GBP Chapter 131 Negotiation
Chapter 131 Negotiation
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Seeing that his master still harbored a glimmer of hope, He Chengzong analyzed, "After Governor He crossed the sea, he only sent back one battle report, saying that the bandits were holding their stronghold and the army had suffered considerable casualties. He also requested the governor to allocate more cannons. If the battle had gone smoothly, there would have been a constant stream of victories, but since no news has come back, it's likely that things are going badly. The fact that the bandits were able to reach the walls of Guangzhou means that their stronghold is safe, and their army has most likely been defeated..."
Yu Baocheng remained silent, but in his heart he had already accepted He Chengzong's analysis. If He Rubin had led the elite Guangdong government troops to defeat, how could a group of able-bodied men and the small force of Xu Ting possibly drive away the bandits outside the city?
After thinking for a long time, he said reluctantly, "Could we really agree to their unreasonable demands? We can probably negotiate the price of the silver, but 100,000 taels is too much, and the treasury doesn't have that much silver. If it were 30,000 to 50,000 taels, we could get some from the merchants in the city. But the matter of sealing off their shops was handled by the governor, so how could I dare to make the decision on my own? As for the matter of withdrawing the troops, only the governor can make that decision."
He Chengzong sighed, "We can only wait for the Governor's reply. However, if the bandits continue to bombard us like this, you, the Prefect, will certainly not escape responsibility, and the Governor will not fare well either. This whole affair started because of his reckless use of force, and someone in the court will surely impeach him."
"Yes, when the sky falls, the tallest people should hold it up first. Who told him to suppress bandits and end up with such a menace..."
At this moment, a new round of shelling began, and the booming explosions echoed through the city once more. Yu Baocheng jumped up and shouted, "Someone, quickly send a message to the Governor-General's office and tell the Governor-General about the bandits' demands."
Zhaoqing, Governor's Office.
Wang Zunde held the urgent report from the Guangzhou prefect, his face ashen. Whether the army had been defeated remained to be verified, but there was no doubt that the enemy was at the city gates. Moreover, the so-called exploding shells that supposedly flew over the city walls and exploded inside the city terrified him. This method of warfare completely overturned the previous siege models—no matter how high the city walls were, they could not stop the enemy's artillery fire. The soldiers and civilians in the city were filled with panic. There was no point in holding out; they could only fight outside the city. So what use were the city defenses?
He summoned Lü Yizhong and Li Xijue to discuss the matter. Lü Yizhong cautiously suggested, "If Commander He is truly defeated, then Guangdong will have no troops left to use. Perhaps... we should appease the rebels?"
Wang Zunde shook his head: "As the Governor-General of the Three Borders, Yang He was responsible for suppressing the bandits, but he tried to appease them instead of suppressing them, and almost ended up being beheaded at Caishikou. How can I repeat the same mistake?"
Li Xijue, observing the host's expression, saw that the host was unwilling to appease him, so he put on a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor: "The bandits are so arrogant, how can we make peace with them? We should strictly order the prefect of Guangzhou to join forces with the coastal defense commander to muster troops and go out of the city to meet the enemy, drive away the bandits, and relieve Guangzhou's predicament."
Lu Yizhong scoffed. He Rubin's large army had already been defeated, so how could the small force in Guangzhou possibly disperse the bandits? It's easy for you to talk when you're not in the situation. If you're so capable, why don't you go and do it yourself?
However, Wang Zunde's inclination was obvious, and he naturally could not go against his wishes. He could only offer a tactful reminder: "The troops in Guangzhou are insufficient. If we recruit civilians to defend the city, it might be feasible, but going out of the city to meet the enemy..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Zunde understood that a group of temporary workers might be able to throw stones on the city wall, but if they went out into the open, they would probably collapse at the first touch.
He stood up and said in a deep voice, "Since the thieves claim that everything started because of me, how can I stand aside? No matter how we resolve the predicament in Guangzhou, I cannot hide in Zhaoqing and issue orders. Men, prepare the carriage; I am going to Guangzhou to take charge personally."
Outside Guangzhou, after several rounds of shelling, darkness fell. Shi Ying consulted Liu Ye about whether to retreat to the ship or set up camp where they were.
"These mortars are too difficult to handle, and it's too much trouble to move them back and forth, so we'll just camp on the spot."
Lin San cautioned, "What if there's a night attack in the city? We should probably take precautions."
"Precautions are necessary. Everyone should sleep fully clothed, with guns always on their backs and cannons always at hand. We should assign people to take turns on guard duty. However, I don't believe that the city has the capability to launch a night raid. Wang Zunde might be able to if he were in the city, but their elite troops have all gone to Qiongzhou. They might have the desire, but not the guts."
Lin San continued, "The food we brought on this trip is only enough for a few days. Should we procure more food from villages and towns along the Pearl River?"
Liu Ye shook his head: "We're here to bombard Guangzhou, not to be bandits. The supplies are easy to obtain; we'll ask the Guangzhou prefect for them tomorrow."
Lin San and the others were puzzled, but Liu Ye was so certain that they could only wait until tomorrow to find out.
As night deepened, the guards lit bonfires, sat around them with their rifles, and the gunners sat on the ground beside their cannons. Sentinels were stationed all around to keep watch. In the distance, the warships anchored in the White Goose Pond hung lanterns, echoing the firelight on their side. Torches were lit all over the opposite city wall, illuminating it as if it were daytime. Figures moved back and forth, seemingly preparing for a night raid by the guards, showing no sign of launching an attack.
The first night passed in mutual wariness.
The next day, He Chengzong came over early in the morning before Liu Ye and his men fired their cannons.
"Less silver? No way. I've spent a lot of money on food and supplies for the people and horses on this journey. Just the cannonballs alone cost a lot of silver. Do you know how much silver a single exploding shell costs? Besides, when Wang Zunde sealed my shop, my losses were no less than 100,000 taels. I didn't ask for 200,000 taels, which is already quite generous of me." Liu Ye refused outright upon hearing his purpose.
He Chengzong was quite annoyed. The governor's decision to seal up your shop was the governor's business, what did it have to do with my boss? However, he couldn't voice these thoughts.
"Then I will go back and relay this to the Prefect. In addition, the conditions you proposed are all under discussion. Could we please stop firing the cannons for now to prevent the people in the city from suffering?"
Liu Ye looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle and replied leisurely, "I am not someone who kills innocent people indiscriminately. I was forced into it by Wang Zunde. Here's what we'll do: I have a little over a thousand men, plus a few hundred on the ship. You can ask the prefect to prepare three days' worth of food for two thousand men and send them out of the city. In return, I will not fire the cannon for three days."
He Chengzong's spirits lifted; this was a pretty good result. After taking his leave and preparing to return to the city, Liu Ye added from behind, "You must give me an answer in three days. Otherwise, I'll fire the cannons for three days straight, and I won't rest until your prefect and Governor-General Wang are stripped of their official robes!"
Upon hearing this, He Chengzong staggered and left in a disheveled state.
In the prefectural government office, Yu Baocheng listened to He Chengzong's message and sighed, "It seems this prefect's term is coming to an end." He waved his hand helplessly, "First, send the bandits three days' worth of food from the treasury. Let's make sure they don't fire the cannons for the next few days."