The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Capital.

Central Military Command.

The night was as dark as ink, silently seeping through the windowpanes.

The candlelight flickered inside the government office, casting the shadow of the lone figure onto the cold brick wall, its length shifting and becoming increasingly elongated, highlighting his solitary state.

The daytime hustle and bustle has faded away, leaving only boundless silence.

Chen Wang sat in a large chair in the hall, with a polished bronze mirror in front of him.

In the dim candlelight, the smooth mirror reflected a slightly distorted middle-aged face.

The person in the mirror still has clear and bright features, retaining the demeanor of their youth.

But his temples were already frosted with age, almost half of them white.

Her graying hair gleamed with a cold, silvery light in the flickering candlelight.

His skin was dark and rough from years of marching and fighting, exposed to the wind and sun.

The whites of his eyes were covered with dense blood vessels, and deep within his eyes was an undeniable weariness.

The fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the graying temples seemed to silently tell the story of her years of hard work and dedication.

This weariness even permeated his entire brow and eyes.

Chen Wang slowly raised his hand and gently brushed the cool mirror surface with it.

He hadn't seen his own face in so long that it was almost unfamiliar to him.

Chen Wang was somewhat dazed.

The candlelight, the bronze mirror, and the hall of the governor's mansion all gradually blurred before my eyes.

In a daze, he returned to the platform in the Forbidden City and saw Emperor Chongzhen holding his hands tightly.

At that time, Emperor Chongzhen's face was thin, his complexion was pale and bloodless, his temples were white from worrying about the country and the people, and even his brows were as tired as he was.

Once we part ways with the platform, it's a permanent separation.

A series of gentle footsteps came from outside the hall, interrupting Chen Wang's thoughts and pulling his consciousness back to the present world.

"The generals and officers of all the towns have arrived as ordered."

The respectful voices of the guards came from outside the hall.

Chen Wang slowly raised his head, pressed the bronze mirror face down, and spoke sparingly.

"Enter."

"I will obey your command."

The hall doors were opened from both sides, and a group of officers, each wearing a robe and belt, filed in from outside the hall.

Upon entering the hall, all the generals bowed their heads and greeted Chen Wang, who was seated at the head of the table, and then introduced themselves in turn with their names and official titles.

"Everyone, take a seat."

Chen Wang raised his hand, his gaze slowly sweeping over each of the generals.

The officers and soldiers summoned into the hall by Chen Wang this time were mostly the main and deputy officers of a town.

Chen Gong and Zhou Yumao sat at the head of the table on the left and right, respectively.

The person sitting next to him on the left was not Zuo Liangyu, but a middle-aged military officer with a broad face and thick teeth.

Chen Wang's gaze lingered on the middle-aged military officer for a longer period of time.

After the middle-aged military officer felt Chen Wang's gaze fall upon him, he bowed slightly forward and lowered his head again to show his obedience.

This person was the only unfamiliar face in the hall.

The reason he was able to sit in third place is quite simple.

He is Zu Zefu, the current commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Garrison, who commands the troops of the Guan Ning garrisons.

The next seats were occupied by Zuo Liangyu, Hu Zhili, Zuo Guangxian, Cao Bianjiao, Chen Yongfu, Gao Qian, and Li Dingguo.

After the ten officers took their seats in the hall, they all placed their hands on their knees, straightened their backs, and sat upright.

Dai Zhenglin and Zhao Huailiang also entered the hall with him, but there were no seats set up for them on either side of the hall.

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, stood on either side of Chen Wang, facing the assembled generals.

Zhao Huailiang was the head of the Intelligence Division, and Dai Zhenglin was the head of the Staff Division. Naturally, both of them were qualified to attend a meeting of this caliber.

The two of them were Chen Wang's right and left hands, so it was natural that they would be present when he convened military meetings.

Chen Wang withdrew his gaze, and after everyone was seated, he lightly tapped the table in front of him to attract everyone's attention before slowly speaking.

"Has the list been compiled?"

Chen Wang glanced sideways, his gaze shifting to Zhao Huailiang, who was standing on his left.

Zhao Huailiang lowered his head slightly and immediately reported.

"As ordered by the General, the Intelligence Division has thoroughly investigated the list of wealthy households and officials in the city. The Intelligence Division has taken over the location of the Imperial Guards and all files are being investigated."

Chen Wang tapped his index finger lightly and looked down.

Where is Zuo Guangxian?

Zuo Guangxian stood up and clasped his hands in response.

"The end will be here."

"I hereby order you to lead your troops and, in full cooperation with the Intelligence Division, thoroughly investigate the capital."

"All households listed in the directory must be closely monitored. If any unusual activity is found, or if conclusive evidence of a crime is discovered, they must be apprehended immediately without fail. Throughout the process, close cooperation with Chief Inspector Zhao is required, and no one may act arbitrarily."

Chen Wang's tone was calm and even, but every word he uttered carried a chilling aura of killing intent in the ears of the generals in the hall.

Now, the northern territory is entirely under the shadow of the Jingnan Army's military might. With power in hand, right and wrong are all determined by the words of the one in power.

The generals knew perfectly well that Chen Wang's actions were clearly intended to target the wealthy and powerful families in the capital, forcibly extracting the money, provisions, and funds that the army urgently needed from their hidden gold and silver vaults.

Chen Wang's gaze slowly swept across everyone's faces, taking in all their expressions.

"Among the wealthy households and officials in the capital, there are those who do good and those who are benevolent."

"However, when the Jurchens breached the city and the late emperor died for his country, many loyal and honest men followed him to preserve their honor. Among the wealthy and powerful families still here, how many truly virtuous ones remain?"

Chen Wang spoke slowly, his tone carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"To this day, the imperial court is rife with corrupt officials, rampant with corruption, and riddled with problems from top to bottom."

"The nation is still in distress, and the world is still in chaos. The previous mess is so filthy and tangled that it cannot be cut off without a swift knife."

If all the remaining high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital were to be rounded up and killed, there would surely be innocent among them.

However, if only nine out of ten are killed, then many deserving criminals will inevitably escape.

Chen Wang's tone was chilling, making no attempt to conceal his murderous intent.

"There is no need to say more about this matter."

Chen Wang made a definitive statement; his thoughts would not change.

If we don't kill these high-ranking officials and take money from their pockets, why should we make the common people suffer?
The taxes collected by the Ming Dynasty were decreasing year by year, and the land recorded in the Yellow Register of Land shrank year by year.

In troubled times, severe punishments should be used.

And he has the right to use severe punishment.

"How's the situation on Gumu's side?"

Chen Wang changed the subject, asking about the most important issue at hand, which was also one of the key points of this military meeting.

The generals in the hall followed Chen Wang and moved onto Cao Bianjiao's body.

Currently, Cao Bianjiao is in charge of controlling the Gumu region.

The number of the various tribes of southern Mongolia under Gumu's leadership has now reached nearly 30,000.

The total number of Mongol vassals recruited into the Central Plains by Huang Taiji was approximately 50,000.

In the course of successive battles, the outer Mongol vassals suffered heavy casualties.

There are still more than 30,000 people left, which is only because Gumu has tried his best to gather them. "Gumu has behaved relatively well during this period."

Cao Bianjiao lowered his head slightly and replied.

"However, he has mentioned it to me four or five times, saying that his troops are homesick and asking them when they can return to the southern desert."

"The soldiers in the Mongolian military camp in southern Mongolia have also caused trouble several times, but our army has suppressed and quelled them in time."

As soon as Cao Bianjiao finished speaking, Dai Zhenglin, who was standing to the side, also reported the news at the opportune moment.

"The troops from the various Mongol tribes outside the Great Wall have arrived and requested rewards. The heads they have captured have been sent to the temporary warehouse set up by the Military Affairs Department, and the clerks of the Military Affairs Department are currently counting them."

Ajige and Dorgon led the Qing army on a northward escape, but the various tribes of southern Mongolia along the way seized the opportunity to intercept them and captured many.

During the Chongzhen era, when Ligdan Khan was still in power, the regime was considered pro-Ming, and both had a common enemy—the Later Jin.

The rewards offered by the Ming Dynasty were not only for the border troops of the Nine Garrisons, but also for the tribes of the Southern Mongolia who could bring the heads of Later Jin soldiers to receive the rewards.

"The Mongol tribes sent over three thousand heads. If we were to distribute the money according to the original reward set by the imperial court, it would cost nearly ten thousand taels of silver..."

Dai Zhenglin paused for a moment, then spoke carefully.

"The treasury has very little silver left, only 520,000 taels of silver."

More than 100,000 taels of silver was not much for the Jingnan Army before.

However, it is not a small amount now.

"Now that we have just recovered the northern country, everything is being rebuilt."

“New schools have just been established in various places, and they all require money.”

Inside Kaifeng, the Jingnan Army's first military academy, the Army Military Academy, was also under construction.

Dai Zhenglin's voice was deep. As the chief of the staff, he was also responsible for some of the affairs of the central army and needed to assist in the financial management of the town.

"Workshops in various provinces are currently undergoing expansion, with large-scale renovations and production increases underway."

"After the battles of Jining and Qingzhou, a large amount of money was needed to reward those who had contributed to the victory, and the wounded and injured soldiers also needed to be compensated."

These all require a continuous supply of money.

The Jingnan Army's finances are now stretched thin. Although there are still more than 500,000 taels in the treasury, it will not last more than a few months.

"It's already early May, and in two months, the second quarter's military pay will be issued."

"The army has over 300,000 soldiers. To feed the men and horses, the cost of pay alone is nearly two million taels of silver, not even counting the army's food and fodder consumption..."

Although Dai Zhenglin did not directly reiterate his final request regarding the reward money for Southern Mongolia, his troubled expression clearly indicated his predicament.

An army's supplies must be secured before it can move, and the army's previous reserves were almost completely depleted in these major battles.

The financial difficulties were giving Dai Zhenglin a real headache.

Although the amount of silver was only a little over 100,000 taels, the Jingnan Army was actually unable to come up with it for the time being.

The remaining silver in the treasury now has other uses.

"Since the reward has already been offered, there is no reason to break the promise and not pay it. It is only a little over 100,000 taels of silver."

Chen Wang spoke without the slightest hesitation.

"To be stingy with over 100,000 taels of silver and lose the trust of the world—how can one sacrifice the greater good for a small gain?"

"The Military Affairs Department must not be harsh when verifying the head; once verified, the full reward should be paid."

"We really don't have enough money and supplies right now..."

Chen Wang paused for a moment, then continued.

"But... soon, there won't be a shortage of money anymore..."

Chen Wang did not state it explicitly, because he knew that even if he told how much money these high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital had accumulated, no one would believe him.

The once mighty Ming Dynasty, beset by internal and external troubles, had an empty treasury, was living beyond its means, and was constantly borrowing from one source to pay another, ultimately leading to its collapse.

However, when Li Zicheng captured the capital, the amount of silver he seized from these high-ranking officials and nobles was an astonishing sum.

Various historical records offer differing accounts, but they generally agree that the number is over ten million.

The tens of millions of taels of silver could not only solve the immediate financial crisis, but also be enough for expenses for the next few years.

If the capital is like this, the prosperous southern regions must be even more astonishing.

What Chen Wang was going to do was roughly the same as what Li Zicheng did when he entered Beijing: to recover stolen goods and provide funds.

At that time, Li Zicheng only controlled the Northwest and Beizhili, and had no internal or external troubles. He was obsessed with collecting stolen goods and sending them to pay taxes, which pushed the Southern Ming Dynasty to the opposite side.

The subsequent military defeats against the Qing Dynasty, combined with these factors, directly led to Li Zicheng's downfall and death.

However, Chen Wang was not Li Zicheng, and the Jingnan Army was not comparable to the Shun Army.

In the current situation, the entire southern country is under Chen Wangqiang's strong and effective control.

Meanwhile, the gentry class in Jiangnan was weakened by the Wanmin Army, and their power was greatly reduced.

Under the rule of brute force, it is extremely difficult to stir up any trouble.

This is also why Chen Wang dared to take up the butcher's knife.

"We absolutely cannot give up on returning to Mobei from Gumu."

Chen Wang didn't waste any time on the matter of money and made his decision directly.

Releasing Gumu back to the southern desert is tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

Although he is not afraid of the Mongol tribes now, their strength has been weakened to an unprecedented degree. After Ligdan Khan's death, Huang Taiji suppressed the Southern Mongols and has been suppressing these outer Mongol vassals ever since.

However, although the strength of the southern Mongolian tribes was weak, they should not be underestimated.

Once the tiger is released back into the mountains, and returned to southern Mongolia, it will take much more effort to resolve the issue of southern Mongolia.

In most of the wars waged by the Central Plains dynasties against the northern nomadic tribes, they actually held the upper hand.

Otherwise, the nomadic groups in the north would have already been herding horses in the Central Plains and ruling the nine provinces, just like the Yuan and Qing dynasties.

However, nomadic tribes had the advantage of cavalry, moving swiftly and making their strongholds difficult to locate, so there was no way to force them to submit completely.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty launched several northern expeditions, reaching as far as Buyur Lake, where they suffered a crushing defeat on the main battlefield.

However, due to the circumstances and national strength at the time, the Ming Dynasty was ultimately unable to rule the grasslands and eventually retreated to the Great Wall.

At present, the main force of Southern Mongolia is in the interior of China, and the Taijis and leaders of various tribes are also in this area.

If we fail to completely subdue the Southern Mongols this time and bind them to the Jingnan Army's chariot, it would be a waste of this god-given opportunity.

"I have already made a decision regarding the matters concerning the southern Mongolian region. Inform Gumu to come to the Central Military Governor's Office for an audience tomorrow evening."

Chen Wang looked at Cao Bianjiao and gave the instructions.

Cao Bianjiao was perfectly acceptable, and the request was immediately granted.

"Central Military Headquarters, is there anything else you need me to know?"

Chen Wang turned to look at Dai Zhenglin sitting to the side and asked.

Dai Zhenglin turned slightly to the side and lowered his head.

"In the Battle of Jining, our army captured over a hundred Jurchen generals and officers, and more than 50,000 soldiers, most of whom are now temporarily detained outside Jining City."

"The commander-in-chief had previously ordered that when our army returned, all soldiers should be moved south across the river and sent to various mining areas and workshops as forced laborers to atone for their sins."

"The Military Affairs Department is making overall arrangements for this matter, including planning the relocation route and receiving procedures."

"but……"

Dai Zhenglin paused slightly, lowered his voice, and asked for instructions.

"General, please advise on how to deal with the Jurchen generals we have captured."

"This evening, the Central Military Headquarters received a joint letter from soldiers of various battalions..."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the generals in the hall focused their attention on Dai Zhenglin, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

"The three armies plead for the execution of the captured Qing officers and soldiers, to comfort the souls of the millions of suffering people in the north and to wipe away the century-long shame of our nation..." (End of this chapter)