MLMD -Chapter 214 Mobilizing the Troops

When Yue Yang came out of the Governor-General’s residence, Chen Dazhi hurried up to him and asked anxiously, “My lord, what just happened? How come I saw quite a few commanders talking about you as they came out?”

“Nothing much,” Yue Yang replied casually. “I just had an argument with an annoying fellow and gave him a good scolding.”

Chen Dazhi’s eyebrows twitched. He asked cautiously, “My lord… may I ask whom you scolded?”

It wasn’t that Chen Dazhi was timid or afraid of death—it was simply that he knew very well this was Datong Prefecture. Although his master could swagger around in the Northern Shanxi Circuit, that wasn’t the case here. This was Lu Xiangsheng’s territory. Leaving aside the civil officials, just among the military officers who had come out earlier, Chen Dazhi had personally seen five regional commanders, seven or eight deputy commanders, more than ten brigadier generals and assistant commanders, and dozens of guerrilla commanders. Any one of them would be far beyond the reach of a mere personal-guard captain like him.

Yue Yang said indifferently, “Nothing serious. I just scolded Chen Xinjia, the Supervising Censor of Xuanfu. Didn’t you see him slinking out just now?”

“What? You scolded the Supervising Censor?” Chen Dazhi felt his heart start pounding, his breathing growing rapid.

Yue Yang shot a sideways glance at his personal-guard captain and said disdainfully, “Look at you—acting like such a coward. I’m not even afraid, yet you’re scared stiff. Don’t go around telling people you were trained by me. It’s just a Supervising Censor—so what if I scolded him? What can he do to me?”

Chen Dazhi didn’t dare retort and could only grumble inwardly: Is a Supervising Censor someone you can scold at will? That’s a full third-rank civil official—weightier than even a second-rank regional commander!

“All right, stop looking so worried,” Yue Yang said, shaking his head at Chen Dazhi’s expression. He had originally chosen Chen Dazhi as his guard captain for his steadiness, but now it seemed the man was overly cautious, timid in action—clearly still in need of tempering.

Chen Dazhi had no idea that such an offhand incident had already shaped his lord’s judgment of him. At the moment, he was still troubled by the fact that Yue Yang had offended such a heavyweight figure in Datong Prefecture.

“Enough thinking. We need to head back immediately,” Yue Yang said, patting Chen Dazhi on the shoulder. He walked to his mount, took the riding whip handed to him by another guard, stepped into the stirrup, swung himself onto the horse, gave its belly a practiced squeeze, and soon galloped off toward the inn…

On the sixteenth day of the second month of the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, Yue Yang—travel-worn and dusty—hurried back to Hunyuan Prefecture. As soon as he arrived, he summoned all the generals.

At this moment, the main hall was packed with officers. Even Shun Bao, who had already been promoted to Garrison Commander of Yingzhou Prefecture, rushed over. Strictly speaking, this matter had nothing to do with him, but the moment he heard there might be a battle to fight, he traveled day and night without rest to reach Hunyuan.

Yue Yang swept his gaze across the assembled officers below—Shun Bao, Hu Laosan, Wu Chengfeng, Feng Xiaoming, Chu Di, Hai Lou, as well as the newly allied Wu Qing and Chen Zhi—everyone was present.

Yue Yang cleared his throat and said, “Gentlemen, a few days ago I received a handwritten order from the Superintendent. He commands us to lead troops out of the passes within ten days to assist the Chahar tribe in resisting the Jurchen barbarians. Now, I issue my orders!”

Clatter!

Everyone sprang to their feet at once, the hall ringing with the clash of iron armor. All eyes were fixed on Yue Yang, faces alight with excitement.

Seeing their eager expressions, Yue Yang nodded inwardly. Rejoicing at the sound of war was an important measure of whether a force was truly combat-ready. Some people in later generations liked to boast about “civilized armies” and “mighty, disciplined troops,” but to Yue Yang, that was all nonsense. What was an army for? To fight wars and kill enemies. Under equal conditions, could an army that constantly preached “civility” defeat a ferocious one? Of course not. That was why Yue Yang never demanded excessive refinement from his troops. As long as they didn’t harm the people of the Ming or violate military discipline, the occasional scuffle or contest among comrades was acceptable—it kept their edge. Seeing the generals so fired up now, he felt his years of effort had not been wasted.

Looking at the officers standing straight below, Yue Yang took a deep breath and said loudly, “This expedition beyond the passes involves long distances and difficult supply lines, so we must carry as much grain and provisions as possible. Chen Zhi!”

“This subordinate is here!” Chen Zhi stepped forward at once, chest out, answering loudly, deeply honored that his name was called first.

Yue Yang looked at him and said, “Though you haven’t been with us long, I am familiar with your abilities. For this campaign, you will be responsible for assembling the provisions. You must ensure the army’s needs are met.”

Chen Zhi paused, then asked, “May I ask how many troops we will take, how many infantry and cavalry, and roughly how long the campaign will last?”

Seeing that Chen Zhi didn’t immediately agree but instead asked detailed questions about troop numbers, composition, and duration, Yue Yang nodded approvingly. This was a cautious man—exactly the quality required of a staff officer.

Yue Yang said slowly, “For this expedition beyond the passes, I plan to take three thousand infantry, three thousand cavalry, the newly established artillery battalion, and two thousand logistics troops. We will also carry enough provisions for three months. Staff Officer Chen—can you manage this?”

After a moment’s calculation, Chen Zhi replied, “The artillery battalion numbers several hundred men. Adding three thousand infantry, three thousand cavalry, and two thousand logistics troops, the daily grain requirement is about one hundred shi. That’s three thousand shi per month, and nine thousand shi for three months—plus gunpowder, lead shot, and artillery. That would place enormous pressure on the logistics corps. I fear I may be unable to manage it.”

“I see,” Yue Yang said with a smile after some thought. “In that case, we won’t bring that much. Five thousand shi will suffice. If it’s not enough, we’ll procure supplies locally.”

“Local procurement?” The words sounded ordinary enough, but they sent a chill through everyone present. For an army operating outside the borders, “local procurement” was synonymous with plunder.

Seeing the silence, Yue Yang smiled and asked Chen Zhi, “Any other difficulties?”

Chen Zhi jolted and answered loudly, “None!”

Yue Yang nodded. “Good. Remember to bring extra gunpowder and lead shot. If we run out beyond the passes, we’ll be blind and helpless.”

Yue Yang knew well that his army already possessed the rudiments of a modern force. If the infantry’s muzzle-loading rifles ran out of ammunition, they’d be useless. He certainly wasn’t about to have his soldiers charge Jurchen warriors in hand-to-hand combat with bayonets. In his view, abandoning superior firearms to fight the enemy at what they did best—cold weapons—was sheer stupidity.

After settling logistical matters, Yue Yang turned to Shun Bao and Hu Laosan with a serious expression. “Shun Bao, Hu Laosan—while I am beyond the passes, the safety of Yingzhou and Hunyuan rests with you. Hu Laosan, in particular—you’re responsible not only for Hunyuan’s defenses but also for training new recruits. Time is short and the task heavy. After I leave, you must take great care.”

Hu Laosan nodded and replied gruffly, “This subordinate obeys.”

Shun Bao’s eyes reddened as he protested, “My lord, I wish to accompany you beyond the passes. Please grant my request!”

Yue Yang’s face darkened. “Nonsense! What are you going beyond the passes for? Do you think this is like before, when you could go wherever you pleased? You are now the garrison commander of Yingzhou, charged with defending the city. How can you just leave? What about Yingzhou’s safety? What about Wuli Village?”

Shun Bao stubbornly craned his neck. “Then I’d rather not be this garrison commander.”

“Bastard! Do you know where you are? This is the general’s main hall! Keep this up and I’ll strip you of rank on the spot and make you a stable hand!” Yue Yang slammed the table, truly furious.

“Even if you do, I’m still going beyond the passes with you!” Shun Bao seemed to have lost his mind today, daring to argue outright.

“You… you—”

Seeing Yue Yang’s expression change, Hai Lou quickly stood up to smooth things over. “My lord, Garrison Commander Yue wishes to accompany you out of loyalty and devotion. Please don’t be too harsh. Even if he isn’t at Yingzhou, you can assign someone else. There’s no fighting there right now anyway—leaving him there would be a waste. Better to let him march with you, don’t you think?”

“Sigh…” Yue Yang let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile, “How did I never notice this fellow is like sticky taffy—once he latches on, you can’t shake him off? Fine. Since you want to come, you can. But before you leave, you’d better settle all matters of Yingzhou’s defenses. If anything goes wrong, I’ll skin you alive.”

“Yes! Thank you, young master!” Shun Bao exclaimed in delight, accidentally blurting out his old form of address.

In the end, Yue Yang decided that six thousand combat troops would go beyond the passes—three thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry—along with two thousand logistics troops, one artillery battalion, and Yue Yang’s personal guard, totaling nine thousand men. The accompanying commanders would be Shun Bao, Wu Chengfeng, Chu Di, Feng Xiaoming, and Staff Officer Chen Zhi.

After announcing the roster, Yue Yang said gravely, “All those assigned to the expedition—return to your camps, make preparations, and bid farewell to your families. At the hour of mao the day after tomorrow, we assemble for inspection and depart!”

“Yes! We obey the general’s orders!”

Once the generals had dispersed, Yue Yang headed for the rear courtyard. As they were leaving, the others noticed that Shun Bao was following him inside as well. Yue Yang turned around, glared at him, and barked, “What are you following me in for?”

Shun Bao grinned shamelessly. “Well… this subordinate hasn’t seen the old madam for quite some time and wants to pay his respects.”

“Heh…” Yue Yang shook his head helplessly and ignored him, continuing on his way. Shun Bao seized the chance to slip in behind him.