Chapter 25: The Harvest (Part Two)

How much had actually been hauled out of the capital? Not even Gu Zhenhua could say for certain at the moment. It would take a thorough inventory of the wealth and armaments to know for sure. The only certainty was that they had managed to secure both the people and the riches.

Gu Zhenhua gestured toward the carriage trailing behind and said with a smile, "Uncle Six, do you know who is sitting in that carriage?"

"Who? Could it be the Emperor himself?"

"Hahaha, Uncle Six, you truly are sharp. While you didn't guess it exactly, you aren't far off."

"Not far off?" He Zhonghou had only been joking, but Gu Zhenhua’s serious confirmation left the old man bewildered, unable to fathom what he meant.

"Uncle Six, the Crown Prince is in that carriage. He has left the city with us!"

"What?" He Zhonghou was stunned, nearly tumbling off the cart in his shock. "Zhenhua, you aren't lying to me, are you?"

"Why would I lie to you? Along with the Crown Prince, there is also a court eunuch and several palace guards."

He Zhonghou’s expression shifted instantly. He hurried to say, "Stop the cart! I must go and kowtow to the Crown Prince!"

Gu Zhenhua felt a mixture of frustration and amusement. "Uncle Six, look at the situation we are in. If you want to kowtow, wait until we have a place to settle down. To speak bluntly, a fallen Crown Prince must rely on us now; you needn't be so formal."

"That won't do, that won't do," He Zhonghou shook his head repeatedly. "Zhenhua, the Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the Crown Prince is the Heaven’s Grandson—the grandson of the Almighty. One cannot be disrespectful!"

Heaven’s Grandson! It was a term only this old man could come up with.

Gu Zhenhua could not help but laugh. "Uncle Six, the Heaven’s Grandson is barely holding onto his life right now, and Li Zicheng could descend upon us at any moment. You had better get back to guiding us!"

"Sigh." He Zhonghou could only nod, yet he remained trembling with awe, stealing glances at the carriage behind them from time to time. He was afraid of being noticed, and every time he peeked, he would pat his chest in nervous excitement, yet he could not stop looking back.

Gu Zhenhua found the situation absurd, though it sparked a sudden realization. Coming from a later era, he had long outgrown the concept of an emperor. The Forbidden City had become a museum, open for anyone to visit. After tasting the overpriced, bland noodles served within those walls, he had lost all reverence for the throne.

But for the people of the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor remained the most sacred entity—some even believed the Emperor's foot-washing water could serve as a medicinal ingredient. Among the lower classes, the concept of the "True Dragon Son of Heaven" was deeply ingrained.

With this in mind, Gu Zhenhua began to weigh his options. His current force was a patchwork of Zhu Chunchen’s guards, Ming imperial troops, palace guards, and soldiers from the Wanggong Factory. A group of three to five hundred men, divided into several factions. Worse still, they had no prior connection; they were merely a disorganized rabble thrown together by circumstance.

Back in the capital, the desire to survive and escape had held them together. But once outside, how was he to command them—especially with the carriages laden with weapons, treasures, and even women?

There was no guarantee that some wouldn't harbor ulterior motives. The thought gave Gu Zhenhua a headache. Unifying these men would likely prove more difficult and mentally taxing than the escape itself.

The immediate priority was to rest, treat the wounded, and, in the process, unify their ideology and forge them into a cohesive fighting force. Perhaps this Crown Prince could serve as a useful tool for that purpose.

Just as Gu Zhenhua was contemplating his next steps, the sound of hoofbeats rang out. Gao Hongtu arrived with his men. He bowed to Gu Zhenhua and said, "Sir, we have repelled the rebel pursuers."

"General Gao, my greatest concern was that the rebels would pursue us at all costs. Defeating them is a cause for celebration," Gu Zhenhua said with a smile. "Tell me, how many troops did the rebels send, and how did you manage it?"

"It is shameful to admit, but Li Zicheng only sent a few hundred men. They weren't just chasing us, but also the fleeing nobles. We only engaged about a hundred of them. Our musketeers took down a dozen, and the rest retreated."

"They only sent that many? Are you sure there weren't follow-up forces?"

"None," Gao Hongtu replied firmly. "I dispatched scouts to monitor the route, and no further Shun troops have left the city. Honestly, I suspect Li Zicheng does not consider us a threat."

Being underestimated was a blow to one’s pride, but for those who had narrowly escaped death, it was a godsend.

"General Gao, we cannot afford to be careless. Increase our patrols. At a time like this, the slightest oversight could cost us our lives!"

"I understand."

As Gu Zhenhua’s party hurried toward Shunyi, they maintained maximum vigilance, fearing pursuit by the Shun army. However, Gu Zhenhua was unaware that the Shun army was currently mired in internal arguments.

After entering the capital, Li Zicheng, guided by eunuchs and defecting officials, had walked into the Forbidden City. As he sat upon the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the "Chuang Wang" felt a level of glory and satisfaction he had never known before.

The master of the nine-five! Possessor of the world!

Li Zicheng felt his blood pressure rise and his head spin; he felt as if he were walking on air. He immediately ordered all his top generals to come to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to pay homage.

Liu Fangliang, Tian Jianxiu, Liu Tichun, Li Guo, Gao Yigong, Liu Zongmin, Li Yan, Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, and others—civil and military officials alike—rushed to the scene.

"Brothers, we have braved life and death for this very day. From now on, you and I—no, I mean, the Imperial Self—shall enjoy this vast land and live in peace!"

Before Li Zicheng could finish, Li Yan stepped forward. "Your Majesty, it is not yet time to enjoy ourselves. Not to mention the remnants of the Ming in the south, or the Manchu Tatars outside the pass, even during this siege, we encountered a formidable enemy. General Gao, General Li, General Liu, and I have all suffered losses."

"Oh? Such a thing happened? Tell me about it."

Li Yan recounted his encounter with Gu Zhenhua. Li Guo and Gao Yigong added their own accounts, and finally, Liu Zongmin spoke up, albeit reluctantly.

"Your Majesty, I believe this group is no simple band of men. Their leader is particularly courageous and cunning. To let them go is akin to releasing a tiger back into the mountains. I suggest we concentrate our cavalry immediately to hunt them down!"

Li Zicheng frowned as he listened, then said, "In the end, they are only a few hundred people. They are not worth mentioning. The capital is now in our hands; once the city is stabilized, the region north of the Yellow River will be ours. They will have nowhere to hide. There is no need for such a massive mobilization."

Niu Jinxing chimed in, "Your Majesty is correct. The immediate priority is to secure the capital and distribute titles to the officials and meritorious ministers. Everyone has worked hard for years and deserves a rest. A few petty thieves are not worth worrying about."

"Military Advisor, these are not petty thieves! Several generals were wounded by them, and they possess a large quantity of firearms, which poses a significant threat."

"Everything has its order of priority. Securing the capital comes first. A few days won't make a difference," added the strategist Song Xiance.

Li Yan became anxious and shouted, "Your Majesty! After taking the capital, we found the body of the Chongzhen Emperor, but his sons have disappeared. I suspect that the Crown Prince may be hidden among that group. If he escapes to the south, the Ming court will be revived, and all our fighting over these years will have been in vain!"

Li Zicheng, finally sobering up, hurriedly replied, "Li Yan, I grant you one thousand cavalrymen. You must eliminate this group!"

Li Yan had finally secured his thousand soldiers and rushed off to pursue Gu Zhenhua. However, the delay had bought time, and Gu Zhenhua and his men arrived safely in Shunyi. Led by He Zhonghou, they entered the farmstead.

"Big Brother!"

The moment they entered the village, Sun Cheng slumped from his horse. Gu Zhenhua jumped down to catch him, but his own legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed as well.

His abdomen, ribs, and shoulders were all wounded. Even with his remarkable constitution, he had reached his limit. The others were in even worse shape. While fleeing, they had been held up by a sheer force of will, but now that the pressure had lifted, their strength had evaporated. Lu Yong, Xue Biao, and Xie Bin were all swaying on their feet.

Gu Zhenhua managed to support Sun Cheng, and with the help of the others, they finally reached the rooms. Seeing them in such a wretched state, He Zhonghou was frantic. He ordered his men to boil water, prepare clean gauze, and find medicinal herbs to stop the bleeding and clean their wounds.

But as they prepared, He Zhonghou realized with a jolt that there was no doctor. While Gu Zhenhua knew basic first aid, he was in no condition to treat others.

Just as He Zhonghou was pacing like an ant on a hot pan, Lu Shun rushed in, panting, "Uncle Six! A young lady says she knows medicine!"

Meanwhile, inside a carriage outside, a maid in red clutched her mistress's hand. "Miss, are you truly going to treat those filthy men? If you touch their bodies, it will ruin your reputation!"