Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

While Zhu Youjian was rewarding meritorious officials, he was unaware that a great battle was still raging in the distant northern frontier.

Huang Taiji's escape was not smooth. Although he managed to escape the Ming army in Liaodong using a clever escape tactic, he could not avoid the Ming army stationed in Heilongjiang and Songhua River.

Li Zunzu, who was ordered to block the two Yellow Banners, was one of them.

After years of training his troops in the mountains and forests of Northeast China, Li Zunzu had become much more rugged. His numerous battles with the Jurchen people in the mountains had also given him a commanding presence.

Li Ruzhen, who had been pardoned by the emperor and allowed to join the army, looked at his grand-nephew and said with great emotion:
"If my elder brother saw you like this, he would be overjoyed."

"It is up to you to revive the Li family's fortunes."

Li Zunzu had heard similar stories many times before. He had many former subordinates of the Li family under his command, as well as members of the Li clan.

These people gathered in Ningyuan Earldom with the idea of ​​revitalizing the Li family of Tieling.

If he cannot demonstrate convincing competence, these people will not be able to follow him indefinitely.

Today, he has long since become the core of the entire Li family. Even when facing his great-uncle, he remains composed.

He said to Li Ruzhen:

“Third Uncle, you grew up in Tieling and are familiar with this area.”

Will the Jurchens take this route? Are there any other routes they can take?

Li Ruzhen said with a smile:

“The other route was taken by the Zheng Hongqi, and the Jurchens behind them will definitely be worried about an ambush and will not take it easily.”

"Besides, if you didn't believe in Third Uncle, would you have arranged things like this?"

"To become a general, one must be resolute and not let one's mind wander."

Li Zunzu smiled nonchalantly and did not ask any further questions.

He knew he had been distracted earlier, and now that he had decided to lie in ambush here, he needed to concentrate.

Having never experienced a major battle before, he was somewhat nervous. He appeared calm on the surface, but his mind was wandering.

Seeing him like this, Li Ruzhen couldn't help but think of himself.

He didn't actually live in Tieling for very long; he had already been appointed to the Imperial Guard by virtue of his father's influence at a young age.

He served in the Imperial Guard in the capital for forty years without ever seeing battle.

Then, with Li Rusong killed in battle and Li Rubai dismissed from his post, he was promoted to the position of General Zhenliao.

Relying on the power of his father and elder brother, and being a close advisor to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Rubai was initially quite arrogant and naturally unwilling to submit to others.

It wasn't until the great war arrived that he realized how ridiculous he had been. He watched helplessly as his hometown of Tieling fell, and was ultimately imprisoned and sentenced to death for the crime of having troops but failing to provide reinforcements.

If it weren't for the current emperor's gratitude for the Li family's contributions and his decision to spare his life, he would probably have been executed like Yang Hao.

Thinking of the luxurious life he had enjoyed in the first half of his life and the desolation of the second half, Li Ruzhen was filled with emotion and only hoped to see the Li family revitalized in his lifetime.
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The ground shook, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed.

The Ningyuan Earl's army, which was lying in ambush here, noticed the arrival of the troops.

Li Ruzhen also sensed it, and holding a telescope, he looked over from afar.

Upon clearly seeing the situation of the opposing general, he let out a low gasp, almost crying out:

"Seventh brother!"

"Why is he still alive?"

"They even surrendered to the Jurchens?"

However, he recognized the general opposite him as Li Ruwu, the only son of Li Chengshi, the third brother of Li Chengliang, and the seventh in his generation.

Li Ruzhen originally thought that he had been killed when Tieling fell, but he didn't expect that he had been in the Jurchen army all along and seemed to have a high position.

This discovery filled him with shock, anger, and a chill.

"With Ru Ting and Ding Zhong both dead, the entire city of Tieling is now filled with loyalty and righteousness."

Why didn't you die, and instead surrendered to the Jurchens?

"Do we want His Majesty to think that my Li family is colluding with the Jurchens?" The fact that Li Chengliang was supporting bandits to enhance his own power was basically the public opinion in the court and among the people.

The Li family already had an inextricable relationship with the Jurchens.

If it weren't for the current emperor's trust and belief in the Li family's loyalty, how could they have been given the opportunity to be reinstated?

With a bright future ahead of him as long as he could win battles and achieve merit, Li Ruzhen never expected that a traitor and national disgrace would appear in the Li family.

If the emperor or the people in the court and the public find out about this, the Li family will be unable to clear their name no matter what they do, and may even be punished for colluding with the barbarians.

Some might even suspect that they had long planned to surrender to the Jurchens and disperse their clansmen for personal gain.
When Li Ruzhen thought of this possibility, he broke out in a cold sweat.
-
Li Zunzu did not recognize this seventh uncle from the clan, but Li Ruzhen's exclamation made him realize who the general opposite him was.

He also recognized the seriousness of the matter, knowing that if it wasn't handled properly, he might even lose his title as Earl of Ningyuan.

The Li family was reinstated based on their loyalty, and Li Zunzu was able to inherit the title of Earl of Ningyuan only because his grandfather, Li Rusong, died in battle.

If people find out about their infidelity, how can the Li family maintain their current status?

This made him look at Li Ruwu, and for a moment he hesitated:
"How to do?"

"Dare to kill him at the risk of being exposed?"

"Should we let him lead the vanguard forward?"

His strategy was to let the main force take the lead and not attack the vanguard.

But now that Li Ruwu has been released, he immediately felt the pressure:
When the censors found out about this, they inevitably impeached him.

Hearing his nephew's hesitation, Li Ruzhen gritted his teeth and said:

"Let him go!"

"I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

"Give me an army later, I want to bring him back!"

He hated Li Ruwu with a vengeance, and Li Ruzhen deeply resented that he hadn't died.

In that way, the reputation of the Li family of Tieling for loyalty and righteousness can be preserved, and they can inherit the title of Earl with a clear conscience.

Now, Li Ruwu's swaggering appearance clearly shattered this notion. He even suspected that, besides Li Ruwu, other members of the Li family had also defected to the Jurchens.

This matter will inevitably become known to others, causing a huge uproar.

The Li family must demonstrate sufficient performance to dispel the doubts of those in and out of the government.

This made Li Ruzhen hate Li Ruwu intensely, knowing that the Li family would have to sacrifice many of their members to pay off his debts.

He said to Li Zunzu:

“Your great-grandfather was in Liaodong for decades. Given the status and influence of our Li family, Li Ruwu will definitely be in one of the two Yellow Banners directly under the Great Khan after he surrenders.”

“He must be backed by troops from the Two Yellow Banners, whose merits are 1.5 times that of ordinary Jurchens.”

"We must fight them hard later, even if it means wiping out the entire army of the Marquis of Ningyuan."

"Do not hesitate for a moment; now is not the time to show mercy."

Speaking softly to his grand-nephew, Li Ruzhen's eyes flashed with a cold light, his resolve hardened.

Li Zunzu nodded firmly, knowing that now was not the time to cherish his soldiers. The Li family needed to show their sincerity and apologize to Li Ruwu.

He ordered his soldiers to suppress the attack, his eyes blazing as he watched Li Ruwu lead a troop of soldiers past, only then noticing the large force behind them.

This troop had no banners, but looked like Han soldiers, escorting some grain and supplies, with women and children accompanying them.

However, the Li family members who were familiar with the Jurchens knew that they were indeed Jurchens, and elite ones at that.

Li Zunzu decisively gave the order, and a signal cannon sounded in the mountains and forests. The elite troops of the Ningyuan Earl Kingdom, who were lying in ambush there, immediately began to fire.

In an instant, the sounds of cannons and gunfire echoed throughout the mountains and forests.

The Jurchen troops were thrown into chaos, abandoning women, children, and supplies as they fled. (End of Chapter)