Chapter 380: Rest and Recovery

That afternoon, Dengzhou Garrison completed prisoner screening, retaining about five hundred ordinary refugees who had only recently joined the bandits, and over three hundred orphans from Shanxi and Henan in their early teens. Dengzhou Garrison then relaxed its outer perimeter and openly announced it would stop supplying relief congee. After testing the waters, the more than ten thousand captured refugees began leaving in a steady trickle. They gathered up their pots, bedding, and other belongings from the ground, and by nightfall the majority had dispersed.

Some stubbornly refused to leave. Among them were over a thousand women who had been abducted. Chen Xin had a massive headache over how to arrange for these women — the thousand-plus at Lin County still hadn't been properly settled, and now here came another thousand-plus. He was not, after all, running a charity; he didn't have that much grain to feed so many people. He had hoped these women would disperse on their own, but to his surprise they were very determined. They built their own dugout shelters a li beyond the main camp and stayed there even without food. At night, firelight could be seen, though no one knew what they were cooking.

The next day, the retainers from Xuan Mo's personal battalion arrived at the battlefield. After confirming the results, they hurriedly departed again. Every unit had gotten word and was rushing toward the battlefield. By afternoon, the battlefield had been completely swept clean, and everything useful had been loaded onto captured carts.

Early on the third day, Chen Xin and Ma Xianglin set out with over ten thousand ears. Geng Zhongming and Ma Xianglin volunteered to be the vanguard. Ma Xianglin kept the silver notes and jewels from that small bundle for himself and distributed all the ready silver, giving each soldier two taels. The morale of this Sichuan army unit rose considerably at once.

But they envied the Dengzhou troops even more. The two armies had been standing sentry duty together in the area these past two days, and the Sichuan troops were astonished by this army's uniforms, equipment, and bearing. When they heard that Dengzhou troops never had their pay skimmed, these tribal soldiers almost thought they had misheard.

The Shizhu troops were, in fact, tribal soldiers, most of whom lacked personal freedom. The great mountains of eastern Sichuan had forged their toughness and simplicity, but after this Liaodong reinforcement campaign, they had also been exposed to the corrupt atmosphere of many Ming armies, which had somewhat affected their mindset. The Guanning Army had also frequently pushed aside this strong army so close at hand, and since the Sichuan troops were using Liaodong military tax funds in Jizhen while rarely giving kickbacks, as soon as Qin Yiming proposed returning to garrison, the imperial court approved it.

Now, interacting with the Dengzhou troops, these Sichuan soldiers found this force truly unique. Both sides had a good impression of each other, and many of Chen Xin's miraculous exploits began circulating among the Sichuan troops.

Dengzhou Garrison brought up the rear, and unlike when they had come, the column now included many more horses, mules, and harnessed carts. The handcarts were also being pulled by the refugee laborers in the middle, and some handcarts even carried the elderly and children.

Through screening, over five hundred laborers and over three hundred orphans had been selected; counting the laborers' families, they totaled over two thousand people. Supporting the elderly and carrying the young, they walked in the middle. The changes over these two days truly made these refugees feel as if they were dreaming. When they first saw the Dengzhou troops, they had assumed they would certainly be beheaded for merit. But after the battle, these soldiers became less ferocious and even gave them congee. Some soldiers who spoke kindly came and divided the captives into groups. Soldiers reassigned them to their original respective camps, and then came mutual denunciations and exposures. In the end, about five hundred remained. There were also many orphans, but many had relatives or friends killed in that night raid, so Dengzhou Garrison uniformly refused to take them in. The final number kept was around three hundred.

Further behind was another tail — those thousand-plus women and some refugees unwilling to leave. They followed on their own. Training officers like Zhao Xuan tried to persuade them all along the way to leave on their own, explicitly stating that Dengzhou Garrison would no longer provide meals. But those who had been hungry for a day were very resolute.

Wang Mafu dispatched a cavalry unit to block the road. These people burst into loud wailing on the road. After the main army had gone far, the cavalry also left, and these people erupted with astonishing energy. In just one double-hour, they caught up with the rear of the column.

"My lord, they've caught up again. Should we send cavalry to disperse them?" Wang Mafu said to Chen Xin.

Chen Xin was in the middle of discussing the new dragoon unit with Zhu Daichun and Zhong Laosi. Hearing this, he ran out of the column, raised his telescope, and looked toward the rear for a while. Zhu Daichun also had a telescope; after looking, he handed it to Zhong Laosi.

Zhong Laosi muttered, "These people look so thin — how can they walk so fast?"

Zhao Xuan hurried over, saluted Chen Xin, and said, "My lord, how about letting them eat one more meal? We captured so much grain."

Zhu Daichun said coldly, "That grain is for us to keep and eat. Do you know how difficult supply is in Henan?"

Chen Xin asked quietly, "How many are left?"

"About sixty or seventy percent of the original number."

Chen Xin sighed softly. "Block them one more time. Those who can still keep up, slowly redirect them to Lin County."

This was another selection by natural law. Those with poorer physiques would be abandoned. Those who could persevere at least had very tenacious willpower and decent physical stamina — they wouldn't fail to produce a harvest when put to farming. Dengzhou Garrison couldn't save everyone. These officers understood very clearly that if they took in all the refugees, they would only end up collapsing their logistics, and then the refugees would go back to being roving bandits.

Zhong Laosi suddenly said, "Some general's retainers are coming."

The several men simultaneously looked in the direction Zhong Laosi's telescope was pointing. From behind the ruins of a distant village, a cavalry unit of about a hundred riders emerged. Spotting the column here, they rode over quickly. Up close, they looked to be in Ming army gear. Like the roving bandits, they had saddlebags hanging from their horses, and some even had women on them.

Two banner units of Dengzhou Garrison cavalry swiftly formed up facing south. The picket riders also galloped around that group. Seeing the situation here, that unit of government troops slowed down. They did not send anyone over to report, but instead shifted direction slightly and slowly closed in on the women and refugees at the rear.

Seeing their manner, Zhao Xuan knew exactly what they were planning. He said anxiously, "My lord, these retainers are going to kill civilians and pass them off as battle merit."

The men and women at the rear who had chased after them at the risk of their lives also spotted that government unit. They were shrieking in panic, their feet running even faster, but they did not scatter and flee. Instead, they focused solely on getting close to Dengzhou Garrison's side. It was clear they had developed a kind of trust in Dengzhou Garrison.

Zhu Daichun and Wang Mafu both said nothing. In truth, it would be best if that government unit drove away those women and refugees. Even if they might be killed, Dengzhou Garrison would bear not even a moral responsibility. Zhong Laosi's eyes kept darting around as he stole glances at Chen Xin's expression.

After a long while, Chen Xin said flatly, "Send a few garrison provost soldiers with flags to protect the civilians. We are government troops; protecting the common people is our duty."

Zhao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Beside him, Wang Mafu immediately relayed the order to the military judges. Moments later, several mounted garrison provost soldiers headed toward the rear, each carrying a four-chi triangular Dengzhou Garrison military flag.

The several garrison provost soldiers spread out widely, standing on the south side of the refugees. The triangular military flags in their hands fluttered in the wind. The winged tigers on them bared fangs and claws, exuding great authority. That group of retainers stopped a hundred paces from the Dengzhou Garrison provost soldiers, not daring to move against those scattered few.

Many soldiers on the march were watching that cavalry unit, to see if they would dare forcibly seize people.

That unit of retainers hesitated for a moment, then finally turned and headed west. Dengzhou Garrison's soldiers continued on their way. This little interlude did not halt the Dengzhou troops.

"Bastards. Thought they might come test us, but a few provost soldiers scared them off," Zhong Laosi cursed under his breath.

Zhao Xuan laughed loudly. "They weren't afraid of the provost soldiers — they were afraid of our military flag. Our Dengzhou Garrison has finally truly made its name known across the realm."

Chen Xin was bringing a large group of refugees and had a huge amount of supplies to transport. They covered forty li in a day. They made camp and rested early. By now, news of the great victory had spread throughout Weihui Prefecture. The Henan stockades they passed along the way were respectful in attitude. The local gentry inside took the initiative to have people contribute some military grain, and some even sent pigs and sheep. With no Foreign Affairs Department personnel accompanying the army this time, Chen Xin had to bring Zhao Xuan and others to handle the social niceties himself.

On the second day after breaking camp, they marched until nearly dark and finally returned to the main camp. Lu Zhi came out five li to welcome them. This raid was now completely concluded. This camp had sturdy defensive works and ample grain, allowing these exhausted soldiers to rest and recover better. The troops left behind to guard the camp thundered with cheers, especially at the sight of cart after cart of grain and over a thousand horses and mules — all urgently needed supplies for Dengzhou Garrison.

Lu Zhi was most concerned about that Zijin Liang. As soon as they returned to the main camp, he personally went to that cart to see the captive. Zijin Liang was trussed up like a zongzi. No matter what Lu Zhi asked him, he kept his eyes shut and refused to answer.

Lu Zhi was extremely cautious about confirming Zijin Liang's identity. His first victory dispatch had already been sent, reporting the great victory, but regarding the live capture of Zijin Liang, it only said confirmation was pending. Chen Xin let Lu Zhi keep finding people everywhere to confirm it. For several days in a row, he dealt with the aftermath. In this battle, Dengzhou Garrison had actually suffered over one hundred and seventy killed and over four hundred wounded, but Chen Xin reported over a thousand casualties to both Lu Zhi and Xuan Mo, stating they were unable to continue operations in the near term.

Ming army morale in Weihui Prefecture soared. Xuan Mo wanted to take custody of Zijin Liang but was flatly refused by Lu Zhi, who merely said they still didn't know if he was genuine. Xuan Mo of course understood what was going on. Spurred by this, he took Zuo Liangyu, Deng Ke, and the Henan personal battalion toward Huaiqing, attempting to wipe out the roving bandits in one stroke. The capital battalion commanded itself. The several large armies first reached Xiuwu, then advanced toward Huaiqing Prefecture, lifting the partial siege of the prefectural seat.

The various roving bandit groups had taken this heavy blow from Dengzhou Garrison, all suffering severe losses. Their momentum plummeted for a time. Many small bandit groups were so terrified they turned back north toward Mount Taixing and fled back into Shanxi territory. The larger groups, like Chuang Wang and Cao Cao, headed toward Jiyuan. Some still operated recklessly around the Huaiqing prefectural seat. The refugees Chen Xin had released were taken in by them in large numbers, greatly expanding their strength. Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng were among them.

On the twenty-ninth, the army began rotating rest. One company commander's unit per day stood duty; all others rested. Chen Xin convened a meeting of squad commander and above officers. The accompanying military judges and quartermasters reported the spoils from this operation.

The spoils from this operation: two thousand three hundred horses, of which six hundred were warhorses; one thousand two hundred mules; five hundred two-wheeled harnessed carts; one thousand three hundred two-wheeled and single-wheeled handcarts; three thousand seven hundred dan of grain; five hundred dan of beans; approximately seven hundred thousand taels of silver in various forms; six thousand pieces of jewelry; and silk, satin, cotton cloth, and other goods valued at two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Dengzhou Garrison's total casualties were over five hundred and seventy. In terms of equipment loss, one-tenth of the bayonet muskets were damaged, and the loss of ramrods reached three-tenths. Four-tenths of the bayonet flintlocks were damaged, of which three-tenths were broken bayonets or socket rings. Although the Fifth Battalion consisted of trained reserve soldiers, they still couldn't compare to the most elite veterans. Fire support in the latter phase of the attack was less than half of what it had been at the start. All kinds of problems were recorded in the books, including various situations encountered during the night raid. These could only be improved through training; completely avoiding them was impossible.

Chen Xin announced the short-term plan going forward. All units would enter rest and recovery, escorting refugees back to the Lin County base in batches. Zhong Laosi's Second Corps would be reorganized into dragoons. Five hundred warhorses would also be transported back to Lin County, with Dengzhou gradually sending cavalry reserve soldiers over to be integrated with the original cavalry into the Fifth Battalion's cavalry company commander unit, strengthening the Fifth Battalion's combat power and turning the Fifth Battalion into a mixed-formation battalion as well.

On the twenty-ninth, Lu Zhi borrowed two of Wang Jiayin's former adopted sons from Zuo Liangyu and finally confirmed that Zijin Liang was genuine. He wrote a detailed victory dispatch to Jingshi and sent a special messenger to deliver it. This place was not far from Beijing, and the roads in Beizhili were good — at the fastest, one day, two days at most, and it would arrive.

When the victory dispatch was sent out, Chen Xin was privately summoning Wang Erya and Song Wenxian. Wang Erya had come from Huaxian. Chen Xin had recently been driven to distraction by the roving bandits' Mobile Corps Commander warfare and was beginning to understand the difficulty of bandit suppression. The current area of operations was still limited to this small patch of northern Henan. If the roving bandits truly broke into the vast Central Plains, an army of Dengzhou's model would find it very hard to pursue bandits without resorting to looting. So Chen Xin still required Wang Erya to strengthen the commercial network in Great Ming Prefecture. Wang Erya had been busy with this recently. She had expended great effort to stockpile a batch of grain in Huaxian and Junxian, ready to support the expeditionary army at any time.

Chen Xin asked Wang Erya to transport most of the jewelry away and sell it at commercial shops in various places. Wang Erya had done this sort of thing many times — the spoils from the Dengzhou Mutiny back then had been handled the same way. Additionally, he hoped Wang Erya could help settle some of the women. Wang Erya didn't even listen to everything Chen Xin said. She only agreed to do her best to place those who were literate.

The trading company had its own rules, and Chen Xin did not force her. Most of those women could farm; they just couldn't be soldiers. After finishing this matter, he told Wang Erya to go attend to her tasks first, leaving only Song Wenxian in the tent.

The two of them were far more casual with each other. Chen Xin handed out cigarettes to Song Wenxian and Hai Gouzi. Hai Gouzi lit them for both, and the three puffed away together, discussing matters as they did.

Chen Xin asked Song Wenxian, "Mr. Song, have you established personal connections with Ma Xianglin and Deng Ke recently?"

"I've befriended both. As per your intention, my lord, I sent each some ears and silver," Song Wenxian replied. "I borrowed someone from the trading company who speaks the Sichuan dialect and plan to assign him specifically to handle the southwest region. However, this person has always done business and seems overly slick. I'm hesitating."

Chen Xin smiled. "Someone responsible for a large region should be steady and reliable, but accent is also very important. That Mr. Song can pay attention to such details shows you've put considerable thought into this."

Song Wenxian said helplessly, "There's no other way. The places we need to deal with are growing broader and broader — Shandong, Denglai, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong, Nanzhili, Liaodong, Joseon, Jingshi. I alone could never manage to travel to all of them. The Foreign Affairs Department still has to rely on the trading company for many things now. If we don't cultivate some of our own people, this job will become impossible to do in the future."

Chen Xin nodded. "That's the truth. I, too, often feel there aren't enough capable people to use. Mr. Song has only just arrived, yet I must trouble you to make another trip."

Song Wenxian said without the slightest objection, "Please speak, my lord."

"Another trip to Jingshi. Fighting the war is important, but the matters after the fighting are also important. So I need Mr. Song to go to Jingshi and ask the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works for more things. More importantly, the groundwork laid in Qingzhou Prefecture has already been set in motion. No matter how we lay out plans in other regions, Denglai is ultimately our foundation. Therefore, this matter is a hundred times more critical than Zijin Liang. Mr. Song must be in Jingshi to oversee it." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian to vote and cast monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to read.)