Volume 3: Heroes Are Silent, Earth and Heaven Grow Old Chapter 39: The Settled Outcome III

Over the course of two days, Gao Jianu seized opportunities to attempt breakouts twice. One was at noon, and the other at midnight, but both were half-hearted probes. What drove Deng She to distraction was the ceaseless beating of gongs and drums inside the city, day and night, almost without pause, which left the entire army thoroughly exhausted.

Yang Wanhu and the others were utterly furious, repeatedly requesting battle: "This damn bastard is driving us crazy, leaving us unable to sleep or eat in peace. General, if this goes on, the brothers will be completely worn out. Let's find an opportunity and crush them in a fight!"

"Commander Mao has yet to succeed in breaking out; our forces must absolutely not move." Deng She decisively refused. Gao Jianu's intent with his day-and-night harassment was none other than to lure Deng She into attacking so he could launch a surprise raid amidst the chaos. Once he managed to break out, it would be like a wild beast escaping its cage, turning the battlefield into a free-for-all where anything could happen. He stated, "We must never sacrifice the greater goal for a minor grievance."

A commander must avoid going to war out of anger.

However, Gao Jianu's provocations could not be ignored either. While arranging for his soldiers to keep watch in shifts, Deng She also used various small-scale feints to respond and counterattack. Compared to real blades and spears, psychological warfare was far more exhausting. Just as Deng She was reaching his own limit, good news arrived from the northern front.

On the afternoon of the third day, Mao Jiujing successfully captured the Haizhou Inspectorate. Most of the rebel generals died in battle, and Zuo Li was captured alive. Mao Jiujing had him torn apart by five chariots, hanging his head outside the main camp gate while scattering his four limbs among the various rebel camps as a deterrent. Since it was a time when capable men were urgently needed, the death sentences of the rank-and-file rebel soldiers were pardoned; they were reorganized, integrated, and driven to serve as the vanguard in preparation for the battle of Liaoyang.

That very night, Mao Jiujing sent a dispatch to Deng She's camp. Upon hearing the news, Fang Buzhen, Zheng Sanbao, and others came together.

Shortly after nightfall, the camp was brightly lit. Chen Hu, Zhao Guo, Yang Wanhu, and He Guangxiu, following military orders, arrived one after another. In an instant, the officers and men of the three armies gathered, and Deng She's commander's tent was filled with fierce warriors in full armor.

Once Gaizhou fell, the next step was to rescue Liaoyang. The arriving generals, regardless of faction, knew full well why Deng She had summoned them at this moment. Over the past three days, while Mao Jiujing fought to break out at the front, Deng She and Chen Hu as well as Zhao Guo had been continuously discussing strategies in the rear, formulating a relatively mature response plan.

Bi Qianniu commanded his personal guards to arrange seats and serve tea, then withdrew to personally patrol outside the tent. As the captain of the personal guards, his primary duties were security and confidentiality.

Everyone took their seats. Deng She raised his tea cup and smiled, "Commander Mao has annihilated the rebel troops and achieved a complete victory. Though it was to be expected that Commander Mao's elite forces and brave generals would achieve success upon arrival, how swift it was! Capturing the city in three days is enough to awe the petty-minded and elevate the heavenly majesty of our Imperial Song. However, being in the midst of war, we cannot drink alcohol. Gentlemen, let us substitute tea for wine and drink this cup together to celebrate Commander Mao."

"To Commander Mao's victory."

The generals raised their cups and drank. Whether it was Chen Hu and Zhao Guo, or Fang Buzhen and Zheng Sanbao, their joy was entirely natural. Internal conflicts aside, everyone shared the same hatred for the Yuan troops and the rebels. To take it a step further, their hatred for the rebels even surpassed that of the Yuan troops.

Yang Wanhu set down his cup and said, "Commander Mao's victory is great, but it's a pity those rebel dogs were spared and not wiped out entirely."

"Commander Mao has his own considerations. Only a few military commanders like Zuo Li rebelled, what crime did the ordinary soldiers commit? Let bygones be bygones; they remain the brave and ferocious tigers of our Great Song." This was a fine way of putting it, though everyone knew that Mao Jiujing was driving the rebel soldiers to serve as the vanguard. Once the battle of Liaoyang was joined, even in victory, very few of them would likely survive to the end.

Understanding did not mean exposing it. The generals laughed heartily. Fang Buzhen and Zheng Sanbao exchanged glances, and Zheng Sanbao spoke first, asking, "I heard that apart from the victory dispatch, Commander Mao had another letter handed over to the General? I wonder what was written in it?"

His question was presumptuous, and the joyful atmosphere in the tent instantly chilled. Chen Hu snorted, and Yang Wanhu glared angrily.

What did Mao Jiujing's letter to Deng She have to do with anyone else? How would Zheng Sanbao know about a letter written to Deng She? Clearly, Mao Jiujing had written to him as well. Deng She raised his eyes, unfazed, and smiled, "It didn't write much, just briefly discussing the military situation in Gaizhou and Liaoyang. Why? Is the General interested?"

Anyway, tonight's purpose in summoning the generals led right to this. To be honest, no matter how accurate he deemed his rational judgments to be, whenever he thought of the mutiny in Shuangcheng, he felt an urgent desire to return, wishing to cut through tangled hemp with a sharp knife and quickly settle the Gaizhou affair.

Zheng Sanbao had spent several days in the dungeon, and even waving Guan Duo's banner in the end had failed to bring him any advantage, instead earning his army the reputation in military circles of lacking righteousness. Later, after being lectured by Fang Buzhen, his temper had reined itself in somewhat.

He averted his gaze from Yang Wanhu's glare and acted as though he hadn't heard Chen Hu's cold snort. With a dry chuckle, he said, "I wouldn't dare say I'm interested. The General might not know, but this general has worked alongside Commander Mao for a long time and understands him deeply. Commander Mao's character is seasoned in warfare, well-versed in military secrets, and possessed of long-term vision. Since his letter to the General touches upon the war situation in Gaizhou and Liaoyang, it must surely contain unique insights. If the General doesn't mind, sharing it would be appreciated."

Fang Buzhen coughed twice. His cards had been laid out a bit too quickly, not quite matching his intentions. He had originally intended to chat for a bit longer, then make indirect inquiries or hint obliquely to resolve the matter amicably. But plans could not keep up with changes. Seeing Deng She remain silent for a long time, he knew he had been too hasty and shot an annoyed look at Zheng Sanbao, muttering, "All brawn and no brains," while preparing to smooth things over.

Deng She suddenly smiled, clapped his hands, and said, "Fetch Commander Mao's letter."

Mao Jiujing's letter was written in his own hand and contained three layers of meaning. First: reporting the victory; second: expressing gratitude; third: expressing anxiety over Liaoyang and asking about Deng She's intentions.

Zheng Sanbao was illiterate, but Fang Buzhen had read it. Since matters had reached this point, he decided to speak plainly, leveraging the momentum to say, "Commander Mao's words are correct; the military situation in Liaoyang is indeed far from optimistic. Naghachiu has been besieging the city for more than ten days, and days ago the city walls collapsed. The soldiers inside are brave enough, but alas, they are outnumbered. The General is well-versed in the art of war and must know that there is no city that can hold out indefinitely without a relieving force. Rescuing Liaoyang is truly a matter of utmost urgency."

Deng She nodded repeatedly, while Yang Wanhu said, "Commander Mao commands a force of fifty thousand and has incorporated nearly ten thousand rebel troops. Naghachiu boasts of a million men, but even ten thousand—no, a hundred thousand would be remarkable. With our army holding Gaizhou in the rear, we can anticipate that Commander Mao's next victory is just around the corner."

Military intelligence of this nature had never been shared with Yang Wanhu by Deng She, but Yang Wanhu was not stupid. Rescue Liaoyang? It was thankless work. He didn't even need to guess to know Deng She's thoughts. In his heart, he didn't want to go either. His personality prevented him from hiding his words, so he spoke frankly and clearly dissociated himself from the idea.

Fang Buzhen said, "You cannot put it that way. In Commander Mao's victory dispatch, he credited the General with the primary contribution. With such a great merit, I expect an order of promotion from the Grand Councilor will arrive shortly, and the position of Marshal is a dead certainty..."

Unlike Yao Haogu and Hong Jixun, Fang Buzhen was not naturally eloquent. He had ideals, pursuits, and his own stubborn persistence, along with a certain long-term vision, but he lacked the skill of a silver tongue. Before he could finish, Chen Hu interrupted him, stood up, and bowed to Deng She, saying, "This subordinate, though untalented, was ordered by the General to pacify the Japanese pirates, yet has failed to conquer them to this day. I have important military intelligence to report to the General."

Fang Buzhen swallowed hard, his temper starting to flare up.

Deng She said solemnly, "Speak."

Chen Hu strode into the center of the tent, resting his hand on his saber, and said, "In strict accordance with the General's orders, this subordinate has spent the past few days surrounding the enemy without attacking. The day before yesterday and yesterday, the pirates attempted breakouts several times. Last night, a chiliarch under my command suggested burning the pirates' provisions and heavy baggage. I agreed, located their storage site, launched a night raid at the third watch, and burned more than half of it.

"General, grain is the courage of an army. Since the enemy's provisions have been burned by us, their fierce momentum will inevitably be dampened. Coupled with Commander Mao's great victory, our army can now free up its hands, strike in one go, and annihilate these scoundrels!"

He had successfully changed the subject, avoiding any mention of Liaoyang and focusing entirely on the present. Fang Buzhen flew into a rage, his expression twisting as he opened his mouth to lash out, but catching himself just in time, he managed to forcefully suppress his anger. He heard Deng She ask, "If it's as you say, wiping out these pirates would be effortless. Commander Mao's letter asks about my intentions; what do you think our army's next move should be after defeating the pirates?"

"Fall back to Shuangcheng."

Zheng Sanbao's expression changed, and Xu Ren and Li Jing looked at each other in dismay. Neither expected Chen Hu to be so direct, showing not the slightest intention of rescuing Liaoyang in his words. Fang Buzhen leaped to his feet, pointing straight at Chen Hu's nose: "Why, you—what kind of man are you..." Remembering how Chen Hu had shut down his furious scoldings a few days prior, and wishing to avoid repeating his mistake, he pulled back his finger and cut straight to the core, "I'm going to tear into you!"

The torches stuck to the walls of the tent flickered, and the brazier in the corner burned brightly, filling the room with warmth. In the flickering firelight, dozens of generals who commanded thousands of men sat in stern silence. Among them were Chen Hu's subordinates; one by one, they glared with furious eyes and raised angry brows, all looking toward Deng She, waiting only for a single word of command to seize this rebellious spine who dared roar before the commander-in-chief a second time.

Chen Hu didn't even spare Fang Buzhen a glance. Having finished his piece, he bowed again and held his head high as he returned to his position.

Zhao Guo, who sat below him, stood up. He had always been silent and sparing with words, but due to his relationship with Deng She and his own military achievements, his prestige in the army was very high—second only to Wen and Chen, one might say.

The moment he stood up, the generals quieted. Zhao Guo bowed to Deng She, then cupped his fists toward Zheng Sanbao and Fang Buzhen, saying, "General Zheng, Lord Fang, you two may not know this, but what General Chen said has... has a reason. It is truly a last resort."

He stuttered, and Li Jing was also a stutterer. Their military units were both stationed on the right wing, and after spending these past few days together, the two of them had become quite familiar. Li Jing asked, "M-May I ask General Zhao, w-w-why do you say that? H-How is it a last r-r-resort..."

Xu Ren dutifully supplied the rest: "How is it a last resort?"

"It's... it's a long story. Our unit has h-held on until now, and we have l-long since exhausted our utmost efforts."

"P-Please explain clearly."

The dialogue between two stutterers was truly comical. Truth be told, Zhao Guo was not normally this bad at stuttering, but when a stutterer met another stutterer, even a non-stutterer would start to stutter—let alone him. He stuttered even worse now. Some generals wore smiles, while Fang Buzhen and Zheng Sanbao were dumbfounded. Yet, since the two men were discussing a matter of great importance, the others had to suppress their impatience and listen closely.

Zhao Guo turned around, and upon receiving a signal from Deng She, he said solemnly, "To t-tell you the truth, just before our unit came to Gaizhou, urgent news arrived from Shuangcheng. The Tatar officials, Shuangcheng Supervisor Zhao Xiaosheng and Chiliarch Zhuo Duqing, colluded with the Jurchens to stir up rebellion."

As soon as these words were spoken, it wasn't just Zheng Sanbao and Fang Buzhen; even Yang Wanhu and He Guangxiu, who had been unaware until now, turned pale with shock. Li Jing rose abruptly in agitation, and without paying attention, his hand knocked his teacup off the table, sending it crashing to the ground where it shattered into pieces. Ignoring it, his face flushed red as he stammered, "Z-Zhao Xiaosheng? Zhuo... Zhuo Duqing? The Jurchens? R-Rebellion? What... what..."

The more agitated he became, the harder it was for him to speak. Xu Ren didn't even have time to finish his sentence before Yang Wanhu lost his temper and pressed, "What happened next? Was the rebellion put down? Is Shuangcheng safe?"

Zhao Guo shook his head. Deng She chimed in, looking deeply worried, "I have dispatched four or five groups of messengers in succession, but not a single one has returned with a report."

"Do the Koreans show any abnormal movements?"

"General Wen sent back a military report stating that our information blockade is solid; the Koreans likely do not know yet."

"What are we waiting for? General! Our unit is willing to serve as the vanguard and quickly fall back to reinforce!" Yang Wanhu and He Guangxiu spoke in unison, stepping forward to request battle.

Zheng Sanbao and Fang Buzhen were caught completely off guard, and the situation in the tent took an abrupt turn. Deng She raised a hand to quell the generals' commotion, dismissed Bi Qianniu and the others who had rushed in after hearing the teacup shatter, and sighed, "General Zheng, Lord Fang, as both of you know, a portion of the soldiers in my army came from Yongping, but many more came from Goryeo. Once Shuangcheng is in turmoil, military morale will destabilize. To rescue Liaoyang—my heart is willing, but my strength falls short."

He took out Wen Huaguo's letter—Zhang Daier's letter expressed loyalty, while Luo Guoqi's letter was far too detailed, neither of which was suitable for them to read—and handed it to Fang Buzhen, saying, "This was written to me by General Wen many days ago; Lord Fang can read it carefully. In order to rescue Commander Mao and Liaoyang, I have suppressed this letter and never made it public, all for fear of alarming the three armies. Fortunately, Commander Mao's breakout has finally succeeded..."

He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Who among us has no selfish motives? If Shuangcheng cannot be secured, the soldiers of our various armies will inevitably scatter. Lord Fang, I have already written my reply to Commander Mao clearly, but I still need you to help me explain a thing or two."

At this point, what more could Fang Buzhen say? He could certainly raise high-sounding banners like rescuing Liaoyang for the public good, for the greater picture, for Guan Duo, or for his lord, but even Zheng Sanbao knew that Deng She would never go to rescue Liaoyang now.

Putting themselves in Deng She's shoes, they would undoubtedly have made the same choice.

Fang Buzhen held the letter, reading it over and over again, temporarily speechless. Deng She said, "I have analyzed it: it is true that Naghachiu's army is powerful, but Grand Councilor Guan's command was proper, trapping them beneath the city walls until now. Their military strength is likely already exhausted, lacking their initial valor. As the saying goes: 'In the morning their breath is keen, at noon it grows lazy, by evening it returns home; those skilled in warfare avoid their keen breath and strike when they grow lazy and return.' Naghachiu's forces are currently at the transition from noon to evening. Meanwhile, Commander Mao has just achieved a great victory, much like a trapped dragon escaping the sea or a tiger breaking out of its cage. To avoid the keen and strike the lazy—isn't this precisely the right moment?"

The benefits of reading widely were now on full display; his reasoning was flawless and systematic. Zheng Sanbao didn't quite understand, but Fang Buzhen remained dazed for a long time before saying, "I hope it is as the General says." He thought of another problem, "Once the General leaves, what will become of Gaizhou? With this bone sticking in our backs, what of Commander Mao..."

Deng She said generously, "Lord Fang need not worry. Before I return, I will surely uproot Gaizhou first, resolving this lingering threat for Commander Mao. If during this time our forces in Shuangcheng successfully suppress the rebellion, I certainly will not stand idly by and will definitely support Commander Mao."

He had to give him something to look forward to, lest Fang Buzhen go outside and babble nonsense that would disrupt military morale.

Fang Buzhen knew full well Deng She's true intent—was he attacking Gaizhou really for Mao Jiujing's sake? Knowing that his words were insincere, he could only tacitly accept it. For if Gaizhou was not broken, Mao Jiujing would face far more than just a threat in his rear. Imagine: when Mao Jiujing arrived outside the walls of Liaoyang, with Naghachiu in front, suddenly Gao Jianu appeared in his rear—what would the situation be? Collapsing without a fight would be the least of it.

"Then everything depends on the General."

Yang Wanhu and the others, who were unaware of Deng She's plan, had their objections, but Deng She was more than happy not to suppress them, letting them voice their opinions freely and argue against attacking Gaizhou while demanding reinforcements instead. The more they did so, the more loyal he appeared, right? In turn, he could gently placate them.

Fang Buzhen wore a half-smile as he said, "The General's loyalty can rival the sun and moon."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

"There is one matter, however, that requires me to petition the General."

"Please speak."

"The units under Xu Ren and Li Jing originally belonged to Commander Mao and Commander Zheng. Commander Mao has personally named them and requested that their two units be restored to their original formations. I ask the General for your understanding."

"Only right, only right." Deng She glanced at Xu Ren and remembered something. After pondering for many days, he realized that if he wanted to take Gaizhou quickly, he might still need to rely on this man. He said face to face, "General Xu, I have a favor to ask."

Xu Ren was somewhat surprised, quickly stood up, and cupped his fists, "Please tell me, General."

Deng She stated his request in just a few words; to Xu Ren, upon hearing it, it was a mere trifle. With the war situation in Liaoyang so uncertain and victory or defeat unpredictable, having observed Deng She for a long time and understanding his character, he knew that in turbulent times, leaving oneself an extra way out was never a mistake. The reasons Deng She gave for his request were also quite justifiable, and he agreed on the spot.

With the military council meeting reaching this point, everything that needed to be said had been said. Fang Buzhen, Zheng Sanbao, Xu Ren, and Li Jing were eager to leave, while Deng She was eager to deploy his forces for the upcoming siege. As the council concluded, Deng She personally escorted Zheng Sanbao and the others out of the tent, and they set off along the same road as Zhao Guo.

In private, Deng She gave strict instructions to Zhao Guo: "Keep a close eye on them, send them off quickly, and save them from chewing the fat and spreading gossip. Give strict orders: not a single person is allowed to approach the camps of Xu Ren and Li Jing." Although he was eighty percent confident that, for the sake of Mao Jiujing and Liaoyang, Fang Buzhen, Zheng Sanbao, and the others would not return to babble and shake the morale of Shuangcheng's army, precautions could not be neglected, and caution was best.

Having seen off the right-wing generals, Deng She returned to the tent, discussed military strategy once more with Chen Hu and others, and issued a gag order: all matters discussed in the tent today were strictly forbidden from being leaked outside.

At the third watch of that night, Xu Ren delivered what Deng She desired.