Chapter 530

By afternoon, another flag team had taken over the martial academy duty post, and Tang Wei's flag team assembled and returned to camp. After stepping out of the martial academy, the broad north-south main street opened before them, lined on both sides with orderly barracks and storehouses. Between each camp area were wide gaps filled with many large water vats, and everywhere along the city walls fluttered the flying tiger banners of Dengzhou's various unit designations.

The flag team leader shouted a command, and the drummer sent by the company struck up a small drum. The entire team marched in neat step along the street, which was clean but lifeless. Not a single shop was in sight; all who passed by were Dengzhou soldiers in red uniforms.

After repeated destruction, Jinzhou city no longer had any civilian dwellings, and its southern wall had been wrecked after the Battle of Lushun. Once the Dengzhou garrison retook Jinzhou, they made it the strategic hub for all of Liaonan, rebuilding command structures, camp areas, storehouses, and roads within the city. Because it served a purely military purpose, the entire city was one giant military depot.

The troops currently deployed here included the Second Guards Battalion, the First Brigade of the Third Combat Battalion, the cavalry company of the First Guards Battalion, and the newly formed Seventh Battalion — a total strength approaching ten thousand men. It was the most important troop concentration point in Liaonan and also the grain reserve site for the Liaonan army. At Qingniwa east of the city there was also a port where seagoing vessels bound for Liaonan and Dongjiang Town gathered and dispersed.

In the southeastern part of the city, horns and drums roared and dust billowed — that was the encampment of the Seventh Battalion. This new battalion had been formed only this year, organized as a pike-and-shot square formation. Its soldiers came mostly from auxiliary troops and garrison units that had fought at Lushun. These men had undergone reserve training, and the former Lushun garrison had even long since completed the First Combat Syllabus. Combined with their combat experience, they were highly effective fighters right from formation.

The conscription location meant the Seventh Battalion was predominantly Liaodong refugees. Though they lacked the youthful passion and literacy of the young student-soldiers, they bore a blood-deep hatred for the Jianzhou bandits. Another unit, the Eighth Battalion, was stationed at Nanguan and was likewise composed mainly of former Liaodong refugees. Over the past decade and more, their once-vague hatred had been gradually sharpened under the guidance of the indoctrination officers. Now, with generous pay and rations, wielding the sharpest weapons, these Liaodong refugees trained with tremendous fervor, waiting for the order to retake Liaodong.

Tang Wei, however, lacked that kind of fervor. In his squad, Yuan Guzi was an orphan refugee taken in by the Civil Affairs Department and raised in a special school in Pingdu — he could be counted as an idealistic, passionate student-soldier, just a bit rigid in the head. Most of the others were conscripts from Dengzhou and Laizhou, including refugees, laborers, and local garrison farmers, each with his own reason for enlisting, the main ones being the prestige and the high pay. Only Tang Wei and Xie Fei had joined up in a muddle, neither of them quite clear on why they had come.

Tang Wei glanced to the side of the formation. Guan Dadi was also marching with the unit. Though he was a master sergeant, he still had to obey the orders of junior officers. In the Dengzhou garrison's structure, the master sergeant's duty was to oversee the combat skills and tactics of the unit's soldiers and to offer combat suggestions during military conferences, but he could not make command decisions. So although his pay and treatment were similar to a flag team leader's, he still had to follow the flag team leader's orders.

To the accompaniment of the drumbeat, the squad marched past Cross Street. Large warehouses were scattered around the area, surrounded by high walls. In some places there were patrols with dogs. Near Cross Street were stationed the various detached agencies sent by Dengzhou, but the main organs of the Liaonan Brigade had already moved to Fuzhou. That was the second key strongpoint in Liaonan. Ever since the Dengzhou garrison had secured its hold on Fuzhou, every soldier believed the Jianzhou bandits' days were numbered.

Not long after passing Cross Street, the column turned west onto a main road, followed the camp wall for a hundred paces, and entered the encampment of the Second Brigade, Second Guards Battalion.

The flying tiger skull banner that greeted them looked somewhat ferocious, but in Tang Wei's eyes it was merely imposing. This banner had been depicted in the army gazettes and made famous throughout Dengzhou and Laizhou, and soon it would spread along the Grand Canal and through Jiangnan.

Xie Fei beside him said in a low voice, "Fatty, after we muster out, if anyone asks which battalion we were in, the moment we say the Second Guards Battalion, they'll have to look at us with extra respect."

Tang Wei gave a chuckle. Just then the flag team leader called halt, the drum struck three rapid beats, and Tang Wei hurriedly lifted his leg and stamped down. The entire team stopped in unison.

The squad leaders led their men back to their respective barracks. After dismissing the formation, Tang Wei and the others went inside to rest. Tang Wei smoked a cigarette and then began tidying his equipment. Jinzhou offered no entertainment whatsoever; when he had nothing to do, he cleaned his gun. Ever since the night battle while serving as a forward outpost soldier, Tang Wei had developed this habit, though he could not quite explain why.

Huang Shan sat on his bed, unwinding his leg wraps as he asked Yuan Guzi, "Squad Commander Yuan, when are we next going to fight the Jianzhou bandits? I've barely fired this gun more than a few times."

Yuan Guzi was wiping his bayonet with a cotton cloth. He shook his head and said, "I don't know either. Only the battalion commander knows that. Look at the last spring offensive — we only got the campaign brief after we'd already boarded ship in Dengzhou."

Huang Shan muttered, "Actually, it's only two or three hundred li to central Liaodong. We could march there in a few days. Why doesn't Lord Chen send us? I wonder if my old townsfolk can even live that long."

"Most likely they won't." Peng Yunfei, big and burly, was practicing dry loading with an empty gun. He raised the gun and aimed at Huang Shan's bedding. "Didn't you listen to the last brief? Central Liaodong still hasn't had rain this year, and during spring planting we went and hit them again. When autumn harvest comes they'll get hit once more. The grain harvest is bound to fail. The first to starve will be those bondservants."

A voice said, "Huang Shan, good thing you ran over here."

Huang Shan looked to his right. It was the former Squad Commander Wang Zhanqing. While everyone else was tidying their gear, he was lying on his bed with his legs crossed, resting. Wang Zhanqing picked up weapons quickly and was the most proficient operator, but he was also the one in the squad who got beaten the most. This was because he was single-mindedly set on becoming a cavalryman, and Liu Liu simply refused to let him go. Wang Zhanqing never held his tongue and sometimes made sarcastic remarks, so getting beaten by Liu Liu was a regular occurrence — even Huang Shan had lost count of how many times.

Wang Zhanqing said lazily, "If you hadn't come over, who knows where you'd be buried now. Even if you didn't starve to death, once you got to the battlefield, I'd take one shot…" He mimed firing. "Bang — your head would burst open, and then Tang Wei would cut off your head and send it to the Ordnance Department. After a tour around Dengzhou and Laizhou, it'd be sent to the capital and put on display at Vegetable Market Crossing for the common folk to see."

Huang Shan chuckled. He knew Wang Zhanqing's temperament and did not bother to take issue with him.

At that moment Guan Dadi appeared at the door. The soldiers in the room hurriedly began to rise, but Guan Dadi waved at them and said, "Don't mind me. I'm looking for Tang Wei."

Tang Wei knew Guan Dadi wanted him to continue teaching him to write. He quickly put down his musket and followed him out.

The two sat down on the stone slab steps outside the barracks. Guan Dadi began reviewing that character "inlay." In just that short time, he had already become fuzzy on it again. Tang Wei thought to himself with some dismay that this brother-in-law of his was simply too dim — even if he managed to slip into the officer corps, he would never rise above squad commander.

"Brother, in past years the Fourth Battalion was permanently stationed in Liaonan, and the other units rotated through for combat. How come this year we still haven't left after the spring offensive, and instead they're sending replacement troops to Jinzhou?"

Guan Dadi did not look up. "Haven't heard Battalion Commander Zhong say anything."

Tang Wei gave a disappointed "oh." The battlefield at Caohe Fort had set the young student-soldiers' blood boiling, but he himself had suffered some psychological trauma. War was not as romantic as it seemed, and medals were even harder to come by. In the ferocious fighting at Caohe, only two Second-Class Flying Tiger Medals and one First-Class Flying Tiger Medal had been awarded. Both of the second-class ones were posthumous — to Zhao Xuan and another flag team leader. The sole First-Class Flying Tiger Medal had gone to Zhu Feng.

The Flying Tiger Medal was Dengzhou's highest decoration, awarded for the most significant martial achievements, often requiring feats that turned the tide of battle. Even Zhong Lao Si had only received a second-class medal for killing Manggultai at Datong, which showed just how hard a first-class medal was to earn.

Tang Wei glanced with some envy at Guan Dadi, who was bent over his writing. He had no idea how Guan Dadi had fought back at Zhenhai Gate — dumb as he was, he had still managed to earn a First-Class White Blade Assault Medal.

Guan Dadi finished another round of practicing the character "inlay." He straightened up with satisfaction, then used his foot to erase the characters from the ground. Only then did he turn to Tang Wei and say, "I've been to Liaonan twice. According to the practice of past years, our Dengzhou garrison conducts rotational warfare here in Liaonan. A battalion like the Second Guards Battalion fights once or twice and then is transferred back to Dengzhou. Then newly formed battalions are shipped to Jinzhou, letting the new units fight the Jianzhou bandits a couple more times. That way our strong troops grow more and more through fighting, while the Jianzhou bandits dwindle."

Hearing this, a sliver of hope revived in Tang Wei's heart. He hoped he could just hold out in Dengzhou and Laizhou until the end of the year, be automatically discharged by Dengzhou, go home and do business, and figure out what to do about Guan Xiaomei when the time came.

Guan Dadi bent his head and began writing again, continuing, "But after this year's spring offensive ended, we never received orders to transfer back. Maybe we'll have to fight the autumn offensive before leaving. It usually freezes over after the autumn offensive, so maybe we won't return to Dengzhou until next spring when the ice melts."

Tang Wei's heart sank again at once.

"Master Sergeant Guan, so here you are. There's a letter for you."

Tang Wei looked up. It was the supply officer from the department. He quickly took the letter for Guan Dadi. Seeing the return address was from the Qingzhou Prefecture drama troupe, he knew at once it was from Guan Xiaomei.

The supply officer asked Guan Dadi, "Master Sergeant Guan, shall I read it for you?"

Tang Wei hurriedly said, "No need. I'll read it for Master Sergeant Guan."

Guan Dadi indeed still could not recognize all the characters, so he let Tang Wei open it. Tang Wei unfolded it and saw it was still very simple. He read aloud, "Big Brother, my monthly pay has gone up again. I hear the drama troupe is going to Liaonan soon, though I don't know what for. That fatty you mentioned last time really was in our arts troupe before. That fatty's courage…"

Tang Wei looked — the letter said that fatty was timid and loved to shirk and cut corners. He immediately changed his words: "That fatty is bold, and a good man too, a promising talent. You should help him more…"

………

"Eunuch Cao, that Chen Xin is indeed timid. I fear he won't be coming to the capital after all."

In the Second Hall of the Eastern Depot in the capital, Luo Yangxing said respectfully to Cao Huachun before him, "He sent a dispatch to the Ministry of War, saying the Jianzhou bandits are currently attacking Xiuyan and Fenghuang City, and that he has already led his main battalion to Liaonan. His reply to the Ministry of Rites says he is sending a different company commander to deliver the heads and prisoners of war."

Cao Huachun let out a shrill, cackling laugh. "Not coming is exactly right. It seems His Majesty did not misjudge him after all."

Luo Yangxing bowed his head and echoed the sentiment. In truth, both he and Cao Huachun breathed a sigh of relief that Chen Xin was not coming. If he really had come, the matter would have been a genuine headache for the two spymasters.

Cao Huachun stood and took two steps, looking at the hanging portrait of Yue Fei across the room. "Yesterday I already heard he wasn't coming. The Jianzhou bandits really did pick a convenient time. Everyone calls Chen Xin the second Qi Jiguang, but in my view he can't be Qi Jiguang, nor can he be Yue Wumu."

"Eunuch is right. Neither Qi Jiguang nor Yue Wumu is so easy to be. Chen Xin is still rather overbearing. Though it was the Ministry of Rites that asked him to present his victory tribute — and that was His Majesty's intent — even if the Jianzhou bandits attacked, he should still have set a time. How can he simply not come just because he says so?"

"His Majesty did not sleep a wink last night and even disturbed the Empress. His Majesty has been worn thin lately, with troubles on every side. Fengyang was taken by the roving bandits, and His Majesty could not eat for days. He often says only General Chen can exterminate the bandits. He had wanted to summon General Chen to discuss bandit-suppression strategies, but now General Chen happens to have other business."

Luo Yangxing kept his eyes lowered and his manner meek, listening quietly to Cao Huachun's words. Cao Huachun spoke in that strange, sarcastic tone of his, and Luo Yangxing could not fathom his meaning, so he dared not interject casually.

"This morning, His Majesty summoned me to speak with him. It's fine that Chen Xin isn't coming — His Majesty understands that the military situation in Liaonan is pressing. However, regarding the matter of those rumors spread when the Jianzhou bandits last sued for peace, His Majesty wants our Eastern Depot to investigate thoroughly. If we don't produce a few heads, we won't be able to give a satisfactory account."

Luo Yangxing's heart tightened. He understood that Cao Huachun was targeting Chen Xin's people in the capital. After the Jiang Yuegui incident last time, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had lost considerable face in the capital. Luo Yangxing actually had no good impression of Jiang Yuegui, but Cao Huachun believed the Dengzhou garrison had slapped the Eastern Depot's face, so he had remembered the matter all along, waiting for a chance to retaliate. It might well have been he who suggested the idea to the Emperor.

Luo Yangxing could guess Cao Huachun's thinking. In the capital, even princes and nobles had to show him face; he was long accustomed to throwing his weight around, and the Liaodong garrison was also very deferential. It was one thing for Chen Xin to seize Jiang Yuegui, but he had also submitted a memorial impeaching the Eastern Depot. Though the matter was ultimately dropped, Cao Huachun's prestige had been damaged, and retaliation was only to be expected.

Luo Yangxing knelt and said, "Rest assured, Director. I will immediately arrange for the Northern Pacification Office to investigate thoroughly." (To be continued...)