Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Zhu Qiyu's speech conveyed two main points.

First, as emperor, he must fight to the death. If the emperor does not retreat, no one in the capital should think of leaving themselves a way out. If we are going to die, we will die together. Only with the courage to burn our boats can we win this battle.

Secondly, Zhu Qiyu would not mistreat the soldiers who came to the aid of the emperor. If they couldn't even get enough to eat, why would they risk their lives? Moreover, if they won, many soldiers would have the opportunity to become nobles of the Ming Dynasty, freshly minted.

Zhu Qiyu always believed in one saying: "Even if the soldiers don't receive their pay, they can still do their duty to the emperor by firing three arrows in battle. But if they are paid in full, then all the land under the sun and moon is for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty!"

During the Yongle era, the army fought so fiercely because the military farms had not yet been destroyed, the soldiers had sufficient food and pay, and after being self-sufficient, they still had surplus. Everyone had food, and everyone was credited with fighting. Every day, the soldiers in the camp were thinking that their swords were already thirsting for blood.

However, it is already a stroke of luck that the military pay is not being withheld. Shi Heng did so many outrageous things in Datong, but the court did not deal with him because he could support the army without the court having to support him.

"Minister Yu, General Shi, the incentive and reward regulations need to be drafted as soon as possible," Zhu Qiyu instructed. After all, he couldn't just make empty promises and then leave the soldiers to work for free.

"Here you go!"

Zhu Qiyu turned to Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue who had followed him, and said, "Minister Jin, whatever amount of silver, money, silk, and cloth the national treasury can squeeze out, do your best. Now is not the time to be frugal. Once the great battle begins, the soldiers may not see the sun rise the next day. We cannot let the soldiers lose heart. Those who deserve rewards should be given in full!"

Jin Lian looked bitter, hesitant to speak. He really wanted to ask Zhu Qiyu, "Didn't you say you'd use the private treasury to pay for it? How come it's the national treasury now?" But he could only grumble to himself, because the emperor's private treasury was probably really empty.

During the coronation ceremony, Hu Ying had planned to ask the emperor to contribute some from his private treasury. However, after learning some details, he exclaimed in disbelief that the emperor in the north was truly extravagant, having "looted" the once-abundant imperial treasury, even giving away a considerable amount to the Oirat Mongols for free. He was practically the Oirat Mongols' number one benefactor.

Zhu Qiyu said that the purge of palace servants was to save money, and Hu Ying and Jin Lian even subconsciously chose to believe this to be true, because the emperor really had no money.

Seeing Jin Lian's slightly hesitant expression, Zhu Qiyu asked, "Is there a problem? I didn't divide up the confiscated money; it's perfect for this purpose."

After the previous raid, they searched the hometowns of Wang Zhen's henchmen again, reaping a considerable amount of spoils. Zhu Qiyu didn't keep most of it, intending to use it for this occasion.

"I obey your decree!"

Jin Lian and Wang Zhi exchanged glances, and finally agreed. Money can move people's hearts; the most direct way to get soldiers to fight for their lives is to give them money, official positions, and titles. Now, hoarding the money is useless, because if the capital cannot be defended, no matter how much money the national treasury has, it will belong to others.

Zhu Qiyu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Jin Lian agree to the matter, then turned to Yu Qian and said, "Minister Yu, lead the way; I need to inspect the Nine Gates!"

Now that the loyalist troops have arrived, the defense of the nine gates is of paramount importance. Although Zhu Qiyu dares not rashly command the army, he at least knows the specifics of the defense and has a better understanding of the situation.

"Here you go!"

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's request, Yu Qian agreed without hesitation. Putting aside everything else, Yu Qian was confident that the defensive capabilities of the capital's city walls could withstand Zhu Qiyu's interrogation.

These days he has been focusing his attention on improving the city walls and the defenses outside the city, and building fortifications, and he has been very successful.

As the group climbed the city wall, Zhu Qiyu looked at the wall before him, stroked the bricks, and tapped them a few times. They were exceptionally sturdy, which reassured him.

The capital city wall underwent major repairs in the first year of the Zhengtong era. At that time, the city wall was still entirely made of rammed earth. Many sections of the east, west, and south city walls were washed away by torrential rain. Under the supervision of Empress Dowager Zhang and the Three Yangs, the eunuch Ruan An, the deputy governor Shen Qing, and the Minister of Works Wu Zhong led tens of thousands of soldiers and laborers to rebuild the city wall.

It took several years to renovate the capital's city walls. The biggest change was that the inner and outer sides of the walls were encased in bricks, much like soldiers wearing armor.

The construction of nine city gates, barbicans, and arrow towers, along with the addition of corner towers at the four corners of the city, significantly enhanced the capital's defensive capabilities. The moat was widened to 30 to 60 meters, but after ten years, it is now less than 20 meters wide. Yu Qian has ordered his soldiers to dredge it properly, which should be sufficient.

Don't underestimate this moat, which is only a dozen meters wide; it might have been an insurmountable barrier for the Oirat Mongols.

Zhu Qiyu stood on the city wall and looked down. The city wall was about ten meters high and generally more than ten meters wide, with the widest part reaching more than twenty meters. This was the source of the dynasty's confidence. This was clearly an indestructible and majestic city.

However, there is a major drawback at present: the city is more than 40 miles long in all directions. Sometimes, a city that is too big is not a good thing. This means that the capital can be attacked from all sides at any time, and it is impossible to defend against it.

The group walked up the city wall and arrived at Yu Qian's "home turf". Yu Qian was worried that Zhu Qiyu was not familiar with the city defense, so he was introducing various defensive weapons in a long and detailed manner.

Wolf-tooth spears, long spears, cypresses, rolling logs, boulders, caltrops, oil tanks, door-blocking carts, and various firearms, cannons, etc. Zhu Qiyu could even see a strange object, which he said was used to make gold syrup.

At first, Zhu Qiyu was curious about the name of the "Golden Juice," but after reading it, he instantly lost his curiosity and probably wouldn't be able to swallow his dinner tonight.

As Yu Qian explained, Zhu Qiyu had to admit that Zhu Di not only left behind a rich family fortune, but also a lot of high technology.

However, the military technology of the Ming Dynasty stagnated for more than 20 years, and the weapons used were still those from the Yongle period, with almost no innovation. This was not a good thing for the dynasty.

Zhu Qiyu could only keep these things to himself. This was not the time to talk about technological reforms. The current priority was to determine what the Ming Dynasty had, not what it could have in the future.

Zhu Qiyu climbed the city wall and had a good view, but the desolate scene outside the city immediately dampened his good mood.

Even the nearby mountains were almost completely barren. Apart from the soldiers still building fortifications outside the city, there were hardly any pedestrians in the distance. Occasionally, a pedestrian would pass by, his face filled with sorrow, like a walking corpse. The people's livelihood was so desolate that an outsider might think that the end of the Ming Dynasty had already arrived.

Zhu Qiyu couldn't bear to look at it. Is this the world I rule?

Zhu Qiyu sighed inexplicably.

"Your Majesty, is there anything lacking?" Yu Qian asked, noticing that Zhu Qiyu looked unwell.

Zhu Qiyu shook his head helplessly and said, "Before the Oirat army even arrived, our Great Ming became a frightened bird, and the people's livelihood has been so devastated. We are truly ashamed before the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, the officials' faces turned extremely grim, and many of the more upright officials inwardly cursed Zhu Qizhen.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, when has it not been chasing after those nomadic tribes? When has it ever encountered such a predicament? The enemy chieftain is lingering in the Nine Borders, and the Ming Dynasty doesn't even have the opportunity to launch a proactive attack. It has to be on tenterhooks to prevent the enemy chieftain from suddenly moving south.

The ministers deeply agreed with Zhu Qiyu's words, believing that the most difficult situation always lies with the kind-hearted people at the bottom of society.

However, compared to half a month ago, the situation has improved slightly. Before that, it was a living hell, with the people living in constant fear and the despair of national subjugation permeating the entire capital.

Yu Qian could only comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, once the Ming Dynasty defeats the Oirat Mongols, works diligently to govern, and the court is united in purpose, with all officials willing to lend their full support, the Ming Dynasty may very well be able to revive."

"Your Majesty, that's exactly right!" Wang Zhi and the others echoed. Zhu Qiyu's concern for his people at this moment proved that the new emperor's heart was trustworthy.

Zhu Qiyu composed himself, nodded, and said, "Minister Yu's words are truly insightful. After winning this battle, our Great Ming must defend against the enemy beyond the Great Wall. Such a perilous situation must not be allowed to occur again!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!"