Chapter 550: The Messenger

Along the Sha River south of Guotoupu, flat-bottomed boats came and went, continuously unloading grain and fodder at this frontline base.

One flat-bottomed boat waited at the northernmost dock. Liu Minyou reached the shore end of the wooden pier, Chen Xin walking beside him. Liu Minyou stopped on the pier and turned to Chen Xin.

Chen Xin stopped and smiled. "Brother Liu, what else do you have to nag about?"

Liu Minyou also smiled. "On the battlefield, just think about the battlefield. Time is on our side."

Chen Xin lowered his head and said slowly, "I understand. The Dengzhou system was built from scratch by the two of us. We did our best to achieve checks, balances, and division of power, and it is very stable. But whenever there is the slightest disturbance, I still worry deeply. Nearly ten years of effort — the closer we get to success, the more I'm plagued by indecision and anxiety."

Liu Minyou encouraged him. "We've been in this era for over nine years. You've fought for eight years, and the war of resistance is over. I used to say how many lives you'd need to pave the way just to stand shoulder to shoulder with Huang Taiji on the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, you're already fighting him decisively from a position of advantage. The world's strangeness is nothing compared to this. You've long since been no weaker than Huang Taiji."

Chen Xin looked up, curious. "Brother Liu, do you think I'm a famous general or an enemy commander now?"

Liu Minyou scratched his head. "Maybe it's because I know you too well. I'm very clear on your weaknesses. Without distance, naturally I won't form a blind perception of you. But that's how the soldiers see you. You gave them a way to live, led them to victory, and gave them confidence and hope for the future. Achieving that much already qualifies you as a competent commander."

Chen Xin shook his head and smiled. "For eight years I've been constantly learning command, remolding the strongest army of this era. I have confidence in them, but often lack confidence in myself, because I've realized I have no special talent on the battlefield that surpasses others. As Napoleon said, that's called the spark of spirit, something that can't be trained after birth. Clearly I don't have it. That is to say, I'm merely a qualified general, not a famous one..."

"Did Eisenhower have the spark of spirit?"

Chen Xin paused, then shook his head. Liu Minyou continued, "But that didn't stop him from being an outstanding Allied commander. A commander should be a controller and coordinator of the overall situation. This is the system you designed. Pure military matters are handled by the Military Orders Bureau, the Military Affairs Bureau, and the brigade officers. With the staff system as a supplement, and deputy posts with divided responsibilities, why would you need an all-capable commander?"

Chen Xin was silent for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Actually, I just have a dream of being a famous general. Fortunately, Brother Liu reminds me every time. And only Brother Liu would say I'm not a famous general. If I asked anyone else, they'd surely praise me to the skies."

Liu Minyou patted this old brother on the shoulder. "We came with nothing. In nine years we've built the strongest military garrison dominating Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Liaodong. You've already done very well. The Jianzhou Bandits, said to be invincible at ten thousand, have been beaten by you into shrinking back to central Liao, and they're at the end of their rope. Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong — people whose names ring out in history — were beaten by you and fled at the mere sight of your banner. In this battle you must not doubt. Cast aside all misgivings. Let your system fully play its role. With those brave heroes of Dengzhou Garrison, the Jianzhou Bandits will surely be annihilated."

Chen Xin nodded and extended his hand to Liu Minyou. "Thank you for your words. I've already made arrangements for Dengzhou. Your primary task is to control the already-mobilized reserve troops and harshly strike back at any provocateurs. Once this winter passes, the road ahead will be smooth."

Liu Minyou also extended his hand and clasped this brother of two lifetimes. "I will certainly guard Dengzhou well for you. As long as Dengzhou stands, Huang Taiji cannot outlast you. Strengthen your conviction. Take care!"

Inside Gao Hongzhong's residence in Liaoyang City, the bondservant named Zhou Wu was changing into the clothes of an armored soldier. Today Gao Hongzhong had attended another council meeting. Huang Taiji had once again shown wavering. Urgent reports from Sarhu pleading for help came one after another. Between Shenyang and Fushun Pass, Dongjiang scout riders had appeared many times. The few garrison banner men along the route lacked the strength to search and capture those scattered scouts. Many grain fields were burned by them. The two thousand cavalry garrisoning Shenyang also dared not easily mobilize for reinforcement, because the Lianshan Pass direction was also sending urgent appeals.

At the meeting, Haoge had been added. He had rushed over from Haizhou. The road from Haizhou to Xiuyan was defended by Dengzhou's mountain infantry companies. The entire route was filled with landmine cannons and traps. Haoge had probed several times but made no progress. According to reports from White Armor Soldiers who crossed the mountains to scout, a complete trench system had been built around Xiuyan's city walls, very similar to Lushun. Inside were Dengzhou reserve troops and civilian laborers, some laborers provided by the Dongjiang Garrison, and a portion of the Dengzhou Eighth Battalion. In the narrow terrain of Xiuyan, it would likely be difficult to conquer.

Such trench warfare tactics were not unique to World War I; they also appeared in Europe during the same late Ming period. Sweden's Gustavus Adolphus excelled at using such things to enhance his army's combat effectiveness. Huang Taiji had also used them at Dalinghe, and later in the Song-Jin Campaign used trenches to besiege Ming troops, shaking their morale. Dengzhou Garrison also used this weapon to deal with the Later Jin.

The Later Jin nobles deeply detested the Dengzhou trench defenses but could do nothing about them. These trench-earth walls, as long as manpower was sufficient, could be built in a short time. If one did not have enough provisions, the Later Jin's offensive power would find them difficult to overcome.

So at the end of the meeting, Huang Taiji and several Later Jin nobles studied the situation around Gaizhou. Huang Taiji also ordered a batch of stored grain from Liaoyang to be transported to Yaozhou Fort. This was a very clear signal of intending to march south. Therefore, this bondservant decided to set out immediately and report this important Later Jin movement to Chen Xin.

Gao Hongzhong watched Zhou Wu prepare from the side, an indescribable terror in his heart. Gao Hongzhong was very clear about the current war situation. Both sides hoped to fight the decisive battle on a battlefield of their own choosing. Chen Xin must also have his reasons for needing a decisive battle; otherwise he would not keep intensifying offensives at Lianshan Pass and Sarhu. So what Zhou Wu was delivering was critical intelligence. With Zhou Wu's departure, the time for the Liaodong war situation to be fully revealed drew even closer. Gao Hongzhong felt an unknown fear of the future.

Gao Hongzhong's throat was dry. He said to the changing Zhou Wu, "Sir Zhou, please be careful on the road. I will still send the person who received you last time to escort you. The boats on the Crown Prince River have all been searched. Niuzhuang and other places still have patrol boats. This time you will likely have to take the land route. Go near Yaozhou, then head to the coast to retrieve a boat. The road there and back is dangerous. The person escorting you will stay with you on that side and not return for now."

Zhou Wu knew Gao Hongzhong feared that person would be captured on the road and implicate him — it was only human nature. Zhou Wu said easily, "No need for him to escort me. I'll find my own way back. That's more secure. Set your mind at ease. If I'm captured, I won't implicate you. This war, the Great Jin cannot win. You chose the side that will surely win. The support you've given me this time, I will report every bit of it to His Lordship. You are a meritorious servant of Dengzhou."

Gao Hongzhong's heart relaxed for a moment. Zhou Wu continued, "Before you, there was also Bakshan of the Bordered White Banner. Lord Chen likewise employed him heavily. On the court side, Wang Tingshi and Lu Zhi, during their tenure in Dengzhou, greatly assisted His Lordship. Now without official posts, Lord Chen still extends them care. Eventually there will be a time for restoration. You are a clever man and should know that Lord Chen's ambitions are not limited to Liaodong."

Gao Hongzhong hurriedly cupped his hands. "Lord Chen has the ambitions of a great swan. A sparrow like myself dares not presumptuously guess. In the future when I reach Dengzhou, I beg Sir Zhou to promote me."

Zhou Wu coldly shook his head. "I am from the intelligence system. You will certainly be a civil official in the future. Our Dengzhou system has clear divisions; everyone follows their own rules. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't. With your talents, Sir Gao, if you work well in Dengzhou, your future prospects are limitless. More importantly..."

Zhou Wu stopped here and looked at Gao Hongzhong. Gao Hongzhong hurriedly bowed again, putting on a humble and respectful appearance. Zhou Wu forced a slight smile. "More importantly, in Dengzhou there are no slaves. You can be an upright, dignified person again."

On the main road south of Liaoyang City, a convoy of ox carts had just left the city heading south, loaded with grain sacks. In front and behind were many bondservants pushing wheelbarrows. These small carts were common human-powered tools in Liaodong, but the bondservants were all very thin and weak. By the roadside, the corpses of bondservants who had died of exhaustion were strewn haphazardly.

At the very rear of this bondservant convoy followed an armored soldier wearing cotton armor, leading two horses. Zhou Wu was dressed in the full gear of an armored soldier, a triangular banner with a white center and red border stuck in his back. He was disguised as a mounted messenger of the Bordered White Banner. He had requested two unmarked horses from Gao Hongzhong and was riding south with one man and two horses.

He constantly observed the Later Jin camps on both sides of the road. Two large camps showed signs of tents being packed up. This further solidified Zhou Wu's judgment: Huang Taiji was preparing to go south and stake everything.

On the road, Later Jin mounted messengers raced back and forth continuously, along with large contingents of armored soldiers from various banners. They did not converse with each other. Occasionally someone would call out a simple greeting to Zhou Wu in the barbarian tongue, and Zhou Wu would reply in Mongolian.

The Later Jin script was created by Nurhaci. In later generations it belongs to the Tungusic branch of the Altaic language family, originating from Mongolian. Although the Later Jin high command repeatedly demanded the use of this language, there were insufficient instructors. The Later Jin also had a large foreign population, including Jurchens from Haixi, Donghai, and other tribes, as well as many Mongols and Han Chinese. Therefore, often only some Manchu official titles and vocabulary were most commonly used. Among the common people, Mongolian and Chinese were still widely spoken.

Thanks to the training in that simulated village, Zhou Wu was very familiar with the living habits of the Later Jin. Along the way he did not converse with anyone, pretending to be a mounted messenger delivering urgent reports and focusing solely on traveling. From Liaoyang to Gaizhou was two hundred seventy li, to Yaozhou two hundred li. Zhou Wu had set out from Liaoyang early in the morning. He had two choices: one, gallop the whole way without sparing the horses and reach Yaozhou around nightfall, then leave the official road under cover of darkness and head to the coast where the boat was last hidden; two, conserve the horses' strength, rest on the road for a night, and leave the official road the next day during daylight — even if discovered, he could rely on the horses' strength to escape.

Zhou Wu once again observed the situation on the road. The mounted messengers coming and going were frequent, but all were in a hurry. Few people would bother others. Zhou Wu tried conversing with an oncoming mounted messenger, but most of them ignored him, which provided convenience for maintaining his cover.

Zhou Wu quickly made his decision. He needed to deliver the news to the Dengzhou army as soon as possible, so the Dengzhou Garrison could prepare early and the main army could wait at ease to strike the Later Jin main force. Zhou Wu glanced at the bondservant corpses by the roadside, fiercely lashed his horse's rump with his whip, and rode off toward Gaizhou, vanishing into the dust.

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