novelSusiti Chapter 147 The Emperor Guards the Nation's Gate, Using His Own Body as Bait
Chapter 147 The Emperor Guards the Nation's Gate, Using His Own Body as Bait
Chapter 147 The Emperor Guards the Nation's Gate, Using His Own Body as Bait
Chapter 146 Lushun City has now become a huge construction site, bustling with people and vehicles. Chen Ying stands on a high slope, holding blueprints in his hand, scanning the battlefield that is about to be redefined.
Lushun, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, was actually two cities, a south city and a north city, about two hundred paces apart. The south city was used for garrisoning troops, while the north city was used for storage. In fact, the combined area of these two small cities was not large, about 200,000 square meters, or more than 300 mu. Between the two cities to the north was an open area with no natural defenses. If the Jurchens were to capture one of the cities, the other would be trapped like a turtle in a jar.
"General—"
Zhang Changgeng strode over, covered in dust: "The cement has arrived, 25,000 barrels transported from Dalu Island, and the steel bars have arrived too, a full 600 tons!"
Initially, Chen Ying did indeed intend to connect the north and south cities to form a wall shaped like the Chinese character "目" (eye). Although it was only an increase of more than 200 steps in width, it would add more than 60,000 square meters of area, making the new city of Lushun as large as 260,000 square meters. However, such a city was still too small to meet the future development needs of Lushun. Emperor Tianqi entrusted Lushun to him, and he had no reason to let go of this lucrative opportunity. After all, Lushun Port was a natural ice-free port with a large enough area and greater development potential.
With the arrival of laborers and provisions conscripted from various regions, along with the installation of reinforced concrete, he decided to go all out. Historically, on the first day of the seventh month of the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign (1644), Kong Youde led over 20,000 Qing troops to occupy the high ground of Matou Mountain and Huangjin Mountain north of the Lushun River, setting up cannons to bombard the Lushun Great Wall. On the night of the fourth day, the Qing army, under the cover of five heavy cannons, assembled a large number of chariots and battering rams and launched a general offensive against Lushun. The Ming defenders used a large number of firearms and cold weapons to inflict heavy casualties on the Qing army. The Qing army's siege ladders were three or four feet higher than the city wall, and soldiers attempted to climb the walls using these ladders. The Ming army used long spears to prevent these soldiers from climbing the walls and also hurled a large number of firearms to burn the Qing army's siege equipment. The Ming army even went out of the city to fight and briefly repelled the Qing army. The Qing army launched a fierce attack from the fourth day to the sixth day, and the number of casualties exceeded 4,000. Within two days, the Ming army had run out of gunpowder and arrows. Huang Long knew that the city was unlikely to be defended, so he handed over his official seal and important documents to the Right Battalion Commander, ordering him to board the warship and evacuate immediately if the city was about to fall.
Even if Chen Ying connects the north and south cities together, without the high ground of Matou Mountain, Lushun City cannot establish a solid defense line. If Chen Ying and his Shahe Army defend Lushun, Lushun will naturally not fall easily. However, he cannot predict what will happen in the future. At present, he continues to expand the area of Lushun City.
Chen Ying handed the revised blueprints to Zhang Changgeng and said, "Stretch along the north bank of the Lushun River, connecting Matou Mountain and Jiutou Mountain, and pour concrete throughout. The city wall doesn't need to be too high, twelve feet will suffice. Add gun emplacements to the top of the city wall. The steel bars should be embedded in the city wall, crisscrossing, with a layer every three feet. I want to build a city that the Jurchens cannot destroy."
Wang Tiezhu, standing beside him, grinned and said, "Sir, are you trying to turn Lushun into a lump of iron?"
Chen Ying said calmly, "It's not a lump of iron, but at least the Jurchen cannons can't penetrate it."
As ships of cement arrived in Lushun, the port began to expand. Lushun Port during the Ming Dynasty was formed by the Huangjinshan and Laohuwei Peninsulas, with an entrance about 300 meters wide and a channel only 90 meters wide. Separated by waterways on the east and west sides, it formed a natural, ice-free harbor. The Ming Dynasty had not yet undertaken systematic port construction, relying mainly on natural conditions. Facilities were rudimentary, likely consisting of only wooden palisades, simple wharves, or berths. This was primarily because Lushun was far from the political and economic center and required cross-sea resupply; the Ming Dynasty placed less emphasis on Lushun and did not develop it as a major naval port.
The problem is that Chen Ying attaches great importance to the construction of Lushun Port. Of course, he also has sufficient technical reserves. The Moon Bay Port on Dalu Island was built from scratch.
Whether it was building the city wall or the new port of Lushun, Chen Ying did not directly intervene. He simply provided the target parameters he needed, and left the rest to the craftsmen to figure out themselves. In terms of infrastructure construction, the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty had ample experience. What he needed to coordinate was the issue of food and various materials.
After more than two years of development, Dalu Island, which was originally unknown in Liaodong, has become a trade transit center in Liaodong. There are more than 150 workshops here that can produce steel, ceramics, wood products, as well as sails, boats, vehicles and some simple machinery.
For example, the improved animal-powered threshing machine completely outperforms traditional water-powered machinery in threshing efficiency. It not only does not rely on rivers, but also saves space. In particular, the animal-powered rotary tiller is very effective at weeding, except that it rotates the soil slightly shallower. These devices and machines are very popular with people from Europe and Zheng Zhilong. Chen Ying's principle has always been to focus on trading grain.
With food available, the people of Liaodong who had previously lived under the command of Mao Wenlong of the Dongjiang Army also flocked to Lushun to work in exchange for food.
At the port, Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Youjian came to Chen Ying's side. Chen Huai Ren wanted to tell Chen Ying, but was stopped by the Tianqi Emperor. In fact, Chen Ying had already discovered the Tianqi Emperor, but he just pretended not to.
"Chen Qing————"
Chen Ying feigned surprise: "Your Majesty, you scared me to death!"
The Tianqi Emperor picked up a lump of freshly mixed concrete, squeezed it, and smelled it: "Minister Chen, is this the cement you were talking about?"
Chen Ying bowed and said, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. Cement, sand, and gravel, mixed in the right proportions, with water added, make concrete. Once it dries, it is harder than stone."
The Tianqi Emperor threw the concrete block in his hand onto the ground, but it shattered into cement fragments. He then stomped on it, looking puzzled: "This stuff, can it be used to build city walls?"
"able."
Chen Ying pointed to the construction site and said, "Your Majesty, please look. Cement needs to solidify before it becomes as hard as iron. This is solidified concrete; if you hit it with a hammer, you can only get a white dot!"
The Tianqi Emperor, refusing to believe in superstition, picked up a hammer and started hammering away. After a dozen blows, the concrete didn't budge. Being a carpenter himself, he had a natural sensitivity to architecture. He could immediately discern the strength of the concrete, the layout of the reinforcing steel, and the thickness of the city wall.
"Chen Qing, how did you make these steel bars?"
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the steel bars are made from refined steel produced in a refining furnace. They are hot-rolled into strips and then cold-drawn. They have good toughness and high strength. When embedded in concrete, they can withstand enormous tensile forces. I have already tested this many times in the workshops of Shahewei. A foot-thick layer of concrete, plus the steel bars, can withstand a direct hit from a 2,500-pound cannon!"
The Tianqi Emperor crouched down, his eyes gleaming: "Good stuff—good stuff indeed! What if the Forbidden City were built with this cement?"
"Alright!"
Chen Ying explained, "These reinforced concrete buildings can easily last for a hundred years."
"Minister Chen, I have an idea."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"I want to build a watchtower in the Forbidden City. It must be tall, sturdy, and able to see clearly ten miles away."
"No problem. When I return to the capital, I will have a five-story watchtower built, made of concrete and covered with bricks, with a telescope on top. No one in the capital will escape Your Majesty's eyes."
The Tianqi Emperor smiled and said, "Excellent! I will personally design this watchtower."
Chen Ying was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "When His Majesty makes a move, it's bound to be a masterpiece."
In the days that followed, Lushunkou became a huge construction site. The port was being expanded, the city was being expanded, cement plants were being built, blast furnaces were being built, and shipyards were being built.
Cement, steel bars, and timber transported from Dalu Island were piled up like mountains, and tens of thousands of craftsmen worked day and night, mixing concrete and tying steel bars. The watchtower designed by the Tianqi Emperor himself had already been made into a prototype by him in wood carving. It was five stories high with an octagonal shape, upturned eaves, and windows on each floor, allowing people to look in all directions.
"Minister Chen, look at this watchtower. Doesn't it resemble the model ship I made in the palace?"
"His Majesty's ship model is far more exquisite than this watchtower."
The Tianqi Emperor waved his hand: "It's different—Minister Chen, tell me, when will the Jurchens arrive?"
Chen Ying thought for a moment: "More than two hundred Jurchens have escaped, and Nurhaci must be furious. Given his temperament, he will not let this go easily. I estimate that in at least half a month, or at most a month, the Jurchens will launch a large-scale attack."
Meanwhile, outside Lushun Port, a 400-ton warship that had just broken through the waves had just docked. Standing at the bow was an elderly man with gray hair and beard, wearing a purple cotton robe, with a sword at his waist. His face was lean and his eyes were piercing. He was none other than Sun Chengzong, the governor of Jiliao.
Upon receiving a secret report that the emperor was in Lushun, this over-sixty-year-old official practically rode his horse all the way from Ningyuan City to the dock, then took a boat across the sea, traveling day and night, and arrived in Lushun in a single day. Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, he jumped onto the pier and strode towards the city gate.
"Chen Boying! Where is Chen Boying?"
Sun Chengzong's voice was urgent and angry, and the port guards hurriedly ran to report it.
When Chen Ying heard the report that Sun Chengzong had arrived, he sent men to greet him, only to find Sun Chengzong looking furious. Chen Ying understood the reason for Sun Chengzong's anger; although Sun Chengzong was a member of the Donglin Party, he was actually a supporter of the Emperor and favored the Tianqi Emperor. That was why he had been dealt with.
"Chen Boying!" Sun Chengzong pointed at his nose, spitting almost onto Chen Boying's face. "As the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning, instead of protecting the land and its people, you dared to bring the Emperor to this dangerous and war-torn place! You—what crime should you be punished for?!"
Chen Ying bowed respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant: "Grand Secretary Sun, His Majesty came voluntarily. I tried to dissuade him, but to no avail."
"You couldn't persuade him?" Sun Chengzong's beard trembled with anger. "You just let him be? You're deceiving the emperor! You're ruining the country!"
Before Chen Ying could explain further, the Tianqi Emperor's voice came from behind him: "Master Sun, I came of my own accord, it's not Chen's fault."
""
Sun Chengzong turned his head and saw the Tianqi Emperor, dressed in a craftsman's short robe, his hands covered in mud and grime, coming down from the scaffolding of the watchtower. He was stunned at first, then knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.
"Your Majesty! Why are you dressed like this? You are the most honored person in the land, how could you—" He couldn't finish his sentence, his forehead hitting the ground with a thud.
The Tianqi Emperor stepped forward to help him up, laughing, "Master Sun, what's wrong with me dressed like this? The Taizu Emperor once herded cattle, and the Chengzu Emperor led troops into battle. I'm just repairing the city walls, what's the big deal?"
Sun Chengzong looked up at the Tianqi Emperor's sun-darkened face and then at the calluses on his hands, feeling a pang of sorrow and pain in his heart.
"Your Majesty," his voice was hoarse, "do you know what Lushun is? This is the Liaodong front line, and the Jurchen cavalry could march south at any moment! If anything happens to you here, we will all be held accountable with death!"
The Tianqi Emperor's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "Master Sun," he said, "I know you mean well. But let me ask you, just because I'm in the capital, does that mean the Jurchens won't come?"
Sun Chengzong was taken aback.
"When I'm in the capital, don't those people in the court make a fuss?"
The Tianqi Emperor continued, "Does being in the capital mean the soldiers in Liaodong won't die? Master Sun, I've been on the throne for five years, and Liaodong has been lost. The people have died, and the soldiers have bled. I can't do anything while I'm in the capital. Now, I'm in Lushun, on the construction site, and I can see with my own eyes the city walls getting higher every day, the port getting bigger every day, and the warships going out to sea every day. I feel at ease."
Sun Chengzong opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
The Tianqi Emperor patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Master Sun, don't worry. With Minister Chen here, with the Shahe New Army here, and with all this reinforced concrete here, the Jurchens can't get in."
Sun Chengzong glanced at Chen Ying, then at the city walls under construction, and finally sighed.
"Your Majesty," Sun Chengzong said slowly, "It's not that I don't trust Chen Boying, it's that I dare not gamble. You are the ruler of the world. If something happens to you, the Ming Dynasty is finished. No matter how capable Chen Boying is, he cannot replace you."
"Therefore," the Tianqi Emperor said, his eyes gleaming, "I am the biggest bait. Nurhaci knows I am in Lushun, and he will surely come with all his forces. The more troops he expends in Lushun, the less pressure there will be on Liaoxi. Ma Shilong will then be able to take the opportunity to recover more lost territory."
Sun Chengzong's expression changed drastically: "Your Majesty, are you going to use yourself as bait? This is far too dangerous!"
The Tianqi Emperor shook his head: "Master Sun, I am not using myself as bait, but as a shield. With me here, the soldiers will know that the Emperor is with them. They will fight desperately and fight to the death. If Lushun is held, there is hope for Liaodong."
Sun Chengzong, tears streaming down his face, knelt on the ground and tightly grasped the Tianqi Emperor's hand: "Your Majesty! I beg you! Return to the capital!"
This is entrusted to Chen Boying, to your servant! You cannot gamble with your life!
The Tianqi Emperor helped him up and said gently, "Master Sun, I know you are a loyal subject. But I am also the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Isn't it a rule left by our founding emperor that the emperor guards the nation's gates?"
Sun Chengzong was speechless.
The Tianqi Emperor looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Master Sun, if you are worried, then stay in Lushun and help me supervise the construction of the city wall. You have spent your whole life building cities and fortresses, so you have more experience in this area than I do."
Sun Chengzong smiled wryly and could only nod.