To see the Golden Token is to see His Majesty

When Chen Guowei finished speaking, his smile vanished. He took the object from the box, raised it toward Gao Qiqian, and shouted, "The imperially bestowed Golden Token is here! To see the Golden Token is to see His Majesty! Kneel!"

"The Golden Token?" The generals in the tent stared at the gleaming gold token in Chen Guowei's hand. Their knees went weak, and they dropped straight to the ground.

Gao Qiqian froze for a moment, still wondering how Chen Guowei had obtained the Golden Token. Could it be a fake? Otherwise, why had he waited until now to produce it?

But on second thought, Chen Guowei could hardly have such audacity. Fraudulently using an imperially bestowed Golden Token was a grave crime punishable by confiscation of one's property and extermination of one's clan. It might even implicate his superior, Lu Xiangsheng.

As these thoughts churned through his mind, Chen Guowei thundered again, "Gao Qiqian, kneel at once!"

Gao Qiqian came to his senses and instinctively knelt, only to regret it once he was on the ground. Chen Guowei was desperate to save Lu Xiangsheng; in his urgency, he might really have brought a fake to fool them.

These men of the Heavenly Hero Army were all lunatics!

But he had already knelt and lost face. Gao Qiqian decided to swallow his anger for now. His Majesty wanted peace negotiations. So what if they had the Golden Token? So what if they were capable enough to drive back the Jurchens?

Once they angered the Tartars and ruined the peace negotiations, they could just wait for His Majesty to punish them severely!

Hmph! Hadn't Yuan Chonghuan been granted the Imperial Sword back then, with the authority to execute first and report afterward? And what had happened to him? Hadn't he ended up being sliced to death?

Madman Lu was nothing but a stubborn fool!

Chen Guowei had actually worried that Gao Qiqian might refuse to acknowledge the Golden Token. Seeing him obediently kneel, he felt a weight lift from his heart and declared loudly, "Pass the order! The Heavenly Hero Army is to muster immediately and hurry to Governor Lu's rescue!"

"Your servant... obeys the decree!" Gao Qiqian answered reluctantly. Then he rose and barked at the other generals, "Didn't you hear? Hurry up and pass along my order! The Heavenly Hero Army is to muster at once and follow Commander Chen to the rescue!"

Chen Guowei wanted only the troops of the Heavenly Hero Army, as Lu Xiangsheng had ordered. Gao Qiqian had wanted to keep them as his guard, since the other officers and soldiers in his force seemed far less dependable. Yet the decree conveyed by the Golden Token did not require him to lead his entire army to the rescue personally, which truly surprised him.

Whatever happened, as long as he didn't have to go himself, that was enough!

If the Heavenly Hero Army was determined to leave, then let them leave. They weren't his own flesh and blood, after all; no amount of care would win their loyalty!

Elsewhere, Hao Ge and Yoto each led an army, while a third force was commanded by Guwalgi Aobai, one of Dorgon's officers. All three had crept up outside the Ming camp. Fine rain fell in dense threads, and torches flickered endlessly within the camp through the rainy mist.

Only the sound of falling rain broke the silent night. A small squad crept toward the guards at the camp gate and took their lives without a sound. The gates opened, and the Jurchen army charged into the camp on horseback with a roar.

"Find Lu Xiangsheng for me! I will cut off his head myself!" Hao Ge ordered, brandishing his great saber. The bondservants behind him hastily obeyed and went to search.

At the other two entrances, Yoto and Oboi also charged into the camp without difficulty. But after lifting the flaps of several tents and finding them empty, they immediately understood.

"We've been tricked! All troops, on guard!" Yoto hurriedly shouted. As his words rang out, a sudden whistling cut through the air around them.

Arrows flew toward the Jurchens. The neighing of horses mingled with cries of pain throughout the camp as soldiers tumbled from their saddles. Some were already lifeless. Those lucky enough to escape a fatal hit still failed to avoid the trampling hooves of panicked horses, and red and white matter instantly mingled with the muddy water.

"Charge!" Yoto wiped the rain from his face, shoved aside the bodyguards shielding him, and charged toward the source of the arrows.

Yoto was indeed a veteran of countless battles. After a brief moment of chaos, he managed to reorganize his troops and locate the Ming soldiers' hiding places.

The two armies clashed in an instant, and cries of battle rang out without end.

Hu Dawei led a force of Mongolian cavalry crashing through the enemy ranks, scattering their newly reformed battle lines at once. His long arm swung his blade, and a Tartar's head fell to the ground as the body on horseback pitched violently forward.

"Hahaha! What a thrill!" Hu Dawei threw back his head and laughed. The rain washed the blood from his face, revealing his eyes alight with excitement.

Not far ahead, Lu Xiangsheng held a Wrought-Iron Broadsword, its tip angled toward the ground, and watched Yoto opposite him.

Yoto likewise studied Lu Xiangsheng.

Rumor had it that this general of the Ming State was a civil official. Seeing him today, Yoto found that he did indeed look the part. Despite spending years commanding armies in the field, his skin was fair, and the few wisps of beard on his chin made him appear even frailer.

But Yoto knew perfectly well that Lu Xiangsheng was no weakling. He was a civil official, but also a military commander-and one who did not fear death.

The two commanders looked at each other without a word. Words were useless between them. Each served his own sovereign, and each fought for his country's interests.

Suddenly, their weapons collided, spraying sparks. They parted as soon as they met, then swung once more toward each other's vital points.

Hu Dawei looked away and casually cut down another Tartar. The governor needed no worrying over. Tonight, they had invited their enemies into the jar and sealed the trap; the Tartars were the ones who ought to worry.

Judging by the time, Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu should be appearing soon!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when battle cries rose outside the camp. Yang Guozhu emerged from the wilderness with his troops, blocking Hao Ge's retreat to the west.

On the eastern side of the main camp, Wang Pu appeared with his troops behind Oboi.

"A pincer attack?" Hearing the commotion, Yoto knew things had taken a bad turn. Even if they won this battle, their losses would be considerable. This was not the outcome he had anticipated.

But retreating now would exact an even greater price!

Even with a pincer attack, the Ming army had only twenty thousand men. He still had a chance to win!

Yoto stopped thinking about retreat. His gaze hardened as he looked at Lu Xiangsheng. Tightening his grip on his long saber, he brought it down viciously toward him.

Tonight, he would take this man's head!

At that moment, the lamps still burned in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Zhu Youjian had yet to retire. He had been reading recent military dispatches for a while when an attendant outside the hall announced Luo Yangxing's arrival.

The palace gates had already been locked, but as commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Luo Yangxing could enter the palace easily even without an imperial summons.

Still, it was already late at night, and an imperial summons at this hour was unusual. Luo Yangxing entered the hall cautiously and paid his respects. Seeing that the emperor was still reading memorials, he added, "The night is cold, Your Majesty. Please take care of your imperial health!"

Zhu Youjian murmured an acknowledgment, set the military dispatch beside him, and asked, "News of the peace negotiations should have reached Huang Taiji by now. Have you received any response?"

"Not yet," Luo Yangxing replied. "Our men from the various locations have been returning one after another, but there is no news."

It was as Zhu Youjian had expected. The Jurchens were riding high at present; why would they agree to peace negotiations so easily? It would have been stranger if they had agreed.

"I summoned you because I have a task for you!" Zhu Youjian did not pursue the matter of peace negotiations. "Sit down, and we will talk!"

Being granted a seat by the emperor left Luo Yangxing even more overwhelmed by the favor. He hastily expressed his gratitude and perched on the edge of the chair. "What are Your Majesty's orders? Even if my body is ground to dust and my bones shattered, I would face ten thousand deaths without hesitation!"

After these days as emperor, Zhu Youjian had heard so much flattery that his ears were nearly callused. He had grown immune to it and let it pass unheard as he continued, "This is the fourth time the Jurchens have breached the passes, but it certainly will not be the last. They have planted quite a few agents in the court and among the common people, and those will surely remain a hidden danger. What do you think we should do?"