How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 75 The Emperor's kindness is greater than the heavens! (Available for purchase on Wednesday, 30 chapters! 10,000 words daily thereafter, feel free to add to your collection)
On the southern grasslands, the cold wind whips up snowflakes, relentlessly lashing the barren land.

The winter camp of the Hana Tumen Ten Thousand Household Ordos was not as peaceful as usual. Felt tents were scattered about, cattle and sheep were restless in their pens, and the camp was mostly filled with the elderly, women and children. Most of the elite warriors had gone with their Ligdan Khan to conquer Xuanfu.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves, like muffled thunder, rose from the horizon.

At first, it was just a slight tremor, but it quickly turned into a deafening roar! Three thousand iron cavalrymen, like a flood bursting its banks, crashed into the camp from two directions without warning!

Li Huaixin and Ma Chengen led the charge, followed by the elite guards of the Li and Ma families, whom they had raised for many years. These men were all clad in armor, their blades gleaming, and like hungry wolves pouncing on a flock of sheep, they instantly tore apart the sparse perimeter of the camp.

"Split into three teams! Team one, flank from the left; team two, intercept from the right; team three, follow me straight to the central camp!" Ma Chengen's roar exploded in the cold wind, his command decisive.

The camp descended into chaos. Terrified screams, the neighing of warhorses, the clanging of weapons, and the dying howls instantly shattered the previous tranquility. The remaining Mongol elders and weak were utterly incapable of putting up any effective resistance; many had barely peeked out of their tents when they were felled by swiftly advancing sabers. Flames began to rise, igniting tent after tent, billowing thick smoke.

With a clear objective, Ma Chengen spurred his horse straight towards the most magnificent and spacious Khan's tent in the center of the camp. Several Mongol men who tried to stop him were easily knocked away by his spear. He reached the tent, abruptly reined in his horse, and the horse reared up.

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and a woman dressed in a magnificent Mongolian robe and wearing a gugu-shaped crown rushed out, clutching a curved knife tightly in her hand. Although her face was deathly pale, her eyes held a fierce glint as she shrieked something in Mongolian. Behind her were several panicked maids who tried to shield her.

Ma Chengen ignored her completely, sneered, and his spear moved like a venomous snake, accurately deflecting and parrying! With a clang, the woman's curved knife was sent flying by the force. She cried out in surprise and stumbled, falling to her feet in the snow.

Ma Chengen dismounted, strode forward, drew his sword, and grabbed the woman's disheveled hair, forcing her to look up. A face, filled with fear yet undeniably beautiful, came into view; she appeared to be no more than twenty years old. Despite her wretched state, her eyes held not only fear but also a hint of stubborn defiance.

"Oh ho, quite a pretty woman!" Ma Chengen sneered, brandishing the knife at her fair neck.

The woman struggled, and blurted out a sentence in accented Chinese: "I am Su Tai of the Yehe tribe, granddaughter of Jin Tai Shi, the Vice Commander-in-Chief and General of the Dragon and Tiger of the Great Ming Dynasty! How dare you!"

Ma Chengen's hand suddenly stopped, the knife halting in mid-air. He paused, carefully examining the woman's face and clothing, his brows furrowing: "Jin Taishi's granddaughter? From the Yehenara family? Your father... is someone the court has registered with."

He hesitated for a moment, then sheathed his sword and beckoned behind him: "Men! Tie this woman up! Keep a close eye on her, don't hurt her! She might come in handy!"

Several fierce servants immediately pounced on her and tied up the limp Su Tai Fujin tightly. She no longer resisted fiercely, but stared intently at Ma Chengen with her beautiful eyes, her lips tightly pursed.

Ma Chengen mounted his horse, surveyed the chaotic camp where the sounds of battle were fading, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face. The raid was a success, and he had even caught a big fish.

……

Outside Xuanfu Town, on the Great Parade Ground.

The atmosphere on the drill ground was completely different today. Gone was the somber atmosphere of training; instead, there was an almost palpable joy.

In the center of the drill ground, heavy wooden crates were opened, revealing gleaming silver ingots that reflected an alluring light in the thin winter sunlight, almost blinding countless eager eyes below. On the other side, sacks piled high like small mountains contained plump wheat, each grain full and without bran.

Three hundred thousand taels of silver! One hundred and twenty thousand bushels of wheat!
These were all confiscated from the filthy mansion of the Duke of Cheng in Beijing! Now, they are all laid out before the soldiers of Xuanfu Town.

On the reviewing stand, Wei Zhongxian, Hou Shilu, Zhu Zhifeng, and You Shiwei, who had just arrived with elite troops from Changping escorting provisions, stood side by side. Looking at the sea of ​​soldiers below, their eyes fixed on them expectantly, the four couldn't help but smile.

Hou Shilu whispered to You Shiwei, "General You, the Changping brothers you brought are excellent! Now, the forces on our side in Xuanfu are truly formidable!"

Yu Shiwei cupped his hands, his face showing excitement despite his travel-worn state: "General Hou, you're too kind! We're all doing our duty for His Majesty, killing Tartars! Now that Xuanfu has strong troops and ample supplies, it's the perfect time to make our mark!"

They certainly had reason to be happy. Xuanfu garrison had approximately 50,000 combat-ready soldiers, and You Shiwei had brought an additional 6,500 elite troops, of whom 2,700 or 2,800 were retainers and cavalrymen trained by the You and Hou families. The force gathered in Xuanfu garrison now exceeded 56,000! More importantly, this army was well-supplied, highly motivated, and had just won a battle. The Xuanfu soldiers, in particular, had a blood feud with the Tartars, making them the most vigorous force they could muster!
Wei Zhongxian stepped forward, walked to the front of the stage, and cleared his throat. Instantly, tens of thousands of eyes below the stage focused on him.

The arena gradually quieted down, with only the fluttering of flags in the cold wind. Wei Zhongxian's shrill voice, however, sounded like celestial music to the soldiers: "Soldiers! I know you're anxiously waiting for your pay and provisions! The court has... mistreated you in the past!"

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice rising sharply as he pointed to the vast expanse of silver and wheat below the stage: "But! His Majesty has not forgotten you! Look! This silver! This grain! His Majesty has been thinking of you, and has confiscated it from the homes of those parasites in Beijing! Duke Zhu Chunchen of Cheng embezzled your salaries and resold your military rations; he deserves to die! His Majesty has confiscated his property and seized his assets. Now, he is bringing you all that rightfully belongs to you!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a huge, unbelievable cheer! The sound almost lifted the roof off the reviewing stand.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

Many veterans were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, their rough hands wiping away the tears.

An old soldier with a gray beard muttered, "Holy crap... they really gave us... so much..."

Another burly soldier grinned and said, "His Majesty truly cares about us!"

Wei Zhongxian looked at the reaction below with satisfaction, pressed his hands down as if to stop, and waited for the commotion to subside before continuing to shout, "His Majesty's kindness is truly inexhaustible! Not only will he give you pay and rations, but he will also give you a bright future!"

With a wave of his hand, several eunuchs carried several heavy boxes and placed them on the platform. The boxes were opened, revealing chests full of gilded iron plaques, gleaming in the sunlight.

"See this!" Wei Zhongxian picked up an iron plaque and held it high. "Imperial Guard waist plaques! Gilded! A total of 1,200! Who are these awarded to? To the brave warriors who personally cut off the heads of the Tartars in the previous battle! With this plaque, you are His Majesty's personal guards! You will eat the imperial food, receive generous pay, and bring glory to your ancestors!"

The crowd erupted instantly! All the soldiers, especially those who had taken heads in the previous battles, had bloodshot eyes and desperately pushed forward, trying to see the iron plaque that represented supreme glory and tangible benefits.

"Now!" Wei Zhongxian's voice seemed to possess a magical power, "Those whose names I call, come up to the stage! Receive your plaques, your reward money, and your rations!"

He picked up a roster and began calling out names aloud.

"Li Er! Execute three heads!"

"Ma Tiezhu! Two heads have been beheaded, and one Tartar scout has been captured!"

"Ma Desheng! Decapitate one rank, or do not retreat even if wounded!"

One by one, the officers and soldiers whose names were called trembled with excitement. Amidst countless envious gazes, they staggered onto the stage, their hands trembling as they received the heavy iron plaques from Wei Zhongxian, Hou Shilu, You Shiwei, and others. Then they knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly towards the direction of Beijing, oblivious to the snow and mud that smeared their foreheads.

Those who had received their tokens were led aside and immediately received their full pay and rations. Holding the gleaming silver and the substantial grain in their arms, the sense of security and elation was infectious, contagious to everyone present. A young soldier who had just received his silver ingot clutched it tightly, stammering to his comrades, "Things are getting better! The good days of the Taizu and Chengzu eras are coming back!"

Seeing the enthusiastic scene, Wei Zhongxian pressed his advantage, raising his arm and shouting, "The plaques are all distributed! The pay and rations have all been received! What's next?"

The tens of thousands of people below the stage were completely ignited by this emotion, waving the silver and weapons they had just received, and letting out a deafening, unified roar:
"Kill the Tartars!"

"Send troops! Attack Dushikou!"

"Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!"

The roar was like a tidal wave, one wave higher than the next, sweeping across the entire training ground and soaring into the sky.

Wei Zhongxian, Hou Shilu, You Shiwei, and Zhu Zhifeng exchanged a smile: The army's morale is high! Their fighting spirit is soaring!
(End of this chapter)