Di Ming

Chapter 464 "Oh dear! The Holy Emperor's blessings are as vast as the heavens!"

Consort Zheng was trembling with rage, her hands and feet were ice-cold, as if she had been betrayed by a man she trusted. Her anger was uncontrollable, and she was about to be burned by rage.

She completely forgot about the decorum of an imperial concubine, cursing Qi Jiguang while tearing up the memorial in her hand, shattering her own elegant demeanor in the process.

Then, with a fierce jerk of her hands, amidst the fluttering butterflies in the hall, the furious roar of the Northern Dynasty's female ruler resounded:

"Everyone in the world is bullying me! Zhu Yin! Zhu Changluo! Qi Jiguang!"

"I want you all to die! All of you, die!"

"The face of the imperial court! The face of the emperor! Where do we put it! Where do we put it?!"

"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers! How much money did I spend on food! And this is what you show me?! Go to hell!"

"I've become a laughing stock!"

"Woooo..."

The Northern Dynasty heroine could no longer hold back her sobs and wept bitterly; it was a sudden and immense disappointment after a long period of hope and anticipation.

For the first time, Wang Xijue, Zhang Jing, and the others realized that women could be so terrifying when they were angry. They felt as if something inside them had shattered into pieces.

The Crown Prince, who was in charge of the state, was also frightened by his mother.

"Mother..." Zhu Changxun's face was pale, and his body trembled. "Mother, please calm your anger..."

"Your Highness, please calm down..." Wang Xijue, Zhang Jing, Zhang Wei, Shen Li and others knelt down with livid faces to comfort the completely out-of-control Consort Zheng.

"The imperial court has plenty of elite troops and capable generals in the nine border regions. The 100,000-strong Loyal and Brave Battalion trained by the emperor's brother-in-law will be fully operational next year, and there is also the Western Army available..."

"Your Majesty, the imperial court also has a 30,000-strong tiger-slaying battalion formed by conscripting household soldiers..."

"And there's Hai Mingyue, who's cooperating with the Emperor's brother-in-law, also has 20,000 naval troops. We can use her forces to attack Jiangnan..."

"Your Majesty, do not worry! Your servant Zhang Jing is willing to donate 200,000 taels of silver, giving all she has, to support the army..."

"This humble servant, Gao Huai, is willing to give up everything she owns and donate 100,000 taels of silver to the army..."

"Your Majesty, there are still over a dozen princely families, two hundred duke families, and more than sixty noble families in the north. We can issue an edict to have them raise funds and provisions. Even if it means ruining their families, if each family contributes an average of 100,000 to 200,000, we can raise 20 million..."

Although everyone offered suggestions to appease Consort Zheng, they themselves were extremely frustrated and couldn't help but curse Qi Jiguang.

It’s so irritating!

This is a blatant disregard for the imperial court and the emperor's dignity. The impact is extremely negative.

Grand Secretary Wang Xijue nearly coughed up blood and died on the spot.

At this moment, his desire to resign was burning fiercely, yet he couldn't bring himself to utter it. As the Grand Secretary, in this precarious and critical time, instead of accepting the mandate in a time of crisis, he wanted to resign—had he no shame?

Therefore, he has recently been acting somewhat muddle-headed and incompetent, seemingly old and senile, and hopes that Consort Zheng will take the initiative to let him retire.

However, Consort Zheng showed no intention of allowing him to retire, leaving him helpless.

What should we do now?
When Qi Jiguang led his southern expeditionary army to surrender, what was the greatest loss to the imperial court? Was it the troops? Or the provisions?
neither!
The greatest loss for the imperial court is the hearts of the people! It is its prestige!

Soldiers can be drawn from and trained again; there are plenty of brave men in the north. Supplies can be procured; there are plenty of princes and nobles in the north.

But once the hearts of the people and the prestige are lost, it is very difficult to make up for them!
The complete surrender of Qi Jiguang's army to Nanjing caused a sharp drop in morale throughout the north and a drastic decline in the prestige of the imperial court. This unseen loss was the most devastating.

From then on, who would still regard Nanjing as a puppet regime?

After hearing everyone's words of comfort, Consort Zheng finally calmed down and said with red eyes, "Such a big matter, should we report it to the Emperor truthfully?"

Gao Huai looked bitter. "Your Majesty is usually as kind as a bodhisattva, but today, upon hearing this bad news, she almost fell ill with anger. If Grandfather finds out, what if... I don't even dare to think about it."

Consort Zheng, overcome with anger, burst into tears again. "We still can't tell the Emperor. What will happen to my daughter and me if something goes wrong? Waaah..."

Zhang Jing took a deep breath. "Your Majesty, you must not tell Grandfather right now. Grandfather is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty, the backbone of the court. With Grandfather in the palace, all evil will be warded off. But if... then the sky will fall and the world will be over."

Zhang Jing was certainly telling the truth. Given the emperor's health, if he were to die from anger, Beijing's legitimacy would inevitably be overshadowed by Nanjing, and the court's legitimacy would plummet. How could it then contend with Nanjing?
It seems that even raising funds and provisions from princes and nobles will not attract any donations.

Only with the emperor still alive can the court persevere and have any hope of winning. Otherwise, even if the crown prince inherits the throne, he will not be as powerful as the Prince of Xin in Nanjing.

This is a harsh reality.

So they had no choice but to continue concealing it. If anyone was to blame, it was the emperor's poor health, which couldn't withstand such devastating news.

Consort Zheng wiped away her tears and choked out, "Alas, this is truly difficult for me. I am just a woman, yet I am forced to run the household!"

"Right now, we can only continue to keep it from the Emperor. That damned, white-bearded old scoundrel, that white-haired scoundrel Qi Jiguang! It's all his fault!"

"Issue the order! Immediately have the Embroidered Uniform Guard confiscate the homes of Qi Jiguang, Ma Gui, Li Rubai, and others! Arrest their family members and bring them to the capital!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhang Jing immediately accepted the order.

Consort Zheng continued, "Gao Huai, the Emperor is still waiting for the report from Nanjing. He has already urged us several times. Draft a forged report and take it to the West Garden to cover it up. Remember, you must pretend to be happy! Pretend to be cheerful! Be beaming with joy! You must not let the Emperor see through your act. You should know the Emperor's wisdom and intelligence."

Gao Huai looked miserable, tears welling up in her eyes, and said weakly, "This servant will obey the imperial decree and will not let Grandfather see through my act. This servant will go to the West Garden happily and joyfully."

Suddenly, Shen Li said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, this old minister believes that it is not enough to merely deceive His Majesty for the time being; we must also deceive the entire court and the people of Jiangbei!"

Zhang Wei frowned and said, "Keep it from the officials and the people? How can that be kept secret?"

Shen Li gritted his teeth and said, "Of course we can't hide it! But we can hide it for as long as we can! Even if we can only hide it for half a month, the court will have half a month more to buy time! At least during this period, we can more smoothly raise funds and provisions from the princes and nobles!"

"Now that everyone outside knows, it won't be so easy to raise money and supplies anymore."

"Grand Secretary Shen is right!" Consort Zheng's spirits lifted. "Mr. Shen, go to the Ministry of War personally and instruct Shi Xing and the Vice Minister of War to keep the secret and not to reveal that Qi Jiguang led his troops to defect... Anyone who dares to spread rumors will have their entire family killed!"

"Issue another decree immediately ordering all the feudal lords and nobles to donate money and grain! Tell them that the Emperor has kept track of the amount they will donate! Let them decide for themselves! Those who don't want to donate are welcome to do so as well, hmph..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Li immediately went out to silence him.

After giving her orders, Consort Zheng looked expectantly at Wang Xijue, "Mr. Wang, what's your idea?"

Wang Xijue sighed, "Your Majesty, the first thing to do is to appease Li Chengliang and his son Li Rusong, and send a secret envoy to tell them that Li Rubai is Li Rubai, they are themselves, and they are still loyal ministers of the court."

"In addition, envoys should be sent south and west to negotiate with Nanjing and the Western Regions."

"What!" Consort Zheng's voice was cold and sharp, her face frosty. "Negotiating with two rebel families?! Wang Xijue, have you lost your mind?"

Wang Xijue was so choked by those words that he almost vomited blood. He then seized the opportunity to kneel down, remove his official hat, and said:
"This old minister is old, incompetent, and utterly muddle-headed. In a moment of desperation, I resorted to this desperate measure, and I am ashamed to have failed His Majesty's trust. I am unfit for the position of Grand Secretary and can only..."

"You want to resign?" Consort Zheng interrupted the Grand Secretary with wide, phoenix-like eyes. "You've also bullied my son and me!"

Tears welled up again as she spoke. "Do you know how hard it's been for me! I only said one thing to you, and you want to resign! What am I, a mere woman, supposed to do! Let's just part ways and let the rebels march to Beijing, and everyone get killed by them! Nobody will have a good time! Waaah..."

Wang Xijue's lips trembled, and he closed his eyes in pain.

This is so hard for me!
Hearing Consort Zheng cry gave him a terrible headache!
Seeing this, Zhang Wei couldn't help but sigh, "Prime Minister, these are turbulent times for the court, beset by internal and external troubles. His Majesty's health is failing, and His Highness is still young. How can you bear to retire?"

Wang Xijue gave a wry smile. "Your Majesty, although this old minister is old, I still have a heart to serve the country. As long as Your Majesty and His Highness will not blame this old minister for being old and clinging to power, muddleheaded and useless, this old minister dares not resign."

Consort Zheng then wiped away her tears and said, "This is the magnanimity of a Grand Secretary. My son and I truly cannot do without you right now. Please continue to assist the court as always."

Wang Xijue's tone was extremely bitter. "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. However, this old minister still has to say that we should appease the Li family father and son, and at the same time send envoys to negotiate. Your Highness, please be patient and allow this old minister to finish speaking."

When Consort Zheng heard about negotiating with the rebels, she couldn't help but get angry again. Zhang Wei quickly spoke up to her, saying, "Your Majesty, negotiation is indeed a good strategy. Please allow me to explain."

When Consort Zheng heard Zhang Wei say the same thing, she could only suppress her anger and said irritably:
“Alright, Mr. Wang, please go ahead. I’m not someone who’s all talk and no action. If I think what you say makes sense, I’ll do as you say.”

Fearing she would start crying again, Wang Xijue carefully said:

"Negotiating with rebels does not mean that the court recognizes any righteous cause for them. Didn't the court send envoys to negotiate when it offered amnesty to the pirate Wang Zhi, when Goryeo resisted the Japanese pirates, and when it fought against the Tatars? The court sending envoys does not mean that traitors are not traitors, or bandits are not bandits."

Upon hearing this, Consort Zheng felt much better and said in a gentle voice, "Mr. Wang, please continue."

"Yes." Wang Xijue continued, "Take Emperor Chengzu of our dynasty, for example. When he raised an army in Beijing to quell the rebellion, didn't he also send envoys to negotiate with Emperor Jianwen in Nanjing?" Consort Zheng was somewhat surprised. "Is that so? Emperor Chengzu actually sent envoys to negotiate with Emperor Jianwen?"

Zhang Wei interjected, "Your Majesty, what the Grand Secretary said is true. When Emperor Chengzu was in charge of the Jingnan Rebellion, there were three negotiations with Nanjing. Although the negotiations broke down because Emperor Jianwen was not sincere, they were still negotiations."

Consort Zheng felt a little better. "I see."

Wang Xijue said, "Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty. Your legitimate position is as firm as Mount Tai. You have reigned over the world for twenty-four years. This is the unyielding righteousness! You are the sovereign! You are the father! Even if the court negotiates with traitors, rebels, and Japanese pirates, it will not shake the court's legitimacy or prestige in the slightest."

"The most worrying thing right now is that the two major rebels are colluding to attack the imperial court. If the southern rebels and the western rebels agree to launch a joint military campaign, one going north and the other east, how will the imperial court resist?"

"The elite troops of the Nine Garrisons are tied down by the Tartars. If too many of them are transferred, the Mongol cavalry can easily advance. Are we going to have another Tumu Fortress incident? Therefore, we cannot transfer too many of the elite troops from the Nine Garrisons. At most, we can only transfer 50,000 men, no more than that."

"Let's say we can allocate 50,000. Let's do the math."

"The Imperial Uncle's 100,000-strong new army is not yet fully trained and cannot be used at the moment. The Tiger-Slaying Battalion, which was trained by the Imperial Guards, only has 30,000 men, and Li Rusong's Western Army only has 50,000 men left. Add to that the 50,000 border troops that have been transferred, and the total number of troops is only a little over 100,000. That's all we have."

"What about the southern bandits? With Qi Jiguang's hundreds of thousands of troops surrendering, and with the help of the chieftain's soldiers, the western bandits are also said to have hundreds of thousands of troops."

"The imperial court can mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops, but they are simultaneously dealing with both the western and southern bandits. It will also take time to raise funds and supplies. Can they cope with this in the short term? They will inevitably be unable to attend to one thing while neglecting another, like trying to hold down a gourd only to have another pop up. In the end, they will only be exhausted and lose everything!"

"The imperial court needs a delaying tactic to stabilize the southern and western bandits as much as possible, at least to buy the court an opportunity to do so! Sending envoys to negotiate is inevitable and imperative!"

"Therefore, this old minister believes that we should send envoys to Nanjing and the Western Regions to negotiate, not to influence the rebels, nor to subdue them without a fight, but only to delay the rebels' northern expedition and eastern campaign, to prevent them from joining forces, and to further investigate the situation in Nanjing and the Western Regions. Then the purpose of the negotiations will be achieved."

Wang Xijue paused deliberately at this point, allowing Consort Zheng to process his words. Only after seeing Consort Zheng nod with a relieved expression did he continue his explanation:

"This is only the first objective. There is a second objective, which is to sell out the righteous cause and use a retreat as a strategy to create a difficult problem for the rebels."

"Oh?" Consort Zheng's spirits lifted. "What difficult problem?"

Wang Xijue, however, looked at Zhang Wei and said, "Grand Secretary Zhang, why don't you speak?"

He knew very well that Zhang Wei must understand his meaning.

Zhang Wei could only continue Wang Xijue's words, saying, "Your Majesty, the Grand Chancellor's intention is to proactively propose a division of power between the Southern Bandits and the Western Bandits, ceding the land south of the Yangtze River. At the same time, he would proactively propose recognizing the Western Bandits' imperial throne and their establishment of a kingdom in the Western Regions..."

"What!" Consort Zheng's voice rose again, her swan-like neck stretching even longer. "To divide the country along the river?! To acknowledge the imperial throne?! To seize the throne! Is this the kind of dilemma they're creating for the rebels? Absurd!"

Zhang Wei felt a little suffocated, took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down, and allow me to explain in detail. Even if the court is unwilling, the division between the North and the South is a fact at present. The Western bandits have been proclaiming themselves emperors and establishing their own country for several years now. Can the court change this just because it doesn't acknowledge it?"

"The court might as well use this as a condition to start a negotiation. This is just a temporary pretense, a grand strategy by the court."

"A grand strategy?" The twenty-eight-year-old Consort Zheng surprisingly showed a hint of girlish naiveté, her starry eyes clear as water. "How so?"

Zhang Wei was quite helpless and could only say frankly, "Actually, it's just to show the court's magnanimity and also to show weakness. But it will definitely arouse sympathy within the Southern rebels and dampen the enthusiasm of some within the Western rebels for an eastern expedition. At the very least, it can lull them into a false sense of security. Those among the rebels who still have a conscience will definitely be content with the status quo, lack ambition, and affect the rebels' fighting spirit..."

Zhang Wei had a difficult time; it took him a long explanation to make Consort Zheng, who was both knowledgeable and had long hair, understand Wang Xijue's good intentions.

"Very well." Consort Zheng finally nodded. "Mr. Wang's strategy is indeed mature and prudent. Immediately select envoys to send to the Southern and Western bandits! However, only secret envoys can be dispatched!"

Wang Xijue nodded and said, "That's natural. At least on the court's side, the mission must be carried out in secret."

After a brief discussion, the group quickly reached a consensus on the negotiation plan.

……

West Garden.

Leaving aside Consort Zheng's discussion of important matters with the Cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial, firecrackers were suddenly set off in the West Garden.

Holding a report from the imperial court, Gao Huai arrived at the West Garden in high spirits and smiled at the palace servants there:
"Quickly, light the lanterns and decorate! Good news has arrived from the south! Let Grandpa be very happy, and when Grandpa is pleased, everyone will be rewarded!"

At that moment, the palace servants were busy decorating with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the sound of firecrackers was deafening. The firecracker debris scattered all over the white snow, giving one the illusion of celebrating the New Year early.

Xiyuan is so festive today.

In the Yuxi Palace where Jiajing Emperor lived, the Wanli Emperor was watching a play and drinking wine in the warm pavilion, living a very comfortable life.

Hearing the sound of firecrackers outside, he asked, "Why is it so festive?"

Gao Cai quickly smiled and said, "This servant will go out and take a look!"

Gao Cai ran out and immediately encountered Gao Huai, who had come to "bring good news".

Gao Huai whispered, "Something terrible has happened. That old bastard Qi Jiguang has actually led the southern expeditionary army to defect to the enemy..."

"What?" Gao Cai was struck dumb, then gritted his teeth and whispered, "Grandpa must never find out about this, otherwise if he..."

Gao Huai waved the "good news" in his hand and sighed:

"Therefore, the Empress had no choice but to continue to keep it from the Grandfather. But the Grandfather kept urging her for battle reports, so she could only report good news and not bad news."

Gao Cai looked at the forged good news and almost cried. He whispered, "This is not reporting good news and not bad news. This is turning a funeral into a celebration."

"You absolutely mustn't give yourself away!" Gao Huai warned. "You must be genuinely happy, truly happy, and keep Grandpa entertained all day long..."

Gao Cai smiled joyfully, "Great! I'm very happy, this is a joyous occasion!"

He then turned around and shouted, "General Qi has won a battle! Grandpa! What a joyous occasion!"

Gao Huai, carrying the "good news" with a joyful expression, entered the hall and knelt down with a beaming smile, saying, "Grandpa! A great victory in the southern expedition!"

"Oh?" Wanli laughed heartily, waved for the opera troupe to leave, and said, slightly tipsy:
"I wondered what good news it was, and it turns out that Qi Jiguang has won a battle! Good! I was right to judge people! Although Qi Jiguang is not loyal enough, his military talent is unmatched!"

He picked up the report and his smile widened.

"Excellent! We decisively defeated 50,000 rebel troops defending the river, killing over 10,000, and successfully crossed the Yangtze River. Zhu Yin was terrified and could only lead his remaining troops to retreat to Nanjing. Hahaha!"

"Let's drink a big toast here!"

At this point, the money-grubbing emperor immediately downed a glass without even eating any food!
Continue reading, "Yes, Qi Jiguang has cleared out the outlying strongholds of Nanjing and completely besieged the city. Zhu Yin and his rebellious son are now trapped, with no way out!"

"Officials from Southern Zhili rushed to Qi Jiguang's camp to deliver provisions..."

"Excellent! Let's raise a large cup of wine here!"

The Gold Digger downed another glass in one gulp, and, even more drunk, laughed loudly:

"Zhu Yin! You traitorous minister, let's see how long you can linger on! Once you're captured and sent to Beijing, I'll personally summon you. Hahaha!"

The money-grubbing emperor, emboldened by the alcohol, burst into unrestrained laughter.

Gao Huai said cheerfully, "Grandpa, although it's a joyous occasion, you should still take it easy; this wine is a bit strong..."

"I am delighted!" Emperor Baijin exclaimed, his face beaming. He then pulled out a bottle of opium. "It's not the wine that intoxicates, it's the person who gets drunk!"

He then exhaled a puff of smoke and, with hazy, drunken eyes, began to sing a line from the opera "Emperor Taizu's Three Battles at Poyang":

"The fire crows soar through the nine heavens, turning the Yangtze River red with fire! Alas! Look at those pirate ships, drifting like fallen leaves, their stench of burning flesh filling the clouds and waves…!"

To be honest, he sang quite well, without going off-key.

But he suddenly forgot his lines and laughed, "How do I sing the rest of the opera?"

Tears streamed down Gao Huai's face, but he smiled and raised his pinky finger, continuing to sing:

"Boom! The General's cannon shook the heavens! Whoosh! Rockets flew like golden snakes breaking through the waves. The Thirty-Six Battalions were reduced to ashes, and the flag of Prince Chen Han sank to the bottom of the water! Alas! The Holy Emperor's blessings are as high as the heavens!"

Gao Cai also repeated the last line of the opera: "Oh dear! The Holy Emperor's blessings are as high as the heavens!"

"Hahaha!" Upon hearing this, the Gold Digger couldn't help but burst into laughter again, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"I am in high spirits today! All the eunuchs and palace maids in the Western Garden shall be rewarded with two taels of silver!"

……

P.S.: It's getting late, so I'll stop here. Hope you enjoyed it, and thank you for your support! Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)