Chapter 205: Returning Laden with Spoils

They arrived at the Assembly Hall. Gao Xun loudly paid his respects to Han Chao: "Your subordinate, Gao Xun, Officer of Squad C, Second Company, Central Army Division, greets the Company Commander, my lord."

He saluted Han Chao with meticulous precision. In Wang Dou's army, hierarchy was strict; ordinarily in the ranks, a squad officer like him greeting a superior officer like Han Chao required two bows and one kneel, with severe punishment for any violation. As Wang Dou put it, a strict hierarchy with differentiated treatment and privileges was the best way to spur everyone's determination to advance. After all, the urge to compare oneself with others and the desire to trample them underfoot were the deep-rooted flaws of all humanity.

Of course, this required one precondition: rewards and punishments had to be clear, and the path to promotion had to be smooth, never blocking anyone's road to advancement.

Every time they saw Gao Xun, everyone's eyes would light up; after all, such a strikingly handsome and ruggedly masculine man was rare. Not to mention that Gao Xun fought with desperate courage, and his conduct was steady and composed, earning him the admiration of all.

Han Chao smiled slightly. "Gao Xun, rise."

Among the several Squad Commanders under Han Chao, Gao Shiyin had the most seniority; after all, he was one of the old hands who had fought alongside Wang Dou to build their domain from the start. His personal friendship with Han Chao and Han Zhong also ran deep. Were it not for his insufficient official rank, the post of Company Commander would certainly have been his.

At this moment, he said bluntly, "Gao Xun, our camp needs a detachment of troops left behind to guard the several thousand dan of grain stored here. This matter was personally assigned by the Garrison Commander; it is of the utmost importance. The man left in charge must be steady and reliable. I think you are a suitable candidate, so I recommended you to Company Commander Han. Company Commander Han also thinks you are a good fit and can stay behind. What do you say?"

Gao Xun's mind raced. He immediately clasped his fists, dropped to one knee, and saluted both Han Chao and Gao Shiyin, saying, "Many thanks to my lords Han and Gao for your cultivation and favor. Your subordinate is overwhelmed with gratitude. I will exert every effort and devote myself utterly to guarding the grain stores, and will not fail the high expectations of my lords."

Gao Xun had few other passions, but his desire for merit and achievement burned fiercely. Yet competition within the Baoan Army was intense; how easy was it to stand out? Gao Xun had also heard about Xu Yue'e's situation and understood something of her heart. That woman had suffered immense humiliation and wanted revenge against the Tartar soldiers, but she was alone, without troops or authority. How could she take revenge?

Everyone in the Baoan Army wanted to stand out, surrounded by a great crowd of fierce men who daily thirsted for promotion. No matter how formidable Xu Yue'e was, she was still just a woman—how could it ever be her turn to rise? So she had deserted. With what she had seen and heard in Baoan Prefecture, combined with her own martial skill, she had very easily gathered over a thousand followers.

Gao Xun had rendered great merit suppressing bandits the previous year, yet he had only been promoted from Squad Commander to Platoon Officer. It was not like the Ming army, where a rotten system obstructed advancement; in the Baoan Army, there were simply too many experts, and promotion was not so easy. That was why Wang Dou's subordinates all hoped he would expand the army and enlarge their territory. But maintaining troops was not easy, and Wang Dou could not expand the army too quickly.

To gain promotion, one needed outstanding military achievements. For Gao Xun, this was a good opportunity. Although he also longed to return to Baoan Prefecture and reunite with his wife and daughter, a true man prioritizes his career and achievements—how could he be entangled in domestic affections? So he made a prompt decision and accepted.

Hearing Gao Xun's declaration, Han Chao and the others were all very satisfied. Gao Shiyin laughed heartily. "I knew this kid would stay."

He said to Han Chao, "Company Commander Han, Platoon Officer Gao is staying behind, leading a squad of troops hundreds of li from the prefectural city. Shouldn't we show him some consideration?"

Han Chao pointed at Gao Shiyin and laughed scornfully. "You rascal, always protecting your own."

He pondered briefly, then said to Gao Xun, "Platoon Officer Gao, you may take a portion of the grain and rice from the stores for your use. If it exceeds five hundred dan, you must make up the difference yourself later. Of the captured blades and spears, I will leave you five hundred. I will leave you some firearms and equipment, as well as fifty mules and horses. From the able-bodied refugees outside the stockade, you may select three hundred men yourself to stay behind with you."

He looked at Gao Xun and smiled. "Perhaps when the Garrison Commander summons you, you will be the newly appointed Squad Commander."

Gao Xun was overjoyed and once again bowed in thanks to Han Chao and Gao Shiyin. He was confident he could train these three hundred able-bodied men into a strong force just like the Baoan Army.

The matter was thus decided. Han Chao's troops had been suppressing bandits for several months and had captured a considerable number of blades and spears, so they left five hundred for Gao Xun, along with some firearms, gunpowder, and the like. Gao Xun's Squad C of the Second Company consisted entirely of musketeers, equipped with helmets, breastplates, waist sabers, and so on. Within it there was also one squad of saber-and-shield men, who wore full armor.

Han Chao left behind one hundred muskets and a certain amount of gunpowder, enough to form another squad of musketeers. With such firepower, defending this camp was more than sufficient.

That very day, Gao Xun selected three hundred able-bodied men from among the refugees. His eye was sharp; he chose only those who were honest and steady, without exception, and all had families with them. That man Yang Shiqi was also among those he selected.

Two days later, Han Chao led his troops back to Baoan Prefecture, leaving four thousand dan of grain in the camp for Gao Xun to defend.

Although four thousand dan of grain and rice were left behind, the carts departing the camp still formed a mighty procession of several hundred, a testament to the abundance of this harvest. Following behind the column was a dense, dark mass of nearly twenty thousand refugees, full of hope, simply traveling along with the cart convoy and troops.

Watching the great army slowly recede into the distance, many of the able-bodied refugees who stayed behind shed tears, hoping that their wives, daughters, and parents would live well in Baoan Prefecture.

Han Chao's party traveled straight through Quyang, Tangxian, and other places, entered the territory of Baoding Prefecture, passed through Wanxian, and entered the Mancheng area. There, Han Chao met his younger brother, Han Zhong.

Han Zhong had also set up a grain storage site at a certain stockade in Mancheng, where several thousand dan of fodder and grain had been accumulated. His column likewise had two hundred carts, and behind him stretched a vast procession of over ten thousand refugees. He was immensely proud of himself, but upon seeing his elder brother's haul, he realized his own ambition had been too small after all.

They joined forces and advanced. Seeing this vast refugee army, the prefectures and counties along the route thought bandits were approaching and all shut their gates and locked their cities; there were no travelers on the roads. And since there were no reports of local prefectures or counties being besieged or attacked, the local garrisons were happy to avoid trouble and simply could not be bothered to stir.

The horse bandits along the way, seeing the fierce and capable look of Han Chao's guards, also dared not entertain any designs on this column, so Han Chao and his party traveled smoothly the entire way.

Entering the territory of Yizhou, in the Liujingbao area between Yizhou and Laishuixian, there was a hidden mountain path leading to Zhaogezhuang. At the mouth of the mountain path, a sturdy camp had already been built to serve as a storage site for supplies. In the Songgezhuang area at the mouth of the Juma River, another sturdy camp had likewise been built, with the primary labor force being the troops of Chu Qinmeng, the Garrison Commander of Mashuikou and Wang Dou's relative by marriage.

While Han Chao and Han Zhong led troops out on campaign, Wang Dou had detached a unit of Wen Fangliang's troops to stay behind and guard these two locations. At the same time, he detached a portion of troops to garrison and patrol Niujiaowa, Zhaogezhuang, and other places not far from Mashuikou. Within the borders of Baoan Prefecture, there remained less than two Squad Commanders' worth of troops. Fortunately, these past few months had been perfectly peaceful, and nothing had occurred.

Upon receiving word that Han Chao and Han Zhong were returning laden with spoils, Wang Dou was overjoyed. He personally led Wen Fangliang, Lin Daofu, Chi Dacheng, and others out to welcome them. Chu Qinmeng, the Garrison Commander of Mashuikou, also accompanied Wang Dou.

Seeing the carts of spoils that Han Chao, Han Zhong, and the others had brought back, along with the vast, mighty procession of nearly thirty thousand refugees, Chu Qinmeng could not help but click his tongue in amazement. Two months earlier, a great deal of captured grain, rice, and over ten thousand refugees had already been transported into Baoan Prefecture. He had not expected that now...

When Wang Dou had dispatched the three Company Commanders to take turns crossing the border to suppress bandits, Chu Qinmeng had sent five hundred of his own troops to participate and had reaped considerable gains. He had been fully content with that, but seeing the scene before him now, he realized his own view had been that of a frog at the bottom of a well, and he was secretly alarmed by Wang Dou's appetite and audacity.

Everyone was delighted to see one another. Soon, those tens of thousands of refugees entered Zhaogezhuang via that hidden mountain path, and from Zhaogezhuang they passed through Mashuikou. Following the ancient pass road, they traveled all the way through Shimenbao, Chadaobao, Shiwengbao, Huiyaobao, and other places, arriving at Shunxiangbao, where they were settled.

The mountain paths were difficult to traverse, so the several hundred captured carts were all left behind in the camp in Yizhou. The captured supplies from the carts were all carried back to Shunxiangbao via the mountain paths. With these several thousand troops and tens of thousands of refugees, each person carrying a little, it did not take long for all these supplies to be transferred into the territory of Baoan Prefecture.

Hearing that refugees were massing in Yizhou, the Military Defense Circuit of Yizhou and the Left-behind Assistant Regional Commander were just growing anxious when, unexpectedly, a few days later they received reports that the tens of thousands of refugees had completely vanished. The Military Defense Circuit of Yizhou was utterly baffled. Where had all those refugees gone?

Back in Baoan Prefecture, there were several more days of raucous celebration and merit recognition. On this day, Wang Dou finally found some peace and quiet. Clenching a pipe in his teeth, he stood silently before the window, deep in thought.

For the coming campaign in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, he had done everything within his power. Man proposes, Heaven disposes; what the future held could only be left to the arrangement of fate.

He pondered in silence for a long while, then returned his thoughts to the present and the difficult problems facing Baoan Prefecture.

Calculating it, the harvest over these past few months had been considerable. In addition to the grain stored at several strongholds in Zhending Prefecture and Baoding Prefecture, they had also transported back over ten thousand dan of grain and rice, more than fifty thousand taels of silver, and over fifteen hundred mules and horses. After all, the North China Plain was full of horse bandits, and after breaching many bandit strongholds, they had captured many mules and horses as well. As for the captured pigs and sheep, the officers and soldiers of the various units had eaten them all during the campaign; not a single head had been transported back.

The harvest was satisfying, but regrettably, the expenditures were also considerable. To say nothing else, just the refugees they had brought back—over forty thousand mouths, all needing Wang Dou's support. Even if they ate sparingly, at one jin of grain per person per day, that would be six thousand dan of grain and rice a month. If they conscripted the able-bodied among them for training, in the absence of much oil or meat, each able-bodied man would need two jin of grain, requiring even more rations.

Even if they made all the refugees eat nothing but congee, the overall cost would still be substantial. It seemed his granaries could only hold out until next year. Sigh.

Fortunately, next year he could begin collecting taxes on the lands under his governance. The current registers listed over two hundred sixty thousand mu of military farmland, from which a total of over twenty thousand dan of grain and rice could be levied. The year after, over forty thousand dan could be levied. After this year's tax exemption, each military household with fifty mu of land could now support itself from its harvest.

He could very well grant the campaigning soldiers leave and let them go home and feed themselves for these few months.

Not only that, but Wang Dou's rule for every campaign was to distribute thirty percent of the spoils as rewards. Wang Dou naturally used silver for the rewards; he could not possibly use the captured grain and rice. With this farmland income plus the spoils income, perhaps in the eyes of residents of other prefectures and counties, every household in Baoan Prefecture was a great landlord, a wealthy magnate?

Of course, with large sums of silver circulating within the territory, there was the worry of causing inflation. But for now, Wang Dou could not concern himself with that; that problem would be solved later. To Wang Dou, grain was far more important than silver. In a few more years, he feared that even with silver, it would be hard to buy grain.

The settlement of the refugees was also easy to arrange. First, organize those refugees to tour Shunxiangbao and Baoan Prefecture City, let them see the happy lives of the military households now within Baoan's borders, let them hear the heartfelt words of military households who were once refugees themselves. Wang Dou was confident he could immediately captivate them and make them put down deep roots in the prefecture.

Then, from these refugees, select several thousand able-bodied men to be trained at once and organized into new army units. The remainder would either open up farmland or be assigned to the clothing factory, the ironworks, the mines, and various other factories and mines. Baoan Prefecture was now booming, and all trades and industries needed large populations. As long as there was grain, no matter how many people came, they could be absorbed.

The key was grain.

As Wang Dou was lost in thought, a pair of bright eyes watched him quietly from not far away.