How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 155 Li Hongji, Zhang Xianzhong, is it alright to be dogs for the Ming Dynasty? (Second update, please vote)

Inside the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the charcoal brazier burned brightly. Despite the bitter cold of winter, the room was warm enough to make one feel restless. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, stood with his hands behind his back before the enormous "Complete Map of the Ming Dynasty," his brow furrowed, deep in thought.

Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground, his head bowed low. He had only returned from Korea two days prior, and the weariness on his face had not yet faded.

"Your Majesty," Wei Zhongxian's voice was a little hoarse, "the situation in Korea... remains tense."

Emperor Chongzhen did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the area outside Shanhaiguan on the map.

“Explain in detail.”

“Yes.” Wei Zhongxian swallowed hard. “Ice floes have already formed at the mouth of the Han River. The old fishermen on Ganghwa Island say that at this rate of cold, the sea will be open to traffic in ten to fifteen days at most. General Ma and his men are working day and night to expand the Great Bastion on Ganghwa Island and the bastion at the foot of Mangsu Mountain on the opposite shore. They are also reinforcing the Kumgangsan Fortress next to the Great Bastion. This is so that if the Ganghwa waterway freezes, the Joseon king and his officials on the island, as well as our troops, can take refuge in the fortresses.”

He paused, stealing a glance at the emperor's retreating figure. Seeing no movement, he continued, "More importantly, Huang Taiji has installed a puppet in Seoul."

"Oh?" Chongzhen finally turned half his face to the side. "Who is standing there?"

"He's a distant relative of the royal family, named Yi Mo. He was originally a duke with no real power. Now, the barbarian chieftain has promoted him, and he's sitting in Gyeongbokgung Palace issuing orders," Wei Zhongxian said, his tone laced with disdain. "However, quite a few cowardly Joseon officials have already fled to Seoul. King Injo is on Ganghwa Island, so angry he vomited blood."

Emperor Chongzhen snorted, turned around, and his face showed no emotion.

Is there anything else?

"Yes!" Wei Zhongxian's voice deepened. "The Jurchen Blue Banners, along with their newly arrived Mongol Tartars, swept through the area from Hancheng to Yizhou like a comb. They looted any grain they saw, seized any men they encountered, and those who refused to leave... were beheaded on the spot. Hundreds of miles of land have been almost completely devastated. The cries of despair shook the heavens, Your Majesty."

The warm room fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire audible.

Emperor Chongzhen slowly walked behind his desk and sat down, picking up a rosewood cup filled with goji berries and taking a sip. As the warm water went down, the seriousness between his brows seemed to ease somewhat, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

“Wei Daban,” he suddenly spoke, his voice unusually calm, “in your opinion, do Li Zong and his ministers truly intend to defend Jianghua to the death, or are they planning to flee south?”

Wei Zhongxian was taken aback by the question. After carefully recalling what he had seen and heard on Ganghwa Island, he cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, Prince Li is naturally filled with anxiety and fear, but his ministers, such as Kim Sang-yong, do possess a certain backbone to live and die with the island. However… the people below are in a state of panic, and it's inevitable that some will seek a way out."

"Hmm." Chongzhen put down his cup and tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk. "So, Li Zong himself might not really want to run away?"

"In my opinion... that is indeed the case. After all, the ancestral tombs are all in the north. Fleeing south to Jeolla is tantamount to exile, and it should only be done as a last resort..."

"That's good!" Chongzhen suddenly interrupted him, a smile appearing on his face, surprising Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing, who was standing beside him. The emperor stood up and walked to the huge map again, pointing precisely at Ganghwa Island on the west coast of Korea.

"I spent so much money and resources, having Johann Adam Schall von Bell allocate craftsmen to help them build a large fortress on Ganghwa Island, and also erected a fortress at the foot of Mount Mangsu on the opposite shore. I even fortified Kumgangsan Fortress to be as solid as a fortress. What was the purpose of all this?"

Without waiting for Wei Zhongxian's reply, he answered his own question with an undeniable certainty: "This is all for this day! All to make the Jurchens believe that freezing the strait is their opportunity!"

Emperor Chongzhen turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Niu Jinxing: "Minister Niu, immediately draft an imperial edict for Yuan Keli."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Niu Jinxing hurriedly bowed, returned to his desk used for "office work," sat down, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to draft the imperial edict.

Emperor Chongzhen then began to dictate, his tone resolute: "The decree must be clear: First, inform King Injo and all the Korean officials that I am fully aware of the enemy's situation, and Ganghwa Island is perfectly defended; there is no need to flee south. Order their ruler and ministers to immediately move to Ganghwa Grand Bastion, unify command, and demonstrate our determination to hold the fort. Second, order Yuan Keli and Ma Chengen to rely on the bastion complex and actively prepare for war. If the enemy chieftain dares to attack across the ice, give him a good beating! I want to see whether their flesh and blood are tougher, or whether my bastions and cannons are more powerful!"

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips, as if he could already see the future.

"Tell Commander Yuan not to be stingy with ammunition. I'm actually hoping that Huang Taiji will send all his elite troops to this tough nut to crack on Jianghua Island! This icy, snowy land is the perfect battlefield for my 'bastion mowing' tactic!"

Hearing these murderous words and seeing the emperor's expression—a mixture of confidence and anticipation—Wei Zhongxian felt a chill run down his spine, which quickly transformed into a strange sense of exhilaration. This young emperor's mind is truly unfathomable!
"This servant understands! His Majesty intends to... lure the enemy into a trap, using Jianghua Island as bait to exhaust the Jurchen's morale!"

"That's right!" Emperor Chongzhen slammed his hand heavily on Ganghwa Island on the map. "This game of chess with Korea has only just begun! They want to exploit us and install a puppet regime; I'll make them knock their teeth out on this frozen island!"

"Minister Niu, draft an imperial edict immediately, affix the seal, and send it out via the fastest possible courier, six hundred li away!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Niu Jinxing, who had been by Chongzhen's side, received the decree and immediately began to write.

Emperor Chongzhen returned to the map. This time, his finger didn't point to Liaodong, but pressed heavily on Shaanxi. "Minister Wei, Shaanxi and Sichuan are the real key points right now," Chongzhen's voice was low and firm. "The strategy of 'relocating princes to Sichuan' has been discussed long enough; now, it's time to put it into practice."

Wei Zhongxian's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the emperor was about to give him the real task.

Chongzhen stared at him: "You'll have to do me a favor and go to Shaanxi. Ostensibly, it's to deliver wages and muskets to Sun Chuanting, who is currently recruiting and training soldiers there. But secretly, you're here to give those lazy princes a good push on my behalf!"

He walked to the imperial desk, picked up a pre-prepared document, and handed it to Wei Zhongxian.

"This is the proposal I instructed the cabinet to deliberate on. For the princes who are willing to be ordered to move south to guard Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, I will restore their guard quotas to three guards! Furthermore, the fertile lands originally belonging to Shuixi and Yongning will be allocated to them as their fiefdoms! Their subordinate princes, generals of the state, and generals of the state, if talented, may, after examination, serve as officials under the Provincial Administration Commission, or hold positions in the fiefdom's guards or on its estates!"

Wei Zhongxian quickly glanced at the proposal and was shocked. These conditions were incredibly generous!

"Your Majesty...is this reward too much...?" Wei Zhongxian asked subconsciously.

"Too heavy?" Chongzhen sneered. "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub! Let them go south with dignity; it's better than making a scene later and losing face for everyone! This is a strategy of diplomacy before resorting to force."

He stared at Wei Zhongxian, his tone brooking no argument: "Your mission is to make them understand that this is a favor from me, and their last chance. Accept the decree with dignity, and everyone will see. But if they refuse..."

Chongzhen didn't finish his sentence, but the cold glint in his eyes sent a chill down Wei Zhongxian's spine.

"This servant...understands!" Wei Zhongxian took a deep breath. "I will do my utmost to ensure that the princes...understand His Majesty's will and gladly proceed south!"

"It's not a matter of gladness, it's a necessity!" Chongzhen corrected. "The remnants of An She's regime in Sichuan have not yet been eradicated; this is precisely the time for military action. Sending them there with their guards is not only a means to secure their livelihood but also a way to contribute to the court's pacification of the region. Tell them that the territory they conquer there will one day become their own vassal state!"

After giving this important instructions, Chongzhen dismissed the eunuchs on his left and right, leaving only Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing behind, and lowered his voice even further.

"There is one more top-secret matter that I need you two to handle."

Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing immediately focused their attention and held their breath.

"On your way to Shaanxi, find me two men." Chongzhen's gaze swept over the two men's faces. "One is a courier from Mizhi County named Li Hongji. The other is a border soldier from Fushi County named Zhang Xianzhong."

Niu Jinxing was slightly taken aback, clearly not understanding why the emperor cared so much about two unknown soldiers.

"After finding it..." Chongzhen paused, then said something startling, "There's no need to make a fuss. Wei Daban will take it in as his personal attendant."

"What?!" Wei Zhongxian exclaimed in a low voice, almost thinking he had misheard. "Your Majesty! These two... one is a courier, the other a rogue soldier, and they've taken them in as servants? This... this is outrageous!"

Chongzhen stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife: "What? You think they're not worthy?"

Wei Zhongxian bowed down: "This servant dares not! But...this servant truly does not understand...why."

"I'll tell you why!" Chongzhen suddenly stood up, his voice not loud, but unusually carrying an unquestionable tone. He didn't answer directly, but first dismissed all the eunuchs around him, until only the three of them remained in the warm pavilion, where even their breathing could be clearly heard.

Chongzhen's gaze swept over Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing, finally settling on a point in the void. His eyes revealed a mixture of awe and lingering fear as he slowly spoke, "Because... seven days ago, Emperor Taizu Gao appeared to me in a dream."

"what?!"

Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing were trembling violently, as if struck by lightning. The Emperor Taizu had appeared to them in a dream!

Chongzhen's voice was deep and clear, as if he were recounting a scene etched in his memory: "The founding emperor, clad in a blood-stained battle robe, stood amidst the clouds and mist, pointing his finger at me and sternly proclaiming: 'Unworthy descendants! The Purple Star is dim, and the two stars, Broken Army and Seven Killings, have fallen to the land of Qin! One is named Li Hongji, and the other Zhang Xianzhong! These two bear the aura of national doom; if they are not subdued soon, they will become a prairie fire, burning down my Great Ming Dynasty!'"

The warm pavilion was deathly silent; Wei Zhongxian and Niu Jinxing were so shocked that their faces turned ashen.

"Now, do you understand?" Chongzhen's gaze was like two icicles, fixed on Wei Zhongxian. "I found them not because they are talented, but because they are 'evil stars'! I ordered you to keep them by your side not to use them, but to 'exorcise evil'! To avert the calamity of my Great Ming Dynasty! Now, do you still have any questions?"

"This servant...this servant would never dare!" Wei Zhongxian kowtowed, "This servant will risk my old life to make sure that Your Majesty keeps these two 'evil stars' firmly in your grasp!"

(End of this chapter)