Chapter 1279: Another Straw

In just a single day and night, the Xuzhou vanguard had already seen the faces of the capital's civil officials. A crowd of men scrambled over each other to come forward, claiming to be trusted sons and nephews of various dukes, marquises, and earls, or the personal attendants and confidants of certain high officials. They all spoke of only one thing: they had long suffered under the Great Ming, their hearts turned toward Xuzhou, and they were willing to collaborate from within to change the dynasty.

Some said they could rally their household guards and able-bodied commoners to rise up and create chaos inside the city as an internal response. Others claimed considerable influence in the capital garrison and could persuade troops to switch sides and rise in righteous revolt. Still others offered to serve as Xuzhou's envoys, persuading the imperial family and officials within the city to surrender. These men showed not a shred of reserve upon meeting; they immediately knelt and kowtowed, inevitably shouting a few cries of "Long live King Zhao, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Such behavior disgusted Shi Manqiang, Ji Xiang, and the others beyond measure. They had expected to encounter loyal and steadfast subjects of the Great Ming, but instead found a pack of utterly shameless scoundrels. What was worse, it was extremely difficult to tell the genuine from the false — these men could very well be feigning surrender while secretly plotting some sinister scheme.

"They can't all be here to surrender. That would be treating us brothers like fools!" Ji Xiang remarked with feeling.

Seeing how these men conducted themselves, Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang felt more and more that Zhao Jin's judgment had been correct. If they rushed to change the dynasty, the Zhao family army and Xuzhou would not have enough personnel and would inevitably have to rely on such men to help manage affairs. But after witnessing their manner and behavior, how could anyone feel at ease or reassured? How could they be counted on to assist in taking over and assuming control? Far better to train their own internal strength and do it themselves.

The force that came to the capital to link up with Shi Manqiang and Ji Xiang was the First Brigade, Second Regiment under Zhuang Liu's command — over a thousand men strong. Thanks to the extensive use of mules and horses, their marching speed was very fast, and they suffered hardly any delays along the way.

No matter how elite and formidable a single regiment might be, it meant little against a capital city of such immense size. Zhao Jin naturally understood this, but this First Brigade, Second Regiment had brought three cannons with them — two twelve-pounders and one sixteen-pounder. It would be more accurate to say the Second Regiment had escorted these three cannons here than to say the regiment itself had arrived.

"The commander has issued an order: force peace through battle. Within these three days, the cannons must bombard the capital's gate towers!" Zhuang Liu delivered Zhao Jin's command, and the men acknowledged it with solemn respect.

Zhuang Liu also brought news of the main Zhao family army's movements from Tianjin. The main body of the Zhao family army had already struck camp and marched north, but instead of advancing directly along the canal to Tongzhou and pressing toward the capital, they were preparing to halt between Xianghe County and Baodi County.

The situation inside and outside the capital had already stabilized. Were it not for the large army maneuvering outside the city and the Zhao family army's banners flying east of the capital, it would have seemed a scene of perfect peace.

"... The Grand Coordinator of Datong, jointly with the Regional Commander, reports that the Tatar chieftain Ligdan Khan appears to be making unusual moves, rallying tens of thousands of Chahar and Tümed cavalry in preparation to ride south. The border garrisons of Shanxi dare not leave their posts. Should the border defenses be left empty and the Tatar caitiffs exploit the gap to invade, the entire territory of Shanxi would be lost. Now that troops have been drawn from Xuan-Da to suppress the bandits, the capital region itself is also at risk. Considering the larger picture, the Datong and Shanxi border forces dare not move..."

"... The Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da reports that Xuan Prefecture has suffered severe losses, and the border troops, from top to bottom, are restless and agitated. Moreover, the Tatar caitiffs of the steppe watch with predatory intent. If more troops are transferred from Xuan Prefecture, there is a real danger of mutiny..."

In the Wenyuan Pavilion, Wang Tigan, the Seal-holding Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was dully reading aloud the memorials from below. With each one he read, the faces of those present darkened a shade further. The Tianqi Emperor's face was full of fury. Senior Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao had already submitted a memorial begging for his retirement and was no longer qualified to participate in court deliberations. The position of Senior Grand Secretary hung vacant. In the past, the qualified grandees would have fought over it until blood flowed, but now no one paid it any attention, lest they be saddled with the responsibility. Besides, the position was certain to go to Sun Chengzong, so there was no point in anyone else contending for it.

Everyone had assumed that with Minister of Personnel Zhao Nanxing already toppled for presiding over the peace negotiations, and Ye Xianggao's retirement a foregone conclusion, the Grand Secretariat would next become the sole domain of Wei Zhongxian's faction. To their surprise, Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou of the Chief Surveillance Bureau had been swiftly promoted and encountered no resistance whatsoever during the court recommendation process, entering the Grand Secretariat just like that. Add Sun Chengzong, who was certain to be Senior Grand Secretary, and the distribution of power in the court was such that Wei Zhongxian's faction was actually worse off than before the Xuzhou troops had occupied Tianjin.

Those familiar with the inner workings also knew that Wei Zhongxian had not been deeply involved in the reshuffling of the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the various key government offices. These positions could have been swept clean by the eunuch faction, yet Wei Zhongxian made no move. It was said there was considerable discontent within the eunuch faction. Some sharp-tongued cynic remarked that in such perilous times, the household slaves feared the family estate would collapse and they would be left with nothing, while the kept guests were already pondering whether a new master might be better. Who was truly loyal and who was treacherous was hard to say.

"They have colossal nerve! The capital is in crisis, and We issued an edict summoning troops to come to the throne's aid, yet one by one they all refuse to come. What face do they have left to hold these offices? Draft an edict — We intend to punish them for their crimes..." the Tianqi Emperor said, his face ashen.

Compared to the Son of Heaven's fury, the expressions of the eunuchs and ministers were exceedingly subtle. Even diehard purists like Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou wore helpless, bitter smiles. Everyone exchanged glances, and finally their gazes converged on Wei Zhongxian. Wei Zhongxian gave a dry cough, leaned in close, and said in a low voice, "Myriad Years Lord, it is not the fault of the supreme commanders and grand coordinators. At a juncture like this, the military houses of the border garrisons do not wish to move, and the officials can do nothing about it."

The Tianqi Emperor was first stunned by these words, then a look of sudden understanding dawned, and finally his whole frame sagged in dejection. With a wave of his hand, he asked, "Where has Master Sun reached?"

On the surface, the border armies of the Nine Frontiers were all obedient and loyal, but when it came to a true moment of life and death, they would often prioritize self-preservation. There were numerous precedents for this. In his anger, the Tianqi Emperor had not thought it through, but once reminded, he immediately understood what was happening. Back then, Emperor Yingzong had been captured on his personal campaign precisely because Datong and Xuan Prefecture had held their troops back and watched the Oirat army drive straight in, leaving Emperor Yingzong with no choice but to lead the army personally. And during the Jiajing reign, the Altan Khan's forces had punched through the Nine Frontier defense lines several times, invading through the border passes of Shanxi and Shaanxi. Border army commanders had often maintained secret communications and tacit understandings with the Altan Khan, standing by and doing nothing.

The authority and skill of both Emperor Yingzong of the Zhengtong era and Emperor Shizong of the Jiajing era far exceeded that of the Tianqi Emperor, and the national power at those times was far stronger than it was now. Yet even then, the great generals of the border garrisons acting on their own authority and disregarding the larger picture for the sake of self-preservation was already common practice. The current situation was far more perilous than in those times. Moreover, the border armies of Datong and Xuan Prefecture had already come once — and suffered a crushing defeat. They would naturally fall back on their old tricks and stall, refusing to move.

Faced with such indolent and recalcitrant behavior, the central court had no recourse but helpless frustration. Under the present circumstances, if they pressed too hard and drove these border garrison commanders to mutiny and rebellion, the result would be the total collapse of the Great Ming realm. The court ministers and eunuchs had reasoned this out first; the Tianqi Emperor, once reminded, understood it as well. The only hope now lay with the relief forces from Sun Chengzong's side.

"In reply to the Myriad Years Lord, there is still no word from Grand Secretary Sun. This slave has already given orders that any message is to be delivered directly here at once, without the slightest delay!" Wei Zhongxian hastily answered.

The Tianqi Emperor nodded glumly. He swept his gaze across the men in the room. Whether they belonged to the eunuch faction, attacked by the purists as evil ministers ruining the state, or were among those renowned for their incorruptible integrity, hailed as pillars of the nation — every face was filled with worry. Not a single one seemed to have a solution. Outside the city were a mere five thousand bandit soldiers, while inside, the troops on the books numbered over a hundred thousand, with a population of nearly a million. Yet they had been driven to such a desperate state. The Tianqi Emperor did not understand why. All he knew was that whenever he thought of this, his blood surged and his head felt as if it would burst.

No conclusion could be reached in the discussions that followed. Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou volunteered to oversee the troops and go out to battle, but they could offer no concrete plan, only saying that the Imperial Guard and capital garrison numbered over a hundred thousand, and if they avoided rash advances and reckless moves, if everyone fought with courage and preferred death to retreat — but as Wang Zaijin pointed out, the government troops at Tianjin had likewise not advanced rashly, yet they had been utterly routed in a pitched, open-field battle. As for the hundred thousand-plus troops in the capital, they were in truth no match for that great army of sixty to seventy thousand gathered from all directions. If that force had collapsed, what confidence could they have here? It was not a matter of not fearing death or lacking the heart for martyrdom — when the time came, defeat would still be defeat.

What the others proposed — summoning relief armies from across the realm, training new forces — were all stale platitudes, already proven failures in the previous encirclement campaigns. And training new forces was like trying to slake a nearby thirst with distant water; it could not affect the overall situation in the slightest. These suggestions were raised only for fear of having nothing to say.

Perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps because Ji Garrison was so close to the capital that a fast horse could make the round trip without much delay, barely the time it took to burn a stick of incense after the question was asked, a young eunuch came running at full speed to deliver an urgent letter to the Wenyuan Pavilion. Hearing it was news from Grand Secretary Sun, everyone paid the keenest attention — this was practically the only straw left to clutch at. Disregarding his own rank and status, Wei Zhongxian strode quickly to the door and took the letter himself, a sight that so terrified the young eunuch outside that he dropped to his knees on the spot.

"Companion, read it aloud!" The Tianqi Emperor did not take the letter, but excitedly bade Wei Zhongxian read it. Anyone could see that Tianqi was pinning his hopes on this as his salvation.

"... Myriad Years Lord, Grand Secretary Sun, leading over five thousand elite cavalry from Ji-Liao, is traveling day and night to hurry back. In addition, forty thousand crack border troops from the Ji Garrison and Liao Garrison are also on their way..." Wei Zhongxian said excitedly after opening the letter. Every face in the room lit up with elation, and the Tianqi Emperor's dejection vanished.

Who did not know that the iron cavalry of the Liao Garrison was without equal? Though they could not defeat the Jianzhou Jurchens, they were still the Great Ming's finest of the fine. In the past, when they entered Korea to suppress the Japanese and rode north into the steppe to resist the Mongols, their battle honors had been illustrious. Every other army had now clashed with the Xuzhou bandit forces — only the Liao Garrison had yet to be deployed. Perhaps once the Guan-Ning Iron Cavalry moved, they would sweep away the bandit army like dried twigs and rotten wood.

Even those ignorant of military affairs understood the arithmetic. With these five thousand elite cavalry added, and with Grand Secretary Sun, who had managed the frontier for many years, was thoroughly versed in the art of war, and had no shortage of veteran commanders under his banner — with such a man returning to the capital, it would be like a pillar anchoring the sea. Everyone would have a backbone again. Moreover, in the capital's current political situation, the Donglin purists were barely clinging to life, the eunuch faction dared not shoulder responsibility, and there was effectively no one in charge — chaos reigned everywhere. Once Grand Secretary Sun returned and assumed the post of Senior Grand Secretary, with his qualifications and prestige as the Emperor's teacher, and Wei Zhongxian's obvious deference, he would surely be able to set the situation right.

Thanks to old friends "Wu Liulang, Duan Yichen, Kuding Piaoxiang, Qi Sanwen, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Huang Qi__Wang Meng, Xiao Qi Wenming Qiji, Lan Luhu 2015" for their gifts, and thanks to everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you all for your support.