Chapter 48: Zhu the Tiger Seizes a Bride (Part One)

"What? There are no large bodies of roving bandits outside Chaoyang Gate and Dongzhi Gate? Then isn't the capital surrounded?"

"Indeed it is not surrounded. Looking through a telescope from Chaoyang Gate, one can only make out a few dozen mounted bandits."

"What about Tongzhou? Is it still in government hands?"

"Most likely still in government hands..."

"Excellent! Commanders, my esteemed father-in-law, Commander Li — how many troops do we have now? And of those, how many can actually fight?"

"Thousand Years, as of yesterday evening, the Capital Camps' forces already exceeded 8,000 men, and today they will surely pass 12,000! Of those, the elite fit for battle number no fewer than 2,000."

"Thousand Years, the Hard-Trials Battalion now has over 4,000 men, organized into five divisions and twenty companies. The cavalry division and the firelock division are both combat-ready, totaling 1,600 men..."

"We have that many cavalry and firelocks already?"

"Because we recruited some household retainers and able-bodied men from the noble houses, some of whom came able to fight on horseback or bringing firelocks with them. In addition, Director Tang brought some disciples skilled with firelocks. So the mounted troops increased to 800, the gunners to 400, and with 400 gun-guards, the total is 1,600..."

In the Hall of Auspicious Joy, on the morning of the eighteenth, Zhu Cilang, having just napped briefly and taken some breakfast, was convening a military council. Present were Wu Xiang, Li Ruolian, Li Guozhen, and Zhu Chunchen. Bi Jiucheng, who had grown noticeably thinner from overwork these past two days, was keeping the record. The military force now in Zhu Cilang's hands consisted of the newly formed Hard-Trials Battalion and the expanded Capital Camps.

After absorbing some household retainers from the noble houses and the able-bodied Catholic converts who had followed Tang Ruowang, the Hard-Trials Battalion had expanded to over 4,000 men. It also had 400 serviceable firelocks, 400 gun-guards capable of close combat, and 800 cavalry. Its strength was quite considerable!

The Capital Camps had even more men — 12,000 could be mustered, of whom no fewer than 2,000 were usable troops.

In other words, Zhu Cilang already had 3,600 elite troops fit for battle. If the palace's Pure Army was counted as well, the number of cannon-fodder soldiers approached 20,000!

Zhu Cilang asked, "Since the roving bandits have left us an escape route, when can we move out?"

"The bandits are surrounding three sides and leaving one open!" said Wu Xiang. "The moment we move, they will come after us! So we still need two days to prepare... and it will also give Sangui a chance to draw near the capital, to make it easier to link up with us."

Li Ruolian shook his head. "Thousand Years, over 20,000 troops, plus the nobles, officials, and palace servants traveling with them... how many people is that? Dragging along in a great straggling column — getting everyone out will not be easy, will it?"

Zhu Cilang scratched his head, his gaze flicking toward Zhu Chunchen and Li Guozhen, and said in a low voice, "Commanders, the noble houses must be split in two... For every family that has paid, We must give them an accounting. We cannot take their money and do nothing! All men and women who can ride will move with Us. The rest will be left to their own fate. As for the officials, We will have Mister Chen and Mister Lin draw up the list."

"This subject understands!"

"This subject will work with the Duke of Chengguo and the Duke of Yingguo to draw up the list of noble and imperial-kin families."

Zhu Chunchen and Li Guozhen understood Zhu Cilang's meaning at once — it was impossible for tens of thousands of people to flee together. Something had to be sacrificed to ensure that the Chongzhen Emperor and Zhu Cilang could get away.

So the breakout force would be split in two. The elite troops would escort Chongzhen, Empress Zhou, Zhu Cilang, a portion of the important officials, and the core members of the noble families in their retreat. The remaining rabble of cannon fodder and the less important personnel would form another group, used to draw the attention of the bandit horde...

"Thousand Years, what about the silver?" Wu Xiang asked. "Several million taels! It will take at least 1,000 large carts, or several thousand mules and horses to carry it."

"Take as much as we can! If there are not enough carts and mules, hire more porters." Zhu Cilang smiled bitterly. "Once we leave the capital, we will have to endure hard times for a while, and we will be counting on this bit of silver... Also, we must set aside one million taels in military pay for Sangui. If it truly cannot be transported, then distribute the remaining silver to the officers and men."

"We can also use some of the less combat-capable men from the Hard-Trials Battalion and the Capital Camps as porters," said Li Ruolian. "And hire more porters who can push wheelbarrows, to carry out as much as possible. Once we reach Tianjin, things will be easier. Tianjin has grain-transport boats; one boat can carry tens of thousands of catties, and ten boats can take it all."

"Good, we'll do it that way!"

Just as the men were deliberating, one of Wang Cheng'en's adopted sons, a young eunuch named Wang Bao, came in together with Qiu Zhizhong.

Zhu Cilang looked up and saw the anxiety written all over Qiu Zhizhong's face, so he asked, "Companion Qiu, what has happened?"

"Thousand Years, this is terrible," said Qiu Zhizhong. "At this morning's court audience, someone impeached Commander Wu!"

"Impeached whom?" Zhu Cilang was startled.

"Commander Wu!" the young eunuch who had come in with Qiu Zhizhong answered. "Supervisor Wang sent this slave to report that Supervising Secretary Guang Shiheng of the Office of Scrutiny for War has taken the lead in impeaching Commander Wu for offering his daughter to curry favor with his superiors..."

Crack! Zhu Cilang slammed the table, startling everyone present, including Wu Xiang.

"That wretch Guang Shiheng — he dares meddle in Our taking a consort!" Zhu Cilang's expression was utterly grim.

"That Guang Shiheng is the worst of the lot!" Zhu Chunchen cursed through gritted teeth. "If he had not been the first to leap out and block the southern relocation, we would have been in the secondary capital days ago!"

Li Guozhen also snorted, "Your Highness, if he is not taught a lesson, he will surely leap out again in two or three days to block the southern relocation!"

"But how can he be taught a lesson? He is a civil official, and there may well be a Grand Secretary behind him pulling the strings," Wu Xiang said, shaking his head uneasily. "Besides, the matter of my daughter entering the palace was indeed, indeed somewhat rash, and my daughter is by nature rough and plain-looking..."

Zhu Cilang turned his gaze to Li Ruolian, the Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Zhu Chunchen and Li Guozhen had now both made their positions clear. Wu Xiang's thoughts were obvious — nothing he said counted. So of the men before him, only Li Ruolian had not spoken. Whether he was truly a trusted man depended on his next words.

The Hall of Auspicious Joy fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes to Li Ruolian. Li Ruolian's brow was deeply furrowed, as if he were thinking hard, and only after a long while did he slowly speak: "In matters of the court, one must always plan for the worst! This subject has been in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for over ten years, and served in the Northern Provost's Office for no less than ten. I have seen far too many of the stratagems of court factional struggle. When the court wants to bring down a great man, it often starts small and works upward — first impeaching a disciple or former subordinate over some trivial matter, to test the imperial will while shaking that great man's foundations and sowing panic among his other followers. If that great man's imperial favor is truly gone, then hearts will be thrown into chaos, and once hearts are in chaos, his position crumbles, and his opponents can press the advantage, blowing the trivial matter up larger and larger until it becomes a great storm. In past court struggles, many a Grand Secretary has fallen this way!"

"How is that possible?" Zhu Chunchen burst out. "What is Guang Shiheng? He dares point his spear at His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Li Guozhen also shook his head repeatedly. "This is a struggle over the foundation of the state! Does he dare?"

Li Ruolian snorted. "Guang Shiheng is merely the rafter that sticks out. What is truly frightening is the man behind him!"

"Behind him? Wei Zaode?" Zhu Chunchen's face was full of contempt.

Li Ruolian laughed coldly. "How could it be? Why would he target Thousand Years? Before, he opposed the southern relocation only because he did not want to bear the crime of abandoning the realm. Now Thousand Years is leading the southern relocation, so he need not bear any responsibility — why would he still leap out?"

"If not Wei Zaode, then..." Zhu Chunchen's face changed drastically.

Li Guozhen shook his head again and again. "Impossible, impossible..."

Zhu Cilang's tone was grim. "If it were impossible, the palace directive would have come down by now!"

"Then what is to be done?" Wu Xiang's voice trembled a little. He was now caught between Chongzhen and the Crown Prince! Although the Crown Prince had troops and money in hand, his foundations were not deep enough. Chongzhen had been Son of Heaven for seventeen years; Zhu Cilang had only been rising for a few days.

Zhu Cilang, however, gave a cold laugh. "This matter is easily handled! Esteemed father-in-law, is your daughter at home now?"

"She is..."

"Good!" Zhu Cilang turned to Li Ruolian. "Commander Li, summon the men from the Firelock Superintendency and accompany Us to seize a bride!"

"Seize a bride?" Wu Xiang's eyes went wide. "Your Highness, whom do you intend to seize?"

"Your daughter, of course!" Zhu Cilang laughed. "Now it is no longer you offering your daughter to curry favor, but Us forcibly seizing the daughter of an official! If Guang Shiheng has the nerve, let him come impeach Us!"

(End of Chapter)