How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 260 Chongzhen: Next, it's time to "defend Fuzhou four times and attack Daming three times".
In early June of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, the summer heat in Shenyang had not yet fully arrived, and the sweat palace was even cooler.

But inside and outside the palace, it was as lively as a boiling pot.

The gongs and drums were pounded loudly, and a grand banquet was set out in the palace, table after table.

Huang Taiji, his face glowing, held a golden cup and looked down at the princes and ministers below.

"Gentlemen! Let us drink this cup to the brim! To celebrate our Great Jin warriors' capture of Jinzhou!"

A thunderous roar of agreement erupted from below.

"May the Great Khan be blessed! May the Eight Banners be victorious!"

Dorgon, Ajige, and a few others, who had just returned from the Jinzhou front, stood at the forefront, smiling but inwardly wondering. An empty city—could that really be considered a complete capture?

Huang Taiji seemed to see through their thoughts, put down his wine glass, and walked to the front of the huge map.

"Jinzhou! The gateway to the Liaoxi Corridor! It used to be a thorn in the side of Emperor Chongzhen! And now?"

He emphasized Jinzhou with his finger, and his voice rose.

"Now, our Great Jin Dynasty is a nail in the coffin, a big lock, to drive the Ming army in Liaoxi to its death!"

He looked around at everyone, his eyes flashing with an alarming light.

"Why did Chongzhen abandon the city? He was afraid! He knew he couldn't hold it! So he withdrew his troops, trying to coordinate with his forces to harass our rear."

"But he miscalculated!" Huang Taiji slammed his hand on the map. "By giving up Jinzhou, he has handed over the initiative on the battlefield to me!"

"I will not give him a chance to turn the tables!"

After the banquet, several key princes and Han officials such as Fan Wencheng and Ning Wanwo were kept behind.

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. The previous noise vanished, replaced by a heavy atmosphere.

"Alright, enough with the celebratory words, let's get down to business." Huang Taiji's smile vanished as he slowly traced his finger southward from Jinzhou, across the Liao River, finally landing on the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula—Lushun.

"Emperor Chongzhen abandoned Jinzhou, retreated to Ningyuan and Tashan, and occupied the Xiaoling River Valley. He clearly intended to use space to buy time and wage a protracted war against us. Where does his confidence come from?"

He asked and answered himself, his voice calm yet filled with murderous intent.

"Right here, Lushun! This is the foot he's sticking into Liaodong's belly! With Lushun here, his navy can come up and kick us at any time, and those scabies of Mao Wenlong and Huang Degong will never be completely eradicated!"

"So, our next step is not to go west and run into Lu Xiang-sheng's tough spot in Ningyuan."

His gaze swept over Dorgon and Ajige.

"Fourteenth Prince, Twelfth Prince, you two take the two elite White Flag troops and keep them pinned down in Jinzhou and Yizhou! If Lu Xiang-sheng doesn't move, neither do you. But if he dares to stick his head out, give him a good beating! Also, keep sending troops to provoke those mountain valleys in western Liaoning, making it seem like the main army is still there!"

"Yes, sir!" Dorgon and Ajige readily bowed, but a bitter feeling lingered in their hearts. It seemed their main offensive mission was over.

Huang Taiji ignored their thoughts and turned his gaze to southern Liaoning on the map.

"I will personally lead the main force of the Two Yellow Banners south! Straight to Fuzhou!"

He looked at Fan Wencheng: "Tell the Koreans to send more Green Standard Army soldiers! I want them to lead the charge!"

Fan Wencheng understood that this was a plan to use Korean soldiers as cannon fodder to weaken the Ming army, so he quickly offered flattery: "Your Majesty is wise, this servant will draft an edict immediately!"

"My strategy can be summed up in four words: 'Close the door and beat the dog!'" Huang Taiji said smugly, arms crossed. "In the west, Dorgon will shut the door tight and lock up Lu Xiangshan. In the east, I will personally go and completely seal off Lushun, that back door! Then, Liaodong will be our impregnable empire!"

……

Mid June.

In the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chongzhen frowned as he looked at several military reports sent by Lu Xiang-sheng, the military governor of Jiliao.

"What's the latest news from Dorgon's two White Banners in Liaoxi?" he asked the soldier Wang Zaijin.

Wang Zaijin bowed and replied, “Your Majesty, the strange thing is this. After Jinzhou changed hands, the Jurchens did not put pressure on our Ningyuan and Tashan line. Instead, they frequently sent small teams to raid the mountain passes and narrow roads in western Liaoning. Although the offensive was fierce, it seemed like they were trying to contain us.”

He paused, then said, "The latest urgent report from Mao Wenlong in Liaonan indicates that the Jurchens in the Gaizhou and Haizhou areas are making frequent troop movements, suggesting a possible large-scale southward invasion."

Emperor Chongzhen walked up to the map, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jinzhou and Liaonan.

Suddenly, he sneered: "Fine, four times defending Linjiang, three times venturing south of the Yangtze River."

Wang Zaijin was completely bewildered and stood there dumbfounded: "Your Majesty, what are you talking about, Linjiang and Jiangnan? What does the Liaonan war have to do with Jiangnan?"

Emperor Chongzhen realized he had misspoke; that was history hundreds of years in the future, how could he possibly understand? So he smiled and waved his hand, saying, "What I meant was, I'm very familiar with Huang Taiji's tricks of feinting to the east while attacking in the west! He wants to trap me and beat me, so I'll cut off his supply lines from under me!"

It's good to have learned four hundred years of history!

The strategy Huang Taiji is adopting now was used by someone on the same land more than 300 years later! The only difference is that person's strategy was to defend the north and attack the south, while Huang Taiji's strategy is to defend the west and attack the east.

As for how to deal with it, just learn from 101. That's sure to be right!

Chongzhen pointed his finger at Fuzhou: "His main force is probably already heading towards Huang Degong and Mao Wenlong! He wants to take Fuzhou first, then Lushun, cutting off our foothold in Liaodong!"

Wang Zaijin's expression immediately turned serious. "Your Majesty, if that's really the case, Liaonan will be in grave danger! Shouldn't we quickly send troops from Jizhou or Xuanda to reinforce the east?"

Chongzhen shook his head. "Distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Besides, we can't let him lead us by the nose."

His gaze passed beyond western Liaoning and fell upon the northern foothills of the Yanshan Mountains, where the strategic location of Daningwei was personally garrisoned by Huang Taiji's beloved son, Hauge.

"Huang Tai Guitar wants to trap and beat the dog?" A cold smile appeared on Chongzhen's lips. "Then I will cut off his supply lines!" His finger suddenly jabbed the map of Daming Weicheng.

"Da Ning?" Wang Zaijin was taken aback again. He simply couldn't keep up with the emperor's thoughts today. "Your Majesty, Da Ning Guard is isolated beyond the Great Wall, hundreds of miles away from the Jizhou border wall. What benefit would it bring to us in the Liaodong affair?"

"It will be extremely useful!" Chongzhen's eyes gleamed. "Think about it, Huang Taiji can now call himself the Great Khan of the Mongols! His army is full of lackeys from the Khorchin and Inner Khalkha, and Daning is a thorn in his side, positioned on the upper reaches of the Liao River!"

He spoke faster and faster, his thoughts crystal clear. "Taking Daming will threaten Liaoyang and Shenyang to the east, and isolate Mongolia to the north! I'll then relocate Sutai and his mother from Guihua City to Daming! At that time, will the Khorchin and Inner Khalkha tribes still dare to wholeheartedly follow Huang Taiji? Will the former members of the Chahan tribe on the upper reaches of the Liao River not flee at the mere sight of him?"

He looked at Wang Zaijin and said decisively, "This is what we call 'attacking from all sides'! We're going to turn Huang Taiji's Mongolian rear area upside down!"

Wang Zaijin was deeply moved, yet also filled with worry. "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound! However... this move is too risky! Venturing deep into the borderlands requires a general who is both wise and brave, capable of leading independently! Among the generals in the court, who can shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

After a moment of contemplation, Chongzhen blurted out a name: "Sun Chuanting, his work in Guihua is almost done, it can be handed over to Yuan Chonghuan."

……

However, before Chongzhen's "east-to-west" strategy could be implemented, at the regular court session the next day, several censors took the lead in launching an attack, kneeling down with tears streaming down their faces.

"Your Majesty! Jinzhou is the gateway to western Liaoning, the ancestral land. How can we easily abandon it? Lu Xiang-sheng, as the commander-in-chief of Ji-Liao, has lost troops and territory. His crime is heinous! I implore Your Majesty to punish him severely to uphold the law and appease the people!"

"Your Majesty! Abandoning a key town without a fight has demoralized the army and tarnished the nation's prestige! If this is not severely punished, future border generals will follow suit, and the Ming Dynasty will be in grave danger!"

"Your Majesty! I am well aware of the difficulties in Liaodong! However, with the loss of Jinzhou, the barrier of western Liaodong has been breached! Even if Lu Xiangshan has a thousand reasons, how can he shirk the responsibility for abandoning the city? This trend must not be allowed to continue! I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely and immediately send troops to recover Jinzhou to appease the people!"

The room erupted into chaos, with some seconding, some opposing, and others arguing – a truly noisy scene.

Emperor Chongzhen simply sat on his throne, coldly watching the performance of the people below.

Once the commotion had subsided somewhat, he spoke slowly and calmly.

"Is it all over?"

The hall fell silent immediately.

"Jinzhou was abandoned by Zu Dashou, ordered by imperial decree of my own." Chongzhen's gaze swept coldly over the few officials who had been most vocal in their criticism. "All the consequences are to be decided by me alone. Lu Xiangshan has nothing to do with it."

He paused, then emphasized, his words becoming clear and distinct:

"The secrets of Liaodong affairs and the situation on the battlefield are constantly changing. How can you presume to make assumptions based on a few words from the classics in this great hall?"

"We may lose land but save people; both people and land will be preserved! Today's retreat is for a greater advance tomorrow! This is a strategic shift, not a rout!"

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze swept across the entire room: "This matter ends here! Anyone who dares to use this matter to attack Lu Xiangshan and disrupt my plans will face my ruthlessness!"

He stood up, turned and left.

"Retreat!"

……

Emperor Chongzhen walked to the huge map again, his gaze shifting back and forth between Fuzhou and Daning.

The commotion outside the hall had subsided, but he knew it was only temporary. Those upright officials who dared to speak out were probably somewhere in their private residences, angrily drafting new, even more scathing impeachments. They were like a group of sharks that had smelled blood; they had been temporarily dispersed, but they would never leave.

“Sun Chuanting… Huang Degong… My life and the fate of the Ming Dynasty are all on the shoulders of you two, ‘East’ and ‘West’…”

He muttered to himself, his voice revealing a weariness that only appeared when he was alone.

He knew better than anyone that this imperial edict to "abandon Jinzhou" was a double-edged sword. If he won, he would be a wise ruler who had defied public opinion and made decisive decisions; but if his strategy of "fighting in all directions" failed, all the dissenting voices in the court that had been forcibly suppressed that day would retaliate with a hundredfold force. At that time, he would lose not only the initiative on the battlefield, but also the political prestige he had painstakingly built since his ascension to the throne.

Without prestige, how can the "Great Development of Western Beijing and Tianjin" be promoted? How can the official lands in provinces such as Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi be cleared? How can the pressure be withstood to carry out the reform of "abolishing feudal domains and banning prohibitions" to the end? Those reforms that concern "eating" and affect the interests of countless people will be extremely difficult to implement.

"Huang Taiji, you want to close the gate?" Chongzhen's gaze sharpened again, weariness replaced by determination. "I'm going to turn your backyard upside down!"

He cannot afford to lose this battle.

(End of this chapter)