Chapter 160

The Capital, the Forbidden City.

Inside the Imperial Study, the nominal master of the Great Ming was venting his displeasure with an angry roar.

"Incompetent!"

"Useless!"

"Military officers do not fight to the death!"

"Civil officials run fast!"

"In this Jingji Region, the Jiannu come as they please and leave as they please~~~"

"What does Zhen take this place for!?"

The easily enraged Chongzhen Emperor raised his hand, clenched his fist, and smashed it onto the desk.

Unexpectedly, his wrist was too close and collided with the paperweight.

Amid a crisp sound, the wristwatch on his wrist was immediately damaged.

With his wrist hurting and his heart aching, the Chongzhen Emperor's face darkened further.

This star-dial wristwatch was extremely beautiful; it was his beloved possession~~~

The eunuchs serving in the Imperial Study all lowered their heads, activating their hiding skill, deeply afraid the Emperor would drag them out as typical targets for venting anger.

Gazing at the broken wristwatch, on the Chongzhen Emperor's slightly gaunt face, a storm was brewing.

At this critical moment, the urgent military intelligence rushed in, easing the heavy atmosphere in the Imperial Study.

"The Jiannu Army passed Tong Zhou without entering, heading directly south."

Everyone could feel that the Chongzhen Emperor had obviously breathed a sigh of relief.

The dark clouds dispersed; the Imperial Study seemed to have regained its vitality.

Heading directly south meant they were not here to attack the Capital; this way, everyone was safe.

"Your Majesty~~~"

Seeing the Emperor's face turn from cloudy to sunny, the Ceremonial Bing Bi Tai Eunuch Wang Chengen at his side stepped forward and flattered in a gentle voice, "The Jiannu must fear the Capital's heavy troops, not daring to face Your Majesty's dragon might."

After the customary flattery came the customary asking after health: "Your Majesty rises early and sleeps late, works late and misses meals."

"Why not have some meals served first?"

"Zhen has no appetite." Casually removing the damaged wristwatch, the Chongzhen Emperor strode to the Dragon Chair and sat down.

"Sigh~~~ Bring a can of honey water."

Lin Dao's Ju Bao Lou business had never ceased.

Merchant caravans from the Northern Regions and Southern Land still wholesale goods from Ju Bao Lou, shipping them north and south by the shipload.

The common people of the Northern Lands indeed live in dire straits.

But the living standards of high officials and nobles have not dropped much.

The Capital containing immense wealth, the Jin Merchant Mansions hoarding blood-sweat money, the mansions of the Liaodong Generals, even the powerful nobles inside Shenyang City are all buying.

One sentence describes it: good goods will inevitably be sought after.

Not to mention the north-south trade routes haven't been cut; even if war blockades them, merchants always have ways to transport goods through.

As long as there is profit.

At least inside the Capital containing tens of millions of taels of wealth, there is no lack of various industrial goods from the Modern World.

Like the canned honey water the Chongzhen Emperor loves to eat, there are many in the city, also deeply liked by powerful eunuch households.

A eunuch presented the Emperor's favorite canned citrus honey water.

Extending chopsticks to pick up the citrus segments held in the crystal-clear glass jar, he placed them in his mouth and chewed.

The fruit's crisp fragrance mixed with the sweet sugar water, and the Chongzhen Emperor's expression gradually relaxed.

Sweetness can make one feel happiness.

The Chongzhen Emperor who worried all day long only tasted the flavor of happiness at this time.

The observant Wang Chengen immediately stepped forward to advise, "Your Majesty."

"Although the Jiannu have not come to the Capital, the city's defenses must still be tightened, to guard against the Jiannu making a return strike."

"Hmm." Leaning back in his chair, the Chongzhen Emperor casually asked, "What does Zhou Xueshi say?"

Zhou Xueshi is Zhou Yanru.

He should have been broken by external pressure when Abatai breached the pass, forced to take the blame for the Emperor.

But Lin Dao's sudden northward march to eliminate the Tartars saved his life.

Until now, he still serves as his Grand Secretary.

"The Cabinet Elder's meaning."

Wang Chengen, who had long since coordinated with Zhou Yanru, finally turned to the main topic.

"The Capital's defense; as Grand Secretary, he bears inescapable responsibility."

"However, the Jiannu's movements also need constant monitoring."

"Coordinating the King Qin Troops from various regions, raising military funds, and other matters also require capable ministers to handle."

Although his ability is mediocre, he has been Emperor for over ten years after all.

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor gradually gained clear understanding in his heart.

He opened his eyes and looked at Wang Chengen, "Who does he want to protect?"

"Sagely and faultless, Your Majesty."

Wang Chengen lowered his head even further.

"Cabinet Elder Zhou's meaning: please Your Majesty show grace, allow Shi Kefa to redeem his crimes with merit."

This is the common rule for civil officials and eunuchs in the late Ming Dynasty to jointly deal with the Emperor.

It cannot be called perfunctory; one can only say this method is the most effective.

The Chongzhen Emperor, who eats soft but not hard, really eats this up.

He frowned in deep thought, looking as if pondering.

But Wang Chengen, who knows him well, knew this matter succeeded.

With His Majesty's temper, if he were unwilling, he would have erupted in a scolding right then and there.

Sure enough, the Chongzhen Emperor, after pondering a moment, actually nodded.

"Very well."

Wang Chengen unmovedly glanced at the wall clock in the corner; it should ring in a moment.

Today's affairs are more or less done like this.

Wait for His Majesty to finish the honey water, next comes handling some memorials and documents of no great significance, then dining and sleeping.

But an accident happened precisely at this moment.

Another urgent military report arrived.

The Supreme Commander of Canal Transport of Huai'an Prefecture sent an urgent military report.

"Jiangnan Lin Bandits, large-scale northward advance!"

Huai'an City, Caoyun Yamen.

"This yamen, dilapidated to this extent."

Lin Dao laughed heartily, "Officials don't repair yamens, superficial articles are all a set routine, what f*cking use are they."

The era's atmosphere is such.

If the officialdom engages in grand construction building halls and pavilions, it gives an impression of extravagance, possibly arousing public discontent,

That is, they would be impeached for extravagance, waste, and such.

For the sake of face, basically all are frugally repairing yamens, or not repairing them at all.

But in reality?

The people inside never miss out on the enjoyments they should have, and the benefits they should take are never refused with a soft hand.

Last time coming over, rushing hurriedly to go fight Tartars.

Along the way prefectures and counties were not violated in the slightest.

This time is different; Lin Dao advances seizing as he goes, taking everything down.

When attacking Huai'an City, it cannot be called attacking; one can only say the opposite side opened the gates and surrendered.

The Supreme Commander of Canal Transport and the Prefect and others, seeing outside on the Grand Canal masts like clouds, sterns stretching a thousand li.

On shore troops and horses ten thousand heads gathering, mountains of people seas of people.

They were directly scared out of their wits, abandoned city defenses and simply ran away.

The Ming Army guarding the city, or rather the able-bodied men forcibly conscripted, soon opened the gates and surrendered.

It is not that they were unwilling to serve the Emperor loyally; they simply could not fight.

Huai'an Prefecture originally had no strong troops; those soldiers and horses before were all taken away by Shi Kefa to Luzhou.

After Shi Kefa was escorted to the capital, he was again taken by Huang Degong and others to Wuchang Prefecture.

Result: total annihilation.

The newly appointed Supreme Commander of Canal Transport, with great difficulty, raised several thousand men, all able-bodied men lacking both rations and pay.

Under such circumstances, facing the boundless bandit army outside, with what head can they defend the city?

Although their mouths shouted to serve the Emperor loyally.

Being alive is probably better than being dead.

"It is not that we ministers are not loyal; helplessly the opposite side has too many people!"

"Bring the 'Gentry Register'."

Lin Dao shook the booklet in his hand, "According to the records on this, go door to door to raid homes and seize people."

"Also don't care whether they have good reputations, whether they are good people or not."

"With just that bit of salary the Great Ming Court gives, they have no money to be good people."

"As for ancestral accumulation, that is even more laughable; from where was it accumulated?"

"Unless his family is as poor as Hai Rui, otherwise raid them all."

Every place he arrives, the immovable first thing is to first raid homes.

Local gentry and large landlords, all seized.

As for trials and such, at that time naturally handed over to the common people to dispose of.

Huai'an Prefecture is somewhat special; the second thing Lin Dao arranged was to dispatch troops to seize the various coastal salt fields.

The North has Changlu, the South is the Two Huai.

These two major salt fields account for most of the Ming Dynasty's edible salt production.

He also arranged for craftsmen to accompany, transforming salt fields, changing to the solar salt method to increase output and improve quality.

Then announced the abolition of all slave registries.

Those lowly castes set by Zhu Yuanzhang, all abolished.

The Yuan Dynasty divided people into four classes; by the time of Old Zhu it became ten classes.

One officials, two clerks, three monks, four Daoists, five doctors, six farmers, seven artisans, eight commoners, nine scholars, ten beggars.

These differential treatments, now all abolished.

"Disperse to each county to recruit able-bodied men, organize the Huai'an Camp."

"Specific quotas according to local population numbers, divided proportionally."

Local garrison troops are an important force for maintaining local stability.

Like Huai'an Prefecture organizing the Huai'an Camp, with a regular soldier quota of three thousand.

Recruited dispersedly from various counties and villages, prohibiting concentrated recruitment in any single village or county.

Soldiers trained through the camp's night school serve as officers at all levels, stationed in various places to maintain order, suppress guilds and beating gangs, and exterminate bandits.

These recruited regular soldiers are given their own land locally, and are exempt from taxes.

To protect their own family assets, these garrison troops' combat will must not be weak.

Land distribution provides grain and agricultural tools, reorganizing local government offices, clearing out city foxes, temple rats, beating gangs, and beggars.

The matters are numerous and complex.

Only after finishing these did Lin Dao continue northward along the Grand Canal.

All the way to the Elevated River.

Looking at the gradually drying riverbed, Lin Dao exhaled, "The Imperial Court, the bandits, neither are good things."

Last year Li Zicheng attacked Kaifeng, besieging the city for half a year without taking it.

Henan Governor Gao Mingheng and others breached the Zhu Family Dyke of the Yellow River, drawing Yellow River water to flood the besieging troops.

After the Yellow River breached its banks, with continuous rain for over ten days, floodwaters submerged all of Kaifeng city, the city's residents all perished in the water, and Gao Mingheng and Prince Zhou Zhu Gongxiao and others escaped by small boat.

On Li Zicheng's side, upon hearing the news he moved to high ground, while simultaneously driving tens of thousands of cannon-fodder refugees to also dig the embankment.

The refugees dug open a section of the Yellow River Embankment, drawing Yellow River water to flood Kaifeng city.

As a result, not only was Kaifeng city submerged, but the tens of thousands of refugees digging the embankment were all drowned.

The entire Kaifeng city is said to have had a population of one million.

During the siege, twelve or thirteen out of every hundred died of plague, and the rest were all drowned.

And this is only the beginning.

The Yellow River breached its banks, causing the entire downstream region to become a vast marsh, with countless deaths as a result.

Here at the Elevated River, it is also because the Yellow River breached its banks, causing the flow to greatly decrease.

This is undoubtedly a man-made disaster, truly a grave sin.

Standing by the Suspended River bank, Lin Dao put his hands on his waist, holding a clod of earth beneath his feet, "Don't let me encounter you, if I encounter one, I won't let any go!"

"Great Commander~~~"

A guard delivered an urgent document.

"Slave Chief Huang Taiji personally led troops southward to seize Jinan Prefecture, dividing forces to station in various places, seizing and harvesting summer grain."

Lin Dao's heart stirred slightly.

"This is aimed at me!"

End of Chapter