Chapter 288: The Renowned General of the Age: Qin Liangyu

Seventy li outside Chongqing, the great army was slowly advancing toward the city. But compared to before, there was a great difference — now the entire force was pervaded by a tense atmosphere.

Everyone knew the moment of the decisive battle was at hand.

This single battle could determine the entire course of the war.

If they could win, the court would be able to take advantage of the momentum to wipe out the rebels; if they lost, then all of Sichuan would be lost, and Chongqing would no longer have the resolve to resist. Once Chongqing fell, the whole of Sichuan would be gone.

Although Sun Chuanting and Qi Yuangong both had confidence, at this moment the two of them could not help but feel somewhat tense. After all, the stakes were enormous, and both men were newcomers — how could they not be nervous?

The army pressed forward, and Sun Chuanting pondered from atop his horse.

Not far away, a messenger soldier suddenly arrived.

He came straight to Sun Chuanting and Qi Yuangong, dismounted, and said respectfully, "My lords, someone up ahead requests an audience."

Hearing this, Sun Chuanting and Qi Yuangong were both taken aback. Who could possibly be seeking an audience in a place like this?

Sun Chuanting looked at the messenger and asked, "Who seeks an audience?"

"To report to my lord, they say they are people of Ma Xianglin, the native chieftain of Shizhu." The messenger hurriedly replied.

"People of Ma Xianglin, the native chieftain of Shizhu?" Sun Chuanting asked with some hesitation.

Along the way, Sun Chuanting had encountered quite a few people from the native chieftains, but most of them were rebels. For someone from the Shizhu chieftain to suddenly appear at this time — who knew what scheme they had in mind?

After thinking it over, Sun Chuanting waved his hand with a calm expression and said, "Let them come over."

Before long, the person was brought over.

Neither Sun Chuanting nor Qi Yuangong had expected that the one who came would actually be a woman — and judging by her age, she was already well along in years.

But that was not what astonished the two men. What astonished them was the official robe this woman was wearing.

Because the robe she wore was the attire of a third-rank official. Setting everything else aside, just this one garment was already shocking enough in this place — let alone the fact that the person wearing it was a woman.

Sun Chuanting and Qi Yuangong did not dare to be negligent. They quickly dismounted and went straight before this woman.

Sun Chuanting bowed slightly and said, "This subordinate is Sun Chuanting, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. May I ask who Your Honor is?"

"My lord, you flatter this old woman." The old woman quickly said with a hearty laugh, "I came in such haste that I did not announce myself — I hope my lord will forgive the discourtesy. This old woman is Qin Liangyu, native chieftain of Shizhu. I greet the two lords."

Hearing the old woman announce herself, a look of sudden realization appeared on Sun Chuanting's face. This time he bowed all the way to the ground and said, "So it is General Qin in person! This humble latecomer offers his respects."

"How did the old general come to be here? Why not send someone to announce your arrival, so that this subordinate could have gone out to receive you?"

Qi Yuangong turned and shot Sun Chuanting a puzzled glance. Sun Chuanting's attitude could truly be described as extremely respectful.

Although the other party was a woman, and wore third-rank attire, she was merely a local native chieftain — was such deference really necessary?

Qi Yuangong was not stupid. Since the respect was not based on rank, it could only be based on something else — which meant this old woman before them was no ordinary person.

"The war situation is urgent, so I came presumptuously. I hope my lord will not take offense." Qin Liangyu quickly said.

She did not know why this young man before her was so respectful toward her, but in her heart she breathed a sigh of relief. Like this, at least things would be easier to discuss and easier to handle.

Seeing that Qi Yuangong did not understand, Sun Chuanting quickly introduced her: "This General Qin is a figure of great renown. You are young, so you may not have heard of her. Back then, when Yang Yinglong of Bozhou rebelled, it could be said to be an enormous uprising — comparable to the present one, or even greater."

"General Qin Liangyu and her husband were the first to defeat him, then pressed the advantage in pursuit, successively breaching seven stockades including Jinzhu Pass; afterward she assisted the various official armies of Youyang in taking Sangmu Pass and thoroughly routing Yang Yinglong's forces. General Qin Liangyu was ranked first in military merit on the Nanchuan route."

"In the forty-first year of Wanli, General Qin's husband Ma Qiansheng was falsely accused by the eunuch Qiu Chengyun and died of illness in the prison at Yunyang. General Qin's family can be said to carry on a legacy of loyalty and righteousness — in this land south of Sichuan, they may truly be called a pillar of our Great Ming."

"I have long admired General Qin deeply. To have the honor of meeting General Qin today is the great fortune of three lifetimes for this humble latecomer." This last sentence, Sun Chuanting addressed directly to Qin Liangyu.

Qin Liangyu looked at Sun Chuanting and said with a smile, "Mere trifling merit — it does not deserve such praise from my lord."

"General Qin must not say such things. Before I left the capital, His Majesty personally gave me instructions, and at that time he even mentioned General Qin."

"His Majesty the current Emperor once said that General Qin is a pillar of the southwest, loyal and virtuous by nature. In the matter of General Qin's husband, it was the court that wronged General Qin; yet through all these years, General Qin has remained devoted to her duties to the court — a true model of a minister. His Majesty also specifically instructed me that if I should meet General Qin, I was to convey His Majesty's regards to her on his behalf."

Hearing these words from Sun Chuanting, Qin Liangyu was instantly stunned.

She truly had not expected Sun Chuanting to say such things. The earlier words had already astonished her; the later words she had never even imagined.

After hearing this, Qin Liangyu said with some hesitation, "His Majesty still remembers our family?"

Sun Chuanting nodded and said, "His Majesty the current Emperor is wise and brilliant, supremely sagacious — of course he remembers General Qin. His Majesty once said that among the renowned generals of this age, General Qin deserves a place; and for guarding the southwest for the court for so many years, her toils and merits are indeed great."

Hearing these words, Qin Liangyu's eyes grew somewhat red. These years in the southwest had not been good to her — the officials of the Great Ming did not treat her as one of their own, and the native chieftains did not treat her as one of their own either. It could be said she was caught between both sides, belonging to neither.

No matter what, she had never imagined that thousands of li away, in the capital of the Great Ming, the current Emperor still remembered her, still remembered the merits of her family.

Qin Liangyu slowly lifted her robes and knelt to the ground, kowtowing several times in the direction of the capital, and said in a choked voice, "For His Majesty's grace, my Qin family will repay it with death!"

Only after Qin Liangyu rose from the ground did Sun Chuanting ask, "General Qin, how did you come to be here?"

"That is a long story." Qin Liangyu sighed and said, "When She Chongming rebelled, he sent people to contact me. She Chongming's subordinate general Fan Long dispatched an envoy bearing gold, silver, and silk, seeking to form an alliance with me. I executed the envoy and immediately raised troops, leading Qin Minping and the sons of Qin Bangping, Qin Yiming and Qin Gongming, west against the current, passing by Chongqing city, and catching the enemy unprepared, I went straight to Nanping Pass at Chongqing to cut off the rebels' retreat."

"Afterward I set up an ambush to strike at Lianghe, burning the enemy's boats. Then I divided my forces to guard Zhongzhou and sent fast horsemen bearing dispatches to Kuizhou, ordering the local garrison to urgently defend the upper and lower reaches of the Qutang Gorge, driving back the invading rebel troops."

"General Qin truly lives up to the name of a famed southwestern general!" Sun Chuanting hurriedly bowed upon hearing this and said, "Everything you have done is the work of a renowned general. When His Majesty hears this news, he will certainly be extremely pleased."

Qi Yuangong on the side had also not expected that this General Qin had accomplished such great deeds. He hurriedly bowed and said, "This junior, Qi Yuangong, pays respects to General Qin."

Qin Liangyu looked at Qi Yuangong and asked with some curiosity, "And this is?"

"Allow me to introduce him to General Qin." Sun Chuanting quickly stepped forward and said warmly, "This is General Qi Yuangong — the grand-nephew of Qi Jiguang, the Junior Guardian, and the son of the great general of our dynasty, Qi Jin. This time he has come with me to lead the army in suppressing the rebellion, and along the way he has routed the enemy forces many times. He can be called a fine general of the new generation."

Hearing this, Qin Liangyu's face showed an expression of admiration, and she said with a smile, "So you are a tiger cub from a general's family — truly outstanding in martial bearing! And favored by His Majesty as well — your future is bound to be limitless."

Qi Yuangong cupped his hands modestly and said, "I do not deserve such praise from General Qin."

Seeing that the pleasantries were finished, Sun Chuanting quickly interjected, "Let us set aside such talk for now. General Qin, what is the current situation in Chongqing?"

"Vice Minister Sun, the situation in Chongqing is not good." Qin Liangyu said, a note of helplessness in her tone. "Right now Chongqing is surrounded by She Chongming and his men — it could fall at any moment. Although I have taken Nanping Pass, I lack sufficient manpower and cannot lift the siege of Chongqing. I can only occasionally help from the flanks."

"For General Qin to have accomplished even this is already beyond what ordinary men could do." Sun Chuanting worried for Chongqing on one hand, while on the other he felt admiration for what Qin Liangyu had done.

"Now that the relief army has arrived, the day of She Chongming's defeat is not far off." Qin Liangyu's face lit up with joy as she said with a smile, "May I ask how many relief troops Vice Minister Sun has brought this time? When I was coming from Chongqing, She Chongming had already led his men in this direction."

"To report to General Qin, I have thirty thousand elite soldiers under my command." Sun Chuanting said with considerable confidence. "Aside from the five thousand brought from the capital, the rest are all relief troops gathered from Sichuan. Even if She Chongming brings his men here, this time he will not return alive."

Qi Yuangong looked at Sun Chuanting, who was full of confidence and boasting so boldly, and truly did not know what to say.

You really dare to say it — thirty thousand elite soldiers?

Can the men under your command even be called elite?

Last time when attacking Luzhou city, they had to be driven forward at gunpoint. If not for the Tiger Roar Battalion having enough bullets, these men would have nearly mutinied.

The attack on Luzhou had not been without its aftereffects. Along the way from Luzhou, how many people had secretly slipped away?

The morale of those who remained was not good either—they were terrified that Lord Sun would send them to their deaths. If he pulled another stunt like Luzhou, these men would probably mutiny.

But since Sun Chuanting had said as much, Qi Yuangong naturally could not undermine him.

After hearing Sun Chuanting's words, Qin Liangyu did not harbor doubts. After all, with the rebellion of She Chongming being such a major affair, the reinforcements the court dispatched would naturally be elite troops—otherwise, sending a bunch of useless men would serve no purpose.

Still, she had some concerns. Raising her head, she looked at Sun Chuanting hesitantly and said, "Isn't thirty thousand men a bit few? Beneath the walls of Chongqing, She Chongming has gathered a hundred thousand troops."

"She Chongming has that many men?" Sun Chuanting asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Many of them were coerced into joining," Qin Liangyu explained. "But even if they were coerced, the numbers are still considerable. I sent people to investigate—even if there aren't a hundred thousand, there are at least seventy or eighty thousand. She Chongming himself claims to command two hundred thousand men, which shows just how formidable his momentum is."

"Not worth fearing," Sun Chuanting said with a smile.

"This time, let General Qin see how we defeat him." Sun Chuanting's face was full of confidence.

In truth, Sun Chuanting had no choice but to say this—he could hardly say they had no confidence, could he?

Especially not in front of Qin Liangyu. For one, he could not undermine the court's prestige; for another, he needed to give Qin Liangyu confidence.

But Qin Liangyu was no novice—she could be counted as battle-hardened. She could read between the lines of Sun Chuanting's words.

She looked at Sun Chuanting and asked, "Has something happened on the Guizhou front?"

Hearing this, Sun Chuanting grew somewhat embarrassed. He asked, "General Qin knows about matters in Guizhou as well?"

"Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan are all in the southwest. Though I've never been there, I've heard things—much of it is more or less the same."

"These years, life in the southwest has been hard. The chieftains oppress the people, and the local officials oppress the people too. The officials sent by the Great Ming don't treat the native people as human beings at all. Every official who comes to this place has nothing else on his mind—he only thinks of plundering what he can and then leaving."

"Though the southwest can't be called utterly desolate, it still carries the word 'bitter' in it. Few of those who serve as officials here are sincere at heart. Those who can come here have no powerful backing. What can they do when they arrive? Making money is the first priority."

"So when She Chongming rebelled this time, many chieftains followed along. The chieftains wanted to grab some benefits, but the native people below them truly could not go on living. The people of the southwest are fierce by nature, and many do not much fear rebellion. So it's no wonder She Chongming could pull together so many men."

"Since She Chongming has made such a big stir, I imagine Guizhou is much the same. When the people there heard about what happened here, they must not be peaceful either. Even if they haven't erupted, they're probably unsettled. Lord Sun came over from Guizhou without bringing many troops, which suggests the situation on the Guizhou front is not entirely stable either."

"General Qin truly has far-sighted vision." Sun Chuanting hurriedly bowed and said, "This humble official admires you."

"Spare me the pleasantries." Qin Liangyu waved her hand and said, "The reason I'm telling Lord Sun all this is that I hope he will give me an honest answer—just how confident is he? If there's no certainty, then it's better not to force the issue. If this battle is lost, I think Lord Sun knows the consequences better than I do."

Hearing Qin Liangyu's words, the expression on Sun Chuanting's face turned serious.

After pondering briefly, Sun Chuanting spoke slowly: "Since General Qin has put it that way, I'll speak from the bottom of my heart. In this battle, I have complete confidence—ten out of ten. That She Chongming is a grasshopper after autumn; he hasn't many days left to hop around."

These words startled Qin Liangyu. She raised her head and looked at Sun Chuanting hesitantly.

She hadn't expected that even after she'd spoken so plainly, this Lord Sun would still dare to make such bold promises. Could he truly have that much confidence?

"General Qin, consider this—on the way here, I first took Zunyi, then occupied Luzhou, and a few days ago I captured Hejiang. One doesn't dare go to Mount Liang without at least a little skill. The fact that I could fight my way through all the way here naturally means I have some ability. Though She Chongming has superior numbers, I truly haven't put him in my sights."

Sun Chuanting said with resounding conviction: "Before I set out this time, His Majesty already told me to teach them a proper lesson, to let them know what it means that the might of Heaven must not be defied!"