Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Zhu Qiyu picked up a memorial from his desk and handed it to Yu Qian: "Minister Yu, take a look at this first."

Yu Qian took it with both hands, unfolded it, and read it carefully.

After a moment, he frowned slightly: "General Shi suggests abandoning the inner three passes and withdrawing all garrison troops back to Beijing?"

"Indeed, Shi Heng believed that the three inner passes had been in disrepair for many years and that the troops were scattered, making it difficult to resist Esen's army."

Rather than letting our soldiers sacrifice themselves in vain on the city walls, we should retreat to Beijing and concentrate our forces to fight Esen to the death beneath the city walls.

When I first read this memorial, I was somewhat moved. Do you know why?

Yu Qian pondered for a moment: "Does Your Majesty pity the soldiers guarding the pass?"

Zhu Qiyu sighed: "Indeed, how many veteran soldiers did our Ming Dynasty lose in the Battle of Tumu Fortress?"

Although the capital city is said to have 200,000 people, less than one in ten have actually been on the battlefield and seen blood.

The garrison at the Inner Three Passes were mostly veterans who had served on the frontier for many years, some of whom had even been serving on the frontier since the Xuande era.

Every death is a loss to the Ming Dynasty, and a source of great distress for me.

Yu Qian: "Your Majesty is benevolent, but I believe that Shi Heng's proposal is absolutely unacceptable."

"reason?"

"I have three reasons."

Firstly, morale; the Inner Three Passes were Beijing's last line of defense.

If our Great Ming Dynasty were to abandon the three passes and retreat without a fight, what would the people and soldiers of the world think?

What would the soldiers defending the city think?

If morale collapses, defeat is inevitable in any major battle.

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "I understand that. Please continue."

"Secondly, there is the issue of time. Currently, the soldiers in the Beijing garrison lack weapons, especially firearms."

However, training and adaptation to firearms will take time.

Today, His Majesty has instructed the Ministry of Revenue to expedite the delivery of weapons to Beijing by September 25th.

It will take several more days to familiarize ourselves with the weapons and develop combat capability.

If the three inner passes are not defended, Esen's cavalry can reach the city within days. At that time, our army will be poorly equipped and poorly trained. How will we fight back?

Zhu Qiyu frowned in thought, but did not reply.

Yu Qian continued, "Thirdly, although Beijing is a fortified city, if Esen's army were to reach the city without any hindrance, he could then make arrangements to besiege the capital at his leisure."

If the three inner passes could buy time, Esen would have no choice but to divide his forces to attack them, deplete their supplies, and dampen their morale.

By the time they arrive in Beijing, they will be exhausted, making it easier for us to defeat them.

Zhu Qiyu rubbed his temples: "I understand what Minister Yu is saying, which is why I'm also hesitant. What if we only let them hold out until October?"

Yu Qian pondered for a moment and said, "If we can stall until early October, when the three battalions have completed their initial training, and Esen comes again, our army will have an 80% chance of victory!"

"Good! That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Zhu Qiyu called out towards the door, "Xing'an."

"Your subject is here."

"By imperial decree, three eunuchs shall be immediately selected, each leading ten Imperial Guards, to Juyong Pass, Zijing Pass, and Daoma Pass respectively."

"I have decreed that they should convey this message."

"Your subject obeys the decree." After saying this, Xing'an quickly walked outside.

Zhu Qiyu instructed another eunuch to grind ink: "I want to personally write secret edicts for the generals guarding each pass."

Yu Qian exclaimed in alarm, "Your Majesty, this action may be inappropriate. If the secret edict falls into Esen's hands..."

Zhu Qiyu didn't even look up, saying as he wrote, "It's alright, I won't mention military matters."

A quarter of an hour later, Zhu Qiyu handed the written secret edict to Yu Qian.

The above only stated that the garrison commander should hold the city gate and make sure to hold it until the first day of the tenth month.

The secret edict also mentioned that Zhu Wenzheng was guarding Hongdu.

He told the garrison commander that as long as he met the required time, it would be a great achievement, and afterwards he only needed to act according to circumstances.

After reading it, Yu Qian said, "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough, but I still have one concern: will the soldiers at the Inner Three Passes' knowledge of the possibility of retreat affect their will to fight to the death?"

Zhu Qiyu leaned back in his chair: "Minister Yu, which do you think is more effective in motivating soldiers to fight: knowing they will die and fighting, or knowing they have a glimmer of hope and fighting?"

Yu Qian remained silent, for in his heart a virtuous man had died for his country, and he was fortunate and honored to do so.

Zhu Qiyu also believed that there were some soldiers in the defending army who were not afraid of death and dared to fight the enemy to the last moment of their lives.

But there are still some people who value their lives and waver, unwilling to knowingly throw themselves into the fire like moths to a flame.

But as long as they see hope, they won't desert.

Zhu Qiyu continued, "I do not want them to perish with the walled city; I want them to do everything in their power to survive until the first day of the tenth month."

In order to survive, they will come up with all sorts of ways to defend the pass and will display amazing resilience.

And that is exactly what I need.

Yu Qian sighed and remained silent.

At this time, Xing'an also returned. Zhu Qiyu handed him a secret edict: "Tell them that I am waiting for their triumphant return in Beijing. After this battle, I will certainly reward them handsomely."

Xing'an accepted the secret edict with both hands: "Your subject will make the arrangements immediately."

After Xing'an left, Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian and said, "Minister Yu, I remember you gave orders to the garrison commanders of Datong and Xuanfu."

"How's the collection of abandoned weapons from the battlefield coming along?"

Yu Qian cupped his hands and said, "Now, Esen has collected more than 9,000 sets of armor and other equipment in Xuanfu, in the direction of Datong."

More than 15,000 sets of spears and bows, and about 50,000 arrows.

However, there weren't many firearms, and they were all taken away by Esen.

These weapons are en route back to Beijing.

"Hmm, not bad."

Just then, light footsteps were heard outside the hall.

Cheng Jing whispered from outside the door, "Your Majesty, Shen Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, requests an audience."

"Announce."

Shen Yi strode into the hall, his face solemn: "Your subject, Shen Yi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I have just received news that grain prices in the capital have risen again."

Zhu Qiyu frowned: "What? Wasn't it said that the price of grain had fallen back to eight qian per shi?"

Shen Yi lowered his head and said, "The imperial court did indeed stabilize grain prices quickly after opening the granaries to sell grain."

However, prices from other grain traders have returned to normal.

The imperial court no longer sells grain directly, but instead distributes it to several major merchant houses, who then sell it...

Zhu Qiyu was furious: "And then the price went up again? This is outrageous!"

Grain was also considered part of the imperial court's revenue, with the so-called annual revenue of 20 million taels of silver.

At least 15 million taels of it came from the conversion of grain tax.

Since the Han Dynasty, the imperial court has established the Ever-Normal Granary, whose purpose is to stabilize grain prices through the intervention of the imperial court.

In the event of natural disasters or wars, the imperial court would open granaries to sell low-priced grain to prevent merchants from hoarding goods and driving up prices.

The Ming Dynasty naturally adopted the Ever-Normal Granary system.

However, during the Yongle era, Zhu Gaochi, the then regent and later Emperor Renzong, sought to raise military funds for Zhu Di.

They began to open up the grain stored in the Changping Granary to third-party merchants for sale.

Merchants purchased grain from the imperial court at prices slightly higher than those in the Ever-Normal Granary, but the court stipulated that they could only sell it at the normal price.

As a subsidy, the imperial court would grant them additional salt permits.

The imperial court is currently short of funds, and after stabilizing prices, the Ministry of Revenue has continued its previous outsourcing practices.

This is understandable.

But they actually dared to raise prices!

Profiteering from national crisis at this critical juncture when the very survival of the nation is at stake?!

Zhu Qiyu angrily said, "Summon Lu Zhong here. I have something for him to handle!"