How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 231 You fight your way, I fight mine, war as a form of relief
These words were like a stone thrown into water.

Sun Chengzong's white eyebrows twitched, his body straightened, and his voice trembled slightly: "Your Majesty! This matter... is absolutely true?"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded.

"Your Majesty!" Sun Chengzong's voice rose, "Korea has served our Great Ming for over two hundred years, remaining loyal and unwavering, serving as our eastern bulwark! In the past, when the Japanese pirates raided, our dynasty spared no effort, fighting a bloody battle to rescue them and preserve their ancestral temples! Now, the Jurchens have launched a massive invasion, threatening to destroy our nation! If our Celestial Dynasty sits idly by, what will the vassal states of the world think? And if the Jurchens gain control of Korea's land and population, their strength will greatly increase, and they will surely become a great threat in the future!"

He became increasingly anxious as he spoke: "Moreover, now that our Great Ming has been able to defeat the Jurchens, we should seize this opportunity to launch a major aid campaign to Korea! As long as Huang Taiji fails to seize any food or people in Korea, the Jurchens will face food shortages next spring, which will inevitably lead to internal strife!"

Sun Chengzong's words made sense, but the risk was too great. Chongzhen frowned.

Wang Zaijin could no longer remain calm. As the Minister of War, he knew the difficulties of mobilizing troops. He cupped his hands in greeting to Sun Chengzong and spoke directly: "Mr. Sun, your concern for the country and its people is as clear as the sun and moon. But it is late autumn now, and winter is just around the corner! Liaodong Bay is about to freeze over, the winds are strong and the waves are high, making logistics extremely difficult. Winters in Korea are also cold. If our army goes in, the freezing weather will make it difficult to keep up with supplies. This battle will be tough!"

He had barely finished speaking when Yang Sichang chimed in. Young and shrewd, Yang Sichang spoke slowly and deliberately, yet his words were all the more incisive: "Even disregarding losses, what good would it do to send tens of thousands of troops to Korea? The Eight Banners were driven mad by hunger to seize food; they were exceptionally fierce. Our army, having marched so far, would be fighting these cornered beasts in unfamiliar Korean territory… What are our chances of victory? If something goes wrong, the elite troops of the Nine Garrisons will be lost overseas, the capital will be shaken, and the entire nation will be in turmoil! Mr. Sun, this isn't about saving a vassal state; it's about gambling with the fate of the nation!"

Those were harsh words. Sun Chengzong's face darkened; he wanted to retort, but couldn't utter a word. Wang Zaijin and Yang Sichang's words also made sense; his strategy was indeed too risky. But watching Huang Taiji plunder in Korea was something he couldn't bear.

Emperor Chongzhen listened intently, his face expressionless. Only after they had finished speaking did he cough softly.

All eyes were on him.

“Mr. Sun,” Chongzhen looked at Sun Chengzong, his tone calm, “I understand your intentions. However, I have a better way.” He paused, his voice becoming clearer: “Isn’t Huang Taiji going to fight in Korea? Fine, let him fight! He fights his Korea, and I’ll fight my southern desert! We’ll each fight our own battles and see who gives up first!”

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Zaijin was the first to react, his eyes lighting up. Yang Sichang nodded in agreement. This was the brilliant move to escape the predicament.

Without further hesitation, Emperor Chongzhen immediately ordered: "Issue the imperial decree!"

Everyone in the warm room straightened their backs.

"First, send an imperial edict to Yuan Keli and Ma Chengen in Korea, with just four words: 'Be careful during the winter defense!' Order them to abandon field battles, consolidate their forces, and defend the coastal fortresses of Pi Island and Ganghwa Island, as well as the bastions of major inland cities, to protect the Korean royal family and the seeds of resistance against the Jin! Mobilize more Korean militia to harass the Jurchen supply lines and make Huang Taiji suffer more in Korea! Also, tell Mao Wenlong to carefully defend Xiuyan City for the winter, conserve his strength, and if Huang Taiji is unable to return by next spring, that will be his time to shine!"

"Second, issue a secret edict to Sun Chuanting! Order him to select the finest Xuanda cavalry and the vanguard of the Imperial Guard, and with ample provisions, take advantage of this heavy snow to launch a surprise attack straight into southern Mongolia! Target: take down Huangshabao City! After capturing it, immediately escort Empress Dowager Sutai and her son to Zhenhaibao, and raise the banner of the Han tribe once again on the grasslands for me! I want all the Mongol tribes to see that the legitimacy of the Golden Family still exists!"

Everyone in the warm pavilion showed surprise on their faces. The emperor's move was brilliant, catching them completely off guard! The Jurchens must have thought that the Ming army wouldn't send troops out in the snow. If Sun Chuanting launched a surprise attack on a snowy night, they might actually be able to take Huangshabao.

With the strategy settled, the atmosphere in the cabinet relaxed somewhat. But Chongzhen didn't stop there. He looked at Bi Ziyan, who had a worried expression, and asked, "Minister Bi, how is the disaster situation in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan?"

Bi Ziyan was preoccupied with military expenses when he was suddenly asked about civil affairs. He paused for a moment, then poured out his grievances: "Your Majesty, the situation is not optimistic... Shaanxi and Shanxi are suffering from drought and locusts, resulting in a complete crop failure and widespread famine. Henan is slightly better, but the roads are still blocked by displaced people. The most difficult thing is... the 'competition between the army and the people for grain'!" He sighed heavily: "If taxes are reduced or exempted in disaster areas, the border troops will have no means of 'grain transported by the people,' and the soldiers will go hungry, which will cause unrest! But if taxes are not reduced and collection continues, the people will have no way to survive and will rebel sooner or later! I... am truly in a dilemma!"

This was indeed the most difficult choice Emperor Chongzhen faced during the Little Ice Age. The disasters continued, and no amount of "enduring hardship" could solve the problem.

Fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen now has a solution.

"A dilemma? I think not." He drew a line on the table with his finger. "I have a solution called 'war relief'."

"War relief?" Bi Ziyan was dumbfounded, Huang Liji also looked up, and Yang Sichang looked puzzled. They understood work relief, but war relief was unheard of—actually, it wasn't; that's exactly what Huang Taiji next door was doing. Civilized people called it "relief," barbarians called it "plunder."

Seeing their puzzled looks, Chongzhen calmly explained, "This 'war relief' has three meanings."

"Firstly, the army absorbed refugees. Sun Chuanting's expedition to southern Mongolia required a large number of auxiliary soldiers and laborers to transport grain and build fortifications. The imperial decree was issued that the laborers accompanying the army should be recruited from the disaster-stricken areas of Shaanxi and Shanxi. They would be provided with food and lodging and paid wages. This was called 'war relief,' which first stabilized some of the most restless people and gave them a way to survive."

Several ministers nodded slightly; that was indeed true.

"Secondly, and most importantly," Chongzhen's voice deepened. He stood up, walked to the map of the Ming Dynasty on the wall, and pointed heavily at the northwest. "Have you, my dear ministers, ever considered why our Great Ming Dynasty has to maintain hundreds of thousands of border troops in Shaanxi and Shanxi? To the point that today there is a 'scramble for grain between the army and the people,' and the problem has become so large that it's impossible to control?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Who are we guarding against?" Chongzhen asked himself, gesturing around the Hetao and Tumed River basins with his finger. "We are guarding against the 'bandits' of the Hetao! We are guarding against the Mongols of the Tumed River!" He turned around abruptly, his gaze intense: "But what about now? The Ordos Wanhu, who have occupied the Hetao region for many years, are said to have been wiped out by Gao Yingxiang and his wife, Nangnang Dafujin!" This "said" is about 70-80% true.

"If Sun Chuanting can successfully recapture the Tumote River this time!" Chongzhen's voice was filled with anticipation for the future, "then the situation on the northern frontier of our Great Ming will be completely changed!"

He spoke faster and faster, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear:

"At that time, the troop strength in Yulin, Ningxia, Shanxi and other towns can be greatly reduced! This will relieve us of the heavy burden of consuming grain and funds, and fundamentally solve the problem of 'the military and civilians competing for grain'!"

"The most elite troops from the streamlined border forces will either be transferred to Changping Town to strengthen the defense of the capital region, or the rest will be sent to the fertile Tumotechuan region to cultivate and garrison the land, turning that area from a burden into an asset!"

"The rest will either be transferred south to Yunnan and Guizhou to serve as guards for the 'Sichuan Princes' and suppress the disobedient chieftains on behalf of the court!"

“Furthermore,” Chongzhen pondered, “I could also offer amnesty to Gao Yingxiang and his wife, allowing them to settle in the Hetao region. In this way, the two major threats to the Northwest could be eliminated in one fell swoop!”

The warm room was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by the emperor's grand vision. This was no longer a simple disaster relief or military operation; it was about reshaping the entire northern landscape! The battle lines were to be pushed far forward, and there were even intentions to bring Southern Mongolia under his control. The scale of his ambition and the depth of his planning far exceeded their imagination.

Looking at his dumbfounded ministers, Emperor Chongzhen slowly sat back down on the kang (a heated brick bed), his tone calm yet carrying immense power: "Only in this way can we truly implement 'war as a form of relief'."

Outside Datong Town, the scene is quite different.

A vast expanse of white stretched between heaven and earth, with snow swirling and merging the distant mountains, the Great Wall, and the wilderness into one. Within this chaotic snow curtain, in a sheltered valley near a pass on the Great Wall, a large army lay silently in wait. Their numbers weren't extremely large, around twenty thousand, but they were all elite troops.

Inside a makeshift tent in the central command post, a charcoal brazier burned weakly. Sun Chuanting and Cao Wenzhao stood facing each other. Sun Chuanting, his expression calm, was handing Cao Wenzhao a secret edict that had just been delivered.

Cao Wenzhao took it and, in the dim light of the charcoal brazier, quickly scanned it. A look of excitement flashed across his broad, bushy face.

"Straight ahead into the southern desert... take Huangsha Fort... raise the banner of the Chahan tribe... Good!" Cao Wenzhao handed back the secret decree, his voice hoarse and deep, carrying the sound of clashing swords, "Commander-in-Chief, the brothers have been itching for this for a long time, and this damned weather is just what we need!"

Sun Chuanting nodded and carefully put away the secret edict. He walked to the tent entrance, lifted a corner of the heavy felt curtain, looked at the wind and snow outside that blotted out the sun, and said in a deep voice: "Huang Taiji has calculated that we will not launch an attack in this kind of weather, and the garrison in Mobei will definitely be lax. Wenzhao, the key to this battle is speed, to catch them off guard."

"Rest assured, Commander!" Cao Wenzhao patted his chest. "I will lead my men as the vanguard and clear a path for the army, heading straight for Huangshabao!"

“Good!” Sun Chuanting turned around, his eyes sharp. “Same as always, the cavalry is all yours. Remember, if you encounter any small groups of Tartars along the way, don’t get entangled. Fight them quickly and decisively, and get to the city as fast as possible. I will lead the main force to follow and encircle and attack the city.”

The plan has been decided, and no further words are needed.

The two stepped out of the military tent and mounted their horses. Their personal guards and servants immediately surrounded them.

Half an hour later, Sun Chuanting, fully armed, reined in his horse and stood before the enemy lines. His gaze swept over the elite troops, silent as a forest in the wind and snow. There was no rousing mobilization, only concise and cold commands, clearly piercing through the snow and reaching the ears of every battalion commander and platoon leader:

"Order: General Cao, lead the vanguard battalion and set off immediately."

"The left and right wings will follow in turn."

"The central army will accompany this commander to reinforce the front."

"Men should gag themselves and horses should wear bridles. When encountering the enemy, they should attack swiftly and not linger in battle."

"Target: Huangshabao, southern Mongolia."

(End of this chapter)