How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 49 Huang Taiji Makes His Move (Please add to your favorites and read on)
In the twelfth lunar month of Shengjing City, the wind was like a knife, swirling snowflakes and icy pellets that pelted against the blue brick walls of Fan Wencheng's residence. A horse-drawn sleigh creaked to a stop outside the side gate. Fan Yongdou, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, jumped down, his breath steaming in the air. Without bothering to brush the snow off his clothes, he went straight to the gatekeeper who came out to greet him and shouted in a low voice, "Quickly report to Mr. Fan, there is an extremely urgent matter concerning Fan Yongdou of Shanxi!"

Before long, Fan Yongdou had been ushered into the warm room. The charcoal fire burned brightly, dispelling the chill. Fan Wencheng, dressed in a worn cotton robe, sat on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) holding a cup of hot tea. Seeing Fan Yongdou enter, he greeted him with a smile, "Master Fan, what brings you here through this snowy journey?"

Fan Yongdou, disregarding formalities, pulled a sealed letter with sealing wax from his inner warmer and presented it with both hands, his face beaming with undisguised joy: "Mr. Fan, great news! A secret letter from Young Master Hou in Beijing indicates that the great undertaking is about to succeed! In Xuanfu, the nobles are already restless and plan to stage a mutiny next January! The time is ripe!"

Fan Wencheng took the letter, flicked off the sealing wax with his fingertips, and quickly scanned the letter. In the dim candlelight, his fair, square face revealed no emotion, except for a barely perceptible twitch of his brow. He put down the letter, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a calm, even voice, "Understood. Please wait a moment, I will arrange for you to enter the palace to meet the Great Khan."

The side hall of the Khan's Palace was brightly lit by candlelight.

Huang Taiji did not sit on the high throne, but instead, draped in a black sable coat, sat on a heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed), a map spread out on a low table before him. Fan Wencheng stood beside him, quietly relaying the news brought by Fan Yongdou and the contents of Hou Xingguo's letter in Manchu. Bao Chengxian and Gao Hongzhong, two trusted Han officials, stood respectfully to his side, holding their breath.

Fan Yongdou knelt on the cold gold brick floor, not daring to raise his head. He felt that although the charcoal fire in the Khan Palace was warm, it could not suppress the majesty that seeped into his bones.

“Master Fan,” Huang Taiji began, his voice low. Fan Wencheng immediately translated into Chinese: “You have traveled thousands of miles to deliver such important military intelligence to our Great Jin. Your loyalty is commendable.”

Fan Yongdou quickly kowtowed: "This servant dares not! To be able to serve the Great Khan is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes!"

Huang Taiji nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "Stand up and speak. Your Fan family has been merchants for generations, and you are well-versed in the situation inside and outside the pass. You are a rare talent. After my Great Jin has succeeded and swept away the Southern Dynasty," he paused, "the vast land outside Zhangjiakou, all the way to Guihua City, along with the right to trade with the Mongol tribes, will be handed over to your Fan family to manage for generations, as a reward for your achievements!"

Fan Yongdou felt a surge of heat rush to his head, his whole body burning. From Zhangjiakou to Guihua City! What a vast territory! What a source of wealth! His voice trembled with excitement as he kowtowed again, "This servant...this servant thanks the Great Khan for his divine grace! Even if this servant were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay even a fraction of the Great Khan's kindness!"

"Yes, go ahead. You must be tired from your journey, take a good rest." Huang Taiji waved his hand.

Fan Yongdou thanked them profusely, backed out of the side hall, and only dared to straighten up after the hall door closed behind him. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, but a wildly joyful smile bloomed on his face, and he disappeared lightly at the end of the palace road.

Inside the hall, as Fan Yongdou left, Huang Taiji's smile faded, his brows furrowed, and his gaze fell heavily back onto the map, his fingers unconsciously tapping the blank space next to "Xuanfu".

“Great Khan,” Bao Chengxian observed, stepped forward, and whispered in Manchu, “are you worried that… although there is an opportunity to take advantage of, you are too far away to act?”

Huang Taiji let out a long breath, nodded with a wry smile, and replied in Manchu: “Mr. Bao understands me well. The mutiny in Xuanfu is indeed a good opportunity. However, Shengjing is more than a thousand miles away from Xuanfu. In between lies the vast grassland and the thousand miles of pine forest. There are no cities to defend and no food to replenish our supplies.”

He paused, his tone filled with resentment: "What's even more hateful is that brat Zhu Youjian! He burned down Daming and reduced the grain and fodder that the Doyan Guard had accumulated over many years to ashes! Even if I have the will to launch a western expedition, where will the grain and fodder for these tens of thousands of soldiers and horses come from? Are we to send our warriors into battle on empty stomachs?"

He slammed his hand on the map, making the teacups on the low table shake. "Zhu Youjian... this young man is so ruthless and decisive! If he really manages to reorganize Jizhou, Xuanfu, and Datong, connecting the nine border defenses into one solid line, will we still have a chance to break through the walls and enter the pass in the future?!" "Your Majesty is overthinking it!" Bao Chengxian quickly reassured him, but his face held a shrewd smile. "The Ming Dynasty has deep-seated problems, its ills are ingrained! Jizhou, Xuanfu, Datong, Changping—these gateways to the capital, which one isn't deeply entrenched? Nobles, military families, military commanders, local tyrants, smuggling merchants from Shanxi—their interests are intertwined, and pulling one thread affects the whole situation!"

"Zhu Youjian, young and impetuous, relying on the silver and land he had just acquired, wanted to wield the butcher's knife to restore order to the world. He seemed powerful, but in reality, he was stirring up a hornet's nest! His chaotic punches may have made those old foxes scramble for a moment, but as soon as he showed the slightest weakness, those veteran devils would seize the opportunity..."

Bao Chengxian made a "strangulation" gesture, his voice low and chilling: "They have plenty of ways to push this arrogant little emperor into that abyss! To make sure he dies without a burial place!"

Huang Taiji's pupils contracted slightly: "A bottomless abyss? You mean... they dare to murder the king?" He made a throat-slitting gesture.

“They might not dare!” Gao Hongzhong interjected, his mind more meticulous and sinister. “Even if they don’t kill, they have plenty of subtle tricks up their sleeves. Great Khan, think about it, what is it that the young emperor is able to maintain control of the situation? It’s nothing more than feeding those tens of thousands of soldiers in Jizhou with silver and land! Sun Zushou slaughtered the Doyan Guards for him, and he immediately distributed land and wages, making those soldiers feel that following him was a promising future! But once…”

Gao Hongzhong sneered: "Once the Jizhou garrison is demoralized and no longer at his service, this young emperor's efforts to govern will come to an end!"

"How can we alienate the people of Jizhou?" Huang Taiji pressed, his eyes gleaming.

Bao Chengxian stepped forward and pointed heavily at the locations of "Kuanhe Fort" and "Luanhe Fort" on the map: "Great Khan, in my humble opinion, instead of using the Mongols to exert pressure, we should take these two forts directly with swift and decisive action!"

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "These two fortresses were newly expanded territories of Jizhou after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne. They are his achievements in 'expanding the territory'! They are also symbols of military merit obtained by Sun Zushou and others with the heads of the Duoyan Guards! If our Great Jin can conquer these two fortresses in one fell swoop, it will not only be like driving two thorns into the north of the Ming capital, but also a fatal blow to Zhu Youjian's prestige!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke: "The generals of Jizhou have suffered heavy losses and lost the castle they had just acquired. How can they not resent it? The court nobles and officials are already dissatisfied with the young emperor's autocratic rule and favoritism towards border generals. They will surely rise up to attack him! If the Kharachin tribe sends envoys to the capital at this time to complain about Sun Zushou's 'atrocity' in massacring the Doyan Guard and demand that the murderers be severely punished, their cries will surely resound throughout the court!"

Bao Chengxian smiled sinisterly: "At that time, Zhu Youjian, beset by internal and external troubles and stripped of his prestige, might very well... use Sun Zushou's head to appease public anger and stabilize the situation!"

"Brilliant!" Gao Hongzhong clapped his hands in praise. "This is a brilliant plan! With the fall of the two forts, the Jizhou garrison has been severely damaged, and the emperor's prestige has plummeted. The Kharachin will send envoys to exert pressure again, and the nobles and officials in the court will rise up to attack them... Each step is interconnected, which will surely make that young emperor extremely anxious and cripple his own arm!"

Huang Taiji nodded repeatedly, a broad smile spreading across his face: "This plan is excellent! However," he looked at Bao Chengxian, "the two fortresses of Kuanhe and Luanhe, though newly built, are fortified cities. I'm afraid Buyan Ahai of the Kharachin tribe is not capable of taking them all by himself?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Bao Chengxian bowed and said, "Therefore, we need to send the elite troops of our Great Jin to assist us! Please send Prince Amin to lead two thousand elite troops of the Bordered Blue Banner under the pretext of 'assisting us' and accompany Buyan Ahai! With Prince Amin in charge and two thousand elite troops of the Eight Banners in the rear, how can we not break through the two forts? We can also use this opportunity to let the Mongol tribes witness the might of our Great Jin army once again!"

"Good!" Huang Taiji slammed his hand on the table. "Let's go with this plan! Send Amin to tell Buyan Ahai that after the spring, he should take over the Kuanhe and Luanhe fortresses for me! I want that brat Zhu Youjian to taste the bitterness of losing an arm and having his prestige completely destroyed!"

(End of this chapter)