My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 170 Huang Taiji: I know Chongzhen very well, he would never dare to massacre his own people!
The next morning, the sun shone on the earth, giving everything a golden coating.

After breakfast, the soldiers set out again to dig trenches.

The Jiannu seemed to have learned their lesson from yesterday. They hid far away, watching from afar and not daring to get close.

I’m afraid of being hurt by the Ming army’s firearms again!
For this reason, the excavation process that day went relatively smoothly.

In the evening, with the last truckload of soil added to fill the trench, the trench was finally dug.

After two days of hard work, they filled a trench about two kilometers long.

Looking at the smooth passage before them, the soldiers cheered and their faces were filled with the joy of victory, because they knew that the army would be able to pass through smoothly tomorrow morning.

However, tonight is a crucial night.

If the Jiannu come to destroy again, all previous efforts will be in vain.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang directly sent 50,000 troops to garrison here, adopting a shift system to ensure that the soldiers could both protect the newly filled trenches and get enough rest.

At the same time, after two days of travel, Yue Tuo finally brought the 30,000 Han people from Yizhou to Jinzhou.

Along the way, the people, dragging their families with them, were exhausted. Their footsteps were as heavy as if filled with lead. Every step was extremely difficult, and their eyes were full of fear and confusion.

Huang Taiji stood on a high place and looked, and saw a black mass of Han people not far away.

They were dressed in rags and looked like beggars.

Some people were wearing tattered cotton-padded clothes with patches all over them and the threads sticking out.

Some were even wearing only thin clothes, shivering in the cold wind, their teeth chattering.

Their faces were covered with dust and fatigue, and their eyes were filled with despair, as if they had lost hope for the future.

When seeing this scene, Huang Taiji felt mixed emotions for a moment.

Although he always emphasized that Han people should be treated equally and regarded as his own people, and he also issued orders many times to prohibit Manchu nobles from abusing them, how could those nobles actually do so?

In the eyes of those nobles, Manchus were born noble and superior, while Han people could only be their slaves to be driven by them. How could they be treated equally?

Even if it was me who had issued this order, wasn't I planning to use these Han people as pawns and send them into the battlefield this time?
If he himself was like this, how could he ask other Manchu nobles to treat these Han people well?
Thinking of this, Huang Taiji couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

A hint of helplessness and guilt flashed in his eyes, and he seemed a little reluctant about his decision.

But no matter how hard it is to bear, this thing still has to be done!
After all, Yue Tuo said something right, that is, there are a large number of Han people. After these are consumed, the worst that can happen is to rob them from the Ming Dynasty.
At this moment, Daishan spoke from behind:

"Your Majesty, our army has been engaged in battle with the Ming army in front of the trenches for the past two days. Although we have suffered heavy casualties, we have also been able to test the strength of the Ming army."

"I have to say, the Ming army's artillery and new firearms are incredibly powerful. Both their range and power far exceed ours."

"Especially those new firearms. They are simply terrifying. If we engage them head-on, our army will suffer heavy losses."

There was a hint of worry and caution in Daishan's voice, and he was full of anxiety about the upcoming battle.

Because he had only fully witnessed the power of the Ming army's firearms in the past two days.

It is no exaggeration to say that in the face of the Ming army's firearms, their proud Eight Banners Army had no chance of winning at all.

After hearing this, Huang Taiji nodded slowly. He had heard such reports many times recently and began to take this matter seriously.

Then he narrowed his eyes slightly, looked into the distance, and said with a fierce look in his eyes:
"Don't worry, once we drive these civilians onto the battlefield, the Ming army will be too cautious to use their firearms."

There was a hint of ruthlessness and determination in his voice, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

When Yue Tuo, who was not far away, heard this, his face was immediately filled with pride. After all, it was he who proposed this idea.

If there is any credit, he will naturally be the first to bear the brunt!
However, Daishan was still worried. He took a step forward and asked again:

"Your Majesty, do you really believe that the Ming emperor would not harm his own people?"

"What if he doesn't care about the lives of these 30,000 people and insists on using firearms? What should we do?"

Huang Taiji glanced at Daishan and said with a confident smile:
"Don't worry, there's no such possibility!"

"I still know Chongzhen very well!"

Although Huang Taiji had never met Chongzhen, he had some understanding of the Ming Emperor Chongzhen from the words of many surrendered Ming Dynasty civil and military officials.

He knew that Chongzhen was sensitive, suspicious, indecisive, and cared very much about his reputation.

It is said that the Ming Dynasty's treasury had long been in deficit, and even Chongzhen's own clothes were full of patches. His meals were extremely simple, and he was reluctant to eat even meat.

But even so, he still could not pay the military wages, resulting in serious wage arrears for the Ming army.

But although Chongzhen had no money, the nobles, civil and military officials in the court, and gentry all over the world were all very rich.

It is no exaggeration to say that if you catch a few and kill them with your eyes closed, you can easily get millions of silver.

But Chongzhen did not dare to take action against these people. Every time he was fooled by them, he would compromise.

This led to the near collapse of the country's finances!

In Huang Taiji's view, this is extremely stupid!

How could an emperor be so cowardly?

If the Qing Dynasty had no money to fight a war or to pay the soldiers, he would not hesitate to lead his troops to confiscate the property of the nobles and use their property as military pay to the soldiers.

Because he knew very well that only by guaranteeing the basic interests of soldiers could the country be stable.

But obviously, Chongzhen did not seem to understand this truth.

So in Huang Taiji's view, how could such a person massacre tens of thousands of civilians for the sake of victory in war?
This is simply impossible!

Therefore Huang Taiji was not worried at all!
Although Huang Taiji did not say this out loud, Daishan beside him already understood what he meant.

After all, in the past few days, he had asked the Han generals many times about Chongzhen's character, and the answers he got made him feel quite at ease.

According to Han generals, Chongzhen was indecisive and extremely concerned about his reputation.

Such an emperor would not massacre his own people for the sake of victory in a war, otherwise he would be regarded as a tyrant!
It seems that they still have a great chance of winning this battle.

Thinking of this, Daishan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly at this moment, another spy came to report that the trenches on the Ming army side had been basically filled up, enough for 200,000 troops to pass through!

This means that the Ming army will cross the trench and reach Songshan early tomorrow morning.

The areas around Songshan and Jinzhou were where they were preparing for a decisive battle with the Ming army!

When they thought of the upcoming decisive battle, Daishan, Huang Taiji, Yuetuo and others all changed their expressions.

After all, the one coming this time is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. If we can capture him alive, it will be an unprecedented victory!
They could even take Chongzhen as a hostage, break through all the checkpoints of the Ming army, and then attack Beijing directly!
Thinking of this, Huang Taiji was even more excited. There was a greedy light in his eyes, as if he was about to lead his troops into Beijing.
At this time, Huang Taiji was so excited that he didn't realize that among the group of ragged and hungry people, there were three pairs of eyes staring at him coldly, with eyes full of vigilance and hostility!
These three people were none other than the Daming Yebushou who were secretly sent from Beijing to Yizhou by Zhu Cilang!

They had a special mission and the original plan was to act as internal support at the critical moment of the Ming army's siege, and to help the Ming army capture Yizhou with internal and external cooperation!

However, fate played a trick on them. Yue Tuo's sudden appearance made them deviate from their original track and brought them here in a daze.

The three people are named Niu Dayong, Li Fangliang and Gao Chunjie.

At this moment, they crouched down and carefully mixed in the crowd. From time to time, they looked up and looked far away in the direction of Huang Taiji, their eyes full of confusion and vigilance.

They knew clearly in their minds that Yue Tuo's previous explanation of bringing them here to build fortifications was full of loopholes.

You know, the crops in Yizhou are almost ripe and will be harvested soon.

But at this critical time when the grain was about to be harvested, it was suddenly announced that 30,000 people would be transferred to Jinzhou to build fortifications. Anyone who heard it would find it unreasonable.

Because before this, the Jiannu had transferred 30,000 young and strong men from Yizhou to Jinzhou, and now they transferred another 30,000, resulting in a shortage of manpower in Jinzhou, and there were not enough people even to collect grain.

Is this reasonable?

What's more, Jinzhou is already home to the Jiannu's logistics personnel. If defensive fortifications really need to be built, this kind of work should be their responsibility. It's definitely not their turn!
Thinking back on what they had experienced along the way, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

Because the Jiannu forced them to complete the journey of a full 130 miles within two days!

Along the way, as long as the people were exhausted, slowed down, or unfortunately contracted a disease, the Jiannu would draw their swords without hesitation.

There was a flash of cold light, and the people fell in a pool of blood. Then they were thrown on the roadside like useless objects, and their bodies were left exposed in the wilderness, with no one paying attention to them.

And all they got along the way was just a piece of hard, inedible multi-grain cake and a bowl of porridge so thin that it could reflect one's reflection.

As many as two thousand people were killed or starved to death by the Jiannu along the way!

Even if they managed to reach Jinzhou alive, they were now starving and weak, and even walking was a problem. How could they have the energy to build fortifications?
All these signs indicate that things are by no means as simple as they seem, and there must be an ulterior conspiracy behind it.

Li Fangliang had studied for a few years before and had some knowledge. At this moment, he frowned, pulled the two brothers aside with a serious look, and said in a low voice:

"Brothers, I don't know why I'm always feeling uneasy. I have a bad feeling."

"I once read something in history books. It said that some foreign tribes, when attacking a city, were extremely cruel and would force innocent civilians of the enemy country to rush to the front and serve as human shields."

"As a result, the soldiers defending the city walls would be afraid to launch an attack."

"Think carefully, could it be that the Jiannu are also planning to use these 30,000 civilians as a vanguard to deal with our Ming army?"

After hearing these words, Niu Dayong and Gao Chunjie's faces turned pale instantly.

They looked at each other, and the tragic scene of the people being driven to charge forward involuntarily emerged in their minds!
After thinking about it carefully, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that what Li Fangliang said was very likely to happen. Niu Dayong was impatient and asked anxiously:

"What if what you said is true?"

"Given the benevolent nature of His Majesty, he certainly wouldn't have the heart to order the massacre of these 30,000 innocent people."

"But if this happens, won't the Ming army be afraid to act rashly and be tied up?"

"How can we fight this battle?"

Gao Chunjie also sighed heavily and said slowly:

"If it weren't for His Majesty the Emperor personally leading the army, for the sake of the country's safety, the Liaodong soldiers might have weighed the pros and cons and, as a last resort, chosen to disregard the lives of these civilians and launch an attack!"

"After the war, they will unify their statements and try every possible way to shift the blame."

"But now the emperor is in the army. Who would have the guts to do such a cruel thing in front of the emperor?"

"Asking the emperor to order the massacre of civilians is out of the question."

"Everyone knows that the current emperor values his reputation above all else. He absolutely does not want to bear the eternal infamy of massacring the people."

"But if that happens, this battle will be difficult to fight!"

"Once Huang Taiji ordered the common people to lead the charge, the Ming army would be too cautious to launch an attack rashly. They could only watch helplessly as the common people approached, and only engage in close combat when they were close enough."

"But if we do this, these innocent civilians will become a hindrance to the Ming army, tying their hands and feet."

"On the other hand, the Jiannu could slaughter everything without any scruples!"

The three of them discussed the matter one after another, analyzing the interests involved thoroughly.

After figuring it all out, they all fell silent again, their hearts full of worry.

I just feel that the current situation is like a dark cloud, with no glimmer of hope in sight.

Just when the three of them were filled with despair, Gao Chunjie's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of something, and then he said:

"Brothers, I do have a plan. Although it is very risky, if it succeeds, there may be a glimmer of hope! It can even turn this precarious situation around."

"But I must say one thing beforehand. If this plan is implemented, the three of us might be in danger of losing our lives."

Niu Dayong and Li Fangliang were stunned for a moment when they heard this, then smiled at each other and said in unison:

"Brother, what are you talking about! The situation has reached a critical juncture of life and death. Why should we care about our lives?"

"We only hope to do our bit for the country and live up to the trust His Royal Highness has placed in us!"

"Just say whatever you want to say!"

Gao Chunjie was moved by the two brothers' righteousness. He calmed himself down and continued,

"I've been secretly observing these past few days and have discovered that among these people, in addition to ordinary civilians, there are also many local military households."

"They were originally soldiers defending their country, but for various reasons, they had no choice but to flee outside the Great Wall. As a result, they became slaves and suffered humiliation and torture."

"Their hatred for the Jiannu is no less than ours. I think we can use this to secretly incite them to revolt."

"When the two sides officially engage in battle, we will raise our arms and shout, and launch a rebellion together. This way, we can disrupt the Jiannu's formation by surprise."

"As long as we can successfully disrupt the Jiannu's formation, we might be able to create an opportunity for the Ming army to take advantage and turn the tide of the war."

After hearing this, Niu Dayong and Li Fangliang nodded in agreement.

Although they knew that once this strategy was implemented, they, the first ones to be hit, would be killed on the spot by the Jiannu army, but at this point, who could care less?

Moreover, they knew in their hearts that even if they sacrificed their lives, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would definitely remember their achievements and take good care of their families.

According to the promise made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, their positions will be inherited by their families and will be promoted three levels!
As the saying goes, when there is a big reward, there will always be brave men!

At this time of national crisis, they had already put their lives at risk, hoping only to contribute to the Ming Dynasty.

Besides, in the current situation, the Jiannu are everywhere, and they can't even escape to report the news. They can only be forced to be escorted to the battlefield by the Jiannu to die.

If that’s the case, why not choose to die heroically?

In this way, the relationship between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and them as monarch and subject will be fulfilled!

If you treat me sincerely, I will repay you with my life!
In this battle, there is only death!

At the same time, in Jinzhou City not far away, the atmosphere was equally depressing.

Zu Dashou was wearing heavy armor and holding a telescope tightly in his hand. He was standing on the city wall, observing the scene in the distance intently.

The telescope in his hand was the one that Hong Chengchou had sent someone to deliver after going through a lot of hardships. It was a rare item and very useful for surveying the enemy situation.

At this time, Zu Dashou squinted his eyes and looked through the telescope at the densely packed people like ants not far away. He couldn't help but say in his heart that something was wrong.

He had been fighting in Liaodong for decades, had countless battles with the Jiannu, and was well aware of their methods and cruelty.

Almost instantly, he understood Huang Taiji's sinister intentions.

They just want to use these 30,000 people as human shields!
Thinking of this, he became so angry that his face turned red and his beard stood up in anger.

I wish I could rush out and fight Huang Taiji to the death!

Zu Dashou knew in his heart that given the indecisive character of the current Emperor Chongzhen and his extreme concern for his reputation, if he really encountered a situation where the Jiannu used the people as a shield to force the Ming army.

He might actually order not to attack out of so-called 'mercy' and consideration for his own reputation.

But if this happens, the Ming army will be put in a passive position and the situation will undoubtedly become more critical!
Zu Dashou didn't dare to delay at all when he thought of this. He was extremely anxious and turned around and strode back into the city.

As he walked, he shouted:
"Quickly gather all the generals to discuss countermeasures. It's urgent!"

After a while, the generals and commanders in Jinzhou City received orders one after another. After hastily arranging various matters, they hurried over.

Some of them didn't even have time to tidy up their clothes before they ran all the way to the central military tent.

Although Jinzhou City is not large in scale, due to its special geographical location and great strategic significance, it has a garrison of up to 20,000 troops.

Previously, the two thousand Mongols in the outer city were successfully instigated by the Jiannu and eventually chose to surrender. Together with the soldiers who died in battle, there are now about 13,000 troops left in the city.

Among them were 5,000 elite cavalry, and the rest were infantry.

All the soldiers quickly assembled and stood neatly in the central military tent, all looking at Zu Dashou.

Zu Dashou looked at the brothers who had followed him for many years and had been through thick and thin with him, his expression serious and his tone heavy as he said:

"Everyone, I have called you here today to tell you a piece of extremely important news."

"That's the current emperor personally leading the army to fight in Liaodong. He's not far from here!"

"Probably in these two days, a life-and-death battle with the Jiannu will begin."

When the soldiers heard this, they were all shocked, their faces full of surprise and disbelief.

They looked at each other with extremely complicated expressions.

In fact, it is no wonder that they were so shocked, because before this, Zu Dashou had never been sure whether Chongzhen would really come.

After all, the emperor is the ruler of a country and has a noble status. He will not easily go to the battlefield in person.

Especially the current emperor, he doesn't look like an emperor who would lead an army in person.

Therefore, before this matter was confirmed, Zu Dashou did not inform anyone about it in order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

But now that the matter was set in stone and certain, he felt it was time to tell everyone the news.

After all, the emperor personally leads the army to war, which can always inspire the greatest morale of the soldiers!

At this moment, one of the young officers, his face flushed with excitement, asked with a trembling voice:
"May I ask, sir, is this true?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, sir, but your Majesty is worth a ton of gold. Why would he personally lead an army here?"

Facing his subordinates' doubts, Zu Dashou did not explain too much. He just silently took out a secret letter from his pocket, showed it to everyone and said:
"Look for yourselves. This is a secret letter written by Lord Hong Chengchou himself. He would never joke about something as serious as this, as it concerns the safety of the nation."

"And you have all seen the recent troop movements of the Jiannu."

"The Jiannu have already gathered all their forces in the Jinzhou area. All signs indicate that they are clearly planning a life-and-death battle with Your Majesty's army here!"

The soldiers stepped forward one by one and began to look at the secret letter in front of them.

After listening to Zu Dashou's words, everyone's eyes suddenly brightened up, and the originally dull and depressing atmosphere was lifted.

You must know that they have been holding on hard, hoping that the court would send troops to rescue and lift the siege of Jinzhou.

But he never expected that the emperor would lead the army in person!

For them, this is not only an encouragement, but also a supreme honor.

After all, since ancient times, it was mostly ministers who rushed to the battlefield to save the emperor from danger. How could the emperor take the risk himself to rescue his ministers?

For a moment, everyone was deeply moved, and their loyalty to Chongzhen instantly reached its maximum!
(End of this chapter)