Chapter 274: What a Tremendous Variable

In the night, a luxurious pleasure barge belonging to Zheng Sen was slowly making its way along the Qinhuai River.

Zhu Cilang was on his way back from the Jade Gate Pavilion to the Grand Merit Residence. The Grand Merit Residence stood right beside the Qinhuai River, and an artificial waterway connected the Qinhuai to the rear lake of the Grand Merit Residence, so that its masters could slip quietly out of a ducal mansion deeper than the Eastern Sea, transform themselves into Jinling's young talents, and roam freely upon the Qinhuai.

Yet at this moment Zhu Cilang was in no mood to admire the night scenery of the Qinhuai; he merely sat smiling as he watched Hou Fangyu, who sat opposite him sipping wine.

Hou Fangyu had offered no brilliant discourse at tonight's gathering in the White Gate Pavilion, but when Zhu Cilang left, he had quietly followed and come to pay his respects.

"Thousand Years, this student also has a plan to present."

Zhu Cilang chuckled. "What fine plan does Chaozong have?"

"This student knows that the Marquis of Wuchang has an adopted daughter, named Mengmei, seventeen years of age, with a beauty that sinks fish and drops geese. Your Highness might issue an edict to Wuchang, selecting Mengmei to enter the palace and serve."

The Marquis of Wuchang whom Hou Fangyu spoke of was Zuo Liangyu. Before the "Nanjing Eunuch Party Turmoil," Zhu Cilang had enfeoffed him as a border marquis at Wuchang, and had also split Huguang in two, putting Zuo Liangyu in charge of the military and civil affairs of the six prefectures of Hubei: Wuchang, Huangzhou, Chengtian, Yuezhou, De'an, and Jingzhou.

But at the same time that Zhu Cilang lavishly enfeoffed Zuo Liangyu, he also appointed He Tengjiao and Chang Yanling as Governor of Hunan and Garrison Regional Commander of Hunan, appointed Li Yan, Feng San, and Chen Yingyuan to oversee the military and civil affairs of Runing Prefecture in Henan, and made Liu Kongzhao the Garrison Commander of Jiujiang — hemming in Zuo's forces from the east, south, and north.

Zuo Liangyu, therefore, could not be satisfied with Zhu Cilang, this army-soothing Crown Prince. So he ignored the order Zhu Cilang had issued for the arrest of the eunuch-party ringleader Huang Shu, and instead protected Huang Shu as his own dog-headed strategist.

Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "If the Marquis of Wuchang truly meant to make a move, would he care about one adopted daughter?"

Hou Fangyu shook his head. "Thousand Years, the Marquis of Wuchang is both old and ill; he can hardly accomplish anything now. From what this student knows, all the troops under the Marquis of Wuchang are now planning for the future.

And most of the Marquis of Wuchang's sons were killed in the Xuzhou mutiny. Now only one son, Menggeng, and the adopted daughter, Mengmei, remain at his side. Should the Marquis of Wuchang die, the only ones qualified to inherit his following are Zuo Menggeng and the husband of Zuo Mengmei."

Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "Mengmei is not Liangyu's own flesh and blood; her husband would be even more distantly related to Liangyu. How could he take command of his troops?"

Hou Fangyu said, "Everything depends on human effort! If Thousand Years takes Mengmei as a consort, this student and my father can go among the Marquis of Wuchang's troops and work on your behalf, winning over the various generals, and persuade the Marquis of Wuchang to send Zuo Menggeng to court. Once Menggeng is at court, the Wuchang host will be a dragon without a head, and can only be used by Thousand Years."

Could it really be that easy?

Although Zhu Cilang knew that Hou Xun and Zuo Liangyu were deeply connected, he still half-believed and half-doubted.

"Let us give it a try."

After pondering for a long while, Zhu Cilang finally nodded. Zuo Liangyu's forces were said to number a million — the exaggeration was surely enormous — but the troops actually capable of fighting must still number in the tens of thousands. This army, positioned between the Yangtze and the Han, was in the end an enormous hidden danger. Yet the threat of Zuo's forces could not be removed entirely by Hou Fangyu's method — that boy's plan would only dissolve Zuo's army, turning one big trouble into a heap of small troubles.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Who will go to Wuchang to proclaim the edict?"

Hou Fangyu shook his head. "Do not proclaim it yet. This student will make a trip to Wuchang under the pretext of visiting the sick, and secretly confer with the Marquis of Wuchang. If the Marquis is willing, then issuing the edict will not be too late."

Zhu Cilang said, "That is very good. But Chaozong, do not mention the matter of Zuo Menggeng entering court. And you must also make contact with Zuo Menggeng, and tell him that We know the Marquis of Wuchang is old and muddled, and that in the future, the military and civil affairs of the west will rely greatly on Menggeng.

Also, ask Zuo Menggeng whether he would be interested in becoming the Duke of Shu."

"Duke of Shu?"

Zhu Cilang nodded and smiled. "Duke of the Shu borderland! Zuo's forces have tens of thousands of soldiers who dare to fight, and have repeatedly defeated the Bandit Xian, forcing him to flee west into Shu. If Zuo Menggeng can, after Liangyu's death, lead his army into Shu and pacify the Bandit Xian, We shall enfeoff him as Duke of Shu, to hold that land forever!"

Hou Fangyu thought for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "Thousand Years is truly wise. This student is full of admiration!"

Zhu Cilang smiled. "We are merely treating him with sincerity. As for whether Zuo Menggeng appreciates the gesture, that is hard to say.

By the way, Chaozong, do not linger too long in Wuchang on this trip. It would not do to miss the special examination next spring. Although We could directly appoint you to an office, the civil officials of this dynasty still prize a jinshi background. Next year you will be twenty-seven; it is time you had a jinshi degree!"

Hou Fangyu felt a surge of emotion, and hurriedly rose to kowtow.

Zhu Cilang waved his hand. "No need to kowtow in thanks. We know your learning; how could you fail to obtain a jinshi? Before, it was only delayed because Master Hou was wrongly imprisoned. This time you are certain to pass."

Just as Zhu Cilang and Hou Fangyu were speaking, the pleasure barge had slowly entered the rear lake of the Grand Merit Residence and come to a steady stop beside a stone-built dock.

Zhu Cilang and Hou Fangyu left the cabin together, and suddenly saw Zhu Chunjie, Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, standing on the dock waiting — and was taken aback.

It was now the middle of the night. Why was this Zhu Chunjie not properly asleep, but instead come to the Grand Merit Residence? Had some other traitor appeared?

Zhu Cilang turned to Hou Fangyu and Zheng Sen and said, "Chaozong, Senior Brother, let us part here for today. Please return."

The shore of the rear lake of the Grand Merit Residence all belonged to the "inner residence" — that is, Zhu Cilang's rear palace. It was inconvenient for Hou Fangyu and Zheng Sen to enter, so they could only stop on the barge.

But Zhu Chunjie, as Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had a special line of work, and naturally could enter at any time to report urgent matters.

After Zhu Cilang came ashore, he beckoned to Zhu Chunjie, then walked quickly toward a courtyard by the lake. At the moon gate of the small courtyard stood guards and attendants on duty; inside was the bedchamber of Zhu Cilang and Wu Sanmei.

Wu Sanmei, heavy with child, had long since gone to sleep, and Zhu Cilang brought Zhu Chunjie into his study.

"Thousand Years, a secret report from Commander Luo!" Zhu Chunjie's expression was unusually grave as he took out an envelope and handed it to Zhu Cilang with both hands.

Zhu Cilang took the envelope, drew out a crumpled sheet of letter paper, and read it by the dim candlelight.

The moment he read it, his face changed drastically!

"What? They want to sell out Li Zicheng — how can they be so foolish!"

It turned out this was a wax-ball letter sent by Luo Xiushen from Datong. The letter told of Wang Yongji and Jiang Xiang colluding with the Qing to plot against the Shun.

This was truly far beyond Zhu Cilang's expectations! He had assumed that the several men in Datong Prefecture still understood what "when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold" meant.

Once Li Zicheng withdrew from Shanxi, could Datong still stand alone?

"Thousand Years, shall this subject make a trip to Datong?" Zhu Chunjie volunteered.

"No need." Zhu Cilang waved his hand. "There is no time. Now it all depends on whether Luo Xiushen is clever enough to tell Li Zicheng about the eastern barbarians borrowing the road."

Zhu Chunjie shook his head. "Even telling him would not be good. If Li Zicheng learns that Datong will join the eastern barbarians in attacking him, he might abandon Taiyuan and flee!"

Zhu Cilang's brow furrowed even tighter. That was true! Once Li Zicheng fled, the situation in the north would become even more difficult.

At that thought, Zhu Cilang sighed, and fell silent without another word.

The first year of Yongchang, the tenth day of the tenth month, Shanxi, the Taihang Mountains.

In the distance, near the old pass's gate city, smoke and mist swirled, firelight soared to the sky, and battle flags could be faintly seen fluttering in the wind. The cannon battery of Wu Sangui's Guanning Army was bombarding the gate with four Hongyi cannons hauled from Ningyuan. Musketeers and archers advanced in relays, firing bullets and fire arrows, trying to suppress the Shun army's Boy Battalion defending the old pass's gate city.

Li Zicheng gazed out from a hilltop. Below the slope, mounted scouts galloped past from time to time, loudly reporting the battle situation ahead. Li Zicheng peered through a telescope and saw that the Qing troops east of the old pass were extremely numerous, but judging by their uniforms and banners, those Qing troops were not true Tartars, but Wu Sangui's Guanning Army.

Since the great battle at Yipianshi in the fourth month, the Shun army had suffered one defeat after another against the Guanning Army!

Now, facing Wu Sangui once again, Li Zicheng had no choice but to act with caution. He did not dare choose open battle, but instead relied on the Great Wall at Guguan and the old pass ten li east of Guguan to set up his defense, planning first to wear down the enemy with defensive fighting, then turn to counterattack, drawing more Qing troops to the Guguan—Jingxing area.

That way, the surprise force he had placed at Zezhou could show its full prowess!

(End of Chapter)