Chapter 386: A Multitude of Tangled Affairs

After the recommendation memorial was sent to Beijing via military courier in early August, it wasn't until mid-September that the court's appointment document for Cao Chuan's promotion finally made its way back to Guangzhou.

"Zhenguo General, Upper Light Chariot Commandant, Acting Assistant Regional Regional Commander, Co-Defender of Zhangchao and Other Areas, Nan'ao Deputy Regional Commander" — this was Cao Jiangjun's brand-new title.

Perhaps because, in the bleak days since he took the throne, the pirate Cao in the distant south was the only subordinate whose memorials consistently brought good news amid the blizzard of disaster reports; this time, Chongzhen finally got serious. Not only did he readily approve the official rank, he also sent down all the accompanying titles in one batch, thoroughly legitimizing the pirate Cao and rewarding that long string of solid military achievements.

Zhenguo General was a high-ranking military prestige title of the upper second rank, granted for initial appointment. Prestige titles were somewhat akin to later generations' military ranks — they didn't correspond to a specific post, only representing rank level.

Just as later generations had both colonels and lieutenant colonels serving as regiment commanders, Zhenguo General merely signified an upper second rank level. Whether this general was an imperial clansman drawing a salary and idling his life away, or a frontier commander holding heavy troops, depended entirely on the individual.

The subsequent honorific rank — Upper Light Chariot Commandant — followed the same principle. This upper second rank honorary title was normally something only nobles and hereditary military officers could attain. At its highest promotion, it became "Pillar of State," a title later generations would often see on television and memorial archways. Though by the time Cao Zhongchen rose to that level, he'd probably have turned into a national traitor.

Acting Assistant Regional Regional Commander — this was likewise an upper second rank nominal post. Adding this title was merely convention, signifying that Cao Jiangjun now had a formal, idle deputy's office within the Guangdong Regional Military Commission. The more practical implication was that, in wartime, Cao Jiangjun could now legitimately mobilize those military-slave beggars of the Guangdong Guard Post system to join the fight.

After the nominal titles came "Co-Defender of Zhangchao and Other Areas, Nan'ao Deputy Regional Commander" — this field army post, which carried no rank itself, was Cao Jiangjun's true substantive position.

Although that string of noble titles preceding it was all empty, carrying no real authority, for Cao Zhongchen, there was still some implicit meaning in them.

First, it was Chongzhen's acknowledgment and compensation for those earlier military achievements. Normally, only someone who had rendered military merit would jump multiple grades in prestige and honorific ranks overnight. The chain of upper second rank titles Chongzhen issued this time was a one-time settlement of those past achievements, formally fixing Cao Jiangjun's "rank and post."

Furthermore, for someone of "humble origins" who hadn't come up through the proper path, this string of noble titles was still quite substantial. It filled the institutional recognition that such outsiders naturally lacked. Cao Zhongchen was now effectively a man upon whom the Chongzhen Emperor had personally pinned second-rank shoulder insignia; his descendants would also receive enrollment by grace — the sort of thing that could even merit a mention on the evening news.

In terms of timing, this appointment wasn't considered delayed. One had to understand that after a memorial reached Beijing, it would go through discussion and deliberation by a series of departments — the Ministry of War, the Inner Court, the Outer Court, the Emperor — before finally becoming a resolution.

Unless it was a matter of the utmost military urgency, sending an ordinary document from Guangzhou to Beijing and waiting for a reply back typically took over a month, half of which was spent just on the road.

This was the fundamental reason a feudal empire couldn't expand its territory: information traveled far too slowly.

In the industrial age, this problem ceased to exist. With wireless telegraphy, a nation's territory could theoretically span the entire globe... The British Empire before World War II had nearly reached that level — the Prime Minister, sitting in his residence, could control all colonies across five continents in real time.

The moment he received the official document, Cao Jiangjun formally assumed the post of Commander of a certain Guangdong Field Army Group and concurrently Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military District — and the Transmigrators finally let their suspended hearts settle back into their stomachs.

One had to realize that in the coming October, Beijing would be besieged by the Eight Banners troops. Had the document been delayed even slightly, the variables would have multiplied by then: Chongzhen might have altered the document's content, demanding Cao Zhongchen come to the capital for the King's Rescue; he might also have withheld the document, waiting until after the war to re-discuss the appointments of regional military officers.

In short, once things dragged into October, the situation would descend into chaos, and certain individuals' prophetic knowledge would temporarily lose its effectiveness.

Although the Transmigrators weren't opposed to sending troops to the capital for the King's Rescue, one matter was one matter. Right now, here in Guangzhou, everything was already drawn and waiting — just awaiting the general's assumption of office to begin the work, and this was the most important task at hand.

Fortunately, the plan ultimately succeeded, and so the Guangdong Special District Government, the very moment it received the appointment, began issuing orders.

The first task was land enclosure.

Although the Zhangchao Deputy Regional Commander's Office was far away on Nan'ao Island, recruitment and logistics bases could be established in Guangzhou. Because according to the establishment, Cao Jiangjun originally had two battalions on Nan'ao Island — one each from Fujian and Guangdong. Note: these two battalions were regular "battalion troops" registered and paid by the Ministry of War, belonging to the mobile, field-army type of recruited soldiers, distinct from those hereditary garrison beggars.

Therefore, starting now, the Transmigrators could set up recruitment points under the banner of "recruiting able-bodied men to replenish the battalions."

Being a soldier in these times wasn't easy — men deserted, quit, and fired their general, plus those who retired due to age, died of illness, or lost their lives in bandit suppression campaigns and battles, and so on and so forth. So theoretically, these recruitment points could exist permanently — as long as a certain Cao had the money.

Recruitment points wouldn't just be set up in Guangzhou City; populous large counties like Foshan and Shunde would also have their arrangements.

These outposts, nominally for recruitment but in reality for recruiting laborers, would become crucial deployment nodes in the local area: outposts equipped with scout fields, housing, and commercial affairs offices could also temporarily garrison troops in the future. When the time came to revolt, they could mobilize in one strike and seize the local County Magistrate — and his concubines.

After dispatching some advisers and accountants to various places to purchase land, the Fast Fleet stationed at White Goose Pond was also preparing to move.

The fleet's previous temporary anchorage had been at White Goose Pond, but if it was to maintain a long-term presence going forward, White Goose Pond was no longer viable. Those engine-sail warships and sailors weren't suited to sailing in and out under the walls of Guangzhou City every day.

So the Military chose Huangpu for the new port and barracks. In the 17th century, the Huangpu area was just an ordinary agricultural region under Panyu County's jurisdiction. The Huangpu Military Academy, so famous in later generations, was still underwater at this time — Changzhou's land area was still very small.

The new port's detailed location was precisely in the area of later generations' old Huangpu Port. There were already some small private ports built by Ming people there; after requisition by the General Headquarters, they could be used while construction proceeded simultaneously.

In the future, once the Liu Xiang Group was eliminated, Huangpu Port would become the main base for riverine bandit suppression. In the 17th-century Pearl River Delta, waterways sprawled everywhere, harbors and inlets were dense, and countless water bandits, boat people, and local tyrant armed forces entrenched themselves along these waterways, sucking blood.

If the Special District Government wanted to vitalize commerce and trade, the prerequisite was to first deal with these ubiquitous water bandits. This task would be far more difficult than the coastal bandit suppression in Fujian, because the Pearl River Delta had far too many waterways — it would require slow, meticulous work.

In the future, a group of shallow-draft riverine vessels would be permanently stationed at Huangpu Port. Additionally, high-tech equipment, including drones, would also be deployed here: the Pearl River Delta's terrain was far too complex; without drones, troop efficiency would be very slow.

Once these two land requisition and construction tasks — the recruitment points and the port — began, they quickly consumed the Special District Government's entire energy. So the other plans for deployment in Guangdong would have to wait a little, including the previously planned land requisition for the new industrial zone — all would be postponed.

However, there was one matter that could not be postponed: Liu Xiang.

Now that the official promotion was secured, Comrade Liu Xiang no longer had any need to keep playing the boss in Tongluo Bay.

Thus, on October 25, 1629, one day before the Later Jin Eight Banners troops breached the Changcheng pass, the Fast Fleet, with all matters prepared, welcomed the surrender of the last major pirate power in the Fujian-Guangdong Waters at Guangzhou's White Goose Pond.

Since a certain person's official position was already secured, Liu Xiang's surrender this time didn't need to be a grand spectacle. The total number of pirates sailing up from Hong Kong all the way to White Goose Pond was only a thousand men, with twenty-odd ships.

As for Liu Xiang's remaining main force, at that very moment, "escorted" by another fleet, they had already crossed the sea directly to Taiwan.

This arrangement was the most efficient. Previously, to build momentum in Guangzhou City, the Transmigrators had been forced to re-equip large numbers of surrendered pirates with ships and transport them to Taiwan — such transshipment was very troublesome, and managing these pirates under the walls of Guangzhou City was also very difficult.

This was the reason Liu Xiang had delayed his surrender until the end of October: the Taiwan side needed time to organize another, larger fleet.

Although the numbers were relatively small, when Shopkeeper Liu stepped onto the pier at White Goose Pond, quite a crowd of Guangzhou soldiers and civilians still came to show their support: Shopkeeper Liu had left too deep an impression on this city — he was truly a household name.

Following the Transmigrators' instructions, after making a round of Guangzhou City distributing his own wealth and goods, Shopkeeper Liu ultimately obtained an empty Mobile Corps Commander title under Regional Commander Cao — the same rank Zheng Zhilong had received during his recruitment and amnesty.

From this rank, one could tell that Shopkeeper Liu had ultimately chosen the path of military service... If he wanted to be a wealthy gentleman or go into business, there would have been no need to bribe the Guangzhou officialdom to buy this Mobile Corps Commander title.

However, this rank would be of no use for a period of time to come: before Liu Xiang could command troops, he first had to work his way up to a certain position within a certain Empire's military system.

Of course, the Transmigrators wouldn't let this renowned Grand Steward comrade end up with nothing — just imagine the scene, years from now, of grey-haired General Liu commanding battleships, sailing everywhere to chastise the disloyal on behalf of the "Transmigrator Nobility" — it was quite satisfying to picture.

Furthermore, the Transmigrators wouldn't let Liu Xiang's originally vast personal fortune, nor the funds from selling ships and assets after this recruitment and amnesty, simply depreciate: several of Liu Xiang's sons and nephews had already, under the guidance of the Ministry of Commerce, purchased commercial firms and workshops. When Old General Liu retired in the future, he would find his family had more money than they could ever spend.

In short, as long as Shopkeeper Liu was willing to set aside his pride and learn new things, his life's path was bound to become even more remarkable.

With everything settled, the newly-minted Deputy Regional Commander Cao was finally about to leave Guangzhou City and take up his post at his own exclusive office.