Chapter 826: Preparations

Han Chao asked, "What happened next? Did the bandits press their victory and attack Tongguan?"

Wen Daxing shook his head. "Intelligence reports that the remnant government forces retreating to Tongguan still have forty thousand troops, but they are already birds startled by the mere twang of a bow, with little fighting strength. Fortunately, Tongguan has our three thousand Jingbian Army soldiers, so the pass is secure. Moreover... perhaps the previous battle at Tongguan left them with lingering fear, so they did not advance west into Shaanxi, but instead besieged Kaifeng again."

A look of distress appeared on his face as he took out a dispatch. "This is the latest intelligence, far faster than what the imperial court in the capital has received. The bandits... the bandits breached the river dikes to flood Biancheng, drowning countless civilians and soldiers in Kaifeng."

"What?"

Everyone in the hall was shocked. Advisor Qin Yi said in a trembling voice, "You mean... you mean the bandits breached the river, and Kaifeng was flooded?"

Wen Daxing affirmed, "Yes. How exactly it was flooded is still unknown. Some rumors say Kaifeng was besieged again, and officials inside the city, intending to destroy the bandits, planned to cut the dikes and divert water to flood the bandits. But the Chuang bandits learned of it and instead opened the dikes to flood the city."

"Another account says the bandits, frustrated by their long failure to take Kaifeng, had long harbored a scheme to flood the city. Coincidentally, torrential rains had been falling for the past month, the Yellow River was rising, and they seized the moment to breach the dikes and flood the city. Thus Bianliang fell."

"The exact cause is no longer known, but the flooding of Kaifeng is a fact."

Everyone stared blankly. Zhong Susu bit her lower lip so hard it seemed about to bleed, and said bitterly, "Those were hundreds of thousands of common people, and the bandits could do such a thing. They are truly beasts!"

Advisor Qin Yi sighed, "Since the bandit rebellion began, the killing has been beyond counting, but the most devastating act was this drowning of Bianliang! Those who pursue great enterprises must win the people as their foundation. Li Chuang's actions mark him as nothing more than a latter-day Huang Chao or Red Eyebrow. Can one so vicious ever achieve great things?"

Wen Fangliang clenched his teeth and said, "After all, they are nothing but bandits!"

Han Chao sighed, "Fortunately, in recent years the Grand General entrusted the Sanjin merchant houses with gathering up women and children. Most of the women and children of Kaifeng had already been sent away. This is a great blessing amidst misfortune."

Gao Shiyin said in a deep voice, "Do we now know the bandits' movements?"

Wen Daxing said, "Intelligence reports that when the bandits again besieged Kaifeng, a large force was already pressing toward Guide and Xuzhou, with unclear intent. After breaching the river to flood Kaifeng, the bulk of their forces also struck camp and moved east — hundreds of thousands of troops in a vast surge."

Everyone was startled again. Han Chao studied the sand table and said decisively, "The bandits are imitating their Kaifeng strategy. Beneath the walls of Guide and Xuzhou, they are again employing the tactic of besieging a point to strike at reinforcements."

He jabbed his finger at Xuzhou's position and said bitterly, "Xuzhou is the strategic collar between north and south, a vital place since ancient times. If Xuzhou is severed, north and south are cut off, especially the grain tribute route. The court surely will not sit idly by. It seems wave after wave of relief troops will be annihilated there again!"

Gao Shiyin said in alarm, "So the bandits' ultimate aim is to invade Shandong and then press toward the capital?"

Wen Fangliang looked at Wen Daxing and said gravely, "Has the Intelligence Department discovered the bandits' ultimate strategic plan?"

Wen Daxing glanced at Wang Dou. Wang Dou nodded.

Wen Daxing unfolded a dispatch and said solemnly, "This is one of our Intelligence Department's highest secrets. In the third month of this year, our Intelligence Department discovered that the Chuang bandits held a council in the Prince of Xiangyang's mansion with the various bandit leaders to debate their next direction. In the hall, the bandits Niu Jinxing, Gu Junen, Song Xiance, and others argued over strategy. The strategies we have discovered are as follows."

He said, "The Chuang bandits' Chancellor Niu Jinxing proposed: 'I petition to raid and plunder Beizhili and Shandong, then strike directly at the capital!'"

Everyone in the hall was jolted.

Wen Daxing continued, "The bandits' Vice Minister of Rites Yang Yongyu's plan: seize the auxiliary capital, sever the grain tribute route!"

The people in the hall pondered.

Wen Daxing finally said, "The bandits' Attendant Gu Junen's plan. He said: 'No, no, no! Seizing the auxiliary capital first places us in a strategically inferior position, difficult to sustain a great enterprise — this plan errs on the side of slowness. Striking directly at the capital, if we fail, we will have no place to retreat to — this plan errs on the side of haste. Better to first take Guanzhong, the homeland of the Marshal, establish a state and found a dynasty, then sweep through the three border regions, capture Shanxi, and afterward advance on the capital. With room to advance or retreat, this is the complete strategy!'"

"The Intelligence Department's assessment: Yang Yongyu's plan was rejected. Gu Junen's plan is not feasible. Now only Niu Jinxing's plan remains. The bandits' final strategy is definitely to invade Shandong and strike directly at the capital!"

Wang Dou said flatly, "Minister Wen, is this the Intelligence Department's final judgment?"

Wen Daxing affirmed, "Yes, Grand General!"

His tone was decisive and brimming with confidence.

Wang Dou waved his hand, and everyone resumed their seats, their eyes gleaming faintly, expressions solemn. They knew that next, they would deliberate the Jingbian Army and Protectorate's ultimate strategy, and every word they spoke would be of immense importance.

Zhong Susu touched her own cheek and murmured, "Propping them up is unworkable. The court's accumulated ills are too deep to reverse, with too many constraints. First Prince Cao's army was defeated, then Sun Chuanting suffered a crushing defeat, wasting grain and funds. If we send relief a thousand li away, the supply line is hard to maintain, the risk too great — also unworkable..."

Everyone understood the meaning in her words. They looked at one another. Many wanted to stand and speak but felt it awkward to begin. Finally Wen Fangliang said decisively, "Now that we know the bandits' strategy, it's simple. Just wait for them at the capital. A few hundred li's march, and no supply line problems either."

Li Guangheng abruptly raised his head and said, "Are we to just sit by and do nothing? When the bandits attack Xuzhou, who knows how many relief troops will be annihilated. When the bandits attack Shandong and Beizhili, who knows how many common people will suffer. Will our Jingbian Army just watch?"

Wen Fangliang said sharply, "General Huli, we must consider the common people, consider the court's troops, but we must equally consider our Jingbian Army brothers! First Prince Cao's army was defeated, then Sun Chuanting was annihilated — do you not understand the danger of a thousand-li supply line? We have only this much patrimony. How can we fail to weigh importance and squander it recklessly?"

Li Guangheng kept a cold face and said nothing. Wen Fangliang continued, "Moreover, it's not even certain the court will summon us to send troops. The Grand General's toil is great and his achievements high; his loyalty is visible to all the Great Ming! Yet who sidelined him, who is suspicious of him? Should we, without an edict, rashly dispatch troops, once again press our warm faces against their cold backsides, and in the end only reap greater suspicion and sidelining?"

He sneered repeatedly, his words carrying a bone-chilling coldness. Li Guangheng's face turned ashen, veins bulging on his forehead.

He abruptly stood, then slumped back down dejectedly, holding his head in silence.

Advisor Qin Yi then slowly rose. He bowed solemnly to Wang Dou and addressed everyone in the hall: "The bandits' greatest habit is that they run easily. It is said the worry is not that bandits gather, but that they scatter. If we relieve Shandong and Xuzhou, besides the supply line, I also worry they will flee. I have never doubted our Jingbian Army's fighting strength; I only worry that when the Chuang bandits see the situation turning against them, they will leave behind a million starving civilians, then flee with tens of thousands of their veteran camp, fleeing all the way to Henan, even to Huguang. If so, when will the bandits ever be purged?"

He said, "If the bandits attack the capital, however, that plays right into our hands. With heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human unity, our Protectorate can resolve the bandit menace once and for all, without worrying about being led by the nose by the bandits as the previously routed government troops were!"

He mused, "The capital is sturdy; it can certainly hold out for a year or half. I imagine that no matter how suspicious the Emperor is, with the capital in peril, he will have to summon the Grand General to relieve the throne. Then we can dispatch troops and eliminate this scourge for the Great Ming. Therefore, I concur with General Wen's strategy."

Debate buzzed through the hall. Wang Dou sat quietly; no one knew what he was thinking. Suddenly he waved his hand: "We will annihilate the bandits at the capital!"

He said flatly, "In performing great good, one does not quibble over small evils. I have thought it through."

He said, "This is one of our Protectorate's highest near-term strategies. Roads, fodder, baggage, logistics, troops, equipment — every department must proceed methodically and begin preparations for this."

With a single word he decided, and laid out the strategy: "The Staff Department shall draft detailed operational plans. The Intelligence Department shall meticulously gather intelligence. The Military Administration Department shall train the troops well and equip the soldiers well. The Civil Affairs Department shall prepare grain and fodder for the army's campaign, as well as grain, funds, and cloth for famine relief. The Inspectorate Department shall conduct oversight..."

Everyone listened solemnly. They knew that with the Protectorate's strategy set, everything in the future would revolve around how to exterminate the bandits, and the Protectorate's mobilization machinery would rapidly spring into action.

Zhang Gui abruptly stood and assured Wang Dou, "Grand General, rest assured. My Civil Affairs Department will exert every effort and will certainly handle all supply matters for the campaigning army."

He reported his achievements to Wang Dou as if presenting a treasure: military colony reclaimed wasteland had reached two million mu, plus the vast civilian and merchant colonies, and the original fields across Xuanfu Garrison. He affirmed, "Once next year's grain is harvested, our Protectorate's accumulated grain will be enough to relieve the entire northern Great Ming, and even the famine victims of Henan will no longer be a problem!"

Wang Dou nodded with satisfaction. His painstaking efforts over the years were finally about to bear fruit.

Han Chao rose to report on Military Administration Department matters. The army had fully switched to flintlock muskets; by the twelfth month, the changeover would be complete, and every musket would be fitted with a sharp socket bayonet.

In terms of artillery, all three cannon foundries were operating, capable of casting twenty light and heavy red-barbarian cannons per month. The army now possessed three hundred and thirty large and small red-barbarian cannons, and one hundred heavy mortars. In addition, there were one hundred grand general Frankish cannons and five hundred medium and small Frankish cannons.

In terms of rockets, because Wang Dou had ordered increased production capacity several months earlier, current rocket stockpiles included four thousand light rockets and two hundred heavy rockets.

Wang Dou pondered and said, "Cannon production can stay at this level for now. Rocket production must be further increased. By the third or fourth month of next year, I want to see at least ten thousand light rockets and one thousand heavy rockets in stockpile!"

Han Chao considered for a moment, then responded, "Yes, Grand General!"

He also reported to Wang Dou that after the autumn harvest, through the Shunyi Prince and the Protectorate's horse official Emubu's vigorous horse control efforts, they had acquired a great many robust, well-fleshed warhorses. The various grassland horse farms now held over fifty thousand warhorses in stock. Combined with the Jingbian Army's original warhorses, this meant every Jingbian Army soldier could now have a warhorse.

Everyone in the hall beamed with joy. Wang Dou also laughed heartily. He was very pleased and said, "Good. Henceforth, the soldiers' formation training and feathered cavalry tactics will be one of the key focuses."

The Staff Department wielded enormous power; it was the only Jingbian Army department that could order mobilization, operations, and full-army mobilization. As its head, Wen Fangliang naturally had to report to Wang Dou the total troop strength the Jingbian Army could mobilize and deploy if it went to war.

The Jingbian Army was outwardly called the Loyal and Brave Battalion, but under its command were five armies: the Vanguard Vermilion Bird Army, the Left Guard Azure Dragon Army, the Right Guard White Tiger Army, the Rear Guard Black Tortoise Army, and Wang Dou's Central Army.

In terms of current strength, each army had two or three battalions under it, divided into first-class battalions and second-class battalions, with each army numbering roughly seven thousand to ten thousand men. There were also two logistics battalions, one forward scout battalion, one guard battalion, and two cavalry battalions.

There was also the Artillery Battalion, and together with the Loyalty Battalion and the Newly Attached Battalion, the total strength was roughly sixty thousand.

But this did not count the able-bodied garrison farmers from the various forts.

As for the current population held by the Protectorate and Xuanfu Garrison, on the eastern route, as of the third month of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, including the Manchu households, the entire route had a population of over five hundred thirty-four thousand. But now it had surged to seven hundred thousand, with the population of Baoanzhou alone exceeding three hundred thousand, and the entire Xuanfu Garrison population had now reached one million two hundred thousand.

Within the Anbei Protectorate, by the beginning of the eighth month, the population migrating from various provinces into Anbei had already surpassed five hundred thousand, and because of the plague, even more people were desperate to enter Anbei. Prosperity, peace, stability, and security — that was the impression everyone had of Anbei.

To put it bluntly, when the plague struck, how many tens of thousands of commoners died in Shanxi alone, yet how many died in Anbei? The newspapers cried out in alarm, and everyone from the Marquis of Yongning to Grand Protector Wang Dou paid close attention, yet the final tally showed deaths had not exceeded one thousand.

Who would not yearn for such a place?

Therefore, up to the present, the number of migrants entering Anbei had already exceeded eight hundred thousand, many of them families of considerable means, which was one reason why Guihua City had grown prosperous so quickly.

Adding it all up, the population under Wang Dou's name had reached two million. At four or five persons per household, that amounted to roughly four to five hundred Battalion Commander.

Conservatively reckoning one able-bodied man per household, the young and strong under Wang Dou's command numbered roughly four hundred thousand to five hundred thousand.

Because of the aid from mutual-aid societies and the extensive use of horse-drawn plowing, even more men could be spared for combat. With the Protectorate's mobilization efficiency, they could achieve a ratio of drawing one man from every three.

That meant, when the time came, they could mobilize one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand garrison farmers for battle without noticeably affecting agriculture or commerce.

In fact, according to Civil Affairs Ministry statistics, the number of able-bodied men in Anbei and Xuanfu was even higher, because those who could flee disaster were mostly strong, robust men — men like Old Hu, for instance. A conservative estimate put the able-bodied men under Wang Dou's jurisdiction at no fewer than six hundred thousand.

This was also why the Protectorate desperately gathered women and children: the territory had a trend of more men than women, an imbalance of yin and yang, which was a grave taboo.

Hearing Wen Fangliang's report, everyone in the hall beamed with delight. After all these years, their own power had swelled to such an extent!

Gao Shiyin abruptly stood up and declared loudly, "There is no need to mobilize that many. Fifty thousand garrison troops will suffice, and together with the regular soldiers of the Pacifying Frontier Army, one hundred thousand troops are enough to sweep the realm!"

Everyone in the hall voiced their agreement. They were full of confidence in the Pacifying Frontier Army's battle strength. Even if the roving bandits numbered a million, what were they worth?

Han Chao suddenly said, "No. The garrison troops must be mobilized on a scale of one hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand."

He warned, "Do not forget the slave-bandits in Liaodong. Word is they have already withdrawn their troops from the Japanese. When the roving bandits march north, they too may send their forces through the passes to loot while the house burns."

He continued, "At that time, our Pacifying Frontier Army may very well face the roving bandits and the barbarian caitiffs simultaneously — confronting enemy hordes numbering as high as a million!"

Startled, everyone abruptly turned to look at the Liaodong direction on the map hanging on the wall. This possibility was extremely high and could not be left unguarded against.

Wang Dou cast an approving glance at Han Chao and said, "Correct. That possibility does exist. One does not fear the likely, but the unlikely. Whether or not the eastern slaves enter the passes when the time comes, we must make all necessary preparations. Better too many than too few. Regular troops plus garrison farmers — mobilize on a scale of two hundred thousand."

Once Wang Dou had settled the matter, the subsequent details would be refined by the Military Affairs Ministry, the Civil Affairs Ministry, the General Staff, and other departments. It would be a vast and complex undertaking — after all, sending forth ten thousand troops versus one hundred thousand, and one hundred thousand versus two hundred thousand, were entirely different propositions.

When soldiers went out to war, they naturally consumed provisions. Men eating, horses chewing, losses along the way — the figures would be staggering.

By conservative estimate, each soldier currently consumed about one kilogram of provisions per day, which was roughly one sheng at this time. In fact, people of this era had enormous appetites; there were plenty who ate two jin of rice in a single meal.

Shen Kuo, in his Dream Pool Essays, noted that a person ate two sheng per day, and during the Wanli-era Korean campaign, there were accounts of men eating three sheng per day.

One hundred sheng made one dan. Two hundred thousand men would consume two thousand dan of provisions per day — and if horses were involved, it would be even more staggering.

At this time, a horse's consumption compared to a man's was roughly ten to one; in later ages it could be reduced to about five to one. That is to say, while a man ate one sheng, a horse ate ten sheng — though of course, horses ate a mix of fodder and grain, primarily dry grass and bean fodder.

There was a ratio of grain to fodder within this. Generally speaking, because grass fodder itself did not provide very high energy, a horse's intake had to be very large. If one wanted a horse to fight at speed, one needed to provide concentrated feed, mainly grain and bean fodder, plus an appropriate amount of salt to replenish the horse's strength.

The Pacifying Frontier Army's current standard for horses was half grain and half grass and beans. That meant, setting aside dry grass for the moment, one horse ate five times as much rice and wheat as a man.

For an army of two hundred thousand, besides the warhorses of the cavalry and feathered cavalry, there were also the mules and horses pulling carts — an estimated seventy thousand horses at that time, consuming three thousand five hundred dan of provisions per day.

Combined, two hundred thousand men and horses would consume five thousand five hundred dan of provisions per day, and one hundred sixty-five thousand dan of grain per month.

At this time, logistics transport losses were also considerable. With a force of one hundred thousand, if the army was ten days' distance from its supply base, the total logistics consumption would nearly match the combat troops' consumption. And that was only ten days' distance; if the route stretched longer, the logistics consumption would be even greater.

That meant the daily provisions consumed by two hundred thousand men and horses were not merely five thousand five hundred dan — by the standards of any state at this time, that was of course an immense burden.

This was also why this era placed such great emphasis on feeding off the enemy. The Art of War states: "One zhong of the enemy's provisions is worth twenty of one's own."

This was also why ancient dynasties were often at a disadvantage when fighting nomadic peoples. The Central Plains were full of towns and populations, so the barbarian cavalry could feed off the enemy. But when the Central Plains armies struck into the grasslands, there was nothing there but grass; all the provisions to supply a great army had to be hauled a thousand li from the Central Plains.

If anything went wrong and the supply line was severed, the result was total annihilation.

This was also the source of Wang Dou's misgivings about campaigning in Shandong, Henan, and other places: the supply lines were too long, and transporting provisions was far too difficult. If they only marched to the capital region, not only would the supply line be short, but losses on all sides would also be smaller — after all, over the years he had built many supply depots and grain stations throughout Xuanfu Garrison.

Of course...

"The Protectorate is currently building three post roads simultaneously. The other two can proceed slowly. Give the road from Guihua City to Xuanfu Garrison City the highest priority."

"Yes!"

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance. The impassioned officers and officials left the council hall. Wang Dou stood before the hall, hands clasped behind his back, calmly watching the drifting snow outside. His python robe made him look incomparably commanding. He stood silently, no one knowing what he was thinking.

Wen Daxing stood quietly behind Wang Dou, waiting for him to speak.

Wang Dou's gaze shifted; sometimes a cold, piercing light shot from his eyes, sometimes it softened. He stared ahead, as if watching scene after scene of the past, and the people and events that surfaced before him from time to time. Finally, he sighed and said, "That plan for the capital... begin preparations."

Wen Daxing said, "Grand General..."

"Prepare it."

Wang Dou waved his hand. He murmured, "I made a promise to someone."

"Yes!"