinghai loan issue, Zhu Yifeng elaborated again, claiming that he would be restless if he couldn't personally "repay the last tael of silver to the righteous people."

In addition, Zhu Yifeng told the court that maritime affairs might be unstable, and since the pirates had only just been quelled, public sentiment was still unsettled. Therefore, he felt it best for the country to allow him to serve for a while longer to avoid unforeseen complications. Besides these reasons, Zhu Yifeng also stated that his abilities were insufficient, only at the level of a governor, and he feared he was unfit for important positions, absolutely incapable of holding such important posts as Minister of Revenue or Grand Secretary.

Finally, Zhu Yifeng mentioned some health problems. The doctor said that he needed a special type of sea sandworm from Fujian as a medicinal ingredient for treatment, and this sea sandworm had to be freshly dug from the seabed; if it had been submerged for more than an hour, it would lose its effectiveness. Zhu Yifeng's thousand words can actually be summarized in one sentence: he didn't want to leave Fujian, and he would rather die in the post of Fujian Governor.

Wen Tiren read Zhu Yifeng's long speech to Li Biao. Then he laughed heartily: "Everyone else is scrambling to become a Beijing official, but this Lord Zhu is desperately declining, avoiding the Six Ministries and the Cabinet like the plague. Is this Fujian Governor really that good?"

"Fujian has many mountains and little land, so it has never been able to be self-sufficient in grain. It has always had to import from Zhejiang, Jiangxi, or Huguang. Well, Fujian is better off than the north, but it is definitely a poor province in Jiangnan." After Li Biao finished speaking, he checked the agricultural taxes of several provinces, among which Fujian had the lowest. With lower agricultural taxes, there were naturally fewer opportunities to skim off the top. However, even in provinces with high agricultural taxes like Huguang and Zhejiang, there was no record of governors not wanting to go to the capital.

That leaves only one reason, Li Biao commented: "Huang Shi is also very capable, and Zhu Yifeng wants to gain merit on the frontier."

Wen Tiren asked in surprise: "Weren't the pirates pacified? Zhu Yifeng has already gained all the merit he could."

"Oh, Grand Secretary Wen, you are unaware. Last month, Zhu Yifeng sent another memorial, requesting that troops be sent to suppress the Japanese pirates in the Satsuma Domain." Li Biao had drafted the last memorial, so he knew it very well. Wen Tiren was ill and not present when this memorial arrived: "His Majesty has already approved it."

Wen Tiren became interested upon hearing this: "But Japan is a country that cannot be conquered."

Then he frowned: "How much silver will this cost?"

"Not a single coin will be spent. The Fujian Provincial Administration Commission will raise the funds itself, and it won't delay next year's tax revenue." Li Biao also didn't quite understand why Zhu Yifeng was so good at making money. Several members of the cabinet had been puzzled as to where Zhu Yifeng had obtained so much silver: "It's not for attacking Japan. It's for protecting Ryukyu."

"Oh?"

"Lord Zhu's memorial states that, according to the surrendered pirates, many Japanese pirates still reside in Ryukyu, mostly from the Satsuma Domain of Japan. To ensure the smooth flow of waterways in Fujian, Lord Zhu ordered the Fuzhou naval force to launch an attack. Moreover, Ryukyu is a tributary state of our Great Ming, so the Fuzhou army has a legitimate reason to act, and a victory would be enough to enhance national prestige."

This was a matter of both prestige and practical benefit, and it didn't cost the court any money, so Chongzhen and the cabinet immediately approved it. Huangshi could send troops from Xiapu, and the entire military operation was coordinated by Zhu Yifeng. At the same time, documents were sent to Shandong and Zhejiang, allowing the Fuzhou army to temporarily stop and replenish fresh water and food.

"No wonder," Wen Tiren nodded. "Huang Shi is invincible; defeating a few Japanese pirates is child's play for him." This made the memorial much more reasonable. "It seems Zhu Yifeng won't leave until he's fully secured his military achievements."

...

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen summoned Zhang Heming, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall. Recently, the cabinet had been reminding the emperor to be wary of Jizhou. The emperor handed Zhang Heming two memorials from Mao Wenlong:

"I believe the Jurchens will definitely attack Ningyuan, and their shortcuts lie at Xifengkou, Yipianshi, Panjiakou, and Qiangziling. We must urgently assess the key points at these locations and deploy feints. If we do not heed my advice, the Jurchens will arrive as if they were in an empty field. The disaster will not only be a worry for the court."

After reading Mao Wenlong's memorial, Zhang Heming stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, General Mao's words were merely speculation; he did not say that the Jurchens would definitely attack Jizhou."

"Here's another one." As he spoke, Chongzhen handed over another memorial submitted by Mao Wenlong before his death, which was much more certain. Mao Wenlong reported directly, "...It is true that the Fourth Prince has dispatched troops westward, intending to attack the pass via Xifeng, Yipianshi, and other routes."

Zhang Heming pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, as far as this old minister knows, the Ji-Liao Commander has always believed that the Jurchens would not detour through Jizhen, right?"

"Yes, Commander Yuan said that the Kharachin Mongols are loyal and are a solid barrier for Jizhen, as well as my 'Great Wall of flesh.' Moreover, Commander Yuan also said that people are worried that the Jurchens will sweep through western Mongolia, cross Liaodong, and attack Shanhaiguan, Xifeng, and other places. Don't they know that there is such an unusual route? But unusual routes are also dangerous routes. Since they raised their army, they have never acted without a foolproof plan. Commander Yuan is certain that they would never cross the pass to attack other places."

"However, unusual routes are also dangerous routes...I predict that they will never cross the pass to attack other places." Zhang Heming softly read through Yuan Chonghuan's previous memorials, then lowered his head to savor the meaning of several memorials.

Emperor Chongzhen waited a long time but didn't get a single honest word from Zhang Heming, so he anxiously brought out the other memorials. Most of these memorials mentioned the grave danger of the Later Jin army's advance directly threatening Jizhou. Zhang Heming slowly and methodically read through them one by one. Emperor Chongzhen stared at him hopefully, and after a long while, asked, "What are your thoughts, Elder Zhang?"

Zhang Heming pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, does the Jizhou-Liaoning Governor still insist that Liaodong is more important than Jizhou?"

“Yes, Governor Yuan transferred Zhao Shuai’s four thousand personal troops from Jizhou to Shanhaiguan, and also reduced the number of soldiers in Jizhou by ten thousand, and stopped the supply of grain and pay to Liuzhen to Liaodong.”

Zhang Heming immediately nodded and praised him repeatedly: “Your Majesty is wise. The Governor of Jizhou and Liaodong still transferred Zhao Shuai from Jizhou to Shanhaiguan. This shows that in the Governor of Jizhou and Liaodong’s mind, Shanhaiguan is more dangerous than Jizhou. But the Governor of Jizhou and Liaodong is in Ningyuan. With Jinzhou and other forts in front and Qiantun behind, Shanhaiguan is already the heartland, so the Governor of Jizhou and Liaodong must think that Jizhou is invincible.”

Chongzhen listened patiently to Zhang Heming’s words before smiling and saying: “Old Zhang is right. I think so too. But what I want to know is how Old Zhang views Jizhou and Liaodong, not how Governor Yuan views them.”

“This…” Zhang Heming stroked his long white beard again. After careful consideration, he spoke eloquently: "Your Majesty! Military strategy dictates, 'Immovable as a mountain, swift as thunder.' The Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief has concentrated his mighty troops in Liaozhen, like a tiger in the mountains. The Jurchens are shifting left and right, seeking an opening to attack. This is truly a case of 'the brave prevail when paths cross, and the wise prevail when the brave meet!'"

"Elder Zhang's insight is excellent, but is there any possibility that Jizhen could be captured? Elder Zhang, do you think the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief's arrangements are appropriate?"

"Your Majesty, military strategy dictates, 'Military tactics are ever-changing, like water without constant shape.' One who can adapt to the times and circumstances can be called a master strategist!"

"Hmm, Elder Zhang is right. However, I just want to know if transferring Commander Zhao from Jizhen to Shanhaiguan was appropriate, and whether Jizhen's defenses are sufficient."

"Your Majesty, military strategy dictates, 'The skillful attacker moves high above the heavens, the skillful defender hides deep underground!'"

...

The Emperor personally escorted Zhang Heming out of the palace. When he returned, he slumped down and, after a moment, suddenly asked Cao Huachun beside him, "I've read Lord Zhang's strategy for pacifying the barbarians several times; it's truly brilliant. Commander Huang also praised Lord Zhang highly, saying that he had foreseen every move and anticipated the enemy's actions. The cabinet members also speak highly of him... Hmm, why does Lord Zhang always seem so evasive when I ask him about it?"

Cao Huachun cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, I dare to speculate, perhaps Lord Zhang benefited from Commander Huang's influence?"

"Absolutely impossible!" Before Cao Huachun could even speak, Chongzhen categorically rejected his opinion: "I have met Commander Huang, and he is by no means a sycophant. Hmm, Commander Huang's talent is comparable to that of Governor Yuan. Alas, it is a pity that they are not on good terms in terms of civil and military affairs. After Governor Yuan pacifies Liaodong in five years, I will act as a peacemaker for them."

After saying this, Chongzhen frowned again. He carefully reviewed his conversation with Zhang Heming that day, shaking his head regretfully, "It's always the same. I don't say much, while Elder Zhang quotes a lot, but upon reflection, it seems like only I was speaking; Elder Zhang said nothing at all."

...

On October 10th, Zhu Yifeng read out the imperial edict in Quanzhou, then solemnly handed it to Huang Shi: "You Japanese pirates have invaded our vassal state without cause. The court hereby orders a punitive expedition. Commander Huang, do your utmost."

"Yes, Lord Zhu, rest assured, this humble general will certainly display the might of our nation overseas and live up to the court's trust."

Huang Shi, in full military uniform, strode away from the Fujian Provincial Administration Office. Many people in Quanzhou stood outside the gate, cheering loudly for Huang Shi: "Commander Huang, teach those Japanese pirates a lesson! Let them know the might of our Great Ming!"

Now that Fujian has returned to normal and the sea ban has been lifted, Huang Shi ordered the entire Fuzhou-Ningxia army to be mobilized to help the people rebuild their homes. Furthermore, Huang Shi ordered the use of the remaining funds from the Jinghai Loan to purchase red bricks from the Dark Council's factories to build houses for the coastal fishermen. Of course, Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng also extensively publicized their benevolent policies in the official gazette, announcing that this was to thank the righteous people for their support of the Fujian Provincial Administration's policies over the past two years.

Previously, few fishermen could afford brick houses; their dwellings were mostly built with wooden planks and mud. Now that two new brick factories had opened in Fujian, Huang Shi's use of bricks to build houses for the people was beneficial both to the people and to supporting the construction of the brick factories.

In just a few months, Huang Shi had issued Fuzhou-Ningxia military notes worth ten million taels of silver, which naturally caused rapid inflation. However, this large amount of currency also nearly eliminated bartering in the Fujian interior, as Fujian merchants generally accepted paper money, and as a result, it quickly established its prestige among the people.

The Fuling Town military notes were originally secured by the Jinghai tax and other various taxes, so merchants from other provinces could also use them to pay their Jinghai taxes. To further facilitate the circulation of these notes, Huang Shi announced a discount for Jinghai taxes paid with Fuling Town military notes, which further strengthened their value.

Because all silver ingots had a purity issue, Fuling Town had to convert ingots of insufficient purity into cash when collecting Jinghai taxes and other taxes. Military notes, however, were of high silver content, more valuable than even the purest official silver of 95% or higher. Therefore, by early October, it was no longer possible to exchange one tael of silver ingot for one tael of Fuling Town military notes; lower-purity ingots even required three taels to exchange for two taels.

This naturally benefited many of the early buyers of military notes, and their credit rating soared. With the emergence of this exchange rate, Huang Shi believed that the abolition of the tael and the adoption of the yuan were not far off. Now, Zhu Yifeng's reputation was even more widespread. It's rumored that Governor Zhu is planning to stop or reduce the collection of gifts from his subordinates. Zhu Qingtian, who holds a 10% stake in the stock exchange, is now less interested in small sums of money.

Huangshi will only pay this stake until the end of Zhu Yifeng's term. Governor Zhu is well aware of this, which is why he's been desperately lobbying to remain in Fujian as governor indefinitely. Besides Zhu Yifeng, the officials of the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission are also desperately refusing to leave, as 30% of the Jinghai tax goes to the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission, and they've been hoping for this extra income for a long time.

Because Huangshi controls the Fujian waterways, the Funing Garrison effectively collects all the customs duties of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to customs duties, he also collects substantial maritime trade taxes. The Jinghai tax was projected to reach five million taels annually, meaning the more than one thousand officials in the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission would receive over one and a half million taels. Under this massive onslaught of bribes, the entire commission's officials became thoroughly corrupt, working alongside Fujian Governor Zhu Yifeng to protect Fuzhou.

This left only one outsider in the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission: the Fujian Provincial Inspector.

The Inspector was an official with no real power and little opportunity for personal gain. After centuries of operation, the Ming Dynasty had established various unspoken rules, and regulations governed what was and shouldn't be collected. Therefore, the Inspector had few grounds for impeachment. Normally, since Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi had quelled the pirates, they wouldn't be too afraid of the Inspector bringing them down.

However, both Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi knew the situation in Fujian was abnormal. If they allowed the Inspector to constantly nitpick, they would have to spend all their time explaining the source of their enormous wealth to the court. However, the job of the provincial inspectors was impeachment, and they loved this job. Although it wasn't a lucrative position, if an inspector didn't constantly find fault with the governor, he wouldn't even be able to earn a reputation.

The Fujian inspector was no exception. Despite being only a seventh-rank censor, both Zhu Qingtian and Huang Shuai had to treat him with great respect. Every time they met, this inspector held his nose high, and when he saw Huang Shi, he would only sneer and laugh coldly, rarely uttering a complete sentence except for sarcasm and ridicule. When speaking to Zhu Yifeng, he was always sarcastic and unfriendly.

After receiving the Jinghai tax in July, Huang Shi immediately sent someone to deliver three thousand taels of silver to this stubborn magistrate. According to the messenger's report upon his return, the Fujian inspector was so frightened that he almost knelt down and kowtowed to Huang Shi's messenger. The censor dared not accept such a large sum of money, and after much pleading, he finally managed to keep three hundred taels.

This didn't surprise Huang Shi too much. Years ago, he wanted to give Fang Zhenru five taels of silver, but the inspector Fang refused to accept it. In the Ming Dynasty, a gift of one thousand taels of silver was enough to bribe someone of the rank of Grand Secretary. A provincial governor could only collect a few thousand taels of silver a year, and most of that was considered illicit income. Huang Shi's gift of several thousand taels clearly indicated that he needed Huang Shi's help to conceal something of great importance.

Huang Shi knew that this seventh-rank censor was only worth ten or fifteen taels, so his initial acceptance of three hundred taels was a remarkable act of courage. However, the fact that the Fujian governor dared not accept it all didn't mean Huang Shi wouldn't continue. Knowing the Fujian governor was quite bold, Huang Shi continued to send gifts for several days, finally managing to get the governor to reluctantly accept all three thousand taels.

However, the Fujian governor was a man of principle. Although he accepted Huang Shi's silver, he still insisted on performing his duties. Starting in August, the Fujian governor began to vehemently impeach Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi for their lifestyle issues. He diligently collected every rumor and tidbit of gossip, reporting them to the court in a style resembling a tabloid specializing in juicy gossip.

Huang Shi had the privilege of reading a few of these reports and always felt sorry for the provincial governor, lamenting that he wasn't born in the 21st century to become a paparazzi reporter—a real waste of his talent. Huang Shi had previously encountered this official a few times at the Quanzhou Stock Exchange and even invited him to dinner. Generally speaking, the Fujian provincial governor was a very talkative and refined gentleman. Earlier

this month, when Huang Shi visited the Quanzhou Stock Exchange again, he unexpectedly ran into the Fujian governor and provincial governor, both dressed in blue robes. The three of them drank some wine like old friends, exchanging views on securities and the revenue from the Jinghai tax. In short, they had a very pleasant conversation, and upon parting, Huang Shi handed the Fujian provincial governor a thick red envelope containing five thousand taels of Fuzhou military bonds.

Having had several exchanges with the Fujian provincial inspector, he had become quite shrewd. He casually opened the document, tapped it lightly, and then nonchalantly slipped it into his pocket. The next day, when the Fujian provincial inspector submitted his impeachment memorial, he also said that he had heard rumors that Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi had gone out drinking and carousing together, getting completely drunk and disrespectful. Because Emperor Chongzhen trusted the integrity of civil officials, he abolished the Eastern Depot immediately after ascending the throne, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was no longer sent out of the capital. Therefore, the Fujian provincial inspector became increasingly bold.

...

As Huang Shi continued to issue Fuzhou military bonds, the entire Fujian province was thriving. New factories were being built almost every day. Moreover, because of the tariff barriers set up by Huang Shi, within just two months, countless people from other provinces came to Fujian to purchase ships. By early October, it was said that even Spanish people had begun to inquire whether there were any ships for sale in Fujian.

In addition to Fujianese merchants, many Shandong merchants also came south to Fujian to set up factories, as it was much more convenient than Shandong. Master Zhu was one of them. Not long ago, he sold his business in Shandong and moved to Fujian to set up a shipyard. Before the shipyard even started construction, Master Zhu had already received orders for three ocean-going vessels, paying a 10% deposit for each, as is customary in other provinces.

After the factory officially started construction, Master Zhu invited the three clients to bid to decide whose ship would be built first. One client paid the full deposit and won the first ship, while the businessman who agreed to pay a 30% deposit only came in third place, infuriating him so much that he inquired everywhere about how to join the Dark Council.

After receiving the deposits and orders, Master Zhu went to the stock exchange and used them as collateral to issue a small batch of bonds for his small factory, preparing for expansion and reinvestment.

Because the Dark Council required its members to prioritize hiring military households from Funing Town as workers, many people flocked to Funing Town to register as military households in order to find jobs. Following Huang Shi's orders, Bao Bowen established a number of technical schools, providing intensive training to these newly joined military households to cultivate them into the workers needed by Funing Town and the Dark Council.

Liu Qingyang's team was also expanding rapidly, with their various business regulations changing almost daily… Everything was chaotic, with new problems arising every day. The nascent business group was full of vigor, radiating vitality.

Walking the streets of Quanzhou, Huang Shi saw one confident face after another. He seemed to foresee the future:

mountain people from around Fujian would begin to flock to the coastal areas, hardworking people would diligently work, saving their wages to buy ever-rising stocks and bonds. The dispersed funds would gather again, leading to the construction of more factories and more farmers putting down their hoes to find work in the surrounding towns and villages.

As prices soared along the Fujian coast, merchants from Guangdong and Zhejiang also brought in grain and cloth. Even with the high sea tax, they still made a profit, which in turn further stimulated Fujian's shipbuilding industry, and so on.

Huang Shi believed that people's attitudes would soon begin to change, just like he had experienced in his previous life. Once on this path, it would be an increasingly rapid acceleration.

After hearing that Funing Town was going to send troops again, many people asked each other if Huang Shi would sell bonds again. From the governor's office to Quanzhou Port, the people on the road shouted at him, each one boldly declaring that they had money in their pockets, their whole being filled with the desire to support the Funing military with their actions.

Huang Shi boarded the ship at a spontaneous farewell party held by the citizens. As he left Quanzhou Port, he could almost hear the enthusiastic words of the people:

"General Huang, we are all righteous people!"

"General Huang, we support the government!"

...

Sing praises to the people of our motherland, for they are the creators of history and wealth; trust these ordinary people, for they are the strong backing of the army and the nation; seek help from the elders around you, for if you can gain their support, you will be invincible!

"Yes, this is the education I received from childhood, and I firmly believe in it. Protecting them is my inescapable responsibility." On

the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the second year of Chongzhen, Huang Shi ordered the entire naval force of Funing Town to set out, carrying the Firefighting Battalion, the Rock Battalion, and the Vanguard Battalion. Zhao Manxiong remained behind. As with the previous expedition to the southwest, He Dingyuan was still the commander of the Rock Battalion, and Jia Minghe was still in charge of the Vanguard Battalion. In addition, Huang Shi also appointed Yang Zhiyuan as the commander of the Firefighting Battalion. He was now intentionally cultivating the ability of his subordinates to act independently. The entire army then headed towards the Zhoushan Islands. After a brief stop in Zhoushan

,

Huang Shi, using the pretext of avoiding a typhoon in the open sea, led his troops north to Shandong. Upon departure, Huang Shi summoned his senior officers and staff for an emergency military meeting. Entering the flagship's main hall, a huge map of Jizhou came into view. After all the officers were seated, Huang Shi nodded to Jin Qiude beside him, who stood up and walked to the map to begin his strategic briefing.

"Yuan Chonghuan is nominally still the Grand Coordinator of Jizhou and Liaodong for our Great Ming, but his actions this year have been almost incomprehensible. Based on the intelligence we've gathered over the past few months, his military movements cannot be explained by the pretext of pacifying Liaodong." In the ship's main hall, Jin Qiude brandished a pointer, explaining his views to the assembled officers.

"Obviously, if the objective is offensive, then the Liaodong garrison should be redeployed to the Jinzhou and Ningyuan line. Of course, they should not harm Marshal Mao. Although I don't think the Guan-Ning Army is likely to launch an offensive operation, if Yuan Chonghuan really wants to try to pacify Liaodong in five years, he should at least try to launch an attack once, even just once, instead of remaining completely inactive for a year and a half."

The people in the room silently agreed. Jin Qiude took a breath and said confidently, "General, gentlemen, I don't believe Yuan Chonghuan's military deployment can be explained by an attempt at defense. First, the strength of Dongjiang Town is decisive in the amount of military pressure Liaoxi faces. News travels back and forth between Ningyuan and Dongjiang for nearly a month. From a military perspective, unified command is simply impossible. Even if Yuan Chonghuan truly killed Mao Shuai to consolidate power, as he claims, he shouldn't have used the method of cutting off supplies to weaken Dongjiang Town's fighting capacity; this is fundamentally illogical from a military standpoint." "

Second, Man Shuai was originally the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan. His position could effectively support Dongjiang while also deterring the Kharachin and Khalkha Mongols. If Yuan Chonghuan intended to tie down the Later Jin forces, he shouldn't have sent Man Shuai to Datong; this would have allowed the Later Jin to act freely without restraint."

"Finally!" Jin Qiude's voice boomed, his tone impassioned. "Before Shanhaiguan lies Qiantun, beyond Qiantun lies Ningyuan, and beyond Ningyuan lies Jinzhou. The Liaoxi Corridor stretches for four hundred li beyond the pass. Our Great Ming is fortified with numerous strongholds, possessing 115,000 cavalry and infantry. Shanhaiguan can be considered as secure as Mount Tai. However, fifty li outside Xifengkou in Jizhou lies the Kharachin Mongol. The Governor-General of the Three Borders reported this April that the Kharachin Mongol had joined the Jurchens as a banner, and the Jurchen army is already pressing close to the throat of the Great Ming. How can we send Commander Zhao and his four thousand personal guards to Shanhaiguan at this time? How can we do this?"

The hall fell silent. Huang Shi nodded calmly and said, "Vice General Jin makes a good point. Continue."

"Yes, sir." Jin Qiude bowed slightly to Huang Shi, then straightened his back and said, "There is another possible explanation: Yuan Chonghuan was completely incompetent in warfare, so all his commands were haphazard. But if that's the case, then Yuan Chonghuan's military deployment should have been partly beneficial to the Jurchens and partly beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, not entirely beneficial to the Jurchens."

"I'll propose a hypothesis, just a hypothesis!" Jin Qiude slowly waved his right index finger in front of everyone, then quickly pointed towards Ningyuan on the map: "I'm assuming that Yuan Chonghuan wanted to let the Jurchens enter the pass and directly threaten the capital to force the court to agree to the treaty!"

Except for Huang Shi, Zhao Manxiong, and a few others, everyone's expression changed slightly, but in the end, no one spoke.

"Then all problems can be solved, and all of Yuan Chonghuan's actions can be fully explained. First, he did his best to weaken the military strength of Dongjiang Town, so that Dongjiang Town could no longer play a restraining role. Then he killed Mao Shuai and instigated infighting in Dongjiang Town, thereby eliminating the Jurchens' worries about their rear."

"Second, he needed to lure Man Shuai and his personal guards to Datong. This way, when the Jurchens attacked Jizhou, they would not have to worry about the Ningyuan garrison attacking from Jinchuan Camp and Xinlitai, thus cutting off the Jurchens' supply lines and retreat routes. They would also not have to worry about the people and property they had captured not being able to be safely transported back to Liaoyang from under the noses of the Liaoxi Army. In this way, after the Jurchens had no worries about their rear, they would also have no flank threats."

"The third problem is the Jizhou Garrison itself. Yuan Chonghuan transferred Commander Zhao from Zunhua to Shanhaiguan, diverting all of Jizhou Garrison's military pay to Liaodong Garrison, causing Jizhou Garrison to stop receiving its pay. This year, the entire court is filled with alarms about Jizhou Garrison. Faced with the Emperor's repeated inquiries, Yuan Chonghuan only said once in a flat tone that he also felt that Commander Liu had some problems and was worth worrying about. Then he casually recommended a man named Lin Jue as the commander-in-chief of Jizhou Garrison, saying that as long as the Emperor appointed this man as the commander-in-chief of Jizhou Garrison, he could rest easy."

Jin Qiude sneered: "When the Emperor asked who this Lin Jue was, no one in the cabinet could answer. How could an unknown soldier with no military merit be directly promoted to the position of commander-in-chief? How could he be competent for such an important task as defending Jizhou Garrison? The Emperor naturally did not agree to his request, and from then on, Yuan Chonghuan never mentioned the matter again. After Commander Zhao was transferred, Jizhou Garrison only had 50,000 battalions left. Yuan Chonghuan also wanted to cut 10,000 troops near the border wall in Zunhua and other places. Now, places like Xifengkou are undefended."

"The last question is, if the Jurchens insist on entering the pass through Jizhou, they will need a large amount of grain. Two years ago and last year, Liaodong suffered a severe drought, and a shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice in Liaoyang was worth eighty taels of silver. This year, southern Mongolia is also experiencing a severe drought, with Mongols resorting to cannibalism. Where will their invading army's provisions come from? Therefore, Yuan Chonghuan should open markets to sell grain. With a large amount

of grain, the Mongols suffering from famine in southern Mongolia will certainly flock to the Kharachin Mongols to beg for food. The Jurchens can then take the opportunity to recruit a large number of men to invade the pass together." Jin Qiude finished his long-winded narration and glanced at the officers in the hall: "General, colleagues, if we consider this reason..." "In that case, everything Yuan Chonghuan did was very meaningful, not a single thing more or less, and all these conditions were indispensable."

After a moment of silence, Yang Zhiyuan raised his hand and calmly asked Jin Qiude, "But you don't know what Yuan Chonghuan was really thinking, do you?"

Jin Qiude readily admitted, "Yes, you can know a person's face but not their heart; this is just an inference."

Huang Shi then spoke up, "Brother Jin, although we are all on the same side here, your accusation is still very serious. You are accusing a high-ranking official who commands three towns and one guard, is an imperial envoy, and oversees Jiliao, Leiden, and Tianjin of treason."

"General, I believe that when all other explanations are unreasonable, then we can only believe the only reasonable explanation, no matter how absurd it may seem."

Yang Zhiyuan argued again, "But we don't have conclusive evidence."

"Yes, we don't. We can't possibly know what Yuan Chonghuan was thinking." Jin Qiude paused after speaking. He looked at Huang Shi again: "General, I request that you allow the General Staff to conduct tactical simulations based on the hypothetical scenario of Yuan Chonghuan's treason. I hope to obtain information on various possible military situations in order to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances."

Huang Shi also took a deep breath and asked in a calm voice: "Who agrees? Who disagrees?"

Jia Minghe was the first to raise his hand: "I agree!"

He Dingyuan also raised his hand: "I agree!"

Yang Zhiyuan smiled wryly and also raised his hand: "General, I agree to conduct staff work on this, but I do not agree to use this charge so early."

"Brother Yang is right. Our staff work is precisely to deal with all possible situations." After expressing his cautious affirmation of Yang Zhiyuan, Huang Shi said to Jin Qiude: "The frontline commanders have all approved. The General Staff can now conduct battlefield simulations based on the premise of 'Yuan Chonghuan's treason.'"

"Yes, sir."

...

In June of the second year of Chongzhen's reign, after Mao Wenlong's death, Huang Taiji immediately announced an attack on the Ming Dynasty. On the fifteenth, Bulgadu of the Kharachin Mongol region came to Liaoyang to discuss the issue of guides with Huang Taiji. Meanwhile, the Kharachin Mongols, under orders from Huang Taiji, began a large-scale manufacture of wooden boats for transporting supplies. Faced with this unusual activity, the Liaodong Regional Military Commission made no response.

Huang Taiji then summoned the Shubu Mongols, and they discussed the details until the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. On the twenty-second day of the ninth lunar month, Bulgadu visited Liaoyang for the last time, reporting to Huang Taiji that the food supplies were ready. Invasion was imminent, yet the Liaodong Regional Military Commission issued no warning. On the

second day of the tenth lunar month, Huang Taiji's main army set out from Liaoyang. This time, the Later Jin deployed 4,000 armored soldiers and over 10,000 unarmored soldiers, attacking 15,000 of their elite troops.

On the fourth day, the Jarud Mongols joined Huang Taiji's main force and marched together towards Kharachin.

On the fifth day, the Naiman Mongols and Aohan Mongols arrived to join Huang Taiji, and the entire army continued its advance.

On the sixth day, the Balin Mongols arrived to join the meeting.

On the 15th, the majority of the Khorchin Mongols, comprising twenty-three Beile (princes), led their troops to join forces with Huang Taiji. Each Beile brought one hundred cavalrymen, totaling over two thousand five hundred soldiers.

Although the Jalait Mongols had received an invitation from Huang Taiji, they ultimately hesitated halfway there, and their chieftain sent envoys to apologize, leading their tribes back to their homeland. Other invited Mongol tribes did not send any troops.

On October 20th, Huang Taiji entered Kara City, where all the Khorchin Mongol tribes came to join him, totaling two thousand soldiers. That day, Huang Taiji presided over an alliance ceremony in Kara City, where the chieftains of the various tribes who had come to pledge allegiance to Huang Taiji swore an oath to Heaven, declaring themselves enemies, not friends, with the Ming Dynasty.

Thus, Huang Taiji completed a widespread mobilization spanning thousands of miles and involving dozens of Mongol tribes, with tens of thousands participating and tens of thousands more aware of the situation. Meanwhile, the Liaodong Military Command remained silent.

On the 24th, the Later Jin army began its advance towards Longjing Pass. The army comprised 4,000 elite Later Jin soldiers, 8,000 Mongol soldiers, and an additional 13,000 servants, bondservants, and unarmored soldiers, bringing the total strength to over 25,000.

Until this point, the Ming Liaodong Regional Military Commission seemed completely unaware, and the Jizhou garrison received no warning. The Ming army's last chance was lost.

On the 27th, the Later Jin vanguard began its attack on Longjing Pass…

From late April to early October of this year, Huang Taiji had been coordinating a large-scale military campaign against the Ming's Jizhou garrison. After October 2nd, he led tens of thousands of troops, right under the noses of the Ming Liaodong garrison, from Liaozhong all the way to Karacheng, a march that took almost a month. Moreover, by this time, the Later Jin had not yet fully grasped suzerainty over the southern Mongolian steppe.

Despite these numerous unfavorable factors, Huang Taiji still created a military miracle on October 27th of the second year of the Chongzhen reign: the Later Jin successfully launched a surprise attack on the Jizhou garrison!

That same afternoon, the Later Jin army cleared out the remaining Ming resistance along the Xifengkou line, and Huang Taiji's central army began to enter the border wall. If we draw a line from Xifengkou to the Ming capital on a map according to the principle of two points forming a line, then Zunhua, a key Ming border town eighty li southwest of Xifengkou, is the first stop on the route from Xifengkou to the capital.

Along this straight line from Xifengkou to the capital, including Zunhua, there are three points: behind it lies Jizhou, then Sanhe, and Tongzhou is the last line of defense for the capital, a total distance of 350 li. Besides Zunhua, the crucial point, Santunying, the transportation hub between Jizhou and Liaodong, is only about fifty li to the left of Xifengkou. The distance from Santunying to Shanhaiguan is 260 li, passing through Qian'an and Funing. Santunying is the shortest route from Liaodong to Jizhou; capturing it would cut off the high-speed passage from Shanhaiguan to Jizhou, eliminating the threat from the flank.

After the Later Jin army launched a major offensive into the border wall on the 27th, the two important military strongholds of Zunhua and Santunying were exposed to their advance. However, on the 28th, the Later Jin army only advanced to Hanerzhuang, twenty li away from Xifengkou, before all its units mysteriously halted their advance, seemingly waiting for something.

...

On the same day, across a thousand li of land and sea, a fleet was speeding towards Shandong in the distant East China Sea. Huang Shi convened another military conference on his flagship. Jin Qiude spoke first, while Huang Shi and three battalion officers sat at the lower level awaiting the staff's simulation report.

"General, colleagues, your flagship will arrive in Dengzhou within three days. According to our estimates, the Jurchens may have already breached the defenses by then. If not, we can find some excuses to delay for a while. Once news of the Jurchens breaching the defenses arrives, we can volunteer to go and fight them. Below is the battle plan prepared by the General Staff. Please review it, General."

Jin Qiude handed four reports to Huang Shi and three frontline commanders, then raised his pointer and began explaining in front of the map: "This simulation is based on the premise that Yuan Chonghuan betrayed the country. As we all know, Commander Zhao was transferred from Jizhou to Shanhaiguan by Yuan Chonghuan, so he must be someone Yuan Chonghuan considers unreliable."

Jin Qiude turned back and pointed to Xifengkou on the map again: "Judging from the previous deployment, the Jurchens will almost certainly break through Xifengkou. Marshal Mao also wrote to the court several times before his death, saying that the Jurchens had plans to invade from this place. So after the Jurchens break through, there is only one route to the capital: from Xifengkou to Zunhua, from Zunhua to Jimen, from Jimen to Sanhe, and finally to Tongzhou, and then directly to the walls of the capital."

As he spoke quickly, Jin Qiude drew a straight line along the official road on the map with his whip. Then Jin Qiude looked at the line and sighed: "Zunhua is the entrance. Jimen is the back gate. After passing Jimen, we enter the Jingji Plain. But if the government troops hold Sanhe and Tongzhou, the Jurchens still cannot advance on the capital. In this way, Yuan Chonghuan and the Jurchens will not be able to achieve a decisive victory."

"Having come all this way, the Jurchens certainly don't have the capability to carry siege equipment. As long as Commander Zhao can hold Jizhou or Zunhua, the Jurchens' breach won't be able to penetrate further. If Commander Zhao can hold Sanhe or Tongzhou, then the Jurchens' progress will still be limited, so..." Jin Qiude made a decisive judgment: "Commander Zhao must die, and his troops must be annihilated."

Jin Qiude looked around at everyone in the room; everyone's expressions were very serious, but no one raised any objections. So Jin Qiude turned back to the map and drew a straight line along the official road on the right flank of Jizhou, saying: "From Shanhaiguan, go through Fuping, Yongning, Qian'an, and Santunying to Zunhua. This is the shortest route from Liaodong to aid Jizhou. Yuan Chonghuan will definitely send Commander Zhao along this route."

"Ah!" Jia Minghe and Yang Zhiyuan exclaimed simultaneously. Jin Qiude immediately shut his mouth and turned back to stare intently at the two men. Jia Minghe raised his hand first, then pointed to the map and asked, "Isn't this suicide? Xifengkou is only fifty li from Santunying, and cavalry can reach it in a day. But Shanhaiguan is more than two hundred and fifty li from Santunying. Even if each rider has two horses and keeps changing horses and resupplying at the post stations along the way, it would take cavalry three days and three nights without sleep to reach Santunying from Shanhaiguan. Santunying would definitely have fallen long ago." "

Yes, this is suicide. However, the General Staff does not think Santunying will fall too soon. Because once Santunying falls, the shortcut from Liaozhen to Zunhua will be blocked." Once the Later Jin controls Santunying, the Liao army can only retreat back to Yongping Prefecture, then go through Huizhou and Kaiping Zhongtunwei into the Jingji Plain, and then take a long detour through Bao, Xianghe, Sanhe, Jimen before heading to Zunhua.

Jin Qiude said confidently, "Although Santunying is only fifty li from Xifengkou and Zunhua is only eighty li from Xifengkou, if we want to annihilate Zhao Shuai, then Santunying and Zunhua cannot be taken too early. If I were the chieftain, I would deliberately leave Santunying and Zunhua unconquered and let Zhao Shuai pass through Santunying to Zunhua. In this way, his personal guards would run across the front of my main force. At this time, I would cut off both ends of the official road from Santunying to Zunhua, and Zhao Shuai and his personal guards would not be able to escape."

“That’s too simplistic,” Yang Zhiyuan shook his head, pointing at the map. “Doesn’t Commander Zhao know how to read a map? Why would he take this route? The Jurchens are 80 li from Zunhua, and Shanhaiguan is over 300 li from Zunhua. Moreover, the Jurchens set off first, and Commander Zhao followed. Why would he want to outrun them? Besides, it’s only 30 or 40 li from Santunying to Zunhua. Cavalry can cross that in the blink of an eye, and they can quickly retreat if they encounter enemy forces. How could the Jurchens possibly capture Commander Zhao?”

Jin Qiude smiled faintly. “Without Yuan Chonghuan, of course it would be impossible, but our assumption is that Yuan Chonghuan betrayed the country. First, he could easily force Commander Zhao to take this shortcut to his death, and at the same time, the Jurchens would…” They tacitly agreed not to attack Santunying and Zunhua. If Commander Zhao refused to go, it would be considered cowardice, and Yuan Chonghuan could capture him on the spot. If Commander Zhao went, and Santunying and Zunhua were not lost, then why would Commander Zhao retreat?

He Dingyuan, who had been silent until now, began to speak: "Thinking about it carefully, it's not entirely suicide. If I were in this situation, I would only try to rush there as quickly as possible. Having traveled three hundred li, I'm only thirty li from the target; I have to give it a try. Well, logically speaking, even if the Jurchen scouts discover me, I'm all cavalry. By the time the Jurchen scouts report that the main army has moved out, I will have already rushed ahead of the Jurchens."

“Exactly. That’s the most reasonable judgment.” Jin Qiude immediately picked up where He Dingyuan left off, and then sighed, “However, I don’t think the Jurchens relied on scouts to investigate Zhao Shuai’s movements. They knew all along that Zhao Shuai would definitely take this route, so they had already set up an encirclement from both ends. Waiting in front of Zhao Shuai must be Jurchen ambush troops!”

Seeing that there was still doubt on someone’s face, Jin Qiude raised his voice and asked, “On another note, if the Jurchens can’t cover the fifty li from Xifengkou to Santunying, and the eighty li from there to Zunhua in four days, are they still the Jurchens we know?”

The room fell silent again. Huang Shi looked around at his trusted confidants and asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"

No one spoke, except Yang Zhiyuan, who muttered a low grumble: "An unbelievable idea. All of this is based on Yuan Chonghuan's treason."

"You agreed to it that day, Vice General Yang," Jin Qiude chuckled, then added loudly, "The General Staff considers this plan perfect. Even if Marshal Zhao is killed, Yuan Chonghuan can say it was because he was too hasty and didn't pay enough attention to reconnaissance."

Huang Shi glanced around again; this time, there were no more dissenting voices. Huang Shi turned to Jin Qiude and said, "Alright, let's continue with the rest, let's talk about what's relevant to us. Where is our expected battlefield?"

"It should be under the walls of the capital, or perhaps the capital has already fallen."

"Nonsense!" Jia Minghe exclaimed in surprise, then vehemently objected, "How could the capital have fallen? The Jurchens couldn't possibly reach the capital. Once our main force arrives in Shandong, we can quickly engage in battle. Zunhua is an important town. Jizhou is known as the 'One Line Sky' for its natural defenses; the Jurchens, with their large-scale westward advance, certainly wouldn't be able to produce siege weapons in time. There's also Sanhe and Tongzhou behind us. How could they all fall so quickly?"

"We can use an inside agent."

"One or two might be possible, but using an inside agent for all four fortresses is impossible."

Jin Qiude said decisively, "If this inside agent is the Jiliao Commander-in-Chief, then anything is possible."

Everyone fell silent again, waiting for Jin Qiude to continue. Jin Qiude continued, "Annihilating Zhao Shuai should only be the first step. Next, we should take Zunhua and Santunying. They are no longer useful, thus completely eliminating the threat to the rear of the Later Jin, and taking a big step forward. But under normal circumstances, Jizhou should have already been mobilized by this time, and not just Jizhou. The troops of Zhending and the border troops will also move towards Jizhou. Soon, the army of the emperor will gather along the Sanhe, Tongzhou, and Jizhou line."

Once Beijing is under direct military threat, an urgent order to come to the emperor will be issued immediately. Within a few days, an urgent mobilization order will be issued from Beizhili, and the army of the emperor from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Shandong will set off immediately. At this time, the heartland of the Ming Dynasty is still peaceful, and the border troops have not yet clashed with the peasant armies. Therefore, after the order to come to the emperor is issued, the troops in various places will definitely respond immediately. The generals who receive the order will lead their personal guards and soldiers to the capital as quickly as possible.

"This is the first time the Jurchens have invaded. Most of the Mongols who came with them are still suspicious. It's fine to expect them to plunder and fight a few easy battles with the Jurchens, but it's absolutely impossible to expect them to fight to the death against the Ming fortresses. Even if the Mongols suddenly had a change of heart and were willing to attack the fortresses desperately, let alone whether they could take them down, even if they could, it would take at least a month for the Jurchens to chip away at the fortresses one by one until they reached the Three Rivers Plain. By then, the Qin and Lu armies would also have arrived in the Jingji Plain."

The audience below nodded in agreement. Jin Qiude had just described a normal war scenario, but then he changed the subject: "However, if we assume that the Jiliao Governor-General has already betrayed the country, the situation will be completely different. First, he would take the safe route through Changli and Huizhou, avoiding the danger of clashing with the Later Jin army, and then head straight for Sanhe via Xianghe. Well, the General Staff believes that under normal circumstances, the Jurchens are unlikely to take the Jimen Pass by force, so Jimen Pass is likely still standing at this time, and the Jiliao Governor-General would personally go to Jimen Pass to take over the battlefield command of the Jimen Pass."

“Next,” Jin Qiude turned around and pointed to the three locations on the map: Sanhe, Tongzhou, and the capital. “The Jiliao Grand Coordinator commands three towns and one garrison, with Ji Town being his directly subordinate military town. When the General Staff played the role of the Jurchens in the simulation, they determined that a direct attack on Jimen and Sanhe would be highly unreasonable and would result in enormous losses. Therefore, the best solution is for the Jiliao Grand Coordinator to order the troop reinforcements gathered at Jimen, Sanhe, and Tongzhou to be transferred away from this invasion route.”

“Transfer them to where?” Yang Zhiyuan couldn’t help but call out again. He asked loudly, “Transfer them to where? Shunyi?”

Jin Qiude stopped and looked at the location Yang Zhiyuan had mentioned on the map, shaking his head in opposition. “Hmm, Shunyi is probably too close. It’s only a few dozen miles away. If the capital is in danger, they can rush back immediately.”

“Shunyi is close? What about Huairou?” Yang Zhiyuan raised his voice eight octaves.

“Probably still close.” Huairou is fifty miles further from the capital than Shunyi, but Jin Qiude was clearly still not satisfied.

"Where to transfer him? Changping or Miyun?" Yang Zhiyuan's tone became higher and his speech more rapid.

This time, Jin Qiude seemed satisfied. He nodded in agreement and said, "I think Miyun seems like a good place. This way, we'll be far away from the Sanhe and Tongzhou line, and it will be easier to find an excuse, such as to guard against the Later Jin attacking the capital from the Miyun direction."

"Nonsense!" Yang Zhiyuan stood up angrily, pointing at the map and shouting, "How can you give such a reason! The Jurchens have already reached Zunhua. If they want to attack Miyun, they need to first retreat from the border wall through Xifengkou along the route they came from, then travel hundreds of miles around in southern Mongolia before attacking Gubeikou. Only after breaking through Gubeikou can they threaten Miyun. Are the Jurchens that stupid?"

Jin Qiude, holding his pointer, faced Yang Zhiyuan without changing his expression and said, "The Jurchens shouldn't be that stupid, but you can't deny the possibility that they might be. This kind of mobilization is at least more plausible than transferring them to Huairou, and it also puts them further away from the capital."

Yang Zhiyuan was speechless for a moment, so Jin Qiude ignored him and turned to look at the map again: "Hmm, actually Changping is not bad either. After all, it is where the imperial tombs of the past dynasties are located, and it must not be lost. I think we can also transfer the loyalist troops around Zhili to Changping. This reason is also very good."

“That’s utter nonsense! The Jurchens are east of the capital. Yet you want to move the loyalist army to the west of the capital,” Yang Zhiyuan retorted angrily, his anger rising again. “If we hold the Jizhou line, the Jurchens can’t spy on Sanhe; if we hold the Sanhe line, they can’t spy on Tongzhou; if we hold Tongzhou, the capital will be safe. And as long as the capital doesn’t fall, there’s no need to worry about Changping further west.”

“I didn’t say I was worried about Changping. I’m not worried about Changping at all. I’m just saying this reason is perfectly valid. Protecting the imperial tombs from disturbance is precisely the first thing a loyal minister and son should consider,” Jin Qiude said calmly. “You’re commanding the Ming army from the perspective of the Ming Dynasty. I’m talking about commanding the Ming army from the perspective of the Jurchens. The difference is enormous.”

“You’re delusional!”

"The General Staff's calculations are based on the premise that Yuan Chonghuan betrayed the country, a premise you, Vice General Yang, agreed to that day."

Yang Zhiyuan sighed and slowly sat down again. "Vice General Jin, please continue, but I still don't think this will work. If Yuan Chonghuan wants to transfer the loyalist army, he himself will have to send troops to take over the defense of Tongzhou, Sanhe, Jizhou, or even Zunhua. So after the loyalist army is transferred, unless he directly rebels, the Jurchens still won't be able to invade the capital region."

"That's much easier to solve. I can use the excuse of defending the country's borders to transfer the loyalist army away, and then transfer all the Liaodong troops to Jizhou, leaving no soldiers in between, and then we can open the gates."

"Open the gates?"

“Yes, it’s best not to betray us immediately. The General Staff believes that opening the gates and letting the enemy in is the best approach, because the troops in the middle have all been transferred, so the Jurchens will surely be able to march straight into the capital. Yuan Chonghuan should then lead a trusted elite force to come to the capital before the other reinforcements arrive, and then coordinate with the Jurchens from within.”

Seeing that Yang Zhiyuan’s face was beginning to show anger again, Jin Qiude interrupted him, “The General Staff is making this deduction based on the premise that Yuan Chonghuan will betray the country. This Deputy General Yang, you already…”

“Yes, that’s right, I agreed that day,” Yang Zhiyuan interrupted Jin Qiude impatiently, and he questioned loudly, “But now I want to ask you one more question. What exactly is Yuan Chonghuan after?”

"This isn't really our job, we're just proposing hypotheses and then starting the deductions," Jin Qiude shrugged, saying with a nonchalant expression. "But since Vice General Yang asked, I'll offer two personal opinions. First, the Emperor is still young. Judging from his performance in ruling for the past two years, he's probably not a wise ruler." Jin

Qiude had originally wanted to compare Chongzhen to Emperor Yang of Sui, but he refrained from such disrespectful remarks. "Yuan Chonghuan probably thinks the Emperor is easily intimidated and easily deceived. A young emperor raised in the deep palace might agree to peace talks with a mere scare. And if the Later Jin really agrees to peace talks, then Yuan Chonghuan's reputation will probably be similar to Guo Ziyi's, who single-handedly repelled the Hu cavalry, right?"

Yang Zhiyuan felt this argument wasn't without merit. Chongzhen's performance over the past year had indeed been inconsistent, from levying taxes on disaster-stricken areas to condoning Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenlong, all indicating that this child fundamentally lacked basic governing principles. The most important thing for an organization is order. The actions and outcomes of its members should be causally related, and those who abide by the order should at least have a way to survive.

Emperor Chongzhen's imposition of taxes on disaster-stricken areas challenged the bottom line of law-abiding citizens. In the past, no matter how oppressed the Chinese people were, as long as those who respected the government could barely survive, most people were unwilling to risk their lives to oppose the government. The same applies to condoning Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenlong. In the past, no matter how much military officials were oppressed by civil officials, they at least knew that as long as they followed some rules, their lives would be safe. But now that Chongzhen did not punish Yuan Chonghuan for blatantly violating the law, he shouldn't blame the military officers for starting to hold onto their power and disobey orders.

"In my opinion, the Emperor is very likely to agree to peace talks." Jin Qiude felt that an emperor so easily swayed was probably spineless. Chongzhen lacked insight and decisiveness, so Jin Qiude estimated that once the Later Jin army was at the city gates, Chongzhen would likely compromise out of fear: "If the Emperor still refuses to compromise, then Yuan Chonghuan will have no choice but to purge the court of corrupt officials."

He Dingyuan and Yang Zhiyuan shouted in unison: "Then he will be the greatest traitor in the world!"

"It's a fight to the death. Anyway, Yuan Chonghuan knows that his claim of pacifying Liaodong in five years is just empty talk. He's going to die either way, so he might as well take a gamble. Hmm, perhaps he can install a new emperor and see if he can become like Cao Cao."

He Dingyuan shouted: "On what grounds? Traitors and rebels deserve to be killed by everyone."

"Sigh. There's a lot going on here. He certainly won't say he colluded with the Jurchens from within; he'll most likely say he repelled the Jurchens and recaptured the capital. Hmm, let's pin the blame for collusion on someone else." Jin Qiude rolled his eyes and casually said, "For example, that eunuch Cao Huachun by the Emperor's side. I think it would be good to push it onto him. Hmm. Just say Cao Huachun opened the gate and let the enemy soldiers in. Anyway, what these scholar-officials love to do most is blame the Emperor when the country falls, and blame the eunuchs when they lose a battle."

Jin Qiude's words weren't actually slandering the Donglin Party gentlemen. In the original history, when the Shun army captured Beijing and recruited surrendered officials, nine out of ten Donglin Party members went to ask to continue serving. When the Shun army officials saw many old and decrepit officials applying for positions, they told the white-bearded men to go home and retire. The Donglin gentlemen, of course, refused, saying, "If you employ me, my beard will turn black again."

These Donglin gentlemen rushed to flatter the Shun army, calling Chongzhen a "tyrant deserving of divine punishment." Before his death, Chongzhen rang the Jingyang Bell to summon ministers to the palace for protection, but not a single Donglin member went. Later, when Li Zicheng inquired about this, they claimed it wasn't that they refused, but that Chongzhen's eunuchs blocked the gates, preventing ministers from entering to die for the emperor. These gentlemen knew perfectly well that Wang Chengen, who was in charge of the palace, had hanged himself with the emperor, yet they still tried to smear him.

Later, when the Donglin party discovered Cao Huachun was still alive, they fabricated a story that Cao Huachun had opened the Beijing city gates, even though Cao Huachun was in mourning at his hometown and not in the capital at the time, but they ignored it. In short, they believed all the civil officials were good, the country was ruined by the eunuchs, and those who betrayed the emperor were eunuchs, not civil officials.

"Therefore, the General Staff recommends rushing to the capital as quickly as possible to fight the Jurchens at the city walls. Otherwise, if the Emperor agrees to the peace talks, or if Yuan Chonghuan purges the court of corrupt officials, our Fuzhou Army might end up as rebels." Jin Qiude said, handing the final plan drafted by the General Staff to Huang Shi.

"And there's also Commander Man," Jia Minghe said, looking at Jin Qiude's plan. Suddenly, he asked, "I've met Commander Man. He's upright and incorruptible, and he has a grudge against Yuan Chonghuan. He won't side with the rebels, nor will he listen to Yuan Chonghuan's blind orders."

"Alas, a hero who always likes to charge into battle," Jin Qiude said dismissively. "There are too many ways to defeat a hero. A cup of poison, a dagger, a cold arrow—it's too easy to create an accident on the battlefield. Commander Man can't be on guard against the Guan Ning Army all day long, can he?"

...

November 2nd, Chongzhen Year 2, Dengzhou Prefecture.

Huang Shi led the vanguard to Dengzhou by fast boat today. Huang Shi immediately went to pay his respects to Zhen Yucun, the prefect of Dengzhou. Upon hearing of Huang Shi's sudden arrival, Zhen Yucun was greatly surprised and hurriedly came out of the yamen to greet him.

"Lord Zhen," Huang Shi said, "I was ordered to lead a campaign at sea to quell the bandits, but unfortunately, my army encountered a storm at sea, so I have come to Shandong to seek shelter." As he spoke, Huang Shi produced the imperial edict and the Ministry of War's order, handing them to Zhen Yucun for verification.

Zhen Yucun nodded repeatedly in agreement, inviting Huang Shi to the main hall of the yamen to serve tea, while he himself began to examine Huang Shi's official seals. Huang Shi sat in the guest seat and drank his tea, patiently waiting for Zhen Yucun to begin his work. After verifying that the imperial edict was correct, Zhen Yucun then had someone bring out the Ministry of War's inspection seal for verification, confirming that the documents Huang Shi had given him were genuine, that the Ministry of War had indeed authorized Huang Shi to lead troops, and that several provinces, including Shandong, had been authorized to assist Huang Shi's military operations.

"Hmm. The documents are all in order, I understand. However, there are a few more documents that I need to trouble General Huang with." After carefully copying the documents, Zhen Yucun had Huang Shi affix his seal to them. This would serve as evidence that Huang Shi had stopped in Dengzhou Prefecture. In addition, Zhen Yucun ordered the account books to be brought out. If Huang Shi needed to transfer money and provisions from Dengzhou Prefecture, these would also require Huang Shi's seal to be entered into the accounts for the court's reference.

After Huang Shi gladly affixed his seal to the first document, Zhen Yucun solemnly put the document away and asked with a smile, "General Huang, wouldn't it be closer to transfer money and provisions to Jinghaiwei or Weihaiwei on your way to Ryukyu? Why did you come to my Dengzhou Prefecture?"

Jinghaiwei and Weihaiwei are located at the tip of the Shandong Peninsula, while Dengzhou Prefecture is in the Bohai Bay. Huang Shi clapped his hands and sighed, "Lord Zhen, you may not know this, but I also wanted to go to Jinghai and Weihai to replenish our food and water supplies. However, this time the army has set out with a large number of troops, and the reserves of these two garrisons are simply insufficient. Therefore, I had no choice but to come to Dengzhou Prefecture to ask for help. I estimate that we will have to buy some more from the merchants."

Zhen Yucun was surprised to hear this, "I wonder how many troops General Huang has this time?"

Huang Shi held up two fingers and shook them. He sighed and said, "A total of 20,000 men in cavalry, infantry, and navy. I wonder if Dengzhou has enough money and supplies?"

"Hiss—" Zhen Yucun immediately gasped. The scale of Huang Shi's expedition far exceeded his expectations. He quickly told his advisor to open the account book, his fingers flying across the pages. "General Huang, please calm down, allow me to take a good look."

After a while, Zhen Yucun sighed softly again, asking without looking up, "How much grain does General Huang need?"

"Twenty thousand cavalry, infantry, and naval troops, enough for thirty days."

Zhen Yucun was surprised again. "How could so much be needed?"

"These past few days, we've taken many detours to avoid the storm, and we've also abandoned a lot of fresh water and grain to protect the ships, so the army's reserves are almost depleted."

"I see." Zhen Yucun slowly closed the account book, looking up apologetically. "General Huang, the treasury is less than half full; I'm afraid we'll have to borrow from the surrounding counties and Laizhou Prefecture."

"Very well, since my fleet has been scattered anyway, I've already sent them to Dengzhou Prefecture one by one. It will probably take some time on the road. Once the Fuzhou and Ningzhou navies regroup, well, it will be at least ten days. Lord Zhen should have enough food within twenty days, right?"

Zhen Yucun did some mental calculations and felt the time was still a bit tight, so he smiled and said, "I will do my best, but it would be best if Commander Huang also went to Laizhou Prefecture to allocate some more food, otherwise it might delay your journey."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Lord Zhen."

"Commander Huang, you're too kind. It's my duty."

Before leaving, Huang Shi handed Zhen Yucun a gift of fifty taels of silver. Zhen Yucun knew Huang Shi was generous, so he gladly accepted it. He politely saw Huang Shi out of the yamen and instructed the yamen runners to prepare a post station.

Normally, typhoons don't occur very often in the tenth lunar month. But who can predict the unpredictable weather at sea? Aside from Huang Shi and his core members, the ordinary officers and soldiers in the fleet were unaware of the decisions being made by higher command. They were all informed that the outposts had detected rising winds at sea, so the entire fleet had to take cover.

Huang Shi was initially worried that He Dingyuan's loose tongue would cause trouble, but He Dingyuan also understood the seriousness of the matter. Unauthorized entry into another military town's territory was tantamount to treason. If confirmed, this charge would cost many lives. Therefore, He Dingyuan repeatedly assured Huang Shi that he would keep this secret to his grave.

Huang Shi was relatively confident in the staff officer group. Jin Qiude's territory never caused Huang Shi any trouble; Jia Minghe was focused on consolidating his elite vanguard battalion's power base and was always closest to Huang Shi, so he would never cause him any trouble; Yang Zhiyuan was both an old comrade and the head of the military law faction, and he knew best how serious the crime of leaking military secrets was.

Factions in Funing Town were gradually being established without anyone noticing. Within the existing faction, He Dingyuan is the head of the military academy faction, Jin Qiude is the head of the staff faction, and Zhao Manxiong, while seemingly holding a detached position, actually maintains connections with Li Yunrui, Bao Bowen, and Liu Qingyang—people he recommended to Huang Shi.

In the past two years, Li Yunrui and his two buddies seem to be planning to form their own faction, distancing themselves from Zhao Manxiong. Huang Shi isn't quite sure whether this is Zhao Manxiong's self-preservation strategy or their own. However, since they seem to have a clear understanding of the situation, Huang Shi pretends to be oblivious, feigning ignorance of the factional divisions.

Starting with Huang Shi, the various factions in Funing Town are all playing dumb, seemingly believing that Huang Shi's true attitude is to encourage factionalism. Therefore, he has recently started promoting the so-called Northern Fujian Naval Faction. Although these people appear outwardly carefree, even someone as straightforward as He Dingyuan would never dare to infiltrate the internal security system or the loyalist Catholic Church; at least, he has never mentioned having the Funing Town Education Department train the internal security personnel and their priests.

According to Huang Shi's plan, the naval forces of Funing Town would continuously stop at Dengzhou. Based on the General Staff's calculations, an invasion of the Ming Dynasty's Jizhou garrison by the Later Jin was imminent. Huang Shi intended to find an excuse here to delay for some time. Once the Later Jin launched a full-scale invasion, Huang Shi could immediately lead his troops to reinforce the capital region, repel Huang Taiji's invading forces, and attempt to severely damage them.

On the same day, outside Santun Camp...

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Santunying is safe and sound. Reports indicate the Jurchens are approaching Zunhua, but Zunhua hasn't fallen yet."

"What good luck! We actually made it in time!" Zhao Lüjiao was almost incredulous at his good fortune upon hearing this news. After receiving the order for the Later Jin army to invade Jizhou, Yuan Chonghuan immediately ordered Zhao Lüjiao to set off at full speed, taking the route through Funing and Qian'an to Santunying. He was instructed to cover the 260-li journey before the Later Jin army completed the 50-li distance from Xifengkou to Santunying, breaking through the closing blockade line ahead of them and directly entering Zunhua to defend it.

"The Jurchens' movements are really slow this time. I thought I wouldn't make it in time." Zhao Lüjiao felt he had set off a day later than the Later Jin army, and the distance was five or six times that of the enemy, so he was worried he would have made a wasted trip. Unexpectedly, the Later Jin forces hadn't even covered fifty li in four days, and the Ming army was on the verge of closing the breached defenses again: "It seems the Jurchens are running out of supplies, which is why they're moving so slowly."

For three days and three nights, Zhao Shuaijiao's four thousand personal guards and soldiers hadn't removed their armor or unsaddled their horses, each man riding three horses, all the way from Shanhaiguan. Most of their horses had died from exhaustion, and now they were only thirty li from their destination: "My men, we don't need to worry about the horses anymore! Charge! Charge into Zunhua!"

Full of confidence, Zhao Shuaijiao led his personal guards out of the Santunying official road, heading straight for Zunhua. Although crossing the enemy lines was dangerous, without worrying about the horses, thirty li would be covered in the blink of an eye. Waiting for the Later Jin scouts to return to their camp to report the enemy situation, and for the enemy to ascertain the facts before organizing their forces to attack, would be too late. Besides, the enemy might send scouts again to verify the number and banners of their troops.

On the second day, Zhao Shuaijiao, the general of Shanhaiguan, was ambushed between Zunhua and Santunying, and his entire army of four thousand cavalry was wiped out…

After annihilating Zhao Shuaijiao's army, the Later Jin army, reversing its four-day inaction, swiftly advanced westward with its main force.

At dawn on the third day, the Later Jin army arrived at the walls of Zunhua. An inside agent immediately opened the city gates, allowing the Later Jin army to enter. The Ming governor, Wang Yuanya, committed suicide.

Simultaneously, the Later Jin army launched a thunderous offensive against Santunying, breaching the city within an hour, sealing the flank of their rear, and then rapidly advancing westward along Zhao Shuaijiao's route, their movements showing no sign of slowing down. On

the fourth day, the Later Jin army marched westward for two days and two nights, covering a hundred li, and captured Qian'an. Their advance threatened Yongping and Funing.

At this time, Yuan Chonghuan had already led twenty thousand Guan-Ning cavalry into the pass. He didn't even glance at Yongping and Funing, whose right flank was under threat, and instead took the route through Changli and Huizhou, heading straight for Bao and Xianghe.

...

On the same day, in the capital.

Emperor Chongzhen urgently summoned Zhang Heming, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall. After the breach, Zhang Heming repeatedly advised the emperor to remain calm and plan carefully before acting. From the 28th to the 2nd of the month, the Jin army made no further military moves for four consecutive days, so the emperor's anxious heart gradually calmed down. Troops from the surrounding areas were on their way, and it seemed the breach in the border wall would soon be closed.

However, the situation deteriorated rapidly in the next two days. Wang Yuanya, the governor of Jizhou, committed suicide; Zhao Shuaijiao, the general of Shanhaiguan, died in battle; and Zunhua and Santunying fell. The situation near Xifengkou quickly collapsed.

As soon as Zhang Heming entered the room, Emperor Chongzhen, before the old man could slowly kneel and pay his respects, hurriedly shouted, "Elder Zhang, no need for formalities! Please take a seat."

"Thank you—"

Zhang Heming had barely begun to speak when Emperor Chongzhen impatiently exclaimed, "Elder Zhang, how did the situation become so dire?"

Before the audience, Zhang Heming had already read some memorials. Alarms were flying in from the vicinity of the border wall like snowflakes, and there were calls for reinforcements everywhere. Every local official believed that their jurisdiction would be the next target of the Later Jin army.

As Zhang Heming began stroking his beard, Chongzhen anxiously called out again, "Old Zhang!" "

Your Majesty," Zhang Heming replied, "the art of war states: 'The skillful warrior establishes himself in an invincible position, and does not miss the opportunity to defeat the enemy. Therefore, a victorious army first secures victory and then seeks battle, while a defeated army first engages in battle and then seeks victory.' Therefore, this old minister believes that the best course of action now is to remain unchanged in the face of all changes and observe the situation for the time being."

Chongzhen, who had initially stood to listen to Zhang Heming, slowly returned to his throne after hearing this answer. He sat down and asked, "Now that the Eastern barbarians are invading the border, and Commander Yuan may not have yet entered the pass, would Old Zhang be willing to share my burden and temporarily command the Jizhou garrison?"

"This…" Zhang Heming stroked his beard again, "Your Majesty, this minister has heard that the art of war states…"

"Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong of the Wuying Hall has arrived," a eunuch outside the door called out in a drawn-out voice. Before the voice finished, a dignified old man in red robes strode into the hall.

Sun Chengzong entered the hall and promptly bowed, saying, "Long

live the Emperor..." "Rise, Minister Sun!" Chongzhen hurriedly called out. He had already sent someone to fetch Sun Chengzong. In Chongzhen's mind, among Sun Chengzong, Zhang Heming, and Yuan Chonghuan, Yuan Chonghuan was the most capable, Zhang Heming was slightly inferior, but Sun Chengzong's opinion was worth considering. After all, Sun Chengzong had supervised the troops in Liaodong for several years and wasn't entirely ignorant.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" Sun Chengzong bowed his head and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" without paying any attention. Only after finishing did he say loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After Sun Chengzong stood up, Chongzhen ordered, "Give Lord Sun a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Sun Chengzong flicked his sleeve and waved his right fist, his voice booming like a bell: "Your Majesty! Military strategy says: 'To attack and surely capture, attack where the enemy does not defend. To defend and surely hold, defend where the enemy will surely attack!'

At this moment, a eunuch had already moved a stool behind Sun Chengzong, but he did not bother to sit down. He looked directly at the emperor on the throne and said in a powerful voice, 'The Jurchens have invaded the capital this time. Jizhou, Sanhe, and Tongzhou are the three places they will surely attack. If I want to defend and surely hold, I must station heavy troops in Jizhou, Sanhe, and Tongzhou to defend where the Jurchens will surely attack. Then the capital will be safe.'

Chongzhen lowered his head and pondered for a while, then looked up and asked Zhang Heming, 'What does Elder Zhang think?'"

"Lord Sun's words are very good."

"Hmm." After listening, Chongzhen lowered his head again, seemingly thinking about something.

"Your Majesty!" Sun Chengzong thought that Chongzhen was still hesitating about whether to defend the official road from Xifengkou to the capital with all his might, so he hurriedly called out again: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Jizhou to supervise the Jizhou army and the loyalist army in battle."

"No." Chongzhen seemed to have made up his mind. He loudly rejected Sun Chengzong's suggestion: "If Lord Sun leaves the capital, who can advise me on military affairs?"

On the fifth day of the eleventh month of the second year of Chongzhen's reign, Sun Chengzong mobilized troops on behalf of the emperor. The famous general You Shiwei rushed to Tongzhou to organize a defensive line along the river, and also sent scouts to spread out to both flanks to detect the various ferry crossings between Shunyi and Xianghe, and mobilized the local militia to prepare to cooperate with the government troops in imposing martial law.

Since taking office, Yuan Chonghuan had not allowed Liu Ce, the governor of Jizhou and Liaodong, to interfere in the military affairs of Jizhou. Therefore, for the past seven months, Liu Ce had stayed in Baoding and had not gone north to Jizhou. Upon hearing that the Later Jin army had entered the pass through Jizhou, Liu Ce, considering it his defense zone, hastily mustered troops from Baoding and Xinle and rushed to the capital to defend the emperor.

Sun Chengzong ordered Liu Ce to immediately lead his troops to Jizhou to hold the city and redeem himself, while simultaneously diverting troops to Sanhe to establish another river defense line in front of Tongzhou. Sun Chengzong also specifically instructed that scouts be sent to search the ferry crossings between Pinggu and Baoding. Furthermore, Sun Chengzong instructed that if Jizhou had not fallen, Liu Ce should lead the main force to defend it.

Liu Ce received the order and hurried eastward to deploy defenses at Jizhou and Sanhe. After Sun Chengzong had completed all the arrangements, Emperor Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief: "Thanks to you, my dear minister, you have lived up to my expectations."

"It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens, but troop deployment is not my forte, and I am unsure if this is the right approach." Sun Chengzong looked at the map again with a serious expression and honestly said to Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, I dare not say whether we can hold Jizhou Gate or not, nor do I know if the Sanhe defense line is secure, so I have deployed several lines. Although this disperses the forces somewhat, I believe it will make defense easier, and with three consecutive lines of defense, even if something unexpected happens, we will not be caught off guard."

"Hmm, does Minister Sun know anyone skilled in military strategy?"

"Your Majesty, I recommend Ma Shilong."

Upon hearing Sun Chengzong mention this person, Chongzhen's face immediately showed displeasure. Ma Shilong had dragged Sun Chengzong down with him during the defeat at Yaozhou, causing him to lose his official position. Sun Chengzong resigned to save Ma Shilong's life and position, but Ma Shilong immediately switched allegiance after Sun Chengzong's downfall, going to serve Wei Zhongxian.

Ma Shilong not only bribed Wei Zhongxian, but also conspired with other generals to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian. Even more despicable, seeing that Sun Chengzong seemed to be in trouble, Ma Shilong turned on his benefactor, blaming Sun Chengzong for the defeats in Yaozhou and other places, essentially offering Wei Zhongxian a pledge of allegiance and thus securing his own position.

Emperor Tianqi died unexpectedly young, and when Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, Ma Shilong was immediately relieved of his military post. He was arrested by the Imperial Guard and brought to the capital, where he was imprisoned and thoroughly investigated for crimes including defeat, corruption, bribery, and building the shrine. He was ultimately sentenced to death with reprieve and is now awaiting execution in prison. After the emperor's approval, Ma Shilong will be sent to the execution ground and beheaded.

"How could Lord Sun protect such a despicable man?"

"Your Majesty, Ma Shilong comes from a military family and has not received the teachings of the sages. Countless scholar-officials have joined the eunuch faction, so how can we be so demanding of a military general like him?" Sun Chengzong paused, then earnestly continued, "Your Majesty, the battle of Yaozhou was not Ma Shilong's fault. It was mainly due to my incompetence that caused discord within the army. Ma Shilong is a veteran general from Ningxia, who rose through the ranks to become a Vice Commander-in-Chief. Later, I personally requested the Right Vice Commander-in-Chief and the Imperial Sword for him, valuing his talent rather than his virtue." "

In that case, I will follow Lord Sun's advice and let Ma Shilong redeem himself through meritorious service."

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of Ma Shilong. He will certainly serve the country."

In history, Ma Shilong never disappointed Sun Chengzong again. After his release from prison, he quickly began to advise Sun Chengzong and contributed significantly to stabilizing the situation in the capital region. After the Zunyi-Yongzhou Campaign, Sun Chengzong recommended Ma Shilong to return to Gansu to defend against the Mongol invasion. There, Ma Shilong repeatedly distinguished himself, achieving three major victories in a single year, beheading over 1,800 enemies. Several years later, when Ma Shilong died, he had already accumulated merits and risen to the positions of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and Left Commander-in-Chief. If Sun Chengzong had not possessed such magnanimity, how could Commander Ma have regained his official reputation and enjoyed a long and peaceful life?

On the fifth day of the eleventh month, Emperor Chongzhen issued an edict ordering troops from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong to come to the aid of the emperor.

At this time in Dengzhou, the Fuzhou army's fleet was arriving in succession, with 10,000 land troops already present. Huang Shi, under the pretext of replenishing supplies, remained in Dengzhou awaiting news from Zhili.

"Brother Yang, do you still doubt the General Staff's deduction?"

Jin Qiude brought up the matter again in private. Yang Zhiyuan scoffed, "It's simply too absurd."

"How about a bet? I bet Yuan Chonghuan will open the gates and release the enemy." Jin Qiude smiled. He had heard about the bet between Yang Zhiyuan and Zhang Zaidi. Jin Qiude wagged a finger: "If you really don't believe me, how about betting a hundred taels of silver?"

On the sixth day of the eleventh month of the first year of Chongzhen's reign, in the capital.

The day after Ma Shilong was released from prison, he rushed to pay his respects to Sun Chengzong. Upon entering, he saw Sun Chengzong personally come out to greet him and immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Excellency, this humble servant pays his respects to you." "

Please rise, Shilong, please rise." Sun Chengzong pulled Ma Shilong up from the ground and stared at him with a smile for a while: "Enough said, Shilong, come in with me quickly."

Sun Chengzong pulled Ma Shilong into the house. Ma Shilong, somewhat embarrassed, followed behind Sun Chengzong, muttering, "Your Excellency, I have offended you greatly in the past; please forgive me."

"A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. Shilong, just remember this lesson. In the future, stay out of court affairs. For a military officer, winning battles and proving yourself through merit is the right path."

"Your Excellency's teachings will be forever etched in my mind." Ma Shilong had suffered greatly this time, spending over a year in prison and nearly being beheaded; he had become haggard.

After leading Ma Shilong into the room, Sun Chengzong briefly explained the current situation and then frankly said, "Shilong, in your opinion, what should be done?" "

When Ma Shilong was released yesterday, he heard that Sun Chengzong had protected him, and he also knew roughly why Sun Chengzong wanted to see him. Therefore, Ma Shilong had made some preparations before coming. However, Ma Shilong was still unaware of many military secrets beforehand. Now that Sun Chengzong had told him, Ma Shilong thought for a moment before replying, 'Your Excellency, in my humble opinion, the first priority should be to concentrate our forces to firmly defend Jizhou and Sanhe. Tongzhou is secondary.'

'Hmm, tell me.'

'Your Excellency's decision to divide the troops to defend Tongzhou, Sanhe, and Jizhou is indeed appropriate, but the reinforcements have not yet arrived in large numbers. Our troops are still few in number. Our most important task is to block the Jurchen army in eastern Jizhou, and then guard the various ferry crossings around Sanhe to prevent small groups of Jurchen cavalry from escaping.' Ma Shilong realized that the troops he could mobilize were much fewer than he had imagined, and he couldn't help but become anxious, asking, 'Your Excellency, defending Liaodong requires defending Jizhou. This is the established rule set by Commander Qi. How come the Jizhou garrison has been weakened so much?'" "

To use a house as an analogy, Shanhaiguan is the door, the Liaoxi Corridor is the long hall in front of the door, Ningyuan and Jinzhou are the gateways on the Liaoxi Corridor, and Jizhou is the wall of this house. If Jizhou falls, then Shanhaiguan is nothing but a broken door, and the Liaoxi Corridor becomes an isolated force outside the border.

Currently, there are 115,000 cavalry and infantry outside the pass, while Jizhou only has 40,000, mostly old and weak, with the elite troops all transferred to Liaoxi." Ma Shilong sighed, "If Jizhou falls, what good is it to hold the land outside the pass? Weakening Jizhou and strengthening Liaoxi is putting the cart before the horse." Sun Chengzong also had some opinions on this

. He himself was a major supporter of the principle that defending Liaodong must be done by defending Jizhou. If Jizhou was destroyed, the role of Shanhaiguan itself would be greatly affected, not to mention Ningyuan and other places in front. However, this involved many factors, and it was no longer just a military issue. When the idea of abandoning Jinzhou was proposed, there was endless debate in the imperial court, and the distribution of military pay was also subtly influenced by the civil officials.

Now the military pay for Liaodong has risen to five million taels a year. Sun Chengzong naturally knew that there was a lot of water involved, and even a small move could affect the interests of countless people. Therefore, Sun Chengzong was unwilling to speak openly to Ma Shilong. He would understand this matter himself after thinking about it carefully: "Shilong thinks that Jizhou should be the top priority?"

"Your Excellency is wise. Jizhou is the key to entering the capital from the northeast and controls the strategic pass between the Central Plains and the Bashang Plateau. This is a place that military strategists must fight for. If the Jurchens do not obtain this place, they cannot look south. If we do not obtain this place, we cannot advance north. Whether it is for defense now or for the arrival of the loyalist army in the future, we cannot lose Jizhou." "Ma Shilong knows that the military strength in the capital region is currently stretched thin, so he wants to concentrate his forces between Jizhou and Sanhe to firmly block the Later Jin army east of Jizhou.

" "Shilong's words resonate with my thoughts, but what if the Jurchens abandon Jizhou and advance westward?"

"Your Excellency, Jizhou is known as a natural fortress, a narrow passage. If our troops simply move their camps outside the city, we can firmly block the Jurchens' westward advance. Even if a few Jurchen cavalry manage to cross, where will their provisions come from? How can they plunder and return east? My suggestion to establish a military post at Sanhe and strictly guard the crossing is precisely to prevent Jurchen cavalry from escaping."

To the east of Jizhou lies a large lake, and it is also the confluence of Panshan, Jiulongshan, and Baxianshan mountains. The Yanshan Mountains here seem to twist into a knot, leaving only a narrow passageway at Jizhou, hence the name Jizhou Gate, and the key to the eastern part of the capital region. This passage winds its way through the Yanshan ridge, its narrowest point only wide enough for two horses to ride side-by-side. While traveling along this road, one is flanked by the towering Yanshan Mountains, with only a sliver of blue sky visible overhead; thus, this place is also known as "A Line of Sky," the last natural barrier leading to the Jingji Plain.

"Would Shilong be willing to accompany me to His Majesty's court to reiterate these words?"

Ma Shilong bowed and clasped his hands in gratitude, saying, "I will never forget the Grand Secretary's kindness in promoting me."

"Hehe, that's good."

Sun Chengzong then accompanied Ma Shilong to the palace to meet the Emperor. Chongzhen had already ordered Sun Chengzong to oversee the defense of the capital region. He reaffirmed Sun Chengzong's plans and ordered the Ming army in the capital region to focus on the defense of Jizhou, while also prioritizing the defense of the Sanhe line.

On the seventh day, Yuan Chonghuan, a favorite minister of Emperor Chongzhen, arrived in Xianghe. Upon hearing the news, the Emperor was overjoyed and immediately relieved Sun Chengzong of his command, issuing an imperial edict to Yuan Chonghuan to take unified command of the loyalist army. Yuan Chonghuan was originally the Grand Coordinator of Jizhou and Liaodong. With this new appointment, all the troops in the capital region were now under his command.

After receiving the edict and expressing his gratitude, Yuan Chonghuan led his army to Jizhou, while also offering an explanation for the tragedy of Zhao Lüjiao.

Initially, Yuan Chonghuan vehemently denied giving Zhao Lüjiao any orders, insisting that Zhao was "on imperial orders to defend the emperor" to Zunhua. However, there was no corroboration of this imperial order, and it couldn't explain why Zhao Lüjiao went to Zunhua instead of Beijing to defend the emperor.

Apart from Yuan Chonghuan himself, all witness testimonies stated that Yuan Chonghuan gave Zhao Lüjiao the orders, and that Zhao Lüjiao departed on Yuan Chonghuan's command. Even Zhou Wenyu, one of Yuan Chonghuan's trusted generals, admitted that Yuan Chonghuan issued the orders to Shanhaiguan: "First, order General Zhao to lead Zhao's troops to aid Zunhua; then send a proclamation to General Zu Dashou to select troops from Liaodong to reinforce the area." Furthermore, Zhou Wenyu testified that Yuan Chonghuan was not in Ningyuan when he gave the orders to Zhao Lüjiao, but rather before the Later Jin launched their attack on Xifengkou on the 27th. Yuan Chonghuan had already left the Ningyuan camp on the 24th and moved towards Shanhaiguan, allowing him to issue the orders from Qiantun to Zhao Lüjiao at Shanhaiguan immediately.

Later, Yuan Chonghuan slightly modified his testimony, claiming that he had warned Zhao Lüjiao not to underestimate the enemy, but Zhao Lüjiao ignored his advice and died. Yuan Chonghuan also shifted the blame to the already deceased General Zhu, saying he had heard from hundreds of miles away that General Zhu had apparently prevented Zhao Lüjiao from entering the city.

Since both Generals Zhao and Zhu were dead and could not corroborate his testimony, the emperor naturally could not pursue the matter at this critical juncture.

Yuan Chonghuan was accompanied by 20,000 Guan Ning cavalry when he went to Jizhou. On the ninth day, Yuan Chonghuan's army entered Jizhou and took over command of Jizhou from Liu Ce. For the past few days, the Later Jin army had been blocked by the Ming army east of Jizhou and had not been able to advance further west.

"Lord Liu, you must immediately lead your troops to Miyun to garrison the city."

This order stunned Liu Ce. It took him a long time to react: "Commander-in-Chief, the Jurchens are camped just twenty li east of the city. Why must I go to Miyun?"

"Lord Liu, you are the Prime Minister of Ji-Liao, and the Prime Minister's post is in Miyun. Therefore, this Ministry orders you to return to your post for defense."

Since Liu Ce was appointed Prime Minister of Ji-Liao seven months ago, Yuan Chonghuan had forbidden him from interfering in any military affairs of Ji-Zhen. Therefore, for the past seven months, Liu Ce had remained in Zhen-Ding Town, never setting foot in Ji-Zhen. Seeing that Liu Ce was too idle, the court gave him the position of Governor-General of Baoding, so Liu Ce simply stayed in Zhen-Ding Town to manage the military affairs there.

After the Later Jin invasion, the court reprimanded Liu Ce for hiding in the rear. As a result, Liu Ce hurriedly mobilized the troops in Zhen-Ding Town to defend the capital. He only stepped into Ji-Zhen territory for the first time two days ago.

Liu Ce passed through the capital... Sun Chengzong told him that the emperor was very dissatisfied with Liu Ce, feeling that he had been hiding in the safe rear and refusing to take office. Liu Ce was quite surprised to hear this and hurriedly asked Sun Chengzong to put in a good word for him. Sun Chengzong then ordered him to rush to Jizhou Gate that very night to hold it firmly and make amends.

In the past few days, Liu Ce led the troops of Zhen Ding Town to carefully deploy defenses, blocking the Later Jin army east of Jizhou Gate. He was somewhat complacent, feeling that he had made a great contribution this time, and that in the future, when the loyalist army gathered, they would drive the Later Jin army out of the pass. He thought he had done something of the highest caliber.

Upon hearing Yuan Chonghuan's order, Liu Ce couldn't help but argue, "Commander-in-Chief, it was Grand Secretary Sun who instructed me to defend Jizhou. Grand Secretary Sun said that Jizhou must not be lost!"

"How could Jizhou be lost? This time, I have brought 20,000 Guan-Ning troops. Naturally, we can defend Jizhou as solid as a rock. Lord Liu, please set off for Miyun immediately."

"Commander-in-Chief, Grand Secretary Sun said that defending Jizhou and Sanhe is the top priority," Liu Ce was still somewhat uneasy, so he added, "With you here, Commander-in-Chief, Jizhou will naturally be as safe as Mount Tai. Then I am willing to go to Sanhe to provide backup for you."

"Lord Liu, please rest assured. This ministry will also send men to defend Sanhe." Seeing Liu Ce still arguing, Yuan Chonghuan angrily said, "This ministry is the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief, and the deployment of defenses in Jizhou is naturally up to this ministry; furthermore, His Majesty requires this ministry to unify the command of the troops supporting the emperor, and Lord Liu's Zhen Ding army is naturally under this ministry's control. Lord Liu, will you listen to this ministry or Grand Secretary Sun?"

Liu Ce reluctantly agreed, then asked, "When does the Commander-in-Chief require me to depart?"

"Depart immediately, head to Miyun to deploy defenses, and guard against the Western barbarians taking the opportunity to cause trouble."

"Yes, sir." Liu Ce was powerless to resist the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief, so he immediately packed his belongings and led the Zhen Ding army and the original garrison troops of Jizhou away.

Before departing, he glanced one last time in the direction of the enemy lines. The Later Jin army from Zunhua was already in sight, just twenty li east of the city, their camps faintly visible.

"Is Commander Yuan afraid I'll take credit? But this credit is clearly mine! I painstakingly traveled from Baoding to block the Jurchens here!" Liu Ce walked sadly down from the city wall, dejectedly leading the Zhengding army out of the west gate, turning their backs to the Later Jin army. A hundred li away was Tongzhou, where Liu Ce would turn north, far from the capital.

From Tongzhou, it was another hundred and forty li to Miyun. The thought of such a long journey filled Liu Ce with resentment, and he almost shed tears of grievance: "I'm so unwilling! This credit is clearly mine!" The

unfortunate Liu Ce didn't realize that what he was losing was not just credit. Soon, the Later Jin army would enter the Jingji Plain from Jizhou, directly threatening the capital. When the Ming court investigated the matter afterward, they found Liu Ce guilty of two crimes: as the Prime Minister of Jizhou and Liaodong, he allowed the Later Jin to breach the defenses at Jizhou, and disobeyed Sun Chengzong's orders to abandon Jizhou and Sanhe without authorization.

After being imprisoned, Liu Ce vehemently argued that he had never been to Jizhou beforehand, and had been serving as the Governor-General of Baoding the entire time. Furthermore, after the Jin army breached the defenses, Liu Ce was the first to lead the reinforcements to Jizhou, so he felt he should not be guilty. However, the court did not accept Liu Ce's explanation, because his refusal to go to Miyun in Jizhou due to fear of Yuan Chonghuan was itself a dereliction of duty. Therefore, it could not be used as a reason for acquittal.

Several months later, Liu Ce was sentenced to immediate execution. Upon hearing his sentence, Liu Ce wept bitterly, pleading with the judges, "I have the order of the Governor-General of Jizhou and Liaodong! I have the order! Leaving Jizhou and Sanhe for Miyun was under orders! Does acting under orders also warrant death?"

...

On the same day, in Tongzhou,

an envoy arrived at the camp of You Shiwei, the General of Changzhen.

The messenger handed You Shiwei an order and said quickly, "This is an order from the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief. General You is to depart immediately for Changping."

After carefully examining the order, You Shiwei confirmed it was indeed from the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief. He hesitated and asked the messenger, "The Jurchens are in the east, why must I go west?"

Cheng Zhiben replied without hesitation, "General, you are the Commander-in-Chief of Changping. It is naturally your duty to protect the imperial tombs in Changping."

After carefully reviewing the warrant again, You Shiwei questioned once more, "Lord Cheng, this humble general is stationed here to guard Tongzhou. The Jurchens are in front, with the capital and Changping behind. This was also instructed by Grand Secretary Sun."

Cheng Zhiben grew impatient, "This humble official does not know, but this is the order of the Ji-Liao Governor-General. Tongzhou belongs to Jizhou Garrison, and the Ji-Liao Governor-General has his own arrangements, so there is no need for the general to worry."

"Then wouldn't it be more appropriate for this humble general to wait for the Ji-Liao Governor-General to send troops to take over the defense of Tongzhou before leaving?"

Cheng Zhiben asked sternly, "General You! Although you are not a military officer of Jizhou Garrison, His Majesty has already decreed that all the loyalist troops are under the command of the Ji-Liao Governor-General. Are you aware of this?"

You Shiwei replied in a low voice, "This humble general understands."

"Then go ahead. This humble official still needs to return to Jizhou to report to the Ji-Liao Governor-General. If General You has nothing else, this humble official will take his leave." "

Lord Cheng, please."

"Then please depart as soon as possible, General." Cheng Zhiben hurriedly returned the salute, flicked his sleeves, and strode out of the camp.

After Cheng Zhiben had gone some distance, You Shiwei asked his advisor, "Who is this man? How dare a mere seventh-rank official be so rude?"

"Master, be careful with your words. This man is a confidant of the Ji-Liao Commander." The advisor usually collected intelligence on many important figures. This time, You Shiwei had come to Tongzhou on the orders of Sun Chengzong. Yuan Chonghuan had rushed back to take command of the entire army, and his advisor would naturally gather intelligence on those around Yuan Chonghuan. This Cheng Zhiben was a favorite of Yuan Chonghuan, so the advisor quickly told You Shiwei to watch his words.

"This Lord Cheng didn't even pass the county-level imperial examination; he was merely a student in the lower ranks. But after currying favor with the Governor-General of Ji-Liao, he was quickly granted an official position. He always offered advice to the Governor-General and even considered himself his disciple." Cheng Zhiben hadn't taken the proper imperial examination route, so he shouldn't have been able to become an official. However, after being refused three times, he finally succeeded in gaining an audience with Yuan Chonghuan and became a minor official in the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission. Afterward,

Cheng Zhiben always considered himself Yuan Chonghuan's student, constantly referring to him as "my teacher," and quickly rose to become one of Yuan Chonghuan's confidants. He received many gifts of money from Yuan Chonghuan. When Yuan Chonghuan urgently dispatched troops from Liaoxi, he still remembered to take Cheng Zhiben with him and have him advise on military affairs.

"So he's just a sycophant," You Shiwei snorted. Regardless of whether Cheng Zhiben had passed the imperial examinations, he was now a civil official and a confidant of his superior: "Zhunben, we're breaking camp and heading back to Changping."

After You Shiwei announced this order, his camp erupted in commotion:

"Back to Changping?"

The officers were all astonished, asking, "We just came from Changping, why are we going back?"

"This is the order of the Ji-Liao Commander-in-Chief, and he strictly orders us to depart immediately without delay."

Hearing General You Shiwei's words, the soldiers of Xuanzhen were speechless. They had all heard of Yuan Chonghuan's reputation for being unreasonable; he had even killed a first-rank imperial envoy without hesitation, and the emperor hadn't pursued the matter afterward.

On the tenth, the Ming army stationed in Tongzhou was ordered to abandon the Tongzhou defense line and head west back to the capital along the route they had just come from. Then they left the capital again, heading towards Changping, northwest of Beijing.

At the very moment the loyalist troops were all transferred away from the main road connecting Jizhou, Tongzhou, and the capital, Yuan Chonghuan once again wrote to the emperor, assuring Chongzhen that he had no need to worry about the situation in Jizhou. "...Enter Jizhou to rest the troops, carefully scout the situation, strengthen scouting, and do everything in our power to intercept them, ensuring the enemy does not cross the border west of Jizhou!"

Upon seeing Yuan Chonghuan's assurance that the enemy would not cross the border west of Jizhou, Chongzhen believed the overall situation was completely stable. He immediately replied to Yuan Chonghuan, expressing his relief: "With you like this, what do I have to worry about?"

...

November 10th, Chongzhen 2nd year, Dengzhou.

"Yesterday, news came from the capital that the Jurchens broke through Xifengkou and captured Zunhua. His Majesty has issued an edict ordering the entire realm to come to the aid of the emperor."

The generals before Huang Shi all looked solemn, not daring to breathe loudly. Zhen Yucun, standing beside Huang Shi, was also filled with anxiety, his hands nervously flexing and extending from his sleeves.

"Since the Jiajing reign, our dynasty has not heard of anything like this for decades. The northern barbarians have actually breached the border walls and are threatening the heartland of the capital."

The Mongol incursions during the Jiajing reign were a calamity brought about by a high-ranking Ming official. Back then, Qiu Luan believed the Mongols only raided the border to steal, and that if they were given enough supplies, they would stop. Therefore, Qiu Luan consistently implemented a policy of providing supplies directly to the Mongols. He gave them rice when they wanted rice, cloth when they wanted cloth, and even armor and weapons when they asked! As a result, the Mongols launched a large-scale invasion and attacked Beijing.

"The emperor is worried, the subjects are disgraced. Issue my order! The Fuzhou Army is to immediately prepare and set off, land in Tianjin, and then march straight to Beijing to defend the emperor!" Huang Shi, his face stern, looked around at his men and roared, "Gentlemen, we will surely drive the Jurchen barbarians back to their homeland!"

The Fuzhou Army officers all raised their arms and shouted, "We will surely drive them back to their homeland!"

After Huang Shi ordered preparations to depart, a guard outside suddenly reported that two soldiers from Dengzhou were requesting an audience. The guards initially didn't want them to see him, but they claimed to be former Dongjiang soldiers and clung to Huang Shi's camp gate, refusing to leave.

Hearing they were soldiers from the Dongjiang headquarters, Huang Shi hesitated briefly before deciding to grant them a meeting. After Mao Wenlong's death, Huang Shi sent someone to Beijing to see Mao Chengdou and present a memorial gift. Huang Shi held deep affection for Mao Wenlong and his generals. Since there was still some time, Huang Shi had the guards bring them in while ordering some loose silver to be prepared. Those who

entered were Bai Youcai and Sun Ergou. They were originally grain transport soldiers from Dengzhou. Returning to Dengzhou yesterday, they had seen Huang Shi's snake flag. They had seen Huang Shi's flag during the Battle of Haizhou and had also seen his face amidst the vast army. Seeing the white-feathered soldiers in the camp further convinced them that these were Huang Shi's troops, so they rushed to request an audience.

The two men had come with a request, but upon entering the tent and seeing Huang Shi's face, Bai Youcai blurted out, "General Huang, you've returned to counterattack Liaodong, haven't you? You must be planning a counterattack!"

Hearing this, Sun Ergou was momentarily stunned. Although the two brothers had escaped to Dongjiang Island, they still longed to return to the mainland with Mao Wenlong. After Mao Wenlong's death, the Dongjiang army began to demoralize. Later, Yuan Chonghuan wanted to reduce the size of the Dongjiang army, and Chen Jisheng was unable to support the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Liaodong people, so he advised his generals to lead their troops and civilians to Dengzhou, Shandong.

This order was unspoken, but everyone knew that once they boarded the ships to Shandong, they would likely never return to their hometowns. Gradually, some began to desert. Everyone knew where these people were going, but the curses they uttered remained unspoken, as they felt they couldn't bring themselves to do so with conviction.

However, Chen Jisheng was also from Dongjiang and held considerable prestige within the Dongjiang army, so most of the soldiers ultimately chose to stay with him. Other military households boarded ships and followed their officers to the unfamiliar land of Shandong. Bai Youcai and Sun Ergou boarded with Lieutenant General Pan and went to Dengzhou, Shandong, to make a living.

"General Huang, we want to follow you in the counterattack against Liaodong."

Seeing the eager anticipation on their faces, Huang Shi felt a heavy weight in his heart: "Yes, I've come back to fight the Jurchens."

Both men showed relaxed and joyful expressions. After a moment of relaxation and excitement, Bai Youcai suddenly burst into tears: "General Huang, Commander Mao… Commander Mao is gone, Commander Mao is gone!"

Sun Ergou's joy vanished instantly. Hearing Bai Youcai's cries, he too was overcome with grief and wept bitterly, burying his face in the ground: "General Huang, Commander Mao saved so many lives, but the Emperor won't avenge him, allowing villains to falsely accuse him and us."

…

After the two brothers calmed down, Huang Shi learned that they had another favor to ask of him. General Pan had led over ten thousand Liaodong people to live in Dengzhou, but he had recently been arrested again, accused of plotting a rebellion.

Bai Youcai quickly summoned Ma Ding, General Pan's former personal guard captain. Ma Ding was overjoyed to see Huang Shi: "General Huang, with you in charge of the pacification of Liaodong, a counterattack on Liaodong is just around the corner!"

Huang Shi smiled and asked Ma Ding to explain what had happened. Huang Shi already knew that General Pan was from Shandong, but he didn't know that General Pan had once been a runaway slave from a scholar's family in Shandong. After General Pan was promoted for his meritorious service in Dongjiang Town, Mao Wenlong, finding him honest and simple, twice sent him back to Dengzhou to escort grain supplies.

During this time, General Pan visited his acquaintances, but now that he was a high-ranking military officer, the former scholar could no longer do anything to him. Since General Pan was ordered to escort grain supplies, he naturally put the interests of Dongjiang Town first. He was a stubborn man, refusing to agree to Dengzhou's withholding of grain supplies from Dongjiang Town, thus earning a reputation for arrogance among civil officials.

After Mao Wenlong's death, General Pan arrived in Dengzhou with tens of thousands of men. He remained upright, always arguing his case regarding grain and provisions, refusing to collude with corrupt officials. This incurred the resentment of several officials in the Dengzhou military command. Finally, these officials seized upon this pretext, arguing that since Yuan Chonghuan claimed Mao Wenlong intended to attack Shandong, General Pan's two visits to Shandong were clearly for reconnaissance. Furthermore, given his background as a runaway slave from a scholar's family and his wicked character, they petitioned the court to strip General Pan of his official title and imprison him for punishment.

"The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice approved the Shandong Provincial Administration's impeachment, and those corrupt officials imprisoned General Pan. I beg Commander Huang to save General Pan's life," Ma Ding recounted, his face filled with resentment.

Bai Youcai and Sun Ergou pleaded in unison, "We beg Commander Huang to save General Pan's life!"

"Alright, leave this to me. I'll go speak to the Prefect of Dengzhou right now; he should give me some face." Huang Shi still remembered the always-smiling General Pan; the "Fool Pan" that Geng Zhongming and Kong Youde spoke of was an honest man. Huang Shi felt he couldn't watch him be unjustly killed.

"...

I truly know nothing about Pan Yidao's matter, nor was this case handled by me. However, since Commander Huang vouched for him, I believe it must be a misunderstanding." Zhen Yucun was quite straightforward. He checked the case files and found that Commander Pan had not yet been convicted. He casually wrote a note instructing his subordinates to find a random reason to close the case and release Pan Yidao: "Since he is Commander Huang's friend, then we can send someone to pick him up today. Commander Huang need not worry about the aftermath; I will personally oversee it."

"Thank you, Lord Zhen."

"Commander Huang, you are too kind; it was nothing."

After Huang Shi came out, he handed the note to the profusely thanking Ma Ding and the others, telling them that he would visit Pan Yidao before leaving. As for this mission to defend the emperor, Huang Shi would not be taking them with him.

After receiving the order to defend the emperor, Zhen Yucun felt that Huang Shi would definitely gain merit this time, so he also wanted to earn some credit. Zhen Yucun had thoroughly searched the Dengzhou treasury over the past few days, with significantly higher efficiency than before, quickly gathering enough rations to feed 15,000 troops for ten days.

Huang Shi felt this was sufficient for the time being, and he could obtain supplies from local areas after landing. However, some ships of the Vanguard Battalion had not yet arrived, and some troops had just landed and could not be immediately deployed. Huang Shi decided to send the Firefighting Battalion and most of the Panshi Battalion first, with the remaining troops following gradually.

Besides the issue of troop deployment, another important concern for Huang Shi was intelligence secrecy; he hoped to give Huang Taiji a "surprise." From the opponent's perspective, the Fuling Army would not appear on the main battlefield for at least a month and a half to two months, so Huang Shi believed that Huang Taiji had not taken him into account.

Jin Qiude and the staff believed that Huang Taiji was unlikely to know that Huang Shi had arrived in Shandong, because Huang Shi's arrival in Shandong was not for combat. It appeared to be nothing more than an unexpected stop for supplies. Such reports were the lowest priority official correspondence, and it wouldn't be surprising if they took two months to reach Beijing after passing through the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission.

Now that the Later Jin had breached the defenses and invaded, the entire postal network around the capital was likely used for urgent military intelligence, with countless urgent reports pouring in. Low-level reports like Huang Shi's would certainly be piling up, so the General Staff believed that no one would notice the Fuling Army's quiet arrival in Shandong for the time being. The

General Staff's assessment was convincing; Huang Shi was confident that the appearance of his large army would certainly surprise Huang Taiji. The imagined shock of Huang Taiji gave him great pleasure; "I really want to see his expression when he first sees the snake flag; that will be very interesting."

Huang Shi had already made up his mind: the Firefighting Battalion and part of the Panshi Battalion would set off early tomorrow morning, landing on the inner side of the Bohai Bay within five days, while the remaining Panshi Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion would catch up with the main force as quickly as possible. The General Staff had already begun working on Huang Shi's strategic decision. This time, Huang Shi was marching on his own territory, so reconnaissance shouldn't be a major problem.

However, marching speed was also heavily dependent on supply conditions. Huang Shi still planned to use a carrot-and-stick approach to force local officials to compromise; he held the imperial sword and silver arrow. Local officials below the prefect level wouldn't be a match for him if they tried to force him. And if they cooperated well, Huang Shi wouldn't mind giving them more credit; he figured these people could distinguish between profit and loss. Since supplies could be obtained from local military stations, Huang Shi ordered the marching speed to be increased, aiming for a forced march of at least 60 li per day on official roads and at least 80 li in the plains.

After deploying the military intelligence, Huang Shi took a few guards to visit Pan Yidao. He estimated that given Pan Yidao's temperament, he had probably suffered a lot in prison, so he also had the guards bring him a special wound medicine from Funing Town, two live chickens, and some tonics.

Upon reaching Ma Ding's tent entrance, Huang Shi greeted Bai Youcai with a smile, but Bai Youcai's expression was unusually serious. He bowed and clasped his hands, his face devoid of any joy: "Commander Huang!"

Huang Shi glanced at the men standing at the entrance. They all had tense faces, devoid of any smile. Huang Shi's smile vanished. He quickly walked to the tent entrance, stopped, took a deep breath, and then lifted the door to enter.

Ma Ding stood up and bowed to Huang Shi: "Commander Huang."

Huang Shi had no mood to return the bow. He slowly walked to the bedside, stared blankly for a moment, then bent down and whispered in General Pan's ear: "Brother Pan."

"Commander Huang, General Pan can no longer hear," Ma Ding's deep voice sounded behind Huang Shi.

Huang Shi reached out to touch General Pan's forehead, but stopped just before it touched his head. He took a breath, straightened up, and asked without turning his head, "Brother Ma, what exactly happened?"

"Reporting to Commander Huang, we brothers have already inquired," Ma Ding's voice trembled slightly. After they brought General Pan back today, the entire camp was furious. The jailers of Dengzhou Prefecture, not wanting to get involved, told them about Pan Yidao's ordeal, but kept emphasizing that it was the military officials who did it, and that they, the jailers, had nothing to do with it.

"...Those corrupt officials wanted to force General Pan to admit that his trip to Dengzhou to supervise grain was a pretense, and that his real purpose was to scout the terrain for Commander Mao. Of course, General Pan wouldn't betray Commander Mao. Those corrupt officials said...those corrupt officials said that even the Emperor acknowledged that the traitor Yuan was right and did a good job. They asked Lieutenant General Pan if he wanted to overturn the Emperor's case..."

Huang Shi looked at Pan Yidao, who was covered in wounds and half-dead on the bed, and asked softly, "Brother Pan has always been straightforward. He probably said something unpleasant, didn't he?"

"Commander Huang, you are wise. What would General Pan say? General Pan kept repeating, 'Commander Mao is innocent.' As a result, those corrupt officials blinded General Pan and pierced his ears, but... but even so, General Pan kept shouting 'Commander Mao is innocent,' and as a result... as a result, those corrupt officials cut out General Pan's tongue as well."

Huang Shi slowly knelt on one knee beside General Pan's bed and gently tidied the hair on his forehead. Pan Yidao, who had been sleeping quietly, suddenly woke up with a start. Pan Yidao gripped Huang Shi's arm tightly, desperately uttering incoherent words. Huang Shi listened carefully for a while before he could make out what Pan Yidao was shouting:

"Marshal... Mao... is wronged... Ah, Marshal... Mao... is wronged!"

Pan Yidao's once robust body had become frail and thin, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch, but his grip on Huang Shi's hand remained as strong as when he was digging through the Haizhou city wall: "Marshal... Mao... is wronged, Marshal... is wronged!"

Huang Shi remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together. He only felt his chest heaving more and more rapidly. With each breath, he felt something hot rushing out of his body.

“General Pan can’t see or hear anymore, we can’t make him understand that he’s been rescued. We’ve consulted several doctors, and they all told us to prepare for the worst, saying it’ll be within the next day or two.”

Huang Shi managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: “Brother Ma, what else did Brother Pan say?”

“Nothing else. General Pan just kept pleading for Marshal Mao’s innocence, hoping to redress the injustice done to him. General Pan still believes that the Emperor has been misled by villains.” Ma Dingdi’s tone remained very calm, as if he were narrating something completely unrelated to him.

Huang Shi couldn’t bear to pull his hand away, but Pan Yidao’s muffled voice abruptly stopped. He made a few strange noises in his throat, and his head tilted to the side. The pain that had tormented General Pan for so long finally left him. This man who never cried, until the very last moment of his life. Pan Yidao even managed a comical smile, letting out a faint sigh of relief.

Huang Shi remained silent for a long time. His former comrade's hand, though growing cold, still gripped his arm as if grasping at a lifeline, as if a thousand words remained unspoken. Suddenly, Huang Shi tightly embraced the corpse and cried out urgently, "Brother Pan, I know your injustice, and I know Marshal Mao's injustice too! I will definitely seek justice for you! I swear! I swear! I swear!"

...

On the thirteenth day of the second year of the Chongzhen reign, near Jizhou, at dusk, a black-clad crowd surged from the northeast into the narrow passage outside Jizhou Gate. This torrent flowed rapidly forward, soon reaching the foot of Jizhou Gate.

Behind Jizhou Gate, on the main road leading to the capital, the loyalist armies that had once gathered there had all been transferred away. The Jizhou-Liaoning military governor, Yuan Chonghuan, left only his elite troops—the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry. Behind

Jizhou Gate lay village after village. This began in the late Jiajing reign. This land has been spared the ravages of war for decades. Generations have lived peacefully on this land, leading ordinary lives.

Behind a bare tree, a girl in a floral cotton-padded jacket looked up at the faintly visible ridge of the Yanshan Mountains in the distance, then lowered her head shyly. Behind this young girl, a young man, also dressed in a bulging cotton-padded jacket, was boasting to his sweetheart about his wealth: "My two sows are exceptionally strong. Last time I went to the market, someone offered a high price to buy them, but I refused!"

The young man patted the large tree beside them, straightening his chest like a man: "When this tree sprouts, I'll go to your father to propose marriage."

"Mmm," the girl replied softly, head bowed, adding in a gentle voice, "My dear husband."

Behind the young couple was a small village. An old man with a white beard sat at the village entrance, holding a tree branch, frantically fending off attacks from two children, one big and one small. The two toddlers, each holding a branch, their little faces tense, launched a serious attack on their grandfather.

"Well done!" the grandfather shouted, dodging one of his grandsons' straight blows, then lightly slapping the boy's rump, while simultaneously calling out authoritatively, "Young hero, watch carefully!"

In the village, a middle-aged woman and her daughter were boiling water to prepare a meal, while the father was feeding the cow in the backyard. The cow stood there slowly chewing hay, the man vigorously wiping its body. After cleaning the ox, the man stepped back, admiring his well-groomed old companion with a satisfied smile.

"Goodness, really strong." The man gently patted his old ox, then stroked its back. The ox stopped eating, raised its head, looked at its master with its big eyes, and responded with a gentle moo before lowering its head again to eat its hay.

...

The black torrent continued its rapid advance, surging through the narrow passage beside Jizhou Fort. The torrent seemed to pause briefly before accelerating again. Accompanied by the incessant sound of horses' hooves, it overflowed the Yanshan mountain ridges and continued its rush, flowing towards the Jingji Plain behind the Yanshan Mountains—a vast, undefended plain dotted with quiet villages and unsuspecting civilians. After

the hoofbeats subsided, the sound of countless wheels rolled on as thousands of men with queues (traditional braids) pushed handcarts with all their might, panting heavily as they struggled westward. They were all focused on pushing their carts forward, almost none glancing at the Jizhou Gate, which they had left behind.

The sounds of hooves, wheels, and footsteps mingled together, echoing through the Yanshan Mountains. The mountains seemed to awaken from the cacophony, humming and echoing louder and louder... If you listened closely, they seemed to be questioning:

Yuan Chonghuan, Yuan Chonghuan!

In the Golden Palace, wasn't it you who pounded your chest and promised the Emperor, "To pacify Liaodong in five years"?

During the audience at the Imperial Library, wasn't it you who personally received the imperial sword presented by the Emperor?

After arriving at Jizhou, wasn't it you who assured the court, "I will not allow the Jurchens to cross a single step west of Jizhou"? Wasn't it you,

the Commander-in-Chief of Jizhou and Liaodong, whose words held the safety of countless people in the capital region, whose actions brought about the well-being of millions?

Why didn't you resist? Why didn't you resist?

Why, why, why didn't you resist?

Why didn't you resist?

Everyone was in a hurry, too preoccupied to carefully discern the cries from the mountains.

A man with a braid pushed his cart out of the Jizhou Valley, stopped to wipe his sweat, and glanced back at Jizhou in the night—not even a beacon fire had been lit! On

November 13th of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Later Jin army crossed the formidable Jizhou Pass without bloodshed and invaded the plains surrounding the Ming capital.

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Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 34

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