Chapter 19: Fan Wencheng Requests Passage

To thoroughly deceive the Jianzhou barbarians, Liu Xingzuo gathered every condemned prisoner in the four southern garrisons before the end of the ninth month. He promised them that if they survived three battles, their death sentences would be commuted.

He then formed them, together with diehard Jianzhou loyalists, into a single separate unit and made them the vanguard.

Over in the Great Ming, Governor Sun Guozhen of Dengzhou and Laizhou was doing exactly the same thing.

He, too, rounded up condemned prisoners across the Dengzhou–Laizhou region on a massive scale, formed them into a separate unit designated the Dare-to-Die Chiliarch Guard, and promised that one enemy head would commute a death sentence, while three heads would not only commute the sentence but also earn rewards and promotion based on merit.

For a time, Fuzhou and the Dengzhou–Laizhou region were a bedlam of demons dancing.

Then, on the third day of the tenth month, Liu Xingzuo consecrated his banners and launched his army to chastise the Ming.

On the fourth day of the tenth month, Liu Xingzuo's forces landed at Dengzhou–Laizhou with an immense show of force.

The Dengzhou–Laizhou garrison troops were too timid to fight; only the newly formed Dare-to-Die Chiliarch Guard dared to give battle, repelling Liu Xingzuo's troops several times with desperate death-or-glory charges.

But as the two sides fought on day after day, casualties grew heavy.

Governor Sun Guozhen of Dengzhou–Laizhou, citing the overwhelming enemy strength that made the position difficult to hold, ordered all guard-battalion troops across the Dengzhou–Laizhou region to concentrate at Dengzhou–Laizhou.

He also sent word to Mao Wenlong at the Dongjiang garrison, instructing Mao Wenlong's forces to advance and apply pressure on Liu Xingzuo's army so that it dared not commit its full strength.

Just as Liu Xingzuo, following the Chongzhen Emperor's instructions, was flawlessly staging the grand drama of "Chastising the Ming to Bury His Mother" in concert with Governor Sun Guozhen of Dengzhou–Laizhou, a secret report on Liu Xingzuo's "chastise the Ming" campaign landed on Hong Taiji's desk: "On the second day of the tenth month, Liu Aita emptied the prisons of condemned prisoners and stuffed them into his army as the vanguard.

The army is filled with Han slaves whose hearts are with the Great Jin."

"On the third day of the tenth month, Liu Aita consecrated his banners and launched his army. He crossed the sea and struck directly at Dengzhou–Laizhou."

"On the fourth day of the tenth month, he smashed the Dengzhou–Laizhou naval forces and guard battalions, taking over three hundred heads. The rest all collapsed and fled."

"The southern-barbarian Governor Sun Guozhen of Dengzhou–Laizhou dared not fight. He is concentrating all the Dengzhou–Laizhou guard battalions and has already appealed to the southern barbarians for reinforcements."

After reading the secret report of the fourth day of the tenth month, Hong Taiji was overjoyed. He immediately summoned Fan Wencheng, Daishan, and others to deliberate.

Once everyone had paid their respects, Hong Taiji spoke first: "We have now received a secret report from our scouts. Liu Aita has launched his troops against Dengzhou–Laizhou and has already joined battle with the southern barbarians.

He has taken over three hundred heads and captured more than two thousand, while the rest of the southern barbarians have scattered in countless numbers.

Now that it is confirmed Liu Aita is genuinely chastising the Ming and not colluding with them, this Khan has decided that we too shall launch our troops, detour through the Mongols, and strike at the southern-barbarian capital!"

Before any of the Jianzhou barbarians could speak, that dog traitor Fan Wencheng exclaimed with delight, "The Great Khan is brilliant! If we break the southern-barbarian capital this time, all the southern barbarians' northern lands will fall into our Great Jin's hands.

The unfulfilled wish of the Old Khan will be realized in the hands of the Great Khan! This slave congratulates the Great Khan!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Hong Taiji said, delighted. "This dog slave knows how to talk. This Khan shall reward him handsomely!"

Hong Taiji then turned to Daishan and asked, "How has Elder Brother's preparations gone for the matter this Khan entrusted to you earlier?"

Daishan bowed and saluted. "In reply to the Great Khan, this slave has long since made everything ready."

At these words, Hong Taiji then addressed Amin, Dorgon, and Hooge: "Hooge, you shall lead five thousand troops as the vanguard. Round up the Mongol tribes along the route and order them to send men to join the campaign.

Besiege the southern barbarians' northern territories everywhere so that they cannot dispatch troops to relieve their sovereign."

"Elder Brother Amin shall lead ten thousand as the Left-Route Army, guarding against the southern barbarians at Shanhai Pass and Ningyuan–Jinzhou."

"Dorgon shall lead ten thousand as the Right-Route Army, shielding the great army's right flank. At the same time, send men to contact Datong and have them prepare extra weapons and provisions. This Khan will pay them an extra ten percent on the price this time."

"This Khan shall personally lead twenty thousand as the Central Army.

Elder Brother shall lead five thousand troops as the Rear Army, guarding our army's line of retreat — there must be no failure!"

After the Jianzhou barbarians had all dispersed to make their preparations, Hong Taiji said to Fan Wencheng, "Good slave, you shall accompany this Khan's Central-Route Grand Army. This Khan shall take you to the southern-barbarian capital!"

Fan Wencheng immediately said with delight, "Ja! This slave obeys!"

Hong Taiji added, "You shall also make a trip to the Mongols on this Khan's behalf. Speak with Ligdan Khan and see whether he can open a path for us. If he can, this Khan will take it upon himself to give him twenty percent of the spoils plundered from the Han lands!"

Fan Wencheng said, "Ja. This slave shall go at once. That Ligdan Khan may have the ambition to restore his ancestors' hegemony, but against our Great Jin at the height of its power, he can do nothing but cry out his helplessness in vain."

"

After Fan Wencheng took his leave, he did not go home — in any case, Hooge was probably there. And even if Hooge was not, Dodo might well be. So he simply called for his attendants and rode off on horseback toward Ligdan Khan's territory among the Mongols.

By the sixth day of the tenth month, Fan Wencheng arrived at Ligdan Khan's camp and requested an audience.

Ligdan Khan was very curious. Fan Wencheng was a Confucian scholar who had already passed the examination to become a xiucai and was already a member of the Great Ming's privileged class, yet he willingly served as a running dog for the Jianzhou barbarians.

So Ligdan Khan scrutinized Fan Wencheng carefully and saw that he was dressed entirely in the robes of a Confucian scholar, yet was tall, powerful, and imposing — not at all like a bookish man, but more like a fierce general.

Ligdan Khan muttered to himself, thinking that bookish men truly were all rotten to the core!

While Ligdan Khan was observing Fan Wencheng, was Fan Wencheng not likewise observing Ligdan Khan? Although the thirty-six-year-old Ligdan Khan took good care of himself, the wind and frost of the Mongolian steppe had still carved the years into his face.

Though he was only thirty-six, he looked well over forty.

Fan Wencheng dispensed with pleasantries and said to Ligdan Khan, "Great Khan, the new little emperor of the Ming has just ascended the throne and is utterly unreliable. The moment our Great Jin's military might arrives, that little emperor will likely wet himself in terror!

Why not submit to our Great Jin, Great Khan, rather than endure hardship out here?"

A flash of anger crossed Ligdan Khan's face and then vanished. He said, "If Master Fan has come to urge surrender, then there is nothing to discuss. Please leave!"

Seeing this, Fan Wencheng said, "Since the Great Khan is unwilling, this student cannot force the matter. But our Great Jin's mighty army has already set out.

This student merely hopes the Great Khan will open a path for us. Our two houses shall keep to our own waters and not trespass upon each other's rivers — what say you?"

Ligdan Khan feigned anger.

"I say nothing of the sort!

Since this Khan has already formed an alliance with the Great Ming, how could I betray it so lightly? You Jianzhou barbarians may have many troops and wide-ranging generals, but we of the Great Mongols are not lumps of dough for you to knead and squeeze as you please!"

Fan Wencheng cursed Ligdan Khan inwardly for being thick-headed, but he also knew that it was not that Ligdan Khan was unwilling to open a path — it was merely a question of how high the stakes were.

Thinking of the bottom line Hong Taiji had given him, he said, "In that case, this student can take it upon himself to offer the Great Khan ten percent of whatever our Great Jin gains in the Han lands this time. What say you?"

Ligdan Khan looked askance at Fan Wencheng. "Master Fan, neither of us is a three-year-old child. Ten percent? Are you tossing scraps to a beggar? Thirty percent. One fraction less, and you can forget about passing through this Khan's territory."

Fan Wencheng cursed him inwardly again, thoroughly irked by Ligdan Khan's lion's-maw demand, but on his face he put on an expression of difficulty and said, "Great Khan, this student is but a bookish man — how could I possibly grant thirty-five percent of the profit?

When I set out, my Great Khan had already instructed this student: fifteen percent, and not a bit more!"

Ligdan Khan said, "Master Fan, if this Khan opens the path for your Great Jin, you must understand that this Khan will bear the infamy of it. Is this Khan's reputation worth only that extra half-percent?

This Khan will not make things difficult for you, sir. Please return and report to Hong Taiji: twenty-five percent, and absolutely not a fraction less!"

After another round of haggling, the two sides finally agreed: of the spoils the Jianzhou barbarians plundered from the Han lands, twenty percent would go to Ligdan Khan, and Ligdan Khan would withdraw his men fifty li, opening the path for the Jianzhou barbarians so they could march south without worry.

Fan Wencheng's return to report to Hong Taiji need not be recounted. After Fan Wencheng had left, Ligdan Khan hurriedly summoned the Ming envoy and asked, "Was this truly decided by your Great Ming Emperor?

You must understand, once this Khan opens the path, the Jianzhou barbarians' blades will be aimed straight at the Great Capital!"

The envoy said proudly, "Rest assured, Great Khan. The Son of Heaven has long been prepared.

You need only cut off the Jianzhou barbarians' route of retreat. Our Great Ming's Son of Heaven, whose word is gold and jade, will certainly reopen the border markets.

Our two houses may also forge an eternal alliance of amity!"