Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 30 Take my old life if you want it.
With his white hair and beard, Mao Wenlong raised his hand, signaling to the people in the military camp to be quiet.

Seeing that the commander-in-chief had spoken, the generals reluctantly stopped talking.

Mao Wenlong could naturally understand what his subordinates were thinking.

The issue of military pay alone is enough for these people to complain about.

Not to mention the court officials who, in recent years, have frequently been dragged out for impeachment purposes.

However, Mao Wenlong, as the head coach, could not show any dissatisfaction.

His subordinates were already full of complaints.

If he shows even the slightest sign of trouble, then Dongjiang Town will likely face immediate changes.

As for whether or not to go to the capital to report on his duties, Mao Wenlong was indeed hesitant.

My subordinate is right. If we choose to go to the capital to report on our work, there is a high chance that something unexpected will happen.

Using the pretext of a critical border war to evade the imperial edict seems like a good option.

Moreover, he no longer needs to prove his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.

He fought against the Jin for more than ten years. More than a hundred of his family members were killed by the Jin people. He also single-handedly organized Dongjiang Town when he did not have much military pay.

Outsiders may call him arrogant or domineering.

Having accomplished this, Mao Wenlong felt he had done right by the Ming Dynasty.

Going to Beijing to report on one's work is very risky.

If we don't go, things won't get much worse; at most, there will be more impeachment memorials.

But this seemingly easy question caused Mao Wenlong, who had commanded troops for decades, to hesitate.

Because he loved the Ming Dynasty.

That is why he had some expectations for the newly enthroned emperor.

He fantasized that the Ming Dynasty, which was already on its last legs, would suddenly be blessed with a mighty ruler who would sweep away all its decline like thunder and create a new world.

Although Mao Wenlong himself knew that this was just wishful thinking on his part.

I heard that the newly enthroned emperor is just a seventeen-year-old idle prince. It would be good enough if he wasn't fooled into thinking he was a fool by the seasoned civil officials.

How can we even talk about recreating the world?
However, after learning of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, he had such unrealistic fantasies more than once.

It was mainly an incident that happened a few days ago that deepened his fantasies.

After a moment of silence, Mao Wenlong, struggling with his inner turmoil, spoke in a hoarse voice:

Have you all heard about Yao Fumin's recent situation?

For the garrison commanders of Dongjiang Town, who already had dealings with Juehua Island, they were naturally very familiar with its garrison commander, Yao Fumin.

Everyone knows the heroic story of Yao Fumin, who was betrayed by Yuan Chonghuan last year and led his family to their deaths outside Juehua Island.

And at that time, Yuan Chonghuan, that motherless bastard, even turned around and bit them.

They said the incident on Juehua Island was caused by the failure of their Dongjiang garrison to provide timely assistance.

Therefore, mentioning Yao Fumin's name at this moment evoked both heartache and hatred among the generals.

The heartache was for Yao Fumin, and the hatred was for Yuan Chonghuan.

After a pause, Mao Wenlong continued, "A few days ago, Yao Fumin and some other comrades who died in battle were posthumously honored by the newly enthroned Emperor."

The generals paused for a moment. They had naturally heard about it, but they hadn't taken it to heart.

One of the generals scoffed and bluntly said, "What's the point of posthumous honors? The person is dead, why bother with all this nonsense?"

"Moreover, will the posthumous honors really reach General Yao's descendants?"

One person started the conversation, and everyone immediately became indignant, then the topic shifted to Mao Wenlong's refusal to go to Beijing.

Mao Wenlong waved his hand again.

He understood his generals, but they saw things from a different perspective.

Mao Wenlong felt that the fact that the newly enthroned young emperor could discern from a pile of old memorials that those generals were truly meritorious already proved something.

His heart began to lean towards going to the capital. Whether or not he had to report on his duties was not very important; what he mainly wanted was to see this young emperor with his own eyes.

Apart from that.

Another important reason why Mao Wenlong was inclined to go to Beijing was that he was already past the age of knowing one's destiny.

The hidden injuries left by years of fighting made Mao Wenlong realize that he might not have many years left to live.

For Mao Wenlong, who had seen life and death many times, death was not such a terrible thing.

In recent years, however, he has often recalled some past events because of this.

He thought of himself when he was young, when he was poor and destitute, but fortunately he was helped by relatives and did not starve to death.

Even under these circumstances, his ambition remained undiminished, and once, while drunk, he publicly declared, "I will not rest until I am granted a title of nobility."

There's no hope of ever being granted a title in this lifetime.

Having become the imperial envoy he is today, Mao Wenlong feels that, in a sense, his decades of life have not been wasted.

Mao Wenlong was well aware that all of this was inseparable from the appreciation and trust of the late Emperor Tianqi.

So if the newly enthroned emperor wants his old life, then take it; he's practically one foot in the grave anyway.

Consider it repayment for the late emperor's kindness in recognizing and supporting him.

However, if the new emperor has no intention of harming him, and this young emperor truly possesses the qualities of a great ruler.

This trip to Beijing to report on official duties may change the fate of the entire Dongjiang Town.

Therefore, the matter of going to the capital is now underway.

After careful consideration, Mao Wenlong began to waver completely.

With that in mind, Mao Wenlong no longer hesitated.

Facing the generals in the camp, he said, "I have already made up my mind about going to the capital."

Everyone fell silent instantly, waiting for him to continue.

"I will set off for the capital tomorrow. If I am not able to return, the responsibility of guarding Dongjiang Town will be handed over to Chen Jisheng."

The generals were alarmed and wanted to say something more, but they were all stopped by Mao Wenlong's sharp gaze.

The words have been spoken so resolutely, and even the funeral arrangements have been made; there is nothing more to say.

After Mao Wenlong gave some instructions to everyone, he began to prepare the carriages and horses for the journey to the capital.

five days later

Within the imperial city.

Zhu Youjian convened another court assembly.

At this court assembly, Zhu Youjian still allowed those low-ranking officials who were not qualified to attend court to participate.

Yes, Chen Xinjia was among those who were carried up.

After Chen Xinjia was flogged, he was fine except for a sore buttock.

However, that very night, when he saw Wang Chengen, a close advisor to the emperor, personally deliver ointment to treat his injuries, he was deeply moved.

He was so excited he almost passed out.

Chen Xinjia later inquired further and learned that the officials who had spoken out with him that day had all received rewards personally sent by His Majesty.

So, these people spontaneously formed a small group over the next few days.

As the first person in the court to speak out and be punished, Chen Xinjia naturally became the leader of this small group.

　Historically, Yuan Chonghuan's private execution of Mao Wenlong was a charge, one of which was that Mao Wenlong "watched and did not intervene" in the massacre on Juehua Island.

　　The problem is that Pi Island (Dongjiang Town) and Juehua Island are about 200 kilometers apart, while Ningyuan, which Yuan Chonghuan himself guarded, is less than 10 kilometers away from Juehua Island. Moreover, Juehua Island was originally within the defense range of Ningyuan.

　　PS: This represents only the author's personal opinion.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)