Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 154 Yesen marches south, the false emperor faces internal and external troubles

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the court opens.

The snow had stopped, but the weather was still very cold. Officials walked along the imperial road, wearing brand new court robes, and wished each other a happy new year. Shang Lu, the chief minister of the cabinet, walked side by side with Zhu Qiyu, the Prince of Qin.

"I don't know if the assassin who tried to assassinate your majesty has been found." Prince Qing sighed, "It's horrifying that such a thing happened right under the feet of the emperor."

Shang Lu's eyes were fierce: "If you try to assassinate your majesty, your entire clan should be killed."

Prince Qing frowned, took a few steps closer, and lowered his voice and said, "The assassins shouted 'Kill the false emperor', what do you think, Lord?"

Shang Lu snorted coldly: "Someone is behind this with ulterior motives! Catch them and kill all of their clans."

He did not hesitate at all and was extremely resolute. King Qing smiled slightly and nodded. The two of them arrived in front of the Fengtian Hall and stood at the front. Looking back, all the officials had already arrived and were standing in line.

As the morning court bell rang, all officials entered the palace one by one. Today was the first morning court of the new year, and all officials above the fifth rank in Beijing had arrived, although most of them stood outside.

After the court session, Emperor Zhu Qizhen gave a New Year's speech. Afterwards, all officials reported on their affairs. Since it was the first day of the new year, there was nothing important, so they just expressed their gratitude.

Of course, today the list of officials leaving Beijing for local posts has been confirmed, and they must leave Beijing as soon as possible to take up their posts so as not to affect local affairs. After the beginning of spring, there are the most things to do.

Afterwards, the court was dismissed and each department went about its own business.

Zhu Qizhen only summoned Yu Qian to the Qianqing Palace for a small court meeting. As soon as he entered the palace, Zhu Qizhen asked anxiously, "Is there any news from the north?"

Yu Qian bowed and said, "Not yet, but before the New Year, Shi Heng and Yang Guifang sent intelligence, asking for food and fodder, and to send new soldiers as soon as possible. They all thought that Yesen might not be able to wait until the spring, and as soon as the snow melted, the grassland army would move south."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "The snow has stopped, let's get going."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Yu Qian accepted the order.

"By the way, I will personally see them off when they go to the battle," said Zhu Qizhen.

……

After Yu Qian left, Zhu Qizhen asked the eunuch to hang up the map of the northern border. This map was hung opposite the map of the long river under the sky. These two maps were the most conspicuous in the entire Qianqing Palace.

He stood in front of the map, looking at the marked pass, thinking. Of course, he didn't think he could command a war. He had never read a military book, and he was not a talented general. However, as an emperor, he had to know a little bit about everything.

It's true that the emperor is guarding the national border. The capital is so damn close to Juyongguan.

He stood in front of the map in a daze. The border defense of the Ming Dynasty was still the nine important towns planned during the reign of Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu originally hoped that his sons could guard the border, so there were nine great kings of the frontier.

"What have you figured out?" a voice came, "Do you really want to lead the army yourself?"

Zhu Qizhen came back to his senses and turned around to see the Queen Mother standing there, wearing a purple dress, with a noble and dignified temperament. She had been there for a while, and seeing Zhu Qizhen staring at the picture in a daze, she didn't say anything.

"Why are you here?" Zhu Qizhen was surprised.

The Empress Dowager seldom came to his Qianqing Palace, nominally because she did not want to be accused by court officials of meddling in government affairs.

"I'm bringing you some soup." The Queen Mother put the food box in her hand on the table.

She bent down, her figure showing a charming curve, her arms stretched out, her long sleeves rolled up, revealing her fair wrists, her body leaned forward slightly, holding the bowl in one hand and the soup in the other.

"You're so nice all of a sudden, I'm not used to it." Zhu Qizhen walked over and sat down, "There must be something wrong when things are out of the ordinary. Is there any poison in this soup?"

The queen held the bowl in front of him and challenged him with her beautiful eyes: "Do you dare to drink it?"

Zhu Qizhen took it, gulped it down, and smacked his lips: "Next time, put less salt."

The Queen Mother smiled as she sat down opposite him, looked up at the map on the wall, and asked, "Will Yesen definitely go south?"

"Yes!" Zhu Qizhen nodded affirmatively, "If we don't go south, they will have nothing to eat."

The Queen Mother's eyes flashed with worry: "A pack of extremely hungry wolves, they can bite through the Great Wall, you can't take it lightly. How do you plan to deal with it?"

Zhu Qizhen also looked at the map and spread his hands, saying, "There are only two ways: using a counter-espionage strategy to divide them internally, and relying on our own resistance. This time, I want to fight outside the country!"

His eyes suddenly lit up with confidence.

The Queen Mother was slightly stunned. She also served herself a bowl of soup, took a sip, and then her eyes dropped.

……

That day, the sun finally came out.

However, the cold wind was still biting. Zhu Qizhen stood on the high platform of the camp, looking at the soldiers standing in line below, and his heart was moved. He was looking forward to this new army being tempered on the battlefield.

In front of him were the three commanders of the new army: Wang Yue, commander of the Three Thousand Battalion, Zhu Yong, commander of the Five Army Battalion, and Bai Gui, commander of the Divine Machine Battalion. He raised his glass and said to the three of them, "Please!"

The three of them bowed respectfully and drank the wine in their hands. Wang Yue's eyes were burning: "Your Majesty, the idea you told us about fighting a decisive battle outside the country is very interesting. When I go there, I will definitely discuss it with Shi Heng, Yang Guifang and others."

"I just proposed this idea, and I will apply it to you." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "Generals are not subject to the orders of the emperor when they are away from home, and you just need to win the battle."

The three of them laughed out loud after hearing this.

On this day, 100,000 new troops set out for the northern border. Zhu Qizhen and Yu Qian stood on a high platform, watching the army go away. Zhu Qizhen sighed: "Don't laugh at me sleeping drunk on the battlefield. How many people have ever returned from the battles in history? In fact, this poem is not heroic. It's better to return."

Yu Qian was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Your Majesty, that was not what you said when you encouraged them just now. I think a real man should die on the battlefield."

"Old Yu, you are ruining our plans, aren't you?" Zhu Qizhen rolled his eyes. "Let's go back to the military camp. Let's study how to fight outside the country."

The two returned to the military tent, where there was also a map of the frontier. Zhu Qizhen stared at it for a while, pointed to a location on the map and asked: "Tuotuo is here, right? If Yesen goes south, won't he take the opportunity to recapture the territory?"

Yu Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Guo Deng has already contacted Tuotuo and promised to give them some food and fodder, and also asked them to exchange war horses for food. However, this Tuotuo is very cunning. If Yesen does not suffer a major defeat when he goes south, he should continue to preserve his strength. This guy is scared by Yesen's defeat, which is really embarrassing for the Golden Family!"

Zhu Qizhen asked thoughtfully: "If Yesen goes south, he should leave people to guard against Tuotuo, right?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Alazhiyuan." Yu Qian said, "Although Yesen and Alazhiyuan have conflicts, they both belong to the Oirat tribe after all, and Tuotuo is their common enemy."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly, his brain working rapidly. Yu Qian stepped forward and pointed at the map and said, "Your Majesty, the decisive battle you mentioned outside the country is still possible. It depends on whether Shi Heng, Yang Guifang, and the newly arrived Wang Yue, Zhu Yong, and Bai Gui can cooperate. The strength of our cavalry is not inferior to that of the grassland cavalry, not to mention that we also have the Shenji Battalion." He began to analyze the map, and Zhu Qizhen listened very carefully.

……

Qianqing Palace.

When Zhu Qizhen returned, it was already afternoon, and he immediately summoned Shi Biao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Your Majesty, there has been no progress in the case." Shi Biao knelt down, "I am guilty! After the death of the lieutenant general, the clues were cut off. The case involves the prince, Your Majesty, you should be cautious, many of the Jinyiwei's methods are not easy to use."

"Don't bother looking for reasons!" Zhu Qizhen said coldly.

"Your Majesty, I dare to say that the vassal king may want your life, so you don't have to worry about it." Shi Biao bowed, "This is not the time to be merciful. Your Majesty, you are familiar with history books and know what I mean."

Zhu Qizhen was so angry that he laughed. Only a trusted minister like Shi Biao would dare to say that. He patted Shi Biao on the shoulder and said, "I understand! It's difficult for you, and it's difficult for me too. We will soon face internal and external troubles."

Shi Biao raised his head, murderous intent in his eyes: "Your Majesty, you must not be soft-hearted. Three years ago, you said that you must fight your way out. Your Majesty, three years have passed, how come you have become soft? Your Majesty, I am not telling you not to indulge in the land of gentleness. The land of gentleness is the tomb of heroes, and you are going to become a saintly monarch."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

How can it be your turn, a crude warrior, to advise me?
"Go away, go investigate your case." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, please do not lose your heroic spirit." Shi Biao shouted as he walked to the door.

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

……

One month later, Northern Xinjiang.

Although the heavy snow had quietly retreated, leaving behind patches of mottled snow, the air was still filled with a biting chill, as if the soul of winter was unwilling to leave easily. The cold wind cut through everything like a sharp blade, whistling through the barren mountains and silent grasslands, rolling up gusts of dust and tiny pieces of ice, and there was a solemn atmosphere between heaven and earth.

The sky seemed to be covered by heavy leaden clouds, with no sunlight. Only occasionally a few rays of gloomy light struggled to penetrate the clouds, casting mottled and dark shadows. Such a sky made people feel depressed, as if even breathing became heavy. All around, the outlines of the distant mountains were blurred, and the nearby grass and trees were all bleak. In the dead silence, only the whistling of the wind and the occasional roar of wild beasts added a sense of foreboding.

Twenty-four riders galloped past somewhere on the grassland, all of them covered in blood, some of them still oozing blood from knife wounds. A dozen of the horses were carrying corpses.

The leader turned out to be Yang Guifang. He stopped suddenly, looked around and said, "They shouldn't be chasing us. Let's take a break, eat something, and replenish our energy."

They quickly dismounted, sat on the ground, took out food and water, and ate and drank. Yang Guifang walked up to a young man with a sad face and smiled, "Wang Yue, you haven't recovered yet? You are the commander of the New Army's 3,000-man battalion, and you are so brave?"

"Old Liu died to help me block the knife." Wang Yue had tears in his eyes.

He led the new army to the northern border and was assigned to Datong. He was the same age as Yang Guifang, and both were proud and arrogant, so they quickly became friends. When he heard that Yang Guifang was going to lead a team of spies into the grassland, he insisted on following.

"Don't act like a sissy. Old Liu will look down on you if you act like this. Right, Old Liu?" Yang Guifang patted the corpse on the horse's back.

The rules of spies are to bring back the bodies of their comrades. If that is not possible, they will burn them to leave no clues for the enemy. Pain flashed across Yang Guifang's eyes, and she said to Wang Yue: "What is a comrade? It means you can trust your back to him. If it is not you today, if it is someone else, Lao Liu will also block the knife without hesitation."

"I'm useless!" Wang Yue said gritting his teeth.

"This is the battlefield!" Yang Guifang patted his shoulder. "Kill more enemies on the battlefield in the future and take Old Liu's share of the credit. Then you will be worthy of him."

He understood Wang Yue's feelings very well, because a few months ago, he was also like Wang Yue. He himself could not have imagined that in just a few months, he, a handsome and elegant young man, turned into a rough man with a heart as hard as iron.

"Okay, time for us to go." He waved his hand.

The twenty-four mounted their horses and galloped away.

……

When they returned to Datong City, the guards saw the body on horseback and saluted with their right hands across their chests. Yang Guifang brought Wang Yue to the central army tent.

Guo Deng was standing in front of the map, explaining something to another person. Yang Guifang and Wang Yue were surprised when they saw that person, and they saluted together: "Greetings, Marshal Shi!"

That person was Shi Heng, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Frontier Army. Shi Heng cast a sharp gaze on the two men and glared, "You two, as commanders, actually went out to gather intelligence in person? This is simply nonsense! It's easy to get thousands of troops, but it's hard to get a general. Don't you understand? Do you need to take risks in person?"

Yang Guifang stepped forward cheerfully: "Don't be angry, Marshal Shi. I won't do that again next time. We got some important information when we entered the grassland this time."

Wang Yue also stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "Yesen, he is coming, with 300,000 troops!"

Shi Heng and Guo Deng were both shocked.

Yang Guifang explained in detail that when they entered the grassland, they encountered Yesen's army. However, when they were retreating, they were discovered by the enemy's spies. The two sides fought fiercely and more than a dozen comrades died.

"Report to the capital immediately." Shi Heng ordered, "I will return to Xuanfu, and I will leave this place to you. Yang Guifang, Wang Yue, you must fight outside the country's borders and see how capable you are."

"Yes!" Yang Guifang and Wang Yue responded in unison.

……

Beijing.

Zhu Qizhen was discussing matters with the cabinet ministers in Wenhua Hall. The main focus of this year's domestic affairs was still the implementation of the new policy and river management. The cabinet finally had no objections, but the trouble was still in the local areas.

As an emperor, he also understood the difficulty of Taizu, that is, he dared not trust anyone. If the local gentry and the local officials united, they could confuse him as an emperor.

So Zhu Yuanzhang created three local offices to check and balance each other. But this also had another result, which was internal friction among the three offices. Although Zhu Qizhen completely used the governor as the local leader, he was also worried about the governor and the gentry joining forces.

If he wanted to contain the governor, he would have to give up another position, and then internal friction would start. He found that this was a vicious circle. But now he had to implement the new policy, so he could only trust the governor. If it really didn't work, he would replace the governor and let them move to another place.

"Your Majesty, the grain from the south has also arrived in Beijing one after another." Shang Lu reported.

Because the journey to the south is long, their grain arrives in Beijing the following year, and some even arrive in September. Zhu Qizhen frowned slightly: "Let the southern provinces speed up, I am worried that the war in the north will soon start."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Qian came in hurriedly, holding the intelligence in his hand, and bowed: "Your Majesty, the border is 800 miles away, and Yesen is here!"

(End of this chapter)