Chapter Seventy-Five: Mutiny

Iron-Blooded Ming (Page 1/3)

After being severely beaten by Wang Pu at the Pleasure Pavilion, Zhao Santai first went to Zhang Zian to complain, but received no sympathy. Turning to the Prince of Dai, he was again rebuffed, and his mood had sunk to its lowest. He resolved to return to the camp and pick a fight with several captains who usually clashed with him.

But as soon as he entered the camp gates, Zhao Santai was startled to see flames shooting into the sky. Hundreds of blazing sheep-fat torches illuminated the perimeter of the commander's quarters as bright as day.

In the firelight, thousands of frontier soldiers had surrounded the commander's residence. Even more astonishing, each soldier was wielding a steel blade, faces fierce and murderous like wolves. Zhao Santai’s trusted retainer, Zhao Jiu, led hundreds of household guards in a tense standoff with the soldiers.

“Zhao Xin! Tang Sheng!” Zhao Jiu shouted sternly, “It’s late—you should be sleeping, not besieging the commander’s quarters with troops. What are you trying to do? Are you planning a rebellion?”

Zhao Xin barked, “Zhao Jiu, tell Zhao Santai to come out!”

Tang Sheng raised his voice even higher, “Zhao Santai, if you have any courage, don’t hide like a turtle! Come out and explain to the brothers—where has the pay sent by the Imperial Court gone?”

Zhao Jiu retorted angrily, “Tang Sheng, you’re courting death!”

“Indeed, I am courting death!” Tang Sheng sneered. “If we don’t get our pay, the brothers will starve. If we’re to die, at least let us die knowing where our pay from the court disappeared to.”

Another captain behind Tang Sheng yelled, “Tang, why waste words with him? Brothers, listen up! Follow me—storm the quarters and drag Zhao Santai out!”

“Charge!”

“Drag Zhao Santai out!”

“Brothers, attack—!”

Incited by the captain, the already furious frontier soldiers drew their blades and surged forward like a flood breaking through a dam. Zhao Jiu stepped back and drew his sword, shouting, “Brothers, hold the line! Don’t let these rebels break in! Zhao Xin, this is your last warning—you’re rebelling!”

“Tonight I am rebelling!” Zhao Xin shouted, drawing his sword as well. He turned and roared, “Brothers, charge!”

In an instant, thousands of angry frontier soldiers poured into the commander’s residence. Zhao Jiu tried to resist, but Tang Sheng knocked his sword from his hand with a single blow. Before Zhao Jiu could react, two gleaming blades were pressed to his neck, and he became as silent as a mouse, not daring to move.

With Zhao Jiu subdued, the remaining hundred household guards, fearful of harming their leader, gave up resistance and were swiftly disarmed.

Watching Zhao Xin, Tang Sheng, and others openly incite chaos and besiege the commander’s quarters, Zhao Santai, observing from outside the gate, was furious. He spurred his horse to enter the camp, but his trusted retainer firmly held the reins, urging, “General, you mustn’t go in. This is a mutiny—the soldiers have rebelled. If you enter, you won’t come out alive!”

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“Mutiny?” Zhao Santai shivered, his voice low. “Mutiny!”

The retainer said, “General, Zhao Xin and Tang Sheng have always opposed you. If you try to take charge now, not only will they refuse to listen, they might even turn their wrath on you. I believe you should hurry into the city and seek out Lord Zhang. Only Lord Zhang can handle this.”

Santai quickly turned his horse around and ordered in a low voice, “We ride to the city!”

***

The residence of the Supervising Eunuch, Zhang Zian—warming chamber.

The heated brick bed was ready, and two warming maids had already prepared the blankets. Under the attentive service of two young eunuchs, Zhang Zian reclined comfortably on the bed. The maids removed his boots and socks, and placed his feet in their laps, warming them with their own heated bodies.

Zhang Zian sighed contentedly and lay back. The two young eunuchs hurried to pull the brocade quilt over him and the maids, covering them tightly. Bowing and smiling obsequiously, they said, “Godfather, please rest well. We will come to serve you again in the morning.”

Zhang Zian nodded slightly, “You may leave.”

Just as the two eunuchs turned to go, the tightly shut door suddenly burst open. Another young eunuch rushed in, carried by the cold wind, and stammered, “Godfather, something has happened—a great disaster!”

Startled, Zhang Zian sat up abruptly. “What happened? Speak slowly.”

The eunuch wiped cold sweat from his brow, panting. “Deputy General Zhao arrived in the city tonight. He said the frontier soldiers in the northern camp have mutinied—they’re besieging his quarters as we speak!”

“Mutiny!” Zhang Zian’s eyes bulged, his voice shrill. “The frontier soldiers of Datong have mutinied?”

The young eunuch, nearly in tears, nodded. “Deputy General Zhao is frantic—he’s waiting for you in the gatehouse.”

“Hurry!” Zhang Zian shivered violently. “Help me dress, quickly!”

“Yes, sir.”

The two young eunuchs and the warming maids rushed forward to help Zhang Zian dress. He instructed the eunuch who brought the news, “Tell Zhao Santai to wait in the hall. I’ll be there at once!”

***

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In the hall, Zhao Santai had not waited long before Zhang Zian emerged from behind the screen.

“Lord, this is dire!” Zhao Santai cried. “A disaster is upon us!”

“Speak slowly,” Zhang Zian said in a sinister tone. “What exactly happened?”

Zhao Santai recounted everything he had seen in the camp, then added, “The ringleaders are two renegades who surrendered from the bandit army—one is Zhao Xin, a captain, the other is Tang Sheng, a lieutenant.”

Zhang Zian asked, “Do you know why Zhao Xin and Tang Sheng are causing trouble?”

Zhao Santai hesitated. “Well…”

“Cat got your tongue?” Zhang Zian pressed. “Is it about pay?”

Zhao Santai replied, “Yes.”

“That can’t be right,” Zhang Zian said suddenly. “Didn’t the Secretariat just send fifty thousand taels of pay from the imperial treasury to Datong a few days ago? That sum may not cover half a year’s arrears, but surely it’s enough for now. Why are the soldiers rioting over pay?”

“Lord,” Zhao Santai said anxiously, “This isn’t a normal protest over pay—it’s Zhao Xin and Tang Sheng plotting rebellion.”

“Silence!” Zhang Zian’s face darkened, his tone sinister. “That silver was never distributed to the troops, was it? You embezzled it, didn’t you?”

“Lord, you wrong me! I wouldn’t dare touch the imperial treasury’s funds!” Zhao Santai protested, “But you must know—the court has owed pay for over half a year now, and our camp still owes Datong merchants tens of thousands for horse feed, not to mention daily expenses. That money is a drop in the bucket!”

“What daily expenses? I suspect it’s your escapades at the Pleasure Pavilion,” Zhang Zian sneered. “And those Datong merchants—don’t think I don’t know your tricks. Your brother-in-law’s shipments of short-weight fodder hardly amount to much silver.”

Zhao Santai was speechless.

“Nothing more to say?” Zhang Zian said in a chilling voice. “You claim you haven’t touched the imperial funds, but you’re just finding new ways to embezzle them! Fine, if you must steal, at least leave something for the soldiers, rather than taking it all for yourself.”