Chapter 746 Let's Be Casual About It
In Luoyang City, at the East Gate.
Zhu Changxun sat on the city wall, a frown etched on his face, accompanied by his five hundred personal guards.
Currently, the rebels were active near Kaifeng to the east, so any attack would come from that direction. He had therefore moved all five hundred of his personal guards to the East Gate.
Fan Shangzheng had organized a large number of local militias and villagers to bolster the defenses and support him.
Zhu Changxun silently cursed his ancestors in his heart—not the Great Ancestor, of course, but the subsequent ones.
Emperor Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang, had actually been quite benevolent to his descendants, enfeoffing his sons in several important cities and granting them troops to solidify the Zhu family's foundation.
However, Emperor Yongle's Jingnan Campaign had starkly demonstrated the pitfalls of "princes leading armies." As a result, subsequent emperors had devised various ways to strip the princes of their military power.
By Zhu Changxun's generation, a mighty Prince of Fu, stationed in Luoyang, the "Center of the World," could only command five hundred personal guards. He dared not have a single one more.
“If only I had as many soldiers as the Old Ancestor, Zhu Di, did when he was enfeoffed in Yanping!” Zhu Changxun fumed silently. “Why would I fear a mere band of rebels? Dammit! Princes of my generation live worse than dogs. I even got swindled out of ten thousand taels by a gentry member!”
“They're here, they're here, look,” Fan Shangzheng said.
Zhu Changxun turned his head to look...
The Xiaolangdi firearm soldiers had arrived.
With just one glance, Zhu Changxun's composure shattered.
A force of two thousand men, marching in neat formations, their synchronized footsteps echoing as they advanced with a low rumble.
These two thousand men wore no visible armor, at least none that could be seen at a glance. They were all dressed in plain cloth, each with a firearm slung over their shoulder and an ammunition pouch tied at their waist. Their spirits were high, and confident smiles played on their faces.
They marched brazenly right up to Zhu Changxun, then began to take up defensive positions along the city wall.
“A mere gentry member dares to organize two thousand militia, openly equipping them all with firearms, yet I, a prince, only dare to command five hundred personal guards. What the hell is going on?” Zhu Changxun cursed inwardly.
Envy, admiration, and resentment churned within him!
Zhu Changxun couldn't help but complain, “Isn't he afraid the court will accuse him of rebellion, raising so many firearm-equipped soldiers?”
Fan Shangzheng lowered his voice. “The court stopped caring about such matters a long time ago, didn't you know? Along the coast, there's a man named Zheng Zhilong, a reformed pirate. He's openly buying firearms on a massive scale, and the court has even appointed him a Mobile Corps Commander, allowing him to buy ships, firearms, and cannons as he pleases.”
Zhu Changxun was speechless.
This was utterly infuriating. Zhu Changxun splayed his fingers, palm facing the sky, and lamented mournfully, “So, only princes aren't allowed to do this, but everyone else can, is that it? Even a thief can, but a prince can't?”
Fan Shangzheng gave him a peculiar look, as if to say: "It's good that you understand."
Zhu Changxun dared not express too much dissatisfaction on this matter, lest he invite further suspicion, so he changed the subject. “I gave him ten thousand taels of silver, and he only sent two thousand men to defend the city. By that calculation, each man cost me five taels of silver. Isn't that too expensive?”
“That's because you haven't seen how formidable his firearm soldiers are,” Fan Shangzheng replied.
“How formidable can they be?” Zhu Changxun scoffed. “They're just bird-guns, aren't they? Though I don't dare to acquire them on a large scale, I do have a few I can take out to play with.”
With that, he waved a hand, and a personal guard approached, indeed taking out a bird-gun and placing it in Zhu Changxun's hand.
“I've even used it to hunt birds,” Zhu Changxun declared.
Fan Shangzheng noted that he said "used it to hunt birds," not "successfully hunted birds," meaning he hadn't hit anything. What was there to boast about?
“This thing doesn't shoot very far, it's inaccurate, and reloading after a single shot is painstakingly slow. It’s nothing more than a toy,” Zhu Changxun remarked.
He then glanced at Bai Yuan's two thousand firearm soldiers and shook his head. “Ten thousand taels of silver for two thousand soldiers like these? Not worth it, not worth it at all.”
Fan Shangzheng felt like retorting, but on second thought, there was no need. He would know once the rebels arrived. Of course, it would be best if the rebels didn't come at all—
Outside Kaifeng City, in the rebel encampment.
Before the Chuǎng Wang, a hastily drawn map lay spread out, depicting the terrain of the entire Henan province.
This map had been drawn by the Chuǎng Jiang; it was extremely rough, yet for the rebels, being able to hand-draw the entire Henan terrain was already a sign of considerable foresight. Most rebels were completely ignorant of the broader world, understanding nothing.
The Chuǎng Wang shot an encouraging glance at the Chuǎng Jiang. “We have successfully broken through the natural barrier of the Yellow River. Next, as the Chuǎng Jiang suggested, we will bypass Luoyang and advance southwest, pushing into Huguang.”
No sooner had he spoken than two formidable generals stepped forward from among his subordinates. One was named Meng Hu, the other Du Hu; they were brothers.
Meng Hu said, “Brother Chuǎng Wang, why should we bypass Luoyang? Luoyang is the Center of the World, a famously wealthy city, and it even has a renowned prince inside, what was his title again?”
“Brother, it's the Prince of Fu,” Du Hu clarified.
“Right, right, the Prince of Fu! Luoyang is very rich. Wouldn't it be foolish to pass up such a plump lamb and go around it?” Meng Hu insisted.
The Chuǎng Wang hesitated.
The Chuǎng Jiang spoke, “You yourselves know that Luoyang is the Center of the World, so you should also know it’s easy to defend and difficult to attack; it can't be taken lightly.”
“We certainly know that,” Meng Hu countered, “but to bypass it without even trying? I can’t accept that. Is it a mule... what was that phrase again?”
“Brother, it’s a horse!” Du Hu prompted.
“Right, right, whether it's a mule or a horse, you have to take it for a spin to know! We don't care if we can take it or not, we at least have to try!” Meng Hu declared.
The Chuǎng Jiang's face darkened. “Xiaolangdi is right next to Luoyang. Have you forgotten who drove us back the last time we tried to cross the Yellow River?”
“Isn't that just some gentry member from Xiaolangdi?” Meng Hu scoffed. “What’s his name... Bai... something Bai?”
“Brother, it’s Bai Yuan!” Du Hu said.
“Right, right, that damn gentry member, Bai Yuan! Last time, there was the river, and we northerners aren't good at sailing, so we suffered a huge loss. This time, it’s all dry land. Why should I be afraid of him?” Meng Hu boasted.
“Stop spouting nonsense,” the Chuǎng Jiang snapped. “I don't agree with attacking Luoyang.”
“Stop acting like the boss here,” Meng Hu retorted. “You don't agree? Who do you think you are? It's Brother Chuǎng Wang who makes the decisions here, not you, Chuǎng Jiang.”
The Chuǎng Jiang was silent.
At this, everyone turned to look at the Chuǎng Wang.
The Chuǎng Wang, under their gaze, was stumped!
He was not a man of great ambition or strategy. In fact, he was merely an unremarkable figurehead, a "play-it-safe" leader. When his subordinates argued, he, as their chief, lacked the decisive authority to settle the matter.
The Chuǎng Wang pondered, finding merit in both subordinates' opinions. After a long moment, he said, “Alright, then. Those who want to scout Luoyang can go, and those who don't want to can bypass it. Let’s be casual about it.”
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