How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 27 The Golden Wheel Monk Genghis Khan, the Tiger Mound Rabbit Sweat Arrives
Three hundred miles outside Zhangjiakou, the north wind whipped snowflakes and lashed at the winter camp of the Chahar tribe's Gao Ertumen Wanhu.

More than ten thousand gray-brown felt tents lay sprawled on the frozen wasteland, resembling a patch of frost-bitten, rotten mushrooms from afar. Cattle and sheep huddled in their enclosures, their hides covered in icicles, occasionally letting out weak, mournful cries. In the center of the camp, the black tassel of the Suluding spear before the golden-topped tent danced wildly in the wind.

A caravan of mule carts trudged along, their heavy wheels carving deep furrows in the snow. Wang Dengku, a merchant from Shanxi, pulled his fox-fur coat tighter around himself, followed by twenty large carts. The outlines of grain sacks and the sharp edges of iron tools were faintly visible beneath the hemp cloth. Wang Degong, a trusted retainer of Wang Shiqin, the deputy commander of Xuanfu—an old soldier with graying temples and a face etched with the marks of time—wearing worn cotton armor, held his sword at his waist, his eyes scanning the camp warily. Dozens of Wang's retainers followed closely behind, each with a grim expression.

The silence of the wilderness was broken. A troop of Mongol cavalry, escorting a red-robed lama, galloped towards them, their hooves shattering the thin ice and splashing mud and snow.

“It’s Lama Choerji!” Wang Dengku squinted to identify him, then lowered his voice to Wang Degong beside him. “He’s a confidant of Hudun Tu Khan. It seems that the Golden Wheel Dharma King values ​​this trade route very much.”

The two men reined in their horses and bowed to each other ten paces away. The red robe of the Choerji Lama fluttered in the biting north wind, and he kept turning the mani wheel in his hand. His eyes, as calm as an ancient well, were on his ruddy cheeks. He only nodded slightly and said, "Master Wang, General Wang, welcoming guests in the wind and snow, may the Eternal Heaven bestow blessings. Amitabha."

The three rode side by side toward the golden-domed tent. Wang Dengku and Wang Degong exchanged a subtle glance. Suddenly, Wang Dengku asked in fluent Mongolian, "Master, have you heard anything about the Doyan Guard?"

The mani wheel that Choerji was spinning suddenly stopped.

Wang Dengku's voice was even lower, tinged with sorrow: "Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou slaughtered the entire city of Daning. All the men taller than a cartwheel were beheaded; women and children were enslaved. My family's shopkeeper in Daning crawled out of that mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood to deliver the news."

"Whoosh!" The mani wheel slipped from his grasp and slammed heavily onto the frozen ground. Chorji jerked his head around, staring at Wang Dengku with a look of utter terror: "Really?!"

“Absolutely true.” Wang Dengku pulled a roll of blood-stained parchment from his bosom and presented it with both hands. “This is the dying letter of the Taiji of the Doyan Guard, a tearful plea to the Hutuktu Khan (Huduntu Khan) to make the decision!”

Choerji's hand trembled slightly as he accepted the blood-written letter. He recognized every single character in the Mongolian script on the parchment, but the horrific scene it described when put together was hard to believe: "Is this true?" He paused, his voice hoarse, "These days, many escapees from the Kharachin and Doyan have indeed been taken in by various Han officials, all saying that the Southern Dynasty soldiers are killing and burning. But the Great Khan believes..."

He looked up towards the direction of the golden-topped tent: "The Great Khan believes that the Southern Dynasty has always valued benevolence and righteousness, and would not stoop to this level. He even suspects that it is a trick set up by Jianzhou."

Wang Degong stood to the side, clasped his hands together, and sighed deeply, his voice filled with sorrow: "Master, it is true. Zu Dashou massacred the city of Daning, and Sun Zushou's troops then split into two groups and marched along the Kuanhe and Luanhe rivers, slaughtering the Doyan villages along the way. The Doyan tribe of six thousand tents is probably wiped out!"

"Namo Amitabha!" Lama Choerji closed his eyes, put his hands together, and felt a chill run down his spine.

Wang Dengku seized the opportunity to interject, his tone tinged with indignation: "The new emperor of the Ming Dynasty is only seventeen years old, with the mind of a youth. He only knows how to reward the border generals for their merits, and he doesn't care about benevolence or righteousness at all! If the Hutuktu Khan were to send an envoy to question him, the upright officials in the court would surely rise up to impeach him."

"Everyone's dead, who are we going to seek justice for?" Lama Choerji squinted at the two men in front of him.

Wang Degong whispered a reminder, "But if the Golden Wheel Monk doesn't speak up for the Doyan Guard now, and doesn't seek justice for these people who died unjustly, who among the tribes of southern Mongolia will still recognize the banner of 'Genghis Khan'?! What will become of the Great Khan's prestige?!"

Choerji remained silent, the doubt on his face impossible to erase.

What are these two up to? Why does it smell so strongly of conspiracy?
"The reward for Shunyi Wang Bushitu," Wang Dengku suddenly leaned closer, his voice extremely low, "is 80,000 taels of silver and a thousand bolts of silk annually. If Hutuktu Khan is willing to speak up for the Doyan Guard and uphold justice." He slid a large piece of gold from his sleeve and discreetly placed it into the lama's palm, "In Beijing, there will be people who speak for the Great Khan."

Lama Zhuoerji weighed the gold in his hand, feeling that "this gold is quite destined for this humble monk," and quickly put it away. Finally, he asked, "Who are the people from Beijing?"

“Your Excellency!” Wang Degong replied in a hoarse voice, “Eunuch Wei has been in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Eastern Depot for many years, and his cronies are all over the country. Generals Sun and Zu have committed excessive slaughter and have long incurred the wrath of the people. As soon as the Khan’s envoy arrives in Beijing—he made a swift throat-slitting gesture with his right hand at his neck—“Your Excellency has a way to make them lose their heads!”

This is internal strife! Lama Choerji understood instantly.

At this moment, the group had arrived at the core of the Gaertumen Ten Thousand Household Camp. Lama Choerji dismounted, carefully tucked the heavy blood-written letter into the lining of his robe, and said solemnly, "The Golden Wheel Dharma King will be holding a meeting tonight. You two, please come with me to see him."

Inside the golden-roofed tent, giant tallow candles burned, filling the air with the pungent smell of mutton mixed with the scent of pine smoke. Lindan Khan sat cross-legged on a tiger-skin couch, wearing a golden-winged crown symbolizing the Golden Family, and a heavy golden necklace hanging from his chest. It was unclear whether he was a king or a Dharma King. At his feet knelt a fleeing member of the Doyan Guard, trembling with cold and fear.

"Sun Zushou's soldiers cut off my father's head. Zu Dashou's men burned down the granaries of Daning." The fugitive cried out in broken Mongolian, each word dripping with blood. "They said they were acting on the orders of the Ming Emperor. Execution by wheel! Execution by wheel, Great Khan!" Lindan Khan toyed with the golden wheel on his chest, his eyes sinister. Suddenly, he raised his foot and kicked the fugitive hard in the shoulder: "Nonsense! The young Ming Emperor is only seventeen years old, and has only been on the throne for a few days. How could he be so ruthless? It must be a Jianzhou spy framing him! Drag him away!"

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, letting in a gust of cold wind. Choerji strode forward, holding the blood-stained parchment scroll high above his head: "Great Khan! Jin merchant Wang Dengku testifies, and Xuanfu army general Wang Degong personally recounts that those who slaughtered the Doyan Guards were indeed the Ming generals Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou!" He stepped forward, his voice extremely low, "Furthermore, the Ninth Prince has sent word that he is willing to assist the Great Khan in sending envoys to pressure the Ming court."

Inside the Wenhua Hall, Emperor Chongzhen leaned back on his dragon-embroidered throne, toying with a huanghuali wood thermos in his hand. He had just taken a sip of hot tea when Xu Yingyuan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, bowed and reported in his distinctively high-pitched voice:
"Your Majesty, the Governor of Xuanfu, Zhu Zhifeng, has sent an urgent report: The Khan of the Tartar tribe, Huduntu, has sent an envoy with a letter of state to Xuanfu, saying... saying that he wants to ask the court for an explanation regarding the matter of the Doyan Guard."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. The few people standing or sitting inside had different expressions.

Wei Zhongxian stood hunched over in the shadow of the throne, his cloudy old eyes lowered, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Grand Secretary Huang Lijie sat on the embroidered stool below. Upon hearing this, his brows furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his plump face. His lips moved slightly, but he ultimately did not dare to speak first.

Sun Chengzong, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, sat next to Huang Liji in a worn blue robe, his back straight as a pine tree, his brow furrowed with worry.

Duke Zhu Chunchen of Cheng sat on the other side, his round face bearing his usual amiable smile, though the smile seemed somewhat stiff at this moment, and his eyes flickered uncertainly.

Emperor Chongzhen gently placed the thermos on the small rosewood table, making a soft "tap" sound. He raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Xu Yingyuan: "Oh? Seeking an explanation? What explanation?"

Xu Yingyuan bowed hastily: "Your Majesty, the envoy said... said that Sun Zushou, the General Commander of Jizhou, and Zu Dashou, the Deputy General Commander of Liaodong, massacred the city of Daning of the Doyan Guard without cause, using... using cartwheels to kill, sparing neither the old nor the young, women and children, it was an atrocity beyond human comprehension. Hudun Tu Khan, as the chief of the Mongol Tartars and the leader of all the Mongol tribes, was extremely angry and specially sent an envoy to demand that the court severely punish the murderers and... and provide compensation and relief."

"The execution by wheel-like force is my decree!" Chongzhen said with a smile. "Sun Zushou, Zu Dashou... well done. There will be many more such incidents in the future; the Tiger Mound and Rabbit Khan will get used to it sooner or later!"

His words were spoken lightly, yet they sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall.

Huang Liji finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said in a fearful voice, "Your Majesty! Although this matter... is the fault of the Doyan tribe, the Hudun Tu Khan has now stationed his troops outside the Great Wall. We must be on guard and we must appease him!"

Wei Zhongxian immediately spoke up, his voice hoarse: "Grand Secretary Huang, you are mistaken. Shu Bude led the Kharachin elite cavalry to break through our Qiangziling Pass and wreak havoc in the capital region, which is tantamount to rebellion! Sun Zushou and Zu Dashou were ordered to suppress the rebellion and wipe out the enemy, which is to eliminate a scourge for the country! Since the Doyan Guard has joined the rebellion, they have cut themselves off from the Ming Dynasty. What can Hudun Tu Khan say? As for Fu..." He smiled sinisterly, "Let's talk about that after he takes Guihua City!"

Sun Chengzong frowned even more deeply and said in a deep voice, "Eunuch Wei, although that is true, excessive slaughter is not the way of the king. Moreover, since Hudun Tu Khan has sent envoys to demand punishment, his momentum is overwhelming, and the court cannot ignore this. The most urgent task is to appease his heart and eliminate the border troubles."

Zhu Chunchen quickly echoed, "Grand Secretary Sun is absolutely right! Your Majesty, why not appease the envoy first, offer him some rewards, and then slowly investigate the truth..."

Emperor Chongzhen listened to the argument, his face remaining expressionless. He simply picked up his thermos and slowly sipped his hot tea. He put down the thermos and turned his gaze to Xu Yingyuan: "Where is that envoy now?"

"Your Majesty, we are still awaiting your decree at the Xuanfu post station."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and tapped the cup lightly twice with his fingers.

"Let him come." Chongzhen's voice was not loud. "Xuanfu is not far from the capital. If he rides at full speed, he can make it to the court assembly on the first day of the eleventh month, right?"

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of Huang Lijie, Sun Chengzong, and the others:

"Let that envoy from Hudun Tuhan have a proper explanation at the Wangshuo court assembly, in front of all the civil and military officials."

"Tell me how the border generals of my Great Ming Dynasty carried out the 'wheel execution' on my behalf and for the sake of this world. I want to hear it!"

(End of this chapter)