Volume Two: With One Pull, I Shake Heaven and Earth Chapter 22: Shooting the Willow – Part I

Although Yao Haogu’s official business was concluded, the moment he addressed Deng She as "your subordinate," the conversation naturally shifted to the transfer of civil administration in the Shuangcheng General Administration.

Deng She’s capture of the five cities of Dingzhou was a later development. Yao Haogu had departed before receiving the news, so he had brought insufficient civil officials. Furthermore, Dingzhou and its surrounding regions were not like Shuangcheng; they were deep in the front lines where military matters eclipsed all else. Moreover, at the core of his intentions, Yao did not care for these peripheral cities. Before leaving, Guan Duo had held a secret, night-long discussion with him, making it clear that the focus was entirely on Shuangcheng.

Therefore, Yao simply did not mention the other cities. He merely dispatched an official named Fang Buzhen to Jiashan to "assist General Zhao in managing civil affairs," and, reasoning that Qian Shide "could not come here to be a pampered guest and eat for free," assigned two hundred cavalrymen to accompany Fang to be stationed at Jiashan.

As for Shuangcheng, the outcome for Wu Henian was not too dire: his original position as General Administrator was demoted by one grade to Vice Administrator, and Luo Lilang’s position as Vice Administrator was similarly demoted to Assistant Administrator. Regarding the lower-ranking officials, Hong Jixun firmly refused to yield, but after Luo Guoqi’s customary mediation, both sides took a step back: the original officials would remain in their posts for the time being, but each would be assigned a deputy from the staff Yao Haogu had brought along. They would first familiarize themselves with the situation, and matters would be decided later.

In this way, on the surface, the two factions shared the power equally. As for the several hundred men remaining under Qian Shide, they stayed behind, requesting that Deng She designate a camp within the city for them to "garrison and assist in defense."

Deng She readily agreed. The banquet ended in high spirits. As the party broke up at midnight, Deng She initially forgot to mention it, but Yao Haogu, with a thick-skinned smile, prompted him: "My Lord, where have those young ladies gone?" They were the entertainers Deng She had ordered to withdraw during the discussion of local administrative affairs. Deng She smiled and instructed Wu Henian: "Send them to Administrator Yao’s residence immediately."

Yao thanked him repeatedly and left in high spirits. Deng She personally escorted him to the residence chosen for him and chatted for a while; seeing that Yao was satisfied, he turned back. A residence had also been selected for Qian Shide, but he refused to stay there, insisting on living in the military barracks. Deng She did not interfere, leaving him to be entertained by Wen Huaguo and the others.

Returning to his residence, Deng She found Hong Jixun waiting for him in the pavilion. Hong had maintained a grim expression throughout the banquet, which had caused Deng She great anxiety, fearing a sudden outburst. However, seeing him now half-reclining on a bed, picking up a book from the table, sipping tea, and waving a fan while looking perfectly at ease, Deng She was relieved.

Deng She laughed: "Angry over wine, yet happy over tea—why the sudden change, sir?" Hong Jixun had occupied the bed, so Deng She pulled up a chair and sat opposite him. He waved his hand, ordering the maids and personal guards to withdraw. Since Hong Jixun had not left at midnight, there was clearly something important to discuss.

Hong Jixun dropped the book and said: "Joy and anger depend on the person. My anger at the banquet was just like your constant smiling—if not for that, one cannot earn the underestimation of Yao Haogu." He sneered, "Playing the fool and acting the idiot is something everyone knows how to do, but to perform it to the extent he did is rare indeed!"

Deng She felt much the same. Self-reflecting, he realized he could not pull off such a performance. Feeling a sense of admiration, he said: "Great men and wise scholars always have traits that set them apart. Administrator Yao has always enjoyed the reputation of being a 'wise star' within the Liaoyang army. I am truly pleased that Chancellor Guan was willing to send him to Shuangcheng."

"Pleased?" Hong Jixun sat up straight. "Shuangcheng is a tiny place; a small temple cannot house a great Buddha. As the right-hand man to Chancellor Guan, has the General never wondered what it is about Shuangcheng that attracts him, or why he came here?"

Deng She had, of course, wondered. He had thought about it for half the night. The reasons he had arrived at left him feeling a mixture of joy and anxiety. But unwilling to voice his own thoughts, he said: "Please enlighten me, sir."

"I have observed this Yao Haogu. He wallows in wine and women, appearing slick on the outside but treacherous within. Who would voluntarily smear their own reputation? Those who do so either have an ulterior motive or are extremely confident. It seems like self-deprecation, but in reality, it is an insult to others. Do they take everyone else for fools?" Anyone with high pride is more intolerant of the pride of others than the average person; although Hong Jixun’s words were blunt, he saw the essence clearly.

Deng She replied: "That makes sense." Seeing Hong Jixun’s cup was half empty, he picked up the teapot, poured for him, and asked, "Then, sir, what do you think is the purpose of Administrator Yao’s visit?"

"The ancients said: discuss the person before discussing the matter. If the person is treacherous, the matter cannot be good," Hong Jixun said. "There were five suspicious points during last night’s banquet. Once these five questions are clarified, the reason for Yao Haogu’s arrival will be laid bare."

He sipped his tea, closed his folding fan, and tapped it against his palm. "He passed by Jiashan at night without stopping; that is the first suspicion. Demoting Vice Commander Huang to a pacification officer is the second. Chancellor Guan is saving Bianliang and mobilizing troops from all cities in Liaodong, yet he does not touch the General's troops, instead sending a high-ranking official; that is the third. Turning and twisting, he repeatedly used words to provoke the General into expressing his loyalty to Chancellor Guan; that is the fourth. Qian Shide has elite soldiers and fierce generals; Chancellor Guan’s intent in sending him is obvious, but why, out of the five cities of Dingzhou, did he choose only Jiashan to garrison? That is the fifth."

Of the five points Hong Jixun mentioned, some Deng She had noticed, and some he had not. After all, throughout the night, Deng She had been occupied with chatting, pouring wine, and urging food upon Yao Haogu, leaving him no time for deep reflection. Hong Jixun, observing from the sidelines, saw things very differently.

Deng She frowned, the more he heard, the more serious the situation seemed; it appeared his original deductions were somewhat flawed. He said: "Passing Jiashan without stopping must be to ensure I have no time to formulate a countermeasure; demoting General Huang to pacification officer must be to give him real power; asking me to profess loyalty to Chancellor Guan is within reason; as for saving Bianliang without mobilizing my troops..." He paused, pondering. Shuangcheng is not close to Liaoyang, perhaps that is a reason. But it is not as if the troops in other cities of the Liaoyang Province are close either. Connecting this to the fifth suspicion, Deng She felt a chill and looked up: "Could it be?"

Seeing that Deng She had grasped it, Hong Jixun struck his palm sharply with his folding fan: "Guan Duo wants to establish himself independently."

Deng She stood up abruptly, walked to the door, and ordered his personal guards to withdraw fifty feet and guard the stairs strictly, decreeing that anyone, regardless of who they were, who dared approach without his order should be executed. He turned back, closed the door, and with a grave expression, said: "Sir, do not speak recklessly. Whether true or false, one must not spread rumors based on conjecture."

"Bianliang is the capital. When the capital is in distress, decrees are issued repeatedly. Even the lowliest of the common people know that saving the capital is like fighting a fire; how much more so when saving one’s sovereign and father? Why has Chancellor Guan delayed his move for so long?"

Deng She still dared not believe it. If this were true, the Song Dynasty would surely face upheaval, and if the Song faced upheaval, the world would change. He said: "Administrator Yao said that the various Mongol tribes have gathered in western Liaoning to support Daning; if western Liaoning is not taken, one cannot enter the heartland. Perhaps Chancellor Guan intends to wait for the troops from all cities to assemble before making plans."

Hong Jixun did not refute this immediately, but instead asked: "Over a month ago, at the Battle of Fengzhou. The General participated in person; may I ask how many troops were in the city at the time?"

"Thirty thousand in Fengzhou, and over twenty thousand in Yunnei and Dongsheng."

"And how many troops remained stationed in Shangdu and Liaoyang?"

"Over one hundred thousand."

"Thus, the Liaoyang army numbers two hundred thousand. Yet, to save the sovereign from danger, he only dispatched fifty thousand—less than half. Is it because he could not spare them? Or because there is another reason? The General should know better than I."

Deng She fell silent. When they fought at Fengzhou, Liaoyang and Shangdu were indeed under pressure, but the pressure was nowhere near great enough to require over one hundred thousand troops to garrison. A cool breeze entered the room, and the candle flame on the table crackled. He murmured: "Another reason?"

Hong Jixun asked again: "The General has crossed swords with Zhang Jujing and Shijiabao of western Liaoning. How many troops does Daning have? How many in Xingzhou? They total only ten thousand! Even if the Hongjila tribes provide support, how many can they send? Of course, there are heavy troops stationed in the heartland west of Yongping. But he is not actually going to attack the Great Capital; it is merely a feint to lure the enemy!

"With an army of two hundred thousand, he does not advance a single step and remains stationed in Liaoyang! What does this signify?"

***

Deng She hesitated, saying: "With heavy enemy forces in the heartland in front and the Mongol Eastern Route princes and the remnants of the Tatars in Shenyang and other places behind, Chancellor Guan's reluctance to advance lightly is understandable. A slight carelessness could lead to the annihilation of the entire army."

Hong Jixun sneered: "Exactly! That is precisely it. It is because there is a possibility of total annihilation that he has developed ulterior motives! Guan Duo is a Confucian scholar. Judging by Yao Haogu, those close to him must also be Confucian scholars. Does the General truly believe he would sacrifice his life for a dynasty founded on the White Lotus Society?" Deng She was a former horse thief, not a cult member. Hong Jixun had no reservations and spoke his mind.

He analyzed specifically: "Several years ago, Guan Duo fought a bloody battle in the Taihang Mountains. Chaghan Temür held the mountain passes, and after repeated failed attempts to advance, Guan suffered a crushing defeat and retreated to the counties outside the Great Wall. After this battle, he must know that although the Mongol Yuan is dying, it is not yet at its end. Even a dying tiger has residual power. The generals of Chaghan, Boluo, Li Siqi, and Zhang Liangbi in Guanshan are sharp and fierce; they are not easily defeated.

"Despite several decrees, he reluctantly led his troops to Fengzhou. A mere fifty thousand, and he retreated at the first sign of defeat. Bianliang is already as precarious as a pile of eggs. He claims he wants to go through western Liaoning into the heartland, yet he has delayed until now. What is he really thinking? It is nothing more than knowing it cannot be done and refusing to throw away his own life. With troops in hand, he is a king in his own right; he is simply preserving his strength."

The various provinces under the Song Dynasty nominally belong to the central government, but in reality, they act as they please. For example, Zhao Junyong, who was the Chancellor of the Huainan Province, appointed all his own civil and military officials, holding real power and acting like an independent warlord. Once defeated, instead of fleeing to the Bianliang court, he fled to Shandong. Mao Gui was the Chancellor of Shandong Province, a high-ranking official; when he was killed, the Little Ming Emperor was too busy dealing with Chaghan Temür and the Yuan army to punish the culprit. If this is the case in Shandong and Huainan, which are adjacent to Bianliang, it is even more so in Liaodong, where the reach of the central government is weak.

Perhaps Guan Duo initially had no such intentions. He advised Liu Futong and was entrusted with great responsibility. It is human nature to be grateful and vow to repay with one’s life at the beginning. Moreover, several years ago, the three-pronged northern expedition reached the Great Capital, and the Mongol Yuan was terrified—the situation was excellent, and the offensive was sharp.

Today, one route has fled to Sichuan and far into Ningxia; another retreated to Shandong, where even Mao Gui could not save himself; only his own route remains, struggling through a thousand miles of territory outside the Great Wall to finally carve out a base. With the momentum of the Little Ming Emperor in Bianliang long since dissipated, would he still be thinking of repaying with his life?

The night outside the window was deep. Deng She paced back and forth in the room, listening as Hong Jixun continued: "Or perhaps the General thinks this is still mere conjecture. Then, at this time, why has Yao Haogu come to Shuangcheng?"

Deng She stopped and looked up.

Hong Jixun pressed on: "Does the General remember Guan Duo’s proclamation in the second month?"

"The proclamation in the second month?" The proclamation to Goryeo, the dispatch of his right-hand man Yao Haogu to Shuangcheng, and the stationing of Qian Shide’s troops in Jiashan—these events flashed through Deng She’s mind, linking cause and effect into a single line. He slowly sat back in his chair. Yao Haogu had not come to bring Shuangcheng under the jurisdiction of the Liaoyang Province, but because: "Chancellor Guan wants to enter Goryeo."

He had told many people that the million-strong Liaoyang army would soon enter Goryeo. He also knew that Guan Duo would enter Goryeo sooner or later, but he had not expected it to happen so soon.

"In terms of strategic importance, Dingzhou and Ningyuan are more significant than Jiashan. Without Jiashan, one merely loses a shortcut back to Liaodong. Given our current situation, retreat is merely a backup, a precaution against the unexpected; while attack is the priority. Yao Haogu bypassed Dingzhou and Ningyuan, yet wanted Jiashan. Was it to secure our retreat? No! He is paving the way for Guan Duo to enter Shuangcheng!"

Hong Jixun found Deng She’s map, spread it out, and used his folded fan to trace two lines: "There must be two routes for Guan Duo’s army. One through Yizhou, and one into Shuangcheng.

"The Liaoyang army of two hundred thousand is not like the General’s ten thousand. It is impossible for them all to go through Shuangcheng, as the mountain ranges along the Jiashan line are continuous, making supplies difficult. But since Jiashan and Shuangcheng are now in the General's hands, such a convenient shortcut into Goryeo would be too good to abandon. Therefore, he may not move his troops, but if he does, the main force will certainly go through Yizhou, and a detached force will enter Shuangcheng. One main, one surprise—hmpf, what a clever plan!

"It is precisely because of this that he was willing to send Yao Haogu and Qian Shide’s thousand iron cavalry to serve as an advance guard. The General’s messenger had just left, and his envoy had already arrived—how urgent it is! General, Guan Duo’s entry into Goryeo is right before our eyes."

Deng She was speechless for a long time. He gave a bitter laugh. After a month of hard work, he was doing wedding clothes for someone else. Was he to return to the days of being a pawn, risking his life for others and letting them control his life and death? He felt bitter. Half a year—if only Guan Duo could have delayed his entry into Goryeo by half a year, Deng She was confident that the situation would be vastly different from what it was now.

As for sending a messenger to report the victory to Liaoyang, he did not regret it. Caught between Liaoyang, Goryeo, the remnants of the Mongol Yuan, and even the Jurchen, his ten thousand men had to rely on one side. Not to mention the distant ones, even for the near ones: if it weren't for Hong Jixun using the million-strong Liaoyang army as a smokescreen, would Tong Doulan have come?

Hong Jixun, unaware of what Deng She was thinking, followed his own train of thought: "On one hand, he masses troops in Liaoyang, pretending to enter the heartland; secretly, he makes preparations to enter Goryeo. What is Guan Duo’s intent? Does the General still think I am merely conjecturing?

"Of course, the General might think that besides Chancellor Guan, there are also Chancellor Pan and Sha Liuer in Liaoyang. Not to mention Chancellor Pan, but Sha Liuer is a devout believer in Maitreya and a fellow townsman of Liu Futong; could he sit by and watch?" Hong Jixun answered his own question: "In times of disaster, everyone flies their own way. As long as Guan and Pan are in agreement, Sha Liuer will not interfere; if he truly tries to block them, he will lose his head."

Deng She’s heart was in turmoil. Whether Guan Duo rebels or not is no longer the point. With two hundred thousand Liaodong troops marching south, how should I respond? Hand it over? Retreat elsewhere? Or?

To conceal his thoughts, he said: "If Chancellor Guan does not go to save Bianliang; Shandong has just changed masters, and the situation is surely unstable; if he wants to save it, I estimate he lacks the strength. If these two places do not move, Marshal Li in Ningxia..." Deng She shook his head, filled with worry. "Without reinforcements from the outside, Bianliang cannot be held." He thought of Zhu Yuanzhang, then immediately set it aside. Caught between the two strong powers of Xu Shouhui and Zhang Shicheng, he was likely struggling for his own survival.

"Can Bianliang be held? The General doesn't know, and neither do I. But as a provincial Chancellor, Guan Duo has access to confidential information and has repeatedly clashed with the Guanshan Tatars; he knows his enemy and himself. From his shilly-shallying and refusal to save the city, one can see he must have his own calculations.

"Bianliang is close to the Great Capital and is a heartland threat to the Mongol Yuan. Once lost, it will shake the world. Once the Tatars free up their hands, they can enter Shandong or move down into Jiangnan. Guan Duo cannot be unaware of this.

"Therefore, for the sake of self-preservation, he must find a way out. Where is the way out? Goryeo! Once Goryeo is obtained, it can echo Liaodong. He can advance to resist the Mongols from outside the Great Wall, and if fate smiles, he can occupy Liaodong and vie for the world; if he suffers a setback, he can retreat to Goryeo, relying on the natural barrier of the Yalu River to remain a powerful warlord. When he issued the proclamation in the second month, he likely had already finalized this strategy."

Guan Duo has been preparing for a long time; how should I respond? Hand it over and think of the fate of Deng San; retreat elsewhere and have nowhere to go. Where to go? Deng She had made up his mind. He asked: "If that is the case, sir, what do you think I should do?"

Hong Jixun’s spirit lifted. Since he realized at the banquet that Guan Duo had ulterior motives and was going to take Goryeo, he had been repeatedly considering countermeasures, and with a plan already in mind, he asked in return: "What does the General want to do?"

Deng She said: "The Lord is my sovereign and father; Chancellor Guan is my superior. Since Chancellor Guan is coming, as his subordinate, I should naturally welcome him warmly and serve him with all my strength."

Hong Jixun was displeased: "Is the General still speaking falsely to me?"

Deng She laughed aloud; ultimately, his skin was not thick enough, and he felt slightly embarrassed. He said: "To gain Shuangcheng, thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded. I am on one hand a subordinate of Chancellor Guan, and on the other, the superior of these generals—I will not hide it from you, sir, it is indeed difficult." He still refused to speak plainly.

The Little Ming Emperor is the sovereign of the nation, and Guan Duo is the master of the army. He had been a subordinate of Guan Duo for several years; even though he was only a small centurion, defying orders and even rebelling would make it hard to escape the infamy of betraying his master. Without moral righteousness, it is difficult to win over the masses. Although most of the soldiers were recruited from Yongping, the backbone of the army—the eight hundred veterans serving as officers at all levels—were all old-school Red Turbans from diverse backgrounds. Without external interference, they were fine, but once disturbed, it was hard to say. Deng She had to be cautious.

***

Hong Jixun stared at him for a moment and couldn't help but burst into laughter. He understood Deng She’s dilemma clearly and did not pursue it further. He said: "The General can be the good man; I will bear the infamy."

If he were willing to bear the infamy, the trouble of betraying his master would be reduced by more than half. Active versus passive—the difference of a single word is as vast as heaven and earth. Deng She bowed deeply: "The one who knows me is you, sir!"

Returning to the main point, Hong Jixun said: "In the current situation, there should be two strategies to deal with this. One is for the immediate future, and one is for the long term."

Deng She stopped playing and sat up straight, asking: "What is for the immediate future? What is for the long term?"

"Yao Haogu is for the immediate future; Guan Duo is for the long term."

"Sir, speak of the immediate future first."

"The immediate future comes down to one word: slow. How to slow? Stall. Yao Haogu came with a heavy responsibility and will inevitably be impatient. All his rhetoric during the night was to put the General at ease, to prevent the General from causing trouble and cutting off Guan Duo’s path into Shuangcheng. The General responded without revealing his thoughts, keeping him from prying into your affairs. You performed very well, but there is one shortcoming."

"Oh?"

"The General was too calm. A man like Yao Haogu, thick on the outside and treacherous on the inside, is like a bamboo shoot—able to drill and dig. The calmer you are, the more he will push his luck, playing the fool and stirring up trouble."

That made sense. "Then what should be done?"

"Besides being calm, you might as well use the strategy of fighting fire with fire. When faced with requests you cannot directly refuse, he plays the fool, and you can simply act the simpleton." This was somewhat difficult to do; Deng She was not that kind of person. He frowned, but Hong Jixun, understanding his personality, offered a plan: "Acting the simpleton is not difficult. In short, use his own methods against him. Whatever Yao Haogu says, you just say the same thing."

Deng She, feeling it was difficult but necessary, nodded.

"If the General stalls, Yao Haogu will not be able to tie my hands in the short term. This buys us time to deal with Guan Duo. Dealing with Guan Duo requires one word: fast."

"How fast?"

"Fast in capturing cities and seizing territory."

This coincided with what Deng She was thinking. Since he neither wanted to hand it over nor could he retreat, he had to strike first and occupy as much territory as possible. With territory, there would be grain, money, and men, allowing him to expand his army and improve his armaments. Even if this still couldn't hold off Guan Duo, at least having twenty thousand men under his command would be far better than having ten thousand.

Deng She asked: "How to capture cities and seize territory?" This was not a simple statement. He didn't have the appetite to swallow something so large. He had to first consider his own strength and whether he could digest it. If he swallowed it but couldn't digest it, it would be better not to. The purpose of the offensive was to become stronger, not bloated.

"First, gather grain and forage; second, speed up recruitment; third, win over the Jurchen. With these three, you can attack cities.

"The goal of attacking cities is not the city itself, but to take three things. Which three? Grain and money, livestock, and craftsmen and elite troops. Therefore, to attack a city is to capture it; to capture a city is to take these three things. Once you have these three things, you must use the elite troops to join the army as your vanguard; you must bring craftsmen into the camp to forge sharp weapons; and you must bring the grain, money, and livestock into Shuangcheng to plan for your future. With a vanguard, sharp weapons, and a future. Shuangcheng is the foundation of my foundations. Guan Duo’s power is great; I cannot compare in the short term. When he wants the five cities of Dingzhou, give them to him. Only Shuangcheng must never be yielded. If we preserve this place, I will have a chance to rise again. Without this place, drifting with the waves—has the General ever seen duckweed that doesn't perish while drifting, let alone become a great tree?

"And if Guan Duo truly comes to fight, can Shuangcheng be defended? I have already taken the three things, obtained the essence of every city, have ten thousand battle-hardened soldiers, sufficient grain, and sharp weapons, and am defending a fortified city. If Guan Duo doesn't want Goryeo, he is welcome to try."

Hong Jixun’s perspective was very clear. Deng She had other worries—the plan to seize the three things by attacking cities was easy to say but hard to do. From implementation to results would take at least a month. Would Guan Duo wait a month?

"With Bianliang in crisis, Guan Duo will not come to Goryeo immediately. Everyone fears the name of a traitor," Hong Jixun looked at Deng She, smiled, and continued, "Before his performance is complete, he will not mobilize the army. How will he perform? A feint. He has already taken the prefectures of Jin, Fu, and Gai; that is the first step of the feint. But it is not enough. I estimate he will next make a show of moving toward western Liaoning, engage in a few skirmishes, and then find an opportunity to deliberately suffer a defeat. Only then will he have a pretext to turn and enter Goryeo. This will take anywhere from two weeks to a month."

Deng She clapped his hands and nodded, the heavy pressure slightly relieved. Hong Jixun’s considerations were very thorough. He could identify problems and was even better at solving them. Such a talent was truly rare. He poured out the cold tea, poured hot tea for him, and handed it to him personally. Everything was understood without words. Hong Jixun took it with a smile: "My planning goes this far. The rest is up to the General."

"Since you have given your heart to me, how could I not give my full effort in return?" They felt a mutual appreciation.

Deng She turned, called his personal guards, and with decisive action, immediately dispatched messengers to the five cities of Dingzhou to urge the collection of grain and recruits. There was no time to lose; he had to secure the three requirements first. He felt invigorated: "At daybreak, invite Commander Tong."

In the city, a rooster crowed; the night had passed before they knew it.