I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 149 Thanks to the Donglin Party for their Gift

Chapter 149 Thanks to the Donglin Party for their Gift

Chapter 148: Ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh. Just like Gu Xiancheng, who was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown, he established the Donglin Academy. He opened the way for the people's representatives in the Ming Dynasty with the motto "The sound of wind, rain, and reading enters the ear; national affairs, family affairs, and world affairs are all of concern!"

Gu Xiancheng's original intention was indeed to cultivate a group of scholars with integrity, ideals, and abilities to become the pillars of the Ming Dynasty. However, the problem was that even the best scriptures can be misinterpreted when they encounter a crooked monk. After decades of development, the Donglin Party finally became the largest party in the Ming Dynasty. They once dominated the court and regarded those who were not Donglin Party members as heretics who had to be eliminated as soon as possible.

The rise of the Donglin Party was a struggle over the foundation of the state, namely, interfering with Emperor Wanli's choice of heir. Choosing an heir should be the emperor's prerogative; he could choose whomever he wanted. Even if he chose the Prince of Fu, who was rife with negative news, as emperor, would he necessarily be worse than Zhu Changluo?

Even if Prince Fu was mediocre, the Ming Dynasty's mature cabinet system could theoretically maintain the daily operation of the country and avoid extreme situations such as a young emperor ruling from behind the curtain and eunuchs seizing power. In the view of Emperor Wanli at the time, even if Prince Fu were made crown prince, it might be more conducive to maintaining the stability of the court.

Prince Fu, living a life of extravagance and debauchery in his fiefdom, was greedy and oppressive, levying exorbitant taxes and incurring great resentment among the people. Wasn't this his protective shield? Prince Tang, on the other hand, was eager to make a difference. Even Emperor Chongzhen imprisoned Prince Tang for more than a decade. If he had truly demonstrated his ability to govern the country, as the former crown prince, he would have met a good end.

From the perspective of the struggle over the succession to the throne, although the Donglin Party won the struggle, it does not mean that they did the right thing. The Donglin Party truly cared about everything. They cared a lot about the emperor's choice of heir, the emperor's choice of concubine, who to promote and who to dismiss. They were not concerned with whether it was right or wrong, but whether the emperor would listen to their arrangements. If he listened to their arrangements, he was a wise ruler; if he did not, he was a foolish ruler. According to them, following their arrangements meant favoring sycophants and alienating virtuous people. If things went wrong according to their arrangements, it was the emperor who was immoral, and the Donglin gentlemen would bear no responsibility.

In short, everything the Donglin Party did was correct. They knew perfectly well that the Ming Dynasty's Grand Canal transported only four million shi of grain annually, yet required over three million taels of silver to maintain operations and millions more to dredge the waterways. On this single canal alone, tens of millions of taels of silver were invested each year. Every time the court considered switching from canal transport to sea transport, the Donglin Party blocked it. Since Li Sancai became the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, the canal had become the Donglin Party's money bag. They used the canal for smuggling between the north and south, with Qian Qianyi being a prime example. He used the enormous profits from the canal to cultivate a large number of officials, even transforming the Donglin Party from a regional faction into a nationwide one.

As the Tianqi Emperor began to heavily rely on Chen Boying in Liaodong affairs, they felt their power had been fatally damaged, which made the Donglin Party and their financial backers feel threatened. For their own benefit, they did not hesitate to invite wolves into the house and plot against the emperor, resorting to any means necessary.

The problem was that people were people, not their puppets. While Nurhaci, far away in Shenyang, agreed to cooperate with their actions, he simultaneously ordered the twelve banners of the Jurchen to assemble. Unfortunately, Nurhaci did not immediately send troops. The twelve Jurchen banners remained stationary. The Tianqi Emperor, who had spent seven or eight days in Ningyuan, grew tired of the place and frequently thought of returning to Lushun. It was then that the Donglin Party members became anxious.

In the capital, at the secret meeting place of the Donglin Party, candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across the walls. Qian Qianyi sat at the head of the table, clutching a secret letter recently delivered from Shenyang, his face ashen, his fingers trembling slightly. Huang Daozhou, Ni Yuanlu, Liu Zongzhou, and others sat around him, their expressions grave, barely daring to breathe.

"That old scoundrel Nurhaci!"

Qian Qianyi slammed the secret letter on the table, his face full of anger: "He actually wants two million shi of grain, one million taels of silver, 30,000 sets of armor, and 5,000 muskets and cannons each. Does he think we're a charity?"

Although Qian Qianyi was the underground Grand Canal Transport Commissioner and the God of Wealth on the Grand Canal, the net profit he could obtain in a year, after bribing various parties, was only a little over one million taels of silver. However, the problem is that Nurhaci was asking for four or five million taels of silver. Were the Jurchen soldiers made of gold?

If Nurhaci appeared in front of him, he would definitely slap Nurhaci dozens of times. That bastard, can't he tell who the hell is the master?

Huang Daozhou picked up the secret letter, read it once, and frowned so deeply that water could be squeezed out of it: "Two million shi—he dares to ask for that much."

The Ming Dynasty's annual grain tribute was only four million shi (a unit of dry measure), and he wanted half of that with a single bite. And that's not all; he also wanted firearms, cannons, and armor—the sheer quantity was staggering. What was he planning to do with it?

Ni Yuanlu sighed and said, "What's the use of saying all this now? The target has been in Ningyuan for seven or eight days. Once the novelty wears off, he'll be clamoring to go back to Lushun. I heard that Chen Boying is carrying out a major construction project in Lushun, making the city's defenses stronger every day. If we don't act now, all our efforts will be in vain once the target returns to Lushun."

Ni Yuanlu was telling the truth, which was also the most difficult thing for them. Emperor Tianqi was very playful, but Ningyuan City was just a border city and a military fortress. It lacked things that interested him. Chen Boying was different. After he occupied Lushun, he kept building fortifications and moved the workshops located on Dalu Island to Lushun. At this time, a huge construction site had been formed within a radius of fifty miles of Lushun.

Originally, Lushun was a city built around its port, but now Chen Boying has actually pushed the defense line to Jinzhouwei, 120 li north of Lushun. Jinzhouwei originally had abandoned fortresses such as Wanghaiguo, Zuoyan, Youyan, Xishazhou, Sanshoushan, and Shantou. This area was originally a plain of hills, not a strategic location. The problem is that Chen Boying has actually built twenty-six miniature castles here, forming a defensive line with Jinzhouwei city.

In particular, the cement produced by Chen Boying was so fast that it could be used to build a wall as hard as iron. The wall was not thick, only a little over a foot thick, and not very high, only seven feet high. However, the problem was that the Jurchen warhorses could not get over it, and it was not easy to push it down. As a result, the Jurchen army could not get over it at all.

More importantly, he also organized the people of Liaodong in Lushun, dividing them into groups of ten into a "jia", ten "jia" into a "bao", and ten "bao" into a "zhen", thus forming thirty-eight "zhen". The people of Liaodong were essentially the military households of the Ming Dynasty. They did not even need training; given equipment and weapons, they were an army.

With weapons and food in hand, it would be almost impossible for the Jurchens to retake Jinzhouwei from Chen Boying. Once the Tianqi Emperor returned to Lushun, the Jurchens would have no chance of reaching Lushun unless their warhorses had wings.

Chen Boying was already prepared to fight a replica of the two-city defensive battle against the Jurchens at the foot of Jinzhou City. Not to mention that Nurhaci would not be able to capture the Tianqi Emperor, Nurhaci probably wouldn't even have the courage to step into Liaonan.

Of course, what Qian Qianyi didn't know at the time was that this was just Chen Boying bluffing. He organized thousands of women, gave each of them two liters of grain, and told them to tell everyone they met about Chen Boying's plan. As a result, the rumors spread and became the Ming Dynasty's version of the Maginot Line, or Chen Boying's Great Wall.

In fact, Chen Boying simply sent more than 3,000 Shahe New Army soldiers to the deserted Jinzhou Garrison City, dividing them into hundreds of small units to act as spies, providing early warning for Lushun within 120 li. He successfully established the Jinzhou Beacon Tower, which did not cost much money or consume much material.

The problem is that the Jurchen spies believed this rumor to be part of Chen Boying's plan, because Nurhaci did not want to confront Chen Boying head-on. He thought the Donglin Party were professionals at political struggle, but when it came to practical matters, they were all talk and no action.

They didn't even consider that the entire length from the west coast to the east coast of Jinzhouwei was over a hundred miles. Even a reinforced concrete wall one foot wide and seven feet high would require a tremendous amount of cement and steel bars. How could Chen Boying possibly have so many resources to waste on such a meaningless wall?

Anyone with a modicum of common sense wouldn't believe it. It's a pity that it's so difficult for the Donglin Party to get things done; they believed a mere rumor.

After much deliberation, the core members of the Donglin Party could not convince anyone else. Finally, Qian Qianyi made the decision: "We can give Nurhaci what he wants."

Everyone was stunned.

Huang Daozhou suddenly stood up: "Brother Qian, this is extortion, this is a warning, don't you know that—"

"I know, it's like doing business. Four or five million taels of silver is nothing to us. Nurhaci is right; he has hundreds of thousands of troops, and he needs provisions, pay, and equipment. Without these, why would he risk his life for us? Two million shi of grain and one million taels of silver sounds daunting, but have you considered that once the target is captured and the crown prince is still nursing, the power in the court will fall into our hands? At that time, let alone two million shi, we can get back twenty million shi. Moreover, if we divide it up, each family will only receive a few hundred thousand taels of silver. If you support fewer brothels and drink less wine and women, the money and provisions will come out, won't they?"

Everyone fell silent. Though the words were harsh, they were an undeniable fact.

Ni Yuanlu asked in a low voice, "But where will all this food, silver, and equipment come from?"

Qian Qianyi glanced at him and said meaningfully, "Maritime transport."

Ni Yuanlu then asked, "What about the silver and equipment?"

"Silver is no problem. One million taels of silver, we can withdraw it from the bank at any time."

Qian Qianyi continued, "As for the equipment—transfer it from Nanjing. Put together some old artillery and rifles from Nanjing's inventory. They don't need to be too good, just enough to work."

Huang Daozhou sighed and nodded.

Just as the Donglin Party was mobilizing resources and raising funds to meet Nurhaci's demands, Chen Ying, far away in Lushun, was also making preparations. In fact, Chen Ying's preparations had already begun the moment the Tianqi Emperor's fleet disappeared on the horizon. First, all the military uniforms, weapons, and ammunition stored on Dalu Island were transported to Lushun, leaving Dalu Island with only the most basic production capacity.

Emperor Tianqi promised Liaonan to Chen Ying, who then treated the four prefectures of Liaonan as his own territory. Compared to Da Ning Commandery, Liaonan had a slightly higher temperature and was more affected by the humid maritime climate. Whether it was for land reclamation or industrial development, the Liaonan Peninsula had more advantages than Da Ning.

Although Chen Ying only had over 5,000 infantrymen and over 8,000 naval personnel without warships in Lushun, these 8,000 men were Chen Ying's treasures. Like Li Yunlong in "Bright Sword," Chen Ying was unwilling to use these 8,000 sailors as infantrymen to fight the Jurchens. He hurriedly ordered the Da Ning Military Command to have Zhou Bin, the deputy commander, remove the uniforms of the 28,000-plus Da Ning New Army soldiers and secretly transport them to Lushun under the guise of Liaodong refugees.

In addition to cooperating with the soldiers of the Da Ning New Army to come to Lushun, Chen Ying also ordered the Wolf Cavalry, the various tribes of Haixi Jurchen, Donghai Jurchen, and Solon to be fully prepared. As long as Nurhaci dared to leave Shenyang, they would raid Nurhaci's stronghold. Chen Ying was also waiting for Nurhaci to reach Ningyuan City, find that he could not take it, and then turn back, but by then Shenyang had already changed hands.

Just as ships loaded with stockpiled equipment were quietly leaving Nanjing, a massive fleet arrived at Lushun Port. Disembarking were not artisans or civilians, but over 28,000 soldiers of the Daning New Army. They wore civilian clothes, their weapons concealed in cargo boxes, and each had a dark complexion and cold, stern gaze.

"Quick! Quick! Everyone keep up!"

Qin Siming stood on the dock, urging people on in a low voice. Behind him was a long queue that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

The first batch consisted of 5,000 men, the second batch of 8,000 men, and the third batch of 10,000 men. In just three days, all 28,000 of the Daning New Army landed in Lushun.

They did not wear military uniforms, carry flags, or enter Lushun City. Instead, they dispersed among the laborers working on the expansion of Lushun Port.

"General," Qin Siming and Chen Daniu walked into the central command tent together, their faces full of excitement, "Everyone is here, all 28,000 men, not one missing. Weapons, ammunition, and provisions have all been transported."

Chen Ying nodded: "Brothers, you've worked hard. Pass down the order that we have an extra meal tonight, but no one is allowed to go out or make any noise. Tell everyone that we are refugees from Liaodong looking for work in Lushun."

Chen Daniu bowed and said, "Don't worry, Commander, the brothers all know the rules."

Chen Ying walked to the window, gazing at the darkening sky outside, and murmured, "Nurhaci, please don't let me down."

No plan can keep up with changes. On the morning of the fourth day, a fast horse galloped into Lushun. The scout on horseback, covered in sweat and beaming with excitement, shouted, "General, it's moving! It's moving!"

Chen Ying was overjoyed: "Have the Jurchens arrived?"

"It's not the Jurchens, it's the Donglin Party. The Donglin Party has organized a huge fleet, at least four or five hundred Haicang ships, and they have already passed the waters off Dengzhou. They are less than two days away from us."

Upon hearing this news, Chen Ying was dumbfounded: "Have they lost their minds? They clearly know that I, the commander, am going to Lushun, yet they still dare to smuggle such a large quantity of goods to the Jurchens?"

Zhou Bin frowned slightly and asked, "Do they have an escort navy?"

"There are over thirty to four hundred warships here!"

"Haha, thanks to the Donglin Party for their generosity! Four or five hundred large ships, each with a capacity of two thousand liang (approximately 500 tons), look like they're carrying a lot of goods!"

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