Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 426 The Dilemma of the Coastal Defense Battalion
"This..." Li Weidong's pupils shrank and all the muscles in his body tightened.

Li Weidong didn't want to be punished, let alone tortured in the East Factory. All those high-sounding words he'd just said were insincere, a retreat meant to advance. He'd heard that the Left and Right Guards had been summoned to the Central Guard by Sun Chengzong and received a lighter sentence, so he'd taken the initiative to investigate and confess in hopes of receiving a lenient sentence.

As for Sun Chengzong's earlier defense, Li Weidong had indeed already thought it through. He was only promoted to Tianjin in the 45th year of the Wanli reign to supplement the coastal defense guerrillas. Before that, Li Weidong had been garrisoning Weiyuan Fort in Datong.

When Li Weidong arrived, the Tianjin Coastal Defense Battalion was in a similar state. He didn't make things worse, but simply followed the precedents of his predecessors and did what needed to be done. As for reorganizing the Coastal Defense Battalion and restoring it to the state it had been in twenty years prior when Wang Yingjiao was preparing for the Japanese invasion of Tianjin, Li Weidong hadn't even considered it. Or rather, it was simply not something a coastal defense guerrilla like him could accomplish alone, so even thinking about it was pointless.

The Coastal Defense Battalion's soldiers were primarily drawn from the military households of Tianjin's Three Guards. The Three Guards were weak in numbers, and after a round of selection, it was difficult to recruit enough strong and capable men, let alone the elderly and weak, to fill the 2,500-man quota.

Although it is reasonable to say that if the local military households are not enough to fill the camp soldiers, the problem of manpower can be solved by recruiting soldiers, but the Tianjin Coastal Defense Camp has no such budget at all.

The military expenditures of the Ming Dynasty's various camps relied primarily on two sources: local self-sufficiency and central transfers. Tianjin Garrison was so utterly destitute that the military officers of the three garrisons were unwilling to ensure that the garrison's households were well fed. They, not to mention the annexation of farmland, even the annual grain harvested from military settlements was eager to be plundered for their own use.

As for central government transfers, they did exist. Before Sun Chengzong arrived in Tianjin and established a separate governor-general's jurisdiction, Tianjin's military affairs had been under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Ji and Liao. As crucial border towns defending the capital, Ji and Liao received annual military pay from the Ministry of Revenue's Taicang Warehouse. However, Tianjin wasn't directly exposed to the enemy, and after the Japanese invasion subsided, the risk of an enemy invasion from the sea was greatly reduced. More importantly, the Ministry of Revenue allocated a fixed amount of military pay to Ji and Liao each year, capped at a few hundred thousand taels. Since the seas were calm and Tianjin was relatively peaceful, the Governor-General's Office of Ji and Liao would naturally not lavish resources on the Tianjin Coastal Defense Battalion.

To put it bluntly, even if Li Weidong and his men wanted to collect empty salaries, there wasn't much food or wages for them. If Sun Chengzong carefully read the two booklets Li Weidong gave him, he would find that based on the annual food and wages received by the Coastal Defense Battalion, it was already very good that Li Weidong could maintain the current scale.

But then again, Li Weidong was definitely not as clean and honest as the brochure made him out to be. Since they couldn't collect the empty salaries, they could also deduct food from the mouths of ordinary soldiers. The soldiers would eat less, so the generals could eat more. This was what they called "draining the blood of the soldiers." Anyway, there wasn't much fighting in Tianjin. As long as they could maintain a small, elite mobile force to ensure that the surrounding villages and towns were not invaded by large-scale bandits, they could give an account to their superiors.

Li Weidong's original plan was to create the booklet, and one day, when Sun Chengzong sent him to Zhongwei with a memorial, he would present it as he was doing now, pretending to have repented, and tactfully express his feelings, hoping to gain Governor Sun Chengzong's forgiveness. It would be best if he could keep his position like the chief officers of the left and right guards. Even if he couldn't, at least he could have achieved a respectable outcome. If he could keep his position, Governor Sun would also receive money, and he could focus on training his troops and help him build a decent army.

But plans couldn't keep up with changes. Sun Chengzong didn't just follow the instructions and send him to the Zhongwei Governor's Office to report on his work. Instead, he came in person with his model soldiers. Not only did he bring his model soldiers, but he also brought Sun Yuerong, the "Judge of the Underworld" from the East Factory.

"Hahaha!" Just when Li Weidong was so nervous that he didn't know what to say, Sun Yuerong suddenly laughed. "Li Youji, why are you silent? Do you really want to go to the East Factory?"

"No, I don't want to." Li Weidong cast a pleading look at Sun Chengzong. But Sun Chengzong did not give him any response.

"That's all, if you want to beg for mercy, just say what you should say. Why are you pretending?" Sun Yuerong rolled her eyes. "I've never seen a beggar say they don't want to eat. You're the first one."

Although Sun Yuerong's words were harsh, Li Weidong showed no resentment on his face or in his heart. As soon as Sun Yuerong finished speaking, Li Weidong put his other knee on the ground. "Please forgive me, Eunuch Sun!"

"Heh." Sun Yuerong didn't intervene, but took a half step back. "I'm not your superior, what's the point of begging me? You'd better pay your respects to Governor Sun."

"Governor Sun, please be so kind as to lend a hand to me!" Li Weidong bowed to the ground.

"Please be merciful and spare our subordinates!" Han Zhongqi, Wang Yi'e and Xiang Shijun went a step further and kowtowed directly.

Sun Chengzong didn't want to be kowtowed to by these people, especially Li Weidong. He held the rank of a third-rank military officer, higher than Sun Chengzong. Even in the modern world where civil officials controlled military officials, a third-rank official kneeling before a fourth-rank official was a serious violation of the rules. If a censor from the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of War were present, they would have written a memorial to censure Sun Chengzong that very night.

Sun Yuerong, however, hadn't considered this. Wei Zhongxian hadn't even considered the emperor having a problem with the chief officer of the Northern Pacification Division being his godson, let alone a small commander kneeling before him. He simply thought he'd earned Sun Chengzong enough face, and even smiled smugly at him, as if to claim credit.

"Alright, alright." Sun Chengzong didn't want to refuse Sun Yuerong's "good intentions," but he felt really bad about it. On a sudden impulse, he took a step to the side. This way, Li Weidong and the others were directly facing the imperial banner. They were no longer worshipping Sun Chengzong, but the Emperor. "I will report your situation to His Majesty truthfully. You will just wait for the final decision. Before that, Captain Sun and I have something to ask you." Sun Yuerong glanced at Sun Chengzong, but quickly retracted his gaze.

"Just ask your questions, my two superiors. I will tell you everything I know!" Li Weidong said hurriedly.

"The big tent has been set up. Let's go inside and talk." Sun Chengzong turned around and walked towards the central army tent.

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This was both an emergency operation and a standard marching drill. The baggage train on the left side of the battalion carried everything from basic weapons and supplies, three days' worth of rations and horse fodder, to the long table and low stools in the central army tent, the four treasures of the study, and even a map showing the governor's jurisdiction and the surrounding areas.

These things are all packaged and ready-made goods. As long as they are unloaded from the car, a camp can be built in no time.

The central military tent was located directly behind the royal banner. When everyone entered, the main table and side tables had already been set up, along with a large map showing the governor's jurisdiction and surrounding areas. However, personal guards were still busy. Some were placing the four treasures of the study on the large table, while others were arranging Sun Chengzong's armor on a wooden shelf. Sun Chengzong's armor was still the same set left by Shen Caiyu, but after being modified by military craftsmen, it was now very close-fitting and no longer bulky. Once he donned this armor, Sun Chengzong would instantly transform from a gentle and refined teacher into a majestic general.

"Everyone, go out." Sun Chengzong gave an order, and almost all the personal soldiers stopped what they were doing. Only those personal soldiers who were fiddling with armor insisted on putting all the parts of the armor on the shelves before quietly retreating.

"You go out too." Sun Chengzong raised his head at Qin Liangbi who followed in.

"Yes." Qin Liangbi was stunned, and then he retreated with the soldiers who were fiddling with armor.

Sun Chengzong went to sit behind the long table and waved to Sun Yuerong. "Master Sun, please sit down." "Thank you, Minister." Sun Yuerong bowed and thanked him.

After Sun Yuerong sat down, Sun Chengzong said again: "Master Sun, you know the situation here better, so please tell us." Li Weidong was stunned and secretly glanced at Sun Yuerong.

"That's right." Sun Yuerong bowed slightly and looked towards Li Weidong, and happened to meet Li Weidong's eyes. "Li Youji, what are you thinking about?"

"No." Li Weidong lowered his head hastily. "I didn't think anything." He was really frightened by the sight of Sun Yuerong's eunuch face that was neither smiling nor laughing.

"You'd better think about it carefully, especially when I ask you a question. It would be bad if you answer wrongly." Sun Yuerong still had a smile on his face, but his tone already carried an obvious threat.

"Yes." Cold sweat broke out on Li Weidong's forehead again.

"Has anyone come to the Nanying Fort to look for you these days?" Sun Yuerong looked at Li Weidong with a bit more scrutiny in his eyes.

Li Weidong's pupils shrank, and he hesitated to answer. Sun Yuerong was not in a hurry, and just looked at him with a smile.

This question confirmed Li Weidong's reason for Sun Yuerong's visit, but at the same time, more doubts arose in his heart. He suppressed his fear and looked up at Sun Yuerong. "To answer Master Sun, yes."

"Very good." Sun Yuerong nodded. "What's the name of the person looking for you?"

"At the beginning of the month, an officer from the Ministry of Revenue came to inform me that." Li Weidong wanted to laugh it off to test the waters, but he was interrupted by Sun Yuerong just as he opened his mouth. "Li Youji! Is this what you've been thinking about for so long?"

Li Weidong was secretly alarmed, yet also slightly delighted at having deciphered the subtleties. "Besides official business, a caravan recently visited me. I wonder if Captain Sun wants to inquire about them?"

"What do you think?" Sun Yuerong asked back casually.

"Maybe." Li Weidong swallowed his saliva and uttered a word carefully: "Yes?"

Li Weidong truly didn't want to be involved in these troublesome matters. He was so far removed from the emperor that even if he tried desperately, he couldn't grasp the slightest clue to his intentions. Without this understanding, he couldn't tell which people were secure and which were about to fall. And without knowing who was about to fall, he risked offending people he shouldn't and couldn't offend.

Even if Li Weidong were lucky enough to guess the emperor's intentions and know who was to fall, any of the intermediaries could have him dismissed or even killed. For example, with these two sitting before him, Sun Chengzong could easily change a few words in a memorial to change the meaning from defense to impeachment. Sun Yuerong was even more ruthless. Based solely on the current state of the Coastal Defense Battalion, he could openly torture Li Weidong in the prison of the Ministry of Justice.

Li Weidong understood that he had undoubtedly been dragged into this, but he couldn't grasp the emperor's will, let alone understand whether Sun Chengzong and Sun Yuerong were going to protect these people or punish them. His only certainty was that the two men before him were likely in cahoots, and he didn't need to weigh the pros and cons between them.

"Hmph." Sun Yuerong had no idea Li Weidong was so active, but even if he knew, Sun Yuerong wouldn't care. He just snorted coldly and then asked, "What are these people's names?"

"I only know that the leader is called Li Laicai." Li Weidong glanced at Sun Chengzong quickly, trying to get some information from his expression. Unexpectedly, Sun Chengzong was actually looking down at the two booklets he had presented.

"Then do you know the identity of this Li Laicai?" Sun Yuerong asked quickly.

Li Weidong didn't answer immediately, but instead bravely asked, "May I ask why Captain Sun would come to investigate such a small caravan?"

"Hey!" Sun Yuerong clearly wasn't going to give him that face. "You're questioning me back. What's my East Depot investigating, and why are you asking?" In Sun Yuerong's view, Li Weidong was a key witness and even a suspect in this case. If Sun Chengzong hadn't seemed intent on following the precedent set by the Left and Right Guards, he would have had Li Weidong arrested and tied up for interrogation, leaving him no room for questioning.

"Just answer whatever Captain Sun asks, Li Youji. If it has nothing to do with you, why think so much about it? You are hesitant and hesitant like this. Even if it has nothing to do with you, I'm afraid outsiders will think it has something to do with you." Sun Chengzong suddenly spoke.

Sun Yuerong and Li Weidong looked in the direction of the sound at the same time and found that Sun Chengzong was still flipping through the records without even raising his head.

Li Weidong took a deep breath. "I know his identity. He said he was a servant of the Wuqing Marquis Li family. He was specifically responsible for the Wuqing Marquis's business in Tianjin."

"He said he was..." Sun Yuerong found a word. "So, before this, you didn't know him?"

"I really don't know him," Li Weidong explained. "Although I share the same surname as the Marquis, we're not related. So I spent most of my life wandering around in Xuandashan West before I was able to secure a guerrilla officer position in the 45th year of the Wanli reign."

"You're lucky to have no relatives." Sun Yuerong narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Weidong intently. "Tell me, what business has he been visiting you for these days?"

(End of this chapter)