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

Chapter 90 The Enemy in the Forbidden City

Outside Phoenix Tower, a torrential downpour was in full swing.

Large raindrops lashed wildly against the glazed tiles, forming streams of muddy water that cascaded down from the eaves.

The hall was dimly lit, with only a few large tallow candles flickering in the howling wind, casting the shadows of the crowd into distorted, ghostly shapes on the walls.

Huang Taiji had returned to his throne, his right hand hastily wrapped in a white cloth, from which crimson blood seeped, creating a stark contrast with his clothes.

He didn't speak, quietly listening to the thunder and rain outside the hall. His usually calm and steady face was now clouded with gloom, more terrifying than the sky outside the window.

Daishan, Amin, Mangultai and other great princes stood at the lower end, their faces still showing signs of shock.

The downfall of the Shanxi merchants was like a heavy hammer, shattering all their contempt and illusions about the new emperor of the Southern Dynasty.

"How could a mere brat have such a vicious heart and ruthless methods?" Mangultai, whose temper was the most violent, couldn't help but mutter curses under his breath.

No one answered him, because everyone knew the question was pointless.

The facts are already laid bare: the boy named Zhu Youjian used thousands of heads to declare his existence!

In the corner stood a Han Chinese scholar dressed in a Confucian robe, Fan Wencheng, quietly with his hands at his sides.

His position was not high enough to speak in the core circle of such important military and national affairs, but he listened attentively to every word and his mind raced.

When he heard the words "death by a thousand cuts" and "extermination of nine generations of relatives," his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He understood the weight of these words in the Han Chinese world better than these Jurchen nobles; they represented the ultimate will to eradicate any threat without leaving any room for maneuver!
In the midst of this deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere, the palace doors were once again violently pushed open.

A sudden gust of wind, accompanied by torrential rain, swept in, causing the candlelight to dance wildly and almost go out.

A messenger, soaking wet, stumbled in. His attire was completely different from the first messenger; he wore a Mongolian tribal fur coat and his face bore deep wrinkles etched by the wind and sand of the grasslands.

He brought not bloodshed, but a chilling aura even more suffocating than bloodshed itself.

"Great Khan! Urgent report from the southern desert!" The messenger's voice was hoarse and urgent. "The Ming Dynasty has reopened trade routes in Xuanfu, Datong, and Wanquan! On an unprecedented scale!"

"Trade between the two countries?" Dai Shan frowned, then scoffed dismissively. "The Ming people have pulled this stunt more than once or twice, but each time it's all bark and no bite, hampered by their civil officials, and ultimately fizzles out. What tricks will they come up with this time?"

The messenger, kneeling on the ground and panting heavily, said urgently, “It’s not the same! This time it’s completely different! The trade fair was personally ordered by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong personally in charge. The Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty directly allocated official salt, official tea, and the finest Jiangnan cloth! Their prices…” The messenger swallowed hard, seemingly unable to believe what he was about to say, “The salt they sell is 30% cheaper than the smuggled salt we sell to the tribes through Fan Yongdou and his group! The finest brick tea is almost half the price!”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the princes in the hall changed simultaneously.

If the killing of the Shanxi merchants earlier cut off one of their channels for obtaining scarce resources, then this is tantamount to undermining the very foundation upon which they control the Mongol tribes!
The Later Jin's strategy towards the Mongols has always been a combination of sweet treats and harsh measures.

The big sticks were the iron cavalry of the Eight Banners, while the honey dates were sold at high prices to Mongolian tribes that lacked daily necessities such as salt, tea, and ironware through the smuggling channel of Shanxi merchants. In return, they exchanged these goods for warhorses, cattle, sheep, and loyalty.

This deep economic ties are even more effective than swords.

But now the Ming Dynasty government has stepped in, directly competing with them for business with lower prices and higher quality goods!
"What are they exchanging?" Huang Taiji's voice broke the silence, each word sounding as if it had been pulled from an ice cellar.

The messenger replied, “Warhorses! Cattle and sheep! And furs! Many tribes are tempted! Some small tribes have already driven their cattle and horses to the border! Our men can’t stop them!”

"Damn it!" Mangultai roared, kicking over the brazier beside him. Embers splattered on the ground, sizzling loudly. "They're trying to win people over! They're trying to undermine my Great Jin!"

However, this is not the most fatal thing.

The messenger looked up, his eyes revealing even deeper worry. He took out a document wrapped in oilcloth from his soaked clothes and held it high: "Great Khan, there is even more important news. The Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has issued an imperial edict, sending an envoy across the border to formally confer upon Lindan the title of 'Mongol Khan' and bestow upon him a pure gold seal of 'Great Khan of the Mongols'!"

"what?!"

This time, even Huang Taiji could no longer remain calm!

"United Mongolian gold-making..."

Fan Wencheng, who was in the corner, could no longer suppress the turmoil in his heart. He muttered to himself absentmindedly. Although his voice was soft, it was like a lightning bolt that struck the minds of everyone present.

Huang Taiji suddenly turned around, his sharp gaze locking onto the unassuming Han scholar: "You, continue!"

Realizing his mistake, Fan Wencheng immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but under Huang Taiji's stern gaze, he dared not conceal anything and could only steel himself and reveal the chilling analysis in its entirety:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This servant... this servant believes that this... this is an extremely vicious and open conspiracy!"

"Open conspiracy?"

“Yes, Great Khan!” Fan Wencheng’s speech quickened with excitement and fear. “The price-cutting trade is a fundamental blow to their finances! The reason why our Great Jin can subdue the Mongol tribes is half due to military force and half due to our control over their financial lifeline. Now, the Ming government is personally intervening, using goods at prices far lower than ours to directly win over the hearts of the Mongol tribes. This is fundamentally undermining the alliance between our Great Jin and the Mongols!”

He paused, his voice growing even heavier: "And the investiture of Ligdan... is a fatal political blow! Although Ligdan claims to be the Great Khan of all Mongolia, the tribes outwardly submit to him but inwardly are not. His title of 'Great Khan' is not legitimate. But now, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has personally bestowed upon him a golden seal, acknowledging his status! This gives him a 'righteous' banner to rule all of Mongolia!"
From then on, he was no longer an ordinary tribal leader, but the 'Mongolian Supreme Ruler' appointed by the Emperor of the Central Plains! Those wavering tribes, those tribes that harbored resentment towards the Great Khan, would all therefore gravitate towards him!
Zhu Youjian…he has personally nurtured our most powerful enemy on the grasslands!”

Fan Wencheng's analysis was like a cold awl, piercing through everyone's last shred of hope.

A perfectly legitimate and open conspiracy.

You know his purpose, you know his methods, but you can't stop him.

Could the Later Jin dynasty order the Mongols not to buy salt and tea, which were cheaper?

Could the Later Jin openly declare that the Ming emperor's investiture was invalid?
No.

In the past, the Later Jin were dealing with a few greedy merchants, but now their opponent is the entire state apparatus of the Ming Dynasty!
"Well... well, Zhu Youjian..." Huang Taiji slowly walked back to the throne, feeling the taste of rust in his throat. He closed his eyes, and a huge chessboard appeared in his mind. His opponent first cut off his most important piece in the heart of the chessboard, and then placed a piece on the side of the chessboard that would control his entire game.

Every step is carefully planned, and every move is deadly!
However, the storm on the chessboard has not yet subsided.

“Report—!”

The third roar came almost immediately after the thunder.

This time, it was a Manchu bannerman who rushed in. His armor was still dripping wet, his face was covered in rain and mud, and his expression was extremely anxious. He knelt on one knee, his voice rising and falling rapidly from the exertion of running:
"Your Majesty! Urgent military report from the Liaonan coast! Mao Wenlong of Pi Island has gone mad!"

"Mao Wenlong?" Dai Shan's eyebrows furrowed. "That southern barbarian who only knows how to hide on the island and brag? What can he do?"

"Your Highness!" The soldier's voice trembled with a sob. "He's no longer just harassing us! Since May, Mao Wenlong's troops have been completely different. They've received large amounts of grain, pay, and weapons! His fleet is harassing the coastal areas of Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and Gaizhou day and night!"

"What?!" This news stung everyone's nerves even more than any of the previous announcements.

"Not only that!" the soldier continued to report, "Mao Wenlong also sent small groups of troops to spread rumors everywhere, inciting the Han people who had been subdued by our Great Jin to flee, and to help them go to sea!"

The people of the Southern Four Guards are now in a state of panic, and many Han slaves are restless! To guard against him, we have had to withdraw two Niru (military units) from the front lines and deploy them along the coastline for hundreds of miles! But he appears and disappears unpredictably, attacking and then fleeing; we are exhausted and unable to defend against him!

Boom!

Another thunderclap exploded on the top of Phoenix Tower, and the entire palace seemed to tremble.

Huang Taiji suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with a terrifying light.

In an instant, all the clues were strung together in his mind into a complete and clear chain.

Where did the enormous wealth of Shanxi merchants go after it was confiscated?

Once they went to Pi Island, they became Mao Wenlong's military pay and provisions!
What was the purpose of cutting off the smuggling route of Shanxi merchants?
It was not just about cutting off the Later Jin's supply of materials, but also about transferring this trade route to the Ming government and turning it into a powerful tool for winning over the Mongols!

The three events, seemingly occurring in three different places—Shanxi, southern Inner Mongolia, and Liaodong—are actually a meticulously planned series of deadly moves!
Each move is linked to the next, and every action is interconnected; there is not a single feint!

Huang Taiji slowly stood up and walked to the palace gate, letting the cold raindrops hit his face. He took a deep breath of the damp and cold air, trying to calm the turbulent anger and shock in his chest.

A terrifying thought suddenly arose in his mind!

From the moment Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, a silent but grand war had already begun.

While he still thought his opponent was a naive young man, gloating over how this weak new emperor would balance the factional struggles in the court, his opponent had already laid a net that would cover the entire north.

This is not an impulse, not a venting of anger, and certainly not a coincidence!

"Convey my decree." Huang Taiji's voice was not loud, but it carried an unprecedented solemnity, clearly resounding throughout every corner of the hall, overpowering the raging thunder outside.

"Order Amin and Jirhalang to immediately strengthen the defenses along the southern coast of Liaoning. Against Mao Wenlong's troops, implement a scorched-earth policy, lure the enemy deep into your territory, and then seize the opportunity to annihilate them!"

"Order Yuetuo and Sahalian to go to the Khorchin and other tribes and tell them that the Jin Dynasty is giving them far more than the Ming Dynasty can give them! In any case, we must stabilize the southern part of the Gobi Desert!"

"The rest of the princes, follow me in discussing matters!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and spoke slowly and deliberately, as if trying to etch the name into his very bones:

"We were all wrong. Our real enemy is not at Shanhaiguan, nor in Jinzhou..."

Huang Taiji paused, his gaze fixed on the distant south, on the land shrouded in heavy rain.

"He's in the Forbidden City!"

(End of this chapter)