Chapter 774: The Principle That “If the Lips Are Lost, the Teeth Will Feel the Cold”

After having long talks with Zhang Chao and Zhang You successively, Zhang Yue, unable to divide his attention, hurriedly left the military headquarters to go to the Administrative Office to see Liu Sheng. When he returned at dusk under the waning moon, he found his father waiting for him in the courtyard. As father and son parted, they naturally had much to talk about. He mentioned that besides Zhang You’s personal guards and his own entourage, there were also fifty soldiers assigned by Liu Sheng; they would take the route through Yunnan, and he joked about it.

“The military provisions for Guangdong have already arrived in Haidong Prefecture, and several land routes should also be open. There shouldn’t be any danger. Although the route through Yunnan is longer, with the protection of the Duke of Qian, it’s indeed safer than going through Guangxi. Moreover, staying in Yunnan Prefecture for a while to rest before continuing is more sensible than heading straight back to the capital. After crossing the Fuliang River, we’ll reach Baihe County; in four days, we’ll arrive at Sanji River, and another day later at Xinghua Prefecture. Two more days and we’ll reach Shanwei County, and then another two days to Lintao Prefecture. After that, there’s Qingbo County, Huaxian, Zhen’an, Wenpanzhou, and Shuiwei Prefecture—these are along the right bank of the Tao River. Though it’s farther, they’re all main roads. Never take the mountain path on the left bank just for speed. If everything goes well, we should reach Mengzi County in Lin’an Prefecture in about a month.”

Hearing this, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but smile. “Indeed, someone who studies these routes daily with the army is like a living map. I know you must have prepared something else—this map must be ready, right?”

“Of course, a map is essential.”

Zhang Yue handed over the map he had prepared specifically to Zhang Zhuo and explained, “Although the sea route is more convenient compared to land, it’s also rough and dangerous due to storms. The Duke of Qian should have led his troops to Mengzi County and will send more troops along this route to assist in Jiaozhou, making you and my uncles even safer. But once we reach Lin’an Prefecture, please send a message to Mother as soon as possible. She often wept secretly before I left, and now that I’m gone, she must be even more worried.”

“I know. I’ll send someone to report back without your reminder! As for you… my son, return safely!”

After those simple words, early the next morning, the father, son, and brothers parted. One group would escort Zhang You northward into Yunnan, while the other got busy making arrangements. In about ten days, the main army would advance southward along the area of Jiaozhou Prefecture to stabilize the surrounding regions. The city of Jiaozhou Prefecture was completely left in the hands of the newly reorganized troops.

When the day to advance arrived, Li Qing, whose condition had slightly improved, insisted on joining the army. Although Huang Fu also offered to follow, he was persuaded to stay in Jiaozhou Prefecture to oversee the overall situation alongside Governor Fang Zheng and Minister Chen Qia. After visiting the severely injured Zhang You and witnessing the dire state of Jiaozhou Prefecture’s defeated troops, Liu Sheng, who already had a fiery temper, led the left army at the forefront of every battle, his armor stained with blood time and again. Faced with such an unstoppable momentum, the small groups of Jiaozhou rebels encountered along the way all retreated, and Cui Ju, who commanded the right army, also achieved successive victories. Yet, this streak of success was doused by a sudden downpour, forcing them to withdraw to Shishi City to wait for the naval forces.

To facilitate the transport of supplies to Haidong Prefecture—and given that Jiaozhi was a narrow strip of land bordering southern Champa—they tried to stay as close to rivers as possible during the march. Since Vietnam’s rainy season runs from March to October, the current period of rising river levels was actually the ideal time for an advance. Still, Zhang Yue was wary that enemy forces might flood the rivers and drown their troops, so he sent people to investigate the upstream areas at each stop to prevent any opportunities from being exploited. However, that day, before the scouts could return, a messenger arrived.

It was pouring outside, and Liu Sheng was holding a meeting inside. Upon hearing that the messenger came from BaitengMouth of the sea, he was momentarily stunned before ordering him to be brought in. But after the messenger in brown clothes bowed, he claimed to be the chief standard-bearer of the Great Ming Divine Might Left Guard, sent by Zheng He with a message.

Hearing this, Zhang Yue’s eyes lit up immediately. Although December and January, when strong northern winds blew, were the best times to head to Nanyang, one could still reach the countries there by moving slowly along the coast, even if the wind conditions were unfavorable. So, upon receiving the bad news from Jiaozhi, he had sent merchant ships ahead to inform Zheng He. He didn’t expect to be able to direct such a renowned figure, but Zheng He, having spent years at sea, would surely have his own judgments about strategic opportunities and might take action accordingly.

Liu Sheng took the letter, glanced at it, and immediately sneered. He handed it to Li Qing beside him, letting him pass it around. When Zhang Yue took it, he scanned it from beginning to end, and his mind instantly became as clear as a mirror. He had already been puzzled—Jiaozhi had had a governor-general appointed there for a long time, Zhang Fu had led troops to quell rebellions three times, and Zhang You and Huang Fu had guarded it for years. If pacification was needed, it should have been achieved by now. So why did Chen Tianbao suddenly appear, assassinate Zhang You, and stir up chaos while Huang Fu was ill? Indeed, all this was orchestrated by Champa from behind the scenes. Seeing their former enemy become part of the Ming Empire, how could the small nation of Champa not fear?

“According to the letter, this sudden rebellion in Jiaozhi was instigated by the Champa king, who provided everything—from weapons and military pay to officers—all coming from Champa!” Liu Sheng clenched his fist angrily and cursed, “When Jiaozhi’s governor-generalship was first established, Champa tried to stir up trouble behind the scenes. Back then, Chen Qia suggested that since Annam had been conquered, Champa should be firmly subdued. But Emperor Taizong was kind-hearted; he merely gave a warning during the fleet’s voyage and offered rewards. Who would have thought they would dare to provoke the tiger?”

Zhang Yue glanced at the furious Liu Sheng and said thoughtfully, “I remember that in the early years of the Yongle era, Annam and Champa were in continuous warfare. The Champa king even sent envoys offering to submit his country and let our dynasty rule it. Fortunately, Emperor Taizong refused and continued to send troops to mediate. But now that Annam has become part of our Jiaozhi, and the Champa king has regained his lost lands, he’s starting to act recklessly. Now Champa is stirring up chaos in Jiaozhi—their audacity is truly astonishing. Since Eunuch Zheng has already found out about this, I still have a question… Where are the mighty warships of the Ming now?”

The messenger who brought the letter quickly bowed and said, “Over a hundred mighty warships are currently anchored in Siam. It seems the current king of Siam has forgotten our dynasty’s warnings and has boldly attacked Malacca again. That’s why Eunuch Zheng, upon arriving with his fleet, has intimidated the entire country. The information about Champa also came from Siam’s ministers. Eunuch Zheng sent me to inform the commander-in-chief and all the lords that he will soon lead the mighty warships to Champa to hold them accountable!”

Zheng He had sailed to the Western Seas six times in total. Ships of such massive scale required resupply, repairs, and stops at sea, so official workshops and fortresses had already been established in countries like Sumatra and Malacca for bartering and shelter. Siam was originally the most ambitious among the nations in Nanyang and the Western Seas. With no treasure ships seen for years, the people of Siam once again grew ambitious to expand, but their plans were thwarted by Zheng He’s fleet, which arrived sooner than expected. However, Siam and Malacca were still far away, and Liu Sheng and the others paid no attention to the disputes between these two countries. It was only when they heard that Zheng He would lead the Divine Might ships to punish Champa that they became excited.

“As long as Champa is gone, those rebels will have no escape route! Once the rain stops, we must advance immediately!”

The generals agreed loudly and then dispersed. Zhang Yue remained the last. Earlier, he had suggested sending a letter via messenger. Liu Sheng frowned briefly before saying indifferently, “I’m too lazy to deal with these matters. You seem to be on good terms with Eunuch Zheng. Go handle it then. There’s only one thing I want to say: make sure the treasure ships… uh, the Divine Might ships, give those Chamans a good lesson so those sneaky guys don’t dare play tricks!”

Throughout Jiaozhi, aside from the former eastern capital, the current Jiaozhou Prefecture, and the western capital Qinghua Chengzheng, or Qinghua Prefecture, only a few ancient cities like Xinghua Prefecture had city walls as fortifications against foreign invaders. Most other counties in Jiaozhi lacked such walls, and the same was true for this small county now. With tens of thousands of troops stationed there, although each soldier had an oil umbrella, there were not enough tents. Although tarpaulins were hastily set up to provide shelter from the rain, many people continued working in the rain, in miserable conditions. Shortly after leaving the meeting room with the messenger, someone came to report the situation.

Liu Sheng ordered more scouts to monitor the surroundings, and the tents were to be used in rotation. Hearing Liu Sheng’s voice, deep as a bell, Zhang Yue asked the messenger to wait a while longer and stayed put.

Sure enough, after just a short while, the man came out and saw Zhang Yue waiting there. He hurried forward to pay his respects. After learning that he had been sent by Commander Cui Ju, Zhang Yue instructed him, “The commander-in-chief has ordered us to take turns resting in the tents, which is certainly correct. However, the archers who specialize in firearms should be given priority care. After all, rainy weather is unfavorable for using firearms. Also, all soldiers should check their weapons and firearms for rust or damage, and report any issues immediately. Please convey to Commander Cui that such weather is suitable for delivering war elephants, and all preparations outside the camp must be thorough. Additionally, rainy weather makes it hard to ward off mosquitoes, so soldiers must take precautions to avoid diseases.”

The man was a deputy commander under Cui Ju. He wrote down everything carefully and then said with a smile, “Lord Zhang is truly meticulous. Our commander only thought about delivering war elephants at this time and protecting the firearms in advance, but didn’t consider the other aspects. I will report everything back to him right away. However, Jiaozhi has been under the control of the Central Plains for a long time. The war elephants were already heavily damaged in the battle at Jiaozhou Prefecture, so not many can be sent now. The commander has set up several defense lines around the county town, and the archers are ready to act at any moment.”

Zhang Yue had merely taken precautions by giving a warning. Hearing this, he felt relieved. He then invited the messenger to enter the small hut where he was resting. As soon as they sat down, he asked with a smile, “Does Eunuch Zheng have any other messages for me?”

The messenger was stunned for a moment before sincerely saying, “Lord Zhang is truly ingenious. Eunuch Zheng indeed asked me to convey that because our dynasty imposed maritime restrictions, the situation of Siamese merchants has plummeted. Therefore, they don’t want our army to easily pacify Jiaozhi. Siamese were once the rulers here and fought against Champa every year. It was only because our dynasty intervened several times that they dared not act rashly. So, although they leaked news that the Champa king was helping the rebels, it’s very likely that the rebels in Jiaozhi also received support from Siamese. As the saying goes, ‘If your lips are lost, your teeth will feel the cold.’ After all, as long as Jiaozhi remains under our control, it becomes a stronghold in the East, South, and West.”

At that moment, Zhang Yue was truly grateful. If Zheng He had remained trapped in Nanjing as a idle eunuch, waiting four or five years before setting sail on a diplomatic mission when no one was paying attention, only to die at sea while the old-fashioned scholars burned all the sea maps, how could he have received such warnings and support now?

“Truly worthy of Eunuch Zheng—his plans are truly far-sighted!”

Zheng He’s prestige among the troops was unmatched—firstly because he was fair in rewards and punishments, secondly because he cared for his subordinates, and thirdly because he was far-sighted. With these three qualities, it was natural for everyone to obey him. So when Zhang Yue spoke of Zheng He with admiration, the messenger was even happier than if he were being praised himself. When Zhang Yue asked him to wait a moment so he could give him a letter to take back, he promptly agreed.

Although Zhang Yue had brought many people before, for this expedition he only took Peng Shisan and his other personal guards; all the servants stayed in Jiaozhou Prefecture. At that moment, the others had gone to the eunuch in charge of military supplies to get gunpowder, so he rolled up his sleeves to grind ink while thinking about what he wanted to write. By the time half a pool of ink was ready and his draft was finalized, he sat down and began writing swiftly on the paper.

“…This time, there are just over a hundred Divine Might ships, no more than nine thousand soldiers, and less than two thousand skilled fighters—far fewer than before. Although Champa is a small country, it’s not easy to subdue. Yet you, having sent missions to the West and understanding the customs of foreign peoples, surely have a way to conquer them; no need for others to offer mediocre advice… As for where the rebels are, though unknown, they will likely flee by sea. The only warships at sea are the Divine Might ships—please pay close attention…”

At the end, he asked about the remaining wealth from previous expeditions, then put down his pen and read the letter from start to finish. After sealing it, he was about to hand it to the messenger when suddenly loud noises came from outside. Ignoring everything else, he rushed outside. There, amid the sound of rain, gunshots could be heard coming from the west, along with the sounds of fighting and screams—heart-stopping indeed.

Frowning deeply, he quickly sent a servant to investigate. The servant was gone for nearly half an hour without returning. Meanwhile, Peng Shisan and a dozen of his personal guards rushed into the courtyard.

“What’s going on?”

“We came at just the right time. We ended up fighting against some thieves who tried to set fire to the gunpowder store!” Peng Shisan, dressed in a raincoat, patted the waterlogged oilcloth bundle in his hand and said cheerfully, “I haven’t used a gun in years. Shooting with a gun isn’t as good as shooting arrows—it’s only good for scaring people. But those thieves are quite skilled, worthy of having served under Lord Yangwu for so long—four shots, four down! This heavy rain is unfavorable for us, but even more so for those who want to kill and set fire!”

Today’s firearms have limited accuracy, but gunners are still easier to train than archers. A burst of gunfire is enough to disrupt the enemy’s formation, especially that of cavalry or war elephants. The Mongols and Ming forces had fought many battles, and many of their warhorses had developed resistance to firearms, yet the war elephants in Champa still feared them the most. Thus, Peng Shisan spoke easily, and Zhang Yue couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Just then, another shout came from outside: “Commander Chen’s fleet has arrived at Sha River!”