Chapter 335: The Palace of Self-Reflection at the Xiao Mausoleum

On the first day of the first month of the eighteenth year of Chongzhen of the Great Ming, within the city of Nanjing.

The great procession of the Banner Guard, bearing the dazzling and resplendent banners of the Son of Heaven, streamed out in majestic order from the detached palace at Xipu. With the nation now in crisis, all ceremony was kept simple, and so behind the Son of Heaven's banners came the escorting strongmen and the officers and soldiers of the imperial guard, surrounding and protecting the Chongzhen Emperor, who rode a white horse, as they surged forth with a thunderous air.

Behind the Chongzhen Emperor followed a great train of nobles, some riding in carriages, some on horseback. Those in carriages were mostly the Chongzhen Emperor's consorts and princesses, and their numbers were considerably greater than when he had been a virtuous sovereign in Beijing! Those on horseback were the princes of the Great Ming. All thirty-three princes then in the capital, dressed in the everyday robes of Princes and Commandery Princes, followed behind the phoenix carriages of the consorts and princesses.

Although everything was kept simple and the retinue was not very large — many people had already gone ahead with Zhu Cilang to the Xiao Mausoleum — the Banner Guard honor guard and escort around Chongzhen, together with the accompanying eunuchs and palace maids, still numbered five or six hundred. Behind them followed several dozen imperial relatives, each with their own attendants and guards. All told, gathered together, they made up two or three thousand people!

Such a procession streaming out from Xipu and making its way through the streets of Nanjing was a grand spectacle rarely seen in two hundred years!

Coming out from Xipu, one entered the broad East Paifang Baoyuan Street, and following this bustling, lively avenue northeastward, one ascended Taipingli, crossed the Dazhong Bridge, passed through Tongji Gate Street, and entered the "core district" where the various central government offices of the Great Ming and the imperial city were located — at present the imperial city was undergoing renovation, but the various government offices south of the imperial city had already been renovated and put into use.

After entering the "core district" of Nanjing, one came to West Chang'an Street, the Right Gate of Chang'an, the Left Gate of Chang'an, East Chang'an Street, South Street at the Root of the Eastern Imperial City Wall, and then the barbican of Chaoyang Gate. Passing out through Chaoyang Gate and following Chaoyang Gate Outer Street, one could go straight to the Xiao Mausoleum.

Now, along every street from East Paifang Baoyuan Street to the Dismounting Arch at the Xiao Mausoleum, and at every city gate, soldiers of the Kenan New Army had been deployed to stand guard along the route. The high-spirited New Army soldiers had all changed into brand-new bright red uniforms, wore red caps, and carried matchlock muskets with bayonets fixed on their shoulders, standing sentry every five paces along the street. These were the elite of the four "all-matchlock brigades" under the Kenan New Army, and more than four thousand of them had been turned out, sealing off the streets through which the imperial carriage would pass so tightly that not even air could get through.

Incidentally, within the ranks of the Kenan New Army, which had already reached a strength of one hundred fifty thousand, the only troops truly worthy of being called elite were the four brigades of matchlock infantry and the two brigades of iron cavalry, all of which were now concentrated in Nanjing.

And the five foreign officer corps, headed by the German foreign general Shi Rui'en, would soon all be in place. Zhu Cilang would sign contracts in both Chinese and French with all five corps. Four of the foreign officer corps would each be responsible for training one "model regiment" — a so-called "model regiment" was equivalent to a "brigade," though slightly different in organization, adopting the formation and organization of the Dutch Maurice-style square. The basic combat unit was the 500-man battalion, and one "model regiment" had four battalions under it, not counting auxiliary forces, for a total of 2,000 men.

In addition, there was one more foreign officer corps composed of artillery officers. According to the contract, they would train for Zhu Cilang a standard field artillery regiment organized on the Swedish artillery model — consisting of eight artillery companies, one engineer company, and one supply company. Six of the artillery companies were equipped with a total of twenty-four bronze three-pounder field guns purchased from the Bocarro foundry in Macao, while the remaining two companies were equipped with twelve-pounder Hongyi cannons.

At present the four "model regiments" and the one "artillery regiment" had not yet been formed, but the corresponding personnel had already been concentrated in the Great Parade Ground military camp in the southern part of Nanjing's outer wall, where they were working overtime drilling formations — a solid "697" schedule, with no rest even over the New Year.

So what could be brought out today to protect the Chongzhen Emperor and Zhu Cilang were the four matchlock brigades and the two cavalry brigades.

On both sides of the streets guarded by the matchlock brigade officers and soldiers, there were of course vast crowds of people.

Such a grand event as the Son of Heaven leaving the palace was something the people of Nanjing had not seen for many years! Moreover, just yesterday there had been rumors that the Son of Heaven had fallen into the water, thick with the flavor of conspiracy, as if some unfilial son could not wait to murder the sovereign and usurp the throne. The southeastern scholars gathered in Nanjing, waiting to sit the special imperial examination, had lost all interest in reading the books of the sages. Today, hearing that the Emperor was going to the Xiao Mausoleum to pay his respects, they had all taken to the streets to see the Emperor — although the Emperor had in fact already mounted the Sanshan Gate once yesterday.

But by then it had already grown dark, and the Emperor had been high above, so the people below could not see him clearly — ordinary scholars and commoners of course did not know Chongzhen by sight, but there were in Nanjing quite a number of officials awaiting appointment or living in retirement, some of whom had once served as court officials and did know Chongzhen.

If they determined that the Emperor was still well, then the scholars could naturally set their minds at ease and go sit the Ministry of Rites examination. Otherwise... they would have to think carefully. Could an unfilial son who murdered his father and usurped the throne truly become the lord who would restore the Great Ming?

This was, after all, the Great Ming dynasty, where "filial sons and loyal ministers govern the realm." To murder one's sovereign and father was the most heinous of treasons, the ultimate outrage!

At this moment, wave after wave of shouts of "Long live the Emperor" began to rise from both sides of the street as the Chongzhen Emperor's carriage passed. Loud-voiced palace attendants on horseback rode ahead, shouting as they went: "His Majesty approaches! Officials and commoners alike, welcome the imperial procession!"

In the Ming dynasty, the common people were supposed to kneel when welcoming the imperial procession, but by the late Ming the rules were not strictly enforced. Kneeling was enough; there was no need to prostrate oneself on the ground. One could cheerfully look upon the Emperor, and some retired officials and those awaiting appointment had come prepared, now producing monocular telescopes and beginning their reconnaissance from afar.

"It is the Emperor! Still riding a horse, and looking well!"

"Thank Heaven and Earth, the Emperor is fine!"

"As long as the Emperor is still here, the Great Ming is saved..."

"It seems that certain someone still does not dare defy the whole world..."

"The Emperor is coming! Quickly, welcome the imperial procession!"

"We respectfully welcome His Majesty! Long live, long live, long live the Emperor!"

Seeing Chongzhen arrive, everyone instinctively held their breath, bowed deeply in prostration, and at the same time erupted in thunderous shouts of "Long live the Emperor."

The shouts shook the heavens, and the heart of the Chongzhen Emperor, riding on horseback, was stirred. The people's hearts, it seemed, were still with him! Was it not said that he who wins the people's hearts wins the realm? If the people's hearts were still with him, did that mean his throne could still be kept?

At this very moment, the Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, along with the grand secretaries, Ministers, Vice Ministers, guard commanders, and the various nobles — dukes, marquises, and earls — then in the capital, had all arrived ahead of time at the traveling palace outside the Dismounting Arch of the Xiao Mausoleum. Outside the Dismounting Arch there had originally been a traveling palace for emperors, princes, and high officials to bathe and change clothes when coming to pay respects at the tomb, but it had fallen into disrepair over the years and was extremely dilapidated.

So after Zhu Cilang arrived in Nanjing, he had ordered it expanded and renovated, and had personally written the plaque reading "Palace of Self-Reflection," which now hung above the main gate of this traveling palace... This "Palace of Self-Reflection" — as the name suggests, was it a fine place for shutting oneself away and reflecting on one's faults?

Who, one wondered, was to reflect on their faults here?

(End of Chapter)