How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 271 The Three Emperors Meet at Coal Hill, Storms Rise in the Northern Deserts of India

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xianzhong steeled his resolve, bowed deeply, and banged his head against the frozen, hard rocks with resounding thuds, his voice tinged with a desperate, tearful tone.
"Your Majesty! I, Zhang Xianzhong... I have long wanted to serve you! But alas... I had no way to serve you! Today, seeing Your Majesty's face is like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted! From this day forward, my life belongs to Your Majesty! I will serve you without any disloyalty!"

Emperor Chongzhen burst into laughter, the sound carrying far across the empty summit of Coal Hill, brimming with a triumphant sense of triumph. He stepped forward and personally helped Zhang Xianzhong to his feet—though it was a perfunctory gesture, it was a sign of respect. After all, Zhang Xianzhong had been an emperor in history!
Something incredible happened at the foot of Coal Hill today!

The gathering of the Three Sovereigns! I reckon even the crooked-necked tree, if it had a spirit, would tremble three times!

"Excellent! Excellent! I am greatly pleased to hear Xianzhong's words! Li Hongji, Li Guo, you have both seen this? I have gained another valiant general today!"

Li Hongji looked pleased and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Your Majesty is wise, and Brother Zhang is a discerning man."

Li Guo also relaxed his grip on the knife slightly, but still kept a close eye on Zhang Xianzhong's every move—he was now the emperor's bodyguard and had to protect Chongzhen!

Emperor Chongzhen was in high spirits. Today, on Coal Hill, he had finally subdued the two major "bandit" leaders who had plagued the Ming Dynasty for many years! He grabbed Zhang Xianzhong's arm and pointed to the dusty construction site to the west: "Xianzhong, look, that's the Jingxi Grand Project, a major project I've found to provide a livelihood for the people of the world. It's the same kind of thing Gao Xuanwei did in the Hetao region. You've actually been serving the Ming Dynasty loyally for a long time, so I absolutely cannot let you down!"

He suppressed his smile and said solemnly, "Zhang Xianzhong, receive your appointment!"

Zhang Xianzhong was about to kneel down again, but Emperor Chongzhen stopped him.

"I hereby appoint you as the Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard, a Second-Class Imperial Bodyguard, to serve right before me! I also grant you a thousand Hetao cavalrymen to command as your own troops!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong was both delighted and astonished. He was delighted that he had received the prestigious position of Vice Commander and Imperial Guard immediately after surrendering, but astonished that… a thousand cavalry? And Hetao cavalry at that? Where would the court get Hetao cavalry for him? He instinctively blurted out, “Your Majesty… Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great favor! But… Your Majesty, when did the court acquire the iron cavalry of Hetao?”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen revealed a mysterious smile. He patted Zhang Xianzhong on the shoulder and said with a grin, "The court doesn't have it now. However, it will soon."

Looking at Zhang Xianzhong's bewildered expression, he slowly said, "I wish to establish a marriage alliance with Gao Yingxiang, the Pacification Commissioner who has made great contributions in guarding the Hetao region. I have heard that he has a niece named Guiying, who is virtuous and kind, and I wish to take her as my concubine."

Zhang Xianzhong's eyes widened instantly! Gao Chuangwang's niece... the emperor wants to take her as a concubine? This...

Ignoring his shock, Chongzhen continued, "When it comes to marriage, it's all about reciprocity. Since Minister Gao's niece is entering the palace, I will naturally offer her a dowry. Minister Gao will also surely prepare a grand dowry for his niece. After much thought, I've decided that since the Gao family will be the hereditary rulers of the Hetao region, the most precious dowry would be a force capable of protecting his niece... the Hetao Iron Cavalry."

At this point, Chongzhen stared intently at Zhang Xianzhong: "Xianzhong, tell me, is it reasonable for these thousand cavalrymen to be given as part of Consort Gao's dowry?"

Zhang Xianzhong finally understood! The emperor was trying to get something for nothing... no, not just get something for nothing, but get elite troops! He was using a concubine's position and title to exchange for Gao Yingxiang's thousand Hetao cavalry! And he himself was most likely the one chosen to carry out this "troop acquisition" mission!
Emperor Chongzhen leaned down and asked with a smile, "Xianzhong, you and Gao Yingxiang are old acquaintances, so this matchmaking task is perfect for you. You will make a trip to the Hetao region for me and arrange this marriage. At that time, I will entrust you with the command of the thousand iron cavalry accompanying Consort Gao! You will be their new commander in the capital!"

A gust of cold wind blew by, but Zhang Xianzhong felt a surge of heat throughout his body. He glanced at Emperor Chongzhen, then thought of Gao Yingxiang, who was still completely unaware of the situation in the Hetao region… This emperor's methods were truly ruthless and decisive, yet utterly irresistible!

He took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a fist again: "Your subject... Zhang Xianzhong, obeys the decree! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust, I will act as matchmaker!"

On Coal Hill, Emperor Chongzhen gazed down at the majestic city of Beijing, a smug smile playing on his lips. He had captured Zhang Xianzhong, then used him to bind Gao Yingxiang, and incidentally, he could even bring along a thousand Hetao cavalrymen for his own use. The Ming Dynasty was on the verge of recovery!

At the same time, on the distant land of Bharata.
The dirt roads of the Deccan Plateau were bleached white by the sun, and the distant scenery was somewhat blurred by the heat. A caravan moved slowly along the road. In the middle of the caravan was an elephant, adorned with a magnificent saddle, with a wooden pavilion on its back, inside which sat the three key figures of the Ming Dynasty's mission to Europe: the chief envoy You Shiwei, the deputy envoy Sun Yuanhua, and Wang Chengen.

You Shiwei took off his official hat, wiped the sweat streaming down his face with his sleeve, squinted at the dry ditch and sparse forest in the distance, and panted, "This damned place is even more awful than the sweltering heat of northern Shaanxi! Eunuch Wang, Mr. Sun, is this India? Is this the Western Paradise that Sun Wukong protected Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West?"

Sun Yuanhua was also so hot that his official robe clung to his body, but he remained calm. He adjusted his glasses, smiled, and said, "General You, that's just a play, don't take it seriously. The real Tripitaka Master Xuanzang walked here alone. He later returned to the Tang Dynasty from here by sea, which is similar to the route we took."

He paused, a hint of melancholy in his voice: "It's a pity, times have changed. The Landa Monastery where Xuanzang studied scriptures is long gone. These days, there aren't many Buddhists in India anymore." "They don't believe in Buddhism anymore?" You Shiwei's eyes widened. "Then what do they believe in? They must worship something, right?"

Sun Yuanhua explained to him: "There are many religions in India, and Buddhism is just one of them. It is not the most popular religion here. Historically, Brahmanism (Hinduism) has been the most popular religion. However, the Mughal dynasty is in charge here now, and they believe in Islam."

“Mongol?” You Shiwei scratched his head. “That name sounds familiar.”

“How could the Mongols not be familiar with the general?” Sun Yuanhua laughed. “The Mongols are actually another name for ‘Mongols.’ Babur, the founding Khan of the Mongols dynasty, was a descendant of the Chagatai Khanate. His mother was a princess of the Chagatai Khanate, and his father was a prince of the Timurid Khanate. In a way, they are related to the Mongol tribes in southern and northern Mongolia that the Jurchens in Liaodong wanted to subdue.”

You Shiwei slapped his thigh, his face beaming with joy. He said in a Shaanxi accent, "Hey! This is great! When I was a soldier in Yulin, I often dealt with the Mongols from the Hetao region, and I can even speak a few words of Mongolian! If the Mongol emperor of India recognizes this language, then we'll be able to establish a connection with someone from the same hometown!"

Wang Chengen, who had been mostly silent the whole way, focusing on the terrain and villages along the road, finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it made You Shiwei stop smiling.

“General You,” Wang Chengen said slowly, his eyes still scanning the poor-looking villagers by the roadside, whose eyes held a hint of wariness, “in my opinion, these Mongolian nobles from India have been away from their homeland for over a hundred years, and they probably don’t recognize their poor relatives on the grasslands anymore. The religion they believe in is not the same as that of the Mongols in Liaodong.”

He turned to look at You Shiwei and Sun Yuanhua, his eyes serious: "We're not here to cultivate relationships, we're here to do business. The saltpeter His Majesty wants, that's the real deal. As for whether they're Mongolians or some other ancient people, if they cooperate with us, business will be easy; if they go against us..."

Before Wang Chengen could finish speaking, he gently patted the back of the elephant beneath him. The elephant obediently shook its trunk.

You Shiwei and Sun Yuanhua exchanged a glance, both understanding the meaning behind Wang Chengen's words. His Majesty's meaning was clear: it would be best if they could cooperate to obtain what they needed; but if anyone dared to block this route for transporting saltpeter and ruin the great cause of the Ming Dynasty's new army, then the Ming Dynasty would not be one to be trifled with.

The procession continued forward in the sweltering air, the bells under the elephants' necks ringing dully, as they headed towards Burhanpur, a Hindu territory filled with unknowns and ruled by the descendants of the Mongols.

There, a thirteen-year-old boy governor was waiting to receive them. This boy was Aurangzeb, the governor of the Deccan of the Mughal Empire!

In stark contrast to the scorching heat of Bharata, the northern steppes are frozen solid during this season. It's truly a land of thousands of miles of ice and snow!
A caravan of dozens of horse-drawn sleighs, like a frozen worm, struggled to move forward across the endless snowfield.

Hauge, wrapped in a thick sable cloak, his eyebrows and beard covered in icicles, spat out a mouthful of saliva that instantly froze into ice crystals in mid-air. "Damn this place! Mr. Fan, look around, it's all white, not a soul in sight! Are you sure there's some Khalkha Taiji in this godforsaken place?"

On the sled beside him, Fan Wencheng's face was ashen from the cold, and he coughed incessantly. He pointed with his leather sleeve to several blurry marks on the snow: "Big...Big Prince, look...these hoofprints and wheel tracks are all new...the Khalkha people must be not far ahead."

In the middle of the column, Zhao Si and Jin Chengren, wearing rather thin cotton armor, huddled together on a sled piled with supplies, shivering from the cold. Zhao Si glanced at the gleaming heavy bows on the backs of the Manchu soldiers in white armor ahead, then looked back at the several "premium tiger-squatting cannons" wrapped tightly in thick felt that his Han Banner brothers were struggling to push, and muttered to Jin Chengren, "Brother Ren, in this awful weather, the cannon barrels are almost frozen cracking. Will these things... even be able to fire?"

Jin Chengren huddled even tighter, his breath steaming in the air as he said, "Even if it doesn't work, we have to push it... We have to make a good show of it! Hopefully, this mission goes smoothly, so we can get our reward back..."

Just then, the Kharachin Mongol guide who had been scouting ahead rode back and shouted in broken Manchu: "Your Highness! Mr. Fan! Ahead! There's smoke rising from a chimney! It looks...it looks like a large camp!"

Hauge's spirits lifted, and he stood up abruptly: "Good! Pass down the order, get your spirits up! White-armored soldiers in front, Han army artillery, show your weapons, Korean musketeers spread out on both flanks! Let those bumpkins from the northern deserts see what the mighty Jin army is all about!"

Amidst the wind and snow, the Later Jin delegation, like a hungry wolf suddenly baring its fangs, slowly began to deploy its formation and advance towards the unknown camp.

Unbeknownst to them, what awaited them was not only the Chechen Khan of the Khalkha Mongols, but also several blue-eyed, high-nosed "Russian" spies from the far north, who were hiding in a corner of the camp, eyeing these uninvited guests from the East with wary gazes...

(End of this chapter)