Chapter Twelve: The Fall of Shengjing

“Kill!”
With a low shout, Scarface flicked his wrist, sending two cold gleams shooting from his palm. Before the two Jianzhou sentries could make a sound, they fell stiffly to the ground—killed by deadly throwing darts, a skill Scarface had perfected during his days as a bandit in the northwest. Four hundred armed retainers surged in behind him, lighting torches with fire-starters and setting blazes throughout the military camp.

At that time, the city of Shengjing—whether palaces, civilian homes, or barracks—was mostly constructed of wood. The northern climate was dry; a single spark could ignite a raging fire. By the time the sleeping Jianzhou soldiers awoke, the entire camp was already an inferno. Most didn't even make it out of their quarters before being consumed by flames; those few who escaped were cut down by the swarming retainers.

Pity the eight hundred or so youths of the Plain Yellow and Bordered Yellow banners—just half-grown boys under fifteen, including Hong Taiji’s sixth son, Gaosai, and seventh son, Changshu. All perished in the chaos. Seeing the Jianzhou camp engulfed in flames, Scarface split his forces: one lieutenant led two hundred men to block the palace’s west gate, while Scarface himself took the rest straight for the Great Qing Gate.

Almost simultaneously, the Bearded Man broke through the right flank of the Jianzhou barracks at the Great Qing Gate. Following Wang Pu’s instructions, he too split his men: one group to block the east gate of the palace, the other to storm the Great Qing Gate. Scarface and the Bearded Man joined forces, easily seizing the Great Qing Gate, then rampaged through Wende Ward, Wugong Ward, Fengxiang Tower, and the Chongzheng Hall, burning and killing as they advanced.

Wang Pu was clear-minded. This raid on Shengjing was not to capture and hold territory, but to burn, slaughter, and pillage—to utterly destroy the city at its very roots. He was giving the Jianzhou a taste of their own medicine, repaying the pain and disaster they had inflicted upon the people of Ming with equal measure.

Of course, that was not Wang Pu’s main purpose in coming to Shengjing.

He had risked everything, infiltrating deep behind enemy lines, for one thing only: the Imperial Jade Seal, which the Northern Yuan Emperor had taken to the steppe, and which Dorgon had later seized and brought back to Liaodong. Wang Pu believed that only by recovering the seal and presenting it to the Chongzhen Emperor could he hope to be absolved of the death penalty for his defeat at Songshan.

Everything Wang Pu did was, in truth, simply to save his own head.

And to save himself, he needed only to seize the Jade Seal and offer it to the Chongzhen Emperor. That was all.

■■■

Yongfu Palace.

Consort Zhuang, Bumbutai, was jolted awake by the sounds of fierce combat. The four-year-old Fulin—the future Shunzhi Emperor—was also awakened, wailing in terror. Bumbutai clutched him anxiously as two palace maids rushed in, panic on their faces: “Mistress, it’s terrible! The Ming army—they’ve broken into the palace!”

“Nonsense,” Bumbutai rebuked them, calm and composed. “How could the Ming army possibly reach Shengjing?”

“It’s true!” the maids insisted, terrified. “They’ve already broken into the Chongzheng Hall—they’ll be at Yongfu Palace any moment!”

Even as they spoke, the sounds of fighting outside grew more intense—amid the clash of weapons, women screamed and men shouted commands. Bumbutai’s face paled, but her voice was steady: “Let’s go—to Qingning Palace.”

Bumbutai carried Fulin to Qingning Palace, where she found Noble Consort Namuzhong of Linzhi Palace, Virtuous Consort Batma of Yanqing Palace, and more than a dozen other consorts already gathered. The Empress, Zhezhe, was completely at a loss; she had no idea what to do. When Bumbutai arrived, the women swarmed around her like drowning people grasping at a lifeline, all clamoring, “Consort Zhuang, what should we do? What do we do now?”

Bumbutai replied, “Empress, the Ming army entered through the Great Qing Gate. The palace guards are fighting desperately to hold them off. We must escape through the side gate—once we’re outside the city, we’ll be safe.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhezhe agreed hastily. “We’ll go through the side gate.”

“Your Majesty, it’s terrible!” A eunuch rushed over in distress. “The west side gate—Ming soldiers have broken in from there too!”

No sooner had he spoken than another eunuch arrived, shouting, “Your Majesty, Ming soldiers have broken in from the east gate as well!”

“What?” Zhezhe cried in despair. “There are Ming soldiers at the main gate and the side gates—what are we to do?”

Only Consort Zhuang remained calm under pressure. “If the main gate and side gates are blocked, then we’ll have to climb the wall. You—go fetch ladders.”

Soon, eunuchs brought ladders. The palace wall was not far behind Qingning Palace. The group of women, clutching their children and huddled by eunuchs and maids, rushed to the wall. The eunuchs set up the ladders and helped Zhezhe climb first. Luckily, as a Mongol woman, Zhezhe had not bound her feet, so climbing presented little trouble.

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But halfway up, Zhezhe stopped and turned to Bumbutai. “Yu’er, I left the Imperial Jade Seal in my bedchamber!”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty—I’ll fetch it at once.”

Bumbutai handed the four-year-old Fulin to a maid and hurried back to Qingning Palace. She quickly found the Jade Seal in Zhezhe’s chambers, but as soon as she stepped outside, the Ming soldiers closed in from three directions, trapping her completely.

■■■

Meanwhile, just as Zhezhe and her group had scaled the wall, they ran straight into Prince Zheng, Jirgalang, and his few dozen Bordered Blue Banner cavalrymen. Normally, Jirgalang would have had four or five hundred of these elite guards at his residence, but with the entire Qing force mobilized for the battle at Songshan, only fifty remained at his side.

At the sight of Zhezhe, Jirgalang leapt from his horse and knelt in a deep bow. “Forgive your servant for arriving late to your rescue, Your Majesty!”

“Prince Zheng, please rise,” Zhezhe replied in haste.

Jirgalang stood and asked, “Your Majesty, what is the situation in the palace?”

Zhezhe answered, “Consort Zhuang and the Imperial Jade Seal are still inside. Go quickly to help them!”

Jirgalang’s expression changed. He barked to his men, “You, you, and you—escort Her Majesty and the consorts out of the city. If anything happens to them, you’ll answer with your heads!”

“Yes, sir!” The Bordered Blue Banner guards responded in unison.

Jirgalang turned to Zhezhe. “Your Majesty, I will climb the wall and go to Consort Zhuang’s aid at once.”

■■■

Qingning Palace.

More than a hundred torches lit the courtyard as bright as day. Over four hundred gleaming steel blades flashed in the firelight, dazzling the eyes. The Ming soldiers’ wolfish stares were particularly chilling; any other woman would have collapsed in terror. Bumbutai’s face was deathly pale, yet she forced herself to remain composed.

“General, she is the consort of the Jianzhou chieftain, Hong Taiji,” Zhen Youcai, who followed Wang Pu, announced eagerly.

“What did you say?” Wang Pu’s heart skipped a beat. “Consort Zhuang?”

“Yes,” Zhen Youcai confirmed. “I saw her once among the crowd when Hong Taiji offered sacrifices to heaven at the southern suburb.”

Wang Pu couldn’t help but study Bumbutai more closely. She truly lived up to her reputation: at first glance, she seemed ordinary, but the more one looked, the more her distinct allure became apparent. At twenty-eight, just three years after giving birth to Fulin, she was in full bloom, possessing a mature beauty that was both voluptuous and captivating.

Perhaps it was Wang Pu’s heated gaze that frightened Bumbutai; she instinctively stepped back, clutching the bundle in her arms more tightly.

This only drew Wang Pu’s attention to the yellow silk-wrapped bundle she held. He extended his hand. “What is that in your arms? Give it here.”

Bumbutai tensed, clutching the bundle and retreating another step.

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Wang Pu signaled with his eyes. Two retainers leaped forward like wolves and snatched the yellow silk bundle from Bumbutai’s arms. She tried to reclaim it but was firmly restrained.

Wang Pu took the bundle from his men. It felt heavy in his hands. Unwrapping the yellow silk, he found a jade seal—five inches square, crowned with five entwined dragons. On the face, the inscription in seal script read: “Mandated by Heaven, may the reign be everlasting and prosperous.” Wang Pu’s joy was unbounded—it was the Imperial Jade Seal! Truly, as the old saying goes: “You search high and low, only to find it when you least expect.” He had never imagined obtaining the seal would be so effortless.

As Wang Pu admired his prize, Scarface arrived with several dozen retainers, reporting loudly, “General, I’ve captured a Jianzhou prince!”

“Oh?” Wang Pu turned to see his men dragging over a Jianzhou noble, clad in a sky-blue dragon robe with a large string of prayer beads around his neck—a figure of obvious importance. The noble’s face fell when he saw Bumbutai; he bowed his head in guilt. “Consort Zhuang, your servant has failed—you could not be rescued from these Southern Ming savages.”

Bumbutai sighed softly, saying nothing.

Zhen Youcai whispered to Wang Pu, “General, that’s Prince Zheng, Jirgalang of the Jianzhou.”

“Jirgalang?” Wang Pu was delighted. “Excellent—now both of the Qing’s regents are in our hands. Take this man away and lock him up with Daišan. Tell Xiao Qi to keep a close watch—don’t let either of them escape.”

“General, we found a Jianzhou woman over there—stunningly beautiful, likely a consort. But it looks like she’s barely alive,” a retainer reported.

“Let’s go see,” said Wang Pu. He turned to look at Bumbutai. “Bring her along as well.”

When Wang Pu and his men reached Guanju Palace, Hailanzhu was already at death’s door.

Zhen Youcai whispered, “General, that is the Emperor’s favorite, Consort Chen.”

Consort Chen? Hailanzhu?

Wang Pu tilted his head and studied the pale-faced woman carefully—she was indeed a peerless beauty, her every glance exuding enchanting allure. No wonder Hong Taiji was utterly captivated by her. Wang Pu recalled rumors from unofficial histories claiming this woman was versed in Daoist bedroom arts, especially the “nine shallow, one deep” technique, and his heart beat faster.

Wang Pu turned to Scarface. “Bearded Man—have we captured any imperial physicians alive?”

“Physicians?” Scarface groaned. “General, all these Jianzhou men have queues and look alike—who could tell which were doctors? The brothers just killed anyone who was still breathing.”

Wang Pu frowned. “Then send someone to Changyong Fort and fetch Old Master Li and his grandson. This woman is Hong Taiji’s favorite consort—she must not be allowed to die so easily. Tell Old Master Li to spare no effort to save her, and that the entire Qing palace is now ours—he can use any ginseng or medicine he finds.”

“Understood, I’ll send someone at once.”

“And where is the Bearded Man?”

“He’s leading the brothers in sacking the city outside.”

……

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