Chapter 1123: Pi Island Must Be Saved
Rebels in Sichuan and Henan were raging, their insurgency burning fiercely.
The Gao Family Village Militia was engaged in constant skirmishes with these rebels across both Sichuan and Henan.
In Shaanxi, to the south of Hanzhong Prefecture, a multitude of mountaintop outposts and signal towers were being erected in the Micang Mountains.
Meanwhile, the situation within Joseon was rapidly deteriorating.
Huang Taiji personally led an army of one hundred thousand into Joseon. The Joseon forces were utterly incapable of resisting, falling back in a series of defeats. Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of Liaodong could see the writing on the wall.
Joseon was finished!
At the same time...
Pi Island!
Shen Shikui, the Regional Commander of Dongjiang, listened intently as his subordinate delivered a grave report.
Through successive internal upheavals on Pi Island, each time a new leader emerged, he would offer his daughter to the rising power. This cunning strategy ensured that every subsequent Regional Commander of Dongjiang became his son-in-law, obligated to address him as "Grandfather Shen."
Thus, he weathered every storm and survived every power struggle on Pi Island, ultimately supplanting all previous leaders and seizing the position of Regional Commander of Dongjiang for himself.
One might even call it a twisted tale of ambition.
"The Manchus are preparing to attack Ganghwa Island," a subordinate reported swiftly. "The Joseon royal family and nobility have all sent their families there. If Ganghwa Island falls, the King of Joseon will undoubtedly surrender."
Shen Shikui let out a long sigh after hearing the news. "Once Joseon falls, Pi Island will be next."
His subordinates remained silent, grim-faced.
Shen Shikui declared, "Relay my orders: set up numerous cannons, gather all available warships, and prepare for a resolute defense. Pi Island is, after all, an island, and the Manchus' weakness lies in their navy. They've attempted to seize Pi Island multiple times over the years, but their weak naval power always led to their defeat. We have no need to fear them."
No sooner had he spoken than...
A subordinate timidly raised his hand. "However, once the Manchus conquer Joseon, Joseon will become their vassal and undoubtedly fight alongside them. While the Manchu navy is weak, Joseon's navy is, in fact, quite strong."
Shen Shikui sucked in a sharp breath.
This presented an awkward predicament. The Joseon navy truly was formidable, no exaggeration.
Years ago, when the Japanese invaded Joseon, their forces were utterly crushed by the Joseon navy. Japan's much-vaunted Laidao Pirates were no match for Joseon's naval prowess.
The head of the Laidao clan, Kurushima Michifusa, was ambushed and decisively defeated by Joseon's Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Legend has it that Kurushima Michifusa's body was dismembered by the Joseon forces, leaving him without a complete corpse.
If the Joseon navy were to join the attack on Pi Island, the island would indeed be in grave danger.
Shen Shikui immediately pulled over a messenger. "Hurry back to the Capital and request aid from the imperial court!"
The messenger swiftly departed, boarding a fast boat that cut through the waves to Tianjin. From there, the urgent plea for aid from Pi Island took wing, soaring into the Imperial City...
The Capital, Imperial Garden.
The Chongzhen Emperor, Zhu Youjian, sat in the Imperial Garden, a look of profound vexation on his face as he leafed through memorials.
"The Ministry of Revenue reports on the Huai salt revenue," he read. "Before the sixth year of Chongzhen, accumulated deficits amounted to over two million taels of silver. In the fifth year of Tianqi, both old and new quotas for Huai salt totaled only seven hundred thousand taels. By the third year of Chongzhen, this increased to over one million two hundred ten thousand taels; in the fourth year, over one million three hundred thousand taels; and in the sixth year, over one million five hundred sixty thousand taels..."
At this point, Zhu Youjian's mood plunged as if he'd just ridden a plummeting skyscraper drop ride.
"Droughts plague various regions, making it understandable that grain taxes are uncollected. But how can even the salt revenues be failing?" Zhu Youjian fumed. "Look at this wretched mess! Over two million taels of silver uncollected! If I had such a sum for military expenses, the Manchus would have been dealt with long ago!"
Cao Huachun stammered, a hint of awkwardness in his voice, "Well... about that..."
Cao Huachun knew exactly where that silver had gone.
The Salt Inspectors had embezzled it, of course.
In the past, when local salt revenue offices embezzled funds, Zhu Youjian had angrily dispatched eunuchs to supervise. But the eunuchs simply joined in the corruption. When only one office was skimming, the losses were contained. Now, with more people in on the take, everyone sought to enrich themselves, naturally leaving less for the imperial court. Over a few years, the deficit had ballooned to over two million taels of silver.
Tsk-tsk.
Cao Huachun himself had received a considerable amount of "tribute silver" from those same dispatched Salt Inspectors, so he was hardly in a position to comment. He could only offer an embarrassed chuckle.
The atmosphere grew palpably stiff.
Zhu Youjian's thoughts then turned to the fugitive Prince of Tang, Zhu Yujian, further souring his mood. "Have the Jinyiwei still not located the Prince of Tang?"
Cao Huachun replied, "There's still no news. The Prince of Tang seems to have vanished without a trace."
Zhu Youjian scoffed, "Such a large man, a living, breathing person—how could he simply be lost? Issue orders to all regional authorities: any individual speaking with a Nanyang accent is to be immediately apprehended and interrogated. I refuse to believe he cannot be found."
Cao Huachun could only nod. "As Your Majesty commands."
Just then, the Grand Eunuch Gao Qiqian rushed in from outside, exclaiming urgently, "Your Majesty, grave news! The Manchus are on the verge of forcing Joseon's surrender! Regional Commander Shen Shikui of Dongjiang has dispatched a messenger to plead for imperial troops to reinforce Pi Island, or else Pi Island will be lost!"
Zhu Youjian again sucked in a sharp breath. His mood once more plummeted as if on a skyscraper drop ride.
Pi Island absolutely could not be lost!
Pi Island served as a crucial strategic anchor, interlocking with the coastal islands of Liaodong and the Ming forces at Lushun. From this position, it overlooked the coastal cities of Liaodong and threatened the Later Jin heartland.
This small island had effectively opened a new front behind the Later Jin regime, forcing them into the disadvantageous position of fighting on two fronts, with enemies at their back. Each time the Manchus launched an invasion into the Ming, the Ming forces on Pi Island would relentlessly raid deep into Later Jin territory, tying up their westward advances.
To the Manchus, Pi Island was a constant thorn in their side, a bone caught in their throat.
Zhu Youjian slammed his hand down on the table. "This island absolutely must not fall! Swiftly assess who can be dispatched to reinforce Pi Island."
The very next morning...
At the morning court, the ministers began deliberating on the matter.
A minister stepped forward. "Regional Commander Chen Hongfan, who leads the coastal forces, set out several days ago to aid Joseon. If he can help Joseon hold its ground, perhaps the Manchus will not attack Pi Island after all."
Immediately, another minister interjected, "Although Chen Hongfan initially reported setting sail, he then used the excuse of 'waiting for favorable winds' and remains stalled in Dengzhou."
A collective gasp rippled through the ministers. "What?!"
It turned out that the general dispatched to aid Joseon, Chen Hongfan, hadn't moved at all; he was still idling in Dengzhou.
This was blatant cowardice in the face of battle!
The situation grew exceedingly awkward.
Zhu Youjian, too, felt a pounding headache. He quickly issued an imperial edict: "Urge Chen Hongfan to swiftly depart for Pi Island and rendezvous with Shen Shikui. They are to collaborate on a surprise maneuver, assess the situation, intercept and suppress the enemy, and thus rescue Joseon."
Just then, a minister stepped forward, sighing deeply. "Your Majesty," he said, "the fact that Chen Hongfan could even offer the excuse of 'waiting for favorable winds' clearly indicates his complete unwillingness to engage the Manchus. To send such a man to reinforce Pi Island would be folly; he would likely abandon the island and flee before a single engagement. How could Pi Island possibly be defended then?"
All eyes turned towards the speaker: the newly appointed Minister of War, Yang Sichang.
Yang Sichang, having returned from his period of mourning, was once again stepping onto the political stage.
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