novelAbuy Chapter 1: A Cataclysmic Start, Saving Lu Xiang Sheng is a Must
Chapter 1: A Cataclysmic Start, Saving Lu Xiang Sheng is a Must
In the winter of the eleventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the north wind at dawn felt like a knife scraping flesh against people's faces, but at that moment, a dense mass of noble and high-ranking officials knelt outside the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace in the capital.
Zhang Shize, son of the current Duke of Yingguo Zhang Zhiji, and Zhu Chuncheng, the Duke of Chengguo, were the first to kneel and kowtow repeatedly, followed by a group of meritorious officials and their sons who cried and begged for mercy.
They all removed their hats, loosened their jade belts, and donned plain robes, as if they had lost their parents, repeatedly proclaiming their guilt, which led to the enemy cavalry approaching the city and causing turmoil in the capital.
But then they immediately begged the emperor for mercy and to forgive their sins, without mentioning how to resolve the current crisis.
The nobles who used to roam freely in the capital now acted like cowardly quails, shouting that they were guilty while begging the emperor to let them go. This was a spectacle never seen before during the Chongzhen era.
The burly generals who were ordered by Emperor Chongzhen to stand guard outside the Meridian Gate and keep an eye on these meritorious officials all flashed a hint of disdain in their eyes.
This was simply because these meritorious officials, who had received imperial favor for generations, were not begging the emperor for mercy for anything else at this moment.
They acted this way because the emperor, citing the approaching enemy and the need to defend the country, ordered the military officers in the capital to prepare their own personal guards and armored horses, ready to lead troops out of the city to fight at any time to protect the people.
Having lived a life of luxury for many years and rarely even handled a weapon, these nobles were easily frightened by such threats.
So this morning, they colluded and brought their families to the Meridian Gate to wail and beg for mercy.
Little did they know that the emperor, who was usually indecisive and easily swayed by emotions, had already made preparations. He not only sent people to guard the palace gates and prevent them from entering the capital to plead for mercy, but also issued an ultimatum, ordering them to gather their servants and cavalry today and set up camp outside the city tomorrow!
When this imperial edict was issued, the sky fell down on all the meritorious officials!
Zhu Chuncheng, who was now the most powerful official in Beijing, also disregarded his reputation and knelt outside the Meridian Gate, yelling and kowtowing loudly. It was extremely shameful.
Meanwhile, Emperor Chongzhen, who was using the righteous cause of protecting the nation to force these nobles to bleed, was discussing military affairs with Zhang Zhiji, the Duke of Yingguo, in the warm pavilion of the platform.
Yes, the inner soul of this Chongzhen Emperor had long been replaced.
It's unclear whether the original Emperor Chongzhen went to the 21st century to travel through various worlds, but the body in this body now belongs to a working-class person from the 21st century.
In the seven years since he went from a naive college student to a nuclear-powered beast of burden, Li Can has been thoroughly beaten down by society.
In the early hours of the day he turned 30, after finishing a long stretch of overtime work, in order to boost his chances of promotion, he took two cans of Monster Energy and drove onto the highway to pick up his boss's youngest son who was returning from abroad.
He didn't get the promotion he was looking for, but he did get a stroke of good luck.
Li Can, who was driving while fatigued, was killed on the highway by a 100-ton truck, ending his life as a nuclear-powered ox or horse.
When he woke up again, he was greeted by a traditional-style warm pavilion and a panicked Cao Huachun...
Although the news that the emperor had suddenly fainted while handling official business startled the officials in the capital, the emperor quickly regained consciousness and was found to be unharmed after being examined by the imperial physician.
It's a mystery how the emperor came up with the terrible idea of ordering the military officers to lead troops into battle. Now, the nobles in the capital are in a state of panic, and no one is willing to confront the rumored vicious Jurchens.
Zhang Zhiji should have been among the nobles kneeling outside the Meridian Gate at this moment. Even though he was old, he should have stayed in the mansion to wait for news after sending his son as the representative of the Duke of Ying's mansion.
However, he was currently in the same warm pavilion as Emperor Chongzhen and was being treated well by the emperor, which made it clear that there was something fishy going on.
"Your Majesty, you have all received the Emperor's favor for generations, yet you now cower in fear of the enemy, truly disgracing your ancestors..."
The old British Duke shook his head with a wry smile.
He had expected that many martial arts masters would embarrass themselves today, but he never imagined that those good-for-nothings would be so disgraceful!
That is to say, the emperor secretly summoned him to the palace last night to discuss this matter; otherwise, Zhang Shize would not have been among the Wu Xun who came to beg for mercy today.
Although the British Duke's mansion is now facing a similar decline in talent and is no longer capable of wielding weapons, it still retains the spirit of loyalty to the country.
At worst, they could go to war and die for their country, which would not have been in vain for their family to have received imperial favor for generations and to have shared in the wealth and honor of the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years.
Li Can... no, it should be said that the current Chongzhen Emperor was not angry after hearing the old Duke of Ying's ashamed statement.
Having been an avid reader of historical novels in his previous life, he knew all too well the powerful and influential officials of the late Ming Dynasty.
Can we really expect them to protect the Ming Dynasty and their own families' wealth with swords?
Don't be ridiculous. These good-for-nothings are only thinking about undermining the Ming Dynasty with the landlords and gentry. They haven't considered whether they'll be crushed along with the Ming Dynasty if its foundation collapses.
Therefore, it is absolutely not feasible to deal with them solely through appeasement.
Those guys who are inherently weak and prone to compromise need to be intimidated and threatened.
If Emperor Chongzhen had initially asked them to contribute to the country by having each family contribute armor, horses, and provisions to support the frontline battles, then this plan would have undoubtedly failed.
So we need to change our approach. From the beginning, we should use the concept of righteousness to drive them to a dead end, into the very trap they fear most, so that they will be so scared that they will come begging for mercy.
If we then use another plan instead of having them personally lead the troops into battle, they will obediently comply.
"Old Duke, I'm so sorry to have troubled you this time. These 150 fine horses, 100 suits of lamellar armor, and 200 suits of padded armor will all be returned to you by me after the mission is accomplished. I'll also give your family an additional 10,000 taels of silver. What do you think?"
Since the British Duke's family is to act as their inside agents in this grand scheme, they must be given ample benefits in return.
Having experienced the hardships of modern society firsthand, Emperor Chongzhen would not be stingy with such a benefit.
How can you expect someone to get things done well without letting your subordinates eat their fill?
However, Zhang Zhiji shook his head repeatedly when he heard Chongzhen's arrangement.
"His Majesty intends to use these weapons and provisions for important matters; how could this old minister possibly have any say in them?"
"My only wish is to help the soldiers on the front lines fight bravely against the slaves; in this way, my British Duke's Mansion can be considered to have contributed to the country."
Emperor Chongzhen was extremely pleased with Zhang Zhiji's profound sense of righteousness.
After arranging the upcoming "grand spectacle," Emperor Chongzhen ordered Cao Huachun to personally escort Zhang Zhiji to the Meridian Gate to read out the imperial edict ordering the nobles to take up arms in place of the emperor himself.
Faced with the choice between their own lives and military equipment and wealth, Chongzhen believed that his military officers knew how to make the right choice.
And what happens next...?
Looking at the map of Beizhi hanging on the wall of the warm pavilion, Chongzhen's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the Jia Village in Julu.
"December of the eleventh year, what a disastrous start."
A sigh escaped, but the thought of saving Lu Xiang-sheng immediately replaced any wavering in his mind.
There are always some things that we must do regardless of the consequences, even if they are destined to come at a heavy price!