Sweep Yuan

Chapter 35 What is the Commander?

"Deputy Commander, I'm back."

In the Chulan Station official's office, Shishan was pointing at a simple map on a table with an old station clerk whose face was full of wrinkles. Hearing Wen Sijiu's shout, he looked up and greeted him:

"Old Wen, please have a seat. Gong Wu, quickly pour Old Wen some tea."

After greeting Wen Sijiu, Shishan turned back to continue the previous topic.

"All streams, rivers, and lakes that may affect marching and traffic should be marked with the periods of high and low water levels, as well as the width and depth of the water surface. Flooded areas caused by seasonal river flooding should also be clearly marked. Is that alright?"

The old station garrison commander hesitated, not because he was worried about the task assigned by the deputy commander, but because although he had maps in his mind, he was illiterate. Drawing the maps was not a big problem, but he could only entrust the written annotations to the busy Master Sun (Sun Xun).

Shishan naturally knew the reason for the old stationkeeper's hesitation. He was now in charge of more than two thousand people (and more people had come to join him in the past few days), but he only had a handful of literate people under his command, so he could only do the work of several people.

"Don't worry about Captain Sun (Sun Xun), he will fully cooperate with you."

"Then, then I'm all set."

Accurate topographic maps are essential tools for military operations, but in this era, even the simplest map drawing can be a hurdle for many people. Shishan understood this and was not in a hurry.

"It's inevitable that one person will make mistakes when drawing a diagram. Once the diagram is finished, you should consult with a few experienced people who are familiar with the situation in these areas to make sure it's accurate!"

"The villain understands!"

Shi Shan waved to Gong Wu, who immediately understood and handed two strings of copper coins to the old stationkeeper.

Although this man was talkative, he was quick-witted. After reorganizing the troops, Shishan kept him by his side to train as a personal guard.

"The emperor doesn't starve his soldiers, and I can't let you work for nothing. Take this money first, and you'll be rewarded later when the drawing is finished!"

The old station resident, who had been enslaved for generations, had never received such treatment before. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed, tears streaming down his face with emotion.

"It is already a blessing for me to be at your beck and call, how dare I ask for your money as well?"

Shishan grabbed the old station clerk, patted him on the shoulder, and said in an unquestionable tone:
"Take it as I tell you. You've done your job well. This is your reward, not a reward. It's what you deserve. Also, calling someone 'Sir' is a Tartar tradition. We Han people have rebuilt the empire, so we must eliminate this bad Tartar habit. Remember that?"

"I've got it, I've got it."

After seeing off the profusely grateful old stationman, Shishan turned around and looked at Wen Sijiu with a smile.

"Old Wen, you must be tired from this trip. How are Marshal Li and General Zhao?"

Knowing that Shi Shan was not most concerned about the health of the Xuzhou high-ranking officials, Wen Sijiu went straight to the point and reported on the gains of the trip.

"Marshal Li and General Zhao were very satisfied with the deputy commander's intentions, and they also asked me to bring back twelve sets of leather armor, twenty ox-horn bows, and fifty sets of swords, spears, and rattan shields."

In addition, the Marshal also instructed me to inform the deputy commander to prepare for a joint attack on Suzhou with Generals Peng and Zhao.

Shishan was indeed only concerned with Li and Zhao's attitude towards him, rather than the specific process of handling the matter. He also did not care that Wen Sijiu deliberately referred to him as "Deputy Commander of a Thousand Households" appointed by Li, and directly asked about the upcoming battle.

When will the troops be deployed?

"General Zhao didn't say the exact time, but I estimate it should be in the next few days." Shi Shan has been expanding and reorganizing his troops since he started, and his training is severely lacking. He is not suitable for going out to attack cities, but that's how rebellion is. Everyone is pushed along by the situation. You want to catch your breath, but the enemy wants your life.

Given that military operations at that time often took years or months to prepare, the fact that Sesame Li planned to launch another attack after only half a month of troop reorganization after capturing Xuzhou is definitely a case of "speed is of the essence in war," and his preparations in all aspects were certainly seriously inadequate.

However, Xuzhou is located at the hub of the Grand Canal and its position is extremely important. No matter how slow the Yuan Dynasty court is to react, it cannot allow this place to fall for a long time. If the Red Turban Army does not take the initiative to attack, it will be met with a fierce counterattack from the government troops.

For Shi Shan, sending troops to Suzhou would give him a better chance to escape the trap of Xuzhou. Participating in the Battle of Suzhou would be both serving Zhima Li and saving himself, so naturally he wouldn't be unhappy about it.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual on Shi Shan's face, Wen Sijiu breathed a sigh of relief and added:
"Also, some of the elite soldiers in the city envy the old brothers who won battles with the deputy commander and received rewards. They also want to join the deputy commander. I took it upon myself to accept them all and have brought them over."

Shi Shan did not criticize Wen Sijiu for acting on his own initiative, but instead asked cheerfully:

"That's great! How many people are there?"

There were thirty-two people in total.

Ishiyama did not doubt the origins of these soldiers, and then inquired:
"where is it?"

"They're all in the storage yard, waiting for the deputy commander to make arrangements."

After Sesame Li occupied Xuzhou, he expanded his army on a large scale. Most of the able-bodied men in the city who were "suitable" had already been selected, and the remaining men had one problem or another.

But those who are still willing to leave the city to join us at this point are themselves acknowledging Shishan's reputation. Regardless of their overall qualities, they deserve to be given a way out.

Shishan immediately arranged where these people would go.

"Gong Wu, go find Commander Chang and arrange accommodations and meals for these new brothers. I'll go see them once I'm done here."

"Order!"

Commander?
Another new position!

Unable to contain his curiosity and annoyance, Wen Sijiu took the initiative to inquire about the reorganization of the team.

"Deputy commander of a thousand households, what kind of position is a commander?"

"You're really good at keeping your cool," Shi Shan chuckled inwardly. Wen Sijiu clearly knew that the team had been reorganized during the time he was away from Chulan, yet he had pretended to be confused in front of him for so long.

However, it was indeed somewhat unethical to send the "supervisor" away to reorganize the troops. He did not yet have the ability or plan to break away from the Xuzhou Red Turban Army and become independent, so he still had to explain to Wen Sijiu what needed to be explained.

"Our forces have expanded too quickly, and we are severely lacking in weaponry and training. We may be able to fight well when we have a large number of men, but if we encounter a tough opponent, our true strength will be revealed immediately."

In this respect, we are no different from the rabble that the White-Eyed King pulled out; to put it bluntly, we are all just a mob.

On that day, if that corrupt official hadn't tried to intimidate us by relying on his superior numbers, even if he had cowered in the station and fought cowardly, it would have been hard to say who would have won or lost. We can't expect our enemies to always be fools, can we?
Therefore, during these few days of rest, I reorganized the team.

You've spent more time with the Marshal and General Zhao, and your experience far surpasses ours. We need your advice to see if there are any flaws in this reorganization.”

The team had already been reorganized, so the phrase "please consult me" was just a polite remark. However, Wen Sijiu still pricked up his ears, afraid of missing any important information.

(End of this chapter)