Chapter 260: The Doyan Elite Troops

"Reporting to the General, the imperial envoy has already entered the city and is on his way here to deliver the edict." At this moment, a household retainer walked in and said.

Yang Yufan's heart jolted, thinking that something else had happened in the capital. After a moment's consideration, he said with an unchanged expression: "In that case, all you commanders must remember what I have said today. Return and make your preparations — do not slacken in the slightest, lest you give the bandits a chance to exploit."

"We will remember." Santun Battalion Assistant Regional Commander Yang Kele, a member of the Yang clan, and the others clasped their fists and said in unison.

No sooner had the discussion concluded than the door was pushed open without ceremony — it was the Directorate of Ceremonial eunuch Li Fengxiang who had arrived in person. "Santun Battalion Regional Commander Yang Yufan, receive the edict!"

"Your servant Yang Yufan receives the edict!"

Li Fengxiang glanced sidelong, clearly in a poor mood. He took out a golden-yellow scroll, unfurled it in midair, and said with ill humor:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

The Jiaozhou Patrol Inspectorate has shown utter disregard for the law, openly aiding a court fugitive in resisting arrest, and besieging and killing dozens of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers at Jinan Prefecture. Their arrogance is extreme — an act of outright treason that angers both man and god alike.

Santun Battalion Regional Commander Yang Yufan is hereby ordered to immediately lead his forces to Denglai to suppress the rebels of the Jiaozhou Patrol Inspectorate, and to take command of military affairs in the two prefectures of Deng and Lai. Any who resist shall be killed without mercy! By imperial order."

Hearing the contents of the edict, the many officers of Santun Battalion exchanged stunned looks and began murmuring among themselves.

When the imperial envoy suddenly arrived — and with none other than Li Fengxiang, a big shot of the Directorate of Ceremonial — Yang Yufan knew at once this matter would not be small. Yet after hearing it, he realized he had still underestimated the situation.

The edict put it simply enough — violent resistance like the Five-Man Tombstone Incident was common enough — but gathering a crowd to fight the Embroidered Uniform Guard head-on, causing heavy casualties among them, was a first since the founding of the Great Ming.

Such a matter was a naked slap in the face to both the imperial house and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If the Emperor did not deal with it severely, where would that leave the Guard in the future? Wouldn't people everywhere dare to gather and resist?

Yang Yufan understood that this precedent absolutely could not be set.

"Your servant receives the edict." Yang Yufan took the edict from Li Fengxiang's hands, pulled him aside to a secluded spot, and with a grin pressed a silver ingot into his palm, asking:

"When Steward Li comes, it's always a major matter. This time I'm leading troops to suppress that Patrol Inspectorate — is there anything I should be careful of?"

"Hmph, this matter would take a while to explain, and I don't have the patience for it." Weighing the silver in his hand and finding it substantial, Li Fengxiang felt somewhat mollified. He sneered a few times and continued: "When you lead troops out this time, be sure to do it under the banner of suppressing rebellion. Whether that Patrol Inspectorate did anything or not, they must be branded as rebels."

After walking a few steps, Li Fengxiang suddenly turned back and cautioned: "I'll give you a few more words of advice for the sake of the silver. His Majesty is in a towering rage this time. The cleaner your purge of that Patrol Inspectorate, the greater your merit will be when Regional Commander Yang returns."

"Denglai Regional Commander Chen Hongfan was implicated in this affair and has already been removed from his post. When you reach Denglai, it's best to steer clear of murky disputes. If you get dragged into this mess, even I won't be able to save you."

Seeing Li Fengxiang's hesitant, half-spoken manner, Yang Yufan's heart tightened further. It seemed the trouble in Shandong was no small matter — even someone of Li Fengxiang's standing had to keep his distance. He himself had best tread carefully.

"Thank you for the advice, Steward Li. A small token, not worthy of your notice." Yang Yufan smiled, hurried a few steps to catch up, and pressed another silver ingot into his hand.

Li Fengxiang weighed it in his palm, thinking this trip to the Ji Garrison hadn't been wasted. Smiling as he walked, he said:

"Regional Commander Yang understands things better than the usual run of military men. With this manner about you, you're sure to go far in the future. I have important business back in the capital, so I won't linger — no need to see me off."

"Steward, go slowly."

Behind the lines, the court was already in a complete mess, but of these matters, the soldiers at the front knew nothing.

At this moment, Taiyuan in Shanxi already wore the look of an impending great battle.

Li Zicheng's eastern expedition army was still on the road, yet the court's expeditionary forces had already arrived at the walls of Taiyuan. Per Chen Qiyu's strategy, Taiyuan was the key city of Shanxi — retaking Taiyuan would mean controlling the very heart of the entire province.

Once Taiyuan was retaken, Chen Qiyu would establish his Governor-General's headquarters within the city, using it as a root from which to spread branches in all directions, gradually bringing Taiyuan Prefecture back into the map of the Great Ming — that was his aim.

On the Dashun side, Niu Jinxing, though arrogant and jealous, nonetheless understood the importance of Taiyuan to all of Shanxi at present.

"Lin Yangcheng! You've been holed up in that city for three days now, skulking about like a rat — could it be you're afraid of your old man here!?" Datong Regional Commander Bai Guangen rode a short-legged horse, steel blade in hand, crowing with smug satisfaction:

"Lin Yangcheng! You'd best stay in there — otherwise your old man will put the white blade in and pull the green blade out, popping your gall bladder! Then put the white blade in and pull the white blade out, popping your skull! And then put the white blade in and pull the yellow blade out, popping your shit-sack all at once!"

"Eh? Lin Yangcheng, why don't you say something, damn you? And you, that surnamed Niu beside you — have you finally found your ox-daddy? You stupid calf, go tremble under that old ox's hooves!"

"Don't let this Grand Marshal storm the city and knock your teeth out all over the ground!"

Watching Bai Guangen bellowing and swaggering below, Dashun's Right Martial Might General Niu Wancai, tasked with defending this place, could no longer sit still. After cursing his mother, he slapped his thigh and stood up, pointing down and roaring abuse:

"Bai Guangen! I'm coming down — don't you run off!"

Bai Guangen below was standing precisely outside the archery range of the Dashun troops on the city wall. Watching Niu Wancai screaming himself hoarse, he shouted back with gleeful arrogance:

"Come on down! If this Marshal runs, my name gets turned around!"

"Fine! You wait!"

Niu Wancai let out a great roar, grabbed his blade, and was about to go down and fight Bai Guangen to the death.

"General, don't fall for Bai Guangen's trick! That man is sly and cunning — he's surely trying to lure you out of the city!"

"Exactly! What nonsense about white blade in and green blade out — I've never heard such a thing!"

Niu Wancai had in fact been a cowherd in his earlier days, and Bai Guangen's torrent of abuse had struck right at his sore spot. A crude man by nature, now furious beyond reason, he abandoned even the city-defense plan he had agreed upon with Lin Yangcheng, and charged down with his men to find Bai Guangen.

Unable to stop him, the remaining Dashun generals exchanged glances, and one of them said:

"I'll go report this. You must bring General Niu back safely!"

Setting aside how the Dashun troops on the Taiyuan city wall scrambled to redeploy due to Niu Wancai's unauthorized action, Niu Wancai himself flung open the city gate and charged out with great speed. Scanning around for a long while without spotting a single figure, he shouted angrily:

"Bai Guangen! Where are you?"

At this time, Bai Guangen, seeing movement on the Taiyuan city wall, had already slipped away in a flash. Watching from afar as Niu Wancai cursed his mother at the foot of the wall, he chuckled to himself and sprinted off at full speed.

Niu Wancai roared a few more times until his anger had mostly subsided, only then realizing something was wrong. Just as he was about to order a retreat and close the gates, a Platoon Officer from the old camp behind him pointed ahead and shouted:

"General, cavalry!"

Niu Wancai followed his gesture and saw — to his astonishment — an endless sea of cavalry charging straight toward him.

These riders were not the official army's horse troops. Niu Wancai had fought the official cavalry before; their horses were short and small, even inferior to the Dashun cavalry. But this mounted force before him was completely different.

These riders all carried uniformly curved sabers, wore various colored leather caps on their heads, and seemed to be shouting something from afar. Their armor was not of the Great Ming's standard pattern — Niu Wancai had never seen it, nor could he understand their words.

Of course, it wasn't just Niu Wancai — even Lin Yangcheng, who had rushed to the city tower upon hearing the news, had never seen this cavalry before.

Neither of them knew that this cavalry of over two thousand men was precisely the dowry obtained when the Chongzhen Emperor took a new consort some days earlier — the Doyan elite troops.