Chapter 916: The Twelve Shichen of Kangxi

On the battlefield north of Beijing, before the formal clash between the two sides had even begun, the Qing army was already in chaos! Shang Kexi, the commander of the forward forces, had never intended to fight in earnest. He had arranged today's confrontation beneath the city walls precisely to make it easier to seize Fulin — the Zhu Emperor on the other side had offered a huge price for Fulin, and the "Fulin purchase contract" was right there on Shang Kexi's person. As long as he captured Fulin, he could immediately defect back to the Ming and become a three-time turncoat.

To prevent those traitors who could never return to the Ming from growing desperate and lashing out, Shang Kexi had also used his authority to place all five of the outlying forts north of Beijing under his own army's control. Moreover, the barbicans of Desheng Gate and Anding Gate, along with three newly opened city gates, were all held by the Shang and Kong family troops. He had also positioned his own central army behind the fort outside Anding Gate!

This was a foolproof arrangement. All he had to do was capture Fulin alive — or "dead" — and he could then deal with Geng Zhongming, Shen Yongxing, Gang'atai, Fan Chengyin, Chen Jin, Ma Degong, Sun Youguang, and all those other unrepentant traitors in one fell swoop.

But man proposes and Heaven disposes. Shang Kexi had never imagined that Fulin would prove so fiercely resolute — that he would rather die than be taken prisoner, and would burn himself to death inside the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas!

"What? What? Then — then the body? Has the body been found?"

In the central army camp behind the Anding Gate fort, Shang Kexi, upon hearing his son's report of Fulin's self-immolation, was so shocked he nearly dropped straight onto the ground. Fortunately, two of his personal guards were quick-eyed and quick-handed, and caught his bulky frame just in time.

The one who had come to report was Shang Zhixiao. He shook his head and said, "Nothing has been found. The Temple of a Thousand Buddhas was piled high with firewood and straw. The straw fed the flames, and they were utterly beyond control. I fear..."

"Wait — why would there be firewood and straw inside the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas?" Shang Kexi was taken aback.

"They say it was fodder from the vanguard camp and firewood stored for the palace's winter use. Somehow it ended up stored in the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas."

Shang Kexi's face had already turned terrifyingly grim. He ground his teeth. "This must have been arranged by that villain Sonin!"

Shang Zhixiao was startled. "Father King, you mean Grand Secretary Suo knew all along that we were going to—"

"What did he know?" Shang Kexi stamped his foot. "He had long been arranging his golden cicada's escape!"

Shang Zhixiao's face changed drastically. "Father King, you mean—"

Shang Kexi snorted. "At this point, what more is there to say? We must leave at once!"

"Leave? Go where?"

"Where else can we go? Into the city." Shang Kexi said, "Shunzhi has slipped away, but we cannot afford to lose Beijing and Xuanye as well. Otherwise, our father and son truly will have no way out!"

"Then what about all the various troops outside the city..."

Shang Kexi gave a cold snort. "Who cares about them now?"

With that, Shang Kexi shoved away the guards supporting him and roared, "Horses! Bring my horse, and pass on my order as Prince: there is trouble in the city — Sonin has rebelled! The Shang and Kong family troops will follow me into the city to suppress the rebellion. All other units, hold your positions!"

After issuing the order, he led his personal guards toward the barbican of Yongding Gate. At almost the same moment, Kong Tingxun, stationed beneath the Desheng Gate fort, also received word of Shunzhi's self-immolation.

With Shunzhi burned to nothing, the contract was worthless!

What heart did Kong Tingxun have left for directing a battle? Direct what battle? He had to rush back into the city and search — perhaps he could still find some crucial part of Shunzhi?

The moment the armies of Shang Kexi and Kong Tingxun began to move, and with the flames and smoke from the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas inside the city already visible to many Qing officers and soldiers outside the walls, the various armies arrayed north of Beijing instantly fell into chaos. And the Ming troops opposite them, who had been rubbing their fists and preparing to launch an assault, saw the disorder and began clamoring to Yan Yingyuan for orders to attack.

Although Yan Yingyuan knew about the "Fulin procurement contract," when a heaven-sent chance for victory dropped into his lap, he did not hesitate for an instant. He immediately issued the order for a full-line assault — although Zhu Cilang was also on the battlefield, he would not issue orders directly to the troops, because today's forward commander was Yan Yingyuan. The Zhu Emperor had to issue orders through him, and Yan Yingyuan held the authority to make snap decisions. When a battle opportunity suddenly appeared, he could launch the offensive without waiting for an imperial decree from the Zhu Emperor!

Just as the Ming army outside Beijing was launching its attack amid Shunzhi's "sudden self-immolation," inside Beijing, it was already the Kangxi era of the Great Qing.

Shang Zhixin, who had failed to find Fulin's remains at the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas, reacted quickly enough. He immediately led the Shang family's armored soldiers into the Beijing imperial palace, and made his way up to the Meishan fort.

Because Šarhūda had arrived at Meishan a step ahead of Shang Zhixin, and had also brought the news of Fulin's death (Fulin had not told him to do this, but he felt the act should be played to the full), the Meishan fort was already awash in weeping.

When Shang Zhixin burst into the great hall on the third level of the Meishan fort with his soldiers, Shunzhi's secondary consort, Lady Tunggiya, was holding the infant Xuanye in her arms and weeping, surrounded by a crowd of ministers shedding tears along with her.

Lady Tunggiya was only sixteen this year. Faced with a situation where the sky itself seemed to be falling, she had long since lost all composure and could do nothing but wail. Now, seeing Shang Zhixin in full armor, helmet on, charging in with several warriors, she was frightened out of her wits. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her son, and burst into loud sobs.

Shang Zhixin had originally been one of Fulin's own men. He recognized Lady Tunggiya, and he knew the child in her arms was Xuanye. Xuanye was the Crown Prince of the Great Qing. Now that Fulin was gone, could Xuanye be handed over to settle the debt?

He was looking at Xuanye, mentally appraising his worth, when Sun Zhixie appeared before him, seemingly out of nowhere, and declared in a loud voice, "General Shang, the late Emperor has left a testamentary edict here!"

"A testamentary edict?" Shang Zhixin was taken aback. He thought to himself: Fulin wrote out his testamentary edict and then set himself on fire?

"Bring it here — let me see it!" Shang Zhixin stretched out a hand, and a yellow scroll was quickly placed into it. He hurriedly unrolled it and looked. Sure enough, it was a testamentary edict... a very formal one! Written in both Manchu and Chinese, in Fulin's own hand, and stamped with the imperial jade seal.

The content of the edict was simple: the throne was to pass to Crown Prince Xuanye, and immediately upon Xuanye's enthronement, the reign era was to be changed to Kangxi.

"General Shang," Sun Zhixie said, "are you still a subject of the Great Qing?"

Was he? Having just rebelled, and possibly even committed regicide, could he still count as a subject of the Great Qing?

Shang Zhixin did not know how to answer for a moment. Sun Zhixie continued, "Has General Shang received any office bestowed by the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming?"

"Not yet." At the thought, Shang Zhixin felt tears about to fall — the contract for his appointment was in his father's pocket, and all that was missing was one Fulin (his head would do as well). Now that Fulin had burned to nothing, how was the contract to be fulfilled?

Sun Zhixie said, "Since the General has not yet become a turncoat official, then you are still a subject of the Great Qing, and you should obey the late Emperor's testamentary edict and support the Crown Prince's accession!"

"The Great Qing is nearly finished. The Ming army is about to enter the city." Shang Zhixin shook his head. "What accession is there left to make?"

"The General is mistaken!" Sun Zhixie put on the full appearance of a loyal servant of the Great Qing. "A state cannot go a single day without a sovereign. The Ming army has not yet climbed Meishan, so the Great Qing still holds a foot of ground. Therefore the Crown Prince should obey the testamentary edict and take the throne. Even if he is Emperor for only one shichen, we will have done our utmost for the late Emperor!"

"An Emperor for one shichen?"

"Correct! An Emperor for one shichen is still an Emperor!" Sun Zhixie said. "An Emperor and a Crown Prince are, in the end, not the same thing!"

Shang Zhixin thought it over and found it reasonable.

An Emperor who had reigned for one shichen was still an Emperor! And an Emperor was surely worth more than a Crown Prince, was he not? Fulin could no longer be handed over, so the only option was to hand over Xuanye... and before handing over Xuanye, it would be best to raise Xuanye's value a little!

At that thought, Shang Zhixin nodded heavily. "Very well! Then let Xuanye become Emperor... even if only for one shichen!"

Sun Zhixie immediately hurried over to Lady Tunggiya, who was still weeping, and knelt down. "Your Highness, this slave begs the Crown Prince to ascend the imperial throne!"

The other ministers in the great hall, seeing Sun Zhixie urging accession, all followed along in a daze. They dropped to their knees in a great rustling wave, all crying out, "Your slaves humbly beg the Crown Prince to assume the great throne without delay and become Emperor of the Great Qing!"

Lady Tunggiya had no idea what to do either. Seeing everyone urging accession, she simply nodded and said, "Then let Xuanye become Emperor. From this day forth, the era is changed to Kangxi. This year shall be the first year of Kangxi!"

And so the Kangxi era began!

No — the Kangxi era was not quite right, because the Kangxi Emperor's reign was far too short. According to later statistics, it lasted, all told, only twelve shichen. Thus history records it as the "Twelve Shichen of Kangxi."

(End of Chapter)