Chapter 469: Sympathy for the Brave Men

Although the Tartars were driven out of the Central Plains, the Mongol Yuan forces remained powerful in the early Ming dynasty. Relying solely on border defenses was insufficient to stop the swift Mongol cavalry. Often, as soon as wheat was harvested, the Mongols would come to plunder it. Over time, countless losses occurred in terms of lives, wealth, and food, which led to the construction of the Great Wall. Yet even with such a defense line, it was built section by section and could collapse under the effects of wind and sun over time. As a result, people from the Central Plains in the south were still occasionally captured and taken to the north.

Those who managed to escape from the vast grasslands were usually strong and skilled warriors. After being screened and interrogated by the military garrisons, they were rarely sent back to their original hometowns but instead registered as military households. Previously, when Zhang Qian and Zheng He were ordered to select military households to serve as guards for the Imperial Horse Guard, they chose the strongest men from various garrisons as well as those who had escaped from the north. Hence, upon hearing the statement that “it was better to execute a thousand innocents than let one escape,” the three present were utterly shocked.

Zhang Yue grew increasingly suspicious and asked, “Who gave this order?”

“How would I know who gave the order! All I know is that we struggled hard to escape from there, avoiding the Tartars’ pursuit and dealing with various other challenges. Yet once we reached the Central Plains, two of us had our heads hung at Zhangjiakou Fort as spies for the Mongol Yuan, simply because we could speak fluent Tartar but not good Mandarin!”

Perhaps due to his excitement or because he hadn’t spoken much Mandarin in a long time, the strong man’s voice was intermittent and slightly trembling. He ripped open his tattered cotton jacket, revealing scars all over his body—some bright red, some dark red, some layered, indicating countless injuries.

“The Tartars never treated us as human beings. Any sign of resistance led to whipping, and we were not allowed to speak Mandarin. Those who tried to escape were executed. Even if they managed to flee, they became slaves in the hands of other tribes. Along our escape route, it was all Tartar territory. We all pretended to be wandering herders, never daring to claim we were Han. We worked to earn food and even fought against bandits twice before finally escaping. After those two were killed after joining a garrison, we dared not approach the authorities anymore. But the entire Xuanfu region was under martial law, and it took me all my strength to make it here.”

Zhou Bailing saw that Zhang Yue and Yu Qian were both deep in thought and silent, which left him somewhat troubled. There were established rules for what to do with men who escaped from the captives, but the problem was that he wasn’t a border official and thus didn’t have the authority to make such decisions. Moreover, this escort mission was of great importance; if this man really was a Tartar, bringing him along would be a huge disaster! So, he resolved to act decisively and was about to signal his guards to take the man away and deal with him when Zhang Yue rushed ahead.

“Where are you originally from? What’s your name? Was there anyone else with you when you were captured?”

Although this strong man had little experience in the world, during his capture he noticed the strict security and numerous soldiers, which filled him with despair. So he decided to take a risk. Now, seeing that these seemingly important people spoke to him in a kind manner, he regained a sliver of hope. Hearing someone ask questions, he licked his lips and became more respectful.

“I was originally a farmer from Fengshui Village in Yongning County, named Niu Gan. I was captured by the Tartars in the eleventh year of the Yongle era. Back then, everyone in our village was either killed or captured, and the village was burned down. The others who were captured either died or were sold to the Tartars. Those who escaped back with me this time aren’t from that group at all…”

Noticing that this man named Niu Gan spoke Mandarin more fluently and described his hometown’s geography in great detail, Zhou Bailing, who also came from the north, gradually believed that this guy really had escaped from Khulun Khutuk. His initial intention to kill him faded. But then he thought about the heavy responsibilities of his mission and couldn’t afford to take in someone of unknown background, so he hesitated again. Just then, Yu Qian, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

“Keep him here for now. Since he came back from the north, he must be familiar with the situation there, and he might be useful later. It wasn’t easy for him to escape from there; we shouldn’t disappoint this brave man who traveled such a long distance.”

“Brother Tingyi is right,” Zhang Yue also felt it was important to cherish talent and said, “My attendants are free anyway; let them help watch over him. Additionally, Lord Zhou, please send someone to find out who issued such an order that violates imperial laws in Xuanfu. Send messengers to all the counties immediately to search for his missing companions. With war approaching, although we need to be wary of Mongol spies, we can’t stop doing everything else. Since they’ve been in the grasslands for two months, they should know the situation better than anyone.”

Niu Gan was only eighteen when he was captured, but now he is nearly thirty. Even the most honest person would become more resourceful after spending nine whole years in such a hell on earth, not to mention that he had originally learned arithmetic and could read a few characters. It was also his idea to escape back this time, and he planned the route himself. Seeing the two important figures on the other side intercede for him, he was overjoyed and quickly knelt down to kowtow. But before he could express his gratitude, he felt his arms grabbed from both sides.

“According to Lord Zhang, we must send messages to the local counties right away to find the other people! As for Niu Gan, whether you’re a Tartar or a Han, we can’t let you delay things. We can only tie you up for now! Lord Zhang, please have your attendants keep a close eye on him and make sure not to untie the ropes. We’ll discuss this further when we arrive in Xuanfu!”

Xiang Long, Liu Bao, Lian Sheng, and Lian Hu were all going to Xuanfu for the first time, so they gathered around Peng Shisan in the tent, asking endless questions. It wasn’t until Lian Sheng noticed Zhang Yue entering the tent that he quickly warned them, and the group stood up. Soon after, they saw the ragged-looking man behind Zhang Yue. After hearing the explanation from the accompanying soldiers, they finally understood what was going on. Lian Sheng immediately complained, “Lord Zhou, why would you assign such a troublesome task to you, the young master?”

“Human lives are crucial, as are military matters. What’s there to worry about?” Zhang Yue glanced at the tight knot binding Niu Gan’s hands behind his back and saw his dejected expression. He then said, “Old Peng, you’re about the same build as him. See if you can find him some thick cotton-padded jackets and other clothes, along with a pair of shoes, and change him. Untie him for now; we’ll deal with it at night. I’ll leave him in your care.”

Peng Shisan pointed at his nose. Seeing Zhang Yue’s unyielding expression, he realized this boss always acted this way, so he sighed in resignation and took the man aside to change his clothes. That night, the tent was filled with snoring sounds. Niu Gan, though finally able to change into new clothes and eat half a full meal, couldn’t sleep well due to his anxiety.

Early the next morning, a large group set off after breaking camp. Faced with this additional group led by Zhang Yue, Lu Feng showed considerable interest. After learning the situation, he raised his eyebrows and said with a fake smile, “Old Zhou really has big ideas. For such an important mission, he just decides to keep people behind. Well, whatever. As long as he takes care of the escort, we just need to reach our destination safely… Speaking of which, Xuanfu really has a lot of nerve, daring to kill people at will. Could it be some eunuch exploiting his position?”

Zhang Yue didn’t bother to consider what kind of schemes Lu Feng might come up with. Instead, he thoughtfully glanced at Niu Gan, who was surrounded by several riders. Wearing a cotton jacket and shoes, with his face washed and beard shaved, he looked much more energetic. With broad shoulders and a robust build, he was clearly a strong man. As for his martial skills, it was hard to tell, but since he had managed to escape by taking a long detour from such a distance, he must be quite skilled.

After noon, someone finally came to pick them up in Baoan Prefecture. The leader was a hundred-officer from the Baoan Guard, accompanied by gunners, swordsmen, archers, and gunners. Being a military officer, he naturally avoided Zhang Yue and Yu Qian and didn’t want to flatter Lu Feng, so he focused on courting Zhou Bailing. Even though the thousand-officer from the capital ignored him, he remained undeterred.

“Lord Zhou, you’ve worked hard escorting us all the way. Once we arrive in Baoan Prefecture, you must rest properly. If you have any preferences, please let me know. I can arrange something for you tonight,” he said, sneaking glances at Zhou Bailing’s expression. Then he added in a low voice, “If you’re tired of the intrigues in the Central Plains, our guard unit has some fine goods from the north… Commander Li said that since you’re both an official and an imperial envoy, we should flatter you properly.”

Zhou Bailing didn’t believe a word of this nonsense and merely played along. Sure enough, after the hundred-officer droned on with nonsense for a while, he gradually shifted the conversation to the main topic—personal profits. Baoan Prefecture was less than a hundred miles from the Mongol Yuan regime, so any goods from the south were in high demand, especially ironware. Therefore, whenever officials were sent on official duties, almost everyone carried personal goods, which were then sold by local officers, ensuring profits for both sides—a practically established practice.

Zhou Bailing was naturally skilled at such matters, but this time it was different from before. Zhang Yue had warned him earlier that this was a critical situation, so he had to instruct his subordinates to be more restrained—even if they did bring something hidden, it couldn’t be metal. Now he understood what the hundred-household officer meant; he was just using polite words to gloss over things, yet the other party still wouldn’t give up. It wasn’t until Zhou Bailing promised him a hundred bolts of cotton cloth that the other party was satisfied.
“Sir, don’t blame the people of Baoding Guard for being careless. There are few opportunities here, so we have to find other ways. Take those few who fled from Hulanhuhishun as an example. If Xuanfu hadn’t imposed martial law, they might not have come to our territory. Commander Li was even planning to execute them. That eunuch in Xuanfu is truly formidable—he quickly forced the Marquis of Xing’an to issue an order to kill them, while that young marquis of Baoding didn’t even dare to protest…”
Since Zhou Bailing sent someone to explain the whole situation in detail, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but frown. With a major war approaching, it was necessary to be wary of Mongol spies, but it wasn’t a good sign that the eunuchs in Xuanfu were taking over. It was normal for his brother-in-law Meng Jun to go to Xuanfu for experience, but Xu Heng, the commander in charge of Xuanfu, couldn’t even control a single eunuch?