Chapter 83

"Nothing of the sort! Wherever did you hear such a thing?"

Lei Xianchu had not expected Zhou Shixiang to point out his purpose to his face. Thick-skinned as he was, he still could not take it, and his face reddened for no apparent reason.

Having reddened, he naturally denied it flatly — how could such a private, hidden matter be spoken aloud? Besides, it was not something that could be laid out on the table.

The court knew nothing of it; it was an arrangement made privately by the Governor.

If these bandits really made a fuss over it, the Governor would have a hard time explaining things to his superiors.

After all, it had been the Ministry of War's people who had recruited the bandits of Dachao Mountain to come down, and in name these bandits were no longer bandits but proper, regular Ming troops. How could there be any talk of one official army swallowing up another?

If it truly came to that, in the worst case the whole court and country would be thrown into an uproar — the foreign enemy not yet repelled, internal strife breaking out first, an omen of national ruin and all that.

Even in the best case, it would chill the hearts of all righteous men under heaven who still cared for the Great Ming. Who would dare come join the Ming and risk his life for the Son of Heaven after that?

Pang Tianci was startled too. He had not known that Lei Xianchu had come to Luoding with the intention of absorbing the Taiping Camp.

He only knew that the Governor had sent him along as deputy envoy, but in substance he was merely an escort, with no task assigned to him.

If the Governor's office had intended to take over and absorb the camp, they should have told him beforehand, so that he would know what was going on and could respond accordingly. Since nothing had been said in advance, there was no basis for any talk of absorption.

Yet seeing Lei Xianchu's flushed face and shifty, uncertain gaze, he could not help growing suspicious: could it be that Lord Lei really had come to Luoding with the intention of swallowing up these bandits?

Seeing Lei Xianchu growing rather agitated, Zhou Shixiang gestured for him not to be so worked up, and said in an unhurried tone: "Lord Lei need not be agitated. We are indeed of bandit stock.

From ancient times to the present, whenever bandits have accepted the court's amnesty, being broken up and reorganized has been unavoidable, and being absorbed into official troops is nothing strange. So long as the court treats us well, the brothers do not begrudge it.

Only, let me say the ugly part up front: it is not that my Taiping Camp cannot follow the lead of Governor Zhang and Lord Lei, but before that, the Governor and Lord Lei must produce suitable terms. If the terms are suitable, then everyone is happy.

The court gains the service of us brothers, and we gain official rank — why would we not be glad to do it?... But if the terms are unsuitable, then we will have to make plans for ourselves. After all, the brothers risked their heads to kill Tartars and take this city of Luoding.

Moved by the court's great cause and driving out the Tartar caitiffs is one part of it, but promotion and riches are also what men's hearts long for.

If after all this bitter toil we get no good treatment from the court, then even if I, Zhou Shixiang, were willing, the brothers would surely not be."

"Er..."

Lei Xianchu sat there stunned. What Zhou Shixiang said sounded like a business transaction. The reasoning was not wrong, but it was jarring to hear, and there was a veiled threat in his words. Could it be that if their terms were not met, they would change their banners and go over to the Qing?

Pang Tianci was even more repelled by Zhou Shixiang's words. Had the man not been a bandit chief, he might well have slammed the table and risen to denounce him for not thinking of serving the country, for acting with the taint of an opportunist seeking profit.

But he truly could not fathom Lei Xianchu's real purpose in coming to Luoding. If this Mobile Corps Commander Lei and the Governor really did harbor intentions of absorption, then he would have no standing to reproach anyone.

So for the moment he could not very well take a position on Zhou Shixiang's words. He merely tilted his body slightly and watched Lei Xianchu without any change of expression.

Song Xianggong was likewise taken aback. Zhou Shixiang had not spoken of such things to him beforehand, and now that he suddenly brought it up, it came as something of a surprise.

He did not know what Zhou Shixiang was planning. Could he really intend to trade Luoding and the Taiping Camp to Zhang Xiaoqi and Lei Xianchu in exchange for an official Southern Ming robe to wear?

Thinking it over carefully, Zhou Shixiang was not the sort of short-sighted man who would do such a thing. In chaotic times, what does one rely on to stand firm?

Only soldiers and officers! If he truly lost his soldiers and officers, who would take him seriously, and who would heed his words?

Moreover, Zhou Shixiang bore a blood-deep vengeance and had always acted with the utmost decisiveness. A man like that would never do something that dug up his own foundations.

There must be more to come...

Song Xianggong narrowed his eyes slightly, lifted his tea bowl and took a light sip, and likewise watched without any change of expression.

Zhou Shixiang, however, turned his gaze to Song Xianggong and said to him: "Lord Song, report the details of my Taiping Camp to Lord Lei, one by one."

At these words, Song Xianggong rose, fetched a muster roll, and handed it to Lei Xianchu. Then he said: "Since the day my Taiping Camp was founded, we have had more than sixty officers of Company Commander rank and below, 1,360 regular soldiers, and 9,520 auxiliary soldiers.

The camp possesses 320 sabers, 482 spears, 126 long pikes, 40 short blades, 24 sets of cotton armor, and 15 bows of various lengths. The camp's total strength is 10,880 men."

Song Xianggong reported all real figures, with no exaggeration. Lei Xianchu listened to only a few lines before waving his hand and saying: "The auxiliary soldiers are just common folk — no need to mention those.

Let us speak only of the regulars. A thousand-odd regulars is more than enough for an Assistant Regional Commander."

The words had barely fallen when Zhou Shixiang picked up the thread, saying: "Then I would ask Lord Lei to report to the Governor that the post of Assistant Regional Commander of Luoding shall henceforth be assumed by me."

Lei Xianchu was taken aback, and inwardly cursed the whelp for his shamelessness. In a muffled voice he said: "The appointment of an Assistant Regional Commander is a matter for the Ministry of War.

How could the Governor interfere? Besides, I am only a Mobile Corps Commander.

If you become Assistant Regional Commander, will you be listening to me from now on, or will I be listening to you?"

Zhou Shixiang laughed heartily and said: "Before my brothers recovered Luoding, it was Qing territory. The court granting the Luoding Assistant Regional Commander post to my elder brother — I fear the intent behind that was not necessarily good.

Now that Luoding is occupied by us, this matter of succeeding to the Assistant Regional Commander post is a mere trifle. So long as the Governor reports it to the court, would the court refuse to approve?"

Having said this, he paused a moment, then added: "As for what Your Excellency said about who listens to whom — well, forgive Shixiang for speaking bluntly, but in times like these, men with many soldiers and many officers have even been made princes, let alone Regional Commanders and Vice Regional Commanders.

With over ten thousand troops of my Taiping Camp at my command, Lord Lei's rank of Mobile Corps Commander seems a bit small, does it not?"

"Hmph!"

Lei Xianchu snorted inwardly, but did not dispute that Zhou Shixiang's words were wrong. He merely said: "I will speak of this to the Governor. But what were these terms you mentioned earlier?"

At this topic, Pang Tianci immediately sat up straight, his eyes turning bright and intent. Song Shixiang too inclined his ear to listen.

"The terms are few — just one."

To Lei Xianchu's surprise, Zhou Shixiang had only one condition. Puzzled, he raised an eyebrow: "Just one?"

Zhou Shixiang said with great certainty: "Just one!"

Lei Xianchu asked in astonishment: "What condition?"

Zhou Shixiang said decisively: "My condition is simple. The Governor must choose one county from either Lianzhou or Leizhou for my Taiping Camp to garrison, while Luoding shall be garrisoned by troops the Governor sends in our place."

The condition of choosing one county from Lianzhou or Leizhou for the Taiping Camp to garrison was one Zhou Shixiang had arrived at after deep thought.

Though he was not very familiar with the maps of this era, having seen many maps of later China, he knew that the present jurisdiction of Lianzhou Prefecture corresponded roughly to the later Beihai and Qinzhou areas of Guangxi, while Leizhou's jurisdiction corresponded roughly to the later Zhanjiang and Leizhou areas of Guangdong Province.

These two prefectures shared one common feature: both were coastal regions.