Sweep Yuan

Chapter 39 Naming the Red Heart Camp

Yellow dust obscured the sun on the official road from Xuzhou to Suzhou, banners fluttered like a forest, and the sound of horses' hooves made the withered branches along the roadside rustle. The force making such a commotion was none other than the Xuzhou Red Turban Army, which was heading south to attack Suzhou.

Ahead of the main army, a group of soldiers carrying red flags and wearing red robes had already lined up, waiting to join the marching ranks. This was the army of Shishan, who had been ordered to come and participate in the battle.

This time, Shishan took the first and second infantry battalions and twenty cavalrymen with him, while leaving the complete supply battalion, most of the cavalry, and the understaffed third infantry battalion in Chulan.

The reason is simple—the crops planted by the households near Zhanchi have ripened and cannot be abandoned.

The slanting sunlight was a bit dazzling. Following the direction Shi Shan pointed, Peng Erlang shaded his eyes with his hand, stared intently for a few moments, and then turned around, nodding with satisfaction to the deputy commander who had come several miles alone to greet him.

"Very good, Deputy Commander Shi has trained excellent soldiers!"

Ishiyama, well aware of his own limitations and knowing the true state of his newly assembled force (only half a month old), dared not accept the praise of being a "well-trained soldier" and immediately replied sincerely:

"It's just a show to fool the Tartars; it won't meet the standards of the two generals."

Zhao Jun had fought Shi Shan several times in private without gaining the upper hand, but he was unwilling to see the little rascal get away with it so easily. He took over the conversation, pointed to the red army formation ahead, and teased:
"Deputy Commander Shi is courageous and resourceful, skilled in both warfare and troop training, but he's just too dishonest. Your performance isn't just for show; to us, it's all very impressive, nothing special!"

During the Spring and Autumn Period, after King Fuchai of Wu led his army to successively defeat the states of Yue, Lu, and Qi, he continued his advance northwest, planning to defeat the then strongest state of Jin in one fell swoop and become the hegemon among the feudal lords.

Unexpectedly, at the crucial stage of the standoff between the Wu and Jin armies, the Yue Kingdom, which had already submitted to Wu, suddenly launched a rebellion. With the main force of Wu heading north and its interior left vulnerable, Wu was caught off guard and was driven all the way to the capital city of Gusu by the Yue army.

With their stronghold attacked and their supply lines cut off, the news of this disruption will surely throw Wu's army into chaos.

The situation is critical; the struggle for supremacy can no longer continue. We must lead our troops back to the country as soon as possible to quell the rebellion.

However, Fuchai was an experienced military strategist and knew that although the Jin state was in decline, it still had strength. Retreating under the nose of the Jin army was extremely dangerous, and the slightest mistake could turn the retreat into a major defeat. Therefore, he decided to advance as a way of retreating.

He selected 30,000 elite soldiers, divided them into three large formations of white, red, and black, and secretly marched to a point one mile in front of the Jin army camp overnight.

At this time, the Jin army had not yet reformed its military system and still retained some old etiquette for grand battles. Although they arranged for guards that night, they only extended them to the vicinity of their own camps and were completely unaware of the Wu army's large-scale operation.

It wasn't until dawn the next day that the Jin army discovered the Wu army had gotten right under their noses. They were amazed by the Wu army's execution and discipline, and were greatly alarmed by the orderly formation that looked "like fire," "like raging flames," and "like ink."

At that time, the State of Jin was also beset by internal and external troubles, and its hegemony was no longer a reality.

Marquis Jin knew that if he could not give King Fuchai an explanation immediately and instead had to confront the formidable Wu army head-on, both sides would suffer heavy losses. Therefore, he made a blood oath alliance with Fuchai, which gave rise to the idiom "as fierce as fire".

Zhao Junyong had once aspired to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations and had some knowledge of classics, history, and military strategy. At this moment, he used the phrase "in full swing" to describe the Shishan troops, who were all dressed in bright red uniforms, which was somewhat fitting for the occasion.

However, Fuchai secretly set up three large formations in front of the Jin army camp at night, aiming to "flex his muscles" and force the Jin ruler to acknowledge Wu's hegemonic status, thus facilitating his withdrawal. Shishan, on the other hand, obeyed orders to attack Suzhou under the command of Peng Erlang and Zhao Junyong. He even went alone to the central army to meet Peng and Zhao, leaving his troops to line up by the roadside to join the main army, displaying considerable respect.

Zhao Jun's use of "in full swing" to describe Shi Shan's troops was clearly ill-intentioned.

After exchanging gifts following the Battle of Chulan, Shi and Zhao appeared to have reconciled, but in reality, the form and tactics of their struggle had escalated. Shi Shan couldn't believe that Zhao Jun, being poorly educated and prone to pedantry, had misused the allusions.

“I’m illiterate and don’t understand what General Zhao is talking about, such as fire and earth. I just feel that since we’ve joined the Red Army (the Red Army and the Xiang Army were both nicknames for the Red Turban Army at the time), we have to be red from head to toe.”

The White Lotus Rebellion in Xuzhou was still in its early stages and was in dire need of manpower, so a stable and united internal environment was urgently required.

Shi Shan was capable and willing to "show loyalty," and the head of the gang, Sesame Li, had already decided to give him free rein. In front of Peng Erlang, Zhao Junyong knew he couldn't afford to completely destroy Shi Shan, so seeing that he was sensible, he smiled and said:

"The Marshal specifically asked me to inform Deputy Commander Shi that he has received your message and Marshal Li is very satisfied! Actually, you don't need to be red from head to toe, just this part—is enough!"

As Zhao Jun spoke, he pointed to his chest, implying that Shi Shan should not try anything funny in front of him.

Shi Shan cursed inwardly that this old fox was really troublesome, always trying to set a trap for him. But now was the crucial moment for him to accumulate strength and gradually break free from the control of the Red Turban Army. He couldn't afford to be impulsive and ruin things.

"If it weren't for the trust and guidance of Marshal Li and the other generals, I would have died on the walls of Xuzhou long ago. How could I have had the opportunity to lead so many troops? I am loyal to the country and my heart is with the country. It is all my duty!"

"Good job, red body and red heart, very good! In my opinion, your troops should be called the Red Heart Battalion."

Although he knew that Zhao Jun had deliberately set a trap for him with the name of the camp, Shi Shan still happily took advantage of the situation.

"Thank you, General Zhao, for bestowing this name upon us! From now on, we will be called the Red Heart Battalion."

Zhao Jun, who was standing next to the bearded Peng Erlang, had remained silent. Watching these two cunning individuals, one old and one young, playfully banter and scheme in front of him, he grew rather displeased. He then followed their lead and retorted:
"Old Zhao, I don't like this about you. You're always spouting nonsense, all this talk about being red and white-hearted. If you don't trust Deputy Commander Shi, why don't you let him lead his men to the top of the city wall first and prove whether he's truly red from head to toe?"

Since giving up on the imperial examinations, Zhao Junyong had consciously made friends with heroes from all walks of life. He had a good reputation in the martial arts world and was also a trusted strategist of Sesame Li. Under normal circumstances, he should have been the second leader of the Red Turban Army.

However, after the uprising in Xiao County, his position was always after Peng Erlang, because Lao Peng "invested with his own capital".

Firewood, rice, oil, and salt—firewood is the most important commodity. Peng Erlang's ability to monopolize the firewood business in Xiao County shows he's no ordinary person, and his reputation in Xiao County is higher than that of the two wealthy country folk, Sesame Li and Zhao Junyong.

Peng and Zhao appeared amicable on the surface, but they were constantly vying for power behind the scenes. When Zhao Jun saw Peng Erlang interrupting, he suspected that the other party was up to no good. Unsure of Peng's intentions, he passed the buck to Shishan.

"General Peng is right! Deputy Commander Shi, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)