Chapter Thirty-Five: Confidence

Since he intended to ease relations with Lake Chao, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally didn't wish to fall out with Liu Yi. "However, when it comes to recruiting soldiers north of the river, it's best we establish a gentleman's agreement with Lake Chao—and besides, they can't possibly compete with us!"

Li Shanchang wholeheartedly agreed, "That's right. As long as we raise the Marshal's banner, Liu Yi won't be able to outmatch us."

Zhu Yuanzhang was a renowned figure throughout the Jianghuai region; everyone knew he commanded the largest, most formidable army and treated his followers with generosity. To serve under Zhu Yuanzhang was considered an excellent choice—Xu Da, Tang He, Hua Yun, and others were prime examples.

At present, the various Green Army and Long Spear Army factions north of the river, though not quite destitute or suffering unbearable hardship, found themselves in dire straits. Years of war had shattered order, leaving production and trade teetering on collapse. Moreover, the anti-Yuan armies pressed ever closer, with several Green Army and Long Spear Army units already on the brink of total defeat.

The south was not only more prosperous, but its enemies were weaker—one could even drive in unopposed. The Green Army and Long Spear Army units, hailing from the same villages as Zhu Yuanzhang, had a history of cordial contact with him. Crossing south was naturally their best option.

According to Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, he could expect to recruit at least ten or twenty thousand Long Spear and Green Army soldiers. With such a force under his control, he would stand invincible. "Yes, raise my banner and tell them: whoever comes south will find riches beyond measure. But if they throw in their lot with Lake Chao, they shouldn't expect mercy from my blade."

With these words, Zhu Yuanzhang was already preparing to unleash a ruthless purge.

The Lake Chao navy had fallen into Liu Yi's hands—a lifelong grievance for Zhu Yuanzhang. Under no circumstances could the Green Army or Long Spear Army north of the river be allowed to fall under the control of Liu Yi and Lady Jin Hua, for that would let them usurp Zhu Yuanzhang's position.

Meanwhile, the Lake Chao navy was discussing the same issue. Liao Yong'an volunteered, "Why not let me make a trip north? We're old friends—they'll certainly give me some face, and I could surely bring back a thousand or two!"

Liu Yi rose and declared, "Our goal in recruiting north of the river isn't just a couple thousand men. If that's all we wanted, we could easily find that many in Taiping, Hezhou, or Chuzhou. We should aim for ten or twenty thousand! With such a force of Jianghuai heroes, nothing will be beyond our reach."

Though Liu Yi spoke in reserved terms, every commander present understood he meant, "We could establish our own power base without difficulty."

If they truly managed to recruit ten or twenty thousand Green Army and Long Spear soldiers from the north, they would indeed have the means to accomplish anything. After all, the famed Zhang Shicheng commanded no more than ten thousand veteran troops, yet with those men he dealt a devastating blow to four hundred thousand Yuan soldiers at Gaoyou.

Moreover, these ten or twenty thousand were not green recruits, but battle-hardened veterans who had survived countless bloody encounters in Jianghuai. Their fighting prowess was no less than that of Zhang Shicheng's or Zhu Yuanzhang's forces. Their obscurity was merely due to the absence of a stage upon which to display their talents.

Since the Song dynasties, Jianghuai was renowned for its fierce troops and capable generals. In the transition from Yuan to Ming, it produced innumerable elite warriors. Zhu Yuanzhang owed his conquest to these "old comrades who crossed the river." But Zhao Pusheng found the task daunting. "Naturally, we should seize this opportunity to recruit as many as possible. But Zhu Yuanzhang's banner carries more weight than ours—we may not be able to compete!"

Lady Jin Hua was ever combative. "Precisely because Zhu Yuanzhang is stronger, we must fight for every inch. For every thousand we recruit, that's one thousand fewer for him. We have no choice but to fight!"

Although many urged Lake Chao to maintain amicable relations with Zhu Yuanzhang, Lady Jin Hua saw things clearly. There were only so many resources. If they did not fight, everything would fall into Zhu Yuanzhang's hands. This was a zero-sum game; there could be no win-win outcome.

Had she and Liu Yi not overturned the table at the outset, the Lake Chao navy would now be in Zhu Yuanzhang's pocket, and they would have been wiped from existence.

The battle for the Green Army and Long Spear Army north of the river followed the same logic: retreating meant utter ruin. Yet Zhao Pusheng raised the most troubling question, "What do we have to compete with Zhu Yuanzhang?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's fame and strength far surpassed the Lake Chao navy; only by employing extraordinary measures could they hope to recruit more elite soldiers. Liu Yi had already devised a plan. "We must treat them with sincerity and make it clear to those north of the river that Lake Chao boasts ten thousand skilled watermen, but what we truly lack are elite land troops."

This was not entirely accurate. Though the Lake Chao navy specialized in naval warfare, their soldiers were among the finest on land as well. The issue was that such precious troops could not be squandered on ordinary land battles. Zhao Pusheng immediately understood, "The General is absolutely right. What we lack are elite land troops; Zhu Yuanzhang has more than enough!"

This was Liu Yi's greatest confidence in contesting Zhu Yuanzhang for recruits. Zhu Yuanzhang commanded countless elite soldiers and generals. No matter how many captains, commanders, or leaders joined him, their prospects would remain limited.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang had a host of veteran generals from Haozhou. Loyalty, seniority, and merit assured that he would favor the old guard. Even if he wished to promote newcomers, his ranks were filled with relatives, adopted sons, trusted guards, and vanguard officers. Those crossing the river would be lucky to earn a living.

The situation at Lake Chao was entirely different. Here, the slate was blank, offering boundless possibilities. Liu Yi was eager for talent, while Lady Jin Hua sneered, "Let Yunyu keep a close watch for us. No matter how many men Zhu Yuanzhang recruits, they still have to cross the river, don't they? Even if a few dozen slip across secretly, it's impossible for thousands or tens of thousands to cross undetected."

Liu Yi laughed, "When it comes to affairs on the river, we are in control. Zhu Yuanzhang owes us an explanation. And with Yunyu monitoring the north for us, we can rest easy!"

At this, Liu Yi felt he could almost catch a faint whiff of Guo Yunyu's unique fragrance. "It's a heavy burden for Yunyu, but I hope she understands. In any case, I'll entrust this matter to her—she needn't consult me every time she crosses the river."

Meanwhile, Guo Yunyu herself was contemplating her husband.