The next day.
A great commotion stirred in the Han Army camp outside the city.
Tens of thousands of Han soldiers marched out of camp toward the south of the city, gathering beneath a Dong Banner.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang, and the others came to the gate tower on the southern wall to watch.
At the sight, Zhang Liang was both startled and delighted. "The Han Army really means to storm the city? And they've even changed their commander? Elder brother, can you truly divine the future on your fingers?"
Chu Yan, standing beside them, had also learned of Zhang Jiao's prediction yesterday about the changes in the Han Army. He too looked at Zhang Jiao with admiration.
Zhang Jiao smiled faintly and gave no answer.
In truth, he had not fully believed what Zhu Yuanzhang had told him about the Yellow Turban Army's future-by his earlier reckoning, Zhu Yuanzhang lived hundreds, perhaps even a thousand years after their time. To his mind, he himself knew little of Liu Bang's affairs at the beginning of the Han three or four centuries ago, so it was only natural that Zhu Yuanzhang might get the events of this era wrong.
Only now, seeing the Han Army indeed begin its assault and replace Lu Zhi with a commander surnamed Dong, did he finally feel reassured.
Seeing that his accurate prediction seemed to have made Zhang Liang underestimate the enemy, Zhang Jiao said, "Now that the Han Army has changed tactics and means to storm the city, its attacks over the first few days will surely be fierce. Have the soldiers in every camp prepare to hold fast."
"Tell them that as long as they withstand the Han Army for a dozen or so days, an opportunity to break the encirclement will surely come."
"Yes!"
The southern outskirts of Guangzong.
Before the Han Army's ranks.
Dong Zhuo sat astride his warhorse, addressing his assembled officers.
"Over a hundred thousand rebels have been trapped in this little Guangzong City for nearly a month. Even if their provisions aren't exhausted, they must have precious little left."
"Our army, meanwhile, has not only elite troops such as the Five Battalions of the Northern Army and several thousand men of the Western Liang Army, but also the Righteous Army forces brought by many heroic men to crush the rebels and restore peace for the people. In total, we have nearly thirty thousand troops!"
"With so many soldiers, who knows how much grain and fodder we consume each day? If we still dare not attack, or cannot take this little Guangzong, won't we become the laughingstock of the realm?!"
At this, Dong Zhuo raised his voice further and thundered, "Pass on my command! Storm the city!"
As Dong Zhuo's orders spread, the troops of every Han Army camp began to move, advancing to their assigned positions around Guangzong City according to the commands they had received during the earlier council in camp.
Of these troops, the elite Five Battalions of the Northern Army numbered only a little over ten thousand, while the Western Liang Army had over three thousand. The remaining fifteen thousand or so were all Righteous Army troops and local militiamen raised by Ji Province's great clans and powerful families.
One contingent numbered only around five hundred, yet it had three young officers of striking appearance.
The three were leading their men toward the western side of the city.
Along the way, the young man sporting a magnificent beard asked the officer in the middle, "Elder brother, do you think we can take Guangzong this time?"
Liu Bei's brow was slightly furrowed. At the question, he glanced at Guangzong City and said thoughtfully, "My teacher said before that the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong still had tens of thousands of elite soldiers, many fierce and fearless of death. A direct assault would be difficult; keeping them under siege was the best course."
"However, my teacher never said how long we should besiege them... And General Dong's claim today that the city is probably running short of food isn't without reason."
Guan Yu, who had asked the question, was still considering this when Zhang Fei on the other side lost patience.
"Elder brother, what do you mean? Can we take Guangzong or not?"
Liu Bei could only give a wry smile and answer plainly, "We haven't even begun the assault. How could I know beforehand?"
At this, Zhang Fei offered his own opinion. "I reckon we can take it this time-just like Dong Zhuo said, we've got thirty thousand troops, with more than ten thousand elites among them. How could we fail to take this little Guangzong?"
Liu Bei smiled wryly without answering.
Guan Yu seemed to realize something then and asked, "Elder brother, are you worried that if Dong Zhuo truly takes Guangzong, it will confirm the charge that General Lu was keeping the rebels alive to bolster his own standing?"
Liu Bei nodded.
Zhang Fei finally understood Liu Bei's concerns as well and immediately said, "Then we'll tell our lads not to put their backs into the assault."
Liu Bei sighed. "Our few hundred men cannot affect the overall outcome. We should fight as we normally would. If we deliberately hold back and the military overseers notice, General Dong may punish us. Military affairs are no child's play."
As they spoke, Liu Bei and his two companions arrived west of the city with their five hundred Righteous Army soldiers and formed ranks alongside the other Righteous Army troops.
Once every contingent was in position, the Han Army's horns sounded the assault...
Great Ming.
Yingtian Prefecture, the capital.
At the first cockcrow, many court officials who lived farther away climbed out of bed. After washing and hurriedly eating food prepared by their families or servants, they rushed off to court.
"Didn't you say His Majesty hasn't attended morning court for several days? Why are you still in such a rush every single day?" one wife could not help asking when she saw her husband about to leave after only a couple of bites of breakfast.
The official sighed. "It's His Majesty who isn't attending court, not us officials. If we're late, we'll still have our salaries docked, and may even be reprimanded later."
His wife could not help sighing at that. "Being an official in Great Ming is far too hard."
Startled, the official hurriedly warned her, "You must never say such things outside. Don't say them at home either!"
Realizing she had misspoken, his wife grew frightened herself and hastily nodded.
This man was a low-ranking civil official of the Hanlin Academy and had not been assigned a mule or horse. Stepping outside, he carried a lantern and walked briskly all the way to the Forbidden City, managing to arrive on time.
A few officials who had yet to enter were still talking quietly outside the Meridian Gate-once they entered the Forbidden City, they would have to observe court etiquette and could no longer whisper among themselves.
Seeing this, the man was in no hurry to enter either and began listening in on their conversations.
"I wonder whether His Majesty will attend court today."
"Hard to say. If he's recovered, he certainly will."
"His Majesty has never been ill for several days in a row like this before. Do you think he might..."
"Brother Shen, mind your words!"
After listening in on a few more similar conversations, the official went to the Ministry of Rites official on duty inside the Meridian Gate. He verified his identity with his ivory tally and signed his name before entering the Forbidden City, where he took his place in the ranks on the right side of the square before the Gate of Heavenly Favor to await court.
Great Ming had inherited the institutions of the Song and Yuan. Nearly ten years had passed since its founding, and its system of court assemblies was already quite well developed.
There were two main categories: the Grand Court Assembly and the Regular Court Assembly.
The Grand Court Assembly was a purely ceremonial gathering held on major occasions such as New Year's Day, the winter solstice, and the Longevity Festival-the emperor's birthday. It occurred only a few times a year. Each gathering, however, occupied most of the outer court grounds and took almost an entire day.
The Regular Court Assembly was further divided into four types: the New and Full Moon Court, morning court, midday court, and evening court.
The New and Full Moon Court was a partly ceremonial assembly held in the Hall of Heavenly Favor only on the first and fifteenth days of each month. Besides requiring all capital officials and important officials present in the capital to pay their respects to the emperor, it also served to announce important decrees and policies. State affairs were generally not handled during the assembly.
Morning court was also called the "Audience at the Gate," because the emperor took his seat inside the Gate of Heavenly Favor, received the officials' obeisance, heard their reports, and deliberated on affairs of state with them.
Since Zhu Yuanzhang's accession, morning court had been held almost every day except official rest days, though the number of participating officials was not particularly large.
The civil officials included members of the Central Secretariat, the heads of the Six Ministries-the ministers and vice ministers-and key capital officials from the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, Yingtian Prefecture, and other offices. The military officials included senior members of the Chief Military Commission and others. Altogether, they numbered only a few dozen.
The matters handled were generally military and administrative affairs of national scope.
Midday and evening court, on the other hand, were not held every day, but convened as needed.
Midday court generally dealt with important military and administrative matters left unfinished at morning court or requiring resolution that same day. Even fewer officials attended than at morning court.
Evening court could hardly even be called a court assembly. The emperor merely summoned senior ministers to a side hall of the Hall of Heavenly Favor before nightfall whenever he needed to discuss important confidential matters. (At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet developed the habit of handling state affairs in the Hall of Ancestral Worship.)
Even if there was only morning court, officials still had to rise at three or four in the morning and reach the Forbidden City before five, a routine many found miserable.
Miserable though it was, Zhu Yuanzhang's sudden absence from morning court for several days due to illness still left some officials feeling "concerned."
This time, however, the officials had not waited long before the Gate of Heavenly Favor when Zhu Yuanzhang's personal attendant Yunqi arrived and proclaimed at the top of his voice, "His Majesty has decreed that, as he has yet to recover, court will again be canceled today!"
Many officials felt an urge to discuss the news, but feared breaching etiquette.
Hu Weiyong had no such qualms. He stepped forward and asked, "Eunuch Yun, what exactly ails His Majesty? It's already been five or six days. How can we rest easy if we're still given no definite word?"
At this, Li Wenzhong, who supervised the affairs of the Chief Military Commission, and Tang He, its associate commissioner, also came closer, clearly wanting to learn more.
Faced with Hu Weiyong's pressing questions and the gazes of Li Wenzhong and Tang He, Yunqi seemed unsurprised. He smiled and said, "His Majesty is in no serious danger. He merely needs a few more days of rest."
"His Majesty also said that affairs of state must not be delayed unduly on his account. Chancellor Hu, the Duke of Cao, and the Marquis of Zhongshan are to come to the side hall of the Hall of Heavenly Favor at the beginning of the hour of the snake to discuss important matters."
Discuss important matters?
A glint passed through Hu Weiyong's eyes.
After canceling court for several days due to illness, he's now summoning the three of us to discuss important matters? Could he truly be gravely ill and mean to entrust state affairs to us?
At the thought, Hu Weiyong grew secretly excited.
Over the past year, he had seemingly held sole sway over the Central Secretariat, his power blazing like the midday sun. In reality, Zhu Yuanzhang had already stripped away some of his authority, and he faced ever more restraints in appointing men and conducting affairs.
He had already sensed that he might lose Zhu Yuanzhang's trust and be pushed out of the court's inner circle, just as Li Shanchang had been before him.
But if Zhu Yuanzhang was seriously ill, that process would inevitably slow, giving him another opportunity.
Li Wenzhong and Tang He each had thoughts of their own, but their feelings were mostly concern. Together with Hu Weiyong, they immediately acknowledged the summons.
The officials then dispersed, returning to their respective offices to work.
At the beginning of the hour of the snake-nine in the morning-Hu Weiyong, Li Wenzhong, and Tang He arrived punctually at the western side hall of the Hall of Heavenly Favor.
After entering, Hu Weiyong was just about to pay his respects when he froze.
Li Shanchang was there too.