Chapter 0005: Specialist in Battlefield Retreats

Zhu Cilang said: "Wang Banban, who do you think, besides Wu Xiang, can organize the more than a thousand hastily gathered rabble into ranks and then use them to protect His Majesty, Her Majesty, and this palace as we head to Tianjin Wei?"

Wang Banban, please receive the imperial decree!

Moreover, it is not to mention that Emperor Chongzhen would not be able to last much longer; even if he could continue, he would not have the chance to depose himself... As long as he can escape, Chongzhen will no longer have the opportunity to establish a crown prince.

Huang Dabaos observed Zhu Cilang's spirited appearance, showing no signs of discomfort. This is clearly an attempt to skip class

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, "Alright, I will go to the inner training ground to wait for him tomorrow"

Wu Xiang has indeed witnessed grand spectacles! He possesses some military command skills, and having him lead the troops is certainly better than Wang Cheng'en leading them himself

"Your Highness, I am Huang DabaO." The chubby eunuch and companion Huang DabaO entered while yawning

"Transfer him to the internal training ground as well!" Zhu Cilang immediately ordered

Wang Cheng'en understood the meaning of Zhu Cilang, and in his heart, he felt even more admiration for this esteemed prince.

"White strip?" Huang Dabaos listened in confusion, staring blankly at Zhu Cilang.

Wang Cheng'en is a good person, not only is he determined despite his physical disabilities, but he has also worked hard to reach the position of national leader, and he is wholeheartedly loyal to his superior, Emperor Chongzhen. Although he holds great power, he still maintains integrity and is essentially an honest official—truth be told, he might as well have earned a bit more for himself, so that he could have a few million at home to save his life at this moment

After pacing for a while, Zhu Cilang suddenly stopped and shouted: "Huang Daba, Qiu Zhizhong, who is there?"

Wang Cheng'en felt it was inappropriate again and was just about to speak up when Zhu Cilang spoke first: "Wang Banban, this is an extraordinary time, and we can no longer adhere to the old rules."

Wang Banban, what are you doing..." Zhu Cilang looked at him, his heart almost in his throat

The plump eunuch pondered: What has His Majesty been up to? Has he finally come to his senses after a long sleep? Has he even learned to feign illness to skip class? ... Moreover, he just chatted with Minister Wang for half the night, and when the Minister left, he appeared to be full of energy ...? ... Could it be that His Majesty truly met Emperor Taizu in his dreams? Did Emperor Taizu show a way out for the Ming Dynasty?

Upon thinking of this, Wang Cheng'en crumpled the imperial edict into a ball, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a bit, and swallowed it.

Someone as honest as Wang Cheng'en really should not have been cut down so ruthlessly

Zhu Cilang also said: "Moreover, after we leave the city, we must find ways to win over Wu Sangui! If we can recruit his 40,000 elite troops to Tianjin and march south together, half of Jiangnan will be secured."

Although the young prince is still in his youth, he possesses a meticulous mind and is willing to take on responsibilities, in addition to being a devoted son...! ... The burden of revitalizing the Ming dynasty will likely fall upon his shoulders!

Seeing Wang Cheng'en about to turn and leave, Zhu Cilang suddenly thought of something and quickly called out: "Wang Banban, please wait a moment."

It can also be said that he holds the title of Commander of the Capital Garrison. Wang Cheng'en said, "As an old servant, I am tasked with leading the military camps both inside and outside, and overseeing the Nine Gates, so I can indeed manage a few matters.

However, speaking of which, Zhu Cilang's physique is quite impressive. At just sixteen years old, he is already very tall, and his skin is fair. Looking in the bronze mirror, his features are also quite handsome, with thick eyebrows that give him a certain imposing presence

"One thousand copies?" Huang Dabaos expression changed in surprise

However, Wang Cheng'en is certainly not a qualified chief eunuch! He is not as capable as Wei Zhongxian

The current situation is extremely critical, today is already the 15th day of the 3rd month in the 17th year of Chongzhen...! If I remember correctly, on the 16th of March, Li Zicheng's army will arrive at Changping, and by the 17th, they will be at the city gates!

Huang Dabaos responded and turned to leave. Zhu Cilang added, "First take one thousand copies!"

Zhu Cilang spoke as he walked to the table, picked up a pen and began to write the prince's decree. As soon as he started writing, Zhu Cilang realized that his calligraphy skills had significantly improved! His regular script was quite impressive, clearly the result of diligent practice. However, his literary talent had not seen much advancement; he was unable to compose regulated couplets and instead resorted to plain language. He merely added the phrase "By the decree of Heaven, the prince's command" at the beginning. After finishing, he also used the imperial seal of the crown prince.

The old servant understands

Thus, he did not have time to feel sorrow or shed tears for his tragic fate (soul crossing), and had to devote himself entirely to crisis management.

Wang Cheng'en then performed a bow and turned to leave

"Is the Prince trying to have Wu Xiang transferred to the inner training grounds to protect you and the Emperor?"

So it is! Wang Cheng'en suddenly realized that the people he could gather were merely a rabble. If they had been able to protect the emperor's escape before the rebel army besieged the city, it might have worked. However, once the army surrounded the city, these individuals would likely scatter in chaos. Therefore, it was essential to have Wu Xiang's household servants to maintain order and suppress any disorder.

Seeing Wang Cheng'en's honest and simple appearance, Zhu Cilang was so anxious...! ... Please be cunning just this once!

In Feng Menglong's "Diary of the Yan Capital," it is mentioned that Emperor Chongzhen, in the third month of the seventeenth year of his reign, secretly ordered Cao Huachun to bury the remains of Wei Zhongxian. This event is not recalled by Zhu Cilang, who does not believe that Emperor Chongzhen would miss Wei Zhongxian; if he had such thoughts, he would not have hanged himself on Coal Mountain. ... However, Zhu Cilang himself seems to miss Wei Zhongxian a bit ...! ... As a grand eunuch, one must possess a certain cunning!

Zhu Cilang let out a breath

Your Highness, is there anything else you wish to command

Zhu Cilang was too lazy to explain to him, "You need not concern yourself with this. Go and find both Imperial Physician Zeng and the official Shishu Guan Bi Jiucheng to come to me."

"Your Highness, please rest assured, this old servant will certainly follow your instructions!" Wang Cheng'en hurriedly explained, "However, this responsibility shall be borne by me! As the commander of the internal and external military camps and the supervisor of the nine gates eunuchs, I have the authority to mobilize troops for training in the inner parade ground. After all, Your Highness is the Crown Prince; although it is out of filial piety, it is ultimately inappropriate."

Moreover, Zhu Cilang's brain appears to be quite developed, with excellent memory and very agile thinking

Wang Banban! The situation is urgent! The great Emperor Taizu has even appeared in a dream, what are you still hesitating about? The rebels will arrive tomorrow, and if we do not have a reliable force at hand, how can we protect the emperor and break through? You are the most trusted eunuch of the late emperor, a loyal minister! I am the crown prince, a filial son... Is it not our duty as loyal ministers and filial sons to prepare for the protection and escape?

"Your Excellency, what do you need so many notebooks for?" Huang Dabaos was a bit puzzled

"Um," Zhu Cilang said, "I am feeling a bit unwell, so I will not be attending classes tomorrow and the day after."

Wang Cheng'en hurriedly bowed and received the edict written by Zhu Cilang with both hands. After reading it once, he thought to himself: The Crown Prince truly has a sense of responsibility! ... How dare he issue such an edict ... ! ... Is this a private mobilization of troops? ! If only the Emperor had such decisiveness and responsibility, how could the state affairs have come to this?

He only spoke half of the story; the other half is that if Wu Sangui was unwilling to follow, but instead chose to ally with the Manchus, holding Wu Sangui's father would still serve as a form of restraint.

He Wu Xiang entered the capital in February, and he came with a large family. The journey was fraught with chaos, so how could there not be dozens of servants for protection? The servants of the Wu family have all fought hard battles against the Liao and the Eastern barbarians

"To write an IOU." Zhu Cilang replied casually

In fact, he is not worried at all about being deposed by Emperor Chongzhen for privately mobilizing troops

"Is Wu Xiang under your jurisdiction?" Zhu Cilang asked

Moreover, Zhu Cilang also felt a surge of energy! Even late at night, he did not feel the slightest bit of fatigue, a sensation he had not experienced in many years

"Is there that many?" Zhu Cilang asked, "If not, the score, the title book, or the announcement will do, just gather a thousand copies first"

Moreover, during the battles in Liaodong, Wu Xiang and his son Wu Sangui did not shy away from fleeing! The fact that they could escape with their lives from the ferocious Qing soldiers while still preserving some strength indicates that they were quite experienced in retreating. They are seasoned professionals in the art of battlefield escape

Go fetch the imperial decree

Then make good use of this clever mind to ponder further and see if there are any urgent matters that need to be addressed immediately

Your Excellency, this old servant understands. I will gather the personnel right away, and tomorrow morning, I will personally go to the Wu Xiang residence to bring him to the inner training ground.

Here.

"Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?" Huang Dabaos asked anxiously upon hearing that the Crown Prince wanted to see the physician

It's okay

Watching Wang Cheng'en depart, Zhu Cilang felt not a trace of drowsiness; instead, he paced back and forth in the great hall, contemplating his future.