Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Chapter 116 Hao Xiaozhong of Jingzhou

Two people were sitting in the seats on the right.

A stout military officer glanced sideways at the newcomer, his chest heaving and his heavy breathing audible.

Another slender scholar leisurely waved a folding fan, the Twenty-Eight Mansions constellation swaying gently on the fan surface.

Zhang Youyu unfurled the five-colored silk brocade, the imperial brushstrokes and vermilion ink dazzling to the eye:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Jingzhou controls the Sichuan Basin and leads to Jingxiang, making it a vital passage through nine provinces."

"Today, bandits are rampant in the western borderlands, and the Jurchens are rampant in the northern frontier; the waves of the Yangtze and Han rivers seem to harbor the scent of jackals."

"Your Excellency Hao Xiaozhong, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Jingzhou Garrison, is hereby appointed to oversee all land and water defenses. You are hereby ordered to repair the city walls and reorganize the military equipment. All troops, horses, money, and provisions of the garrisons shall be at your disposal."

"The twelve fortified outposts along the river shall be patrolled day and night. Anyone who dares to let bandits cross the border shall be executed on the spot!"

After reading the imperial edict, Zhang Youyu rolled up the silk brocade again and put it back into the box.

He then took out an ivory bone fan and gently tapped it on Hao Xiaozhong's shoulder armor:

"Ten thousand shi of grain transported from Huguang were intercepted to fill the granaries."

"His Majesty has ordered Marquis Zuo Liangyu of Ningnan to lead his troops to reinforce us day and night. I hope you will all work together with one heart and one mind to make our defenses impregnable."

"Ha ha--"

Before he could finish speaking, the thin scholar on the left suddenly burst into laughter, the abrupt sound breaking the solemn atmosphere in the hall.

The folding fan whirred loudly, and stars seemed to swirl across its surface, as if the world were upside down and the Milky Way were pouring down.

Zhang Youyu's expression hardened, and he looked at the scholar:

"Deputy Commander Hao, who is this...?"

Hao Xiaozhong hesitated for a moment, his voice low:

"He's just a wild madman from the mountains, Minister, you don't need to pay him any mind."

He had just touched Zhang Youyu's shoulder, intending to comfort him, when the other man deftly avoided him.

"Thump—"

The scholar on the right suddenly slammed his folding fan down onto the table with a thud.

Immediately afterwards, he flicked his wrist, and the folding fan opened halfway with a "whoosh"—on the other side of the fan, a dark black flag embroidered with the character "闯" (chuǎng, meaning to break through) was revealed.

"I am Wang Keli, Grand Secretary of the Tianyou Hall of the Great Shun Dynasty, hereby ordered by General Liu Fangliang of the Southern Expeditionary Left Battalion—"

He then reached into his robes with his left hand and took out a gilded wooden box.

Upon opening the box, a gold seal with a tiger-shaped knob, bearing the inscription "Military Governor of Da Shun Shan Nan Dao," lay prominently on the brocade lining inside.

He held up the golden seal, his words laced with persuasion:

"I have come specifically to present General Hao with a golden seal of a military governor who has established his own headquarters and command."

Zhang Youyu's face instantly turned ashen, his finger pointed sharply at Hao Xiaozhong, and he said in a stern voice:

"Deputy Commander Hao! How dare you collude with bandits!"

"You are a pillar of the court, yet you allow a traitorous envoy to brazenly enter the main hall of the General's Mansion?"

His voice grew louder and louder, filled with rage.

"Do they intend to emulate Wu Sangui's surrender of the pass, or follow Hong Chengchou's example and surrender to the Qing?"

Hao Xiaozhong suddenly burst into wild laughter:

"I was merely giving Minister Zhang some face just now; Minister Zhang is probably still living in a dream of the Forbidden City."

His amber left eye was faintly tinged with blood.

"Since Minister Zhang has arrived bearing this imperial seal, why not first examine the urgent dispatches from Wuchang Garrison?"

"That old scoundrel Zuo Liangyu withheld my military pay for three years. What will the court offer in exchange for my defense of Jingzhou?"

He gestured with his arm, pointing to the somewhat dilapidated hall.

"Do you expect my men to starve and gnaw at the crumbling city walls with their teeth?"

Just as Hao Xiaozhong was roaring, Zhu Cilang's gaze swept across the left side of the hall.

There sat a silent, square-faced military general.

His angular face was taut, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes wide open, as if his anger was about to burst forth.

Zhu Cilang could sense the humiliation churning in that gaze, along with a near-desperate rage—the commander he followed was wavering between a national traitor and an imperial envoy.

"What a fine 'what will you trade' question!"

Zhang Youyu's voice suddenly rose, his official hat remained perfectly still, his official authority was awe-inspiring:

"When Xiangyang fell, the people dug up tree bark to stave off hunger; when Chengtian Prefecture was besieged for three months, the defending general gnashed his teeth in snow and swallowed felt to defend the isolated city to the death—did anyone ask the court what they would offer in return?"

He pressed his left hand firmly against the edge of the imperial edict box, and with a "whoosh," pulled out a scroll of yellow silk:

"His Majesty anticipated that you would speak of Zuo Liangyu. The Ministry of War's funds are currently stuck at Parrot Island, however—"

With a flick of his wrist, the yellow silk ribbon unfurled like a whip.

"Whether it's a timely help to the Ming general or adding fuel to the fire for the traitor who surrendered the pass depends on whether General Hao can handle the immense wealth and honor."

At this moment, Wang Keli, the envoy of the Great Shun Dynasty, gently waved his folding fan and slowly strolled into the hall:

"General Hao, our mighty army of one million has already controlled seven counties in Jingzhou and Xiangyang."

The folding fan snapped shut in an instant.

"If you surrender the city, the King of Chuang will grant you the position of Commander-in-Chief and allow you to guard Jingzhou; if you resist stubbornly, the flag that will be hung at the city gate in three days will be yours, Hao's flag."

With another flick of the wrist, the eighteen ribs of the fan transformed into a three-foot iron ruler, pointing eastward.

"That Nanjing brat hasn't even warmed his throne yet, what makes him think he can control Jingzhou? Our King Chuang is here to uphold justice!"

The three-foot iron ruler was slammed heavily on the table.

"The proclamation granting a three-year tax exemption is now displayed on the Zhaoming Terrace in Xiangyang. The people's hearts are with you!"

Zhang Youyu glared at Wang Keli, his voice booming like thunder:

"After the rebel army was defeated at Tongguan, only remnants of his cavalry remained. Li Guo was chased all over the mountains by Ajige in northern Shaanxi."

"You bandits are turning in your graves!"

The sunlight, sharp as a knife, slashed across the hall, illuminating the swirling dust.

With a loud thud, Wang Keli smashed a celadon cup with his fan.

As Zhang Youyu slapped the yellow silk back onto the imperial edict box, Wang Keli suddenly opened his folding fan, as if holding a short stick.

The tension was palpable, and the air seemed to freeze!

Hao Xiaozhong suddenly took a step forward, growling like a trapped beast:

"How much military pay did Minister Zhang actually bring this time?"

"Ten thousand taels!"

Zhang Youyu made a decisive gesture, flicking his sleeves and pointing towards the door.

"Only ten thousand taels!"

Hao Xiaozhong suddenly roared, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

"The three thousand soldiers in Jingzhou are owed a staggering 170,000 taels of silver in wages over three years. Are you suggesting I treat my brothers like beggars with this paltry sum?"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Keli spoke first, his voice seductive:

"General Hao, are you aware of even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Xiangyang treasury?"

"The rebel king has decreed that those who surrender shall have 100,000 taels of silver given to the troops and be granted an additional 5,000 iron cavalry to be at his command."

Zhu Cilang clearly saw Hao Xiaozhong's hand gripping the knife hilt turn deathly pale before slowly loosening.

This border general, who was used to wavering, was now like a trapped beast forced into a corner, struggling between loyalty and betrayal.

His gaze swept over Zhang Youyu's official robe, then landed on the "闯" (Chuang) character flag on Wang Keli's fan:

"Please allow me... to reconsider!"

On the left, the obese military officer from Da Shun, unable to contain himself any longer, suddenly stood up, his voice like a broken gong:

"Why waste your breath on such a fickle person!"

"Scholar Wang, let's return to camp and beat the drums. Tomorrow at this time, the whip will be pointing towards the Wengcheng of Jingzhou."

The portly general issued a direct threat of war, simple and brutal.

Hao Xiaozhong's expression changed drastically, and he quickly bent over and moved to the side of the square-faced military officer on the left.

"General Hui! Look at this..."

His voice was extremely low, almost a whisper:

"Jingzhou's defenses have been damaged in many places... If war really breaks out, I'm afraid..."

The words were left unsaid, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

The military officer named Hui Canjiang had an ashen face and remained silent like a stone statue.