Chapter Eleven

The siege entered its third day. Encircling this modest city, tens of thousands of conscripted laborers were divided into three shifts, working tirelessly day and night to construct artillery positions for the Han army’s heavy siege guns. Progress was slow at first, hampered by a lack of iron tools and timber, but as the central cavalry units deployed, the scattered remnants of the Eight Banners—already routed by Ma Ying’s forces—were either destroyed or fled deep into the forests. The army’s rear was thoroughly cleared. Under Lin Feng’s urging, iron from Anshan and timber from Haicheng began to arrive in succession. Tens of thousands of mules and carts moved ceaselessly, and artillery platforms on every high ground by the four gates of Liaoyang were completed one after another.

A fierce artillery duel began at midnight yesterday and had raged for six hours straight. The defensive firepower and technical proficiency of Liaoyang’s artillery far exceeded Lin Feng’s expectations. According to pre-battle intelligence, Liaoyang’s defensive cannons were few in number; aside from lighter guns, there were supposedly only two heavy cannons weighing over two thousand catties. But the current situation made it clear this information was incorrect. Judging from the sudden artillery barrage last night, Liaoyang possessed at least five of the red-coated heavy cannons. The gunners operating them displayed remarkable skill and responded swiftly; in fact, at four in the morning, just after the Han army’s cannons fired three volleys, the defending artillery immediately retaliated. What was astonishing was the defenders’ precision: the first wave was for ranging, the second for adjustment, and the third struck the Han artillery position directly. Intense exchanges followed. The Han artillery’s advantage lay in numbers and their sturdy positions, while the Qing gunners, using rollers beneath their gun carriages, swiftly shifted their firing points along the broad city walls, employing agile tactics to resist fiercely.

Inside the command tent, silence reigned. None could suggest a way to quickly take the strongly fortified Liaoyang. After a long quiet, seeing his colleagues mute, Mu Tianyan, chief advisor, stepped forward with a furrowed brow and reported, “My lord, according to our agents, the only noteworthy enemy commander in Tongliao is the pseudo-Qing Prefect of Liaoyang, Shaoxing’s Yao Qisheng. But judging by the battle, it seems we have underestimated the defender.”

Lin Feng, somewhat irked, brushed aside the documents at hand and said displeased, “Weren’t you all boasting before, telling me Yao Qisheng harbors resentment against the Eight Banners, and that Cai Yurong, being a scion of the banners, is nothing but a pampered fool, a man useless in war? You said taking Liaoyang would be easy—are you ready to change your tune now?”

Mu Tianyan’s face was flushed, so embarrassed he nearly bled from shame. “Ahem… My lord, forgive me. In truth, Yao Qisheng has suffered repeated demotions by the Qing court; not long ago, this distinguished scholar was sent to tend horses at Sanhe, a considerable humiliation. With the Eight Banners short on talent, he was recalled to service, so I assumed he would not be truly committed…”

“Fine, suppose you were right about Yao Qisheng. What about Cai Yurong?” Lin Feng mocked. “Are the Eight Banners’ ‘good-for-nothings’ really this formidable? Should we resign ourselves to defeat?”

“…Ahem…” Mu Tianyan avoided Lin Feng’s mocking gaze, bowed his head, and replied, “Reporting, my lord, according to the Military Commission’s envoy, Mr. Wang, Cai Yurong is from the Han army’s Plain White Banner, a native of Fengtian. His ancestors were rewarded for meritorious service, earning him a sinecure as battalion commander. Our spies only found that he enjoys reading but dislikes archery and horsemanship, and his scholarship is mediocre—he never even passed the provincial exam—later appointed as a literary official in a military post. Thus, we thought… ahem…”

“So you all judged him incompetent?” Lin Feng sneered, both amused and exasperated. Clearly, these men, despite being officers, retained the snooty habits of scholars, always peering at others through the narrowest lens. He smiled wryly. “Ah, Hèming, you’re now a senior minister of the Han, a full colonel chief of staff, and I planned to appoint you to my side. How can your perspective be so narrow?—Oh, is it that Cai Yurong’s poor essay writing means he can’t lead troops? I truly don’t understand your reasoning. What does the ‘Comprehensive Mirror to Aid Governance’ say? ‘For generals, minute details are useless; observing the broad outlines suffices.’ That’s a lesson from the sages. Besides, history is full of those who feign weakness to hide strength. Wasn’t Lü Meng, who played the fool up front, struck hard from behind and in the end bested Guan Yu? Why can’t you all learn from that?”

“My lord, your lesson is well taken. I am ashamed and beg your forgiveness!”

“Enough, I won’t belabor the point. Just remember this in future.” Lin Feng waved his hand, changing the subject. “I called you here to discuss Liaoyang. Frankly, with our current strength, Liaoyang’s defenders number only a few thousand at most. Taking the city is no issue. But according to our strategic aims, we must reach Shenyang’s gates before the Eight Banners’ main force returns from besieging Yaksa, so we cannot waste time here, nor suffer heavy losses.” He looked around. “Gentlemen, do any of you have a good plan?”

“…”

“All right, I knew it would be quiet. Looks like our generals are shy, eh…” Lin Feng chuckled, turning to Rick. “General Rick, aside from me, you hold the highest rank here. Surely you don’t think you can remain silent?”

“Your Majesty, as a professional soldier, I must caution you—never harbor unrealistic fantasies about war. Attacking a strong fortress like this cannot be accomplished without paying a price. Romanticism is for troubadours, not for us soldiers.” Rick stood up and strode to the map at the rear of the tent, pointing at the diagram of Liaoyang with a grave expression. “Your Majesty, gentlemen, based on my observations, the fortress is a perfect square. The best point of attack is the west gate, where several small hills lie outside the walls, and the area near the walls is quite flat. This is ideal for concentrating artillery fire to provide cover, and for deploying formations. With soldiers storming downhill, they conserve energy. Therefore, I propose concentrating our heavy muzzle-loading cannons on the hills outside the west gate. Once the walls collapse, order battalions to launch successive assaults. If nothing unexpected occurs, I believe that if Your Majesty is willing to accept about three thousand casualties, we can seize Liaoyang’s defenses.”

“Three thousand?!” Lin Feng was startled. “General Rick, are you joking?” He shook his head with a bitter smile. “That is too high a price. The campaign has only begun; I can’t afford such losses.”

“Of course, I am giving a pessimistic estimate. In reality, perhaps only one to two thousand casualties would suffice for a breakthrough,” Rick admitted, somewhat embarrassed. In his experience, war was always a matter of hard fighting, and he rarely considered cunning schemes. “But it depends on how the enemy responds. As I understand it, ‘our Chinese’ cities are complex. If their commanders withdraw troops and rally civilians for street fighting, the battle could become even fiercer…”

“Urban combat is unlikely,” Mu Tianyan, who had been silent, interjected, picking up Rick’s thread. He rose and bowed respectfully to Rick. “General Rick, you may not know: cities in Liaodong are mostly wooden structures, with cramped dwellings. If the enemy continues to resist after the city falls, we can set fires on all sides. Now, with dry autumn air and strong winds, in only a few hours, we could burn out all resistance!”

Rick was taken aback, stunned for a moment before leaping from his chair, his face furious. “Colonel Mu, what are you suggesting?—Are we to kill so many civilians for victory? I—Rick Rachel, cavalry knight and major general of the Han, vehemently oppose such actions against civilians. In the name of God, gentlemen, we are professional soldiers, not filthy, evil executioners!”

Mu Tianyan was shocked, glancing at the other officers with confusion. Rick’s intense reaction caught him completely off guard. Such actions were well documented in every history book, considered legitimate since ancient times—what fault was there? But since Rick held higher rank, Mu could only bow with a forced smile, “General Rick, your correction is well taken. I was reckless…”

Rick’s expression eased, and he waved his hand. “Colonel, I must remind you: I can’t interfere with other generals, but our Guard will not carry out such vile tasks—unless I am replaced by His Majesty. As my chief of staff, you should take this principle seriously.”

Watching Rick’s impassioned stance, Lin Feng found it quite amusing. He had assumed Rick, being a former slaver and smuggler, would be a shrewd operator, but here he was, holding such Don Quixote-like ideals. No wonder he’d dared to overthrow his aristocratic superior in the past. Seeing Mu Tianyan embarrassed, Lin Feng hurried to smooth things over. “Of course, I agree such tactics are unacceptable. General Rick, Colonel Mu was only considering the problem from a purely military perspective in his role as chief of staff. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

The atmosphere was awkward. Lin Feng pinched his nose, turned to Mu Tianyan, and changed the subject. “Chief of Staff, is there any chance Yao Qisheng might surrender?”

Mu Tianyan shook his head. “If he intended to surrender, it would have happened before the siege began. He is known for his eccentric temper, and outsiders rarely can fathom his thoughts.” He smiled wryly. “But in my estimation, based on his life experience, he would not die for the pseudo-Qing after the city falls; yet he would not betray his master for gain either.”

Lin Feng had no reason to doubt this assessment. After all, Yao Qisheng and Mu Tianyan were of the same ilk; their thinking likely aligned. Judging others by oneself, the credibility was high.

After pondering for a while, and seeing no one else could offer a solution, Lin Feng waved his hand, abandoning any trickery, and gave a solemn order. “Gentlemen, my mind is made up. We will follow the plan proposed by the Imperial Guards’ Major General. All brigade commanders, immediately assemble your troops at the west gate.” He turned, “Rick, I appoint you as commander of the assault. Go and prepare at the west gate!”

After the other officers left the tent, Lin Feng called out to Mu Tianyan, “Wait a moment, Hèming.” He rose from his command chair and approached Mu Tianyan, speaking softly, “I recall that many of the conscripted laborers transporting supplies have been issued weapons?”

Mu Tianyan hesitated slightly. Due to lack of manpower, to ensure supply security, the Han army had not only assigned some regular troops as escorts but also selected able-bodied men from among the conscripted laborers, forming a militia and issuing them retired Han weapons—such as broadswords and spears. The intent was not to have them fight, but to guard against bandits or wandering remnants along the supply routes. Now, seeing Lin Feng raise the question, Mu Tianyan caught his drift and asked tentatively, “My lord… are you planning to send these militia into battle?”

Lin Feng nodded. “Precisely. Our forces are stretched thin, and we cannot waste men in a place as unimportant as Liaoyang. So I, as commander, will supplement the army with these auxiliary troops!” He glanced at Mu Tianyan. “Organize these men according to Han military regulations, assign several officers per battalion to supervise them, then send the units to the west gate under General Rick’s command.”

“Oh…” Mu Tianyan hesitated slightly. “If General Rick asks…”

“Just tell him these are our Han ‘militia units.’” Lin Feng was amused; after being rebuked, Mu Tianyan was clearly a bit jittery. Lin Feng patted him on the shoulder and laughed heartily. “Hèming, General Rick is absolutely not a rigid man who can’t adapt. You just don’t fully understand his principles yet!”

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Appendix:

Mu Tianyan, courtesy name Hèming, was from Jingning, Gansu. In the twelfth year of the Shunzhi reign, he became a jinshi and was appointed magistrate of Qiantang, Zhejiang. He was later promoted to associate magistrate of Nanning, Guangxi, and then to prefect of Xinghua, Fujian. In the ninth year of Kangxi, he was appointed road inspector of Shangjingnan in Huguang. Governor Liu Zhaoqi reported that Mu Tianyan was versed in affairs of the border and sea and requested his transfer to Xingquan Circuit, Fujian. He was subsequently promoted to finance commissioner of Jiangsu. In the twelfth year, upon his mother’s death, Governor Ma Leji and Provincial Governor Ma Hu reported: “Tianyan is honest, hardworking, and diligent. He cleared years of delinquent taxes, reorganized and relocated funds, and though the work is unfinished, please allow him to remain in office during mourning.” In the thirteenth year, he entered court and reported: “There are abuses and hidden occupancy of land and grain taxes in Jiangnan. I ordered the counties to tally land and divide it among the wards. Due to unequal levies, I established a system of collection receipts: each household receives ten tickets corresponding to their taxes, and upon payment, the ticket is marked. If overdue, the arrears are pursued, and clerks cannot deceive the people.” The measure was approved as law.

—“Draft History of Qing: Biographies, Volume 65”

Author’s Note:

Mu Tianyan is not a fictional character invented by Mr. Jin Yong. He is a real historical figure recorded in the chronicles, a prominent minister of the Kangxi era, a jinshi by examination, who served as magistrate, circuit inspector, finance commissioner, provincial governor, and director-general of canal transport—his honorary titles reached the level of deputy prime minister. Ultimately, he lost a political struggle against the aristocrat Ge Ertu and was dismissed. He was clever and adaptable, skilled at judging the times, and not only possessed high administrative ability but also knowledge of hydraulics and military logistics, with outstanding wartime achievements. Historians praise him as a “capable minister.”

Furthermore, the author will not explain the origin of such characters in future. This note on Mu Tianyan is only because he appeared prominently in Jin Yong’s “The Deer and the Cauldron,” and to avoid accusations of plagiarism, the author provides clarification.