Chapter 325: What About Shaanxi If You Leave?
The cheerful atmosphere in the barracks, where everyone had been happily enjoying their bacon and potato rice, was utterly shattered by this urgent military dispatch.
Wang Cheng'en's face turned ashen. The deputy generals, thousand-household commanders, and other officers around him also wore grave expressions.
"I must leave immediately for the capital to assist the Emperor," Wang Cheng'en declared. He was, at heart, a loyal and patriotic man, and his first instinct was to depart. Yet, the thought of the Heyang garrison commander, Flip-Mountain Moon, gave him pause.
Liang Shixian, having just the same thought, interjected, "General Wang, if you depart, Flip-Mountain Moon will be entirely unrestrained, won't he? He'll become another Li Ying, a loose cannon causing endless trouble."
Wang Cheng'en merely sighed.
Liang Shixian pressed on, "And if all five Regional Commanders are dispatched to aid the Emperor in the capital, what becomes of the rebel bandits plaguing Shaanxi? Won't they grow even more brazen and destructive?"
Wang Cheng'en sighed again.
He was utterly speechless, able to do nothing but sigh repeatedly.
After a long, rigid silence, he finally clasped Liang Shixian's shoulder with a heavy hand. "Regardless, the capital must be our first priority. This general must leave for the capital to assist the Emperor. I can no longer spare a thought for Flip-Mountain Moon or the bandits here in Shaanxi. The situation in Shaanxi will likely become extremely dangerous in the days ahead, Master Liang. Please take good care of yourself."
"Issue orders to the entire army," Wang Cheng'en commanded, "We depart at once, traveling day and night, to return to Xi'an."
As his command spread, the soldiers were still savoring their fragrant bacon and potato rice. Hearing the order to "depart immediately," they were reluctant to abandon the precious meal in their hands.
Some quickly shoveled several large spoonfuls into their mouths.
Others, with their mouths already full, snatched a couple more handfuls, eating as they marched.
Still others pulled out a piece of cloth, inverted their rice bowl onto it, wrapped it tightly, and tucked it into their bosoms.
This rice, so fragrant and rich with finely diced bacon, was a rare treat, and they had no idea when they would taste anything like it again.
After a flurry of activity, Wang Cheng'en's forces reluctantly set off.
After waving farewell, Liang Shixian stood alone atop the towering city wall, gazing up at the sky. "Heavenly Lord, what are we to do? Unchecked, Flip-Mountain Moon will undoubtedly cause even greater chaos. And with all five Regional Commanders called to the capital, Shaanxi will be left utterly ungoverned. Alas..."
Li Daoxuan sighed inwardly. History recorded that Yang He, the Supreme Commander of Shaanxi's three border regions, had initially pursued a dual policy of suppression and pacification. However, with the departure of all five Regional Commanders to assist the Emperor in the capital, Yang He would soon find himself stripped of a crucial military force. Incapable of large-scale bandit suppression, he would be forced to shift his strategy, adopting a policy of widespread amnesty and pacification.
And the disastrous consequences of this sweeping pacification policy were evident for all to see, merely by recalling the previous "returned rebels" and observing the current Heyang garrison commander, Flip-Mountain Moon.
Shaanxi was about to descend into even greater turmoil!
Li Daoxuan produced a large sheet of paper and displayed it to Liang Shixian. "Expand the militia," it read. "Protect yourselves."
"Understood," Liang Shixian responded. "The higher-ups are no longer reliable; we must depend on ourselves. We can only form more militia groups. In other counties, establishing too many militias would prevent the common people from living normally. But here in Chengcheng County, with our divine grain, more men can take up arms."
He quickly turned to his Shaoxing advisor. "Where is Bai Yuan, the chief instructor of the militia, currently?"
The Shaoxing advisor replied, "Chief Instructor Bai has been in Gao Family Village these past few days. It's close to Heyang County. He's likely organizing the Gao Family Village militia to guard against Flip-Mountain Moon."
"Master Bai, ever vigilant, has already taken precautions," Liang Shixian remarked. "Prepare horses. I shall personally travel to Gao Family Village to consult with Master Bai on defense strategies."
The Shaoxing advisor smiled. "Magistrate, there's no need for horses to reach Gao Family Village."
Liang Shixian looked at him, bewildered.
The Shaoxing advisor explained, "The road between the county town and Gao Family Village has already been completed. In fact, two earthen roads have been built, with buses available, and there's even a railway track. The villagers leveled the path, and the Heavenly Lord personally laid down the trains! It's incredibly convenient to reach Gao Family Village now; simply board the small train, and you'll arrive in a blink of an eye."
"Oh? Is that so?" Liang Shixian exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Then this official must certainly experience this celestial small train for himself."
Liang Shixian promptly gathered his Shaoxing advisor and ten yamen runners, making their way to the Chengcheng Railway Station. The station, located just outside the county town's northeast gate, was a riot of colors, vibrant and ornate – a typical Heavenly Lord-style edifice.
Chengcheng County now boasted numerous such Heavenly Lord-style structures. Most residents no longer found these peculiar buildings surprising; instead, they felt a profound sense of reassurance upon seeing them.
They served as a constant reminder to the people of Chengcheng: "The Heavenly Lord watches over you."
Liang Shixian shared this sentiment; the flicker of panic he had felt earlier significantly diminished at the sight of the vibrant architecture.
Moments later, the train arrived.
It was Liang Shixian's first time aboard such a contraption, and he boarded with a mix of awe and trepidation. Settling into a window seat, he cautiously extended a hand outside, feeling the sixty-kilometer-per-hour wind rush against his palm. "Huh? This... it feels like... I'm grasping something truly extraordinary."
The journey of over thirty li, taken on the small train, genuinely felt like it passed in the blink of an eye.
Liang Shixian disembarked from the train and immediately inquired about Bai Yuan's whereabouts.
Passersby directed him towards the Gao Family Village barracks, and he, with his yamen runners, headed straight in that direction.
Still quite a distance from the barracks, a sharp "bang" from a flintlock rifle echoed in his ears.
"Oh?" Liang Shixian murmured, surprised.
His expression immediately took on a peculiar cast. "A flintlock rifle?"
The Shaoxing advisor beside him nodded. "Indeed, that's the sound of a flintlock rifle."
"Good heavens!" Liang Shixian exclaimed. "Could it be? Bai Yuan has actually managed to produce flintlock rifles? This... this... these are strictly prohibited items!"
The Shaoxing advisor whispered, "Magistrate, there's no need for such alarm. Back in Shaoxing, during the time of the Japanese pirate raids, wealthy families commonly possessed dozens of flintlock rifles. It was hardly an uncommon sight."
Liang Shixian considered the current state of chaos in Shaanxi and grudgingly conceded the point.
He continued onward. After a few more steps, another "bang" rang out in the distance. Immediately, he felt something fall from above, striking his official's hat with a soft thud and knocking it askew.
Liang Shixian jumped in alarm. He quickly straightened his hat, then peered closely, only to discover a bird, fallen from the sky, had landed precisely on his headwear.
Blood stained the bird's feathers; it was clearly dead.
"What in the world?" Liang Shixian murmured, utterly baffled.
The Shaoxing advisor remarked, "This must be a bird felled by that recent rifle shot. How remarkable! Someone can actually use a flintlock rifle to bring down a flying bird."
Just as he finished speaking, a figure in flowing white robes came dashing from the distance ahead—it was Bai Yuan. He ran, laughing uproariously. "Hahaha, I hit the flying bird! Hahaha, with rifling, the flintlock is indeed far more accurate, hahaha... huh?"
Bai Yuan spotted Liang Shixian and his entourage. The faces seemed vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place the names. The clothing, however—the official robes of a seventh-rank county magistrate—was unmistakable.
He quickly sobered, suppressing his laughter, and executed a profound, deferential bow. "Magistrate, what auspicious breeze brings you to our humble village?"
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