Chapter 76: The Rebel King Captured

After the lecture session ended, Jiang Fengyuan had just left the side hall of Wenhua Hall when a eunuch bearing an imperial decree arrived at once, summoning Zhu Cilang to the main hall for an audience.

Ever since the great victory at Liangxiang, the Chongzhen Emperor's spirits had been better than ever. Seeing Zhu Cilang arrive, the Chongzhen Emperor beckoned him over to read memorials together.

In recent days, the Chongzhen Emperor had been thoroughly doting on Zhu Cilang, and was intent on grooming him, having him attend at his side at every morning court session.

Even the place where he daily received his ministers had been moved from Qianqing Palace to the main hall of Wenhua Hall, and for every reward and punishment, the Chongzhen Emperor had him observe at his side.

Even when reviewing memorials, Chongzhen would summon Zhu Cilang to read along with him, and teach him how to reply to the submissions of the assembled ministers.

Chongzhen looked at Zhu Cilang with ever-growing affection, and said with a smile: "Crown Prince, how did your studies go today?"

Zhu Cilang replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, Your Son spent the day chiefly studying calligraphy with Master Jiang."

"Write some out for me to see!"

The moment the Chongzhen Emperor finished speaking, Wang Cheng'en had already prepared brush and ink, setting them gently before Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang took up the ink brush without the slightest hesitation and wrote with bold, flying strokes across the rice paper.

The Chongzhen Emperor tilted his head to look, exclaiming in surprise as he watched: "Slightly flat in shape, square characters with rounded strokes, the posture clearly tilting upward to the upper left, the brushwork unhurried and expansive, smooth and dignified, with the occasional linking stroke — this is Jiang Fengyuan's style! The Crown Prince has actually managed to capture some measure of it in such a short time. Truly excellent!"

Zhu Cilang hurriedly said: "Your Majesty flatters me. Your Son is only a beginner and would not dare compare my calligraphy to Master Jiang's, for fear of sullying the master's name."

Father and son conversed most pleasantly, moving Wang Cheng'en, who stood at the side, to deep emotion as he reflected that His Majesty had not been this happy in a very long time.

Before long, an eight-hundred-li urgent military dispatch arrived from the front. Cao Huachun carried the dispatch straight into Wenhua Hall, losing not a moment compared to when he had borne Zhu Cilang's victory report last time.

Cao Huachun called out as he walked: "Your Majesty, joyous news, the greatest joyous news! Governor Sun Chuanting of Shaanxi has sent a dispatch from the front — on the twentieth of this month, a great victory in Shaanxi! Sun Chuanting has captured the bandit chief, the Roaming King Gao Yingxiang, alive!"

The Chongzhen Emperor's heart gave a violent start. He snatched up the dispatch and swept his eyes over it, his countenance instantly radiant with joy. His hands trembling slightly, unable to conceal his excitement, he declared in a loud voice: "What a man, Sun Chuanting! Luring the roving bandits into a death trap, annihilating them in one stroke, and taking the bandit chief Gao Yingxiang alive! Excellent!"

Gao Yingxiang had raised the banner of rebellion in the second year of Chongzhen, and seven years had now passed. One could say that Zhu Cilang had barely crossed over to the Ming dynasty when this big shot had started his rebellion, and only now, today, had he finally been caught.

Over these seven years, Gao Yingxiang had fought across the length and breadth of the Great Ming. Among all the peasant armies across the realm at the time, his forces were the most formidable. Gao Yingxiang styled himself the "Roaming King," tacitly becoming the leader of all the righteous armies, and under his command had emerged the two great powers Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.

Zhu Cilang, however, was not so excited. He knew that although Gao Yingxiang's great banner had fallen, the one to take up his Roaming King banner would be the even more ferocious Li Zicheng!

Still, he did not wish to dampen his imperial father's spirits, so his expression also showed excitement, and he said: "Your Son congratulates Your Majesty!"

The Chongzhen Emperor's smile was so wide he could not close his mouth. Suddenly his expression turned solemn, and he said: "Issue the decree — send word back to Sun Chuanting at once, ordering him to personally lead a great army to escort Gao Yingxiang to the capital, and present the captive in the capital! It must be done with absolute certainty!"

The Chongzhen Emperor had been tormented by Gao Yingxiang for too long, and feared that Gao Yingxiang might be snatched away on the road by the various peasant armies — that would truly make all his joy for nothing.

Chongzhen continued: "Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng, in suppressing the bandits in the Central Plains as Governor-General, have both rendered great merit to the state. I shall reward them heavily as well — issue the decree summoning the two of them to the capital as well!"

Hearing this, Zhu Cilang immediately submitted a memorial: "Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be done! The bandit scourge in the Central Plains has not been completely eradicated. Gao Yingxiang's remaining forces still include great bandits such as Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai. Your Majesty must not recall these two important ministers and destroy the great plan of suppressing the Central Plains bandits that has been laid out over so many years!"

The Chongzhen Emperor asked curiously: "The dispatch says that the bandit chief Gao Yingxiang and his trusted generals Liu Zhe and Huang Long have all been captured, and that his tens of thousands of troops have utterly collapsed under Sun Chuanting's blows. Where would the roving bandits still have any men?"

Zhu Cilang explained: "Your Majesty, Gao Yingxiang had thirteen great bandit chiefs under him, of whom Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were the two most capable generals — far beyond the likes of Liu Zhe and Huang Long. They must not be underestimated!"

Although the Chongzhen Emperor was somewhat skeptical, he was still fairly cautious, and so agreed with Zhu Cilang's view, saying: "Then let Sun Chuanting come to the capital to present the captive, while Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng continue to coordinate, one in the south and one in the north, to thoroughly annihilate the roving bandits in the Central Plains!"

Hearing this, Zhu Cilang was finally relieved. Last time he had given away a million taels of silver for suppressing the bandits in the Central Plains; as long as these two big shots were not disturbed by outside factors this year, their full-force encirclement of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong should be no problem at all!

Once the Central Plains campaign was concluded and the Great Ming had recovered for a while, they could then march north, fight the decisive battle against the Manchu Qing, recover the lost territories of Liaodong, and restore the Nurgan Regional Military Commission!

Of course, that was the most ideal course of development. History was full of variables — the Great Ming's tribulations had only just begun, and the natural disasters of the coming years would be ten times more violent than those of the present!

After news of the bandit chief Gao Yingxiang's capture spread, the entire palace was filled with jubilation. The Chongzhen Emperor brought Zhu Cilang to Fengxian Hall.

Before the spirit tablets of more than a dozen Ming emperors, the Chongzhen Emperor wept bitterly, offering sacrifices and telling his ancestors of the arduous journey he had endured over these years, and how he had finally received a measure of recompense.

Even Zhu Cilang, firm of mind as he was, found himself moved by the scene, and could not help but step forward to offer a few words of comfort.

Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang knelt in Fengxian Hall for a long while, saying all that needed to be said before the ancestral tablets, and only then did the two rise and go to the nearby Qianqing Palace.

Having knelt and spoken for so long, Chongzhen was already weary and thirsty. On the dragon throne in Qianqing Palace, heedless of his dignity, he lounged in the classic "Ge You slouch," savoring his tea and thinking of Gao Yingxiang's capture, the smile on his face gradually spreading wide.

Zhu Cilang, who had accompanied him the whole time, was also worn out by the ordeal. He found a stool and sat down, looking speechlessly at this emperor father of his who had no regard for appearances.

After resting for a while, the Chongzhen Emperor, afraid that someone might not yet know of Gao Yingxiang's capture, hurriedly brought Zhu Cilang along to Kunning Palace.

The two arrived together at Kunning Palace, and Chongzhen's old habit flared up again — he would not let anyone announce their arrival, and pulled Zhu Cilang along to slip in quietly.

The two crept up to the main hall of Kunning Palace like thieves, craning their necks to peer inside. There sat Empress Zhou on an embroidered stool, teaching a eunuch to read. The eunuch scratched his head and ears but could not recognize the characters before him, and Empress Zhou, growing annoyed, punished him by making him kneel on the steps.

The young eunuch had just stepped out of the hall when he saw the two peeping, and in his shock hurriedly performed the proper rites.

Seeing that they could no longer hide, Chongzhen had no choice but to step out, and said with a laugh: "Empress, why are you punishing him?"

Empress Zhou first performed a proper bow to Chongzhen, and then Zhu Cilang bowed to Empress Zhou. Only after the full round of formalities was complete did Empress Zhou say: "Your servant asked Little Qinzi whether he could read. He said he could not, so your servant wrote a few characters to teach him. But after only a short while, he had already forgotten them."

Zhu Cilang said with a grin: "Mother Empress has taken up the role of schoolteacher!"

The Chongzhen Emperor laughed at this as well and said: "Indeed she has! Then let me plead with the teacher — how about pardoning Little Qinzi's punishment?"

Empress Zhou laughed and chided: "The two of you — you've broken the rules of the school."

Little Qinzi was sharp-eyed enough to catch the meaning, and hurriedly gave thanks and rose, then bustled about brewing tea and fanning the two big shots.