usatvline Chapter 124 Nurhaci, you're celebrating too soon!
Chapter 124 Nurhaci, you're celebrating too soon!
Chapter 124 Nurhaci, you're celebrating too soon!
Chapter 123 Zhou Bin looked at the fire warrant sent by the Ministry of War of the Imperial Court. The contents were actually the same as the secret letter that Wei Zhongxian sent to Chen Ying, only two days later.
Wei Zhongxian utilized the secret channels of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In terms of road access, the Ming Dynasty's urgent military intelligence was actually of the highest caliber. Unfortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was like a bug in the system; no one dared to compete with them for road access, while the imperial court used the postal station system, which was slightly slower.
The moment Zhou Bin saw the fire ticket, he immediately thought of the Southern Song court summoning Yue Fei back. Now they were about to reach Shenyang, and at this critical juncture, the court actually summoned Chen Boying back.
Zhou Bin immediately thought of many things: Fengbo Pavilion, fabricated charges, and killing someone without cause.
He was both grief-stricken and helpless.
Chen Boying didn't have many options. At most, he could feign illness and delay for a few days. Otherwise, the court would label him as someone who held military power and was acting arrogantly.
Chen Ying was actually a little puzzled when he received Wei Zhongxian's secret letter. How could the Tianqi Emperor be Zhao Gou? Why would he summon him back to the capital to present his victory at this time? Wasn't that ridiculous?
Chen Ying held the Ministry of War's fire warrant, his brows furrowed. Zhou Bin and other generals were filled with righteous indignation, but hesitated to speak, their eyes filled with anxiety and unease.
Outside the tent, soldiers were preparing meals, smoke rising from the chimneys, everything proceeding smoothly and efficiently. No one knew that their commander was facing a difficult choice.
"General,"
Zhou Bin finally couldn't help but speak up: "The court's summons of you back at this time is clearly—clearly a prelude to the Fengbo Pavilion incident."
Chen Ying didn't respond; he knew perfectly well what Zhou Bin was worried about.
Yue Fei was sent back to the capital with twelve imperial edicts, but was unjustly executed at Fengbo Pavilion on trumped-up charges. Is the Ming Dynasty going to repeat the same mistake?
He threw the firecrackers on the table, sneered, and said, "Those Donglin Party members are truly insidious. When impeachment failed, they resorted to flattery to their detriment. Do they think that by praising me to the skies, the Emperor will become suspicious of me? Or do they think I'll obediently return to my death like Yue Fei?"
Chen Ying had to make the best of a plan. Although he believed that Emperor Tianqi was neither incompetent nor a foolish ruler, the problem was that he was unwilling to use his own head to verify whether Emperor Tianqi was wise or not. But what if he was wrong?
Zhou Bin asked anxiously, "Then what does the commander-in-chief plan to do? Disobeying an imperial order is a capital offense!"
Chen Ying did not answer. He actually knew better than anyone that Zhou Bin was worried about the facts. He stood up, walked to the map, and looked at the location of Shenyang.
There, the main force of the Jurchens was retreating. Nurhaci had already sent messengers three times to issue mobilization orders to the twelve banners of the Jurchens. Give him another half month, and he would be able to bring his army to the gates of Shenyang.
What to do with this fire ticket? If he doesn't return to the capital, he'll fall right into the Donglin Party's trap and give them ammunition to attack him. If he does go back, will he end up like Yue Fei? Honestly, Chen Ying never imagined he would one day suffer the same fate as Yue Fei.
What should I do?
Chen Ying was also caught in a dilemma. In fact, he didn't have a better choice. Going back might mean death, but not going back would make him a traitor, accused of holding power and harboring treacherous intentions. But he was also worried about going back; he was even more afraid of dying. He was only human. He still had over a hundred beautiful women waiting for his favor, and over a million taels of silver that he hadn't spent. If he died, who knew which bastard would benefit?
Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the tent: "General, the military supervisor, Eunuch Lu, requests an audience."
Chen Ying was taken aback. Lu Jiucheng had been staying in Yongning Port to "recuperate" since the Battle of Shuangchengwei, so why had he suddenly come to Xianping?
"please."
The tent flap was lifted, and Lu Jiucheng strode in. He was much thinner than he had been a few months ago, and his face was somewhat pale, but he was in good spirits. As soon as he entered, he stared at the fire warrant in Chen Ying's hand and smiled: "It seems the Commander-in-Chief has already received the fire warrant from the Ministry of War."
Chen Ying handed him the fire warrant: "Eunuch Lu, you've come at the right time. Could you help me decide whether I should accept this fire warrant?"
Lu Jiucheng did not take the warrant. He looked at Chen Ying calmly and said, "Lord Chen, I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Do you think the Emperor was a tyrant? Was he Zhao Gou?"
These words were extremely bold and audacious, but they also showed that Lu Jiucheng had taken a great risk.
Chen Ying was taken aback, then shook his head: "Of course not."
"Then do you think the Emperor would harm you?"
Chen remained silent.
He recalled the many favors the Tianqi Emperor had shown him. When he was in Yongcheng, he was just a lowly military household. Sun Chuanting promoted him to the position of the head of the Yongcheng Construction Bureau, which was not an official position, not even a minor one. However, the Tianqi Emperor promoted him from a military household to a commander of a thousand households, transferred him from Yongcheng to Shahe, promoted him from a commander of a thousand households to a commander, and then promoted him to the commander of the Daning Capital. The Tianqi Emperor gave him money, food, soldiers, and trust, and even stood by him when he clashed with the Donglin Party members.
"Won't."
Chen Ying said slowly.
Lu Jiucheng nodded, took out a letter from his sleeve, and handed it to Chen Ying: "This is a personal letter that His Majesty asked me to bring to you."
"Take a look, and you'll understand."
Chen Ying took the letter and unfolded it.
The letter was short, and the handwriting wasn't neat, even a bit crooked, but every word struck his heart like a hammer: "Boying: It is as if we are meeting in person. I heard that you decisively defeated the Jianzhou Jurchens, pursuing them for a thousand miles, which greatly pleased me. However, I heard that you intend to personally lead a large army straight to Shenyang, and I cannot sleep at night. Do you know that in the four years since I ascended the throne, we have lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Liaodong and abandoned more than ten cities? Not a single official in the court dared to speak of war. Only you, with a few thousand new soldiers, defeated an enemy of one hundred thousand, beheaded their prince, and slaughtered their elite troops. Do you know what this means to Daming, to Liaodong, and to the Ming Dynasty?"
"I am not Zhao Gou, nor do I wish you to become Yue Fei. I summoned you back to the capital not because of the Donglin Party's request, but for your safety. You have already defeated the Jurchens, that is enough. The rest can be left to Sun Chengzong and Ma Shilong. If you insist on going north, and something goes wrong, I will lose another arm, and the Ming Dynasty will lose another pillar. I cannot bear that."
"I am in the capital, waiting for your return. On the day of the victory, I will personally lead all civil and military officials to welcome you ten miles outside the city. Boying, I do not ask you to conquer Shenyang for me, I only ask for your safe return."
The letter ended without the solemnity of an imperial edict or the airs of an emperor. Only a line of small print, seemingly added casually: "I recently made a new model ship. I'll wait for you to return so we can study it together."
After reading the letter, Chen Ying remained silent for a long time.
The tent was so quiet that the sound of the candlelight could be heard. Zhou Bin and Lu Jiucheng did not speak, but simply watched him silently.
After a long while, Chen Ying carefully folded the letter and put it away close to his body. He looked up, and the hesitation and anger from before were gone from his eyes, replaced by a complex emotion that was hard to describe.
"Eunuch Lu," his voice was a little hoarse, "When did His Majesty write this letter?"
Lu Jiucheng said softly, "The night before the imperial edict was issued, the Emperor locked himself in his warm chamber, writing and tearing up the document repeatedly, tossing and turning for most of the night. The final version was polished with the help of Eunuch Wei."
He paused, then continued, "General, you may not know this, but His Majesty said that you are going to personally lead the troops to attack Shenyang. He has been so anxious that he hasn't slept well for several days. He told Eunuch Wei that Chen Boying is our Ming Dynasty's Huo Qubing. It's a tragedy that the heavens are jealous of talent. If Chen Boying dies in Shenyang, he will never forgive himself for the rest of his life."
Chen Ying closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He recalled the young face of the Tianqi Emperor, the focused expression on his face as he worked with the woodenware, and the undisguised admiration and trust he showed him every time they met.
That young emperor may not have been a brilliant and ambitious ruler, but he had a sincere heart.
"General," Lu Jiucheng said softly, "His Majesty is not Zhao Gou. He summoned you back not to harm you, but to protect you. In his eyes, you are more valuable than Shenyang. More valuable than ten Shenyangs."
Chen Ying said, "Eunuch Lu, please go back and tell His Majesty that your subject, Chen Boying, obeys the decree."
Zhou Bin panicked: "General! What about Shenyang—"
"I will make arrangements for the matter in Shenyang."
Chen Ying walked to the map and pointed to the location of Shenyang: "My not going personally does not mean I won't fight. The army is now under your command. Proceed according to the original plan. Order Hada to lead the Wolf Cavalry, in conjunction with the Solon tribe, to continue harassing the outskirts of Shenyang. Also, send a messenger to Grand Secretary Sun, requesting him to send Ma Shilong to provide support from the west. My return to the capital is not out of fear of the Donglin Party, nor is it because I cannot defy the imperial edict. I simply do not want His Majesty to worry."
After Lu Jiucheng left, Zhou Bin stepped forward and asked, "Sir, are you really going back?"
"Pass down the order: tomorrow morning, the entire army will break camp and continue northward."
Chen Boying laughed and said, "Nurhaci thought that my brilliant military strategy was the key to victory, but he was wrong. I was just a figurehead. I didn't even fight a single Jurchen. Whether I was there or not, did the Shahe New Army and the Daning New Army not know how to fight?"
Shenyang, the main hall of the Khan's Palace.
Nurhaci sat high on the dragon throne, a newly delivered secret letter spread out before him. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
Inside the hall, Princes Daishan, Huang Taiji, and Amin sat on either side, their faces solemn, not daring to utter a sound.
Ever since Chen Boying's army passed through Xianping, the entire city of Shenyang has been shrouded in gloom. Scouts report three times a day, each time detailing how many miles the Ming army has advanced and which fortress they have captured. Those once invincible Eight Banner warriors now change color at the mere mention of the name "Chen Boying."
"Father," Huang Taiji finally couldn't help but speak, "Chen Boying's vanguard is less than 800 li from Shenyang. At his marching speed, he will be at the city gates in ten days at most. We must make preparations as soon as possible."
Nurhaci did not answer, but stared at the secret letter in his hand, a smile slowly appearing on his lips.
Amin cried out urgently, "Khan, please say something! If Chen Boying attacks, we—"
"What's the rush?" Nurhaci raised his hand to interrupt him, throwing the secret letter onto the table. "Take a look at this first."
Dai Shan picked up the secret letter, glanced at it a few times, and his eyes widened in surprise: "The court wants to summon Chen Boying back to the capital to report his victory?"
Huang Taiji took the letter, quickly scanned it, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face: "This—this is real?"
Nurhaci stood up, walked to the window, his back to everyone, and said in a terrifyingly calm voice: "Those officials of the Ming Dynasty are more afraid of Chen Boying winning this battle than we are."
The hall erupted in chaos instantly.
"Chen Boying is going back to the capital? Doesn't that mean he's not going to attack Shenyang?"
"Hahaha! God bless the Great Gold! God bless the Great Gold!"
"What good is it for Chen Boying to fight so well? One imperial decree, and he has to obediently return!"
The princes were all overjoyed, as if the gloom that had been weighing on their hearts for days had suddenly dissipated. Some even began to discuss how to recover the lost territory after Chen Boying withdrew his troops.
Only Huang Taiji frowned and said softly, "Father, don't you think this is too much of a coincidence? Chen Boying is about to reach Shenyang, and the court just happens to summon him back at this time. Could it be—"
"What is it?" Nurhaci turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife.
Huang Taiji carefully considered his words: "Could it be that someone in the Ming court is afraid that Chen Boying's achievements are too great, and is deliberately trying to trip him up?"
Nurhaci was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Eighth Brother, you're right. That's just how the Ming court is."
Nurhaci slowly said, "Back then, Li Chengliang was in Liaodong, and he made us unable to raise our heads. Our Jurchen people were almost wiped out. But what happened? He was transferred away with a decree from the court. Now Chen Boying is the same. They are more afraid of military generals gaining merit and border generals becoming too powerful than they are of us."
Dai Shan exclaimed excitedly, "Father, since Chen Boying is returning to the capital, can't we take this opportunity to launch a counterattack and retake Xianping and Shuangchengwei?"
"A counterattack?" Nurhaci sneered. "If you want to go and die, I won't stop you."
Dai Shan was taken aback.
Nurhaci sat down again, picked up the secret letter, read it once more, and then slowly said, "Chen Boying is leaving, but his troops aren't. Those arquebuses, cannons, and grenades are still there. Who can guarantee that those troops won't attack after he leaves?"
The princes looked at each other, their excitement quickly waning.
Huang Taiji chimed in, "Father is right. Chen Boying is a meticulous man and would never act without a backup plan. If we act rashly, we might fall into his trap."
"What should we do then?" Amin asked anxiously. "We can't just wait here, can we?"
Nurhaci remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Wait."
"wait?"
"Once Chen Boying returns to the capital, once the court shifts its attention away from Liaodong, and once we've recovered our lost strength," Nurhaci laughed. "The Great Jin has been established for thirty years; what storms haven't we weathered? One Chen Boying can't defeat us. As long as our twelve banners of the Great Jin remain, the Great Jin will endure."
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the assembled princes: "Pass down the order: each banner must consolidate its defensive lines, fortify its city defenses, and stockpile provisions. Without my command, no one is permitted to launch an attack. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy."
The princes stood at attention and responded in unison.
Huang Taiji hesitated for a moment, then said, "Father, there's one more thing. If Chen Boying really returns to the capital, shouldn't we send someone to contact the people in the Ming court? After all, they also contributed to this matter."
Nurhaci glanced at him and slowly nodded: "You handle this matter. Remember, don't make a big fuss. What we need now is time."
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