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

Chapter 394 A Word to Awaken a Dreamer
Shengjing.

The newly built city was bathed in the May sun, yet it felt no warmth whatsoever.

The shadow of fear swept in from all directions, weighing heavily on the hearts of every Manchu bannerman.

"Southern Daily News: That old dog Sun Chengzong is building fortifications among immigrants, advancing an inch a day. His momentum is like ants swarming, slow but eroding the foundation of the nation!"

"Dongbao: The traitor Mao Wenlong bombarded Tieshan and slaughtered our soldiers. His actions are like those of a venomous scorpion; though small, they can still sow discord within our ranks!"

"Report from the west: Ligdan Khan has mobilized his entire army to march south, his beacon fires stretching for miles, his troops like a dark cloud. Though fierce, they are capable of shaking the capital!"

The southern front is like a mountain, steady and oppressive; the eastern front is like fire, fierce and biting; the western front is like the wind, violently sweeping.

Zhu Youjian's seemingly crazy three-pronged strategy actually became a shocking reality on the territory of the Later Jin within just one month!
The council of princes and ministers was already in complete chaos.

The former capital of Hetu Ala has been abandoned. These old brothers, nephews and nieces who followed Nurhaci in conquering the country are now facing an unprecedented predicament. Their former bravery and heroism have been replaced by fear and bewilderment.

Inside the main hall, fear and anger coexisted, creating a scene of utter chaos!
The commander of the Bordered Red Banner, Yue Tuo, was flushed red, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke like a torrential rain: "Your Majesty! The threat on the southern front is like a poison that scrapes the bone! That old man Sun Chengzong is advancing step by step, occupying a village today and building a fortress tomorrow. If this continues, the hearts of the Han people in Liaodong will all turn to the Ming! The foundation of our Great Jin is in grave danger! I request that a large army be dispatched to take advantage of their unstable foothold, drive them out in one battle, and recover all the old lands of western Liaodong!"

Before he could finish speaking, Mangultai, the leader of the Plain Blue Banner, who had always been at odds with him, interrupted him in a gruff voice, like muffled thunder: "Yue Tuo, have you gone mad from reading too much?! The poison of scraping the bone must be brought slowly, but what lies before us is the executioner's blade! Ligdan Khan's 40,000 iron cavalry are already at the Liao River, hurling insults every day. Their vanguard is only a few days' journey from Shengjing! This is a major threat! If we let them cross the river, our wives, children, gold, silver, and treasuries will all fall into their hands! In my opinion, we should mobilize the entire nation's army to fight this barbarian to the death and decide the fate of the world in one battle!"

In a corner, Amin, who had just suffered a crushing defeat at Tieshan and lost all face, his face grim, hissed, “Mangultai, you’re the one who’s gone mad! The entire nation’s army? What do you think you can fight with? Lindan Khan has tens of thousands of Ming troops behind him! I just returned from the east, and you have no idea how formidable Mao Wenlong is! His cannons roar like the heavens collapsing, and his bullets fly like meteors! My eight thousand Bordered Blue Banner warriors couldn’t even touch him before their bodies piled up like mountains! This scoundrel is the real cancer! If he isn’t eliminated, the entire Liaonan region will rot! In my humble opinion, we should first gather all the artillerymen, concentrate our elite forces, and remove this poisonous thorn from Tieshan!”

"Bullshit! We must first pacify the internal situation before dealing with external threats! I think we should first..."

"Shut up!"

A thunderous roar instantly swept through the entire hall, and all the arguing, shouting and yelling came to an abrupt halt at that moment.

Huang Taiji slowly stood up from his Khan's seat.

He didn't fly into a rage, he didn't roar, and his face was so calm that there wasn't even a ripple of emotion.

But it is precisely this extreme tranquility that, against the backdrop of the deafening clamor within the hall, which seemed as if the building were about to collapse, appears all the more terrifying.

Those eyes burned with a cold flame that seemed capable of freezing the souls of everyone in the hall.

He scanned the faces, some anxious, some angry, some fearful, and a deep weariness and indescribable loneliness welled up inside him.

These are his relatives, his councilors.

How magnificent it was to seize the world on horseback in the past! How pathetic it is to discuss national affairs in the face of crisis today!
They cannot discern the enemy's true strength or weaknesses, nor understand the ruler's intentions; they only know how to fight for temporary gains and protect their own selfish interests.

He took a deep breath and began to speak:
"That young emperor of the Ming Dynasty went to great lengths to deploy these three armies, precisely to throw us into disarray and prevent us from attending to both ends. Isn't your current state exactly what he wanted?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked ashamed, as if they had been doused with a bucket of ice water, and they all lowered their heads. Huang Taiji slowly walked to the huge sand table. On the sand table, three flags representing the enemy army were like three sharp swords, pointing directly at Shengjing.

“Sun Chengzong uses fortified cities as his backbone and the hearts of the people as his flesh, advancing inch by inch, step by step. He will not be reckless, and I cannot do anything about him for the time being. This is a long-term problem, but not an urgent one.”

He gently pushed the small flag back, as if to say that this trouble could be put aside for the time being.

His finger moved to the eastern front.

“Mao Wenlong is fierce and cunning. He has already occupied a fortified city. Our Eight Banners cavalry excels in open field battles but is weak in siege warfare. A direct assault would only increase casualties. I have already lost a battle, and I will not make the same mistake again. As long as we surround him and cut off his connection with the Han people of Liaonan, he will be like a tiger trapped in a cage. This is a pain that is close to the skin, but not a threat to the heart.” He picked up a few chess pieces representing the siege and firmly circled the small flag on the eastern front.

Finally, his gaze fell on the dark mass to the west, representing the area where Ligdan Khan's army was located.

"As for Ligdan Khan..." He planted the flag heavily on the west bank of the Liao River, his gesture full of contempt. "His momentum is immense, and his military might seems the most terrifying, as if he could drink from the Liao River and besiege Shengjing City at any moment."

Huang Taiji's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he could see through the hearts of people a thousand miles away: "But have you ever thought about it? Why does he only plunder in Hexi and curse every day, but he dares not take advantage of the fact that my main force has not yet gathered to launch a forced crossing?"

The people inside the hall looked at each other, all puzzled.

In their view, this was exactly the intimidation tactic commonly used by the Mongols.

Huang Taiji smiled coldly, a smile full of insight into human nature.

"Because he dares not! He's afraid!" The voice was resolute. "His expedition was made possible by the promise of great benefits from the Ming Emperor, who painted a huge pie in the sky. But he's even more afraid! He's afraid that if this battle is too fierce with our Great Jin, it will destroy the very foundation of his Chahar tribe. After the war, will the Ming Emperor turn his blade around and take care of this toothless tiger as well?"
At that time, not only will he lose control of the grasslands of Horqin, but he won't even be able to protect his wife and children!

A word to wake up the dreamer!

Inside the hall, all the princes and ministers, including Daišan Dorgon, gasped in shock!
“Therefore,” Huang Taiji’s voice was as cold as iron from the depths of hell, “Lindan Khan is a figurehead, a facade that the Ming Emperor put on for me! His real killing move is hidden in Lindan Khan’s shadow… Man Gui!”

He suddenly raised his hand, his index finger like a sword, and pointed heavily at the area on the sand table that represented the Xuanda cavalry and the ambiguous relationship between Ligdan Khan.

"Lindan Khan is a war drum used to distract my main force, a noise used to deplete the morale of my troops! But Man Gui's 20,000 to 30,000 battle-hardened and well-equipped Ming cavalry are the real poisoned blade that will pierce my heart! Only by finding that blade and defending against it can we block this fatal blow!"

Surrounded by enemies on three sides, Huang Taiji not only did not lose his composure, but also, like the most skilled hunter, precisely locked onto the enemy's most fatal move through the thick fog!
"Issue my decree!" Huang Taiji's voice was filled with unquestionable authority at this moment, as if he had returned to being the commander who had the final say on the battlefield.

"On the west bank, fortify the walls and clear the fields! Immediately order all soldiers and civilians to take sufficient provisions and retreat into the riverside fortresses. Avoid any large-scale contact with the Mongol cavalry. Let them curse if they want; let them plunder those empty villages if they want! I want to turn their 40,000-strong army into 40,000 headless flies!"

"The main force is being moved westward to confront Ligdan Khan across the river! I will personally lead the main force of the Plain Yellow, Bordered Yellow, and Plain Blue Banners, totaling about 40,000 elite troops, to advance westward immediately! We will be stationed at Xinmin Fort on the east bank of the Liao River! We will confront Ligdan Khan across the river, adopting a posture of decisive battle to draw his full attention! But I strictly order the entire army: do not take the initiative to attack!"

"Thirdly," his voice suddenly dropped to a very low hue, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a strong, metallic tang, "order Daishan and Dorgon to each lead their elite troops from the Bordered Red and Bordered White Banners, and combine their forces! They need not appear on the front lines! They must lie in ambush like hunters in the hills and ravines of western Liaoning! Send out all the most elite scouts, at any cost, to keep a close watch on Man Gui's Ming army! I need to know every bite they eat, every step they take! The moment that hungry wolf, thinking itself a hunter, bares its fangs... that will be the moment it perishes in the wolf's jaws!"

The three decrees were clear, decisive, and ruthless, hitting the nail on the head!
All the fear and commotion in Shengjing City were forcibly suppressed under the dictatorial rule of this iron-fisted Khan!

(End of this chapter)