Chapter 260: Each with Their Own Plans

A thunderous boom that shook the entire city erupted from the East Gate. A cannonball soared high over the North Gate wall and struck the southern wall of the Water City. Li Jiucheng sat slumped on the top floor of the bell tower at the city center, his heart filled with both regret and fear.

After discovering the Wendeng Battalion, he immediately dispatched his retainers in all directions to find those officers. He gathered a force and simultaneously attacked Zhenhai Gate from the east and west walls, Cao Bridge, and Dengzhou Bridge. Who could have known that those Wendeng Battalion men would set massive fires in the northern city? The soldiers inside the city could only advance while fighting the fires, which delayed them greatly, so that neither of these two routes managed to apply any pressure.

Moreover, the frontage on the side walls was narrow. The officers on the east and west walls, in their impatience, launched attacks with only their soldiers, but were repeatedly repelled before several wall barricades. Just when they were on the verge of breaking through, they were routed by the arriving Wendeng combat troops. The Wendeng Battalion combat troops attacked all along the wall and seized the entire northern wall.

By the time the officers at the east and west gates brought up cannons, the enemy had already set up the North Gate cannons and aimed them at the wall corners. None of the soldiers were willing to attack along the walls again. Now only the artillerymen at the east and west gates were firing some utterly aimless bombardments at the northern wall. Any hope of capturing Zhenhai Gate was gone.

When he raised his troops at Wuqiao, Li Jiucheng's ambitions were not great. He hoped to use a mutiny and subsequent amnesty to smooth over the horse-purchasing silver affair. But later, capturing cities and territory went more smoothly than he had expected. Every city in Shandong crumbled at a single blow. He gradually built up his prestige among the rebels, and his own desires swelled.

From the very start of the uprising, the Wendeng Battalion had always been a huge shadow over his heart. Although he spoke of not fearing the Wendeng Battalion, he understood their combat strength very clearly in his heart. When he went to Wendeng at the end of the third year of Chongzhen, he was deeply shocked by this army. They were not fierce like the retainers, but more like puppets. Yet, strangely, these puppet-like men still made Li Jiucheng afraid.

The moment Dengzhou fell last night, Li Jiucheng thought he had finally cast off this shadow. Now, in barely a day, he had fallen from heaven to hell. After discovering the walls were blocked, he threw the nearly one thousand men he had gathered into Zhenhai Gate Avenue, hoping to retake the barbican while the enemy had just entered the city and was not yet firmly established. Who knew that his force would be routed in a single charge by the enemy, throwing away their armor and weapons? The hastily assembled force had a chaotic structure, with rioters and soldiers mixed together. Even the front row was a mix of good and bad. The few elite retainers and reassigned artillerymen were all swept away by the panicked routed troops. Dozens were trampled to death or injured by the fleeing soldiers themselves. They fled all the way past Cao Bridge, completely scattering in their panic, and even the soldiers gathering behind them vanished without a trace. It was impossible to rally such a disordered force at night.

Kong Youde at the South Gate sent seven hundred reinforcements toward Mishen Shan. Halfway there, they encountered an attack by the Wendeng Battalion. The seven hundred men were routed in the darkness. Kong Youde dared not open the gate. Some of the routed soldiers cursed outside the gate, some hid in the darkness afraid to make a sound, and even more fled in panic toward the West Gate, not knowing where to go.

These two major losses left Li Jiucheng with fewer than five hundred men at his disposal, including over a hundred rioters. They had no combat effectiveness whatsoever against an opponent like the Wendeng Battalion. The great rout at Zhenhai Gate had also affected the morale of these men, so Li Jiucheng had no choice but to have his retainers keep a strict watch over them.

What struck Li Jiucheng even harder was that he had completely lost the confidence he had held since the uprising began. The Liao soldiers who had cut down the Shandong Provincial Battalion like melons and vegetables were utterly helpless before the Wendeng Battalion. Every time he just gathered his forces, they were routed. Whether it was the layered delaying actions by those few elite troops in the beginning, or the formal engagements later, a huge gap was evident. In his heart, Li Jiucheng's fear of the Wendeng Battalion had already surpassed his fear of the Jianzhou Bandits.

Chen Xin was restless at Mishen Shan. How could he have known that Li Jiucheng was so utterly useless, and had no intention of attacking out of the city at all? What Li Jiucheng feared most now was that the Wendeng Battalion would continue their attack under cover of night.

Thumping sounds came from the stair boards. Li Yingyuan and Geng Zhongming appeared at the staircase. Li Jiucheng's desolate expression immediately changed to one of stern coldness.

"My lord, we've only managed to round up a little over two hundred men. I've sent my retainers out again to seize more. Also, outside the East and South Gates, there's been blowing of horns and firing of guns for a while now. No one knows what they're up to. Should we send these troops to hold those two gates?" Geng Zhongming was drenched in sweat, his tone anxious and tinged with panic.

"What's there to panic about? We still have several thousand men. The Wendeng Battalion numbers no more than four thousand in total. They've just arrived and have no siege equipment. How could they attack the city? All of you, steady your hearts. Yingyuan, go pass the order. Have the East and West Gates aim their red-barbarian cannons at the northern wall. Set up a few grand general cannons and Frankish guns at the corners of the northern wall. If the Wendeng Battalion can hold it like this, so can we. I don't believe his Wendeng Battalion can block cannonballs."

Li Yingyuan acknowledged the order but did not leave immediately. His face full of worry, he looked at Li Jiucheng. Li Jiucheng glanced back at him, a rare flicker of emotion appearing in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He stood up. Below the bell tower, Dengzhou was still in chaos. The flickering of torches could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys on the east, west, and south sides. The sounds of weeping, shouting, and killing faintly drifted up.

He said to the two men in a low voice, "Don't use those garrison troops and rioters from the city anymore. Each of you go gather your own old brothers. After daybreak, first secure the area south of the Hua River. Drag more cannons into the streets and block those main roads. If Chen Xin wants to swallow me whole, I'll make sure he loses a chunk of flesh too. Geng Zhongming, you're responsible for defending Cao Bridge. Kong Youde holds the South Gate. Wang Zideng and Chen Guangfu hold the West Gate. My men will provide support from three sides around the bell tower."

The one who had led the attack on Zhenhai Gate Avenue earlier was Geng Zhongming. Because Li Jiucheng kept urging him, Geng Zhongming launched the assault as soon as he received the troops. Many of the soldiers came from different rebel units and lacked their original officers to command them, so his organization was very chaotic. The ferocity of the massive rout after the vanguard suffered heavy losses made his heart pound with fear. Had it not been for a few retainers fighting desperately to protect him, he likely would have been trampled to death by the fleeing soldiers himself.

Recalling it now, he still felt lingering fear. After a moment of silence, he said to Li Jiucheng, "My lord, both the South Gate and North Gate have suffered major defeats. Right now, the soldiers in the city are either continuing to loot or trying to flee the city. Chen Guangfu just drove away a group at the West Gate earlier. In short, everyone is panicked. That Wendeng Battalion is truly... truly ferocious, not one bit inferior to the Jianzhou Bandits. Our army's morale is unstable. Defending like this is no solution in the end. Should we go ask Chen Xin what exactly he wants? Could it be that the share of the spoils we promised him didn't reach him, and that made him angry?"

Li Jiucheng gave a cold laugh. "You think Chen Xin is after that bit of profit? Then we'd just be falling for his trick again. Besides, who says we have no solution?"

"Please, my lord, give us your guidance."

Li Jiucheng swept his gaze over the two men. He had not originally planned to say it, but Geng Zhongming's current demeanor was extremely fearful. He had to pacify these loosely connected subordinates.

"Isn't Lord Sun locked up in the county government office? He is still the Deng-Lai Governor. We were originally his subordinates. A huge mess has now broken out in Dengzhou, and Chen Xin is his adversary. If he wants to save his own life, he should understand the need to reduce the harm within the city. I will go talk to him now... about an amnesty."

Geng Zhongming and Li Yingyuan were stunned for a moment, then simultaneously showed expressions of delight. From Sun Yuanhua's perspective, granting amnesty to the nearly ten thousand rebel soldiers and rioters in the city could indeed reduce his culpability. Because it had only been one day, he could claim that the loss of the city was due to internal unrest, which he then promptly quelled, and that the Wuqiao mutineers were also pacified and recruited at the same time. That way, even if Dengzhou suffered heavy losses, he would at least avoid the capital crime of losing a city and territory. With his connections at court, he might be able to save his life. As long as Governor Sun acknowledged the amnesty, all these rebels would become Ming soldiers again, and Chen Xin would have no grounds to attack them.

Thus, the two men also believed that Li Jiucheng's stalling tactic had a high chance of success. It could at least buy them some time to consolidate the Liao refugees and rebel soldiers within the city and reorganize them.

Under the admiring gazes of the two men, Li Jiucheng felt much of his confidence restored. He said to them, "Assistant Regional Commander Geng, Yingyuan, go pass on the orders as I just instructed. I should go see Lord Sun now."

After descending the tower, the men split up. Geng Zhongming took a few trusted retainers and turned north at the intersection. Here, several hundred rebels were nervously spread out on both sides of the street, making a show of defending Cao Bridge.

After leaving Li Jiucheng, Geng Zhongming's expression shifted from delight back to gloom. The head of his retainers, seeing him remain silent, asked in a low voice, "My lord, what did Li Jiucheng say? Are we really going to keep fighting the Wendeng Battalion?"

"He thinks dragging out Sun Yuanhua can coerce Chen Xin. He doesn't see what kind of man Chen Xin is, or how he got his troops. Do you think the Wendeng Battalion just happened to arrive today? He must have used the detached force at Ninghai Department to draw Li Jiucheng's attention, then concealed the bulk of his forces at Qixia. To have planted so many men in the city so early, and to have bribed Wang Bingzhong at the critical moment, only to make his move after we breached the city — what deep and calculating cunning. What he wants is definitely not a forty percent share. If my judgment is correct, he also has men inside the Water City, as a contingency after losing Zhenhai Gate. Right now, the Water City has Lu Zhi, and Ninghai Department has Wang Tingshi. With Dengzhou beaten into this state, who can't see that Sun Yuanhua is certain to fall from power? Both of those men can replace Sun Yuanhua in managing the overall situation in Dengzhou. Lord Sun's title of Governor can't even scare me now. Can it scare that bastard Chen Xin?"

Although the head retainer was fierce by nature, after a day of fighting, he had lost all his nerve. He swallowed and said, "Then what do we do? We can't beat these Wendeng Battalion men. It's a pity we just looted all that silver. Don't let the Wendeng Battalion snatch it away in the blink of an eye."

Geng Zhongming's face was grim, his eyes darting constantly. He leaned in and instructed the head retainer, "Cross the ice to bypass Cao Bridge. Go north and find Chen Xin's men. Tell them Li Jiucheng's plan. Then say that I was coerced by the mutinous soldiers, and now I wish to switch sides. Whatever terms Chen Xin has, agree to them all for now. You must return and give me a reply before daybreak..."...

Two mounted messengers carrying back banners stood helplessly outside the Zhenyang Gate of Dengzhou's Water City. The gate remained tightly shut. The naval garrison soldiers on top and some southern troops from the main battalion peered over the wall. They dared not open the gate, because they could not confirm that these mounted messengers truly belonged to the Wendeng Battalion.

The warfare in Dengzhou that had started the previous night had the Water City garrison frightened out of their wits. Most of the soldiers here were from the naval camp, equally rife with corruption. They had virtually no land combat capability. With everyone panicked, quite a few had already fled by climbing down ropes from the less populated east and west walls. Lu Zhi appeared on the wall twice, constantly peering toward the battle situation at the North Gate. He only thought it was a fierce fight between the defending Dengzhou troops and the rebels. Later, another force entered the city, leaving him completely confused about the situation. His mood grew even more fearful, and he only ordered the officers and soldiers to keep the gates tightly shut, and not to open them no matter who called.

While the two sides were at a stalemate, Zhang Dong's figure emerged from the night. He brought two members of the action team. Since the afternoon, he had been continuously directing the team members in the city to block and delay the enemy layer by layer, his mind under extreme tension. At the final moment, he had personally participated in the combat defending the wall stairs. After the combat troops entered the city, he had kept explaining the situation inside the city to the commanders of each unit, helping to deploy defenses. He had just managed to get a little rest when he was immediately dispatched out of the city again.

At this moment, his face was covered in black ash. His bloodstained right arm was wrapped in cotton cloth and hung in a sling over his shoulder. After arriving, he quietly asked the two mounted messengers about the situation.

One messenger dismounted and replied softly, "Supervisor Lu has not come over. The city soldiers say they dare not open the gate for us. With Zhenhai Gate having been fought over like this, what do they have to doubt? Could a show be put on like this?"

Zhang Dong wearily waved his hand and had a subordinate bring a torch. Just as he was about to approach Zhenyang Gate, a thought suddenly struck him. He went to the roadside, scooped up some snow with one hand, and rubbed it haphazardly over his face. Then he asked his subordinate, "Can you see my face clearly?"

The action team subordinate nodded. Zhang Dong's performance in Dengzhou this time had been exceptionally outstanding. All the Intelligence Bureau personnel who participated in the operation were full of admiration for him.

Zhang Dong shook his hand a couple of times, picked up the torch, and walked to the base of the gate tower. He shouted up to the wall, "I am an adjutant to Lord Chen. I once met Lord Lu on Shenmi Island. I request to speak with Lord Lu."

A voice from the gate tower replied, "Lord Lu is in his residence. He instructed us not to open the gate for anyone, no matter who it is."

Zhang Dong naturally did not believe this. He said calmly, "Go and inform Lord Lu that Lord Chen of the Wendeng Battalion will be arriving soon. Please ask him to come out for a meeting. There is an important matter to discuss."

The naval officer above, upon hearing that Chen Xin was coming, immediately changed his tone and said, "Then please wait a moment, brother. I will go find Lord Lu right away."

As soon as his words fell, Lu Zhi's voice rang out from the top of the wall. "Assistant Regional Commander Chen has arrived? Quickly, quickly, have him come to the gate."

Zhang Dong smiled slightly. He guessed that Lu Zhi was right there in the gate tower, just hiding to get a clear view of the situation. He brought the torch a little closer, looked up, and said, "Lord Lu, are you well? On General Chen's orders, I must first confirm your safety, my lord."

The head of a young eunuch poked out over the wall. He looked down and remembered indeed seeing this Zhang Dong on Shenmi Island, then pulled his head back. Then a shield was extended between two crenellations to block the outside. Lu Zhi finally revealed his face through the gap between the shield and the wall. He was holding a small lantern himself, and his face was full of excitement as he asked, "All is well in the Water City. Has General Chen really come? How long until he arrives?"

Zhang Dong immediately knelt in salute. After Lu Zhi told him to rise, Zhang Dong carefully studied the expressions of the others on the wall. There was nothing unusual. After confirming the Water City was safe, he adjusted his hat with both hands.

Chen Xin's voice immediately rang out from the darkness outside the wall. "Lord Lu, your subordinate is late to the rescue, causing you to be frightened. My sins, my sins." Escorted by over a dozen guards from the central army, Chen Xin walked to the base of the gate, appearing out of breath. The surrounding guards held shields, vigilantly watching the movements atop the wall.

"General Chen..." The lantern in Lu Zhi's hand began to shake. Had the young eunuch beside him not supported him, he might have collapsed to the ground. He had been anxious and fearful since the previous night. Although he had once supervised the nine gates of the inner city during the Jisi incident, the Water City's perimeter was only three li, and its height and width were insufficient, utterly incomparable to the defenses of the capital. Now, finally relaxed, he hurriedly said to those around him, "Quick, quick, open the gate. Let General Chen in at once."