Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 123 A true man is one who can make sound plans and decisions!
There is only one memorial of the highest rank today, from the newly appointed Governor-General of Jiliao, Sun Chengzong.

"A petition to the chieftain of Lehu to settle down."

The memorial was very carefully worded. It first stated that the Tiger Chieftain's westward migration had led to a conflict with the Haraqin tribe, which had already crossed the tacit boundary between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongol tribes.

Sun Chengzong requested the court to immediately send an envoy with a letter of state to severely reprimand the tiger chieftain.

They questioned why they had taken the initiative to wage war and disrupt the peace of the grasslands, and ordered them to immediately return to their own pastures.

Zhu Youjian put down the memorial and looked at Gao Shiming, who was standing to the side: "How is the progress on Teacher Sun's side?"

Gao Shiming bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Commander Sun has dispatched troops with an urgent dispatch, and General Man Gui of Liaodong has personally led three thousand cavalry to Tongzhou to join the forces."

"The 500 elite guards each drawn from Xuanfu and Datong have arrived. However, the 2,000 guards drawn from various towns in Shaanxi are still en route due to the long distance."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly.

The hammer is in place; it's time to secure the legitimate reason for sending troops.

Sun Chengzong's move, seemingly asking the court to send an envoy to scold someone, actually placed all the strategic risks on his own shoulders.

The victory is a testament to His Majesty's strategic brilliance and the far-reaching influence of His Majesty.

The defeat was merely due to Sun Chengzong's greed for merit and rash actions, which led to mishandling of the situation and damaged the friendship with the Mongols.

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on the cabinet's draft proposal attached to the memorial.

The report was led by Grand Secretary Huang Lijie and included the Ministry of War's discussion opinions.

The core message is simply: Agree.

But after agreeing, a long list of "potential problems" was attached.

"...or we fear that if we befriend the evil chieftain, he might turn to the slave chieftain, which would be detrimental to our border defenses."

"...When sending envoys, the wording should be primarily conciliatory, showing kindness and explaining the reasons, and should not be too aggressive."

"...Prepare for any unforeseen events along the Jizhou and Xuanfu lines as soon as possible."

Does that make sense?
Every word he spoke was the wisdom of a seasoned strategist.

But when put together, they exude an inescapable sense of gloom.

Between the lines, it seemed as if the message was: We've already said this beforehand, so if anything goes wrong in the future, don't blame us.

Zhu Youjian's fingers tapped lightly on the imperial desk.

What should he choose?
He also followed the example of the cabinet and the Ministry of War, simply writing "Understood" and then escaping all responsibility.

To win and gain fame, to lose and shirk responsibility?
If these six thousand cavalrymen are truly wiped out, if this gamble on the nation's fate fails completely, then we should behead Sun Chengzong, the imperial tutor, at the Nine Borders and send his head throughout the world.
Then he announced to the world that Sun Chengzong was greedy for merit and acted rashly, while he, Zhu Youjian, was still the wise and infallible monarch, only temporarily deceived by treacherous officials.

"Ah."

A soft laugh escaped from Zhu Youjian's lips.

What a cowardly act!
If one cannot make sound decisions in a situation, how can one be considered a great man?
Sun Chengzong, you still underestimate me!
I not only crave victory, but I am also willing to accept defeat!
Zhu Youjian suddenly raised his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, and stared directly at Gao Shiming: "Convey my decree!"

Gao Shiming's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed, saying, "This servant is here!"

"Summon all cabinet ministers and all those in the Ministry of War who are involved in this matter to the Wuying Hall immediately for a meeting!"

……

Half an hour later, at the Wuying Hall.

Zhu Youjian, dressed in a black riding and archery uniform, strode in from outside the palace, looking travel-worn.

He casually tossed the riding whip in his hand to the eunuch who had followed him in, walked straight to the throne, and sat down with an air of authority.

"I will see you, Your Majesty!"

A dozen or so civil officials, led by Huang Liji, were already waiting there and immediately bowed upon seeing him.

"no."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"I'm sure you've all read Governor Sun's memorial. Let's share our thoughts."

There was silence in the hall.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, the chief minister Huang Lijie stepped forward with a heavy heart: "Your Majesty, we believe that the best course of action is for our Great Ming to sit back and watch the tigers fight, wait until they are both exhausted, and then mediate."

"Sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight?" Zhu Youjian repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That would require the two tigers to be roughly equal in strength. Do you, my lords, truly think that the Haraqin tribe can be compared to the tiger chieftain?"

Everyone was silent.

The answer is self-evident.

Habu has been fighting a war of attrition against the Ming Dynasty for years, and together they have been struggling in the mud, causing their strength to decline in tandem.

Although Ligdan Khan dared not confront the Later Jin directly, he had, after all, fought real battles on the Liaodong battlefield.

Thanks to the Ming Dynasty's subsequent resource allocation after the Liao affair, his military strength was far superior to that of the weak Mongol right wing.

Zhu Youjian shook his head, his voice suddenly turning cold: "You all know that if the Ming Dynasty doesn't intervene, the Habu will surely be defeated!"

His sharp gaze swept across the faces of every minister below the steps.

"I ask you again, once the Tiger Chieftain wins and annexes the Harachin, how should our Great Ming respond?"

A senior official from the Ministry of War mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, we can sever their trade relations as a punishment." "Sever the trade relations?" Zhu Youjian seemed to have heard a joke. "The war is over, their swords are already at the gates of Jizhou, and you want to sever the trade relations with them?"

"If he sends someone back to the capital to plead and apologize, do you think our Great Ming can just stand there and do nothing?"

The doctor immediately blushed and stammered, unable to speak.

Zhu Youjian's questioning did not stop there: "What if the Tiger Chieftain finishes fighting the Ha tribe and then turns around to fight the Bo and Shu tribes?"

Second Minister Shi Fenglai pondered for a moment and said, "At that time, we may be able to unite with the various tribes of the grasslands to attack them together."

"A coalition?" Zhu Youjian's voice rose a few decibels. "By then, will the tribes outside the Great Wall still trust our Ming Dynasty? Who will they turn to for help? Will they turn to our Ming Dynasty, which has suffered repeated defeats and can only defend its fortified cities, or to that Liaodong slave chieftain who has been invincible since its rise?"

"This……"

No one could answer.

Because the answer is self-evident.

These Mongol tribes are extremely fond of strength. They will listen to whoever has the strongest fist.

Verbal criticism can never compare to the criticism of weapons.

"He's probably a slave chieftain from Liaodong!"

Zhu Youjian gave his answer, word by word.

He slowly rose from his seat and paced back and forth in the center of the hall.

"From the very beginning, the stance of our Great Ming Dynasty must be clear!"

"In matters concerning Mongolia, the Ming Dynasty has only one principle: to maintain the dynamic balance among the various tribes outside the Great Wall! Any force that attempts to disrupt this balance will become our enemy!"

His voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty, in relation to the grasslands, should be like the North Star, residing in its place while all other stars revolve around it. It should not be suppressed by force, but determined by its power. What is power? Clear rewards and punishments, and keeping one's word—this is power!"

"Whoever maintains this balance is a friend of the Ming Dynasty! Whoever disrupts this balance will face the wrath of the Ming Dynasty! This is the bottom line for the Ming Dynasty in the northern frontier!"

Zhu Youjian abruptly stopped, turned to face his ministers, and stared intently at them.

"I am prepared to pay any price to uphold this principle!"

"If there is any failure in this battle, the responsibility will rest entirely on me! What you all need to do is go all out, give it your all, and stop being so timid and hesitant as before!"

"have you understood!"

Inside the hall, all the ministers bowed and responded in unison, "Your subjects... obey the decree!"

"Immediately dispatch an envoy to warn Ligdan Khan, and the wording must be stern and clear, without the slightest ambiguity!"

"At the same time, we will inform all the tribes outside the Great Wall of our Ming Dynasty's stance!"

"So be it."

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, he didn't look at the crowd again and turned to walk out of the hall.

Instead of going into the back hall as usual, he went straight out from the front of the hall.

The young eunuch quickly handed over the riding whip.

In the blink of an eye, a clear "Giddy up!" came from outside the palace, followed by the rapid sound of horses' hooves, which then gradually faded into the distance.

……

The people in the hall slowly straightened up, remaining silent, each with a look of shock on their face.

After a moment, Huang Lijie was the first to come to his senses. He sighed softly and looked at the civil officials in the hall.

"Now... everyone knows what those six thousand cavalrymen in Tongzhou were used for, right?"

Huo Weihua's expression turned solemn, and he respectfully cupped his hands in greeting: "After returning to my unit, I will immediately make this matter my top priority, and all funds, provisions, and military equipment will be allocated to it!"

Li Guopu, who was standing nearby, immediately said, "I will personally oversee the matter with the Court of State Ceremonial. The selection of the envoy and the draft of the official letter will be completed today!"

Shi Fenglai continued, "I will follow up with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to ensure that all supplies and military equipment are allocated in a timely manner!"

Huang Liji nodded and waved his hand: "Let's go, everyone go back to your units and get moving."

The crowd dispersed immediately, their steps hurried, their former composure gone.

Huang Liji was the last to arrive, slowly stepping over the high threshold of the Wuying Hall.

It was nearly noon, and the sky had become covered with dark clouds, obscuring the sunlight and plunging the world into darkness.

A cold wind blew by, stirring up the fallen leaves on the ground.

Huang Liji subconsciously tucked in his collar and couldn't help but turn around to glance at the golden plaque with the words "Wuying Hall" hanging under the eaves of the hall.

Wuying Hall...

This young emperor probably harbored this thunderous thought in his heart from the very first time he summoned his ministers to the Wuying Hall.

But... is this ultimately a good thing or a bad thing for the Ming Dynasty, which is already in dire straits?
A gust of wind swept by, making the copper bells at the corners of the palace ring.

The world is really about to change.

(End of this chapter)