Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 75 This decree shall be made known to the whole world!

April 1, the 17th year of Chongzhen.

Zhu Youjian was awakened from his sleep by a secret letter sent from outside the pass at night, which was sent thousands of miles away.

There was only one sentence in the secret letter.

"The Jiannu vanguard of 20,000 troops has passed Ningyuan!"

These were not 20,000 refugees, nor were they 20,000 surrendered soldiers, but the most advanced heavy armored cavalry of the era.

The Eight Banners of the Jurchens, who were said to be invincible with tens of thousands of troops!

Although Zhu Youjian had never faced the Jurchens, he had been to the battlefield and witnessed the strength of the soldiers of the old camp of the Chuang Army with his own eyes.

Probably have a vague understanding.

The combat effectiveness of the old camp soldiers is roughly equivalent to two purple entries, the surrendered soldiers are slightly inferior to the green entries, and the refugees are slightly stronger than the white ones if there is a supervisory team.

In history, Li Zicheng and the Qing Dynasty fought a great battle at Shanhaiguan, and Li Zicheng was defeated by the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian estimated that the combat effectiveness of the five lower flags of the Jurchens was at least three purple items, and at most probably not much weaker than the red items.

The upper three flags are likely to have the strength of red entries.

According to intelligence, the total strength of the three upper banners of the Qing Dynasty, namely the Plain Yellow Banner, the Bordered Yellow Banner, and the Plain White Banner, may have reached about 50,000 troops!

The only ones he could contend with were the 10,000 elite soldiers of the Guanning Army and the more than 2,000 Black Armored Cavalry.

The gap in strength was a bit too big, so Zhu Youjian had to be cautious.

Ni Yuanlu and others had already made a contingency plan, but the Jurchens were too fast.

Fifteen days earlier than they expected!

Although it was late at night, Zhu Youjian could not sleep. He hurriedly got up and dressed, and asked Wang Chengen to summon Ni Yuanlu and others.

In less than half an hour, Ni Yuanlu, Wang Jiayan and other important officials in Beijing hurried to the Qianqing Palace.

Without going through the traditional formalities, Zhu Youjian directly circulated the secret report among everyone.

Ni Yuanlu was shocked after reading it.

"How could the Jiannu arrive so quickly?!"

Wang Jiayan was also confused. "Even if the Jiannu had prepared to enter the pass at the beginning of the month, they shouldn't have moved so quickly."

Although the Jurchens at this time had already established a feudal monarchy, their essence was still mainly nomadic.

Except for a few big cities like Shengjing, most bannermen still lived in the grazing areas of their respective Niulu.

From Siberia in the north to Changbai Mountain in the west.

It is not easy to gather them together.

Moreover, once the eight banners of the main force moved, the eight banners of Mongolia and the eight banners of the Han army had to follow suit and serve as auxiliary troops and siege troops.

Even if Dorgon gathered his troops as soon as spring arrived, it would take at least until mid-April before they could take action.

Zhu Youjian also remembered that in his previous life, the Qing Dynasty defeated Li Zicheng at Shanhaiguan in late April.

If the court's plan was followed, Huang Degong would have built several large cities before April 20th to provide shelter for the 900,000 refugees who had just been scattered in northern Zhili.

During this time, the refugees were able to complete the first wave of spring plowing, and Zhang Shize had almost defeated the Chahar tribe and returned to the capital.

By then, using the fortified city as a nail and Zhang Shize's cavalry as a mobile force, it would be entirely possible to delay the Qing Dynasty until the arrival of the various royalist troops.

Then, using the general trend and gradually hotter weather, they forced the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty to retreat in exchange for a half-year period of stability.

The plan was very good, but the Qing Dynasty's premature action disrupted everything.

How can everyone not be anxious?

"Your Majesty, could it be that the Jiannu learned that Shanhaiguan was empty, and in order to seize the pass, they sent vanguards to capture the city without waiting for the main army to assemble?" Jin Xuan pondered for a moment and put forward a possibility.

Wang Jiayan nodded after hearing this. "When the Jiannu attacked the pass in the past, they always relied on the Eight Banners of the Han Army to help them break through the Ming Dynasty's strong cities. But now they only have 20,000 vanguards, passing Ningyuan and heading straight for Shanhaiguan. It is very likely that the Jiannu army has not yet fully assembled."

"If that's the case, we can just hand over Shanhaiguan to buy time!"

Song Ye frowned, "Minister Wang, military affairs are not to be taken lightly!"

"If the Jiannu army is already fully equipped and ready to march south once their vanguard captures Shanhaiguan, our 3,000-strong battalion is far south of the desert, each dispersed across different cities, and our millions of soldiers and civilians are currently engaged in spring plowing, how can the capital stop them?"

"Even if the Jiannu army fails to assemble, if those 20,000 vanguards fail to defend the pass and instead take the opportunity to march straight into Northern Zhili, even if we defend the city to the death, we will still miss the spring plowing season!"

"In my opinion, we should quickly send a large army north to Shanhaiguan. Whether the Jiannu have a large army or not, they will have to hold out for some time!"

"That's easy for Censor Song Lian to say!" Wang Jiayan shouted angrily.

"Ningyuan to Shanhaiguan is only 250 miles away. The Jiannu have many horses. The secret report was sent yesterday evening. The Jiannu will be able to reach Shanhaiguan tonight."

"The closest royal forces to Shanhaiguan are the new troops of Jizhou's 8,500-man battalion and General Wang's Yongwei Battalion."

"It's still 250 miles. Even if we set out this morning, it will take three days to arrive."

"When Duke Ji and General Wang marched south, they only left 5,000 defenders at Shanhaiguan. Censor Song Lian, do you think these 5,000 defenders can hold out for two days?"

Song Ye stopped talking. With the strength of the Ming army, it would be a good thing if they didn't open the city and surrender on the spot, let alone defend it for two days.

However, although Wang Jiayan refuted Song Ye, he could not come up with a feasible solution.

Someone else proposed a new idea, "Why not send an envoy to negotiate peace with the Jiannu?"

"It's bitterly cold outside the Great Wall, and the Jiannu are in dire need of our Ming tea, grain, brocade, iron, salt, and sugar. If we open up trade with them through Shanhaiguan, we can alleviate their pressing needs while also increasing tax revenue for the imperial court."

Is this a good strategy?

It would be great if Dorgon agreed.

The prerequisite for Dorgon to agree is that the strength of both sides is at the same level.

Judging from this situation, we know that Dorgon has already figured out the specific strength of the Ming army in the north.

Their army has already started mobilizing, and you're done with the peace talks?
Just kidding! ?

Except for Ni Yuanlu, all the ministers started arguing again.

However, they could not come up with a feasible plan, and some people even suggested moving south again.

This made Zhu Youjian more determined to upgrade his entry.

He knocked on the table, frowned, and whispered, "Have you had enough of the noise?!"

"When the rebels came, you argued and argued, saying this and that was not right. At that time, the capital had only 5,000 tired, old and weak soldiers, yet they faced the rebels' million-strong army, and in the end, didn't they still win?"

"This time, the Jiannu army only has 20,000 men, while our Great Ming army still has 70,000 men, over a million soldiers and civilians, and countless weapons and armor. Isn't that much better than before?!"

"Look at how flustered you all are. Do you still look like important officials and pillars of the Ming Dynasty? You're afraid to walk barefoot now that you've put on shoes?!"

"Since Taizu, the Ming Dynasty was able to overthrow the Mongols even though they had to beg for mercy all the way! Emperor Yingzong was able to exterminate the Oirat Mongols even during his expedition to the north!"

"Isn't it just the Jiannu? If the Ming Dynasty spares even a little effort, we can destroy you!"

"I just don't believe it. Can the Jiannu still destroy our Ming Dynasty this time?"

"I hereby order that Empress Zhou lead the Crown Prince, the third son, Prince Yong, the fourth son, Prince Ding, and the imperial concubines to relocate south to Nanjing. The Crown Prince will serve as Regent, assisted by Dongge Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen."

"I will stay in the capital. If the city is destroyed and I die, the Nanjing emperor will enthrone the crown prince as the new king and continue the fight against the Jiannu."

After he finished speaking, all the ministers fell into dead silence, and no one dared to challenge Zhu Youjian.

Moreover, letting the empress and the crown prince move south to Nanjing was already a compromise made by Zhu Youjian to the southward migration faction in the court. If they said anything more, it would be ungrateful.

Even so, Zhu Youjian still felt that it was not enough, and spoke again after a moment.

"I hereby declare to the world that the Han people and the Jiannu cannot coexist! If I die, the Crown Prince will succeed me. If the Ming Dynasty perishes, my descendants will succeed me. As long as one of me is still alive, I will fight the Jiannu to the end. Our Han people will not allow barbarians to usurp our land, and the people of the Son of Heaven will not allow barbarians to bully them!"

As soon as the words fell, Ni Yuanlu woke up as if he had been electrocuted. He no longer cared about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. Under the terrifying pressure of the tyrant's words, he shouted at the top of his voice, "No! This decree must not be issued!"

Wang Jiayan and Song Ye were even more outrageous. They suddenly exerted force on their feet and jumped several meters, controlling Wang Chengen who was preparing to draft the imperial edict.

"Your Majesty, do you know that if this imperial decree is issued, the country will not be able to rule!"

"Let Wang Chengen go and let him draft the edict!" Zhu Youjian first scolded Wang Jiayan and Song Ye.

After the two of them dispersed, he turned to Ni Yuanlu.

"Of course I know."

Of course he knew what would happen to the world after this imperial decree was issued.

There is a crown prince governing the country in the south, and you, Zhu Youjian, are being uncooperative and damaging the interests of the gentry and wealthy merchants in the south of the Yangtze River. I will now turn to the crown prince and support him to ascend the throne!
Are you, Zhu Youjian, still alive in the capital? If you're still alive, I'll have to find a way to kill you. Family, country, and the world—family comes first, country comes second!

In the west, as long as Li Zicheng resisted the Qing Dynasty, he could immediately forcibly obtain righteousness and orthodoxy and make a strong claim to the land of Shanxi.

Even in Korea, as long as it was still resisting the Qing Dynasty, it could claim to be the orthodox Ming Dynasty that respected the orders of Emperor Chongzhen.

Zhu Youjian's own imperial power immediately dropped two levels, and the emperor's sacredness in the hearts of the people was reduced by one level.

But the advantage of doing so is that it can forcibly bind Li Zicheng. If he wants to sit firmly on the throne of King Chuang, he must compete with the Qing Dynasty. Even if he does this openly, it can relieve some of the pressure in Northern Zhili.

No matter what their purpose was, all military leaders and nobles in the world had to send troops to resist the Qing Dynasty, otherwise they would be expelled from the Han nationality. Unless the Qing Dynasty had the power to sweep across the world, they would be traitors to the Han people and rebels.

Anyway, he has a golden finger. As long as he can survive this wave, it will be easy to operate later, and it will not affect his rule. Once the imperial edict is issued, countless loyal officials and righteous men in the Central Plains will gather in the capital to further purify the court.

You can also go fishing by the way. After this wave of war is over, you can directly attack Jiangnan.

"Ni Qing, please don't try to dissuade me. No one can be as hard as Taizu, and no one can be as difficult as Guangwu."

"The king drafted an edict and ordered the imperial guards to announce it to the whole country!"

"I obey your command." Wang Chengen lowered his head and began to write.

Seeing this, Ni Yuanlu and others had no choice but to give up their intention to dissuade him.

Zhu Youjian knocked on the table and said, "Let's discuss what to do next."

Now everyone was united in their opinions and expressed their own views.

But they still couldn't convince each other.

In the end, it was Ni Yuanlu, the Prime Minister, who set the tone.

"I believe that regardless of whether the Jiannu army has assembled, we should make preparations for both scenarios."

"First, immediately mobilize the Jizhou garrison and rush to Shanhaiguan. If the Jiannu also capture the pass but have no intention of sending troops through, then set up camp there to supervise. If the Jiannu enter the pass, return to Yutian and wait for reinforcements to arrive in Jizhou."

"Secondly, spring plowing and city repairs should continue throughout the country. Cavalry should be deployed extensively in northern Zhili to prevent the Jiannu from entering the pass through other routes. It won't be too late to make plans once we understand the Jiannu's movements. Also, dispatch the Prince of Henan and the generals from various regions to support the capital. The Nanjing Minister of War, Shi Kefa, is currently leading the 40,000 Nanjing-Beijing garrison north along the canal. Shi Kefa's troops should be transferred via the canal to Tianjin to form a supporting role for the capital."

"When Duke Ying and all the troops from around the world arrive to support the king, the Jiannu will surely retreat."

Ni Yuanlu's strategy was not particularly brilliant, and was even somewhat mediocre, but it was a necessary measure.

At this time, the Ming army was not good at field combat. If the Qing army had only 20,000 people, Zhu Youjian would still have the confidence to fight with the 70,000 elite troops in his hands.

But the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty had a total of more than 100,000 people, plus the Eight Banners of Mongolian Army with 30,000 people, and the Eight Banners of Han Army with 20,000 people, totaling nearly 200,000 people.

We have no advantage in either quality or quantity, so there is no way to win.

That’s all.

……

The morning mist in Jizhou City was torn apart by the sound of hurried horse hooves, and the five-colored flag fluttered behind the messenger.

"Report!!!"

"Military dispatch order! Urgent dispatch from a thousand miles away!"

The laborers who were tamping the earth on the city wall stopped their wooden pestles and watched the yellow horse with foam at the mouth rush through the city wall.

Before they could figure out what was going on, they heard the sound of the assembly drum in the training ground.

The old farmer who was sowing in the field straightened up, and the smoke that suddenly rose from the city wall was reflected in his cloudy pupils.

"Take my armor! Beat the drum to gather the troops. Anyone who fails to respond after three drum beats will be killed!"

In the general's mansion, Wang Erhu just glanced at the urgent report and stood up immediately.

The drums for training and calling on the troops rumbled in the parade ground. On the city wall that was being built in the west of the city, hundreds of soldiers immediately threw down their brick knives and ran towards the city wall regardless of everything.

Light cavalry troops continuously emerged from the streets.

There were shouts and noises everywhere.

"Chuangni is attacking again?"

The farmer who was carrying farm tools on the side of the road and preparing to go to the fields had a trembling voice and his crippled left leg was shaking unconsciously.

At the foot of the city wall, Widow Sun, who was fertilizing the newly reclaimed land, stood up.

He watched as a group of heavily armored infantry trotted across the vegetable patch, their iron boots firming down the freshly turned soil, but for once, they didn't yell or curse.

The baby in her arms woke up and cried, but she just silently lifted her clothes to feed him, her eyes fixed on the black military flag on the city wall for a long time without moving.

After three drum beats, a black square formation had formed on the training ground.

The sword and shield soldiers from the surrendered army of Xuanfu spontaneously moved to the right wing to make room for the Baoding fire gun team to fire. The Ningyuan spearmen stuck the tail end of the spear into the soil, which was an instinct left over from frequent battles with the Jiannu.

Wang Erhu's gaze swept across the new army composed of elite soldiers from various camps, and finally fell on the Yongwei Camp in the front row.

The seams of those thousand armored soldiers were still stained with blood from the great battle. There was no fear in their eyes, only the comfort that came from knowing that a war was about to begin.

"Report! Jizhou Town's 8,700 soldiers are ready!"

The deputy general's voice was loud and clear.

Wang Erhu nodded. After many battles, he became more and more like a general.

He opened the military register in his hand. The ink on it had not yet dried, and the last few pages were still stuck with the remains of an album of spring plowing fields.

"The Emperor has just issued an order to transfer us to Shanhaiguan to play with the Jiannu. Otherwise, these bastards will come and destroy our fields. If anyone is afraid, leave the team now!"

When they heard that they were going to fight against the Jiannu, fear inevitably appeared in the eyes of the new army.

The Yongwei Camp was just the opposite. Not only were they not afraid, but they were all extremely excited.

Zhang Datou, the semi-military doctor in charge of stitching up the wounded, nicknamed Zhang Xiuhua, spoke out directly, "Boss! Are we going to fight the Jiannu? Mom, can you give me two Jiannu? I heard that the Jiannu have three heads. I want to see if it's true."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Yongwei Camp immediately started to make a noise. "What's the matter, Zhang Xiuhua, you still want to embroider two flowers on the Jiannu's head?"

"Hahahaha, Zhang Xiuhua, you don't need to take a knife, just take the needle you usually use to sew up your brothers. With your skills, if you stab Jian Nu, it will definitely hurt him silly."

"You damned Erdeng, do you believe I'll sew two baskets for you next time?"

After a commotion, Wang Erhu wanted to scold them, but he saw that the fear in the eyes of the new army gradually disappeared under the leadership of the Yongwei Battalion.

The words suddenly changed as they came to his lips, "Okay, Zhang Xiuhua, you guys are usually tired of sewing, so this time I'll let you find some Jiannu to sew with and see how those bastards who were raised on horse milk are different from us!"

"Okay, just wait and see. I'll definitely cut off two Jiannu whips to replenish your body."

Suddenly the camp burst into laughter and lost interest.

Wang Erhu cursed and laughed, "Fuck you!"

"Come on, brothers, let me take you to kill two Jiannu for fun!"

"Walk!!"

As the city gate slowly opened, the morning sun was climbing up the east city wall.

The endless army marched out of the training ground, singing the Red Scarf Song.

The ox cart carrying rammed earth stopped by the roadside. The peasant woman carrying a hoe tied her swaddling clothes on her back, freed her hands to hold the wooden bucket, and wanted to share some water with the soldiers.

Several veterans stood on the edge of the field, beating their chests with their right hands and singing along with the army.

The farmers in the fields were no longer the same as before. They were more afraid of seeing a large army than seeing bandits.

They smiled and stuffed the bread and grains in their hands into the soldiers' hands.

They knew that these people were not here to bully them, but were following the emperor's orders and, like the emperor, were here to protect their homes and fields.

The envoy under Wang Erhu was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. He kept muttering, "I will send you a basket of food and a pot of water to send you off to the king's army... a basket of food and a pot of water..."

An old soldier with a broken leg stood at the city gate with tears in his eyes.

Next to him, a white-haired old man holding a jar was scolding, "Are the descendants of the Liu family so useless? Even farming can still repay the emperor's grace!"

When Wang Erhu arrived, the old man opened the jar tremblingly, and a strong smell of alcohol immediately filled the air.

"In the 46th year of the Wanli reign, Liaoyang fell and my entire family was wiped out. I was the only one left to escape through the Great Wall, carrying my three-year-old grandson on my back." The old man looked at Wang Erhu deeply. "But my grandson is not a good person. He broke his leg in the capital with Your Majesty a few days ago. I can only offer this little wine to boost the prestige of the royal army!"

Wang Erhu nodded heavily, "Don't worry, old man. The Qing army owes the Ming Dynasty a huge debt of blood!"

"I'll leave the wine in your hands for now. When the army returns victorious, Erhu will come and drink with you!"

As the old man and nearly 100,000 civilians watched, the army gradually moved away.

Just three miles out of the city gate, birds suddenly flew up from the woods beside the official road.

Wang Erhu raised his hand to stop the army and squinted at the smoke and dust rising in front of him.

A bareback horse rushed out from the fork in the road. Ye Bushou was lying on the horse with three eagle feather arrows stuck in his back, and his black blood had soaked through his uniform.

"The Ningyuan Guard was breached three days ago."

Seeing that it was the Ming army, Ye Bushou rolled off his horse as if relieved.

Using his last bit of strength, he pulled out the blood-stained newspaper from his bosom. "The Jiannu vanguard is not 20,000... but... 50,000 cavalry. They are flying the yellow and yellow flags and will arrive at 9:00 9:00..."

Before he could finish, Ye Bushou couldn't bear it anymore and took his last breath.

The sound of the new army captain gasping for air was particularly clear.

Wang Erhu stared at the crooked handwriting on the newspaper and suddenly realized the urgency of the situation.

The urgent letter this morning mentioned 20,000 forwards!

"Immediately divide the troops. The Brave Guard Battalion will follow me first, and the Fifth Army Battalion will follow behind. Within three days, a beacon tower must be erected every ten miles east of Jizhou!"

"This report from the pond must be sent to the capital with all haste!"

(End of this chapter)