I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 175 Grand Secretary Sun, are you willing to accept this?

Chapter 174 The ideal is very full, but the reality is too skinny. Although Chen Ying successfully persuaded Emperor Tianqi not to give up on Sun Chengzong, the defeat in this battle should not have resulted in the abandonment of a Jiliao governor. Although Sun Chengzong's military command ability had some problems, he was actually the true foundation of Liaodong.

Sun Chengzong's departure triggered a chain reaction, leading to Gao Di's rise to power. Gao Di advocated for a contraction of the defense line, abandoning Sun Chengzong's achievements of over three years. This resulted in the loss of more than forty castles in Liaodong within a month, thus giving Yuan Chonghuan the opportunity to rise to prominence. To be fair, Yuan Chonghuan was also one of the "Five Tigers of Liaodong," one of the five men promoted by Sun Chengzong.

In Sun Chengzong's words, Yuan Chonghuan was a man of exceptional strategy, wisdom, courage, and skill in using firearms. He was also upright, honest, and came from a family of impeccable character. As the military commissioner in charge of military affairs in Liaodong, he handled military funds amounting to well over a million, yet he never embezzled a single penny—a rare quality in Liaodong. More importantly, he led from the front with unwavering determination.

Of course, Yuan Chonghuan's shortcomings were also very prominent. He achieved success at a young age, was rash and arrogant, stubborn and self-willed, domineering and power-hungry, and repeatedly challenged the rules of officialdom. This eventually led him to the point of arbitrarily killing Mao Wenlong, the general of Dongjiang Town, and challenging imperial authority through autocratic behavior. Moreover, he was impatient, lacked social skills, and was inflexible. He also lacked sincerity and mishandled crises.

However, to be fair, the direct cause of Yuan Chonghuan's eventual execution was not a matter of loyalty versus treachery, but rather a complex political struggle. The seeds of this tragedy were largely sown by his stubborn, arrogant, and domineering personality. In Sun Chengzong's analysis of five individuals, he has already accurately pointed out Yuan Chonghuan's character and foreshadowed the inherent logic behind his eventual tragic end.

In the Chen residence, Song Yanniang was holding her son, Chen Yonghua, and trying to lull him to sleep. The little guy, having finished his milk, was still pursing his lips as if savoring the taste. Chen Yongxin lay soundly in the cradle beside him, her little fists clenched tightly, seemingly doing something.

Sweet dream.

Chen Ying sat by the window, as still as a statue. Song Yanniang glanced at him and said softly, "Chen Lang, what's wrong? You've been so gloomy. Are you still thinking about those women you had back in Yongning?"

Chen Ying suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. At this moment, Song Yanniang had given birth to Chen Ying's eldest son and eldest daughter, so she could be considered to have achieved her goal. Her temper was also starting to rise. Chen Ying did not want to provoke Song Yanniang, so he quickly explained, "It's nothing."

"Nothing?"

Song Yanniang handed her son to the wet nurse and sat down next to Chen Ying: "Do you think I can't see it? You say it's nothing, but your eyes say it—what impact will the defeat at Liuhe have on my husband? Although you are the commander of Da Ning, the loss at Liuhe only affected the Guan Ning army. It has nothing to do with you, right?"

"Yan Niang, you don't understand."

Chen Ying slowly said, "The defeat at Liuhe did not only affect Sun Chengzong alone, but the entire situation of the Ming Dynasty. The Jurchens have been terrified by my defeats recently and cannot hold their heads high in front of the Mongol tribes. Those opportunists, who were initially hesitant to side with the Ming Dynasty because they saw the Jurchens were no longer viable, but now that the Jurchens have won again after the defeat at Liuhe, what will the Mongols think? They will say that the Jurchens are still the same Jurchens, and that the Jurchens are invincible if they number less than ten thousand, and that the Ming Dynasty is still the same Ming Dynasty. Chen Boying's victories were just lucky."

Song Yanniang nodded thoughtfully. She didn't actually care about the affairs of the court. What she cared about now was the Chen family's assets. As long as it didn't affect Chen Ji's profits or her ability to build up a fortune for her son Chen Yonghua, everything was fine.

Chen Ying said with some worry, "The more troublesome situation is in the court. Grand Secretary Sun is the leader of the Donglin Party, and with Yuan Huazhong..."

With Wei Dazhong and others fallen, the leader of the Donglin Party will be Grand Secretary Sun. As long as Grand Secretary Sun is alive, second-generation figures like Qian Qianyi will never rise to power. Once Grand Secretary Sun is the leader of the Donglin Party, he himself is a supporter of the Emperor. If Grand Secretary Sun falls, the Donglin Party will be like a wild horse without reins, and this wild horse will inevitably retaliate. They won't let this opportunity pass; they will definitely use the defeat at Liuhe to drag Wei Zhongxian and myself down with them. At that time, the court will be plunged into another bloody storm.

"Moreover, the Ming Dynasty is now like a wrecked ship. In the southwest, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, the more than 200,000 rebel troops from the She-An Rebellion are still rampaging through prefectures and cities, conquering and seizing territory. In the Jianghuai region, floods are raging, and millions of people are suffering from disasters, urgently needing the court to provide relief to the victims. However, because of this defeat at Liuhe, the court is impeaching Grand Secretary Sun every day, while there are ministers who defend Grand Secretary Sun. The two sides are arguing incessantly. The victims in Jianghuai are still living in dire straits, and the millions of people in the southwest affected by the war are also displaced and living in constant fear! Every day that the court argues, the victims suffer more and more."

Song Yanniang walked to his side, took Chen Ying's hand, and said, "Chen Lang, didn't you persuade His Majesty? If His Majesty doesn't blame Grand Secretary Sun, what's the use of the court officials' impeachment? Aren't there enough people impeaching you already?"

"This is different. I'm not easily offended. If they impeach me, I'll just ignore it as barking and talking nonsense. But the problem is, Grand Secretary Sun is different. He was originally a bigwig in the Donglin Party, and now he's been betrayed by his own disciples and followers. He's been hurt!"

Chen Ying smiled bitterly, "Although I managed to persuade His Majesty, Grand Secretary Sun's heart has already turned cold. His heart is no longer in Liaodong. How can a disheartened person lead troops into battle? What I fear is that the defeat at Liuhe was just the beginning. The Jurchens have tasted the sweetness and will come again. Next time, I wonder who will be unlucky."

Song Yanniang fell silent.

She didn't understand military affairs or politics, but she understood Chen Ying. He had followed her for so many years and had always been full of confidence. She had never seen him so worried.

"Chen Lang, you've done your best. Some things are beyond your control."

Chen Ying shook his head and said, "It's not a matter of whether it can be changed, but whether we want to change it. I want to change it, but I've found that this Ming Dynasty is like a dilapidated house, leaking everywhere. You plug here, and there it leaks. You plug there, and the roof collapses. Sometimes I really want to quit and go back to Yongcheng to farm. But when I think of the craftsmen and common people who depend on me for their livelihood, and the brothers who have risked their lives with me, I can't bring myself to do it."

Song Yanniang gripped Chen Ying's hand tightly and said, "Chen Lang, you are only one person; you can't control everyone in the world—"

"No, some things have to be done!"

In that instant, Chen Ying made up his mind: "Yongren!"

"Godfather, prepare the car!"

On the official road of Jizhou, the north wind was biting. A convoy of carriages and horses moved slowly forward. This was a four-wheeled carriage, which was bestowed upon Sun Chengzong by the Tianqi Emperor. This four-wheeled carriage, produced by the Shahe Carriage Manufacturing Bureau, not only had functions such as washing and resting, but more importantly, it was an armored carriage. Even if it was shot by a three-stone crossbow, it would not be damaged in the slightest.

Sun Chengzong sat in the carriage, gazing silently out the window at the gray sky. He hadn't slept for three days, not because of the hardship of the journey, but because of the heavy burden in his heart. The defeat at Liuhe was like a thorn stuck in his heart, impossible to remove.

He thought of his students Qian Qianyi and Wen Zhenmeng. Qian Qianyi was a student recruited by Sun Chengzong when he presided over the imperial examination, and the two had served as officials in the same court. Both of them had been suppressed in the issue of the eunuch faction. He actually liked Qian Qianyi, who was a third-place scholar, very much. He was idealistic and principled. However, after the defeat at Liuhe, these two favorite students, Qian Qianyi and Wen Zhenmeng, actually became the masterminds behind the downfall of Sun. Don't think that Sun Chengzong was unaware of what was happening in the capital just because he was in Liaodong. In fact, his information channels were very well-connected. He knew almost everything that Qian Qianyi had done during this period.

Of course, he knew about Qian Qianyi's conspiracy with the Jurchens, but at the time he had no evidence, only hearsay. He also thought of Lu Zhijia, his old subordinate who had followed him for many years. Although Lu Zhijia was not one of the Five Tigers of Liaodong that he had promoted, Lu Zhijia had fought bloody battles in Liaodong and never retreated. He thought of the more than eight hundred soldiers who had died in battle, whose families were still waiting for them to return home for the New Year. He thought of the more than one thousand brothers who had been captured and were now suffering in the Jurchens' prison.

It was all his fault. He was presumptuous, too eager for quick success, too trusting of others, his intelligence was inaccurate, and he made poor personnel choices. He spent half his life studying military strategy and building city walls, but in the end, he still lost. He lost humiliatingly, he lost unwillingly, and he lost without a word.

Mao Yuanyi was Sun Chengzong's trusted advisor and bodyguard. He was Sun Chengzong's most prized student. Apart from being a bit of a scoundrel in relationships, he was almost a perfect person.

Sun Chengzong snapped out of his daze and frowned, asking, "Zhisheng, who is he?"

"Yes, yes, Commander Chen Boying of Da Ning."

Sun Chengzong was taken aback. He pushed open the car door and saw Chen Boying standing in the middle of the official road. He seemed to have gotten out of the car a long time ago. His eyebrows were covered with frost, and his black coat was covered with a layer of snow. Behind Chen Boying were only Chen Yongren and a team of more than a hundred guards. They stood straight in the cold wind, like a pine tree nailed to the ground.

"parking!"

Sun Chengzong sighed. The moment he saw Chen Boying, he understood Chen Boying's intention. Sun Chengzong was actually very good at judging people. Although Chen Boying was a core member of the Donglin Party, in his eyes, Chen Boying, like himself, was the most steadfast supporter of the Emperor in the Ming Dynasty.

"Boying, why are you doing this to yourself!"

Sun Chengzong smiled wryly and said, "Boying, why are you doing this to yourself? I'm already in my seventies. I was forced into going to Liaodong back then. I'm tired. I want to go back to my hometown of Gaoyang, farm, grow flowers, and read books. Can't you let me rest?"

"Your Excellency, the Ningjin defense line is the culmination of your life's work. Are you willing to let this defense line vanish into nothingness?"

Sun Chengzong sighed and said, "Boying, it's going to rain—"

Before Sun Chengzong could finish speaking, Chen Ying interrupted him, saying, "Your Excellency, people change as quickly as they leave. What is the situation in Liaodong now? The Jurchens have succeeded at Liuhe and their morale is high. Those opportunists in Mongolia are starting to waver again. Korea is also watching. Once you leave, the morale of the Guan Ning Army will surely collapse. Once the morale collapses, the defense line will fall. Once the defense line falls, the Jurchens will advance unimpeded. At that time, Jinzhou, Ningyuan, and Shanhaiguan will all be lost."

Sun Chengzong remained silent.

Chen Ying continued, "Your Excellency, you always say that the Liaodong affairs are difficult, but you also know that besides you, who else can support Liaodong?"

Gao Di? Wang Zaijin? Wang Zhichen? Or those censors who only know how to write impeachment memorials? I know you feel wronged. You've painstakingly cultivated your position for years, only to be betrayed by your own students. Qian Qianyi and Wen Zhenmeng, they betrayed their teacher and ancestors, wishing they could trample you into the mud. I understand your heartbreak. But the problem is, if you resign, wouldn't that be letting them off easy? If you remain in Liaodong, within the Donglin Party, you will be an insurmountable mountain for them!

Sun Chengzong slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly realized that, in addition to being betrayed by his favorite student, he had a vague feeling that the Guan Ning Army was starting to get out of control. After all, he was a civil official, and civil officials and the army did not have direct contact. He relied on Ma Shilong, Zu Dashou, Man Gui, Zhao Shuaijiao, He Kegang and others to control the army. But the problem was that when generals led the army, there was one person who could not be bypassed, namely Yu Anxing, the governor of Liaodong.

Because Yu Anxing was very clear about his logistical role, he was extremely cautious in frontline military deployments, even to the point of being somewhat hands-off. For example, he insisted on staying close to the gates and claimed that he would never get involved in military details, leaving everything to the frontline generals to decide. Compared with other governors, he was content to be a rubber stamp, not interfering in any affairs.

The problem was that Governor Yu was extremely greedy. He turned a blind eye to the fact that Governor Yu didn't cause trouble for Sun Chengzong. However, this compromise was actually fatal for the army, because the soldiers of the Guan Ning Army received a monthly salary of one tael and four mace of silver and five dou of grain. This treatment was enough for even an ordinary soldier to support a family of five.

The problem is that this treatment changed after Yu Anxing took office in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign. Some troops did not even receive the monthly salary of seven qian of silver. This meant that nearly half of the Guan Ning Army soldiers' salaries were deducted. Soldiers would definitely be resentful. How could soldiers who were dissatisfied with their superiors fight?

Sun Chengzong wanted to resign, but there was another reason: to escape. He could foresee that if Yu Anxing continued to do things this way, the Guan Ning Army's soldiers would become less and less capable, and eventually this strong army, into which he had poured countless efforts, would become like other Ming armies, unable to fight or defend, and completely reduced to a burden.

"Grand Secretary Sun, you can't leave. If you leave, it will play right into their hands. They'd love for you to leave, they'd love for Liaodong to descend into chaos, they'd love for the Jurchens to invade. Because only in chaos can they take advantage of the situation and seize power. Are you willing to accept that? Are you willing to let their schemes succeed?"

Sun Chengzong opened his eyes, looked at Chen Boying, and his lips trembled slightly.

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