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

Chapter 284 Grand Ceremony of Conferment, Offering Head Before the Palace!
In late September of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign (1644), after the chrysanthemums had bloomed and all other flowers had faded, the military operations in Liaodong temporarily came to an end. It was not that Zhu Youjian did not understand the principle of "pursuing the enemy with the remaining strength," but before the existing defensive lines were consolidated, he simply did not have the confidence to continue the advance.

The army's triumphant advance can also mask many problems within the military. Throughout history, there have been many examples of countries collapsing despite winning battles. Wasn't the Ming Dynasty in dire straits after the victory of the Wanli Emperor's Three Great Campaigns?
Based on the principle of "small rewards distributed locally, and great rewards claimed upon returning to the capital," the rewards for the Xipingbao raid have been dispatched by Cao Huachun with his troops to Liaodong. All participating officers and soldiers were promoted one rank, though this was a nominal rank with their salaries paid normally. While they were promoted by half a rank, there weren't enough positions available to accommodate them, and only a small number of officers and soldiers with exceptional merit were granted substantive posts.

Besides collective merit, each individual was rewarded with promotions and bounties for each kill, as well as food and drink. This was paid directly from the emperor's private treasury, bypassing the official accounts, as a sign of the emperor's approval. And, unspokenly, it was clearly a way for the emperor to win over the army.

In reality, the soldiers at the lower levels are still quite pure. Most of them have a simple understanding that "soldiers are paid by the emperor." They can't understand the factional struggles at the top. They feel that they are just working for the emperor, and that rebelling will result in the extermination of their entire family. They also think that they won't get much of the benefits of a change of dynasty.

Sometimes, however, they might inadvertently be coerced by their generals into rebellion. What could they do? They were desperate too!
Surviving soldiers will be promoted and receive both fame and fortune, while those who died in the operation will receive three pensions. This is because the achievements of this operation were so great that even the fallen should share in the glory. Finally, those who are promoted beyond their usual ranks and ennobled for their military merits will return to the capital to receive their final reward package.

On September 25th, Zhu Youjian held a grand ceremony to bestow titles and rewards in the Forbidden City. Because Liaodong had not yet been fully recovered, he was too embarrassed to hold a large-scale celebration.

This was a large-scale reward ceremony held after the Liaodong war came to an end. In addition to the Liaoxi soldiers who had made outstanding contributions by killing the Jurchen chieftain Huang Taiji, all those who had accumulated enough military merits to be rewarded since the seventh year of the Tianqi reign were also invited.

At the end of September, it was still autumn according to the calendar, but due to the influence of the Little Ice Age, Beijing had already experienced its first light snowfall of the year three days earlier. Of course, the cold and warm air currents were still in their final tug-of-war, and this snow came early and went quickly, making it feel like it had never been there, except for lowering the perceived temperature by a few degrees.

Such weather allowed Zhu Youjian to wear his heavy imperial robes without feeling hot, and the newly appointed generals also donned armor, which shone brightly in the autumn sun. Among the many generals, an old man wearing a first-rank civil official robe with a bright red embroidered white crane patch stood out conspicuously.

Rumors were already circulating that Zhao Shuaijiao, who was to be granted the title of Duke, had been placed behind him in the queue. Zhao Shuaijiao bowed slightly and politely greeted Yuan Keli.

Yuan Keli waved his hand and said, "General Zhao, you are about to be enfeoffed as a Duke, a first-rank official, the same rank as me. Why do you need to pay your respects to me?"

Zhao Shuaijiao repeatedly said "I dare not," and said with some bitterness, "This Duke, I am ashamed to accept this title! We originally wanted Cao Bianjiao to take Huang Taiji's head, but who knew that Huang Taiji would be so unyielding, and in the end it turned out like this."

"I am but a mediocre general, more capable of defending the city than of advancing, how could I dare to covet such a monumental achievement! I have already submitted my resignation, but His Majesty has not replied. Commander Yuan, you are close to His Majesty, why don't you speak to him on my behalf?"

"Are you serious? This is a reward from the Duke! You don't want it?! Li Chengliang was only a count back then!" Yuan Keli said in disbelief. "That's exactly why I'm so nervous. Look, my legs are shaking!"

Yuan Keli looked closely and, just as he had said, this guy who wasn't afraid of a hundred-mile raid on the enemy camp was now so scared that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He laughed heartily, while Old Zhao became increasingly embarrassed. He had promised to make way for the young people, and he had even distributed the heads he had slain in battle to his subordinates. Now, however, he was about to break his promise.

The first step in the investiture ceremony was to present the head of the deceased to the emperor.

Young generals such as Cao Bianjiao and Zhou Yuji placed the heads of Huang Taiji, Abatai, and Nurhaci at the foot of the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The first two were fresh, while Nurhaci's was cured. For aesthetic purposes, there were also about a hundred heads of Jurchen leaders stacked at the bottom as a display stand. The pile of heads formed a small mountain, which looked somewhat eerie and gave people a feeling of returning to the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Many civil officials who had never killed anyone in their lives began to sweat and turn pale. They were not among those who received rewards this time, yet they were conscripted to come and watch. Zhu Youjian had never killed anyone either, but he had witnessed the brutality of a real battlefield from the city wall. And because he did not believe in ghosts or gods, he did not feel too uncomfortable seeing these heads.

Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo stepped forward to perform the sacrificial ceremony. After Zhang Fu, the Dukes of Yingguo were all the emperor's personal high priests. Their main activities were "sacrificing to the Imperial Ancestral Temple", "sacrificing to Heaven and Earth", and "sacrificing to the gods of the land and grain". Training and leading troops was considered somewhat of a dereliction of duty!
Zhang Weixian washed his hands and burned incense, then loudly read the sacrificial text below the palace gate, proclaiming to the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, heaven and earth, as well as to the three emperors Shenzong, Guangzong, and Xizong, that the chieftain of the rebellious Liaodong rebels had been beheaded, that the recovery of Liaodong was just around the corner, that he could comfort the spirits of the emperors in heaven, and that he also hoped that the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty could bless the Ming Dynasty with favorable weather and prosperous military fortune!
Then, everyone shouted the slogan "May the Great Ming Dynasty be victorious!" to set the mood. The palace guards, the White Pole Guards, and the original Tengxiang and Wuxiang Left and Right Guards, a total of 5,000 elite soldiers, were present to create a festive atmosphere, showcasing the emperor's private army and deterring any potential troublemakers.

After setting the mood, almost half an hour had passed. Zhu Youjian hated rambling and empty talk at meetings, so he got straight to the point.

The first to be enfeoffed was Yuan Keli, the Liaodong military commissioner, who was granted the title of Marquis of Liaoning, posthumously awarded the title of Grand Tutor, and entered the Grand Secretariat. He became the third civil official in the Ming Dynasty to be enfeoffed as a marquis while still alive, and the second civil official to be enfeoffed as a marquis during the Chongzhen reign. The first was Zhu Xieyuan, the pacification commander of the southwest who quelled the She-An Rebellion.

After Yuan Keli entered the cabinet, Zhu Xieyuan was no longer lonely. With the addition of Sun Chengzong, these three military commissioners could quarrel like a pot of water.

(End of this chapter)