Chapter 1268: An Expert on the Great Ming

In the end, Wang Zaijin stopped thinking about it. The situation was what it was, and he could find no way to avoid following the other side's tempo. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed.

"I will send carriages and riders to escort Mr. Wang back to the capital. Traveling in haste along the river from Tianjin, it should take a little over two days. I will wait here seven days. If no reply has come by the seventh day, then there will be nothing left to discuss. When that time comes, if Mr. Wang is still in the capital, he will surely hear the roar of my Xuzhou cannons!" Zhao Jin declared in a clear, ringing voice.

Wang Zaijin's face changed color at these words. He then smiled and said, "I wonder if one can hear that cannon roar from within the Imperial Prison."

Finding an escort for Wang Zaijin and his party was easy enough. A squad of capable men was selected directly from the prisoners, equipped with horses, weapons, and a cart, and then sent on their way. Here within Shuntian Prefecture, they had nowhere else to go, anyway. And judging by Wang Zaijin's bearing and demeanor, he was not the sort of base coward who would flee halfway.

Perhaps by coincidence, just as Wang Zaijin's party departed, a letter arrived at the Tianjin encampment from Xuzhou. The letter spoke of recent developments in Xuzhou—everything was proceeding in a tense but orderly fashion. Wang Zhaojing made a point of mentioning the trade at Xuzhou, Qingjiangpu, and Haizhou Harbor. Business was booming, already surpassing the same period the year before. Moreover, many people were coming to Xuzhou to buy houses and land; even if they did not live there, they would secure a plot for the future.

None of this news was urgent. On the twentieth day of the fourth month, the Henan government troops had split into two forces. One advanced along the Yellow River, invading from Kaocheng County in Guide Prefecture. The other, however, crossed the Guo River through Bozhou, attempting to enter Xuzhou from the southwest. But both of these newly trained Henan units immediately encountered fierce resistance.

"Fierce resistance" was perhaps not the right phrase—it was more a head-on thrashing. The Guide Army Corps led by the Li brothers did not meet them head-on. Instead, they crossed the river, looped around, and sealed off that government force's rear supply line. Then, together with the arriving Second Regiment of Mounted Troopers, they launched a two-pronged assault, directly routing that entire force and taking many prisoners.

As for the force passing through Bozhou, it moved through Fengyang Prefecture. At first, no large units blocked their path, but the forces of the Garrison Battalions and the farming estates mobilized, harassing them day and night without rest, making their advance extremely difficult. Once the Garrison Battalions had gathered in sufficient numbers, the Fengyang Army Corps, led by Zhong Gongxian, took the lead and completely surrounded this force.

The Henan soldiers were already fearful and hesitant. They only felt some confidence when facing Zhao Family Army troops who had come from militia backgrounds. After two head-on clashes, they knew they were no match. Once encircled, they attempted two breakouts, and then simply surrendered outright, providing the local area with a substantial labor force.

Furthermore, Nanjing had been continuously attempting to send troops across the river. In theory, Nanjing and its surrounding areas could scrape together ten thousand or so soldiers, with a fairly high proportion of elite troops. Yet they never dispatched a battalion of over a thousand men. At most, they kept sending boats to evacuate the government troops along the Wolf Mountain route to Jiangnan. But even these evacuations were limited; after several boats were rammed and sunk by large vessels, their operations became even more cautious.

Moreover, two regiments of Dong Bingfeng's Third Brigade were now stationed near Yangzhou Prefecture, while the other two regiments had gone to sweep through Luzhou Prefecture. In this region, there was no resistance whatsoever. In fact, in Luzhou Prefecture, many members of the gentry and powerful local families actively cooperated. Although that area had never dealt directly with the Zhao Family Army, they had profited considerably from the Qingjiang Market and the Xuzhou trade fairs.

According to reconnaissance by the Internal Guard and patrol officers, when the Zhao Family Army's main force marched north, both the government troops on the periphery and the local gentry had shown signs of plotting. However, they quickly quieted down. This was because, though the main army had left, the newly formed regiments, the Patrol Regiments, and the Garrison Battalions still possessed ample strength. The Personal Guard Brigade, the Mounted Trooper Regiments, and the Third Brigade, as field units, also provided sufficient deterrence.

Ma Chonghao, the commander of the Jining Patrol Regiment, arrived a few hours later than the letter. Escorted by a company of mounted patrol officers, Ma Chonghao reached Tianjin city at nightfall.

When government troops defended a city, the gates were always closed at night. But after the Zhao Family Army occupied this city, several gates remained wide open day and night. The Zhao Family Army did not rely on the protection of walls and moats; what mattered was ensuring troops could maneuver without obstruction.

Ma Chonghao received treatment no one else had. Zhao Jin and his companions held a banquet to welcome him in a military tent outside Tianjin city, even specially hiring the city's top chef to prepare the meal. Such treatment shocked everyone familiar with Zhao Jin. For Master Jin to actively host a banquet, and to extravagantly hire a city chef to prepare it, was unheard of.

What no one realized, however, was that the "extravagant preparations" they imagined were, in the eyes of that restaurant chef and his assistants, merely shabby. Tianjin had opened its gates without fierce fighting, and the city's wealthy households had been eager to curry favor. As a hub for sea and canal transport supplying the capital, Tianjin even surpassed Linqing and Jining in this regard. Naturally, its food and luxuries were not lacking. Yet gifts of curios and banquet invitations had been refused, and singing courtesans sent over had also been turned away.

The wealthy and noble figures in Tianjin did not think Zhao Jin was incorruptible. Instead, they assumed Tianjin's offerings were too crude. After all, they had heard rumors of Xuzhou's opulence, had drunk its liquor, and knew its cotton cloth. Being so close to the prosperous Huaiyang region, they reasoned, he naturally looked down on Tianjin's food and entertainment. The chef thought the same, imagining Zhao Jin dined on the rarest delicacies. Surely the main camp lacked no ingredients; he need only bring his assistants and cook.

Who could have imagined that upon arriving at Zhao Jin's main camp, he would find it so spartan? The food was nothing more than flatbread, meat soup, pickled vegetables, seasonal greens, and some salted fish. Seeing this, everyone was incredulous. Many servants in Tianjin's wealthiest households ate better than this. How could the young rebel leader who commanded an army live so frugally? Wasn't rebellion all about food, drink, and pleasure? What was he after, living so simply?

While ordering his men back to the city to fetch various ingredients, the chef asked around out of curiosity. Only then did he learn that Zhao Jin's meals were not much better than an ordinary soldier's. The only difference was more meat or less, a big pot or a small one. This left the chef baffled, and secretly quite contemptuous. So the rumors about Xuzhou were false after all, he thought. These people from that poor, remote place truly had never seen the world.

Just as he was about to rouse his spirits and show these bumpkins a thing or two, Zhao Jin's personal guards instructed him not to make anything fancy—chicken, fish, pork, and mutton would suffice. This made the chef even more disdainful, but he could only curse them inwardly.

Before advancing on Jinghai County, Zhao Jin had sent word to Jining for Ma Chonghao to come and rendezvous. This special summons, followed by a welcoming banquet, was a rare honor within the Zhao Family Army. Ma Chonghao understood this well, yet he behaved with even greater caution and deference, not daring to show the slightest pride or ostentation.

"General, you do me too much honor. If you have orders, it is my duty to serve with utmost devotion. Such treatment truly makes me uneasy!" Before the banquet in the tent began, Ma Chonghao expressed himself bluntly.

His words drew varied reactions from those in the tent. Chen Sheng wore a faint smile, Shi Manqiang looked somewhat bewildered, and Ji Xiang seemed thoughtful. Zhao Jin, equally direct, replied, "Old Ma, don't use that officialdom routine from your past here. Our Xuzhou rule is that those with ability are given heavy responsibility and generous treatment. You are a man of ability, so naturally you will be valued. Don't stand—sit."

Having said what needed to be said, Ma Chonghao did not remain stiff. He saluted and greeted everyone, then sat down with a smile. Zhao Jin raised his cup first and said, "Before battle, we use tea in place of wine. You've had a long journey."

After everyone drank their tea, Zhao Jin spoke again. "Before you arrived today, I released Wang Zaijin back to the capital to deliver my terms. You are familiar with the situation in the capital. How do you think the court will respond?"

Upon hearing that Wang Zaijin had been released, Ma Chonghao's brow furrowed. Once Zhao Jin finished, Ma Chonghao pondered briefly before answering, "General, the court will stall. Then they will rally the Capital Barracks and forces from various routes to continue the decisive battle against our army. That Wang Zaijin will likely be thrown directly into prison to take the blame for this defeat!"

"The troops that can be mustered in Northern Zhili now are nothing more than the Capital Barracks and the forces from Xuanfu, Ji Garrison, and Liao Garrison. The Liao Garrison is tied down by the Jurchens. Xuanfu and Ji Garrison have both suffered heavy losses. The Capital Barracks are weak. The capital will surely know of our great victory at Jinghai. On what grounds would they still dare to fight us?" This was Ji Xiang's question.

Ma Chonghao smiled and answered, "Because it is our side, General, that wants to negotiate peace. Since we want peace and do not wish to fight, we must have unavoidable difficulties. They will assume we cannot hold Tianjin for long and only want to grab some benefits and leave quickly. Since we will retreat anyway, they might as well wait until we withdraw. Why shoulder the crime of humiliating the nation and forfeiting its sovereignty? They might even think our army is bluffing, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and consider rallying more troops to fight."

Ji Xiang was stunned. He wanted to retort and argue, but on careful thought, Ma Chonghao's words were not wrong. Zhao Jin nodded slowly and said, "You are the one familiar with court politics. We here are too direct and too naive. Speak out whatever you think."

Encouraged by Zhao Jin, Ma Chonghao straightened his posture and said solemnly, "General, after the government troops' great defeat at Jinghai, the first thing the court ministers will do is shift blame. That Wang Zaijin is certain to be convicted and imprisoned. The second thing is to try to turn the tables. This entire campaign was launched by the Donglin purists to suppress the eunuch faction. After this crushing defeat, their position is already precarious. If they seek peace with us, they will become the target of universal condemnation, criminals who humiliated the nation and forfeited its sovereignty, with no chance of recovery. Not only will they fail to maintain their standing at court, they may well be utterly ruined, convicted and jailed. They will certainly not be resigned to that. Our active pursuit of peace will inevitably be seen as a sign of weakness and fear. They will definitely take the risk."

"What a bunch of muddled, ungrateful scoundrels!" Shi Manqiang, listening nearby, grew angry and slammed the table hard.

"Fourth Master speaks truly. These purist civil officials are indeed muddled. Yet, in truth, they are not muddled at all. After the great defeat at Jinghai, and thinking back on those earlier defeats this year, every one of them knows the cause is hopeless. But to preserve their own reputations and positions, they will press on regardless." Ma Chonghao replied with a smile.

Yesterday was another exhausting day—family matters plus writing. In truth, most writers' lives are like this. It's just that Old Bai was used to a routine, and now that my body and sundry affairs have disrupted it, it makes me especially anxious.

Overthinking only vexes me further. I can only steady my mind, grit my teeth and write, grit my teeth and beg for monthly tickets. I ask the brothers and sisters of Qidian and Chuangshi to forgive me. Old Bai has used the phrase "grit my teeth" far too much this month, but that is the truth. After the fifteenth of this month, every single word has been written through gritted teeth. I never imagined pressing down on this red-switch keyboard would require such strength. I am truly tired and worn out.

Pouring out negative energy is useless. I will fight hard this month, then rest well, and stabilize my updates. This month, The Great Ming Warrior needs more monthly tickets, more subscriptions, more tips!

I ask all my brothers and sisters to support me with all your strength!

Thank you to old friends "Duan Yichen, Wu Liulang, Huang Qi__Wang Meng, Qi Sanwen, Feng Zhong Long Wang, Da Jia Dou Shi Lv Zi, Na Nian Ming Yue Xiao Yao, Xiao Qi Wen Ming Qi Ji, Sui Xin Zi Wo 0" for your tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you, everyone.