Chapter 258: When the Son of Heaven Rages, a Million Corpses Fall

Inside the Imperial View Pavilion north of the Imperial Garden, the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou stood together, taking genuine pleasure in the man-made scenery before them.

Before the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou stood a rockery, with a pair of stone lions in front of it. On each stone base sat a carved stone dragon head, spouting water columns that rose at least several zhang high at a glance — a most spectacular sight.

According to some of the more senior eunuchs of the inner palace, this rockery had only been completed in the eleventh year of Wanli. Since then, emperors and empresses of successive reigns had frequently climbed it to enjoy the view and rest their minds.

Though it was a rockery, several small paths wound through it, each twisting and turning in its own way. No matter which route one took, all ultimately led to the summit — which reminded the Chongzhen Emperor of a saying from later ages: all roads lead to Rome.

Along the mountain paths, one would occasionally pass eunuchs of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses and maidservants carrying objects. Perhaps due to last year's assassination attempt, Fang Zhenghua was leading a group of eunuchs belonging to the inner depot to keep watch along every path, guarding against any contingency.

Servants entered and exited the Imperial Garden through the main gate in the center, atop which stood a square pavilion with a four-cornered pyramidal roof, named the Imperial View Pavilion. It was here that the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou had now climbed to admire the scenery.

By tradition, on the ninth day of the ninth month each year, the Double Ninth Festival, emperors and empresses of every reign would ascend the Imperial View Pavilion to take in the sights.

The Imperial View Pavilion stood tall atop Pile Beauty Hill north of the Imperial Garden, an unmatched vantage point for gazing at the scenery within the palace grounds. Inside, the ceiling was adorned with ornate caisson decoration, a throne faced south, and outside stood a stone altar table — like a paradise on earth.

"Empress, how do you find the scenery of my Imperial Garden?"

"In answer to Your Majesty, this concubine finds that the garden's verdant pines and cypresses take a thousand forms, yet on ordinary days it lacks only Your Majesty — one might say it is missing the finishing touch of the true dragon." Empress Zhou looked at the Chongzhen Emperor as she spoke.

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor naturally understood the implicit reproach in Empress Zhou's words, and inwardly acknowledged his own fault. He quickly said, "The Empress speaks truly. Since Soft Consort entered the palace, I have neglected the Empress. In the coming days, I have decided to visit Kunning Palace often, by way of making amends."

At these words, Empress Zhou smiled faintly, leaned her head against the Chongzhen Emperor's shoulder, and said softly, "Why does Your Majesty speak of making amends? To be able to accompany Your Majesty in admiring the view for a single day is already more than this concubine could hope for. Your Majesty is the true dragon, the Son of Heaven, managing a myriad of affairs daily — how could this concubine do as those common wives who tie down their husbands?"

"The Empress understands me." The Chongzhen Emperor placed his hand on the curve behind Empress Zhou and gave it two squeezes, speaking with a smile.

Just then, the Chongzhen Emperor turned his head and saw Fang Zhenghua and Li Ruolian, who had arrived in haste, speaking together with tense expressions. He frowned and asked:

"What's going on over there? Send someone to look."

Before long, Fang Zhenghua brought Li Ruolian running to the foot of the Imperial View Pavilion. Li Ruolian's face showed both fear and anger as he knelt on the ground with clasped hands and said:

"Your servant, Li Ruolian, seal-holding Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress."

"Today is the day Your Majesty and Her Majesty ascend the pavilion to enjoy the view. Your servant's rash intrusion is truly a capital offense." Li Ruolian first kowtowed repeatedly in confession, and only after seeing the somewhat displeased Chongzhen Emperor wave his hand to indicate there was no harm did he steel himself and continue:

"I report to Your Majesty: not long ago, in the Provost's Office, I saw a Colonel from the Jinan Prefecture Chiliarch's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, named Zheng Gang..."

When Li Ruolian had finished his account, the Imperial View Pavilion fell utterly silent. The displeasure that had been on Empress Zhou's face at Li Ruolian's interruption had vanished, and she was now watching the Chongzhen Emperor with deep concern.

Every move the Chongzhen Emperor made tugged at the hearts of all present, especially Li Ruolian's — after all, he represented the wronged Embroidered Uniform Guard come to seek justice, and how he would face the hopeful gazes of his subordinates upon his return was what worried him at this moment.

On the one hand, he had been overly anxious, having chosen the wrong time and acted too rashly. On the other hand, the rest of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not understand what the Chongzhen Emperor was doing, and how the Emperor reacted upon hearing this matter was precisely what the others were watching for.

The Chongzhen Emperor's gaze was calm as he looked toward the distant scenery, but his hands, tightly gripping the railing, betrayed what was on his mind at that moment.

The Chongzhen Emperor remained silent, and the others could only wait quietly at the side. It was only when everyone had just begun to relax that the Chongzhen Emperor, without turning his head, said flatly:

"Tell Wang Cheng'en and Gong Yonggu to get the hell over here and see me."

The word "hell" was the first time the Chongzhen Emperor had ever used such language toward his subjects — enough to show his current mood. Everyone wore expressions of extreme shock, and they all knelt prostrate in terror, not daring to breathe.

The young eunuch of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses whom Fang Zhenghua had ordered to relay the message was perhaps too nervous — he actually tripped and fell straight into the stream. Scrambling up hand over foot, he sprinted wildly into the distance.

Before long, Wang Cheng'en and Gong Yonggu, having heard the news, arrived at the Imperial Garden with anxious hearts. Both knelt prostrate and called out in unison:

"Your servants pay respects to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress."

"Do the two of you know why I have summoned you this time?"

Wang Cheng'en naturally saw things as clearly as a mirror. He had originally planned to quietly settle this matter with Li Ruolian, so as to protect Gong Yonggu as well — but who could have imagined those salt officials of the inspection offices would be so utterly lawless as to dare gather a mob and fight the Embroidered Uniform Guard in open combat? By acting thus, where did they place the reigning emperor?

"In answer to Your Majesty, this old servant knows." Wang Cheng'en was unlike ordinary men — the more others were tense to the point of death, the calmer he became. He said quietly:

"It was this old servant and Vice Prefect Li who took it upon ourselves, concealing it from Your Majesty—"

"Concealing it from me!?" Before he could finish, the Chongzhen Emperor erupted. He strode down several steps in a fury, staring hard at them and shouting: "What matter required concealing from me? Was it that you didn't want me to know, or that you don't trust me?"

"Your Majesty." Li Ruolian's temperament remained somewhat blunt. After enduring for a long while, he raised his head and said, "It was all your servant's idea. Your servant wished to protect Imperial Son-in-law Gong—"

"Presumptuous!"

Before Li Ruolian could finish, the Chongzhen Emperor bellowed. Then his expression dimmed, and he said:

"By acting this way, you thought I would not seek justice for you, would not thoroughly investigate this matter. In the end, you think I am that muddle-headed sovereign the Donglin Faction speaks of!"

Hearing these words, Wang Cheng'en's eyes went wide, and his head knocked against the ground with a thumping sound.

"Your Majesty, this old servant would never dare. Even if this old servant did not trust himself, he would never for a moment fail to trust Your Majesty. Your Majesty is a benevolent and sage sovereign, not a muddle-headed one — these are this old servant's words from the bottom of his heart."

Li Ruolian harbored no such thoughts either, and he too craned his neck and shouted:

"Exactly so — Your Majesty is a benevolent and sage sovereign!"

"I'll settle accounts with the lot of you later. Regardless of anything else, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is my personal army. These people today dare to gather a mob against my personal troops — tomorrow they'll dare to raise banners in rebellion!" The Chongzhen Emperor pointed at each of them in turn and cursed them roundly, then turned and said decisively:

"Transmit my decree: mobilize Vice Regional Commander Qiu Lei of Shandong to lead his troops back to garrison Denglai, and wipe that Jiaozhou Inspection Office clean for me! Order the Western Depot, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the inner depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to jointly investigate this matter thoroughly — every person involved must be investigated to the last detail!"

Having said this, the Chongzhen Emperor's body relaxed, and he waved his hand:

"Also, Li Ruolian: grant one son of that Centurion hereditary succession as a Centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with the added rank of Vice Guard Commander. Compile the names and native places of all Embroidered Uniform Guardsmen who died in battle. Those of Squad Leader, Platoon Leader, and above shall have one son inherit their position, and all shall be enshrined in the Loyal Martyr Shrine. Have the Grand Secretariat issue a directive ordering local authorities to provide monthly payments of money and grain — any who are negligent shall be dismissed and prosecuted!"

Finally hearing these words, Li Ruolian thought to himself that his choice had not been wrong. Tears of excitement glistened in his eyes as he wept, stepped forward a few paces, bowed, and cried out:

"Your Majesty is sagely — ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years! Your servant obeys the decree!!"