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

Chapter 85: Using mistakes to avoid credit, the old Deng brothers' advance.

On February 20th, Yu Zigao, the Fujian General, was escorted to Beijing for the crime of causing the defeat of his troops. The Ministry of Justice charged him with missing an opportunity, which, according to the law, was punishable by death; Zhu Xieyuan, the Minister of War, pleaded for leniency on his behalf, hoping that the emperor would grant him a lighter sentence.

Zhu Youjian wanted to go to the Ministry of Justice's prison to bail someone out, but Wei Zhongxian said that the Ministry of Justice's prison was too filthy and that it would be better to summon him in shackles. Zhu Youjian was too lazy to make things difficult for himself, so he followed Wei Zhongxian's advice.

As a convicted official, he was not entitled to the banquet bestowed upon him by the inner court. Instead, Zhu Youjian summoned him to the Zhongji Hall, the smallest of the three main halls in the outer court.

The three main halls were rebuilt by the carpenter brother. He saved money, but the scale is only half of the original, and he cut corners. As a result, the Forbidden City looks strange now. The foundation is large, the buildings are small, and there is a lot of blank space, making it seem very empty.

Yu Zigao was already over fifty years old. Military generals couldn't live as long as civil officials, and at over fifty, one was practically on their deathbed. The prison cart was no easy ride, especially since the journey from Fujian to Beijing was over three thousand li, and he suffered a great deal along the way.

It was clear that his prison clothes were newly changed; his hair was messy and tangled, and his beard was grayish-white. He seemed to have not slept well last night, as the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

"I had previously ordered you not to quarrel with Zheng Zhilong, why did you not heed my words?" Zhu Youjian said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zigao opened his mouth, intending to defend himself, but his throat seemed to be glued shut, and he could not utter a word. He lowered his head helplessly.

"The Ministry of Justice has sentenced you to death," Zhu Youjian said.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zigao trembled. He was quite afraid of death, otherwise he wouldn't have been on the run all the way, being chased by Zheng Zhilong.

Zhu Youjian was somewhat disappointed by his performance. He said, "Looking at your resume, you were a brave and valiant man in your youth. How come you have become cowardly, greedy, and lustful in your old age?"

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths," Yu Zigao said in a muffled voice.

"Do you know how to use your father Yu Dayou's chariot formation? Don't keep silent or just say you deserve to die! If you continue like this, even I can't save you!" Zhu Youjian said in a deep voice.

Yu Zigao suddenly looked up, astonished, and said, "Your Majesty is not going to kill me?!"

Zhu Youjian looked at him silently, thinking to himself, "Does this guy not understand human language? Why does he always give irrelevant answers?"

Seeing the emperor's gloomy face, Yu Zigao shuddered and quickly said, "Your Majesty, although I dare not say that I can recite my father's 'Datong Town Military Chariot Maneuvering Method' perfectly, I have read it a hundred times and know it by heart."

"You've read it, but never used it?!" Zhu Youjian had a headache and thought that it would be better to let him die.

"Your Majesty, the so-called chariot formation is, to put it bluntly, a cannon formation. Although I have never used a chariot formation, I have already applied its tactics to naval warfare," Yu Zigao explained.

"How could someone as capable as you lose to Zheng Zhilong?" Zhu Youjian mocked.

Yu Zigao's face stiffened, and then he said indignantly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! It is not that I have mismanaged the situation, but that the cannons of the Fujian Navy are simply too incompetent. Nine out of ten cannons fail to fire: either the gunpowder is damp and ineffective, or the barrels are cracked and cannot be used. Even if I had a thousand strategies, how could I implement them? I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

"Very well, your father redeemed himself by serving in Datong in the past. Now it's your turn. Datong is under siege. I order you to lead troops to its aid. Go and take command of the chariot battalion that Qi Ji's army trained in Jizhou."

You lost six or seven thousand soldiers in Fujian, which is six or seven thousand lives. Just to give their families an explanation, you should atone with your death!
Now you must go and kill the northern barbarians, and you must kill this many to make your merits and demerits equal. If you exceed this number, I will grant you a title! Zhu Youjian then made a promise to him.

"Your Majesty, I kowtow to thank you for sparing my life!" Yu Zigao said, kneeling on the ground.

"Don't thank me yet. You are now a criminal, and if you fail to handle this matter properly, I will still execute you. This time, don't let yourself be chased back in a panic again," Zhu Youjian said calmly. "Wei Banban, remove his shackles." Click, the brass key turned the iron lock, and two eunuchs moved the heavy wooden shackles off, one on each side, and then the iron chains on his feet.

Wang Chengen walked over holding the imperial edict, followed by eunuchs carrying trays of battle robes and armor.

The emperor was sent to heaven to carry the order, and the edict said:
General Yu Zigao of Fujian suffered a defeat in suppressing bandits, resulting in the loss of troops and national disgrace. He should be executed according to the law. However, considering your father's outstanding military achievements and meritorious service, and the fact that the descendants of a loyal minister should not be lightly harmed, we are grateful for your father's remaining grace and will spare your life for the time being.

I hereby appoint you as the General of the Ji Garrison, commanding 3,000 soldiers of the Ji Garrison Chariot Camp. You are to depart immediately for Shanxi to encircle and suppress the Northern Barbarians, and atone for your crimes through meritorious service.

This is it.

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

The ancients said, "Give credit for mistakes, not for achievements," but Zhu Youjian didn't know if they were right. Ultimately, this was just a casual move he made: if it succeeded, he would be overjoyed; if it failed, he could accept it. He simply didn't want to order the execution of the military general, so he gave him a chance to redeem himself through meritorious service.

The current Jizhou garrison is the weakest of the weak. Ever since the bloody Battle of Hunhe, where Qi Jin led the last of his Qi Family Army in a desperate fight to the death, only to be completely annihilated, Jizhou has had no capable fighters. The Ming Dynasty is desperately poor, and silver is naturally prioritized for the armies of the Nine Garrisons; Jizhou is located near Beijing and has no border defense pressures, so it has been abandoned. Therefore, it will be extremely difficult for Yu Zigao to return alive!
After seeing Yu Zigao off, Zhu Youjian summoned Wang Xiangqian, the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong. The old man was over eighty years old, which was very old for this era: his face and hands were covered with age spots; his eyes were an abnormal color, bluish-white, clearly showing cataracts; his feet were swollen, and he could not stand for long, so he was carried in.

"Your Majesty, I, the guilty subject Wang Xiangqian, pay my respects!" the old man said, struggling to kneel on the ground.

“Alright, I forgive you,” Zhu Youjian said, slightly moved. “You should get up now.”

"This old minister is incompetent, having lost northern Shanxi. I am ashamed before Your Majesty and the late Emperor!" Wang Xiangqian said sorrowfully.

Zhu Youjian also had doubts and asked, "Minister Wang, you submitted a memorial to me before, and you were very clear about the battle between the Chahar tribe and the Jurchens. Why were you unable to detect their surprise attack in time?"

"Your Majesty, the reason I know so much about the war between those two tribes is because I happened to have a surrendered Mongol general at that time, and all the information came from him."

The Khan of Ligdan sent someone to feign friendship, and I was so unprepared that I was deceived.

He had just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Jurchens, and I originally thought he would surely ally with our Great Ming to fight against the Jurchens together. But I never expected this fellow to be so stupid. While he was fighting the Jurchens, he actually dared to provoke our Great Ming.

"Thinking back to the previous dynasty, the Jin dynasty, defeated by the Mongol Yuan, turned its attack on the Song dynasty in an attempt to compensate, ultimately leading to its downfall. This Ligdan Khan, he truly courted his own death!"

“Alas, there’s no use in saying all this now. Let’s discuss how to lift the siege of Datong and eliminate that traitor Ligdan Khan,” Zhu Youjian said.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, we can employ a strategy of 'using barbarians to control barbarians,' and win over the Tumed, Yongshaobu, and Aordusi tribes, which were recently annexed by Ligdan Khan. There are sixteen tribes in Southern Mongolia: Khorchin, Chahar, Kharachin, Tumed… Although the Khorchin have submitted to the Jurchens, they are not entirely subservient. We could…"

Although the old man's eyesight was failing and his health was poor, his mind was still very clear. He knew the hundreds of tribes, large and small, on the Mongolian grasslands like the back of his hand, and could readily recount the grievances and conflicts between them. This was knowledge that could not be found in the documents and records of the Ming Dynasty; it was the invaluable experience of the older generation.

Inside the main hall, Wang Xiangqian talked on and on, while the young eunuchs diligently copied down what he said. Zhu Youjian personally served him tea to soothe his throat, although listening to these stories only gave him a headache. He couldn't understand the strange translations of the Mongolians' names at all, nor could he remember those complicated grudges.

At this moment, Zhu Xieyuan was also summoned. He stood aside and listened quietly. He truly understood, and a look of enlightenment appeared on his face. In fact, he was also a ruthless man. He could remember the grudges between the chieftains in the southwest, but he was not very familiar with the Mongol tribes, unlike Wang Xiangqian, who had guarded the north for his entire life.

As they talked, Zhu Xieyuan started talking to Wang Xiangqian. The two old men, who were twenty years apart in age, whispered and began to plot against Lindan Khan. They occasionally revealed some creepy smiles and eerie laughter, which gave Zhu Youjian goosebumps.

(End of this chapter)