Chapter 284: Glory and Honor Upon the Whole House

Speaking of the larger forces in the Zhending and Baoding area, the most prominent was Hou Tianxi, the Regional Commander of Gaoyang, nominally under the court's authority.

Many people might not know the name Hou Tianxi, but mention his father, and he was a figure well known among military men—Hou Liangzhu.

Hou Liangzhu had served as Regional Commander of Sichuan and Left Commissioner-in-Chief of the Five Armies Chief Military Commission. Though he could not yet be called a famous general, he was truly a loyal and valiant officer who fought to the death for the court—indeed, he was the foremost contributor to the great southwestern victory in the second year of Chongzhen that exterminated the great bandits She Chongming and An Bangyan.

In the tenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng captured Nanjiang and Tongjiang, his momentum immense, pressing directly toward Guangyuan.

At that time, Hou Liangzhu, serving as Vice Regional Commander of Sichuan—and father of Hou Tianxi—was ordered by Governor Wang Weizhang to defend Guangyuan, so as to block the roving bandits' eastward advance. Yet Guangyuan's position was weak; Hou Liangzhu's force numbered only a little over two thousand men, and even conscripting every local able-bodied civilian into the army, they barely reached nine thousand.

Because his subordinates leaked information, Li Zicheng learned that the government troops at Guangyuan were flagging, and immediately invaded northern Sichuan, intending to use Guangyuan as the gateway to open up the Sichuan situation.

Sichuan Governor Wang Weizhang was cowardly and incompetent yet fond of claiming credit; military officers everywhere had long been complaining bitterly. Hearing that the bandit force was immense, Wang Weizhang led the government troops in retreat to Baoning, then ordered Hou Liangzhu to hold the line against the enemy.

At the same time, Li Zicheng's subordinate bandit chiefs—Guotianxing Zhang Tianlin and Huntianxing Hui Dengxiang—had already broken through Ningqiang, invading in three columns and pressing straight toward Mianzhou. Hearing that all the forward positions were lost, Hou Liangzhu gathered every man he had, barely over twelve thousand, and concentrated solely on defending Guangyuan.

In the sixth month of the tenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng, Zhang Tianlin, Hui Dengxiang and others joined forces at Mianzhou. The bandit host was vast, no fewer than a hundred thousand men. Hou Liangzhu mobilized his troops and fought with desperate valor, but the government forces were hopelessly outnumbered—three days later, Mianzhou city fell.

Knowing Hou Liangzhu's outstanding ability, Li Zicheng sent men to summon his surrender. Hou Liangzhu cursed him loudly as a rebel traitor, drew his blade and cut down the envoy, declaring he would rather die for the court. When Li Zicheng heard the report, he flew into a rage; the bandit forces entered the city by multiple routes, and Hou Liangzhu directed his men in street fighting, eventually dying in combat after suffering more than eighty sword wounds.

Hou Tianxi's later fate was not much better either. In the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, Grand Secretary Yang Sichang became Supreme Commander—by then, Hou Liangzhu had already been dead in battle for nearly three years.

Hou Liangzhu's son Hou Tianxi went to pay respects to Yang Sichang, declaring that he shared an irreconcilable enmity with the bandits, and was willing to donate his wealth to repair armor, recruit elite troops and his father's old officers, and lead his own contingent in bloody battle against the bandits—to wash away his father's shame below, and repay the state's grace above.

Yang Sichang granted permission. Hou Tianxi immediately scattered his family fortune, recruiting two hundred sixty of Hou Liangzhu's old personal retainers and five to six hundred of his former soldiers, all fierce and eager to fight. Amid the general collapse of morale, Hou Tianxi's force kept earning merits—though all were minor accomplishments, they were nonetheless quite rare.

In the first month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Hou Tianxi was promoted to Assistant Commissioner-in-Chief by accumulated merit.

In the ninth month of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, he pacified several bands of mounted bandits and mountain outlaws in Guangping, beheading over two hundred sixty, and was promoted to Assistant Regional Commander of Guangda for his achievement.

In the eighteenth year of Chongzhen—that is, this year—Hou Tianxi followed Chen Qiyu in recovering Zhending and Baoding. He fought with extraordinary ferocity, winning four battles in four engagements, and was ranked third in merit, behind only Dong Qi and the Imperial Guard commander Gao Qihua.

Afterwards, Chen Qiyu petitioned for rewards, and the Emperor promoted Hou Tianxi to Regional Commander of Gaoyang, additionally conferring the title of Right Commissioner-in-Chief of the Five Armies Chief Military Commission.

A string of military achievements, a string of victories great and small, proved Hou Tianxi's loyal and valiant resolve in carrying on his father's legacy—and fulfilled the promise he had first made to Yang Sichang: "wash away my father's shame below, repay the state's grace above."

Beyond this, the military merits of Hou Cai, Hou's nephew, were even greater than Hou Tianxi's.

In the second year of Chongzhen, he followed Hou Liangzhu on campaign against She Chongming, recovering Qijiang and Tongzi, and was appointed Garrison Commander.

In the fourth year of Chongzhen, southwestern barbarians jointly attacked Yongning. He was ordered to go, defeated and exterminated them, and was appointed Regional Military Commissioner.

In the seventh year of Chongzhen, following the Supreme Commander's dispatch, he went to aid in suppressing northern Sichuan, and was promoted to Brigadier by accumulated merit.

In the tenth year of Chongzhen, following orders he went to relieve Chengdu, repelling the bandits with merit, and was promoted to Vice Regional Commander.

In the sixteenth year of Chongzhen—that is, not long before the Chongzhen Emperor crossed over—he was ordered to recruit troops for Sichuan's defense, and was promoted to Regional Commander of a local miscellaneous title, with the added rank of Right Commissioner-in-Chief of the Five Armies Chief Military Commission.

Seeing these two hot-blooded young men, the Chongzhen Emperor—who already knew each of their later fates—felt as if a hundred-flavor jar had been overturned in his heart.

It was not exactly pity for Hou Tianxi; mixed in was a measure of regret. Toward Hou Cai, the Chongzhen Emperor felt appreciation, yet also some wariness—in the end, an indescribable feeling.

"Your ministers pay respects to Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

This was Hou Tianxi's first time seeing the Emperor. After calling out, he and his cousin Hou Cai beside him did not even dare raise their heads.

Indeed—this kind of glory was not granted to everyone. Every military officer yearned for it eagerly, yet few ever got to see the Son of Heaven's true countenance; even their father Hou Liangzhu never had.

"Since you paid respects to Sichang, your Hou force has fought with fierce valor—I have seen it all." Saying this, the Chongzhen Emperor rose and went down to pull the two of them up. After sitting back down, he said gravely:

"From this day forth, Hou Cai is appointed Regional Commander of Dingxing, by imperial selection, stationed at Baoding Prefecture city; Hou Tianxi is appointed Regional Commander of Zhending, by imperial selection, stationed at Zhending Prefecture city. You two shall separately manage the garrison farming of the two prefectures, rest and train for battle, and be ready to join campaigns at any time."

Saying this, the Chongzhen Emperor paused, a trace of regret on his face. Shaking his head, he continued:

"I am ashamed before the empire's soldiers. In past years, blinded by the Donglin Faction, I once stripped Liangzhu of his original offices. Now I feel deep remorse—yet mending the fold after the sheep are lost is not truly too late. Thus I decree: immediately restore the original offices of the fallen Sichuan Regional Commander Hou Liangzhu, along with the title of Left Commissioner-in-Chief of the Five Armies Chief Military Commission, and additionally confer the title of Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, with the posthumous name 'Zhongsu'—Loyal and Solemn."

After Hou Liangzhu died in battle at Mianzhou, Guangyuan was lost. Sichuan Governor Wang Weizhang failed to hold Baoning, then suffered defeat after defeat, losing more than thirty prefectures and counties in succession. Li Zicheng, his momentum immense, exploited Wang Weizhang's weakness and cowardice to thoroughly open up the situation.

In history, when the Chongzhen Emperor heard the memorial, he flew into a rage. At first not yet knowing Hou Liangzhu had died in battle, he ordered both Governor Wang Weizhang and Hou Liangzhu arrested and thrown into prison.

Upon learning Hou Liangzhu was already dead, the historical Chongzhen Emperor, goaded by the Donglin Faction, concluded that Hou Liangzhu and Wang Weizhang had colluded with each other. He decreed that Wang Weizhang be sent into military exile, and then stripped Hou Liangzhu of his original offices, granting him no honorary posthumous title whatsoever.

In truth, this affair stirred a great uproar among the military officers of the time. His eldest son Hou Tianxi and nephew Hou Cai had always harbored resentment in their hearts, but the Emperor's decree could not be defied—which was precisely why they strove to earn merits, hoping to wash the stain from Hou Liangzhu's name.

With this decree from the Chongzhen Emperor, both remaining sons of the Hou clan became imperial-selected Regional Commanders in official standing, and Hou Liangzhu's original offices were restored with the posthumous name "Zhongsu." Among military officers, to receive such distinction truly meant glory and honor gathered upon a single house.

Hou Tianxi and Hou Cai had gotten what they wished for. Immediately overcome with gratitude and tears, they knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, crying out that they would fight to the death for His Majesty—even if they lost their lives, they would ensure the two prefectures' territories were never lost.

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, his expression quite reassured—but in his heart, it was not entirely so.

Of these two men, the Chongzhen Emperor was more at ease with Hou Tianxi. After all, although he had surrendered to the bandits in history, on the whole it had been forced by circumstances. Now that he had repaid the Hou clan with honor and glory for the entire house, it was also an act to win their loyalty—most likely he would not go over to the bandits again.

As for why Hou Cai had surrendered to the Manchu Qing in history, the Chongzhen Emperor did not yet know, so he could not yet confirm what was in his heart. But with the military situation at the front burning like fire, there was no other choice—he could only proceed this way for now.

After all, looking across the two prefectures' territories, apart from the two sons of the Hou clan, there truly was no other military officer with the ability and prestige to bear this responsibility.