How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 251 You fight your way, I fight mine—this is an open conspiracy.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was eerily quiet; you could even hear the flags outside flapping in the wind.

Emperor Chongzhen sat on his throne, quietly watching the scene below. The newly appointed scholars, all dressed in blue robes, bowed their heads, not daring to breathe loudly. Civil and military officials lined up on both sides of the hall.

Huang Lijie and Qian Qianyi stood at the forefront of the civil officials, both carrying heavy burdens in their hearts. Today was the grand ceremony to announce the top scholar, the day to determine the champion.

Emperor Chongzhen did not wait long and spoke directly.

"I will set the questions for this year's imperial examination."

His gaze swept across the crowd below, his voice deep and resonant.

"What I want to do is follow the right path, improve domestic affairs, open up maritime trade, provide disaster relief, and train a new army, but all of these are too slow. It will take several years to see any results. Meanwhile, the Eastern Barbarians in Korea are promoting the shaving of heads and changing of clothing, and forcibly collecting grain and wages. They are using harsh methods, but their momentum is growing rapidly. They will definitely attack us again this year."

He paused.

"Tell me, between this slow and steady righteous path and this aggressive and wicked law, how should I choose? How can I both solve the immediate crisis and lay a long-term foundation for the country?"

The question fell even quieter in the hall.

Many scholars turned pale. This question had nothing to do with the classics; it directly addressed how to fight a bloody battle right before their eyes. This wasn't an examination for the imperial examinations; it was practically a military conference before the emperor!

Qian Qianyi glanced at Wu Weiye behind him and saw his brows furrowed in worry. He couldn't help but sigh. This question was clearly not designed for someone who only knew how to write essays.

Only Yan Yingyuan, standing in the back row, had a sudden flash of inspiration. He took a deep breath, spread out the paper, and calmly ground the ink and moistened the brush, already having a plan in mind.

The only sound in the examination room was the scratching of pens on paper.

Wu Weiye was sweating profusely as he struggled to write down clichés like "Your Majesty should be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men." Even he felt the clichés were empty, and the more he wrote, the less confident he became.

Yan Yingyuan, however, wrote very quickly.

"Your Majesty, Yan Yingyuan of Tongzhou in Beizhili respectfully replies: Your Majesty's question is indeed the most important matter in saving the day! The enemy's illness is superficial, while our predicament is fundamental. To address both the symptoms and the root cause, we must employ both orthodox and unorthodox tactics!"

He first analyzed that Huang Taiji would definitely not dare to invade the capital region again, because the prefectures and counties of Beizhili had all learned the method of quickly building fortifications, and fortifications were everywhere, and local militias had also been trained. If the enemy cavalry came again, they would be trapped in a quagmire.

Moreover, the local militia's skills in building the city walls are becoming more and more proficient. They are repairing the city walls every day and have become experts. The "city overnight" will only be built faster.

"Therefore, I assert that the enemy chieftain will wage war this year, targeting either western or southern Liaoning, employing the tactic of besieging a stronghold and attacking reinforcements! His objective will be either Jinzhou or Fuzhou!"

Then, he revealed his killer move.

"But the enemy wants to besiege our stronghold and attack their reinforcements. We can't just sit here and wait! We have to use the old tactic of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' attacking them so they will have to come to their aid, and turning the tables on them!"

"If he besieges Jinzhou, Liaoxi will hold out to the death. At the same time, Your Majesty should quickly dispatch the Beiyang Fleet, carrying the elite Imperial Guards, to sail from Tianjin or Dengzhou and Laizhou, and head straight for Fuzhou! After joining forces with the Fuzhou garrison, they should head north and launch a fierce attack on Gaizhou! Gaizhou is the gateway to southern Liaoning. Once it is attacked, Liaoyang and Shenyang will surely be shaken, and Huang Taiji will definitely return to defend it. The siege of Jinzhou will naturally be lifted!"

"If he besieges Fuzhou, Fuzhou will hold out with its fortifications and sea routes. At the same time, order the elite troops of Ningjin to immediately leave the pass and launch a rapid attack on Yizhou, cutting off its return route and forcing it to come back to defend it."

Finally, he pointed out that the success of this strategy lay in the fact that His Majesty's various new policies had achieved some initial success. With the Beiyang Fleet at sea, troops could be transported across the ocean; with the new army, they could fight tough battles; and with the Beijing Garrison Artillery Factory, they had no shortage of cannons to defeat the enemy.

"This is how you use the foundation laid by the righteous path to carry out ingenious strategies to defeat the enemy!"

After finishing writing, he put down his pen and let out a soft sigh of relief.

In a side hall of the Wenhua Hall, the officials reading the examination papers were reviewing them.

The examination papers were all written in ink, with names and hometowns clearly written on them. The grading of the palace examination papers not only judged the quality of the essays, but also evaluated the skill of the calligraphy and the merits and demerits of the writing style.

Qian Qianyi picked up a scroll and first glanced at the title—"Yan Yingyuan, Tongzhou, Beizhili." The calligraphy wasn't top-notch, but it was strong and vigorous, showing considerable effort. Reading the contents, the insight and ruthlessness within chilled him. This policy essay thoroughly analyzed the Later Jin's tactics and clearly explained the methods to counter them.

He then looked at several other essays with beautifully written language, one of which he guessed belonged to Wu Weiye. But in comparison, Wu's essay, though ornate, seemed light and airy compared to Wu's solid, hard-hitting policy arguments that directly confronted the bloodshed and fire.

"Minister, please take a look at this." Qian Qianyi handed the exam paper to Huang Liji.

Huang Lijie slowly read it, tapping his finger lightly on the table. After finishing, he didn't say anything but passed it on to someone else.

The scroll circulated around, and the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat awkward. Based on its content and breadth of knowledge, this scroll should have been ranked higher. However, the writing style and handwriting were so different from the usual scholarly air of the Hanlin scholars.

After some discussion, they still placed it near the top of the first class. Qian Qianyi hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Huang Liji, "Prime Minister, the writing is excellent, and the reasoning is sound. But the language is too explicit; the strategy is like a military deployment. If it's announced to the whole world, I'm afraid... I'm afraid the enemy will find out and give them a reason to be on guard..."

Huang Liji glanced at him but didn't reply. Just then, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs came to deliver an imperial decree: "His Majesty has decreed that the first ten volumes of the draft be presented to His Majesty for review immediately."

Emperor Chongzhen was looking at the examination papers that had been delivered to him in the Wenhua Hall.

The first few pieces were ornate in language but lacked substance, failing to address the core issues. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

He read until he saw the fifth one. The handwriting was a bit stiff, yet powerful enough to penetrate the paper. It was Yan Yingyuan's. He read faster and faster, and when he saw phrases like "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," "attacking Gaizhou," and "attacking Yizhou," his fingertips tightened. He finished reading it in one breath, put down the paper, and remained silent for a moment.

Whose paper is this?

"Your Majesty, it is Yan Yingyuan, a tribute student from Tongzhou in Beizhili."

"What about others?"

"They should wait outside the hall."

"pass."

Qian Qianyi seized the opportunity to step forward: "Your Majesty, Yan Yingyuan's strategy is indeed a wise and prudent one. However... it is almost an open secret. If the whole world knows about it, I fear it will be discovered by the Eastern barbarians..."

Emperor Chongzhen raised his eyes: "Is Minister Qian afraid?"

"I am acting in a prudent manner."

At this moment, Yan Yingyuan had already entered and knelt down.

"Yan Yingyuan," Chongzhen picked up the examination paper, "Minister Qian said your policy essay was too straightforward and might be leaked to the Jurchens. What do you say?"

All eyes were on him.

He raised his head, his expression calm, his voice clear and steady: "Your Majesty, my plan is not a conspiracy, but a well-intentioned one!"

"Open conspiracy?"

"Yes!" Yan Yingyuan's tone was firm. "The Jurchen spies are everywhere. The mobilization of the army and the departure of the navy cannot be concealed. Since we can't hide it, we might as well bring it out into the open!"

He paused, then his tone became even more forceful: "The key to this strategy lies not in its secrecy, but in the word 'momentum'! Our Great Ming follows the righteous path, has accumulated its resources, and lacks only time. By revealing this open plan, we are clearly telling Huang Taiji: If you dare to attack Jinzhou and Fuzhou, I will attack Gaizhou and Yizhou! This is not intimidation, but the fact that we are already on high alert!"

"If he believes us, he'll know that an attack will only lead to failure, and he'll have to think twice before heading south. If he hesitates for a year or two, we'll have more savings and a better chance of winning! If he doesn't believe us and insists on coming, we've already prepared our strategy, so we can wait for him to tire himself out and give him a good beating!"

Finally, his voice was as firm as metal and stone: "A righteous army, employing open and aboveboard strategies, is the true spirit of our Celestial Empire! How can we imitate those cowards who only know how to hide their heads and tails?"

"Excellent! What a brilliant strategy! What a magnificent display of imperial power!" Emperor Chongzhen slammed his hand on the imperial desk, stood up, and his face showed a long-lost admiration. "Did you hear that? In the end, governing a country and waging war depend on this kind of upright and honorable confidence!"

Qian Qianyi lowered his head deeply: "Your Majesty is wise... Your subject is foolish."

Emperor Chongzhen said no more, and turned to Huang Liji: "Prime Minister, the rankings are settled. Prepare to announce the results!"

The Pyongyang Palace, originally a villa for the King of Joseon, is now inhabited by the Later Jin forces. The main hall is brightly lit with candles; the head of the Tsushima clan has just left, having finalized a deal—trading Later Jin's fine horses for refined gunpowder from Japan, which has somewhat alleviated the urgent needs of the Firearms Manufacturing Bureau.

Just as Huang Taiji picked up his teacup, Fan Wencheng quietly entered the room, his face grim, holding a scroll of documents he had just copied.

"Great Khan," he bowed and handed it over, "a 600-li urgent dispatch from Shengjing. It seems that another remarkable person has emerged in this year's imperial examination."

"Hmm?" Huang Taiji took it and casually unfolded it. He had always looked down on the imperial examination essays from the south, except for that particularly insidious Niu Jinxing from last time. This time, however, his gaze swept over the first few lines, and his expression tightened again. He read more slowly, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

The room was very quiet. Fan Wencheng stood to the side with his hands at his sides, not breathing heavily.

When Huang Taiji saw the phrases "If the enemy besieges Jinzhou... the Beiyang Fleet will rush straight to Fuzhou... and then launch a fierce attack on Gaizhou," and "If the enemy besieges Fuzhou... the elite troops of Ningjin will leave the pass and swiftly attack Yizhou," his eyelids twitched. He slammed his teacup down on the table, spilling a few drops of tea.

"How dare you!" he hissed. "A nobody like you dares to challenge me!"

He stood up and walked to the huge map of Liaodong hanging on the wall. His gaze was like a knife, first piercing Jinzhou, then sweeping over Fuzhou, and finally fixing on Gaizhou and Yizhou. These two places were indeed the Achilles' heel of southern and western Liaoning.

"Fan Wencheng," he asked without turning his head, "what's the background of this Yan Yingyuan? Have you found out?"

"Your Majesty, preliminary intelligence reports indicate that he is a tribute student from Tongzhou in Beizhili, a name I have never heard of before. However, judging from his strategy essay, he should be knowledgeable in military affairs," Fan Wencheng replied cautiously.

Huang Taiji remained silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh that was hard to decipher: "Knowledgeable in military affairs? Hmph! This is probably still that brat Chongzhen playing dirty tricks. He's setting up his strategy, trying to play a game of chess with me openly."

He turned around, his anger gone, replaced by a deep, calculating look: "The young emperor of the Southern Dynasty has finally drawn his sword, telling me exactly where he's going to strike. Tell me, is he bluffing, or does he truly have the guts?"

Fan Wencheng pondered for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, this matter needs careful consideration. If the Ming army has truly built up a sufficient number and strength of Imperial Guards, then this strategy will not be empty talk. But whether they currently have the strength to fight us in open battle outside the Great Wall is still uncertain. The fact that this strategy has been publicly released may be... intended to make us suspicious and hesitant, so that we dare not act rashly and can buy us more time.”

“Give them time…” Huang Taiji repeated these three words, his gaze returning to the map. “Hmph, I won’t let them have their way! Issue my decree: all battalions of the Eight Banners Korean Army and the Green Banner Army must intensify their training. By the end of summer, I want to see 50,000 capable Korean elite soldiers!”

(End of this chapter)