Chapter 116: Respect the Thief You Raise

Two days passed quickly.

The worst fears of the city’s inhabitants did not come to pass; during these two days, the rebel army did not launch any attacks against Datong, not even a tentative probe.

Wang Pu, however, dared not lower his guard for a moment. He spent his days and nights stationed in the gate tower of the South Gate, which had effectively become his command headquarters.

Ever since he had donated five hundred thousand taels of silver, Zhu Chuanqi had not appeared in public, let alone on the city walls to boost the morale of the defenders. More ridiculously, he even kept the four gates of the Prince’s Mansion tightly shut during the day, fearing that Wang Pu might come knocking again to demand more funds.

Wei Daben, the prefect, was the opposite; he ran to the South Gate every day. He mobilized the elderly, women, and children within the city to cook meals along the streets, delivered tea and water to the troops on the walls, and organized the able-bodied to carry logs and stones to assist in the defense. He was fulfilling his duties as prefect; after all, the survival of Datong was tied to his own life, and he could not afford to be indifferent.

While the situation appeared calm on the surface, dark currents were churning beneath. Both Wang Pu and Li Yan were desperately trying to gauge each other's strength. The infiltration by scouts and spies, as well as the skirmishes between patrols, had reached a fever pitch, with at least a dozen small-scale clashes occurring every day.

Wang Pu and Li Yan were like two masters meeting on a narrow path. Both were wary of the other’s strength and hesitated to act rashly, each hoping to glean the slightest clue about the other to ensure they knew their enemy before striking. After two days of probing, they had gradually begun to grasp each other’s true capabilities.

At the South Gate of Datong, in the arrow tower:

"Big Beard" and "Scarface" were rough men. While they were skilled at fighting, they were not particularly bright. Since Zhen Youcai was not in the city, Wang Pu could only consult with Zhao Xin.

Zhao Xin was actually a scholar who had once passed the imperial examinations, but after rebels razed his hometown, he had been forced to join their ranks, becoming a commander under the "Chuang Wang" Gao Yingxiang. Later, after Gao was captured by Hong Chengchou, Zhao Xin and Tang Sheng led several hundred rebels to defect to the Ming side, becoming part of the Datong garrison.

Zhao Xin said, "General, I have found out. The commander of this rebel force is named Li Yan, a native of Qi County, Henan."

"Li Yan?" Wang Pu’s heart skipped a beat. He said in a deep voice, "That explains it."

Based on Wang Pu’s knowledge of late Ming history, Li Yan was arguably the only true general under Li Zicheng. The others, such as Liu Zongmin and Tian Jianxiu, were incapable of shedding their bandit-like habits, and even Li Zicheng himself lacked political vision. Had it not been for Li Yan’s proposal of "equalizing land and abolishing taxes," Li Zicheng would never have succeeded, let alone become the Emperor of Dashun.

Zhao Xin asked, "Does the General know Li Yan?"

"I have heard of him," Wang Pu replied. "It is said that this Li Yan is a rare military talent."

"That explains it," Zhao Xin nodded. "I was just wondering; the rebels are usually notorious for their lack of discipline, looting and killing wherever they go. Yet, this group behaves quite differently. Their discipline is strict, and they have not harmed a single hair of the commoners around Datong. It is truly hard to believe."

Wang Pu frowned and asked, "Is that really true?"

Zhao Xin replied firmly, "It is absolutely certain."

"Impressive, truly impressive!" Wang Pu stood up abruptly. He said in a low voice, "What kind of man is this Li Yan? What power does he possess to transform a mob into a disciplined army in such a short time? And to keep them from harming the people? Unbelievable, simply unbelievable!"

"This Li Yan is nothing special," Scarface interrupted, striding into the room. He shouted, "The rebels outside are just a rabble. General, I only need my thousand-man musketeer unit to wipe out those ten thousand rebels outside the city!"

Scarface was not bragging. Among Wang Pu’s five thousand personal retainers, half were battle-hardened veterans who had survived the fires of war. They had driven back two thousand Mongol cavalry with only four hundred horsemen at Yan'e Sea, and survived the blood-soaked battles at Sanbula River. Why would they fear a mere ten thousand rebels outside the city?

Scarface had enough confidence that he only needed one charge to shatter the rebel army.

"Shut up!" Wang Pu barked. "The rebels outside are not as easy to deal with as you think."

Wang Pu certainly believed that Scarface could crush the rebels; he might overestimate Li Yan, but he would never overestimate the rabble under his command. Li Yan was a talent who could impose discipline quickly, but he could not improve their equipment or turn them into an elite force overnight.

However, Wang Pu’s thoughts differed from Scarface’s. Scarface only wanted to crush the enemy, while Wang Pu was thinking about how to use the rebels to maximize his own interests.

Clearly, Li Yan’s rebels could not pose a real threat to Datong.

The city was well-stocked and well-defended; with only a hundred thousand poorly equipped rebels, Li Yan could not break in. Wang Pu had originally worried that the rebels would burn, kill, and loot, which would harm the people of Datong and thus undermine his own foundation. But now that their discipline was strict, those concerns could be set aside.

In fact, Wang Pu’s strategy had changed. Since the rebels would not endanger the people, why rush to defeat and drive them away? Why not let them remain outside the city as a bargaining chip, and use them to squeeze more wealth out of Zhu Chuanqi?

As the saying goes, this is called "nurturing bandits to maintain one's own importance."

Scarface, unaware of Wang Pu’s true intentions, continued to clamor, "General, the Jiannu are tough, right? The Mongols are powerful, aren't they? Yet we beat them down! I don't believe these rebels are more dangerous than the Jiannu or the Mongols. General, let me lead a charge!"

"Shut your mouth," Wang Pu said angrily. "Fighting the Jiannu was in Liaodong, and fighting the Mongols was in the desert—those were on enemy soil. We could fight however we wanted, and if we lost, we could turn around and leave. But don’t forget, this is Datong! This is our turf! If we lose, can we just pack up and go? Are you willing to abandon your family and your life here?"

Scarface rolled his eyes and fell silent.

Outside Datong, at the rebel camp:

Unlike Wang Pu, who felt relaxed and was calculating how to profit from the situation, Li Yan’s mood grew increasingly heavy. The more he learned about Datong and Wang Pu, the heavier his heart became. In less than two days, Wang Pu had become a massive boulder pressing down on his chest.

Never before had anyone brought such a sense of oppression to Li Yan.

Li Hu’s reinforcements were less than twenty miles away and would arrive by nightfall, but Li Yan could not find peace. The news he had gathered from the townspeople and captured soldiers was shocking.

A five-hundred-mile march in three days to shatter Guihua; rooting out the Tumed Mongols and seizing nearly a million head of livestock; defeating two thousand Mongol cavalry with less than four hundred men at Yan'e Sea; and launching a long-range raid on Sanbula River, where three thousand cavalry defeated twenty thousand Khorchin troops and returned unscathed!

These deeds sounded like myths, yet they were all linked to one man: Wang Pu. Coupled with the Battle of Jining, where three thousand elite bandits under Hong Niangzi were wiped out by Wang Pu in a single clash, Li Yan felt a leaden weight in his heart that made it hard to breathe.

Piecing together all the information, Li Yan concluded that Wang Pu possessed an army that defied imagination.

This force consisted of at least five thousand men, capable of easily uprooting the Tumed and retreating safely from the Khorchin armies. They were well-trained and well-equipped, far more powerful than any Ming official army Li Yan had encountered.

However, what puzzled Li Yan was that this army showed no intention of taking the initiative. Li Yan had a clear understanding of his own army’s combat effectiveness; if Wang Pu were to lead this elite force in an assault, his eight thousand men outside the city could not possibly withstand it.

Why was Wang Pu not attacking?

What was he waiting for? Was he waiting for the remaining hundred thousand reinforcements to arrive, only to wipe them all out in one go? This thought flashed through Li Yan’s mind, but he dismissed it. Putting himself in Wang Pu’s shoes, he believed that Wang Pu would never gamble with the lives of his men.

So, what was Wang Pu waiting for?

"Husband," Hong Niangzi couldn't help but say, "Stop overthinking it. That corrupt official Wang Pu is just scared; he doesn't dare come out to fight."

"No, that’s not it," Li Yan shook his head. "Wang Pu dared to strike at Shengjing with only a thousand men. How could such a person be cowardly?"

Hong Niangzi curled her lips and remained silent.

"There must be more to this," Li Yan said with a frown. "It’s a pity we cannot figure it out."

Hong Niangzi suddenly suggested, "Husband, why don’t I take a few brothers and sneak over the wall into the city tonight?"

Li Yan shook his head. "That is too risky."

As they were speaking, Jing Maocheng entered the tent, dusty and weary. He cupped his hands and bowed, "Commander, I have returned."

"Brother Jing, please rise," Li Yan said. "Have you scouted the terrain of Leigong Mountain?"

"I have," Jing Maocheng panted. "The terrain of Leigong Mountain is extremely steep. The north, west, and south sides are all precipitous cliffs. There is only one path up the east side, and the road is so narrow that a large force cannot deploy. I believe a frontal assault will be very difficult."

"What about water sources?" Li Yan asked intently. "Is there water on the mountain?"

Jing Maocheng replied, "I couldn't capture any living garrison soldiers on the mountain, so I couldn't confirm the details. However, I hid in the woods at the foot of the mountain for a day and a night, and I never saw the soldiers come down to fetch water. It seems there must be a spring on the mountain."

Li Yan nodded. "You have worked hard, Brother Jing. Go and get some rest."

"Yes."

Jing Maocheng acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

That night, the seventy thousand reinforcements led by Li Hu arrived outside Datong. Out of caution, Li Yan did not split the army; he established six camps outside the South Gate, keeping the eighty-thousand-strong force tightly packed together. While this did not achieve a full encirclement of Datong, it ensured they would not be defeated in detail by the government troops.

The next morning, just as Wang Pu and Li Yan were both speculating on the other's next move, an unexpected event occurred.

Over fifty thousand Datong civilians suddenly appeared outside the West Gate. They were disheveled, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, appearing starved and exhausted. Upon reaching the gates, they knelt and begged the defenders to open the gates and let them in for refuge.

This story had its roots in the beginning. Initially, Prince Zhu Chuanqi had instructed Zhang Zi'an to seize the grain of the Datong people. Zhang Zi'an passed these orders to the North Camp and the surrounding garrisons and forts. While Wang Pu had stepped in to prevent the North Camp soldiers from looting, the soldiers in the outlying garrisons had used the opportunity to ransack many nearby villages and towns.

Lacking Wang Pu’s direct oversight, these soldiers’ discipline had crumbled. They not only looted but also burned, killed, and raped along their path before fleeing to the Datong Left Guard with their spoils. The fifty thousand people who had been robbed of their food and homes were left with no choice but to flee to Datong to seek refuge.