Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 266 The Traitor's Panic During the Siege and Conquest (Part 2)
While the area east of the capital was undergoing major development, Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, was also frantically conquering cities and seizing territory in Shanxi.

This time, it seems he got a great deal.

This is because neither Gao Yingxiang nor Zhang Xianzhong managed to completely plunder the territory they had seized in Shanxi.

These two guys were not like this in the Central Plains. They looted all the princes, royal families, local tyrants, and even shops in the city.

After they fled to Shanxi, they seemed to become more refined. They didn't rob anything. The local princes, royal families, and wealthy gentry were all fine. The shops in the city were still open, and they didn't even touch the goods inside.

Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony.

He's a traitor, so there's no need for politeness.

Every time the Hanzhong army captured a city, they would loot all the shops inside, and they would also plunder the local tyrants and gentry outside the city, as well as the princes and royal family members who had not hidden themselves.

These guys didn't just rob valuables and food; they even stole and burned the land deeds, and then distributed all the land to the disaster-stricken civilians.

This made the three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants of Puzhou extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.

Zezhou and Lu'an Prefecture are not even the areas they are fully committed to developing, and they have already suffered heavy losses there.

Crucially, the Hanzhong army is about to capture Zezhou and Lu'an Prefecture.

Next, whether the Hanzhong army marches westward to Pingyang Prefecture or northwards to attack Qinzhou, Fenzhou, and Taiyuan Prefecture, that would be a formidable force.

Pingyang Prefecture was the stronghold of the three powerful clans of Puzhou, while the cities of Jiexiu, Pingyao, Taigu, and Yuci along the Qinzhou, Fenzhou, and Taiyuan Prefectures were the strongholds of the eight imperial merchants.

If the Hanzhong army were to capture Pingyang Prefecture or take Jiexiu, Pingyao, Taigu, and Yuci, it would be a fatal blow to them.

Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, was no like Gao Yingxiang or Zhang Xianzhong; he wouldn't bother with politeness at all.

Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong were genuinely polite to them, a fact documented in historical records.

In fact, Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng captured Puzhou City more than once in history. However, Han Kuang was still alive when Li Zicheng captured Puzhou City for the last time in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen's reign, and even his family was still unharmed.

Historical records also state that in order to meet Han Kuang, Li Zicheng had to bring Han Kuang's grandson along and deliberately keep him there. Only then did Han Kuang finally meet with Li Zicheng. What they discussed is not recorded in the historical records.

However, after Han Kuang and Li Zicheng finished their discussion, Li Zicheng sent Han Kuang and his grandson home, which is recorded in historical materials.

This shows how courteous Li Zicheng was to the three powerful clans of Puzhou. If it were any other official, he would have been killed on the spot if he dared not see them. Li Zicheng had even killed more than a dozen princes, so there was no reason for him not to kill any retired officials.

This also proves that there was something fishy going on between the three powerful clans and the eight imperial merchants of Puzhou and Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and Li Zicheng. Otherwise, they would not have gotten away with it after Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and Li Zicheng had wreaked havoc in Shanxi for more than ten years.

Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong dared not do anything to them; this is a historical fact.

The problem is, there's no shady business between Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, and them.

Wherever the Hanzhong army went, their shops, their fields, and even their relatives by marriage were looted.

If the Hanzhong army were allowed to continue fighting, their stronghold would be destroyed, and one can imagine how anxious they would be.

The three powerful clans and eight imperial merchants of Puzhou were in a state of panic, but Zhu Jue seemed completely oblivious.

He seemed to completely ignore what the rebels were doing; he just wandered around.

That morning, around 9 a.m., he had just finished reviewing the memorials and then led Zheng Zhilong, Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua and others to the Beijing Shipyard.

At this time, the first batch of 500 small Zhiyuan merchant ships of this year had been completed, and Zheng Zhibao was there with the newly recruited naval officers and soldiers to receive them.

The first batch of 400 medium-sized Zhiyuan merchant ships this year is almost completed, and the shipyard craftsmen are busy finishing up.

At this point, a standard small Zhiyuan merchant ship only had about fifty naval officers and soldiers, so five hundred small Zhiyuan merchant ships would only have about 25,000 naval officers and soldiers, which seemed like nothing.

However, this was nothing to them. To the rebels, the Jurchens, and even the colonial powers in Europe, five hundred warships and twenty-five thousand naval soldiers were a considerable fighting force.

Zhu Jue watched as the newly recruited naval officers and soldiers sailed five hundred small Zhiyuan merchant ships out of the dock waterway to the inland sea for training, before asking, "Zhilong, is there an urgent need for small Zhiyuan merchant ships for cargo transport on the inland waterways right now?"

How do you say this?

No one would complain about having too many small Zhiyuan merchant ships, and many people have told him they want more to haul raw materials or cargo. However, it's not an urgent matter.

Zheng Zhilong thought for a moment, then explained in detail: "Your Majesty, right now our largest output is steel."

Originally, our steelmaking required a large number of ships to transport coal and pig iron. However, now that steel mills are built near iron and coal mines and connected by rail, we no longer need to acquire a large number of ships to transport coal and pig iron.

As for other goods, their production volume cannot compare with that of steel, and raw materials were already being transported by ships. Therefore, there is no immediate need for small merchant ships for inland waterway freight.

Other places don't have an urgent need for small Zhiyuan merchant ships.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue decisively said, "Then let Zhi Bao train them properly and then send all five hundred small Zhiyuan merchant ships to Liaodong to help Boya."

Uh, you're going to send all five hundred of these small Zhiyuan merchant ships to Liaodong?

There are already over a thousand small Zhiyuan merchant ships over there!

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, how many days is this 'training session'?"

That depends on when Huang Taiji falls for it.

Zhu Jue estimated, "This training probably won't last many days. Once Boya prepares for war, these 500 small Zhiyuan merchant ships will have to be transferred there. I estimate it will be around the end of this month."

At the end of this month?
There was just enough time.

Merchant ships are only used for carrying people and goods; they don't need to participate in combat directly. After a little training, they can be transferred to Liaodong to help.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong slowly nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I understand."

As they were discussing, Fang Zhenghua suddenly came running over with a memorial in his hand, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Shanxi."

These guys are probably getting restless.

Zhu Jue took the memorial and looked at it; it was indeed true.

The Shanxi Military Command reported that Zezhou had already been occupied by the rebel Zhang Yun, and only the prefectural city of Lu'an was still holding out. If the rebels were to take Lu'an, the Liao imperial family would be in grave danger. They requested that a large army be mobilized immediately to besiege and suppress the rebel Zhang Yun.

The cabinet also submitted a draft proposal, requesting the immediate mobilization of border troops from the three towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Pianguan into Qinzhou and Liaozhou, and then to go south to fully rescue Lu'an Prefecture and protect the Liao imperial family.

After reading it, Zhu Jue couldn't help but sneer.

Hehe, the three powerful clans of Puzhou are almost frantic, and they've forgotten to pretend about many things.

There are clearly many problems with this memorial and the draft.

For example, Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong occupied Zezhou and Lu'an Prefecture for so long, why was Lu'an Prefecture still not captured?
For example, why didn't Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong rush to annihilate them when they occupied Lu'an Prefecture, but they quickly mobilized a large army to annihilate them as soon as Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, ran over?
For example, Qinzhou and Liaozhou were still under the control of Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong at that time. If we directly mobilized the border troops there, would Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong give up these two prefectures?

The three powerful clans of Puzhou probably wanted the border troops to defend Qinzhou and Liaozhou first. As for the Liao princes in Lu'an Prefecture, they would help them if they could, and if not, at least they could stop the army of Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, from running to Pingyang Prefecture or Taiyuan Prefecture.

Pingyang Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture are the strongholds of the three major clans and eight imperial merchants of Puzhou. If Zhang Yun, the King of Hanzhong, attacks Pingyang Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture, the three major clans and eight imperial merchants of Puzhou will surely suffer heavy losses.

It's no wonder these guys are anxious.

Are you getting impatient?

Then hurry up and ask Huang Taiji for help!

I will never allow you to mobilize border troops to rescue them.

Zhu Jue thought about it carefully, then handed the memorial to Liu Ruoyu and said coldly, "Ruoyu, issue an order: No. The border troops must guard the border towns. Otherwise, the Jurchens will definitely take the opportunity to invade."

He was essentially reminding the three powerful clans of Puzhou.

If I don't come to save you, you can still ask the Jurchens to come and save you.

You should hurry and go find the Jurchens!
(End of this chapter)