Chapter 1420: Still Longing for the Martial Ancestor

They say speed is the essence of war, yet the main force of the Zhao Army, having rendezvoused, was instead taking its time to rest and reorganize here. Not to mention the officials of Dongchang Prefecture, the Shandong officials from Jinan Prefecture were all coming in droves to pay their respects. With the change of dynasties looming before their eyes, even if they didn't seek wealth in the new dynasty, they still had to secure the safety of their families and property. This Xuzhou Zhao Army had an overwhelmingly murderous air about them; it was better to be cautious.

Regardless of their status, or whoever might have put in a good word for them, not to mention the lavish gifts, Zhao Jin refused to see any of them. His refusal, however, was very gentle, simply stating that with the great undertaking at hand, Lord Jin had no time.

What left the officials of the Shandong provincial government utterly dumbfounded was that the person receiving them actually hailed from the Duke of Yansheng's household. Although he was not of the main line of descent recorded in the family registry, he was still of the bloodline of the previous Duke of Yansheng.

Here we all are, still bashfully clinging to notions of loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness, yet the very ancestral house of loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness is so open-minded about it. It is we who have been too attached to appearances.

But upon closer investigation, everyone drew a sharp breath. The Duke of Yansheng's household originally occupied a significant fraction of the farmland in Shandong, yet now they were living a tight life confined to the lands of Qufu County. This Kong Zhang truly understood the meaning of sacrifice.

That Kong Zhang was indeed outstanding. By now, he was already the representative receiving figures from all sides on Zhao Jin's behalf, a position of great prestige. Moreover, everyone knew that the Zhao Army had few civil scholars; anyone who could now take charge of a task single-handedly was destined to be a figure like one of the Nine Ministers in the future. Yet this Kong Zhang displayed not the slightest trace of arrogance or pride. He was gentle and humble in dealing with others, refused all gifts, and handled matters with extreme methodical precision. Everyone felt they had received a response and a resolution, and everyone felt considerably more at ease.

But every person qualified to be received by Kong Zhang felt, on one hand, a sense of relief, and on the other, a sense of alarm. It turned out their own secrets had been investigated so thoroughly. Just how many spies had this Xuzhou planted around them? They were fortunate their own households harbored no ill intentions; otherwise, they would have long since died without knowing why.

Thinking of this, they could not help but let their imaginations run further. Regarding those few who had previously died without knowing why, the more one thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

"... The capital is now in utter chaos, a boiling pot of porridge. Some want to move the capital to avoid disaster, some want to fight to the death and defend it, and others want to sue for peace. The various factions are locked in endless dispute..."

"... The several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet are grasping the military and the upright scholar-officials. Once they decide, the others can hardly raise any opposition, nor are they capable of doing so..."

"... At present, it is the several Grand Secretaries who are locked in endless dispute, but what they are thinking of is nothing more than how to do it with some semblance of dignity..."

During this time, Lei Cai was active in the Southern Metropolitan Region, while Liu Yong and Ma Chonghao were in the Northern Metropolitan Region and Shanxi, directing the spies and secret agents there and transmitting the intelligence back.

The reason they had to be there in person was that if the other party made any major decision, the Zhao Army's side also needed someone of sufficient weight to step forward. On Ma Chonghao's side, there was another consideration. The Intelligence Bureau and the Internal Guard currently had a crack force under Ma Chonghao's command. This force was used to destroy the diehards of the Eastern Depot and the Brocade Guard, after which Ma Chonghao would personally come forward to gather up those willing to defect. These people would be of great use to the Zhao Army.

The Zhao Army remained in Linqing to regroup and drill. This place was already the border between Shandong and the Northern Metropolitan Region, and a pivotal hub of transportation arteries. An army of this scale could only move along the river; otherwise, the expenditure on baggage transport and water for men and animals would be enormous. And between Shandong and the Northern Metropolitan Region, apart from the sea route, the only way to advance was along the Grand Canal.

From Linqing to the capital, there were many prefectures and counties to pass along the canal, but only a few held real significance. Counting from south to north, the first was Cangzhou. Cangzhou was a major city, not far from the Changlu Salt Fields. Both its city walls and its stockpiled provisions could support a large army's encampment.

This place was also the midpoint of Hejian Prefecture. Once a large army reached here, it was still far from the next objective and had already left Shandong territory. If one were to strike it midway, the chances of success were very high.

But this place held no significance for the Zhao Army. With the Zhao Army's marching speed and logistical supply, advancing with three days' worth of dry rations on them, even if they suffered a setback, they could still turn back at their leisure. Besides, foraging for provisions on the spot would be enough to cope for a day or two.

Further north was Tianjin. This was a true strategic point, a genuine place contested by all military strategists. It was the maritime gateway to the capital and a necessary passage for large forces coming from the south; it could be called the throat of the region.

For the Zhao Army, Tianjin was close enough to Ji Garrison and the capital, yet far enough from Shandong. There, they would face the risk of having their supply lines cut. With their rear route severed and the pressure of a pincer attack by large armies bearing down on them, not to mention that the sea was frozen over in this season, the naval support the Zhao Army relied on most would also be nonexistent.

On the other hand, Tianjin was the final transshipment hub before tribute grain entered the capital, and it also bore the heavy responsibility of supplying the Ji Garrison and the Shanhai Pass vicinity. The provisions and military supplies stockpiled here were piled high as mountains. Seizing this place would allow one to launch an attack on the capital at leisure; the capital itself would have no geographical advantage left to speak of.

Ever since the Zhao Army bombarded the capital, according to the peace treaty, Tianjin had become an undefended city. No Ming troops were stationed there; it was entirely under civilian self-governance, and in reality, it was controlled by the Cloud Mountain Commercial system. Although there were a few hundred armed guards present, maintaining public order was easy, but defending the city was impossible. No matter how elite a few hundred men were, they could not withstand the Ming Dynasty's tens of thousands of troops.

Therefore, many people viewed the safety and movements of Tianjin as a signal. The moment the Ming Dynasty sent troops to seize it would be the moment the great war began. The gain or loss of the capital was more of a symbolic matter; the attack and defense of Tianjin was what truly mattered most.

Those who understood warfare all shared this judgment. However, everyone keeping a close eye on Tianjin was sorely disappointed. The Ming Dynasty never deployed its troops, and the Zhao Army, with all the time in the world, also made no move.

It must be known that in several parts of the Northern Metropolitan Region, the court could still mobilize an army of over a hundred thousand, among which roughly ten thousand could be considered elite, still capable of fighting. This force might not count for much before the Zhao Army, but it was more than enough to take Tianjin and cause trouble. Yet the government troops did not move; they showed no sign of any activity whatsoever.

As far as those with well-informed sources knew, the only thing happening was a constant stream of deserters, but the various garrisons looked on indifferently. The only thing better about this situation compared to the past was that if any mutinous soldiers tried to plunder the local areas or run amok, the court and the local government could immediately organize forces to suppress them. Had the Ming Dynasty just accepted its fate like this? Was it planning to surrender?

But if they intended to surrender, why were they still dragging their feet now? The Chongzhen Emperor was a hotheaded fool, but what about the Grand Secretaries? Did these old foxes who had bobbed up and down in the sea of officialdom not understand this?

In reality, the Ming forces were still maneuvering, and they were still drawing elite reinforcements from various places. Sun Chengzong and Wang Zaijin, after all, had personally commanded large armies before and knew that simply piling up numbers was useless; it would only consume more provisions and pay and bring more chaos. But the combat power of the personal elite troops belonging to those military officers was quite considerable.

The summoning of personal troops and guards from various places to the capital had a precedent after the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, during the time of that so-called absurd emperor, the Zhengde Emperor, the Martial Ancestor. Back then, too, the empire's finest troops were gathered, an act deemed absurd and erroneous by the civil officials and scholars, always a subject of mockery and bitter denunciation. They never expected a similar situation now, and upon closer thought, this course of action had its own sound reasoning. Some began to wonder: had the Zhengde Emperor, the Martial Ancestor, done nothing wrong? If the Ming Dynasty had continued along the martial path favored by the Zhengde Emperor up to the present, would there still be so many internal and external troubles? After all, during the Zhengde reign, the emperor himself dared to personally go to the battlefield and fight the Mongol cavalry face-to-face. If this kind of "absurdity" had been passed down...

The majority of the military officers summoned to the capital obeyed the order, while a small portion defied the imperial decree. The reason there were not more who simply disbanded was that the Zhao Army had no suitable positions for them. Going over to defect just like that would leave them without any post or security; they might as well band together and wait for surrender and reorganization. There were also those who wished to be loyal to the end, feeling that dying in battle on the field was better than the humiliation of surrender. More importantly, they too could see no future for themselves within the Xuzhou system.

As for the common people near the Northern Metropolitan Region and Shandong, some remained numb and stayed put. Their lives were already hard and bitter; what difference did it make whether a great army passed through or not? Others, wanting to avoid the scourge of war, fled with their families. However, those who fled would return after just a few days. Once they left their hometowns, they could truly feel the chaos and turmoil of war. There were quite a few bandits and outlaws on the move, but within the villages, towns, and cities, it was instead very quiet, and order was still maintained by someone.

Even this year's livelihood was better than in previous years, because the court and the local government no longer collected any exorbitant taxes and levies, and consequently, the yamen runners were not as harsh either. If it were like this every year, these would truly be peaceful and good times.

Onlookers speculated endlessly, even utterly baffled. Zhao Jin, however, paid no heed to all this. He simply waited and reorganized his forces here in Linqing City. But the various units of the Personal Guard Division and the Second Brigade were not idle. Cavalry were sent out in batches to patrol and reconnoiter, their range of activity already expanding to various parts of the Northern Metropolitan Region. Yet no one intercepted them; instead, they enjoyed the treatment of being welcomed as a liberating army with baskets of food and pitchers of drink.

On the tenth day of their encampment in Linqing, a heavy snowfall arrived, dyeing the entire world between heaven and earth a pure white. It was precisely at this time that news from Chen Sheng's side was completely cut off.

No messages could be transmitted by sea vessels. Over land, messages could still be passed through the Ming troops in western Liaodong. The border troops of western Liaodong all wanted to establish good relations for the sake of future convenience. As long as a message could reach there, it could always be sent through Shanhai Pass into the interior, and then by fast horse to Zhao Jin. But now, this route had been severed.

The person in charge of this channel went directly to demand an explanation. If the border troops of western Liaodong dared to play any tricks in this matter, they would have to consider the consequences. But the envoys from the military houses of Liaodong were also explaining in great trepidation: the Jianzhou Jurchens had already blockaded the line between Guangning and Ningyuan. It was not impossible to pass messages through, but the risk was too great, and the casualties would certainly be heavy.

The severing of news did not cause any unusual movements within the Zhao Army. Zhao Jin's indifference was one thing, but the patrolling and reconnoitering cavalry increased the frequency of their activities. Many people would take risks in such heavy snowy weather. The Zhao Army might be confident, but they would not neglect the necessary preparations.

The Zhao Army cavalry in the direction of Baoding Prefecture indeed made a discovery. Over a hundred riders were approaching from the west. According to the patrolling cavalry, the elite quality of these hundred-plus riders was extraordinary; their discipline in advancing and retreating looked almost like that of the Zhao Army itself.