Chapter 537: The Committee

On the first day of the seventh month, a rare rain fell over Dengzhou. Although the Deng-Lai forts had well‑built irrigation works, hauling water by hand was never a pleasant task, so a timely rain from heaven still lifted everyone's spirits — it would save the garrison farmers a great deal of labour.

Chen Xin lay back in his study chair, gazing absently outside. From the roof came the dense patter of raindrops drumming on the tiles, and strings of water beads dripped from the eaves, as if a pearl curtain had been hung beyond the window.

"My lord, this subordinate went to Tang Haoyou's residence. He accepted everything that was sent. He received me in private, and his manner was quite amiable."

Chen Xin withdrew his gaze and turned to Song Wenxian opposite him. The old hand's face was travel‑worn. Earlier that year he had made a trip to Ningyuan, and after returning he had travelled all over Shandong. He had just come back from Jinan, having made a circuit of the prefectures and departments around Qingzhou — he was certainly exhausted.

No sooner had he returned to Dengzhou than the new Provincial Governor and the new Army Supervisor arrived to take up their posts. He was the most suitable person to pay them a visit. Yang Wenyue's attitude was already clear; only the Army Supervisor's stance remained uncertain. Chen Xin had sent him to sound out Tang Haoyou's attitude.

Chen Xin opened his mouth and asked, "Did Tang Haoyou bring up the matter of Lü Zhi?"

"He did not mention it. However, this subordinate thinks that Tang Haoyou must put on a show, otherwise he will have a hard time explaining himself to the Eastern Depot and the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Chen Xin turned to Zhou Shifa, who stood beside Song Wenxian. "What has the Intelligence Bureau found in its investigation of the new Army Supervisor? Is this Tang Haoyou really putting on an act, or is he just making a show to lull us?"

Zhou Shifa said respectfully, "To answer my lord, in the few days since Tang Haoyou arrived, he has not inspected the regular‑colour grain stores, nor the arsenal stocks, nor the troops and horses of the various battalions. He counted the Hongyi cannons only once, and did not even count the number of vessels in the naval camp. The only thing he has been doing is sending people out with great fanfare to search for Lü Zhi in Dengzhou. He has also retained all the clerks from the former Army Supervisor's government office. This man previously served in the Imperial Wardrobe. Zhang Da has dealt with him many times. He is extremely greedy, cautious and timid in all matters, and quite enjoys the Emperor's favour. In the past, when the palace was in arrears with payments for our southern goods, a considerable portion of the money ended up in his own pocket. Looking at the overall picture, the Analysis Section believes he does not intend to oppose us."

Chen Xin laughed in spite of himself. "If he is cautious and timid, he was well suited to managing the Imperial Wardrobe, but what is he doing coming here as an Army Supervisor? The Emperor certainly has his own way of appointing people. Still, the time has been short. The Intelligence Bureau must not be careless. Keep a close watch on him, and also on those Fanzi agents who came with him. There may be people planted by Cao Huachun and the Emperor among them. Do not let any slip through."

"On the day they arrived, Zhang Da disguised himself as a common soldier and identified those Fanzi. Half of them are from the Eastern Depot. Two of them are men Zhang Da has dealt with before and have already been bought over. Their movements are now all under the Intelligence Bureau's control."

Chen Xin nodded. "If they cause no trouble, we can give them more benefits. If there is any suspicious movement, deal with it by any means necessary. In short, during these few months we must not let the capital pay excessive attention to us, but neither can we allow these people to run wild."

Song Wenxian and Zhou Shifa answered in unison. They both knew about the recent movements of the Dengzhou army. Recovering Liaodong would not only provide the Dengzhou garrison with ample land to settle refugees, but would also secure the best strategic position and, moreover, bring soaring political prestige. Once Liaodong was taken, the Dengzhou garrison would have taken the most important step towards contending for the realm. For Song Wenxian and Zhou Shifa, the two earliest followers of Chen Xin, it meant even greater power and profit, so both had been redoubling their diligence lately and were even more cautious in dealing with the imperial court.

The Provincial Governor and Army Supervisor the Emperor had sent this time were both men who had soaked in this officialdom for a long time, and their habits were the same as most officials of the day. Expecting them to work hard against the Dengzhou garrison — the Emperor was being a bit naive. With the Foreign Affairs Department and the Intelligence Bureau working one in the open and one in the shadows, and with the examples of Sun Yuanhua and Jiang Yuegui before them, these officials would not treat their own lives as worthless. It was only a matter of time before they joined the Dengzhou garrison in putting on a show to deceive the Emperor. This had already been demonstrated in the Liao garrison: starting with Qiu Hejia, the civil and military officials of the Liao garrison had colluded to deceive their superiors and hide the truth from those below.

Once a de facto military fiefdom had formed in a region, using civil officials to control the military was no longer possible, and the court had not found any new method. Thus, in the last few years of the Chongzhen reign, more and more warlords appeared, such as Zuo Liangyu, Liu Zeqing, He Renlong, and others. When the court gave them no pay or provisions, they simply went out and seized them themselves, achieving logistical self‑sufficiency through violence and thereby completely escaping the court's control.

By the late Chongzhen period, even the Grand Coordinator and the Minister of War could not move the armies and could only join the warlords in deceiving the Emperor. Originally, in the ninth year of Chongzhen, when the Later Jin troops invaded, Minister of War Zhang Fengyi and the reinstated Liang Tingdong colluded in the deception, sending victory reports to the Emperor every day. In the end, they simply hid and let the Later Jin troops leave the pass. They were eventually exposed by Luo Yangxing, and Zhang Fengyi and Liang Tingdong had no choice but to take rhubarb daily to commit 'suicide'. Later, when Chongzhen wanted to move Zuo Liangyu to fight the roving bandits, he had to ask Hou Xun to use old ties to persuade Zuo Liangyu. In an era of war and chaos, the status of civil and military officials had already reversed.

Although it was still only the eighth year of Chongzhen, the Dengzhou garrison's military might was awe‑inspiring, and its strength far exceeded that of men like Zuo Liangyu and Liu Zeqing. The armies of the Nine Border Garrisons had suffered repeated blows from the Later Jin and had been constantly depleted and scattered while pursuing the roving bandits. No other military garrison could contend with Deng‑Lai. The fighting power of the Southern Metropolitan Area and the Grand Canal armies was even worse. No force in the vicinity could effectively deal with the Dengzhou garrison, so Chen Xin had even more capital to act as a warlord.

Thinking of this, Chen Xin asked Song Wenxian, "Where is Lü Zhi settled now? Is he satisfied?"

"He has gone to Wendeng. A secluded residence has been arranged for him in the old Wendeng camp, guarded by an Internal Service Action Team of the Intelligence Bureau."

"Has he made any requests?"

"Not really. He has only asked a few times when he can start working for Lord Chen. He says he is thoroughly familiar with palace affairs and will be of use to Lord Chen in the future. In addition, he intends to donate several tens of thousands of taels of silver to you, my lord. This subordinate has not yet replied after receiving the report."

Chen Xin laughed in spite of himself. The reason he had kept Lü Zhi and Wang Tingshi alive was to signal his attitude to the old bureaucrats: that cooperating with him, Chen Xin, would not end in betrayal, and that the Dengzhou garrison would protect their safety. At the very least, they would end up as wealthy gentlemen. This would reduce future resistance. It was a political offensive by Chen Xin against the court, not because these two men were truly so capable.

As far as Wang Tingshi and Lü Zhi were concerned, they were considered fairly capable among the old bureaucrats, but they might not necessarily fit into the internal management system of the Dengzhou garrison. In the future, eunuchs would certainly not be used as inner officials. The only place Chen Xin could think of to place them was the Foreign Affairs Department, which dealt with the outside world.

Zhou Shifa chimed in, "Lü Zhi has found himself a good position."

Chen Xin shook his head. "He can do some work, but this official has no need for inner officials. His donation is not necessary. Otherwise, people will think he bought his safety with silver. Daoist Priest, tell him to stay in Wendeng at ease. The Dengzhou garrison will naturally ensure his safety. When the time is right, he will be of use."

Song Wenxian hurriedly said, "My lord's insight is profound."

"Daoist Priest has recently made a trip around Shandong. According to the Foreign Affairs Department's work plan for this year, you were originally supposed to make a trip to Huguang. We need to firmly occupy a piece of territory there, and there will be a great deal of dealing with local authorities. However, this year there is a major offensive in Liaodong. The Dengzhou garrison's first priority is to ensure stability in the three prefectures of Deng, Lai, and Qing and their surrounding areas. For Huguang, appoint a Deputy Department Head and send him there to take charge. Submit three candidates to me, along with their dossiers. This official will interview each of them before making a decision."

"This subordinate obeys," Song Wenxian answered respectfully.

Dengzhou's personnel system was relatively independent and had broken up the authority of the heads of the various departments. The Civil Affairs Division had a dedicated Personnel Department, headed by Wu Youdao. All appointments in the civil affairs system came from there. Military appointments came from the Military Affairs Department. Battalion commanders could not directly promote whomever they wished. Anyone at the rank of Squad Commander or above had to be nominated and then approved by the Military Affairs Department.

The Foreign Affairs Department and the Intelligence Bureau were directly under Chen Xin. Section chiefs were appointed by Song Wenxian, but also had to pass review by the Aide‑de‑Camp Office. As Department Head, he could not appoint Deputy Department Heads; he only had the power to nominate candidates for Deputy Department Head. Unlike deputy posts in the imperial court, a Deputy Department Head here generally took charge of a specific area of work and could also report directly to Chen Xin. This was a check Chen Xin kept on the heads of the various departments.

After finishing his instructions, Chen Xin looked at the two men. "Daoist Priest and Shifa, both of you must devote extra thought to matters in the near future. This official will soon go to southern Liaodong. The scale of the autumn offensive is larger than any before. Dengzhou's military strength will be concentrated in southern Liaodong, leaving Deng‑Lai emptier than usual. The court will get word sooner or later. No matter what method you use, you must maintain stability in Deng‑Lai. The safety of Deng‑Lai will depend heavily on you two. Once we get over this hurdle, the Dengzhou garrison will no longer be just a military garrison."

………

Inside the headquarters of the Civil Affairs Division, civil officials and military personnel came and went in an endless stream. Liu Minyou sat working right in the main hall. Around him, a number of department heads and trading company managers also sat in the hall. Outside the hall hung a signboard: "Provisional Liao‑Sea Transport Committee." Outsiders who saw it were completely baffled.

For this autumn offensive, the Dengzhou garrison needed to transport over two hundred thousand shi of grain, thirty thousand shi of refined fodder, more than twenty thousand troops with their equipment, and an even larger number of reserve soldiers and civilian labourers to southern Liaodong. Everything except the grain had to be completed before the eighth month. The Civil Affairs Division had no choice but to summon up every ounce of energy and form a Transport Committee.

This main hall served as the temporary command post for the entire logistics plan, bringing together all the military and civilian agencies related to logistics. The heads of each were gathered together, and they had even brought their seals to this hall. Whenever something needed coordination, there was no need to go back and forth looking for people, thus achieving the highest possible efficiency.

"Lord Liu, the second batch of grain requires five hundred sailings of sand‑ships. The transport plan must be completed this month. The transport of the First Guards Battalion has taken up the trading company's shipping capacity, so we need to requisition vessels from other shipping companies."

Without looking up, Liu Minyou said, "Requisition all vessels from the two shipping companies at Chengshan."

"Lord Liu, the Munitions Department has sent over the winter clothing tally. The combat troops have all brought their own, but among the civilian labourers, roughly half are without. They are having trouble tallying it for the moment and are asking the Civil Affairs Division to arrange transport for thirty thousand sets."

"For this sort of thing, we can only estimate on the high side. Compared to human lives, how much are winter clothes worth? Put the transport plan after the grain, but it must be delivered before the first ten days of the ninth month. Order the shortfall from the cotton mills in Changyi and Qingzhou, and have them deliver the goods early."

"Lord Liu, the transport schedule for the Wendeng reserve troops has been changed again. The vessels of the Wendeng naval camp will have to wait idle once more."

Liu Minyou slapped the table and cursed, "Go! Go and ask Liu Pojun of the Military Orders Department what on earth they are trying to do. How many times is the plan for the Wendeng reserves going to change? They change the plan with a flick of their lips — do they know how many of our transport plans have to be altered because of it? Tell Liu Pojun to come here himself and explain. Their mobilization plans cannot be this arbitrary."

"Lord Mo, two days ago two ships belonging to the Jinghai Shipping Company sank off Nanchenghuang Island. They were northbound vessels, and the grain on board was also lost to the sea."

Mo Huaiwen had his assistant record it, then went straight to the Garrison Farming Department to begin handling the aftermath.

"Lord Wu, all the forts and villages in Penglai have sent word that the Mobilization Department is currently mobilizing the Penglai reserves, which is taking up a great deal of manpower. The forts and villages will not be able to complete the production of that much dried rice this month."

Wu Youdao turned and went to find the army liaison officers, asking them to provide the scope of the mobilization so that the Garrison Farming Department could transfer garrison farmers from other areas to Penglai to help.

Every kind of sound filled the great hall. The heads of the various departments conferred continuously, rapidly deploying the strength of the Dengzhou garrison. When disputes could not be resolved, they sought a decision from Liu Minyou. He was the highest decision‑maker of this provisional committee.

The bustle continued until lunchtime. Only after the last messenger was sent out did the great hall quiet down a little. The department heads, all exhausted, were rubbing their cheeks, while some lower‑ranking officials went into the courtyard to rest and smoke, and to wait for the canteen to deliver the food.

Mo Huaiwen sat down beside Liu Minyou and said, "Lord Liu, with such an enormous volume of transport this time, ships will be coming and going endlessly at every port in Deng‑Lai, and the roads will be clogged with carts hauling grain from the various warehouses. The court will probably find out sooner or later and will inevitably grow suspicious."

Liu Minyou took a drag on his cigarette, checked the plan once more, and said, "By the time they find out, our transport will already be finished. Although the combat troops will be gone, most of our reserve troops will still be here. If the court wants to deal with us, it will have to mobilize seventy or eighty thousand troops at the very least. We deployed forty thousand men in southern Liaodong and it was chaos enough. With the court's meagre ability, I'm afraid that before the troops are even in position, those border armies will have already risen against the court. So it doesn't matter if the court finds out. Deng, Lai, and Qing should be safe. We will simply have to endure some extra toil."

Mo Huaiwen said with concern, "My lord is right. It's just that in the past, with the combat troops here, everyone felt more at ease. This time it is for the recovery of Liaodong, so no matter how hard we work, it is worth it. As for you, Lord Liu, once Liaodong has to be administered as well, you will be even busier."

Liu Minyou smiled inwardly as he listened. Mo Huaiwen was fishing for information again. However, in the Dengzhou garrison, following Chen Xin's example, no one thought it was wrong to contend for power — only that once you had secured it, you had to do the job well. Mo Huaiwen was a typical official of this sort.

After thinking it over, Liu Minyou decided to tell Mo Huaiwen in advance. "Huaiwen, you should probably prepare yourself as well. If Liaodong is taken, you may be appointed as the civil affairs officer for Liaodong."

Mo Huaiwen cupped his hands, about to make a show of declining, but Liu Minyou already waved his hand. "This official has already discussed this with Lord Chen. You are the most suitable candidate. However, that is for after the recovery of Liaodong. Before that, you will be temporarily stationed in Dengzhou to handle the logistics for this campaign well."

"This subordinate thanks the two lords for their recognition. As long as Lord Liu is in Dengzhou, the provisions and pay will naturally be handled well."

Liu Minyou rubbed his forehead. "This official will soon be going to Fuzhou and Jinzhou. After the second phase of transport is complete, the logistical centre of gravity has already shifted to southern Liaodong. Grain, fodder, men, and horses are all being assembled there. The next important step is transport from Fuzhou towards Gaizhou. This involves civil affairs, shipping companies, trading companies, money shops, civilian labourers, and so on. This offensive is of the utmost importance. Lord Chen does not trust anyone else to handle it and wants this official to go to Fuzhou to straighten things out."

"My lord will not remain in command at Dengzhou? This subordinate feels that it would be more prudent for Lord Liu to stay in Dengzhou."

"The situation in Dengzhou is stable. This official will only be away for a short while and will return soon — certainly before the Liao Sea freezes over. During this period, Lord Chen will designate Song Wenxian to take charge of Dengzhou affairs."

"Then when will Lord Liu depart?"

Liu Minyou let out a long breath. "Soon. Very soon."

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