Chapter 24: Sudden Crisis

This matter came too suddenly, and many people had no time to react.

The Chongzhen Emperor had left in high spirits that morning, and no one could have imagined that when he returned, he would be carried back by Fang Zhenghua and a group of eunuchs from the Directorate of the Imperial Horses, appearing utterly feeble.

Empress Zhou had not yet woken up, but when she heard the news of the Chongzhen Emperor's assassination attempt, her beauty instantly drained away. She hurried out from Kunning Palace to greet him, and upon seeing the fresh blood on the Chongzhen Emperor's robes, asked with concern:

"What has happened to Your Majesty?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty the Empress, this servant does not know either. At the time, this servant was waiting for Your Majesty in the Winter Warm Pavilion as usual, but when no one came for a long while, this servant grew worried and asked Li Chun, yet he too could not say clearly. This servant was worried for Your Majesty, so sent people to search everywhere within the palace, but who could have imagined..."

Hearing Fang Zhenghua's account, Empress Zhou's eyes widened. She covered her mouth and stumbled back several steps, and only thanks to the quick-witted female official Xiumei stepping forward to support her did she avoid falling against the wall.

After a long moment, Empress Zhou pressed her hand to her forehead and said:

"Eunuch Fang, thanks to you for saving His Majesty. It is only that I have nothing at present I can reward you with."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhenghua immediately prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing as he said:

"Your Majesty the Empress is overwhelming this humble servant with kindness. To have earned His Majesty's trust is already heaven's grace. Now that the court is in difficulty, how would this humble servant dare to covet more?"

Empress Zhou nodded, breathing in deep gulps of air to calm herself as best she could, her heaving chest gradually settling.

This matter sounded exactly like the Club Attack Case during the Wanli reign. At that time, the Wanli Emperor had wanted to violate the ancestral precept of "establishing the eldest son as heir" by making Zhu Changxun the Crown Prince, which had triggered the Great Dispute over the Heir Apparent.

The Wanli Emperor faced joint opposition from court ministers and the Donglin Faction, and had no choice but to make Zhu Changluo the Crown Prince instead — he who later became Emperor Taichang, the Ming Guangzong.

But this matter was far from over. Later, a madman named Zhang Cha, wielding a wooden club, injured the eunuch guarding the gate and easily broke into Ciqing Palace, striking Zhu Changluo wildly with his club.

For reasons unknown, the Wanli Emperor did not wish to investigate deeply, merely having Zhang Cha and a few eunuchs executed to settle the matter. Yet everyone knew that Zhang Cha was by no means the mastermind, and those eunuchs were nothing more than scapegoats.

To this day, this matter remains an unresolved mystery. Empress Zhou had heard of it before, but never imagined that such a thing could happen to herself and the Chongzhen Emperor.

Just as she was thinking of this, she suddenly heard the sound of weeping drifting in. Empress Zhou turned to look and saw Noble Consort Yuan and several other consorts rushing over, crying as if the Chongzhen Emperor had already died, blocked outside the door by eunuchs of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses.

Seeing them in such a state, Empress Zhou's already chaotic emotions grew even more agitated, and she rebuked:

"Look at yourselves, weeping and wailing — what sort of decorum is this! All of you, shut your mouths. Do not cry here in my Kunning Palace and disturb His Majesty's peace, or beware that I shall punish you!"

Noble Consort Yuan and the other consorts had not received the Chongzhen Emperor's favor for a very long time. Upon hearing this news, their worry was secondary — they each harbored their own private schemes, merely wanting to see Chongzhen once.

When Empress Zhou's fury erupted, they immediately fell silent as cicadas in winter, closing their mouths and daring not to make another sound, huddling together in a manner that seemed rather pitiful.

"Sigh... very well, come in."

Empress Zhou's heart softened, and after a moment she waved her hand to signal the eunuchs to let them in.

The news of the Chongzhen Emperor's assassination attempt spread through the capital like a great wave. Wang Cheng'en, Director of the Eastern Depot; Li Ruolian, Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; and Zhang Shize, Commander of the Capital Camps and Duke of Ying, were all greatly shocked and immediately set aside their affairs to rush over.

Before long, a large crowd of people of every description had gathered around him. The Chongzhen Emperor's head ached even as he gave a bitter smile — this scene was so similar to when he had crossed over half a month ago.

The difference, however, was that half a month ago, although the people Chongzhen saw upon waking could be named, most were like strangers, and whether their concern was genuine or false was impossible to tell.

But as things stood now, at least the loyalty of Wang Cheng'en, Li Ruolian, Fang Zhenghua, and Zhang Shize could be guaranteed. Empress Zhou also held his hand tightly and would not let go, afraid he might come to harm again.

Even Noble Consort Yuan and the other consorts whom the Chongzhen Emperor had never favored — though they might each be harboring their own little schemes — could still be seen to be worrying sincerely and truly.

The Chongzhen Emperor felt somewhat gratified. With these people regarding him as their heaven, these half a month's efforts had not been in vain.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived."

As luck would have it, the one who entered this time was again Weng Bingshi. He first performed the full prostration ritual with proper form before stepping forward to examine the wound, and finally took the pulse, then bowed and said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the wound is deep, but fortunately heaven favors Your Majesty and protects the Great Ming. There is essentially no great danger. Your servant will prescribe an external application to be placed on the wound. After resting quietly for a few days, it will heal."

"I thank my minister for his trouble. Take Physician Weng to write the prescription." Chongzhen also breathed a sigh of relief. Watching Fang Zhenghua lead Weng Bingshi away, an inexplicable rage rose in his heart, and he gnashed his teeth as he said:

"Zhang Shize, how many soldiers in the Capital Camps can be confirmed to obey my orders at present?"

Zhang Shize's whole body trembled. Clasping his fists, he said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Capital Camps have an actual strength of three thousand five hundred and six men, and they have already been preliminarily reorganized by your servant. All are willing to die for Your Majesty!"

"Good." The Chongzhen Emperor nodded with satisfaction, forced himself up from the couch to sit, leaned against the side, and gave a few cold laughs before saying:

"You will immediately deploy the Capital Camps to take over the inner palace. Replace all the original defenses for me — every single one, leave not a single man. I can trust no one right now. The sooner this is done, the better!"

Zhang Shize nodded and said: "Your servant understands."

The Chongzhen Emperor continued: "Furthermore, the Capital Camps must seal off every gate of the inner palace. From this moment on, no one may take a single step outside the palace."

After Zhang Shize received his orders and left, the Chongzhen Emperor turned to Wang Cheng'en and asked:

"Cheng'en, from now on, the Eastern Depot's surveillance within the capital must be doubled! Especially those Donglin ministers — report to me three times a day. Even when they eat, even when they relieve themselves, I want to know it all in perfect detail!"

"Also, the palace personnel who have been replaced by the Capital Camps — the Eastern Depot must investigate each and every one of them as quickly as possible. I want to see just which audacious bastard, bold as a bear eating a leopard's heart, would dare to attempt assassination against me here in the imperial palace!"

When Wang Cheng'en heard the news of Chongzhen's assassination attempt, his heart felt as if pierced by needles.

The Chongzhen Emperor had established the Eastern Depot and entrusted it to him — that was immense trust — yet he had repeatedly failed to live up to those high expectations. At this moment, he knelt on the ground and said with a choked voice:

"Your Majesty is unharmed, and this old servant can rest easy. Your Majesty, please be assured — even if this old servant must stake his very life, he will keep this capital watched over clearly and thoroughly for Your Majesty, and will never allow such a thing to happen again."

Not long after Wang Cheng'en walked out, the external medicine patch was presented.

Before the Chongzhen Emperor could say more, Fang Zhenghua gestured for a young eunuch of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses to come forward. He then drew out a dagger, cut a thin gash on the young eunuch's arm, and applied the medicine patch over it.

Though this young eunuch was a man without roots, he had far more courage than certain men with roots — throughout the entire process, he did not even furrow his brow.

Seeing the confusion in the Chongzhen Emperor's eyes, Fang Zhenghua said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the entire Directorate of the Imperial Horses has already been replaced by this servant. Those now serving are all people utterly loyal to Your Majesty. Your Majesty's body is worth ten thousand gold — who can guarantee that someone might not cook up some new trick?"

"Having them test it for Your Majesty is also a measure of absolute safety."