Chapter 112: Showing Who's Boss

The next day, the Yongwei Camp and the other two camps had all arrived at Tongzhou in full force, and set up their own camps in the original drill grounds within the city. Zhu Cilang ordered messengers to summon all officers of Mobile Corps Commander rank and above to the central command tent for a council.

By the time Zhu Cilang arrived at the central command tent, it was already filled with armored officers from the various garrisons, all chatting and exchanging pleasantries. There was Miyun Regional Commander Li Zhongzhen, Baoding Regional Commander Dong Yongwen, Shanxi Regional Commander Meng Ruhu, and also Zu Dale and other Liaodong Regional Commanders.

Seeing the Crown Prince arrive, the officers of the various garrisons quickly lined up on left and right, with the Regional Commanders at the front, followed by Vice Regional Commanders, Assistant Regional Commanders, Mobile Corps Commanders, and so on.

Zhu Cilang went straight to the seat of honor in the central command tent. Huang Degong and Sun Yingyuan stood below him on either side, while Cao Huachun and Xu Sheng stood at the flanks.

"Your subordinate, Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Zu Dale."

"Your subordinate, Baoding Regional Commander Dong Yongwen."

"Your subordinate, Shanxi Regional Commander Meng Ruhu."

"Your subordinate, Miyun Regional Commander Li Zhongzhen."

""

The assembled officers performed their salutes, shouting long life to His Highness.

After the ceremony, the officers finally looked at the youth in the seat of honor. Many did not understand why the Emperor would send a prince of only a few years old to serve as Regional Commander. Though they had all heard that this Crown Prince had recently beheaded over ten thousand Jianzhou barbarians, almost no one believed it.

When the officers in attendance first received the news, they all felt it was merely the court's propaganda and posturing. They had fought the Jianzhou barbarians for years and knew their combat power all too well — how could they possibly have been routed so miserably!

When Zhou Yuji, standing behind the officers, caught sight of Zhu Cilang's face, he was slightly startled inwardly, hardly daring to believe it.

Then when he saw the few people standing beside Zhu Cilang, he finally confirmed that the men he had encountered at the tavern that day were actually the Crown Prince! Even though Zhou Yuji was known for his composure, his heart was quite tense at this moment.

For a time, the atmosphere in the tent was not good. As frontier officials guarding their own territories, many of them looked down on Zhu Cilang from the bottom of their hearts.

Zhu Cilang naturally took all this in. He stood up and said, "I recall that Zu Dashou was named in the Ministry of War's dispatch. Why has he not come?"

Shanhai Pass Regional Commander Zu Dale said, "To answer Your Highness, the Commandant is guarding Jinzhou, keeping watch against the Jianzhou barbarians seizing the opportunity to break through. That is why he did not come. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

Zhu Cilang knew full well that this Zu Dashou did not dare come to the capital. In the fourth year of Chongzhen, he had surrendered to Hong Taiji, then returned after defecting. Because as soon as he got back to Jinzhou, Zu Dashou actively defended the city, the Chongzhen Emperor not only did not punish him, but actually promoted him, and issued three edicts ordering Zu Dashou to come to the capital for an audience.

Because of what had happened to his old superior Yuan Chonghuan, coupled with this surrender, Zu Dashou would never dare go to the capital, terrified of ending up like Yuan Dudu. So every time he made excuses to decline, always staying put in Jinzhou city.

Since even his father the Emperor did not fault Zu Dashou, Zhu Cilang naturally would not stick his neck out to go after him. So he said flatly, "Understood. Has everyone else arrived?"

The roll-call officer reported, "To report to Your Highness, Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu and Shandong Regional Commander Liu Zeqing have not arrived. They say they have requested sick leave."

Quite a few of the officers raised an eyebrow. Everyone knew that these two Regional Commanders did not accept the young prince and were deliberately making things difficult for him.

The officers in the tent looked at Zhu Cilang with meaningful expressions, trying to read panic and anger in the young Crown Prince's eyes.

However, to their disappointment, Zhu Cilang did not show anger. Instead, he smiled and said, "Send men to invite the two Regional Commanders again. Tell them they must be at the central command tent within three rolls of the drum. If anyone is truly too ill to mount a horse, this prince will send him to the capital to retire, and memorialize Your Majesty to grant him the honorific title of Three Masters. He need not trouble himself with leading troops any longer!"

The officers were secretly startled. This Crown Prince was truly ruthless — the first thing he did was threaten them with military command. These Regional Commanders lived off the troops in their hands; if that were stripped away, what would they have to live on? The Three Masters title was honorable, but what the hell use was it!

Zhu Cilang paid no heed to their colorful expressions and ordered, "Pass the order — sound the drums!"

After the order went out, three rolls of the drum sounded outside the tent. Zhu Cilang sneered inwardly. Too sick to come? Tongzhou was only a few dozen li from the capital — let them seek treatment nearby!

Three rolls of the drum took fifteen minutes in total, which was rather tight, but the two still made it. As the third roll of the drum sounded, Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu and Shandong Regional Commander Liu Zeqing both arrived, wearing iron armor and crimson cloaks, looking somewhat bedraggled.

Zhu Cilang cursed inwardly. Truly, you offer them face and they won't take it. They haven't got a lick of real ability, but when it comes to stirring up trouble, they've got one trick after another.

The two stepped forward and saluted Zhu Cilang, saying, "Your subordinate, Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu. Your subordinate, Shandong Regional Commander Liu Zeqing. We pay our respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, long life to Your Highness."

Though their courtesy was complete, their words could not hide their dissatisfaction with Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang did not make things difficult for the two and had them take their places in the ranks.

As Liu Zeqing passed by Zhou Yuji, he gave him a cold sweeping glance. Some of the officers who saw it secretly felt sorry for Zhou Yuji. Liu Zeqing was a man who repaid every grudge; few who offended him came to a good end.

After everyone took their seats, they all looked toward the Crown Prince at the head of the tent, wondering how this child wanted to stir things up. They had already made up their minds — no matter what he did, they would handle him the same way they had dealt with Zhang Fengyi: listen to the good words, but absolutely no talk of fighting!

Zhu Cilang said flatly, "Regional Commanders of the various garrisons, first report the kills your forces have made since arriving to defend the capital."

Everyone was stunned. Clearly they had not expected this young prince to pull such a move. Though they had come under imperial orders to aid the capital, which of them dared actually engage the Qing troops? They only occasionally sent out a few hundred cavalry to harass the Qing army, just to avoid being branded cowards.

Now asking them to report kills — was this not publicly pulling the ladder out from under them and giving them no face? Everyone's expression turned rather ugly.

Since the fighting began in early July, with the court issuing dispatches on the fifth summoning all Regional Commanders to aid the capital, up to today, the twenty-sixth of August — nearly two months — how much grain and fodder had the nine relief armies consumed, and how many battles had they actually fought? How many Tartars had they killed?

Zhu Cilang rather wanted to hear what they would say, to see just who was giving whom a show of authority.

Seeing the grim faces of the Regional Commanders, Zhu Cilang felt considerably more at ease. At this moment, Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu stepped forward and said, "Your subordinate fought a fierce battle against the Jianzhou barbarians at Zhuozhou on the twentieth, beheading one thousand one hundred and four, and capturing one hundred and forty-three."

There was a hint of pride in Wang Pu's words. Among all the Regional Commanders, he had the most kills.

Zhu Cilang glanced at this bird sticking its head out, nodded slightly, then said flatly, "Where are the heads?"

"They are at my camp."

"Has the Ministry of War verified them?"

"Not yet verified." The words slipped out of Wang Pu's mouth, and then he sensed something was wrong, not knowing why the Crown Prince was asking with such detail.

Zhu Cilang said, "Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu has made great kills. Let us all go take a look together. We might as well have Director Cao of the Eastern Depot and the officials of the Ministry of War conduct an on-site verification and report the military merits."

Several of the Regional Commanders thought to themselves, what is this young prince up to? Being so kind as to report Wang Pu's military merits for him? Is he trying to sell us a favor and win us over?

Only Wang Pu himself was secretly lamenting, feeling that something bad was about to happen.