Chapter 7: Changes

Zhong Jinwei took out a map of China and pointed to the terrain in the northeast, saying: "Your Majesty, please look. In the past, the main force of the Jurchen Tartars only needed to attack along the Jinzhou line, or attempt to bypass Jinzhou to advance towards Ningyuan and Shanhaiguan. They had to contend with the disturbance caused by Mao Wenlong in their rear, unless they left sufficient troops behind. However, the Jurchen Tartars only have a limited number of people; with so few, they cannot pose a threat to Shanhaiguan, Ningyuan, or even Jinzhou. If their main force stays out for too long, Mao Wenlong will inevitably become aware of the emptiness in the rear of the Jurchen Tartars. Therefore, the main force of the Jurchen cannot stray too far or for too long from their stronghold. This is the strategic advantage of the forces led by Mao Wenlong in terms of containment. But now, what about this town?

Zhong Jinwei, upon hearing this, couldn't help but scratch his head and said: "Well, I don't know either. In my history, it has always been this way. Could it be that this history differs from mine in some way?"

After a night of conversation, Aqi no longer holds the same reverence for Zhong Jinwei as he did the day before

Emperor Chongzhen listened and remained silent for a long while

Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly and then said to Wang Cheng'en, "Mr. Zhong's proposal is excellent; please arrange for this matter to be carried out." Wang Cheng'en bowed and replied, "Yes!"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his eyebrows upon hearing this and said, "I understand." He then turned and walked away. As Wang Cheng'en followed Emperor Chongzhen out, he internally commented on Zhong Jinwei: "Indeed, he is cunning and shrewd."

Emperor Chongzhen listened in silence, and after a while, he asked Wang Cheng'en, "What does Da Ban think?" Since learning that Wang Cheng'en was accompanying him on his journey, he had begun to consult Wang Cheng'en more frequently when faced with matters.

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly raised his head, fixed his gaze on Wang Cheng'en, and said: "Indeed, if it weren't for the reminder from www.hetushu.com, I would have been so enraged that I could have fainted. Hurry up, no, I will set out immediately; I will go personally."

Wang Cheng'en pondered for a moment and did not directly answer Emperor Chongzhen's question: "Your Majesty, Mao Wenlong is dead and cannot be brought back to life."

Zhong Jinwei said with a smile: "You don't understand, do you? I have told you before, there are two great pleasures in life: the first is waking up naturally after a good sleep; the second is counting money until your hands cramp."

Emperor Chongzhen turned around and looked at Zhong Jinwei with a puzzled expression, asking: "What is it?"

Having said that, let's not digress any further. It's time to get up quickly, lest next time we are questioned by the light beauty due to the differences in the times. It seems that the foremost task is to start from reality and understand the current situation to avoid any verbal blunders. It appears that a great person once said, "Everything starts from reality"

Zhong Jinwei said: "If Your Majesty still wishes to spare Yuan Chonghuan, not to hold him accountable for his crimes, and even to commend him, it would be advisable to do so in the name of the Ministry of War or the Cabinet, in order to provide a way out for the future and to facilitate explanations regarding the situation in the East River Town."

The door opened with a creak, and Achi entered from outside, addressing Zhong Jinwei: "Young Master, it is time to get up. I will go prepare for your washing and grooming."

Zhong Jinwei smiled apologetically at Wang Cheng'en, then continued: "This Dongjiang Town was established by Mao Wenlong, who held great prestige. Just like that, he died. Even if Yuan Chonghuan had extensive connections, it would be impossible to restore the restraining function of Dongjiang Town without sufficient time, especially considering the challenge of arranging a replacement for Mao Wenlong. According to the history I know from that time, Dongjiang Town was finished; it not only lost its restraining function but also produced a few traitors, those three I mentioned to Your Majesty before. Even though they were traitors, they had abilities and only submitted to Mao Wenlong; the subsequent individuals could not suppress them at all."

Zhong Jinwei observed the expressions of Emperor Chongzhen and Wang Cheng'en and guessed that his suggestions might not be adopted, which left him somewhat disheartened. However, one thing was indeed quite strange: did Huang Taiji really have such confidence that after a long detour of a thousand miles, his exhausted troops would still have the strength to achieve victory against the Ming army in every battle? It was not as if they had not suffered losses against the Qijia army and the Baiguan soldiers before; those were tough opponents! Was he not afraid that there were similar forces in the capital?

Wang Cheng'en did not dare to speak, lowering his head to look at the ground, intending to let Emperor Chongzhen vent his frustrations first before saying anything.

Zhong Jinwei exclaimed, "Ah, I forgot, there are no banknotes at this time." With a quick thought, he hesitantly said, "Count the silver notes."

Wang Cheng'en had just wanted to offer some words of advice when Emperor Chongzhen had already disregarded him, continuing to vent his anger: "Even if Mao Wenlong is guilty of countless crimes and utterly unforgivable, he could still be captured and brought to the capital for punishment. My left deputy commander, holding the general's seal and leading the imperial sword, a first-rank military official, was killed by him without authorization. After killing him, he comes to me saying it was wrong to act without permission and requests punishment. This is not a request for punishment; it is simply a blatant threat to me. My left deputy commander, holding the general's seal and leading the imperial sword, a first-rank military official, was killed by him without authorization. After killing him, he comes to me saying it was wrong to act without permission and requests punishment. This is not a request for punishment; it is simply a blatant threat to me. He is arrogant due to his favor, truly believing that I dare not punish him?"

At this point, Zhong Jinwei found it difficult to say anything further. Suddenly recalling something, he quickly said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, although there may be discrepancies in history, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Why not send someone to warn the area of Zunhua?"

Wang Cheng'en, watching from the side, added: "Dongjiang Town"

Emperor Chongzhen was also uncertain whether the invading forces would take the significant risk of attacking Zunhua. After some contemplation, he asked Zhong Jinwei, "Given the current situation, what strategy should I adopt?"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly, contemplating one possible history that contained some inconsistencies, while on the other hand, there were very likely scenarios. With a faint sigh in his heart, Emperor Chongzhen thought, I dare not take the risk

Some are joyful while others are worried. On one side, Zhong Jinwei is feeling quite pleased after waking up naturally. On the other side, Emperor Chongzhen, after reviewing a morning's worth of memorials, received some bad news.

Emperor Chongzhen had made up his mind, stood up, and prepared to leave. Before departing, he said to Zhong Jinwei: "Mr. Zhong, I too have my own difficulties that are hard to express. I must weigh my options carefully before making a decision. That Lu Xiangsheng you mentioned, is he a talented individual? I will have Da Ban look into it. If you have any other questions or needs, please feel free to speak up; I will have Da Ban take care of them for you. I still have many memorials to attend to, so I will not disturb you further"

Due to the inconvenience discussed last night, after finishing dinner, Zhong Jinwei informed Aqi to find someone to make two items: one is a large wooden board, and if a large board is not available, several smaller boards can be pieced together, with one side required to be very smooth. Once completed, apply ink to it, dyeing the smooth side completely black; this is called a blackboard. The other item is chalk, which is made by taking some lime powder, adding water, and forming it into finger-sized sticks.

The next day, with the sun already high in the sky, Zhong Jinwei finally woke up. He realized that he had no idea what time he had fallen asleep the previous night after chatting for so long. He wondered if Aqi had gotten up yet. Thus, he called out from a distance: "Aqi, Aqi, are you awake?"

Zhong Jinwei contemplated the following: "Appoint Sun Chengzong to replace Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Chonghuan disregards the law, privately executing generals, and must be held accountable for his actions to prevent others from emulating him and showing contempt for the court. Additionally, appoint Lu Xiangsheng to take over Dongjiang Town."

Aqi blinked: "The first servant can be understood, but the second one, counting money until their hands cramp would be a blessing, how could that be foolish? Who counts coins? Just use silver, and if that’s not enough, then gold. How could one possibly count to the point of cramping their hands?"

When Wang Cheng'en received this memorial, he anticipated the furious wrath of Emperor Chongzhen. He could not simply align with the Emperor's sentiments and say: Yes, Yuan Manzi is audacious and utterly disregards Your Majesty.

Zhong Jinwei said, "Ah, you are up early. You really don't know how to enjoy life. Do you know what the two greatest joys in life are?" Aqi, feeling a bit curious, asked in response, "What are the two greatest joys? I seem to have heard that there are three greatest joys."

At this moment, Wang Cheng'en had a question and could not help but ask: "How does the slave leader know this? Can he advance from the Zhuhua side without fearing that after a detour of a thousand miles, he will find that the Zhuhua side is also a solid fortress, unable to be taken, and will return in a state of panic? At this time, with the Ming cavalry pursuing relentlessly, how many troops can still return?"

Zhong Jinwei looked at Emperor Chongzhen, and after a long while, Emperor Chongzhen finally spoke: "Yuan Chonghuan holds my most elite Guanning Iron Cavalry in his hands. If I were to hold him accountable, what if he defects to the Jurchens? The Shanhai Pass defense line would be wide open, and even if the Jurchens do not take a detour, they could reach the capital directly. There is no nearby army that can contend with them. Moreover, Sun Chengzong is Yuan Chonghuan's mentor, having promoted him to his current position. According to your suggestion, he has previously concealed Yuan Chonghuan's offenses, and it would be difficult for him to accept holding Yuan Chonghuan accountable."

After a while, Emperor Chongzhen calmed down, sitting on the imperial throne, murmuring to himself: "I truly do not dare to do anything to him!" Then, with a helpless sigh, he exhaled. Wang Cheng'en saw that the moment was right and stepped forward to softly say: "Your Majesty, why not summon Mr. Zhong to seek his counsel?"

As Emperor Chongzhen turned to walk towards the door, Zhong Jinwei recalled a suggestion he had seen online previously. Therefore, he hurriedly addressed Emperor Chongzhen, saying: "Your Majesty, there is one more matter."

Zhong Jinwei said at this point, pausing to observe that Emperor Chongzhen was listening attentively and consulting the map. He then continued: "During the period of rest at Xiecai in Dongjiang Town, Huang Taiji had sufficient time to mobilize his main forces for a major campaign. According to historical records, he bypassed the Ningjin defense line, likely entering from the direction of Zunhua, and attacked the capital."

Emperor Chongzhen observed Zhong Jinwei's calm demeanor, unhurried and composed, which immediately put his mind at ease, leading him to heed Zhong Jinwei's advice

After Wang Cheng'en presented the memorial to him, Emperor Chongzhen directly threw the memorial to the ground, roaring in anger: "Yuan the Barbarian has betrayed my intentions, so audacious and reckless, does he regard me as nothing? Tell me, Daban, tell me, does he still see me in his eyes?"

Zhong Jinwei, upon hearing this, waved his hand and said: "Sun Chengzong, this old gentleman, Your Majesty can rest assured. Historically, in matters of great significance, Lord Sun's stance has been resolute, and he ultimately met a heroic end, which is truly admirable"

Aqi was drawn in by Zhong Jinwei's topic, and as their relationship had become much closer, he felt emboldened to raise questions

Zhong Jinwei thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, the event has already occurred, and anger and urgency are of no use. Let us first analyze the consequences of this incident, and then discuss how to resolve it"

As soon as the order was given, Emperor Chongzhen, accompanied by Wang Cheng'en, hurriedly arrived. Upon hearing the news, Zhong Jinwei thought to himself that it had indeed happened after all