Chapter 24: Do We Still Need to Run Now? (Recommendation Tickets, Recommendation Tickets)

The Chongzhen Emperor now had no mind to stay angry with Zhu Cilang. He stared at Wang Cheng'en in blank astonishment, and even his voice changed as he asked, "Companion Wang, before the boy prepared to journey south, did you make any preparations?"

Wang Cheng'en's heart went hollow the moment Zhu Cilang questioned him. He asked in a low voice, "Imperial Father, what preparations does Your Majesty mean?"

Chongzhen glanced around. Apart from his son, there were only eunuchs present, no outsiders, so he stopped hiding anything and lowered his voice. "Preparations to journey south, of course!"

Wang Cheng'en was stunned the moment he heard this. Only after a long pause did he say, "But Your Majesty never issued an edict..."

"You... you truly made no preparations?" Chongzhen glared at Wang Cheng'en, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"No. Without an edict, how would this old slave dare act on his own..."

An edict was needed for this?! To flee for one's life! Fleeing for one's life requires an edict? If We fell into the water and could not issue an edict, would you all simply not pull Us out? Chongzhen was nearly frantic. The civil officials of the outer court chased empty fame and shirked all responsibility — how could a eunuch be just like them? Did they all mean to drive Us onto the dead-end path of "the sovereign dies for the altars of state"?

"Imperial Father, do not be anxious. Your son dares to take decisions, and so has already made preparations for Imperial Father and Imperial Mother." Zhu Cilang was anxious too. Watching Chongzhen and Wang Cheng'en dawdle, he could not help but cut in. "The roving bandits' vanguard will be here soon. There is no time to lose. We must leave the city at once... And Wu Xiang's letter must be sent out immediately as well, or I fear it will be intercepted by the bandits' roving cavalry."

Reminded by Zhu Cilang, the Chongzhen Emperor came to his senses as if waking from a dream. He hastily handed Wu Xiang's letter to Tian Cunzhi and said, "You go. Go yourself. Ride the fastest horse and set out at once. You are not even permitted to go home first!"

Tian Cunzhi received the letter with both hands, bowed, turned, and left.

Zhu Cilang spoke again. "Imperial Father, let us hurry as well... There are still many things to pack! Besides my own men, there are also the Palace Guard and the Capital Camps — bring every soldier and horse that can be brought..."

But Chongzhen did not move a muscle. He simply stood there, brows deeply furrowed, as though sunk in thought.

Seeing his death-dealing father standing like a wooden chicken or clay idol, Zhu Cilang's heart sank straight down. This was the rhythm of disaster!

"Imperial Father..." Zhu Cilang was about to urge him again when the Chongzhen Emperor shot him a thoroughly unfriendly look — though Wang Cheng'en was useless and brainless, that did not mean you could overstep your place!

"Chun Ge'er!" Chongzhen's face had hardened. "You are the heir apparent. You should know what an heir apparent may do and may not do!"

At these words, Zhu Cilang's expression darkened as well. "Your son is a filial son and a loyal subject. How can I watch my sovereign and father walk toward death and do nothing?" He pointed at Wang Cheng'en, who hung his head as though looking for a crack in the ground to crawl into. "Ask Companion Wang yourself. Setting aside my Hard-Work Camp, how many defenders does the capital now have? Can they fight? In an emergency, how many men can protect Imperial Father in breaking out and journeying south? From which gate should we leave, and where should we go? How many carts, horses, and goods have been prepared?

If your son does nothing, then in a few more days Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, and your son will all die for the country together! And the Ming realm will fall to Li Zicheng! How would Imperial Father have the face to meet our ancestors beneath the earth? If your son watched with open eyes as Imperial Father perished and the state was destroyed, how could I be called a filial son and loyal subject? How could I face the Exalted Founder Emperor beneath the earth?"

The Chongzhen Emperor turned and looked at Wang Cheng'en. Wang Cheng'en dropped to his knees with a thud. "Imperial Father, this old slave... this old slave did not think that far... Had the Exalted Founder Emperor not appeared to the young master in a dream, this old slave truly could not atone even with ten thousand deaths!"

"The Exalted Founder Emperor appearing in a dream — and you actually believed it..." The Chongzhen Emperor was furious. How had he ever trusted this stupid eunuch? He had thought the man loyal and reliable, but it turned out he was worse than Wei Zhongxian!

"It is true, it is true... On the fifteenth, at the hour of zi, the young master told this old slave that Tang Tong and Du Zhizhi had surrendered Juyong Pass! That was exactly what the Exalted Founder Emperor said in the dream!"

"He guessed that!" Chongzhen stamped his foot. He was now thoroughly disappointed in Wang Cheng'en. Too honest — he had been led around in circles by a sixteen-year-old child.

"Imperial Father, and what of Wu Xiang?" Wang Cheng'en went on. "Wu Xiang demanded a million in pay that day, yet yesterday the young master won him over with a few words. Not only did he stop demanding pay, he even offered his daughter to enter the palace..."

"That is because he wants to hold the Son of Heaven hostage — no, to hold the Crown Prince hostage!" Chongzhen glared at his expressionless son. "You were fooled by him too!"

"And Wu Xiang's household retainers, and the picked men this old slave drew from the Palace Guard and the Eastern Depot, and the capital's sturdy braves whom the young master lured in by stratagem — all of them have been coaxed into perfect obedience by the young master and follow him with heart and soul... Surely all these men are not also playing tricks?"

What?! There was such a thing as this!

Now it was not only Chongzhen who was dumbfounded — Gao Yushun and Wang Zhixin, the two great eunuch chiefs, were dumbfounded right along with him.

Was he truly that formidable?

"What is going on?" the Chongzhen Emperor demanded. He had good reason to ask. In seventeen years as emperor, apart from deceiving Wei Zhongxian at the very start, he had been deceived by others ever since. He had no idea how to coax common soldiers into wholehearted devotion.

With the situation urgent, Wang Cheng'en made a long story short, telling how Zhu Cilang had snared the sturdy braves, how he had built rapport with them, how he had used "land options" and silver to coax them, and how he had shouted out such soul-stirring slogans as "Land will come, wives will come."

After hearing Wang Cheng'en out, the Chongzhen Emperor was naturally stunned into silence, no one knew what he was thinking. But the two eunuchs, Gao Yushun and Wang Zhixin, understood — Wang Cheng'en had been taken in! This was no dream from the Exalted Founder at all. Clearly, the Exalted Founder had possessed the boy!

"Companion Gao, Companion Wang, hurry and pack!" Zhu Cilang was growing frantic too. He glared at the two old eunuchs, who stood like blocks of wood, and gave the order.

When Zhu Cilang glared at them, Gao Yushun and Wang Zhixin both felt their hearts lurch... How fierce! That gaze was sharp as a sword. It was not the Crown Prince's look at all — it was plainly the Exalted Founder Emperor's!

How would the two old eunuchs dare disobey the "Exalted Founder's" command? They answered and began packing the important items in the Eastern Warm Pavilion.

Only then did the Chongzhen Emperor react. "Gao Yushun, Wang Zhixin, what are you doing?"

The moment the Chongzhen Emperor questioned them, the two old eunuchs froze as if struck by a body-holding spell.

On one side stood the reigning sovereign; on the other stood the Crown Prince, suspected of being possessed by the Exalted Founder. Which of the two was greater? Whom should they obey?

"Imperial Father!" Zhu Cilang shook his head, looking at the Chongzhen Emperor, who was throwing a tantrum. "Do not act on impulse! The roving bandits are almost here. If we do not leave now, it will be too late..." He paused. "There are still many people in the palace who must come with us, and many officials and nobles of the outer court who must come too, and the soldiers of the Palace Guard and the Capital Camps who must be assembled..."

"Chun Ge'er!" Chongzhen loudly cut Zhu Cilang off. His eyes, which had been dull, suddenly flashed with a strange light.

"Imperial Father..." Zhu Cilang looked at Chongzhen, and a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

Chongzhen's voice suddenly softened, and an approving look even appeared on his face. "Chun Ge'er, your abilities are not small. We worried before that if you went south alone, you would be bullied by the crafty ministers in the auxiliary capital. Now it seems Our worry was needless.

But since Chun Ge'er has such talents, he can well join his father in defending the capital! Outside we have Wu Sangui's forty thousand Guanning troops; inside we have the loyal commoners you have recruited. The capital still has no shortage of armor, weapons, gunpowder, or grain, and we have strong walls to rely on. How can we not hold it firmly? Why must we father and son flee the capital?

As long as we hold Beijing, our Ming realm will have a chance to be set right from the beginning. Then, with father and son of one mind, why should we fear the roving bandits? Why should we fear the eastern barbarians?

Chun Ge'er, your father now believes that you received the Exalted Founder's dream, and will not ask about your colluding with military officers or recruiting troops without authorization. We may even issue an edict allowing you to leave the palace to console the troops, and together with Wang Cheng'en take overall command of all forces within and without, and superintend the Nine Gates! From this moment on, help your father defend the city well, and make no more preparations for flight!"

(End of Chapter)