Chapter 161: Going to Nanjing to Train Troops

Fengqiu, Wang Pu's temporary headquarters.

Wang Pu strode into the headquarters, handed the military dispatch report in his hand to Sun Chanting, and said, "Kaifeng has fallen."

"What did you say?" Sun Chanting was greatly shocked upon hearing this, and blurted out, "Kaifeng has fallen?"

"That's right," Wang Pu said. "This is the last military dispatch sent out by Chen Yongfu, the Regional Commander of Henan, before the city was breached. The roving bandits blew open a breach over thirty zhang wide in the northwest corner of Kaifeng city. Dozens of thousands of roving bandits swarmed in. Chen Yongfu led the imperial troops to resist for two days, but in the end, the city was still breached."

"Alas."

Sun Chanting let out a long sigh, slumped heavily back into his chair, and remained silent for a long time.

To be honest, the disintegration of the western route army had dealt a huge blow to Sun Chanting. Immediately following that, the roving bandits captured Kaifeng in Henan Prefecture. The grim reality was continuously proving that Wang Pu's assessment was correct. Now that the roving bandits had gained momentum, the imperial troops had completely lost the capability to launch active offenses. Forcing an attack now would only lead to self-inflicted humiliation.

"It seems you were right," Sun Chanting said softly after a long while. "The roving bandits have indeed gained momentum."

Wang Pu said, "It is still not too late to change strategy."

"Son, come with me to Guanzhong," Sun Chanting raised his head, looking intently at Wang Pu, and said in a deep voice, "If the two of us can strive to train an elite army within two years, the great cause can still be accomplished."

"Going to Guanzhong is a dead end," Wang Pu shook his head and said. "Guanzhong is too barren."

Sun Chanting frowned and said, "Guanzhong has the eight-hundred-li Qinchuan. How can it be barren?"

Wang Pu said, "Go if you want, but I am certainly not going."

Sun Chanting said, "Are you stubbornly set on going to Jiangnan?"

"Yes, my mind is completely made up," Wang Pu said. "Whether you agree or not, and whether the imperial court permits it or not, I am definitely going to Jiangnan."

Sun Chanting said, "Do you dare to defy the imperial edict?"

Wang Pu smiled and said, "Have I defied few imperial edicts?"

Sun Chanting said, "Aren't you afraid that His Majesty will send troops to suppress you?"

"Send troops to suppress me?" Wang Pu sneered. "The Jiannu and the roving bandits are already giving His Majesty enough headaches. Besides, I haven't raised the banner of rebellion. On what grounds would he send troops to suppress me?"

Sun Chanting said, "Your refusal to obey the imperial edict is tantamount to rebellion."

Wang Pu said, "Old man Sun, make it clear to yourself that this is a troubled era. Furthermore, a general away from the capital is not bound by every command of the sovereign. Defying an imperial edict and rebelling are two different things!"

Sun Chanting said, "As a subject of the Great Ming Dynasty, one should be loyal to the sovereign and patriotic to the country."

Wang Pu retorted tit-for-tat, "In my heart, protecting the common people comes first, and loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism comes second."

Sun Chanting said, "Loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism means protecting the common people."

"They are two different things," Wang Pu said sternly. "Right now, His Majesty and those idiots in the imperial court are pursuing a policy that leads to the destruction of the state. If I were to listen to them, I would be a sinner of the Han race! Old man Sun, if you listen to them, even if you manage to win the title of being loyal to the sovereign and patriotic, in the end, you will still be a sinner of the Great Ming Dynasty, and even more so, a sinner of the Han race!"

Sun Chanting changed countenance and said, "What did you say?"

Wang Pu said coldly, "Old man Sun, Father! The reason I am telling you all this is because you are my foster father. To tell you the truth, whether you listen or not, I am determined to play the role of Cao Cao!"

Sun Chanting said angrily, "I'll slaughter you right now!"

"Hahaha." Wang Pu threw his head back and laughed three times, then said in a clear voice, "Old man Sun, don't overestimate yourself. The person who can kill me, Wang Pu, hasn't been born yet."

Sun Chanting suppressed the raging anger in his chest and asked, "Then tell me, what is so great about Jiangnan? Why must you go to Jiangnan?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wang Pu said. "Jiangnan has abundant strategic resources such as silk, salt, iron smelting, tea, and porcelain, as well as the convenience of maritime transport to trade and conduct commerce with Eastern Wa and Western barbarians. Jiangnan also possesses a massive group of powerful gentry and wealthy merchants. Seventy percent of the Great Ming Dynasty's tax revenue comes from Jiangnan. Only by relying on the wealth of Jiangnan can one have sufficient financial resources to train a new army, eliminate the roving bandits, and subjugate the Jiannu."

Sun Chanting said, "Then we can completely train our troops in Shandong, and we can still receive financial support from Jiangnan."

Wang Pu smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, "Why did Liu Zeqing's Shandong army mutiny? Did they receive financial support from Jiangnan?"

Sun Chanting was speechless and said, "This..."

Wang Pu straightened his expression and said solemnly, "Father, let me put it this way to you: if you cannot place the entire Jiangnan under your iron-fisted rule and forcefully implement new policies, the affluent wealth of Jiangnan can never be utilized by you. Just like now, the vast majority of wealth has already been carved up by the gentry and merchants, while the imperial court can only get a tiny share of the benefits."

Sun Chanting fell silent; his thoughts were already starting to waver.

Everything Wang Pu said was the truth. Over the years, the tax revenue of the Great Ming Dynasty had been decreasing year after year, yet expenditures were becoming more burdensome each year. Everyone knew where the problem lay, but no one was willing to change it. To put it bluntly, they were unwilling to change because those officials in the court had all profited from it, and they were unwilling to make sacrifices.

Wang Pu continued, "His Majesty is not a sage; it is impossible for him to be right about everything. As a subject, to blindly follow orders without regard for right or wrong may ultimately earn one a pure reputation for loyalty to the sovereign and patriotism, but what are the facts? The facts are that such subjects are very selfish; they only think about gaining a pure reputation for themselves, never considering that doing so will bring disaster upon the common people of the realm."

Sun Chanting suddenly turned his head, staring fixedly at Wang Pu. This remark had a profound impact on him.

Wang Pu met Sun Chanting's gaze and said frankly, "First came the Eastern Jin, and then the Southern Song; the Huaxia civilization fell twice to barbarian invaders. Were those two downfalls merely the fault of emperors and treacherous ministers? Did those loyal ministers bear no responsibility at all? No, those loyal ministers actually bore responsibility as well. They only knew how to sing high-sounding tunes with their mouths, utterly lacking any understanding of strategy. Individually, they won the eternal pure reputation of loyal and filial ministers, but the common people of the world suffered disaster and became subjugated slaves..."

Sun Chanting's brow began to furrow tightly. Wang Pu's argument was bizarre, but upon careful thought, it seemed to carry some logic.

Wang Pu looked at Sun Chanting and asked sincerely, "Wen Tianxiang is a loyal minister praised through the ages, but in the end, he could only sigh in loneliness at Lingding Ocean, while countless Han people became subjugated slaves under the Mongols! Cao Cao is a powerful minister reviled through the ages, but in the end, he unified the region north of the Yellow River. He repelled the Wuhuan in the north, divided the Xiongnu, preserved the vitality of the Han race, and guarded the heroic soul of Huaxia."

"Nonsense," Sun Chanting said. "How can Cao Cao be mentioned in the same breath as Wen Tianxiang?"

Wang Pu said, "In my view, it is Wen Tianxiang who cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Cao Cao! Father, do you want to be like Wen Tianxiang, a loyal minister praised for all ages yet powerless to save his country, or do you want to be like Cao Cao, a powerful minister reviled for all ages yet capable of preserving the vitality of the Han race? Think about it clearly for yourself."

Sun Chanting said, "This old man will never be Cao Cao."

Wang Pu retorted hotly, "Then go ahead and wait to sigh in loneliness at Lingding Ocean!"

"However, this old man will not be Wen Tianxiang either," Sun Chanting changed his tone and continued, "Tomorrow, this old man will submit a memorial to the imperial court, requesting to personally direct the military affairs of Zhejiang and Zhili."

"That's more like it," Wang Pu slapped his knee and said. "Old man Sun, you've finally seen the light."

Sun Chanting scolded, "This old man is resolutely not going to be Cao Cao, and you brat shouldn't even think about being Cao Pi."

The Forbidden City, Hall of Mental Cultivation. Emperor Chongzhen was patiently explaining to Empress Zhou, "Empress, first the Jiannu raided the borders, and then the roving bandits stirred up trouble. Wang Pu has been out leading troops in battle all along, and he cannot return to the capital just yet."

Empress Zhou anxiously said, "Your Majesty, when exactly will Wang Pu be able to return to the capital? Dragging out his marriage with Ru'er like this is ultimately no solution!"

"Give it a little more time," Emperor Chongzhen said helplessly. "In a little while, I will issue an imperial decree ordering Wang Pu to return to the capital and complete his marriage with Ru'er."

Seeing that she could not get any further answers, Empress Zhou had no choice but to leave in low spirits. Just as Empress Zhou left, Wang Chengen trotted quickly into the main hall and lowered his voice, "Your Majesty, Sun Chanting has sent a 600-li urgent secret memorial."

"Oh?" Emperor Chongzhen said. "Present it."

Wang Chengen stepped forward two steps and handed Sun Chanting's secret memorial into Emperor Chongzhen's hands.

After reading through it hastily, Emperor Chongzhen's expression changed drastically. He stood up and began pacing back and forth in the main hall, remaining silent for a long time. Wang Chengen, standing nearby, watched with a pounding heart, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and asked Wang Chengen, "Chengen, guess what Sun Chanting said in his secret memorial?"

Wang Chengen said, "This servant cannot guess it."

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Sun Chanting stated in his secret memorial that Kaifeng has been captured by the roving bandits, and the entire province of Henan has fallen into the hands of the rebels. The Guanzhong troops of Zuo Liangyu, He Renlong, and Meng Ruhu refuse to advance to suppress the roving bandits due to a lack of provisions and pay, and Liu Zeqing's Shandong army has already mutinied for the same reason. Sun Chanting also said that with our Great Ming's current military strength and national power, it is no longer sufficient to suppress the roving bandits in Henan. He wants me to switch from the offense to the defense!"

"Switch from offense to defense?" Wang Chengen asked puzzledly, "How is that supposed to be defended?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Sun Chanting recommended in his secret memorial that Wang Qiaonian be appointed as the Viceroy of Shaanxi and the Three Frontiers, leading He Renlong, Meng Ruhu, and Jiang Xiang to jointly defend Shaanxi; Zhou Yuji to defend Shanxi; Cao Bianjiao to defend Shandong; and Zuo Liangyu to defend Huguang."

Wang Chengen asked, "Then what about Sun Chanting himself?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Sun Chanting requested to personally direct the military affairs of Zhejiang and Zhili. He wants to utilize the financial resources of the two provinces of Zhejiang and Zhili to train an elite army within two years, and then fight a decisive battle to the death with the roving bandits in Henan."

Wang Chengen said, "Your Majesty, isn't Sun Chanting's defensive plan a bit wishful thinking?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "State your views."

Wang Chengen said, "Since the roving bandits have already captured the entire province of Henan, their next step will naturally be to attack the surrounding provinces. They cannot simply wait idly in Henan for two years, allowing Sun Chanting to finish training his elite army before going to fight a decisive battle with them, right? Besides, if Sun Chanting directs the military affairs of Zhejiang and Zhili and intercepts the tax revenues of these two provinces, what is the imperial court supposed to do? The two provinces of Zhejiang and Zhili account for seventy percent of the imperial court's tax revenue sources!"

"There is no need to worry about that," Emperor Chongzhen said. "Sun Chanting mentioned in his secret memorial that if he is permitted to become the Viceroy of Zhejiang and Zhili, he will definitely not withhold the tax revenues of the two provinces. He even guarantees that within two years, the tax revenues of the two provinces will double!"

"Oh?" Wang Chengen said in surprise. "If these words came from someone else's mouth, this servant would certainly not dare to believe them, but Sun Chanting is not a man given to empty talk. Could it be that he is prepared to implement new policies in the two provinces of Zhejiang and Zhili? Otherwise, how could he dare to boast about doubling tax revenues within two years?"

Emperor Chongzhen mused, "I can still trust Sun Chanting as a person; he is loyal to the Great Ming Dynasty and to me. However, I truly cannot trust Wang Pu."

"The Prince Consort?" Wang Chengen asked. "How did this matter get tied up with the Prince Consort again?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Sun Chanting recommended Wang Pu in his secret memorial to be the Military Governor of Nanjing concurrently in charge of training troops, and also said that only Wang Pu could properly train the new..."

"This..."

Wang Chengen did not dare to say too much. Although he had accepted one hundred thousand taels of silver from Wang Pu, he had already put in a good word for Wang Pu before Emperor Chongzhen quite a few times, which was already enough to repay the favor of that one hundred thousand taels of silver.

"Chengen, you tell me..." Emperor Chongzhen asked, "Should I grant Sun Chanting's memorial or not?"

Wang Chengen lowered his eyebrows and replied, "This servant wouldn't dare to speak recklessly on this."

Emperor Chongzhen frowned with displeasure and said, "Just speak your mind. I won't blame you regardless of whether you are right or wrong."

"Your Majesty," Wang Chengen said with a bitter face, "does this servant really have to speak?"

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Speak!"

With no other choice, Wang Chengen carefully weighed his words and said, "If this servant has to say something, right now among all the civil and military officials in the court, Sun Chanting is the only one fit for use. If even Sun Chanting admits he cannot handle the roving bandits, sending someone else would be even less effective. Therefore, this servant thinks we might as well try following Sun Chanting's method. As for the matter of the Prince Consort serving as the Military Governor of Nanjing..."

Emperor Chongzhen said, "Go on."

Wang Chengen said, "Your Majesty might as well agree to it first, just to pacify the Prince Consort for the time being. Nanjing is not like Datong; in Nanjing, there are not only the Six Ministries, Nine Ministers, and offices of the Supervising Secretaries, but also numerous imperial relatives and meritorious nobles, plus Sun Chanting is there to keep him in check. The Prince Consort in Nanjing will be much like he was in the capital; no matter how unruly he is, he won't be able to turn the world upside down."

Emperor Chongzhen said softly, "What if Wang Pu really does turn the world upside down in Nanjing?"

Startled, Wang Chengen quickly knelt to beg for mercy, saying, "This servant deserves death; this servant will slap his own mouth. Your Majesty, just pretend this servant never said anything..."

"Alright, get up," Emperor Chongzhen sighed, saying rather helplessly, "Whether Wang Pu can turn the world upside down in Nanjing, I do not know. But I do know that if I don't let him be this Military Governor of Nanjing, he will definitely cause trouble. Defecting to the roving bandits or even raising the banner of rebellion is not entirely out of the question."

Wang Chengen flattered and chimed in, "Your Majesty is exceptionally discerning."

"Therefore..." Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "You said one thing right: the top priority is to pacify him first and not drive him to desperation. However, I must plant a few people around him. I need to know what he is doing in Nanjing, and I certainly cannot yield to his wishes in everything. When necessary, hmph."

As he uttered the last sentence, murderous intent flashed in Emperor Chongzhen's eyes.

Wang Chengen shivered involuntarily and flatteringly replied, "Your Majesty is farsighted; this servant admires you."

Emperor Chongzhen thought for a moment and said, "To dispel Wang Pu's guard, we must openly plant a few people as well. That eunuch Zhang Zi'an is fairly loyal to me and got along quite well with Wang Pu in Datong; transfer him to Nanjing to serve as the resident eunuch. Also, transfer Wei Daben, the Prefect of Datong, to serve as the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture along with him."

"This servant obeys the decree," Wang Chengen respectfully replied. "This servant will return to the Directorate of Ceremonies right now to draft the decree."

"Wait," Emperor Chongzhen said. "After all, this is no trivial matter. We must wait until tomorrow's early morning court session to discuss it with the civil and military officials before the Ministry of Personnel issues the official document."

Understanding the hint, Wang Chengen said, "Your Majesty, should this servant invite Grand Secretary Zhou into the palace first?"

"Entering the palace is unnecessary," Emperor Chongzhen said. "You go out of the palace to the Grand Secretary's mansion and explain my intentions to him."

Caozhou, Sun Chanting's temporary headquarters.

As early as the day after the roving bandits captured Kaifeng, Sun Chanting had withdrawn from Fengqiu along with Wang Pu's army and marched toward Caozhou.

Fengqiu was simply too close to Kaifeng and could face a massive attack by the roving bandits at any moment. Wang Pu had no intention of fighting a desperate battle against the roving bandits in Henan; the wisest choice was naturally to avoid their sharp edge.

Wang Pu strode into the headquarters and asked Sun Chanting, "Father, is there news?"

"There is news," Sun Chanting waved the official document in his hand and said, "The Ministry of Personnel has officially issued the decree, appointing this old man as the Viceroy of Zhejiang and Zhili, and at the same time appointing you as the Military Governor of Nanjing concurrently in charge of training troops. Oh, and two of your old acquaintances as well: Zhang Zi'an, the resident eunuch of Datong, has been transferred to serve as the resident eunuch of Nanjing, and Wei Daben, the Prefect of Datong, has also been promoted to the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture."