Chapter 85: Jiang Gui

Chapter Eighty-Five: Jiang Gui

“In terms of breaking the enemy in battle, I am more capable than Jiang Gui,” Chen Huai said boldly before Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen was momentarily speechless. It was obvious that Chen Huai was indeed someone without guile.

Zhu Qizhen replied, “The Grand Empress Dowager has already made her decision. There is no need to argue further. Just speak about General Jiang.”

Chen Huai, resigned, had no choice but to recount everything about Jiang Gui in detail. Zhu Qizhen summarized: Jiang Gui is not literate, but loves his soldiers as his own children. When leading troops, he personally performs the necessary rituals and never delegates these tasks. He is lacking in strategy, but his men willingly die for him. He has the bearing of the famed generals of old.

Of course, this was Zhu Qizhen’s polished version. Chen Huai’s account constantly wandered off topic, always centering on the point that although Jiang Gui was decent, he was not as good as himself, and that employing Jiang Gui was inferior to employing him.

Yet Zhu Qizhen felt Jiang Gui was far more reliable than Chen Huai.

Chen Huai was a talented commander, but Jiang Gui was a true general. Among generals, there are levels; compared to Xu Da and Lan Yu, Jiang Gui falls short. But a general like Jiang Gui, who steadily commands regular forces, is unlikely to make mistakes.

Although the Ming dynasty was no longer as it once was, there was no other country in the world whose national strength could rival it.

Zhu Qizhen had to admit that the cabinet’s choice of Jiang Gui was impeccable.

After Chen Huai finished his account, Zhu Qizhen was about to dismiss him when Chen Huai suddenly knelt and said, “I beg Your Majesty for one thing.”

“Speak, General Chen,” Zhu Qizhen replied.

Chen Huai said, “I have a young son, who is somewhat skilled in riding and archery. I wish for him to serve as Your Majesty’s guard and be at your command.”

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen thought to himself, “Since General Chen has asked, let it be so.”

Chen Huai immediately exclaimed, “Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!”

After sending Chen Huai away, Zhu Qizhen was suddenly struck by a thought: “Is Chen Huai truly without guile?” He carefully considered every move Chen Huai had made since entering the hall, and although he could find no flaw, he wondered whether a general who commanded troops and decided the outcomes of battles could truly have no cunning at all.

“Perhaps this is his cunning,” Zhu Qizhen mused.

Life is but a performance. Zhu Qizhen decided not to probe further. Still, he found himself drawn to Jiang Gui, yearning to meet this renowned general of the dynasty.

At that moment, Jiang Gui was galloping swiftly and had just arrived at Beijing. A middle-aged man in his forties was sitting in a carriage, waiting at the city gate. When he saw Jiang Gui, he lifted the curtain and said, “Associate Jiang.”

Jiang Gui immediately dismounted and bowed, saying, “Greetings, Third Master.”

The man smiled faintly and said, “I am no longer worthy of such a title.”

“I dare not forget, no matter the time. I am always under the patronage of the Duke of England,” Jiang Gui replied.

This man was none other than Zhang Hui, the third brother of Duke Zhang Fu. Originally, this task should have fallen to Zhang Zhong, but Zhang Zhong’s health was poor, so Zhang Hui came instead.

Zhang Hui smiled and said, “My elder brother asked me to deliver a message. Upon entering the city, do not go to the Ministry of War. Head straight to the palace. He has arranged it so you can meet His Majesty immediately.”

“This time, the matter of the northwest campaign has been settled—you will be the chief commander. But everything will depend on the emperor’s will going forward.”

Jiang Gui replied, “Thank you, Third Master. The Duke’s kindness is unforgettable.”

Chen Huai could also be considered a former subordinate of the Duke of England, though the Duke’s favor toward Chen Huai was ordinary, while he greatly praised Jiang Gui, believing Jiang Gui’s abilities surpassed Chen Huai’s.

Jiang Gui had originally intended to go first to the Office of the Five Military Governors, but after hearing Zhang Hui’s instructions, he went immediately to the Forbidden City. With the arrangements made by the Duke, Jiang Gui was able to meet the emperor smoothly.

Inside the Forbidden City, Jiang Gui called out loudly and performed a bow, “Your servant Jiang Gui pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long, long live!”

Upon seeing Jiang Gui, Zhu Qizhen thought of another man—Li Shimian.

It was not that the two looked alike, but their temperaments were similar.

Jiang Gui, clad in armor, his hair graying, was covered in dust from his journey. Yet his presence was commanding, his expression resolute, and before Zhu Qizhen, he was extremely serious.

Zhu Qizhen felt a sense of awe, as though he dared not treat such a person lightly.

Though subordinate, men like Jiang Gui gave Zhu Qizhen a sense of formality, much like his experience with Li Shimian.

When meeting Chen Huai, Zhu Qizhen felt Chen Huai lacked decorum, making him both amused and exasperated. But with Jiang Gui, the atmosphere was much more uncomfortable, for Zhu Qizhen dared not show the slightest disrespect, lest Jiang Gui feel slighted.

Thus, their conversation became a very solemn exchange between sovereign and subject.

Zhu Qizhen said, “General, you have long been stationed in Songpan. The Songpan unrest lasted nearly the entire reign of Xuande. What is the situation there? Are you informed?”

Jiang Gui immediately rose, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, “I believe there are three causes for the Songpan unrest. First, geography. Songpan and Chengdu are connected only by an iron chain bridge. Once chaos erupts and the chains are cut, the army cannot cross swiftly, and thus the conflict drags on.”

“Second, the contradiction between locals and outsiders. The Songpan garrison is made up of locals who are unruly, while the garrison was established with people relocated from elsewhere, naturally creating tension.”

“Third, the garrison’s weakness causes the local tribes to despise it, and it lacks the strength to deter outsiders.”

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment and then asked, “General Jiang, do not refrain from speaking. Without the likes of Han Zheng, what caused the unrest?”

Jiang Gui could only reply, “Your Majesty is wise.”

Zhu Qizhen had previously studied the matter, at least understanding the causes and consequences of the Songpan unrest.

The unrest began with the wars in Jiaozhi, which continued for years without resolution. The court decided to draft Songpan garrison soldiers, but a centurion in the Songpan garrison did not want to go, knowing that deployment to Jiaozhi meant certain death. How could he avoid it? If there was fighting in Songpan, he would not have to go to Jiaozhi.

Thus, they falsely accused the local tribesman Rong Erjie of plotting rebellion. The Chengdu garrison sent ten thousand men to suppress it, and Rong Erjie first bribed them with cattle and sheep, then united with other chieftains, amassing over ten thousand men, and rebelled.

This sparked a major conflict, in which seven thousand government troops were wiped out, and the rebels flourished, severing the iron chain bridge and even advancing to Mianzhu, near Chengdu.

The capital was shaken.

This was one of the main reasons the court withdrew troops from Jiaozhi. It was a reluctant choice by the emperor, for the war in Jiaozhi had dragged on so long that, given enough time, it might become like Yang Guang’s campaign against Goguryeo, with the whole country singing songs of death in Annam.

The withdrawal from Jiaozhi had practical reasons.

Zhu Qizhen asked, “But the garrison’s weakness causes the tribes to despise it. What is the state of the garrison?”

Jiang Gui was silent for a moment, then replied, “Before the unrest, the garrison soldiers had long employed tribesmen as mercenaries, while they themselves engaged in trade and were absent from the garrison for years. Thus, when the unrest began, rebels entered as if there were no defenders.”

Though Zhu Qizhen had been prepared, his heart sank upon hearing this, and he asked, “What is the current state of the Songpan garrison?”

Jiang Gui replied, “I have made extensive reforms in Songpan, increasing the monthly rations for garrison soldiers. Now, the Songpan garrison has greatly improved and is not far behind the Nine Borders garrisons.”

Zhu Qizhen asked, “What is the shortfall in the Songpan garrison?”

Jiang Gui replied, “Ten percent.”

Zhu Qizhen took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

From Jiang Gui’s tone, he knew that a ten percent shortfall was already impressive. Considering the number of deserters—one million two hundred thousand—Jiang Gui’s achievement of only a ten percent shortfall was remarkable.

Still, Zhu Qizhen struggled to contain his anger. In his view, the imperial army should only grant leave, never allow shortfalls.

Yet he had to face reality and asked, “Is the shortfall the same in the Nine Borders?”

Jiang Gui had once served in the Nine Borders and answered, “I have not been there for ten years and do not know their current situation.”

From this, Zhu Qizhen understood Jiang Gui was not ignorant, but unwilling to speak. Otherwise, why would he previously compare the shortfall in Songpan to that in the Nine Borders?

He suspected Jiang Gui knew the situation in the Nine Borders was even worse. Zhu Qizhen suddenly recalled Yang Rong’s words about the devastation in the northwest.

Though the northern invaders had come south, they had not penetrated deeply. Most places in the northwest had not suffered from warfare, so how could there be devastation?

Unless the devastation was not caused by the northern invaders. So what, then, had caused such “devastation”?