Chapter 1196: Before the Battle

A mocking look surfaced on Kong Zhang's face. "From how cautious you are, my worthy brother, I can see why Xuzhou is in the shape it's in today," he said leisurely. "But don't take this the wrong way — even without an old acquaintance like me, if you'd come this time and just taken silver to buy outright, you'd have spent twenty or thirty percent more at most and still gotten this many animals. The only difference is you wouldn't have caught those few Depot Guard who slipped through the net."

"This is a critical matter for your Kong estate!"

"You could say that. But look around — have you ever seen an official under heaven who cares about the Great Ming's critical matters? They're either lining their own pockets or protecting their own hides. You think they don't know that when the nest falls, no egg stays whole? They all know the principle; they just figure it's none of their business. The Kong estate is cut from the same cloth." Kong Zhang said it with a smile.

Ji Xiang shook his head, then said in a grave voice: "Brother Kong, I will remember this kindness firmly. Xuzhou will repay it. Please arrange the guides and prepare the fodder and provisions. Once the animals arrive, my men will set out at once. I don't know if this affair might implicate you — if there are complications, I ask Brother Kong to wait a few days. After a few days, everything will be fine."

With those words, Ji Xiang swung onto his horse. His attendants came forward to take the food box. After a cupped-fist salute, he spurred his horse and rode off into the distance.

Watching Ji Xiang and his men disappear into the distance, a trusted aide standing behind Kong Zhang sidled up and said, "They've only got a thousand or so men, and they dare to take on over ten thousand government troops? These Xuzhou men really are desperate and vicious — they've got no regard for their lives!"

"Desperate? They're far richer than us in Qufu. No regard for their lives? Back when they had only a few hundred men, they put down tens of thousands of roving bandits. You think they're afraid?" As Kong Zhang spoke these words, he looked utterly animated.

At noon the next day, all manner of rites and sacrifices were underway inside and outside Qufu. A so-called thousand-year legacy always comes with ceremonies and customs found nowhere else. At the estate Kong Zhang managed, quite a few people delivered various livestock, took their silver, and left grinning. Past the noon meal, over a thousand mounted men appeared outside the estate and quietly took away nearly two hundred head of livestock. Every one of them looked somewhat disheveled and grimy, and each carried a heavy load. Led by guides, they made a wide loop beneath the walls of Qufu, steering clear of bustling, crowded places, and headed steadily westward.

As the Shandong government troops entered Yanzhou Prefecture and advanced south step by step along the canal, intelligence about this force grew clearer and clearer. What had originally been thought to be eleven thousand troops turned out to be a full fifteen thousand officers and men. Seven thousand of them were recruited Liao soldiers, and there were a full two thousand five hundred cavalry — this had practically swept up every Liao garrison cavalryman who had fled across the sea.

When the Liao garrison collapsed, officers of every rank and their personal guards generally had mounts. Men like that had no shortage of silver and held the upper hand, so naturally they got priority crossing the sea. After arriving in Shandong, they usually fared decently, but it was certainly nothing like the glory of the Liao garrison. That was why the Zhao Battalion hadn't recruited and resettled them — they were just scraping by in Dengzhou and Laizhou. The Shandong local authorities wouldn't ignore them and gave them some support.

For an army this size to march, the Shandong local authorities had also staked everything. The Shandong Grand Coordinator sent his personal aides directly to Linqing and Liaocheng to take charge, opening the storehouses at the canal docks for military supplies. Although these were all Ministry of Revenue grain reserves, in practice they were the perks of all the parties involved in the canal transport. Touching these was like kicking a hornet's nest — people kicked up a huge fuss both locally and at court, but it was quickly suppressed.

Some tried to submit memorials of impeachment, only to have the Eastern Depot uncover their corruption. Some tried to make trouble locally, only to have the local yamen dredge up old cases against them. The Directorate of Ceremonial Superintendent Eunuch Wei Zhongxian — Eunuch Wei — for all his monopolizing of power, had usually observed some rules and tacit understandings. This time, he seemed ready to tear up all pretenses. Everyone was cowed; many obstacles instantly vanished, and everything proceeded with astonishing smoothness.

The massive military stores stockpiled in Dengzhou and Laizhou, combined with the reserves along the canal, sustained the army's smooth advance. They marched straight into Yanzhou Prefecture, followed the canal south to Jining, and bore directly down on Xuzhou's sphere of influence.

This march, however, was different from before. Ordinarily, in an operation dominated by Shandong's own local troops and led by Shandong Regional Commander Yang Guodong, the local Shandong forces would have to take the lead — vanguard and rearguard duties were the work of local troops. But this time was different. The several battalions thrust out in front were predominantly Liao soldiers, and they received full support from all sides — no hindrance in movement, no skimping on military supplies or fodder.

Such an arrangement left the commanders of the forward Liao troops brimming with high spirits. Four battalions in total, seven thousand men, including over thirteen hundred cavalry, with six Company Commanders and one Mobile Corps Commander — all were officers of Liao garrison origin. Within this force, they rather formed a world of their own, and this treatment set them daydreaming about the future.

Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan had once held the title of Assistant Regional Commander back in the Liao garrison and still had old connections at court looking after him. Originally, in the Dengzhou-Laizhou garrison, he'd been stuck in a high-rank-low-post arrangement, working as a mere Company Commander. He'd never expected to be restored to his original rank this time, and with bright prospects ahead. His information was better than the men below him — he knew of a proposal. Years ago, there had been talk of stationing Liao garrison troops to hold Yanzhou Prefecture. If that could be done, it would be an Assistant Regional Commander's jurisdiction with independent authority — a small domain of his own, in other words.

Tong Qingshan understood this juncture perfectly. If they could win a great victory over the Xuzhou rebel army this time, there was a strong chance they would stay. Then this prosperous Yanzhou Prefecture would become a new Liao garrison. Liao garrison figures from Dengzhou and Laizhou, whether successful or frustrated, would all come flocking to him. When his strength grew, naturally his jurisdiction would expand — promotion to Vice Regional Commander or even Regional Commander was not out of the question.

What he could see, the Company Commanders and Squad Commanders below him could naturally see as well. They had all been in high spirits the entire march, even deeply dissatisfied with Yang Guodong's cautious pace. They felt speed was the essence of war — they should hurry south and catch those so-called Xuzhou rebels off guard.

"Second Brother, tell me — if we'd gone off to farm with those Xuzhou men last year, would we be enjoying the glory we have today?"

"Elder Brother, you've got sharp eyes! If you hadn't led the brothers into hiding and then turned our coats at the critical moment, how would we brothers have the positions we hold today? Elder Brother, you followed Commander Tong and now you're a Company Commander. Win this battle, and you might well be a Defense Commander or a Regional Military Commissioner — Mobile Corps Commander, Assistant Regional Commander, nothing's out of reach. When that day comes, don't forget us brothers!"

"Rip that foul mouth of yours! What do you mean, forget? We brothers fled all the way from the Tartars together — that's a bond forged in life and death. How could I forget? Our good days are still ahead!"

"These Shandong bumpkins have no balls. Being scared of Tartars is one thing, but scared of some village braves and rebel riffraff? Government troops afraid of rebels — aren't they afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

"This is our chance to win merit following Great Commander Tong. When we stay here in Yanzhou, we'll lord over some city ourselves and live like immortals again, just like back in the Liao garrison. You're damn right — what's there to be afraid of? That mess back in the Zhengde Emperor's day, those so-called White-Clad Divine Troops — they were all cavalry, rampaging all over the realm. But when a thousand or so of us Liao troops showed up, weren't they put down easy? I hear those Xuzhou rebels at Jining have barely four hundred cavalry, the rest all infantry. What's there to fear? We'll crush them easy!"

Behind Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan, a Company Commander was chatting with the men beside him, spittle flying, loud enough that Tong Qingshan overheard. He couldn't help frowning and turning his head. "Zhou Ironhead, you're a man who's seen blood in battle. How can you be so arrogant and reckless, underestimating the enemy? Don't screw up my campaign!"

At this reprimand, the Company Commander immediately spurred his horse over with a cheeky grin, thumping his chest. "Great Commander, don't you worry! Ironhead here runs his mouth for fun, but when it's time to fight and kill rebels, I won't mess around. Just put me in the vanguard!"

"What Great Commander! Commander Yang is the Great Commander — I'm just a Mobile Corps Commander!" Though Tong Qingshan's mouth delivered a scolding, his face was all smiles.

Seeing that expression, Company Commander Zhou felt even more at ease. He couldn't resist leaning in. "Great Commander, we're only two days from Jining. How about we pull back to Dongping for a rest? Back in Dengzhou, I heard people say the women there are tender and juicy…"

"Preposterous! This close to the enemy, and you're thinking of whoring? Settle your mind. Once we take Jining, there'll be no shortage of top girls from Yangzhou and Datong — you'll have your fun then!" Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan delivered a mild, painless reprimand. Company Commander Zhou nodded repeatedly.

Just as they were idly chatting, they saw scouts with flags strapped to their backs — night-immobile reconnaissance riders — galloping toward them head-on. This meant they were heading straight for the central army's command banner; everyone had to clear the way. The forward government troops hastily shouted to make room. As the scout rider passed, he bellowed: "Large force of rebel troops spotted ten li ahead! Large force of rebel troops ten li ahead, advancing this way!"

"So fast — I thought we'd run into them tomorrow!" Company Commander Zhou muttered.

Mobile Corps Commander Tong Qingshan's face turned solemn. He turned and shouted: "Pass the word — all battalions prepare to engage the enemy! Today is the day the world sees the might of us men of Liao!"

The Company Commanders and Squad Commanders below, and even the Liao infantrymen, all roared with excitement. Tong Qingshan, surrounded by his personal guards, rode off toward the command banner. With battle imminent, Commander-in-Chief Yang Guodong would surely have deployments to make.

Shandong Regional Commander Yang Guodong's council of war was held just to one side of the main army. Company Commanders leading elite battalions, and Mobile Corps Commanders and Assistant Regional Commanders directing sectors, all had the standing to attend. By the time Tong Qingshan arrived, a new order had already been issued: the army would continue advancing and form battle lines three li ahead to meet the enemy.

In terms of elite quality, none of the Liao battalions were lacking. But Regional Commander Yang Guodong had summoned only Tong Qingshan — a gesture granting them autonomy to act on their own judgment, to avoid orders being obeyed in word but defied in spirit.

"The Xuzhou rebels are this reckless and foolhardy? They don't even know to defend Jining, won't fight from behind city walls — just charging straight out like this for a field battle?"

"They came way too fast. Were they marching every moment they weren't sleeping? Though they've got no shortage of carts and horses, and civilian laborers helping — so moving fast makes sense."

As Tong Qingshan dismounted and walked over, he heard a group discussing. By all rights, for a major operation like this, the Dengzhou-Laizhou Military Defense Circuit Intendant should be present as army supervisor. Yet from the moment the troops marched until now, that Intendant — who held the concurrent title of Right Assistant Administration Vice Commissioner — had never once appeared in the army. From what Tong Qingshan knew, this supervisor had come along, but always lagged behind the main army by the distance of a department or county.

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