Chapter 897: Yang Sichang's Bandit Suppression Campaign
Yang Sichang's own father, Yang He, was currently exiled to Yuanzhou!
This was the crushing price paid for appeasing the wandering rebels.
He would never easily be swayed, convinced that military action against the rebels must continue.
“Report!” an aide burst in. “Governor-General, urgent news! General Zhang led his troops to suppress a rebel force, but they encountered a landslide in the mountains. Losses were heavy, and General Zhang himself was injured.”
Yang Sichang grunted, “Send reinforcements immediately to bring General Zhang back and ensure the casualties are properly attended to.”
No sooner had the matter of General Zhang been settled than the aide returned. “Report! General Li encountered desperate resistance from two thousand rebels at Sunjiayao. Though victorious, General Li lost over fifty soldiers and requires funds for their funerals.”
Yang Sichang gestured dismissively. “Approved!”
“Report! General Chen was ambushed by rebels at Siyuanliang. They hurled massive iron ore rocks down from the mountain, injuring General Chen and many of his men.”
Yang Sichang exclaimed, “A reputable border army, ambushed by a mere band of rebels? What have they been taught about warfare?”
Yang Sichang’s brow furrowed.
“Report! Rebels whose homes and livelihoods were plundered by the Manchu invaders have also risen up. They’ve gathered over five thousand strong at Huoshiling...”
Yang Sichang roared, “Send General Qian to deal with them!”
“Report! Our forces are constantly stretched thin, exhausting their rations at an alarming rate, and arrows are running low. We have barely enough provisions for half a month, and enough arrows for only two more engagements. We must await resupply...”
Yang Sichang listened, his head swimming, a profound sense of bewilderment seizing him as he surveyed the endless challenges.
As the saying went: “He who does not hold the office does not concern himself with its duties.”
Before he held this weighty position, he hadn't grasped the sheer difficulty of the word ‘suppression.’ Now, faced with its responsibilities, he finally understood the hardships his father had endured.
“Report!”
The aide rushed in again, but before he could speak, Yang Sichang exploded, “What is it now? Reports, reports, reports! That’s all I get all day!”
The aide flinched, but still managed to report, “The Jin merchant, Tie Niaofei, has arrived! He’s brought us a large shipment of supplies.”
Yang Sichang’s mood instantly brightened. “Squire Tie has arrived? Hahaha! Excellent, excellent! Usher him in at once!”
Soon, Tie Niaofei entered.
A smile spread across Yang Sichang’s face at the sight of Tie Niaofei.
Though he had only recently taken office as Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da, he was already plagued by concerns over the border army’s provisions.
The imperial court, perpetually bogged down, offered scant support to the border troops. It was a constant struggle: either short on rations or on pay. Expecting a horse to run without feeding it grass, they were.
Yang Sichang constantly agonized over supplies.
Fortunately, there was Tie Niaofei!
Tie Niaofei had become the Xuan-Da border army’s lifeline for logistics. Each time he ventured north, he brought with him vast quantities of grain, cloth, and weapons. The border guards, whenever hunger gnawed at them, would now climb onto the city walls, scanning the southern horizon and murmuring prayers, “Squire Tie, please arrive soon!”
This time was no exception.
The moment Tie Niaofei stepped into the main hall, he chuckled, addressing Yang Sichang, “Governor-General, I trust you’ve been well. I’m pleased to report I didn’t fail my task; I’ve brought another two months’ worth of military provisions.”
Yang Sichang was overjoyed. “You couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune moment, Master Tie. My army’s rations were down to a mere half-month’s supply.”
Tie Niaofei feigned a bewildered expression. “Only half a month left? How odd! The grain I delivered last time was quite substantial; it should have lasted at least another month and a half.”
Yang Sichang cleared his throat, a hint of embarrassment on his face. “Ahem! In recent days, I’ve been vigorously suppressing the rebels. My soldiers are engaged in constant combat, clashing with bandits across the mountains and forests, so our provisions are being consumed far faster than usual.”
“Oh, is that how it is?” Tie Niaofei mused. “On my journey here, I passed through Daizhou and heard talk of this. It’s said that due to the Manchu invasion, the number of rebels in Datong Prefecture has suddenly surged. Many are common folk who lost their homes to the Manchu raids, and some are even private mine owners... The people of Daizhou also mentioned that these rebels have crossed the mountains and are now causing trouble there.”
Yang Sichang nodded. “Indeed! These unruly elements are stirring up a frenzy, with uprisings blossoming across Datong Prefecture, leaving the border army constantly scrambling. Is it truly chaotic in Daizhou now? Squire Tie, you must have passed through Daizhou on your journey north. Were you obstructed by any rebels?”
Tie Niaofei chuckled inwardly, but maintained a facade of bewilderment. “It’s quite strange, actually. Though I heard the people of Daizhou mention some rebel activity, I saw no sign of them myself. And when the locals spoke of these rebels, their tone was remarkably relaxed, with smiles playing on their lips. Clearly, these ‘rebels’ hadn’t bothered them much and posed no real threat.”
Yang Sichang murmured, “Oh?”
The words struck a chord, and Yang Sichang felt a prickle of indignation.
He commanded the formidable border army—yes, the *border army*! Yet, even with such power, he was constantly worn out chasing rebels. Meanwhile, a newly appointed prefect in Daizhou, without a proper army, relying only on household retainers and local militia, had somehow managed to handle them?
“Appeasement?” Yang Sichang recalled a previous letter, in which the Daizhou prefect claimed to have resolved the Hu Teng rebels through appeasement, bringing several other groups under control as well.
At the time, Yang Sichang had written back, asserting that appeasement was futile, and these rebel groups would surely rise again.
But a considerable time had passed. Had those rebels *not* caused any more trouble?
At this thought, Yang Sichang found himself unable to sit still.
He reviewed the myriad reports he’d received in recent days: endless, exhausting chases after rebel groups, yielding abysmal results. Yet in Daizhou, where rebels his own forces had driven there were causing trouble, the situation had been handled with remarkable success.
Comparison, as they said, was the thief of joy — or in this case, a source of profound irritation!
“I, the Supreme Commander,” he thought, “am a *jinshi* from the thirty-eighth year of Wanli! I have served successively as Professor of Hangzhou Prefecture, Erudite of the Nanjing Imperial Academy, Director in the Ministry of Revenue, Vice-Commissioner for Military Preparedness, and Vice Minister of War, concurrently Censor-in-Chief overseeing the military affairs of Xuan-Da and Shanxi! How can I, then, be outshone by a mere, obscure prefect?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Yang Sichang declared, “Someone! Prepare my carriage and horses. This Supreme Commander will go to Daizhou and see for himself.”
Ancient officials were forbidden from leaving their jurisdictions without explicit permission from a superior. To be caught doing so meant a hundred lashes.
However, as Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da, Yang Sichang not only governed Xuan-Da but also concurrently oversaw military affairs in Shanxi. Therefore, theoretically, the entirety of Shanxi fell under his jurisdiction, and a visit to Daizhou posed no issue whatsoever.
Seeing that Yang Sichang had taken the bait, Tie Niaofei couldn’t help but inwardly gloat. “Governor-General, if you’d be so kind as to wait a moment, I need to hand over the goods before heading south. I’d be delighted to accompany you for part of the journey.”
Yang Sichang nodded. “Very well, Squire Tie. We shall travel together. Let’s go and see exactly how they are managing things in Daizhou.”
Comments