Chapter 359

"Jianzhong, you've worked hard." Chen Xin personally greeted Wu Jianzhong at the entrance of the main tent.

"Your subordinate has not worked hard. This time, my lord is going to fight the roving bandits, and your subordinate wishes to accompany and guard you." Wu Jianzhong's gaze was resolute; his chiseled face betrayed no expression, and his tone was very calm, but Chen Xin could feel that he was genuinely worried about him.

Chen Xin led him inside and had him sit down before saying, "The roving bandits' combat strength is limited. Perhaps I can extinguish them, but in any case, our Dengzhou garrison will not be defeated by them, so there is no need to worry."

"Your subordinate is not worried about the roving bandits. Your subordinate is worried about those civil officials." Wu Jianzhong remained direct and forthright, not concealing his disgust for civil officials in the slightest.

Chen Xin smiled and gently waved his hand. "I know what you are worried about. I will be careful."

"My lord, you are the sole hope for recovering Liaodong, and the person your subordinate admires most. Your subordinate begs you to take care of yourself." Wu Jianzhong rose from his seat and knelt before Chen Xin.

Chen Xin sighed softly, helped Wu Jianzhong up, paced two circles inside the tent, stopped, and then said to Wu Jianzhong, "Originally, I wanted you to be responsible for intelligence gathering in Liaodong, but you followed Liu Xingzuo for many years, and too many people in Liaodong know you. So I am having you temporarily take charge of the field operations team. Although we are not dealing with the Tatars for now, every bit of our effort is ultimately to strengthen the Dengzhou garrison. Once we ourselves are strong, the day will come when the Jianzhou Bandits are destroyed."

"Your subordinate understands. As long as our Dengzhou garrison occupies Liaonan, the Jianzhou Bandits will sooner or later be worn down to death. But what your subordinate worries about most is civil officials coming to hold us back." Wu Jianzhong spoke in a low voice. "Back then, when your subordinate and Lord Liu defected to Dongjiang together, it was because we valued Marshal Mao's daring to raid and attack Liaodong. With those Liaodong refugees there, we could always fight our way back. Who knew Marshal Mao would be inexplicably killed."

Chen Xin smiled faintly. "I understand your sentiments. Liaodong must be recovered. But our goal does not stop there. You are a Liaodong refugee and know deeply the suffering of displacement in chaotic times. Now the roving bandits run rampant in the Central Plains, and those in miserable circumstances are everywhere under heaven. We must not only recover Liaodong, but also give this chaotic world hope."

Wu Jianzhong's eyes flickered, and he slightly bowed his body.

Chen Xin walked to the map hanging in the tent, pointed to the location of Qingzhou Prefecture, and said, "The reason I am keeping you in Qingzhou Prefecture is that this place is extremely critical to my Wendeng Camp. To the south of Qingzhou Prefecture, Mount Yi and Mount Meng tower over central Shandong, stretching to the Mount Tai range. The entire western fronts of Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Qingzhou are under their sheltering protection. Only the area from northern Qingzhou to the sea and the direction of Xinzhou to the south allow the passage of large armies. The Xinzhou area is close to Jiangnan; it is nearly impossible for roving bandits to come from the south, and even more impossible for the Jianzhou Bandits. Therefore, once we control Qingzhou Prefecture, we gain an additional natural barrier. This greatly reduces the width of the front we need to defend, allowing us to concentrate forces more effectively and constrain the mobility of enemy cavalry."

"Your subordinate understands and has always followed my lord's intent, subduing the mountain bandits and local ruffians near Qingzhou. Now Tangdihu is already the largest group."

Chen Xin nodded. "Now our Dengzhou garrison has troops stationed in Liaonan and must also dispatch forces to suppress bandits. At the same time, the various personal battalions under the Shandong Provincial Governor are all moving westward. The interior of Shandong is emptier than ever before. This is a good opportunity. The best outcome we can strive for is to bring Qingzhou Prefecture under the jurisdiction of the Deng-Lai Provincial Governor. At the very least, we must secure the right to station troops long-term in Qingzhou Prefecture. The key point lies between Yidu County and Linzi; this is the passage from the north into Deng-Lai."

Wu Jianzhong asked calmly, "What does your subordinate need to do?"

Chen Xin drew a circle south of Qingzhou Prefecture with his hand. "After my main army leaves, continue subduing the bandits, especially at Mount Yunmen, Mount Tuo, Mount Ai, and Mount Long between Qingzhou and Linzi. Once my order arrives, focus on attacking the rural gentry. You only need to force the gentry to pressure the Shandong Provincial Governor, who will then request aid from the imperial court. Do not kill indiscriminately unless necessary. I do not need a ruined Qingzhou Prefecture."

"Your subordinate understands."

"For manpower, I will transfer to you fifty newly trained special service team members and the experimental mountain infantry company. They will disguise themselves as an armed escort group and arrive in batches over ten days. However, they will only fight bandits and cannot be used for other attacks. Also, regarding those two groups of fierce bandits you reported last time, I will conveniently help you suppress them along the way this time."...

The next day, the main army continued advancing toward Linzi. Chen Xin repeated his old trick, staging a play along the way, then using the pretext of bandits seizing military grain to send the First Regiment into the mountains to attack two large strongholds. He had them catch up after the attack, while the main force continued advancing.

The five hundred conscripted laborers allocated by Qingzhou Prefecture accompanied them. These commoners, conscripted and brought along, looked like beggars. Zhao Xuan continued his public relations work, letting these laborers enjoy the treatment of full meals. The laborers cheered as if celebrating the New Year, each working with deadly effort, even helping with tasks they were not required to do. Many strongly demanded to follow the Dengzhou garrison to fight the roving bandits.

However, Zhao Xuan naturally would not bring a group of untrained commoners along. On the third day, when they reached the border of Xincheng County in Jinan Prefecture, he had them turn back to Qingzhou Prefecture the next day.

The group of laborers all begged to continue performing labor service. Zhao Xuan specially permitted them to stay one more night, letting them eat an extra breakfast. At the time of departure, Zhao Xuan accompanied Chen Xin to personally see these commoners. The laborers all paid their respects, their attitude extremely cordial.

To the surprise of all the laborers, this Regional Commander Chen, the Martial Star incarnate, actually distributed labor wages to them. Although it was only three fen of silver per day, this was an unprecedented first. Working for the government office and actually getting silver to take—they were endlessly grateful.

The laborers were reluctant to part at the border of Xincheng County. After the entire army had passed, they still stood by the roadside gazing. Zhao Xuan, as he walked, kept turning his head to look at the laborers in the distance, waving for them to hurry home.

Chen Xin rode slowly and asked Zhao Xuan beside him, "What are your thoughts on this march?"

Zhao Xuan thought for a moment before saying, "Your subordinate feels that, first, one must have silver and grain; second, one must genuinely treat the common people well. The common people are ultimately simple and honest. They know who treats them well. Take these laborers—if forced by blades and spears, they would still do the work, but far from as wholeheartedly as now. If we truly let them follow, perhaps quite a few could become combat soldiers."

Chen Xin nodded slightly and smiled. "Well said. But having money and grain, one must also know how to use them to achieve the greatest effect. We are not fools; money and grain are not given out indiscriminately. Giving silver for work done is only right and proper. The laborers are happy, and others have nothing to say. Secondly, we only needed them to deliver to Qingzhou Prefecture. The time was not long—just two days, giving only a few fen of silver—and they were very grateful. When they return, they will tell their neighbors. Most will say three fen of silver per day, but in fact we only gave six fen in total, yet we have already gained the effect of propaganda. When we reach Jinan Prefecture, we will recruit another batch of laborers, changing a batch at each county. This way, in every county there will be people speaking of our good deeds. This is far more cost-effective than conscripting just one batch of laborers to go to Henan."

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Zhao Xuan said with sudden understanding, "Thank you for the guidance, my lord."

Chen Xin asked with keen interest, "We've walked and passed through. What else needs to be done along the way behind us?"

"We also need people disguised as commoners to enter the wineshops and teahouses, slightly exaggerating those commoners' tales."

Chen Xin laughed heartily. "Correct. The manpower invested at this time is not much, but the effect is very good. You are now the Indoctrination Officer of the Second Regiment and also the Deputy Chief Indoctrination Officer of the combat group. You will have more time to act independently in Henan. Some things you can summarize yourself. But remember, the core of propaganda is benefit—not casually distributing benefits, but simply letting people know that this benefit exists, establishing a good image for the Dengzhou garrison, and thereby attracting them to join us."

"Your subordinate understands. It's just that these past few days, giving cakes to children still cost quite a bit of silver."

"We are one side, the common people are the other. A bridge is needed in between for communication. This bridge can be these recruited laborers, the peddlers who buy things, the children who eat free food, or it can be the storytellers and teahouse owners. After they spread the word, countless people will know the good points of our Dengzhou garrison. Many will come to join us, many will come to enlist, and many will come to Deng-Lai to do business and purchase goods. If we station troops in Qingzhou Prefecture in the future, we will not face resistance from the common people. Therefore, this bit of silver we spend is absolutely not a loss. Propaganda itself is a money-losing business, but it will always be earned back elsewhere, and absolutely at a huge profit. This is the essence of public relations. Do not begrudge this bit of silver."...

Amidst Chen Xin's nagging along the way, the Dengzhou army passed through cities and prefectures. To wait for the First Regiment, their marching speed was not fast. They advanced while conducting propaganda, passing Xincheng and Zhangqiu to reach the city of Jinan Prefecture. The area along Xincheng County was dilapidated. Kong Youde had taken only a few days to destroy this area back then, but recovery would take a very long time.

The closer they got to the provincial capital, the more prosperous the surroundings became, and the common people's spirit and appearance were much better than in Qingzhou. When Chen Xin returned from Linqing back then, he had walked this road. The closer to the Grand Canal, the wealthier the area. Jinan, as the provincial capital, naturally would not be poor either.

Jinan's commerce was developed, and the area outside the city was also filled with streets. The residents seemed more slick than those in rural areas. The Dengzhou army had not passed through the provincial capital back then, but had pursued the mutinous troops from the north back to Deng-Lai, so the common people here were not very clear about their conduct and were quite wary of this guest army. Many roadside shops closed early, fearing they would be looted.

But some who had received news were not afraid at all and kept their shops open for business. Goods here were abundant. The Dengzhou garrison's quartermasters purchased everywhere, paying in cash. By the time those who had closed their shops reacted, the purchasing was already over. Those merchants were all full of regret.

Shandong Provincial Governor Xu Congzhi personally came out of the city to welcome them. It was his first time seeing the Dengzhou army. Lu Zhi was also very polite to Xu Congzhi; after all, Xu Congzhi could be considered to have some courage and strategy. The two accompanied him on a tour of the camp. Xu Congzhi had led troops many times during the Wenxiang Sect rebellion and could still see some of the subtleties. Although those troops gave him a somewhat strange feeling, he was certain that this army was indeed a rarely seen strong force.

Chen Xin stayed an extra two days in Jinan, waiting for the First Regiment, which had caught up by forced march. The regimental commander of this regiment was Huang Yuan. They had already breached the strongholds. Although the bandit leaders had all escaped, the strength of the two bandit groups had been greatly weakened. Huang Yuan and the combat soldiers did not know Chen Xin's purpose. The order they received was to breach the strongholds and rout the main force of the bandits, then catch up with the main force after completion.

Subsequently, news came from the Qingzhou intelligence station: after the combat soldiers withdrew, Tangdihu had already occupied those two large strongholds, relentlessly pursuing and killing the two bandit leaders, and absorbing many scattered bandits under his command. For a time, his power swelled greatly, and he was currently riding the momentum to annex other small groups.

The local gentry of Jinan, in a rare display of initiative, came to comfort the troops, sending pigs, sheep, grain, and other goods, and of course, a sum of silver for the officers. Many of them were from local prominent families, with shops in Liaocheng and Linqing Prefecture in Eastern Depot Prefecture. If the roving bandits truly came, their losses would not be small. So their comforting of the troops was both a hope that the Dengzhou army would go suppress the bandits and a hope that this guest army would not loot.

Chen Xin also took advantage of the two-day pause to build considerable connections with Xu Congzhi. Xu Congzhi knew Chen Xin's connections in the imperial court and now had an army of several thousand men before him as backing. So business was easy to negotiate. Chen Xin and Xu Congzhi did not discuss business matters directly, but only exchanged banquets. Their respective attendants privately negotiated terms. In two days, the terms were settled. Henceforth, all business in Shandong would be under Xu Congzhi's patronage. The county magistrate is less effective than the immediate superior; in Shandong, he was even more useful than Wen Tiren.

Having accomplished this, Chen Xin leisurely continued his journey. The Ministry of War stipulated arriving at Zhending before May, but Chen Xin did not intend to be so obedient. Every few days along the way, he would complain of hardship to the Ministry of War, reporting his position while claiming that the army's money and grain were running low.

It was not until May 6th that the Dengzhou army reached Linqing Prefecture. Lu Zhi was somewhat anxious now, but he did not know the marching potential of the Wendeng Camp. Based on his past experience, a speed of fifty to sixty li per day was already very fast.

In Linqing Prefecture, there was another armed parade. Wang Erya, in the name of the tobacco trade association, came to comfort the troops, hinting at her background to the various powers in Linqing. The major case in Linqing last year had long been the subject of heated discussion among the people. Because of the name Wendeng Incense, many people could associate it with the Wendeng Camp. They also knew it was relatively capable in battle, but the impression was not very distinct. After this armed parade by the Dengzhou garrison, those with ulterior motives were thoroughly disheartened.

Linqing and Great Ming Prefecture were only a hundred or so li apart. The east-west width of Great Ming Prefecture was also only a hundred li. Crossing this hundred-li distance would bring them to Wu'an, where the roving bandits were rampaging. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Dengzhou troops. This Department Magistrate had received quite a few benefits this year and became even more cordial after receiving Xu Congzhi's order. He conversed happily with Chen Xin and promised to provide grain and labor.

Chen Xin also met his former old superior, Zhou Hongmo. This old superior's fate had been changed by the military merits of the Wendeng Camp back then, and he had obtained the fine position of Assistant Regional Commander of Linqing. He did not want to change posts again. In the original history, he was captured at the Battle of Dalinghe and at this time should have been continuously submitting memorials to Huang Taiji, urging him to attack Shanhai Pass early and aspire to rule all under heaven.

Chen Xin did not know these things. He received an eight-hundred-li express from the Ministry of War, ordering him to go directly to Wu'an. In fact, he had already received news that Lu Xiangsheng had dealt the roving bandits a head-on blow at Wu'an. Zuo Liangyu and the Sichuan troops had joined forces and also successively routed several groups of roving bandits, curbing their attempt to break northward into Zhending Prefecture.

Now very close to the roving bandits, Chen Xin no longer delayed. He rested and reorganized for only one day in Linqing, replenished his grain and fodder, and then led his troops via the Wei River toward Great Ming Prefecture.

The advance teams that had rushed to Great Ming Prefecture to prepare the way began to send back intelligence one after another. Within Shanxi, the elite troops of Xuan-Da and the Three Frontiers of Shaanxi were dividing their forces to encircle and block. The majority of the thirty-six camps of bandits were gathering toward Lu'an Prefecture and gradually moving in the direction of Shexian. In Shexian, Linxian, Wu'an, and other places bordering Henan, several new groups of roving bandits had been discovered arriving.

On May 11th, Chen Xin arrived at Great Ming Prefecture but did not receive a warm welcome. Perhaps because too many guest armies had passed through recently, the local Prefect did not permit him to enter the city, saying that all guest armies were forbidden from entering the city, and only agreed to provide one hundred dan of grain. Chen Xin was already too weary to be angry and made camp outside the city on his own, not even meeting with that Prefect.

Just as he settled into the central army tent, someone from the Great Ming station rushed over urgently. After Chen Xin summoned him in, the man hastily presented an urgent report. "My lord, news received yesterday: Pingshun County in Shanxi has been breached by the roving bandits." ()

PS: I wrote too fast yesterday. The handsome man on the platform should be Xu Pingjie, not Xu Yuanhua. Hereby corrected.