Chapter 32: He Can Always Become a Loyal Martyr (And Always Begging for Recommendation Tickets)

Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen, was a most imposing-looking man—tall, fierce, and powerful, with a swarthy face and a great bushy beard that hung all the way down to his chest. Dressed in a bright red python robe, he stood there like a guardian deity descended to the mortal world.

"Your subject Zhu Chunchen respectfully inquires after His Highness the Crown Prince's golden well-being." Seeing Zhu Cilang and Wu Xiang approaching together, Zhu Chunchen bowed in salute, then delivered his greeting in a voice full of vigor.

With that face and that voice, he was the very picture of a victorious general!

Zhu Cilang, all smiles, nodded at Zhu Chunchen. "Good, good. Now that Duke Cheng is here, We are at ease... Please sit, Duke. We must discuss with you the dispositions for meeting the Roving Bandit in battle tomorrow."

Zhu Chunchen seated himself grandly in a chair, stretched out his right hand, and stroked his beard as he listened quietly to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang said, "Duke, you are Commander of the Capital Camps and a veteran of the army. Tomorrow, should you not lead troops out of the city and show the roving bandits what the Capital Camps' officers and men are made of?"

Lead troops out of the city to fight the roving bandits? Zhu Chunchen was startled at these words, and his beard-stroking hand clenched involuntarily, nearly yanking out a few hairs.

"Your Highness, this—this—the Capital Camps' finest troops have mostly been drawn off to garrison the four quarters, or have been lost in battle against the Tartar caitiffs and the roving bandits. What strength remains for sallying forth to give battle?" Zhu Chunchen looked every inch the bold warrior, but when it came to the crunch, he would shrink back all the same. "This subject believes holding the city tightly is the best course."

"Hold tightly?" Zhu Cilang nodded with a smile. "Since the Commander says to hold tightly, then tomorrow you shall accompany Us up to the Xizhimen gate tower. Commander Wu estimates the roving bandits will strike at the northwest corner of the capital... Then We shall see with Our own eyes the Commander's gallant bearing as he slays the bandits."

What? Up to the gate tower as well? And slay bandits... more like be slain by bandits! Cold sweat was about to drip from Zhu Chunchen, and he hastily urged, "His Highness the Thousand Years is a body worth ten thousand in gold—he must not go in person into danger..."

"Wait!" Zhu Cilang's tone suddenly deepened. "Now Duke Cheng says We are a body worth ten thousand in gold and must not risk danger. Then when Left Junior Mentor Li Mingrui spoke of moving the capital, and Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen, Left Chief Censor Li Banghua, and Junior Supervisor of Instruction Master Xiang proposed that We go to Nanjing to supervise and protect it—why did you not step forward to support them? Did you submit a memorial seconding the proposal?"

"This subject—this subject—this subject is a military officer..."

"You are a meritorious noble!" Zhu Cilang barked. "You should share the fate of the dynasty! Now that the state faces calamity, you should strive to be first to die. Tomorrow is your chance to leave your name in the annals of history. Since you will not go out of the city, then slay bandits on the city wall!"

"This subject is the Commander..."

"We are the Crown Prince!" Zhu Cilang suddenly glared. "Even We are going up to the wall to oversee the battle, and you, a mere Commander, still wish to hide from death inside the imperial city?"

So he meant to drag him to the front line!

Zhu Chunchen was so frightened he could barely draw breath... Although he looked like a bloodthirsty warrior, he had never dared kill so much as a chicken in his whole life. How could he fight the roving bandits? Was this not simply going to his death?

At the thought of going to his death, this great hulking man Zhu Chunchen grew sorrowful, and then the tears came. Truly, a man does not lightly shed tears—only until the moment he must go into battle!

Seeing his craven appearance, Zhu Chunjie, standing behind Zhu Cilang, could not hold back and spoke up: "The Duke is so cowardly—how can he face his ancestors?"

Zhu Chunchen's ancestor Zhu Neng had been one of the ranking great generals under Zhu Di, a lifetime spent in arms, and had finally died of illness in the army during the campaign against Annam—one could say he gave his all until death. Now that his descendant had turned out so craven, Zhu Neng in the netherworld would probably weep bitter tears as well.

"Huaiyuan," Zhu Cilang called Zhu Chunjie affectionately by his courtesy name, "do not speak of Duke Cheng so. The Duke is merely momentarily unable to see his way clear... Tomorrow, he will always be able to become a loyal martyr!"

What did he mean, "always be able to become a loyal martyr"?!

Why did those words sound so chilling?

Zhu Chunchen already felt as though one foot had stepped through the gates of hell. And since he had spotted the gates of hell, he naturally could not keep walking in. He immediately rose to his feet and saluted Zhu Cilang: "Your Highness, this subject still has imperial orders to carry out—he must go inspect Fucheng Gate. As for tomorrow's battle, let us discuss it after this subject returns from Fucheng Gate."

With that, he turned to leave, but how could Zhu Cilang let him go? Without two hundred thousand, could he be allowed to walk away?

"Stop Duke Cheng at once!" At Zhu Cilang's command, the Eastern Palace guards outside the Leopard House, led by Wang Qi, blocked Zhu Chunchen's path.

Zhu Chunchen knew he had to get away, and summoning brute strength, he tried to break free. Though Wang Qi was strong, he dared not use lethal force against Duke Cheng, and found himself unable to hold the man. The two of them grappled together.

Then Zhu Cilang spoke again, his tone icy: "Bring the Imperial Sword! Here is a Capital Camps Commander deserting in the face of battle—he is to be executed!"

Executed?!

Hearing Zhu Cilang say this, Zhu Chunchen's very bones went soft with terror. All the strength drained from his body, and with limp hands and feet he was seized by Wang Qi.

And Zhu Cilang really was walking toward Zhu Chunchen holding the Imperial Sword, his face full of murderous intent!

At this point, Zhu Chunchen had no choice but to change his tune. He cried out, "Your Highness misunderstands—misunderstands this subject! This subject is not deserting in the face of battle! This subject will not leave—will not go anywhere—will stay right here guarding Your Highness!"

"Is that true?" Zhu Cilang, sword in hand, glared at Zhu Chunchen with killing intent.

"True, true..." Zhu Chunchen knew better than to suffer a loss right before his eyes. Though he was not entirely certain whether Zhu Cilang would actually stab him with the sword, this was not the sort of thing one wanted to test.

"By the way, you said you were going to inspect Fucheng Gate?"

"No, no—not going anymore."

"You are going!" Zhu Cilang said. "Let us go together! We shall go see the Roving Bandit's military array."

Commander Wu, you will come with Us as well."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, are we truly going up to Fucheng Gate?" Zhu Chunchen asked, his voice trembling.

"Of course we are going up!" Zhu Cilang said coldly. "Tonight We shall inspect the defenses together with the Commander."

Huaiyuan, go to Duke Cheng's residence and fetch the Duke's armor. Companion Qiu, go fetch Our armor as well and deliver it to the Xizhimen gate tower. Secretary Bi, go inform Li Ruolian, Master Chen, Master Lin, and Huang Dabao that Our field headquarters is set up in the Xizhimen barbican."

Commander, stop trembling... Come, let us go see the roving bandits' great host together! We have lived this long and never yet seen what roving bandits look like!"

What was so good about seeing roving bandits? After seeing them, one would lose one's life... Zhu Chunchen truly felt that disaster was upon him! Truly upon him—no false alarm this time!

Even if Li Zicheng fought his way into Beijing, he could surrender and welcome the new master. The title of Duke Cheng would be gone, but his life could still be preserved, and perhaps he could even keep most of the family property... But now he was being dragged to the front line by a mad Crown Prince. What outcome could there be other than death? Yet he could not refuse to go along—the Imperial Sword was still clutched in the Crown Prince's hand!

How was it that there was not a single path to survival?

Help! Your Majesty, save me!

...

While Zhu Cilang was dragging a duke trembling from head to foot off to Fucheng Gate to see the roving bandits, the Chongzhen Emperor had just arrived at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. He descended from his sedan chair and strode quickly inside. The Chongzhen Emperor's pace was swift, as though racing against every second. And given the present situation, it had indeed come to the point where every second counted.

When the Son of Heaven arrived, the empress ought to greet him at the main gate of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. But the Chongzhen Emperor always came and went in haste, and had little time for elaborate ceremony in the inner palace—how much time in a day belonged to him alone? If too much time went to ritual, there would be none left for real business! So Empress Zhou merely received him at the entrance to the main hall.

After Emperor and Empress exchanged greetings, they walked inside together. Entering the main hall of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Chongzhen Emperor stopped short. He saw that the center of the hall was piled with bundles and chests, and before the throne had been placed a writing desk, on which lay spread open a thick ledger.

Chongzhen strode over quickly, picked up the ledger, and examined it by candlelight. He found it was an account book recording which items had been placed in which numbered chest... It looked for all the world like preparations to pack up and flee!

What was the meaning of this? Who had told her to pack up and prepare to run? Surely not his eldest son Cilang again? That child was far too prone to acting on his own authority!

(End of Chapter)