Chapter 119: Nobody's Days Are Easy

Cui Chengxiu did not dare take up the thread; he could only say sheepishly, "Your minister is dull-witted — only Your Majesty can decide."

Chongzhen knew this was Cui Chengxiu's way of preserving himself and did not expose him. Raising the butcher's blade and killing and killing and killing was no problem — killing absolutely everyone, that was the problem.

Besides, Cui Chengxiu was merely a little greedy, yet in court politics he and Shi Fenglai alike both belonged squarely to the Emperor's faction; such men still had to be kept and used.

Not pressing the point, Chongzhen continued, "Let us set that aside for now. Tell us more of the situation in Liaodong. For instance, what of Mao Wenlong's position — and did Mister Sun mention anything to you of Joseon's circumstances?"

Cui Chengxiu bowed. "Your Majesty, Grand General Mao's situation is still manageable. Only the Jianzhou barbarians have been unusually active of late; it is estimated they intend to campaign against Dongjiang. Even Joseon has been threatened by Jianzhou envoys."

Chongzhen grunted. All of this was within expectations.

That dog-spawn slave-chief Hong Taiji was absolutely no easy character to deal with.

From the model of the Four Great Beile deliberating state affairs jointly, to shifting to the Eight Princes deliberative model, and later to facing south and proclaiming himself emperor, laying the foundation for the Jianzhou barbarians to breach the Pass — even allowing for all manner of chance and coincidence, it showed the man was far from simple.

However much he cursed the man aloud as a dog-slave, in his heart he could not help secretly admiring his grand ambition and great talent.

Still, no matter how wildly he thrashed about, the worst outcome was merely hanging himself from a southeastward branch. He might as well thrash about with all his might, and with that little bit of knowledge from later ages, at least give Hong Taiji a good shove.

Steadying himself, Chongzhen said, "For the Jianzhou barbarians, so long as Mao Wenlong remains unremoved, he is a bone stuck in their throat. They dare not raise their full army to conquer Joseon, much less knock at the Ming's passes.

That being so, the Jianzhou barbarians will certainly try every means to eliminate Mao Wenlong."

Cui Chengxiu assented and said, "Your Majesty is sagely wise.

The Dongjiang garrison under Mao Wenlong, though unfit for major operations and incapable of fighting the Jianzhou barbarians in the field, is such that so long as Dongjiang remains unremoved, the Jianzhou barbarians cannot rest easy for a single day.

Moreover, Mao Wenlong's forces now ceaselessly raid and harass the barbarians. The battle results may be modest, but the harassment vexes the Jianzhou barbarians beyond endurance.

Kill one today, kill another tomorrow — how many Jianzhou barbarians can there be in Liaodong?"

Chongzhen said, "Exactly. So long as the Jianzhou barbarians are denied peace, Mao Wenlong has rendered great service.

Under ceaseless raiding and harassment, even if the Jianzhou barbarians were a fat, sturdy giant, they can be dragged thin. This time Yuan Chonghuan has gone to Dongjiang — is he heading straight for Mao Wenlong?"

Cui Chengxiu answered, "Your Majesty is sagely wise. Yuan Chonghuan's journey to Liaodong this time was at the behest of the Jianzhou slave-chief Hong Taiji, intending to rid the Jianzhou barbarians of this mortal affliction in their very heart."

At these words, Chongzhen gave a cold laugh. "Has the Great Ming ever treated him, Yuan Chonghuan, with the slightest stinginess? Yet now he willingly acts as a running dog for the Jianzhou barbarians, bringing calamity upon the Great Ming — his heart deserves execution!"

Cui Chengxiu bowed his head and assented, "Your Majesty's words are most just."

The thunderous fury Cui Chengxiu had anticipated did not come. He heard only Chongzhen say flatly, "Enough. Let us not speak of him for now. Minister Cui, tell us — how stands Joseon?"

Cui Chengxiu, hearing this, replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, according to Mister Sun, the Joseon Prince Neungyang, Yi Jong, is indeed loyal in heart to the Great Ming.

The envoy sent by the Jianzhou barbarians, after being pumped for information, was dispatched with a single stroke of the blade."

Chongzhen said, "We have reviewed the dispatches coming from Joseon. Is this Prince Neungyang, Yi Jong, truly so devoted in heart to our Great Ming? What of the Joseon scholar-gentry — are there any among them whose hearts incline toward the Jianzhou barbarians?"

Cui Chengxiu said, "Your Majesty, Prince Neungyang, Yi Jong, remonstrated with arms against Joseon's former ruler Prince Gwanghae. By ordinary principle, this was in truth a gravely treasonous act.

Our Great Ming, as their suzerain state, ought originally to have issued an edict of rebuke, even dispatched officials to oversee and protect the country. Only, Prince Gwanghae, Yi Hon, had lost his wits and was ambiguously entangled with the Jianzhou barbarians.

Joseon has always styled itself Little China; even among the Joseon common folk, it is held that Prince Gwanghae had lost his wits and that loyal service to the Great Ming should be the highest duty."

Chongzhen, however, sneered inwardly. Yi Hon had lost his wits?

Such crap might fool little children, but as the ruler of a state, Prince Gwanghae, Yi Hon, had not made the wrong choice. Joseon was a small country with few people; the foundation of its state was serving the great — what was all this nonsense about Little China?

Don't make me laugh. The Joseon second-devils of later ages did things even more vile than the little Japanese devils.

Only, no matter what, the present Prince Neungyang, Yi Jong, still needed to be properly placated. Mao Wenlong was far from the Ming heartland, and resupply was not so convenient.

If he could lean on Joseon, he would not fall into a rootless predicament — advance to raid and harass the Jianzhou barbarians, retreat to hold Joseon's territory, and still manage to make trouble for the Jianzhou barbarians all the same.

Furthermore, the Joseon of the present could indeed be called a loyal hound whose heart inclined toward the Great Ming. After all, Prince Neungyang, Yi Jong's very reason for deposing Prince Gwanghae, Yi Hon, was disrespect toward the Great Ming.

And a Joseon that wished to trim its sails to both sides, a Grand Prince who single-mindedly sought to promote his own culture — these did not accord with the mainstream view among the Joseon scholar-official class at this time: that the Great Ming was the Celestial Dynasty and superior state, and that Joseon ought to serve the Great Ming with the attitude of a son.

Moreover, a brilliant and martial Grand Prince was no good thing for Joseon. At the very least, neither the Great Ming nor the Jianzhou barbarians wished to see yet another power rise in Liaodong to snatch at the spoils.

Having thought through these connections, Chongzhen simply chuckled and said to Cui Chengxiu, "Not bad — Joseon is indeed loyal after all. Only, Minister Cui, you are after all the Minister who presides over war and execution. We wish to hear your views on the situation in Liaodong."

Cui Chengxiu understood clearly: this was essentially a test, or perhaps a trial, from Chongzhen.

If he could satisfy the Chongzhen Emperor, his position as Minister of the Ministry of War would be secure, and in the future it was not impossible that he might enter the Grand Secretariat and preside over governance.

If he could not satisfy the Chongzhen Emperor, never mind entering the Grand Secretariat to preside over governance — he feared even his position as Minister of the Ministry of War would not be stable.

Settling his mind and pondering for a spell, Cui Chengxiu then said, "Your minister reports to Your Majesty: your minister holds that the present Liaodong may be called a mere skin disease.

Not to say that once our Great Ming has drilled its troops we could strike and take it in one blow — even relying solely on the present configuration in Liaodong, it is enough to make the Jianzhou barbarians unable to bear the consequences."

Chongzhen, who rarely heard a minister use a phrase like "unable to bear the consequences," was clearly quite interested, and asked, "Minister Cui, speak on — We are listening."

Cui Chengxiu by now had a draft in mind and answered directly, "Your Majesty, at this moment Liaodong's own days are hardly easy. Our Great Ming's winter is already cold enough, yet the land of Liaodong is bitter cold far worse.

The Jianzhou barbarians over there are also short of clothing and food. With Joseon, Dongjiang, Joseon, and the Xibe tribe under the newly enfeoffed Duke of Hu — whom Your Majesty just invested — hemming them in on several sides, the Jianzhou barbarians' days are even harder.

The sole concern at present is merely this: if the Jianzhou barbarians stake everything on a single throw, raise their entire army, and, heedless of all consequences, assault Dongjiang and Joseon with full force, then should our Great Ming's relief from the direction of Shanhai Pass fail to arrive in time, Joseon and Dongjiang will be in grave peril."

Chongzhen, however, gave a cold laugh. "That brat Hong Taiji wouldn't dare!"

(End of chapter)