Chapter 501

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"Take a concubine? Sister-in-law of the Tang family, we agreed from the very start it would be a proper marriage." Butcher Zhang, wearing an apron stained with blood and grime, waved his hand at Tang Dongshi.

Tang Dongshi, knowing she was in the wrong, did not lose her temper this time. She merely said, somewhat awkwardly, "Brother Zhang, isn't a concubine just the same? The days will be lived no differently."

"Bah, a concubine the same as a wife? Only a fool would think so. It's not like your Gou'er already has a wife first. Your Tang family isn't some great, wealthy house, and our Zhang family can put food on the table. Why should our daughter be a concubine for your Gou'er? If that's how you talk, let's not even discuss this match. Our girl will have no trouble finding a husband."

Butcher Zhang turned stiffly and went back into the main room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Tang Dongshi rushed up and pounded on the door. "Then return our family's betrothal gifts!"

Butcher Zhang roared from inside, "When you spoke of it, you said it was to be a wife. The whole village knows our daughter is to be married. Now you say she's to be a concubine — what about our daughter's reputation? And you still demand the betrothal gifts back? There's no such principle anywhere under heaven! If you want to marry her, make her the principal wife. In any case, I absolutely will not return those gifts!"

Tang Dongshi jumped and cursed, "Fine, you Butcher Zhang! An outsider household dares to bully us, the Tang family of Erdaogou! If you dare not return them, I'll make sure you don't have a single peaceful day this spring!"

"The following is the deployment for the Liaodong Spring Offensive of the eighth year of Chongzhen."

The Military Orders Directorate's operations conference room was packed with officers of the Dengzhou Garrison. Liu Pojun, Director of the Military Orders Directorate, brandished a bamboo pointer as he lectured loudly, gesturing at the map. "First, as always, a summary of enemy dispositions."

Liu Pojun pointed to Zhenjiang Fort on the Ming-Korean border. "The day before yesterday, Zhu Guobin sent men along the ice layer to reach the liaison ship. They brought winter military intelligence from Liaodong. The Jianzhou bandits were not idle during the winter. After the Liaodong Sea froze over, the Plain Yellow, Plain Red, Bordered Blue, and Bordered White Banners mobilized roughly three thousand troops to drive the Dongjiang Army from Fenghuang City, Xiuyan, and Kuandian. However, the Later Jin forces did not occupy these locations either, immediately withdrawing their main force back to central Liaodong. The Dongjiang Army currently still holds Zhenjiang Fort, Huanggudao Fort, Xiaojiadao Fort, Guifu Fort, and other positions along the coast and rivers."

His bamboo pointer quickly moved to the central Liaodong region. "The Later Jin forces we face are estimated to have seen their armored soldiers drop to around twenty thousand. Combat-capable surplus males number between twenty and thirty thousand. Among these true Jurchen males, over five thousand are replacements added in the last two years, primarily banner-raised Han Chinese, Wild Jurchens, and Mongols. Their combat strength falls short of the true Jurchens they lost. The Mongol Left and Right Wings, having absorbed scattered tribes from the Chahar forces, have seen their strength rise somewhat. Their combat soldiers should number between three and four thousand, but their morale and fighting ability cannot compare to the true Jurchens. Additionally, during the winter, the Jianzhou bandits expanded the Ujen Cooha in Shenyang. Since its formation, this Han army unit has suffered multiple heavy blows from our garrison. Its old battalions are no longer fit for battle, but this newly expanded Ujen Cooha uses the drill methods of our own Dengzhou Garrison."

A rustling murmur filled the room. Many officers shifted in their seats. This was the first time they had heard of the Jianzhou bandits using Dengzhou Garrison drill methods, and everyone unconsciously sat up and paid closer attention.

"According to intelligence we obtained from the Mongols, which corroborates this, their drill methods are modeled on our army's square formations. They have long since begun trial production of flintlock muskets, though production remains slow. As of around the New Year, they have roughly fifteen hundred to two thousand guns. The firing rate is estimated at fifty to sixty percent. Their pikes are also around fourteen chi in length."

Zhong Laosi, attending the meeting, raised his hand and asked, "Are they being formed into independent armies, or distributed among the various banners?"

Liu Pojun said, "In peacetime, they remain distributed among the various Niru, with the Manchu Eight Banners controlling the population. In wartime, they move with their banners but can also form independent armies. They are roughly divided into eight Jalan. Each Jalan is commanded by a Meiren Janggin, which corresponds to the former rank of Vice General. The Meiren Janggin include both true Jurchens and Han Chinese. The Gūsa Ejen of the Ujen Cooha is rumored to be Sahaliyan, who also holds the title of Ambans Janggin."

Chen Xin, seated below, stroked his chin. He was somewhat baffled by the current political changes within the Later Jin, which had become completely unrecognizable from history. The Han Eight Banners were taking shape, but instead of being divided into eight separate Gūsa, they were placed under Sahaliyan's command. Of course, the significance of this command was limited, because the population remained under the various banners. Sahaliyan, as Gūsa Ejen, still could not compare to the Banner Lords who controlled the banners.

Still, Chen Xin did not believe the Later Jin army could train a modern army comparable to the Dengzhou Garrison. The combat power of the Dengzhou Garrison's forces did not stem from a single drill manual, but from a complete system of civil administration, commerce, and military affairs.

"The objective of this spring offensive is to force the Later Jin army to mobilize, deplete their effective strength, consolidate our army's strategic advantage in southern Liaodong and the eastern region, and further destroy the Later Jin army's will to fight. Our forces will conduct simultaneous operations on the southern, eastern, and northern fronts. The attrition strategy will force the Later Jin army into large-scale mobilization, depleting their food reserves and affecting their labor force for spring plowing. With the exception of the southern front, all fronts will focus on small-scale engagements and should avoid decisive battles as much as possible, but must pin down the enemy so they cannot move freely. The southern front will seek opportunities for brigade-scale battles to continuously weaken the actual combat strength of the Jianzhou bandits, with emphasis on striking their Manchu Eight Banner true Jurchens."

After Liu Pojun finished speaking, his bamboo pointer moved to Gaizhou. "Now for the specific objectives of each front. The primary task on the southern front is to raid and disrupt Gaizhou, preventing the bondservants in the area from farming, stripping Gaizhou of its ability to resupply itself, and destroying the military forts between Yulinpu and Yaozhou. This will turn Gaizhou into an isolated strongpoint, increasing the Jianzhou bandits' logistical burden. Once the Jianzhou bandits send reinforcements, we will seek an opportunity for a decisive battle. The current Later Jin forces at Gaizhou consist mainly of the Bordered Red Banner and Plain White Banner, along with a portion of the Tianyou Army and Ujen Cooha. Our garrison plans to mobilize the following forces: the Liaonan Provisional Brigade, comprising the Fourth Battalion's two infantry company-commander divisions, two cavalry company-commander divisions, one dragoon company-commander division, the Third Battalion's First Company-Commander Division, the First Si of the Jimo Independent Company-Commander Division, and an independent combat engineer company. Additionally, three thousand Liaonan reserve troops will be mobilized for logistics and baggage duties. This force is the main strength of this spring offensive, responsible for raiding Gaizhou. The commanding officer is Zhu Guobin. The logistics base will be Fuzhou. Supplies will be transported by the navy via Niangniang Temple to Fuzhou, then moved forward in stages along the military forts between Fuzhou and Gaizhou."

Liu Pojun's bamboo pointer then shifted to the mountainous area in central Liaonan. "Also, please take note: this year's southern front includes the line from Xiuyan to Lianshan Pass. Lianshan Pass controls the mountain passage from Xiuyan to Liaoyang and Shenyang. It is the forward screen for central Liaodong. Since the Battle of Lushun, the Jianzhou bandits abandoned Xiuyan and pulled back to Lianshan Pass. This time, our Dengzhou Garrison will conduct joint operations with the forces of Shang Kexi and Mao Chenglu of the Dongjiang Garrison. Once Lianshan Pass is taken, the Jianzhou bandits will be forced to deploy heavy troops for defense on the outskirts of both Liaoyang and Shenyang to prevent our forces from raiding the prosperous regions of central Liaodong. This will place a massive defensive burden on the Jianzhou bandits. At the same time, it will tie down their forces, preventing them from concentrating toward the Gaizhou area, thus creating conditions for a measured decisive battle in the Gaizhou sector. Given the excessively long supply line to Lianshan Pass, after capturing this position, our forces will only garrison it until the end of the spring offensive. The assault force will then withdraw to Jinzhou. Our garrison plans to deploy the Guards Second Battalion on this front, comprising two company-commander divisions, plus the independent mountain infantry company and the Second Si of the Jimo Company-Commander Division. They will coordinate with the forces of Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi of the Dongjiang Garrison to attack Lianshan Pass. The commanding officer is Zhong Caisheng, commander of the Guards Second Battalion."

The bamboo pointer finally moved to Zhenjiang Fort on the Ming-Korean border. "The eastern front is the line from Zhenjiang to Fenghuang City, Caohe Fort, and Weining Camp. The main force is Shen Shikui's troops of the Dongjiang Garrison. This year, our army will dispatch small-scale units, deploying four squads of special operations personnel, to participate in the Dongjiang Garrison's raiding operations. This is to familiarize them with the terrain and combat environment of this region and to map key locations. The northern front is the line from Kuandian to Hetu Ala. The plan is to dispatch one platoon of the mountain infantry company to coordinate raiding operations with Shen Shikui's forces of the Dongjiang Garrison. This point has already been agreed upon by the Foreign Affairs Directorate and Shen Shikui. Our garrison will provide them with some weapons and provisions. Additionally, Huang Long's forces of the Dongjiang Garrison are also active in this area. They have never been on good terms with our Dengzhou Garrison, and their specific intentions are unclear. We hope the navy will dispatch a contingent to support the northern front and to intimidate Huang Long's forces."

Chen Xin said to Qin Lufang, who was attending the meeting, "Don't deliver the grain ships supplying Huang Long all at once. Store them at Pi Island first. Only let him have ten days' worth of grain reserves. That will be enough to keep him in check. As long as he behaves himself, we won't bother with him."

Qin Lufang was now responsible for the naval forces stationed at Qingniwa. The Dongjiang garrison's rations and pay were taken on under the name of the trading company. The navy also participated in this, especially the transport to Pi Island, which was primarily the navy's responsibility. He immediately noted down Chen Xin's order.

Chen Xin could not deal with Huang Long through the imperial court, but the Dongjiang garrison's logistics were in Dengzhou's hands. Although they would not let them run out of food, they would not let them have ample surplus either. At the same time, Liu Minyou planned this year to drive down the price of ginseng and sable pelts from Zhangzi Island, stripping Huang Long of his smuggling capital and causing his troops to desert to other islands on their own.

Shen Shikui of Pi Island, on the other hand, had a relatively close relationship with Dengzhou. He was now the Vice Regional Commander of the Dongjiang Garrison and essentially controlled Pi Island. Since the recapture of Zhenjiang the previous year, he had also been establishing military farms at Tieshan. Coupled with trade with the Dengzhou Garrison, his situation was considerably better than Huang Long's.

Shen Shikui, Shang Kexi, and Mao Chenglu were all Vice Regional Commanders. Shen Shikui occupied Pi Island, where the Dongjiang garrison had first risen to power, and profited considerably from trade with Korea. However, he was too far from Dengzhou, so their relationship was mainly based on trade and provisions. Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi were very close to Jinzhou and had more frequent joint operations with the Dengzhou Garrison, making their relationship closer. Chen Xin's direct support for these two was also the strongest.

All three were eyeing the position of Regional Commander of the Dongjiang Garrison. Chen Xin's decision to abandon action against Huang Long was also intended to maintain a balance among the three factions and avoid offending two of them. The current situation was that Regional Commander Huang Long had become a figurehead, with the three Vice Regional Commanders equal in strength. Ever since the Dengzhou Garrison occupied Lushun, the Dongjiang Garrison had essentially been cut off by Dengzhou from the sea route to the imperial court. Later, even their rations and pay fell into Dengzhou's hands. With Huang Long occupying the Regional Commander post, none of the three Vice Regional Commanders would harbor goodwill toward the court. They were all vying for Chen Xin's support, which was most advantageous for Chen Xin's control over the Dongjiang Garrison.

Chen Xin sat in his seat, maintaining an expression of attentive listening. Liu Minyou could not participate in such purely military meetings, so Chen Xin had no one to chat with quietly. He had already reviewed this operations plan. Sitting here now was merely to continue reinforcing military authority. In truth, his mind had long since wandered elsewhere.

Since the Battle of Lushun, after a year and a half of continuous attrition warfare, the Later Jin army's decline was already evident. This year's spring offensive was merely a further blow against them, but not yet a decisive one. For Chen Xin, victory on the battlefield was only one aspect. Striking the Later Jin army could reinforce the image of the Dengzhou Garrison's invincible military might, gaining domestic political advantage, which in turn could enhance the creditworthiness of the Dengzhou Garrison's currency.

Chen Xin's goal was to make the gold and silver coinage of Dengzhou universally used in the regions of Northern Zhili, Shanxi, Jiangnan, and Shandong. Large-scale commercial settlements on the Northern Grand Canal would essentially all be cleared through the Four Seas Bank. This would cause a massive wave of bankruptcies among small local banks. The Four Seas Bank's interest income and balances would greatly increase compared to the seventh year of Chongzhen, allowing for easier control of commodity prices in the north.

Once this step was completed, Dengzhou would be able to control the financial markets of the north. With credit multiplied, capital would flow in massively through banks in various regions, but would not be concentrated solely in Dengzhou and Laizhou. Instead, it would be distributed along the Grand Canal through the trading company and banks. Dengzhou could accelerate the issuance of pay notes and could also issue non-physical currency through the banks for commercial settlements, thereby causing the funds directly available to the Dengzhou Garrison to explode in growth.

In Chen Xin's estimation, the sources of capital would be concentrated in Henan, northern South Zhili, Jingshi, Huguang, and other places. These areas faced direct threats from the Jianzhou bandits and roving bandits. In places like Huguang and Henan, after the roving bandits swept through, some wealthy households would seek ways to transfer their assets. The military prestige of the Dengzhou Garrison would then become the most powerful form of credit. Deposit certificates were far easier to safeguard than large amounts of silver. They could be hidden in secret places and immediately taken along when fleeing for one's life. For the Dengzhou Garrison, the physical silver deposits in Henan and Wuchang could be escorted by the army, ensuring their security.

Furthermore, the bank's interest system for large deposits would give these wealthy households a taste of profit, so they would never again withdraw their silver to keep at home. And once they became dependent on the bank, at the moment when the imperial court and Dengzhou fell out, they would not fully side with the court, lest they lose their own interests. This would reduce the cost of Chen Xin's rebellion. This was one of the key roles Chen Xin envisioned for the bank.

Therefore, the core of the spring offensive was to highlight the Dengzhou Garrison's military superiority and to gain political and economic benefits. How many enemies were destroyed was not the most important thing. Maintaining the attrition, ensuring the Jianzhou bandits could not properly carry out their farming season, would mean victory on the whole. Of course, only a few people knew this. It could not be disclosed to all the officers present. Soldiers did not need to know these things either; their duty was to defeat the enemy.

"... In addition to achieving the aforementioned tactical objectives, this spring campaign will also, under suitable conditions, test the new all-flintlock units and dragoon combat regulations, as well as the effectiveness of skirmisher lines in detached units. It will also test the strategic offensive and logistical support capabilities under the new brigade-level organization..."

Liu Pojun's voice was sonorous and forceful. Chen Xin's thoughts drifted back to the meeting room. All the attending officers were taking notes, too busy even to free a hand for smoking.

Chen Xin's gaze shifted to the map. Several arrows pointed toward central Liaodong. Chen Xin stared blankly at the two characters for Shenyang. That region was another crucial bargaining chip in his bid for supremacy over all under heaven. But the foremost priority remained expelling the barbaric Later Jin regime, denying them any chance to grow powerful. Judging from the current situation, as long as the Later Jin were pinned down in Liaodong and unable to break out to plunder, they could only wither away on their own.

Chen Xin then looked west of the Sancha River. The position of Jinzhou was colored yellow, indicating that friend and foe there were indistinguishable. Chen Xin had thoroughly analyzed the mentality of the Guanning Army, but one general rule would not change: they would place their bets on whichever side seemed most likely to win. Therefore, this spring offensive was also a performance put on for their benefit.

The bamboo pointer had just then moved to Liaoxi. Chen Xin looked at Liu Pojun, who was concluding his address. "... After the new year, the Foreign Affairs Directorate will travel to Liaoxi to strive to have the Guanning Army dispatch a portion of their cavalry to the Sancha River line, pinning down the Later Jin forces at Haizhou and Niuzhuang. The battlefield is ever-changing. Although the Military Orders Directorate's analysis suggests the Jianzhou bandits cannot muster their full strength for a decisive battle with our forces, we have still prepared various contingency plans. These will be distributed to the respective units after the meeting. The battalions remaining in Dengzhou and Laizhou will, in batches, coordinate with the Military Affairs Directorate's expansion plan, while also being prepared to mobilize at any moment to reinforce Liaonan. The above is our deployment for the spring offensive." (To be continued...)