Chapter 25: Qing Troops in Dongjiang

Yang Guanggao replied with delight, "That is exactly what I had hoped for, though I dared not request it."

Yang quickly drafted the letter and dispatched it to the capital. Shen Yourong sent his fourth son, Shen Shouyue, to guide them. Shen Shouyue, a man in his thirties with a composed demeanor, boarded their ship and noticed it was filled with large crates. Curious, he asked Man Gui, "Commander Man, what is inside these? Surely grain does not require wooden crates."

Man Gui laughed, "The grain is on another ship; these contain weapons for General Mao."

Shen Shouyue could no longer maintain his composure. "Is General Mao finally being promoted to Regional Commander?"

Man Gui said with a hint of envy, "Indeed. General Mao set sail with only one hundred and ninety-seven men, recovered Zhenjiang, reclaimed the six fortresses, and secured two thousand miles of maritime borders. A true man should aspire to such achievements."

Shen Shouyue nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing with the sentiment. He wondered when he, too, might perform such meritorious service instead of trembling under his father’s stern gaze.

Several days later, the two ships arrived at Pi Island. Mao Wenlong put on a grand display to welcome the imperial envoy. "Mao Wenlong, receive the decree!" Yang Guanggao shouted. Mao Wenlong and his subordinates knelt in unison.

Yang Guanggao declared, "The Emperor decrees: Mao Wenlong is promoted from Vice Regional Commander to Assistant Commissioner-in-Chief and Regional Commander of Liaodong, to establish the Dongjiang Garrison. Respect this."

"I thank the Emperor for his boundless grace. Your subject receives the decree," Mao replied. He stood up, took the imperial mandate, and carefully handed it to Mao Chengzuo behind him.

He then invited Yang and his party into the main hall. Upon entering, Yang could not help but sigh; the room contained only a long table and a few worn chairs. "General Mao, you have endured much hardship," Yang said with sincere emotion.

Mao Wenlong chuckled, "Once the Jianzhou rebels are defeated, better days will come. Please, take your seat, Envoy." After a brief exchange of courtesies, the two sat at the table.

Yang Guanggao began, "Today marks the founding of the Dongjiang Garrison. The Emperor says that a military town should look the part. The Liaodong refugees currently stranded in Dongjiang should be relocated to Dengzhou and Laizhou. We will audit the Dongjiang troop rolls, and Dengzhou-Laizhou will provide full military rations. What is your opinion, General Mao?"

Mao Wenlong replied, "I thank the Emperor for his concern. Our Dongjiang Garrison currently has thirty thousand troops and over fifty thousand civilians. I ask the Envoy to examine this clearly."

Yang Guanggao smiled. "I am entrusted by the Emperor to audit these rolls. Tomorrow, I shall visit all corners of Dongjiang. I ask you, General, to order your subordinates to conduct a preliminary audit so that no misunderstandings arise."

Mao Wenlong remained calm, but his subordinates looked uneasy. Ignoring them, Yang continued, "I have brought a ship of grain. Please have your men unload it; I hear life in Dongjiang is difficult, so let everyone have a few full meals first."

As soon as the envoy left, Chen Jisheng grumbled, "If they take all the refugees, who will farm for us? What will the army eat?"

The other officers remained silent. The decree promised full military pay, so the food supply for the soldiers was not the issue; rather, Chen was implying that the refugees were needed to harvest ginseng and trade with Korea—activities that, while intended to supplement the soldiers' diet, provided everyone with some extra benefits.

Mao Wenlong sighed. "A soldier eats his rations; it is the natural order. The army will have its provisions. What are you worried about? Destroy the Jianzhou rebels early, earn more merit, and everything will follow. Do not speak of this again. You are dismissed." He waved his hand and walked into his quarters, looking dejected.

At the lodgings provided for the imperial party, Man Gui said, "My Lord, I fear General Mao is not entirely pleased with our audit of the troop rolls."

Yang Guanggao sighed. "The Emperor once said not to overestimate the integrity of officials. Everyone has selfish motives; it cannot be helped. As long as he does not falter on the major issues, it is acceptable."

Man Gui retorted, "I have no selfish motives. Whatever the Emperor says, I do."

Yang laughed and chided him, "You do have selfish motives—you want to achieve greatness and leave a legacy for centuries to come."

Man Gui replied, "The Emperor said that when a selfish motive reaches that point, it is no longer selfish—it is the greatest form of public service."

Yang, not wishing to argue, said, "Very well, I know you are truly dedicated to the public good. General Mao's trading is primarily to supplement military needs, but who knows if he has hidden some away? Even if he hasn't, who knows what he might do in the future? The Emperor said we must prevent the possibility of wrongdoing at the source; that is the way to cure and save. Tomorrow, steel yourselves and examine the state of the Dongjiang troops carefully."

The next day, Yang Guanggao began the audit. His method was simple: he cleared a large space on the beach, and the Dongjiang soldiers were divided into two groups, entering through two separate gates. Yang and Man Gui each guarded one, accompanied by their personal guards. If anyone did not meet the requirements, they were barred from entering. Each person admitted was tallied. After half a day, only about four thousand people stood in the clearing, most without armor and with crude weapons.

Yang asked Chen Jisheng, who stood nearby, "Vice Commander Chen, are there any more troops from Pi Island to be inspected?"

Chen was deeply displeased but dared not show it. "Envoy, the inspection is complete, but those blocked outside are also our Dongjiang soldiers."

There were seven or eight thousand soldiers left outside, wearing no armor and carrying weapons that could barely be called such—mostly wooden sticks or brooms. Yang said, "I can overlook the lack of armor, but weapons should at least be made of iron. Are they expected to fight the Jianzhou rebels with sticks?"

Chen replied defiantly, "Back at Tieshan and Kuandian, most of us held sticks and stones, yet we still drove the rebels back. As long as we have numbers, we can defeat them even without weapons."

Yang smiled. "The strong ones among them can become combat soldiers once issued weapons, but as you can see, most are gaunt and malnourished. How can they fight the rebels like this?"

Chen argued, "They are gaunt because they haven't had enough to eat. A few days of full meals will fix that."

Yang asked, "Haven't you been receiving their pay? Why are they not being fed?"

Chen lowered his head and fell silent. Then, Mao Wenlong intervened with a smile, "The imperial court did send pay, but it was for the combat soldiers. Their families also rely on that money for food, so the total amount was insufficient. I ask the Envoy to examine this clearly."

Yang said, "It is precisely for this reason that the Emperor wishes to relocate the Liaodong refugees to the interior, leaving only combat soldiers here. As I see it, the Dongjiang headquarters has four thousand combat soldiers. What does the General think?"

Mao Wenlong nodded in agreement. Over the following days, Yang and Man Gui toured Kuandian and other areas. They audited a total of nine thousand combat soldiers, including those on Pi Island, plus three thousand naval troops ordered by the court, totaling twelve thousand men.