Chapter 225: Pacifying the Rebellion

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Liu Chengzong reined in his horse on the main street that ran east–west through Pingliang City, facing north.

Beside him was the Dismount Stele, directly opposite the Spirit Star Gate of Prince Han's mansion, guarded by two soldiers. The glazed tiles of the towering gatehouse were blackened by smoke, and the great vermilion gates studded with gold nails stood wide open before him.

Zhou Riqiang stood beneath the gate arch, waving him over. The envoy from the imperial court stood to one side with his retinue, a eunuch in a python robe with hands folded over his belly, gazing toward him.

The soldiers guarding the gate all wore expressions of indescribable joy. Every man in Lion Battalion understood — of course they could stay here, fighting on all sides until they were beaten into fleeing in utter disarray.

Liu Chengzong said to himself in his heart: just one step left.

Just one step left to break free of this predicament. He would be King of the Western Sea, overlord of all Tibetan lands.

Liu Chengzong drew a deep breath, raised his head, and strode toward the city gate.

Just then, the sound of iron-shod hooves striking the ground came from the eastern avenue. Liu Chengzong turned his head — on horseback was Wei Qian'er, looking slightly panicked.

Wei Qian'er was in a great hurry. He reined in his mount ten paces away, nearly getting thrown off himself, then swung down from the saddle and strode quickly up to him. He shot a vicious glare at the eunuch beneath the gate before saying in a low voice, "Commander, trouble."

"An hour ago, Dai Daozi's unit's pond scouts clashed with Guanning Army pond scouts at Yellow Dragon Falls, a hundred li from here. Right now, Dai's unit has gathered the five-pond cavalry and pulled back twenty li. The Guanning Army force should be over two thousand strong, one man per horse, and they've already entered the Jing River valley."

"But they're advancing west in a great hurry!" Wei Qian'er lowered his voice. "They're estimated to reach Jian'gou River tonight, and by noon tomorrow they'll be at Forty-Li Post."

In that first moment, Liu Chengzong looked at Wei Qian'er and said nothing.

He forced himself to calm down. He understood why Wei Qian'er was so alarmed.

In his heart he had the same question. He did not want to know why the Guanning Army had appeared here — he only wanted to know: what did the Guanning Army's appearance in the Jing River valley at this moment signify?

It signified that all his early-warning arrangements beyond the pond scouts — Fu Renxi at Yonghe Pass, He Yong at Yuhe Fort, Gao Yingxiang at Lion Bay, Ren Quan'er at Ansai Fort, and the Guanning Army vanguard officer Yang Yanchang — had all failed.

That was why Wei Qian'er was so flustered.

And the Guanning Army had not come earlier, nor later, but precisely today, when the palace eunuch had already arrived. Tomorrow would be the day the entire Lion Battalion was at its most relaxed — and the enemy would be at the city walls.

Though he still did not know exactly where things had gone wrong, he was perfectly clear in his heart that in what he had undertaken, a problem at any link in the chain was hardly surprising.

His thoughts racing, Liu Chengzong suppressed the displeasure in his heart and kept his expression as usual.

"The enemy is still eighty li away. You've done well." He raised a hand and straightened Wei Qian'er's rumpled collar. "Go invite Mister Yang and Watch Commander Feng to Prince Han's mansion. Assemble all Lion Battalion units outside the Right Watch east of the city. Bring weapons and armor, ready the mules, and have our good men hold their horses."

Liu Chengzong's composure restored Wei Qian'er's calm. He cupped his fists gravely, accepted the order, and departed.

Prince Han stood to the side, utterly at a loss. He had heard everything — the pond scouts' encounter and Liu Chengzong's deployments, all had reached his ears.

When war comes, even one as noble as a prince is nothing more than a small figure caught in its grip.

So he immediately declared his stance: "Damn it all, didn't I say the Fourth Ancestor's line has no good people!"

But to his surprise, Liu Chengzong merely gave him an easy smile, completely unruffled, as if he had long anticipated everything. "Come, Prince Han, let us go receive the imperial decree."

It was nothing more than a declaration of war — Liu Chengzong shot a meaningful glance back at Fan Sanlang.

Aside from swindling his relatives out of money, what little wisdom remained in Prince Han's head was probably all devoted to self-preservation. Liu Chengzong had originally intended to walk half a step behind him, but the man kept shrinking back so insistently that it was impossible.

In the end, it could only be Liu Chengzong striding forward with head high, leading Prince Han toward the Spirit Star Gate.

Fan Sanlang fell slightly behind. She drew the Frankish hand cannon from her waist, loaded the sub-chamber with shot, deftly bit open the paper cap of the fire tube, ignited the match cord, and followed step for step, hand on her saber and pistol raised.

Zhou Riqiang had no idea what had happened. He was in high spirits — the mission Yang He had entrusted to him was about to be accomplished, just like that, in a muddled haze.

Looking back, there had been several heart-stopping moments, but all had been mere false alarms.

Now that his mission was nearly complete, he no longer counted on Yang He fulfilling his promise to secure him a fourth-rank official post. He planned to request leave and return to his old home in Baoding Prefecture.

In all the court and realm, few had experiences like his. Especially during this period Zhou Riqiang had spent with Liu Chengzong — perhaps he himself did not even feel it, but this Ning Prefecture Magistrate of the imperial court had indeed become deeply convinced that the realm's great chaos would persist for a long time.

He planned to go home and write a book. It would both record what he had seen and heard and serve as a warning to the world. Besides, with the flourishing culture of collating and printing books in court and society today, publishing a book might even earn more money than being a fourth-rank official.

His mind was wholly lost in visions of the future, so he paid no heed to Wei Qian'er racing over and then, moments later, racing off again.

He did, however, remember to introduce the man beside him to the Son of Heaven's trusted servant Cao Huachun: "Eunuch Cao, that is General Liu."

Cao Huachun had been watching Liu Chengzong for a long time. At these words, he nodded to Zhou Riqiang and said, "Indeed young and imposing. Liu the Second has truly had good fortune."

As he spoke, Liu Chengzong had already approached with Prince Han.

Cao Huachun was somewhat displeased that he walked ahead of Prince Han, but he said nothing of it. He clasped his hands and said with a beaming smile, "Prince Han, this must be General Liu. As the wind rises from the earth and begins at the tips of the duckweed..."

"His Majesty the Emperor has said: when the realm's innocent children fall into banditry, the fault does not lie entirely with you. Since the general has sincerely petitioned for amnesty, His Majesty, who delights in helping others fulfill their aims, grants your wish."

The letter Liu Chengzong had submitted to the court — Chongzhen had later let Cao Huachun read it too. It was written with deep sincerity. So Cao Huachun fully expected that Liu Chengzong, who a moment ago had been glancing about with proud self-assurance, would now bow his head in gratitude.

He never expected Liu Chengzong to merely laugh once and say, "Then let the eunuch read the decree."

Cao Huachun was a shrewd operator forged in the palace's struggles for power. In a single glance he saw that Liu Chengzong's smile was brimming with hostility. He took the imperial decree from the Pure Army attendant behind him and held it in his hand, in no hurry to read it aloud. He merely asked, "Has some unforeseen change occurred for the general?"

"No change for me."

The words had barely left Liu Chengzong's mouth when he raised his hand and snatched the imperial decree from Cao Huachun's grasp.

Neither Cao Huachun nor Zhou Riqiang had imagined such a thing happening on the verge of an official appointment. Even Prince Han beside them had not expected Liu Chengzong to seize the imperial decree.

So much so that everyone froze for an instant. Several Pure Army men behind Cao Huachun drew their blades, and at the same moment, a sharp cry rang out from behind Liu Chengzong: "Who dares move!"

Fan Sanlang aimed her pistol at Cao Huachun with her left hand, pointed her saber at the Pure Army with her right, and planted herself in front of Liu Chengzong.

Cao Huachun had never had a hand cannon pointed at him like this. Though his face betrayed no panic or cowardice, his heart did clench. "General Liu, what is the meaning of this?"

Zhou Riqiang also said urgently, "General Liu, this — good fortune is at hand, you—!"

Liu Chengzong ignored them. He simply unfurled the imperial decree.

It was brilliant yellow silk of the finest quality, densely embroidered by artisans with unique weaving techniques into patterns of auspicious clouds and cranes. On either side of the scroll were silver dragons. Above the first auspicious cloud in the upper right corner, in superb calligraphy, was written the character "Feng."

On a new line, raised one space: "Tian Cheng Yun." On another new line, parallel: "The Emperor decrees to the chieftain Liu Chengzong." Then came the simple main text.

For meritorious service in leading righteous people to submit and guarding the frontier, appointed Pacification Commissioner of the Qinghai Pacification Commission, hereditarily garrisoning the Western Frontier. Thus decreed.

Third year of the Chongzhen reign, thirteenth day of the eighth month.

The decree looked as fake as could be.

Liu Chengzong laughed again. "For the sovereign of a great nation to kill a mere rustic like me, what need is there for deception?"

"I don't understand what you mean." Cao Huachun, with the hand cannon still pointed at him, kept his tone rather firm. "His Majesty the Emperor also has a letter for you, a decree for your brother, and I've brought the official patents, seals, tallies, plaques, and court headwear — who's deceiving you!"

"His Majesty sincerely offers amnesty, and you show such disrespect?"

"Sincere pacification?"

Liu Chengzong asked the question just as the sound of orderly running and the clang of horseshoes striking the street rang out from the long avenue.

Squads of Lion Camp soldiers crossed the long avenue in six-file columns; the household troop unit drilling at the city-west parade ground split off from the torrent of men leading mules and horses, filed past the Prince of Han's mansion gate, and disarmed and seized every one of the Pure Army men.

Feng Rang arrived quickly; Yang Dingrui came hurrying after. Seeing the situation at the city gate, he stepped forward and said, "Lion, what's going on? I heard from Wei Qian'er that Guanning Army has entered the river valley?"

Liu Chengzong handed the imperial edict to Yang Dingrui, then turned to Cao Huachun with a fierce glare. "You use the Guanning Army marching into the river valley to pacify me?"

"Guan, Guanning Army?"

Cao Huachun's eyes went wide. He turned and looked blankly at Zhou Riqiang. "No — before we came, I met Yang Xiuling in Ningzhou. He said he'd sent word to Cao Wenzhao that you'd already been pacified and told him to return to Shanxi!"

Zhou Riqiang shut his eyes in frustration and heaved a long sigh at the sky — what a goddamn mess. When he opened his eyes again, he shook his head at Liu Chengzong, distancing himself. "Commander, I've been at your side the whole time. I know absolutely nothing about this."

The Prince of Han also questioned Cao Huachun. "Eunuch Cao, what exactly is going on here? Does His Majesty wish to doom my Han fief?"

At those words, Cao Huachun immediately grew frantic. "Your Highness Prince of Han, this is absolutely not His Majesty's intent. How could His Majesty place a vassal kingdom in peril... General Liu, is it truly the Guanning Army?"

"An hour ago, they were already fighting my scout cavalry a hundred li out. Could that be fake? Someone in Shaanxi impersonating the Guanning Army — do we even have talent like that?"

Only at this moment did the Prince of Han finally emerge from his fear.

He was at last certain that even in his towering rage, Liu Chengzong had no intention of killing him. Now his thoughts cleared.

He whispered into Liu Chengzong's ear: "Great King, in this humble king's view, though the fourth ancestor's clan has no good men, this Eunuch Cao was the emperor's constant companion back when he was Prince of Xin. I've never heard of him committing any offense — they wouldn't drag him into this too."

The Prince of Han cleared his throat and raised his voice. "This king believes the General should calm his anger somewhat. There may well be some misunderstanding here."

"Guanning doesn't come early, doesn't come late — the day I accept pacification, tomorrow the whole camp lets its guard down, and Guanning troops descend on the city and wipe me out."

Liu Chengzong said, "By Your Highness the Prince of Han's reckoning — hah, what misunderstanding could there possibly be here?"

Cao Huachun sucked in a sharp breath, stroked his smooth-shaven chin, and muttered to himself, "Could it be... the Guanning Army has mutinied again?"

Liu Chengzong folded his arms. The hell did he mean, mutinied 'again'?

But Cao Huachun turned it over and over in his mind, then shook his head. Earlier, during the Jisi Incident, Yuan Chonghuan had been imprisoned, and Zu Dashou, in fear, had withdrawn his troops beyond the pass without authorization — but Cao Wenzhao hadn't fled.

Then his eyes widened again. Could it be... could it be because Yuan Chonghuan's head was delivered to Yansui Garrison?

Cao Huachun couldn't figure it out, and even less could he figure out who had moved Cao Wenzhao's troops into Pingliang Prefecture at this moment.

Wasn't this trying to get him and all the Princes of the Han fief killed?

At this thought, Cao Huachun said, "General, why not send someone to ask Viceroy Yang again?"

Liu Chengzong flatly refused. That river valley was only five or six li wide — rather than send a man on a near-certain-death mission to deliver a meaningless letter, he might as well just fight them directly.

He thought to himself that he never should have gotten tangled up with this broken-down court.

He felt very much like he was playing a game right now.

The game's main quest was to gather information from the four ministers beside him, sift through it himself, and find intelligence he could use.

These four ministers were: Life-Preservation Expert Zhu Danji, Knows-Nothing Zhou Riqiang, Fake-Beard Cao Huachun, and Yang He, who existed only in dialogue.

The game's title was Chongzhen Emperor Role-Play.

Back when the country was functioning normally, every one of these four should have known what this army was doing.

Now, Liu Chengzong could only distill two useful pieces of information.

First, from the Prince of Han, who would never joke with his own life: the Han fief wasn't very important, but this eunuch was very important to Chongzhen — meaning this army was not sent by the emperor.

Second, from the eunuch who was very important to Chongzhen: the Guanning Army had mutinied again.

Liu Chengzong figured that second point was eighty percent unreliable. In his memory, Cao Wenzhao, who had cut a bloody swath through both Shaanxi and Shanxi — how could he mutiny here?

So working backwards, assuming the Guanning Army had not mutinied, then Cao Wenzhao must have come to suppress rebels.

"Eunuch Cao is right. Since the Three Borders Viceroy ordered him back to Shanxi, yet here they are — they must have mutinied! Isn't that so?"

Liu Chengzong looked at the Prince of Han with utter seriousness. "They know I've accepted pacification, and this is the seat of the Han fief. Your Highness, these men want to sack a vassal kingdom."

The Prince of Han was no fool. He understood exactly what Liu Chengzong meant. Guanning or not, who cared what they were here for — the Han fief was safe right now, and if these men came, it wouldn't be safe anymore.

And if they turned around and burned down his Eastern Palace and built another little fort to the east, he'd end up owing Liu Chengzong another two thousand taels.

He huffed, nostrils flaring and eyes bulging. "They must not be allowed near the vassal kingdom."

"That's right. They weren't sent by the Emperor, they're defying the Three Borders Viceroy's orders, and the Prince of Han won't let them near his fief."

Liu Chengzong was no longer angry in his heart now. He was even quite pleased.

Not pleased at having a perfect pretext to go to war, but because this whole affair let him skip the entire pacification process, legitimately and aboveboard — and still go fight a battle.

"Sentry Chief Feng, assist Mister Yang in holding the city." He reached over and took the imperial edict back from Mister Yang. Holding the scroll shaft vertically in his left hand, he let it unfurl and pointed with his right at his own name written on it. "Qinghai Pacification Commissioner, meritorious in defending the fief — I am once again going to defend the fief and suppress rebels."

With that, he stuffed the edict back into Yang Dingrui's hands and turned to leave, but Yang Dingrui called him back. "Why not wait at ease for the exhausted enemy and fight tomorrow?"

"I know!" Liu Chengzong laughed. "Right now at noon the weather is still dry and hot. I'm west, he's east — in the afternoon the sun will be at my back. He's making camp today and it's not yet secure. I have more horses; I'll go kick him once this evening, then fight the decisive battle tomorrow afternoon."

Cao Huachun hadn't even processed it — how could Liu Chengzong be so happy the moment he heard about a fight? Then he saw Zhou Riqiang beside him, sighing and shaking his head.

"Had they come a few days earlier, Viceroy Yang's pacification efforts would have been restraining him, and he wouldn't have wanted to start a fight. Had they come a few days later, he, he, he..." Zhou Riqiang waved a hand westward. "He'd have gone off to Qinghai and no fight would have happened either. But it had to be today."

He turned his head and sighed again, then said to Cao Huachun, "Eunuch Cao, do you have any idea — this Lion Liu has been waiting for Cao Wenzhao for a whole month already!"