Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 87 Standing Tall Amidst Wind and Rain

Several days later, late at night, in the capital.

As night fell, the clouds that had been looming all day finally settled down, like a boundless sheet of rice paper splashed with light ink.

There was no thunder, no gale.

Fine, downy rain fell silently, enveloping the entire Forbidden City in a misty haze.

The rain was light; it couldn't wash away the dust, only mixing the loose soil on the ground into sticky mud.

The Donghua Gate of the Imperial City, usually solemn and dignified, now appeared even more secluded and desolate in the drizzling night rain.

Beneath that heavy doorway, a figure stood alone, facing the cool night breeze carrying moisture.

The rain slanted down, quietly wetting the hem of his clothes and the ends of his hair, leaving dark circles of stains. But he didn't care at all. His eyes seemed to pierce through the thin curtain of rain as he quietly gazed at the long street outside the palace gate, which was shrouded in darkness by the rain.

Behind him, several chief eunuchs and guards held umbrellas, looking extremely anxious, but dared not take a step forward.

Zhu Youjian was waiting for someone.

Someone worthy of his personal waiting on this stormy night, the emperor himself.

Before long, a carriage finally stopped at the palace gate, and an old man with white hair and beard, supported by the coachman, staggered onto the bluestone slab.

His face looked even more haggard in the dim lantern light. After riding all the way from Gaoyang through the night, this nearly seventy-year-old man seemed to have been shaken to pieces.

The visitor was none other than the former imperial tutor, Sun Chengzong.

At that moment, he raised his dim eyes, wanting only to enter the palace to meet the emperor as soon as possible, but in the next instant, he was struck by lightning and froze on the spot.

He saw the figure standing under the doorway.

Even though it was just an outline, he would never mistake it.

The emperor...was waiting for him at the palace gate?
Sun Chengzong's mind went blank. Then, an indescribable fear and excitement overwhelmed his reason. He pushed the driver forward and lunged forward, about to perform the grand ceremony of kowtow between emperor and subject in the mud.

"This old minister, Sun Chengzong, pays his respects..."

Before his knees even touched the stone slabs, a pair of incredibly strong hands had already gripped his arms firmly through the drizzle!

Zhu Youjian, sheltered by the doorway, strode into the wind and rain, using undeniable strength to firmly support Sun Chengzong's body.

"gentlemen!"

Zhu Youjian's voice, burning hot, slammed into Sun Chengzong's ears.

"With the wind and rain having come this far, there's no need for empty formalities! I have been here for a long time, sir!"

Sun Chengzong was stunned. He was supported by the emperor, his whole body stiff. The hands he received conveyed not only the warmth of the young emperor, but also an unprecedented respect, a respect that made this retired old minister feel heartbroken!
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty! Absolutely not! You stand in the wind and rain to wait for this old man...This is an act that would be unbearable for an old minister, and Heaven and Earth would not tolerate it!" Sun Chengzong's voice was already choked with sobs. He desperately tried to break free and kneel down, but found that the emperor's arm was like an iron clamp.

"Why not?"

Zhu Youjian didn't allow him to explain, and almost half-carried, half-supported him as he led him into the doorway. He also took off his relatively dry outer robe and draped it over Sun Chengzong's slightly trembling body.

"To me, you are the Imperial Tutor; to the nation, you are the pillar that holds up the sky!"

Zhu Youjian helped Sun Chengzong walk into the palace, speaking in a deep voice.

"The great edifice is about to collapse, and I personally welcome a pillar back to its place to support the nation. I will weather this storm! I will wait patiently for the arrival of this national gate!"

These words were louder than thunder in the sky.

Sun Chengzong stopped struggling, and tears mixed with rainwater streamed down his old eyes.

He said nothing more.

He simply allowed the young emperor, his former student, to help him step by step across the flooded square and toward the brightly lit Wenhua Hall.

……

"My esteemed teacher has come a long way and must be tired. Please have some hot tea to warm yourself up." Zhu Youjian's demeanor was calm and composed, much like an ordinary junior entertaining a respected elder. Sun Chengzong held the warm teacup, but his heart remained unsettled for a long time.

He had come prepared in every possible way.

Perhaps the emperor was young and disoriented by the sudden upheaval, so he summoned this old minister for some psychological comfort; or perhaps Liaodong was in chaos and there was no one left in the court, so he wanted the emperor to come back and clean up the mess, to be a patchwork rag.

He was ready for either one.

Do your best and die!
But he never expected it to turn out like this.

Sun Chengzong sipped his ginseng tea, letting the warmth flow down his throat and through his body, while discreetly observing the young emperor beside him out of the corner of his eye.

His face was still as handsome as I remembered, but the immaturity of youth had faded, and his features had become more defined.

But what has truly changed is those eyes.

Once, those eyes held curiosity about the outside world, confusion about the future, and a faint melancholy of being trapped in a cage.

At this moment, those eyes were so calm, composed, and profound, exuding absolute confidence and authority as if everything was under their control.

The emperor has grown up.

No, perhaps the word "grown up" is not enough to describe it.

This change was so fast and so drastic, it was almost like he had become a completely different person!

The Prince Xin who was filled with fear and anxiety at the Tianqi Emperor's sickbed has completely disappeared, replaced by an emperor who has begun to understand how to use power.

"I summoned my mentor back to the capital, but it was truly out of necessity." Zhu Youjian broke the silence in the hall with his words, his tone calm yet naturally carrying a compelling power.

Sun Chengzong put down his teacup and sat up straight: "If Your Majesty issues an edict, this old minister will not hesitate to die for it."

"You flatter me, my teacher." Zhu Youjian waved his hand, then changed the subject, no longer exchanging pleasantries, "I invited you here not to reminisce, but for matters of state. A matter of life and death concerning the fate of the Ming Dynasty."

He stood up, walked to the map that had been placed in the center of the hall, and gestured for Sun Chengzong to proceed.

“Master, please come with me.”

Sun Chengzong felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the real topic was approaching. He stood up, straightened his robes, and slowly walked over.

When he saw the map marked with the Later Jin's sphere of influence in blood red, a trace of undisguised pain flashed in his aged eyes.

Every inch of this lost territory was once a place he had painstakingly tried to protect!
Zhu Youjian did not immediately launch into grand plans and strategies. Instead, he began to calmly dissect the seemingly unsolvable deadlock before him, using only one finger as a starting point.

"Liaodong has been in ruins for so long, and in my opinion, there are four root causes." Zhu Youjian's voice was calm and clear, without a trace of youthful impetuosity.

Sun Chengzong stood with his head bowed, his expression as respectful as ever.

He had high hopes for this diligent new emperor, whose concern for Liaodong was a great fortune for the country. However, he thought that since the emperor was deep in the palace, his knowledge of the intricate deadlock outside the pass was probably mostly based on memorials and reports. He had come today with a prepared speech, ready to analyze and explain the whole situation to the emperor in detail.

"Firstly, there's the issue of money and provisions. The Liaodong military levy was originally intended to provide emergency relief, but it has now become a major drain on the nation. Half of the nation's wealth is spent outside the Great Wall, but after passing through layers of bureaucracy, including the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and then through the hands of governors and military supervisors, less than three-tenths of the total amount actually reaches the soldiers! The soldiers at the front lack clothing and food, and their weapons are worn out. Even if they have a loyal and brave heart, they have no strength to kill the enemy!"

Sun Chengzong subtly raised his white eyebrows.

"Secondly, the generals. The generals outside the pass, though nominally appointed officials by the court, are in reality self-reliant and no different from traitors. In peacetime, they falsely report troop numbers to embezzle military pay, kill innocent people to claim credit for rewards, form cliques and suppress dissent, and treat the battlefield as their private property. In wartime, they stand by and watch, failing to support each other and harming their neighbors. The defeat at Sarhu, where the army advanced separately without coordination, was the root of their downfall!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chengzong suddenly raised his lowered eyelids.

"Thirdly, the hearts of the people. The court cannot protect the Liao people, and the generals are unwilling to show compassion for the people, causing hundreds of thousands of Han Chinese men to be displaced and turn to the Jurchens! Our people have become the enemy's soldiers; our land has become the enemy's food. They are acting as accomplices to the enemy, serving as their vanguard. They are familiar with our mountains and rivers. With this shift in power, the foundation of our nation has already been shaken!"

“My people have become the enemy’s soldiers…” Sun Chengzong’s lips moved slightly, his eyes filled with horror and disbelief.

He devoted half his life to the Liaodong affairs, and his concerns were mostly about military strategy and city defense. Although he knew that the hearts of the people were important, he never pointed out the fatal nature of aiding the enemy like Zhu Youjian did!
"Fourthly, national policy." Zhu Youjian's hand traced heavily along the line from Shanhaiguan to Jinzhou. "Since the fall of Guangning, our Great Ming has lost all initiative and can only proceed cautiously, setting up defenses everywhere. Using the nation's wealth to build fortified cities along the Ningjin line seems secure, but in reality, it's like drawing a circle on our own ground, binding our own hands! When the enemy comes, we defend; when the enemy leaves, we repair; when the enemy detours, we pursue. We are always on the defensive, constantly running around! This is not a policy for defending the country, but a policy for depleting the country, a way to sit and wait for death!"

His words were like knives, each sentence cutting to the bone. Sun Chengzong felt a chill run through his body and his heart trembled violently!

(End of this chapter)