Chapter 98: Setting Forth on the Expedition

On the morning of the twentieth day of the eighth month, before the North Peace Gate, banners fluttered in the wind, horses' hooves thundered, and slogans and war drums answered one another.

Zhu Cilang rode atop a white warhorse, clad in a suit of golden armor, a great crimson cape draped about him, and an exquisite sword at his waist. Behind him were the assembled officers of the Yongwei Camp, all arrayed in fine armor, their bearing lofty and spirited.

Cao Huachun followed close behind Zhu Cilang. As the army supervisor, his duties were chiefly to oversee provisions and pay, and to verify merits and faults. Beside him was his underling Lu Jiude.

The Yongwei Camp's square formation stood at the very center of the army. The soldiers stood on the parade ground in neat, solemn ranks, each fully armored and brimming with vigor.

Flanking the Yongwei Camp on both sides were the Shenji Camp and the Shenshu Camp. No one objected to the Yongwei Camp holding the center — not only was it now Zhu Cilang's personal force, but even under the established deployment of the Three Great Camps for a Ming emperor's personal expedition, this was the arrangement.

The most notable traits of the officers and men of the Shenji and Shenshu Camps were their pale faces and gleaming armor. Most were sons of nobles and meritorious houses, their drills ordinarily lax, and each of them kept themselves well-groomed.

Wang Wannian, Assistant Regional Commander of the Shenji Camp, wore a cloud-wing helmet and a long surcoat of armor. His armor scales were meticulously cared for, seemingly freshly painted, gleaming bright enough to serve as a mirror under the sun's rays.

In the ranks of the Shenshu Camp, every man wore a phoenix-wing helmet, wielded a brow-tip saber, and donned lamellar, scale, or mountain-pattern armor, with a fine carved bow at his waist and a fine steed beneath him.

The Vice Regional Commander of the Shenshu Camp's left wing was a general in his thirties named Zhang Shize, the eldest son of Zhang Zhiji, Duke of Ying. This time, he personally led the Shenshu Camp's five thousand cavalry to accompany the imperial carriage on the expedition.

Many of the noble sons in the two great camps were going to war for the first time. They were all in high spirits, faces beaming with charming smiles, imagining themselves following the Crown Prince to win merit and distinction, adding another layer of gold to their family names.

On both sides of the Desheng Gate, crowds of onlookers had gathered thickly, calling out to the departing army with great enthusiasm.

At the first quarter of the Chen hour (seven o'clock in the morning), the Chongzhen Emperor's grand imperial procession emerged from the North Peace Gate. The grand imperial procession was the highest-specification, largest-scale carriage and ceremonial escort reserved exclusively for the emperor's travels, drawn by twelve horses and surrounded by a dense forest of all manner of banners.

Sun-and-moon banners, cloud-rain-wind-thunder banners, five-star banners, the Big Dipper banner, five-sacred-mountain banners, four-river banners, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Dark Warrior banners, heavenly deer and heavenly horse banners, twenty-eight lunar mansion banners — countless beyond number, all representing the majesty of the emperor.

Behind the grand imperial procession followed the civil and military officials. When the emperor's grand procession appeared, shouts of "Long live the Emperor" rose like mountains and seas around the North Peace Gate, a sound that crashed forth like an avalanche, awe-inspiring to behold.

The Chongzhen Emperor stepped out from the grand imperial procession. Dressed in full military garb, he rode forth on horseback to the front of the army to see them off. The Court Music Bureau began to play the tune "Flame Essence Opens Fortune."

From within the ranks, Cao Huachun cried out loudly: "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

All the officers and men shouted in unison: "Long live! Long live!"

Chongzhen, moved by the jubilant army, could not help but declare: "Great Ming, ten thousand victories!"

Countless soldiers raised their weapons and roared: "Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!"

Amidst the grand music and the farewells of the capital's populace, Zhu Cilang rode his horse before the Son of Heaven's ceremonial escort, leading the Yongwei Camp, the Shenji Camp, and the Shenshu Camp — the Three Great Camps, more than fourteen thousand men — out of the capital through the Desheng Gate, advancing toward Shunyi.

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After Zhu Cilang led the army out of the capital, they had marched for a little over an hour, covering only a dozen or so li, when the disparity between the Three Great Camps immediately became apparent.

The weather in the eighth month was still scorching. As the sun climbed higher, the temperature rose ever more, and the soldiers of the Shenji Camp were already drenched in sweat and gasping for breath after just one hour of marching, their formation order long since thrown into chaos.

Some soldiers, unable to bear the heat, took off their helmets; others stripped off their armor and piled it onto the carts hauling the cannons, complaining as they walked that the weather was too hot for any man to endure.

"General, find a shady spot and let us rest — the brothers can't take it anymore!" cried many of the noble sons.

Wang Wannian roared in anger: "Nonsense! We've barely walked any distance and you're already crying that you can't go on? Look at the Yongwei Camp over there — they're wearing several layers of armor and carrying muskets to boot, and not a single one of them is complaining!"

The soldiers of the Shenji Camp looked one by one toward the Yongwei Camp's ranks. Though every man there was also drenched in sweat, their faces appeared quite relaxed, and not a single word of complaint was heard from them.

"Are they even human? How can they not fear the heat or the fatigue?" muttered one of the Shenji Camp's artillerymen.

Wang Wannian looked at the officers and men of the Shenji Camp, every one of them hanging their heads in dejection, and felt helpless in his heart. Who knew how long these young lordlings had gone without training.

Though he commanded the Shenji Camp, ordinarily he could hardly issue strict orders demanding daily drills from the camp's officers — that would offend too many people. Everyone was descended from nobles; there was no need to make things so tense.

The Shenshu Camp fared much better. Every man there rode a warhorse, ambling slowly along behind the column, and some soldiers even had the leisure to admire the rural scenery around them.

Zhu Cilang rode along, occasionally glancing back, and saw the state of the Shenji and Shenshu Camps. He sighed inwardly — it seemed he could not count on these young lordlings to fight a battle.

After advancing a few more li, Zhu Cilang passed the order for the entire army to rest in place, setting out again after a quarter of an hour, and ordered the entire Shenshu Camp to dismount and march on foot.

Approaching noon, the weather grew hotter and hotter. Warhorses carrying men for long stretches would become more exhausted and fatigued, especially prone to illness. If a warhorse fell ill in this kind of weather, it would be extremely troublesome — essentially incurable.

Zhu Cilang received word relayed from the Embroidered Uniform Guard ahead: Li Tingbiao's baggage train had arrived at a position ten li outside Shunyi city and had already set up its defenses.

Zhu Cilang nodded and began calculating time and distance. With the Dragon-Soaring Night Scouts and Embroidered Uniform Guard scouts clearing the way ahead, any Qing scout patrols roaming outside Shunyi city were driven off the moment they came within a few li — they could not even approach within five li of the baggage train, let alone learn of the Three Great Camps' march.

A quarter of an hour later, the army set out once more. To accommodate the Shenji and Shenshu Camps, Zhu Cilang ordered a quarter-hour rest for every ten li marched.

Even so, by noon, under the blazing sun's scorching rays, the soldiers of the Shenji and Shenshu Camps still could not keep pace with the Yongwei Camp's marching speed. Though Wang Wannian urged them on repeatedly, the Shenji Camp only grew slower and slower, gradually falling far behind the Yongwei Camp.

The Shenshu Camp was little better. After long hours of riding, suddenly walking was quite unfamiliar to them, and as they walked their legs began to wobble, drawing the fury of Vice Regional Commander Zhang Shize at their lack of resolve.

Under the same scorching sun, the soldiers of the Yongwei Camp maintained their impeccable formation, each man vigorous as a dragon and spirited as a tiger, their advance showing not the slightest slowdown — even the artillery battalion hauling the cannons did not fall behind for a moment.

The army marched on for another two hours. The Yongwei Camp began setting up camp stoves to cook, and only after the entire camp's officers and men had eaten lunch and rested briefly did the Shenji and Shenshu Camps slowly catch up. The soldiers of those two camps were panting heavily, sweat pouring like rain, their formations long since in complete disarray.

Every officer and man in the two great camps had but one thought: "Are those Yongwei Camp soldiers even human? After walking all this time, they look like nothing even happened."

Zhang Shize and Wang Wannian came before Zhu Cilang, their faces somewhat embarrassed, and said: "Your Highness, the Yongwei Camp truly marches too fast. Our two camps' men genuinely cannot keep up! If it please Your Highness, might you order the Yongwei Camp to slow down somewhat during the afternoon march?"

Zhu Cilang glanced at them and said flatly: "We are only a dozen or so li from Shunyi here. The Yongwei Camp will go on ahead; you take your time cooking your meals. We will rendezvous at Shunyi this afternoon."

"Your Highness is merciful!" The two men hastily gave thanks upon hearing this, while inwardly breathing a slight sigh of relief. They immediately called for their own soldiers to hurry over and fetch the food.

Zhu Cilang also left the Son of Heaven's ceremonial escort behind, having Cao Huachun lead the two camps to guard it. That gaudy thing with all its grand pomp — were they going to war or going sightseeing? Those great burly standard-bearers had long since been exhausted like dogs, and could hardly follow him at a run anyway.

Seeing the Yongwei Camp begin to form ranks, Zhang Shize asked: "Your Highness, when we reach Shunyi this afternoon, where shall the army rendezvous and set up camp for the night?"

"Set up camp for the night?" Zhu Cilang frowned. "What camp? We'll rendezvous directly inside Shunyi city this afternoon and spend the night within the city!"

With that said, Zhu Cilang paid the two men no further heed and ordered the Yongwei Camp to begin marching, heading straight for Shunyi city.

Watching the Yongwei Camp recede into the distance, Zhang Shize and Wang Wannian stood rooted to the spot. After a long while, Zhang Shize finally spoke: "Does Your Highness mean to take Shunyi city today? And rendezvous with us inside the city?"

Wang Wannian: "That should be it."

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