Chapter 115: Eat, Sleep, and Beat the Rebel King

August 19, Yanchuan.

Outside the camp walls, a young and heroic officer stood before the commander's tent, bowing slightly as he spoke in a soft voice: "General, it is your subordinate, Ma Ke."

"Enter."

Li Bei closed the logistics ledger, glanced back at the topographical map hanging on the tent wall, stretched his stiff neck, and asked, "How did it go?"

Batallion Commander Ma Ke entered the tent, knelt to perform a military salute, then rose and said: "The county magistrate has verified and recorded the heads to claim merit; there are one hundred and forty-one compliant heads. Two of them, however, belong to women who lived on the outskirts of the city."

Ma Ke lowered his head, his demeanor humble. After a brief pause, he carefully looked up and added: "It has been determined that they were killed by Chen Shiyao of the First Battalion’s Left Division, Third Platoon, and Feng Guangli of the Left Division, Sixth Platoon... General, the Battalion Commander of the First Battalion is a supplementary official from Yulin Town, and the Left Division’s Batallion Commander is an officer borrowed from General Ai. Regarding military law..."

Li Bei was not a burly man, and his voice was cool and composed. Upon hearing this, he did not fly into a rage; instead, he simply tapped the stack of books on the left side of his desk and said: "Absurd. Before the battle, everyone signed a pledge, the fourth article of which forbids the slaughter of women and children and the plundering of civilian livestock. Do they think this is child's play? Tell Wang Shilong that if he does not behead them, I will behead him. As for Batallion Commander Liu Guozhen, if he cannot enforce military law, have him lead his troops back to Shenmu to report to Assistant Regional Commander Ai. I have no use for him."

Ma Ke looked up, attempting to persuade him further: "But General, what if they truly stir up trouble and leave? The captives say the 'Chuang Wang' and his faction have tens of thousands of men. Our single battalion is already understrength, and of the three batallion commanders, two are borrowed. If we lose another one... the imperial court may have filled the quota for commanders, but what use is that?"

His words caused Li Bei to sigh. This Assistant Regional Commander of Yan'an was truly stifled.

With every relay station and express courier post destroyed, the government forces were completely blind to the situation surrounding Yan'an Prefecture. Eight days prior, Yulin Town had received a letter from the Prefect of Yan'an, Zhang Nian.

In the letter, Zhang Nian lashed out at Regional Commander Wu Zimian, berating him for being utterly useless. He claimed that not only had Wu failed to send troops to relieve Yan'an, but he had also ignored seven consecutive letters. He demanded that Wu immediately return the courier he had supposedly detained.

Wu Zimian had been left dumbfounded, as this was the first letter he had received, and he had no knowledge of any detained couriers.

Li Bei had taken his post in haste and dared not recruit troops in the prefecture city. He had scraped together what he could in Yulin Town, borrowing two full-strength battalions—one from Meng Hu, a tribal leader of nomadic origin, and the other from Liu Guozhen, a subordinate of Assistant Regional Commander Ai Wannian of Shenmu. Only Ma Ke was a young brother who had risen with him from a platoon commander to a batallion commander, and Li Bei had even emptied his own household staff to fill the ranks of Ma Ke’s battalion.

"The imperial court has been fighting the Jianzhou Jurchens in the Northeast for ten years, the people in the Southeast resist taxes every other day, the rebellion of An Bangyan and She Chongming in the Southwest has lasted nine years, and now, in the Northwest, there is mutiny among the border troops and peasant uprisings."

Li Bei stood up, walked over to Ma Ke, wiped the dust from his iron-plated arm guards, and straightened his collar. "Yulin’s manpower and grain are both limited. The court has given me everything it could. You are brave and battle-tested; you will be a pillar of the state in the future. But your temper is impulsive, and you are prone to panic when faced with sudden events. In the future, do not speak such words of complaint again."

"Yes!"

Ma Ke bowed his head in salute. "This subordinate thanks the General for his guidance."

"I truly envy your youth." Li Bei was satisfied with his subordinate's attitude and shook his head with a sigh. He then sat back down at his desk, his expression solemn: "This suppression campaign will be a long one. If I am sent elsewhere in the future, remember these sixteen words."

Ma Ke widened his eyes: "This subordinate swears to follow the General to the death!"

"Foolish words. You are an officer of the imperial court; why swear to follow me to the death?"

He thought highly of the young, low-ranking officer. If this had been the early years of the Tianqi era, when Li Bei was still serving in the Jizhen garrison, he might have accepted the vow. Perhaps he really could have led Ma Ke for a lifetime. But things were different now. Years of wasted time meant he had little of his military career left; he could not lead Ma Ke forever.

Li Bei shook his head and said: "Remember: in a suppression campaign, fear not the abundance of rebels, but the scarcity; fear not the rebels who hold their ground, but those who run."

The young officer Ma Ke lowered his head, chewing on the sixteen words in his mind. After a long while, he looked up: "I beg the General to forgive my dullness; I hope for a more detailed explanation."

Li Bei was not angry; rather, he praised Ma Ke’s thirst for knowledge and motioned for him to sit opposite. He then explained: "Though the rebels are numerous, they are not to be feared. Look at the rebels in Shaanxi today—they are but small pawns, refugees, and tax resisters. They are not to be feared. The many rebel leaders, however—be they former border officers or those capable of commanding others—are all ambitious men. Which one of them is content to be under another?"

"One does not fear the number of rebels because their commands are not unified. Without unity of command, hearts are not in accord; without accord, their wills diverge. If the left flank decides to fight to the death while the right flank surrenders, the left flank cannot hold. They are easily broken."

After Li Bei finished, he gave Ma Ke a moment to reflect, though he felt a sense of irony himself. These insights were summarized from the court's many defeats against the Eastern Barbarians; it was striking how well they applied to the rebels now.

Once Ma Ke nodded in understanding, Li Bei continued: "One does not fear rebels who hold their ground for the same reason. Without the ability to win in open field battle and without the prospect of reinforcements, how can they talk of defense? These roaming bandits have chaotic ranks, are easily infiltrated, and lack heavy artillery. No matter where they entrench, it is a dead end. Should they dare to hold their ground, it will collapse on its own in anywhere from three to ten days."

"If there are many rebels, they can be pursued if they flee. But if there are few and they flee, they cannot be caught, and our grain supplies are insufficient for long pursuits. We must scout the rebels slowly, then strike with speed and decisive force... Do you understand now?"

Ma Ke stood at attention, his armor clattering, and saluted again: "This subordinate understands. Thank you for your guidance, General!"

Ma Ke left. Not long after, the sound of him reading the execution order drifted from the training grounds, followed by a commotion and shouting among the government troops, which only subsided after a long time.

In the tent, Li Bei let out a sigh of relief. He knew that from this moment on, the three battalions of border troops would obey his orders. Only then would he dare to advance into Yan'an Prefecture to suppress the rebels.

This campaign was different from the past. The battles months ago to behead the "Tiger General" of Ganquan and suppress the "Old Huihui" faction in Huanglong Mountain had been far simpler. Yan'an Prefecture had provided him with intelligence on Ganquan and the rebel situation in Huanglong Mountain. Despite the lack of grain and the hunger of his soldiers, a swift, decisive strike had solved the problems.

But this time was different. In Qingjian, he had handed the map to the county magistrate, asking him to mark where the rebels were entrenched. The magistrate had drawn a circle around Yanchuan. At first, he thought the rebels were in Yanchuan, but he hadn't realized the Qingjian magistrate had simply drawn a "safe zone." He had claimed that only the "Hun Tian Wang" (King of the Chaotic Heavens) faction was in Yanchuan, and that it had rained there, so it was relatively peaceful. But in every other county of Yan'an Prefecture outside of Yanchuan, there were rebels—their leaders unknown, their numbers unknown, their whereabouts unknown. He didn't even know if those counties were still under the control of the imperial court.

How had the situation deteriorated so badly in just three months?

Fortunately, the grain plundered by Hun Tian Wang had helped, giving him a moment to catch his breath. He had three urgent tasks before him: first, to help Yanchuan County re-establish relay stations and express routes to communicate with Yulin Town; second, to send men south to scout and determine the true situation in the various counties of Yanchuan; and finally, to urge the new commander of Yanshui Pass, who was still in Yulin, to take his post as soon as possible to prevent the rebels from crossing the border into Shanxi.

In the evening, a household servant came to the tent to report that the captives taken during the campaign against Hun Tian Wang had begun to talk. Military intelligence reports were laid out on Li Bei’s desk one by one.

Hun Tian Wang’s name was Zhang Yingjin. The great rebel leader Gao Yingxiang, who had plundered many areas, had previously tried to persuade him to merge their camps, but Hun Tian Wang had refused. Now that he had been defeated, he would likely flee south to join the "Chuang Wang" Gao Yingxiang, who was entrenched in Yanchuan.

"This subordinate also forced out another piece of information," Ma Ke said, cupping his hands. "The Chuang rebel and the Hun Tian rebel discussed controlling the central and southern parts of Yan'an Prefecture to repel the advance of the Three Borders' Supreme Command."

Li Bei was overjoyed: "Oh? This is favorable for Brigade Commander Wu, who is attacking the rebels in Qingyang. Tell me quickly."

"Yes! The Chuang rebel has distributed many rebel leaders to various locations. Once government forces advance from Qingyang and Ningzhou, they intend to retreat northward from Fuzhou, stage by stage, exhausting the government troops' grain and stamina, before drawing them to Yanchuan for a decisive battle... The Hun Tian rebel agreed."

Li Bei fell into a long silence, then, contrary to his usual demeanor, slammed his fist onto the table, startling Ma Ke.

"Gen, General, this subordinate thinks this strategy is not particularly brilliant," Ma Ke said. "Moreover, since we know of it, we only need to send word to Brigade Commander Wu in Qingyang, and we can turn their own plot against them."

"It is precisely because of this that I am angry, not because of the tactical situation. This is what I meant—I don't fear rebels holding their ground, I fear them running."

Li Bei shook his head, struggling to express his inner turmoil. The plan was simple, and the people tasked with executing it were a rabble. But the fact that it would actually work was what infuriated him.

What was humiliation? A group of rebels was calculating the government forces' grain, stamina, and marching speed in broad daylight. They had concluded that they had more grain, greater stamina, and faster movement than the government troops, and thus, this method alone would be enough to defeat them. Was this not a humiliation for the imperial forces?

What was most unbearable was that it was effective, because the Later Jin had used this very method to calculate their grain supplies. These men, born from the Ming military system, knew how to fix their own flaws, yet the imperial army itself could not.

Li Bei said: "It is already too late to turn the plot against them. Hun Tian Wang has fled to Yanchuan County; the rebels there must already know we are stationed in Yanchuan and will be prepared. I estimate they will no longer run toward Yanchuan. That... what was his name? The household soldier from Yuhe Fort who took Yanshui Pass?"

Ma Ke added: "Liu Congzong. You once ordered me to meet with Garrison Commander He at Yuhe Fort to ask about him."

That was the name. Li Bei nodded and asked: "Is there any news of this man among the captives of Hun Tian Wang?"

"No. The captives only mentioned the Chuang rebel, Gao Yingxiang. However, they did say that Gao Yingxiang had also once advanced toward Yanshui Pass, but for some reason, he only stayed at the Yellow River ferry for half a day before pulling his troops south."

After saying this, Ma Ke slowed his speech: "General, this Liu Congzong... could he still be in Shanxi?"

"It is very likely." Li Bei nodded: "I had someone ask the commander of Pingdu Pass in Shanxi. He said no one had crossed the pass before Gao Yingxiang arrived. When Gao reached the Yellow River ferry, the Pingdu garrison deployed on the pontoon bridge, scaring Gao Yingxiang off and keeping Shanxi safe."

"That doesn't seem right, General... I heard from the captives that Gao Yingxiang has many deserters under his command, as well as Tatar cavalry refugees. Yanshui Pass was broken by Liu Congzong’s men, who were not supposed to be so capable." Ma Ke shook his head: "Could the few men at Pingdu Pass really have defended against Gao Yingxiang?"

"It is different. Gao Yingxiang is not like Wang Jiayin. He has never broken through a fortified military town; he has always spent his time plundering. Only Ansaishuo surrendered to him, and he never fought a hard battle. It is indeed possible he was frightened off."

Li Bei summarized the intelligence he had gathered and analyzed it: "The people at the Yellow River ferry also said there were indeed government troops lined up on the hillside across the river that day. Later, the villagers were driven away by the rebels, and not long after, the rebels swept away."

He then reminded Ma Ke: "Liu Congzong is not a man to be underestimated. Since he rebelled to save his father after the attack on Yan'an city, he has broken cities, destroyed passes, and raided courier routes. Brigade Commander Lu and Batallion Commander Bao were defeated by him one after another. How could such a man suddenly vanish?"

Ma Ke smiled: "He must be hiding. Garrison Commander He of Yuhe Fort said his father is a Juren, and his elder brother, Liu Congzu, is a platoon leader. Both brothers are Xiucai who passed the military examinations, and both were expected to pass the provincial exams... I truly don't know why the Prefect of Fushi and the Yan'an Guard provoked them."

Li Bei felt deeply the same. He nodded: "Now, look at what has happened—two good generals, forced into becoming rebels."

Thinking of this made Li Bei furious. He was angry at everyone—not just at the dead Prefect of Fushi and Commander Zhang who had forced the Liu family into rebellion, but also at the Garrison Commander of Yuhe Fort, He Renlong, and the Assistant Minister Hong Chengchou, who had suggested the policy of disbanding troops. Those capable men should have been kept at Yuhe Fort, well-fed and supported.

With insufficient pay and supplies, it was already hard enough to maintain discipline while trying to clean up a bunch of rebels, and now he had to make time to deal with a bunch of border troops. A bunch of bastards who increased his workload for no reason!

"We cannot let Liu Congzong go missing..."

Li Bei shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing. The inability to locate Liu Congzong was like a bone stuck in his throat. "We must find out whether Liu Congzong is in Shanxi and whether he has formed a coalition with Gao Yingxiang."

The current situation was already clear to Li Bei. All the major rebels in Yan'an Prefecture, except for Liu Congzong, were between Yanchuan and Yijun in the central and southern parts of the prefecture. The government forces were split into two routes: Li Bei’s force in Yanchuan, and Brigade Commander Wu Weifan’s force suppressing rebels in Qingyang Prefecture. The Three Borders' Supreme Command in Guyuan was also mobilizing troops and might send a force from Qingyang into Yan'an, while Assistant Minister Hong Chengchou, stationed in Hancheng, could seal off the southeastern exit.

With the two main forces forming a pincer movement from east and west, they could trap the rebels in the central and southern parts of Yan'an Prefecture. The net was spread, and he only needed to confirm the intelligence to launch the final suppression.

Only this Liu Congzong caused him endless worry.

"The final battle must not happen in Yanchuan to the northeast, as the rebels wish, for that would make it easy for them to jump into Shanxi." Li Bei stood up and pointed at the map: "We must drive the rebels toward the northwest, toward Ansai and Bao'an. Using the Great Wall as a border, we can borrow the strength of the border troops to trap them completely within Yan'an Prefecture."

Ma Ke smiled: "Since the General has already set the plan, what is there to worry about?"

"I worry that Liu Congzong is in Shanxi and has already allied with Gao Yingxiang. As it stands, we are surrounding the rebels in Yan'an Prefecture, but if Liu Congzong seizes the opportunity to jump back into Shaanxi, it would be the rebels subtly surrounding my own troops."

Ma Ke nodded slowly, but how could they figure that out? He asked: "Should this subordinate send a messenger to the Yan'an Prefect to ask if he has returned home?"

"No need. It is easy to find out. The soldiers who went to Yanchuan to scout should return tomorrow. We will eat and sleep. If we want to know where Liu Congzong is..." Li Bei stared at Yanchuan County on the map and smiled: "Just attack Gao Yingxiang."