Late Ming Dynasty: From the Defeated Soldiers at Daling River to Ascending the Throne

When Chen Feng returned to Longfu Temple, it was already late afternoon.

The sun was setting in the west, casting long shadows at the entrance of the alley.

He rode a horse, followed by a small blue cloth sedan chair.

At the courtyard gate, Mei Xian and Chun Lan had been waiting for who knows how long.

Mei Xian was still wearing the same outfit she wore when she saw Chen Feng off that morning, but her hair was styled up again and adorned with a plain silver hairpin.

Seeing Chen Feng dismount, her eyes lit up slightly, and she stepped forward to greet him, "The general is back."

Before he finished speaking, the sedan chair behind him was seen to fall to the ground, and an old man dressed in a blue cloth robe lifted the curtain and came out.

Mei Xian stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on the old man.

Chen Fengdao introduced, "This is Grand Secretary Sun."

Mei Xian was slightly taken aback, then gave a deep curtsy: "This humble servant is Mei Xian, greetings to Grand Secretary Sun."

Sun Chengzong waved his hand, "No need for formalities."

He glanced at Mei Xian, then at Chen Feng, and his lips twitched slightly. "Commander Chen is so lucky to have such a beautiful wife."

Chen Feng smiled but didn't reply.

His vanity prevented him from denying it, after all, what man doesn't like the company of a beautiful woman? But on the other hand, reason reminded him that Mei Xian might be a spy sent by Tian Wan, and he should be careful.

Chen Feng glanced at Mei Xian and led Sun Chengzong into Longfu Temple.

Mei Xian instructed Chunlan to tidy up the meditation room, while she went to prepare tea and snacks.

Chen Feng led Sun Chengzong on a tour of the courtyard, and Sun Chengzong got to know Chen Feng's group of men.

In the courtyard, Meng Changgeng and his group were all doing their own things. Since they didn't know the old man's background, they simply bowed respectfully and then hurriedly left.

After the meditation room was tidied up, Chen Feng and Sun Chengzong went into the meditation room together.

The meditation room was small, with a low table, two cushions, and a landscape painting of unknown origin hanging on the wall.

Chunlan had already lit the charcoal brazier, making the room warm and cozy. Tea sets were laid out on the low table, and steam was rising from the teapot.

Mei Xian followed him in, personally brewed tea, and presented it to Sun Chengzong with both hands: "Your Excellency, please have some tea."

Sun Chengzong took it and nodded.

Mei Xian served Chen Feng another cup of tea, then stepped back two paces. "Your Excellency and General, please continue your conversation. I shall take my leave. Aji is guarding outside; please let me know if you need anything."

After speaking, he curtsied, left, and closed the door behind him.

Sun Chengzong watched the door close, took a sip of tea, and looked at Chen Feng, "Do you know how many people you offended with the things you said in the warm pavilion today?"

Chen Feng lowered his head and said, "This subordinate understands."

"You know it, yet you still say it?" Sun Chengzong's tone was calm, but his words carried a hint of inquiry.

Chen Feng raised his head. "This humble servant would not dare to deceive Your Majesty. Your Majesty is asking about the deep-seated problems in the army. If this humble servant were to say something that whitewashes the situation, that would be deceiving the emperor."

Sun Chengzong stared at him for a while, then suddenly sighed: "You are indeed loyal to the country. But in this world, it's not only deceiving the emperor that's a crime. Sometimes, telling the truth offends people more than telling lies. Wen Tiren must already be holding a grudge against you."

Chen Feng was silent for a moment. "I was just speaking my mind. Whether Grand Secretary Wen remembers it or not is beyond my control. I only know that I cannot lie when His Majesty questions me."

Sun Chengzong stared at Chen Feng for a long time, trying to glean something from the young man's expression and demeanor, but Chen Feng's expression remained perfectly natural.

In the end, he could only sigh and say, "There aren't many young people like you who think like that and are willing to do real work."

Chen Feng bowed his head: "Your Excellency is too kind. I dare not accept such praise."

Sun Chengzong waved his hand, picked up his teacup and took another sip, "I heard everything you said in the warm pavilion. The problems you mentioned are all true."

He paused, his gaze lingering intently on Chen Feng. "I can tell you have your own thoughts on the current situation. Since there's no one else here, tell me, what are you really thinking?"

Chen Feng was silent for a while, then glanced outside the door. Through the white window paper, he could see Aji's blurry figure.

He turned back to look at Sun Chengzong, "Since Your Excellency has asked, I will humbly offer my answer."

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "The Ming Dynasty's military system is now rotten to the core."

Sun Chengzong's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't say anything.

"The army appears large, with millions of soldiers, but it is actually hollow inside. The garrison system has long been a mere formality, more than half of the military households have deserted, and those who remain are mostly the old and weak."

He paused, then pointed out the window, "Did you see the old man sunbathing in the courtyard, and the child fetching water, Your Excellency?"

Sun Chengzong recalled the old Pu Tou and Sun Er Gou he had just seen in the courtyard.

"Both of them were defeated soldiers whom I picked up from Dalinghe."

He looked at Sun Chengzong and said, "Does Your Excellency know how many soldiers like them are in the so-called 'elite' ranks? At least 30% out of 100 are like them, and the remaining 70% are even worse than them."

Sun Chengzong didn't say anything, but simply picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

Seeing that Sun Chengzong's teacup was empty, Chen Feng refilled it. "Let's talk about military equipment. The Ministry of Works is corrupt, and the Ordnance Bureau cuts corners, so the armor and firearms are unreliable on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Tartars' weapons and armor are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so the balance of power is already unbalanced."

"Not to mention the food and pay," Chen Feng's voice deepened. "It's common for border troops to be behind on their pay; some are owed for six months, some for a year. Soldiers are guarding the border on empty stomachs, and more of them starve to death than die in battle."

Sun Chengzong tightened his grip on the teacup slightly, but still didn't speak.

"As for command, there's someone like Qiu Hejia who claims to know about military affairs."

Chen Fengge smiled dismissively, "Just reading a book like 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' makes you meddle in military affairs, changing orders constantly, missing opportunities, and needlessly wasting the lives of countless soldiers. And those high-ranking officials in the court..."

At this point, Chen Feng stopped talking, because if he continued, he would have to talk about the old man in front of him.

Sun Chengzong remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh, looking utterly exhausted.

"I know all that you're saying," he said in a hoarse voice. "During my years as the military commander in Liaodong, how could I not know about these problems? But the officials in the court are so engrossed in factional strife that no one cares about the war situation at all... Alas..."

"There's no need to mention Qiu Hejia's matter again. He died on the way to the capital on the seventh day of the month. We must respect the dead."

Hearing this, Chen Feng wanted to say that it was too easy for him to die, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Sun Chengzong then looked at Chen Feng, "General Chen, you see things clearly. Do you think there are any better strategies now?"

Chen Feng met his gaze and said three words: "Train a new army."

Sun Chengzong raised an eyebrow.

"Train a truly new army, loyal only to His Majesty and the court, free from the constraints of border generals and the interference of court factional strife."

Chen Feng took a sip of tea and continued, "Select good family sons, provide them with sufficient food and pay, equip them with excellent firearms, and train them using new methods. Once the new army is trained, it will only obey His Majesty's orders and the court's commands, and will not be hindered by court factional struggles."

As he spoke, he rose from his seat, knelt before Sun Chengzong, and said, "This humble servant is willing to train this new army for Your Majesty and for the court."

Sun Chengzong stared intently at him, trying to see ambition, lust for power, or anything else that shouldn't be there in those eyes.

But those eyes held only sincerity and boundless passion.

After a long silence, he let out a long breath: "Where do you want to practice?"

Chen Feng thought for a moment, his mind racing through place names: Xuanda, Jizhou, Dengzhou and Laizhou...

Finally, he uttered two words: "Jiaozhou."

Sun Chengzong narrowed his eyes. "Why Jiaozhou?"

Chen Feng said, "Jiaozhou is a vital transportation hub for north-south sea transport, facilitating resupply. Jiaozhou, Dengzhou, and Laizhou form a strategic triangle, providing flank protection for the capital region when retreating, and allowing for sea raids on the Tartars' Liaodong hinterland when advancing. Furthermore, Shandong is known for its fierce and courageous people, with plenty of men willing to fight. As long as provisions and pay are sufficient, we will not have trouble recruiting men."

Sun Chengzong's lips curled into a slight smile. "Easier said than done. But where will this food and supplies come from?"

Chen Feng did not answer, but stared intently at Sun Chengzong.

Sun Chengzong and Chen Feng exchanged glances, and Sun slowly uttered two words: "Salt field?"

Chen Feng did not answer.

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath. Although he opposed smuggled salt, believing it would harm the foundation of the country, it was still better to use it to support troops and kill enemies than for it to fall into the hands of corrupt officials.

Sun Chengzong was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. I will consider this matter."

Chen Feng was overjoyed, but his face remained solemn as he kowtowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Excellency."

He lay on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor tiles, but a slight smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Jiaozhou, which is the area around the later city of Qingdao.

According to the original history, the Wuqiao Mutiny would break out about a month and a half later, and Kong Youde and his gang would turn Shandong upside down.

Even if he changed history, the Wuqiao Mutiny would not have happened; there would have been the Chenqiao and Zhangqiao Mutinies later.

The root cause of the Wuqiao Mutiny was the conflict between the Liaodong army and the people of Shandong, as well as the problem of insufficient military pay. As long as Kong Youde and his men were still in Shandong, this conflict would inevitably erupt sooner or later.

Jiaozhou is located behind Laizhou, with mostly hilly and mountainous terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is not easily affected by rebellions and can develop in peace.

Furthermore, the Dengzhou navy had ships, cannons, and craftsmen.

Later in the rebellion, there will be opportunities to take advantage of the chaos.

Although Chen Feng admired the old man in front of him, he was not a moral saint. Admiring the other party did not mean that he could not take advantage of him.

Of course, it was only because Sun Chengzong was a man wholeheartedly devoted to the country that he dared to make such a condition on the other side.

A gentleman can be deceived by his principles.

Thinking of this, Chen Feng spoke again: "Your Excellency, I have another question to ask."

Sun Chengzong turned to look at him and said, "Speak."

Chen Feng hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Has Your Excellency ever considered where the Jurchens have gotten their grain, ironware, and gunpowder in recent years?"