Chapter 207: Confucius Is Counting on You

In the prefectural seat of Yanzhou, upon the great hall of the former Prince of Lu's palace.

After Shi Kefa led the assembled civil and military officials of Yanzhou in performing the kowtow ceremony before the Army-Pacifying Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, who had just arrived with his troops, Zhu Cilang spoke with a smile: "Shi Kefa, Gao Hongtu, Qian Qianyi, Gao Jie, Liu Liangzuo, and Liu Zeqing, remain behind. We have words for you. The rest of you are dismissed."

Watching the officials leave in dejection, with only the six named men remaining, Zhu Cilang smiled again and ordered: "Grant them seats, grant them seats. All of you, sit and speak. This is what is called discoursing on the Way while seated!"

Zhu Cilang had traveled separately from the mobile court this time, so he had no palace maids or eunuchs attending him, only guards from the Eastern Palace Guard Battalion. Upon hearing Zhu Cilang's order, the newly appointed head guard of the Eastern Palace, Feng Sizhong, immediately directed several burly guards to bring chairs for the six high officials in the hall.

Incidentally, Zhu Cilang's head guards had been changing like a revolving lantern. First it was Zhu Chunjie, then Wang Qi, then Chen Yidao, and now it was Feng Sizhong, formerly of the Eastern Palace Guard and from the Tianshou Mountain garrison (imperial tomb guard) system.

And every head guard, without exception, had been given important employment after leaving the post. Zhu Chunjie had been appointed Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, while Wang Qi and Chen Yidao were now brigade commanders. And this Feng Sizhong, from a family of tomb guards, would soon also be entrusted with heavy responsibility!

"Minister Gao, in the twelfth year of Chongzhen, when the Tartars invaded Shandong and pressed as far as Jiaozhou, you were living in retirement in your native place. Yet you did not forget your duty of loyalty: you sold off your family property to raise funds and recruit righteous troops to resist the Tartars, and you also assisted the Department Magistrate Guo Wenxiang in mounting the walls and holding firm, day and night, doing all in your power to keep the city from falling. Is this true?"

Zhu Cilang showed not the slightest intention of assigning blame. He began by asking Gao Hongtu about the defense of Jiaozhou against the Qing back then. It was as if he did not know what Shi Kefa, Gao Hongtu, and the others had intended by gathering a great army and all the officials at Yanzhou.

"This old subject did indeed assist in defending the city at Jiaozhou," Gao Hongtu said with a frown. "However, that the city was preserved was due not only to the exertions of the soldiers and people of Jiaozhou, but also to the fact that Jiaozhou was too far from Liaodong, and the Tartars had penetrated too deeply, becoming an arrow at the end of its flight."

Zhu Cilang nodded and said: "In former days, before the Tartars had taken the Northern Metropolitan Region, they still made detours to enter the passes and drove all the way into Shandong to plunder. Now the Tartar vanguard has already reached Dezhou, and soon they will sweep into Shandong to destroy the Kong Forest and tear down the Confucian Temple, casting down and trampling into the dust the rites, ethics, poetry, and canons of China's thousands of years. Minister Gao, Minister Shi, do you dare to step forward and defend the Confucian teaching and guard Confucius?"

Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu both turned pale at these words.

The Crown Prince was forcing them to declare their support for defending Confucius!

Defending Confucius was the great banner Zhu Cilang had raised. If Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu declared their support, then the question of restoring Chongzhen's authority would have to be set aside for the time being.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Qian Qianyi is willing to step forward and fight the Tartar bandits to the death, to defend the Confucian teaching and guard Confucius!"

Before the two ministers had declared themselves, Qian Qianyi was the first to step out and loudly volunteer for battle, his gaunt face drawn taut, the very picture of iron-blooded resolve. There was not the slightest trace of "the water is too cold" or "my scalp itches" about him.

Zhu Cilang also kept his face taut and nodded heavily: "Master Qian, you truly live up to being the foremost leader of the Donglin and the head of the scholarly world. We are full of admiration! When the mobile court arrives, We shall immediately issue an edict to rehabilitate you, and We shall also invite you to serve as a lecturer and as a Grand Secretary!"

"Your subject Qian Qianyi thanks Your Highness the Army-Pacifying Crown Prince for your heavenly grace."

"Rise, rise. Master Qian will soon be Our lecturer; there is no need to kowtow at every turn."

Such loyalty from the subject and grace from the sovereign! Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu watched until cold sweat was about to drip from their brows.

"This old subject is also willing to step forward." Gao Hongtu, Minister of Revenue at Nanjing, was thin-skinned and too embarrassed to remain seated, so he too had to rise.

"Good, good. Minister Gao is truly a worthy of the Confucian school and a pillar of the state! Minister Shi, what of you? Are you afraid of the Tartars?"

"No, no. This subject does not fear the Tartars. If the Tartars dare enter Yanzhou, then though I am a scholar, I will fight them to the death!"

Shi Kefa could not hold back either. He was the Nanjing Minister of War, and he had brought a hundred thousand troops north to rally to the throne. How could he dare say he feared the Tartars?

And what was more, it was in front of Qian Qianyi — Qian Qianyi was the foremost leader of the Donglin, the man who controlled the direction of public opinion in Jiangnan. If word got around that Shi Kefa feared the Tartars, then it would no longer be merely a question of losing his post.

His name would stink for ten thousand years!

"Good! Good!" Zhu Cilang clapped his hands. "Minister Shi, Minister Gao, We indeed did not misjudge you. You are both worthies of the Confucian school and pillars of the state! Confucius will be defended by you!"

What? By us? What about Qian Qianyi? He shouted the loudest — why doesn't he have to go to the front lines to defend Confucius's grave?

Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu both turned to look at Qian Qianyi, their eyes blazing with fury!

They understood now: Qian Qianyi had long since gone over to Zhu Cilang! No wonder he had joined in the clamor to defend the Confucian teaching and guard the Kong Forest — so he was only responsible for the clamor, not for the defending!

Having seized the opportunity, Zhu Cilang naturally would not let Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu off. Unless they were cleared out of the game, the Southern Metropolitan Region could never be fully brought under control!

And he could not kill them now, because there was still a pack of ennobled military men in the southern capital who held troops. If he killed them now, those nobles would grow fearful and would not dare rebel! Although His Highness the Crown Prince had the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate those men's crimes, it was still better to catch them all in one net. So for now he had to appear weak.

"Minister Shi, you are Minister of War, so you must be well versed in military strategy." Zhu Cilang said, "Therefore the post of Governor-General of military affairs over the seven provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei (the Northern Metropolitan Region), Shaanxi, Shanxi, Huguang, and Sichuan cannot go to anyone but you!

We shall also add for you the concurrent title of Minister of War, and We shall establish the post of Assistant Grand Secretary, which you shall also hold. Minister Shi shall be Supreme Commander and Grand Secretary, in overall command of the military affairs of seven provinces!"

Shi Kefa stood there stunned, his head buzzing. Governor-General of seven provinces' military affairs — how was he supposed to govern-general them? With what was he supposed to govern-general them? With roving bandits on one side and the eastern barbarians on the other, how was he supposed to fight?

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, this subject..." Shi Kefa naturally had to decline. How could he accept such an assignment?

"You cannot handle being Governor-General of seven provinces?" Zhu Cilang cut in before he could finish. "We know! But your seven-province Governor-Generalship is different from the previous five-province and seven-province Governor-Generalships. In name it is a seven-province Governor-Generalship, but in fact there is only one city for you to govern-general: the city of Qufu!"

Well now — in name he was Governor-General of seven provinces, half of China under his command. In fact he was to manage one tiny city, Qufu.

"One city, Qufu — can you hold it?" Zhu Cilang's voice deepened.

"This..." Shi Kefa very much felt like throwing down his responsibilities and walking away.

But Qian Qianyi spoke up again from the side, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "Minister Shi brought a hundred thousand troops north to resist the Tartars and rally to the throne — how can he not dare hold the single city of Qufu?"

Shi Kefa drew a deep breath: "As long as provisions and pay are sufficient, and I have a picked force, this subject can certainly hold Qufu!"

"Holding Qufu is no easy matter!" Zhu Cilang's tone was grave as he looked at Shi Kefa. "Minister Shi, do not imagine that because you are Minister of War, you truly know how to fight! The reason We are not letting you command the military affairs of seven provinces is precisely because We know your abilities. Defending Qufu is the limit of your capacity!

Grain, fodder, and pay will all be fully prepared for you, enough to hold Qufu for more than two years. Find your picked troops yourself: choose five thousand men from the throne-rallying army you brought. Give some of the rest to Minister Gao, and We will help you disband the remainder. In addition, Kong Yinzhi will hold the city with you. With his name, you should be able to raise another five thousand able-bodied men from the Qufu area. Ten thousand men holding one small city of Qufu — that is still somewhat feasible. Shi Kefa, do you dare go now?"

Shi Kefa had no choice but to say: "This subject dares go!"

Zhu Cilang nodded, and with an approving and encouraging gaze surveyed Shi the great cannon fodder.

Then he looked at Gao Hongtu. "Minister Gao is a native of Shandong. In these extraordinary times, there is no need to avoid serving in one's home province. You shall be Governor of Shandong!

However, as Governor of Shandong you certainly cannot hold the whole province, nor even the provincial capital. Therefore We only require you to hold the Taiyi Mountains! As long as there remains a Shandong governor's yamen on Mount Tai, the Manchu Tartars cannot claim to have pacified the whole of Shandong.

And the Taiyi Mountains stretch across several hundred li, with countless peaks and summits — a land of great potential. We have already sent envoys to offer amnesty to the bandit bands of the Taiyi Mountains, all of whom shall be placed under your command. Later We shall also allocate one hundred thousand taels of silver for you to recruit troops and build forts, and We shall send a batch of grain into the mountains. Minister Gao may also recruit troops and win over powerful local men on his own. We hope that you and Minister Shi can together persist in resisting the Tartars in Shandong.

The Way of Confucius and Mencius will be defended by you two great Confucian scholars!"

(End of Chapter)