Chapter 81: Return

Seeing the reaction of the Gaozhou troops, Zhou Shixiang felt somewhat disappointed. If the Southern Ming, apart from the Daxi Army, was all like this, how could they ever defeat the Qing army and restore China?

He spurred his horse forward and raised his right arm. Instantly, the shouting came to an abrupt halt, and silence fell all around.

"Does Lord Lei think the soldiers of my Taiping Camp are fit for battle?"

Zhou Shixiang turned around and only then noticed that Lei Xianchu's face was as black as charcoal, grim in the extreme.

"What?"

Lei Xianchu had not caught it clearly the first time, so Zhou Shixiang repeated himself. This time Lei Xianchu heard it clearly, and his heart gave a jolt.

These bandits had even set up their own camp command — clearly they had long harbored ambitions of independence. It seemed the plans of the Governor and himself were going to come to nothing.

He mumbled a vague reply, though not entirely insincerely, and said, "Judging by their formation, they are orderly enough and should be able to fight. It is only that their dress is neither one thing nor the other; they do not look like government troops."

Zhou Shixiang pointed at the black-clad soldiers who held no weapons and said, "It has been barely half a month since we took Luoding. Everything is still in its infancy.

My men rely on nothing but their fervent resolve to fight the Tartars to the death. Weapons and armor are sorely lacking, so I must ask you, my lord, to secure some for my Taiping Camp once you return to Gaozhou."

At these words, Lei Xianchu frowned and said, "The present situation in Guangdong is not favorable to our Great Ming. His Excellency the Governor is holding Gaozhou and Leizhou with troops that are themselves far from sufficient. Allocating weapons and armor may prove difficult."

"Armor is a heavy asset, and my command dares not hope for it. I ask only that some weapons be allotted, so that my men need not face the Tartars bare-handed."

Zhou Shixiang did not actually expect Lei Xianchu to bring supplies to the Taiping Camp. He said these things only to set the other man's mind at ease, lest after failing to absorb them, Lei Xianchu go back and describe the Taiping Camp as worthless bandits.

If they truly became enemies of the Guangdong Ming army, the Taiping Camp, caught between Ming and Qing, would find its position even more difficult.

"Well then... very well. Since your command has already accepted the court's amnesty and has the merit of retaking Luoding, this official will put in a word or two with His Excellency the Governor upon my return. But I cannot guarantee success, for at present our own forces are also in difficulty."

Had Zhou Shixiang asked for money and grain, Lei Xianchu would certainly have refused without a second word. But since the other man asked only for some weapons, although Lei Xianchu was already displeased with the Taiping Camp, he did not mind saying a few polite words.

Of course, it still depended on what Zhou Shixiang actually intended. If the man truly refused to accept his command, then there was nothing more to discuss.

But if he was willing to accept his command, then weapons and the like would naturally be easy to arrange. Even money and grain — if he swallowed his pride and asked the Governor, the Governor might well make some gesture.

After all, he was a general under the Governor, and the stronger he became, the more help he would be to the Governor of the four prefectures. With this thought in mind, Lei Xianchu did not speak in absolutes, leaving a loose thread for Zhou Shixiang to ponder on his own.

"Lord Lei is most considerate."

Zhou Shixiang, however, did not take up the thread and made no proactive overture at all. Lei Xianchu snorted inwardly, said nothing more, and rode straight to the front.

Raising his whip and pointing at the commoners, he said to Zhou Shixiang, "This official has now entered the city and seen your command's martial bearing. Tell these commoners to disperse.

Making such a commotion is a real disturbance to the people."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Shixiang replied, "Luoding has no commoners left. Everyone Your Lordship sees belongs to my Taiping Camp."

Lei Xianchu said in surprise, "They are plainly commoners. How can they also be members of your Taiping Camp?"

Zhou Shixiang explained, "From the day my Taiping Camp was founded, we set camp regulations: the old have the old camp, the women have the women's camp, the young have the young camp.

When war comes, the able-bodied fight the enemy bravely, and the women and children give brave support. This is what is called 'all the people are soldiers.' Therefore, everyone Your Lordship sees is a soldier of my Taiping Camp, not a commoner."

It would have been better if Zhou Shixiang had not explained. The moment he did, Lei Xianchu flew into a rage. "What 'all the people are soldiers'? You are coercing the common people!"

Zhou Shixiang was unafraid. With an air of perfect righteousness, he declared, "One more person means one more measure of strength.

At present the Qing army is powerful, and my Taiping Camp has been forced, in resisting the Qing, to recruit a few more commoners. How can that be called coercing the people?"

"A fine 'forced' indeed!"

Pang Tianci, who had just come over and overheard Zhou Shixiang's words, became furious the moment he heard that the Taiping Camp had coerced the common people. Pointing at Zhou Shixiang, he said, "Coercing commoners into your camp — what is that if not the act of bandits!"

Zhou Shixiang swept a glance over the livid Pang Tianci and said gravely, "Our army is the Great Ming's Taiping Camp, absolutely not bandits. I have here the court's imperial edict and great seal as proof. Lord Pang, do not speak recklessly!"

"You—!"

Pang Tianci was at a loss for words and did not know how to retort. After a long while, he finally said, "You have recruited so many commoners into your camp. How do you feed them?"

Zhou Shixiang said, "Feed them by war."

Pang Tianci's eyes went wide. "Just like roving bandits — wherever you go, first you seize grain and money, then you sweep up the commoners. And so on, round and round, is that it?"

Zhou Shixiang paused, then nodded. "If Lord Pang chooses to understand it that way, that is also correct."

"Bandits! Bandits!"

Lei Xianchu was so enraged he cursed several times in succession, his left hand pressing down on his saber hilt, looking very much as though one more wrong word would make him draw his blade.

"Bandits or soldiers — so long as the Tartar caitiffs are driven out, what difference does it make whether one is a bandit or a soldier?"

The speaker was Song Xianggong, standing there with a faint smile as he looked at Lei Xianchu and Pang Tianci. Behind him stood the Ge Zheng brothers, their faces full of menace.

Behind the Ge Zheng brothers stood several dozen soldiers with their hands on their long blades, the foremost among them glaring coldly at Lei Xianchu, utterly unafraid of this Mobile Corps Commander.

And as for the two hundred Gaozhou troops he had brought with him, they were now surrounded before the city gate by a large force of the Taiping Camp's black-clad soldiers, unable to move.

Lei Xianchu, who had been about to explode, saw this display and could not help drawing a sharp breath, forcibly swallowing the words that had been on his lips.

Pang Tianci, however, had not noticed that the situation had turned against them, and went on shouting, "If all our Great Ming's official troops behaved like your Taiping Camp and did the work of bandits, how could the gentry of the realm still turn their hearts to the Great Ming?

How could our Great Ming ever achieve restoration?"

"So long as our Huaxia does not fall into the hands of barbarian tribes, so long as our Han civilization is not cut short by barbarian tribes, what do the gentry of the realm amount to?

In the late emperor's time, before the Tartars had even entered the pass, what did the gentry of the realm accomplish? In this official's view, had it not been for the gentry of the realm, the Great Ming's foundation might never have crumbled!

This gentleman, I take it, is County Magistrate Pang Tianci of Dianbai. I am Song Xianggong, unworthily serving as Prefect of Luoding.

My thinking differs from Lord Pang's. So long as we can drive out the Tartars and restore our Han people's realm, the means employed are mere trifles, not worth making a fuss over.

Would Lord Pang not agree?"

Song Xianggong went on and on with his "this official" talk, leaving Pang Tianci so furious he could only glare.

In his agitation, Pang Tianci actually stamped his foot and said, "A thousand cups of wine are too few when drinking with a kindred spirit; half a sentence is too much when talk is not congenial. Lord Lei, the Taiping Camp's conduct is utterly unlike that of official troops.

In this subordinate's view, let us return to Gaozhou at once and report to His Excellency the Governor. This subordinate does not wish to remain a moment longer; every extra moment only breeds more anger."

"Hmm..."

Pang Tianci was anxious to leave, but Lei Xianchu did not dare make a move, for he did not know what these Taiping Camp bandits were scheming.