Chapter 102: A Scheme

Yatou Mountain.

Soldiers had cordoned off a circle on the broad drying ground.

At the very center, Liu Chengzong stood in full helmet and armor, leaning on a twelve-foot long spear. He raised a hand to adjust the brim of his helmet, frowning up at the sun.

Though it was already autumn, the midday sun was still fierce and scorching, hot enough to make the distant hills shimmer with phantom images, so stifling one could barely breathe.

He rotated his wrist, lowering the five-meter-long spear. His front hand gripped the shaft while his rear hand grasped the thick butt at his waist. He stamped his foot, the hard-packed ground thudding loudly, and said, "Again!"

Facing him was an infantryman from the Right Sentry, formerly a relay-station soldier, who did not know how to use a great spear. Gripping a seven-foot tasseled spear, he nodded and said, "General, forgive my offense!"

Clang!

Cao Yao, sitting on the ground at the edge of the field with his back against a bird gun, raised his hand and lightly tapped an earthenware jar with an iron ladle.

The two men advanced slowly; the two spears crossed.

The relay-station soldier suddenly swung his spear to parry the long spear aside, attempting to follow up by charging in, but his strength fell short and he failed to knock the long spear away.

Liu Chengzong retreated half a step, pushed forward with his rear hand while stepping in, and lightly tapped the spearhead against the relay-station soldier's chest guard. He then stepped back, withdrew the spear, and once more planted the long spear at his side.

Cao Yao announced, "Left Sentry foot soldier Du Liangcai, Military Merit Rank Eight!"

The Mule Camp's first merit-rank assignment was not rigorous in procedure.

For infantry, as long as one could use common weapons like the spear, tangba, hook-sickle spear, or waist saber to trade blows with Liu Chengzong, completing five rounds of attack and defense across two consecutive bouts, one earned Military Merit Rank Five.

However, the odds of five rounds of attack and defense passing without either side landing a touch were very small; the bouts generally produced a clear victor.

Winning meant Rank Four; losing meant Rank Six.

Right now, standing behind him were two soldiers who had earned Military Merit Rank Four.

After this bout, Liu Chengzong removed his helmet and handed it to one of them. As he took off his armor, he said, "Too hot. You brothers fight ten bouts each in my place. Once done, we'll rest."

Anywhere else, in such sweltering heat, wearing full heavy armor for one bout of two rounds, ten bouts would exhaust a man to the point of collapse.

But here at Yatou Mountain today, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

People's weapon skills varied, high and low, but they had only recently begun eating their fill, and their bodies had not yet recovered to normal condition, so most of the fights were very simple.

Liu Chengzong shed his armor and sat down with Cao Yao. "Get some water?"

Cao Yao grinned. "There is water, but drinking water that's unclean easily brings plague. All our water is unclean. The General's body is precious — you can't drink it."

This old scoundrel never spoke plainly.

Liu Chengzong frowned. "What do you mean?"

"No special meaning. Military law, that's all. There are seven wells below the mountain, but only two deep wells can draw water. The village is empty. I asked Old Qian — the wells weren't cleaned this spring."

As he spoke, Cao Yao winked. "What comes up is all foul water. It has to be boiled. The coal we brought from Yanshui Pass is used up. I've already sent men to gather firewood. Probably won't have water to drink until evening."

Liu Chengzong understood — Cao Yao was messing with him.

Sure enough, the old scoundrel shook his head, making a "tsk-tsk-tsk" sound. "Military law has been passed down. The brothers are all very obedient. Can't bully the common folk, and naturally can't tear down people's houses. No firewood? Then go gather it."

Cao Yao wore a thoroughly roguish expression and laughed. "That Wei Qian'er thought it was no big deal — he's never led troops. I sent him and his men to gather firewood. Just watch, General. Clearly they could just tear down a couple of courtyards and have plenty, but instead they're out scavenging for firewood under the blazing sun. See if his horse troop doesn't build up resentment."

"Squad Leader Cao, that's not good."

Gao Xian, sitting nearby, said, "If the horse troop builds up resentment, it does us no good either."

"What do you mean not good? You got a better idea, Gao the Third? Someone has to do this, right? If not him, fine — you and your Right Sentry go gather firewood. Or how about you persuade Rang-zi, who's out scouting, to have the Left Sentry do it? Either way, my Cannon Sentry soldiers aren't going."

Gao Xian raised a hand. "You—"

Cao Yao, seeing the moment was about right, stood up and tossed the ladle at Gao Xian with a snort of contempt. "Tch. Easy for you to talk when it's not your back aching. If it really fell to you, you wouldn't go either. I'm giving counsel to the Battalion Commander here — none of your business, Gao the Third. Sit back and keep quiet."

He gestured for Liu Chengzong to step aside. The two of them picked an empty courtyard, walked in, and sat down against the wall. Only then did he speak: "It's not me pulling seniority. On big matters, I follow your lead — you've never let the brothers suffer losses. I know my own ability too: fine for being a mountain king, but I can't accomplish great things on my own. I think you can accomplish great things, so wherever you point, that's where I strike. Still, hear your older brother's advice."

Cao Yao lowered his voice to Liu Chengzong. "In the forty-seventh year of Wanli, your brother was already a squad leader. Leading troops isn't just about fighting battles. Military law is a tool to bind soldiers to your purpose — you can't rigidly recite regulations. Put yourself in their shoes: they could clearly tear down a house and have boiling water, but instead you make them scavenge firewood under the scorching sun. Will the soldiers be convinced?"

It made perfect sense.

Liu Chengzong nodded slowly. If it were him, he'd be unhappy about it too.

Seeing him nod, Cao Yao was very pleased and said with emotion, "Your family really is something. Your uncle is upright and honorable; your elder brother is resolute and fierce — both rigid and deaf to advice. That you can listen is wonderful. Your brother was good in every way, just inflexible. Clearly a mere squad leader, yet he believed in the military manuals more devoutly than a general. That he taught you to make these kinds of decisions doesn't surprise me in the least."

"I'm not the same as my brother. Leading troops — the commander is just a nursemaid. In peacetime, keep the soldiers comfortable, and in wartime, the soldiers will keep me comfortable. Even if we lose a battle, they'll remember to shield me as we flee, because nowhere under heaven is there anyone else who treats them the way I do."

For a moment, Liu Chengzong's heart was somewhat conflicted.

To have someone point out one's own mistakes to one's face, and — even if done away from others — to not react with defiance, is already a rare human quality.

Let alone accepting it gladly.

Compared to accepting it gladly, "When ministers, officials, and commoners dare to openly reproach my faults" — a hundred strokes of the heavy rod, seven years' penal exile, and conscription to the frontier — is far more comforting to the heart.

But what Liu Chengzong felt more of, truly, was happiness.

He seemed to see a great new door glowing with light, slowly opening before him.

The last time he had this feeling was when the rigidly methodical Liu Chengzu had taught him the techniques of marching and encampment.

"Put that way, using frontier-army military law was indeed rash of me. I only wanted to prevent the soldiers from forming habits of plunder as we campaign in all directions, but I didn't think through such matters thoroughly."

Liu Chengzong first admitted his mistake, then added, "But I can't admit it, and I can't change it right now."

Cao Yao nodded as well, raising a hand to tap his own temple. "You can't admit it. I meant nothing else — only to tell you, from now on, think thrice before acting... But not changing it now — what do you plan to do?"

Liu Chengzong sat on the ground, leaning against the earthen wall, and pondered the matter carefully.

A moment later, he turned his head and said to Cao Yao in a tone of absolute certainty, "Brother Cao, you set a trap for me."

They would encounter such problems, but assigning Wei Qian'er's horse troop to gather firewood was Cao Yao's decision — it had not gone through Liu Chengzong.

He guessed that before Wei Qian'er led the horse troop to monitor the riverbank, Cao Yao had mentioned the lack of firewood. Through some kind of goading — he didn't know the exact words — Wei Qian'er had taken on the task on the side.

The impact of this matter was probably not that bad, and the soldiers' resentment might not necessarily rise to the level of dissatisfaction with Liu Chengzong himself.

Very likely it would end at dissatisfaction with their squad leader, Wei Qian'er.

"Correct."

Cao Yao admitted it openly and freely, waving a hand. "But you can't blame me — I'm wholeheartedly thinking of the troop! Discovering that my own general has the bookish air of an armchair strategist, how could I, Cao, as a subordinate, not offer counsel?"

The old scoundrel wagged his head, and the last line came out in an operatic singsong: "With a few words, you Liu-family folk won't listen — you have to see the coffin to shed tears."

"Don't make me wipe up the shit you shat."

Seeing him admit it, Liu Chengzong felt quite relieved and said with a smile, "Go on, then. You must have a way to solve this. Otherwise, even if I solve it, I'll still blame you — and the same if your solution isn't clever. But if you've just hidden the firewood, that would be really stupid."

"Tch, listen to what you're making me out to be."

Cao Yao was equally relaxed. "There really is no firewood left — only enough for two more meals. The water problem is easy to solve, too. But I'd still like to hear the General's solution first."

Cao Yao had said: think thrice before acting.

Liu Chengzong really did start thinking thrice.

The matter itself was small, but the solution he chose could very well have a profound impact on the company.

Here with Cao Yao, Liu Chengzong could admit his own mistake and then go correct it.

This was one man to another. Cao Yao was a good elder brother; what he said was right and ought to be heeded, so it had to be heeded.

But the mistake he admitted was his own lack of experience — he had never encountered a situation like this, and before transmitting the military law to the whole battalion, his consideration had not been thorough enough.

It was not that strictly enforcing military law was itself a mistake.

If he went out, had people tear down houses for firewood, or even changed the decree, not only would the soldiers sent to gather firewood not feel grateful to him, but the soldiers of other posts would think the General's resolve in enforcing military law was nothing more than this.

That would turn a very simple matter into something complicated.

Liu Chengzong spread his hands. "Then I'll use the old method my brother taught me: lead by example. I'll herd horses and gather firewood together with them. Once everyone is familiar with yesterday's military law, next time we change camp, we'll find an uninhabited village and gather firewood in an organized way. If we truly can't find any, we'll tear down houses before resentment builds. Adaptability — Big Brother Cao, is this what you wanted to teach me?"

Cao Yao was amused by his solution. "You've turned a bad thing into a good one. I wasn't deliberately making trouble for you. The water problem I can solve. You know, your sister-in-law comes from a great household in Northern Zhili. When her family dug wells, they would line the bottom with tiles and charcoal, so the water drawn up was clean."

"When I was an outlaw in the north, she made me a kind of filter barrel. You drill holes in the bottom of a wooden barrel, layer it with dry grass, bamboo charcoal, and gravel, and put in a single guanzhong. Filter raw water through it for drinking, and you'll never get sick. I figure you could wait until people are getting a bit impatient from gathering firewood, then bring out the filter barrel — it'll also help win over the newly surrendered border troops."

Hearing this, Liu Chengzong found it very familiar. The principle was basically the same as a method for treating raw water in the wild from his other set of memories.

Basically the same meant it was reliable.

But he felt Cao Yao wasn't speaking his true mind. Bringing out this thing wouldn't mean much for winning the hearts of the newly surrendered border troops. The greater significance was probably that Cao Yao didn't want to steal his thunder.

He didn't expose it, but said with a smile, "So you were waiting here for me all along. Very well, then let's do it my way first. Bring out the filter barrel before boiling water. We still have to boil water. This firewood shortage is just a reminder that it's time we found a rich household to rob the rich and aid the poor."

"Let's wait until Rangzi returns from scouting. But have you noticed…" Cao Yao said seriously, "There's a problem with the composition of our battalion."

"What problem?"

Cao Yao looked baffled. "A huge battalion of over five hundred men, yet on the battlefield the leaders often have to charge at the front. Over five hundred men in the whole battalion, yet only I can offer you advice. We are sorely lacking in men of talent."

"There's no helping that. At least the ones who can fight are fine. Didn't today's martial contest just pick out the two brothers, Zhong Hu and Zhong Bao? Their martial skill is no worse than mine."

Zhong Hu and Zhong Bao were the two soldiers of fourth-class merit from today's contest. They were now on the threshing ground, inspecting the troops on Liu Chengzong's behalf.

The two were blood brothers, born into a hereditary guard-post military family. Both had formerly been soldiers of Jingbian Camp, skilled in mounted spear, lance, and saber techniques. Their martial arts were quite good.

Liu Chengzong said, "The people we can recruit are never of high birth. If anyone had any way out, none would be willing to become bandits. If someone isn't willing to follow us as an outlaw, even tying them up wouldn't set my mind at ease. Unless it's someone like that Mobile Corps Commander Lu, whom I'd very much want by my side — otherwise, I'm not willing to force anyone into banditry."

If it were any other problem, Liu Chengzong could probably find a solution. Only talent — he had absolutely no solution for that.

Earlier, he had wanted to tie up Mobile Corps Commander Lu. Whether the man could be made to join them as an outlaw was still an open question. Who could have guessed that Commander Lu, having dodged dozens of cannonballs, would be killed by a tiny splinter of wood?

As for the others, the border troops who surrendered at the Battle of Yanshui Pass and were willing to follow them — all of them were common soldiers. Not a single one held any official rank.

With that kind of background, you could only recruit people with some martial skill. Very few could even read.

Those few newly surrendered border troops promoted to squad leader had no other advantage — it was solely because they were literate and could write down the others' names that they became squad leaders.

There were never many literate people to begin with, and even fewer with learning. In these times, quite a few such people had indeed been driven to rebellion, but compared to the common folk driven to rebellion, their numbers were still extremely scarce.

This matter could only wait until they returned to Yan'an Prefecture and joined up with his father and elder brother, plus Yang Dingrui and Song Shouzhen. Only when they were all together could they have a brain trust to discuss and advise.

Cao Yao had only been speaking offhandedly. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Old Cao here will just have to reluctantly serve as your dog-headed strategist for now… Do you think this is a good moment for us to pull off something big in Shanxi?"

"Pull off something big — what exactly do you mean?"

Cao Yao drew a few circles on the ground with his hand and rubbed his hands together. "I asked Old Man Qian about the general geography around here. He doesn't know the details, only that this is Xi Prefecture under Pingyang Prefecture. North of Xi Prefecture is Xiaoyi County of Fenzhou Prefecture. The county further north is called Fenyang County — that's the seat of Fenzhou Prefecture."

Liu Chengzong shook his head. "Another prefectural seat. Prefectural seats have guard troops. And if we pull off something big in Shanxi, it'll be easy for the two provinces to combine forces and wipe us out. Then we'd have no days of rest — just fleeing all day long."

"I've only gotten to this point and you already think it's big? That doesn't seem like your nerve. There's something even bigger."

Cao Yao pointed at the route he had drawn on the ground, his face alight with excitement. "This Fenzhou city is where the Qingcheng Prince's Estate of the Jin fief is located. Back when I was a soldier in Xuanfu, I heard about the Qingcheng Prince. The first Qingcheng Prince sired a hundred children, and every single one grew to adulthood. That city is crawling with State-Defending Generals and State-Assisting Generals. The prince's estate is built like an imperial city. Doesn't that stir your heart? I've wanted to rob them since seven or eight years ago."

"Can't rob it… too dangerous."

Liu Chengzong still shook his head. Just as Cao Yao's disappointment was growing, he said, "But since we're here anyway, we ought to at least scout it out first — the Qingcheng Prince Estate's route, and his manorial lands. We can't rob the prince's estate now, but we can later. And robbing the prince's manors…"

He patted his own chest. "Robbing prince's manors — we brothers are experts at that!"