Chapter 241: Setting the Strategy at Taiyuan

As dusk deepened into the dead of night, aside from the few palace maids and eunuchs left to attend inside and outside the hall, no other figure could be seen, nor any sound heard.

Inside the hall at this moment, even a temper as impatient as Gao Jie's had been worn down to near nothing. He stood by the bed lost in thought, while Bai Guangen, carefree as ever, had leaned back in his chair and was snoring in his sleep.

Gao Jie turned to look at Bai Guangen, then raised his head to glance outside, murmuring to himself: "Hm, it's been a long while since I've sat this quietly."

"His Majesty arrives!"

Just at that moment, the young eunuch dozing by the door suddenly snapped his eyes open and let out a shout. Gao Jie breathed a sigh of relief and dropped to his knees in prostration. Though Bai Guangen appeared asleep, he too had kept one eye open.

Gao Jie and Bai Guangen shared a relationship of some trust mixed with mutual wariness—both were old soldiers who had fought across the north and south for years, each knowing exactly what the other was made of. Neither would ever entrust his life and fortune fully to the other's hands when the situation was uncertain.

Especially Bai Guangen—because he had once defected from Ming to join the Dashing King, Gao Jie still harbored a measure of hatred toward him at heart.

Bai Guangen jumped off the chair and knelt nimbly on the ground, shouting: "Your servant Bai Guangen, Regional Commander of Datong Garrison, pays respects to His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

"Rise, no need for ceremony—have a seat!" The Chongzhen Emperor wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he entered, looking somewhat weary from whatever he had been doing. Seeing this, Gao Jie grew concerned and said: "Your Majesty, you must take care of your dragon body."

"Mm."

The Chongzhen Emperor glanced at Gao Jie, nodded, and took his seat in the side hall without raising his head, asking: "It's been half a day now—after I summoned you, why have you just been left sitting here? Have you figured it out?"

"This... Your servant does not know." Gao Jie shook his head, answering with complete honesty.

Bai Guangen was inwardly disdainful of Gao Jie for stealing the chance to flatter the emperor first, but upon hearing the emperor's question, answered without a second thought: "Your servant does not know either."

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor raised his head and looked at each of them in turn, shook his head with a sigh, and said: "Two military dispatches and maps were placed on the table—neither of you so much as picked them up for a look."

Both men turned to look, and sure enough, there on the table at the inner side of the side hall lay two maps and military dispatches, sitting quietly. At this moment, Gao Jie and Bai Guangen exchanged a glance, each seeing confusion on the other's face.

Gao Jie had spent the entire day restless and pacing about, paying no attention to anything else. Bai Guangen, though observant of his surroundings, focused on things entirely different from what the Chongzhen Emperor had in mind.

What Bai Guangen mainly observed was the wine served on the trays by the servants and the magnificent decor of the hall—he had even spent no small amount of time gazing at the graceful figures of the several palace maids standing attendance at the hall's entrance. He had seen those two documents, but he had kept his mouth shut the whole time.

For one thing, the man didn't dare take them himself, afraid of committing some crime of overstepping his station—after all, this was the imperial palace, where nothing could be done on a whim. For another, Bai Guangen wanted Gao Jie to take them first, so that he could then naturally go and have a look himself.

"Your servant is dull-witted and failed to notice."

Seeing both men answer this way, the Chongzhen Emperor was left speechless. He could only say: "The two of you pick them up and take a look. After you've read them, tell me whatever thoughts you have."

About the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Gao Jie was the first to return the dispatch and map to Fang Zhenghua, bowing as he said:

"I report to Your Majesty: this dispatch speaks of the bandit Li emerging from Tong Pass, while the map covers the Taiyuan Prefecture area of Shanxi. What connection does this have to the campaign against Doyan?"

The Chongzhen Emperor shook his head again, gesturing for him to sit down, then turned and asked: "Bai Guangen, you speak—what do you see from this?"

Bai Guangen looked at the utterly bewildered Gao Jie, his heart filled with glee, and quickly stepped forward to say: "I report to Your Majesty: your servant makes a bold guess, and if it goes against Your Majesty's intent, I beg Your Majesty to pardon your servant of any crime."

"I pardon you of any crime—say whatever is on your mind." The Chongzhen Emperor said.

"I thank Your Majesty!" Bai Guangen wore an expression of overjoyed delight as he lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty previously made a great show of summoning us to accompany the campaign against Doyan. Yet we have been gathered in the capital for several days now with no sign of movement, and your servant had already begun to harbor doubts."

"Today, when we were summoned to court and saw this dispatch and map, only then did everything become clear. Your servant now knows the depth of Your Majesty's strategic planning—truly a sage and enlightened Son of Heaven."

The Chongzhen Emperor was somewhat taken aback—where in hell had this fellow learned such a refined way of speaking? He must have prepared before entering the palace. No—after this, he would have the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate who this man had been in contact with.

The Chongzhen Emperor kept a smiling face, gesturing for him to continue.

Seeing the expression on the Chongzhen Emperor's face, Bai Guangen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Damn, that was unsettling—last time His Majesty smiled like that, he had several hundred capital officials executed.

"What Regional Commander Gao said just now is correct—the dispatch speaks of the bandit Li emerging from Tong Pass and advancing east, while the map only circles the towns around Taiyuan. Therefore, your servant boldly guesses that Your Majesty intends for us to catch the bandit Li completely off guard!"

After speaking, seeing the Chongzhen Emperor's inscrutable expression, Bai Guangen wasn't sure whether his flattery had hit the mark. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he dropped to his knees shouting:

"Your servant is dull-witted and has offended Your Majesty's heavenly dignity—I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

In truth, the Chongzhen Emperor had merely been somewhat surprised—there was no anger in him at all. Gao Jie, on whom he had placed high hopes, had seen nothing at all and was still thinking about the campaign against Doyan at this very moment.

Instead, it was Bai Guangen, who usually carried himself with that cheap, insufferable look, who had guessed seven or eight parts of his intentions. Seizing the opening, the Chongzhen Emperor said calmly:

"Rise. In fact, your guess is correct—I did not summon you here for a campaign beyond the frontier."

"My original intention was to take the opportunity to reclaim Doyan, but on second thought, I decided that the old principle of 'to resist external threats, one must first pacify within' is always right. You've both heard of Zuo Liangyu's great victory at Xiangyang and his march north toward Taiyuan, haven't you?"

The two men exchanged a glance and answered in unison: "We have heard of it, Your Majesty."

Bai Guangen thought for a moment, then said: "Your servant has heard a somewhat different account."

"Go on, tell me."

"It's said that Zuo Liangyu and the others basically fled without putting up much resistance—just like at Zhuxian Town. The real credit for this battle belongs to Ma Shixiu and Ma Kuang. The bandit chief Xie Yinglong was beheaded by Ma Kuang, and the bandit army's great banner was seized by Ma Shixiu—it had little to do with Zuo Liangyu."

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor made no comment, yet wore a look of surprise on his face, asking in rapid succession: "Do you know what crime it is to slander the current Ningnan Earl?"

At these words, Bai Guangen immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing as he shouted:

"Your Majesty, please see clearly—every word your servant speaks is true. Zuo Liangyu at the time swapped clothes with a common soldier and fled in disgrace. This matter has already spread widely—Your Majesty need only send the Depot and Guard to investigate and you will find it so."

The Chongzhen Emperor sneered inwardly, nodded, and waved his hand, saying: "If that is so, I shall order the Depot and Guard to investigate. If what you say proves false, you will certainly be severely punished without pardon!"

"Your Majesty is sagely and enlightened!" Bai Guangen was delighted inside but wore a tense expression on his face as he kowtowed and shouted.

"You two go back and make your preparations. Tomorrow, in complete secrecy, proceed to Gu Pass to rendezvous with Supreme Commander Chen, and follow all of his arrangements. Go now." The Chongzhen Emperor patted his head and waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, take care of your dragon body—your servants take their leave!"