Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 118 Let's suffer a little more with the Jurchens, I'll bear their holy name.

Looking at this breathtaking scene outside the city walls.

The generals of Dongjiang Military Town were stunned for a while before they slowly came to their senses.

For ordinary soldiers.

Perhaps they just felt that the emperor's arrow and spear had thoroughly demonstrated the might of the Ming Dynasty.

They will cheer for it, they will be thrilled by it.

But for generals like them, who had a deeper and broader perspective, the emperor's actions just now only brought them shock.

The rice ripened thousands of times, but the emperor executed someone for the first time.

Don't worry about how fierce the emperors in the history books were when they personally led their armies into battle.

How fierce they are is none of our business, since we've never seen them.

But they witnessed the emperor's actions with their own eyes!
No one expected that the Ming Dynasty would produce an emperor with extraordinary talent and a dragon-phoenix appearance!
What does this mean? !

This signifies that the Ming Dynasty is about to prosper!
And what role will these people play in the process of the Ming Dynasty's revival?
The thought of this made everyone so excited that they couldn't control their emotions.

It wasn't until the emperor ordered a headcount of the battlefield and the disposal of prisoners that the situation came to a head.

They seemed to snap out of their daze and hurriedly and mechanically cooperated with the soldiers who had come to their aid to handle the aftermath.

Seeing everyone busy, Zhu Youjian instructed Xiao Hongzi: "After you're done, bring Mao Wenlong and the others to the city to see me."

After saying that, he led his men into the city without stopping.

For Zhu Youjian

Dongjiang Town was just something I cooked casually; there was no need to put too much effort into it.

The focus now should be on how to deal with North Korea.

Fortunately, there are many documents and materials about North Korea in Dongjiang Town.

The most important thing to do right now is to take advantage of this time to learn about the relevant matters.

The number of people who surrendered after the Later Jin dynasty was quite large, numbering in the thousands.

Therefore, the task of counting the prisoners did not end until near dusk.

Mao Wenlong looked at the string of prisoners in front of him, his thoughts inexplicable.

Because for the entire Ming Dynasty.

This was the first time they had defeated the Later Jin in a direct confrontation, and had also captured so many of the Later Jin's elite troops.

It can be said that this great victory completely shattered the myth of the invincibility of the Later Jin!

And this moment.

As batches of prisoners were led away from him.

Mao Wenlong narrowed his eyes as he looked at Wu Nag, who was pale-faced, bound hand and foot, yet still shouting and cursing.

A defeated general dares to bark and howl?!
From a personal perspective, he really wanted to go up there right now and personally tear that damned beast apart.

Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians on Juehua Island died directly at the hands of Wu Nagge, and Yao Fumin, a friend of Mao Wenlong, and his entire family were killed by him.

Countless ordinary people and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty died indirectly because of this in other places.

Whether it was a national feud or a personal grudge, Mao Wenlong had ample reason to take this action.

However, for the sake of the overall situation, Mao Wenlong suppressed his idea.

Although Wunage was not a particularly important general of the Later Jin dynasty, he certainly held a certain position.

His life, along with the lives of this group of elite Later Jin soldiers, were extremely valuable; their lives could bring many benefits to the Ming Dynasty.

It's not impossible that they could directly exchange it for a city in the Liaodong region.

Think of this.

Mao Wenlong waved his hand, ordering his men to keep a close watch on Wunage and his generals.

He himself took several deep breaths before leading the generals of Dongjiang Town toward His Majesty's temporary palace.

He now has so many questions he wants to ask His Majesty.

What exactly did Your Majesty do in Shaanxi? How did Your Majesty arrive at Dongjiang Town under these circumstances? When did Your Majesty learn to charge into battle? What are Your Majesty's plans next?
Countless questions swirled in Mao Wenlong's mind, making him want to get to the bottom of everything as soon as possible.

But when he actually arrived at the palace and saw Zhu Youjian calmly reviewing documents, Mao Wenlong suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

As for the other generals, they were now in a state of extreme fear and trepidation.

For example, just two days ago, before defending the city, several generals made bold statements saying that the emperor was very much to their liking.

Nowadays, I only dare to kneel on the ground and don't even dare to have any other thoughts.

As for other minor tricks or underhanded tactics, let's not even mention them.

Upon seeing the arrival of everyone, Zhu Youjian put down the document in his hand and directly asked:

"Can it be confirmed that the Later Jin's attack on Dongjiang military town was in collusion with North Korea?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Wenlong dared not delay and quickly answered, putting all other questions aside:
"Your Majesty, it is indeed true. However, matters concerning Korea have always been handled by my subordinate general Kong Youde, so I am not very familiar with them."

"If you want to know the details of what happened, you will need to have Kong Youde report to you."

Zhu Youjian nodded.

When his name was called, Kong Youde immediately took a deep breath and, suppressing his excitement, recounted everything he had recently learned.

After listening to Kong Youde's account, Zhu Youjian wrote down some of the key information.

For example, there are still a certain number of loyalists in North Korea.

For example, many ordinary people in Korea still hold a certain degree of gratitude towards the Ming Dynasty.
And at this time.

As Zhu Youjian pondered.

Only after the generals knelt on the ground did they have the mind to speculate on His Majesty's next arrangements.

Although no one knew exactly what had happened in the Ming Dynasty during this period, they all understood one thing:
That means His Majesty's personal journey to Dongjiang Town with so many people could not possibly be solely for their rescue.

What merit or ability does the Dongjiang military garrison possess that warrants such a large-scale military operation from Your Majesty?

It's obvious without even thinking that His Majesty had ulterior motives, and that they came here on their way after receiving their plea for help.

So what does Your Majesty plan to do next?
Should we seize this great victory and head straight to Liaodong to engage the Later Jin in direct combat?
Or should we head to other inland regions and deal with the powerful and wealthy families there?

Or perhaps they could take this group back to the capital, consolidate their base, and then make further plans?

Think about it.

Everyone still felt that heading directly to Liaodong was the most reasonable course of action.

After all, Dongjiang Town is the closest to Liaodong.

Moreover, they now have several thousand prisoners as bargaining chips to negotiate with the Later Jin.

After thinking about this, Mao Wenlong hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking:
"Your Majesty, the prisoners you just instructed have all been taken care of. What should be done with them next?"

"Should I send an envoy to inform the Later Jin?"

Listening to Mao Wenlong's words, Zhu Youjian asked thoughtfully, "How did the Later Jin treat prisoners?"

Mao Wenlong paused, wondering why His Majesty had suddenly asked this, but he still answered honestly:
"Your Majesty, the Later Jin often resorted to the cruel method of killing anyone taller than a cartwheel when dealing with prisoners."

Zhu Youjian nodded: "From now on, when the Ming Dynasty faces prisoners of the Later Jin, let's flatten the wheels of the carts."

Everyone:?
What do you mean by laying the wheels flat?!

Upon hearing this, the generals in the temporary palace looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone slowly came to their senses.

It seems His Majesty means that from now on, whenever Jurchen prisoners are captured, they should all be killed regardless of gender, age, height, or weight?

To be honest, it seems there's nothing wrong with using this method to deal with those Jurchen wild boar skins.

Not only is it not inappropriate, but it should be promoted even more.

But here's the thing.

If we kill all the prisoners in Dongjiang Town now, won't they become completely useless?!

Surely these people's lives could be exchanged for a city in Liaodong?

Thinking of this, Mao Wenlong quickly spoke up:

"Your Majesty, the lives of Wunage and those Later Jin soldiers can at least bring back a city that was captured by the Later Jin for our Great Ming Dynasty."

"This way, His Majesty can use this information to devise further plans after arriving in Liaodong. It would be a great pity to simply kill them all without any further action."

Hearing Mao Wenlong's words, Zhu Youjian shook his head.

He knew all too well that, in the current situation, such a city would only become a burden to the Ming Dynasty.

Minor tactical gains or losses have absolutely no impact on the overall strategic plan.

In that case, these Later Jin prisoners are of no use whatsoever.

At least in Zhu Youjian's view, their deaths were more useful than their lives.

Seeing Mao Wenlong's puzzled expression, Zhu Youjian said calmly, "Who said I was planning to go to Liaodong?"

Everyone was taken aback when they heard this. If they didn't go to Liaodong, then they would go to other places to deal with the powerful and wealthy families.
Mao Wenlong hesitated before asking, "Then what are your plans next, Your Majesty?"

"Go to North Korea to deal with the collusion between North Korea and the Later Jin dynasty."

Everyone:?
North Korea?!
Hearing this answer, everyone was taken aback again.

But then everyone immediately realized that although the answer was unexpected, it was actually quite reasonable.

Because from their perspective.

If Dongjiang Town wants to achieve peace, then North Korea is the country that must be dealt with.

North Korea is now practically tantamount to rebellion.

Then, it might collude with the Later Jin today, and send some people disguised as pirates to harass them tomorrow.

Is Dongjiang Town even going to survive?

We can't expect His Majesty to come and save people every time it's a critical moment, can we?

This is obviously unrealistic.

Therefore, upon hearing His Majesty's decision to take action against Korea, everyone almost instantly decided to go with His Majesty.

As for how to deal with North Korea, they don't know.

They don't know whether they can handle it properly.

But in this emotional state, the generals of Dongjiang Town had no time to think about anything else.

First, their lives were saved by His Majesty.

Secondly, His Majesty's divine prowess today left a very deep impression on them.

Let alone North Korea.

If we tell them now that the enemy ahead is Xiang Yu resurrected and leading an army of 100,000, then they will dare to follow His Majesty and charge forward to kill the enemy.

to be honest.

They do whatever His Majesty tells them to do.

As for the consequences?

Screw it! Let him die!
Upon hearing Zhu Youjian's words about his plan to personally go to Korea, Mao Wenlong clenched his fists, his chest heaving violently, before raising his head to face the emperor directly.
"Your Majesty! The entire Dongjiang Army is willing to go to Korea with Your Majesty! We will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

"Your Majesty, please give us your orders! We will certainly do as you require!"

Zhu Youjian nodded calmly: "Find all the intelligence about Korea from Dongjiang Town, and then deal with the Later Jin prisoners."

"The heads of the key members will be preserved and used to deter North Korea."

This is what Zhu Youjian meant when he said that the dead are more useful than the living.

When the time comes, displaying the heads of these Later Jin bandits in front of Korea will likely have some effect on winning hearts and minds.

The group exchanged glances, then bowed in unison and said, "We understand!"

Done.

The group bowed again and slowly withdrew from the palace, then strode away.

Then everyone began to perform their respective duties.

Some were organizing intelligence, others were reorganizing the troops...

But more people.

They went to prepare to annihilate the Jurchens.

Although during the battle today, His Majesty's men did shout that those who surrendered would not be killed.

but.

Surrender and be spared ≠ Surrender and be spared.

Did the Jurchens stop killing surrendered soldiers?!
Moreover, Your Majesty's word is law, and ultimately the right to interpret all matters rests with Your Majesty.

If His Majesty says that everyone taller than a cartwheel must be killed, then everyone must be killed!

Oh right, the wheels must be laid flat.

at the same time.

Inside the prison cell in Dongjiang Town.

Although the Later Jin commander Wunag suffered a penetrating wound, the injury was concentrated in his shoulder and was not ultimately fatal.

Not to mention that they gave him special treatment before locking him up in jail.

So, although Wunage was extremely weak at this moment, he was not in any danger of losing his life.

However, for Vunage...

Although he survived, he was in more pain than if he were dead.

Because he was actually defeated, and defeated by the opponent he despised the most! And the defeat was so humiliating!
Thinking about everything that had happened today, Wunage felt a surge of resentment and hatred, wishing he could skin the Ming emperor alive and tear him apart.

In his view, his defeat was entirely due to intelligence issues.

If he had known in advance that the Ming emperor would come to Dongjiang Town, everything would have been completely reversed.

The one lying in the prison cell now is not him, but the emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

Just when Vunage was at his most troubled, his deputy kept bothering him with unending anxiety:

"Commander, the Ming emperor won't kill us, will he? Like we did to his Ming soldiers and civilians before?"

Seeing his men's pathetic state, Vunage couldn't help but spit out his anger:
"You are warriors of my Great Jin Dynasty, how can you be so cowardly and afraid of death?!" The subordinate shrank back, not daring to utter another word.

After a pause, Wunag's disheveled subordinates softened their tone slightly:
"The Ming emperor only won against us by chance once. Victory and defeat are common in war. You must not let him cloud your judgment."

"As for your lives, you don't need to worry about it. The Ming emperor will definitely try to use us to negotiate with the Khan. He won't dare to kill us."

"Once we return to Shengjing, we must remember this humiliation. When the time is right, we will repay this humiliation to the Ming emperor a thousandfold!"

With Wunage's words of comfort, the generals in the prison cell were able to calm themselves down.

Seeing this, Wunage breathed a slight sigh of relief.

For him, since he had already lost, there was no need to think about it anymore.

The most important thing now is that these people must not develop a fear of the Ming Dynasty because of this incident.

Once they develop a fear of the Ming emperor, even if they manage to return to the Later Jin, they probably won't be of much use.

At that time, all that awaited them was marginalization, which was something Wunage absolutely could not accept.

And now.

As long as everyone's fighting spirit remains, he will have the opportunity to lead them to a comeback.

Don’t say anything else.

Even if they couldn't capture and kill the Ming emperor in one battle.

Then, when the time comes, he will return to Dongjiang Town, this humiliating place, and slaughter all the soldiers and civilians there. Wu Nag is absolutely confident that he can do it.

After all, if it weren't for the sudden appearance of the Ming Dynasty emperor, he would have already accomplished this task.

Wunage clenched his fist.

The four characters "Dongjiang Military Town" are deeply etched in his heart.

When the time is right, he will come back immediately and wipe this place out completely.

Just as Vunage was about to say something more inspiring, a commotion suddenly came from outside the cell.

Wunage looked outside and squinted.

He knew that the Ming Dynasty emperor had sent people to interrogate him.

Wunage took a deep breath and did not shout insults as he had done at the beginning.

After all, he still needed to save his life to avenge himself against the Ming emperor in the future, so it was not shameful for him to endure humiliation for the time being.

soon.

Mao Wenlong came to Wunage.

Wunage looked at the person in front of him. Although he was still sitting on the ground with his legs spread apart in an unruly manner, his tone had lost its arrogance.

Looking at Mao Wenlong, Wu Nag spoke calmly:

"Did the Ming emperor send you? Are you here to persuade them to surrender, or to get some intelligence about the Later Jin from me?"

"Whether it's the former or the latter, your words don't carry enough weight. It would be more appropriate for your master to come in person!"

Done.

Wunage then fell silent, simply closing his eyes and waiting quietly for a reply.

This is the time to negotiate terms.

If he shows too much fear of death, then there will be endless suffering waiting for them.

But to Wunage's surprise, Mao Wenlong ignored his words and instead squatted down, staring intently at him.
Do you still remember Juehua Island?

Wunage raised an eyebrow.

He certainly remembered what happened on Juehua Island; it was the most unrestrained and carefree time he had experienced in the past two years.

Leading several thousand elite troops, they engaged in widespread burning, looting, raping, and massacring of the city within days...

Tens of thousands of people died on Juehua Island under their swords.

How could such wonderful memories ever be forgotten?!
But to avoid further suffering, Wunage opened his eyes and replied calmly, "I don't remember."

Mao Wenlong calmly stood up and nodded: "Very good, I will make you remember."

After saying that, Mao Wenlong waved his hand and said, "Drag all these people out and skin them alive!"

"Yes!" came a loud shout from behind.

Wunag: ?

Didn't we agree that surrendering would spare our lives?!

Wasn't this a promise made personally by someone close to the Ming Dynasty emperor?!

This Ming Dynasty emperor treated prisoners of war even more cruelly than the Jurchens?!
And he executed me, a general of the Later Jin, purely out of spite?!
Why don't you ask me some questions?! I didn't say I wouldn't hire anyone!!

Wunage was terrified.

But before he could even speak, soldiers came up and gagged him, dragging him and his men out of the cell.

It didn't take long.

Dozens of execution racks were erected within the city walls of Dongjiang Town.

Although it was already night, and the soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town were extremely exhausted after two or three days of fierce fighting.

But under the lure of such a good show, all fatigue seemed so insignificant.

All the remaining soldiers and civilians in the city poured out at this moment, completely surrounding the execution ground.

Cheers and curses were heard incessantly.

Faced with this scene, the burly and always cruel and arrogant Wunage finally panicked.

Panic gripped him; had his mouth not been stuffed with a rag, he probably would have already begged for mercy.

He gets excited when the knife cuts someone else, but if the knife is about to cut him, he feels utterly terrified.

He finally understood why the people on Juehua Island were so terrified when faced with the executioner's knife that they defecated and urinated.

But then Mao Wenlong shouted, "Execute!"

Vunage and his cronies no longer had the chance to ponder these matters.

Watching the bandits being gutted piece by piece on the execution rack, Mao Wenlong didn't stop for a moment, his face stern as he continued to shout at the people of the military town:
"His Majesty has decreed: From this day forward, when facing Jurchen prisoners of war, our Dongjiang Army has only one solution: flatten the wheels of the carts, and kill anyone higher than the wheels!"

Bystanders: ?
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into an even more intense uproar.

"What the hell do you mean by laying the wheels flat?!"

"Huh?! Wasn't it agreed that surrender would spare their lives?! Now they're going to kill all the captured Jurchens too?!"

"Fool! The idea that surrendering means being spared is something His Majesty's people said. What does it have to do with His Majesty? His Majesty's words are the only true imperial edict!"

"His Majesty is still merciful. It's all these Jurchens' fault for courting death by growing taller than a flattened cartwheel!"

"."

After the commotion subsided, a complete massacre ensued.

The soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town unleashed all the humiliation they had suffered over the years tonight.

As for those prisoners who bore the brunt of this anger...
That can only mean:

May the Jurchens suffer even more, but His Majesty will bear the burden of their fate alone!
late at night.

On top of the city wall.

With his hands behind his back, Mao Wenlong looked at the madness within the city and the corpses of the Jurchens scattered on the ground, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

He hadn't expected that in just over a month, His Majesty would have become so powerful.

Unfortunately.

So much happened today that he didn't even have a chance to ask His Majesty any of the questions that were on his mind.

However, these things are no longer so important now.

He was about to travel to Korea with His Majesty, and during that time he would have many opportunities to speak.

Honestly.

Mao Wenlong had no idea what impact his trip to Korea would have on the Ming Dynasty, or whether those impacts would be good or bad.

But just as he decided to stay in Dongjiang Town.

Some things can only be answered by doing them.

His gaze then swept across the city, taking in every detail.

Will the Ming Dynasty begin its decline from here?

Mao Wenlong muttered to himself.

However, as his gaze swept across the area, his eyes settled on the damaged city wall to the east.

Looking at the damaged city wall, Mao Wenlong seemed to suddenly remember something and immediately called his deputy Chen Jisheng over to ask:

"What is the state of the grain and fodder reserves in Dongjiang Town?!"

Chen Jisheng cupped his hands and said, "General, during yesterday's attack on the city, the Jin rockets hit the granary and caused a fire. Although the granary suffered heavy losses after the fire, it is only enough to sustain the military town for a dozen days."

"But we have already won this battle and can resupply at any time, so there is no need to worry about it!"

Upon hearing this, Mao Wenlong was suddenly startled.

If the soldiers and horses are not moving, the grain and grass will go first.

If Your Majesty intends to march into Korea, the supply of provisions and equipment is a crucial element that absolutely cannot go wrong.

Moreover, winter is approaching, making food supplies an even greater priority.

His Majesty has brought so many elite troops; it's practically his entire force.

In that case, any action against North Korea would definitely not be a minor skirmish or a mere warning.

Therefore, at least enough food should be prepared to sustain the army for several months.

But now, precisely at this crucial juncture, a problem has arisen!

Moreover, His Majesty's procession did not carry much food or supplies.

Mao Wenlong was filled with remorse.

He couldn't help but feel resentful that he hadn't guarded the granary properly yesterday, allowing the Later Jin to take advantage of the situation!

To tell the truth.

Actually, the food problem isn't that difficult to solve.

But the most critical problem is that there isn't enough time.

The reason why Dongjiang Town was able to achieve such a great victory this time.

One of the key points is:
To everyone's surprise, His Majesty's divine intervention caught the enemy off guard, and they decisively defeated them.

If the Later Jin had known the news beforehand, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.

So if they were to spend another ten days to a month procuring food under the current circumstances...

It's likely that North Korea has already received word and is preparing to resist.

If they were to collude with the Later Jin, there would be no need for a fight at all.

Moreover, not to mention that the entire Ming Dynasty is currently in turmoil, beset by internal and external troubles, who knows how many more mishaps might occur.

Thinking about these things, Mao Wenlong's steps quickened involuntarily.

Looking at the anxious figure of the head coach, Chen Jisheng, after a moment of confusion, also understood the current predicament.

Today, the entire town of Dongjiang is immersed in jubilation.

Excitement can make people unconsciously ignore many things.

In their excitement, they completely forgot about this!
Filled with remorse, Chen Jisheng picked up his knife and walked toward the Later Jin prisoners who were being slaughtered.

It seems unlikely that I will be able to go to North Korea now, and the opportunity to make a name for myself and repay the Emperor's kindness has slipped away right under their noses.

If only time could be reversed.

Chen Jisheng was even willing to risk his life to save the grain in those granaries.

That would be a momentous achievement—to personally lead an expedition alongside His Majesty, a man of unparalleled talent! How many times in a lifetime can one have such a precious opportunity?!

Enraged, Chen Jisheng had no choice but to take his knife and vent his anger on the Jurchens.

the other side.

After Mao Wenlong hurriedly arrived at His Majesty's palace, he hastily addressed the guards outside:

"Please check if His Majesty has rested. If he hasn't fallen asleep yet, tell him that Mao Wenlong has important military matters to report!"

Upon seeing this, the guard dared not delay and hurriedly went inside to report.

Zhu Youjian was still reviewing intelligence on Korea when he heard his subordinates' report. He nodded and ordered someone to bring Mao Wenlong to him.

Not long after.

Mao Wenlong was then brought before Zhu Youjian.

Seeing His Majesty, who was still working tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty even though it was late at night, Mao Wenlong couldn't help but shed tears. He knelt down, deeply ashamed, and said:
"Your Majesty! I just remembered that the granary of Dongjiang Army Town was destroyed by the Later Jin yesterday."

"Most of the stored grain has been destroyed, and it is only enough for the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town to consume for a dozen days. It is difficult to support the Emperor's expedition to Korea."

"Your Majesty, I have inadvertently delayed Your Majesty's great undertaking, and I deserve to die! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

After saying this, Mao Wenlong quietly lay on the ground, waiting for His Majesty to punish him.

In fact, Mao Wenlong knew that, given His Majesty's temperament, he would never blame him for such a thing.

But the more this happened, the more distressed he became, and the guilt in his heart was about to devour him completely.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian put down the intelligence documents in his hand, looked up at Mao Wenlong, and said in a calm tone:

"Who told you that there weren't enough provisions for the expedition to Korea?"

Mao Wenlong suddenly looked up.

Did His Majesty prepare enough provisions in advance?
But that's impossible! He witnessed firsthand today just how much baggage the imperial procession was carrying.

Before Mao Wenlong could react, he heard Zhu Youjian's calm voice come from the other end again.

"Aren't there plenty of supplies and provisions in the coastal cities of Shandong?"

Mao Wenlong: ?

(End of this chapter)