How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 200 The Filial Son of the Ming Dynasty Has Finally Arrived! (Luo Luo will be changing the book title soon)
On the 23rd day of the first month of the third year of Chongzhen's reign, at Huangshatan Fortress.

As dawn broke, the chill was biting. Inside the newly erected tent in the fortress, the charcoal brazier crackled and popped, yet it couldn't dispel the oppressive atmosphere weighing on everyone's hearts.

Amin, Abatai, Yangguli, and several other Beile generals had already arrived, all with grim faces. Yesterday's fierce attack on the chariot camp had not only failed to achieve anything, but had also resulted in the loss of many true slaves, including nearly a dozen elite white-armored soldiers. How could the atmosphere in the tent be good?

Amin was the first to lose his temper, slamming his fist on the table, making the cups and saucers rattle: "Great Khan! I can't swallow this insult! Let the men regroup and charge again, we'll smash Sun Chuanting's ironclad formation to pieces!"

Yang Guli, with only his injured arm in a sling—his warhorse had been shot dead by a musket yesterday, causing him to fall and nearly lose his life—said in a muffled voice, “Charge again? The Ming dogs’ firearms are fierce, and their chariot formations are solid. Fighting head-on will only waste the lives of my Eight Banners warriors.”

Abatai sighed and echoed, "So many bondservant aha died filling the trenches, but the road wasn't paved, and the elite of Bayara were lost first."

Inside the tent, a heated discussion broke out, with some advocating for war and others for defense, and the two sides were deadlocked.

Huang Taiji remained silent, sitting at the head of the table, slowly tearing off a piece of roasted lamb leg and chewing it. Only when the noise subsided did he throw the clean bone into the fire pit, sending up a cluster of sparks.

"Have you all had enough?" His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the tent. "Those who died in battle yesterday were all good sons of our Eight Banners. The pain in my heart is no less than any of yours."

He stood up, his large figure casting a shadow on the tent wall, carrying an invisible pressure: "But what good is heartache? Sun Chuanting would love for us to run into his ironclad defenses every day, until we are battered and bruised, and until we are exhausted."

He walked to the crudely drawn sheepskin map and pointed to the Xuanda area: "Open your eyes wide and look carefully. Datong is a military town that has been around for two hundred years. It has many fortresses and strongholds! Can we afford to wear them down here? Even if we exhaust all our resources to take Datong, there is still Xuanfu and Jizhou behind it! The Ming Dynasty is vast and rich in resources, with a deep foundation. Can we win by risking our lives?"

Upon hearing this, all the generals fell silent, for these words had truly struck at their hidden anxieties.

Huang Taiji's finger suddenly slashed, landing sharply on the Great Wall line of Jizhou: "The strength of our Eight Banners lies in our fast horses and sharp swords, in our ability to move like the wind! How can we bind our own hands and feet and be trapped under a fortified city?"

He turned around abruptly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Therefore, from this moment on, this Huangshatan fortress, along with the tens of thousands of troops outside it, is a decoy to lure the enemy, a bait to lure in Ming Dynasty reinforcements!"

Amin was taken aback: "What does the Great Khan mean?"

"What I mean is that we must make it look like we're going to attack Xuan Da with all our might!" Huang Taiji's voice deepened. "The construction of fortresses must be done with even greater fanfare, and the mobilization of troops must be even more impressive! Order all the Mongol tribes to send more troops, which will show that the Khan wants to lead them into the pass and share in the riches!"

His finger slammed heavily on Beijing on the map: "That little Ming emperor is so pleased with himself after receiving the news of victory. Let's make him even more pleased, let him believe that our main force is already bogged down in the Xuanda quagmire! He will definitely draw elite troops from Jizhou, or even Liaodong, to reinforce Sun Chuanting! When his Jizhou border is completely undefended..."

Huang Taiji slammed his fist on the map: "That is the time when my Eight Banners cavalry will march straight to Beijing!"

A deathly silence fell over the tent at first, then a collective gasp filled the air. Abatai suddenly realized, "The Great Khan is wise! This is a diversionary tactic!"

"Indeed!" Huang Taiji's face revealed a cold smile. "Sun Chuanting wants to be the anvil, so I'll let him be it to his heart's content. However, the hammer I'm about to wield isn't aimed at him, this piece of hard iron, but at the heart of the Ming Dynasty—Beijing!"

The order was immediately given, and the fortress became even busier inside and out. Horns blared continuously, dust billowed, and squads of Mongol cavalry, responding to the call, added to the show of force.

On the same day, in Beijing, the scene inside the Forbidden City was quite different.

Inside the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the underfloor heating was blazing, creating a cozy atmosphere. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, wore a rare air of ease and joy. He had just welcomed a prince yesterday, and the festive mood in the palace hadn't yet dissipated when good news arrived from Consort Liu (Yueying)—a pregnancy had been confirmed. This was truly a double blessing, even somewhat easing the fatigue from handling state affairs for days.

At that moment, he was carefully taking the little one wrapped in bright yellow swaddling clothes from the wet nurse's hands. The little one had just finished nursing and was still letting out tiny burps, his dark eyes darting around curiously.

This little fellow is none other than Zhu Cilang, the most filial son of the Chongzhen Emperor, who arrived late!
In his previous life, because Emperor Chongzhen wasn't as "ruthless," his son came early, and he became a father in the second year of Chongzhen's reign.

This time, he has to be careful. He has no son, so if he suffers retribution, the successor will be either the Fat Prince Fu or the Fat Prince Fu's son (who is older than Chongzhen). This is a candidate that the Donglin gentlemen absolutely cannot accept.

Back then, when the "succession struggle" occurred, the Donglin gentlemen felt that they had already offended the Prince of Fu's family to death. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen waited until the Beijing garrison was completely purged before allowing Empress Zhou to conceive the imperial child. However, when the child was born, it turned out to be a son.

Chongzhen held the baby clumsily yet with utmost gentleness, extending a finger to lightly touch the baby's pink cheek. A kind smile unconsciously appeared on his face, softening even his usually stern features.

"My son, grow up quickly..." he murmured softly, like an ordinary father. The infant seemed a little annoyed by his father's two pokes, frowning and glaring at his father with some dissatisfaction. Chongzhen's smile deepened, as if the exhaustion of the past few days had found some solace in this moment.

Just as this tender moment was unfolding, Xu Yingyuan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, tiptoed in, bowed, and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong, Sun Chuanting, has delivered an urgent report on his victory, which will take place over 600 li."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's eyes suddenly cleared. He handed the infant back to the wet nurse standing nearby, gesturing for her to leave. He straightened his robes, regaining the dignity of a monarch, and took the military report, quickly reading it. After a moment, his smile widened: "Excellent! Sun Baigu fought well! He decisively defeated the enemy's advance on the banks of the Sanggan River, killing many of the Jurchens and even inflicting heavy losses on the White Armored Soldiers, forcing Huang Taiji to retreat and build fortifications! With this, the siege of Zhenhai Fortress is lifted, and Yuan Chonghuan has safely escorted Su Tai to Datong. Now, all that remains is for the birth of Hudun Tuhan's posthumous son, so that the Chahan tribe will have a leader again."

"Well done, Sun Baigu!" Emperor Chongzhen put down the military report and said to Xu Yingyuan, "Issue an imperial decree to bestow upon Sun Chuanting a bullfighting outfit and a reward of three thousand taels of silver! The meritorious soldiers of Datong and Xuanfu shall also be rewarded accordingly!"

In high spirits, he immediately said to his attendants, "Go and summon Mr. Huang Lijie, Mr. Sun Chengzong, Mr. Wang Zaijin, Mr. Bi Ziyan, and Mr. Yang Sichang to the Qianqing Palace for a meeting."

Before long, several high-ranking officials arrived as summoned. Upon entering the warm pavilion, they first offered their congratulations to the emperor, wishing him a safe and prosperous newborn prince, ensuring the continuation of the imperial line.

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and told them to dispense with formalities and take seats: "I invited you gentlemen here today for two reasons: first, to share the good news, and second, to discuss important military and national matters."

He ordered Xu Yingyuan to spread Sun Chuanting's victory report to all his officials.

After reading the report, the senior officials all showed expressions of satisfaction. Wang Zaijin stroked his beard and said, "Sun Baigu's steady and methodical approach this time has blunted the enemy's momentum and greatly boosted our army's morale!"

Sun Chengzong nodded in agreement: "The enemy chieftain has halted his troops beneath the fortified city, his morale has waned, and his army is exhausted. This is the perfect time for our army to seize the opportunity to advance."

An optimistic atmosphere filled the room, with everyone believing that the Xuan war front was already secure and that Huang Taiji's invasion would be difficult to achieve anything.

Emperor Chongzhen listened attentively to the discussion, and only spoke slowly after the atmosphere had eased somewhat: "What you gentlemen say is quite true. Sun Chuanting is indeed a pillar of the state, stabilizing the situation in Xuanfu and Datong. However..."

He stood up, walked to the huge map of the nine border regions hanging in the sky, and shifted his gaze from Xuanda University to the distant Liaodong region.

"Huang Taiji has come with almost the entire nation's strength, so his strongholds of Shenyang and Liaoyang must be poorly defended."

The ministers exchanged glances, a thought flashing through their minds. Could His Majesty's words mean...?

Emperor Chongzhen turned around, his eyes gleaming, and surveyed the crowd: "I have been thinking, rather than engaging in a head-on battle with the enemy chieftains in the Xuanda region, which would only deplete our national strength, it would be better to find another way and attack their strongholds!"

Yang Sichang cautiously inquired, "What is Your Majesty's intention?"

Emperor Chongzhen pointed decisively at the Liaodong Peninsula: "I intend to send a surprise force, taking advantage of the navy, to cross the sea eastward, land in Liaodong, and strike directly at Huang Taiji's base!"

These words caused an immediate silence in the Qianqing Palace. Sun Chengzong frowned slightly, and Wang Zaijin hesitated, as if he wanted to speak but held back. A distant expedition across the sea, deep into enemy territory—this was far too risky!
Emperor Chongzhen saw their worries and smiled calmly: "Gentlemen, there is no need to worry. I do not intend to recover Liaoshen in one fell swoop; such a matter is indeed beyond our current reach."

He paused briefly before revealing his true intention: "My actions are intended to create a show of force and draw the flames of war into the heart of the Jurchen territory! I want Huang Taiji to know that if he dares to invade Xuanfu and Datong, I can wipe out his lair!"

His tone gradually became firm: "After this surprise force lands, there is no need to forcibly attack the fortified city. Instead, we should spread banners widely and deploy many feints, with our forces pointing towards Shenyang! In this way, Huang Taiji will be caught in a fire in his rear. How can he ignore it? Will he still dare to advance westward with all his might? Will he still dare to send troops to spy on our Jizhou? He will definitely send troops back to rescue it, or even leave a large force to defend Shenyang! At that time, his forces in Xuanda will be weak, and he will be unable to advance or retreat. How can he then suppress those Mongol tribes that are only superficially united?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers' doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by thoughtful expressions. It turned out their Emperor was employing a clever tactic—a strategy of attacking Wei to rescue Zhao!

Bi Ziyan, who was in charge of finances, reminded him as usual: "Your Majesty, although the expedition across the sea does not require attacking fortified positions, the cost of transporting provisions and supplies will likely be considerable."

Wang Zaijin frowned and said, "It's hard to guarantee that there aren't Jurchen spies in the Liaoxi army."

He never trusted the Liao people.
Emperor Chongzhen was clearly confident: "The required silver can be covered by my imperial treasury for the majority..." He was quite confident at this moment, and considered whether he could take one or two more daughters of maritime merchants to supplement the military expenses. He couldn't help but laugh at himself, thinking that he was getting more and more used to this kind of "soft rice" (living off women). He continued: "...and we will not use a single soldier of the Liaoxi Guan Ning Army. This time, we will use Mao Wenlong's Dongjiang Town (Lushun Town) as the main force, and also dispatch some Imperial Guards who have been trained in Korea to assist in the battle. The navy will be commanded by Zheng Zhilong, whose Beiyang Fleet is sufficient to handle the transportation of troops and supplies. Yuan Keli, the Regent of Korea, and Yang Hao, the Chancellor, have recently made good progress in their operations, and can be ordered to provide some supplies from the side."

Yang Sichang pondered for a moment and said, "If we only use our momentum to restrain the enemy chieftain and throw him into disarray, this plan... seems feasible."

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly: "Attack where they must defend, that is indeed the best strategy. It will make Huang Taiji unable to attend to both ends, leaving him with no way to advance or retreat."

Seeing that the senior officials had no major objections, Chongzhen immediately made a decision: "This matter is of great importance and must be kept confidential. Xu Yingyuan, draft an edict: secretly order Mao Wenlong and Yuan Keli to come to the capital for an audience with me. I want to give them instructions in person! Zheng Zhilong is still in the capital at the moment, so let him stay for a few more days and be at my service."

Having made the arrangements, he walked to the window, looked towards the northern horizon, and muttered to himself, "Huang Taiji wants to restrain me in Xuanda, so I will light a beacon fire in the heart of Liaodong! Let's see who will be thrown into disarray first!"

(End of this chapter)