Illumine Lingao (English Translation)
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Chapter 2174 - Heading to Guangning

Two months as a National Army soldier had transformed more than just Ai Buyi's body—even his name had been rewritten. Originally "Ai Yi," the Great Song official decided it sounded inauspicious and insisted on changing it to "Buyi" (Cloth Clothes/Commoner). Learning to write these two new characters caused him considerable suffering—how could it possibly compare to the simplicity of that original single horizontal stroke?

From his first day in the training camp, Ai Buyi had missed his wife and children, earning him abundant "loving education" from the sergeants. This campaign departure came rushed—no customary day off. Straight onto the ship, whistle blow, and they were gone. Ai Buyi wept aboard. This time the company sergeant didn't beat him. Instead, he handed him a cigarette and patted his shoulder in an almost friendly manner.

The ship moved and stopped, dawdling for days. Ai Buyi grew dizzy and disoriented, having long lost track of their destination. Fortunately, food and drink remained plentiful throughout the voyage, with no daily drilling required. He simply watched the river surface and bankside scenery pass, or else slept. Waking to see a cabin full of soldiers and weapons filled him with profound depression. Sometimes he contemplated jumping into the river to end it all—rumor claimed someone had actually done so.

"All assemble!" The piercing whistle blast and squad leaders' shouts sent Ai Buyi reflexively scrambling to the assembly point.

"Form ranks!" "Count off!" "All check equipment!"

After the flurry of orders and commotion, Li Dong appeared before the formation and spot-checked the soldiers' equipment. With so many green recruits, forgetfulness was inevitable.

"All units proceed to Pier 4," Li Dong ordered after completing inspection. "Prepare to board!"

Insufficient ships prevented transporting the entire army at once, so troops departed in batches. The full detachment would assemble at Guangning.

The tugboat-towed fleet first returned east from Zhaoqing to Sanshui, entered the North River, then turned north into the Sui River. Navigation proceeded smoothly. They soon reached Sihui.

Though the Sui River's navigability couldn't match the West River's main channel, it more than sufficed for Dafa boats. Beyond the dozen or so troop-carrying Dafa boats, several requisitioned civilian vessels accompanied them, transporting naturalized cadres and supplies to assume Lianshan's county administration.

Sihui was a plains county, taken over earlier and situated near Sanshui—classified as a "security area." The troops rested a day before proceeding to Guangning.

Following the Sui River north from Sihui led to Guangning County's border.

Guangning was a mountainous county where Han and Yao populations lived intermingled. Its establishment resulted from pacifying the Yao area of Daluo Mountain in Qingyuan County during the Jiajing reign. After Daluo Mountain's pacification, four du bordering Sihui and Qingyuan Counties were carved out to create new Guangning County.

Though no Yao districts remained in this county by late Ming, quite a few scattered registered Yao residents persisted. It also bordered Qingyuan County's Yao areas. Originally, Han-Yao conflicts were commonplace, compounded by tensions between both groups and the Guangxi-recruited Lang troops deployed to "suppress the Yao." As governmental Leviathan crashed to earth and rebellions erupted everywhere, the county's internal environment grew exceedingly complex.

This county currently belonged to the "quasi-security area" classification. Not long ago, a naturalized citizen director and National Army county squadron had arrived to assume defense. The county seat and several major towns remained relatively stable, transportation lines functional. However, bandit activity had surged dramatically since early May, rendering countryside operations extremely hazardous. Traveling to rural areas invited attacks—retained personnel and naturalized cadres required armed escorts to conduct affairs. In reality, this "quasi-security area" was thoroughly chaotic. Recent intelligence even claimed local Guangning gentry were openly raising the banner of "serving the King," assembling forces to oppose the Senate directly. News arrived just days ago: a large unidentified armed group had gathered near Shijian, intending to seize the town in a single stroke.

Whether by water or land, Shijian was the sole route from Sihui to Guangning. Convenient transportation had created a thriving commercial market town. Therefore, Guangning's newly-appointed County Director had stationed a National Army squad here to train militia and maintain local security.

This news generated widespread tension because Shijian was the vital communication line linking Guangning to Sihui. If bandits sought to seize this location, one couldn't discount their intention to "close the door and beat the dog"—attacking Guangning itself.

"No, I don't believe they have such intentions," Li Dong said. "They're simply greedy, targeting a rich prize."

Shijian hosted numerous merchants. Beyond silver and currency, war-stranded materials and commodities offered abundant loot.

"How can you be certain?" asked Yang Zeng, the detachment commander.

"Bandits aren't government soldiers—they lack both political intent and strategic concepts. They pursue immediate benefits before their eyes," Li Dong answered confidently. "Once a transportation hub like this falls, it inevitably attracts counterattack. Bandits refuse such strength-consuming hard battles. They simply recognized Shijian's currently sparse garrison, or identified some internal opportunity to exploit, and gathered forces to execute a major score."

Though judging the bandits had no "close the door and beat the dog" intentions, Shijian's fall would inflict serious damage on people's lives and property. So Yang Zeng decided to land the 2nd Company and send them overland straight to Shijian to lift the siege as rapidly as possible. Li Dong's squadron would coordinate their action. Remaining troops and baggage would continue advancing by boat.

Early summer had arrived, and lush greenery blanketed the hills.

A column of gray-uniformed, rifle-carrying soldiers marched along a winding mountain path through this verdant landscape.

Though their pace was brisk, each man bore considerable loads: backpacks and steel helmets piled like small mountains on their backs. But they'd marched previously by boat, rested sufficiently aboard, and rested again in Sihui—their leg strength remained adequate.

Serving as vanguard were soldiers of the 1st Platoon, 2nd Company, 10th Battalion, Fubo Army. Days ago their platoon leader had fallen ill and entered the infirmary. The new acting platoon leader was none other than Staff Sergeant Li Gangsheng, who'd just earned military achievements at Guangzhou. Rumor claimed that after this battle concluded, he'd report to the military academy and emerge as an officer. Many envied this. Some claimed he possessed dog-shit luck: throughout the entire Guangzhou Liberation Campaign, whether local officials or Ming garrison, most surrendered at the first sign or were settled by proclamation alone. Often defenders opened cities and surrendered before troops even arrived. Actual firefight battles were exceedingly rare. Combat merit opportunities rarer still.

Guangning nestled within mountains—most of the county was mountainous and hilly, with valleys of all sizes scattered among mountain streams. The climate here was warm and humid with abundant rainfall, verdure mantling the mountains. Tender green and goose-yellow leaves sprouted from tree trunks. The newly-awakened earth exuded the enticing fragrance of soil.

Cultivated fields dotted the hillsides—some tea plantations, some paddy fields, but regardless of type, all stood unattended. Among villages they passed, some had been abandoned entirely, the remainder adopting strict defensive postures. Whenever troops approached, conch shells and drums sounded, warning village braves of outsiders' approach.

Early summer brought copious rain, rendering mountain roads muddy and treacherous. The soldiers' trek proved arduous. Though the road challenged them, troop morale remained high. Having won victory after victory, the young men's spirits soared. No difficulty seemed insurmountable. Those county seats simply dared not resist the Fubo Army's resounding military might. Guangzhou's provincial capital fell in a day—what hope had these county seats? One messenger, or at most setting up mountain howitzers to fire two shots, and they surrendered one by one. Moreover, Guangning already belonged to their own forces—no need for weapons at all. The sole concern was roadside bandits.

Everyone had eaten their fill of salted cold rice balls supplied by the military station before breaking camp that morning, so now was when their legs possessed strength. Li Gangsheng held a sour plum in his mouth—the thing was so sour his teeth nearly fell out, but with it there, he felt little desire to drink water.

The 1st Platoon deployed point men according to regulations. Two point men carrying Minié rifles vigilantly monitored movement on both sides of the mountain road. Tens of meters behind marched the entire infantry platoon in single-file column. Li Gangsheng himself occupied the formation's center.

While this small infantry squad advanced westward along the Sui River tributary, deep in the dense forest, Yang Juren was preparing an ambush with his regiment braves. He'd brought a full three hundred men this time—all village braves and regiment militia. Among them were nearly two hundred able-bodied youths, many equipped with armor and firearms. Such well-equipped regiment braves were probably unique throughout Guangning. But his confidence stemmed more from his nephew Yang Erhu, who stood behind him with a "Tiger Crouch" cannon.

In these years of instability, Master Yang—well-read in history—understood profoundly that troubled times demanded soldiers and grain above all else. He possessed land, tenant farmers, long-term laborers. Barring consecutive disasters, grain would always exist. But without military force as backing, no matter how abundant the grain, one was merely a fat sheep for slaughter. Moreover, without force, what if his own tenant farmers and laborers caused trouble first? The few dozen regiment guards he currently maintained probably couldn't suppress them.

After repeated consideration, Yang Juren thought of his ne'er-do-well nephew, Yang Erhu. Yang Erhu was his brother's son. Since childhood he'd disliked studying but loved dancing with spears and clubs. He learned martial arts from a master, tempered his body well, acquiring excellent fist and staff skills. So Yang Juren spent money purchasing military licentiate and military provincial graduate titles for him, then used currency to fill a Zhaoqing Battalion vacancy, making him a minor infantry chiliarch.

Yang Erhu's service as a Zhaoqing officer naturally wasn't for defending the country. Master Yang had instructed him explicitly: first, the Yang family would gain a backer in officialdom; second, cultivate close relationships with the soldiers around him so that if any mishap occurred, he could assemble a force.

"Don't covet money. How much can you earn as this lowly officer? I have plenty of money. You just grip those soldiers tight—in troubled times, having soldiers makes you a 'Grass King.' Our Yang family doesn't aspire to be Grass Kings, but if you can bring a capable force to the family, we can protect ourselves! Perhaps even fish for tremendous benefits in these troubled times!" Master Yang laughed. "At that moment, the future for you and our Yang family will be immeasurable..."

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