Chapter 203: Chapter Twenty: Grieving the Departed

According to the longstanding tradition of the Long Life Army, the wounded need no mention, but even the bodies of soldiers killed in battle must be brought back. In this battle, the Ming army had controlled the official road the entire time, so whenever someone fell in battle or was wounded, they were dragged into the center of the circular formation and protected. Huang Shi had also given the order to take along all the fallen and wounded from the allied forces. The Vanguard Battalion, which had almost no combat strength left, was used this time as a large auxiliary battalion. Together with the auxiliaries from Long Life Island, they carried the wounded and bore the dead on their backs, walking in silence at the army’s center. Zhang Pan’s and Shang Keyi’s units, which had pursued in light gear, had become scattered. They joined the Firefighting Battalion and the Rock Battalion to form the army’s vanguard, rearguard, and flanking forces.

Once the threat was removed, these soldiers from outside units and the Long Life Army soldiers began chatting idly. The men from Long Life Island were all exceptionally proud and poured out all the preferential policies for soldiers on the island — for instance, officers and soldiers eating the same rations and wearing the same uniforms, and soldiers having priority over officers in getting wives, and so on. Naturally, this made the outside soldiers’ eyes blaze with envy, and even the lower-ranking officers among the allied forces, such as squad commanders and the petty officers below them, listened with utter envy.

Yet these soldiers also had a very deep impression of the brutal training. When they talked excitedly, they naturally described the training on Long Life Island in great detail. In their embellished stories, the training ground on Long Life Island was no different from hell on earth. These seemingly contradictory accounts confused the officers and soldiers of the allied forces, but they all gleaned two very important pieces of information from them: first, that the big boss of Long Life Island, Huang Shi, was a generous man who, if he ate meat himself, would definitely let his subordinates eat meat too; and second, that humiliating punishments were very rare on Long Life Island. Soldiers did not need to worry about having their noses sliced off or their ears cut off.

Dugu Qiu was at that moment bending forward with the corpse of an old soldier on his back, silently advancing with the troops. In his heart, he was still recalling the dying words of the dead man on his back:

— Bleeding so profusely, this life is probably beyond saving. I know it in my heart.

— Not long after I got to the island, I took a wife. Now my son is almost two, and my wife at home is pregnant with another. I have done right by my ancestors.

— Before leaving home, I left my wife a little money, plus the pension His Lordship promised. She should be able to stay faithful to me for a few years, until my son grows up.

— In three years of soldiering, I earned nearly twenty mu of paddy fields for my son. His Lordship will recover Liaodong sooner or later. I have nothing I can’t let go of.

…

The old soldier who said he had “nothing he couldn’t let go of” departed with a deep attachment to life. As the soldier hovered on the brink of death, the army chaplain from the central corps came and asked if he had any requests. He also solemnly took up a brush and recorded everything in a notebook. The old soldier lay on the stretcher, haltingly pouring out his concern for his wife and son. The black-robed chaplain in charge held his hand and loudly assured him that his soul would go to a very beautiful place, and on behalf of Long Life Island guaranteed that his young son and his posthumous child would have no worries about food or clothing.

“Mas… Master, I also… have these…”

Dugu Qiu remembered the old soldier trembling as he pulled open the front of his clothes, pointed to a black pouch worn close to his chest, and struggled to say: “My… my…”

“Your medals, is it?” The chaplain seemed accustomed to such scenes. The old soldier nodded with the last of his strength. The army chaplain gently stroked his forehead: “Rest assured, they will be buried with you, and go with you to meet your ancestors. Your coffin will be draped with a military flag, and His Excellency the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent will also salute before your grave, to prove your courage and achievements to your ancestors.”

The soldier let out his last breath, which sounded like a sigh of contentment. The face of the old soldier, who had been struggling against pain, had been severely contorted, but as that sigh escaped his lips, a trace of ease seemed to appear on his features.

Dugu Qiu remembered the army chaplain gazing at that trace of ease for a long time before gently closing the dead man’s eyes, murmuring a prayer: “My brother, you have endured too much hardship and toil. Today, summoned by the Lord, you lay down the heavy burden of life. Henceforth, enjoy a life of ease in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.”

“Amen.” Several other auxiliaries nearby unconsciously repeated the word. Although Dugu Qiu had encountered chaplains before, he still did not believe in the Loyal Monarch Patriotic Catholic Church, much less in a Heaven prepared for lowly wretches like soldiers. But at this moment, looking at the dead man’s face, he faintly felt that perhaps such a place really did exist — an afterlife where a military household, crushed by oppression, could live without care.

“What are medals?” Several auxiliaries were former Han Army members or refugees who had recently fled to Liaodong. Although they had been given priority in joining the auxiliary corps because they were strong and sturdy, they still did not understand many of the regulations on Long Life Island. Dugu Qiu, trudging forward with a corpse on his back, also pricked up his ears to listen to their discussion.

“His Lordship often says, whether we were born into military households or are criminals exiled and pressed into service, it is only that our fate is bad. It does not mean we are base dust. The crimes of convicts are fully redeemed once they are pressed into service.” An auxiliary from a Long Life Island military household spoke up, his voice both solemn and steady: “Medals are proof given by His Excellency the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, to prove your merit and courage. While alive, you wear them on your chest for others to see; after death, you place them in your coffin to show your ancestors.”

Those auxiliaries who knew about medals all wore solemn expressions, each nodding silently in full agreement. The auxiliary who had just spoken added: “Even if you fall in battle, His Lordship will award you a medal posthumously. Down below…” The soldier paused, glanced at the army chaplain in the distance, and said with a hint of longing: “Or up above, we can also puff out our chests and say: I did not disgrace my ancestors. I am no unworthy descendant.”

On the road, Huang Shi also encountered Shang Kexi. Jin Qiude and Li Yunrui had ultimately opposed him going out to attack on his own, because if Fuzhou were lost, Huang Shi’s main army would lose its foothold, and the more than ten thousand auxiliaries left in Fuzhou would be left unprotected. Shang Kexi pondered the matter over and over, and in the end handed command of his ordinary soldiers to Mobile Corps Commander Jin Qiude, while he himself rushed over with fifty of his retainers. After meeting up with Huang Shi’s army, Shang Kexi and his brother Shang Keyi shared a deep fraternal bond. Seeing his elder brother appear alive before his eyes, Shang Kexi could not help but break down and weep aloud.

Huang Shi’s orders had already been sent to Fuzhou. Besides preparing bandages and wound medicine, the troops in the city were also ordered to slaughter pigs and sheep, and incidentally to beat the dogs that the residents had not taken with them when they left. Tonight, the soldiers absolutely had to be given another good meal.

After marching for another half a shichen or so, the army was almost outside the city of Fuzhou. By now the sky had darkened, and a fiery dragon appeared in the direction of Fuzhou. Huang Shi knew that was the auxiliary troops from Fuzhou, bringing stretchers and carts to help. He turned his head to look back. Beyond the torchlight of the Ming army column, all was darkness. Although the Later Jin army was fierce and brave, they still lacked the ability to pursue by groping through the dark night, and even if they had it, they could not catch up with a column marching with raised torches.

Since the danger was completely eliminated, Huang Shi called over He Dingyuan: “Tonight Zhang Pan and the others are bound to call me to host a banquet. You go and hold the fort for me for the first watch. With you and Eunuch Wu presiding, it won’t be considered a breach of etiquette if I arrive a bit late.”

He Dingyuan knew Huang Shi was going to handle the aftermath, so he did not decline and simply bowed: “Your subordinate obeys the order.”

“Good. Remember to invite Mobile Corps Commander Jin and the others along. Although your ranks are higher, you absolutely must not slight them.” Huang Shi deliberately cultivated ties with all these military leaders in Liaonan. The Great Ming court had always liked to implement “mutual restraint between the great and the small” in the army — that is, using the authority of the big leader to overawe the lesser leaders below, and then using the lesser leaders to divide the power of the biggest leader. Basically, the big military leader did all the dirty work, while the court did the work of playing the good cop. The civil officials believed that this would make it harder for the army to become a monolithic block, and thus harder for it to rebel.

This rule of “mutual restraint between the great and the small,” to put it bluntly, was to instigate infighting between superiors and subordinates. For example, the military pay for the Left Brigade of Dongjiang Town was all issued to Huang Shi’s Long Life Island (generally not in full), but the amount each unit was supposed to receive was clearly distributed to every military leader in the Left Brigade. As for whether Huang Shi was ruthless or Huang Shi’s subordinates were stubborn, the court did not care. In any case, the court did not mind who screwed over whom.

Huang Shi could not push around these military leaders in Liaonan. The court would absolutely never permit him to do so, just as the court would never tolerate Mao Wenlong arbitrarily annexing Huang Shi’s army. In the whole of Liaodong, Huang Shi was the “small” used by the court to restrain Mao Wenlong the “big,” but in the specific region of Liaonan, Huang Shi was the “big,” and Zhang Pan and the others were the “small” used to restrain Huang Shi. The court felt that as long as the army was full of rival factions, the Great Ming’s realm would be as secure as Mount Tai.

“You absolutely must not let them feel you slighted them. Do not let them feel you are arrogant because of your achievements…” Huang Shi was still nagging incessantly with his instructions.

He Dingyuan at first grudgingly endured and listened, but after a while he began to fidget and look around restlessly. Finally, he could not hold back any longer: “Alright, my lord, I understand. You are far too long-winded.”

Although rudely interrupted, Huang Shi was not angry. “Good that you understand. Also, remember not to talk too much…”

“I know, I know. You taught me this, my lord. Isn’t it just eat more and talk less at the banquet?” He Dingyuan’s heart had long since flown to the banquet. Since he was now speaking with Huang Shi in private, he was not too particular about etiquette, so He Dingyuan said with extreme impatience: “What other key points did you mention, my lord? Oh, right, when you have the chance, eating an extra piece of meat and drinking an extra cup of wine is more practical than anything. Even if you don’t speak, no one will take you for a mute.”

“Good that you remember.”

“I remember, I remember. I’m off.” He Dingyuan hastily cupped his hands in salute and prepared to call Zhang Pan and the Shang brothers to go drinking.

Huang Shi thought it over and felt there was nothing else to remind him of, so he smiled slightly: “Mm, go ahead.”

…

Back inside Fuzhou city, the wounded soldiers were quickly given proper care. The “Long Life Divine Physician” Hu Qingbai also led the medical battalion in beginning intense and urgent treatment.

The ten infantry companies and two cavalry companies of the Firefighting Battalion and the Rock Battalion reassembled, preparing to receive a final review by their battalion commander — that is, Huang Shi. In Huang Shi’s army, there were no permanent acting battalion commanders. During this expedition, He Dingyuan had been the temporary deputy battalion commander for both battalions, and during the last expedition to Japan, Yang Zhiyuan had been the temporary battalion commander of the provisional expeditionary battalion.

These soldiers were covered in bloodstains from head to toe, and most of their hands were also covered in dried blood. To describe these officers and soldiers with the phrase “bathed in blood and fighting bravely” was no longer an exaggeration. Surrounded by his personal guard, Huang Shi, his armor clanking, strode toward a small platform in the center. Below, packed densely together, stood the soldiers holding torches high.

A young officer first led his unit forward. As he approached, two standard-bearers and a drummer followed closely behind him. The standard-bearers and the drummer all stood ramrod straight. One standard-bearer held aloft the Great Ming military flag, and the other held the company flag — that is, the Firefighting Battalion’s battalion flag, on which was painted a large circle with a large character “Jia” written beside the snake’s head. The drummer, his expression solemn, slowly beat the drum. Behind the four of them, another soldier carried a flag.

“My lord, your humble subordinate is the Company Commander of the Firefighting Battalion’s Jia Company. Company Commander Wang Jian.”

Wang Jian bowed and cupped his fists to Huang Shi. Huang Shi returned a standard military salute of later ages.

“This unit’s authorized strength is four hundred men. Before the battle, three hundred and ninety-seven were actually present. Seventeen fell in battle, thirty-two were wounded. Squad Commander of the pike unit, Yi Hailiang, died for the country. In addition, one squad commander was severely wounded. Currently, there are three hundred and forty-eight officers and soldiers.”

“This unit…” As he spoke, Wang Jian turned and took that flag from the soldier behind him. After handing over the flag, that soldier stepped back two paces. Wang Jian turned back around, holding the flag up with both hands and presenting it: “This unit captured one company banner of the Jianzhou slaves’ Plain Yellow Banner. I hereby present it at your feet, my lord.”

Next, Wang Jian recounted some of those who had rendered meritorious service. Huang Shi listened with focused attention and then encouraged him with a few words. Finally, Wang Jian and Huang Shi once again exchanged a cupped-fist salute and a military salute with the hand raised to the ear, concluding the brief post-battle report of the Firefighting Battalion’s Jia Company.

After the five men of the Firefighting Battalion’s Jia Company withdrew, Hong Antong immediately shouted: “Firefighting Battalion, Yi Company Commander, step forward and report!”

Song Army Supervisor led three men forward in silence. Ever since the army had lifted its state of alert, Song Army Supervisor, who was normally somewhat taciturn and quiet, had become even more withdrawn. On the march back to Fuzhou, he had not spoken a single word. When lining up with his comrades, he had also been silently recalling the day’s bloody battle. From the moment they began the return journey after the battle, Song Army Supervisor’s hand had involuntarily begun to tremble slightly, and as time passed, his hand shook more and more violently.

When he reached Huang Shi, Song Army Supervisor was about to cup his fists in salute when he suddenly realized he was still tightly gripping his long spear. Startled, he hastily slammed the butt of his spear heavily on the ground, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said in a low, deep voice: “Your humble subordinate, Firefighting Battalion Yi Company, Firearm Squad Commander Song Army Supervisor, reporting to my lord.”

Of the cavalry unit that had followed Huang Shi through life and death five years ago, besides the four men like He Dingyuan, ninety-one were still alive. These men were now either company commanders or deputy company commanders of the various companies, or officers in the personal guard, the staff unit, the intelligence unit, and the old camp. Huang Shi recognized every single one of them and could call each by name — for example, the Jia Company commander just now, Wang Jian.

Therefore, the moment Huang Shi saw Song Army Supervisor, whom he did not recognize, he knew this was not the Yi Company’s commander or deputy commander. The Firefighting Battalion and the Rock Battalion now had ten infantry companies, two cavalry companies, and one artillery company. Among these companies, there were a total of twenty-six company commanders and deputy commanders. Except for the artillery company commander, the foreigner Deng, the remaining twenty-five were all old hands who had followed Huang Shi since Guangning.

“Both the company commander and the deputy company commander of the Firefighting Battalion’s Yi Company fell in battle.” Song Army Supervisor laboriously stated a fact, but his expression looked somewhat bewildered, as if he had not yet accepted this fact he had just spoken in his heart.

Huang Shi noticed that Song Army Supervisor’s hand had begun to tremble again. Song Army Supervisor drew his long spear back to his side, his head drooping as well, and said in an increasingly low voice: “In the Yi Company where your humble subordinate serves, five of the eight squad commanders died for the country, and two were severely wounded. Your humble subordinate is the only officer still able to stand.” As he spoke, he unconsciously glanced at his own leg. His leg had been cut when crossing the third line of chevaux-de-frise, and he actually had several other flesh wounds on his body. Although the bleeding had stopped, if it were not for the fact that there were truly no other officers left, according to regulations he should have immediately gone to the medical battalion for thorough bandaging.

Standing behind Song Army Supervisor was the sole surviving drummer of the Yi Company, along with a temporary standard-bearer who had brought up both military flags together. When they heard Song Army Supervisor’s words, they too lowered their heads toward the ground.

“Squad Commander Song Army Supervisor.” Huang Shi barked sharply.

This sharp shout made Song Army Supervisor shudder. He abruptly lifted his head: “Your humble subordinate is here.”

Huang Shi stared into his eyes and ordered: “Hold your head high and report to me.”

“Your humble subordinate obeys, my lord.” Song Army Supervisor took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, and only after a long while did he continue haltingly: “The Yi Company, in which your humble subordinate serves, has an authorized strength of four hundred men. Before the battle, there were actually present… mm, actually present about three hundred and ninety-five or three hundred and ninety-six men. One hundred and twenty-seven fell in battle, over two hundred were severely wounded. Currently, there are sixty-one officers and soldiers.”

“Our Yi Company…” Song Army Supervisor felt his tears about to flow. He turned his head aside, wanting to avoid the gaze of Huang Shi and the officers and soldiers of the personal guard in front of him, and his tone became tinged with a sobbing sound.

He swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva in succession. The last few sentences came out both loud and fluent: “Our Yi Company seized two company banners of the Jianzhou slaves’ Plain Yellow Banner, one company banner of the Bordered Yellow Banner, one company banner of the Plain Blue Banner, and one company banner of the Plain White Banner — five in total.”

After he finished speaking, a soldier behind Song Army Supervisor strode forward holding a pile of banners and threw them straight down at Huang Shi’s feet, his face a mixture of sorrow and pride.

For a moment, the entire field fell silent…

"Be courteous, be humble, toast more often..." On the way to greet the guests, He Dingyuan kept muttering the words under his breath.

Wu Mu, smiling, pressed a hand to his heart and paced ahead with measured strides, unhurried: "Mobile Corps Commander He, today this servant will also drink a couple of cups with you."

The moment these words entered his ears, He Dingyuan instantly recalled what Huang Shi had said about going to Liaoxi to work under Sun Chengzong: "Excellent, Eunuch Wu, your humble officer will also toast you a few more cups — there may be no chance later!"

"Hmm?"