Chapter 147: A Farce

Setting aside how Huang Degong and Yang Yufan were making waves in the Ji Garrison region, the fighting around Shanxi and Datong was gradually tipping from white-hot in favor of the court.

Li Zicheng had begun with a million-strong army, swaggering as he swore his oath of war in Xi'an, Shaanxi, and in less than two months had nearly seized a third of the Ming dynasty's realm — it seemed Heaven's will and popular support were with him.

Wherever the Dashun army went, the court's troops hardly put up any organized resistance, while civil and military officials swarmed forward to surrender; even if the occasional one died for the country, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

Yet fortune was against him — just at this critical moment when everyone thought the dynasty was about to change, Li Zicheng heeded the slanderous words of Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance to suppress Li Yan, which indirectly caused the main generals in his army to become disaffected, and Regional Commander Bai Guangen, who had already surrendered to Dashun, completely broke with Li Zicheng over it.

Everyone assumed that even if Bai Guangen went back he would no longer be given important posts, but to everyone's astonishment, the Chongzhen Emperor not only gave Bai Guangen an important post, but directly appointed him Regional Commander of the Datong Garrison, one of the Nine Border Towns, and additionally conferred on him the title of Commissioner-in-Chief of the Left, making his position even higher than before his surrender.

Not long after, news arrived that Liu Fangliang's southern army had been utterly wiped out, and that Huang Degong, Tang Tong, and others had led the court's main forces to two consecutive major victories.

Li Zicheng became even more suspicious because of this, killing several men in a row and forcing the entire army to take Ningwu Pass.

By this point, everyone understood one truth in their hearts: that damned Ming dynasty was not yet destined to fall, and it looked like it could still limp through the rest of this year.

By rights, there should be no one left in the Ming dynasty capable of turning the tide; even if Li Zicheng couldn't take the capital this year, it was only a matter of time. The situation in the northwest was settled, and unless the court came out of the passes for a decisive battle, it would be hard to turn things around.

This way of thinking was deeply rooted in Li Zicheng's mind, until the Chongzhen Emperor brought one man into service, which immediately made the civil and military officials of Dashun nervous.

That man was Chen Qiyu, once again appointed Governor-General of the Five Provinces — a name that thundered in the ears of roving bandits like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.

Chen Qiyu could be said to be the most accomplished Governor-General of the Five Provinces after Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, and in some respects, he was even more worthy of respect than that traitorous old scoundrel Hong.

Back in the day, when Chen Qiyu was still Governor-General of the Four Provinces, he first suppressed Yansui, then pacified Huguang, and then settled Shaanxi — within a single year, he nearly wiped out all the roving bandits in the Central Plains.

Although Chen Qiyu was a civil official, he carried considerable authority among the various military commanders. Take the famous Long-Legged General He Renlong — many governors-general couldn't move him, and he always paid lip service to the court while opposing it in practice, yet whenever Chen Qiyu issued an order, he virtually never disobeyed.

In fact, it was during the period when Chen Qiyu served as Governor-General of the Four Provinces that He Renlong obeyed his orders and fought across the north and south alongside troops from the various garrisons, earning the nickname "He the Madman" from the roving bandits — a fierce general indeed.

The peak of Chen Qiyu's career was planning the siege of Chexiang Gorge, where the official armies of four provinces joined forces in a coordinated campaign, step by step driving Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong into the gorge, where they nearly were wiped out entirely by Chen Qiyu in one stroke.

Unfortunately, Chen Qiyu later grew somewhat arrogant, believing everything was settled, and naively trusted Li Zicheng's words of surrender, carelessly letting the besieged bandits slip away — thus committing a grave error.

But then again, Li Zicheng still couldn't figure it out: given the Chongzhen Emperor's narrow-mindedness, someone who had been sent into military exile would never be recalled to service — so how had he brought Chen Qiyu back this time?

Chen Qiyu had returned, and this time he was Governor-General of the Five Provinces with military and political authority in hand. It was said that before leaving the capital, the Chongzhen Emperor received him on the platform and bestowed upon him an imperial sword of authority — his power was even greater than in the old days!

But Li Zicheng had nothing to panic about. Though Chen Qiyu was now Governor-General of the Five Provinces, he himself was no longer what he had been back then — with a million troops under his command winning victory after victory across the land, how could a single Chen Qiyu stop him?

Ever since news of Chen Qiyu's appointment as Governor-General of the Five Provinces, Li Zicheng had been closely watching his movements. In the past, when a Governor-General of the Five Provinces went south, the location of his headquarters — similar to a modern command post — would be announced in advance so that other civil and military officials could make preparations.

But this time was somewhat strange. Li Zicheng had no information on when Chen Qiyu left the capital, nor did he have the slightest idea where Chen Qiyu's headquarters was.

Not only that, Li Zicheng had absolutely no idea how many troops Chen Qiyu had under his command. For the first time, Li Zicheng had the feeling of knowing nothing while waiting for the other side to strike.

Though his own power was great and there was nothing to fear, Chen Qiyu was after all no mediocrity, and since Li Zicheng still carried shadows in his heart, he began sending people out constantly to scout for information.

In reality, Chen Qiyu knew well that the situation in Shanxi was already settled, and going there himself would accomplish nothing — it would only add trouble for Zhou Yuji and the other two.

Before leaving the capital, Chen Qiyu tossed and turned, finally deciding to play a risky move. As the saying goes, only by taking bold measures in war can one gain the advantage. What Chen Qiyu was doing now was no different in essence from what the Chongzhen Emperor was doing.

In the capital, the Chongzhen Emperor was fighting poison with poison — using the lives of the Donglin Faction to establish his authority and their property to fund his troops. Chen Qiyu was something of a surprise force; this time going south, he had no intention of making a grand show of it, planning instead to pull the firewood from under Li Zicheng's cauldron.

Chen Qiyu also knew that there might well be spies in the localities. Even if he issued proclamations in the name of Governor-General of the Five Provinces to muster troops from various garrisons for a joint campaign, it would not only accomplish nothing but might also expose his own position.

Li Zicheng only needed to casually send out a detachment to completely cut off his route, and then he would be of no use at all, betraying the Chongzhen Emperor's trust in him.

If he marched in secret, Chen Qiyu knew well that Li Zicheng would be unable to sit still outside Ningwu Pass, and if his suspicion led him to kill a few more great generals, so much the better.

Chen Qiyu understood Li Zicheng very well. What he wanted was precisely this irritable, volatile state in Li Zicheng — it would benefit himself and Zhou Yuji, Bai Guangen, Gao Jie, and the others on their side.

In fact, after leaving the capital, Chen Qiyu and Grand Coordinator Dong Qi led their troops quietly in the direction Liu Fangliang had come from, heading toward Baoding.

Before Liu Fangliang's southern army reached Baoding, a court force from the capital had already arrived at Baoding Prefecture — the capital troops led by Grand Secretary Li Jiantai, who was going out to fight on behalf of the Emperor.

At that time, the capital troops under Li Jiantai were still the same pack of military ruffians from before the Chongzhen Emperor's transmigration, and with the court having no money to pay wages or replace weapons, they fled along the way as they marched.

It was somewhat absurd to say — Li Jiantai was going out to fight on behalf of the Emperor, and the historical Chongzhen Emperor had placed great hopes on him. Yet before Li Jiantai had even left the capital region and reached Baoding, he heard that his hometown of Quwo had been taken by the roving bandits, and immediately, overcome with fright, fell gravely ill.

In truth, Li Jiantai's expedition this time was not any act of loyalty to the sovereign or devotion to the country — it was merely so he could openly lead troops back to his own hometown.

Upon hearing that his hometown had already fallen to the bandits, Li Jiantai lost what he had set his heart on, and no longer had any intention of rushing to aid Shanxi. He turned around and fled toward Guangzong city to protect himself.

But no matter what, the County Magistrate of Guangzong simply refused to let him into the city. Li Jiantai, being a shameless sort, flew into a rage and directly ordered the capital troops to attack Guangzong city.

Ridiculous to say, the capital troops' first battle in coming out to aid Shanxi was not fought in Shanxi, but was breaking through one of their own counties within their own territory.

After entering the city, Li Jiantai executed both the local gentry who had defended the city bravely and the County Magistrate together. After dispersing the populace, he fled all the way to Baoding Prefecture city, intending to use the same trick again and enter the city to take refuge.

Shao Zongyuan, the Vice Prefect of Baoding, having heard of what happened at Guangzong, was even more unwilling to open the city gates. From atop the city wall he furiously berated Li Jiantai for betraying the Emperor's grace, saying he had gone out to aid under the banner of loyalty to the sovereign and devotion to the country, but in reality was nothing but a coward fleeing battle, cravenly clinging to life.

Shao Zongyuan's words struck Li Jiantai's sore spot, and he loudly berated Shao Zongyuan in return, raising his imperial sword of authority as a threat. Who could have imagined that the august imperial sword, drawn for the very first time, would nearly be used to cut down a loyal minister and good general.

At the time, someone on the city wall recognized Li Jiantai and, fearing he would repeat the farce of attacking Guangzong, spoke kindly to persuade Shao Zongyuan, leaving a way out for both sides — only then was Li Jiantai allowed into the city.

After entering the city, Li Jiantai truly didn't leave, staying until the second month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, right around when the Chongzhen Emperor had just transmigrated and was carrying out drastic reforms in the capital.

It was at that time that Li Jiantai's memorial quietly arrived in the capital, saying: "The bandits' power is great; they cannot be opposed. I wish to escort the Crown Prince south."

At that time, the Chongzhen Emperor, desperate to save his own life, hadn't read any memorials at all — he couldn't even spare time for court audiences — and was completely unaware of this matter, having by now forgotten all about the man named Li Jiantai.

Li Jiantai waited in Baoding day after day, but no reply ever came from the Grand Secretariat, and the matter of fleeing south was repeatedly postponed until it fizzled out — until Liu Fangliang led the southern army in an unstoppable advance on Baoding Prefecture city, and only then was Li Jiantai thoroughly trapped in Baoding.

At that time, Li Jiantai, gripped by terror, was already heavy with illness. Guo Zhongjie, Vice Regional Commander of the Capital Camps' central army, seeing Li Jiantai's utter cowardice and knowing the city could not be held, opened the city gates not long after the fighting began and surrendered to Liu Fangliang.

Afterwards, Liu Fangliang breached Baoding Prefecture city. Vice Prefect Shao Zongyuan, Prefect He Fu, and local official Zhang Luoyan either died in battle or hanged themselves — all martyred for the country.

Only Li Jiantai, too afraid of the pain to cut his own throat, was captured by Liu Fangliang's men.