Chapter Thirty-Six: Chen Ye Leads the Way

The reason Guo Yunyu kept thinking of her husband, far away in the south, was not only because they had only just married yet were separated by war and unable to meet, but also due to a subtle sense of estrangement from her own family since her wedding.

She had always believed herself to be the treasured daughter of the Guo family, that no matter what happened, her family would shelter her from the storms of life. Reality, however, proved Guo Yunyu had been too naïve.

She used to be the one handling all household affairs in the Guo family, but even before her wedding night, Guo Tianxu, Guo Tianjue, and a host of relatives and friends had already stepped in to share her responsibilities, repeatedly reminding her that after marriage she must always safeguard the interests of the Guo family, never show favoritism.

Now Guo Yunyu finally understood the saying, “A married daughter is like spilled water.” Since her marriage to Liu Yi, she was only half a member of the Guo family. Her family only made demands of her, never considering her interests or those of her husband.

Fortunately, her husband truly treated her well. Though she no longer managed the Guo household, Liu Yi and the Chaohu Navy entrusted all affairs in the rear to her care, and Guo Yunyu felt far more respected in the Liu family than she ever had in her own.

Back at her parents’ house, she had only handled trivial matters, while all major decisions went to Guo Tianxu, Zhang Tianyou, and the other men. But things were completely different in the Liu family; every day she was surrounded by people awaiting her instructions, and both great and small matters were decided by her word alone. Guo Yunyu much preferred this version of herself: “This time, when recruiting the spear infantry and Green Army for the northward campaign, everyone must take care and keep a close watch. We cannot let Madame Ma’s side gain the upper hand.”

In the Liu household and the Chaohu Navy, Guo Yunyu was responsible for holding Chuzhou, while Zhu Yuanzhang had likewise appointed Madame Ma to remain in Chuzhou. Thus, without realizing it, the two women became rivals.

Whenever Guo Yunyu mentioned Madame Ma, she was at her most earnest. She felt she could lose to anyone, but not to Madame Ma.

Madame Ma was once merely a servant in the Guo household; it was only because Guo Zixing wanted to win over Zhu Yuanzhang that he adopted her as a goddaughter and married her to Zhu. Who could have foreseen that a lowly maid would rise so high, while Guo Yunyu herself had nearly become Zhu Yuanzhang’s concubine?

The thought of having to rise early each day to pay respects to Madame Ma filled Guo Yunyu with resentment. She was determined to outshine her: “If Madame Ma’s side gets the advantage, even if Marshal Liu spares you, I will not. Do you understand?”

The various commanders left behind in Chuzhou, upon seeing Guo Yunyu’s seriousness, dared not take matters lightly. “You may rest assured, madam. Since these orders come from the Marshal and yourself, we dare not show the least negligence. But we have heard that Marshal Zhu and Madame Ma are using all sorts of tactics to recruit soldiers. We dare not speak out of turn!”

Guo Yunyu, with the bearing of a true general, replied, “What is there you cannot say? My husband has given me full authority; speak freely!”

Meanwhile, her elder brother, the Commander-in-Chief of Chuzhou, Guo Tianxu, was also discussing the matter, saying, “Recruiting soldiers is a fine thing, but we must not put the cart before the horse. This time, my uncle and I have achieved the greatest merit and suffered the heaviest losses. If the spear infantry and Green Army are to move south, our needs must come first!”

Guo Tianxu was simply making things up. During the crossing and capture of Taiping, Zhu Yuanzhang’s forces had suffered the greatest losses, with over a thousand casualties, nearly four hundred dying beneath the city walls alone. The Chaohu Navy under Liu Yi had lost only five or six hundred, but without them, the Chuzhou forces could never have crossed the Yangtze, so Liu Yi never vied for first merit.

Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou’s troops also lost several hundred men, but in terms of merit and sacrifice, they could not compare with Zhu Yuanzhang or Liu Yi.

Still, since their own interests were at stake, Zhang Tianyou quickly supported Guo Tianxu. “The Commander-in-Chief is absolutely right. Proper order must be maintained in all things. The spear infantry and Green Army should first join you and me. If they are lured away by questionable sorts and used as cannon fodder, they’ll regret it for life. We must take full responsibility for our fellow countrymen from Jianghuai!”

Zhang Tianyou spoke eloquently, and Guo Tianxu nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. We must make our case clear to the other marshals. This matter requires careful planning, we must not act rashly. Of course, Marshals Zhu and Liu did suffer some losses crossing the river, and I can promise them that however many men they lost, we will make up the numbers for them!”

Their so-called “careful planning” simply meant Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou seizing all the benefits for themselves. Yet Zhang Tianyou thought Guo Tianxu was being naïve—surely Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Yi would not yield such great benefits.

“Commander-in-Chief, Marshals Zhu and Liu truly lost many men and achieved considerable merit in this crossing. If we don’t let them recruit, there’ll be a great uproar. We’ll need a clever move to win this.”

Guo Tianxu, young and impulsive, was intrigued at the idea of a clever move. “A clever move? What do you suggest?”

Zhang Tianyou lowered his voice. “Do you recall Chen Yexian?”

Guo Tianxu grinned broadly. “Of course I know the name—he’s an old rival, also a volunteer marshal from our Huai West. He’d be willing to join us? If he does, he’ll still be a marshal here in Chuzhou.”

Chen Yexian was indeed an old adversary of the Chuzhou army. In this southern campaign, they had clashed over ten times, and when Chen Yexian could no longer hold the north, he retreated south of the river—only for the Chuzhou forces to follow close behind.

Though Chen Yexian had been defeated, Guo Tianxu and Zhang Tianyou held his troops in high regard, considering them a formidable force. What tempted Guo Tianxu even more was that Chen Yexian commanded twenty or thirty thousand men.

“Uncle, speak to Chen Yexian. If he’s willing to come over, we’ll agree to any terms!”

Though Chen Yexian’s power was considerable—and if won over, he might become another Zhu Yuanzhang or Liu Yi—Guo Tianxu believed that if they could secure him, all problems would be solved. Yet Zhang Tianyou made it clear: “Chen Yexian is reaching out to us because Barbarian Haiya has tasked him with retaking Taiping.”

“Retake Taiping?”

Guo Tianxu scoffed. “Now that we’ve crossed the river, Jiqing Circuit and all of Jiangdong are within our grasp. This is nothing like the north, with Zhao Junyong and Sun Deya holding us back. Here, with a swift assault, we’ll have Jiqing in hand any day now. Barbarian Haiya wants Chen Yexian to retake Taiping? He must be out of his mind.”

As he spoke, a thought struck Guo Tianxu. “Uncle, you don’t believe my brother-in-law’s argument, do you? Taking Jiqing is as easy as turning your hand. Haiya, Chen Yexian, and Aluhui are all our beaten foes.”

But for once, Zhang Tianyou contradicted Guo Tianxu. “Commander-in-Chief, I think Marshal Liu’s words have merit.”