Chapter 55: The Ten Continents

The Black Flag Army first gathered in Xinghua. As soon as they arrived, Liu Yu took the military pay to the Left Camp, saying, “Ya Lou, since we’re stationed in Shanxi together, let’s have the pay delivered by the Xiliu Camp.”

“Great! Then I don’t need my share,” Wu Fengdian replied immediately. “The soldiers have suffered enough—just distribute the pay soon.”

“Alright, then gather the soldiers, and I’ll distribute the pay to them personally according to the roster.”

Wu Fengdian was usually calm, but upon hearing this, he knew there would be trouble. These people came with ill intentions. If the soldiers were lined up to receive pay according to the roster, everyone in the Left Camp would realize it was the Xiliu Camp handing out the pay, and they would immediately be drawn over to the Xiliu Camp.

He slowly said, “Don’t you trust me, Wu Ya Lou? The three hundred soldiers in the Left Camp have been counted by the general several times—there’s not a single error. You can rest assured; I won’t withhold their pay.”

Liu Yu disagreed. “If even brothers need clear accounting, how can I handle such a messy situation by withholding pay?”

Wu Fengdian remained composed. “I’ll have the roster brought back and have a few officers act as witnesses. If I, Wu Fengdian, steal even a single coin, may thunder strike me!”

Liu Yu remained silent. Meanwhile, Zhang Biao spoke angrily, “Wu Fengdian, our commander sent 3,600 taels of silver just because we’re stationed in Shanxi together. Don’t be shameless! Tell me honestly—do you want to withhold the pay from the soldiers and let them suffer?”

Liu Yu also grew angry. “I just want you to say it clearly! If you want to withhold the pay, just let the soldiers meet, and the pay will be distributed right away. If not, I’ll just consider it a waste of time. I’ll take the 3,600 taels back as a bonus.”

He pressed further, and Wu Fengdian hurriedly said, “Brothers from the Xiliu Camp, please don’t…”

Liu Yu turned to leave. “Wu Ya Lou, don’t take advantage of my youth by letting the soldiers suffer, huh?”

“Don’t go! Don’t go!” At this point, Wu Fengdian had nothing left to say. These people had brought the pay to force their way in.

Moreover, they had brought enough pay for three months at once, showing their determination to take advantage. Without it, they couldn’t afford those 3,600 taels, and Liu Yongfu also didn’t have any surplus.

“Fine! Bring the roster and gather the soldiers. Let Commander Liu distribute the pay!”

This time, Liu Yu personally handled the withholding of pay. He gave each officer and soldier a bribe before handing over the pay to them, saying, “From now on, the Xiliu Camp and the Left Camp are one family. Take this small gift!”

Liu Yu also kept a copy of the roster. Now that he had met everyone in the Left Camp, word spread soon: “From now on, the Left Camp will rely on the Xiliu Camp for food and pay.”

The soldiers in the Left Camp didn’t hold much respect for this young man, but after all, they owed them a debt. They became slightly more friendly toward the Xiliu Camp, especially since many realized the truth: “It seems the Left Camp will soon be under the control of the Xiliu Camp.”

Anyway, since they were all part of the Black Flag Army, whose money mattered? Accustomed to hard times, some of them saw that the Xiliu Camp was well-equipped with fine weapons and gear, while their own side had many who went barefoot and couldn’t even afford a wife. They immediately went to the Xiliu Camp to investigate and returned saying it was truly eye-opening.
“Amazing! They eat well and live comfortably, all with rear-loading guns, while I managed to find even a single front-loading foreign rifle—this army is truly remarkable.”
With this idea in mind, it goes without saying how close the Left Camp became to the Xiliu Camp. Their officers held two private dinners, both of which were thoroughly enjoyable. Wu Fengdian repeatedly gave orders, but the officers turned a blind eye.
As for the other camps, seeing the Left Camp stop paying salaries and become close to the Xiliu Camp, they resented it but had no way to do anything about it. They asked Captain Deng Shichang of the Front Camp to help build ties.
Fortunately, Huang Zuoyan stepped forward and staged a ceremony where he presented a sword to Liu Yongfu, pretending to appoint him as a general: “In the Ten Continents, Ye Chenglin and Liu Er are harassing the people and ravaging the region. If these threats aren’t eliminated, it’s like keeping tigers as a hazard. We’ve specially invited you, the admiral, to discuss strategies for sending troops to suppress them. We hope your Black Flag Army will send a large force to attack and cleanse the area, so that your reputation as an admiral will be widely praised.”
Liu Yongfu took the sword and declared loudly, “Since I’ve received your honorific order, how dare I not obey?”
This campaign against Ye Chenglin was indeed a major operation. Liu Yongfu assembled Huang Shouzhong, Yang Zhenen, Wu Fengdian, Liu Chengliang, and others, each leading elite troops into battle. Huang Zuojie also ordered Vietnamese civil officials like Ruan Zanxiang and Governor Wu to gather troops from various sources, resulting in a force of four to five thousand men heading toward the Ten Continents.
Among the troops was also a royal supervisor, Prince Yunping, who represented Huang Zuoyan in commanding the army. Huang Zuoyan gave him all the necessary titles and, before parting, specifically instructed him, “Don’t forget the important matter we agreed upon beforehand—this time, we must kill that scoundrel Ye Chenglin.”
Shen Sheng, in the Xiliu Camp, found things increasingly convenient. The Xiliu Camp had various types of rest periods—major and minor—but he had never seen an army with such excellent coordination. To him, the Xiliu Camp was like a highly precise pocket watch, never deviating by even a fraction. Liu Yu prepared daily marching maps showing key points, passing times, major and minor rest periods, and routes. The more they advanced, the more accurate the information became, almost identical to the marching maps.
Moreover, every time they passed through a place, Liu Suiyun would send a few officers to carefully map the terrain. In the future, when they fought in those areas, they would likely know the terrain better than even the Vietnamese troops.
All of this wasn’t surprising enough. What made things even easier for him was that Liu Yu sent scouts ahead every day. Whenever they camped or rested, the villages along the route prepared ample supplies for the troops. Their marching routes didn’t overlap with those of other units, allowing them to always choose the best path.
What made it most convenient was that everything was ready for camping—grass for the mules and horses, firewood and food for cooking, and rooms prepared for lodging—all in perfect order.

He simply couldn’t understand how Zhang Biao, that eight-foot-tall man with a ferocious appearance, could accomplish such meticulous tasks. But with such a marching pace, there was no need to search for houses upon arrival—one could just eat and go straight to sleep.

Further ahead, the Xiliu Camp entered Mengde, a region with rugged terrain and sparse population, ideal for military operations. The villages here were different from those in the plains; they were fortified for self-defense and mutual support.

This area was already close to Shizhou and fell into a no-man’s-land zone. The local chieftains and powerful figures there were often appointed by several countries—Qing China, Vietnam, and Laos. It was often considered Chinese territory, but the Qing had no control over these areas. They were only ceded to French-controlled Indochina after the Sino-French War, though the French didn’t fully take control until over a decade later.

According to intelligence, this place was already a battlefield ready for combat. The local strongmen, such as Wen Er, Gao Shier, and Wei San, were all targets of this impending attack.

“Get ready for battle!” Liu Yu gave orders from atop the mule. The entire left flank immediately formed a combat formation and advanced. This time, Zhang Biao’s platoon took the lead, charging forward with fierce determination.

One hundred seventy men, all equipped with breech-loading firearms and carrying a cannon—such firepower meant there was no enemy in all of Northern Annam who dared resist except the French.

The officers were eager to engage in a fierce battle. “Come on, brothers! Get ready for a tough fight!”

Cai Yunnan was even more impatient to send his infantry platoon forward—this kind of battle was perfect for testing the newly recruited captives in his platoon. “Our platoon is the vanguard!”

Everyone was eager for battle, even Shen Sheng wanted to bring his two revolvers. But Liu Yu stopped him. “What are you afraid of? Who in this area around Mengde can withstand Zhang Biao’s fierce assault?”

These regions were in the most remote mountainous areas, with the most backward firearms. Though the mountain people were fierce, they couldn’t stand up to Zhang Biao’s onslaught.

Just then, Zhang Biao returned with his men, looking somewhat disheveled.

“What happened?” Shen Sheng asked in surprise. “Didn’t take it down?”

Zhang Biao became angry. “My platoon can take down even a large fortress with three thousand men. Don’t underestimate this small mountain stronghold with just a dozen guns.”

“Then what happened?”

“They wouldn’t let us enter the fortress.”

“How?” Liu Yu spoke up. “If they won’t let you in, then don’t go in? Are the guns in your hands just for show?”

Zhang Biao deflated. “It was Liu Yongfu’s order. There’s no chance of ambushing here in Mengde—so we surrendered!”

“Who surrendered? Wen Er or Gao Shier?”

Zhang Biao helplessly spread his hands. “Everyone surrendered. Wen Er, Gao Shier, Wei San—these local strongmen are willing to join our Black Flag Army.”

He added specifically, “They’ll only join our Black Flag Army and remain in their original locations. If the Vietnamese invade, they’ll still fight.”

Liu Yu never expected that Liu Yongfu’s plan to secure a fallback route for the Black Flag Army would go so smoothly—Mengde was taken without a fight. Zhang Biao said, “Mengde will now be territory of our Black Flag Army. That’s why General Liu Yongfu ordered the troops not to enter the village but to rest outside. Still, we’re the first to reach Mengde.”

Just then, a group of men in coarse clothes arrived, carrying a dozen chickens and ducks, several jars of liquor, and plenty of rice: “Are you friends of the Black Flag Army? Great! From now on, we’re family.”

But as they got closer, they sensed something was off—when had the Black Flag Army ever looked so prosperous? In their memory, the Black Flag Army was always in tatters, with patched-up flags and equipment only slightly better than theirs. There was no such Black Flag Army before.

Not to mention, those neatly uniformed Western-style military outfits were something they had never seen before. If it weren’t for the people with yellow skin and black eyes wearing them, they would have thought it was French soldiers who had arrived.

“Welcome! Welcome!”
“Welcome! Welcome!”

Upon getting closer, they were amazed! When had such a Black Flag Army appeared? All modern rifles, with gadgets hanging from or carried on their bodies whose names they couldn’t even identify. Even better, many soldiers carried 100 to 180 Remington bullets each.

In these remote mountainous areas, rifle bullets were extremely expensive—sometimes dozens of bullets cost as much as an advanced rifle. Someone said, “Brother, could you give us a few Remington bullets? Master Wei San has a few of these rifles, but their bullets are all used up.”

In Mengde, they had rarely seen so many Remington bullets. The few Remington rifles in the area were mostly just for show, as the allocated bullets had run out.

Liu Yu said from atop the mule, “Exchange them for cartridge casings!”
“Who?” The messengers who came to negotiate wanted to scold this half-grown boy, but Zhang Biao interjected, “This is our commander.”
“We salute the commander!” They remembered this special Black Flag Army unit well: “We’re under Master Gao Shier, sent here to support your troops.”
“Good!” Liu Yu said, “Our commander said the troops shouldn’t enter the village. Our Xiliu Camp will practice camping skills instead.”

The local warlords in Mengde were truly fickle. As soon as they saw the Xiliu Camp passing by, they sent countless cows, sheep, ducks, liquor, and rice. Master Gao Shier even sent a huge pig weighing four to five hundred pounds.

Such a large pig was truly rare. When Gao Shier met Liu Yu, he mentioned this: “This pig was originally meant for Liu Yuanting, but since the commander arrived first, it went to the Xiliu Camp.”

He had put a lot of effort into preparing this pig. There was even a story behind it—originally a former member of the Yellow Flag Army, he had followed Huang Chongying in the early days when the Yellow Flag Army and Black Flag Army hadn’t yet fallen out. He had been hosted by Liu Yongfu in Longlu, who specially selected a four- to five-hundred-pound pig for him and Huang Chongying to eat.

“All these are old stories from when I followed Pan Lun Si back then. Now it’s your turn, Xiliu Camp!” Pan Lun Si was none other than Huang Chongying. Gao Shier said bluntly, “From now on, I too am part of the Black Flag Army. If you have any orders, just send a letter.”

“Since we’re friends, I’ll give you a hundred Remington bullets!” Liu Yu said readily. “If you come to Shanxi in the future, I’ll have more gifts for you.”

Gao Shier and the others were clearly opportunists. They joined the Black Flag Army out of self-interest and had already decided to ignore orders. When they saw Xiliu Camp arrive first, equipped with top-notch gear and possessing great combat strength, they immediately came up with a new idea: “Liu Yuanting ordered us to march on the ten provinces, but whether to go or not remains uncertain. We, the heroes of Demeng, all want to hear the commander’s opinion.”

Liu Yu smiled. “Of course we should go to the ten provinces.”

Gao Shier laughed loudly. “Since we receive your honorable command, how could we not obey?”

They had originally joined the Black Flag Army half-heartedly. Now they thought it would be better to side with Liu Yu rather than Liu Yongfu. First, Liu Yu was far away in Shanxi, so there was no conflict of interest. With the emperor far away, he couldn’t control them easily. Meanwhile, Liu Yongfu was nearby in Baosheng and could easily kill them at a moment’s notice. By joining Liu Yu, they could complement each other’s strengths and ask him to procure Western weapons that were difficult to obtain for them.

Liu Yu understood this implicitly. Gao Shier, however, was anxious and added, “Commander, please send someone quickly to the ten provinces to persuade Ye Chenglin. We’re willing to join you in this great endeavor.”

He then added meaningfully, “Ye Chenglin is also from Qinzhou.”

This was an open attempt to poach Liu Yongfu’s followers. It should be noted that Liu Yongfu was from Shangsi, Qinzhou, while Ye Chenglin was from Dongli, Qinzhou. The two were fellow townspeople with close historical ties.

At this, Shen Sheng immediately spoke up, “I haven’t contributed anything in this expedition and feel extremely ashamed. I’m also from Dongli, Qinzhou. In the past, I spent time with Ye Chenglin day and night, sharing everything. We’ve kept in touch through letters in recent years. Therefore, I’m willing to go on behalf of the commander to persuade him.”

In reality, everyone knew that if Mengde couldn’t be secured, accepting Ye Chenglin in the ten provinces would be a dead end. With only three hundred soldiers and without the support of powerful forces like Mengde, facing four to five thousand soldiers from the Black Flag Army and the Viet Cong, their only option other than seeking death would be to submit.

Liu Yu nodded. The chieftain of Mengde said, “I’m also willing to go with Captain Shen to persuade him.”

Mengde.

The main force of the Black Flag Army arrived at Mengde slightly later than Xiliu Camp. When Liu Yongfu heard that local warlords like Wen Er, Gao Shier, and Wei San, who had already pledged allegiance, had been swayed by Xiliu Camp, he was shocked. But then he calmed down. “Send out my orders—have them go to the ten provinces immediately to help suppress Ye Chenglin. But if they leave a bit earlier, we’ll have something to celebrate.”

Liu Chengliang and Wu Fengdian, his two most trusted officers, immediately asked, “Yuanting, have you lost your mind?”

But Liu Yongfu was confident. “Don’t think just because Xiliu Camp has a few powerful guns they’re something special. I, Liu Yongfu, have fought throughout my life, traversed thousands of miles, and experienced countless hardships.”

Seeing that his two subordinates were still anxious, he continued to encourage them, “Let me be honest with you. This time, I’ve made thorough preparations in the Ten Provinces. Ye Chenglin can’t escape my grasp.”
In his view, as long as he could take control of Mengde and seize the Ten Provinces, half of the mission would be accomplished. The remaining half would depend on whether he could pacify Ye Chenglin.
He held Ye Chenglin in high regard. Although there were many powerful chieftains in Mengde, such as Wen Er, Gao Shisan, and Wei San—people as fragile as grass in the wind with numerous underlings—but none of them were truly useful.
Yet Ye Chenglin, though not tall and commanding only a few hundred soldiers, was an outstanding general. Huang Chongying had trusted him greatly, relying on him as a key asset. With just a few hundred troops, Ye Chenglin had managed to rule the Ten Provinces for ten years. The Yue army had launched several large-scale attacks, only to suffer heavy losses each time.
His three hundred combat troops could just form one battalion of the Black Flag Army, bringing its total to six battalions. With the best-equipped Xiliu Battalion, the largest Front Battalion, and his own Loyal Left, Right, and Rear Battalions, plus Ye Chenglin’s battle-hardened battalion, his confidence soared—even to the point of considering a fight against the French.
“Ye Chenglin, you can’t escape my grasp.”
Almost at the same time, Prince Yunping also gathered the commanders of the Yue army, including Ruan Zanxiang, and asked, “Generals, how is the deployment of troops?”
Ruan Zanxiang replied cheerfully, “The soldiers are fighting bravely. This speed is rare since the founding of our dynasty. The main forces are approaching Mengde, and in a few more days, they’ll reach the Ten Provinces.”
This time, they had exerted all their efforts, though they still couldn’t match the constant marching speed of the Xiliu Battalion. Yet they had another point to boast about: “We’ve received orders from the commander-in-chief to summon elite troops from various provinces. Now, we have no less than three thousand soldiers.”
As a member of the royal family overseeing the troops and authorized by Huang Zuo Yan, Prince Yunping carried himself with great authority among these civil and military officials. “This military campaign is of utmost importance. I am deeply grateful to you all for your efforts, generals.”
“It’s our duty; we dare not slack off,” said Ruan Zanxiang and the others. “This time, in the battle for the Ten Provinces, we will surely win in one go.”
He could easily calculate the outcome—this time, not only had their side mobilized three to four thousand troops, but there were also three thousand soldiers from the Black Flag Army to assist, plus one squad from the Xiliu Battalion, which had the strongest firearms. The powerful chieftains of Mengde had already submitted to the Black Flag Army. Additionally, the local Diao family in the Ten Provinces was ready to join forces to attack Ye Chenglin.
All that was left was Ye Chenglin, fighting alone with his three hundred soldiers. Under such circumstances, if they still lost this battle, they might as well go back to farming.
Their morale was high: “We will surely win in one go!”
“Good!” Prince Yunping said viciously. “The commander-in-chief has another secret order—Ye Chenglin must not be spared; he must be executed!”