plumnovel Chapter 9 Leaving the capital, the Ming Dynasty is overflowing with silver and grain.
Chapter 9 Leaving the capital, the Ming Dynasty is overflowing with silver and grain.
While acts of rescuing the emperor are common throughout history, it is extremely rare for an emperor to personally lead troops deep into dangerous territory to rescue a besieged minister.
If it is considered that a subject's duty to rescue the emperor is merely a matter of course, then the emperor's act of personally leading troops to rescue his subject can be described as an act of boundless divine grace.
Lu Xiang-sheng's loyalty to Emperor Chongzhen reached its peak after the Battle of Julu.
Moreover, the more than 10,000 soldiers who were rescued by Emperor Chongzhen when Jiazhuang was besieged in despair were also deeply grateful to Emperor Chongzhen.
The combined power of imperial authority and the blessing of being saved made them all pledge their absolute loyalty to the emperor before them.
This loyalty was further solidified after Emperor Chongzhen announced that he would pay them nearly two months' worth of back pay.
Julu County welcomed its loyal emperor, and 12,000 soldiers entered the city to rest and recuperate, carrying the glory and killing intent after the bloody battle.
The county officials and wealthy merchants and common people who had fled from the war lined the streets to "welcome" him, their worries barely concealed.
If it were just Emperor Chongzhen leading his imperial guards into the city, they would feel incredibly safe and honored.
After all, the emperor's personal presence is a great honor. The emperor's personal guards are certainly not ordinary soldiers. At least they have enough to eat and wear, so they wouldn't need to plunder the area, right?
But the army of over ten thousand men, who looked like they had just been through a bloody battle, exuded a murderous aura.
As the old saying goes, bandits pass by like combs, and soldiers pass by like fine brushes. If there is no restraint when this large army passes through, the entire city of Julu will be doomed.
The tens of thousands of civilians and merchants who are currently seeking refuge in the city are simply not enough to warrant a 10,000-strong army to slaughter them in their anger.
However, Emperor Chongzhen's actions after entering the city greatly surprised the worried merchants and common people.
The emperor actually spent a lot of money, ordering county magistrates to mobilize merchants to sell wine, meat, grain, clothing, shoes and socks to the army at market prices.
The transaction involved tens of thousands of taels of silver, which immediately excited the merchants in Julu City!
It should be understood that when war breaks out, trade and travel cease, and merchants have no choice but to abandon their wealth to save their lives in the face of war.
The supplies would pile up in the warehouse for dozens of days or even months. Over time, this would drain the merchants' resources, not to mention the issue of losses.
The emperor's procurement order was like a lifeline for the merchants of Julu.
Of course, there are also many unscrupulous merchants who are unwilling to sell their grain, wine, and meat at market prices because they want to hoard supplies during wartime to make a profit from the conflict.
But when these unscrupulous merchants saw the soldiers, still clad in armor and exuding a murderous aura, following the county clerks to "buy grain" from door to door according to the roster, they had no choice but to obediently hand over their supplies.
Faced with the choice between money and lives, these weak and compromising unscrupulous businessmen decisively chose the latter.
Emperor Chongzhen was not surprised by this. After all, he was a young and middle-aged man of the new era who had read many of the teacher's works in later generations, and he naturally understood that dealing with these guys required a combination of soft and hard tactics.
Emperor Chongzhen was much more merciful to the people who sought refuge in the city.
He used the grain and supplies he collected from wealthy merchants and landlords to "compensately expropriate houses".
His more than 10,000 soldiers needed housing, rest, and medical treatment, but the number of houses in Julu City was limited, so he had to ask some civilians to give up most of their houses to accommodate the government troops.
However, he also provided ample food compensation, and similarly, the people who gave up their houses but received precious food had no complaints.
In contrast, they were more grateful for the emperor's benevolent relief.
Yes, the grain intended to compensate them was seen by them more as a gift of relief from the emperor.
After all, these days, hardworking people can get by by staying with neighbors and relatives for a night and making do for a few days.
But wartime food is more valuable than gold.
With the elderly, weak, women, and children in their homes now having enough food to survive, and with a large army protecting Julu City, they were safe and sound. The people were grateful for the emperor's kindness and completely forgot the panic they had felt when the army first entered the city.
For the soldiers who survived the disaster, the next two days of rest were the most comfortable and joyful time they had had in recent months.
His Majesty not only kept his promise and gave everyone the full two months' salary, but also rewarded them with plenty of white flour and meat, allowing them to feast to their hearts' content!
The only problem was that the amount of alcohol was a bit small, and it was distributed in rotation. The goal was to ensure that at least half of the soldiers wouldn't be delayed in their duties at the city wall because of drinking.
But everyone understood, after all, His Majesty was still in the city, and the city's defense and security had to be the top priority.
Besides, rationing wine doesn't mean they can't drink. They all have plenty of money now, and once the winter battle is over, they can always invite their comrades to drink to their hearts' content during their rest days.
The cavalry units that were forced to camp outside the city and along the main road due to insufficient housing in the city were also in high spirits thanks to ample meat supplies and silver rewards.
Even the Guan Ning elite cavalry, who had been quite arrogant since entering the pass, were now subdued by His Majesty the Emperor, who was brave, daring, and generous.
The slight complaints quickly vanished in the face of the real money, wine, meat, and noodles.
Those Guan Ning Army generals who were received by Chongzhen one by one and promised again that they would receive fertile land outside the Great Wall were even more grateful to Chongzhen and vowed to be loyal to him to the death.
For Chongzhen, it was enough if they could do this, even if it was just outwardly pledging allegiance.
As for the land outside the Great Wall, Chongzhen now cares nothing for it.
These Guan-Ning military leaders had the ability to seize large tracts of private land outside the Great Wall, so they had to fight desperately to defend their own interests and fight the Jurchens to the bitter end.
It's better than them having the idea of surrendering under suspicion from the rear and the heavy blows from the Jurchens, isn't it?
As for resolving the issue of land distribution outside the Great Wall in the future, that will be a matter for after the Ming Dynasty has completely crushed the Manchus and recovered Liaodong.
There's no need to push the Guan Ning Army, which is currently fighting against the Jurchens, away for political issues that are still far from being resolved.
Even Chiang Kai-shek knew that in the warlord era, spending lavishly to win over various factions and defeat them one by one was a viable strategy.
Emperor Chongzhen, a time traveler who had reviewed the chaos of the Republic of China and the intricate political maneuvering of the past, naturally knew what to do in the present.
And the facts have proven that he did a good job.
Although the imperial treasury money he took with him when he left the capital was spent like water.
But the military force under his control also expanded like an inflating balloon.
His 5,000 elite new troops, the 10,000-plus elite soldiers under Lu Xiangshan, Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei, plus the 8,000 Guan Ning cavalry, made up a full-fledged 20,000-strong army capable of field battles.
Not to mention Sun Chuanting, who rushed to the aid of Julu after hearing about the Battle of Julu.
In order to lull the Jurchen scouts and intelligence network into a false sense of security, Chongzhen deliberately did not contact Sun Chuanting before the Battle of Julu began, thus misleading Dorgon.
Therefore, Sun Chuanting's 20,000 troops were unable to arrive at the scene of the battle, but were only summoned by Emperor Chongzhen after the battle to lead their troops.
Sun Chuanting now commands 3,000 elite cavalry from Qin, 8,000 core infantry, and 7,000 auxiliary soldiers and laborers, claiming to command an army of 20,000.
These ten thousand-plus Qin soldiers, capable of fighting, were personally trained and honed by Sun Chuanting.
Although armor and firearms were scarce, their military bearing and imposing presence indicated that they were truly a fighting force.
Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed to see this. Even though the Qin soldiers did not make it to the relief battle, he still gave them two months' salary.
Such a generous reward immediately melted away the resentment and anger in the hearts of the Qin soldiers who had traveled to many places to rescue Zhili.
As for Sun Chuanting, Emperor Chongzhen praised him highly and admired him greatly.
Faced with Sun Chuanting's serious and earnest advice, Chongzhen humbly nodded in acceptance, while helplessly pulling on the other's arm to explain in a friendly manner.
"It was not that I wanted to lead troops into danger, but rather that I was forced by the situation to do so. At that time, the situation was critical, and I had no choice but to personally lead troops south to rescue Minister Lu. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Without Lu Qing's brave and fighting army, the Jurchens could easily drive south and wreak havoc in the heart of Shandong, causing endless trouble. By then, it would be too late to deploy defenses and pursue them.
Minister Sun is knowledgeable in military affairs and should be able to understand my difficulties. I will certainly act cautiously in the future and not cause my ministers any worry or distress.
Chongzhen's words were sincere and earnest, which warmed Sun Chuanting's heart but also filled him with great fear. He immediately knelt down and repeatedly said that he dared not.
Seeing this, Chongzhen smiled and waved his hand, then personally pulled Sun Chuanting up, indicating that he should not be nervous or overly polite.
Then, just as he had confided in Yang Sichang before, he repeated the same words to Sun Chuanting.
The self-analysis and admission of mistakes, the promise to be valued and employed by loyal ministers, and most importantly, the demonstration of one's commitment to support one's ministers.
"I believe in your talent and your loyalty, and I also hope that you believe in my determination to rebuild our country."
The nation is in peril; I will protect my loyal ministers, entrust them with authority, and work together with my subjects to uphold this nation's stability!
This series of punches immediately brought tears to Sun Chuanting's eyes, and he repeatedly kowtowed, deeply moved, just like Yang Sichang had done back then.
Upon witnessing this scene, Emperor Chongzhen once again cursed his predecessor for being muddle-headed and incompetent!
It's clearly a very simple matter of attitude. Be humble, be sincere, and lower your stance to win people's hearts. What's so difficult about that?
There were plenty of loyal and capable ministers like this in the late Ming Dynasty, but Emperor Chongzhen just couldn't make good use of them. His suspicion and suppression led to many people dying unjustly. It would be strange if the Ming Dynasty didn't perish!
Fortunately, this vast empire is now ruled by him, the "Unity Party" from his later generations.
In terms of personal talent, Chongzhen himself didn't think he had much. He was just one of the working masses of later generations, an ordinary person who was busy making a living every day.
But he also knew the simple truth that professionals should do professional things.
Make the best use of people's talents and resources, make good use of the talents of the late Ming Dynasty, weigh all parties, firmly grasp military power, use righteousness to first reclaim some land from the various vassal kings, and then open up sources of wealth from the sea.
By gradually rebuilding the Ming Dynasty's strength, even a massive military campaign would be enough to wipe out the Jurchens beyond the Great Wall and the Mongol tribes that had betrayed the empire.
And then...
Emperor Chongzhen's heart skipped a beat, but the events that followed were too far removed from the present. He ultimately shook his head with a light laugh and turned his attention back to the present.
"Boya, I have already sent an urgent letter to Governor Hong, ordering him to lead his troops back to defend Guanzhong in Shaanxi and not to rush to the capital again. He must block the rebels' path back into Guanzhong. What is your opinion on this matter?"
After chatting with Sun Chuanting for a while about his experience in aiding southern Hebei, Chongzhen changed the subject to military affairs in Shaanxi.
Previously, Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou had driven Li Zicheng into a corner, leaving him with only eighteen horsemen who fled into the Shangluo Mountains.
In the original timeline, Lu Xiang-sheng died in the Battle of Julu, and Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou were forced to lead Qin troops to reinforce the capital region, leaving Shaanxi vulnerable and giving Li Zicheng a chance to catch his breath.
However, with the urgent order to retreat issued by Emperor Chongzhen to Hong Chengchou immediately after he traveled through time, the historical timeline has taken another major turn.
Hong Chengchou led tens of thousands of elite Qin soldiers and government troops who had been sent to suppress the rebellion to continue guarding Shaanxi, without going to the capital region to provide reinforcements.
No matter how capable Li Zicheng was, he couldn't break through Hong Hengjiu's chain of defenses and resurgence in a short period of time.
Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in agreement with Chongzhen's arrangement.
"Your Majesty is wise! With Governor Hong stationed in Guanzhong, Shaanxi is safe. Li Zicheng is no longer a threat. Given time, Governor Hong will surely quell his rebellion. Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Upon hearing this, Chongzhen smiled without saying a word, then suddenly changed the subject.
"What does Boya think of Zhang Xianzhong's forces in Gucheng? Is Zhang Xianzhong truly loyal to our Great Ming?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then cautiously replied.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Governor Xiong has been too lenient with the rebels. How can he allow them to refuse to surrender their weapons and obey orders?"
Zhang Xianzhong's subordinate dared to make the unreasonable demand to surrender with his own troops; his intentions are despicable!
Your Majesty, I believe this traitor is untrustworthy and should be eliminated as soon as possible. I humbly request Your Majesty's decision.
Emperor Chongzhen nodded, then looked at Sun Chuanting.
"Bo Ya's words make sense. I intend to appoint Boya as the governor-general of Huguang and Yunyang, and to lead troops to garrison Xiangyang, expand the army and cultivate land. This will not only secure the grain-producing areas of our Great Ming, but also deter Zhang Xianzhong. If he truly harbors rebellious intentions, Boya can send troops nearby to annihilate him. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting's expression turned serious, and he immediately rose and bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys! Your subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust, stabilize Xiangyang, and annihilate the bandit Zhang. Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Chongzhen nodded in satisfaction. With the cunning Hong Chengchou in charge of Shaanxi and Sun Chuanting leading troops to cultivate land in Huguang, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong would be like birds in a cage or turtles in a jar.
Even if it's impossible to completely wipe out these two bandit groups in a short time, at least we can minimize their damage to the grain-producing areas of Hubei and Hunan.
He could also use this opportunity to infiltrate the strategically important Hubei and Hunan regions and seize control of key grain-producing areas, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.
"But Your Majesty, if I were to send all 20,000 troops to Xiangyang, the marching costs would be considerable, and I am worried..."
Sun Chuanting spoke again, his words filled with worry, almost as if he were saying that the imperial court was currently unable to afford military expenses and provisions.
However, Emperor Chongzhen seemed to have anticipated this, and calmly smiled as he comforted him.
"I understand Boya's concerns. If I were still in the capital, this would indeed be a major problem, but once we leave the capital..."
At this point, Chongzhen stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the map in the center of the temporary camp. The important town of Linqing, circled in vermilion ink on the Grand Canal, was very clear.
"Our Great Ming Dynasty is overflowing with silver and grain."