The New Destiny of the Ming Dynasty

For Yang Zhen, it was extremely fortunate that the supervisor of grain supplies dispatched by the Ministry of Revenue to Liaodong happened to be in charge of the allocation and transfer of grain supplies to grain storage cities such as "Juehua Island".

Therefore, a large number of transport ships on the island are now under the command of Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu, the supervisor of supplies, expressed his support for Yang Zhen's plan, and the problem of transport ships was thus easily solved.

Of course, grain transport ships did not travel to and from the Ningyuan River estuary on the Ningyuan coast every day; they usually only made such trips once every two weeks.

However, coincidentally, February is short and March is long, so the difference is only three days.

At the same time, the third day of the third lunar month is for worshipping ancestors, and this day is also the traditional Shangsi Festival. There are many taboos about starting work or sailing, so it is another day off.

Therefore, according to custom, the first batch of grain and provisions for March would not be transported to Ningyuan River Estuary until the fourth day of the third lunar month.

Of course, Juehua Island is not far from the mouth of the Ningyuan River on the Ningyuan coast, only eighteen li away; and the mouth of the Ningyuan River is only eleven or twelve li away from the east gate of Ningyuan City.

The ships on the island transported the provisions to the mouth of the Ningyuan River, and then dispatched small boats, under the protection of the Ningyuan garrison, to transport the provisions in batches to the south gate of Ningyuan City.

The two places are only about 30 miles apart. The fleet can depart in the morning and arrive before noon, which is very convenient.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Liaodong army had almost become the private army of warlords. The only effective way for the imperial court to control the Liaodong army was to store its provisions on isolated islands overseas and distribute them to the city regularly.

"So, that means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I must complete all preparations for departing north by noon on the fourth day of the third lunar month?"

After listening to the introduction from Yuan Shu, the supervisor of the grain supply, Yang Zhen felt more confident, but at the same time, he immediately felt uneasy about the urgency of the time.

However, he also knew that the Tartar army had been besieging Jinzhou and Songshan for more than a month, and since he had been ordered to go north to rescue them, he did need to set off as soon as possible.

Yuan Shu was ordered to come to Liaodong. Although he was only responsible for supervising the distribution of grain and salary, as Yuan Keli's son, he also wanted to make a difference.

Previously, as a civil official like the Supervisor of Military Supplies, he didn't have many opportunities to take initiative. However, Yang Zhen's idea of ​​sailing north to rescue Songshan suddenly gave him a platform to act, so he was very enthusiastic.

Upon hearing Yang Zhen's words, he immediately replied:

"Excellent! The grain transport fleet to Juehua Island should arrive before noon on the fourth day of the third month. By the afternoon of the fourth day, the grain and provisions on board should be unloaded, and by dusk that day, Yang Xiezhen's troops heading north can set off!"

After saying this, Yuan Shu turned to Governor Fang Yizao, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"Your Excellency! Yang Xiezhen's troops, with six hundred men, have been ordered to march north to relieve Songshan and Jinzhou, which are besieged by tens of thousands of Tartar troops. In my humble opinion, their provisions and pay should be prioritized and reported to the court for generous rewards to boost morale!"

Yang Zhen originally wanted to raise this question as well, but he left it for last.

However, before he could bring it up, Yuan Shu, who was in charge of the grain and salary issues, brought it up first. Yang Zhen was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately said:

"Your Excellency Governor! My troops have not received a single penny of pay since November of the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign! We are fighting for the country, and I would be content with just a bite to eat."

"However, this northward march is extremely risky, a matter of life and death. And all I can rely on are my soldiers! Insufficient pay will dampen morale; insufficient pay will lead to their exhaustion! I beg Your Excellency to consider this carefully!"

Governor Fang Yizao also knew the principle that "the emperor will not starve his soldiers," so after pondering for a moment, he finally said:

"That makes sense, but as you know, the court has been short of food and pay for a long time. Although Liaodong is given priority in supplies, it still can't provide enough pay and food!"

"Here's what we'll do—since November of the eleventh year of Chongzhen's reign, the amount of pay your unit should have received but hasn't received will be made up by Governor-General Hong after your unit returns victorious!"

"As for this northward march, to reward loyalty and bravery and boost morale, this governor will consult with General Zu today and ensure that funds are allocated generously! With General Yuan's support, you can rest assured and focus on making the best preparations for the northward march!"

Although Governor Fang Yizao did not promise how much to give on the spot, he did agree to it nonetheless.

Yang Zhen did not want to dwell on this issue. Seeing that Governor Fang Yizao had agreed, he immediately bowed to express his gratitude.

Fang Yizao, seeing that he had said everything that needed to be said and that Yang Zhen's questions had been answered, and that Yang Zhen showed no sign of leaving, asked:

"Nephew Yang Zhenxian, I agree to your proposed strategy for the north! I also approve of the selection of firearms! The issue of having Physician Yuan manage the naval vessels has also been resolved today! Including your request for generous pay to boost morale, I have already agreed to that! Do you—have any other questions?!"

Fang Yizao's expression turned somewhat displeased as he spoke.

Seeing this, Yang Zhen knew he couldn't say anything more, so he clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Your Excellency, I have one more request! It will not cost you any provisions, only pen and ink. Please, Your Excellency, personally bestow upon me the calligraphy to write a banner!"

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, he took out a wad of red cloth from his bosom, unfolded it carefully, and laid it on the ground. It was about four feet square.

Fang Yizao and Yuan Shu were both completely baffled and confused, not knowing what Yang Zhen meant.

Sure enough, Yuan Shu, the supervisor of the grain supplies, pointed to the red cloth on the ground and said:

"Yang Xiezhen, what is the meaning of this? What inscription would you like the governor to write for you?"

Seeing this, Yang Zhen immediately added:

"On this northward journey, I originally led two hundred men, whom I was confident I could command with ease. However, in addition to my own troops, there are three hundred Mongol soldiers and one hundred generals in the central army! These three forces were previously independent of each other, and now that they are under my command, I feel deeply troubled! Although yesterday the governor and the general granted me full authority to command and decide life and death, they are still subordinate to each other and I have no official title!"

"I know that the court has the strictest regulations for military ranks and battalions, and it is not easy to add more. My current command of troops to the north is only a temporary assignment, and I dare not expect the governor to establish a separate battalion with six hundred men, but—"

"In my humble opinion, if a lord were to personally inscribe a banner—whether it be for a Provisional Northern Rescue Vanguard Team or a Provisional Northern Rescue Vanguard Battalion—and bestow it upon me, I would then have a legitimate title and could rightfully command all six hundred men!"

Fang Yizao and Yuan Shu were both shocked when they heard this. They thought that this Yang Zhen was probably not a simple warrior. He actually knew the importance of titles and actually wanted to take this opportunity to establish a separate camp and truly bring Zu Keyong's and Xu Changyong's troops under his command.

Fang Yizao stared at Yang Zhen with a serious expression for a long time without saying a word, as if he wanted to see through this young general who was increasingly perplexing to him.

Just then, Yuan Shu, who had taken a liking to Yang Zhen from the moment they met, spoke up.

All that could be heard was Yuan Shu saying:

"Has Your Excellency ever heard of a fable?"

"What fable?"

Governor Fang Yizao withdrew his gaze from Yang Zhen and turned to look at Yuan Shu with some doubt.

Yuan Shu smiled and looked at Fang Yizao, saying:

"A rabbit runs away, and a hundred people chase it, not because the rabbit can be divided into a hundred, but because their roles and classifications are not yet determined. Yet, rabbit sellers fill the market, and thieves dare not take them, because their roles and classifications are already established. This is the fable!"

"Excellent! The Book of Lord Shang's principles are indeed correct! Doctor Yuan is truly learned and possesses a remarkable memory!"

In the Ming Dynasty, no scholar who passed the imperial examination was born into wealth.

Although the Book of Lord Shang is not a Confucian classic, if an official who has risen to the rank of governor does not understand Legalist principles, then he has not truly understood his position.

After hearing Yuan Shu's so-called parable, Fang Yizao first sighed, then turned to Yang Zhen and said:

"Very good! You understand the importance of a title, so it seems you are educated. I have even more confidence in your ability to lead the army north to provide relief!"

After saying this, Fang Yizao instructed the servants around him to bring a writing brush, ink, and inkstone, and then had Yang Zhen unfold the red cloth and place it on the desk, smoothing it out.

After a moment's thought, Fang Yizao first wrote down two small characters vertically.

Yang Zhen quickly looked down for a closer look and saw that it read "provisional." He sighed inwardly.

"It seems Fang Yizao still lacks courage!"

The term "provisional organization" means that in special wartime situations, there is no time to report to the Ministry of War for approval of the formal organization, so several unaffiliated teams are temporarily grouped together to carry out a common mission.

Once the mission is over, we'll see whether this temporary team will be disbanded, whether they'll return to their respective headquarters, or whether they'll be formally integrated together.

In Fang Yizao's mind, this was the safest arrangement he could make at the moment.

He neither altered nor established any battalion structure without authorization, nor did he make any promises to Yang Zhen himself; everything would have to wait until after the war.

In his view, if Yang Zhen succeeded in rescuing Songshan or Jinzhou, then everything would be fine. It wouldn't be difficult to ask the Ministry of War to establish a new battalion with these 600 men as the backbone.

If Yang Zhenbei's rescue mission fails, then all talk is over.

Moreover, in the minds of Fang Yizao and others, Yang Zhen's decision to lead 600 men north to provide relief was extremely risky, with little chance of a successful return.

Just as Yang Zhen was feeling down and inwardly sighing, Fang Yizao quickly wrote down a few more large characters.

"Ningyuan Vanguard Battalion!"

When Yang Zhen saw these words again, his mood improved a little. Although it was a temporary organization, it was still the name of an advance battalion.

"Provisional formation—Ningyuan Vanguard Battalion! How's it going?!"

After Fang Yizao finished writing these words, he had his attendant pick up the red cloth, unfold it, and pointed to the seven characters—five large and two small—on it, saying loudly:

"Although the Provisional Battalion isn't a legitimate organization, it's still quite a catchy name! If you think it's alright, then head north under this banner!"

"As for the number of chariots, horses, infantry, and archers in this provisional battalion, it's too early to say! In short, it's all up to you, Yang Zhen, to decide!"

"If you succeed in leading troops to the rescue in the future, even if Zu Keyong's and Xu Changyong's troops are returned to their respective units, I, the Governor, will definitely petition to retain your vanguard battalion!"

"Your humble servant obeys! Your humble servant thanks Your Excellency the Governor! Your humble servant thanks Physician Yuan!"