Luo Yangxing quickly replied:
"Your Majesty, when you had just recovered, Wei Zhongxian wanted to come to the palace to see you."
"However, I was worried that he would cause some trouble, so I didn't let him into the palace."
"As for now, he really hasn't been slacking off."
"According to the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he has been busy during this period, secretly investigating the background and assets of the Donglin Party."
"It is said that he has found a breakthrough and plans to start by targeting a minor official in the Donglin Party, and then proceed from there to larger ones..."
Zhu Youjian didn't care about these details.
He nodded and said, "Alright, as long as he didn't slack off."
Just then, a thunderclap suddenly flashed outside the hall.
Almost immediately, dark clouds filled the sky, and a heavy rain began to fall.
Zhu Youjian immediately became excited and strode to the palace gate, looking at the ministers who had just dispersed.
They had not yet left the palace, and their servants and attendants were naturally not allowed to follow them in.
The ministers were caught off guard and were soaked to the bone by the heavy rain.
He was in a very sorry state.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Youjian burst into laughter.
"Master Gao was right, a heavy rain really did start at that moment!"
Hearing this, Luo Yangxing, unaware of the details, was somewhat surprised.
"When did Gao Qingyun become so good at divination that he can even predict the weather?"
His respect for Gao Qingyun deepened.
Meanwhile, in the northeast of the capital.
Li Ruolian and her troops are almost leaving Shanhaiguan.
He turned around and looked at the dark sky inside the pass, where it seemed to be raining.
Li Ruolian sighed inwardly:
"The army is setting out, but dark clouds are gathering; this is an ominous sign."
However, on the surface, he remained very calm.
"Pass down the order: it is getting late, have the army camp nearby."
"We must form a pincer movement with the other Ming army camps, and not give the Jurchens any opportunity to take advantage!"
These were naturally Zhu Youjian's explanations.
However, his military officers were not happy about it.
He started cursing in front of Li Ruolian.
"You, Li Ruolian, are nothing but a military officer who has gained the Emperor's favor. You think you can get away with looking down on us?"
"As a result, after you led your troops into battle, you were still so cautious, as if you were afraid of encountering the Jurchens."
"It's only a quarter past noon, and you're already saying it's getting late and you want to set up camp here."
We really look down on you!
The officers of the Beijing Garrison were either descendants of veteran generals who had fought alongside Emperor Taizu to establish the empire.
Or they could follow Zhu Di and beat up the descendants of his nephew Zhu Yunwen's meritorious officials.
It's not surprising that they look down on Li Ruolian.
Li Ruolian's expression remained unchanged.
"These are my orders, are you unwilling to obey them?"
As he spoke, he drew his sword from his waist.
It seems that if anyone dares to say "no," he'll just chop them up.
The military officers present exchanged glances, and indeed dared not speak again.
If they really had that much guts, they wouldn't have ended up like this.
"Hmph, you win!"
"But Li Ruolian, you better remember this: if you keep dragging your feet and cause a major problem, it could lead to trouble for Guan Ning."
"Your head won't be enough to atone for such a grave crime!"
"Just wait until your entire family is executed!"
After uttering a few harsh words, they obediently set up camp.
After they left, Li Ruolian let out a long sigh.
He turned back to look at the capital city once more.
"Your Majesty, this order of yours has really put me in a difficult position."
"Just who is this Master Gao, that you trust him so much?"
Not long after, Ningyuan.
After learning that Li Ruolian had left the pass, Yuan Chonghuan hesitated to advance after only a few miles.
This made Yuan Chonghuan somewhat uncertain.
"What exactly is Li Ruolian planning?"
At that moment, he also felt a little regretful.
"If I had known that the emperor would suddenly fall into the water, giving the Jurchens the opportunity to march south, I shouldn't have ignored the soldiers' riots over pay!"
"Now look what's happened. Huang Taiji has already led his troops south, while the imperial reinforcements are like tortoises."
"And the soldiers in Ning and Jin cities were also having second thoughts because of the issue of pay."
"If something really bad happens, wouldn't I become a sinner for all time in the history of the Ming Dynasty?"
Yuan Chonghuan was anxious and angry. He stood up and roared at his servants, "Quickly bring me a bowl of cold tea!"
After the servant he brought from his hometown actually brought him a cup of cold tea.
Yuan Chonghuan drank it all in one gulp, which calmed him down a little.
"Someone, quickly go and make contact with Li Ruolian, and hint to him about the situation on Ning Jin's side."
"Tell him to stop hesitating and quickly lead his troops into the city to help me resist the Jurchens!"
By the late Ming Dynasty, not only were there infighting among officials, but also factions such as the Donglin Party and the Chu Party emerged based on different regions.
The same principle applies to the army.
The soldiers who caused this disturbance were from the south, and they didn't give Bi Zisu, the northern governor of Liaodong, a friendly look.
In the end, Bi Zisu committed suicide.
When Yuan Chonghuan, a Cantonese, took command, these soldiers immediately became obedient.
However, no matter what, they had just caused a disturbance, and their morale was still unstable.
If someone were to take the matter to the extreme and go directly to "Huang Taiji of Liaodong," it would trigger a chain reaction.
So it's no wonder that Yuan Chonghuan was so anxious.
Upon hearing the news, Li Ruolian's face lit up with joy.
"Oh, the Ningjin mutiny has actually been quelled, but Yuan Chonghuan delayed reporting it in order to get more pay to appease the troops?"
"That's good, that's good."
After saying this, Li Ruolian thought to herself, "Could it be that His Majesty already knew about this, which is why he ordered me to advance slowly?"
Yuan Chonghuan was, after all, a civil official, and his understanding of military generals was far inferior to that of Li Ruolian.
Li Ruolian was well aware that the soldiers who could be sent to Liaodong were, to some extent, original shareholders of the Ming Dynasty.
Even if the imperial court was in arrears with their pay, these soldiers would not easily surrender to the Jurchens unless they were in a situation where they were certain to die.
"From this perspective, Ningjin is actually quite safe."
"If that's the case, then I really should slow down."
Li Ruolian laughed heartily and readily agreed to the messenger sent by Yuan Chonghuan.
However, the marching speed became increasingly slower.
At first, he could walk twenty li a day, but later he couldn't even walk ten li a day.
The sun is too strong; we can't walk, lest the soldiers get sunburned.
The sun is low, so we can't move. Visibility is poor at this time, lest the Jurchens launch a surprise attack under the cover of darkness.
As for wind and rain, that's another story.
On Ningjin's side, Yuan Chonghuan was so anxious that his mouth was full of blisters, but there was nothing he could do.
All I could do was jump up and down and curse.
"Li Ruolian, may your whole family be rich and prosperous!"
Almost simultaneously.
Huang Taiji, among the Jurchen army, also looked conflicted.
"What exactly is the Ming army's plan?"
"So, who exactly is Li Ruolian?"
"Is he really a military scholar?"
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