Chapter 243: Struggle

At the Dengzhou Provincial Governor's office, everyone coming and going wore grave expressions. After news of the Pidao unrest and the Kong Youde mutiny arrived, no one held any hope for Lord Sun's future. Each harbored their own thoughts, seeking a way out, so much so that lately the threshold of Lu Zhi's government office had been trampled to pieces.

Sun Yuanhua sat slumped in the second hall, with the aged and decrepit Wang Zheng beside him. When the first urgent report from Yu Dacheng arrived, Sun Yuanhua, out of a self-protective instinct, adamantly refused to acknowledge that the Deng-Lai troops had mutinied. He insisted they were deserters from other places who had come to reinforce Liaodong, borrowing the Deng-Lai name to cause trouble, and sent Yu Dacheng a letter of self-justification, explaining that the Liao troops had always obeyed his command and would never do such a thing.

But subsequent news kept coming, especially from Qingzhou Prefecture. They were too far from Jinan and feared the Shandong Provincial Governor could not send troops to their rescue in time, so they repeatedly appealed to Dengzhou for help. Their reports confirmed that it was Kong Youde's unit that had mutinied.

After Sun Yuanhua confirmed this, he seemed to age ten years in a matter of days. Even though he still put on an air of having a well-thought-out plan before others, in front of his old friend Wang Zheng, his exhaustion was completely revealed.

"Chuyang, if you can pacify them, pacify them; if not, then suppress them. Dengzhou has tens of thousands of troops, and there are thousands of those soldiers not far from Kong Youde's unit. Kong Youde has only two or three thousand men—no match for the Wendeng Battalion. As long as you, Chuyang, order Chen Xin to encircle and suppress them, I do not believe that Wendeng soldier would dare disobey." Wang Zheng's brows were tightly knit as he spoke gravely to Sun Yuanhua.

Sun Yuanhua let out a long sigh. If it were just Kong Youde's rebellion, he would have nothing to fear. The difficulty lay in the timing Kong Youde had chosen—Dalinghe was still under siege, and Pidao had erupted in chaos. He could well imagine the Emperor's fury.

In September, the roving bandits in Shaanxi grew even more rampant, coercing starving civilians to attack cities and towns everywhere. Under simultaneous internal and external pressure, Chongzhen's temperament grew increasingly irritable. Having lost all patience with Yang He, the Viceroy of the Three Frontiers, he directly ordered Yang He arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to death, then appointed Hong Chengchou as Vice Minister of War and Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, Viceroy of Shaanxi's Three Frontiers military affairs. This controversial figure of the Ming-Qing transition officially became a major player in Great Ming politics.

Fortunately, Yang He had a capable son, Yang Sichang, the Shandong Administration Vice Commissioner for the Guan-Nei Circuit, who submitted a memorial requesting to bear his father's punishment. The Emperor, who rather appreciated this rising political star, showed leniency and commuted Yang He's sentence to military exile. Yang He thus barely kept his life.

Even a dignified Viceroy of the Three Frontiers met such an end. The trouble Sun Yuanhua had stirred up seemed no less than Yang He's. Kong Youde and the others had ravaged the Jinan Prefecture territory near the Grand Canal, not far from Northern Zhili—a region long known as Shandong's prosperous heartland. Judging by reports from various places, the damage was bound to be extremely severe, and it directly impacted the court's overall strategy to relieve Dalinghe.

Sun Yuanhua's eyes were vacant as he spoke: "Liangfu's words are reasonable, but you still haven't seen the root of this matter. What worries me now is not Kong Youde's rebellion. I am already utterly disheartened; this Provincial Governor post is not worth holding onto. My only concern is dragging down the Senior Grand Secretary. That Wendeng soldier must be gloating now—he's likely long since become a trusted henchman of the Wen faction."

Wang Zheng, by now somewhat aware of the relationships involved, said indignantly: "That soldier from the Wendeng Battalion is truly despicable. If not for his vicious scheming back then, how could you, Chuyang, have fallen to such a state? If the pressure hadn't been so excessive, perhaps Kong Youde would not have mutinied either."

Sun Yuanhua shook his head. "Chen Xin is a man of deep cunning. I was never his match to begin with. But he holds powerful troops and has trained a large private army. Where he goes from here is cause for vigilance."

Wang Zheng abruptly stood up and said loudly to Sun Yuanhua: "I will immediately submit a memorial impeaching him, requesting the court to thoroughly investigate where the Wendeng military funds come from, and exactly how many troops he has!"

Sun Yuanhua pulled him back down to sit, his expression instead becoming calm. "Liangfu, you must not be rash. You and I now bear guilt; who would read our memorials? The Directorate of Ceremonial would never present them to the Emperor for review. The Wendeng military funds are also beyond reproach. The only thing that can be investigated is the troop count, but don't forget, Wendeng still has three guard battalions, which originally had troop quotas. If he claims they are guard battalion troops, what can you do to him? The Emperor would instead praise him for training the guard battalion troops into a strong force."

Wang Zheng frowned, racking his brains, then sighed dejectedly. He suddenly realized he actually had very few means to deal with this military boss. That sense of superiority a civil official held over a military officer seemed to have vanished, leaving him with a profound sense of loss. After a long while, Wang Zheng sighed and said: "Chuyang, since the situation is hopeless, why not resign from office and come with me to spread the Holy Faith? Keep this useful body to guide the world's people on the path home. This mortal world's glamour is, after all, merely fleeting clouds and smoke."

A trace of longing appeared in Sun Yuanhua's eyes. As a Catholic, he had his own faith, but the corrupt practices of officialdom were impossible for him to avoid. In his view, spiritual cultivation and worldly dealings could be separated, just as the Buddhist concepts of renunciation and engagement with the world were not absolute contradictions. Power could give him worldly satisfaction, but at this moment, he yearned immensely to be a simple priest, spreading the Gospel across Great Ming, watching those lost souls find the world's truth—what a blessed thing that would be.

This feeling lasted only a brief moment. Before his eyes again floated the faces of Zhou Yanru, Xu Guangqi, Sun Chengzong, and others who were full of expectation for him. These people had all shown him the kindness of promotion and guidance, yet now they might be implicated because of him.

His expression returned to severity, and his tone grew calm. "I fear even a full retreat unscathed may not be possible. Yang He also requested resignation in May, but the Emperor did not grant it, and in the blink of an eye, he had Yang He arrested. Had Yang Sichang not been in the Emperor's good graces, Lord Yang would have been hard-pressed to escape the executioner's blade at Caishikou. Now that Kong Youde's mutiny is a reality, how would the Emperor allow me to resign? During the Jisi Incident, when the Shanxi troops collapsed, both the Provincial Governor Geng Ruqi and the Regional Commander were beheaded. My situation is remarkably similar to his." Wang Zheng listened blankly, a surge of bitterness welling up in his heart. He was both a close friend and a fellow believer with Sun Yuanhua; he truly could not bear to see his friend fall into misfortune, and the current situation might even threaten Sun Yuanhua's life.

Sun Yuanhua continued calmly: "The Wen faction in court, Lu Zhi, and that Wendeng soldier—everyone is waiting for me to fall. But I am determined to fight for it."

"Chuyang, how can you still fight? Why risk your life against a mere soldier?"

Sun Yuanhua said: "Kong Youde is merely looting. In my view, the situation is still salvageable. This unit is the elite of Deng-Lai. I must do everything in my power to preserve a combat-worthy force for the court. Personal gain or loss must be set aside."

Wang Zheng was no fool; he knew Sun Yuanhua still harbored a sliver of hope. He hoped to pacify and recruit this mutinous force, thereby reducing his own culpability, at least enough to minimize the implication for Zhou Yanru. If Zhou Yanru remained unharmed, he could protect Sun Yuanhua and secure a full retreat unscathed.

Wang Zheng, however, was relatively clear-headed at this moment and said to Sun Yuanhua with concern: "Chuyang, Li Jiucheng has always been a man who disdains the law. Kong Youde appears honest and loyal, but in reality, he is equally unruly and untamed. If we try to pacify and recruit these two, how can we know their true intentions? If they genuinely accept pacification, there is no guarantee they won't rebel again later. Should chaos erupt in Dengzhou, our crimes would far exceed today's."

Sun Yuanhua stared at him and said: "Both Kong and Li are Liao men. Using Liao men to defend Liao territory is precisely the right approach. This time, their troops ran amok and mutinied; it must have been a moment of confusion. They followed Mao Wenlong in fighting the Jianzhou Bandits for many years in Dongjiang Town; they should still be loyal."

"But..."

"Liangfu, say no more. I will write a letter immediately. You send someone to deliver it to Kong Youde, clearly stating my intention to pacify and recruit them, hoping they can find their way back from their errors."

Wang Zheng hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping. Thinking this might be the last hope to save Sun Yuanhua, he finally nodded. At that moment, footsteps sounded at the door, and an aide entered, saying: "My lord, there is news from Pidao."

Wang Zheng stood up and asked urgently: "What is it?"

"Pidao managed with great difficulty to send out one boat. The message says that Shang Kexi from Guanglu Island secretly came ashore and, together with Vice General Shen Shikui, launched a surprise attack on the rebels. They have captured and killed the ringleaders, including Geng Zhongyu, and rescued Huang Long, the Regional Commander of Dongjiang Town. However, Commander Huang's ears and nose were cut off by the mutineers, and one of his legs was broken. But the island is now stabilized."

"Good!" Sun Yuanhua shouted, standing up and pacing back and forth excitedly. This also lessened his own culpability. After a long moment, he stopped and said to the aide: "Have Zhang Dao keep Geng Zhongming under surveillance. Do not allow him to leave his residence."

He then turned back to Wang Zheng. "With Pidao settled, I will immediately dispatch a fast horse to the capital to inform the Senior Grand Secretary. Now only the mutinous troops remain. What the capital fears most is the mutineers entering Zhili. By adopting the strategy of pacification and recruitment, I will first order them to return east, away from Zhili and the prosperous counties of Jinan. This should give the Senior Grand Secretary room to maneuver. Liangfu, go quickly and handle the matter we just discussed."

At the same moment, in the Zhenhai Gate tower, just a few hundred paces from the Provincial Governor's office, Wang Bingzhong, the Personal Battalion Company Commander garrisoning Zhenhai Gate, was staring blankly at a banknote before him.

"This is five thousand taels, redeemable at Linqing. After the matter is done, there will be another five thousand taels, enough to ensure Lord Wang lives out his days as a wealthy man." Zhang Dong's voice drifted up eerily. Through an introduction by one of Wang Bingzhong's retainers, he had been building a relationship with Wang Bingzhong for several months, supplying tobacco and southern goods from Wendeng for Wang Bingzhong to sell in Dengzhou. They had long since been on brotherly terms, and Wang Bingzhong knew his background.

Wang Bingzhong and his younger brother shifted their gaze from the banknote. The two exchanged a glance, and Wang Bingzhong swallowed a mouthful of saliva before saying: "It's just about placing some men in my unit?"

"Correct, but not right now. When the time is right, we will also need Company Commander Wang's assistance in opening the city gate."

Wang Bingzhong and his brother hesitated. Seeing this, Zhang Dong smiled and said unhurriedly: "If Lord Wang thinks my master also intends to rebel, then you are mistaken. Lord Chen has defeated the Jianzhou Bandits three times and is at the height of his power in court; he would never do such a mad thing. Now that Kong Youde and his men are returning east, Lord Chen is merely taking precautions."

Wang Bingzhong said hesitantly: "Lord Chen's meaning is that Assistant Regional Commander Kong still intends to attack Dengzhou? But Dengzhou has an army exceeding ten thousand; his three thousand men could never take it."

"That is not for Company Commander Wang to worry about. I merely ask Company Commander Wang this: regardless of whether Kong Youde attacks Dengzhou, are the days of the Liao troops easy? Lord Chen will sooner or later be the Regional Commander of Deng-Lai. The benefits of aligning with Lord Chen early—I trust Company Commander Wang can imagine them."

Wang Bingzhong and his brother both shook their heads. Although he was a Company Commander, his days were also hard. The military pay for the past two months was entirely in arrears; he hadn't even received the pay for his few dozen retainers.

Zhang Dong struck while the iron was hot: "After this incident, Lord Sun's fate needs no further elaboration. If Company Commander Wang wishes to serve under Lord Chen, that is also possible. If you no longer wish to be a soldier and would rather stay in Deng-Lai to do business, Lord Chen promises to grant you the wholesale distribution rights for tobacco shops in one county, and guarantees the safety of your entire family."

Wang Bingzhong's eyes fell on the banknote. He knew of Chen Xin—the Wendeng Battalion's prowess in battle went without saying. Many Liao refugees had fled to Dengzhou, and the information he gathered from them indicated Chen Xin had significant backing. Judging by Chen Xin's daring to confront Sun Yuanhua, he was the absolute pinnacle among military men. Wang Bingzhong gritted his teeth and made his decision. "Whether as a soldier or a wealthy man, I leave it entirely to Lord Chen's arrangement. Only, regarding my family's safety, I must ask Lord Chen and Brother Zhang to look after them."

Zhang Dong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they secured Wang Bingzhong, Dengzhou would effectively be in the Wendeng Battalion's hands.

"Company Commander Wang, rest assured. Lord Chen has said that as long as one follows his rules, no one—no matter who—can think of seizing his soldiers. In these times, he who has soldiers is king. Zu Dashou's combat strength is mediocre, yet the court can do nothing about him, let alone our Wendeng Battalion. Whether it's Kong Youde, Sun Yuanhua, or Lu Zhi, anyone who wants a foothold in Dengzhou must rely on Lord Chen."

Wang Bingzhong put away the banknote. "Then please tell Lord Chen, Brother Zhang, that I agree to this matter." (To be continued.)