Chapter Thirty-One: Duke of England, please make a journey to Liaodong!

After pondering for a long while, Zhu Cilang spoke:

"Go to the Duke of Ying's mansion and tell the Duke of Ying to come see me."

"As you command, Your Highness!"

Ma Bao acknowledged the order and turned to leave. Half an hour later, the Duke of Ying, Zhang Zhiji, finally arrived. However, Zhu Cilang was somewhat surprised when he saw Zhang Zhiji’s appearance. At this very moment, there was a large, swollen lump on Zhang Zhiji’s head, and he looked quite disheveled.

"Duke of Ying, what happened to you?" Zhu Cilang asked with curiosity.

Zhang Zhiji gave a bitter smile. "It... it is nothing. I simply bumped into a wall while leaving my house, and this is the result. I am grateful for Your Highness’s concern!"

Bumped into a wall? It was more likely he had been beaten by someone, Zhu Cilang thought, finding the situation rather amusing. According to secret reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ever since the morning court session the day before, the entrances to the mansions of the Duke of Ying, the Earl of Xinjian, and the Earl of Xiangcheng had been occupied by other nobles. These people would stand at their gates every day, shouting insults and spewing all sorts of vicious language.

Wang Xiantong and Li Guozhen had official duties, so they had wisely hidden themselves away in the Capital Battalion and the Five Armies Governor's Office. No matter how bold these disgruntled nobles were, they dared not go to those military headquarters to cause a scene. Zhang Weixian, the Duke of Ying, having no current duties, had no choice but to hide in his home. Had it not been for Zhu Cilang specifically requesting to see him, he would not have ventured out at all. As it turned out, the moment he stepped out, he was struck in the head by a brick. With so many people at his gate, he had no idea who had thrown it.

In ordinary times, the Duke of Ying would have pursued the matter to the end; even if he didn't kill the culprit, a severe beating or the loss of a limb would have been a light punishment. But... that was simply not possible now. He knew without needing to think that the perpetrators were undoubtedly nobles who had had their assets confiscated or their titles stripped. He felt deeply guilty in his heart. Moreover, since his injury was not serious, he decided not to pursue it and hurried off to see Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang could roughly imagine what had transpired, but it was not his place to expose it, especially since, when it came down to it, all of this was because of him. Zhu Cilang said no more and gestured for Ma Bao to bring two memorials from his desk to Zhang Zhiji.

"Take a look at these."

Zhang Zhiji carefully reached out to take the memorials, flipped through them, and soon furrowed his brows.

"Duke of Ying, what do you think should be done next?" Zhu Cilang asked.

Zhang Zhiji thought for a moment and replied, "Your Highness, I believe Hong Chengchou’s plan is the most secure and effective approach for now. The Manchu barbarians have been besieging Jinzhou for several months but have been unable to take it; this proves that Jinzhou can continue to hold out. As long as Hong Chengchou can find a way to continuously supply provisions, Jinzhou should be safe for the time being. After a few more months, when the Manchu barbarians’ supplies are exhausted, they will naturally withdraw. The crisis in Jinzhou will then be resolved."

As expected, Zhang Zhiji also agreed with Hong Chengchou’s plan. However, this was not what Zhu Cilang wanted. Of course, he had never expected any truly brilliant advice from Zhang Zhiji anyway. He waved his hand and said, "Enough! Let’s not talk about that. I summoned you today because there is a major task that requires you to make a trip personally!"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Ying suddenly felt a spark of energy. He realized that this meant he was being sent on an official mission! In the current climate, he felt anxious every day he stayed in his mansion, fearing that someone would be driven to desperation and break in to assassinate him. If he could take a long trip to avoid these troubles, he was certainly willing. Thinking of this, the Duke of Ying quickly said, "Please command me, Your Highness. I will certainly do my utmost to serve you!"

Zhu Cilang smiled. "There are some matters I wish to discuss with Hong Chengchou in person. However, if I were to simply have Hong Chengchou return, I fear there would be no one to guard Liaodong, which might lead to chaos. Therefore, I need you, the foremost noble of the Great Ming, to go and hold the fort."

The Duke of Ying was struck as if by lightning! What kind of place was Liaodong? It was the most frigid and desolate land in the entire Ming Empire! How could a pampered Duke like him endure that? Moreover, it was far too dangerous; wasn't this asking for his life? Yet, he had already promised; was it too late to take it back?

Zhu Cilang saw the worry in Zhang Zhiji’s heart and said, "Duke of Ying, do not overthink it! I am not sending you to fight, merely to guard Liaodong. When you depart, I will issue an imperial decree stating that until Hong Chengchou arrives, no officers or soldiers are permitted to engage in battle. Once you arrive, you only need to hold the fortress. Duke of Ying, aside from you, I truly cannot think of anyone else who can take on this task. Thus, I hope you will not decline."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhiji knew that anything he said would be useless. He could only steel himself and agree: "Thanks to Your Highness's high regard, I am willing to go!"

Zhu Cilang nodded. "Go back and rest first. Early tomorrow morning, the imperial decree will be delivered to your mansion, and you shall depart immediately. Furthermore, I will dispatch one thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards to escort you."

"I thank Your Highness!"

The Duke of Ying felt bitter, but he still expressed his gratitude. After the Duke of Ying left, Zhu Cilang began to consider how to draft the imperial decree. He not only wanted Hong Chengchou to return but also intended for him to bring another person along. This man was Cao Bianjiao, who had nearly killed Huang Taiji during the Battle of Songjin!

Cao Bianjiao was the nephew of the famous late-Ming general Cao Wenzhao and had followed his uncle on numerous campaigns, establishing glorious military achievements. Later, he and his uncle were together known as the "Great and Small Cao Generals" of the Ming Dynasty. During the battles against Li Zicheng, Cao Bianjiao had fought so fiercely that Li Zicheng abandoned even his wife and daughter, fleeing in a panic with only seven loyal followers. Emperor Chongzhen, recognizing his merit in suppressing the rebels, promoted him to Regional Commander.

Later, when Liaodong was in crisis, Cao Bianjiao followed Hong Chengchou to the front. During the Battle of Songjin, Songshan City was surrounded by the Manchus, and both Hong Chengchou and Cao Bianjiao were trapped within. Seeing no hope of breaking the siege and no reinforcements arriving, Cao Bianjiao refused to sit and wait for death. Filled with a resolve to die, he selected a group of death-defying soldiers, and under the cover of darkness, they charged out of the city, heading straight for the Qing army’s camp. They fought through layers of defenses, heading directly for the Manchu commander’s tent!

And inside that tent was none other than Huang Taiji! Huang Taiji’s guards, seeing the Ming troops charging in, fought desperately to hold them back, yet they were all slaughtered by Cao Bianjiao’s unstoppable momentum. Just as he was about to burst into the command tent to slay Huang Taiji, more Manchu reinforcements surged forward. After cutting down several more men, and seeing that killing Huang Taiji was no longer possible, Cao Bianjiao was forced to lead his troops back to Songshan.

Later, due to betrayal by a traitor, Songshan City fell, and Cao Bianjiao was eventually captured. Huang Taiji admired Cao Bianjiao’s bravery and tried to persuade him to defect, but Cao Bianjiao refused to surrender even in the face of death, ultimately sacrificing his life for his country!

In his upcoming plans, Zhu Cilang needed a fierce general, and Cao Bianjiao was the best choice of all.