Chapter Sixteen: Ruler and Ministers Flee Nanjing; Husband and Wife Reunited at the Mountain Hermitage

It is told that after the Hongguang Emperor was enthroned in Nanjing, he heeded each day the flattering counsel of Ma and Ruan, passing his time in the Xunfeng Hall with theatrical performances and music lessons, while the governance of the realm grew worse by the day. No one foresaw that redirecting the garrison troops to block the river would leave the northern forces free to cross unopposed, break through the Huai region, and besiege Yangzhou. Shi Kefa sent urgent dispatches one after another, and hearts throughout the capital filled with dread. The ministers and people of Nanjing had lost all will to resist. Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng had vanished into hiding. Hongguang was in the Xunfeng Hall watching a performance when word suddenly arrived that northern troops had crossed the river and were approaching the walls of Nanjing. He trembled all over, his hands and feet without strength. He hastily ordered the lights extinguished, gathered up his belongings, took his consorts with him, slipped out the city gates, and fled in secret. Ma Shiying, hearing that the Son of Heaven had fled, likewise packed up his valuables, assembled his household, and ran. But he had not gone far when he was set upon by a mob of angry commoners brandishing staves who shouted: "It is the villainous Ma Shiying who has brought the people to poverty and emptied the treasury — and now here he is, hauling women and treasure and running away! Where do you think you're going?" They beat him down with their staves, seized his women, and snatched his possessions, then scattered with a roar. Shiying lay groaning on the ground. Just then Ruan Dacheng came galloping up on horseback, saw Shiying lying there, and said: "Why hasn't the old prime minister fled? What are you doing lying here?" Shiying said: "The mob has seized my household and possessions and beaten me — I cannot get up." Dacheng said: "This is terrible — my own household and baggage are behind me; I must go back and meet them before they too are seized." He was just turning to go when he saw a mob coming along, carrying women and luggage aloft, calling out: "This is the household goods of Ruan Dacheng — we've just seized it, let's divide it up!" Dacheng heard this and cried out angrily: "You brazen lot — how dare you seize the property of Lord Ruan!" The crowd said: "So you are Ruan Dacheng? What perfect timing!" They knocked him down with a single blow, stripped him of his clothes, and said: "We'll spare his worthless hide — let's go burn down his house and Ma's on Jie'e Lane." They swept away with a roar.

Ma and Ruan lay on the ground, one with a battered back, the other with a broken arm, neither able to rise. At this critical moment, Yang Wengong came riding up on horseback, saw the two of them, and dismounted: "How did you two end up like this?" The two men said: "Robbed of everything by the mob — only our lives remain." Wengong had someone bring clothes for them both, then said: "I happen to have a spare horse — both of you ride it and get out of the city while you can." The two climbed onto the horse and rode away. Then Kou Baimen and Zheng Tuoniang came running past in flight. Yang Wengong, seeing them, said: "You two have fled the palace as well — why is there no sign of Xiangjun?" The two women said: "Her feet are too small to walk quickly, so she hired a sedan chair to go on ahead." Then someone called out: "Lord Yang, the northern troops have swept across the river — the emperor has fled, and the palace has completely emptied!" Longyou looked up and saw that it was Shen Gongxian and Zhang Yanrui, who confirmed the news. He changed his clothes and, together with the others, made his way toward the Qinhuai district.

When they reached the gate of Xiangjun's house, Longyou knocked. Lan Ying opened the door, saw Longyou, and called out urgently: "Xiangjun, come quickly — Lord Yang is here!" Xiangjun, upon seeing Yang Longyou, dispensed with the usual pleasantries and asked urgently: "Lord Yang, do you know any news of my Hou Lang?" Longyou had not yet answered when Su Kunsheng came hurrying up to the door: "Xiangjun has come out?" Xiangjun asked: "Master Su, where have you come from? Have you seen my Hou Lang?" Kunsheng said: "I went to Wuchang to seek help from Lord Zuo of Ningnan to rescue Lord Hou from prison. The Marquis of Ningnan died suddenly on the way. I had no choice but to return to the capital. When I heard the news, I rushed at once to the prison gate — only to find the prison doors flung open and the prisoners scattered in every direction. How is it that Lord Hou has not come back?" Xiangjun wept without stopping. Longyou and the others tried to comfort her, then took their leave of the company and returned to their hometowns. Xiangjun then turned to Kunsheng and said: "The other day I made Master endure ten thousand rivers and mountains to try to bring my Hou Lang home. But I had already entered the palace, and today I have left the palace, and still my Hou Lang is nowhere to be found. I beg Master to take pity on me and lead me to search everywhere, so that we may certainly meet with Hou Lang — then I will be content." Kunsheng said: "In this time of turmoil, where would be the right place to go?" Lan Ying said: "To the east of the city, Qixia Mountain is rarely visited by people. Zhang Yaoxing of the Embroidered Guard has taken holy orders there. Young Lord Hou has very likely gone to that place to escape the chaos. I myself intend to take Zhang Yaoxing as my teacher — why don't we go together? Perhaps Heaven will arrange the meeting, and we may find Lord Hou — who can say? What do the two of you think?" Kunsheng and Xiangjun both said it was a good idea. They gathered their things and set off together for Qixia Mountain.

Now it is told that Hou Chaozong, Chen Dingsheng, Wu Ciwei, and Liu Jingting had escaped from prison and were making their way along the riverbank. They were in the midst of planning how to go their separate ways when they saw an old man come stumbling and lurching toward them at a run. The group asked: "Old brother, where are you going in such haste?" The man replied: "I am going to Qixia Mountain to perform the rites for the Chongzhen Emperor. And where are you all headed?" The group said: "We have escaped from the capital and are trying to see this gentleman across the river. Now the northern troops are sweeping down upon us and we cannot go north — we are here debating our direction without having decided." The old man said: "Qixia Mountain is an extremely quiet and secluded place. Since you have nowhere to go, why not come with me to Qixia to escape the turmoil, and after things settle down, make your plans for going home?" Chaozong said: "A good idea." He parted from Chen and Wu in tears, and together with Liu Jingting and the old ritual officer he headed for Qixia Mountain. As it happened, Xiangjun and Su Kunsheng, led by old Master Lan, had already arrived at Qixia earlier, and having knocked at a door to seek lodging, they had found that Bian Yujing had become abbess of the Baozhen Convent and kept them as her guests — but that is another matter.

Now it is told that Hou Chaozong, Liu Jingting, and the ritual officer were making their way directly to Qixia Mountain. After several days' walking they had reached the area. The ritual officer said: "This is Qixia Mountain — you should find a temple or hermitage and take lodging before the day grows dark." Chaozong looked up and saw a small convent and said: "Why not knock here and ask for a night's lodging?" The ritual officer knocked on the door. Yujing called from within: "Who is there?" The ritual officer said: "We have come from Nanjing and would like to leave our luggage briefly in this honored convent." Yujing said: "This is a women's hermitage run by a Taoist abbess — we have never taken guests." Jingting said: "We are not wandering monks or roving Taoists — what harm is there in staying briefly?" Xiangjun's voice was heard: "What a tiresome man!" Yujing said: "Don't bother with him — let us go to the kitchen and have our vegetarian meal." Seeing there was no response from within, the group waited a while, then moved on ahead.

As they walked, a Taoist came toward them carrying a basket. The ritual officer said: "There is someone coming." He stepped forward and bowed: "Honored immortal, we have come up the mountain to perform good works and humbly beg the use of a temple or hermitage to leave our luggage — we ask your kind assistance." The Taoist raised his head and looked carefully, then started: "This gentleman — might you be the young Lord Hou from Henan?" Jingting answered: "Who else would it be?" The Taoist looked again more carefully: "And you, brother — are you Liu Jingting?" Chaozong said: "That is exactly who he is." Jingting and Chaozong studied the man in turn and said: "Could it be that you are Ding Jizhi? How is it that you have taken holy orders?" Jizhi told them the story of how he had entered religious life, then said to the group: "Not far ahead is the place where I practice — please come and stay, won't you?" The ritual officer, seeing the two men had found an acquaintance, offered his farewell: "Since you two have met an old friend, I must go on to the White Cloud Convent." He bowed and departed. Ding Jizhi led Chaozong and Jingting along the way, and they spoke of all that had passed since they had parted. When the talk came to Xiangjun, Chaozong wiped his tears and said: "Xiangjun entered the palace, and there has been no news of her." Jingting said: "The women of the palace have all scattered and fled — Xiangjun must have left the palace as well. Let us wait until things are settled and then inquire." While they talked, they arrived at Jizhi's hermitage and settled in to rest. Several days passed in this manner.

When the fifteenth day of the seventh month arrived, the White Cloud Convent was holding a ritual platform to memorialize the late emperor. The Taoists from all the hermitages and the villagers and local gentry all came together to hold the ceremony. Bian Yujing then said to Xiangjun: "I am going to the White Cloud Convent to attend the service — why don't you come with me to lift your spirits?" Xiangjun was glad to get ready and went with Yujing to join the gathering. As it happened, Hou Chaozong and Ding Jizhi also came to the White Cloud Convent to attend the rites. The convent was crowded with both Taoist and lay people, all mingling in lively confusion. Chaozong, in the midst of the crowd, caught sight of a young woman in plain, sorrowful dress, her bearing lovely and fragrant. He fixed his gaze upon her and said to himself: "That young woman — she looks like my Xiangjun." He took out the Peach Blossom Fan and played with it toward her, in full view. Xiangjun had first noticed Chaozong standing in the crowd but had not looked closely. Then she saw the Peach Blossom Fan, and stared hard, unable to hold back the cry: "Could that person be my Hou Lang?" Chaozong heard the words, stepped forward, looked closely, and wept: "Could it be that you are my Xiangjun?"

The two, upon seeing each other, could not contain their feelings. Heedless of the solemnity of the sacred site, heedless of the crowding of the people, they stepped forward and grasped each other's hands, gave full voice to their grief, and wept out all their sorrow at parting, unwilling to let go. Zhang Yaoxing, standing on the ritual platform, saw the two of them in this state, and cried out in a great voice: "What sort of young people are these, indulging in sentiment beneath my ritual platform!" Ding Jizhi said: "This is Hou Chaozong." Yaoxing, hearing the name, said: "Master Hou, do you know who I am? How did you manage to escape from prison?" Chaozong told him the whole story from the beginning. Yaoxing then asked: "And who is this young woman?" Yujing added: "This is Xiangjun — the pledged companion of Lord Hou." Yaoxing said: "This is a pure and solemn ritual site — how can you two be allowed to exchange your lamentations here? Take them away at once!" Ding Jizhi and Bian Yujing obeyed the command and led the two of them away.

Outside the convent gate, the two fell into each other's arms and wept again, and each told all that had passed in the time since they had parted. They then asked Ding Jizhi to go and find Liu Jingting, and Bian Yujing to find Su Kunsheng, and together they bowed their thanks to both men for their help through hardship and danger, and also turned to thank Jizhi and Yujing for taking them in. At this time, with the troops still abroad and the roads in disorder, they dared not return home, so they asked Jizhi to find them lodgings nearby, and husband and wife, Jingting, and Kunsheng all lived together in refuge from the chaos. When in later days peace was restored, they bid farewell to Jizhi and Yujing, taking Su and Liu with them, and started for home. Walking to the riverbank, they found a boat, and as chance would have it they came upon Li Zhenli's vessel, and all four boarded and set off for Henan. When they arrived home, they found that Chaozong's father had gone into hiding in the Zhongnan Mountains to escape the war. They took Liu Jingting with them and went to find his father in the Zhongnan Mountains. Kunsheng paid his respects, and Zhenli and Xiangjun also came to bow before him, and the family was reunited. Chaozong set aside all thought of official ambition. Xiangjun bore him three sons, and he occupied himself at home with their instruction. All three sons in time achieved distinction, and the family's tradition of learning and letters was unbroken. Chaozong and Xiangjun both lived past the age of eighty before they passed from this world. As the two heptasyllabic quatrains recorded in their memory say:

The southern court's past glories — no more than a dream,

rise and fall in the wink of an eye, a din of autumn crickets.

Most tender-hearted of all was young Lord Hou,

who savored to the end the wind stirred by the Peach Blossom Fan.

And also:

A man of letters and a beauty — their spirits made one;

why did the powerful and rich raise their swords between them?

He gave back the dowry chest and wooed her as a farmer's bride,

calling to mind the Swallow Tower of Xuzhou of old.