Chapter 208: Making a Feint to the East While Striking West

In the sixth month of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign, the Later Jin dispatched Lenggeli to command the right wing and Kakeduli to command the left wing, attacking Pidao with a total force exceeding six thousand men, of whom roughly two thousand were combat troops. They set out on the twenty-eighth day of the fifth month and reached the banks of the Yalu River on the sixth day of the sixth month.

Beyond these military forces, Huang Taiji also prepared political measures. He sent the Han traitors Shi Guozhu, Gao Hongzhong, and Li Sizhong to handle the surrender of the Dongjiang troops, and strictly ordered all Manchu Eight Banner commanders not to interfere, single-mindedly strengthening the power of Han officials in order to check his various relatives. To maintain relations with Joseon, Huang Taiji separately dispatched Mandaerhan and Dong Nami to pay respects to the Joseon king, demanding that Joseon provide military ships and provisions.

On the seventh day of the sixth month, the Later Jin troops entered Joseon via Yizhou. Because they had informed Joseon beforehand that they were only coming to suppress Pidao, Joseon dared not resist and allowed them to advance unopposed. The Later Jin army marched swiftly the entire way, passing Tieshan by the ninth.

After the Jianzhou bandits reached Yizhou, the local power brokers of Dongjiang Town also received word. Most of the island troops still bore an unending blood feud with the Jianzhou bandits, and they too began actively preparing for battle. The Dongjiang and Dengzhou naval forces began putting to sea to patrol the coast near Tieshan, the closest point. The area around Tieshan and Yizhou was densely populated; because Huang Taiji wanted to preserve the fraternal alliance with Joseon, he forbade the Later Jin troops from looting freely, which also facilitated Dongjiang Town's intelligence work. Much information began feeding back to Pidao.

But after the Later Jin army reached Tieshan, they immediately dispatched large numbers of roving cavalry to block communications. The various Pidao commanders could not determine the Later Jin's next move. Dongjiang Town's naval forces had over one hundred seventy vessels at Pidao, though many of them counted as little more than fishing boats. The ships from Dengzhou numbered over twenty. They concentrated their defense directly north of Pidao, facing the direction of Tieshan, seizing and burning every vessel they sighted along the way.

South of Tieshan lay a peninsula, very close to Pidao — its southernmost tip was only about ten li from Pidao. But the terrain was entirely mountainous, the coast steep, and it was easily spotted from Pidao, so it was unsuitable as a launching point. The Dongjiang army guessed the staging area would be on the coast west of Tieshan, and many ships were dispatched in that direction.

The Wendeng battalion led by Chen Xin remained undiscovered. The commanders on Pidao all assumed it was the escort fleet of Army Supervisor Lu Zhi.

Chen Xin had received intelligence from the Special Operations Unit early on and knew of the Later Jin army's approach. His original intent had been to send the task force to capture Ing'erdai. That man was permanently stationed in Joseon and was certain to know a great deal about the smuggling between Dongjiang and Joseon. With him in hand, Chen Xin could hold leverage over many officials and get a piece of the smuggling trade himself. He had not expected Ing'erdai's luck to be so good — the man had gone to Yizhou that very day. Chen Xin had not been familiar with this person before, but later Zhang Dong made inquiries on Pidao and learned that this Ing'erdai was considered a man of both civil and military talent in the Later Jin. In his early years he had followed Nurhaci on campaigns east and west. After the conquest of Joseon in the first year of the Tiancong reign, Ing'erdai took charge of Joseon affairs, frequently traveling between Hancheng and Shenyang. In the jisi year he again followed Huang Taiji through the passes. During the Four Cities campaign he defended Zunhua; he and Li Sizhong and others kept their heads in the crisis and led their troops safely out beyond the border wall.

After reading the materials, Chen Xin committed this man to memory, to be dealt with slowly later. For now, the more pressing matter was the Later Jin main army. Li Tao's follow-up intelligence had not yet come back, so the Dongjiang army's information was far richer than Chen Xin's. Lu Zhi easily obtained these reports and had Zhang Dong deliver them to Dadao once a day.

On the afternoon of the tenth day of the sixth month, Zhang Dong again hurried to Dadao. In Chen Xin's tent he reported to Chen Xin and the others, producing a more detailed map — finer than their original one — and spread it across the table to brief them.

"My lord, two ships returned before dark yesterday. The news they brought says the Jianzhou bandits are moving toward the coast west of Tieshan. There are two encampments about five li from the sea, with many Jianzhou roving cavalry around them. The strength inside the camps is unknown. The Jianzhou bandits' numbers are unclear — some say thirty thousand, others say over ten thousand. The Joseon people have also sent word, claiming the force is around forty thousand, their military might imposing, their carts and horses clogging the roads."

Lu Chuanzong stroked his chin and said, "If there really are that many, then there's nothing left for us to think about. But I reckon, this isn't a fortified city — sending too many troops is pointless. The Jianzhou Chieftain probably wouldn't send that many."

Chen Xin also nodded. "Chuanzong is right. Attacking Pidao is a matter of the sea, not the land. More troops aren't necessarily useful. In the past, Liu Xingzhi had only eight hundred genuine barbarians, with just fifty armored men, yet he was a formidable force on the island and for a time even controlled the island's situation. That shows the current fighting strength of the Pidao troops is mediocre. The Jianzhou Chieftain needs at most three thousand men ashore to take the whole island. But they lack sufficient ships. Even if the Joseon navy comes, they'd have to approach from the south. Why would the Jianzhou bandits choose the west side of Tieshan in the north?"

Lu Chuanzong's mouth twitched a few times. "If we could have brought two company-commander battalions this time, we could go ashore and fight them."

Liu Pojun stared at the map and said pensively, "Lord Lu, no matter how many Jianzhou bandits come, their objective is to attack Pidao. In the end they still have to get onto the island. Besides, they certainly can't all come across at once. As long as we stay concealed, when a portion of the Jianzhou bandits lands on the island we can cut off their retreat, or intercept them at sea — a great deed can be accomplished. So the most critical thing is to know how many ships they have, how many men they can carry, and where they'll set out from."

A cold gleam flickered in Zhang Dong's eyes. He too bore hatred for the Jianzhou bandits, but more importantly, the Intelligence Bureau had performed well this time. Chen Xin had praised him often these past few days, giving Zhang Dong a promising outlook. He said respectfully to Chen Xin, "My lord, the Special Operations Unit's last intelligence report said the Jianzhou bandits sent men to Hancheng to demand Joseon send warships to assist. The Joseon navy's situation isn't entirely clear, but I've heard the island troops say they have quite a few ships. Pidao is too close to Joseon — even fishing boats can be used. If they aren't intercepted, transporting one or two thousand men at a time is possible."

Chen Xin was also getting a headache. He had no clear idea of Joseon's current stance. After Huang Taiji attacked Joseon in the first year of the Tiancong reign, the two sides concluded a fraternal alliance, yet Joseon continued sending tribute to the Great Ming. Song Wenxian said he had often seen Joseon tribute missions in Dengzhou. After the first year of the Chongzhen reign the tribute route was changed to land at Ningyuan, but they had not missed a single year.

In Chen Xin's view, Joseon was more like a timid young daughter-in-law walking on eggshells. Whether they would now provide their navy, he could not judge. This was when the importance of intelligence work became apparent, and currently Chen Xin's intelligence on Joseon and Dongjiang was practically a blank. He turned and asked Zhang Dong, "Do you think Joseon will send troops?"

Zhang Dong lowered his head. "This subordinate dares not speculate rashly. Joseon fears the Jianzhou bandits and also fears Dongjiang. When Liu Xingzhi accepted pacification last year, he forced Joseon to dismiss Anpyeong Circuit Intendant Kim Siyang from office, because Kim Siyang had suggested the Yi court send troops to arrest Liu Xingzhi when Liu killed Chen Jisheng. In the end, the Yi court, under duress from Liu Xingzhi, really did remove Kim Siyang. One can see Joseon's backbone is quite soft. But from what this subordinate has learned on the island, the Yi court's heart still leans toward our Great Ming. They often call present-day Liaodong a land of jackals and leopards, and directly call the Jianzhou bandits barbarians."

Lu Chuanzong laughed in spite of himself. "A single Liu Xingzhi could force them to dismiss an official. The Jianzhou bandits going there can probably force them to send their navy too."

Seeing that none of them had any clear ideas, Chen Xin deeply felt the importance of strengthening infiltration into Dongjiang. Both Dongjiang and Joseon were forces he wanted to win over. For a place like Wendeng, influencing Dongjiang and Joseon was far easier than influencing Liaoxi, and the force projection distance was about the same.

At this thought, he waved for Liu Pojun and Lu Chuanzong to leave. Zhang Dong knew Chen Xin had intelligence matters to discuss and waited with lowered hands and head.

"How is the deployment of the sub-station on the island progressing?"

"My lord, with the urgency of this matter, this subordinate had no choice but to come and go frequently on Pidao. Now everyone knows the Four Seas Trading Company belongs to my lord. This subordinate has separately sent men to set up a shop, pretending it belongs to a Dengzhou merchant. As for informants on the island, quite a few have been developed among the lower ranks. Among the officers, this subordinate has selected three candidates: Shang Keyi, Liu Xingji, and Wu Jianzhong."

Zhang Dong raised his head to glance at Chen Xin's expression. Chen Xin gave a slight smile and signaled for him to continue.

"Shang Keyi is Huang Long's trusted confidant. After he learned of this subordinate's identity, he became rather friendly — perhaps he wants to keep a fallback. This subordinate believes there is no harm in maintaining the connection; it may prove useful in time. But this man's motives are unclear, so we must not use anyone critical to contact him. Liu Xingji is Liu Xingzuo's full brother. This man has both courage and cunning. Back when Liu Xingzuo fled to Dongjiang, fearing someone would take his head to claim merit, he was wary of Mao Wenlong and did not let Liu Xingji come to Pidao. Liu Xingji went alone to Liaoxi to seek refuge with Yuan Chonghuan, informing him of his defection, which forced Mao Wenlong to have some reservations. This time Liu Xingji opposed Liu Xingzhi's rebellion. He was first bound and beaten by Liu Xingzhi, then after escaping helped Huang Long and others kill the mutinous soldiers."

Chen Xin interjected, "The Liu brothers' family members are all in Shenyang. Huang Taiji has already exploited this to great effect many times. Have you thought through the pros and cons of using this man?"

"My lord, there is word on the island that after Huang Taiji learned of Liu Xingzhi's death, he had all the Liu brothers' relatives, children, and friends left in Shenyang slaughtered to the last. Their Han wives and concubines were distributed to the various beile as slaves. If this news is verified, then Liu Xingji and the Jianzhou bandits have no further room for reconciliation. This humble one values that this man is fluent in the barbarian tongue, knows intimately each of the Later Jin banner lords and gushan ejen, and is extremely clear on the grudges and grievances among the Later Jin commanders — precisely the kind of talent the Intelligence Bureau most lacks right now."

Chen Xin nodded. "If that's the case, fine. Handle the specifics yourself, but if anything goes wrong with this man, I'll hold you accountable."

Zhang Dong acknowledged the order and continued, "The last one is Wu Jianzhong (Note 1). This man is also someone Liu Xingzuo brought out. Many of his family members died at the hands of the Jianzhou bandits. In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, when Liu Xingzuo sent word to Yuan Chonghuan that the Jianzhou bandits were about to attack Joseon, it was this man who traveled alone on foot, infiltrating his way to Liaoxi. During this Pidao unrest, he led troops and killed Cui Yaozu."

Chen Xin was slightly moved. "To infiltrate on foot all the way to Liaoxi shows extraordinary courage. Since he has rendered merit this time, I'm afraid he won't be easy to buy."

"My lord, this subordinate did not seek out Wu Jianzhong. He came on his own. He does not wish to remain on Pidao but wants to serve under our Wendeng battalion. With him are over ten subordinates, including four genuine barbarians. This subordinate surmises that this man no longer holds any hope for Dongjiang Town and also fears for his life here — that is why he has acted thus. How this man should be placed, I await my lord's instructions."

"Have him join the Intelligence Bureau." Chen Xin did not hesitate. These people who had come out of the Later Jin were all rare intelligence talents to him; he would never let them become ordinary combat soldiers. "Bring them along on the return trip. After reaching Wendeng, have Zhou Shifa interview them before assigning positions."

Hearing Chen Xin's words, Zhang Dong understood that Chen Xin still did not regard him as his most trusted man. He still respectfully acknowledged the order and said, "On Pidao, hearts are restless. Developing ordinary soldiers is not difficult, but most of those officers are still watching and waiting. Our Wendeng battalion is only slightly known on Pidao, not enough to make them come over to us. Therefore, if we can inflict heavy losses on the Jianzhou bandits at Pidao this time and let these island troops see our Wendeng battalion's military might, things will be easier in the future."

In the end, it still came down to displaying strength. That was also Chen Xin's purpose in coming to Dongjiang Town this time. Simply killing Jianzhou bandits was a general's objective, but for him it was far from enough. To him, every military action had to have added value.

At that moment Liu Pojun loudly reported from outside the tent. He entered with an excited expression, holding an intelligence report for Chen Xin. "My lord, the Special Operations Unit's second squad has sent back intelligence on the Jianzhou bandits' military situation: roughly two thousand combat troops, four thousand auxiliaries. The Jianzhou bandits are making a feint to the east while striking west. Their camps on the coast west of Tieshan are all decoy troops. The main army reached Xuanchuan today and split into four columns at Xuanchuan, heading toward the coast."

Chen Xin snatched it and studied the map, his finger tracing along the coastline. "Four columns from Xuanchuan: Shekoupu, Xuanchuanpu, Shenmidaopu... The Jianzhou bandits want to take Shenmi Island east of Pidao first, then attack Pidao from the east. They first lured the Dongjiang naval forces toward Tieshan. If they have enough ships, they can land on Pidao before the Dongjiang navy realizes something is wrong. The Wild Boar Skin really does have some skill at war. The Special Operations Unit did well this time — record them for top merit. Let's see if anyone still says the Special Operations Unit is useless. Also, has the Joseon navy been spotted?"

"The two team members who returned didn't see them. When they retrieved their hidden boat at Xuanchuanpu, they saw Jianzhou vanguard troops searching and rounding up fishing boats near Xuanchuanpu."

Chen Xin gave a cold chuckle. "Then at the very least, Joseon hasn't explicitly agreed to help them yet, otherwise they wouldn't be rounding up fishing boats. Zhang Dong, return to the island immediately. Request that Army Supervisor Lu control the Dengzhou and Dongjiang naval forces well — they are only to attack the Jianzhou bandits' ships upon our signal." Chen Xin fixed his gaze on Zhang Dong. "After the battle is over, spread some exaggerated talk on the island — all about how mighty the Wendeng battalion was. Remember this: we are not only putting on a show for Dongjiang Town, but also for the Joseon officials on Pidao. In the future, your work on Pidao and in Joseon will be much easier."

Note 1: Wu Jianzhong was originally a subordinate of Liu Xingzuo. Liu Xingzuo always kept two options open, maintaining contact with both Mao Wenlong and Yuan Chonghuan. In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Wu Jianzhong was dispatched by Liu Xingzuo to travel alone on foot, infiltrating his way to Ningyuan, to inform Yuan Chonghuan that the Later Jin would send their main force to attack Joseon. Such vital intelligence, but unfortunately it ultimately had little effect. In the first year of the Chongzhen reign he followed Liu Xingzuo in defecting to Dongjiang Town. After Liu Xingzuo's death, because the imperial court delayed in implementing rewards, he was duped by Liu Xingzhi into joining the mutiny and together they killed Chen Jisheng and others. Later he fell out with Liu Xingzhi. In the historical Pidao unrest, some say it began with his armed clash with Cui Yaozu, and he himself died in that upheaval.