Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 613 Deploying Troops (Part 1)

Early in the morning, shortly after 5 a.m., the entrance to the Zhenjiang Guerrilla General's Mansion was already crowded with people.

"Stop, dismount." Shen Shikui, a centurion of the right wing under Mao Wenlong, arrived at the street corner where the guerrilla general's mansion was located, accompanied by several close followers, but was stopped by the soldiers guarding the entrance.

"Do you know who I am? How dare you stop me?" Shen Shikui, mounted on his horse, looked down at the seemingly impolite captain, showing no intention of dismounting.

"I don't know." The captain glanced at the fifth-rank insignia on Shen Shikui's chest before looking away. "Dismount. The rest of you stay here."

"Ha!" Shen Shikui chuckled in exasperation, but didn't immediately pursue the matter. "Who is your superior?"

The officer didn't answer the question. Instead, he stretched out his hand and pointed to a hitching post against the wall not far away. "That's General Zhang's horse. Would you like to ride over there?"

"General Zhang is here too?" Shen Shikui's expression changed slightly.

The officer nodded and pointed to another hitching post. "Not only Lieutenant General Zhang, but also Guerrilla Commander Zhang has come."

Zhang Youji's full name was Zhang Changyin, the commander of the reinforcement battalion stationed in the lower reaches of the Dayang River. He had previously served as a guerrilla commander in the Wujing Battalion. In the 44th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, he was impeached and dismissed for negligence and corruption. On the eve of the Battle of Sarhu in the 47th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, he was reinstated by the then-military commissioner Yang Hao, and like He Shixian and You Shigong, he was under the command of Li Rubai in the southern route. After the defeat at Sarhu, Zhang Changyin led his troops back to the Liaoshen area to assist in defense until Xiong Tingbi took office.

After taking office, Xiong Tingbi carefully investigated the abilities and character of the local military officers and made numerous personnel adjustments accordingly. Those who were outstanding and courageous in battle, such as He Shixian and You Shigong, were retained or promoted; those who were inferior and cowardly, such as Liu Yujie and Wang Wending, were impeached, dismissed, or even beheaded. Zhang Changyin fell somewhere in between; he had a history of misconduct but was not cowardly in battle.

In normal times, Xiong Tingbi might not have directly executed Zhang Changyin, but he would have gotten rid of him. However, with Liaodong in crisis and its generals dwindling, Xiong Tingbi had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue using him.

Initially, Xiong Tingbi allowed Zhang Changyin to continue assisting in the defense of Liaoshen. After reinforcements from various regions arrived one after another, Xiong Tingbi removed him and had him train new soldiers from scratch. In the latter half of the 48th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming-Jinpu River standoff ended hastily. Xiong Tingbi believed that the Liaoshen defense line had become stable, so he transferred some non-core forces to the southern coast of Liaodong to prevent the Jurchen rebels from advancing south and to attempt to restore the military agricultural settlements.

During this period, Zhang Changyin and Mao Wenlong were respectively assigned to the lower reaches of the Dayang River and the lower reaches of the Yalu River. Currently, Zhang Changyin has a nearly full-strength wagon battalion under his command, stationed on a large island in the river between Hushan Pass and Zhenjiang City.

"So today's meeting was convened by Councilor Yuan?" Shen Shikui secretly rejoiced that he hadn't impulsively pulled out his whip to teach this rude fellow a lesson.

“That’s right.” The officer nodded again.

Shen Shikui's eye twitched, and his tone softened considerably. "So you're soldiers that Councilor Yuan brought from the capital?"

"Yes."

"No wonder you don't recognize me. Serves you right." Shen Shikui smiled awkwardly and dismounted.

"Give me the horse." The officer smiled as well.

"Thank you for your trouble." Shen Shikui even cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"You're welcome."

Shen Shikui walked alone to the entrance of the yamen. Before he even entered, his heart skipped a beat.

A royal decree flag! The flag hanging on the flagpole in the open space of the compound was actually a royal decree flag!
Shen Shikui's first thought was that Xiong Tingbi had arrived. But he quickly dismissed the idea, because he and his troops were stationed at the entrance of the first encirclement, and if Xiong Tingbi had come, it was impossible for him to have missed the news.

Just as he was hesitating, a sixth-rank military officer guarding the door came forward and said, "Commander Shen, please go in quickly, everyone is waiting."

Shen Shikui snapped out of his daze, looked in the direction of the voice, and was immediately startled again. "You are?! Young Master Lu also holds an official position?" In his mind, Lu Wenzhao and Lu Jianxing were both distant nephews of Yuan Keli.

“If I didn’t have an official position, I wouldn’t dare wear official robes,” Lu Jianxing said with a light smile.

"What exactly is going on?" A layer of cold sweat appeared on Shen Shikui's forehead. "And whose is that royal command flag?"

"You'll know once you go in, Commander Shen." Lu Jianxing stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

"Alright then." Shen Shikui had already vaguely guessed who held the royal command flag, but his doubts did not diminish in the slightest.

Shen Shikui stepped over the threshold and around the screen wall, and the scene before him surprised him even more. It turned out that not only Master Lu, but also all of Yuan Keli's entourage, except for a few who were not present, were standing in the courtyard in official robes!
The strong winds came and went, causing the flag to flutter and droop intermittently. As Shen Shikui passed under the flag, his anxious heart pounded faster and faster.

The doors to the council chamber were open. As Shen Shikui stepped up the stairs, he immediately saw Yuan Keli sitting behind a large table at the far end of the council chamber.

Yuan Keli was wearing a bright red robe, but the rank badge on his chest was gone; instead, a flying fish embroidered around his entire body, running from his chest to his shoulders.

Shen Shikui licked his dry lips and walked shakily into the silent council hall. His arrival caused no ripples; apart from Yuan Keli, who was already facing the door and looking straight ahead, no one looked directly at him.

Knowing he didn't have a seat, Shen Shikui consciously suppressed his breathing and walked to stand behind Mao Wenlong.

Behind Mao Wenlong, Chen Jisheng, the left-wing commander, and his two lieutenants had already arrived. Shen Shikui had originally wanted to ask something, but he quickly dismissed the thought. The entire hall was unusually quiet; apart from everyone's breathing, only the sound of the imperial command flag fluttering echoed.

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About 15 minutes later, everyone had arrived. In Zhenjiang, apart from the frontline military officers in charge of border defense, all the generals with more than 500 soldiers in command had come.

The council chamber was packed with dozens of people, but only seven were seated:
Dressed in a flying fish robe, Yuan Keli, the Korean supervisor, sat to his left alongside Lu Wenzhao, a commander of the Imperial Guard, and to his right, Gao Bangzuo, who had been reassigned as the Zhenjiang Circuit Intendant. Below them, from highest to lowest rank, sat Zhang Mingshi, the Zhejiang aid-to-Liaoning military commander; Mao Wenlong, the Zhenjiang guerrilla commander; Zhang Changyin, the guerrilla commander in charge of the Liaonan reinforcements; and Bai Zaixiang, the deputy commander of the Youyang chieftain's reinforcements. "I'm sure you've all seen that imperial edict banner; it was bestowed upon me by the Emperor," Yuan Keli began, immediately drawing all eyes to him. "The reason the Emperor bestowed this imperial edict banner upon me," Yuan Keli said slowly, allowing time to meet everyone's gaze, "is because my duty is not to garrison Zhenjiang, but to supervise Korea."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall, except for Yuan Keli himself and the other six people present, were shocked.

"Commander Lu." Yuan Keli did not speak to quell the sudden commotion in the hall, but turned to look at Lu Wenzhao.

"Here!" As soon as Lu Wenzhao stood up, the whispers in the hall automatically quieted down.

"Please read aloud to the generals the imperial edict of guardianship issued to me by the Emperor." After saying this, Yuan Keli withdrew his gaze and continued to look straight ahead.

"Yes." The imperial edict was on the table in front of Yuan Keli, weighed down by two stone paperweights. Lu Wenzhao did not immediately take it, but first took off his waist badge and showed it to everyone. "I am Lu Wenzhao, commander of the Eastern Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and I am here by imperial decree to secretly escort Yuan Keli on his journey to Korea."

Although many people had already guessed the true identity of this young master Lu, when he actually revealed his identity, the generals were still shocked and apprehensive.

Lu Wenzhao was very satisfied with the generals' reaction. He put away his waist token, walked to the front of the large table, carefully picked up the yellow paper with dragon patterns on the edge, and read aloud:

"An imperial edict was issued to Yuan Keli, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."
Today, the rebellious chieftain of Jianzhou, Nurhaci, has defied the will of Heaven and is now roaming the borderlands, repeatedly invading our vassal states and becoming increasingly rampant. Joseon, having received the title of King for generations, serves as our eastern vassal state and is bound by it to observe its loyalty and steadfastness.

However, King Yi Hun of Joseon forgot the great kindness of his father in restoring his country and had no thought of repaying his father. He was two-faced and secretly harbored two minds. He communicated with the enemy envoys, secretly sent gifts, and exchanged gifts, money, and food, and returned them as rewards. This resulted in the loss of troops in the south and the death of Liu Jing in battle. It is deeply hateful!
You, Yuan Keli, are loyal, bright, resolute, and knowledgeable about military strategy. I hereby appoint you as Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to serve as the Guardian of Korea, stationed in Hanyang, the capital of Korea, and to act exclusively under your orders.

As for King Yi Hun of Joseon, I order you to strip him of his royal title, demote him to a commoner, and imprison him on the spot, awaiting your fate.

Crown Prince Yi Il will oversee the affairs of state, and all of this will be supervised by you. You will be in charge of military affairs and also manage food and supplies. You will be in charge of the military forces of the eight provinces of Korea, coastal garrisons, and military and civilian finances. Any civil or military official below the third rank who violates this order, regardless of whether they are Chinese or foreign, will be subject to military law.

You should work together with the civil and military officials at home and abroad to make the ugly enemy flee at night and ensure the safety of the vassal states.

I also order Xiong Tingbi and other Liaodong officials to coordinate their efforts and work together to suppress the rebellion. Military matters and vassal state affairs are at your disposal. But you must maintain a prudent and moderate authority and not betray the prestige and virtue of our ancestors.

You have a heavy responsibility, I hope you will be cautious and careful.

Therefore, the edict.

March 24th, the first year of the Taichang reign.

The words on the imperial edict seemed to coalesce into an invisible mountain called imperial power, pressing heavily on the shoulders of everyone present. As soon as the words, as resounding as a great bell, fell, only the sound of the imperial edict flag fluttering in the wind remained in the council hall.

Lu Wenzhao placed the guardianship edict back in its original position, pressing it down with the two stone paperweights to prevent it from curling. Then, he walked back to his original seat and sat down. By a moment, no one was surprised that "a mere fifth-rank official not only had a seat, but was sitting in a superior position."

"Vice Councilor Gao." Yuan Keli didn't ask if anyone present had any questions, because those who were qualified to ask had already received their answers.

"Yes!" Gao Bangzuo responded and stood up.

"Tell the generals the agreed-upon strategy for advancing the troops," Yuan Keli ordered.

"Yes!" Gao Bangzu clasped his hands in a fist and bowed. Then he walked to the huge map placed behind the main table, picked up a thin wooden stick from the shelf, pointed to the Yalu River that separates China and North Korea and said: "Tomorrow, Yuan will personally lead Mao's guerrilla unit and Zhang's guerrilla unit to cross the Yalu River and advance into Korea."

These words caused a stir among the entire room. However, under the triple pressure of the royal command flag, the imperial edict, and the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not a single person dared to utter a sound that would attract attention.

"After crossing the river, Zhang's guerrilla unit must take over all the castles in the area from Yizhou to Tieshan within two days. Mao's guerrilla unit will follow Yuan, the councilor, south to Dingzhou, and within ten days, completely take over the defenses of Xuanchuan, Dingzhou, Guizhou, and other places, and gradually move north to Shuozhou. After the two units leave the territory, the defenses of Zhenjiang and other places will be taken over by Zhang, the councilor. Thereafter, all matters concerning Kuandian, Zhenjiang, Fengcheng, and the four prefectures of Yi, Ding, Gui, and Shuo in Korea will be coordinated by this province."

At this point, the mid-level generals all looked enlightened. They finally understood why Gao Bangzuo had not returned north for so long and why Yuan Keli had transferred them here.

"His Majesty has decreed that the territory of the Korean Empire is to be regarded as the territory of the Central Plains, and the subjects of the Korean Empire are to be regarded as the Emperor's subjects. After crossing the river, all units must strictly enforce military discipline. If there is any unwarranted infringement, regardless of whether it is Chinese or foreign, they will be punished according to the same law! Conversely, if any of their people disobey, or if any treacherous people or officials intend to collude with the enemy to ruin our great cause, they will all be punished and annihilated." After saying this, Gao Bangzuo looked directly at Zhang Changyin: "Guerrilla General Zhang!"

"Here!" Zhang Changyin was taken aback when Gao Bangzuo suddenly called on him, and the hairs on his body stood on end. The sudden surge in blood pressure even made Zhang Changyin's vision go black, but fortunately, he was strong and healthy, and he instinctively resisted the dizziness and stood up abruptly.

"Come here," Gao Bangzuo said, holding his baton horizontally in a presenting gesture. "Right here, hand over the arrangements for your unit!"

"Yes!" Zhang Changyin answered the order in a loud voice. He first walked to the large table and bowed to Yuan Keli and Lu Wenzhao respectively. After the two nodded in response, Zhang Changyin walked to Gao Bangzuo and took the wooden baton from him.

"Liu Qian." Zhang Changyin was so nervous that his voice cracked as soon as he opened his mouth. "Cough!" He coughed quickly, abruptly stopping his rising tone.

The atmosphere in the hall was so formal it was almost oppressive. None of the dozens of people present showed any unusual reaction to Zhang Changyin's blunder. Only Liu Qianzong, whom he had singled out, looked utterly shocked and unprepared.

Zhang Changyin took a deep breath. "Commander Liu."

The word "present" wasn't just a sound; Liu Qianzong was trembling all over. Even now, he still didn't quite understand what had happened.

"After the main force crosses the river, your unit must immediately take over the defense of Yizhou and the surrounding castles!" Zhang Changyin said excitedly, pointing his baton at Yizhou across from Zhenjiang. "From here on, Yizhou will be your unit's defense zone. Your unit must hold it to the death and not allow a single enemy to penetrate deeper!"

"Huh?" After a brief moment of surprise, Liu Qianzong couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Youji, gentlemen, my unit only has about a thousand men. How can we possibly defend such a large area as Yizhou? Moreover, the fortifications in that area are as rotten as a piece of soft tofu. They can be easily breached. There's no way we can rely on them!"

(End of this chapter)