Chapter 142: Collusion and Corruption

Wang Yujing was the last card Gong Shitai had left to play. Although Gong knew that Wang, a former naval commander, was barely capable of suppressing local bandits and that pitting him against the tens of thousands of Gaoyou rebels was pushing him far beyond his limits, he still clung to a sliver of hope that Wang might at least hold his own against Zhang Shicheng for a few rounds.

With Wang defeated, Gong Shitai lost his backbone. He could only grasp at the final straw: "Victory and defeat are common in war. Tell General Wang to retreat to the prefecture city immediately to reorganize; I shall join him in defending the city!"

Yet, Gong felt he could no longer keep up the charade. Wang’s defeat had shattered his entire plan; he could only pray for a miracle.

The problem was that Zhang Shicheng’s strikes came one after another. "What? General Wang is not returning to the city? How can this be? The elite forces of Songjiang are all under his command. If he retreats to the sea, who will defend the city?"

Though Wang Yujing was a hopeless incompetent, his troops were the most capable force in the entire Songjiang Prefecture. Gong had felt that as long as the remnants could fall back to the city, there would still be a chance to fight. But with Wang fleeing, the only people left in the city besides Gong—a Jinshi scholar from the South—were a few hundred hastily conscripted militiamen. Gong’s voice cracked in desperation: "Does anyone here have connections with Judge Liu in Zhenjiang? If Judge Liu is willing to turn over a new leaf, the imperial court will surely overlook his past crimes. If he sends troops to relieve Songjiang, I, Gong Shitai, will personally report his merits to the throne!"

But with Zhang Shicheng likely to break into the city at any moment, no one dared to court death at such a juncture. Gong’s repeated inquiries were met with silence. Panicked to the point of madness, he shrieked, "Find a way! If you can't, I will have you and this city of Songjiang buried with me!"

Meanwhile, Pan Yuanming was brimming with confidence. "If the Yuan court's generals are all like Wang Yujing, then taking Songjiang is as easy as turning over a hand. I could even conquer the entire Zhejiang province with these troops!"

Pan’s confidence grew with every battle. Zhang Shicheng had given him eight thousand men, but by recruiting defectors along the way, he had over ten thousand before clashing with Wang. The decisive victory over Wang had been exhilarating.

In the entire engagement, Pan had suffered only thirty casualties while gaining three thousand new recruits. He felt nothing could stand in his way. "Forget about Wang Yujing. Tell the men to prepare to take Songjiang in one fell swoop. Once we have the city, we can do whatever we want!"

Songjiang was indeed the most prosperous place under heaven. Since Gong Shitai didn't know how to make proper use of it, Pan decided to teach him a lesson. "This prefecture could support fifty thousand troops—no, at least one hundred thousand!"

Pan’s joy, however, soon turned to rage. "What is the meaning of this? Yang Wanzhe wants to enter Songjiang too? Others might fear him, but I, Pan Yuanming, do not!"

Despite his bluster, Pan felt a flicker of fear. Yang Wanzhe commanded fifty thousand Miao soldiers, while Pan had fewer than fifteen thousand, most of whom were raw recruits. He lacked the confidence to face Yang in a head-on collision.

Yang Wanzhe, on the other hand, was unfazed. His envoy spoke bluntly: "Marshal Pan, our commander merely wishes to visit Songjiang. The city will remain under your control; our visit will be mutually beneficial!"

What nonsense was this? Pan was about to curse when he suddenly changed his tone. "How long does your commander intend to 'visit'? How many days?"

He had realized that Yang’s "visit" was merely a euphemism for pillaging. The Miao army was notoriously undisciplined, leaving behind scorched earth wherever they went. They were the kind of force that operated under the banner of the imperial army but acted like a scourge.

Yet, to Pan, this was actually a stroke of luck—a massive one.

To the officials and citizens of Songjiang, Pan’s army were barbarians from Gaoyou, no better than the Red Turbans. Despite his rapid advance, Pan could sense the deep-seated hatred of the officials, gentry, and local power brokers toward the forces of Zhang Shicheng.

If Yang’s Miao army came to stir up trouble first, the situation would change. Once the Miao army had passed through, the locals would naturally beg for Pan’s forces to restore order. The envoy quickly conveyed his commander's proposal: "Our commander wishes to stay for three to five days. Once the time is up, he will naturally cede the city to you!"

Pan would not let Yang off so easily. "The city cannot be ceded to your commander, but we welcome him for a visit. Five days at most; if he hasn't left by then, don't blame me for turning hostile!"

The envoy, who had expected a much harder negotiation, was overjoyed. "Marshal Pan is truly righteous. If you need anything, just say the word. Our commander’s fifty thousand troops are always ready to assist you!"

Pan was surprised by the envoy's ready agreement and felt a hint of regret. "Five days—not a moment longer, or you get out of Songjiang! Besides, our Great Zhou has over three hundred thousand troops, while your commander only has fifty thousand..."

Pan had intended to berate Yang, but for some reason, he changed his tune mid-sentence. "Since your commander has fifty thousand men, we have a basis for cooperation. Our Great Zhou will eat the meat in Songjiang, and your family can have the broth. But this city must be shared between us; we cannot allow a third party to wreak havoc here!"

The envoy was taken aback by Pan’s sudden change of heart. "Marshal Pan, in this day and age, who else would dare to covet Songjiang? This is the territory you have set your sights on!"