Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

The warm sunlight illuminated the hall, casting shadows on the blue bricks and outlining the exquisite contours of the lattice doors.

The echoes of the courtiers' shouts of "Wise and enlightened!" still lingered among the beams and pillars.

Zhu Cilang's gaze gradually deepened, but his mind was already focused on the situation in Dezhou.

Although Texas had been recaptured, this brief victory did not bring him any comfort.

Now, he has to turn his attention to the future of Texas—can this city be saved?

Dezhou is located at a strategic crossroads between the north and south, making it a focal point of interest for various forces and the gateway to Shandong.

The Shun army held a strategic position in Shanxi, which made the Qing court wary. As a result, the Qing government did not dare to send its main force south in the short term, and the Dezhou area was temporarily at peace.

But he knew that this peace would only last for three to five months.

Texas, as the front line, had only five thousand defenders at this time.

If the Jurchens invade again, Dezhou will be the first to suffer.

The fate of Dezhou is crucial to the safety of Shandong and even affects the entire Ming Dynasty.

Defending Dezhou means defending Shandong.

His gaze swept over the peeling vermilion paint on the pillars of the hall; that last trace of red seemed like a harbinger of the impending division of the land.

Zhu Cilang finally spoke:

"Although Dezhou has been recovered, the Jurchens are still eyeing us like tigers and wolves. The defense of Shandong is tied to a tiny city. Do any of you gentlemen have a strategy to secure our position?"

The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood, and the courtiers stood with their heads bowed in solemn silence, the only sound being the soft rustling of their robes.

A moment later, Jiang Yue's robe suddenly twitched, and he took half a step forward:

"Your Majesty, I humbly report that Dezhou is indeed the key to the Jianghuai region."

"The elite cavalry should be deployed to guard the four gates, and a third layer of barbican should be built; the grain transported by the canal should be converted to a cash transport to Dezhou, and the Dezhou Guard should be ordered to establish a granary with a capacity of 200,000 shi; another 50,000 shi of imperial funds should be allocated to recruit able-bodied men from Jinan Prefecture to train a new army."

Before he finished speaking, Imperial Censor Lu Shique had already bowed and stepped forward:

"His wisdom shines forth!"

"Dezhou has a small and poorly built city with less than 5,000 soldiers and a surrounding wall of only ten miles. I'm afraid it will be difficult to stop the iron cavalry of the Jurchens."

He paused slightly, as if he hesitated, but ultimately continued.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that we move our troops north to Jinan, using the Ji River as a screen and Mount Tai as a barrier. This is the best strategy for securing our position."

A wisp of light quietly climbed onto the imperial desk, and the image of the Dezhou city wall appeared in Zhu Cilang's eyes—

Dezhou City was first built in the 30th year of the Hongwu reign (1380), initially with rammed earth walls, later covered with blue bricks; it was repaired in the 40th year of the Wanli reign (1591).

While not indestructible, it is not easily broken either.

However, compared to Nanjing's 35-kilometer city wall and 60-kilometer outer wall, Dezhou was just a tiny place and seemed insignificant.

He listened to the suggestions of his ministers, but they were all the same old advice about increasing troops and building more cities.

The situation in Texas was urgent, and how to raise enough manpower and resources in a short period of time became a problem he faced.

In fact, he had already made plans for the defense of Texas.

He perused maps and consulted waterways, and a grand vision of using the terrain and water as a weapon gradually took shape in his mind.

Just then—

The sound of boots suddenly rose outside the hall door, and Han Zanzhou strode in, bowing slightly, his voice slightly panting:

"Your Majesty, Zhu Yun'ao, the Prefect of Xuzhou, has urgent military business and awaits an audience!"

"Announce!"

In a short while, Zhu Yun'ao, the prefect of Xuzhou, strode into the hall.

His official robe was covered in dust and mud, and although his face showed signs of fatigue, his brows revealed his excitement.

Your subject Zhu Yun'ao respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health!

He stepped forward and knelt in worship, his voice resounding.

"Your subject, having received an imperial decree, oversaw the production of 30,000 fine iron pickaxes, which have now been transported to the Dezhou camp overnight. I have come to report this to the imperial decree!"

After speaking, Zhu Yun'ao held up the yellow cloth wrapping with both hands.

Han Zanzhou stepped forward and took it. The yellow cloth slid down, revealing a pickaxe.

A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Cilang's eyes:

"Zhu Qing is conscientious and capable. Such a powerful tool is perfect for building fortifications and strengthening defenses."

He suddenly rose from his seat and walked to the center of the hall.

"I have already understood what you have discussed."

"Dezhou is the key to the northern gate, and Shandong is the heart of the Central Plains. How can we allow the Jurchen barbarians to covet it?"

His gaze swept over the assembled officials.

"I have a plan that can ensure the safety of Dezhou and Shandong!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he snatched the pickaxe from Han Zanzhou's hand.

"I will use this pickaxe—to cultivate a million-strong army in Texas!"

All the noblemen in the hall froze in unison.

The ministers, who had been arguing just moments before, were now all dumbfounded, as if struck by a silent thunderbolt.

Shock and bewilderment filled the air, followed by a commotion and whispers.

Censor Lu Shique's eyes widened, and he blurted out instinctively:

"How can 30,000 farming tools cultivate a million soldiers..."

The voice was filled with disbelief.

He realized his mistake halfway through his sentence and hurriedly covered his mouth with his sleeve, his old face turning bright red.

Zhao Jiding frowned, his hands trembling slightly as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty's words... could it be that you intend to emulate Shennong in teaching people agriculture? But this involves a pickaxe and a million soldiers..."

His voice trailed off, clearly perplexed by his own guess.

Before he could finish speaking, he shook his head heavily.

"I am confused. When did Shennong ever repel the Jiannu?"

Jiang Yueguang stroked his beard, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes:

"This old minister is blind; how can a hoe be used to make armor?"

"Could it be... could it be a cover for making farm tools, with a hidden mechanism in the hoe handle?"

He subconsciously took a half-inch step forward, trying to discern some secret from that ordinary farm tool, but Lü Daqi reacted quickly and pulled him back.

A mysterious smile appeared on Zhu Cilang's lips.

He paced back and forth, hoe in hand, waiting for the surprised murmurs in the hall to subside before speaking slowly:

"These soldiers are not made of flesh and blood, yet they are more powerful than armored horses; they do not eat food, yet they can keep enemies out of the country's borders."

He paused deliberately, then suddenly changed the subject.

"As you all know, since the Spring and Autumn Period, Xiangyang has been the gateway to Jingchu."

Xiangyang has long been known as the "First City of China".

He swept his gaze across the room full of puzzled faces, then tossed the pickaxe to Han Zanzhou with a backhand motion.

"The area south of the Xiang River is called Xiangyang. With the Han River as its moat, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists."

Lu Shique's official boots unconsciously pounded the ground, his cloudy eyes darted around, and he glanced at Zhu Yun'ao, the prefect of Xuzhou, beside him.

But the other person's fingers, which were twirling his beard, froze in mid-air. Their eyes met briefly before looking away, both filled with surprise and doubt.

It seems to be a silent question:

What is the connection between Dezhou, located on a plain, and Xiangyang, which guards the Jianghan Plain?

The copper bells on the eaves swayed in the breeze, making the hall even more quiet.

Zhu Cilang strode forward, his voice suddenly rising in pitch:

"Xiangyang in Jingchu is strategically located by the Han River, surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on the other. Since Emperor Gaozu of Han built the city, it has been the most fortified city in the world."

"The widest part of its moat is eighty zhang (about 250 meters), and the average width is fifty-five zhang (about 180 meters), making it a natural barrier."

He laid out his long-considered plan in its entirety.

"I wish to emulate Xiangyang and have a moat dug in Dezhou that is thirty zhang wide (100 meters)!"

"Dezhou is located at the hub of the Grand Canal, with abundant water resources. The water from the Grand Canal is diverted into it, making the Jurchen cavalry sigh in despair at the sight of the water."

The finger suddenly pointed north.

"On the day the river is completed, the northern key will become an iron gate, and even if there are 100,000 enemy cavalry, they will drown in my moat."

These words immediately caused a great uproar in the hall.

Some were horrified by His Majesty's extraordinary idea, while others were already calculating in their hearts how much money and resources this massive project would require.

Some people looked at the pickaxe and for the first time, a glimmer of hope ignited in their eyes—perhaps this was truly a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.