Chapter Twenty-Two

Apologies, a brief announcement.

I have not updated for the past two days because I had some business to attend to. I expect to finish within this week. I originally promised the editor, Xue Chou, that I would update "The Great Thief Who Stole the Nation" continuously until its conclusion, but I have failed to keep that promise. I am ashamed. However, everyone has their own burdens, and things rarely go exactly as planned. I ask for your understanding, my dear readers.

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A silence fell, and Wang Shirong seemed somewhat hesitant.

Lin Feng wore a look of displeasure and asked with a heavier tone, "Where is Baori Longmei now?!"

"Reporting to my Lord, Baori Longmei is currently in Chahar," Wang Shirong said hurriedly, seeing Lin Feng's displeasure. "After she escaped the pursuit of the Khorchin, she led her people into Chahar and sought refuge under Prince Pucha!"

"Oh?!"

"Ahem... ahem. My Lord, please be discerning. The young Prince Pucha sent an envoy to inquire the other day. It is said that this Baori Longmei also intends to follow the precedent of Chahar, having the remnants of the Tushetu submit to our Great Han and serve as our frontier shield," Wang Shirong said with a frown. "The reason I came today is precisely for this matter. If my Lord grants permission, Baori Longmei will come to Datong in person to pay her respects. If my Lord does not approve..."

"How many troops does Baori Longmei still have?! Are her followers still with her?!"

"I have sent people to keep watch. When she first arrived, Princess Baori Longmei had no more than four hundred riders. However, after setting up camp in Chahar, she immediately sent people out to gather her scattered followers. After these days of recuperation, her strength has slightly recovered; she now has over 1,300 cavalrymen and over three thousand followers."

"In my humble opinion, this matter could go either way: our Great Han should ignore it on the surface, while secretly ordering the Chahar tribe to provide protection. If the Khorchin send an envoy to inquire, my Lord can simply play the fool and shift the responsibility to young Prince Pucha..."

"What if Buyan-Gama sends troops to attack?"

"With such a formidable enemy before him, how could Buyan-Gama rashly go to war with our Great Han? If he truly had such audacity, my Lord could warn him: if he dares to act recklessly, our Great Han will form a truce and alliance with Galdan to divide Shanxi, then join forces to wipe out the Khorchin entirely!" At this, Wang Shirong shook his head and smiled. "My Lord is overthinking. With our Great Han’s hundreds of thousands of troops gathered in Datong, we could cross the Great Wall and flatten the Hulunbuir grassland in mere days. Buyan-Gama is cunning; why would he risk a great disaster for a trifle and turn against us?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and nodded. "Very well, let us do that. Later, I will write a note and send someone to bring some grain and brick tea to Baori Longmei. Also, provide her with some armor and weapons to appease her..."

Before he could finish, a clamor arose outside the door, accompanied by the sound of boots. Li Ergou gently pushed the door open and stood at the threshold. "Reporting to the King of Han, Military Counselor Mu Tianyan has an urgent report from the front!"

Lin Feng was slightly startled. He exchanged a glance with Wang Shirong and turned his head. "Call him in!"

"My Lord!! Great news, truly great news!" Mu Tianyan’s face was filled with joy. Before he had even crossed the threshold, he shouted impatiently. Waving the military report in his hand, he cried out, "Reporting to my Lord, General Zhao Liangdong of the Northern Expedition has sent a flying horse report! Three days ago, our Fifth Army encountered the Galdan Eastern Route Army at Wangjiazhai in Wuniu Mountain. General Zhao Liangdong led his entire army forward with great valor, crushing the enemy forces, capturing Wangjiazhai, beheading over 4,200, and taking 2,200 prisoners along with 4,600 horses. He personally slew twenty-two enemy commanders, including Sayid and Hudama. Our army suffered fewer than 2,000 casualties, and the troops are currently pursuing the fleeing enemy. We shall take Daizhou in a few days!" He stepped forward, handed over the report, and knelt. "With my Lord’s great fortune and the bravery of the soldiers, the petty villains have been brought to justice. This is a joyous occasion indeed!"

Lin Feng did not pay him any mind at first; he hurriedly took the report and read it carefully. Then he laughed happily, "Zhao Liangdong is Zhao Liangdong! I knew he wouldn't let me down!" He passed the report to Wang Shirong and gestured to Mu Tianyan, "He Ming, please rise!"

Wang Shirong took the report and scanned it, laughing, "My Lord is wise, and General Zhao is indeed a gifted commander. Galdan’s Eastern Route Army of over 15,000 is left with only a few thousand remnants after this battle; they are now like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. With the gateway to Shanxi now open, our army can advance in a few days!"

"Indeed," Mu Tianyan added. "It has been over three months since the army mobilized. I have been following your orders to stockpile grain and supplies, and I have waited for this day for a long time!"

"Are the food and weapons all ready?"

"Reporting to my Lord, after months of preparation, Datong has stockpiled 600,000 catties of dried meat, 3.89 million shi of grain, over 11.3 million catties of hay, and over 4.2 million shi of bean cake fodder. According to calculations by the General Staff and the Imperial Guard Staff, this is more than enough to support the army for half a year of combat!"

"Excellent!" Lin Feng nodded. "Are the militia and the logistics laborers prepared?"

"Reporting to my Lord!" Mu Tianyan bowed respectfully. "For this campaign, apart from the active militia, our Great Han court has mobilized nearly 500,000 laborers from various prefectures to transport supplies to Datong. Once the army marches, most of these laborers will be sent home for the summer harvest. Only 67,000 militiamen and 152,000 laborers will march with the army! My colleagues and I on the General Staff have calculated everything carefully to ensure there are no errors. Please rest assured, my Lord!"

"Oh! Seventy thousand militiamen, 150,000 laborers, plus the 50,000-strong main army..." Lin Feng looked around and smiled at Wang Shirong and Mu Tianyan. "That’s nearly 300,000 troops!! Hehe..."

"More than that!" Wang Shirong shook his head, holding up the military report with a smile. "Has my Lord forgotten that General Zhao Liangdong has another 10,000 troops and over 20,000 militia and laborers on his side? Furthermore, Zhao says that after the victory at Wangjiazhai, the Han traitors who were attached to the Mongol army have sent envoys to surrender. In Daizhou and Baodezhou alone, there are 40,000 to 50,000 such traitors. If they all submit to us, Zhao’s Fifth Army alone will be nearly 100,000 strong!" He held up four fingers and smiled at them. "That is 400,000 troops!!!"

The three of them laughed together.

As the mount of the Qing Emperor, this horse had been gelded when it was just over a year old and kept in the imperial stables, meticulously cared for. It was fed selected fodder and soybeans, and even had eggs mixed into its meals. It had never grazed in the wild and, apart from being led by eunuchs for a few li morning and evening, it had almost no exercise. As a result, this warhorse could neither sprint nor endure long distances. Aside from its handsome appearance, it had almost no other merits.

Lin Feng chose it as his mount because his own horsemanship was not refined. Though "Black Cloud Covering Snow" was not a great warhorse, it was docile and moved with a steady gait, making it very comfortable to ride. More importantly, as the supreme commander of the army, he did not need to charge into the fray. Under normal circumstances, his only purpose in appearing on the battlefield was to let his soldiers see him, acting like a battle flag to boost morale. Such a beautiful and eye-catching horse satisfied all those requirements.

Because they were within their own camp, Lin Feng’s guard was not very tight. He rode "Black Cloud Covering Snow" with Wang Shirong and Mu Tianyan half a horse-length behind him, following closely. Li Ergou led three skilled bodyguards trailing at a distance—this was at Lin Feng’s own request. Datong was currently a massive military camp, guarded by tens of thousands of elite troops on all sides, and there was no need for his attendants to cling to him like shadows.

This training model placed great pressure on the Han army's logistics. Due to the technological limitations of the era, a flintlock musket could only be fired five or six hundred times on average before it was mostly scrapped for repairs, and the more frequent the live-fire training, the higher the military expenditure.

The dirt road outside the city had been pressed into deep ruts by heavy carts, and the road was bustling and crowded. Lin Feng consciously moved to the side and let his horse walk slowly on the grass. Looking into the distance, a long human chain wound in from the horizon; countless laborers in tattered clothes shouted chants or drove their livestock, transporting military supplies into the city.

"Who goes there!!... Come out!" A bodyguard behind him suddenly spurred his horse forward, blocking Lin Feng, while drawing his gun to aim at a patch of grass ahead, shouting, "If you don't come out, I'll shoot you dead!"

There was a rustling in the grass, and a figure slowly stood up. The bodyguard immediately rushed forward, grabbed the person, and threw him heavily in front of Lin Feng’s horse.

Lin Feng looked closely. The man wore a tattered felt hat common among northern farmers, his short jacket was full of holes, and his worn straw sandals were covered in mud. From his attire, he was clearly a laborer transporting supplies. The skin exposed to the air was dark and cracked, and his large hands were covered in calluses. He was trembling, not knowing where to put his hands, and from the moment he was thrown to the ground, he knelt there, shivering and not daring to look up.

"I... I..." He looked up in terror, casting an uneasy glance at the bodyguard’s saber.

"Very well, Chen Si..." The poor laborer seemed to be of an advanced age, his hair graying beneath the felt hat. A sense of pity welled up in Lin Feng’s heart. "Stand up and speak!"

"This lowly one dares not, this lowly one dares not..." Chen Si was startled and hurriedly kowtowed. "If the master has questions, I shall just kneel!"

Lin Feng did not insist. In fact, he realized that the more polite he was, the more psychological distress it might cause the man. It was better to follow tradition. "How old are you?"

"This lowly one is fifty-six this year!"

Older than my own father, Lin Feng thought, swallowing awkwardly. It was truly a crime. He smiled bitterly and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

"Master..." Suddenly, he started shaking all over again, his voice trembling. "Master, spare my life... master, spare my life... I was just... just over there... taking a dump..."

"It’s fine, it’s fine. Relieving yourself is only natural, I don't blame you!" Lin Feng felt helpless. He tried his best to soften his tone, speaking as if coaxing a child. "Tell me, Chen Si, who else is left in your family?"

"...Just a grandson... he's six years old..."

"Only a grandson?" Lin Feng asked, puzzled. "What about your wife? Do you have no sons or daughters?"

"This lowly one... my family is from Henan. Later, they rebelled. My son was killed by the bandits, and my daughter-in-law was dragged away. My old woman couldn't stand the hunger and died from eating too much Guanyin clay. Now, only I am left!" The old man Chen Si’s expression was indifferent, his face numb, as if he were talking about someone else. Inadvertently, he raised his hand to wipe his face, rubbing two murky tears into his palm.

It was so miserable that Lin Feng couldn't help but sigh. "Did you live well in your hometown in Henan?"

"We got by, though there was nothing 'well' about it," the old man said, relaxing as they spoke of home. "There were two acres of land back home, but unfortunately, there was a rebellion, and we couldn't farm it!"

Lin Feng remained silent. He reached into his robes to search for a moment, only to realize he had no money on him. Mu Tianyan, who had been watching from the sidelines, noticed and hurriedly took out some loose silver, weighing it slightly—it was about an ounce—and tossed it to Chen Si before shooting a look at the bodyguard.

"Here, this is a reward from the master. You're done now, go!" The bodyguard grabbed Chen Si and drove him back toward the main road.

Lin Feng sat on his horse, staring steadily at the old man’s hunched back until he vanished into the flow of people on the road and could no longer be seen. He then turned to Wang Shirong and sighed, "It’s not easy."

"Yes, indeed, the suffering of the people is profound!" Wang Shirong agreed.

"At such an old age, to still be drafted as a laborer, it’s not easy," Lin Feng said with a bitter smile.

"Yes, yes, the local officials are acting improperly. I will definitely investigate thoroughly," Mu Tianyan said, suddenly breaking into a cold sweat. "Actually, our Great Han court issued an edict long ago that any household with able-bodied men..."

"Enough, I know," Lin Feng waved his hand. He understood well: landlords exploiting tenants and shifting the burden of labor and taxes onto them was the reality of China. It was the same regardless of who was the local official, and it wasn't anyone's fault in particular.

He gazed at the laborers on the road, then suddenly turned to Wang Shirong and asked, "Ji Yun, you tell me—was I right or wrong to kill Kangxi and throw the world into chaos?"