My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 464 Empty City Strategy

The result of Zhao Pengzheng's deception was that the more he deceived, the more merchants gathered in the New Five Kingdoms City.

Seeing so many Ming Dynasty merchants, these wild Jurchens worked even harder and brought even more local specialties with them.

By February, Zhao Peng had actually set up a market.

Last year, the Northeast was not peaceful, and with the blockade throughout the winter, the Jurchen tribes of the Wild Man had stockpiled a lot of goods.

Of course, they also suffered from a severe lack of supplies for the Han people.

These Ming Dynasty merchants stared wide-eyed as they entered the market!
They saw mountains of sable fur!

Sable, also known as sable, only inhabits coniferous forests in cold regions.

Sable has been a precious tribute item since ancient times. In the capital, sable fur is an absolute high-end product and has no shortage of buyers.

These sable furs are not only sold in the capital, but are also among the most luxurious items in the world.

As early as the Tang Dynasty, there was an eastern route on the Silk Road that crossed the grasslands and led directly to the Northeast. This route was also known as the Sable Road.

The Wuguo City during the Song Dynasty was actually a trading post established by the Liao Dynasty for the trade of sable.

Nowadays, there's no need to travel the Silk Road for trade. Just use a fleet to transport these sables to Southeast Asia, and both the Ottomans and Westerners will be eager to buy them.

At this point, no one doubted Zhao Pengzheng anymore. If it weren't for having connections at higher levels and the full support of the imperial court, how could the border market have been built so quickly?
This Lord Zhao is truly a man with connections and influence that reach the heavens!

The influx of Ming Dynasty merchants into the border market shocked even the Jurchen barbarians.

In the past, the Jurchen people lived north of the Songhua River, which was very far from the Ming Dynasty.

If they wanted to buy goods from the Ming Dynasty, they had to go through the Jianzhou Jurchen or Haixi Jurchen. These clansmen took a very high cut, and the price they sold to the Wild Jurchen was several times the original price.

These Jurchen leaders discovered that the Ming merchants' prices were very "reasonable," sometimes requiring only a few sable pelts to exchange for a large amount of supplies.

Of course, these Jurchen leaders were unaware that a few sable pelts could be exchanged for silver dollars worth dozens of times more in the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming merchants found these Jurchen leaders to be simple and honest, and the Jurchen leaders also found these Ming merchants to be kind and honest. As a result, the reputation of this border market grew.

On the banks of the Songhua River, the cold wind is still biting.

The bustling scene at the New Five Kingdoms City's market seemed to shield them from the harsh winter. Merchants were busy counting bundles of sable pelts, while the Jurchen people happily traded the pelts for salt, ironware, and cloth.

Zhao Peng, dressed in his brand-new official robes, was enjoying the flattery of the merchants and the awe-inspiring gazes of the savage leaders in the makeshift government office.

However, nothing is ever smooth sailing. Upon hearing that the Ming Dynasty had established a new city on the banks of the Songhua River and was trading directly with the Jurchen people, the Jianzhou Jurchens could no longer sit still.

On the banks of the Songhua River, there was a tribe of Jianzhou Jurchens who made a living by trading between the Ming Dynasty and the Wild Jurchens.

Now that the Jurchen people no longer have middlemen to take a cut, and Ming Dynasty goods are sold directly, the most unhappy ones are these Jianzhou Jurchens.

The leader of this Jianzhou Jurchen tribe called himself Mafa (elder), and was also related to Wang Gao, who was beheaded by Li Chengliang. He belonged to the Xitala clan of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe and also gave himself the Han name Wang He.

Wang He was fluent in both Manchu and Han languages ​​and was adept at changing his stance according to the prevailing winds. He sided with the Ming Dynasty during Li Chengliang's campaign to eliminate Wang Gao.

After Wang Gao's defeat, Li Chengliang issued an order from the Andong Governor's Office, requiring these Jurchen tribes that had submitted to the government to relocate inland.

However, Wang He was cunning and used various methods to delay the migration inland. He did not take any action until after winter, and the entire tribe stayed on the frontier, waiting for an opportunity to move.

Wang He's Jianzhou Jurchen tribe relied on trade to make money, and they were extremely anxious when they saw Zhao Peng trading directly with the wild Jurchens.

Before the permafrost in Northeast China had thawed, Wang He dispatched envoys to contact the surrounding Jianzhou Jurchen tribes, preparing to attack Xinwuguo City and destroy this outpost for Ming Dynasty trade!
"My lord! My lord! Something terrible has happened!" A Jurchen chieftain, covered in snow and looking panicked, stumbled in and shouted urgently in broken Chinese mixed with gestures:

"'Mafa'! 'Mafa' Wang He! He's brought men! A lot of them! Swords and arrows! We're going to fight! We'll fight them all here! Kill them all! Loot them all!"

The government office fell into a deathly silence. The smiles on the merchants' faces froze, while the savage chieftains wore expressions of terror.

Wang He was quite famous; he was the leader of the Hitara clan after Wang Gao's death, and he was cunning and fierce.

Although nominally surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, they frequently attacked and killed merchant caravans and plundered the Jurchen tribes, accumulating considerable power and influence in this region of white mountains and black waters.

Zhao Peng felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his calves began to tremble involuntarily, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The Jianzhou Jurchens! They're coming with real swords and spears! How could he, a weak scholar, with only a few dozen soldiers responsible for security and a group of merchant guards, plus these newly surrendered, poorly armed barbarians, possibly withstand the fierce Jianzhou cavalry?

Zhao Peng cursed Duan Hui in his heart, vowing that once he became successful, he would make Duan Hui taste the same bitterness!
Although the immense fear almost suffocated him, the instinct for survival still drove Zhao Pengzheng to calm down.

He slammed his hand on the table, suppressing the scream that was about to escape his lips, and roared at his equally terrified attendants beside him:
"Don't be afraid! Protector Li anticipated this and has been lying in ambush near the New Five Kingdoms City for many days!"

"Hurry and go quickly to Protector Li to tell him that the traitor Wang He has taken the bait!"

In fact, Zhao Pengzheng's words were full of loopholes. Not to mention how could Li Chengliang lead his army to ambush Wang He in the freezing cold, how could Li Chengliang lead such a large army without making any moves?

However, Zhao Pengzheng's firm stance, coupled with his prestige of having "connections in high places," kept everyone in check, and no one dared to question him.

Looking at the pale and terrified faces inside the government office, Zhao Peng knew that if he showed any weakness at this moment, the market would collapse instantly, and everyone would become lambs to the slaughter.

Zhao Peng took a deep breath, forcing himself to straighten his back, and forced a composed expression, even with a hint of disdainful sneer, as he addressed the savage leader who had brought the news and the stunned crowd around him:
"Li, the Deputy Protector-General, will be here any day or night! This Five Kingdoms City is impregnable!"

He paced back and forth, his voice deliberately raised, brimming with confidence:
"The elite troops from Liaoyang are not far away. This Wang He has come to bring me credit!"

"Hold the border market! Once Vice Protector Li's army arrives, you will all be meritorious officials, and I will certainly report to the court for a great reward!"

"If there are any who are not thinking clearly, desert in the face of battle, or secretly collude with the enemy!"

"Don't blame me for being ruthless in military law!"

These harsh words about "having connections" and "being prepared in advance," combined with his forced composure, temporarily calmed people's hearts.

Especially the leaders of the barbarians, who were already skeptical of the "envoy from the Celestial Empire's" words, saw him so certain now and heard about Li Chengliang's reputation. Their fear was greatly reduced, and they all beat their chests and expressed their willingness to live and die with the Ming Dynasty.

These Jurchen barbarians were numerous, and they declared their intention to defend the new Five Kingdoms City, causing the merchants to abandon their thoughts of fleeing.

After all, they had their entire fortunes tied up here, and knowing that Zhao Pengzheng "had connections," they dared not offend him. They could only pray that Zhao Pengzheng had indeed made preparations in advance and that Li Chengliang's ambush was not far away.
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Next, Zhao Peng immediately took action.

All available soldiers, caravan guards, and even some strong young savages in leather armor were gathered behind the fence surrounding the trading post.

They were told to stand as straight as possible and raise the few remaining Ming Dynasty military flags high, so that they would flutter in the cold wind.

They were ordered to take turns moving around, shouting commands loudly to create the illusion of a large number of people and heavy security. This made the king, who was preparing to attack the new Five Kingdoms City, hesitate.

During the last war to eliminate Wang Gao, Wang He saw many new weapons of the Ming army and was terrified of the Ming regular army's fighting prowess.

He dared to attack Wuguo City because he calculated that Li Chengliang would not be able to provide support. After looting, he led his tribe to hide in Changbai Mountain, and Li Chengliang could not do anything about him.

Upon discovering that the new Five Kingdoms City was no pushover, Wang He began to hesitate again.

Next, Zhao Peng sent people to cover the empty wooden barrels brought by the caravan with tarpaulins and pile them up in rows on the high ground with a wide view behind the market.

They also spread rumors that there was plenty of gunpowder in the new Five Kingdoms City, saying that Li Chengliang was using the new Five Kingdoms City as bait and would soon lead his troops to attack.

He then sent his close associates with flags to sneak into the sparse woods outside the market, ordering them to wave the flags every so often, raising snow and dust as if an ambush was being mobilized.

This made Wang He even more hesitant.

The closer he got to the new Five Kingdoms City, the more news he heard, especially rumors about Zhao Pengzheng's "connections to the highest levels" and "having powerful backers."

Wang He initially scoffed at it.

Which powerful Ming official, with connections to higher authorities, would be exiled to build a city in the far north?

But now he's starting to doubt himself again.

Why would a border city need so much gunpowder?

Is it to serve as Li Chengliang's logistical support base?

Zhao Peng was willingly acting as bait in order to accumulate military merits so that he could be promoted quickly.

Wang He thought of his distant relative, Wang Gao.

Li Chengliang was promoted to deputy protector of the Andong Protectorate by "faking Wang Gao's favor".

Wang He's suspicions deepened, but the entire tribe had already mobilized, and he alone could not stop them. So he led a hundred Jianzhou Jurchens to raise an army and first attack Wuguo City to see what was going on.

Then, Zhao Pengzheng ordered the entrance to the market to be opened.

Of course, the interior was still fortified with simple defensive works made of large carts and miscellaneous items.

Zhao Peng then built another high platform, moved a chair over, and sat down on it with an air of superiority.

He left only two close attendants with him. He suppressed his trembling and tried to put on a relaxed, confident posture, sipping tea with a disdainful look in the distance where enemies might appear, as if waiting for Wang He to walk into his trap.

When Wang He arrived at the foot of the new Five Kingdoms City, it was called a city, but the city walls had not been built at all; there was only a wooden fence around it.

The city gate was the entrance to the market; the gate was wide open, and the city defenses were rudimentary.

But Wang He became suspicious, and the more he looked, the more suspicious it seemed.

The Ming army's city defenses were haphazard, but flags fluttered inside the city, and behind the fences, crowds thronged, shouts echoing continuously.

There was a row of objects that looked like powder kegs high up. If these exploded, it would be enough to give Wang He a hard time.

Dust billowed from the trees on the flanks, suggesting the movement of an ambush.

The most unusual one was Zhao Pengzheng!

Wang He thought to himself: Humph, do they really think we Jurchens don't know about the Empty City Stratagem?
The leaders of the Jianzhou Jurchens were actually highly Sinicized, and the Empty City Stratagem was already a very popular theatrical work in the Ming Dynasty.

But precisely because of this, Wang He stopped his troops.

Wang He was naturally suspicious and cunning, and he was already wary of Li Chengliang.

"This Han dog is so calm... Could there really be an ambush?"

"Are the elite troops from Liaoyang really nearby?"

"That old fox Li Chengliang, is he just letting my unit run into him?"

He reined in his horses, ordered the troops to stop, and sent out several small teams of scouts to cautiously approach and investigate.

Under Zhao Pengzheng's secret instructions, the "guards" inside the market shouted at the approaching scouts and even fired a few inaccurate arrows, appearing very confident.

Wang He looked at it more and more and felt that it was a trap, and fear began to grow in his heart.

Wang He dared not rush in rashly, but he also had no way to lead the tribe to retreat directly.

The Jianzhou Jurchens were actually similar to the Weibo barbarians during the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. If you were made their leader, you would lead your brothers to plunder. If Wang He had retreated directly, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape back to his tribe and would have had his head cut off by his subordinates and handed over to the Ming army.

Wang He could only temporarily order his personal guards to retreat and set up camp a few miles away from the new Wuguo City.

And so, another five days passed.

Zhao Pengzheng spends his days either reciting the Empty City Stratagem or handling official business in the new Five Kingdoms City, showing no signs of being besieged by the Jianzhou Jurchens.

In fact, Zhao Pengzheng had already given up hope. He knew that the new Wuguo City was far from the headquarters of the Andong Protectorate, and Wang He was no fool. This empty city ruse wouldn't last much longer.

However, he was very proud and unwilling to beg for mercy, so he just wanted to hold on for one day at a time.

But on the fourth day, a muffled and rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from the lower reaches of the Songhua River!

On the horizon, a torrent of black iron cavalry surged forth, stirring up clouds of snow and dust, like a raging tide of steel!

A large flag flutters in the wind, bearing a bold "Li" character!

Li Chengliang's Liaodong cavalry has truly arrived!
The wild woman leader and the Ming Dynasty merchant in the new Five Kingdoms City were overjoyed!
Lord Zhao is indeed incredibly influential!

Wang He was terrified and dared not linger any longer, yelling, "Retreat!"

Li Chengliang took the lead and rushed to the front of the market. Looking at the scene before him, which was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, yet had "intimidated" the enemy, and then seeing Zhao Pengzheng on the high platform, whose face was pale, whose legs were still trembling slightly, but who was struggling to stay upright, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Zhao Pengzheng then felt his soul return to its place, as if all his strength had been drained, and he almost slipped off the chair.

He leaned on the table, his voice weak with the exhaustion of surviving a disaster and barely contained excitement: "Li... Protector Li... you've finally arrived! This humble official... this humble official has not failed in his mission!"

(End of this chapter)