How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 265 Huang Taiji: Chongzhen, tell me, whose son is Altan?

On the first day of the ninth month of the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, the sun hung obliquely in the western sky, offering little warmth and sending a chill down one's spine.

Sun Chuanting reined in his horse and stood in the ruins of Kaiping City, remaining silent for a long time.

Before me lay a scene of utter desolation. The former capital of the Yuan Dynasty, Shangdu, was now nothing but a crooked stone foundation, buried in waist-high weeds. The city walls still retained their general shape, but they were all rammed earth, collapsed and cracked, with gaps one after another, wide enough for wolf cubs from the grasslands to easily enter and exit.

The wind howled, whipping up dust and dirt that stung my face.

Cao Wenzhao, his hand on his sword, stumbled out from behind the pile of rocks, his armor covered in dirt. "Minister," he said, his voice hoarse, "this place... the city walls are dilapidated, but this grassland... it's so fertile! The Chahan tribe is like a fish in water here!"

Sun Chuanting didn't turn around, his eyes sweeping over the boundless golden sea of ​​grass, his brows furrowing even more deeply. "Yes, it's incredibly fertile. That's what keeps me up at night." His voice was low. "After Emperor Yuan Shun fled north, why were the Mongol tribes repeatedly defeated? It was because of these fertile grasslands; even after defeat, they could quickly recover. Today we help Sutai establish himself here, and one day…"

Cao Wenzhao's face also darkened: "You mean... that we're raising a tiger to cause trouble? In the past two hundred years, whether it's the Northern Yuan, the Tatars, or the Oirats, they've caused countless soldiers on the nine borders to shed blood!"

Both of them came from military households in the Nine Border Regions, and their ancestors had been fighting against the Mongols for generations.
At this moment, Li Hongji returned with his cavalry on patrol. He dismounted, his face showing a mixture of excitement and worry: "Minister! In the past two days, more and more Mongol tribes have submitted! The Khalkha, the Uriyangkhai, and even envoys from the northern deserts have come! They all say they have heard of the legitimate return of the Golden Family and have come to pay their respects! Empress Dowager Sutai's tents are almost overflowing with guests!"

Sun and Cao exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes. While it was certainly a good thing that the Mongol tribes had submitted upon hearing the news, the scale of this event... was far too fast and too large.

The entire Kaiping city ruins resembled a boiling cauldron. Thousands of people—Ming soldiers and Mongol herdsmen—were bustling about. The sounds of hoes and shovels clashing, shouts in various Mongolian languages, the clatter of horses' hooves, and the bleating of cattle and sheep mingled together, several times noisier than a few days prior. Dust and grass clippings billowed high in the air.

Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Sutai was even busier. She not only erected the "Nine-Spangled White Banner" on the cleared ground, but also set up a golden tent beneath it, receiving the homage of various tribes in the name of the Great Khan's widow and Ligdan Khan's youngest son, Altan Hongtaiji (not yet two years old, held in his arms). The ceremony was solemn, drawing cheers from the crowds; the influence of the Golden Family on the steppe was undeniable.

In the evening, as Sun and Cao inspected the progress of the city wall construction, Empress Dowager Su Tai approached gracefully with her maids. She first bowed deeply to Sun Chuanting: "Commander-in-Chief Sun, General Cao, you have worked hard these past few days. If it were not for the grace of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming, and if it were not for the strong assistance of the two generals, my son and I would not have been able to return to our homeland today."

Sun Chuanting returned the greeting: "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my duty."

Sutai straightened up, her gaze sweeping over the endless stream of yurts and cooking smoke, and said solemnly, "Today, all the tribes have come to submit, all because they are grateful for the kindness of the Ming Emperor, and also because my son Altan is the legitimate heir of the Golden Family. However," she paused, looking directly at the two of them, "our Mongols and the Ming have a history of more than two hundred years of enmity, and countless tears and blood have been shed beneath the border walls."

These words struck a chord with both Sun and Cao, causing their expressions to change slightly, but they remained silent.

Su Tai changed the subject, his voice clear and firm: "But the situation is different now! The rise of Jianzhou is not only a threat to the Ming Dynasty, but also a mortal enemy of all the Mongol tribes! Huang Taiji is greedy and tyrannical, and wants to annex all the tribes and enslave our people! This is a situation where if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!"

She stepped forward, lowering her voice but each word carrying immense weight: "To demonstrate that my Chahan tribe is of one heart and mind with the Great Ming and will never betray us, once the situation here has stabilized somewhat, I will personally bring my young son Altan to the court again to pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Ming! I will present the tribute of the Nine Whites and perform the rites of a subject! I want the whole world to know that the Southern Mongols have truly submitted to the Great Ming!"

Sun Chuanting and Cao Wenzhao were shocked upon hearing this!
The Su Tai mother and son are no longer the same as when they last went to Beijing to pay homage to Emperor Chongzhen. Last time, they had not yet raised the "Nine Banners and White Flag" on the grasslands, and had few followers. But now, they are poised to become the masters of the southern grasslands.

The ruler of the grasslands presented the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty with nine white tributes, performing the rites of a subject. The Empress Dowager really gave Emperor Chongzhen face!

Su Tai's eyes gleamed as he continued to paint a picture of his grand plan: "At that time, with the might of the Great Ming Emperor and the legitimacy of my son's golden bloodline, why should we worry about the tribes of the southern and northern deserts not flocking to us? If we join forces to attack the Jurchens, we will surely wipe them out! At that time, the southern and northern deserts, the eastern and western routes, wherever the sun and moon shine, will all be the king's land! I hope the Commander-in-Chief and the General will consider this carefully and report it to His Majesty the Emperor!"

After saying this, he bowed again, turned and left.

……

It was early September of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, and the wind from beyond the Great Wall carried a biting chill. Huang Taiji's camp stretched endlessly outside the city of Daning. Inside the central golden-roofed tent, the lights were bright, yet no one dared to breathe loudly.

Huang Taiji sat on a tiger-skin chair, his fat fingers tapping rhythmically on the unfolded map. The location of Kaiping was circled sharply in red with vermilion ink, as if blood were about to seep out. Dorgon, Fan Wencheng, and the others stood below with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe.

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and Hauge scrambled in, his armor covered in dust, his face ashen with fear. He fell to his knees with a thud, burying his head deeply: "Father Khan... Your son... Your son is utterly incompetent!"

Huang Taiji slowly raised his head, his cold gaze fixed on Hauge: "Incompetent? I put you in charge of Daning, and you did just that, letting Sun Chuanting and that vixen Su Tai suffer a crushing defeat, and even leaving them trapped in the city! Now you still have the nerve to come see me?!" His voice was low at first, but suddenly rose in pitch at the end, like a thunderclap.

Hauge trembled and said urgently, "Father, please forgive me! That Sun Chuanting is cunning in his military tactics, and what's even more hateful is the wicked woman Su Tai from the Chahan tribe. She... she has now raised the 'Nine Banners and White Banner' in Kaiping, the Yuan capital!"

“Shangdu Kaiping.” Huang Taiji’s face turned ashen instantly.

With the addition of the Kaiping banner, the Nine Banners, and the legitimate bloodline of the Golden Family, Huang Taiji himself felt that his title of Great Khan of the Mongols was a false one!
Hauge continued to weep, “These days, the Chahar and Kharachin peoples around Daning are swarming towards Kaiping like flies drawn to a stench! The troops I sent to suppress them were almost swallowed up by those ungrateful Mongols! They… they all say that Altan Hongtaiji is the true ruler!”

"Very well! Very well indeed!" Huang Taiji laughed in fury, but his laughter was more like a wail. He kicked over the table in front of him, maps and writing implements scattering across the floor. "All my hard work in subduing the Mongol tribes is worth less than a widow and her orphan's tattered banner! What am I, the Great Khan, in the eyes of those Mongol Taijis?!"

In a fit of rage, he drew his sword with a clang, the gleaming tip pointing directly at Hauge: "Losing soldiers and generals, shaking the foundations of the nation! What use are you to me!" He then actually raised his sword to strike. "Great Khan, please calm down!" Dorgon rushed forward, seemingly urgently grasping Huang Taiji's sword-wielding arm. "Even if the First Prince is at fault, executing a general on the battlefield is detrimental to morale!" Ajige also quickly chimed in, feigning concern: "Yes, Great Khan, Hauge is still young, and has fallen for the treacherous schemes of the southern barbarians..."

Meanwhile, the hot-blooded young Dodo stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking smug.

Chaos erupted inside the tent. Fan Wencheng, who had been silent all along, cautiously stepped forward and whispered, "Great Khan, this servant believes that what Sutai and her son rely on is nothing more than the 'legitimacy' represented by that banner. If this 'legitimacy' can be destroyed, the white banner is nothing but a tattered cloth."

Huang Taiji, panting heavily, glared at Fan Wencheng with bloodshot eyes: "Speak! What's your plan?"

Fan Wencheng gave a sinister smile, lowering his voice even further: "Great Khan, I have heard that Ligdan Khan has many wives and concubines, yet he has not had a single child. Why is it that this Sutai, after being captured by the Ming army and brought to Beijing, suddenly became pregnant after meeting Emperor Chongzhen, and even gave birth to a son?"

Huang Taiji was taken aback, and also felt that something was wrong. Could it be that Chongzhen really had some secret method to have a son? But that doesn't make sense, the problem of not being able to have children clearly lies with Lindan Khan!

Fan Wencheng continued, "The age of this Altan Hongtaiji... the timing is quite coincidental. I really wonder whose son he is? If this news spreads across the grasslands..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji slowly lowered his grip on the knife, his fury gradually replaced by a shrewd calculation. He stared at the dark grasslands outside the tent, as if he could see the white banner fluttering beneath the walls of Kaiping, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Chongzhen… your scheme is truly shrewd! Helping that fool Lindan Khan have a son… fine! I'll show you who will be disgraced first! Issue the order: proceed according to Mr. Fan's calculations!"

……

The Forbidden City in Beijing has been bustling with activity these past few days.

Inside the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chongzhen handed the urgent memorial sent by Sun Chuanting from Kaiping to Fang Zhenghua, a eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Fang Zhenghua bowed and accepted it, then passed it in turn to Grand Secretary Huang Liji, Assistant Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong, and General Wang Zaijin.

In his report, Sun Chuanting described the situation in Kaiping: Empress Dowager Sutai of the Chahan tribe had raised the "Nine Banners and White Banners," and Mongol tribes from both the north and south of the Gobi Desert were submitting to her, growing in strength. More importantly, Empress Dowager Sutai declared that once the situation stabilized, she would personally bring her young son, Altan Hongtaiji, to the Ming court to present the "Nine White Banners as tribute," expressing her determination to submit to the Ming Dynasty and fight against the Jurchens together.

Sun Chengzong scrutinized the document closely, his graying eyebrows furrowing into a knot. Wang Zaijin repeatedly stroked the paper of his memorial, his face ashen. Only Huang Liji glanced at it a few times before stealing glances at Chongzhen's expression.

After the three finished reading, the warm pavilion was quiet except for the crackling of the charcoal fire. Emperor Chongzhen spoke, a hint of expectation in his voice: "You have all read Sun Chuanting's memorial. Su Tai and his mother have voluntarily requested to attend court; what are your thoughts?"

Huang Liji immediately bowed: "Your Majesty is wise! This is a great joy! The Chahan tribe is the legitimate successor of the Golden Family. Su Tai brought his son to court and presented the tribute of nine white coins, which shows their sincerity in submitting. This is because Your Majesty's power and virtue have spread far and wide, turning hostility into friendship! This old minister congratulates Your Majesty!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face, and turned his gaze to Sun Chengzong and Wang Zaijin.

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said, “Your Majesty, what the Grand Secretary says is indeed reasonable. Su Tai’s arrival at court is certainly a great thing. However, I must express my concerns.” He paused, and seeing that Chongzhen was not angry, he continued, “The Mongol tribes have always feared our power but not our virtue. Only now, with their power waning, have they submitted to us, flattering us and showing their loyalty. But the Bashang Grassland is a blessed land, with lush water and grass, unparalleled in the south of the Gobi Desert. If we allow them to recuperate and rebuild their tribes here, waiting for them to become powerful again… I fear it will not be a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. Supporting the Mongols will ultimately be like raising a tiger to cause future trouble.”

Wang Zaijin quickly echoed, unusually siding with Sun Chengzong: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Sun is absolutely right! The Ministry of War's considerations prioritize interests above all else. Now, the Ming Dynasty is fully supporting Su Tai's establishment in Kaiping, and their provisions and weapons all depend on us. This is like using the flesh and blood of the Ming Dynasty to feed the bones and muscles of the Mongols. Once their bones and muscles are strong, will they still be willing to serve as the Ming Dynasty's bulwark? What if... what if they secretly collude with Huang Taiji, or wait for the highest bidder, and the court spends a fortune, wouldn't we be doing all the work for someone else? At that time, there won't just be one Later Jin beyond the Great Wall, but two tigers lying on our side!"

As Chongzhen listened, the smile on his face faded, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the imperial desk. Huang Liji quickly smoothed things over: "The concerns of Lords Sun and Wang are indeed wise and experienced in governing the country. But Your Majesty, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The most pressing threat right now is Huang Taiji. If we can use Su Tai's power to disrupt his Mongolian rear and greatly reduce the pressure on Liaoxi, it will be worthwhile! As for the future... Your Majesty's divine might is boundless, and you will surely find a way to govern."

After a long silence, Emperor Chongzhen finally stood up and walked to the huge map, pressing his finger heavily on the Kaiping location.

"I am well aware of your concerns," he said with a faint smile. "But right now, we do need Sutai and her son. Without them, the Mongol Khan would be Huang Taiji. Besides, I trust Sutai's character; she would never side with Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji and she have a blood feud involving the murder of her father and husband!"

He turned and glanced at the three men: "Besides, if I can help her up today, what if she harbors ulterior motives in the future? Can't I deal with her? No matter how powerful she is, can she be more powerful than Huang Taiji? Right now, I want to make Huang Taiji unable to attend to both ends! Kaiping must be driven into the ground! Su Tai must be raised high!"

He spoke faster and faster, his mind made up: "Not only will Su Tai come, but she will come in grand style! Let all the Mongols on the grasslands know that I support her and her son! Fang Zhenghua!"

"The slave is here!"

"Issue the imperial decree: Welcoming Empress Dowager Sutai and Altan Hongtaiji to the capital shall be done with the highest honors! The Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial shall discuss the details of the ceremony and ensure it is done with great solemnity! I will select a good location in western Beijing and bestow a residence upon Empress Dowager Sutai and her son, with all expenses incurred in accordance with the regulations for princes, to demonstrate the imperial favor!"

"This servant obeys the decree!" Fang Zhenghua bowed swiftly.

Sun Chengzong and Wang Zaijin exchanged a glance and could only bow and say in unison, "Your Majesty's decision is wise, and we obey."

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and waved for them to leave, clearly looking forward to Su Tai's arrival at court. Huang Lijie was the first to leave, while Sun and Wang left, each with their own thoughts.

(End of this chapter)