Chapter Eighty-One: Good News

For a long time, it had only ever been Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Yi who sent emissaries to Gaoyou City, while Zhang Shicheng’s envoys, though they had visited Chuzhou, had never set foot in Taiping. Since Lady Golden Flower had encountered Zhang Shicheng’s envoy, it could only mean that Prince Zhou, Zhang Shicheng, who had accepted appeasement just months ago, was about to raise the banner of rebellion once more.

Everyone’s spirits soared at this news, and Du Yishan, in particular, felt a surge of vindication. “Once we take Jiqing City, we’ll no longer be constantly constrained by Liu Futong and Sheng Wenyu!”

Although he had reclaimed his original name, the grievances between him and Liu Futong, Sheng Wenyu, could not be resolved. Zhao Pusheng was even more exhilarated. “So long as Zhang Shicheng is willing to cross the river—even if he sends only a hundred-man commander—we can seize Jiqing City!”

Zhang Shicheng controlled Gaoyou and Taizhou, commanding tens of thousands of troops. Naturally, he would send far more than a mere hundred-man detachment. Moreover, the main forces of the Yuan Dynasty’s Jiangzhe Branch and the Southern Administrative Office were locked in decisive battle with the Chuzhou Red Turbans near Jiqing and Taiping. For Zhang Shicheng to cross the river now would be to plunge countless daggers into the Yuan army’s back.

Ma Shixiong counted himself an old acquaintance of Zhang Shicheng. “If Zhang Shicheng crosses the river, all those plans we discussed can finally be set in motion!”

Unlike the others, who saw the conquest of Jiqing as a path to wealth and power, Ma Shixiong’s mind was on governance. Previously, the Water Battalion lagged far behind the Left Battalion in this regard, but once Jiqing was captured, production and administration could truly begin.

Liu Yi was about to speak when Lady Golden Flower continued, “Don’t celebrate too soon. The envoy from Gaoyou avoided contact with us; it was Commander Zhu who arranged our meeting. But while Gaoyou is unreliable, envoys from Wu Hong and Yu Guang of Jiangxi have also arrived!”

This signaled that both the Jiangxi Red Turbans and Zhang Shicheng of Gaoyou were about to launch a general offensive. Every man present was eager for action, but Sun Yueyong, who had been taking notes, asked one more question. “Husband, you still haven’t answered Lady Golden Flower’s inquiry! Since both Poyang and Gaoyou are sending troops, we must seize Jiqing before the Left Battalion does!”

Though Liu Yi had not agreed to Zhu Yuanzhang’s terms of “entering Jiqing first to claim kingship,” Jiqing (Jinling) was the foremost city of the southeast and the seat of the Southern Administrative Censorate. The Chaohu Water Battalion could not allow Zhu Yuanzhang to take it.

Liu Yi merely smiled. “Yueyong, are you interrogating me on Lady Golden Flower’s behalf? But the matter is actually simple. The Jiangdong front has mobilized two or three hundred thousand strong, but which forces do you all believe are our true enemies?”

Zhao Pusheng remained silent, but Li Pusheng began counting on his fingers. “If we’re talking about formidable foes, those Han and newly-recruited commanders look impressive, but in reality, they’re all mediocre. The real threats are our old acquaintances: Chen Zhaoxian’s Volunteer Army, Xie Guoxi’s Long Spear Corps, Kang Maocai’s Navy, and Yang Wanzhe’s Miao Troops…”

The administrative offices had thrown everything into the fray, to the point that many routes and prefectures were left with only a handful of elders and invalids. Yet the official mobilized units—commanders and sub-commanders—were of limited use. The real threats to the Chuzhou Red Turbans were the irregular Volunteer Armies, Long Spear Corps, Green Troops, and Miao Troops, hastily assembled outside official structures.

Before Li Pusheng had finished listing the formidable adversaries, Zhao Pusheng caught on. “The commander means that winning hearts is the best strategy?”

Liu Yi stated plainly, “All these troops are southerners.”

Under the Mongol-Yuan system, whether it was a route, prefecture, county, or the Marshal’s Office, the highest authority—darughachi—was always filled first with a Mongol. If none was available, a trusted Semu would be chosen. Han officials from former Jin territory had few opportunities, and southerners, the lowest of all, were almost never appointed—such cases could only be found in the earliest days of the conquest.

This blatant discrimination had long been deeply resented in the south, but under the Mongol iron rule, all had remained silent. Only after the Red Turban uprising did the Yuan court reluctantly begin to promote and recall some southern officials, but true power still lay with the entrenched Mongols and Semu. “Now there are southern marshals, southern commanders, even southern county magistrates and overseers, but all of these posts were won through Red Turban arms!”

Though the Red Turbans were still dismissed as mere bandits, and men like Xie Guoxi, Kang Maocai, and Chen Zhaoxian openly proclaimed loyalty to the Yuan and felt more affinity toward the court than the rebels, unlike the entrenched Mongols and Semu in Nanjing, these strongmen with armies could be courted if the situation changed.

Ma Shixiong laughed. “I have many old friends on the other side. I’ll write to them, tell them times have changed. The Red Turbans are no longer the same—they, too, wish to protect the land and the people. If they come over, a bright future awaits!”

The reason why Volunteer and Militia forces had always been the Red Turbans’ true adversaries was critical: the Red Turban uprising provoked thorough social upheaval. Though they marched under the banner of “Restoring Song,” their campaigns often targeted noble families, landlords, and gentry, even rallying under the slogan “Destroy the wealthy to aid the poor.” Such devastation could be described as nothing less than catastrophic.

Ma Shixiong himself had raised troops to protect his family, village, and clan. Now, under Zhu Yuanzhang’s influence, the Chuzhou Red Turbans were slowly evolving from bandits into warlords, beginning to govern the territories they seized. “Exactly. If they’re the first to join us, I’ll treat them well. But if they let this chance slip by, they’ll have only themselves to blame!”

Du Yishan sensed that the Chaohu Navy’s chance to break free from Liu Futong and Sheng Wenyu’s grip had finally come. “We can’t just offer rewards. We have to make an example out of a few who don’t know what’s good for them, so everyone understands the cost of opposing our Chaohu Navy.”

But Lady Golden Flower offered a word of caution. “Commander Du is absolutely right. Let me add: Commander Zhu will certainly compete with us for these men, but they are free to choose. All, except for Kang Maocai—he is off limits!”