Di Ming

Chapter 239 The First Year of the Destiny!

The historical Ningxia campaign was thus completely altered.

The time traveler's ambition to expand territory greatly stimulated the various Mongol tribes in the Northwest, leading to greater support and deeper involvement from the Mongol forces towards Bo Bai. This even resulted in a Prince Qing declaring himself emperor.

In fact, he was forced into it by Zhu Yin.

The fall of Ordos and the loss of the Hetao region made the northwestern Mongol tribes realize that only by uniting could they drive the Ming army out of the Hetao region and Alashan, thus cutting off the Ming army's ability to recapture Qingtang.

The Ming army's several major victories forced the remnants of the Western Sea Mongols and Ordos forces to unite even more closely.

When Zhu Yin arrived at Juyan Lake, where Huo Qubing had once been, Bo Bai and Prince Qing had already been heading south for eight days. Perhaps Prince Qing was somewhat blessed, as the appearance of Huo Luochi and the Oirat cavalry just happened to block the Ming army's pursuit, buying them precious time.

Moreover, intelligence reports indicate that the remnants of the Ordos forces have joined forces with Bo Bai and Prince Qing, totaling 20,000 men.

However, once the Ming army reached Juyan Lake, they could no longer continue their pursuit.

After days of arduous fighting in the Gobi Desert, the Ming army and its soldiers were extremely exhausted and nearing their limits. Having finally reached Juyan Lake, a lush oasis, they needed to rest for at least three to five days, and at least let their warhorses get back in shape.

If they were to launch a forced march to pursue the rebels, there would be no point in fighting; the Ming army would simply die of exhaustion in the desert.

Zhu Yin is no longer the governor of Ningxia.

He was granted the Imperial Sword and appointed Imperial Commissioner to oversee military affairs in five garrisons!

The Ming Dynasty bestowed the Shangfang Sword, which granted the power to execute first and report later, and to control a region on behalf of the emperor. It was equivalent to the envoy holding the imperial seal during the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, higher than the envoy holding the imperial seal and the envoy holding the imperial seal, but lower than the envoy holding the imperial yellow axe.

Zhu Yin was granted the Imperial Sword, which theoretically granted him the power to execute soldiers and officials of the five garrisons below the fifth rank without prior approval, and to suspend officials of the fifth rank and above pending investigation. The 400,000 soldiers of the five garrisons were all under his command. If he could not suppress the rebellion despite being granted such power, he was finished.

In reality, Zhu Yin was only a fourth-rank official, serving as Vice Censor-in-Chief, without the additional titles of Deputy Censor-in-Chief or Vice Minister of War, and was therefore not qualified to be Governor-General.

This is a typical example of a low-end configuration.

Moreover, the imperial edict clearly stated that he could not truly command the total force of 400,000 troops in the five garrisons, but only the troops participating in the suppression of the rebellion. His position as the low-ranking governor of the five garrisons was largely nominal. The majority of military power in the five garrisons actually rested with Zheng Luo, the Northwest Military Commissioner.

The emperor's actions were, of course, partly intended to suppress Zhu Yin.

However, Zhu Yin did not stand on ceremony. As soon as he received the imperial edict, he issued military orders and dispatched elite troops from various garrisons to Liangzhou to join forces and resist the rebel army's attack on Hexi.

Within a single day, another 5,000 elite troops from Yansui Garrison, 8,000 from Shaanxi Garrison, and 5,000 from Shanxi Garrison were dispatched.

We can't spare any more elite troops.

The roster of the five garrisons lists 400,000 troops, but everyone knows that's just a figure used to embezzle funds. In reality, there are only about 200,000, of which at most 100,000 are elite troops. These elite troops also have to guard their own defense zones, leaving only tens of thousands of mobile elite troops available for combat.

Zhu Yin has already drawn another portion of his troops this time, which is the limit.

In this way, with the addition of the 20,000 to 30,000 troops of Ye Mengxiong, the governor of Gansu, the army under Zhu Yin's command to quell the rebellion would reach an astonishing 70,000!

The enemy forces, even if they combine, number at most 40,000. The advantage is on our side!
Only then did Zhu Yin feel much more at ease. Barring any major mistakes, the rebels were certain to be defeated!

Today is May 19th. After two more days of rest, he will lead his army south along the Ruoshui River, retracing the route taken by the Marquis of Champion before, and heading straight into the Hexi Corridor!

But today, Zhu Yin received a piece of intelligence from Tiger Fang's agents, not about military matters, but about Ning Qingchen.

Upon seeing the intelligence, Zhu Yin was immediately enraged.

That foolish Empress Dowager Li actually dared to set her sights on Qingchen! What is Li Mingcheng anyway, that he's worthy of being engaged to Qingchen?
Consort Zheng was indeed cunning, resorting to any means to protect her son. But Empress Dowager Li was even worse!

The person who understood Empress Dowager Li best was not Emperor Wanli, but the time traveler Zhu Yin.

This woman was the daughter of a bricklayer, born into extreme poverty. She was sold to the Prince Yu's mansion as a maid at a young age and was barely literate. She was shrewd and calculating in the struggle for favor in the harem, but she was also muddle-headed and incompetent in politics.

She was overly protective of her family members, showering them with rewards and promotions, even at the cost of repeatedly violating the law.

Her discipline of the young Wanli Emperor was like that of a spoiled child in the countryside—extremely strict, often involving insults, forced kneeling, and threats, employing a simple and brutal approach. Yet, she doted on her younger son, the Prince of Lu.

That would be bad enough, but what's worse is that she has the dignity of an empress dowager, but not the virtue and magnanimity of one; she only knows how to be selfish and self-serving.

Wanli's stingy, greedy, selfish, and indifferent personality was directly related to her upbringing.

After Zhang Juzheng's death, his family's property was confiscated, and she not only did not stop it, but also tacitly approved of the purge of Zhang Juzheng. This was solely because Zhang Juzheng's new policies had aroused the dissatisfaction of her family.

Although she ultimately supported the eldest prince, her main reason was that Consort Zheng threatened her position, and she wanted to check Consort Zheng's power. She also saw the general trend of the times. It wasn't because the eldest prince's mother was a palace maid like herself, which made her feel sympathy for her, nor was it out of a desire to uphold ancestral rules.

If she had truly supported the eldest son, how could Consort Wang and her son have suffered in the palace for decades?

Empress Dowager Li lived a long life, dying only a few years before Emperor Wanli, and her influence spanned almost the entire Wanli reign. Her impact on the Wanli era was immense. Her influence was felt throughout the late Ming Dynasty's politics. It is generally accepted that while Wanli effectively brought about the dynasty's demise, Empress Dowager Li cannot escape blame.

Although she and Wanli were not close, she was, after all, the emperor's birth mother, and Wanli never dared to disobey her.

Therefore, openly offending Empress Dowager Li at this moment would be very unwise. Even Zhang Juzheng didn't dare to offend Empress Dowager Li, so how could he?
Unless they leave officialdom.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager favored Li Mingcheng the most. Ironically, in her eyes, arranging the engagement between Qingchen and Li Mingcheng was a good deed and a blessing for Qingchen; she did not feel that she was harming Ning Qingchen.

This is a stupid and wicked woman.

After his initial anger subsided, Zhu Yin calmed down and immediately made a decision. He promptly instructed the Tiger Fang agents to find evidence of crimes committed by Li Wenquan and his son Li Mingcheng. Even if no evidence was found, they were to devise a clever plan to have the censors impeach them.

He used official and espionage tactics to discredit the Li family, father and son, while simultaneously preventing Empress Dowager Li from suspecting him.

The Li family father and son have a bad reputation, so she can no longer have designs on Ning Qingchen. She's not that stupid.

In this way, Ning Qingchen's crisis can be resolved without offending her.

Zhu Yin also wrote a letter to his beloved sister-in-law, asking her to be patient and not act impulsively until he and his sister returned.

Zhu Yin was still quite depressed after arranging all of this. As a subject, one had no choice but to bow one's head.

When will I be able to stand atop the clouds, attain true freedom, and no longer grovel before power?

Zhu Yin stood heavily in front of the broken walls and ruins, looking at the Ming army banners fluttering in the wind, his eyes filled with an unyielding, leaden gray.

What imperial sword, what governor of five towns, it's all bullshit!
For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, I conquered the Hetao region and ventured out of the Helan Mountains. I fought to the death in the Gobi Desert and almost got killed by the Tartars. And you bastards bullied my family!

No matter how great my achievements are, you can take them away with a single word and bring me to eternal damnation!
Just you wait! One day you'll see.

"Commander." A voice interrupted Zhu Yin's thoughts; it was Li Rusong. Li Rusong had a tiger-like head and a swallow-like chin. Although he had lost weight, he still exuded an imposing aura.

Zhu Yin pointed to a stone stool on the side and sat down first.

Li Rusong also sat down. This dignified man, a general of the rank of commander-in-chief, was actually somewhat reserved in front of Zhu Yin, a mere fifteen-year-old young governor.

"General, the rebels have been marching south for ten days and are now in Hexi. I estimate that in three or four days at most, they will be at the gates of Liangzhou. The entire Hexi region is very vulnerable, and Gansu and Liangzhou are no longer defensible."

Zhu Yin nodded. "General Li's words are exactly what I was worried about. Lanzhou has long been vulnerable, and the elite troops from Gansu have not yet returned to Hexi. Ye Mengxiong mainly uses infantry, so it will be difficult for him to return to defend Hexi before the rebels. Moreover, the army of the Xihai Mongol chieftain Zhenxiang has already entered Hexi. Not only Lanzhou, but also Ganzhou and Suzhou are indefensible."

"I have already reported this matter to the imperial court. The court is now aware that Hexi will temporarily fall into the hands of the rebels."

Thinking of this, Zhu Yin felt great contempt.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Prince Su was originally enfeoffed in Ganzhou, which served as the central hub of the Hexi defense line. However, the court later moved Prince Su south to Lanzhou, thus weakening the Hexi defense line.

At this point, the defense of Hexi was practically non-existent, and there was a growing tendency to give up.

Zhu Yin continued, “I had previously submitted a memorial to the court, suggesting that the Prince of Su be moved out of Lanzhou to prevent him from falling into the hands of the rebels. But it was too late. The court also knows that Hexi currently lacks elite troops and the Great Wall has loopholes, so it certainly cannot be defended for the time being. Therefore, even if Hexi falls, the court will not blame us. As long as we recover it as soon as possible, it will be a great success.”

Li Rusong said, "Sir, you have truly keen insight. If Prince Su falls into the hands of the rebels, their power will be restored, especially the government troops in Ganzhou and Lanzhou, some of whom may surrender to the rebels!"

Zhu Yin sneered, "There must be people who have surrendered to the rebels! Although there are several million Han people in Hexi, there are also many Hu people. The local customs have always been fierce, and there are many who are dissatisfied with the court. As long as Prince Qing raises the banner of a false emperor, he can probably gather tens of thousands of people. However, the rebels no longer have the chance."

Zhu Yin had received intelligence that more than one general in Hexi intended to surrender to Prince Qing. This situation didn't arise overnight; it was simply a continuation of numerous border mutinies that had occurred since the mid-Ming Dynasty.

However, even if many Han Chinese surrendered to Prince Qing, Zhu Yin's intelligence network was already fully operational and knew everything about the enemy. Even if Prince Qing temporarily occupied Hexi, it would not last long.

He had shared the intelligence with Qi Jiguang, so Qi Jiguang remained calm and confident about the battle.

Li Rusong said, "What you are worried about is what I am worried about. The military situation is extremely urgent. I request to lead 5,000 cavalrymen to end our rest and reorganization ahead of schedule and head south first to contain the rebel army from occupying Hexi. Even if it delays us by one or two days, it will be worth it."

He was unaware of Zhu Yin's intelligence advantage and was not as certain as Zhu Yin was, so he was very anxious about the battle situation.

Zhu Yin shook his head and said, "I will definitely report General Li's loyalty and courage to the court. However, General Li, please calm down. The royal army has won one great victory after another, and the rebels are as panicked as stray dogs. Even if they occupy Hexi, how long can they resist? At most, Hexi will be recovered in two months."

"Our troops are exhausted and need at least two more days of rest before we can set out immediately."

Seeing Zhu Yin's confident expression, Li Rusong felt much more at ease and no longer insisted on leading the army ahead.

Since March, Zhu Yin has already built up a great deal of prestige in the army, and no one dares to question him because of his youth.

Since Zhu Yin was confident in his abilities, Li Rusong had no doubt about him.

It's really exhilarating to fight alongside such a military and civil official.

.........

Two days later, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang led their army south along the Ruoshui River.

Within a few days, military intelligence from Hexi arrived one after another.

The commander of Zhenfan Guard surrendered to Prince Qing and welcomed him into the pass. The soldiers of Zhenfan Guard shouted "Long live the Prince!"

Subsequently, the commander of Yongchang Guard was killed in battle at Yongning Fort, and the remaining troops surrendered to Prince Qing.

Next, the Mongol army, under the banner of Prince Qing, besieged Liangzhou Garrison. The city fell that day, and the commander of the thousand households killed the Liangzhou commander and surrendered to Prince Qing.

Crown Prince Zhu Shuaixin ordered the execution of powerful clans in Liangzhou, declaring them traitors and distributing their wealth to Mongol cavalry and Han Chinese military households who had surrendered.

Many Han Chinese soldiers killed centurions and chiliarchs to welcome Prince Qing. In just a few days, tens of thousands of people submitted to Prince Qing.

The army of the Western Sea Mongol chieftain Zhen Cheng crossed the Yellow River from the Qilian Mountains, and under the banner of Prince Qing, captured Suzhou and Ganzhou. The commander of Suzhou Garrison surrendered, and the commander of Ganzhou committed suicide in service to his country.

The chieftains of the Greater and Lesser Songshan Mountains led 5,000 cavalrymen, also under the banner of Prince Qing, and captured Lanzhou, taking Prince Su and his family prisoner. They then escorted Prince Su north to Liangzhou and handed him over to Prince Qing.

The commander of the Xining Guard killed the commander, launched a mutiny, and surrendered to Prince Qing.

The situation is too bizarre. Prince Qing is clearly a puppet, yet not only many Han Chinese are loyal to him, but also many Mongols and non-Han people are.

On May 27th, Prince Qing officially ascended the throne in Liangzhou, establishing the Ming Dynasty and adopting the reign title Tianming.

The 20th year of the Wanli reign was renamed the first year of the Tianming reign.

On the same day, Bo Bai and the remaining nobles of the Ordos tribes recognized Prince Qing as the Khan of Heaven and swore an oath to make him the common leader of the Han, Mongol, and Tibetan tribes.

Having reached this point, the so-called Emperor of Destiny has no way back; he can only go down this dark path.

On the same day, Emperor Tianming issued an edict deposing Emperor Wanli and demoting him to the Prince of Yan.

Then he issued a proclamation calling on all members of the imperial family to rebel against the Beijing court.

In less than half a month, from Suzhou in the north to Lanzhou in the south, this important town in the Hexi Corridor fell entirely into the hands of the Mongol-Han allied rebel forces. Hundreds of thousands of Han and non-Han people submitted to Emperor Tianming!
The Mongol-Han allied forces, united under the banner of the Mandate of Heaven, numbered as many as 70,000 to 80,000 and were a formidable force.

The urgent report arrived in Beijing by express courier, causing great alarm in the Ming court!

The imperial court issued a strict decree, ordering Zhu Yin to quell the rebels and recover Hexi within three months! Otherwise, he would be severely punished and his crime would be unforgivable!

At this time, Zhu Yin's troops had already entered the Songshan Grassland and could enter Hexi at any time.

The elite troops of Gansu, led by Governor Ye Mengxiong, had just reached the south bank of the Yellow River and dared not cross it. Only after receiving Zhu Yin's military order did they dare to cross the Yellow River and join forces with Zhu Yin in Lanzhou.

At this point, the two main Ming army forces that had been suppressing the rebellion merged, reaching a total strength of over 50,000.

In early June, the elite troops that Zhu Yin had previously dispatched also joined forces, bringing the total number of Ming troops in Lanzhou to 70,000!
On the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, Zhu Yin established the Governor-General's Office in Lanzhou to coordinate military affairs.

At the same time, enemy forces from all sides also converged on Liangzhou.

Thus, both sides, with Liangzhou and Lanzhou as their respective centers, faced off with hundreds of thousands of troops!

All eyes in the world are on Hexi!

P.S.: The Mongols used Prince Qing as a puppet, but there were actually Mongols who were loyal to him, so this situation is not surprising.

(End of this chapter)