Chapter 28: A Maiden Fit for Heaven (Asking for Recommendation Votes)

Let us return to Wang Pu.

With his ship now lacking both mast and sails, Wang Pu had no choice but to let it be towed toward Jinshan Garrison by two naval warships. To avoid unnecessary trouble, before arriving at Jinshan, Wang Pu ordered the last surviving two hundred household guards to shave off their queue—the "rat-tail" at the back of their heads. The dozen or so Korean sailors who had not been swept away by the tornado were also secretly executed on his command, their bodies sunk into the sea.

This could hardly be blamed on Wang Pu for being ruthless.

From what Wang Pu knew, the imperial censors of the Ming Dynasty were notoriously perverse. These self-styled paragons of virtue were, in truth, a bunch of idle busybodies with nothing better to do. A trifling matter could, under their relentless meddling, be inflated into a monstrous disaster.

Wang Pu had no intention of letting these idle men seize upon any flaw of his.

Wang Pu and his two hundred followers spent a night at Jinshan Garrison. That evening, under cover of darkness, Wang Pu and his trusted confidants, including Xiao Qi, purchased a private residence near Jinshan, where they buried a large cache of gold, silver, and jewels. They kept only five hundred thousand taels of silver, forty chests of dried goods, and a small quantity of ginseng and gems with the army.

Having hidden his treasures, Wang Pu also hired an honest, rustic farmer to look after the house.

He could not afford not to be cautious; if all this wealth were escorted straight to the capital, who could say if Emperor Chongzhen, that white-eyed wolf, would not interfere?

The next morning, Qian Heng, the Prefect of Songjiang, arrived with every local official and prominent gentry to welcome him—no small matter in those times.

It should be known that in the Ming Dynasty, the status of military officers was low. The so-called General Commander was little more than a fierce watchdog under the local governor's command. In the eyes of the gentry and common folk, even a commander of ten thousand troops was lower in status than a mere seventh-rank county magistrate. Qian Heng himself held the prestigious fourth-rank office, so to greet a lowly General Commander like Wang Pu seemed almost beneath him—but in fact, it was not so.

Qian Heng was an old hand at officialdom and could see at once that Wang Pu's prospects were boundless.

Though Wang Pu was at present just a minor commander, the credit of capturing the barbarian chieftain Huang Taiji alive was a feat so great that promotion and ennoblement were already assured. If Qian Heng did not seek to ingratiate himself now, when would he?

Grasping Wang Pu's hands tightly, Qian Heng beamed from ear to ear and exclaimed, "Ah, I did not expect General Wang to be so young. Truly, heroes emerge from the youth—one must not underestimate the younger generation!"

"Not at all," Wang Pu replied with a forced smile. "You must be Lord Qian, the parent official of Songjiang?"

"Indeed, I am," Qian Heng answered shamelessly, referring to himself as a humble official before the rankless Wang Pu. He then warmly took Wang Pu's hand and, turning to introduce another, said, "General Wang, this is my kinsman, the famed scholar of Jiangzuo, Qian Qianyi."

"Ah, to meet Elder Mu in person is an honor," Wang Pu said, rising with respect. Though he had little affection for the self-righteous Donglin and Fushe parties, he greatly admired Qian Qianyi's poetry and prose. Yet, Qian Qianyi was remembered in history not so much for his literary achievements as for marrying a renowned beauty—Liu Rushi, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

He wondered, had Liu Rushi already married Qian Qianyi at this time?

Qian Qianyi was evidently flattered by Wang Pu's respect. Stroking his beard, he replied merrily, "To meet such a young hero as General Wang, even this old man is tempted to lay down his pen and take up arms on the battlefield!"

At this, everyone burst into laughter.

Qian Heng next introduced Chen Zilong and Xia Yunyi, saying, "These two are the celebrated talents of our Huating—Chen Zilong and Xia Yunyi."

Chen Zilong and Xia Yunyi, seeing Wang Pu's refined manners and effortless conversation, found him wholly unlike the coarse warriors of legend. Their esteem for him, already high for his daring campaign into Liaodong with a single force, grew yet further. Stepping forward, they saluted him with clasped fists, saying, "Greetings, General Commander."

Wang Pu returned the gesture with a smile. "A pleasure to meet you."

Qian Heng continued, "As for the other officials and gentlemen, I shall not introduce them one by one. General Wang, you and your soldiers have endured great hardship drifting at sea for over half a month. Now that you are in Songjiang, you are home. I have already prepared a banquet at the prefectural office to welcome you and your men—please!"

Wang Pu saluted in return. "After you."

The party of nearly three hundred, leading their captives and treasure, proceeded with Qian Heng and his retinue straight to Huating, the seat of Songjiang Prefecture.

Let us set aside Qian Heng's lavish hospitality for the moment and speak of his dispatch to Nanjing. The officials and nobles there soon learned of Wang Pu's arrival in Songjiang, and the news spread like wildfire through the city. By nightfall, even the beggars outside the gates of Nanjing knew Wang Pu had reached Songjiang.

Nanjing, also called the Southern Capital.

After Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty, he made Nanjing the capital. Later, Prince Yan, Zhu Di, rose in rebellion, seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Jianwen, and moved the capital to Beijing. Still, Nanjing retained its status as an auxiliary capital, with all six ministries, censorates, and the Court of Judicial Review remaining in place.

In other words, since the Yongle Emperor, the Ming Dynasty had always maintained two sets of government, though only the Beijing administration wielded real power. The Nanjing bureaucracy was mainly a sinecure for the disappointed and the retired, holding little real authority.

Upon receiving Qian Heng's report, Minister of War Shi Kefa and the noble commander Zhao Zhilong dared not be negligent. They immediately dispatched an urgent report to the capital and sent two thousand Imperial Bodyguards from Nanjing to meet Wang Pu at Songshan.

Now, for a mere General Commander, such an ostentatious escort and protection would be unnecessary and unjustified. But those few Jurchen prisoners in Wang Pu's custody were another matter entirely. Should anything befall them in Nanjing, Emperor Chongzhen's severity would surely cost both officials their heads.

Three days later, Commanders Chang Yanling and Li Zushu of the Imperial Bodyguards arrived with their two thousand men in Huating.

Wang Pu then bid farewell to Qian Heng and, under the escort of the Imperial Bodyguards, set out for Nanjing.

Both Chang Yanling and Li Zushu were hereditary nobles. Chang Yanling was a descendant of the founding marshal Chang Yuchun, and Li Zushu of the founding general Li Wenzhong. As scions of illustrious families, they usually had little regard for the heroes of the realm, but they truly admired Wang Pu.

Young and headstrong, Chang Yanling and Li Zushu were known in Nanjing for their idle ways and penchant for brawling, while Wang Pu himself had been a gang leader before his transmigration. The three hit it off immediately, forming a band of kindred spirits, mischief-makers all.

In just a few days, they became fast friends, eventually calling each other brothers.

One day, as the company reached Wuxian near Suzhou and had pitched camp outside the city, the Prefect of Suzhou, Wang Shicheng, arrived with his officials and local gentry to welcome them.

Like Qian Heng, Wang Shicheng was a shrewd man who foresaw Wang Pu's bright future in the emperor's favor. Moreover, he shared the same surname and considered himself a clansman, making him all the more eager to ingratiate himself.

Bowing deeply to the ground, Wang Shicheng saluted, "Your humble servant, Wang Shicheng, Prefect of Suzhou, pays his respects to General Wang."

Wang Pu hastened to raise him, replying with a feigned laugh, "Oh, Prefect Wang, you flatter this humble soldier."

Wang Shicheng proceeded to introduce the local gentry and notables to Wang Pu one by one, but Wang Pu remembered only one—the little old man Feng Menglong. Who was Feng Menglong? None other than the famed author of the "Three Words" novels, a veritable giant of Chinese literature.

After the courtesies, the inevitable round of feasting began.

Wang Shicheng had already arranged a banquet at the county office in Wuxian to welcome Wang Pu. After several rounds of wine, Wang Shicheng stood up, gesturing for attention, "Gentlemen, please, a moment of silence."

When all had quieted, Wang Shicheng continued, "Drinking alone is somewhat dull—how about a performance to enliven the gathering?"

The crowd cheered in response.

Wang Shicheng smiled at Wang Pu. "To honor General Wang, I have especially invited the Jade Peak Kunqu Troupe from Kunshan to give a private performance."

The Jade Peak Troupe was renowned in Jiangnan, and hiring them for a private show was no small expense. Wang Shicheng had spared no cost in currying favor with his kinsman.

As soon as he finished speaking, the lovely sound of drums and music came from outside, and two bands of musicians entered the rear courtyard, taking their places as the music ceased. An elderly troupe leader, script in hand, approached and bowed deeply. "Which distinguished guest would care to select the play?"

Wang Shicheng smiled and turned to Wang Pu. "General Wang, please choose a play."

"Oh, I couldn’t possibly," Wang Pu began to decline, but Chang Yanling and Li Zushu, seated beside him, winked and whispered, "Brother Wang, choose 'The Jade Hairpin.'"

So Wang Pu went along, saying, "Then let us have 'The Jade Hairpin.'"

"Excellent," Wang Shicheng declared. "Let 'The Jade Hairpin' be performed."

The troupe leader bowed again and withdrew.

The music resumed, and a graceful silhouette glided through the moon gate into the courtyard.

The assembled gentry and notables held their breath; even Chang Yanling and Li Zushu stared fixedly at the figure. Wang Pu, at first, glanced over indifferently, then turned back to his wine. But soon, he found his eyes drawn again to the stage.

In his previous life, Wang Pu had been a notorious rake, familiar with many beauties. Even his mistresses were considered attractive, and the women he had brought from Liaodong—Hailanzhu and Bumubutai—were stunning in their own right. Yet, compared to the woman before him, they seemed pale and insipid.

Wang Pu could not find any apt words to describe her. Her eyes were like gentle, limpid springs—capable of melting even the hardest heart. A line of ancient poetry came to his mind: "Such a woman should exist only in heaven, a fairy exiled to the mortal world…"

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