Chapter 233: Useless Things

Seeing the sun about to slant westward, the Night Scout ahead came back to report: "General, two li ahead is Gaoli Village. The Tartar soldiers guarding the village are estimated to number several hundred, with several dozen armored troops. The granaries outside the village are intact; the grain, fodder, and supplies the Tartars plundered are all there, not burned."

Wang Dou nodded. Gaoli Village lay a few li west of Zhangjiawan City. When Emperor Taizong of the Tang personally led a campaign to Liaodong, he brought a large number of captives to Youzhou to settle them in scattered communities, thus the Gaoli Village hamlet came to be. From Zhangjiawan City to Gaoli Village there was a canal connecting them. North of the village there were also docks and bridge locks, passable for travel and usable for regulating water.

Wang Dou questioned carefully. Outside Gaoli Village alone, there were estimated to be several thousand dan of various grains and fodder, enough to supply his large army for a month. Even if the grain outside the village was insufficient, the Qing soldiers guarding the village numbered only a few hundred. Even if they had the village walls to rely on, his own army had numerous firearms. Several dozen cannons aimed at the village gate and fired in unison would quickly break the village open, allowing them to enter and take the grain.

He looked around. The closer they got to Zhangjiawan City, the more rivers surrounded them. On both sides, wheat fields grew more numerous, planted with wheat and beans, most trampled due to the chaos of war. The official road also grew more pitted. This area actually had many flagstone roads and gravel roads, but they had long fallen into disrepair and were somewhat difficult to traverse.

Coming from the earlier battlefield, the army had already crossed many small stone bridges in succession.

Wang Dou issued an order: "The army will quicken its march and reach Gaoli Village as fast as possible to seize the grain."

After Wang Dou issued the order, the troops quickened their pace. The two-li distance was soon covered. Wang Dou's several thousand troops surged mightily to the outskirts of Gaoli Village.

Wang Dou, riding his fine steed, circled the perimeter of the village. He observed carefully. The village seemed built along the contours of the riverbank. It was not very large. One could see the original village walls had been very tall and thick, but now they had collapsed in many places. The village had two gates. The north gate pressed close to the docks, along both banks of the canal. Densely packed were all granaries. One could imagine that place had once been a bustling location, but now there was not a trace of human presence, only some burned ships remaining.

South of the village there was one gate, several dozen zhang from the official road. To the east and west were vast wheat fields. Not far to the east of the village, there was a very large temple with spacious halls and emerald cypresses standing tall and straight, reaching to the heavens. That must be Guangfu Temple. In front of the temple were several ponds, surrounded by thick locust trees.

The village had diverted canal water to protect its east, north, and south sides. For Wang Dou, this was not a problem. Looking at the several hundred Qing soldiers on the village walls, their faces full of trepidation, and the several dozen armored troops even more strictly on guard, given their state, Wang Dou estimated that some of the armored troops among them had participated in the earlier battle, or had received notice and knew of the ferocity of his army.

He gave a cold laugh and issued an order: "Bring up five Grand Falconet cannons and blast open the village gate."

The sky was growing late; they could not return today. The area around Gaoli Village was not a good place to set up camp either, but the village itself was decent. After breaching it, several thousand people could squeeze inside and still find shelter.

Under Wang Dou's order, Zhao Xuan excitedly brought up five Falconet cannons, each aimed at the village's south gate. The remaining troops formed ranks on the village's east and north sides, ready and waiting. Two squads of Night Scouts dispersed, one squad moving around the vicinity of the village, ready to report any enemy movements that might come from any direction at any time.

Seeing the Ming army's cannons below the village all aimed at his village gate, the Fende Boshiku guarding the village turned pale. He had participated in the earlier battle and naturally knew the prowess of this Ming force. With just one volley from the five Falconet cannons, the village gate was blasted apart. The Qing soldiers inside the village let out a battle cry and immediately fled wildly from the village's north gate, escaping along the docks and bridge locks to the north side of the canal. Shouting all the way, they disappeared to who knows where.

Li Guangheng, beside Wang Dou, said excitedly, "General, shall we pursue?"

Wang Dou shook his head: "Forget it. The main task is more important."

He issued an order: Han Chao's command would dispatch one Company of troops into the village to sweep it and see if any remnant Qing soldiers remained.

Han Chao ordered Squad Commander Zhong Xiancai to lead troops into the village. Zhong Xiancai led several hundred soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, into the village. Squads of pikemen, arquebusiers, and sword-and-shield soldiers moved about everywhere inside the village. They also kicked open door after door of houses to look inside, but found them all empty. Even the original villagers were gone. They had either fled from disaster or been abducted by the Qing soldiers.

Wang Dou waved his hand: "Enter the village."

Several thousand troops surged mightily into the village, packing it watertight. Wang Dou occupied a large residence inside, seemingly the dwelling of a local gentry, as his command post. Then he ordered Wen Fangliang to guard the village. All the logistics troops either went into the village to fetch grain or went to the dockside granaries outside the village to transport grain.

Each unit divided the labor and cooperated, moving into swift action.

……

With a loud bang, two burly logistics soldiers kicked open the main door of a granary. Then two logistics soldiers armed with arquebuses entered.

The two raised their arquebuses and made a round inside, then came back and said, "No one."

Zhong Diaoyang nodded. He waved his hand, and a large crowd of logistics soldiers behind him surged in. After entering, everyone was momentarily stunned. The spacious granary was filled to the brim with carts and grain loads. Casually poking open a sack, they saw golden millet flowing out. Everyone beamed with joy, cheering and whooping strangely.

Zhong Diaoyang said in a deep voice, "The Tartar soldiers plundered quite a lot. If we had not come, this grain would have become aid for the Tartar soldiers to kill our enemies."

He had just made a round inside the village. Many large residences were packed with plundered vehicles—horse carts, wheelbarrows, and various carrying poles. The Qing soldiers had raided the capital region, and just from the villages in this vicinity, the grain supplies of many commoners had been looted and taken to Gaoli Village and Zhangjiawan City.

Accompanied by several guards, he inspected everywhere inside the granary. Inside, besides carts and grain loads, there were also iron chests and wooden chests. With a crash, a logistics soldier smashed open the large lock of an iron chest with the butt of his arquebus. Opening it, everyone was immediately dazzled. Inside, it was full of gold and silver.

"Wow!"

Everyone who gathered around exclaimed, "So much silver!"

Several logistics soldiers grinned and were about to lift this chest of silver away. Zhong Diaoyang suddenly strode over and kicked the iron chest to the ground with one foot. Instantly, gold and silver spilled all over the floor.

Zhong Diaoyang shouted sternly, "Transport only grain and fodder! Do not move useless things!"

Indeed, in the chaos of war, what use were these gold and silver? They could not be eaten or drunk, nor could they buy grain. At critical moments, their practical value was not even comparable to a sack of grain, or even a dead horse.

The logistics soldiers, after these days of battle and grain shortages, also understood this principle. But seeing the gleaming silver and not taking it—this shift in mindset was far too difficult. Just moments ago, everyone's move to take the silver had been almost instinctive, subconscious.

After Zhong Diaoyang's stern shout, they came back to their senses and busily began carrying sack after sack of grain onto their own horse carts or wheelbarrows.

The officers of the battalion's logistics squads also roared from the side: "Move nimbly, load the grain onto the carts quickly! Leave the red-and-white stuff, transport only grain and fodder."

The granary was a scene of bustling activity. Those gleaming silver pieces scattered on the ground were paid no further attention by anyone.

Zhong Diaoyang exited the granary. The cold wind blew bleakly. He saw Mobile Corps Commander Wang Dou, facing the setting sun in the west, standing not far away, gazing out at the canal.

On this side of the canal, going out from the village's north gate, the riverbank for several dozen paces was almost entirely built of blue stone. This area had once been a bustling dock. Beside the dock, densely packed, were tall granaries, belonging to who knows what local great merchants or powerful nobles. From the various granaries leading into the village's north gate, there were flagstone paths and gravel paths, very easy to walk on. Compared to the pitted official road they had come by, this road surface was truly first-class.

Now it benefited the logistics troops of Wang Dou's army. Each one beamed with joy, emerging from the various granaries, pushing carts laden with grain, surging mightily into the village. After the several hundred army carts were all fully loaded, at least for this coming month, the army would not worry about grain.

Seeing Wang Dou's solemn expression, the many officers and guards beside him were all silent, standing solemnly to his left and right. Directly in front of Wang Dou, there was a bridge lock leading straight to the opposite bank of the canal, where there were similarly dense granaries. At this moment, Wang Dou was looking at those granaries, deep in thought.

Zhong Diaoyang stepped forward and saluted Wang Dou. Wang Dou turned his head, looked at Zhong Diaoyang, and said, "What was that matter inside the granary just now?"

Zhong Diaoyang explained. Wang Dou smiled slightly: "Cousin is a man of understanding. That silver is indeed useless."

Then he sank back into thought. Han Chao and Wen Fangliang beside Wang Dou twisted their mouths, their expressions full of regret and pity.

After a long while, Wang Dou sighed softly: "Still, move one chest of silver to take with us. Some of our wounded brothers in the army, in the near term, will likely find it difficult to accompany us on campaign outside. That silver can be used to settle them within the capital, so they can properly recuperate."

Zhong Diaoyang cupped his hands in salute and gave a few orders to a squad officer beside him. That squad officer strode off.

Zhong Diaoyang stepped closer and said to Wang Dou, "General, the grain and fodder we have transported is enough to supply our great army for a month. However, the various storehouses still hold much grain looted by the Tartars. How should we handle that grain, fodder, and those supplies?"

Han Chao laughed heartily: "Of course, burn it all in one fire! Should we leave it for the Tartars, so they can eat and drink their fill and then come to attack and plunder our officers, soldiers, and commoners?"

Wen Fangliang suddenly said, "General, your subordinate has a different view."

He said, "If we burn these storehouses, the Tartars, lacking grain and fodder, will certainly continue raiding the surrounding areas. The government troops in various places do not have the battle strength of our Shunxiang Army, and more cities and commoners will surely suffer. If we do not burn them, they will temporarily have grain, and the nearby commoners might be preserved. Moreover, we could treat this place as our granary. If we lack grain in the future, we can come and take it anytime. If we burn it, it would be a pity."

He hesitated a moment, then said, "And moreover, these storehouses all belong to the powerful magnates of the capital region. Even the Tartars didn't burn them. If we burn them…"

Han Chao shouted, "Old Wen, do you think the Tartars won't plunder just because they have grain? They raid everywhere. Besides supplying their own army's food and drink, they also ship their plunder back to their Tartar dens. You are considerate of the commoners, but they won't be like you."

He shouted further, "Magnates are nothing! They cower before the Tartars like tigers, leaving these storehouses to aid the enemy. So what if we burn them?"

The two argued endlessly, and finally looked at Wang Dou, awaiting his decision.