A Single Robe for a General

Wang Lanping had reached the point of no return; the arrow was already on the string, and he had to fire. His original plan was entirely different.

Originally, Wang Lanping intended to stir up the old grievances between the Ma and Li families to intensify their conflict, angering Li Zhi and making him and Ma Cheng irreconcilable enemies. Then, he would step in as a peacemaker to smooth things over, seizing the opportunity to transfer Li Zhi into the Nanjing Garrison Command under the guise of protecting him from Ma Cheng's malicious intentions. Afterwards, he would transfer Song Dali to command the Three Thousand Garrison, and then slowly take his time winning over the loyalty of the men.

However, the situation developed with an unexpected smoothness that caught Wang Lanping off guard. When he ordered his men to arrest the ringleaders, no one objected. When he slapped a soldier from the Five-Army Garrison across the face, still no one dared to object. When he summarily beheaded a centurion, everyone except Li Zhi pretended to be deaf and dumb. All of this was tested out by Wang Lanping step by step. If another general had stepped forward to stop him before the execution of the centurion, Wang Lanping would have tactfully changed his mind—provoking the collective wrath of the fifteen garrisons was no laughing matter.

Wang Lanping had now seen through the true faces of these men thoroughly. They were a selfish lot who only knew how to sweep the snow from their own doorstep, ignoring the frost on their neighbors' roofs. When dealing with such people, there was no need to hide or hold back; he might as well go all the way and finish what he had started.

As the arrogant words tumbled out of Li Zhi's mouth, the personal guards standing right behind him instantly drew their sabers and pointed them at Song Dali.

Wang Lanping was more than happy to see this. Before he could even give an order, over a hundred men from the Feng Regiment rushed forward in a swarm, pointing dozens of long spears directly at Li Zhi and his two personal guards.

At that very moment, the soldiers of the Three Thousand Garrison, who had been watching from below the platform, saw that their commander was in danger and immediately grabbed their weapons, surging toward the platform while shouting, "Who dares harm General Li... Release him!"

Over a thousand men of the Three Thousand Garrison surged forward, confronting the hundred-odd saber-wielding soldiers of the Feng Regiment, with neither side willing to yield an inch.

Standing amidst the forest of swords, spears, halberds, and glaives, Li Zhi laughed out loud, showing not a shred of fear.

The commanders of the other fourteen garrisons on the platform panicked at the sight. This was a mutiny! A massive disaster was about to unfold. Everyone shared the same lingering fear: while Governor Wang might be young, brash, and perhaps unqualified to command all the generals, he was still the Emperor's imperial-commissioned Grand Coordinator and Garrison Commander of Nanjing, the Marquis of Dingnan of the Great Ming, and enjoyed immense popularity among the common people. If he were actually killed by this brainless mob from the Three Thousand Garrison, it would be equivalent to the heinous crime of treason, and everyone present would be implicated. If Governor Wang were to execute any one of them, he could easily fabricate a charge; but if they were to kill him, even with a thousand excuses, they could never wash away the suspicion of rebellion and treason.

Wang Lanping had considered the consequences of such a mutiny when he decided to make an example of someone to terrify the rest. Calm and composed, he stepped out from behind the commander's desk, unbuckled his sword, handed it to a subordinate beside him, and walked toward the unruly soldiers of the Three Thousand Garrison.

The commanders of the fourteen garrisons rushed forward to stop him. Zheng Hongkui, the regional commander of the Zhenjiang flotilla, said in a low voice, "Governor, do not go over there! Swords and spears have no eyes in a chaotic mob. In my view, it would be better to let General Li leave first. If this truly sparks a mutiny, the consequences will be unpredictable."

Wang Lanping smiled and pushed him aside. He was already riding a tiger and could not dismount; if he let this pass today, he would never have another such opportunity, and from then on, no one would ever take the Governor seriously again.

Wang Lanping reached the standoff between the two sides and pushed past the men of the Feng Regiment. Song Dali hurriedly called out, "General!" Wang Lanping shook his head, signaling him not to come any further.

Wang Lanping still had that much self-confidence. While the possibility of fighting thousands single-handedly was slim, getting out of this crowd unscathed was not difficult—his title as the top martial scholar was no empty boast.

"What do you think you are doing?" Wang Lanping's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "Without a military order, why have you brought weapons and broken into the command platform without permission? Are you trying to rebel?"

The soldiers of the Three Thousand Garrison exchanged nervous glances, some already breaking out in a cold sweat. One of them, appearing to be a roaming general, squeezed his way to the front and brandished his saber. "We dare not! Why has the Governor detained our General Li without cause? What crime has he committed?"

"What is your name?" Wang Lanping asked mildly.

Struggling to suppress his fear, the roaming general found his courage completely sapped by pointing a saber at the Governor, relying solely on the mass of people behind him to boost his bravado. With lingering apprehension, he stammered, "I, I am Song Xian."

Wang Lanping suddenly lashed out with a flying kick, sending him hurtling backward to crash into the pile of Three Thousand Garrison soldiers. "Song Xian! You've got guts. I remember your name. Tell me, who gave you the nerve to point a weapon at the commander of the grand army? You eat the Emperor's grain and take the Great Ming's military pay. You are not Li Zhi's private retainers! Come on, stand up, look at me, and tell me!"

An uproar broke out among the Three Thousand Garrison. Sabers flashed brilliantly in the sunlight, less than a foot away from Wang Lanping. The commanders of the fourteen garrisons behind him broke out in a cold sweat, secretly thinking to themselves: When it comes to playing hardball, he has truly run into someone willing to risk his life today.

Li Zhi, restrained by the Feng Regiment, shouted, "Wang Lanping, stop putting on a false show of authority! These men have followed me for years, through life and death. If you don't let me leave today and a disaster happens, this old man takes no responsibility!"

Wang Lanping let out a light, mocking chuckle. "Hmph! Naturally, you have no qualifications to bear this responsibility, nor could you afford to bear it. Song Dali!"

"General!"

Wang Lanping glanced back at the commanders of the fourteen garrisons and said in a booming voice, "Behold, Li Zhi, commander of the Three Thousand Garrison, has defied the laws of the country and military discipline, gathered a mob to surround the Governor, and committed treason and rebellion. His crime warrants death by a thousand cuts! In consideration of his advanced age, this Governor orders him beheaded to serve as a warning to others. Take him away! Beat the drums. After three rolls of the drum, carry out the execution!"

"Understood!"

---

Hearing these words, the entire assembly fell into chaos. The sabers of the Three Thousand Garrison clashed repeatedly with the spear tips of the Feng Regiment, and an all-out brawl was on the verge of breaking out.

Song Dali knew that Wang Lanping's word was law. Under the current circumstances, if Li Zhi did not die, it would be even harder to keep these heavily armed commanders in line from then on. Hardening his heart, he shouted, "Tie him up!"

The men of the Feng Regiment had followed Wang Lanping through life and death from Huaiyin City; in their eyes, an imperial edict from the Emperor wasn't even as useful as a military order from Scholar Wang. Several men moved together, pinning Li Zhi's arms behind his back and dragging him toward the commander's desk. One of them raised a foot and kicked the back of Li Zhi's knee. "Kneel!"

Seeing their commander treated this way, the men of the Three Thousand Garrison grew eager to try, brandishing their sabers as they rushed forward to snatch him back. The men of the Feng Regiment showed no fear, glaring at them with furious eyes.

The rumbling, life-claiming sound of the drums echoed across the field. "The first roll of the drum is complete!"

This time, Li Zhi was genuinely frightened. With his hands restrained behind his back and his face pressed against the surface of the platform, he shouted, "Wang Lanping, you dare to kill this old man? Brothers, what are you standing around for?"

Hearing this, Wang Lanping turned his head, stared directly at the men of the Three Thousand Garrison, and stepped toward them step by step. "Did you hear that? Li Zhi is inciting you to commit treason! This is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan. Those who don't want to live, come on! Feng Regiment, fall back!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the Feng Regiment let out a shout and withdrew their spears, retreating to both sides.

*Dum, dum, dum, dum.* "The second roll of the drum is complete!"

With the Feng Regiment's retreat, the only thing standing between the Three Thousand Garrison and Li Zhi was Wang Lanping alone. Strangely enough, not a single man in the Three Thousand Garrison dared to take another step forward. To charge meant killing the Governor and Marquis of Dingnan, but what would happen afterward? Everyone was torn with agonizing indecision. Perhaps if just one person had dared to charge forward at that moment, Wang Lanping would have been left without a burial place, but no one dared to take the lead.

"Fall back!" Wang Lanping pressed forward step by step, his hands clasped behind his back, the heart-guard mirror on his chest pressing right against the tips of several sabers, forcing the crowd to retreat step by step.

Seeing that his men did not dare to advance, Li Zhi flew into a rage. "I have treated you well over the years! You raise troops for a thousand days to use them for a single hour! Kill him! The law cannot punish a multitude. If anything goes wrong, this old man takes sole responsibility!"

At this, someone firmly disagreed—naturally, it was the men from the other fourteen garrisons. Forcing the Marquis of Dingnan to his death meant that Li Zhi's next step would undoubtedly be open rebellion. You can bear that crime all by yourself!

Ma Cheng had never gotten along with Li Zhi anyway. Hearing this, he hastily ordered his personal guards, "Pass down the order! Protect the Governor! Anyone who dares to commit treason and offend their superiors shall be executed on the spot!"

The other generals quickly followed suit. Whether to protect Li Zhi or Wang Lanping was a choice anyone could figure out with a single finger.

Suddenly, tens of thousands of soldiers surged forward together, sealing off the viewing platform so tightly not even a drop of water could leak through, shouting in unison at the men of the Three Thousand Garrison, "Drop your weapons!"

The men of the Three Thousand Garrison had never expected things to turn out this way. Pitting a single garrison against fourteen was pure idiocy. Once the charge of treason was pinned on them, everyone would die. Seeing themselves heavily surrounded, many disheartened soldiers of the Three Thousand Garrison finally dropped their sabers.

Li Zhi's face turned ashen in an instant. "Cowards! A pack of cowards! Wang Lanping, this old man has no previous grudges or recent enmity with you. Why must you take my life?"

Wang Lanping was quite satisfied with this outcome. He turned back to Li Zhi and said, "You should have died three years ago when you defied the imperial edict and fled for your life from Hebei. Letting you live until now... well, the net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes."

Panting heavily, Li Zhi burst into roaring laughter. "If you wanted to seize my military power, you could have just said so! Why bother with such high-sounding pretense? You shortsighted cowards, open your eyes and look clearly: my fate today will be your end tomorrow! Ha, ha, ha!"

Everyone understood this logic. From the very moment Governor Wang decided to kill Li Zhi, they had all seen through the ruse. This was no military drill; it was clearly a grand spectacle designed to usurp military command. This Wang Lanping truly feared nothing, resorting to brute force and playing hardball. None of them had expected him to be so ruthless beneath his seemingly untutored exterior.

Wang Lanping walked alone to Li Zhi's side, squatted down, and said softly, "I wonder if you've ever heard a certain saying?"

Li Zhi scoffed, "Spit it out if you have something to say! This old man does not fear you."

Wang Lanping leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "The Chongzhen Emperor left a dying wish: every single civil and military official in the court deserves to die. General Li, go down and keep the late Emperor company."

*Dum, dum, dum, dum.* "The third roll of the drum is complete!"

"Execute!" Wang Lanping shouted sternly.

A head with gray hair rolled down the steps of the viewing platform, and the entire assembly fell into absolute silence.

Wang Lanping walked over to the hesitant Three Thousand Garrison and shouted, "Li Zhi committed treason and rebellion and has now received his punishment according to the law. This matter has nothing to do with you. Drop your weapons, and this Governor will let bygones be bygones. Those who remain obstinately deluded shall be shown no mercy!"

Song Dali waved his hand, and the Feng Regiment stepped back in front of the Three Thousand Garrison, shouting loudly, "Drop your weapons and live!"

*Clang, clang, clang, clang.* The sound of sabers hitting the ground rose and fell in waves.

The generals on the viewing platform were all left dumbfounded. This young man was far too ruthless; he hadn't even blinked an eye when executing a major general right in front of the man's own troops.

Wang Lanping turned to the generals and said, "Gentlemen, please remain calm. I, Wang Lanping, am not a bloodthirsty man, nor do I hold any personal grudge against Li Zhi. Today was merely about ridding the country of a traitor, and it has nothing to do with any of you. Please, take your seats."

The crowd remained silent, sitting as if on pins and needles, terrified that they would be next.

As the grand army dispersed, the men of the Three Thousand Garrison were temporarily taken away and placed under guard, leaving only the roaming general Song Xian kneeling before Wang Lanping. Tied up like a zongzi, Song Xian kept his head lowered in complete despair. If this Governor dared to execute even Li Zhi, dealing with a lowly roaming general would be as easy as crushing an ant.

Wang Lanping walked up to him. "Song Xian, raise your head and look at me."

Song Xian slowly raised his head, glanced up, and quickly lowered it again. "This subordinate dares not. Whether it is execution or mutilation, this subordinate accepts his fate, but please spare the brothers of the Three Thousand Garrison."

Wang Lanping laughed heartily, personally untied his bonds, and helped him up. "Why would I kill you? Come, get up. Song Dali, bring over that dragon-patterned robe."

Song Dali froze for a moment, but still went to fetch the robe.

Wang Lanping took the dragon-patterned robe in his hands, stroked the square embroidered patch of dragons, and smiled with a trace of envy. "The dragon-patterned robe of the Great Ming is truly precious; very few in this world can attain such an honor. Come, Song Xian, on behalf of the Emperor, this Governor bestows this upon you."

Song Xian's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard. Even the fourteen garrison commanders sitting behind them stood up in shock.

"No, no, I dare not! This subordinate is a man guilty of crimes; how could I possibly dare?" Song Xian retreated step by step.

Wang Lanping stepped forward, draped the robe directly over his shoulders, patted his shoulder, and raised his voice. "Song Xian! Song Dali!"

The two men cast off their armor and fell to their knees.

"By order of the Ministry of War, Song Dali is appointed as the commander of the Three Thousand Garrison. Former Three Thousand Garrison roaming general Song Xian is promoted three ranks to serve as the deputy commander of the Three Thousand Garrison. May the two of you work together with one heart, step up the drilling of the troops, and rid the country of thieves in the days to come!"

"This subordinate obeys!"

Song Dali stood up, walked to Wang Lanping's side, and said in a low voice, "Marquis, I truly admire you. You scared the wits out of me just now—I had no idea how you were going to wrap it up. The original plan wasn't like this at all! You could have at least given me a heads-up; it was far too sudden."

Wang Lanping tilted his head and whispered, "My back is still breaking out in cold sweat."

The two men looked at each other and laughed.