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

Chapter 262 Huang Taiji's Backyard Catches Fire (1.0)
In the main hall of Shenyang, Ajige sat alone on the throne. He didn't feel lonely; a mysterious smile appeared on his face. His brothers, who were always gossiping in his ear, were no longer by his side, and he felt wonderful.

But his joy lasted only a moment before his expression crumbled: this year, the Liaohe Valley had a bumper harvest, with an estimated grain yield of no less than 700,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), irrigated with the blood of tens of thousands of slaves. However, this grain did not flow back to Shengjing; instead, it was all intercepted by that despicable Huang Taiji.

The price of grain in Shengjing is still above five taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure). Huang Taiji kindly left him half of the Bordered White Banner to guard his home, and now he calls the shots in Shenyang. They say power is a man's aphrodisiac, and he's already high, but the problem is he's almost unable to even support his three thousand soldiers!

The people below were spreading rumors: "Following the Mandate Khan, you eat well; following the Cong Khan, you're well-fed; following the Ci Khan, you go hungry nine times in three days and can only eat grass." The Bordered White Banner had changed hands several times, and its loyalty to Ajige was never particularly high to begin with; this situation made things even more embarrassing for him!

Ajige flipped through the reports from the front lines: "The General Who Conquers the North has once again repelled Mao Wenlong's attack," "The Grand Prince has made a surprise advance into Ningjin, scaring the Ming army so much that they dare not leave the city," "The Third Prince has returned after plundering deep into southern Liaodong," "The army is unstoppable, forcing Yuan Keli to retreat and not daring to look north," and even his foolish younger brother, Dodo, has made great achievements.

He, the Great Khan, had nothing; he was merely a figurehead who sat in the capital and enjoyed the fruits of others' labor. Ajige automatically imagined the mockery others would hurl at him, such as, "How can someone like him have the audacity to be the Khan of the Great Jin Dynasty?" or mocking him, "He is not like his father; he is far inferior to the old Khan."

In reality, no one said these outrageous things to his face, but he could always read such thoughts in people's eyes. Therefore, during the three months he remained in Shenyang, he had already executed more than a dozen oblivious lackeys.

Holding the power of life and death in his hands, only at this moment did he feel a slight sweat breaking out, but this was merely self-deception. When he was lucid, he could never convince himself otherwise.

He felt extremely wronged: he didn't want to be the Khan; it was clearly Huang Taiji and his ilk who forced him into it. After putting him on the throne, they completely disregarded his orders and feelings. If that was the case, why should he suffer? He hated Huang Taiji, Daišan, and Mangultai.

They were all sons of the old Khan, so why did they have a higher status? He felt these old men should have died long ago. When the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was alive, their attacks on the Ming Dynasty were unstoppable, but after the young emperor took over, even the old Khan suffered setbacks.

Therefore, he felt that Old Deng should die and give way to these young people, so that the country and the nation could have a future. Although he had never seriously considered where the Jurchens' way out lay, nor how to survive the Ming Dynasty's counterattack.

Three very polite knocks sounded at the door. Ajige, who wouldn't even dare to open the door in his dreams, looked through the wax paper on the door and saw a graceful figure. He suddenly felt a reaction in his body and his mouth became quite dry.

"Sister-in-law?! Come in quickly!" Ajige called out urgently.

A creak sounded, and a mature woman squeezed through the crack in the door, carrying a bowl of steaming ginseng soup. "Great Khan, it's time to take your medicine," Borjigit Zhe Zhe's voice was gentle, instantly capturing Ajige's heart.

As a Mongol woman from the Khorchin tribe, Zhe Zhe's appearance was not particularly outstanding, but her status as Huang Taiji's primary consort excited Ajige to the point of being uncontrollable. Whether it was the pleasure of immorality or revenge against Huang Taiji, his obsession with Zhe Zhe had reached a point of madness.

Zhe Zhe happened to have the same thoughts. The moment she deliberately came to his door, she had already figured out the consequences. This was her revenge for Huang Taiji's "hatred of massacring his clan" and for Huang Taiji strangling her own son with his own hands.

Zhe Zhe had three daughters, but she didn't only have daughters. She thought this man was really cruel and cold-hearted! Everyone outside said how benevolent, magnanimous, and wise Huang Taiji was, but only she, his bedmate, understood Huang Taiji's ruthlessness. Whether it was his wives, concubines, or children, they were all pawns he could discard at will to realize his ambitions.

When the Khorchin tribe was still an ally of the Later Jin, Huang Taiji at least maintained a semblance of respectability for her; after he annexed the Khorchin tribe, Huang Taiji was unwilling to even maintain such a facade!

"Let's leave this ginseng soup for now, it's too hot. In this weather, you'll break out in a sweat if you drink it." Ajige reached out to take the ginseng soup, his rough palm brushing against Zhe Zhe's delicate hand.

Zhe Zhe shook her head and said, "It won't work if it cools down. If it's hot, I'll blow on it for you."

After saying that, she held the ginseng soup and gently pushed Ajige away with her body. Ajige wrinkled his nose, wondering if it was because the weather was too dry, he felt like he was about to have a nosebleed.

Zhe Zhe placed the ginseng soup on top of the report Ajige had just reviewed. Ajige instinctively frowned, then suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly: he really should laugh; Huang Taiji was actually seriously asking him for credit and rewards! When he first saw it, he laughed until tears streamed down his face—he, the nominal Khan, was going to risk his life for a reward?!
Zhe Zhe bent over, her narrow skirt accentuating her rounded hips. She was well aware of her advantages; after all, she was already thirty years old and couldn't compare to those younger girls, but she was more caring and understood men better than those younger girls.

Ajige's gaze was naturally drawn to it. He rubbed his thumb against his forefinger, then stretched out his hand and retracted it with lightning speed: This is the Great Hall of State Affairs, the place where the Eighth Prince of the First Rank discusses state affairs, not his bedroom! What if someone sees us? What if it gets to Huang Taiji's eyes?
Zhe Zhe scooped up a spoonful of ginseng soup, held the spoon in her right hand and supported it with her left, then turned and brought it to Ajige's lips. Their eyes met, and Zhe Zhe, as if nothing had happened, blew on the spoon. Before coming, she had cloves in her mouth, and now the fragrant breeze was blowing onto Ajige's face.

"It should be about ready," Zhe Zhe said softly. She awkwardly touched the spoon with her lips, a touch of red lipstick blending into the soup like a lotus flower.

(End of this chapter)