Chapter Sixty-Two: Marshal Liu Arrives

“Yes, we can’t count on Chaohu, not on anyone else either!” Although he didn’t know exactly when Tang He was defeated or when he returned to Zhu Yuanzhang’s side, since Tang He had stepped up to support Zhu Yuanzhang at the most crucial moment, Zhu Yuanzhang decided not to hold him responsible for the defeat, at least for now. After all, this loss wasn’t entirely Tang He's fault. “Tang, you’re right. We can only rely on ourselves. You eat my food, drink my wine; when you cause trouble, I always turn a blind eye. Now it’s your turn to lay down your lives for me!”

However, when the topic turned to charging into battle, Tang He immediately retreated to the side, knowing perfectly well his own limits in this regard.

Though Zhu Yuanzhang’s estimation of Tang He had always been unusually high, Tang He was acutely aware of his own abilities—leading a few hundred men into battle posed no problem, but commanding a large army always resulted in mishaps. Overestimating himself was not a trait Tang He possessed, but Zhu Yuanzhang insisted, “Tang, it’s your turn to redeem yourself. Since we can’t count on Chaohu, we can only count on you!”

Tang He cursed inwardly. Anyone else would be more reliable than relying on him—he was already a defeated general, and his troops were like frightened birds. How could he expect them now to turn the tide? Better to hope that Zuo Danashili and Maishuting suddenly lost their wits and ordered a retreat.

But Tang He was called a famed general precisely because he knew how to muddle through at critical moments. Clearing his throat, he began to bluff, “I know everyone still has hopes for Marshal Liu and the Chaohu navy, but since Marshal Liu has repeatedly seized our commander’s troops and even his women, there’s no chance of reconciliation. I’ve heard they would rather kick us when we’re down than come to our aid. How could they possibly send forces to rescue our Left Camp? Our only chance to turn defeat into victory is to follow Commander Zhu!”

Those present were the backbone of Zhu Yuanzhang’s small faction—if not his relatives and friends, then his personal troops and vanguard. Their lives and fortunes were already tied to Zhu Yuanzhang. Tang He’s words struck a chord. “Fight the Pike Army head-on! Since Chaohu and Marshal Liu won’t come to our rescue, we can only follow Commander Zhu!”

“Yes, Commander Zhu has always treated us well; we must do right by him!”

“Commander Zhu, we can’t count on that boy Liu Yi. We’ll follow you to the end, but you mustn’t skimp on the rewards you promised us!”

“We can’t rely on Marshal Liu. We’ll fight alongside Commander Zhu!”

“Brothers, when paths cross, victory goes to the brave. Let’s charge!”

Zhu Yuanzhang had always gone to great lengths to win over these adopted sons, personal troops, and vanguard. Now, when it was time for action, they were unstoppable. Just as he was about to lead them against the Pike Army and the Provincial Army, someone shouted from behind, “Marshal Liu is here!”

“Chaohu has arrived!”

“Marshal Liu brings reinforcements!”

“Marshal Liu is here!”

Though it was unclear how many troops Liu Yi had brought to reinforce them, the moment their banners appeared, the battle shifted instantly. Despite having just spoken ill of Liu Yi, Zhu Yuanzhang shouted, “Marshal Liu’s reinforcements are here—follow me!” With his personal troops, adopted sons, and vanguard, he charged forward.

The counterattack by Zhu Yuanzhang’s personal troops caught the Pike Army off guard. Several of their captains, who had rushed ahead, were quickly knocked off their horses, even abandoning prisoners and spoils they had taken. Seeing this, Xie Guoxi shouted, “Hold your ground! Hold your ground!”

But Xie Guoxi’s cries couldn’t solve the real problem. The Left Camp was the strongest force among the Red Turban Army in Chuzhou; their earlier setbacks had been due to the overwhelming numbers of Yuan troops. Now, seeing a turn in the tide, they launched a full-scale assault. A few Pike Army centurions, having advanced too quickly, found themselves surrounded, and Xie Guoxi had no choice but to order his troops to pull back and regroup.

Maishuting, Deputy Minister of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Provincial Administration, made a swift decision. “Deputy Left, the rebels have been reinforced, and the Pike Army is regrouping. Perhaps we too should take our victory and withdraw!”

Although the Provincial Army’s commanders were seasoned veterans, drawn from the Han Army, newly attached troops, Tumachin, and Mongols, Zuo Danashili knew well that the Yuan’s official armies were unreliable—the older the unit, the less dependable it became.

Without the Pike Army to spearhead the assault, facing the Red Turban main force in the field would be disastrous. Now that the Red Turban Army had arrived, they had to adjust their strategy alongside the Pike Army. “Didn’t Zhang Wanhu from Hangzhou ask us to reinforce Hucun? Is it too late for us to head there now?”

“Not too late, not too late!” Maishuting was very pleased with today’s outcome. Although they hadn’t annihilated Zhu Yuanzhang’s Left Camp, they had captured nearly a thousand men and seized many flags, mules, and weapons. With a little literary flourish, he could write this up as a miraculous victory for the southeast. “If we don’t make a trip to Hucun, the administrative bureau will surely have something to say about us!”

The conflict between the administrative bureau and the provincial administration had always been intense, and in chaotic times, each would love nothing more than to snatch every morsel from the other's pot. The bureau wanted the province to throw all its resources into Jiqing Road and drive the Red Turban Army back across the Yangtze, while the province had to consider the entire Jiangsu-Zhejiang region—otherwise, holding Jiqing Road at the cost of losing Hangzhou would leave the province in dire straits.

Though Maishuting and Zuo Danashili had brought most of Jiangsu-Zhejiang’s main forces, they knew the province was unwilling to waste its elite field troops on Jiqing Road. Especially after several tough battles, Hangzhou had repeatedly urged them to “avoid reckless engagements”—always consider defeat before victory and avoid heavy losses to their best troops.

It was for absolute safety that, despite Zhang Wanhu’s repeated requests to reinforce Hucun, Maishuting and Zuo Danashili felt the bureau’s troops weren’t trustworthy and preferred to cooperate with Xie Guoxi in attacking Zhu Yuanzhang. As it turned out, this was indeed a wise and courageous decision.

Zuo Danashili, though originally from the Jiangnan administrative bureau, now considered everything from the province’s perspective. “With today’s victory, even if the bureau spreads rumors, nothing serious will come of it. Let’s focus on how to win honors for the Pike Army.”