Chapter 408: Learning of It

The garrison troops defending Xinye City watched the cavalry across the river with pounding hearts and trembling courage, for they knew not whether these were friend or foe… At first they dared not act rashly, but later, seeing that Wang Dou and his men showed no hostility and did not plunder, and appeared to be government troops, they finally plucked up their nerve and lowered a junior officer down the city wall to ascertain Wang Dou’s intentions.

That junior officer, having received a heavy reward of five taels of silver, steeled himself and made his way from the pontoon bridge toward the great army.

As he crossed the pontoon bridge, Xie Yike waved a hand, and two bodyguards spurred their horses over, bringing him directly across; in the process they also searched him and took away his waist saber and weapons.

The junior officer dared not resist and behaved obediently, but the closer he drew, the weaker his legs became — where had these soldiers come from? Never mind their equipment; the murderous, fiendish aura about them made it seem as if every man had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and who knew how many men they had killed.

The junior officer was brought before Wang Dou and hastily knelt and kowtowed: “This humble one is Ma Ziren, Platoon Leader of the Xinye City Garrison Battalion. I pay my respects to the Grand General.”

Wang Dou knew that the organization of the Central Plains government troops differed somewhat from that of the frontier garrisons, and he paid no mind to the man’s official title. Seated on his horse, he said gently, “You need not be afraid. I am Wang Dou, Assistant Regional Commander of the Eastern Route of Xuanfu Garrison. By directive of the Ministry of War, I am proceeding to Sichuan to exterminate the rebel Zhang Xianzhong. The great army is weary and wishes to rest and reorganize for one day within your territory.”

That junior officer had no idea of Wang Dou’s renown, but upon hearing these words he breathed a sigh of relief — so they were merely guest troops passing through. He said hurriedly, “Yes, yes. This humble one shall go at once and report back to my superior.”

Wang Dou said, “Mm. You may go.”

He glanced at Xie Yike, who understood and tossed over a silver ingot: “A reward for you.”

The junior officer caught it deftly in his hand and saw that it was actually ten taels of silver; inwardly overjoyed, he realized that not only had he come to no harm, he had also made a windfall.

He kowtowed repeatedly: “Many thanks, Grand General! Many thanks, Grand General!”

And he went cheerfully back to report.

Very soon, a Company Commander arrived, accompanied by several men who looked like private secretaries. Seeing the imposing might of the great army, each of them was secretly alarmed. Yet although the Company Commander was extremely respectful in his bearing, he insisted on seeing the Ministry of War directive.

This man was fulfilling his duty; Wang Dou did not make things difficult for him and let him examine the official document.

Having read the document and after his private secretary had confirmed it to be genuine, the Company Commander visibly relaxed and said, “So it is Grand General Wang, whose valor crowns the three armies. This lowly officer has been remiss. I am Lai Bangxian, Company Commander of the Xinye Garrison Battalion. Whatever the General requires, you need only give the order.”

Wang Dou had not expected this man to actually know his name. He studied him for a few moments and said, “I am obliged to you.”

Then, led by this Company Commander, they proceeded to the place where the great army would pitch camp and rest — several temples not far from the South Gate of Xinye City. There were many temples here: a Dragon King Temple, a Guan Di Temple, a Horse God Temple, a God of Wealth Temple, and so on, enough to accommodate the three thousand troops of the great army.

The Company Commander again spoke a few respectful words to Wang Dou, mentioning that the Garrison Commander and the County Magistrate would soon come to pay a visit, then hurriedly departed to report back to his superiors.

Wang Dou gave the order to pitch camp and rest… and for a time there was a hubbub of men and neighing of horses.

The Shunxiang Army had its own regulations for pitching camp, whether in the wilds or in buildings. In the wilds, needless to say; if in buildings, one Squad Commander to a street, with the Squad Commander following; one unit to a block, with the Company Commander following; and finally the central army commanding all. The various units were not permitted to intermix; the various squads and platoons were not permitted to intermix. Anyone who did not stay with his own unit would be dealt with according to military law.

The great army was long experienced in pitching camp, and every unit proceeded in perfect order. Wang Dou, along with his bodyguard unit and the central army staff, quartered in the Guan Di Temple, where the great banner was raised high. He mused to himself: from Xinye to Xiangyang was over a hundred li; today they would conserve energy and build up strength, set out early tomorrow morning, and in a day’s time they would reach Xiangyang.

Leaving aside Wang Dou’s camp for the moment, many of the common folk of Xinye City had originally fled inside the city walls; seeing that all was peaceful and uneventful, they reopened the city gates, and people came and went, resuming their quiet lives — only that both inside and outside the city, everyone was buzzing with talk about this unit of government troops.

Outside the camp perimeter, a crowd of idlers had also gathered to watch, pointing and commenting. Yet everyone’s fear of government troops, especially guest troops, was ingrained to the marrow; they dared not approach, but only watched from a distance.

After about half a shichen, from the South Gate came a clamor of drums and music; a procession advanced with gongs and drums — it was the County Magistrate of Xinye and the Garrison Commander, leading a number of gentry and village elders to pay a visit and bring provisions for the troops. Among the gifts they carried were several jars of wine, some rice and flour, and two stout fellows bearing a fat pig on a pole, the pig still struggling and squealing without cease.

Wang Dou went out to greet them. The County Magistrate had a very large head, wore a black gauze cap, and was dressed in a blue robe of woven silk with a round collar and right lapel; on his chest was the rank badge of a seventh-grade official, the xi chi, and he wore a belt of plain silver.

The County Magistrate was extremely fat, around forty years of age. Beside him was the Garrison Commander of Xinye, attired fully as a military officer: a cloud-wing helmet, clad in a mailed tunic with the armor plates exposed and clanking — of bright armor style — and also a pair of arm guards; a waist saber hung from his belt.

When the County Magistrate and his party arrived before the camp and saw the strict and formidable order of the ranks, their hearts quailed. Then they beheld before them a great general, clad entirely in magnificent bright-shining armor, a precious sword at his waist, an eight-petaled iron-tipped helmet on his head, a short mustache above his lips, his expression awe-inspiring, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, and behind him several other great generals, all heroic and extraordinary — and they were even more overawed.

The County Magistrate hurried forward a few steps, stepped out from the procession, cupped his hands, and said, “This humble official is Zhang Youxian, County Magistrate of Xinye. I have long heard that the State-Stabilizing General is loyal, righteous, and fearless, his valor crowning the three armies, his name like thunder piercing the ear. To behold you today is a fortune of three lifetimes, a fortune of three lifetimes.”

He spoke with a swaying head, as if intoning a eulogy.

The Garrison Commander also hastily paid his respects. He had already felt himself shrink a notch upon first seeing Wang Dou’s great army, and now, beholding Wang Dou’s majestic bearing, he was even more obsequious and could barely speak clearly.

It is said that for an official, dignity is paramount; for a general, presence is paramount. Wang Dou lacked neither.

He had risen from Jingbian Fort, and over the years had campaigned north and south through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and now controlled the fate of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians on the Eastern Route. Whether frontier grand generals or various lords at court, none dared slight him. When ordinary folk met Wang Dou, their own presence was diminished by three parts before they even began.

Wang Dou said, “You gentlemen are too kind. Please!”

They entered the Guan Di Temple and proceeded into the main hall. The County Magistrate’s attendants also carried the provisions for the troops to the square in front of the hall. Magistrate Zhang bowed again: “A mere trifling gift, to express in small measure the heartfelt sentiments of the villagers.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Magistrate Zhang invited Wang Dou into the city, saying he would hold a welcoming banquet for the Grand General and offer him rest and refreshment.

Wang Dou waved his hand and asked, “I have heard that Xinye has a small snack called ban mian?”

At this, Magistrate Zhang’s oily face broke into a delighted smile. He said, “So the Grand General has also heard of our Xinye ban mian. Yes, this noodle dish we in Xinye call ban mian tiao. Tradition has it that it was created by the fierce general of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Yide. It is smooth, chewy, and renowned far and wide.”

Wang Dou nodded: “Good. Magistrate Zhang, make the arrangements: prepare four thousand bowls of ban mian tiao and bring them over, so that my officers and men may also sample this local delicacy.”

The County Magistrate was momentarily dumbstruck: “This… four thousand bowls…”

He was somewhat troubled. Although he was willing to bear the expense, to produce four thousand bowls of ban mian very quickly was no easy matter.

Wang Dou extended a hand, again took a bag of silver from Xie Yike, and tossed it before Magistrate Zhang: “I know it is difficult. Here, take this silver back to the city and mobilize all the tea houses, taverns, and eateries within the walls. I will deal fairly and will not shortchange them.”

Magistrate Zhang involuntarily lifted the bag — good heavens, it was heavy in the hand, the clinking of the white silver inside ringing loudly. He smacked his lips; this General Wang was truly generous.

And indeed, looking at the men, horses, and armor of his troops, could they be people without silver?

He also mused inwardly: “I had heard of this Wang Dou’s deeds before, but was somewhat skeptical. Now that I see him, he is indeed of noble character, his army righteous and benevolent, his bearing graceful and admirable.”

For a moment, the thought of cultivating this acquaintance arose in him. Such a famous general, such a powerful army — if he could draw upon even a fraction of their support, the benefits would be inexhaustible.

The Garrison Commander looked at the County Magistrate, his eyes darting; clearly he was of the same mind.

Magistrate Zhang bowed again: “The Grand General is on campaign to exterminate the rebel Zhang Xianzhong, undertaking a long and arduous march. How could we dare let the Grand General bear the expense?”

Wang Dou said, “It is no matter.”

He added: “Prepare some large tubs and heat some water, so that my officers and men may wash. The cost will be accounted together.”

Magistrate Zhang said, “Yes, yes.”

He summoned his private secretaries in and, in Wang Dou’s very presence, gave instructions for the arrangements and handed the silver over to them.

The private secretaries were extremely astonished; they walked out of the main hall, whispering among themselves.

Very quickly, word of this spread throughout Xinye City and beyond. For a time, the whole town and countryside were astir. With silver distributed, the many taverns and noodle shops inside and outside the city worked with tremendous zeal. Moreover, the villagers vied to help, bringing out their household tubs, everyone fetching water from the river, so that the soldiers of the Shunxiang Army could enjoy a comfortable hot bath and then a hearty, satisfying meal of noodles.

And this act of Wang Dou’s left behind a much-told tale in Xinye, passed down as a fine anecdote.

Wang Dou likewise took a comfortable bath and changed into casual clothes. Throughout this time, Magistrate Zhang and his party had been waiting in the main hall.

Wang Dou ordered that the pig be slaughtered and made into red-braised pork, with a portion distributed to each unit. Since the great army was not engaged in combat, each man was also allowed a little wine to dispel the chill.

Large cauldrons of red-braised pork and large cauldrons of steaming hot ban mian were brought forth, their fragrance assailing the nostrils. Topped with sao zi, eaten piping hot, it was truly incomparable.

In fact, in later ages, Wang Dou had eaten Xinye ban mian, but at that time the sao zi ingredients also included red chili peppers, whereas at present chili peppers had not yet become widespread. Even so, the flavor was not inferior to that of later times, evidently having its own unique substitutes — just as in ancient times, when there was no MSG, rich stock was used and was also exceedingly delicious.

Everyone sat around a large table eating and drinking. Magistrate Zhang and the Garrison Commander of Xinye were seated among them, watching Wang Dou and his subordinate generals eat with such relish, and could not help feeling a sense of pride.

In the course of conversation, Wang Dou noticed that Magistrate Zhang’s speech carried a trace of a Wan region accent, and he could not help recalling Dou Weilu, the County Magistrate of Wu’an in Zhangde Prefecture, whom he had met before. Sure enough, upon inquiry, Magistrate Zhang did know him — they were men of the same examination year. Hearing Wang Dou speak of the situation in Wu’an County, he could not help sighing: “Brother Mingqi possesses great talent; it is a pity that fortune did not favor him, and he was assigned to Wu’an County.”

Wang Dou believed this. When it came to ability, he believed Dou Weilu far surpassed this Zhang Youxian. However, Xinye was stable while Wu'an lay in ruins — this was indeed tied to the fortunes of the times. Against the greater environment, no matter how great one's personal ability, there was no way to reverse the tide.

During this, Magistrate Zhang repeatedly lavished praise on Wang Dou's series of achievements and even brought up the recent great victory at Ruzhou — clearly he was also someone who paid close attention to current affairs.

Wang Dou smiled faintly, thinking to himself that news of the great victory at Luoyang had not yet arrived. Once some time passed, you would be even more astonished.

In truth, Magistrate Zhang harbored doubts. He had heard earlier that the bandit Chuang's several hundred thousand troops had besieged Luoyang, and that this Wang Dou had also led troops to its relief. How was he here, then? Could the bandit Chuang have been defeated and fled? That was impossible — several hundred thousand troops. Or had this man surnamed Wang privately fled? Such a question was not easy to voice.

Wang Dou then asked about the situation with Yang Mengchang and the movements in Xiangyang city.

Magistrate Zhang replied, "Grand Secretary Yang's great army of one hundred thousand has pursued them straight into Sichuan. The bandit Xian cannot escape even if he sprouted wings."

He added, "The Xiangyang military headquarters is a vital ground. Pay, funds, armor, and weapons are all gathered within the city. Every gate is defended by a Vice Regional Commander. Within the city are the Prince of Xiang, the Prefect, and the Surveillance Circuit. It is as impregnable as a golden fortress. I have heard of no unusual developments."

Wang Dou nodded. Clearly, neither Xiangyang city nor the nearby officials and commanders had imagined that Zhang Xianzhong would take the city so easily.

He pondered silently. According to history, because of Zuo Liangyu, the forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai had passed through Kuimen without any obstruction, entered Huguang via Wushan. On the twenty-fifth day of the first month, he should have captured Xingshan, killed the defending commander Wu Guoxiang and County Magistrate Liu Dingguo, then advanced east to the Dangyang-Jingmen line, scouted out that Xiangyang's defenses were thin, and devised a plan for a surprise raid.

In the process of seizing Xiangyang city, agents within played a very large role. After the Xiangyang incident, in the memorial of Eunuch Wang Yumin, the Supervising Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial who was dispatched by imperial decree to investigate the Xiangyang disaster, it was stated that "traitors and spies lay hidden within the city," and also that "surrendered soldiers numbered in the hundreds and thousands, coming and going in the city — none could tell if they were bandits or soldiers..."

It could be said that whether Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, or other roving bandit leaders, all were extremely adept at using spies and agents within.

As Wang Dou pondered, the officers of the Shunxiang Army exchanged glances. The general was so concerned about Xiangyang — could it be that some major event was about to happen there?

It had been constantly rumored in the army that General Dingguo was a celestial star descended to the mortal world, possessing the ability of foresight. Whether the campaign of the eleventh year of Chongzhen or the matter of Luoyang, both had confirmed the general's prescience. If he were to achieve great merit again at Xiangyang, then...

The second day of the second month, fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign (1641).

Huguang, Chengtian Prefecture, Jingmen Department.

Jingmen had always been known as the gateway to Jing-Chu. Its territory was largely mountainous and hilly. At this moment, within the Jing Mountains north of the department, on a pitted and uneven post road, an army was marching, covered in dust.

Their equipment was poor. Most of the soldiers wore headscarves and waist-length armor, all of cloth. Or they wore headscarves and padded vests, hemp shoes on their feet, and leg wraps. Many had tattered clothes, and even the banners they carried were full of holes.

Yet their spirits were high. Loud guffaws erupted from the ranks from time to time, and often teasing songs could be heard:

"First came Shao the Grand Coordinator, always dancing round and round. Then came Liao the Adjutant, following wherever we go without a fight. What a fine fellow Grand Secretary Yang, three days' march away from us."

Whenever this song rang out, the crowd would erupt in wild laughter.

The mountain roads were rugged, winding deep into the clouds and mist. At the army's center were mostly cavalry, flying banners marked "Zhang" and "Luo." From beneath the two command flags, a rough, bold voice rang out: "The lads are in fine spirits — good! That's how it should be, not diminishing our righteous army's prestige."

The speaker was a big man riding a glossy black steed. He wore a red-tasseled felt hat and a cloak. He was very tall, somewhat lean and wiry, with a sallow face. What drew attention was his long beard, which hung down from his cheeks and jaws, probably two feet in length.

His large, bronze-bell-like eyes flashed with ferocity from time to time, and his expression was utterly untamed and defiant.

Beside this big man, likewise riding a horse, sat a middle-aged man dressed like a wealthy merchant, with two wisps of rat-like whiskers and agile, darting eyes — clearly a man of considerable cunning.

He and the big man conversed from time to time, both speaking with Shaanxi accents. They were none other than Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, whom the Ming court hated to the bone, referred to together at the time as "the two bandits Xian and Cao."

The two had been encircled and suppressed by the grand army of Regional Commander Yang Huchang. They adopted the tactic of "using movement to wear out the enemy," traveling from Huguang into Sichuan, then from Sichuan back into Huguang, exhausting the pursuing government troops. Now they had broken out of the encirclement entirely — the sea was wide and the sky was high.

At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong cursed, "Donkey balls! Since taking Xingshan, our righteous army hasn't captured a single town!" "Jingxuan, no need to be impatient. Even if we find nothing at Gucheng, we can still go to Suizhou... the Yingshan area. Right now, all of Huguang's government troops have been transferred to Sichuan — there are plenty of places with empty defenses. Even if Huguang proves unworkable, we can still go to Henan. I hear Li Chuangwang is doing well in Henan, with great momentum, over a hundred thousand men, and they say he's even going to attack Luoyang. Now all of Henan's government troops are tied down. Nanyang Prefecture, Runing Prefecture — everywhere is empty. Our righteous army has great opportunities!"

After Zhang and Luo captured Xingshan, they had originally intended to attack the nearby counties of Fangxian and Zhushan, but the Xunyang Grand Coordinator Yuan Jixian had tight defenses, so they changed course for Dangyang. Wherever their great army went, panic spread. Local officials and residents defended rigorously. Xian and Cao found no openings, so they pressed on toward Jingmen and Yicheng to see if there were any advantages to be seized.

Zhang Xianzhong said enviously, "Li Zicheng is already besieging Luoyang. That's the Prince of Fu's territory, the little brat Chongzhen's uncle. If they take Luoyang, the Chuang army's momentum will be enormous. Master Cao, do you think they can take it?"

Luo Rucai said, "Hard to say. Back in the day, when we followed Gao Chuangwang, over a hundred thousand troops besieged it for many days and still couldn't take it. Luoyang is no ordinary department or county — very hard to capture."

In his heart, he felt considerable envy and jealousy. He and Zhang Xianzhong had been chased in circles by government troops, fleeing from Huguang to Sichuan and now fleeing back again, while Li Zicheng and the others had seized the chance to grow in Henan, and grow smoothly at that, with so many troops and horses.

Zhang Xianzhong's feelings were equally conflicted. He both hoped Li Zicheng would take Luoyang, boosting the righteous army's prestige, and hoped he would not — otherwise, those who had followed Gao Chuangwang together back then would climb right over his head.

After that, the two fell silent. The great army marched swiftly through the lofty mountains and steep ridges of the Jing Mountains and soon reached a local place called Lexian Bridge, which was a post station. The post soldiers fled in a panic at the sight of the roving bandits, but the postmaster was caught by the scout riders and brought before Zhang and Luo.

The postmaster was round and plump, fair and fat. The moment he saw them, he kowtowed repeatedly: "Great kings, spare my life! Great kings, spare my life!"

Zhang Xianzhong lashed down with his leather whip, making the postmaster wail for his parents. He cursed, "Your mother's hair! One look at you, stuffed round as a ball, and I can tell you're a corrupt official. Donkey balls! Hack him down for me! Just seeing these dog officials makes my blood boil."

Immediately, a personal guard from the old camp stepped forward. Amid the postmaster's miserable screams, he brought his blade down on his neck with one stroke.

Whether the guard did it on purpose or not, the stroke did not sever the postmaster's head. The postmaster did not die right away. Clutching his neck, he howled and rolled on the ground, blood gushing continuously from the wound, steaming hot in the cold wind.

The soldiers all gathered around, watching and laughing, until the postmaster stopped moving.

It was now near noon. Seeing that their subordinates were weary, Zhang and Luo gave the order to make camp at the post station. At once, the troops cheered. In clusters east and west, they gathered around the post station, some pitching camp to rest, others removing horse tack and repairing cart wheels and harnesses — a scene of bustling commotion.

Post stations in the Central Plains heartland could not compare to those of the Nine Frontier Garrisons. A station like Jiming Post, for instance, had a city wall over four li in circumference, served both military and postal functions, and possessed defensive capabilities. A small post station like Lexian Bridge was barely over a hundred paces around, with very crude facilities, and could not accommodate many people.

Therefore, only Zhang and Luo, along with some senior officers of their respective commands, went inside. They lit several braziers and brought out wine and meat to feast.

Luo Rucai was cunning and full of stratagems, nicknamed Cao Cao. He was also smooth and tactful, adept at mediating relations among the various factions. When they captured a city, he was willing to divide the women, children, and valuables equally, so many peasant army leaders liked to cooperate with him. However, he had a flaw — he was greedy for wealth and lustful. Whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he would take her into his tent. Even when encircled by Yang Sichang's hundred-thousand-strong army, he was unwilling to abandon these beauties.

His tent was filled with a flock of wives and concubines, each dressed in silks and satins, decked out gorgeously. He even kept an opera troupe and dancing girls with the army. With nothing else to do now, he ordered the troupe to play and the dancers to perform.

For a time, the post station was filled with the sounds of string and woodwind music, interspersed with the wild laughter of the men.

Zhang Xianzhong was a native of Dingbian in Shaanxi, and Luo Rucai was from Yan'an in Shaanxi. Most of their subordinate officers were also from places like Yan'an, Mizhi, and Yulin in Shaanxi. Thus, the voices coming from within the station were mostly the clamor of Qin-region accents.

Luo Rucai sat on a tiger skin, surrounded by all manner of alluring and beautiful women, who from time to time fed him wine and meat, massaged his legs, and kneaded his back.

Flushed with wine and warmed by drink, Luo Rucai grew somewhat emotional. He raised his voice: "The officials always curse us as bandits, and the ignorant folk curse us as bandits too. Bandits we are — what's wrong with being a bandit? When I, old Luo, was poor and destitute, I couldn't even marry a wife. Now look — the great ladies of official families, the daughters of the rich and noble — what kind of beauty is beyond my reach? In the past, they wouldn't even look at me straight. Now? Which one doesn't defer to me, beg for my favor? It's good to be a bandit! I like being a bandit!"

The men roared with laughter. Only the women present forced smiles onto their faces, none daring to show any hint of displeasure.

Zhang Xianzhong slapped his thigh and laughed: "Master Cao, you truly are a romantic soul."

The crowd burst into another round of wild laughter. Luo Rucai's senior officers, men like Yang Chengzu and Wang Long, went even further, pulling over the women beside them and kissing them forcefully, utterly abandoned in their debauchery.

Beside Zhang Xianzhong sat his senior officers: Bai Wenxuan, Chuang Shiwang Ma Wu, San Yaozi Wang Xingguo, and others. There were also several junior officers — Sun Kewang, Liu Wenxiu, Li Dingguo, and Ai Nengqi, the four who were Zhang Xianzhong's adopted sons, collectively known as the "Four Generals."

These four were all figures of immense prominence in the late Ming and early Qing, destined to shake the world. Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang in particular would leave a weighty mark on the pages of history.

At this moment, hearing Luo Rucai's words, Li Dingguo — who at this time should be called Zhang Dingguo — furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly. He did not quite approve of Luo Rucai's words. He was around twenty years of age, tall and graceful, sitting with an upright posture, brimming with a heroic and spirited air.

Li Dingguo had followed Zhang Xianzhong in campaigns across the land since the age of ten. He was fierce and courageous, fond of reading military texts, and possessed considerable strategic acumen. In the army, he was called "Little Prince of Chai."

Because he often read historical works, he had his own understanding and views of worldly affairs and strongly disapproved of Luo Rucai's words and conduct. However, after many years of campaigning and facing life and death, he had long cultivated his own depth and revealed nothing in his expression.

He slowly drained a cup of wine. His gaze inadvertently swept past Sun Kewang, seated in the place of honor, and he caught Sun Kewang's eyes just withdrawing from his own face. His heart tightened. Among the four adopted sons, Sun Kewang had been taken in by Zhang Xianzhong since childhood and held a transcendent position. Yet he was cruel and fiercely jealous by nature. Because Li Dingguo threatened his position, he had already begun to target him covertly.

By now, everyone in the station was tipsy. Zhang Xianzhong said, "Today we make merry. The army rests. Tomorrow morning we head for Yicheng — I hope for a good harvest."

Just as he spoke, a scout rider from the old camp suddenly entered and reported a few words to those in the hall.

"What? Xiangyang's military preparations are lax?"

Zhang Xianzhong abruptly sat up: "Is this intelligence reliable?"

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