Chapter Ninety-Six: Chaohu Is Also an Option

When Manzi Haiya spoke, the Yuan generals and captains present all let out a breath of relief.

Though everyone had been shouting about fighting the Red Turbans to the death, the truth was plain enough: once the enemy grew too strong, one had to think about the next move. Yet with Manzi Haiya, the Imperial Censor-in-Chief, personally presiding, they had all feared being singled out by the great man himself.

Now that the Censor-in-Chief had asked where they were to go next, everyone naturally spoke without restraint, debating their prospects.

“My lord Censor-in-Chief, I think we should head east. Pingjiang and Songjiang are both good places, and after Zhang Shicheng crossed the river, Pingjiang and Songjiang will be the first to bear the brunt. We only need to make our way there!”

“But Zhang Shicheng has cut off the waterways eastward. How to open a route and go east is the real problem!”

“I don’t think that’s much of a problem. Zhang Shicheng once accepted imperial pacification, and I have some acquaintance with him. As long as we speak to him properly, that’s no great matter at all!”

“Borrowing a passage from Zhang Shicheng may not be a great matter, but since he means to attack Pingjiang and Songjiang, he surely will not let us go east!”

“Can’t we talk with Zhang Shicheng in good faith and make everything clear? If he pushes us too hard, then we’ll go talk to the rebels in Chuzhou!”

“Have you lost your mind? Of all people, why insist on talking to the Chuzhou bandits!”

At this point they were speaking with utter abandon. After all, if heaven fell, Censor-in-Chief Manzi Haiya would be the one to hold it up. Before long, the subject shifted to whether, should the situation turn dire, they ought to surrender to the Red Turbans in Chuzhou or to Zhang Shicheng in Gaoyou.

Manzi Haiya’s expression had grown extremely grim, for the questions these officers were debating were precisely the answers he most wanted.

Though he was a Semu man, for a Semu man to rise to the office of Censor-in-Chief, he must have had real backing, even formidable backing. So long as this Yuan naval force could be preserved, a few historical blemishes would have no effect on him whatsoever. That was the advantage of having strong roots.

So long as one came from such a background, even a few crushing defeats would not matter much; one could still remain a great official. Besides, everything Manzi Haiya was doing now was to preserve this Yuan navy and solve the capital’s maritime transport problem. He had no choice but to clear his throat and say, “What everyone says has merit, but we are imperial troops of Great Yuan. We absolutely must not consort with the Chuzhou Red Turbans, Zhang Shicheng, and such rebellious traitors. And though Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng have some measure of trustworthiness, those who submit to the imperial army will not meet a good end!”

This was the very question that troubled Manzi Haiya most at present. Yet just then someone spoke up: “What the Censor-in-Chief says is quite right. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng both rely on their old cores of men. If we were to join them, we would surely suffer terribly. But Marshal Liu Yi of Chao Lake is different!”

The speaker was none other than Kang Maocai, who had kept a very low profile during this period. As the saying goes, one who does not speak may be silent for long, but once he speaks, he startles the world. The moment Kang Maocai opened his mouth, the entire hall was stunned.

At once someone challenged him: “We can go anywhere else, but we absolutely cannot go to Chao Lake! Right now the Red Turbans in Chuzhou belong to Zhu Yuanzhang. Though Liu Yi claims to stand on equal footing with Zhu Yuanzhang, in truth he falls far short!”

“Exactly, Old Kang, have you already decided on an exit? Are you planning to go to Chao Lake? I heard Zhu Yuanzhang has already made himself clear: you, Old Kang, may go wherever you like, and you may even remain loyal to Great Yuan, but you absolutely cannot go to Chao Lake. If you do, Zhu Yuanzhang will kill you!”

“That’s right. I’ve heard the same, Old Kang. Are you really planning to fight Zhu Yuanzhang to the death this time? Besides, Marshal Liu at Chao Lake is all navy, and so are we. If we go there, we certainly won’t get any advantage!”

“Exactly. How many rounds have we fought with Chao Lake over these past few months? How many brothers have died or been wounded? Old Kang, asking us to submit to Chao Lake leaves me feeling as awkward as can be!”

“To submit to Chao Lake is the worst possible choice. Whoever we submit to, we cannot submit to Chao Lake. Their greatest strength is the navy, but how many ships does Zhu Yuanzhang actually have? Zhang Shicheng’s side is a little better, but they are also short of a strong fleet!”

These Yuan officers had long since considered these matters, and even Censor-in-Chief Manzi Haiya had weighed the pros and cons.

The Chao Lake navy already possessed the strongest fleet upon the great river. The Yuan fleet under Manzi Haiya and Kang Maocai was already the strongest force Great Yuan could muster on the southeastern front, yet whenever it met the Chao Lake navy, it suffered more defeats than victories. If they were to submit, they would surely be watched, controlled, broken apart, and used in pieces, with little future to speak of.

But Zhu Yuanzhang was entirely different. At present he had at most a dozen small boats. If they joined him, they would naturally be prized and used to great effect. As for Zhang Shicheng, being a former smuggler in salt, he had no shortage of warships, but he too lacked a truly powerful navy.

Since no one had ever seriously considered surrendering to Chao Lake, they had been willing to fight the Chao Lake navy for months on end. Yet Kang Maocai’s view was wholly different.

“Everyone’s reasoning has merit. I also think that rather than going to Chao Lake, we should submit to Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhang Shicheng. What would we go to Chao Lake for? But I recently heard that after Ma Shixiong and Chang Shan went to Chao Lake, they have been living quite well!”

Though Manzi Haiya said nothing, someone immediately refuted Kang Maocai: “Ma Shixiong and Chang Shan are indeed doing well at Chao Lake, but they are ground forces. What Chao Lake lacks most is elite land troops. We, however, are a navy!”

Although Manzi Haiya’s fleet was not a purely maritime force and could readily fight ashore, no one was willing to use such a precious navy as nothing but foot soldiers. For that reason, everyone felt Kang Maocai’s words were lacking in sincerity.

Yet since Kang Maocai dared to urge them to follow him to Chao Lake, he must have had some plan. He immediately said, “Exactly. Chao Lake is now very welcoming to elite land troops, but they welcome navies even more. Let me ask you this: if we and Chao Lake were to become one, what would happen next?”

Manzi Haiya knew he was the Censor-in-Chief and ought to be composed at all times. But at that moment he blurted out, “What would happen?”