Princess Zhaoren

Upon learning the news of Wang Lanping’s alleged rebellion, Zhu Yousong was utterly astounded. He could never have imagined that the Marquis of Dingnan, who had received such immense imperial favor, would commit such an ungrateful act. Zhu Yousong was counting on him to guard and secure his blissful life; with no one else left to trust in his sudden panic, he lost his wits completely.

When he heard further that Wang Lanping had merely bypassed the cabinet to reorganize the Beijing garrison without actually leading troops to attack Nanjing, he breathed a sigh of relief. Looked at this way, it was not yet a rebellion. Besides, Wang Lanping already held immense power and the lofty title of Marquis of Dingnan; he had no reason to take such a desperate risk. What could he possibly accomplish with a mere fifty thousand newly reorganized and unsettled troops? Yet, driven by Ma Shiying’s relentless combination of intimidation and cajolery, Zhu Yousong’s mind was left in a complete blur.

Ma Shiying hurriedly laid out his plan for "protecting the sovereign." First, he would immediately issue a secret imperial decree summoning the armies of Gao Jie and Liu Zeqing, two of the Four Towns of the Jiangbei, to assemble on the outskirts of Nanjing to guard against Wang Lanping’s rebel forces. Second, he would immediately dispatch the Viceroy of Yingtian, Zuo Maodi, north to negotiate a peace with the Manchu barbarians, ensuring that the two Jiangbei towns would not seize the opportunity to invade the Ming south while abandoning their defensive positions. Once the two town armies arrived, they would send for Wang Lanping to enter Nanjing and assassinate him upon his entry into the city. Immediately afterward, they would select and appoint a successor to the post of Nanjing Garrison Commander—and that ideal candidate was none of the others, but the current Deputy Commander of Nanjing City Defense, Ma Ming, who was none other than Ma Shiying’s own son.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yousong understood completely. Even if Wang Lanping were truly rebelling, once he was eliminated, the emperor would fall entirely under the control of the Ma family. Yet Zhu Yousong had no choice at that moment. Ma Ming controlled the city defenses of Nanjing and the inner court, and his life and death hung on a single word from Ma Shiying. Utterly helpless, Zhu Yousong agreed to every term and pressed the imperial jade seal onto the edict drafted by Ma Shiying.

The next day, with a heavy and reluctant heart, Zuo Maodi set off carrying Ma Shiying’s peace negotiation terms and three hundred thousand taels of silver. Escorted and supervised by Ma Shiying’s men, he departed from the Nanjing ferry, entered the Grand Canal, and headed north to Beijing to negotiate with Dorgon.

Meanwhile, the decree for constructing the new palace began to be implemented in detail. The official in charge of the construction was naturally arranged by Ma Shiying. With a budget of twenty million taels for the building project, how could he possibly let such a lucrative sinecure slip into someone else’s hands? Under the guise of the emperor’s name, no matter how much he engaged in corruption and self-enrichment, the emperor would be the one taking the blame.

When Minister of War Shi Kefa heard of all these developments, he flew into a towering rage. Setting aside the question of whether a new palace could even be built within a year, the mere cost of twenty million taels was utterly mind-boggling. According to the current budget of the Ministry of Revenue, the imperial court’s total annual fiscal revenue was only eight million taels. This money had to cover six million taels annually for the military expenses of the Four Towns of Jiangbei, the salaries of civil and military officials high and low, disaster relief for frequent calamities across various regions, and the enormous expenditures of the imperial inner court. This was already a deficit-ridden budget exceeding its revenues; where on earth was the money for the new palace supposed to come from?

Shi Kefa submitted several consecutive memorials clarifying the severity of the situation, but days passed like stones sinking into the sea. More infuriatingly, he could not even secure an audience with the emperor; state affairs were entirely controlled by the cabinet.

To gain complete control over the cabinet, Ma Shiying vigorously rehabilitated the eunuch faction officials who had lost power following the downfall of Wei Zhongxian years ago. The most notorious among them was Ruan Dacheng, who had now entered the cabinet in the capacity of Minister of War.

The Donglin partisans within the cabinet and officials unwilling to associate with Ma Shiying were replaced one by one. Shi Kefa was transferred out to take charge of Yangzhou and oversee the Four Towns of the Jiangbei. Knowing that the general trend was lost and filled with grief and indignation, Shi Kefa was scheduled to leave the capital for his new post the following evening. Suddenly, a group of Donglin officials who had been suppressed by Ma Shiying arrived at the Shi residence, led by Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi.

Knowing the purpose of their visit, Shi Kefa instructed his servants to bar the gates tightly and permit no one to disturb them. He led the group into the innermost small room of the Shi estate.

In the small room, more than a dozen people sat around a table in silence. Not a single person spoke, and the room was quiet enough to hear the crackling of the candle flames and the occasional sigh escaping from unknown lips. Nearly identical expressions of deep sorrow and bitterness hung upon everyone's faces.

Seeing the eunuch faction rise to power once again and the Donglin partisans being driven out of the imperial court one by one, how could they not be bitter and distressed? Now, even Shi Kefa, the only person who could speak on their behalf, was being exiled from the capital, making the Donglin faction's hope of regaining power increasingly remote.

Although Shi Kefa disdained factional strife, he was a student of Zuo Guangdou, the leader of the Donglin faction during the Tianqi reign; completely detaching himself from such factional controversies was virtually impossible.

The Donglin faction was now led by Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi, who was the first to break the silence.

Qian Qianyi was over sixty years old, but being wealthy and well-cared for, he looked like a man in his early fifties. He gave a light cough and said, "Everyone, please speak your minds. If we don't speak now, we won't have another chance."

The men exchanged glances, and Tian Fang, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, suddenly grew agitated. Striking the table, he said with righteous indignation, "My two elder cabinet ministers, and all my colleagues, you have all seen it. Back then, we should have insisted on having the Prince of Gui supervise the state; then we wouldn't have fallen into such a passive state today. What is this behavior of the Prince of Fu? It’s a counter-offensive to settle old scores, avenging his father!"

Back then, to prevent the Wanli Emperor from making Zhu Yousong’s father, the old Prince of Fu, the crown prince, the Donglin faction had locked horns with the Wanli Emperor for twenty years and ultimately won. Therefore, regarding the succession after Chongzhen’s death, the Donglin partisans feared that if the young Prince of Fu ascended the throne, he might settle the old scores of the past. Consequently, they preferred to look far rather than near, insisting that the Prince of Gui, who was taking refuge far away in Guangxi, supervise the state. Never mind that Guangxi was separated from Nanjing by towering mountains and distant rivers, he was also Chongzhen’s uncle; the principle of "an uncle succeeding a nephew" was utterly absurd, but the Donglin heroes paid no heed.

Meanwhile, officials in Nanjing consistently insisted on establishing the Prince of Fu, on the grounds that the Prince of Fu was close by in Huaian and was the Chongzhen Emperor’s cousin—a closer blood relation. A "brother succeeding a brother" certainly sounded better than "an uncle succeeding a nephew." The two sides quarreled endlessly, until everyone finally cast their gaze upon the head of all officials at the time, Shi Kefa. In order to calm the storm, Cabinet Minister Shi unexpectedly refused to support either side, proposing the novel idea of establishing the Prince of Lu instead. But right at that moment, Ma Shiying brought three division commanders into Nanjing, setting the matter in stone. The Prince of Fu was enthroned, the Donglin faction lost power, and Shi Kefa, playing the "fence-sitter," was relegated to the cold bench.

Seeing Tian Fang becoming increasingly unbridled in his words, Shi Kefa tapped the table. "Lord Tian, mind your words. No matter what, the Prince of Fu has already ascended the throne. How can subjects slander their sovereign and father behind his back?"

Qian Qianyi chimed in, "When the sovereign and father is unwise, subjects ought all the more to offer loyal admonitions and advice. Now, Minister Shi, cast your eyes upon this entire court of civil and military officials—where is there any foothold left for our Donglin faction? The emperor listens only to Ma Shiying and his gang of eunuch partisans, along with their lackeys like Ruan Dacheng and Liu泽清. This is listening to only one side. As the sages of old have said, 'Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened.' If we do not fight back now, Nanjing will soon repeat the tragic fate of Beijing."

Shi Kefa replied, "Lord Qian, do not constantly alarm people with such exaggerations. I have said long ago, do not engage in factional strife. Whether Donglin or eunuch faction, all are the emperor's subjects. You and I need only fulfill our own duties and wholeheartedly serve the country and the people; that is quite enough."

Hearing this, the crowd broke into a flurry of discussions. Since ancient times, factional strife in the imperial court had never ceased; without fighting for a monopoly on power, how could one realize personal political ambitions?

Qian Qianyi said, "Duty? What is duty? Which one of us sitting here is not a pillar of the Great Ming? And now, we don't even have the opportunity to show our loyalty, so how can we speak of duty?"

Just as Minister Qian finished speaking, someone immediately jumped out in agreement. "That’s right! The current sovereign lacks virtue, and traitorous ministers in the court seize power, while loyal and upright men like us have no path to serve our country. Can we not vent a bit of idle grievance in the dead of night when no one is around?"

Shi Kefa patted the table and stood up. "Gentlemen, if we are to discuss state affairs, I, Shi, will gladly accompany you. But if this is a gathering to slander our sovereign and father, then please excuse my discourtesy. Farewell."

Everyone saw that Shi Kefa had grown angry, and they had no choice but to quiet down gloomily and slowly.

Qian Qianyi said, "Elder Shi, do not lose your temper. Today, our gathering here is also to discuss a solution for our current predicament. You are leaving the capital tomorrow to take up your post in Yangzhou; do you have any instructions or matters to entrust to us? Can you help guide us through our present maze?"

Shi Kefa let out a long sigh. With state affairs reduced to this state, what accomplishments could he hope to achieve? The total downfall of the Donglin faction could not be reversed by individual ability alone. In this chaotic era, military generals held absolute control over all discourse.

Shi Kefa said, "My words remain the same: not fighting is fighting, and broaden your minds. You are all indispensable talents for the revitalization of the Great Ming, and you should possess the magnanimity to embrace all rivers. Ma Shiying’s rise to power may not necessarily be a bad thing. Which one of you sitting here is capable of keeping the Four Towns of Jiangbei in check? With him there, the Four Towns still harbor some reservations and dare not stir up excessive trouble. Time reveals people's hearts; as long as all of you strictly uphold your duties as subjects and do not forget the integrity of scholars, I believe the imperial court will surely employ you all once again."

These words were merely empty, circular platitudes—saying them was no different from saying nothing. Shi Kefa was truly powerless; he understood the truth that factional strife ruins a country, especially now when the Great Ming was reduced to a corner in the south and its national power was in a state of decline. The imperial court truly could not afford any internal turmoil. Officials at all levels should contribute their share for the eternal generations of the Great Ming. Scholars took the world as their own responsibility; as long as they did not lose this resolve, even a minor official of the ninth rank would not have lived in vain after a lifetime of studying the sages.

Qian Qianyi said, "Blind retreat will only fuel the arrogant flames of the eunuch faction. Elder Shi, your late teacher died a tragic death in the imperial prison—that was an evil deed committed by the eunuch faction. Surely you have not forgotten that?"

Shi Kefa truly did not want to continue discussing these topics with them. He could perceive in their eyes an ominous aura of craftiness, sinister cunning, malice, and other expressions that could never be associated with scholars. This feeling frightened Shi Kefa; the fragile Ming Dynasty could no longer withstand any more turmoil.

Seeing that Shi Kefa remained silent, Qian Qianyi continued, "Elder Shi, I hear you have a good relationship with the newly appointed Nanjing Defense Commander and Marquis of Dingnan?"

At the mention of Wang Lanping, a flash of fondness and admiration crossed Shi Kefa's eyes. On that day in the imperial court, he had listened to Wang Lanping orchestrate court affairs from the center and determine the outcome of battles thousands of miles away. From judgments on the macro-situation down to the minute details of warfare, he seemed able to speak with profound insight. Moreover, looking at it now, all of Wang Lanping’s initial strategies had been verified one by one. These things made even Shi Kefa, the Minister of War, feel inferior. If the Great Ming had a few more men like this, why would they need to worry about the country and state being unsettled, or the millions of people being insecure?

Shi Kefa replied, "We have no particular private friendship."

Qian Qianyi smiled and asked, "Then how does Elder Shi view this man?"

A trace of approval appeared on Shi Kefa’s face as he nodded. "He is courageous and resourceful, proficient in both civil and military arts. Given time, he will certainly become a generational commander."

Qian Qianyi clapped his hands and laughed aloud. "Great minds think alike! I, too, feel that this man is capable of great responsibilities and is a rare talent."

At this, Qian Qianyi’s tone shifted, and lowering his voice, he said, "There is a plan that can eradicate Ma Shiying’s influence in one fell swoop. This is also something I and my colleagues sitting here have discussed together. Elder Shi, would you care to hear it?"

Displeasure showed on Shi Kefa’s face, but out of courtesy, he said, "Speak your mind directly."

Qian Qianyi stood up, paced thoughtfully around the table amidst the crowd, and lowered his voice. "I hear that Wang Lanping bypassed the cabinet and the Ministry of War to amalgamate the original fifteen Beijing garrisons into the 'Zhuangyuan Army,' and he even dared to execute veteran generals like Li Zhi who had received hereditary honors for generations. If my guess is correct, the Zhuangyuan Army is already under Wang Lanping’s sole control. This is good news for us. Gentlemen, imagine if we secretly contact the Marquis of Dingnan, invite him to lead his troops into the capital, and serve as his internal allies within the court—we could surely eradicate Ma Shiying in one fell swoop. Afterward, we can jointly recommend Elder Shi as the Senior Grand Secretary of the Cabinet."

Hearing this, the crowd was extremely excited, as if they had already seen the dawn of victory in defeating the eunuch faction.

Only Shi Kefa shook his head with a bitter smile. "Lord Qian, what makes you think Wang Lanping would listen to you? Perhaps he is not well-versed in the ways of politics, but you must understand: he is a military *zhuangyuan* by background, and in military strategy and planning, he is far superior to you or me. As long as the Four Towns of Jiangbei still exist, it is impossible for Wang Lanping to become an enemy of Ma Shiying. What you are doing is pure wishful thinking."

Unwilling to give up, Qian Qianyi said, "Everything depends on human effort; how will we know if we don't try? Whether this succeeds or not, we ask Elder Shi to lend a helping hand. Please help arrange an introduction, and we will handle the rest. Then you can go to Yangzhou to assume your post."

Shi Kefa said no more. He understood these people all too well—they feared nothing more than a peaceful world.

Seeing that he remained silent, Qian Qianyi knew the matter was hopeless, but he still had one more stratagem in reserve.

Qian Qianyi said, "Elder Shi, throughout history, rulers who continued or revived imperial dynastic fortunes were all men of grand vision and great strategy. Yet looking at the master of our Hongguang court—hehe, whether the emperor possesses grand vision and great strategy, everyone knows for themselves. Perhaps I failed to recognize his true character, but in this old man's humble opinion, to revitalize the Great Ming, the current sovereign still seems to lack a bit of the heroic spirit of our founding Emperor Taizu."

These were precisely the words Shi Kefa could least bear to hear. He stood up once more and indignantly rebuked, "Lord Qian, I have said it before: whether the sovereign is wise or unwise is not something for you and me to judge. Since he is the emperor, we as subjects must wholeheartedly assist him. What on earth do you mean by saying such things?"

Qian Qianyi and the others exchanged knowing smiles and said, "Elder Shi, you might as well meet someone."

Before long, an official walked out of the Shi residence and led a person back inside. Upon entering the room, the newcomer removed his hood. Shi Kefa looked the person up and down: it was a young man of about sixteen or seventeen years of age, who indeed possessed a rather heroic air. With a calm smile and a strong aura, he looked like a young noble scion from some prestigious aristocratic household.

Puzzled, Shi Kefa pointed at the newcomer and asked, "Lord Qian, what is the meaning of this?"

Qian Qianyi stroked his beard and smiled. "When the capital fell and the late emperor met his tragedy, heaven blessed our Great Ming. The Crown Prince escaped the disaster, traveled through various hardships, and has now arrived in the city of Nanjing."

Shi Kefa was stunned. The Crown Prince had come to Nanjing? Wasn't it said that he had been detained by Li Zicheng? Where did this Crown Prince coming south come from? Could it be that they were referring to the young man before him? He had never seen the Crown Prince, nor had anyone else; the Crown Prince was raised deep within the palace walls—how many people had ever laid eyes on him?

At this thought, profound shock gripped Shi Kefa's heart. He hurriedly flicked his robes, preparing to kneel and kowtow. "Subject Shi Kefa pays respects to the Cr—" But just as he knelt halfway, he suddenly stopped.

Shi Kefa was a man who understood the big picture. If the Crown Prince popped up at this juncture, whether true or false, it would bring the current Great Ming a hundred harms and not a single benefit. Qian Qianyi and this faction of Donglin partisans were hoisting up this so-called Crown Prince for an obvious motive: nothing less than wanting to replace the current Hongguang Emperor. The moment the identity of this so-called "Crown Prince" was made public, the Hongguang court, whose popular support had only just begun to stabilize, would immediately be riddled with rumors and plunged into chaos. Which regional viceroy could pacify this? Would high-ranking military generals seize the opportunity to enthrall a new sovereign? Faced with such terrifying scenarios, Shi Kefa felt a chill just thinking about them.

Shi Kefa straightened his back, refusing to look at the so-called Crown Prince. Instead, he cast a look of utter disdain upon the crowd, let out a cold snort, and brushed past them to leave.

"Elder Shi, you—won't you say something? Do you agree to this or not?" a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War shouted, chasing after him.

Without turning his head, Shi Kefa tossed back a remark: "Fools are not worth conspiring with. Petty men, a pack of petty men who ruin the state and the people! Steward, show the guests out."

The next day, the news of the "Crown Prince Zhu Cilang" arriving in the south at Nanjing spread like wildfire. Along with it came scandalous, obscure secrets about the Hongguang Emperor: tales that "the Hongguang Emperor engages in nighttime debauchery and caused the death of two young girls," and "whenever the Hongguang Emperor drinks fine wine, it must be fed to him in rotation by delicate maidens." These rumors spread across the entire city, growing increasingly distorted with every retelling.

---

On the street opposite the Fuzi Miao (Confucian Temple) stood an inconspicuous inn. The window on the second floor of the inn, facing the street, was wide open. A young maiden was gazing out from the window at the surging crowd of pedestrians on the street below. Her brows were tightly locked, and her unpowdered face was covered with a cloud of sorrow, which nonetheless failed to obscure her peerless and exquisite beauty. A few strands of dark hair drifted across her forehead, adding a touch of desolation. In her line of sight, a youth surrounded by a crowd was walking along the street toward the not-too-distant Yingtian Prefectural Office.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and another equally young maiden rushed in anxiously. Swinging the door shut behind her, she cried out in panic, "Princess, Princess! The Crown Prince—the Grand Duke has come!"

Princess Zhaoren, who was leaning against the window, did not turn back. Parting her red lips lightly, she said calmly, "Ruxue, haven't I told you before? Do not call me Princess. That person is not the Crown Prince; he is a fake."

Ruxue hurriedly ran to the window, leaned out, and looked down. As it turned out, the view was even better from here. Pouting her lips, she whispered softly, "Oh... Ruxue was too far away when she was downstairs just now; I only heard what people were saying. I’ve made a mistake again."

Princess Zhaoren maintained her icy-beauty expression. Ever since she fled Beijing, she had not smiled once. "Father, the Crown Prince, Mother... Heh, they are all gone. None of them are left." As she spoke, a stream of hot tears rolled down her fragrant cheeks, truly evoking a deep sense of pity and tenderness in anyone who saw her.

Ruxue took out her handkerchief and gently wiped the tears away. "My lady, don't dwell on it. It's all in the past."

Princess Zhaoren suddenly looked at Ruxue. "No, I hate them! I hate Li Zicheng, who drove my father to his death, and I hate those Manchu barbarians who occupied the Forbidden City."

Ruxue hurriedly used her hand to cover Princess Zhaoren's mouth. "My lady, don't speak recklessly! Be careful someone might overhear." Seeing that the princess's expression gradually softened, she removed her hand and continued, "My lady, don't think too much. His Majesty's revenge will surely be avenged by someone. Ruxue has heard that there are still many, many Ming armies in the south; they will surely help you achieve your wish."

Princess Zhaoren’s apricot eyes widened. "I hate them even more! Selfish and self-interested, watching the capital fall while cowering in the south and refusing to save it—they are not worthy of being officials of our Great Ming."

Trying her best to cheer the princess up, Ruxue smiled brightly and playfully said, "Princess, Ruxue heard that a military *zhuangyuan*, personally appointed by His Late Majesty years ago, has recently arrived in Nanjing. Everyone in the city is talking about him now, saying that not only is he extraordinarily skilled in martial arts and strikingly handsome, but he has also won the deep trust of the Hongguang Emperor—oh no, the deep trust of the Prince of Fu—who conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Dingnan. He has vast numbers of soldiers under his command. Ruxue believes that one day in the future, he will surely lead the Ming army to fight their way back to Beijing!"

Princess Zhaoren took a deep breath. "I made a vow long ago: whoever he may be, as long as he kills Li Zicheng for me and slaughters all the Manchus, I will marry him. I will serve him as a concubine or a maid, for the rest of my life without seeking any formal title."

Ruxue covered her mouth and giggled, speaking in a meaningful and very mischievous tone, "Then does my lady want to go and see this military *zhuangyuan*, ask him when he plans to fight back to Beijing, and by the way, let Ruxue help you ask whether he is already married? Oh, heehee!"

A blush crept onto Princess Zhaoren's face. "You wretched girl! Since when did you become so cheeky? Go on, get out!"

"Haha, my lady, you smiled! And you even blushed! Alright, alright, Ruxue will go right now and find someone to inquire whether there is already a Marchioness in the Marquis of Dingnan's estate!"

"Wretched girl, if you keep talking, I'll sell you off!"