Chapter 269: Splitting Open Sun and Moon, Reshaping the Great Ming

At the gate of the Shuntian Prefecture yamen.

Chen Qiyu wore his official robes, his expression grave.

Today was his first day reporting to the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, and he felt considerable pressure in his heart.

Beside Chen Qiyu stood a eunuch in red eunuch attire, a smile on his face.

This man was naturally none other than Chen Hong, brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Chen Qiyu had not expected that Chen Hong would be the one to escort him to his post today. He understood in his heart that this was His Majesty's way of looking after him.

He was deeply moved inside—after all, having Chen Hong escort him was a show of backing.

At the same time, Chen Qiyu also felt the pressure. In this way, there would likely be even more people dissatisfied with him.

Letting out a soft breath, Chen Qiyu turned to Chen Hong and said, "I am indebted to your efforts, Eunuch."

"You are too courteous, Lord Chen. I am merely acting on His Majesty's decree." Chen Hong hurriedly replied with a smile.

"Please convey my thanks to His Majesty, Eunuch Chen, but I would still prefer to enter on my own. This is the Shuntian Prefecture yamen—from now on, it will be my yamen." As Chen Qiyu spoke, he turned his gaze toward the gates of the Shuntian Prefecture yamen.

After a moment of silence, he continued, "Though the road ahead is treacherous, I still wish to walk it alone. His Majesty is watching me. I do not want to disappoint His Majesty. This path, I will surely walk well. I will show everyone that His Majesty's trust in me, Chen Qiyu, was not misplaced—that I, Chen Qiyu, am worthy!"

Chen Hong was slightly taken aback, and at the same time felt some emotion stirring within him. If anyone else had received such an opportunity, they might have used it to lord over others—after all, this man had only risen from County Magistrate, his foundation unstable to begin with, with no acquaintances in this yamen, and no one in the capital to shield him either.

The several Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat had previously tried to buy Chen Qiyu over, and he had refused them all. Under such circumstances, Chen Qiyu still had the audacity to refuse—clearly he was a man with real convictions in his heart.

Whether in courage, in boldness of vision, or in confidence in his own abilities, Chen Qiyu was all of the highest order.

Chen Hong said with a smile, "Then I wish Lord Chen smooth sailing and a flourishing official career."

"This humble official sees Eunuch off." Chen Qiyu said with a smile, cupping his hands in salute.

Chen Hong did not linger any longer, but turned and walked off into the distance.

Chen Hong needed to go report what had happened here to His Majesty—he was certain His Majesty would very much want to know, and would certainly be pleased upon hearing it.

Watching Chen Hong's departing figure, the smile on Chen Qiyu's face slowly faded.

Li Fang, who stood at his side, also walked over. Looking at Chen Hong's retreating back, he said with a bitter smile, "My lord, why must you do this?"

"In this life, there are ultimately things one does, and things one does not do." Chen Qiyu said slowly: "From the moment I began my studies, I resolved to read the books of the sages and do the world's great work. Now, at this very day, I finally have my chance."

"Though the Great Ming is not in good shape at present, riddled with ills, I can see hope. With such a sovereign, the Great Ming has prospects for revival. I am willing to clear the path ahead for His Majesty. If I succeed, my name will be written in history; if I fail, my reputation will be utterly ruined."

"I fear nothing. This journey I take is to trample through the darkness of the Great Ming's officialdom."

Li Fang, standing there, looked at Chen Qiyu, a hint of hesitation on his face.

He felt that his master had changed—truly changed.

Especially after coming into contact with Chen Sihai, his master had lost some of his gentleness, yet gained a measure of sharpness; lost some of his circumspection, yet gained a measure of fearless resolve.

Li Fang asked instinctively, "And if you never return?"

Chen Qiyu lifted his robes, and with slow yet firm steps mounted the stairs of the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, speaking each word deliberately: "Then I shall never return."

The Western Park.

Chen Hong stood before Zhu Youxiao, relating everything that had happened, then respectfully stepped to one side and said no more.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao's face bore no particular expression.

He walked to the doorway of the palace hall. The breeze stirred his hair and whipped against his robes, rustling loudly.

The sky was overcast; clouds veiled the sun, yet occasionally a sliver of faint light still broke through.

A smile appeared on Zhu Youxiao's face. He gently raised his hand and said slowly: "This is the best of times, and likewise the worst of times."

"Holding Heaven's mandate in my mouth, robed in sun and moon. Wherever my Great Ming shines, all is Han homeland. Mountains and rivers all belong to the land of Cathay—sun and moon shall reopen the heavens of the Great Ming."

Chen Hong, standing not far away, watched Zhu Youxiao amid the howling wind, and his body suddenly trembled violently.

The things Chen Hong had not understood before—in this moment, he seemed to understand them.

"His Majesty is a sovereign of ten thousand ages, a sage ruler for the Great Ming's revival!"

Chen Hong lifted his robes, knelt gently to the ground, and cried out in a loud voice: "Long live His Majesty—ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Following his shout, everyone around also knelt, crying out loudly in unison.

Zhu Youxiao gazed into the distant sky.

The dark clouds were split apart, and sunlight flooded the Forbidden City.

In this moment, Zhu Youxiao's heart was filled with hope.

Fear not that ahead there is no one who knows you—I shall split open the sun and moon, and reshape the Great Ming!

At the same time, in the southwestern lands.

A battle was raging fiercely.

Chongqing—this was the very front line of the war. Ever since She Chongming's rebellion began, Chongqing had been buffeted by storm and peril.

The city's people had held out for over thirty days, and within the city all was chaos and dread. Everyone was waiting for reinforcements to arrive. They firmly believed the court would not abandon them.

Though the rebel army was attacking from all sides—reportedly having already taken Hejiang and Zunyi—Chongqing still held fast. Everyone knew Chongqing could not be lost.

On the city walls of Chongqing.

Governor Xu Keqiu, weary to the bone, his face pale, walked along the city walls, forcing himself to summon every ounce of his energy.

The walls were thick with smoke everywhere; many spots had been set alight by flames, and the burning ash stung the throat.

Arrows stood at crooked angles all around, swords and blades cast carelessly aside, accompanied by pools of blackened blood.

Those swords and blades had been left by soldiers who had died in battle or been gravely wounded.

The soldiers who had just repelled the rebels leaned against the crenellations of the wall, exhaustion written across their faces, seizing these scant moments of respite to rest and regroup.

When they saw Xu Keqiu approaching, the leading soldier tried to struggle to his feet, but Xu Keqiu pressed him back down directly.

Xu Keqiu said softly, "Rest well. The food is already prepared and will be brought up shortly."

The soldier nodded gently, his eyes slightly reddened, but he did not rise again.

Laborers were busy at work, helping to bandage the wounds of the injured. Those too gravely wounded were carried down below.

Not far away, shelters had already been erected, and all the physicians from the city had been gathered inside.

All the physicians were concentrated here, treating the wounded, and the large tent was packed to overflowing.

Severely wounded soldiers gritted their teeth and endured on simple beds made of straw, none willing to make a sound easily, with only the occasional cry of pain that could no longer be suppressed.

Soldiers with light wounds, after a simple bandaging, picked up their blades, bows, and arrows and returned to the city walls. They knew that if they retreated, there would be nowhere left to retreat to.

All the soldiers and civilians of Chongqing were of one mind, and at this very moment, everyone was holding the line.

Just then, a man walked over from not far away.

His armor was covered in layers of dried blood, and a diagonal slash across the chest plate looked shocking to behold. If the one who struck had used even a little more force, it might have split open his chest entirely.

On the right side of his shoulder was embedded a snapped-off arrow shaft. Though it did not appear to have wounded him, it was still a frightful sight. Beyond that, more than a dozen cuts of varying sizes marred his armor, making it clear that this man had been through fierce combat.

The newcomer was in his forties, tall and stalwart, with a square face, a straight nose, and a thick beard covering his jaw.

He walked up to Xu Kequ, saluted respectfully, and said: "Sir, why have you come here? The city wall is dangerous—please, sir, you should go back down."

Xu Kequ glanced at him, then looked around, a hesitant expression on his face. "We have already held out for so long, and the court's relief forces still have not arrived. It seems the fighting is fierce—we may have to hold out even longer."

"The city of Chongqing absolutely must not fall. Even if you and I die fighting here, the city must not fall! Once Chongqing falls, the people within its walls will surely be cruelly slaughtered."

Xu Kequ did not answer the man's question. Instead, he spoke on his own: "Guard Commander Zhao, though I know nothing of commanding battles, I can still come to the city walls to boost morale. I want to tell every soldier in Chongqing that this official stands with them."

The big-bearded Guard Commander Zhao said nothing more, only nodding respectfully before speaking: "If they want to take Chongqing, they will have to step over my corpse first. As long as I, Zhao Yong, draw breath for even one more day, I will never let them occupy Chongqing!"

Xu Kequ nodded in satisfaction and said: "Meals have been prepared below. Go down and eat."

"Yes, sir." Zhao Yong acknowledged, then turned and walked down from the city wall.

An official following behind Xu Kequ came straight up to him and said: "Sir, you have already missed two meals. Please go down and eat a little. The entire city's residents and common folk are all counting on you, sir. You cannot afford to collapse—you must take care of your health."

After a moment of silence, Xu Kequ said in a low voice: "Then have them prepare two bowls of thin congee. There is not much grain left in the city—it must be supplied first to the soldiers on the walls, so they can fight the enemy with full bellies."

The man wanted to say something more, but seeing how resolute Xu Kequ was, he did not press further. He only nodded gently, then ordered his subordinates to prepare the congee.

At the same time, within the city of Chengdu.

Zhu Kuiyuan, the Sichuan Governor, wore a grim expression. So many days had passed since the rebellion broke out, and he still had no idea how things fared in Chongqing.

The rebel forces were powerful, taking city after city and fortress after fortress, even fighting their way directly to Chengdu.

Chengdu had only twelve thousand defenders within its walls. Sallying out to give battle was simply out of the question—all they could do was hold fast and await reinforcements.

But even now, no reinforcements had arrived. Zhu Kuiyuan was not worried about Chengdu—what he worried about was Chongqing.

Chongqing was now an isolated city, surrounded by rebels on all sides. Who knew how much longer it could hold out?

He did not even know whether they were still holding on at all.

This weighed heavily on Zhu Kuiyuan's heart.

Though at the outbreak of the rebellion he had urgently dispatched official troops from the Shizhu Pacification Office (seat of government in present-day Shizhu County, Sichuan) and Long'an Prefecture (seat of government in present-day Pingwu County, Sichuan) to reinforce the defense, joining with Censor Xue Bozheng and others to guard the various gates, their forces were insufficient and the situation remained unclear—to this very moment, there was still no word.

Letting out a soft sigh, Zhu Kuiyuan rose to his feet.

Though the situation was urgent and the road ahead uncertain, he must ultimately bear his responsibility—he could not let anyone see his hesitation.

He had to boost morale, unite the soldiers and civilians, and make preparations with one heart and one mind.

Meanwhile, at the Guizhou Governor's office.

Li Biao, the Guizhou Governor, had already completed his final mobilization, drawing together every soldier that could be spared from within Guizhou's borders, preparing to dispatch men to rush to Sichuan's aid.

Gently setting down the teacup in his hand and looking at Zhang Yanfang, the Guizhou Regional Commander, who had just walked in, Li Biao's expression also turned serious.

Zhang Yanfang came before Li Biao and said respectfully: "Sir, everyone from top to bottom is fully prepared. Rations have been distributed, and all the armor and weapons in the armory have been brought out. The soldiers have also been told to settle their families, and compensation money for their households has been paid out."

Hearing Zhang Yanfang's words, Li Biao rose and walked directly before him, saying: "This time you lead Guizhou's forces into Sichuan. Remember—do not disgrace us. Suppress the rebellion well, and make those rebels cry for their mothers and fathers!"

Hearing this crude talk from Li Biao, Zhang Yanfang felt somewhat moved, then pledged with excitement: "Rest assured, sir—this humble officer will give his utmost and will absolutely not disappoint you!"

"Call everyone to the drill ground. This official wishes to speak with them. I will tell them that some among them may not return alive, but their wives and families—this official will surely look after them and see that they are not bullied."

"I will swear an oath before them. Have an incense table prepared. If I break my oath, may heaven strike me down with lightning and grant me no good death!"

Hearing these words, Zhang Yanfang's face grew solemn as he said respectfully: "Sir, there is no need for this."

Li Biao shook his head and said: "This battle can only be won—it absolutely cannot be lost. I must use this to soothe their hearts. Otherwise, if morale scatters, this fight cannot be fought."

"The rebels are powerful. We must carry a resolve to die. Only by winning can we tell them that this is the Great Ming—not a place for them to run wild—and only then can the southwestern lands know peace. Otherwise, once chaos erupts, the southern frontier of the Great Ming will know no tranquility for years to come."

Seeing that Zhang Yanfang wanted to say more, Li Biao shook his head and said: "Go."

Zhang Yanfang nodded heavily, turned, and walked out.

In his heart, he had already made up his mind: this battle must be fought well, and even if he died, he would not disgrace himself.

In the original course of history, Zhang Yanfang lost this battle. He fell back to Guiyang and held his ground there.

During the rebellion, Guiyang was besieged for half a year, and soldiers and civilians alike resorted to cannibalism. According to legend, four hundred thousand people initially fled into Guiyang, and in the end, barely over twenty thousand remained after being eaten.

Regional Commander Zhang Yanfang openly organized the killing of people, with four jin of human flesh selling for one tael of silver.

Of course, this is merely a record from unofficial histories—its truth cannot be verified.

Nevertheless, Zhang Yanfang did indeed lead the soldiers and civilians in holding Guiyang for half a year. Though he could not defeat the rebels, he still became a thorn in their side, leaving a foundation for the counterattack to come.

But in this life, such things would never happen again. Because someone had arrived.

Yuan Keli, the Governor-General of the Southwest, commanded the military and civil affairs of the three provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

Accompanying him was Sun Chuanting—a man personally selected by His Majesty the Emperor.

Along the journey, Yuan Keli had grown quite fond of this young man, Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting's literary talent was of the first order, and most crucially, he showed remarkable insight in military strategy as well. Moreover, he was not the type to merely talk eloquently without substance, which gave Yuan Keli the idea of taking him on as a student.