Chapter Three: News from the Central Plains

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang’s face immediately lit up with joy. “Father, how wise you are. However, I would also like to go to the Military Academy to choose some talents.”

The Emperor Chongzhen chuckled softly and replied, “The Military Academy? I fear that place has long been devoid of capable men. Eleven years ago, when I visited, I found only one man, Wang Lai-Pin, but sadly, he perished during Kong Youde’s rebellion in Dengzhou. It has been over a decade since, and I have long ceased holding military examinations. That place has fallen into neglect for many years; who knows if there are any worthy talents left studying there? Still, since you have mentioned it, I shall grant your wish. But in exchange, will you promise your father this: you may leave the palace, but must you also leave the capital?”

At these words, Zhu Cilang’s brow furrowed and he stood frozen, lost in thought for a long while.

Just as Chongzhen was about to speak again, Wang Cheng’en suddenly rushed in and knelt hurriedly before the throne. “Your Majesty, Minister Chen of the War Department has urgent matters to present.”

Chongzhen’s brows knit slightly. “What matter presses so urgently that it must be raised at this very moment?”

Zhu Cilang’s heart sank abruptly. “Father… I fear news has come from Liaodong or Henan.”

“Let him enter!” Chongzhen’s expression grew grim.

Zhu Cilang slipped quietly behind the rear curtains of the hall.

Chen Xinjia entered, not noticing Zhu Cilang concealed behind the drapes. With a pale face, he knelt and spoke in a low, grave tone, “Your Majesty… Zu Dashou has surrendered the entire city, Xing Mountain and Ta Mountain are again in dire danger. In Henan, the rebels took Suizhou on the 22nd of March, and Guiding Prefecture on the 27th. Kaifeng is now nearly encircled…”

“The Battle of Zhuxian Town…” The phrase flashed suddenly through Zhu Cilang’s mind.

Since the great drought in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen’s reign, disasters of flood and drought have plagued the land, and the situation in Henan has only worsened, descending into utter chaos.

As for explaining the full story of Henan’s predicament—it is a long tale indeed. Putting aside for now the details of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong’s rebellions, the roots of the crisis must at least be traced back to the previous year.

In the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Wang Qiaonian held the post of Right Censor-in-Chief and was the Governor of Shaanxi. At that time, the Supreme Commander of the Three Border Regions was Fu Zonglong, only recently released from prison by Chongzhen.

The post of Supreme Commander of Military Affairs in the Three Border Regions of Shaanxi was by then a most unenviable one. Fu’s predecessor, Zheng Chongjian, had defeated Zhang Xianzhong several times in Sichuan in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, but after his supposedly victorious campaign, his insubordinate subordinate He Renlong forced him to return to Shaanxi. The fleeing Zhang Xianzhong led the government troops on a wild chase across a thousand miles, leaving a trail of devastation in Sichuan.

As a result, the court placed the blame for the disaster in Sichuan on Zheng Chongjian, who was dismissed and thrown into prison. In the end, Zhang Xianzhong launched a surprise attack on Xiangyang, killing the Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yiming, and the Prince of Guiyang, Zhu Changfa. Thus, Yang Sichang’s entire campaign to suppress the peasant armies collapsed, and he died in despair. In his anger and grief, Emperor Chongzhen’s resolve to punish only grew; he ordered Zheng Chongjian executed and his corpse discarded.

This turn of events made official positions in Shaanxi some of the most dreaded in the empire.

Fu Zonglong, having no choice and being loyal, did not shirk his duty and succeeded Zheng Chongjian as Supreme Commander of the Three Borders.

Meanwhile, Henan was thrown into upheaval by Li Zicheng’s rebellion. Luoyang fell, and the Emperor’s uncle, Prince Fu, perished. With the riches of Luoyang Prefecture and the Prince’s treasury, Li Zicheng’s forces swelled. He then launched a surprise attack on Kaifeng. Though the Prince of Zhou, Zhu Gongxiao, understanding the gravity of the situation, rallied the soldiers and civilians to defend the city, Li Zicheng now claimed to command half a million troops and turned his sights to Chengtian Prefecture in Hubei.

To counter this, Chongzhen ordered Fu Zonglong to march into Henan and suppress Li Zicheng.

In August of the previous year, the fourteenth of Chongzhen, Fu Zonglong assembled twenty thousand government troops and set out for Chengtian to confront Li Zicheng’s rebel forces.

The defenders of Chengtian, upon receiving warning, fortified their positions, denying the rebels any opportunity. The rebels, finding no opening, turned back to Henan. Seeing the rebels retreat, Fu Zonglong believed them fearful and gave chase. He joined forces with Baoding Governor Yang Wenyue and General Hu Dawei to pursue Li Zicheng and his ally Luo Rucai, intending to encircle the peasant coalition at Xiangcheng.

The peasant army, upon learning of this, feigned a retreat toward Runing in Henan. The government troops, eager for merit and failing to scout properly, pursued immediately. While resting on the march without proper vigilance or organization, they were attacked by the ambushing rebels and quickly routed.

Sensing disaster, He Renlong and Hu Dawei fled toward Shenqiu. Another government commander, Li Guoqi, also took flight. Only Baoding Governor Yang Wenyue and Supreme Commander Fu Zonglong were left trapped in the ambush.

That night, Yang Wenyue, with the aid of Deputy General Zhang Dechang, managed to break out and escape to Xiangcheng. Fu Zonglong, however, bore the brunt of the attack with his personal guard. He held out for reinforcements, requesting aid from Li Guoqi and He Renlong, while stubbornly defending his camp against the rebels.

Yet, both Li Guoqi and He Renlong, seeking to preserve their own forces, feigned ignorance and refused to help. Left with no choice, Fu Zonglong held out until his men were reduced to cannibalism, yet still refused to surrender. When all provisions were exhausted, he attempted a desperate breakout, but was captured by the rebels eight li from Xiangcheng. The rebels meant to use him to trick open Xiangcheng’s gates, but Fu Zonglong, steadfast and unyielding, loudly denounced those around him as traitors. Enraged, the rebels killed him on the spot.

By the tenth month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai had taken Shangshui and Fugou—two of the most important counties in central Henan. After killing two pacification commanders, Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing, they besieged Kaifeng once again.

Thus, in the eleventh month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, the court ordered Wang Qiaonian, Governor of Shaanxi, to succeed as Supreme Commander of the Three Borders.

Wang Qiaonian acted swiftly on his appointment, rallying thirty thousand scattered soldiers, and took an oath in Xi’an in the first month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen. By February, he and his subordinates—He Renlong, Zheng Jiadong, Niu Chenghu, Zhang Guoqin, and Zhang Yingui—marched to suppress Li Zicheng.

The Emperor ordered Wang Qiaonian and Zuo Liangyu to advance together against the rebels. However, Zuo Liangyu, greedy for glory, charged ahead without consulting Wang Qiaonian and was besieged and killed at Yancheng.

With such a reckless “ally,” Wang Qiaonian was understandably reluctant to help, but with Zuo Liangyu’s repeated pleas for aid and the Emperor’s urgent commands, he had no choice but to agree to a coordinated attack—Zuo Liangyu from the front, Wang Qiaonian from the rear. After Zuo Liangyu quickly accepted, Wang Qiaonian, holding his nose, steeled himself and, in February of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, ordered He Renlong, Niu Chenghu, and other units to attack Li Zicheng from three sides, while personally leading four or five thousand light troops with Generals Zhang Yingui and Zhang Guoqin to launch a surprise assault on Li Zicheng’s main camp at Xiangcheng.

Wang Qiaonian’s attack was completely crushed by Li Zicheng’s well-prepared elite forces. With his ally drawing away the main attention, Zuo Liangyu found a good opportunity to break out and escape, but failed to follow up as promised with a pincer movement against Li Zicheng.

Meanwhile, facing the peasant army, now claiming half a million strong, the other government commanders—He Renlong, Niu Chenghu, Zheng Jiadong—received orders to attack from three sides, but all retreated without fighting, leaving Wang Qiaonian’s plans in ruins. He could only gather two thousand survivors and withdrew to defend Xiangcheng in Henan.

By the seventeenth of February this year, Xiangcheng was fiercely attacked for five days by the rebel army and finally fell; Wang Qiaonian was humiliated and killed by the rebels.