Chapter 1109: The New Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da
Meanwhile, at the Xuan-Da Command...
Wang Pu, the Regional Commander of Datong, was hosting a grand banquet.
Ever since his return from the capital, Wang Pu had become a rising star.
Everyone across the Xuan-Da Command knew he had been personally summoned by the Emperor, who had offered him many words of encouragement and promised him a promotion and ennoblement once the Ministry of War returned to normal operations.
Naturally, everyone rushed to curry favor.
Officials of all ranks arrived, feasting and drinking excessively day after day.
Today, a certain brigade general would host; tomorrow, another; the day after, a regional commander. Wang Pu had eaten so much rich food, he felt like he was oozing grease.
However, Wang Pu was, on the whole, a decent man. Never forgetting who helped him rise, he knew his achievements had been won for him by Wang Xiaohua, the Pingyang garrison commander, and the lesser-known General Ma Shouying.
So, he prepared two lavish gifts and sent them to Pingyang Prefecture.
As the group reveled in their food and drink, a soldier suddenly burst in, panting, and shouted, “Generals, esteemed generals, stop eating! To your camps, quickly! The new Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da has arrived!”
His words instantly sobered several men, their drunkenness vanishing.
In a flurry of activity, the military officers scrambled back to their camps.
They donned their armor with the utmost speed and waited at the camp gate.
Soon, a disciplined and orderly army appeared before them.
Lu Xiangheng had arrived, leading his Tianxiong Army.
Earlier, Lu Xiangheng had been ordered to the capital to answer the imperial summons, forced to abandon the rebels he had nearly encircled in the Dabie Mountains. But by the time he reached the capital, Ajige's army had already retreated.
Lu Xiangheng found himself answering the imperial summons for nothing.
Yet, this did not diminish his standing in the Chongzhen Emperor's eyes. He was a formidable individual who had won battle after battle while suppressing bandits, nearly trapping all the rebels. The Chongzhen Emperor held him in high regard.
After some consideration, the Chongzhen Emperor decided it was better to keep Lu Xiangheng closer to him, where he could protect the imperial safety at any time.
Thus, Lu Xiangheng was appointed the new Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da.
As for the previous Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da, Yang Sichang... well, since he was observing filial mourning at home, he could continue to do so.
And so, Lu Xiangheng arrived.
Upon reaching the camp gate, he saw all the military officers with flushed faces, reeking of alcohol and half-drunk, as if they had just been feasting.
Lu Xiangheng couldn't help but rage, “No drinking in the army! Do you not even understand this basic rule?”
The officers awkwardly replied, “There was no battle, and we weren't on campaign.”
“Hmph!” Lu Xiangheng was a little annoyed. Still, they had earned merits by answering the imperial summons, so a good meal upon their return was understandable.
He was more interested in the Regional Commander of Datong, Wang Pu, who had achieved such illustrious military feats. He asked, “Is Wang Pu, the Regional Commander of Datong, here?”
“Your subordinate is here!” Wang Pu stepped forward.
Lu Xiangheng saw that this fellow was also quite inebriated and couldn't help but smile wryly. “General Wang, I heard you won every battle in the capital's outskirts, making the Manchus scream for their mothers, earning immense contributions...”
Wang Pu, a bit tipsy, felt his head start to swim at these words. He chuckled heartily, “A mere trifle, a mere trifle... Dealing with the Manchus is effortlessly easy.”
Lu Xiangheng said, “General, could you explain the strategies and tactics you employed then? I would very much like to learn from you.”
Wang Pu slurred his words, “Strategies and tactics? Nonsense... I just stood back, nonchalant, haha, nonchalant... Pingyang garrison commander Wang Xiaohua... just charged forward... His flintlock rifles, bang bang bang, scattered the Manchus to pieces, and then... Ma Shouying's cavalry battalion... charged... charged like hell, damn it!”
With a thud, Wang Pu collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
Lu Xiangheng stood there, speechless.
That was completely absurd!
However, amidst his rambling nonsense, a clue had emerged: Wang Xiaohua's flintlock riflemen? Pingyang garrison commander Wang Xiaohua—this man seemed worth noting.
When the thought of flintlock rifle units crossed his mind, Lu Xiangheng suddenly recalled the name "Luo Xi, Military Commander of Shangnan County." He shook his head, thinking, *Surely not, surely not.*
Never mind that for now. Let me attend to what I can do here.
Lu Xiangheng entered his Supreme Commander's yamen and sat in his chair, immediately issuing his first decree: “I intend to open a horse market at Humakou to connect with the northern Mongols, specifically the Tumed tribe and the Khalkha tribe. We shall trade with them for horses to use against the Qing forces.”
The local officials immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Lord Lu, your idea is excellent, of course. However, the Mongols have been... acting strangely of late. We're not sure if this horse market can even be established.”
Lu Xiangheng asked, “What's so strange about it?”
An official explained, “E'zhe, the nominal Great Khan of the Mongols, seems to have lost his mind. He issued a punitive edict, even using the imperial seal passed down from Genghis Khan. Under the summons of this edict, all the western Mongol tribes have united and marched east, attacking those Khorchin tribes controlled by the Manchus... leaving those smaller tribes utterly beleaguered. The Manchus have sent troops to aid the Khorchin tribes, so the northern grasslands have been in constant warfare.”
Lu Xiangheng exclaimed, “Ah? Such a thing is happening?”
The local official continued, “Because of this, the Mongols themselves now need a large number of warhorses. It's likely they won't have many to sell to us.”
Lu Xiangheng was momentarily bewildered. “Well, that's good too. The Mongols keeping the Manchus tied up like this is an excellent development. But even as they act as a deterrent, we must still exert ourselves. The horse market must eventually open. However many horses we can get from the Mongols, we will get. Trying is always better than not trying.”
The local official replied, “Understood! But...”
Lu Xiangheng grumbled impatiently, “What's with all the 'buts'?”
The local official said, “But we have no money.”
Lu Xiangheng sighed.
The local official continued, “Wang Pu and the others have had their military pay delayed for nine months. Without money or provisions, how can we buy horses from the Mongols?”
Lu Xiangheng's head immediately began to throb.
Why?
Why was it always like this?
When he served as the administrator of Yunyang, Yunyang was a mess, with no money to spend.
When he became the Provincial Governor of Huguan, Huguan was also a mess, with no money to spend.
Now, as the Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da, it was still a mess, and still no money to spend.
Lu Xiangheng said with immense frustration, “It seems we'll have to rely on agricultural garrisons. With grain, we can trade with the Mongols. But agricultural garrisons also require money! Clearing land, buying seeds, purchasing draft cattle, acquiring farming tools—everything costs money...”
Just as he was speaking, a soldier rushed in, delightedly shouting, “Report! Imperial Merchant Tie Niaofei has arrived, bringing many supplies!”
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