Chapter 46: Reestablishing the Three Regiment Camps

The all-powerful Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard actually suffered a public humiliation on the street — this truly caught the gossiping onlookers in the marketplace by surprise. Ma Kui had been overjoyed, expecting the Depot and the Xiaoling Guard to come to blows over a disagreement, and was planning to slip away at the right moment.

Who would have thought that Zhou Jingwu and the Liu-named file leader would each take a step back after just a few exchanged words, resolving all the problems.

The Xiaoling Guard handed Ma Kui over to the Depot, and the Depot, having smoothly completed the task assigned by their director, had no desire to stir up trouble and stepped aside to make way. This first encounter between the two sides, so full of gunpowder, was somehow brushed over — and on the surface, each side had left the other some room to maneuver.

By now, the capital's crackdown on accomplices had blown over. Ma Kui was taken away as the principal offender, while the remaining Embroidered Uniform Guard members could escape the death penalty but not a living punishment.

The Chongzhen Emperor was discussing other matters at the time and casually ordered lenient punishment. In the end, these Embroidered Uniform Guard members were stripped of their hereditary posts in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Court of the Palladium and sent to the Jiazi Camp for hard training.

Afterwards, the Chongzhen Emperor sighed with emotion, feeling that he was truly too soft-hearted — a genuine benevolent ruler. Tell me, is there any other ruler under heaven as soft-hearted as I?

Most of these Embroidered Uniform Guard members had inherited their positions. They dressed splendidly and imposingly, but had never witnessed such a scene. Facing the paired sabers of the Eastern Depot's runners, they were nearly scared out of their wits. As for the final outcome, how could they dare harbor the slightest complaint? They all shouted long live the Emperor — which was only to be expected.

Because the Eastern Depot's prison was a place where one entered but never left; not having to go in was a good thing, after all.

This kind of punishment was also a result that only occurred when men were needed. For these Embroidered Uniform Guard members, the Jiazi Camp was not a bad destination — at least they could still draw pay, enough to support their families. It counted as fortune arising from misfortune.

The handling of Luo Yangxing's and Gong Dingzi's partisans, disciples, and old associates seemed to have come to an end for now. Those recently sent to the Eastern Depot were basically Luo's die-hard loyalists; the rest either continued working steadily in the Southern Court of the Palladium or entered the Jiazi Camp to serve as cannon fodder.

It looked like the Emperor was showing great mercy, but Chongzhen himself knew well that there was simply no time to investigate to the very bottom. Otherwise, with his short temper, how could he rest easy without dragging out everyone who had tried to assassinate him? No one wanted to sleep clutching a sword.

In truth, to motivate the Embroidered Uniform Guard members of the former Southern Court of the Palladium to serve him wholeheartedly, the Chongzhen Emperor had racked his brains. In the end, he came up with a helpless expedient — one that could relieve the immediate crisis but could not be sustained long-term.

This method was one left over from the late emperors of the Zhu family. The Chongzhen Emperor bestowed hereditary official posts of Centurion and Platoon Leader on quite a few Embroidered Uniform Guard members who had performed well recently, and slightly raised the Guard's pay, so that these low-born guardsmen could save a bit of face.

Everyone knew that hereditary positions could only decline with each generation. Finding someone both talented and loyal to the imperial house was no easier than winning the lottery. But the Chongzhen Emperor could not afford to worry about that now — to win hearts and bend them to his use, this was the most effective method.

That night, the Chongzhen Emperor summoned his confidants to the Warm Pavilion for counsel. At a rough glance, the number of people around him had multiplied severalfold, and most were unfamiliar faces.

Among them, descendants of meritorious nobles predominated. Some the Chongzhen Emperor had recalled through painful thought; others had been summoned on the recommendation of Zhang Shize, the Duke of Ying.

"Your Majesty, your minister commands the three guards of the Imperial Guard in Tongzhou. At this moment, they can all be entrusted with your sovereign charge. At a single command from Your Majesty, your minister will mobilize the troops of the three Tongzhou guards to come to the capital and defend the throne!"

The speaker at this moment was Wang Xiantong, the newly enfeoffed Earl of Xinjian. Many might never have heard of him, but mention his great-grandfather Wang Shouren, and that was a name known far and wide.

Wang Xiantong's path to inheriting the earldom of Xinjian had been fraught with hardship — at root, an unspeakable family power struggle. In history, when Li the Dashing King besieged Beijing, Wang Xiantong led his troops in defending Qihua Gate, fighting with desperate valor. Even when the entire city collapsed, he repelled the roving bandits' attacks multiple times — truly rare and commendable.

Facing Li Zicheng's threats and bribes to surrender, Wang Xiantong cursed without cease, sternly denouncing Li Zicheng as a rebel, unworthy of being called a son of man, and declaring that his entire family would suffer heaven's punishment.

In the end, Li the Dashing King, enraged into shame, retorted in kind, slandering Wang Xiantong as not being a direct descendant of Wang Shouren and unworthy of the title Earl of Xinjian. He ordered Wang Xiantong's tongue cut out first, then his heart ripped out — a truly miserable end.

Wang Xiantong's loyalty was genuine, but what sort of troops those three Tongzhou guards actually were, the Chongzhen Emperor did not know in his heart.

If their combat effectiveness were truly good, how had they not made so much as a ripple in history? If they were a bunch of pampered soldiers, transferring them over would only add chaos and serve no other purpose.

The Capital Camps and the regiment camps were newly established. Zhang Shize and Dong Qi had both done their utmost, but the Capital Camps and regiment camps had not yet formed combat effectiveness. Even so, the Chongzhen Emperor would rather trust the Capital Camps and regiment camps than trust outlying troops.

If he rashly transferred the three Tongzhou guards over and a mutiny erupted that could not be suppressed, the consequences would be unthinkable. At that point, Li the Dashing wouldn't even need to attack — the Chongzhen Emperor would have played himself to death.

Seeing the Chongzhen Emperor lost in thought without replying, Wang Xiantong's expression dimmed, and he said no more. In his heart, he too understood what the Emperor was worried about.

At this moment, the Imperial Son-in-law Gong Yonggu finally found his opportunity and stepped forward from the ranks, saying:

"Your Majesty, since the three guards of Tongzhou cannot yet be mobilized, and the Capital Camps and regiment camps cannot yet repel the enemy, why not move the capital to Jinling?"

As he spoke, Gong Yonggu noticed the Chongzhen Emperor's face darken and hastily added:

"The dynasty's secondary capital at Jinling — the two capitals of north and south — exists precisely to deal with this very situation. Moreover, your minister still has some relatives and old friends in the south. Even if I scatter all my family wealth, I can still recruit several tens of thousands of righteous men. Your Majesty—"

"Enough! Whoever dares speak of moving the capital again shall be beheaded!"

The Chongzhen Emperor pulled a long face, cutting off everyone's hopes of moving south with a single sentence. He turned and said:

"Imperial Son-in-law, you just said you have some relatives and old friends in the south. Do you have any in the Northern Metropolitan Area? If I permit you to recruit righteous men, how many men could you raise?"

Gong Yonggu knew it would be as difficult as reaching the heavens, but without a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said: "The north is not like Jiangnan — your minister knows very few people there. Yet having received the imperial command, I shall do my utmost!"

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, his gaze sharpening as he said:

"If the Imperial Son-in-law recruits a thousand men, I will make you a Chiliarch of the regiment camps; if you recruit three thousand, I will establish a new regiment camp and make you its Commander; if you recruit ten thousand, I will make you Governor-General of the regiment camps, in charge of all camp affairs!"

Gong Yonggu was the Chongzhen Emperor's brother-in-law, having married Princess Yong'an and become an Imperial Son-in-law. Among the many Imperial Sons-in-law of the Ming dynasty, he was the only one who died a martyr's death for the dynasty in history.

Even though Princess Yong'an had long since passed away, Gong Yonggu's loyalty had never wavered. At this moment he was overcome with excitement. With a "thud," he knelt to the ground and cried out loudly:

"Your Majesty's grace is so profound — your minister shall devote himself utterly to the Great Ming, until death and beyond!!!"

Shortly after, Li Chun's voice came respectfully from outside the door:

"Your Majesty, Wang Cheng'en requests an audience."

"Summon him!"

Wang Cheng'en entered with a smile on his face, made his bow, and said:

"Your Majesty, see who this old servant has brought for you."

The sound of iron armor plates clashing against one another came through. Everyone turned to look, and saw a burly man appear before them. He wore heavy iron armor, and after entering, he clasped his fists and knelt on the ground, shouting loudly:

"Your subordinate, Zhou Jingwu, Guard Commander of the Xiaoling Guard, has come by imperial decree to defend the throne — fortunately not too late! I pay my respects to His Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

The Chongzhen Emperor was overjoyed. The Xiaoling Guard's Huaixi Imperial Guard troops he had been waiting for so anxiously had finally arrived. He personally stepped out from behind the imperial desk to help Zhou Jingwu up, and waved his hand, saying:

"Issue the edict: the Xiaoling Guard shall immediately enter the capital to take over city defense. The original capital garrison troops being replaced shall form the 'Yizi Camp' and be incorporated into the Three Regiment Camps. Further, confer upon Wang Xiantong, Earl of Xinjian, the post of Left Commissioner-in-Chief of the Five Military Commands, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Commander of the Yizi Camp, in charge of camp affairs!"

Having spoken, the Chongzhen Emperor looked toward Wang Xiantong again:

"Earl of Xinjian, quickly bring the three guards of Tongzhou to the capital to defend the throne. When you arrive, I will have other arrangements!"