Chapter 252: Close-Quarters Battle in the Dark Room

A moment later, a household retainer led a burly, towering man into the gate tower. Three of his own retainers followed behind him. Once inside, he faced Wang Bingzhong with a hearty laugh, cupped his hands, and said, "Company Commander Wang, it's been a while and I trust you've been well."

Wang Bingzhong carefully studied Geng Jingcai's expression and noticed a trace of anxiety in his demeanor. At that moment, the roar of battle erupted from the eastern part of the city. The crack of bird guns and three-eyed guns rang out without pause, soon followed by the rapid reports of Frankish swivel guns — clearly, fierce combat was already underway.

Wang Bingzhong spoke: "Brother Geng, no need to beat around the bush. Speak plainly."

Geng Jingcai glanced around at Wu Bingzhong's household retainers and, feigning composure, asked, "Are all these men your trusted confidants?"

A thunderous boom shook the eastern gate wall. A flash of light from outside flared brightly, then quickly dimmed. Everyone recognized the sound of a red-barbarian cannon. Involuntarily, every man in the room turned his eyes eastward. Only Zhang Dong and Li Tao kept their gazes fixed unwaveringly on Geng Jingcai. At a moment like this, they absolutely could not allow the rebels any chance to take Wang Bingzhong hostage.

Wang Bingzhong's heart was tense, but he still feigned calm and said, "They're all my trusted men. Spit it out if you've got something to say. Was the east gate the work of your Center Battalion?"

Geng Jingcai forced a smile. "My master sent me to deliver a share of wealth and honor to Company Commander Wang."

"Let's hear it."

"We're all brothers who came out of Dongjiang. We faced life and death together in Liaodong. Yuan Chonghuan killed Marshal Mao, and though he was executed for it, we've still never been given a proper accounting. Then Grand Coordinator Sun came along — just look at what he's done. Huang Long and Liu Xingzhi have stirred up universal fury and resentment on Pi Island. The hearts of us Dongjiang men are scattered. Now Li Jiucheng is about to enter the city. My master wishes to invite Company Commander Wang to rise up together and share in the wealth and honor."

Even as he spoke, several more red-barbarian cannons fired from the east gate. The muzzle flashes shone through the doorway, flickering across the walls.

Wang Bingzhong stared at Geng Jingcai without speaking. Under that gaze, Geng Jingcai lightly licked his lips. In truth, both sides were equally uneasy. Wang Bingzhong feared that Geng Zhongming already knew he had defected to Chen Xin and had only come to keep the north gate's troops in check — that once they entered the city, they would deal with him. Geng Jingcai, for his part, feared that the north gate's troops would side with Sun Yuanhua. If the east gate could not be taken quickly and the north gate troops struck from behind, Geng Zhongming would have no path left but defeat and death.

Wang Bingzhong finally spoke: "Then what's in it for me?"

Geng Jingcai hurriedly said, "Lord Li and Lord Kong have it all planned out. Once we take Dengzhou, we'll loot all the gold, silver, silks, and cloth in the city. With silver and provisions in hand, we'll summon our old brothers from the Dongjiang islands, turn Dengzhou into a place for us Liao men, and then seek imperial amnesty. Here in Dengzhou, we'll heed titles but not orders. A fine prospect for everyone. Lord Li intends to give Company Commander Wang a vice regional commander's post, still in command of your original troops, with at least three thousand mu of land..."

At that point, two red-barbarian cannons fired in quick succession from the south. The cannon flames dyed the sky a patch of red. Geng Jingcai paused a moment, swallowed, and said, "Everything north of Caoqiao to where the Hua River bends south — all of it will be yours and your men's to plunder."

A change began to show in Wang Bingzhong's eyes. Zhang Dong stood near the doorway, facing Wang Bingzhong directly. He could clearly sense that Wang Bingzhong seemed somewhat tempted. Zhang Dong had not expected Li Jiucheng to offer such an enormous price to win over Wang Bingzhong. Since the early Ming, Dengzhou had been a vital strategic point for access to Liaodong. When the Ming recovered Liaodong, Dengzhou had supplied the army's provisions. Later, it became a crucial maritime trade route. Since the fall of Liaodong, smuggling by sea had run rampant. With the existence of both the Dengzhou and Dongjiang garrisons, vast amounts of silver and provisions converged here. Countless gentry in the city had grown rich from it. Plundering the territory assigned to Wang Bingzhong could easily yield a million taels — far more tempting, of course, than ten thousand taels.

But now he could not speak up to dissuade Wang Bingzhong, nor could he kill Geng Jingcai. Zhang Dong needed the rebels to breach the city, but he also needed time to stall them and keep them from moving against the north gate. If he killed Geng Jingcai, Geng Zhongming might grow suspicious of the north gate and attack it prematurely. That was why he had agreed to let Wang Bingzhong meet the rebel envoy. They had also agreed to pretend to accept Geng Zhongming's offer. He had not expected Geng Zhongming to stake so much. The situation had grown complicated. For Wang Bingzhong, his earlier agreement to defect to Chen Xin was because Li Jiucheng had no real prospects. Now, carving out an independent domain seemed highly promising, and the benefits were certainly more than ten thousand taels of silver. At this moment, Zhang Dong could not help but regret letting him meet Geng Jingcai.

But even more, he could not allow Wang Bingzhong to defect. That would not only ruin the plan — none of them here would escape with their lives. He slowly moved his hand to his thigh. A short gun was holstered on each of his outer thighs, but his first move had to be to flip open his skirt armor. So his hand lightly gripped the edge of the skirt armor.

Seeing Wang Bingzhong's expression, Geng Jingcai pressed harder: "The Water Fortress has no prefectural city to rely on; it's bound to be indefensible. Once we enter the city, we round up the old Dongjiang brothers and Liao men inside, then take the Water Fortress in one stroke. That gives us a way to survive. The brothers from the islands can come over. At worst, we can go to the islands ourselves. Think back to Liu Xingzhi and Zu Dashou — the court couldn't do anything to them, and in the end, they still got amnesty."

Wang Bingzhong lowered his head and fell into silent thought. In the hall, Wang Bingzhong's eleven household retainers were all in the know. Seeing Wang Bingzhong hesitate, they guessed he might be changing his mind. They turned their bodies slightly outward, watching the special service team members from the corners of their eyes, their hands moving to their sword hilts. Zhang Dong tugged his collar as a signal. Several special service team members in the corners made subtle movements as well. Unbeknownst to Geng Jingcai, both sides had readied themselves for a deadly clash.

Geng Jingcai was oblivious to all this. He merely stared at Wang Bingzhong with hopeful expectation, wishing he could persuade him to join the rebellion. Geng Zhongming had told him that once Wang Bingzhong agreed, his troops were to attack the gunpowder depot to the northeast, then join in a pincer attack on the Penglai county offices. But after all, he was here persuading a man to revolt. This was Wang Bingzhong's turf. If Wang Bingzhong refused, Geng Jingcai was certain to die. His plan, then, was to drag two men down with him — ideally Wang Bingzhong himself. That would throw the north gate into chaos, which would still count as serving Geng Zhongming.

Zhang Dong focused all his attention on Wang Bingzhong. Wang Bingzhong's family was also in his hands — something Wang Bingzhong had to weigh. Wang Bingzhong turned aside, furrowed his brow, and began pacing back and forth.

The cannon fire from the east gate continued to rumble. The flashes of the cannon flames shone through the doors and windows, making the hall flicker between light and dark. A strange silence hung over the hall, broken only by the soft sound of Wang Bingzhong's pacing footsteps. All three parties waited for Wang Bingzhong's decision, covertly observing the positions of their nearest enemies, planning in their minds how to strike. Everyone in the know felt their hearts race, their entire bodies taut with tension.

Zhang Dong was like a leopard about to pounce. His years of experience in the street-fighter trade finally proved their worth. He keenly sensed that Wang Bingzhong was using his turns and pacing to observe the situation around him — and that he had signaled his retainers with his eyes.

Geng Jingcai's eloquence was mediocre. Everything he had said had been taught to him by Geng Zhongming. Now, for a moment, he didn't know what else to say. He was so nervous he could hear his own heart pounding fiercely. He stared at Wang Bingzhong with rapt attention, noticing nothing amiss around him. His three retainers behind him, however, finally sensed that something was slightly off in the atmosphere. Two of them turned their heads to look around. The moment confusion surfaced in their eyes, Wang Bingzhong suddenly whipped out his waist saber. The blade, reflecting the glow of the stove fire in the hall, came slashing straight at Zhang Dong's head. He bellowed, "Kill the Wendeng Battalion!"

The frozen tableau in the room shattered in an instant. Everyone moved at once. Swords and blades were drawn almost simultaneously, the sound of steel leaving scabbards ringing out without end.

Zhang Dong shouted, "We're Li Jiucheng's men!" He retreated sharply one step. His right hand swept aside his outer robe with lightning speed. As he drew his short gun, he half-cocked the hammer in the same motion. He aimed at the still-uncomprehending Geng Jingcai and pulled the trigger. At the same moment, his left hand shoved the door leaf, slamming the main door shut.

The other special service team members swiftly kicked over the tables and chairs in the room to obstruct the enemy, simultaneously drawing their own short guns. Five or six short guns roared in rapid succession inside the hall. Everyone's eardrums throbbed from the concussion. The gunfire flashes lit the room brightly. Zhang Dong and the six special service team members each fired at the nearest target.

Geng Jingcai and four of Wang Bingzhong's retainers screamed and fell simultaneously. The remaining retainers were stunned by this sudden burst of close-range gunfire. The blinding muzzle flashes and deafening noise brought their movements to a halt.

The special service team had never revealed the existence of their short guns here. Wang Bingzhong had never imagined they possessed such pistols. While pacing, he had already been tempted by Li Jiucheng's terms. He had calculated the numbers in the room: twelve on his side, four on Geng Jingcai's, and only seven on theirs. It was a fight he could win. Then he could mobilize the men on the wall to attack the rest of the Wendeng Battalion troops in the Wengcheng straw depot. No matter how formidable they were, they only had fifty men.

Now, with the enemy's short guns drawn, the situation had reversed in an instant. In desperation, he slashed swiftly at Zhang Dong, the man he had called brother not long ago. Zhang Dong flicked his wrist and hurled his short gun at Wang Bingzhong's face. Wang Bingzhong instinctively dodged. Zhang Dong used that split second to evade the attack. His right hand drew his short Japanese sword from his belt sash, while his left hand pulled the short gun from his left thigh. Another roar — of the three retainers behind Geng Jingcai, the one on the left crumpled at the shot.

These three men stood in the middle of the hall. Though they had drawn their blades quickly, they were clearly baffled by the sudden infighting erupting around them. Wang Bingzhong's cry of "Kill the Wendeng Battalion" conveyed too little information. They were merely ordinary retainers and could not fathom what connection the Wendeng Battalion had to the current situation in Dengzhou. The two remaining men still stood there in confusion, blades drawn, looking around. Zhang Dong's shout of "We're Li Jiucheng's men" had completely disoriented them. They had never managed to figure out what exactly was happening, nor whose side they should take.

Zhang Dong hurled his second pistol at Wang Bingzhong as well. His body shot forward like a leopard charging at the two Geng household retainers. By now, the special service team had fired their second volley of pistols. The two Geng retainers' attention was drawn to the other side. Zhang Dong charged in fiercely, driving his Japanese sword into one retainer's waist. He shoved that retainer against the other, blocking the second man's line of attack. Without pulling out his Japanese sword, Zhang Dong twisted the hilt violently. The stabbed retainer gaped in agony, his body doubling over. Zhang Dong immediately dropped low and swiftly moved to the remaining retainer's side. His right hand snaked around the man's neck and seized his throat. Before the retainer could react, calloused fingers, hardened by years of training, crushed his larynx like iron pincers.

Wang Bingzhong watched, his heart and gall quaking with terror. He bolted for the door, but the door opened inward, and Zhang Dong had just shut it. He had to stop first to open it. In that brief delay, a thick-backed waist saber came whistling toward him. Wang Bingzhong parried. His thin Japanese sword chipped under the impact of the opponent's heavier waist saber. Wang Bingzhong was also forced back two steps, losing his final chance to escape.

"Keep him alive!" Zhang Dong's voice rang out softly.

Li Tao, who had been about to pursue Wang Bingzhong, halted his steps and guarded the doorway. Wang Bingzhong turned his head numbly toward Zhang Dong, just in time to see the last of his retainers fall under the assault of two enemies. The man's right hand had been severed, and he had taken a blade to the waist. A wail escaped his lips. One of the special service team members raised his waist saber and brought it chopping down hard on the man's head. The wailing stopped abruptly.

Only then did Zhang Dong release his grip. The Geng household retainer whose throat he had crushed clutched his neck, coughing up mouthfuls of bloody froth. He writhed on the floor, making a rasping, gurgling sound.

Wang Bingzhong held his waist saber before him in despair. Though he had fought the Tatars in Liaodong, close-quarters indoor combat like this was a first for him. His opponent had needed only a few breaths to slaughter all his men. He had never imagined these few men could be so terrifyingly formidable.

The sound of running footsteps rose outside the door. Zhang Dong pulled another short gun from inside his coat, aimed it at Wang Bingzhong, and smiled faintly. "Don't let them come in."

"Everything's fine in here. All of you stay outside."

Wang Bingzhong's younger brother's voice called out, "Elder Brother, is everything really all right? Why was there gunfire?"

"I'm dealing with Geng's men."

After Wang Bingzhong shouted this, silence fell outside. He turned his head and surveyed the room. Several special service team members had already taken positions around him. Facing Zhang Dong, who had walked up before him, Wang Bingzhong dropped his Japanese sword and said dejectedly, "Make it quick. Send me on my way. I only beg you not to harm my younger brother and my family."

Zhang Dong lowered his firearm and laughed in spite of himself. "Lord Wang, you're measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind. Though you were disloyal, I cannot be unkind. Our agreement still stands. And I'll even throw in an extra benefit for you."

Wang Bingzhong looked up in astonishment, hope rekindling in his eyes.

"Once Lord Chen enters the city, I'll let you plunder the north city too. However..."

"Lord Zhang, please, speak freely."

"You'll plunder according to a list I give you. When the time comes, there will certainly be benefits in it for you."

Wang Bingzhong immediately dropped to his knees before Zhang Dong and eagerly agreed, "I am a wolf-hearted, dog-lunged wretch. I thank Lord Zhang for sparing my life. What should I do now?"

Zhang Dong called Li Tao over. The two conferred in low voices for a moment. Zhang Dong turned back to Wang Bingzhong and said, "Gather your men. Build earthen barricades on the walls on both sides and post men to guard them. Have your men pile firewood and brush on the streets within a hundred paces of the gate and douse it with oil. If the rebels attack, set it alight to block them."

"Yes, yes." Wang Bingzhong, still kneeling, agreed repeatedly. "Then what about Geng Zhongming? How should I handle him?"

"In a quarter hour, send a man to the east gate to find Geng Zhongming. Tell him you agree. Assure him you won't attack him, but also say you won't rise up immediately."

Wang Bingzhong smiled ingratiatingly and said obsequiously, "Lord Zhang, this humble man thinks we could add one more line. Say we also want half the contents of the prefectural treasury. A petty man like Geng Zhongming will believe it all the more."

Hearing the phrase "petty man," Zhang Dong couldn't help but laugh in spite of himself, as if catching a piece of dark humor. At that moment, the crack of firearms and roar of cannons from the east gate grew even fiercer, as dense and relentless as New Year's firecrackers. The vast array of firearms equipped by the Dengzhou army was making its full appearance in this internecine battle.

Wang Bingzhong continued racking his brains to ease Zhang Dong's worries. He asked in a low voice, "What if Geng Zhongming asks about Geng Jingcai?"

"Say they've already left." Zhang Dong chuckled. He turned to Li Tao and said, "Pick four of our men to come in. Have them change into Geng Jingcai and his men's clothes and then go out. When they leave, they should keep their heads low. Remember, they must walk out swaggering, and when they say their farewells, they should be loud about it."

He then turned to Wang Bingzhong. "You find a few people nearby who saw them leave and send them to negotiate terms with Geng Zhongming. If Geng Zhongming asks, they'll naturally say they saw Geng Jingcai leave. That kind of truth makes the most convincing lie. As for you, Lord Wang..." Zhang Dong rubbed his chin. "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to remain in this room and direct the overall situation."

Wang Bingzhong knew this was inevitable. After that scene just now, Zhang Dong would certainly not trust him. All he sought now was to stay alive, and he dared not disobey Zhang Dong's orders. Zhang Dong fixed his gaze on him and smiled. "Do your job well. As long as the great undertaking succeeds, Lord Chen will not treat you poorly. I also advise you not to entertain any other ideas. Do you really think Li Jiucheng can succeed? He's dreaming. Would His Majesty ever tolerate a turncoat general carving out an independent domain in Dengzhou? That man is cruel and violent by nature, harsh and vicious to those under him. You'll come to no good end following him. You're better off sticking with our Wendeng Battalion."

Wang Bingzhong kowtowed three times loudly. "Many thanks to Lord Chen. Many thanks to Lord Zhang." Raising his head, he said to Zhang Dong ingratiatingly, "Then where is Lord Chen now? He should be arriving soon. If Geng Jingcai doesn't return soon, Geng Zhongming might grow suspicious. If it's too late, I fear we won't be able to hold this place. This humble man's life is a small matter, but delaying Lord Chen's plans is a grave one."

Zhang Dong's expression remained composed. "Naturally, he'll be here soon. That's not something Lord Wang needs to worry about. Just take care of your own affairs." With that, he helped Wang Bingzhong up and led him to the innermost part of the hall, seating him in the place of honor. He himself found a random seat and sat down. The corpses in the room had all been dragged against the walls, leaving only a floor covered in bloodstains.

Only then did he secretly exhale in relief. Though there had been complications, the situation was still under control. Then he recalled Wang Bingzhong's question from moments ago and glanced southward instinctively. Where exactly had Lord Chen reached? Had the army from Ninghai Prefecture moved yet? If they could not arrive in time, would he himself make it out of Dengzhou alive?