Jiajing Chengming

"What kind of confession of guilt is this?"

"Did I impose heavy taxes or lose my army and cede territory?"

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong sneered, a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes, and his fingers tapped lightly on the armrests of the dragon throne, making a dull sound.

Zhang Cong stepped forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please issue an order to impose martial law in the capital. It seems that the expedition to Annan will have to be suspended."

His voice was steady, with a hint of worry between his brows.

"Your Majesty, what the Prime Minister said is right. The most urgent thing is to prevent Altan and those rebel generals and soldiers from plundering the capital."

Xia Yan continued, with a hint of urgency in his tone.

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly, his eyes as sharp as torches: "Approved! Let the Minister of War Li Yue, Wuding Marquis Guo Xun, and the eunuch Zhang Bao of the Imperial Horse Administration be the imperial envoys for patrol and defense. Make sure that all the city gates are well guarded and have sufficient troops!"

"All the soldiers and horses in each camp, except the cavalry, all the infantrymen should defend the city walls, and send more scouts out of the city to scout!"

"Also, order the governors and governors of all border areas to fortify their defenses and clear the fields, and send troops to plunder the frontiers. Since Altan has come uninvited, don't blame me for raiding his lair as well!"

"Yes!"

All the ministers responded in unison, their voices echoing in the hall.

Then, Zhu Houcong issued an order to the court to discuss specific countermeasures.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, and the ministers had different expressions.

At that time, the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Lun stepped out first and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Altan's invasion is a sign of disrespect for the authority of our emperor. In my humble opinion, I should personally lead the army to blunt his edge!"

His voice was loud and his eyes were firm.

"Your Majesty, I think it is not possible! The Tumu Fort incident is a lesson not far away. Besides, the enemy invaded suddenly. The court cannot suddenly launch an attack when the enemy situation is unclear. We should wait until they are exhausted and then wait for an opportunity to fight a decisive battle!"

The Minister of Revenue Wu Wendi expressed a different opinion, with a frown on his face and a cautious tone in his voice.

At this time, the Minister of War Li Yue also stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "I agree with what the Grand Tutor said. We cannot lead the army in person at this time. We can only mobilize troops to defend various places first, and then send troops when the enemy cavalry retreats."

His eyes were steady, obviously he had thought it over carefully.

"Are we just going to sit back and watch the invaders plunder the capital?"

The Minister of Justice Xu Zan couldn't help but ask at this time, with a bit of dissatisfaction in his tone.

Li Yue shook his head slightly, his tone firm: "They can't plunder enough. At present, all the garrisons in the capital are stockpiling elite soldiers! Unless they dare to really ignore my army behind them and concentrate their troops to attack a strong city!"

At this time, the Minister of Works Qin Jin stood up and said in a loud voice: "Being a coward is not the way for our dynasty to recover! We should send troops to fight Altan Khan!"

His eyes were bright and sharp, and he was obviously dissatisfied with the defensive strategy.

"Your Majesty, I do not underestimate the Tartars. I know that after years of hard work by Your Majesty, the country has become strong and powerful. The Capital Camp and the Mighty Camp both have enough elite soldiers and brave generals. So, instead of staying in the city and defending it, it is better to go out of the city and embolden the Tartars! So that they dare not attack easily!"

Qin Jin then elaborated in detail on the reasons why he supported sending troops out for a decisive battle, his tone passionate.

At this time, the Minister of Personnel Li Chengxun interjected, "But the enemy's situation is indeed unclear now, so it is not appropriate to send troops suddenly."

His voice was low, with a bit of caution that came from leading troops for many years.

"How can it not be clear? Reports have come in from all over, including the report that General Qiu Luan of Xuanfu has reached Juyongguan. We can't wait until the Tartars arrive in the capital before we start to send troops, right?"

Qin Jin asked back, with a hint of urgency in his tone.

"Yes, isn't this a good opportunity to send troops to attack Altan together with Xianning Hou?"

The Minister of Justice Xu Zan couldn't help but ask at this time, frowning.

"But it's unclear whether Qiu Luan is truly loyal to the king or just pretending to be loyal to the king!"

Zhu Houcong spoke at this time, his voice was cold and his eyes were as sharp as knives.

Xu Zan immediately opened his mouth and looked at Zhu Houcong in surprise.

The other ministers and court officials in the hall were also surprised and looked at each other.

Zhu Houcong said directly: "I am just guessing, but I can't help but suspect this. Right now, the whole country is undergoing land reclamation. Not only are the gentry and wealthy families in the interior complaining, but the border commanders are also complaining. It is possible that someone deliberately let Altan into the pass, and then followed behind in the name of serving the king. Once my army goes out, the pincer attack on Altan may not have happened yet, but Altan may know the route of my army in advance through his Qiu Luan, and then ambush my army."

"Your Majesty is right. For now, we should assume the greatest malice against these border generals!"

Xia Yan immediately echoed the words, accurately stating the emperor's way of thinking.

Zhang Cong followed suit and said, "I second the proposal! In any case, Governor Tang Long and General Qiu Luan are also responsible for losing the pass when Altan invaded this time. Why not arrest all their family members in the capital first! Then force them to repel Altan!"

"If they can't do it, let them commit suicide and apologize. If they dare to betray the court directly, then their entire family will be executed!"

His voice was cold and stern, and he obviously had doubts about the loyalty of the border general.

"Your Majesty, I think this is not right. It is too harsh on the border officials. There are too many passes in the Nine Borders, and the Tartar army is roaming around without a fixed point. How can we guard against them everywhere? If we treat them strictly, I am afraid that the border officials will secretly pay tribute to the barbarians, and even be afraid to serve as border officials!"

The Minister of Justice Xu Zan expressed a different opinion and glanced at the two cabinet ministers with dissatisfaction.

"As a border official, you can't just think about the benefits of seeking merit and a generous reward from the court. You should also see that guarding the border is more important than keeping the people safe!"

Zhang Cong responded coldly to Xu Zan at this time.

"Just do as Yuan Fu said. Order the Royal Guards to arrest his family immediately. Send another Royal Guards out of the city to announce my order to Tang Long and Qiu Luan. I give them two choices: either treason or repel Altan!"

"They let these people in themselves, they should send them out themselves!"

Zhu Houcong's voice was cold and carried unquestionable majesty.

"I was being polite by not punishing them for delaying my grand plan to conquer Annan!"

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, he glanced at the ministers in the hall. The hall was silent and no one dared to speak.

……

……

"I'm telling you, Altan Khan, as soon as I receive the order from the Ministry of War to coordinate with the soldiers in the city to attack him, I will tell him the movements of the soldiers in the city!" "But I hope he won't forget our agreement by then."

Qiu Luan was speaking to Zheng Liangzheng, the envoy sent by Altan Khan, with a somewhat cold tone in his voice.

At this moment, one of his trusted servants hurried into the tent and reported in a low voice: "General, the imperial court has sent an edict."

After hearing this, Qiu Luan's expression changed slightly, and then he waved his hand, signaling the messenger to leave first.

He opened the middle door wide and received the imperial edict.

When he learned that his entire family was being arrested in Beijing, his veins popped out, his fists clenched, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

However, he did not lose his temper on the spot. He just suppressed his anger, accepted the imperial edict, asked the Jinyiwei who delivered the edict to leave, and then he slammed his fist on the table, his voice low and angry:
"Your Majesty is going too far! Not only did you stop me from conquering Annan, but now you're even going to take my family away first. Aren't you afraid that I will just defect and join Altan Khan?!"

There was total silence in the tent, with only Qiu Luan's breathing echoing in the air.

After Qiu Luan finished speaking, his trusted general Yi Tong asked Qiu Luan:

"My Lord, what should we do now? Should we rebel and surrender to Altan Khan, or should we obey the imperial court and fight Altan Khan?"

"Of course we have to fight Altan Khan. How can we really betray him and become a traitor?"

"It's not like the current imperial court doesn't have the power to deal with Altan. Forcing us to take the initiative to repel Altan is nothing more than testing our will to see if we are really like Altan and dare to force him to abdicate openly."

Qiu Luan replied helplessly, with his hands on his hips, his fists still clenched tightly, and his brows furrowed.

Because Qiu Luan was different from his father Qiu Ning, he was only good at scheming and making money, and was not proficient in the art of war, and was even quite afraid of fighting.

Historically, Qiu Luan, fearing a decisive battle with the Tartars, took the initiative to bribe them and asked them to go to other places to plunder.

But in history, Qiu Luan was always trusted by important officials in the court in the early days because he was good at making money.

Now, Qiu Luan naturally felt a headache when he thought that he had to really fight with Altan to prove his loyalty.

"But how to repel Altan Khan still needs to be discussed with the Ministry of Defense. Should we use money to send Altan Khan away and pretend that we repelled Altan Khan, or force the other border generals of Xuanda who are standing on the dry shore to watch the fun and prepare to reap the fruits of our labor to join us in repelling Altan Khan? We have to wait for the Ministry of Defense to make a decision."

After Qiu Luan said this, he looked at Yi Tong and said, "But we still have to prepare for a direct battle with Altan. This matter will be handled by you. Send more scouts to monitor Altan's troops and prepare the rewards before the battle. I will go to see the minister in person!"

When Tang Long, governor of Xuanda, met Qiu Luan, he had already learned through the imperial edict sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard that his family members in Beijing and his clansmen in his hometown were being wanted by the imperial court.

Tang Long was in a bad mood because of this. When he saw Qiu Luan, he said with a gloomy face: "Your Majesty's toughness is indeed well-deserved. I really hope that Altan Khan can really capture the capital so that Your Majesty can't be so strong!"

Qiu Luan smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to capture it. Our original plan was to take advantage of Altan's entry into the pass and use him to eat up the emperor's personal army. It would be even better to let your majesty lead the army in person and let the Tumu Fort incident happen again! As far as we know, your majesty has always been strong and overbearing, and now he has a strong army. When you encounter Altan's provocation, you will not send a large army to fight to prove your martial virtue!"

"But who would have thought that this time, Your Majesty would choose to fortify the walls and clear the countryside, becoming a coward, and simply forcing us to repel Altan Khan, which clearly shows that he is very suspicious of us."

"Yes, our emperor always has great hostility towards us bureaucrats. Even when Altan Khan's army is approaching, he still thinks the worst of us."

Tang Long sighed.

Qiu Luan nodded and said, "Your Majesty thinks the worst of us, but we cannot do the worst! In short, Your Majesty can overturn the table, but we cannot. Being a slave to Altan is naturally not as good as being a duke in the court. The same is true for you. Being a slave to Altan is not as good as being a minister in the court in the future."

"You are right. Your Majesty is bullying us because we dare not overturn the table."

"Now we can only think of a way to repel Altan to prove our loyalty."

Tang Long then asked Qiu Luan: "Does Xianning Hou have any good plan to repel Altan?"

Qiu Luan said: "Altan is powerful. Even if all the skilled servants under the command of the border generals of Xuanfu and Datong are combined, I am afraid it will be difficult to resist him. Even if we can rely on the more familiar terrain to repel Altan, I am afraid we will be seriously injured. If Altan attacks again, we will have no soldiers to defend. More importantly, it will be easier for the court to deal with us."

Tang Long then picked up the tea, and while drinking it, he stretched out his hand holding the tea lid, motioning Qiu Luan to continue.

Qiu Luan said: "In my opinion, it is better to bribe Altan with money and ask him to come out of the border. Anyway, Altan came to the border only for money. But this requires your approval. After all, Xuanda's money and grain are in your hands. More importantly, in the future, we need to include this account in the border defense losses. You also need to take the lead to cover up our bribery of Altan."

"Marquis Xianning is indeed a man of some talents. It's amazing that you can come up with such a good idea."

After hearing this, Tang Long smiled and said, "Send someone to negotiate with Altan first and ask him how much money he wants before he is willing to play a scene where we defeat him!"

Qiu Luan hurriedly bowed and said yes.

……

……

At this time, Altan did not know that Tang Long and Qiu Luan had been forced by Zhu Houcong to pay money to buy him out.

At this time, Altan was worried that the emperor's personal army was reluctant to leave the city to fight him.

Because the capital now has an outer city and fortified cities are being built everywhere, and each of the fortified cities is equipped with elite soldiers and heavy artillery, it is difficult for Altan to plunder enough people and money. He can only seek a decisive battle with Zhu Houcong's personal army, and then take advantage of the opportunity of Tang Long and Qiu Luan's secret communication with him to severely defeat Zhu Houcong's personal army. Then Zhu Houcong will lose his own troops and can no longer respond to Altan's demands in a strong and domineering manner.

Of course, Altan also hoped that Zhu Houcong could lead the army himself and become the second Zhu Qizhen.

"Jiajing, are you scared?"

"Don't you have tens of thousands of soldiers, each one can fight ten of them? Don't you value martial virtue and have the ambition to expand the territory? But why don't you dare to lead the troops to fight in person, and only know to hide in the city?"

"Why are you such a coward?"

"Ha ha!"

"Since you are such a coward, why don't you accept the tribute? Don't wait until I conquer your capital. By then, let alone the tribute, you won't even be able to be my son! I'm afraid your civil and military officials are more eager to see you die than I am!"

For this reason, Altan provoked Zhu Houcong outside the city, while he rode his horse and patrolled the city walls of the capital at a safe distance, speaking loudly.

The cavalry under Altan also boldly rushed to the city wall and conveyed Altan's words.

Even the rebel general Li Tong heard Altan's words that day and said loudly:
"Our Khan said that if you, Jiajing, are willing to issue a self-criticism edict, saying that all the bad things you have done in the past few years were instigated by the treacherous ministers Zhang Cong and Gui E, and order the execution of these two people and send their heads to us, our Khan will withdraw his troops and even be willing to continue to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty and recognize you as his king. He will only be the king in the north!"

"Jiajing, did you hear that?"

"We, Altan Khan, have sent troops to attack you, not to be your enemy, much less to be the enemy of the Ming Dynasty. We just want to remove the treacherous officials who are preventing the world from peace! To show our obedience!"

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict of apology! Otherwise, if the capital falls, I will not be able to put down my sword for ten days!"

After Li Tong shouted this, several rebel generals who came with him also shouted for Zhu Houcong to issue an edict of guilt. (End of this chapter)