Chapter 429: Zhending

On the official road outside Xuzhou city, people shouted and horses neighed. Tan Laizi sat by the roadside like a statue, gripping a newspaper in both hands; its front page bore the large characters "Jiangnan Times."

A line of mule carts loaded with grain was passing right before his eyes, dust from the road swirling up, yet it didn't affect him in the slightest.

"Only by next year's ninth month can you redeem the full amount. If you redeem now, you lose the later interest — that's what the discount means. But if you go after the ninth month, is it still discounted at the ninth-month rate?" Tan Laizi lowered this September issue of the Jiangnan Times, a question in his eyes, and cast his deep gaze toward the vast north. "By the ninth month, these dog Tartars should be gone. Don't interfere with this old man's redemption."

Habitually, he crumpled the newspaper into a ball and was about to throw it on the ground, but Tan Laizi's hand hung in midair for a moment. Suddenly, he pulled it back and stuffed it into his own bosom. But the crumpled paper was a bit scratchy, so he fished it out again, beckoned over the Dun Household servant attending him, pulled open the man's clothes, and shoved it inside.

"Tan Ye is telling you, this is our Anqing Battalion's military order. You keep it safe for this old master. If you lose it, off with your head."

That Dun Household servant jumped in fright and hurriedly tightened his waist sash.

Quite a few Xuzhou commoners were selling food by the roadside. Ever since the day the grain was sold, the people of Xuzhou no longer feared this government army. People from the city outskirts even made a special trip over, precisely to sell their goods to these grunts at high prices.

But the grunts didn't have much money on them. Since the Garrison Commander Battalion days, on military expeditions they could only carry two taels on their person, later changed to one tael — precisely to make it easier to check for privately hidden looted silver. So the soldiers' spending power was limited, and only the Logistics Battalion made unified purchases of supplies. On the other hand, these civilian laborers had no specific regulations. Now Tan Laizi had money again, and over these two days he'd bought quite a bit of wine and meat, planning to take it along to eat on the road.

"Marching book!"

Tan Laizi extended his right hand, and another Dun Household servant immediately handed a small booklet to him. Tan Laizi took the booklet and flipped through it.

The marching book was printed in Anqing, with a fixed format, containing the starting point, endpoint, marching distance, terrain, river barriers, drinking water points, encampment sites, and other such information. Before the march, those advisors filled it in; each day's itinerary was one page.

After the Anqing Battalion had bought enough military grain in Xuzhou and rested and reorganized for two days, today a military order came down saying they were to head north. The officers of the Advisory Room issued a new marching plan to the Logistics Team.

Tan Laizi was still leading the Logistics Team from Qianshan No. 2 Dun Fort. Today's destination was called Tea City, a march of thirty li. Today was only marching; they would not directly supply the army with materials. Once they arrived, they could set up camp according to the marker flags set by the mounted scouts. The marker flag color for the Qianshan No. 2 Logistics Team was still red border on black background.

He flipped further back. Tomorrow's itinerary was forty li, destination called Tofu Shop. The day after, they would pass Pei County and set up camp at Miaodaokou — a march of sixty li, which counted as the usual marching speed. The following day, it suddenly dropped to twenty li, destination Sand River, on the border between Xuzhou and Shandong.

The marching plan within Shandong territory was a bit slow; single-day itineraries ranged between thirty and fifty li, none exceeding sixty. Tan Laizi didn't bother counting the total number of days. Flipping to the last page, the endpoint shown was Dezhou.

Although Tan Laizi was a broker, he had never traveled far from home. Last time going to Hezhou was already the furthest in his life. He'd heard plenty about Shandong and such, but had never been there. As for the specific positional relationship between Xuzhou and Dezhou, he had absolutely no concept of it.

But the further north they went, the closer they were to the Tartars — this much Tan Laizi did know.

At that moment, a cavalry team was passing along the official road. Hoofbeats struck the stone slabs, producing a dense, crisp clatter.

In normal times at the Dun Fort, Tan Laizi had to supply logistics for passing armies. Every time cavalry passed by, the road surface would be piled with horse dung, the stench rising to the sky. He moved aside a bit, turning his back to those cavalrymen, and continued looking at the marching book for a moment.

"Walking thirty li every day, heh heh, even Pang Gunzi is afraid."

A Dun Household servant nearby ran over shouting, "Old Master Tan, that military sir from the Logistics Division says once Taihu No. 1 Blockhouse moves out, it's our turn."

Tan Laizi carelessly stuffed the marching book into his bosom. He stood up, dusted off his backside, and the Dun Household servant with the newspaper in his bosom immediately offered an egg. Tan Laizi glanced at it but didn't take it, merely letting out an "Mm," a dry cough.

That Dun Household servant froze for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses. He hurriedly flipped his hand over, gripped the egg, and smacked it hard against his own forehead. With a crisp crack, spiderweb-like fissures appeared on the eggshell. The Dun Household servant, fully focused, worked it with both hands, and the intact shell rapidly crumbled into fragments, vanishing into the rolling red dust of the official road.

A glistening egg was presented before him. Only then did Fort Chief Tan reach out and take it. Just as he was about to bite, he suddenly heard someone call "Tan Laizi."

A surge of anger rose from his heart. These past few days, Fort Chief Tan had become a man of influence in the Anqing Battalion. Even when he went to buy grain, Iron Armor Soldiers followed him. Who would dare provoke him now? He turned his head at once, only to see Tang Ershuan's utterly sincere smiling face.

The two had known each other for a long time — a pair of doormats from the Sheng-Tang ferry crossing. Now Tang Ershuan had long since been in the newspaper, known even in the Jiangnan region. Fort Chief Tan felt that this Tang Ershuan barely still had the right to call him Laizi.

Tan Laizi couldn't help but break into a full grin too. This Tang Ershuan wasn't even wearing a military uniform, just dressed like a porter, mingling among a group of similarly dressed people. He looked him up and down and asked, "Tang Ershuan, you... aren't you with the Water Camp? The Land Combat Division isn't on the rally to the king expedition, so how come you're here?"

"Came with the Martial Academy's Far Scout Test Team."

"What's that for?"

"Don't know what it's for. When we left Anqing, we walked at the back. This time they said we're going to Shandong, so we have to walk at the front." Tang Ershuan scratched his head. "Originally it was that Centurion Lu who said he wanted me to go to the Martial Academy to help with water training. Somehow, after helping out, I got kept in this test team. On the road they just have me pretend to ride horses, drive horses, stuff like that."

"So you're playing someone who works with Head of Livestock. Then your clothes aren't right. Who dressed you up like this? Hey, you two, go strip that outfit off Wang Mule and bring it over."

Tan Laizi gave the order, and the newspaper Dun Household servant immediately went to find Wang Mule. Taking advantage of this time, Tan Laizi tilted his head up and carefully sized him up. The two scars on Tang Ershuan's face were a bit frightening, but his whole person was much more upright than back in the dock days, looking especially spirited.

Tan Laizi felt a somewhat inexplicable envy. He touched the Banknotes in his bosom and asked, "Brother Ershuan, you've even been in the Jiangnan Times, your name spread everywhere. How much Monthly Pay do you get each month?"

"Four taels... plus another five mace, after passing the crossbow and bow assessment."

Hearing four taels, Tan Laizi's hand inside his bosom squeezed the thickness of that stack of Banknotes hard, and his expression couldn't help but show considerable smugness.

He laughed heartily twice, reached out and patted Tang Ershuan's shoulder. "Little Tang, once we're back in Anqing, Tan Ye here will treat you to wine. Tan Ye will pay the silver. That bit of silver of yours, keep it for yourself."

Only then did Tan Laizi notice he was still holding an egg in his hand. After a moment's hesitation, he offered it to Tang Ershuan. Before Tang Ershuan could take it, Tan Laizi pulled it back, broke the egg into two halves, and then handed one half over.

Just then, someone in that group shouted a call. Tang Ershuan hurriedly took the egg, waved goodbye to Tan Laizi, and the group hurried off northward. Although they were all dressed in commoners' clothes, Tan Laizi felt this group didn't look the part at all; mixed together, they still gave off the feeling of grunts.

He stuffed the half egg into his mouth and felt a bit of pain on the back of his hand. Tan Laizi flipped it over to look: two chilblains had formed on the back of his hand. He never used to get these things. It was that year, scouting Hezhou, that freezing night on the City Wall when he first got chilblains. After that, they flared up every winter, and he really didn't know what the deal was.

He tucked his hand into his bosom. Behind the Banknotes, he felt the money pouch holding the silver, and his heart immediately steadied quite a bit. The feel of silver was always more reliable than paper.

Tan Laizi suddenly remembered that traveler who froze to death on the City Wall. At the time, he had asked the traveler's name, but he hadn't made an effort to remember it. Later, no matter what, he couldn't recall it.

"Wonder if anyone buried him."

Tan Laizi was a bit lost in thought. Over these past few years, he had never once thought of this person. He didn't know why he was thinking of him now.

Back then it was fighting Roving Bandits, now it's fighting Tartars again. It seemed the Tartars were a bit more formidable. Back then, no one went to rescue Hezhou. Now, at least the Anqing Army was heading north; the people up north had some hope to cling to.

"Wait for Pang Gunzi to go rescue you. Tang Ershuan went too. He's fierce at killing; those Tartars are no match for him. Tan Ye here isn't going. Tartars aren't easy to deal with."

Tan Laizi finished this thought in his mind. Just as he was preparing to organize the team, he suddenly saw the Company Commander from the Logistics Division riding over on horseback.

These past few days, Tan Laizi had gotten on quite well with this Company Commander. He hurriedly put on a smile and went to greet him. The Company Commander shouted from afar, "The roving cavalry has no grain in Shandong either. Lord Pang wants you to go with the Scout Squad to provide support. Bring enough silver to purchase grain. Don't delay the roving cavalry's operations."

Tan Laizi's smile instantly froze. The Company Commander was completely oblivious. "The roving cavalry is on the way to Linqing. This is a task personally assigned by Lord Pang. Fort Chief Tan, do a good job, and your future prospects are boundless. It's all thanks to Deputy Commander Wu's Clerk Officer strongly recommending you."

Tan Laizi muttered curses under his breath, "Your mother, Wu the Cripple. When you meet the Tartars, may they break your good leg too..."

Eleventh month, seventeenth day. Outside Zhending Prefectural City, Northern Zhili.

In the Qing army's central army tent, there were seven or eight people — half the number compared to when they were at the Capital. The Qing army's Right Wing had reached Zhending several days ago and set up over ten camps around the city.

Yoto himself was poking at the charcoal lumps in the brazier. Once the fire blazed a bit stronger, he casually tossed the wooden stick onto the ground.

After he finished this, Ye Chen, the Banner Commander of the Bordered Red Banner, spoke. "After the engagement at Qingdu, the Xuan-Da Army lost all trace. Lausa has been waiting on the road to the north. For several days now, no sign of the Xuan-Da Army heading south."

Yoto turned to the other Gushan Ejens. "Does anyone's banner have news of the Xuan-Da Army?"

Everyone shook their heads. At Qingdu, Lu Xiangsheng had arrived in pursuit. The troops left behind to plunder locally at the time were from the Bordered Red Banner, led by Shuowengkeluo Baturu Lausa. The engagement between the two sides was not intense. Lausa slowly withdrew southward, but after that, all trace of the Xuan-Da Army was lost.

The Right Wing's deputy commander, Dudu, mused, "Lu Doutang deployed effectively at Xuanfu in the third month. Could he have seen through our Siege-and-Ambush tactic?"

"In the third month, our troops went in small numbers. They were defending their own assigned territory, which was naturally more convenient than now." Ye Chen continued, "Lausa captured over a dozen Xuan-Da Army soldiers, from under Tiger Mobile Corps Commander, Yang Mobile Corps Commander, and Li Vice General respectively. They say their army is short on grain. Perhaps they're still in the Qingdu countryside looking for grain."

Hearing that the Ming Army was short on grain, the several Qing commanders did not look puzzled. They had fought the Ming Army for decades and had heard such things plenty of times. The Ming Army being short on grain was common, but given some time, they would also plunder enough for themselves. How could they have imagined that Lu Xiangsheng's grain shortage was so severe that he had no choice but to return to Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefectural City, to secure provisions.

Yoto knew that the Xuan-Da Army was following behind the Right Wing. Therefore, after breaching Qingdu and Xingtang, the Right Wing's Fourth Banner did not continue to disperse but instead assembled at Zhending Prefectural City. But Zhending Prefectural City was a key northern stronghold, with high walls, thick ramparts, and troops garrisoned. The Qing army did not know about last month's mutiny, much less that there were practically no troops inside. So the Right Wing did not truly assault the city; they merely made a show of besieging the prefectural city, hoping to draw the Xuan-Da Army to the rescue. The Right Wing's main force could then wait at ease for the exhausted enemy and resolve the threat of the Xuan-Da Army in one stroke.

Lu Xiangsheng had fallen back to Baoding due to lack of provisions, which instead caused the Qing army to lose track of the Xuan-Da Army.

After thinking it over, Yoto asked, "What troops were those that came down to Zhending city today?"

Du Lei, the Banner Commander of the Plain Red Banner, picked up the question. "Troops from Shaanxi. The total number is probably two thousand. The commander is a Military Commander surnamed Sun."

Tan Tai, the Banner Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner who had been silent all along, now raised his head. "Since the Ming State's Ministry of War is transferring troops from Shaanxi for rally to the king, they won't transfer just a thousand men. Shaanxi also has the Three Frontiers. These are likely the vanguard of the Shaanxi troops."

Du Lei tilted his head and said, "Perhaps that Lu Doutang is waiting for the troops from the Shaanxi Three Borders to converge for a pincer attack, which is why he isn't coming toward Zhending."

"Could the Xuan-Da Army have taken another route, bypassing Laosa and heading south?" Dudu looked at Yoto. "Perhaps they are also waiting for these newly arrived troops. Since the Shaanxi troops have arrived, the Xuan-Da Army should move south any day now."

"As long as he comes south, he won't escape the scouts of the Gabsihiyan Cooha." Ye Chen rose and said, "Laosa took a detached force of our Bordered Red Banner and fought the Xuan-Da Army for several days at Qingdu. We did not fall to a disadvantage. Not a single banner fears the Xuan-Da Army. That Lu Doutang is nothing special. The elite troops of the Ming State's Nine Borders do not live up to their name — we've fought them all these years. Since the Xuan-Da Army wants to wait for the Shaanxi troops to arrive, why bother with him? When he comes, we'll just wipe them all out together."

Dudu shook his head. "Perhaps he is being cautious and has not committed his full strength to battle. This is a Border Army of twenty thousand. Any single banner would struggle against them alone. We are deep in enemy territory and must not be careless. We still need to lure these troops in and annihilate them together."

"Behind the Left Wing is Gao Qiqian. The men of the Liao Garrison lack the courage to fight and have surely already scattered to raid in all directions. They say even that Sun Doutang of years past was beheaded by them. Who knows how much coin, grain, people, and livestock they've already seized." Ye Chen paused, glanced at Yoto's expression, then continued, "When the time comes, what the banners of the Left Wing gain will far exceed ours. Never mind the idle talk within the banners — even the tribute we offer the Great Khan will be less than the Left Wing's."

Yoto's face was expressionless. What Ye Chen said was the truth. They had braved bitter cold to enter the border from a thousand li away — not to contest some strategic strongpoint, not to accomplish some strategic objective, but purely for grain, coin, and people. Yoto's single-minded desire to destroy the Xuan-Da Army was also for the convenience of dividing his forces to plunder.

Although the previous engagements had shown that this Xuan-Da Army's fighting strength and will to fight were both quite ordinary, it was still a mobile force of over twenty thousand men. In Yoto's mind, Lu Xiangsheng's Xuan-Da Army remained the greatest threat at present. But if the Xuan-Da Army did not appear, the tens of thousands of men of the Right Wing could not simply wait in place. From the bondservants to the Banner Commander, no one in any banner would agree to that.

After a moment, Yoto said in a deep voice, "Since the Xuan-Da Army will not come, we shall leave this Zhending Prefecture. We will first strike at the departments and counties. Once the Ming State's emperor grows desperate, that Lu Xiangsheng will have no choice but to come and fight."