Chapter 584: Let Them Play by Themselves

That rumor was that the Loyal and Brave Count might be colluding with the bandit slaves; at the very least, he harbored the intention of nurturing the enemy to bolster his own importance. During the great battle at Jinzhou, he deliberately let the slave chieftain escape. Otherwise, given the valor and battle prowess of the Pacification Army, how could the Tatar caitiffs possibly have retreated with the bulk of their forces intact?

One must realize, from the direction of the grasslands, the Loyal and Brave Count's command had already forced back a hundred thousand Great Army troops. With this pincer attack from front and rear, it was truly abnormal that the Tatar caitiffs were not completely annihilated.

This also explains why the slave chieftain, overwhelmed with gratitude and weeping with thanks, left the enormous stores of grain and fodder at Yizhou to the Loyal and Brave Count. The grace of sparing his life is a kindness as weighty as a mountain; what did a mere repayment of grain and fodder count for?

As for the Loyal and Brave Count distributing a portion of the grain and fodder to the officers and troops of the other garrisons, this further proves his sinister intentions. It was a clumsy attempt to conceal something, an effort to divert attention. The loyal and righteous soldiers of the various garrisons were exploited by him, used as shields to cover his disloyal heart. The venomous ruthlessness of his intent shocks the common conscience and startles the world.

Driven by individuals with ulterior motives, this rumor further spawned several interconnected versions in the capital region. For instance, the rumors also dragged in the recent matter of the Chuang bandits.

It was abundantly clear: there were traces of collusion between Wang Dou and the roving bandits. At the very least, he similarly harbored the intention of nurturing the bandits to bolster his own importance!

With Wang Dou's martial valor, how could mere roving bandits possibly be a match for the former Shunxiang Army?

The facts also proved this: Wang Dou had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Chuang bandits beneath the walls of Luoyang, taking prisoners and those who surrendered by the tens of thousands.

Yet, strangely, those who died were all the small fry and minor soldiers of the Chuang camp. The Chuang bandit leader, along with the bulk of his veteran core, managed to escape, including many of his key generals. Within this, was there something too shameful to disclose?

Furthermore, the Loyal and Brave Count was renowned for his domineering arrogance and unbridled recklessness, and when it came to killing captives, he never showed the slightest mercy.

For example, in this battle of Jinzhou, without obtaining permission from His Majesty or the various gentlemen of the Grand Secretariat, he arbitrarily initiated a border conflict and privately dispatched a detached force of a hundred thousand Great Army troops to attack Liaodong.

He also disregarded that Jin Zidian and others were important ministers of the Joseon kingdom. Killing them would very likely cause the ruler and ministers of that country to feel the grief of the fox over the hare's death, driving them even more tightly into the embrace of the Qing caitiffs. He even slaughtered thousands of Korean soldier captives on the spot. Would a man like this, with such a ruthless and merciless character, be someone who feared massacring surrendered bandits?

Why, then, did he not kill the bandit soldiers he captured at that time?

The revolt of the surrendered soldiers was the most important reason for the roving bandits' rapid resurgence. Moreover, after years of plundering to their fill, these surrendered soldiers of the past not only harbored no thoughts of settling down, but were also rich in combat experience. Acting as collaborators from within, the Chuang bandits swept through everything like splitting bamboo, capturing multiple cities without the slightest effort.

The Chuang bandits quickly absorbed an army of over a hundred thousand men. This great army possessed even stronger combat power than in previous years. All of this was a calamity left behind by the Loyal and Brave Count back then.

A very large part of the Prince of Fu's death must be attributed to Wang Dou.

These were the popular rumors. Within them, there were also tales that the Loyal and Brave Count considered himself invincible under heaven and harbored the intention of donning the yellow robe. There were even vividly detailed rumors that when Wang Dou was born, immortal music truly swirled around him and purple qi was abundant; when his son Wang Zheng was born, it was likewise with myriad rays of iridescent light, birdsong, and fragrant flowers.

The common folk of the Eastern Circuit had always spread the word that Wang Dou was a star god descended to the mortal world. In fact, it was not a star god descending to assist the sage ruler, but a true dragon descending, destined to battle the present dragon and contend for the realm.

Although these rumors flashed by only briefly, they sent chills down one's spine.

Listening to the content of the rumors, reported once again from the mouth of Wen Daxing, even though everyone had reviewed it before, they were still all filled with fury. The Pacification Army had bled in bloody battles on the frontiers for the country, and the officers and soldiers in the camp had suffered grievous casualties. Even Wen Daxing before their eyes had lost his right arm. To think that this was the result they received.

Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi nearly jumped to their feet again. Gao Shiyin roared: "This infuriates me to death! No need to say more, just one word: kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill! Kill until rivers of blood flow!"

Shen Shiqi also bellowed: "Just two words: kill!"

Seeing the crowd's fervent agitation, Wang Dou sneered and remained silent. Advisor Qin Yi hurriedly said: "Gentlemen, please calm down. We must not fall for the scoundrels' treacherous scheme!"

He asked Wen Daxing: "General Wen, the scoundrels' treacherous scheme of rumors is chilling to contemplate. May I ask if the Intelligence Department has any countermeasures?"

Wen Daxing looked toward Liu Benshen. Liu Benshen respectfully said to Wang Dou: "After the rumors emerged in the capital, our Intelligence Department immediately responded, generally using rumors to counter rumors."

Currently, everywhere in the capital region, it can be said that rumors are boiling over. There is a tale that the grain and fodder seized by the Pacification Army at Yizhou was not tens of thousands of dan, but over a hundred million dan.

In every teahouse and wineshop, there is also uproarious and avid discussion of the new slave chief Dorgon's affair of taking his sister-in-law, with various versions and vividly detailed rumors spreading.

They speak of how the Dorgon brothers forcibly seized the wives and concubines of Hong Taiji, how they usurped the wives and concubines of their nephew Hooge, and so on. There are even people displaying illustrated pamphlets, akin to a new edition of the Jin Ping Mei. Collectors are like a flock of ducks, some even spending a thousand gold pieces to acquire a complete set.

Furthermore, the focus of the rumors has also shifted to the prospective Prince Consort Zhou Shixian, spreading tales of him keeping a young male lover. After the scandal was exposed, Princess Kunxing was enraged, the imperial family was enraged, and there were also stories of collective debauchery within the Grand Secretariat and the like, causing the common people to exclaim in great satisfaction.

Princess Kunxing is the pearl in the palm of the imperial family, cherished as a treasure by the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou. As she had come of age, the county family also carefully selected a good family for her.

After looking around, the Chongzhen Emperor and others took a liking to the son of the Grand Servant, Commandant Zhou, named Shixian, and planned to build a residence at Pingyang to house him. Unexpectedly, this matter occurred. Not to mention that Zhou Shixian's hope of becoming the Prince Consort was dashed, how could Princess Kunxing, pure as jade and clear as ice, tolerate the harm of such slanderous gossip?

For various reasons, when the previous rumors about Wang Dou circulated in the capital, few people controlled them. Now that the reputation of the imperial clan and the Grand Secretariat was involved, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whose power only remained in the capital, began to mobilize and investigate. However, the more they investigated, the more wildly various rumors flew about. The rumors about Wang Dou were instead largely ignored, and many topics had already been diverted.

Wang Dou gave a slight

smile. The Intelligence Department's response satisfied him. When it comes to rumors, avoiding them is useless. Throughout history, whether in China or foreign lands, regardless of race or skin color, there is a deep-rooted flaw: a fondness for spreading rumors and gossip.

The more the authorities prohibit it, the more avidly people discuss it. The only method is to use rumors against rumors. The more absurd they are, the faster the public will sober up.

However, the Intelligence Department's response involved Princess Kunxing. In Wang Dou's mind, her figure flashed by. She was merely a well-behaved little girl, raised deep within the palace, full of longing for the future. When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. Wang Dou could not help but feel some guilt in his heart.

Wang Dou inquired about the reaction of the capital's commoners. Liu Benshen answered: "When the rumors first arose, some commoners were incited and joined in the questioning and slander. However, many capital commoners and scholars still stood on the Grand General's side. The two sides argued fiercely, even coming to blows. As the Intelligence Department responded and all kinds of rumors filled the sky, many people were already at a loss, hesitating and wavering, not knowing whom to listen to."

Wang Dou nodded. It sounded somewhat like a struggle between Wang fans and Wang haters, with those in the middle swaying back and forth, or following along to fan the flames and add fuel to the fire. Any person, any matter, is like this: where there are supporters, there are bound to be opponents. Just like fans in later generations, they lack reason.

Those who support him support him resolutely. Those who oppose him, such as those whose interests were harmed or the remnants who fled after the Eastern Circuit affair, oppose him resolutely. Then there is a large wave of centrists, who are targets that can be won over.

Overall, because of the prior spread of rumors, the bright image of the Pacification Army had still been greatly damaged. It was like in later generations: even if one is pure and flawless, once one has been imprisoned or called in for questioning, the looks others give thereafter are always strange. Truly, falling into a cesspit, even if it's not feces, it becomes feces.

In this kingdom where morality measures everything, after these rumors, Wang Dou and the Pacification Army under his command could be said to be stained with a blot from then on. No matter what they did in the future, bystanders would scrutinize and analyze with strange eyes. The minds of those who spread the rumors were venomous, striking directly at his vital points in terms of prestige and morality.

However, Wang Dou quickly calmed down. After all, he had seen and heard many such things in later generations, giving him much more immunity compared to the generals beside him.

He said flatly: "What does the Grand Secretariat say? What does the Emperor say?"

Liu Benshen answered: "The Grand Secretariat remains on the sidelines. Only Minister of War Chen spoke a couple of words for the Grand General. It seems the statements in the rumors about the Grand General arbitrarily venturing beyond the frontier and massacring Jin Zidian and others, showing no regard for the Emperor, rather provoked His Majesty. Regarding the matter of the Yizhou grain and fodder, the Emperor also harbored suspicions."

"After Eunuch Wang Dehua returned to the capital, he did vigorously defend the Grand General. There is also word that Princess Kunxing cried out against the injustice done to the Grand General, tearfully pleading with Empress Zhou, hoping the Empress could explain a thing or two before His Majesty..."

Everyone in the tent collectively tutted. Liu Benshen lowered his eyelids: "After many days of rumors, the Emperor issued an imperial decree, stating that the various rumors were all schemes of the slave bandits, and must not be mistakenly believed or spread, lest the hearts of the loyal and brave soldiers be chilled. Anyone discussing such matters further would be dealt with for harboring malicious intentions."

"However, the rumors in the capital have not ceased. It is certain that the Emperor harbors misgivings and suspicions in his heart."

"Also, because of the rumor incident, the court discussions regarding the Grand General's enfeoffment as Marquis have been temporarily halted. Many remonstrance officials are calling for the Grand General, upon reaching the capital, to explain himself clearly in the court deliberations before any decision is made. The discussions regarding the enfeoffment of the various garrison generals as Counts have likewise been halted."

"The Intelligence Department's analysis is that the Emperor intended a large-scale enfeoffment of Counts, but the various officials in the court feared the reappearance of a powerful noble and meritorious clique in the dynasty. When the discussions arose, the obstacles were enormous; even Minister of War Chen did not support it. Using these rumors as a pretext, the discussions of enfeoffing the various generals as Marquis or Counts were thus halted. The Intelligence Department is closely monitoring the subsequent developments..."

Zhong Xiancai's eyes brimmed with tears: "This is unjust. The Grand General's loyalty to the court is something we have all witnessed with our own eyes. From the time of Pacification Fort and Shunxiang Fort, he has fought bloody battles against the slave bandits, campaigning across the lands north and south of the great river, sending troops everywhere in Liaodong. How many officers and soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the country? In the end, to suffer such injustice, where is the justice of heaven?"

Wen Fangliang also sighed: "I truly do not know what the various gentlemen are thinking. Do they not see the various rumors clearly? Are they not clear in their hearts about the actions of those treacherous merchants in Xuan-Da? Why do they allow such things to go unchecked?"

Han Chao sneered: "They are fundamentally snakes and rats in the same nest. Which of the Grand Secretariat fellows hasn't received benefits from them?"

Xie Yike was puzzled: "Our Pacification Army has risen to prominence, invincible wherever we go. Even the Tatar caitiffs have been soundly defeated by us. What do those treacherous merchants and sour Confucians rely on to oppose us?"

Wang Dou stood up and paced within the tent. He said flatly: "They have enjoyed glory for too long and misjudged the situation, thinking it is still the Wanli or Jiajing era? Blinded by greed, a bunch of greedy and foolish fellows!"

He recalled those people in the capital in history, the civil officials and military generals. When the Chongzhen Emperor asked them to donate to resist the roving bandits, the funds obtained were pitifully small. In the end, Li Zicheng confiscated tens of millions of taels of silver in the capital. Interest groups have always been like this, never shedding tears until they see the coffin.

After walking a few steps, a cold sneer surfaced on Wang Dou's face: "Who do they think I am? Whatever topic they set, I must accept? Enfeoffment as Marquis, do I care for it? Order the Great Army to turn directly toward Changping and return to the Eastern Circuit from there!"

The generals suddenly understood and all burst into laughter. Gao Shiyin laughed wildly: "Right, right! We'll just go straight home and let them stare blankly. What remonstrance officials, what court discussions, let them play by themselves."

Amidst the crowd's joyful laughter, Wang Dou looked toward Liu Benshen: "Also, it will still be many days before we return to the Eastern Circuit. Those treacherous merchants may already be in motion. What means will they use to deal with my Eastern Circuit?"