sovbooks Chapter 23: Thunder Hand - Part 1
Chapter 23: Thunder Hand - Part 1
On the third day of the eleventh month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, at the third quarter of the Yin hour, at the junction of the Grand Canal in Dezhou.
The sky is about to brighten but is not yet clear.
Twenty small boats glided from the side channel into the main channel, like a group of silent water ghosts. The boats had a shallow draft, and the sound of the oars cutting through the water was swallowed up by the morning mist, leaving only a few faint ripples at the stern.
Li Ce stood at the bow of the first boat.
He wasn't wearing a felt hat, and the cuffs of his dark, flowing sleeves were stained with the blood of the previous night, now dried and blackened. The morning light was faint, so faint that it could only illuminate the thin layer of frost on his face. His left hand remained pressed against the broken jade at his waist—that half of Hetian white jade, which exuded a warm coolness in the cold night.
The Imperial Guard captain punting the boat whispered, "Your Majesty, we've passed the fork in the road five li away. The Dezhou Wharf is three li ahead."
"stop."
One word.
The fleet slowly came to a stop, lying horizontally in the middle of the river. Twenty small boats were lined up in two rows, like two rows of arrows ready to be released.
Li Ce turned around and looked at Shi Wenyi.
Shi Wenyi knelt on one knee on the deck, his armor stained with the blood of Cangzhou.
"Issue my order." Li Ce's voice was low, each word like a nail driven into a wooden board. "The new arquebusiers will land and split into two teams to ambush on both banks. The Imperial Guards will accompany the boats for protection. The boatmen—all disembark and retreat three miles to the rear."
The order was passed down.
Nobody asked why.
One hundred and fifty new soldiers jumped off the boat and waded through knee-deep icy water to reach the shore. Their movements were light and swift; their dark blue cotton armor cast shifting shadows in the morning mist. Once ashore, they quickly dispersed: eighty on the left bank and seventy on the right, crawling into the withered grass, their guns aimed at the river.
The Imperial Guard swordsman remained on the ship, squatted down, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The boatmen were escorted to the rear. The old boatman glanced back, his lips trembling, "Your Majesty, what is this...?"
"Don't ask," the Imperial Guard escorting them whispered. "Don't waste your chance to live."
The old boatman dared not speak again.
The fog gradually dissipated.
Deep in the withered grass on both sides
Two hundred soldiers had been lying down for two hours.
They were in the second batch, and their orders were different from those in Cangzhou—not to set fires, but to finish them off.
"We want to see him alive or dead." The leader was a eunuch surnamed Liu, about fifty years old, with a fair complexion and sinister eyes. He lay prone at the front of the bushes, holding a monocular telescope in his hand.
In the telescope, the riverbed appeared empty.
"Eunuch Liu," a low-ranking officer from the Imperial Guard asked in a low voice, "Have you really succeeded in taking Cangzhou?"
"Have you ever seen Commander Zhao's arrow miss?" Eunuch Liu sneered. "It hit him squarely in the chest and he fell into the water. Even if he didn't die, he wouldn't have survived past last night."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"Wait for the boat." Eunuch Liu put down his binoculars. "Eunuch Han said that if any fish manage to escape through here, we'll give them the final blow."
He paused, then added:
"Remember, leave no survivors. On sight, shoot arrows. If they don't die from arrows, wade them into the water and chop them down. If they still don't die from chopping, burn them with oil. In short—not a single one should reach Yangzhou alive."
The Qing soldiers gripped their bows and crossbows tightly.
The bows were powerful, the crossbows were formidable, and the arrowheads were poisoned, gleaming with a ghostly blue light in the morning sun. Each person also carried two oil canisters at their waist, the mouths plugged with oilcloth and fuses attached to the plugs.
A young eunuch asked in a low voice, "Sir, in broad daylight...aren't the soldiers from Dezhou Guard patrolling the river?"
Eunuch Liu glanced at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips:
"Chen Dayong, the commander of Dezhou Garrison, accepted five thousand taels of silver from the Shen family. Three days ago, under the pretext of 'drills,' he transferred all the river patrol soldiers to the southern camp. This section of the river..." He paused, "is now under the surname Han."
The young soldier swallowed hard.
Eunuch Liu raised the binoculars again.
In the shot, at the end of the river, the silhouette of a boat finally appeared.
It was very small and narrow; it wasn't a large official ship, but a small boat.
One, two, three... a total of twenty ships, lined up in two rows, slowly approached. No dragon flags were displayed at the bows, and the people on board wore gray cotton robes, like ordinary caravan guards.
But Eunuch Liu narrowed his eyes.
He saw the man standing at the bow of the first ship.
Although he had changed his clothes and was far away, his posture—straight and steady—was like a gun stuck in the bow of a boat.
"They've arrived," Liu the eunuch uttered.
He put down his binoculars, took out a tinderbox from his pocket, and blew on it.
The flames flickered in the morning breeze.
He raised the flare and drew three circles in the air—the exact same signal as the one used in Cangzhou the night before.
Two hundred torches lit up simultaneously in the grass on both sides of the river.
"Fire the arrows!" Eunuch Liu roared hoarsely.
On the river
Li Ce looked calmly at the firelight that suddenly lit up both sides of the river.
A rain of arrows came.
Two hundred rockets shot out two hundred trails of fire in the air, like a vast, all-encompassing net of fire, engulfing the small boat.
The Imperial Guards on the ship all crouched down at the same time.
Wooden planks were erected on both sides of the ship's hull—not ordinary planks, but specially made shields made of three layers of birch wood sandwiched with sheet metal. Rockets were nailed to them, making a "popping" sound, with flames licking at them, but they couldn't burn through.
The first volley of arrows had just landed.
The second wave has arrived.
This time it wasn't a rocket, but a poisoned crossbow bolt. The arrowhead was a deep blue, and the sound of it piercing the air was sharp.
"Raise your shields!" Shi Wenyi shouted.
The Imperial Guards raised their round shields to protect their vitals. But some were still hit by arrows—a young Imperial Guard suffered a graze to his arm, the wound instantly turning black.
"Poison!" He gritted his teeth, pulled out his dagger, and sliced off a piece of flesh.
Blood spurted out; it was black.
His face turned pale rapidly, but he didn't loosen his grip on the knife.
Eunuch Liu watched from the shore, a grin spreading across his face.
Success!
At such close range, with such a dense hail of arrows, the small boat offered no cover, and the people on board—
His smile froze on his face.
As the rain of arrows fell, he heard another sound behind him.
"Bang!"
"Bang bang bang!"
It wasn't the sound of bowstrings, but the sound of muskets. Deep, heavy, like a hammer striking an anvil. The sound came from both banks—from behind the bushes where they were lying prone.
Eunuch Liu suddenly turned his head.
He saw rows of dark blue figures rising from the withered grass behind him.
Each person carried a long-barreled musket on their shoulder, the muzzle emitting blue smoke.
At dawn, with the morning mist still lingering and the flint damp, the first volley was not very effective—about a third of the guns misfired, and most of the lead bullets fired went astray.
But enough.
Because the distance is too close.
It was no more than twenty steps.
Eunuch Liu witnessed firsthand that the small flag bearer on the left was shot in the face—the lead bullet entered through his left eye and exited through the back of his head, bringing with it a spray of red and white mixture. The small flag bearer fell backward, still clutching his bow.
The veteran on the right tried to get up, but was hit in the chest by three lead bullets at the same time. His leather armor was torn apart like paper, and blood gushed from three bloody holes like three small fountains.
"We've fallen for their trap!" someone shouted.
But it was too late.
A new army officer roared, "Abandon volley fire! Fire freely! Target those with bows!"
"Bang bang bang bang bang——"
Lead bullets rained down. The Qing soldiers wore leather armor, but the armor couldn't withstand the direct fire of flintlock muskets within twenty paces. Bullets pierced the leather armor, dug into flesh, and broke bones. Screams erupted instantly, but were quickly drowned out by the gunfire.
Eunuch Liu lay on the ground, trembling all over.
He wanted to escape.
But as soon as he propped himself up, he heard footsteps behind him.
Very light, very fast.
He turned around and saw three dark figures emerge from the depths of the bushes. They weren't Qing soldiers, but Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).
They were dressed in black, their faces covered with black cloth, and they held embroidered spring knives in their hands. The knives moved swiftly, flashing three cold streaks in the morning light.
Eunuch Liu drew his sword.
But as soon as he pulled the knife halfway out, he felt a chill on his throat.
He looked down and saw blood gushing from his neck, splashing onto the withered grass, a glaringly red hue. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed.
Before he collapsed, his last thought was:
Eunuch Han... Why haven't Commander Zuo's troops arrived yet...?
Riverbank, early morning
The battle is over.
It took less than 15 minutes.
Li Ce stood beside the pile of corpses, the stench of blood mixed with gunpowder was pungent. But his face remained expressionless as he watched the Imperial Guards take inventory of the battlefield.
Shi Wenyi strode over and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, the count is complete. There are 203 eunuchs, 194 killed, and 9 captured. Among them are one eunuch and two junior officers."
"Our casualties?"
Shi Wenyi's voice was low and somber: "The New Army suffered eleven wounds, three of whom were struck by poisoned arrows. The poison has penetrated to the bone, and the imperial physician says... they won't survive past noon. The Embroidered Uniform Guard suffered eight wounds, and two died in battle—all from poisoned arrow wounds, fatal upon contact with blood."
Li Ce was silent for a moment: "Give them a proper burial. Double the compensation for their families. For those wounded by poisoned arrows...do everything in our power to save them."
"Yes."
"Where is that eunuch?"
"He's still alive, and the bleeding has been stopped and he's been bandaged."
"Bring it over."
Two Imperial Guards dragged a bloodied man over and threw him in front of Li Ce.
It was Eunuch Liu. The wound on his neck was hastily bandaged with strips of cloth, and blood was still seeping out. He lay on the ground, trembling all over, his face as white as paper.
Li Ce squatted down and looked at him.
"name."
Eunuch Liu's lips trembled: "Liu... Liu Dequan... Nanjing Garrison Eunuch's Office, Bingzi Battalion Supervisor..."
"Who sent you?"
"Han, Eunuch Han..."
"What order was issued?"
"Tell me...tell me that if we succeed in taking Cangzhou, we'll finish them off. If we fail...tell me to hold the Dezhou section to the death, and not let a single person pass through..." Eunuch Liu raised his head, tears and snot mixed with blood streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, spare me! I was only following orders, I..."
Li Ce raised his hand to interrupt him.
"search."
Shi Wenyi stepped forward and began to grope Liu the eunuch.
Soon, three items were found in his pocket: a waist tag (with "Jingjun Supervisor" engraved on the front and "Bingzi Camp" on the back), a letter, and a small seal.
The letter was written by Han Zanzhou himself.
The handwriting is delicate, but the content is vicious:
"Dequan: This letter is as if we are meeting in person. If the Cangzhou affair succeeds, you will finish the job; if it fails, defend Dezhou to the death. Anyone who crosses this line, regardless of who they are, will be killed without exception. If the affair succeeds, you will be promoted to the position of eunuch garrison commander of Nanjing. Be careful. —Han"
There is no date, but the ink is very fresh.
Shi Wenyi found another oil paper package containing a different letter. This letter was even shorter, containing only one line:
"Once the situation in Nanjing is settled, the Left Commander's army can sail down the river, and the transition to a new regime will be complete."
It was unsigned, but the handwriting was the same as the previous letter.
After reading the letter, Li Ce handed it to Shi Wenyi.
Shi Wenyi glanced at it, his face turning ashen: "General Zuo... Zuo Liangyu! They actually dared to collude with the regional military governors!"
"Of course they dare." Li Ce stood up, dusted off his hands, and said, "If I die, Jiangnan will be theirs, and Zuo Liangyu can go down the river and control half of it. If I live, they will have to go to the execution ground—you would dare too."
He turned around and looked at the New Army soldiers bandaging their wounds on the riverbank, at the Imperial Guards dragging corpses, and at the trembling boatmen behind him.
Everyone was looking at him.
As the morning light grew brighter, it shone on the pool of blood, reflecting a glaring red.
Li Ce took a deep breath and then exhaled.
"Shi Wenyi".
"Your subject is here."
"Read aloud the Great Ming Code."
Shi Wenyi was taken aback, but immediately understood. He pulled a small booklet from his pocket—an excerpt from the *Great Ming Code*, which Li Ruolian had specifically instructed him to carry with him before leaving the capital. He opened it, found the page, cleared his throat, and his voice echoed along the riverbank in the early morning:
"The Great Ming Code, Criminal Law, Treason and Rebellion"
"Anyone who plots rebellion or high treason, regardless of whether they are the ringleader or a follower, shall be executed by slow slicing."
"Grandfather, father, son, grandson, brothers, and those living with him, all aged sixteen or above, shall be beheaded."
"Those under the age of fifteen, as well as mothers and daughters, wives and concubines, sisters, and wives and concubines of sons, shall be given to the families of meritorious officials as slaves."
"The assets will be confiscated by the government..."
He read them aloud one by one.
The voice wasn't loud, but every word struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart.
The soldiers of the new army stopped bandaging the body, the imperial guards stopped dragging it, and the boatmen stopped trembling; they all listened.
That's all.
The riverbank was deathly silent.
There was only the sound of the wind and the cawing of crows in the distance—they were waiting for their meal.
Li Ce walked up to Eunuch Liu.
Eunuch Liu was limp as a rag doll, his crotch soaked with sweat.
"Did you hear me clearly?" Li Ce asked.
"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Liu kowtowed repeatedly, "This servant knows his crime! This servant is willing to atone for his crime through meritorious service! This servant is willing to testify against Han Zanzhou! I beg Your Majesty for mercy..."
"Have mercy?" Li Ce smiled.
His smile was cold.
"Han Zanzhou plotted rebellion, and you joined him. He issued an order to assassinate the emperor, and you obeyed and laid an ambush—now you want me to show mercy?"
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, addressing everyone:
"If I show mercy, how can I face the boatmen who died in Cangzhou last night? How can I face the Imperial Guards who just died from poisoned arrows? How can I face the soldiers in the north who are guarding Juyong Pass on empty stomachs?!"
The last sentence was shouted out.
The sound echoed along the riverbank, making everyone's eardrums vibrate.
Among the boatmen, the old boatman suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty... my nephew was burned to death in Cangzhou last night... he was only nineteen years old..."
One of the imperial guards also had tears in his eyes: "Wang Laosan... the one who just died, his wife had just given birth to a son, not even a month old yet..."
Li Ce closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, they were bloodshot.
"Shi Wenyi".
"Your subject is here."
"According to the Great Ming Code, what is the punishment for plotting treason and murdering the emperor?"
"Lingchi" (death by a thousand cuts).
"Execute."
Two words.
It was light as a feather, yet weighed as heavily as a thousand pounds.
Shi Wenyi bowed: "Yes!"
He turned around and waved to the Imperial Guards behind him: "Set up the execution platform!"
At the same time, hills thirty miles away
Empress Zhou's caravan is crossing a mountain ridge.
The mountain road was rugged, and the mule cart moved very slowly. Yunniang rode ahead to scout the way, and suddenly pulled on the reins.
"Your Majesty," she turned around and looked at the mezzanine of the carriage, "there is smoke rising from a chimney ahead."
Empress Zhou's voice came from inside the partition: "How far?"
"Sanli is a small mountain village."
"Go around it."
"There's no way around it. It's the only way."
Empress Zhou paused for a moment, then said, "Send two people disguised as merchants to investigate. If it's just an ordinary mountain village, buy some dry rations and leave. If…"
She didn't finish speaking.
Yunniang understood: "What if there's an ambush?"
"Then let's fight our way out." Empress Zhou's voice was cold. "The news of the Emperor's attack in Cangzhou should have already reached some people's ears. They won't let any opportunity slip by."
"Yes."
Yunniang hired two guards, changed into a worn-out cotton-padded coat, and carried her goods towards the mountain village.
Inside the carriage's mezzanine, Empress Zhou gripped the dagger tightly.
She was still carrying the book of Jiangnan noblewomen in her arms.
Seven years of hard work, seven years of gamble.
She bet the emperor would win.
I'm betting this dynasty can still be saved.
Beijing · Jinyiwei Northern Garrison
Li Ruolian looked at Wang Dehai kneeling in front of her.
The Imperial Kitchen's purchasing eunuch was over fifty years old, fat, and had a forced smile on his face—cold sweat trickling down his temples.
"Eunuch Wang," Li Ruolian said slowly, "how good is the Suzhou silk from Meiji Silk Shop?"
Wang Dehai trembled: "Commander... this servant doesn't understand..."
"Don't understand?" Li Ruolian picked up a piece of silk cloth from the table—exactly the same as the one in Liu Shun's copper tube. "Do you recognize this silk?"
Wang Dehai's face turned deathly pale.
"The plum blossom symbol," Li Ruolian continued, "is from Meiji Silk Shop. On the fifth of each month, you import a batch of Suzhou silk from Meiji, saying it's for making handkerchiefs for the palace maids. But the quantity... is enough to make five hundred handkerchiefs. How many palace maids are there in the Imperial Kitchen?"
"Slave, slave..."
"Where did the extra silk go?" Li Ruolian stood up and walked over to him. "Who did you give it to? What did you write on it?"
Wang Dehai collapsed to the ground.
"Commander... have mercy... it was... it was Eunuch Han who told me to do it... every month, he would send the extra silk cloth to the outside of Xihua Gate, and someone would receive it... I don't know what was written on it... I really don't know..."
Who received the goods?
"A masked man... always different... but, but once I secretly followed him for a while and saw him enter... enter the back door of Lord Zhou, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy..."
Li Ruolian's eyes turned cold.
Zhou, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.
The one who recited "The king abandoned the tripods and ritual vessels, and fled south—where did he go?" at the poetry gathering.
it is good.
well.
"Take him away." Li Ruolian waved her hand. "Keep a close watch on him. When the Emperor returns—we'll settle accounts with him all at once."
"yes!"
Wang Dehai was dragged away.
Li Ruolian walked to the window and looked south.
The Emperor should be in Dezhou by now.
After Dezhou comes Linqing, after Linqing comes Jining, after Jining comes Xuzhou...
A trail of blood, a trail of knives.
But Your Majesty, I will be waiting in Beijing.
We're waiting for you to come back.
Wait for this city, for those who are meant to bleed—to bleed their last drop of blood.
Outside the window, it was dawn.