Chapter Four: The First Step in Recruiting Talent

It was shortly after Zhu Cilang had traversed through time that, faced with successive defeats in the Central Plains, Emperor Chongzhen once again released Sun Chuanting from his prison cell, appointing him as Vice Minister of War and sending him southward with the capital garrison to provide relief.

Unfortunately, before Sun Chuanting could reach the Central Plains, he learned that Wang Qiaonian had been disgraced and killed after Xiangcheng fell to Li Zicheng.

In response, Emperor Chongzhen could only reassign Sun Chuanting as Governor of the Three Frontiers of Shaanxi, placing him in charge of the chaos there. Seeing this, Sun Chuanting had no choice but to return to Shaanxi, gathering strength in hopes of swiftly restoring order to the Central Plains.

By this time, thanks to Zhu Cilang's meritorious deeds, the court had secured provisions and pay, which Chongzhen thought might finally bring a brief respite. Yet he had not anticipated that Li Zicheng, who had already killed two governors of the Three Frontiers, would not relent, and by late April launched another siege against Kaifeng.

Kaifeng was the throat of the Central Plains, and more importantly, the capital of Henan Province. Given the saying, "Whoever holds the Central Plains holds the empire," Chongzhen could not stand idly by; he was compelled to respond.

With urgent reports coming from Tashan, Xing Shan, and other places, their fall was only a matter of time. Truly, calamities within and without weighed heavily upon Chongzhen, whose spirits, barely eased, now sank once more.

After a long silence, Emperor Chongzhen slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "I understand. Tashan has been lost, so for Liaodong, allocate funds and provisions to stabilize Ningyuan. I will soon hold a nine-altar sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven for Yan Yan. Allocate more funds to Shanhai Pass to settle the minds of the Guan Ning army. The internal threat is grave—let the Ministry of War draft a plan for Henan, and I will consider it further."

Yan Yan referred to Hong Chengchou. At this moment, Chongzhen did not know that Hong Chengchou had not actually died in battle and would ultimately surrender to the sworn enemy of Ming, the Jurchens.

Yet this was something Zhu Cilang could not reveal; lacking both evidence and reason, if he prevented Emperor Chongzhen from honoring the fallen minister, it could only breed further resentment among the Guan Ning army, now with the spirit of military warlords.

Having received the emperor’s command, Chen Xinjia quietly wiped the sweat from his brow and withdrew.

Some time passed before Zhu Cilang emerged and said, "Father, grant your son's filial wish. Let me go to Linqing, and there, forge a powerful force under your command!"

Emperor Chongzhen glanced at Zhu Cilang, beckoned him closer, and gently stroked his face. "It is I who have failed to preserve the country passed down by our ancestors. That is why my children are willing to risk their lives. I understand your filial heart, Cilang. Very well, go then, my Qilin child. If you wish to leave, then go. Remember, no matter what, you are my crown prince, the heir to the Ming dynasty!"

"Perhaps... in your hands, the fate of Ming may yet hold a glimmer of hope..." This thought echoed in Chongzhen’s heart, though he voiced it to no one.

Zhu Cilang stayed in the palace for three more days. This time, when Empress Zhou saw him, she did not sigh or lament, but each time gently stroked his face, carefully studying him, softly reminding him to take care of himself outside the palace, revealing no other emotions.

Only when meeting her loving gaze did Zhu Cilang truly feel the warmth flowing between them, stirring his heart with bittersweet emotion.

Three days soon passed. Aside from quietly sending ten thousand taels of silver via the empress’s lady-in-waiting to express his filial piety, Zhu Cilang slipped out of the palace.

On his first day outside, he settled family affairs and immediately visited the residence of Fu Shuxun in Nanxun Ward.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang again, Fu Shuxun’s feelings were both joyous and complicated.

"The evidence for the reorganization of the capital garrison is irrefutable, and the matter of colluding with the unruly soldiers has left villains like Wang Zhengzhi unable to recover. Considering all that has happened, your merits, Qin Xia, will shine for centuries," Fu Shuxun said with a smile, though he felt apologetic.

After all, Qin Xia, much like his own son, had rendered great service, but his status was low and he had no official title. Even if one spoke of Qin Xia's achievements, they would not be recognized; few would believe them. Thus, most of Qin Xia’s merit had, in fact, been credited to Fu Shuxun himself.

Zhu Cilang merely smiled warmly, "As long as Elder Fu keeps his word, Qin Xia’s heart is at ease."

"Just a few days apart and you’ve grown more witty, young friend. The position of a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue is hardly difficult, though there may be some idle talk in the capital. But in the provinces, what trouble could there be?" Fu Shuxun laughed lightly, and with a gesture conferred a sixth-rank official post. "Of course, some procedures must be observed. You’ll enter the Imperial Academy as a student, then gain an excellent evaluation in the Ministry of Revenue, and smoothly transfer to the Linqing division. That should satisfy the Ministry of Personnel’s requirements."

"Excellent. Restoring the practice of admitting capable men from the Imperial Academy is Qin Xia’s wish. By taking the lead, I give the clerks something to aspire to. It benefits both sides—why not?" Zhu Cilang laughed, "But this time, I’ve come to Elder Fu to request a great talent."

"Oh?" Fu Shuxun raised an eyebrow, soon seeing Fu Ru Gui stand up beside him.

Fu Ru Gui declared, "Father, I wish to follow young brother Qin Xia to Linqing! Since passing the provincial exam, I have failed repeatedly thereafter. The title of 'jinshi' has lost its appeal for me. Compared to success in the civil service exams, I’d rather pursue military achievement alongside Qin Xia, and strive to leave my mark in history! Please, father, grant your permission!"

Fu Shuxun shook his head in resignation, then after a long pause laughed softly, "Very well, very well. In these times, the distinction between civil and military officials has already blurred. Following Qin Xia may indeed open new horizons. Go, my foolish child."

As for Fu Ru Gui, Zhu Cilang was both familiar and delighted.

To break with tradition and pursue a military path in the household of a high-ranking official was exceedingly rare. Unlike provincial governors who command armies while remaining civil officials, Fu Ru Gui intended to devote himself entirely to the way of the military, rather than merely command as a civil officer.

Thanks to the education of such an illustrious official family, Fu Ru Gui, though uninterested in rote learning, could still pass the provincial exams.

This showed his cultural foundation was excellent. For Zhu Cilang, who deeply understood the rarity of true talent, this was akin to having the intellect of a modern city-level top scorer in the national exams. Moreover, for a general, one's education determines the ceiling of their future growth.

Undoubtedly, Fu Ru Gui was a talented man who never made a mark in history but possessed genuine ability and practical skills. For Zhu Cilang, whose team was thin and who was about to build an army, such talent was a timely blessing, greatly welcome. It was natural, then, for him to visit in person as soon as he left the palace, showing his sincerity.

And Fu Ru Gui? His very life had been saved by Zhu Cilang.

Beyond his ideals of military service and earning distinction, gratitude alone was enough for Fu Ru Gui to accept Zhu Cilang’s invitation.