Chapter 508: Merit

On the fourteenth day of the second month, Pang Yu spurred his horse to a halt outside Wuqing city. The county town's gates were all tightly shut. The former campsites outside the walls lay in utter ruin, corpses strewn everywhere. Wild dogs and crows fought over the remains nearby, and no one drove them away.

The weather at the start of spring this year was abnormal; the temperature rose swiftly, melting the ice and snow across the land. The Yongding River swelled high, its channel a raging torrent. Several temporary pontoon bridges had been washed away, leaving the Ming Army forces on either bank unable to support each other.

The Qing army struck the Ming Army outside Wuqing with a thunderbolt blow. The Household Retainers of every battalion fled west first. The infantry of each battalion who had not managed to enter the city in time were nearly all cut down. The infantry and civilian laborers of the Anqing Battalion had been busy crossing the river since early morning and thus escaped this calamity. Pang Yu's camp outside Wuqing had almost no guards; the Qing army plundered all its supplies and baggage, and whatever they could not take was burned to ashes in a single blaze.

The Anqing Battalion's previous camp had been at Wuqing's east gate. On the night of the Ci Islet ambush, most of the civilian laborers and baggage battalion left behind had been redeployed for the Wangzhuang offensive. Yet this camp still held a large quantity of supplies, including tents, carriages, and other vital matériel. After the loss, they could only replace them with Qing army supplies they had seized.

The Capital Battalion and the Shaanxi Provincial Commander's Standard Troops were garrisoned inside the city and suffered no losses. The other battalions fared much the same as the Anqing Battalion — they had seized a haul on the south bank, then lost all their possessions on the north bank. But the Qing army had won with far greater ease.

The Qing army remained stationed outside Wuqing for one night, looting the surrounding area in passing, and withdrew back to Yangcun the next day. Because the Yongding River had risen so violently, neither side could threaten the other. Separated by the river channel, they left each other alone and each went about their own business.

After a brief rest and reorganization, the Qing army resumed its northward march. This time, no Ming Army forces harassed them at all.

The various Ming Army units on the south bank, unable to cross the river anyway, busied themselves with their own affairs — gathering supplies on one hand, and feuding with the Liao Garrison on the other.

The Liao Garrison forces coming from Dong'an, along with the Tianjin Regional Commander's and Tongzhou Regional Commander's units, fought with the King's Loyalist Army nearby over the spoils of war. During those few days on the south bank, clashes between the two sides were countless, eventually escalating to brawls among their Household Retainers. It only gradually subsided once the supplies were largely fought over. By now, the two armies were not merely unable to cooperate — they could almost be called sworn enemies.

Beyond supplies, the various Liao Garrison units also scrambled for heads. The King's Loyalist Army naturally would not permit them to steal military merits. Since some commoners had remained in the area all along, the Liao Garrison kept eyeing those heads. One Liao Garrison detachment pursuing from the south intercepted the commoners who had fled earlier and cut down quite a few for their heads.

Because Wuqing County town had been besieged for two days, Sun Chuanting's victory dispatch could not be sent out. The Liao Garrison at Dong'an had instead issued their own victory dispatch even before the King's Loyalist Army, claiming to have routed the Qing army at Sanjiaodian and taken over five hundred heads.

Sun Chuanting, being a man who led troops, naturally had to make up the difference — beyond the heads reported for decapitation merit, there was also the matter of how many commoners had been rescued.

Earlier, the Ministry of War's directives had repeatedly stressed that the first priority was rescuing commoners, and the second was recovering coin and grain. There was surprisingly little mention of annihilating the Qing army within the passes — Yang Sichang was, after all, keenly aware of the gap between the two sides.

To outshine Gao Qiqian's front, Sun Chuanting had to solidify the achievement of rescuing commoners. He had officials from both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, as well as Wuqing's local officials, as witnesses. By submitting a memorial in the capacity of Supervisor to confirm that tens of thousands of commoners had been rescued, Gao Qiqian would naturally be unable to compete.

Sun Chuanting wanted to cross the river to the south bank with Liu Yuliang precisely so that the Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet could bear witness and confirm that the achievement of rescuing the commoners belonged to the King's Loyalist Army.

But Liu Yuliang dared not leave the city. Even though the scouts of every unit had repeatedly confirmed that the Qing army had already moved north and that their main force should have passed Hexiwu, making it impossible for them to create further complications and return to fight, Liu Yuliang trusted none of the battalions. He felt that the moment he left the city, he would be captured by the Qing army. He absolutely refused to take a single step outside, nor would he permit Sun Chuanting to leave, unless the cavalry units from the south bank crossed the river to escort them.

Only yesterday did the river water begin to recede, the current no longer so turbulent, and pontoon bridge construction resumed. This time, with no Qing army nearby, the battalions gathered boats from the villages on the south bank and built a pontoon bridge at Yangcun. The army on the south bank began crossing the river northward, preparing to continue the pursuit of the Qing army. However, the carriages crossed slowly, delaying progress considerably.

But Liu Yuliang dared not go to Yangcun, nor did he dare take the Ci Islet route. So they could only build another pontoon bridge further upstream, solely to let him cross the river and confirm the rescue of the commoners.

Outside the city gate, besides Pang Yu and the other south-bank generals, Wang Pu, Yang Guozhu, Liu Qin, and the other generals who had remained on the north bank were also present. They naturally divided into two camps. Wang Pu's group mainly comprised the old King's Loyalist Army, predominantly from Xuan-Da. The south-bank group was mostly newcomers, chiefly the Qin Army, the Anqing Battalion, and the Capital Battalion.

Before, Wang Pu had the strongest force, and Yang Guozhu held the highest rank. After this engagement, the new King's Loyalist Army had both battle honors and spoils, while Wang Pu's group had suffered grievous losses. A subtle shift had occurred in their standing.

Wang Pu's camp had been overrun this time. Half his infantry had been preparing to go to the south bank to seize supplies that day and had already headed for the river in the morning, avoiding the Qing attack. The rest were nearly annihilated. His baggage losses were heavy, and he wore a look of utter dejection. Upon seeing Pang Yu, he immediately switched to a smiling face and took the initiative to come over and greet the south-bank group.

Yang Guozhu, Liu Qin, Li Chongzhen, and the others had already lost their infantry clean at Jiazhuang. Their Household Retainers were all mounted and had withdrawn directly to avoid battle. They still suffered considerable losses during the retreat, with some Household Retainers scattering. Their strength looked even feebler now.

The cavalry of the remaining battalions had mostly gathered at the county town today, mainly deployed in various spots east of Wuqing. They presented an appearance of strict vigilance, but in truth it was merely for show, for the Qing army had long since left Yangcun far behind and would certainly not return to Wuqing. It was all just to set Chief Grand Secretary Liu's mind at ease.

Pang Yu and the others waited for an hour. Finally, Wuqing's south gate opened. Cao Bianjiao led several hundred of his Lintao Household Retainers out of the city first, followed by Liu Yuliang under heavy escort, with Sun Chuanting riding beside him on horseback.

Pang Yu carefully observed the interaction between the two. Liu Yuliang looked utterly deflated this time; it seemed the Tartars' lightning strike on Wuqing had truly terrified him. After all, Wuqing was no heavily fortified stronghold with deep moats and high walls. Though it had troops defending it, they were not elite. With over four thousand Tartar cavalry outside, it was entirely possible the city could have fallen in a single careless moment.

Though weary, Sun Chuanting's bearing carried a hint of elation. The great victory at the Yongding River had greatly eased his situation. Even though they had suffered a defeat here at Wuqing, the Ming Army had been losing all along since the Qing army entered the border this time. One more defeat was not conspicuous, but this one victory was exceedingly precious.

Though everyone looked down on Liu Yuliang, he was, after all, the Chief Grand Secretary serving as Imperial Inspector. They all dismounted to pay their respects to the two men.

Liu Yuliang did not put on airs. Seeing the south-bank generals, he gestured for them to dispense with formalities, then stepped down from his sedan chair. He walked up to Pang Yu and said with an expression of deep warmth, "When I heard that General Pang had taken a lone force to cut off the Eastern Invaders' retreat, this old man was so worried I could not sleep day or night. To think that against a hundred thousand Tartars, General Pang, with a mere thousand-odd men — a situation of extreme peril — could actually defeat them in one battle. This victory sweeps away decades of dejected despair."

Pang Yu hurriedly glanced left and right and said, "It was all thanks to the meticulous planning of the Chief Grand Secretary and the Provincial Commander, and the effective support of every battalion, which kept the Jurchen Slaves constantly occupied and unable to mass their forces for a siege. Only then was this humble one able to defeat the enemy by luck."

Liu Yuliang suddenly seized Pang Yu's wrist, startling him into a shudder. When Pang Yu looked up, he saw Liu Yuliang's expression was fervent. "General Pang must not be overly modest. These past few days, the captives have been thoroughly interrogated. It is now clear that the bandit slave chief Yoto was wounded by the General at Tongcheng Post, and though he fled to Jinan, he still could not escape death. This official has already submitted a memorial to inform the Emperor. This is the foremost achievement since the Eastern Affairs began. The captives' confessions are all documented — it is beyond dispute. Truly, with a sage Son of Heaven on the throne, extraordinary talents descend into the world."

Pang Yu was stunned for a moment. He had not expected Liu Yuliang to be so supportive this time, without dragging his feet at all. Then he understood — Sun Chuanting had no wish for a mutually destructive showdown with Liu Yuliang. He wanted to leverage this great victory to gain the Chief Grand Secretary's support, so he could contend against the Liao Garrison front. Because Gao Qiqian was a palace eunuch, his standing in the Cabinet and the palace was something Sun Chuanting could not match.

"The Chief Grand Secretary has explained it most thoroughly. This humble officer merely relied on the Emperor's great fortune and borrowed the divine might of the Chief Grand Secretary and the Provincial Commander, as well as the blessings of the million heroic spirits who have given their lives for the nation in Liaodong over these decades. It was the bandit slave chief Yoto whose crimes had filled the measure, and he merely borrowed this humble one's hand. This humble one dares not claim credit that belongs to Heaven."

Liu Yuliang burst into hearty laughter. The surrounding General Officers all joined in with ingratiating smiles. Pang Yu endured the nauseating sensation of his wrist being gripped and patiently flattered Chief Grand Secretary Liu.

After conversing like this outside the city for a while, Liu Yuliang's demeanor relaxed considerably. Since the south-bank battalions appeared to have decisively defeated the Qing army, while the north-bank battalions had collapsed in a single engagement, Liu Yuliang evidently trusted this group from the south far more. Only then did he set off for the Yongding River with peace of mind.

Pang Yu brought only a hundred or so cavalrymen, marching behind Liu Yuliang's official sedan chair. They had gone only a short distance when he heard someone beside him say, "General Pang."

Pang Yu turned his head to look. It was Li Chongzhen coming over. During the great battle on the ninth, he had still sent his troops out, fighting alongside Cao Bianjiao on the north bank. Though he had few Household Retainers left, he had at least contributed some effort.

Having earned battle honors, Li Chongzhen's expression was much more relaxed than before. He said politely to Pang Yu, "The General is indeed a man of his word. The heads have been received, all genuine grades."

Pang Yu replied courteously, "Keeping one's word is only proper. In truth, it is I who should thank General Li for his full support, which made this south-bank victory possible."

Li Chongzhen did not stand on further ceremony. His own Household Retainers were still behind him. He said hastily to Pang Yu, "In the future, wherever the General has need of this humble officer, just give the word, and this humble officer will do his utmost to handle it for the General."

Pang Yu exchanged a few more pleasantries. Li Chongzhen spurred his horse and hurried back to his Household Retainer column. Then Liu Qin also came over and took the initiative to greet Pang Yu. He was the Chief Officer of the Xuan-Da Right Battalion. Before the battle at Jiazhuang, Lu Xiangsheng had dispatched him to relieve other cities. After the battle at Jiazhuang, he was the first to reach the battlefield, where he recovered Lu Xiangsheng's body and confirmed that Lu Xiangsheng had died in battle.

If responsibility were to be investigated after the war, Li Chongzhen had originally been in the greatest danger. But now that Li Chongzhen had suddenly gained considerable battle honors, Liu Qin had become the one in the most danger, because at the time, only two Camp Heads from the Supervisor Battalion had gone south.

Liu Qin had never paid any attention to Pang Yu before, mostly out of a contempt for Southern Troops, and after the Wuqiao Mutiny, he had simply followed the crowd. Now he came over on his own initiative to pay his respects, his manner more like that of a subordinate. In his words, he hinted at hoping Pang Yu would take him along in future operations.

After that, General Officers from the Yansui and other units also came by. Previously, Pang Yu had been ostracized within the King's Loyalist Army; no one wanted anything to do with him. Now, he had suddenly become highly sought after.

Pang Yu conversed with people along the way, but he never saw anyone from the Baoding Battalion. The court's order was to carry out Liu Guangzuo's Execution Before the Troops. At the time, the Qing army had just withdrawn, and the north-bank King's Loyalist Army had suffered heavy blows. Sun Chuanting had opposed the impeachment from the start. Using unstable army morale as a pretext — and with Liu Yuliang terrified out of his wits after two days of Qing siege, afraid of provoking another mutiny — Liu Yuliang could only heed Sun Chuanting's opinion. Liu Guangzuo was temporarily imprisoned in Wuqing County Prison. Since he was nowhere to be seen now, he was probably still locked up.

Pang Yu could not quite understand Liu Yuliang's behavior. The earlier impeachment had been extremely abrupt, yet now he was following Sun Chuanting's counsel and jointly submitting a memorial to plead for Liu Guangzuo's life. His actions seemed highly unpredictable — or perhaps he was simply too easily swayed by circumstances.

They marched for an entire morning. Amidst a great entourage, Chief Grand Secretary Liu finally crossed the Yongding River. Once across, there was no further threat from the Qing army. Chief Grand Secretary Liu even stepped down from his sedan chair and walked for a stretch, looking radiant and spirited.

After another two hours of travel, they finally reached Huanghuadian, where a vast, dark mass of commoners had already assembled.

The commoners could have been released on the south bank long ago, but Sun Chuanting had sent a Herald with strict orders that Liu Yuliang must personally release them. When the Qing army had fled in disarray earlier, most of the commoners had already scattered. Just over seven thousand remained on the south bank. Gathered together and made to stand a bit sparsely, they still formed an enormous crowd.

Sun Chuanting said respectfully to Liu Yuliang, "Through the fierce fighting of every battalion, approximately fifty thousand commoners captured by the Eastern Invaders have been rescued. We must trouble the Chief Grand Secretary to personally release them."

Several subordinates brought forward five commoners who appeared to be from a single family. The middle-aged man at their head was likely the head of the household. He wore no hat, exposing the Money Rat Tail Queue at the back of his head.

Surrounded by a crowd of soldiers and civil officials, this commoner was already so terrified he could barely stand. Seeing Liu Yuliang approach, he dropped to his knees along with all five members of his family, too frightened to utter a single word.

Liu Yuliang walked up to the middle-aged man and reached out to take a pair of scissors from a subordinate. The middle-aged commoner trembled uncontrollably all over.

Snip. Liu Yuliang grabbed the queue and cut it off with his own hands, not even leaving the roots. Only then did he say to the commoner, "Now you no longer look like a Tartar. This also spares you from being mistaken for the enemy and killed by soldiers or righteous volunteers on the road."

Liu Yuliang then accepted a cloth bag filled with grain and personally handed it over. Guided by the Personal Soldiers, the commoner took it. Only then did Liu Yuliang say, "Having been captured by the Jurchen Slaves, you were all destined to be dragged off to Liaodong, to a fate too dreadful to speak of. Fortunately, this official led the troops here in time. By the Emperor's great fortune and protection, we routed the Jurchen Slaves in a single battle. You may all return to your homes. This official has already sent word to all the government offices in Shandong, instructing them to ensure all returning commoners are received. If you travel quickly, you can still make it home in time for the farming season."

Only then did the commoner stop trembling. He kowtowed repeatedly to Liu Yuliang. At a signal from the Wuqing County Magistrate, clerks from the county office led the other captured commoners in kneeling as well, offering a chaotic chorus of thanks to the upright and honorable great lord.

Liu Yuliang and Sun Chuanting had no time to listen to the commoners' shouts. They continued walking straight toward the south side, receiving the commoners' kneeling homage. The officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue followed behind. Pang Yu knew that Sun Chuanting had reported fifty thousand commoners rescued. Once this ceremony concluded, the local authorities would submit a Detailed Report, which, together with the earlier dispatch bulletins, would confirm the achievement.

Some Capital Battalion soldiers carrying scissors went down the line, cutting off the queues of those whose heads had been shaved. This was something Sun Chuanting had specifically ordered — first, to protect these commoners' lives, and second, to prevent the Liao Garrison from adding to their Decapitation Merit.

The sounds of commoners kowtowing and giving thanks rose and fell in waves. Pang Yu halted at the north end of the commoner formation and did not participate in the civil officials' proceedings.

Pang Ding sidled up and said in a low voice, "Young Master, once the release here is finished, we'll have to continue pursuing the Tartars."

"Even combining my infantry and cavalry, I can only scrape together four Companies. In combat strength, I fear they only count as two Companies. Chasing after them would be useless." Pang Yu turned his head and said, "Send someone to the Capital to find Zhang Mazi. Get a clear understanding of the matter regarding the merit for slaying Yoto in battle. We must ensure this achievement belongs to the Anqing Battalion."