weaving

On the ninth day of the twelfth month, a large group of Jurchens came from the west and set up camp five miles outside Shouguang County.

When the enemy besieged the city, Li Geng, the magistrate of Shouguang, led the local gentry, laborers, and soldiers to make a vow and offered a large reward to encourage them to defend the city together.

The gentry, soldiers, and civilians of Shouguang were all eager to fight. Although the Jurchens surrounded the city and erected long ladders and cloud ladders in an attempt to scale the walls, the city's artillery was fierce. They bombarded from afar and fired crossbows at close range. The soldiers and civilians defending the city were not afraid of death and dared to fight hand to hand, and the Jurchens' attack on the city was thwarted.

Seeing that there were many trees and houses outside the west gate of Shouguang City, which could shield them from the cannon fire from the city, they moved to the west gate and launched a fierce attack.

Unexpectedly, Li Geng, the magistrate of Shouguang County, had already made preparations. Since the cannons on the city walls could not be fired and could not hit the enemy, he concentrated all the muskets in the city on the west side of the city to bombard the enemy.

He then ordered his men to throw out large bundles of straw, sulfur packets, kerosene, and other items, and to launch large fireballs and rockets to ignite them. In an instant, a raging inferno rose up outside the western city.

The trees and houses where the bandits had taken refuge immediately became their burial ground.

Many of the bandits didn't even have time to escape before they were completely engulfed by the raging flames and burned to a pile of charcoal. Some of them even blended into the trees and houses, making them completely unrecognizable.

The Jurchens suffered a setback in their siege of the city and had no choice but to retreat northeast to Guangling Town, thirty miles away, to rest and regroup.

…………

At dawn on the eleventh, two more groups of Jianzhou Jurchens from Le'an and Linzi arrived, bringing their combined forces to over ten thousand men, and set up camp outside Shouguang City.

Immediately, at noon, they launched an attack on the city.

Magistrate Li Geng already had experience in defending the city. He personally braved arrows and stones to climb the city wall to boost morale and led the troops in a bloody battle against the enemy. With cannons and arrows firing simultaneously, they destroyed more than thirty long ladders and three cloud ladders.

After failing to breach the city for two days, the Jurchens retreated and set up camp twenty li away.

At this time, the enemy bandits from Guangling Town returned, and another group of enemy bandits rushed in from the east. The two groups combined and numbered more than 20,000 enemy bandits, who then planned to attack Shouguang County again.

Thirteenth day.

The enemy first feigned an attack on the southeast of Shouguang City to lure the defending troops to converge there, but secretly they had dozens of long ladders and seven cloud ladders, which suddenly rushed out and hung in the northwest corner of Shouguang County.

The enemy soldiers swarmed up the city walls like ants, climbing the ladders and siege towers. At this time, shouts of battle filled the city walls, and fires were raging everywhere. The soldiers and civilians defending the city were terrified, and some began to abandon their duty and flee.

County Magistrate Li Geng led his servants and yamen runners in a fierce battle. His right hand and right foot were cut off by the enemy. He died with his eyes wide open and his hair standing on end. His servants, yamen runners, and family members followed him to defend the city. As many as 63 people died in the battle.

Many of the gentry and commoners in the city also perished, and their wealth and resources were plundered by the Jurchens. Decades of prosperity were destroyed in a single fire, leaving only ashes.

…………

December 13th, the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty, in the capital.

The people had long been accustomed to the Jurchen invasions and were no longer as panicked as they had been when they first heard about them. They continued to go about their daily tasks and make a living in the streets and alleys.

Although people often talked about the Tartars during their leisure time, they didn't seem to be worried about the idea that the Tartars would attack the capital.

Every day, they would wait at the West Gate and other city gates early in the morning, and leave the city as soon as the gates opened. They would then return to the city gates on time before they closed, undergo inspection, and enter the city.

However, compared to the calm of the common people, the officials at all levels of the imperial court also showed varying degrees of composure.

They rarely discussed the topic of the Jurchen invasion openly, fearing that they might inadvertently bring unnecessary trouble upon themselves, or even face the calamity of being killed or their clans wiped out.

However, privately, people were also discussing the matter, worrying about their families and hometowns, as well as the officials ordered to defend the city against the invaders. Some even expressed concern about the future of the Ming Dynasty. Many rumors about the front lines resisting the invaders became the central topic of their discussions, with many joining in primarily to exchange information from the front.

After all, everyone has different sources of information!
Today, a major piece of news is being passed among them—Yanzhou City has fallen, and the Prince of Lu has been captured!

…………

Emperor Chongzhen received the news after finishing his breakfast. Compared to eleven years ago, Emperor Chongzhen now appeared much calmer.

He didn't throw down the memorial or smash the imperial desk; he acted much the same as usual, except that his expression was slightly melancholy.

I suppose he's already used to it!

Since the Jurchen invasion in the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign, the Jurchens first captured Jinan Prefecture in Shandong, taking away many princes and generals, including Prince De, Zhu Youxu. Then, in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, the rebel Zhang Xianzhong launched a surprise attack on Xiangyang City, killing Prince Xiang, Zhu Yiming, and Prince Guiyang, Zhu Changfa. Immediately afterwards, the rebel Li Zicheng captured Luoyang and killed Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun.

After experiencing this kind of thing many times, people become numb to it. The death of a few vassal kings is nothing serious...

Of course, it's also possible that Emperor Chongzhen had matured; he was no longer the idealistic young man he once was, but had grown up amidst a series of bad news.

“Wang Chengen…” Emperor Chongzhen’s voice was low and hoarse.

Wang Chengen tiptoed to the imperial desk and replied softly in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, this servant is here."

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen filled him with great fear. If Emperor Chongzhen were to actually smash the imperial desk, Wang Chengen would feel much better and would not have too much worry or fear.

However, the calmer Emperor Chongzhen appeared, the more frightened Wang Chengen became, and the more worried he was about Emperor Chongzhen's health.

"Go, send someone to summon Chen Yan and the others to the palace. I... I have some questions for them."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

…………

"You all know about the news from Yanzhou, right?"

The cabinet members, led by Chen Yan, the Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, remained silent and sat upright, not even raising their heads, for fear that Emperor Chongzhen would single them out for questioning.

As the head of the cabinet, Chen Yan could not remain silent as others could, as long as they were not called upon.

"Your Majesty, we have only just learned of this matter."

"Tell me, with the Jurchens so rampant, is there really nothing your cabinet can do?"

In any case, the cabinet leaders were destined not to take the blame for the capture of Lu Fan. They exchanged glances and briefly discussed their opinions.

Wu Shen, Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretariat has already issued a proclamation to the Earl of Yongning, ordering him to lead the western route army to reinforce Yanzhou and protect this important fiefdom."

Huang Jingfang, who was in charge of the Imperial Academy and the Grand Master of Ceremonies, immediately replied: "Your Majesty, Zhao Guangbian's eastern route army is rushing to Jinan to protect the Dezhou region; the Yongning Earl's western route army is rushing to Yanzhou to protect the Lu region."

This was a strategy for defending against the enemy that the cabinet had already drafted. As for why Yanzhou fell, that's a question for the Earl of Yongning. (End of Chapter)