How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 204 A feint to the west while striking east, the target: Beijing! (Please subscribe)

In the spring of the fourth year of the Tiancong reign, the north wind on the grassland was still strong, making the huge golden-topped tent outside Kuku and Tuncheng flutter loudly.

Inside and outside the tent, however, a completely different and vibrant scene unfolded.

Almost all the prominent Taijis and Noyans of Southern Mongolia were present. The Khan of the Tumed tribe, the Jinong Erlinchen of the Ordos tribe, and the chieftains of numerous tribes, large and small, were all gathered. The aroma of wine and meat mingled with the scents of leather and people, filling the air. Everyone wore smiles and spoke auspicious words, but beneath their eyes lay their own hidden agendas. With Ligdan Khan gone and the Chahan tribe scattered, now on the grasslands, they depended on the whims of this Great Jin Tiancong Khan.

Huang Taiji sat upright in the main seat, his large body wrapped in a brocade robe, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the crowd below. Beside him sat several of his newly acquired Mongol wives, all widows of Ligdan Khan, except for the most important one, Nangnang, and Sutai, who had given birth to his posthumous child.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was quite lively. An elderly Taiji from the Tumed tribe stood up shakily, raised his wine cup, and said loudly, "Since Ligdan left for the west, Mongolia has been without a master, like cattle and sheep without a shepherd! Today, we, the tribes of southern Mongolia, wish to jointly elect the wise and brilliant Tiancong Khan as our Mongolian 'Bogda Chechen Khan,' to inherit the great cause and lead us to a better life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the tent, followed by a deafening roar of agreement.

"Yes! Let's elect Tiancong Khan as our 'Bogda Chechen Khan'!"

"Only 'Bogda Chechen Khan' can lead us!"

Huang Taiji's smile deepened, and he raised his hand to press down, gradually quieting the tent down. He looked around at everyone, his voice loud and clear, carrying an undeniable authority.

"Since you Taijis and Noyans are so kind to me, I, the Khan, will gladly accept!"

He stood up, took the golden hada (ceremonial scarf) handed to him by the servant, and put it around his neck.

"From this day forward, I am your Mongolian 'Bogda Chechen Khan'! All past grievances are wiped clean! I regard the Mongolian people as my own Eight Banners people! From now on, the Manchus and Mongols are one family, sharing joys and sorrows!"

He paused, pointed south, and his tone suddenly became impassioned.

"The Ming Dynasty to the south occupies the most fertile land, yet they mistreat their people and oppress our brothers on the grasslands! Behind their border walls lie countless gold, silver, silk, grain, salt, and tea! I have made up my mind that this year, I will break through the border walls of Xuanda and lead our Manchu-Mongol allied forces to storm in! Let everyone have a good haul, let our men get rich, and let the granaries of our tribes be overflowing!"

These words were like a fire thrown into a pile of dry wood.

The Mongol nobles inside the tent had bloodshot eyes and raised their wine cups, shouting wildly.

"Long live the Khan!"

"Follow the Great Khan and conquer the Ming Dynasty!"

"Robbing money, robbing grain, robbing women!"

The cheers nearly lifted the tent roof off. Huang Taiji watched all this with satisfaction; his combination of marriage alliance and plunder had completely boosted the morale of these Mongols.

Just as the commotion reached its peak, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the main tent.

Several Mongolian men, covered in dust and wearing tattered armor, rushed in, stumbling and crawling. The one in the lead threw himself before Ordos Jinong Erlinchen's seat, crying out, "Jinong! Something terrible has happened! Our royal court... has been overthrown!"

The golden cup in Erlinchen's hand clattered to the ground, spilling wine all over him. He stood up abruptly, his face deathly pale.

"What did you say? Who did it?!"

"It's...it's Consort Nangnang!" The messenger gasped for breath, his face filled with terror. "There's also a group of Han Chinese bandits, led by a man named Gao Yingxiang! They joined forces and, taking us by surprise, launched a surprise attack on the royal court! Our troops were scattered, and the royal court...has fallen!"

Erlinchen felt a sudden darkness engulf him, his body swayed, and he almost collapsed. His painstakingly built base in the Hetao region—had it all vanished just like that?

He no longer cared about appearances, staggered to Huang Taiji's seat, knelt down with a thud, and burst into tears.

"Great Khan! Great Khan, you must avenge your servant! That vile woman colluded with Ming Dynasty bandits and destroyed my stronghold! I beg you, Great Khan, to quickly send heavenly troops to help your servant reclaim the Hetao region!"

The cheers inside the tent stopped abruptly, and everyone froze, their eyes all turning to Huang Taiji.

Huang Taiji's smile faded, his brows furrowed slightly, but his eyes remained steady. He stood up and personally helped Erlinchen to his feet, his tone heavy and firm.

"Erinchen Jinong, get up! Since you have made me the Great Khan, your territory is my territory! Your enemies are my enemies!"

He turned to the people inside the tent, his voice resolute: "Nangnang is out of touch with reality, colluding with the Ming invaders and wreaking havoc on the grasslands. This trend must not be allowed to continue! I've remembered this debt, and I will definitely seek justice for you!"

His statement reassured the Mongol tribal leaders who were filled with doubt and uncertainty. The Great Khan was still a righteous man.

The grand assembly at Kulitai ended abruptly due to this unexpected turn of events. Huang Taiji reassured everyone, telling them to return to their camps to rest and that preparations for war would be discussed later.

After everyone had left, Huang Taiji immediately summoned Amin and his trusted civil official Xifu to his private tent.

Erlinchen was also brought in, his face still streaked with tears.

"Jinong, please calm down." Huang Taiji asked him to sit down, his tone much gentler. "The royal court has been lost, and being anxious won't help. The most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation."

He pointed to the Hetao region on the map: "Send people back first to gather the old troops and temporarily let them graze north of the Yellow River and on the southern slopes of the Yin Mountains. The water and grass there are good, so they can settle down there for now."

Erlinchen was moved to tears and nodded repeatedly.

"As for revenge," Huang Taiji's eyes flashed with a cold light, "don't worry, once I've dealt with the major affairs on the Ming Dynasty side, I will personally lead the elite Eight Banners troops to wipe out those clowns for you!"

After sending away the profusely grateful Erlinchen, only a few core members remained in the tent.

The gentleness on Huang Taiji's face vanished completely, replaced by a cold sharpness. He walked to the map and pointed heavily at the Xuanda defense line.

"The matter of Erlinchen was an accident, but it doesn't affect the overall situation, and it might even be... a good thing."

Amin and Xifu exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled.

"The Ming emperor, and Sun Chuanting, must now think that my main force is drawn to Xuanda and that I will fight them to the death." Huang Taiji's lips curled into a mocking smile. "With Erlinchen's court attacked, they will think that my backyard is on fire, and they will either divide their troops or be eager to fight."

His finger suddenly slashed eastward, landing sharply on the area around the Great Wall in Jizhou. "My true target has never been that tough nut to crack, Xuanda!"

He looked at Amin, his expression serious: "Amin, listen to my command!"

“Your subject is here!” Amin bowed.

"I hereby appoint you as the Grand General, in full charge of military affairs on the western front. You will remain to guard Kuku and Tun, commanding the allied forces of the Mongol tribes, as well as the two banners of troops I have assigned to you. Make a grand show of force, displaying the posture of launching a full-scale attack on Xuanfu and Datong! Make sure that the Ming emperor and his ministers believe that I, you, and the main force of the army are all here!"

"Yes, sir!" Amin shouted, a hint of excitement flashing across his face. He was about to become a leader, a dominant force in the region!

Huang Taiji then looked at Xifu: "Xifu, you stay and assist Amin Beile. There are two more things I need you to do."

"Please give your orders, Great Khan."

"First, send someone to contact the Ming Dynasty and spread the word that I, the Khan, am willing to negotiate peace. We can offer higher terms to mislead them."

"Secondly," a mysterious glint flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes, "send someone to make contact with that Nangnang Fujin and that bandit surnamed Gao. Offer them high-ranking positions and generous salaries; if they submit, I will not hesitate to bestow rewards upon them. Even if we fail to win them over, we must plant spies among them to prevent them from uniting as one."

"This servant understands." Xifu understood immediately; this was a psychological tactic.

After arranging the feints on the western front, Huang Taiji lowered his voice and revealed the real plan.

"Benhan will lead 10,000 elite troops under the pretext of supporting the Ordos Ten Thousand Households in their campaign against Nangnang, and quietly return east to Daning to join Dorgon and Hauge."

His finger jabbed hard at a pass in Jizhou.

"After the forces have converged, I, the Khan, will personally lead an army of 100,000 from Manchuria, Mongolia, Han, and Korea to break through this breach and march straight to the walls of Beijing!"

Amin and Xifu both gasped. So this was the Khan's trump card!

Huang Taiji turned around, looked at them intently, and revealed his ultimate goal.

"This time, when I enter the pass, I will not only plunder, but also make a name for myself and show my power! I will make the Ming emperor tremble with fear and obediently sit down at the negotiating table!"

He paused, then said, word by word, "I will force him to sign a treaty of surrender! He must acknowledge the Great Wall as the boundary, relinquish Liaodong and Liaonan, withdraw his troops from Korea, and obediently return that Su Tai Fujin to me! In addition, he must pay an annual tribute of one million taels of silver!"

He slammed his fist heavily on the table, making the teacups rattle.

"Only in this way can our Great Jin Dynasty gain a chance to breathe, digest its gains, and lay the foundation for its eternal rule over the Central Plains! This plan concerns the fate of the nation, so you two must be cautious!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! We will not fail in our mission!" Amin and Xifu replied in unison, their hearts filled with excitement.

As night deepened, Kuku and Tun gradually quieted down.

Squads of elite Manchu soldiers, gagged and with their horses' hooves wrapped in cloth, silently left the bustling camp and disappeared into the darkness of the East.

Meanwhile, atop the city wall, Amin, carrying Huang Taiji's banner, surveyed the brightly lit Mongol allied army camp, with bugles sounding continuously, as if they were about to march south the next day.

On both the eastern and western fronts, the clouds of war are gathering.

Under the cover of night, the Hetao Plain was still carrying a hint of smoke and the smell of blood in the wind.

The royal court of Jinong Erlinchen in Ordos had now changed hands. On the golden-roofed tent that once belonged to Jinong, a slightly worn banner embroidered with the character "闯" (chuǎng, meaning "to break through") was now flying, next to a Suluding (a type of Mongolian flag) representing the Mongol nobility. Inside and outside the camp, there was a scene of devastation after the battle, with scattered vehicles and charred tent poles everywhere, but the commotion had subsided.

The camp was vast, befitting the foundation of a tribe in Southern Mongolia. Hundreds of yurts were scattered across the expansive pastures, and in the distance, the outline of the Yellow River could be faintly seen. Large tracts of flat land lay along the river bend, clearly arable. At this moment, these pastures and fields, along with the herds of cattle and sheep, the terrified herders, and the Han merchants, artisans, and even the few Han farmers who hadn't yet escaped, all became the spoils of the victors.

Gao Yingxiang walked with his hands behind his back in the middle of the camp, the soft grass beneath his feet. Looking at this fertile land, he couldn't help but grin, revealing his teeth, which were slightly yellowed from the smoke.

"Damn, this is a great place!" he spat. "It's a world of difference compared to crawling through the ravines in the mountains of northern Shaanxi!"

Consort Nangnang approached, surrounded by a group of loyal Mongol guards. She was still wearing a thick fur robe, her face showing weariness, but her eyes shone brightly in the night. She looked at the territory that had originally belonged to Ligdan Khan, later seized by Erlinchen, and now fell into her hands. Her gaze was complex, containing both the joy of reclaiming her homeland and deep worry.

“Brother Gao,” said Consort Nangnang, her voice a little hoarse, “this place is rich in water and grass, and has the natural barrier of the Yellow River. It is indeed a good place to settle down.”

Gao Yingxiang turned around and nodded heavily to her: "Sister is right! With this territory, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief! We can recruit soldiers, farm and raise livestock, and see what those Later Jin and Ming dynasties can do to us!"

His words were bold, but both men knew in their hearts that they had no idea how long this "breathing room" would last. To the north lay Erlinchen and Huang Taiji, who could return at any moment; to the south stood the imposing Ming Dynasty border wall. These two remnants of their army, combined, were nothing more than eels struggling to survive between two giants; a single misstep would result in them being crushed to pieces.

For this reason, their relationship is now even closer than when they swore a blood oath in the snowy mountain valley.

This is what they call "sticking together for warmth"!

"The most important thing right now is to stabilize people's hearts." Nangnang Fujin looked at the Mongol herdsmen and Han people who were watching from afar with fear on their faces. "Those who are willing to stay are our people. Those who are not, let them go."

"You're a kind and righteous woman!" Gao Yingxiang praised, then a ruthless glint appeared on his face. "However, we must establish rules! Anyone who dares to cause trouble, my knife won't discriminate!"

Just then, a rapid sound of hooves and arrogant whistles came from afar.

A small cavalry unit, about twenty or thirty riders, charged in from the darkness outside the camp like a whirlwind. The leader, a wiry man with a sallow complexion and eyes that gleamed like a wolf in the firelight, was none other than Zhang Xianzhong, one of Gao Yingxiang's subordinates and the Eighth Company's rebel leader.

Zhang Xianzhong reined in his horse, which reared up and let out a long, mournful neigh. Without dismounting, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gao Yingxiang from horseback, his voice hoarse yet brimming with barely suppressed excitement:

"King Chuang! The surrounding area for dozens of miles has been swept clean! Erlinchen's remnants of his army fled north in a panic! This Hetao region is now ours! Hahaha!"

He laughed wildly and began to gallop on his horse again, roaring to the sky as he ran: "Kill! Kill! Kill them all to your heart's content!"

(End of this chapter)