Chapter 272: Deciding to Leave

Wang Dou did not dwell on the matter. Amid the crowd's consolation, he turned to ask the Garrison Commander Chi Dacheng about Xu Yue'e.

Chi Dacheng said, "I set out for Zanhuang on the second day of the month, but Lady Xu's whereabouts were erratic. Only after many days did I encounter her main force and urge her to serve the court. When I heard that the Xuan-Da troops were besieged at Julu, I pondered repeatedly on a plan to break the siege. We reached the outskirts of Julu two days ago, but the slave rebels were strong and their encirclement thick, so we dared not act rashly. Only today did we seize a good opportunity, yet it was still a step too late..."

At this, he sighed endlessly, shaking his head again and again.

When he had gone to Zanhuang on Wang Dou's orders to recruit Xu Yue'e, he had taken only two attendants and two Night Scouts. He had stayed in Xu Yue'e's stronghold for several days and had thoroughly investigated her affairs.

"In the tenth year of Chongzhen, Xu Yue'e and seven women fled Shunxiang Fort for Baoding Prefecture, then went on to Zhending Prefecture, within Yuanshi territory. They rescued Hu Jinlie, the leader of the Tiger Might Stronghold horse bandits in Zanhuang County, and his party. Grateful for Xu Yue'e's life-saving grace, Hu Jinlie took her as his sworn daughter, and she followed him up the mountain."

"In the months that followed, Xu Yue'e accompanied Hu Jinlie on raids everywhere. Because she fought fiercely and distributed all the wealth and goods she seized among her subordinates, taking not a single coin for herself, her prestige grew daily within the stronghold, and she won the hearts of the bandits. At the end of the tenth year of Chongzhen, Hu Jinlie was gravely wounded in a gang fight with a horse bandit named Yang in Lincheng County and died soon after. His dying words named Xu Yue'e as leader. The stronghold originally had seven minor headmen, all long-time followers of Hu Jinlie, who refused to accept Xu Yue'e as their leader."

"Five days after Hu Jinlie's death, Xu Yue'e invited them to a banquet, laid an ambush, and killed all seven. The bandits submitted in awe and accepted her as leader. After Xu Yue'e took control of Tiger Might Stronghold, she abducted many women to be wives for the bandits. She also imitated Shunxiang Fort by establishing ranks and hierarchy, dividing the stronghold's people into three classes. The first class were battle soldiers: each had armor and a horse, a wife and children. Originally numbering three hundred, they were drilled according to Shunxiang Fort's methods and held the highest status. They received the greatest share of wealth and goods. This unit was personally led by Xu Yue'e and formed her core followers."

"The second class were ordinary soldiers, with varying equipment and family situations. If one proved outstanding in battle and had a wife and children, he could be selected to join the first class. The rest were civilians—refugees who had flocked from various places or abducted people. If they stayed in the stronghold long enough, they could be chosen as soldiers, and their families would be fed and clothed. Thus, in Tiger Might Stronghold, everyone scrambled to become a soldier, and even more eagerly sought to become one of Xu Yue'e's trusted men."

"In early spring of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Xu Yue'e wiped out the Yang horse bandits of Lincheng County. Her power swelled, followers poured in, and her forces reached over a thousand, with five hundred first-class battle soldiers. In the third month of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Xu Yue'e established military laws. She ceased raiding the people within Zhending Prefecture and instead swept through the region exterminating horse bandits, seizing their wealth and grain, earning the praise of local officials and gentry."

"In the fourth month, Xu Yue'e began collecting protection fees in Zanhuang, Lincheng, Yuanshi, Neiqiu, and other places. The local villagers and passing merchants were required to pay a certain amount of grain and wealth to Xu Yue'e's mountain stronghold each year. In exchange, Xu Yue'e promised to shield them from harassment by horse bandits, roving bandits, and even government troops, allowing them to farm and trade in peace."

"Protection fees?"

Wang Dou was momentarily stunned, then heard the Garrison Commander Chi Dacheng continue: "The local authorities intended to exterminate Xu Yue'e's force, but she had numerous strongholds in the Taihang Mountains, and many of the local people acted as her informants. The authorities tried to wipe her out several times, but each time they returned defeated, and so they sought only to pacify her."

"Since the slave rebels invaded this time, Xu Yue'e renamed her force the Slave-Killing Army. They have killed and wounded many slave rebels, their fame has soared, officials and commoners alike hold them in awe, and even more people have flocked to join them. The local populace knows only Xu Yue'e; they barely know the government exists."

Chi Dacheng said, "I went to incorporate them on the General's orders, but Xu Yue'e seemed to have no such intention. I observed that she is extremely shrewd and ambitious, not the sort to willingly serve under another. Even if we forcibly incorporated her, keeping her close would do more harm than good."

Wen Fangliang gave a cold laugh: "What a Miss Xu, making such a splash in Zanhuang. We officers truly underestimated her."

Gao Xun, now officially promoted to Squad Commander, sat in the tent, looking about with pride. After pondering a long while, he cupped his hands toward Wang Dou and said, "General, in my humble opinion, this woman Xu Yue'e must be eliminated. Though her background is tragic, our Shunxiang Fort showed her kindness. She repaid that kindness by learning a full set of skills, then running off to set up her own base outside—a terrible precedent. Our Shunxiang troops are all good, law-abiding people. With her example before them, it's hard to prevent others from harboring different intentions."

The Garrison Commander Chi Dacheng said, "The army values law and discipline above all. According to the current military code of the Shunxiang Army, a deserter, once captured, receives thirty heavy strokes with the military rod, has his land confiscated, and his family expelled from Shunxiang Fort. When I arrived at Tiger Might Stronghold, Xu Yue'e had already publicly received the thirty strokes. To execute her afterward would undermine the fairness of the law."

"By leading her troops to our rescue this time, she has, after all, remembered the bond of old friendship with our Shunxiang Fort and resolved the most critical military situation. This can be considered a balance of grace and duty. Her subordinates follow her lead absolutely. Our Xuan-Da Army is still heavily encircled; any move that affects morale would be unwise, and the two Commanders would not agree to it. Even executing Xu Yue'e afterward would be seen as discarding the donkey after the grinding is done, which would gravely damage the General's reputation."

"Of course, the lesson must not be ignored, and precautions must be taken. There is a loophole in the military code, and for that I am remiss. Upon returning to Shunxiang Fort, I intend to revise the military law: all deserters shall be executed, their land confiscated, and their families sent to labor in the mines of Shunxiang Fort for ten years, as a warning to others."

Wang Dou shook his head: "Xu Yue'e."

He recalled the day he first saw Xu Yue'e at Xingzhuang, the killing of her son, and all the past events at Jingbian Fort and Shunxiang Fort—they seemed to replay vividly before his eyes... After a long pause, Wang Dou said slowly, "The matter of Xu Yue'e shall be handled as Garrison Commander Chi proposed. It will not be raised again."

"Our army has suffered enormous casualties. All officers must properly handle the related aftermath. Tonight, we will reorganize the troops overnight. Any unit short of soldiers will be consolidated into complete general squads. After we return to Shunxiang Fort, we will reorganize again and replenish the ranks."

He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, this is a moment of life and death for our Shunxiang Army. All of you must exert yourselves, unite in purpose, and overcome this crisis together."

A clatter of iron armor rang out as everyone in the tent rose to their feet and shouted, "We follow the General! Unite in purpose, overcome the crisis together!"

Wang Dou's spirit was restored, and the officers present had their anchor once more. It is said that an army burning with grief will be victorious. Although the Shunxiang Army had suffered terribly in this battle and Viceroy Lu had died in combat, it had instead ignited everyone's resolve to share a bitter hatred of the enemy.

That night, Wang Dou went to Yang Guozhu's central command tent, where he would discuss the future fate of the Xuan-Da army with Yang Guozhu, Hu Dawei, and others. With Lu Xiangsheng dead in battle, they had lost their anchor. Everyone was lost and uncertain.

However, among the forces of Xuanfu Garrison, Shanxi Garrison, and the Viceroy's Personal Battalion, Xuanfu Garrison had the most troops, and Yang Guozhu was its Regional Commander. Thus, he was tacitly regarded as the leader, and even Hu Dawei came to Yang Guozhu's tent to discuss matters.

Among the various officers, Wang Dou was also an extremely important figure. Though his military rank was low, his troops were fierce and capable in battle. In terms of fighting strength, his unit was, in a subtle way, the backbone of the entire army.

The key officers from each battalion had arrived. Wang Dou brought Wen Fangliang and the newly appointed Company Commander Zhong Xiancai. On Yang Guozhu's side, his central army personal officer Guo Yingxian and two of his subordinate Company Commanders were present. Hu Dawei also brought two Company Commanders. From the Viceroy's Personal Battalion, only Company Commander Yang Guodong remained. And from the troops of Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan, two Company Commanders also came.

The atmosphere in the tent was gloomy. Not to mention the staggering casualty numbers of each battalion, the mere fact that Lu Xiangsheng had died in battle meant that all survivors shared the blame. Even if Wang Dou, Yang Guozhu, and the others broke out of the encirclement, they had no idea what punishment the court might impose on them later.

In the past, as long as a man had troops in hand, he was safe. But now, alas, each unit had suffered grievous losses. No matter how great their merits, in the eyes of the court officials, the Xuan-Da Army was probably already useless. This was the tragedy of military officers in the late Ming: fight as many losing battles as you like, as long as you have troops, you are credited with merit and not fault, and the court must lavish favors to keep you. Lose your troops, and even winning many battles means nothing.

The casualty figures for each battalion had been tallied. The Viceroy's Personal Battalion, originally eight hundred men, had suffered over five hundred casualties. Yang Guozhu's main Xuanfu Garrison battalion had lost over fourteen hundred men. Hu Dawei's main Shanxi Garrison battalion had lost over thirteen hundred men. Each of the two Regional Commanders had three thousand men in his camp; nearly half were casualties. In particular, their retainers had suffered heavy losses—their units were effectively broken.

Even worse off were the troops of Xuanfu Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan. Of the two thousand men in his camp, over six hundred were casualties, and the commander himself had died in battle. Wang Dou observed in the tent that the two Company Commanders under Zhang Yan were doing their utmost to draw close to Yang Guozhu, and Yang Guozhu, for his part, intended to absorb this force and was lavishly courting the two men.

If Yang Guozhu absorbed Zhang Yan's troops, his strength would be replenished. And in everyone's eyes, the troops Xu Yue'e had brought to their aid were considered part of Wang Dou's force. Though those people were horse bandits, they were still troops, were they not? So, by this reckoning, after the brutal battle, Yang Guozhu and Wang Dou had suffered no net loss of troops and spoke with the loudest voices. Only Hu Dawei was in a miserable position, with nowhere to replenish his forces.

After Lu Xiangsheng's death, the only remaining officer of the Viceroy's Personal Battalion was Company Commander Yang Guodong. He had already made it clear that after the battle, he had no desire to return to Chen Xinjia's Viceroy's Personal Battalion. Although only a little over three hundred men remained in his camp, every single one was a stout fellow fit to serve as an elite retainer. Thus, both Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei were vigorously trying to win him over.

Yang Guodong had not yet decided which camp to join. He intended to wait until Viceroy Lu's funeral affairs were settled before making a decision.

At this moment, the men were discussing the crucial question of whether the Xuan-Da Army should go or stay.

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei favored breaking out of the encirclement and leaving Julu. The others in the tent also voiced their agreement: "We originally waited by the Hao River to coordinate an internal and external strike and crush the main force of the slave rebels in one blow. But we held out for days, and no aid came from the entire realm. Even Gao Qiqian, only a few dozen li away, did not come to our rescue."

"Now that the Viceroy has died for his country and we have suffered such grievous losses, what meaning is there in staying here?"

"Indeed, we have done all that duty and honor require. This war cannot be fought by our Xuan-Da force alone."

Everyone spoke at once, all wanting to leave, but they also worried whether the Qing troops would pursue them during the breakout, leading to total annihilation.

Yang Guozhu said to Wang Dou, "General Wang, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Everyone in the tent greatly valued Wang Dou's opinion. Hearing Yang Guozhu's question, they all fell silent.

Wang Dou had also decided to leave; staying here was pointless. He said, "Commander Yang, Commander Hu, and all you generals. Since the Battle of Julu, our entire Xuan-Da Army has suffered over fifty-six hundred casualties. By my estimate, the slave rebels surrounding us must have suffered over ten thousand casualties as well, of which no fewer than five thousand were armored slave soldiers. The slave rebels are fierce in appearance but brittle within, never shedding their bandit nature. After such heavy losses, I expect they are consumed by internal strife and already stricken with fear. In particular, the two White Banners of the slave chieftain Dorgon must have suffered even greater losses and lack the strength to drive the other slave banners into battle. Now is the perfect moment to break out."

He continued, "Our army still has sufficient provisions. We have several hundred war wagons and numerous cannons. As long as we proceed cautiously, forming a solid wagon camp in the field, I expect the slave rebels will not dare pursue."

He said, "Tomorrow, we will rest and reorganize for a day. If the slave rebels dare not attack our camp, it means their strength is spent and they are powerless, and we can withdraw at our leisure."

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei nodded. Hu Dawei said, "When we withdraw, the entire army can don mourning white. This will serve both to mourn the Viceroy and to present the aspect of a grief-stricken army, giving us greater confidence in the breakout."

Wang Dou said, "An army burning with grief will be victorious—Commander Hu is absolutely right. However, I believe we should keep the Viceroy's death secret for now, to overawe the slave rebels."

Wang Dou's words won the approval of Yang Guozhu and the others. The next key point: after breaking out, where should they retreat to rest and reorganize?

Ever since entering the capital region to reinforce it, the Xuan-Da Army had followed Lu Xiangsheng, but the court had obstructed them at every turn, withholding provisions and pay, and sending no reinforcements. Now that the Xuan-Da Army had suffered so many casualties, they had to be even more wary of other Ming forces harboring ill intentions and trying to swallow up their troops.

Wang Dou said, "Today, Lady Xu came to our aid. Her base is in the mountain strongholds of Zanhuang, on treacherous terrain. We can first go to Zanhuang, rest for a few days, then proceed to Mancheng in Baoding Prefecture. I have stockpiled a large quantity of provisions there, enough to feed the entire army. Then we can go to a certain place in Yizhou, where I have also stored a large amount of provisions. Our army can rest and reorganize while observing how the situation develops, and then make a final decision."

Everyone in the tent nodded, and the matter was thus decided.

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Old White Bull: There will be another chapter tonight. (!)