Chapter 2204 - Pacifying Yangshan (Part Two)

"Why is that?"

"Allow this humble one to explain. The story begins with the backgrounds of the other two. First, Sun Dabiao. His ancestors were not from Yangshan—they were bandits who drifted over from Huguang. Upon arriving in Yangshan, his forebears seized several storefronts in Dalang Market and monopolized the salt trade with the Yonghua Yao, selling salt at prices as dear as gold.

"His salt comes from three sources: first, licensed official salt; second, smuggled goods; third, goods stolen from peddlers with 'no capital to invest'—meaning he murdered and robbed them. Small traders who try to carry salt overland to Huguang or sell it in the Yao settlements are killed and their goods seized if they cross his men. As for kidnapping for ransom, Sun Dabiao has done plenty of that too."

Wang Chuyi understood at once—no wonder the local Yao were so aggrieved about salt prices! So there was this additional cause!

"As for Feng Haijiao, he is the river pirate entrenched at Qinglian Market. His ancestors, rumor has it, were boat-dwellers. After several gang wars, they secured the oxbow of the Lian River at Qinglian Market as their territory. He extorts 'passage fees' from passing vessels; those who refuse are robbed of ship and cargo. And that is not all—he frequently forces merchants to buy and sell at his prices."

But none of this was news—Wang Chuyi had gleaned as much from the Overview of Yangshan compiled by the External Intelligence Bureau. Though not detailed, he knew roughly who these people were.

"Has the County Magistrate heard the saying 'Huguang eats Guangdong salt; Guangdong eats Huguang grain'?" Peng Shou'an saw Wang Chuyi growing impatient.

"Please continue." Wang Chuyi knew Peng Shou'an was about to reach the crux of the matter.

"When Huguang has a good harvest, the whole realm is fed. Huguang produces grain but not salt, so grain is cheap there and salt is dear; in Guangdong, it is the reverse. The Lianyang region is remote and mountainous, but fortunately, the river runs all the way to Guangzhou. And it borders Huguang, separated only by the Nine Suspicions Range. Cross the mountains and you can sail downstream to Wuchang. Thus, along the 'salt-south, grain-north' trade route, Lianyang—though a backwater—remains relatively prosperous. Lianzhou in particular, where Huguang merchants buy salt and Guangdong merchants sell it, is the wealthiest of the three Lianyang cities."

So far, Peng Shou'an was still stating the obvious, but Wang Chuyi kept listening.

"The Three Tyrants collude to sell the autumn levy grain to southbound grain merchants at Qinglian Market. With the silver they receive, they buy salt, transport it to Lianzhou, and sell it to Huguang merchants. Then they buy grain from Huguang merchants to replenish the county granary."

So that was how they did it! Wang Chuyi nodded appreciatively. These details were not in the Overview. No one who had not governed locally could know the tricks involved. This veteran bureaucrat might be hopeless at getting things done, but he saw through everything clearly.

This explanation cemented Wang Chuyi's resolve to suppress the bandits first. Originally, he had planned to collect the grain levy first, then mop up the bandits. Now it seemed clear: unless he killed a few "monkeys," the Reasonable Burdens would never be collected.

"There is another benefit to bandit suppression," Peng Shou'an added, seeing Wang's change of attitude and feeling gratified. He decided to share his full insight from years of local governance. "When the Lianyang Yao rise in rebellion, there are always local scoundrels acting as guides and collaborators. If we cut off this root, even if the Yao wish to cause trouble, it will not be so easy."

This was not unexpected—Huang Chao had told Wang Chuyi that the local bandits and Yao settlements were deeply intertwined. Clear out the bandits first, and the Yao who wanted to plunder downhill would lose their guides—a great boon for local security.

"What Old Peng has told me is very useful," Wang Chuyi said sincerely. "It seems we must first tackle the root!"

Bandit suppression was a weighty matter. Wang Chuyi dared not act on his own authority. Based on the intelligence gathered, he wrote a coded report along with his proposed action plan and dispatched a courier to Lianzhou for instructions.

Though Huang Chao had granted his naturalized county magistrates and prefects broad authority, he retained a measure of control over military command—not out of distrust, but because their capital was too thin: five National Army squadrons and three regular-army companies spread across the entire Lianyang region. A single defeat could cripple them. Huang Chao understood his position clearly: the calm in Lianyang's three cities rested entirely on the "tiger's majesty" the Fubo Army had built along the march. The populace had not yet been genuinely won over—especially the local strongmen and Yao settlements. One significant military setback and these forces would swarm up like bees.

Better to be cautious, to move slowly, than to shatter the myth of "the Fubo Army is invincible."

When he received Wang Chuyi's report, though he knew bandit suppression was the natural course, he could not help feeling uneasy. He stood and circled the large-scale Lianyang map on the table, calculating again and again.

Truthfully, he was quite worried. Wang Chuyi's entire force in Yangshan comprised only two National Army squadrons plus a small auxiliary unit of Yonghua Yao.

One squadron was stationed at Yonghua and could not easily be moved—it not only deterred the Yonghua Yao but also monitored the road from the Eight Pai Yao to the southeast.

The other was the county squadron. Together with the militia of locally conscripted laborers, the county squadron had some mobility. Wang Chuyi's plan was to use this squadron for targeted strikes against Sun Dabiao and Feng Haijiao.

Naturally, this force was insufficient to encircle two gangs, each capable of mustering two or three hundred men. Both gangs occupied long-established strongholds; a direct assault by the undermanned and outgunned county squadron would probably win but suffer crippling losses.

So Wang Chuyi proposed a plan of "guile over force": using an offer of "pacification" as bait, lure the two chiefs out of their lairs, seize and kill them in one stroke, then exploit the resulting chaos to raid their strongholds and wipe them out.

This plan was not quixotic—in fact, Huang Chao rather admired it. During his own tenure as county director, he too had relied on various "stratagems" for bandit suppression.

If asked which Ming historical figure he most admired, Huang Chao would answer without hesitation: Wang Yangming—not for leading Ming intellectual liberation, but because a certain popular history book had instilled in him great admiration for Wang Yangming's fondness for "unorthodox tactics" in bandit suppression and rebellion pacification, embodying the fundamental military principle that "all is fair in war." During the Lingshui bandit suppression, Huang Chao had applied this philosophy liberally—night raids, ambushes, all manner of deception—and had been bold enough to take a single platoon against a hundred bandits.

Back then, a single platoon had sufficed because it was a Fubo Army platoon. Now, Wang Chuyi's troops were National Army recruits with less than half a year's service.

After much deliberation, Huang Chao decided to approve Wang Chuyi's plan—everything had to start somewhere; he could not hold the hands of the naturalized cadres forever. But for insurance, he decided to dispatch the Li-Miao Company to assist. After all, raiding enemy camps had always required elite troops; relying solely on the National Army was too risky.

He wrote a reply approving Wang Chuyi's plan. He also informed Wang that the Li-Miao Company would reinforce him—but they could only arrive within twenty-four hours of the operation's commencement, so Wang must time the action carefully to avoid a coordination failure.

At the end of the letter, he repeatedly cautioned Wang Chuyi to proceed with "caution" and avoid recklessness. Bandits were not regular soldiers; they knew the terrain intimately and often possessed extensive personal networks, with intelligence sources far superior to the government's. Secrecy was paramount; anyone whose relatives had not been surrendered as hostages—or whose hostages were of insufficient "weight"—among retained local personnel and gentry must be regarded with suspicion.

Wang Chuyi received the reply with great elation. He immediately convened the local naturalized cadres and Peng Shou'an to discuss the detailed plan.

Using "pacification" as bait to lure and capture a bandit chief was a time-honored tactic of local officials. Peng Shou'an had never had the chance to employ it himself, but he had heard many such stories. This method had indeed eliminated quite a few bandits and local strongmen.

"I have no objections. As long as the County Magistrate gives the order, our squadron will carry it out resolutely," said the National Army squadron commander. "The only issue is manpower. Even at full strength, our squadron numbers fewer than one hundred. Dalang Market and Qinglian Market are both walled towns with numerous residents and shops; the terrain is complex. If we must storm them, we can take them—but with our numbers, we can only attack one at a time. Whichever comes second, I fear heavy losses; by the time we reach the second target, we may be too exhausted to fight."

"That's why we're using a surprise attack," Wang Chuyi said. "We take out the chiefs in one blow, and their men are leaderless. Then we strike while they're confused. Besides, Commander Huang is sending the Mountain Company to support us—you needn't worry about manpower."

Hearing that regular troops would reinforce them, the squadron commander visibly relaxed. "I have no further questions. I'll arrange reconnaissance at once."

"I don't think your squadron is suited for reconnaissance," another naturalized cadre said. "We all have outsider accents—one word and we're exposed. A sudden stranger showing up is bound to arouse suspicion. Better to use locals."

"But it's hard to find locals. Aside from the Yonghua Yao, we haven't recruited any soldiers here..."

"We could recruit a few local activists—people with blood debts against the bandits."

Peng Shou'an cleared his throat, interrupting the debate: "Setting that aside—since this is a 'pacification,' we must make it look genuine. These two men have extensive connections in the county. Your Honor might first summon a trusted associate of theirs, offer a handsome reward, and send him to persuade them. This will hardly be accomplished overnight."

Veteran rogues were full of tricks, and bandits' tricks were even craftier. In terms of fighting strength, will to fight, and weaponry, bandits often fell short of soldiers, and in the countryside they frequently faced resistance from relatively tough militia. Chiefs and core members were typically extremely suspicious—not just having three bolt-holes but sometimes moving to a new shelter three times a night. Without such caution, no one could survive decades in this trade. Both these gangs had been bandits for generations; though they had evolved into strongmen, suspicion was long ingrained.

(End of Chapter)