Chapter 36: Secret Intelligence from the Brave Guards Battalion!

Something ordered by both the Emperor and the Crown Prince? And entrusted to a Grand Secretary to handle personally? It didn’t take much thought to realize this must be a matter of utmost importance! But how could they be completely unaware of it? This simply shouldn't be! In an instant, the faces of the Cabinet ministers, led by Zhou Yanru, turned even grimmer. They couldn't shake the feeling that some monumental event was unfolding, and they were being kept entirely in the dark. It was an agonizing sensation.

However, Xue Guoguan couldn’t be bothered with them; he simply turned and walked away. The Crown Prince had given him only three days for the *Great Ming Daily* project, and he was swamped, with no time to bicker with these men.

After the morning court session, Zhu Cilang did not head to the Fengtian Hall, nor did he return to the Eastern Palace. Instead, he went straight to the Directorate of Imperial Horses. He wanted to find a horse to practice riding, just in case he ever had to lead an imperial expedition in person and didn't want to make a fool of himself. But upon arriving at the Directorate, Zhu Cilang was stunned. The place was virtually deserted, and there were hardly any horses to be seen.

Looking at the eunuchs kneeling before him, Zhu Cilang suppressed his anger and demanded, "Where are the Seal-Holding Eunuch and the Director of the Directorate of Imperial Horses? Tell them to crawl here and see me at once!"

In the Ming Dynasty’s twenty-four government offices, the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Directorate of Imperial Horses were the most vital departments. The former could handle the "vermilion brush" on the Emperor's behalf, possessing the power to intervene in all manner of state decisions, while the latter was not only responsible for the imperial stables but also held a portion of military authority. That such an important department had been allowed to fall into such decay was reason enough for Zhu Cilang's fury.

The eunuchs kneeling on the ground, however, looked blankly at him. After a moment, a young eunuch replied in a small voice, "Your... Your Highness, weren't the Seal-Holding Eunuch and the Director of the Directorate of Imperial Horses transferred to the Brave Guards Battalion by His Majesty?"

Zhu Cilang fell silent instantly. Damn it! How could he have forgotten that? Two years ago, after the Chongzhen Emperor’s attempts at military reform stalled, he had handpicked elite soldiers from the Capital Garrisons and reorganized them, along with the Directorate of Imperial Horses and the Four Tengxiang Guards, into a new army: the Brave Guards Battalion. Afterward, the Emperor had dispatched this force to Shaanxi to help suppress Li Zicheng’s rebellion, and they had yet to return. That was why the Directorate was in its current state.

Because all the capable soldiers and eunuchs had been sent out to deal with Li Zicheng... It had to be said, the current situation was rather awkward. Men were out there risking their lives for the Zhu family, and here he was, throwing a temper tantrum at their home base. Zhu Cilang rubbed his nose, feeling a bit guilty. "Alright, never mind. You all may rise. Select the best horse for me; I wish to practice riding."

Before long, in the training yard of the Directorate, Zhu Cilang sat gingerly on horseback, practicing his riding. Li Hu held the reins with extreme caution, fearing that the horse might suddenly go mad and toss the Crown Prince off. If that happened, he would be guilty of a crime that even a thousand deaths could not atone for! By this point in the Ming Dynasty, saddles and stirrups were already widespread, so riding was not particularly difficult. After a few laps, Zhu Cilang was able to ride on his own. Still, his bodyguards remained anxious, circling him closely, ready to rush to his aid at a moment's notice.

Suddenly, a figure came rushing in, shouting, "Your Highness, a classified report from the Brave Guards Battalion!"

The Brave Guards Battalion? Speak of the devil. Zhu Cilang dismounted and took the letter from the eunuch’s hand. Ignoring the words "To be opened by His Majesty" on the envelope, he tore it open.

The letter was from Huang Degong, the commander-in-chief of the Brave Guards. It stated that after more than a year of brutal fighting, the battalion had suffered over fifty percent casualties; the Seal-Holding Eunuch had died for his country, and the Director was severely wounded. With no way to replenish troops or provisions, he was requesting that the Emperor allocate military funds and grain so he could continue to recruit men and suppress the rebels.

As Zhu Cilang looked at the letter, his thoughts were complex. In the original course of history, the Brave Guards Battalion was the last army the Chongzhen Emperor could truly rely on. They had not disappointed him, eventually sacrificing themselves to the last man. The author of this letter, Huang Degong, was also a man of talent, who would eventually die in battle against the Manchus, serving his country to the end.

No! He couldn't let this force continue to fight like this; if they kept on, they would be utterly wiped out. Taking a deep breath, Zhu Cilang ordered, "Li Hu, go to the Inner Treasury and withdraw one hundred thousand taels of silver. Send it to the Brave Guards Battalion and order them to rest in place for ten days, then return to the capital."

"Yes!" Li Hu acknowledged and hurried off.

After such an ordeal, Zhu Cilang had no heart left for riding. He gave instructions for the horses to be well cared for and then departed. Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, the Embroidered Uniform Guard reported that the Duke of Ying had already set out for Liaodong. Zhu Cilang simply nodded to show he had heard; it was, after all, a plan finalized just the day before.

In the Wenhua Hall, where the Grand Secretaries of the Ming Cabinet handled daily state affairs, the atmosphere was usually one of collaboration with the Emperor. But with the Emperor "gravely ill" and the Crown Prince "young," the burden of governance fell solely upon the Cabinet ministers. They were not entirely alone, of course—a few eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial were present—but these eunuchs were not responsible for policy; they merely forwarded the finalized memorials to the Emperor for his approval.

On the whole, the country continued to function. However, the mood today was clearly off. The ministers worked with dark, sullen faces, as if harboring some deep frustration. Wang Chengen chose to ignore them; he knew they were undoubtedly angry over the Crown Prince’s recent attempt to revive the secret police agencies. As a eunuch, Wang Chengen naturally stood with the Prince and had no interest in humoring these ministers who constantly stood in opposition to him.

Zhou Yanru scanned the memorials arriving from various regions and felt only greater irritation. There wasn't a single piece of good news among them—only endless headaches. It was either requests for money and grain, reports of rebels breaching another city, or news of some disaster requiring state relief funds. The more he read, the worse he felt. Thinking of Xue Guoguan’s smug expression earlier only fueled his rage. If he weren't in the Wenhua Hall, he would have smashed his teacup on the floor.

Suddenly, Zhang Sizhi, another Cabinet minister, leaned in close and whispered, "Grand Secretary Zhou, two things have happened at the Ministry of War recently. I am not sure if I should tell you, but I find them quite strange."

Hm? Hearing this, Zhou Yanru’s interest was instantly piqued. After all, matters concerning the Ministry of War were of great importance.