Di Ming

Chapter 339 "Could it be that Zhuang Shu can't forget her old flame?"

"Change the reign title to Yongzheng?" Zhu Yin first found it absurd and laughable, but then he understood what Zhu Shuaixin meant.

The origin of the Yongzheng reign title is certainly not as simple as "Prince Yong is the legitimate heir." Rather, it comes from the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes, signifying harmony, enlightenment, solemnity, and righteousness.

Yong means harmony and enlightenment.

In short, the name Yongzheng means harmonious and enlightened, solemn and orthodox.

Clearly, Zhu Shuaixin not only proclaimed himself the legitimate successor of the Ming Dynasty, but also emphasized "harmony and enlightenment".

Why? Because his "Great Ming" included not only Han Chinese, but also Mongols, Qiang people, and other ethnic groups, and there would certainly be Western Region nomads coming to join him. Therefore, he needed harmony and unity. Only with harmony and unity among his subordinates could he "enlighten" himself.

This shows that Zhu Shuaixin was a man of great ambition and courage. There were very few figures of such caliber among the Ming imperial family.

The intelligence report was very detailed. After Zhu Shuaixin proclaimed himself emperor in Hami, he first appointed various generals and trained a new Han Chinese army. Then, in the name of the Ming Emperor and the Mongol Khan, he led a coalition of more than 50,000 Han, Mongol, Tibetan, and Qiang people on a westward expedition, leaving only 30,000 new troops to garrison Hami.

Zhu Shuaixin led his army along the Tarim River, south of the Tianshan Mountains and north of the Kunlun Mountains. In less than a month, they crossed the desert and suddenly appeared outside Yarkand City, demonstrating the swiftness of military operations.

The 60,000 cavalry and camel caravan hastily assembled by the Yarkand Khan were countered by Zhu Shuaixin's combined tactics of using Han firearms and Mongol cavalry. After only a few days of fighting, the puppet Ming army won a great victory, killing more than 20,000 and capturing tens of thousands.

Shortly after capturing the capital, Zhu Shuaixin suddenly broke his promise and executed the surrendered Yarkand Khan, royal family, princes, and ministers on the grounds that they were attempting to resist the restoration of the kingdom.

“Little Tiger, your relative is quite ruthless,” Ning Qingchen laughed. “Zhu Shuaixin distributed the land of the Yarkand nobles to his soldiers. He also set fire to the Pearl Temple, forced the scribes to publicly denigrate the scriptures, killed the chief religious leader Mahitumu Azam, and destroyed the faith of the Yarkand people…”

"Did he do these things himself, or were he alerted by his Huya family members? Was Huya providing him with intelligence support?"

Zhu Yin couldn't help but reveal a sly smile. "What do you think? Although Zhu Shuaixin is shrewd and capable, he wouldn't have thought of so many things or done so thoroughly if our people didn't give him advice."

"Without our intelligence support, he wouldn't have been able to destroy Yarkand so quickly."

"However, although he had intelligence support from Tiger Fang agents, he mainly relied on Zhu Shuaixin's own abilities. He acted very quickly, taking only four months to advance from Hami to Shache and destroy the Yarkand Khanate."

"The imperial court will not send troops to the Western Regions. Since we cannot eliminate Zhu Shuaixin's Western Ming regime, we can only settle for second best and provide secret intelligence support to the Western Ming."

Ning Qingchen sighed softly, "Little Tiger, whoever is your enemy will have sleepless nights. You spies and agents are too cunning. Zhu Shuaixin is a hero, but you used him as a pawn. He had no idea that a traitor had infiltrated his subordinates."

"That's true. He's currently lacking advisors and strategists, so he would be more than happy to have talented young people volunteer to serve him."

"Yes, you want to use Ximing as a knife to pave the way, clear out the thorns in the west first, kill those that should be killed, burn those that should be burned... it's like fighting poison with poison, and wearing down the Arab Empire."

Zhu Yin, exasperated, said, “You’re right about the logic, that’s my plan, to use one enemy to devour another. But what’s with the Arab Empire? It’s been extinct for hundreds of years, what does it have to do with the Arab Empire? Even if the Arab Empire still exists, it’s not in Central Asia, it’s in West Asia.”

"Oh..." Ning Qingchen slapped her forehead. "They only know Chinese history, not foreign history. So, what country is to the west of the Yarkand Khanate?"

Seeing that Ning Qingchen was unusually concerned about these things, Zhu Yin had no choice but to patiently explain:
“Yarkand’s western neighbor is the Khanate of Bukhara, which possesses the rich and fertile Transoxiana region. Zhu Shuaixin, who is ambitious and determined to establish the Ming Empire in the Western Regions, would certainly not let it go.”

"However, the Khanate of Bukhara is no pushover; it is the successor to the Timurid Khanate. Once the Khanate of Bukhara learns that Ximing has destroyed its eastern neighbor Yarkand and also taken action against the Pearl Cult, it will definitely wage war against Ximing! A decisive battle between the two countries is inevitable and will break out sooner or later."

When the Khanate of Bukhara was mentioned, Zhu Yin's expression became more serious.

“I also hope that Ximing can win,” Ning Qingchen said. “If Ximing wins, it will have the motivation to continue its westward expansion. If Ximing loses, it will not only lose the Western Regions, but may also flee back to fight Gansu and Shaanxi, and the Ming Dynasty will suffer internal strife again.”

Zhu Yin couldn't help but glance at the little girl, and his opinion of her changed somewhat.

A smart person is a smart person after all. Although the little girl is historically illiterate, once she pays attention to these things, she can immediately spot the key issues, just like her sister with keen insight.

Zhu Yin nodded. "You're absolutely right. That's why I secretly provided intelligence support to Ximing. Ximing's temporary victory is in the best interests of China as a whole."

Ning Qingchen then asked, "Is this Khanate of Bukhara very powerful?"

Zhu Yin explained, “The Khanate of Bukhara was the successor to the Timurid Khanate and was much stronger than Yarkand. It was the current hegemon of Central Asia. It had a population of five million, and not only 60,000 chainmail cavalry, but also 12,000 Persian musketeers equipped with Ottoman matchlock muskets. Including other military branches, it had an army of 100,000.”

"Huh?" Ning Qingchen stuck out her tongue. "That strong? Our overseas Eight Banners have a total population of less than 100,000, and even if we mobilized them all, we wouldn't have 20,000 soldiers!"

She's good at math. Just by hearing the population and military figures, she knows the Khanate of Bukhara is very powerful.

Zhu Yin, who was quite familiar with the history of the Khanate of Bukhara, continued his explanation:
"More than a decade ago, Bukhara established the Markhan Arsenal, which used Ottoman cold forging technology to produce more than 3,000 matchlock guns annually and could also replicate the Ottoman 'Gran Bazuk' cannon."

"In fact, the Khanate of Bukhara even formulated the 'Firearms Manual,' which standardized procedures for musketeers' loading steps, firing elevation adjustments, and musket tactics. Its firearms were not only relatively advanced, but its tactical thinking was also quite mature."

"It is no exaggeration to say that the Khanate of Bukhara is a military power in the entire world."

Zhu Shuaixin had already obtained this intelligence through Huya's agents. So, how should Zhu Shuaixin deal with the powerful Khanate of Bukhara?

Zhu Yin wasn't too concerned. What he was most concerned about was when the news of Zhu Shuaixin's ascension to the throne in the Western Regions would reach Beijing. The court couldn't remain unaware of such a significant event.

When the news reached Beijing, someone impeached him!
Ning Qingchen said, "So, it seems Ximing has little chance of winning?"

Zhu Yin shook his head. "That's not necessarily true. Although the Khabul Khanate is strong, its current ruler, Abdullah II, is pursuing hegemony and is currently at war with the Persians and Kazakhs, and is also carrying out massacres in cities. This major war will last at least another year."

"This is a golden opportunity for Ximing. Although Abdullah II is a strongman, Zhu Shuaixin is by no means inferior. His intentions can be seen from his change of reign title to Yongzheng."

"Changing the reign title to Yongzheng...hehe." Ning Qingchen was speechless, shaking her head. "Is Zhu Shuaixin joking? Using Yongzheng as the reign title, really..."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "You, a history illiterate, know about Emperor Yongzheng? Oh, a girl like you must know more about Qing history."

“Of course.” Ning Qingchen smiled confidently, seemingly oblivious to Zhu Yin’s sarcasm. “Heh. You really think I’m ignorant of history? I do know a bit about Chinese history. Yongzheng’s name was Hongli, and he was Qianlong’s son. He ascended the throne with the support of his uncle Heshen, but as soon as he took the throne, he abandoned his supporter and killed Heshen.”

"It's clear that serving a ruler is truly like serving a tiger. The emperor, that political creature, is the most ruthless. Don't be angry, but let's talk about your ancestor, the Ming Taizu. After conquering the country, he burned down the celebration pavilion and even wanted to change the crown prince to a concubine's son. In the end, that concubine also suffered a terrible fate and was turned into a human pig... Little tiger, if you become the emperor, you must be more kind and not follow your ancestor's example."

Zhu Yin touched his forehead. "You really know a lot. Not only do you understand Qing history, but you're also quite knowledgeable about Ming history. Alright, let's look at some other intelligence."

He was afraid that if he listened to Ning Qingchen rambling on and on, he would become confused.

The second intelligence report came from Liaodong. It said that the four Hulun tribes, led by the Yehe of the Haixi Jurchens, were joining forces to destroy the Jianzhou tribe and unify the Jurchens.

The Yehe and other tribes also colluded with the Khorchin Mongols, outwardly complying with the Ming Dynasty's wishes but inwardly plotting rebellion.

The combined forces of the four Hulun tribes numbered 50,000, while Nurhaci had less than 20,000. Yehe Beile Buzhai planned to unify the Jurchen tribes and then seize Liaodong.

Zhu Yin was not surprised at all by this intelligence report.

With the development of productivity among the Jurchen tribes in Liaodong, unification was an inevitable trend. It would either be unified by Jianzhou or Yehe.

At present, the Yehe tribe still has the strongest military force, so it's normal for them to have ambitions.

In the latter half of this year, the Yehe tribe, in the name of the leader of the Haixi Jurchen alliance, will lead a coalition of more than 30,000 men to attack Nurhaci, launching the famous Battle of Gule Mountain.

Historically, Nurhaci achieved a great victory against a smaller force, decisively defeating the combined forces of the Yehe and other tribes at Gule Mountain. This greatly increased his strength and gave him control over the Jurchen tribes.

But now…

Zhu Yin chuckled, his gaze icy.

Brother Wild Boar Skin, you no longer have a chance to defeat the Yehe tribes. Because… I won't allow it.

I'm doing this for your own good. What's so good about being the Khan of the Jin Dynasty? You'll be cursed by the Han people for centuries and won't have a peaceful life. How can I bear that?

You should continue your back-and-forth battle with Yehe, and keep fighting like this, a love-hate relationship to the death.

Isn't it good to be a good minister of the Ming Dynasty, or a lackey of the Ming Dynasty?

Upon seeing this intelligence report, Ning Qingchen asked, "Historically, Nurhaci won?"

Zhu Yin nodded: "He not only won, but he won beautifully and brilliantly. This is a turning point."

Ning Qingchen smiled sweetly, "I know you won't let him win. You want the Jurchens to keep killing each other, bleeding each other dry, and remaining fragmented, never having a chance to unify."

Zhu Yin threw the intelligence report into the stove. "I'm actually a decent person. I've really treated Nurhaci well. If I become emperor, I'll at least give him the rank of Earl. Isn't that generous enough? If he works hard, it's not impossible for him to become a Duke."

Ning Qingchen chuckled and said, "That's very kind of him. He should really thank you, his little tiger brother."

Zhu Yin then deciphered the third intelligence letter, which came from Shandong.

Kong Shangxian, the Duke of Yansheng of Qufu, regretted selling the barren mountains of Yanzhou by the Grand Canal to Ning Caiwei, because he saw that the Yanzhou coal mines were now raking in profits.

Therefore, the Duke of Yansheng's mansion secretly plotted to cause a mining accident at night during the spring thunder season this year, and then use its local power to force Ningyin Trading Company to sell the mine at a low price and take over its operation.

Several years ago, Ning Caiwei didn't actually want to buy the barren mountains belonging to the Kong family, anticipating potential trouble later. However, Yanzhou is right next to Qufu, and most of the rich, barren mountains along the Yanzhou Canal belonged to the Kong family, though they were unaware of the coal mines.

"What a bastard!" Zhu Yin handed the intelligence to Ning Qingchen. "He regrets selling the mine and wants to cause a mining accident to buy it back at a lower price!"

Ning Qingchen's face turned frosty upon seeing this. "Damn it! That's too vicious! Kong Shangxian is a beast!"

Zhu Yin snorted coldly, "This hypocritical Duke Yansheng and Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, Kong Shangxian, is a notorious land annexer in the history of the Kong family. During his tenure as head of the family, the Kong family's land expanded to a million mu. What does a million mu mean?"

"During his tenure, he repeatedly provoked tenants to resist, and repeatedly suppressed tenants' resistance to rent, leading to widespread public resentment."

As Zhu Yin spoke, he issued a hand order.

Now that we've received the intelligence, Kong Shangxian's plot will not succeed. It seems it's time to plan the White Lotus Sect's attack on the Kong family residence.

Huya's family has been infiltrating the White Lotus Sect for two or three years now; it's time for them to make a difference.

It's pointless to retaliate against Kong Shangxian himself; he's not the only one corrupt in the Kong family. Even if he were assassinated, someone else would inherit the position of family head.

The cruelest revenge would be to plunder the Kong family's property.

Unfortunately, the Confucius Mansion is too far from the sea, otherwise we would have used the word "pirate".

Of course, it would have been best if the White Lotus Sect had only attacked the Confucius Mansion and hadn't escalated the situation to the point of prematurely rebelling against the Ming Dynasty. Historically, the White Lotus Rebellion didn't occur until the late Wanli period. If it had happened so many years earlier, it would likely have been difficult to control.

The last intelligence report, as expected, came from North Korea.

The Japanese army in Korea was unaware of the trouble that had occurred to the Emperor's court. They planned to gather troops and transport supplies in Pyongyang, spend more than half a month concentrating their main force in Pyongyang, and then launch a general offensive against the Sino-Korean allied forces that had retreated to North Pyongan Province!

Their troop deployments and other military information were clearly stated in the intelligence report.

The intelligence also stated that the Japanese army sent secret envoys to contact Gwanghaegun and the King of Joseon.

...

After processing these intelligence reports, Zhu Yin washed up and rested.

The next afternoon, Zhu Yin and Ning Qingchen returned to the manor together. As soon as they arrived, Jin Yunniang presented them with an invitation.

"My lord, this is an invitation from Feng Menglong. He says he's celebrating his child's one-month birthday and has been waiting for you to return to host it."

"Oh?" Zhu Yin took the invitation and saw that the handwriting was delicate and familiar, and it was actually written by Madam Feng, Zhuang Shu herself.

"His child has been born for several months, shouldn't they have already held a full-month celebration?"

Yunniang smiled and said, "In principle, it should have been done long ago, but the Zhuang family's wife said that she must wait for the master to return before doing it, saying that the master had promised to be his godfather."

"We can't hold the full moon celebration since the godfather hasn't returned."

"When they learned that our lord had returned to the capital, they immediately came to invite him. Mr. Feng came, and Madam Zhuang also came, but they did not see our lord."

Upon hearing this, Ning Qingchen exclaimed, "I'm not going! The banquet is no good! The wine is no good!"

"Little Tiger, could it be that Zhuang Shu is still hung up on your old flame?"

P.S.: I'm not feeling well today, so that's all I can write. Please vote for me! I'm so sad! Thank you!
(End of this chapter)