Chapter Forty-One: If You Seek My Life, First Seize My Blade!

It was the fifth day of the tenth lunar month in the eleventh year of the Chongzhen reign of the Great Ming Dynasty. The sun shone brightly over the earth. Perhaps because of the snow that had fallen the day before, the sunlight felt exceptionally warm against one's skin.

By the end of the Chen hour (around 9:00 AM), the camp of Assistant Regional Commander Zhang Yan, part of the Xuanfu Town reinforcements stationed in the eastern suburbs of Changping, was quite bustling. However, this activity was confined to a small area within his camp—the refugees that Zhang Cheng had rescued.

Shi Zhuzi led over a hundred men back and forth, chopping firewood. The large pots were no longer boiling meat, but water; the refugees took turns bathing in batches before changing into freshly laundered clothes. Elsewhere, nearly two hundred women, organized by a sturdy woman named Su Zhenxiang, had been washing the clothes stripped from the Tartars as well as the garments discarded by the refugees since the previous night. The clotheslines strung along the edge of the camp were completely full.

The scholar Wang Yuanjing moved among the refugees with two assistants, occasionally stopping someone to ask questions and record information.

"General, this lad Yuanjing is very diligent these days. He doesn't even look like a scholar anymore; he's like a changed man," a voice, slightly aged but full of vigor, sounded in Zhang Cheng's ear.

"Heh." Zhang Cheng chuckled, his tone turning icy and resolute. "Everyone must change. In such chaotic times, if a person does not change, they are as good as dead."

After saying this, he turned his head and asked, "Where are those two village elders now?"

Shi Tiegen pointed to a makeshift tent nearby and replied, "Reporting to the General, the Tartars killed all the elders in the village. The two elders we have selected for now are resting in that tent."

Zhang Cheng stood with his hands behind his back and said in a low voice, "Old man, I intend to transport all of you to my agricultural estate in the Xuan Town for temporary shelter, and I will make further arrangements once the war is over."

"It is entirely up to you, General. I am willing to do everything in my power to serve you," the old man, Shi Tiegen, replied firmly.

Zhang Cheng walked toward the tent, saying to Shi Tiegen beside him, "Old man, before I return to the Xuan Town, I intend for you to manage these people. Zhuzi and Yuanjing will assist you. As for those two village elders, they will be your helpers."

Old man Shi followed by Zhang Cheng's side, listening in silence, appearing lost in thought.

Inside the tent sat two elderly men who did not look very old. When they saw Zhang Cheng enter, they hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings, General."

Zhang Cheng looked them over. One was quite sturdy with a full beard, while the other appeared thin and less robust but very clean. They seemed to be under fifty. They stood there with their heads bowed, looking somewhat at a loss. Shi Tiegen quickly introduced them: "General, this is Ma Zhongli, and this is Feng Yuanshan."

The two men bowed to Zhang Cheng again. Shi Tiegen retrieved a simple wooden stool and placed it down, saying, "General, please sit."

After taking his seat, Zhang Cheng said to the two men, "Please, take your seats."

Once they were seated, he asked, "May I ask where you two are from, and how old you are?"

The sturdy, bearded Ma Zhongli replied in a booming voice, "Reporting to the General, I am from Ma Village, and I am forty-five this year."

Zhang Cheng nodded and looked at the thinner, cleaner elder, who stood up again and said, "I am from Tang Village, north of Ma Village, and I am forty-nine years old."

Zhang Cheng gestured for him to sit. Before he could speak, Shi Tiegen said from the side, "General, Ma Zhongli was a horse-handler by trade, and brother Feng Yuanshan here is a well-known master of farming in our area."

Zhang Cheng nodded and said to them, "I intend to transport you all outside the Juyong Pass to my agricultural estate in the Xuan Town for a while to avoid the ravages of war. Once the hostilities have concluded, I will arrange for your long-term settlement."

The frail Feng Yuanshan spoke first: "We were supposed to be abducted by the Tartars to the bitter, frozen lands of Liaodong, to serve as beasts of burden and slaves for eternity. It is by the grace of your divine might, General, that we have been saved from such misery. Now that you are willing to protect us, it is truly our good fortune. We are determined to follow you and will submit to your command."

Ma Zhongli and Shi Tiegen quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, we will do as the General commands."

Zhang Cheng nodded and continued, "This war is protracted, and no one knows when it will end. I will send word. Once you arrive in the Xuan Town, settle down, repair houses, dig irrigation channels, and clear the land for cultivation.

"However, nothing can be achieved without preparation. With nearly a thousand of you, there will be chaos without a leader. I now appoint old man Shi Tiegen as the head elder, with you two assisting him, Wang Yuanjing as the clerk, and the 120 men selected by Shi Zhuzi as guards. Work in times of peace, drill in your spare time, and mobilize when there is an alarm. Su Zhenxiang shall manage the women, overseeing washing, mending, and cooking. What say you?"

The three men had no objections. Zhang Cheng continued, "I will send a squad of soldiers to escort the wounded and the remains of the fallen, and they will travel with you. Some of the spoils and pack animals will also be sent back to the Xuan Town.

"Ma Zhongli will be responsible for the livestock. Let Su Zhenxiang arrange for the women to help care for the wounded. As for the irrigation and preparations after arriving in the Xuan Town, I ask Feng Yuanshan to take charge. There will be some armor and weapons; once Shi Tiegen leads the men in repairing them, they can be distributed to Zhuzi and his group."

All three nodded and agreed.

Zhang Cheng stood up and instructed, "If you encounter any combat, follow the decisions of the accompanying officers. For all other matters, follow the division of labor, and if there is anything that cannot be decided, discuss it among yourselves."

"We will strictly follow the General's orders," the three replied in unison.

Just then, a personal guard ran over to report that Regional Commander Yang Guozhu had sent word: Governor Lu had just returned to the Changping camp and was now requesting the severed heads of the Tartars and the captives to report the victory to the Governor.

Zhang Cheng said to Shi Tiegen, "Call Zhuzi and Yuanjing over. I have instructions for them."

With that, he headed toward where the Tartar heads were stored.

...

Guo Yingxian shouted from a distance, "You drunkard, how about three hundred more cups tonight?"

"You wish! You grabbed me last night and wouldn't let me leave. Who's the real drunkard here?" Zhang Cheng mocked with a look of disdain.

Approaching them, he straightened his posture, bowed, and said to Yang Guozhu, "How could I trouble the Commander to come in person? A mere message would have sufficed, and I would have sent them to you."

Yang Guozhu said loudly, "General Zhang is unparalleled in valor, winning a complete victory over the Jiannu and capturing so many. This has greatly boosted the morale and prestige of our Xuan Town troops. I am sure the Governor will be overjoyed when he hears of this."

Zhang Cheng replied respectfully, "This victory is entirely due to the Commander's good fortune, not my own merit."

Yang Guozhu nodded in approval, thinking to himself, "This boy has changed greatly since joining the rescue mission; he has become steady and courteous. Now with the merits of his first battle, his future achievements may be boundless."

Zhang Yan added, "Commander, let us not keep the Governor waiting."

Yang Guozhu tapped his forehead and laughed, "Brother Zhang, nephew Cheng, I will go report the victory to the Governor now so he can share in the joy."

"Then I thank you for the trouble, Commander," Zhang Yan replied.

At this moment, three large carts loaded with salt-cured Tartar heads arrived. Yang Guozhu took a look and said loudly, "I will take these heads to report the victory to the Governor. As for the captives, keep them here until the Governor makes his decision."

A guard had already brought Yang Guozhu's horse. He mounted it and looked back, saying, "Don't worry, nephew, I will ensure no one else takes credit for your victory."

Zhang Cheng quickly bowed and replied, "Everything is at the Commander's discretion."

Watching Yang Guozhu and Guo Yingxian depart, Zhang Yan said softly to Zhang Cheng, "You shouldn't have confronted Li Jianming like that last night. That man is insidious and petty. I cannot protect you forever; why did you have to do that?"

"The world is in chaos. If I am kind to everyone, how can I protect myself? If even the battle merits bought with our lives are coveted by others, what are we fighting for? How can we face our fallen brothers? Whoever wants to harm me, let them try to take my blade first!"

Zhang Cheng looked at the receding figures of Yang Guozhu and his party with a firm gaze, his voice resonant and powerful.

He then said to Zhang Yan, "Uncle, I am going to visit the wounded soldiers in my unit."

Zhang Cheng turned and left. Zhang Yan stood there in silence, watching Zhang Cheng's retreating figure. He felt he understood this nephew less and less. He felt he had gone too far, yet he could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

The words Zhang Cheng had just spoken echoed in his ears, and he shivered, feeling a sense of foreboding. He did not know what the future held for Zhang Cheng, or where he would lead the Zhang family.

...

On his way to the tent for the wounded, Shi Zhuzi and Wang Yuanjing caught up with him. Zhang Cheng slowed his pace to talk with them.

"Zhuzi, I am very satisfied with the men you have selected. Let them follow you for now; I will arrange for some veteran soldiers to train you all," Zhang Cheng instructed.

Shi Zhuzi looked unhappy and muttered, "I don't want to go to the Xuan Town. I want to stay with the General and kill Tartars."

Zhang Cheng felt both annoyed and amused. Shi Zhuzi was truly excellent; his physique was impeccable, and he had practiced martial arts since he was a child. Having spent years blacksmithing with his father, his constitution was as tough as iron.

However, surviving the battlefield required more than just physical strength. Such a good prospect could not be squandered, so Zhang Cheng reasoned with him, "Do you think the Tartars can be finished off all at once? Do you want to kill one Tartar, or do you want to kill a hundred, or even a thousand?"

Shi Zhuzi scratched his head and mumbled, "I want to kill a hundred, a thousand Tartars."

Wang Yuanjing smiled from the side, "Bravery without strategy is the act of a brute."

Shi Zhuzi's large eyes widened like lanterns, but he did not lash out. The two had been together frequently these past few days, with Shi Zhuzi constantly pestering the scholar to tell him stories of ancient generals and battles.

The scholar, however, had only read the classics and did not know much about such things. He had searched his memory, telling Shi Zhuzi every historical anecdote he had ever read and even teaching him how to write his own name.

"Did you hear that? The scholar's words are the truth. The battlefield is a slaughterhouse; strength alone is not enough. You must train these 120 men well; I will have great use for them in the future."

Shi Zhuzi replied as if he understood, "Yes, I will listen to the General."

Zhang Cheng shook his head helplessly and said to Wang Yuanjing, "Yuanjing, you will have to work hard. All these people must be registered. Their names, ages, native places, family relations, and any special skills must all be recorded."

Wang Yuanjing nodded, "Rest assured, General, I will not fail this mission."

"I will also bring some supplies back to the Xuan Town, which you will keep and manage. I will arrange for soldiers to assist you."

By the time they reached the tent where the wounded were kept, Zhang Cheng sent the two of them away.