Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 42 Conservatives believe radicals are too conservative.
"...Your Majesty, with my strategy, Liaodong can be pacified in five years!!!"

With a start, Zhu Youjian was completely stunned. Looking at Wang Zaijin speaking confidently and eloquently below the stage, he even wondered if he was still half asleep. This must be a nightmare! Yuan Chonghuan, I knew it was you! Did you kill Wang Zaijin and take his place?!
Zhu Youjian originally sent Sun Chengzong to the Northwest because he didn't want to continue his Liaodong strategy. What Guan-Jin-Ning defense line? That thing is clearly the Guan-Jin-Ning battle line! That huge salient on the line looks like a teapot bubble—and you're saying it's for defense?! Who would believe that!
If you can't win, why not just admit defeat and be a coward? Even the mighty Tang Dynasty, with its exceptional martial spirit, cowered in Suiyang City and took a beating for a year; the Southern Song Dynasty held Xiangyang to the death, stayed in Diaoyu City, and saw off a Mongol Khan, at least managing to survive a second life.

Do you really think the Ming Dynasty is still the same Ming Dynasty that went on expeditions against the Mongols? Times have changed! Whether the entire nation's army could kill the Mongol leader is debatable, but it could definitely wear down the Ming Dynasty! They didn't have the economic strength!
Sun Chengzong governed Liaodong for four years, repairing nine major cities, building forty-five fortresses, and training 110,000 troops. While these achievements seem remarkable, what was the cost? Over four years, he spent more than 20 million taels of silver and countless resources, directly crippling the Ming Dynasty's economy!

Why did the rebellion break out in Shaanxi? The Liaodong tax had been collected until the seventeenth year of the Tianqi reign! Of course, this is a slight exaggeration, but the increased Liaodong tax and the financial deficit of the imperial court are undeniable facts.

Upon ascending the throne, Zhu Youjian was immediately confronted with a staggering six million taels of silver in unpaid wages across the nine border regions! He could almost see over a million starving soldiers reaching out their emaciated hands to grab the hem of his robe, demanding to know when their wages would be paid, asking, "Emperor, on what grounds are you sending starving soldiers?"

When he opened his eyes, he saw Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, spreading his hands and telling him, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue is truly out of money! I really can't keep track of these accounts. Perhaps we should increase the Liaodong levy..."

Turning his head, he saw millions of starving people in Shaanxi, their eyes red, holding hoes and rakes, staring straight at him!
"I was so stupid, so incredibly stupid! No wonder Old Wang admired Yuan Chonghuan so much back then, praising him every day. Turns out they were all birds of a feather." Zhu Youjian was almost in tears: his teacher Sun Chengzong was a radical, and the conservative Wang Zaijin he thought was even more radical than the radicals. So, in the entire court, the only true conservative was him, the emperor! Oh no, he was truly all alone!

"Minister Wang, you didn't say that when you argued with Master Sun about the strategy for governing Liaodong!" Zhu Youjian reminded him bitterly, hoping that things could take a turn for the better.

However, his casual question brought the old man to tears. The 66-year-old Wang Zaijin said with red eyes, "Recalling the hardships of those years, it is enough to bring tears to my eyes. When the Xiong King entered the pass, the Liao army collapsed. The fleeing people crowded together, and the gate could not be closed for four days and nights. At that time, it was all irrelevant."

The court recommended him for military strategy, but no one dared to take the position. The country has been supporting scholars for 250 years, but no one is willing to go to the aid of the nation in times of crisis. Isn't this a disgrace to the court and a shame to the world?
Jin was willing to die for his country, his heart filled with patriotism. He set out alone to defend places like Qiantun and Ningyuan. He then gathered the scattered and deserted, repaired the abandoned battlements, recovered the abandoned land in front of the pass, allied with the isolated army overseas, rescued the people who had been holding out to defend Qiantun, stationed rotating soldiers to guard Ningyuan, transported grain from the islands to feed his soldiers, and purchased grain from the Liaoxi granaries to aid the border people.

My strategy of securing Shanhaiguan Pass in the past was due to the fact that our army had suffered heavy losses and our troops were demoralized. We were weak while the Jurchens were strong. We had no choice but to do this under such desperate circumstances.

However, times have changed. Now, our Great Ming's cities are well-fortified, our army numerous and our generals numerous. We have also successively defeated the Jurchens at Guangning and Jinzhou, and now our morale is soaring. Your Majesty, the balance of power between our Great Ming and the Jurchens has shifted. They can go, and so can we!

However, the old man's impassioned words did not ignite Zhu Youjian's passion; instead, they chilled him to the bone.

Wang Zaijin meant that the past was the past and the present is the present. The situation was too difficult back then. The imperial army was defeated, and even the remnants were powerless to deal with Nurhaci's attack. That's why he proposed a conservative strategy. But now the situation has changed, and the advantage is in our hands.

His idea was to get the emperor's support for a decisive strategic battle against the Jurchens, mobilizing all the capable troops in the country, including the emperor's favorites, the three thousand White-Spear Guards in the palace. He felt that the longer the situation in Liaodong dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for the court. He heard from Korean gentry in Nanjing that people were already starving to death on the Jurchen side. Unable to break through the Liaoxi defense line to plunder the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchens could only rob Mongols and extort Koreans in the east and west.

After the Battle of Dingmao, Joseon was forced to sign the Treaty of Gangdu, which required Joseon to become brother states with the Jurchens, pay tribute to the Jurchens, open trade, and promise to no longer support the Ming Dynasty.

King Injo of Joseon said that the Jin Dynasty was Joseon's elder brother, but the Ming Dynasty was Joseon's parents. He said that if he were to sever his father-son relationship with the Ming Dynasty, he would "rather die for his country than obey."

However, although the King of Joseon was loyal, many of his ministers were terrified and were secretly colluding with the Jurchens behind his back, completely disregarding his orders!

Wang Zaijin believed that Korea and Mongolia were still struggling, and the imperial court must send troops to their aid, joining forces with Mongolia and Korea to attack the Jurchens. If these two allies were ignored, they would eventually side with the Jurchens, making it even more difficult to recover Liaodong. The Jurchens were currently weak, while the Ming Dynasty was flourishing; this was a golden opportunity to counterattack the Jurchens and recover Liaodong in one fell swoop!

"How magnificent, Wang Mingchu! You have truly impressed me!" Grand Secretary Huang Liji exclaimed, patting his ivory plaque.

The entire court was in an uproar. The few who felt something was wrong could only stand in the crowd, frowning, and dared not utter a sound.

When has the Ming Dynasty ever won a gamble on the fate of the nation?! Zhu Youjian was not swayed by the political winds of the court. Wang Zaijin had already been sentenced to death by him. Now he was completely numb because after eliminating Wang Zaijin, he didn't know who to find to manage Liaodong.

Zhu Youjian's lips twitched slightly as he asked, "Minister Wang, how many soldiers, how much money, and how much grain would you need according to your plan?"

Wang Zaijin's expression stiffened upon hearing this. He was not unaware of the court's difficulties, but he felt that as long as they could win, it was worth gritting his teeth and persevering. He cautiously looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, what is required each year? Six million taels of silver? Two hundred thousand troops would suffice."

Zhu Youjian spread his hands and said, "Why don't you sell me to the Jurchens and see if I'm worth 30 million taels of silver?"

The heated atmosphere in the court cooled down. Wang Zaijin, having just returned from Nanjing, might not be aware of the situation, but the court officials standing there knew all too well the recent turmoil the court had been wreaking havoc over money. Six million taels a year?! The entire annual tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty didn't even amount to six million taels. Even if everyone saved every penny and gave him all the money, it still wouldn't be enough!
(End of this chapter)