Chapter Six

Linji, situated on the northern side of Mount Yandang, is a small county nestled between mountains and sea. Compared to its namesake in Shandong’s Qi region, this town is astonishingly barren. It is said that Linji did not exist during the Ming Dynasty; it emerged only later, shaped by recurring wars, peasant uprisings, and the Manchu invasion. As waves of refugees fled into the mountains, the population gradually swelled, prompting the local authorities to establish a county for the convenience of taxation. Yet by now, such an arrangement seemed obsolete. After the Qing dynasty consolidated its rule, the refugees gradually returned home, and Linji reverted to its former state—a destitute mountain hamlet.

Though Lin Feng harbored no ambitions of playing the warlord, he took great pains to understand the current circumstances of Linji, it being the first territory he had occupied. Upon initial inspection, he found that the county had just over forty thousand registered inhabitants. Half of these were farmers, tilling the sloped fields near the town; another six thousand made their living as hunters in the mountains, and the rest were fishermen along the coast. Only after Lin Feng and his men conducted a thorough search did he realize just how little there was to gain. The county’s treasury contained a mere six hundred taels of silver, and as for provisions, there were none at all. Upon inquiry, Zhou Peigong explained that, just a few days prior, he had been ordered to send all the grain to Taizhou Prefecture, leaving the granaries utterly empty.

Since they were already in disguise, they would have to see the ruse through to the end. The county armory held only a handful of battered guns and rusty blades, but there remained five or six hundred sets of Qing army uniforms, and with those stripped from the captured garrison, they could muster eight hundred in total. This was enough to outfit an entire company of infantry in disguise. For security’s sake, Lin Feng ordered the quick-witted Wang Dahai to take his men, don Qing uniforms, and garrison the main roads leading out of town, sealing off all news of their occupation. He also put forth several thousand taels to have the town’s tailors urgently produce more Qing military attire. Thus, within days, Lin Feng became, unbeknownst to the distant court in Beijing, a “Guerrilla General” of the Great Qing, announcing the lawful occupation of Linji County.

Though he intended to surrender in the end, in chaotic times, a man with guns was a king in his own right. Lin Feng naturally seized the chance to expand his force. After liberally distributing silver, he conscripted over two thousand sturdy porters into service. These men bolstered the ranks of Zhao Guangyuan, Liu Laosi, and Wang Dahai, but Lin Feng also ordered that seasoned veterans from each unit be drawn together to form his own personal guard. These were handed over to Li Ergou and three other officers for intensive training. As for their fighting prowess, Lin Feng wasn’t overly concerned—this was, after all, only a precaution. No matter what, even if his ultimate goal was surrender, a force of four thousand men would fetch a better bargaining chip than two thousand, ensuring him a higher rank when all was settled.

Yet amid this grand reorganization, Lin Feng’s soldiers caused some discordant commotion. On the third day after occupying the town, a few elderly men—nearly ready for the coffin—came wailing to Magistrate Zhou Peigong to lodge complaints. According to their testimony, a group of government troops had brazenly searched their homes that night, and in the process, paid unwelcome attention to two girls and three widows on their street, begging the magistrate to seek justice for them.

To address the root of his troops’ morale problems, Lin Feng had Zhou Peigong accompany him, leading a large detachment of bodyguards to visit the town’s largest establishment in the “third sector”—the Hundred Flowers House. The name suggested a place of considerable charm and romance, and Lin Feng, filled with fanciful expectations, was shocked upon arrival. Contrary to his imagination, the establishment was little more than a cluster of dilapidated mud huts; the girls soliciting customers at the door, though made up with deliberate care, were such in appearance and figure as to make Lin Feng nearly nauseous. He had entertained certain thoughts on the way over, but having seen the reality, all his interest evaporated.

It should be noted that Zhou Peigong would one day enjoy great prospects, rising to be a favored official under Emperor Kangxi. Yet for reasons of security, Lin Feng had kept him under close watch for quite some time—a situation bound to cause trouble if they were to serve together in the future. Now, he needed to find a way to build rapport.

Zhou Peigong, for his part, seemed even more intrigued by Lin Feng. Observing Lin Feng’s curiosity as he looked about, Zhou couldn’t help but cough. “General Lin, I did not expect you to be so attentive to the people’s sentiments. Truly an example for us all!”

“The people’s sentiments? Oh, not at all. I’ve simply never seen anything like this before, so I’m just curious,” Lin Feng replied, cheerfully gesturing at the town’s distinctly traditional wooden structures.

“Never seen it before?” Zhou Peigong was momentarily taken aback. Such establishments existed everywhere in the empire; how could anyone have never seen one? Clearly, there must be some hidden meaning or allusion here, but after pondering, he couldn’t quite grasp it, and so changed the subject. “Does the general really believe that bringing in women will be enough to impose discipline on your troops?”

“Of course not. It’s only a temporary fix,” Lin Feng replied, growing serious as Zhou Peigong finally touched on the real issue.

“It is well known that a righteous army would sooner starve than pillage, freeze than tear down homes. Only with strict discipline can an army be invincible. Clearly, military discipline is of utmost importance. Yet, not only are you failing to enforce it, you are instead indulging your men. Why is this so?” Zhou Peigong pressed on. “Even if this expedient works now, what about in the future?”

“My dear Peigong, we’ve known each other for a while, and I consider you a friend. You know our situation—this force is on the run, its morale already in tatters. If I were to start with executions and harsh punishments, the men would scatter within days. I have no choice but to appease them for now!” Lin Feng said with a wry smile. His own credentials were shaky; his command over the men tenuous at best. Military discipline enforced by beheadings and floggings would only work with absolute control, which he did not possess. “I’ve already had those offenders beaten and decreed that any further robbery or rape will be punishable by death. That’s still military law, is it not? Let’s leave it at that for now.”

“But using women to pacify the troops is no solution either,” Zhou Peigong retorted.

“What else would you have me do?” Lin Feng shrugged. “Come now, old Zhou, don’t be such a stickler for the classics. Do you think we can compare ourselves to General Yue Fei? His army was the imperial regulars, with proper status; his men were mostly refugees from the Jin, united by a hatred of the enemy, unafraid of death or greed, and full of morale. And he himself was a great general, unmatched in war or discipline—who could rival him? Look at my men: they’ve learned all the vices of those Eight Banner troops, fighting well enough but just as skilled at pillage. We’re rebels, fugitives, with neither legitimacy nor purpose. What discipline do you expect? So for now, I’ll hand out more silver to win them over, send some women to comfort them, give them some hope for the future. That way, I can manage them more easily, and the townsfolk will suffer less harassment. Otherwise, if the army collapses and scatters, Linji County would become a living hell overnight!”

Zhou Peigong instinctively filtered out Lin Feng’s seditious words against the present dynasty. He glanced at Lin Feng, hesitating, which did not escape Lin Feng’s notice.

“If you have something to say, Peigong, don’t hold back. You know I don’t care for formalities.”

“To be honest, General Lin, though I am but a humble magistrate, I have devoted my life to the study of strategy and warfare. I have paid close attention to Prince Jingnan’s army, and while I dare not claim much, I have studied his commanders in some detail…” Zhou Peigong gave Lin Feng a probing look. “Yet, about you…”

“You’ve never heard of me, have you?” Lin Feng grinned. “Strictly speaking, I’m not one of Prince Jingnan’s generals. How shall I put it? I’m an underling of an underling. By chance, I took command of this unit, and now, who can say whether it’s luck or misfortune to have boarded this ship of thieves?”

Zhou Peigong understood at last. In recent days, he had discreetly questioned Lin Feng’s men and gleaned a rough understanding. He had initially admired Lin Feng’s tactical acumen, thinking him a formidable adversary, and felt no shame in having been captured by such a man. But seeing Lin Feng’s easygoing manner, he had harbored doubts. Now, with this candid admission, he was certain. He was about to ask more when the sound of drums suddenly echoed from the county office—someone was bringing forth a grievance.