Chapter Nineteen

Chen Menglei explained in detail, making it clear that his intelligence network had not been dormant through the winter.

“As for the Cao brothers’ troops, they truly are a case of ‘official oppression forcing the people to rebel.’ The three brothers were originally tenant farmers of the Zhu family, working a few acres of dry land, sometimes hunting or gathering firewood from the mountains to supplement their living. Life was terribly hard; the eldest, over thirty, still hadn’t managed to marry. After the Three Feudatories rose up, the Qing court scoured Liaodong for their remnants. The Zhu family was implicated and their property confiscated, and the brothers lost their tenancy. That alone wouldn’t have driven them to rebellion, but then the Qing’s general in Fengtian, Dakema, made a foolish move: not only did he confiscate the property, he also ordered the arrest and exile of these tenants to serve as slaves for Bannermen. With no way out, the brothers could only gather the villagers and rise up,” Chen Menglei said with a smile. “The rest, as you might guess—the spark became a wildfire. Once they took up arms, supporters flocked in from all sides, and with our Han army closing in from the front and the wild tribes of Russia harassing from behind, the Qing troops couldn’t cope. That’s how these men became a force in their own right!”

“Oh? ...That doesn’t sound quite right, does it?” Lin Feng shook his head in doubt, eyeing Chen Menglei. “Are you telling me there aren’t any former soldiers of the Three Feudatories among these volunteers?”

“There certainly are, but not in the way you’d think,” Chen Menglei glanced at Lin Feng, then lowered his head and carefully rebutted, “After Wu Sangui and the others rose to power, the officers and men closest to them all followed them south. My lord, as you know, the north is harsh and the people struggle to survive. After the Shunzhi era, many distant relatives moved south to join old friends. Those left in the north aren’t close to Wu’s troops. Among the volunteers, many have some connection to the Three Feudatories, but most simply worked their land. Few truly followed them into battle, and those with any real ties are extremely rare.”

“Damn!” Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then cursed resentfully, thinking that Wang Shirong had tricked him again. Before he could ask more, Chen Menglei continued, “Still, raising Wu Sangui’s banner does have some effect! My lord, you must know: during the entire Qing dynasty, Liaodong produced four non-royal feudal kings, all renowned for their wealth and status. Wu Sangui has now declared himself emperor. The people of Liaodong covet and admire this, so when we approached them in the name of the Great Zhou, both Ma Daganzi and the Cao brothers showed some interest.”

“So there’s hope then? Still, you don’t look very optimistic,” Lin Feng said with a casual smile, feeling a little more at ease, though in truth, he took the matter seriously. He had invested heavily in Liaodong’s volunteers this winter, trying to win over these anti-Qing allies. Just Wang Dahai’s unit alone had received sixteen thousand shi of grain, five hundred carts of horse feed, and plenty of charcoal from Shanhaiguan during the coldest days. Beyond these official accounts, Chen Menglei’s secret service had moved east in force, Han spies running rampant across Liaodong, handing out silver to anyone they met—if this investment didn’t pay off, it’d be a colossal loss.

“My lord…” Chen Menglei’s expression changed; suddenly he dropped to his knees. “This servant is incompetent… I’ve squandered the money and failed in my mission…” He kowtowed repeatedly. “I came here today to confess and accept punishment…”

Lin Feng was startled, and after a moment’s shock, hurriedly rose to help him up. “Zhezhen, what are you doing? You’ve been with me from the very beginning, risking your life at my side—what could be so serious?” He pulled Chen Menglei up, brushing the dust from his coat and laughing lightly, “So they won’t accept our offer? So what? If they refuse, I’ll just roll over them with cannon—let’s see how they like that!”

“My lord is magnanimous, but I am ashamed!” Chen Menglei replied gratefully. “But it’s not that they’re unwilling to submit...”

Lin Feng was taken aback.

Chen Menglei shivered involuntarily and quickly closed his mouth.

Lin Feng paced for a while, then suddenly pointed at Chen Menglei, “If I agree to their terms, what will they do for us? And if I refuse, what then?”

“If my lord agrees, they promise to hold Liaodong for us, not letting a single Qing soldier through…”

“Nonsense!” Lin Feng snorted. “How many Qing troops are even left in Liaodong? I’m not afraid of them; in fact, I’m planning to go hunt them down!”

“If my lord refuses, then... then... Ma Daganzi threatens to raise an army at Shanhaiguan…”

“Ridiculous! Do I look like someone who can be cowed? Does he think my cannons are...?” Lin Feng cursed in anger, but suddenly stiffened as if struck by a brick. He slowly turned to Chen Menglei, his voice hoarse, “So what he means is...”

Chen Menglei’s face was deathly pale, his voice rough. “Exactly, my lord. They’re after us—they have their eyes on our refugees.”

A chill ran through Lin Feng. The danger he’d most feared and dreaded was now at hand.

“In my view, if this is to be resolved, we must start with Ma Daganzi,” Lin Feng said after a long pause. “The Cao brothers are grassroots folk; in these few months they haven’t had time to amass real power and likely have little ambition. I think they represent the local people of Liaodong, who, after suffering repeated oppression, don’t trust our Han government. But they also lack the courage to defy authority forever. Right now, they’re just stalling for time and trying to get whatever benefits they can.”

“Perhaps… you are right, my lord!” Chen Menglei nodded. “When we sent people to negotiate, the Cao brothers seemed to have no real opinions of their own. Most of the conditions I mentioned were actually raised by Ma Daganzi first, and the Cao brothers just echoed them—they’re clearly following his lead and don’t want to stand out.”

“So then you need to analyze—why are they doing this?” Lin Feng smiled. “Because they haven’t truly decided to rebel to the end. Ma Daganzi has a fearsome reputation as a bandit, so they’re genuinely afraid of him. Even though the Cao brothers seem stronger, I suspect they couldn’t beat Ma Daganzi in a fight.”

“Oh? Then, in your opinion, will the Cao brothers be swallowed up by Ma Daganzi?” Chen Menglei was startled and asked tentatively.

“Sigh… Zhezhen, we deal in politics—you can’t be too naive or rigid!” Lin Feng shook his head with a wry smile at Chen Menglei’s confusion. “Being afraid and being controlled are two very different things. The people of Liaodong fear Ma Daganzi’s violence, so they put up with him. But if he goes too far, the Cao brothers won’t be polite. There’s a line—if he doesn’t cross it, they’ll give him face for the sake of peace. But if he does, it’ll end in total ruin for both sides.”

Chen Menglei suddenly understood. He bowed deeply and said, “You are truly insightful, my lord—Menglei is enlightened!”

“Heh, Zhezhen, don’t flatter me. This is human nature, not some great talent,” Lin Feng said with self-deprecation. “That’s why I think, if we deal with Ma Daganzi, the Cao brothers won’t have the nerve to incite hundreds of thousands to pillage their own homeland. The real issue lies with those bandits.”

“Oh?…” Chen Menglei looked surprised, frowning as he carefully objected, “My lord, perhaps you underestimate the Cao brothers. They might appear ordinary, but who’s to say they don’t have the ambition of a Li Zicheng or Zhang Xianzhong?”

“No, no! You have to analyze each case specifically—we can’t be dogmatic!” Lin Feng said, waving off Chen Menglei’s confusion. “If Li Zicheng had always stayed in Mizhi County, never roaming far, he’d never have become the rebel king. Peasant rebellions usually happen when life becomes truly unbearable. Honestly, their hopes and demands are very modest. Zhezhen, don’t always assume everyone is vying for the throne. Think about it: the Qing army has basically lost control of Liaodong, the government’s fallen, even the landlords have been executed. If the Cao brothers suddenly tell the villagers, ‘Let’s go conquer the world—fortune favors the bold, glory awaits those who venture far!’—do you think these peasants would rather risk everything or just go back to their simple lives?”

Chen Menglei’s thoughts were muddled. After a while, he managed a bitter smile. “Then… what about Ma Daganzi?”

“Ma Daganzi is a hero!” Lin Feng declared emphatically. Seeing Chen Menglei’s skeptical look, he patiently explained, “Don’t look down on his background. He may have come from the greenwood, but he’s always lived by the sword. Times have changed—once, a sword could earn silver; now, it can win kingdoms, even an emperor’s throne. Why wouldn’t he take a shot at it?”

These words seemed to shake Chen Menglei to the core. He stood dazed for a long time, finally stammering, “…So he really is…”

“Of course he’s a hero! In a contest for power, there are no qualifications—outlaws are just professional soldiers, like myself. We both have territory and armies; what makes me any different?” Lin Feng laughed. “As you said, he’s playing politics—demanding money and grain, trying to expand his forces, threatening us with refugees. These are all political tactics.”

“Then…” Seeing Lin Feng raise his estimation of their foe, Chen Menglei’s face grew even more troubled, knowing that, ultimately, this situation was the result of his own shortcomings. He said anxiously, “What does my lord intend to do about him?”

“If he’s a hero, then I must meet him!” Lin Feng said, trying to sound relaxed as he patted Chen Menglei on the shoulder. “This world is always big fish eating little fish. I have to make things clear to him—he shouldn’t hope for emperor or king, but a duke or marquis might be possible, depending on his judgment.”

Chen Menglei almost couldn’t stand. He said, trembling, “You intend to meet him in person? My lord, your safety is vital—surely this is too risky?”

“It’s worth it. Life is business, after all. Think about it,” Lin Feng counted on his fingers, “Ma Daganzi has six thousand elite cavalry, the Cao brothers five thousand—together, ten thousand horsemen. That’s a business worth risking everything for!”

“…”

“That’s settled then—Zhezhen, don’t look so grim. Lighten up!” Lin Feng smiled. “Send word to that fellow: this commander invites him for a drink at the Twentieth Pavilion outside Shanhaiguan. If he has any guts, let him come face to face—if not, then forget it!”