Chapter 300

Nanjingcheng.

Deep within the ancient palace, a solemn and reverent aura permeated the air.

On the stone bridge, moss mottled and weathered, as if recounting the vicissitudes of history.

Between the narrow alleys, a slanting ray of sunlight pierced the winding corridor, casting dappled, shifting shadows.

At this moment, within this ancient and elegant imperial court, a secret conspiracy concerning the fate of the realm was unfolding.

"In ancient times, the Shang kings ascended the throne and wrote history; Emperor Qin unified the land and established the cosmos.

Today, Your Highness possesses both virtue and talent, your might shakes the world, the people's hearts turn to you, and heaven's mandate has chosen you.

We humbly beg Your Highness to heed heaven's will, assume the imperial throne, and bring peace to all under heaven!"

As the petition for ascension began, the ministers immediately echoed in agreement.

At other times, opposition might be tolerated—but in this setting, one could never lag behind.

Countless officials even regretted their sluggishness, having missed the chance to claim the first merit of support.

Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan, the central figure, now felt a complex mix of emotions.

He had walked this path through countless storms to build what he held today.

Holding Nanjing, roaring like a tiger over the land, it seemed heaven's will had chosen him—but his territory did not even cover a single province.

The White Lotus Holy State existed only in name, sustained solely by old ties and lingering loyalty.

Proclaiming himself emperor would surely rally the people's spirits, yet it would also irrevocably break ties with the other two kings.

Heaven permits no two suns; a nation admits no two sovereigns.

The three kings of the White Lotus Holy State each held their own territories and would never submit to another.

Most critically, once he took this step, he would become the empire's number-one rebel, drawing the full might of the Great Dayu Dynasty's suppression.

Yet the current situation left him no retreat.

From the moment he seized Nanjing, he had been drawn into the vortex of warlord rivalry.

"My loyal ministers, do not doom me!"

"Though the Holy Emperor has passed, his bloodline still lives—legally, he should inherit the throne.

Issue my order: spare no effort to find the Holy Emperor's son…"

Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan immediately refused.

Three refusals, three rejections—that was the old tradition.

This was the first petition; he could not accept outright.

Searching for the Holy Emperor's son and installing him as emperor was merely an excuse.

If they had truly been loyal, they should have sent troops to aid him back then.

Had there been reinforcements, the White Lotus Holy Emperor would never have passed through Guizhou.

The first petition failed; the ministers did not dwell on the matter.

Petitions for ascension required patience. Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan punished no one—this alone revealed his true intent.

"Your Highness, Nanjing is secured. Now we must choose our strategic direction.

The world is in chaos: the northern barbarians rage without restraint, and rebel armies rise across the land.

The Great Dayu Dynasty remains the strongest, controlling the largest territory—it will be our primary adversary for the foreseeable future.

We now hold most of Nanzhili, plus two prefectures in Huguang and Zhejiang. Yet this is far from enough to seize the realm.

Most of Jiangxi and Zhejiang belong to the Western King; seizing them would violate righteousness.

To the west, Huguang has been ravaged by war, exhausted, no longer the empire's granary.

Our only course now is to cross the river, sweep through the Two Two Huai, and launch a northern campaign to secure the Central Plains!"

Left Chancellor Qiu Qiu Ruiyu was the first to propose this military strategy.

Had the White Lotus Holy State not fractured, those who seized Nanjing would have been the strongest contenders in the race for the throne.

But reality was cruel: the three kings ruled separately, scattering the White Lotus Holy State's strength.

Merely holding Nanjing with this one rebel force was merely surface brilliance—inside, danger still loomed.

If they did not strike out quickly, once the Great Dayu responded, they would be fighting the entire realm from a single corner.

"Other ministers, do you have differing views?"

Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan asked with interest.

"Your Majesty, the Left Chancellor speaks wisely—northern campaign is our best path.

Yet before launching it, we must first stabilize our rear.

I recommend sending envoys to persuade the Eastern and Western Kings to form a three-king alliance, jointly advancing the anti-Yu cause.

Until the Great Dayu is overthrown, all other disputes may be temporarily set aside."

Chief Secretary Yang Yang Jingren replied immediately.

Geography limited their strategic options.

With no better strategy available, they could only refine and improve the existing one.

Regardless, as a close minister of the Southern King, he must actively demonstrate his loyalty.

…

Outside Jinan City, the Gui Fang encampment.

"The garrison has remained motionless—there must be some scheme."

Wuli Gai spoke with grave concern.

The steppe's law of survival—where power passed to the strongest—ensured no leader among the great clans was a fool.

Losing to the Tatar was a matter of development strategy.

Pure nomadic pastoral life could not foster productivity; entering the age of firearms would inevitably place them at a disadvantage.

In archery and horsemanship, they were no weaker than the Tatars.

The real gap lay in firearm usage and troop training.

The Tatars were a hunting-fishing people; after rebelling against the Yu, they absorbed large numbers of frontier troops.

In training, they adopted the Great Dayu's frontier army experience and fielded vast numbers of firearms.

With captured craftsmen and smuggling trade, they possessed the means to sustain a firearm unit.

These were things Gui Fang lacked.

Their migratory herding lifestyle rendered them incapable of developing military industry.

"Wuli Gai, you're too timid.

The enemy hasn't even left the city—what harm could their scheme possibly do us?

The Tatars fear the garrison because the enemy is strong.

But our people are born cavalrymen—if we can't defeat them, can't we outrun them?

The enemy hasn't left the city to seek battle because they know this.

Knowing they can't chase us, they've stayed inside, waiting for us to withdraw on our own.

Even if the Yu army wanted to sortie, the city's civil officials would stop them.

I've seen this too many times on this campaign.

Yu officials are all cowards who seek only to avoid blame, never glory!"

If you have the energy to worry about these things, better send people out to raid a few more local rich folks, so we can return and enjoy a few peaceful days.

The southern raids had been too easy; the bizarre antics of Yu officials had shattered their worldview.

Without these officials bungling everything, they'd never have breached the Great Wall, let alone raided all the way to Shandong.

"Ba Sha'er, don't speak so carelessly.

Wuli Gai's concerns are not without merit.

The garrison that made Hu Ge Ji Le fear them must be extraordinary.

Wu Gu Si, that cunning old fox, rushed to seize the task of containing Liaozhen—that speaks volumes.

We've seen how strong the Tatar army is.

On the steppe, the myth of 'ten thousand Tatars invincible' had endured until now—this is the first time it's been broken.

Whether or not the enemy has a scheme, staying alert is always wise.

Of course, raiding must continue.

The neighboring Qingzhou and Laizhou prefectures haven't been touched by the allied forces—we can't abandon them."

The elder of the Wuri Mu clan smiled.

Since ancient times, interest moves men.

After such a rare southern raid, if they didn't seize enough plunder, they'd be cheating themselves.

The earlier spoils were rich, but they'd be redistributed.

How much would ultimately reach their hands? No one could say yet.

As the last force to withdraw, they now had no Tatars watching them.

Any extra plunder they took would be known only to themselves.

"You might as well have said nothing!

The enemy won't leave the city—no matter how much we prepare, it's useless.

The servant troops left behind by Hu Ge Ji Le have already lost all morale."

The servant soldiers left behind by Hugelijile had long lost all morale.

Relying on them to assault the city is merely handing the enemy battle achievements.

Preliminary statistics show that in these days alone, at least forty thousand puppet troops have died trying to capture Jinan.

In my view, attacking Jinan is a ruse; Hu Gejile is using this as an opportunity to eliminate unstable elements by proxy.

It's a pity for those Yu Dynasty soldiers—they actually believed that defecting to the Tartars would bring them a better life.

Don't they realize how few people the Tartars have? Suddenly adding over a hundred thousand surrendered troops—if they're not dealt with promptly, they might turn the tables and take over.

Bashaer's mockery sparked a burst of laughter from the crowd.

Traitors are unwelcome anywhere.

Several years ago, they were defeated by the Tartar clan, and the Yu Dynasty surrendered troops played no small role in that.

As a result, the Guifang people harbor not the slightest goodwill toward them.

Most crucially, everyone serves the Tartars as subordinates, and there is competition between them.

The more outstanding the Yu Dynasty surrendered troops perform, the greater the threat to their own status.

…

The capital.

"The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang has submitted a battle plan to trap the enemy's rearguard. What are your thoughts, my ministers?"

Emperor Emperor Yongning asked hopefully.

This Tartar invasion has left the Great Dayu utterly humiliated.

The recent victory at Jinan is the only shred of dignity left to cover their shame—but it's far too small.

To regain some face, they must achieve even greater victories going forward.

Yet the court officials remain locked in endless infighting, and not a single viable counteroffensive plan has been devised.

When questioned, frontline commanders all cry poverty.

Meanwhile, the imperial treasury is severely depleted; the Ministry of Revenue cannot produce funds, and the emperor himself cannot conjure them out of thin air.

Finally, after all this time, a loyalist army has voluntarily proposed a counteroffensive plan.

Even if it's only a rough concept, it's still a good start.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's forces remain besieged within Jinan. If you wish to launch a counteroffensive, let them break the siege first!

Coordinating all the loyalist armies to jointly encircle and annihilate the enemy's rearguard is simply too difficult.

Just managing the relationships among these units alone cannot be accomplished overnight.

Most crucially, the Ministry of Revenue has no money to provide marching allowances—the troops below may refuse to obey orders."

Wan Wan Yuxuan, Minister of War, was the first to oppose.

Relations among Yu Dynasty armies are tangled and complex, making integration nearly impossible.

If he doesn't quickly dissuade the emperor from this idea, and a mishap occurs when the plan is executed, he as Minister of War will bear the blame.

"Ministry of Revenue, can you not even spare an emergency fund?"

Emperor Emperor Yongning asked, unwilling to give up.

When he was a prince, he believed that once ascended, he could revitalize the realm and create an age of prosperity.

After ascending the throne, Emperor Emperor Yongning realized every problem facing the Great Dayu was caused by a lack of money.

During his predecessor's reign, the imperial treasury was flush, and all problems were promptly resolved.

The massive rebellion of the Two Two Huai clans was crushed in the blink of an eye.

But under his rule, imperial revenues have sharply declined, leaving the court powerless to swiftly suppress rebellions.

As a result, the White Lotus Rebellion spread gradually from Among Guangxi to multiple southern provinces.

The larger the rebel territory, the less revenue the court collects, and the fewer funds available to suppress them.

To cope with this dire situation, he was forced to delegate authority to local governments.

After delegation, local offices withheld tax revenues for their own anti-rebellion efforts, further reducing central income.

Now, the Great Dayu has fallen into a vicious cycle.

"Your Majesty, emergency funds were exhausted long ago.

Since the Tartar invasion, officials' salaries have been paid for only one month.

Not only are the troops suffering, but court officials are suffering too.

Some scholars from humble families must pawn their family belongings just to survive."

…

Minister of Revenue Pang Pang Chengjie immediately complained.

Continuous warfare has drained the Great Dayu's reserves.

The sharp decline in revenue has forced the Ministry of Revenue—the empire's most notorious lucrative office—to endure hard times.

No money is no money; no one in that position could conjure funds from nothing.

Sensing it was time to display their virtue, officials began their poverty performances without any coordination.

Suddenly, the entire court was filled with incorruptible officials, causing Emperor Emperor Yongning to abandon his unrealistic idea of soliciting donations.

"Perhaps we could borrow a sum from merchants to pay this month's salaries—no minister should go hungry."

Emperor Emperor Yongning's suggestion stunned the ministers.

They had merely been putting on an act, but the emperor had taken it seriously.

Although officials' salaries in the Great Dayu were low, their benefits were generous.

Under the exemption policy, a first-rank official in the capital was exempt from taxes on ten thousand mu of land, with the amount decreasing for lower ranks.

Even a lowly eighth-rank official in the capital enjoyed exemption on two thousand seven hundred mu.

Theoretically, this only exempted them from corvée labor—but in practice, who dared tax them?

Even incorruptible officials couldn't escape social obligations; the exempted land was inevitably burdened with relatives and neighbors clinging to it.

Taking thirty percent of the land's yield would earn them praise for benevolence.

It wasn't that the Great Dayu's taxes were heavy—local officials simply piled on extra levies.

Corvée labor was deadly; to avoid being exploited, one had to pay bribes.

Every year, local taxes and corvée obligations had to be fully collected.

Overall, clinging to exempted land was the most profitable option.

Combined with the "ice and charcoal" bribes from local offices, income from exempted land far exceeded official salaries by tenfold.

As long as officials didn't indulge in extreme luxury, they could live comfortably.

"Your Majesty, absolutely not!

We can endure hardship, but the court's dignity must not be lost!"

Wan Wan Junhui immediately objected.

In the capital, any merchant with even modest means was backed by these officials and noble families.

Borrowing from merchants was no different from borrowing from themselves.

Given the Great Dayu's current state, repayment was pure fantasy.

Moreover, as Grand Secretary, he had his own dignity to uphold.

If the court were known to borrow money from merchants to pay salaries, the empire's literati would denounce him to death.

All professions are lowly; only scholarship is exalted.

For officials to beg merchants for salary money—how could they bear it?

…

Jinan City.

"Commander, scouts have returned with news—the enemy's movements are clear.

Those Guifang people are tired of lingering here; yesterday they split their forces to raid nearby areas.

Judging by the direction, they're almost certainly heading for Qingzhou Prefecture."

Wu Dagé stepped forward to report.

Compared to others, his career had barely advanced—he had remained Li Mu's personal guard captain all along.

"Oh!

Relay this information to the Shandong Provincial Governor's office—have them alert Qingzhou to prepare. I hope it's not too late."

Li Mu said, expressionless.

Notifying local offices was merely following bureaucratic protocol.

In truth, he knew better than anyone that Shandong's local authorities were powerless to stop the enemy's raids.

(End of Chapter)