Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 123 The Ming Dynasty's offensive methods were surprisingly ruthless.
The three reached a consensus.

Tian Hong and Zhang Zhuo did not linger and immediately set off to return to their respective territories.

They've already planned it out.

If the river dikes in four or five counties in Shandong were to burst, it could create approximately 100,000 or more disaster victims.

Among these hundreds of thousands of disaster victims, tens of thousands will inevitably be displaced, causing a great upheaval.

When the emperor returns from Korea, he will see these disaster victims and, whether he helps them or not, he will have plenty of ways to deal with them.

No help.

Not to mention that from a legal perspective, this would affect the emperor's base of rule.

All they need to do is incite these disaster victims.

It is said that all of this natural disaster in Shandong is due to the emperor's bloodthirstiness and human folly.

Then we could just lead these hundreds of thousands of people to storm the emperor's carriage.

It's even possible that such a tyrant could be openly and brazenly convicted at that time.

save.

How could more than 100,000 disaster victims be so easily gathered together?

Although they knew that the emperor had accomplished a great feat of disaster relief and helping the people in Shaanxi, Shandong was not comparable to Shaanxi.

Those five cities were purely due to their negligence.

If the emperor still intends to relieve the disaster victims by robbing wealthy families, then that will just be what they want.

They were just looking for an opportunity to delay the emperor's advance.

Ever since.

After rushing back to their respective homes.

Kong Yinzhi, Tian Hong, and Zhang Zhuo immediately began to make intensive arrangements for breaching the dikes and destroying farmland.

At the same time, they all called together their trusted subordinates for a meeting: they must guard their respective territories well and absolutely prevent the robbery of the five cities from happening again.

Not only that.

Everyone must keep a close watch on the emperor's movements and immediately rush to each other's aid at the slightest sign of trouble.

Under immense pressure from the emperor.

The three major families in Shandong have now been twisted into an extremely tight rope.

With this shared belief, things naturally become much easier and more efficient.

It's only been one day.

In Shandong province, a densely populated and prosperous county town experienced a dike breach.

All of a sudden.

The seeds that had just been sown for autumn planting were completely destroyed, and the fields on which countless farmers depended for their livelihoods were also submerged.

In the process of disaster relief, hundreds of farmers drowned.

Rumors quickly spread among the crowd.

This is all because the emperor killed so many Confucian scholars a few days ago, and even Heaven couldn't stand it anymore, so it sent a disaster to Shandong as a warning!

Sigh. It's clearly the emperor's fault, so why should we ordinary people have to bear the consequences?
Various rumors and gossip circulated among the people, causing their hearts to waver.

The masterminds behind the scenes, Kong, Tian, ​​and Zhang, were sitting comfortably at home listening to their subordinates' reports, all secretly relieved.

Attack where the enemy must defend.

How could you possibly withstand that move?!
the other side.

After traveling through the night, Zhu Youjian's imperial procession finally arrived at the Korean border.

The people and officials in Xuanchuan and Tieshan cities.

Originally, there was much discussion about the arrest of the Ming Dynasty delegation, and people were somewhat worried and wanted to see how the Ming Dynasty would handle the matter.

The outcome was unexpected by everyone.

The delegation had only been imprisoned for two days.

They spotted hundreds of ships, adorned with the imperial dragon banners of the Ming Dynasty, sailing majestically towards them.

The crowd gasped in surprise: "Dad, you're really not dead?!"

Everyone knew that the appearance of so many warships and soldiers meant that the Ming Dynasty was coming to punish the delegation for the humiliation.

That's it! That's the taste! This is the true Celestial Empire!
The people and officials in both cities rushed out of the city to kneel and welcome them.

Over the years, their two cities have been repeatedly suppressed by the imperial court because of their good relations with Dongjiang Town.

But now that the Ming army has marched directly over, it means their fate will take a turn for the better.

The best is yet to come!

Well, as long as the Ming army can defeat our Korean army, that's fine.

Think of this.

The officials in charge of the two cities also hurriedly sent up the intelligence they knew about the nearby cities—"Although I hold a position as a court official, my heart remains with the Ming Dynasty!"

But what surprised everyone was that the intelligence they considered very meaningful was actually...

A random person from the imperial carriage took it and glanced at it, and then nothing more was said.

Then they saw the Ming army advance straight ahead without stopping.

Watching the silent, grim figures of the Ming army, everyone fell into deep thought.

What is the Ming Dynasty trying to do?!

Under the long march of the imperial procession.

A fully armed force of over ten thousand people rushed to the vicinity of Seoul, the capital of North Korea, overnight.

They did encounter some pursuers during this period, but none of them caused Zhu Youjian any trouble.

On the one hand, Zhu Youjian's army marched extremely fast, and on the other hand, the Ming Dynasty was still nominally the suzerain state of Korea.

Moreover, the cities along the way usually only have a few hundred or a thousand garrison troops, so without the king's orders, there is naturally no possibility of any major military operations.

now.

Looking at the outline of the Korean capital not far ahead, Zhu Youjian did not order a direct attack.

Although an attack at this time would definitely catch the Seoul defenders off guard.

However, the imperial procession of over ten thousand people, weary from their journey, could not possibly have any effective impact on the city.

It will only result in casualties and further exhaustion on our side.

So Zhu Youjian ordered that a small, poorly defended county town nearby be occupied as a stronghold.

For Zhu Youjian

This expedition to Korea will absolutely not achieve his goal of completely taking Korea under his control if he simply launches a strong attack.

In order to truly achieve the goal, it is necessary to supplement it with psychological tactics.

Zhu Youjian was not worried that the Koreans would seize the opportunity and mobilize a large army to besiege them to death.

He had naturally studied this very carefully before marching into Korea.

There are nominally one or two hundred thousand troops in North Korea.

But in reality, these so-called armies are just empty names.

The truly elite troops that Li Zong could mobilize were only around 20,000 to 30,000.

The remaining soldiers can be divided and dispersed through various means.

But how exactly to put it into practice?

It all depends on how Li Zong makes his move, and then we'll have to respond accordingly.

Zhu Youjian understood.

With the enemy at our gates, Li Zong will definitely be eager to make a move once he receives the news.

Extremely anxious.

at the same time.

Inside the Imperial Palace in Seoul.

Li Zong, who was sleeping soundly on the luxurious dragon bed, was suddenly awakened by a rapid shaking.

Even an ordinary person would be displeased to be woken from a deep sleep, let alone a monarch.

Just as Li Zong was about to lash out with a frown, a frantic report from his trusted subordinate stunned him.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Ming Dynasty has sent troops to the capital! General Li Hu is currently defending the city!"

"What?!" Li Zong's expression changed drastically.

After imprisoning the Ming Dynasty envoy team and completely siding with the Later Jin, Li Zong envisioned countless possible reactions from the Ming Dynasty.

He had already prepared countermeasures for these reactions and was just waiting for the other party to make a move.

But what Li Zong never expected was that the Ming Dynasty would send troops directly to his capital! And in just two or three days!

How can this be? !
If the Ming Dynasty had such strength, why has it been subjected to so much humiliation all these years?
Could it be that this is all part of a grand scheme, a pretext to destroy North Korea?!

What merit did Korea have to deserve such treatment from the Ming Dynasty?
Upon hearing this shocking news, Li Zong, who had just been awakened, immediately lost his composure and jumped off the bed barefoot, looking completely panicked.

Seeing this, his trusted subordinate quickly continued, "My lord, don't panic! The Ming Dynasty has only stationed troops near the capital; they haven't actually attacked. So far, we haven't even suffered any casualties in the city!"

Li Zong was taken aback again, only then realizing that he hadn't heard any chaotic commotion in the palace, but the atmosphere was rather tense.

Immediately, Li Zong's panic turned into a frown and deep thought.

After a pause, Li Zong waved his hand and said, "Summon the guards to come with me to the city gate. I want to see for myself what the Ming Dynasty is really up to!"

Surrounded by a group of guards, Li Zong and his entourage hurried towards the city gate.

Once he reached the top of the city wall, he summoned his trusted general Li Hu, who was clad in armor and carrying a sword, and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

Li Hu cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, the Ming army suddenly rushed to the vicinity of our capital, but did not engage in battle with our army. Instead, they occupied a small town on the outskirts of the city and set up camp there."

"How many troops did the Ming Dynasty send?!"

"From what I have observed, their army numbers no more than ten thousand."

Only about ten thousand people?!

Hearing this answer, Li Zong frowned.

With only 10,000 men, how dare the Ming Dynasty send them to be stationed near the capital?!
It should be noted that Yi Jong had 30,000 elite troops within Seoul.

Adding the existing garrison troops stationed in the city, and all sorts of miscellaneous soldiers, they could muster 100,000 combat troops.

The Art of War states: "If ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them."

What is the Ming Dynasty trying to do by sending 10,000 men to our capital without saying a word?
Could it be that the Ming Dynasty couldn't even use 10,000 men to attack my Joseon Kingdom?
Or are these people just bait, with a large force still behind them?
Li Zong continued to press, "Have you found any trace of Ming troops elsewhere?"

Li Hu shook his head: "Reporting to the lord, intelligence has just come from various places that this Ming army did not attack any cities along the way, but instead took a roundabout route to reach the vicinity of the capital."

"Moreover, according to intelligence, this Ming army was personally led by the Ming emperor."

Li Zong: ?

When Li Zong heard this answer, he was even more shocked than when he heard that the Ming army was attacking.

The Ming Dynasty emperor led more than 10,000 people to the outskirts of his capital and set up camp there openly.

Has he been reading too many novels and fictional stories?
Does he really think that just because he's an emperor, he can lead an army to victory in every battle?!
Or perhaps he didn't consider himself a human being at all, the King of Korea.

Does he think that as long as he brings people here, he will obediently bow down and submit to him?!

Immediately, Li Zong couldn't help but laugh in his anger.

When the others on the city walls saw Li Zong laughing, they also joined in the laughter.

When the Ming emperor first appeared, he really gave the soldiers guarding the city a huge fright.

But when they discovered that the enemy army only numbered around ten thousand and had no reinforcements, they were shocked to find that the enemy had only about ten thousand men and had not yet sent any reinforcements.

The situation became somewhat comical.

What had startled everyone just now now seemed as absurd and amusing as a child scaring an adult with a firecracker.

Was this emperor of the Ming Dynasty out of his mind?

With such a small force, they're trying to emulate others by personally leading an expedition?

Are you looking for death?!
After the group finished their unrestrained mockery...

Li Zongcai led his generals into the council room to discuss countermeasures.

Although the Ming emperor's actions were somewhat amusing, making him look like a clown and causing laughter, letting him jump around for a couple more days wouldn't be a big deal.

But for Li Zong, it would be best to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Because no matter how foolish the emperor may be, he still represents a title.

Now that the Ming emperor has led his army to the capital, the news will spread throughout Korea in less than half a day.

In that case.

The Chungmyeong faction within North Korea, which he had finally managed to suppress, will likely resurface, causing a lot of unnecessary trouble.

However, if he were to defeat the Ming emperor with lightning speed...

All loyalists within Korea would be wiped out, and King Injo's prestige would reach its zenith.

There will be no more voices opposing him within North Korea.

He could also use the Ming emperor's identity to his advantage after capturing him, expand the territory of Korea, and become an extraordinary emperor who would be remembered in history!

Thinking about these things, Li Zong couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

now.

Li Zong looked at his trusted general Li Hu and asked, "From now until tomorrow, besides our elite troops, how many ordinary soldiers can we gather?"

After thinking for a moment, Li Hu replied, "Your Majesty, at least 30,000 troops can be mobilized before noon tomorrow."

Li Zong nodded and casually ordered, "Then let these 30,000 men first wear down the Ming army, and then send our elite troops to reap the rewards."

"You know what to do."

Aside from Li Zong's own elite troops, a large portion of the other soldiers in the capital were remnants of the previous dynasty.

These soldiers were not as easy for Li Zong to deal with as the loyalist faction. But now, taking advantage of this opportunity, he could get rid of some of the more disobedient troublemakers.

Just like using the Later Jin to eliminate the disobedient loyalist Ming army in various places.

Upon hearing this, Li Hu naturally knew how to handle the situation.

Those in the army who had previously clashed with him were all stuffed into tomorrow's cannon fodder units, sent to their deaths first.

Li Hu's expression hardened, and he answered loudly, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Li Zong nodded slightly, waved his hand, and went straight back to the palace to sleep.

no way.

The difference in strength is obvious.

Tomorrow's attack will not require any tactical planning.

First, use sheer numbers to create casualties, then send in elite troops to clean up the mess.

All we need to do now is conserve our energy and wait for the good news to come back tomorrow.

However, what Li Zong didn't know at that moment was...

Just as Li Hu announced the transfer order.

Several hundred soldiers in the nearby city, who had been owed wages for a long time, immediately mutinied and secretly ran away to the county town where the Ming army was stationed.

They're not paying us but sending us to our deaths? Let whoever wants to go, go!
But for Li Zong, even if he knew, he wouldn't care at all, let alone not know.

North Korea is his home turf.

What good are a few hundred rebel soldiers? What difference would it make if we sent a few thousand more rebel soldiers to the Ming Dynasty?

This will make it convenient for him to cook everything at once!

Within the Ming army's garrison.

When Mao Wenlong heard that several hundred North Korean soldiers had come to seek refuge, he immediately received them.

When Mao Wenlong learned from these people that Korea was preparing to send a large army to attack them the next day, a solemn expression appeared on his face as if a major battle was about to take place.

He knew very well that the city before him was absolutely no match for a North Korean attack.

Therefore, tomorrow's showdown will be a truly tough battle.

Immediately.

He then gathered his soldiers together and informed them that Korea would be invading the next day.

Upon hearing this, the generals exchanged glances, their eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

They've traveled all this way just for this moment!
It's just a difference in troop strength of several times, what's there to be afraid of!?

After experiencing all of this with His Majesty, would they still be afraid of death?
This is the first battle since arriving in North Korea, and we must win it no matter what!
Only by winning this battle can they have the right to remain in North Korea to continue playing!
Mao Wenlong finished speaking.

Then, shouts of challenge rose and fell from the other side, everyone vying to be the vanguard.

But faced with the crowd's indignation, Mao Wenlong shook his head and slowly said, "Tomorrow, I will personally lead the charge."

Logically speaking, a commander-in-chief should not lead the charge into battle.

If something were to happen to that person, the remaining soldiers would be leaderless and their morale would collapse.

But Mao Wenlong doesn't have to worry about that now.

He knew very well that His Majesty was the backbone of the imperial procession.

In this way, his leading the charge can boost the morale of the team to the greatest extent.

Even if he dies in battle, it will only make those behind him more united in their hatred of the enemy.

Mao Wenlong wants to live life to the fullest in this way!

Moreover.

The enemy is just a few tens of thousands of rabble soldiers. So what if they outnumber us several times over?
With the morale boosted by the emperor's personal command, this old man might just be able to lead the Ming Dynasty's elite troops to a great victory over the enemy!
Although I am old, my arrows are still sharp!
The morale of the group reached its peak at this moment. Mao Wenlong also led them to Zhu Youjian's temporary palace and told him about the military arrangements for the next day.

However, after listening to Mao Wenlong's account, Zhu Youjian did not rush to make a decision. Instead, he ordered that the surrendered Korean soldiers be brought over.

soon.

Zhu Youjian obtained the information he wanted from these people.

In the Joseon capital, apart from Yi Jong's elite troops, most of the other soldiers were owed wages.

For Zhu Youjian, given this premise, Li Zong's moves became somewhat uninteresting, as he could easily counter them without bloodshed.

of course.

This cannot be blamed on Li Zong.

Where there are people, there is struggle; where there is struggle, there is oppression.

Corruption will still exist in any regime or country, even if we push the timeline back several hundred years.

Not to mention the feudal agricultural society we live in now.

Looking at Mao Wenlong and his entourage, Zhu Youjian spoke calmly:

"Those North Korean soldiers just now, they didn't come to surrender, they came to welcome you."

The group exchanged puzzled glances, not quite understanding what His Majesty was trying to say.

"The Korean soldiers who come tomorrow are not here to attack the Ming Dynasty; they are here to welcome the Emperor as well."

"Since it is to welcome the emperor, the Ming Dynasty should reward them. Tomorrow, send someone out to tell them that those who have made a merit in welcoming the emperor will all be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver."

Everyone:?
Is this even possible?!

It seems like it really can!

Among the supplies they carried was nearly ten million taels of silver looted from Shandong, which formed their material foundation.

Most importantly, this move is morally justified.

The Ming Dynasty remains the suzerain state of Korea to this day.

Those ordinary soldiers, having received money from the Ming Dynasty, would certainly not turn against the Ming Dynasty again, even if they didn't directly defect on the battlefield.

Because righteousness is deeply ingrained in people's hearts; otherwise, why would we need a just cause before going to war?

In this way, the enemy can be subdued without a fight! This is the best strategy for military strategists!
How did His Majesty come up with such a solution in such a short time?!
Why didn't we think of that before?
Mao Wenlong swallowed hard: "Your Majesty, we know what to do."

Zhu Youjian nodded.

The group then left the room to prepare for tomorrow's "rewarding the troops" event.

Before parting, the generals exchanged glances and, surprisingly, smiled at each other in unison, a genuine sense of relief surfacing in their eyes.

I've never fought such an easy battle in my life. You really have to follow the right people!

Mao Wenlong looked up at the starry sky, rubbed his rough fingers together, and pondered something.

He truly hadn't expected that his first battle after arriving in North Korea would end like this.

However, in this case, wouldn't the Ming Dynasty's journey from death to life have already successfully crossed the initial threshold?
Well, it's better to save his life for when we capture and kill Li Zong, so he can be the vanguard later.

The next day.

noon.

Under the supervision of the military supervisor, 30,000 troops poured out of the city gates of the Joseon capital and marched in a mighty force toward the city where the Ming army was stationed.

Honestly.

A large portion of these people were unwilling to participate in this military operation because everyone knew that they were essentially cannon fodder.

The credit will ultimately go to someone else.

The most fucked up thing is.

If these people die in battle, it's uncertain whether they'll even receive their full compensation.

But no way.

Now the Ming Dynasty has directly attacked their capital, and the court has just given them ten taels of silver as pay. Whether for the sake of the nation or for their own families, they have to charge.

soon.

This army then arrived near the city where the Ming army was stationed.

But what no one expected was...

They didn't see the Ming army they had imagined; instead, they only saw a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar leisurely riding a horse ahead of them.

Everyone was stunned to see this solitary figure.

What are they trying to do? Are they trying to pull off that Zhang Fei's roar that scared away a million soldiers at Changban Slope?!

But your image isn't right either!
Even the military supervisor was somewhat confused, thinking that this person was an envoy sent by the Ming Dynasty in advance to negotiate peace.

Amidst a crowd of onlookers, the man gently rode his horse to the front of them and spoke loudly:

"The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty has come to inspect the capital of Korea. All the soldiers who have made meritorious contributions in welcoming the Emperor are hereby awarded one hundred taels of silver with snowflake patterns!"

The soldiers: ?

Instantly, the crowd erupted in commotion.

"An inspection?! Wasn't it said that the Ming Dynasty was going to destroy our country if they attacked?!"

"One hundred taels of silver? Really?! That's been our pay for years!"

"."

Upon hearing this, the military supervisor was immediately horrified: "Outrageous! It is clearly the Ming Dynasty that has disregarded the tributary relationship and led its troops to invade our Joseon! How dare you spout such nonsense about an inspection here!"

"Guards! Take him down right now!"

Just as the men brought by the military supervisor were about to take action, several North Korean soldiers jumped out from behind a few large trees in front of them.

The soldiers, holding up gleaming silver coins, shouted, "We were rewarded by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty for our meritorious service in welcoming him yesterday!"

Seeing the silver coins held up by the people in front of them, the previously noisy procession instantly fell silent.

Because among these soldiers were faces they recognized, not people the Ming army had hired to impersonate them.

All of a sudden.

Countless eyes turned to the man on horseback.

"My lord, is it really true that one hundred taels of silver can be received for simply coming to greet the emperor?!"

"Sir, when will you send it to us?!"

"grown ups."

Seeing this scene, the military supervisor was now sweating profusely with anxiety.

He knew that if he let the other party continue, the 30,000 people would probably mutini immediately.

The military supervisor roared at the top of his lungs, "There's no silver! He's a Ming Dynasty swindler! How could the Ming Dynasty possibly have that much silver?!"

The middle-aged man chuckled and raised his hand.

As he moved, the city gate behind him opened, and then ten carriages loaded with silver drove out from inside the city gate.

The North Korean soldiers stared wide-eyed at the sight of the silver.

This amount of silver wasn't enough to give each of them a hundred taels, but it proved that the Ming Dynasty hadn't deceived them.

And this time.

The middle-aged man took out a bright yellow scroll from his sleeve and slowly spoke to the crowd:

"I have not only shown you the silver, but I have also brought an imperial edict from the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. You all know the weight of an imperial edict, don't you?"

"If we say it will be one hundred taels per person, then everyone will definitely receive one hundred taels!"

The supervising officer was already deathly pale: "Bullshit! I'll kill you!"

But soon, he was surrounded by the fierce gazes of the crowd.

Taking someone’s money is like killing their parents.

You fucking killed the parents of 30,000 of us and you still want to live?

moment.

The trusted military supervisor sent by Li Zong was torn to pieces.

then.

Countless soldiers turned their gazes to the silver.

The middle-aged man on horseback, seeing that his goal had been achieved, immediately changed his expression to one of sternness:
"Although you have done a good job in welcoming His Majesty, you must not cause any disturbance! Otherwise, if anyone disturbs His Majesty, not only will you not receive a single tael of silver, but the rest of the welcoming party will also be asked to kill him!"

Upon hearing this, the rioting crowd instantly fell silent.

At this time, another group of people emerged from the city to maintain order and distribute silver.

The North Korean soldiers who had just been preparing to attack the city exchanged glances and then obediently lined up to receive their silver.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man on horseback couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.

All those words he just spoke were given to him by His Majesty.

It can be said that His Majesty anticipated everything that would happen and all the reactions these soldiers would have.

The middle-aged man was at a loss for words to describe such extraordinary talent, and could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

Seoul, inside the imperial palace.

Li Zong was lying on a maid's lap, taking a nap with his eyes closed.

Just then, an official rushed in from outside.

Hearing the noise, Li Zong opened his eyes and looked at the other person, asking calmly, "Has good news arrived?"

"My lord! No, no! It was the Ming emperor who bribed all the people we sent!"

"What did you say?!"

The official quickly recounted everything that was happening outside.

After listening, Li Zong fell silent.

He looked into the distance and muttered to himself:
"I never expected the Ming Dynasty to be so ruthless in its attacks."

"They actually gave the soldiers silver?!"

(End of this chapter)