Chapter 55: Who Holds the Mandate

As the conversation carried on, the topic turned to Chen Jinnan. Liu Dahong raised his head and laughed heartily, declaring, “Chief Chen, you alone have reaped all the benefits of the martial world. Such formidable martial skills, such a resounding reputation, the Heaven and Earth Society you founded is flourishing, and even your disciples bring you glory.”

Chen Jinnan cupped his hands and replied, “Master Liu, your words flatter me far too much.”

Liu Dahong went on, “Chief Chen, there are few men in my life whom I truly admire. Your character and conduct have earned my utmost respect from the bottom of my heart. Once we drive out the Manchus and our Fifth Prince ascends the throne, you must be our Prime Minister—no one else would do.”

Chen Jinnan smiled slightly, “I am neither virtuous nor capable, how could I dare accept such a high position?”

Hearing the mention of the Fifth Prince, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society grew uneasy. They served the Third Prince, and one of them immediately spoke up, “Master Liu, when we drive out the Manchus and the Third Prince ascends as Emperor, reviving the Ming dynasty, the position of Grand Marshal of the realm’s armies must surely be offered to you, sir.”

This immediately stirred up a hornet’s nest—the faces of those from the House of Mu darkened.

“What did you say? The Third Prince? The heaven-sent true Emperor is the Fifth Prince. The Yongli Emperor is the legitimate heir of the Ming, the whole world knows this—you must not speak recklessly.”

Seeing that matters were taking a bad turn, Chen Jinnan hurried to smooth things over, urging everyone not to let discord arise and suggesting that, once the Manchus were expelled, the question of legitimacy could be discussed at length.

But Mu Jiansheng, young and hot-blooded, refused to yield. “As long as Chief Chen recognizes Heaven’s mandate and pledges loyalty to the Fifth Prince, the entire House of Mu will follow Chief Chen wherever he leads, without question!”

Had Mu Jiansheng been more seasoned, he would have taken Chen Jinnan’s cue to let the matter rest. There was no need to let real discord fester between the two factions; as the head of a power, one must know when to advance and when to retreat, and the gravity of each situation. To put it more bluntly, any emperor they raised was nothing but a figurehead, a facade to cover their ambitions.

Still, Mu Jiansheng could hardly be blamed. From the time their ancestor Mu Ying was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang, their family had faithfully guarded Yunnan without the slightest hint of rebellion. Even when the Ming dynasty fell and only a remnant Emperor fled to Burma, they remained loyal to the end, dying for their country. Such unwavering loyalty was clearly a family tradition.

One might mock those with such convictions, but one must also admit that their lives held true purpose.

As the situation grew tense and both sides exchanged angry glares, it was once again Chen Jinnan who stepped in, recounting the tragic tale of the House of Mu—the loyal last prince Mu Tianbo, and the misfortunes of the Southern Ming Yongli Emperor.

His words moved everyone to sorrow; listeners were brought to tears.

At last, Chen Jinnan said, “Whether legitimacy lies with Longwu or Yongli, there is no need to debate it now. Young Lord Mu, Master Liu, all the heroes of the world—whosoever slays Wu Sangui, let him command us all!”

The enmity of a murdered father is irreconcilable. Mu Jiansheng immediately responded, “Indeed, whoever kills Wu Sangui, all the heroes of the world shall follow his orders!”

Standing aside, Ma Jun shook his head. These two factions—one bound by self-interest, the other lacking any real hope of restoring the Ming—said what they did because of these constraints. In reality, if they truly wished to restore the Ming or expel the Manchus, Wu Sangui was not someone who could be killed so easily.

Thanks to Chen Jinnan’s few well-chosen words, the tension between the two sides was temporarily eased.

Just then, from the rooftop came a long, clear laugh: “And what if I am the one who kills Wu Sangui?”

“Who’s there?”

With a soft clap, a man leapt from the roof into the courtyard. The windows of the hall swung open without a breeze, and a shadow in blue flashed inside with incredible speed.

This man’s martial arts were extraordinary. In a light leap, he cleared Xu Tianchuan and the others, landing between Chen Jinnan and Mu Jiansheng.

Xu Tianchuan and Liu Dahong rushed forward to seize him, but he did not resist.

He appeared to be a frail scholar of about twenty-five or twenty-six.

“May I ask your esteemed name? Friend or foe?” Chen Jinnan inquired.

“Naturally, a friend!” the newcomer replied. Suddenly, with a shrug of his shoulders, he shook free from Xu Tianchuan and the others in an instant and charged at Chen Jinnan.

Chen Jinnan showed no fear or retreat, as if he had anticipated this. He raised his right hand and struck at the man.

After exchanging a few moves, it was clear that Chen Jinnan held the advantage and pushed the man back.

Chen Jinnan smiled, “Since you are a good friend, why not sit down and have some tea?”

The scholar cupped his hands, “I will gladly accept your hospitality.”

After sitting, he introduced himself as Li Xihua.

Chen Jinnan said, “I am ashamed to admit that I have not heard of such a hero as yourself in the martial world. To what do we owe the honor of your visit, Brother Li?”

Li Xihua replied, “First, allow me to apologize. I have long admired Chief Chen. When I learned by chance that you had come to Beijing, I could not resist seeking you out. Since I had no introduction, I had no choice but to impose as an uninvited guest and listen from the rooftop to your conversation. My hatred for the traitor Wu Sangui runs deep; I wish only to tear him limb from limb. My tongue could not be restrained. I beg your forgiveness.” With that, he rose and bowed deeply.

The mention of Wu Sangui as a great enemy immediately won the approval of those present.

After everyone had introduced themselves, the atmosphere grew much more cordial.

Old Liu Dahong, still not quite shrewd in his years, suddenly brought up the question of legitimacy again. “In your heart, sir, which late emperor do you believe to be the true heir of the Ming—Yongli or Longwu?”

At once, all eyes turned to Li Xihua, waiting to see how he would answer. With both factions present, whichever side he favored would offend the other.

Li Xihua first apologized, “Once the Manchus are expelled, the descendants of the Chongzhen, Prince Fu, Prince Tang, Prince Lu, and Prince Gui—any one of them might be chosen as emperor. In truth, as long as he is Han, who is not fit to be emperor? Young Lord Mu, Master Liu—why not yourselves? Even Prince Zheng of Taiwan or Chief Chen himself could be worthy. When the Ming founder Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang drove out the Mongols, he did not restore the Zhao family of the Song dynasty—he took the throne himself, and all were content.”

His insights were not born of ignorance or a lack of loyalty to the emperor, but because he was, in fact, the descendant of a rebel. He was the son of the legendary Red Lady from the late Ming rebellions, as well as Li Yan’s son, and an enemy of Li Zicheng.

With a thump of his right hand on the tea table, Liu Dahong thundered, “Those words are truly treasonous! We are all remnants of the Ming, orphaned ministers and sons of the dispossessed. Our sole desire is to restore the Ming—how can you harbor such wolfish ambitions?”

Li Xihua only smiled faintly, and again spoke of how Zhu Yuanzhang, in his uprising, did not return the throne to the Zhao clan, and how in the future, whoever contributed most to defeating the Manchus should take the throne. “The cause of resisting the Qing is complex—some matters are urgent, others less so. Killing Wu Sangui is urgent; choosing a new emperor can wait.”

His words gave everyone pause for thought. Whether any of them truly aspired to the throne, none would admit it now, though the thought may have crossed their minds.

Only now did Ma Jun rise and say, “Brother Li, I will not comment on your first point. But on the second, I must disagree.”

“Oh?” Chen Jinnan and Mu Jiansheng both fixed their gaze on Ma Jun.

“Little Jun, you disagree with killing Wu Sangui? He is the mortal enemy of us Han!”

Ma Jun smiled confidently, “He is indeed a traitor, but at this moment, to kill him is not the right move.”