26. A Tangled Scene at West Ford Ferry

After waiting another six days, the military orders finally arrived from the prefecture office. A fleet of one hundred and twenty supply ships from Changzhou was to set sail for Yingzhou. As previously arranged, Zhang Xun added two hundred archers to the detail, allowing Wen Tianxiang and his family to trail behind the main government fleet, departing together for their ancestral home in Jiangxi.

Zhang Xun accompanied the fleet as far as Runzhou.

This was not out of any particular fondness for Wen Tianxiang, but because Lu Xiufu’s family—that is, Zhang Xun’s elder sister and her children—needed to be escorted to the Lu residence in Runzhou. Earlier, Lu Xiufu had departed Changzhou with Zhang Shijie’s army of five thousand, and by military law, officers were strictly forbidden from bringing their families.

Regardless of what others might do, neither Lu Xiufu nor Zhang Shijie permitted dependents in their ranks. Since both men were bound for the front lines in Xiangyang, Zhang Xun’s sister had remained at the Zhang household. Now, they could be safely transported to Runzhou, and Zhang Xun would have the chance to accompany Wen Tianxiang for a portion of his journey.

Although these supply ships were destined for Xiangyang to support the war effort, they were still manned by "first-tier households" from Changzhou, selected by lottery. It was truly speechless that the common people were forced to shoulder the heavy burden of military logistics that the state should have been responsible for. Under normal circumstances, transporting grain would be one thing, but Xiangyang was currently a meat grinder; it was unclear how many of these ten men would return alive.

The riverbanks were filled with the weeping of elderly relatives and children seeing them off, but as this was a military matter, Zhang Xun could not intervene. If this shipment of grain and hemp failed to reach Yingzhou, causing a shortage at the front, no one could bear the responsibility for a defeat in the relief effort for Xiangyang.

In Changzhou, Zhang Xun was considered a man of standing, but in Hangzhou, he was worth less than nothing. Zheng Bichang was the honorable Governor of Zhejiang, yet even he had to swallow the brutal, cold-blooded political maneuvers from the capital; no matter how clearly he saw the situation, he could only endure it. What could Zhang Xun do? He simply closed his eyes and pretended not to see.

Wen Tianxiang was more composed. Being a scholar-official of this era, he believed that first-tier households performing corvée labor for the government was a matter of natural law. In his view, failing to serve would be a greater harm to the order of the state.

There was no right or wrong in their perspectives; they simply lived in different times and thought in different ways.

Without incident, they passed Benniu and Lucheng from Changzhou, reaching Danyang County for their first stop. After that, they exited the river mouth, crossed Jiaoshan, and arrived at Xijin Ferry in Dantu County, their second stop.

These two stages were all that Zhang Xun was responsible for. Routine supply transport did not require day-and-night rushing; they moved stage by stage according to a pre-planned schedule. It was slow, but it was safe, as the routes were well-traveled, familiar, and followed the main thoroughfares.

Upon arriving at Xijin Ferry, Zhang Xun had to deliver his sister to the Lu family and bid farewell to Wen Tianxiang. Wen Tianxiang expressed genuine reluctance, stating that if the opportunity ever arose, he would certainly return to Changzhou to meet with Zhang Xun again.

*Yes, yes, just don't drag me into starting a rebellion with you,* Zhang Xun thought.

***

Because Xijin Ferry was the stop for the second stage, the two men were able to meet again that evening before parting ways the next day. As twilight approached, Xijin Ferry—a major transit point—was crowded with vessels of all sizes. Small boats swarmed around them, selling pastries, dim sum, and bowls of hot wonton soup.

On the supply ships bound for Yingzhou, cooking was not permitted. One either gnawed on dry rations or took the opportunity at the ferry to buy hot food.

Just as they were parting, they noticed several disheveled soldiers grabbing an old man selling pastries. They trampled his steamer baskets and stuffed food into their mouths with desperate greed.

The Song imperial army was rife with rogues and ruffians; this was hardly a surprise. Had this been in Changzhou, Zhang Xun would have slapped them across the face. But this was Runzhou, and Zhang Xun had no authority here. Wen Tianxiang, a dismissed official heading home, had even less.

Who knew if these cutthroats might draw their blades and kill you for merely scolding them?

High-ranking leaders would never berate low-level soldiers because the soldiers had nothing to lose but their wretched lives. If pushed too far, they would simply burn everything to the ground. A leader would only scold his middle-management officers, who earned tens of thousands a month and had homes and careers to protect; they would act like dogs, saying "yes, yes" to everything, no matter how much they were berated.

After the soldiers left, Zhang Xun’s greatest act of kindness was tossing a string of coins to the old man. Since the man had only been forced to kneel and hadn't been beaten, there was no need to act like a hero.

However, the situation began to spiral. More and more disheveled soldiers poured onto the surrounding docks and banks. No matter how slow Zhang Xun and Wen Tianxiang were, they realized that a group of defeated troops or mutineers had arrived.

Why else would they be looting food everywhere?

Zhang Xun immediately ordered his men to protect the families of Wen Tianxiang and Lu Xiufu. Fortunately, they had brought two hundred archers—all tenant farmers and townsmen from the Zhang estate, men he knew well and who obeyed his commands instantly.

As night fell, the chaos on the water intensified, and the clamor grew louder. The archers drew their bows and began to stand guard. The first-tier households from Changzhou began calling out for "Second Young Master Zhang." Regardless of his reputation, the Zhang family’s name carried weight in Changzhou; in a sudden crisis, everyone looked to Zhang Xun.

Besides, Zhang Xun possessed the strength to wrestle dragons and bind tigers, and he had his two hundred archers and a dozen sturdy servants.

"Gather the ships together and light the torches," Zhang Xun commanded, his brow furrowed. He didn't know the full situation, so he focused on protecting his own people.

With a leader and armed force, and with darkness not yet total, the task was completed quickly. The supply ships that had been docking were pulled together, lashed with cables, and formed a protective circle around the boats of Zhang Xun and Wen Tianxiang. The boatmen and rowers lit pine torches, swaying them to signal one another.

Zhang Xun gripped his longbow, nervously surveying the scene. The number of rogue soldiers increased, and as night fully descended, the ferry became a cacophony of screams and shouting.

Perhaps because of the light from Zhang Xun’s torches, many smaller boats tried to crowd toward them; people were naturally inclined to seek safety in numbers.

Do not blame Zhang Xun for being cold-hearted. Who knew if those small boats carried mutineers? He ordered them to be turned away. As he said before, he only had the capacity to protect his own; he could not save the world.

Just then, whether because a stove was overturned or a fire was set, flames erupted in two or three places. The ferry was full of wooden boats, and most were packed with flammable goods. Once the fire took hold, the situation became dire.

The fire only added to the chaos.

"Alas, what is happening..." Wen Tianxiang stood at the prow, at a loss for what to do.

"Tell the boatmen not to stray too far from the shore," Zhang Xun said, steadying his resolve. At this moment, he cared nothing for the outside world; he would only look after his own.

Through the hazy darkness, a large ship rammed through the smaller vessels and sped toward them. Seeing the order and relative stability of Zhang Xun’s fleet, it clearly intended to seek refuge by his side.