Chapter 10, the arrival of the Guan Ning Army

Heaven bless our Ming Dynasty! Wang Yongji let out a sigh and then asked, "Where is the imperial presence currently stationed?"

However, paying respects at the royal mausoleum is not simply a matter of lighting a few incense sticks and bowing a few times; it involves a strict and elaborate process that may take half a day to complete. By that time, the bandit army might very well catch up.

Sun Xiangxian said with tears: "In response to Your Majesty, it has already been seventeen springs and autumns."

I can finally leave this dreadful place

At the beginning of the year, Emperor Chongzhen issued an edict, ordering Wu Sangui to lead the Guanning Army into the pass to assist the king. However, three months later, the Guanning Army had only just entered Shuntian Prefecture.

... ...

In the future, if it is possible to eliminate all the bandits and eradicate the Jianzhou people

We, the servants, were unaware of His Majesty's arrival and failed to greet him from a distance, which is a grave offense

Wu Sangui did not make any attempts to retain him, but merely sent someone to invite his trusted advisor Fang Guangchen to the administrative office

Upon receiving this news, Wu Sangui decisively led the Guanning Army to garrison Yutian County and summoned Governor Wang Yongji of Jilin and Liaoning, Inspector Li Yutian of Liaodong, as well as Tong Kui, the Deputy Supervisor of Jizhen, to the headquarters.

Sun Xiangxian said: "Very familiar, is His Majesty going somewhere?"

For the tomb guardians, serving as tomb keepers is merely a duty, not a form of house arrest, and they are free to go out. Sun Xiangxian has guarded the royal tomb at Wanshou Mountain for a full seventeen years, and he is certainly familiar with the terrain

Wu Ganlai was also quite resolute, angrily stating: "The Ming Dynasty governs the world through filial piety. It is a great act of unfiliality for His Majesty to pass by the ancestral tombs without entering. Is he not afraid of leaving a lasting infamy in the annals of history?"

At noon, Chongzhen and his party had already arrived at Tianshou Mountain

In weighing two harms, one should choose the lesser; Chongzhen believed that life was of utmost importance

As the official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, Wu Gan approached with a stern expression and said: "Passing by the ancestral tombs without entering to offer sacrifices and clean them is not what a filial child should do. I respectfully request Your Majesty to retract the decree."

Chongzhen said: "You lead the way ahead."

You are indeed selling direct sales, but it also depends on the timing

Chongzhen said: "Do you know if there is a path to cross the Great Wall?"

This clearly demonstrates Wu Sangui's attitude

Wang Jiayan still wanted to make an effort and asked, "Your Majesty, are you really not going to Yongping Prefecture?"

It has been seventeen years since the tomb was guarded. No wonder this old eunuch is not in Chongzhen's memory

Am I very familiar with you?" Wu Sangui shouted, "Come here, take these two traitors out and behead them!

As the large army arrived in Yutian County, the news of the capital's fall and the collapse of the imperial entourage suddenly came through

Fang Guangchen said: "Then it depends on what my elder brother seeks. If my elder brother seeks fame, then he should still serve the Zhu family as a filial son and a virtuous minister, fighting to the death against the bandits; if my elder brother seeks profit, and wishes to seek the welfare of the two hundred thousand Liaoning people within the borders, then it would be better to surrender to the Great Shun. The fate of the Great Ming has already run its course, and a change of dynasty is likely inevitable."

If the time spent on the ancestral tomb-sweeping leads to being caught up by the pursuing bandits, resulting in my death alongside you all here, causing the glorious Ming dynasty to collapse, the national lineage to be interrupted, and the country to change hands, that would be the true act of unfilial piety! Great unfilial piety! Minister Wu, do you wish for me to have no face to meet my ancestors in the underworld in the future?

At that moment, Chongzhen leaned his face close to Wu Ganlai's, and saliva was sprayed directly onto his face

To put it plainly, these eunuchs are also victims of the eunuch system. If given a choice, who would willingly sever their own lineage to become incomplete? Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to keep it and engage in intimate activities with women?

Wu Sangui's eyes flickered as he said, "There is no need for you gentlemen to be overly anxious. I have dispatched multiple groups of scout cavalry to various locations to gather information, and news of the imperial presence will return shortly. We can discuss it further at that time."

"The old servant Sun Xiangxian." The chief eunuch's voice became choked with emotion.

However, the critics will not easily concede defeat. Wu Ganlai quickly replied with a stiff neck, saying: "Even if the bandits are in hot pursuit, they will not catch up in an instant. If His Majesty is concerned about the cumbersome procedures and the excessive time consumption, a simple ritual of offering sacrifices would suffice. At the very least, it can silence the murmurs of the people and prevent any disgrace from being recorded in the annals of history in the future"

Ah? The capital has fallen?! Wang Yongji and Li Yutian suddenly stood up upon hearing this, and both exclaimed in unison, "What about the Holy Majesty? What has happened to the Holy Majesty?"

Otherwise, who knows whether you, Chongzhen, will settle accounts after the autumn?

The officials of the Ming Dynasty truly argue for the sake of arguing

Tianshou Mountain, which is also the site of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs, is the burial place of twelve emperors from the Ming Dynasty, starting with Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di. Emperor Chongzhen was also supposed to be buried here, which is why it is called the Ming Thirteen Tombs

Bai Guang'en, Tang Tong?" Wu Sangui exchanged a glance with Fang Guangchen and said, "Let them in!"

Chongzhen said with a sneer: "So, is it that Minister Wu is doing things just for show? Merely to put on a facade?"

On March 21, Wu Sangui's Guanning Army finally arrived in the territory of Yutian County, Shuntian Prefecture

In comparison, the legacy of the Ming Dynasty is indeed more significant

At that moment, Chongzhen said: "Forget it, I will come to pay my respects when I have time in the future"

What should we do? Li Yutian was in a great hurry

"Is the elder brother worried about the lasting infamy?" Fang Guangchen smiled and said, "In fact, there is no need for such concern, as I have also heard some news. It is said that on the day after the capital fell, the Chief Minister Wei Zhaode led over a thousand officials from the capital to kneel outside the Chengtian Gate, requesting to be employed by the Dashun Dynasty. Therefore, it can be said that the replacement of the Ming by Li Shun is already an inevitable trend"

"Please hold on, esteemed gentlemen." Wu Sangui said, "The capital has already fallen!"

Chongzhen shook his head and said, "The bandits' pursuing troops may catch up at any moment, so let it be."

Only Wu Sangui is still struggling to support the Ming Dynasty

Chongzhen asked the chief eunuch in charge of the tombs: "What is your name?"

The capital has already fallen, and the imperial entourage is nowhere to be found. Wu Sangui opened the mountain pass and said, "A great change is imminent. In this extraordinary time, what do you think the Guanning army should do, my wise brother?"

Wang Yongji exchanged a glance with Li Yutian and asked, "What is it?"

The Ming Dynasty established its nation on the principle of filial piety. To pass by the ancestral tombs without entering to pay respects would invite condemnation from the scholars and officials, and in the future, it would also leave a stain in the historical records

"Be at ease." Chongzhen despised the eunuch system, yet he did not make things difficult for these eunuchs

Thank you for your hard work, Ping Xibo. Wang Yongji and Li Yutian exchanged a few pleasantries before leaving

As for now, there is no need to take unnecessary actions for the sake of formality

Wu Guogui received the order and left. In less than a while, he brought Tang Tong and Bai Guang'en into the headquarters.

While speaking, the deputy general Wu Guogui entered to report: "My lord, Bai Guang'en and Tang Tongcheng are requesting an audience outside the city. These two traitors are likely here as emissaries for the rebel forces."

Wu Sangui took a breath and said: "In the midst of misfortune, there is a glimmer of hope; the imperial entourage personally led the forbidden troops to break through the siege under the cover of night."

However, Wu Ganlai did not feel embarrassed, as the officials of the Ming Dynasty were precisely tasked with this role. It was their daily routine to confront heaven, earth, and even the emperor, and the outcome was of no consequence.

"General Wang and Governor Li, a major incident has occurred," said Wu Sangui

Wang Jiayan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, let us enter the garden to pay our respects."

Meng Zhaoxiang, Wu Linzheng, and others also voiced their support, and Wu Ganlai dared not say more

Brother Changbo, I hope you have been well. Bai Guang'en, Tang Tong, and Wu Sangui have also been old acquaintances for many years, having once worked together under the command of Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao.

Chongzhen asked again: "Sun Banban has been at Wanshou Mountain for seventeen years, so he should be quite familiar with the surrounding terrain, right?"

Such great filial piety? Now, Chongzhen truly cannot tolerate this

Upon hearing of Emperor Chongzhen's arrival, the eunuchs guarding the tomb hurriedly welcomed him at the main gate

Chongzhen asked again: "Sun Banban, how many years have you been at Wanshou Mountain?"

Wu Sangui never truly intended to restore the monarchy

Chongzhen said: "If one were to go to Yongping Prefecture, it should have been done right after breaking out of the siege yesterday morning. Since it was not done before, it is even less possible to go now. If one goes, it would surely be falling into a trap!"

The reason why Wu Sangui led his troops into the pass was merely to evade the increasingly powerful Jianzhou bandits; the remote corner of Liaoxi was truly no longer bearable, as the threat posed by the Jianzhou's red-haired cannons was too great

Saying this, without waiting for Wu Gan to refute, he continued: "Throughout my life, I have despised formalism. In any endeavor, one should either not do it at all, or if one does, it must be substantial work, rather than merely for show, to appease others. The same applies to the ritual of sweeping the royal tombs; if I were to perform this ritual, it would not be for the sake of appearances, nor to silence the murmurs of the world."

The eight generals who were sent to aid in the suppression at that time either died or surrendered

"The old servant obeys the command." Sun Xiangxian was greatly pleased

Li Yutian said urgently: "No matter where the imperial carriage stops, Ping Xibo must quickly lead the elite cavalry of Jizhen to protect the carriage!"

Wu Ganlai opened his mouth to speak, but in his urgency, he found himself at a loss for words to refute.

On average, I walk about 5 miles every day

It is impossible to seek refuge with Wu Sangui

"What do you think I don't want?" Wu Sangui said with a helpless shrug, "But after the imperial entourage broke through the siege, their whereabouts are currently unknown, and there is simply no way to protect them."

This is essentially shifting the blame. Abandoning the ancestral tombs without cause is a serious crime. Since Chongzhen is now willing to take the responsibility himself, these officials will naturally not refuse

There is indeed. Sun Xiangxian said, "If you go twenty li to the northeast from here, you will find a mountain pass called Pianshiliang, where the Great Wall has already collapsed by more than half, allowing passage for people and horses"

I shall certainly return to Mount Tianshou to pay homage to my ancestors of the Ming Dynasty

The four servants, positioned on either side of the courtyard, responded with a shout and immediately charged forward like tigers and wolves, pushing Tang Tong and Bai Guang'en out.

In just over three months, more than 500 miles have been covered

This is truly a political opportunist

"Your Majesty is wise," Wang Jiayan said with a nod of approval, "The old minister concurs."

Wu Sangui's brows furrowed tightly at once, surrendering to the rebel bandits? It seems that this would not sound good for his reputation