Volume III: Heroes Are Mute, Heaven and Earth Age Chapter 37: The Settled Outcome I

Digging tunnels is skilled work, by no means something ordinary people can do; it requires professionals. It is quite different from digging holes in the ground. A long tunnel can stretch for over ten miles or even tens of miles, making it a massive project with extremely high technical requirements.

Scanning through Deng She's army, not a single person knew how to tunnel except for Xu Ren. Coming from a mining background, he was very familiar with this trade. After careful blueprint calculations, he gave Deng She a definitive reply: with the current manpower, tunneling from the Red Turban camp to the Japanese mercenaries' camp would take three to five days.

That would take too long. Deng She shook his head. "Let's surround them first. We'll talk about that after Commander Mao successfully breaks through."

Chen Hu resentfully passed down the military order to halt the offensive. He advanced the troops, encircling the Japanese camp and trapping them inside. Zhao Guo had brought a number of landmines along with the army, which were planted along key routes to prevent the Japanese from launching a sortie and raiding the camp.

Watching from the side, Xu Ren saw a group of soldiers carry many spherical objects out of the wagons and then carefully bury them in the earth. Finding this very strange, he wanted to ask, yet held back for fear of being presumptuous. Noticing this, Deng She warmly took the initiative to explain the matter.

As for landmines, the technological conditions of the era had long reached the level required to manufacture them; it was merely a matter of conception. Anything that appeared on the battlefield would sooner or later be learned by others, so Deng She had no intention of jealously guarding his secrets. Once things were made, they were meant to be used.

Hearing this, Xu Ren was filled with amazement. Excellent things—truly excellent things. How exactly were they made? Knowing this must be a military secret within Deng She's army, he tactfully refrained from asking further.

Having trapped the Japanese and left Chen Hu behind to personally oversee the defense, Deng She led his generals back toward the central camp. By now, twilight was deepening. In the late summer season, the setting sun had not yet fallen while the moon had already risen early. In the pale blue sky, above the plain's wild trees, a delicate crescent moon complemented a glowing red setting sun in a picturesque contrast.

As the dusk deepened, Deng She and his generals galloped at full speed along the main road. The birds among the trees by the roadside were startled by them, taking flight one after another. At hours like this, Deng She always felt a sudden stirring in his heart. The rising and setting of the sun and the changing of seasons were intimately connected and bound by flesh and blood to the continuation of humanity.

Yet today, he had matters weighing heavily on his mind. The sudden emotional surge vanished from his mind in an instant. Returning to the central camp, he found that the various encampments had been pitched securely. Rather than entering the commander's tent right away, Deng She rode through the camp on horseback, carefully inspecting every corner before finally looking satisfied.

"Are there any military reports from General Zhao's division?"

"None."

Deng She nodded, cupped his fists toward Xu Ren, and said, "Battle is imminent, so I won't have you stay. Return to your camp immediately and inform General Zhao that before dawn tomorrow, he must reach his designated position and make preparations to cover Commander Mao's breakthrough."

Xu Ren sternly accepted the order and turned to leave.

Deng She ordered the entire army, "All forces, seize the time to rest. Tonight, light the stoves at the third watch, cook the meal at the fourth, and set out at the fifth."

"Whose division is to be left behind to garrison the main camp?"

"The troops who built the camp today will remain behind as a reserve." Recalling the harassment of Zhao Guo's division by Gao Jianu of Gaizhou during the day, Deng She added, "We must maintain vigilant defense after nightfall and be careful of a night raid by the Tatars."

Returning to the commander's tent, Li Guixiu had already prepared the meal. Deng She was quite exhausted today and ate only a little. Feeling thirsty, he picked up a pot of clear water and drank it down in large gulps. Seeing Li Guixiu kneeling to one side, he smiled faintly and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Li Guixiu gently shook her head.

Deng She patted the empty space beside him. "Come, sit down and eat together."

Li Guixiu was unwilling—perhaps too timid. Deng She did not force her. Although he had somewhat different feelings for her, he was not naive enough to start lecturing her about equality. As they were eating, Bi Qianniu reported from outside the tent, "General, someone has come from Commander Mao's side."

Someone had come again? It could be nothing more than reconfirming the time for action. Without raising his head, Deng She said, "Let him in."

Upon entering, the visitor turned out to be an acquaintance—one of the generals present when Hu Zhong had invited him to meet in the side courtyard. Deng She had somewhat forgotten his name, but with a hearty laugh, he stood up to welcome him. "I was wondering who it might be, and here it is brother! Quick, quick, please sit down... Have you eaten?"

The officer was merely a chiliarch, and having now followed Hu Zhong to defect into Deng She's army, he did not dare presume upon any status before his prospective master. Respectfully kneeling and kowtowing, he said, "This humble subordinate greets the General."

"Get up, get up. We are our own people, let's dispense with these empty formalities. ... Someone, set another pair of bowls and chopsticks. I shall share a meal at the same table with my brother, how about that?"

Truly not expecting Deng She to be so approachable and courteous, the officer was pleasantly surprised and hastily said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. On my way here, this humble subordinate has already eaten dry rations and is truly not hungry. Please enjoy your meal at your leisure, General."

Deng She smiled, knowing that the man must have come carrying Hu Zhong's orders. When he arrived yesterday, he had considered whether or not to contact Hu Zhong. After thinking it over repeatedly and not knowing whether there were any trusted confidants of Mao Jujing within Hu Zhong's army, he had ultimately decided to let the matter rest for the time being. Since he did not seek out Hu Zhong, he believed Hu Zhong would come looking for him, and it turned out just as he had anticipated.

He pushed his rice bowl aside, motioned for Li Guixiu to clear it away, and dismissed the personal guards inside the tent. He instructed Bi Qianniu to keep watch outside and strictly forbade anyone from entering, regardless of who they were.

Then he asked, "For tomorrow's breakthrough, what are General Hu's intentions?"

"This humble subordinate has come precisely for this matter. General Hu, General Liu, and the divisions under this humble subordinate are all on the left wing, separated from General's main force by Commander Mao's main body and other units. As for what to do during tomorrow's breakthrough, General Hu has sent me to respectfully await the General's orders."

After Mao Jujing broke through—assuming he succeeded—he would certainly go to rescue Liaoyang. With Nahaçu's army of two hundred thousand besieging the city, Mao Jujing's force numbering at most forty to fifty thousand would be tantamount to striking a rock with an egg. For Hu Zhong to send someone to ask at this moment clearly showed he was unwilling to throw his life away following Mao Jujing.

Yet, what could he do if he was unwilling? Deng She could not possibly fall out with Mao Jujing over this, storm an execution ground, and snatch Hu Zhong and Liu Daqing away, could he? To tell the truth, even if Mao Jujing were willing, Deng She would hesitate. Those twenty thousand men were all born of rugged bandits from the green woods, unlike innocent youths. To have them lower their stance and surrender now merely to survive—what about later?

Having started out as a highwayman, Deng She knew the temperaments of these fierce bandits like the back of his hand. Cruel, treacherous, and unaccustomed to keeping faith, it was far too difficult to truly subdue them once they were incorporated into the army and bound by strict military discipline, especially given that they still had their own hierarchy of officers and leaders of all sizes. A figure like Guan Duo, with all his methods, could only suppress them by force of power; he could not completely win them over.

How much less could he, Deng She? His prestige did not match Guan Duo's, his official rank did not match Guan Duo's, his power did not match Guan Duo's, and his troop numbers did not match Guan Duo's. When they made an alliance in the city to support Hu Zhong and Liu Daqing with men and weapons, Deng She's sole purpose was to leave himself a retreat and plot his course from afar.

He asked, "Are the commoners plundered before the attack on Gaizhou still useful?"

Among the troops provided in support to Hu Zhong, there were naturally men who maintained uninterrupted communication with Deng She. While Deng She might not understand everything, he was at least seventy or eighty percent familiar with the situation. Following several siege battles, not many had died, and several thousand remained. However, Hu Zhong and Liu Daqing had excluded them from the core, utilizing them purely as cannon fodder.

The officer replied, "The General's subordinates are all valiant and adept at battle. Through successive siege battles, Generals Hu and Liu have derived immense assistance from them... Truly, under a strong general there are no weak troops, and the Shuangcheng soldiers well deserve their reputation as fierce and elite."

"That is good, that is good."

Deng She sat sideways, his fingers tapping gently on the desk. With disturbances arising in Shuangcheng and Gaizhou yet to be taken, he could not afford to start another military conflict at this juncture. ... Let Hu Zhong and Liu Daqing go fight Liaoyang... By the time I capture Gaizhou, the situation in Liaoyang will likely still be undecided... At that time, I will assess the situation in Shuangcheng. If suppressing the rebellion is successful, I will then look at the battle conditions in Liaoyang. If need be, I can also lead my forces toward Liaoyang; perhaps there will be a chance to get a share of the broth... And by then, with Hu and Liu over there, perhaps—?

He was not certain whether events would develop according to his deductions, for what he deduced was clearly the best-case outcome. But this risk was worth taking.

Making up his mind, Deng She said, "The Zuo-Li rebel army of the Haizhou Inspectorate numbers fewer than ten thousand men, and the city is merely a small stronghold. Without the rear support of Gao Jianu from Gaizhou, they will absolutely find it difficult to withstand Commander Mao's sharp edge. Commander Mao's successful breakthrough is virtually a certainty. Please return and tell Generals Hu and Liu to feel completely at ease and boldly join the army in breaking through."

The officer hesitated slightly. "General, to tell you the truth, what General Hu thinks is the same as the General's, but General Liu...?"

"Oh?" Deng She instantly grew interested. This statement was completely unexpected. It would be normal for Liu Daqing to be unwilling, but why on earth was Hu Zhong willing to turn back to rescue Liaoyang? It was too bizarre. He asked, "So you mean General Liu has other thoughts?"

"Precisely." The officer spoke very tactfully. "The General perhaps does not understand Commander Mao's character. He is a direct subordinate of Chief Councilor Guan, and after breaking through, he will definitely turn back to reinforce Liaoyang. The Liaoyang Tatars are numerous and powerful. If we can win, well and good; but in the event of a defeat, General Liu is deathly afraid of being used as cannon fodder by Commander Mao."

Deng She remained noncommittal. "What is General Hu's view?" Willing to enter the tiger's den and risk a deadly path—there were only two possibilities: first, unswerving loyalty; second, being more willing to trust Guan Duo than Deng She. No matter how one looked at these two possibilities, neither seemed right.

"General Hu believes that Commander Mao will definitely succeed in breaking through and rescuing Liaoyang. As for the Liaoyang Tatars, though they boast of a million, having even a hundred thousand would be remarkable. Most of them are tribesmen from the Tatar tribes around Shenyang, and their combat effectiveness is not high. With our five thousand elite turning around for a counterstrike, the probability of victory is extremely high. Once victorious, we become meritorious ministers; and for the General, it is at that moment that the utility of our division will be maximized."

It sounded entirely as though it were being considered for Deng She's benefit. Only a fool would believe him. The officer continued, "General Hu has a confidential letter to present to the General."

Only then did Deng She understand. Hu and Liu each had their own trusted confidants, and the officer who had come was clearly Hu Zhong's man. Rather than saying Hu Zhong had sent him to ask for Deng She's orders, it was more accurate to say Hu Zhong had sent him to borrow Deng She's mouth to refute Liu Daqing's opinion.

Deng She was quite willing to be used in this manner. He took the confidential letter, opened it, and glanced through it. There was no other hidden meaning; just as the officer had said, it explained the reasons for being willing to turn back to rescue Liaoyang, presumably fearing Deng She would misunderstand, and repeatedly expressed loyalty at the end of the letter.

Twisting the paper in his fingers, Deng She laughed heartily. "General Hu is truly a righteous man with exceptional vision. Excellent, excellent." Though his mind was filled with clouds of suspicion, his expression remained completely unperturbed. Regardless of what calculations Hu Zhong was making, he might as well go with the flow. "That being said, General Hu's perspective completely coincides with my own," he stated, clearly expressing his support for Hu Zhong.

The officer had nothing more to say. After chatting for a bit about the current military situation and mentioning the Yuan army in Gaizhou, he remarked, "If not for that dog Zuo-Li's rebellion, Gaizhou city would have long since been taken by our army. As for Gao Jianu's Tatar troops, when it comes to thievery and robbery they are each more proficient than the last, but when it comes to marching and fighting, every single one of them is a coward."

Apart from a handful, the combat effectiveness of the Yuan regular army was indeed extremely low most of the time. The eight characters "arrogant and domineering, with ruined military discipline" formed a most apt appraisal.

As people of the era commented: "The sons of military families inherit their posts through generations; arrogant, luxurious, licentious, and self-indulgent, they care only for their own comfort. As for military affairs, they neglect them entirely. They treat the raising of goblets as the firing of cannons, drinking games as military orders, rows of meat dishes as battle formations, and singing as songs of triumph. Military administration has thus fallen into disrepair for a long time." As for other issues such as severe shortages of troop numbers and the abandonment of garrison posts, there was naturally no need to dwell on them.

The Mongol cavalry, who had once galloped across the north and south and destroyed forty nations, had long since lost the valor of their youth, turning into rotting timber and decayed matter. Therefore, once the Red Turbans rose, the world fell into chaos. Thirty-six thieves from Mount Hua and several hundred highwaymen from the upper horses could treat millions of Yuan troops as nothing, galloping freely through the Jianghuai and the two river regions. What a heroic and bold spirit!

Even now, take the officer before him: born of humble origins, commanding fewer than ten thousand troops, and having been meat on the chopping block in peaceful times, he now spoke with utter disdain for the Yuan army, looking down upon the former "Whip of God."

Who says China lacks brave men? Explained from a popular perspective: among ten thousand people, the first is a hero; with one person of outstanding talent out of every ten thousand, and given the Chinese nation's dazzling civilization and immense demographic base, who could compare? Temporary humiliation does not matter; let us keep it firmly in mind and then look at our boundless enduring strength.

***

Having sent the officer off, Deng She's thoughts continued to flutter wildly. Gazing into the night sky, Fang Buzhen's words echoed in his ears once more: "Though mortals live but a single lifetime, the stars endure for a hundred generations."

"General, what are you thinking about?" Bi Qianniu had recently developed an interesting habit: whenever he saw Deng She lost in thought, he would hurriedly ask what he was pondering. Analyzing his mindset, it stemmed roughly from admiration transforming into a thirsty desire to learn and understand.

Deng She had no conscious intention of imparting lessons through his own conduct; he was purely moved by emotion. He cast his gaze far into the distance. As the sound of the officer's horse's hooves gradually faded away into the distance, he said leisurely, "Our China has never lacked brave men. As long as someone is willing to climb high and issue the first call, heroes will be found everywhere. A sage appears once every five hundred years, and a man of talent once every three centuries. Who is the hero that captures the elegance of a century?"

Elegance for a century, the hero alone.

The night passed without incident. Deng She had worried excessively; Gao Jianu did not even dare show his face, let alone launch a night raid. The Japanese mercenaries on Chen Hu's side, however, launched two surprise raids during the night, stepping on a dozen or so landmines that blew dozens of them to pieces. After being subjected to an overwhelming onslaught of arrows by Chen Hu, they left behind over a hundred corpses and retreated in utter disarray.

At the fifth watch, the various armies set out punctually. Several hundred scouts advanced ahead to clear away the Yuan army's scattered cavalry outside Gaizhou city; the main force pushed forward slowly, dragging half-boats and arraying themselves with wagons. Infantry formed the backbone, with several thousand cavalry galloping on both wings. Amidst the darkness, dust flew and the sound of hooves shook the heavens.

Gaizhou city was instantly startled into wakefulness. Spreading like a wildfire, lanterns and torches were lit one after another along the city walls, glowing section by section. In the blink of an eye, a complete circuit around the city was illuminated, turning the night sky red and setting the entire city ablaze.

The moon had not yet fallen, and the stars were sparse.

The night wind blew against his face. Deng She sat on his horse, gazing into the distance at the tail end of the army. His task was to provide cover, and the stronger the deterrent force, the better—there was no need to conceal their movements. Torches blazed bright, illuminating the army like a fiery dragon. The vanguard reached a point three miles outside the city, methodically positioning trebuchets, cannons, and other equipment. Yang Wan虎 rode back and requested instructions: "General, should we fire a few cannons first?"

Fire? It was necessary. Deng She nodded in agreement: "Stone throwers and cannons, fire them together to give the Tatars a taste of our might... What about the cavalry? Form up immediately to prevent the Tatars from sallying forth from the city."

While the vanguard bombarded the city, the rear forces adjusted their formations and slowly enclosed the western gate of Gaizhou city. From afar, several horsemen galloped up swiftly. Upon drawing near, Deng She recognized them as Zhao Guo's personal guards. One of them leaped from his horse and reported loudly, "Reporting to the Grand General! General Zhao has ordered this humble subordinate to report that our division has already arrived east of Gaizhou city, occupied advantageous terrain, and locked down all the eastern gates. Please rest assured, General, not a single Tatar will be let out."

"Very good. Tell General Zhao not to let down his guard." The scene of fighting the Japanese yesterday remained fresh in Deng She's memory; when people were driven to desperation, their potential was infinite.

"Yes!" The guard executed a military salute, turned, mounted his horse, and rode back to transmit the order.

Military reports from the various divisions poured in continuously. He Guangxiu and others reported one after another that they had reached their designated positions. Gao Jianu kept the city shut tight, and none of the divisions had engaged in combat yet. True to what the officer sent by Hu Zhong had said, the Yuan regular army was indeed cowardly and devoid of courage.

Seeing that all divisions had arrived smoothly, Deng She set his heart at ease. With his deployments finalized here, everything now depended on Mao Jujing's ability.

Ten or twenty miles away, a faint flash of fire could be seen shining, only to vanish in an instant. Immediately after, a faint rumbling sound echoed and war drums beat furiously. Bi Qianniu said, "Commander Mao's army has set out."

"Order the troops to press forward with digging trenches and setting up obstacles." Deng She judged that although the Haizhou Inspectorate would not be difficult to attack, it would take at least a day or two. Gao Jianu would not sit still and await his doom; once his preparations were complete, he would definitely sally forth from the city to launch a raid.

The night wind was very cold. Deng She stretched out his hand to feel the late-night chill of October and murmured, "Is it going to rain?"