Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 124 The Fear of Worldline Disruption (Daily Life)
Once the wind rises in the capital, it never stops, and when it sweeps past the corner tower, it makes a mournful sound.

The sky was overcast, dark clouds pressed down on the yellow tiles of the Forbidden City, and the sunlight was dim.

"drive!"

A cold wind swept across Zhu Youjian's cheek, causing him to squint.

Behind him, a group of eunuchs and guards followed closely.

No one knew that the young emperor was currently gripped by a tremendous sense of panic.

Zhu Youjian had no destination; he simply spurred his horse onward, galloping along.

Since his ascension to the throne, he has been making a lot of noise, but most of the matters are just paperwork, personnel changes, and maneuvering.

The only change that could truly be called a major one was the new policies in the capital.

However, with a population of over 100 million in the Ming Dynasty, how much of a stir could the new policies in the capital, with a mere million people, possibly cause?

The blitzkrieg strategy launched today against Lim Dan Khan is his first major move on the chessboard of East Asia.

—A move with absolutely no historical reference.

What is historical reference?

To be more precise, it's like the Battle of Dalinghe in history.

He could use his foresight to know from which direction the Later Jin would attack, and then garrison troops and prepare provisions in advance, preparing for a solid defensive counterattack.

To put it more dramatically, it's like those time-travel novels he read in his previous life.

No matter what the protagonist does, Huang Taiji is destined to detour through Mongolia and invade the border in the winter of the second year of the Chongzhen reign. The protagonist only needs to prepare a trap in Jizhou beforehand and wait for Huang Taiji to walk right into it.

But now, neither of these two references exists.

They took the initiative to divide the Mongol tribes and compete with the Later Jin for allies on the grasslands.

He had never seen such a strategy before, not even in novels, let alone in the original history.

Win or lose?

he does not know.

If they win, how will Lindan Khan react? Will that arrogant ruler of Chahar change his previous hostility towards the Later Jin and be pushed towards Huang Taiji by his own actions?
Although this outcome is better than the entire Mongol Empire siding with the Later Jin, the officials and civil servants of the court were unaware of this history!

They would only feel that it was their own young emperor who was ignorant and arrogant, and had personally handed over an important potential ally to their greatest enemy!

Damn it! I'll be more wronged than Dou E in the end!

What if you lose?

What if we lose? Will it hasten the collapse of the situation in Mongolia?
Will the backlash from the civil and military officials of the court and those who entered the Jingdong Forestry Bureau be even more intense?

How should I adjust my plans for the future?

A series of questions, like countless ants, gnawed at his heart.

What unsettles him is not just the Mongolian issue.

Even when it came to appointing Sun Chengzong as the military governor of Jiliao, he was actually unsure of his own abilities.

There was no Yue Fei in the late Ming Dynasty.

There simply isn't a commander-in-chief you can completely entrust with the fate of the nation and just sit back and collect your rewards offline.

Sun Chengzong, Yuan Chonghuan, Mao Wenlong, Lu Xiangshan, Sun Chuanting, Hong Chengchou...

These figures who left their illustrious names in history only proved themselves at certain times and in certain places.

Yet, no one has ever truly been able to fully prove themselves in the face of the Ming Dynasty's deadlock.

But that makes sense. If even one person had fully proven themselves, the Ming Dynasty wouldn't have ended up like this.

As his butterfly wings continue to flap, the history he knows is becoming increasingly blurred.

Right and wrong, merit and demerit, are no longer relevant to the Chongzhen Emperor who hanged himself on Coal Hill.

All glory and disgrace, rise and fall, depend solely on the methods of this Emperor Yongchang.

This immense pressure, which controls the fate of hundreds of millions of people and Chinese civilization, is like an invisible mountain pressing down on his shoulders.

Shouldering the responsibility of two capitals and thirteen provinces, it sounds simple!
In my previous life, I only managed to feed a few hundred people; I never even cared about the life or death of a single person!
……

Amidst a jumble of thoughts, Zhu Youjian rode his horse past the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Establishing Harmony.

Construction on these three main halls began during the Wanli era.

The project involved a vast amount of silver, massive timber, skilled craftsmen, and other resources, costing tens of millions of taels of silver.

Even under the gloomy sky, they still appeared magnificent and imposing, their glazed tiles reflecting the faint sunlight, cold and silent.

The Ming Dynasty fell, but these three grand halls endured for four hundred years.

……

Soon, Zhu Youjian passed by the Qianqing Palace again.

Since his transmigration, he has spent most of his time here.

In this palace, he reviewed memorial after memorial and met with minister after minister, but he only left the palace once—to inspect the Tengxiang Four Guards.

After that trip out of the palace, realizing how tedious each trip was, he never left the palace again.

This small space was both his prison and his battlefield.

……

After passing through the Qianqing Palace and exiting the Xuanwu Gate, the distant Wansui Mountain came into view.

Zhu Youjian cut diagonally along the foot of the mountain.

The Emperor's Longevity Pavilion of Su Dongpo is faintly visible. The crooked tree outside the pavilion was ordered to be cut down when I climbed it last time.

If this attempt fails, he will no longer have a place at Wansui Mountain.

If I'm still going to die in seventeen years, then I'll die in the South. Nanjing, Fujian, Guangzhou, Taiwan—I'll carry on until there's nowhere left to retreat, then I'll just find a tree to fall under.

……

"Uu——"

Zhu Youjian suddenly pulled on the reins, and his horse reared up, letting out a long neigh.

He raised his head and gazed into the distance at the Beianmen Gate.

The imposing gatehouse, under the dim sky, resembled a silent giant.

Zhu Youjian watched quietly, his fingers sometimes loosening and sometimes tightening the whip.

None of his attendants knew what he was thinking, and they all remained silent. Only the horses, which galloped for a while, were stopped and snorted in dissatisfaction.

The cold wind blew Zhu Youjian's robes, making them flutter loudly.

After a long silence, he suddenly turned around, his face regaining its composure.

"Unknowingly, I've ended up here." Zhu Youjian smiled slightly, his face showing no sign of abnormality. "Perfect timing. I'll go to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs on the way and have Cao Huachun and the others tell me about the reorganization of the inner palace. That way, I won't have to summon them back and forth."

"Let's go!" Zhu Youjian didn't hesitate any longer. He turned his horse and headed towards the Directorate of Ceremonial.

His entourage immediately responded in unison and followed closely behind.

(Attached is a map of the route Zhu Youjian took in his panic, which is 2306 meters long and takes about 5 minutes on horseback.)
……

In the courtyard of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a group of young eunuchs stood in a circle under an old locust tree.

At the center of the crowd was a dark-skinned boy.

“Your Highness, please don’t refuse. This is a small token of my respect to you.”

A small eunuch with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face was smiling broadly as he stuffed a small packet of candy wrapped in oiled paper into Wang Chengen's arms.

Wang Chengen waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning bright red: "No, no..."

Fang Zhenghua snatched the candy from the eunuch and patted him on the shoulder.

"You've got some sense now!"

"Your grandfather, a figure highly regarded by our great-grandfather, is someone you have been fortunate enough to associate with for generations!"

Upon hearing this, everyone crowded around, stuffing the snacks and treats they had hidden into Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua's hands.

There were sweet and sour preserved plums, crispy fried beans, and even a slightly sour sesame seed cake from the north of the city that had been left out for most of the morning.

Wang Chengen was extremely embarrassed. He tugged at Fang Zhenghua's sleeve and whispered, "Master Fang, forget it, forget it..."

Fang Zhenghua waved his hand, about to teach this honest young man some palace etiquette, when he spotted a flash of bright yellow entering through the doorway.

The body reacts much faster than the brain.

"This servant kowtows to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

The other eunuchs were startled and, without even looking, turned around and knelt down, like wheat that had been cut down!

"This humble servant kowtows to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Various snacks were scattered all over the floor, rolling everywhere.

Zhu Youjian looked at the scene, which resembled being caught eating snacks in class in later generations, and couldn't help but smile.

"Be flat."

Upon hearing this, the eunuchs straightened up, but remained kneeling on the ground.

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept across the crowd and he quickly spotted a familiar face.

He walked up with great interest and asked curiously, "What's your name?"

Wang Chengen dared not be negligent. He had been in the palace for nearly a month, and even if he was stupid, he had learned the rules by now.

"Your Majesty, this servant is Wang Chengen."

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smile:
"I remember you. You're the little fire spirit who wrote on the exam paper that you wanted to eat meat!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen was immediately embarrassed and distressed.

He kowtowed heavily to the ground: "This servant...this servant had just entered the palace and was young and ignorant, so I spoke nonsense. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjian turned to Gao Shiming beside him and asked with a smile, "Gao, what rank did he get in the last monthly exam? Did he get to eat meat?"

Gao Shiming bowed, a smile on his face, and replied, "Your Majesty, this lad is disappointing. He only ranked forty-seventh last time. According to the rules, he won't get any meat."

He paused, then continued, "However, seeing that Your Majesty was amused by his witty remark that day, I took it upon myself to grant him an extra portion of meat."

"Hahahaha!" Zhu Youjian burst into laughter after hearing this.

He shook his head and said to Gao Shiming, "Gao Banban, this is not the way of a teacher. Jade must be carved to become a useful object. Spoiling him will only harm him."

Gao Shiming smiled slightly, showing no fear, and replied, "Your Majesty is right; it was I who did not think things through."

"Since he ate an extra portion of meat last time, let the teachers of the Inner Academy give him a good lesson." Zhu Youjian changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat wicked. "If he doesn't make it into the top twenty in this monthly exam, give him ten slaps on the hand to make him pay back the extra portion of meat he ate last time."

Gao Shiming couldn't help but chuckle and smiled as he agreed.

Zhu Youjian glanced at Wang Chengen, who was lying on the ground.

—Is that you? Wang Banban, seventeen years later?
Whether it is or not is not important anymore. Study hard and improve every day. If you can really learn well, you will naturally have a place by my side!
When the time comes, I'll hang in the middle, Gao Banban will hang on the left, and the right side will be yours.

It's just that the three trees are connected together, so it might be a bit hard to find.

Zhu Youjian withdrew his gaze, and after a moment of self-mockery, the annoyance and panic in his heart finally dissipated completely.

He straightened his robes, turned and walked towards the main hall of the Directorate of Ceremonial, his voice regaining its imperial majesty and composure.

"Let's go."

"Summon Cao Huachun and the others to come see me. Today, let's have a good talk about the reorganization of the inner palace."

(End of this chapter)