How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 133 Wei Liangqing, Offering Loyalty! Lin Danhan, Paying the Price! (Second Update)

The sweltering heat of a Beijing summer night lingered. The brightly lit Suning Earl's mansion made the drunken Wei Liangqing in the hall appear even more listless. He wore a loose brocade robe, slumped in a rosewood chair, with leftover wine and snacks on the table before him. Hearing footsteps, he barely lifted his eyelids to glance at the approaching person before lazily lowering them again.

Liu Yingkun, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Guards, strode in, a smile plastered on his face as he bowed: "My lord, what brings you here..."

Wei Liangqing waved his hand weakly, his voice hoarse from a hangover: "Eunuch Liu... sit down. Uncle... what are your orders?" His tone was numb. Lately, he had been having nightmares, the faces of Zhu Chunchen, Hou Xingguo, and Fan Yongdou constantly flashing before his eyes, and he could only numb himself with alcohol.

Liu Yingkun leaned closer, his voice low but filled with excitement: "My lord, great news! In Datong, His Majesty has approved Eunuch Wei's strategy of 'using force to promote peace'!"

Wei Liangqing's eyes twitched, and he slowly turned to him: "Oh? Your Majesty..." He still looked blank, and couldn't think of anything to be happy about.

Liu Yingkun continued, "I just came from the palace to report to the Emperor. His Majesty himself said, 'The strategy is quite comprehensive!' Eunuch Wei has gained a lot of face!"

Seeing that Wei Liangqing was still half-dead, Liu Yingkun moved closer and lowered his voice even further: "The father-in-law is still most concerned about you! He racked his brains to fight for you a chance to turn things around! To cover up all the dirty deeds that happened before!"

"Sulphurous things...opportunity?" Wei Liangqing blinked, as if grasping at a straw.

“That’s right, an opportunity to make a name for ourselves!” Liu Yingkun said decisively. “His Majesty wants to wage war against the Mongols to promote peace through fighting! Governor Yuan is in charge of ‘peace,’ while Eunuch Wei is in charge of ‘fighting’! Sending troops will bring military merit!”

He vividly described the scene: "The eunuch has made all the arrangements! The elite guards from Xuanfu and Datong, the Li family, the Ma family, and Wang Tong's gang will all be at your command! Add to that my own elite eunuchs, and we'll have over ten thousand elite soldiers! Set up the formation and march out over the border wall!"

"We don't seek a death battle. We'll just find the scattered camps of the Chahan tribe outside the border wall and pick on the weakest to pound! You, my lord, will lead the selected vanguard troops and follow behind the main force. Once the enemy cavalry is routed at the front, you'll rush in to pursue them, collect their heads, and seize their flags and drums! The credit will surely be yours!"

As Wei Liangqing listened, his limp body slowly straightened. His unfocused eyes sharpened and shone. Military merit! Real military merit, the head of a Tartar, to pledge loyalty to His Majesty!

This is the toughest way! As long as you have military merits, all those things about Zhu Chunchen, Hou Xingguo, and Fan Yongdou... can be said to be slander and framing!

"Good! Good!" Wei Liangqing stood up abruptly, swaying slightly, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement and elation. "Uncle... my second parents! Eunuch Liu, if this succeeds, I will never mistreat you!"

"You flatter me, Your Excellency." Liu Yingkun quickly bowed, but inwardly wondered: Just how much trouble has Wei Liangqing gotten himself into?
Wei Liangqing abruptly stopped, his face flushed red from the wine, and his voice was loud and urgent: "Someone! Bring me pen and ink! I must immediately submit a memorial requesting to go to the front lines of the Datong army to serve the country, kill the enemy, and be loyal to the Emperor!"

The subordinates quickly responded and went to prepare.

Liu Yingkun smiled and instructed, "Lord, please select some trustworthy and brave servants from your household and prepare our luggage. We'll set off soon; speed is of the essence in war!"

"Don't worry!" Wei Liangqing patted his chest, full of confidence. "It's time to take the people I've been keeping in my manor out there and let them prove themselves and earn their place in the world!" His eyes gleamed with unwavering loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and the Emperor!
The Forbidden City, the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace. The night was deep, and only a few lamps were lit, casting a dim light.

Emperor Chongzhen, dressed in a loose Taoist robe, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a memorial in his hand, but seemed not to be paying much attention to it.

Xu Yingyuan, the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot, entered silently, bowed, and gently placed a secret report on the kang table.

"Your Majesty, news from the Marquis of Suning's residence." Xu Yingyuan's voice was high-pitched and very low.

Emperor Chongzhen grunted in acknowledgment, put down the memorial, and quickly scanned the secret report. It detailed Liu Yingkun's words and actions at the Wei residence, as well as Wei Liangqing's excited request to join the battle.

As he read the report, Chongzhen's lips twitched slightly, revealing a faint, mocking smile. He casually tossed the report back onto the table.

Xu Yingyuan carefully observed the emperor's expression and tentatively spoke, "Your Majesty, that Wei Liangqing... previously colluded with the traitor Zhu Chunchen, and his intentions are unfathomable. Now he intends to take command of troops and go to the border, is it...?"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his eyelids and looked at him calmly: "Xu Banban, water that is too clear has no fish. Smuggling and trade with foreign lands are commonplace in border towns. When has it ever been truly clean? Zhu Chunchen's family was destroyed and he died simply because he couldn't be like Zhu Xianzhong!"

What Emperor Chongzhen said was certainly not the real reason. The real reason for Zhu Chunchen's family's ruin and death was that he failed the "test of history"! If he had been able to escort the emperor to safety when the rebel Li Zicheng breached the city, he could have saved the emperor this time without hesitation! However, this reason was unacceptable.
He stood up, slowly walked to the window, and looked at the dark night sky outside: "I know what Wei Zhongxian is thinking. He wants to give his nephew a way to save his family by being loyal to the emperor. His intentions are a bit selfish, but as long as it doesn't interfere with my important matters, I don't care."

He paused, then emphasized, “The current situation on the northern front depends on whether we can hold back Hudun Rabbit, prevent him from fleeing westward, and prevent him from siding with Huang Taiji! As long as we can achieve ‘peace through fighting,’ make Hudun Rabbit feel the pain and fear, and eventually make him obediently sit down to talk, I don’t care if they share some military merits and empty titles. I can afford to reward them with a few heads, and I’m too lazy to bother with it.”

Xu Yingyuan immediately bowed: "Your Majesty is wise. It was this servant who was narrow-minded."

Emperor Chongzhen turned around: "Have your men keep a close watch on Datong. Report any genuine military intelligence immediately. As for the rest, let them handle it. I only want results." "Yes, Your Majesty!"

The southern steppes stretch out under a vast sky. The golden-topped tent of Ligdan Khan of the Chahan tribe stands in the wind.

The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy.

Later Jin envoys Xi Fu and Fan Wencheng, along with Shanxi merchant Fan Yongdou, stood in the tent. They brought generous gifts: chests of gold and silver, glittering pearls, and thick furs.

Lin Danhan sat on the tiger-skin chair, his face stern, but deep in his eyes lay considerable anxiety.

The conditions that Xifu just presented on behalf of Huang Taiji were: recognition of him as the supreme ruler of both southern and northern Mongolia and the Khan of the Great Yuan Dynasty, a promise to jointly attack enemy tribes, a joint effort to deal with the Ming Dynasty, and the forced Ming Dynasty to pay tribute to both sides.

Inside the tent, the nobles and generals of the Chahan tribe whispered among themselves, their expressions varied.

Several burly generals showed excitement on their faces, rubbing their hands together, clearly moved by the promises of the Later Jin and the immediate benefits.

But Ligdan Khan's uncle, Juntu Taiji, frowned and stepped forward: "Great Khan, although the Ming Dynasty may be stingy at times, it is ultimately a vast and resource-rich country that has maintained relations with us for many years. The Jurchens are like wolves, their intentions are unpredictable. If we suddenly ally with them, we may suffer a backlash!"

Su Taifu's wife also spoke softly, her tone filled with worry: "Great Khan, the Ming Dynasty just sent me back, and my people were also able to return. They are grateful for that. We have already allied with their mortal enemy and betrayed their trust. I'm afraid... that's not the act of a hero, and it will also make my people feel disheartened."

Fan Wencheng stood aside and interjected at the opportune moment, his voice gentle yet sharp: "Your Highness, you are mistaken. The Ming Dynasty is rife with internal factional strife, and the new emperor is cruel and ungrateful, currently purging nobles and officials. Its national strength is already depleted, and the so-called return of Your Highness is merely a delaying tactic to avoid having to look north. Our Great Jin Dynasty's Khan is a man of great talent and strategy, with a strong and powerful army; that is our true reliance."

He paused, then emphasized his words, delivering the news: "Moreover, our Great Jin army has just achieved an unprecedented victory in Korea! The Korean capital, Seoul, and the western capital, Pyongyang, have both fallen to us! King Yi of Korea, under the protection of several thousand Ming soldiers, fled in disarray to Ganghwa Island. Our Mangultai Beile led his army in pursuit, inflicting a crushing defeat on the Ming army on the banks of the Han River, killing thousands and capturing over ten thousand! The Ming Dynasty is already unable to protect even its vassal states, and is struggling to survive itself; how can it possibly be a reliable support for the Mongol tribes?"

Fan Wencheng's words were left unfinished, but the threat and enticement were obvious: "If the Chahan tribe hesitates now, they will be the first to be affected once our army marches west..."

Lindan Khan listened to the argument, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. He, the Khan of the Northern Yuan, certainly didn't need the Later Jin's recognition; he wasn't some puppet Khan. What truly interested him was using the Later Jin's elite troops to deal with the currently aggressive Ming Dynasty!
How can a "Khan" who is always bullied by a dead eunuch from the Ming Dynasty command the grasslands? This humiliation must be avenged.

But what is the cost?
Can he afford the cost of borrowing troops?

Just then, a scout practically tumbled in from outside the tent, his face ashen and his voice trembling with extreme terror: "Great Khan! Something terrible has happened! Urgent report from the south! The Ming... the Ming army has crossed the border!"

The tent fell silent instantly, all eyes turning to that direction.

The scout, panting heavily, continued shouting, "It's not a small force! It's...it's a massive army! Banners covering the mountains and plains, obscuring the sky! They're carrying...the banner of 'Grand Eunuch Wei of the Directorate of Ceremonial'! There are also banners bearing the names of 'Supervising Eunuch' and 'Governing Eunuch'! It's that Ming Dynasty's Nine Thousand Years Old, Wei Zhongxian! He...he's come in person! He's leading tens of thousands of troops, pressing towards our grasslands!"

"What?! Wei the eunuch has come in person?!" Lin Danhan suddenly stood up from the tiger-skin chair, his face turning ashen. All his previous hesitation and irritation were shattered by this sudden and extremely insulting news!

The Ming Dynasty sent Yuan Chonghuan to negotiate, yet they actually sent a eunuch with an army of over ten thousand to their doorstep?! This is an utter disgrace!
If it were Yuan Chonghuan, Li Huaixin, or even Ma Chengen leading the troops, Ligdan Khan wouldn't be so angry... But this time, the Ming army was led by Wei Zhongxian... It's Wei Zhongxian again!

Was the mighty Great Khan of the Mongols only fit to contend with a mere eunuch from the Ming Dynasty?

The generals inside the tent who advocated for war were completely enraged, their roars echoing throughout the tent: "Great Khan! Wei the eunuch has gone too far! How dare he humiliate our Han people like this!"

"Kill him! He must be killed!"

Even the nobles who had initially hesitated now showed indignation. In the period following his great victory at Xuanfu, Wei Zhongxian had certainly bullied the Chahan tribe quite a bit!
Xi Fu and Fan Wencheng exchanged glances again, this time with undisguised smiles on their faces—the Ming Dynasty's move was simply a godsend for the Jin Dynasty!

Lin Danhan's chest heaved violently, his anger almost bursting from his eyes. He suddenly drew his golden sword and slammed it down on the table in front of him with a loud bang: "Gather all the warriors who can fight! Sound the horns! Assemble the troops!"

His voice boomed like thunder, filled with the fury of humiliation: "You, Wei Zhongxian! You, the Ming emperor! You actually sent a spineless eunuch to bully this Great Khan! This Great Khan will personally lead his iron cavalry to raze his camp to the ground! I will seize his banner and crush it under his hooves! I will let the Ming emperor know that I, Borjigin Ligdan Batur, am not someone he can trifle with! This time, I will make that brat Zhu Youjian pay the price! Pay it a heavy price!"

(End of this chapter)