Chapter 90: The Enemy Is at Tianjin — End (Please Bookmark, Please Recommend)

Inside the small tower, the Chongzhen Emperor, who had been about to kill his wife, and Empress Zhou, who had been prepared to be killed, were both stunned as well.

Chongzhen thought to himself: Could it be that unfilial wretch Cilang couldn't wait any longer and has enthroned himself outside Tianjin? Isn't that a bit too fast?

Empress Zhou, however, thought: It must be that filial son Cilang up to his tricks again — no, using a stratagem! My son is still the reliable one, full of schemes, certain to get his mother out of here!

At that thought, Empress Zhou hastily picked up the shield she had tossed aside and held it in front of her... her son was about to arrive, and she couldn't let that blockheaded, benighted tyrant Zhu Youjian kill her.

Empress Zhou was actually worrying too much — how could Chongzhen still have the heart to kill his wife? He had to see who this newly arrived emperor was! So heedless of danger, he hurried to the window, pushed it open, and looked outside. He saw corpses lying every which way across the courtyard, blood sprayed everywhere! Most of the men standing there were drenched in blood, like fiends who had fought their way out of hell!

These murderous, fiend-like roving bandits had now gathered just inside the courtyard gate, their backs to the small tower, and had formed a wedge formation, holding back the steady stream of Ming troops arriving from outside.

The Ming troops outside were numerous but appeared disordered, with both infantry and cavalry; perhaps because the alley was too narrow, they had not formed any proper array. But some of the large, iron-armored cavalrymen among them were quite conspicuous, and likely had the roving bandits cowed, not daring to make any rash move.

Amid the chaotic mass of Ming infantry and cavalry, a column of gold-armored cavalry was slowly advancing in from the mouth of the alley. In the middle of this gold-armored column stood, unmistakably, an emperor! He wore a winged court cap and a yellow dragon robe with a round collar and narrow sleeves, riding a tall, large horse. Chongzhen narrowed his eyes and looked carefully — that man was not Zhu Cilang! For this emperor had several strands of beard at his chin, while Zhu Cilang was only sixteen, not yet old enough to have hair on his face!

This emperor was actually not Zhu Cilang! The Chongzhen Emperor sank into thought: Who is this usurping the throne now? Why do so many people want to seize Our realm?

The Chongzhen Emperor did not ponder long before he knew who this throne-usurping fellow was! For the man had already reached the vicinity of the courtyard gate, and the Chongzhen Emperor could see his face clearly — he recognized him at a glance.

This man was plainly the Chief Grand Secretary Wei Zaode! How had he donned the yellow robe after so short a time apart? And where was that unfilial wretch Cilang? A Crown Prince as cunning as he was — how could he have let that treacherous minister Wei Zaode usurp the throne? Impossible, surely?

At the moment the Chongzhen Emperor recognized the man in the yellow robe as Grand Secretary Wei Zaode, the rebel Hao Yaoqi believed that the emperor he was seeing was indeed Chongzhen. For beside this emperor he saw two princes — none other than the Prince of Qin, Zhu Cunjie, and the Prince of Jin, Zhu Shenxuan, who had earlier been captured by Li Zicheng.

These two princes had spent some days in Li Zicheng's camp, and Hao Yaoqi had seen them more than once. After the battle at Fucheng Gate on the seventeenth day of the third month, they had disappeared — most likely they had slipped into Beijing in the confusion. He had never expected to run into them again today at Tianjin!

These two down-and-out princes were now strutting again, dressed in red princely python robes, riding on horseback behind the "Chongzhen Emperor."

The two princes were genuine beyond any doubt — so how could the emperor in front of the princes be false?

Hao Yaoqi stamped his foot and roared at the men around him: "Damn it all, who said that Zhu traitor emperor was in that little tower?"

"Commander, weren't you the one who led us fighting all the way here?"

"Right, we don't even know what the Zhu traitor emperor looks like..."

When Hao Yaoqi heard this, his big head shook back and forth. "I don't know what the Zhu traitor emperor looks like either. I was just listening to those two dog officials, Yuan Yuzong and Yang Weihan, running their mouths. Where are those two dog officials?"

The two dog officials had of course already fled without a trace — if they didn't run, were they supposed to stay and wait for the blade?

Seeing that the dog officials were already gone, Hao Yaoqi was all the more convinced he had been duped. He was a Zhang Fei type — brave, certainly, but without much in the way of devious scheming, the sort who was fairly easy to fool.

Hao Yaoqi was easy to fool, and his men certainly couldn't play mind games with Zhu Cilang, a man who had spent more than ten years dealing with every kind of financial-market swindle. So they immediately raised their voices and began shouting.

"Commander, we've been tricked by those two dog officials!"

"Commander, the Zhu traitor has too many troops — we can't break out!"

"Better to fight it out with the Zhu traitor and go straight for that dog emperor!"

Just as they were debating, two or three hundred musketeers had already stepped out from the ranks and deployed in a dense line before the courtyard gate. The front rank of musketeers had set up their matchlock arquebuses with burning matches, every muzzle aimed at Hao Yaoqi and his men.

Now it really was over! No matter how brave Hao Yaoqi was, he couldn't withstand muskets firing at such close range!

One volley would kill a hundred men or more! Even those lucky enough to survive wouldn't have the nerve to charge again!

What was to be done? Were they all to go down to the Yellow Springs together today, becoming the last batch of martyrs on the eve of the Shun's victory?

Just as Hao Yaoqi and his men were agonizing, a young man in gold armor, escorted by several iron-clad riders, had already reached the rear of the musketeers. This was of course none other than the Great Ming's Army-Supervising Crown Prince, Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang looked at the cornered roving bandits and laughed heartily: "Listen, all of you! We are the Army-Supervising Crown Prince, commissioned by imperial decree to supervise the armies and command all the troops of the realm! You are already surrounded by the Great Ming's celestial soldiers, with no way out.

But Our Imperial Father holds benevolence and mercy above all, and seeing that you are all rare and valiant warriors, He grants you a chance to abandon darkness and turn to the light. If you sincerely submit, Our Imperial Father will not only spare your lives, but will also give you the opportunity to serve the court and win wealth and honor through military merit!"

Now they could fake a surrender...

Hearing Zhu Cilang speak thus, Hao Yaoqi's eyes rolled, and a plan came to mind. Though he did not have much in the way of devious scheming, as a veteran rebel he did know the trick of feigned surrender. In the past, when the roving bandits were weak, they had used feigned surrender against the court more than a few times.

Having made up his mind, Hao Yaoqi cupped his fists toward Zhu Cilang from a distance: "Crown Prince above, accept Hao Yaoqi's bow."

This is Hao Yaoqi?

Zhu Cilang narrowed his eyes and sized up this blood-soaked man — this fellow was quite famous in history, a figure of some note in the Southern Ming camp. He had not expected him to submit to him here at Tianjin...

"Good, good," Zhu Cilang said with a smile. "A true warrior indeed! Are you willing to submit?"

"If you want me to surrender, what's in it for me?" Seeing that Zhu Cilang was young, Hao Yaoqi thought him easy to deceive, and so continued to work his feigned-surrender ploy.

"Of course there's something in it for you! Who surrenders without benefit?" The smile on Zhu Cilang's face deepened. He knew Hao Yaoqi might be faking surrender. But it didn't matter, because in another month or so, Li Zicheng would become Li Run-run, and he, this Great Ming Crown Prince, would become the mainstay of the anti-Qing struggle. As long as Hao Yaoqi didn't shave his head and become a slave of the Great Qing, he would surely become a loyal subject of the Great Ming.

The Great Ming had gained another loyal subject!

Zhu Cilang smiled: "Brave Hao, whatever reward you want, just say it!"

Seeing Zhu Cilang's generosity, Hao Yaoqi thought him all the more easy to fool, and so made an outrageous demand: "Then I'll say it... can you give each of us brothers five taels of silver as a reward?

Also, I'm a Commander in the Shun — can the Crown Prince give me a Company Commander's post, and let me keep leading my old brothers?"

Zhu Cilang laughed heartily: "Five taels per man is too little. We decide it Ourself — ten taels of silver per man! Brave Hao, a hero like you, who raised havoc in Tianjin with only three or four hundred men, how could you be merely a Company Commander? We give you a Battalion Commander's rank... with the additional title of Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, plus three hundred taels of silver. Your brothers shall form a separate battalion under your command, and all officers in the battalion shall be appointed by you. Brave Hao, is this arrangement satisfactory?"

Isn't this a bit too generous?

Hao Yaoqi was stunned for a moment, then hastily nodded: "Good, good, good. I thank the Crown Prince..."

Zhu Cilang smiled and waved a hand: "Men, go bring out the silver!"

His words had barely left his mouth when Wu Sanmei, clad in cloth-faced iron armor, had somehow already drawn close to his side. She leaned down to his ear and said in a lowered voice: "Thousand Years, a large roving-bandit force has been spotted twenty li west of the city — more than ten thousand strong!"

Zhu Cilang smiled: "They've come at just the right time!"

(End of Chapter)