Chapter Thirty-Eight: The General

Zhu Yuanzhang almost leapt to his feet, unable to believe how readily Liu Yi had agreed, and that he was even willing to hand over Chen Yexian’s twenty thousand troops—this was prime, succulent meat indeed.

After many clashes with Chen Yexian, Zhu Yuanzhang knew his forces inside out. In terms of equipment and fighting power, Chen Yexian’s men were in no way inferior to the Chuzhou army; their current predicament was solely due to the string of defeats that had shattered their morale. If only he could get his hands on these twenty thousand soldiers, Zhu Yuanzhang thought, henceforth the Chuzhou Commandery would heed his word alone—never mind one Liu Yi, even ten of him would be of no consequence.

Yet Zhu Yuanzhang was uneasy. Such a sudden concession from Liu Yi surely came laden with strings attached. He had swallowed his pride and come to the Chaohu Naval Camp to admit fault merely to smooth things over for the time being; he had never imagined that with only a few words, Liu Yi would relinquish Chen Yexian’s command. “Marshal Liu, are you suggesting we join forces against Chen Yexian? And how do we split the spoils afterward?”

A faint smile touched Liu Yi’s face. “As I just said, there are two armies of volunteers—one in the north of the Yangtze, one in the south. Surely we can't let one man reap all the rewards. Marshal Zhu, you’re the elder; you may choose first.”

Now Zhu Yuanzhang saw through Liu Yi’s scheme. The man wanted to trade the so-called Chen Yexian’s army for the long-spear regiments in the north, hoping to get something for nothing. But Zhu Yuanzhang thought Liu Yi was dreaming a bit too big. Once he controlled Chen Yexian’s men, the long-spear and green-clad armies north of the river would all be his. Zhu Yuanzhang had always had a voracious appetite; he intended to claim both northern and southern volunteer armies for himself.

But his face wore only cautious skepticism. “If I choose Chen Yexian’s army in the south, will the Chaohu Fleet give their full support?”

He had barely finished when a voice from the Chaohu Fleet protested, “Vice Marshal Zhu, your calculations are a bit too clever, aren’t they? Are you just planning to have the Chaohu Fleet do the dirty work so you can take all the spoils? We risk our lives, and in the end, you take everything?”

Though it was not Zhao Pusheng, Li Pusheng, or Lady Golden Flower—the leading commanders of the Chaohu sub-commandery—who spoke, Liao Yongzhong was a figure of considerable standing within the fleet. Zhu Yuanzhang knew he would have to persuade Liu Yi at the very least. “Marshal Liu, your fleet can’t expect to do nothing and get thousands of elite troops from the north for free. We’ll divide the work: no matter how much you lose on your side, I’ll make up the numbers for you, and in the end, there’ll be a grand bonus. As long as things go smoothly with Chen Yexian, I’ll give my full support in the north.”

This was essentially offering Liu Yi a safety net. The expressions of the Chaohu Fleet softened a little, though they knew Zhu Yuanzhang’s vague promise of “full support” in the north was lacking in specifics.

Liu Yi, however, seemed to fall for Zhu Yuanzhang’s ploy. “Then it’s settled. To seize Jiqing Circuit, we must first remove the stumbling block of Chen Yexian. Let’s wish ourselves victory. By the way, Marshal Zhu, when will you deliver this grand bonus?”

This was a clever counter of Zhu Yuanzhang’s move.

For Chen Yexian, the fifteenth year of Zhizheng was a wretched one.

Only a year ago, he had been a volunteer marshal commanding the region between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. Yet in half a year, he and his men had suffered defeat after defeat—more than ten in total. Not only had Guo Tianshu, Zhang Tianyou, and Zhu Yuanzhang bullied him, even Zuo Junbi had taken the initiative to attack several times. He had failed to hold Hezhou, and under pressure from the Guo family’s army, had been forced to cross south of the river.

But before he could establish himself in the south, the Guo army was hot on his heels, and under Zhu Yuanzhang’s furious assaults, his forces had to withdraw from Taiping Circuit, falling back to the line between Jiqing and Taiping at Fangshan.

In Chen Yexian’s view, this was a position from which he could either attack or defend—a good place, for holding Fangshan meant holding the gateway to Jiqing. But now, the Censor-in-Chief Manzi Haiya had brought an order from the Southern Secretariat’s Censor-in-Chief, Fushou: “Drive the Red Turban bandits back north of the Yangtze? If we could do that, why would we be fighting to the death for Jiqing? If you push me too far, I’ll just join the Red Turbans myself.”

Chen Yexian suspected that Manzi Haiya and Fushou were in league, both intent on ruining him. Though their names could not have been more different, both were of Semu (Central Asian) origin—one a given name, the other a Sinicized one. Fushou, in fact, was a descendant of Western Xia, so when it came to certain topics, the two Sinicized foreigners spoke with one voice.

But Manzi Haiya had already received instructions from Fushou. “Marshal Yexian, I know it hasn’t been easy for any of us. But Master Fushou not only sent me with rewards, he’s also prepared to make you commander-in-chief of all Taiping Circuit’s forces.”

At the words “commander-in-chief of all Taiping Circuit’s forces,” Chen Yexian grew excited. “Censor, you’re not joking? All the forces near Taiping will be under my command? And your fleet, too, will join the siege of Taiping?”

Manzi Haiya laughed. “Of course, I’ll obey your orders. When it comes to poetry, painting, music...”

Though Chen Yexian commanded strong troops, he was only a volunteer marshal—a mere warlord in the Yuan system, his position rather limited. Not to mention the provincial chief councilors or deputy councilors, even a minor functionary from the provincial secretariat or the field headquarters could boss him around. Yet now, the Censor-in-Chief of the Southern Secretariat would take orders from him!

Such a post was among the loftiest in the realm. If not for these troubled times, a humble upstart like Chen Yexian would never even have the right to speak with the Censor-in-Chief.

“Censor, will there be enough money and grain?” he asked.

Manzi Haiya answered firmly, “Supplies are guaranteed. The reinforcements from Jiangzhe Province will also be at your command. Master Fushou has already coordinated with the Yangzhou field headquarters; you’ll be acting as a judge for now, and after we retake Taiping, we can arrange a permanent title. The court is no longer reliable. Master Fushou and I must rely on you, Marshal Yexian.”