Chapter 404: The Rear Area

"The Ministry of War reports fierce fighting at Lvshun. The Jianzhou bandits' main army at Lvshun alone numbers over a hundred thousand men. The Southern Four Garrisons still have over ten thousand garrisoned troops, plus tens of thousands of supply-transport auxiliaries, making the total already exceed one hundred fifty thousand. They have besieged Lvshun for over ten days now, their earth ramparts rising higher than the city walls. According to Wang Tingshi's report, the Jianzhou bandits have as many as forty to fifty red-barbarian cannons, plus several hundred small bronze cannons, grand general cannons, Frankish guns, and other pieces. At Lvshun, arrows blanket the sky and cannonballs fall like rain. Dengzhou Garrison's fighting spirit is high, fearing no strong foe; they have killed and wounded several thousand Jianzhou bandits. However, Dengzhou's Main Battalion and Left-Right Auxiliaries have also suffered heavy losses. Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent and Dengzhou Regional Commander Chen Xin requests additional allocation of red-barbarian cannons, armor, Frankish guns, and other items totaling three thousand two hundred pieces, along with military pay, provisions, gunpowder, fire arrows, iron stock, saltpeter, and sulfur in certain amounts. He also requests that the Liao Garrison and Tianjin naval forces be dispatched across the Sancha River to raid Niuzhuang and Haizhou, to tie down the Jianzhou bandits' forces."

On the platform within the Forbidden City, the Emperor was in council with the Grand Secretaries. Those present today included Zhou Yanru, Wen Tiren, Min Hongxue, Xu Guangqi, Liang Tingdong, and others; Wen Tiren's faction still held the majority.

The gaunt Wen Tiren said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Chen Xin has sworn to defend Lvshun to the death, declaring he would rather die than abandon this last piece of Liaodong soil. As long as Lvshun holds, our Great Ming's morale will be greatly boosted. Your servant requests Your Majesty to levy frontier troops for reinforcement, to turn the tide in Liaodong in a single battle."

After Liang Tingdong finished, he presented a Dengzhou military report. Chongzhen took it with curiosity. After reading the headline written by Chen Xin, he nodded repeatedly with some agitation. Finishing it, he said to Liang Tingdong, "The memorial Junior Tutor Chen submitted a few days ago was written in the same vein — swearing to live or die with Lvshun. In truth, We..."

Chongzhen suddenly stopped. All the deliberating ministers waited quietly to see what exactly the Emperor was hesitating about.

"In truth, We do not wish for Regional Commander Chen to feel he must fight the Jianzhou bandits to mutual destruction. Yet Lvshun cannot be abandoned either." Chongzhen closed his eyes briefly. Opening them, he fixed his gaze on Liang Tingdong and said, "This matter must be handled urgently. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works must cooperate fully. Should anyone shirk or delay, Minister Liang may come to the palace at any time to report in person. We shall not pardon lightly. Chen Xin has just captured the Purple-Gold Beam alive in Henan, slain over ten thousand roving bandits, and had no time even to present captives at the palace gates before turning back to Lvshun to resist the Jianzhou bandits. He hasn't even had a chance to catch his breath. We cannot let Chen Xin fight all the empire's wars; even a man of iron cannot endure it."

Liang Tingdong said, "Your servant understands, and also understands Regional Commander Chen's difficulties. Supplies will be raised to the best of our ability. But as for frontier troops... there truly is nowhere to draw them from. The Three Frontiers of Shaanxi and Guyuan must guard against the Khalkha Mongols and the Tao bandits, and the distance is too great. Cao Wenzhao's forces are besieging roving bandits in southeastern Shanxi, and the same goes for the troops of the three garrisons of Xuanfu, Datong, and Shanxi. None of these forces can be redeployed, or the roving bandits might escape. The Jizhou Garrison's troops must protect the capital and are also unsuitable for redeployment. There is only the Liao Garrison. Yet in recent days, Liaodong Governor Fang Yizao has submitted memorial after memorial, claiming tens of thousands of Jianzhou bandits are operating near Jinzhou, and Zu Dashou has repeatedly called for help, requesting the court to send frontier troops to relieve Liaodong."

Upon hearing the name Zu Dashou, Chongzhen's expression darkened involuntarily, though only for a fleeting moment before he quickly regained his composure. Ningyuan and Jinzhou were lands beyond civilization; it was no exaggeration to call them a state within a state. The Battle of Dalinghe was a major turning point for Zu Dashou. That campaign seemed to have shattered his confidence in defending cities. Coupled with his killing of He Kegang to break out of the siege — though he had his own justifications, it was entirely unlawful in legal principle. So he simply adopted the full posture of a warlord, ignoring the imperial edict summoning him to the capital.

The Later Jin shifted to political offensives against Zu Dashou. People like Zu Kefa and Zu Runze maintained private channels of communication with Jinzhou. Huang Taiji was shrewd, but these men were no slouches either. They knew the current state of affairs was most advantageous for the Guanning Army — profiting between Ming and Jin. As long as Zu Dashou stood firm in Jinzhou, they would receive favorable treatment in the Later Jin as well. The Zu family army thus maintained this posture of neither attacking nor defending. Naturally, Zu Dashou would not surrender easily either; he was quite content being the king of Jinzhou and would not defect just because of a few coaxing words from Huang Taiji. No matter how sweetly Huang Taiji spoke, he could not change the fundamental nature of being a high-ranking bondservant. Moreover, no matter how the Later Jin boasted of itself, it had yet to achieve the form of a true political regime; it was more like a vast primitive tribe.

Since taking office, Fang Yizao had also submitted two secret memorials. He selectively reported certain situations, all superficial matters, not daring to touch on substantive issues. But Chongzhen could guess. His summoning of Zu Dashou to the capital was the best test of this. Yet even knowing this, he still dared not short Zu Dashou a single tael of silver, lest that balance tip toward the Later Jin. With such a massive, ill-intentioned military garrison lying just three hundred li from the capital, Jizhou Garrison and Deng-Lai became all the more critical.

Cao Heng had spent two years in Jizhou Garrison and had basically built up the defensive line. Troops there were not normally redeployed. Deng-Lai, meanwhile, could simultaneously check both the Jianzhou bandits and the Liao Garrison. Chongzhen was not entirely clear on Lvshun's strategic position; he felt Lvshun was not as important as Jinzhou, because Jinzhou was a guard city while Lvshun was merely a battalion headquarters. Even so, he understood clearly the role of Liaonan: to simultaneously restrain the two forces that posed the greatest threat to the capital.

The several Grand Secretaries all knew Zu Dashou was a warlord. However, this warlord still observed the rules in the capital, not stinting on the customary tributes. Besides, the court was currently powerless to deal with him. So all of them tactfully refrained from delving deeper into this topic.

Chongzhen asked Liang Tingdong in a deep voice, "Lvshun already faces a hundred thousand Jianzhou bandits, and Fang Yizao reports tens of thousands more at Jinzhou. Has the Ministry of War conducted long-range reconnaissance? Where did these tens of thousands come from?"

"Your servant has already dispatched men to the Liao Garrison to investigate. As soon as military intelligence returns, your servant will report immediately." Liang Tingdong smoothly employed a delaying tactic. In truth, he was certain Zu Dashou was fabricating military intelligence. The Jianzhou bandits' attack on Lvshun must be an all-out effort; they would never send tens of thousands of men to deal with a Liao Garrison that dared not leave its walls. It was simply that no one would say so in front of the Emperor.

Chongzhen accepted Liang Tingdong's explanation. After all, Liang Tingdong's performance this year had been quite good, and he did not embarrass him on the spot.

"In that case, have Fang Yizao conduct clearer reconnaissance as well. In the future, let him not write such vague phrases as 'tens of thousands of Jianzhou bandits.' He was appointed Liaodong Governor, not a Jinzhou mouthpiece. He must investigate clearly himself how many Jianzhou bandits have come. Otherwise, what use is he? When the Grand Secretariat drafts the rescript, include these words of Ours as well."

Liang Tingdong immediately assented. He added, "No troops can be drawn from the Nine Frontier Garrisons. For now, Lvshun has only the Dengzhou Garrison. However, your servant has already ordered the Tianjin naval forces and the Dongjiang Garrison to coordinate in support of Lvshun."

At this moment, Min Hongxue stepped forward and said, "Reporting to His Majesty, your old servant has a matter to memorialize. At present, with flames of war everywhere, the Dengzhou Garrison is being dispatched east and west and is truly overstretched. Henan Governor Xuan Mo has submitted a memorial requesting the Dengzhou Garrison remain stationed in Henan. Previously, Xu Congzhi reported rampant banditry in the Yishan mountains and also requested the Dengzhou Garrison's assistance in suppression. The Dengzhou Garrison has suffered heavy losses in its eastern and western campaigns, losing over a thousand men in Henan alone. Yet the elite troops of a garrison are, in truth, its retainers. According to what your old servant has heard, the strength of the Dengzhou Garrison lies in the retainers trained according to the methods of Qi Jiguang. These retainers are mostly mountain folk and fishermen of Dengzhou — just like the miners of Yiwu and Dongyang — only the people of Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Qingzhou are the most simple, honest, and daring in battle. After several campaigns, they are no longer sufficient for conscription. Now with repeated bloody battles at Lvshun, your old servant fears that by next year the Dengzhou Garrison will be unfit for combat."

Chongzhen asked softly, "Then what is Minister Min's suggestion?"

"Your servant requests the establishment of a new battalion in Deng-Lai, specifically recruiting local mountain folk and fishermen into the ranks, with military officers assigned to lead them, under the jurisdiction of the Deng-Lai Governor. In this way, it would also allow Regional Commander Chen some respite."

Chongzhen immediately hesitated. Chen Xin was currently very obedient, but Dengzhou's extraordinary combat strength gave him considerable misgivings. The current scale was the maximum he could accept. While worrying about the Liao Garrison, he was also guarding against the emergence of another Liao Garrison.

The Emperor's hesitation showed he had concerns. Zhou Yanru spoke at just the right moment: "Wang Tingshi has forwarded a memorial of impeachment against Chen Xin from Geng Zhongming, the acting Vice Regional Commander of the Dengzhou Governor's Personal Battalion. It impeaches Chen Xin for bullying the personal battalion in Henan, forcibly seizing their head-counts and military merits, and even allowing his troops to plunder local gentry. Your servant believes that, for Regional Commander Chen's own sake, the matter should still be investigated thoroughly."

Chongzhen gestured for Wang Chengen to bring it over. After reading it silently, he said nothing. He had always used Deng-Lai to check the Jianzhou bandits and the Liao Garrison, but who would check the Dengzhou Garrison? He had not yet figured that out. Wang Tingshi was all harmony and pleasantness; Chongzhen did not believe he could maintain balance within the garrison.

Wen Tiren and the others remained silent. Liang Tingdong coughed once, stepped forward, and said respectfully to Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary has forgotten one thing. Regional Commander Chen also submitted a memorial impeaching Geng Zhongming. While in Henan, Geng refused to follow orders, stopping halfway only to plunder the roving bandits' military supplies, thereby leaking the army's movements and allowing Gao Yingxiang, the Eighth Great King, and others who should have been captured alive to escape. For this, he was repeatedly reprimanded by Regional Commander Chen. It is entirely possible he bears a grudge because of this."

Chongzhen smiled faintly and sighed softly, "This Geng Zhongming... back in Dengzhou, he followed Li Jiucheng in rebellion. Fortunately, he eventually found his way back. When he came to the capital last time, We also met him. Though robust and imposing, one could see a streak of reckless obstinacy. Between these two impeachments, We feel Regional Commander Chen's is probably more reliable. However, Geng Zhongming does have battle merits as well. The Ministry of War must still do some mediating. Do not let these personal disputes affect the larger situation. The Dengzhou Garrison is now a critical garrison of the empire; it must not be thrown into the slightest disorder."

Zhou Yanru quickly interjected, "Your servant holds the same view. Moreover, both men are now at Lvshun, and with the fighting so intense, it is also inappropriate to demand they submit self-defenses. Your old servant suggests this matter be addressed after the battle. However, what needs to be clarified should still be clarified by both men, especially by Lord Chen — his innocence should be restored. The Dengzhou Garrison has tens of thousands of crack troops, and the Left and Right Auxiliaries are mostly drawn from Dengzhou. If the senior generals are at odds and chaos ensues, the harm could be even greater than that caused by the likes of Li Jiucheng."

Hearing Zhou Yanru's veiled insinuations, Wen Tiren could finally bear it no longer. He stepped forward and said, "Elder Zhou's intentions are good, but his wording is still somewhat inappropriate. Lord Chen serves the state wholeheartedly, risking life and limb time and again. Has the Grand Secretary not read the victory report forwarded by the Ministry of War concerning the capture of the Purple-Gold Beam? Consider: the Purple-Gold Beam plagued Shanxi and Shaanxi for years, yet finally met his downfall before the Dengzhou Garrison. Chen Xin personally led three thousand infantry on a hundred-li night march, penetrating deep into a hundred thousand roving bandits, capturing the Purple-Gold Beam alive in a single battle. He sustained three blade wounds, and over a thousand of his soldiers were lost. Chen Xin has long since reached the pinnacle of military rank. Without a heart loyal to his sovereign, would he willingly take such great risks? This is a case of the Sage Son of Heaven on the throne, Heaven bestowing a fine general upon Great Ming. Yet listening to Elder Zhou's words, merely because of mutual impeachment between two men, he groundlessly suspects such a loyal, honest, and sincere man of plotting rebellion."

Zhou Yanru replied calmly, "Elder Wen's words miss the mark. This official also considers Lord Chen loyal and sincere. Over the years, he has bravely defeated the Jianzhou bandits and is truly a rare loyal and valiant man of our Great Ming. It is not an exaggeration to say he is not inferior to Qi Jiguang. This is the greater principle. However, in his home region, he has consistently had conflicts with fellow villagers. To this official's recollection, these have not ceased since the second year of Chongzhen. Some time ago, Zhu Wannian, the Military Defense Circuit Intendant of Yanghe, also submitted a memorial impeaching Chen Xin for privately training troops..."

Liang Tingdong interrupted with a smile, "The Ministry of War has already investigated and confirmed that the troops he trained were Dengzhou military households, most of whom have now been transferred to the Militia Regional Commander. Training troops in guard battalions is inherently reasonable; this has been established practice since the time of the Great Ancestor. Surely the Grand Secretary cannot think that because other places do not train, the entire empire should not train?"

"Training troops is naturally proper. However, since the Ministry of War has investigated, is there a fixed quota for how many regular troops and how many militia troops Deng-Lai has? Fortified villages and forts stand thickly across Deng-Lai — how many are there in total, and how many civilian braves are in each? Has the Ministry of War investigated and confirmed this as well?"

Liang Tingdong replied flatly, "The Ministry of War has records on file. The Senior Grand Secretary is welcome to come and review them. This humble official would also like to ask the Senior Grand Secretary: Henan and Shanxi are similarly thick with stockades and forts — must the Ministry of War investigate and confirm those as well? Since Dengzhou suffered the Kong Youde mutiny, the common people have been in a state of panic. Those forming stockades for self-protection are countless, and most do not belong to the Dengzhou Garrison. The Senior Grand Secretary, without asking cause and effect or who is in charge, immediately pins the blame on Regional Commander Chen. This is not the breadth of mind befitting a Grand Secretary."

Liang Tingdong's defiance of Zhou Yanru in front of the Emperor greatly pleased Wen Tiren; it made Zhou Yanru appear to lack authority within the Grand Secretariat. These retorts were also quite well-phrased. Chen Xin's handling of Sun Yuanhua was known throughout the court. The matter later implicated Sun Yuanhua in bribing Zhou Yanru, which not only cost Zhou Yanru a key subordinate but also caused a sharp decline in his prestige. Thus, a feud with Chen Xin was certain.

Chongzhen gently waved his hand at the two, admonishing them, "Do not argue, my two beloved ministers. The Senior Grand Secretary had no intention of forcing charges upon Chen Xin, nor is Minister Liang at fault. It is simply that Dengzhou already has Left and Right Auxiliaries, with main, detached, reinforcement, and mobile corps all in place. Deng-Lai's land is barren; stationing too many troops there would make supply a difficult matter."

Zhou Yanru then fell silent. Min Hongxue, who had made the initial proposal, said, "Your Majesty, since the adoption of the new three-pronged strategy, the importance of Liaonan has become prominent. Your servant proposes establishing another Regional Commander in Qingzhou, under the jurisdiction of the Deng-Lai Governor, with one main battalion, one detached battalion, and one mobile battalion. This force would recruit Qingzhou mountain folk and fishermen as soldiers, and should be no less formidable than the Dengzhou Garrison. It could reinforce Liaonan and Dongjiang in times of crisis, so that we are not, as this time, relying on just a few battalions to face the entire Jianzhou army. Even if not aiding Liaonan, it could also be deployed to suppress roving bandits, and in peacetime, eradicate banditry in Qingzhou. This achieves three objectives in one stroke."

Chongzhen was slightly tempted upon hearing this, but he still could not make up his mind, because he knew these ministers often said one thing while their true intentions were hard to guess. Today, he could not guess them. He said to the ministers below, "Placing Qingzhou under Deng-Lai is a major matter involving many implications. Do not rush it. Wait until We have thought it through clearly. If there is nothing else today, you are all dismissed. The provisions and military equipment for Dengzhou must be expedited. Whoever dares delay shall not be pardoned lightly."

The Emperor finished speaking and was about to rise. Glancing around, he caught sight of Xu Guangqi and noticed his poor complexion. The Emperor asked with concern, "Minister Xu is overseeing the compilation of the calendar, a matter of national importance. But you are advanced in years, my beloved minister; you must also look after your own health."

Xu Guangqi laboriously bent his body in a bow, thanking the Emperor for his concern. For him, all thoughts of worldly ambition had long since faded. Sun Yuanhua's fate, in particular — Xu Guangqi had exhausted all his efforts yet still could not save this most valued junior colleague and fellow believer. It had nearly shattered his spiritual world. Now he paid little attention to court politics, focusing entirely on compiling the Chongzhen Calendar.

Chongzhen encouraged him, "It remains as We said before: in compiling the calendar, do not limit yourself to the calendar alone. Whether Western or folk methods, broadly gather the strengths of all, humbly listen and adopt. Western methods may well be incorporated; different schools of thought must be synthesized comprehensively."

Xu Guangqi's heart was filled with gratitude for the Emperor's support. In the late Ming, studying Western learning was a fashion among the literati — not the act of isolated individuals, but an interactive exchange between East and West. Chongzhen also showed great tolerance toward Western science. Beyond military equipment, even on a major national matter like the calendar, he adopted an inclusive approach, never rejecting the West. The notion of treating Western science as mere exotic tricks was a specialty of my Great Qing, not something China had always done.

He knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Your servant thanks His Majesty. Your old servant will spare no effort unto death, determined to complete the calendar before his hundred years are up."

Chongzhen nodded, wearily rubbed his temples, then rose and dismissed the ministers. Supported by Wang Chengen, he returned to the Qianqing Palace.

Zhou Yanru and Xu Guangqi left together. Liang Tingdong and the others went with Wen Tiren. The two groups did not speak to each other. Liang Tingdong had torn all pretense with Zhou Yanru today, dispensing even with superficial courtesy. Wen Tiren treated him very warmly, having him walk at his side, conversing in low voices the whole way.

After exiting the palace gates, each official took a sedan chair home. When Liang Tingdong returned to his official residence, the gatekeeper reported that Mr. Song had arrived. Liang Tingdong nodded and had Song Wenxian brought in. This man was Chen Xin's agent in the capital. The entanglements of interest between Liang Tingdong and Chen Xin were considerable. The most direct was the commission on the Liaodong Tax. Additionally, Liang Tingdong had two commercial shops in Tianjin that specialized in goods from Dengzhou. Where others lacked Dengzhou incense, his shops never ran short. The annual profit was very substantial. Compared to other graft and share money, this was a legitimate source of income with little political risk. Of course, Liang Tingdong was not particularly short of money now; he valued more the opportunity to enter the Grand Secretariat — that is, the chance to become a core member of Wen Tiren's faction.

The matter Song Wenxian had come to handle this time was incorporating Qingzhou Prefecture under Deng-Lai jurisdiction and establishing a Qingzhou Regional Commander there — an ordinary Regional Commander without seal authority. Qingzhou would have one main battalion, one detached battalion, and one mobile battalion, with a total troop quota of over six thousand.

He could not tell whether it was Wang Tingshi who wanted this done, or Chen Xin, or perhaps Geng Zhongming. However, the benefits involved had been clearly explained by Song Wenxian early on. These benefits were part of it, but more importantly, he had another matter to ask Song Wenxian about.

The richly dressed Song Wenxian had just sat down in the study when Liang Tingdong dismissed the servants and asked in a low voice, "Daoist Priest, you mentioned a couple of days ago that Minister Wen has sharp weapons to use against Zhou Yanru. Have you managed to investigate and confirm them?"

Song Wenxian took a sip of tea with a smile and said calmly, "Roughly confirmed. One is called Chen Yutai, the other Shen Yikui. Both are sharp weapons. Perhaps Lord Liang could even add one more. However, in the end, this matter still requires your own judgment, my lord. In this humble one's view, Zhou Yanru will not survive this trial. If Lord Liang wishes to beat a drowning dog, he may well begin now. Your standing with Minister Wen will certainly be different. As for this humble one, however, I am still waiting for a reply on the Qingzhou matter."

Liang Tingdong suddenly stopped, stared at Song Wenxian for a moment, then asked, "Daoist Priest, this Qingzhou Prefecture and Qingzhou Regional Commander — who exactly wants them? Tell this official honestly."

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