Chapter Five: I Know How to Write an Imperial Edict

Though Lady Jinhua did not state it outright, everyone knew the rule that joining the cause required a pledge of loyalty, and Wen Qing was no exception. He glanced at the three Redclad soldiers lying on the ground. “Miss Jinhua, Captain Huo is also one I brought out of Xiangyang; he’s long since grown weary of Chen Youliang’s wickedness. I’m willing to persuade him to our side.”

Lady Jinhua’s expression grew stern. “If you can win Captain Huo over, then you’ll be Captain Wen yourself!”

Although Liu Yi claimed he was ninety percent certain he could help Lady Jinhua take Chao Lake, she could not place all her hopes on him alone. In these chaotic times, strength speaks louder than anything—a lone man, a spear, and an imperial edict could not subdue a navy of nearly ten thousand. She addressed Wen Qing and Liu Yi: “His Majesty has appointed me as Acting Judge of the Secretariat for Lianghuai and Grand Marshal of Chao Lake, to command the war in both Huai regions. Serve me well—being a Captain or Commander is just the beginning!”

Lady Jinhua played a clever trick: the edict from Xu Shouhui only bore the title “Marshal of Chao Lake”; she had added the “Grand Commander” designation herself, and the so-called “Acting Judge of the Secretariat” was entirely her invention. Yet Wen Qing was instantly excited. “Rest assured, my lady, I’ll present my pledge right away and go persuade Brother Huo. May the Saintess lend me the Everlasting Lantern for good fortune!”

Titles like “Acting Judge of the Secretariat for Lianghuai” or “Grand Marshal of Chao Lake” were names to shake the world. Wen Qing knew he couldn’t miss the chance to cling to such power. Even the other captive was stirred. “I’ve long hated Chen Youliang and Ni Manzi to the core—willingly I’ll follow Marshal Jinhua to command Chao Lake!”

They were but ordinary soldiers in the Red Turbans, but if they reached Chao Lake, and Lady Jinhua—now “Acting Judge of the Secretariat and Grand Marshal”—had no one else, at the very least they could secure a captaincy.

Lady Jinhua turned to Liu Yi. “Young Master Liu, though you control the Everlasting Lantern, all must heed my command!”

Liu Yi nodded. “Lady Jinhua, you may direct the Lantern as you wish. But on this journey to Chao Lake, I’ll make the arrangements. Wen Qing, Wen Wuyue, lead the way. Should anything go amiss, I may spare your life, but the Lady’s Lantern will not.”

He suspected that winning over Captain Huo might be a bitter struggle, so he made thorough preparations. Yet what happened next left him dumbstruck. Captain Huo, with only eight or nine men under him, switched sides without hesitation the moment Wen Qing called out and Liu Yi shone the lantern on him.

From Captain Huo’s mouth, Liu Yi heard Chen Youliang’s name again. “Ni Manzi and Chen Youliang are truly treacherous—always trying to consume every last remnant of the forces that broke out of Xiangyang!”

Though all flew the Red Turban banner, as with the bitter rivalry between the factions of Liu Futong and Han Shantong versus Xu Shouhui and Ni Wenjun, the Xu-Song Red Turbans had splintered into many cliques. Lady Jinhua, though a mere figurehead, was the leader of the Xiangyang Red Turbans’ branch.

After their defeat at Xiangyang, the Red Turbans from there had scattered in all directions, no longer a unified force, but still numbering over ten thousand, their strength not yet spent. Many old followers, beaten down and discriminated against, would sometimes come to Lady Jinhua seeking comfort or aid.

Lady Jinhua finally understood the true reason Ni Wenjun and Chen Youliang had turned against her: “Once we reach Chao Lake, we can raise the Xiangyang Red Turban banner again. Captain Huo, how many old comrades from Xiangyang survive? If we succeed, you’ll be Commandant Huo.”

Captain Huo had only nine men left, two of whom had slipped away in the earlier skirmish, but now, as a newly minted commandant, his spirit soared. “Rest assured, Marshal! All the old hands from Xiangyang are loyal to you and will follow wherever you lead!”

His assurance, however, was exaggerated. Though he led the way, in two more skirmishes—even with Liu Yi wielding the lantern and their grand titles—few of the old Xiangyang Red Turbans were willing to join. At best, they’d shout, “Red Turbans don’t kill Red Turbans! Lady Jinhua, I won’t trouble you today, so don’t force my hand!”

As for Ni Wenjun and Chen Youliang’s men, they showed Lady Jinhua no courtesy, but seeing Wen Qing and Captain Huo defect, they dared not attack too fiercely, turning instead to appeasing the Xiangyang veterans.

Lady Jinhua was left dissatisfied. In name, she had a commandant and three captains, but counting herself and Liu Yi, their group barely reached a dozen with a single horse, and people kept slipping away. She had no choice but to pin her hopes on Liu Yi. “Young Master Liu, what do you suggest we do next?”

Liu Yi answered with confidence. “North first, then east!”

The mountain road north was not easy, but Liu Yi, carrying two backpacks, refused to part with them—they were his only means of survival.

Their journey passed through desolate landscapes, sometimes traveling ten or twenty miles without seeing a living soul, only ruined villages claimed by war and disaster. The bones glimpsed among the wild grass made the devastation even more striking to Liu Yi.

This was a paradise for wild hares, boars, and birds, but for the people of these chaotic times, it was nothing short of hell.

For five years, war had raged: Red Turbans, Green Army, Maohulu Army, Mongol troops, New Surrendered Army, and Han forces had fought over this land, razing countless villages. The lucky few survivors had retreated into fortified hamlets or mountain strongholds for safety.

These strongholds maintained a semblance of order, but also subverted it. Backed by both the Yuan court and Red Turban commissions, they could be destroyed at the first sign of weakness. “Ahead lies Shenshan Stronghold, a formidable player—connected with the puppet Yuan’s Huguang and Henan provinces, and even having paid tribute to our own Song. No matter the turn of events, Liu Futong and Sheng Wenyu always get word from them.”

Liu Yi nodded. “Very well. Commandant Huo, I’ll trouble you to make the trip yourself. Tell them the Deputy Governor of Huainan and Acting Judge of the Lianghuai Secretariat, Lady Jinhua, wishes to pass through Haozhou on the way to Chao Lake.”

Not only Wen Qing and Captain Huo, but even Lady Jinhua herself nearly lost her grip on her silver spear. “Young Master Liu, did you say Deputy Governor of Huainan?”

Liu Yi replied, steady as ever, “I know how to draft an edict.”

Haozhou.

As the provisional capital of the Ruying Red Turbans, this city exuded a kind of morbid prosperity. Its population had multiplied, and the marketplace bustled even more than before the war; anything could be bought for the right price.

As the leader of the Ruying Red Turbans, Liu Futong wielded near-absolute power here. Little could move him, but today he lost his composure for once. “Deputy Governor of Huainan and Acting Judge of the Lianghuai Secretariat? I know Lady Jinhua’s seniority in the south is considerable, but she’s nowhere near that level, is she?”