Chapter 125: Li Yan, Rest Assured

On the fourth day of the fourth month in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen of the Great Ming, at Tianjin Guard.

The southern part of Tianjin Guard city had already been hastily cleaned up. The dense corpses that had lain around the south gate tower and the east cross-street intersection had now all been removed and buried. The weapons, armor, and arrowheads scattered everywhere had also been gathered up as much as possible. Lime powder for disinfection and epidemic prevention was even sprinkled everywhere — in these times, great disasters, great wars, and great plagues always came hand in hand! After great disasters and great wars, pestilence was sure to follow! Although Tianjin had to be abandoned, in order to prevent the epidemic from spreading along with the fleeing army of Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, epidemic prevention still had to be done as thoroughly as possible. The four-eyed Divine Physician Zeng, who had come with the army, had been busy with this matter ever since the battle for the southern part of Tianjin Guard ended, so busy he barely touched the ground, almost turning into a real immortal.

As for the streets, lanes, and houses burned into scorched blackness, those could not be cleaned up or rebuilt for the time being.

Because the Shun army had earlier looted and press-ganged inside and outside Tianjin Guard, they had viciously ravaged the people of Tianjin and created a great mass of refugees. On the ruins of streets and lanes burned flat, weeping common folk could be seen everywhere.

Of course, no one wanted to welcome the Roving King anymore either!

On the gate-square outside the Tianjin Governor's yamen, homeless refugees without clothes or food were now packed in as well. The Chongzhen Emperor was soft-hearted; seeing how pitiful they were, he forgot all about how the people of Tianjin had earlier welcomed the Roving King. He told Zhu Cilang to find a way to distribute some of the clothing and food confiscated from the houses of Juren Fan and Juren Zhang to them.

The common folk who had been given a chance to live all wept bitterly and cried out loudly, "Great Ming, do not leave! Emperor, do not leave! Crown Prince, do not leave!" The sound of their weeping and shouting was like ocean waves, surging over the high walls, piercing through doors and windows, and reaching into a gloomy, dark prison cell.

This was the prison belonging to the Tianjin Guard Provost Office — the Provost Office was not unique to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but was a standard yamen of military guards, in charge of justice and military discipline, and naturally equipped with cells for holding prisoners.

At present, however, the Tianjin Guard Provost Office prison held only one prisoner, and a female prisoner at that — moreover a bewitchingly beautiful female prisoner. It was none other than Hong Niangzi.

When Zhu Cilang walked into the cell, the demoness, bound up tight and solid, merely kept her eyes closed and did not move at all.

"Why is she tied up like this?" Zhu Cilang asked the people beside him casually, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Hong Niangzi before him.

"In reply to Thousand Years, this red demoness is vicious and treacherous. If she is not bound securely, we fear she might escape."

The one answering was Embroidered Uniform Guard Chiliarch Zhang Tao, one of the earliest hardship-enduring meritorious officials to follow Zhu Cilang. He had come from the Eastern Depot's mounted guards, also called Eastern Depot agents. Now he had been recruited by Li Ruolian into the reorganized Embroidered Uniform Guard, serving as Chiliarch of the Punishment Section, specially responsible for detaining and interrogating imperial prisoners.

Hong Niangzi was a rebel, so after being captured she was naturally handed over to Zhang Tao for custody. However, Zhu Cilang had specially instructed that she was not to be tortured and was to be well looked after.

Judging by her current appearance, she probably had not been beaten! And she had been looked after quite well! Very pleasing to the eye! This Chiliarch Zhang was indeed a talent.

Zhu Cilang nodded. "Bound quite well. Who tied her?"

"This subject did it personally," Zhang Tao replied with a smile. "This subject heard that this demoness came from a background of traveling red-rope performers, and guessed that she likely has a method for escaping bonds. So this subject personally took action and chose water-soaked straw rope to bind her. Once the straw rope dries in the air, it shrinks and bites into the flesh."

"It won't injure her, will it?" Zhu Cilang asked.

"She can't be kept bound too long, or the blood flow to her hands and feet will be blocked, and she might end up crippled." Zhang Tao said with a smile. "If Thousand Years intends to deal with her, then it doesn't matter. This demoness has committed a capital crime, and by law she is to be executed by slow slicing!"

"Oh," Zhu Cilang said with a smile and a nod. "It is indeed a crime worthy of slow slicing. Chiliarch Zhang, she really can't break free, can she?"

"She cannot break free!" Zhang Tao guaranteed, patting his chest. "This subject's skill is passed down from his ancestors. Let alone this red demoness, even if Li Zicheng were bound by this subject, he would absolutely not be able to move!"

Zhu Cilang imagined a big-bearded old fierce warrior tied up in the same manner as Hong Niangzi was now — wasn't that a bit too much?

"Withdraw first. All of you withdraw. We wish to speak with Hong Niangzi alone."

Zhang Tao revealed a hint of a sly smile and said to Zhu Cilang, "Thousand Years, take your time and enjoy yourself. As long as the straw ropes on the demoness are not loosened, even if she had the strength of a thousand catties, she could not use it."

Enjoy myself? Zhu Cilang frowned. That wording was inappropriate! This Chiliarch Zhang probably had never studied. His technique was good, but he had no education. A pity.

"Withdraw. All of you withdraw!" Zhu Cilang said nothing more, and with a wave of his hand dismissed all the people who had followed him.

He and Hong Niangzi needed to speak some private words, not convenient for others to hear.

A grand tutor's chair had long since been placed directly in front of Hong Niangzi. Zhu Cilang plopped himself down on it, then crossed one leg over the other and looked with a smile at the demoness before him, bound into a shape of alluring curves.

"Bound quite attractively, too," Zhu Cilang said with a laugh. "Stop pretending to be asleep. Bound like this, and possibly facing slow slicing, you'd have to be a ghost to actually sleep. Raise your head. We have something to say to you."

Hong Niangzi was indeed pretending to be asleep. Once Zhu Cilang called her out, she lifted her face, opened her eyes, and sized up the youth before her.

This was the first time she had seen Zhu Cilang, this cunning and vicious Crown Prince of the Great Ming, the foundation of the state.

Several oil lamps were lit inside the cell. Though dim, they still allowed Hong Niangzi to see Zhu Cilang's features and the look in his eyes clearly.

His features were somewhat handsome, and his eyes — Hong Niangzi was startled. She was a woman of the jianghu, and moreover a famous rebel, so one could say she had seen countless people. Yet she had never seen such a complex expression in the eyes of a teenager of only ten-some years.

This look seemed to belong to a middle-aged old fox who had experienced many setbacks and successes and could treat anything with calm composure.

"Hmph. At this point, what is there left to say? Kill me or slice me, do as you please!" Hong Niangzi spoke with defiance, yet the bright eyes she cast out were full of foxy charm and seduction.

She was not one of those women of rigid chastity and virtue, and did not mind using a little of the beauty trap.

"Heh heh," Zhu Cilang responded with two light laughs. "Your man is Li Yan?"

"Mm," Hong Niangzi's beautiful eyes shifted, and she put on a pitiful expression, sighing softly. "I wonder if I shall ever meet him again in this life?"

"You can!" Zhu Cilang smiled. "We can release you, demoness, and send you back to Li Yan's side. But there is one condition!"

"What condition?" Hong Niangzi looked at Zhu Cilang, a trace of puzzlement showing on her pretty face.

Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "You and Li Yan must submit to the Great Ming!"

Hong Niangzi did not answer, only blinked her eyes and looked at Zhu Cilang, as if waiting for him to continue.

Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "Naturally it is not to submit right now. Right now Li Zicheng is the master of the north. Even if We used you, demoness, to threaten Li Yan, he would surely not be moved."

"Of course!" Hong Niangzi giggled. "Your Highness would not make this slave do something impossible, would you?"

"No," Zhu Cilang said. "We are very reasonable! But Li Zicheng's mastery of the north will not last more than a few days. In a month at most, he will be defeated and flee Beijing!

Because a hundred thousand Manchu soldiers have already left Shenyang and are about to enter the passes. This time, Dorgon has come to contend for the realm! There is bound to be a struggle of dragon and tiger between him and Li Zicheng.

And Li Zicheng's foundation is unstable, his army has no source of pay, and now he is torturing and extorting funds on a large scale in the capital. The people's hearts are bound to be unsettled. With the people's hearts unsettled, he cannot hold the city, and will have to fight recklessly in the open field. Once he is defeated, he will hand over all the lands of Yan and Yun to the Manchus. At that time, how will the people of the realm view him?

You should know how many elite old-camp soldiers Li Zicheng brought this time, and you should also know how capable these old-camp soldiers are.

After Li Zicheng loses to the Manchus, the only one the Han people of the realm can count on will be Us!"

Recommending a divine work, "Han Si as an Official," a story of officialdom set in the Xianfeng era, and the protagonist is even a native — a rare and excellent read, absolutely worth a look.

(End of Chapter)