Chapter 2121 - Secret Letter
Outside Wuzhou's walls, the 1st Mixed Brigade alone possessed any substantial grain reserves. Though the brigade's supply train had stockpiled considerable military rations on Changzhou Island and at other forward positions, these stores could sustain operations for merely fifteen days.
Resupply from the Sanshui Joint Logistics Base grew more difficult with each passing day as the supply line stretched to its limits. Steam-powered tugboats were in desperately short supply, forcing the quartermasters to rely on requisitioned local craft—unpowered wooden vessels that crept upstream against the West River's current at an agonizing pace. Even reaching Zhaoqing strained their capacity.
They had banked on capturing Wuzhou—a major grain entrepôt—and seizing its stores to supplement their provisions. But intelligence consistently indicated that Xiong Wencan had already evacuated the grain. Even if Wuzhou fell bloodlessly, precious little would remain—scarcely enough to feed the city's own population, much less an occupying force.
The broader crisis loomed even larger. Guangdong had for generations relied on Guangxi rice to feed its people. With the outbreak of war, that vital flow had ceased entirely. The burden of feeding the entire province now rested squarely on the Council of Elders' shoulders. Rice from Southeast Asia had to be transshipped through Lingao, Sanya, and Kaohsiung before reaching Guangzhou—and with each link added to this lengthening chain, the food crisis deepened.
If the 1st Brigade undertook refugee relief, even at the bare minimum of subsistence rations, their stores would be exhausted within a week. Worse, taking Wuzhou would saddle them with responsibility for its population despite having no grain to distribute—and Xiong Wencan's first move in his scorched-earth plan would undoubtedly be to torch whatever meager supplies remained.
Yet abandoning the refugees to their fate carried its own catastrophic costs. Uncounted thousands would starve—precious population lost. More damaging still, such callous disregard would shatter the Council of Elders' carefully cultivated reputation for benevolence and compassion for the common people, poisoning the well for all subsequent civil administration.
"We have no choice," Zhu Mingxia said at length. "We must provide relief."
"Have the troops tighten their belts and stretch the rations further. If everyone subsists on thin gruel together, we can hold out a few more days." Zhu Quanxing shook his head grimly. "The real question is what happens after that. Our chances of capturing meaningful grain stores in Wuzhou have dropped to nearly zero. We're at the ragged end of an overextended supply line—at our most vulnerable."
They had assumed the West River would make supplying the 1st Brigade child's play. But distance had exposed the fatal weaknesses in their transport capacity.
"One step at a time, then. Wuzhou must be taken, and the civilians must be fed." Zhu Mingxia's frown deepened.
Their deliberations were interrupted by a runner: Xu Ke had arrived with the old man demanding an audience with a chief.
Zhu Mingxia paused. Xu Ke could normally handle such petitioners himself. If he'd brought the man directly here, the intelligence must be critical. Xu Ke had mentioned that "Lone Wolf" was active inside the city—this old man was likely his courier.
"Show them in."
Half an hour earlier, Xu Ke had interrogated Li Wensheng in the outer tent. As an intelligence officer, his Cantonese was fluent enough for easy conversation. The moment Li Wensheng recited the emergency contact phrase, Xu Ke's expression sharpened. He studied the old man carefully before asking, "Do you know Luo Yangming? Did he send you with this letter?"
Li Wensheng had finally reached a chief of the Australians. Still gathering his thoughts on how to begin, he was caught off-guard when the foreigner spoke first. Startled, he nodded quickly. "Yes—he is this humble one's master."
Only then did he explain his identity and relationship with Luo Yangming in full.
"...The city has descended into chaos. My master gave me strict instructions to deliver this letter to the chiefs—he said it could save the people of Wuzhou from fire and flood..." Even as he spoke, Li Wensheng fumbled inside his shoe and produced a waterproofed oilcloth packet.
Xu Ke nodded, noting how the old man trembled with exhaustion after his harrowing night flight, his stomach growling audibly. He ordered tea and food brought.
When a runner arrived with tea and a paper-wrapped parcel of pastries, Li Wensheng sampled one gingerly. Crisp, sweet, perfectly balanced—remarkably good. He glanced at the wrapper: "Zhang's of Guangzhou City — Special for the Grand World — Cookies — Century-Old Australian Recipe."
These Australian delicacies were quite fine, he decided, and his nerves settled.
Xu Ke unwrapped the oilcloth. Inside lay a letter addressed to "Mr. So-and-so, shopkeeper at Such-and-such Trading House, Sanshui." He broke the seal and withdrew two sheets of paper, angling them toward the lamplight.
The visible text was utterly mundane—a merchant's contingency instructions for settling accounts and resolving outstanding business arrangements in case the siege proved fatal. The content fit Luo Yangming's cover perfectly. Even if intercepted, it would arouse no suspicion whatsoever.
The real message lay hidden between the lines.
The External Intelligence Bureau's invisible ink was nothing elaborate—primarily rice water, available in any kitchen. Xu Ke daubed the paper with iodine solution. Blue characters bloomed instantly across the page.
Dense rows of blue characters in meticulous regular script covered every available space, even the reverse. Xu Ke read through carefully, then smiled at Li Wensheng. "You've brought us a tremendous gift. Thank you."
Zhu Mingxia studied the hand-copied transcript Xu Ke had prepared from Lone Wolf's report. The first section detailed conditions inside Wuzhou. Morale had collapsed. Luo Yangming had managed to contact a coalition of influential local gentry who, desperate to protect their lives and property, had seized control of portions of the garrison and militia. They now held key government offices and granaries. Yet rioters roamed unchecked through much of the city. Lone Wolf urgently requested the Fubo Army assault the city immediately to restore order before chaos consumed everything. A final warning emphasized the imminent danger: Xiong Wencan's arson plan could trigger massive conflagrations at any moment as civil authority disintegrated—the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Time is running out..." Zhu Mingxia glanced up from the letter to question Li Wensheng further, confirming that conditions inside had indeed deteriorated drastically. The observation posts were already reporting faint glows within the city walls—fires had apparently begun.
If Wuzhou burned, the disaster would be complete. Not only would the city's paltry remaining grain be reduced to ash, but tens of thousands of civilians would be rendered homeless. The Fubo Army would find itself responsible for hordes of destitute refugees lacking food, clothing, and shelter. On every level—practical and moral—they would have no choice but to provide relief. Sanshui logistics would have to ship not merely grain but enormous quantities of relief supplies to resettle the population.
Even capturing Wuzhou intact, the logistical burden would be crippling. They might be forced to withdraw with the refugees in tow, falling back to where supplies were more readily available. It would amount to defeat despite nominal victory.
The second section addressed the garrison's status. Rumors strongly suggested Xiong Wencan and his senior officials had already fled the city...
"He escaped?" Zhu Quanxing, who had joined them, couldn't quite hide his disappointment.
"With the forces we have available, establishing a hermetic blockade around Wuzhou was never realistic." Zhu Mingxia's tone was philosophical. "Let him go. Capturing him would have created more problems than it solved."
The letter went on to specify recognition signals the collaborationist factions had agreed upon: white cloth strips tied around the left arm. Key installations already secured—government offices, granaries, watchtowers—would display double lanterns. The Fubo Army was to watch for these markers upon entering the city.
Further down came troop dispositions: the Ming main force had fragmented into two columns retreating toward western and northern Guangxi. This was hardly news—scouts had already tracked their movements. More valuable was the intelligence on grain depots: according to Lone Wolf, the bulk of Wuzhou's stockpiled grain had been evacuated to Tengxian.
"What if we strike Tengxian instead?" Zhu Quanxing proposed. "If this intelligence is solid, we could capture a substantial haul."
Zhu Mingxia nodded thoughtfully. The idea had merit, though they still lacked precise details—the Ming depot might not be in the county seat itself. Regardless, Wuzhou demanded immediate attention. Dividing their forces now would be inadvisable.
"We settle Wuzhou first." He checked his watch: 2:30 a.m. Less than three hours until first light. "Speed is essential. If those fires spread throughout the city, we'll never recover." He looked up sharply. "We attack at dawn. Take Wuzhou as quickly as humanly possible."
"Understood. The troops are ready." Zhu Quanxing's reply was crisp.
Zhu Mingxia then convened a hasty conference with the 1st Brigade's senior officers to disseminate Lone Wolf's intelligence. Several critical decisions emerged. First, refugee relief was non-negotiable. Wuzhou occupied a strategic position astride the Guangdong-Guangxi border—the Council of Elders intended to hold it permanently. Winning the population's trust and establishing political legitimacy here was paramount. Even if the brigade itself faced shortages, they could not allow refugees to starve. Shelter construction would begin immediately so the elderly and infirm had protection from the elements.
Second, immediate measures to address the grain crisis: beginning tomorrow, troops would skip one meal daily, redirecting those rations to refugee relief. Now that they knew the location of the Ming grain depot, standard Fubo Army doctrine applied—they would forage for supplies. Scouts would be dispatched to Tengxian immediately to gather detailed intelligence before determining next steps.
"Are the loudspeakers positioned?" Zhu Mingxia asked.
"All in place," Xu Ke confirmed.
"Draft a 'Proclamation to the People of Wuzhou' and begin broadcasting immediately. Xiong Wencan's plan to burn the city is probably common knowledge inside by now, but we should expose him publicly nonetheless. And apply some pressure to those would-be looters—make certain they understand that pillaging will not be tolerated."
(End of Chapter)