My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 270 Good news: Huang Taiji vomited blood again! Bad news: He's still alive!

After a brief hesitation, Abnai finally decided to read the two secret letters!

He couldn't help it; he was just too curious about the contents of the letter.

Immediately afterwards, Abunai opened Qin Liangyu's secret letter.

As he slowly unfolded the letter and his gaze swept across it, Abunai's expression grew increasingly grim.

Because Qin Liangyu wrote in her letter that the Ming Dynasty had now made up its mind to burn the fields and destroy the nests of the surrounding Mongol tribes.

It is hoped that Abunai can cooperate with the Ming Dynasty to carry out this military operation.

The letter also mentioned that the Ming Dynasty has dispatched a large number of troops to gather in Xuanfu, and within three days, all 50,000 cavalrymen will be able to arrive in Xuanfu.

If Abuna's army were added, this matter would surely be twice as effective.

Furthermore, Qin Liangyu also subtly threatened Abunai in the letter, saying that if Abunai was unwilling to participate in this operation, then 50,000 cavalry would indiscriminately burn the fields and destroy the nests of the Mongols.

At that time, Abuna's tribe will also be hard to escape!

Therefore, I hope Abuna will not be ungrateful and bring about his own destruction.

After reading the letter, Abnai was so angry that his face turned red, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his hands clenched into fists involuntarily.

He then couldn't help but curse angrily:
"Damn Qin Liangyu, how dare she threaten me like this! Does she really think I'm easy to bully?"

Seeing Abunai's anger, the Mongols inside the tent all lowered their heads in fear, and no one dared to say a word.

But soon, Abunai managed to suppress his anger, tried to calm himself down, and slowly opened Zhu Cilang's letter to read it.

Compared to Qin Liangyu's threatening letter, Zhu Cilang's letter seemed full of sincerity.

The letter was filled with sincerity and contained no coercion or inducement.

In his letter, Zhu Cilang sincerely expressed his hope that the two sides could cooperate to burn the surrounding Mongol tribes' land and destroy their nests.

He also promised that the resources and people captured would be distributed fairly between the two sides, including the land, and that Abuna would not be disadvantaged.

To prevent Abunai from disbelieving, Zhu Cilang also explicitly stated in the letter that he would personally come to Xuanfu with Emperor Chongzhen's imperial edict to demonstrate the sincerity of the Ming Dynasty.

After reading the two letters, Abunai burst out laughing in anger.

He had already realized that Zhu Cilang and Qin Liangyu were clearly putting on an act, with one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, all to get him to agree to the operation.

However, Abunai also understood that regardless of whether he agreed or not, the Ming Dynasty's burning of wasteland and destruction of nests would continue.

The only difference is that if he agrees to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty, he will encounter other Mongol tribes in the surrounding area.

But if he doesn't agree, then his Chahar tribe will definitely suffer.

After all, the Chahar tribe was the Mongol tribe closest to the Ming Dynasty, and there's an old saying among the Han people:
How can you allow others to sleep soundly on the side of the couch?
Therefore, Abunai simply couldn't refuse this request!
However, Abunai was so badly tricked by Zhu Cilang before that he was afraid that this was another carefully planned conspiracy.

What if Zhu Cilang were to attack him directly after he arrived in Xuanfu, and then take the opportunity to wipe out his army? Wouldn't that mean everything would be over?
After all, the Ming Dynasty is sending 50,000 cavalry to burn the wasteland and destroy the nests!

Fifty thousand cavalry, what the hell does that mean?
Keep in mind that he only has 35,000 cavalrymen under his command, while the Ming army has an absolute advantage in numbers!
Moreover, the Ming army's firearms were extremely powerful and could often play a decisive role on the battlefield.

If the cavalry of both sides were to actually clash, there is no doubt that Abuna's side would suffer a crushing defeat and have absolutely no chance of winning.

Therefore, fighting is definitely out of the question.

For a moment, Abunai sat in his tent with a furrowed brow, lost in deep thought.

Now he really didn't know what to do, and his heart was filled with contradictions and entanglements.

At times, he felt that cooperation might be a good option, after all, it could bring huge benefits. At other times, he worried that Zhu Cilang would secretly plot against him and plunge him into an abyss of no return.

After much hesitation, Abunai finally issued an edict summoning several ministers he trusted to discuss the matter.

Most of these ministers were military officers, some of whom had previously served under their fathers.

They followed Abunai in his campaigns, were loyal to him, and had extensive military experience.

Before long, several ministers hurriedly arrived at the camp.

Abna then recounted the whole story to them in detail, and the two sides sat down together and began to discuss the matter animatedly.

"Great Khan, I think this cooperation is absolutely out of the question! That Ming Crown Prince is cunning and has tricked us before. This time it might be another trap. We can't fall for it so easily!"

A military officer spoke first, his face full of vigilance and worry.

"That being said, the Ming Dynasty has dispatched 50,000 cavalry this time, which is not something we can easily withstand."

"If we refuse to cooperate and anger the Ming Dynasty, those 50,000 cavalrymen might turn their guns on us, and then we will be in real danger."

Another military officer frowned and said with concern.

"But if we cooperate, how can we guarantee that the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty won't stab us in the back?"

Immediately afterwards, another military officer raised his own concerns.

For a moment, everyone was talking at once, arguing endlessly, and the camp became lively.

Looking at the scene before him, Abunai felt a splitting headache.

He sought a solution by talking to people about this matter, not to watch a group of people argue here.

Fortunately, after a heated discussion, a conclusion was finally reached on this matter.

That means we must cooperate with the Ming Dynasty.

After all, Zhu Cilang came with an imperial edict from the Ming Emperor, and given his status as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was showing great sincerity in this visit, so it was definitely not an option to refuse.

However, Abunai's concerns were not entirely unfounded, so in order to prevent such a thing from happening, the meeting place between the two parties could not be in Xuanfu.

It would be best to choose a place between Xuanfu and Chahar, so that both sides can sit down and have a detailed discussion.

This demonstrates their sincerity and also ensures their safety to a certain extent.

In addition, Abunai will not go to the grasslands to raid this time, and will only send a maximum of 20,000 cavalry. The remaining cavalry will continue to follow Abunai and be prepared for the Ming Dynasty to turn against them at any time.

After everyone finished discussing the matter, Abunai finally felt relieved.

He then immediately ordered the army to rest for a day and set off for Xuanfu early the next morning.

Meanwhile, in Liaodong.

Because it was delivered by express courier, Zu Dashou and Hong Chengchou received the imperial order and a secret letter from Zhu Cilang that very night.

To be honest, Zu Dashou and Hong Chengchou were somewhat bewildered when they first saw the transfer order and the secret letter.

Firstly, they hadn't engaged in burning wasteland and destroying enemy nests for a long time. Secondly, they thought there would be no more fighting after autumn and were just waiting to finish the winter before attacking Li Zicheng.

To everyone's surprise, the imperial court issued another such order.

Despite their confusion, the two of them did not hesitate at all and immediately began to make arrangements.

Apart from some troops that needed to defend against the Jurchens and could not be easily deployed, the remaining 20,000 cavalry were urgently transferred to Xuanfu.

Besides Zu Dashou's elder brother Zu Dabi, Wu Sangui was also leading the team!
Although Liaodong still needs to guard against the Jurchens, it doesn't actually require too many troops.

Because the Jurchens have been relatively peaceful recently and haven't actively sought trouble with them.

Of course, Zheng Chenggong also deserves credit for this.

As early as when Zheng Chenggong led the Ming navy toward Pi Island, Zhu Cilang had already sent people to spread the word in Liaodong.

And they deliberately spread these things to the Jurchens.

Upon learning of this, the Jurchens were furious.

According to a secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard hidden in Shenyang, Huang Taiji vomited blood for several days after learning about this.

For some reason, he is still alive.

Huang Taiji never expected that the Ming army would play this trick on them, actually trying to repeat Mao Wenlong's battle strategy of harassing and restraining them from the sea, so as to prevent them from launching a full-scale attack on the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, they have absolutely no reason to refute this matter.

The Ming Dynasty did this under the pretext of helping Korea defend against Japan.

In other words, this naval force is here to fight Japan, what business is it of yours, Jurchens?
However, everyone knows the real purpose.

To prevent this naval force from launching a surprise attack from the rear, Huang Taiji had no choice but to dispatch 20,000 troops to the border between Korea and Korea, where they were stationed to monitor the naval force at all times.

Of course, given the current situation, all they can do is monitor them.

Because their naval forces had been completely wiped out by Zheng Zhilong, and they didn't even have many decent ships left, they were definitely out of the running for naval warfare.

The only thing they could do was prevent this navy from landing in Korea and then launching a surprise attack on Shenyang.

Fortunately, although these naval forces were numerous, their combat capabilities were far inferior to theirs, so the two sides were able to coexist peacefully.

But both sides knew that this peace was destined to last long.

If the situation changes, a fierce conflict could break out between the two sides at any time.

Two days later, in Xuanfu.

Zhu Cilang's army finally arrived at Xuanfu.

When Zhu Cilang returned to Xuanfu, he was still filled with emotion.

He gazed at the city before him, a city that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

After all, when he first came to Xuanfu, the Ming Dynasty was in a precarious state, with constant peasant uprisings within and the Jurchens eyeing it from the outside. The whole country was teetering on the brink of collapse.

Unexpectedly, in just six months, thanks to his efforts, the Ming Dynasty had undergone tremendous changes.

The morale of the Ming army is high, the people are living in relative peace and prosperity, and the country is gradually getting back on track. Overall, the future looks promising!

At the same time, Zhu Cilang saw several familiar figures standing at the city gate waiting for him in the distance.

The leader was a tall figure, with an upright posture and a heroic air. Who else could it be but Qin Liangyu?
At this moment, Qin Liangyu was dressed in military uniform, her eyes firm and sharp. Standing there, she was like an unshakable mountain, giving people an unparalleled sense of security.

Standing beside her were several generals and civil officials, the head of whom was none other than Shi Kefa, the governor of Xuanfu!
As the imperial carriage, symbolizing supreme imperial power, slowly approached amidst the eager anticipation of the crowd, the expression on the faces of everyone present changed.

The reason for this was that they recognized at a glance that this was the dragon carriage that only the emperor could ride in.

The imperial carriage was adorned with dragons and phoenixes, its magnificence and grandeur evident in every detail. Who else but the emperor was qualified to ride in it?
But something seems off about this.

They had been told that the Crown Prince was coming, not the Emperor.

For a moment, a wave of surprise and doubt surged in everyone's hearts, like a tangled mess that was hard to unravel.

This surprise lasted only a moment before they quickly understood the reason behind it.

Needless to say, it must be the Crown Prince who is coming, and the reason why the Crown Prince is riding in the dragon carriage must be because the Emperor has given special permission.

Otherwise, even if the crown prince was of noble status, he would never dare to act so boldly without the emperor's decree.

Thinking of this, everyone quickly put aside their complicated thoughts, straightened their clothes, and prepared to welcome Zhu Cilang's arrival.

Before long, when the army approached in a grand procession, the civil and military officials, led by Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa, immediately knelt down on both knees without hesitation to perform a grand salute.

"Your Highness, we pay our respects! May Your Highness live a thousand years!"

The voices were clear and loud, as if they were about to shake the heavens and earth.

Immediately afterwards, the magnificent dragon carriage came to a steady stop, and Zhu Cilang stepped down slowly with steady steps.

It must be said that Zhu Cilang had a very comfortable journey.

The main reason for this was that he made careful improvements to the carriage, and the key to these improvements was the tires.

Using his knowledge of later generations, he made a simple tire out of rubber.

Although the comfort of these tires was far inferior to that of later tires, it was a world of difference compared to the bumpy carriages of the past.

Therefore, the carriage traveled very smoothly along the way, with hardly any bumps.

Even after a long carriage ride, Zhu Cilang remained refreshed and showed no signs of fatigue.

Upon seeing the kneeling crowd before him, a gentle smile immediately appeared on Zhu Cilang's face.

He then quickly stepped forward, reached out and helped the two veteran officials, Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa, to their feet, and then said with a smile:

"You are all loyal ministers and generals of our Great Ming Dynasty. There is no need for such formalities. Please rise!"

The civil and military officials present felt a warmth in their hearts upon hearing this, and then slowly rose to their feet.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang, led by Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa, slowly entered Xuanfu with steady steps.

As usual, Zhu Cilang brought only three thousand men into Xuanfu, while the rest of the army was stationed outside the city.

After all, although Xuanfu City was a city of considerable size, it simply could not accommodate so many troops.

If the entire army were allowed into the city, it would be so crowded that all sorts of problems would arise.

Because they already knew Zhu Cilang was coming, the Xuanfu governor's office had already been prepared.

When Emperor Chongzhen visited Xuanfu before, he stayed here as well.

Moreover, this is the best residence in the entire Xuanfu area.

Before Zhu Cilang could even step inside, a squad of Imperial Guards and Imperial Bodyguards entered the mansion like well-trained hunting dogs.

Their expressions were serious, their eyes sharp, and they searched every corner carefully for any possible danger.

When they saw this scene, Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa did not show any emotional change, because they knew that these Jinyiwei were just doing their duty.

This was all for the purpose of protecting Zhu Cilang's safety.

Soon, Zhu Cilang arrived inside the hall.

The interior was simply and elegantly furnished, with several tables and chairs neatly arranged and a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, adding a touch of scholarly atmosphere.

The entourage stood quietly to one side, awaiting Zhu Cilang's instructions.

Zhu Cilang slowly walked to the main seat, then gently sat down, his face still bearing that gentle smile.

"Please, everyone, have a seat. There's no need to be so formal."

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu, Shi Kefa, and the other civil and military officials immediately bowed and said:

"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Then one by one they sat down.

Zhu Cilang's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, then he cleared his throat and said:

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you all know why I'm here. In that case, I won't waste any more words. Let's get straight to the point."

"Simply put, the reason why the Ming Dynasty launched this military operation was because the surrounding Mongol tribes had no respect for the Ming Dynasty whatsoever."

"They had been defeated by the Jurchens and had no choice but to submit to them, living a life of mere survival."

"Afterwards, the Ming Dynasty defeated the Jurchens in Liaodong and recovered the Liaodong region, which indirectly helped them restore their country. Logically speaking, they should be grateful to the Ming Dynasty!"

"But what they show is absolutely no gratitude!"

"For so long, they have neither paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty nor sent any envoys to the Ming Dynasty, as if the Ming Dynasty's kindness to them did not exist at all."

"My father was furious about this, believing that these Mongol tribes still wanted to join forces with the Jurchens to fight against the Ming Dynasty, so he decided to carry out burning and destroying operations against the surrounding tribes."

"We must show them the might of the Ming Dynasty, and also make them put away their inappropriate thoughts."

"Tell them that if they ever get involved with the Jurchens again, the Ming cavalry will destroy everything they have like a storm, making them pay a terrible price."

Upon hearing this, everyone present quickly cupped their hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty is wise, we obey your command."

Zhu Cilang nodded, then continued to ask:

When will Zu Dashou's 20,000 troops arrive?

Qin Liangyu quickly said:
"Your Highness, according to the information we have received so far, it will take approximately three more days."

Zhu Cilang nodded upon hearing this, showing no surprise.

Because he knew in his heart that it was at least several hundred miles from Xuanfu to Liaodong, a long journey that would indeed take that much time.

Then he thought of something else and asked:

"Has there been any action from Abuna?"

Abnai was a key figure in this operation; without him, things would have been quite difficult.

But then Qin Liangyu's words made Zhu Cilang breathe a sigh of relief.

She continued:
"According to the scouts, Abunai's army has begun to move towards Xuanfu and will arrive no later than tomorrow or the day after."

Now, Zhu Cilang could finally rest easy.

It seems that Abna has received his letter and agreed to cooperate.

From this perspective, Abna is indeed a smart man, and smart men know how to make choices.

After all, at this point in time, only by choosing to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty can there be a better way out; otherwise, only destruction awaits him.

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Zhu Cilang had nothing more to ask.

However, he then looked at the crowd in front of him and said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have basically asked all the questions I wanted to ask. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I will answer them to the best of my ability."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Highness, I have a question to ask. May I ask where the provisions for this army of 50,000 should be allocated?"

"If we were to allocate supplies solely from Xuanfu, I'm afraid Xuanfu's grain reserves wouldn't be sufficient to support the consumption of these 50,000 troops."

Shi Kefa was telling the truth. Although Xuanfu was indeed not short of food and supplies, this only applied to the troops stationed there.

But now that there are almost 50,000 more troops, the consumption of food and supplies has increased several times over.

The grain supplies in Xuanfu are not enough to last. I'm afraid that in less than a month, Xuanfu will be in dire need of food.

If the army runs out of supplies, that will be a huge problem.

However, Zhu Cilang remained calm upon hearing this, and instead smiled and said:

"Rest assured, I have already planned this matter. You need not worry. Within three days, a large amount of grain will be transported to Xuanfu. This grain will not only be enough to feed 50,000 cavalry for a month, but there will even be enough left over for the local soldiers and officers of Xuanfu to use for more than half a year."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry on his face instantly dissipated.

He then quickly cupped his hands and said:
"In that case, I am relieved. Your Highness's foresight is truly admirable!"

Of course, Zhu Cilang was completely deceiving Shi Kefa with these words.

Because he did not order the transfer of grain from the capital to Xuanfu, since transferring grain was simply too troublesome.

First, enough grain had to be prepared, then laborers had to be requisitioned to transport the grain, the Ministry of Works had to prepare vehicles for transporting the grain, and then a few thousand troops had to be dispatched to escort it!
All these measures are necessary to ensure that no problems arise during transportation.

However, after all this back and forth, the cost of the journey is estimated to be more than the amount of grain being transported, and the speed is extremely slow; it would take at least ten days to half a month to get the grain.

By the time the supplies arrive, the war might already be over.

(End of this chapter)