Chapter 18: Seizing the Gate (Continued)

Liu Zongmin was the right-hand man of Li Zicheng, his most capable assistant and the vanguard leading the assault on the capital. He charged through Zhengyang Gate with his troops, advancing smoothly as the Ming soldiers fled in panic.

Amidst Liu Zongmin’s relentless slaughter, a column of several hundred appeared ahead, accompanied by over twenty horse-drawn carriages, all in flight. Without hesitation, Liu Zongmin charged forward.

This group was led by the British noble Zhang Shize. Having seen the flyers distributed by Gu Zhenhua, Zhang was terrified and fled with all his retainers. Fate, however, was cruel, for he ran straight into Liu Zongmin—the harbinger of doom—and the two forces immediately clashed. Compared to the battle-hardened Liu Zongmin, who had emerged from a sea of corpses, Zhang Shize was like a naïve child, utterly defenseless.

Wielding his heavy cavalry saber like slicing through melons, Liu Zongmin cut down the retainers one after another. The Great Shun army was like a pack of wolves and tigers, charging fiercely. Zhang Shize’s men screamed in chaos and scattered. Zhang himself attempted to flee, but Liu Zongmin pursued relentlessly from behind. With a swift stroke, the British noble’s head fell to the ground.

“Master Liu, look what we found!” one of Liu’s soldiers shouted. Liu turned swiftly to see his men overturning the carriages. Inside were countless wooden boxes of varying sizes. Opening one at random, dazzling jewels spilled out, blinding to the eye.

Silver gleamed white, gold shimmered yellow, pearls the size of dragon’s eyes, translucent jade, exquisite calligraphy and paintings, top-tier silk, exotic tribute jewels from overseas—all resplendent and overwhelming.

Over two centuries’ worth of treasures completely dazzled Liu Zongmin’s eyes. What stirred his blood even more were the women in the first few carriages.

The men had fled, leaving these bound-footed women as spoils for the Great Shun army. Liu, old and past his prime, barely gave them a glance. But in the third carriage were three beautiful young maidens who immediately caught his attention.

They huddled tightly in a corner of the carriage. Two maids, their faces streaked with tears and terror, desperately tried to shield their mistress. Yet their delicate frames were no match for the soldiers.

Liu Zongmin grabbed the arms of the two maids and pulled them close. Upon closer inspection, he saw they were identical twins—heaven had smiled upon him. Grinning broadly, he laughed.

Looking deeper inside, his eyes widened. A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl clung to the corner of the carriage, dressed in a pale blue gown that concealed her figure. Only her profile was visible, but her skin was as flawless as mutton fat jade—soft and delicate. Long lashes glistened with tears, a refined nose and delicate ear adorned her face—the most enchanting side profile in the world. Stray strands of her dark hair framed her face, lending an even more fatal allure.

Swallowing hard, Liu Zongmin abruptly turned his head and barked, “Keep a close watch on these three women! If any of you fools so much as lay a finger on them, I’ll snap your heads off!”

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“Master Liu, the brothers won’t dare be reckless!” one commander laughed. “There are plenty of fine women in the capital. If we lose these, we can just seize more!”

“That’s right! Everyone with me—charge! I guarantee you’ll all be grooms by nightfall!” Liu Zongmin laughed shamelessly.

Blinded by the treasures and women, Liu Zongmin abandoned the Forbidden City and instead targeted the fleeing officials. He slaughtered the men, seized the wealth and women. He lost count of how many he killed or how much treasure he captured, but never before had he felt such exhilaration—his blood burned like fire.

Approaching Chaoyang Gate, Liu Zongmin suddenly looked up to see a convoy of over a hundred carriages ahead. His eyes reddened with greed. He had only seized twenty or so carriages from British noble Zhang Shize so far. What wealth must the hundred-carriage convoy hold!

Without hesitation, Liu Zongmin spurred his horse and charged forward, his soldiers surging like a stampede behind him. What he did not realize was that this was no easy target; this convoy was led by Gu Zhenhua.

Gu Zhenhua was startled to hear it was Liu Zongmin—one of Li Zicheng’s fiercest generals and a formidable foe. But at this juncture, there was no choice but to face the challenge; no matter if it was Li Zicheng himself, they had to break through!

Gu Zhenhua’s situation was grim. The hundred carriages stretched long and were vulnerable to attack. If the line was broken, regrouping would be next to impossible. Yet the people and valuables aboard were priceless and could not be lost. Gritting his teeth, Gu Zhenhua said, “Third Brother, you pull back your forces. I’ll hold off Liu Zongmin.”

Spurring his horse, Gu Zhenhua led the vanguard soldiers headlong toward Liu Zongmin. Xue Biao and Xie Bin watched closely, knowing this was a desperate gambit. Liu Zongmin was a veteran general; any misstep could cost a head. Gu Zhenhua was staking his life.

They could not let Gu down. Xue Biao and Xie Bin ordered the hundred carriages to quickly form a circular formation, preparing for battle.

Gu Zhenhua and Liu Zongmin met in fierce combat. Iron spear clashed with cavalry saber; sparks flew. Gu Zhenhua felt his arms tremble, nearly losing grip on his spear.

Such strength! Gu Zhenhua was secretly impressed—Liu Zongmin truly was a fierce warrior. Liu was equally surprised. Since entering the capital, he had met no real resistance; the Ming troops had all fled. Yet these people dared to charge him head-on, and this young man wielded such astonishing power, his arms tingled from the strain. Surprised by such a brave Ming officer, Liu Zongmin squared up for battle.

Their soldiers soon collided. Liu Zongmin’s men were the elite of the vanguard, each a survivor from the battlefield, fiercely strong. Gu Zhenhua’s troops were likewise elite but hastily assembled, weakened by their dire circumstances and faltering morale. In the first clash, several of Gu’s men fell beneath horses. The vanguard soldiers howled and pressed forward, inflicting mounting casualties.

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“You’ve got skill, boy. The Ming Dynasty is doomed. Just surrender to the Chuang King. With me as your patron, riches and glory await!”

“Ha ha ha, Liu Zongmin, better watch your head!”

As Gu Zhenhua spoke, he lunged his spear toward Liu’s chest, almost striking home. But Liu’s face split into a smug grin. Gu sensed danger but it was too late.

Liu twisted his body to evade the spear. Gu’s hand faltered, and the spear impaled a Great Shun soldier instead. When Gu tried to withdraw it, the spearhead caught in bone, refusing to budge.

Liu sneered. This pretty-faced youth was skilled, but inexperienced—a fledgling on the battlefield. Charging forward, Liu swung his saber fiercely toward Gu’s head, intent on cleaving him in two.

Desperate, Gu threw down his spear and drew his waist sword to parry. Liu’s blade sliced close along Gu’s shoulder, shaving off a piece of armor. It burned like fire.

Liu pressed the attack mercilessly, weaving blows with his saber. Gu gritted his teeth and fought back with all his might, but his men dwindled while the Great Shun forces swelled.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced Gu’s ribs, blood flowing from a cut inflicted by Liu’s blade. Injured and worsening, Gu’s situation grew dire.

At that moment, Xue Biao’s voice rang out, “Fourth Brother, retreat!”

Gu Zhenhua felt as if pardoned. Facing a battle-hardened foe like Liu Zongmin was too much now. Clenching his teeth, he hurled his sword at Liu, who dodged swiftly. Seizing the moment, Gu whipped his horse around and jabbed his spurs hard into its belly. The steed reared and burst through the encirclement.

Suddenly, Xie Bin’s loud command echoed, “Fire!”

Thirty muskets roared simultaneously. On the narrow street, the Great Shun soldiers had nowhere to hide and fell in great numbers. The second wave of musketeers surged forward, black muzzles trained on Liu Zongmin.

“Fire!”