Chapter 101: Deceived

It was clear that Kang Maocai could no longer hold out, so they planned to collude with Liu Yi’s Chaohu navy. However, Zhu Yuanzhang had already declared that Kang Maocai could surrender to anyone except Chaohu. To protect himself, Kang Maocai coerced the Yuan navy under the command of the Censor-in-Chief, Manzi Haiya, to join him as well.

Yet the combined forces of Kang Maocai and Manzi Haiya were still not enough to guarantee safety, so they sought to bring Chen Zhaoxian on board, making it a four-way alliance that could stand against the monstrous Zhu Yuanzhang.

This was precisely the situation Chen Zhaoxian had hoped for, but he still asked, “Is the Censor-in-Chief willing to go along with this?”

Manzi Haiya was a dignified Censor-in-Chief, one of the highest officials in the Yuan dynasty. Chen Zhaoxian had always believed that such a man, even in defeat, would preserve his own honor.

Now he realized that even the Censor-in-Chief was just a man. If the Censor-in-Chief could defect, then Chen Zhaoxian need not worry about any lines he might cross. Kang Maocai, delighted, declared, “If it weren’t for the Censor-in-Chief’s approval, neither Marshal Ma nor I would have the chance to walk straight into your headquarters. Marshal Chen, this opportunity must not be missed—if you let it slip, you’ll regret it for a lifetime!”

Chen Zhaoxian had previously worked with Zhu Yuanzhang and felt his wrath, so he was most keenly aware of what kind of force Zhu Yuanzhang truly was. He still felt a lingering fear: “Of course I’m willing to work with Marshal Liu. If Marshal Liu says the word, not only would I accept the position of Deputy Marshal, I’d even settle for being a regular marshal. But if we do it this way, will Zhu Yuanzhang agree?”

Zhu Yuanzhang would surely not agree, but Kang Maocai, confident enough to approach Chen Zhaoxian, clearly believed he had a perfect plan: “He has no choice but to accept. Is he willing to abandon Jiqing or Jiangdong? Marshal Chen, this is the moment!”

Only now did Chen Zhaoxian realize how rare this opportunity was. “Since General Kang says so, let’s follow his lead. What should I do once I board the ship?”

Kang Maocai replied without hesitation, “Change the flag. The most urgent task is to change the flag!”

Both Kang Maocai and Chen Zhaoxian were willing to fly the Dragon-Phoenix banner now; it was likely they had already replaced theirs with red flags. But Manzi Haiya insisted that, as a Censor-in-Chief of the Yuan dynasty, he would never rebel. He was merely compelled by circumstance to appease Chaohu.

When Li Pusheng heard this news, his face blossomed into a smile. “Good, good, as long as they’re willing to fly our flag, Manzi Haiya can do whatever he likes!”

For the generals of the Chaohu navy, what banner Manzi Haiya, Kang Maocai, and Chen Zhaoxian’s troops flew wasn’t important; what mattered was that it was “our flag.”

Indeed, “our flag”—not Dragon-Phoenix, not Zhiping, not Zhizheng—was what counted. Zhao Pusheng stated bluntly, “Manzi Haiya can’t stir up much trouble. We can have as many Censor-in-Chiefs as we want; he’s a Yuan Censor-in-Chief, after all. As long as he’s willing to come over, we’ll agree to any terms!”

Over the years, the Red Turban Army had won countless victories, capturing or killing untold numbers of Yuan officials. Yet never before had a figure of Manzi Haiya’s stature fallen into their hands. Even the most stubborn among them, like Zhao Pusheng, were now willing to cooperate with Manzi Haiya. Ma Shixiong, who was responsible for negotiating, smiled and said, “The Censor-in-Chief’s first condition is that he absolutely will not collude with us at Chaohu, and that he must severely condemn us Red Turban bandits!”

Though it was only a formality, Manzi Haiya insisted on drawing a clear line between himself and the Chaohu pirates. Upon meeting, he cursed the Red Rebels and threatened to jump into the river to die. The Chaohu pirates, moved by his character, forcibly rescued him and expressed their sincere desire to be appeased. Only then did Manzi Haiya abandon his suicidal intent and agree to submit a petition to the imperial court on their behalf.

Liu Yi laughed immediately. “No matter what conditions he sets, agree to them. Even if he curses me as worse than dog dirt, we’ll accept. How are the negotiations with Chen Zhaoxian going?”

Ma Shixiong replied cheerfully, “Since the Censor-in-Chief is willing, Chen Zhaoxian is even more so. He only asks that we negotiate properly with Marshal Zhu and let him go; he’s willing to serve as the vanguard for Chuzhou!”

Survival was now Chen Zhaoxian’s main concern. With Kang Maocai, Manzi Haiya, and Liu Yi joining forces, Chaohu had no equal on the Yangtze; even Zhu Yuanzhang couldn’t contend with them. But Chen Zhaoxian was different—his first problem was survival.

Liu Yi laughed at this. “Let Marshal Zhu handle it!”

By now, the Left Camp was filled with laughter and joy. Everyone felt that Jiqing would soon change hands; once Chen Zhaoxian’s troops were taken, the rest would fall like dead leaves, and all the Yuan soldiers would become prisoners of the Left Camp. The Zhu Yuanzhang faction would become the strongest military force in the entire southeast. “Everyone says Liu is shrewd and calculating, but I think he’s just average. The Censor-in-Chief’s naval base cannot be breached at all, and the land is even less accessible!”

Tang He became excited. “Yes, Marshal Liu is clever in his tricks, but when it comes to battlefield command and strategy, he can’t compare to our Left Camp. Once we break through Chen Zhaoxian’s camp, we’ll attack the Censor-in-Chief’s base next. Whatever Kang Maocai’s intentions, however many navy troops we seize, they’ll all become ours!”

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head. “Not quite right. Chaohu is still an ally. They’ve been attacking the Censor-in-Chief’s base for so long, we must give them face. Otherwise, if Liu stirs up trouble, it won’t look good for us. Wait a moment…”

Previously, the situation on the battlefield was clear: the Chuzhou Red Turban Army flew red flags, while Chen Zhaoxian’s troops flew white. Now, although Chen Zhaoxian’s forces were at a disadvantage, they suddenly switched to red flags. At the same time, they shouted, “Stop fighting! Stop fighting! We’ve already negotiated with your Marshal; from now on, we’re one family!”

Everything was settled?

Everyone in the Left Camp was puzzled. Zhu Yuanzhang hadn’t formally presented his terms yet; he was waiting for Chen Zhaoxian’s unconditional surrender. Where had this “everything is settled” come from? Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was about to order a renewed assault, someone shouted, “Shao Liu is here! Marshal, Shao Liu requests an audience!”

Hearing the name “Shao Liu,” Zhu Yuanzhang understood at once. He grabbed his spear and shouted, “Damn it, we’ve fallen for Liu’s scheme! The Censor-in-Chief’s base is silent because they’ve merged with Chaohu, and now even Chen Zhaoxian has joined them!”