Chapter 10: Decision Making

Hu Guang immediately turned to look at Shen Yongmao and said solemnly: "The strategy for the capital must also be promoted to all cities in the surrounding areas. The entire city must unite and work together to resist; anyone who dares to surrender will have their entire clan executed without exception, regardless of whether the surrender is genuine or feigned! However, as long as we can withstand the enemy's siege, all officials of the court will be promoted regardless of rank, and all citizens of the city will be exempt from taxes for three years"

Your Majesty, is this true?" Li Biao, who had not spoken for a long time, hurriedly confirmed at this moment

Historically, the act of Wen Tiren donating his salary was likely to have won the favor of the original Emperor Chongzhen, much like how it won the favor of Hu Guang at this time

Hu Guang was somewhat puzzled; despite employing so many strategies, he had not gained any achievement points. Could it be that his performance was so outstanding that they had become desensitized to it

This is a private matter of the emperor; he can handle it as he pleases, and the officials have no right to intervene. However, these ministers are apprehensive, realizing that the Eastern Depot will have more personnel and greater power to monitor them in the future, which inevitably sends chills down their spines

After Hu Guang finished speaking, he scanned the circle of ministers below. Noticing that a few individuals seemed inclined to speak, he reiterated sternly: "I have made my decision. You all must assist me in identifying any omissions and perfecting this plan. Should anyone dare to oppose or sabotage it, I will not show any leniency; even retirement and returning home will not be an option"

Upon hearing this, Cao Huachun, who had just been in a daze, was instantly filled with great joy. With this development, the Eastern Depot would have an official structure, and its power would surely increase significantly. He quickly bowed and replied, "I humbly obey the imperial decree"

This rhetorical question immediately left Han Luan speechless, unable to utter a word. The other ministers, who originally intended to speak, were also rendered hesitant by the question.

Hu Guang turned to Cheng Ji and commanded: "The Minister of Justice, Qiao Qing, has already proposed a plan for martial law and city patrols, which has proven effective. I will further order the Jinyiwei to patrol the entire city, and anyone who disobeys or commits an offense will be dealt with severely. In this way, does Elder Cheng think this is acceptable?"

After he finished speaking, the platform fell silent, remarkably quiet.

In the original course of history, a few days later, the Jianlu forces launched a surprise attack and obtained these grain supplies, thus ending the days of needing to hunt for military provisions

Zhou Yanru was left speechless, as the emperor took the lead in contributing funds. If there were still any hesitations regarding this matter, it was feared that His Majesty would be compelled to take more drastic measures. With this thought in mind, he dared not speak further.

Upon hearing this, Hu Guang immediately retorted, "Can you guarantee the safety of the grain transport, ensuring it does not fall into the hands of the enemy?"

Zhou Yanru suddenly realized that this move by the Emperor seemed to stabilize the morale of the troops even more than silver, which was quite a clever strategy

The incident of burning the grain at Caogang will undoubtedly be criticized afterward. Without great resolve, even if Sun Chengzong, who is praised in historical texts, were to oversee Tongzhou, he would certainly recognize the risks involved but would not dare to set fire to it, nor would he even offer any counsel. This indicates the significant implications of this matter. It is only due to the pressure on Hu Guang to be erased that he had the courage to burn the grain.

Previously, the Tongzhou Canal had already frozen over, hindering the passage of vessels, yet it was still relatively dangerous for horses and people to tread on the ice. However, it was now December, and the weather had become sufficiently cold, making the transport of grain perilous.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was taken aback. Although these civil officials were not particularly knowledgeable about military affairs, they were well-read and possessed the ability to engage in theoretical discussions akin to Zhao Kuo. They naturally understood the importance of logistics.

He thought to himself, but there were still matters left unsaid. He turned to Cao Huachun and said: "In the past, the Eastern Depot operated by borrowing from the Jinyiwei. I have considered this, and in the future, the Eastern Depot will stand on its own, no longer borrowing personnel from the Jinyiwei. As for the source of personnel, we will select from those who performed excellently in this defense of the capital, how does that sound?"

At this moment, Shen Yongmao, the civil official known for his exceptional talent, stood out distinctly. He furrowed his brows and said, "Your Majesty, the enemy's forces are substantial; they only need to capture cities and territories to secure supplies"

At this point, he spoke with a hint of ruthlessness: "I want to make the enemy suffer in the capital region, biting down once will break one of their teeth. Let us see how many cities they can chew through! In this harsh winter, I will pay a great price to fortify and clear the land, and I must give the enemy a severe lesson, so that next time they think of entering the gates, they will have to weigh their options carefully!"

Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! If the grain supply is burned, there will surely be a grain shortage in the capital before the next supply arrives next year!" Han Luan, as the Chief Minister, hastily advised.

Hu Guang did not lose his temper; he merely said in a nonchalant manner, "This matter will be discussed later."

Upon hearing this, Han Zhuan also recalled and quickly reported: "Your Majesty, the Tongzhou Canal has already frozen over. At this time, it is likely that both men and horses can traverse the ice surface. If the enemy were to seize the grain from the transport, it would likely be sufficient!"

The invaders are akin to robbers; if they manage to steal something once and profit greatly, they will undoubtedly seek to return and steal again by any means possible. However, if they are met with fierce resistance and suffer significant losses, they will certainly reconsider whether it is worth the risk to attempt another robbery in the future

Before Emperor Chongzhen could speak, Man Gui excitedly exclaimed: "The Manchus have come from afar, and according to their customs, they surely will not carry much military provisions, relying solely on plunder. Your Majesty, I believe there is a strong possibility in what you say!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Guang immediately became serious and nodded, saying: "I am also aware of this. Therefore, I no longer expect the safety of the grain transport. To be on the safe side, I have decided to set it on fire!"

Ding, achievement points +1, from Minister Zhou Yanru

He thought to himself, turned to Qian Longxi, and then said: "I have received news that the Jianlu are short on supplies and have reached the point where they must hunt to supplement their military provisions."

The siege may not necessarily last only two or three months! Qian Longxi immediately replied, his confidence appearing somewhat lacking, primarily out of fear of provoking Emperor Chongzhen and becoming the first target.

Zhou Yanru was also taken aback and then asked, "Your Majesty, where did this news come from?"

However, there is one point that brings them some comfort: the emperor originally has no money, and if a new Eastern Depot were to be established, funding would be a significant issue. Whether this matter can be accomplished remains an unknown.

In the lower left corner of the chat group, achievement points: 50. Hu Guang sighed quietly upon seeing this, realizing that indeed, continuous outstanding performance can lead to numbness; it took so long to earn just a few achievement points. Now, at last, it is possible to add another person, and he is somewhat looking forward to who might be added

After speaking, he picked up a memorial from the imperial desk and said: "The Minister of Rites, Wen Qing, is aware of the court's difficulties and has voluntarily donated his salary to contribute his modest efforts. I am greatly comforted by this. I am also inspired by this; there are many wealthy households in the capital, and in this critical moment, whoever can contribute funds to help us through this crisis will be remembered by me. This matter is not compulsory, it is entirely voluntary"

The greater the number of invaders, the more difficult their logistics become. Even if they resort to local plundering, supplying the entire army is not an easy task

After speaking, he turned to Zhou Yanru and said: "That matter just now should be able to yield a sum of money. I will have the Ministry of Revenue gather some more, and additionally allocate one hundred thousand taels from the inner treasury. That should be enough to manage for a while, right?"