What exactly is the situation in Hanjing?
Qian Qianyi stood on Jianghua Island, gazing anxiously eastward, and asked the newly returned Imperial Guards.
The Imperial Guard dared not be negligent and quickly replied:
"Reporting to my lord, according to the information we have gathered, the Jurchens have retreated more than ten miles to the north and have ceased their attack on Hanjing."
"Although the Jurchens have withdrawn their troops, they still have many scouts stationed outside."
"And they were all like madmen, working non-stop, even searching around at night."
"So we didn't have a chance to go into the city and talk to Lord Yuan there."
Qian Qianyi breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.
"It's good that they've retreated. It looks like Hanjing can hold out for a few more days."
“In that case, this responsibility will not fall on my shoulders.”
By this point, he no longer cared about making a name for himself; he just wanted to get through the current trouble.
In his view, although the Jurchens had withdrawn their troops, the Han capital could not be held indefinitely.
Given enough time, the city will eventually be breached.
If Hanjing is lost, Qian Qianyi will not be able to escape unscathed.
"That bastard Zhou Yanru will definitely try to sabotage me from behind!"
Qian Qianyi rolled his eyes and gave orders to those around him.
"I will go back and write a memorial to Your Majesty, requesting that you send troops to Goryeo again to relieve Lord Yuan's predicament."
"In addition, we might also send troops to Liaodong from Ningyuan to harass the Jurchens' rear."
At this moment, he didn't care what Zhu Youjian's plans were; he was only thinking about getting himself out of trouble.
After the memorial was written, Qian Qianyi ordered it to be sent back to the capital by fast boat.
Upon seeing this memorial, Zhu Youjian immediately frowned.
"Qian Qianyi was a good-for-nothing! Yuan Chonghuan was a good-for-nothing too!"
"Didn't they say a few days ago that they had won a great victory at the front?"
"How come in the blink of an eye, the Jurchens have launched a major southward offensive and besieged Yuan Chonghuan and his men?"
Zhu Youjian slammed his hand on the table.
"This is infuriating!"
Wang Chengen stood to the side. Seeing the emperor so angry, he quickly went over and carefully advised him:
"Your Majesty, please don't be too angry. Nothing bad may happen in Hanjing."
"After all, that was the capital of Goryeo, and wasn't Lord Yuan famous for his skill in defending cities?"
"Perhaps this Hanjing is the second Ningyuan."
After being persuaded by him for a few words, Zhu Youjian felt better.
"What you said makes some sense."
"Sigh, I still can't let it go."
"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have interfered in Goryeo's affairs in the first place. I should have just followed the original plan!"
At this moment, Zhu Youjian clearly regretted his actions.
The ministers standing before him quickly said, "Your Majesty, we are guilty."
"It is because we did not advise Your Majesty to rescind your order that we have delayed matters of great importance to the nation."
If it were the historical Zhu Youjian, he would have definitely gone with the flow and shifted the blame.
But the current Zhu Youjian is not so naive.
He knew that to be a good emperor, everything else was secondary, but taking the initiative to shoulder the blame was absolutely essential.
If you're not even willing to take the blame, who would be willing to die for you?
Zhu Youjian sighed inwardly, "Master Gao taught me this lesson, and I must not repeat his mistake."
He waved.
"My beloved ministers, please rise. This matter was decided by me alone and has nothing to do with you."
"The most urgent task now is to figure out how to relieve the siege of Hanjing."
Zhu Youjian ordered Wang Chengen to bring a map of Goryeo (Korea) and hang it in the center of the imperial study.
Then he stepped closer and asked in a deep voice, "Do any of you gentlemen have any insightful opinions?"
"Should we really send out the Xinjing Garrison and cause some trouble in Liaodong?"
This map of Goryeo was drawn by the Ministry of War under the order of the Wanli Emperor decades ago during the Japanese invasion.
Decades have passed, and the map has faded, but things have become chaotic in Korea again.
Looking at the map, Zhu Youjian recalled what Gao Qingyun had told him about certain things in later generations, and suddenly sighed, "Goryeo is really a troublesome place!"
The ministers were unaware of what would happen in later years and simply assumed that the emperor was reminiscing about the three great campaigns of the Wanli Emperor.
So they all spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, Goryeo is, after all, the first vassal state of our Great Ming, and has always been respectful. We cannot simply ignore it."
Zhu Youjian said haphazardly, "I naturally understand this principle... Never mind, you all discuss what to do next."
Just then, Li Ruolian and Qin Liangyu arrived after hearing the news.
They were about to bow when Zhu Youjian interrupted them.
"Alright, no need for formalities. Generals, please take a look at the current situation."
After listening to the explanations from the others, the two of them lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.
A moment later, Qin Liangyu was the first to speak.
She took a deep breath, her eyes shining brightly:
"Your Majesty, now is the perfect opportunity to quell the Jurchens in one fell swoop!"
Not to mention the ministers, even Li Ruolian frowned slightly after hearing this.
He stood up and said, "General Qin, what makes you say that?"
"The new Beijing garrison has only been training for six months, and we dare not say that we can definitely defeat the Jurchens."
"Launching a major eastern expedition at this time is a complete gamble!"
He was much younger than Qin Liangyu, but at this time he was even more conservative.
"Goryeo has suffered from war for many years, and its people are already living in misery."
"Even if the Jurchens occupy Goryeo, they will not increase their national strength much, and may even become mired in the quagmire of Goryeo."
"Just wait a couple of years, until the new army is trained and the foreigners have finished manufacturing their muskets and cannons."
"Only when the time is right will we be able to send troops to attack the Jurchens with absolute certainty!"
Zhu Youjian nodded slightly after hearing this, as this was already his predetermined strategy.
However, he was also somewhat curious.
He had already told Qin Liangyu about this strategy, and Qin Liangyu supported it at the time.
Why did this female general suggest that the court immediately launch an eastern expedition?
He looked at Qin Liangyu, gesturing for her to explain.
Qin Liangyu first bowed with her hands clasped in greeting, and then spoke in a somewhat low voice:
"Your Majesty, esteemed officials, although I, Qin Liangyu, am merely a military man and a woman, I have always paid close attention to matters of state."
“In recent years, our Great Ming has suffered from continuous natural disasters. Although His Majesty has reformed the administration since ascending the throne, there has been some improvement.”
"But the disaster situation in various places has not improved much."
"The sooner the court can destroy the Jurchens, the sooner it can save countless expenses and the sooner it can stop paying taxes to Liaodong."
"It could even lead to the abolition of the Nine Garrisons a day earlier."
"That's why I suggested that Your Majesty take this opportunity to annihilate the Jurchens!"
It turns out that although Qin Liangyu didn't read many books when she was young, she knew that the fate of a country is not always smooth sailing.
The situation is still very good today, but it might take a sharp turn for the worse in a few years.
The Ming Dynasty is indeed getting better day by day, but who dares to say whether a great flood will suddenly occur tomorrow, or a super rebel will emerge and cause unrest throughout the land?
Therefore, in her opinion, it was better to eliminate the Jurchens as soon as possible.
Zhu Youjian fell into deep thought after hearing this explanation.
He had already inquired with Gao Qingyun and learned that there would indeed be many disasters in the Ming Dynasty in the next few years.
Although he knew these things in advance and could prepare accordingly, no one can guarantee that everything will go perfectly.
Moreover, dealing with traitors isn't so safe either.
"Master Gao once told me about something called the butterfly effect in history."
"Although I brought Li Zicheng and the others into the palace and made them become disciples of Master Gao."
"But if Li Zicheng is gone, will there be another Zhang Zicheng or Wang Zicheng?"
"The people's lives have not improved. The Ming Dynasty is sitting on dry wood and could turn to ashes at any moment."
"As for who actually started that spark, that's not important."
Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian was also tempted.
He asked the other ministers, "What do you think?"
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