On the 7th day of the eighth lunar month in the 27th year of the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, news reached the Capital that various locations in Shandong had fallen.
Senior Grand Secretary Xie Sanbin was not only shocked but terrified. Once Shandong was lost, the rebel forces would advance into Zhili and threaten the Capital. This was disastrous for the Imperial Court, both from a military standpoint and in terms of public opinion. To address this, he went to the Ministry of War, intending to persuade officials who had previously been uncooperative to issue orders for the mobilization of troops for Prince Ding as soon as possible.
Unexpectedly, the officials completely reversed their stance and were eager to comply. Any official document involving Prince Ding was now expedited and approved without delay. When he moved on to the Ministry of Rites, he encountered the same situation. The ministry had cast an official seal with the utmost haste and had already dispatched someone to deliver it to Prince Ding, Zhu Cijiong.
Chapter 1281