The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Empress Zhang and Empress Zhou were equally worried when they heard that Emperor Chongzhen was going to Liaodong in person.

After Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, under the instigation of the eunuch Wang Zhen, personally led an army of over 200,000 to the north to meet the enemy, which ultimately led to the tragic "Tumu Crisis," few emperors of the Ming Dynasty went to the border in person, let alone led an expedition.

During this period, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao, once patrolled the border under the pseudonym "General Zhu Shou, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and General of the Mongol Army," and personally went to the front line to engage in a small-scale battle with the Mongols in the Battle of Yingzhou.

Next up is the current Chongzhen Emperor.

Empress Zhang and Empress Zhou tried their best to persuade him, with Empress Zhou even bringing up the image of the newly born eldest son, Zhu Cilang, to offer advice.

However, the emperor's attitude was very firm.

"Your Majesty, I have a reason why I must go."

Now, he is the only one in the world who knows the course of history, and the ultimate course of history is the demise of the Ming Dynasty. He must change this course. Now he cannot tell this secret to anyone, so this time, he can only rely on himself.

Last time, he was in the capital, remotely controlling the situation. All he could do was urge the battle on.

This time, he didn't want to be the hasty king anymore.

Furthermore, as Zhu Ziming said, Huang Taiji came to fight to the death, so let's fight, let's fight until we're dead.

When facing an enemy, one must draw one's sword; in a narrow encounter, the brave will prevail.

Therefore, no one could shake Chongzhen's resolve.

Before leaving the capital, Chongzhen announced the establishment of his eldest son, Zhu Cilang, as the crown prince. He ordered the Grand Secretary to lead the officials of the Secretariat to write the imperial seal and edict for the crown prince in the Nanxun Hall. He also sent officials to offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, the ancestral temples, and the altars of the state. He bestowed red silk robes upon civil officials of the fourth rank and military officials of the third rank, as well as imperial relatives.

All officials listened to the imperial edict at the Meridian Gate and performed the twelve-bowing ceremony. Xu Guangqi, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Grand Secretary, was appointed Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

On the other hand, preparations for the emperor's northern tour are being made intensively.

After all this was arranged, it was already the eighth day of the fourth month of the second year of Chongzhen's reign. Under Chongzhen's repeated urging, the inspection team finally set off northward.

Empress Zhang, accompanied by Empress Zhou, along with the Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, who was not yet one year old, and civil and military officials, saw them off at the city gate.

"Waaah—"

Amidst the heavy, drawn-out sound of bugles, Chongzhen's army departed from the capital.

In addition to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard, Chongzhen also brought Lu Xiang-sheng and Hong Cheng-chou with him.

A force of over a thousand people set off for Liaodong...

……

Sun Chengzong always woke up at 3:45 AM, a quarter before the dawn drumbeat. When the first rays of sunlight touched the mottled battlements of the Jiliao defense line, this white-haired old man was already standing on the highest city tower in Jinzhou, wearing an old cloak.

Although winter had passed, the winds blowing from the north were still sharp as knives, carving deeper wrinkles into his forehead.

He wasn't wearing a helmet; he only used a simple wooden hairpin to tie his hair up, and his gray hair trembled in the morning breeze.

One hundred and thirty-eight days have passed since the Emperor sent him off from the city wall. During these one hundred and thirty-plus days, he has not dared to slack off in the slightest.

His defensive strategy was to guard the area outside the pass to protect the area inside, and to advance steadily and gradually.

Outside Shanhaiguan, cities such as Ningyuan, Jinzhou, Dalinghe, and Youtun were built, forming a defensive chain that extended from key points to the surrounding areas. Each city was equipped with heavy artillery and garrisoned with elite troops, supporting each other and making it difficult for the Later Jin cavalry to advance unimpeded.

The next step is to advance to the Dalinghe and Xiaolinghe lines, expand the Ming army's controlled area, and compress the Later Jin's operational space.

At the same time, he reorganized the army, established military farms, pacified the people of Liaodong, and consolidated public support.

In addition to this, Sun Chengzong is doing something else.

That was to proofread the map, to proofread the incredibly detailed map that the emperor had given him.

After checking, he found that the map was almost entirely correct, except for a few minor errors in place names. However, the place names had little impact. Therefore, when it came to familiarity with the terrain of the entire Liaodong region, he was second to none.

Sun Chengzong did a lot, but he also knew that there were many memorials in the court impeaching him.

He was accused of spending a huge amount of money in Liaodong without any results, which was truly undeniable. Recapturing Liaodong was not something that could be done overnight. The more hasty and reckless one was, the more trouble would result. If one didn't even have this much patience, no one could help him.

I wonder if the Emperor believed the lofty pronouncements of those censors...

Just as his thoughts were in turmoil, a personal guard came to report.

"Reporting to the Governor-General, an urgent imperial edict has arrived from the capital, delivered over a distance of six hundred li!"

Sun Chengzong took it and hurriedly opened it, and was immediately shocked.

"The Emperor is coming?!"

Many years after Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen's crushing defeat at Tumu Fortress, another Ming emperor has gone to the border in an open capacity.

"Quickly, prepare the horses!"

Sun Chengzong rushed to Shanhaiguan to welcome him...

……

The news that the Emperor was coming to inspect the border quickly spread among the Liaodong garrison.

The Emperor himself has come; it has been several dynasties since I last saw him.

Moreover, the soldiers were both excited and expectant to hear that the Emperor had brought provisions and supplies with him.

Shanhaiguan.

General Zhao Shuaijiao, who was pacing across the city wall, rubbed his hands together. Although it was already the end of April, his breath still turned into white mist.

"General, will the Emperor really come?" General Zhu Mei of Shanhaiguan asked breathlessly.

"They said they would arrive today." Zhao Shuaijiao looked towards the official road.

"Report—"

At that moment, a sentry rushed up the city wall, his voice filled with unusual excitement, "General! A large army is approaching on the main road! Look at the flags...look at the flags..."

"What do you mean by the flag?" Zhu Mei frowned.

"It's...it's the Golden Guard...what what flag!"

"The golden banners and pennants, the emperor's ceremonial guard!"

"right!"

The sentry nodded emphatically.

"Quickly! Go and inform the Commander-in-Chief that the Emperor has arrived!"

"yes!"

The sentry obeyed and hurried away...

Not long after.

The gates of Shanhaiguan were wide open.

Sun Chengzong led his generals and soldiers from Liaodong to kneel on the ground. When the carriage wrapped in thick felt stopped in front of them, they shouted in unison, "Welcome, Your Majesty!"

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a young man wearing a cloak stepped out.

There was no imperial procession or ceremonial guard as expected, no palace maids or eunuchs surrounding him. The person addressed as "Your Majesty" even looked somewhat frail.

"Rise." The voice was not loud, but clear.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Under Sun Chengzong's leadership, the soldiers of Liaodong rose to their feet and stood with their heads bowed.

Chongzhen's gaze swept over the generals and soldiers of Liaodong. He recognized almost all of them. Sun Chengzong was a given, as were Zhao Shuaijiao, Man Gui, and Zu Dashou, all of whom were generals who had achieved great success during the Tianqi era. He also recognized He Kegang, Zhu Mei, and Wu Xiang, all of whom were famous generals.

However, behind Zu Dashou was a young general who looked rather immature, only seventeen or eighteen years old. Chongzhen had never seen him before, and his gaze immediately fell on the young general.

"Who is this?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiang, the General of Jinzhou, quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this is my son!"

As he spoke, Wu Xiang hurriedly reminded the stunned young general, "Why aren't you paying your respects to the Emperor yet?"

After realizing what was happening, the young general hurriedly knelt down: "This humble general... guerrilla... guerrilla captain Wu Sangui pays his respects to Your Majesty!"