Chapter 47: This Item is Presented to Young General Zhang Cheng

In Changping, inside the inner chamber of the Xuan-Da Governor's Office, Governor Lu Xiangsheng was conversing with Hanlin scholar Yang Tinglin.

Lu Xiangsheng sighed and said, "Ah, brother, you cannot possibly know; it is truly a long story! Although the various relieving armies number fifty thousand in total, only a little over twenty thousand remain under my direct command."

"For what reason?" Yang Tinglin asked with a look of astonishment.

With a slight expression of grief, Lu Xiangsheng said in a deep voice, "The thirty thousand Guanning iron cavalry have already been reassigned to Grand Eunuch Gao."

"This? Could this be His Majesty's will?" Yang Tinglin found it hard to believe. How could the forces be divided like this?

Governor Lu Xiangsheng placed his hands over a brazier filled with glowing charcoal, slowly recounting to Yang Tinglin the details of how the forces were split that day with the army supervisor Gao Qiqian.

"Ah!" he sighed despondently after finishing.

Yang Tinglin stared blankly at Lu Xiangsheng for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, utterly speechless.

After a long while, he finally stood up from his chair, stomped his foot, and said with righteous indignation, "If this is the case, this magnificent realm of the Great Ming will sooner or later be buried at the hands of treacherous villains and handed over to the Eastern Tartars!"

Lu Xiangsheng remained silent, offering no response. He fixed his gaze upon the glowing red coals inside the charcoal brazier, failing to raise his head for a long time.

As the Xuan-Da Governor holding the rank of President of the Board of War, commanding the elite border troops of the Great Ming dynasty and having fought rebels and Tartars for years, he saw the current grand situation very clearly. While the rebels might not harbor ambitions to usurp the state, those Eastern Tartars were fiercely ambitious, constantly coveting the magnificent rivers and mountains of the Great Ming and perpetually plotting to enter the Central Plains.

Yet, even in his lofty position, he felt utterly powerless regarding the decisions made at the imperial court.

Lu Xiangsheng even believed that as a loyal subject of the Great Ming, he would rather die in bitter regret than ever disparage the "sovereign and father" before others.

At that moment, Lu Xiangsheng noticed his servant, Gu Xian, peering cautiously at him from outside but not daring to enter. He realized that the meal was ready.

Therefore, he raised his head, smiled at Yang Tinglin, and said, "Brother Boxiang, after serving as an official in the capital for years, you still retain the true character of a scholar. Whenever state affairs are discussed, you remain as heroic and impassioned as ever. Well, let us dine first, and after the meal, I shall listen to your profound teachings."

Yang Tinglin collected himself and said, "Ah, lost in conversation, I quite forgot the meal! My lord, I have one more matter—may I dare to ask?"

"Brother, speak freely," Lu Xiangsheng replied.

Looking at Lu Xiangsheng with a hint of expectation, Yang Tinglin asked, "I heard that a young general under your command has slain over a hundred Manchu foes. Might you summon him so I may meet him?"

"Hahaha," Lu Xiangsheng laughed heartily. "Why ever not? Brother, please take your seat at the table first, and I will have someone fetch him over."

As he spoke, Lu Xiangsheng instructed his personal guards to summon Zhang Cheng to the governor's residence, while taking Yang Tinglin by the arm to lead him into the dining hall.

Yang Tinglin, however, said to Lu Xiangsheng, "My lord, let us move by the window to observe the majestic appearance of the relieving army and wait a moment for this brave young general who slays the Tartars, what do you say?"

Lu Xiangsheng laughed heartily and said, "Why not? This man is also deeply favored by me; not only is he valiant and fearless, but he is also calm and steadfast. His future achievements may well surpass both yours and mine."

"Oh? Truly so? I am beginning to feel rather impatient," Yang Tinglin said, a trace of inexplicable excitement stirring within him. Having grown accustomed to the mediocrity and inertia of the imperial court, he truly hoped to witness a vibrant, spirited side of the Great Ming.

Before long, Zhang Cheng hurried to the governor's residence, guided by a personal guard into the inner courtyard. He saw Governor Lu Xiangsheng and a middle-aged scholar standing side by side by the window, gazing out at the army camps of the relieving forces that stretched for dozens of miles.

Upon closer inspection, Zhang Cheng saw that the middle-aged scholar was standing sideways, rather slender in build, appearing to be around fifty years old. A luxuriant beard hung across his chest, giving him an air of scholarly aloofness.

Seeing Governor Lu Xiangsheng turn slightly, Zhang Cheng hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate Zhang Cheng pays respects to the Governor."

"Come, come, Zhongchen. Let me introduce you; this is Master Yang Tinglin of the imperial Hanlin Academy," Lu Xiangsheng said, glancing at Zhang Cheng and playfully introducing Yang.

Yang Tinglin looked closely and saw before him a young general around twenty years of age, with handsome, refined features and a heroic, robust posture. He wore a brigandine armor with a cross-laced front, a tassel-topped iron helmet, and a thick woolen cloak, looking remarkably dashing and spirited.

Yang Tinglin could not help but sigh inwardly, "What a fine young hero, a tiger general of the border towns!"

When Zhang Cheng heard the Governor introduce the man beside him as Yang Tinglin, a shock ran through his heart.

He knew who Yang Tinglin was. In the original course of history, when the Qing forces breached the Great Wall, Yang Tinglin submitted a memorial impeaching the Minister of War, Yang Sichang. Through a devious recommendation, he was appointed as a Bureau Director in the Ministry of War and dispatched to Lu Xiangsheng's army to assist in military planning.

Shortly afterward, Lu Xiangsheng died in battle at Jiazhuang. Because Yang Tinglin was away on a diplomatic mission, he escaped death. When the surviving Yang Tinglin submitted a memorial detailing the twists and turns of Lu Xiangsheng's campaign, Yang Sichang accused him of deceiving the ruler and showing disrespect, resulting in his demotion and transfer to a remote post.

Later, when Li Zicheng captured the capital, Yang Tinglin wept bitterly, then went to Jiangxi to recruit troops to rescue the dynasty. Subsequently, as the Qing forces pushed south, Yang Tinglin left home for Ganzhou, rallying loyal and righteous men from all directions to organize an anti-Qing army of tens of thousands. Ultimately, heavily outnumbered, he died for his country.

In the second year of the Yongli reign of the Southern Ming, Emperor Gui posthumously honored Yang Tinglin as Grand Guardian and Earl of Xingan, with the posthumous title Wenlue.

Filled with respect, Zhang Cheng bowed deeply and said, "Zhang Cheng pays respects to Master Yang of the Hanlin Academy."

Yang Tinglin smiled and said, "What Hanlin Academy? Unable to even tie up a chicken, I merely waste the nation's treasury. Better to be like you, risking your life on the battlefield to slay Tartars for the country."

Before Zhang Cheng could reply, Governor Lu Xiangsheng took Yang Tinglin by the arm and walked toward the dining hall. Zhang Cheng had no choice but to follow closely behind them.

Inside the dining hall, several of Governor Lu Xiangsheng's staff officers were already waiting to accompany Yang Tinglin for the meal.

Zhang Cheng originally intended to sit at the very end of the lowest table, but to his surprise, Master Yang insisted on pulling him to sit right beside him. With no other option, Zhang Cheng had to take his seat next to Yang Tinglin, drawing envious glances from the staff officers.

The spread was not lavish; exotic delicacies were naturally absent, yet it was quite respectable. The company did not touch upon the subjects of peace negotiations or battles with the Tartars, but simply chatted casually about trivial and amusing anecdotes from the imperial court.

Only Yang Tinglin remained intensely focused on Zhang Cheng's battle at Mafang. Taking advantage of the meal, he continuously inquired about every single detail of the engagement, nodding in approval at each turn, and his gaze toward Zhang Cheng gradually shifted with growing admiration.

After the meal, Lu Xiangsheng invited Yang Tinglin into the inner chamber for a detailed conversation. Knowing his place, Zhang Cheng tactfully asked to take his leave. Since Yang Tinglin had already met the hero who slew the Tartars and had thoroughly inquired about the Battle of Mafang, he did not stop him.

Once Zhang Cheng departed, Lu Xiangsheng invited Yang Tinglin into the inner study. After the two sat down, Lu Xiangsheng solemnly asked, "Brother Boxiang, state affairs grow more difficult by the day. Although I dare not say the dynasty's three-hundred-year-old empire will be buried in the hands of our generation, the current situation is indeed extremely perilous. Do you have any brilliant strategies?"

Yang Tinglin remained silent for a moment before a bitter smile surfaced at the corner of his mouth. "I did have an alternative foolish idea, but I always felt that even if I voiced it, my lord might not be willing to adopt it, and even if adopted, it would be difficult to execute. Better not to say it at all."

"What high insight does brother possess? Pray tell me quickly," Lu Xiangsheng urged anxiously.

Yang Tinglin said with resolute confidence to Lu Xiangsheng, "I believe my lord might lead the troops southward, enticing the Eastern Tartars to pursue all the way to the territory of the three prefectures south of the capital, and then call upon the scholars and commoners of those three prefectures. Not only would there be no fear of a shortage of grain and fodder, but troops and horses would also gather from all directions.

"You once governed those three prefectures, and the people still cherish your benevolence. The elders of the three prefectures south of the capital will surely respond at the mere sound of your arrival, assisting you in jointly resisting the powerful Tartars.

"For the scholars and commoners of the southern prefectures, this move is both to save the country and to protect their homes; they will surely take up arms and serve as your vanguard."

Lu Xiangsheng shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Brother Boxiang, your brilliant strategy is indeed feasible; this my heart knows well. Yet, this is something I cannot do."

"Alas, I also know this military move is fraught with danger and risks being slandered by power-grabbers in the imperial court. However, if the military situation truly becomes hopeless, you must cherish your own life and preserve a useful body for the state," Yang Tinglin said earnestly to Lu Xiangsheng.

As he finished speaking, his gaze was drawn to the portrait of Lord Guan hanging in the middle of the wall, beside which was Yue Fei's *Man Jiang Hong* penned in Lu Xiangsheng's own hand, the calligraphy elegant yet vigorous.

The date signed at the bottom was yesterday, accompanied by the relief seal reading "Xiangsheng" and the intaglio leisure seal: "A grand officer has no alliances beyond the borders."

Yang Tinglin managed a forced smile and said, "Even if General Yue Wumu were to be reborn today, he would likely find it difficult to unfold his grand ambitions, left only to lean against the railing and let out a long whistle with a stirring, passionate heart."

Lu Xiangsheng sighed and said, "Brother Boxiang, you see, ever since I arrived here, I felt a strange premonition. Behind the seat in the main hall, I know not who wrote Master Wenshan's *Song of Righteous Qi*, and right here in this bedroom hangs the portrait of Lord Guan, as if this were to be my ultimate fate."

"My lord! Your person is tied to the security of the state; how can you utter such inauspicious words?" Yang Tinglin said anxiously upon hearing this.

Lu Xiangsheng sighed and said, "Ah, perhaps this is simply decreed by heaven!"

"Ah?..." Yang Tinglin was temporarily left speechless.

With a hint of sorrow, Lu Xiangsheng said, "In recent years, my younger brother has campaigned on horseback, yet helplessly the rebels grow more numerous the more they are suppressed, and the Tartars grow stronger the more they are guarded against. Today, the Jianzhou slaves have launched a massive invasion, and the capital region is in peril. Though I bear the title of Governor, I cannot engage in a decisive battle. How can I repay the emperor's immense grace above, or comfort the soldiers and people below? In such a plight, is this not the decree of heaven?"

"Since Your Excellency is the commander of the relieving army, the grand situation can still be managed. How can you be so disheartened?" Yang Tinglin earnestly encouraged him.

They spoke of several other matters, punctuated by frequent sighs.

Around the third watch, Yang Tinglin rose to take his leave, as he had to attend the early court audience the following morning and truly could not delay further.

Knowing he could not detain him any longer, Governor Lu Xiangsheng called for the servant Gu Xian to bring out wine, sharing a few parting cups with Yang Tinglin.

Lu Xiangsheng naturally possessed a bold temperament and a tremendous capacity for liquor, but ever since his father passed away, while observing the mourning period of filial piety, he had not let a single drop of alcohol pass his lips. Today, fearing they might never meet again after parting, he drank these few cups with him.

Outside the gates of the headquarters, as they bade farewell, he tightly grasped Yang Tinglin's hand and said, "Brother Boxiang, I must trouble you to convey to our old friends in the capital that I, Lu Xiangsheng, will never fail the grace of the Emperor, nor will I ever fail the earnest expectations of all my old friends and the millions of citizens in the capital!"

Yang Tinglin likewise gripped Lu Xiangsheng's hand tightly, reluctant to let go for a long time.

Suddenly, remembering something, he drew a cylindrical object from his sleeve, measuring over a foot long and wrapped in a silk sleeve, and said to Lu Xiangsheng, "I almost forgot. I specially prepared an item to gift to my lord for military use."

Lu Xiangsheng took it and examined it closely. Inside the silk sleeve was a "thousand-li mirror" (telescope) of exquisite craftsmanship. Holding it in his hand, he said, "This item is indeed practical, but I already possess one. Brother, please keep this for yourself."

Yang Tinglin cupped his hands with heroic flair and said, "I happened to acquire this item by chance. Considering that my lord would find it useful, I prepared it as a gift. What use is it for me to keep it? Since my lord already has one, I must trouble you to gift this item to that brave young General Zhang Cheng who slew the Tartars."

Having finished speaking, Yang Tinglin mounted his horse and rode away. The fifty elite personal guards arranged by Lu Xiangsheng escorted him all the way outside Desheng Gate.