Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 382 Liaodong, I have arrived!

During the Spring Festival of the third year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the palace lanterns in the Forbidden City were still hanging high, but the emperor was outside the Great Wall.

The fireworks display for the Lantern Festival was viewed from the city tower in Xuanfu Town.

The fireworks soared into the sky, but instead of the magnificent peonies commonly seen in the capital, they exploded into clusters of powerful and rugged crimson flames fired by the border soldiers using gunpowder cannons.

Beneath the flames, the boisterous cheers of Han Chinese men and Mongol tribesmen, mingled together and reeking of alcohol, filled the air.

Instead of staying in the warm General's Mansion for a fireside chat, Zhu Youjian donned a black cloak and went to the border wall, to the place he named Datong Market.

The border region of yesteryear now presents a completely different scene.

Along the inner side of the Great Wall, rows of sturdy fortresses and bastions stand imposingly, their cannon muzzles and arrow slits gleaming coldly in the moonlight—the iron will of the Ming Dynasty.

Adjacent to the fortress complex, a vast area constructed of rammed earth and massive timbers served as the bustling trade market that never ceased operating.

During the festive season, the noise here not only did not subside, but became even more boisterous.

Thousands of tents and wooden houses stretch out in a continuous line, their lights like a dragon, extending from the foot of the Great Wall all the way to the distant glacier.

Huge bonfires stretched out one after another, the aroma of roasted whole lamb and the rich flavor of mare's milk wine mingling with the fragrance of tea and strong liquor brought by Han merchants, creating a unique atmosphere of vitality and life unique to this place.

Zhu Youjian walked among them, followed only by Man Gui and the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

No one cleared the area, and no one shouted.

The common people and herdsmen only knew which high-ranking official from the capital was there, and they all gave way and bowed, their eyes filled with genuine awe and gratitude.

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

Man Gui pointed to a spot not far away, where a burly Mongolian man was carefully taking a shiny black iron pot from a merchant from Jiangnan.

He held the iron pot high above his head, examining it repeatedly in the light of the campfire, his joy more genuine than if he had acquired ten fine horses.

Behind him, his people were exchanging a few fine wolf pelts for bricks of tea cakes and blocks of snow-white salt.

On the other side, several young soldiers wearing Ming army standard cotton armor, but with distinctly Mongolian faces, were using their newly received military pay to buy Shu brocade and porcelain bowls that were previously only seen in the tents of high-ranking nobles.

Their words and actions showed no trace of servility or subservience; on the contrary, they were filled with pride as border troops of the Ming Dynasty.

"A bustling marketplace, teeming with people. Leather and fur coats are exchanged for salt, iron, tea, and rice; silk strings and jade carvings are traded for beef and mutton." Zhu Youjian read this sentence calmly as he looked at the scene.

Man Gui replied, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. In the past, we were drawn bows and pointed them at each other, but today we are holding hands and talking happily. I have been guarding Xuanda for decades and have never seen such a scene before.”

His voice was filled with heartfelt emotion.

This gave him a greater sense of victory than any major triumph.

This is a power that nourishes silently, yet can melt gold and iron.

Zhu Youjian did not speak, but continued walking forward.

He saw that those once unruly tribal chiefs, when they saw the patrolling Ming army generals, would put their hands on their chests and bow, addressing them as "General" instead of "Nayan."

They would proactively step forward and, in broken Chinese, report which tribe had a dispute on the grassland, hoping that the Ming government could step in and "get a clear answer."

The laws of the Ming Dynasty are quietly becoming the new rules on this grassland, along with these iron pots, tea leaves, and salt.

What excited Man Gui the most was the long queue in front of the recruitment office.

Those robust Mongolian men, capable of shooting eagles with bows in the fierce wind, were eagerly signing up to join the army.

What they wanted was no longer the spoils of looting, but the stable rations and pay that came with being a member of the Ming army, the dignity that would allow their families to live a good life, and a brand-new set of cotton armor to keep them warm in the cold.

These former most formidable enemies are now being transformed in droves into the Ming Dynasty's sharpest blades.

“Your Majesty,” Man Gui lowered his voice, “after the spring, I will follow your orders and transfer this batch of newly recruited Mongol elite soldiers to the interior, under the command of the Beijing Garrison.”

Zhu Youjian stopped on a high slope. He gazed at the boundless outline of the southern grasslands in the darkness, the night wind blowing his cloak.

“Good.” He said only one word.

In recent days, a tacit understanding has formed between the emperor and his ministers.

Every seemingly casual decision made by the emperor was the result of a profound and far-reaching plan.

Although Man Gui could not fully understand, he learned to observe and comprehend. Looking at the Mongol soldiers who were sent to the interior, he had a vague feeling in his heart.

Your Majesty's move is far more complex than simply dividing and conquering.

Finally, the seasoned veteran could no longer contain his curiosity.

"Your Majesty, there is something I do not understand." Man Gui's voice sounded particularly solemn in the cold wind. "You treat the various tribes so generously, winning them over through trade and incorporating them into the military. In the long run, the Mongols will undoubtedly be drawn to China. This strategy is truly superior to 100,000 armored soldiers. However..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words.

"But why do you want to transfer these newly recruited elite troops away from the border? They are familiar with the grasslands and skilled in riding and archery. They should be used on the front line against the Jurchens. Transferring them to the interior... isn't that a waste of their talents?"

Zhu Youjian did not turn around. He continued to gaze at the deep darkness, as if he could penetrate time and space and see the wind and snow at the end of the grassland.

After a long silence, the emperor finally spoke, his voice striking Man Gui's heart like a hammer blow.

"Manqing,"

Do you know Batu and Subutai?

In an instant, Man Gui felt as if his blood had been ignited by those words!
His breath hitched, and his eyes, which had seen countless life-and-death situations and the clash of swords and bloodshed, widened in an instant!

His hand involuntarily tightened its grip on the hilt of the knife that had been with him for over thirty years.

The hilt of the sword was icy cold, but my palms were burning hot. Batu!

Subutai!
Of course he knows!
As a top-tier general, how could he not know this resounding name in military history! It was the most glorious chapter of the Mongol cavalry, the pinnacle of cavalry tactics!

Your Majesty mentions these two names at this moment.

Man Gui felt a surge of heat rush from his chest to his throat. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

The young emperor before us harbors no strategies for pacifying the borders and securing the people, but rather a grand war vision that aims to bring the entire world under his control!
……

In late February, as the ice and snow began to melt, the land of Xuanda began to exude the breath of spring.

The massive imperial procession, escorted by countless soldiers and commoners, slowly began its journey, not returning west to the capital, but instead turning east.

Only when the great banner representing the emperor's presence completely disappeared on the distant horizon did the civil and military officials of Xuanda, who were still standing on the city tower watching the farewell, look at each other as if waking from a dream. In each other's eyes, they saw a trace of belated shock and realization.

Only then did they truly realize what was happening.

The emperor himself visited the border, and the inspection lasted for nearly two months.

The purpose was to guard against the Jurchen invaders and to deter the villains.

However, in these two months, the Jurchens did not send out a single soldier or move a single horse.

On the contrary, Ligdan Khan of the southern Gobi Desert sent several envoys in succession, whose words went from inquiries at the beginning to discussions later, and finally to... almost pleading.

Because he discovered that his followers, his cattle and sheep, his livelihood and his army were being drawn away little by little by the giant magnet called the Datong Trade Market at a speed that he could neither stop nor understand.

He could blockade the grasslands and execute traitors, but he couldn't conjure up the iron pot in the yurt that could stew meat, nor could he conjure up tea bricks to help the elderly and children get through the winter, and he couldn't stop his warriors from longing for the brand-new Ming army cotton armor.

Without bloodshed, the enemy's strength was cut off.

A senior official from the Ministry of War gazed at the empty east and murmured to himself, his voice filled with a dreamlike reverence.

"The Emperor's journey is not for defending against invaders..."

An elderly general with gray hair and beard standing nearby subconsciously chimed in:

"...In reality, it was a robbery."

At this moment, everyone understood.

The emperor's true intention in this border inspection was not Huang Taiji at all.

His real target was the once invincible ruler of Chahar, Ligdan Khan!
In a manner that was almost openly scheming, he dug up the foundation of Ligdan Khan piece by piece in front of everyone and built it into part of his own Great Wall.

Poor Ligdan Khan was helpless in the face of this.

Everyone was horrified.

Only at this moment did they truly connect the series of actions taken by the emperor during his trip.

On the western chessboard, a groundbreaking move had just been made, and on the eastern chessboard, a storm was already brewing.

A young official from the Ministry of War looked in the direction the emperor's entourage had gone and said somewhat uncertainly, "The imperial procession is heading east... Is it going to return to the capital via Jizhou and Yongping? It would be reasonable to inspect the garrisons along the way."

Upon hearing this, many officials nodded subconsciously, as this seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.

However, the white-haired, battle-hardened veteran standing beside Man Gui slowly shook his head.

His gaze wasn't fixed on the crowd, but rather on the plume of smoke disappearing into the horizon, a low, almost sigh-like murmur escaping his throat:

"Back to Beijing?"

He seemed to be asking himself, or perhaps he was asking the vast天地 (heaven and earth).

"You are wrong..." The old general's voice was not loud, but it drowned out all the wind on the city wall. "His Majesty's journey has been meticulous, step by step, with each move carefully planned. First, he used the power of thunder to stabilize the hearts of Xuanda, and then he used the benefits of trade to undermine the foundation of Ligdan Khan. Now that the threat in the south of the Gobi Desert has been resolved, why is His Majesty in such a hurry to return to the capital?"

The officials' expressions grew increasingly serious as the veteran general spoke.

Following the veteran's line of thought, they began to re-examine this earth-shattering game of chess.

Yes... why go back to Beijing?

The capital is safe and the political situation is settled.

This emperor, who never followed the usual path, would never do anything unnecessary.

So what was his ultimate goal for this trip?
What was the purpose of pacifying the western region?
Why free up your hands?
An incredibly clear answer emerged in everyone's mind, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their whole bodies chilled.

It was a name they had thought of, but dared not utter.

The veteran seemed to read everyone's minds; he turned his head, and a fanatical light blazed in his cloudy eyes:

"His Majesty has... freed up his hands to seize the throat of the most ferocious tiger in the world!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around, facing east, and clasped his hands tightly in a deep bow towards the empty distance!
In an instant, the entire city gate fell into a deathly silence.

No more words are needed.

That plume of dust heading eastward, rolling like a dragon, its sharp edge aimed at the heaviest shadow in the hearts of everyone in the world.

There is only one name.

Liaodong!

(End of this chapter)