Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 73: The King of the Great West Says He Cannot Be Victorious

Xu hour and three quarters.

Sixteen copper-based enamel palace lanterns in the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace lit up one after another.

Zhu Youjian sat upright on a rosewood throne carved with dragons, staring in a daze at the Eight Immortals Table set out on the blue bricks in the hall.

Wang Chengen knelt in the corner of the hall, stirring the silver-frost charcoal in the gilded brazier with copper fire tongs. Amid the crackling of sparks, he suddenly heard the emperor whisper, "Has Zhou Kui's body been recovered?"

"Your Majesty, after seven days of hanging the body in compliance with the order, it has been hastily buried in a coffin."

Wang Chengen bowed his head and replied.

Zhu Youjian nodded and was about to get up and walk around.

But then Queen Zhou came in from the side door.

Perhaps it was because they hadn't held a family dinner for a long time, or perhaps Empress Zhou wanted to celebrate Zhu Youjian's great victory.

Everything is held to the highest standards.

Empress Zhou wore a plain white satin jacket with dark patterns and a phoenix crown inlaid with kingfisher feathers. Behind her followed Concubine Yuan, Concubine Tian and five other concubines, all of whom were dressed up according to their ranks.

Crown Prince Zhu Cilang led Prince Ding Cijiong and Prince Yong Cizhao forward. The three children's dark blue satin leather caps had golden embroidered coiled dragons that glowed faintly in the candlelight.

"I, your concubine, lead the other princes to pay my respects to the Emperor."

Queen Zhou led everyone in performing four bows.

Zhu Youjian raised his hand slightly and said, "I am in good health. Please take a seat without formalities."

Empress Zhou then stood up and led Concubine Tian and Concubine Yuan to stand on the east side of the throne. Crown Prince Zhu Cilang sat on the west side with Prince Ding Cijiong and Prince Yong Cizhao.

The eunuch brought a gilded copper basin to help him wash, and the twelve main dishes were then presented after being tasted by the Jinyiwei in flying fish uniforms.

Empress Zhou held silver chopsticks and served the emperor food. The tip of the ivory chopstick trembled slightly as it touched the emerald shrimp. "I cooked this Jade Belt Soup over the fire. Your Majesty, please try it. Is it tasty?"

Zhu Youjian held the porcelain spoon that was passed to his lips. He caught a glimpse of the dark shadows under the empress's eyes and tried to draw some closer feelings. "Zi Tong cooked for me personally?"

Queen Zhou suddenly didn't know how to answer, and the shrimp on her chopsticks fell into the blue glaze plate.

Upon seeing this, Concubine Tian hurriedly presented a wine pot with a lotus pattern, "This is the sweet-scented osmanthus wine brewed by Sister Yuan, Your Majesty, please moisten your throat."

Twenty-four imperial dishes have been laid out on the Eight Immortals table, and golden chopsticks and silver spoons are reflected on the pink and white bowls and plates with the inscription "Long Live the Emperor".

After three rounds of drinks, Zhu Youjian turned to the Crown Prince and asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties in your time as Regent these past few days?"

Zhu Cilang put down the agate cup, and the jade pendant on his waist jingled. "I followed the Prime Minister's instructions and divided the grain from Tongzhou into three batches for transportation. They will arrive by the end of the month. However, the Shuntian Prefecture Governor has requested tax reductions and exemptions."

The young man glanced at the memorial left by Ni Yuanlu during the day, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian did not press the issue any further.

After a quick meal, this extremely awkward family dinner came to an end.

Although Chongzhen is no different from him now.

But he could not treat Chongzhen's family as his own.

Let’s defeat Li Zicheng and the Qing Dynasty first before dealing with these trivial matters!
Under Wang Chengen's distressed gaze, Zhu Youjian walked alone towards the bedroom in the Qianqing Palace under the moonlight.

As the candles in the bedroom lit up.

The huge capital city finally welcomed the celebration of victory.

Countless people gathered around the campfire, roasting the dry biscuits and horse meat they had just distributed, celebrating their survival.

A few scholars gathered together and chatted about how brave and heroic Your Majesty was, and said that his achievements would definitely not be inferior to those of Emperor Chengzu.

How many people in the army have I taught to read and learn what battle formations they need?

However, at the residence of Ni Yuanlu, the prime minister of the time, the scene was much quieter.

Only Fan Jingwen, Song Ye, Zhang Huangyan, Wang Jiayan, Huang Degong and other members of the imperial party were sitting in the hall.

Although there was wine and meat, the atmosphere was extremely depressing.

"This time, there are 146,000 defecting soldiers and over 170,000 prisoners. Add to that the 200,000 in the city, and there are a total of 500,000. More prisoners will be brought in tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. The majority of the Guanning Army and their families, 130,000 strong, will soon arrive. According to a rough estimate by the Ministry of War, there will be as many as 800,000 people in the capital in five days!"

Wang Jiayan said worriedly.

Song Ye also sighed. "The Integrity Council has been keeping an eye on the grain reserves. Even with the more economical rationing system, the Ministry of Revenue only has 250,000 dan left. If we consider 800,000 people, we can only last 50 days at most."

"Even if we start spring plowing right now, it will take more than four months to get to the autumn harvest, and there won't be enough food."

At this time, Wang Jiayan added, "Some time ago, His Majesty ordered the garrisons from all over the country to come to the capital to support the king."

"Even if only a few generals from the towns come, it's still a 100,000-man army!"

Ni Yuanlu's head was about to explode after hearing this, and his fingers kept tapping on the table.

"General Huang, is there any food stored in the rebel camp?"

Huang Degong was still a little reserved. He quickly stood up to return the greeting before speaking, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, there was indeed some food and fodder captured in the rebel camp. Unfortunately, the old thief's cavalry burned some of it when they fled. Only about 150,000 dan are left. The exact amount has not yet been counted."

"Marshal Huang, there's no need to be so polite. This is a family dinner, only colleagues are here, no superiors or subordinates." Ni Yuanlu smiled and comforted him.

But I was silently calculating in my heart.

Four hundred thousand shi of grain is definitely not enough to last until the spring plowing.

What's more, the Jiannu army is gathering outside the Great Wall and may move south to enter the Great Wall at any time. Although Li Zicheng has been defeated, his foundation is still there, so we must be on guard against it.

He knocked on the table hard and glanced at everyone.

"Gentlemen, there are only two ways to go now."

"On the one hand, we must strictly defend the capital. Half of northern Zhili has been lost. By strictly defending the capital, we can finally recover the remaining territory. On the other hand, we can control Henan in the south, and the government's principles will remain intact."

"Your Majesty's words and actions today have won the hearts of all the soldiers in the world. As long as the capital is under control, no other garrison will dare to rebel."

"However, the capital is short of food. We need at least 400,000 dan of grain to get through the spring and summer. We also have to be constantly on guard against the Jiannu and the remnants of the rebels."

"Secondly, we can move the capital to Nanjing. Nanjing has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, so we won't be afraid of invaders. It's also adjacent to the wealthy areas of Jiangnan and Huguang, so we don't have to worry about food and fodder. We can also let the Jiannu and the rebels fight each other, so the court can train its elite troops without worry, and we'll reap the benefits."

"However, if we move south, we will lose the support of the people in the northern territories, and the prestige we just gained from the great victory will be completely destroyed. I am afraid that ambitious people will gather troops and become powerful themselves, and the situation of the feudal lords in the late Tang Dynasty will be repeated."

"Gentlemen, what should we do?"

After Ni Yuanlu finished speaking, he spread his hands and said no more.

His meaning was very clear. There were only two paths to take now, and the pros and cons were laid out for you. But no matter which one you choose, everyone will bear it together. Don't think about staying out of it.

Song Ye Zhang Huangyan didn't even think about it and directly stated that they could not move south.

"Moving south would be a betrayal of the Ming Dynasty's integrity. Your Majesty has taken so much trouble to defend the capital, and we must not surrender it to the invaders!"

"It's easy to say, but where do these 400,000 shi of grain come from? Who can stop the Jiannu from entering the pass?!" Wang Jiayan had a very bad impression of people who spoke without thinking.

"Minister Wang, you are exaggerating. Are the Jiannu people indestructible? Duke Ji can defend Shanhaiguan with only 30,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry. How can we not be able to defeat the 100,000 elite troops in the capital?" Huang Degong gradually blended into the atmosphere and spoke more firmly.

Wang Jiayan snorted coldly, "Where will the food come from? Don't even mention the grain transport. Ever since the severe drought in the north last year, the grain shipped south of Jiangnan has been almost used up. The new grain hasn't arrived yet, and the people in Jiangnan don't have any extra food at home."

Both sides insisted on their own opinions and neither was convinced by the other.

Ni Yuanlu, enjoying the fun, looked at Fan Jingwen with a half-smile and said, "Sir, won't you say a few words?"

Fan Jingwen was so angry that he almost slapped Ni Yuanlu. Ever since he was cheated by Li Banghua and others last time, he rarely stood up.

This discussion involved the fate of the Ming Dynasty, and his decision not to leave was the greatest support for Ni Yuanlu.

This old guy really wants to get himself into trouble?!

Damn it!

"Lord Zhi, you are the spirit of the court. If we move south, it would be fine if we were to be criticized, but Your Majesty, who has devoted all his energy to defeating the bandits, should not be criticized." Ni Yuanlu continued with a smile.

Fan Jingwen slammed the table and said, "Then why did the Prime Minister propose the plan of moving south?!"

"If we stay in the capital, I'm really worried that the 100,000 brave soldiers that Your Majesty has worked so hard to gather will be destroyed!" Ni Yuanlu made an embarrassed expression.

"You know, Lord Zhi, I was forced into this position of Prime Minister. If we really talk about strategy, Lord Zhi is ten times better than me!"

"Hmph!" Fan Jingwen snorted coldly with a slight smile on his lips.

Looking at the crowd, he said, "Moving south is good in every way, but it is also the biggest disadvantage. Defending the capital is difficult, but not defending the capital makes everything difficult."

"What the Prime Minister said is a dilemma. In my opinion, it is actually just one dilemma."

These words brought everyone on the field back to their senses.

"Please speak frankly!"

Fan Jingwen stroked his beard and said, "In fact, it's just about how to defeat the thieves."

"Spring plowing and autumn harvest cannot be changed, but we must eat grain."

"During the Chenghua reign of Emperor Xianzong, the royal army marched north from Liaodong, plowing through the fields and houses, and captured 100,000 cattle and horses and 300,000 sheep." "The Jiannu were growing stronger, and all the tribes along the border had joined them. The cattle and sheep were innumerable. If a large army were to penetrate the enemy's lair and capture all the livestock, the food and fodder crisis would be over in an instant."

Fan Jingwen was very confident, but everyone else looked constipated.

"This……"

Huang Degong covered his forehead and explained weakly, "Master Zhi, let's not talk about whether we can defeat the bandits or not. Even if the royal army marched tomorrow, it would take twenty days to reach Shanhaiguan. Not to mention penetrating into the three guards of Jianzhou, defeating the enemy, and looting before returning, I'm afraid it would take more than half a year."

Fan Jingwen was surprisingly calm. He took a sip of tea and said, "Who said that only the Jiannu had cattle and sheep?"

"Then who else can gather so many cattle and sheep?" Wang Jiayan asked in confusion.

Huang Degong suddenly woke up, "You mean... the Mongolian tribes!?"

"That's right." Fan Jingwen nodded with a smile.

At this time, Mongolia had already split into three parts: Mobei, Moxi and Monan.

Close to the Central Plains is the Mongolian Desert (present-day Inner Mongolia), and the nearest place to the capital is less than 300 miles away.

The entire Mongolia south of the desert is divided into three parts.

A little further north is the Khorchin tribe, which has a particularly close relationship with the Jiannu and is the most powerful.

The closest to the capital was the Chahar tribe of Mongolia, which was relatively weak.

Although it was claimed that there were 80,000 soldiers, many of them were withdrawn after they became affiliated with the Jiannu.

It would be good if we could have 30,000 to 40,000 light cavalry left.

With the current strength of the Beijing Camp, the Black Armor Cavalry only needs to lead 3,000 camps to defeat them safely.

But Huang Degong had a new problem.

"If we send all our elite troops to Chahar, what will happen if the Jiannu army seizes the opportunity to enter the pass?"

"The Jiannu are still mobilizing their troops, and our Ming army is on its way. The army only needs to set out in twenty days. If the Jiannu come to Beijing, the army and the Five Army Battalions will defend the city. The Jiannu are not good at attacking cities, so the capital is safe."

Fan Jingwen's words were very convincing.

"What if the Jiannu see that they cannot capture the capital and turn to support the Chahar tribe?" Huang Degong asked again.

This time, Fan Jingwen didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Chahar is the seat of the Mongol royal court. All the vagrants from various tribes have gathered around the main tent. Can't General Huang conquer Chahar in twenty days?"

"But what's the point of defeating Chahar? The Jiannu are roaming around northern Zhili, and cattle and sheep cannot be transported back to the capital." This time it was Zhang Huangyan who asked.

Fan Jingwen nodded noncommittally, "This is the difficulty I was talking about."

"After conquering Chahar, the royal army will not need to plunder cattle and sheep. All we need to do is to defeat the Jiannu, or even to maintain a stalemate with them. The Chahar tribe will then fear the might of our combined forces and will then send another envoy to Chahar."

"We will trade the weapons and armor captured in today's battle for Chahar cattle and sheep to tide us over this difficult time."

Everyone finally had no questions, because no one could explain the war clearly.

What’s more, the Eight Banners of the Jiannu Army had already gained fame.

But this is obviously better than moving south.

With the consent of Song, Ye, Zhang Huangyan and Huang Degong, and the abstention of Wang Jiayan and Ni Yuanlu.

Fan Jingwen's strategy was approved.

Ni Yuanlu smiled, clapped his hands, and shouted towards the wall.

"Go and report today's discussion to your Imperial Censor Li Lian immediately. Have him report to the palace tomorrow and see what His Majesty has to say."

A voice suddenly came from the roof behind him, "I'll be right there."

Then two black shadows jumped back and forth on the eaves several times and disappeared into the night.

Ni Yuanlu turned around as if he was used to it, and his mood was obviously much better.

"Come on, come on, eat some food."

……

The setting sun dyed the hills of western Hunan blood red, and the winding official road was filled with a mixture of stench and blood.

The 600,000-strong Dashi Army was like a festering giant python, lying paralyzed in the mud and wriggling slowly.

A barefoot woman, carrying a bamboo basket, searched for corpses on the roadside and took off her bloody jacket to wrap the baby.

The wheelbarrow got stuck in the rut, and the brass Buddha head rolled to the side of a pile of donkey dung and was casually stuffed into the deserter's waistband.

"Report!" A sharp shout pierced through the formation.

Mud spots splashed on the cracked lips of the messenger of the rebel army.

The mane of the yellow horse under his crotch was covered with purple and black blood scabs, and half of its left ear was missing, which was a unique mark of the Dashun Juntang horse.

The cowhide mailbox hit the saddle and made a clanging sound, startling the wounded soldiers on the roadside and causing them to roll into the gutter in a panic.

"Stop him!" The old soldier guarding the gate spat out half a grass root.

Ten feet away, under the tilted "Zhang" banner, dozens of rattan shield bearers held poisoned spears horizontally.

They had five-colored strips of cloth wrapped around their bare chests, which was the unique attire of Zhang Xianzhong's personal soldiers.

Tang Ma pulled the reins hard, and when the warhorse stood up, the letter tube had already been thrown into the air, "The Eighth Prince has sent it personally! Prince Shun has sent it 800 miles in an urgent manner!"

Sun Kewang heard the noise and lifted the cowhide curtain.

He asked cautiously, "What does Prince Shun want from my Prince Xi?"

The messenger was already exhausted from the long journey. He could only lift the cowhide letter barrel, utter four words "Urgent!" and then fainted.

When Sun Kewang heard this, his eyes became more serious. He quickly stepped forward to take the wax-sealed letter barrel and turned to go into the tent.

The bronze sparrow lampstand inside the tent was emitting sparks of light.

Zhang Xianzhong stepped barefoot on the Hunan embroidered lichen, with cake crumbs stuck between his toes.

He opened the mailbox puzzled.

After he and Li Zicheng separated, they fought on their own, neither disturbing nor helping each other.

An urgent letter came at this time. Could it be that the capital has been captured?

Zhang Xianzhong glanced down and his pupils suddenly tightened.

[Prime Minister Niu Jinxing of the Great Shun Dynasty bows his head and weeps blood, respectfully presenting this to the Western King for his perusal: On March 22nd, our Lord personally led 700,000 brave warriors to hunt in Yanjing. Unexpectedly, Chongzhen secretly gathered a treacherous army. Three hundred massive red-haired cannons were stationed on the city walls, their shells like falling stars, their roars resonating a hundred miles away. The Guanning Iron Cavalry, all clad in three layers of heavy armor, were invulnerable to swords and spears. General Liu Zongmin only managed to kill two of them, leaving the blades curled.]

Zhang Xianzhong's Adam's apple rolled violently, and the wine foam on his yellow beard dripped onto the five big words "Liu Zongmin died in battle".

After a moment's pause, Zhang Xianzhong suddenly smiled, "Even Liu Zongmin died in battle, so Chongzhen is calling down the heavenly soldiers and generals?"

He knew the strength of Liu Zongmin, the top general of the Chuang Army.

However, as he continued to look down, his smile gradually froze.

The Ming court's newly trained Shenji Battalion of 50,000 soldiers, all armed with muskets capable of firing ten rounds in an instant. Admiral Wu Xiang of the Nine Gates led 8,000 elite soldiers in four layers of heavy armor, all armed with Guandao swords. Liu Fangliang was killed on the spot.

[Another 400,000 troops from the border came to the rescue. By noon, only one in ten of the million-strong army had survived, and only a few dozen of the thousand-strong generals had escaped. Prince Shun was seriously injured. I hope the Western Prince will remember our past comrades-in-arms and lead his troops to rescue our Great Shun. When Prince Shun recovers, we will rule the world together!]

The tent fluttered in the wind, and Sun Kewang caught a glimpse of the cold sweat oozing from the back of King Daxi's neck. Since the false surrender in Gucheng, he had never seen his king tremble so violently.

After holding the letter for a moment, Zhang Xianzhong suddenly shouted frantically, "Get the map! Get the map!"

Sun Kewang was startled and hurriedly brought out a spare map.

Zhang Xianzhong hurriedly lay down in front of the map and asked anxiously.

"Did the scouts say yesterday that Zuo Liangyu had arrived in Jingzhou?"

"Indeed, King Xi, there's no need to worry. The left cavalry passed Dangyang last night." Sun Kewang lit a candle to illuminate the Jianghan Plain. "The white-pole soldiers are currently constructing a pontoon bridge in Yiling. Judging by the banners, this is Qin Liangyu's main force."

"Fuck you!" Zhang Xianzhong suddenly leaped up and whipped Sun Kewang's face with his gold-studded whip, causing it to swell up redly. "Six hundred thousand people are crammed into the Jianghan Plain, waiting to be slaughtered? Send the word! The army is marching! Change our route tonight! Quick!"

Sun Kewang left in a hurry. A spring breeze blew outside the tent, blowing away the dust.

Just like blowing away Zhang Xianzhong's last bit of ambition to dominate the world.

When Sun Kewang had just passed through the fleeing army and was about to send a message to the rear army, a new order came from the central army, ordering them to leave behind all the women, children, and the sick, and for the mules and horses to take all the baggage and move forward at full speed without stopping.

For a moment, the Dashi Army was filled with crying.

An old soldier from Shaanxi, with pus all over his body, knelt in the grass, stuffed the last half of a wheat cake to the pregnant woman, and then stabbed a steel knife into his own stomach.

The spring rain in the south is always changing. When the troops were about to speed up, it started to drizzle again.

Zhang Xianzhong curled up on the sixteen-man dragon chariot, gnawing on the pickled deer tendons presented by Sun Kewang, while looking at the map and the battle report.

He murmured with emotion, "The Ming Dynasty is still the Ming Dynasty, invincible!"

(End of this chapter)