Chapter 137 This Is Just a Transaction

Li Yan sent someone to invite Li Xuan over. As soon as Li Xuan arrived, all the main generals of the rebel army were gathered.

Taking advantage of the troop encampment at Leigong Mountain, Li Yan reorganized the remaining twenty-five thousand-plus rebel soldiers. He disbanded the original Five Left Divisions of Ge, reorganizing them into the Qingyang Division, the Pingliang Division, and the Yan'an Division, appointing Jing Maocheng, Li Xuan, and Li Hu respectively as the commanding generals of the three major divisions.

Among these three, Li Hu was Li Yan's paternal cousin, Jing Maocheng was Red Lady's senior martial brother, and Li Xuan had always deeply respected Li Yan. Consequently, through this reorganization, Li Yan completely secured actual leadership over the rebel army, and the entire Shaanxi rebel army truly achieved unified command.

"This general pays his respects to the Grand Commander," Li Xuan said, cupping his fists toward Li Yan. He then continued, "Since the Grand Commander urgently summoned me, I wonder what pressing matter there is?"

Li Yan's gaze fell on Li Hu, and he said, "Huzi, you explain this matter to General Li Xuan first."

Li Hu acknowledged the order and said to Li Xuan, "Here is the situation: Wang Pu just sent someone with a message, asking us to help him transport five hundred thousand catties of saltpeter stored on Kaolao Mountain back into the city. He also stated that this batch of saltpeter will only be used to kill the Jiannu, and as long as we do not take the initiative to attack Datong, he will never use the gunpowder made from this saltpeter against us."

Li Yan said to Jing Maocheng and Li Xuan, "Huzi has already expressed his opposition, but this commander would still like to hear the opinions of both generals."

Li Xuan looked at Jing Maocheng and said, "Grand Commander, helping Wang Pu transport saltpeter based merely on his verbal promise is surely too rash, isn't it? Although Wang Pu has twice shown kindness to our rebel army, repaying his favor is only right. However, this general believes we should not risk the life and death of the rebel army. After all, there are Jiannu guards stationed outside Datong City. If we transport saltpeter into the city, we are bound to have a fierce battle with the Jiannu."

"There won't be a fierce battle," Xiao Qi said anxiously. "According to my general's estimation, the Jiannu's provisions cannot last many more days. When that time comes, they will inevitably dispatch troops to pillage everywhere. The Jiannu's troop strength is already insufficient, and dividing their forces will make them even thinner. If the rebel army puts on a posture of launching a massive attack on Datong at that time, the Jiannu will certainly have no spare energy to cause trouble."

Hearing this, a thought stirred in Li Yan's heart, and he inwardly marveled at how Wang Pu had considered everything. To make an enemy of such a person—was it his good fortune, or his misfortune?

"We still cannot help the imperial army for no reason," Li Hu said. "If the Great King finds out about this, who knows what he will think?"

Hearing this, the expressions of Jing Maocheng and Li Xuan shifted instantly, and Red Lady also turned her head, gazing at Li Yan with concern. What Li Hu said was correct; the crucial issue was not whether or not to help the imperial army, but how to explain it to King Chuang after helping them, and what King Chuang would think.

If King Chuang were to conclude from this that Li Yan had already defected to the imperial army, he truly would not be able to clear his name even with a hundred mouths.

Seeing that the objections from the rebel generals had gained the upper hand, Xiao Qi had no choice but to play the trump card Wang Pu had instructed him not to use until the very end. Anxious, he said, "Very well, my general also said this is merely a transaction."

"A transaction?" Li Yan asked. "What transaction?"

Xiao Qi said, "As long as the rebel army can transport the five hundred thousand catties of saltpeter into the city, you will receive ten thousand sets of armor and twenty thousand weapons!"

The ten thousand sets of armor had all been stripped from fallen Mongol banner soldiers, and the twenty thousand weapons had also been gathered from the battlefield; these were all ready-made goods. Wang Pu did not believe the rebel army would help the imperial army merely to repay a favor, but he likewise believed the rebel army could never resist the temptation of weapons and armor.

For the rebel army, the things always in greatest shortage were weapons and armor.

Sure enough, as soon as Xiao Qi finished speaking, the expressions of Li Hu, Jing Maocheng, and Li Xuan all revealed a look of temptation. If they could truly trade five hundred thousand catties of saltpeter for ten thousand sets of armor and twenty thousand weapons, this transaction would be an enormous windfall. With this batch of weapons and armor, the rebel army's equipment would be vastly improved!

"And there's more," Xiao Qi continued, casting out another piece of bait. "My general also said that if Grand Commander Li trusts him, after the saltpeter transportation is complete, our two sides can continue cooperating to wipe out the thirty thousand Jiannu outside the city. When that time comes, all the captured weapons and armor will belong entirely to the rebel army; we only want the horses!"

"In your dreams!" Li Hu said loudly. "Since it's cooperation, the captured horses must naturally be split fifty-fifty."

Xiao Qi said calmly, "My general said the conditions can be negotiated further when the time comes."

Li Yan decisively stated, "Deal! As soon as the Jiannu divide their forces to go pillaging, we will head to Kaolao Mountain to transport the saltpeter. I hope Regional Commander Wang will keep his word and prepare the ten thousand sets of armor and twenty thousand weapons ahead of time."

Xiao Qi said, "Grand Commander Li may rest assured. Since my general was generous enough to give the rebel army twenty thousand shi of military grain and over eight million catties of cured meat without a second thought, would he begrudge ten thousand sets of armor and twenty thousand weapons?"

Li Yan uttered an "ah," a trace of embarrassment involuntarily flashing across his face.

Li Yan was, after all, an upright gentleman, and he suddenly felt that he had been measuring the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a commoner. Upon careful reflection, Wang Pu was actually an upright man as well—giving away twenty thousand shi of grain and over eight million catties of cured meat without even blinking an eye. Facing such breadth of mind and such boldness, Li Yan felt himself inferior.

Beijing, the Forbidden City.

Director of Palace Ceremonies Wang Chengen trotted all the way into the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and shouted in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The Chongzhen Emperor, who was currently reviewing memorials, raised his head from behind the imperial desk, frowned, and asked, "What has happened?"

Wang Chengen wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted, "Just now, that eunuch Zhang Zi'an sent an urgent letter from Datong. The letter says that the Prince Consort has achieved three victories in three battles at Datong, heavily defeating the Jiannu and beheading over fifty thousand enemies!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor abruptly stood up. His previously somewhat pale complexion instantly turned flushed, and he asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Chengen, what... what did you just say?"

Wang Chengen said, "Your Majesty, this slave means the Prince Consort has heavily defeated the Jiannu at Datong, beheading over fifty thousand."

"Good! Excellent!" The Chongzhen Emperor struck the desk with force and said, "A fierce general! Wang Pu is truly a fierce general. I originally thought that with the Jiannu launching a massive invasion, Datong would surely fall. I never expected Wang Pu to repulse the Jiannu three times and even behead over fifty thousand! Since our Great Ming Dynasty's affairs in Liaodong began, we have never achieved such a monumental victory."

Wang Chengen said, "Who is to say otherwise? When it comes to leading troops into battle, it still takes the Prince Consort."

The Chongzhen Emperor asked, "Then what is the situation in Datong now? Have the Jiannu retreated back to the desert?"

"This..." Wang Chengen choked for a moment, looking troubled as he said, "This..."

The Chongzhen Emperor urged anxiously, "You slave, speak quickly!"

Wang Chengen said, "Zhang Zi'an states in the letter that the Jiannu have already divided their forces into two routes. Aside from leaving a portion of their troops to continue besieging Datong, the other portion of the army may have already headed toward the capital."

"Ah?" Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor was suddenly startled. The flush on his face instantly vanished, and he commanded urgently, "Quickly, quickly summon Zhou Yanru and Chen Xinjia to the palace!"

"This slave obeys the decree."

Wang Chengen took the order and left.

As soon as Wang Chengen reached the Chengtian Gate, he ran directly into Zhou Yanru and Chen Xinjia. The two of them had also just received Wang Pu's official report from Datong, and attached along with it was an urgent dispatch from Zijing Pass. Having already learned that the Jiannu grand army was approaching Zijing Pass, the two of them were anxiously hurrying into the palace for an audience.

Immediately, Wang Chengen led the two men back to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Upon entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity for the audience, Zhou Yanru said, "Your Majesty, the Prince Consort..."

"I already know about this," the Chongzhen Emperor hastily interrupted Zhou Yanru. "The Jiannu have divided their forces into two routes, with one route heading straight for the capital. Do you two know about this?"

Chen Xinjia and Zhou Yanru exchanged a glance and reported, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Minister and Grand Secretary Zhou entered the palace precisely for this matter. The Ministry of War just received an urgent dispatch stating that over one hundred thousand Jiannu troops are pressing toward Zijing Pass. The Jiannu come with ferocious momentum, and it looks like they intend to press straight upon the capital."

The Chongzhen Emperor anxiously paced back and forth a couple of steps and asked, "Where is Hong Chougnue's army? In how many more days can they reach the capital?"

Chen Xinjia wore a bitter expression as he said, "Hong Chengchou's army has only just passed Daming Prefecture, and it will take at least half a month more for them to reach the capital."

"This Hong Chengchou!" the Chongzhen Emperor said angrily. "It has been more than half a month since I issued the imperial edict demanding the rescue of the capital, yet they have only marched as far as Daming Prefecture. It is simply outrageous!"

Zhou Yanru and Chen Xinjia kept their heads lowered, neither of them speaking up to defend Hong Chengchou.

Chen Xinjia had always had a poor relationship with Hong Chengchou, and in his heart, he even felt a bit of schadenfreude.

Such were the senior grand secretary and the minister of war of the Great Ming Dynasty; such were the intellectual giants who had thoroughly read the books of sages and saints and were deeply imbued with Neo-Confucianism. No matter how perilous the national situation was, the paramount matters in these people's minds were always infighting and striking down political opponents, rather than pulling together in the same boat to face the national crisis.

The Chongzhen Emperor asked again, "It will take Hong Chengchou more than half a month to arrive, but what about Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou?"

Chen Xinjia said, "Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou submitted a joint dispatch stating that a large number of Jiannu scouts have recently appeared in the Jinzhou, Ningyuan, and Songshan regions. They fear the Jiannu will launch a massive attack on Ningyuan and Jinzhou in the near future, so they have remained in place without moving, and they are requesting the imperial court to dispatch a large army to reinforce them."

"What?" the Chongzhen Emperor flew into a rage and said, "The Jiannu beyond the frontier have clearly poured out in full force, breaking through the passes from Datong. How could there still be a Jiannu army in Liaodong? Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou are plainly refusing to obey the imperial edict and are unwilling to raise troops to rescue the capital. It is outrageous, simply outrageous!"

Zhou Yanru and Chen Xinjia both kept their heads down, not daring to utter a sound.

The Chongzhen Emperor's complexion had already turned from pale to iron-blue, and he said sternly, "Wang Chengen."

Wang Chengen hurried forward and responded, "This slave is here."

The Chongzhen Emperor commanded, "Draft an imperial decree immediately, ordering Hong Chengchou to accelerate his marching speed and arrive at the capital within ten days!"

Wang Chengen said, "This slave obeys the decree."

Daming Prefecture.

Eighty thousand imperial Ming soldiers were marching northward in grand style along the imperial highway.

On a small hill to the right of the highway, Hong Chengchou stood with furrowed brows, anxiously watching the army advancing slowly along the road. Behind him stood several regional commanders including Cao Bianjiao, Bai Guangen, and Liu Zeqing.

Hong Chengchou was a typical Neo-Confucian scholar, and the ideology of loyalty to the sovereign in his mind was deeply rooted. On the very day he received the edict to rescue the capital, he had unhesitatingly led his army away from Kaifeng, heading straight for the capital, and had even issued a strict order to the entire army that they must return to the capital at the fastest possible speed.

As it turned out, he was truly unlucky. Henan Province had not received a single drop of rain for over half a year, but on the very day the army set out, heavy rain began to fall and continued for three days. Hong Chengchou's army could be said to be the last surviving elite force of the Great Ming Dynasty, comprising not only cavalry and infantry, but also the Divine Machine Division and even more than thirty Red Barbarian cannons.

The heavy rain had washed out many roads and bridges, leaving the paths muddy and difficult to travel. Coupled with the burden of massive provisions and baggage and the constant harassment of roving bandits, the army could advance at most less than fifty li a day. After marching for over half a month, they had merely managed to reach Daming Prefecture.

At that moment, down the mountain, a cart dragging a Red Barbarian cannon happened to get stuck in a mud pit. A dozen soldiers were shouting slogans as they hauled the cart, and just as the wheels stuck in the pit were about to be pulled up, the men lost their footing for a moment and the cart slipped back down, overturning the entire carriage and tossing the Red Barbarian cannon to the roadside.

Hong Chengchou's brows furrowed even tighter. With his hands clasped behind his back, he murmured in a deep voice, "At this speed, how long will it take to reach the capital?"

Behind him, Cao Bianjiao said, "By this general's estimation, it will take at least another half month of marching—"

"Sigh..." Hong Chengchou let out a long sigh and said, "This time, the Jiannu have poured out in full force with ferocious momentum. Although Wang Pu has some capability, he is ultimately isolated and lacking support. Judging by the time, Datong has likely already fallen. At this very moment, the Jiannu are probably already advancing on the capital, and His Majesty is surely flying into a rage..."

"We have done our best," Bai Guangen said. "It was the weather that delayed our marching speed."

"But His Majesty will not think that way," Hong Chengchou murmured. "His Majesty only sees that we have only reached Daming Prefecture in over half a month, still a thousand li away from the capital... No, we cannot continue marching like this. This commander has decided to lead eight thousand light cavalry to rush back to the capital by fire-march."

Cao Bianjiao said, "Commander-in-chief, isn't this too risky?"

"Indeed," Bai Guangen also advised. "What if the Jiannu really have already reached the city gates? If the commander-in-chief returns with only eight thousand light cavalry, it won't be of much use anyway, and it will instead place you in an extremely dangerous position! This general believes that defeating the Jiannu's Eight Banners iron cavalry still relies on the Divine Machine Division and the Red Barbarian cannons."

"You need not try to persuade me further," Hong Chengchou said resolutely. "My mind is made up."

"Sigh."

Cao Bianjiao and Bai Guangen let out slight sighs and said nothing more.

Leigong Mountain. Li Yan's Headquarters.

Li Yan was watching Red Lady practice martial arts in the courtyard when Li Hu suddenly strode in hurriedly and said anxiously, "Eldest Brother, the Jiannu have made a move."

"Oh?" Li Yan's expression shifted, and he asked, "How many cavalry have the Jiannu dispatched?"

At this moment, Red Lady also sheathed her sword and walked over. Li Hu could not help casting a glance at Red Lady's heaving bosom, then pulled his gaze away as if touching an electric wire, and panted, "The Jiannu have drawn two thousand cavalry from each of the four gate encampments, and they are pillaging southward all along the Yu River valley."

Li Yan clapped his hands in realization and said, "The Jiannu have dispatched eight thousand cavalry, and the remaining twenty thousand have to divide their forces to guard the four gates; their troop strength is already very thin. The time to transport the saltpeter has come. Huzi, have Jing Maocheng and Li Xuan come to the headquarters to see me immediately. There is no time to lose; we will set off this afternoon."

That afternoon, Li Yan left Li Hu and five thousand men to guard the Leigong Mountain camp, then led Jing Maocheng, Li Xuan, and twenty thousand rebel soldiers straight toward Kaolao Mountain.

When they arrived at Kaolao Mountain, Li Yan had the five hundred thousand catties of saltpeter packed into two tens of thousands of small bags, with twenty or thirty catties in each small bag, and ordered the twenty thousand rebel soldiers to carry them on their backs before heading straight for Datong.

By the time Li Yan led the rebel army to the outside of Datong's East Gate, it was already the dawn of the second day. The Jiannu scouts and roving cavalry quickly discovered this suddenly appearing army and promptly reported it to Hooge.

Hooge urgently summoned his uncle Sifu and Soni to discuss countermeasures.

Hooge's tent.

"This slave pays respects to the Prince."

Sifu and Soni knelt and kowtowed to Hooge.

"Rise," Hooge waved his hand and asked, "Just now scouts reported that about twenty thousand roving bandits are approaching Datong's East Gate. How do you think this matter should be handled? Should we dispatch troops to intercept them?"

"This slave thinks it is unnecessary," Soni shook his head and said. "Although this group of roving bandits comes with ferocious momentum, they do not look like they are coming for us. Moreover, there are no baggage wagons in their army, nor do they look like they are bringing food into the city. Their posture looks more like they are coming to attack Datong. Therefore, this slave believes that as long as the roving bandits do not take the initiative to provoke us, there is no need to pay attention to them."

Sifu said, "Soni is right. This slave also thinks it is inadvisable to dispatch troops for interception, so as to avoid falling into a position of being attacked from front and rear."

Hooge nodded and said, "Soni, immediately rush to the East Gate encampment, keep strict surveillance on the roving bandits, and do not act rashly."

"Understood."

Soni acknowledged the order, turned, and strode away.