Chapter 387: The Bandit Army Besieges the City

It was clear that the Prince of Fu also paid considerable attention to Wang Dou. When Wang Dou stepped forward to pay his respects, the prince struggled to rise from his ornate gold-carved throne, his eyes, so fat they were reduced to mere slits, scrutinizing Wang Dou repeatedly. After the audience, the Prince of Fu bestowed a banquet, and Wang Dou was further honored by being seated above Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu.

The banquet was held in Fu'an Hall. Within the spacious hall, the tables on both sides were laden with exquisite dishes and fine wine, while palace maids and musicians performed songs and dances to enhance the festivities. Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the others watched with beaming delight; only Wang Dou remained clear-eyed and composed. He had seen plenty of such entertainments in all sorts of venues in the later era. In terms of pleasure and amusement, the present Great Ming could never compare to the later age.

Having seen his fill of sensual pleasures, Wang Dou possessed a natural immunity to such displays, which only raised the esteem the civil officials like Lü Weiqi and Wang Yinchang held for this unconventional military officer.

The Prince of Fu, Zhu Changxun, sat high in the seat of honor. Even while seated, his round, massive belly jutted high. His son, Zhu Yousong, sat at his lower left. Though both father and son were exceedingly fat, their appetites were by no means small; each ate until their mouths dripped with grease, with several palace maids constantly attending to them.

As the heir Zhu Yousong gorged himself, he listened with keen interest to Wang Dou recount the battles of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, occasionally letting out shouts of approval. It seemed as if Wang Dou were a professional storyteller, greatly enhancing his already robust appetite.

"So it seems those slave brigands are not as fearsome as the rumors make them out to be."

The Prince of Fu also listened with great interest. Imperial clansmen of their rank were ordinarily forbidden from leaving their enfeoffed lands, living their entire lives as if confined within a vast, luxurious prison. They possessed a curiosity about the outside world that none of the Great Ming's civil officials or military officers shared.

After hearing Wang Dou's account of his battle against Huang Taiji at Pinggu, he thoughtfully drew this conclusion.

Wang Dou said, "Your Highness is perceptive. The eastern slaves are brave and fierce, their armor and weapons sharp — they are indeed formidable foes of our Great Ming. However, so long as our Ming officers and soldiers all harbor a resolve to fight to the death, the slave soldiers are not invincible."

The Prince of Fu was very pleased. "General Wang says the bandit rebels' battle strength is less than one-tenth that of the slaves. In General Wang's opinion, with the roving bandits invading Luoyang and our ten-thousand-strong army defending the city, there should be absolutely no risk of failure?"

Luoyang originally had over two thousand garrison troops. When Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu and two other generals came to reinforce, even after padding the payroll and exploiting the soldiers, they together mustered three to four thousand troops. Adding Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu's combined force of over eight thousand, the troops now gathered in Luoyang City numbered roughly fourteen to fifteen thousand battalion soldiers — particularly with Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army present. Hence the Prince of Fu's remark.

Wang Dou said, "Your Highness is perceptive. Though the bandit rebels claim a hundred thousand, they are all mere clay chickens and pottery dogs. So long as the soldiers have ample provisions and pay, are well-fed and warmly clothed, not to mention defending the city, even pacifying all the bandits in Henan Prefecture in one sweep would not be a difficult matter."

Hearing Wang Dou mention silver, Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang immediately said, "Your Highness, the Luoyang treasury is empty, and the troops have long been in arrears of pay. The princely mansion holds abundant silver and grain. Please swiftly issue several hundred thousand taels of pay to reward the troops. Otherwise, military morale will be unstable — the cases of Prince Wan'an and others are lessons right before our eyes."

The Prince of Fu was very displeased. "Why is it that whenever the matter of provisions and pay comes up, everyone comes demanding from me? Luoyang City does not belong to my family alone. The officials, wealthy households, and great clans within the city all bear the responsibility of defending the territory. They could at least produce several hundred thousand taels of silver and tens of thousands of shi of grain. Why are they unwilling to contribute? Supporting the entire princely establishment is already extremely difficult for me; we are now running at a deficit."

Wang Yinchang sidestepped this issue entirely, merely saying, "I beg Your Highness to place the realm and the altars of state above all else."

Kang Menggui, the Prefect of Henan Prefecture, also added his plea.

Wang Dou watched coldly as they wrangled. The two sides were either unwilling to pay or demanding the other pay. Watching their endless bickering, Wang Dou said, "Your Highness, my lords, our great army defeated tens of thousands of roving bandits at Ruzhou. Concerned that Luoyang was in peril, we led our troops here with all haste. Now our army's provisions are insufficient, with only a few days' food remaining. I request that you promptly allocate provisions and fodder. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to withdraw from Luoyang. The soldiers of my Shunxiang Army came here full of fervor to kill bandits. I cannot let them go hungry and destitute."

Seeing Wang Dou rise to his feet, everyone in the hall was alarmed and cried out in unison, "That must not happen!"

They absolutely could not let Wang Dou leave. They knew their own situation best. Without Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army, under the assault of over a hundred thousand roving bandits, whether Luoyang could be held was truly uncertain.

Moreover, Wang Dou was an external reinforcement. His original duty was to proceed to Sichuan to suppress bandits. He had stayed in Henan only because of the entreaties of Henan Provincial Governor Li Vanguard Commander, Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang, and others. The matter of Luoyang was, in truth, unrelated to him. Even if Wang Dou left now, no matter what happened to Luoyang in the future, the responsibility could not be pinned on him — not to mention that he had Yang Sichang's high regard, which made him even more secure.

But the local Henan officials and officers would have a hard time explaining themselves, especially the various civil and military officials charged with defending the territory.

The Prince of Fu knew full well the character of the local troops. With the lesson of Prince Wan'an fresh in his mind, and concerned for his own life and property, seeing Wang Dou make as if to leave, he grew somewhat flustered and hastily urged him to stay. "General Wang, please wait a moment. The matter of your esteemed army's provisions and pay is easily settled, easily settled."

His expression sour, he looked toward Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang and the others. "According to you, how much silver must I contribute?"

Seeing that Wang Dou was not leaving and that the Prince of Fu had relented, Wang Yinchang breathed a sigh of relief. He calculated for a moment, then said, "The provisions for the various troops, the repair of the city walls, and the relief of the disaster victims will require enormous expenditure. Your Highness must allocate two hundred thousand taels of silver to meet the needs."

"Two hundred thousand taels?"

The fat on the Prince of Fu's face squeezed together. He panted, "I absolutely cannot produce two hundred thousand taels of silver."

He exchanged a glance with his heir Zhu Yousong and said, "I can only give one hundred thousand taels of silver — fifty thousand taels to General Wang, and fifty thousand taels to the various defending officers of Luoyang. I hear the Luoyang gentry have promised General Wang fifty thousand taels as a reward. That sum, you will have to provide. If there are any shortfalls, you must continue to find ways to cover them."

The faces of Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu and the others changed, displeasure flashing in their eyes. Wang Dou alone received fifty thousand taels of silver, while their several commands combined received only fifty thousand taels. It was far too inequitable.

Yet they could not voice any objection. The combined strength of their three commands was only half that of Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu, to say nothing of their combat effectiveness. They might think this way, but the jealousy in their hearts could not be dispelled.

Wang Yinchang and the others were still hesitating when the former Minister of War, Lü Weiqi, who was present, heard that the Prince of Fu was willing to contribute one hundred thousand taels of silver. Secretly delighted, he said, "Your Highness, rest assured. This old man will contact the gentry and wealthy households within the city. General Wang's reward silver will certainly not fall short."

Wang Dou pondered briefly, then said, "Your Highness, I do not want silver. I wish to exchange it for provisions and fodder. Back in Kaifeng Prefecture, Provincial Governor Li promised me twenty thousand shi of grain. Let these fifty thousand taels of silver be offset against ten thousand shi of grain."

The Prince of Fu pondered for a long while, then said, "Very well. I shall allocate ten thousand shi of provisions to General Wang."

He looked somewhat distressed. With the bandit army besieging the city, prices in Luoyang had skyrocketed. One shi of grain now cost over a dozen taels of silver and was still hard to buy. Offsetting fifty thousand taels of silver against ten thousand shi of grain meant, in truth, he was taking a huge loss. But to win over Wang Dou and ensure he would fight securely in Luoyang, he had no choice but to bleed heavily.

Wang Dou calculated that the twenty thousand shi of provisions promised by Li Vanguard Commander were now in hand, though Li still owed him seventy thousand taels of silver.

He looked toward Chen Yongfu to gauge his opinion. Chen Yongfu also approved. Now that their forces were combined into one, they shared all supplies. If Wang Dou had grain, he certainly would not forget Chen Yongfu. Moreover, Chen Yongfu had received over thirty thousand taels of gold and silver at Ruzhou and was not particularly short of money.

At the same time, Chen Yongfu secretly envied him. How good it was to have a strong army in hand — one could get whatever one wanted, no matter the threat.

With the matter of provisions and pay settled, Wang Yinchang and the others were overjoyed, while the Prince of Fu was listless. After the hasty banquet ended, Wang Dou and the others took their leave.

The fourteenth day of the twelfth month, thirteenth year of Chongzhen. Luoyang City, North Gate Pass.

This North Gate Pass was about two li from the main city of Luoyang, built during the Zhengde reign. It had a circumference of roughly four li, with walls one zhang and six chi high, four gates with barbicans, and nearly seven hundred crenellations, but no bastions. The pass had originally been guarded by a Company Commander, but after Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu arrived, he had gleefully withdrawn to the main city.

Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu's main army had been stationed here for three days. In the defensive disposition of Luoyang, their troops, besides guarding the North Gate Pass, also served as the main mobile force, ready to support operations at any of Luoyang's gates at any time.

Two thousand infantry from Chen Yongfu's Vanguard Battalion, along with a thousand men, entered the Luoyang city walls to fight. Wang Dou also dispatched a portion of his troops and some artillerymen to accompany them. In the end, Chen Yongfu's one thousand infantry defended the North Gate Pass, with a portion of Wang Dou's troops sharing the defense. Finally, Wang Dou's Guard Corps and cavalry, the remaining portion of his New Army, and Chen Yongfu's retainers served as the mobile strike force.

Within the branch administrative office of Wang Yinchang, the Defense Commissioner of Luoyang, Wang Dou had already thoroughly discussed the plan with everyone: use the strong fortifications of Luoyang to wear down the bandit army's sharpness and morale. Once the bandit troops were exhausted, his forces would strike like thunder, routing all the roving bandits outside the city in one blow.

Wang Yinchang and the others had originally intended to keep the enemy beyond the city walls, but faced with Wang Dou's insistence, they could do nothing. The defending troops within the city, along with the reinforcing Kaifeng forces, absolutely lacked the courage for open-field battle outside the walls. Even Chen Yongfu, without Wang Dou's cavalry escorting him, would not dare to fight outside the city.

With the participation of Wang Dou's Shunxiang Army, there was now a fierce mobile force capable of striking the besieging bandits from both within and without, making the city's defense even more secure and saving the Prince of Fu a considerable amount of silver. Historically, the Prince of Fu had also organized a dare-to-die corps of nearly a thousand men, each rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, who would sally forth from time to time to fight in the open, inflicting considerable casualties on the bandit soldiers and earning Li Zicheng's bone-deep hatred.

All four gates of the North Gate Pass had gate towers with upturned eaves and soaring corners, a magnificent sight. The walls were also mounted with some cannons, about thirty-odd pieces. Most, however, were medium-sized iron breech-loading falconets firing one- to three-jin shot, with a range of one li or less. Those mighty divine cannons firing three- to five-jin shot with a range of over one li, and the red-barbarian cannons, could not possibly be mounted on a pass fortification of this kind.

Wang Dou was unconcerned. He had ten red-barbarian cannons of his own and did not rely on the cannons on the pass walls. He had also coordinated clearly with Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu, who defended the north gate of Luoyang City: they would strike the bandit army attacking the North Gate Pass and Gongchen Gate from both within and without. The moment he opened fire, the defenders at the north gate would also open fire.

The north gate of Luoyang City had two mighty divine cannons and two twelve-pound red-barbarian cannons. To enhance the range and power of those cannons, he would dispatch his own gunners to assist them, or have them operate the cannons themselves.

The North Gate Pass armory also contained a considerable number of fire arrows, which Wang Dou had no qualms about expending entirely. Although fire arrows were not very accurate, they excelled in volume and firepower, and were quite effective against unarmored bandit soldiers. Moreover, they could somewhat conserve his arquebusiers' shot.

Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu stood atop the north gate, surveying the scene through telescopes. The officers of the Shunxiang Army stood beside them, equally absorbed in looking around with great relish. Ever since Chen Yongfu had snatched that telescope from his son's hands, he too had been unable to put it down, taking it out to show off at every opportunity, much to the envy of Wang Shaoyu and the others.

Not far from the north gate lay the Jinshui River, now frozen over. Scattered villages and dwellings had originally lined the riverbanks, but with the great enemy about to arrive, those hamlets were now deserted, the common folk mostly having fled into Luoyang City. In truth, this North Gate Pass had also originally housed many residents and merchants, and they too had mostly fled, or were preparing to flee, into Luoyang City.

Traveling another dozen or so li north from the Jinshui River, the terrain gradually rose, until finally towering peaks rose layer upon layer, vast and imposing — that was Mount Mang. Luoyang, the imperial capital for a thousand years, had made Mount Mang the ideal burial ground for emperors since ancient times. Temples and shrines of all kinds clustered on Mount Mang, containing over a thousand imperial and ministerial tomb complexes. Since antiquity, there was a saying: "Live in Suzhou and Hangzhou, die and be buried on North Mang." The evening vista from Mount Mang was also one of Luoyang's eight great scenic views.

"General Wang, I estimate that when the main bandit army arrives, their command post and heavy baggage camp will certainly be established on Mount Mang, or on Mount Jian west of the city."

Just as an indescribable, ineffable sense of historical sentiment welled up in Wang Dou's heart, Chen Yongfu beside him spoke gravely.

Wang Dou agreed with the old general's assessment. The terrain east of Luoyang was open and flat, offering no defensible positions. The south was equally open, and not far away lay the broad Luo River; though frozen, it was still inconvenient for movement.

Provisions and baggage were the lifeblood of a great army. If the bandit army besieged Luoyang, the food and fodder for over a hundred thousand men and horses would be an enormous quantity. If anything went wrong, they would certainly be finished. Therefore, they had to find a strategically secure location to stockpile them.

Moreover, the main force of the bandit army was advancing from Yiyang and Xin'an to the west. Thus, the army's provisions and heavy baggage would be stockpiled either on Mount Mang north of Luoyang or on Mount Jian west of Luoyang. Chen Yongfu's estimate coincided perfectly with Wang Dou's own speculation.

Returning to the Squad Commander's office within the pass, it had now become the joint command headquarters of Wang Dou and Chen Yongfu, with officers and staff coming and going in a constant stream.

In the main hall, many wide desks had been pushed together, upon which sat an enormous sand table. Although sand tables had existed since the Qin and Han dynasties, without precise topographical surveys and maps, any sand table produced would be nothing more than an exercise in armchair strategy.

However, after arriving at Luoyang, the Night Scouts under Wang Dou's command had already conducted reconnaissance of the area for several dozen li around Luoyang. The sand table they produced was, of course, exquisitely detailed. Gazing upon this sand table, it seemed as if the entire city of Luoyang lay before one's eyes.

The first time he saw this sand table, Chen Yongfu also praised it endlessly. A veteran of many battlefields, he naturally recognized its value at a glance.

The group gathered around the sand table to observe. Chen Yongfu gazed at the positions of Mount Mang and Mount Jian on it, pondering for a long while, then said: “No stratagem is more venomous than cutting off provisions. If the Chuang bandits have stockpiled grain in these two locations, our main army can hold firm within strong walls. Once the rebels’ sharp edge is utterly blunted, our forces can gag our men and launch a night raid, destroying all their fodder and baggage. Deprived of grain and forage, the bandits will surely scatter. Our troops can then empty the fortifications and pursue them closely — the rebels can be wiped out in one stroke.”

Wang Dou was also studying those two locations in deep thought. Chen Yongfu’s intent was to destroy the Chuang army’s provisions, but Wang Dou was considering seizing them instead.

In these years of famine, every single grain of food was precious. To burn it would truly be a reckless waste of heaven’s bounty. Once those provisions and baggage were captured, there would be much more he could accomplish. Of course, given the fighting capability of the local Henan government troops, they could only manage a raid to destroy them. But the soldiers under his own command, after seizing them, he had confidence they could hold firm and await reinforcements.

Wang Dou said: “Heroes see things alike. But we must wait until the rebel troops arrive to know for certain whether they will stockpile grain in those two locations.”

Chen Yongfu gave a hearty laugh and said: “Next time Military Defense Circuit Wang invites us again to plan strategy, I shall certainly propose our two-man plan to cut off their provisions.”

Wang Dou glanced at him, then invited Chen Yongfu into a private chamber and said: “Military Commander Chen, in my humble opinion, this plan to cut off provisions should not be mentioned in front of Regional Commander Wang, Mobile Corps Commander Liu, and the others.”

Chen Yongfu was taken aback. “Why does General Wang say that?”

Wang Dou said coldly: “I suspect that Liu Jianyi and Luo Tai have already colluded with the rebel troops and are preparing to open the gates and surrender to the enemy when the rebels arrive. The reconnaissance riders under my command have detected that their units are in close contact with the various bandits at Yongning, plotting sedition. Wang Shaoyu is greedy and muddle-headed. He embezzled more than half of the silver rewarded by the Prince of Fu. The officers and soldiers under him are full of grievances, and military morale is unstable. We must also guard against mutiny within his ranks.”

Wang Dou knew from history that Liu Jianyi and Luo Tai had surrendered to Li Zicheng, and that the troops under Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu had mutinied and opened the gates to the enemy. Therefore, he had the Intelligence Division and the Night Scouts keep these men under close surveillance. The intelligence he received showed increasingly clear signs that Liu Jianyi and Luo Tai were about to defect. As for Wang Shaoyu…

After the Prince of Fu allocated fifty thousand taels of silver to the officers and soldiers defending the city, first Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang, Henan Prefecture Prefect Kang Menghui, and others skimmed off a large portion. Then Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, Luo Tai, and the rest skimmed off another large portion. The officers further embezzled layer by layer. In the end, the silver that reached the soldiers’ hands was pitifully little — less than a single tael each.

According to the Prince of Fu’s original calculations, once this silver was distributed, each of those soldiers defending the city should have received at least five to ten taels. Combined with the provisions and pay raised by the government itself, the defending soldiers should have been able to hold out for several months. This outcome was something he had never anticipated.

And with prices in Luoyang skyrocketing, what could this pittance of silver do? To cover up the embezzlement of military pay, those high-ranking civil officials and military officers shifted all the blame onto the Prince of Fu, calling him a miser who wouldn’t part with a single feather. This infuriated the soldiers. The silver had been allocated, yet their morale only sank lower.

The provisions the Prince of Fu had allocated for Wang Dou had already arrived. Toward Wang Dou’s army, the prince’s eunuch overseeing the grain transport dared not go too far. Although he still embezzled a portion, the bulk of the provisions still ended up in Wang Dou’s hands.

Through the efforts of former Minister of War Lü Weiqi, the local gentry and wealthy households within the city had also scraped together fifty thousand taels of reward silver for Wang Dou. Wang Dou’s and Chen Yongfu’s forces together numbered just over eight thousand. Fifty thousand taels of silver divided among the soldiers came to roughly four or five taels per man.

The silver was manageable, but the key issue was the ten thousand dan of grain allocated by the Prince of Fu. This made the local and Kaifeng troops defending the city intensely jealous. At Luoyang’s current prices, that grain was worth over a hundred thousand taels of silver. Once word spread, the men under Wang Shaoyu and the others cursed the Prince of Fu even more bitterly for blatant favoritism.

Even Chen Yongfu received many cold stares for it and was ostracized from the circle of local officers, which infuriated him.

Wang Dou had long ago warned Chen Yongfu about the matter of Liu Jianyi and the others. At first, Chen Yongfu had not dared to believe it, but as fragmentary reports trickled in from various sources, he had grown somewhat convinced in his heart.

Now that Wang Dou brought it up again, his face darkened as well. He said: “These vermin, having basked in the court’s grace and favor, know not how to repay it, but instead harbor the ambitions of wolves. General Wang, let us quickly inform Military Defense Circuit Wang, so that he may take precautions and guard against any mishap to the city.”

Wang Dou said: “We must not.”

He said calmly: “Liu Jianyi and the others are also cautious and prudent. For now, those secretly communicating with the bandits are all insignificant underlings beneath them. To expose this now would only alert the snake.”

He glanced at Chen Yongfu: “Moreover, Military Defense Circuit Wang is on good terms with Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the rest. To speak plainly now…”

Chen Yongfu understood at once. In Kaifeng, his good relationship was with Henan Provincial Governor Li Vanguard Commander. Wang Shaoyu, Liu Jianyi, and the others, however, curried favor with Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang. Without conclusive evidence, it would indeed be alerting the snake, and Wang Yinchang would certainly shield them.

One must realize that times had changed. Nowadays, civil officials could only co-opt military officers. Even if the matter were exposed, Liu Jianyi and the other man could simply sacrifice pawns to save the chariot. As long as they threw out a few insignificant soldiers, wouldn’t Wang Yinchang and the others just let the matter slide?

The various prefectures of Henan needed these soldiers and officers. As long as they hadn’t openly rebelled, wouldn’t the higher-ups simply turn a blind eye?

By then, instead of bringing down men like Liu Jianyi, they would likely only invite a whole host of troubles.

Thinking of this, Chen Yongfu said bitterly: “Vermin. I am ashamed to be counted among such men.”

Wang Dou said softly: “Military Commander Chen is a man of heroic caliber. In my humble opinion, Military Commander Chen is more qualified to hold the post of Henan Regional Commander. The present moment is also a fine opportunity.”

Chen Yongfu’s eyes lit up. He looked at Wang Dou thoughtfully. Indeed — Liu Jianyi and the other man intended to defect, and Wang Shaoyu’s troops were about to mutiny. This truly was an opportunity for him. When the time came, Luoyang city would have to rely solely on himself and Wang Dou. After the Battle of Ruzhou, Chen Yongfu believed that even without those others, they could hold Luoyang and defeat the Chuang army.

With Liu Jianyi and the other man gone, and Wang Shaoyu bearing the blame for his troops’ mutiny, if he himself then rendered heaven-shaking merit, and with Provincial Governor Li’s support — wouldn’t the post of Henan Regional Commander be his for the taking? This Wang Dou had a remarkably quick mind. His own luck was not bad, to have encountered such a capable ally. He must hold onto him tightly.

Wang Dou continued: “Therefore, this plan to cut off provisions cannot be spoken of for now. When the time comes and the rebels’ sharp edge is utterly blunted, we two shall dispatch elite troops to raid their camp. The captured provisions and baggage shall be split evenly between us…”

Chen Yongfu’s eyes shone even brighter.

…

On the eighteenth day of the twelfth month, Chuang army reconnaissance riders began appearing outside Luoyang. In the days that followed, Chuang army cavalry detachments arrived continuously every day — sometimes several hundred, sometimes over a thousand. They galloped and whooped, prowling the outskirts of the city.

And from the eighteenth onward, the stream of commoners fleeing into Luoyang grew daily, reaching a peak in the days just before the new year. The monasteries and temples within the city were packed with refugees. Reports from scout riders and relay stations also kept coming in: Chuang army forces at Yiyang, Lushi, Yongning, Xin’an, and other places were massing on a large scale. Their direction of march pointed straight at Luoyang. The strength of their forces was fearsome, likely numbering over a hundred thousand.

By this point, the soldiers and civilians of Luoyang finally abandoned their last illusions. It seemed the roving bandits truly intended to assault the city.

On the twentieth day of the twelfth month, the Prince of Fu visited temples by night, offering incense and sacrifices, praying for the gods’ protection. He also presented lavish sums of gold, earnestly beseeching Daoist masters to instruct him in methods to defeat the enemy. On the twenty-first, the restless Prince of Fu summoned Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang, Henan Regional Commander Wang Shaoyu, Wang Dou, and others to his princely residence to inquire about the defense of the city, and promised that as long as the enemy troops were repelled, there would be heavy rewards.

“The bandits feign benevolence and righteousness, raising the cry of rooting out tyranny and caring for the people, opening granaries to aid the poor. They have quite won the hearts of ignorant men and women. I hear that within the city, children sing ditties like ‘Welcome the Chuang King, no grain taxes to bring.’ The people’s hearts are unsettled. In such extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken.”

Wang Dou’s voice echoed through the spacious great hall. As everyone in the hall argued back and forth, each voicing their own opinion without producing any effective solution, and the Prince of Fu called upon him by name, Wang Dou did not stand on ceremony. He proceeded to speak at length.

“May I ask General Wang, what do you mean by extraordinary measures?”

Mobile Corps Commander Liu Jianyi shot Wang Dou a sidelong glance.

Wang Dou said calmly: “Execute those who plunder grain.”

He said: “There are multitudes of disaster victims within the city. I request that the government and merchants erect shelters and provide relief, to save the people from hunger and cold. As long as the common folk have a single mouthful to eat, they will not be deluded by those roving bandits, thus preventing the enemy from gaining internal collaborators. If there are still those who dare spread bewitching rumors to confuse the masses — execute without mercy.”

Wang Dou knew the famine in Henan was severe. People often starved to death in Luoyang, while many officials and wealthy households continued to indulge in debauchery. Naturally, this bred deep resentment. This was especially true in the late Ming, where hatred of the rich was the prevailing sentiment. Under such circumstances, the series of slogans Li Zicheng put forward naturally held immense power, and many cities often fell without a fight.

However, if the government provided proper relief, such situations could often be averted.

Wang Dou said: “As for the commoners within the city, I humbly propose organizing and training community troops to assist in defending the walls, using the Thousand Character Classic for unit designations. Every fifty men form a squad, overseen by a gentry member or an imperial clansman. Any able-bodied male who fails to mount the walls shall be executed. In this way, Luoyang can gain several thousand troops at its fingertips. As for the able-bodied men among the disaster victims, they can also be hired. Give each man a few flatcakes per day. They can kill bandits, and moreover, prevent unrest within the city.”

These were all proven tactics from the historical defense of Kaifeng, known to be highly practical. As Wang Dou laid them out in detail, the Prince of Fu and Military Defense Vice Commissioner Wang Yinchang and the others all nodded slowly.

However, Wang Yinchang then said hesitantly: “But this requires a vast amount of grain. At present, the storehouses are empty…”

Wang Dou said flatly: “Exile those who hoard grain.”

“In this extraordinary time, households hoarding grain must be forced to sell. The resources needed for each community troop squad can be supplied by ordering the great merchants and prominent clans in the city to each deliver a set number of flatcakes daily, ranging from hundreds to thousands. Every wealthy household in the city must contribute grain and clothing. Only when soldiers and civilians are united in heart can Luoyang be as solid as a golden moat.”

Wang Yinchang’s face showed difficulty. “Persuading the wealthy households in the city to do this — I fear it will be difficult…”

Wang Dou sneered: “There are lessons from the past. The imperial clansmen and wealthy households of Yongning clung stubbornly to their wealth and refused to let go. In the end, the city fell and they perished. All their grain, silver, and gold fell into the hands of the roving bandits. Do the gentry and wealthy households of Luoyang wish to meet the same fate?”

Wang Yinchang furrowed his brow. “General Wang…”

Former Minister of War Lü Weiqi was also attending the banquet. He sighed and said: “General Wang speaks truly. Though I have retired from court, I still know how to serve the nation. Regarding the matter of the community troops, I shall contact the local gentry within the city. General, you may set your mind at ease.”

Although Lü Weiqi’s fondness for factional strife had left Wang Dou with a less than favorable impression, he was genuinely zealous about defending Luoyang. Wang Dou’s reward silver had also been arranged through his contacts. Lü Weiqi was considered a man of high virtue and prestige in Luoyang. With him taking action, Wang Dou was confident he could accomplish it.

It was just that Lü Weiqi added: “I only fear that the community troops, having no training or experience, will be of no use in defending the city when the time comes.”

Wang Dou said: “Under heavy reward, there will surely be brave men. After the wealthy households provide the funds, an order can be issued among the populace: anyone who can go outside the city and take a bandit’s head will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver. Anyone who can shoot and kill a bandit will be rewarded with thirty taels. Anyone who wounds a bandit by arrow or strikes one with a brick or stone will be rewarded with ten taels. In this way, soldiers and civilians alike will vie to be the first to kill the bandits.”