Chapter 279: The Next Target

December 27, the eleventh year of Chongzhen.

The biting winter wind howled across the entire capital. New Year's Eve was only a few days away, yet there was not the slightest festive cheer anywhere in the city. Bad news kept pouring in, and these days more and more refugees were flooding into the capital. The government offices could not provide relief in time, and every day large numbers of common folk froze or starved to death in the cold wind.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the Chongzhen Emperor was reviewing memorials with a deeply furrowed brow. In just a short time, his complexion had grown much paler, and the wrinkles and white hairs had increased.

The war situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. The Xuan-Da Army and the Guan-Ning Army had been defeated and destroyed one after another, shaking the entire court and country. The Great Ming was now powerless to stop the Qing army's advance. They could only watch helplessly as city after city fell, with no one able to do anything about it. Although the Chongzhen Emperor handled state affairs with even greater diligence, he found that his efforts were utterly futile. Mentally and physically exhausted, a profound sense of powerlessness welled up deep inside him.

At this moment, the Chongzhen Emperor was frowning at several memorials concerning the Senior Grand Secretary, Liu Yuliang.

When the Qing soldiers invaded, Liu Yuliang had volunteered to oversee military operations, with Chen Xinjia and the various garrison relief troops following him. Just as they reached Baoding, Liu Yuliang heard that Lu Xiangsheng had died in battle. When the Guan-Ning Army was routed, he was terrified and anxious. As his army passed through Anping County, he heard the Qing soldiers were approaching. He and Chen Xinjia stared at each other, faces drained of color, and hurriedly fled to Jinzhou to take shelter.

The Department Magistrate of Jinzhou, Chen Hongxu, shut the city gates and refused to admit them. Liu Yuliang flew into a rage and sent an official summons with an arrow token, threatening military law. Chen Hongxu ignored him and sent back a message to Liu Yuliang: "The Viceroy came to resist the enemy. Now that the enemy is about to arrive, why do you flee? If fodder and provisions are insufficient, hold the responsible officials accountable. As for wanting to enter the city, I dare not obey that order."

Liu Yuliang was helpless and led his army to Tianjin to take refuge, while simultaneously submitting an impeachment memorial. The Chongzhen Emperor issued an edict to arrest and punish Chen Hongxu. The people of Jinzhou cried out for justice on Chen Hongxu's behalf, with over a thousand willing to take his place. Seeing these memorials, the Chongzhen Emperor hesitated again.

He threw the memorials onto the desk and said bitterly, "Liu Yuliang is ultimately useless, only adding to the people's troubles. Among those in the Grand Secretariat who can handle affairs, it still comes down to Zhou Yanru and Yang Sichang."

He issued an edict demoting Department Magistrate Chen Hongxu of Jinzhou and transferring him elsewhere, and also sent an edict severely reprimanding Liu Yuliang. Then he sat in a daze for a long while. Ultimately preoccupied with the military situation, he ordered a eunuch to summon the Grand Secretary and Minister of Rites, Yang Sichang.

Very soon, Yang Sichang entered. He respectfully came forward to pay his respects to the Chongzhen Emperor, then quietly prostrated himself on the floor.

Every time he saw Yang Sichang, the Chongzhen Emperor felt very reassured. He said gently, "My beloved minister, rise."

Yang Sichang kowtowed again before standing up and waiting for the Emperor to speak.

Chongzhen asked, "Where has the vanguard of the eastern caitiffs reached now?"

Yang Sichang replied, "In response to Your Majesty, the main force of the eastern caitiffs has now converged in areas like Hengshui and Zaoqiang. The Grand Secretariat has determined that the bandit caitiffs intend to enter Shandong directly from Dezhou. Your servant has already sent orders to the Provincial Governor of Shandong, Yan Jizu, to lead troops to guard the area, which should prevent the caitiff cavalry from penetrating deeper."

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded and said, "Shandong is a vital region and must not be lost. In particular, the fief of Prince De is within Jinan Prefecture; be careful to guard it."

Yang Sichang respectfully accepted the order.

The Chongzhen Emperor pondered for a long while and said, "Lu Xiangsheng, Gao Qiqian, and their various commands — is there still no news?"

Hearing Chongzhen's words, Yang Sichang's body trembled.

Although word had spread that Lu Xiangsheng and Gao Qiqian had died in battle after the Battle of Julu, the Ministry of War and local officials had never found their bodies, so it could not be determined whether the two had truly died in battle. Not only that, the remnants of the Xuan-Da Army and the Guan-Ning Army were also unaccounted for. Some people had spotted Guan-Ning troops wandering in the countryside, but those several Regional Commanders had never appeared. As for the entire Xuan-Da Army, there was no news at all, as if the whole army had vanished.

Unlike in history, for this Battle of Julu, Yang Sichang could not shift all the blame onto Lu Xiangsheng's head, for that would inevitably drag Gao Qiqian into it. In particular... Yang Tinglin, the military advisor in Lu Xiangsheng's army, was shouting everywhere that the Battle of Julu was lost because Gao Qiqian watched him die without coming to his aid. He had been shouting this from the localities all the way to the capital, saying that Viceroy Lu had fought a bloody battle to the death, while Gao Qiqian had fled to escape punishment. Several censors had already heard the rumors and were preparing to impeach.

Yang Sichang was also suspicious about Gao Qiqian's whereabouts. This eunuch certainly lacked the courage to fight to the death for his country; the possibility that he was lying low to escape punishment was very high. As long as Gao Qiqian did not show himself, the series of follow-up moves Yang Sichang had planned against Lu Xiangsheng could not be carried out. Coupled with the fact that neither man's body had been found, the matter had been dragged on and on.

Hearing Chongzhen's question, a flash of inspiration struck Yang Sichang, and he made a decision in his heart. Whether Gao Qiqian was dead or not was unimportant; Lu Xiangsheng was certainly dead. This matter should be concluded.

He said, "In response to Your Majesty, local rumors say that Viceroy Lu and Army Supervisor Gao fought with all their might and died for their country. At the time of the Battle of Julu, our Great Ming officers and soldiers numbered no more than forty thousand, while the eastern slave soldiers were close to one hundred thousand. Outnumbered and unable to match them, the defeat and destruction of the Xuan-Da Army and the Guan-Ning Army was an unavoidable matter."

Chongzhen sat in silence. In his heart, he agreed with Yang Sichang's words. The fighting strength of the Ming army still could not compare to that of the Qing soldiers. Back then, Yang Sichang had said that to resist external threats, one must first pacify the interior, and had strenuously avoided a decisive battle with the Qing soldiers. Otherwise, once the main force was defeated, those tens of thousands of battle-worthy troops would all be lost. And indeed, that was exactly what had happened.

After a long while, the Chongzhen Emperor said, "Lu Xiangsheng and Gao Qiqian died in battle. What about the officers and commanders under them? Do they intend to keep hiding like this forever?"

His tone carried intense anger.

Seeing the Son of Heaven angry, Yang Sichang was secretly alarmed. He kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, your servant believes that the reason the Xuan-Da Army and the Guan-Ning Army are hiding is that, having lost their commanding generals in battle, they fear punishment from the court and thus dare not show themselves. In this time of national crisis, preserving some troops is a good thing. Therefore, your servant believes it would be better for the court to issue an imperial decree pardoning the faults of the various garrison commanders and officers. Out of gratitude, they will strive even harder to serve the court."

According to history, Lu Xiangsheng died in battle, Gao Qiqian survived, and the main force of the Guan-Ning Army was not lost, so Yang Sichang could seize the opportunity to push all the blame onto Lu Xiangsheng's head. But now times were different. Both Lu Xiangsheng and Gao Qiqian were unaccounted for. If Lu Xiangsheng was guilty, Gao Qiqian was equally guilty.

If it was determined that Lu Xiangsheng had merit for fighting a bloody battle, then Gao Qiqian would also have merit. This move would also allow Yang Sichang to curry favor with the Chongzhen Emperor. The state had civil officials who fought bloody battles and died for the country, and the loyal slaves of the imperial clan did the same. This was a better explanation than the crime of fleeing to escape punishment, and everyone would be happy.

But if the army lost its commanding generals, punishing the Xuan-Da Army would also require punishing the Guan-Ning Army, which would greatly complicate the situation. Those arrogant and unruly soldiers and fierce commanders of Guan-Ning — if handled poorly, they might defect to the Qing soldiers, and then Yang Sichang's culpability would be immense. Moreover, to punish the various Xuan-Da commanders, the newly appointed Viceroy of Xuan-Da, Chen Xinjia, would not agree either.

For Yang Sichang, the most important thing now was how to deal with the aftermath. After all, although he was the Minister of Rites, he also managed the affairs of the Ministry of War. If the matter was thoroughly investigated, he could not remain uninvolved.

The Chongzhen Emperor also deeply understood the problems with military commanders at this time in the Great Ming. He knew that pursuing the matter further might risk provoking unrest among the commanders of the various garrisons.

He rose and slowly paced. After a long while, he suppressed the anger in his heart and said, "So be it. I shall issue an imperial decree pardoning their faults. In the Battle of Julu, the eastern slaves were overwhelmingly powerful, and the officers and men of both regions can be considered not at fault for the defeat. Take, for example, Mobile Corps Commander Wang Dou of the Xuan-Da Army, who has repeatedly been credited with over two thousand enemy heads. I deeply admire his loyalty, righteousness, and martial valor. It is just that elite soldiers and strong commanders like General Wang are too few. Facing the main force of the eastern slaves, they were ultimately outnumbered. We still need to train more elite troops."

Yang Sichang's mind raced, and he quickly understood. The title "Bravest of the Three Armies" for Wang Dou had been personally conferred by the Chongzhen Emperor. To question or punish Wang Dou was to question the Emperor's original judgment. Therefore, no matter what happened with the Xuan-Da Army, the Chongzhen Emperor was certain to protect Wang Dou.

Yang Sichang said, "Your Majesty speaks truly. General Wang achieved great victories at Tongzhou and Dingzhou; every battle he fought, he won. Even in the Battle of Julu, your servant has heard that General Wang had many kills. It is only lamentable that our Great Ming has too few brave generals and elite soldiers like General Wang. Indeed, we must train more elite troops."

He continued, "Currently, our Great Ming has many soldiers but few elites. Since the slaves invaded, many court officials have requested the training of frontier troops. Your servant also believes that the proposal to train troops is feasible. We can select and train elite soldiers from each garrison. For example, the three garrisons of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi together have one hundred seventy-eight thousand eight hundred-some soldiers. We can order the three Regional Commanders to each train ten thousand men, and the Viceroy to train thirty thousand. Station twenty thousand at Huailai and ten thousand at Yanghe. In this way, they can support each other east and west, ensuring that Xuan-Da is not lost. The rest can be divided among the garrison supervisors and provincial governors and below for training. Just from the three garrisons of Xuan-Da, tens of thousands of elite soldiers can be obtained."

The Chongzhen Emperor was deeply satisfied with Yang Sichang's quick reaction. He said, "Not only must the three garrisons of Xuan-Da train troops, but Liaodong, Jizhen, Yansui, Ningxia, Guyuan, and other places must also train elite troops. I entrust the matter of troop training to Minister Yang to oversee. Once the slaves retreat, begin immediately."

Yang Sichang hurriedly knelt to express his gratitude, deeply moved by the Emperor's trust and favor. However, training troops would require increasing taxes and adding to the burden of the common people throughout the realm. Yang Sichang tactfully did not bring up this issue at this moment.

The Chongzhen Emperor then asked about the relief troops of Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting.

Yang Sichang replied, "After receiving the edict, Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting have already led a fifty-thousand-strong relief army, traveling day and night. However, the journey is long, and I fear it will be another twenty-some days before they reach the capital."

The Chongzhen Emperor snorted. Back when Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting had heavily defeated Li Zicheng at Tongguan, he had eagerly hoped that the two could behead Li Zicheng and his ilk on the battlefield, or better yet, capture them and present them as prisoners. In the end, the memorials the two sent stated that the government troops had won a great victory and the roving bandits' entire army was wiped out, but the bodies of Li Zicheng and his men had not been found.

While Hong Chengchou and the other were on the road to relieve the capital, the Chongzhen Emperor received news that Li Zicheng and his men were harassing Lingbao County. At that time, the Chongzhen Emperor flew into a rage and nearly issued an edict to arrest Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting and bring them to the capital for punishment. Ultimately, he worried that such an action might cause this relief army to disintegrate, so he suppressed the anger in his heart. Hong Chengchou was exceptionally talented, and the Chongzhen Emperor had great use for him. But as for Sun Chuanting, the Chongzhen Emperor would not easily forgive him.

Yang Sichang was, of course, fully aware of the Emperor's thoughts, and he himself also had deep conflicts with Sun Chuanting.

When Yang Sichang first became Minister of War, in order to implement his "Four Fronts and Six Corners" comprehensive encirclement strategy, he increased the army by one hundred twenty thousand men and levied an additional military stipend tax of nearly three million taels of silver. Sun Chuanting held dissenting views on this, believing that after years of continuous warfare, the people's strength was exhausted, and this measure might not achieve the expected results. At that time, when the Great Ming was compiling the reported numbers of recruited soldiers and horses from various provincial governors, only Sun Chuanting's memorial had not arrived. Yang Sichang seized the opportunity to attack him. Sun Chuanting submitted a memorial to defend himself. Back and forth they went, and the two had long since formed a deep grudge.

At this moment, Yang Sichang keenly sensed the Emperor's dissatisfaction with Sun Chuanting. He was secretly delighted. Perhaps, after Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chuanting would be his next target.

Yang Sichang respectfully took his leave and withdrew. Walking outside the palace gate, he mused thoughtfully: "Wang Dou."

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the Chongzhen Emperor's deeply furrowed brow returned. "Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting are leading troops to guard the capital, so the capital is safe. But the eastern caitiffs are rampaging everywhere, trampling over prefectures and counties. Will the entire Great Ming court just sit and watch the caitiff cavalry wreak havoc without doing anything?"