Chapter Fifteen: Purging the Court — Liangyu Dies of Rage; The Fall of Yangzhou — Kefa Leaps into the River

It is told that Ruan Dacheng had Liu Jingting arrested and thrown into prison. He then went in person to the Yellow River to summon the troops of the three garrisons, ordering them to establish positions at Bianji and intercept Zuo's forces. The garrisons of Huang and Liu, upon receiving the military orders and insignia, immediately abandoned their positions guarding the river and withdrew to Bianji, where they set up crossbow towers and mounted cannon, stretching iron chains across the river surface to block the path of Zuo's advancing fleet. Zuo Liangyu ordered his son Menggeng to lead boats forward to break through, but volleys of arrows rained down from the crossbow towers, and they could not advance. They were badly defeated and turned back.

Liangyu, fearing that his son Menggeng might be led astray by unruly soldiers, continually admonished him — but there we shall leave that for now. Word then came that Huang Degong had cut off and attacked the forces at Bianji, and the vanguard had retreated in defeat. Liangyu was greatly alarmed and said: "Huang Degong is a good man — how has he allowed himself to be manipulated by Ma and Ruan? He knows only how to prop up the new emperor and gives no thought to the six-foot orphan left by the late emperor. Is this not hateful?" He called to his attendants: "Quickly invite Lord Huang, the Surveillance Commissioner, and Lord He, the Surveillance Commissioner, to cross to my boat for a council of war." Huang Shu immediately crossed over and came to meet him. Liangyu said gladly: "Zhonglin, you have come — but why do I not see Lord He?" Huang Shu said: "He turned back halfway." Liangyu sighed: "So be it. Now Huang Degong has blocked the passage at Bianji and the army cannot advance — what is to be done?" Huang Shu said: "This is indeed worrying. Let us wait until Lord Yuan's boat arrives and discuss the matter together." A report came: "Lord Yuan, the Governor-General, has arrived by boat!" The three men met, exchanged bows, and sat down. Yuan Jixian said: "I have just been at Wuchang, putting the troops in order at the headquarters, and am glad to follow your lead." Huang and Zuo said: "Now that Huang Degong has cut off the passage at Bianji and our vanguard has been badly defeated, what are we to do?" Yuan Jixian said: "Things have come this far — we cannot simply stop. We must quickly send a persuader to negotiate." Zuo Liangyu said: "Jingting is already gone; there is no one else to send. What can we do?" Su Kunsheng, who was standing nearby, spoke up: "I have had some dealings with him and am willing to serve." Huang Shu said: "Kunsheng is no less a man of valor than Jingting — this is precisely the moment to rely on him."

Just as the group was in discussion, a man came racing in to report: "The city of Jiujiang is on fire — Lord Yuan's own garrison troops have broken the city themselves!" Yuan Jixian was horrified: "My own garrison troops have broken the city? This is terrible!" Zuo Liangyu cried out in fury: "This is outrageous — I need not guess: it can only be my son Zuo Menggeng who has done this, making me out to be a rebel. It is finished, finished! What face do I have left to show the fathers and elders of the Jiangnan lands?" He drew his sword and in an instant was about to cut his own throat. Huang Shu threw his arms around Liangyu to stop him. Liangyu then seized Yuan Jixian's hand and stared at him with fixed eyes: "Linhou, Linhou — I have failed you!" He cried out with a great wail, vomited blood, and fell to the ground dead. The assembly grieved together for a time. Yuan Jixian and Huang Shu, seeing that Liangyu had died of anguish and the army was now leaderless, withdrew to Wuchang to undertake other endeavors with He Tengjiao. The soldiers and officers of Liangyu's army scattered and fled in every direction.

Kunsheng, seeing the scene before him, stood there stunned for a while, then said: "They have all gone and left me, Su Kunsheng, alone to watch over the marshal's remains — how pitiable." He lit incense and candles and wept his offerings. He waited for the marshal's son to return to the boat in mourning, until the body was properly laid to rest, before at last taking his leave and departing. As the poem records:

The hero could not pass the river bend of Jiangzhou;

his soul lingers over the spring waters, stirring the gloom of evening.

Green hills stretch on every side, yet there is no ground for burial;

slanting wind and fine rain beat against the prow of the boat.

Now it is told that Huang Degong, thinking only of blocking the passage of Zuo's forces, had caused Zuo Liangyu to die of indignant grief over his son Menggeng's rebellion — and in doing so left the entire stretch of the Yellow River with no one to defend it. On the twenty-first day of the fourth month the northern troops crossed the river and entered the Huai region. Shi Kefa, commanding the three thousand troops of Huaiyang, could not hold them back and had no choice but to abandon Huai'an and fall back to defend Yangzhou. But his army's spirit had crumbled; every man had thoughts of surrender. Kefa did his utmost to stabilize and reassure them, yet the army would not listen. Finding himself utterly helpless, he stamped his feet and said: "Looking at this situation, it is plain that their hearts are set on betrayal. Who would have thought that Heaven's will and the hearts of men would fall apart to this degree — now there is nothing left but to die in service to my country." He beat his breast and wept a great weeping; his tears fell like rain, and all were tinged with blood, staining his battle robes red. The army, seeing their commander in such a state, each man felt his conscience move within him, and they all knelt before Kefa and begged: "Marshal, we know full well your loyal heart. If the northern troops besiege the city, we will all obey your command, fight to the death without wavering, and swear to defend Yangzhou — we have no other intention." Kefa, hearing these words, dried his tears, comforted his troops, and set about deploying men to defend the walls.

Yet the northern troops were unstoppable. Wherever they went, men submitted and surrendered. Having taken Huai'an, they now surrounded Yangzhou. Though every man in the garrison applied himself to the defense, provisions were running out within the city, and its fall was only a matter of days. Kefa was now entirely without recourse, and could do nothing but personally supervise the soldiers and people in a last desperate stand. Within the city of Yangzhou, the dead from starvation — soldiers and civilians alike — were beyond counting. Kefa judged that it was no longer possible to hold the city, and reasoned within himself: "More than half of Yangzhou cannot be preserved. If the city is breached, my crime will be beyond redemption. It is better to descend the walls under cover of night, make for Nanjing where troops and generals are still numerous, protect the sacred person of the emperor, and plan for recovery — that course might still be open." And so, taking not a single attendant with him, he waited for the deep of night and slipped down the city wall, then ran along the riverbank as fast as he could.

He had traveled halfway when dawn broke, and he saw terrified refugees streaming along both banks of the river in chaotic flight. He paused to catch his breath for a moment. He saw an old man shouldering a bundle, hurrying south. He was about to ask him a question when a mounted officer came up from behind, and upon seeing Kefa, jumped down from the saddle: "General Shi — where are you going, in such a state?" Kefa said: "Who are you?" The officer knelt and said: "I am a gate commander from Nanjing. Last night, for reasons I do not know, the emperor opened the city gates and fled with his consorts, leaving no trace. The civil and military officials of the court have all fled in every direction. I had no choice but to ride and report to the marshal, and unexpectedly I have met the marshal here. May I ask, marshal — why did you abandon the defense of Huaiyang, and what brings you to this place?"

Shi Kefa, hearing the officer's words, let out a great cry of weeping: "I, Shi Kefa, have read the books of the sages to no purpose and spoken of loyalty and filial duty all in vain! Seeing that Huai'an had fallen and Yangzhou could not hold, I intended to make my way to Nanjing to protect the emperor and contrive a recovery. But the emperor has fled, no one knows where. At a time when the dynasty is lost and the country destroyed, what face do I have left to go on living?" He tore off his court cap, belt, robes, and boots and wept, prostrating himself upon the ground. The old man standing nearby tried to comfort him: "My lord Shi, do not be so — calm yourself and find out first where the emperor has gone, then think of how to take your revenge." Kefa, hearing this, asked: "Who are you?" The old man said: "I am a ritual officer from Nanjing, on my way to Qixia Mountain to conduct services for the Chongzhen emperor." Kefa seized the old man's arm and said: "You are but a ritual officer, and yet you think of repaying the debt to the late emperor — shall I, a high minister of the cabinet, wish to go on living?" He wept again, and knelt in prostration, saying: "Great and honored emperor — your servant could not avenge your father and sovereign. I dare not appear before your majesty beneath the earth in court robes and cap." Then, turning to the officer and the old man, he said: "Look — soldiers are coming from that direction." The two of them turned to look, and at that instant Kefa leaped forward, plunged into the river, and was swallowed by the surging waves. He perished in the river.

The officer, seeing Kefa leap into the river, rode away. The ritual officer wept bitterly for a time, then buried Kefa's court robes and cap at Meiling Ridge, grieved and sighing without end, and continued south.

As for what happened next — hear the following chapter for the resolution.