Chapter 1784: You Unfilial Son!

Xuanfu, the imperial city, the Eastern Warm Pavilion of the Chengyun Hall.

"Your Majesty, the Chahar tribe's vitality has not truly recovered. Although the Chahar have absorbed the forces of the Tumed, the Ordos, the Uriankhai (the Uriankhai Tumen is also a major Mongol group, and the Uriankhai Grand Princess could only take in a portion of them), and the Kharchin, and have also pacified the Mongol and Han farmers tilling the Tumed Plain and the old lands of Dongsheng Guard, their total population may now exceed one million! But this year both the Tumed Plain and the old Dongsheng Guard lands suffered drought and war, and the grain harvest has been cut by at least half. And the Chahar have spent these past two years wandering from place to place, fighting without pause, and have long since burned through their old reserves. If they don't take advantage of what strength they still have to send troops out to seize grain, then when the lean season comes, I fear people will start dying in great numbers. So the Khutugtu Khan simply cannot wait until autumn — he wants to send troops to Mount Mameng, the Liao River bend, and the Khorchin steppe for a great plunder!"

The one exposing Ligdan Batur for the paper tiger he truly was, was none other than that "great diplomat" with a face as thick as a city wall — Zu Kefa.

Don't be fooled by the man's lack of integrity — he truly understood the Mongols. Zu Dashou's household retainers were full of barbarian soldiers, all Mongols, and Zu Kefa had mixed with them for so many years; how could he not know them?

Zhu Youjian, who had just returned to his "home in Xuanfu," had changed into a Daoist robe and was leaning casually against the imperial seat. On a small table before him were laid a few snacks and a pot of clear tea. Beside him sat a Mongol woman with a large belly — none other than the Uriankhai Grand Princess, who was holding Ligdan Batur's personal letter and reading it.

"Grand Princess, what do you make of this?" Zhu Youjian glanced at the Uriankhai Grand Princess. "Can't that brother of yours just settle down for a few months?"

The Uriankhai Grand Princess laughed heartily: "Mongols, you know — when there's nothing to eat, they go raiding. If they don't raid east, they'll go raid Shaanxi!"

"Raid Shaanxi? Would he dare?" Zhu Youjian snorted, then added: "If he truly lacks grain, We can lend him some. We don't have much to spare, but We can still produce two or three hundred thousand shi."

In truth, Zhu Youjian was short of grain too. In the first year of Chongzhen, many places had suffered disasters, and in the Northern Metropolitan Region, many areas had also been overrun by the Later Jin troops at autumn harvest time.

But the Great Ming's foundations were, after all, deeper than the Chahar's. Moreover, since last year Zhu Youjian had assigned Sun Chengzong's Censorate to take over the duties of the Salt Transport Office and begin gradually restoring the kaizhong system. By the summer of the first year of Chongzhen, a good deal of grain was already being shipped by sea to Juehua Island, so the grain supply in the Northern Metropolitan Region was not overly tight.

Furthermore, Zhu Youjian had made Xuanfu his "new home," intending to use it as his base — controlling the steppe to the north, commanding the capital region to the south, linking with the Chahar to the west, and campaigning in the Yan Mountains to the east. Therefore, from the autumn of the first year of Chongzhen onward, he had been stockpiling grain in Xuanfu. By New Year's, he had stored up seven or eight hundred thousand shi, and could finally spare a little for the Chahar, his ally.

The Uriankhai Grand Princess laughed: "Your Majesty, he will certainly want to borrow the grain — otherwise my brother would never dare send troops east during the spring famine!

When it comes to warfare, this brother of mine loves nothing more than opportunism. This time he simply wants to fight the fed with the unfed — to strike the Kharchin before the slave bandits can gather their own grain supplies!"

"The slave bandits keep several thousand men permanently stationed at Mount Mameng," Zhu Youjian asked. "And they have also selected warriors from among the Kharchin and the Inner Khalkha to form the Eight Banners Mongols. A battle at Mount Mameng will not be easy to win, will it?"

"Your Majesty," Zu Kefa took over the question, "that is why the Khutugtu Khan also wishes to borrow a few thousand suits of cloth-faced iron armor from you."

"A few thousand suits?" Zhu Youjian let out a breath and laughed. "He certainly knows how to scheme. We provide the army's grain and the iron armor, while he contributes only a few troops. If he wins, he'll seize most of the spoils; if he loses, he's quick as a rabbit to run!"

The Uriankhai Grand Princess giggled: "Your Majesty, that brother of mine is exactly that sort of man. If you're unwilling to give the grain and armor, just refuse him."

Zhu Youjian frowned and was silent for a while before speaking: "Since he wants to fight during the spring famine, then We shall fight this battle with him. But January is too late — February. After the fourth day of the second month, any day will do for a covenant assembly at Xinghe Fortress. We will prepare for the Khutugtu Khan one hundred thousand shi of grain, one hundred thousand bundles of fodder, and three thousand suits of cloth-faced armor."

Zu Kefa let out a breath and smiled: "Your Majesty, I'll set out beyond the pass tomorrow. At the latest, by the fifth day of the new year I can reach the Tumed Plain."

Zhu Youjian smiled: "No need to rush so. Before the fourth day of the second month, We will not be leaving Xuanfu."

The Uriankhai Grand Princess was a little curious: "Your Majesty, what important matter is there before the fourth day of the second month?"

"Because the fourth day of the second month next year is his birthday."

"Who is he?"

Zhu Youjian smiled: "He is Our son, Zhu Cilang!"

The Uriankhai Grand Princess was taken aback: "Your Majesty, you already know now what will happen on the fourth day of the second month next year?"

"Of course!" Zhu Youjian laughed. "How could We not know when Our eldest son will be born?"

So the unfilial son was coming!

The fourth day of the second month in the second year of Chongzhen was the unfilial son's birthday! Toward this unfilial son who had personally taught him how to be a wise ruler, Zhu Youjian felt both hatred and love. He hated that the unfilial son had seized his great power; he loved that the unfilial son had turned back the tide when all seemed lost and propped up the great edifice when it was about to collapse. He had saved the Great Ming, and saved Zhu Youjian himself.

What pleased Zhu Youjian even more was that this unfilial son had also taught him how to be a wise ruler more cunning than a treacherous minister, more ferocious than a Tartar, and more grasping than Wei Zhongxian.

In a certain sense, the unfilial son Zhu Cilang was the Chongzhen Emperor's teacher!

Now the Chongzhen Emperor was like a poor student who had turned into a top scholar, and naturally he longed for his teacher to announce the examination. He had to let his unfilial teacher see that now his empire was as solid as bedrock, and no one could take it away!

But Zhu Youjian still had a trace of worry. Since the eighth month of the seventh year of Tianqi, many things had already changed. He did not know whether the unfilial son would still be born the same as in his previous life.

If the one who came this time was not the unfilial son, that would be a terrible pity!

So from the end of the first year of Chongzhen onward, Zhu Youjian was always worried that the unfilial son would not come.

And the fourth day of the second month in the second year of Chongzhen finally arrived amid Zhu Youjian's anticipation and worry!

For the past three days, Zhu Youjian had had no mind for anything else. He paid no attention to the training of the re-mustered headquarters army, did not read the memorials and military reports sent from Beijing by the Grand Secretariat, and did not even ask about the progress of the land survey and household registration in the eight prefectures of the Northern Metropolitan Region. He simply stayed by Empress Zhou's side all day, fearing she might give birth "too early" or "too late."

If the hour of the reincarnation was off, the one born would not be the unfilial son!

So he waited and waited, and finally, in the early morning of the fourth day of the second month, Empress Zhou showed the great signs of imminent labor. The several midwives, long since prepared, immediately helped Empress Zhou into the birthing room that had been made ready according to Zhu Youjian's instructions.

Zhu Youjian, of course, could not go in, so he had to wait anxiously in the outer room with Noble Consort Tian, Noble Consort Yuan, the Uriankhai Grand Princess, and the others, listening to Empress Zhou's cries and the midwives' shouts of encouragement. The waves of shouting went on for who knew how long, and just when Zhu Youjian was beginning to grumble that the unfilial son was being slow about things, a familiar cry finally rang out!

That's right, Zhu Youjian thought to himself: this is the unfilial son!

By then a midwife, beaming with joy, had already come out of the birthing room carrying a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Seeing Zhu Youjian, she cried out: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Joy to Your Majesty! It is a prince!"

"Quick, quick — bring him here for Us to see!" Zhu Youjian said, and went up himself to "snatch" the child.

And indeed, his way of holding the baby was quite proper (in his previous life he had had over two hundred children). He took into his arms the newborn Zhu Cilang, who already had a full head of black hair and was frowning with a thoroughly displeased look on his face — exactly the same as the one he had seen in his previous life!

Seeing Zhu Cilang's rosy little face, and then that expression of "I'm unhappy, leave me alone," Chongzhen could not help bursting into laughter: "Hahaha, it's you! You unfilial son! You've finally been born!"

Zhu Cilang, apparently having heard someone call him an unfilial son, immediately turned hostile and burst out crying with a loud "Waa—", his voice ringing and full of vigor!

(End of Chapter)