Chapter 250: The Affair of Xu Yue'e and the Qing Soldiers' Council of War

On the first day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Chongzhen.

Early in the morning, the Xuan-Da camp stirred into commotion. In every battalion, dense rows of carts and mules were readied, prepared to set out for Xingtang.

With provisions secured, matters became easier — it concerned the entire army's food supply. After receiving Wang Dou's news yesterday, Lu Xiangsheng and the others could not wait to escort the grain stores Wang Dou had stockpiled within Xingtang back to camp. The distance from Xingtang to Zhending Prefecture was eighty to ninety li; even with every cart fully loaded, they could return within two or three days.

At this time, the main Qing forces had moved south, and the Xuan-Da army was massed not far from Xingtang. By all reasoning, the likelihood of Qing soldiers intercepting the provisions was small. Nevertheless, Lu Xiangsheng and the others were all cautious. In Wang Dou's army, besides the battalion-level baggage teams and the subordinate units' baggage teams, Wang Dou also had Li Guangheng lead four hundred cavalry to escort them along the way.

In addition to each garrison sending its own auxiliary troops and mules, Lu Xiangsheng further detached four hundred cavalry from his own personal battalion. Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei likewise detached several Company Commander retainers as cavalry, all led by their own central army personal commanders, to ensure the provisions' arrival would be absolutely foolproof.

By this time, the Great Ming had entered the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, and the north wind howled with bone-piercing, bitter cold. The moment one stepped outside, one would shiver uncontrollably from the freeze. Everyone wrapped their heads and faces tightly; any exposed skin, for those who had the means, was coated with thick grease to prevent the wind from cracking it.

The grain escort was mainly overseen by Zhong Diaoyang, the baggage squad commander in Wang Dou's army. He, however, did not swathe his head and face like a zongzi the way the baggage soldiers and auxiliary troops of each battalion did. Wearing iron armor and a large crimson cape tied behind him, he stood in the cold wind letting it blow freely, only exhaling thick white breath as he continuously directed the camp's baggage soldiers to hasten their departure preparations.

Wang Dou said to Zhong Diaoyang and Li Guangheng, "Cousin, Squad Commander Li, I entrust the matter of the provisions to you two."

Zhong Diaoyang replied solemnly, "General, be assured, it will be absolutely foolproof."

Li Guangheng also declared heroically, "Even if the Tartars intercept the supply route, I, your subordinate, will slaughter them until not a scrap of armor remains."

Over on the other side, Regional Commander Yang Guozhu of Xuanfu Garrison was also giving instructions to his central army personal commander, Guo Yingxian. Guo Yingxian grinned broadly and said, "Ha ha, best if some Tartars come, so we can kill to our hearts' content."

Amid shouting men and neighing horses, the baggage carts of each battalion, along with the escorting cavalry, streamed out of the camp in an endless line. Wang Dou, Lu Xiangsheng, and the others saw them all the way to the camp's edge. Though Zhending in winter was bleak, it possessed a kind of desolate beauty. Gazing at the boundless great plain ahead, Lu Xiangsheng, Wang Dou, and the others all hoped their journey would go smoothly.

On the second day, several night scouts galloped into the Shunxiang Army's camp. When Wang Dou received the intelligence handed over by Night Scout Company Commander Wen Daxing, he was in his tent discussing military affairs with his various commanders.

The night scouts in Wang Dou's army routinely ranged several dozen li during marches and several hundred li when reconnoitering — it was commonplace. After receiving this intelligence originating from within Zanhuang, Wang Dou studied it carefully for a long while, his expression seemingly contemplative.

Wen Fangliang probed from the lower seat, "General, what is the matter?"

Wang Dou smiled faintly. "It is the matter of Xu Yue'e, the deserter from Shunxiang Fort back then. There is news of her."

He passed the intelligence to Wen Fangliang to read. Everyone in the tent perked up upon hearing this. In truth, the matter of Xu Yue'e was a hot topic in Shunxiang Fort. Her background was tragic, but after learning skills at Shunxiang Fort, she had deserted and run off to Zanhuang County in Zhending Prefecture to become a mountain bandit chief.

Her circumstances were pitiable, yet the law could not tolerate her actions. Earlier this year, after Wang Dou received word of Xu Yue'e relayed by Han Chao, he had ordered Han Chao to arrest Xu Yue'e, and her subordinates were to be either incorporated or exterminated depending on the situation. Unexpectedly, Xu Yue'e was elusive, and Han Chao and the others could never pinpoint her exact whereabouts, so the matter was left unresolved. No one expected to receive intelligence on Xu Yue'e again now.

Looking at what was written in the intelligence in his hands, Wen Fangliang exclaimed in exaggerated alarm, "Incredible, this little lady is incredible."

Han Zhong snatched the intelligence from his hands, widened his ox-like eyes to scrutinize it, and then clicked his tongue. "This little lady, remarkable indeed!"

The men in the tent passed it around to read, and all clicked their tongues in amazement.

The intelligence stated that Xu Yue'e had already renamed her mounted bandit force the "Slave-Slaying Army" and had clashed several times with marauding Qing soldiers within the county, beheading nearly two hundred. The entire Zanhuang area was astir, and everyone spread the news. Upon receiving the reports, the local government offices expressed interest in incorporating Xu Yue'e's entire force, offering high rank and generous pay. The local county magistrate and the guard battalion officers even visited in person, but Xu Yue'e was not swayed.

The intelligence also gathered some secret reports, stating that Xu Yue'e exploited her cavalry and her familiarity with the local terrain to frequently ambush and raid small Qing detachments. Her footprints covered the areas of Yuanshi, Gaoyi, and Lincheng, with abundant results. Among the captured prisoners, many had been flayed alive. The "Slave-Slaying Army" also had a bizarre method of torture: using the matchcord of a bird gun to slowly saw off the lower legs of Qing prisoners — it could only be called horrifying to hear.

The "Slave-Slaying Army" did not want heads. After torturing the Qing soldiers to death, they nailed them to large trees as a public display and carved the three blood-dripping characters "Xu Yue'e" onto their chests and bellies. Some of the bolder local government troops thus found an extra way to make a living: they would search for the dead Qing soldiers' corpses in various places, then chop off the heads to go back and claim merit. These were genuine, hard-earned Tartar heads — chopping off a few could lead to promotion and riches.

Therefore, Xu Yue'e and her people enjoyed an excellent reputation among the local government troops. Of course, those government troops did not dare touch the Qing soldiers' corpses and still left them hanging on the trees. Otherwise, if the "Slave-Slaying Army" turned its wrath on them, they would be the ones whose heads were wanted.

Capable in battle and ruthless in her methods, Xu Yue'e had become a figure both revered and feared in the Zanhuang County area. The name "Lady Xu" spread far and wide; her word was law, and she was very much a local hegemon.

"Hmph!"

The intelligence reached the hands of Garrison Disciplinary Officer Chi Dacheng. After reading it carefully, he let out a heavy snort, instantly halting everyone's excited discussion and whispered chatter.

Chi Dacheng said coldly, "She learned skills from our Baoan Prefecture, yet ran off to become a mountain bandit chief outside, flaunting her might. What kind of decorum is this?"

Wen Fangliang said with a mischievous grin, "Disciplinary Officer Chi, Young Lady Xu can also be considered a person of bitter fate. For a weak woman to achieve this step is very rare."

Everyone in the tent voiced their agreement.

Chi Dacheng still said icily, "Military discipline and law are as unyielding as a mountain. In our Baoan Prefecture, whether man or woman, all must strictly observe military law. If everyone followed Xu Yue'e's example and deserted after learning skills, how could our Baoan Prefecture maintain an army?"

Wen Fangliang laughed awkwardly and said no more. This Chi Dacheng was known throughout Shunxiang Fort for being rigid; arguing with him was only asking for trouble.

Wang Dou remained silent for a long moment, then said, "Disciplinary Officer Chi, according to our Baoan Prefecture military discipline, how should Xu Yue'e be punished?"

Chi Dacheng answered without hesitation, "She is to be arrested and brought back, severely punished with thirty military rods, her land confiscated, and her entire family expelled from the territory of Baoan Prefecture."

At this point, he paused blankly, and everyone else also suddenly realized that there seemed to be a loophole here — the relevant military law articles apparently did not punish Xu Yue'e's situation forcefully enough.

Chi Dacheng solemnly saluted Wang Dou and said, "General, our Baoan Prefecture's military discipline and laws quite require additions and amendments. This is your subordinate's dereliction of duty. After the campaign, upon returning to Baoan Prefecture, this humble officer will promptly supplement them."

Wang Dou nodded slowly, then looked around at everyone. "Xu Yue'e was once a deserter from our Shunxiang Fort. According to our Baoan Prefecture military laws and discipline, she must face the relevant punishment. As for the many slave-slaying warriors under her command, I intend to incorporate them. Who is willing to go?"

Chi Dacheng rose and said, "This humble officer is willing to go."

Wang Dou nodded. "Good, Disciplinary Officer Chi, I entrust this matter to you."

Chi Dacheng gave a solemn salute, then sat down ramrod straight.

Many in the tent looked at him with concern. This old fellow was rigid and inflexible. They feared that once he reached Xu Yue'e's stronghold and, in front of her subordinates, demanded to beat Xu Yue'e with military rods, he would be torn to shreds by a pack of ferocious mounted bandits.

That very afternoon of the second day, Hengshui.

Around the city, Qing army tents were densely packed, with banners of every color fluttering. Even within Hengshui city itself, the banner of the Qing soldiers' Plain White Banner flew.

Since the eleventh month, the Qing army had successively captured cities such as Hengshui, Wuyi, Zaoqiang, Julu, Jize, Yuanshi, and Lincheng. Their military edge had already spread throughout Zhending Prefecture, Shunde Prefecture, Guangping Prefecture, and other places. Countless commoners' homes had been destroyed, and their children and valuables plundered.

The original Great Ming Hengshui department office was now planted with an enormous gold-embroidered dragon banner. Inside the spacious main hall sat Qing generals clad in gilt armor. With their helmets removed, all revealed shaved, bluish-bright foreheads and scalps, and each swung a slender queue of the pigtail style from the back of their heads.

Dense ranks of Plain White Banner bayara soldiers in mercury-bright armor patrolled outside the hall. From within the great hall came wave after wave of loud speech. Those words, of course, would be incomprehensible to Ming commoners, for they spoke entirely in the Manchu language — a tongue of the Altaic language family, originating from the Mongols and transmitted from the western peoples, completely different from the language and script of the Central Plains Han people, and equally different from the Han-style square script of the Northern Song Jurchens.

Among the assembled Qing generals, the Plain White Banner lord and General Fengming Dorgon, and the Plain Red Banner lord and General Yangwu Yoto sat at the head on either side. On the left side below them sat the lords of the Eight Banner Manchu banners: the Bordered White Banner lord Dodo, the Bordered Red Banner lord Dudu, the Bordered Blue Banner lord Jirgalang, and others, seated proudly. On the right side below them sat the lords of the Eight Banner Mongol banners.

"Our Great Qing soldiers sweep all before them. In the two months since entering the pass, we have penetrated a thousand li deep, seized scores of Ming prefectures and counties, killed over a hundred Ming officers above the rank of garrison commander and company commander, and captured hundreds of thousands of people and goods. Such a great victory — since the first year of Chongde, our Great Qing warriors can once again return laden with plunder."

The speaker was Dorgon, and his words drew a chorus of howls from the Qing generals present.

Yoto, seated to Dorgon's right, also smiled reservedly. And Jirgalang, the Bordered Blue Banner lord seated below, considering himself senior in years and experience, naturally could not show the same glee as the young whelps present; he too gently stroked his rat-like whiskers and nodded slowly.

"While this great victory lasts, our Great Qing warriors must summon their remaining valor, continue south, then sweep into Shandong and breach Jinan!"

Dorgon's words again elated the crowd.

Then Dorgon's next words quieted everyone: "What is worrisome is that the Ming Minister of War, Lu Xiangsheng, has already led his army south. Likewise, the Ming army supervisor Gao Qiqian has also led tens of thousands of Guan-Ning troops and concentrated at Zhending Prefecture city."

"Gao Qiqian is not worth worrying about, but Lu Xiangsheng is rather adept at warfare, and under his command is the Ming general Wang Dou..."

A dead silence filled the hall. Wang Dou had repeatedly shattered the Eight Banner Manchu Bordered White Banner and Bordered Red Banner, and also two Eight Banner Mongol banners, beating those banners until their tendons snapped and bones broke, their vitality severely damaged, and leaving the remaining banners chilled with fear. Even last month, when Lu Xiangsheng and Wang Dou led their troops to Gaoyang, even Dorgon dared not challenge their edge and took the initiative to avoid them.