Volume One: Is There a Path for Humanity in Troubled Times Chapter 23: Yongping II

The two groups met, and as expected, the reunion was lively. Deng She briefly recounted the events on the road and asked about the whereabouts of the Yuan army. Wen Huaguo and Chen Hu were likewise puzzled: “We chased them halfway up the mountain, but the Tartars suddenly withdrew. Perhaps they saw Commander Xu’s corpse and lost their will to pursue? Or maybe they ran out of provisions and had no choice but to retreat?”

Everyone speculated but could not make sense of it. Whatever the reason, it was a stroke of luck; after days and nights of being hunted by the Red Cavalry, they could finally breathe easier.

Chen Hu apologized sincerely to Lady Wang: “Commander Xu’s wounds worsened, and we couldn’t find a doctor... We had intended to bring his body with us, but the Tartars pressed so closely that we barely had time to bury him. If you find fault, it is only right to blame us for our poor care.”

How could Lady Wang blame them for such a thing? Instead, she spoke kind words to comfort them, bowed in gratitude to Wen and Chen for drawing away the Yuan army. Clad in Commander Xu’s clothes, she performed a lady’s etiquette in a man’s garb—her refined features and graceful bearing made her especially charming.

To be cautious, both forces marched half the night, then found a hilltop to make camp and rest. On the way, Deng She outlined his plan. Having been a bandit chief for over a decade, Wen Huaguo was bold and reckless and naturally approved. Chen Hu, after much deliberation, found the plan of cooperating from within and without quite feasible.

With Deng San fallen in battle, only forty-some of their old comrades remained—they were at the end of their rope. Rather than waiting for doom, it was better to gamble for a new future.

After sending Lady Wang to rest, the commanders gathered and ordered He Guangxiu to kneel before them and give a thorough account of every detail inside and outside Yongping City. He Guangxiu had lived in Yongping for three or five years, wandering the streets and alleys, begging for survival; he was intimately familiar with the districts, markets, and troop deployments. Though illiterate, his hands were nimble—he fetched paper and brush, drew a map, and presented it to Deng She and the others.

As they examined the map, Wen Huaguo found himself more interested in He Guangxiu—he had never seen a eunuch before. He scrutinized him curiously and, taking He Guangxiu aside, commanded: “You, take off your trousers. Let me see what a man without a bird looks like.”

This request was not at all unreasonable; He Guangxiu made his living by precisely this. With a flattering smile, he obligingly stripped without even standing up. Wen Huaguo examined him closely, spat, and kicked him over: “Shameless swine.” The soldiers gathered around roared with laughter.

Deng She, noticing the commotion, ordered Zhao Guo to intervene. Zhao Guo told He Guangxiu to dress and brought him forward. Deng She spoke gently: “Captain Wen is rough but kind; don’t take offense.” Though he looked down on He Guangxiu’s character, he chose his words carefully, for now was a time for using people, not discarding them.

Unexpectedly, He Guangxiu, born a slave, had been despised as subhuman from birth; after castration, abuse and beatings became his daily lot, his status lower than a stray dog. Across the Yalu River, however, the Han Chinese behaved with the manners of a great nation; aside from a few jeers or laughs, they would even give him a tip afterward. Compared to his past, this was paradise.

Thus, Deng She’s gentle tone made him uncomfortable; he dropped his ingratiating smile and said fearfully, “Captain Wen’s care is my good fortune. When you speak so kindly, that’s when I truly feel like a pig or dog.”

Deng She was dumbfounded that such a person existed, then replied, “If so, so be it... Let me ask you: How many of your countrymen are in Yongping City? What do they do?”

He Guangxiu replied, “Around a thousand. Most, like me, make a living performing. The less capable beg for subsistence. Of those with some means, forty or fifty households—mostly daughters serving as maids or concubines for prominent families. When one succeeds, the whole family follows.”

Goryeo women were fair, beautiful, gentle, and skilled in service; they were highly prized in China. Many prominent households took pride in having Goryeo maids, making it one of the best paths for Goryeo people in China. Deng She nodded in understanding, then picked up the map. “You said there are fewer than five thousand soldiers stationed in Yongping. Is this accurate?”

“My compatriot’s daughter is the concubine of the city garrison’s commander. He favors her, and sometimes, when entertaining Commander Nayan, he invites me to liven things up. I often hear them discuss military matters, so I know.”

“And what of the prefect?”

“The Darughachi is a Semu—doesn’t know Chinese, rarely meddles in affairs. The chief administrator is Han, capable and wise, famed for his integrity,” He Guangxiu answered earnestly.

Deng She frowned; a competent prefect meant they must proceed with caution. After the others retired, he lay awake, turning the plan over in his mind. In the deep night, insects chirped beneath a heavy, unbroken sky. This was the first major decision he faced alone since Deng San’s death. The old brothers supported him, but the pressure weighed heavily.

A rustling came from behind. Alert, he gripped his sword and turned—only to see Chen Hu.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Uncle Chen, this concerns the lives of eight hundred brothers. One misstep, and all is lost—I can’t help but worry.” Deng She shifted to make room on his cloak spread upon the ground.

Chen Hu sat without a word, simply keeping Deng She company through the night.

As the darkness faded, the sky grew faintly bright. Heavy clouds pressed low, threatening to break. In the distance, a sentry stood, his spear’s red tassel streaming in the cold wind, his horse at his side—a silhouette of strength and resolve in the dawn.

Chen Hu stood, patted Deng She, and said, “Man proposes, Heaven disposes. If you believe you’re right, do your best, and whether you succeed or fail, there’s no need for regret.” Then, with a gruff oath, “Dead men see the heavens—She, just do it.”

This side of Chen Hu was unusual; Deng She couldn’t help but smile. The wind was cold, but his heart was warm.

The troops boiled water in their helmets and ate Deng She’s hardtack. After the midnight rest, both horses and men were much refreshed. Deng She took charge, following Lady Wang’s orders and assigning commands. Chen Hu led the vanguard cavalry, Wen Huaguo covered the rear. Yellow Mule, Luo Guoqi, Guan Shirong, and Monk Li marched with the main force. He promoted Zhao Guo, giving him half of Lady Wang’s two hundred personal guards.

With everything in order, they marched for Yongping.

Under the Yuan dynasty’s administrative system, below the provinces were circuits, prefectures, subprefectures, and counties. Yongping Prefecture was the seat of Yongping Circuit, bordering Liaodong and overlooking the capital, under direct central administration. The Darughachi and chief administrator He Guangxiu mentioned were the circuit’s top officials.

Yongping Circuit was the lowest of three tiers. Formerly a prefecture, later renamed for peace after flooding, it governed four counties and one subprefecture, which in turn governed two additional counties. In peaceful times, the circuit had thirty to forty thousand people. Through years of turmoil, it had never been plundered, so its population had instead grown, with refugees flocking in. He Guangxiu estimated that the city alone now held at least thirty thousand people.

Traveling by side roads and avoiding the city, they marched day and night, intercepting two or three bands of Green Troops. Larger groups were avoided; smaller ones were wiped out, their clothes stripped for later use. During brief rests, Deng She, Luo Guoqi, and Chen Hu repeatedly questioned He Guangxiu, rehearsing and recalculating every detail to ensure a flawless attack.

Inside and outside the Taihang Mountains and the Great Wall, the Yuan court had stationed heavy troops. Rather than taking the shortest route, they traveled from Xingzhou (now eastern and western Chengde), into Liaoyang Province, then south through Daaning Circuit (now Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia), returning to the central province’s territory.

Both Xingzhou and Daaning were still in Yuan hands. Xingzhou especially was garrisoned by a thousand-man wing of the Imperial Tiger Guard—one of the thirty-four elite palace units, considered the emperor’s own troops, both as palace guards and frontier garrisons.

To avoid trouble, Deng She’s party passed through by night. After several more days, they glimpsed Lulong.

Lulong, a county under Yongping Prefecture, stood close to the city.

——

1. Goryeo Women.

“Goryeo women are fair and beautiful, surpassing those of China.” They are “gentle, skilled in service.”

“In the capital, no noble family is complete without a Goryeo maid. Northern families must have Goryeo girl-servants, and every household boy must have a black servant. Without these, one cannot be called a true official family.”

A Yuan poet wrote: “I regret not being a Goryeo girl, for carriages laden with gold and pearls compete to claim them. In a century of peace, the singers and dancers all come from Goryeo.”

2. Tribute Women from Goryeo.

The system of tribute women and the selection of Goryeo eunuchs were basic political arrangements of the Yuan dynasty. Lady Qi was one such tribute woman. Moreover, the empresses of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Taiding were also Goryeo tribute women.

Requests for tribute women came not only from the central government but from local governments, princes, nobles, and officials. When Goryeo could not meet the quota, some sent Han girls to Goryeo to learn the language and music, and on their return, passed them off as Goryeo women: “My daughter has never threaded a needle, but is sent to Goryeo to learn their tongue. Once she’s mastered the foreign quail’s song, one note is worth a thousand gold.”

To solve the shortage, Goryeo issued strict maiden control edicts: “A respectable maiden must be reported to officials before marriage, or her family will be punished.” Marriage bans were reiterated: “Girls between thirteen and sixteen may not marry without permission. Violators will be punished.”

Some Goryeo officials offered their own daughters to Yuan officials to advance their rank, but Yuan officials did not always accept them, preferring those of notable lineage.

A story: The Yuan Darughachi in Goryeo, Tottoer, sought a wife for his son, insisting on a prime minister’s daughter. The family head was away at court, and his household begged for a proper marriage. Denied, the official simply took the girl. Even the “prime minister’s” house could only endure in silence.

Most who intermarried with Goryeo officials were Mongols or Central Asians, rarely Han Chinese—partly because Han people held low status and were looked down upon, and partly because Han elites harbored prejudice against Goryeo women.

3. Yuan Local Administration.

“Before the Tang, only commanderies and counties existed; the Yuan established four levels: circuits, prefectures, subprefectures, and counties. Generally, a circuit manages subprefectures and counties, with provinces managing circuits, circuits managing prefectures, prefectures managing subprefectures, and subprefectures managing counties. Some prefectures and subprefectures report directly to the province. Their history can be traced back to the Tang.

“Each circuit is subordinate to the province. Prefectures and subprefectures directly under the province are also subordinate to it. The pacification and investigation offices are subordinate to the province as well. The circuit’s record office and the counties, prefectures, and subprefectures under it are subordinate to the circuit. Counties under prefectures and subprefectures are subordinate to them. Some counties, prefectures, or subprefectures are managed directly by the circuit. To distinguish, they are referred to as ‘x number of counties, prefectures, or subprefectures under direct control’; for those under prefectures or subprefectures, as ‘x number of counties.’”

4. Darughachi.

A statistic: “In the mid-Yuan dynasty, there were 22,490 officials; 30.12% were Mongols or Semu, 69.88% Han or southerners. Compared to population ratios, the disparity is clear: most Han or southern officials held only minor posts at the county or subprefecture level. The Yuan had no choice, as Mongols and Semu rarely understood Chinese and could not manage affairs.”

Darughachi and the chief administrator were both called “chiefs,” the top officials of a circuit. The Darughachi was the supervising officer, keeper of the official seals, superior to the chief administrator, and often called “supervisor” in records—his role was oversight.

In the second year of Zhiyuan, an edict stated: “Mongols serve as Darughachi in all circuits, Han as chief administrators, Hui as associate administrators; this is to be permanent practice.”

In practice, the Darughachi was usually a Mongol, otherwise a Semu; Han were rarely permitted to hold this post. Mongols and Semu faced no restrictions in serving as chief administrators or their deputies. The chief administrator “managed administration,” handled taxes, justice, and all civil affairs, and was also called “chief civil officer.”