Chapter Forty-One: Mount Chang

A woman with the surname Ma?

For Guo Yunyu to mention her so sincerely, it must be Ma Xiuying, Zhu Yuanzhang’s first wife.

Liu Yi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry; after so much effort to keep a low profile, it turned out his own wife was at odds with Ma Xiuying. If things escalated, it could stir up a storm throughout the city, perhaps even lead to a showdown with Zhu Yuanzhang.

Yet Liu Yi always felt that husband and wife were one. He himself could afford to be discreet, but his wife could not. No matter what had happened between Guo Yunyu and Ma Xiuying, he was bound to stand by Guo Yunyu: “Yunyu, since Lady Ma refuses to show us respect, I’ll help you seek justice.”

Guo Yunyu was delighted by Liu Yi’s unwavering support, but thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill. “What justice? You want to seek justice from a pregnant woman? I just think she’s working herself too hard, sparring with me while carrying a child. Now that you’re back, she should take a break, shouldn’t she?”

Pregnant woman? Liu Yi thought about it carefully and realized she was right—Ma Xiuying was indeed expecting, and this was Zhu Yuanzhang’s eldest son. If Lady Ma were to be upset and something went wrong, it would be impossible to resolve peacefully.

So he could only coax Guo Yunyu gently: “As long as you’re here, that’s enough for me. My return is just the icing on the cake. Yunyu, you mustn’t be like Lady Ma, working day and night to the point of exhaustion!”

But Guo Yunyu had her own views: “If I don’t put my mind to it, who will manage the affairs in Jiangbei? You don’t know how relentless Ma Xiuying can be.”

Though she spoke of “how relentless Ma Xiuying can be,” deep down she held nothing but respect, and even felt Ma Xiuying was her role model in life. “Now that you’re back, Ma Xiuying can finally rest and focus on her pregnancy, and I can devote myself to helping you build your foundation in Jiangbei.”

Liu Yi didn’t quite grasp Guo Yunyu’s intentions, but he always fully supported his wife: “Not only will I entrust Jiangbei’s foundation to you, once we seize Jinling and the Jiangdong region, I’ll hand over my holdings in Jiangnan to you as well.”

Guo Yunyu was overjoyed: “That’s all I need to hear. Whether it’s the Spear Army or the Green Army, I’ll make sure they stay under your banner.”

Liu Yi’s main reason for crossing the river this time was to recruit soldiers, so he didn’t mind running a family enterprise with Guo Yunyu: “Just go ahead and invite the generals. I’ll persuade them myself.”

He had no idea that Changshan, the leader of the Green Army, was already within his sights.

Changshan gazed greedily at the prosperity within Chuzhou city.

Before the chaos, such scenes were nothing more than what you’d see in a bustling market town. But since the turmoil began, crowds like this were only seen during deadly battles. As for the variety of goods displayed openly in the streets, not even the city’s officials in their so-called ‘golden age’ had witnessed such abundance.

Changshan longed to lead his men into the city for a plundering spree—his command was on the verge of starvation.

The Green Army, formed to oppose the Red Turban Army, claimed to protect local communities and prided themselves on never preying on their own. But once outside their home turf, they were skilled in pillage, arson, and murder, and their discipline was often worse than the Red Turbans. Changshan’s unit was no exception.

Years of war had destroyed all order in the Jianghuai region. Whether Green Army, Spear Army, or Red Turban Army, the fields had yielded almost no grain for years. Survival depended on mutual plundering, to the point where even after overtaking a fortress, one might not find a hundred bushels of rice.

Changshan’s Green Army was now so destitute they couldn’t afford even thin porridge. Around them, for a hundred miles in every direction, other desperate warlords were just as starved—often losing a hundred men in a raid without gaining a hundred bushels of grain. So when news spread of the Chuzhou forces crossing the river to seize Taiping and recruit heroes from Jiangbei, Changshan’s village felt like it was celebrating New Year.

Guo Tianshu, Zhang Tianyou, and Zhu Yuanzhang were renowned. Though they’d fought and bled against each other, Changshan didn’t mind switching allegiance if it meant food and clothing. Yet, with two forces recruiting at once, he faced a dilemma: “Zhu Yuanzhang’s troops are strong, but he has too many seasoned warriors. Our six or seven hundred men might not be valued. Liu Yi’s fleet, however, urgently needs bold commanders for land battles, so we’d be important there—but Marshal Liu Yi seems to lack a solid foundation, and his strength isn’t on par with Zhu Yuanzhang!”

Changshan and his brothers and nephews debated for days without resolution, so he decided to scout Chuzhou himself.

Upon entering Chuzhou territory, Changshan was delighted. Once inside the city, he was dazzled by the prosperity. Such a flourishing city deserved to be raided several times; opening the gates would mean a year of plenty for his village and a dozen nearby hamlets.

Not only did Changshan think this way, his nephew was equally awestruck: “Uncle, this place is amazing. When we get back, why not gather more men and stage a grand show?”

Before every campaign, the forces of Jianghuai would stage several days of opera, lay out banquets with endless wine, and even gamble openly in the streets. His nephew’s suggestion to “stage a grand show” was a euphemism for gathering Green Army and Spear Army troops to loot Chuzhou.

Though this matched Changshan’s own thoughts, he shook his head: “We were defeated by Guo Zixing and Zhu Yuanzhang before, and now they hold Chuzhou. The best outcome would be to ruin the city.”

Changshan, a seasoned commander, could judge at a glance which village could be taken easily, which would require heavy casualties, and which should not be touched at all.

Chuzhou was one to avoid at all costs—not only did Guo Tianshu and Zhu Yuanzhang have ten thousand troops stationed in Jiangbei, but the city’s walls, ballistae, hidden barracks, and battlements made it clear that a few Green Army units could never breach such a fortress.

His men may be fierce, but so too were the Red Turban soldiers in Chuzhou. The thriving market proved Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Yi had gained the people’s loyalty. Even if several Green Army and Spear Army units assembled, they’d likely perish before even seeing the city walls.

Hearing this, his nephew grew anxious: “Uncle, if we can’t stage a grand show, at least we should pick a stage. Of the two stages in town, which do you think is best?”