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

Chapter 98: One-Piece Kill, Leave No Survivors, Kill! ...

"Liu Er!"

"exist!!!"

"Liu Er, native of Yunzhao Village, Cao County, Shandong Province, born in the thirty-second year of the Wanli reign, seven feet three inches tall, selected soldier of the Shenji Battalion, number 573?!"

"Yes!"

"Keep your soldier's tag safe. If you die in battle, it will be your identification, and your compensation will be sent to your family according to the address on the tag. If you lose your tag, you will be considered a deserter!!!"

After saying this, Zhu Youjian placed the military token and ten taels of silver into Liu Er's hand.

"Thank you, General!" Liu Er said loudly.

Looking at the young general in front of him, dressed in magnificent armor and appearing to be about the same age as himself, he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

He fought tooth and nail to get into the Vanguard Battalion and received a full salary, but before he could even enjoy it for half a year, he was sent to the battlefield to fight for his life. And the general who paid him was some noble scion, born into immense privilege.

Liu Er also understood that people are different, and that was fate. There were some people he couldn't envy. He only hoped that the one in charge on the spot wouldn't be these privileged young men. He didn't ask for anything else.

"Next!" Zhu Youjian shouted!

"Zhou Yuji?!"

"exist!!"

"Zhou Yuji, native of Fenghushan, Suining County, Jiangsu Province, born in the 28th year of the Wanli reign, eight feet four inches tall, commander of the Shenshu Battalion, number 101?!"

"Yes!"

"Do a good job," Zhu Youjian said, patting Zhou Yuji on the shoulder. "If you achieve military merit, I'll reward you with two palace maids with big butts!!!"

"Your Majesty?!" Zhou Yuji's eyes suddenly widened.

"Shh, don't make a sound, next!!!"

"But I already have a wife!" Zhou Yuji exclaimed anxiously.

"If you have a wife, why take a concubine? What a waste of your good physique! You could have given the Ming Dynasty a hundred or two more fine sons!" Zhu Youjian said irritably.

"A hundred or so? I can't afford to raise them all!!!"

"Zhu Yujian!"

"exist!!!"

"Zhu Yujian, a member of the Ming imperial family, was born in the 30th year of the Wanli reign. He was seven feet eight inches tall and served as the captain of the Heavy Chariot Battalion, number 4704!"

"Live well!" Zhu Youjian said earnestly.

"Yes!!!"

At this time, the 100,000-strong Beijing Garrison was arrayed outside Deshengmen, the north gate of the capital. 100,000 taels of silver were piled up in the open space in front of the gate, forming a small mountain; 10,593 elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison were lined up in 100 teams, receiving their bronze military badges and resettlement silver in order.

One thousand three hundred and fifty-six postmen from the fourteenth post station on the eastern route and the thirteenth post station on the western route of the capital gathered at the North Gate; three hundred and fifty-three newly appointed tribute students who had just passed the imperial examination were brought over to write letters home for the soldiers going to war, and at the same time to teach these future prefects and magistrates a lesson.

Soldiers could choose to send their saved military pay and the ten taels of resettlement silver they had just received back home, or they could keep them for themselves. Items and letters to the same or nearby addresses were handed to a courier for immediate delivery. The courier would keep a record, and anyone who embezzled silver or failed to deliver the goods properly would be executed!
The elite soldiers heading out were filled with trepidation, while the more than 90,000 mediocre soldiers watching were consumed with envy, watching their former comrades enjoy unparalleled glory and resenting their own failure to strive harder to join the elite troops. Now, those comrades were living the high life, while they were eating stale rice and thin porridge every day, barely getting enough to eat!
After the distribution of money concluded, Zhu Youjian donned a crimson cloak, mounted his horse, and the army's bugles sounded. Soldiers, under the officers' commands, returned to their camps, forming marching ranks. Zhu Youjian drew his sword and galloped between the ranks, extending the blade to clash with the weapons of the outer soldiers, producing a clanging sound. The sound of metal clashing gradually quieted the army, but the atmosphere grew increasingly intense.

Commander-in-Chief Qin Liangyu, Deputy General Zhang Weixian, and other key military leaders followed behind Zhu Youjian, riding around the army formation once.

Soldier Liu Er looked up at the scene, his heart filled with horror: "My goodness, such a grand display, with the Duke accompanying us, could it be the Emperor who's paying our wages?!"

Returning to the front of the army formation, Zhu Youjian abruptly reined in his horse. The warhorse, in pain, reared up, and Zhang Weixian, seeing this, looked alarmed. A commotion erupted among the generals, who all nervously turned to look at the emperor.

Zhu Youjian, however, firmly gripped the horse's flanks, raised his sword high, and roared with all his might, "May the Great Ming Dynasty triumph!!!"

Wow! ! !

The army was instantly ignited. The slogan, originating from the vanguard, spread like wildfire, even reaching the 90,000-strong army watching from the front lines. The roar of hundreds of thousands of people echoed into Beijing, and the people, upon hearing the sound, stopped what they were doing and listened intently.

At the same time, Xuanfu Town also began a large-scale cash giveaway. Every local soldier who participated in the battle, as well as the visiting troops who came to provide support, could receive an extra month's salary and three bushels of grain.

After distributing the money and grain, the eunuch took out the imperial edict and read it aloud:

Imperial Edict of the Ming Dynasty!
The northern barbarians have presumptuously started a war, destroyed our passes and walls, killed our soldiers, and plundered our people. Their evil deeds are outrageous and their crimes are unforgivable!

In order to fulfill the mandate of Heaven and appease the public's anger, your troops are hereby ordered to immediately launch a campaign to annihilate the enemy forces within the pass. No surrender or defection will be accepted; all will be executed without exception. Kill! ...

His Majesty's oral decree:

That son of a bitch, Ligdan Khan! Those damned Chahar tribes! These bastards dare to come to our doorstep!

All of you grab your swords and spears and hack those damned Tartars to death! Whoever beheads the most bandit leaders and kills the most barbarian cavalrymen, I'll make sure his wife and children are richly rewarded and he has plenty of gold and silver!

If any coward dares to cower, I'll use their head as a sacrifice! Did you all hear me? Charge out of here!

Admire this!

The same thing happened in Sun Chuanting's army. Now Sun Chuanting's troops had changed from 3,000 pure cavalry to a wagon battalion composed of 7,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry.

Knowing Sun Chuanting's relationship with the emperor, Zhu Xieyuan gave Sun Chuanting preferential treatment all the way, directly bringing Zhenwu Guard, as well as the nearby Daizhou Guard, Ningwu Guard, Yanmen Garrison, and Pingxingguan Garrison under his command, and appointing him as the commander of the Southern Route Army in the Battle of Xuanfu.

The Xuanhua Garrison was the Northern Route Army, the Datong Garrison sent 8,000 troops as the Western Route Army, and the Ji Garrison, together with the Imperial Guards of the Capital, formed the Eastern Route Army, which also served as the Central Army. All four armies were under the command of Marquis Zhongzhen, Qin Liangyu, who was in charge of the central command.

"Haha, our Emperor's words are truly amusing!" Du Hongyu, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Yansui and Commander of the Southern Route Army Cavalry, was overjoyed.

Sun Chuanting's face was contorted and his body was itching.

The Ming Dynasty's troop movements could not be kept secret from the scouts of the Borjigin Lindan Baturu, whose generals were collectively furious and sought him out again. His younger brother, Iron Spear Konot Sumu Juntu Taiji, commander of the elite 3,000 heavily armored cavalry, also strongly advised him to withdraw his troops.

"Brother, that's how the emperors of the Ming Dynasty are—they're obsessed with saving face even at the cost of their own lives. Don't be like them! We've been fighting the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years. They'll fight us even if they starve to death or sell their pots and pans! They outnumber us; we only have a little over 100,000 troops. We can't afford to lose them, brother! Let's retreat. Let's leave quickly before they arrive, or we won't be able to leave if we delay any longer!!!"

"Yes, Khan, let's go!"

"Didn't we agree to stay for another twenty days? Now there are only eight days left!" Lin Dan stammered.

"Oh dear, there aren't eight days left! If we get past the Great Wall now, it'll be almost time. Great Khan, that little emperor of the Ming Dynasty won't give in, and if you stay any longer, he won't agree to give us money. Let's go!!!"

"Alright, withdraw the troops!!!" This time, Lin Dan Khan didn't insist. Judging from the attitude of his men, if he remained obstinate, they would replace him as Khan and install his brother on the throne!
(End of this chapter)