How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 226 Great Khan, Be Strong! (Second Update, Please Add to Favorites)
Shengjing, a side hall of the Dazheng Hall.

The dim, yellowish light from a few tallow lamps cast an unpredictable shadow on Daishan's fat face.

He slammed his fist down on an open map.

On the map, several black arrows drawn by charcoal blocks pierce like knives across Fuzhou, Huanggudaobao, and a large area south of Liaoyang.

Sony and several of the remaining guards, including the Jiala Ejen and Zhangjing, stood below with their hands at their sides, barely daring to breathe. Footsteps approached from afar; a messenger, covered in dust, suddenly knelt down, his voice terribly hoarse.

"Reporting to the Great Prince! Urgent report from Fuzhou and Huanggudao Fortress! General Huang Degong's large army has approached the city walls, banners waving, and their offensive is fierce!"

The air inside the hall became even more tense.

A young officer couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Your Highness! Send your troops south to reinforce Fuzhou and keep the Ming dogs out of the city!"

A more mature-looking Jala Ejen beside him shook his head: "Everywhere is in dire straits, where would we find extra troops? Shenyang is the foundation, what if..."

"Shut up, all of you!" Dai Shan roared, his voice not loud, but it silenced everyone.

His eyes were glued to the map, especially the area south of Liaoyang that Mao Wenlong had ravaged. Fuzhou and Huanggudao Fortress were like two outstretched fingers, and the Ming army had already gripped his wrist. He knew that if he held out to the death, those two fingers would eventually be broken off, and his entire hand would bleed.

What worried him even more was Mao Wenlong! This old thief was burning, killing, and looting grain in the heart of the territory; he was trying to uproot the Great Jin dynasty!
"A broken finger can still live. But if your body collapses, you're finished!" Dai Shan suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a ruthless glint. "Pass on the order!"

"All troops in Fuzhou, Huanggudao Fortress... and even south of Gaizhou, shall carry their provisions and weapons, abandon their camps and cities, and retreat north! They shall retreat to the Gaizhou-Haizhou line and redeploy their defenses based on the fortified cities!"

These words were like a stone thrown into water. Giving up such a large area? The men below felt a jolt of fear, their faces showing reluctance and astonishment.

Daishan ignored them and continued issuing orders, his voice quick and resolute: "Shuotuo!"

“My son is here!” A sturdy young man with a fierce look in his eyes stepped forward; he was Shuo Tuo, Dai Shan’s second son.

"I'll give you two Jiala, plus the men who will come to support you from Haizhou, making a total of five thousand! The mission isn't to defend the city, but to support the troops retreating from the south, and then advance steadily towards Liangfangkou! Squeeze Mao Wenlong's son out of the sea! Remember, stability is paramount, no greed for quick success or reckless advances!"

"Yes, sir!" Shuo Tuo accepted the order, his eyes revealing a fierce glint.

Dai Shan finally looked at Sony: "Gather the two main forces of Shenyang Mobility and come south with me! First to Liaoyang, then spread out to hunt down Mao Wenlong! This slippery eel must be crushed in the wheat field!"

"Whoo!"

……

In a small grove of trees near the sea in southern Liaoning.

Mao Wenlong squatted on the ground, reading the urgent report that Mao Chenglu had sent from Liangfangkou by the light of the campfire. The letter was written in messy handwriting, stating that Shuo Tuo was leading troops and pressing in, and that there were quite a few men.

Chen Jisheng leaned closer and whispered, "General, the young master is under a lot of pressure. Dai Shan's main force has also moved south. Should we... return to Liangfangkou, join forces with the young master, and sail out by sea?"

Several generals nodded, agreeing that this was a prudent approach.

Mao Wenlong didn't say anything, but held the letter to the flame and watched it burn to ashes. Sparks danced in his eyes.

“Back to Liangfangkou?” He scoffed. “That’s like crawling into Daishan’s open pocket! We went through all that trouble to sneak up here to raid Huang Taiji’s lair. If we don’t clear it out, how can we leave?”

He stood up and stomped out the sparks on the ground.

"Send the order to Chenglu: Rely on the fortifications, resist in stages, and kill as many Tartars as possible! But if things become unbearable, immediately take the grain and livestock we have seized, board the ships, and retreat! Preserving our brothers is the most important thing! Tell him that his father, I, have somewhere else to go!"

“Then let’s…” Chen Jisheng asked.

Mao Wenlong pointed to the dark shadows of the mountains to the east: "Go into the mountains! To the watershed, to Xiuyan City! That place is surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack! The grain and livestock we seized should last us on the mountain for a while!"

He looked at the veteran general Shen Shikui: "Old Shen, when we get to Xiuyan City, you take a team of men and sneak along the Wuchong River towards the Yellow Sea. Set up a few outposts and see if you can contact Old Huang's side and leave us a way out!"

"Understood!" Shen Shikui cupped his hands in greeting.

Mao Wenlong looked around at everyone, a wolf-like smile spreading across his face: "We men will eat a tenth or twentyth of Huang Taiji's food this winter! Then, we'll plant a nail in his heart!"

……

The red flag of the Ming Dynasty was raised on the city wall of Fuzhouwei.

Huang Degong, his hand on his waist sword, walked along the city wall. Beneath his feet lay the freshly swept battlefield, still tinged with the smell of smoke. Several of his lieutenant generals and guerrillas, their faces beaming, surrounded him, eager to fight.

"General! The soldiers are in high spirits! Let's take Gaizhou in one fell swoop!"

"That's right, General! Once Gaizhou is captured, Haizhou will be right in front of us!"

Huang Degong ignored them, walked to the crenellations of the city wall, and looked north. The outline of Gaizhou City was faintly visible in the distance.

"Attack Gaizhou?" He sighed. "We only have this many men; don't expect to get rich overnight."

He turned to his men and said, “Order all battalions to halt their northward advance! Using Fuzhou and Huanggudao Fortress as our base, strengthen our defenses and dig deep trenches! Send men to pacify the displaced people and get the land reclamation under my command!”

He paused, his voice deepening, "Our mission is to transform this southern Liaoning into an ironclad foundation, to take root and breathe a sigh of relief! Not to become bandits, shooting and moving on!" "Yes, sir!" The generals, though somewhat disappointed, still obeyed the order with reverence.

Huang Degong added, "Send more night scouts out to keep a close eye on the situation in Gaizhou. Also... try to find out news about Marshal Mao."

……

In Jinzhou City, at Zu Dashou's residence.

The candlelight was bright. Zu Dashou and He Kegang, the two warlords of Liaoxi, sat facing each other, with a secret edict from Emperor Chongzhen spread out between them.

"His Majesty is forcing us to make a move," Zu Dashou said, twirling his fingers.

He Kegang nodded: "General Zu, we can't stay still any longer. Liaonan and Liaodong are in complete chaos. If we remain inactive, it won't be fair to the imperial court."

“Guangning and Yizhou?” Zu Dashou shook his head. “Those are places that the Tartars are legitimately operating in. If we confront them head-on, we will only lose our own resources.”

He Kegang pointed to the other side of the map: "Why not head northwest, and advance along the mountainous areas and valleys of the upper reaches of the Daling River and Xiaoling River? There are mostly scattered Mongol tribes there, weak and easy to deal with. Taking these places will not only allow us to report to the Emperor that we have 'recovered lost territory,' but also expand our pastures and military settlements."

Zu Dashou's eyes lit up: "Good! Let's do it this way! We need to be quick and fight well, but we must never venture into dangerous territory. As for the report to the Emperor... we need to find someone to write it carefully and make it look good!"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

……

A few days later, on the Liaohe Plain.

Daishan led a large army, sweeping across the fields and villages like a comb. What he saw were mostly burned granaries, empty villages, and a few bondservants who hadn't managed to escape, kneeling on the ground and wailing.

They didn't even catch a glimpse of Mao Wenlong.

"Great Prince! Scouts report that Mao Wenlong's main force... has headed east into the mountains!" A sentry galloped in to report.

Dai Shan's heart sank. He'd gone into the mountains? That Mao Wenlong, he's like an eel, burrowing into a muddy swamp!

On the other side, Shuo Tuo led his troops cautiously towards Liang Fang's house. The earthen enclosure was eerily quiet. Upon entering, they found only some broken belongings and burnt wood. Mao Chenglu had already fled with his men in a boat.

The sea was empty.

Beneath the walls of Fuzhou, Huang Degong's soldiers and conscripted laborers chanted slogans as they carried stones and rammed earth to reinforce the city walls. Outside the city, in the newly cultivated fields, people were already clearing away the remnants of crops.

Meanwhile, in the valleys of the upper reaches of the Daling River and the Liuzhou River, the Guan Ning Army under Zu Dashou and He Kegang was driving away groups of Mongol herders, their sabers flashing as flocks of sheep scattered in fright. Reports of two "great victories" were on their way to Beijing.

At this very moment, Mao Wenlong, along with his thousands of men, carrying the grain, livestock, and rescued bondsers they had seized from the Liaohe Plain, had already ventured into the watershed of the continuous mountains.

"This place is nice." Mao Wenlong grinned as he looked at the surrounding mountains and said to Chen Jisheng, "Tell the brothers, we're spending the New Year here!"

The wind blew through the mountain valley, carrying the coolness of late autumn, as well as the unique harvest scent of autumn.

Meanwhile, at the Later Jin camp in Changping.

A swift horse broke through the night and entered the camp gate. The messenger practically tumbled off his saddle, staggering into the tent, his voice hoarse with fear and exhaustion:
"Great Khan! Shengjing... Shengjing urgent dispatch! Liangfangkou... Liangfangkou has fallen!"

Huang Taiji, who was studying the map and analyzing the military situation, suddenly turned around: "What did you say?!"

"Mao Wenlong... is the main force of Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang! Not Huang Degong's detachment! They... they came from the sea and have been on land for several days! Prince Daishan ordered me to travel day and night to report: on the east bank of Liaodong, countless granaries and farmhouses have been burned down, and bondservants have almost all fled... Please, Great Khan, send reinforcements immediately!"

After the messenger finished speaking, he couldn't catch his breath and almost fainted.

The tent was deathly silent.

Fan Wencheng, Yue Tuo, and the others turned pale.

Huang Taiji stood motionless. The confidence and composure on his face vanished instantly, replaced by shock, disbelief, and finally, boundless anger and a sense of utter humiliation at being completely fooled surged up.

He recalled Wei Zhongxian's "sincere" performance, the bait of 500,000 taels of silver, and his own judgment that "Emperor Chongzhen has run out of tricks!"

"puff--"

Overcome with anger and anxiety, Huang Taiji felt a sweet taste in his throat and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He swayed and almost collapsed.

"Sweat!"

"Father Khan!"

People gasped and rushed forward to help him up.

Huang Taiji shoved the crowd aside, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the direction of southeastern Liaoning. He forced out a few words through gritted teeth, filled with deep-seated hatred and chilling killing intent:
"Zhu, You, Jian... Wei, Zhong, Xian... very good!"

(End of this chapter)