Chapter 13: Great Error of Fate
Zhao Xingde followed the tide of chaotic soldiers rushing towards Tong Guan's large camp. At this moment, there was no safe place in the Hebei large camp. Soldiers with grievances began to fight each other, and strict military officers were surrounded by soldiers. The order became more chaotic, and even some tents were set on fire. The Hebei large camp was ablaze, and the noise shook the sky. Even the Khitan cavalry outside stopped shooting arrows from their horses in confusion.
The commander of the Zhenbei First Army, Xin Xingzong, had not yet had time to report back when the commotion outside had already begun, mixed with shouts of "Kill the eunuchs", even Commander-in-Chief Tong Guan could hear it clearly, and his face suddenly fell. The chief secretary Zhou Dingchen shouted: "Which army is rebelling?" Tong Guan looked at Xin Xingzong who had just walked in, then turned to Tian Shizhen who was kneeling on the ground.
Xingzong only felt a chill on his back, and didn't dare to be slow. He bowed his head and said: "Sir, it's the Khitan tribe that is rebelling, they pretended to accept the 5,000 pieces of cloth, not only did they refuse to return to the camp, but also killed the soldiers I sent to transport them." Xingzong answered irrelevantly, and a hint of anger appeared in Tongguan's eyes. Zhou Dingchen had always been on good terms with Xingzong, so he immediately gave him a signal, shouting: "Has the Khitan tribe already broken into the camp?" Xingzong suddenly came to his senses, and a look of doubt appeared on his face. He said: "There are many disorderly soldiers gathered in all directions within the camp, clamoring to fight against the Hu cavalry. I have strictly followed the commander's military orders, ordering all camps to be cautious and patient, not allowing anyone or any horse to go out, waiting for the commander's orders!"
Xing Zong said, "The words are respectful and without equal. He is also Tong Guan's long-time trusted and beloved general. After listening to his report on the outside situation, Tong Guan's face finally eased up, and he slowly said: 'Although it is a good thing that the soldiers are eager to fight, but gathering in front of the military camp like this should be severely punished.' He paused for a moment, feeling that there was no flaw in his words, and said in a deep voice: 'Xing Zong, go out and announce to the troops, each return to their camps and wait for orders, do not make noise.' He also told Han Shizhong of the second army of Zhenbei: 'The Keli tribe actually pretended to surrender to our dynasty, intending to rebel and cause chaos. You quickly go and get your troops in order, once the camp is calm, then lead the charge and break through these barbarians.' After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes and concentrated, not paying attention to Tian Shizhen's surprised and uncertain expression on his face as he knelt on the ground.
As Han Shizhong and Xin Xingzong led the troops out, the surrounding generals exchanged glances with each other, all of them showing extreme tension and anxiety in their eyes. The Hebei army had not experienced a military campaign for many years, but that didn't mean these generals who had been in the army for almost three generations didn't know how terrifying it was. The soldiers were mostly rough men, and the generals wouldn't reason with them; the way to govern the army was just one word: strictness. A military stick was considered the lightest punishment, while the military law had seven prohibitions and fifty-four beheadings, often resulting in death, mutilation, or pierced ears. The harsh military discipline created a strong army but also accumulated extremely high resentment within the camp, which could turn even the most timid soldier into a desperate fugitive once it erupted.
In the second year of Daoguang, Yizhenguan had a mutiny due to severe embezzlement of military rations. The defending general managed to escape, but the provincial official died, and many lower-ranking officials were killed or injured. The city was looted by the rioting soldiers. Tian Shizhen happened to be in Yizhenguan at that time and personally witnessed an old woman being chased by a soldier who had run away because he was late for roll call and was beaten with a military stick. On the day of the mutiny, this soldier rushed into the tent of the military law officer and killed six people, injuring eleven others. Tian Shizhen's arm was also slashed, almost to the bone, and still hurts slightly whenever it rains or winds. He knelt on the ground, but before he could explain his situation clearly, his eyes had already drifted towards the flickering firelight and tree shadows outside the commander's tent.
Sure, here is the translation:
As expected, before long, Xing Zong rushed in disheveled and knelt down, saying: "This general is incompetent, the mutinous soldiers have lost all discipline, and there are also many rioters among them inciting trouble, shooting arrows and setting fires. This general almost got hit by an arrow too! Please, Your Excellency, quickly deploy troops to quell the rebellion!"
Tong Guan's eyes, which had been slightly closed, suddenly opened wide, glaring at Xin Xingzong with anger. He was about to scold this useless good-for-nothing, but then he saw that Xin Xingzong's helmet was gone and his military uniform was torn apart, looking nothing like a fake. Only then did he feel that things were getting out of hand. Compared to the capital, this place was indeed very different. At this time, he looked around and saw that all the generals were exchanging uneasy glances. Wang Yan, the Military Affairs Commissioner, said: "The situation in the army is not trivial, now that things have come to this, I suggest that you, sir, should guard the main camp with your personal troops and not let these rioting soldiers rush in. Order each military commander to return immediately and restore order among their subordinates. Once the soldiers have had enough of the chaos, they will disperse on their own."
As Wang Yan spoke, the Hebei army generals all looked up at him, but Tong Guan hesitated, wondering if these people would rebel after they left. They might harm themselves and push the chaos onto the army, ending everything. As the saying goes, "it's better to be safe than sorry." Since it was difficult to control the chaotic army, releasing these generals wouldn't be of much use anyway. Why not detain them in the main camp until dawn? If things went as Wang Yan said, and the soldiers had enough time to riot and disperse on their own, then releasing the generals to clean up the aftermath would be fine. Fortunately, the Hebei army was stationed outside the city of Hejian Prefecture, so this chaotic situation could still be covered up.
After weighing the pros and cons, Tong Guan regained his composure, showing a bit of a general's demeanor. He pointed at Xin Xingzong and said: "Everyone has seen that outside is chaotic with soldiers shouting and beating officials everywhere. It's probably difficult for the commander to control everything if he goes out now. It's better to stay in the commander's camp and wait until the rioting soldiers calm down, then go out and discipline the troops."
The generals below also had no bottom in their hearts at this moment, and when they heard Tong Guan say so, they just went with the flow, and no one took the initiative to go out and clean up the situation. The second army of Zhenbei returned to Bianliang and reported that it had been reorganized, but the chaotic soldiers blocked the roads in the camp, making it impossible to come out and form an array. Tong Guan then ordered the second army to be transferred to the surrounding area of the commander's tent, with cavalry dismounting, along with some of the original guards stationed beside the commander's tent from the first and third armies, setting up horn bows and crossbows, shooting arrows randomly whenever the chaotic soldiers approached.
Here is the translation:
And so, the Hebei army deployed over a dozen generals, and as the chaotic sounds of the soldiers grew louder, they almost reached dawn. Because Han Shizhong was a skilled general, Tong Guan ordered him to be in charge of guarding the commander's tent, and every incense stick time, he would send someone to report on the outside situation. The undisciplined soldiers had no organization, and apart from looting and fighting everywhere, wave after wave of them charged towards the commander's tent, but were scattered by a hail of arrows. Some continued to roam around the camp, while others simply opened the gates and left to loot nearby villages. This group of undisciplined soldiers was so numerous, with both infantry and cavalry, that even the over 3,000 Khitan horsemen who had been roaming outside could not stop them. After several brief battles, the Khitan cavalry saw that although the Song army's formation was disorganized, they kept emerging endlessly from the camp, and retreated two miles to the north.
Like other rioting soldiers, Zhao Xingde was unable to enter the commander's camp. As soon as he got a little closer, arrows were shot at him and people shouted loudly, but their voices couldn't be heard clearly. In the darkness, flames flickered, and no one could see who was who more than 50 steps away. He didn't dare risk his own life, so he found an ordinary imperial guard's uniform to wear on top of his clothes and carefully avoided the soldiers who were fighting each other for various reasons. Because many soldiers had left the camp, the number of rioting soldiers inside was slowly decreasing, as well as the noise of their fighting. However, just before dawn broke, there was a huge explosion of sound and flames outside. Zhao Xingde listened intently and suddenly turned pale with shock - the rioting soldiers were shouting: "The Liao people are killing us!" "Liao cavalry!"
At this time, the four sides of the Hebei expeditionary camp were all surrounded by large numbers of Liao cavalry, with sharp armor and weapons. From the wall of the big camp, looking outwards, it seemed that the mountains and fields were filled with the constantly moving torches of Liao cavalry, as if endless Liao cavalry were pouring out from behind the nearby mountain valley, everywhere. The sky was just beginning to dawn, and in the distance, what first appeared was not the morning glow, but rather the thick smoke rising up in all directions - the postal stations and farmhouses set on fire by the Liao cavalry along their route.
"It's truly the heavens assisting the Great Liao!" Yelü Daishi, surrounded by hundreds of Iron Forest Cavalrymen, pointed his horse whip at the four gates of the Hebei campaign headquarters and loudly shouted: "Set fire to the camp and capture Tong Guan alive!"
