Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 286 Everyone Must Kneel Down
In the second year of Tianshun, the general of Jizhen began to build a fortress on the west bank of Luan River east of Zunhua. After that, the general's office of Jizhen was moved here and the Santun Loyalty Guard was established. This is the origin of Santun Camp.

The last famous general of Jizhen was Qi Jiguang, who was posthumously named Marquis of Zhenyi.

From the second year of Longqing to the eleventh year of Wanli, Qi Jiguang spent a full sixteen years here, rebuilding the border walls and building hollow platforms, which are what he left behind that can still be seen today.

But there are still some old glorious scenes that can no longer be seen today.

For example, in the winter of the sixth year of the Longqing reign, he requested and presided over an exercise in Zunhua by the Ming border army, which involved as many as 160,000 troops, more than 20 days in duration, and involved many military services including chariots, cavalry, and infantry.

"I have been supporting the frontier for more than 20 years, but I have never seen an army of 100,000. Recently, we have gathered together in the camps, and I have finally realized the role of 100,000 troops. I seem to have a little enlightenment, and I believe that there is really something that can be done about the border affairs."

Qi Jiguang said this after the exercise, but when the Ming Dynasty really decided to mobilize so many troops again, he had passed away.

Why was Qi Jiguang conducting exercises here at that time?
Outside the town of Jizhou, Zhu Changluo stood on a carriage, looking at the stone tablet over ten feet high in front of him and asked this question.

Tian Le did not come, and the one accompanying the emperor was Li Tingji, the Minister of Rites. He hesitated for a moment before answering, "I passed the imperial examination and became an official in the eleventh year of the Wanli reign..."

Zhu Changluo didn't care, Li Tingji just didn't dare to say it.

"The cause is only half accomplished, the army cannot be dispatched, and I am the one who dies first." Zhu Changluo sighed and walked back to the pavilion, "Let's go."

"Get going!"

Liu Ruoyu was still accompanying him, and this time the Ming emperor's ceremonial guard appeared in an orderly manner outside the town of Jizhou.

It takes a lot of manpower and financial resources, but it is necessary.

It was not comfortable to sit in the carriage. Although the road was smooth, the carriage was stable enough, and the throne was padded, the overall shock absorption effect of the car was average.

The emperor's escort was composed of the White-Pole Soldiers of the Left Wing of the Yongwei Camp and the Right Wing Guards composed of the officers and relatives of honor. Li Chengliang followed behind the carriage on horseback, looking at the five hundred in front, the nine hundred in the back, and the three hundred on each of the left and right wings.

Except for a period of time when they stayed outside Zhenjiang Prefecture that year, the White Spear Soldiers seemed to have disappeared after arriving in Beijing.

The barracks of the Yongwei Camp were located between Beijing City and the imperial mausoleum area, which was quite far from the Jingying Camp located in the south of Beijing City. Li Chengliang had no idea how they trained on a daily basis.

But now it seems that Dayun is worthy of being born into a military family. As the most dedicated personal guard of the emperor, with the military funds from the imperial treasury, Dayun will at least not lose the dignity and solemnity that a personal guard should have.

Only about five miles ahead would lead to the palace where the foreign vassal states came to pay homage to the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, the place had been surrounded by the standard-bearing troops of the Tianshu Camp and the Jizhen General.

The temporary hall was like a camp for the troops. Even the temporary hall where Zhu Changluo was going to stay was just a bigger tent, but with a special style.

At this moment, the newly appointed Minister of Rites Fang Congzhe, the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army Yuan Keli, and the Liaodong Governor Xiong Tingbi, together with Nurhaci, Nalinbulu and other Jurchen leaders, were waiting outside the camp.

The lineup of military generals includes Jingyi Marquis Yu Zigao, Liaodong General Ninglu Earl Ma Gui, Jizhen General You Jixian and Deputy General Ma Lin.

From the general of Liaodong to the deputy general of Jizhen, Ma Fang's son Ma Lin has experienced a lot in the past six years.

He became a little silent, but his eyes were on generals such as Fei Yingdong brought by Nurhaci.

The total number of people coming from the Jurchen tribes was exactly 1,498, corresponding to those imperial edicts, but they were obviously not the real owners and most of them served as guards.

This is tacitly understood: although these people can do nothing within the Ming Dynasty's border walls, they cannot just act like they are ready to be killed.

Nurhaci stood there silently, watching the huge team slowly approaching from a distance.

The first to arrive were the scouts who cleared the way, followed by the vanguard of the emperor's personal guards.

Now that I'm here, it would be a lie to say I'm not nervous.

The emperor said that he had received an oral order, saying that he was willing to appoint his daughter as his consort. So what was the price?

This does not mean that the subsequent negotiations will go smoothly.

Perhaps the next moment in this life is the most dangerous one: the Ming army is in good order, and the first target they come into contact with is the Tianshu Camp. People like Nurhaci can see through it.

All the way from Fushun Pass to here, I have seen countless Ming generals' eager and expectant eyes.

The Ming Dynasty was already prepared. What if they simply turned this place into a sea of ​​blood and corpses? Although the tribes would not be leaderless, in the midst of chaos, would the defeated army win or would the Ming army sweep away the enemy?
After waiting for a while, the vanguard of the Emperor's Guards was approaching.

I saw a general with five cavalrymen rushing forward. When they were a hundred steps away from them, the general reined in his horse, looked back, and said something vaguely.

Afterwards, the vanguard guards began to disperse to the left and right from where the five people were, revealing a pure ceremonial guard behind them.

The sound of horse hooves suddenly came, and the general dismounted when he came closer: "Your Majesty has arrived! Verbal order: Yongwei Battalion will guard the left and right wings, and Tianshu Battalion will guard the front and back!"

"I will obey the Holy Order!"

Nurhaci looked at the guard general who was coming over with some surprise - from the voice, it was actually a woman.

There was movement in the camp, but Fang Congzhe spoke solemnly: "Your Majesty has arrived, and all the ministers are kneeling to welcome you!" Nurhaci, Abai, Fei Yingdong and others knelt on the side of the road: since they had received the imperial edict of the Ming Dynasty, they were also ministers of the Ming Dynasty.

A tall carriage appeared in the field of vision, and Nurhaci's familiar figure also appeared in the field of vision. Li Chengliang gave him a meaningful smile.

After not seeing each other for many years, Nurhaci still felt a sense of suffocation for no reason.

Nalinbulu also recalled the fear he felt when he knelt down and begged for surrender to Li Chengliang outside the east city of Yehe in early April of the 16th year of the Wanli reign.

The god of death in their impression was also kneeling aside.

"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Changluo first looked at everyone in front of him, then slowly stepped down from the carriage.

When he came to Nurhaci and Nalinbulu, he took a look and then asked Fang Congzhe: "Has the Huifa, Ula and other tribes not arrived yet?"

"Your Majesty, yes."

Zhu Changluo nodded after listening and said calmly: "Since they don't obey my order, then take back the imperial edict given to them. What about North Korea?"

Nalinbulu was very anxious and wanted to explain the reasons for the two departments, but the emperor continued to ask questions.

"The envoy is still waiting for the emperor's order outside Shanhaiguan, but it was sent by Gwanghaegun, saying that the King of Joseon had unfortunately passed away due to illness, and he had succeeded him as the King, and begged the King to grant him the imperial seal."

"understood."

Zhu Changluo nodded, then smiled and said, "All of you are loyal and obedient. Get up and go to the hall first."

After saying this, he walked forward accompanied by Li Tingji and other civil officials. After Nurhaci and Nalinbulu stood up, they looked at each other.

There is both hostility and a sense of sympathy.

It seemed that the Ming Dynasty only needed a word from the emperor to take back the imperial edict bestowed on Huifa and Ula.

But he was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which meant that the Huifa and Ula tribes would no longer receive the moral protection of the Ming Dynasty based on imperial edicts.

Nurhaci could certainly eat them up with less pressure, but the question is: was the emperor really so good to the Jianzhou Jurchens?
Nalinbulu was thinking about how to find an opportunity to explain to the emperor: Jianzhou Jurchens are crazy. During the pilgrimage, he also asked the other generals except Fei Yingdong and his eldest and second sons to lead troops to fight against the Huifa and Ula tribes at the same time. Where can the two tribes go now?

After entering the camp area which was about a mile in radius, Zhu Changluo looked around as he walked.

"One on the left and one on the right?"

"Your Majesty, the two armies are as hostile as fire and water. I order them to set up camp on both sides. My central army and General You's standard bearers will watch over them."

Zhu Changluo nodded.

It was said that various foreign vassal states came here to pay homage, but in the end, only a part of the Haixi Jurchens and the Jianzhou Jurchens came here.

After arriving at the temporary hall, apart from the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty, there were naturally Nurhaci and Nalinbulu, who were sitting on both sides of the entrance of the temporary hall, facing each other from a distance.

"Are you Yehenara Nalinbulu?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor, is greeted by your humble servant Nalinbulu! Although I am far away from the border, I have always heard that the Emperor is glorious and blessed both at home and abroad. Today, I am honored to see His Majesty's face, and I am overjoyed."

Zhu Changluo laughed when he heard this: "It's called a pilgrimage, but in fact it's to deal with disputes. I don't like to be polite, let's get straight to the point. It's not certain whether you are here for joy or sorrow. Right now, you are naturally more afraid."

Nalinbulu's expression froze: This is a sentence I memorized with great difficulty.

Nurhaci's face was full of solemnity. The emperor said to him, "Nurhaci, it has been more than six years since we last met, and you don't miss your son. This time, I have brought your son with me. See how I have taught him."

After saying this, he waved his hand, and a young eunuch came in from outside and led a young man in.

The young man was wearing a robe commonly worn by Ming Dynasty scholars. After he came in, he did not look at the people from the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe first, but knelt down in front of the emperor skillfully and in an standard manner.

"The student pays respect to His Majesty."

"After you finish your studies this year, you will be able to enter middle school." Zhu Changluo smiled and looked at Nurhaci, "Your son is in my Imperial College, and you didn't even send anyone to ask the Ministry of Rites about this? I heard from Tao Chongwang that he has been in Hetuala for so long, but your subordinates and son never asked about him, and you never asked about him either. But the Han man you took in and who is in charge of documents, asked his former students."

Nurhaci stood up and knelt behind his son. "Since your majesty has placed this child, Taiji, with you, I am naturally relieved. Today I see that he has grown up and learned a lot. This is all the grace of your majesty. I thank your majesty for your grace and I am grateful to you."

His eighth child is already sixteen years old and has indeed grown up.

Nurhaci felt mixed emotions as he watched his son kneeling respectfully.

It's certainly not to say that he never missed him at all, but he had indeed treated this son as if he were gone.

Why did the emperor bring up all this in front of him? Was this child still a Jurchen? What did he think of his father and brothers?

(End of this chapter)