Chapter 1443: Kidnapped into the Bridal Chamber!

Li Dingguo only watched as his subordinates discussed among themselves, but he himself said nothing, his face growing more and more livid. The men below also sensed something was wrong and quietly fell silent, not daring to say another word. These days, Grand Commander Li was in poor spirits and short-tempered, and everyone was a little afraid of him.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the command hall, and Li Dingguo's eldest son, Li Puxing, strode in with his hand on his saber, waving the men away: "You bring every sort of trivial mess to Ama — what use are you then? Short of grain, short of weapons — can't you think of some way to get them yourselves? Besides, we haven't reached the point of starving yet. When we truly reach that point, Ama will lead you to gamble everything! But now is not the time. All of you, get out!"

Li Puxing had followed Li Dingguo in command for many years and had always had this fiery temper. With his mood poor lately, he had even less of a good face for the men under him. Yet the officers of Li Dingguo's command all secretly breathed a sigh of relief — for all their loud grumbling, they had not truly made up their minds to stake their lives. Now, chased off by the Young Master Li, they all bowed in salute and slunk away. Li Dingguo turned his livid face toward his son, but Li Puxing only watched the officers withdraw before walking over and saying quietly: "Ama, that Commandery Prince sent by the court has reached Golden Vase Fort."

Golden Vase Fort lay on the banks of the Min River, downstream from Songpan Guard City. It was the first strategic strongpoint after entering Songpan Guard territory from Diexi Post, which was controlled by the Western Sichuan Military Commissioner's office.

Li Dingguo asked hurriedly: "How many troops did he bring?"

"He brought no real force — just a few dozen guards, and an official of the Western Sichuan Military Commission named Li Jinxue to show the way. Old Four has already let him into Golden Vase Fort and assigned trusted personal guards to watch him. Nothing can go wrong. Ama, this Commandery Prince is a big card that can turn the game around for us."

Li Dingguo frowned: "Turn the game around? A big card? What are you planning?"

"Ama, has your journey here been an easy one, old man? These troops were not easy to amass, and even harder to feed and keep. Food for over a hundred thousand mouths, clothing for their backs — all of it falls on you to figure out. But what can you do about it? We've got over a hundred thousand men bottled up on this godforsaken mountain — where are we supposed to get food and drink? Haven't you been digging into your own savings to make up the shortfall? But how much in savings do you have? Even if the Western Sichuan army didn't seal the trade routes, sooner or later you'd be at the end of your rope. What then?"

Li Dingguo gave a bitter smile: "Son, if you've got something to say, say it straight. Don't beat around the bush with me!"

Li Puxing smiled coldly: "Ama, we've got to kidnap this Prince of Luoshan!"

"Kidnap?" Li Dingguo was taken aback. "Eldest, since when did you take up kidnapping?"

Li Puxing laughed: "Didn't I learn it from you, old man?"

"Why can't you learn something good?" Li Dingguo said earnestly. "Son, we're officials now — kidnapping is out of fashion. And besides, you've picked the wrong target! Do you really think that Ming Commandery Prince's father, Chongzhen, will pay to ransom his son?"

And indeed, Li Dingguo did have experience in the kidnapping trade. Zhu Cixuan was nothing but an empty-titled Commandery Prince, sent running errands everywhere by his brother Zhu Cilang. One look told you he wasn't worth money. Kidnapping him would clearly bring no ransom, and a Commandery Prince was too conspicuous a target — easy to bring disaster down on them!

"Of course we can't ask Chongzhen for silver," Li Puxing said, smiling and shaking his head. "Chongzhen is a powerless Retired Emperor with no money to speak of, and he's got over a hundred sons. Would he care if he lost one?"

"Then who do we ask for silver?" Li Dingguo asked, frowning.

"His imperial brother, of course!" Li Puxing laughed. "The Zhu Emperor is said to be the richest man in the Great Ming — he's loaded!"

Li Dingguo glared at his son: "He won't give us money even if he has it — it's not his son!"

"Ama," Li Puxing said with a smile, "whether the Emperor pays or not depends entirely on how we do the kidnapping!"

"No matter how you do it, he won't pay!" Li Dingguo shook his head. "Stop dwelling on these wild schemes!"

"He will pay — he definitely will," Li Puxing said, smiling. "The key is where we kidnap him to."

Li Dingguo looked at his son, whose face was full of confidence, and asked: "Son, where are you going to kidnap him to?"

Li Puxing said: "Into the bridal chamber, naturally!"

"What?" Li Dingguo was stunned. "The bridal chamber? With whom?"

"With my little sister!" Li Puxing said. "Ama, I saw this Prince of Luoshan back in Trading Town. He's a fine, handsome figure of a man! My sister will surely like him!"

"Nonsense!" Li Dingguo slammed the table. "My Li Dingguo's daughter is not so unmarriageable that we need to kidnap a Commandery Prince to be a son-in-law!"

Li Puxing shook his head: "Ama, bringing him back isn't just for a son-in-law — he can also serve as a great banner!"

"A great banner?" Li Dingguo narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

Li Puxing said with a smile: "Ama, we're trapped in these mountains now, unable to advance or retreat. In the long run, there's no way out!"

"I know there's no way out." Li Dingguo asked, "So kidnapping a Commandery Prince for a son-in-law gives us a way out?"

"It does!" Li Puxing nodded. "Ama, we can push this Commandery Prince out as a puppet king and march west under his banner!"

"March west?" Li Dingguo frowned. "To Anxi?"

"Farther west!" Li Puxing said. "West, to join the Dai King."

"Join the Dai King?" Li Dingguo was stunned again and again. "Son, have you lost your mind? Isn't it Zhu San who's stirring up Wu Yingxiong, Wu Guogui, and Galdan against us right now?"

Li Puxing laughed: "Ama, do you really think the Dai King is targeting us? What grudge does the Dai King have against us? And he doesn't want to be lord of the Snowlands either. The reason he stirs up trouble is to fish in troubled waters and grab more territory from the Great Yuzi and Middle Yuzi. And Ama, do you know what the Dai King's greatest difficulty in the west is?"

"What is it?" Li Dingguo asked.

"Too few people!" Li Puxing said through gritted teeth, his face full of envy. "I've been to the Dai King's territory. It's truly a land vast and sparsely peopled, with rich fields and soil. How many men does the Dai King have under him? He can't occupy more than a few feet of land! So if we escort the Prince of Luoshan there, he will certainly welcome us!"

Li Dingguo looked at his son and thought he was practically drooling.

Li Puxing went on: "Ama, we're bottled up in these mountains, and sooner or later we'll die poor. Better to sweep up two or three hundred thousand people, raise the banner of the Prince of Luoshan, and march west together. Who would dare block us? The Prince of Luoshan is the blood brother of the Dai King and of the Zhu imperial house. Once in the Western Regions, he should have the prospect of being enfeoffed with land and made a king."

"If he becomes a king, what's in it for us?" Li Dingguo asked, frowning.

Li Puxing said: "Ama, the benefits for us are enormous. All the real gains are ours. He's just a puppet king — we can make him round or square as we please!"

Li Dingguo drew a sharp breath: "Very well, then. We'll first kidnap this Prince of Luoshan. I want to see whether he truly looks like a king!"

Several dozen riders galloped like the wind along the official road by the banks of the Min River.

Li Yuan, Li Dingguo's adopted son, was the garrison commander of Golden Vase Fort. In the old days under the Shun, he had been a man of consequence, enfeoffed as a count, so his standards were hardly low. Yet even he was astonished by the martial bearing of this good-for-nothing prince, Zhu Cixuan.

In his impression, the princes of the Zhu house were all "pigs" — pampered sons of wealth, tender-skinned and soft-fleshed, like women. What damn use were they?

But when he saw Zhu Cixuan arrive in white robes, spurring his horse with a sword at his side, he was greatly shocked! This was no tender-skinned pampered heir — this was clearly a gallant hero roaming the world with a sword! Watching him ride at full gallop, one could tell this prince's horsemanship was quite formidable.

And when entertaining Zhu Cixuan, Li Yuan also arranged a martial display and contest to probe Zhu Cixuan's true ability. The result shocked him even more. This good-for-nothing prince could draw a stiff bow, shoot a willow leaf at a hundred paces, handle a firelock with skill, and wield a long lance from the back of a galloping horse. If a prince like this counted only as good-for-nothing, then how formidable must the Zhu Emperor and Zhu San the Crown Prince be!

(End of Chapter)