Chapter 6: Releasing the Troops

The second year of Chongzhen, seventh day of the second month.

That afternoon, Yufu Fortress garrison commander He Renlong issued orders to the entire fort, mustering one hundred seventy-four frontier troops stationed there, each carrying three days' dry rations; in full battle array, leading horses and donning armor, they assembled outside the fort by the banks of the Wuding River.

He Renlong led his horse forward along the riverbank, his steps very slow.

This river is also called the Yinchuan; the Yinchuan Post Station took its name from it. Sometimes people also call it the Muddy River, because the vegetation along it is severely damaged, its flow erratic, its depth unpredictable, its clarity ever-changing.

Now he was just like this Muddy River, unsure whether his decision was good or bad — only that things had deteriorated to such a degree that there was no other way.

He stopped, turned, and looked over the several ranks of soldiers before him again and again. Finally, pressing his hand on his saber, he walked to the very front of the formation, clasped his fists, and silently bowed in salute to them all.

"I imagine word has already spread. All you brothers know what leaving the fort is about."

In truth, he had much he wanted to say. For a full garrison commander to make such a decision was deeply humiliating — so humiliating it was hard to speak of.

He was a military jinshi of the late Wanli era, and the very first post he filled was garrison commander. In those days, the court struck the barbarians in the north, hung the dwarves in the east, wiped out Bo in the west, and pacified Bo in the south — wherever it struck, it conquered; wherever it fought, it won.

There were delays in military pay, but even when they received only seventy percent, both officers and soldiers considered it normal. The court had many expenses; everyone understood the difficulties. They tightened their belts, gritted their teeth, and got through it.

By the early Tianqi years, the old back pay was made up in two years. In the fourth year of Tianqi, after years of frontier army back pay were fully settled, that year they basically received their full pay. Training was earnest then, and the drills were very rigorous.

Qi Jiguang's drill manuals, Li Chengliang's encirclement hunts, Xu Guangqi's regulations — all were compiled by the court into military handbooks and battle manuals, distributed to commanders everywhere to drill the troops, keeping them ready at all times to throw themselves into the next war.

At least for He Renlong, he never imagined the situation would turn bad so fast.

In the fifth year of Tianqi, the situation plunged. The military pay allotted to Yansui Garrison was only twenty-seven and a half percent; in the sixth year, thirty-eight percent. The troops' morale grew unsteady, and deserters began to appear, just as they had before Zhang Juzheng entered the Grand Secretariat.

For the deserters of the fifth year, he ordered his subordinates to hunt them down — locking down the passes, scouring the mountains, dragging them back for severe punishment under military law without leniency.

For the deserters of the sixth year, he sent men to search for them, in the southern cities of Mizhi and Suide, and when they were found, he reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions to persuade them back.

By the deserters of the seventh year of Tianqi, he could only go search for them himself, deep into the Hengshan and Lüliang Mountains. The soldiers he found would rather kneel and kowtow to him than come back. If they wouldn't come back, what could he do?

They were all human. None of them wanted to starve to death.

For those who went home to farm, he found ways to get them oxen and donkeys. For those who fled into the mountains and became bandits, he went and negotiated with the bandit chiefs to get the men back.

At the same time, he recruited refugees to fill the vacancies in the fort's ranks.

To prevent the frontier troops from deserting again, he gritted his teeth and swallowed up the military farmlands outside Yufu Fortress. To work those military farmlands, he then extorted a full banner of garrison troops from the Yansui Guard to come farm the land.

In the first year of Chongzhen — the first year of Chongzhen — there were hardly any deserters. The new emperor's ascension that year not only brought a general amnesty, but also paid out a large portion of that year's military wages. He also used his own savings to buy over fifty sets of winter clothes for the soldiers in the fort, urging them not to pawn or sell their swords and bows — there would be battles yet to come.

He told everyone the situation could improve, and indeed, northern Shaanxi had suffered drought for three years straight, season after season. Even if they fled, there was nowhere they could survive. Here in Yufu Fortress, though they couldn't eat their fill, at least they wouldn't starve to death. Perhaps next year the situation would turn around?

But the situation in the second year of Chongzhen did not improve. Not by half a bit.

This year, he truly had no face left to urge the soldiers to stay, and he truly could not get food for his subordinates. The court only provided half the military grain — just enough to feed three hundred men in Yufu Fortress.

Shaanxi had reached the point where troops were needed. Yufu Fortress would rather have three hundred soldiers who still had fighting strength than five hundred starving soldiers with limp hands and weak legs.

"It is I, He, who have failed you. The mountains are high and the rivers long. As you all go out to make your way in the world, I have nothing to give you for a farewell feast — only some arrows. Fill your quivers full.

If you cannot survive out there, whether this parting today is for a month or two, or five years, or ten — as long as I, He, still live, even if I am no longer an officer and have gone home to farm, as long as you come seeking me, whatever food I have, I will surely share a bowl with you."

With that, He Renlong took a wine bowl from his horse's back, bent down, and scooped a bowl of water from the river. Pathetically self-mocking, he said, "The fort is so impoverished that we have no wine. I, He, will make do with the waters of the Yinchuan in place of wine, to beg forgiveness of my brothers!"

The frontier soldiers standing opposite He Renlong were overwhelmed with emotion. No one could speak. Some gritted their teeth and glared; others clasped their fists in return salute. Their feelings surged, but a thousand words and ten thousand phrases ultimately came out as nothing more than a single cry: "General!"

He Renlong's eyes reddened too. He tipped the bowl to show it was empty, put it away, pressed his lips together, and slowly nodded. Then, forcing a carefree smile, he said, "I won't say any more womanish words, lest I invite ridicule.

You have your squad leaders and company commanders to guide you. Out there is not like inside the fort — be cautious in all things. Those of you leading men, send someone back to check now and then. Who knows, maybe one year the court will issue the back pay, and I, He, can work together with you all again."

He Renlong clasped his fists once more and said, "Our bond, for now, ends here. All you brothers… take care!"

Liu Chengzong stood among the crowd, holding his horse, right behind his elder brother. As the only personal retainer and chosen vanguard leaving Yufu Fortress with the frontier troops, his situation was rather different from the others.

He was leading the red banner horse. Knowing he was leaving with his elder brother, He Renlong had given him this horse. Everyone else's quivers held a dozen or so arrows; his horse carried two quivers, thirty-three arrows in total, six of them the finest eagle-feather swift arrows.

The hunting dog named Little Whirlwind, and Yufu Fortress Rodent Eradication Office Director Mei Dianmei, were both coming with him.

Director Mei was sitting in a wooden basket on the horse's back, looking extremely displeased with this drafty little shelter on all sides, so angry she kept hissing at her surroundings from inside the cage.

Everyone else went as light as possible; some didn't even bring their armor.

He, on the other hand — man, horse, cat, and dog — brought a full four mouths to feed. On his head, a two-panel northern army helmet; on his body, red frontier army armor; at his waist, a goose-quill saber; in his hand, a seven-foot short spear — looking as if he were marching off to war.

The walls of Yufu Fortress were packed with people. Nearly two hundred frontier troops, under He Renlong's farewell, formed their own squads and marched south along the river. No one knew what the garrison troops standing on the walls were feeling at that moment.

The hearts of those leaving were even heavier. Only a few had a clear destination; most had no idea where to go or what to do.

After walking a mile, Liu Chengzong, traveling alongside his elder brother, looked at the mountain ranges stretching along both banks and sighed. "General He treats his subordinates well."

Liu Chengzu, his mind heavy with worries, nodded and said, "The General has always believed that officers who only know military law and discipline are merely mediocre talents. He says that leading soldiers ultimately comes down to putting yourself in their shoes. But now, it's a dead end —"

"Putting yourself in their shoes cannot compare to a starving belly."

Liu Chengzu then put on a serious expression and said, "We twenty-four have only three days' rations. At a fast march, that's just enough to reach Ansai.

South to Mizhi is forty miles. The road to Yan'an Prefecture is truly hard going. On the way, we'll have to find a way to get some food, and we'll still need your Little Whirlwind.

I want to go home first. Once we're home, we can make other plans."

Note: ①. The back pay data from the late Wanli era to the seventh year of Tianqi comes from the *Duzhi Zouyi: Tanggao*.

②. The pay disbursement amounts for Yansui Garrison from the sixth year of Tianqi to the second year of Chongzhen come from the *Duzhi Zouyi: Bianxiang Si*.