How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 182 The Exquisite Tiger Crouching Cannon, Flames of War Rise in Liaodong (Seeking monthly votes, last day of double monthly votes!)

On a crisp autumn morning, a layer of white frost covered the ground at the drill ground outside Shenyang.

A north wind blew in, carrying a biting chill.

In the center of the drill ground, there was a newly cast object, covered with a thick felt cloth.

A group of princes and bannermen, dressed in various colored cotton armor, stood around, their necks hunched and their breath steaming in the air. No one spoke; only the sound of horses' hooves pounding the ground could be heard.

Huang Taiji stood on the command platform, wrapped in a mink robe, his face bluish from the cold. He stared at the felt cloth, his expression complex.

Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo, two Han officials, stood behind him with their hands at their sides, their faces showing a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"Unveil it." Huang Taiji's voice was not loud, but it invigorated everyone.

Two Goshkhas stepped forward and deftly tore off the felt cloth.

A cannon was revealed.

The cannon wasn't large; its barrel was made of bronze, which gleamed with a heavy, dark light in the hazy morning glow.

This cannon looks a bit strange. A typical tiger-squatting cannon is just a cheap, passable, mass-produced weapon. But this one has exceptionally thick walls, making it plump and sturdy, like a robust, short winter melon. The cannon carriage is also unusually heavy, with thick, strong wooden rafters and perfectly fitted mortise and tenon joints.

Fan Yongdou quickly stepped forward, pointed to the cannon barrel, and explained obsequiously to Huang Taiji: "Your Majesty, look! This was made entirely with the highest craftsmanship of the southern barbarians, meticulous in every detail! Look at the thickness of the walls, the polishing, there is absolutely no risk of it exploding! Sturdy and durable!"

His words were half true and half false. It was true that the cannon was indeed built to the most stringent standards, for fear of even the slightest mistake. The false part was that this excessive sturdiness came at the cost of wasted materials and labor, making it incredibly heavy. It wasn't a tiger-squatting cannon at all; it was a hodgepodge of short-barreled field guns. It was hodgepodge mainly because the barrel length and thickness were somewhat mismatched. The barrel was too short, resembling a curved-fire cannon, while the barrel walls were too thick, reaching the thickness of long-barreled (cannon) guns. Yet, the primary task of this cannon was to fire loose rounds.

Huang Taiji stepped down from the reviewing stand and reached out to touch the cold cannon barrel. It was smooth to the touch, the bronze evenly distributed. Although he knew nothing about cannons, he could tell at a glance that a great deal of money had been invested in it!

"Try it," he commanded, stepping back a few paces.

The gunners got to work. Loading propellant, filling the shells—they used carefully polished lead bullets. Lighting the fuse.

"boom!"

A deafening roar shook everyone's ears. A large plume of fire and thick smoke spewed from the cannon.

Fifty paces away, there stood three thick wooden stakes covered with three layers of iron armor.

As the smoke cleared, everyone looked out and couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Those three wooden stakes had been smashed to pieces; the iron armor on them was as flimsy as paper, riddled with holes, truly turning them into sieves.

There was a moment of silence on the training ground, followed by a chorus of low gasps.

Mangultai grinned but remained silent. Ajige's eyes flickered. Daishan stroked his beard, his brow furrowed slightly. They were all seasoned veterans, having seen their share of brutality, but this was the first time they had ever witnessed someone so swiftly riddle through heavy armor.

Fan Wencheng knelt down excitedly: "Great Khan! Heaven blesses the Great Jin! With this powerful weapon, how can we not defeat the Ming army!"

Ning Wan also quickly chimed in, "The power of this cannon is enough to counter muskets and break through the enemy's strong formation!"

The other princes and generals joined in the clamor, making the atmosphere much more lively.

Huang Taiji, however, showed no joy. He stared at the cannon, still emitting blue smoke, his mind churning with turmoil.

The cannons were excellent; he had witnessed their power firsthand. With these weapons, the chances of successfully attacking fortified positions and capturing enemy strongholds would certainly be much greater. It seemed that the humiliation at the Battle of Daning could finally be washed away completely.

But why can't I feel at ease?
He walked up to the cannon and touched it again. How much silver would this copper and this workmanship cost? Fan Wencheng had roughly calculated before that the money to build this cannon would be enough to make dozens of sets of fine iron armor.

The Jin Dynasty was weak; although it had plundered a great deal of wealth, it couldn't sustain such a drain. They could probably only build a hundred or two hundred cannons at most, right? And firing these cannons consumed gunpowder and lead bullets—all of which cost money!
But what about the Ming Dynasty?

The news from the scouts flashed through Huang Taiji's mind: the Chongzhen Emperor was planning to take a pirate's daughter surnamed Yang as a concubine.

I heard that woman is some kind of rich young lady with a dowry worth tens of thousands of taels of gold!

If that brat Chongzhen had this money, and built cannons to this standard... surely a thousand wouldn't be a problem, right?
The thought of hundreds or even thousands of such cannons bombarding the Jin warriors sent a chill down Huang Taiji's spine.

We can't wait any longer! We absolutely can't wait any longer!
We must act before the Ming Dynasty has had time to mass-produce these cannons!

That's the time difference we're after!
He whirled around, the gloom on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by his usual decisiveness and authority. His gaze swept across the room, and the princes immediately fell silent.

"You saw it all?" Huang Taiji's voice boomed. "This cannon is a powerful weapon against the Ming Dynasty!"

He paused for a moment, letting his words strike deep into everyone's hearts.

"But!" he changed the subject, "The Ming emperor is rich! If he takes in ten or eight more 'priceless young ladies' from pirate families, he can produce more and faster than us! In that case, we'll be the ones getting beaten!"

Everyone's expression turned serious.

"Therefore, we can't wait!" Huang Taiji declared resolutely. "We must take his life before that little emperor of the Zhu family has had enough of living off her! We must strike first and defeat him!"

He then began to appoint his generals:
"Send orders to General Hauge and Deputy General Dorgon stationed in Daming! Instruct them to expand the artillery factory in Daming, collect as much copper and firewood as possible, and prepare for a major construction project!"

"You, Grand Prince Daishan, Prince Ajige, and Prince Jirhalang, shall be in charge of the defense of Shengjing! Expedite the construction of fortifications and fortifications throughout Liaoyang, Shenyang, and all the way to southern Liaoning! Ensure that grain and fodder are fully stocked! The cannon foundries in Shengjing must not be stopped; keep producing cannons for me!"

"Yes, sir!" Daishan, Ajige, and Jirhalang answered in unison. "Mangurtai!"

“Here!” Mangultai’s voice was rough and powerful.

"Take your troops and go to North Korea to keep an eye on things! Keep an eye on Yuan Keli and Mao Wenlong, and defend Seoul and Pyongyang in North Korea! Only when our flanks are secure can the main army advance westward with peace of mind!"

"Don't worry, Khan! I've got it covered!"

Finally, he looked at Hou Xingguo and Fan Yongdou.

"Hou Xingguo".

"Your Majesty, I am here!" Hou Xingguo's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

"Go back to Beijing. Use your connections for me. How many new cannons has the Ming Dynasty built? What's that Chongzhen brat up to? I want you to become my eyes and ears!"

"I...I would gladly die a thousand deaths!"

"Fan Yongdou".

"Your servant is here!" Fan Yongdou was sweating profusely.

"You are familiar with the materials and craftsmen for casting cannons. Follow the army, and once we reach Daning, immediately set up workshops for me and cast cannons on the spot! If you need anything, ask Fan Wencheng!"

"This servant understands! Understands!"

With the assignments finalized, Huang Taiji took a deep breath of the cool air, feeling a slight relief from the pent-up emotions in his chest.

"All departments must act in accordance with the order without error!"

"twitter!"

The crowd responded with a resounding roar, and the training ground was immediately filled with the movement of troops and flags, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Almost simultaneously, a thousand miles away in Beijing, a light rain had just fallen, leaving the air damp and chilly.

Inside the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly.

Emperor Chongzhen sat behind his desk, reviewing memorials. Wang Chengen quietly poured him some tea.

Wei Zhongxian tiptoed in and presented a small, wax-sealed secret letter.

Emperor Chongzhen put down his vermilion brush, opened the letter, and quickly scanned it. The letter contained only a few words, reporting on the cannon tests in Shenyang and Huang Taiji's decision to advance westward.

His face was expressionless as he casually held the letter to the candle. The flame licked at the paper, which quickly curled, turned black, and became a small clump of ash, falling beside the inkstone.

"The bait has been taken, and the line has moved." Chongzhen said calmly, as if talking to himself.

Wei Zhongxian bowed and whispered, "Your Majesty is a brilliant strategist."

Emperor Chongzhen stood up and walked to the huge map of Jiliao. His gaze fell on the words "Shuntian" and "Yongping".

"Send an edict to Lu Xiang-sheng," he said without turning his head, "tell him: the slave chieftain has already made his move, and he should begin as soon as possible. I will await his report of victory in the capital."

"This servant obeys the decree." Wang Chengen bowed and replied, then quickly withdrew to relay the order.

Emperor Chongzhen stood alone in front of the map and studied it for a long time.

Outside the window, the north wind howled across the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, making a whistling sound like a distant horn.

Outside Shenyang, the army has begun to assemble.

Huang Taiji, mounted on his horse, looked back at the majestic city walls of Shenyang, and then at the new cannon that was being carefully loaded onto the vehicle behind him.

He knew in his heart that once he took this step, there would be no turning back.

Alternatively, we could overthrow the Ming Dynasty.

Alternatively, we could squander the Great Jin Kingdom's resources on this path.

"set off!"

He waved his hand sharply.

The sounds of horses' hooves, wheels, and footsteps mingled together as the massive procession slowly moved southwest.

In the late autumn of the second year of the Chongzhen reign, the winds outside the Great Wall grew stronger and stronger.

The flames of war for the Jisi Incident have finally begun to ignite!

(End of this chapter)