Chapter 58: The Enemy at the Gates

After convincing the Personal Guard Camp, Li Mu repeated the same tactic in the other camps.

Drawing such a tiny pie was something he had never done since entering officialdom.

To be so admired by so many soldiers, Li Mu even felt a little embarrassed.

Killing five enemy heads on the battlefield is no easy feat.

Especially during city defense, obtaining enemy heads is even harder.

Most crucially, after cutting off five enemy soldiers’ heads, one must survive the battle unscathed.

The harsher the conditions, the smaller the pie, the more authentic it appears.

The wisdom of the common folk is this simple and unadorned.

“Battalion Commander, we’ve just received word—the rebel army is less than thirty li from Yangzhou City and is expected to arrive at the gates tomorrow.”

“Marquis requests you come immediately for a meeting!”

The messenger’s words brought an end to the morale-boosting tour.

“Understood. I’ll change clothes and head over right away.”

Li Mu replied calmly.

What must come will come; the rebels’ sluggishness had already exceeded his expectations.

Militarily speaking, after capturing Taizhou, the rebels should have attacked Yangzhou immediately.

Every day delayed gives the defenders more time to prepare.

A major city like Yangzhou must be taken in one decisive blow.

Once it turns into a war of attrition, and the court reacts, the balance of offense and defense will reverse.

…

“How prepared are you? Can you hold back the rebels’ advance?”

Marquis Wuyang asked with concern.

Delegating authority to his subordinates didn’t mean he, as commander, would ignore everything.

He had always closely monitored his officers’ preparations.

All their military knowledge came from oral traditions passed down through generations, and their methods varied wildly; in practice, the differences were vast.

Some enforced strict discipline, some bonded with their soldiers, others kept painting them grand pies.

The only commonality was that all were intensifying training.

Who was better or worse couldn’t be judged yet, but all appeared plausible enough.

“Commandant, rest assured—we’ve made ample preparations and will hold the enemy outside the city!”

Tang Jincheng spoke up first.

Military deployments had long been settled; there was no time now to make adjustments.

“Commandant, Tang Battalion Commander is right.

These rebels are nothing to fear—so long as we guard against internal collusion, Yangzhou will not fall!”

Zhao Yawei said, sounding slightly annoyed.

In recent days, the major Battalion Commanders had been secretly competing.

Especially the East City and West City Battalion Commands, who fiercely vied for the title of No. 1 Battalion Command of the Five City Military Commission.

Even the speaking order in the command headquarters was often contested between them.

Rumors circulated privately that the court intended to reorganize the southeastern military.

To select elite troops and capable officers to station permanently in the southeast and strengthen control over southern provinces.

Such rumors from within the noble elite usually surfaced only after decisions had already been made.

Other regions were uncertain, but the Huai region would surely open up many positions.

Having witnessed the wealth of the salt merchants, none of them now resisted serving in the south.

For the Battalion Commanders present, securing a minor post was easy; but to obtain a good one, they had to fight and compete for it themselves.

The internal ranking of the Five City Military Commission wasn’t just an empty title—it represented real benefits.

According to bureaucratic unwritten rules, the Battalion Commander of the No. 1 Battalion Command ranked first in promotion priority.

“Commandant, to boost morale,

I suggest we prepare some reward silver.

If a soldier cuts off an enemy head, pay the reward on the same day!”

Li Mu proposed going with the flow.

Compared to the East and West City Battalion Commands, the South City Battalion Command was far weaker; directly competing for No. 1 would only invite ridicule.

Losing in military strength didn’t mean he couldn’t find another path.

Promotion priority was only one of several factors.

Personal military merit was equally important.

In city defense, achieving outstanding battlefield results was difficult.

Li Mu didn’t expect to stand out in that regard, but offering small suggestions to gain visibility was still very necessary.

He had truly had enough of life in the capital, where he was constantly constrained.

Life as a local commander was far more comfortable—on your own patch of land, you could call the shots.

Provided you secured a good posting!

If sent to some remote, impoverished region, just feeding the soldiers was a deadly challenge.

The Daxu army widely suffered from ghost soldiers—not all officers were greedily corrupt; most were forced by circumstance.

The court’s allocated pay was insufficient, so they had to raise funds themselves.

The northern frontier troops’ combat strength stemmed not only from their frontline position but largely from more reliable pay.

Beyond court allocations, frontier commanders profited from foreign trade and smuggling.

Compared to the north, where powerful military families clustered, competition in the south was clearly lighter.

Just dabbling in any industry could make life comfortable.

“Agreed!

I’ll allocate ten thousand taels of silver to each of you—earn more silver by bringing back heads.”

Marquis Wuyang made the decision without hesitation.

Upon arriving in Yangzhou, he had been opened to new horizons.

A mere few ten thousand taels no longer moved him.

…

At dusk, the rebel vanguard finally reached the gates of Yangzhou City.

“Master Zong, is this what you meant by a night assault?”

Watching the exhausted soldiers sitting everywhere on the ground, Huang Renlong asked irritably.

The proof was clear: scholars were unreliable.

They spoke eloquently in theory, but in practice, it was an entirely different matter.

According to the original plan, he should have ordered an immediate assault on Yangzhou.

But these soldiers clearly lacked the strength to attack.

The thirty thousand elite troops had abandoned all baggage, carried only rations, and marched fifty li a day—an impressive feat.

The cost: over ten percent fell behind, and those who arrived were utterly drained.

“General Huang, it’s mainly because these soldiers are too weak.

When you smuggled salt, your men marched a hundred li a day without incident.

Traveling at night to evade imperial troops was routine.

These soldiers have barely marched fifty li and are already exhausted—they clearly lack stamina.”

Zong Guangtai couldn’t help defending himself.

He had read military texts thoroughly and commanded large armies smoothly in Taizhou.

He never imagined his first plan after leaving Taizhou would suffer such a setback.

“Enough. This isn’t your fault, Master.

Issue orders: set up camp here. We’ll attack tomorrow!”

After this setback, Huang Renlong instantly realized his troops were far from elite.

With reason restored, his accumulated arrogance evaporated; he became courteous toward Zong Guangtai.

(End of Chapter)