Chapter 775: The Fool Who Worries About the Sky

Jiaozhi is surrounded by numerous rivers, with a well-developed water network. In the past, Zhang Fu led his troops on southern campaigns, engaging in countless battles along these rivers. The Fulang River even reached a terrifying state where its water turned red. Liu Sheng also utilized naval forces. Thus, while organizing troops in Jiaozhou Prefecture, Liu Sheng tasked Chen Qia with gathering boats from neighboring counties and ordered the construction of new ships as well as the conversion of civilian boats into warships. In just one and a half months, over 300 boats of various sizes were prepared. The arrival of Chen Hua’s fleet undoubtedly signaled the imminent start of military operations.

Although the gunpowder stores were nearly set on fire by thieves, no damage occurred due to proper supervision. Zhang Yue summoned the local county magistrate to calm the people and did not pursue further investigations, so matters were quickly settled. The magistrate of Shishi County was not a native official but a scholar from Guangxi who volunteered to take up the position during the Yongle era; six years had passed since then. His initial enthusiasm had worn off, so after calming the people, he stayed by Zhang Yue’s side constantly, seeking comfort—even if it meant not holding any official position.

Due to the strict laws and harsh punishments of the Hongwu era, scholars in the Ming dynasty dared not refuse official positions, and it was extremely difficult for them to resign, as it would be considered a serious crime. Thus, despite his almost frantic longing to return home, the magistrate of Shishi County did not dare leave his duties behind to go home secretly. His complaints were therefore sincere, ending in tears.

“Sir, I have served in Jiaozhi for eight years. I have not seen my parents, wife, or children at all. I really don’t want to wait until a family tragedy occurs before I can see them. It’s not just me; when officials were selected for Jiaozhi, aside from those exiled, most were scholars from Yunnan and Guangxi. At that time, many of them were full of ambition, but they couldn’t endure this place… Over the years, there have been no fewer than twenty deaths reported from various counties—some killed by rebels, some dying of illness. How can anyone focus on governing the people under such hardships?”

“Since arriving in Jiaozhi, I have seen all your hardships. I have already submitted memorials to the capital regarding the appointment of officials for Jiaozhi. After all, the requirement of an examination every nine years is too harsh for its officials. You focus on calming the people for now, and when you have time, report on the situations of officials in neighboring counties as well. I will include these in my own memorials when I submit them.”

The magistrate of Shishi City was determined to risk everything—if things didn’t work out, he would at least die trying. He secretly thought that if Zhang Yue continued to ignore him, he would simply go to the headquarters of General Liu and others to lodge a complaint; dying in an accident was better than suffering in this place plagued by plagues and rebels. Thus, upon hearing Zhang Yue’s words, he was stunned, feeling as if something incredible had happened.
“M-Master, are you serious?”
“Of course!” Looking at this county magistrate in his forties with half his hair already gray, Zhang Yue felt a heavy weight in his heart. He comforted him, “You guard the border for the imperial court—we can’t let you suffer forever. One thing though: I didn’t care about what you did before, but at this critical moment, you must be diligent and not give the rebels any chance!”
“We will strictly follow your orders!”
After the magistrate of Shishi City bowed deeply and wiped his face vigorously, a smile never seen before appeared on his wrinkled face. Zhang Yue was moved. He had been to places as harsh as Xinghe and fought fierce battles there, but even he wouldn’t be able to endure living there for years. With little hope and a salary barely enough to survive, how could he expect these officials to serve loyally and diligently to protect the people?
After comforting the magistrate, Zhang Yue put on his raincoat and conical hat and went outside. Since the old county office and the headquarters were just across the street, he didn’t want to ride a horse in the rain, so he let his soldiers lead the horses there on foot. The so-called general’s headquarters was actually just a fairly decent house in the county town. The local powerful man, upon hearing it was for military use, immediately handed it over in exchange for a document appointing him as an inspector by the provincial administration. At that moment, two rows of soldiers stood neatly in the rain, their expressionless faces as if they wouldn’t flinch even if knives fell from the sky.
Upon entering through the main gate, bodyguards with umbrellas greeted him, and Zhang Yue followed them straight inside. Only when they reached Liu Sheng’s residence did the bodyguard whisper, “To let you know, good news has arrived—the road to Jiannan is now open, and the whereabouts of the rebels have been identified. Besides controlling several counties in the south, they took over Qinghua Prefecture while the roads were blocked! Now that the fleet is ready, the general has decided to launch an immediate attack by land and sea!”

Zhang Yue, who was taking off his raincoat, was startled upon hearing this and then nodded. Rebellion had not been an uncommon occurrence in Jiaozhi; each time, small sparks had turned into massive fires due to the incompetence of local officials and the abuse of power by eunuch commanders, sparking uprisings among the people. But this time it wasn’t as serious. If not for Chen Zhi, the Marquis of Rongchang, who had wiped out the local garrison in one fell swoop, the southern provinces and counties would not have experienced a complete communication blackout. Yet, capturing the fortified city of Qinghua Prefecture was an unexpected development.

After handing his conical hat and raincoat to Peng Shisan, he entered the house. Passing through the empty front hall, he went into the room on the left. It was already mid-November, and Li Qing, who was weak and cold-sensitive, was already wearing a padded jacket, while most of the other officers were still in light clothing. Liu Sheng, after saying something unknown, was now sweating profusely.

When he saw Zhang Yue enter and bow, he merely nodded slightly, glanced at everyone, and then spoke up, “It’s winter, and the miasma has not yet risen—this is the best time to advance southward. The astronomers who accompanied the army earlier said that although it has rained for two days, it won’t last long and will surely stop by tomorrow morning. At that time, we’ll proceed by land and sea as requested by the generals. I and Governor Li will advance by land, while Yuan Jie and Commander Chen will oversee the naval forces to capture Qinghua Prefecture first! With this place in hand, it will be much easier to suppress the rebels in the south! With Lao Huangfu in charge of logistics in Jiaozhou Prefecture, we just need to win the battles! Additionally, there’s one more thing to boost everyone’s morale—Marquis Lao Liang will bring troops here in a few days and will then take charge of Jiaozhou Prefecture!”

Zhang Yue was surprised that such a strategy for land and sea operations had already been decided upon his arrival. Just as he wanted to ask more details, Liu Sheng ordered in an unyielding tone, “Since you’ve all pledged allegiance, if you fail to meet the deadlines or violate discipline, you’ll be dealt with according to military law!”

With that, everyone agreed in unison. Zhang Yue saw the officers leaving one after another. Shi An and Chen Yong also helped Li Qing out. He wanted to ask Liu Sheng, but saw that the latter was already turning to study a map on the wall. After thinking for a moment, Liu Sheng turned and left first. Outside, Shi An was calling for someone to bring an umbrella, so Zhang Yue hurried over to Li Qing.

“Minister Li, what’s the plan for advancing by land and sea?”

After recuperating in Jiaozhou Prefecture for nearly a month, Zhang Yue handled all military affairs. Although Li Qing wasn’t fully recovered yet, his condition had improved significantly compared to before. At that moment, he shook off Chen Yong’s presence, stared at Zhang Yue for a while, then sighed, “Marquis Anyuan believes the previous pace was too slow. A patient like me would inevitably slow down the army, so he decided to leave me here, claiming it’s out of consideration for my efforts in advising the army. As for you… Marquis Anyuan mentioned to me before that there are war elephants and ambushes along the land route. If anything happened to you, he wouldn’t know how to explain it to the king in the capital, so he simply sent you on a ship.”
“So it’s for that reason…”
Zhang Yue was both amused and exasperated. It was Liu Sheng who had previously gone incognito to Guangdong and said that if he went to Jiaozhi, he must follow as well. Now, it was still Liu Sheng who claimed that if something happened to him, he wouldn’t be able to account to the capital. This Marquis Anyuan, an experienced military strategist, why was he so fickle? Seeing Shi An return with an umbrella, personally guiding Li Qing across the muddy, waterlogged ground toward the resting courtyard, he couldn’t help but sigh helplessly. Unexpectedly, Chen Yong, who was opening his umbrella, suddenly stopped and came over.
“If you don’t mind, how about sharing an umbrella with me?”
He had initially thought he had a raincoat and hat and didn’t need such trouble, but when he caught Chen Yong winking at him as if giving some hint, he nodded at Peng Shisan, and the two stepped outside under the same umbrella. Indeed, once they left the courtyard and were no longer surrounded by vigilant bodyguards, Chen Yong whispered, “Lord Zhang, Marquis Anyuan is used to having his way and dislikes anyone reminding or advising him. The first few times it was you; if it were someone else, they would likely have been left behind long ago. During the previous discussions, because the commander in charge of the naval forces arrived late, Marquis Anyuan flew into a rage and left him aside, handing over command of the naval forces solely to Commander Chen. Minister Li merely mentioned that it would be inappropriate to rely on just one surrendered general for naval operations, but Marquis Anyuan dismissed it as unnecessary worry.”
Since he had been dispatched to the army on short notice, Zhang Yue only knew a few of the top-ranking officers. Initially, he only knew their names, and it was through spending time with them over the past few months that he gradually got to know them better. However, Chen Hua, who was in charge of the naval forces this time, was just a commander and not very prominent. He truly didn’t know that this person was a surrendered general; he had only heard that he was a veteran of the navy. So when he heard that a surrendered general was being assigned to the naval forces, he immediately stopped in his tracks, ignoring the fact that half of his body was in the rain.
“Commander Chen is a surrendered general?”

“He’s surnamed Chen. What’s on Lord Zhang’s mind?” Chen Yong smiled calmly, tilting his umbrella slightly toward Zhang Yue, and whispered, “Although I’m also surnamed Chen, since his Chen is a local, he must have some blood relation to Chen Tianping, who once enjoyed Emperor Taizong’s protection. His father, Chen Feng, once served under the Duke of Ying and was also in charge of the navy. Now that his father is old, this hereditary command position has been given to him. Though it’s better to trust those you employ rather than doubt them, all the rebels before were powerful local officials—who can guarantee he has no ulterior motives? Dr. Shi and I accompany Lord Zhang to oversee the fleet; we’re both scholars with no fighting skills and rely entirely on Lord Zhang.”

Despite rising in rank, Zhang Yue was always very clear about his own capabilities. Even though Li Qing had recommended Shi An and Chen Yong to him, they had both carried out orders diligently in the past, but that didn’t mean they trusted him as much as they trusted Li Qing. The same applied here—his reliance was only on those dozen or so elite generals he had chosen carefully!

“From now on, we’re truly in this together. There’s no need to mention reliance anymore.”

He replied to Chen Yong with a half-smile. Seeing Chen Yong freeze for a moment, Zhang Yue nodded smilingly and stepped up the stairs to his room. Noticing Peng Shisan follow in, he carelessly took off his rain-soaked coat inside and loudly ordered the others to rest. Then he stretched and sat down in the rattan chair in the center, turning to ask, “Old Peng, you must have heard what Chen Yong said just now, right?”

“These scholars are full of twists and turns in their minds. If it were all like them, the Duke of Ying wouldn’t have had to fight in Annam—he’d just have to be on guard against someone stabbing him in the back all day!” Peng Shisan handed Zhang Yue a towel irritably, then grabbed another to wipe his face roughly before saying, “In warfare, you can’t ignore someone just because they’re a defector. I don’t know what kind of person Chen Hua is, but I do know his father, Chen Feng, was a real man! Back then, the Duke of Ying wasn’t confident in naval operations, so whenever there was a naval battle, it was usually me watching from the ship. I know many people below Chen Feng!”

“You’re right. We can’t harbor suspicion just because the current rebels are led by Chen Tianbao and this local general also has the surname Chen. But since Chen Yong brought this up to me, I can’t ignore it. If something happens, it could lead to big trouble.”

“Then should I go meet Chen Hua?”

“No, just in case, don’t alert them prematurely,” Zhang Yue finally understood some of the nuances and waved his hand. “Go and find out how many of Chen Hua’s troops are locals from Jiaozhi and how many are Han soldiers from our dynasty. Also, identify the officers under his command—keep it secret. See how many of them you know… Then, go meet them.”

Peng Shisan listened carefully, didn’t waste words, nodded, and picked up his raincoat and conical hat to head out. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, Zhang Yue reminded him to be careful. Without turning around, Peng Shisan just waved his hand and rushed into the rain.

Inside, Zhang Yue watched his retreating figure before turning to a wicker box nearby and taking out a book. He sat in the wicker chair, reading to pass the time, but soon his thoughts wandered away from the book.

Hopefully, Li Qing was just worrying needlessly!

It should be noted that for this military campaign in Jiaozhi, most of the troops were drawn from Yunnan and Guangxi, mostly military households who were not skilled in water combat. Jiaozhi is water-rich, so more than half of its naval forces consisted of locals skilled in water combat, and most of its officers were also locals from Jiaozhi, with only a few Han people who had stayed there years ago. Since the establishment of the Jiaozhi Administrative Commission, many soldiers who were originally part of expeditionary forces stayed behind to serve as farming troops or garrison soldiers. Over time, even those with strong homesickness often married local women and decided to settle there for life. Yet, this sudden war dragged in both locals and Han people, making it impossible to apply the old rules anymore.