Chapter Forty-Five: The Arrival of a Distinguished Guest

Once the gate of the fortress opened, several hundred Ming soldiers began to enter amid cheers. There was no scrambling or crowding; some even stood on either side of the drawbridge to maintain order. This left the few dozen soldiers on duty atop the fortress utterly astonished—were these men truly the ones who had retreated from Dushi in defeat?

After admitting everyone, Niu Qing instructed the soldiers on the wall to strengthen their vigilance and ordered Wang Dade to quickly summon Song Bangde for questioning. He needed to understand what had happened to prepare an appropriate response.

Originally, Niu Qing intended to question the officers among the defeated troops himself, but considering his own rank as a hundred-household commander and the master of Junzi Fortress, it was only proper that Song Bangde and the others come to see him. It would not be right for him to lower himself to meet a fleeing flag captain. So, he sent Wang Dade to fetch them and returned to the hall of the hundred-household office with two personal guards, calling for the scribe Li Wenhe to prepare ink, ready to draft an urgent report to the thousand-household office.

Still uneasy, fearing the Tartars might pursue the defeated soldiers to Junzi Fortress, he ordered another junior flag officer, Ge Ming, to gather all able-bodied men in the fortress to take up positions on the walls. Once he learned the details of the battle at Dushi from Song Bangde and the others, he would reorganize the defeated soldiers who had retreated into the fortress, for relying solely on Junzi Fortress’s own manpower would not suffice to withstand a Tartar assault.

With the defeated troops inside, the news of Dushi’s fall quickly spread. Anxiety gripped everyone—Junzi Fortress was only thirty li from Dushi, and if the Tartars advanced, they would arrive swiftly. The men seized weapons and climbed the walls; the women, following established rules, prepared tools needed for defending the fortress; children were scolded into staying indoors.

The elders, drawing on memories from earlier Tartar raids, guided the young on what to do and reassured them not to fear or panic, reminding them that since Junzi Fortress was built, it had never been breached by the Tartars.

Indeed, the elders spoke truth—Junzi Fortress had stood for twenty-two years without ever being broken, but those were days long gone. This time, it was not dozens or hundreds, but the full army of the Oirat. If even the thousand-household office at Dushi could not hold, what hope did the hundred-household office at Junzi Fortress have?

The young men could hardly contain their nerves. They knew all too well what fate awaited them if the Tartars broke through. Yet, fear aside, they took their places, ready to face the coming attack.

Fortunately, the tense atmosphere did not last long. The defeated troops, once inside, did not behave like beaten dogs, but instead gathered in small groups, laughing loudly and discussing the benefits of heading south and becoming imperial guards—talks that baffled everyone. No one mentioned the fall of Dushi or the imminent arrival of the Tartars. Such odd behavior left the hundreds inside the fortress utterly perplexed.

Yet, this strange cheerfulness had its benefits—the cloud hanging over the hearts of the fortress’s soldiers began to dissipate, as optimism is always contagious.

...

The fortress soldiers were optimistic, but Wang Dade dared not be. He was increasingly confused by the jubilant talk of future prospects among the defeated troops. He finally found Song Bangde, eager to bring him to Niu Qing, but to his surprise, Song Bangde flatly refused to go, brazenly insisting that Niu Qing come to see him instead.

What was this?

A defeated flag captain ordering the hundred-household commander about—was there no law left?

Before Wang Dade could react, Niu Qing pulled him aside and spoke a few mysterious words. Before he finished, Wang Dade’s jaw dropped in disbelief as he glanced at Song Bangde, who subtly pointed to an old man surrounded by soldiers nearby. Wang Dade realized at once and, without another word, hurried off toward the hundred-household office.

Niu Qing waited for some time at the office, growing impatient when Wang Dade failed to return with anyone. He sent Li Wenhe, the scribe, to urge them along, but just as Li stepped out, Wang Dade burst in.

Wang Dade, breathless and excited, shouted, “Sir!”

Seeing Wang Dade return alone, Niu Qing could not stay seated and interrupted, “Why are you alone? Where’s Song Bangde?”

Wang Dade replied hastily, “Flag Captain Song insists I invite you over, sir.”

Upon hearing this, Niu Qing flew into a rage, slamming the table and cursing, “Has Song lost all sense of decorum? A flag captain daring to order a hundred-household commander about!”

Realizing Niu Qing misunderstood, Wang Dade quickly explained, “Sir, it’s not Flag Captain Song’s fault—there’s an important figure in our fortress!”

“An important figure? Who?” Niu Qing was surprised, then suddenly guessed, “Could it be Commander Zhao has retreated here?”

“Not Commander Zhao—this person outranks him!”

“Someone more important than Commander Zhao?”

Hearing that the newcomer outranked Zhao Mei, commander of Kaiping Guard, Niu Qing became excited, his heart pounding uncontrollably. “Is it Marshal Yang himself?”

“Not Marshal Yang, sir—think harder!”

Wang Dade played coy, which infuriated Niu Qing. “Damn it! At a time like this, you’re teasing me? Out with it—who is it?”

Seeing Niu Qing’s urgency, Wang Dade dared not delay further. “Sir, it’s Lord Guo Jing, the eunuch overseeing Datong!”

“Lord Guo Jing, the supervising eunuch of Datong?”

Niu Qing was stunned, his thoughts in disarray. Why would Datong’s supervising eunuch come to Junzi Fortress?

Still bewildered, Wang Dade leaned in to whisper a few more words, which nearly made Niu Qing leap from his seat in disbelief. “Is this true? Can it really be?”

“You’ll see for yourself, sir!”

...

By the millstone, Lin the junior flag officer had specially brought a chair for Lord Guo Jing to sit, and stood nearby fanning him with a tattered fan, so attentive that those unable to get close watched with envy.

Not to be outdone, Ji the junior flag officer, somehow found a towel, dampened it, and respectfully handed it to Lord Guo Jing with a beaming smile. “Lord, you must be tired—please, wipe your face!”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Lord Guo Jing smiled as he took it, though he inwardly thought the towel was filthy. Yet, before so many eyes, he could not show any sign of distaste, so he took it graciously and wiped his face, then praised Ji the flag officer.

Ji beamed with delight at the praise, while Lin, feeling somewhat overshadowed, fanned with renewed zeal. Lord Guo Jing, feeling the strengthening breeze, turned and smiled at Lin, who immediately lit up with joy.

Their performance put pressure on Lu Qing, who remembered a famous line, “You even dare to steal my flattery?” These two had a bright future.

Lu Qing was amused; Lord Guo Jing truly knew how to play the role. He wondered what the others would feel if they realized Lord Guo Jing had been deceiving them from the start.

Well, even if they knew, they’d still flatter him—after all, they’d never meet another Lord Guo Jing in their lives.

When opportunity comes, one must seize it, or else regret forever.

Zhou Yunyi and Jiang Tong, though they dared to stake their hopes on Lord Guo Jing making their dream of becoming imperial guards come true, could never bring themselves to such sycophantic behavior and turned away to spare themselves the discomfort.

Song Bangde was not above flattering Lord Guo Jing, but as the highest-ranking officer among them, he could not bring himself to do so. He looked down on Lin and Ji, thinking flattery would achieve nothing; what mattered was the blade. Once he delivered Lord Guo Jing safely to the imperial camp, his merit would surely surpass theirs.

As everyone nursed their own thoughts, a commotion broke out at the edge of the crowd.

“Where is Lord Guo Jing? Where is Lord Guo Jing!”

Niu Qing’s voice arrived before he did, his booming shout drawing immediate attention. The soldiers cleared a path, and Niu Qing, spotting Lord Guo Jing seated, strode forward and bowed deeply. “I am Niu Qing, hundred-household commander of Junzi Fortress, paying respects to Lord Guo Jing!”

Lord Guo Jing glanced at him, lazily replying, “You’ve come in person, Commander Niu. I was just saying I ought to visit you, but they insisted I rest, saying I’m too old. Now you’ve come to me, Commander Niu—I hardly deserve such honor, truly.”

He feigned an attempt to rise and help Niu Qing up.

“You are a nobleman, my lord—it is fitting,” Niu Qing replied, refusing to let Lord Guo Jing assist him, and his deferential manner was no less than Lin and Ji’s obsequiousness.

Behind him, Wang Dade was equally excited. “The magpies were singing early this morning, sir—I wondered what happy event could bring such joy. Never did I imagine it was your arrival, Lord Guo Jing!”

Lu Qing glanced at Wang Dade, thinking, “This Junzi Fortress is so desolate, even birds don’t come. Where’d you get magpies?”

Sycophancy always works. Lord Guo Jing smiled, then addressed Niu Qing, “You must have heard about Dushi. I owe my life to these brave lads who fought fiercely—otherwise, this old body would be left at Dushi Fortress.”

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