How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 105 Huang Taiji's Struggle (25th Update)
The Great Hall of the Khan's Palace in Shengjing.

Huang Taiji sat upright in the main seat, his gaze sweeping heavily over the people below. To his left and right sat the three Grand Beile: Daishan, Amin, and Mangultai. Below, sixteen banner chiefs and ministers, according to their rank, sat or stood. Hauge of the Bordered Yellow Banner, Dorgon of the Plain White Banner, and Yuetuo of the Bordered Red Banner, among others, wore stern faces. Further away, the court officials of the Great Jin Dynasty were crowded together.

"Let's begin," Huang Taiji said in a low voice.

Fan Wencheng stepped forward, holding the document in his hands, and read it aloud in Manchu: "The Strategy of Establishing Three Feudatories in Liaodong to Secure the Border..."

Those listening below frowned more and more deeply. What "the calamity of the regional military governors"? What "the An Lushan Rebellion"? Most of the princes had only heard of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and knew little about the Tang Dynasty.

Fan Wencheng concluded by explaining, "...This tactic of the Ming court is the same as the 'countryside defense against bandits' strategy. They want to use the three regions of Liaoxi, Jizhou, and Xuanda as a fence to trap our Great Jin in Liaodong..."

"Zhuangzi's strategy of preventing bandits?" Amin was the first to lose his temper. "He won't allow looting? He won't let our Great Jin warriors raid the Ming Dynasty? Bullshit!"

Mangultai echoed in a gruff voice: "If we don't let them rob, what will our Eight Banners warriors eat? Don't we all know what the harvest was like last year? And this spring there's another drought!"

Dai Shan said with a gloomy face: "That little brat Chongzhen, and that corrupt official surnamed Niu, they're dreaming! They're trying to starve us to death!"

The hall erupted in chaos. Princes and ministers alike were spouting curses and insults at Emperor Chongzhen and Niu Jinxing.

Huang Taiji listened expressionlessly, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. Only after the jeers had finished did he slowly speak:
"All right."

The hall gradually quieted down.

Huang Taiji didn't state his meaning directly, but first asked Amin, "Prince Amin, what's the situation in Jizhou now? Is it easy to fight?"

Amin's face twitched: "Great Khan, Jizhou... it's not easy to fight! The Ming dogs of Kuanhebao are truly tough! With only four hundred men, they fought to the death against seven hundred Kharachin Mongols! I saw it with my own eyes, they fought to the death and refused to retreat!" He paused: "Scouts report that the Ming dogs are building a stone fortress at Lianghekou, south of Kuanhebao! They are determined to block the road east of Jizhou!"

"Shicheng?" Huang Taiji frowned. This was his biggest worry.

Daishan spoke up: "Great Khan, if Jizhou is truly an impregnable fortress, a direct assault wouldn't be worthwhile. In my opinion... we should change direction." He glanced at everyone: "Korea! King Injo of Korea is weak, and his army is easily defeated. Let's march east, take Korea, and seize its grain, food, and people!"

"Yes! Let's attack North Korea!" Amin responded.

Mangultai agreed: "North Korea is rich. If we rob a few of their votes, we'll have enough to live on for a while."

Attack Korea? Huang Taiji pondered. Korea was an easy target, but not profitable enough to sustain the Eight Banners. If the main force was bogged down in Korea, the Ming Dynasty could catch its breath. By the time the Jin Dynasty returned, there would likely be more than just one or two castles outside the Jizhou border wall.

At this moment, Dorgon's voice rang out: "Great Khan, attacking Korea can bring grain, but it is not enough to solve the fundamental problem!"

Huang Taiji's eyes lit up slightly: "Dorgon, what are your thoughts?"

Dorgon straightened his back: "We must attack Korea, but that's just a means! The grain we seize will be used to attack the Ming Dynasty! The target will always be the Ming Dynasty!" He walked to the map and pointed to Liaoxi: "Jinzhou! We can attack Jinzhou again! Attacking Jinzhou has two advantages: first, it will disrupt the Ming Dynasty's plan to establish the Three Feudatories in Liaodong; second, by surrounding it, we can draw troops from other parts of the Ming Dynasty, especially those from Jizhou and Xuanfu, to its aid!"

He gestured west and south: "Once their reinforcements move, their rear will be vulnerable, and our main force can take advantage of the situation! We can then attack the Great Wall at Jizhou, or detour through the grasslands and head straight for Xuanfu! Or even..." He lowered his voice, "we can contact Ligdan Khan in the west! That old bastard has been bullied enough by Wei Zhongxian, and he's seething with anger! With both sides joining forces, we can launch a pincer attack from the east and west!"

As soon as Dorgon finished speaking, Yuetuo stepped forward: "Great Khan, what the Fourteenth Prince said is absolutely right! Korea can be plundered, but the main direction of attack cannot be changed! The grain plundered from Korea will be used to attack the Ming! We can make contact with Ligdan Khan. As for those Ming generals in Liaoxi, such as Zu Dashou and He Kegang, they are not a united front, but we can still win some over?"

Huang Taiji was greatly comforted upon hearing this.

"Excellent!" Huang Taiji slapped the armrest and stood up, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. "Dorgon and Yuetuo's words are exactly what I was thinking!"

"And the national policy of my Great Jin..." Huang Taiji's voice was firm, "is to fight in order to make peace! To force the Ming Dynasty to sit down at the negotiating table!"

He held up three fingers: "First, the Ming Dynasty must recognize my Great Jin Dynasty! Not Jianzhou Guard, not General Longhu, but the Great Jin Dynasty!"

"Secondly, we demand tribute! We need silver, cloth, and grain to send every year!"

"Third," he pointed to Korea on the map, "we must make the Ming Dynasty acknowledge that Korea is a vassal state of our Great Jin!"

The hall fell silent. The princes' eyes lit up when they heard "recognition of the Great Jin," "tribute," and "Korea belongs to us."

"As for how to achieve this strategy," Huang Taiji said in a softer tone, "it will be as Dorgon and Yuetuo said: fire four arrows at once!"

"First, send envoys to contact Ligdan Khan and plot against the Ming Dynasty!"

"Second, send spies to infiltrate western Liaoning and win over Ming generals when the opportunity arises! At the same time, make contact with the Ming court through the Ming generals in western Liaoning."

"Third, reorganize the army and prepare for war, then attack Jinzhou again, besieging the city and intercepting reinforcements!"

"Fourth, attack Korea to obtain the provisions needed for a large-scale invasion of Ming."

"As for the person to carry out the task," Huang Taiji said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

He looked at Fan Wencheng: "Fan Wencheng!"

"Your servant is here!" "You are well-versed in the Ming court. The matter of feigning cooperation with the Ming and probing for peace is entrusted to you. Try to contact the Ming generals in Liaoxi or the Ming court. Remember, this is not a genuine peace agreement. You must show weakness to lower their guard and probe their true intentions."

"This slave accepts the order!"

He looked at Xifu: "Xifu!"

"Chen is here!"

"Send an envoy to Chahar to make contact with Ligdan Khan. Bring ample gifts and tell him: The Ming Dynasty has broken its promise and the eunuch Wei is wreaking havoc on the grasslands. Our Great Jin is willing to fight against the Ming Dynasty together. After the Ming Dynasty is defeated, we will share wealth, children, and grassland pastures! Your words should be both firm and gentle."

"I understand!"

He looked at Amin and Mangultai: "Let the two Beile, Amin and Mangultai, lead the troops south to Korea! A swift victory, seize their provisions and people!"

"With these four strategies implemented simultaneously, we will surely make Emperor Chongzhen unable to attend to all of them!"

Huang Taiji looked around at everyone, then at the three eldest princes who were his equals: "What do you three brothers think?"

Dai Shan pondered for a moment and nodded: "That's feasible."

Amin and Mangultai responded in unison, "As the Great Khan commands!"

"Very well!" Huang Taiji waved his hand. "All princes and ministers, return to your respective banners, prepare your troops, and act according to the plan!"

The crowd inside the hall responded in unison: "Yes, sir!"

Beijing, the Forbidden City.

The Wenhua Hall was quiet. Emperor Chongzhen put down the secret report from Yan Mingtai, the governor of Liaodong. This sealed document, addressed directly to the emperor, reported a very important matter: the Eastern Barbarians had sent a messenger to the walls of Jinzhou, pleading for peace and offering tribute, hoping that the Celestial Empire would open border markets and provide grain to help them through this difficult time.
Emperor Chongzhen placed the secret report on the table, his brow slightly furrowed. He remembered clearly that Huang Taiji's humble plea for "peace" was often a tactic used by the Jurchens to lull the Ming Dynasty into a false sense of security before they were about to launch a military campaign!
It seems that... Huang Taiji has already read Niu Jinxing's "Strategy of Establishing Three Feudatories in Liaodong to Secure the Border".

He pondered for a moment, then unfolded another sheet of Xuan paper. On the paper was a sketch of a bastion outlined in ink, with a small footnote beside it, signed "Johann Adam Schall von Bell".

The eunuch on duty outside the hall whispered, "Your Majesty, Xu Guangqi and the Western missionary Johann Adam Schall von Bell are waiting for an audience outside the hall."

Emperor Chongzhen looked up from the blueprints and said, "Summon it."

Xu Guangqi was old, and Tang Ruowang had a high nose and deep-set eyes. The two bowed and paid their respects after entering the hall.

Emperor Chongzhen pointed to the map and asked Johann Adam Schall von Bell: "Mr. Schall, the West has a method of city defense called a bastion. Is this the same type of structure?"

Johann Adam Schall von Bell stepped forward and examined the site closely before replying, “Your Majesty’s observation is quite accurate; this is indeed the general outline of the bastion. Its core principle lies in eliminating blind spots, allowing for crossfire from all parts of the city wall, so that the attackers will face multiple attacks head-on.”

"If it were constructed with earth and wood, not stone, how much manpower and how much time would it take to build a simple fortress that could house three or four hundred soldiers?" Chongzhen pressed.

After a moment of contemplation, Johann Adam Schall von Bell said, “If the terrain is flat, the design is appropriate, and manpower is concentrated, with earth and wood as the main materials, supplemented by wooden palisades and trenches, it may be completed within a month. If there are two or three thousand strong laborers, they can work for half a month and build a simple bastion with basic defensive functions, but without the ability to garrison troops for a long time.”

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and then inquired about flintlock muskets and light field artillery. Johann Adam Schall von Bell answered in detail, explaining that flintlock muskets had a higher rate of fire and greater reliability than matchlock muskets, while light bronze cannons such as the three-pound and six-pound cannons were easy to maneuver and could be used in field battles as well as fortification defense.

After listening, Chongzhen understood the situation. He turned his gaze to Yang Sichang and the newly appointed top scholar Niu Jinxing, who were standing to the side.

"Mr. Tang is learned and has a good understanding of Western military preparations and fortification methods," Chongzhen said. "With the reform of the Beijing Garrison, the newly trained Imperial Guards need to familiarize themselves with the new methods. I wish to appoint Tang Ruowang as 'Advisor on Military Affairs of the Beijing Garrison' to guide the Imperial Guards in selecting a site outside Tsinghua Garden and constructing a usable earthen and wooden fortress."

He then looked at Niu Jinxing: "Minister Niu, you will go with Mr. Tang to oversee this matter. Yang Sichang will coordinate all manpower and materials. I want to see that bastion erected within half a month."

Niu Jinxing immediately accepted the order. Yang Sichang also bowed and agreed.

Johann Adam Schall von Bell bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to live up to your trust.”

Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand, dismissing them. Watching them leave, he thought to himself, if this experimental bastion proves to be usable, then it will be much easier to build numerous fortifications outside the border walls of western and southern Liaoning, as well as Jizhou, Xuanfu, and Datong.

However, no matter how cost-effective such a suggestion is, building too many bastions will still cost a lot of money.

With this in mind, Chongzhen no longer hesitated. He picked up his pen and wrote two imperial edicts.

The first dish was for Wei Zhongxian:
"Imperial Edict to Wei Zhongxian: After the Xuanfu matter is concluded, you are hereby ordered to immediately lead the Imperial Guard, together with Yuan Chonghuan, to thoroughly investigate the case of the treacherous merchants who colluded with the slaves. Their property, granaries, and account books must be seized in one fell swoop. Better to innocence the innocent than let the guilty go free! The trade routes outside the Great Wall are the lifeblood of the nation. You are hereby ordered to take immediate control. Those of their subordinates and managers who have extenuating circumstances are permitted to serve in the name of justice, but they must be strictly vetted. If there are any reversals, they will be executed without pardon! After the matter is concluded, you are hereby ordered to immediately move your troops to Datong to investigate the truth of the rebellion plotted by Prince Dai and Zhu Chunchen. There must be no mistakes! This is the imperial decree."

The second document was addressed to Yuan Chonghuan, with similar content but a slightly gentler tone. It emphasized cooperation with Wei Zhongxian and the rapid restoration and control of border trade: "...You must work together with Wei Zhongxian in harmony. The confiscation must be carried out swiftly. However, the border markets are crucial to the overall Liaodong military budget. Once reliable personnel are identified, they should be put into operation as soon as possible to ensure the military's needs are met. Your strong support is also needed for the Datong project..."

After writing it down, he affixed his seal and instructed Xu Yingyuan: "Send it to Wei Zhongxian and Yuan Chonghuan in Xuanfu by express courier, which travels 600 li."

Xu Yingyuan bowed and accepted the imperial edict, then quickly withdrew.

(End of this chapter)