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

Chen Feng knelt on the ground, looking at Sun Chengzong, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, his mind racing.

He dared not discuss the affairs of the Shanxi merchants in the warm chamber.

He wasn't sure if anyone present had been bribed by the Eight Great Merchants.

You must understand that the businesses of those Shanxi merchants were so large that they couldn't have been kept secret by the officials in Xuanda and Shanxi alone. There must have been someone in the central government providing support.

Most of the officials in the central government of the Ming Dynasty, especially the civil officials, had first surrendered to Li Zicheng and then to the Manchus, so Chen Feng dared not gamble.

Even if all these people were loyal to the Ming Dynasty and irreconcilably opposed to the Shanxi merchants, so what?

Given Chongzhen's stubborn and volatile nature, if he dared to speak up, the matter would surely become known throughout the land.

At that time, his name will be hated by those Shanxi merchants and Huang Taiji.

With his meager resources, a dozen or so brothers, and a woman of unknown origin, being targeted by those people is tantamount to a death sentence.

He needs a shield.

A shield with enough weight to make those people think twice.

He looked up at the elderly man with gray hair and beard in front of him.

Sun Chengzong, the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and the teacher of the Tianqi Emperor, was so respected that even the military families of Liaoxi had to bow down to him. He was arguably the most prestigious cabinet minister in the court.

In Chen Feng's memory, Sun Chengzong did not have any major blemishes in his life. Before the fall of the Ming Dynasty, it seemed that his entire family died for their country. An old professor from his previous life highly praised him.

Even the later Qing dynasty posthumously bestowed upon Sun Chengzong a high honorific title. Chen Feng did not believe that someone who could silence the Qing dynasty could betray the Ming dynasty.

With this historical advantage, Chen Feng decided to reveal a little about the Shanxi merchants in order to test the waters.

He mentally prepared his answer, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Has Your Excellency considered where the Jurchens have gotten their grain, ironware, and gunpowder in recent years?"

Sun Chengzong frowned slightly: "Losing cities and territories naturally fed the Tartars. Countless Han Chinese in Liaodong surrendered, farming, working, and forging weapons for them. With more land and more people, they naturally became richer."

Chen Feng shook his head: "Your Excellency, I believe there are people within the Ming Dynasty who are colluding with the enemy."

Sun Chengzong's gaze sharpened.

"That night, after I sneaked into the grain and fodder camp, I saw Han Chinese merchants."

Sun Chengzong narrowed his eyes.

"A young man with a Shanxi accent. However, the situation was urgent at the time, and I didn't have time to interrogate him. I only heard a name from him—Fan Yongdou."

"Fan Yongdou?" Sun Chengzong pondered the name. "A Shanxi businessman?"

"Yes," Chen Feng said, "Shanxi merchants."

Sun Chengzong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Why didn't you say it to the Emperor in the warm pavilion?"

Chen Feng lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Sun Chengzong's gaze gradually sharpened: "What are you afraid of?"

Chen Feng raised his head to meet his gaze: "That Shanxi merchant said they have intricate connections in the court and frequent contact with high-ranking officials. If this were to be revealed in the inner chambers, I'm afraid..."

He paused, then said, "I'm afraid that as soon as I say that, I'll lose my life tonight."

Sun Chengzong remained silent.

Chen Feng continued, "Furthermore, I have no evidence, so I have come to ask Your Excellency for a decision."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, I believe that Your Excellency is loyal to the emperor and the country, and would never do anything to betray the Ming Dynasty."

Sun Chengzong's fingers kept stroking the teacup, then he suddenly chuckled softly, "You little rascal, you're quite the schemer. Using this old man as a shield, do you think my old bones are tough enough to withstand those people's knives?"

Chen Feng's expression changed, and he immediately kowtowed, "This humble servant dares not."

Sun Chengzong waved his hand: "Get up, I don't blame you."

Chen Feng remained kneeling without moving.

Sun Chengzong looked at him and sighed, "I've been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades. Do you think you can hide your little schemes from me?"

Chen Feng pressed his forehead against the floor tiles, not daring to look up.

Sun Chengzong sighed again: "Get up, I told you I won't be angry with you."

Chen Feng then straightened up, but remained kneeling.

Sun Chengzong looked at him, his gaze carrying a mixture of scrutiny and admiration. "For someone your age to have such a mindset is not easy. You're much better than those arrogant, hot-headed young people."

Chen Feng lowered his head: "This subordinate knows his mistake."

"What's wrong with you?" Sun Chengzong waved his hand. "You're not wrong. Survival is the first priority. If you lose your life, what's the point of talking about loyalty to the country? I'm just reminding you not to have such petty thoughts again. Not everyone is as easy to talk to as I am."

Chen Feng kowtowed deeply: "This humble official will remember Your Excellency's teachings."

"Alright, stand up and talk," Sun Chengzong said. "What else do you know about Fan Yongdou?"

Chen Feng stood up, bowed his head, and said, "The situation was urgent at the time, so there wasn't much interrogation, and the evidence was destroyed in the explosion."

He didn't plan to tell Sun Chengzong about Yong Shengqing's matter, because it concerned the unredeemed votes he had.

Even if we were to talk about it, we would wait until he received the money.

Sun Chengzong stared at him for a while, then nodded. "I understand."

Chen Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief. He knew that Sun Chengzong might not believe him completely, but there might be some movement in the court soon.

The two chatted for a few more minutes about the situation in Liaodong. Sun Chengzong asked about the plans for training the new army, and Chen Feng answered them one by one.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"General," Mei Xian's voice came from outside the door, "a guest has arrived."

Chen Feng looked at Sun Chengzong, who nodded.

Chen Feng apologized, turned around, and opened the door. Meng Changgeng and about ten other people were standing neatly in the courtyard.

There were three people standing in the courtyard, one of whom was Chen Feng's old acquaintance—He Kegang.

The man standing next to He Kegang was burly, with a square face, thick eyebrows, a short beard, and a dark blue satin robe with a jade belt around his waist.

The other person looked extremely young, about the same age as Chen Feng, dressed like a scholar, and had an elegant demeanor.

Before Chen Feng could speak, the man standing next to He Kegang saw Sun Chengzong inside the room, his expression changed, and he immediately rushed forward, kneeling as he entered, "This humble general, Zu Dashou, pays his respects to the Grand Secretary!"

He Kegang and the young man quickly followed and knelt down behind Zu Dashou.

Chen Feng was taken aback.

Zu Dashou? He actually went to Beijing?

It should be noted that in the original history, Zu Dashou surrendered to the Jin dynasty at the end of the Battle of Dalinghe, but then returned to the Ming dynasty. After that, he claimed to be ill and stayed in Jinzhou, refusing to go to the capital to meet the emperor.

Until the Battle of Songjin nearly ten years later, when it surrendered to the Qing again, it maintained a delicate, ambiguous relationship with the Ming court.

Chen Feng once again felt the power of the butterfly effect.

Sun Chengzong had already stood up and went forward to help Zu Dashou up: "Fuyu, get up quickly. Why did you come to the capital?"

Zu Dashou stood up, a hint of shame on his face: "This humble general... is guilty and dared not enter the capital. But the Grand Secretary's previous admonition was correct; if one repeatedly fears punishment and dares not enter the capital to meet the Emperor, one will truly become a sinner of disloyalty. Therefore, I submitted a memorial to the court to plead guilty and went to the capital to apologize."

Sun Chengzong's face showed satisfaction.

He paused, then looked at Chen Feng: "This must be Commander Chen, I've heard so much about you."

Chen Feng cupped his hands in greeting: "General, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise."

The scholar in the robe bowed and said, "This humble official is Wu Sangui, greetings to Commander Qianhu."

Chen Feng looked at Wu Sangui.

Is this the legendary Prince Wu Sangui, the nemesis of Lord Wei...?

And he's so handsome... and he kept staring at Mei Xian...

This child must not be allowed to live!

Wu Sangui was also sizing up Chen Feng, his gaze filled with curiosity. "Commander of the Thousand Households?"

Chen Feng chuckled and stepped aside to make way, "Please come in and have a seat."

Chen Feng then instructed Mei Xian, "Mei Xian, go and brew another pot of tea."

Mei Xian gave a deep curtsy and turned to leave.

Just then, footsteps sounded again at the courtyard gate.

"Hey, this is quite a lively place today." A cheerful voice rang out, "Is Commander Chen hosting a continuous feast?"

Chen Feng turned his head and saw Zhang Lan walking in with a smile, wearing a sky-blue Taoist robe.

Standing in front of Zhang Lan was a middle-aged man, tall with a thick beard, but his face was somewhat round.

As soon as the middle-aged man entered the room and saw Zu Dashou, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

He quickened his pace, entered the meditation room, and bowed deeply to Sun Chengzong, saying, "This humble general, Song Wei, pays his respects to Your Excellency."

Sun Chengzong waved his hand: "Get up, everyone. This is Commander Chen's residence."

Song Wei stood up, turned to look at Chen Feng, and put on a familiar smile: "Good lad, it's been a while, you've gotten even more energetic."

Chen Feng found it amusing, but remained outwardly composed. He bowed and said, "This humble officer, Chen Feng, greets the General."

Mei Xian stood to the side and said softly, "General, shall I go and order a table of food and drink?"

Chen Feng nodded.

Mei Xian smiled faintly, turned around and went out, instructing Chunlan to make a reservation at the restaurant.

The meditation room became crowded, and suddenly felt cramped.

Sun Chengzong took the seat of honor, and the others took their seats in turn. Chen Feng, as the host, sat at the lower seat to keep him company.

The banquet was quickly delivered and set up in the meditation room.

Mei Xian and Chun Lan arranged the dishes and poured the wine, then quietly withdrew.

As a junior, Wu Sangui was not qualified to sit at the table, so he stood guard outside the door with Aji.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

However, Zu Dashou and Song Wei were not enthusiastic towards Chen Feng, their host, and their words implied that they wanted Sun Chengzong to persuade the emperor more during the court session the next day.

Sun Chengzong's attitude was ambiguous, neither confirming nor denying.

........................

Meanwhile, in a small courtyard with three sections within Xiaoshi Yongfang.

This is the residence of Wen Tiren, the Second Grand Secretary.

The courtyard is small, covering only three acres, and its decoration is simple yet elegant.

The gate is adorned with an ebony plaque in gold lettering that reads "Integrity, Prudence, Diligence, and Harmony," written by Wang Duo, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites in Nanjing, as a congratulatory gift for Wen Tiren's entry into the cabinet.

Inside the outer courtyard garden, the candlelight was dim.

Wen Tiren was sitting across from a middle-aged man having a private conversation.

The middle-aged man, around thirty years old, with a fair complexion and no beard, wore a round-necked blue robe. He was Wang Dehua, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Grand Secretary Wen, it's not that I'm unwilling to help." Wang Dehua took a sip of tea. "His Majesty has already set the tone. The Battle of Dalinghe was a great victory. Impeaching Grand Secretary Sun at this time might displease His Majesty."

Wen Tiren smiled slightly, "Grand Secretary Sun is loyal to the emperor and devoted to the country. How could I do something detrimental to the Ming Dynasty? But..."

Wen Tiren paused for a moment, "I presume you already know that His Majesty summoned that young general today."

Wang Dehua raised an eyebrow. "Oh? This mere commander only said a few words... and yet Grand Secretary Wen is so concerned?"

Wen Tiren heard the mockery in Wang Dehua's tone, but he remained unfazed. "This boy is just a crude and vulgar warrior. He has become arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor and ministers because of his meager achievements. If this boy gains power... he will probably become even more rampant in the future."

Wang Dehua didn't respond. He gently put down his teacup and after a long while, he slowly said, "I don't understand these matters of the court. I am just His Majesty's servant and don't care about these things."

Wen Tiren gently picked up the teacup, skimmed off the foam, and said, "I've heard that your brother is a righteous citizen of Datong and is now a Xiuzhi Zuolang (an eighth-rank official)."

The words were not finished, but the meaning was already very clear.

After Chongzhen ascended the throne, Wang Dehua obtained the status of a righteous citizen for his elder brother, and the court even granted him an official position.

However, because he was a relative of an eunuch, the former Minister of Personnel, Wang Yongguang, kept blocking his promotion to the rank of Xiuzhilang, a rank of eighth grader, while the current Minister of Personnel, Min Hongxue, was promoted by Wen Tiren.

Wang Dehua didn't turn around, but his gaze had already drifted towards the other person. "What does Grand Secretary Wen intend to do?"

Wen Tiren took a sip of tea. "I don't mean for you to speak ill of Chen Feng to His Majesty, but there are many suspicious points about Chen Feng's background as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. You must remind His Majesty not to be misled by treacherous officials."

Wang Dehua chuckled, his smile utterly sincere. "Your Excellency Wen is absolutely right. I understand."

The two chatted for a while longer, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

After seeing Wang Dehua off, Wen Tiren's smile faded, and he muttered to himself, "How can we, the descendants of sages, tolerate the opinions of a mere crude and vulgar warrior?"

Less than half a day after Chen Feng left the palace, details of his audience with the emperor had already reached the desks of those in the capital who were interested.