Volume Two: When I Pull the World’s Strings Chapter 24: Shooting the Willow III

Having received Tong Doulan’s clear affirmation, Deng She felt half the burden lifted from his heart. Winning over the Jurchens was, in essence, halfway accomplished.

Hong Jixun’s concept of gaining support was not merely about absorbing Tong Doulan’s faction; the Helan Prefecture encompassed numerous Jurchen tribes. It made no sense to abandon an entire forest just to cling to a single tree. Deng She sent orders to Zhao Guo, instructing him to intensify interactions with the local Jurchen tribes. There was no need to rush; treat them with generosity. The Jurchens were poor; whatever they lacked, provide for them—but not indiscriminately. Strategy was key: offer them what they urgently needed, for aiding them in dire straits was far more effective than embellishing their fortunes. The gifts should inspire gratitude.

The focus was not on the large tribes, but on selecting several smaller ones, accumulating influence bit by bit.

A rumor was also spread: the scattered thousand-household Tong Doulan had already pledged allegiance to Shuangcheng. Tong Doulan was even asked to dispatch a few trusted subordinates to assist Zhao Guo in building relations. The Jurchens around Jiashan traditionally combined farming with fishing and hunting. In terms of fishing and hunting, Jiashan naturally could not compare to the coastal Shuangcheng; yet regarding fertile land, the Helan Prefecture area was unmatched except by Shuangcheng and Dingzhou.

Much of Shuangcheng’s land had been allotted to impoverished Han and Korean settlers. Dingzhou still had some left after the suppression of local tyrants. Zhao Guo posted proclamations around Jiashan, promising: any Jurchen who came would not be charged for existing local land; land would be distributed per person, one and a half acres for each acre; wheat seeds would be provided; official oxen and plows could be rented for free; and no taxes would be levied. Fishing grounds would be allocated to the Sheshan. The existing Jurchen military units—Moke and Meng’an—would remain unchanged, with Moke commanding hundred-men units and Meng’an thousand-men units.

Deng She’s string of victories, which forced the Koreans into retreat, was deliberately amplified. As a result, smaller tribes, tempted by advantage, began migrating in succession.

They were not foolish enough to relocate entirely; only about half their people would settle the land. They avoided Dingzhou, as it was on the front line, preferring Shuangcheng instead. Deng She decisively allocated half the military fields to settle them. These lands lacked sufficient troops to cultivate them; leaving them empty was wasteful. Given the urgent situation, it was better to exchange idle land for capable soldiers. With these tribes joining, the rear was stabilized as well.

Meanwhile, recruitment and conscription in various cities neared completion. The large camp outside the city walls was finished; combined with the southern camp previously constructed by Li’s army, there was ample space for new recruits. Veteran soldiers and officers with distinguished service were selected to form the backbone of the new troops, undergoing rigorous training. Calculating the time elapsed since Yao Haogu’s arrival, fifteen days had passed.

The one-month deadline was imminent. Time was of the essence for capturing cities and expanding territory.

One day in mid-May, Chen Hu and others secretly returned to Shuangcheng. They bypassed the barracks and went directly to Deng She’s residence. The generals of Shuangcheng had been waiting for some time. A large map hung prominently on the wall while a group gathered around, pointing and deliberating.

Zhang Dair’s strategic position in Ningyuan was vital, but he had not returned; Guan Shirong came instead. He briefly reported to Deng She on the past half-month’s situation. There were six engagements in total: four for supply reconnaissance and two counterattacks against harassing Li troops. The scale was modest, around a thousand soldiers each time.

“The Li army is timid in battle, retreating before even engaging. It is the local militia, organized by prominent families, that resist stubbornly. However, their equipment and training are inferior to the Li troops; besides fighting desperately, they are ineffective. Not worth much attention.

“In the four supply reconnaissance missions, our forces killed hundreds of enemies and lost only a dozen or so of our own. Following the general’s orders, after each engagement, every officer from the thousand-household commander to the squad leader wrote a summary, collected and compiled by clerks dispatched from the thousand-household office.”

Guan Shirong produced a report detailing enemy and friendly casualties, captured supplies, and post-battle officer assessments. “Captured provisions totaled over six hundred shi, along with silver, coins, and silk. After retaining essentials, the rest has been transported back to Shuangcheng in batches.”

Six hundred shi of grain, rationed carefully and supplemented with wild vegetables, seafood, and game meat, was enough to feed a thousand men for a month and a half—a respectable outcome. Chen Hu’s gains were even greater. The cities south of Dingzhou were wealthy, shielded by the Ni River, facing less pressure and conducting more frequent supply reconnaissance—about one every two days—securing nearly a thousand shi of grain.

“The Korean landlord granaries are well-stocked,” Chen Hu concluded. “What we seized were merely supplies from farms outside the city. Presumably their city warehouses hold even more.” The Li army showed no will to fight, never daring to sortie and intercept our supply lines. “General, if you order, seizing a few Korean cities would ease the grain shortage crisis.”

This was precisely why Deng She had called them back. He nodded, saying, “The transition is tight; provisioning is difficult. We’ve just expanded the army, yet have less than two months’ supplies! I have long been uneasy about this. Summoning you was to discuss a solution.”

He and Hong Jixun agreed to keep the true intent of using Shuangcheng as a base secret—known only to them. Wen Huaguo, after hearing this, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Let’s just seize it! As Old Eight Chen said, the Korean landlords have grain, we have soldiers. Confucius said: a perfect match made by heaven and earth!”

His words were blunt. Deng She smiled wryly: “Even robbery must have rules.”

Chen Hu agreed, “It can’t be random. It must be organized.” He tapped the map with his scabbard. “The richest cities lie along the southern bank of the Ni River. Since our occupation of Dingzhou, Wang Jing has sent them considerable reinforcements. We must strike swiftly—delays will invite decay.”

Attacking south of the Ni River was risky and not part of Deng She and Hong Jixun’s plan. Deng She looked at Guan Shirong and asked, “What about the cities west of Dingzhou? How are their granaries?”

Guan Shirong thought briefly. “I’m not certain of exact quantities. But Xichuan, Dechuan, Mengshan, and Yinshan are relatively prosperous. Especially Dechuan, where a major landlord named Park owns vast lands and likely stores at least several hundred thousand jin of grain.”

Several hundred thousand jin was not insignificant. For twenty thousand men, half a jin per day per person amounts to three hundred thousand jin per month. Deng She was genuinely worried about supplies. The cities north of the Ni River had strengthened defenses due to Dingzhou’s situation. What about Dechuan? He asked Guan Shirong, “How many defenders are there in Dechuan?”

“They recently received two thousand reinforcements from Pyongyang, plus over a thousand local militia. Their combat effectiveness is low. I personally led troops on a supply reconnaissance there once; the Li army collapsed after a single engagement. The annihilation at Shuangcheng scared them.”

The total defending force numbered two to three thousand, presenting some difficulty. Deng She frowned and asked the generals, “What do you think?”

Wen Huaguo had no objections; he was ready to fight anywhere. Huang Luge, energetic, stepped up to the map and scrutinized it. “General, the terrain around Dechuan is mountainous; it might be hard to assault.”

Since assuming his post as garrison commander, Huang Luge’s spirit had markedly improved. Although the position was officially subordinate to the vice-thousand household commander, it carried real authority. Military regulations stipulated that the garrison commander could advise on military affairs and had a quota of direct troops, three hundred of which Deng She assigned. Not many, but far better than a titular thousand household commander.

Wen Huaguo was annoyed. “What’s wrong with mountains? We fought in Ningyuan and Jiashan—weren’t those mountains? Is the Xishankou pass any less perilous? Have they stopped me? Nonsense!”

Huang Luge, embarrassed, touched his helmet and warned, “Too crude, too crude. Don’t swear, don’t swear.”

“How do you know whether I swear or not?”

Wen Huaguo was blunt, prompting laughter among Guan Shirong and others. Huang Luge kept silent.

Deng She pressed on, “What about Xichuan, Mengshan, and Yinshan?”

“Mengshan borders the Datong River and has fertile land. Yinshan is surrounded by mountains. Xichuan is good and the main location for supply reconnaissance. Its garrison is small, as is the militia.”

Hong Jixun’s strategy was simple in theory but difficult in execution. Unlike the earlier swift capture of Ningyuan, the cities were now stable, united, and mutually reinforced; taking them would be costly and time-consuming.

Was there a better way?

Deng She pondered silently. Wherever reinforcements arrived, cities had hope and defenders the will to hold. If their reinforcements could be eliminated, each city could be isolated and easily captured by the Red Scarves’ repeated assaults.

How to cut off their reinforcements? One way was to instill fear, making everyone too wary to send aid.

After careful thought, he reached a conclusion. Comparing the geography and strategic positions of Xichuan, Dechuan, and others, Dechuan stood out. To the north lay continuous mountains; to the south, the Datong River flowed directly to Pyongyang. Dechuan was the gateway to the northern Korean mountains. Seizing it would close the northern mountain gate, cutting off Pyongyang’s support. This was why Pyongyang, despite its defeat, still reinforced Dechuan.

Hong Jixun agreed, “Why not block the gateway?”

The generals generally disliked Hong Jixun, finding him arrogant and disdainful despite polite manners—a clear rift between civil and military factions. Deng She, wishing to elevate Hong’s standing among Wen Huaguo and Chen Hu, feigned ignorance and asked, “Block the gateway?”

Hong Jixun snapped his folding fan shut. “Dechuan is the gateway. The general can first besiege Dechuan, then split forces to raid Xichuan and Jiangjie to the north, and Mengshan and Yinshan to the south. Without Dechuan’s support, these four cities become isolated. Their garrison suffered heavy losses at the mountain pass battle; capturing them should be straightforward.”

Wen and Chen showed no admiration; only Zhao Guo nodded repeatedly. Deng She sighed, knowing their prejudice was deep-rooted and hard to change. He led applause, “Excellent plan, sir!”

With tactics decided, the next step was troop deployment. Ningyuan’s garrison remained fixed. Forces for besieging Dechuan and raiding Xichuan came from Shuangcheng. The seven thousand new recruits were inexperienced but could gain battle experience.

Deng She drew his sword and issued orders: “Six thousand veterans in Shuangcheng—leave a thousand to defend the city; the rest will march out. Of the seven thousand recruits, allocate two thousand to assist city defense; the remaining five thousand will join the expedition.”

Chen Hu and Zhao Guo, responsible for defending territory, could not be redeployed. “General Wen will lead the assault on Xichuan and other cities, commanding three thousand veterans, Tong’s thousand-household contingent, two thousand newly allied Jurchens, and two thousand recruits.

“I will personally lead the siege of Dechuan, accompanied by Garrison Commander Huang. We will take two thousand veterans and three thousand recruits. Mr. Hong will remain to guard Shuangcheng. This campaign isn’t for conquest or territory, but to seize grain and conscripts.” Though stated, captured lands would not be abandoned; fewer garrisons would be left behind.

Chen Hu wished to replace Deng She in the field, but Deng She, still recovering from a neck injury, refused. The expedition was set to depart in two days. Meanwhile, Dingzhou and Ningyuan would reduce troop deployments and suspend supply reconnaissance, focusing on defense to prevent the Koreans from exploiting gaps.

Looking out the window, night had fallen. The meeting adjourned.

Deng She saw the generals out; they mounted and departed. Huang Luge did not return home but slipped away under cover of darkness, evading the others, and stealthily entered Yao Haogu’s residence. He had been waiting for Yao Haogu and Qian Shide for some time.

Yao Haogu had arrived at Shuangcheng recently, and they had established contact, albeit secretly.

For over ten days, Deng She had been outwardly courteous and respectful to Yao Haogu but was uncooperative in reality. Wu Henian, a seasoned operator, subtly resisted, delaying the handover of household registrations, land, conscripts, and granaries, much to Yao Haogu’s frustration. What seemed a sure victory proved unexpectedly troublesome.

Repeated visits to Deng She’s residence to press the matter ended in polite refusals. Whenever the subject was broached, Deng She would politely excuse himself after a few words and vanish for the night.

When questioned, his guards cited urgent military affairs or Jurchen matters. Yao Haogu grew resolute, lingering after visits. Deng She either stayed out all night or returned drunk with Jurchens, making negotiations futile.

At first, Yao Haogu did not think much of it—power was hard to relinquish. But gradually, he sensed something amiss. The Jurchens multiplied; new recruits swelled; massive quantities of weapons and arrows were carted from foundries.

Deng She’s urgency was unmistakable. Perhaps he had discerned something. Hong Jixun was right—Guan Duo intended rebellion; Yao Haogu’s mission was to guard the crucial passage into Korea. If Deng She saw through this, the passage’s security was uncertain.

One could never tell a stranger’s loyalty—would he choose Guan Duo or the Young King? Or might he rebel against both, declaring Shuangcheng independent?

Each scenario spelled trouble.

Thus, when Deng She summoned the generals, Yao Haogu immediately told Huang Luge to meet him after the meeting. Now, having heard the military discussions, Yao Haogu stroked his beard, pondering, and smiled knowingly.

He reclined, sipping tea: “‘Not for conquest or territory, but to seize grain and conscripts.’ Hmph… Deng Wanhù aims to strip the cities of their best resources to strengthen Shuangcheng and make himself king.”

Qian Shide, hot-tempered and more irritable than ever, slammed the table: “Sir, after so many days, there’s been no progress. I believe it’s time for decisive action!”

Huang Luge was startled. He knew Chen Hu’s forces well but not Qian Shide’s. With only a thousand cavalry, he feared they would be overwhelmed. “Sir, I think we must be cautious.” He suggested borrowing General Guan Pingzhang’s order to compel Deng She’s compliance.

Qian Shide agreed: “Use the sword bestowed by Guan Pingzhang. If he takes the hint, spare him; if not…” He sneered.

Huang Luge regretted coming with Qian Shide, whose fiery temper only escalated talk of violence. Guan Pingzhang was a discerning leader—why had he sent this man?

Yao Haogu smiled: “This step should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.”

After a moment’s thought, he continued: “Deng Wanhù’s westward raids are for feeding the army. It’s hard to justify stopping him. The wise adapt to circumstances; if we cannot prevent it, we won’t try.”

He paced the room. “Consider this: for you and me, it might be an opportunity.” He asked Huang Luge, “Who does Deng Wanhù leave to guard Shuangcheng?”

“Hong Jixun. Three thousand troops: a thousand veterans and two thousand recruits.”

Qian Shide’s eyes lit up: “You mean...” He pounded his chest, promising, “Give me half a day, and I’ll control Shuangcheng.”

Yao Haogu shook his head. Capturing Shuangcheng’s control would be ideal, but with Deng She’s one or two thousand troops, holding it would be impossible. Deng She’s rapid expansion had put him at a disadvantage from the start.

“I’m only thinking we might solidify my official position.” He muttered Hong Jixun’s name repeatedly, a headache forming. “The locals in Shuangcheng are shrewd, resourceful, and well-connected with the Jurchens… damn, they’re hard to deal with.” He respected Deng She’s talent for employing capable men.

But Yao Haogu was no ordinary man; under Guan Duo, he was one of the top strategists—called the “Cunning Star” for his unmatched intellect and unyielding spirit.

Stroking his beard, he paced, speculating on Deng She’s mindset: “I believe Deng Wanhù remains loyal to Guan Pingzhang. The twenty thousand Red Scarves in Liaodong—disloyalty is impossible. His power grab by sidelining me and raiding westward stems from personal ambition. Everyone has ambitions. As long as he does not harm Guan Pingzhang’s southern campaign into Korea, I can tolerate it.” When reality overpowers will, yielding is the only option.

This was diplomatic speech—he knew exactly what Deng She intended but chose not to say so openly. Huang Luge opened his mouth to object but swallowed his words. “Your insight is profound, sir.”

“However,” Yao Haogu continued, “since I was sent here, the most fundamental task is to ensure Shuangcheng and Jiashan remain secure. General Qian’s cavalry must not be moved without orders. If Deng Wanhù doesn’t request their deployment, you should feign ignorance; if he does, find excuses to decline.

“And the civil administration of Shuangcheng cannot be delayed any longer. With Deng Wanhù’s army out, this is a rare chance.” He scoffed, “Hong Jixun, the pretty boy, let me go head-to-head with you.”

Pausing, his expression darkened as he addressed Qian Shide: “We have too few troops to intimidate. Whether controlling Shuangcheng and Jiashan or meddling in civil affairs, at best it only delays the crisis. We must send messengers swiftly to inform Guan Pingzhang, urging him to finalize his southern advance. Otherwise, small troubles will escalate.”

Turning, he patted Huang Luge’s shoulder: “You may accompany Deng Wanhù on the campaign in two days. I give you two tasks: assess the Li army’s strength and local conditions; ascertain Deng Wanhù’s grain and conscript haul.”

Huang Luge leapt up, legs apart and chest out. “Sir, rest assured—I will complete the mission.”