Chapter 384: To Luoyang, Jealousy

On the tenth day of the twelfth month of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu’s great army set out from Longmen. After passing Guanling and paying respects at the temple of Guan Yu, the entire force reached the southern bank of the Luo River.

The Luo River is broad, and in ordinary times ferries are needed to cross. But it was now the twelfth month, the weather bitterly cold and the ground frozen solid; the river surface had iced over, so crossing was possible without ferries. Naturally they had to choose spots where the ice was thicker, since some of the Shunxiang Army’s cannons and baggage were quite heavy.

When they reached the riverbank, the river wind grew fiercer and the chill bit deep. They could see gentry and commoners who had fled from surrounding prefectures and counties into Luoyang constantly crossing the river. Many rode large horse-drawn ice sleds, racing like the wind over the ice.

“The Luo River originally had a bridge…”

The speaker was Qin Yi. His tall, lean frame wore a mandarin-duck battle jacket, an eight-panel iron-tipped helmet on his head, and a red cotton wool-lined greatcloak draped over him. The greatcloak had a hood that could be pulled over the head to shield from wind and rain. His attire was no different from that of an ordinary Shunxiang Army soldier; only his waist badge and helmet tassel set him apart.

All advisory civil officers in the Shunxiang Army were likewise required to wear military uniform and were not permitted to dress as ordinary scholars — a sign of the Shunxiang Army’s system of uniform discipline throughout.

Qin Yi spoke the official tongue very properly, with only a trace of a Henan Nanyang accent. After joining the Shunxiang Army, he had kept studying, for the army’s staff advisors were very different from the military strategists of this age. It was not enough to offer simple stratagems; one also had to understand the disposition of firepower and combat strength, logistics, army training, and all manner of other aspects. The empty talk of the old-style one-dimensional scholar would not do.

Moreover, the Shunxiang Army’s high literacy rate made it hard for any incoming scholar to feel he stood head and shoulders above the rest. In the year and more since joining the Shunxiang Army, Qin Yi had gained a great deal. From this army, he felt he had learned many things. Going to war with the army this time had given him further reflections of his own; it seemed he could now view the common people and the land from a broader, more comprehensive perspective.

“In the Sui dynasty, Luoyang had the Tianjin Bridge, originally a pontoon bridge, which was burned down by Li Mi at the end of the Sui. In the early Tang it was rebuilt on the original site, converted to a stone bridge, still called Tianjin Bridge. On the bridge stood a four-cornered pavilion, and at the bridgehead there were wine shops. At that time, pedestrians and horse carts bustled to and fro in an endless stream. The crescent moon in the sky, the river water glistening — that was ‘Tianjin Dawn Moon,’ one of Luoyang’s eight ancient scenic views.”

Qin Yi’s voice carried a note of loss: “Tianjin Bridge endured for several centuries. It is lamentable that at the end of the Song, the Jin caitiffs and the Tatar caitiffs invaded in wave after wave, and Tianjin Bridge was ultimately destroyed in the flames of war. For several centuries thereafter, there was no stone bridge over the Luo River. Carts and horses crossed the river entirely by ferry.”

Wen Fangliang, Gao Shiyin, Zhao Xuan, and the others sat their horses, pointing and gesturing at the magnificent city of Luoyang on the opposite bank, declaiming passionately, as if laying claim to the land itself. The cold wind lifted their cloaks and greatcoats — one could truly say they were in high, heroic spirits.

Hearing Qin Yi’s words, Zhao Xuan said with admiration, “Advisor Qin is truly learned, to know so much about Luoyang’s history and lore.”

Gao Shiyin, however, cursed: “Those dog-spawn Jin caitiffs and Tatar caitiffs — forcing our great army to tread on ice to cross the river. Their sins are truly heavy.”

Behind them, Gao Xun also sat his horse, gazing at the city of Luoyang across the river, listening to Qin Yi’s words and then to Gao Shiyin and the others’ remarks, as if a sense of history’s weight and vicissitudes was sweeping over him.

This era was a time when a man could achieve great things. Although he had been promoted to Company Commander in the New Army, his name was still not prominent within the Shunxiang Army. But Gao Xun believed in himself, believed that he could certainly accomplish a great enterprise in this era. He believed in himself.

Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu sat their horses in front of the assembled officers, listening to Qin Yi’s words and gazing at the magnificent, towering city on the opposite bank, equally filled with deep emotion.

Chen Yongfu stared blankly at the city across the river, lost in who knows what thoughts. After a long while, he said to Wang Dou, “My son and your army’s Company Commanders Li Guangheng and Wen Daxing have already crossed the river ahead of us. They have sent word that Army Intendant Wang Yinchang, Henan Prefecture Prefect Kang Menghui, Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu, and Mobile Corps Commanders Liu Jianyi and Luo Tai are already waiting to receive us outside the southern gate. Army Intendant Wang’s intention is that our great army should first encamp outside the eastern gate, and after an auspicious day is chosen, our great army will then enter Luoyang.”

A smile appeared on his face: “After the battle of Ruzhou, the bandits lost their nerve, and the morale of Luoyang’s soldiers and civilians soared. Now, with the bandits’ great army pressing on the borders, the people inside the city are in a state of panic. Army Intendant Wang’s intention is also to boost morale.”

Wang Dou said, “This is entirely thanks to Military Commander Chen’s valiant efforts in slaying the enemy that we achieved the great victory at Ruzhou.”

Chen Yongfu shook his head: “I know my own affairs best. Without General Wang, whether Ruzhou could have reported victory is truly hard to say.”

He sighed with emotion: “Since coming from Kaifeng, I have owed General Wang a great deal. It is a pity that General Wang is not a Henan officer and cannot remain here long… Well, so be it. Henceforth, whenever General Wang comes to Henan, the gates of my, Chen Yongfu’s, residence will always be open to the General.”

This old general was full of feeling. The battle of Ruzhou had brought him enormous merit with hardly any effort, and future promotion and reward went without saying. As for tangible benefits, he had also gained a great deal after the Ruzhou battle. Chen Yongfu calculated that he could now expand his own military strength.

During the days of fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Shunxiang Army, Chen Yongfu had also been pondering day and night how to imitate the Shunxiang Army’s training methods, and he hoped Wang Dou could leave behind some experienced veteran soldiers to serve as drill instructors for his vanguard battalion. Wang Dou was still weighing the pros and cons of this request.

In fact, ever since the Shunxiang Army had become famous, especially after the various garrison regional commanders had gone to the Eastern Route to observe last year, not only had the garrisons one after another begun imitating the Shunxiang Army’s training, but officers and men of the Shunxiang Army, from officers down to ordinary soldiers, were constantly being courted — openly or covertly — with offers of all kinds of generous rewards and benefits.

Only because of the Eastern Route’s stable environment, its excellent platform for advancement, and its harsh punitive measures had no defections yet occurred. But no one knew whether, in the future, some officers or soldiers might not be able to resist the enemy’s fleeting temptations and jump ship to another post.

“I have heard that the Eastern Route has established a Military Academy. My son is reasonably clever. I hope the General can grant a place, so that my son may enter the Military Academy and be tempered for a few years…”

…

Just as Chen Yongfu’s words reached this point, the officials who had come from Luoyang city to welcome them had already arrived. He immediately fell silent and, together with Wang Dou, directed the great army across the river. With local guides, Wang Dou and the others knew exactly where the Luo River ice was thick and where it was thin, so the army crossed smoothly.

When they reached the Nanguan docks on the northern bank, Wang Dou and the others were taken aback as soon as they came ashore. They saw that the dockside, the riverbank, and even the streets leading in from the docks were densely packed with crowds who had come to welcome them or simply to watch.

As the Shunxiang Army and the vanguard battalion kept coming ashore, those mighty ironclad troops — and especially the ten heavy red-barbarian cannons when they appeared — drew exclamations of wonder and admiration from the bank. And at the sight of those more than a thousand carts and wagons, everyone said, “We’ve never seen government troops with so many carts and horses.”

The crowd was so enthusiastic that it was impossible for Wang Dou and the others to keep a low profile. There were certainly Chuang Army spies on the bank. As the troops kept coming ashore, the military strength and weaponry of the Shunxiang Army and the vanguard battalion would no doubt fall under these people’s eyes, yet it was not feasible to drive away the onlooking crowd.

After Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu came ashore, drums and music sounded together on the dock, and firecrackers exploded. Army Intendant Wang Yinchang, Henan Prefecture Prefect Kang Menghui, Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu, Mobile Corps Commander Liu Jianyi, and several dozen other officials, great and small, who had been waiting on the bank came forward to greet them. Such a high-level welcoming party showed the importance that the soldiers and civilians of Luoyang placed on this relief force.

After an exchange of pleasantries, the great army headed toward Nanguan. Luoyang had four gate-forts: east, west, south, and north — four small fortress-towns protecting the main city of Luoyang. Li Guangheng and Wen Daxing had already arrived ahead of them below Nanguan, but according to the Luoyang officials’ arrangements, this army would first encamp between Ying’en Temple and White Horse Temple outside the eastern gate-fort.

The area from the docks all the way to Nanguan, and then on to the main city of Luoyang, was densely populated and prosperous, with shops lined up row upon row. As Wang Dou and the others proceeded along the official road and the streets, not only were the roadsides filled with onlookers, but people kept rushing over upon hearing the news, all wanting to see the gallant bearing of this joint force after the great victory at Ruzhou.

Wang Dou, riding on horseback, clasped his hands in salute again and again. He wore armor bestowed by the Emperor — in fact a suit of bright-guardian armor. Every plate was of the finest quality, and especially the two gleaming heart-protecting mirrors on his chest, positioned left and right like brassieres, made Wang Dou look like a god descended from heaven, drawing a chorus of admiration.

The onlooking crowd all said, “With General Wang and Regional Commander Chen arrived, Luoyang is assuredly safe beyond all doubt.”

Before reaching Nanguan, the first thing that appeared was a “horse-blocking wall.” This wall was about one zhang high, with a moat dug in front of it, channeling water from the Chan River into the moat. This was Luoyang’s first line of defense, capable of stopping enemy cavalry from approaching and forcing them to dismount and fight.

According to the local Luoyang officials, this “horse-blocking wall” encircling Luoyang city had a circumference of over twenty-three li, with gates opened only at certain official roads. After passing through the four gate-forts — east, west, south, and north — and thirty paces from the main city wall of Luoyang, there was a deep city moat, likewise channeling Chan River or Luo River water into the moat.

On the inner side of the moat, there was likewise a “horse-blocking wall” one zhang high, thus forming a tight, three-dimensional defensive system.

In truth, the cities of the Great Ming were all deep and formidable, with tight defenses. The key lay in the people doing the defending.

Nanguan was not large, about two li from Luoyang city. Originally it was defended by a Squad Commander, but after Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu and the others arrived, this Nanguan, as well as Luoyang’s southern gate, had been taken over by Kaifeng Mobile Corps Commander Luo Tai.

Arriving here, Luoyang city became clearer to see. In fact, Luoyang was about the same size as Ruzhou, but the city walls were higher and thicker, uniformly faced with grey bricks, the walls probably over four zhang high. What left a deep impression on Wang Dou were the majestic watchtowers above the city gates, and the numerous crenellations and bastions on the walls.

According to the local officials, Luoyang city had a total of thirty-nine bastions, each with an enemy-watching tower for observing enemy movements. These bastions were spaced several tens of paces apart, so that any enemy attacking the city would fall within the killing range of the weapons on the walls, forming a crossfire network from the front and both flanks.

At the four corners of the city walls there were also corner platforms and corner towers, offering a broad field of vision to monitor and fiercely strike enemies attacking from multiple angles. The four city gates were further fortified with barbicans, making Luoyang city incomparably strong. If the defenders were even slightly diligent, the city could not possibly be breached.

The battle in the eighth year of Chongzhen was exactly like that: Gao Yingxiang led an army of over a hundred thousand to attack Luoyang city, but could not breach it for many days. Historically, when Li Zicheng attacked Luoyang this time, because the city was so strong, it was also a bloody battle lasting many days. Had the defending troops not mutinied, Li Zicheng probably could not have taken Luoyang city even in a year. Ningwu Pass was far more rudimentary than Luoyang city, yet because of the tenacious resistance of its defender Zhou Yuji, Li Zicheng had to concentrate superior forces and pay an extremely heavy price just to barely break through, and at one point even prepared to abandon the effort.

Thinking of this, Wang Dou glanced at the Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu before him, and at the two Mobile Corps Commanders Luo Tai and Liu Jianyi. At this moment, these three men were looking at him and Chen Yongfu with eyes full of extreme jealousy.

Wang Dou sighed inwardly. At the end of the Ming, the civil officials were mostly good-for-nothings, and the military men were little better. From the warlords of the Nine Frontier Garrisons to the various generals of the Southern Ming, most were men who could not accomplish anything but were more than capable of ruining things. The nation’s vitality was drained away in their internal strife.

When civil officials run the state, the state is unfortunate; when military men run the state, the state is equally unfortunate. Only the common people suffer, enduring calamity after calamity.

…

According to the arrangements, after reaching Nanguan, the Shunxiang Army and the vanguard battalion moved on to the area around the eastern gate-fort, setting up camp by the Chan River and the Luo River and preparing the midday meal.

Army Intendant Wang Yinchang and the other civil and military officials entertained Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu at the Nanguan government office. The banquet was very lavish, with singing girls to add to the merriment. Thinking of the disaster victims and refugees around Luoyang who were eating tree bark and grass roots, Wang Dou could not help shaking his head inwardly. The common people were already abandoning the dead, yet these officials and officers were still so dissolute and debauched.

During the banquet, Wang Yinchang and Henan Prefecture Prefect Kang Menghui praised Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu without cease, repeatedly calling them pillars of the state. The victory at Ruzhou, they said, had boosted the morale of soldiers and civilians alike. Even the Prince of Fu, upon hearing of it, was greatly pleased, and said that when Wang Dou and the others entered the city in a few days, the Prince of Fu intended to summon and feast them.

Chen Yongfu was overjoyed. Hearing this news, Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the others showed expressions of both envy and jealousy.

When their army had arrived at Luoyang earlier in the month, apart from Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu, the troops of Liu Jianyi and Luo Tai had initially been refused entry and kept outside Luoyang’s eastern gate-fort. Only after Wang Shaoyu’s repeated entreaties did the Prince of Fu grudgingly allow Liu and Luo’s troops into the city to assist in defending two of the gates. As for being summoned and feasted, that was entirely out of the question.

They never imagined that as soon as Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu arrived, the Prince of Fu would treat them with such courtesy. How could such blatant favoritism not fill the three men with extreme jealousy?

Although Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the others would also be summoned and feasted in a few days’ time, it would only be by riding on Wang Dou’s and the others’ coattails, which made Wang Shaoyu and his companions deeply uncomfortable.

After the midday banquet, Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu took their leave. Once outside, Chen Yongfu cursed bitterly: “A bunch of rats — useless in battle, but first-rate at scheming and scrambling for advantage.”

The banquet just now had not been particularly pleasant. Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the others had been snide and sarcastic, with constant veiled mockery. No matter how one took it, it was grating. Wang Dou handled it well enough, but Chen Yongfu had nearly been unable to restrain himself from leaping up.

Now that the power of the civil officials had greatly waned, Wang Yinchang and Kang Menghui, as Army Intendant and Prefect, had no means to deal with the scheming and open and covert struggles among those military men. Especially with a great enemy army about to press on the borders, they could only do their best to mediate.

To be honest, Liu Jianyi and the others did not give him, the Army Intendant, much face at all. A welcoming banquet had nearly ended in bitter discord. Apart from cursing inwardly, “These military men are growing more arrogant and domineering by the day,” what else could Wang Yinchang do?

Led by an official, Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu took their guards and headed toward the East Gate. Wang Yinchang had already made it clear that tomorrow he would personally lead some Luoyang officials and local gentry to visit the two men’s military camp to offer encouragement and instruct them on the protocols for an audience with the Prince of Fu.

The Luoyang winter was bitterly cold. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, not deep, but gusts of wind blew through in waves, piercing to the bone.

Wang Dou rode on horseback, listening to Chen Yongfu cursing beside him, railing that men like Liu Jianyi were incompetent and jealous, unable to stand seeing him achieve merit. Working as colleagues with such people was truly the worst luck in eight lifetimes, and the good mood he had after the Battle of Ruzhou had been completely ruined by them.