Chapter 40: The Crown Prince Murder Case (Seeking Favorites, Seeking Recommendations)

Du Xun sat in the hanging basket and was quickly hauled up onto the city wall. As this meritorious eunuch of the Shun dynasty drew near the crenellations, Zhu Chunchen, all smiles, reached out and pulled him up, saying in an ingratiating tone, "Careful, careful, hold on tight…"

Although Du Xun had managed the Directorate of Imperial Cuisine for many years, he was not a glutton, so he was not fat and was very nimble. Borrowing a bit of strength from Zhu Chunchen, he climbed onto the wall. No sooner had he steadied himself than he heard a voice, youthful yet grim, calling his name.

"Are you Du Xun, the garrison eunuch of Xuanfu?"

That tone did not sound friendly at all!

Du Xun looked up and saw a young man in golden armor and a golden helmet standing right in front of him, one hand on his sword, the other beckoning to him.

This is… Du Xun stared hard. It was actually the Crown Prince, Zhu Cilang!

How, how could this be?!

How could Zhu Cilang possibly be up on the Fucheng Gate tower? Was he not afraid of the Roving King, Li Zicheng? And he was smiling at him, smiling so chillingly, smiling through gritted teeth… At that moment, Du Xun felt an urge to turn and flee.

"Thousand Years, this old, old slave is indeed Du Xun…" There was no getting away, so Du Xun had no choice but to steel himself and kowtow to Zhu Cilang.

"Good, good, good. Come here, come and talk!" Zhu Cilang was still smiling, smiling as he beckoned to Du Xun. "Come, come, hurry over…"

This Crown Prince does not look right! The Crown Prince Zhu Cilang in Du Xun's memory was a very honest person, a perfect little Chongzhen! But why did this Crown Prince look so terrifying now? Surely he did not mean to kill him?

Though afraid in his heart, Du Xun still had to keep up appearances. He could not show fear now, or his life would truly be forfeit.

With that thought, he feigned composure and strode toward Zhu Cilang. When he reached him and was about to bow again, Zhu Cilang suddenly seized him by the wrist.

"Don't speak yet, don't say a word!" Zhu Cilang said to Du Xun with a smile. "Let's go behind the arrow tower to talk… Duke of Cheng, Wu Xiang, Wang Qi, you come along too."

Du Xun had no choice but to grit his teeth and let Zhu Cilang lead him around from the front of the Fucheng Gate arrow tower to its rear.

The front of the arrow tower was lined with many defending soldiers, while the rear was piled with leather chests full of silver, guarded by the Palace Cleansing Troops and Zhu Cilang's Eastern Palace guards. Zhu Cilang's study companion eunuch Qiu Zhizhong was also there keeping watch.

Seeing Zhu Cilang, Zhu Chunchen, Wu Xiang, Wang Qi, and Du Xun walking over together, he was momentarily stunned: "Eunuch Du, weren't you already…"

Zhu Cilang waved him off and said with a smile, "Companion Du is now an envoy sent by the Roving King… Companion Qiu, take the irrelevant people and withdraw. We have something to say to Companion Wang."

"Yes." Qiu Zhizhong asked no further questions and at once led the guards and Palace Cleansing Troops watching the silver away. Only Zhu Cilang, Zhu Chunchen, Wu Xiang, Wang Qi, and Du Xun remained behind the arrow tower.

Only then did Zhu Cilang ask Du Xun with a smile, "Speak."

Du Xun could tell from Zhu Cilang's expression that something was wrong — the smile was stiff, the eyes terrifyingly sharp — but he could not leave, so he had no choice but to steel himself and kowtow to Zhu Cilang again: "This slave has risked death to enter the city precisely to devote his utmost loyalty to His Majesty and to Thousand Years, to offer the strength of a dog or horse…"

Zhu Cilang still wore that stiff smile: "I know, I know. We know what you intend to do… If you have something to say, say it quickly."

The more Du Xun looked at Zhu Cilang, the more his heart quailed. All he wanted now was to see Chongzhen as soon as possible, so he spoke with intimidating, threatening intent: "Thousand Years, then this slave must speak some loyal words that grate on the ear. Li Zicheng has personally led two hundred thousand elite troops against the capital, with several hundred thousand more following in support. The only thing the capital can count on now is Wu Sangui's few tens of thousands of Guan-Ning border troops. But the Guan-Ning border troops are too few to withstand several hundred thousand roving bandits… So, so the capital cannot count on Wu Sangui now!"

Zhu Cilang was still smiling: "Go on, go on!"

Du Xun knew something was wrong. This Crown Prince before him was somewhat abnormal… But there was no help for it, so he hardened his heart and said to Zhu Cilang, "However, Li Zicheng's conscience has not been extinguished. His coming against the capital this time is not, not to seize the realm from His Majesty and Thousand Years…"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes… Li Zicheng actually knows that the capital is easy to take but hard to hold. Even if he could break through the capital, the subjects of the Great Ming would surely be united in righteous fury and swear to avenge His Majesty. And the Manchus beyond the passes would certainly seize the chance to invade the metropolitan region, leaving him beset from front and rear, unable to attend to both ends…"

"Heh heh!" Zhu Cilang laughed aloud.

Du Xun went on: "Therefore Li, Li Zicheng has come not to seize the capital, but to, to force His Majesty to enfeoff him as King of Qin and Jin. As long as His Majesty agrees, he is willing to lead his army out through the passes to strike the foul caitiffs and pacify Liaodong… Thousand Years, this slave believes, believes this is an opportunity to save the Great Ming's realm!"

"Good, good, good!" Zhu Cilang laughed heartily. "Who would have thought a eunuch like you was such a talent… A pity Imperial Father does not know how to use men. He should have had you devising strategy in the command tent, not sent you to supervise the army at Xuanfu."

What did that mean? Du Xun was utterly baffled.

Zhu Cilang, still smiling, took a few steps and circled around behind Du Xun. In a mild tone he said, "Companion Du, straighten up!"

Straighten up? Though Du Xun did not understand what Zhu Cilang meant to do, he straightened his upper body. Then he heard a sharp clang, the sound of a sword leaving its scabbard! Du Xun hurriedly looked back and saw Zhu Cilang in golden armor and helmet, sword already in hand, his face full of killing intent, the blade thrusting straight at him.

Murder!

The Crown Prince is going to kill someone!

Du Xun and everyone who witnessed the scene were stunned!

The others were merely startled by Zhu Cilang's sudden lethal outburst. Du Xun had it far worse — before he could react, the sharp blade plunged into his back. The pain!

Du Xun screamed and tried to rise from the ground, while Zhu Cilang roared, "Wang Qi! Wu Xiang! Help!"

Wang Qi, that big fellow, had never killed anyone either and was momentarily stupefied, unresponsive. Wu Xiang was the capable one — he lunged forward, seized Du Xun's head, and with a violent twist, crack! He broke the neck. Du Xun went limp at once, collapsing like a pile of mud.

By now Zhu Cilang was somewhat dazed. His sword seemed to be caught on Du Xun's ribs and would not move either way, while Du Xun lay sprawled on the ground, and it was unclear whether he was dead or not. At the same time, Zhu Cilang felt wave after wave of nausea… Killing a man was truly difficult! It seemed he would need much more practice in the future!

Wu Xiang also saw Zhu Cilang straining to pull out the sword and knew it was stuck. But he did not go to help; he stood there frozen too.

Zhu Cilang was only sixteen! He had grown up deep within the palace… He had probably never even killed a chicken, yet now he had suddenly killed a man! And he had acted with great deliberation — arranging helpers, luring the man to a secluded spot, using words to lower his guard, then striking suddenly!

Truly ferocious… Now there was no need to worry that the Crown Prince could not subdue that wild girl Sanmei!

By now Zhu Cilang had pulled the sword free. Blood spurted out and splashed across his face. He did not wipe it off, only stood there panting heavily for a few moments, then suddenly pointed the sword at Zhu Chunchen, who was staring dumbstruck nearby: "Duke of Cheng!"

"This subject, this subject is here…" Zhu Chunchen was nearly frightened out of his wits. The Crown Prince really killed people! There was still blood on the sword!

"Come here!"

"No, no…" Zhu Chunchen backed away.

"Come here!" Zhu Cilang barked.

Zhu Chunchen's legs gave way, and with a thud he dropped to his knees, babbling incoherently: "Thousand Years, don't kill this subject! This subject knows he was wrong! When this subject was Commander of the Capital Camps, he embezzled a great deal of money and also took bribes from the Eighteen Zhi and Wu Sangui… This subject is willing to hand over all the dirty silver, only begging Thousand Years to spare his life!"

Zhu Cilang laughed at that: "Good, good, another loyal subject! The Duke need not be afraid. We do not mean to kill you. You are a loyal subject of our Great Ming, and We do not kill loyal subjects… Come over and help Us with something."

"What does Thousand Years wish this subject to do?" Zhu Chunchen could not get up by himself; his legs were too weak with fright! He had to beckon Wang Qi over to help him to his feet, and only then did he shuffle over to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang pointed at Du Xun on the ground. "Cut off his head. Can you do that?"

"Ah…" Zhu Chunchen's mouth fell open, and he did not know what to say.

Zhu Cilang then turned to Wu Xiang and said, "Old Father-in-law, teach this Commander of the Capital Camps how to cut off a man's head! After you've taught him, send men to confiscate Du Xun's household… He managed the Directorate of Imperial Cuisine for many years, so he must be very rich. Have the various units defending Fucheng Gate today send men to do the confiscation. We only want one hundred thousand taels; let the units divide the rest."

(End of Chapter)