Chapter 1280: Forcing Peace with Cannons

Just as spirits were rising, they saw Wei Zhongxian's expression change as he read the letter. Instead of continuing, he handed it over to the Tianqi Emperor. The relief everyone had just felt was instantly replaced by dread. They watched the young sovereign's excited look vanish in an instant, his body seeming to shrink and stoop. Finally, in a hoarse voice, he said, "Old companion, read on for everyone to hear."

"... Your Majesty, the most urgent matter now is to make the rebels withdraw. Agree to whatever outrageous demands they make. If the rebels do not leave, the situation is dire. If they do leave, there may still be a chance to recover..."

The several thousand cavalry led by Sun Chengzong had already entered Shuntian Prefecture but had halted near Jizhou, not daring to advance. This was because Zhao's Army troops were positioned between Baodi County and Xianghe County, several dozen li to their south. If Sun Chengzong's force moved, its rear could be cut off, separating the cavalry from the main infantry column behind them. Given the current situation, Sun Chengzong's troops dared not make any rash moves; any movement risked exposing their flank to an attack by Zhao's Army.

If the cavalry simply charged westward toward the capital regardless, provisions would not be an issue. But if they were blocked outside the capital by Xuzhou troops and then attacked from front and rear, total annihilation was highly likely. The main force of the Xuzhou army had firmly pinned down the reinforcements from Ji Garrison and the Liao direction. Apart from retreating to their stations, any advance by the Ji-Liao border troops carried extreme risk.

At this juncture, the court could not endure another major defeat. Sun Chengzong naturally understood this, so he dispatched fast riders to deliver a letter to the capital, fearing that his own progress might influence the sovereign and ministers' judgment.

The Xuzhou army had already severed north from south. The Xuan-Da troops west of the capital were either shattered or standing idle, while the Ji-Liao border troops to the east dared not move recklessly, pinned down in the Jizhou area by the Xuzhou forces. Sun Chengzong's letter extinguished the last shred of wishful thinking and illusion in the hearts of the sovereign and his ministers.

Inside the Hall of Literary Profundity, the Son of Heaven, grand ministers, eunuchs, and nobles looked at one another. Every face bore genuine or feigned dejection and despair. Each person watched the others, hoping someone else would voice the word "peace talks." By this point, there were no other choices left. Yet whoever proposed peace talks would likely be held accountable later—if there even was a later to speak of.

After a silent exchange of glances, the Tianqi Emperor finally looked toward Wei Zhongxian. Wei Zhongxian's back was somewhat stooped, but he still stepped forward. Before he could even open his mouth, however, the sound of urgent footsteps rang out again from outside the hall. Everyone shuddered involuntarily. Elder Sun's relief army was blocked halfway and unable to move—what other bad news had to be delivered at a run?

"... Disaster, disaster! The rebels are advancing toward the city walls..."

After the 2nd Regiment of Zhao's Army's 1st Brigade rendezvoused with the advance cavalry and rested for a night, at noon the following day, the Zhao's Army forces outside the capital formed up their ranks and began advancing toward the city walls. The capital was shaken!

The pikemen and musketeers of the 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade, guided by banners and drumbeats, formed columns and marched forward with uniform steps. The three thousand-plus cavalry were divided between the two wings at the rear, advancing slowly. Infantry in the center, cavalry on the flanks—this formation defied conventional military doctrine. Yet in the current situation, who dared call it wrong? All anyone felt was a dense, murderous aura.

Eyes on the city walls and outside were fixed on Zhao's Army's movements. The moment they stirred, everyone inside and outside the city knew instantly. Watching these five thousand Zhao's Army troops close in, no one inside or outside the capital dared to move. The two great camps south and north of the capital had already massed their troops, but the officers and soldiers in both camps dared not march out. No matter how urgently the edicts urged them, no one dared act rashly.

The routed soldiers had already brought back descriptions of how formidable the Xuzhou rebels were. The news of defeat after crushing defeat, the exaggerated tales—whether true or false—had long since drained the government troops of all will to fight. If there were a chance to win, they would still be willing to try, but a suicide mission was another matter. They couldn't win anyway, so why bother going through the ordeal.

In those two great camps, the eunuchs and civil officials sent to urge action began with harsh words and stern faces, but later fell silent. The eunuchs and civil officials commanding the troops there could only explain with bitter expressions, absolutely not daring to agree to any sortie. By this point, the military officers actually leading the troops had all made their calculations: the soldiers under their command were not there to defend the nation, but were the capital for their own future wealth—or for saving their own skins. Besides, in the current situation, who would dare push too hard? Push too hard, and if a mutiny erupted, who could survive the chaos of rebellious troops?

The eunuchs and civil officials who had once been so arrogant now dared not press the military officers. And the officers, who normally treated their soldiers like pigs and dogs, now dared not press their men either. Everyone just kept things muddling along ambiguously. In those two great camps, ample provisions and double rewards could still maintain a shred of decorum. But if they marched out to battle, all hierarchy and respect would vanish—it would come down to whoever held a blade.

On the eastern section of the capital's city wall, Ming officers and soldiers crouched behind crenellations and parapets, watching the steadily approaching Zhao's Army in terror. The cannons atop the wall were all loaded with powder; rolling logs and stones were piled high at every key point; the water and oil in the great cauldrons were already boiling. These defenses were passable by the book, yet no one had the slightest confidence. All they felt was fear.

Ever since witnessing those dozens of Xuzhou cavalry squads assaulting government troops days earlier, all the outlandish rumors brought back by the defeated soldiers from Tianjin and Shandong had been accepted as absolute truth. No one dared to leave the city and engage these godlike killers in battle.

The capital was the second-largest city under Heaven, surpassed only by Nanjing, which was built utilizing mountainous terrain. Its walls loomed towering and majestic, like a giant upon the plains of Yan. Since the founding of the Ming, Tatar slaves from the steppes and rebel bandits from every corner of the realm had come before these walls more than once, yet not a single one had ever shaken them. The sovereign, ministers, soldiers, and civilians within the capital all held this confidence. Yet for some unknown reason, seeing the Xuzhou troops outside the city, not a single heart felt secure. Everyone had heard how the Xuzhou rebels had used giant cannons to batter down the county seat of Jinghai. Could the capital withstand them? No one was sure.

A thousand-some infantry regiment, three thousand cavalry—a force of nearly five thousand men. Deployed in formation, its scale was not small. Yet compared to this towering giant of a city, it was like ants before a man. But these ants were advancing without the slightest fear, while the man stood trembling, utterly helpless.

"Make ready, all of you, make ready! Listen, lads, the day to give your all for the nation has come. Let's not disgrace our ancestors!" A military officer with some backbone roared from the top of the wall. His personal guards and household retainers also wore expressions of righteous resolve.

But the ordinary soldiers all wore indifferent expressions, some even tinged with mockery. They had joined the capital garrison to earn their keep, yet they received less than five months' pay and provisions a year. Though there was no drill, they were never idle—either sent to some great lord's mansion to work as servants, or made to till the fields and labor for some great lord. All of it unpaid, not even a single coin in wages.

Worked like oxen and horses day in and day out, and now at a moment like this you tell them to give their all for the nation? On what grounds? No one voiced it aloud, but in their hearts they had all made their calculations. If the enemy truly attacked, they'd scatter to hell. Maybe they could even slip into the city and grab some loot along the way. Who would sell their lives for a court that treated them so harshly!

Inside the capital, chaos reigned even worse. Normally no secret could ever be kept, and at a time like this concealment was utterly impossible. The moment word spread that the Xuzhou rebels were about to attack the city, everyone inside was stricken with terror. Anyone with any means at all fled toward the West Gate. But now that Hu Wang no longer dared to profit from such a situation, the city gates were tightly shut, with not the slightest ambiguity tolerated.

Eunuchs of the Inner Drill guarded every critical intersection, while the Imperial Guard rode through the streets on horseback. The capital was under martial law. These Inner Drill eunuchs were castrated men trained in martial skills and equipped with weapons, prepared for only a year or two. Their combat strength could not be relied upon, yet at this moment they were the ones the palace trusted most. The several battalions of the Imperial Guard were the core force, to be used as a mobile reserve. When the time came to escort the imperial family out of the capital, they would be relied upon for that as well.

The leading figures of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Directorate of the Imperial Stables, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were all stationed at various posts. Their status was such that even noble relatives and high officials throwing their weight around did not intimidate them. The Tianqi Emperor had issued an edict, and Wei Zhongxian and the Grand Secretariat had also given the word: anyone who lacked sense and stirred up trouble would be arrested. Those of insufficient rank would be executed on the spot without mercy.

Relying on these people to maintain order within the city, the situation had not yet collapsed entirely. Yet every heart was strung taut like a bowstring, and every heart also felt it shouldn't be so tense. Outside the city, even if they had three heads and six arms, there were only a few thousand of them. How could a few thousand men possibly take this capital of a million souls? How was that possible? And yet everyone felt it was possible. The Xuzhou rebel army was simply too strong...

Amid this absurdity and panic, Zhao's Army's formation reached a position roughly three li from the city wall. The cannons atop the wall roared one after another with considerable noise, but every shot fell empty. The cannons on the wall were all fixed in place, making it nearly impossible to change their aim, and Zhao's Army's columns had deliberately avoided those arcs of fire.

"If our Xuzhou cannons were up on that wall, how would we dare swagger forward like this?"

"If this were our Xuzhou, how could they shut the gates and cower in a death defense? How could they let anyone rampage outside the city?"

Low exchanges passed among the ranks. At this point, at this distance, no one was really nervous anymore—only excited. On the section of the capital's wall facing them, whether sincere or feigned, every kind of defense had been prepared. If Xuzhou dared to come close, rolling logs, stones, arrows, and firearms would pour down instantly.

By now, those capital garrison soldiers had nowhere left to run, because the Imperial Guard had mounted the wall to enforce the battle. Under the threat of gleaming blades, no one dared harbor any other thoughts. It truly made one sigh—so the great lords knew all the ins and outs of every side, and knew exactly how to handle things. Then why, in ordinary times, did they pay no heed whatsoever? Those in the know, observing the defensive arrangements on the wall, felt considerably more at ease. If the Xuzhou rebels truly tried to storm the city, the various engines of war atop the wall would surely draw blood and take lives.

But what the defenders atop the capital's wall had not expected was that Zhao's Army's formation halted at a position three li away. Over a thousand paces distant, nothing could be done from either side. This, at least, let everyone on the wall breathe a sigh of relief. Not fighting was still best.

Zhao's Army's cannons were already being set up, and the cavalry had dismounted to come help. The three heavy cannons were all swiftly moved into position.

I'm planning to travel around the country lately. Knowing my habits, I might actually write more while on the road. Heh, this isn't an announcement, just casual chat.

Thanks to old friends "Qi Sanwen, Yuan Heng Lizhen, Duan Yichen, Huang Qi—Wang Meng, Hua Ji, Feng Zhong Long Wang" for their tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you, everyone.