Chapter 241: A Cut of the Spoils

Kong Youde's retainers, seeing their commander taken hostage, also drew their blades and surrounded Li Jiucheng. Li Yingyuan's men then shielded Li Jiucheng from the outside, while the ordinary battalion soldiers formed their own factions. The camp gate was covered in fresh blood, and every man in the Dengzhou army had red-rimmed eyes, on the verge of infighting at any moment.

Li Jiucheng said fiercely, "What are you doing? We all came from Dongjiang Town. Ever since Marshal Mao died, we've been bullied everywhere. Today, I'm done enduring it. I'll slaughter these curs from Wuqiao first. If you join us in rebellion, we'll share wealth and glory. If you refuse, then I'll kill you first."

Kong Youde, who had faced death for years, had a ruthless streak of his own. Not only did he not back down, he glared at Li Jiucheng and said, "Try it. If I so much as frown, I'm Li Jiucheng's own spawn." Then he told his retainers, "If he dares kill me, you cut him and his son into ten thousand pieces."

A fierce light flickered in Li Jiucheng's eyes. He knew Kong Youde's temperament—he would never yield under these circumstances. But Li Jiucheng had no way out either. He kept his blade at Kong Youde's neck and shouted to the surrounding soldiers, "We're all Liaodong folk. I don't want to fight you to the death. The Jianzhou bandits took our homes, and we wandered all the way to Dongjiang. Marshal Mao led us to kill Tatars. That dog-official Yuan killed Marshal Mao without proof, and then we ended up in Dengzhou." He bellowed, "What kind of life have we had in Dengzhou? In the eyes of the gentry, we're worse than pigs and dogs. And now they're forcing us to go die at Dalinghe. If you're all willing to go, I'm not."

Stirred by his words, the surrounding Liaodong soldiers all shouted that they were unwilling to go. Some even began to wail loudly. Kong Youde thought to himself that this was bad, but everything Li Jiucheng said was the truth, and he had nothing to refute.

Seeing the advantage, Li Yingyuan shouted, "We don't want to rebel, but the court has given us no way to live. Think about it, everyone. We'd march a thousand li to Dalinghe with no food on the way. When we reach Liaozhen, will those Guanning troops give us any? Will we even survive once we get to Dalinghe? This damned court isn't worth dying for. We're not rebelling; we're just fighting for a way to survive. At worst, we go back to Dengzhou, take a boat to Dongjiang Town—still better than dying for the Guanning troops."

The Liaodong soldiers clamored in support, siding with Li Jiucheng. Only Kong Youde's retainers still surrounded Li Jiucheng, but even they were wavering. Kong Youde was not good with words and had no way to refute Li Yingyuan. He watched helplessly as the soldiers were stirred up by the Li father and son.

This chapter was typed by Xiongba.)

With that, he kowtowed fiercely on the ground, producing thumping sounds. With this example set, the other Liaodong soldiers followed suit and knelt. Before Kong Youde's eyes was a dark, undulating sea of heads. The moment Li Yingyuan mentioned Mao Wenlong, many Liaodong soldiers began to weep loudly, filling the air with a sorrowful atmosphere. Mao Wenlong had indeed committed unlawful acts in Dongjiang, but he had single-handedly built Dongjiang Town, giving hope to countless Liaodong refugees in the darkness. In their hearts, these soldiers still regarded him as a spiritual pillar. Mao Wenlong's execution had, in truth, been affecting the mindset of everyone in Dongjiang Town all along.

Kong Youde looked around the entire scene, a feeling of powerlessness welling up in his heart. Now that they had killed people from the Wang family, if they continued to Liaozhen, his own fate would be grim whether they won or lost. The soldiers naturally knew the consequences of offending civil officials. No one was willing to go die at Dalinghe anymore. With morale as it was now, the men would all desert before they even reached Shanhai Pass. He would still end up being beheaded. With Mao Wenlong's example before him, he figured he wouldn't even need a joint trial by the three judicial offices—some civil official would just have him executed directly.

His eyes were vacant. Seeing Kong Youde wavering, Li Jiucheng loosened his blade and urged him in a low voice, "General Kong, we've shared life-and-death brotherhood for years. I heard up north that the Jianzhou bandits have over a hundred thousand men, fifty or sixty thousand of them combat troops. With our current state, if we go to Liaozhen, no one will even collect our corpses when we die. Besides, the Guanning troops are drawing the Liaodong tax and claim to have over a hundred thousand strong soldiers. Why do they still need us Liaodong soldiers to rescue them? The court nowadays doesn't fear those who obey orders, only those with strength. The Guanning troops even dared to flee at Jingshi, and Zu Dashou wasn't beheaded. We can do the same. Loot our fill along the way, go back and seize Dengzhou. The court will have no choice but to offer us amnesty again. That's our only way to live. Then we'll have silver and men—won't that be better than now? Even if we fail, it's death either way. What do we have to fear?"

Kong Youde's gaze slowly focused, staring fixedly at the man who had driven him into a corner. He spoke through gritted teeth, "You dog-spawned Li Jiucheng, did you gamble away all your silver and now you want to drag me down to die with you? Seize Dengzhou? Seize your mother. Wendeng Camp is right near Cangzhou. The moment we rebel, can you beat Chen Xin?"

Li Jiucheng shuddered. He had been to Wendeng the year before and was deeply impressed by the soldiers of Wendeng Camp, who drilled like machines. And their battle record was there for all to see. Arrogant as he was, he did not believe he could defeat Wendeng Camp.

Li Yingyuan, who had been in Dengzhou all along and was clearer on recent events, came closer and said, "Lord Chen has been at odds with Lord Sun lately, and he may not be happy about it. He's always treated us Liaodong folk quite well. As long as we make it clear we won't oppose him, it's not certain that Lord Chen might secretly support us."

Kong Youde looked at the soldiers kneeling all over the ground. The killing was already done, and the two men's words had made things clear. He really had no way out. Hardening his heart, he said, "To hell with it. I've had enough. I'm not going to Dalinghe. But let's get this straight: we can loot, but we can't call it rebellion. Your mother's rebellion—is rebellion so easy to pull off? The moment we raise the banner of rebellion, won't the Emperor send all the Nine Border armies to crush me?"

Li Jiucheng laughed slyly. "We won't raise any banner at all. We'll just focus on looting. At worst, it'll be like Zu Dashou back then. The court will still have to offer us amnesty when the time comes. This killing will become a minor matter, and they won't pursue us for it."

Li Yingyuan immediately knelt on the ground and said, "General Kong, the lives of us several thousand Liaodong soldiers are all in your hands."

After a long silence, Kong Youde sighed deeply. "Given the situation now, this is the only way."

Li Jiucheng was overjoyed at these words, but still uneasy, he said, "Shandong's military readiness is lax. The only concern is that Wendeng Camp. And it happens to be nearby. Why don't we take them by surprise, break them in one stroke, capture Chen Xin as a hostage, and then all of Wendeng's people and wealth will be ours. Even if we hold a piece of territory, we'd have nothing to fear."

Li Jiucheng's face was ferocious, as if he had already taken over all of Wendeng. Kong Youde and Li Yingyuan shook their heads simultaneously. Li Yingyuan said, "Father, never mind that we can't beat the Wendeng combat troops. Even if we could beat this bunch, our own losses would be heavy. With fewer men then, and a thousand-li journey ahead, we'd probably be wiped out before we even reach Dengzhou."

Kong Youde also said, "Wendeng Camp isn't even afraid of the Jianzhou bandits. On Shenmi Island, a thousand of their men against a thousand Jianzhou bandits was a great victory. Now there are over two thousand of them in Cangzhou. Can our three thousand men beat two thousand Jianzhou bandits? You'd better drop the idea of targeting Wendeng."

Li Jiucheng had always been fierce by nature, but at this moment he did not dare insist. He could only ask the two of them, "Then what do you suggest?"

Kong Youde stroked his chin. "Regarding Lord Chen, we'll do this..."

"Pledge allegiance to me as their leader? They actually thought of that." At the Wendeng Camp military encampment north of Cangzhou, Chen Xin tossed Kong Youde's letter onto the table and laughed to Zhu Guobin. The Dengzhou army had finally rebelled. All his follow-up plans now had a foundation. The most urgent thing now was to let this group stir up trouble without worry.

Chen Xin had received the military intelligence delivered by the Intelligence Bureau's covert agents early that morning. Kong Youde's unit had killed over ten locals, then burned down the residence of the Wang family servants and looted the surrounding area. They were still encamped locally and had made no further moves.

Their relay riders, each with three horses, had come very quickly, taking only a day to locate Wendeng Camp. They delivered this letter that left Chen Xin not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In the letter, Kong Youde did not hide anything, saying only that they had been oppressed and had no choice but to kill. He recounted the Liaodong refugees' experiences over the years, hoping that Chen Xin, for the sake of their shared Liaodong origins, would rise up together with them, forcing the court to improve the treatment of Liaodong soldiers. That way, they wouldn't have to go to Dalinghe either. And their entire army was willing to pledge allegiance to Chen Xin as their leader.

Zhu Guobin said in a low voice, "My lord, what Kong Youde and the others are doing is no different from rebellion. We must be on guard against them."

Chen Xin nodded. "Go pass the order to raise the alert level. Have the mounted scouts focus on the south. The intelligence staff officers are to distribute information on Kong Youde's unit strength and equipment to all commanding officers. The operations staff officers are to begin preparing contingency plans."

Zhu Guobin acknowledged the order and left the tent. Only then did Chen Xin say to Hai Gouzi, "Bring in that relay rider from Kong Youde."

A moment later, Hai Gouzi brought in a relay rider. Chen Xin saw that it was actually Li Yingyuan. Disguised as a relay rider, Li Yingyuan surveyed the tent. Seeing several personal guards, he knew Chen Xin was taking precautions. Afraid that Chen Xin might misunderstand, he immediately adopted a humble posture and said, "Your humble servant Li Yingyuan pays respects to Lord Chen."

Chen Xin let out a long sigh, rose, and personally helped Li Yingyuan up. "Company Commander Li, you've had a hard journey. What happened to you at Wuqiao was entirely the oppression of officials and gentry. I deeply sympathize. I encountered countless injustices along my own journey and am quite angered by them. But I absolutely dare not agree to this matter of pledging allegiance to me as leader. If you all wish to pressure the court, go right ahead. I will absolutely not interfere."

Li Yingyuan was somewhat relieved. As long as Wendeng Camp did not send troops to attack them, they had nothing to fear. Shandong's local combat troops were very few. The vast majority of the province was still under the guard battalion system, only capable of sending out some laborers each year to do hard labor for the Guanning forces, with no combat capability whatsoever.

Chen Xin continued, "You know about the matter between me and Lord Sun. I don't want to go to Dalinghe either. The Guanning troops draw millions in Liaodong tax, while I get thirty or forty thousand taels a year. Why should I go rescue them? This time is not like the last imperial relief expedition. The Jianzhou bandits are specifically targeting reinforcements like us. Going means near-certain death. Go ahead and do what you must. Let the court learn a lesson. In the future, whether it's your Dengzhou Camp or our Wendeng Camp, life will be more comfortable."

These words struck right at Li Yingyuan's heart. Overjoyed, he said, "So Lord Chen thinks the same way."

Chen Xin chuckled. "No one's a fool. But I won't stir up trouble with you. After all, I haven't killed anyone. Besides, when the time comes for you to seek amnesty, I'll be in a better position to mediate."

Li Yingyuan thought for a moment. He was still somewhat worried that Chen Xin might be duplicitous. He probed, "Then what does Lord Chen plan to do this time? Surely you won't continue on to Dalinghe?"

Chen Xin shook his head and smiled. "Of course not. I'll pretend I know nothing of your affairs and continue marching toward Shanhai Pass. You needn't worry about me playing tricks. Going to Dalinghe offers me not a single benefit."

"Speaking of benefits, does Lord Chen have any other requests?"

Chen Xin knew he was still harboring doubts. With rough men like Li Yingyuan, being more direct sometimes made it easier to gain trust. So he smiled and said, "I'll pass along information to you. If you need amnesty later, I can also mediate. However, I want fifty percent of everything you loot."

Seeing Chen Xin make a substantive demand, Li Yingyuan finally believed him. From a profit standpoint, Chen Xin could avoid Dalinghe without sticking his neck out, and now he wanted a share of the spoils. But then, he had the strength. Li Yingyuan knew full well that his three thousand men probably couldn't even beat a thousand from Wendeng Camp. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "We'll give Lord Chen thirty percent. We're risking our lives for this. Please be understanding, Lord Chen."

"Forty percent, at the very least." Chen Xin played the part to the end, holding up four fingers. "Don't think I can swallow all this silver alone. If your matter is to be settled peacefully, the various lords in Jingshi will need their share of bribes. Besides, there are plenty of prominent families around here. Company Commander Li, you can certainly squeeze out more. If the total sum goes up, sixty percent for you is still quite a lot."

This round of bargaining settled Li Yingyuan's heart. It seemed Chen Xin indeed intended to profit from the chaos. But the silver would be in his own hands, and how much to give would ultimately be up to him. Hardening his resolve, he agreed. Using silver to neutralize the strongest opponent—Li Yingyuan felt it was a bargain. Moreover, these Dongjiang troops had no connections whatsoever in the court. Judging from Chen Xin's confidence in defying Sun Yuanhua in Denglai, Chen Xin must have powerful backing in the court. They weren't truly rebelling. Having Chen Xin build bridges later meant an extra escape route.

Anxious to return and tell Kong Youde and the others, he retreated to the tent entrance. Chen Xin's voice sounded from behind him. "Company Commander Li, don't blame me for not warning you. Don't get any ideas about hiding the take. If the silver you send is short, and the arrangements in Jingshi aren't done properly, and the various lords insist on forcing me to attack you, then I won't be able to speak on your behalf."

"Shameless," Li Yingyuan cursed inwardly. But this behavior from Chen Xin perfectly matched his understanding of military officers—all shameless money-grubbers. This Chen Xin probably just added a disregard for his own life to the mix. Otherwise, how would he dare to take on the Jianzhou bandits head-on with just over a thousand men?

Li Yingyuan turned around and said, "General Chen, rest assured, the silver will definitely be delivered. But we have one concern. Wendeng Camp's combat strength is unmatched, as everyone knows. We ask that Lord Chen's army not come too close."

Chen Xin laughed heartily. "Naturally. I said I'd pretend to know nothing of your affairs. Tomorrow, I'll continue marching toward Shanhai Pass. I also remind Company Commander Li: the richest part of Shandong is along the Grand Canal."

Li Yingyuan smiled knowingly and withdrew from the tent.