Chapter 480: Compromise

The main hall was in an uproar. Every camp that had not entered the city was demanding entry. Pang Yu and Zhou Yuji were still outside the city. In his heart, Pang Yu also hoped to enter, because a Qing army was currently in the nearby area of Dezhou. If they camped outside the city, given the current state of disunity, they could not count on anyone to come to their rescue. Entering the city walls was the only way to feel secure. Even a broken city like Tongcheng Post could greatly enhance their defensive capability.

But the two of them were considered Liu Yuliang's trusted aides. With the Chief Grand Secretary seated high in the hall at this moment, if his two trusted men voiced objections, Liu Zhongtang would lose face. So both chose to remain silent. The other general officers, however, paid no heed to this and clamored insistently to enter the city. A Regional Commander from Xuanfu even brought up the Liao Garrison, implying that the Liao Garrison had been allowed into the city back then.

Sun Chuanting turned his head, first consulted Liu Yuliang in a low voice, then exchanged a few words with Yan Ancestral Sacrifice across Liu Yuliang, and finally addressed the hall below: "Today, designated zones will be set. Tomorrow, all units will enter the city to garrison. You must strictly restrain the troops in your battalions and ensure no trouble is stirred up within the city."

The military officers had won this round. Because Liu Guangzuo had taken the lead, he temporarily gained considerable popularity. The meeting's main topic had originally been to discuss the matter of recovering Jinan, but now it had completely veered off course.

The civil officials had few options. Sun Chuanting was nominally the Regional Commander of Relief, but the only troops in this hall truly under his command were the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops, who had mustered and arrived with no more than fifteen hundred men. Most of the other general officers he was meeting for the first time. Facing the utterly ferocious Qing army, the difficulty of relying solely on an imperial title to mobilize these military units to fight to the death was obvious.

Therefore, Sun Chuanting did not put on the airs of a Supreme Commander but patiently discussed matters with these general officers. What had just happened could be considered a concession. But as Pang Yu observed carefully, the most anxious one was Yan Ancestral Sacrifice.

Sun Chuanting cleared his throat, preparing to return to the main topic, when suddenly someone else stepped forward from below.

"I have a suggestion, and I ask the esteemed gentlemen to consider it."

Pang Yu looked up. It was that Datong Regional Commander, Wang Pu. Among all the general officers in the hall now, he had the most troops. The Datong Main Battalion and its attached regional commanders had a quota of seven thousand. Wang Pu's Household Retainers alone numbered over fifteen hundred. The garrisons of Xuanfu and Shanxi had suffered catastrophic losses, and even combined they did not match his single force. So when he spoke, everyone consciously stopped to wait for him.

Sun Chuanting, as Supreme Commander, had to rely even more on this strongest military leader and could only say politely, "Wang Zongzhen, please speak freely."

Wang Pu said loudly, "Jinan has fallen into the hands of the Eastern Invaders. We bear the responsibility of protecting the people and cannot sit idly watching the enemy. We must still find ways to rescue it as soon as possible."

As soon as these words were spoken, Yan Ancestral Sacrifice's expression softened. Wang Pu continued, "But what Yang Zongzhen said about the low morale in all garrisons, with officers and soldiers having no heart for battle, is also the truth. Unpaid wages are one aspect. Having rushed about for months and traveled a thousand li, low morale is naturally to be expected. The defeat at Jiazhuang that day was a lesson. Yang Zongzhen, Hu Zongzhen, and Li Fuzhen are all veteran commanders. It is not that they are inferior to the Eastern Invaders, but truly that rations and pay are lacking. In the past, Lu Doutang strictly forbade private foraging. We all followed Lu Doutang's instructions, exhausting great effort to restrain our troops. Although discipline was strictly enforced, these soldiers inevitably harbored deep resentment in their hearts, and when it came to actually fighting the Tartars, they were not so willing to exert themselves."

His voice was not loud, but his enunciation was clear, and his tone was very gentle, unlike the crudeness of the other regional commanders. But when he claimed discipline had been strictly enforced, no one here believed him.

"However, the Eastern Invaders are still killing and plundering. Every day we wait, that many more people die. We cannot wait for morale to slowly recover. To restore morale quickly, we must use some extraordinary methods."

He spoke unhurriedly, his tone very pleasant to the ear. Pang Yu waited attentively for what he would say next.

Wang Pu paused, then said loudly, "I have heard that there are four hundred thousand taels of salt tax stored in Dezhou city. I suggest we borrow it for use first. There are twenty to thirty thousand Relief Troops here. Every family owes several months of wages. Two hundred thousand taels would be enough to cover the back pay, and the rest can be used for the coming months. Once the soldiers have something to look forward to, morale will rise immediately."

The crowd in the hall immediately burst into an uproar. The military officers voiced their approval one after another, while the civil officials' faces darkened again, especially that official from the Ministry of Revenue.

The main hall was in a clamor. Pang Yu was first stunned, not expecting that after all that buildup, Wang Pu's final point was about handing out silver. Yet in his heart, he actually agreed; it fit Pang Yu's spending habits very well.

The previously listless military officers all perked up one after another. Only Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei, mindful of their status, showed no particular reaction, but they likely approved as well.

The local officials of Dezhou were not present. Yan Ancestral Sacrifice coughed once and said, "The salt tax is meant to be delivered to the Ministry of Revenue and is only temporarily stored in the granaries of Dezhou. It is not for the Dezhou yamen to decide whether it can be borrowed. All the yamen in my Shandong have no authority over it. A request must still be submitted to the Ministry of Revenue for a decision. This is the fundamental order of the court, not that I am unwilling."

Wang Pu did not argue, as if he had known this all along. With these few words, he had been generous at the court's expense and won the hearts of the military officers present. Even though he was refused, he suffered no loss whatsoever.

But after Yan Ancestral Sacrifice's refusal, the atmosphere in the hall turned somewhat sour. Several military officers glared angrily at Yan Ancestral Sacrifice, the Grand Coordinator. Sun Chuanting spoke twice, but the general officers below continued talking among themselves.

A series of banging sounds came from the hall. Pang Yu turned his head to look. It was Sun Chuanting striking the Alarm Wood. Pang Yu tilted his head to observe; a flash of anger crossed Sun Chuanting's face and then vanished.

The officers below heard the sound of the Alarm Wood and saw that Sun Chuanting's expression was off. He was, after all, a Supreme Commander, so they finally stopped their discussions, and the hall fell silent.

"Regarding the matter of unpaid wages, Liu Zhongtang has already reported directly to the Emperor, and a reply will come within days." Sun Chuanting swept his gaze across the hall below. "Jinan, a place of imperial importance, has unfortunately fallen into the hands of the Eastern Invaders. It must be recovered. I will soon issue order tokens to advance the army. Morale must be boosted, not deflated. Every camp and every garrison must prioritize recovery. All else is trivial."

No one in the hall spoke. Earlier, Wang Pu's words had implied that the defeat at Jiazhuang was because Lu Xiangsheng strictly forbade looting. Sun Chuanting's words just now could be considered a response, implying that troops could be allowed to forage, but he left no loose ends.

In reality, whether Sun Chuanting agreed or not, once these military leaders left Dezhou, they would all solve their provisions problem on their own. Sun Chuanting's statement could be seen as yet another compromise with the military men.

At this moment, Pang Yu felt that Liu Yuliang should not have come to participate in this hall meeting at all. For an army cobbled together in such disunity, each fighting small-scale battles on their own might be better. Combining forces would only lead to mutual sabotage. The relief troops from Jiangnan back then had been much the same. Liu Yuliang, as the Imperial Inspector and Chief Grand Secretary, should stay far away from the command system to preserve some of the Chief Grand Secretary's dignity. Now, sitting together with Sun Chuanting, in the perception of these military leaders, he had compromised along with him.

Perhaps Liu Yuliang sensed this too. He coughed once and said, "General Pang dealt a heavy blow to the Slaves' arrogance, beheading over a hundred True Yi, including two company Zhangjing of the Eastern Invaders, and capturing dozens alive. What is your opinion on the matter of recovering Jinan?"

Another round of murmuring stirred in the hall. Everyone looked this way. Pang Yu had not planned to speak, but he had made some preparations. Liu Yuliang was now asking him to speak to use Pang Yu's battle achievements to prop up the face of his Chief Grand Secretary. But at this moment, the demands of the civil and military officials differed. Sun Chuanting and Yan Ancestral Sacrifice had not yet formally stated their positions. Having Pang Yu speak now was actually a bit early and could easily offend multiple sides.

But since the Chief Grand Secretary had called his name, Pang Yu had no choice but to step forward. Now he could only speak based entirely on guesswork. He deliberated for a moment and finally said, "I am honored by the esteemed gentleman's inquiry. Reporting to all the Excellencies and Zongzhen, the Eastern Invaders are fierce and cruel. The fall of Jinan is truly lamentable, and it should be recovered as quickly as possible. However, I have another humble opinion. There are still many unbroken prefectures and counties around Dezhou and Jinan that must also be defended with full effort. We must not attend to one thing and lose sight of another, thereby adding to our losses. These Relief Troops here are the only remaining elite forces under Heaven. We rely entirely on these men to deal with the Jurchen Slaves. My meaning is that we must proceed steadily and strike surely."

Having smoothed things over with this muddled statement, both the civil and military officials in the hall nodded. Only Yan Ancestral Sacrifice showed no particular reaction. Pang Yu immediately stepped back, having completed his appearance. He had made himself known to everyone and offended no one.

Sun Chuanting then called upon an officer from the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops to speak, giving his own trusted aide a chance to appear before the Chief Grand Secretary. What these men said was largely similar to Pang Yu's, with the emphasis on being steady.

After these men had spoken, Sun Chuanting quietly consulted Liu Yuliang for his opinion, then slowly began: "Regarding the strategy for Jinan, everyone has spoken with considerable logic. We must strive for recovery while also doing our utmost to protect the surviving cities. I will naturally make thorough preparations. Every camp must obey the order tokens and must not treat this perfunctorily. The fall of Jinan has shaken the entire court. The Emperor will surely issue strict orders for its recovery. The law and fundamental order of the state are here. I earnestly hope no one will bring the heavy statutes upon themselves."

Although he had made consecutive concessions earlier, Sun Chuanting's tone was icy now. The military men in the hall all bore some degree of culpability for their conduct in previous battles. Sun Chuanting was now the Supreme Commander and had significant authority in determining guilt and merit after the war.

He had also just demonstrated flexibility in compromising with the military men, showing his long experience in commanding troops. So these military leaders were now unwilling to step forward and offend him. Sun Chuanting had won back a round in his game with the military men.

In the end, regarding the strategy for recovering Jinan, Sun Chuanting spoke very tactfully and did not pressure everyone to fight the Qing army to the death. Pang Yu felt that the civil and military sides had found a balance point for cooperation. The military officers' demand was not to go fight the Qing army, because defeat was certain, which would easily cost lives and damage their strength. Sun Chuanting's demand was that the military officers not go too far. There were many ways to recover Jinan. Not fighting a major battle was acceptable, but they had to fight some small engagements to give an account to the court. Otherwise, everyone would be finished together.

The atmosphere in the hall was subtle. The military officers generally grasped the meaning. After that, no one else came forward with conditions. The meeting reluctantly set the tone: they must recover Jinan and also defend Dezhou and the nearby prefectures and counties. Sun Chuanting would deploy the troops according to this tone.

After Sun Chuanting finished speaking, he hastily ended the meeting. The men from Xuan-Da were numerous and walked together on their own. Pang Yu could only walk with Zhou Yuji. Just as they were about to leave the main hall, he saw Liu Yuliang beckoning from the hall.

"General Pang, come and meet Sun Doutang and Yan Military Gate."

Pang Yu hurried over to pay his respects. Sun Chuanting already knew about the reported great victory at Tongcheng Post. He looked Pang Yu up and down for a moment, then said, "Back during the civil unrest in Tongcheng, General Pang was already mentioned in the Court Gazette. I have long heard of General Pang, a young hero. Meeting you today, it is indeed true."

Yan Ancestral Sacrifice also offered a few words of praise. Pang Yu could tell that both were speaking mere pleasantries. In these chaotic times of war, these civil officials were increasingly polite to military officers, and Pang Yu could sense it.

Liu Yuliang had kept him behind alone not to introduce him to these two civil officials, but to make it clear to Sun Chuanting and the other man that Pang Yu's troops were under his command and should not be treated as ordinary soldiers.

Liu Yuliang did not dismiss him, so Pang Yu could only stand waiting below the hall. The few civil officials stood in the center of the main hall discussing in low voices, not avoiding Pang Yu.

He heard Sun Chuanting say in a low voice, "Jinan has been breached for several days now. If the Eastern Invaders intend to kill and plunder, going now would not save them. My meaning is that rescuing Jinan requires thorough preparation; we cannot act rashly. If these troops are thrown in recklessly, it would be exactly what the Eastern Invaders want. The lesson of Jiazhuang is not far behind us, and it would likely lead to the complete collapse of the situation."

Liu Yuliang did not express an opinion. Yan Ancestral Sacrifice said cautiously, "Gentlemen, please understand clearly. Jinan city has been breached. Once the court receives the news, they will surely urge its recovery. If the Tartars occupy it for a long time and we are completely unprepared, then it will be even more rushed..."

Sun Chuanting shook his head and said, "If we go from Dezhou to Jinan, the Eastern Invaders will instead wait at ease for our exhausted forces. The Tartars have sent their army deep into our territory on a raid; they will never occupy it for long. Ultimately, they will leave the border. It would be better to wait until they are laden with plunder and turn back north. Jinan will then recover naturally. We can wait here at ease for their weary forces, sparing our troops the toil of marching back and forth. With the troops we have now, if we push them relentlessly, they will collapse today. Where would we then find troops to suppress the situation? We must still wait for strong forces to gather from all sides before conducting a grand sweep..."

Fifteenth day of the first lunar month, twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign.

Yang Guangdi stood on the city tower of Dezhou's great West Gate, leaning against the parapet and gnawing on a flatbread. Before his eyes, below the city tower, were rows upon rows of houses, with white cooking smoke drifting from the rooftops.

Dezhou was a major town on the Grand Canal and a place of prosperity. In past years, the Lantern Festival was always bustling with excitement, but this year, Dezhou city was utterly quiet. Most of the shops along the streets were closed.

The few commoners who went out to buy necessities were extremely cautious. Seeing soldiers approaching from the front, they would immediately dart into the small alleyways.

Many tents had been set up on West Gate Street, almost blocking the thoroughfare entirely. This was the camp of the Anqing Battalion. Pang Yu's Central Army was stationed at the nearby White Robe Nunnery; the nuns inside had temporarily been relocated to other temples.

Yang Guangdi paced a couple of steps. His wound only hurt slightly; he had basically recovered enough to return to combat.

These past few days in Dezhou, the accommodations were not particularly good, but after all, they were inside a sturdy city wall. The psychological feeling was the safest, and both body and Mental Spirit had recovered very well.

The organization of the Scouting Cavalry had basically ceased to exist. Chen Bin had assumed the post of Centurion, and all Scouting Cavalry were merged into the Scouting Cavalry Division at the Thousand-Leader Headquarters. The military medic station had released nine of the lightly wounded, making a total of thirty-one Scouting Cavalry.

When they left Tongcheng Post, they had been supplemented with nine Civilian Braves, all of whom had performed outstandingly at Tongcheng Post. These nine men had previously escorted armed convoys along the post road. They all knew some fist and blade techniques, were fairly skilled in horsemanship, and generally knew how to care for livestock and shoot arrows. However, they were completely ignorant of cavalry tactics for the army, and the various regulations and discipline could not be taught all at once. For now, they could not yet be used as cavalry and mainly performed guard and patrol duties.

The Anqing Battalion had stayed long enough at Tongcheng Post, and there had been a process of mobilization and cooperation. The local area had many young men who practiced martial arts. Although such fist and foot techniques were not suited for battle formations, these men were generally robust and strong, and dared to fight with others, making them relatively good cavalry resources.

However, the commercial atmosphere along the post road was strong, and there were quite a few slick individuals. In the end, only a little over fifty people were recruited, basically all of whom knew how to ride. The best nine were assigned to supplement the Scouting Cavalry.

Since combat was still ongoing, these new recruits did not understand regulations and military discipline, so it was inconvenient to mix them in at the start. They were formed into a separate Squad. The squad leader was from the Anqing Army, and the captain was Yu Lao'er. The three Xuanfu soldiers were still in the same Squad as Yang Guangdi and stood not far from him.

"Commander Li is still alive." Man Da'er pointed north. "I went out to fetch water just now and saw his recognition banner."

Qin Jiuze grunted. "Who else is alive?"

"Liu Qin, Hu Dawei, Yang Guozhu — they've all come."

Qin Jiuze watched the banners and flags over there coldly, without a trace of feeling for his comrades. "The general officers are all alive. Only Lu Doutang is dead."

Man Da'er spat. "Any decent man around Commander Li turns bad. The clerk officer said we're to go find a few more Night-Not-Returning brothers."

Yang Shisan, standing off to the side gnawing a flatbread, said upon hearing this, "Go yourself if you want. Once Commander Li catches you, you won't get out. Try poaching his household retainers and see if he doesn't chop your head off."

Man Da'er said indignantly, "Sooner or later those old brothers following Commander Li will be killed by him. They should come to our Anqing Battalion."

Qin Jiuze spat on the ground. "Lu Doutang is dead, and he, Commander Li, fled with his life. The court will take him for punishment sooner or later. Right now he's scared to death; he won't dare come out and cause trouble."

Yang Shisan snorted. "Commander Li is no good at battle, but you're not fighting battles every day. Back in Xuan-Da, he never made his household retainers feed or wash their own horses. As long as you were in the battalion, the auxiliary troops did that sort of work. Meals had to be brought right to my hand. Those old brothers may not necessarily want to come to Anqing Battalion."

Man Da'er said angrily, "Sure, no feeding horses — but he won't even pay your monthly wages."

Yang Shisan shot Man Da'er a sidelong glance. "Lord Pang paid you silver, didn't he? So why didn't you keep it safe? Gave it all to the Tartars, didn't you."

Man Da'er's chest heaved. He had received forty taels in head-taking reward at Tongcheng Post and kept it on his person. Right after, he was transferred to the raid on Dong'e, then fought the Qing troops that night. Even his horse died. In the pitch-black chaos, scrambling for his life, he had no time to worry about the silver.

"I'll turn around, take a few heads, and collect another forty taels. You go back to Commander Li and see if he pays you. With no silver on you, you can't even go looking for that whore."

The corners of Yang Shisan's mouth twitched. He threw down the flatbread and walked straight toward Man Da'er. Man Da'er, looking utterly ferocious, showed no fear and braced for a fight.

Yang Shisan reached Man Da'er in a few strides. The two glared at each other fiercely, like fighting cocks. Yang Guangdi did not try to dissuade them. These two had been stirring up trouble every day lately, and he was getting a bit sick of it.

Qin Jiuze, sitting on the ground, said calmly, "Go ahead and fight. The city patrol's pacification commissioner will be along again soon enough."

The two still had not separated when the city tower door banged open and Centurion Chen and Yu Lao'er walked out together.

Yang Guangdi hurriedly straightened up. The three Xuanfu soldiers also came over and stood in a row. The centurion and Yu Lao'er stood before the group.

The centurion still could not speak clearly. He merely waved a hand, signaling them to relax.

"Lord Pang's order applies to troops from outside garrisons entering the battalion." Yu Lao'er lifted his head. "Until the Eastern Invaders withdraw beyond the border, no recruiting of officers or soldiers from outside garrisons is permitted."

Man Da'er was taken aback. "Why?"

"The Jurchen Slaves at Jinan show signs of moving north. Battle with the Eastern Invaders is imminent. We need to coordinate with all the garrisons rallying to the king. We cannot afford incidents that would affect the coming battle."

Having said this, Yu Lao'er added, "One more matter. The ranger cavalry is to be reorganized, veterans and newcomers mixed together. Yang Guangdi is appointed captain of the Third Squad."

Yang Guangdi was stunned. He had thought at most he would be made a squad-of-five leader; he never expected squad captain.

Yu Lao'er said to the Xuanfu men, "You gentlemen must pass the examination and evaluation and be entered into the military registry before further assignments."

The centurion, still speaking with some difficulty, pointed curtly at Yang Guangdi. "You, captain. Them, fill out the rest."

The centurion then pointed at the newly arrived men. Yu Lao'er added, "Old Qin, you and your group are with Yang Guangdi's squad. We'll also add a few new recruits from Tongcheng Post."

Yang Guangdi had never led troops before and for a moment did not know what to say. The centurion waved a hand and moved on to the next squad.

As soon as the centurion and his companion were far enough away, Qin Jiuze turned and stood before Yang Shisan. "Yang Shisan, this squad doesn't want you. Find another squad."

Yang Shisan glared at Qin Jiuze. "On what grounds should I find another squad?"

Qin Jiuze said indifferently, "You're pining for that woman. Any moment you'll turn and run back to Xuan-Da. Don't drag Yang Guangdi down, and don't drag us into your mutual responsibility punishment."

Yang Guangdi did not know what to do for a moment. His gaze shifted between Qin Jiuze's and Yang Shisan's faces, but he did not interject.

Facing Qin Jiuze, Yang Shisan was somewhat displeased, but not as viciously as before. Man Da'er came over and said, "By now everyone here knows. No point in you staying."

After a long moment, Yang Shisan's face showed indignation. He stepped back, picked up his arrow quiver from the ground, and made to leave.

Yang Guangdi suddenly grabbed hold of him. "Leave after we've finished fighting the Tartars."

Yang Shisan stared at him in astonishment. "Aren't you afraid I'll run and drag you down?"

Yang Guangdi said earnestly, "As long as you promise to leave after we've fought the Tartars, I'll trust you. You're a good point scout. Once the Tartars are dealt with, I'll speak to the centurion and get your silver issued first, so you can go back to Xuan-Da, bring that woman out, and still return to the Third Squad."

Yang Shisan's eyes flickered. He looked at Yang Guangdi for a long while, then turned to glance at Qin Jiuze and Man Da'er. Finally, he threw the arrow quiver back onto the ground.

At that moment, someone on another part of the city wall shouted. Man Da'er squeezed over to a crenel to look and quickly called the others to come see.

The group crowded at the top of the city wall, watching a long column outside approaching the Great West Gate.

Yu Lao'er came back from the northern section of the wall. Man Da'er grabbed him and asked, "Whose troops are these coming?"

Yu Lao'er shook Man Da'er off. "Lintao Regional Commander Cao Bianjiao."