weaving

Chapter 1526 The people of the Ming Dynasty are going to suffer again.

The East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City, the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

With a "plop," Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng knelt down once again before Emperor Chongzhen's desk, bowed his head, and said, "Your Majesty, since the Tumu Crisis, there has been no precedent in our dynasty for a military man to command a large army. Moreover, with my prestige and seniority, I am not qualified to subdue the various reinforcements. I am afraid I am not up to the task. I beg Your Majesty to make a wise decision."

Without hesitation, Emperor Chongzhen pressed on, "You, Zhang Cheng, are capable of leading troops from five provinces and seven garrisons in the Central Plains to suppress the bandits; but how come you are incapable of leading reinforcements across the land to defend against the invaders?"

"Your Majesty, I, Zhang Cheng, was appointed to oversee the suppression of bandits in the Central Plains. This was a necessary expedient measure in an emergency, as the bandits were rampant and Kaifeng was in grave danger. I was appointed to this post during a time of crisis, and this was the only option I had."

Now, the Jurchens have invaded the capital region, and reinforcements from all over the country are arriving one after another. The court is filled with talented officials, many of whom are highly respected and knowledgeable in military affairs. I am but a mere military man; how dare I occupy such a high position and commit such a grave crime as harming the country and its people?

Emperor Chongzhen seemed dissatisfied with his explanation, and his face darkened: "Zhang Cheng, let me ask you, what is the difference between being the commander of the Central Plains to suppress bandits and being the commander of reinforcements to defend against the enemy today?"

"What? I... today ordered you to lead the armies of the realm to resist the Jurchen invaders, yet you cleverly used every excuse to refuse and firmly declined?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng kowtowed even more urgently: "Your Majesty, please understand, I did not mean to shirk my duty, nor was it that I dared not do it, but that it was truly impossible for me to do it."

"You say...why not?"

"Your Majesty... This is not the same as when we were suppressing the bandits in the Central Plains. At that time, Ding Qirui's main force was suddenly defeated at Zhuxian Town, which caused the situation to spiral out of control. The bandits' power grew rapidly. Once Kaifeng City was captured by the bandits again, they would definitely occupy it and control the Central Plains, and there was a great possibility that they would become a separatist force."

I was appointed to this post during a time of crisis, and with the strong support of the local civil and military officials, including Governor Gao Mingheng and Commander Chen Yongfu, I dared to take on this heavy responsibility. The success of the campaign to suppress the bandits in the Central Plains was due to the combined efforts of the Governor and Commander of Henan Province, not to my own abilities.

We implore Your Majesty to make a wise judgment!

Emperor Chongzhen's expression remained indifferent as he said calmly, "Are you worried about checks and balances among court officials, local constraints, and the constant dispatch of reinforcements from all directions?"

"Your Majesty is wise. Since Zhao Guangbian has been appointed as the governor of Jizhou to lead the troops against the enemy, and Governor Zhao has not made any major mistakes, it is really not appropriate to change the commander on the eve of battle, which would change the previous political and military orders. If the Jianzhou barbarians take advantage of this, wouldn't it be a loss that outweighs the gain?"

Emperor Chongzhen remained silent, and Zhang Cheng, kneeling on the ground, dared not rise. His mind raced, and he guessed that Emperor Chongzhen intended for him to supervise the army and defend against the invaders, but the emperor himself had not made up his mind, which was why he asked this question.

In any case, Zhang Cheng must not utter the words "I am willing to lead the army to defend against the enemy" today—this was the decision Zhang Cheng had made for himself!
"Zhang Cheng, you previously said that Zhao Guangbian could not stop the Jurchens from advancing south into the heart of the capital region, and now you say that Zhao Guangbian should not be replaced. What are your true intentions?"

"Your Majesty, please allow me to explain in detail."

"you say!"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, no matter who is appointed as the governor of Ji, they will not be able to stop the Jurchens from advancing south. Moreover, Zhao Guangbian's current strategy is not wrong. His strategy of concentrating his forces in several major cities is intended to avoid being defeated one by one by the Jurchens and to effectively preserve the strength of our troops."

Zhao Guangbian further dispatched military officers to various cities in southern Ji to supervise the defense of the cities. He also gathered the people outside the cities and implemented a scorched-earth policy, so that although the Jurchens penetrated deep into the heart of southern Ji, they still could not get supplies. If this continued, they would not be able to last long.

Only when the Jurchen army is exhausted and starving can the main force be deployed as the vanguard to launch surprise attacks and harass them, preventing them from having any peace. Then, with the assistance of various government troops, the main routes out of the pass can be sealed off, annihilating them all within the pass and preventing a single one from leaving!

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he was stunned. He had not expected Zhang Cheng to have such thoughts, and his heart was filled with turmoil.

But then he thought of the high-ranking officials in the cabinet, their repeated reminders of "no open field battles, no reckless fighting," and the past events of the various reinforcements being defeated by the Jurchens in the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign, and his heart skipped a beat again. "What are the chances of victory in an open field battle against the enemy?"

"Fifty percent."

"Only 50%?"

"What should we do if we are defeated by the Jurchens in open battle?"

Zhang Cheng looked up at Emperor Chongzhen and said solemnly, "Gather the remaining troops to defend the capital, and watch the enemy troops successfully leave the pass and return home."

"what!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen slumped weakly against his throne...

"Is there really no other way?" After a long silence, Emperor Chongzhen finally uttered a single sentence.

"Your Majesty, the Jurchen army is powerful and strong. Although their number is less than 100,000 when they invade the capital region, they are all cavalry, and many of them have two or even three horses. They come and go like the wind, and their advance and retreat are like a whirlwind. They are also most skilled in open field battles and wave battles. They are really not something that our Ming army can deal with."

"Jinzhou..." A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of Emperor Chongzhen: "Last year, didn't we achieve a great victory over the Jurchens at the walls of Jinzhou?"

Before Zhang Cheng could respond, he pressed him urgently, saying, "Last year, we were able to defeat the Jurchens; how come this year... we can't?"

"Zhang Cheng, tell me... tell me... why is this happening?" Emperor Chongzhen's voice was hoarse and strained as he spoke.

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen's demeanor, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, was not flustered at all. Compared to his previous indifference, Emperor Chongzhen was more genuine and, one could say, more pure now.

"Your Majesty, in the Battle of Jinzhou last year, all the brave soldiers of our Great Ming Dynasty were gathered in Liaodong, along with tens of thousands of elite troops from Liaodong. Moreover, we only managed to repel the Jurchens by relying on the strong defense of Jinzhou and the terrain of Liaodong."

Although we won, it was a Pyrrhic victory. Jinzhou was defended, but our Ming Dynasty's elite troops suffered 40,000 to 50,000 casualties, which was even more than the casualties of the Jurchens.

Currently, tens of thousands of elite troops from Liaodong are tied down in Jinzhou by the Jurchen chieftain and his cavalry, unable to return to reinforce the capital. Meanwhile, most of the government troops around the capital have never fought against the Jurchens and are terrified of their cavalry. If we force them to fight the Jurchens, they will surely be defeated.

"At present, the only way is to let the enemy cavalry penetrate deep into our territory, stretching their battle lines, and then harass them when the opportunity arises to exhaust their strength and deplete their supplies. Only when our soldiers' fear of the enemy cavalry has lessened can we find an opening to engage them in battle."

The Chongzhen Emperor looked very dejected, and his voice was much softer, but it could still be heard clearly in the quiet warm pavilion: "In that case, the people of my Great Ming will suffer again!"

Looking at Emperor Chongzhen on the throne, with his genuine expression of sorrow, Zhang Cheng believed that his words just now were indeed a genuine expression of his feelings, and not a pretense.

But given the situation, what can be done?
If a large army were to be dispatched now to find the main force of the Jurchens and engage in a decisive battle with them, Zhang Cheng would be the first to object—he would absolutely not do something that would lead to his death!

Just as Zhang Cheng was lost in thought, Emperor Chongzhen, sitting on his throne, gently waved his hand and said, "I am tired, all of you may leave."