Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 156 Imminent Loyalty
Not long after the Shijia Group went to Baoding Prefecture to issue that "imperial edict".

Zhu Youjian, who was in the capital, received the intelligence through his spies.

Faced with this counterattack from the Shijia Group.

Zhu Youjian not only did not find it troublesome, but also felt that the actions of the aristocratic families made things easier.

His purpose in going to Baoding Prefecture was to incite the people and then recruit soldiers.

The fact that the Shijia Group is now distributing silver in Baoding Prefecture does seem to have a significant effect in the short term.

However, from a broader perspective, this is actually a decision with far-reaching consequences.

Since ancient times.

The fundamental reason for the birth of every revolution is not that the lower classes could no longer survive and thus chose to rebel.

Don’t worry about scarcity but inequality.

If there really existed a country in the world where every class lived exactly the same life as every other class.

In that case, no revolution would even begin to take shape in that country.

Because without classes, there would be no class revolution.

Although the examples are somewhat extreme, this is roughly how human nature works.

We've sent it to Baoding Prefecture. Should we send it to Shuntian Prefecture as well?
We've sent it to Shuntian Prefecture. Should we send it to Yongping Prefecture as well?
Now that Hebei has finished distributing, should the other provincial administrations of the Ming Dynasty also distribute their supplies?

People may not necessarily feel joy for what they have, but they will certainly feel anger for what others have that they have not.

Therefore, after Zhu Youjian heard about this matter...

He then instructed the troops that were going to feign an attack on Tianjin to spread the word about this along the way.

It was a small favor I did for the powerful families. I'll collect the money and interest from them later to collect my help fee.

After arranging these matters, Zhu Youjian gave instructions on some garrison duties in the capital, and then set off for Baoding Prefecture, surrounded by his guards.

He needed to hurry to Baoding Prefecture to recruit soldiers.

Although the newly recruited soldiers cannot be put to immediate combat, they can be used to defend the city after simple training.

Only then could he lead his personal guards to truly conquer all directions.

As for how to incite the people in Baoding Prefecture.

In Zhu Youjian's view, this matter would have required some effort.

Because in most cases, ordinary people are unwilling to go to war unless they are truly desperate to survive.

However, the fact that the Shijia Group distributed silver in Baoding Prefecture made the matter much easier to handle.

They could easily give every citizen in Baoding Prefecture ten taels of silver.

So how much of the people's wealth did they plunder over the years?

As the saying goes, it's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality.

At that point, we just need to focus our attack on that point.

There's absolutely no need to worry about public opinion or propaganda.

For Zhu Youjian

Black can be described as white, and white can be described as yellow.

In any case, he always manages to direct the blame towards the right person.

Moreover, the powerful families had no interest in paying much attention to the situation in Baoding Prefecture or in taking any action to address it.

Because soon, their focus will shift to Tianjin.

the other side.

Inside the city of Shuntian Prefecture.

After arranging things in Baoding Prefecture, Huang Ze, Sun Bin, and the others finally had a moment to breathe.

However, before they could rest for long, another piece of bad news came from their subordinates that shocked them.

None of them expected it.

The false emperor actually dared to continue sending troops out of the capital at this time.

Moreover, according to intelligence reports from scouts, the troop sent out by the false emperor numbered over ten thousand and moved at an extremely fast pace.

The entire team seemed to have a very clear goal: to head southeast.

When the southeast direction was mentioned, the four immediately thought of Tianjin.

Because after leaving the outskirts of Beijing, it's not far to the northern suburbs of Tianjin, and the two are adjacent.

Moreover, apart from Tianjin, there were no other cities to the southeast of the capital that warranted such a large-scale war by the false emperor.

Tianjin was under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture, so the four of them were well aware of its importance.

Or.

The importance of any coastal city is self-evident.

Moreover, Tianjin Port is not far from the coastal cities of Shandong.

The false emperor has just returned from Shandong.

Nobody knows if he has any backup plans in Shandong.

If the two were to actually work together, it could very well turn a situation where the odds of winning were in the wrong hands.

The most crucial point is...

That army was sent by the false emperor.

If it were said that some other army with only a little over 10,000 men could capture Tianjin, they would only think that it was a laughing stock.

But they had witnessed firsthand just how strong the pseudo-emperor's army was, and these people might actually have that ability.

So when the group heard the news, they were furious and wished they could stop the army immediately.

However, they still understand the principle that laymen should not easily instruct experts.

Especially in matters of strategic decision-making, a single misstep could lead to total defeat.

Therefore, after discussing it, the four of them summoned several high-ranking officers from the military, including Lu Xiang-sheng, who had just been promoted.

Now, in the eyes of the four old men, Lu Xiang-sheng is extremely precious.

It could even be said that his status in the hearts of the four men had secretly surpassed that of the true commander of the army.

After all, the facts have proven that the commander was a complete waste, unable to even withstand a probing charge by the pseudo-emperor's army.

If it weren't for stability considerations, I would have replaced this piece of junk long ago.

But Lu Xiang-sheng truly risked his life to demonstrate his value in the united front.

Ever since.

After several high-ranking military officers entered the room, the four old men finished explaining what had happened and then sat quietly in their seats, waiting for Lu Xiang-sheng's response.

They may not directly adopt Lu Xiang-sheng's next suggestions, but they will take them very seriously.

Lu Xiang-sheng frowned, pretending to be deep in thought.

But at this moment, he was constantly worried about something else.

He already knew that the powerful families had sent people to Baoding Prefecture to announce the "imperial edict".

He felt utterly powerless in the face of this.

He was already worried about the lack of troops in the capital, but now things have become even more complicated.

What should we do?!

Just as Lu Xiang-sheng was anxiously pondering, a general from a prominent family suddenly entered the room and addressed the group:
"We just received intelligence from our scouts that the false emperor has left the capital with a large number of troops, and it seems he is heading to Baoding Prefecture."

Hearing this news.

The four people, who were originally feeling bored, instantly felt refreshed, like taking a bite of ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day.

at last.

They have finally taken the lead over the false emperor.

Everyone can see it.

The fact that the false emperor went to Baoding Prefecture at this time must have been to recruit soldiers.

And thanks to the preparatory work they had done beforehand.

Once the false emperor arrived in Baoding Prefecture, he would be completely clueless.

We're willing to give silver to those lowly people, but what can you give them in return?
Are you planning to compete with us in giving out money?

We may not be able to defeat you in a war, but even if we had ten more of your wealth, you would still be no match for us. Even if there are fools like Sun Chengzong who defect to the false emperor for the sake of so-called righteousness...

Ultimately, the number of people involved wouldn't exceed a few thousand.

Such a small group can't even stir up the slightest trouble; they can sit back and relax.

Seeing their carefully prepared scheme succeed, the four who had been on the defensive couldn't help but feel secretly pleased and even let out a soft hum.

As Lu Xiang-sheng listened to this, he became increasingly agitated.

But at this moment, he couldn't afford to think about those things anymore.

He was well aware that he had no way of solving these problems with his current abilities.

So let's think about how to better help His Majesty lure the powerful clans' forces to Tianjin.

So after the visitor finished reporting the intelligence.

The people inside the room then began to analyze the two matters.

Lu Xiang-sheng naturally used various means to bewitch the others, getting them to transfer their troops to the Tianjin area.

To this end, he solemnly discussed the map at length, citing numerous classical texts to explain why troops should be sent to stop the false emperor's attack.

The four old men who held the power of decision nodded slightly as they listened, their gazes toward Lu Xiang-sheng growing increasingly appreciative.

Some people suggested going to Tianjin to intercept the attacking troops.

Of course, some people have different opinions on this.

Others said there was no need to resist at all; they should just stay in the city and wait patiently for reinforcements from other prefectures and the Later Jin army to arrive in the capital.

Some say that instead of trying to stop the army in the Tianjin direction, it would be better to go directly to Baoding and fight the emperor's army.

Even more intelligent people.

Since the false emperor has gone to Tianjin and Baoding, the defenses of the capital must be weak and ineffective. Let's just attack the capital directly.

Regarding the various suggestions made by everyone.

After a moment's thought, the four elders of the aristocratic families became even more inclined to agree with Lu Xiang-sheng's suggestion to go to Tianjin to intercept them.

The main reason is that the pseudo-empire's army is simply too powerful in combat.

If we really ignore everything, who knows if those people will actually take Tianjin in a short period of time?

As for going directly to Baoding Prefecture to intercept the false emperor...
The four of them even began to suspect that the person who made the suggestion might be a spy sent by the fake emperor!

They couldn't even withstand the army sent by the emperor himself, and they still want to fight against the army personally commanded by the emperor?!
Isn't this supposed to include delivery?!
The four men glanced silently at the person who had made the suggestion, becoming even more certain that he was most likely an undercover agent, and prepared to find an opportunity to kill him.

The idea of ​​besieging the capital is utter nonsense.

Even though imperial power has declined drastically in the last hundred years, the capital city has been continuously repaired and improved over the past two hundred years.

Without the Later Jin taking the lead in doing this, they would never dare to be the vanguard.

Ever since.

After thinking for a while, the four nodded in agreement with Lu Xiang-sheng's solution.

He then ordered Lu Xiang-sheng and another military commander to immediately work together to handle the matter.

Upon hearing this reply, Lu Xiang-sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Your Majesty, this is all I can do for you.

From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself.

Although Lu Xiang-sheng had achieved his goal, he was still extremely pessimistic.

To say something utterly disrespectful...

Lu Xiang-sheng is now even starting to consider whether he should continue to go undercover if His Majesty is truly powerless to reverse the situation.

Once they've climbed high enough, they'll deliver a vicious backstab to the powerful families.

While death would be an easy way out, it would also cause His Majesty and the last glimmer of hope for the Ming Dynasty to vanish.

Touching the simple jade pendant that hung openly at his waist, Lu Xiang-sheng's thoughts were extremely complicated.

Watching Lu Xiang Sheng stroke the jade pendant, Huang Ze felt that this kid was becoming increasingly easy for him to control.

He stepped forward and patted Lu Xiang-sheng on the shoulder: "Young man, keep up the good work. In the future, I will find you a jade pendant that is no less than the He Shi Bi."

Lu Xiang-sheng appeared grateful on the surface, but inwardly he felt increasingly contemptuous.

They are indeed a bunch of scoundrels who can't change their ways and are utterly worthless.

Lu Xiang-sheng suppressed his nausea and said a few more words to express his loyalty.

They then began preparations to transfer nearby soldiers to Tianjin.

With only the remaining ten thousand or so men, Huang Ze and the others certainly wouldn't dare to let them fight Zhu Youjian's personal guard head-on.

So after making the decision, he immediately issued an edict to the surrounding cities.

He ordered that only a portion of the soldiers remain in each city, while the rest of the people would go to Tianjin with him.

The cities near the prefectural city must be of a higher level.

In addition, in recent days, they have been continuously conscripting troops from various prefectures to rush to Shuntian Prefecture.

So in just half a day, an army of about 20,000 to 30,000 people was assembled.

Looking at the dark mass of soldiers on the city wall, Huang Ze and the others couldn't help but want to put their hands to their foreheads.

There was nothing we could do, even though this army looked pretty good.

But after seeing Zhu Youjian's personal guard with their own eyes, they all knew that it was just a hollow shell.

Just as the men were about to order the troops to set off, their trusted confidants suddenly sent another message.

It is said that the false emperor's army has just captured a poorly defended city along the way.

Upon hearing this news, the men's faces twitched, and they waved their hands, ordering the army to move out immediately.

Although they had a nearly three-fold numerical advantage, Huang Ze and his men never expected that this army could annihilate Zhu Youjian's personal guard within Tianjin.

In their view, being able to exchange half of their own casualties for half of the enemy's was a very profitable deal.

Anyway, the ones dying here are just consumables, so to be honest, it's not that painful.

After all, consumables can be replenished continuously.

But it was different for Zhu Youjian.

Every soldier who dies is an irreplaceable loss for him.

Think of this.

After a moment's thought, the four of them left Shuntian Prefecture, surrounded by guards, and headed to other prefectures in southern Hebei.

Take advantage of their weakness to kill them.

They cannot give the false emperor a chance to breathe.

So take advantage of this great opportunity to weaken the opponent's strength.

They had to personally travel to various state capitals to oversee the deployment of reinforcements and support.

no way.

Although the powerful families were not short of money, they had one major weakness that greatly frustrated them: the administrative efficiency of their vast corporations was extremely low.

It's so low it's outrageous!

Let alone obeying orders.

Damn it, sometimes you can give an order for something extremely urgent, and those fat, incompetent idiots will drag it out and drag it out.

Just like now, troops are being transferred from various prefectures in Hebei to provide support.

The enemy has already launched two surprise attacks.

However, apart from the nearby prefectures that acted somewhat more quickly, the prefectures further south haven't even seen a trace of reinforcements yet.

The only way to solve this problem is for them to personally kill a group of people to make their subordinates understand the situation.

We also need to send someone to urge them on the Later Jin side.

They promised to send troops immediately upon receiving aid, but why haven't we heard a single word about the Later Jin taking any action?

Do these lowly slaves intend to take the aid and then do nothing?

We have to give them a warning; if they don't take action, we'll stop providing them with aid!
While the rulers of the four great houses went off to attend to their respective duties.

At almost the same time, Zhu Youjian, the ruler of the Ming Dynasty, arrived in Baoding Prefecture, Hebei Province, where he was about to become loyal.

(End of this chapter)