Chapter 28: Removing the Ladder After They Climb onto the Roof, Shutting the Door to Beat the Dog

The answer: it was a bunch of green-hats who opened the city gate for the rebel army.

Surprised? Didn't see that coming?

Sometimes reality is just this absurd. Because many books by Donglin Faction men all record that it was the eunuch Cao Huachun who opened the gate.

But the problem is, Cao Huachun was never one of Wei Zhongxian's crew at all — the man was a proper, bona fide old retainer from Chongzhen's princely establishment. What's more, Cao Huachun was actually rather close to the Donglin Faction.

Of course, being close to the Donglin Faction didn't mean a damn thing.

The Donglin Faction themselves groveled and licked the boots of the Jianzhou barbarians; compared to Cao Huachun, who sought out the Jianzhou barbarians to request that they properly encoffin the Chongzhen Emperor, those "water's too chilly" righteous gentlemen of the Donglin Faction looked more and more like petty villains.

The Donglin Faction, ever adept at selling out their allies — did they care about anything else? You're just a dead eunuch, not one of us Donglin righteous gentlemen.

In their fury born of shame, if they didn't smear you, who would they smear? Having finally witnessed the shameless face of the Donglin Faction, Cao Huachun helplessly wrote: "Six years dwelling at home, yet still I meet slander; now I know that all I once believed was false."

According to the account in the "Chongzhen Posthumous Record" by Wang Shide, a palace guard in the capital at the time: "In the southwest corner of (Beijing's) outer city, a place called Smoke Pavilion, lived the Huihui. (On the eighteenth day of the third month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen) the bandits fiercely attacked Guangning Gate; the Huihui rose in revolt and opened the gate, and the outer city thereupon fell."

And there the truth is laid bare! A dead eunuch couldn't open the city gate! The key point is that a bunch of green-hats opened the gate! If the people in the capital hadn't been nearly wiped out by the plague at the time, the rebel army entering Beijing would have been a joke!

Chongzhen, who in later ages was already pissed off because those green-hats kept stirring up trouble in the west, was now even more displeased.

Since ancient times it has been said: when the Son of Heaven is wrathful, a million corpses lie strewn, and blood flows deep enough to float pestles. The Chongzhen Emperor was displeased, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard had work to do again.

Casting a sidelong glance at Tian Ergeng, Chongzhen said: "Dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard under your command. Minister Ma, detach a thousand White Rod troops to coordinate. Ensure not a single one escapes. If they resist, kill without mercy!"

At that time, the green-hats clustered in Smoke Pavilion were not too numerous. Under the capable cooperation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the White Rod troops, they were quickly rounded up in one sweep. In about the space of one double-hour, Tian Ergeng and Ma Xianglin returned to report.

Chongzhen, who was in the midst of discussing military affairs with Qin Liangyu and Man Gui, raised his head and glanced at the two returning men. He saw that Tian Ergeng was already covered in fine sweat, his expression one of lingering fear.

Ma Xianglin, though also covered in fine sweat, carried far more killing intent than Tian Ergeng.

Without waiting for Chongzhen to voice a question, Tian Ergeng spoke first: "Your Majesty, some Huihui could not endure the torture and have already confessed. Even before the Jianzhou barbarians came, someone had already contacted them, arranging a method of communication.

Upon receiving the signal, they were to open Guangning Gate and let the Jianzhou barbarians into the city. Moreover, someone from the court contacted them today as well.

The specifics are still unclear; our men are vigorously interrogating them, and I believe there will be results shortly."

Thinking of the deeds of the green-hats in later ages, the Chongzhen Emperor, his heart seething, finally could not restrain his fury and roared: "These ungrateful wretches who can never be fed tame!

No wonder it's said, 'When the state is in peril, the Hui will surely revolt!'" He then said to Tian Ergeng: "Order the Southern Provost Office and the Inner Depot to dispatch additional personnel to assist. Once you obtain the confession, you are permitted to use any means.

After the confessions are fully extracted, dispose of them all."

He then said to Ma Xianglin: "Minister Ma, have you not always been yearning to kill the Jianzhou barbarians? Perfect. This time, we'll give them a taste of 'removing the ladder after they've climbed onto the roof, and shutting the door to beat the dog!'

Tonight at the hour of Zi, Tian Ergeng's Embroidered Uniform Guard will send out some skilled operatives who know the Huihui tongue, disguised as Huihui.

They will put on a great show of force and stage a fierce battle with Minister Ma's city-defending troops to lure the Jianzhou barbarians into the city. Once the Jianzhou barbarians enter the city, immediately shut the city gates.

Won't the Jianzhou barbarians who've entered the city then be at our mercy to slaughter?!

Only Minister Man will have to endure some extra hardship; I fear the Jianzhou barbarians will feign an attack on the city to cover the Huihui opening the gate."

After that, the several of them held another round of discussions. Once they had refined the details on all fronts, they each dispersed to make preparations. And Chongzhen simply decided not to return to the palace, making do for the night right there in the gate tower of Guangning Gate.

That night, in order to cover the gate-seizing operation of Hooge and his party, Hong Taiji dispatched troops to attack Fucheng Gate and Xibian Gate. To draw away the defenders of Guangning Gate,

the Jianzhou barbarians began driving the soldiers of the Han Eight Banners to assault the city regardless of casualties.

Even the elite troops of the Jianzhou barbarians themselves were continuously sent to join the assault, the main axis of attack shifting from Desheng Gate to Fucheng Gate. As for Xibian Gate, the activity was mainly harassment.

Hooge, who had long since infiltrated to a spot not far outside Guangning Gate, had been constantly monitoring the situation within.

First, there were shouts on the city wall calling for men to reinforce Fucheng Gate, and then others shouting that men must be left to guard Guangning Gate.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sounds of shouting and running along the city wall gradually faded into the distance.

After another half a double-hour, Hooge, who had long been waiting in anxious impatience, suddenly heard a burst of shouting and killing from within Guangning Gate.

It sounded like two groups locked in a fierce brawl, with the defending troops on the city wall shouting for someone to quickly summon reinforcements. Hooge grew ever more frantic as he listened.

Before long, the sounds gradually died down, and Guangning Gate, with a creaking groan, slowly opened into a crack just wide enough for four or five men to pass abreast. From the distance inside the gate, shouts began to ring out again.

Hooge knew in his heart that it must be Ming troops in the distance rushing over after hearing the commotion here.

He also saw that it was several men dressed in Huihui garb who had opened the city gate, holding torches and waving them three times to the left and three times to the right — matching the secret signal that dog-slave Fan Wencheng had told them before they came.

On the ground lay over a hundred Huihui and numerous Ming city-defending soldiers, with swords and blades scattered all over the ground.

Suspecting nothing, Hooge immediately sent a man to notify Hong Taiji's main army, while he himself promptly led his troops charging into Guangning Gate. By now, the shouts in the distance were drawing closer and closer, about to arrive before them. Hooge grew increasingly frantic.

As Hooge led the mass of Jianzhou barbarians charging into Guangning Gate, a sudden terrible thought struck him. The Huihui and Ming soldiers lying on the ground had no weapons in their hands; the weapons seemed to have been scattered carelessly across the ground.

Cursing inwardly at the trap, Hooge was about to call for the Jianzhou barbarians to retreat, when he saw that the Huihui who had just opened the city gate had already seized the chance to shut it. From the sides, Ming troops wielding white-wax staffs continuously surged forth.

A closer look revealed it was none other than their old nemesis, the White Rod troops!

By the time the gates of Guangning Gate were shut, Hong Taiji's great army outside the city had just arrived, only to be met with the already-closed gate.

Seeing Hooge trapped within the city, Hong Taiji, both shocked and enraged, was about to immediately order his troops to assault the city.

At that moment, the Chongzhen Emperor showed himself atop the city wall. The Chongzhen Emperor, whose moral compass had always been skewed, opened his mouth and at once enraged Hong Taiji half to death: "Dog-slave, We have been waiting for you for a long time!"

Hong Taiji saw Chongzhen appear on the battlements. The sounds of shouting and killing within the city continued unbroken, but were gradually weakening, fading until they were almost inaudible.

Knowing in his heart that Hooge, trapped inside the city, was surely doomed, he no longer sent troops to assault the city. He merely shouted at Chongzhen on the battlements: "Dog barbarian!

When this Khan breaks the city tomorrow, the blades shall never be sheathed!"

Chongzhen on the battlements mocked him in reply: "Come on, then! If you don't come, you weren't sired by a father or raised by a mother!"