Chapter 107: The Second Shot at the Willow

Chapter 107: Shooting the Willow II

After hearing Wang Zhen’s words, Zhu Qizhen’s thoughts shifted, and he began to wonder about the Duke of Chengguo’s intentions.

The duke could have refrained from mentioning Meng Xian’s name and simply referred to him as a son of the Meng family. Yet he had insisted on naming him directly, which clearly carried several implications.

Zhu Qizhen smiled. “That is Meng Xian’s son.”

Duke Chengguo Zhu Yong immediately added, “The very same young man who shot two willows.”

“Bring him up,” Zhu Qizhen said.

Someone promptly went to summon the young officer.

He was called young only in comparison with the Duke of Chengguo and the Duke of Ying standing beside Zhu Qizhen. Both of those men were advanced in years, whereas this officer appeared to be in his twenties, at the height of his vigor and promise.

Zhu Qizhen asked, “What is your name?”

The young officer immediately replied, “Your Majesty, I am Meng Yuan.”

“Of everyone who has performed today, you have done the best. I intend to reward you. Tell me—what do you want?”

“I would not dare, Your Majesty.”

“Since you will not say, then go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and serve as one of my guards.”

At once, Wang Zhen cried, “Your Majesty—”

Before he could finish, Zhu Qizhen raised a hand and stopped him.

“I know that your father had dealings with the Han Prince. Nevertheless, I have always believed that the line of the Marquis of Baoding consists of loyal servants of the Ming. For the sake of the old marquis, I will naturally extend you my favor. I only hope that, in time, you will render meritorious service and win your father an honorable name after death. That, too, would make you a filial son.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan fell to his knees with a thud.

“Your Majesty has shown me a kindness as vast as Heaven and deep as earth. I shall surely repay it, even if it means tying grass into knots or carrying a jade ring in my mouth.”

Zhu Qizhen had become thoroughly practiced in handling such situations.

He had to admit that, after all these years, his skill at bestowing favor had grown increasingly polished. Naturally, he also knew that among those who fell to their knees and pledged allegiance, some were sincere and some were not.

It was, after all, a contest of wits between sovereign and subject.

Before the final judgment had been passed, no one could say with certainty whether such loyalty was genuine or feigned.

Still, Zhu Qizhen felt that Meng Yuan’s actions might well have come from the heart. Though it appeared that Zhu Qizhen had given him nothing, in truth he had granted the entire Marquis of Baoding’s house a new lease on life.

Why else was Marquis Meng Ying of Baoding, a descendant of the meritorious generals of the Jingnan Campaign, now confined to an idle post, unable to accomplish anything? Was it because Meng Ying lacked military ability?

No. Meng Ying might have been somewhat inferior to Zhang Fu, but he was by no means a mediocre commander.

His most celebrated victory had come during the Jingnan Campaign. The old marquis, Meng Shan, had defended Baoding with several thousand soldiers, while Meng Ying led several thousand cavalry in an assault from outside the city.

Working together from within and without, father and son had routed an enemy army numbering tens of thousands.

A glance at Meng Ying’s record showed that he had fought the Tatars and the Oirat, campaigned in Annam, and served as its guardian. During the years he had governed Annam, the region had remained comparatively peaceful.

Had Meng Ying continued to guard Annam, it was entirely possible that the later abandonment of the territory might never have occurred.

The truth was simply that he had chosen the wrong side.

He had been entered into a separate register and cast aside.

Zhu Qizhen had in fact kept a close eye on Meng Ying for a long time.

Or rather, he paid close attention to every capable commander in the Ming armies. Meng Ying was among them. Zhu Qizhen had even wondered why, after his accession, the Grand Empress Dowager had ordered Meng Ying recalled.

Now he understood the deeper reason.

It had been to ensure that, should an extraordinary situation arise, there would be a commander capable of stabilizing the entire court.

Although Meng Ying had been cast aside, the struggle between the Han Prince and the Hongxi Emperor had long since come to an end. There could be no reversal.

Meng Ying, for his part, was unlikely to harbor any other ambitions. He was probably focused entirely on restoring his family’s fortunes. Thus, whenever necessary, bringing Meng Ying back into play would be enough to intimidate a great many people.

Even Zhu Qizhen’s generous treatment of Meng Yuan was partly a gesture of respect toward the old general Meng Ying.

With a single sentence from Zhu Qizhen that day, the Meng family’s sons would face no further obstacles in entering military service. Indeed, without any further instruction, the Ministry of War would naturally assign several of them to posts throughout the empire.

Everyone in the Five Army Command knew this, as did the civil officials: the Ming now lacked capable generals who could wage war and win victories.

Zhu Qizhen said, “Go now. Give the Marquis of Baoding my regards, and tell him to come to the palace to see me when he has the opportunity.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Meng Yuan replied.

He then withdrew.

His expression was dazed. He felt as though he were walking on clouds. By the time he reached the Marquis of Baoding, he still had not fully recovered his senses. Meng Ying seized him by the arm at once.

“What did His Majesty say to you?”

The exchange also revealed the marquis’s present standing.

Zhu Qizhen had been seated upon the raised platform, with the two dukes at his sides. The other nobles had been arranged outward from them. The Marquis of Baoding’s place was at the edge, where he had effectively been placed among the earls despite holding a marquisate.

This, too, reflected the political position of the Marquis of Baoding’s household.

Meng Yuan told Marquis Meng Ying everything Zhu Qizhen had just said, without omitting a single detail.

Tears streamed down Meng Ying’s aged face.

“Heaven itself has spoken. If my Meng family can have this day, then I may die without regret.”

Meng Ying was no longer young. He, Zhang Fu, and Zhu Yong belonged to the same generation, the second generation of commanders who had risen during the Jingnan Campaign. Yet there was one matter that had always troubled him.

While he remained alive, even if the Meng family was kept under restraint, people still knew that the Marquis of Baoding’s house existed.

But once he died, the family would be pushed entirely to the margins. They might not even be able to preserve their hereditary title.

Others might place their faith in the so-called Red-Enameled Iron Certificate, but Meng Ying did not. He had personally seen one shattered before his eyes, back when he had been demoted and sent to Yunnan.

That had been a time when he had barely escaped with his life.

Meng Xian’s death had made Meng Ying’s survival possible.

Even now, thinking back on it left Meng Ying chilled to the bone.

He knew that, if the Meng family’s fortunes were to be preserved, they had to maintain influence within the army. Yet he was now nothing more than an ordinary commander of the capital garrison, and the men beneath him might not even heed his orders.

The family’s sons wished to enter official service, but that too was difficult.

This profound sense of crisis had never left Meng Ying.

For that reason, he had devoted all his remaining strength to training his descendants. As a renowned general, he knew that the Ming was approaching a dangerous shortage of capable commanders. He wanted only to pass on everything he had learned, for the day would surely come when those skills were needed.

Archery, horsemanship, and the handling of weapons were easy enough to teach. He could explain the finer points; all that remained was to train relentlessly. But shaping a man into the talent of a great commander was far more difficult.

It was not merely a matter of studying military texts. Practical experience was indispensable. Empty theories on paper were useless.

And if the family’s sons could not enter service and command troops, then no amount of training would matter.

Today, Zhu Qizhen’s single sentence had brought all of that to an end.

Meng Ying recovered himself and said to Meng Yuan, “You must perform well in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The future of the Meng family will depend on you.”

“Second Uncle, please set your mind at ease,” Meng Yuan replied. “Your nephew will not fail in his duty.”

The other members of the Meng family came forward as well, and for a time the whole group was filled with laughter and delight.

But as they spoke, someone happened to cast a furtive glance toward the wooden platform where Zhu Qizhen had been seated and could not help exclaiming, “Where are His Majesty and the two dukes?”

Everyone looked over and discovered that the platform was completely empty.

Meng Ying frowned.

“Did any of you see what happened?”

“Just now, a messenger seemed to arrive and whisper something into His Majesty’s ear. His Majesty then left in great haste.”

At once, Meng Ying thought of military intelligence.

“I will go and find out.”

Everyone gathered there was among the foremost military commanders in the Ming. News from every direction converged in that place, making it a hub of information. If the matter concerned the army, there were even times when certain emperors might not understand what had happened, while these men already knew the details.

Previously, because Meng Ying had been marginalized, everyone had remained courteous toward him while keeping their distance. But after Zhu Qizhen’s declaration that day, his old comrades immediately grew warm toward him once more.

It did not take long for Meng Ying to learn the truth.

When he returned, he said to the younger members of the family, “Go home and take the maids in your quarters into your households. News has just come from the Mu family that trouble has broken out in Yunnan. We will likely be mobilizing a large army.”

Meng Yuan immediately asked, “What happened?”

“There are many versions of the story, and we cannot yet be certain,” Meng Ying replied. “But it seems that Fang Zheng and his son were surrounded by bandits, while the Mu family stood by and refused to rescue them, resulting in both father and son being killed in battle. As for the Duke of Mu, he has apparently taken his own life out of guilt. Officially, of course, the report says that he died in battle.”

“What?”