Volume Two: I Shall Shake the Heavens with a Single Trigger 33: Trade Routes III

The Thief-Catching Bureau was established with remarkable speed. In just one day, over three hundred qualified candidates were selected from the entire army and dispatched to various cities. Deng She issued official documents in the name of the Shuangcheng General Administration Office, instructing Chen Hu and the others to further recruit local garrison troops and indigenous people in their respective cities to fill their ranks.

Regarding the officials of the Shuangcheng Thief-Catching Bureau and the various city offices, it was decided that all positions would be filled by Deng She’s personal guards. Nominally, these were civil posts, but they remained organized under the military structure; their leaders were titled as "Thousand-Man Commanders" of the Thief-Catching Bureau and "Hundred-Man Commanders" of the local offices.

The Thousand-Man Commander of the Thief-Catching Bureau was named Li Shousheng. He was not one of the original "Shangma Bandits" but had joined the army at Yongping. Having distinguished himself in the defense of the camp, Deng She promoted him to his personal guard. When Shuangcheng was captured, Li was among the dozens of brave warriors who followed Deng She into the city. At that time, when Deng She was struck by an arrow fired by Li Chenggui, Li Shousheng was the first of the guards to react, throwing himself forward without regard for his own safety to block a second arrow meant for his commander.

Appointing him as the head of the Thief-Catching Bureau was a result of Deng She’s careful deliberation.

This man had the merit of protecting his lord; he was loyal and meticulous. Most importantly, he had no ties to any of the factions within the army. He was neither an old Shangma Bandit—avoiding entanglement with Wen, Chen, or Zhao—nor one of the "Eight Hundred Veterans," keeping him clear of Li Heshang, Luo Guoqi, and Guan Shirong.

As the army expanded and the old Shangma Bandits and the Eight Hundred Veterans gradually became the core of the officer corps, factionalism and regionalism became increasingly apparent. Deng She had to be cautious.

Publicly, Deng She never wanted a repeat of the incident in Dingzhou where Chen Hu had executed over a hundred people. By appointing someone with no factional ties as the chief, the man could act without burden, minimizing the influence of the various military cliques and ensuring that business was conducted impartially, better allowing him to grasp and execute Deng She’s vision.

Privately, while the Thief-Catching Bureau was nominally only responsible for catching thieves, its right to gather intelligence effectively gave it the duty of supervising local administration. Since supervision was required, there was no one more suitable than Li Shousheng, who had always remained by Deng She’s side and stood apart from all factions.

Of course, while Deng She was comfortable handing such an important position to one man, Hong Jixun was not. At his request, an old Shangma Bandit was assigned to Li Shousheng as a deputy. In each city’s office, the principle of one chief and one deputy was followed: the Hundred-Man Commander was a Han soldier, while the deputy was a Goryeo native. After all, it was local work, and without a local Goryeo person, it would be difficult to carry out.

Wu Henian, a veteran of officialdom, had seen plenty of political maneuvering; how could he not understand Deng She’s intent? He very tactfully cleared an independent courtyard within the General Administration Office for the bureau’s use. Sometimes, when he saw Li Shousheng, he did not dare to put on any airs of a superior; everyone knew that his "official" title was merely for show.

Local thief-catching was straightforward, but Li Shousheng had no experience in intelligence gathering, nor did Deng She. However, Hong Jixun and Wu Henian knew a little, and by pooling their wisdom, they outlined a framework. One cannot become fat in a single bite; now that the framework existed, the specific details would have to be learned and supplemented through work.

After stamping the final seal, Deng She stretched. Excluding the main bureau in Shuangcheng, the appointment letters for the dozens of officers across more than ten cities alone required thirty to forty documents. To show his importance, each letter was drafted by Wu Henian and personally copied by Deng She. It took over half an hour; he hadn't written so many characters in years and was quite exhausted.

Flexing his wrists, Deng She asked, "How is the progress of the cooperatives?"

"Reporting to the Commander, the documents have been sent to all regions. As for the villages under Shuangcheng’s jurisdiction, I began working on it yesterday."

"Speed it up. The autumn harvest is in two months; try to establish the prototype before then so we can see the results during the harvest," Deng She said. "Daily necessities like salt and cloth will be distributed from the treasury once the requests from each city are reported. Half of the proceeds from the cooperatives and shops will go to the army, twenty percent will remain in the cities for civil use, temporarily managed by the Agricultural Promotion Commissioner, and the rest will go to your Shuangcheng General Administration Office."

Civil administration was just starting, and for now, it was difficult to distinguish between military and civilian affairs. Every civil office, including the Shuangcheng General Administration Office, had virtually no funds and had to seek Deng She’s approval for everything, relying on military supplies. This was fine when there was only Shuangcheng, but now that the territory was larger, such a system was no longer appropriate.

Wu Henian was more than willing, though he dared not request it. What does an official grasp? The two words "power" ultimately boil down to people, wealth, and goods. With people, wealth, and goods, one has power, and the official position becomes comfortable and stable.

Though happy, he reminded himself not to show it, saying, "Once the cooperatives are established, the amount of money and goods for civil administration will be significant. The Commander allowing each city to retain twenty percent is not only compassionate to the lower ranks but also shows immense foresight."

Deng She was used to Wu Henian’s flattery and smiled. "Never mind the other cities for now; you calculate, how much in daily goods does Shuangcheng need?"

Once the Red Turbans entered Shuangcheng, Goryeo merchants disappeared. Across the mountains and plateaus, Liaodong merchants were out of the question. Two or three months was fine; households had some reserves to scrape by. But as time passed, once those reserves were exhausted, the pressure on the government would be immense.

"Shuangcheng originally had 42,000 indigenous people; 1,400 died when the city was sacked. The Commander recruited Jurchens, and altogether 2,400 have moved here. Due to the land distribution policy, over the past two months, many scattered refugees have heard the news and settled here, numbering over 900. In total, there are now over 44,000 people in Shuangcheng.

"Salt is easy. The most critical shortages are cloth, iron, pottery, and medicinal herbs. Not to mention cloth; as for iron, the iron produced in the smelting works is insufficient even for the military, and all the blacksmiths in the cities have been conscripted into the army. I often go to the homes of the indigenous people to check on their conditions; one-third of the households lack iron tools, and some don't even have iron pots.

"While shortages of iron and cloth can be substituted with other things, the shortage of medicinal herbs is dire. The common folk are reaching a point where they have no doctors to see and no medicine to use.

"I wonder if the Commander has noticed that in the Ganying Temple in the city, the foolish men and women seeking medicine are there from dawn until dusk, without rest. On the mountain outside the city, there is a Wanshou Temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin; rumors say it is very efficacious. Although the General strictly forbids residents from going up the mountain, some still sneak in to worship under the guise of farming. Several soldiers have been caught. Because it involves civil affairs, I interrogated them; every one of them did it because their elderly or young family members were sick and lacked medicine."

Deng She knew the city lacked doctors and medicine. This was due to the lack of merchant traffic and the fact that most doctors and medicines had been conscripted into the army when the city fell. But he had not expected it to be this severe.

In fact, it wasn't just the civilians; after several battles, even the army’s stockpiles were low. The goods Chen Zhe brought back a few days ago, besides gunpowder, consisted mostly of medicine.

Deng She frowned. The medicine Chen Zhe brought could certainly not be given to civilians. What then?

"Organize the doctors to go into the mountains to pick herbs and provide emergency relief for now."

"Although there are many mountains around Shuangcheng, Commander, medicinal herbs are not found everywhere." Wu Henian found Deng She’s solution bittersweet. He was a Confucian scholar; if one could not be a famous minister, one became a famous doctor, so he understood a little medicine.

Deng She paused. He knew nothing of the trade. He stood up and paced, unable to think of a good idea. In the end, it all came down to trade. Only through trade could the problem be solved.

During yesterday’s meeting, Hong Jixun had proposed two methods: go to Pyongyang or go to Southern Liaodong. But as discussed, Pyongyang was in enemy territory, and Southern Liaodong was too far to solve the root problem.

As he pondered, Zuo Che'er entered the hall, saluted, and reported, "General, Deputy Ten-Thousand-Man Commander He requests an audience."

Usually, He Guangxiu would arrive early every day, following Deng She like a little tail. After he was officially tasked with organizing the military colonies, he became busy and had not come to report today. Since he was here now, there must be something important. Deng She told him to enter.

He Guangxiu walked in with his head held high. With his new title as the Commissioner for Military Colonies, the thin mustache on his lip had been groomed to be much thicker. He knelt and kowtowed; Deng She gestured for him to rise. "What is it? Are there problems with the military colonies?"

He Guangxiu got up. "Reporting to the General, the Goryeo people are very obedient; everything with the colonies is going smoothly." Since when, he had begun to refer to the indigenous people as "Goryeo people," just like the other generals, seemingly considering himself a Han.

Deng She waited for him to continue, but he glanced at Wu Henian and decided not to say anything, blurting out, "I am here for a military matter."

Wu Henian was stunned. He was used to being dismissed by generals like Wen and Chen. But a "stick-wielding eunuch" with a deputy commander’s rank, in charge of farming chores—what kind of "military secrets" could he have? He cursed silently, took the appointment documents, and bowed out.

Deng She was not surprised. He Guangxiu had been a deputy commander for a long time and knew how to advance himself. He often asked people to read *The Art of War* to him and had become much more capable. There was only one thing: he loved to act mysterious, constantly saying, "Military secret, please have everyone else leave."

"Speak, what is it?" Deng She sighed.

"Last night during the second watch, four or five Japanese pirate ships sneaked onto the island, attempting to steal our horses. They were repelled by my men, and we captured three prisoners. I have come to report the victory!" He Guangxiu said triumphantly.

Since He Guangxiu’s unit had captured the island, Deng She had intended to send Han troops to take over, but he hadn't had the time, so Goryeo soldiers were still guarding it. The adult horses on the island had already been sent to the army, but dozens of foals remained.

Deng She was surprised: "Japanese pirates?" The northern part of Goryeo was not as wealthy or remote as the south, so Japanese pirates were rare.

"Exactly. I asked them; they said they were originally heading to Gyeongsang Province, fell into a Goryeo ambush, and were defeated. A few ships lost their way and ended up in Shuangcheng."

That sounded plausible. Deng She didn't take it to heart—just a few pirates. He had no interest in seeing them. He waved his hand. "Take them out and behead them." Seeing He Guangxiu’s disappointed face, he added, "Your unit has merit in defending the land; report this to General Zuo, and you shall be rewarded." With Chen Hu gone to Dingzhou, Zuo Che'er had taken over as the military law officer.

He Guangxiu was happy again, feigning humility. "Just a few petty thieves..."

Deng She listened perfunctorily, but suddenly a thought struck him. Japanese pirates? Linking this to the trade route he was worried about, he pondered. Whether it would work or not, he would try. He called He Guangxiu back. "Wait, bring them to me first."

He Guangxiu was delighted to show off his merit. Soon, he led a few soldiers to bring the prisoners in. Zuo Che'er, ever cautious, brought guards to protect Deng She. Only two prisoners arrived. He Guangxiu explained, "The third one had a loose mouth, got beaten too badly, and was a bloody mess. Too dirty, didn't want to stain the General’s eyes."

Deng She did not know Japanese, but one of the Goryeo soldiers did. He Guangxiu introduced him as a former lowly slave from the south whose master was cruel; he had fled to Liaodong and joined the army.

Deng She looked at the two pirates. They were dejected, their clothes in tatters, cowering on the ground. He turned to He Guangxiu. "Were there any ships captured?"

He Guangxiu said shamefully, "Only one. The island garrison didn't have enough ships to intercept them."

Deng She nodded. "What did you seize?"

"Besides some silver, nothing." He Guangxiu misunderstood, adding, "I have inventoried it all, waiting for the General’s review."

Silver was of no use to Deng She. He looked at the prisoners again. "Where are they from?"

"Tsushima." Tsushima was an island north of Kyushu in Japan, only a hundred miles from Goryeo. The population was small, but many pirates who raided Goryeo came from there.

Deng She was not familiar with the geography. He asked He Guangxiu to draw a rough map on the ground. To use them, one must first know them. The taller prisoner was called Kikuzaburo, and the short, dark one was Fuji Mitsuhide.

Hearing the name, Deng She found it funny and looked at He Guangxiu. He Guangxiu kicked Fuji Mitsuhide, shouting, "How dare a street dog share a name with me and the General’s great general! Die!"

Deng She smiled. "Ask him how many companions they had and how they were defeated by the Goryeo navy."

The interpreter asked, and they replied: "They set out with over thirty ships, but encountered a storm that scattered them. His group had fewer than ten left. Unwilling to return, they landed in Gyeongsang Province, fell into an ambush, and less than half survived."

Deng She was disappointed. Only four or five ships left. "What do they usually steal?"

Fuji Mitsuhide muttered. The soldier translated: "Mostly food."

Deng She learned that Japan was in its Northern and Southern Courts period, with constant warfare. Many soldiers became pirates out of hunger. The two men were from different groups—Kikuzaburo was a native of Tsushima, and Fuji Mitsuhide was a deserter from the Southern Court. They had fought each other before joining forces.

Deng She asked Fuji Mitsuhide, who held a higher status, "How many ships do you have in total? Surely more than thirty?"

Fuji Mitsuhide, having raided Goryeo for years, knew some Goryeo language. He blurted out, "Thirty were just for the voyage. There are sixty more on the island, with five hundred men."

If not for his urgent needs, Deng She would have beheaded them. He frowned at Fuji Mitsuhide’s obnoxiousness. "Take him out and give him twenty lashes."

As the sounds of whipping and screaming echoed through the hall, Kikuzaburo trembled. When Fuji Mitsuhide was dragged back, he was covered in blood, kowtowing frantically.

Deng She ignored his pain. "Who is your leader?"

"Fujijiro," he said, adding, "He is my brother." He hoped this would save his life.

Deng She pondered for a moment. "I have a business proposition. Are you interested?"

Fuji Mitsuhide nodded repeatedly.

"I hear you raid Goryeo for food. I have plenty of grain. I can provide it to you for free, but you must provide me with things in exchange—medicinal herbs, cloth, weapons, anything you steal from Goryeo, I want."

Fuji Mitsuhide agreed immediately.

Deng She didn't care if he was lying. "Good. To show my sincerity, I can prepare a thousand *dan* of grain for you to transport back." He paused. "You only have one ship, can you carry it?"

"We can, we can! My companions have six ships in total. If I don't return, they won't dare to leave. Give me one day to summon them, and we can transport the thousand *dan* with no problem."

Deng She agreed, pointing at Kikuzaburo. "Excellent. The task of summoning the ships is yours. You have wounds on your back, so stay here and rest."

Fuji Mitsuhide was stunned. "Kikuzaburo has low status; he is useless. My wounds don't matter, I can endure it, I won't fail the General’s task."

Deng She agreed. "Very well. But it is cold on the sea, and you are weak from your wounds. If you get sick, that would be unfortunate." He made the final decision: "It is settled. General He, send some men with Kikuzaburo to summon these brothers."

He Guangxiu, eager to show off, took Kikuzaburo and left heroically. Fuji Mitsuhide watched them leave, full of disappointment. He had intended to volunteer and never return. Only a fool would do business with Shuangcheng.

Deng She coughed to get his attention. "My apologies for the roughness earlier. Does your back really not hurt?"

"It’s fine, it’s fine."

"If you linger, give him twenty military lashes."

The soldiers dragged him away. Zuo Che'er was confused. "General, do you really believe him? The Japanese pirates are habitual thieves; would they really do business with us?"

Deng She smiled. "Not doing business doesn't mean we can't learn from them." Opening trade routes wasn't the only option; they could also cross the sea to raid the southern part of Goryeo.

Because of the Mongol-Yuan control, many Goryeo cities lacked adequate walls. Even coastal areas were poorly defended. Hong Jixun had said that areas like Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces were sparsely populated along the coast, with weak defenses. A few hundred men could drive straight in. He couldn't let such an opportunity pass.

However, Deng She lacked ships. He needed to build them and train sailors. He decided to use Fuji Mitsuhide and the others, who knew the sea and the Goryeo coastline well. He would trick them into bringing more men and then detain them.

Deng She had already been planning for shipbuilding. Shuangcheng had abundant timber, and there were craftsmen among the Jurchens and Goryeo people. With Hong Jixun’s knowledge—his ancestor Hong Dagu had overseen shipbuilding for the Yuan invasion—everything was ready.

He Guangxiu had actually been very useful. Deng She thought about rewarding him. He issued the order: "Tell Wen Huaguo and Wu Henian to organize soldiers and laborers to cut timber. Select the Jurchens who know how to build ships, along with the Goryeo craftsmen, and form a shipyard battalion. Order Zhao Guo in Jishan to send some Jurchen craftsmen as well."

Shipbuilding was a major task. After much thought, Deng She decided: "Bring Luo Guoqi here and make him the Thousand-Man Commander of Shipbuilding."