Chapter 191: Now This Is a Loyal Subject! (Please Subscribe)

Zhu Cilang said, "The military classics say: to hold the Yangtze you must hold the Huai; to protect Yangzhou you must protect Jingzhou. But in Our view, the doctrines of holding the Huai and protecting Jingzhou have all failed to account for the convenience of sea routes. The Western barbarians have already built gun-ships capable of sailing tens of thousands of li, and in our Great Ming's southeast there are also great magnates like Zheng Zhilong and Shen Tingyang, who possess hundreds of large ships and can range across the eastern, southern, and northern seas. Therefore the Dengzhou-Laizhou peninsula, ringed by sea on three sides, can be linked with Jiangnan as one body by sea routes.

And by holding Dengzhou-Laizhou, we can also threaten Liaodong, Tianjin, and Joseon across the sea. If the Tartars cannot take all of Dengzhou-Laizhou, then their old nest in Liaodong, their vassal Joseon, and the three Tianjin guards that choke the sea route to Northern Zhili will all lie under the edge of our Great Ming's sword."

The Crown Prince paused, then said with emphasis, "Along a coastline of several thousand li, even tens of thousands of true Manchu Tartars would find it hard to defend every point. And how large is the Tartar population? If they leave tens of thousands of warriors to guard the home front, how many men will they still have to send to Jiangnan?

Therefore, if Jiangnan is to be free of worry, the Dengzhou-Laizhou front must hold! And to hold Dengzhou-Laizhou, we must reorganize the guard battalions and establish local militia. Let the Dengzhou-Laizhou gentry and guard-battalion officers who have neither the will nor the strength to resist leave as soon as possible, and organize the loyal men who have both the strength and the will. This special Dengzhou-Laizhou examination is precisely to select loyal men who dare to fight!"

Ma Shiying and Lu Zhenfei now finally understood what it felt like to be enlightened from the crown of the head down! That was exactly how they felt after hearing Zhu Cilang's analysis!

There was no need to say it: Zhu Cilang was surely the reincarnation of the Great Ancestor, the Lofty Emperor. Otherwise he was an heroic sovereign on par with the Great Ancestor and the Accomplished Ancestor.

With him here, the Great Ming realm was as firm as a boulder, and Ma Shiying's and Lu Zhenfei's official positions were naturally just as secure.

The two men exchanged a glance, then both rose and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness is brilliant, heroic, and of extraordinary insight. This old subject bows in admiration and is willing to serve Your Highness unto death!"

"Your Highness is truly a sovereign of restoration. This old subject is willing to render Your Highness the service of saddle and horse!"

Lu Jiude, who had come together with Ma Shiying and Lu Zhenfei, stared wide-eyed at the two traitorous ministers throwing in their lot with the rebellious son!

The rebellious son had not even granted them offices or made them promises, yet the two of them were already rushing to defect. Was that how they repaid His Majesty?

"Thousand Years!" Lu Jiude gritted his teeth, rose, and also made a bow. "The officials gathered in Yanzhou, upon hearing that His Majesty is ill and unable to govern, are all burning with anxiety. And because they must arrange the campaigns against Jinan Prefecture, the Eastern Depot Prefecture, and Guide Prefecture, they cannot for the time being come to Dengzhou Prefecture to see His Majesty. Therefore they sent this old slave, together with Governor-General Ma and Governor-General Lu, to come in their stead. Might we be permitted to see His Majesty once?"

Zhu Cilang's authority to supervise the army and act as regent had been seized, but he could not say so openly. A filial child like him could not say that he had taken up a sword and led armored soldiers to drive the Chongzhen Emperor from power, could he? He could not say that! Therefore, in the Capital Gazette and in the public decrees, the Chongzhen Emperor was said to be unable to govern due to illness, and that was why the Crown Prince was supervising the army and acting as regent.

Thus, in theory, the state of the Chongzhen Emperor's illness also bore upon whether Zhu Cilang could continue to hold power!

Hearing Lu Jiude drag them into it as well, the two great traitorous ministers both started, then put on utterly innocent expressions and shuffled a small step to the side — we are not in league with Lu Jiude! We are upright gentlemen, not eunuch-party men!

"Very well!" Zhu Cilang nodded with a smile. "Since the three of you wish to see His Majesty, then go to the traveling palace shortly and request an audience. Imperial Father has just recovered from a serious illness and is still recuperating. By the time we reach Nanjing, he should be able to govern and attend to affairs again."

He then asked Ma Shiying, "Governor-General Ma, have you brought Zhu Yujian?"

"In reply to Thousand Years, the former Prince of Tang, Zhu Yujian, and Zhu Yujian's two brothers, Zhu Yuyue and Zhu Yu'e, have all followed this subject to Dengzhou," Ma Shiying said. "At present the three brothers are lodging temporarily at an inn, guarded by this subject's headquarters-battalion personal troops."

"Why are they staying at an inn?" Zhu Cilang was taken aback, then laughed. "Oh, you came in disguise, did you not?"

"This subject and the others all came in disguise," Ma Shiying said. "The roads in Shandong are still somewhat unsettled, and this subject feared that bandits might do us harm along the way, so this subject, Governor-General Lu, and Eunuch Lu dressed as traveling merchants. After arriving in Dengzhou, we had intended to stay at the post station, but the Dengzhou post station does not receive outside officials, so we lodged at an inn."

Zhu Cilang smiled. "Dengzhou is thronged with officials and dignitaries; the post station has long been packed full." He paused, then added, "We have other matters today and will not have time to summon the Prince of Tang and his brothers.

Governor-General Ma, bring them to the Marshal's Office tomorrow. Furthermore, the Prince of Tang was wronged. We know of his grievance, and We will clear his name and entrust him with important duties. When you return, tell him what We have said."

"This old subject receives the decree."

Zhu Cilang nodded, then said to Lu Zhenfei, "Minister Lu, come to the Marshal's Office tomorrow as well. We have some questions about the grain transport. We also wish to know the situation in Huai'an."

"This subject receives the decree."

Lu Zhenfei also made a bow.

Both the grain transport and Huai'an Prefecture were under Lu Zhenfei's jurisdiction. Therefore, among the several governor-generalships in Southern Zhili, he was an extremely important one, directly bearing upon the defense of the Huai and the defense of the Yangtze — the grain transport had ships and sailors! Once the ships and manpower of the grain transport were in hand, the foundation of a Yangtze River navy would exist.

Huai'an Prefecture went without saying: it sat astride the junction of the Grand Canal and the Huai River. If Huai'an was held, the defense of Jiangnan would pose little problem.

Having arranged a meeting time with Lu Zhenfei, Zhu Cilang turned his gaze to Lu Jiude.

"Companion Lu," Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "you have had no easy time in Fengyang. That Fengyang Prefecture has held out until now owes no small merit to you."

Lu Jiude said, "Thousand Years overpraises me. It is all because the officers and men gave their lives."

Zhu Cilang nodded and said thoughtfully, "As long as Dengzhou-Laizhou is in our hands, the defense of Southern Zhili's eastern line should present no great problem. But the gain or loss of Southern Zhili's western line hinges on the Central Capital, Fengyang. Fengyang's walls are lofty and magnificent, not inferior to those of the northern and southern capitals. Moreover, it lies south of the Huai, so it is not a place northern troops can besiege for long. With good generals and crack troops, it should be able to serve as the northwestern shield of Southern Zhili. Companion Lu, you have long been in Fengyang; you must know who can hold Fengyang's walls."

Lu Jiude's eyes darted about; he now understood Zhu Cilang's intent. Zhu Cilang wanted him and Huang Degong to go defend Fengyang.

"Thousand Years, the roving bandits have just been defeated, and the eastern barbarians may not necessarily march south. This is precisely the court's opportunity to campaign in the Central Plain. Before this old slave left Yanzhou, the Relief-and-Suppression Regional Commander Gao Jie and the Shandong Regional Commander Liu Zeqing had already marched on Jinan. Huang Degong's and Liu Liangzuo's armies are also preparing to march on the Eastern Depot Prefecture and Guide Prefecture. The situation in the Central Plain is full of promise; there seems no need to rush the defense of Fengyang."

The old eunuch's words were quite plausible, but Zhu Cilang knew they were entirely over-optimistic. That was hardly surprising, though: the Southern Ming in history had been one great assembly of optimists, capitulationists, and runaways — no one had ever seriously laid out a defense. They were either busy arranging a northern expedition or busy with internal feuds.

Nearly a year after the founding of the state, there was no serviceable navy on the Yangtze; Fengyang, Huai'an, Yangzhou, and even the capital Nanjing had never been seriously fortified, let alone the establishment of an anti-Qing base in Dengzhou-Laizhou.

And although Zhu Cilang had luckily won a battle at Dagukou, he did not dare take the Qing troops lightly in the least. The battle at Dagukou had entirely been thanks to the earlier Ming musketeers being so utterly useless that the Qing cavalry had stupidly charged straight in, only to be thrashed by a group of musketeers converted from roving bandits who had no idea how fearsome the Tartars were.

A victory like that came once by the blessing of the ancestors; one could not keep counting on such good fortune. So Zhu Cilang did not dare even think of a northern expedition into the Central Plain.

Besides, the problem of feeding the common people of the Central Plain was insoluble! This was the Little Ice Age! If we retook the land and they could not eat their fill, what then, when they rose up again?

Better to let Li Zicheng and Dorgon worry about that!

"The northern expedition must not be rushed," Zhu Cilang said, weighing his words. "The realm is now divided into three, or perhaps four parts!

The Manchu Tartars hold Northern Zhili; the roving bandit Li Zicheng still holds Shanxi, Shaanxi, most of Henan, and Xiangyang Prefecture in Huguang; and in the west there is the Xi bandit now attacking Sichuan. We do not have the strength to fight so many enemies at once! Therefore we must draw one side to us before we can fight the other two.

We will discuss this matter in detail once We have met with Minister of War Shi. For now, let us base ourselves on defense. As for Fengyang — We intend to hand it to Huang Degong's troops to defend. Companion Lu, before you return, come to the Marshal's Office once more and take Our decree to Huang Degong. Tell him that however much grain and pay he needs, We will find a way to raise it for him. He must be fully prepared to hold Fengyang for two years!"

"This old slave receives the decree." Though reluctant, Lu Jiude still respectfully accepted the order.

Zhu Cilang nodded and said, "It is getting late. If you wish to see His Majesty, go to the traveling palace at once. If you go too late, Imperial Father will have retired. These days he retires rather early."

(End of Chapter)