Chapter 832: Can You Call Him Shameless?

But the rain could not stop the news from spreading. Word that the government troops had been ambushed at night outside Baoying County town and that five thousand men had scattered and vanished reached every corner of the Jiangbei region of South Zhili that wanted to know, all within a few days.

The great merchants of Qingjiangpu had originally been privately preparing supplies to reward the troops, and had even arranged reliable, trustworthy men to guide them and act as inside agents, but while the reward supplies were still being gathered and the men not yet fully assembled, the news of the crushing rout had already arrived.

This military report shook Qingjiangpu to its core. Everyone knew the Zhao Battalion was strong; everyone had heard the various tales — routing a hundred thousand roving bandits beneath Xuzhou city, defeating government troops on the Wild Grass Flats, drilling two thousand cavalry in the rain and advancing and retreating in perfect order — but those were all things heard, never seen with their own eyes. As the saying goes, hearing is empty; a measure of doubt remained.

Yet the government troops had mustered north from Gaoyou Subprefecture, and everyone in Qingjiangpu, high and low, had followed the matter with the closest attention. Messengers had been going back and forth constantly, and some had even been in contact with the Fengyang Grand Coordinator's office. One could say they knew every move this bandit-suppressing government force made like the back of their hand. And yet such a force had been utterly annihilated in a single night. Before this, everyone had assumed the Zhao Battalion's strength in Qingjiangpu was still entrenched and holding its ground. Only when the news arrived did they realize that that shy, introverted young Sixth Master Dong had already returned in triumph.

The Zhao Battalion was actually this strong? Thinking back to the brutality of that day when the carriage had crushed through the crowd, everyone in Qingjiangpu, high and low, felt a cold wind blow through them, their whole bodies turning icy cold.

In ordinary times, watching them train so painstakingly, with such strict discipline and such fine arms and armor, one could sense that the Zhao Battalion's household retainers and militia were not weak. But after this clash with government troops, everyone now felt that strength in the most vivid, tangible way.

They had originally assumed that once the court's government troops arrived, whether easy or hard, through bitter, desperate fighting, the outcome would be the Zhao Battalion's utter annihilation, and then everything would return to normal. But looking at the situation now, it probably wouldn't be over quickly. Heaven only knew how long the turmoil would drag on, how long Qingjiangpu would be shut down.

Some still held onto hope. The southern troops had long been stationed in peaceful, stable places, so their fighting strength was surely weak. The northern troops, however, had long been tempered on the frontier, locked in ceaseless bloody battle with the Tartar slaves, so their fighting strength was surely elite and fierce — all the more so for the crack troops guarding the strategic environs of the capital. Now everything depended on the four thousand northern troops led by Baoding Regional Commander Lu Qin!

But even those who held onto this hope had begun instructing their own patrons and courtier allies to start maneuvering to get Wang Youshan out of prison and absolved of his crimes, and to prepare to offer amnesty and enlistment to Zhao Jin of Xuzhou.

They had to make such two-pronged preparations. After all, everyone still had to do business. If Qingjiangpu remained blocked like this, every kind of trade would be delayed.

And then the number of people offering to reward the troops also began to increase. Ever since that dock riot had been suppressed, only three of Qingjiangpu's great merchant houses had escaped calamity. Half the adult males of the remaining families had been seized as hostages. Others, though they had not participated, were still so terrified that they dared not remain here. These great merchant houses and magnates had all been exceptionally hostile toward the Zhao Battalion. Though they could not challenge or resist in any way, there had still been cold indifference and non-cooperation.

But after the battle outside Baoying County, everyone's attitude changed. In the current situation, no matter how you looked at it, the outcome was unknowable, and no matter how you looked at it, the Xuzhou side seemed to have the greater chance of winning. In such circumstances, hedging bets on both sides became very necessary.

After news of this battle reached Qingjiangpu, the number of banquets and gatherings among the literati also grew more frequent. Many a scholar, once drunk, would often weep and lament: How had the court come to such a state? The great defeat in Liaodong was because the Tartar slaves were fierce and mighty, but how could they be so utterly useless at suppressing bandits in a vital heartland like Qingjiangpu? Truly, they must rouse themselves to govern well — this was precisely the moment for us to serve the country, precisely the moment for us to take up the role of pillars of the state.

There was also a group of scholars who had failed in their studies and could not pass the examinations to obtain official rank. They felt their opportunity had come. Perhaps a dynastic change was at hand, a new dynasty newly established, a time when men of talent were needed — they ought to come forward and volunteer their services.

Beyond these, the local strongmen and local despots around Qingjiangpu, the river bandits and salt smugglers, and the like, also felt the time had come to follow the dragon. They should raise their banners and pledge allegiance to Xuzhou — who knew, in the future they might receive the treatment of enfeoffed lords and appointed generals.

Those who harbored such notions, however, naturally ran headfirst into a brick wall. They could not even get through the main gate of the Zhao Battalion's encampment. As for the demons and monsters stirring up trouble on the periphery, this time only the militia led by Zhang Hubin was dispatched, and the troops assisting in the bandit suppression and pacification were those under Garrison Commander Qin of Shanyang. The bandits in the surrounding area were swept clean.

When Fengyang Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou learned the news of the great defeat at Baoying, he first flew into a towering rage, hurling the teacup in his hand heavily to the floor and cursing furiously: "Truly the height of shamelessness! Breaking one's word, betraying trust! We had clearly agreed beforehand that each side would hold their troops in place — why the night ambush? Such a rat-like wretch is surely doomed to destruction. What can he possibly accomplish? Shameless! Shameless!"

As he raged there, the aides and guards beside him who knew the inside story naturally made no sound. Those of shallower depth would often show a trace of oddness on their faces. Is "shameless" really a word we can call him?

After Guo Shangyou had finished his roaring outburst, he sat in a daze in the main hall for a full half shichen. When he came back to his senses, he immediately ordered his personal attendants to arrange boats for crossing the river, and then hurriedly arranged carriages and sedan chairs to first send his family from Taizhou city to Nanjing, lest the Xuzhou rebels strike and Taizhou city prove utterly indefensible.

A grand coordinator had the duty of defending the territory; he could not leave. But he still had to make preparations — at the ferry crossings on the north bank of the Yangtze, he absolutely had to have a few boats kept ready and waiting.

Then the Fengyang Grand Coordinator issued several orders in quick succession. Taizhou was to immediately summon civilian braves, repair the city defenses, and impose strict martial law. Then an urgent order was sent to Langshan Vice Regional Commander Lu Quanyou to lead his troops over to provide protection, lest the Xuzhou rebel horde smoothly sweep south and the situation become uncontainable.

After the news arrived, Battalion Commander Chu, who had come from Xuzhou, secretly slipped out of the city and fled. No one knew if he was avoiding the calamity of war or running back to Xuzhou. As for the messenger sent to Langshan to deliver the order, he returned quite early, yet until Grand Coordinator Mobile Corps Commander Jiao Dayong had gathered the scattered troops near Taizhou, not a shred of news had come from Langshan...

Fengyang Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou was now truly like an ant on a hot pan. He wanted to reprimand and punish Jiao Dayong, yet the only military officer he could rely on at the moment was this very Jiao Dayong. Any disciplinary action would have to wait until afterward.

What was unexpected was that, although the news that came was of a great defeat and a great rout, the infantry had actually been rallied to over two thousand several hundred, and the cavalry troop had been rallied to over five hundred. The Grand Coordinator's Standard Battalion had lost, in total, barely more than a hundred men killed in action. And Taizhou was still continuously rallying more. Calculated this way, in another month, the vast majority of the troops previously dispatched might very well be fully rallied. All that needed to be done now was to account for these three hundred-odd dead and wounded.

"My lord, since you must report a defeat anyway, if we say these men were killed or wounded by the rebel troops, wouldn't that seem all the more real?" A single reminder from a certain aide made Fengyang Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou suddenly see the light.

He had originally planned to report a defeat and then muddle the matter through. It was only after sending men to negotiate that he felt there was some chance of seizing victory through a surprise attack, and his ambitions had then grown.

Now that the government troops had been routed and driven back at Baoying County, this was, after all, within expectations. He should simply proceed according to the original plan.

"But if that gang of Xuzhou rebels continues south, there are now no troops available between Yangzhou and Taizhou. What then?"

"This student believes my lord need not worry excessively. That gang of Xuzhou rebels is ferociously brave beyond all expectation, but given such ferocity, if they intended to push south, does my lord think Mobile Corps Commander Jiao's troops could have returned? Or could have returned in such numbers?"

These words hit the mark. If the Xuzhou force at Qingjiangpu had designs on the Yangzhou Prefecture region, then this time they would not have chosen to rout the enemy but would have encircled and annihilated the government troops outside Baoying. Even less would they now be allowing so many scattered troops to gradually rally. By this reckoning, their strength had suffered only a minor loss. The restraint shown in this operation was enough to indicate the other side's attitude.

Fengyang Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou pondered there for a long time, and in the end actually let out a breath of relief. Nodding, he said, "Your insight is incisive — far, far superior to that rash, merit-grubbing one."

The patron was elevating one aide while disparaging another. As an aide, he could not respond to that, and merely stood to the side. Guo Shangyou's expression visibly relaxed considerably, but after a moment's pause he sank back into brooding, his body trembling inexplicably. His voice somewhat parched, he said, "The rebel horde routed the government troops as if lifting a heavy weight with ease, and even left room to spare. And this rebel horde is merely one part of Xuzhou. Since when did Xuzhou produce such a colossal entity? What exactly are their intentions?"

Suspicious and alarmed as he was, at this point he could only proceed according to the prearranged plan. For this, there had long been contingency drafts — for instance, sending fast riders to report the defeat to the court, stating that disorderly elements in Qingjiangpu had gathered in a howling mob, but the local troops of South Zhili were too weak and feeble. When they advanced to suppress and disperse them, they were instead taken advantage of by the mob. Routed and forced back, they now no longer dared advance. They requested the court to dispatch reinforcements as quickly as possible, or to transfer the garrison troops of Nanjing and the forces stationed at Jinshan across the river to suppress the unrest.

At the same time, the memorial Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou sent to the capital also mentioned that the disorderly elements did indeed harbor grievances, and because of famine and hunger, with the local authorities failing to provide adequate relief, they had therefore gathered in a howling mob at Qingjiangpu to block the tribute grain transport, seeking food and survival. Although this act was treasonous and heinous, it was also somewhat pardonable. He also beseeched the Son of Heaven and the various lords at court to hold compassion in their hearts. If amnesty and relief could be granted, and killing reduced, that would be the most perfect course of action.

Although these memorials and official documents were all drafted by the aides, to speak so boldly would have been impossible without Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou's express approval.

After combining the earlier rumors with the great defeat at Baoying County, Grand Coordinator Guo Shangyou no longer felt that the Jiangbei region of South Zhili was any kind of prosperous, flourishing good place. He no longer even wanted to accumulate bureaucratic credentials here. If the Xuzhou troops advanced quickly, they could reach Taizhou from Qingjiangpu in five days. What kind of good place was this? He could lose his head at any moment.

And with the Xuzhou troops possessing such strength yet still holding back and refraining from action, what exactly were they waiting for? If they truly rebelled, how could these troops of South Zhili's Jiangbei region possibly withstand them? When the time came, for the crime of losing a battle and losing territory, he would lose his head just the same.

When life and death were at stake, official position, wealth, and rank could all be set aside for the time being. Since he had made up his mind, he would pay no heed to any bureaucratic cover-ups. Since the Xuzhou Assistant Regional Commander and the Langshan Vice Regional Commander had been so evasive and obstructionist this time, even watching him die without lifting a finger to help, then there was no need to leave them any face in the memorials and official documents. He would simply call them useless trash outright. Were they not?

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