Chapter Two: Nobles of the Capital

Just as the group was amidst a lively discussion, a scholar whose robes were slightly disheveled spoke up in a clear voice: "Gentlemen, this humble student has a suggestion."

"And how might we address you, brother?" asked a burly man among the scholars, dressed in a simple light-green Confucian robe. Though he felt a flicker of annoyance, he nonetheless offered a lazy, perfunctory salute upon seeing the newcomer’s scholarly attire.

"My surname is Fu, given name Rujui, courtesy name Yuanxi."

"Oh?" Upon hearing the name, the burly scholar’s brows twitched sharply. He composed himself, and his expression softened significantly. "I am Wang Mingsi, courtesy name Weizhi."

Seeing how courteous their leader, Wang Mingsi, was being, the other scholars were unsure of the newcomer’s background, yet they all put on smiles and stepped forward to introduce themselves and offer their respects.

"Wu Bao, courtesy name Dake."

"Chen Miao, courtesy name Shuiyun."

...

The exchange of pleasantries followed the standard protocol of the officialdom among scholars. Fu Rujui was well-versed in such rituals and handled them with ease. Soon after, the host and guests took their seats, and the waiter brought out new tableware, dishes, and fine wine. After three rounds of drinks and the savoring of various delicacies, the atmosphere among the group grew warm and boisterous.

It was during this time that Fu Rujui learned what had transpired in Xi'an.

Sun Chuanting had staged a "Feast at Hongmen" in Xi'an, arresting the Qin army's commander, He Renlong, and subsequently announcing an imperial secret decree from the Chongzhen Emperor to have him beheaded. To appease the rank and file of the Qin army, Sun Chuanting immediately promoted He Renlong’s subordinate, Deputy Commander Gao Jie, to take his place.

Gao Jie was a bitter rival of Li Zicheng. Originally one of Li’s subordinates, he had illicitly involved himself with Li’s wife; after the affair was discovered, he abducted the woman and defected to the government forces, reinventing himself as a loyal subject of the imperial court. His history was, to say the least, unique.

The group of scholars held a largely positive view of Sun Chuanting’s maneuver. Previously, when Li Zicheng was besieging Kaifeng, the defenders of Ye County and Xiangcheng—Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing, respectively—had both been former rebel generals who fought to the death. The Ming court had posthumously honored them with titles and shrines. Consequently, the scholars felt that by replacing He Renlong with Gao Jie, Sun Chuanting was taking the right path to suppress the bandits once he entered the Central Plains.

However, upon hearing these details, Fu Rujui’s heart sank, and his expression involuntarily darkened.

Wang Mingsi, noticing his sudden change in demeanor, asked with concern, "Brother Fu, you look unwell. Is it perhaps the exhaustion of your travels?"

"My thanks to you, Brother Wang, for your concern. The journey over mountains and rivers has indeed been taxing, but I am accustomed to physical hardship; it is of no consequence." Fu Rujui regained his composure and seamlessly redirected the conversation: "Gao Jie replacing He Renlong as commander of the Qin army is, at the very least, a blessing for the people of Xi'an. A sudden change in command naturally throws an army into disarray; it will require some time to reorganize before they can march."

"A temporary pause in military action would indeed lighten the burden on the people," Wang Mingsi sighed, "but with the situation in the Central Plains so critical, His Majesty will not have the patience to watch the Qin army sit idle. Moreover, Governor Sun has already made promises in the capital; I fear they will march eventually."

"With Governor Sun of the Qin, Governor Ding of E, and Governor Yang of Ji, can the three armies combined not deal with these rebels?" Wu Bao interjected, his face full of righteous indignation. "It is merely a matter of soldiers not giving their all and commanders being greedy and incompetent."

Wang Mingsi chuckled and shook his head. "That is precisely the point. If Governor Sun does not march out now, it will be too late once this window of opportunity passes."

Fu Rujui’s eyes brightened as he watched Wang Mingsi speak so nonchalantly.

Chen Miao wanted to add something, but Wang Mingsi cut off the topic abruptly. "Haha, let us eat! The Qizhen Tower is most famous for its mountain delicacies. Since Brother Fu is here today, we must toast with a large cup to accompany such fine food!"

***

Linqing Wharf.

The wharf was currently a scene of utter congestion, with figures moving back and forth in a constant stream. Encouraged by good wine, hearty food, and cold, hard cash, countless laborers worked feverishly to load bundles of military supplies onto ships. Hundreds of vessels of all sizes occupied the river, loading and unloading in shifts, causing the entire wharf to grind to a halt.

Yet, no one had any complaints. These ships had been chartered by the Tax Bureau at the personal order of Zhu Cilang, and everyone was paid in silver. The manpower was hired on the spot, creating a surge of sudden employment.

Even in such a bustling harbor, one area remained strangely empty—because a noble from the capital was there.

It appeared these dignitaries had just disembarked. However, Zhu Cilang had declared that he was merely seeing off an imperial envoy returning north. Since Zhu Cilang had said as much, and the eunuch official did not deny it, others naturally assumed their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Before long, the eunuch official from the government ship stepped ashore with a smile, exchanged greetings with Zhu Cilang, and then, without further ado, pulled Zhu Cilang onto the vessel and into a secluded inner chamber.

Onlookers watched with envy. It was clear that Zhu Cilang had a powerful eunuch in the palace as his patron.

However, once they were inside the ship, the eunuch official immediately bowed and apologized, his face filled with worry: "Your Highness, you were far too impulsive this time! How could you do such a thing..."

Zhu Cilang smiled brightly. "Is Big Companion worried that it was too easy for me to enter Henan? Do not worry, I have three thousand elite soldiers guarding me; it will be fine!"

Si En shook his head repeatedly. "Your Highness, what kind of battle can soldiers fight after only a few days of training? That is not what this old servant meant. Please do not blame me for being meddlesome, but this... this decree..."

"Big Companion has been in Linqing for several days now; why has the decree not been announced yet?" Zhu Cilang asked with a smile, treating it lightly.

Si En opened his mouth, but for several moments, he did not know how to respond.

It was not that Si En was too frightened to speak; he truly did not know how to express himself!

Zhu Cilang’s insistence on leading troops into Henan, disregarding his own safety, had shocked not only Si En and Wang Chengen but the Chongzhen Emperor himself. Yet, both the Emperor and Si En knew that once Zhu Cilang had set his mind on something, not even ten thousand oxen could pull him back. The Emperor had no choice but to yield, immediately approving the order for Zhu Cilang to oversee the Shandong garrison. Secretly, he had rushed to have the documents verifying the Crown Prince’s full authority delivered by Si En himself, all while frantically coordinating support from the capital.

Thus, accompanying Si En were not only the imperial decrees but also all manner of military supplies and equipment that the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue had scraped together with all their might, enough to sustain twenty thousand troops of the Shandong garrison.

But this time, that was not what Si En was referring to.