Chapter 166: Shameless: Making Joseon Pay Up (Today's Fourth Update)

As the saying goes, a single weak soldier is just one weak soldier, but a weak general makes the whole army weak.

The Emperor did not stage any ceremony like presenting captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple; instead, he simply had two major figures among the Jianzhou barbarians sliced to death like some common rebel leader.

To the common folk of the Great Ming, a Son of Heaven this assertive — no problem at all.

So what was the Chongzhen Emperor, who in the people's eyes was assertive as hell and badass beyond all measure, actually doing?

He was nursing a headache.

Before him stood Wen Tiren, Shi Fenglai, Cui Chengxiu, plus the Duke of Ying Zhang Weixian — basically the top civil officials at court, the military's spokesman in the court, and the representative figure of the nobility, all assembled.

Yet even with all four of them here, they could not resolve the Chongzhen Emperor's vexation — the Jianzhou barbarians had thrown caution to the wind, clearly abandoning Shenyang for you to take, so what was to be done about Mao Wenlong in Dongjiang?

Wen Tiren and Shi Fenglai were civil officials after all; even as grandees of the Grand Secretariat, they could still use their ignorance of military affairs as an excuse and dodge the question for now. But Cui Chengxiu and Zhang Weixian were in an awkward spot.

The Chongzhen Emperor had summoned them into the palace precisely to have them propose ideas. One was the Minister of War, the other the only man among the nobility with any real grasp of military matters.

If they could not produce a workable plan, they would inevitably leave the Emperor with the impression that they were incompetent.

After mulling it over, Cui Chengxiu actually managed to come up with something: "Your Majesty, setting aside the matter of Shenyang for the moment and speaking solely of Mao Wenlong — the reason his position is untenable lies in too few troops and inadequate supply.

But both of these problems can, in fact, be solved."

At these words, not only the Chongzhen Emperor but also Wen Tiren, Shi Fenglai, and Zhang Weixian all turned inquiring gazes toward Cui Chengxiu, wanting to see what good solution this fellow could propose.

Feeling the pressure of being stared at by several men at once, Cui Chengxiu promptly came out with it: "Does Your Majesty still recall Zheng Yiguan, whom the Governor of Fujian wished to recruit and pacify?"

Chongzhen had not yet grasped what connection Zheng Yiguan could possibly have with Liaodong, but the other three shrewd operators — which of them did not already know what Cui Chengxiu was driving at?

Wen Tiren immediately stroked his beard and said, "Is Minister Cui proposing to send troops and supplies by sea from Denglai to Dongjiang?"

Cui Chengxiu bowed. "This humble official means exactly that."

Wen Tiren, however, countered: "The method is not without merit, but which troops do we transport? How many troops do we transport? And under whose command?"

Cui Chengxiu cursed inwardly — motherfucker — thinking, I managed to come up with an idea, and that was hard enough. These questions you're asking — I haven't even had time to think them through yet, all right?

Seeing Cui Chengxiu at a loss for words, the Duke of Ying Zhang Weixian, as a fellow veteran of court brawls, stepped in to smooth things over first: "Your Majesty, troops can be selected from the guard stations in the Denglai and Fujian areas.

The Capital Camps and the White Rod troops can also be transferred in part. Since the Jianzhou barbarians have raised an army of a full hundred thousand, our Great Ming can send two hundred thousand troops over."

Even though Wen Tiren had long resolved to cling tightly to Chongzhen's coattails, seeing Zhang Weixian and Cui Chengxiu come up with an idea before him triggered his innate disdain for military officers and nobles.

He immediately sneered: "If we're talking about a great army, never mind two hundred thousand — our Great Ming could casually scrape together five hundred thousand.

Even if we were drawing elite troops from the Nine Frontiers, we could easily pull together over a hundred thousand."

As Chongzhen's gaze settled on him, Wen Tiren continued: "Leaving aside the time required to draw elite troops, even if we sent an eight-hundred-li express order right now to Denglai and Fujian to mobilize troops, by the time they reached Dongjiang, it would be at least half a month later, would it not?

To engage the Jianzhou barbarians directly without rest and reorganization — that would be courting a major defeat!"

"And furthermore, where would the postwar compensation and pensions come from?

Do not speak of the national treasury — the money in the national treasury cannot sustain a major war like this. Fighting a decisive battle with the Jianzhou barbarians at Dongjiang — the Jianzhou barbarians would be finished, but our Great Ming would also be gravely weakened.

When that time comes, who benefits if not those Japanese pirates? They would once again wreak havoc across the southeast.

Does our Great Ming still care about its dignity or not?"

"And one more point, the most critical one — what about supplies?

Transported from Denglai and Fujian as well? Do not forget, the grain purchased earlier from the Southern Seas has all been shipped to the Shaanxi and Shanxi regions for famine relief.

Denglai and Fujian have no significant grain reserves. If we forcibly requisition from the common people, I fear it would only spark another uprising."

Zhang Weixian, however, stroked his beard and smiled.

"We are not fighting a decisive battle with the Jianzhou barbarians at Dongjiang.

Rather than staking everything on a single campaign, the aim is to force the Jianzhou barbarians to withdraw.

As for the true decisive battle, that will certainly be several years from now, once our Great Ming is free of internal troubles and the New Army has completed its training — that will be the time for the great decisive battle."

Wen Tiren retorted: "That only saves some silver for postwar pensions and rewards. Yet the Duke of Ying has not said where the supplies will come from.

This official does not claim to understand military affairs, but I do know that two hundred thousand troops, with men eating and horses chewing, will incur enormous daily expenses."

Zhang Weixian threw Cui Chengxiu a look that said it's your turn to step up. Cui Chengxiu understood and immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, our Great Ming cannot supply these two hundred thousand troops, but we can have Joseon bear a portion of the burden.

Mao Wenlong is, after all, defending Joseon's borders. The military expenses and all necessary supplies should originally have been provided by Joseon.

Now, sending two hundred thousand troops to Liaodong is also to force back the Jianzhou barbarians and preserve Joseon's territory. This minister believes that the Prince Neungyang of Joseon should be ordered to provide for the needs of one hundred thousand troops."

Hmm, this move was slick. No problem at all.

Chongzhen had once again witnessed the breathtaking shamelessness of which civil officials were capable. At present, the Jianzhou barbarians were stronger than the Ming in field battles, and Mao Wenlong was occupying Joseon's territory to wage Mobile Corps Commander warfare.

From that perspective, Joseon, which wholeheartedly treated the Ming as its father, was clearly sharing the Jianzhou barbarians' firepower on the Ming's behalf.

Yet once it passed through Cui Chengxiu's mouth, it became a Ming general defending Joseon's borders.

Just like the Eagle Sauce of later ages in the Dwarf Country and the Bangzi Country — stationed troops there, but the Dwarf Country and the Bangzi Country had to foot the military expenses. Or call it protection money, if you prefer.

Otherwise, look — the Rabbit across the way is baring its teeth. Careful, or that bastard will eat you alive!

Although Wen Tiren also found Cui Chengxiu's idea quite shameless, upon careful reflection he found he could not refute it. And as for this sort of thing that damaged the dignity of the superior state — the gentleman on the dragon throne did not care in the slightest. So he held his tongue.

Zhang Weixian shot Cui Chengxiu a look that said old pal, six-six-six. In any case, how Prince Neungyang of Joseon squeezed his own country was his own business. Once the Jianzhou barbarians were destroyed, it would be all the better if Joseon were destroyed right along with them.

Thinking thus, Zhang Weixian bowed again and said: "Your Majesty, this minister believes Minister Cui's argument is sound. Mao Wenlong defends Joseon's borders — Joseon ought to provide the military expenses and supplies."

Hmm, very good, very formidable. Once a civil official transferred to the Ministry of War, he became just as shameless as the nobles. This was very good.

As far as Chongzhen was concerned, as long as the Jianzhou barbarians were crushed to death, what did face matter? Could you eat that stuff, or drink it?

Thinking of those brain-dead characters in later ages who transmigrated across a thousand years just to offer themselves up, Chongzhen itched to immediately crush Hong Taiji and his whole family to death — every last one of you die clean, and then I'll see who you can offer yourselves to!

Only, Chongzhen also knew that the current Ming simply did not have the capacity to fight a decisive battle with the Jianzhou barbarians.

Even the plan now proposed, to force the Jianzhou barbarians back, was in truth a gamble that the Jianzhou barbarians would not dare to truly stake everything at Dongjiang.

If the Jianzhou barbarians really did decide to throw caution to the wind and fight it out at Dongjiang, this matter would truly be a headache.

This is the fourth update today. The Tyrant really feels miserable as hell. Every day, endless shit to deal with. I beg all you bosses, stop fattening this up — just slaughter it already. Whenever the income from writing matches my salary, the Tyrant will write full-time.

(End of chapter)