Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 425: Self-examination of flaws and self-exposure

Beitang Fortress is a structure consisting of two artillery batteries, one in the north and one in the south, that form a conjugate relationship with the main river. The Beiying Fort is located on a lower terrain, and even with the artificial ramming of earth to raise the foundation, the elevation of the Beiying Fort is still lower than the natural high ground of the Nanying Fort.

Nanying Fort is not only located at a high altitude, but also occupies a larger area. Therefore, since its construction during the Jiajing period, Nanying Fort has been used as the main fort and base camp.

Nanying Fort was surrounded by water on all sides, with its seaward front protected by a natural trench and a man-made moat, two waterways connected only by the Ji Canal. Nanying Fort had a single gate, located just behind the sea. A small, fenced-in area at the gate served as a sort of urn.

The entrance to the wooden city wall faced a man-made moat, over which a floating bridge was built. This bridge served only as a permanent, temporary entrance, not the official route to the Nanying Fort. In the event of an enemy invasion by sea, the bridge would be removed or even blown up. The official, permanent route was located to the right rear of the Nanying Fort, constantly under the watchful eye of artillery deployed in and around the corner tower.

Shortly after the "United Merchant Corps" was wiped out by Mao Yuanyi, the main force of the battalion led by Sun Chengzong himself also stopped in an open space three miles west of the Nanying Fort.

"Pass on my order, deploy the troops and set up camp on the spot." After the troops stopped, Sun Chengzong continued to give orders.

"Yes!" The personal soldiers turned their horses and rode in the opposite direction, and successively delivered orders to the captain of the left wing and the captains of the two divisions.

"Sun Zhongcheng," Sun Yuerong, who was accompanying the army, approached Sun Chengzong as he dismounted. "Why don't we just go into the city and capture Li Weidong instead of setting up camp here?"

"If we can see him, he can certainly see us too." Sun Chengzong handed the reins to the approaching horseman and gazed along the Ji Canal at the seemingly imminent Beitang Fortress. "If he decides to go all out, desperate or desperate, we'll probably be in for a fight."

"Not really," Sun Yuerong said. "If he opens fire on us, it would be treason. It's a grave crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the clan. Even if he wants to do it, his soldiers and generals won't follow him."

"If you don't doubt someone, expect the best. If you doubt someone, expect the worst. Only by planning in this way can you be absolutely sure of success." Sun Chengzong explained, "Although as long as Li Weidong is in a clear mind, he won't rebel. But if he or some of his men lose their minds, even if we risk our entire clan being executed and fire a few shots, it will make the situation even more difficult to handle. There's no need to send so many people across at the risk of being bombarded."

"I appreciate your advice." Sun Yuerong nodded and saluted, then asked, "Then how are you going to take him down?"

"Of course, I'll borrow some divine authority and then summon him out. If he doesn't come, I'll suspend his post and have his men tie him up and bring him out." Sun Chengzong turned his head and looked at another guard. "Go, tell the flag officer to bring out the royal flag."

"Yes!"

At that moment, a guard at the city gate rushed into the government office in the center of the South Camp, shouting, "General! General!"

"What's wrong?" Li Weidong put down the paperwork in his hand and looked up at the captain. "Those dogs are here again?" Although Li Weidong had always treated Li Laicai and his group with great courtesy, deep down he was very reluctant to deal with these louse-like people.

"No, no," the captain gasped. "I saw a troop heading towards the battery! I'm afraid there are over a thousand of them!"

"What!?" Li Weidong stood up suddenly. "Which direction? Whose flag are you flying?"

The captain replied, "They came from the west, taking the official road. As for the flags, they are not visible for the time being." When the captain ran to report, the governor's camp was still moving quickly, and the royal flag had not yet been raised.

Li Weidong was silent for a moment, then shouted, "Messenger!"

"General!" The messenger came quickly and waited for orders.

"Raise my flag and go out of the city to ask which god is coming." Li Weidong actually already had the answer in his heart.

"Yes." After the messenger turned and left, Li Weidong looked back at the captain. The shock was gone from his face, but now there was a hint of apprehension. "Go back and reorganize the troops. Make sure your men look sharper."

"General, do you know who is coming?" asked the captain.

"So many people came here through the official road without any notice or rumors. Who else could it be but the governor's battalion?" Li Weidong said with a wry smile, "I'm afraid our Governor Sun has come here in person."

The captain nodded silently and bowed to say goodbye. He had just turned and taken two steps when he heard Li Weidong order, "Prepare four more horses."

"Only four?" The captain turned around.

"Yes. Only four horses are needed." Li Weidong waved his hand. "Go and get those three people to come to me as well."

"Yes."

"Alas," Li Weidong sighed as he watched the captain's figure gradually disappear into the distance. "What's supposed to come has finally come."

--------

About a quarter of an hour later, Li Weidong's messenger returned to the South Camp Fort. He wasn't alone; alongside him were personal soldiers sent by Sun Chengzong. The two men reached the moat, and before crossing the pontoon bridge, they spotted Li Weidong standing on horseback on the opposite bank. Behind him were the captain and two captains stationed at the South Camp Fort.

"General!" The messenger rode his horse up to the four men, but the personal guards remained at the bridgehead.

"Is this the governor's camp?" Li Weidong asked straight to the point.

Before the messenger could say anything, the personal guard spoke up, shouting, "Excuse me, are you Li Youji from the Coastal Defense Battalion?"

"It is me!" Li Weidong responded loudly.

"Governor Sun wants you to go and see him now." The personal soldier pointed in the direction of the standard camp.

"Okay." Li Weidong nodded without asking any more questions. "Let's go now!" He gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse immediately started moving. The three middle-level officers behind him also started moving. The four of them rode their horses onto the bridge. Just as they reached the middle of the pontoon bridge, Sun Chengzong's personal soldiers turned their horses around and drove away. Seeing this, Li Weidong quickly accelerated to cross the bridge. Not long after, the four of them followed the dust raised by the horses' hooves and arrived in front of the temporary military formation.

"Dismount!" Li Weidong pulled the reins of his horse about fifty paces ahead of the army. Following his command, the middle-ranking officers followed him down the aisles.

The four men, without accompanying their followers, led their horses and slowly advanced toward the army formation. After only a few steps, Li Weidong's gaze fell on the imperial banner standing in the center of the formation. Contrary to what Sun Chengzong had imagined, Li Weidong was not intimidated by the banner representing imperial authority. Instead, he appeared remarkably calm. He believed that the Governor-General and the Chief Censor carrying the imperial banner on their tour of duty was a matter of course and nothing to be alarmed about. More importantly, Li Weidong never harbored any thoughts of resistance.

"Please hand over your weapons to us for safekeeping for the time being." The one who stopped Li Weidong in front of the formation was Qin Liangbi, the captain of the left wing of the standard camp.

Qin Liangbi, a military jinshi (a military scholar) in the 47th year of the Wanli reign, had been training new recruits at the Beijing Camp since his passing. When the Governor's Camp was established, it urgently needed to supplement the mid-level officers to complete the command structure. The Ministry of War transferred Qin Liangbi there to assist the newly appointed guerrilla general, Mao Yuanyi, who was so young he could almost be his son.

Qin Liangbi occasionally fantasized that if Governor Sun hadn't directly petitioned the Emperor to appoint Mao Yuanyi as a special envoy, perhaps he would have been in the guerilla position. This fantasy was obviously pointless and impossible to realize. For a newly minted military scholar like him, the only way to obtain a position of the rank of Guerrilla General was through the Emperor's special appointment, as Mao Yuanyi had done. Otherwise, he could only gradually accumulate experience and military merit. He was lucky to be promoted to a thousand-man commander the year after he passed the imperial examination.

"We didn't bring any other people with us, just horses," Li Weidong said with a smile, patting the horse's neck. "Could you please help look after the horses?"

"Of course." Qin Liangbi nodded and looked towards Li Weidong's waist. Li Weidong also raised his hands in cooperation. "If you don't believe me, you can come and search."

"Haha." Li Weidong's kindness made Qin Liangbi feel a little awkward. He laughed dryly, waved his hand to disperse the crowd blocking the entrance, and called a few people to help the officers of the Coastal Defense Battalion lead their horses. "Li Youji, you're joking. Please follow me. The Minister of Justice and the eunuch are waiting for you."

"Eunuch?" Li Weidong was startled and hurriedly followed him and asked, "Excuse me, which government office is this eunuch from?"

"Sun Yuerong, the head of the Eastern Depot." Qin Liangbi replied.

"Why is Headmaster Sun Sun here?" Li Weidong swallowed and licked his dry lips. He tried to sound calm and steady, but his cheeks, flushed with blood, silently betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Qin Liangbi turned his head to look at Li Weidong. "You'll know once you meet him." It wasn't that Qin Liangbi didn't want to reveal the details, but he simply couldn't. Compared to him, Li Weidong was already well-informed.

"Haha, that's true." Fine beads of sweat appeared on Li Weidong's forehead.

After just a few words, Li Weidong and his party followed Qin Liangbi's guidance and met Governor Sun Chengzong and head of the team Sun Yuerong under the towering royal flag.

Li Weidong quickly approached the figure in the red robe, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and bowed, "I, Li Weidong, the guerrilla commander of the Tianjin Coastal Defense Battalion, and I, accompanied by Han Zhongqi, the captain of the Southern Battalion, and Wang Yi'e and Xiang Shijun, the captains, pay my respects to Governor Sun! I pay my respects to Captain Sun!"

"Your subordinate greets Governor Sun! Your subordinate greets Captain Sun." Han Zhongqi, Wang Yi'e, and Xiang Shijun also followed and saluted.

Sun Yuerong was a little surprised by Li Weidong's humble attitude. He quickly glanced at Sun Chengzong, only to see the same solemn and motionless old face.

Sun Chengzong was actually relieved. If Li Weidong and his men really got desperate enough to instigate a mutiny in Beitang, even if it could be quickly suppressed, the situation would be disastrous. Most importantly, it would likely affect his image in the emperor's eyes.

"No need to be so polite, please stand up and talk." Sun Chengzong's steady voice showed no emotion.

"Thank you, Governor Sun, and thank you, Chief Sun." Li Weidong and the other four bowed again and stood up, but still kept their heads down.

"Guerrilla Li." Sun Chengzong looked at Li Weidong steadily.

"I'm here." Li Weidong's heartbeat quickened and his body temperature began to rise.

"Do you know why we came here today?" Sun Chengzong asked.

"I know." Li Weidong's decisive and sincere answer surprised Sun Chengzong. He subconsciously looked at Sun Yuerong, but saw an even more bewildered face.

"Since you know, please let Li Youji tell us." Sun Chengzong retracted his gaze and continued to stare at Li Weidong.

"Yes," Li Weidong replied, then reached for his chest and pulled out two thick booklets. "This is the roster of the Coastal Defense Battalion's active personnel, as well as records of the expenditure and storage of military pay, rations, and weapons. Currently, the Tianjin Coastal Defense Battalion has a total of 1,582 combat troops, 918 short of the authorized 2,500. We have 21 serviceable warships of various sizes, 29 short of the authorized 50. We also have 242 artillery pieces of various types."

Li Weidong recited the current situation of the Tianjin Coast Guard Battalion slowly, like a dish, and Sun Chengzong's mouth dropped open. He didn't remember ever giving Li Weidong the order to check the accounts and compile the records.

"The details are all in the book. Please review it, Governor Sun and Chief Sun." After reading it, Li Weidong knelt again, holding the book aloft in a gesture of offering with both hands. As Li Weidong knelt, Han Zhongqi, Wang Yi'e, and Xiang Shijun followed suit.

"Well, it seems you all do know." Sun Chengzong's eyes flickered. He took the two booklets and flipped through them casually. He also deliberately put away all expression on his face and asked calmly, "When were these two booklets made?"

Li Weidong had a plan in mind. "Shortly after Ma Tongzhi and Zhang Tongzhi returned to their seat after leaving Zhongwei, I heard of Governor Sun's noble act. Deeply moved, I immediately began to investigate my own shortcomings. I've been waiting for Governor Sun to summon me for questioning, so I can expose my flaws and correct my past mistakes. Today, I'm able to hand these two volumes to the Governor, which finally puts an end to a worry I've had."

"You're quite well-informed." Sun Chengzong couldn't help but hear the underlying message from Li Weidong. He patted the booklet in his hand and said with a half-smile, "Since Li Youji has already investigated his own mistakes, I assume he's already prepared a suitable defense. Speak."

Even though Li Weidong had a prepared response, he couldn't help but shudder at the words. "I've been running the camp for years, doing nothing but sitting back and doing nothing, causing the coastal defenses to erode. I dare not defend myself and am willing to accept the punishment."

"Are you really willing to accept the punishment?" Sun Yuerong interrupted in a pretentious tone.

Hearing the deliberately sharp voice of Sun Yuerong, Li Weidong got goose bumps all over his body, but he still nodded his head.

"Then come with me to the Eastern Depot's Criminal Division. There you will be punished a lot."

(End of this chapter)