Sweep Yuan

Chapter 166 The World in Chaos

Haozhou, Marshal's Mansion.

An atmosphere of solemnity permeated the somewhat empty official hall. Outside the hall, armored soldiers stood in rows, their spears and halberds like a forest. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting dazzling spots of light on the ground.

In the center of the government office, a person was lying prostrate on the ground, looking extremely disheveled. It was Zuo Junmei, who had just been escorted from the battlefield of Chaohu.

Relying on her family's good background, Zuo Junmei had been bullying others in Chaohu for many years. Although she was spared her life after the war due to Shishan's orders, she suffered a lot of torture. Her hair was disheveled, her battle clothes were torn and revealed bruises, and her face was covered with abrasions. Although the bloodstains had dried, she looked even more miserable.

The Battle of Laoshan Island not only destroyed Zuo Junmei's meticulously built fleet, but also completely extinguished his lofty ambitions and boundless aspirations.

At that moment, he lay prostrate on the ground as if his spine had been removed, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold brick floor, his voice hoarse and trembling:
"This sinner, Zuo Junmei, pays his respects to Marshal Shi! Marshal Shi's military exploits are illustrious, and his might shakes Huaixi. This sinner has failed to recognize the majesty of Heaven and deserves to die!"

The four characters “威震淮西” were almost squeezed out through gritted teeth, carrying an indescribable bitterness.

Shi Shan sat upright in the highest command position, his figure as straight as a pine tree. His red python robe made his face appear even more serene. He did not respond immediately, but his deep gaze fell on Zuo Junmei.

The scene of Zuo Erlang's audience with him in Liang County more than a month ago is still vivid in my mind.

One reigns supreme on land, the other rides the waves on water—these Zuo brothers… Shi Shan’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible, subtle smile, tinged with understanding and amusement—they are truly astute as each other!

When circumstances are against them, they are quicker than anyone to admit defeat and lower their heads, adopting the most humble posture. But once they sense even the slightest chance to turn the tide, their fangs of retaliation will not hesitate for a moment. This ability to be flexible and opportunistic is a standard feature of warlords in chaotic times.

However, after these days of probing, Shishan has roughly figured out the true nature of the Zuo family in Hefei—they are nothing more than a guard dog in troubled times.

These warlords, who occupy a region, are indeed a tough nut to crack, relying on their geographical advantage and popular support. However, their threat level is limited; lacking the ambition and drive to sweep across the land, they are ultimately not qualified to compete for supremacy in a chaotic world.

Now the Red Flag Battalion has firmly established itself in Chaohu, like an invisible iron chain around the neck of Hefei, completely blocking the possibility of the Zuo family expanding outwards.

As long as we proceed steadily and steadily, constantly squeezing their living space, Zuo Junbi's resentment and stubbornness will eventually be worn down by the cold and ruthless reality, and he will eventually grovel before the red flag.

"Get up." Shi Shan's voice finally rang out, not loud, but carrying an unquestionable authority, clearly echoing in the official hall.

Zuo Junmei felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She kowtowed again before struggling to get up, but she still kept her head down, not daring to look directly at the mountain-like figure above her. She was even more afraid that Shishan would see through her desperate attempts to hide her turbulent fear and resentment.

The foundation of Chaohu, built up over many years, has been lost in a single day! Such heart-wrenching pain cannot be easily smoothed over with a few words of appeasement.

"I met your second son a little over a month ago, in the army camp in Liang County."

Shi Shan seemed unconcerned about Zuo Junmei's inner turmoil. He gently tapped the smooth handrail with his fingertips, making a soft tapping sound, as if recalling the details of that time. His tone was as calm as if he were chatting with an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.

"On that day, it was the same scene. I once told Junbi, 'Times change and the world changes; old experiences cannot solve new problems.' I warned him not to cling to outdated ideas but to assess the situation and act accordingly."

Shi Shan repeated the sentence with perfect clarity, each word like a small hammer striking Zuo Junmei's heart; his calm tone contained an invisible pressure.
"Now, our army has firmly established itself on Laoshan Island, and the waterways of Chaohu Lake are under our control. The unification of the forces in the lake is just around the corner. Meanwhile, the foundation that your Zuo family has built in Chaohu Lake for many years has been uprooted and is completely destroyed. With this shift in power, the situation in Luzhou Road is no longer what it used to be."

Shi Shan leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Zuo Junmei's lowered head, and posed the crucial question that would determine the fate of the Zuo family:
"What should we do now that the Zuo family has gone through?"

Zuo Junmei's body trembled slightly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. Although he was the eldest son of the Zuo family, he had long been stripped of his inheritance rights by his father, Zuo Wu. The family business in Hefei and on the mainland belonged to his second brother, Zuo Junbi.

Now, he was imprisoned, a defeated general, and had no right to decide the future of the Zuo family in Hefei. But he didn't want to die! The desire to live overwhelmed all humiliation and resentment.

Zuo Junmei gritted her teeth, almost squeezing out all the strength in her chest, and answered against her will but urgently:
"Second Brother, Second Brother is short-sighted! He actually dares to try to fight against the Marshal's invincible army with a mere isolated city. It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. It's extremely unwise!"

He tried to make his voice sound "genuine" indignation, and continued:

"I, a sinner, am willing to write a letter in my own hand, to explain the advantages and disadvantages, and to tell you the general situation. I will definitely persuade Erlang to recognize the current situation, to turn back from his misguided ways, and to open the city gates as soon as possible to welcome the Marshal's army into Hefei City."

After hearing this impassioned "pledge of allegiance," Shi Shan remained unmoved. If Zuo Junbi could so easily give up resistance and surrender the city, then he wouldn't be a member of the Zuo family in Hefei.

Zuo Junmei's statement was nothing more than a pretense and a way of coping, driven by her survival instinct.

However, to temporarily appease Zuo Junbi in Hefei and prevent him from acting rashly, it wouldn't hurt to put on a show of "brotherly affection" with Zuo Junmei in Chaohu. Shi Shan's face softened slightly, and he nodded abruptly, saying:

"It's good to advise him to recognize the situation. As for opening the city gates?"

Shi Shan shook his head slightly, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Zuo Junmei's instantly tense shoulders and back, his tone calm yet profound.

"I imagine your second son would absolutely not agree right now. No matter, I have already arranged a quiet place for you in the city. Just stay here and rest and recuperate. Don't worry about your family. It won't be long before you are reunited."

A reunion?!

Zuo Junmei felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His family was all in Hefei. Was Shi Shan's statement a reassurance or a threat? Was it an imminent indication that the Red Flag Army was about to besiege the city and that Hefei was on the verge of falling?
He dared not think too deeply; immense fear gripped his heart, almost suffocating him. He quickly bowed deeply again, his forehead slamming heavily against the cold floor tiles with a dull thud, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Thank you, thank you for your compassion, Marshal! I am deeply grateful!"

Shi Shan said no more, casually waved his hand, and said in a flat tone:
"Go."

Watching Zuo Junmei stagger out of the main hall under the "escort" of two armored soldiers, her figure disappearing into the light and shadow outside the door, Shi Shan's deep gaze returned to the map of Luzhou Road hanging on the side wall.

The loss of Chaohu was like cutting off one of Zuo Junbi's arms in Hefei. Hefei was now in the hands of the Red Flag Battalion. Shi Shan was not in a hurry to force Zuo Junbi to surrender at this moment. The time was not right. A strong attack would only increase casualties. He wanted Zuo Junbi to completely surrender after realizing the reality in despair.

Moreover, the world situation has been changing rapidly recently, and the Yuan court has been frequently mobilizing troops to deal with the crisis. The Red Flag Battalion should be making great strides and should not waste precious opportunities for expansion by fighting to the death at the heavily fortified city of Hefei.

The Red Flag Battalion's intelligence system was still in its early stages of development, but the Yuan court's awareness of secrecy and counter-espionage was even worse, and all kinds of intelligence flew into the Marshal's Mansion in Haozhou like snowflakes.

The air was filled with a complex atmosphere of ink, gunpowder smoke, and distant warfare. On the huge rosewood table, secret reports, dispatches, and intelligence summaries compiled from oral accounts of merchants from all directions were piled up.

That same month, Dadu issued an edict to formally establish the Huainan Jiangbei Provincial Secretariat (abbreviated as Huainan Province), with its capital in Yangzhou, governing Yangzhou, Gaoyou, Huaian, Chuzhou, Hezhou, Luzhou, Anfeng, Anqing and other prefectures.

Its intention was obvious—to build a tight defense line against the Red Flag Battalion in Jiangbei, intending to lock Shishan in a corner of Huaixi.

However, establishing a province is easy, but mobilizing a large army is difficult.

Issuing soldiers, procuring provisions, and transporting military equipment—each and every step takes time and cannot be accomplished overnight with a single imperial edict. Currently, although the Yuan army has small elite units constantly attempting to infiltrate and harass the outer defenses of the Red Flag Battalion at Huaiyuan, Wuhe, and Chuzhou.

However, these actions were more like a bluff, an "offense as defense." The newly established Huainan Province was hastily established and empty-handed, and in a short period of time it was simply not capable of organizing a large-scale offensive that could shake the foundation of the Red Flag Battalion.

The Yuan court seemed to realize that the corruption of local officials was the key to the widespread rebellion of the Red Turbans. Finally, it made a painful decision and issued an edict on “crimes of military and civilian officials who fail to defend the city.” It is said that dozens of prefectural and county officials who abandoned the city were beheaded in one go, and their bloody heads were displayed in various places in an attempt to serve as a warning to others.

This move, while a bloody deterrent, came too late.

If the Yuan court had possessed such resolve when Liu Futong first started his uprising in Yingzhou, and had strictly ordered all regions to defend their cities to the death, the Red Turban Army's momentum would never have been so rapid, and Shi Shan's attempt to march from Lingbi all the way to Haozhou would have been many times more difficult.

With war raging and the court's authority lost, beheading people is merely a way to vent anger; how much can it salvage the situation?
The Red Flag Battalion has been undergoing training for some time since its expansion, and its drills in formation, command, and basic combat skills are beginning to take shape.

However, to command tens of thousands of troops with perfect coordination and discipline, to win against the elite Yuan army in brutal field battles, and to develop that kind of tacit understanding and iron-willed military spirit, even a few more months or a year of training would probably not be enough.

The Yuan court would not give the Red Flag Battalion time to train, and Shishan had already made preparations to lead his troops into battle again.

But before he could lead his troops into battle, he needed to have a clear and thorough understanding of the situation in Jiangnan, another crucial battlefield.

Over the next two weeks, Sun Wuben, who was lurking on Jiqing Road, sent back crucial information through secret channels. Smugglers traveling between the north and south of the country were secretly summoned, and even the confessions of some captured Yuan army messengers and local officials were carefully examined and sorted out.

Scattered pieces of intelligence gradually pieced together a clear picture of the battle situation in Jiangnan:
Since February of this year, the expansion of the Xu Song regime has been fierce yet tortuous.

Xu Shouhui's general Chen Puwen led his troops to capture Ji'an Road, Xu Jia captured Hengzhou Road, Tao Jiu captured Ruizhou Road, and Ou Puxiang captured Yuanzhou. The subsequent development of the situation was as Shishan had predicted. Xu Song failed to establish a stable rule in these areas and soon lost them again under the joint counterattack of the Yuan army and the local landlord forces.

However, on the eastern front, after Xu Song general Xiang Pulue captured Jiangzhou (present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), he miraculously withstood the pressure and established a firm foothold in this strategic location. Xiang Pulue was arguably the sharpest blade of the Xu Song regime. After capturing Jiangzhou, his troops not only did not dull their edge, but became even more unstoppable. The army continued its triumphant advance, successively capturing Nankang Road, Raozhou Road, Xinzhou Road, Huizhou Road, and other places, with its advance pointing directly at the wealthy eastern Zhejiang.

At the same time, Peng Yingyu of Luzhou Road led the "Peng Zu family" across the Yangtze River and captured Tongling, an important town in Chizhou Road. He was now launching a fierce attack on Guichi City, the capital of Chizhou Road. The flames of war in Jiangnan were burning ever brighter.

Meanwhile, in Jiangbei, Liu Futong's Red Turban Army, whose area of ​​operation had been shrinking since the end of last year after losing Yexian, Wuyang, Shangcai, Yingshang, Gushi, and other places, finally had a chance to catch their breath.
The Northern Lock Red Turban Army (led by Wang Quan) and the Southern Lock Red Turban Army (led by Meng Haima), which operated in the Nanyang and Xiangyang areas, successively attacked cities and seized territories, growing in strength day by day, seriously threatening the grain transport route of the Yuan court from Sichuan through Xiangyang and Nanyang to the north.

The Yuan court urgently ordered the princes Yilianzhenban and Aiyinban, the Vice Minister of State Affairs Yesen Temur, and the Shaanxi Provincial Governor Yuelu Temur, along with several other armies, to surround and suppress the two raging fires, in an attempt to extinguish them and greatly reduce the pressure on Liu Futong's troops.

Meanwhile, in the Zhejiang East region, Fang Guozhen, who had caused a great deal of trouble for the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, did not flee to the deep sea after leading his fleet to burn Liujiagang a month ago. Instead, he retreated to the Huangyan Port area in Taizhou Bay and continued to harass the local area like a malignant tumor, plundering the canal transport.

The rapidly deteriorating situation in Jiangnan and Jiangbei left the Yuan court in a state of utter chaos. In order to temporarily stabilize the southeastern coastal borders and free up resources to concentrate on eliminating the major threat, Xu Shouhui, the Yuan court decided to try to appease the fickle Fang Guozhen once again.

Under the strict orders of the Yuan court, Taibuhua, the Darughachi of Taizhou, dispatched troops to guard the Chengjiang Estuary in Huangyan. At the same time, he sent his trusted general Wang Dayong with a letter of surrender to Fang Guozhen.

Fang Guozhen detained the envoy Wang Dayong and sent his relative by marriage, Chen Zhongda, to arrange the surrender location and ceremony with Tai Buhua.

Tai Buhua, a scholar-general from the Mongolian Boyawutai clan, was the top scholar in the right list of the imperial examinations in the first year of the Zhizhi reign of Emperor Yingzong. He was famous throughout the country for his poetry and calligraphy and enjoyed a high reputation among scholars. Hoping to resolve the maritime threat without bloodshed, he personally led his troops by ship to the agreed location to accept the surrender.

Midway through their journey, the Yuan fleet encountered a sudden and unexpected event: Tai Buhua's massive flagship unexpectedly ran aground on a shoal. Fang Guozhen led a large group of pirates, swarming out from all directions in agile small boats.

He clearly wanted to repeat the trick of "begging for surrender" after capturing Bolot Timur, the Left Chancellor of Jiangzhe, last year. His intention was to surround and capture Taibuhua alive, and use this to blackmail the Yuan court and obtain greater benefits.

Unexpectedly, Tai Buhua was not like Bolotemur. He was a man of fierce nature. After realizing that he had fallen into Fang Guozhen's trap, he personally killed Chen Zhongda and then seized a powerful bow from his personal guard, shooting down five pirates who tried to board the ship.

When Fang Guozhen realized that his plan had been exposed, he personally led his elite pirates onto Tai Buhua's flagship, slaughtered all the Yuan soldiers, and prepared to capture Tai Buhua alive.

Surrounded by soldiers, this Mongolian scholar disarmed the enemy with his bare hands and killed four pirates who rushed at him. In the chaos, he was finally stabbed in the neck by a pirate and died.

The news caused a stir in both the government and the public.

The Yuan court had just promoted Tai Buhua to the position of Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province due to his achievements in the southeast, and the imperial edict appointing him to oversee the affairs of Taizhou was still en route when this meritorious official died in battle.

The last glimmer of hope for temporarily resolving the threat posed by Fang Guozhen through appeasement was completely destroyed with the death of Tai Buhua.

The Yuan court had no choice but to bite the bullet and order Zuo Danashili, the Left Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, to continue the campaign against Fang Guozhen, the notorious pirate who had "surrendered and then rebelled, rebelled and then surrendered again."

However, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that after the death of Tai Buhua, a pillar of eastern Zhejiang who was familiar with the situation in Taizhou, the Yuan court could no longer suppress Fang Guozhen.

Compared to the predicament of barely managing to maintain the Red Flag Battalion and the Taizhou pirates through offensive tactics, the Yuan court was truly serious about dealing with the Xu Song regime, which occupied the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and posed a serious threat to its financial resources. A series of menacing edicts for troop deployment flew out from Dadu (Beijing):
Dali Pacification Commissioner Dashibadulu was promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of the Sichuan Province. He was ordered to join forces with the Sichuan Provincial Chancellor to march east out of the Three Gorges and suppress the Red Turban Army (mainly referring to the Northern Lock, Southern Lock Red Turbans and branches of the Xu Song regime) that was rampaging in Shannan, Huguang and other places.

The imperial edict ordered the Sichuan Provincial Governor to divide his forces and advance eastward to suppress the Red Turban Army in the Jingxiang region.

Wu Hushi, the garrison commander of Dadu, was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Jiangzhe Province, with the special responsibility of suppressing the rebellion against Xiang Pulue, who occupied Raozhou and Xinzhou.

He ordered the Right Vice-Chancellor of Jiangxi Province, Huo Nichi, and the Vice-Chancellor, Duo, to join forces to completely suppress the Red Turban Army (mainly Ou Puxiang's troops and local militias) in Jiangxi Province.

Enningpu, the Pacification Commissioner of Eastern Zhejiang, was transferred to replace Zuodanashili to guard Wuhu, the throat of the Yangtze River, and to secure the gateway between Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

He ordered Yi Lianzhen, the Left Chancellor of Jiangxi Province, to personally command a large army to strictly guard all the passes and key roads in Jiangdong and Jiangxi.

In order to concentrate superior forces to eliminate Xiang Pulue, a major threat, the Yuan court issued an edict ordering several generals, including Wuhushi, the Right Vice-Chancellor of Jiangxi Province, Laolao, the Left Vice-Chancellor of Jiangzhe Province, Xingji, Buyan Timur, and Manzi Haiya, to join forces in the campaign to suppress the Red Turban Army in Rao and Xin.

In this urgent situation, in order to quell the unrest in the core area of ​​Jiangnan, the Yuan court issued an edict:
The Left Chancellor of Jiangxi Province, Yilian Zhenban; the Left Chancellor of Jiangzhe Province, Zuo Danashili; the Chief Minister of Huguang Province, Yesen Temur; the Chief Minister of Sichuan Province, Bashihudu; the Imperial Censor of Jiangnan Province, Nalin; and other key officials of Jiangzhe Province are all free to act as they see fit, without needing to consult the court on every matter, and only seeking to respond to the Red Turban Army's offensive as quickly as possible.

With war raging across the land, the Yuan rulers finally felt pressure they had never felt since the founding of the dynasty. In addition to frantically mobilizing troops and granting frontline generals enormous power, they also made almost revolutionary political adjustments, a move that could be described as grasping at straws in desperation.

First, they issued official positions in bulk and delegated authority to local authorities.

Due to the large number of soldiers killed in battle and those who fled, and the severe shortage of "talented individuals willing to serve the country loyally," an imperial edict was issued to open the door to recommendations.

"For officials of the first rank in the court, as well as those in the provinces, the central government, the academy, the six ministries, the Hanlin Academy, the Jixian Academy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Ministry of Water Resources, each shall recommend two virtuous, capable, intelligent, and courageous individuals who are qualified to serve as magistrates. For those who know many people, there is no limit to the number of such individuals."

More importantly, these newly promoted local officials were given unprecedented real power:
"The local officials shall be given trial duties and shall also be in charge of the logistics of the militia and the agricultural promotion. Their superiors shall not be allowed to make such decisions without authorization."

This is tantamount to delegating local military, political, and financial power to local officials. The Yuan court is disregarding the consequences and only wants someone to take over now.

Secondly, the promise of high-ranking positions and generous salaries incentivizes people to work themselves to the bone.

To incentivize these officials, now on the front lines, to bravely fight the enemy, the Yuan court offered astonishing promotion conditions:
"Since the magistrate has been promoted, his deputy officials will be promoted two ranks according to the old precedent of entering Guang (conquering Lingnan). Upon completion of his term, the magistrate who has governed the entire territory well will be given a formal appointment (genuine appointment);

Those who govern poorly will have their promotion reduced by two grades and will be reassigned to their original rank; those who govern half-bakedly will have their reassignment reduced by one grade. Miscellaneous staff (clerks, etc.) who possess both wisdom and courage will be promoted and rewarded according to the above rules.

Officials selected through normal channels who are assigned to devastated counties or areas near bandit territory will be promoted four ranks immediately! Those assigned to areas slightly closer to bandit territory will be promoted two ranks immediately!

Compared to the rare transfers that occur only once every few years under normal circumstances, as long as one can suppress bandits and achieve merit, one can be promoted and become wealthy like a rocket.

Third, break the shackles and win over the people of the South.

In order to win over the hearts of the gentry in Jiangnan and gain the support of the southern elite, the Yuan court took the initiative to break down the invisible glass ceiling that had been in place for southern officials for many years, and issued an edict:

“Talented scholars from the South should be employed in the Secretariat, the Privy Council, and the Censorate, in accordance with the old system established by Emperor Shizu (Kublai Khan)!”

Fourth, paying grain to obtain official positions is like drinking poison to quench thirst.

What Shishan was most alarmed about, and which best reflected the Yuan court's desperate and unscrupulous policy, was this decree to appoint officials by paying grain:

"All the gentry, wealthy households, and powerful families in various places who are able to contribute to the country and provide their own grain to supply the military reserves will be appointed as regular officials in accordance with the established local regulations, and will be promoted and granted titles (their descendants may inherit the title or obtain official positions) according to the rules!"
Those who have been removed from their posts as officials in charge of tea, salt, and grain (low-ranking financial and tax officials) but are capable of providing additional funds and provisions for military supplies will be assessed and their ranks will be adjusted to regular positions (formal staff).

The destructive power of this edict far exceeded that of the previous order that allowed local militias to be organized.

This means that the Yuan court not only allowed local powerful families to possess armed forces (tuanlian), but also politically granted these landlord armed leaders the same status as all other people who entered officialdom through other means.

They didn't need to study hard for years or rise through the ranks through military merit. As long as they had money and food, they could directly buy a formal official position and be promoted step by step, even gaining the privilege of having their wives and children granted titles and privileges.

The Yuan court not only recognized and granted legitimacy to local powerful clans who held armed separatist regimes, but also openly and blatantly put prices on national treasures.

It is said that Huang Huoerbuhua, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of Huainan Province, brought with him three silver round plaques symbolizing an emergency and the ability to mobilize talents and resources along the way, as well as fifty post tickets, and was given the authority to "act expediently".

This shows how high the Yuan court's expectations, or rather, how deeply it relied on, the newly established provinces and this policy.

It is foreseeable that this decree will be like pouring boiling water into a pot of oil that is about to boil. Powerful figures across the land, whether they harbor loyalty to the emperor and the country, ambitions to establish their own independent regimes, or simply seek to preserve their wealth and status, will all inevitably take center stage.

Using official positions granted by the imperial court as a pretext and their own armed forces as a means of control, they would frantically seize territory, attack each other, and annex the weak on the chessboard of the chaotic world. From this point onward, the chaotic world at the end of the Yuan Dynasty would completely slide into an even bloodier, more chaotic, and ruthless "all-out battle royale" melee.

The authority of the Yuan court would be completely reduced to a fig leaf in the face of these "official troops" who held real power (official positions) and weapons (armed forces).

In order to maintain their wealth and power, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty wanted nothing more than to plaster the notice boards of every city with these "diligent governance" measures.

It was this almost hysterical propaganda that allowed the Red Flag Battalion's nascent intelligence network to relatively easily collect and piece together such a detailed intelligence picture from various public gazettes, semi-public government documents, and even rumors in taverns and teahouses.

With the main force of the Yuan court firmly tied down in various places by Xu Song, Liu Futong, Zhima Li, Fang Guozhen, and the Southern and Northern Red Turbans, the newly established Huainan Province of the Red Flag Battalion, whose foothold was not yet secure, was the perfect time to advance.

Snapped!
Shi Shan closed the file, his voice resolute and clear, echoing throughout the study:
"Send the order! Prepare the troops and begin transporting provisions—head south!"

(End of this chapter)