Chapter 105: Master

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The mule camp arrayed itself along the ridge, overlooking the peasant army’s massive river crossing from a commanding height.

Wei Qian’er’s eyes widened as he pointed shakily across the river. “General, is this the Tartar enemy invading?”

These Shaanxi folk, border guards by heritage, even if they rebelled, would immediately turn to fight the Tartar invaders if they ever breached their frontier.

“Look at you, so inexperienced. Do you think the Tartars would let the border army escort them into invasion?”

Cao Yao enjoyed bantering with Wei Qian’er and now called upon his experiences wandering the land. Raising his arm, he introduced several leaders: “I don’t know which chief that is across the river, but he’s already gathered surrendered Yi Ding troops and the border guards who man the Great Wall under his command.”

Liu Chengzong asked, “How can you tell they’re from the Great Wall? Their armor looks no different from ours.”

“Look at their formation. Outer troops don’t have strict formation rules, but on the Great Wall, it’s different. I once guarded the second border wall at Datong.”

The “second border wall” Cao Yao mentioned was the Great Wall itself, the buffer zone between two walls, a military zone of the Ming dynasty.

“To march on the border wall, they always move in ranks of five horses side by side, ten men abreast. Our outer troops don’t have such requirements.”

Then Cao Yao pointed to the troops behind the Mongol Yi Ding, carrying long spears, matchlock guns, and three-eyed muskets. “Those must be border guards from the Great Wall.”

Liu Chengzong nodded slowly, then waved to his men, “Shift our formation slightly east. There are pack cannons on horseback behind us—don’t accidentally shoot our own men.”

The men across the river also had horses carrying cannons.

Compared to the peasant army on the opposite bank, Liu Chengzong was more concerned about the official troops arrayed outside Yonghe Pass.

Not every officer was as brave as Lu Cheng.

For example, the commander of Yonghe Pass led over three hundred men out in formation but halted halfway upon seeing the overwhelming number of peasant troops. He ordered his men to stand their ground and observe.

After a while, the surrendered Yi Ding clad in heavy armor emerged from the mountain path on the opposite side.

That commander was prudent. Seeing the situation, he said nothing but waved his small flag and led his troops back into the pass.

Liu Chengzong watched clearly from the ridge and thought, that was the right call.

One cannot only think of promotion and riches.

Think of one’s parents, wife, and children; then weigh the monthly rations and pay.

Better to stand on the city walls than to fight open battle. Standing on the walls at least repays the emperor’s years of withholding military wages.

“Now, we wait to see if they’re friend or foe. Listen carefully: if the situation worsens, we’ll form ranks and descend the mountain from the east. Avoid the west side; they’ll have to circle around from there if they want to ascend the mountain. Do not scatter.”

The three sentry captains solemnly nodded and relayed orders to their captains. Each unit took position according to the center army’s location.

While the mule camp formed ranks, the peasant army on the opposite shore noticed the official troops retreating into the pass and erupted in thunderous laughter.

Two ragged, starving men even crossed the river deliberately, ran near the pass, stripped off their trousers, and shamelessly swayed from side to side.

Liu Chengzong frowned, his smile fading. “Those two are urinating at the royal guards?”

Outrageous.

Even Cao Yao shook his head, laughing bitterly: “Being a soldier these days is tough. Either you die bravely like Lu the guerrilla, or you’re a coward like that commander—troops practically defecate on you. Should we not shell them? I can’t stand it.”

“Even if you can’t stand it, you have to,” Liu Chengzong shook his head. “We have thousands, with over a thousand armored troops. If you don’t endure, you die.”

Suddenly, Liu Chengzong pointed across the river. “Look, horsemen are coming.”

They seemed to have noticed their position on the ridge.

However, rather than forming ranks below the ridge and treating them as enemies, the horsemen quickly crossed the floating bridge, relayed orders to avoid the ridge, and carefully approached.

A horseman shouted, “Is that General Liu on the ridge?”

General Liu?

Liu Chengzong was about to reply when Cao Yao stopped him. “Be cautious. It might be a ruse.”

Cao Yao then stepped forward, staying concealed, and asked, “Which General Liu?”

“General Liu of Yan’an Prefecture!”

Cao Yao glanced back at Liu Chengzong, implying, they were calling for him.

He asked again, “What does he want with General Liu?”

Liu Chengzong frowned, looking anxiously across the river.

Could it be that his father and elder brother—so formidable—had gathered a group of border guards and Mongol Yi Ding while he was away, expanded their forces tenfold, and now sought him out?

It sounded almost fantastical.

Besides, if it were family or old acquaintances from Yan’an Prefecture, they would have sent someone Liu knew. He knew plenty in Yan’an; surely there would be a familiar face.

Then the horseman below shouted loudly, “Our great leader’s surname is Gao. He says you owe him a meal!”

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Liu Chengzong deeply wished he could leap down the cliff and clamp the horseman’s mouth shut.

He didn’t need to look back; he could feel his men’s eyes all staring at him.

Ahead, Cao Yao turned and widened his eyes, silently mouthing, “Is that true?”

Liu Chengzong owed many people meals, but most had died that autumn.

Only one named Gao was still alive. He knew who it was.

If it was Gao Yingxiang, Liu Chengzong could roughly guess why he was sought out.

The Shaanxi rebels stuck together in tight alliances; Gao Yingxiang was no exception.

The horsemen below were puzzled. After delivering their leader’s message, the ridge above had gone silent… Suddenly a loud shout rang out.

“He still owes me a copper beast door knocker!”

No sound came from the ridge, but the sound of hooves faded into the distance.

The horsemen led their mounts to a ridge safe from crossbows and firearms, then shouted, “The leader says if there’s no fight, wave the flag!”

With that, they mounted and galloped back to the floating bridge in a flash.

The foot soldiers wiped sweat as they ran, secretly relieved to have escaped with their lives.

At first, things seemed friendly, but suddenly it seemed the two sides were not comrades but neighbors—neighbors with grudges, building higher walls and moving fences for more distance.

Galloping along the Yellow River’s floating bridge, gazing forward:

On the western hill, the “Rebel” banner fluttered;

Looking back, on the eastern ridge, a red flag waved.

It seemed they no longer hated each other.

But no one knew, once they reached the opposite shore, Gao Yingxiang, leading several chiefs, dashed down the mountain like a whirlwind, his face tense as he asked, “Is it Liu Chengzong? What did he say?”

“He said his leader owes him a copper beast door knocker.”

Gao Yingxiang was stunned, then burst into laughter, brandishing his guandao sword. “Ha! Ha ha ha! That little lion really holds grudges!”

He planted his sword into the ground, reached out, and said, “Go ask again—ask if he dares to come to the floating bridge to see me!”

The horsemen had no choice but to turn back and report.

A filthy “Sky Monkey” rode up, puzzled: “When did the Rebel King owe someone a copper door knocker? Why haven’t you returned it? No wonder they won’t let you go.”

“Not owing a bit!” Gao Yingxiang laughed. “That was me, released by the county magistrate, sneaking back at night to smash his door knocker. That little lion ate my ‘cut-head meal.’ If I didn’t retaliate, how could I feel at ease?”

Even Liu Jiusi, the filthy Sky Monkey, and others like Bubbling Mud and Cloudy Sky Monkey were stunned.

In their minds, owing a meal was a noble story of gratitude.

How did it end up linked to a “cut-head meal”?

Bubbling Mud stared blankly. “He’s shameless. Everyone eats ‘cut-head meals’ too.”

“Not just eating,” Gao Yingxiang waved them off. “Enough, I won’t bore you.”

He recalled the chubby boy studying martial arts, clutching stewed sheep’s hooves and a big bowl, snoring over lamb noodles in prison.

That scene was indescribable—telling it would only make these starving ghosts drool.

Bubbling Mud’s eyes rolled upward, pondering what a “cut-head meal” tasted like.

Even without Gao Yingxiang’s words, he kept swallowing hard, lifting his chainmail shirt to caress his own dry belly, muttering, “No, I need a lamb to eat tonight… Hey, Rebel King.”

Bubbling Mud said, “I still don’t get it. Even if they’re old acquaintances, why send someone just to say a word? Why not merge armies and fight together? Why bring him here? Besides, will he even come?”

“He will.”

Gao Yingxiang spoke with certainty, though he hadn’t seen Liu Chengzong in years and wasn’t sure if he would truly come. Still, he instructed his men, “If he comes, don’t interrupt us. I’m here to find him to merge forces.”

Cloudy Sky Monkey Zhang Mengjin asked, “Why must we merge with him?”

What else but usefulness?

Gao Yingxiang glanced at him. “The four of us combined... I don’t even know how many troops you three have. Let’s say seven thousand. Could we annihilate a guerrilla general?”

Not only Gao Yingxiang was unaware; Bubbling Mud, Sky Monkey, and Cloudy Sky Monkey didn’t know either.

Even if they had accurate numbers, today’s count might differ tomorrow. Maybe more, maybe less. This was something even the great warrior emperor couldn’t clarify.

They all rebelled out of hunger, surviving by luck and plunder; their subordinates the same. No theft meant starvation, and not starving meant no need to steal.

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“Not necessarily.”

Bubbling Mud answered lightly, “Ambush. When the enemy’s cannons and muskets are unprepared, my three divisions will charge. When they exhaust themselves, the Rebel King will lead the heavy armored troops. Victory won’t be hard.”

Treating starving peasants as cannon fodder—cruel but effective tactics.

“Victory is easy; even the dying fight with their lives. But getting them to quietly execute an ambush is difficult.”

Gao Yingxiang was not mocking nor looking down on anyone, merely stating facts.

Ambushes require higher discipline than open battle.

If it were a few hundred relying on luck, it might work. With thirty percent regular troops commanding the peasants, they could try interception.

But as their forces grow and the enemy’s targets expand, scouts and cavalry must cover a wider battlefield, making the ambush ring larger.

For six or seven thousand men, the encirclement must start shrinking from sixty miles out, avoiding enemy sightlines on all sides, yet trailing closely until the enemy reaches the ambush point.

Just this alone is exhausting, never mind the battle after.

“Think about it. Wang Daliang fought in Hanzhong, Zhou Dawang caused chaos in Wudu, Han Chaozai stirred Qinyang, and Left Hanging and Brother Wang even reached Hancheng.”

Gao Yingxiang said, “Whoever it was, they looted wherever they went. Including us and the Horizontal Sky King, we nearly destroyed every military fortress along the Fu Gu border wall. What good does that do strategically?”

“This time, we were supposed to continue attacking military forts, but Liu Chengzong’s seizure of the courier post reached the north. Without the post station, contact between Shaanxi and Yansui Town was severed, leaving Yan’an Prefecture blank on the maps.”

Bubbling Mud nodded in understanding. “Joining forces with him means two more years of survival. That’s what the Rebel King means?”

“Right. Besides, the Shaanxi official army is strong; the court will eventually encircle and suppress us. Even the old Hui at Huanglong Mountain were driven north by two hundred government cavalry. Individual bandits can’t fight official troops alone. Whether big landlords’ thieves, robbers, or rebel mutineers, no one can act solo. Union is the trend.”

The three bandit leaders, born of the wild, glanced at one another—different faces, but all equally bewildered.

Gao Yingxiang looked at them and sighed, eyes full of hope as he asked Bubbling Mud, “Do you know what ‘the trend’ is?”

Bubbling Mud knew, but couldn’t articulate it.

Instead, the filthy Sky Monkey stepped forward, face fierce: “Bigger wins!”

“Exactly! The trend is from Fu Gu to Jin Suo Pass forming a continuous zone, raiding outward, resting inward. Northern border guards defend, southern forces attack Guanzhong, forming a divided front confronting the government!”

Gao Yingxiang finally understood where his desire to join forces with Liu Chengzong came from.

These leaders were brave and bold but came from poor backgrounds, rebelling on impulse and brute strength.

Not that they couldn’t achieve great things—everything can be learned. Gao Yingxiang himself came from humble origins but had suffered much and learned much as a horse bandit.

Given time, these leaders could accomplish great deeds.

But they didn’t have that time.

The court would not allow them to grow, nor would the emperor in the Forbidden City grant them time to learn.

Cloudy Sky Monkey was distracted.

He neither understood nor cared about Gao Yingxiang’s words but trusted him. Just tell him what to do directly—going in circles was tiresome. “Rebel King, just say it. If we catch him, that’s the trend... Hey, he’s here!”

They all looked toward the opposite shore, where the horsemen sent to deliver the message returned swiftly.

Gao Yingxiang peered over. The leading youth was broad-shouldered, armored, his sharp features no longer resembling the chubby boy from Mizhi County prison. He laughed loudly, “Good Liu Lion, he doesn’t even dismount to greet his master?”

“Pfft, using status to pressure people at first meeting isn’t good.” Liu Chengzong stayed mounted, legs gripping the red flag, ready to retreat. He smiled, “Who ever heard of a master smashing a disciple’s door knocker?”

On the floating bridge, Gao Yingxiang turned to the others, smiling, “I told you he holds grudges.”

Then he asked Liu Chengzong, “I’ll compensate you. What do you want?”

Liu Chengzong had only one request: “Food. My men don’t have enough rations.”

“No problem. I’ll supply you with all the food you need… but—”

Hearing Gao Yingxiang’s quick agreement, Liu Chengzong was about to dismount but paused when Gao added, “But you should repay me that ‘cut-head meal’.”

The same issue, just put differently.

Liu Chengzong asked, “Then what else do you want?”

“Come back with me to Shaanxi, finish what you started. Tear down all the courier and postal stations north of Jin Suo Pass.”

Liu Chengzong smiled proudly. “Agreed.”

As he spoke, he dismounted, clasped his fists respectfully, “Student Liu Chengzong pays respects to Master Gao.”