Sweep Yuan

Chapter 157 Strategic Maneuvering Between Various Parties

That day, Shishan stayed in the inner courtyard to accompany Liu Ruoyun, enjoying a rare moment of time alone together, and temporarily set aside the official documents that had accumulated in the front courtyard.

Important matters have already been reported to the army, and the remaining miscellaneous matters are handled by Chief Clerk Liu Xingge. Some of the official documents that require his signature have been backlogged for more than a month, and it will not be a big problem to delay them by one more day.

It wasn't until dusk that Shishan, urged repeatedly by Liu Ruoyun with a shy smile, moved to the concubine's bridal chamber in the west courtyard.

There is a distinction between wives and concubines. The ceremony for taking a concubine is not comparable to the grand wedding ceremony, which can be seen from the decoration of the bridal chamber.

Only a few strands of red silk were symbolically hung outside the door, and the interior furnishings were very simple, with a clean and elegant color scheme.

The bedding, curtains, and other items on the bed were all arranged and prepared by the mistress Liu Ruoyun herself. The toiletries were also prepared by the mistress's personal maid, Du Ruo. What was particularly eye-catching was that a snow-white brocade handkerchief was neatly placed on the brocade quilt that the mistress had laid out by herself.

The concubine, Huang Shuyao, had already carefully washed and dressed, applied a light layer of makeup, and changed into a brand-new peach-colored dress. She sat upright on the edge of the bed, her eyes lowered, and her hands neatly folded on her knees.

As soon as Shishan entered the house, he sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual.

Huang Shuyao is usually very enthusiastic, and even when she is sitting still, her eyes will always seem to wander to Shishan. Unlike now, she is sitting there like a puppet, completely still.

Shi Shan approached Huang Shuyao and feigned surprise, saying:

"Yao Niang, you are so dignified today, unlike your usual mischievous self. Is something bothering you?"

"No."

Huang Shuyao remained seated, her lips slightly parted as she spoke, her neck not turning, not even her eyes moving, and her voice carrying a deliberately stiff tone.

"Miss Du Ruo instructed me that I must 'serve her properly' in the bridal chamber tonight. I am not well-educated and do not understand the rules of these wealthy families, so I did as she said, lest my husband be displeased and kick me out."

How could Xiao Ni's little attempt to cover up her true intentions escape Shi Shan's sharp eyes?

A slight smile played on his lips as he strode to the bedside. His left hand flashed out like lightning, encircling Huang Shuyao's slender waist. With a slight pull, he drew her delicate body into his embrace.

"嘤咛——"

Caught off guard, Huang Shuyao let out a short, delicate gasp. Her body went limp instantly, and the stiffness she had been deliberately maintaining crumbled in an instant. She immediately raised her pretty face to look at Shishan, her clear, bright eyes now filled with seductive charm and overflowing emotions.

Shi Shan felt a soft, warm touch on his left hand. The person in his arms seemed to be truly boneless, and her slender waist seemed to sway gently like ripples on water as the pressure of his palm changed.

At this moment, Shi Shan truly understood what it meant to be "naturally alluring." He immediately stretched out his right hand, his index finger slightly bent, and with a hint of indulgence and helplessness, gently stroked Huang Shuyao's pert nose, sighing:

"There is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Yunniang acts with great discretion, a rare and good mistress. You should put away your little probing thoughts as soon as possible."

"Husband... you noticed everything?"

Instead of showing any embarrassment at being caught red-handed for doing something wrong, Huang Shuyao wrapped her arms around Shishan's neck, stared intently at her husband, and admitted her mistake with a sly tone.

"I know I was wrong. Tonight... I will definitely apologize to my husband."

Less than a month after his wedding, Shi Shan led his army to conquer Dingyuan, Chuzhou, Liangxian and other places. He returned today after more than a month. Because Liu Ruoyun was pregnant, he dared not indulge himself. He had been holding back his desire for a long time and could not resist the teasing of the natural beauty in his arms.

Upon hearing this, Shi Shan could no longer restrain himself. He let out a low roar and immediately pushed the warm, soft woman in his arms onto the embroidered couch covered with white brocade.

"Giggle-"

Huang Shuyao let out a string of silvery laughter, her eyes sparkling with a captivating charm.

……

"Hahaha, I told you long ago that Brother Shi was no ordinary man!"

Although the letter was polished by a clerk, Xue Xian's rough voice seemed to penetrate the paper and reach Shi Shan's ears.

"When the troops were divided in Hong County, Brother Shi only had the isolated city of Wuhe. In just a few months, he has built up a snowball effect, and the territory he has established is now larger than the entire territory of our Red Turban Army in Xuzhou!"

Just before the New Year you sent me the news of your great victory over that scoundrel Dong Tuanxiao, and now this good news has hit me like a ton of bricks—you've defeated Lu Luzeng and Chelibuhua in succession, swept through three counties in Chuzhou, occupied Liang County, and even Zuo Junbi of Hefei is scared out of his wits! How exhilarating! Damn, how exhilarating!

That very day, I downed three large jars of wine, my eyes bloodshot. I patted my chest and bragged to my bunch of bastards, spitting all over their faces: "See that? My brothers, Lao Xue's brothers! Last year at the gates of Lingbi City... that was something else..."

After praising Shishan's illustrious military achievements, Xue Xian brought up the current situation in Xuzhou, his emotions shifting from excitement to indignation and frustration.

"Pah! Look at our Xuzhou... utterly pathetic!"

Last year, that bastard Han Si underestimated the enemy and recklessly advanced, losing Suining City completely. All the brothers who went on the eastern expedition were killed by that bastard Shen Bao. Han Si's head is still hanging on the gate tower of Suining City for all to see.

This spring, Fengxian and Peixian on the north bank of the Yellow River failed to hold out again. Of the more than 12,000 brothers of the Northern Route Army, not even 500 could be gathered to escape back to Xuzhou!

Now, both the eastern and northern routes are completely lost. The Tartar scouts come to the walls of Xuzhou every few days to urinate. That old bastard Yuekuocha'er even sent people to shoot surrender notices into the city. I heard that when Brother Li (Sesame Li) read the letter, his face turned as black as soot from the bottom of a pot..."

"If it weren't for Brother Shi, you had broken through the Tartar armies on both the eastern and southern fronts, forcing Yuekuocha'er to retreat, I reckon some cowards in Xuzhou would have wet their pants and sneaked away..."

On the day Shi Shan returned victorious from Liang County, he sent a fast horse to Xuzhou to report the glorious results of the Red Flag Battalion's battle, as agreed with Sesame Li.

While Sesame Li's official reply was still on its way, Xue Xian's private letter, sent without Li Yuanshuai's knowledge, laid bare the precarious situation and turbulent undercurrents within the Xuzhou Red Turban Army before Shi Shan.

From its inception, the Xuzhou Red Turban Army was an "alliance" with severely inadequate training. Leaders below Sesame Li were self-reliant, plotting against each other, and making it difficult to unify commands.

Initially, taking advantage of the Yuan army's inability to adjust its deployment, it frantically expanded its territory, and some contradictions could be concealed. However, once the expansion was curbed by the Yuan army, the deep-seated internal strife and centrifugal tendencies surged forth like a burst dam.

Even a rough and uncouth man like Xue Xian sensed something was wrong and began secretly contacting Shishan as an "escape route." The extent of the chaos within Xuzhou is unimaginable. In fact, Sesame Li's initial flawed strategy of expanding in all directions had already sown the seeds of today's predicament.

Shi Shan had anticipated this, so he was not surprised that the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou would run into trouble.

However, Xuzhou is located north of Haozhou. As long as the Xuzhou Red Turban Army exists, it can serve as a shield for the Red Flag Battalion. At this critical moment when the Red Flag Battalion urgently needs to consolidate its gains and reorganize its troops, this shield cannot fall down for the time being.

Because he was keenly aware of the perilous situation in Xuzhou, Shi Shan immediately sent a messenger to Sesame Li as soon as the southern front battle ended.

In the letter, Shi Shan not only reported on the results of his own battles, but also briefly reported on the rapid expansion of Xu Song in Jiangnan, and boldly asserted:

Having suffered this crushing defeat and now preoccupied with the situation in Jiangnan, the Yuan court was no longer able to organize an army of equal size to invade Xuzhou and Haozhou in the short term. It urged Li Zhima to seize this precious respite, make a firm decision to reorganize the troops, and unite the people in preparation for another battle.

They also suggested that if the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou had the capacity, it could expand westward into deeper territory. They even offered that the Red Flag Camp could give up Mengcheng County (the territory under the jurisdiction of Anfeng Road, northwest of Huaiyuan, which was not actually controlled by the Red Flag Camp) upstream of the Wo River as a springboard for its westward advance.

Everything that needed to be done has been done; everything that needed to be said has been said.

As for whether Sesame Li can heed these unpleasant words, or whether, after he does, he has the skill and courage to truly control the scattered people of Xuzhou and implement a strategy to save the nation, that is beyond Shi Shan's control. He can only do his best and leave the rest to fate.

Shishan had already broken away from the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou and established itself independently. The fact that they could help to this extent was already more than enough.

Two days later, Sesame Li's official reply finally arrived in Haozhou.

The letter unfolded, its wording ornate, filled with official phrases such as "Congratulations to Marshal Shi on his consecutive victories, which have shaken the Jianghuai region" and "Thanks to the bravery of our soldiers and the might of the Ming King, our Xuzhou has also repelled the invasion of the Northern barbarians led by Yuekuochaer."

As for the devastating losses suffered by the Red Turbans in Xuzhou, the hidden worries of internal instability, whether to reorganize the army in the future, or whether to pursue a westward expansion strategy, etc., nothing was mentioned, and the matter remained shrouded in secrecy.

Looking at the superficiality revealed between the lines, Shi Shan felt a surge of frustration in his chest and slowly shook his head.

He finally understood: either Sesame Li was completely deaf to his advice, or even if he did, it was too late to change the situation. His "ally," the Xuzhou Red Turban Army, was already in dire straits, barely able to save itself, let alone protect others.
Fortunately, the Xu Song regime in Jiangnan stirred up trouble everywhere, which tied up a lot of the Yuan court's energy, preventing it from focusing all its attention on the north.

Otherwise, it's hard to say whether the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou could have withstood the Yuan Dynasty's offensive.

Shi Shan had no expectations for Sesame Li and his group to begin with, and now he saw through their "incompetent" nature. He decisively instructed the Marshal's Office to immediately draft a contingency plan to deal with the possible collapse of the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou. They could not wait until the northern barrier was destroyed before they thought of taking action.

Three days after the fast horse from Xuzhou departed, Sun Xun sent another unexpected visitor from the direction of Wuhe.

"I am Tian Ji, a subordinate of Tian Wanhu of the Huaidong Road Righteous Army Marshal's Office, paying my respects to Marshal Shi!"

Upon seeing Shishan, the visitor immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed, displaying great respect.

The "Tian Wanhu" he mentioned was Tian Feng, who was ordered by the Yuan court to lead the salt workers of Huaidong against the Red Turban Army. This man was a "remarkable person" in the chaotic world. Despite being on the opposing side, he dared to secretly send envoys to the heart of Haozhou to find the rebel Shishan.

Tian Feng was well-versed in the principle of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows." Last year, when the Yuan army in Sizhou suffered a disastrous defeat in its attack on Wuhe, it was he who raised money, food and supplies to "reward" Li Wu, who was pursuing them, and humbly begged him to "let him live."

The Yuan army's offensive at Hongxian was thwarted, and the commander of the central army, Lu Luzeng, died suddenly in the army, causing chaos among the salt workers in Huaidong Road.

Despite the efforts of Tian Feng and others to suppress the rebellion, they could not reverse the army's defeat. During their hasty retreat eastward, the salt workers were relentlessly pursued by Feng Guosheng, who slaughtered them and caused them to lose their armor and weapons. Tian Feng's younger brother and more than ten close relatives were all taken prisoner by the Red Flag Battalion.

Tian Ji came here on Tian Feng's orders to request the ransom of these captured Tian clan members.

This matter is of great importance, and Sun Xun dared not act on his own initiative. He had no choice but to send a messenger to the Marshal's Mansion in Haozhou as a swift escort.

Sun Xun and Guo Zongli, the magistrate of the Ministry of Rites, had both questioned Tian Ji about his purpose and reported it to their superiors. Shi Shan understood this perfectly. He sat upright in his commanding position, his gaze sharp as lightning, and cut straight to the point:

"Race off the prisoners? Not impossible. It all depends on what price your Commander Tian is willing to offer?"

Tian Ji had been on tenterhooks the whole way, fearing he might not return. He hadn't expected Marshal Shi, a figure renowned throughout the Jianghuai region, to act so decisively, immediately agreeing to release the man. His anxiety instantly eased, and he quickly bowed, stating Tian Feng's bottom line:

"Reporting to the Marshal, my family of ten thousand households is willing to contribute fifty thousand strings of copper coins and one thousand shi of the finest Huai salt."

What a grand gesture!
Even though he knew that the big salt merchants were not short of money, Shi Shan was still somewhat moved by Tian Feng's generosity.

This price is clearly not just for ransom. Tian Feng has probably been traumatized by the Red Flag Camp and wants to use this opportunity to make contact with Shi Shan and establish a "good relationship" so that he can have some room to maneuver if he runs into the Red Flag Camp's knife again in the future.

Shi Shan secretly praised him, thinking that dealing with smart people was indeed much easier. He didn't make things difficult for the envoy and directly stated his needs.

"Alright! We'll forgo the copper coins and exchange them for sulfur and copper of equal value. We can also release the other captured salt workers as a bonus, without any additional discount. I'll have Chief Chen of the Commerce Department discuss this with you in detail later."

Shi Shan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair, a cold yet pragmatic smile playing on his lips, and said:
"We'll continue fighting the war; and we'll continue doing business as well."

Salt merchants smuggling was commonplace.

Tian Ji never expected that this trip would not only bring hope of redeeming people, but also rescue more comrades, and open up a secret trade route between his own Wanhu and the Red Flag Camp. This was an incredible achievement!
Overjoyed, the man knelt down with a thud, tears of gratitude streaming down his face, and said:

"Marshal, you are so kind and righteous! On behalf of the salt workers of Huaidong, I kowtow to thank you for saving my life!"

After the Red Flag Battalion's great victory in Chuzhou, they also "subdued" Zuo Junbi, which completely established their reputation. Various forces, either fearing being hostile to the Red Flag Battalion or needing something from Marshal Shi, gradually established or strengthened their ties with the Red Flag Battalion.

The once relatively quiet ceremonial office of the Marshal's Mansion is now bustling with activity and piled high with paperwork.

Coincidentally, the day before Tian Ji, the salt commissioner of Huaidong, arrived in Haozhou, the envoy of the "Peng Zu family" of the Red Turban Army in Luzhou Road also arrived.

……

P.S.: Historically, on February 14th of the twelfth year of the Zhizheng era, before the Yuan court launched its siege against the Red Turban Army in Xuzhou, it issued an edict: all those who gathered in Xuzhou and outside the city were to be pardoned within twenty days, regardless of whether they were leaders or followers.

(End of this chapter)