Chapter 127: The Magistrate of Willow Court Is No Ordinary Man

Qing Tong sneered, “If Judge Liu is willing to accept the court’s amnesty and serve loyally, I certainly welcome it. But becoming my son-in-law isn’t so easy—my daughter has always had very high standards, and ordinary men simply don’t meet her expectations.”

It wasn’t that his daughter’s standards were high; rather, as the Vice Chancellor, Qing Tong’s own standards were far too lofty. Otherwise, his beloved daughter’s marriage wouldn’t have been delayed until now, nearly allowing that barbarian Yang Wanzhe to take an immense advantage.

Yet, as soon as he spoke, Qing Tong regretted it. Since Qin Conglong had already turned traitor, no matter how ruthless he was, it was one matter. But as Vice Chancellor of the Provincial Administration, how could he entertain the madness of considering making the rebel leader Liu Yi his son-in-law?

Still, compared to Yang Wanzhe—a Miao tribesman who hadn’t bathed in a year—Liu Yi, the rebel leader, at least looked more presentable. Moreover, bringing Liu Yi over with amnesty seemed to offer Qing Tong many tangible benefits. The only problem was that while persuading Liu Yi might be easy, having Liu Yi come under the walls of Hangzhou to accept amnesty was entirely impossible.

In contrast, the rebel imperial censor Qin Conglong was brimming with confidence. “With the Chancellor’s words, that is enough. My lord is no ordinary man; whatever he promises, he will accomplish!”

Qin Conglong had so thoroughly tied himself to Liu Yi’s cause, even putting all his capital on him, that he naturally had absolute faith in Liu Yi.

And now Zhu Yuanzhang shared the same view of Liu Yi: “Judge Liu is no ordinary man. What he promises is almost certain to be fulfilled. If he is willing to deploy troops, we can surely take Changzhou!”

The civil and military officials beside him, who had been demoralized, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang’s words. Tang He, who often liked to echo Zhu Yuanzhang, clenched his fists and shouted, “My lord speaks rightly. A mere single wanhu commander with a thousand or so troops cannot influence the whole situation. His father is still alive—how much influence can a single wanhu have?”

This, of course, was a boastful exaggeration. Everyone present was part of Zhu Yuanzhang’s inner circle and knew well how far Tang He’s words diverged from reality.

The wanhu commander was the son of Marshal Shan Jurun of the Green Army. Though the Jiangbei spear troops and Green Army had mostly been absorbed by the Chaohu navy, the situation changed after Zhu Yuanzhang captured Yingtian Prefecture. Shan Jurun’s Green Army was the biggest acquisition of northern Jiangsu troops for Zhu Yuanzhang’s faction.

Although Shan Jurun was titled “Marshal,” his actual forces numbered only about seven thousand, roughly equal to the strength of a county with over ten thousand households—a common situation in these chaotic times. Therefore, after crossing the river, Zhu Yuanzhang promoted him generously, even granting his son Shan Dashi the title of wanhu.

No one expected Shan Dashi to defect to Zhang Shicheng at this critical moment. Though Shan Dashi commanded only about 2,700 men, his defection meant Zhu Yuanzhang lost 2,700 troops while Zhang Shicheng gained the same number—a net swing of 5,400 soldiers.

Often, five thousand armored soldiers could decide the outcome of a battle. Moreover, Shan Dashi’s betrayal left the defense line wide open. Zhu Yuanzhang, caught unprepared, suffered severe losses, with over a thousand captured.

Though Shan Dashi’s father, Shan Jurun, remained steadfastly loyal to Zhu Yuanzhang, no one dared to keep placing the Green Army in key positions after Shan Dashi’s defection. Morale plummeted throughout the ranks, forcing Zhu Yuanzhang to turn to Liu Yi and the Chaohu navy as a last resort.

Countless historical facts proved that whenever Liu Yi personally led the Chaohu navy into battle, miracles were made. Not to mention Zhu Yuanzhang’s troops were strong and well-equipped; losing a few thousand men was not critical. Hence, after Zhu Yuanzhang and Tang He’s exchange, the officials felt the situation was not as dire.

After crossing the river, the Red Turbans at Chuzhou had already lost both the Commander-in-Chief and the Right Deputy Commander. There were numerous cases of allied militia and local troops defecting. The disorder was largely because Zhang Shicheng was a more formidable opponent than anyone encountered before. But no matter how stubborn he was, could he compare to the tenacity of Liu Yi and the Chaohu navy?

Therefore, Li Shanchang smiled and said, “We have Shan Dashi to thank this time. If that wanhu had been foolish, there would have been no way to bring Judge Liu out. Once Judge Liu emerges, the situation changes entirely!”

Zhu Yuanzhang did not like this tone. The Red Turbans at Chuzhou were among the strongest armies in the land, not helpless without Liu Yi and the Chaohu navy. But given the current situation, he could only smile wryly.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s generals, however, cared little for his feelings. Xu Da was the first to step forward and say, “Mr. Shanchang, your words are exactly right. As long as Judge Liu and Zhenjiang send troops, we can surely take Changzhou. Some previous conditions we insisted on can be negotiated with him. Please make the trip to Zhenjiang and be sure to bring the bride!”

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang appeared calm on the surface, but inside his heart burned fiercely. He was somewhat stubborn, believing he could capture Changzhou even without Zhenjiang’s troops.

Yet he also knew well that taking Changzhou would not be so easy. Not to mention Zhang Shide, Chen Erbao, and even Shan Dashi were formidable opponents, the biggest problem now was that the newly absorbed Green Army and spear troops from Jiangbei watched cautiously.

Though they were treated well under his command, the Red Turbans at Chuzhou were strictly disciplined and well-organized. Zhu Yuanzhang was a man of his word, but Zhang Shicheng’s side not only offered generous rewards but also treated ordinary wanhu and qianhu commanders like gods. If the Changzhou stalemate dragged on, these newly recruited troops were bound to cause trouble.

Take Shan Jurun, for example. Though he publicly severed ties with Shan Dashi, privately they no longer communicated. Zhu Yuanzhang could only turn a blind eye. But if the situation worsened, no amount of persuasion would keep Shan Jurun loyal.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang reiterated his position: “Judge Liu is truly no ordinary man. Mr. Shanchang, this time you must bring the bride over!”