Chapter 56: Tai

The military meeting ended, and Li Mu walked out of the yamen with a complex mood.

Everyone understood military affairs, but only in theory; leading troops into battle was all new to them.

The weakest of all, the North City Battalion Command, was responsible for urban security and served as a reserve force.

The other four battalion commands each guarded one direction; although troop allocations were somewhat balanced, war isn’t just about having soldiers.

Taking Li Mu’s South City Battalion Command as an example, it was assigned fifteen hundred local troops and six thousand able-bodied men.

The total force approached eight thousand—on paper, it seemed more than sufficient.

The problem lay in management.

Among Yangzhou's troops, there might be agents of the salt merchant syndicate, and they couldn't be entrusted with important tasks.

For safety’s sake, commanders must use only their own people.

The original company commanders were now doing battalion commander duties, yet Li Mu still felt he lacked officers.

“Gentlemen, the chance to achieve glory has arrived!

Everyone, push hard—before the rebels arrive, train the soldiers.

Among your retainers, some have fought in city defenses; have them pass their experience to the newcomers.

The rebels are nothing but a rabble; as long as we prevent them from opening the gates from within, there’s nothing to fear.

Choosing to defend the city is prudent; once the imperial capital troops arrive, we’ll strike out and crush the rebels in one blow!”

Whether others believed it or not, Li Mu’s face radiated confidence.

As the recruitment officer, he had already secured the best recruits for himself.

“Battalion Commander, other matters can wait, but our soldiers lack weapons!

Six thousand able-bodied men, over five thousand armed with bamboo poles—it’s suicide on the battlefield.”

Captain Yun said, visibly troubled.

Turning bamboo into spears sounded poetic, but on the battlefield it meant disaster.

“Make do for now—the rebels are worse off than we are.

The court strictly controls iron goods; even if the Two Huai clans have hidden weapons, they can’t have much.

Besides, we’re the defenders, with strong walls as our advantage; the enemy can’t break in.

Are we afraid of being besieged without reinforcements?”

Li Mu decisively changed the subject.

Weapon shortages were a real problem; even with prior measures, it was like trying to bail out the ocean with a cup.

What was needed now was to stabilize morale—only if commanders believed in victory would the soldiers believe too.

The worst scenario was simply being besieged.

Yangzhou’s location was unique—it was one of Great Yu’s most vital trade hubs, with no shortage of grain, cloth, or salt.

Holding out for a year or more was no problem.

Time favored the defenders; the longer they held, the more imperial troops would arrive.

…

“Your Excellency, we’re about twenty li from Tai’an City. Will you enter tonight or tomorrow?”

The middle-aged man stepped forward to ask.

“Xiancai, how many times have I told you?

The Two Huai situation is urgent—we must move faster. Why won’t you listen?”

Xu Wenyue scolded his subordinate sharply.

They had set out together, and the army had entered Two Huai for over ten days, yet this imperial envoy still dawdled in Shandong.

He talked of speeding up, yet traveled daily in an eight-man palanquin, making no progress at all.

This performance wasn’t due to Xu Wenyue’s fussiness—it was pure political necessity.

The Two Huai clans’ rebellion shattered the Cabinet’s entire plan.

With the stigma of rebellion, the salt merchant interest group’s purge was inevitable.

If he arrived too soon, his fellow Qingliu colleagues implicated in the rebellion case would come begging for help.

Ignoring them outright would seem heartless and severely damage his reputation among the Qingliu.

But intervening to save them was taboo.

If the eunuch faction caught wind, he might end up dragged down with them.

“Your Excellency is right—I was rash!”

He Xiancai immediately apologized.

The moment he finished speaking, the cavalry beside him spurred their horses, breaking from the column and racing ahead toward Tai’an.

As the Grand Secretary traveled south, local officials along the way would surely seek to impress. Their hospitality was hard to refuse, and Xu Wenyue was no stranger to human sentiment.

Sending word ahead was his gesture of goodwill.

Only those within his circle could enjoy such treatment.

If they weren’t allies, no matter how well arranged, he would simply stay at the official posthouse to demonstrate his integrity.

…

Tai’an City.

“General Huang, order the restoration of order in the city at once!

If this chaos continues, the city will be ruined!”

Zong Guangtai urged.

Two days had passed since the army breached Tai’an, and looting had lasted two days—the once-prosperous city had become a living hell.

The commander, Huang Renlong, a former salt smuggler, ignored everything in the city, letting his troops vent freely.

“Mr. Zong, our soldiers receive no pay; their gains come entirely from plunder.

If I order them to stop, I cut off their livelihood.

How can I expect them to fight for me later?”

Huang Renlong sneered.

This was life—before, he’d trailed behind the Zong family selling salt, earning meager wages and enduring constant humiliation.

He regretted his ignorance back then, thinking the Zong family was heaven itself.

Now he saw them as nothing but stubborn scholars, half-hearted in rebellion.

In the Tai’an rebel army, the Zong family was merely nominal leadership.

The fiercest troops were all his own.

Had it not been for the court as a common enemy, he would have turned on the Zong family long ago.

To think they could still command him like some obedient servant—pure fantasy.

“General Huang, according to our earlier alliance agreement, after capturing Tai’an City, we must immediately march on Yangzhou Prefecture.

We’ve held Tai’an for two days—when will you launch the offensive?”

Zong Guangtai forced back his anger.

The salt smugglers had proven unreliable.

Each was short-sighted; once they gained a little power, they became reckless, disregarding even their own masters.

It was all due to Great Yu's flourishing literary culture—their aristocratic families' sons all studied literature.

A nest of scholars, when raising rebellion, revealed their flaws.

They could plan well, but actual fighting had to be left to outsiders.

Salt smugglers were inherently unruly; previously, with official status, they were kept in check.

After rebellion, their former awe faded, and each developed his own ambitions.

Few sought to seize the throne; most just wanted to loot enough to live comfortably for life.

Since the rebellion began, many salt traders had already fled.

Huang Renlong, with his ambitions, was already among the rebels’ elite.

“Mr. Zong, rest assured—I’m not blind to the bigger picture.

First take Yangzhou, then seize Nanjing, and secure the southeast.

I’ve memorized it well!”

…

(End of Chapter)