Chapter 86: A Detached Force Marches North, Hearts and Minds Adrift

In the spring festival of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, everyone was at home celebrating the new year. The Chongzhen Emperor, facing the Dashing Army's million-strong advance in the palace, was at a complete loss—yet Huang Degong was leading his troops against the rebels.

Just over a month earlier, Huang Degong had achieved another great merit, capturing and executing the rebel Liu Chao, disbanding his force of over ten thousand on the spot, and handing over all the weapons, armor, money, and grain seized after the battle to the local government offices for confiscation.

Looking at Huang Degong, the Chongzhen Emperor was overjoyed. This morning he had still been uncertain about Tang Tong, but now that Huang Degong had arrived, there was no doubt—the bearer of the Vanguard Seal had arrived as well.

"With Huang the Dashing here, I can rest easy with no worries—the roving bandits are as good as finished!"

Hearing the Chongzhen Emperor's somewhat teasing words, the assembled generals chimed in one after another, praising Huang Degong's bravery. Huang Degong, a straightforward man who could face insults and threats without changing expression, now turned bright red and found himself at a loss for words.

Thinking of Huang Degong's habit before battle, the Chongzhen Emperor said with a smile:

"I have long heard in the palace that Kaiyuan produced a Huang the Dashing, nicknamed Tiger Mountain, with a face like a tiger and courage beyond measure. Before every battle he must drink an entire jar of wine, after which he slaughters enemies like hemp, piling rebel heads like mountains beneath his feet. Having seen it with my own eyes today, my heart is deeply comforted!"

Zhang Shize also spoke up from the side: "I have heard these tales as well, Your Majesty. It is said that of the Dashing Army's men, aside from the elder and younger Cao, none fear anyone more than this Huang Tiger Mountain. This battle, our Great Ming will surely win!"

Huang Degong waved his hands repeatedly, crouching down on the ground as he said:

"This humble general has received the emperor's grace; I can only vow to repay it with all my heart!"

The Chongzhen Emperor gave no direct answer, cleared his throat, and said with a serious expression:

"For this campaign, I shall personally lead the expedition, commanding the Divine Martial Army and the Jiazi Camp as the central force. Duke of Ying Zhang Shize shall lead the left army, Count of Dingxi Tang Tong the right army, and Count of Jingnan Huang Degong, bearing the Seal of Vanguard Against the Rebels, shall lead the vanguard."

"Tomorrow we break camp and march south, proclaiming a force of one hundred thousand, swearing an oath to destroy the rebels!"

Huang Degong and the assembled generals' bodies trembled with vigor as they clasped their fists and shouted:

"We humbly obey Your Majesty's command!"

In history, Huang Degong had never had time to rush north to defend the throne, but now, even by the fifth month, the roving bandits had failed to breach the capital. Like the loyal ministers from all regions, he had ample time to come to the capital to defend the throne.

Since the Battle of Daizhou, Li Zicheng had been unable to advance with unstoppable momentum, blocked at the small Ningwu Pass for nearly three months without gaining an inch. As time passed, the balance of certain victory between Ming and Shun was gradually tipping toward the Chongzhen Emperor.

During these three months, the Chongzhen Emperor drilled new troops in the capital, and the Regional Commanders of Datong and Xuanfu were successively replaced—all of them were Li Zicheng's enemies, so surrendering to Shun was out of the question.

Xuanfu and Datong continuously sent troops to aid Ningwu. The scale of the Ming-Shun struggle at Ningwu Pass had grown ever larger, while outside the pass, the Qing army, personally led by Dorgon, had sent the Eight Banners out in all directions, seeking to carve out a place for themselves.

The armies coming to defend the throne and the imperial troops ordered back from the capital's surroundings gathered at Huangcun, totaling nearly one hundred thousand men—yet this was still not all of the realm's loyal forces.

Beyond this, there remained many loyal and worthy men across the realm who had initially been constrained by affairs or blocked by the roads, unable to free themselves in time. By the fifth month, they were all rushing to the capital with utmost speed.

Qin Liangyu of Sichuan had received the imperial summons at the start of the year but had still been unable to free herself to come to the throne's defense, locked in a death struggle with Zhang Xianzhong. Even Zuo Liangyu's forces, which had not moved a step from Wuchang, for some unknown reason suddenly sent tens of thousands north to fight a battle with the roving bandits.

Though they still lost, Zuo Liangyu sent a false signal to the other commanders—that he was already striving to defend the throne. With Zuo Liangyu having symbolically sent men north, Shandong Regional Commander Liu Zeqing sat on pins and needles all day, facing the endless streams of loyalist armies passing through his territory, not knowing what to do.

On the Xuanfu front, the original garrison Regional Commander—the same Wang Chengyin who in history had sent a flying dispatch surrendering to Li Zicheng—had already been beheaded by imperial messengers bearing the decree. Gao Jie, it was said, had upon arriving at his post immediately distributed the court's transported pay silver and weapons to the troops, stabilizing morale.

Gao Jie drilled his troops in Xuanfu city for over half a month, and not long ago had sworn an oath and departed from Xuanfu city. His forces split into two routes: one of over thirty thousand men rushed to reinforce Ningwu Pass, while the other, led personally by him, made straight for the capital to defend the throne.

Gao Jie was something of an interesting character. He had originally been one of Li Zicheng's subordinates—but whereas Liu Guoneng had surrendered to the court because he refused to bear the infamy of being a rebel and prided himself on loyalty, Gao Jie had been driven out because he had cuckolded Li Zicheng and was being hunted down.

He bore the hatred of a stolen wife toward Li Zicheng, and with the two having been enemies for years, it had long become an unforgettable, bone-deep grudge. Though the historical Gao Jie was arrogant and often disobeyed orders, he was exceptionally clear-headed on matters of great principle, never once mentioning surrender to the roving bandits or the Manchu Qing—truly loyal to the court.

Making Gao Jie the Regional Commander of Xuanfu was a dose of poison, and the Chongzhen Emperor naturally understood this.

Shi Kefa, the Minister of War in Nanjing, had set out with several thousand Nanjing camp soldiers over two months ago. Though there had been no news recently, even at the slowest pace he should be arriving soon.

The commanders already gathered at Huangcun could be said to represent the final military strength the Great Ming could assemble in Beizhili at this time.

Assistant Regional Commanders, Mobile Corps Commander commanders, and garrison Battalion Commanders from all regions were too numerous to count, and every day more loyalist troops arrived under imperial summons to join the assembly.

Between the sixth and eighth of the fifth month, word came that Liu Fangliang was leading over one hundred thousand Dashing Army troops north from Bazhou, taking Xin'an, Yongqing, and Gu'an in succession, and was now advancing without pause toward the Zhuozhou and Fangshan area.

On the night of the ninth of the fifth month, a rover wearing a white arrow jacket embroidered with the characters "Da Shun" on his chest was dragged in personally by Zhang Shize. This man was one of the former subordinates of Cao Cao who had secretly met in a civilian home in Bazhou city a few days earlier.

The Chongzhen Emperor had initially no intention of questioning him, but the rover shouted "Long live Your Majesty," saying he had come to surrender, and then spoke of how the Dashing Army was not united within—this was what drew the Chongzhen Emperor's attention, and he gestured for him to continue.

On his way here, Huzi had deliberately taken a look at the great camp at Huangcun—an endless expanse of fire lights—and was shocked to discover that the imperial army still had this many men. He had truly come to the right place.

In the darkness, Huzi found that the imperial troops were not the listless, dispirited lot of rumor. On the contrary, many wore brand-new armor, their blades and spears polished to a gleaming shine, walking along with laughter and talk, all saying they would fight to the death against the roving bandits, win merit and establish careers, and secure blessings for future generations.

Seeing the tall "Huang" banner flying among the various imperial army flags, Huzi's heart was already pounding with dread. Entering the great tent and seeing the burly generals standing on both sides, he felt even more shaken to the core.

The Chongzhen Emperor's face showed great impatience. Knowing he had little chance to speak, Huzi abandoned any thought of begging for mercy and poured out the purpose of his visit in full.

"Your Majesty, this humble one knows his crimes are unforgivable. I have come today only to ask whether the imperial decree issued to the realm last month still holds."

"If we return to the court, we only beg that Your Majesty treat us equally with all others!"

Before the Chongzhen Emperor could reply, two guards immediately stepped forward to seize Huzi, and the assembled generals shouted their condemnations—only Huang Degong and Zhang Shize remained expressionless, staring thoughtfully.

The Chongzhen Emperor glanced at Huang Degong, then waved his hand to signal the guards to withdraw, and only then said:

"A sovereign does not jest. Since I have issued the decree, of course it still holds!" At this, the Chongzhen Emperor helped Huzi up and said:

"Though you are now roving bandits, if you turn back from the wrong path and serve the court, you are still subjects of my Great Ming, still my people. Of course I will treat you equally!"

Huzi was overjoyed at these words. First he kowtowed in thanks, then turned and said:

"Your Majesty, do not be fooled by Liu Fangliang's host of over one hundred thousand—within it, hearts are not united! We former subordinates of Cao Cao, the former Xiao Yuan Camp, and the former Five Camps all hate him to the bone!"

With that, Huzi knocked his head three times in a row and shouted:

"Your Majesty is magnanimous, and this humble one is convinced! I can return to camp tonight and coordinate with the great army from within, winning merit for the court. That dog-thief Liu Fangliang is surely doomed to die!"

The Chongzhen Emperor's expression shifted several times, then he smiled and said:

"If this can be accomplished, it will be the fortune of my Great Ming's altars of state."