Chapter 11: This Time, It's Tremendous Good News!

Most refugees fled north or south, but there was this one small group, dressed in fine clothes, sprinting out of the Chengtian Gate in the dead of night with their waist tokens in hand, heading west.

It was still the first month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, and at this time of year Shanxi still carried a lingering autumn chill. Seeing a ragged band of refugees hurrying along the road before him, an embroidered guard set his hand on his saber hilt, rode forward, and struck up a conversation:

"Old fellow, where are you folks headed?"

The refugees looked up and saw that the questioner was a man of high station mounted on a tall horse. Catching sight of the clothes and ornaments of the men behind him, they knew at once these were all people from the capital.

A middle-aged man walking at the very front shielded his wife and children behind him and answered with a wary face:

"Don't keep heading west — the west is all roving bandits. We're making for Bao'an Prefecture. Take the advice: don't go any further west."

"Bao'an Prefecture — that's Xuanfu territory."

The embroidered guard nodded, and after finishing his questions rode back to report to Li Fengxiang behind him. As he passed the refugees, he noticed several children in the column with sallow, hungry faces. One embroidered guard, unable to bear it, frowned and pulled out the dried rations he carried with him.

"Have something to eat — look how hungry the children are..."

But who could have expected it — the moment the dried rations came out, the refugees who had seemed so feeble moments before turned frantic at once, drawing blood as they fought over the food, even startling the embroidered guards' mounts.

"Protect the eunuch and get him out of here first!"

The embroidered guard who had first asked the question had no time to call Li Fengxiang back. All he could do was draw his embroidered saber with a 'shing!' and bellow at the top of his lungs. The other embroidered guards likewise braced themselves as if facing a great enemy, shielding Li Fengxiang as they dared not linger any longer and continued west.

At Zhenwu Guard Station in Shanxi, atop the walls of Daizhou, the black-bird banner of the Great Ming flew high.

Early that morning, the government troops in Daizhou had already turned out early to form ranks. Though somewhat sloppy and loose, they were still a good deal better than government troops elsewhere.

There was still a chill in the air outside, yet here they were, braving the wind outside the city walls at dawn, standing around waiting for some imperial envoy. These officers and men, who had not been paid in a long while yet were still expected to fight to the death for the court, were already growing impatient.

"What does the imperial envoy want this time?"

"Who knows. Last time they sent some worthless Xiong Tong — not a copper of back pay, and in the end he took those two thousand men and surrendered. The way I see it, this time the pay's just as hopeless!"

"Sigh..."

"Well said. Better they don't send any more of those Zhili elites to make trouble for us — we've got our hands full as it is, and the roving bandits simply can't be killed off."

"Word on the grapevine says the court has reopened the Eastern Depot in the capital—"

Before this soldier of unknown origins could finish his sentence, the rest of them burst into a chorus of 'shush!'

"Are you out of your damned mind? His Majesty trusts those Donglin gentlemen like his own father. Reopening the Eastern Depot? I reckon he'd sooner die than do that."

"Exactly — what an idiot."

The soldier who had first mentioned reopening the Eastern Depot hid himself in the crowd and fell silent, until even his person was no longer visible. But what he had said spread quickly among the troops here in Daizhou, and everyone was buzzing with discussion.

"I hear the Eastern Depot's been reopened in the capital — that's the eunuch faction!"

"What about the eunuch faction? The Eastern Depot doesn't have jurisdiction over grunts like us. If you ask me, the eunuch faction is a damn sight better than those Donglin gentlemen at court."

"Great minds think alike — I think so too..."

"If the Eastern Depot really is reopened, our back pay should be coming soon."

"Right, right — my family's pot's about to run dry, and I still have to..."

"All of you, shut up!"

Everyone was discussing heatedly, the buzzing growing louder and louder, when suddenly a great bellow came from up front. They quickly shut their mouths and fell silent, even straightening their postures a bit.

Zhou Yuji was clad in regulation iron armor, a long saber at his waist, sharp light flashing from his eyes, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist — clearly not a man to be trifled with. With a displeased expression, he turned and barked:

"The imperial envoy is about to arrive! Carrying on like this — what kind of spectacle is that? You'll make them look down on us Shanxi soldiers! Stand up straight! Even if the court has some business, it'll come for me first — what are you all squawking about!?"

After this dressing-down, the officers and men behind him threw out their chests and lifted their heads with a vigor they had never shown before. The murmuring gradually died down, and from top to bottom they were all brimming with spirit.

Just then, a scout came galloping up, reining in his horse and calling out with a cupped-fist salute:

"Great Commander, the embroidered guards have arrived!"

Zhou Yuji nodded and looked back. Sure enough, he saw a company of capital embroidered guards in bright clothes on spirited horses riding toward him. But when he laid eyes on the eunuch at their head, his heart sank.

Judging by the clothing, this time they had sent a brush-holding eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial — a far higher rank than last time.

What could possibly be going on that warranted a brush-holding eunuch making a personal trip to Shanxi? Could the Emperor have lost trust in him and wanted to send an army supervisor? In an instant, Zhou Yuji's mind conjured up several possibilities.

"Great Commander Zhou, we've finally made it."

Li Fengxiang gave a cupped-fist salute from horseback. Though he was panting and out of breath, he mimicked the gesture quite properly, looking rather comical. But Zhou Yuji could not bring himself to laugh. He hurried forward to greet him and said in a measured tone:

"The imperial envoy has had a grueling journey — you must be exhausted. Your subordinate has already ordered a banquet prepared to wash the dust from your travels. Only, Daizhou sits on the front lines of the war, hardly comparable to the splendor of the capital. If there is any neglect, I hope the imperial envoy will forgive it."

"Not at all, not at all! I have come here on His Majesty's orders, so naturally I must advance and retreat together with the Great Commander — I am not here to enjoy an easy life." As Li Fengxiang said this, he unconsciously swept his eyes across the officers and men.

Heaven knew whether agents of the Eastern Depot were hidden among them. The new director, Wang Cheng'en, was no pushover — those words he had spoken before departure were still vivid in Li Fengxiang's mind.

Though the two men's words were pleasant enough, Zhou Yuji knew full well that for a general like himself, stationed year-round on the frontier, the arrival of these eunuchs could never bode well.

In Chongzhen's eyes, whether the capital could be held was heavily dependent on Zhou Yuji's position here. Historically, at the Battle of Ningwu Pass, with no troops, no reinforcements, and pay long in arrears, the defenders had still inflicted heavy losses on the Dashun army.

After the Battle of Ningwu Pass, Li Zicheng, reeling from his extremely heavy casualties, had nearly turned back to Shaanxi to be his King of the Northwest. It was only when the Regional Commanders of the Datong and Xuanfu garrisons surrendered without a fight in a single night that Li Zicheng was emboldened to march north again.

As a brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Li Fengxiang knew very well how important this mission was. He certainly could not imitate Gao Qiqian and throw obstacles everywhere. The Emperor had sent him here to give Zhou Yuji the greatest possible assistance.

"Eunuch, has His Majesty issued any decree?"

Zhou Yuji asked probing questions while also glancing backward. But all he saw was a company of embroidered guards — nothing else at all. His expression instantly dimmed.

Li Fengxiang noticed Zhou Yuji's little gesture, and from the whispered mutterings of the surrounding soldiers, he could also understand what these men wanted most. He smiled at once and said:

"Set your mind at ease, Great Commander! Though I've come empty-handed this time, I can easily fill these soldiers' purses — this is a tremendous piece of good news!"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuji gave him another look up and down. Though he still saw nothing, seeing the eunuch's confident countenance, his heart settled somewhat.