How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 227 The Battle of Ji Si - The Final Chapter (Third update, two more updates to come today!)
Inside the Khan's tent in the Later Jin camp.

Silence as death.

Huang Taiji slumped in the tiger-skin chair, his face ashen, a trace of blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth. His eyes stared blankly at the curtains.

Fan Wencheng, Yue Tuo, Dorgon, and the others knelt below, heads bowed low, not daring to breathe. The scout who brought the message slumped to the corner of the tent, like a pile of mud.

Only the wick of the tallow lamp occasionally crackled, sending shivers down one's spine.

I don’t know how long it took.

Huang Taiji made a gurgling sound in his throat, as if he had choked on phlegm. He slowly turned his head, his eyes moved, and finally fixed on Yue Tuo's face.

That look in his eyes was as cold as ice shards in the dead of winter.

“Yue Tuo,” Huang Taiji said, his voice hoarse, like a broken bellows.

"Your subject... Your subject is here!" Yue Tuo quickly replied, his throat tight.

"The previous negotiations...you were the one who brought it up, weren't you?" Huang Taiji's voice rose gradually, carrying an barely suppressed rage. "Digging up each other's ancestral graves? A common occurrence? And you even encouraged the Ming Dynasty to try it too?"

Yue Tuo's face turned pale instantly: "Great Khan! I was just..."

"Just what?!" Huang Taiji slammed his hand on the table, abruptly stood up, and nearly poked Yue Tuo's nose with his finger. "It's your foul mouth! You gave that eunuch Wei an excuse! And now look what's happened! Mao Wenlong really went to Hetu Ala to rummage through the former Khan's grave! Are you satisfied now?!"

He was so angry that he trembled all over, his chest heaving violently.

"Guards!" Huang Taiji shouted sternly before Yue Tuo could explain, "Yue Tuo is arrogant and rebellious, delaying military operations! Seize his military power, take him back to his camp, and keep him under strict guard! Without my decree, he is not allowed to step out of the camp!"

Two white-clad soldiers rushed in at the sound of their voices, grabbed Yue Tuo, and dragged him out.

"Great Khan! I am innocent! I was only thinking of the Great Jin!" Yue Tuo struggled to protest his innocence, his anger growing even stronger. He had been advocating for a swift withdrawal of troops all these days; why should they have listened to him?

Now, he's become the scapegoat!
The curtains fell, shutting out the shouts.

Huang Taiji, panting heavily, looked at Fan Wencheng again.

Fan Wencheng lay on the ground, his body trembling slightly.

“Mr. Fan,” Huang Taiji’s voice turned cold, “you are known for your wisdom, but were your assessments of the enemy inaccurate this time?”

Fan Wencheng kowtowed, crying, "This foolish servant failed to see through Emperor Ming's treacherous scheme and deserves to die!"

Huang Taiji stared at him for a long time before letting out a heavy snort: "Considering your past merits, I will not pursue this matter for now. Go and atone for your sins!"

"Thank you for your grace, Great Khan!" Fan Wencheng kowtowed repeatedly.

Huang Taiji's gaze swept over everyone in the tent, including the half-dead scout in the corner.

"Regarding the attack on Liaodong," he said, enunciating each word with an icy tone, "anyone who dares to divulge even a single word will be executed immediately! Their entire family will be implicated!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison.

The fact that our stronghold in Liaoshen has been raided must be kept secret! Otherwise, if morale collapses, we might really face annihilation.

Huang Taiji walked to the simple map, his finger trembling slightly as he pressed it on the location of Changping.

“Changping…we can’t stay any longer.” He seemed to be talking to himself, but also to his men. “The Ming army’s fortifications are complete, and Lu Xiangshan is as steady as a turtle. If we keep dragging this out, we’ll starve to death first.”

His finger suddenly slashed northward, across the Great Wall, and landed heavily in Shenyang.

"Our home is going to be gone!" he roared. "Mao Wenlong and Huang Degong are running rampant in southern Liaoning, and Daishan can't hold them off! We have to go back!"

He turned around, his eyes regaining their clarity.

"Order! All troops, pack up overnight! Abandon all heavy baggage! Take only dry rations, armor, and personal belongings, and travel light and quickly eastward back to Shenyang!"

Everyone inside the tent felt a chill run down their spines. This Khan was decisive; he retreated without hesitation.

Huang Taiji paused, then suddenly raised his voice: "Although we didn't plunder much in this campaign to enter the capital, we still reached the gates of Beijing and killed tens of thousands of Ming soldiers. We scared the young Ming emperor so much that he stayed indoors, which greatly boosted our prestige. It was a great victory!"

This victory was a truly devastating one!

The people below thought to themselves.

Huang Taiji's gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he said, "Don't worry about food and manpower shortages. After we drive Mao Wenlong and Huang Degong back, we'll send troops to Korea again! This time, we'll take them completely!"

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison again, feeling a little more confident.

If we can't seize the Ming Dynasty, can't we seize the Joseon Dynasty?

Although North Korea is poor, it still has several million people. If we dig a little deeper, we can always find some food and people.

"Dorgon!" Huang Taiji called out his good younger brother's name again.

"Your subject is here!" Dorgon stepped forward.

"You lead two white-flag men to cover the army's rear!"

Dorgon's heart tightened; this was the most dangerous job he had been given.

Huang Taiji took a few steps closer, leaned close to Dorgon's ear, and said in a very low voice, but with a deep-seated hatred: "Fourteenth Prince, we can't just let things go like this at Tianshou Mountain... You dig it up to death for me!"

Dorgon looked up and saw that Huang Taiji's eyes were bloodshot, and the ruthlessness in them chilled him to the bone.

"If we can't dig open the underground palace, then blow it up! If we can't destroy it, then burn it! Raze Zhu Youjian's brother's grave to the ground! Destroy as much as we can! I want him to be... heartbroken!"

Dorgon's throat went dry, and he could only bow his head and reply, "Yes, Your Majesty! Your subject...understands." He understood that this was not only revenge, but also a way for him, Dodo, and Ajige to pledge their allegiance. Among the Eight Banners, the two White Banners controlled by the three brothers were the strongest. If Huang Taiji didn't want to be "Aisin Gioro Chaoyi," then Dorgon had to become the "Master of the Tomb Raiders"!

Huang Taiji patted him on the shoulder, glanced one last time to the south, and strode out of the Khan's tent.

Under the cover of night, the Later Jin camp was in complete chaos. People were packing things up, discarding items, cursing, and generally being in a frenzy. They couldn't bear to throw away the looted gold, silver, and valuables, but the furniture, clothes, various utensils, and even the wounded bondservants they couldn't take with them—all of that was now irrelevant. They had to be given a quick death! So, there were also plenty of pleas and screams.

This battle for the entrance has resulted in huge losses for the Later Jin dynasty!

Huang Taiji mounted his horse and looked at the chaotic scene, his face ashen. He took a deep breath of the cold air and tried to suppress the metallic taste in his throat.

"Go!" He spurred his horse and galloped northwards.

The large group followed in silence, like a receding tide, hurried and disheveled.

……

South of the Shahe River, the Ming army camp, watchtower.

Lu Xiang-sheng and Sun Zu-shou stood side by side, gazing at the lights of the Later Jin camp to the north.

“Something’s not right.” Sun Zushou frowned. “There are fewer lights than usual, and they’re all messy. It’s like they’re packing things up.”

Lu Xiang-sheng held up his binoculars, looked at it for a long time, and then put it down: "It looks like it's preparing to run."

"Really run? Or is it a ploy to lure the enemy?" Sun Zushou hesitated.

"It's hard to say," Lu Xiang-sheng pondered. "Huang Taiji is cunning in his military tactics. Order all camps to reinforce their fortifications, strictly guard their posts, and double the number of soldiers allowed out at night! Without my order, not a single soldier is to leave the camp!"

"Order!"

The order quickly spread throughout the camp. Although the Ming soldiers were puzzled, military orders were absolute, and they all took precautions.

The message was delivered to Beijing at the fastest speed possible.

The western warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace was brightly lit.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Lu Xiang-sheng's report, and then at another secret report on the table—Mao Wenlong's troops had established a foothold in Xiuyan, and Huang Degong had consolidated the victory along the Fuzhou line.

Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua stood with their hands at their sides, awaiting the emperor's instructions.

Emperor Chongzhen tapped lightly on the location of Changping on the map.

“Lu Xiang-sheng’s judgment is correct.” Chongzhen paused, his tone becoming deep. “The Imperial Mausoleum at Tianshou Mountain… Huang Taiji will certainly not be satisfied before he leaves, and will most likely try to destroy it as much as possible.”

“Your Majesty, shall we…” Wang Chengen asked cautiously.

Emperor Chongzhen remained silent for a while, then walked back to his desk, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote down a handwritten edict.

"Secretly send this edict to Lu Xiang-sheng, Sun Zu-shou, and You Shi-wei. Tell them that regarding the imperial mausoleum, they should act according to their capabilities, prioritizing driving away the enemy cavalry and minimizing losses, rather than fighting to the death. The overall situation is paramount! Also, make it clear to You Shi-wei that although Tianshou Mountain suffered some losses, it was largely preserved. None of the cities defended by Changping Town fell, and most of the people were spared. He did a very good job!"

"Yes!" Fang Zhenghua accepted the imperial edict with both hands, feeling its immense weight. He understood that the Emperor intended to absolve Lu Xiangshan, Sun Zushou, You Shiwei, and other generals of their responsibility for the damage to Deling—this Emperor was truly a kind man!

"Furthermore, Wang Daban, draft two more special edicts," Chongzhen continued, quickening his pace, "One to Mao Wenlong and Huang Degong, first to commend their achievements! Then, order them to take advantage of the enemy's recent defeat and do their utmost to consolidate the base areas in southern Liaoning and along the watershed, turning them into a sharp dagger aimed at the heart of the Jurchens!"

"Send another letter to Sun Chuanting and Yuan Chonghuan. The enemy chieftain is currently unable to attend to matters in the north. The affairs in the south of the Gobi Desert must be handled quickly! That 'Loyal and Righteous King' should be established!"

As orders were issued, the Qianqing Palace functioned like a highly efficient central hub. Emperor Chongzhen stood before a massive map, his gaze sweeping across Liaodong and southern Mongolia. His face held not only the joy of victory but also anticipation for the future.

He knew that driving away Huang Taiji was only the first step for the Ming Dynasty to turn the tide, and there were still many challenges ahead!
……

Tianshou Mountain, Deling Mausoleum.

The night was torn apart by the firelight.

Dorgon, mounted on his horse, watched expressionlessly as his soldiers from the Two White Banners and their bondservant servants wreaked havoc.

The sacrificial hall and the Minglou were set ablaze, flames soaring into the sky, the wood crackling and burning, casting grotesque shadows on human faces.

The stone gate at the entrance to the underground palace had actually been excavated long ago, and it looked incredibly thick.
"Your Highness, this servant says the stone gate is too hard and can't be dug out!" A retainer of Dorgon led a sleazy-looking, slightly lame servant to report.

The man dragged over was Zhao Si, who immediately knelt before Dorgon with a thud, saying in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, we servants have done our best."

"Then use gunpowder!" Dorgon cracked his whip, pointing at Zhao Si. "You do it!"

Two more servants, born into the household, brought two bags of gunpowder and handed them to Zhao Si.

"boom!"

A deafening roar shook the earth. The stone gate swayed slightly but did not collapse.

Dorgon breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced at Zhao Si, who was kneeling on the ground begging for his life, and thought to himself: This servant is actually quite clever.
He didn't actually want to do this job that would cut off his own escape route. If he really dug up the tomb of the Ming emperor, the enmity would be sealed. But he couldn't disobey the Khan's orders, so failing to blast open the stone gate was the best outcome... It wasn't that he didn't try, it's just that the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of Works was too conscientious!
"Burn! Destroy everything you can see!" Dorgon waved his hand.

More buildings were set ablaze, billowing thick smoke. Soldiers began vandalizing the stone statues along the sacred path, sending shards of stone flying.

A moment later, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the distance.

A scout galloped up: "Your Highness! Ming cavalry are less than ten miles away!"

Dorgon glanced at the devastated De Mausoleum. The above-ground buildings were mostly destroyed, and the entrance to the underground palace had been blown up. Although it hadn't been blown open, it wasn't his fault. It was the officials of the Ming Dynasty who had a change of heart and used good materials when they built the imperial mausoleum.

"Retreat!" he ordered decisively, without even asking how many Ming cavalrymen had come—he dared not ask, for fear that too few would come and it would be difficult to retreat.

The troops under the two white flags quickly assembled, retreated like the tide, and disappeared into the darkness.

Only the Deling Mausoleum remained, burning fiercely in the flames.
(End of this chapter)