Chapter 628 - The General (Part One)

Wu Mu studied the freshly copied official documents that had just arrived from the postal inspection station at the Guanrong Post.

Although all of Lingao had long since fallen under their control, the policy of "Ming on the outside, Australia on the inside" required keeping the postal roads open at all times. After Shan Daoqian took charge of the Transportation Department, he not only repaired the postal roads but also took over the post stations along the route, restoring the crumbling buildings and ensuring the destitute courier soldiers received their pay. Thus, fast horses carrying all manner of official government documents continued to gallop unimpeded along these roads—which gave the Political Security Bureau an excellent opportunity to monitor the movements of government offices across the island. Zhao Manxiong had specifically established a postal inspection office at Guanrong Post, the station closest to Lingao. Every official document passing through was first opened, copied, resealed, and sent on its way.

Of course, Ming dynasty official documents bore seals and wax, and important correspondence was stitched and sealed shut. But these posed no real difficulties for the transmigrators. Whether using specialized tweezers to roll letters out of their cases, applying steam jets to melt paste, or even forging government seals outright—there was always someone capable of doing it. And even if no one knew how, they could always look it up in the database.

Not only could they access documents addressed to Lingao County at any time, but they also copied all passing government correspondence and forwarded it to the Political Security Bureau. Now a duplicate was sent to the Foreign Intelligence Bureau as well.

Wu Mu routinely reviewed these documents. Although most were written in the vernacular of the period, they contained numerous official terms, and seventeenth-century vernacular differed considerably from modern Mandarin. Full comprehension proved challenging for modern readers, so he maintained a team of advisors composed of clerks from the county yamen whose specific duty was to explain the precise meanings contained in the documents.

Most of the material held little value—routine administrative correspondence between counties, with more than ninety percent concerning taxation and criminal case dispositions. Such documents might prove excellent primary sources for someone researching Ming history, but they meant nothing to Wu Mu.

Correspondence between the Lingao County Yamen and Qiongzhou Prefecture received the most careful monitoring, particularly any indication that Wu Mingjin or his subordinates might be privately reporting Lingao's true situation to their superiors. Both official documents and private letters underwent the strictest inspection.

Recently, as tensions mounted, the volume of passing documents had increased substantially. Wu Mu was surprised to find that correspondence destined for Danzhou, Changhua, and other locations continued to pass through Lingao station by station without interruption. It seemed Ming authorities didn't care at all whether their documents could transit safely through the "bandit zone."

From intercepted documents, the Political Security Bureau and Intelligence Bureau easily confirmed that the Ming army had no plans to deploy troops from Danzhou. The correspondence merely ordered local authorities to prepare grain for eventual shipment to Lingao—there were no instructions for the Danzhou garrison to assemble and prepare for deployment, nor any orders for the garrison to clean and test their firearms in readiness for action.

He opened several documents, finding nothing remarkable. When he opened the next one, his eyes widened.

It was an official order summoning Wu Mingjin to report immediately to the provincial capital for debriefing.

A copy of this letter reached Xiong Buyou's hands within minutes. Then it reached the Executive Committee, and ten minutes later the Field Army Headquarters at Maniao received the news as well.

"Obviously we cannot allow Wu Mingjin to go to the provincial capital." Xiong Buyou stated his position simply and directly. "First, if he reaches the provincial capital, he will almost certainly tell them everything. Even if he doesn't reveal everything, he possesses an enormous amount of firsthand information, and exposing even some of it would be disastrous. Second, this man still has value in our hands. If he goes to the provincial capital—whether he lives or dies—we can no longer make use of him."

"Forbidding him to go is easy enough," Wu De said, frowning. "But if we intend to maintain the Lingao model afterward, I'm afraid he won't be able to remain in office after openly defying a direct order."

"It doesn't matter. Just have him send a distress document," Xiong Buyou replied. "Isn't He Ming already sending small units to harass Chengmai and Qiongshan? Let's add fuel to the fire. Say the Hair Thieves are besieging the county seat, and he's doing his utmost to defend it and cannot leave the city."

"Will that work?"

"Master Wang can handle it."

Inside the county yamen, Wu Mingjin and his household languished in a state of profound depression. News that the government army was coming to suppress the bandits had already reached the yamen. Although the yamen runners had either been replaced or no longer dared contact him privately, the inner yamen staff remained his personal servants, so he could still hear outside news through them.

The news had begun as rumors but grew steadily more concrete. Reports from all directions indicated that the Governor-General's troop deployment was imminent. His servants told him the Australians were mobilizing forces—the roads were filled with soldiers and cannons, ships in the harbor were preparing to sail. Moreover, rumors claimed Australia had sent fresh troops, preparing for a fight to the death against the Great Ming.

Wu Mingjin's heart churned with conflict and pain. He knew that a moment's weakness had prevented him from taking his own life or escaping alone to the prefectural city to raise the alarm. Now there was no way out. He could only share his fate with the Australians. If they prevailed, he, this ambiguous magistrate, could probably continue in his post—though not necessarily as the Great Ming's Magistrate of Lingao. The thought stirred a wave of grief for his native dynasty. But if the Great Ming won and the Australians weighed anchor and fled, he could not flee with them, abandoning his ancestors' graves to become an Australian! He could only stay behind and await death!

These thoughts kept him awake through sleepless nights. He understood with painful clarity that once the Great Ming recovered Lingao, they would never consider him a loyal minister who had "defended an isolated city." Not only would his life be forfeit and his reputation destroyed, but his family would face collective punishment as well. His wife and children were in Lingao; when the time came, they would likely perish together.

Wu Mingjin endured more than ten days in this tormented, conflicted state. Xiong Buyou, informed by the insider planted among the inner yamen servants that the magistrate was suffering, worried he might suddenly take his own life. Following the Executive Committee's directive to protect Wu Mingjin as a priority, the insider among the servants was instructed to watch the magistrate closely and prevent any suicide attempt. Additionally, You Guotuan received orders to strengthen security at both the inner yamen and the county gates to prevent any escape or attempts to send private messages.

Xiong Buyou decided to discuss the matter with Wang Zhaomin—after all, the magistrate's official seal remained in Wu Mingjin's possession, and seizing it by force would be inconvenient. Although Master Wang had lost his former influence, he had become a senior consultant to the Administration Council and showed no dissatisfaction with such a life. He held no official degree nor drew a Ming government salary; now he collected double allowances from both the magistrate and the Australians, kept a concubine, and lived quite comfortably. He hoped only to muddle through peacefully until Master Wu left office.

Wang Zhaomin had learned of the impending Ming army suppression earlier than most. Yet he did not believe the Australians would be defeated. Unlike Wu Mingjin, he dealt frequently with Australians and had visited many of their facilities, understanding clearly that their strength was formidable. The Ming army's campaign of encirclement and suppression would inevitably end in failure.

The worst consequence of this suppression was that his employer's position as Lingao Magistrate probably couldn't be preserved. But this bore little relation to his own vital interests—he, Wang Zhaomin, could simply find another employer and continue his career as a secretary.

Xiong Buyou consulted him and showed him the official document. Wang Zhaomin agreed with the judgment that Wu Mingjin could not go to the provincial capital, and expressed approval of the plan to send a distress message.

"There is actually no need to inform Master Wu about this matter," Wang Zhaomin said, adhering to the traditional style of secretaries: acting decisively on one's own initiative. "He is currently in a state of extreme anxiety; troubling him further will only deepen his embarrassment. The seal is right here in the signing room. Drafting and stamping documents was always my responsibility anyway—I will handle this."

"Excellent. Then we rely on Master Wang's skilled brush."

Wang Zhaomin immediately began composing the distress document. He crafted it with great care. Although he knew nothing about the current situation in Guangdong, judging from the order summoning Wu Mingjin to the province, official circles in Guangdong had only a vague understanding of conditions in Lingao and knew almost nothing about the Australians.

However, the fact that Australians had been in Lingao for three years could not be concealed. Wu Mingjin had sent quite a few distress documents to the prefectural city in the early days, and Guangdong officials would certainly consult those original garrison reports now.

Perfectly explaining why the local county yamen had taken no countermeasures regarding the Australians' three-year presence would be difficult—especially now, when "suppression" was the priority. Any justification would invite scrutiny. Only when public opinion eventually shifted toward "pacification" would contradictory statements cease to matter.

After turning the problem over repeatedly in his mind, Wang Zhaomin concluded that since constructing a perfect lie was difficult, it was better not to try. He would simply send an extremely urgent letter stating that Lingao was currently under siege by Hair Thieves, who were setting up cannons and building scaling ladders outside in preparation for storming the county seat. The magistrate was rallying the entire city's forces—soldiers and civilians alike—to defend to the death, and so forth.

After finishing the draft, he reviewed and edited it thoroughly until satisfied. Then he copied it cleanly, affixed the seal, and presented it to Xiong Buyou for review.

"Finding someone to deliver this letter will require some effort," Master Wang said, stroking his beard. "Although the document only needs to reach the prefectural city, in case the Prefect or Regional Commander Tang asks questions about the county's situation, we need someone eloquent and unafraid of death."

"That presents no obstacle. I have my own candidate."

Xiong Buyou took the document and went not to his own office but directly to the Political Security Bureau. After studying the letter repeatedly with Wu Mu, Li Yan, and others, and determining that no problems existed, they summoned a locally born indigenous intelligence officer currently studying in Class A of the Intelligence Training Center and ordered him to deliver the letter to the prefectural city.

Li Yan instructed him point by point on how to answer if questioned. He also outlined the potential dangers he might encounter and urged him to proceed with caution.

News that the Hair Thieves had broken the Lingao Wei-Suo garrisons, harassed Chengmai, and laid siege to Lingao County seat finally reached the Governor-General's Yamen in Zhaoqing via Hainan's express garrison report. Wang Zunde was already displeased by his failure to capture the Hair Thieves in Guangzhou. Now, hearing that Lingao's Hair Thieves had broken local garrisons, besieged Lingao and Chengmai county seats, and were rampaging through the region unchecked, he flew into a rage. He issued strict orders to He Rubin to assemble troops as quickly as possible and cross the sea immediately for suppression. To supervise He Rubin's combat operations, Wang Zunde appointed the Hainan Sub-prefectural Magistrate Zhao Ruyi as Supervising Censor. Then he appointed Lu Yizhong as a Military Advisor attached to the army, with the rank of Expectant Intendant.

Thus, before He Rubin had even moved, he suddenly had two "supervisors" watching over him. Setting aside Zhao Ruyi—who was stationed in Qiongshan County and couldn't leave his post without authorization—this Lu Yizhong was a trusted confidant from the Governor-General's personal staff. He had been sent specifically to press for war and inevitably interfered constantly with army affairs, demanding that He Rubin "send troops quickly."

Lu Yizhong had extorted various shops in Guangzhou City that regularly traded with the Australians, using bluff and intimidation to finally raise forty or fifty thousand taels of silver. Even the influential Gao family had been compelled to contribute several thousand taels as a send-off. Although this sum fell short of satisfying Wang Zunde, it at least salvaged a measure of trust.

While sternly urging the grand army to march, Wang Zunde stepped up the collection of fodder, gunpowder, and armor in preparation for shipping from Guangzhou to Qiongshan for storage.

The summer sun blazed overhead, but gusts of cool wind swept in from the seaside. Although this stretch was still technically the inner Pearl River, the waterway was broad, and the wind and waves rolled as forcefully as if they were on the open sea. Waves rose and fell in endless succession, crashing against the shore and shattering on the reefs.

Because of Governor-General Wang Zunde's embargo, ships were forbidden from entering or leaving the Pearl River estuary. Moreover, merchant vessels knew the government was currently commandeering large ships at the estuary, so they dared not appear. Thus, only a handful of fishing boats and patrolling naval warships dotted the river surface.

In the bay before Humen Stockade, however, many vessels lay concentrated, their masts rising like a forest. There were ships of the Guangdong Navy as well as temporarily commandeered civilian vessels. Some large ships, fully laden with grain and military ordnance, had already raised their white sails and were sailing west toward Hainan Island.

On the open ground before Humen Stockade, a sea of military tents had sprung up like scattered stars. Flags covered the wilderness; swords and spears bristled like a forest. Drums and horns echoed back and forth. The military display was truly imposing.

On the Yaniangxie Battery opposite Humen Stockade, banners fluttered in the wind. This was one of the main batteries guarding Guangzhou's periphery. Earthen stockades, arrow towers, and blockhouses had been constructed all around, garrisoned by a substantial Ming force whose flags snapped in the breeze.

He Rubin, accompanied by a retinue of subordinate generals, staff officers, and personal guards, sat on horseback by the river, surveying the grand army assembled from across the province. Not since expelling the Red Hairs from Penghu in the late Tianqi years had Guangdong Province gathered such a large force. Supplying this army required not only the grain accumulated over years in government granaries on Hainan Island but also substantial additional shipments. Knowing the Hair Thieves possessed formidable firearms and preparing for a potentially long siege, He Rubin had ordered large quantities of newly cast cannons and matchlocks transported from Foshan, along with ample supplies of gunpowder. In a sheltered, sunny spot behind Yaniangxie Mountain, a new gunpowder workshop had been established. Saltpeter, sulfur, and willow charcoal, transported continuously from all over the province, were being manufactured into gunpowder at this location.

"With elite soldiers and abundant provisions, Your Excellency will surely achieve total victory in a single battle," one staff officer offered in flattery.

"According to the reports, the Hair Thieves' morale has not declined. Not only do they show no intention of retreating, but they have broken our garrisons and besieged our Lingao and Chengmai counties. It seems a fierce battle will be necessary to determine the outcome. Warfare is a dangerous affair—there must not be the slightest negligence." He Rubin was puzzled by the Hair Thieves' sudden burst of activity. They had lived quietly in Lingao for over three years—why attack everywhere now? Could it really be, as Lu Yizhong claimed, merely retaliation for the government's seizure of the Australian factory?

He sensed vaguely that the situation was not so simple.

A middle-aged civil official sat on horseback nearby. This was Lu Yizhong, dispatched by Wang Zunde with the rank of Expectant Intendant to serve as Military Advisor to He Rubin's army. Although he arrived bearing the title of Advisor, everyone understood he was the supervisor sent by Wang Zunde.

The formal supervisor, Hainan Sub-prefectural Magistrate Zhao Ruyi, remained in Qiongshan County; he would not travel to Guangzhou just to offer his opinions. Lu Yizhong was far less easy to dismiss. Shortly after joining the army, he began constantly urging He Rubin to cross the sea to Hainan as soon as possible.

Hearing He Rubin's words, Lu Yizhong immediately chimed in: "The Commander speaks very truly. The Hair Thieves know their doom approaches. Like cornered rats lashing out, they require deterrence—our army can only cow such petty villains by crossing the sea swiftly."

Everyone recognized Advisor Lu's words as yet another exhortation to advance. In reality, the suppression army, officially claimed to number fifty thousand but actually closer to twenty thousand, had so far assembled only about ten thousand men. This already represented accelerated progress, since the troops were being transferred from within the province. According to Ming and Qing military custom, mobilizing and concentrating such a large force could not be accomplished all at once; localities simply could not provide food and lodging for so many soldiers and horses simultaneously. So troop units departed daily in "lifts" of two or three hundred men. Since they were marching to war rather than vacationing, soldiers and officers naturally walked as slowly as possible, often covering less than twenty li per day. Taking three or four months for tens of thousands of troops to fully assemble was perfectly normal.

At this pace, another half month would be needed for the entire army to finish concentrating. Moreover, these troops had been hastily cobbled together. Although nominally under He Rubin's command, he had no real familiarity with all the scattered generals from across the province who now served under him.

Mutual unfamiliarity between generals and their soldiers was a grave taboo in warfare. He Rubin had originally intended to assemble the entire army in Guangzhou, then use the leisure afforded by Hainan's rainy season and subsequent typhoon storms to review and train locally for a month or two before finally deploying in early autumn. But Lu Yizhong's relentless pressure had forced him to dispatch the grain, armor, and his Town Headquarters Central Battalion across the sea ahead of schedule.

"The wind and waves are tremendous today!" He Rubin watched the fleet sailing away with sails spread, unable to suppress his worry about their safety. Just a few days earlier, several ships transporting grain and armor to Hainan had capsized, resulting in significant material losses.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency," a staff officer said soothingly. "These sailors are accustomed to the sea, and the vessels are large local ships commandeered by the government—capable of sailing to the Western Ocean. The voyage to Qiongshan will pose no difficulties."

Returning to the main camp, He Rubin discussed march strategy with his staff. The Governor-General was anxious for him to cross the sea and engage the enemy. Beyond his eagerness for a quick result, there was also the issue of exhausting the troops and draining the treasury. This twenty-thousand-strong army, not yet fully assembled, had already cost the Guangdong Provincial Treasury over a hundred thousand taels of silver—and that didn't include expenses for grain, ships, and firearms. Once they arrived at Lingao, besieging the Hair Thieves for months would consume even more.

For all these reasons, he had to make some gesture; he would let his most reliable troops cross the sea first.

Watching the first wave depart, He Rubin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief—at least he now had grounds to mollify the Governor-General. But profound anxiety stirred within him. He knew almost nothing about the Hair Thieves' true condition. He had originally hoped to question the Lingao Magistrate face to face upon his arrival, but unexpectedly the Hair Thieves had suddenly besieged the county seat, trapping the magistrate so thoroughly that he could not travel to the provincial capital.

(End of Chapter)