Chapter Sixteen: Life and Death Together

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Among the hereditary nobles of the Great Ming, the Duke of Ying stood apart in prestige, his power even surpassing that of the Duke of Cheng. Not even when Liu Jin or Wei Zhongxian held the reins of government had anyone dared lay a hand on them.

Yet when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? After more than two hundred years, this great house had reached a moment of life or death. Only a year earlier, Zhang Shize had inherited his father Zhang Zhiji’s title. The young duke had not even had time to savor the glory of his position before tasting the bitter reality of a change of dynasty.

The cannon fire grew fiercer, the cries of slaughter drew nearer, and servants came rushing in with the news. Xizhimen had fallen. Xuanwumen had fallen. The armies of the Rebel King had entered the city...

Young Zhang Shize paced back and forth across the floor, unable to conceal his fear. Just then, the old steward came stumbling in. He was covered from head to toe in dust, and a bruise the color of dark purple stained his brow. Upon reaching the main hall, he fell to his knees and began to wail bitterly.

“My lord, disaster has struck!”

“What is it?” Zhang Shize crossed the room in a few strides, seized the old steward by the chest, and demanded harshly, “What happened?”

“Look at this.”

Trembling, the old steward handed him a proclamation. Zhang Shize snatched it away. After reading only a few lines, his vision went black, and he nearly collapsed. The proclamation had been prepared in advance by Gu Zhenhua.

It read:

“The soldiers of Great Shun shall not trouble the common people. First, slay the eunuchs; then cut down the hereditary nobles. Seize their ill-gotten wealth to fund the army; strip their hides and pull out their sinews. Exterminate the corrupt officials, and rejoice in an age of peace.”

Beneath those lines was a list of wanted men, with rewards offered for their capture. The name of Zhang Shize, Duke of Ying, appeared prominently on the list—second only to Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Cheng!

How could Zhang Shize not be terrified? His rosy face turned deathly pale in an instant, and his limbs began to tremble uncontrollably. He muttered under his breath, “What should I do? What should I do? What can I do?”

While Zhang Shize stood helplessly bewildered, another servant suddenly rushed inside. He looked even more wretched than the old steward, with a wound more than an inch long on his arm, blood streaming from it.

“My lord, Duke Zhu Chunchen has been killed!”

“What?” Zhang Shize’s voice broke. “Say that again. How exactly did Zhu Chunchen die?”

The servant answered with a mournful expression, “This humble servant does not know. I only heard people outside say that he was hacked into a bloody mess at Xizhimen!”

“Ah!” Zhang Shize cried out in anguish, tears spilling from his eyes. He was not grieving for Zhu Chunchen; he was grieving for himself.

At that moment, the old steward suddenly said, “My lord, the one who killed Zhu Chunchen must have been one of the Rebel King’s men. We cannot simply sit here and await death!”

“That’s right! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” Zhang Shize shouted with near hysteria. “Go! Summon every servant in the household. Protect me, and fight our way out of the capital!”

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At Zhang Shize’s command, the two or three hundred armed retainers of the Duke of Ying’s residence were assembled. They formed a guard around him and charged eastward.

Zhang Shize was not the only one. Every other hereditary noble and high official in the capital had received the news as well. Many had clung to a last shred of hope, believing that if they surrendered, they might preserve their wealth and glory. But the moment they saw the proclamation, they were all terrified and began fleeing the city with their families.

The chaos in the capital grew worse. Fleeing Ming soldiers, troops of the Rebel King, common people escaping the disaster, and nobles rushing to save themselves had filled every road until they were completely blocked.

Killings took place everywhere. Flames blazed in every direction. All order had vanished. Desperate for the faintest chance of survival, people struggled with all their strength and without regard for anything else.

Tens of thousands surged toward Chaoyang Gate like a tide, frantically forcing their way through the narrow entrance. But the gate was only a dozen or so yards wide; how could it accommodate so many people? The entrance became a sardine tin, and cries and screams rose without end.

An old man fell. Countless heavy feet trampled over him, and like a wave, he vanished beneath the sea of humanity. Such waves were by no means rare. The elderly, the weak, women, and children suffered the greatest losses. Patches of dark-red earth stained the ground, exuding the sharp stench of blood.

Of course, some were far luckier than the rest: the guards and retainers accompanying Gu Zhenhua. Using Zhu Chunchen’s order, they had reached Chaoyang Gate first and had successfully taken control of its defenses.

When Sun Cheng and Lu Yong saw that no troops of the Rebel King had yet appeared outside the city, they secretly opened the gate. The guards escorted their families out at the greatest possible speed.

The instant they left the city, the Great Shun cavalry scouts spotted them. They hurried to summon the main force, intent on seizing Chaoyang Gate.

Watching the cavalry, Sun Cheng cursed inwardly. “Second Brother, the Rebel King’s troops will be here soon. Fourth Brother still hasn’t come out. I’m afraid we’re in trouble!”

“Big Brother, I’ll take some men to bring Fourth Brother out. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll protect him.”

He Zhonghou, standing nearby, added, “If Zhenhua hadn’t planned everything so carefully, how could we have escaped so easily? Nothing must happen to him.”

Lu Yong nodded and was about to select his men when he suddenly turned his head. Five guards were quietly falling behind, gradually separating themselves from the group. They had turned their horses around and were preparing to slip away.

Lu Yong’s fury erupted. “All of you, stop!”

With a thunderous shout, he lashed the flank of his warhorse. The horse sprang forward. The five men heard him and were startled, but instead of stopping, they tried to flee faster.

“Bastards!” Sun Cheng, who had also noticed what was happening, was filled with rage. He drew his bow and nocked an arrow. With a sharp hiss, the arrow pierced one guard through the chest, and the man tumbled from his horse. Without so much as a change of expression, Sun Cheng drew a second arrow.

Tang Zhanxiong reacted as well and shouted, “You ungrateful wretches! If you want to run, you’ll have to ask the great-grandfather holding this saber!”

As he spoke, he charged forward. The other guards, enraged at such traitors, raised their matchlock guns. Gunfire erupted. In the blink of an eye, four of the fleeing men had been killed. Only one remained.

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Lu Yong’s horse was swift. He raced ahead of the last fugitive and blocked the road. Realizing that escape was impossible, the man rolled from his saddle and fell to his knees before Lu Yong like a beaten cur, weeping bitterly and bowing his head again and again.

“Please spare me, sir! I only wanted to preserve my miserable life. I know I owe my life to Lord Gu, but charging into the city to bring him out would be no different from a moth flying into a flame. It would be certain death! Please, grant me a way to live!”

“Too late!” Lu Yong sneered. “Ungrateful scum like you deserve to be killed by everyone!”

He swung the saber at his waist. The blade struck the man squarely in the chest and cleaved him from breastbone to throat, splitting him in two. The corpse crashed to the ground, and blood reddened the yellow earth.

Five lives had vanished in an instant, all killed by their own comrades. Every guard present was shaken to the core. Lu Yong urged his horse forward and stopped before the group, his face grim enough to frighten anyone who looked upon it.

“Everyone, I know that some of you merely wanted to fish in troubled waters. Once you got out of the city, you thought only of yourselves. But let me remind you: a man must have a conscience. We escaped this danger because of Brother Gu. If we abandon him now, can we truly face our own consciences?”

Lu Yong’s rebuke caused several men to lower their heads.

Sun Cheng added, “Brothers, clear your heads. In a time of chaos like this, how far do you think you can run? Brother Gu is capable and far-sighted. If he can get us safely out of the city, he can also help us make something of ourselves. Following him will never leave us worse off.”

“That’s right! Follow Brother Gu!”

“Follow Brother Gu!”

Tang Zhanxiong and the others led the cry. The scattered hearts of the guards slowly drew together again.

Only then did Lu Yong finally breathe a sigh of relief. He called Tang Zhanxiong over and said, “Old Tang, I’m appointing you captain of the enforcement squad right now. If anyone runs again, cut down his entire family. Leave not one alive!”

“Rest assured. I won’t show the slightest mercy.”

“Uncle Second, this is bad! Look over there—aren’t those troops charging toward us?” Lu Shun suddenly cried.

Lu Yong and Sun Cheng hurriedly looked into the distance. Sure enough, clouds of dust were rising as a cavalry force raced toward Chaoyang Gate. Both men’s expressions turned solemn. The Rebel King’s army had arrived far sooner than expected!

“Second Brother, do you still have the courage to charge back into the city?”

Lu Yong immediately broke into a smile. “Why wouldn’t I? Once our heads strike the ground, our lives are already joined together. If we can’t bring Fourth Brother out, then we’ll pay for it with our own lives.”

“Exactly. True brothers should share life and death!”

The two men exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Then they selected the thirty most elite guards and charged toward the city gate...