Chapter 122: He Who Can Plan, Decide, and Bear the Burden — Only Such a Man Deserves the Name!

Today there was only one Grade-A memorial — from the newly appointed Supreme Commander of Ji-Liao, Sun Chengzong.

"Memorial Petitioning That the Tiger Chieftain Be Sternly Rebuked to Keep the Peace."

The memorial's phrasing was exceedingly circumspect. It first stated that the Tiger Chieftain had migrated west and clashed with the Kharchin tribe, already crossing the tacit boundary between the Great Ming and the various Mongol tribes.

Sun Chengzong petitioned the court to immediately dispatch an envoy, bearing a state letter, to deliver a severe reprimand to the Tiger Chieftain.

He was to be sternly questioned as to why he had wantonly raised arms and shattered the peace of the steppe, and ordered to immediately withdraw to his own tribe's grazing lands.

Zhu Youjian set the memorial down and looked at Gao Shiming, who stood waiting to one side. "How is Master Sun's side progressing?"

Gao Shiming bowed and replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, Supreme Commander Sun has summoned troops by three-hundred-li express relay. Man Gui, Regional Commander of Liaodong, has personally led three thousand cavalry and already reached Tongzhou to rendezvous."

"The five hundred elite household retainers each drawn from the Xuanfu and Datong garrisons have also arrived. Only the two thousand household retainers drawn from the various Shaanxi garrisons are still en route, due to the greater distance."

Zhu Youjian nodded lightly.

The hammer was preliminarily in place. It was time to secure the righteous mandate for sending forth the troops.

Sun Chengzong's move here appeared to be asking the court to send an envoy to scold someone, but in truth, he was shouldering the entire strategic risk alone upon his own shoulders.

If we win, it was His Majesty devising strategies from behind the curtains, his celestial might spreading far and wide.

If we lose, it is merely Sun Chengzong, greedy for glory and rashly advancing, mishandling the situation and damaging our amity with the Mongols — nothing more.

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell upon the Grand Secretariat's draft rescript appended to the back of the memorial.

Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji had taken the lead, and the Ministry of War's discussion opinion was also attached.

The core meaning was one word: Agreed.

But after agreeing, they had further appended a long string of "potential problems."

"… It may risk antagonizing the Tiger Chieftain, causing him to defect to the barbarian chieftain, to the detriment of our border defenses."

"… The wording of the envoy's mission should be primarily conciliatory, displaying grace and reasoning with principle; it should not be overly provocative."

"… The Ji Garrison and Xuanfu line should make early preparations for war, to guard against unforeseen developments."

Did this make sense?

Every word, read in isolation, seemed the prudent counsel of seasoned statesmen.

But strung together, they exuded a clinging, inescapable air of decrepitude.

Between every line, it was as if a single sentence was written: We have already spoken our piece beforehand. If trouble arises in the future, do not lay the blame on our heads.

Zhu Youjian's fingers tapped lightly upon the imperial desk.

What should he choose?

Should he imitate the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of War, endorse it with a "Noted," and then wash his hands of the whole affair?

Claim the credit in victory, and shirk the blame in defeat?

If these six thousand cavalry were truly annihilated to the last man, if this gamble on the nation's fate ended in utter failure — then behead Sun Chengzong, this Imperial Tutor, at the Nine Frontiers, and parade his head throughout the realm?

And then proclaim to the world that it was Sun Chengzong who greedily sought glory and rashly advanced, while he, Zhu Youjian, remained that sagely and faultless sovereign, merely deceived for a time by a treacherous minister?

"Ha."

A soft laugh escaped Zhu Youjian's lips.

What cowardly behavior that would be!

If one cannot make decisive judgments and bear responsibility in the moment, how can one ever act as a true man of stature!

Sun Chengzong, ah, Sun Chengzong — you still think far too little of me!

I do not merely thirst for victory; I am equally willing to shoulder defeat!

Zhu Youjian abruptly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, and fixed it straight on Gao Shiming. "Relay my decree!"

Gao Shiming's heart tightened. He hurriedly bowed. "This slave attends!"

"Summon the Grand Secretariat ministers, and all personnel from the Ministry of War connected to this matter, to Wuying Hall immediately for a council!"

Half a shichen later, Wuying Hall.

Zhu Youjian, dressed in a black riding and archery everyday robe, strode in from outside the hall, travel-worn and dusty.

He casually tossed the horsewhip in his hand to a junior eunuch who had followed him in, walked straight to the imperial throne, and sat down with a bold, expansive posture.

"Your subjects pay respects to Your Majesty!"

The dozen or so civil officials, led by Huang Liji, had long been waiting here. Seeing this, they hurriedly performed their obeisance.

"Dispensed with."

Zhu Youjian waved a hand, his voice betraying not a trace of emotion.

"I presume you have all read Supreme Commander Sun's memorial. Speak — each of you, your own views."

Silence filled the hall.

The ministers looked at one another. Finally, Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji steeled himself and stepped forward from the ranks. "Your Majesty, your subjects believe that with the Tiger Chieftain and the Kha tribe at war, our Great Ming should sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Once both are wounded, we can then step in to mediate — that is the superior strategy."

"Sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight?" Zhu Youjian repeated, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "That requires the two tigers to be roughly equal in strength. Do you ministers truly believe the Kharchin tribe can be mentioned in the same breath as the Tiger Chieftain?"

The assembled men remained silent.

The answer was self-evident.

The Kha tribe had fought a years-long security war against the Great Ming, both sides wallowing together in the same mud pit, their strength declining in tandem.

Ligdan Khan, on the other hand, though he dared not face the Later Jin directly, had nonetheless fought with real blades and real blood on the Liaodong battlefield.

Moreover, leveraging the Great Ming's resource tilt after the Liaodong crisis, his military preparedness considerably outstripped that of the weaker Mongol Right Wing.

Zhu Youjian shook his head, his voice suddenly turning icy. "You all know — if the Great Ming does not intervene, the Kha tribe will certainly be defeated!"

His sharp gaze swept across the face of every minister below the dais.

"I ask you again — once the Tiger Chieftain has won, and swallowed up the Kharchin, how should our Great Ming respond then?"

A Bureau Director from the Ministry of War mustered his courage, stepped out, and said, "Your Majesty, at that point, we could sever his frontier trade market as a punitive measure."

"Sever the trade market?" Zhu Youjian looked as if he had heard a joke. "The war is already over, the other side's blade is already pressed to the Ji Garrison's outer perimeter — and you talk of severing his trade market?"

"He sends someone back to the capital to weep a few grievances and apologize — does anyone think our Great Ming can really just stubbornly refuse?"

The Bureau Director's face instantly flushed scarlet, and he stammered, not daring to speak.

Zhu Youjian's pressing questions did not stop: "And if the Tiger Khan, after finishing the Khalkha tribe, turns around and strikes the Buryat tribe and the Shuluut tribe?"

Second Grand Secretary Shi Fenglai said thoughtfully, "At that point, we might perhaps unite the various grassland tribes and strike him together."

"Unite?" Zhu Youjian's voice rose several degrees. "By then, will the tribes beyond the passes still trust our Great Ming? To whom will they turn for aid? To our Great Ming, defeated in battle after battle, able only to hole up behind strong walls — or to that barbarian chieftain in Liaodong who, since his rise, has never known defeat?"

"This…"

No one could answer.

Because the answer was equally self-evident.

These Mongol tribes worship strength above all. Whoever's fist is harder, they obey.

The critique of words has never matched the critique of weapons.

"The Liaodong barbarian chieftain, I fear!"

Zhu Youjian gave the answer, each word deliberate and weighted.

He slowly rose from his seat and paced back and forth at the center of the great hall.

"On this matter, from the very start, our Great Ming's position must be absolutely clear!"

"In Mongol affairs, Great Ming has only one principle: to preserve the dynamic balance among the tribes beyond the passes! Any power that attempts to disrupt this balance shall become our enemy!"

His voice echoed through the great hall, carrying an unyielding finality that brooked no doubt.

"Our Great Ming, to the grasslands, should be as the North Star — dwelling in its place while the host of stars revolve around it. Not by force of arms, but by force of authority. And what is authority? Rewards and punishments clearly meted out, words spoken always followed by deeds — that is authority!"

"Whoever upholds this balance is Great Ming's friend! Whoever destroys this balance shall face Great Ming's wrath! This — this is our Great Ming's bottom line on the northern frontier!"

Zhu Youjian halted abruptly, turned to face the assembled ministers, his gaze burning bright.

"We are already prepared to pay any price to uphold this principle!"

"Should this campaign meet with any failure, the responsibility rests upon Us alone! What you must do is act boldly, exert every effort, and no longer shrink back in fear as you did before!"

"Is that understood!"

Within the hall, every minister bowed low, their response rising like a mountain echo: "Your subjects… obey the decree!"

"Dispatch an envoy at once to warn Ligdan Khan. The wording must be stern and unequivocal — not the slightest ambiguity!"

"At the same time, convey our Great Ming's stance to every tribe beyond the passes!"

"That is all."

Zhu Youjian finished speaking, gave the assembled men not another glance, turned, and strode out of the hall.

He did not withdraw into the rear hall as he usually did, but exited directly through the front of the hall.

A young eunuch hurriedly handed over the riding crop.

In the blink of an eye, a crisp "Hyah!" sounded from beyond the hall, followed by the urgent beat of hoofbeats, which rose and then gradually faded into the distance.

The men in the hall slowly straightened themselves, still silent, each face bearing a trace of shock.

A moment later, it was Huang Liji who came to his senses first. He sighed deeply and looked around at the civil officials in the hall.

"Now… does everyone understand what those six thousand cavalry at Tongzhou are for?"

Huo Weihua's expression turned grave. He cupped his hands solemnly: "Upon returning to the ministry, this humble official shall immediately designate this the highest priority. All funds, grain, arms, and equipment shall be directed toward it!"

Li Guopu, standing nearby, immediately added: "At the Court of State Ceremonial, this old minister shall personally oversee the matter. Before the day is out, the envoy candidates and the draft state letter shall be prepared!"

Shi Fenglai continued: "The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works — I shall follow up personally to ensure all supplies and military provisions are allocated with priority and put in place!"

Huang Liji nodded and waved his hand: "Go, then. Return to your respective ministries and get moving at once."

The assembled men dispersed at once, their steps hurried, bearing none of the leisurely ease with which they had arrived.

Huang Liji fell to the rear, slowly stepping over the high threshold of Wuying Hall.

It was nearly noon. At some point, dark clouds had massed thick across the sky, blotting out the sunlight. Between heaven and earth, all was gloom.

A cold gust of wind blew through, whipping up the fallen leaves from the ground.

Huang Liji instinctively drew his collar tighter and could not help turning back to glance at the gilded plaque bearing the characters "Wuying Hall" hanging beneath the eaves.

Wuying Hall…

This young sovereign — I fear that from the very first time he summoned his ministers in Wuying Hall, he already held in his heart the thunderous resolve he revealed today.

Only… for this storm-tossed Great Ming, is that ultimately a blessing or a curse?

A fierce gust swept past, setting the bronze bells at the hall's corners chiming and clattering.

The weather — it truly is about to change.