Chapter 44

Peace — peace for all under heaven.

Though the name Taiping Camp didn't sound imposing enough, nor did it show off the brothers' loyalty, Boss Hu had taken a fancy to it and personally made the final call. However unwilling Ge Wu and the others were, they could only keep their objections to themselves.

Watching the deeply disappointed looks on Ge Wu and the others' faces, Zhou Shixiang sighed inwardly. You fellows really have seen too little of the world. The Taiping Army was the most formidable rebel force of the entire Qing dynasty...

"Now that we have our camp, each of us will have his own duties from here on.

Brother Hu is an Assistant Regional Commander appointed by the Yongli court, so naturally he is our Taiping Camp's commanding general. Mister Song will be in charge of the public treasury.

From now on, our food, clothing, shelter, and travel will all be his responsibility, and all those old, weak, women, and children will have to be managed by him as well. Comparatively speaking, Mister Song's burden is the heaviest of all."

Hearing Zhou Shixiang's words, Boss Hu quickly nodded in agreement.

"That's right.

Mister Song's burden is no light one, unlike me, a hands-off boss. Right now our assets are few, so Mister Song can still manage.

But if, as Brother Zhou says, we truly accomplish great things in the future, then Mister Song will be very busy indeed."

At this point, a thought occurred to him, and he hurriedly said to Zhou Shixiang, "Right — since we've established the camp, we need to draw up regulations for camp officers. In the old days when the old prince led troops, every post in the army had its assignment and its title.

Only that way did the chain of command stay clear, and when trouble came, it was easy to handle. Brother Zhou, in your view, what office should Mister Song hold in our Taiping Camp?"

Zhou Shixiang did not think long before saying, "Mister Song manages the public treasury and the common people. I'd say for now we should provisionally call him the General Affairs and Provisions Officer.

Later, when the court grants formal rewards, it won't be too late to change to a proper office."

"General Affairs and Provisions Officer?" Boss Hu gave a slight nod. That was the idea. He turned his gaze to Song Xianggong. "Very well. Mister Song, from now on you are our Taiping Camp's General Affairs and Provisions Officer! Whether everyone's bellies get filled will all depend on you."

"I will do my utmost."

Song Xianggong smiled faintly. Naturally, he looked down on this neither-fish-nor-fowl General Affairs and Provisions Officer post.

But who could help it? The Yongli court had not yet formally recognized their force, nor granted any corresponding offices or rewards, so for the time being they could only style themselves with this General Affairs and Provisions Officer title.

Boss Hu then turned a solemn face toward Ge Wu, Zhao Sihai, and the others.

"Now that we have our camp, we are proper Ming soldiers.

You brothers can no longer run wild as you did before. Killing and robbing, raping women — such things must absolutely never happen again.

Otherwise, if we ruin the Taiping Camp's reputation, who will still be willing to follow us?"

"Rest assured, Big Brother. We brothers will absolutely never do such filthy things. We still want to follow you and accomplish great deeds!"

"I'm still counting on the day when our strength grows and we open offices and set up headquarters, becoming officials and gentlemen and making a fortune. Before that fortune's made, how could I go doing such unreliable things? No need to say more — rest assured, Big Brother."

"......"

The men all declared they would never run wild, one after another beating their chests in assurance.

Boss Hu grunted in acknowledgment, quite satisfied with his men's pledges, and went on.

"Since we are Ming soldiers, we must sooner or later fight the Tartars.

Otherwise, why raise this camp at all? Just to amuse ourselves with the name?

Marching to war is not like other matters. First and foremost is strict discipline and obedience; second is proper command and control.

So I've thought it over carefully. Though our numbers are still small, we can't be a disorderly rabble.

We must divide into a vanguard camp, a center camp, and a rear camp like the proper Ming army, so that everyone knows what he's doing, and when battle comes we won't fall into chaos and get wiped out in one stroke."

"That's only natural!" Zhao Sihai said cheerfully. "Big Brother, you make the call. We brothers all listen to you!"

"Big Brother, just say the word. We brothers are listening!" the bald man shouted.

Boss Hu motioned for them to quiet down, then laid out his plan.

"Our vanguard camp will be the one that charges into battle and fights the Tartars directly, so the man commanding it must be someone formidable.

Brother Zhou Shixiang is accomplished in both letters and arms. First he killed that dog You Yunlong for us all, then he cut down Kong Guoliang the Tartar.

None of you can match his skill in a fight, and he's full of stratagems besides. He's a xiucai, a scholar, and knows more than any of us.

So I've decided that Brother Zhou will command the vanguard camp. What do you all think?"

"Brother Zhou commanding the vanguard camp — I, Ge Wu, have no objection!"

"The xiucai has great ability. Handing the vanguard camp to him works!"

"......"

None of the men opposed Zhou Shixiang's appointment. On the contrary, they all thought it only right. Zhou Shixiang's performance had truly left them no choice but to admire him.

Zhou Shixiang had not expected Boss Hu to hand the vanguard camp to him, and for a moment he was taken aback. He was just about to decline when Boss Hu turned to ask Song Xianggong, "Brother Zhou commanding the vanguard camp needs a title too. Mister Song, what office do you think would be good?"

Recalling the neither-fish-nor-fowl General Affairs and Provisions Officer title Zhou Shixiang had stuck on him, Song Xianggong said offhandedly, "I'd say call it Vanguard Camp Commandant."

"Vanguard Camp Commandant?"

Boss Hu laughed heartily.

"Good, that's the office then."

He turned to Zhou Shixiang with a slightly apologetic look.

"Brother Zhou, don't think your old Hu is shortchanging you.

This Vanguard Camp Commandant post has to be yours, or else we'll have no way to fight the Tartars. Rest assured, once we've carved out a real situation, your elder brother here will certainly petition the court for an Assistant Regional Commander post for you!"

At that, Ge Wu chuckled.

"Brother Zhou becomes an Assistant Regional Commander, Big Brother becomes a Regional Commander!

The rest of us will get ourselves Route Commander and Mobile Corps Commander posts too! Brother Zhou promised those common folk that everyone would have food to eat and meat to eat — well, for us, everyone gets an official post!"

"Ha ha..."

Everyone burst out laughing at Ge Wu's words.

Boss Hu was sincere and showed not the slightest reluctance, so Zhou Shixiang no longer declined. Leading troops directly was exactly what he had dreamed of. With Hu Quan trusting him so much and the brothers all accepting him, he took up the Vanguard Camp Commandant post.

"From now on, Brother Zhou, as Vanguard Camp Commandant, will be responsible for leading the vanguard camp brothers in battle against the Tartars. Mister Song, as General Affairs and Provisions Officer, will be responsible for the rear camp. I'll take charge of the center camp myself."

Boss Hu then assigned the men to each camp. Zhao Sihai's squad went to Song Xianggong's rear camp; Peng Dazhu's squad he led personally; all the remaining squads went to the vanguard camp.

When they counted up the candidates for squad leaders and company commanders, they found there were vacancies. Mount Dajiao had produced thirty-eight men in all.

Six had died the night they took the city, and eight had been wounded. Among them, two were gravely injured and now lay unconscious in the magistrate's yamen, liable to stop breathing at any moment.

In this era of extremely primitive medical care, there was simply no way to treat the seriously wounded.

All Zhou Shixiang could do was find time to look in on those two men and instruct the clerks to prepare two coffins, so that the moment they breathed their last, they could be carried outside the city and buried. Beyond that, there was nothing more he could do.

The able-bodied men were initially organized into seven squads, which required seven squad leaders. Besides Ge Wu and the others each leading a squad, Boss Hu also made two men who had once served in the Ming army squad leaders.

That left several squad leader posts unfilled. In the end, Zhou Shixiang proposed selecting from among the able-bodied men, choosing eight of the sturdier ones to serve as squad leaders.

Three of those eight had been pressed into corvée labor before.

By the time all these arrangements were made, the night was already deep. Song Xianggong, as General Affairs and Provisions Officer, did not let everyone down. He had food prepared and sent over, and they ate right there in the city gate passage.

During the meal, Boss Hu asked Zhou Shixiang and Song Xianggong how exactly to deal with the Qing army prisoners. The men certainly could not be released, but they could not just be locked up forever either.

"Don't count on those men being willing to follow us. They're all veteran soldiers, slippery as oil. The moment we let our guard down, they'll turn on us! I say we just slaughter them!" Zhao Sihai said, making a chopping motion at his neck.

Ge Wu set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. "I know Brother Zhou wants to win those men over, but men aren't livestock. Brand a beast and it's ours — but brand a man, and he's ours too?"

Brand them?

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart. Zhou Shixiang set down his chopsticks and fell into thought. After a long while, he raised his head and said to the group, "Then we'll brand these men. We'll make it so they have no choice but to follow us!"