Chapter 310: A Perilous Situation

A thousand li from Anqing, in the study of the rear hall of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator's official residence in Suzhou, Zhang Guowei gently set down Pang Yu's dispatch submission and raised his eyes to the middle-aged official across from him. "Ergeng, do you think what this Mobile Corps Commander Pang proposes is feasible?"

"What this Pang Yu writes has its reasoning, but at a time when the rogue marauders are running rampant, it is gravely inappropriate. One must understand that military orders issue from a single source. For Pang Yu to divide garrison posts in this manner is to demand equal standing with the Military Defense Circuit. If he gets his wish, then every reinforcing camp could carve out its own territory, each digging in behind its own walls. Circuit Intendant Shi's Military Defense Circuit would bear only responsibility without authority — the battle would be lost before it is even fought." Feng Yuanbiao paused, then added evenly, "I am already an official bearing guilt and stripped of office. To speak recklessly on matters of territorial defense is, I feel, improper. My lord, please regard this as mere idle discussion."

This man was Feng Yuanbiao, Regional Commander of Susong, one of Zhang Guowei's most trusted subordinates. Ergeng was his courtesy name. He had originally been reassigned as Fujian Education Intendant, but Zhang Guowei had petitioned the Emperor specifically to retain him. What followed, however, ran completely counter to Zhang Guowei's wishes.

"Among my subordinates, the only ones fit to discuss military matters are Ergeng and Daolin (Shi Kefa). A pity..."

"My own demotion is not worth lamenting. But since Daolin took office, he has personally lived among the ranks, baring his heart and liver, braving wind and sleeping in snow. That Anqing has been kept safe these two years is truly Daolin's achievement. Susong can do without me; Anqing cannot do without Daolin."

"Daolin also submitted a dispatch. He only briefly mentioned his differences with Pang Yu, and in vague terms — far from tearing off all face the way Pang Yu has done." Zhang Guowei picked up another document. "This also shows that Daolin, while magnanimous, steady, and composed to a fault, still lacks a certain sharpness and acuity."

"All the more reason, then, for you, my lord, to champion Daolin. First, to uphold the court's system of civil-dominated military control; second, to help Daolin keep these grunts under his heel. Otherwise, if orders in Anqing are not unified, the outcome of a major battle with the bandits needs no asking — and at this moment... defeat is unthinkable."

"As if I do not know this. But this year the bandit marauders are rampant, even worse than last year." Zhang Guowei stood up. "Today I received a dispatch report from the Director-General's Department. The Huguang bandits have split their camps at Macheng. One force is moving west toward Xiaogan and Huangpi; the other is moving east and has already entered Yingshan."

Zhang Guowei walked to the table, and Feng Yuanbiao followed. Zhang Guowei pointed to the location of Yingshan. "This eastward-moving band of roving thieves has entered Yingshan. From there, three paths lie ahead: toward Guangji and Huangmei; through Huoshan into Lu'an Prefecture; or south into Qianshan and Taihu."

"What countermeasures does the Director-General's Department intend?"

"Director-General Wang wants me to fight and defend simultaneously, blocking the roving bandits from entering Anqing while strictly guarding the river defenses. He has also already dispatched Zuo Liangyu south to assist in the extermination."

"The Viceroy of Water Transport has also dispatched Mou Wenshou to advance west. Lu'an Prefecture already has Liu Liangzuo. The Fengyang Governor's jurisdiction is thick with heavy troops. If Zuo Liangyu seals off the north, then the roving bandits will have no choice but... to head toward Anqing."

Zhang Guowei nodded. "This one force moves east. Beyond the mountains, there is yet another large force moving east from Nanyang. If Zuo Liangyu presses them into the mountains, they will have no choice but to head for Anqing. Judging by the overall situation, Pang Yu's method is more appropriate. But Anqing's troops are already insufficient. If he is defeated in battle, our defenses will be even more inadequate — would that not be drawing the roving bandits straight to Anqing? Thus, Daolin's method lacks offensive initiative, while Pang Yu's method is rash and excessive."

Feng Yuanbiao knew Zhang Guowei was caught in a dilemma, but for the moment he could think of no other words of counsel. The roving bandits had never had strategic objectives; they were simply after plunder and provisions, always moving wherever government troops were weakest. This year, without mobile forces like Lu Xiangsheng's dedicated to extermination, each Grand Coordinator looked only to his own jurisdiction, hoping the roving bandits would move into someone else's defense zone. Anqing was the soft persimmon among them. To break out of this predicament, there was no way but to reinforce Anqing's troops.

"My lord, you previously requested that Liu Liangzuo be transferred to garrison Tongcheng. Has there been any resolution?"

"An edict was issued earlier to transfer Assistant Regional Commander Liu's unit into Anqing, but Zhu Dadian sent several consecutive documents to the Ministry of War, claiming that Liu Liangzuo must remain stationed in Lu'an Prefecture and cannot be lightly redeployed — otherwise, Zhongdu would once again be at risk of bandit incursion. With Zhang Fengyi dead, there is no one in the Ministry of War to take charge of the matter, and it has since gone silent." Zhang Guowei's brow furrowed deeply. "Zhongdu is at risk of bandit incursion — is Nanjing not? The Emperor has already issued an edict on this matter. The one causing mischief here is not Zhu Dadian alone, but lies within the Wenyuan Pavilion. I subsequently submitted several memorials requesting reinforcements, and all sank like stones into the sea. Wen Tiren and Zhang Zhifa are simply waiting for me to be defeated."

Feng Yuanbiao hesitated, then said, "Then I fear we can only scrape together troops from Jiangnan once more."

Zhang Guowei sighed softly. "In these turbulent times, Jiangnan is no land of peace either. Within a single year, first the Chongming jailbreak, then the Gaoyou transport army mutiny — the Jiangnan Army is stretched to its limit. Now the roving bandits have flared up again. If we continue to draw troops away, I fear Jiangnan will become unstable."

Feng Yuanbiao had been involved in handling both of these disturbances. Although both had ultimately been quelled, he could still faintly sense that the situation in Jiangnan was growing increasingly volatile. This region was the main financial pillar of the court. If chaos erupted here in concert with the roving bandits' activities, Zhang Guowei's fate would be no better than Zhang Fengyi's or Liang Tingdong's.

During the ninth year of Chongzhen, when the Qing army invaded, Minister of War Zhang Fengyi personally oversaw the campaign but dared not engage the Qing forces in battle. All the reports he sent the Emperor were false. The Qing army advanced unopposed, carrying off all the plundered wealth, grain, women, and children. As they exited the pass, they even hung up a placard reading: "Officials, no need to see us off." In the end, he was exposed. Knowing he could not escape punishment, he swallowed a large dose of rhubarb and died. The same fate befell Liang Tingdong, Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da.

Liang Tingdong died, and the Emperor immediately appointed Lu Xiangsheng to succeed him in Xuan-Da. But when Zhang Fengyi died, a new Minister of War could not be confirmed for a long time. Zhang Guowei's requests for troop redeployment were thus delayed indefinitely.

"We must do our utmost to scrape together troops from the forces we currently have. It is a pity that Jiangnan has been at peace so long that military preparations have fallen into neglect. The troops we can select and train number only a few thousand, and they must simultaneously cover the reconnaissance and defense of Anqing and Puliu, a thousand li apart. Tearing down the east wall to patch the west wall is truly a measure of last resort. The affairs of state are fraught with difficulty; I often feel my mind and strength exhausted. This old man's heart has turned to ashes."

Zhang Guowei's tone was one of profound dejection. Feng Yuanbiao had originally been in the post of Regional Commander of Susong. After the imperial order came down to thoroughly investigate Zhang Pu, Zhang Guowei, knowing that Feng Yuanbiao was on friendly terms with Zhang Pu, had assigned Feng Yuanbiao to handle this thorny matter — which meant Feng Yuanbiao took the hot potato off Zhang Guowei's hands. After investigating the Zhou Zhikui affair, Feng Yuanbiao had delivered a conclusion that exonerated Zhang Pu.

This conclusion, naturally, could not pass muster with Wen Tiren. The counterattack came swiftly: Feng Yuanbiao was reassigned as Fujian Education Intendant, a move designed to bring the blow directly upon Zhang Guowei. Zhang Guowei petitioned the Emperor, arguing that Feng Yuanbiao understood military affairs and was valuable for defense against bandits, and thus kept him in his post as Regional Commander of Susong.

But unexpectedly, Wen Tiren's offensive was ferocious. This time, on the grounds that Feng Yuanbiao had shielded Zhang Pu, he had Feng Yuanbiao directly demoted and sent to Shandong. Not only did Zhang Guowei fail to keep him, he had instead caused Feng Yuanbiao to fall into an even worse situation.

At the same time, it was clear that the Emperor's attitude toward the Zhang Pu affair was entirely on Wen Tiren's side. He had already issued two edicts reprimanding Zhang Guowei and had allowed Wen Tiren to demote Feng Yuanbiao. Every official in the Yingtian Jurisdiction had now read the signal clearly. From this point on, it was likely that no one would dare to defend Zhang Pu again.

Yingtian Regional Inspector Zhang Xuan understood Wen Tiren's objective. He now steered clear of Restoration Society matters. The court's pressure was all on Zhang Guowei. And this year, with the roving bandits running rampant and no hope of reinforcements, Anqing — isolated north of the river — was besieged on all sides, like a tiny boat in a raging sea. Once that boat capsized, Wen Tiren would seize on the pretext, and Zhang Guowei would find it very difficult to escape intact. The current situation was extremely unfavorable to Zhang Guowei. Having endured pressure for so long, now, speaking of this with Feng Yuanbiao, he could no longer conceal his emotions.

"Military Commander, you must not think this way. The state's difficulties are not natural disasters but man-made calamities. The Wen Faction is purging dissent precisely to intimidate the upright men at court. If you, Military Commander, show any inclination to withdraw, you will be playing right into the Wen Faction's hands." Feng Yuanbiao's expression was resolute. "The Emperor uses the Solitary Faction to check the Donglin; naturally, he will not let the Solitary Faction grow too powerful on its own. Wen Tiren can demote my office, but he cannot demote the offices of all righteous men. The post of Yingtian Grand Coordinator is the source of the realm's wealth and taxes, a vital position in the court. It ought to be held by a gentleman such as yourself, my lord, and must never fall into the hands of villains."

Zhang Guowei sighed. "Ever since I assumed the post of Yingtian Grand Coordinator, there has not been a single moment free from obstruction at court. This old man's talents are truly inadequate for this responsibility."

Feng Yuanbiao cupped his hands and said with a solemn expression, "The martyrdom of Garrison Commander Zhao at Jifei Shoal was but a minor setback. You, my lord, have not lost a single county or city. Circuit Intendant Shi has fought dozens of small engagements and achieved considerable success. On what grounds can Wen Tiren make trouble? My lord, you must not sell yourself short or lose your composure. In these extraordinary times, Anqing and Puliu must prioritize stability. At the same time, continue to memorialize the throne requesting troops. The previous edict already contained a proposal to transfer Liu Liangzuo. If the Cabinet refuses to transfer him and a defeat should occur, the blame lies with Wen Tiren, not with you, my lord."

Zhang Guowei shook his head with a bitter smile. "If matters could be resolved according to such reasoning, they would not be so difficult. But Ergeng, you speak reason. The strategy of defense and engagement must still prioritize stability. We must request troops as we should. Even if none are sent, this old man can only serve with utter devotion to the end."