Chapter 231: The Fork in the Road of Fate

"Your Majesty, aside from reporting the victory, I have come to the capital this time on another matter that requires Your Majesty's approval." After raising his head, Qi Sheng's expression was hesitant as he spoke haltingly.

"What is it? Speak freely!" the Chongzhen Emperor said magnanimously.

"In breaking the Jianzhou barbarians this time and capturing and beheading Hartai, even our commander General Huang had not anticipated it. Moreover, after this battle, the Jianzhou barbarians in the territory of the Three Uriankhai Guard have been reduced by seven or eight parts out of ten, with no elite troops remaining. Only the Ongniud tribe remains troublesome, but the Qing army is currently busy with campaigns and suppressing rebellions, so they likely cannot set foot there for the time being. Our dynasty can press forward in one breath, take the Three Uriankhai Guard directly, and send troops beyond the passes to achieve great merit!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Quan's expression shifted uneasily as he kept casting furtive glances at the Chongzhen Emperor.

The Chongzhen Emperor had not expected such a matter. The territory of the Three Uriankhai Guard had not submitted to the Great Ming for many years now; even the Taichang and Tianqi reigns had failed to bring them back under Ming rule. If they were to return to Ming dominion during his own reign, it would become what was called merit for ten thousand generations.

The effect produced by this single achievement could match ten of what the Donglin Faction called acts of benighted governance.

This matter required careful planning, for it was truly a great affair concerning the very lifeline of the dynasty. The Chongzhen Emperor could not decide easily at once. He first ordered people to take Qi Sheng away and arrange for his lodging, then turned to look at Feng Quan and asked:

"Regarding this matter, what does my minister think?"

"Your servant... your servant is dull-witted; I beg Your Majesty to make the sage decision!" Feng Quan naturally understood that speaking more at this time would only invite trouble. His reaction was quick, and he lowered his head, intending to remain silent.

"Hmm, in that case, summon Chief Grand Secretary Wei Zaode, Second Grand Secretary Jiang Dejing, and the Duke of Ying to the palace to see me."

Watching Feng Quan, who looked as if he had received a pardon, the Chongzhen Emperor sneered inwardly. Sure enough, this kind of lackey was generally useless in making major decisions, yet everyone understood well enough that he was indispensable under one's command.

Feng Quan was not only greedy, but also cowardly and lustful — he had nearly every shortcoming imaginable. In times of peace, a man like this could never have been allowed to worm his way into the Grand Secretariat. But these were not so-called peaceful times; rather, they were the critical moment when the great edifice was collapsing.

A man like Feng Quan, though he had ten thousand flaws, was nevertheless exceptionally loyal to the Emperor as a member of the imperial faction — just like Ma Shiying in Nanjing. These standard imperial partisans still had to be kept and used.

An imperial partisan who could offer no advice on major matters was still worth ten Donglin members who opposed you. Moreover, among the imperial faction's ranks there was no lack of capable men; if one knew how to employ them according to their talents, they could still produce good results.

Wei Zaode and Jiang Dejing were discussing matters in the Grand Secretariat's deliberation chamber when they suddenly heard the Emperor's summons. They immediately set aside their affairs and hurried over without a second word. Upon hearing of this matter, their expressions each changed in different ways.

"This matter still requires lengthy deliberation; it cannot be decided rashly..." Wei Zaode, being cautious, said with trembling hands: "Your Majesty, this matter still awaits your servant summoning the grand secretaries to deliberate and produce a proposal before speaking further. We must also ask the opinions of the various ministers at court."

"Ask their opinions?" The Chongzhen Emperor laughed coldly several times. "Never mind a matter of this magnitude — what matter can they decide swiftly and cleanly? When the time comes, there will inevitably be no small amount of fuss. In my view, it is best to settle this today. The opportunity for battle is fleeting and cannot be lost. The soldiers at the frontier are still waiting, and I must be responsible to them."

"What Your Majesty says is reasonable. This old minister thinks we should still ask the Second Grand Secretary's opinion." Seeing the Chongzhen Emperor's resolute attitude, Wei Zaode said no more, judging that he had no good strategy himself. Seeing Jiang Dejing wearing an expression of one who had plans in his breast, he turned and tossed the olive branch to Jiang Dejing.

Seeing this, Jiang Dejing, who had been organizing his words all along, immediately stepped forward and said: "I report to Your Majesty: your servant believes we may grant approval."

"Why? Tell me your reasoning." The Chongzhen Emperor waved his hand to indicate he should continue.

"First, of the three Uriankhai tribes, the main tribe has already submitted to our dynasty. The Ujiyet were intercepted and slain, losing more than half their number, but most of their old and weak were rescued by soldiers of the Ji Garrison and brought within the passes to settle — they are now as good as nonexistent. Those who remain stubbornly loyal to the Jianzhou barbarians are nothing more than the Ongniud tribe alone."

"Even the Ongniud, your servant believes, are not a monolithic block. The reason Sunduleng is devoted to the Jianzhou barbarians body and soul is simply that he has already formed a marriage alliance with them. Internally, they must be as unstable as the Ujiyet. If we can slay Sunduleng, then the Ongniud can be broken. Once the Ongniud are broken, the great momentum will be achieved."

"Second, Urmai is the chieftain of the Hada clan and has long been the common leader of the Three Uriankhai Guard territories. Now that he has already submitted to the Ming, Your Majesty may issue a decree ordering him to lead his tribesmen to accompany the army beyond the passes, calling upon the various Uriankhai tribes still outside the passes to submit to the Ming together. This is a strategy of attacking the heart."

"Third, the Earl Who Pacifies the West's forces at Shanhai Pass, when summoned during the great battle at Uriankhai, moved only a token distance. Your servant fears he harbors divergent intentions. Your Majesty may issue an open decree to the three places of Regional Commander Yang Yufan at Santun Camp, the Tianjin naval forces, and the Dongjiang garrison, to use as a check. Additionally, we must widely proclaim the dynasty's great victory beyond the passes and that a major counteroffensive is imminent. A few days before dispatching troops, prepare another decree to be sent to Shanhai Pass to Tang Tong, ordering him to lead his forces out of the pass by a fixed deadline to reinforce Uriankhai."

As he spoke, worry crept across Jiang Dejing's brow, and he said:

"This matter of Shanhai Pass will not be easy to handle. Your Majesty must deliberate carefully before deciding, and must not act with excessive haste. If we push the others over to the Jianzhou barbarians' side, regret will be too late."

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded thoughtfully, uttered an "Mm," and said: "What my minister says accords well with my intentions. Duke of Ying, is there anything you wish to say?"

"I report to Your Majesty: what the Second Grand Secretary says is correct. This is a heaven-sent opportunity to go beyond the passes and subdue Uriankhai. However, our dynasty has very few soldiers, and the Divine Martial Army is permanently stationed in the southern capital. If we rashly venture beyond the frontier and find ourselves trapped at once, I fear the great momentum would be lost."

As he spoke, Zhang Shize continued: "The capital troops capable of fighting number fewer than fifty thousand. The muskets are still being manufactured in batches; even the Divine Engine Camp has not been fully equipped. The new-style cannons have not yet had time to undergo test firing, much less be put to use."

"If we dispatch troops, we can only summon the Xuan Garrison and Datong forces beyond the passes. But last month, that Li the Dashing King led over a hundred thousand bandits out of Tong Pass and has already taken several towns in succession. It was only by Governor-General Chen drawing troops from the Northwest Grand Camp and issuing proclamations summoning provincial forces to jointly suppress them that we have barely managed to hold the line."

"What schemes and tricks Li the bandit may yet have up his sleeve remains unknown. If we rashly draw away the Xuan and Datong forces at this time and Li the bandit suddenly makes a major move out of the pass, I fear Zhou Yuji and Governor-General Chen will find themselves stretched thin and unable to cope."

Zhang Shize's words brought the discussion to an impasse. Jiang Dejing also frowned in silence. Indeed, this problem of southern bandits and northern barbarians was an unavoidable dilemma of the late Chongzhen years.

Tong Pass was already in Li Zicheng's hands. When to come out of the pass and stir up trouble was naturally his to decide. Although Shanhai Pass was nominally still under their control, the Guanning army had become the Wu family's private force — the situation remained grim.

Given the Great Ming's current national strength, it could at most deal with one side at a time. But if you went out of the pass to fight the Jianzhou barbarians, Li Zicheng was no fool — he would naturally strike into your heartland. And if circumstances matured, he might even launch another northern expedition.

How to decide in the end — whether to abandon this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to recover ground beyond the passes, or to hold steady and defend the territory currently possessed, awaiting the new army to exchange their muskets for cannons before fighting the decisive battle.