Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 168 Zhu Youjian: I feel like I'm superfluous as emperor!!!
After the war began, local affairs were put aside, and now Huang Taiji's scouts were running around everywhere, intercepting and killing messengers, making it difficult to deliver messages. Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there was still a lingering smell of smoke from white wax. In the center of the hall was a huge sand table with mountains and lakes made of sand, as well as a clay model of Beijing.

The officials from the military affairs department had been on guard duty all night, taking turns to stand watch, and those who were tired would rest in the guardhouse in the side hall. At this time, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already bustling with activity. Zhu Xieyuan stood in front of the sand table, tugging at his beard, his brows furrowed. Many people surrounded him, their faces showing anxiety, but they dared not easily disturb his thoughts.

Even Bi Ziyan, the Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, became Zhu Xieyuan's subordinate at this critical juncture. Zhu Xieyuan would either consult with others or make decisions unilaterally, issuing orders with unwavering focus, which his scribes would quickly jot down.

Following Zhu Xieyuan's orders, the two cabinet ministers quickly drafted an official document, affixed the seals of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions, and promptly issued it. The messengers outside the palace dared not dismount; upon receiving the military order, they immediately rushed off.

The entire hall was tense, chaotic, and noisy, yet strangely orderly. Because Zhu Youjian was wearing armor, the officials didn't recognize him at first. They thought it was some unruly noble son who had barged into the court. Just as they were about to get angry, the Right Censor-in-Chief Shan Mingxu approached. He was about to scold them, but upon seeing that it was the emperor himself, he hurriedly bowed.

Hearing the commotion, the other officials also turned around to greet the emperor.

Zhu Xieyuan's thoughts were interrupted, and his anger surged. Seeing it was the emperor, he forcibly restrained himself, his temper flaring with frustration. The old man was usually quite good-tempered and had a good reputation among officials of all ranks. Although he had previously served as a local official, local officials were even more adept at navigating interpersonal relationships. Compared to these officials in the capital, the old man was far superior in every way.

Zhu Youjian usually favored Zhu Xieyuan more because he felt more comfortable with the old man. But that was in normal times. During battles, the old man changed and became somewhat frightening.

Zhu Youjian realized that his presence here was completely superfluous. After a brief exchange of greetings between the emperor and his ministers, he instructed everyone to go about their business and not disturb him further. However, he still wanted to know the situation on the battlefield. If he asked here, someone would have to explain it to him, which would distract everyone and might even reduce the efficiency of decision-making, thus affecting the smooth progress of the war.

So Zhu Youjian decided to stop being a nuisance here and instead go to the city wall to watch the battle!
He sent someone in advance to inform Wang Lin, the commander of the Desheng Gate and the commander of the Jinwu Guard, that he was coming. He spread the news first to avoid chaos caused by a surprise inspection. Then he brought 500 white-pole guards to accompany him and escorted him. He also had Tang Yu, the commander of the Northern Garrison, and Wei Zhongxian, the commander of the Eastern Investigation Factory, lead the entourage.

Zhu Youjian always took his life very seriously. He cherished his head, knowing that a dragon stranded in shallow waters or a tiger fallen into the plains would truly die. He didn't want to follow in the footsteps of Li Zicheng, the emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, who was killed by pitchforks!

Zhu Youjian climbed the city wall of Desheng Gate and looked at the endless hordes of Jurchen cavalry outside the city. Suddenly, he felt his legs go weak. The city wall seemed a bit low, not even as tall as the apartment building in his previous life. As a result, when he stood on the wall, he always felt that the enemy was very close, and that the Jurchen cannons and arrows would hit his face at any moment.

He regretted it, feeling he shouldn't have come. He was only making things worse, not helping at all; it would have been safer to stay in the palace. But then again, he was already here, and he'd already put on a show. Even if he had to force himself to stay, he couldn't show weakness in front of his subordinates!

On the city wall, Wang Lin personally accompanied the emperor. He had pondered the emperor's arrival, and to avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided not to publicize it. He would only obey orders if the emperor specifically requested it to boost morale. However, his soldiers weren't fools; they were simply too quiet to convey their joys and sorrows to these important figures.

Even a dog butcher can become a great general, and a single county can assemble a team capable of conquering the world. If these lowly soldiers were given the chance, their performance might not be inferior to that of the generals. After all, some generals are promoted through military merit, but such people are few and far between; most are hereditary, and these hereditary cowards might not even be as good as these petty men. Only Zhu Youjian's gilded armor left others uncertain of his identity, but coupled with the White Cane Army's distinctive white waxwood staff, it became easy to guess. The soldiers on the city wall began to whisper among themselves, frequently casting curious glances at the city. The general in charge also felt inexplicably nervous, ordering his men to keep a close watch and not look around.

Peeping at the emperor is not a big deal; the chances of being punished are slim. But if someone is stubborn enough to point a musket or bow and arrow in the emperor's direction, that would be a disaster, and they would be facing certain death.

At this moment, Zhu Youjian was unaware that his arrival had caused such a great deal of trouble for the soldiers guarding the city. He was initially uncomfortable, but gradually became attracted to the battle below the city. His trembling and sweating hands and feet stopped, and he pursed his lips, becoming more and more silent as he watched.

Everyone has a first time. Who is born a killer? Perhaps every soldier trembles with fear when he first goes to the battlefield. Those who adapt survive, while many who don't die.

To observe the battle, Zhu Youjian even brought a telescope, but he had to stop and cover the lens every now and then to catch his breath, because the battle was just too brutal.

The Jurchen White Armor Bayara army was divided into three routes, each with a thousand men. The central route was led by Hauge, the left wing by Doro Raoyu Beile Abatai, and the right wing by First-Class Imperial Guard Sony. The White Armor Bayara army was selected based on their skill in both horsemanship and archery, as well as their proficiency in close combat. However, this time they abandoned their usual tactics of siege warfare and instead charged forward with lances at their backs.

The Yulin cavalry, also elite, were capable of defeating larger forces and chasing the Mongol cavalry around. However, compared to the Jurchen white-armored soldiers, they were at a disadvantage in terms of equipment. The Jurchen cavalry, both men and horses, were fully armored; the cavalrymen's faces were covered with cloth armor, and even their warhorses had face shields, making them virtually impenetrable and impossible to attack. The Yulin cavalry also wore double armor, but lacked full armor.

Brush brush!
Suddenly, a hail of arrows rained down from behind the slave cavalry, estimated to be no less than ten thousand, the arrows flying through the air like locusts. This was a large-scale attack, and the Yulin cavalry had no way to avoid it. They could only hunch their shoulders and lower their heads, using their helmets to shield themselves from the arrow barrage, hoping they wouldn't be unlucky enough to be hit in a vital spot.

This is a projectile attack, and they dare not lie prone on their horses like they would when facing cavalry duels, because the armor on their backs is not as good as the armor on their fronts. The two layers of armor on the front can block most arrows from being penetrated, but it is hard to say what will happen on the back.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

This is the sound of an arrowhead striking armor plates. When cleaning up the battlefield, many of the recovered arrows are unusable because their arrowheads are either shattered or their shafts are broken; countless arrows are currently suffering devastating damage. However, unlike infantry armor, cavalry armor inevitably has gaps, leaving parts of the thighs and hands exposed, making them susceptible to injury.

(End of this chapter)