Chapter 138: The Merit of Strategic Planning

The gaunt Wen Tiren scurried behind Cao Huachun, who kept urging him on from ahead. Wen Tiren was panting from the rush and said to Cao Huachun, "Eunuch Cao, stop pressing — these old legs of mine can't match Your Excellency's vigor."

Cao Huachun hurried back to support him by the arm, half-dragging, half-pulling him to move faster, saying as he went, "Old Sir, do bear with me. The moment your memorial arrived, His Majesty was so overjoyed he knocked over his cup. And you, old sir, simply went home. His Majesty had me wait at the palace gate and has already sent three batches of men to inquire." Cao Huachun then beckoned two young eunuchs to support him the whole way. By the time they reached the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Wen Tiren was completely out of breath. Entering the warm chamber of the hall, he found the Chongzhen Emperor pacing anxiously in circles. Seeing Wen Tiren arrive, the Emperor came forward to meet him.

Cao Huachun gasped, "Your Majesty..."

The Chongzhen Emperor waved impatiently, silencing Cao Huachun. Unable to contain himself, he asked Wen Tiren, "Is what your memorial says about the Wendeng Battalion true?"

Wen Tiren had not yet caught his breath, yet he could not ignore the Emperor's question. He stammered, "Your servant... Your servant..."

The Chongzhen Emperor felt like grabbing him and shaking the words out. Seeing Wen Tiren's state, he had no choice but to quickly order a palace maid to bring tea. Cao Huachun cleverly found a chair for Wen Tiren, but since the Emperor remained standing, Wen Tiren dared not sit.

It was a long while before Wen Tiren recovered his breath. He reported to the Chongzhen Emperor, "Your Majesty, mounted couriers from the Wendeng Battalion did indeed come to inform me, and there was an accompanying document from the County Magistrate of Guanxian. It is credible. However, the Jianzhou Bandits have not withdrawn far, and I have not yet had time to personally inspect Guanxian, so the matter still awaits verification."

"Then We shall immediately issue an edict to the Ministry of War and the Censorate to go to Guanxian to inspect and verify."

Wen Tiren said, "Your Majesty, I fear they cannot go now. When those mounted couriers set out, several thousand elite Jianzhou cavalry were besieging the city. The Picket Officer of the Wendeng Battalion surmised that the main Jianzhou army was behind them."

The Chongzhen Emperor hesitated, then said helplessly, "According to the Ministry of War today, the main Jianzhou army is still at Liangxiang. How can they also be at Guanxian? Then let the Ministry of War dispatch scout cavalry to reconnoiter first." He then asked Wen Tiren, "Why did this Picket Officer of the Wendeng Battalion not first report to the Ministry of War, but instead go to you, my beloved minister?"

"Your Majesty, it was only after the twentieth day of the tenth month that this Wendeng Battalion finished suppressing the Wenxiang Sect rebels in Laiyang, Dengzhou. They then went to Zhaoyuan to attack bandits, pursuing them all the way to the vicinity of Dengzhou. Just then, the King's Service summons arrived. Dispatched by the Deng-Lai Circuit to come to the capital's aid, they drifted at sea for ten days before reaching Tianjin. They sent fast horses ahead to the capital, but unfortunately the documents were lost en route. Moreover, being merely a minor Picket Officer, the various officials of the Ministry of War paid him no heed. That day, I happened to be traveling with Wang Qia. The messenger was coldly dismissed by Wang Qia. Having come a thousand li to serve the King and receiving such cold treatment, I could not bear it in my heart. Although I did not fully believe him either, with the capital region under attack, one more soldier means one more soldier's strength. At that time, the Ji-Liao Grand Coordinator was in the east. Worried that he would again disperse the relief troops, I directed them to approach the capital from the south. Within two days, the Jianzhou Bandits had reached the city walls. I, your old minister, further worried that they did not know the full scale of the Jianzhou incursion, so I sent a household retainer south at the risk of death, ordering them to protect the counties south of the capital region nearby, and strictly ordering them not to engage in open-field battle, but to fight with their backs to a city. The Wendeng Battalion thus established camp at Guanxian. Not long after, the Jianzhou Bandits, just as I had anticipated, raided Guanxian, and were defeated by the Wendeng Battalion in one battle. The Picket Officer originally intended to come to the capital immediately, but worried that the Jianzhou Bandits would attack Guanxian again, so he sent mounted couriers to deliver a message and request my instructions."

Having finished, Wen Tiren knelt and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty of deception and acting beyond my authority. As a Minister of Rites, yet..."

The Chongzhen Emperor did not mind at all. His tone could not conceal his delight. "My beloved minister, you worried for state affairs — what crime is there? At that time, Wang Qia was truly ineffective in his duties. The Ministry of War ignored them, and you worried they would be dispersed. Moreover, you had not personally seen the troops, so it hardly counts as deception." The Chongzhen Emperor continued, "Regarding the Ji-Liao Grand Coordinator's various unlawful acts, you, my beloved minister, submitted five successive memorials of impeachment. We pondered this at length before settling on a strategy. Minister Wen's contribution is truly indelible. Although most were kept at court and not made public, We have remembered in Our heart your forthrightness and courage to speak out."

Wen Tiren knelt and said in a calm tone, "To share His Majesty's burdens, I dare not speak of merit. I only hope that all the armies of our Great Ming will be like this Picket Officer of the Wendeng Battalion, so that the Jianzhou Bandits may soon be driven beyond the border walls, restoring clear skies to our Divine Capital, so that our people need not be displaced from their homes."

While his words were grand and righteous, in his heart he was quite pleased with himself. He and Zhou Yanru had seized the opportunity of this Jianzhou incursion. First, they submitted successive memorials impeaching Yuan Chonghuan, establishing his guilt. Then, using the matter of Yuan Chonghuan killing a commander, they dragged down the Senior Grand Secretary Qian Longxi. Yuan Chonghuan's public notice at the time had clearly stated that he had discussed it with Qian Longxi, so Qian Longxi could not deny it. Originally, Qian Longxi and Yuan Chonghuan had supported each other from within and without. Now that Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, Wen Tiren and his faction seized this handle and pursued it relentlessly. On the very day Yuan Chonghuan was jailed, the two had instigated the Jiangxi Circuit Censor Gao Jie to impeach Qian Longxi, dragging him firmly into this quagmire. Qian Longxi's dismissal was now inevitable, and whether he could keep his head was hard to say.

At present, Zhou Yanru's entry into the Grand Secretariat was already settled. He and Wen Tiren were allies. Wen Tiren's foundation had originally been very shallow, but now with an ally in the Grand Secretariat, matters would be much easier to handle in the future. Zhou Yanru was only thirty-six years old now. Last year, regarding the Liaodong army's mutiny over pay, his opinions had been very insightful, and he began to receive the Chongzhen Emperor's attention. The Emperor had long intended to promote him, so this entry into the Grand Secretariat was only logical.

Wen Tiren had some self-awareness. In every aspect, he could not compare to this genius who had become Top Graduate at twenty. Entering the Grand Secretariat would likely be difficult for him. But now, suddenly having such a great military achievement in hand, the situation was immediately different. The Wang Qia they mentioned was the former Minister of War. This fellow had only been in office half a year when this incident occurred and had already been impeached, arrested, and imprisoned. It was indeed somewhat unjust, but Wen Tiren cared none for that. He continued to sling mud at him, conveniently rationalizing his own merit in strategic planning.

With this Jianzhou incursion, more people in the Grand Secretariat would likely be implicated, creating new vacancies. Therefore, Wen Tiren was even more anxious than the Chongzhen Emperor. He even considered the risk of personally going to Guanxian to solidify this strategic merit as soon as possible.

The Chongzhen Emperor looked at Wen Tiren with satisfaction and praised him, "A mere minor Picket Officer, yet able to take over six hundred heads, including one Jalai-i da and one Niru-i da. If the Ministry of War's inspection confirms it, this will be the greatest single tally of heads taken by our Great Ming against the Jianzhou tribe. A minor Picket Officer leading troops a thousand li to serve the King, and achieving such great merit." As he recalled the fleeing Liaodong troops, his expression darkened somewhat again.

Seeing the Emperor's expression, Wen Tiren quickly changed the subject. "Your Majesty, regarding this minor Picket Officer, perhaps Your Majesty already knows of him."

The Chongzhen Emperor said, "Oh? We do not seem to recall any officer of the Picket Officer rank."

"This Picket Officer is none other than Chen Xin, the Weihai Battalion Commander who, at the beginning of Your Majesty's reign, denounced Cui Chengxiu at the Ministry of War. He has since been promoted through merit to Picket Officer of the Wendeng Battalion and acting Vice Guard Commander of Weihai Guard."

The Chongzhen Emperor was truly surprised, for the incident had been so bizarre that he still remembered it even after two years. He recalled briefly and said, "So it was him. Two years ago, he bitterly denounced Cui Chengxiu. At that time, We also wished to reward his merit, but later a censor impeached him for violating the Great Ming Code by insulting a capital official of the third rank or above, so his merit and offense canceled each other out. I did not expect that he not only has righteous spirit in his heart, but also such courage, daring to form ranks and fight beneath the city walls. I wonder how many troops this Wendeng Battalion actually has?"

"Your Majesty, at first I too was surprised. Only upon asking did I learn that the Wendeng Battalion has a paper strength of over one thousand one hundred. In the tenth month, when the Wenxiang Sect revolt broke out in Laiyang, this Chen Xin, worried it would become another great rebellion like Xu Hongru's, agreed with the Laiyang County Magistrate to recruit over a thousand civilian braves, with the approval of the Deng-Lai Circuit. Thus, for this King's Service, they totaled over two thousand men. After the battle at Guanxian, their casualties were heavy, and they were forced to withdraw into the city. I fear they cannot engage in open battle in the near term."

The Chongzhen Emperor exclaimed "Excellent!" and laughed heartily. "A fine Wendeng Battalion, a fine Picket Officer. Two thousand men taking six hundred heads — this is also due to Minister Wen's strategic planning. The verification of merit for this matter shall be Minister Wen's responsibility. The Ministry of War, the Censorate, and the relevant offices of Shuntian Prefecture shall jointly inspect and verify the battle achievements. Since their losses are heavy, let them first hold Guanxian securely. The lost equipment, armor, rations, and pay shall be referred to the Ministry of War for joint deliberation. When he arrives in the capital, Minister Wen, you shall bring him for a palace audience. We wish to see him personally."

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The next day, Wen Tiren organized the relevant offices to prepare for this matter. As it was the major event of the moment and one the Emperor was focused on, efficiency was quite high. The Ministry of War first sent scout cavalry to investigate. They encountered the Wendeng Battalion's scout cavalry halfway and learned that the Jianzhou Bandits had already withdrawn from Guanxian. The various ministries and courts hastily dispatched personnel to Guanxian to verify.

Chen Xin personally received them, with Huang Side as his deputy. They gave silver and jewels, first establishing good relations. When the several superior officials examined the heads on the carts, they found they were all genuine barbarians. One of the Ministry of War secretaries even quietly advised Chen Xin to mix in some civilian heads.

The Jianzhou Bandits were still at Liangxiang, and the several capital officials were also afraid to travel outside the city at this time. After the inspection, they only sent mounted couriers back to the capital to deliver the message and stayed an extra two days in Guanxian. Chen Xin was very skilled at hosting. With good food and drink provided, everyone was very satisfied with him. Hearing that the Wendeng Battalion had been owed pay for over a year, the Ministry of War secretary even promised to help him request back pay and supplies from the Ministry of War upon his return, and they reached the conclusion that the battalion had suffered heavy losses and was temporarily unfit for further combat.

The several capital officials stayed for two days, still feeling less safe than in the capital, and hurried back. The Ministry of War had already reported their merit verification documents to the Grand Secretariat. By now, the entire court knew of the matter. This victory, emerging amidst a sea of defeats, captured everyone's attention. Although Chen Xin had not yet arrived in the capital, he was already the focus of all eyes. The only thing everyone found strange was that the credit for strategic planning had unexpectedly gone to Wen Tiren. Many believed he might enter the Grand Secretariat.

Outside the capital's walls, Huang Taiji had also made his point. He had halted at Liangxiang for nearly half a month, stripping the surrounding area completely clean. Every Banner had reaped rich income. Dorgon led his cavalry on a swaggering tour around Guanxian. The Ming troops dared not leave the city, so face was finally restored. When the armored soldiers drawn from each Niru returned and reported, morale was no longer affected by Unage's defeat.

Huang Taiji himself went to worship at the tomb of the Jin Dynasty's founding emperor outside Liangxiang city. He did not care whether he was truly of Jurchen descent; he steadfastly believed that the Jin founder from centuries ago was related to him. He laid out some sacrificial offerings, hoping the two Jin emperors would bless him, and then repeated the contents of the Seven Grievances and the like.

Although the King's Service armies arriving from the surrounding areas were gradually increasing in number, they were very scattered. Sun Chengzong had gone to Shanhai Pass to reorganize the Liaozhen troops. The largest King's Service force near the capital remained the Xuan-Da army led by Man Gui. Zhang Zongheng had also brought some troops from Datong to give to Man Gui. Combined with the regrouped troops from Changping, Miyun, and other places, Man Gui again had around thirty thousand men, stationed near Yongdingmen.

The Ministry of War gave Chen Xin no orders. He heard that the Emperor's original intention was to transfer him to the capital for an audience, but also worried about Guanxian falling, so Chen Xin still remained there with the Wendeng Battalion. The Chongzhen Emperor was determined to use Guanxian and Chen Xin as objects of positive propaganda, strictly ordering the Ministry of War to make proper arrangements and ensure Guanxian was not lost. Just then, some King's Service troops from Shanxi and Henan arrived at Zhuozhou via Zijing Pass. Under the Emperor's strict order, the Ministry of War transferred some of the newly arrived Henan troops from Zhuozhou to reinforce Guanxian city, making its defenses even more solid.

The situation around the capital seemed to be improving again. Because the Xuan-Da army had moved to Yongdingmen, communication between Guanxian and the capital became smoother. Just when Chen Xin thought he could safely enter the capital, the Later Jin army, which had remained inactive at Liangxiang for over ten days, suddenly struck. When they reached Lugou Bridge, they happened to encounter that spirit-dancing Vice Regional Commander Shen Fu. As a result, this master of magic arts was completely annihilated. However, he himself fought unyieldingly, suffering six blade wounds and several arrow punctures. Most of the several thousand beggar troops he led had already fled before leaving the city, and not one survived the battle.

Immediately afterward, the Later Jin army delivered a thunderous blow to the largest mobile Ming force outside Yongdingmen. The core Xuan-Da army had already suffered heavy losses. The cobbled-together King's Service troops had low combat effectiveness and collapsed in a single battle. From Man Gui and Sun Zushou down, over thirty generals of Mobile Corps Commander rank and above were killed. Hei Yunlong and Ma Dengyun were captured. It was another total annihilation. This defeat occurred just two li outside the capital's walls, witnessed firsthand by countless soldiers and civilians on the city walls. Fear of the Jianzhou Bandits within the city reached its peak.

After Huang Taiji crushed this force, no Ming troops in the vicinity dared to close in. He led his main army from the west of the capital around to the north, plundering as they went. At Deshengmen and other places, he twice left letters stating that peace negotiations were possible, adopting a very haughty posture. Finally, he returned to the northwest of the capital. The Later Jin army had made a complete circuit around the capital, roughly equivalent to the route between the modern-day Second and Third Ring Roads. All large Ming forces had been routed, and Liangxiang county seat had been captured. The Great Ming Dynasty's weakness was laid utterly bare.

Fortunately, Chen Xin's appearance provided the Ming court with one last fig leaf. On the twentieth day of the twelfth month, after confirming that the Later Jin army had moved north beyond Deshengmen, Chen Xin handed over the defense of Guanxian city to the Henan troops, left some soldiers behind to care for the wounded, and led the two thousand men of the Wendeng Battalion, escorting the heads, toward the capital under the guidance of a cavalry unit from the Five Armies Camp.