Chapter Fifty-Four: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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Liu Zeshen hurriedly stepped out of the ranks, knelt at the foot of the imperial steps, and raised his jade tablet to report: "Your Majesty, the one sentenced to death yesterday was Dahuzi, a company commander from Datong Garrison. Based on information provided by Zhao Wuzhu, Deputy General of Datong, I dispatched people to investigate thoroughly. It is certain that Dahuzi was indeed a deserter who fled from the battlefield at Songshan."

"Nonsense!" Wang Pu shouted in fury. "Dahuzi is a loyal and righteous soldier—how could he be a deserter?!"

"Impudence! Wang Pu, you have gone too far." Liu Zeshen's beard quivered with anger as he pointed a trembling finger and rebuked him. "You are a man with charges pending, yet you dare to bellow in the Golden Hall? Do you have no respect for the laws of the realm, no sense of rank and hierarchy?"

"To hell with your so-called hierarchy!" Wang Pu retorted, utterly disregarding decorum. "I led an isolated force deep into Liaodong, surrounded on all sides by the Jurchens—could rank and hierarchy feed us? Could they help us kill the enemy? We barely survived to return to Ming, and now you, a foolish official, slap the label of deserter on us without so much as a hearing and order our execution. Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

"You—you—" Liu Zeshen was trembling all over, unable to utter another word.

"Enough." Emperor Chongzhen, unable to endure further, shouted sternly, "Such unruliness will not be tolerated in the Golden Hall!"

After a pause, the emperor turned to Wang Pu. "Wang Pu, you say this Dahuzi is your soldier, that he followed you into Liaodong and was the first Ming warrior to break into Shengjing—besides yourself, who else can attest to this?"

Wang Pu replied solemnly, "Your Majesty, all the soldiers who returned to Ming with me can testify!"

The emperor then questioned Liu Zeshen: "Liu Zeshen, you claim Dahuzi is a deserter—who can corroborate your claim?"

Liu Zeshen replied, "Deputy General Zhao Wuzhu of Datong can testify."

The emperor fell silent for a moment, then turned to Zhou Yanru. "Minister Zhou, what is your view of this case?"

Zhou Yanru stepped forward and spoke clearly, "Your Majesty, General Wang defied the imperial edict and stormed the execution ground to save Dahuzi. Yet Deputy General Zhao Wuzhu fled Songshan with over ten thousand troops on the eve of battle. It is self-evident whose words are more trustworthy. In my view, not only is Dahuzi not a deserter, he is a meritorious servant of the court."

"Your Majesty," Liu Zongzhou urgently stepped forward to argue, "that is merely Minister Zhou's surmise and cannot serve as evidence. I believe the case of Dahuzi should be retried by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, and the Supreme Court. Regardless of the retrial's outcome, Wang Pu's defiance of the edict and his armed assault on the execution ground are undeniable facts. He should be severely punished."

"Your Majesty," chimed in Li Banghua, Right Censor-in-Chief. "Unless Wang Pu is executed, the law cannot be upheld, the people's indignation cannot be quelled, and the nation cannot be appeased!"

No sooner had they spoken than other censors and officials stepped forward to echo their calls.

"Wang Pu," Emperor Chongzhen demanded gravely, "have you anything further to say for yourself?"

"I have nothing to say, Your Majesty," Wang Pu replied with his head held high. "But I wish to know how my soldiers will be dealt with."

Li Banghua declared harshly, "Storming the execution ground is rebellion. Your men aided and abetted you, a crime that cannot be forgiven. According to the law, they must all be executed!"

"Your Majesty," Wang Pu suddenly drew forth an imperial pardon from his robe, knelt, and spoke urgently, "My soldiers merely acted on orders. The fault is mine alone and has nothing to do with them. These fifty-odd men are elite troops of the Ming Empire. I am willing to trade my imperial pardon for their lives!"

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"You wish to use your imperial pardon to save their lives?" Emperor Chongzhen said coldly. "Wang Pu, think carefully. You only have one such token. If you use it for your men, your own life will not be spared!"

"Wang Pu," Chen Xinjia anxiously tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Are you out of your mind?"

"I am not confused. I am perfectly clear-headed," Wang Pu said solemnly. "Your Majesty, I willingly trade my imperial pardon for the lives of my fifty-odd soldiers!"

A hush fell over the great hall. The officials gazed at Wang Pu in astonishment.

They could not comprehend why Wang Pu would do such a thing. To risk his own life for the sake of a handful of soldiers—was it worth it? What they did not know was that Wang Pu had his own code: never would he sacrifice a woman he loved or a brother-in-arms for wealth and glory.

Wang Pu did not wish to die, but neither did he fear death!

When forced to choose between loyalty and life, he would unhesitatingly choose the former. In Wang Pu’s eyes, a man who is heartless and faithless loses his friends, loses love, and ultimately loses all joy in life. Should that be his fate, living would hold no meaning for him.

"Granted!" At the end of the suffocating silence, Emperor Chongzhen suddenly barked, "Liu Zeshen!"

Liu Zeshen hurriedly stepped forward. "Your servant is here."

Emperor Chongzhen flung the reclaimed imperial pardon heavily onto the golden floor. "Release the men immediately."

Liu Zeshen stepped forward, picked up the pardon, and bowed. "I obey, Your Majesty."

The emperor shot Wang Pu a withering glare. "Take Wang Pu back to the Imperial Prison. His fate will be decided in due course!"

With that, Emperor Chongzhen rose and swept out. Wang Cheng'en hurried forward, shrill voice crying, "Court is dismissed!"

This time, the emperor was truly enraged. If Wang Pu had produced his pardon to save himself, the emperor might have let the matter go and the crisis would have passed. But never would he have expected Wang Pu to relinquish his chance of survival for the sake of a mere fifty soldiers!

Wang Pu’s choice had placed the emperor in an awkward dilemma.

If he let Wang Pu go unpunished, the censors would hound him for failing to uphold the law. But if he executed Wang Pu, the court would lose a great general, and the emperor’s own dignity would suffer, especially since he had already announced before all the officials his intent to bestow Princess Changping upon Wang Pu.

With no other option, Emperor Chongzhen ordered Wang Pu back to the Imperial Prison.

***

Ministry of Justice Prison.

Scarface, Little Seventh, Dahuzi, and the others waited anxiously for news of Wang Pu. Suddenly, the heavy iron door creaked open and two warders sauntered in, asking, "Which one of you is Dahuzi?"

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Dahuzi hurried forward, dragging his shackles. "That would be me."

One of the warders grabbed the chain around Dahuzi’s neck and announced, "Your case is being retried by the Ministry of Justice. You can’t leave yet, but the rest of you are free to go."

"We can go?" Scarface said in astonishment. "You mean all of us?"

"What? You’re not eager to leave?" the warder replied impatiently.

"No, of course not," Little Seventh interjected. "We just want to know—wasn’t storming the execution ground a capital crime? Why are we being released?"

The warder replied, "To tell you the truth, General Wang used the imperial pardon granted to him by His Majesty to save you all."

Scarface asked anxiously, "He used his pardon for us—what about himself?"

"General Wang? He’s been sent back to the Imperial Prison," the warder answered, giving a thumbs-up. "Now that’s a real man! I’ve worked in this prison for decades, seen countless civil and military officials come and go, but never one like General Wang."

The other warder chimed in with genuine admiration, "General Wang is a true man!"

Little Seventh asked urgently, "Have either of you heard anything about how His Majesty will deal with our general?"

"That’s not yet decided," the warder replied, shaking his head. "But word is, the court is in an uproar over General Wang’s case! His achievements are as great as the heavens, but the trouble he’s caused is no small matter. How it will all end, no one can say. You’ll just have to wait and see once you’re out."

"Go on, go on," urged the other warder, "off with you now."

Scarface turned to Dahuzi. "Dahuzi, we’ll go ahead."

Dahuzi nodded. "Scarface, don’t forget what I told you last night!"

"I won’t forget," Scarface said coldly, though a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

The night before, after everyone else had fallen asleep, Dahuzi and Scarface had made a pact. If things truly reached an irrevocable point, they would first break out of prison, then raid the Imperial Prison to rescue Wang Pu, and finally fight their way out of Beijing together. As for their chances of success, they couldn’t be bothered to consider.