Chapter 111: Wang Pu Emerges from Seclusion

"My generals have misunderstood my intentions," Li Yan said calmly. "I am deeply grateful for the Chuang Wang's trust in appointing me as the commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army. However, I am young and inexperienced, and I know I am not up to such a great task. My inability to secure enough provisions for our army is proof of my incompetence. Therefore, I have decided to lead my two thousand Qixian volunteers to storm Datong. Regardless of the outcome, this will be my way of repaying the Chuang Wang for his faith in me."

Lin Yangsheng could not help but ask, "If you want to go, then go. Why bother us with this?"

Li Yan picked up the official seal and sword from the desk and said sincerely, "I invited the five of you here today for no other reason than to ask you to select someone among you who is virtuous and respected to take on the mantle of commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army. This way, I can face the Chuang Wang and the hundred thousand brothers of the Shaanxi rebel army with a clear conscience."

The faces of Ma Shouying and the other four changed drastically. They had never imagined this was Li Yan's intent! It turned out that Li Yan had not summoned them to force them to attack Datong under his command, but to choose a successor from among them so that he could lead his own two thousand men to attack Datong alone.

Ma Shouying and his companions, relying on their seniority, had never held Li Yan in high regard. However, they were not unreasonable people; they were men of flesh and blood with real emotions. When they met someone they respected, they were willing to open their hearts. The crux of the matter was that all five were rough men without hidden agendas or malicious intent, and they completely failed to see that Li Yan was masterfully using a strategy of "retreating to advance."

"Brother Li Yan," Old Huihui Ma Shouying asked, somewhat disbelievingly, "are you truly going to take your two thousand Qixian volunteers to attack Datong?"

Li Yan replied sincerely, "Though I am young, I understand that a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

Lin Yangcheng said urgently, "To attack Datong with only two thousand men is nothing but suicide."

"I am still the commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army for now, and securing provisions for the army is my duty." Li Yan paused, his expression turning solemn as he continued, "As for whether we win or lose, live or die—that is not for me to decide. I only seek to have a clear conscience."

"Brother Li Yan," Ma Shouying said with great emotion, "enough said. I, Old Huihui, was wrong about you before. I never expected someone as young as you to have such insight. You did not use your position to pressure us—that is truly rare! You shall remain the commander-in-chief. I cannot speak for the others, but my men will follow you!"

He Jin also shouted, "Since Brother Li Yan has spoken to this point, if I, He Jin, were to go against you, I would be a bastard."

He Yilong, Liu Xiyao, and Lin Yangcheng were also moved, and they all declared their intention to follow Li Yan to attack Datong.

Li Yan seized the opportunity: "It would be wonderful if the five generals also mobilize to attack Datong; with more troops, our chances of success will increase. However, I absolutely cannot continue as the commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army. I ask that you five choose someone else."

Li Yan’s repeated refusal only made him appear more upright and selfless, proving that his words were not just for show and that he was genuinely willing to step down. This made Ma Shouying and the others respect him even more.

Ma Shouying shouted excitedly, "Brother Li Yan, you are the only one who can be the commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army. Rest assured, from now on, our Five Camps of the Ge-Zuo will follow your lead! If I, Ma Shouying, fail to keep my word and do not follow your orders, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"

The other four, including He Yilong, also swore oaths to support Li Yan as the commander-in-chief.

Li Yan still demurred, "I truly cannot remain the commander. Since you five do not yet have a suitable candidate, I have an idea."

The five asked in unison, "What idea?"

Li Yan said, "Aside from the four main gates—East, West, South, and North—used by the common people, Datong has a small East Gate reserved for imperial relatives. That makes five gates in total. I propose that each of you five generals lead your own troops to attack one of the five gates. Whoever breaks through first shall be the commander-in-chief. What do you think?"

Ma Shouying and the others fell silent. They truly admired Li Yan's magnanimity, but they also wanted to be the commander-in-chief! The only reason they had insisted on Li Yan before was because none of them were willing to submit to the others, so it was easier to let Li Yan remain in charge.

Ambition is inherent in every man, and these five were no exception. Seeing that Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng had already become powerful figures capable of toppling the Ming Dynasty and seizing the dragon throne, it was impossible for them not to feel envious. If they could use this opportunity to become the commander-in-chief of the Shaanxi rebel army, standing on equal footing with Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong in the future was not impossible.

Seeing that the five were silent, Li Yan said, "Since you have no objections, it is settled. For the sake of unified command, I will temporarily hold the position until we take the city. Shall we set out this afternoon to take Datong?"

"Yes!"

Ma Shouying and the others roared in agreement and went off to carry out the orders.

Li Yan's strategy of "retreating to advance" had struck the heart of the matter. To secure the position of commander-in-chief legitimately, the five men were determined to give their all in the battle for Datong, each desperate to be the first to breach the city walls.

***

In Datong, even before the imperial decree from the Chongzhen Emperor arrived, an urgent report of the rebel army's massive advance had reached the city first. Wei Daben, the Prefect of Datong, was terrified. He hurriedly summoned Zhang Zi'an, the eunuch supervisor of the Datong garrison, Prince Dai Zhu Chuanqi, and the deputy general of the Datong garrison, Zhao Lijin, to the prefectural office to discuss the matter. Zhang Zi'an and Zhao Lijin did not dare to delay and arrived post-haste.

According to Ming law, Prince Dai Zhu Chuanqi was forbidden from interfering in local military and political affairs, lest he be branded with a charge of treason by the Chongzhen Emperor. However, he could no longer afford to worry about such taboos. He brought two of his palace secretaries to the office, knowing that nothing was more important than protecting Datong.

In the hall, the attendees were gathered. Wei Daben offered the Prince the seat of honor. Zhang Zi'an and the two secretaries sat on either side, while Wei Daben and Zhao Lijin sat at the end.

Zhu Chuanqi asked urgently, "Prefect Wei, how far have the rebels advanced?"

"Your Highness," Wei Daben replied, wiping cold sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand, "the urgent report from Magistrate Wang indicates the rebels have reached the Bajiao Fortress area. They are only three hundred miles from Datong. At the latest, they will reach our gates in three days!"

"They've already reached Bajiao Fortress?" Zhu Chuanqi was shocked. "They are moving so fast! Which route did they take? Why did the garrisons and fortresses along the way not block them? Why did they allow the rebels to advance so easily?"

"Your Highness," Wei Daben said miserably, "it is hard to believe, but the rebels are advancing along the Great Wall. The border troops at the garrisons and fortresses along the way not only failed to resist, but many turned against us and joined the rebels. Magistrate Wang reports that at least five thousand border soldiers have already defected."

"What?" Zhu Chuanqi exclaimed. "How can this be? What are we to do?"

"Prefect Wei!" Zhang Zi'an asked with a cold tone, "How do you know the rebels are definitely coming for Datong? Perhaps this is a diversion. They may be feigning an attack on Datong while secretly preparing a strike against Taiyuan to the south."

Wei Daben smiled bitterly. "If that were the case, it would be my good fortune, and the good fortune of everyone here—not to mention the people of Datong. But it seems they are not playing games. They are clearly coming for Datong."

Zhang Zi'an asked, "What makes you so sure?"

Wei Daben replied, "May I ask, Eunuch, what do the rebels lack most right now?"

Zhang Zi'an frowned. "What do they lack?"

"Food!" Wei Daben said. "The official granaries in Shanxi and Shaanxi are empty. Only Datong has food. Not only did the Wang family purchase one hundred thousand piculs of grain from North Tongzhou, but the border troops have also seized nearly a million head of cattle and sheep from the Mongols, along with tens of thousands of horses. These are the things the rebels crave most. Tell me, Eunuch, would they choose a Taiyuan that has nothing, or a Datong that has both food and horses?"

"Prefect Wei's analysis is not without merit," Zhu Chuanqi said, frowning. "It seems the rebels are indeed targeting Datong. Eunuch Zhang, how many troops do we have in the Datong garrison?"

Zhang Zi'an did not dare to delay answering the Prince. "Your Highness, the Datong garrison currently has over eighteen thousand cavalry and infantry. Eight thousand are stationed at the North City Camp, while the other ten thousand are spread across the six major garrisons and numerous smaller fortresses."

Zhu Chuanqi said, "Eunuch Zhang, you should gather all the border troops immediately. Abandon the smaller garrisons and fortresses; the Jiannu and Mongols are not going to attack right now. The priority is to hold Datong."

Zhang Zi'an said, "Since the Prince has commanded it, this servant will comply."

"Wait," Zhu Chuanqi quickly clarified, "Eunuch Zhang, this is not my command. I am merely offering a suggestion. The final decision is yours. Whether you pull troops from the surrounding areas to bolster the defense is your business, and it has nothing to do with me."

"Yes, yes, yes," Zhang Zi'an responded quickly. "This servant deserves to die. This has nothing to do with the Prince; it is entirely this servant's own idea."

Although Zhang Zi'an cursed Zhu Chuanqi in his heart, he had to remain respectful on the surface. After all, the Prince was his master, and he was but a servant of the Zhu clan. The Chongzhen Emperor could punish him, and Prince Dai could do the same.

A secretary from the Prince's household suddenly spoke up: "Eunuch Zhang, Prefect Wei, I believe that while gathering the troops is important, the most urgent matter is to invite the Prince Consort to take command of the Datong garrison. The rebels are coming with great force, aided by many defectors. If we do not have a battle-hardened general at the helm, Datong will be difficult to hold."

The secretary was a close aide to the Prince, and Zhang Zi'an and Wei Daben could not ignore him. However, his suggestion put them in a difficult position. Although Wang Pu’s hundred-day mourning period had ended, he was no longer the regional commander of Datong. If they invited him to take command and the Chongzhen Emperor investigated later, both Zhang Zi'an and Wei Daben would be implicated.

"Secretary Wang," Wei Daben said with a frown, "is it not against the regulations for the Prince Consort to take command of the Datong garrison?"

"Prefect Wei," the secretary said coldly, "what time is it now? Are you still clinging to regulations?"

"Secretary Wang, you are wrong," Wei Daben said, his face flushing. "Regulations are the foundation of the country. They cannot be abandoned, no matter the circumstances."

The secretary replied, "Regulations must be followed, but one must also be strategic. Do not forget that you are the Prefect of Datong. You should know what the penalty is if Datong is lost on your watch."

"This..."

Wei Daben was startled. If Datong were lost during his tenure, it would be a capital crime, punishable by the extermination of his entire clan! If Wang Pu took command and successfully defended the city, even if the Emperor investigated, Wei Daben would at most be charged with negligence and stripped of his office.