Chapter 212: Make Sure to Preserve Your Life and Come Back

Long Er and his men, carrying the intelligence they had gathered and the horses and baggage captured the previous night, raced along the mountain edge.

They spurred their horses at a gallop, changing mounts from time to time along the way, and that afternoon reached Liujing Fort within the borders of Yizhou.

Liujing Fort was originally a small stockade where over a hundred horse bandits had entrenched themselves, situated on a sunny slope. Because a secret path from Zhaogezhuang to Yizhou ran beside the fort, after the Shunxiang Army wiped out the horse bandits inside, they made the fort a key waypoint on the route from Baoanzhou to the great North China Plain and developed it heavily.

Now, the area around Liujing Fort was dense with buildings, enclosed by thick fort walls and topped with tall watchtowers. Inside the fort, many storehouses and storage rooms had been built.

The officer left in charge of the fort was Shen Shiqi, the company commander of Company A, Battalion A, Second Regiment. He had once competed with Wu Zhengchun for a woman; although he won the beauty’s hand, under Wu Zhengchun’s determined efforts, Shen Shiqi’s career luck fell short of Wu Zhengchun’s. Now Wu Zhengchun served in the First Regiment — that is, as squad commander of Battalion C in the Central Army Division — while he was merely a company commander. As for the reversal in their positions, though Shen Shiqi was inwardly unwilling to accept it, he had to admit that everything before him was what Wu Zhengchun had earned through his own hard work.

In addition, the Night Scout centenary commander from Baoanzhou, Wen Daxing, was also inside Liujing Fort, personally directing the night scouts of his unit on their reconnaissance missions beyond the walls.

As Long Er and his party raced up toward Liujing Fort, they saw from time to time civilian households, dragging their families along, heading in the direction of the fort.

The reputation of Liujing Fort’s good men for benevolence and virtue had already spread widely through Yizhou and Laishui. They did not kill, they did not plunder, they relieved refugees, and they sheltered the common people.

Word had it that upon reaching Liujing Fort, one could live a stable and prosperous life. This rumor spread far and wide, and every day a steady stream of people fled to Liujing Fort. The fort turned none of these disaster victims and refugees away; after taking them in, they sent them all on to Zhaogezhuang. There, after careful screening for any hidden spies, they were sent along the road through the Mamshuikou pass into the territory of Baoanzhou.

Hidden sentries lined the route, and refugees were even more densely packed along the way. With the news that the Tartar troops were about to sweep south in force boiling over, every day hundreds of people left their homes and came to the fort full of hope, seeking the stockade’s protection.

The prestige of Liujing Fort even drew the attention of the Yizhou military defense circuit and the Laishui garrison commander. Though they found it strange that the fort did not go out plundering and wondered how it made a living, both had already begun to entertain the idea of offering amnesty and enlistment to these greenwood heroes.

Along the road, when they saw Long Er and his five men leading several dozen fine horses, the refugees showed expressions of both envy and fear, pointing at Long Er’s group and remarking: “Look, those men are the good men of Liujing Fort.”

“Those horses must have been seized from the Tartars.”

“These good men are even more formidable than the Great Ming’s government troops.”

“With such good men stationed here, the Tartar soldiers certainly won’t be able to break into the fort.”

“We’ll be safe inside the fort.”

When they entered the fort, the sight of Long Er and his men’s spoils stirred the entire stockade. The fort’s Garrison Commander Shen Shiqi and the Night Scout centenary commander Wen Daxing came out personally to greet them. Though the two men looked nothing alike, they shared one common trait: both were broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, with faces full of tough, fleshy features.

Seeing the fifteen Qing soldier heads hanging from the saddles of Long Er’s five men, along with the dozens of captured warhorses and the large quantity of armor, weapons, and baggage, even these two, for all their wide experience, drew a sharp breath. Wen Daxing, who had always thought highly of Long Er, now, seeing his spoils, took his hand with even greater warmth and said: “Brother Long, you have toiled hard. Come into the hall and speak, and recount in detail all that you saw and heard on this mission.”

Long Er had obtained vital intelligence, taken fifteen heads, and captured spoils beyond counting. As his direct superior officer in the Night Scouts, Wen Daxing would have the greater part of these military merits credited to his own name. No wonder he was so exceptionally warm toward Long Er. The Night Scout corps also had its own disciplinary officers who oversaw military merits, achievements, and captured spoils, so Long Er was not worried that his contributions would be swallowed up by others.

Though Wen Daxing was so warm, Long Er did not dare be remiss. He respectfully saluted him with a military bow and said: “On this scouting mission, the squad soldiers Xiao Bin and Jie Yifeng were wounded. Xiao Bin’s right arm is broken; I fear he will be unable to go out on reconnaissance in the future.”

Xiao Bin was Big Tooth, and Jie Yifeng was Stool. When meeting a superior officer, naturally they could not be addressed by their military nicknames.

Wen Daxing sighed: “I will report the wounded brothers. The general is generous and kind; he will certainly arrange compensation and care for Brother Xiao. I intend to keep him in the unit as a training instructor for the Night Scout soldiers.”

As they spoke, they entered the fort’s council hall. Inside were some simple tables and chairs. The hall’s original doors and windows had been badly damaged; after Shen Shiqi took charge of the garrison, he had the hall slightly repaired, so at least it no longer let in drafts from all sides.

After hearing Long Er’s account of this scouting mission, even Wen Daxing, for all his wide experience, was amazed. He carefully examined the secret intelligence report and said: “You have rendered great merit. I will send this intelligence to the prefectural city today. For now, rest in the fort and conserve your strength. The general will soon lead the army to reinforce the capital; I fear you will be sent out scouting even more frequently from now on.”

……

Long Er’s intelligence was sent to the prefectural city. The military merits and battle achievements of their five men caused a stir throughout the entire army. Wang Dou, the Baoanzhou Mobile Corps Commander, expressed great admiration and personally summoned Long Er and his men. Though he was in Baoanzhou city, the night scouts out on reconnaissance in all directions delivered report after report into his hands, allowing him to keep constant track of the movements of the invading Qing troops.

On the fifth day of the tenth month of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, the same day Wang Dou received Long Er and his men, he also received an urgent dispatch from the Ministry of War forwarded through Xuanfu Garrison. Wang Dou, in his official capacity as Guard Commander of Baoan Guard, was appointed to act as Mobile Corps Commander of Baoanzhou city. The official seal, commission, and related documents arrived at the same time. Only at this moment did Wang Dou truly become a Mobile Corps Commander of the Great Ming.

At the same time, the dispatch urged with extreme urgency: “The Minister of War advises the Provincial Governor of Xuan Garrison: the eastern slaves have invaded, their momentum pressing closer by the day. Send flying orders for Baoan Mobile Corps Commander Wang Dou to rush to reinforce by starry night. The said officer is limited to ten days from the receipt of this document to reach the capital. Should he violate this deadline and fail to arrive, both the governor and the garrison shall petition for imperial punishment!”

Along with the Ministry of War dispatch came a directive from Ji Shiwei, the Provincial Governor of Xuanfu Garrison, ordering Wang Dou to proceed to the garrison by starry night to receive his transfer and reinforcement orders.

That very day, Wang Dou took Xie Yike and a few others and once more raced on horseback to the garrison city of Xuanfu.

Inside the great hall of the Provincial Governor’s government office, Wang Dou once again met Ji Shiwei, the Provincial Governor of Xuanfu Garrison. His expression was terrible, one could describe it as livid. Glaring at Wang Dou for a long moment, Governor Ji cursed: “Wang Dou, you truly are a reckless fool. War is perilous and battle is dangerous; others can’t avoid it fast enough, yet you volunteer to lead troops to reinforce?”

Though Governor Ji’s tone was harsh, Wang Dou detected a trace of worry in it. Perhaps because his daughter had become Wang Dou’s wife in fact, he now had no choice, and he was anxious that Wang Dou was leading troops into battle — if anything went wrong, there was the danger of making his daughter a widow.

A slight warmth stirred in Wang Dou’s heart. This Governor Ji was a man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He said: “My lord Governor, the slave bandits have invaded, and the people suffer cruelly. As a subject of the Great Ming, how can I sit by and watch the enemy plunder? Even if I die on the battlefield, it is merely wrapping my corpse in horsehide!”

Governor Ji glared at him: “Easy for you to say… ‘merely wrapping my corpse in horsehide’!”

He was grieved at Wang Dou’s failure to live up to expectations: “Though you are brave and fierce, in past battles you always defended fortified cities. Fighting in the open field is no trifling matter. The slave cavalry numbers a hundred thousand — do you think that is just empty talk?”

He glared at Wang Dou for a long time, and seeing that his expression did not change, he frowned and said: “You are appointed Mobile Corps Commander, leading troops to reinforce. I have reported three thousand troops for you, half infantry and half cavalry. This old man has used his face and spoken with Director Feng, asking him to advance you four months’ pay and provisions.”

That Feng Shilei had originally been the grain supply assistant prefect of the Huailong Circuit in Xuanfu Garrison, responsible for the pay and provisions of the officers in the various forts and castles of the eastern route. After Ji Shiwei was promoted to Provincial Governor, Feng, due to his outstanding administrative achievements, was likewise promoted to the post of Ministry of Revenue grain supply director for Xuanfu Garrison, in charge of the entire garrison’s pay and provisions.

Originally, the supply of grain, pay, and equipment for Xuanfu Garrison was the responsibility of the local garrison eunuch. However, in the seventh year of Chongzhen, because Qing troops had invaded, the then garrison eunuch of Xuanfu Garrison had been dismissed and punished. To show regard for the civil officials, from the seventh year of Chongzhen onward, Xuanfu Garrison no longer appointed a garrison supervisory eunuch.

Hearing Ji Shiwei’s words, Wang Dou felt a surge of joy. A fifty-fifty ratio of infantry to cavalry, no small amount of pay and provisions, and the cavalry would all be armored. At present, he only had some sixteen hundred sets of various iron and cotton armors. If he could get his hands on another fifteen hundred sets of armor, he could basically equip every soldier with a suit of armor, greatly enhancing their safety.

Wang Dou sincerely and earnestly thanked Governor Ji. Ji Shiwei, his face dark, issued Wang Dou the transfer and reinforcement orders, then turned his back and said: “Wang Dou, when you lead your troops to reinforce and reach the capital region, if you encounter the slave soldiers, do not fight too desperately. You must make sure to preserve your life and come back.”

Wang Dou could not see Ji Shiwei’s expression, but he could still hear the concern in his tone. He sighed inwardly: “Is not fighting desperately even an option?”

That day, Wang Dou’s dispatch report was also sent to the Ministry of War: “Previously received Governor Ji Shiwei’s order to respond with reinforcements. Immediately rushed by starry night to the garrison city and received the Governor’s written orders. Obeying at once, I fly to reinforce, and will certainly arrive by the deadline.”

……

Wang Dou returned to Baoanzhou and immediately acted with thunderous decisiveness, ordering a general mobilization of the entire prefecture while summoning all military officers for an emergency council.

The Baoanzhou Garrison Commander’s residence was now called the Mobile Corps Commander’s mansion. Inside the great hall, looking at the hall full of brothers, Wang Dou said in a deep voice: “Yesterday, I went to the garrison city to receive the Provincial Governor’s written orders. I am to lead the army to reinforce the capital. Within ten days, we must reach the capital. Now, I issue my commands.”

The clanking of armor plates sounded throughout the hall. Everyone stood ramrod straight. After days of jostling and competing, it was about to be revealed whom the Mobile Corps Commander would take on the campaign. Each man’s heart was filled with both hope and tension.

Wang Dou said: “The prefectural city is a place of critical importance. I have decided that Company Commander Han Chao, leading the squad commanders Huang Yujin, Gao Shiyin, and Wu Zhengchun under his command, shall remain to guard it. All other officers shall follow me on the campaign to the last man.”

The men clasped their fists and shouted in unison: “We respectfully obey the Mobile Corps Commander’s order.”

Wang Dou slowly swept his gaze across everyone in the hall. Lin Daofu, Han Chao, Han Zhong, Zhong Diaoyang, Wen Fangliang, Sun Sanjie, Gao Shiyin, Yang Tong, Zhao Xuan, Li Guangheng, and the others all stood ramrod straight in two rows below. These men were all his brothers; some were even old brothers from the days back at the beacon tower. No one knew how many of them would return alive from this campaign.

Yang Tong also stood ramrod straight among the crowd, wearing a suit of iron armor and cutting quite an imposing figure. Back then, the impression he gave Wang Dou was of constant bowing and scraping, servile and obsequious. Perhaps it was because he had been promoted to squad commander — one’s bearing shifts with one’s position, and one’s body is nurtured by one’s circumstances — that now that his status was higher, this imposing air had unconsciously been cultivated.

Seeing Wang Dou’s gaze sweep over him, he stood even straighter.

Wang Dou looked at Han Chao: “Brother Han, I entrust the territory of Baoanzhou to you.”

Han Chao clasped his fist in salute and said steadily: “General, rest assured. The city exists while the man exists; the city perishes, and the man perishes.”

Wang Dou nodded, then said to Lin Daofu: “Magistrate Lin, I entrust the training of the new army at Shun Fort to you.”

Lin Daofu also cupped his hands steadily and said: “General, you need only rest easy. This subordinate will certainly handle everything properly.”

Wang Dou said in a deep voice: “All those going on the campaign, return to your camps and prepare. Bid farewell to your families. The morning of the day after tomorrow, we hold a troop review and set out!”