Chapter 734: Li Yuan, the Deserter
Last year, despite abundant rainfall, the Yellow River experienced severe flooding.
But nature, it seemed, had a cruel twist in store. As the sixth year of Chongzhen dawned, droughts returned, and Northern Shaanxi once again received not a single drop of rain.
From Yan'an Prefecture to Yansui Town (Yulin), a thousand *li* of yellow sand stretched, and famine gripped the entire land.
Simultaneously, Mongolian tribes were furiously raiding the borders, plundering areas like Lingzhou, Hengcheng, Yansui, and Xichuan.
Northern Shaanxi was suddenly thrown into utter chaos once more.
At this very moment, Shi Jian's unit was preparing for deployment.
They maintained their usual formation: seven hundred seasoned veterans leading three hundred new recruits.
Before deployment, everyone painstakingly checked their gear, soldiers meticulously wiping down their rifles.
Just then, at the western bridgehead of Dragon Gate Ferry, a ragged, rather miserable-looking man was trudging along with difficulty.
After hearing about the excellent treatment of the Gao Family Village militia soldiers, Li Yuan had been constantly pondering whether to "jump ship," deliberating endlessly.
After several days of difficult deliberation, he finally made the brave decision to abandon his former life and become a deserter. Since he had no family or dependents, running off wouldn't implicate anyone else.
Becoming a deserter was no easy feat.
He fled in disguise, constantly skirting imperial checkpoints. Relying on his vast experience, he finally overcame countless obstacles and reached Dragon Gate Ferry.
Gazing at the towering Yellow River Dragon Gate Bridge before him, Li Yuan finally exhaled in relief.
He reached into his pocket; only two copper coins remained. If he'd arrived at Dragon Gate Ferry a day later, he doubted those two coins would even buy him half a meal.
Li Yuan rushed towards the eastern bridgehead.
I stumbled towards you...
A formidable cement fortress stood at the eastern bridgehead. The sentry atop it immediately bellowed, "Who goes there?"
Li Yuan quickly looked up. "It's me, it's me! A courier from Yan'an Prefecture! Just a few days ago, I came here seeking your help!"
The sentry instantly recognized him. "Oh? Last time you were here, you were on horseback, looking quite dashing. What happened to you today?"
Li Yuan declared loudly, "I deserted! I no longer wish to serve in Yan'an Prefecture. I've come to join Commander Shi Jian!"
The sentry blinked. "Oh?"
The two sentries exchanged a look, then both burst into laughter. "Ah, so that's it! Congratulations, brother, on abandoning the darkness for the light!"
One sentry descended from the fortress and led Li Yuan inside, bringing him directly before Shi Jian.
As Li Yuan stepped inside, he realized Shi Jian's unit was deep in pre-deployment preparations. All the soldiers were inspecting their equipment and logistics, and vast quantities of supplies were being moved around.
Li Yuan remarked, surprised, "Ah? It seems I've arrived at an inconvenient time."
Shi Jian smiled. "Wang Chenggong, the surrendered rebel from Xichuan, has rebelled once again, attacking and plundering Shuanghuyun. He's currently stationed at Wangjia Fork. I thought you were here to inform us; why do you look so surprised?"
Li Yuan scratched his head. "Uh, when I deserted, that news hadn't reached me yet."
Shi Jian chuckled. "Hahaha, I see. You must be quite familiar with the terrain over in Xichuan, right?"
Li Yuan's spirits lifted immediately. "Yes! This humble one knows the terrain and local customs there like the back of his hand!"
Shi Jian replied, "That's excellent! Your arrival this time is perfectly timed for you to serve as a guide for our army. Someone! Get Brother Li a set of our equipment... Oh, wait. You haven't learned how to use a rifle yet, so we can't hand one over carelessly. Give him a set of our retired hand crossbows and waist knives instead."
Hearing it was "retired equipment," Li Yuan initially assumed it would be of poor quality.
To his surprise, when the quartermaster delivered the equipment, he gasped. It was a set of top-quality cotton armor, paired with a first-rate steel saber and a finely crafted hand crossbow.
Donning the gear, he instantly felt like an elite soldier himself, a level of treatment usually reserved for a military official's personal guard.
And that wasn't all. The quartermaster immediately handed him another bag, containing portable military rations for the expedition. Inside were all sorts of delicious foods, the very same ones Shi Jian's unit had so ostentatiously flaunted while eating in front of Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi's units last time.
The quartermaster said, "Here, your share!"
Li Yuan's eyes widened.
Sure enough, it was elite soldier treatment from the get-go. Switching jobs was absolutely the right move, he thought.
Li Yuan's spirits soared. He felt an overwhelming sense of being valued.
As the saying goes, "a true man dies for one who appreciates him." In that instant, Li Yuan felt that risking his life was a small price to pay.
Dressed in his new gear and holding his ration bag, he returned to Shi Jian, clasping his fists in salute. "Master," he said.
Shi Jian raised an eyebrow. "What? What's with that address?"
Li Yuan explained, "From now on, I'm your personal guard, so of course I must call you Master. I can't call you General like an outsider anymore."
Shi Jian burst out laughing. "No, no, not like that! Our Gao Family Village doesn't observe that personal guard system. All militia soldiers serve under the Heavenly Lord's banner. Your equipment and rations are distributed by the village committee on behalf of the Heavenly Lord, not from my private purse."
Li Yuan blinked. "Oh?"
Shi Jian pointed to his own chest. "Look, the Heavenly Lord is right here," he said, "and he's on your clothes too."
Li Yuan looked down and, sure enough, on the chest of his cotton armor was a gleaming heart-guard mirror, and just above it, on the cotton fabric, an embroidered image of the Heavenly Lord.
Li Yuan had heard the words "Heavenly Lord" many times before; he'd heard them during his previous visit, and people had said the bridge outside was also constructed by the venerable Heavenly Lord himself.
So he quickly accepted this reality, clasping his fists. "General Shi," he said, "since you wish for me to serve as guide for this expedition, your humble subordinate has a few words to offer."
Shi Jian nodded. "Oh? Speak your mind!"
Li Yuan continued, "Just now you mentioned that Wang Chenggong's rebel forces are stationed at Wangjia Fork."
Shi Jian confirmed, "Yes, that's what our intelligence reports indicate."
Li Yuan explained, "Your subordinate has visited Wangjia Fork once. That place boasts an ancient fortress, seemingly from the Hongwu era, built by the imperial court to counter the Mongols. It's incredibly sturdy and easy to defend, making it difficult to breach. Adjacent to it is a treacherous mountain called Gebo Valley, equally formidable to pass."
Shi Jian's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you suggesting we'll face a siege, or a mountain assault?"
Li Yuan nodded. "Precisely!"
He gestured with his hands, outlining the contours of a massive fortress. "The rebel army will undoubtedly defend from that ancient fortress. If they can't hold it, they might escape into Gebo Valley, defending from that treacherous mountain and difficult terrain. Our expedition this time, I fear, will require a full-scale assault on a fortified position."
He paused, then added, "Musketeers are incredibly effective in defense, but when assaulting a fortress, I fear they're not quite as useful. Especially if we have to charge in and fight street-by-street battles inside the stronghold, musketeers will be at a bit of a... disadvantage..."
Shi Jian understood immediately. "They're at a disadvantage in close combat!"
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