Chapter Forty-Eight: Quite Arrogant

Before the meal, when Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Lika discussed asking the Zhangzhuang militia to dispatch troops to jointly suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang of Mount Cishan, both Liu Zongyuan and Liu Lika were opposed to the idea, largely because they were reluctant to part with the fine silks, satins, and copper blocks that were almost within their grasp.

Liu Lika was particularly vocal in his opposition:
"During our previous attempts to suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, the largest force we ever mobilized was eight thousand men. We will not underestimate the enemy this time. The Regional Commander has stated that this time, all ten thousand troops in the Dengzhou garrison will be deployed to annihilate the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan with the momentum of sweeping away fallen leaves."
"This time, the grand army will bring along the heartless cannons and homemade grenades invented by Zhang Chen."

Liu Zongyuan laughed and said, "Once the grand army strikes Mount Cishan, the Baldy Strong bandit gang will collapse on its own. The Zhangzhuang militia mainly fights using heartless cannons and homemade grenades; there is no need for us to spend silver hiring the Zhangzhuang militia to march."

A few days ago, shortly after the conclusion of the First Battle of Zhangzhuang Defense, the Deng-Lai Regional Commander's Office had successfully reverse-engineered Zhangzhuang's heartless cannons and homemade grenades.

This time, with preparations underway to dispatch ten thousand troops to suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, everyone in the Deng-Lai Regional Commander's Office from top to bottom felt utterly confident that not a single member of the bandit gang would escape. Their confidence was through the roof.

The crucial factor was that just a few days prior, Zhangzhuang had severely battered the Baldy Strong bandit gang, greatly weakening their strength. Although the bandit gang had forcibly recruited several hundred able-bodied men from among the refugees over the past few days, the Regional Commander's Office remained confident of wiping them out swiftly.

However, Deng-Lai Governor Sun Yuanhua and his advisor Zhao Chengxuan lacked sufficient confidence. Zhao Chengxuan, in particular, cursed Regional Commander Zheng Linwang, saying that during their previous campaign to suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, the Regional Commander's Office had been equally full of swagger, yet those bastards had still ended up suffering a disastrous defeat.

Therefore, Zhao Chengxuan insisted on spending silver to hire the Zhangzhuang militia to join the expedition.
Chiefly, Sun Yuanhua was under immense pressure; this campaign to suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan had to succeed and could not afford to fail!

"That's not enough. Just three of you holding back on fine silks, satins, and copper blocks—Master Zhao, that is far from enough!" Zhang Chen said as he took a large bite of braised tiger meat.

"What?" The three households had brought over thirty thousand taels worth of valuables, yet Zhang Chen actually considered it too little. Zhao Chengxuan was taken aback.

Everyone present, including Qi Guoshu, cast a glance at Zhang Chen, thinking him far too greedy!

"Zhang Chen, you are far too arrogant! Do you think the sun in the Great Ming Dynasty wouldn't rise without you?" Liu Zongyuan slapped the table and jumped to his feet. "You think thirty-eight thousand taels of silver as a marching allowance is still not enough? Do you expect to reach the heavens?"

"If the Deng-Lai Governor's Yamen allocates fifty thousand taels worth of iron to our Zhangzhuang militia, we guarantee to annihilate the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan before the end of the year."

Rather than fearing a god-like opponent, one should dread a pig-headed ally. Unwilling to fight alongside the regular imperial troops, Zhang Chen smiled and said:
"Master Zhao, if the Governor's Yamen allocates one hundred thousand taels worth of iron to our Zhangzhuang militia, we guarantee to wipe out the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan within a month."

"Zhang Chen, you aren't just arrogant; you are utterly delusional! Wanting to go it alone—this clearly shows you look down on the grand army of our Regional Commander's Office and fear that we will drag down the Zhangzhuang militia."
Liu Lika laughed out of sheer fury. "If our Regional Commander's Office allocates two hundred thousand taels worth of iron to the Zhangzhuang militia, Zhang Chen, your Zhangzhuang militia would probably wipe out the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan within three days, wouldn't you?"

"Forgive this humble person for making a spectacle in front of you all, My Lords; it's simply that Zhangzhuang is far too poor!"
Zhang Chen suddenly turned serious, his tone grave:
"General Liu, if your Deng-Lai Regional Commander's Office truly allocates two hundred thousand taels worth of iron to our Zhangzhuang militia, I guarantee that the militia will eradicate the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan within three days. Men die for wealth; for the sake of silver, I don't mind risking my life once."

Zhang Chen was preparing to forge chainmail for all his militia members, and Zhangzhuang needed iron—a vast amount of iron.

"This tiger meat is not bad. Let's eat, let's eat." With his grandiose claims, Zhang Chen had thoroughly killed the conversation. Qi Guoshu offered an awkward laugh and urged everyone to continue eating.

Half an hour later, Zhang Chen escorted Zhao Chengxuan and his party to the village entrance. He exchanged tearful farewells with Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Shuika, parting ways amidst flowing tears.

That said, Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Shuika cursed Zhang Chen all the way as they left. Escorted by two hundred imperial soldiers, they headed straight back to Dengzhou City.

Zhang Chen had been unwilling to dispatch troops alongside the imperial soldiers to attack the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, while Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Shuika simply did not believe the Zhangzhuang militia capable of wiping out the bandits.

Zhao Chengxuan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Shuika departed with fine silks, satins, and copper blocks worth forty-six thousand taels of silver, leaving behind only four thousand taels worth of silks and satins for the victims or their representatives, Qi Dazhi and Shi Keren.

This was a joke—a cold, bitter joke!

"Master Zhao, the terrain of Mount Cishan is treacherous and unsuitable for large-scale military operations. When suppressing the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, it is best not to exceed three thousand men; otherwise, there is a high probability of falling into internal chaos."
Zhang Chen's voice chased after Zhao Chengxuan's carriage:
"Master Zhao, if the Governor's Yamen allocates one hundred thousand taels worth of iron to our Zhangzhuang militia, we guarantee to annihilate the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan within a month. It is an exceptionally cost-effective deal—high quality and reasonably priced!"

Zhao Chengxuan was Dengzhou Governor Sun Yuanhua's most trusted advisor, and his words carried considerable weight with Sun Yuanhua.
Zhao Chengxuan wielded immense implicit power, and Zhang Chen wished to persuade him, hoping to do business with the Deng-Lai Governor's Yamen by contracting the massive enterprise of "annihilating the Baldy Strong bandit gang."

"That's too much. Your asking price is far too ruthless." Zhao Chengxuan's voice echoed back from afar: "Once I return, I shall report to the Governor, and the Governor himself will make the decision!"

Zhao Chengxuan was inclined to contract the grand task of "annihilating the Baldy Strong bandit gang" to Zhang Chen, as this approach would incur the minimum cost.

"If the Deng-Lai Regional Commander's Office dispatches troops to suppress the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan, it will waste two hundred thousand taels of silver without any guaranteed results."
Zhang Chen's voice rang out even louder:
"I am willing to issue a military pledge in writing: provided we receive one hundred thousand taels worth of iron, the Zhangzhuang militia will wipe out the Baldy Strong bandit gang at Mount Cishan within a month."

"Blatantly trying to snatch business right out of the hands of our Deng-Lai Regional Commander's Office—Zhang Chen, you are courting death!" Regional Commander's Office Major General Liu Lika's voice boomed much louder than Zhang Chen's.

"The specialized granular black powder produced in Zhangzhuang possesses tremendous destructive power, and the homemade grenades used by the Zhangzhuang militia are formidable weapons. Ordinary black powder yields mediocre results; using it for homemade grenades is as tasteless as chewing chicken bones."
Zhang Chen's voice remained steady and clear:
"With a simple structure, heartless cannons are easy to manufacture, but they are also prone to exploding in the barrel. Only artillerists with strict military discipline and strong combat will can effectively operate them." Heartless cannons were indeed prone to bursting their barrels.

The primary component of a heartless cannon was a long iron tube, and the quality of that long iron tube was the decisive factor in whether the cannon would explode or not.