How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 262 begins: The Ming Dynasty's Counterattack!
The night of June 23rd, the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, was thick with darkness.

Twenty miles upstream on the Shahe River, a cluster of flickering torches shone.

The shadowy figures were like ghosts gathering in the night.

Kim Song-in stood on a high point on the riverbank, his hand on his waist knife, watching the busy North Korean servants below.

"Quick! Quick! Fill the sacks with soil and pack them tightly! And pile up all the wood and stones firmly!"

He roared at the top of his lungs, and his voice carried far into the night.

Below were all the shabby-clothed bastards, two to a time, carrying heavy sacks of earth, wading into the icy river water, piling the sacks into the middle of the riverbed.

The sounds of shovels and picks clashing, heavy breathing, and the cracking of the foreman's leather whip broke the silence of the night.

The river water was churned up and swirled downstream.

An old man slipped and fell into the river, along with a mound of dirt. He choked on water and couldn't get up for a long time.

The overseer next to him raised his whip and lashed out.

"Useless trash! You've ruined the Khan's plans, I'll skin you alive!"

Jin Chengren watched coldly, remaining silent. He knew perfectly well that Lord Fan Wencheng had given a death order: the water supply must be cut off before dawn. Otherwise, he would lose his head!

As dawn approached, a crooked earthen and stone dam was erected in the riverbed.

The water upstream was blocked, and the water level downstream was visibly dropping, exposing large areas of riverbed.

Kim Sung-in wiped the sweat from his face and strode towards the large tent that was lit up not far away.

Fan Wencheng, wearing a robe, was looking at a map under the lamp.

"Sir, the dam is complete, and the water has been cut off," Jin Chengren reported, bowing.

Fan Wencheng raised his head, his sallow face expressionless: "Hmm. You've worked hard. Go and rest. After dawn, take the bondservant aha you command and join the army in the attack."

"Yes, sir!" Kim Seong-in gave a quick bow and left.

Fan Wencheng walked outside the tent, looked at the sky gradually brightening and the sand river that had become much calmer, and gently exhaled.

"Cut off their water supply, attack them by surprise... The Great Khan is truly a master strategist!"

……

June 24th, dawn.

On the north bank of the Shahe River, the Later Jin army camp began to stir.

Huang Taiji climbed onto the temporary platform and pointed his telescope at the south bank.

The river was indeed shallower, with large sections of the riverbed exposed and muddy. The two gray, earthen forts of the Ming army on the opposite bank looked much clearer than yesterday.

He put down the telescope, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"Send the order!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The princes and ministers on either side responded in unison.

"Han Army Banner Rifle Battalion, advance to the low wall five li east of Beixinkou Fortress! Aim at the earthen fortress opposite and fire hard! Suppress them!"

"North Korean Green Standard Army, push shield carts, carry ladders, prepare to cross the river! Whoever rushes to the other side first will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver!"

"Tulai! You take fifty white-armored soldiers and eight hundred cavalrymen and follow behind to supervise the battle! Anyone who dares to retreat, whether soldier or general, will be executed on the spot!"

The orders were passed down one after another.

Tong Yangxing led the musketeers of the Han Army Banner and placed long muskets behind the firing ports on the low wall.

The North Korean Green Standard Army soldiers, pushing their reinforced shield carts, gathered at the riverbank in a chaotic frenzy. Fear and bewilderment filled their faces—they had suffered heavy losses in the previous two days' battle, nearly a thousand dead and several hundred seriously wounded, mostly from gunshot wounds, lead bullets embedded in their bodies, incurable and now awaiting death!
Zhao Si, limping, squeezed into the crowd, clutching a dagger in his hand, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

Zhang Zhongjin followed beside him, holding up a tattered shield, muttering repeatedly, "Defender, just charge through, just charge through..."

Zhao Si remained silent, staring at the two silent fortresses on the opposite bank, feeling a chill run down his spine.

In the distance, squads of soldiers in white armor and horse armor, each leading a horse, coldly watched this side, as if they were looking at a herd of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

The moment the sun rose above the horizon, the rifle battalion opened fire.

Connect! Connect! Connect!
The sound was muffled and deep, much more frightening than a bird gun.

The bullets whistled across the river, striking the fortress walls on the opposite bank and sending up clouds of earth and rocks. Some hit the wooden fence, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Suppressive fire has begun.

"Come on!"

Someone shouted first, and the North Korean Green Standard Army troops stirred, pushing their shield carts and howling as they rushed down the riverbank and plunged into the muddy riverbed.

The river water only reached my calves, but the bottom was all mud; once you stepped in, it was hard to pull your foot out.

The shield cart was even more difficult to push, its wheels stuck in the mud, unable to move.

The Ming army fortresses on the opposite bank immediately retaliated.

boom! boom!
The general's cannon in the fort fired, and shrapnel swept across the riverbank like a broom. Mud and blood splattered high into the air.

The crackling of muskets followed, and bullets whizzed through the crowd.

The North Korean soldiers at the forefront fell like mowing grass. Screams and cries filled the air.

Zhao Si limped forward, his steps uneven. A shell landed not far away, splattering him with mud. A soldier next to him had his upper body blown off by a shell, his intestines spilling out onto the ground.

His stomach churned violently, and he almost vomited.

"Don't retreat! Don't retreat! The Tartar soldiers are watching us from behind, kill them without mercy!" Zhang Zhongjin roared in his ear, blocking him with his shield.

But the team couldn't hold on any longer; the casualties were too great, and the survivors began to retreat.

As soon as they retreated to the middle of the river, the Eight Banners soldiers supervising the battle behind them opened fire with arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Several sharp arrows pierced the air, shooting down several of the fastest fleeing soldiers.

A Niru Zhangjing brandished a gleaming longsword and shouted sternly, "The Great Khan has ordered! Anyone who retreats without orders will be killed without mercy!"

Kim Song-in also led a group of Eight Banners Koreans and strong bondservants to charge forward, cooperating with the Manchu lords to supervise the battle, pointing his long sword at the fleeing soldiers: "Those who advance live, those who retreat die! Charge!"

He even personally beheaded a terrified North Korean Green Standard Army officer, splattering blood all over his face.

Looking at Jin Chengren's ferocious face, Zhao Si's desire to be "upgraded to a banner" grew even stronger. In the Great Jin, only those who were upgraded to a banner were considered masters! Otherwise, even if they, as bondservant soldiers, became garrison commanders, they were still considered waste material in the eyes of their true masters. Having no other choice, he had to grit his teeth and charge back again.

More and more people died, and the riverbank was almost covered with corpses. But this time, driven by death, the surviving North Korean soldiers finally surged to the other side, braving arrows and bullets, and put ladders on the not-so-high wall of the earthen fort to the west.

Zhao Si followed the crowd, gritting his teeth as he climbed up. A Ming soldier on the top of the wall raised a stone to throw at him, but Zhang Zhongjin shot him down with an arrow. Zhao Si seized the opportunity to vault over the wall and tumble inside, where he wrestled with an old Ming soldier who pounced on him. The old man was quite strong, and his eyes were filled with desperate ferocity.

Just then, the sound of thunderous hooves came from the south.

As the dust rose, a troop of Ming cavalry charged in like a whirlwind!
The leading general was none other than Huang Degong!
"Kill!" Huang Degong swung his broadsword, and his cavalry charged into the chaotic Korean troops outside the fortress like tigers among sheep. They hacked and trampled, and men and horses fell to the ground.

Just as Zhao Si pinned the local militiaman to the ground, he heard a cacophony of wails and howls outside. He looked up and was terrified. A Ming cavalryman was charging towards him, his saber gleaming coldly.

He was limping and had no time to dodge; he could only close his eyes and await his death. Fortunately, the cavalryman's target wasn't him; he was just "passing by" and then went to kill others.

At the critical moment, the bugle sounded on the north bank!

It was Tulai who personally led more than a thousand elite soldiers in white armor and cavalry, like an iron torrent, swiftly crossing the river and rushing straight at the Ming cavalry!
Seeing the main force of the Eight Banners mobilized, Huang Degong, without any desire for further battle, shouted: "Retreat!"

The Ming cavalry arrived quickly and left just as fast, shaking off their pursuers and retreating swiftly to a newly set-up wagon formation behind them.

Tulai rescued the remaining Korean soldiers and seized the Tumu Fortress, which they had finally managed to capture. The Eight Banners troops began to pour in.

Huang Taiji, standing on the high platform behind, had just begun to smile.

suddenly
boom! Boom!

Several deafening cannon shots rang out from behind the Ming army's wagon formation!
Three heavy iron pellets pierced the sky with a mournful whistle, and landed precisely on Tumu Fortress, which had just changed hands and was crowded with Eight Banner soldiers!

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and dust filled the air! A huge hole was blasted in the fortress wall, and a cacophony of screams and howls immediately erupted from inside!
Huang Taiji's smile froze instantly, turning ashen.

On the riverbank, only corpses littered the ground and blood flowed slowly.

June 25th, the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, early morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, with only a faint glimmer of light appearing in the east, and the air still carrying the chill of the night.

In the fortress north of Changping City, by the Shahe River, it was so quiet that only the sound of flags fluttering in the morning breeze could be heard. The drill ground was filled with a dense mass of men and horses. Three thousand elite Imperial Guard cavalry, six thousand Xuanda border cavalry, plus three thousand Mongol cavalry from the Chahan tribe, each man with two horses, stood silently.

Sun Chuanting stood at the forefront, his hand on his sword. To his left was Cao Wenzhao, his face filled with murderous intent, and to his right was Li Hongji, his expression tense. Empress Dowager Sutai, dressed in a neat Mongolian robe, gazed intently northward.

Everyone was waiting. Waiting for the order to depart.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the fortress. Before the gate guards could react, a squad of Imperial Guards escorted a young man in a crimson dragon robe into the fortress.

The man nimbly dismounted and his gaze swept across the entire area.

Xu Yingyuan shrieked, "The Emperor has arrived!"

The people on the drill ground were stunned for a moment, then they all knelt down in a rush.

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

Sun Chuanting and the others hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand and said clearly, "Get up, all of you. I've come to see you off."

He didn't enter the main tent, but went straight to the top platform of the fortress. Sun Chuanting and the others quickly followed.

In the morning light, the Yanshan Mountains resemble a reclining dragon, faintly visible.

Emperor Chongzhen leaned against the wall and watched for a while. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Sun Chuanting, Cao Wenzhao, and Li Hongji before finally settling on Su Tai.

"Over in Fuzhou," he said, emphasizing each word, "Huang Degong is using blood to buy you time. People are dying every moment, and my money and grain are being burned."

He pointed northwest: "Your expedition beyond the Great Wall this time is no small matter. There is only one target—Daning!"

His voice deepened: "If we take Daming, we can shake Liaoshen in the east and cut off the connection between the barbarian chieftain and the Mongols in the north. Even if we can't take it immediately, we must still raise our flag and establish our prestige around Daming! Let Huang Taiji's son, Hauge, know the power of our Great Ming!"

The platform was quiet, with only the sound of the wind.

"Sun Baigu!" Emperor Chongzhen suddenly shouted.

"Your subject is here!" Sun Chuanting stepped forward, straightening his back.

"I hereby appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the southern desert. All matters concerning this expedition beyond the Great Wall shall be under your command. Cao Wenzhao, Li Hongji, and Su Tai's troops shall all be at your disposal!"

He turned to Su Tai and said, “In the borderlands, swords and spears are indiscriminate, and battles rely on strict military orders. You and your men must obey Commander Sun’s orders and work together to succeed.”

Empress Dowager Sutai immediately gave a deep curtsy and replied clearly in Chinese: "Your Majesty's grace has given my son and me hope. Sutai and the entire Chahan tribe will certainly obey Your Majesty's decree and follow Commander Sun's orders without any disloyalty!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded, his expression softening slightly, and waved his hand behind him.

Xu Yingyuan understood and shouted in a shrill voice, "Take—the Great Banner!"

Four burly Imperial Guards steadily ascended the fortress, carrying a long flagpole wrapped in yellow silk. The top of the flagpole was carefully covered with white silk, and nine black yak tail tassels in the middle swayed gently with each step.

All eyes were drawn to it. The Mongol soldiers, especially Sutai, held their breath—they knew all too well what lay beneath the white silk.

Emperor Chongzhen stepped forward, grasped a corner of the white silk, glanced at the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "This is..."

He suddenly waved his hand, and the white silk slipped down!

A plain white banner is prominently displayed, with nine bundles of black yak tails swaying gently in the morning breeze.

"The legitimate symbol of the Khan of the Han tribe, the Nine-Tailed White Banner!"

Empress Dowager Sutai instinctively took a half step back, her right hand on her chest, her eyes filled with shock. Several Mongol generals almost knelt down.

Emperor Chongzhen accepted the flagpole with both hands and solemnly handed it to Su Tai: "Today I entrust this banner to you."

Su Tai took a deep breath and stepped forward to respectfully accept the flagpole. She slumped slightly, then steadied herself and hugged the banner tightly to her chest.

"When the army is at the gates of Daming," Chongzhen's voice suddenly rose, "then raise this nine-pronged white banner high! Let the eagles of the grasslands see it! Tell all the descendants of the Mongols that the legitimate line of the Golden Family has not been extinguished!"

Su Tai, holding the heavy banner, bowed deeply: "Your Majesty... the Han tribe will never forget Your Majesty's grace!"

At this moment, the guard brought out a bowl of wine.

Emperor Chongzhen personally handed bowls to Sun Chuanting, Cao Wenzhao, and Li Hongji, and the last bowl to Su Tai. He then picked up a bowl for himself.

"Drink this bowl to the brim!" Emperor Chongzhen shouted, raising the bowl. "I await the good news in the capital!"

After saying this, he tilted his head back and drank it all, then smashed the bowl on the ground.

"set off!"

(End of this chapter)