Chapter 425: Moving South

"The Emperor's imperial approval has returned."

Inside the Wenyuan Pavilion in the Forbidden City, Yang Sichang hastily rose to receive the memorial. He had no time to thank Cao Huachun, who had delivered it, before first scanning the imperial approval. On it, written in vermilion ink, he saw: "Minister, you must exhaust your planning and focus your mind solely on achieving complete safety."

He read it over several times, confirming it was only these ten characters. This was already the second memorial submitted to request instructions, needing to determine how the two armies should be arranged. The Emperor's reply to the first had been vague and unclear; the reply to the second was even more ambiguous, saying practically nothing at all.

He looked up at Cao Huachun and said, "Eunuch Cao, did the Emperor give any oral decree on whether the Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor should jointly pursue south, or still follow the original plan of one pursuing south and one remaining north?"

Cao Huachun shook his head. "The Emperor gave no oral decree. If Mr. Yang cannot grasp the essential point, it would be better to submit another memorial."

Yang Sichang was so anxious he wanted to tear his hair out, but with Cao Huachun — the Drafting Clerk of the Directorate of Ceremonial who oversaw Capital Battalion military affairs — present, he dared not show his frustration. He could only lick his dry lips, look up at Cao Huachun, and say, "Tens of thousands of troops from Xuan-Da and the Liao Garrison are outside the city awaiting orders. The Tartars have already moved south; I absolutely dare not delay further. I beg Eunuch Cao to wait a moment; I will write another memorial immediately."

Cao Huachun waved his hand. "At such a critical time, Mr. Yang need not worry about these empty formalities. It is precisely because military matters are urgent that I came personally to wait, lest some subordinate's carelessness cause a delay."

Yang Sichang hurriedly thanked him, then rushed back to his seat and picked up his brush. He wrote a few strokes on the petition paper, paused for a moment, then crumpled it up. He switched to a fresh sheet and continued writing, then crumpled that one too.

"Mr. Yang, do not be impatient. Haste makes waste." Cao Huachun thought for a moment, then added, "But if there is a set strategy, the Minister of War might as well state it plainly, so that the Emperor's decision will be clear. Furthermore, regarding the imperial approvals on the previous two memorials, the Minister of War should more carefully reflect on His Majesty's intent."

Yang Sichang caught his breath. Cao Huachun seemed to be hinting that the Emperor's intent was not one south and one north. If Yang Sichang could not grasp this intent, he would get no result.

In Lu Xiangsheng's dispatch from the evening of the fourth day of the eleventh month, he had proposed that the Xuan-Da forces move south while the Liao Garrison forces remain to guard Jingtong, both to guard against later enemies and to cut off the enemy's return route.

This was a major decision for the rally to the king campaign. Unwilling to decide on his own, Yang Sichang had delayed until morning to submit a memorial requesting instructions. His first memorial had followed Lu Xiangsheng's intent, originally thinking it was just a formality. The Emperor's reply, however, was: "The Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor are still ordered to follow the decree, unite their strength with one heart, and pursue and exterminate within a set deadline; no further negligence or defiance will be tolerated." This could be interpreted as approval, or as ordering both forces to jointly move south.

On the surface, the Emperor's intent leaned more toward both forces jointly moving south, but this was not Yang Sichang's original intention. Both military councils at Stability Gate had decided that the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor would split, one south and one north, only without specifying who would do which. This had been reported to the Emperor at the time, and Chongzhen had raised no objection. Now, at the critical moment, the Emperor had changed his meaning.

Yang Sichang dared not make a decision based on this. While sending someone to Stability Gate to solicit Lu Xiangsheng's opinion again, he also submitted a second memorial — the one whose reply he had just received. In it, he hinted that Liaoxi's defenses were tight, and if the newly arrived third Tartar force found nothing to plunder, they might continue entering the border to threaten the Capital. The implication was to still leave one force guarding the Capital. But he did not state it plainly, his calculation being to let the Emperor make the decision himself, so that if blame was later assigned, it would not become a handle against him.

In the end, the Emperor refused to play along at all. When Yang Sichang hinted, the Emperor played dumb. This latest approval was even more vague, only ten characters in total, saying nothing at all. An entire afternoon had been wasted for nothing. The two memorials had consumed a whole day — meaning all the marching time during the daytime of the fifth day of the eleventh month was lost. Whichever force was to move out could now only wait until the next morning. And after wasting an entire day, Yang Sichang still had no result.

Cao Huachun's hint just now meant the Emperor's intent was for both to pursue south together, but the Ministry of War had to propose it first, and then the Emperor would decide — not the Emperor deciding and the Ministry of War executing. Otherwise, Yang Sichang would never get a clear answer.

Whether Cao Huachun, out of public-spiritedness, could not help but give a hint, or the Emperor had instructed him to prompt, Yang Sichang had no choice but to willingly fall into the Emperor's trap.

During the wait for the second memorial's reply, Lu Xiangsheng's opinion had also come back, stating that since the Emperor had repeatedly demanded joint cooperation in extermination, it was acceptable for the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor to jointly move south, but it must be decided as quickly as possible. Yang Sichang could no longer afford to play petty tricks. If the Qing army moved far away and wreaked havoc in Ji'nan, he, as Minister of War, would still have to bear the blame.

He immediately picked up his brush and wrote. Leaning down, he blew several puffs of air onto the paper. Seeing that the ink was mostly dry, he hastily lifted it with both hands and presented it before Cao Huachun.

"I have written clearly in this memorial: the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor shall each lead twenty thousand troops and jointly move south. I must trouble Eunuch Cao to make another trip."

Cao Huachun took it and glanced at it, also blew two puffs onto the paper, and then, holding the petition paper just like that, hurried out the door.

Yang Sichang turned to the clerk beside him and said, "First draft the order token based on the intent of the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor joining forces to move south. Once the Emperor approves, issue it immediately."

Inside the Wenyuan Pavilion, the several Grand Secretaries were all restless. The news that the Qing army had moved south yesterday was confirmed, yet the two mobile rally to the king forces were still idling at the Capital. The Ministry of War's dispatch officers were waiting at the Wenyuan Pavilion, tens of thousands of rally to the king troops were waiting outside the city, all for the approval on a single memorial.

Yang Sichang could no longer care about decorum. In his anxiety, he paced back and forth before Chief Grand Secretary Liu Yuliang, like a trapped beast in the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Chief Grand Secretary Liu Yuliang, his expression stern, sat upright in his seat. He looked at Yang Sichang before him and said, "Wenruo, do not be anxious. The Minister of War must first steady his spirit; only then can the army's morale be stable. The Tartars were still at Xizhi Gate yesterday; they cannot have gone far in a single day. There is no harm in waiting until the Emperor's plans are fully laid."

"The Elder speaks truly." Yang Sichang bowed to Liu Yuliang. Liu Yuliang's words were also empty talk, but Yang Sichang could only express his gratitude for the guidance. He returned to his seat and sat for a moment, then could not help but stand up again.

The rally to the king campaign was primarily the Ministry of War's affair. The other Grand Secretaries watched, and though they appeared anxious on the surface, none voiced an opinion all day, simply observing Yang Sichang like an ant on a hot pan.

Messengers constantly came and went in the Wenyuan Pavilion, bringing reports on the situation around the Capital. Most were for Yang Sichang. He suppressed his anxiety, reviewing and replying to each one. Some required the Cabinet's signature, but most were Ministry of War matters that the other Grand Secretaries could not help with. The Qing army moved with lightning speed, and most of the news brought was bad, making Yang Sichang increasingly agitated.

After the better part of a two-hour period, someone outside shouted, "Eunuch Cao has returned."

Yang Sichang went to the door to greet him and saw Cao Huachun hurrying over at a jog. The moment Cao Huachun saw Yang Sichang, he waved the paper in his hand and called out, "The Emperor has decided. It shall be according to the Minister of War's strategy: the Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor shall each lead twenty thousand troops south for a joint extermination."

Yang Sichang let out a huge sigh of relief. He finally had an answer. He immediately turned and shouted to the waiting dispatch officers, "Send the order at once! The Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor are to join forces and move south, rendezvousing at Zhuozhou for a joint extermination to block the enemy's southern rampage."

The two dispatch officers had just picked up the orders and were about to leave when Shen Xun from the Ministry of War appeared at the door. He too disregarded decorum, shouting as he entered, "Report for the Minister of War's awareness: an urgent report has come from Liangxiang. The main Tartar army did not stop to assault the city; they passed the city and continued south. The Tartar army's tail has already passed Liangxiang's city."

"How can they be so fast? Could there be a mistake? Perhaps only the Vanguard passed."

Shen Xun said urgently, "The Tartars passed without attacking; they must be hurrying south. They are certainly heading to strike the unprepared prefectures and counties to the south. Perhaps they will not even attack Zhuozhou. If so, they intend to drive straight into Baoding. If the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor are set to rendezvous at Zhuozhou, I fear the Tartars will have long since passed that place. We cannot get ahead of them."

Yang Sichang hastily took the urgent report and scanned it. He had not expected the Tartars to move so swiftly. After setting out from Shunyi, they moved like a fleeing hare, choosing a route Yang Sichang had never even considered. The Ministry of War's command system could not keep pace with the enemy's rhythm at all. In just two days, the invading Qing army had already shaken off the Ming Army's interceptions and entanglements and was thrusting toward the heartland south of the Capital Environs.

North of Baoding, there were still military deployments, but south of Baoding, it was as if there were no defenses at all. The main strength of the Government Troops was entirely concentrated around the Capital, most of it unable to assemble. In the end, for such a vast country, only forty thousand troops of mobile strength were available.

He looked up and saw the dispatch officers still waiting. He immediately erupted in anger, "What are you still standing there for? Get the orders out first! Tell the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor to each strike camp and pursue and exterminate!"

Only then did the two dispatch officers hurriedly leave. Yang Sichang returned to his desk, studied the map for a long while, and then said to Shen Xun, "If the Tartars have indeed already passed Zhuozhou, then tomorrow send another order to the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor: change the rendezvous point to Baoding. Draft an order token for Sun Chuanting, ordering him to accelerate his march to the Capital and take overall command of the various armies left to guard the Capital. Then you personally go again to the Supreme Commander's and Grand Supervisor's camps and tell Governor-General Lu and Supervisor-in-Chief Gao that they must cut ahead to block the enemy's southern flight. Do not let the bandits advance a single step past Baoding."

…

On the eighth day of the eleventh month, the area outside Zhuozhou was covered with army camps.

Lu Xiangsheng's face was etched with the dust of travel. He had received the Ministry of War's clear order token on the evening of the fifth day of the eleventh month. Before dawn on the sixth, he had struck camp to pursue. Because the army could not pass through the city, they had to detour around the Capital to chase south, only reaching Zhuozhou today. Yet the Tartar army's tail had already passed Zhuozhou on the sixth. They had bypassed both Liangxiang and Zhuozhou without attacking, not even attempting to, single-mindedly marching south at high speed.

The Qing army had demonstrated mobility far surpassing that of the government troops. The two sides had lost contact. Now Lu Xiangsheng did not even know where the main Qing force was, only that it had headed toward Baoding. He was forced to gather intelligence from the mouths of the Refugees he encountered on the road.

The information obtained so far was rough. It was generally known that the Qing army had split into three routes at Zhuozhou: one heading toward Yishui, one passing through Xincheng toward Xiong County, and another in the direction of Dingxing. Lu Xiangsheng could only follow the Ministry of War's schedule and head first to Baoding to rendezvous with Gao Qiqian. Though it was the same general direction, the distance from the Tartars had long since widened. Yang Sichang's order to "not let the bandits advance a single step past Baoding" was already impossible to fulfill.

"My Lord, the various garrisons have sent people to ask again. The army provisions have not been replenished, and the past two days of forced marching have caused considerable depletion. Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei have less than ten days' rations left. Wang Pu claims he is already out of food. Just now, someone from the Central Battalion said they saw Wang Pu's Yi Troops in the countryside… foraging for grain."

Lu Xiangsheng's face was expressionless. He showed neither anger nor pressed for more details. Xu Deshi could only fall silent. He had followed Lu Xiangsheng for some time. During the campaign against the bandits in the Central Plains, such incidents had been commonplace among the Government Troops. Lu Xiangsheng had no way to stop them. But at the foot of the Capital, it was different after all, and the enemy they faced was the far more ferocious Qing army. The troops were already afraid; now, with provisions cut off, it gave the various garrisons even more excuse to avoid battle.

Outside Zhuozhou, the north wind howled, whipping the hemp mourning cloth hanging from Lu Xiangsheng's head. Before his eyes, the land was filled with fleeing commoners. They could not enter the city and had not brought enough food. Many huddled against the base of the City Wall, shrinking into balls, pressing together for warmth. Some were already lying on the ground, their fate unknown.

Lu Xiangsheng's expression was heavy. Xu Deshi said in a low voice, "If the army provisions still cannot be replenished, first, I fear morale will become unstable; second, I fear the horses will become too emaciated and weak to fight; third, I fear military orders will become unenforceable."

After a long while, Lu Xiangsheng finally spoke. "Can Zhuozhou provide some army provisions? Buying with silver is also acceptable."

"The Magistrate of Zhuozhou says the city's own supplies are insufficient, with none to spare for the army, and he also forbids soldiers from entering the city to purchase goods."

Lu Xiangsheng's face was filled with disappointment. His rank was Minister of War, but it carried little weight before these low-level prefectural and county officials. If they refused to open the city gates, Lu Xiangsheng could do nothing to them. At most, he could submit an impeachment memorial to the Cabinet, but even if the impeachment succeeded, it would be utterly useless for the current predicament.

Xu Deshi hesitated a moment, then added, "However, that Mr. Feng Quan sent someone to deliver a message, saying he is willing to bring some local gentry to assist with military supplies. I wonder if My Lord would be willing…"

"Willing!" Lu Xiangsheng's spirit was roused. He turned to Xu Deshi with excitement. "Invite him for a meeting at once."

Xu Deshi looked up at Lu Xiangsheng, his face full of worry. "My Lord, please see clearly. This man Feng Quan is listed in the Reverse Case, universally acknowledged as a member of the Eunuch Faction. His assistance with military supplies is merely to accumulate prestige for a comeback. Though My Lord would solve an immediate crisis, your reputation would be tainted for life. The current campaign is going poorly, and suspicions are rising in the Capital. Meeting this Mr. Feng now would be no different from handing the Capital's censors a ready-made handle against you. I beg My Lord to think thrice."

"How can I still care about that? The Tartars advance with divine speed; they have long since entered Baoding Prefecture by now. Everywhere, people must be craning their necks, longing for relief troops. They are all counting on the Xuan-Da Army under my command. I absolutely cannot allow provisions and pay to delay the campaign schedule. I do not care what kind of man he is; anyone willing to assist with military supplies at this time is a Volunteer. If the censors wish to impeach, I will bear it all myself."

"This is an army of twenty thousand. This subordinate feels that this Feng Quan cannot provide assistance for more than a few days…"

"Even if just for one day! Xuecheng, say no more. Go and invite him immediately."

A quarter of an hour later, Lu Xiangsheng personally arrived at the camp gate. From afar, he saw the gates of Zhuozhou swing wide open. A group of gentry, led by one man, walked out, followed by carriages and civilian laborers carrying grain sacks on their shoulders.

Lu Xiangsheng adjusted the hemp mourning garment he wore. From a distance, he put on a smile and, hands clasped, went forward to greet the approaching man…

At the same moment, three hundred li south of Zhuozhou, at the prefectural city of Dingzhou in Baoding Prefecture, the crowd atop the city walls was terrified. The Vanguard cavalry of the Qing army's Right Wing had already appeared within their field of vision.

…

Over one thousand three hundred li from Zhuozhou, the prefectural city of Xuzhou.

Another famous Eunuch Faction member, Ruan Dacheng, was outside the Xuzhou city gate with his head tilted back; beside him stood a middle-aged man in a Daoist Robe, and the two were shouting up at the top of the city wall.

In an inn not far away, Pang Yu was pacing beside the table where the maps were laid out. He had already stayed here ten days, and the Marching Rations he brought were completely exhausted. He had managed to buy some from a nearby county seat, barely sustaining the army for a few days. When the Personal Soldier Qianzong caught up to Xuzhou, the accompanying Carriage had supplemented the cavalry with a little army provisions, but it was still not enough for the rest of the journey. They still had to obtain the stored grain from inside Xuzhou city; otherwise, never mind rally to the king — Pang Yu feared he could not even return to Anqing without plundering the whole way back. Fortunately, Ruan Dacheng arrived today, bringing with him an Advisor of Zhu Dadian, to see if he could persuade Xuzhou to open its gates.

Pang Yu swept his gaze over the others beside the table. Besides Zhuang Chaozheng, who had caught up later, there were also Zong Garrison Inspector Guan Jiang Guoyong and Deputy Chief Clerk of the Document Team Wu Dacai. All the officers of the Relief Troops were assembled.

"The Dark Sentinel Division reports: the messenger left the Capital on the second day of the eleventh month. As of the second day of the eleventh month, the Qing army formed a Combined Camp at Shunyi, and appears to be moving west from north of the Capital. The Xuan-Da Army is engaging them in battle."

Pang Yu frowned. "Today is already the tenth of the eleventh month. Is there no further news?"

The Clerk of the Adviser Division shook his head. "The Dark Sentinel Division says they only have a dozen or so men in the Capital, four of whom can ride to deliver messages. Two have already been dispatched. If there is no major event, they likely will not send someone to make the trip."

Pang Yu looked at Chen Rulie. "Have the Roving Cavalry reported back?"

"A report just came back today. The Roving Cavalry, within the county boundary of Wenshang in Shandong, discovered the troops of Shandong Regional Commander Ni Chong on the post road to Linqing. Their march is slow, as if they are waiting and watching. Additionally, some Shandong local troops are assembling toward Linqing and Dezhou. Shandong is quiet locally; no large numbers of fleeing Refugees have been seen."

Wu Dacai was also huddled at the table. Because Pang Yu was present, Wu Dacai had deliberately not used his crutch; the crutch was simply leaning against the table edge beside him.

On the map, the arrow marking the Qing army was just then passing directly above the Capital. He had not expected the Qing army's incursion to take this form. In the past, the Qing army would attack immediately after entering the border, doing their utmost to plunder as much Rations and Pay as possible in a short time, then withdraw beyond the border before the Ming Army's reinforcements could assemble.

This time, the Tartars had been inside the pass for over forty days without capturing a single city, and apart from the Ji Garrison border defense troops, they had not routed any Government Troops — looking entirely unhurried. But everyone agreed with Pang Yu's judgment: the Qing army would absolutely not make this trip for nothing.

Pacing as he spoke, Pang Yu said, "If the Qing army intends to enter the southern part of Beizhi, why did the western force from Shunyi not form a Combined Camp toward Tongzhou? That way they could directly march south from Tongzhou. Now, moving west from Shunyi is precisely the direction where the Xuan-Da Heavy Troops are deployed for defense. Is this not abandoning the easy for the difficult?"

Chen Rulie raised his hand first. "This subordinate believes the Tartars still want to draw the Xuan-Da Army into a decisive battle, first routing this elite Border Army force, and then splitting their forces to plunder at ease."

"Gao Qiqian is encamped just south of Tongzhou. Why don't the Tartars first rout the Liao Garrison?"

"This subordinate feels the Capital rumor might be true — that the Tartars have an agreement with the Liao Garrison and will certainly not fight each other to the death."

Zhuang Chaozheng raised his hand, then pointed at the map. "The Tartars going west is to confuse the Relief Troops, making them think they are heading toward the Xuan-Da direction. Perhaps they also want to draw the Liao Garrison into pursuit. Ultimately, they want a decisive battle with the Government Troops."

Pang Yu braced both hands on the table. "If they rout either the Xuan-Da or Liao Garrison, which way will the Tartars go, and how long will they plunder?"

The Clerk of the Advisory Room said, "Based on Your Excellency's previous analysis, this humble one believes the Tartars have two choices. The first is to attack strongholds right around the Capital, such as Changping, Liangxiang, Zhuozhou, Miyun, Tongzhou, and other places. The advantage is they would not need to travel far, and they would be close to the Border Wall, making exiting the border easy. However, because these cities are near the border, they are quite well-prepared; after the incursion, troops were added to defend the cities. Coupled with the cities' tall walls, Tartar casualties would certainly be heavy. The second is to still go south of the Capital. The Xuan-Da region has already been plundered by them; taking that route, there is little Rations and Pay left. Only the area south of the Capital is rich. If the Ministry of War has transferred all troops to the Capital, these places will be undefended. But the route is long, and withdrawing beyond the Border Wall with large amounts of Rations and Pay and captives is not easy."

Pang Yu glanced at Wu Dacai, who had not spoken. "Wu Dacai, you speak."

"This… this subordinate feels that Clerk Tu of the Advisory Room speaks reasonably. The Tartars came to Plunder. Coming, they are all troops and move fast; going back, with Carriages and captives, they will move slowly. By then, the Relief Troops will all have arrived, and the Tartars will certainly still be afraid in their hearts. This subordinate feels they will go as far as the two prefectures of Baoding and Hejian… just now, how many departments and counties were said to be in Baoding Prefecture?"

Clerk Tu, without looking at his handbook, said, "Baoding has twenty; Hejian has eighteen."

"That makes these thirty-odd departments and counties. Beizhi is rich and has not been plundered by the Roving Bandits. If they can break through half of them, they will likely have plundered enough. Exiting the border from these two prefectures is also not too far. This subordinate feels the Tartars will go south precisely to Baoding and Hejian Prefectures. On the return journey, they might go to Tianjin, or perhaps attack a few departments and counties in Shuntian Prefecture again. And they will exit the border before the rivers thaw, to avoid being obstructed by water. Carrying that much Rations and Pay and population, crossing a River Barrier is not easy. The latest would be this… December — no, January."

Pang Yu looked toward Jiang Guoyong. Jiang Guoyong waved his hand. "This subordinate cannot say for sure."

Pang Yu did not press him, because this Zong Garrison Inspector Guan did not need to understand too much. Wu Dacai, this Clerk Officer, also did not manage Battle, but after all, he had once served as a proper Centurion.

He looked at Chen Rulie and Zhuang Chaozheng. "Do you think the Tartars' objective is precisely to reach Baoding and Hejian?"

Zhuang Chaozheng thought for a moment, then said, "It should be these two prefectures. The Tartars, an isolated army charging in like this, will certainly still fear the Relief Troops gathering from all sides to encircle and attack them. When returning with goods, their movement will be hampered, and they will not dare to penetrate too deep. Reaching Baoding and Hejian allows them to Plunder and also exit the border easily — it is the most suitable. If the Tartars have already routed the Xuan-Da Army and now begin marching to Baoding, it will take seven or eight days, bringing them to the twentieth of the eleventh month. Splitting forces for a City Assault for about fifteen days, then moving to Hejian Prefecture at the start of the twelfth month, splitting forces for another fifteen days of City Assault, then returning along the incoming route in mid-twelfth month, and finally exiting the border via Miyun at the end of the twelfth month — in total, three months inside the border."

Chen Rulie voiced his Approval. "It should be so. After exiting the border, the Tartars still need a month to travel; the troops will have been in the field for over five months — men weary, horses spent. But they may not necessarily go to Baoding first; perhaps they will go to Hejian first. If the Xuan-Da Army is defeated and destroyed, they will split their forces to attack both prefectures and plunder for even longer, in which case the time to exit the pass could even be a bit earlier. We are still thirteen days' march from Dezhou. Dezhou is right beside Hejian Prefecture. Calculated by this itinerary, the cavalry should set out at the end of the eleventh month, but the Heavy Armor Soldiers move slower and should set out on the twentieth of the eleventh month, arriving at Dezhou in mid-twelfth month. After resting and reorganizing, we would be just in time to pursue and strike the Tartars' rear. If we go too late, I fear we will not catch up."

Pang Yu closed his eyes in thought. After waiting a moment, Clerk Tu of the Advisory Room said, "Clerk Xie has sent a Dispatch Report. Cao Cao, Hun Shiwan, these two forces, along with five small Camp Heads, have infiltrated Fang County and Zhushan County, stationing themselves independently in various places. They have not plundered the civilian populace, but they also refuse military orders and will not disband their Military Camp, merely stating that they accept pacification. Lord Xiong has strictly ordered all armies not to attack. Currently, the Eight Brigands' forces show no signs of renewed rebellion; on the contrary, they are extremely restrained. Clerk Xie believes the number of roving bandits in the vicinity has greatly increased. Because of Lord Xiong's strict order, they cannot strike the Eight Brigands first. He worries that leaving only the Land Combat Division will be insufficient for self-defense, and has temporarily ordered the Second Chiliarch Headquarters to remain at Mianyang Port. He requests Your Excellency's instructions."

"Reply: the distance is far too great; there is no need to request instructions for specific combat operations. The operational objective in Huguang is to prioritize the extermination of the Eight Brigands. Xie Zhaofa is appointed as the Chief Official of the Anqing Battalion stationed in Huguang, responsible for Execution of operations to achieve this objective. Wang Zenglu, Yao Dongshan, and the blacksmith serve as deputies. If there is a military order that all three oppose, Yao Dongshan may, according to Regulation, convene a Military Council of the Thousand-Leader Headquarters-level Adviser, Garrison Inspector, and Clerk Officers to remove the Chief Official. Otherwise, military orders shall issue solely from Chief Official Xie Zhaofa. Once a military order is issued, all units must strictly carry it out."

Clerk Tu swiftly noted it down and handed it to a Relay Horse for delivery. Pang Yu had once again clarified the command structure for Huguang. With such vast distance, the current communication capability simply did not meet the conditions for Victory from a Thousand Miles.

"Ignore the Huguang matter. We focus only on the Tartars." Pang Yu stared intently at the map. The Tartars' red arrow north of the Capital was extremely conspicuous, but Pang Yu did not know which way it would turn later.

"Baoding, Hejian. End of the twelfth month."