Chapter 114: The Enemy at the Gates

News of Wang Pu taking unauthorized command of the North City Barracks and altering military orders reached Zhang Zi'an in no time. Being a cautious man, Zhang dared not confront Wang directly. After consulting with Wei Daben, they concluded that only the Prince of Dai could handle the situation, so they rushed to the Prince's Mansion.

In truth, the decision to sacrifice the people of Datong was entirely that of Prince Dai, Zhu Chuanqi. While Zhu could usually turn a blind eye to Wang Pu’s antics, he was absolutely unwilling to allow the city’s hundred thousand residents to take refuge within the walls. The reason was simple: money and grain.

Currently, aside from the Wang family estate, the Prince’s Mansion was the only place in Datong storing over a hundred thousand piculs of grain. If the refugees were allowed in, either the Wang family or the Prince’s Mansion would have to foot the bill. Given Wang Pu’s reckless nature—he was a man who would even rob a public execution ground—Zhu feared the burden would inevitably fall on his own coffers.

Zhu Chuanqi was naturally stingy; asking him to part with his grain was more painful than death, so he was determined to stop the migration.

At this critical juncture, setting aside the regulations that forbade vassal princes from interfering in local military and political affairs, Zhu led his personal guards with Zhang and Wei in tow to intercept Wang Pu at the North City Barracks. They met him just inside the North Gate as he was returning to the city.

"Your Highness." Wang Pu did not dismount; he merely offered a shallow salute from his saddle. He ignored Zhang and Wei entirely. Given his status as a prospective imperial son-in-law, he had no need to bow to them, whereas Zhang and Wei were forced to dismount and pay their respects.

"Wang Pu," Zhu Chuanqi asked, suppressing his displeasure, "you went to the North City Barracks?"

"Indeed," Wang replied. "Commissioner Zhang and Prefect Wei asked me to take command of the Datong forces. Surely you knew that, Your Highness?"

"I am aware of that," Zhu retorted, "and I approved it. But did they authorize you to order the commoners into the city?"

Wang Pu countered, "If we do not bring them inside, the rebel army will seize them for supplies the moment they arrive."

Zhu argued, "That is precisely why Prefect Wei and Commissioner Zhang ordered the border troops to seize the commoners' grain and livestock. The government does not wish to compete with the people for food; once the rebels retreat, everything will be returned."

Wang sneered, "Then let me ask you, Your Highness: if you seize their grain but leave the people outside the walls, what are they supposed to eat? The wind? Or perhaps dirt and tree bark?"

"Insolent! Simply outrageous!" the Prince’s Chief Clerk erupted, unable to contain himself. "Who do you think you are, Wang Pu? Is this how you speak to a Prince? Do you have no sense of hierarchy?"

"And who might you be?" Wang Pu shot back, his voice cold. "How dare you speak to an Imperial Son-in-Law in such a tone? Do you have no sense of hierarchy?"

The Clerk was left speechless, his face turning beet red.

Wang Pu turned his gaze back to Zhu Chuanqi. "Your Highness, tell me: when the rebels arrive, what do you expect the people outside the walls to eat?"

"Whatever they can find!" Zhu snapped. "Let them fend for themselves."

"But their grain has already been confiscated," Wang pressed. "Are you going to let them starve to death?"

"What does the life or death of these lowly peasants have to do with me?" Zhu roared, dropping all pretenses. "To defend Datong, what does the sacrifice of a hundred thousand peasants matter? The Great Ming spans the world; there are hundreds of millions of such peasants. If a hundred thousand die, will we really run out?"

"Your Highness," Wang Pu demanded, "let me ask you: where does your food, your clothing, and your wealth come from?"

"From His Majesty’s imperial grace, of course!" Zhu replied.

"And where does His Majesty get his?"

Zhu realized the trap and fell silent.

"Nothing to say? No answer?" Wang Pu declared. "Then let me tell you: His Majesty, you princes, the royal family, all the officials, and even the soldiers—everything you enjoy is grown, woven, and crafted by the very 'peasants' you despise! Could the Great Ming survive without them?"

Zhu Chuanqi replied coldly, "Wang Pu, do you think you are fit to lecture me?"

"Zhu Chuanqi!" Wang Pu called him by his given name. "Never forget that you are merely a vassal prince, not the Emperor! Who gave you the authority to decide the fate of a hundred thousand people? The Great Ming belongs to the Emperor, and its people are his subjects. What right do you have to decide who lives or dies?"

Wang paused, then added with a menacing glint in his eyes, "Or are you planning a rebellion?"

"You!" Zhu was stunned. He hadn't expected Wang to brand him with the charge of treason.

Ignoring the Prince, Wang turned to Wei Daben. "Prefect Wei, you are a man of letters. The sages teach that the people are the most important, the state second, and the ruler the least. The people are the foundation of this nation. Can they be so easily sacrificed?"

Wei Daben lowered his head in shame, silent. He knew the words of Mencius well; they were the sharpest weapon in the arsenal of any scholar, providing the theoretical basis to check imperial power.

Zhu Chuanqi, stung by shame and rage, barked, "Seize him!"

Dozens of palace guards surged forward. "Seize this man for plotting rebellion!" Zhu shouted.

"Who dares!?" Wang Pu’s thunderous command halted them. Lu Liu led dozens of mounted retainers forward, shielding Wang Pu. The palace guards and the Wang family retainers stood with swords drawn, the atmosphere thick with impending violence.

"Oh, dear," Zhang Zi'an panicked. "Let's not do this. We are all on the same side. Your Highness, please, calm down. And you, Son-in-Law, please..."

Before he could finish, the sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed from the street. A troop of imperial guards appeared, escorting a eunuch in a bright red robe. The lead scout pointed forward, shouting, "The Imperial Envoy is here! My Third Master is right there!"

The eunuch brightened, spurred his horse forward, and squeaked, "An Imperial Edict! Son-in-Law Wang Pu, receive the decree..."

Wang Pu hurriedly dismounted and knelt in the dust.

***

A hundred miles south of Datong, at Wuli Village, Li Yan was leading eight thousand elite troops when a scout returned. "General, a troop of government soldiers, about a hundred men, lies five miles ahead!"

Ma Shouying suggested, "Brother Li, let me take five hundred men to wipe them out."

He Jin agreed, "Yes, we cannot let word of our movement leak."

"No," Li Yan said, holding up a hand. "We are less than two hundred miles from Datong; secrecy is no longer possible. Time is our only advantage. Order the army to march faster; ignore small patrols."

***

At the North Gate of Datong, the eunuch finished reading: "...appointing Wang Pu, Son-in-Law, to the temporary rank of Regional Commander of Datong, to lead the army against the Shaanxi rebels immediately. This is the Imperial Will." He smiled fawningly at Wang. "Son-in-Law, please accept the decree."

"I, Wang Pu, accept the decree. Long live the Emperor!" Wang kowtowed three times, took the scroll, and stood up. He turned to Zhu Chuanqi with a smirk. "Your Highness, I am now the official Regional Commander of Datong. Do you still wish to arrest me?"

"Humph. Let's go," Zhu muttered, flicking his sleeves and storming off.

Wang turned to the others. "Commissioner Zhang, inventory the warehouses. Prefect Wei, the Datong garrison is severely short of supplies; I leave the procurement to you."

"Serving the country is my duty," Wei replied, his tone now one of genuine respect.

Wang Pu then turned to his retainer. "Lu Liu, have Tang Sheng and Monk Zhang guard the Leigong Mountain camp with two thousand men, and have the Bearded One, Scarface, and Zhao Xin bring three thousand men into Datong to bolster our defenses!"

***

Wang Pu’s actions were swift, but the enemy was faster. That very night, news reached the command post that the rebel vanguard was less than a hundred miles away. By noon the next day, they would be at the city walls!

At the command post, Wang Pu marveled, "Incredible! These rebels are no ordinary force. To march two hundred miles in less than ten hours—even when I led the raid on Shengjing, we weren't this fast!"

Zhen Youcai sighed, "It is a miracle. Even our best cavalry, switching mounts, could barely cover three hundred miles in a day, yet these rebels have covered two hundred in ten hours. Men on foot outrunning horses? It is inconceivable."

Wang Pu’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered a legendary army from his past life that relied on its legs to outpace motorized transport. If these rebels were capable of such speed, the situation was far graver than he had anticipated. It seemed the rebels were not without their own brilliant commanders.