Emperor Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne, his brows locked in a deep furrow. The news coming in was bad, each report worse than the last. The situation at Daming Prefecture, in particular, filled him with a dark foreboding. Li Zicheng had managed to grow powerful and formidable precisely because he possessed real strength. Huang Degong had only just emerged from a grueling battle; to have him march straight to Daming Prefecture without a moment’s rest was a desperate gamble.
"Your Majesty!" Grand Secretary Li Banghua, seated on a stool in the great hall, spoke up. "Although the officials for disaster relief have all been selected, Dorgon’s whereabouts remain unknown, and these officials are unwilling to leave the Capital."
Chongzhen’s forehead creased further. It was impossible to blame these officials for fearing for their lives. Though Dorgon had been defeated, he still commanded over a thousand elite cavalrymen with formidable combat prowess. If they were to cross paths, those officials, with their meager escorts, would either be killed or captured. Their reluctance to leave the safety of the Capital was understandable.
Chapter 269