Chapter Ninety-Five: The Ming Army’s Conspiracy

By the lakeside.

Scarface, Monk Zhang, Cheng Xuan, and over twenty other platoon leaders had already arrived. Wang Pu asked Xiao Qi, "Xiao Qi, where are Tang Sheng and Big Beard now?"

Xiao Qi replied, "Tang Sheng and Big Beard are each leading four or five hundred cavalry to drive off two other groups of the Tumet. Big Beard’s men are about thirty miles away and should arrive by nightfall. Tang Sheng’s men are nearly a hundred miles out and likely won't reach the lake until tomorrow noon."

Wang Pu asked again, "What about those retreating Mongol remnants?"

Xiao Qi answered, "They have already retreated fifty miles north of the lake."

Wang Pu commanded, "Xiao Qi, take your men and go deliver the message yourself. Tell Big Beard and Tang Sheng to stop worrying about the Tumet; have them lead their men to assemble here immediately. They must arrive at the lakeside before dark today! As for plundering the cattle and sheep, leave that to Eunuch Zhang’s border troops."

"Yes!"

Xiao Qi acknowledged the order, took two personal guards, and rode off like the wind.

Wang Pu turned back to look at Scarface, Monk Zhang, and the others, saying, "Take some men to dismantle the wagons and tents abandoned by the Tumet. Build fires by the lake, slaughter a few hundred fat sheep to let the brothers have a hearty meal, and then get a good night's sleep. We'll talk about other matters tomorrow morning!"

"Yes."

Scarface, Monk Zhang, Cheng Xuan, and the twenty-plus platoon leaders responded in unison and went to carry out their orders.

Once they were out of earshot, Zhen Youcai asked in a low voice, "General, why didn't you tell them now?"

"Now is not the time," Wang Pu shook his head and whispered, "I will tell them tomorrow morning before we march."

Zhen Youcai hesitated for a long time before asking softly, "General, must I go on this campaign as well?"

A faint smile appeared on Wang Pu’s face. "You don't need to join the expedition. Take Xiao Qi and two hundred personal guards to escort the camel caravan back to Datong. Those two hundred camels are carrying the gold and treasures we looted from Guihua this time. You must be careful on the road; nothing can go wrong."

Zhen Youcai nodded. "Rest assured, General, I will safely escort the caravan back to Datong."

Wang Pu nodded, then suddenly said something seemingly irrelevant: "Youcai, you have been following me since the end of last August, helping me devise strategies. From the attack on Shengjing to the campaign in Joseon, and suppressing the White Lotus Sect in Jining—you have helped me a great deal. In the capital, you even saved my life."

Zhen Youcai rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Why are you saying this, General?"

Wang Pu looked at him sincerely, feeling a tinge of guilt. "It is shameful, really. I should have rewarded you properly long ago, but things have been non-stop since we returned to Datong. I haven't even had the chance to find you a wife."

"What are you saying, General?" A flush rose on Zhen Youcai’s face. "If it weren't for you taking me back to the Great Ming, I would still be a slave working like a beast of burden for the Jiannu in Liaodong! If anyone should be thanking anyone, it is I who should be thanking you."

"Enough of that for now," Wang Pu waved his hand. "This campaign to Sanbula River will surely be a fierce battle. I don't know when I will return to Datong, so I need to entrust you with two more tasks."

Zhen Youcai replied solemnly, "Please give your orders, General."

Wang Pu said, "First, once you return to Datong, find a way to purchase grain. Shaanxi, Henan, and Huguang are all plagued by roving bandits, so grain cannot be bought there. However, the White Lotus Sect in Shandong has been wiped out and the Grand Canal is open again; southern grain can now reach the capital, so you must buy it there."

Zhen Youcai asked, "How much should I buy?"

Wang Pu replied, "Take two hundred thousand taels of silver and buy as much as you can."

Zhen Youcai asked, "And the second task?"

"The second task is harder: gunpowder!" Wang Pu sighed. "The armory of the Datong border troops has almost no gunpowder left, and because there is no silver for raw materials, the gunpowder bureau of Datong Town hasn't operated for over half a year. For this campaign, that old eunuch Zhang Zi'an has emptied his coffers, but even if we are frugal, this amount is only enough for the brothers to fire a few shots."

Zhen Youcai asked, "So, General, you mean..."

Wang Pu explained, "Once Zhang Zi'an drives the Tumet’s livestock back to Datong, the matter won't end there. Since those animals cannot be turned into cash, he will still refuse to pay the troops. Eventually, he will have to come to us, the Wang family, to buy the livestock. That is when you must step in and drive a hard bargain."

Zhen Youcai asked, "What price should I offer?"

Wang Pu said, "Buy all the cattle, sheep, and horses for three hundred thousand taels!"

"What? Three hundred thousand!" Zhen Youcai exclaimed. "General, at market rates, a sheep is worth at least one tael, a horse at least six, and a cow at least ten. The Tumet’s livestock must total over a million head. Even if some were lost, there will be at least eight hundred thousand brought back by the border troops. I estimate they are worth at least 1.5 million taels. Is offering only three hundred thousand too harsh?"

Wang Pu replied, "That, of course, is not the final offer."

"Then what is the floor price?"

"The floor price is to buy all the livestock at half the market value, but the condition is... that the operating rights for the three weapon workshops and two gunpowder bureaus in Datong Town for the next three years be transferred unconditionally to the Wang family. We will provide the border troops with weapons and gunpowder according to the original quotas, but the imperial court must not interfere with our specific management."

Zhen Youcai counted on his fingers and said, "General, I am afraid there isn't enough silver in the treasury."

Wang Pu said, "If there isn't enough, go ask my elder brother."

"Understood." Zhen Youcai nodded. "Once I return to Datong, I will certainly handle these two tasks well."

Wang Pu patted Zhen Youcai on the shoulder and chuckled, "When I return to Datong, I will personally arrange a marriage for you."

Zhen Youcai said happily, "Then I thank you in advance, General."

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, just as the sun rose, the lakeside became a hive of activity. The soldiers, having slept soundly, crawled out of their low leather tents. They washed their faces in the lake, gulped down mutton by the fires, and then, under the shouting of their squad and platoon leaders, hurriedly formed ranks.

In less than half an hour, all the troops were assembled with their mounts.

Big Beard and Tang Sheng’s men had arrived by yesterday afternoon and evening. They had lost dozens of men while chasing the Tumet, and another hundred had died in a brief but fierce battle with the Khorchin people yesterday. Of the four thousand-plus men who started the campaign, only about thirty-eight hundred remained.

Although the men were fewer, the horses were more numerous.

When Wang Pu’s army first left the border, each man had only one horse. Now, almost everyone had three. The extra eight thousand or so horses were seized from the Tumet. They had also captured enough saddles from Guihua City and various settlements. These eight thousand horses meant they could switch mounts at any time.

This significantly increased the mobility of Wang Pu’s army. This was a key reason why Wang Pu dared to attack the Sanbula River. With these horses, even if they couldn't beat the Khorchin, they could certainly outrun them.

Wang Pu mounted his horse and rode slowly along the front of the ranks.

The eyes of nearly four thousand soldiers fell upon him. The north wind howled, and the world was silent, save for the heavy snorting of horses and the flapping of the great flag held by Lu Liu in the wind.

Wang Pu reined in his horse and shouted, "Are you all fed?"

"Fed!" all the soldiers responded in unison.

Wang Pu said coldly, "What did you say? I can't hear you!"

"FED!"

The entire army roared with all their might, their massive shout shattering the silence of the grasslands, startling a herd of wild horses drinking at the lake and sending them galloping into the distance. The border troops nearby, who were rounding up livestock, turned their heads in shock.

Wang Pu nodded and said loudly, "I have something to tell you. Scouts report that a detachment of Mongol cavalry is charging toward us. They want to steal the livestock we’ve captured. What do you say we do?"

"Kill them!"

"Take them down!"

"We cannot let them take back our livestock!"

The soldiers shouted back.

"Well said!" Wang Pu yelled. "Since when does one spit out meat that is already in their mouth? If the Mongols want to take our livestock back, they’ll have to ask if the weapons in your hands agree!"

"We don't agree!"

"We don't agree!"

"No cattle or sheep for them! If they want them, they’ll have to pay with their lives!"

More than three thousand soldiers brandished their weapons and roared hoarsely.

"Brothers..." Wang Pu drew his saber with a metallic ring and held it high. "Let’s send these Mongols, who don't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth, back to their grandmothers' homes! Kill!"

Wang Pu brandished his saber and galloped toward the east, where the sun was rising.

Seeing this, the thirty-eight hundred soldiers howled like wild wolves, mounted their horses, and swarmed after him. With shifting horse heads and thundering iron hooves, in less than a moment, the ten thousand horses turned into a faint black line on the horizon. The rumble of hooves grew distant until, finally, it could be heard no more.

Zhang Zi'an emerged from his tent wearing a thick sable cloak and sighed, "When it comes to leading troops, the Princess Consort’s husband is truly the best..."

Sixty miles north of Yan'e Lake, Banketu’s eight hundred remaining cavalry had set up camp.

Recalling yesterday’s battle, Banketu was filled with regret; he almost felt like committing suicide. Had he known this would be the outcome, he never would have rashly sallied out. Now, of the three thousand elite guards Wu Keshan had given him, only eight hundred remained, and he no longer had the strength to complete the mission of stalling the Ming army.

It would take at least two more days for Sogaer’s eight thousand cavalry to arrive, but by then, the Ming army would have long since fled back to Datong.

Just as Banketu was at his wit's end, a captain of his personal guards entered the tent and reported, "Young Prince, a large force of Ming cavalry has been spotted!"

"Ming cavalry?" Banketu stood up abruptly and demanded, "Where?"

The captain replied, "To the southeast, heading toward Ge'er Lake."

"Heading toward Ge'er Lake!" Banketu frowned. "How many Ming cavalry are there?"

The captain said, "There are over ten thousand horses, at least three thousand cavalry!"

Banketu roared, "Damn it! When did the Ming learn how to use three horses per man?"

"Young Prince, what should we do now?" the captain asked. "Should we send half our cavalry to track them?"

"Not yet," Banketu asked. "What about the rest of the Ming army?"

The captain said, "The rest are still at Yan'e Lake, rounding up the Tumet’s livestock."

"This is strange," Banketu frowned. "Why would the Ming split their forces? There must be a conspiracy! But what could it be? Ge'er Lake, Ge'er Lake... Ge'er Lake!"

Banketu muttered to himself, and suddenly his face changed color. He gasped, "Oh, no!"

The captain was startled. "What is it, Young Prince? What happened?"

Banketu said, "Less than three hundred miles north of Ge'er Lake is the Sanbula River. With three horses per man, the Ming cavalry can travel three hundred miles in a single day and night! The eight thousand cavalry at Sanbula River are currently on their way to Yan'e Lake, and my father has almost no troops left with him. If they were to be suddenly attacked by the Ming cavalry now..."

The captain was also horrified by the scene Banketu described. "The Prince is in danger!"