Chapter Eight: Wager of Fate

After a little more than half an hour, Xiao Qi arrived, driving the warhorse. Another half hour passed before Scarface, who had been lying in ambush at the key roads around the manor, returned as well. True to form, he brought back dozens of severed heads: when the bearded warriors attacked the manor, these Jianzhou soldiers saw the writing on the wall and scaled the walls to escape. If Wang Pu hadn’t laid his net in advance, these men might have ruined everything.

Though only children and old men remained in Shengjing, if the Jianzhou warriors had been warned in advance, a few blasts from the red-barreled cannons on the city walls would have turned Wang Pu’s thousand retainers to ashes. This was no idle worry: since Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi, and Kong Youde surrendered to the Qing, they had brought the powerful red-barreled cannons to the Jianzhou, and as Shengjing was their stronghold, at least a dozen or twenty would be mounted on the walls.

Suda Lala’s two upper rooms now served as Wang Pu’s command post.

Inside, torches blazed, and Wang Pu was conferring with Xiao Qi, Scarface, and the bearded warrior.

Wang Pu asked the bearded one, “Are all the posts and checkpoints set up?”

“They’re all in place,” the bearded warrior assured him, patting his chest. “Rest easy, General—nothing so much as a mouse will escape.”

“Good.” Wang Pu nodded, then, after a moment’s thought, turned to Xiao Qi. “Later, go among the villagers and pick out a few dozen young, strong men. Distribute the captured Jianzhou weapons to them. Tomorrow morning, when we leave, they’ll guard the manor themselves.”

“Not taking them with us?” Xiao Qi asked, somewhat reluctant. “When the Jianzhou army returns, they’ll surely die.”

“Sentimental nonsense!” Wang Pu rebuked quietly. “If we take them, will they survive? If we bring them along, we’ll all die.”

Xiao Qi fell silent.

Wang Pu turned to the bearded warrior. “Pick a hundred strong brothers. Let them eat and drink their fill, sleep well, then wake them in two hours. Have them don the armor stripped from Jianzhou soldiers. Before dawn, we’ll use them to help me trick the gates of Shengjing open.”

“Yes, sir.”

The bearded warrior agreed and strode away.

Xiao Qi said, “General, you want the brothers to pretend to be Jianzhou cavalry to trick the city gate guards?”

“Exactly,” Wang Pu replied. “But we’re still missing one person.”

Scarface asked, “Who?”

Wang Pu answered, “Someone who understands and can speak Manchu.”

“What?” Xiao Qi exclaimed. “None of the brothers speak Manchu. Maybe we could ask the Han villagers outside if anyone does?”

“No need,” Wang Pu shook his head. “These Han villagers have been kept like livestock by the Jianzhou. How could they have learned Manchu?”

Xiao Qi asked, “So what do we do?”

“There’s one man who might be useful,” Wang Pu said. “Xiao Qi, bring Zhen Youcai up.”

Xiao Qi took the order and soon dragged Zhen Youcai in as if he were a chicken, tossing him to the floor and announcing with murderous energy, “General, Zhen Youcai is here.”

Wang Pu’s voice was stern. “Zhen Youcai, you have some nerve!”

Zhen Youcai shivered, replying quickly, “I wouldn’t dare, sir, I wouldn’t dare.”

Wang Pu barked, “Didn’t you say there were only about three hundred Jianzhou here, all elderly, sick, or weak?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Zhen Youcai nodded. “There are only three hundred elderly, sick, and weak Jianzhou here.”

“Nonsense.” Wang Pu slammed the table and spoke sharply. “There were over a hundred mounted Jianzhou cavalry here. If I hadn’t known better, disaster could have struck. Tell me, why did you lie to me?”

“Ah—this…” Zhen Youcai’s face went ashen and he stammered, “I… I really didn’t know, sir.”

“Still trying to deny it?” Wang Pu thundered. “Men, drag him out and chop him into mince for the horses!”

“Yes, sir!”

Scarface and Xiao Qi responded with a roar, grabbing Zhen Youcai. He was so terrified his soul nearly left his body, let out a miserable scream, and fainted dead away. The air was soon thick with the pungent stench of urine. Scarface kicked Zhen Youcai’s backside, laughing, “Ha! General, this fellow is useless—he pissed himself with fright.”

Xiao Qi said, “General, it seems the lad truly didn’t know.”

Wang Pu’s face was expressionless. “Wake him up.”

Scarface fetched a basin of cold water and splashed it on Zhen Youcai’s face. With a loud cry, Zhen Youcai jolted awake. “Don’t—don’t kill me!”

“I won’t kill you,” Wang Pu said, “but you must tell the truth. Can you speak Manchu?”

“A little, yes,” Zhen Youcai nodded repeatedly. “I know a few common phrases.”

Laughter erupted from Wang Pu, Xiao Qi, and Scarface.

Zhen Youcai, unnerved by their laughter, asked, “General, why… why are you laughing? I… I haven’t lied.”

“As long as you’re telling the truth,” Wang Pu declared. “Xiao Qi, take Mr. Zhen down to rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Xiao Qi replied loudly, grabbing Zhen Youcai by the chest and hauling him away. Zhen Youcai quickly clung to Xiao Qi’s muscular arm, pleading, “General, please—please go easy, you’re choking me…”

Once Xiao Qi and Zhen Youcai were out of sight, Scarface voiced his concern to Wang Pu. “General, are you planning to have Zhen Youcai call out at the gate?”

Wang Pu nodded. “There’s no other choice now. He’s the only one who can speak Manchu.”

Scarface said, “But none of us understand Manchu. If he warns the Jianzhou guards instead of calling for the gate, we’re doomed.”

“We’re gambling now,” Wang Pu said, slamming his fist down on the table. “If Zhen Youcai truly wants to sacrifice himself for the Jianzhou, I’ll accept my fate.”

Scarface’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but glance at Wang Pu with a strange look. He thought the general had changed: since falling from the broken bank and being rescued by the brothers, Wang Pu had become a different man. Now, not only was he decisive, he was ruthless—so much so that even Scarface, a bandit by birth, felt outmatched.

Yet, in truth, Scarface admired Wang Pu’s current manner. He felt this was how a man who accomplished great things should act—not like before, a young master with more appearance than substance.

■■■

Shengjing, Inner Court.

[Let us briefly introduce the imperial palace of Shengjing. During the reign of Nurhaci, the Chongzheng Hall and the Ten Princes’ Pavilion were built. Huang Taiji expanded the palace, constructing an inner court covering three hundred mu. This inner court was the living quarters for the imperial consorts, consisting mainly of five buildings, ranked by status: the Palace of Pure Peace, the Palace of Graceful Harmony, the Palace of Auspicious Hooves, the Palace of Prolonged Celebration, and the Palace of Eternal Blessings.

In the Palace of Pure Peace lived Cheche, the empress and Huang Taiji’s chief consort.

In the Palace of Graceful Harmony lived Hailanzhu, the imperial concubine. Hailanzhu was Huang Taiji’s favorite woman, reputedly skilled in mystical Daoist arts, an expert in the bedroom, and bewitched the emperor to the point he seldom left her side.

The Palace of Auspicious Hooves housed Namuzhong, the noble consort, and the Palace of Prolonged Celebration, Batema, the virtuous consort. Both women were originally consorts of the last Great Khan of Northern Yuan, Lin Dan Khan. When Lin Dan Khan was defeated by Dorgon, these two women, along with the imperial jade seal and their followers, surrendered to the Qing. To win over the Mongols, Huang Taiji took them as consorts.

Lastly, the Palace of Eternal Blessings is worth special mention. Its resident was Bumubutai, known among the people as Dayu’er. She was the niece of the empress Cheche and the younger sister of Hailanzhu. She was the Consort of the Manor, later honored as Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Readers familiar with dramas set in this era will recognize her; though not as exaggerated as on television, she was indeed a remarkable woman.]