Chapter 69: Wanting Benefits

The Zhu Yin ship reached Dengzhou seven days later. Chen Xin and Song Wenxian paid their respects to Sun Guozhen. Sun Guozhen indeed looked utterly haggard, but he still gave Song Wenxian a handwritten letter addressed to the Guard Commander of Weihaiwei, instructing him to properly settle Chen Xin.

It was likely that Chen Xin's reputation had not yet spread to Dengzhou, and Sun Guozhen did not know how zealously he had acted in toppling the eunuch faction. But even if he had known, he would not dare make things difficult for Chen Xin now. Wei Zhongxian had already hanged himself, and eunuch factions everywhere were falling silent one after another, keeping their tails between their legs.

When facing him, Chen Xin remained utterly respectful. Chongzhen had moved swiftly to deal with Wei Zhongxian, but the handling of the treason case was proceeding very slowly. As long as Sun Guozhen's status remained undetermined, he was still the Provincial Governor of Denglai, so for the moment, things had to proceed as they always had.

Circuit Intendant Zhong also wrote a letter to the Weihaiwei Commander. He knew little about the situation in Jingshi and felt some unease about the eunuch faction's fall. He was also preparing to send someone to Jingshi to gather information recently. At a time like this, silver was even more likely to be needed, so he was extremely courteous toward Chen Xin.

When Chen Xin mentioned leaving his wife in Dengzhou, Circuit Intendant Zhong was even more satisfied and indicated he would send a maidservant to help look after her. Circuit Intendant Zhong wanted to plant a watcher, but Chen Xin had prepared for this. He said he would first leave her at Song Wenxian's home, and after Song Wenxian helped buy a courtyard house, he would trouble Circuit Intendant Zhong to send the maidservant then.

After Chen Xin finished explaining about Xiao Jiahua, which served as handing over a hostage, he then asked Circuit Intendant Zhong for some military supplies.

Circuit Intendant Zhong asked, "I wonder what weapons Battalion Commander Chen wants. If it's cannons, you need not open your mouth. Neither the naval fleet nor Dongjiang Town has enough to spare. Those three small red-barbarian cannons on your ship — if I hadn't suppressed it, people would still be scheming for them."

"This humble officer knows that. This humble officer would like some blades, spears, and gunpowder."

Circuit Intendant Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. The Coastal Defense Circuit oversaw the armory, and he had piles of these things. "Then what does Battalion Commander Chen want?"

Chen Xin handed over a list. Circuit Intendant Zhong read it aloud as he looked it over. "Two hundred padded jackets, two hundred mesh boots, thirty long sabers, thirty long spears, thirty rattan shields, thirty waist sabers, thirty tangba rakes, twenty bows, five thousand arrows, iron armor..."

After reading it through, Circuit Intendant Zhong looked up and said to Chen Xin, "Ask Weihaiwei for the bows and arrows. There is no iron armor — I'll give you ten cotton armors. There are also no padded jackets or mesh boots. Everything else I can give you." Chen Xin was casting a wide net anyway, catching whatever fish he could. Circuit Intendant Zhong handed the list to a personal guard behind him and ordered the guard to go to the armory to collect the items and deliver them to the Fujian junk. Chen Xin intended to sail that Fujian junk away this time as well. Since there was a hostage now, Circuit Intendant Zhong paid it no mind.

Having arranged this matter, Circuit Intendant Zhong had no heart to continue conversing with Chen Xin. He raised his teacup to send off his guest. Chen Xin and Song Wenxian came out and took Xiao Jiahua to Song Wenxian's home. Xiao Jiahua was muddle-headed the whole way, asking what the new house was like. Song Wenxian was extremely resistant to having this young mistress live in his own home, but Chen Xin repeatedly implored him, saying there was no time to buy a courtyard house. Song Wenxian had to hold his nose and accept it, only hoping to help Chen Xin buy a courtyard house soon and send this young madam on her way.

After arriving at Song Wenxian's home, Song Wenxian called out his principal wife and children to meet Chen Xin one by one. He had one wife, two concubines, and four children; the eldest son was already sixteen. It was Chen Xin's first visit to the Song household, and he gave each child two taels of silver. The Song residence was a two-courtyard compound. Xiao Jiahua was arranged in the third wing room on the west side of the second courtyard. Everyone was quite satisfied — only Xiao Jiahua was not, complaining the whole time about not staying in the main house.

The two planned to leave that afternoon. Ba Zi had already gone to gather the few sailors nearby so they could sail the Fujian junk away. After eating lunch at the Song home, they went out. Song Wenxian led the way east into an alley and arrived before a courtyard. After knocking on the door, Wang Yong appeared before them. Chen Xin followed behind Song Wenxian and entered the courtyard.

After Wang Yong closed the door properly, his face darkened. He said to Song Wenxian, "Mr. Song, Mr. Chen, you instructed me to keep an eye on Han Bin. He is indeed not quite right. Since returning last time, he's been drinking and gambling every day. Over these past few months, he's lost at least over a thousand taels of silver. Every night he's at Mianchun Courtyard whoring with the girls."...

Song Wenxian and the others had been worried about this Han Bin all along. He was in Dengzhou and knew clearly about matters like the Zhu Yin ship. If he went to the Coastal Defense Circuit and babbled recklessly, it would stir up a great deal of trouble. He might even demand a larger share to seize control of this maritime trade. Both of the two lords were now at a time when they needed silver. If they found out he had robbed the Zhu Yin ship, they might well come to extort them. Judging by Han Bin's current state, he didn't look like someone retiring from the underworld, but more like a ticking bomb.

Song Wenxian said darkly, "This man is truly hard to predict. Has he said anything about what he plans to do?"

Wang Yong thought back. "I haven't heard anything."

Song Wenxian and Chen Xin exchanged a glance. After all, this man had been on the ship for many years and was now merely eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. Killing him seemed hard to justify. Song Wenxian turned and said, "Wang Yong, keep a close watch on him normally. If there is any unusual movement, notify me immediately. If I am not here, go to Weihai and find Battalion Commander Chen."

"This humble man understands."

Song Wenxian and Chen Xin returned to the naval port together and transferred three teams of trackers onto the Fujian junk. Ba Zi had found Wang Zugui and a few others. They were naturally delighted to see Chen Xin — all had faced life and death together, so their bond was naturally different.

Circuit Intendant Zhong's personal guard soon delivered the cold weapons Chen Xin had requested: thirty long sabers, ten banner spears, thirty long spears, thirty round shields, thirty waist sabers, thirty tangba rakes, thirty blade-tipped clubs, ten iron-tipped carrying poles, ten head-taking knives, five large axes, ten cotton armors, three hundred jin of gunpowder, and two thousand jin of raw iron. Apart from the rattan shields being swapped for round shields, everything else was according to Chen Xin's request. Chen Xin had absolutely no confidence in the Ming army's firearms. The original Fujian junk had seven or eight bird guns, and that Tang Zuoxiang had indicated he could manufacture firearms, so Chen Xin simply requested no firearms at all.

Zhu Guobin arranged for the three teams of trackers to hoist the sails, demanding it be done within a quarter-hour. Following Chen Xin's instructions, he did not guide them but let them figure it out themselves. The three teams each huddled together and discussed for a long time, trying several times. Two teams finally managed to hoist the sails, while one team failed and was collectively punished with one hundred push-ups. Chen Xin noticed that among them, one or two individuals were already capable of taking charge. After the sails were hoisted, no one delayed. The Fujian junk and the Zhu Yin ship sailed out of the water gate one after another, entered the Bohai Sea, and headed toward Weihaiwei.

Zhu Guobin asked Chen Xin beside him, "My lord, should we designate a team leader to take charge of tasks?"

Chen Xin shook his head. "It's not yet time. I have my own arrangements once we reach Weihai."

Zhu Guobin knew Chen Xin was quite full of ideas and did not press further. Seeing the deck full of regular army weapons, his hands itched with eagerness. Impatiently, he picked a team and issued them weapons. The trackers had never handled weapons before and examined them in their hands with novelty.

"My lord, we didn't receive any wolf-bristle spears. Should the two extra men use blade-tipped clubs?" Zhu Guobin had studied the Mandarin Duck Formation somewhat and came over to discuss with Chen Xin.

Chen Xin was holding a long saber and gesturing with it. This type was a true long saber, with a blade length exceeding five chi (1.6 meters). Including the guard and hilt, the total length was just over two meters. The blade was not wide and looked like an elongated Qi-family saber, weighing two jin eight liang. "Aren't blade-tipped clubs for cavalry use? We don't have horse heads to strike anyway, so we won't use them for now. No wolf-bristle spears either — they're too big and long, inconvenient. Swap them for long spears. The area around Weihai we're going to has many mountains, so for now, long spears and long sabers are more useful." As he spoke, he handed the long saber to Zhu Guobin to look at.

Zhu Guobin took the saber and made a couple of practiced gestures, radiating killing intent. After Qi Jiguang went to Jizhen to train troops, he modified the Mandarin Duck Formation multiple times, so what Chen Xin had read in the *New Book of Effective Discipline* and the *True Record of Troop Training* differed. Qi Jiguang ultimately completely separated cold and hot weapon formations, using them in coordination during battle, somewhat similar to contemporary European infantry organization concepts. Those using cold weapons were called killer squads, employing the Mandarin Duck Formation. The spear-clubs, long sabers, and bird guns of the southern Mandarin Duck Formation were removed, and large clubs and long spears were added. Because bamboo did not grow in the north, wolf-bristle spears were sometimes replaced with long spears. Both large clubs and long spears were meant to better counter northern nomadic cavalry — long spears for reach, large clubs for striking horse heads and faces or dealing with heavily armored, hard-to-penetrate enemies. The large clubs used by cavalry battalions were inconvenient for two-handed swinging, so blades were added to the front — these were the blade-tipped clubs now on the ship. Chen Xin thought they could try them out, so he had requested some....

The Weihai area Chen Xin was heading to was mainly mountainous. Chen Xin had inquired with Circuit Intendant Zhong today and learned that there were quite a few mountain bandits and local thugs around Weihai. These men had only a small number of horses, and let alone heavy armor, they might not even have tidy clothes. So long sabers would be more intimidating.

Zhu Guobin lined up the first squad of soldiers on the deck. The first row consisted of two round-shield soldiers, each equipped with one waist saber and one round shield. The second row had two long-spear soldiers, the third row likewise two long-spear soldiers, the fourth row two tangba rake hands, and finally two long-saber soldiers at the back. Zhu Guobin was only testing it now, because neither the squad leader nor the squad deputy had been decided, so a formal formation could not yet be fixed.

A squad leader was generally equipped with a banner spear and a waist saber, directly commanding one fire soldier. The fire soldier was responsible for cooking and menial tasks, and every combat soldier could order him around. Chen Xin was rather conflicted about this fire soldier role. The fire soldier used an iron-tipped carrying pole, which could carry more supplies and reduce the physical exertion of the main combat troops. But Chen Xin felt that for short-distance interior-line operations, this fire soldier could be completely dispensed with. For exterior-line operations, one fire soldier could not carry much more supplies either, seemingly wasting a soldier.

When Chen Xin had helped Zhou Shao'er carry the iron pot back then, it was not just to win hearts — he hoped to cultivate camaraderie between soldiers and officers in the army. The existence of this fire soldier role created a second-class person within the squad, running counter to his own ideas. But after thinking it over, Grandpa Qi had fought for decades and designed this organization — a half-baked amateur like himself should not try to be too clever. Somewhat reluctantly, he retained it.

"Zhou Shifa, what organization did Vice General Qian use before?" Chen Xin asked Zhou Shifa beside him, wanting to solicit some opinions. This man had been a retainer and had taken heads before, so Chen Xin kept him close as a guard. Additionally, he had selected a relatively strong man from the trackers named Nie Hong, plus Hai Gouzi and Zhang Dahui, making four personal guards in total.

"My lord, Vice General Qian had over three thousand troops on the books, but he embezzled half the payroll and kept three hundred retainers. Most of the retainers had horses, but there was no particular organization — they used whatever weapons they were accustomed to. The remaining half of the troops had their monthly pay skimmed too, barely enough to eat their fill. If it came to a battle, they had to rely on us retainers."

Chen Xin asked curiously, "Then last time when you were conscripted to Shanhai Pass, how did Vice General Qian manage to muster enough men?"

"Just grab some beggars and refugees along the road, or find some local ruffians and idlers before setting out. Once they were counted at roll call, that was it. Even Deng Keshan came to take roll twice before."

"Mm." Chen Xin nodded. A unit like that could never defeat the Jianzhou bandits. His current Mandarin Duck Formation organization lacked long-range strike capability. He planned to turn Zhu Guobin's entire squad into firearms soldiers. Among his own men, only Zhu Guobin and Zhou Shifa could shoot a bow. Training an archer took at least half a year, and a proficient one at least two or three years, with requirements for height, arm length, and strength. He had no energy for such training, so firearms soldiers were a necessity. As soon as he reached Weihai, he would have the artisan households start making firearms.

The most important opponent in Chen Xin's mind was the Later Jin. These Tatars were almost legendarily fearsome among the common people of the Great Ming. Their reputation alone could scare off half the men, and seeing the queues would scare off the other half. He recalled that Zhu Guobin was from Liaodong and turned to ask him.

"Guobin, what kind of soldier were you in Liaodong before? Have you seen the Tatars fight?" This was the first time Chen Xin had asked about Zhu Guobin's background. Zhu Guobin had clearly been a professional soldier and was also literate. Before, on the sea ship, everyone's background was murky and unclear, making it awkward to ask. Now that Zhu Guobin was willing to be his subordinate, he could naturally ask.

"My lord, this subordinate participated in the Battle of Liaoshen. I was a Night Scout squad deputy at the time. The army unit I was with was no more than ten-odd li from the Zhejiang troops. This subordinate reached a place just a few li from the Hunhe battlefield. By the time I arrived, the Sichuan troops had already retreated from the north bank."

Chen Xin's expression changed. "Guobin actually witnessed the Bloody Battle of Hunhe! What was the situation like then?"...

Zhu Guobin's face took on a reminiscing look. "The Tatars fought with strict military discipline, their soldiers fierce and fearless of death. At that time, the Zhejiang troops' guns and cannons shook the heavens. The Tatars used roving cavalry to circle the perimeter, luring the Zhejiang troops to fire. Once the Zhejiang troops' gunpowder was exhausted, the Jianzhou bandits surrounded and attacked from all sides, arrows like swarming locusts. When charging the formation, heavy-armored long weapons were in front, light-armored short weapons behind. Squad leaders and White Armor Soldiers supervised the line. Orders were strict and solemn — not one man shrank back. After the formation was broken, the Zhejiang and Sichuan troops still fought to the death. Their tenacity in battle was not inferior to the Tatars'. They were the finest Great Ming army I have ever seen. Every time I recall it, I feel I let them down..."

Zhu Guobin stopped and said no more. Chen Xin had some understanding of the Bloody Battle of Hunhe. Because the Ming imperial court had deliberately publicized it, it was also widely circulated among the common people. He just hadn't expected to have a witness right beside him. Listening to this bystander's account, Chen Xin's heart grew heavy. Before the Liaoshen campaign, who could have imagined that Shenyang could not even hold for a single day? The Zhejiang troops and Shizhu troops were the Great Ming's elite soldiers, renowned far and wide, yet they too were completely annihilated. The blow to Ming army morale was immense. The combat strength of the Jianzhou bandits during their rising period was indeed ferocious.

Chen Xin asked curiously again, "Then what happened afterward? Guobin, how did you escape danger?"

"With the Zhejiang and Sichuan troops destroyed, everyone was scared out of their wits. The officers led the flight. The unit this subordinate was with collapsed. Although this subordinate had the heart to kill the enemy, I was unwilling to throw my life away for nothing. I seized two horses and first returned to my hometown in southern Liaodong. When I got back, my family had all fled and disappeared. I searched for some days but couldn't find them. Unexpectedly, the various forts and watchtowers everywhere soon surrendered to the Jianzhou bandits. By the time I wanted to go to Liaoxi, the way was already blocked. So I built a wooden raft with a few men and put out to sea, intending to reach Dengzhou. Midway, the waves were high and the raft broke apart. The others all died in the sea. I clung to a log and was rescued by Proprietor Zhao. And then, my lord, you know the rest."

Chen Xin nodded. Behind every person who escaped from Liaodong was a history of blood and tears. Countless people who refused to become slaves drifted out to sea, and countless died in the sea. Just at the Yalu River, there were over twenty thousand righteous civilians who, unwilling to become slaves, threw themselves into the river and died.

Zhu Guobin finally sighed. "I also don't know what happened to my family afterward, whether they escaped or not."

"Rest assured, we will always have the day we fight our way back."

Zhu Guobin gazed into the distance toward Liaodong in the north, a resolute expression appearing on his face. "Of course. The Jianzhou bandits have only a few tens of thousands of troops. Our Great Ming has suffered temporary setbacks, but one day we will destroy them."

Chen Xin let out a long breath. Probably no one at this time thought the Jianzhou bandits could seize the Central Plains, because the Later Jin consistently behaved more like organized horse bandits. The reality was indeed so. If the Great Ming had not been drained of its strength by internal rebellion, these barbarians would never have had a chance.

Over the following days, Chen Xin led a few men in drilling weapons and formations on the deck, while simultaneously training those three small squads of combat soldiers. On the morning of the fifth day, the two ships passed Liugong Island and arrived at the city of Weihaiwei.