The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 726 Treating the symptoms rather than the root cause

As the saying goes, it's better to offer help in times of need than to add flowers to brocade. Chen Qiyu, looking disheveled and with a hint of desperation in his timid eyes, was clearly desperate. At this moment, someone offered a helping hand, and he would undoubtedly be deeply grateful, willing to serve them to the death in the future. Ten taels of silver to buy loyalty was truly a bargain. Even if it turned out that this Chen scholar was incompetent, it would be considered an act of kindness, and Jia Huan would suffer no loss.

Of course, when recruiting talent, it is still necessary to find out their background. It would be quite dangerous to have a spy lurking around. Therefore, after Chen Qiyu left, Jia Huan immediately asked the supervising officer Duan Yong to investigate Chen Qiyu's background and origins, since the Imperial Guard was best at this.

Soon, Duan Yong found out about Chen Qiyu's background. He was a local from Lintao Prefecture, a scholar who had failed the provincial examinations five times. He had worked as a teacher, a merchant, and a broker. In the past two years, he had indeed served under Zheng Chongjian, the governor of the three border regions, but he had remained unknown and had not been given important responsibilities. He lived in poverty and his family was struggling to make ends meet. His daughter was also seriously ill.

Upon hearing the news, Jia Huan felt relieved. This kind of middle-aged man, who has elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, is the best "ox or horse"—not only is he hardworking and enduring, but he is also particularly obedient and sensible, so there's no problem with exploiting him.

Of course, saying this might sound too capitalist, but it is indeed an undeniable fact. Fortunately, Jia Huan is not a capitalist. He doesn't need subservient servants; he only needs useful people, even if they are troublemakers. If Chen Qiyu is indeed worthy of being given important responsibilities, he certainly won't mistreat him.

However, Chen Qiyu did not reappear for the next four days, which surprised Jia Huan. He thought he had miscalculated and that this "middle-aged ox-horse" was actually an untrustworthy old man who had run away with ten taels of silver.

On the morning of the fifth day, Chen Qiyu finally came to visit again. This time, he was dressed in clean clothes and wearing new boots. His hair and beard were neatly combed, and he looked radiant. Compared to his disheveled and dejected appearance that day, he seemed like a completely different person.

After exchanging greetings, Chen Qiyu explained somewhat awkwardly, "I...I've been dealing with some family matters these past few days, which is why I'm...I'm late. Please forgive me, Commander."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "It's alright. Has your daughter's illness improved significantly?"

"My daughter has recovered, thank you for your concern, General." Chen Qiyu wasn't surprised that Jia Huan knew about his family affairs, because he understood the rules. For this kind of staff work, the boss would definitely investigate the background of his subordinates beforehand.
Jia Huan nodded and said, "These next few days, go to the signing room to familiarize yourself with the environment and your colleagues. Someone will arrange specific work for you later."

"Yes!" Chen Qiyu replied respectfully, but he was a little anxious. He knew his shortcomings: he was not good at speaking, came from a humble background, was not good at socializing, and had no money to curry favor with his superiors and colleagues. If he did not strike while the iron was hot and seize the opportunity to show himself in front of the big boss, he would probably end up being sidelined.

So Chen Qiyu verbally agreed, but didn't move. Jia Huan smiled and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Chen Qiyu nodded hurriedly and took out a booklet from his bosom, saying, "This...this is a list of bandits...bandit armies from all over Shaanxi that I have compiled. Please...please take a look, Commander."

Jia Huan said with some surprise, "It's all ready so quickly? Come on up!"

Mu Ye cleverly stepped forward, took the roster from Chen Qiyu, and handed it to Jia Huan. The latter took it and was even more surprised.

This thick roster of bandits involved more than 270 people, and each was numbered according to the size of their troops. It was well-organized and clear. Crucially, each bandit leader was described in great detail, including their name, nickname, age, place of origin, and style of doing things. Even the key members under their command were listed one by one.

Jia Huan instantly realized the immense value of this register, and was overjoyed, but also shocked and doubtful, because compiling such a register would be an enormous undertaking. Could Chen Qiyu really have written it in just four days?
"Excellent! This roster is a timely help for me!" Jia Huan said happily. "However, I have a question: was this roster compiled by Mr. Chen on the spot, or was it prepared in advance?"

Chen Qiyu was flattered by Jia Huan's address of "Mr. Chen" and hurriedly replied, "I dare not. When I was serving under Lord Deng, I began to collect and summarize information on various bandit armies. I have basically memorized it, but I have not yet compiled it into a book. Recently, I received the great kindness of the commander-in-chief, and I feel that I have no way to repay it. So I took the opportunity to rush to write the list in the past few days. Since the book was written in a hurry, there may be some errors in it. Please forgive me, commander-in-chief."

Jia Huan suddenly realized that he had struck gold and praised him repeatedly, saying, "Mr. Chen, you've worked hard. Someone, bring Mr. Chen a seat and some tea."

Chen Qiyu was so excited he almost cried. It was worth staying up for three sleepless nights. He had finally seized this opportunity. Hehe, like a roc rising with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high, my day of good fortune has finally come!
Chen Qiyu carefully sat on the chair with only half of his buttocks on it, a practice called "sitting with a half-seat" to show respect and deference.

"Please have some tea, Mr. Chen!" Jinbao brought the tea to Chen Qiyu. The latter took a small sip and felt refreshed, as if he were drinking fine wine. It felt so good to be respected and valued!

Next, Jia Huan took the list of bandits and talked with Chen Qiyu in detail for a long time. The latter answered all questions and had no problems except for a slight stutter. He had a solid foundation in writing, was knowledgeable and well-informed, and was especially familiar with the local customs and culture of Shaanxi and Gansu, which he could almost recite off the top of his head.

In addition, Jia Huan also discovered that this scholar Chen had a very meticulous and organized way of thinking. This was evident from the list of bandits he had compiled. It was clear in its structure and organization, making it easy to understand at a glance. His calculation ability was also very strong.

In this way, Jia Huan felt confident that this person was the perfect fit for logistics coordination.

Having chatted with the big boss for so long and so congenially, Chen Qiyu was noticeably less awkward and answered with more skill and confidence. He concluded, "General, don't be fooled by the numerous bandit groups in Shaanxi. The only real threats are the three forces led by Gao Yingxiang, Wang Ziyong, and Wang Jiayin. Other small bandits like Mantianxing, Saodiwang, Chuang Tatian, Guoshanhu, and Xing Honglang are nothing but a rabble. They will be wiped out as soon as the main army passes by and are not worth worrying about at all."

"Heh, what a boastful tone. If that's the case, why couldn't Zheng Chongjian wipe out the bandits in Shaanxi? Instead, the more he tried to eliminate them, the more they multiplied, and in the end, he even lost his official position?" A shrill voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Chen Qiyu turned his head in surprise and saw a dark-faced, beardless man dressed in eunuch's clothes walk in. It was none other than the military supervisor, Duan Yong.

Jia Huan introduced, "This is Eunuch Duan, the military supervisor."

Chen Qiyu was so frightened that he quickly stood up to greet him. Duan Yong said with a forced smile, "I heard that Lord Jia has recruited a rare talent, so I came here specifically to see him."

Chen Qiyu blushed and said, "I dare not accept such praise. I am but a humble scholar, and I have made you laugh at me, Your Excellency." Duan Yong sat down casually and said, "Tell me, why is it that Zheng Chongjian, who commands the troops of three towns, has failed to wipe out the bandits?"

Chen Qiyu said cautiously, "Eunuch Duan, you...you don't know this. In fact, General Zheng had basically wiped out the bandits at the beginning, but unfortunately, it was only a temporary solution. The bandits kept resurfacing and the situation was getting worse."

Duan Yong frowned and asked, "Why is that?"

Chen Qiyu coughed lightly and said, "Because of the continuous natural disasters, the people are starving and have nowhere else to turn, so they band together to become bandits. If we only suppress and appease them without solving the problem of feeding the people, it will ultimately be in vain, just like trying to stop boiling water by adding more water, which is only treating the symptoms and not the root cause."

For example, General Zheng initially controlled the situation through a strategy of both suppression and appeasement. However, the bandit soldiers who accepted the appeasement were not properly resettled after returning home. Once they finished the provisions provided by the appeasement, they immediately rebelled again, creating a vicious cycle that continued indefinitely.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "That makes sense. My views coincide with Mr. Chen's."

Chen Qiyu's spirits lifted, and he continued, "I believe that it is not difficult to annihilate the rebel army. The difficulty lies in pacifying the people. If the common people have enough to eat, they would never risk their lives to rebel."

Duan Yong said with a dark face, "Are you saying that the people's rebellion is the fault of the imperial court?"

Chen Qiyu shuddered in fright and quickly said, "That's not what I meant. This was caused by a natural disaster."

In fact, the current depraved situation is caused not only by natural disasters but also by human error. The mining supervisors and tax collectors dispatched by Emperor Qiansheng to various parts of the country have been exploiting the miners too much, and their harm is no less severe than that caused by natural disasters. For example, Zhang Cunmeng, who led the miners' rebellion, was forced to take to the mountains by the mining supervisors.

Chen Qiyu knew this all too well, but he dared not say it in front of Eunuch Duan. Everyone knew that Shi Dayong, the head of the Eastern Depot, was the mastermind behind the mining supervisors and tax collectors, while the current emperor was the ultimate beneficiary.

At this moment, Jia Huan stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Our dynasty has been plagued by bad luck and constant natural disasters, which is indeed the cause of the uprising of bandits. Only by properly settling the refugees can we address both the symptoms and the root cause of the problem."

Upon hearing this, Duan Yong fell silent. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jia Huan instructed Mu Ye to take Chen Qiyu down to settle him in, saying that he was a talented person and should be given important responsibilities.

After Chen Qiyu left, Jia Huan handed the bandit roster to Duan Yong and said, "This is the bandit roster compiled by Chen Qiyu. Eunuch Duan may wish to take a look as well."

Duan Yong took the list and examined it carefully. He exclaimed with delight, "It seems that this Chen Qiyu is indeed quite capable." After saying that, he glanced at Jia Huan and asked, "Now that we have this list, when does Lord Jia plan to start the campaign against the bandits? More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and the Emperor is still waiting for our good news."

Jia Huan calmly replied, "As the saying goes, haste makes waste, and sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. We're not ready yet, so please be patient, Eunuch Duan!"

Duan Yong said somewhat displeasedly, “I don’t want to rush things, but the Emperor has always been responsive to our requests, providing us with soldiers and funds as needed. If we don’t achieve results soon, how can we live up to the trust of the court and the Emperor’s great favor? Moreover, the rebel army is roaming around causing harm, and they even dared to destroy the imperial tombs. Who knows what evil things they will do next? If Lord Jia continues to hold back, we will both suffer if we are impeached by the officials in the court.”

Jia Huan frowned slightly. However, what Duan Yong said was true. The Xu family's ancestral graves had been dug up, which was a matter concerning the imperial lineage and the dynasty's fate. No wonder Emperor Qiansheng was so anxious. The reason he was so accommodating to Jia Huan was simply because he wanted Jia Huan to quell the rebel army as soon as possible. If Jia Huan did not achieve any results for a long time, he might end up like Zheng Chongjian, the commander-in-chief of the three border regions. As the supervising officer, Duan Yong would naturally not fare well either.

Very well, let's start by taking down a few petty thieves in Taozhou as a warning!
Taozhou is located south of Lintao Prefecture, bordering Sichuan Province. It is a mountainous and forested area where three bandit groups are entrenched: Sweeping King, Chuang Tatian, and Niu Jinxing. Their forces range from several hundred to several thousand men. According to the roster compiled by Chen Qiyu, Chuang Tatian is the strongest, with more than three thousand men. However, based on past experience, most of these bandits are old and young, and only one or two out of ten of them are truly capable fighters. The rest are old, weak, women, and children, making them easy to deal with. They are undoubtedly the best targets for boosting "performance".

Therefore, Jia Huan sent two groups of men to Taozhou. Each group was led by a guerrilla general and each had a thousand elite soldiers.

As the saying goes, quality is more important than quantity in warfare. Especially when dealing with these poorly equipped and weak peasant armies, there is no need for too many troops. Too many troops not only increase the logistical burden but also affect the speed and flexibility of marching.

It is worth mentioning that the two guerrilla generals in charge of this operation were both young men promoted by Jia Huan. They had both participated in the battle of Hami and were experienced, brave, and resourceful. They were more than capable of dealing with the several bandit groups in Taozhou. It was also a good opportunity to test their abilities.

These two guerrilla generals, one named Sun Ting and the other Zhang Yi, were both young men in their mid-twenties. Sun Ting was steady and resourceful, while Zhang Yi was brave and fierce in battle. The two complemented each other perfectly.

Meanwhile, Sun Ting and Zhang Yi, having received Jia Huan's orders, mustered their troops and set off, quickly heading towards Taozhou. The young men were indeed full of energy, and on the fifth day after the expedition, news of their victory arrived.

The first unlucky bandit leader was Niu Jinxing, a charlatan who claimed to be the reincarnation of a star and to relieve the suffering of the people. He deceived a group of ignorant people into believing and supporting him, occupied several villages and declared himself king. He even went so far as to appoint several village women as queens and concubines, and set up positions such as prime minister and ministers of the six ministries, making it seem like he had his own country.

As a result, when Sun Ting and Zhang Yi led their troops to attack, the country was immediately "destroyed," Niu Jinxing himself was beheaded on the spot, and most of his concubines and subjects became prisoners.

Following that, the bandit groups of Sweeping King and Sky-Crushing King were also wiped out. However, the two bandit leaders were quick to escape and disappeared into the mountains, thus managing to save their lives.

Although two bandit leaders escaped, the three rebel groups within Taozhou were effectively wiped out, so Duan Yong immediately reported the victory to the emperor with great joy.

(End of this chapter)