Beijing had fallen into a strange and uneasy silence, the kind of silence that did not come from peace but from people holding their breath, watching, waiting, and quietly wondering whether the sky above their heads was about to collapse.
When Zheng Zhilong had supported Zhu Yujian and pushed him forward as a claimant, the officials in the capital had not taken it too seriously, because in their eyes Zheng Zhilong had always been a man of the seas with the habits of a pirate, and for someone like that to rebel was not only unsurprising, it was almost expected, especially when Zhu Yujian himself had previously attempted that half-loyal, half-rebellious move of marching toward the capital under the banner of "protecting the emperor," which already blurred the line between loyalty and treason.
But when the Governor of Henan openly supported Zhu Yousong, everything changed, and the atmosphere in the capital shifted from casual dismissal to genuine alarm.
The Governor of Henan was not some wandering warlord or opportunistic bandit, but a proper imperial official, a man holding real authority over a province, someone who had climbed the bureaucratic ladder step by step, and yet now he had chosen to stand up and rebel, and not even for a strong or capable prince, but for the son of Zhu Changxun, a man so famously overweight and indulgent that calling him useless would almost count as flattery.
This made no sense on the surface, and that was exactly what made it terrifying.
If this were a rebellion destined to fail the moment imperial troops arrived, then what was the point of starting it in the first place, and why would a man like the Governor of Henan stake his life on something so obviously doomed?
The officials in Beijing might joke that the entire Fu Prince's household was full of fools, but they would never believe that a provincial governor was a fool, which meant there had to be a reason behind this decision, either a hidden chance of success, or a determination to shout one final truth before dying, that the emperor was leading the nation toward ruin.
And so rumors spread, whispers multiplied, and unease seeped into every corner of the capital like cold air through cracked windows.
A few days later, Gao Jie returned from Liaodong with his troops and passed beneath the walls of Beijing, and almost instantly, the heads of officials popped up along the battlements like a row of startled birds.
"General Gao, we have questions!"
"General Gao, you understand the situation in Henan, what exactly is going on there?"
They could not help themselves, and so they leaned over the walls, abandoning dignity just to extract some clarity from this man.
Gao Jie scratched his head and gave a simple answer that sounded both honest and completely useless.
"I don't know anything. I am just a soldier. The emperor tells me who to cut, and I cut. That is all."
Before the officials could even react, a figure rushed out from the city gate, and it was Zhu Youjian himself, who strode forward and grabbed Gao Jie's hand with visible emotion.
"Excellent, my loyal general. Words like yours are rare in this world. A man like you is exactly what this empire needs."
Gao Jie lowered his head respectfully, but inside his mind he could not help laughing at the irony, thinking that a double-dealing opportunist like himself truly was rare, just not in the way the emperor imagined.
Zhu Youjian continued speaking, his tone firm and decisive, as if trying to anchor himself to something solid in a world that was slowly slipping out of control.
"This campaign to suppress the rebels will not be easy. The Governor of Henan may attempt to pressure you with his rank, but you need not worry. I grant you an imperial sword, one that can execute traitors on sight. When you arrive, you may cut him down and bring the entire Fu Prince household back to Beijing for judgment."
Gao Jie clasped his fists and bowed deeply.
"Your servant obeys."
Then he turned and left, walking with a certain swagger that made him look far more confident than he actually felt.
Zhu Youjian watched the departing army, noting their discipline and formation, and for a brief moment, he felt reassured, believing that such a force would surely crush Zhu Yousong without difficulty.
But that fragile confidence lasted only a few breaths.
From the roadside outside the city, a group of women, clearly from the pleasure quarters, began waving enthusiastically at Gao Jie, their voices loud and unrestrained.
"General Gao, you are so handsome!"
More women joined in, their laughter and shrill cheers echoing across the road, turning the solemn departure of an army into something closer to a traveling performance.
Gao Jie turned his head, flashed a playful wink, struck a dramatic pose, and then made an exaggerated slashing motion with his hand.
"Wait for me, ladies. This handsome general will take care of those rebels."
The women screamed in delight, their voices rising into chaotic excitement.
"So cool!"
Zhu Youjian froze.
Just moments ago, he had felt that Gao Jie was reliable, but now that confidence collapsed instantly, replaced by a deep and uncomfortable doubt, as he watched this so-called pillar of the empire flirting with prostitutes like a street performer.
For a brief and dangerous moment, the emperor even considered grabbing a firearm and shooting Gao Jie on the spot, just to erase that ridiculous grin from his face, but reality quickly returned, and he knew he could not do that, because if Gao Jie fell, there would be no one left to send to Henan.
And so he could only watch as Gao Jie disappeared into the distance, carrying both the emperor's hopes and his doubts with him.
Zhu Youjian turned back toward the palace, his steps heavier than before, and before he had gone far, Wang Cheng'en came running toward him, panting heavily.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened."
Zhu Youjian frowned.
"What now?"
Wang Cheng'en swallowed and spoke carefully, as if choosing each word to avoid triggering another explosion of anger.
"The scholar Liu Maopao, who had been hiding, suddenly appeared at the marketplace and gave a speech to the common people. He said that Your Majesty has once again pulled elite troops away from Liaodong, weakening the chances of recovering the territory, and that if this continues, the enemy will return, retake Jinzhou, and bring disaster back to the Central Plains."
He hesitated briefly before adding in a lower voice.
"The people were influenced by his words. Some of them even… shouted certain phrases. Their dissatisfaction is growing."
Zhu Youjian's face darkened instantly.
"That man still dares to show himself? Where are the Jinyiwei? What are they doing?"
Wang Cheng'en quickly replied.
"Qianhu Mi Qingli has already taken men to pursue him, but Liu Maopao runs extremely fast and keeps slipping through alleys. They are still chasing him, and we do not yet know the result."
Zhu Youjian's anger flared again.
"A mere scholar, running faster than the Jinyiwei? What kind of useless fools are they?"
Wang Cheng'en lowered his head.
"It seems the common people are helping him. They deliberately block the streets and prevent the Jinyiwei from passing."
That single sentence struck harder than any insult.
Zhu Youjian froze, his mind racing, because the implication was far more serious than a failed arrest.
The people were no longer afraid.
Or perhaps more accurately, they were no longer afraid of him.
This realization crept into his thoughts like a shadow, and for the first time, he felt something he had never truly experienced before.
His authority was weakening.
The title of emperor, once unquestionable, was now being quietly challenged in the hearts of ordinary people, and the label of "foolish ruler" was spreading from mouth to mouth like an unstoppable tide.
What should he do?
For a brief moment, he had no answer.
Just then, a group of Jinyiwei rushed toward him, and their leader, Mi Qianhu, stumbled forward with one arm wrapped in blood-soaked cloth, his face pale with pain.
"Your Majesty, I have failed. I was caught in the enemy's trap and injured."
Zhu Youjian stared at him coldly.
"So he escaped again?"
Mi Qianhu lowered his head.
"Yes, he disappeared."
Silence hung in the air for a single heartbeat.
Then Zhu Youjian exploded.
"Useless! All of you are useless! Every single one of you!"