Chapter 255: Chaos

The Mifen River, originating from Mishen Shan, enters the city through the small water gate at the south of the city wall. After flowing into the city, it is called the Hua River. The Hua River runs north, cutting across the eastern part of Dengzhou. After passing the Mifen Bridge on Chunshengmen Avenue, it turns westward, severing Zhenhaimen Avenue at the waist, then continues all the way west. It exits the city through the lower water gate at the northwest corner of the city wall. After merging with another river outside the lower water gate, it cuts through the gap between the Water Fortress and the prefectural city, then circles east of the Water Fortress to enter the sea.

Cao Bridge was the stone bridge on the northern Zhenhaimen Gate of Dengzhou City, spanning the Hua River. It was a vital traffic artery for the northern part of Dengzhou. Although the river froze in winter, one could overlook the river course on both sides from the bridge. Moving across the ice would expose one to enemy attacks, so Cao Bridge remained the most convenient and safest passage.

Geng Zhongming, leading twenty retainers, did not dare go directly to Dengzhou Bridge, where Wang Bingzhong's troops were looting. Instead, he headed toward Cao Bridge. There were street barricades at Cao Bridge, so at least there would be officers to talk to. Dengzhou Bridge, by all accounts, was full of unruly soldiers. Having led troops for many years, Geng Zhongming knew that once these grunts saw blood, they wouldn't care whether you were an officer or a civil official — they'd speak only with their blades.

All around, disorderly soldiers with their pockets stuffed full of valuables were excitedly emerging from one house door after another. They ignored officers like Geng Zhongming on the road, directly breaking down the next door, charging in, and starting to kill without a word. Wails and miserable screams rose continuously from the houses. The disorderly soldiers on the road couldn't even be bothered to pick up the money falling from their pockets, shouting to each other to hurry to the wealthy households they knew of.

Geng Zhongming's retainers watched with burning envy. The head retainer came over and said to Geng Zhongming, "My lord, if we don't act now, these grunts will have looted everything. When it's time to hand over their share, they'll definitely hide most of it. How will we brothers make any fortune then?"

Geng Zhongming waved his hand impatiently. He was also very dissatisfied with Li Jiucheng for sending him to negotiate with Wang Bingzhong at a time like this.

The head retainer continued, "Li Jiucheng sent his own men to loot, but sends us to find Wang Bingzhong. In this chaos, who knows where Wang Bingzhong is enjoying himself? Finding him would be a miracle. These Dongjiang brothers have all been let loose. If they start fighting for real, there's no way we can stop them."

The head retainer kept agitating all along the way. In front of the Bell Tower, Geng Zhongming finally succumbed to temptation. He pointed at a large mansion with a spirit screen, where a group of disorderly soldiers was gathered, ramming the gate. It seemed to be barred from inside. "This one is ours. Nobody fucking move."

That was the home of Dengzhou's biggest salt merchant. For generations, the family had members serving as officials. On ordinary days, they had greatly oppressed the Liaodong soldiers. Geng Zhongming wanted both revenge and riches. The head retainer also knew the wealth of this family. He led the retainers in a fierce charge, using the backs of their blades to beat the disorderly soldiers indiscriminately. The disorderly soldiers were startled and retreated a distance. A Squad Commander at the front cursed at the head retainer, "What the hell are you doing? This is the area assigned by Commander Chen. Nobody else gets to loot it."

The head retainer cursed back, "Chen Guangfu's area is the western city. This is the city center. Since when did this become Chen Guangfu's turf? Open your damn dog eyes wide. This is our Central Battalion's Assistant Regional Commander Geng." The head retainer pointed at Geng Zhongming behind him.

Hearing Geng Zhongming's name, the Squad Commander hesitated slightly. But looking at the gate, its planks already somewhat battered, he couldn't bear to give it up. This salt merchant's family had deep pockets. Looting a thousand commoner households might not match this one.

Unable to decide for the moment, he was about to send someone to fetch Chen Guangfu to take charge when a disorderly soldier behind him suddenly cursed, "Everyone knows this family's rich. Your Central Battalion wants to snatch our silver? I won't stand for it." As soon as the words fell, a waist saber flew out. The saber, heavy and forceful, shot straight at Geng Zhongming. Two retainers hurriedly blocked in front. The saber clanged against one retainer's helmet, instantly splitting his head open and drawing blood.

The head retainer let out a great roar. The retainers brandished their weapons and charged over. The disorderly soldiers on the other side had also just killed people. Both sides were in an abnormal state, their courage far greater than usual. The two groups clashed right at the doorway, the sounds of clanging and banging ringing out.

Startled by the thrown waist saber, Geng Zhongming saw that the fight had already started and knew he couldn't stop it. He repeatedly urged the few men remaining at his side to charge in and join the fray. The disorderly soldiers, after all, had limited combat skills and equipment. Several were quickly cut down. The Squad Commander was the first to come to his senses. He turned and fled, leading the group to scatter like birds and beasts in an instant, leaving five or six wounded men groaning and struggling on the ground.

The head retainer raised his blade to finish them off, but Geng Zhongming stopped him. "Don't kill anymore. Get inside and grab the silver first."

"My lord, they hacked one of our brothers to death and wounded two others."

"I'll go talk to Chen Guangfu myself later. First, the silver."

Hearing the word "silver," the retainers split up: some broke down the gate while others formed human ladders to scale the wall. The household guards inside shot two arrows with a whoosh, but their archery was mediocre. One retainer was hit in the shoulder, but instead of retreating, the wound only provoked his ferocity. Enduring the pain, he jumped into the courtyard and fought with the guards. Spurred by the silver, these retainers were filled with courage. The household guards were no match for these veterans and fled toward the rear courtyard. Geng Zhongming delivered a fierce kick to the main gate. The already battered door planks collapsed with a crash. Geng Zhongming shouted loudly, "Don't rush to find the women. Search for the silver."...

On Penglai's Hu Shan, the snow had not yet melted. The mountain's black rocks and white snow formed a pattern of interwoven black and white. The withered branches on the mountainside were also covered with a layer of white. Under the cover of the dense branches, one could not clearly see the situation below the mountain from above.

Over two thousand soldiers of the Wendeng Battalion hid silently on the southern slope. A relay rider circled the foot of the mountain and came before Chen Xin. Exhaling white mist, he reported, "Reporting, my lord: no rebel scout cavalry near Pingshan. The special operations team sent ahead has made contact with us. This morning, the rebel scout cavalry all rushed north. Even those near Mount Maan have withdrawn."

Zhou Shifa said in a low voice, "Then Dengzhou City must have already fallen. The observation riders who just returned reported seeing smoke rising in the north. Those scout cavalry must have all gone looting."

A smile tugged at the corner of Chen Xin's mouth. These rebels had certainly gone looting. This was an army that fought only for profit. They had not formed a strict military discipline and distribution system like the Jianzhou Bandits. Whatever one seized was one's own. At such a critical moment, the gap between them and a professional army was evident.

Chen Xin instructed Zhou Shifa, "The rebels should be in great chaos right now. Send your men, dressed in rebel uniforms, to infiltrate via small paths. Get to the northern city and gather clear intelligence. If the situation is critical, send up the agreed signal firework." Zhou Shifa nodded in agreement.

Chen Xin then said to his adjutant, "Notify Zhu Guobin: the entire army is to advance to Pingshan. Scout cavalry may only go as far as Mount Maan and must not cross the ridge of Mount Maan."

The relay rider whipped his horse and left. Moments later, the signal flags ahead waved. The voices of officers relaying orders came in sequence. The soldiers rose one after another, and the column began to continue its advance northward...

On the official road from Ninghai to Fushan, a long marching column was advancing westward. Various weapons swayed rhythmically above the column. The Wendeng Battalion on the road was formed into columns of four. Auxiliary soldiers, ox carts, and horse carts moved alongside. On the hilltops on both sides, observation riders carrying green marker flags were stationed. The surrounding situation was entirely under their control.

Zhou Shao'er was also marching in the column. His First Company Headquarters was again the vanguard for this operation. They had been garrisoned at the south gate of the departmental city, closer to Dengzhou than the Jiaoshan main camp. When the march order came, they struck camp first and set out for Fushan County before dawn. Passing through Xiejiazhuang Market, Gui Shan, and Laishan Market along the way, they had force-marched forty li. They were now approaching the border of Fushan County.

Although he had earned merit in the battle at Shenmi Island, there were no extra positions available, so he remained a Sharpshooter Squad Commander. The central staff had converted his merit into a one-rank promotion, to be prioritized when the army expanded. He felt a slight sense of regret in his heart.

Ahead, by the roadside, lay a dead horse and two human corpses. The armor and padded coats of the two men had been stripped off, leaving only their underclothes. A thin layer of white frost covered the bodies. This was the third time Zhou Shao'er had seen rebel scout cavalry, all of them dead. The Wendeng Battalion's scout riders had set out early while the rebels rested at night, blocking key points on the official road. Any scout rider attempting to use the official road to deliver a message had been killed by the roadside.

Armor and padded coats were always spoils to be collected, along with their bows, arrows, and other weapons. So seeing them stripped like this was not surprising. The only thing Zhou Shao'er found strange was that the underclothes of these scout riders were quite luxurious — either silk or satin, with very pretty colors. He had no idea which wealthy household they had been looted from.

Zhou Shao'er walked to the outer side of the column, inspecting his troops as he went. No one in the entire squad had fallen behind, nor did he see any signs of exhaustion. The veterans looked composed. Some were munching on flatbread as they walked, while others scooped up snow and put it in their mouths. The new recruits were only slightly tense, but with so many veterans as their backbone, their nervousness had actually eased considerably.

Zhou Shao'er was satisfied. These new recruits had been added after Shenmi Island. They had completed basic training with the training unit beforehand and had a foundation in individual skills, allowing the combat units' fighting strength to recover much faster than before.

The sound of horse hooves came from ahead. Two relay riders carrying back banners, each man with two horses, came galloping at full speed. Zhou Shao'er quickly pressed close to the column, clearing the space on the left. The two horses swept past with a gust of wind.

Chen Ying said to Zhou Shao'er as he walked, "Are those relay riders sent by Lord Chen? Their markings are Central Army light cavalry."

Zhou Shao'er shook his head. "Who knows."

He turned to look behind him. The two relay riders stopped at Lu Chuanzong's Company Headquarters banner and were showing a military order for Lu Chuanzong to review. "It probably really is from Lord Chen," Zhou Shao'er muttered to himself. The two relay riders quickly left and continued on their way to the rear, likely to deliver orders to Dai Zhenggang.

Two riders galloped out from under Lu Chuanzong's Company Headquarters banner, heading toward both ends. When they passed their squad, they shouted loudly to the Company Commander, "Immediately accelerate the march. Must keep up with the guide flag. The next rest point is changed to the foot of the eastern hill of Fushan County."

After receiving the order, the Company Commander stood beside the column and roared, "Accelerate the advance. Keep up with the front unit."

The footfalls on the official road grew denser. The entire army's speed increased, rolling forward under the guidance of the front unit's banner...

Beneath the Dengzhou Bell Tower, Geng Zhongming was still in a state of excitement. The piles of silver in the salt merchant's cellar had utterly stunned these country bumpkin soldiers. After years of skimming soldiers' pay and pocketing salaries for non-existent troops, Geng Zhongming had only saved a thousand taels of silver. He had never imagined that a family could possess so much wealth. By his unprofessional estimate, there was no less than fifty thousand taels of silver in that cellar, not counting the other gold ingots and jewels.

So he was now also in a state of euphoria. The Bell Tower before him was one of the high points in the city. Dengzhou's layout was not the cross-shaped streets of an ordinary city. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower were also separate. The Drum Tower was west of Shu Bridge, while the Bell Tower was roughly at the city center. It was supported below by four thick pillars with no walls. Pedestrians passed directly underneath. To the south was Dengzhou's southern gate, Chaotianmen. Walking about a hundred paces west, then turning north, was Zhenhaimen Avenue.

He had left some retainers to occupy that mansion, planning to take the merchant's wives, concubines, maids, and the courtyard itself as his future residence. A happy life was beckoning just ahead. He had originally rebelled because he was unwilling to be implicated by his younger brother Geng Zhongyu's affair. Now, in just one day, he had discovered the benefits of rebellion. If he had honestly served the imperial court, when would he ever have such good days? He couldn't help but rejoice that he had made the right choice.

Thinking of the merchant's several concubines, as beautiful as flowers and jade, Geng Zhongming's face revealed a satisfied smile. Just as he walked out from under the Bell Tower, he suddenly saw ahead a scene of flashing blades and clashing swords, with killing cries shaking the heavens. Over a hundred soldiers were hacking at each other in the street. Blood flowed all over the ground. Seven or eight men had already fallen, and scattered around were many silver ingots and jewels.

All these men were wearing Ming army uniforms. Geng Zhongming couldn't tell who was fighting whom. Abandoning his plan to go to Cao Bridge, he hurriedly ordered his retainers to be on guard. The fierce battle in the field was at its height. Both sides were seeing red. He didn't dare rashly intervene, as that would cost him many of his precious retainers.

He sent one retainer to shout loudly from over ten paces away, "We're all Dongjiang brothers. No more fighting! Central Battalion's Assistant Regional Commander Geng is here. The leaders come over and talk."

The soldiers locked in combat paid no heed. The retainer shouted until his mouth was dry and tongue parched, but not a single person responded. Geng Zhongming grabbed a three-barreled hand cannon, had a retainer fetch a lit match cord, and fired it against the nearby brick wall.

The three-barreled hand cannon, wrapped with sharp iron spikes, roared with three bangs. Startled by this, several of the leaders looked toward the sound and saw a mounted officer. They loudly restrained their men. Only then did the two warring sides slowly disengage, each retreating to opposite sides of the street.

Geng Zhongming then ran over and loudly demanded, "We're all brothers from Dongjiang. The southern troops in the city haven't even been wiped out yet. Why are you killing each other?"

An officer on the left, clutching his arm, shouted, "Lord Geng, I am a Squad Commander under Commander Chen. These men are all from Lord Kong's Left Battalion. A few of my brothers were making their fortune nearby when they ran into some of their men. Those men insisted we give up our spoils. At the first disagreement, they started killing. Of my five brothers, only two escaped. Of course I'm going to seek revenge."

An officer on the opposite side cursed back, "Your mother's bullshit! It was my men who were killed by you. And you dare to make the first accusation! Lord Geng, if they hadn't killed our men first, would I be so full that I'd pass up a fortune to come fight them to the death? They've pushed us too far."

Geng Zhongming jumped off his horse, called the two officers over, and suddenly swung his hand, giving each a slap across the face. "Are you both fucking idiots? How hard was it for us Dongjiang men to survive and reach Dengzhou? Now that fortune's within sight, you don't know to go loot the big households, but instead fight your own to the death here. Do you believe I'll cut you down?"

The two officers were stunned by the slaps. They stared at Geng Zhongming for a moment, then finally backed down. The two glared viciously at each other a few times, cursing as they returned to their respective groups.

With Geng Zhongming present, the fight couldn't continue. Just as the two were about to lead their men away, a street thug who had defected to the Left Battalion suddenly ran to the middle of the road, picked up a bag of jewels left on the ground, stuffed it into his clothes, and quickly retreated back to the Left Battalion side.

Chen Guangfu's men roared in unison, raising their blades and spears to charge over. The Squad Commander bellowed, "That was my loot! Give it back!"

Geng Zhongming hurriedly had his retainers step between them. He personally dragged over that street thug and lashed him wildly with his horsewhip. Unable to bear the beating, the thug quickly threw out the jewels. Geng Zhongming grabbed the cloth bag and tossed it back to its original owner. Only then did both sides quiet down again.

Geng Zhongming had just breathed a sigh of relief when two disorderly soldiers came running from ahead, shouting and yelling. As they ran, they cried, "A fight's broken out at the head of Shu Bridge! Left Battalion brothers, go help quickly! The Right Battalion and Chen Guangfu's men have killed our brothers."

The two opposing sides erupted again like a disturbed hornet's nest. Guarding against each other, they rushed swiftly toward Shu Bridge.

"Your mother, all of them are blind fools," Geng Zhongming cursed. He had long since forgotten about the task of finding Wang Bingzhong and hurriedly followed toward Shu Bridge. After running a few dozen paces, his head retainer suddenly pointed to the left. Several soldiers had just broken open a house door and rushed in. He said to Geng Zhongming, "My lord, aren't those some of the scout riders you sent toward Ninghai and Qixia? How did they get back so quickly?"

Geng Zhongming went to the doorway and looked. Sure enough, it was several of the scout riders he had dispatched. He had personally seen these men leave the city. Needless to say, they hadn't gone far. Most likely, they had circled outside the city once and then run straight back in through the south gate to loot.

Before he could decide how to deal with it, a volley of three-barreled hand cannons and arquebuses erupted ahead. Geng Zhongming ignored everything else and spurred his horse toward Shu Bridge, saying to his head retainer, "Don't bother with these minor matters. The Wendeng Battalion has been in Ninghai Department recently. In this icy, snowy weather, I don't believe they can get here in a single day. To Shu Bridge first."...

At the south end of Cao Bridge, Wu Rong darted out from a narrow alley, followed by several members of the action squad, all wearing Ming army uniforms. One of them had suffered a blade wound. Wu Rong hurried to the middle of the bridge, where a barricade of wood, bricks, and stone slabs had been erected, guarded by thirty combat soldiers. Another twenty combat soldiers were positioned on both sides of the north bridgehead, watching for anyone approaching from the river.

Wu Rong said to Li Tao, who was stationed there, "Someone's wounded. Help send him to the north gate."

Li Tao had two soldiers take over the wounded man, then asked Wu Rong in a low voice, "How did it go?"

"Zhang Dong's method is good. I split the men into several groups, going everywhere pretending to be men from different units and stirring up trouble. They've started fighting among themselves. The situation's chaotic now; they won't have time to worry about the north gate for a while. If anyone comes, just say Wang Bingzhong has run off somewhere and no one's allowed through. Just make it look convincing."

Li Tao chuckled, "Don't you worry. Did you manage to grab anything?"

Wu Rong leaned closer, pulled a handful of jewels from his bosom, and pressed them on Li Tao. "Grabbed a few things. Share some with the brothers."

Li Tao hesitated a moment, then pushed them back. "Don't give them to me. These are all combat soldiers here, not your Intelligence Bureau men. If combat soldiers privately divide up spoils and the military judge finds out, it's a beheading offense."

Wu Rong pursed his lips, put away the jewels, waved a hand, and vanished back into the alleyways with his several subordinates.

Li Tao looked up at the sky and muttered to himself, "It's already past noon. Why hasn't the main army arrived yet?"