055 King of Xichuan

While Li Zicheng and Dorgon were gearing up and rubbing their hands in anticipation of swallowing the Jiangnan region whole, Zhang Xianzhong, far away amidst the towering mountains and deep valleys of Sichuan, was also plotting to make a grand display of his prowess. Ever since he had been defeated in Huguang three years prior by the Wuchang Brigade Commander Zuo Liangyu and fled far away to this place, the Ming court—preoccupied with increasingly large-scale military campaigns in the Central Plains and the northern frontiers, and deterred by the treacherous paths into Sichuan—had simply been too busy to pay him any heed as the rebel forces flooded the province.

Gradually, Zhang Xianzhong, who had nearly been wiped out entirely by the Ming forces, began to put down roots in the Sichuan region, which felt like a veritable utopia. He stayed for three full years, and his power steadily grew into a formidable force.

Today, Zhang Xianzhong was thoroughly modernized and re-equipped. From the mere ten thousand remnants and defeated soldiers he had brought with him upon entering Sichuan, he had expanded his ranks to nearly two hundred thousand troops, comprising land, water, and cavalry forces. Not only were his soldiers elite and his generals numerous, but Zhang Xianzhong had also extensively plundered the wealth of the Sichuan populace. In time, unimaginable riches poured into his imperial treasury, leaving gold and silver overflowing and granaries bursting with grain.

Within the Chengdu Prefecture, Zhang Xianzhong lavishly constructed luxurious palaces and multi-storied buildings, forcing thousands of common folk women to populate his imperial harem. As for the ordinary people of Sichuan, their lives and deaths lay entirely at his whim; he had truly become the King of Western Sichuan in name and fact.

Seeing that his wings were gradually growing full, Zhang Xianzhong grew immensely pleased with himself, his ambitions expanding rapidly. He was planning to march out of Sichuan and emulate Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, of years past, sweeping across the realm to pacify the world under heaven. He never expected, however, that a piece of news would arrive, infuriating him to the point that he drew his saber and executed the messenger on the spot.

This news was none other than the death of the Chongzhen Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty and Li Zicheng’s self-proclamation as Emperor in Beijing, founding the Great Shun Dynasty. How could Zhang Xianzhong hear such news without flying into a rage? Back in the day, this Li Zicheng was merely a fellow who had rebelled and fought for the empire alongside him. When Li Zicheng had been battered by Hong Chengchou until only eighteen horsemen remained, had it not been for Zhang Xianzhong extending a helping hand, Li Zicheng would have dug his own grave and buried himself in the Shangluo Mountains long ago. Where would he find the prestige he enjoyed today?

Zhang Xianzhong thought to himself: if anyone deserved to sit upon the throne and rule the world, it should undoubtedly be none other than the "Eight Great Kings" Zhang Xianzhong. Well played, Li Zicheng! While I was quietly building up my strength here in Sichuan, you went and seized the initiative. I shall have to settle this score with you properly.

To be fair, the roads of Sichuan were truly too treacherous, and the region was cut off from the outside world. In reality, it was four full months before Zhang Xianzhong received the news of Li Zicheng's ascension, by which time the Central Plains were already boiling in utter chaos.

Inside the glittering golden palace of the Great Xi King, Zhang Xianzhong wore a python-embroidered dragon robe, topped with a self-made imperial crown with thirteen tassel strings. Flanked and escorted by a throng of civil and military officials, he strode proudly, step by step, toward the imperial throne.

Today was the grand day of his ascension and enthronement. For no other reason than a single conviction: what defines the Son of Heaven? He who commands the strongest armies and the bravest men takes the prize. Since you, Li Zicheng, could sit upon the realm, why could I, Zhang Xianzhong, not do the same?

The spacious and brightly lit grand hall was festooned with red banners and colorful ribbons. Resounding, majestic ritual music blended harmoniously with the solemn ringing of chime-bells, echoing endlessly. Outside the palace, rows upon rows of armored guards stood like forests, and thousands of palace maids danced gracefully on the plaza outside the hall, creating a truly magnificent spectacle.

When Zhang Xianzhong split his wide mouth in a self-important, pretentious laugh and seated himself heavily and securely upon the dragon throne, cheers of "Long live the Emperor" reverberated inside and outside the hall, shaking the earth for miles around.

Zhang Xianzhong laughed heartily. He was utterly triumphant. He had never imagined that he, an illiterate man who could not recognize a basketful of characters, would one day have his turn to rule the world. Although this Great Xi Dynasty was merely a regime carving out a corner of Western Sichuan to rule in peace, this dragon throne beneath his backside was real and solid. Given a little more time to campaign east and west, why should he worry that the world would not bear the surname Zhang?

Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand, signaling a close minister to read aloud the imperial edict of the Son of Heaven of the Great Xi. Since he had now ascended the supreme throne of the Ninth and Fifth, his subordinate generals naturally deserved to share in the glory.

Of course, although he was declaring himself emperor in independent defiance, anyone in Western Sichuan who possessed genuine military talent or strategic acumen had already been purged by Zhang Xianzhong’s intolerant nature. The so-called newly appointed civil and military officials of the imperial court were, in truth, fully eighty percent generals he had brought along from Gansu and Shaanxi—entirely a cohort of martial commanders. Consequently, the institutional framework of the Great Xi Dynasty almost entirely copied the administrative systems of the Ming Dynasty, right down to leaving the titles of official posts unchanged, which saved a great deal of trouble.

The first Left Chancellor of the Great Xi Dynasty, Wang Zhaolin, stepped out before the hundred officials, unrolled a yellow silk scroll, and began to read aloud in a booming voice before the crowd:

"The Great Xi Emperor issues this edict of imperial ascension: We declare that since the mandate of the Ming fortune was exhausted and their dynastic line severed, the radiant Huaxia has suffered ceaseless warfare. Those who drool over the sacred vessels are as numerous as carp crossing a river, yet petty and erratic clowns cannot revive the prosperity of China, and base, dog-like scoundrels cannot expand territories spanning ten thousand miles. Now, the Mandate of Heaven has fallen upon Our August Emperor, the Emperor of Great Xi, to enter China from Western Sichuan and become the universal lord of all under heaven. The Holy Sovereign emerges, his prestige casting awe across the seas, bringing prosperity to the four quarters, wealth to the common folk, and an era of great flourishing. Upholding the Mandate of Heaven above and manifesting the spirits of Our ancestors below, amidst the struggle for the deer across the land, the Emperor of Great Xi has campaigned east and west, thus achieving this foundation in Western Sichuan. Today, the Emperor burns incense to inform Heaven, founds the state and establishes its institutions, and ascends the imperial throne at the Western Capital (Chengdu) of the Great Xi. The dynastic title is set as Great Xi, the era name is changed to Dashun, a general amnesty is granted to all under heaven, and benevolence is bestowed upon the myriads of the people. From the day this edict is promulgated, it is hoped that all civil and military officials and subjects across the realm will fulfill their respective duties, support the Holy Sovereign, forge a foundation for ten thousand generations, and share in a prosperous era of peace. July 18th of the First Year of Dashun of the Great Xi Dynasty."

............
(Those who cannot make sense of the imperial ascension edict above may skip it; it does not affect the plot of this book. Such rhetoric is largely similar during every emperor's ascension, boasting of oneself and the legitimacy of gaining the throne, and discerning readers need not probe too deeply.)
............

The Left Chancellor finished reading in one breath, turned, and bowed toward Zhang Xianzhong on the dragon throne, crying out, "Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live, long live the Emperor!"

The assembled ministers echoed him in unison, shouting aloud and performing the ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

***

Zhang Xianzhong stroked his long chin-beard in delight, slapping his thigh and using coarse language mixed with a few newly learned Sichuan dialect phrases: "Good, good! Damn it all, I, Zhang Xianzhong, have my day today as well! Everyone up, get up. You there, continue reading!"

"Thanks be to the Emperor's boundless grace...!"

Left Chancellor Wang Zhaolin stood up, put down the ascension edict, drew out another roll of yellow silk, glanced at the officials in the court, and proclaimed in a loud voice, "All generals, receive your enfeoffments!"

Outside the hall, more than a hundred men dropped to their knees in unison, every single one of their faces beaming with intense joy.

Wang Zhaolin read in a ringing voice: "Sun Kewang is enfeoffed as the Prince of Pingdong, granted the rank of General Pacifying the East, and commanded to lead the troops of nineteen military camps!"

A man who looked like a fair-skinned scholar bowed upon hearing the words: "Thank you, Imperial Father!"

"Liu Wenxiu is enfeoffed as the Prince of Anxi, granted the rank of General Pacifying the West, and commanded to lead the troops of sixteen military camps!"

Liu Wenxiu, standing eight feet tall with a tiger-like back and bear-like waist, proclaimed: "Thank you, Imperial Father!"

"Ai Nengqi is enfeoffed as the Prince of Dingbei, granted the rank of General Pacifying the North, and commanded to lead the troops of twenty military camps!"

Ai Nengqi had a face covered in coarse flesh, with a two-inch-long knife scar near his left eyebrow that lent him an imposing and majestic air. He gave two dry, low laughs: "Thank you, Imperial Father!"

The Great Xi Dynasty possessed a total troop strength of approximately five hundred thousand. Of course, this figure was heavily inflated, as many military camps were understrength. The entire Great Xi army was divided into one hundred and twenty camps, with each camp numbering around five thousand men. Aside from the fifty-five camps commanded separately by Zhang Xianzhong’s three adoptive sons, there was established a single Old Camp, while Zhang Xianzhong himself directly commanded nearly seventy camps.

For a time, the court of the Great Xi Dynasty busily enfeoffed its numerous generals. In one breath, Zhang Xianzhong conferred over twenty princely titles and more than a hundred marquisates, and dispatched officials to various localities throughout his governed Sichuan territory. In short, anyone who had not died on the battlefield today received a reward and title. It was truly a scene of complete harmony, with the sovereign and his subjects rejoicing together.

Interestingly enough, purely to disgust Li Zicheng’s Dashun Dynasty, Zhang Xianzhong had actually chosen the founding era name for his own Great Xi Dynasty to be "Dashun." The Great Xi Dynasty, the first year of Dashun, with Zhang Xianzhong ascending the imperial throne—he particularly wanted to know what kind of expression would appear on Li Zicheng's face when he heard this era name.

Just as everyone was immersed in the atmosphere of dogs and chickens ascending to heaven upon a person's attaining the Way, Zhang Xianzhong suddenly slammed his hand down on the dragon desk, stood up, and shouted in a booming voice, "I have become Emperor! Now I issue the very first edict of the Son of Heaven. All generals, hear my command!"

Every single military officer present in the court dropped to their knees, each harboring puzzlement in their hearts and sudden terror showing on their faces. Why did Emperor Zhang seem to be throwing another one of his tempers? This boded ill; whenever Emperor Zhang grew angry, how many heads would roll to the ground? Yet surely on this day of his enthronement, he wouldn't start a massive massacre.

Zhang Xianzhong patted his rounded belly and said, "Huddled in Western Sichuan acting as an emperor is far too petty. The common folk of the world do not know that when Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor in Western Sichuan, the very first edict of the Son of Heaven he issued was an expedition to subjugate the Wu State. Today, I, too, shall lead troops out of Sichuan to sweep across the world in one fell swoop. Sun Kewang!"

Sun Kewang blinked his small eyes, knelt, and cupped his fists: "This vassal son is here."

Zhang Xianzhong commanded: "I appoint you as the Grand Marshal of Subjugation, mobilize one hundred and fifty thousand troops, advance into Hanzhong, annihilate the rebel Li Zicheng, and recover the old territories of Gansu and Shaanxi!"

"As you command!"

Just as the words left Sun Kewang's lips, the Prince of Anxi, Liu Wenxiu, who was kneeling to the side, hurriedly interrupted with anxious words: "Reporting to Imperial Father, although our Great Xi currently possesses elite soldiers and abundant grain, there are still those within the realm who refuse to submit to royal transformation. Since ancient times, whoever wishes to wage war externally must first pacify the interior. The former Ming female brigade commander Qin Liangyu, who is entrenched in Shizhu, remains a grave threat to our dynasty's heart and lungs. Since Imperial Father has ascended to rule the world today, why not issue an edict to pacify and summon her to surrender, promising that if she sincerely submits, she may be enfeoffed as a hereditary Queen of a generation to permanently guard Shizhu? If she remains stubbornly deluded, Imperial Father can rightfully raise troops to punish her. Only when internal rebellions are halted can we sally forth simultaneously from both east and west to contend for the realm without half a worry in our rear."

Seeing that the Grand Marshal position within his grasp was about to be snatched away by Liu Wenxiu, Sun Kewang hastily argued: "That old hag Qin relies on the perilous terrain of the mountains to turtle up in Shizhu; she is barely able to preserve herself, how dare she commit aggression? Imperial Father, Liu Wenxiu is doing this because he fears I will achieve great merit; he is jealous of the worthy and puts his private considerations before state affairs—this is disloyal! Imperial Father has just ascended the throne, and the myriad people of the world look up to him with reverence. At such a time, we should all the more dispatch troops to display the heavenly might of our dynasty. Yet he regards a mere female of no consequence as our dynasty's mortal enemy—where does this place Imperial Father? Could it be that the Great Xi Dynasty is even afraid of an aging crone who already has one foot in the grave? With that Qin Liangyu hiding deep in the mountains, are we to say that until she is eliminated, our dynasty cannot unify the world for a single day? Imperial Father, this vassal son begs for the imperial decree: this time, if I do not retake Hanzhong, I swear I shall never return to see Imperial Father!"

Liu Wenxiu explained with a solemn expression: "Elder Brother, you clearly know that is not what I meant. What private considerations could I possibly have? Although Qin Liangyu commands only three thousand White-Pole Soldiers, her troops are all locals. They conceal themselves deep within the great mountains, advancing and retreating unpredictably with formless and shifting traces. What if she takes advantage of the time when our main army is campaigning afar to launch a sudden raid on Chengdu? Let us not forget that during the Three Kingdoms period, Jiang Wei led his troops abroad while Deng Ai took a detachment by surprise to breach Chengdu, destroying the foundation of Shu Han in a single battle. Such a person cannot fail to be guarded against! I am speaking out of public duty for the stability of the Great Xi Dynasty; how can you accuse me of private motives?"

Sun Kewang's face turned red and white, unable to find a reason to retort, so he shouted loudly: "Audacious Liu Wenxiu! How dare you compare our Great Xi to the precarious, cornered regime of Shu Han? Was your next sentence going to imply that Imperial Father is the Latter Ruler Liu Shan? This is unfilial, rebellious, and deserves to be punished! Imperial Father, Liu Wenxiu he..."

Zhang Xianzhong had not expected that on the very first day of his ascension, his two adoptive sons would quarrel irreconcilably in front of all the civil and military officials. What kind of spectacle was this? He slammed his dragon desk, his eyes bulging with fury: "Quarrel! What the hell are you quarreling about? That bandit hag—am I afraid of her? We've conquered the entirety of Western Sichuan, what is there to fear in a mere tiny Shizhu? Hear my command: Sun Kewang shall serve as the Grand Marshal of Western Conquest, commanding fifteen hundred thousand troops to advance into Hanzhong, and then swing eastward to march along the river. Ai Nengqi shall serve as the Grand Marshal of Eastern Conquest, commanding one hundred thousand troops to march into Huguang and occupy Jingzhou. The two armies shall rendezvous at Jingzhou and thereafter jointly attack the remnant Ming forces, sweeping away Jiangnan in a single stroke!"

Liu Wenxiu hurriedly memorialized again: "Imperial Father, the interior is unsettled; the main army cannot embark on a distant expedition! To wage war in this manner, committing the empire's entire elite, what shall we use to defend against it if Qin Liangyu stirs up rebellion?"

Zhang Xianzhong's face wore a look of displeasure: "Silence! Your Imperial Father has spent half his life amidst armor and horses; what fear have I of an old woman? I give you thirty thousand troops, and within one month, you are to clear out this bandit!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenxiu knew that trouble was monumental. When Zhang Xianzhong led his main army through Western Sichuan, they had swept away all obstacles like a broken bamboo, fighting hundreds of large and small battles to occupy the entire territory of Western Sichuan—yet the only place they could make not the slightest headway against was this tiny Shizhu. Last year, an army of one hundred thousand surrounding Qin Liangyu's three thousand had failed even to catch a glimpse of the enemy's shadow, resulting in exhausted troops accomplishing nothing and pointlessly squandering funds and grain. Worse still, as the main army returned empty-handed, those three thousand White-Pole Soldiers suddenly surged out from all directions, hunting down the Great Xi army and chasing them back to Chengdu in utter ignominy.

Now Zhang Xianzhong had forgotten the pain once the wound had healed. While internal rebellions were yet unpacified, he was single-mindedly bent on external war, and moreover had only given Liu Wenxiu thirty thousand men to deal with those White-Pole Soldiers who had practically turned into mountain spirits. Wasn't this sending them to their deaths?

Yet Liu Wenxiu also perceived that his Imperial Father’s mind was made up; if he were to persist further, it would only invite the calamity of execution. May Heaven bless Great Xi!

"This vassal son obeys the decree!" Liu Wenxiu resignedly prostrated himself to receive the order.

Zhang Xianzhong surveyed the assembled generals and declared, "I shall personally lead the central army of two hundred thousand. On the first day of September, the army will march out of Sichuan, and the three armies will hunt together across Jiangnan to unify the realm under heaven!"

The court below shouted in unison: "Hunt together across Jiangnan, unify the realm under heaven! Long live, long live, long live the Emperor of Great Xi!"...

Speaking of which, the Sichuan Brigade Commander Qin Liangyu was a legendary woman. Her husband, Ma Qiancheng, was a descendant of General Fubo of the Han Dynasty, and had been appointed by the Ming court as the Pacification Commissioner (Tusi) of Shizhu, hereditarily guarding the region. After Ma Qiancheng died, his son inherited the title, but being too young, his mother Qin Liangyu acted in his stead. In the seventh year of Chongzhen, Qin Liangyu led troops to Beijing to rescue the sovereign, rendering great meritorious service. She was appointed by the Chongzhen Emperor as the Sichuan Brigade Commander and honored as a Second-Rank Lady of Designation, making her also the only female general in Chinese history with verifiable historical records, as well as the only female general to have a dedicated biography in the History of Ming.

At the parapet of the Tujia fortress, Qin Liangyu, who was over sixty years old, leaned upon a dragon-headed crutch. Her vision was clear and her hearing sharp; her spirit and energy were fully intact, and a head of silvery hair fluttered freely in the wind. This poise and composure, as she faced the three thousand White-Pole Soldiers whom she had personally trained down below the wall, was free of anger yet brimming with majesty. Her heroic and dashing bearing surpassed that of any bearded man.

With a fierce strike of her dragon-headed crutch against the brick rampart, Qin Liangyu said, "My family of the Ma lineage has received generation after generation of imperial grace from the Great Ming. Now the Emperor faces mortal peril, and that dog thief Zhang Xianzhong brings disaster to Western Sichuan, usurping the throne and proclaiming himself emperor against all heaven and reason. The rebel Zhang has repeatedly sought to take our Shizhu and failed to achieve his aim. Should he come again, we must ensure not a single piece of armor returns intact! Relay the order to all fortresses: hold the gates tightly and await further commands!"

"Obey!"

Qin Liangyu's reputation among the Tujia people surpassed even that of the Ming Emperor. At a single word from her, the entire army was ready to die at any moment, which was why Zhang Xianzhong had conquered all of Sichuan yet could never conquer the tiny speck of territory that was Shizhu.

Qin Liangyu turned her head to look at her son standing beside her, Ma Xianglin. The year before last, when Zhang Xianzhong's forces invaded Western Sichuan, Qin Liangyu had sent her son out to meet them in battle. Unexpectedly, Ma Xianglin had fought at the vanguard and been blinded in one eye by a stray arrow from the Great Xi army, leaving her with lifelong remorse.

Qin Liangyu said, "Xianglin, Shizhu is narrow and its people poor; we cannot sustain a prolonged standoff with the rebel Zhang. I hear that Prince Fu has proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing. I wish to dispatch men to make the journey to Nanjing, to report the situation here to the court and request the court to quickly send reinforcements to jointly annihilate the rebel Zhang. Yet this road is long with towering mountains and layer upon layer of passes, enduring countless hardships and dangers. None but those whose hearts are steadfast in great righteousness can shoulder this heavy responsibility. Therefore, your mother..."

Ma Xianglin adjusted his armor and knelt to the ground, saying with a solemn expression: "Mother Commander, this son is willing to go. I shall not turn back until I reach Nanjing!"

Qin Liangyu nodded with reluctance, "Good, my brave son. Take extra care on this journey. Remember, the people of Sichuan are all longing for the royal armies; you must not fail the heavy trust of the common folk. You know that the grain and forage here can last for five more months; if you are late..."

"Mother Commander, rest assured. This son will return before then, leading one hundred thousand royal troops."