Chapter 386

ps: Urgently requesting monthly tickets.

"Coming so late, I thought the Tatars weren't coming this year." In the central army tent of the Huixian camp, Chen Xin held the intelligence report, muttering to himself, then casually handed it to Zhu Daichun and Song Wenxian, who were seated nearby.

After finishing reading, he asked the relay rider who delivered the message, "The Later Jin troops are transporting grain to Fuzhou — it could also be autumn and winter military rations being delivered. Why are they certain the Later Jin troops are coming?"

"It was said at the council of war. The grain transporters were men from the Two Yellow Banners. After escorting the delivery, only a small portion left. They attempted to conceal troop movements by sending many and withdrawing few. According to a captured tongue's confession, most of the White Armor Soldiers of the Two Yellow Banners have already been transferred to Gaizhou, and the same goes for the Bordered Blue Banner and Bordered Red Banner. Therefore, Director Liu believes it is a sign that the Later Jin will come in force."

Chen Xin lowered his head and pondered silently for a moment, then raised his head and said, "That does make some sense. I'll write a reply tonight; you can take it back tomorrow. You've come a long way and must be tired — go down and rest first."

The relay rider stood at attention and saluted, then turned and withdrew from the great tent. Chen Xin slowly walked back to his seat. Zhu Daichun and the others had also finished reading by now. Chen Xin tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "This time they were able to judge in advance, which shows our scouting warfare is not inferior. The special operations company suffered considerable losses this year, but soldiers grow stronger the more they fight. If no one dies in peacetime, a hundred times more will die when a great battle comes."

Zhu Daichun had some misgivings. He asked, "Is there any confirmed intelligence from inside the Jianzhou bandits?"

Wang Mafu continued, "Intelligence gathering on the Later Jin cannot reach that level for now. The Tatars' baojia system is extremely tight. Even true Yi cannot move freely everywhere. If they need to pass through a banner village of another niru, they must be led by someone at the bosoku level or above from their own niru to pass through. Outsiders find it impossible to move a single step. We can only understand some situations through smuggling ships. We cannot directly send agents deep inland."

Chen Xin asked the others, "Then this is all the intelligence we have. Do you think the Jianzhou bandits will come?"

Zhu Daichun thought over his wording before saying, "This subordinate believes they may not necessarily come. Lüshun is not an isolated city like Jinzhou. This subordinate has participated in two exercises of the Military Orders Department. The defenses around Lüshun are both complex and vast. An ordinary person would get dizzy just walking in. The only way is to fill in the trenches all the way. Filling trenches requires shielded carts, which will inevitably be heavily damaged by our artillery. Just breaking through the outer perimeter would cause extremely heavy casualties. A commander should not attack such a lively city. Even if they must attack, they should do so in winter, when the sea freezes over, troop ships cannot come and go, and they can assault the city walls directly from the ice."

Chen Xin smiled. "You are very familiar with Lüshun, so you think this way. Huang Taiji is not you; he may not know what Lüshun looks like now. Observing the Later Jin's timing for deploying troops, it is mostly in winter. But Lüshun is different from Liaoxi. They cannot forage locally. Transporting grain from Fuzhou and Gaizhou is ultimately more difficult in winter than in normal times. Moreover, digging earth and undermining walls are both very inconvenient in winter. Huang Taiji is coming to meet toughness with toughness. A land supply route versus a sea supply route — interesting. If they really come, it won't be in vain that we prepared a round. Wang Mafu, what do you think?"

Wang Mafu stood ramrod straight and replied to Chen Xin, "Both Jinzhou and Lüshun have prearranged defense plans. Let them execute according to the plans. If any sudden situations arise, we can make temporary adjustments then."

Song Wenxian was also in the tent. Because of the issue of presenting captives from the Purple-Gold Beam, Xuan Mo and Lü Zhi were still locked in litigation. Xuan Mo insisted on the principle of territorial jurisdiction, that the Henan Provincial Governor's government office should present the captives. The Directorate of Ceremonial and the Ministry of War each held their own arguments. The Grand Secretariat said to wait for the Emperor to decide, so the matter dragged on. Coupled with news from the Jinan intelligence station that the Shandong Provincial Governor had not yet submitted a memorial reporting an emergency, Chen Xin had no choice but to let Wu Jianzhong intensify the offensive.

Now, hearing the news of the Later Jin attack, Song Wenxian's face was full of worry. "My lord, if the Jianzhou bandits come with their entire force this time, our Dengzhou Garrison will be resisting the Jianzhou bandits with the strength of a single garrison alone. This subordinate believes we should request reinforcements from the Ministry of War and the Jiliao Regional Commander, asking them to dispatch Liaozhen to tie them down and send the Juehua and Tianjin naval forces to respond."

Zhu Daichun said with some disdain, "The main force of Liaozhen was completely annihilated at Dalinghe last year. Now even if a few Jianzhou bandit scouts pass by Jinzhou, they are so terrified they freeze like cicadas in winter. They absolutely dare not cross half a step east of the river."

Song Wenxian turned to Zhu Daichun. "Even if Liaozhen is utterly useless, the Juehua naval force is always useful. Let them show themselves at the mouth of the Sancha River. The Jianzhou bandits will always leave behind a few more men. Reducing the enemy's strength by even one part is useful."

"Mr. Song is right." Chen Xin nodded and said to Wang Mafu, "Make it clear in the reply to Dengzhou: request Lord Wang to send a relay report to the Ministry of War as soon as possible. Phrase the message to the Ministry of War urgently, and by the way, ask for a few more things. Liang Tingdong still owes me two hundred of the warhorses he promised last time. Tell him to make up the shortfall quickly."

Chen Xin spoke while pondering. "The reply should emphasize several points specifically. Transfer the Third Battalion's First and Second Brigades to Lüshun. Dengzhou is to requisition all merchant ships of the trading company currently in port to speed up military supply transport. If the Later Jin troops do not come, then fine. But once they attack, they will certainly come extremely fast. Have Liu Po's unit strengthen scouting and reconnaissance. Begin laying mines and cannons in preset ambush zones. Southern Liao is to immediately begin the first step of the prearranged plan: strengthen defenses and clear the countryside. Keep kindling and fire oil ready at all times for the Jinzhou grain stores — set them ablaze as soon as the alarm comes. Harvest all the alfalfa near Nanguan. Once the enemy's main force is confirmed to be advancing, destroy all crops on garrisoned farmland near Lüshun. Not a single grain of food is to be left outside the defensive positions. Release poisons or rotting animal carcasses into water sources. Burn everything that can be burned in the surrounding mountain forests and grasslands. Additionally, have Yang Yun from Dengzhou make a trip to the various islands of Dongjiang. Once the Later Jin army masses at Lüshun, request each island to effectively raid and harass the Liaodong coast at Xiuyan and other places, cutting off their eastern supply route."

Wang Mafu scribbled rapidly, taking notes. His memory was excellent, and he wrote very quickly. Chen Xin had also taught him some shorthand methods, and he had now become a trusted confidant whom Chen Xin used with great ease.

Chen Xin had long been prepared for a Later Jin attack on Lüshun and showed no sign of panic. He said calmly to Wang Mafu, "Tell them to fight according to the prearranged plans. Liaozhen fears the Tatars; we do not fear the Tatars. Our Dengzhou Garrison are professional soldiers. Enlisting means coming to fight wars."

Wang Mafu asked Chen Xin, "My lord, will you be returning to take personal command?"

Chen Xin smiled. "Of course I will. Compared to hunting down those refugees who are half-civilian, half-bandit, I much prefer dealing with the Jianzhou bandits. Killing Tatars is my greatest hobby. But I still have some matters to finish dealing with. Let the relay rider take the letter back first."

Wang Mafu immediately said, "Then this subordinate will go notify the guard unit to prepare the traveling gear."

"Wang Mafu, you stay in Linxian and assist Battalion Commander Zhu."

Wang Mafu seemed not to have expected this. He stood there in shock. Chen Xin had never told him before that he would be left in Henan. Zhu Daichun, on the other hand, wore a composed expression.

Chen Xin said calmly, "This place is not like Dengzhou. Affairs are numerous and complex, while personnel are slightly lacking. Zhu Daichun alone may find it hard to cope. I intend to leave you here to assist Battalion Commander Zhu. Before I leave, I will assemble the chief officers of each unit for a briefing. Zhu Daichun will remain the chief officer. I am establishing a new Chief of Staff position in the Fifth Battalion, to be filled by Wang Mafu. You will have advisory authority on military affairs; decision-making authority rests with Zhu Daichun. When encountering major, difficult-to-decide urgent military matters, decisions will be made jointly by the chief officer, deputy battalion commander, battalion military judge, battalion training officer, chief of staff, and senior non-commissioned officer. Ultimately, the chief officer still makes the final decision. The chief officer's decided orders must be carried out, unless all the aforementioned officers unanimously oppose it. In addition, Wang Mafu will specifically oversee the personnel of the various departments of the Chief Military Command's office detached to Linxian, including garrison farming, mobilization, military affairs, military supply, and foreign affairs."

Zhu Daichun loudly acknowledged the order. Wang Mafu stood stunned for a moment before reacting and thanking Chen Xin for the promotion. He seemed not to have been mentally prepared.

This matter had nothing to do with Song Wenxian, who stood quietly to one side. In his mind, he was carefully pondering Chen Xin's appointment. Although Wang Mafu had shallow seniority, he was Chen Xin's aide-de-camp, managing the personal staff office, and was without doubt Chen Xin's most trusted confidant. Chen Xin did not hide things from him when arranging matters. He was the person best able to grasp Chen Xin's true intentions and was also the most loyal. Arranging for him to serve as a deputy was a kind of promotion and did not affect Zhu Daichun's military command authority, ensuring the most critical element — unimpeded military orders. However, the various departments and garrison farming affairs that Wang Mafu concurrently managed allowed him to fragment the power of this enclave, preventing the chief officer's personal power from becoming too great. Beyond the division of power between Wang Mafu and the various functional organs, the trading company also controlled the rations and pay of this force. Added to the fact that the families and assets of the Dengzhou soldiers were all under the control of the Chief Military Command's office, this ensured Chen Xin's effective command over this externally dispatched force.

Song Wenxian inwardly admired Chen Xin's arrangements quite a bit and had an even clearer understanding of Chen Xin's personnel strategy. He secretly reminded himself: just looking at Chen Xin's deployment in the Central Plains, one could tell he had great ambitions. However, in Song Wenxian's view, there was really nothing good to gain in the Central Plains. Here the land was barren for a thousand li, the surrounding countryside was thick with hostility, and the path through officialdom had not been opened up. It would be very difficult to develop and grow in the short term. Keeping a force here was too wasteful.

Zhu Daichun turned his head to glance at Wang Mafu and took the initiative to say, "Mafu has already received the true teachings of Lord Chen's military methods. For Zhu to be able to obtain Mafu's assistance, this place will surely become another key location for our Dengzhou Garrison. In the future, if this officer does anything improper, I ask Brother Mafu not to begrudge your guidance."

Wang Mafu hurriedly said politely, "I dare not, I dare not. This subordinate is unclear on many matters and must also seek guidance from Lord Zhu, especially regarding military affairs..."

Chen Xin rapped the table. "Alright, you're all soldiers. Don't be so fussy and long-winded. Discuss the specifics later. Zhu Daichun, remember this: Wang Mafu is your subordinate. Manage him however he should be managed. Don't hold back just because he came from the personal staff office. Our Dengzhou Garrison doesn't have so many fussy rules. I only recognize reason, not personal connections."

The two had no choice but to stop their mutual flattery and wait for Chen Xin to continue.

Chen Xin stood up and walked to the map, pointing at Huixian and Linxian. He said to the two, "Now I will assign you your objectives. Do not ask me the reasons. Just remember: everything we do is for the future of the Dengzhou Garrison, which means for all of us. Your primary task is to stabilize the garrison-farm zone in Linxian and clear the trade routes in both Linxian and Huixian. Beyond these two places, cease large-scale attacks on the roving bandits. Focus on small-unit operations and cavalry training. Do not pursue the roving bandits relentlessly. If Xuan Mo gives orders for you to suppress the bandits, just handle it perfunctorily. Once the roving bandits break into the Central Plains, report to me immediately, and I will then deploy your next tasks."

Chen Xin turned his head and stared at the two. "Only you two may know of this matter. Do not disclose it to anyone else. Otherwise, it will be treated as a breach of secrecy. After the warhorses and armor that Liang Tingdong promised arrive, continue sending them to Henan. First organize and train a reserve company commander unit among the garrison farmers. Plant more alfalfa in the garrison forts; it should be able to supply these cavalry. Henan is overrun with roving bandits. The refugees in Weihui and Huaiqing are a mix of good and bad. Recently, take in fewer of them and take in more refugees from Beizhili."

After the arrangements were made, the two officers left. Only Song Wenxian, who was half a friend, remained in the tent. Chen Xin propped up his feet, took out Liu Minyou's letter from his bosom, opened it, and began to read. His mouth fell open in surprise. He hurriedly finished reading the rest. What followed was all about the preparations for textile production and sales.

Song Wenxian watched him curiously. Chen Xin's expression looked very strange.

Chen Xin turned to look at Song Wenxian, stunned for a moment before saying, "Wang Tingshi wants to take him as a son-in-law! Damn it, why doesn't a good thing like this ever fall on me?"

Song Wenxian was also taken aback for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter. "Lord Chen is fighting well in Henan with the militia battalion, but it has made a wedding dress for Mr. Liu. He is the militia commander, after all."

Chen Xin shook his head repeatedly. Only when Song Wenxian stopped laughing did he say, "The most infuriating part is that this fellow doesn't appreciate it at all. He's unwilling."

Song Wenxian cupped his hands. "Then Lord Chen must still go back and persuade him. This matter has only benefits and no drawbacks for our Dengzhou Garrison. Forming a marriage alliance with the Commandant's family is something we could never even dream of. It's also because you, my lord, already have a titled wife. If Wang Tingshi's daughter came, she could only be a concubine. Otherwise, he might really seek you, my lord, as his ideal son-in-law."

Chen Xin pursed his lips and changed the subject. He said to Song Wenxian, "Let's not talk about it. The matter at hand is that the Purple-Gold Beam issue is dragging on. Mr. Song, you should still go and work on it. Give Xuan Mo some benefits. We need to set up camp in Linxian; we must get past this hurdle in Henan. Regarding the matter of presenting the Purple-Gold Beam captives, mediate in the middle and bring the matter to an early conclusion. You go with the people presenting the captives to the capital."

Seeing no one else in the tent, Song Wenxian probed Chen Xin, "My lord, this Henan is barren for a thousand li, a place where birds don't even shit. Why does my lord pay such attention to this place in Henan, stationing such a large battalion unit here?"

"This place is closer to the Grand Canal. The westernmost point of our garrison is Changyi. To reach the Grand Canal, one must cross Qingzhou, Jinan, and Eastern Depot Prefecture. The Grand Canal is the lifeline of the north and also the lifeline of our trading company. No matter the circumstances, I must ensure we have the power to control the Grand Canal. Linxian is not far from the canal and can threaten Linqing and Eastern Depot at any time." Chen Xin did not hide anything in front of Song Wenxian. The two had long been in collusion and were well aware of each other's knowledge of Chen Xin's ambitions.

Song Wenxian said in a low voice, "Speaking thus, this subordinate understands. The canal is even more critical to the imperial court. If the canal is cut off, the capital becomes a dead city."

Chen Xin let out a long breath and said, "Besides the capital, Jiangnan also relies on this waterway. The capital and Jiangnan — one is the seat of power, the other the economic heartland. Both happen to be connected to the Grand Canal. If I don't station some troops near the canal, how can I sleep soundly?"

"This subordinate understands." Song Wenxian saluted with heartfelt admiration. He had not expected that while the Jianzhou bandits were attacking southern Liao, Chen Xin was still thinking about deploying forces along the Grand Canal.

Chen Xin casually pointed at the map and said to Song Wenxian, "This place, Henan — we are now occupying a piece of territory in northern Henan. South of the Yellow River, Kaifeng and Luoyang seem extremely important, but in reality, they are not important to me at all. I am more concerned with the line from Nanyang and Xiangyang to Wuchang. The Foreign Affairs Department also has an office in Linxian. Mr. Song, tell them to travel more frequently to these places. Now that the trading company has reached Nanyang, you all should follow them there."

Song Wenxian nodded. "This subordinate will remember. This line is the main road from Henan to Huguang, and also the granary of the realm. No wonder my lord values it. This way, we can also connect with Sichuan."

"Exactly." Chen Xin stood up. "If one day I can occupy Wuchang, the lower reaches of the Yangtze will all be within the reach of my military forces. In the north, there is the canal to transport troops. All the wealthiest lands of the Great Ming will be within reach in a single day. With this guarantee, business will be easier to conduct. The trading company and military prestige complement each other. When that time comes, let's see what those Jiangnan gentry and scholars can do about it." (To be continued..)