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

Qin Liangyu's expression froze instantly.

Those sharp eyes first flashed with a hint of astonishment, then with an overwhelming sense of loss and resentment.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, her straight back hunched over almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Yes, he's over seventy, an age rarely seen in ancient times. While most people are enjoying their retirement with their grandchildren, he still dreams of donning armor and charging into battle... The Crown Prince and the court's concerns are not without reason.

My old bones might still be able to put up a good fight in the mountains of the southwest, but in the harsh and cold land of Liaodong, the long march, the harsh climate, the high-intensity combat... if I can't hold on and fall halfway or on the front lines, not only will I be unable to kill the enemy and serve the country, but I might also demoralize the army and become a burden.

The air in the warm pavilion seemed to grow heavy. Qin Liangyu lowered her head, looking at her calloused, veiny, and slightly trembling hands. These hands had once wielded a white-shafted spear, striking fear into the hearts of bandits, and had taken the head of an enemy general amidst a sea of ​​soldiers. But now, could they still hold a spear steady, and draw that three-stone bow?

An indescribable sense of sorrow and helplessness instantly overwhelmed this strong and resilient old general.

She was silent for a moment, and when she looked up again, the sharp light in her eyes had dimmed slightly, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and resignation. She sighed softly, her voice slightly hoarse:

"Your Highness... is absolutely right. It is this old minister... who is getting senile. My health is indeed declining year by year, unlike in my younger days. In the harsh and cold land of Liaodong, a long march would be a real burden for this old minister. I am deeply grateful for the court's consideration."

The melancholy in those words left Zhu Cilang with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He quickly spoke, his tone becoming serious:

"General, please do not think that way! Not sending you to the front lines is not to belittle your abilities, but because there is a more important and crucial task concerning the foundation of the nation that cannot be entrusted to anyone but a highly respected and unparalleled general like you!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu's dim eyes suddenly brightened, as if a dying ember had been rekindled. She abruptly raised her head and looked at Zhu Cilang:
"Your Highness... what do you mean? If there is anything this old minister can do to help, I will gladly give my life!"

Zhu Cilang stood up, walked to the wall where a huge map of the Ming Dynasty's territory hung, pointed heavily at the location of Beijing, and said in a deep voice:
"General, in the war to destroy the Jurchens, both my father and I intend to personally lead the expedition to Liaodong, overseeing the central army to inspire the soldiers! While the emperor's personal command can certainly boost the morale of the army, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and the capital region, being of paramount importance, cannot be without a commander for a day! The capital is the foundation of our Great Ming, the location of the state, the support of the ancestral temples, and the central hub of the empire! Its safety is of paramount importance!"

He turned around and looked intently at Qin Liangyu:
"During the time when Father Emperor and I are away from the capital, the defense of the capital, the training of the Beijing garrison, the guarding of the nine gates, and even the troop deployment and support in Zhili, Shandong, Henan and other places, need a seasoned general with enough prestige to convince the people, enough ability to govern the country, and unquestionable loyalty to sit in the central government, coordinate the overall situation, deter the villains, and ensure that the rear is safe!"

This mission is of paramount importance, concerning the morale of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the front lines and the stability of the Ming Dynasty's foundation; it is no less significant than capturing enemy generals and seizing their flags in Liaodong!

Zhu Cilang's voice was resolute:

"After much deliberation, the Emperor and I have examined all the generals in the court. Only the old general and the Duke of Yingguo are capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility! The Duke of Yingguo will be stationed in the capital garrison, while the old general, with the title of Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and in charge of the defense of the capital, must cooperate closely with the Duke of Yingguo to ensure the safety of the capital! This is a responsibility entrusted to us for the future of our nation, and only a pillar of the country like the old general can shoulder it!"

Hearing Zhu Cilang's resounding words, Qin Liangyu's chest heaved violently, and her previous disappointment and resentment were instantly replaced by a surge of heat!

She was stationed in the capital, overseeing all defenses, and held a position equal to that of a Duke, protecting the very foundation of the nation! This was hardly a mere idle post; it was as if the very lifeline of the nation, far more crucial and central than the battles on the front lines, had been entrusted to her!

The Crown Prince and His Majesty did not distrust her abilities, but rather entrusted her with an immense trust and a heavy responsibility!
She abruptly stood up, her body trembling slightly with excitement, and bowed deeply to Zhu Cilang. Her voice was choked with emotion, yet carried an undeniable firmness:
"Your Highness! This old minister...this old minister understands! Your Highness and His Majesty trust each other so much that they have entrusted the safety of the capital and the foundation of the nation to this old minister. This is a great favor from Heaven! This old minister, Qin Liangyu, hereby swears: as long as this old minister has a breath left, he will do his utmost to work with the Duke of Yingguo to strengthen military preparedness, guard the nine gates, and stabilize the capital! He will not tolerate any villains causing trouble, and he will not allow the capital to suffer even the slightest loss! The soldiers on the front lines can fight the enemy with peace of mind, and His Majesty and Your Highness can have no worries about the rear! If I break this oath, may Heaven and Earth punish me!"

Every word was firm and resounding, carrying the promise made by an old general with his life and honor.

A relieved smile appeared on Zhu Cilang's face. He quickly stepped forward and took Qin Liangyu's hands in his.

"With the old general's words, my father and I can rest easy and focus on the northern expedition! We entrust the capital to the old general!"

"This old minister is willing to die a thousand deaths!"

……

Several days later, after repeated consultations, calculations, and even heated debates with the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Five Military Commissions, a detailed preliminary strategy for the war of annihilation, involving the mobilization of national troops, was finally finalized, becoming a formal Privy Council decree, and receiving the final imperial approval from Emperor Chongzhen.

The order was sent at the fastest speed, covering 600 li, to the relevant towns, provinces, and governors' offices, and was also conveyed to the core generals who had not yet left the capital.

In the Liaodong direction, as the main battlefield and forward base, Zu Dashou will lead the integration of all local Ming troops in Liaodong and assemble 200,000 elite soldiers!
This almost completely depleted the mobile field forces that could be mobilized in the Liaoxi Corridor, southern Liaoning, and parts of the Han Chinese-populated areas of eastern Liaoning.

Meanwhile, to ensure the logistics of this 200,000-strong army, the order clearly stated that all male local residents of Liaodong aged 18 to 50, except for farmers and artisans who needed to maintain production, would be conscripted as auxiliary soldiers or laborers and placed under the unified command of the "Liaodong War Logistics Headquarters," which was jointly composed of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works. The headquarters would be responsible for all battlefield services, including the transportation of grain and fodder, road repair, equipment maintenance, and camp construction.

Of course, those who are paid will receive a monthly salary starting from one or two taels of silver!
Women, the elderly, and minors must devote themselves to agricultural production to ensure that Liaodong can achieve food self-sufficiency to the greatest extent possible and reduce the pressure of long-distance transportation from the interior.

In addition, 50 million elite troops were mobilized from Jizhou Town.

Jizhou was the gateway to the capital, facing the Mongols year-round. It was a strong and well-equipped force with a high proportion of cavalry, making it the most important mobile force besides Liaodong.

Fifty thousand elite troops were drawn from the three border regions of Shaanxi.

The Shaanxi soldiers had extensive combat experience from years of suppressing bandits, and were particularly adept at fighting under harsh conditions.

Eighty thousand troops were drawn from Huguang and Sichuan, with Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Soldiers as the backbone, supplemented by local soldiers from Huguang. They were skilled in mountain and jungle warfare and could be used to clear out the Liaodong mountainous and forested areas.

Depending on the situation, some elite troops from Xuanfu, Datong, Shanxi and other towns were transferred to supplement the various routes.

For remote areas like Guizhou and Yunnan, 20,000 troops are sufficient!
The above-mentioned armies totaled 450,000 soldiers.

The remaining 150,000 troops were divided into two special routes:
In the Mongolian direction, the plan is to assemble approximately 80,000 troops, mainly cavalry, mixed with some wagon and infantry units.

This part of the army needs to possess both mobility and a certain degree of independent combat capability, and will cooperate with the Mongolian allies in operations. In the Korean direction, the plan is to assemble approximately 100,000 troops, primarily naval and land forces and amphibious warfare units, supplemented by infantry skilled in amphibious operations.

They will be transported by the Ming Dynasty's naval fleet under Zheng Chenggong's command, and will operate with the cooperation of the Korean army.

In total, the Ming army directly deployed 600,000 troops!

This does not include the much larger number of civilian laborers and auxiliary troops, estimated to exceed 1.2 million.

If you add them all up, the total number exceeds two million!

Each order, like an invisible thread, was issued from the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions in Beijing, affecting every nerve ending of the empire's massive body.

From the Loess Plateau in the Northwest to the Bashan and Shushui regions in the Southwest, from the North China Plain to the banks of the Yangtze River, the generals and governors of various towns who received the troop mobilization orders immediately began a tense and secret mobilization.

Selecting elite troops, replenishing manpower, training and equipping soldiers, procuring provisions, arranging for those left behind, and planning the deployment route...

The entire military machine of the Ming Dynasty began to operate with unprecedented intensity and efficiency, with its target set on Liaodong in the spring of the following year.

Although there may still be six months left, considering the long and cold winter that is approaching, the large-scale troop mobilization and material gathering must be completed before the roads are blocked by ice and snow. The time left for generals at all levels is actually very tight.

On the official roads north and south of the empire, messengers traveled more and more frequently, and the drill chants from military camps in various places grew louder day by day. A tense atmosphere, like the calm before the storm, began to quietly spread.

However, just when Zhu Cilang thought everything was going smoothly and he was just waiting for the right moment, an unexpected message from the north shattered the tranquility of his desk.

On this day, a secret report, delivered from Xuanfu Town through special channels and with the highest level of encryption, was placed on his desk.

In addition to routine reports on border military affairs, lists of grain reserves, and movements of Mongolian tribes, the secret report also included a private letter sealed with sealing wax and written in both Mongolian and Chinese characters.

The letter writer was none other than Qiqige, who had left the capital several months earlier and was ordered to go to southern Mongolia to contact her brother, Abunai, a Taiji of the Khorchin tribe.

Zhu Cilang dismissed his attendants and opened the letter.

Qiqige's Chinese characters are already quite neat and fluent, which shows that she studied diligently in the capital.

In the letter, she first greeted the Crown Prince with a respectful tone, and then gave a detailed report on what she had seen and heard after arriving in the Khorchin tribe, her earnest conversation with her brother Abunai, and the initial contact with other southern Mongolian tribes.

But soon, Qiqige's tone became somewhat serious and helpless.

She wrote that although she had repeatedly explained the advantages and disadvantages to her brother Abunai, and had recounted to him the oppression of the Mongol tribes by the Jurchens, as well as the promises made by the Ming Dynasty to allow the Mongol tribes autonomy, open border markets, and even bestow titles and rewards after the Ming Dynasty joined forces with the Mongols to destroy the Jurchens, Abunai still seemed to have deep doubts.

This doubt does not stem from disbelief in the Ming Dynasty's promises, but rather from a deeper unease.

In her letter, Qiqige quoted Abunai's words:
"The Crown Prince of Ming is a man of great talent and ambition, and his plans are far from small. The Jurchens are indeed the common enemy of both the Mongols and the Ming Dynasty, and their destruction is only natural. However, what will happen after the Jurchens are destroyed? The Ming Dynasty, emboldened by the victory over the Jurchens, will lead hundreds of thousands of victorious troops to garrison our Khorchin region and even the entire southern steppe. If the Ming Dynasty were to then attack our Mongol tribes, wouldn't we be inviting a wolf into our house and inviting our own destruction? If we cooperate to destroy the Jurchens today, will the Ming Dynasty turn its blade against us in the future? I need a guarantee that is more reliable than a promise, or rather, I need to hear the true thoughts of His Highness the Crown Prince of Ming."

Therefore, Abna made a request through Kikig:
He hoped that Zhu Cilang would condescend to travel north in person to have a face-to-face, open and frank meeting with him at a suitable location near the border between the two sides.

He needed to hear firsthand the Ming Crown Prince's final vision for the post-war status of Mongolia and the relationship between the Ming and Mongolia, and to witness the sincerity of the Ming Dynasty before he could finally decide whether to mobilize the Khorchin tribe to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty's military operations next spring.

After reading the letter, Zhu Cilang gently placed it on the table, his fingers unconsciously tapping the smooth rosewood surface. A look of amusement and exasperation appeared on his face, which eventually turned into a soft snort.

"This Abuna... is really cautious, or rather, he's afraid to the core."

He whispered to himself.

At this critical juncture, with the Ming Dynasty's impending annihilation of the Slaves already overwhelming and the arrow already on the bowstring, Abunai was still agonizing over the doubts surrounding the "preservation of the innocent and the execution of the guilty."

However, on second thought, from Abuna's perspective, such concerns are not entirely unfounded.

The Mongols had dealt with the Central Plains dynasties for hundreds of years, sometimes at war and sometimes at peace. Their wariness and distrust of the Central Plains dynasties were ingrained in their very being.

Especially when faced with the Ming Dynasty, which had just demonstrated its terrifying military power and was about to destroy a powerful neighboring country, Abunai's fear stemmed more from his natural dread of an unknown and powerful force.

"That's fine."

Zhu Cilang stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the northern horizon.

"Since you want to hear and see for yourself, then I will let you hear and see clearly! That way you won't hesitate and make mistakes at the last minute."

That night, Zhu Cilang went to the West Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace to see Emperor Chongzhen, and told him everything about Qiqige's letter, Abu Nai's request, and his own plans.

Emperor Chongzhen was practicing calligraphy when he heard Zhu Cilang's report. His brows immediately furrowed, and he slammed his vermilion brush down on the inkstone, his face showing displeasure.

"This Abunai is truly ungrateful! Our Great Ming treats you with sincerity, offers you great benefits, and we will work together to destroy our powerful enemy, yet he acts all high and mighty! He wants you to personally go to the border to talk to him face to face? What does he think he is!"

Emperor Chongzhen grew increasingly angry. Now commanding a powerful army, he felt emboldened and had little patience left for these Mongol tribal leaders. (End of Chapter)