Chapter Forty: Debating Great Generals Over Warmed Wine

At that, Yang Chuan let out a soft breath to calm himself, then asked, “And who, pray, is that half a great commander?”

“Wu Sangui of Liaoxi. Regrettably, after the great battles of Songjin, the frontier army of Ningyuan has lost its former edge. Though he once ranked foremost among all commanders in valor, he is no longer a great captain the court can truly employ.”

Prince Zhu quietly lifted the wine pot and poured himself a cup.

Hearing this, Yang Chuan at last grew animated. His expression shifted, and he said, “When the realm is in chaos, one thinks of worthy generals. Since Master Qin Xia is so pessimistic about the times, I should think you all the more sincerely hope that this great Ming might produce another Guo Ziyi to restore order.”

“We subjects of Great Ming, naturally none of us wish anything but the realm’s recovery and the pacification of disorder,” Zhu smiled as he looked at Yang Chuan, thinking to himself, Here it comes.

Sure enough, Yang Chuan soon began to speak expansively. “My Shandong also has a hero of its own.”

“Cao County’s General Liu Zeqing is truly a man of military talent. As the current regional commander of the Shandong garrison, he is also one of the court’s few seasoned veterans. In the beginning, the court appointed him to defend Ningyuan and Qianwei in Liaodong. Soon after, he earned merit in battle and was promoted to assistant secretary of the Shandong Military Commission, then further elevated to vice commander. In the third year, when the enemy attacked the ironworks and sought to seize the place in order to cut off Fengrun City’s grain route, General Yang Zhaoji, who was defending the three encampments, sent Liu Zeqing to provide relief. Fifteen li from the ironworks, he met the enemy forces and fought a fierce battle from dawn to noon. Neither side prevailed; they were evenly matched. Later, reinforcements arrived, and together they fought their way to Zunhua, then struck the enemy from both sides and recovered the lost ground in the process. Such a general is exceedingly rare in this world. Now, General Liu serves as regional commander of Shandong and enjoys the deep trust of the court minister Zhou. The peace of Shandong rests entirely upon General Liu’s shoulders!”

Zhu listened with great seriousness, watching Yang Chuan speak at length. Inwardly he could not help sighing: this fellow truly has a gift for brazen nonsense that I can hardly match.

Of course, Yang Chuan was spouting nonsense.

What sort of man was Liu Zeqing? Did Zhu not know?

In his earlier years, when he had only been a minor official, he had indeed fought bravely and could still be mobilized by the court. But later, Liu Zeqing had already been eroded by beauty and power until his backbone went soft. In the thirteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, rebellion broke out in Caozhou and other places in Shandong. The court ordered him to attack, but Liu Zeqing feared to advance and instead submitted a memorial begging to resign. In the end, Chongzhen, in fury, demoted him. As for Yang Chuan’s claim that Liu Zeqing enjoyed Zhou’s full trust, that at least could be loosely connected to reality.

For after his demotion, Liu Zeqing had only been given an empty title, that of Right Grand Protector. His restoration had come entirely through Zhou Yanru. In the second month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, Zhou Yanru entered the Grand Secretariat. Upon hearing this, Liu Zeqing personally hurried from Linqing to Yangzhou, preparing to escort Zhou Yanru north by river in a great pleasure barge, and along the way even presented twenty thousand taels of gold as travel expenses. Zhou Yanru naturally accepted with delight, and in the eighth month Liu Zeqing regained the post of regional commander of Shandong.

Yang Chuan’s lies were told with extraordinary seriousness, and Zhu listened with equal care. Especially when Yang Chuan paused and stressed, “The peace of Shandong rests entirely upon General Liu’s shoulders,” Zhu even unconsciously nodded along.

Zhu only meant to show that he was listening attentively. But when Yang Chuan saw this, he relaxed inwardly and became all the more pleased. Smiling, he said, “In that case, I shall not conceal it from you. Liu Pei is in fact General Liu’s nephew by marriage. Liu Pei did indeed act rashly and without due thought, and after hearing of it, the general was deeply distressed. Today, here and now, Wen Si offers Master Qin Xia his sincere apology. Why not grant me a little face and let Liu Pei off this once?”

Zhu froze.

One line circled in his mind again and again, refusing to leave. He stared at Yang Chuan as though he might find blossoms blooming on that face.

“I have never seen such a shameless man!”

At last Zhu could restrain himself no longer. His voice seemed to conceal thunder, carrying an anger too vast to describe.

“Today the nation’s capital lies in the north, in the farthest reaches of the cold realm, while all revenues and tribute come from the southeast. The Grand Canal is like the throat of a man’s body. If he cannot swallow food for even one day, death immediately threatens. Liu Pei has blocked that throat, preventing the state from transporting grain for the better part of the year, leaving half the empire under strain and nearly bringing about civil unrest. And now you think a mere request for a favor can make this a matter of no consequence?”

“I, in Linqing, stand at the very end of the Grand Canal’s route. This three-thousand-seven-hundred-li waterway is the lifeline of the realm. And this Liu Pei—what great airs he puts on! For the sake of a paltry private gain, he has blocked a route of three thousand seven hundred li. Who gave him such audacity?”

“I hold the imperial decree in my hands, and with the offices of the two commissions united in my person, I act wholly for the nation and the people. A matter so righteous and aboveboard, and yet I am attacked with blades. If I do not investigate this thoroughly and make an example of it, does Linqing still count as territory within the law of Great Ming? Master Dongshan! I respect you as a man of renown in Linqing, but do not think me helpless against some mere military brute!”

Zhu’s torrent of words was like a volley of sharp swords thrusting outward, and each strike blossomed into a bloom of blood in Yang Chuan’s heart. Yang Chuan felt both shame and fury.

He had thought he had already subdued Zhu. He never expected Zhu to possess such courage, to disregard all face and rebuke him so mercilessly, with not the slightest regard even for Liu Zeqing!

At that thought, Yang Chuan almost wanted nothing more than to turn and leave at once, then whip Liu Zeqing into a frenzy and have Liu Zeqing personally deal with Zhu.

For, as Zhu had said, this world was no longer one in which the court’s laws could be enforced with stern certainty.

How much effort had Yuan Chonghuan spent, how much grain and how many stratagems had he used, before he finally executed Mao Wenlong of the Dongjiang garrison to establish his authority?

And now?

All three successive governors of the Shaanxi frontier commands had died because their own subordinates refused to obey. A general as overbearing as Zuo Liangyu was, and yet no one could restrain him. The ruler of Shaanxi now belonged less to the court than to He Renlong!

With that thought, Yang Chuan abruptly regained his composure. His gaze turned icy, and his earlier refined scholarly grace vanished entirely, replaced by a faint air of ferocity.

Still, Yang Chuan was after all a celebrated gentleman of letters; when it came time to strike back, he quickly steadied himself. Looking at Zhu with a light laugh and a hint of mockery and condescension, he said, “Haha. I, Yang Wensi, have seen more than my share of young men in Linqing whose chests overflowed with righteousness, and more than my share who departed northward with grand passion, calling themselves the scourge of the eunuch faction, the cleansers of the filth of the capital. I have even seen, in person, that loyal and righteous Lu Jiandou when he went north, steadfast and upright as could be. But where are they now? Scattered to the wind, all gone!”

As Yang Chuan finished speaking, Zhu’s expression also calmed. He met the gaze coldly. When Yang Chuan fell silent, the hall at once sank into a heavy, suffocating stillness.