Chapter 100: I Come from Yan'an

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The former granary chief’s house on Cliffhead Mountain.
Three sentry chiefs and sixteen squad leaders squeezed into the largest room, packed like sardines with not even an inch to spare.
Liu Chengzong sat cross-legged on the kang platform, his gaze sweeping over each face before taking a deep breath. He flipped open the ledger used as a notebook for the Yan Shui Pass accounts and said, “A few days ago, I asked all of you to inquire with the platoon leaders and sergeants about the gains and losses at the Battle of Yan Shui Pass. What were the results?”
The squad leaders all looked toward the sentry chiefs.
Currently, the structure of the Mule Company was led by Liu Chengzong, consisting of three sentry posts and one squad, with over five hundred men in total.
The three sentries were Feng Rang’s left sentry, Gao Xian’s right sentry, and Cao Yao’s artillery sentry, each overseeing five squads.
The one squad was the light cavalry led by Wei Qian’er, primarily composed of excellent light cavalrymen, though lacking in specialized knowledge.
Feng Rang remained silent, and Gao Xian spoke first: “The right sentry’s squads suffered nearly fifty percent casualties and desertions. Though we supplemented with surrendered government soldiers, morale is low.”
Cao Yao nodded in agreement: “I’ve been training the surrendered troops these past few days, but they were mortal enemies not long ago. Expecting them to teach one another is not easy. If I may give my opinion, we should avoid night battles in the future.”
Liu Chengzong took notes of their words, then turned to Feng Rang and Wei Qian’er.
Wei Qian’er quickly waved his hand: “We lost seventeen brothers, but the leader kept his word—we didn’t starve to death. While alive, we ate our fill and weren’t mistreated. Running around wasn’t as exhausting as before. That’s enough.”
His words provoked laughter among the group, and Liu Chengzong laughed as well: “The cavalry brothers have modest demands. Looks like from now on, recruitment must meet this standard—ensuring death only comes by fate.”
Everyone laughed again before Liu Chengzong addressed Feng Rang: “Brother Rang, if you have any thoughts, speak up.”
“I, I just think that at Yan Shui Pass...”
Feng Rang hesitated, meeting Liu Chengzong’s expectant gaze. After much thought, he finally said, “I believe the leader’s arrangement was poor. The capture and bombardment should have been left to the artillery sentry. The left sentry suffered few casualties but didn’t accomplish much; the artillery sentry acted as infantry and suffered heavy casualties and desertions.”
At once, smiles that hadn’t yet faded froze, even the usually playful Cao Yao glared at Feng Rang.
Only after Feng Rang lowered his head under the stare did Cao Yao turn to Liu Chengzong and say, “Rang doesn’t mean it that way.”
Liu Chengzong was the leader of the Lion Company. At this moment, the room wasn’t just filled with old comrades but outsiders as well.

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Among the three sentries, four or five squad leaders were promoted from surrendered soldiers. They were merely scraping by, with no real sense of belonging.
If Feng Rang’s words undermined the leader’s authority, the consequences would be worse.
And Feng Rang was one of Liu Chengzong’s old subordinates.
Cao Yao feared this might affect Liu Chengzong’s opinion of him.
Liu Chengzong remained silent, and no one else spoke. The atmosphere rapidly stiffened.
Only Wei Qian’er looked around with wide eyes, relaxed and even slightly amused.
He thought to himself: The leader’s tolerance is much broader than the Yellow River.
With his sharp tongue, Wei Qian’er had often been targeted at the courier station, yet within the Lion Company, even after openly scolding Liu Chengzong during their time guarding the station, he faced no discrimination.
Such treatment was unprecedented in his life.
“Brother Cao, don’t think too much of me. It’s nothing.”
Liu Chengzong said nothing, lost in thought. After a while, he nodded: “Yes, Brother Rang is right. If we had let the artillery sentry lead the charge, our gunners would have gained experience in battle.”
He admitted, “This is my fault. I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Liu Chengzong earnestly made a note of this, then turned to Cao Yao: “But I don’t think night battles are the biggest issue. On the day of Yan Shui Pass, the government troops were also in chaos.”
He said, “But they quickly reorganized, while many of ours simply scattered and never returned after the battle.”
Cao Yao waved his hand with a smile: “They’re accustomed to fleeing. Good riddance. Those who like to run off are gone. As long as we avoid night battles, we can fight tougher battles.”
The Battle of Yan Shui Pass was a natural selection for the Mule Company. Afterward, few of the old bandits from Yellow Dragon Mountain remained.
Those bandits had been the lowest among the old Hui troops. Unable to keep up, they dispersed—some fled from Yan’an Prefecture, others from Yan Chuan.
Liu Chengzong rationally agreed with Cao Yao’s view.

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“In fact, reorganizing the troops in Shanxi was my idea from the moment I crossed the Yellow River. Our current composition is excellent, mainly formed from the garrison banner troops, rapid relay station soldiers, courier station attendants, and border soldiers. We have all the necessary weapons and armor, over five hundred men with mule and horse transport, and enough provisions to last twenty days.”
At this point, Liu Chengzong shifted his focus: “But there are many problems. We have over a hundred wounded, both lightly and severely injured. Casualties from the previous battle have lowered morale; the newly joined border soldiers struggle to integrate. And I’m not asking the squad leaders to wave their hands—everyone knows this. We must identify problems and solve them. I want everyone to speak openly.”
Smiling at the squad leaders from Yan Shui Pass and the Jingbian border troops, Liu Chengzong continued: “Also, as Cao said earlier about avoiding night battles... brothers, we are building an army from nothing.”
With enthusiasm, Liu Chengzong rose from the kang and spread his arms wide: “Where this army goes, its military system, discipline, equipment, and strength—all relate to each person’s life and death. Ask yourselves: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?”
Those in the room glanced around but had no answers.
Cao Yao said, “Leader, whether it’s the Lion Company or the Mule Company, you built it... I don’t even know where I’m going, and you expect us to say where we want to go?”
This was not philosophy but simply a goal.
The people laughed. Few in the world have a goal, and of those who do, how many can steadfastly pursue it?
Most simply choose a way of survival, or not even that—they drift with the current.
Six qian of silver a month to scrape by, two taels a month to live comfortably—that’s just staying alive.
“Don’t know?” Liu Chengzong scanned the room. “I’ll tell you: the inspectors, militia, banner troops, and government soldiers all want our lives. We are enemies of the court. The court is far more powerful than any of us imagine.
To survive, we must combine our strengths and exploit the government troops’ weaknesses. If they march sixty li a day, we must march eighty; if they carry three days’ rations, we must carry six; if they slack off, we must stay alert; if they plunder the people, we must not harm a hair of a single soul and instead help the people.
There are tales of the few overcoming the many, but who among you has seen the weak defeat the strong?”
Liu Chengzong shook his head. Between individuals, the weak might overcome the strong, but between the tightest organizations, the weak defeating the strong is mere fairy tale.
He believed victory must be backed by something.
“We will survive by standing with the poor and downtrodden of the world, opposing the court, and ultimately winning. I am Liu Chengzong, from Yan’an, and I am bound for Beijing; we are the hungry and starving, coming from all over to reach Beijing!”