Chapter Fifty-One: Rescue at the Execution Ground

Qianqing Palace.

The Chongzhen Emperor was reviewing memorials when the eunuch Wang Cheng'en came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Minister of War, Lord Chen Xinjia, is waiting outside for an audience."

The Chongzhen Emperor grunted, "Let him in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Cheng'en accepted the order and soon led Chen Xinjia into the Eastern Warm Pavilion.

Chen Xinjia knelt and called out three times, "Long live the Emperor!" But behind the imperial desk, there was no response. Chen Xinjia kept his head bowed, stealing a glance upward, and saw the Chongzhen Emperor frowning as he continued to review his memorials, his anger evidently not yet dispelled. Beside him, Wang Cheng'en kept shooting meaningful glances at Chen, warning him not to say anything to add fuel to the fire.

Chen Xinjia felt both wronged and helpless, letting out a silent sigh—what trouble he had brought upon himself!

Wang Pu could play the scoundrel, unafraid of boiling water, but Chen Xinjia could not avoid wading into these troubled waters. Whether Princess Changping could marry Wang Pu smoothly was a matter of imperial dignity, and the entire affair had been set in motion by a single careless remark of Chen Xinjia’s. If he couldn’t resolve it, not only would his career be ruined, but he might well lose his life.

It was nearly noon when the Chongzhen Emperor finally finished reading the memorials. Rising, he said, "Chen Xinjia."

Chen Xinjia hurriedly crawled a few steps forward and answered respectfully, "Your servant is here."

With a face like iron, the Emperor demanded, "Why are you kneeling here all morning instead of attending to your affairs at the Ministry of War? Have you some matter to report?"

"Your Majesty, your servant has an urgent matter to report."

"Speak."

"Last night, General Wang Pu of Datong drank too much out of joy and lost control in public, speaking recklessly. But this morning, I have already given him a severe reprimand. General Wang knows he has committed a grave offense and is truly repentant…"

"And where is Wang Pu?" The Chongzhen Emperor interrupted coldly. "Why has he not come to beg forgiveness himself?"

"Well…" Chen Xinjia wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve and quickly explained, "General Wang holds a humble rank and feared he might not be allowed into the palace, so he asked me to beg forgiveness in his stead."

"I care nothing for that," the Emperor said icily. "At noon today, the Empress Dowager is holding a family banquet at Cining Palace. I want Wang Pu to give an explanation in person to Ruer, to the Empress, and to the Empress Dowager. Hmph!"

With that, the Chongzhen Emperor swept away.

Wang Cheng'en tried to follow, but Chen Xinjia lightly tugged his robe and whispered, "Eunuch, please stay a moment."

Wang Cheng'en shook his head and said in a tone neither friendly nor hostile, "Lord Chen, forgive me for saying so, but you are a full minister of the second rank. How is it you still handle matters so carelessly? Wang Pu already married a woman in Jiangnan—how could you tell His Majesty he was still unmarried?"

"Oh, Eunuch," Chen Xinjia said anxiously, "when I first reported to His Majesty, Wang Pu was indeed unmarried! How could I have known he would be swept to Jiangnan by a hurricane and marry a courtesan there? My regret knows no bounds…"

Wang Cheng'en shook his head and sighed, "That General Wang seems clever enough, but how could he be so foolish in this matter?"

Chen Xinjia glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his voice, "Eunuch, let me ask you—what is His Majesty's real attitude toward Wang Pu refusing marriage in public?"

"What attitude?" Wang Cheng'en shot Chen Xinjia a sharp look and said in his shrill voice, "Lord Chen, haven’t you figured it out yet? Let me put it plainly: if General Wang manages to marry the princess, all will be well. But if things fall through—not only will Wang Pu lose his life, but your career as Minister of War will be over."

"Ah…"

Chen Xinjia's face went deathly pale and he collapsed limply to the floor.

———

Wang Pu’s Command Tent.

Chen Yuanyuan had already heard what happened last night and was now weeping bitterly, her face streaked with tears as she knelt before Wang Pu, pleading, "Husband, it is not worth offending His Majesty on account of me. Please, divorce me—I beg you…"

Wang Pu gently cradled Chen Yuanyuan’s tear-stained face, his voice soft but resolute, "Yuanyuan, listen to me. You are my wife—now and always, forever! Since I have married you and accepted you in my heart, no one can force me to leave you, not even His Majesty!"

Yuanyuan was both moved and anxious. Through her tears she said, "But…"

"No buts." Wang Pu pressed his thumb to Yuanyuan's lips and said solemnly, "I, Wang Pu, will never sacrifice my woman for wealth and glory!"

"Yes." Chen Yuanyuan nodded tearfully.

At that moment, the tightly closed tent flap was suddenly thrown open. Wang Pu spun around to see Scarface stumbling in, gasping, "General… General, something… something terrible has happened…"

"What is it, Scarface?" Before Wang Pu could ask, Little Seven, who had followed him in, said, "What’s happened? Has His Majesty sent people to arrest the general?"

Zhen Youcai, Chang Yanling, and Li Zushu also rushed in, their faces turning grim at these words.

Scarface took a deep breath to steady himself. "No, it’s Big Beard!"

"Big Beard!?" Wang Pu shot to his feet, voice harsh. "He’s still alive?"

"Yes, Big Beard is alive!" Scarface nodded vigorously, then said something that chilled everyone’s blood. "But he’s about to be executed."

"Executed by beheading!" Wang Pu’s face twisted with rage. He seized Scarface by the collar and demanded, "Why?"

"I don’t know," Scarface shook his head, panting. "I only saw him being escorted to the Execution Ground at Caishikou. The onlookers said the execution is scheduled for noon and three quarters."

"Noon and three quarters?" Wang Pu’s heart leapt. "What time is it now?"

Zhen Youcai squinted at the sky. "Just about noon."

———

"Damn it, there’s no time!" Wang Pu barked. "Scarface, gather the brothers—rescue him first, we’ll deal with the rest later!"

"What?" Chang Yanling blurted out, "Brother, are you mad? Attacking the execution ground is open rebellion!"

Zhen Youcai said, "Yes, general, you can’t do that. Even if you must, you shouldn't go yourself—let Scarface or Little Seven lead the men."

"No. I have an imperial pardon, but Scarface and Little Seven do not, and they may not be able to hold off the executioner! Besides, we’re not rebelling—we’re rescuing an innocent man. We know Big Beard better than anyone—he risked his life to cover our retreat from Shengjing. He’s been framed!"

"But if you really do this, general, it will be impossible to explain afterward," Zhen Youcai said anxiously. "And you haven’t even straightened out last night’s refusal of the imperial marriage—if you add this, things will only get worse. General, you must stay calm."

"I can’t!" Wang Pu roared. "I will not stand by and watch Big Beard be executed!"

The eyes of Scarface, Little Seven, and the others blazed with fervor. To have a commander willing to risk everything for his men—this was loyalty worth following for a lifetime! Chang Yanling and Li Zushu looked on with a mix of admiration and worry; Wang Pu’s devotion to his soldiers moved them, but his actions filled them with dread.

In fact, there was something Wang Pu didn’t say—he feared it would frighten Chang Yanling and the others. That thought was: “If things come to the worst, I’ll just rebel and become an outlaw.” Wang Pu was no Confucian scholar made foolish by the teachings of Zhu Xi; he had never been a loyal minister or a model general.

Seeing Scarface still standing there stunned, Wang Pu shouted in fury, "Scarface, what are you waiting for? Gather the men!"

"Yes, sir!" Scarface snapped to attention and hurried out.

In moments, over two hundred retainers had been assembled. Wang Pu selected fifty and was preparing to ride out when a group of imperial guards escorted a eunuch into the camp. The eunuch, dressed in a sky-blue brocade robe embroidered with fine patterns—clearly of high rank—held an imperial edict.

Spotting Wang Pu, the eunuch called out from afar, "Imperial edict for General Wang Pu of Datong—receive the decree!"

Wang Pu ignored him, swung onto his horse, and galloped out of the camp. Nothing was more urgent than saving Big Beard’s life! For Wang Pu, who had risked his own life to create a breakout for Wang Pu and a thousand retainers, Big Beard was a brother worth any sacrifice. To let him die would be a crime against heaven!

If he were accused of defying the imperial decree, Wang Pu believed his great merits and his imperial pardon would see him through. But if he missed the execution, he could never save Big Beard. As he always said, he would never sacrifice a sworn brother for his own future; to do so would make him less than human.

The fifty retainers followed hard after, with the simple-minded Amu bringing up the rear. Suddenly, Amu turned back and said, "Our general has urgent business—he has no time now."

"What? No time?" The eunuch nearly tripped and fell. By the time he picked himself up, Wang Pu and his men had already disappeared into the distance. This eunuch was an old hand at court, but never in his life had he seen the like—someone too busy to receive an imperial edict? What urgent business could be more important than an edict from the Son of Heaven?

Wasn’t this courting death?

"Let’s go!" the eunuch said grimly, his shrill voice ringing out. "General Wang has no time to receive the decree. We return to the palace!"