Chapter 440: Substitution

After the two grand weddings at the Marshal's Manor, Liu the Lion was utterly exhausted.

With the New Year still a few days away, Liu Chengzong had originally wanted to give himself a few days off and go hunting in the mountains with Cao Yao.

But urgent military matters piled up — in just six days, intelligence from every channel had stacked a whole table in the west wing of the manor, and the people waiting to see him could fill an entire room.

Everyone in the Marshal's Manor, from top to bottom, was extremely tense about the government troops repairing fortifications in Gulang and stationing forces around Lanzhou after Hong Chengchou entered Gansu.

What made them tense was not Hong Chengchou, but the snow in Hehuang.

Over these years, every veteran Lion soldier always had the terrible drought of northern Shaanxi on their lips; through years of persistent indoctrination, even the Mongols herding for the Marshal's Manor had prepared dry-season pastures beyond their summer and winter grazing grounds.

Everyone was constantly ready to fight drought.

But as time passed, this mindset had actually grown much fainter than at the start — especially with this year's bumper harvest, people suddenly felt as if the normal life that had once left them had returned.

Yet just then, the joy of the harvest was gradually fading, and people's hearts were instead seized by a deeper worry: in the winter of the sixth year of Chongzhen, no snow had fallen in Hehuang — not even hail.

The veterans of the Marshal's Manor, their minds tough as iron, were all praying for the heavens to toss down a few snowflakes or even a few ice pellets.

Because the terrible memories had returned — the blazing sun like fire, rivers running dry, livestock collapsing dead, the land scorched red for a thousand li.

In the council hall of the manor's west wing, the commanders sat stiffly upright, hardly daring to breathe deeply; even Cheng Yun, seated among them, wore a somewhat troubled expression.

War was something people had expected, but this potential drought now looming was a bad omen for them.

Wang Cheng'en spread a northwestern map across the table and used his whip shaft to point at the Zhuanglang River valley, from Hekou East Pass to the Gulang Gorge area. He said, "West of the river is the territory earlier taken from the Yongdeng Tusi by the Grand General and General Li; east of the river are the Songshan forts controlled by the court. This three-hundred-li-long valley is a place contested by every strategist."

Liu Chengzong sat at the head, scanning the expressions of the commanders. Many had fallen into deep thought. Cao Yao caught his gaze, pursed his lips gravely, raised a hand, and spread five fingers — the sign for five.

Liu Chengzong nodded slowly. Cao Yao meant that traveling through this valley to reach the strategic Gulang Gorge would take five days of marching.

That people were deep in thought was a good sign — it meant they were all seeing something from this valley and from Wang Cheng'en's explanation.

Of course, some people were not deep in thought — Xie Erhu, for instance. He said, "Marshal, the Right Garrison Brigade requests battle. Just give the order, Marshal, and the three camps of Changhe West, Yongxiebu, and Dzungar will fight all the way through and sweep them all flat!"

Courage was commendable.

As soon as his words fell, the frowning He Huchen said, "Three camps may not be enough to take Zhuanglang Garrison City, and beyond that there's the sixty-pace-wide mountain road of Gulang Gorge — twenty grand generals could bottle you up and keep you from advancing an inch."

Yang Qi also said with a smile, "Brigade Commander Xie, please think twice. If you're blocked for five days, you'll have to start hauling grain."

Wang Cheng'en said nothing, merely letting his whip shaft wander, intentionally or not, over the Songshan area east of the river on the map. This valley had the Great Wall running from south to north — it was called the Songshan New Border, built in the past to defend against the Songshan caitiffs, locking the Mongols between the first and second border walls.

If the Marshal's Manor transported grain northward, the logistics supply line would be highly vulnerable to raids.

Xie Erhu cursed inwardly — these two bastards had finally seized their chance to get back at him.

He excelled at plundering, and a plundering force had no concept of a supply line, but an offensive to seize and hold territory was different. Siege, assault — especially the heavy troop formations the Marshal's Manor was so good at fielding — all required supply routes.

He did not know whether Yang Qi and He Huchen were right, but he had his own way of telling truth from falsehood in such words.

Reading faces and tones — none of the Marshal's Manor's ferocious inner-circle battle commanders spoke up in support, which meant these two old fellows were right. Besides, Batur Hong Taiji beside him was also quietly tugging at his armored skirt.

Xie Erhu had always been very good at taking advice. He did not argue back, just turned his face away and said, "However the Marshal arranges it, I, Xie Erhu, will fight it that way!"

Batur Hong Taiji had meant to speak up in support, but he knew what a supply line was and could clearly see the danger of this route. He turned to Liu Chengzong and asked, "Great Khan, this Hong Chengchou is very formidable... I think we should look for a way through Jiayu Pass."

This time even Wang Cheng'en could not hold back a smile.

The Jiayu Pass defensive system had the Hanging Wall Great Wall climbing along the Black Mountains on one side and the natural sheer cliffs of the Taolai River Grand Canyon on the other. Since its construction, it had never been breached in over two hundred years.

Beyond the pass stretched endless yellow sands; the long supply line meant a large army could not linger long beneath an impregnable fortress. They might well collapse before the defenders even received word of their approach.

Liu Chengzong nodded at Batur Hong Taiji and said flatly, "That is one line of thought."

But it was only a line of thought. Jiayu Pass on the western route was indeed a better offensive direction than Gulang Gorge on the eastern route — yet the western route was better precisely because the eastern route was the Ming army's key defensive focus in Gansu, making the eastern route nearly impossible to breach.

The Jiayu Pass direction was merely a sliver more possible than impossible.

A strong fortress could not be taken by direct assault; infiltration and internal collapse were the proper way. That was why Liu Chengzong was waiting for Wang Ziyong to speak.

Wang Ziyong had not wanted to open his mouth, but more and more people were turning their eyes toward him, forcing him to steel himself and speak: "Marshal, the Three Tribulations Society does have many members in Gansu. If it were earlier, there might have been hope."

Wang Ziyong shook his head. "But now Hong Chengchou has transferred in outside troops, and those in charge of the passes are all Ningxia border troops. We are powerless. At present, the Three Tribulations Society can only coordinate with the army to create some chaos; seizing a pass fortress... I fear we are incapable."

Liu Chengzong nodded in acknowledgment. Cao Yao, who had remained silent until now, finally asked, "Marshal, what about sending an elite force over the Qilian Mountains to strike Liangzhou, Ganzhou, and Suzhou?"

"Strike Liangzhou to cut off the rear of the government troops at Gulang Gorge; strike Ganzhou to draw the Gulang Gorge and Jiayu Pass armies back to relieve them; strike Suzhou to sever the grain supply of the Jiayu Pass garrison."

Liu Chengzong nodded and turned his gaze to Chen Qindai, the Magistrate of Haibei. "Qindai, are there any paths through the Qilian Mountains that can still be traversed?"

"In reply to the Marshal, there are."

This council of war was somewhat pessimistic, and Chen Qindai's answer could not help but carry a note of hesitation. He rose, clasped his fists in salute, and said, "The government troops have sealed every pass. Even if we break through a pass, it would be difficult to move a large army over the mountains. There are still some minor trails that can be used, but first, they cannot allow a large army to maneuver quickly."

"And second," Chen Qindai felt that the inability to maneuver a large army was a minor issue, so he emphasized, "our wagons cannot pass. Warhorses, donkeys, and mules would also struggle to cross the mountains."

Cao Yao helplessly drummed his hand lightly against his leg. This meant they could not bring cannons, nor even heavy equipment like wall guns, and probably not even heavy armor.

In war, trained elites were indispensable — without elite troops, the best equipment was just built for the enemy. But without equipment, the best elite troops would be easily slaughtered by the enemy.

Without heavy equipment, crossing the Qilian Mountains would mean abandoning their own line of retreat. Facing Ming troops with heavy equipment, they would likely face nothing but total annihilation.

Liu Chengzong, unlike the others, was not discouraged. He simply asked, "Do my elder brothers have anything else to add?"

Seeing that everyone had already said what they wanted to say, and that they all looked especially guilty when meeting his eyes — this helpless situation indeed made people feel extremely frustrated and powerless.

Liu the Lion unhurriedly noted down the key points everyone had raised, then smiled and comforted his commanders: "It's no matter. All my elder brothers have their own talents; failing to find a good plan in a short time is truly due to the constraints of the terrain. If taking Gansu from Xining were that easy, our Huoluochi brothers would not have been trapped in Qinghai for so long."

After saying this, he straightened his expression and said, "Since this council of war cannot produce a plan for now, then before considering victory, let us first consider defeat. Let us first discuss our own internal affairs. Next year, Hehuang will most likely be a drought year. Everyone need not be anxious — I see this great drought as coming at a very good time, since we have just had a bumper harvest."

He turned to his brother and asked, "Cheng Yun, if drought strikes Hehuang and we fail to take Gansu, how long can we hold out?"

This topic made Batur Hong Taiji tremble. He pressed his palms together, praying that Liu Chengyun would give a good answer.

After all, he was now well aware that these people had been driven to Qinghai by drought. If drought came to Qinghai again, these ferocious fiends would probably be driven all the way to the Tianshan Mountains.

The reason he was willing to submit to Liu the Lion now was that if he went back, he would still be the master of the Tianshan, and stronger than before. But if Liu the Lion wanted to go and become the master of the Tianshan, then he would not be so happy about it.

Fortunately, Cheng Yun rose with full confidence. "The Marshal can hold out as long as he wishes; Hehuang can hold out as long as he wishes."

"Second Brother, rest assured. Even if the Three-Border Supreme Commander holds Shaanxi and Gansu, Hehuang cannot be starved into submission." Liu Chengyun said, "Hehuang's terrain is unique. I believe that even if no rain falls next year, there will be no great drought."

He explained, "The last rain fell in autumn, and the water is all up in the mountains, frozen into snowy peaks. When spring comes, even without rain, the peach blossom flood will arrive and still irrigate the fields. So next year may not be a bumper harvest — perhaps just an average year."

Hearing this, Liu Chengzong broke into a grin. Cheng Yun was not like the others; no matter the question, Liu Chengyun could always answer him using firsthand experience gained deep among the common people.

He asked, "In other words, we can hold out for a full year."

"At least one year," Cheng Yun said. "Civilian grain stocks are still ample. As long as there's no extravagance or waste, if the Grand Marshal issues a prohibition on alcohol, builds waterwheels, and plants drought-resistant crops, by this time next year military grain might be a little tight, but the civilian population won't suffer, and there certainly won't be unrest."

"Then plan for two years — that's enough time."

When it came to drought, Liu Chengzong always held the most pessimistic view. If there had been no trend of drought in Hehuang, he could have still harbored a sliver of wishful thinking, but now that the trend was clear, he found it very hard to imagine the drought ending quickly.

Even three years without rain would not be considered an exaggeration in this era.

Liu Chengzong said to Cheng Yun, "For the sake of grain, Hehuang has already seen every other trade abandoned. We cannot let drought destroy Hehuang's harvest as well."

The phrase "every other trade abandoned" was no mere self-deprecation. Hehuang had originally been capable of supporting a large population detached from agriculture, who could have been engaged in handicrafts and services.

Without a major change in land output, the enormous military population had squeezed out those roles — not to mention that Hehuang's taxes were very low.

The lowness was not in nominal tax rates. They bought half of the common people's grain income. Moreover, there was an indirect salt tax nearly ten times that of the Central Plains. The latter, in particular, would be considered oppressive governance anywhere.

But the good thing about Hehuang was that for the ordinary commoner, this was the only oppressive policy.

Here there were no tenant farmers, no head tax, no land tax, no arbitrary levies. The common people not only could afford to live, but were well-fed and warmly clothed — their days were like those of immortals.

And "every other trade abandoned" was the oppressive policy directed at the officer and official class. For handicrafts, at least there was the government-run Hundred Crafts Bureau. To safeguard the people's livelihood, Hehuang was entirely a self-sufficient small-peasant economy.

The Marshal's headquarters was always distributing land — here dividing up old land, there reclaiming new land. The local township heads and village heads who had come out of the army would see a landless person and their eyes would gleam. In the blink of an eye, a whole set of procedures would roll out: distribute land, give livestock, register the household.

You couldn't even call it tying people to the land — it was practically welding them to it.

Soldiers are the most competitive group. Even when they were assigned to local posts, their attitude toward orders remained unchanged. The only difference was that battlefield merit had become administrative achievement: how much land reclaimed, how many irrigation channels dug, how many commoners resettled, how much grain harvested — it was the same as the number of heads taken on the battlefield in the past.

Under these circumstances, with a commoner's children having seven or eight mu of land per person in the family, who would be willing to go serve someone else like a grandson?

This caused the paying players to lose that absolutely essential gaming experience provided by the ordinary players.

For Liu Chengzong, this situation was hard to sustain. Maintaining such policies required him to pay many hidden costs. People have needs; suppressing the needs of one group is necessary to satisfy the desires of another.

The commanders believed that suppressing those unruly people who hoarded wealth would allow everyone to live better, and could also satisfy their own desires in the process — that was the only way to prevent internal collapse.

This was no lie from Liu Chengzong. If they could unify the realm, and the common people all lived lives of relative prosperity, then the high officials, worthy ministers, and fierce generals would naturally be able to enjoy many things as well.

The cost was that they could not afford to stagnate. If they stopped, events would develop in a direction Liu Chengzong did not wish to see.

If no one sold their children, where would so many servants and maids come from?

"Military grain cannot be tight. Waterwheels must be built, but what if there is no water at all?" Liu Chengzong shook his head and said to Cheng Yun, "We will construct several reservoirs in Hehuang."

"Reservoir" was the ancient term for what was also called a pond-reservoir. A relatively famous one was Anfeng Reservoir, built under the supervision of Sun Shu'ao, the Prime Minister of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. It had the capacity to divert, store, and irrigate water, and could irrigate one hundred thousand mu of farmland.

Liu Chengzong said to Cheng Yun, "Among the books I took from the Prince of Han's mansion is a copy of the Hydraulic Methods of the West. Take it back and study it. Also, those several Lanzhou juren and xiucai who came over to join us — assign them all to you. Carefully select the sites, pool the strength of the five garrisons, and use two autumns and winters to build several reservoirs."

"With these several reservoirs, combined with other water conservancy measures and seed selection methods, we should be able to combat the drought."

Cheng Yun rose, clasped his fists, and accepted the order. He then saw Liu Chengzong also rise, pat him on the shoulder, and smile. "That group may have some issues, but they are all scholars. In undertaking water conservancy projects, they shouldn't create obstacles. Accumulate experience — in the future, we'll tame the Yellow River and the Hai River alike. Man will conquer nature."

Having said this, Liu Chengzong leaned on the table and addressed everyone. "It's getting late. Since the military council has yet to reach a conclusion, elder brothers, please go eat and rest. Pool your wisdom and effort, deliberate a few more times, and there will surely be a way to deal with Hong Chengchou."

Seeing that he was not impatient, everyone felt slightly relieved. They rose one after another to take their leave, but then heard him say, "Brother Ziyong, Master Craftsman Shi, stay a moment. I still have matters to inquire about."

Once the others had left, leaving only Shi Chengwo and Wang Ziyong looking at each other in bewilderment, Liu Chengzong asked, "Brother Wang, if we were to gather mules, horses, weapons, and armor, how much could the Three Tribulations Society raise on the other side of the Qilian Mountains?"

【890】 Wang Ziyong pondered for a moment, then said, "A thousand warhorses, a thousand sets of armor, and three thousand camels. Beyond that, we should be able to get twenty or thirty Gushing Pearl and Lesser Barbarian-Quelling cannons, but as for shells and gunpowder... I'm afraid it would only be enough for one battle."

Wang Ziyong pondered for a moment, then said, "A thousand warhorses, a thousand sets of armor, and three thousand camels. Beyond that, we should also be able to get twenty or thirty Gushing Pearl and Little Barbarian-Subduing cannons, but cannonballs and gunpowder… I fear it will only be enough for one battle."

Liu Chengzong asked again, "If the Ningxia army were redeployed and our main force could enter Gansu, could the Three Tribulations Society open the gates of Jiayu Pass, Suzhou, Ganzhou, and Liangzhou for me?"

Hearing this, Wang Ziyong knew that Liu Chengzong had already formed his thoughts on the outcome of the military council. He quickly clasped his fists and said, "If you can get those Ningxia troops to leave, Grand Marshal, just watch the methods of our Three Tribulations Society for the gates of Gansu!"

"I understand."

Liu Chengzong nodded repeatedly, then turned his head to look at Shi Chengwo. He said, "Master Craftsman Shi, I need the arsenal to build me a type of replacement rocket for field artillery — each piece under fifteen jin, capable of delivering an explosive shell beyond one li."

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Good morning!