Chapter 39: A Step Too Late

From a prisoner to an honored guest, Gu Zhenhua had achieved a rapid reversal of his fortunes. This success inevitably led to a sense of arrogance, and he began to wonder if he might actually alter the course of history. Without Wu Sangui, perhaps Li Zicheng could hold off the Manchu Qing!

However, just as Gu Zhenhua was filled with hope, Wu Sangui suddenly shook his head.

"My dear brother, the families of these tens of thousands of Guanning troops are all in Liaodong. If we just run off to the south, I fear the brothers will not agree to it."

Gao Di laughed without restraint: "Lord Gu, you have never served in the bureaucracy; you simply do not understand these matters. Even if we risked everything and made it to the south, would those people in Jiangnan ever tolerate us? Forget about them replenishing our losses—it would be a miracle if they didn't swallow us whole!"

Li Yutian and others nodded repeatedly. Seeing that everyone disapproved, Gu Zhenhua immediately abandoned the thought. In a sense, the Guanning army had become a warlord faction too large to manage; it was fundamentally impossible to expect them to abandon their stronghold.

But as long as Wu Sangui remained at Shanhai Pass, the trajectory of history would likely not change. The Manchus would surely enter the pass, and the cooperation between himself and Wu Sangui was destined to be fleeting.

"It is I who was ignorant. Please, gentlemen, do not take offense." Gu Zhenhua abandoned his unrealistic fantasies.

Deputy General Chen Kun spoke up: "Commander, if we are to raise an army, we must rush back to Shanhai Pass. That is our true foundation."

"Indeed." Wu Sangui nodded. "Issue the order at once: break camp and return to Shanhai Pass immediately."

"Wait." Gu Zhenhua hurriedly intervened, smiling: "Brother Wu, Li Zicheng does not yet know that the Guanning army has broken with him. He is likely still dreaming of our surrender. I suggest we keep up the charade."

"Brilliant!" Before Gu Zhenhua could finish, Wu Sangui gave a thumbs up and laughed heartily: "My brother is right. When I left Shanhai Pass, I handed it over to Tang Tong. He has over ten thousand men under his command. If we alert Li Zicheng and they attack from both sides, our situation will be dire."

"Brother Wu, I suggest we employ the strategy of 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang.' On one hand, use the excuse that you have heard your family is under threat to send a few scholars as representatives. Not only will this show Li Zicheng our sincerity in surrendering, but it will also allow us to check on your father and ensure the old gentleman's safety. On the other hand, select elite troops to rush back to Shanhai Pass overnight and drive Tang Tong out!"

"My brother is indeed resourceful. No wonder you were able to rescue the Crown Prince from the midst of ten thousand troops. This plan is truly excellent."

Wu Sangui smiled at the others: "Did you hear Lord Gu? What are you waiting for? Go and make the arrangements."

With the order given, the army began to mobilize feverishly. Gu Zhenhua and the Crown Prince were settled into the camp, with a section of tents specifically set aside for them. Having spent over two days running in constant fear, they were physically and mentally exhausted; before they could even eat, the sound of snoring filled the air.

Gu Zhenhua removed his heavy armor. When he had left the city, he had sustained several arrow and blade wounds. By all rights, after riding for so long, he should have been lucky if they hadn't worsened.

Yet, upon checking himself, Gu Zhenhua was shocked to find that his wounds had mostly healed and were even itching, a sign of new flesh growing. It appeared he would be fully recovered in about ten days.

He had actually gained the constitution of a "cockroach"—it was surely a blessing from the heavens!

The body is the capital for conquest. With such a strong, sturdy frame, what beauty could escape him? That little girl Mei Junruo, the fiery Hong Niangzi, the famous Chen Yuanyuan, the eight great courtesans of Qinhuai...

Just as the disaster had not yet passed, his carnal desires began to stir. While Gu Zhenhua was lost in these fantasies, Yue Polu came running over in a hurry.

"Lord Gu, the Commander invites you to join him for a drink."

Hearing the invitation from Wu Sangui, Gu Zhenhua quickly snapped back to reality, silently cursing his own lack of discipline. A fickle, vicious wolf was right beside him—what was he thinking? Was he not afraid of losing his head?

Gu Zhenhua hurriedly straightened his robes and went with Yue Polu to the central command tent. Wu Sangui was already waiting at the entrance.

"My dear brother, this drink serves two purposes: first, to apologize to you, and second, for us all to swear an oath together to wipe out the rebel bandits and restore the glory of the Great Ming!"

"Brother Wu is too kind; I am flattered."

The two linked arms like old friends and walked into the tent together. Wu Sangui sat in the center seat and pulled Gu Zhenhua to sit right beside him.

"Brother, rescuing the Crown Prince from the siege and cutting down the rebel generals—it was truly heartening. A toast to you!"

As Wu Sangui raised his cup, Gu Zhenhua hurriedly downed his drink. The others present also offered toasts repeatedly. After three cups, the conversation between Wu Sangui and Gu Zhenhua grew increasingly warm.

From the specifics of how they escaped the city and the combat effectiveness of the rebel generals, to what their next steps should be, Wu Sangui asked question after question, and Gu Zhenhua answered every one of them without reservation.

Seeing them chatting so happily, Gao Di, the Regional Commander of Shanhai Pass sitting nearby, frowned. From the beginning, he had looked down on Gu Zhenhua—a mere stripling who had stumbled into luck to become a Count, suddenly stepping over his head. The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.

Emboldened by the alcohol, Gao Di smiled at Gu Zhenhua: "Lord Gu, your demeanor is extraordinary, and I admire you greatly. But there is one thing I do not understand; I hope you can enlighten me."

"Regional Commander Gao, please, no need for such formalities. If I have done anything wrong, please advise me."

"Lord Gu, I simply do not understand: why is your hair so short? Our bodies, hair, and skin are gifts from our parents, not to be damaged lightly. Only the Tatars outside the pass shave their hair. Those barbarians are shameless, enough to make one laugh."

Though Gao Di spoke of "barbarians," he was clearly targeting Gu Zhenhua. Everyone present was shrewd, and they all understood the implication. In fact, they had already noticed his hair; once his helmet was off, it was clear that Gu Zhenhua’s hair was extremely short, barely two or three inches long.

Gao Di, acting the villain, had brought it up openly. Li Yutian, Yang Kun, and others all watched Gu Zhenhua, waiting to see how this glib-tongued Count would handle it.

"Regional Commander Gao, I recall a punishment known as the 'Kun' penalty, where the hair is shaved off. Now that I think about it, we are all subjects of the Great Ming, yet we allowed the roving bandits to invade the capital. Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Hill, with only the lonely Wang Chengen by his side. Should we not be ashamed? Do we not bear the guilt for this?"

Gu Zhenhua stood up as he spoke, his voice filled with deep emotion: "I believe that every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation. With the collapse of the state, every subject of the Great Ming bears a burden. I have made a vow: I will not let my hair grow back until the day the Great Ming is restored. Until then, I am willing to emulate the ascetic monks, exhausting my strength and serving the Great Ming until my dying breath!"

"Well said!" Li Yutian was the first to applaud, and the other generals nodded in succession.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Gu Zhenhua’s words were righteous and impeccable, painting a picture of a man with unwavering, heroic loyalty to the Ming.

By comparison, Gao Di’s attempt to find fault, dripping with sarcasm, made him look narrow-minded and pathetic—a case of self-inflicted humiliation. True enough, Gao Di’s face turned from green to red, as if he were performing a mask-changing act!

Wu Sangui also noticed Gao Di’s awkwardness and quickly laughed: "Brother Gu, your loyalty and courage are admirable! Everyone, another drink!"

The other generals, unwilling to let the awkwardness continue, raised their cups. Just then, someone rushed in.

"Reporting to the Commander, some old acquaintances have arrived and wish to see you."

"Acquaintances? Who exactly?"

The messenger hurriedly presented a calling card. Wu Sangui unfolded it and saw three familiar names: Wang Ziyao, Zhang Ruoqi, and Zuo Maotai!

"Hmph, haven't these fellows already surrendered to the rebel bandits? How do they have the face to come and persuade me!"

Gu Zhenhua, listening from the side, immediately understood. Li Zicheng had first sent Li Jia and Chen Yi; now, realizing the importance of Wu Sangui, he had sent these heavyweight figures.

Whether Wu Sangui would be swayed, Gu Zhenhua could not be sure. This was a matter of life and death, and his heart couldn't help but pound.

"Everyone, come with me to see what they have to say!"

Wu Sangui led the group to the reception tent. Before long, several officials filed in, the leader being the surrendered official Wang Ziyao.

"Regional Commander Wu, we were once fellow subjects in the same court; now we shall serve the Great Shun Emperor together. This is truly a joyous occasion! When His Majesty came, he repeatedly mentioned you, saying you are a rare military talent to be heavily promoted. I fear we shall all be relying on your patronage in the future!"

"Mentioning me?" Wu Sangui retorted coldly. "Was it to discuss how to take my head?"