What Joy Was There in Life, What Fear in Death?

Lu Xiangsheng nodded and obediently rose to follow Luo Yangxing out of the camp.

Luo Yangxing had not expected Lu Xiangsheng to cooperate so readily, neither asking why nor offering an explanation. But while Lu Xiangsheng cooperated, the commanders under him would not.

Chen Guowei and Hu Dawei stepped forward to block the way in front of Lu Xiangsheng. Chen Guowei cupped his hands toward Luo Yangxing. "Commander Luo, what offense has Governor Lu committed for His Majesty to treat him this way?"

Hu Dawei added, "Victory and defeat are common in war. Besides, Governor Lu hasn't even lost a battle. How can he be punished like this?"

Lu Xiangsheng was touched, but he also knew he would certainly be fine. With a sigh, he stepped forward and patted their shoulders. "It's all right. Once I reach the capital, I will explain everything to His Majesty myself."

Hu Dawei turned back anxiously. "Governor, His Majesty has ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort you back to the capital. Why would he still listen to your explanation?"

Chen Guowei's face was also filled with anger. "Exactly! Treacherous courtiers must be framing you. Hmph, there's Gao Qiqian out here, and Yang in court-"

"Silence!" Lu Xiangsheng glared at him. "Since this is His Majesty's decree, how could we, as his subjects, dare refuse it? Both of you must watch your words and actions. Don't give anyone something to use against you!"

That "anyone," Luo Yangxing, was standing right there in the tent. Hearing this, he rubbed his nose, coughed, and urged, "Lu Xiangsheng, there's no time to lose. Get moving!"

"I won't accept this!" Chen Guowei stubbornly stepped forward, pointing at Lu Xiangsheng as he addressed Luo Yangxing. "Look how many wounds the governor has! In the last battle, he nearly fought himself to death. Where were you then? Eating and drinking your fill in the capital! Now that the Jurchens have retreated, you want to drag him back for trial instead. Have dogs eaten your consciences?"

With Chen Guowei pointing at his nose and berating him, Luo Yangxing could not help growing angry, however well he remembered the emperor's instructions. Besides, he was merely carrying out His Majesty's decree, not arresting the man on his own initiative. Wasn't this tirade utterly uncalled for?

Well now! Luo Yangxing suddenly realized. He's cursing His Majesty, isn't he?

He's swallowed a bear's heart and a leopard's gall!

With a clang, Luo Yangxing drew his Embroidered Spring Saber and pointed its tip at Chen Guowei. Every guard behind him drew their blades as well.

"Anyone who defies the decree will be taken back too!"

The sight only stoked Chen Guowei's fury. His broadsword left its sheath with a clang, and Hu Dawei, seeing this, refused to fall behind.

Before Lu Xiangsheng could even speak to stop them, the two groups in the camp had already turned their blades on one another.

"Lu Xiangsheng, do you intend to defy the imperial decree?" Luo Yangxing asked, his gaze icy.

"So what if we do? Treacherous ministers and a muddleheaded-"

"Silence!" Lu Xiangsheng's temples throbbed. Before Chen Guowei could finish with the word "ruler," he shoved him behind his back. "I'll go back with you!"

"Governor!" Chen Guowei and Hu Dawei shouted together. Their hearts truly burned with hatred. With the court of Great Ming behaving like this, the end of the road was already in sight.

"Say no more. If the ruler orders his subject to die, his subject has no choice but to die. Remember, you are both Han men, loyal subjects and worthy generals of Great Ming. Unless you want His Majesty to add failure to control my subordinates to my charges, don't act on impulse!"

Lu Xiangsheng's expression was stern, and his commanding presence forced the two men to lower their blades. Yet neither could quell the fury within him.

Chen Guowei glared bitterly at Luo Yangxing. "If anything happens to the governor, I, Chen Guowei, will never let you off!"

Luo Yangxing snorted. He was merely carrying out orders. When Chen Guowei said he would not let him off, whom did he really mean?

Such outrageous, treasonous words must be reported to His Majesty!

Luo Yangxing paid them no further attention. He glared at the two men, then turned and left the command tent.

Under the eyes of the entire army, Lu Xiangsheng walked out of the camp. By daybreak, he had reached the walls of Beijing City.

The sun was just rising. Bathed in the dawn, the grayish-yellow walls acquired a thin golden rim along their upper edge, as though an invisible gilder were pouring thick molten gold over them.

As time passed, the light slowly enveloped the entire wall, tracing the outline of its battlements. The whole city became an exquisite, majestic vessel of gold, seemingly radiant with the promise of enduring forever.

The three characters for "Anding Gate" came into view, and Luo Yangxing reined in his horse.

Behind him, an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer named Zhu Neng rolled his eyes thoughtfully and said, "Commander, Anding Gate is for armies returning in triumph. Since we're bringing a prisoner into the capital, why not use another gate?"

Zhu Neng thought he had correctly guessed his superior's wishes. Instead, Luo Yangxing gave him an indifferent glance. "Take a detour? Haven't we enough trouble already? Move!"

Rebuffed, Zhu Neng could no longer maintain his awkward smile. Catching sight of Lu Xiangsheng's straight back out of the corner of his eye, he grew angry and barked at him, "Get moving!"

Then he struck Lu Xiangsheng across the back with the spine of his blade.

Lu Xiangsheng was wounded. After leaving camp, he had ridden with the guards to make good time, but upon reaching the city walls, he had been forced to dismount and walk. Zhu Neng's blow sent him stumbling several steps forward, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Lu Xiangsheng immediately turned to glare at him. Zhu Neng looked brazenly back. "What are you staring at? Get moving!"

Helplessness flickered in Lu Xiangsheng's eyes. The saying that little devils were the hardest to deal with referred to precisely this sort of man. Unwilling to invite further trouble, he swallowed his anger, turned, and continued forward.

Luo Yangxing glanced at Lu Xiangsheng, then dismounted and kicked Zhu Neng to the ground. "Are those dog eyes of yours blind? If you dare show disrespect again, I'll chop off your hands and feet!"

Sprawled on the ground, Zhu Neng stared wide-eyed, his mouth open far enough to fit an egg. "C-Commander... he... he..."

Zhu Neng could not make sense of the situation at all. When they escorted prisoners, a beating was just a beating. Never mind striking them with the back of a blade-even slicing them a few times with its edge was no trouble.

His Majesty had personally named Lu Xiangsheng to be sent to the Imperial Prison. Could the commander have accepted a bribe?

That was the only possibility Zhu Neng could think of. He hurriedly rose with an ingratiating smile and bowed. "Your subordinate was careless. I didn't mean it!"

Luo Yangxing gave him a fierce glare before remounting and riding onward.

Zhu Neng lowered his head and murmured his assent, but inwardly he was scornful. Taking someone's money has softened your hands, hasn't it? Who are you putting on this righteous act for?

His triangular eyes slid toward Lu Xiangsheng again as he cursed inwardly. Once you're in here, you'll die even if someone protects you. Let's see how long you last.

Thinking this, Zhu Neng walked through Anding Gate. A strange stench struck him in the face, and as he covered his nose and mouth, he remembered that carts hauling excrement also used this gate.

Lu Xiangsheng was no triumphant hero. He was a stone in a privy, stinking and hard. Anding Gate suited him perfectly!

The Imperial Prison, also known as the Northern Pacification Office, was run by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and handled cases personally designated by the emperor. It could conduct torture and interrogation directly, acting on imperial orders. Even the Three Judicial Offices-the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate-had no authority to intervene.

Neither water nor fire entered the prison, and pestilential air filled its cells.

His expression calm, Lu Xiangsheng followed Luo Yangxing into the Imperial Prison.

His vision darkened, and a bloody stench assailed his nose. Only after a moment did his eyes adjust to the gloom. Looking up, he saw torches mounted on the walls. Beneath their flickering light, assorted bloodstained instruments of torture lay on wooden racks.

Lu Xiangsheng glanced over them, spotting finger presses, leg clamps, leather whips, wooden rods, and more. He quickly averted his eyes.

It was said that the Imperial Prison had eighteen kinds of torture instruments, each capable of making life worse than death. People said that once someone entered the Imperial Prison, there was nothing they could not be made to confess.

Lu Xiangsheng lowered his head, only to see a long, dark-red trail on the floor. He did not know which blood-soaked prisoner had been dragged down this corridor.

"Ah..." At last, Lu Xiangsheng could not hold back a sigh. Educated in the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, he found the sights before him deeply troubling.

Hearing that long sigh, Luo Yangxing curled his lip in disdain. He had heard countless such sighs when bringing court officials here before. Every one of them showed compassion for heaven and humanity like a bodhisattva descended from the skies, but who knew how much filth lay behind the scenes?

Those high officials at court each had a thousand faces. In an instant, they could show you the exquisite art of changing them!

"Keep moving!" Luo Yangxing turned to urge him on, then led the way forward.

Lu Xiangsheng followed. Groans and cries for help reached his ears, but he did not look again.

After they had walked a little farther, a sudden call of "Governor Lu!" brought him to a halt. Following the voice, Lu Xiangsheng saw several men in a cell on his right gazing at him with anguish.

"Grand Secretary Fan! Master Huang!"

The men imprisoned there were Fan Fucui and Huang Daozhou. Pressed against the wooden bars, they reached toward Lu Xiangsheng. "Governor Lu... ah, Governor Lu..."

"Why are you here? How could His Majesty..."

"Lord Lu, you certainly command people's loyalty. Not just these men-there are many more inside. They all entered this Imperial Prison of mine because they pleaded for you." Luo Yangxing stopped and explained coolly.

Touched, Lu Xiangsheng stepped back and bowed deeply to the two men with his hands clasped. "I, Jiandou, thank you both!"

He would certainly be fine, but they did not know that.

If they had truly done something to anger His Majesty, even ten thousand deaths could not absolve him of the blame!

Guilt filled Lu Xiangsheng's heart. As he straightened, he hurried away with his face covered, resolving that once he saw His Majesty, he must plead for them.

Watching Lu Xiangsheng disappear into the distance, Fan Fucui and Huang Daozhou sighed and sank onto the straw.

"What is His Majesty thinking? How could he have Governor Lu..." Fan Fucui shook his head and sighed repeatedly. It seemed His Majesty was determined to negotiate peace!

"It's over, it's over." Huang Daozhou paced back and forth, then shouted toward the outside, "Treacherous ministers hold sway! Treacherous ministers hold sway!"

"Youxuan, please stop for a moment!" Huang Daozhou had a fiery temper, and the beard beneath his chin bobbed as he cursed. Fan Fucui waved a hand at him and tried to soothe him.

"The Jurchens have the ravenous ambition of wolf cubs. How could they possibly make peace? After Governor Lu fought this battle, peace became even less possible. How can His Majesty still throw him into prison? Great Ming is doomed! We will all be the ministers of a fallen nation, our names stinking for ten thousand years!"

As Huang Daozhou spoke, tears streamed down his aged face. Fan Fucui looked despondent. The Rebel Bandits had yet to be subdued, while the Jurchens were running rampant. Throughout Great Ming's lands, living souls were mired in misery, and the common people had no way to survive!

With His Majesty now making such plans, had Great Ming truly reached the end of the road?

"If it really... what should we do?" Fan Fucui murmured to himself.

If it really what? What else could it mean but a shattered nation and ruined homes? As ministers of a fallen Great Ming, where would they go from there?

"Gather righteous men and restore peace to our mountains and rivers. If we fail, we must never cling to life in disgrace. What joy is there in life, what fear in death!" Huang Daozhou clenched his fist, his expression resolute.

Yes-what joy was there in life, what fear in death!

Fan Fucui murmured those words, and the bewilderment in his heart seemed to fade a little with them...

After settling Lu Xiangsheng in, Luo Yangxing left the Imperial Prison and went to the palace to report the completion of his task.

Zhu Youjian nodded. "Make preparations tonight. I will interrogate him myself!"