Chapter 278: Willing to Lead Troops at His Side to Follow and Slay the Slaves

"My two lords, this is a golden opportunity that comes once in a thousand years. If we win at Zhuozhou, the court and the people will be stirred, and our Xuan–Da Army can openly and honorably return to the field. Moreover… at Zhuozhou the slaves have hoarded vast stores of wealth, livestock, and goods. If we seize them, we can restore and replenish our depleted military strength…"

After Wang Dou carefully discussed the matter with his subordinate officers and dispatched night scouts to rush to Baoanzhou, he immediately went to find Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei.

For Wang Dou, the battle at Zhuozhou had to be fought. Not only did he need this victory, but the grain and rice stored in Baoanzhou could only last until early next year. With this silver and grain, he could take things easy for several years. And the more than one hundred thousand people he had taken could also strengthen his own power. After this victory, his power would be fully formed, and no one under Heaven could restrain him.

Wang Dou's purpose in drawing Yang Guozhu and the other man in was simply to form an interest group for mutual support—after all, the two of them were Regional Commanders of two garrisons. If they refused, he would act alone.

Hearing Wang Dou's words, Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei were also astonished. The two old generals exchanged a glance, and Yang Guozhu said, "Guoqin, is the intelligence you have gathered reliable? Are the Eastern slaves at Zhuozhou and Tongzhou really holding only a single banner's worth of troops from the Plain Red Banner?"

Wang Dou said, "Absolutely true. This is intelligence gathered by my humble night scouts. The slave chieftain Yoto is stricken with plague and unable to take the field, so he has led his Plain Red Banner troops to hold those two places. According to intelligence estimates, after the Plain Red Banner's losses at Julu, their armored slave soldiers should number no more than three thousand, their unarmored banner men no more than four thousand. The remaining ten thousand-odd Eastern slave auxiliaries are not worth worrying about. They must also split their forces to hold two locations, making their strength even thinner."

Wang Dou said, "Our Xuan–Da Army can attack Zhuozhou. If the slave bandits at Tongzhou come to relieve them, our army waits at ease for the weary enemy, besieging one point to strike the reinforcements. If they do not come to the rescue, our army will destroy the enemy at Zhuozhou in one breath and take all their people and wealth. Dorgon and the other slave troops are far away in Shandong, a thousand li distant—too far to rescue in time. By the time they arrive, our army will have long since returned in victory."

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei exchanged another glance; both were tempted. If this battle succeeded, the prospects would be incomparably bright. The events of this campaign had deeply shaken the two men. Without wealth to return and replenish their military strength, they feared they would have no standing left at court whatsoever.

Historically, after Lu Xiangsheng's death, Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei had nearly been executed. Only because Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting pleaded for them did they narrowly escape with their lives. As Regional Commanders of their garrisons, they knew the inner workings and myriad corruptions of the Great Ming inside out. Relying on the grain and pay disbursed by the court to build up their military strength was utterly impossible. Now a fine opportunity lay before them—they could not help but be tempted.

Yang Guozhu hesitated slightly. "After this victory, those people and that wealth…"

Wang Dou silently praised him. Before the fighting had even begun, Yang Guozhu was already thinking about the distribution of spoils. A man who could rise to Regional Commander indeed had some real skill.

Wang Dou said, "According to intelligence estimates, the gold, silver, jewels, and bolts of silk the Eastern slaves have plundered at Zhuozhou alone amount to several hundred thousand, even over a million taels. I will leave all of this silver entirely to you two lords. I only want the people, the grain, and the livestock."

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei were somewhat surprised. To them, livestock was unimportant—they did not farm military colonies, and selling off cattle and sheep would take considerable effort. Grain was extremely difficult to transport back to their garrison cities. As for people—what would they do with them? Several tens of thousands more mouths to feed?

So in their minds, the silver among the spoils ranked first, and they naturally assumed Wang Dou felt the same. Who did not love money? They had not expected Wang Dou to be utterly unmoved, casually tossing aside all that gleaming silver in a single breath. What was he thinking deep down…

Yang Guozhu smiled faintly. "That won't do. At the very least, we must leave Guoqin thirty percent."

Wang Dou thanked him. Silver was not very important to him now, though he still needed some. Thinking of the rich spoils, both Regional Commanders grew excited. They calculated that after greasing the palms of everyone at court, each of them would still get several hundred thousand taels of silver. With that, they could go back and raise a large body of troops.

Hu Dawei thought a bit further. He said, "Although the main Eastern slave force has gone to Shandong, against the slaves holding those two prefectures, our Xuan–Da Army's strength seems somewhat insufficient…"

After the Battle of Julu, Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei had each suffered over a thousand casualties in their camps, with nearly a thousand dead in each. During these days of rest and reorganization at Zanhuang, Hu Dawei had reorganized fifteen hundred men. After absorbing Zhang Yan's troops, Yang Guozhu had reorganized three thousand men—all cavalry.

After Wang Dou's army was reorganized, all the baggage troops had been absorbed into the combat companies, giving him over seventeen hundred men. The Supervisory Battalion also retained three hundred men.

In addition, each man's camp still had several hundred wounded, both serious and light. Once their injuries healed, they would be the backbone of combat in the army. So none of them were willing to lightly abandon these wounded. Naturally, they needed quiet recuperation. In this bitter cold, they could not possibly accompany the army, still less take the field to fight.

Thus the Xuan–Da side estimated their strength at only sixty-five hundred men. Even counting Xu Yue'e's unit, it was just over seven thousand. Facing Yoto's five to six thousand banner men, plus the ten thousand-odd auxiliaries within their banners… although the Xuan–Da Army now felt no fear whatsoever against the Qing troops, Yang Guozhu and the other man were still unwilling to once again fight their own forces to the last man.

Regarding their worries, Wang Dou pondered for a long while, then said, "At Baoanzhou, I still have five thousand troops. I can deploy them all. In terms of troop strength, the two lords need not worry."

Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei were greatly startled. Yang Guozhu said, "Guoqin, are you saying that at Baoanzhou you still have five thousand troops as formidable as the ones under your command?"

Wang Dou shook his head. "Their combat strength is somewhat inferior, but following behind the main army to kill the enemy will be no problem."

The two men were shocked and uncertain, staring at Wang Dou again and again.

But since Wang Dou said so, the two men were reassured. A heaven-sent temptation lay before them, and neither Yang Guozhu nor Hu Dawei was willing to let it slip by.

Thereupon the three men discussed the matter in detail. From Zanhuang to Yizhou and beyond was over six hundred li. The army had a great deal of baggage; if it accompanied the march, it would greatly slow their speed. The moment was fleeting and must be seized. Every minute counted. Wang Dou also needed to reach Yizhou to reorganize several thousand new troops. So the three agreed that Wang Dou and Yang Guozhu would travel light first, taking only a few days' dry rations and campaign tents. Then Hu Dawei and the Supervisory Battalion would escort the camp's baggage, cannons, war wagons, and the like, following behind.

The wounded would remain at Zanhuang to recuperate. Once their injuries healed, they would be summoned back. The army's grain and fodder were already running low, but Wang Dou still had several thousand dan of grain stored somewhere in Mancheng, Baoanzhou. When Wang Dou reached Baoding Prefecture, he would send orders to the Yi Unit troops guarding the grain stockade at Mancheng, instructing them to hand over the grain stored there to Hu Dawei for transport.

Wang Dou also had large stores of grain and fodder cached at Laishui. Wang Dou had already sent orders for the new troops from Baoanzhou to come without carrying grain, which would greatly speed their departure. Barring the unexpected, by the time Wang Dou and the others reached Yizhou, Han Chao would already be waiting there with the troops.

It was estimated that Hu Dawei, marching with the grain and baggage, could only cover fifty or sixty li a day. Wang Dou and Yang Guozhu would cover a hundred li a day. During those few days' gap, Wang Dou could finish reorganizing the entire army. Once Hu Dawei and the others caught up, the whole army would assemble and launch a thunderous attack on the enemy at Zhuozhou.

Wang Dou's planning was methodical and flawless. Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei could find no fault with it and could only express their approval.

After Wang Dou left, Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei looked at each other in silence.

After a long while, Yang Guozhu sighed. "I never imagined Wang Dou's ambition was so great. In the past, with Viceroy Lu present, he still… but now…"

Hu Dawei also sighed deeply. "The depth of Wang Dou's planning is terrifying. He has grain stored in many places across Baoding Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture, as if he foresaw this battle long ago. And he cares nothing for silver or money—what does he want?"

…

Once the battle plan was settled, the Xuan–Da Army bustled with activity. The date was set: the entire army would move out tomorrow morning.

Before departing, Wang Dou went to the stockade's mourning hall to pay respects before Lu Xiangsheng's coffin. Ever since the Xuan–Da Army had left Julu and reached Longping, they had procured a fine coffin for Lu Xiangsheng and laid him to rest within it. At the same time, Wang Dou had also obtained several coffins and likewise laid Han Zhong, Yang Tong, and the others properly to rest. Their mourning halls were now set up in the adjacent rooms, and every day officers and men of the Shunxiang Army came to pay their respects.

After Wang Dou burned incense for Lu Xiangsheng, he gazed at his coffin, lost in thought for a long time. He hoped that after a great victory at Zhuozhou, the court and the people would be stirred, and then he could escort Lu Xiangsheng's coffin into the capital, letting the whole city mourn and restoring to Lu Xiangsheng the honor he deserved.

He stood silently for a long while, praying in his heart: "Viceroy, may your spirit in Heaven protect this battle and grant us a great victory."

As Wang Dou stood in silence, several officers of the Supervisory Battalion also stood solemnly to the side. Led by Yang Guodong, they were all dressed in mourning white, returning the salute to everyone who entered to burn incense and pay respects. Wang Dou walked out of the mourning hall. Footsteps sounded; someone followed him out and said in a low voice, "General, please wait a moment."

Wang Dou turned back. It was Yang Guodong, the Company Commander of the Supervisory Battalion. His eyes were red, his expression haggard.

Ever since Lu Xiangsheng had died in battle, he had wept every day, and his sturdy frame had grown noticeably thinner. Historically, after Lu Xiangsheng died in battle, Yang Guodong wrote a battle report truthfully recounting the facts of the Battle of Julu. Yang Sichang demanded he change it; Yang Guodong resolutely refused to alter a single word. In the end, Yang Sichang found an excuse to eliminate him. He was a man of both loyalty and righteousness.

Wang Dou also held Yang Guodong in considerable respect. He said, "So it is Company Commander Yang. May I ask what important matter you have?"

Yang Guodong stepped forward and gave Wang Dou a deep bow. "General, you came a thousand li to our aid, not fearing to throw yourself into mortal danger. Your loyal and righteous heart fills me with boundless gratitude and admiration. I have already discussed this with the brothers in the camp. Once the Viceroy's funeral affairs are settled, I and the brothers of the camp will go to Baoanzhou. I hope the General will take us in."

Wang Dou was overjoyed. He personally helped Yang Guodong up. "I am grateful for Company Commander Yang's allegiance. I, Wang Dou, will certainly treat you well."

…

After making this agreement with Yang Guodong, Wang Dou went again to the mourning halls of Han Zhong and Yang Tong to burn incense. Looking at their coffins, scenes from the past appeared before his eyes one after another.

He stood silently for a long while, then went to visit the wounded of the army, serious and light. In this campaign, the Shunxiang Army had over seven hundred wounded, serious and light. But from Julu to Zanhuang, more than two hundred had died one after another. The condition of the remainder had stabilized, and they had hope of full recovery.

Still, Wang Dou dared not be careless and had these men remain at Zanhuang to recover in peace. They were now settled inside Xu Le's stockade. The wounded officers and men of Yang Guozhu's and Hu Dawei's armies were likewise settled there. Xu Yue'e had already assured Wang Dou and the others that even after the Xuan–Da Army departed, she would arrange for the women and children of the various stockades to take good care of these men.

After being wounded, Xie Yike and Zhong Diaoyang also remained in the stockade to recover, staying in the same room. They already knew that Wang Dou was going to lead the army to attack Zhuozhou. Xie Yike said, "Brother-in-law, I want to go with you."

Zhong Diaoyang also said, "General, my wounds are not a problem. I can accompany the army."

Wang Dou shook his head. "Yike, Cousin, your injuries cannot endure the hardship of a long march. I have already lost Brother Han and Brother Yang; I do not wish to lose you as well. Stay here at ease and recover. Once your wounds are fully healed, then lead the brothers back to Baoanzhou."

The two wanted to say more, but Wang Dou frowned and barked, "Do you two dare disobey orders?"

The two could only obediently accept the order.

Wang Dou left the room and stood on the stockade wall, gazing out. The cold wind was biting and bone-piercing. Wang Dou stood motionless, concentrating, looking only downstream along the river. There, densely packed, were the army's campaign tents. Under the setting sun, wisps of cooking smoke rose from each camp; a hubbub of noise filled the air.

Looking upstream along the river, the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard. On both banks were villages and stockades—the villagers and refugees from various places that Xu Yue'e had taken in. Wang Dou was gazing absently when he heard a woman's voice behind him: "General."

Wang Dou turned his head. It was Xu Yue'e looking at him. She stood there, still wearing her leather armor and a wind cloak. The cold wind from time to time blew strands of her hair. Seeing Wang Dou look at her, she instinctively lowered her head, then raised it again to look at Wang Dou. "The General leaves tomorrow?"

Wang Dou nodded. "Lady Xu, these days I have been much obliged for your generous hospitality."

He looked at Xu Yue'e's pretty face. That face had grown much more resolute, its charm even stronger, her eyes sharper. From her gaze, Wang Dou could sense the unruliness deep within her. Yet when her eyes met his, she still could not help but evade them—clearly, the awe he had instilled in her heart still weighed heavily.

Wang Dou pondered for a long while, then said, "You and I were once neighbors in the same village, and we once served together in the same military fort. Before Wang departs, I have a few words to say to you."

Xu Yue'e said, "General, please speak."

Wang Dou said, "I know your ambitions are great, and I do not wish to inquire into what you do. However, there are two points you must strictly remember. First, you must not defect to the slaves. Second, you must not surrender to Li Chuang and those bandits. Otherwise, I, Wang Dou, will surely take your head."

Xu Yue'e trembled all over and prostrated herself on the ground. "Yue'e will remember."

Wang Dou gazed at her for a long time, then slowly raised his hand. "Lady Xu, please rise."

Xu Yue'e kowtowed several times to Wang Dou, then raised her head to look at him, her expression resolute. "In this campaign the General undertakes, Yue'e is willing to lead troops by your side and follow you in killing the slaves."

Wang Dou frowned. "Who told you this news?"

Xu Yue'e said, "Was it my adoptive father?"

Wang Dou said, "Which adoptive father?"

A trace of pride entered Xu Yue'e's tone. "The Regional Commander of Xuanfu Garrison, Military Governor Yang."

Wang Dou was greatly startled. He turned his head and saw Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei standing not far from his side. Wang Dou hurried over to pay his respects.

Yang Guozhu bade Wang Dou dispense with formalities, then looked at Xu Yue'e, his face full of gratification. "Lady Xu is a woman who yields nothing to men. This military governor deeply admires her. When she expressed her intention to submit to amnesty, this military governor, cherishing talent, took her as his adopted daughter."

He said to Wang Dou, "Guoqin, I know Yue'e was once a person of your fortress and holds you in considerable awe... Well, you must not treat her poorly."

Wang Dou was stunned for a moment. He turned his head to look at Xu Yue'e. She had already risen to her feet and was quietly gazing beyond the wall. Her back was to everyone, so her expression could not be seen. All that was visible was her cloak and great fur coat billowing to their limits in the cold wind, and her fine hair blown disheveled by the gusts.