Chapter 252: Julu

When Wang Dou summoned Gao Xun to speak with him, Gao Xun’s face was full of excitement. He strode forward, pushed aside the golden mountain and toppled the jade pillar, and in a clear voice prostrated himself before Wang Dou: “Your subordinate, Gao Xun, Officer of Team C, Second Company, First Battalion, Bao’an Prefecture, pays his respects to the General.”

All the military stalwarts behind him prostrated themselves as well. Apart from the old soldiers originally from Bao’an Prefecture, the rest of these stalwarts had long heard the old soldiers’ reverent praise of Bao’an Prefecture Mobile Corps Commander General Wang Dou back at the grain stockade in Xingtang County, and they also knew that their own wives and children had been sent to live under this general’s governance. Now that they could pay their respects, every one of them was stirred with excitement.

Among that small group of soldiers, the man surnamed Yang, Yang Shiqi, also prostrated himself along with them. Over these past few months, he had come to revere Gao Xun as a deity, worshipping him with true sincerity. Now, seeing this man who could summon wind and rain within the borders of Xingtang behave with such utter deference before that general, he could not help but secretly click his tongue in astonishment.

He stole a glance at Wang Dou. This great figure whose name was on everyone’s lips was very young, not yet thirty. His tall, powerful frame was clad in a suit of incomparably fine armor. Every plate gleamed brightly — it was actually a very rare suit of steel armor. He wore a wind-cloak and a great mantle, and at his waist hung a sharp sword of black gold. Though his face bore an amiable smile, his every gesture and movement carried an imposing dignity that made one instinctively yield in admiration and submission.

The helmeted and armored officers flanking behind him were each one majestic, all clad in fine iron armor, wearing great crimson wind-cloaks, their bearing dignified and commanding. These men clustered around Wang Dou, like a host of stars surrounding the moon.

Yang Shiqi had by now heard that after the Mobile Corps Commander’s string of great victories, he had received commendation from the Emperor that was circulated throughout the three armies, and that the suit of armor and the treasured sword on his person were gifts bestowed by His Majesty. Thinking of this, Yang Shiqi shot a fierce glance at the armor on Wang Dou’s body and involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. At the same time, his heart surged with excitement — serving under such a general, achieving merit and establishing a career in the future would be a trivial matter.

Wang Dou smiled as he helped Gao Xun up: “Squad Commander Gao, you have toiled hard. Rise.”

A warm current surged through Gao Xun’s heart. He said loudly, “Your subordinate has not toiled. Your subordinate thanks the General.”

He rose to his feet and again stood ramrod straight.

The armor plates clanked and rang. All the military stalwarts behind him said in unison, “We thank the General.”

They all rose to their feet as well, still every one of them standing in neat, solemn order.

Lu Xiangsheng’s eyes lit up. These several hundred military stalwarts were all stout fellows, and they were drilled to such strict discipline. And that handsome, gallant officer, tall and standing like jade, could be called a talent of outstanding quality.

He asked Wang Dou, “General Wang, who are these soldiers?”

Wang Dou smiled slightly. “In reply to the Viceroy, after your subordinate stored grain in Zhending Prefecture, he left behind one company of soldiers to garrison it, and also selected several hundred refugees to drill… This is the garrison Squad Commander, Gao Xun.”

“Gao Xun, quickly come and pay your respects to Viceroy Lu, and also to Military Commander Yang.”

Gao Xun was overjoyed. The Mobile Corps Commander thought so highly of him as to personally introduce him to Viceroy Lu and Regional Commander Yang. He strode forward and paid his respects to the two men with steady composure.

Lu Xiangsheng was extremely pleased. After he had Gao Xun rise, he looked him up and down and sighed, “Truly a stout fellow.”

He also looked at the four hundred stalwarts standing in solemn order and praised, “All of them are fine soldiers.”

Though he did not know how their combat skills were, judging by their military bearing alone, after experiencing a few bloody battles, many qualified, fierce soldiers would surely emerge from among them.

Then he glanced at Wang Dou with a puzzled look. “This stalwart man holds only the post of a Squad Commander?”

Wang Dou smiled slightly. “Once Squad Commander Gao has established military merit, your subordinate will give him a promotion.”

Lu Xiangsheng shook his head speechlessly. In the eyes of Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and the others, a look of wasting heavenly treasure appeared. A talent like Gao Xun, if placed in any of their armies, would at least hold a military post like Squad Commander or Company Commander. In Wang Dou’s army, he was merely a minor Squad Commander.

At the same time, each of them also sighed with emotion. Wang Dou’s planning ran so deep — not only did he store grain everywhere as if with foreknowledge, promptly making up for the army’s shortage of provisions, but he also had so many talented men under his command. A mere Squad Commander could actually drill soldiers to such strict discipline. One could see the whole leopard through a single spot; the depth of Wang Dou’s hidden power…

…

Everyone happily entered the camp. With grain and fodder secured, the officers and men had no worries and could set their minds at ease to kill the enemy. Moreover, this grain and fodder had been stored and transported here by Xuanfu Garrison Mobile Corps Commander General Wang Dou. Besides being moved and grateful, the officers and men of every battalion also engaged in a great deal of discussion about all the inconceivable aspects of Wang Dou.

The distribution of grain and fodder was presided over by Lu Xiangsheng; Wang Dou raised no objection. By the time the grain and fodder were divided, it was already noon. The various commanders, their stomachs growling with hunger, took their meal right there in Lu Xiangsheng’s central army tent. With ample provisions and the battle situation looking favorable, everyone was in a great uproar of jubilation.

After the midday meal, Wang Dou returned to his own camp. Gao Xun and the four hundred newly arrived soldiers had long since been properly settled by Battalion Logistics Officer Zhong Diaoyang, who had also distributed new armor and tents to them. After the string of great victories, Wang Dou had seized as many as three thousand suits of various kinds of armor from the Qing troops, as well as a great quantity of various tents and other baggage.

So these several companies of new troops each received at least one tent per squad, and every man got a suit of armor — either iron armor or cotton armor inlaid with iron plates. Having been issued tents and armor, these new troops were all delighted, each man reluctant to put his down. Of course, since several hundred men in Wang Dou’s army were already wearing captured enemy armor, outsiders who did not look at their banners might well mistake them for Tartar soldiers. With a great enemy before them, Wang Dou could not bother about such things; having armor to wear was always better than having none.

After the new troops arrived, what came next was to face brutal warfare. Although these new troops from within Xingtang’s borders had, after their training, been led by Gao Xun in several bandit-suppression battles, now that they were to face Tartar soldiers as fierce as wolves and tigers, many of them could not help feeling uneasy at heart. However, with so many ever-victorious veteran brothers in the army, and seeing how every one of them treated the Tartars with utter disdain, each man’s heart was at least somewhat steadier.

Wang Dou had Gao Xun temporarily placed under the direct command of his own central army. After settling his camp, he again summoned Gao Xun to his central army tent to speak with him.

“When Company Commander Han ordered your subordinate to stay behind as garrison, he left behind several hundred captured swords and spears, one hundred firelocks, a quantity of powder and shot, and also said that your subordinate could draw five hundred dan of grain and rice from the stores. With these provisions and weapons, your subordinate then drilled the three hundred able-bodied men left as garrison in the Xingtang stockade. Fortunately, I did not disgrace your command and have drilled them into some semblance of order.”

Gao Xun continued respectfully, “After several months of drilling, your subordinate led the new troops to suppress and exterminate bandits in Xingtang, Lingshou, Xinle, Quyang, and other places, broke into several stockades, and replenished the grain and rice for consumption. In all, I did not cause any delay to the General’s great affairs.”

Wang Dou nodded repeatedly as he listened. It was evident that Gao Xun was a man of talent. The several hundred officers and men under him had been drilled and organized by him in perfect order. Once these trained new troops had fought a few more battles with the Qing soldiers, many among his subordinates could become qualified soldiers.

Since setting out on this campaign, his own subordinates had suffered no small losses, with over two hundred casualties in total. Fortunately, with a steady stream of troop reinforcements, his subordinate force had been able to maintain the organizational integrity it had before the expedition. Now, with Gao Xun’s addition, the officers and men under his command had increased rather than decreased.

He pondered in silence for a long moment, then said, “From the soldiers under your command, take one company’s worth of men to replenish the various units. The remaining men shall be counted as one battalion.”

He looked at Gao Xun and said, “The Battalion Supervisor and Battalion Counselor for your battalion will be appointed by me in due course. Gao Xun, you shall temporarily serve as the probationary Battalion Commander of this battalion, still under the command of Company Commander Han Chao. All company officers under this battalion shall also hold probationary posts. After military merit is established, I shall then convert your ranks from acting to full.”

In the Bao’an Prefecture army, one battalion had four companies, and three battalions formed a regiment. After Gao Xun’s new battalion was established, Han Chao would have four Squad Commanders under him. Now that Bao’an Prefecture was training and organizing many new troops, perhaps after returning from the war, many Company Commanders would need to have new Squad Commanders added under their command.

Hearing Wang Dou’s words, Gao Xun could not suppress the excitement in his heart. He said in a ringing voice, “Your subordinate thanks the General for his generous favor. Your subordinate will surely devote himself with all his heart and strength to repay the General’s great kindness and tremendous benevolence.”

As he said this, he again kowtowed heavily, and hot tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

The expressions of the various people in the tent were all different; many were sighing with emotion at Gao Xun’s official fortune.

After Wang Dou helped Gao Xun to his feet, Gao Xun respectfully withdrew and stood at the very lowest position on the right side of the great tent. He knew that competition within the Shunxiang Army was fierce and promotion was quite difficult. Having only just come to the Shunxiang Army and yet so quickly being promoted to the probationary post of Squad Commander, many people must surely be envious at heart. He was not like Li Guangheng of the central army division, whose son-in-law was Company Commander Han Zhong, who was himself a hereditary Company Commander of Bao’an Prefecture, and who, moreover, had done meritorious work in training cavalry — no one would say anything about him being appointed Squad Commander. But as for himself…

Gao Xun secretly swore that he would certainly fight hard, establish much military merit, and stop the mouths of all those gossips. He would let everyone know that his appointment as Squad Commander was fully deserved. On the surface he was composed, but inside, wave after wave of excitement surged, and his hands clenched tightly into fists.

…

The transport of a large quantity of grain and fodder into the Xuan-Da camp, with men shouting and horses neighing, could not be concealed from the Guan-Ning camp not far away, still less from Gao Qiqian and the others within Zhending city.

“What? A large quantity of grain and fodder has been transported into Lu Xiangsheng’s camp?”

Gao Qiqian abruptly shot to his feet and stared fixedly at the man reporting before him.

That man said, “In reply to the Director General, your slave’s information is absolutely true. The carts and mules transporting their grain and fodder are numerous. Your slaves made a rough estimate; the grain and fodder they transported amounts to several thousand dan. We calculate that, together with what remains in Lu Xiangsheng’s camp, that grain and fodder is sufficient to feed them for over a month.”

Gao Qiqian could not believe it. “Where did they buy grain?”

He knew very well that the various officials of Baoding Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture, having fathomed the intentions of Senior Grand Secretary Yang and himself, had all refused to supply grain to Lu Xiangsheng’s forces. The stored grain of every prefectural circuit had been entirely requisitioned and was uniformly allocated by Gao Qiqian; even the commercial grain shops and rice stores in every city were treated the same. The great cities were like this, and as for the towns, villages, and forts outside the cities — with the chaos of war and the desolation of the populace, needless to say, Gao Qiqian was certain that even if Lu Xiangsheng had silver, he could not buy grain and fodder. He never imagined…

That man said, “In reply to the Director General, Lu Xiangsheng’s grain and fodder was not bought, but transported from the direction of Xingtang. Your slaves have scouted and heard that it seems Wang Dou, the Mobile Corps Commander General of Xuanfu Garrison, stored a batch of grain there very early on.”

Gao Qiqian’s face flickered between shadow and light. “Wang Dou…”

…

On the fourth day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, amid the farewells of the common people of Zhending Prefecture, Lu Xiangsheng led the Xuan-Da officers and men in a vow ceremony and marched south. Over ten thousand officers and men advanced in a mighty torrent, passing through Luancheng, Zhaozhou, Ningjin, Longping, and other places. Any Qing soldiers they encountered all avoided their sharp edge. The Qing men who had been attacking and plundering cities along the route likewise, upon receiving military intelligence several days in advance, voluntarily retreated and moved aside. Lu Xiangsheng’s, Wang Dou’s, and the other forces marched south all the way without a single battle along the route; those Qing armies had the very flavor of scattering at the mere rumor of their approach.

On the fifth day, Gao Qiqian also led the grand army south. They, however, marched south via the southwestern route through Zanhuang, Gaoyi, Lincheng, and other places, and likewise encountered no resistance whatsoever. All the cities occupied by Qing troops were completely abandoned. The Guan-Ning grand army smoothly recovered many cities. Gao Qiqian swelled with pride and sent one victory report after another to the capital.

Yet an uneasy feeling surged in Wang Dou’s heart. Those Qing soldiers would not be so cowardly and afraid as to be incapable of fighting.

On the eighth day, the Xuan-Da army entered Julu. Infinite emotion welled up in Wang Dou’s heart. Julu…

Near noon that day, the ten-thousand-strong army passed by Julu County. The county seat had long since been burned to the ground by the Qing troops; it was utterly empty and ruined beyond compare. All the wells within the city had also been completely blocked up, making it impossible to rest or pitch camp there at all. The great army marched several more li southward. Just as they were about to halt in the open wilderness to light fires, cook food, and take a brief rest, Wang Dou received several batches of scouting intelligence from the night scouts.

After reading the intelligence in his hands, Wang Dou’s expression was grave. He hurriedly rushed to Lu Xiangsheng’s side. “Viceroy, have you not sensed that in recent days, the slave-thief scouts spying around our great army have grown more and more numerous? We can advance south no further.”