Chapter 112: The Crown Prince Stakes Everything (Seeking Favorites, Seeking Recommendations)

The Shun army was formidable after all — in a moment of carelessness, they had broken through the southern wall of Tianjin…

At this news, Zhu Cilang's cold was scared right out of him, and a voice buzzed frantically in his head: What to do? What to do?

He was a filial son, after all. The four million-plus taels in the Regional Commander's yamen at Tianjin meant nothing to him — it was only money… but the lives of the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou he could not ignore.

Besides, Wu Sanmei's father Wu Xiang and Wu Sangui's concubine Chen Yuanyuan were also inside the southern city of Tianjin!

If those two were lost, he would have two fewer bargaining chips with which to restrain Wu Sangui.

And who knew what Wu Sangui was scheming? So many days now and he had not sent a single soldier to the Tianjin garrison — could he already have gone over to the Manchus?

In the space of a blink, Zhu Cilang's mind had turned over several times, and the expression on his face shifted from panic and helplessness to ferocity and ruthlessness.

"Sanmei, bring Our armor!" Zhu Cilang said in a ringing voice. "Chen Yidao, go summon Wu Sanfu!"

"Yes!" Chen Yidao answered, turned, and left — so quickly that he carried a gust of cool air with him.

The fellow's given name was a single character, Li; "Yidao" was a nickname he had recently earned, because he was deadly with the long-handled saber — atop the northern wall of the Tianjin garrison he killed a man with every stroke, terrifyingly fierce! He was also a giant of a man, a native of Northern Zhili, a military jinshi by background, and had been given a post in the Embroidered Uniform Guard with command of the Han Generals.

After the Incident at the Gate of Imperial Supremacy he had followed Zhu Cilang, though at first he did not stand out. But in the battle for the northern city of the Tianjin garrison he had displayed awe-inspiring prowess, leading the long-saber squad and cutting men down like hemp. Zhu Cilang had taken notice and chosen him as the captain of his personal guard.

Wu Sanmei had already brought over Zhu Cilang's armor. He could not wear three layers, only two — cotton armor and a long coat of iron plate — which together weighed several dozen jin. The girl Sanmei was truly strong, carrying it right up to Zhu Cilang's side.

The underclothes on Zhu Cilang's body had already been changed — whether by Wu Sanmei or by Fei Zhen'e, he did not know. Ning Xiangyu, mindful of her status, would not have any physical contact with Zhu Cilang before the proper rites.

"How goes it in the northern city?" Zhu Cilang asked, even as he moved to cooperate with Sanmei in donning his armor, inquiring after the latest battle situation.

"Outside the northern city, the roving bandits are also forming ranks," Wu Sanmei said. "But they haven't launched an attack yet — it may be a feint."

"What about the sand boats on the Wei River?" Zhu Cilang asked again. "How many were burned?"

"Some were set alight — a dozen or so," Wu Sanmei said. "I heard only the sails were burned…"

"Not much of a loss, then — how were they driven off?" Zhu Cilang pressed urgently.

"This concubine does not know…" Wu Sanmei only shook her head.

As the two were speaking, footsteps sounded outside the door, and then came the announcement: "Your subject Wu Sanfu begs to be received."

"Come in, come in quickly." Zhu Cilang called Wu Sanfu inside at once, and seeing him about to kneel in salute, added, "What need for ceremony? Sanmei is my wife, and you are Sanmei's brother, which makes you my brother. When brothers meet, there is no need for the rites between lord and subject."

In truth, Wu Sanmei was not yet Zhu Cilang's wife, but rather a concubine not yet formally taken into the household. And since she had not yet crossed the threshold, everything was still undecided.

If Wu Sangui arrived with his troops, then the Crown Princess would naturally bear the surname Wu… Wu Sanfu could certainly work out that arithmetic! His mood, which had been somewhat low just a moment before, lifted at once.

"Thousand Years, this subject has already mustered the three brigades of the Right Division plus the army's own Iron Cavalry Brigade. In addition, I have assigned the Right Division's Fourth Brigade to surround the barracks where the surrendered roving bandits are quartered…"

The surrendered roving bandits referred to the two hundred-odd men of Hao Yaoqi. When Zhu Cilang had moved into the northern city, he had brought them along, though they were still unarmed. He had also penned them up in a single barracks, feeding and watering them well.

But now these men had become a hidden danger, so in Wu Sanfu's view it would be cleanest simply to kill them all!

Zhu Cilang waved a hand. "Give them shields and use them as a vanguard to screen the musketeers out of the city!"

"Out of the city?" Wu Sanfu was taken aback. "Thousand Years…"

"Out of the city for a decisive battle!" Zhu Cilang gritted his teeth. "Who knows how much longer the southern city can hold? If it falls, can the northern city still be defended? Better to stake everything against the roving bandits now… We will personally go out of the city to oversee the battle!"

Wu Sanfu nodded inwardly. This Crown Prince's natural gifts were indeed a cut above the rest — not only was he skilled at winning men's hearts, he also had a real knack for warfare. To have brought more than ten thousand rabble this far was no easy feat. Faced with a sudden reversal, he neither panicked nor flinched, but dared to seek victory amid peril — even a famed general could do no better.

With that thought, Wu Sanfu cupped his hands and said, "This subject will go make the arrangements…"

"Wait." Zhu Cilang stopped Wu Sanfu as he turned to leave and instructed, "Shields in front, muskets behind, and you personally lead the iron cavalry as the reserve. Make sure the musketeers get within thirty paces of the enemy line before firing… Today we are not counting heads. Every man in the shield vanguard, the musketeers, and the cavalry who takes part in the first assault gets two taels of silver, and if we win, everyone gets another two taels. Anyone who disobeys orders, fires wildly, or shrinks back — behead without mercy! Damn it all, we'll stake everything against them!"

"Excellent!" Wu Sanfu nodded heavily. "Just watch! This subject guarantees to break the bandit army in one charge!"

"Good!" Zhu Cilang laughed. "That is exactly the resolve we need — to shatter the bandits in a single surge!"

……

Outside the northern city of the Tianjin garrison, behind a sprawling rampart built of sandbags, Tang Tong sat upright in a grand armchair hauled from some unknown household, craning his neck to peer at the disorderly ranks of his own troops up ahead.

When the northern gate of the Tianjin garrison swung open, Tang Tong clenched his fists, though he struggled to keep his face composed and unruffled.

"Pass the word down: the southern city of Tianjin has been broken, the bandit emperor Zhu has already been killed by our Great Shun heavenly soldiers, and their Crown Prince cannot hold out much longer. Once reinforcements arrive, we will break the northern city of Tianjin… and then everyone gets free rein to loot — three days with no sheathing of blades!"

The rewards he promised were all pie in the sky. Tianjin was not his to dispose of, and the northern city was all military barracks — what was there worth looting?

But if he did not say such things, then he would not even be offering pie in the sky!

The fighting at the northern city of Tianjin these past days had been so bitter, with such heavy casualties, that the troops' morale had plummeted more than a thousand zhang. If he did not offer them some painted cake, they would likely scatter in a single uproar before the Ming army even attacked.

"Commander, something's not right…"

Tang Laosi, standing guard beside Tang Tong, was also craning his neck to look — though he had not actually made anything out; the Ming troops had only just come out and had not yet formed ranks. Still, the discouraging words kept spilling from his mouth.

"What's not right?" Tang Tong asked aloud, but inwardly he thought: Is there anything right at all right now? Nothing is right! So many of my old brothers dead, and the ones still alive working for nothing with no pay — and still no mutiny. Tell me, is that right?

"Commander, could the bandit Zhu be about to stake everything?"

"Hmph, a cornered dog leaping over the wall!" Tang Tong was still putting on a brave front. "You saw what the bandit Zhu's so-called Yi Ding shock cavalry could do when they attacked the city before — what is there left to worry about? And the southern city has already fallen!"

"But the cavalry we sent north to reconnoiter still haven't come back. I fear…"

"Hmph, they've surely found somewhere to amuse themselves!" Tang Tong waved a hand. "Laosi, stop fretting over this and that… it's all fate! Go, take your men and oversee the battle. If we can hold out through today, there will be generations of wealth and rank to enjoy."

"Yes!"

Tang Laosi sighed inwardly, turned, and left the rampart where Tang Tong was stationed to muster his own men.

He had now been promoted by Tang Tong to Mobile Corps Commander, with command of a thousand or so veterans. He did not have to hold the front line — he only needed to supervise the battle from behind.

As for those at the very front, they were of course all conscripted laborers — regardless of able-bodied or old and weak, regardless of poor peasant or gentry, each was handed a weapon and driven to the front line.

By this point in the battle for the northern city of the Tianjin garrison, the common folk of the surrounding countryside had been sorely ravaged…

(End of Chapter)