Chapter 235

Huang Side, seeing it was Liu Minyou, hurried over to greet him. "This student pays respects to Lord Liu. Lord Chen has not yet arrived; I must ask you, sir, to wait a moment."

Turning his head, he saw Mo Huaiwen smiling behind him and exchanged greetings with him as well. Huang Side was among the earliest members of the literacy class; a few from that cohort went to the army as the first training officers, while most of the others ended up in the forts or schools. Mo Huaiwen was also his classmate, but had taken the civil administration path.

Liu Minyou was not satisfied with Huang Side's performance after graduation. He merely nodded slightly, walked straight over, picked up a padded jacket, and examined it. It had several tears, revealing the blackened cotton inside, along with the bodies of some dead insects.

Seeing Liu Minyou's displeased expression, Mo Huaiwen hurriedly explained, "This batch of refugees has just been settled; we haven't had time to finish making their winter clothes, so we had to buy some old ones from the established fort households as a stopgap. This batch is old clothing the army captured in various campaigns or retired and replaced."

Stroking his beard, Huang Side flattered him: "Our Wendeng Battalion, under the command of Lord Chen and Master Liu, has become renowned across the land. More and more people are flocking to us — it must be over a hundred thousand now. All these people need winter clothes issued; no matter what, there won't be enough. To come to our Wendeng Battalion and have food to eat, and some old clothes to ward off the cold — that is already their good fortune."

Liu Minyou sighed and tossed the padded jacket back onto the cart. If not for the army's expansion, they could have made more winter clothes for the refugees. But now the realm was in chaos, and without an army, nothing else mattered. More than half of Wendeng Battalion's annual income went to the military. The new forts built in the second half of this year had received very little investment; crude shelters covered the ground, barely distinguishable from a refugee camp.

"Chief Training Officer Huang, that remark warrants further discussion." Liu Minyou turned to face Huang Side. Huang Side, unsure how he had offended this gentleman again, quickly wiped the smug look off his face and stood with a bow, listening.

"What we eat and wear, the weapons, armor, cannons, and guns the army uses — not a single item does not come from the hands of the common people. The soldiers, craftsmen, and fort chiefs of today were the refugees of those years. Including Lord Chen and myself, we too have known times of wandering and destitution. The refugees of today will surely be the soldiers and fort chiefs of tomorrow; among them, who is to say there will not emerge a talent like Lord Huang? Therefore, I believe that their willingness to travel long distances, endure every hardship, and come to join us — that is our Wendeng Battalion's good fortune."

Mo Huaiwen bowed with admiration. "Lord Liu is so compassionate and pure of heart — no wonder every fort household calls you a living bodhisattva. This subordinate will certainly remember my lord's words of today."

Huang Side was helpless. His position was now high, and he was a favorite before Chen Xin, but before Liu Minyou he could only act as a subordinate. In his heart, he did not really think much of the refugees, because there were more and more people now, and manpower no longer seemed so precious. But since Liu Minyou had made a grand moral argument, he had no choice but to put on a solemn face and accept the lesson.

At that moment, the sound of hoofbeats rang out. Chen Xin arrived on horseback, leading Hai Gouzi and a dozen or so personal guards. Seeing Liu Minyou already there, he let out a hearty laugh and ordered a guard to bring over a spare horse. The group rode out of the camp gate and headed toward Fort Number Twenty.

Once they left the town, an endless expanse of white stretched before them. The horses snorted from time to time, blowing out puffs of white vapor.

The two rode at the front. Liu Minyou's riding was now quite proficient; he sat very relaxed in the saddle. He asked Chen Xin, "You still have time to inspect the people's welfare? Aren't they waiting for you to go save them over at Dalinghe?"

Chen Xin chuckled. "Zu Dashou has a long life — no rush. As soon as Kong Youde and the others got back, Wang Tingshi and Sun Yuanhua were both hopping mad, urging them to set out every day. Even so, Kong Youde is still dragging his feet this way and that. Anyway, I told Wang Tingshi I have to travel with the Dengzhou army. Whenever they're fully ready, that's when I set out."

Liu Minyou very much wanted to ask about Kong Youde's affairs, but in the end he did not. Chen Xin's mouth rarely produced a word of truth; asking would be a waste of breath.

Chen Xin changed the subject and asked when Li Ranzhu was due to give birth, and the two fell to chatting about domestic matters. At times like this, people like Huang Side could only follow far behind, not daring to come up and interrupt.

Fort Number Twenty was rather far; it had only just been newly built in the second half of this year. The land allocated to it was relatively poor, hilly terrain, along with a small amount of abandoned fields.

They traveled for nearly a shichen before reaching the fort's shelter area. At that moment, gruel was being distributed. The newly arrived fort households, their hair disheveled and faces grimy, their clothes barely covering their bodies, were lining up to receive their portions under the fort chief's shouts. Seeing a group of mounted officers and soldiers approach, they all showed awed and fearful expressions, shrinking their bodies backward.

Huang Side dismounted and ran to the front, summoning the fort chief and the training officer. The newly appointed fort chief was an old soldier retired due to injury. He came over to salute his old commander Chen Xin, then saluted and greeted his current commander Liu Minyou.

Chen Xin dismounted and looked around. The scene before him was not unfamiliar — the poverty and disaster that blanketed the north; this place was merely a small microcosm.

The two first went to the gruel distribution point. Chen Xin headed straight for the refugees waiting in line and struck up a conversation with a family that had a child. The surrounding refugees all tried to kneel; Chen Xin hurriedly had Huang Side and the others help them up. He personally picked up a child and took out some candy for him to eat. The refugees gradually relaxed, and simple, honest smiles appeared on their faces.

Huang Side seized the moment to loudly proclaim beside them: "Fellow countrymen, this is our Wendeng Battalion's Lord Chen. A few years ago, I drifted to Wendeng just like you. Since following Lord Chen, my days have been entirely different. Lord Chen gave us land and houses, food and clothing. Now old Huang here has everything. For you to be able to come to Wendeng — your ancestors truly accumulated virtue; it is your good fortune."

When he said those last few words, he stole a glance at Liu Minyou. But Huang Side only paused for a moment before continuing: "As long as you follow Lord Chen, our children and grandchildren will also have hope. His Lordship has given us so much; we are all honest folk, so naturally we must repay Lord Chen, work well for him, and follow his arrangements. If you perform well, you can even become a combat soldier. A combat soldier is no mere farmer — apart from a wife, everything is provided..."

His spiel made the refugees grin from ear to ear. Chen Xin waved his hand a few times; after everyone quieted down, he began to recount his own history of arduous struggle.

The two played off each other, spinning extravagant tales. Liu Minyou pursed his lips and went over to the cauldron to inspect the gruel. He scooped with a ladle — inside there was rice and coarse grain; the thickness was just barely up to standard.

After that, he went around the shelters to check the fire prevention situation. Not long ago, in another camp area, careless use of fire had burned down several dozen shelters and killed over ten people. In this era, fire prevention was a difficult problem. In the north, most buildings were a mix of thatched huts and brick-and-tile houses, none of which were actually fireproof. Even Jingshi had thatched cottages. Cooking and heating mostly used firewood and charcoal. The amount of flammable material piled inside houses was enormous; once a fire started, it would burn a large area. In the first year of Chongzhen, the great fire in Ningyuan burned down several Battalion Commander.

Liu Minyou had no way to require them to construct proper buildings. Wang Zheng's "Illustrated Record of Marvelous Machines" described a kind of fire-extinguishing water dragon, but its practicality was limited. For now, the only option was to have each fort chief pay closer attention and reduce human-caused incidents.

Mo Huaiwen and the simple-minded monk had been following behind him the whole time. Liu Minyou carefully inspected the vicinity. In the shelters he passed, there were still many sick people, coughing and groaning inside. Liu Minyou took out a charcoal pencil and noted it down, planning to request the army send some physicians over after he returned.

By the time the few of them returned to the gruel distribution point, Chen Xin had finished his speech and was distributing padded jackets to the refugees beside the cart. The refugees were stirred with emotion; after receiving one, they all knelt and loudly sang his praises.

After handing out clothes for a while and seeing that the propaganda effect had been achieved, Chen Xin let the other personal guards take over the distribution. He came over to Liu Minyou's side and asked, "Don't you want to hand some out too? These are all people of the fort — your subordinates. Leave a first impression; it'll make them easier to manage later."

Liu Minyou said unhappily, "I won't go. This is just a show. These padded jackets could simply be distributed according to civil affairs procedures — why do you need to come hand them out personally? Right now, it looks like we're helping them, but in reality, what they will repay us in the future far exceeds what we're giving them. The way it's done now is more like charity. And I feel this is what they deserve. In our hearts, we should not feel the superiority of giving alms; rather, we should feel a sense of guilt."

Chen Xin blinked. He was a bit baffled; this routine wasn't really that outrageous.

Liu Minyou took out a booklet and said, "Lord Chen, next time you come to inspect, do look at the actual problems inside. Right now, I need some military medical assistance. It would be best if you could also provide pack horses to pull carts, to deliver more charcoal to the remote forts. The firewood around here has all been gathered; in this world of ice and snow, how many of them will freeze to death?"

"Support — immediate support." Seeing that Liu Minyou was in a temper, Chen Xin hastily agreed and summoned the accompanying personal soldiers to have them record it.

After the personal soldiers had finished recording, Liu Minyou added, "The common people are not his Huang Side's playthings. He ignores their livelihoods all year, then on holidays and festivals sends a few things, reaps a sense of superiority, and does a bit of propaganda — what kind of propaganda and education is that? In the future, don't call me to this kind of performance. I have a pile of miscellaneous matters waiting. Let Chief Training Officer Huang handle the whole chain — planning, directing, and performing — all by himself."

With that, he turned, mounted his horse. The two had been speaking in low voices; the others had no idea what was going on. Mo Huaiwen, however, had heard it from the side. Somewhat embarrassed, he hurriedly bade farewell to Chen Xin and chased after Liu Minyou.

Seeing this, Huang Side came over and asked in surprise, "My lord, why did Master Liu leave in such a hurry? Is he unwilling to come and comfort the refugees?"

Chen Xin smiled slightly. "I have matters for him to attend to. Don't worry about it. Just keep doing what you do. However, Master Liu's side is swamped with affairs, so try not to bother him too much."

Huang Side replied, "This subordinate understands. It's just that Lord Liu seems to have never been very satisfied with the training officers. The Propaganda and Education Bureau's funding still hasn't been approved; personnel are still drawing their monthly pay from the army's side. This subordinate is constantly anxious, afraid of provoking Lord Liu's anger."

Chen Xin waved his hand. He knew what Liu Minyou was worried about. He said to Huang Side, "Don't fret about the funding. In the future, we'll set aside some of our spoils; that will be enough to subsidize the Propaganda and Education Bureau. You've been doing well lately — just keep going in this direction."

Liu Minyou galloped all the way, Mo Huaiwen following behind in silence. Just as he sat down after returning to the Civil Affairs Department, someone from the Industrial Bureau came to report that Wang Zheng was leaving and wished to see Liu Minyou before he went.

Liu Minyou stood up, knowing he still could not keep this man. The Dengzhou affair had been growing more and more serious; Wang Zheng had eventually learned of it. He had also heard rumors of the conflict between Wendeng Battalion and Dengzhou. His choice was not the least bit surprising.

Wang Zheng had been here for several months and had led the science and technology class quite well. In this era, scientific theory was actually very limited; the class already had almost no coursework left. What came after would depend on how those students continued to develop theory through practical work.

Liu Minyou himself also taught part-time in the science and technology class. He raised some knowledge from later ages for the students to ponder — such as heliocentrism, universal gravitation, solid geometry, steam power, and so on. Wang Zheng was broadly knowledgeable and very adept at learning. After discussing with Liu Minyou several times, he came to greatly admire him, marveling that a place like Wendeng could produce such a person. And Wang Zheng never regarded any new scientific theory as heretical or evil — even though he still insisted on geocentrism, he embodied a tolerant scientific spirit.

So Liu Minyou felt he really ought to go see him off. He asked for the location; it turned out to be an inn outside the east gate of Wendeng County.

After another ride, when he reached the inn, Wang Zheng was already at the gate, preparing to depart. He came forward and said, "I thought Master Liu was not here, and was just about to set off."

Liu Minyou dismounted, performed the kneeling salute according to official etiquette, then rose and said, "Still, I could not keep Your Excellency here. I can only wish you a safe journey."

Wang Zheng's face was stern. "I have heard all about the matter between the Provincial Governor and that Chen Xin. Justice resides in the hearts of men. With Chen Xin acting in such a manner — domineering and reckless — I shall certainly stand on the Provincial Governor's side. Once I return to Dengzhou, I will impeach him."

Liu Minyou was taken aback. He quietly urged, "Is Your Excellency perhaps being one-sided? May I ask what exactly Your Excellency intends to impeach Chen Xin for?"

Wang Zheng paused. He had been in Wendeng for over half a year, spending most of his time on machinery and teaching. Chen Xin had always arranged for him to stay in the three guard battalions; he had never even visited the camp area of the old Wendeng Battalion. He was merely instinctively siding with Sun Yuanhua.

"I know the Provincial Governor; he has always been a man of flawless character. I need not ask to know who is right and who is wrong."

Liu Minyou was somewhat speechless. But the situation in Dengzhou now was immensely complicated, entangled with army supervisors and imperial commissioners, and set against the backdrop of court factional struggles and the Battle of Dalinghe. How could Wang Zheng, a mere scholar, possibly influence it? Not to mention the Intelligence Bureau's people were over there as well.

Just as he was about to try to dissuade Wang Zheng, the wrinkles on Wang Zheng's face folded into a secretive smile. "Setting aside that martial brute, I have great appreciation for Master Liu and those students. These days have suited this old man's tastes even more than Yangzhou. I sent for you today, firstly to say farewell, and secondly, to tell you that those students should still go take the examinations for official degrees in the future. When the time comes, this old man will naturally lend a hand..."

Wang Zheng spoke earnestly to Liu Minyou for nearly a quarter of an hour. The gist was his hope that those students would take the proper path and not merely remain artisan-household laborers. When he had finally finished, he took out a booklet and gave it to Liu Minyou. Liu Minyou accepted it and looked — it was titled "Supplement to the Illustrated Record of Marvelous Machines from the Far West."

"This book was written by this old man in Wendeng. It all stems from the wild flights of fancy of those students, and also includes some of the things Master Liu has spoken of. On parting, I have nothing to give, so I offer only this book to Master Liu. Should Master Liu come to Dengzhou in the future, remember to visit this old man's residence. But if you come together with that martial brute, this old man will not receive you."

(Your support is my greatest motivation.)