Chapter 77: Loyal Souls

By the time the entire military review ended and Chongzhen, leading the full civil and military court, arrived at the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant, it was already approaching noon.

Outside the memorial archway of the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant, a young widow in her mid-twenties, dressed all in white mourning clothes and holding a child, stood there utterly at a loss. Seeing Chongzhen approach, she hurriedly knelt from afar, calling out "Long live the Emperor!"

After Chongzhen ordered Wang Cheng'en to help the young widow to her feet, he spoke: "Lady Wang née Zhao, the responsibility for Wang, Our beloved minister's death, lies with Us.

Had We not been so eager to capture that dog of a traitor Fan Wencheng as quickly as possible, Our beloved minister would not have had to die in Liaodong."

His heart heavy with sorrow, Chongzhen continued to Lady Wang née Zhao: "But the dead are gone. You must still live well, and raise the flesh and blood Our beloved minister left behind to be a good man."

Lady Wang née Zhao was precisely Wang Xuanji's wife. Hearing Chongzhen speak of the dead Wang Xuanji, grief surged from her heart in an instant, and tears fell in streams, yet she forcibly held back from crying aloud, only nodding her head with all her might.

The infant in her arms, not yet a full year old, curiously reached out a tiny hand to wipe Lady Wang née Zhao's tears.

Seeing this, Chongzhen felt deeply uncomfortable in his heart as well, and signaled Wang Cheng'en to proclaim the edict.

Seeing Chongzhen's signal, Wang Cheng'en hurriedly bowed, then took the imperial edict handed over by a junior eunuch behind him and began to read aloud: "The Emperor, who by the Mandate of Heaven governs, decrees:

Wang Xuanji, Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was loyal to the state and courageous in undertaking his duties. Now, having sacrificed his life for the nation, it is fitting that he be honored and glorified.

Wang Xuanji is hereby posthumously appointed Martial Minister Who Upholds Heaven, Assists the Realm, Promotes Sincerity, and Manifests Righteousness, specially advanced to the rank of Pacifying-the-North Marquis, with a stipend of one thousand dan of grain.

His son is appointed Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the title is specially permitted to be inherited for three generations.

All other officers and soldiers shall be promoted and rewarded according to the measure of their merits.

Alas! The duty of the sovereign lies solely in upholding Heaven's will; merits and faults, rewards and punishments, must be clearly distinguished.

These words of Ours reach through Heaven and earth, proclaimed to all of you, that all may hear and know. First year of Chongzhen, first month, first day."

Then, after also reading aloud the decree conferring upon Lady Wang née Zhao the title of Third-Rank Imperial Mandate Lady, Wang Cheng'en said: "Lady Wang née Zhao, receive the edict."

Only then did Lady Wang née Zhao react. She had the mind to decline, unwilling to let her son go to war again, yet was awed by the majesty of imperial power. For a moment she stammered wordlessly, and in the end still received the edict, gave thanks for the grace, and withdrew to one side.

Only then did Chongzhen lead the civil and military officials onward into the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant.

On the very center of the first memorial archway were the three characters for "Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant," written in Chongzhen's own hand. The characters, like iron strokes and silver hooks, exuded an indescribable aura of solemn heroism.

On the left and right sides was a couplet. The left side read: "Returning wrapped in shrouds after a hundred battles, fitting to rest here among gibbons and cranes in hidden towers, beneath the high tumuli of qilin."

The right side read: "Their spirits endure through a thousand autumns, herein lies the azure blood of Chang Hong, the robes and cap of the Grand Secretary."

Continuing forward, they reached the second memorial archway, much like the first one before it, only the couplet upon it was different. The left side read: "Azure blood stains the yellow sands, choosing righteousness and achieving benevolence, their fame shall endure imperishable."

The right-side matching line read: "Heroic spirits gleam upon the brilliant stone; those who cling to life and fear death, let them not come to this place."

When they reached the third memorial archway, the left and right sides no longer bore a couplet, but instead two separate lines.

The left side read: "Your names are known to none."

The right side read: "Your deeds endure forever with the world."

The center of the archway, no longer like the first two archways, instead matched the archway's couplet-like lines, and was also a plain-spoken phrase: "The heroic spirits abide forever."

The many civil officials who saw this felt nothing but disgust — with so many great Confucian scholars available, surely they could have written a couple of lines better than these?

But the many military officers did not think so at all. Civil and military roles in the Great Ming were inherently separate, and military officers generally did not read as much as civil officials; most could only recognize a few characters.

Now, what was carved upon this archway, though plain-spoken, was simple and easy to understand, and it happened to suit the tastes of these rough, unlettered men perfectly.

Upon entering the main hall of the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant, at the very center stood a divine statue of Yue Wumu. Before the statue stood a massive incense burner.

After Chongzhen first lit incense and inserted it into the burner, the civil and military officials stepped forward in order to offer incense.

The curling green smoke shrouded the entire hall, making it appear all the more sacred and solemn. Chongzhen also began to carefully examine the main hall of the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant.

Behind the divine statue of Yue Wumu stood a tall tablet, carved with text in the Chongzhen Emperor's own hand: "From the time of the Yan and Yellow Emperors onward, all heroic martyrs who have given their lives for Huaxia shall be immortal!"

Further behind were row upon row of spirit tablets, stacked layer upon layer, too many to count. Some had names carved upon them, but even more had no names at all, only inscriptions like "of such-and-such Guard, such-and-such Battalion."

Upon the surrounding walls were painted many murals. Among them were the stories of Guan Yunchang's defeat and flight from Mai Castle, Yang Zaixing's bloody battle at Little Shang River, and the twelve golden tokens summoning Yue Fei back to court.

Further on were scenes of Great Ming commanders like Tong Zhongkui and others locked in desperate, grinding combat to the death with the Jianzhou barbarian Nurhaci.

At the very end was the image of Wang Xuanji sitting upright upon his horse, launching a death-defying charge against the Jianzhou barbarians and their ilk.

Chongzhen, starting from the very beginning with Guan Yunchang's defeat at Mai Castle, looked at them one by one, until he finally stood before that last portrait of Wang Xuanji.

Chongzhen could not help but reach out his hand to stroke the portrait, thinking in his heart: was it worth it or not, using these Embroidered Uniform Guards to capture that dog of a traitor Fan Wencheng?

Thinking back to how Wang Xuanji had knelt before him, swearing with absolute conviction that he would certainly capture Fan Wencheng alive, Chongzhen's eyes could not help but grow moist.

His hand stroking the wall painting, his heart surging with emotion, Chongzhen suddenly shouted loudly: "Heroic spirits! Return! Heroic spirits! Return!"

After shouting, the tears in his eyes could no longer be held back, and large teardrops, like beans, rolled down one by one.

The civil officials behind him did not react much, merely thinking that Chongzhen's performance was rather overdone.

But the military officers, men like Man Gui and Ma Xianglin, heard in that roaring cry of "Return!" a heartfelt anguish for the officers and soldiers who had died in battle. Feeling the same pain in their own hearts, the military officers' eyes also reddened one by one, choked up and speechless.

It was not until Meng Shaoyu, the Minister of Rites, came over to remind him that Chongzhen wiped away his tears and continued the rites to honor the heroic spirits within the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant.

Once the elaborate memorial rites were completed, Chongzhen once again led the civil and military officials out of the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant.

By this time, the vast open ground between the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant and the memorial archway was already densely packed with a dark, teeming crowd.

Only the path left for Chongzhen and the officials to walk was kept clear by the soldiers of the Five Wards Military Command, who formed a human wall to separate them.

The moment the crowd saw Chongzhen emerge from the Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant, they all knelt and roared "Long live the Emperor!" without cease.

Chongzhen, however, said: "All of you, rise.

This Shrine of the Loyal and Valiant was originally a place to enshrine heroic spirits.

Henceforth, all those who give their lives for the nation, regardless of whether they are civil or military, and regardless of the height of their official rank, shall all be enshrined in the Shrine of Heroes and Martyrs, so that their heroic spirits may receive offerings of blood and food.

Let no one present here today, including Us, nor our children and grandchildren of the next generation, ever forget who it is that has allowed us to have a life of peace.

Let all people remember: in this world, slaughter occurs every single day. It is precisely these soldiers who give their lives for the nation, using their own flesh and blood, who keep that slaughter outside the gates of our country!"

The transitional chapters are almost over. The heads are about to start rolling. PS: This week I'm actually running naked — no recommendation slot. Crying myself to death...

(End of Chapter)