Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 6

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter 5 of "Don't Say There Are No True Friends in the World": After

tying his horse up outside the Liu River, Huang Shi left a few men to guard it and, with three personal guards, sneaked to Old Zhang's house in the dark.

When he knocked on the door, Old Zhang and his wife were so startled they almost cried out, and quickly welcomed them in. Seeing Huang Shi still dressed as a Ming soldier, Old Zhang kept complaining to him. Only then did Huang Shi realize that he was on the list of bounties offered by the Later Jin, a staggering one thousand taels of silver, and his head was worth five hundred taels.

Old Zhang's wife looked at Huang Shi's guards suspiciously, and Huang Shi introduced them: "These are my three loyal subordinates; they have suffered a lot with me."

Huang Shi's deeds in Guangning had already spread far and wide, and according to Old Zhang, the Later Jin were furious, and a bounty was immediately placed on his head. The Liu River garrison was thrown into chaos because of this, until several days later it was confirmed that Huang Shi had fled with the Guangning prefect.

Old Zhang's wife brought over some hot soup: "Little Huang, how dare you come back?"

"Eat quickly, and leave as soon as you're done." Zhang Youdi's attitude was anything but friendly, his eyes full of reproach as he looked at Huang Shi: "If others find out you're here, our whole family is doomed."

"Uncle Zhang, seeing you all safe and sound puts my mind at ease, but I still want to ask, are you willing to go to Lushun?"

"Lushun? No, no!" Before Old Zhang could speak, Zhang Youdi angrily interjected: "My wife is pregnant and can't leave, and my parents are old and even less able to leave. So the whole family can't leave, otherwise those left behind won't survive."

As Zhang Youdi said this, Old Zhang silently acquiesced to his eldest son's words, then pointed to a strange woman and introduced her to Huang Shi. This was his second son Youdi's newlywed wife, and her father had just been appointed village chief by the Later Jin. Even if the entire Zhang family fled, their in-laws would still be in trouble.

Huang Shi's gaze swept over Zhang Youdi and Zhang Zaidi. They had once been very close to Huang Shi, but now they both avoided his gaze, seemingly indicating that their relationship had come to an end.

Huang Shi took out a package containing one hundred taels of silver, his only remaining possessions. After handing it to Old Zhang, Huang Shi sat down and began to drink the vegetable soup. Having barely eaten hot food during his journey through wind and rain, he felt a warm sensation in his chest and abdomen, instantly dispelling the chill from his limbs.

"Aunt Zhang, could you please bring two more bowls?"

Before Old Zhang's wife could speak, Zhang Zaidi ran to fetch several bowls. Huang Shi divided the large bowl of soup into three portions and handed them to his three guards. They thanked him and began to drink heartily.

"Oh dear, how can I accept this?" Old Zhang's wife accepted the money and quickly told her two daughters-in-law to boil more water. A moment later, they brought over steaming hot food...

The scalding food made Huang Shi and his soldiers wolf it down. Zhang Youdi urged him to leave again, but his mother scolded him harshly. "Don't let the traitor Huang Shi escape

!" "Don't let the traitor Huang Shi get away!" Before they had finished their meal, shouts rang out from the doorway. Old Zhang's family and Huang Shi's soldiers all turned pale. A burst of light suddenly appeared outside the window . As soon as the shouts started, Old Zhang jumped over and darted to the door, peering through the crack. Huang Shi smiled bitterly, put down his chopsticks, and said to Old Zhang, "I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang, it seems I've caused you trouble." Upon hearing Huang Shi's words, Old Zhang spat and cursed, "What's the use of saying this now? Zaidi, go get your master the knife." Zhang Zaidi responded and ran to the back. But Huang Shi grabbed him, saying, "Little brother, no need." Having come into this world, Huang Shi was confident he could kill anyone, but the Zhang family was someone he couldn't sacrifice. "Uncle Zhang, tie me up, you can be considered the ringleader." "Nonsense." The veins on Old Zhang's neck throbbed. Huang Shi looked at Old Zhang apologetically, "Uncle Zhang's family, old and young, there's no way they can escape." Old Zhang hesitated for a moment, then suddenly roared, "That won't do either! Zaidi, go get the knife!" The noise outside grew louder, clearly demanding Old Zhang hand over the person immediately. After Zhang Zaidi brought the knife, Huang Shi saw Zhang Youdi also pick up a stick, coldly staring at Huang Shi: "If you can't fight your way out, our whole family will have died in vain. Saving you a few years ago was pointless. Remember to fight for our family during holidays..." "Pah, stop with the bad luck! Protect your mother and brother and get out of here!" Old Zhang spat again, his eyes pleading as he spoke to his son. Huang Shi turned his face away sadly, drew his sword sharply, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Uncle Zhang, don't worry, as long as I'm alive, I won't let them suffer." His three bodyguards, already holding their swords, shouted in unison and were about to open the door. Just then, Huang Shi heard Old Zhang's wife behind him speak: "I sent Second Brother's wife to deliver the message." Those words made the weapons of the Zhang father and son hang limply. Huang Shi didn't turn around, just chuckled dryly and slowly sheathed his sword. Only the three bodyguards turned around, glaring at her angrily. Old Zhang glanced back at his wife, dropped his sword without a word, and sat down heavily on the ground. Zhang Youdi also slowly squatted down, glanced at Huang Shi, and then buried his head in his hands. "Mother," Zhang Zaidi called out, then fell silent. Second Brother Zhang Youdi hid behind his mother, not saying a word, his head drooping. Seeing Huang Shi stop the bodyguards, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Huang Shi was furious; he had provided the betrothal gifts and wedding expenses for this young man. But he remained calm, chuckled dryly, and walked over to open the window: "Fellow villagers, you all know me, Huang Shi. Now I'm a rebel. Heh heh, let your leader come out and say a few words." The leader was the village chief, Old Zhang's in-law, with his daughter standing beside him. The village chief arrogantly told Huang Shi not to resist anymore; he was sure to get away. Besides, for the sake of the Zhang family and for the sake of these neighbors of many years, it was best to surrender immediately. "I heard that a living Huang Shi can get an extra five hundred taels of silver. I can surrender, but I have two conditions for taking the money." Hearing Huang Shi's willingness to surrender, the villagers outside the door buzzed with excitement. The village chief restrained the crowd for a moment, then shouted towards the house: "Speak!" * Since that's the case, you're all doomed to lose.* Huang Shi thought to himself with a cold laugh. “First of all, the Zhang family is the first to file a complaint; they are deliberately trying to stall me.” The village chief immediately agreed: “Okay.” Huang Shi glanced back and saw that the three members of the Zhang family were sitting on the ground with their heads in their hands, while the second son and the eldest daughter-in-law were peeking at them from behind Old Zhang’s wife. The initial anger had subsided, and Huang Shi's chest felt cold, beginning to harden: "The second condition is to release my three men. They have no reward, and taking them would be of no benefit. After you release them, I will surrender, and you can take a thousand taels for a living Huang Shi. If that's not possible, you can only take five hundred taels for a dead Huang Shi." The village chief hesitated, and the familiar villagers around him also became uneasy. Huang Shi smiled and said, "There are only three of them, what are you afraid of? How about this, I'll have them swear never to come back to cause trouble for your village." The three guards swore loudly according to Huang Shi's orders: "Our ancestors and gods bear witness, if you spare our lives, we will never set foot in this village again. Otherwise, we will die a horrible death." After they finished swearing, Huang Shi took out some loose silver and copper coins in front of everyone and gave them to them: "Only the three of you have stayed with me and followed me for so long, so take this silver." "You two," Huang Shi pointed to one of them at random, "After I'm gone, you will follow Zhao Manxiong's orders."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Huang Shi sensed something was wrong. He glanced at Zhang Zaidi behind him, but thankfully, Zhang didn't react, apparently havingn't heard him.

The three guards were quick-witted; they understood Huang Shi's meaning immediately and nodded to indicate they understood.

Huang Shi knew that if he wanted to escape, his men absolutely couldn't be in disarray. He was very uneasy about Jin Qiude's work style; if this man took charge, Huang Shi worried that he might be destroyed along with him. Yang Zhiyuan was easily coerced and lacked quick wit, and he didn't know He Baodao very well.

Zhao Manxiong was in control of the overall situation, so everything should be fine, right? Huang Shi pondered these thoughts and then turned his gaze to the village chief. The village chief directed the villagers to make way for them, and the three guards immediately fled in panic.

Seeing them leave safely, Huang Shi threw down his sword, his heart already filled with murderous intent.

(End of Chapter 5)

Chapter 6:

The villagers first tied Huang Shi up, then gathered together to discuss how to handle this windfall. They decided to escort him to the Liuhe government office that very night, where there was a well-equipped prison and chains. Staying in the village would only lead to unforeseen complications, and no one knew what changes might occur in the Zhang family.

Once the plan was finalized, it was immediately put into action, with the village chief's eldest son leading the escort. When Huang Shi was taken out of the village, the Zhang family hid and did not see him off.

As soon as they left the village, Huang Shi suddenly heard Zhang Zaidi's voice behind him: "Brother Huang, my father asked me to accompany you for a while."

Zhang Zaidi ran over, holding a lantern in his right hand and a jar in his left. When he got close, he stopped and looked at Huang Shi timidly: "Brother Huang, would you like me to accompany you?"

"Go back," Huang Shi shook his head, his heart filled with despair.

As soon as he finished speaking, tears welled up in Zhang Zaidi's eyes, and the lantern in his hand fell to the ground. He picked up the jar: "Will you accept this food?"

Looking at this boy who had been his little follower for three years, Huang Shi felt his heart, hardened like ice, melt a little: "I'll accept it. I'll go back and thank your father."

A village soldier took the jar from him. Huang Shi turned and walked away without looking back. He walked slowly for about two miles, his mind racing, calculating Zhao Manxiong's actions. His personal guards must have been keeping watch; the commotion when they left the village must have been noticed, and now there must be someone following them.

Given Zhao's composure, he would probably come to rescue people first, rather than alerting the enemy in the village. Huang Shi stumbled and fell to the ground. When he was pulled up, he saw a lantern at the back of the procession—Zhang Zaidi was still following behind.

Huang Shi sighed, his murderous intent fading, and he asked someone to call Zhang Zaidi over.

“Stay here and support me,” Huang Shi said with a smile to Zhang Zaidi. The boy nodded emphatically, his face full of excitement. Huang Shi sighed again. Well, let him have unintentionally saved the lives of his fellow villagers.

After walking side by side for a while, Zhang Zaidi said softly, “Brother Huang, I’m sorry!”

“Your mother didn’t do anything wrong.” After calming his murderous intent, Huang Shi began to see things from other people’s perspectives. Old Zhang’s wife also wanted to live. She couldn’t risk her entire family for an outsider. This thought stirred up a hidden pain in Huang Shi’s heart. That merchant from Liaoyang—hadn’t Huang Shi betrayed them to save his own life?

Well, well, forgive and forget. Huang Shi decided not to kill anyone today.

“No, my mother…”

“Shut up, what do you know, you’re just a child.” Huang Shi shouted sternly, “You’ll understand when you have children.”

After walking a few more miles, a villager suddenly screamed. The startled crowd turned around and stared in disbelief at a fiery dragon winding its way towards them. Huang Shi shouted to Zhang Zaidi, "Stay close to me and don't move."

Huang Shi's words immediately made the villagers even more surprised and suspicious. They all stared wide-eyed at the guy who was tied up. Seeing their panic, Huang Shi felt even more reassured. He chuckled and surveyed them, gesturing with his chin towards Chen the blacksmith's only son:

"Brother Chen, your father once wanted me as his son-in-law. We were almost half brothers. Come over here and lean on me, lest you get hurt."

The fiery dragon quickly approached them. Just as the villagers heard the rapid hoofbeats, a voice rang out from the darkness not far away: "Here! The lord is here!"

It was the voice of one of Huang Shi's personal guards who had come to Liuhe. Then another person shouted, "The lord is over here!"

Seeing that there were at least a hundred torches approaching, the twenty-odd villagers surrounding Huang Shi were dumbfounded. Huang Shi calmly scanned them, noticing that some of them seemed to have gone too far with fear, their facial muscles twitching. Seeing this, he quickly shouted: "Folks, put down your weapons and gather around me! I guarantee you'll be alright!"

His voice was full of confidence and carried an irresistible authority. The villagers completely broke down, throwing down their weapons and clinging to Huang Shi's legs, wailing. When the army arrived, they saw Huang Shi gently comforting the terrified villagers.

When Huang Shi's personal guards untied him, all the villagers except Zhang Zaidi were pulled aside. Jin Qiude looked at Huang Shi, but Huang Shi shook his head.

"My lord," Jin Qiude said urgently, "we can't be so soft-hearted."

These people, having seen Huang Shi's troops, were more likely to escape and report the news.

Jin Qiude was absolutely right, but since Zhang Zaidi had come along, Huang Shi knew he couldn't do that. After all, he couldn't let the Zhang family lose face, nor could he let the whole village take their anger out on Zhang and send his entire family to the Later Jin.

"Tie them all up, tie them to that tree over there."

Jin Qiude responded and was about to leave, but Huang Shi seemed to see a cold glint in his eyes and quickly called out, "Zhao Manxiong, you go tie them up. Jin Qiude, come with me."

Jin Qiude reluctantly walked to Huang Shi's side, but was suddenly grabbed by the arm. Huang Shi gritted his teeth and roared at him, "Only I can decide life and death."

Jin Qiude and Huang Shi stared at each other for a moment, then Jin Qiude retreated under the other's fierce gaze and replied in a low voice, "Yes, sir."

"No matter what you think, you must obey. You are not allowed to make decisions on your own."

"Yes, sir."

"Speak loudly." Huang Shi raised his voice.

Jin Qiude took a deep breath and shouted at Huang Shi, "Yes, sir."

"Very good." Huang Shi released Jin Qiude and pushed him aside.

Then Huang Shi turned to Zhang Zaidi and said, "Little brother, I didn't want to drag you into this, but I have to tie you up, otherwise your parents will be in trouble."

"Brother Huang, I want to go to Lushun with you," Zhang Zaidi suddenly said.

Huang Shi slowly said, "Little brother, it's dangerous for you to come with me. You're too young. I can't let you take the risk with me."

"I thought it through when I came out," Zhang Zaidi's eyes brightened. "Brother Huang called Old Zhao's name just now, but Old Zhao wasn't among those three people. I knew there were other people outside, Brother Huang. Since I came along, I've made up my mind to go with Brother Huang."

"Childish. What about your parents? Aren't they worried about you?"

Zhang Zaidi took off his fur hat, revealing his shiny blue forehead: "Hair and skin are given to us by our parents, and we dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety. Although I haven't been to school and can't read, every Chinese person knows this saying and has remembered it since they can remember."

After Zhang Zaidi took off his hat, his braid immediately fell to the back of his head. Huang Shi silently watched him remove the end of the braid from around his neck and throw it on the ground. "I cut it off when I left home. Brother Huang regards wealth and honor as dirt. I haven't dared to say it these past few days, but I'm very proud to know Brother Huang. I've always been ashamed of this pig's tail. Now that the villagers have done this, I can no longer live with them."

What a child he is, completely unaware of the darkness of this world. Huang Shi sighed and said, "Following me will be very dangerous; you could die without a burial place at any time."

Little Zhang calmly continued, "To tell you the truth, Brother, I've had a vague feeling for a long time that my destiny is to follow Brother Huang. When you said you were going to join Mao Wenlong's army, I felt that I would be taken with you, but later I thought it was just an illusion. Today I hesitated, but when Father asked me to bring vegetables to Brother Huang, this feeling came back. I understand that this is indeed my destiny. So, please take me in."

"Fate?" Huang Shi murmured, repeating the word. Since arriving in this era, only one other person had mentioned those two words to him—the "Later Jin spy" whom Sun Degong had interrogated on the day he was taken from Zhang Yuanzhi. That person had been dead for a long time.

"Perhaps there really is fate..." Huang Shi's eyes were somewhat lost. Zhang Zaidi's confession had almost shaken his beliefs for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. Humans have no destiny!

"Alright, you'll come with me."

After agreeing, Huang Shi pondered briefly and then ordered the soldiers to take the village chief's son away as well.

"Go back and tell those in-laws," Huang Shi mocked the tightly bound villagers before leaving, "tell my two benefactors tonight not to think about collecting their son's body. I'll burn them to ashes and scatter them in the river, so they can become wandering ghosts."

The village chief's son had to disappear without a trace. Huang Shi hoped that this would prevent them from insisting that Old Zhang's son had joined him. This method might not work, but it was better than nothing. Huang Shi handed the unfortunate fellow over to Jin Qiude, a task Jin Qiude would never fail him with.

Following Huang Shi's orders, the village chief's son and Zhang Zaidi were bound and placed on horseback in front of all the villagers. The bound villagers hung their heads dejectedly, their mouths gagged.

Before leaving, Huang Shi saw Chen the blacksmith's only son's hat lying on the snow. The child looked quite like his pretty sister. Remembering the girl's shy expression and their father's once-kind smile, Huang Shi's heart softened, and he instantly forgot his anger—wouldn't frostbite hurt those who loved him?

Huang Shi dismounted, picked up the leather hat, and placed it on the young man whose ears had turned blue. He gently comforted him, "It's alright, Brother Chen. Just like I promised. Remember to give my regards to your father."

His breath condensed into a white mist in the firelight. Huang Shi mounted his horse and said to Zhao Manxiong, who was standing to the side, "Light a fire for them and check the ropes again."

"Yes, sir," Zhao Manxiong replied respectfully.

As Huang Shi spoke, Jin Qiude behind him kept a close eye on Zhao Manxiong. When Huang Shi turned to leave, Zhao Manxiong nodded quickly, and Jin Qiude then looked away and followed Huang Shi.

After returning to the camp, the soldiers, who had been up all night, quickly rested. Not long after, Zhao Manxiong's battalion returned, and the night passed peacefully.

"The Zhang family seems to be one of your... weaknesses," Jin Qiude said to Zhao Manxiong privately. In fact, he preferred to use the word "Achilles' heel."

Zhao Manxiong sighed, remaining silent. Chaotic times have their own rules, and those who struggle in such times, those who don't abide by them, will be ruthlessly eliminated.

Everyone is concerned with their own safety and life; Huang Shi is like that, as are Old Zhang's family and the villagers, and his subordinates are no exception.

"Sir, would you...?" Jin Qiude hesitantly inquired of Zhao Manxiong's opinion, still shaken by Huang Shi's outburst that day.

Zhao Manxiong still didn't speak. He personally believed that Huang Shi didn't care deep down; otherwise, he should have stayed behind instead of immediately returning to rest. Zhao Manxiong felt this showed that in Huang Shi's heart, his subordinates and himself were more important; he had already made his choice, only thinking he could avoid facing a decision. However, he didn't intend to mention this to Jin Qiude.

"Anyway, this is our secret," Jin Qiude said, a seemingly pointless remark, to which Zhao Manxiong nodded.

Huang Shi didn't have super hearing; he was contemplating the operational plan. The past ten days of marching had made him feel that his military capabilities had improved significantly. Previously, Huang Shi had always stayed in his own military camp and had no knowledge of the soldiers' living conditions. However, these past few days, he had been living with his men and had gained a thorough understanding of the situation in this era. What

disgusted him most was the soldiers' sanitation. The Ming army of this time had no concept of toilets; they basically relieved themselves wherever they felt like it. The next day, the entire campsite would be one giant latrine, and after relieving themselves, the soldiers would grab a handful of dirt, pull up their pants, and leave, without even washing their hands.

Huang Shi now seriously doubted that many of the ancient ailments caused by "acclimatization" were actually dysentery, not illnesses caused by the environment. Within a few days, Huang Shi strictly ordered that toilets be built before each encampment, and that every soldier must relieve themselves at a designated location. Huang Shi also manufactured some simple toilet sticks, stipulating that the soldiers must use these sanitary products.

Huang Shi and his party finally arrived at Sancha River, but to their dismay, the Later Jin's maritime ban had reached this area, making it impossible to find a fishing boat with enough people for 150.

There was only one way left: to bypass Haizhou and Fuzhou and take a land route to the Liaodong Peninsula.

Perhaps because of the minor conflict that night, Jin Qiude had been listless lately. Huang Shi, noticing the soldiers seemed somewhat wavering, intentionally used this opportunity to rouse Jin Qiude.

Receiving a wink from Huang Shi, Jin Qiude drew his sword, shouted, and slashed it against a tree: "A true man advances, never retreats! Anyone who dares to speak of returning to Liaoxi shall be executed!"

On the third day of the second month of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Huang Shi's troops crossed the Liao River and entered the heart of the Later Jin territory.

(End of Chapter 6)

Chapter 7: In

the thicket beside the official road, ten iron bows were drawn to their full extent. The fingers gripping the bowstrings trembled slightly as they slowly adjusted the direction, finally releasing them simultaneously with a low shout.

The eight Later Jin knights had barely heard the piercing whistling sound when one, with three arrows embedded in his body, rolled off his horse. Another was shot in the face; the warrior clutched his face and screamed in agony, then was thrown backward by his horse, rolling on the ground in pain. Two more were also struck by two arrows, but still struggled to stay on their horses, desperately clinging to their necks.

Amidst screams and neighing, the sound of hooves echoed from both sides, and ten burly men on horseback appeared, dressed in Liaodong military attire, all with white turbans tied around their heads.

Their appearance caused the remaining warriors to hesitate for a moment, but in an instant, arrows rained down relentlessly. One already wounded Later Jin warrior was struck by three more arrows, finally collapsing, unable to release his grip on his horse's neck. Another warrior, before he could deflect the arrows, was struck in the ribs; he opened his mouth to cry out in pain, but a subsequent arrow struck him squarely in the throat, blood spurting several feet, and he fell silent.

The remaining three, seeing the situation was dire, immediately spurred their horses forward. The last one, seeing himself overtaken by the pursuing arrows, had several arrows pierce his vest, lost his reins, and was dragged along the ground.

Seeing the last two charging towards them, the ten knights charged forward together, swords drawn. The leader, wielding two swords, roared and unleashed his right blade, which streaked across the ground like a meteor, striking the leading Jin knight squarely in the face. He then swerved to the left, his upper body now parallel to the ground, barely dodging the blade flashing overhead. With both hands gripping his other sword, he used the momentum of the passing horses to slice the last knight in half at the waist.

The knights behind him cheered in unison, then sighed. They separated, grabbed the stray horses, and turned back. Some complained, "Sir, you didn't leave us a single one!"

The leader had already dismounted, pulled his sword from the skull of the unseeing-eyed Jin warrior, wiped it on the corpse, laughed three times, and then sheathed his sword.

Looking closely at the cloth on his head, although it was also white, while the others tied it properly in a knot at the front, the leader tied it askew behind his ear, adorned with a large plum blossom.

The battlefield had been cleaned up, and a tall figure leisurely rode up, smiling at the leader, "Commander He's skills are truly endlessly fascinating."

"Sir," the leader, He Baodao, bowed proudly to the rider.

"Lord Huang," He Baodao's subordinates had changed their address to Huang Shi; the army was gradually growing into a traditional feudal army.

The Jin warriors were quickly stripped naked; their heads were strictly forbidden, and even their socks and underwear were to be removed, so that others would believe it was the work of bandits.

"Commander He has personally killed two enemies." As he spoke, Huang Shi pulled several iron pieces from his pocket—roughly crafted knife-shaped plaques with a small hooked nail on the back. Huang Shi picked out two and solemnly pinned them to He Bao's sword, lining them up with the other small knives.

"Commander He has killed two fleeing enemies, completing the interception mission." Huang Shi then replaced the "four" on He Bao's sword with a star-shaped medal engraved with a "six." He also held a "five" in his hand, which he would give to Yang Zhiyuan later. His interception was timely; it wasn't Yang Zhiyuan's fault that the enemy didn't flee in another direction.

Behind He Baodao, a chorus of complaints rose: "Lord Huang, all the credit for our team's kills has been taken by you alone!"

More complaints echoed from behind: "It's better to follow Commander Zhao! Commander Zhao always hides at the back, and all the credit for killing the enemy goes to his subordinates. Unlike our Lord, who takes it all!"

This sparked a burst of laughter.

"The bodies have been dragged into the forest; they'll soon be eaten by wild animals," reported Zhao Manxiong, He Baodao's "ideal commander."

"Good." Hoping this would conceal the wounds, Huang Shi pinned a crudely made medal on Zhao Manxiong and shoved another into his hand: "Go and give these to your men."

"Leave here immediately."

With Huang Shi's command, dozens of cavalrymen vanished swiftly, as nimbly as they had appeared.

East of the Liao River was originally Later Jin territory, and the closer they got to Haizhou, the closer they were to the core area of Later Jin rule. The Guangning region was still teeming with bandits composed of defeated soldiers, but here, Huang Shi's group was too conspicuous. Therefore, they donned the attire of Liaodong bandits.

The ambush-bearing detachment circled around several times before returning to their secret encampment. Huang Shi heard many of the soldiers left behind humming tunes. If they were 21st-century Chinese, they would immediately recognize the melody as "My Deskmate."

Huang Shi had gone to great lengths to boost morale, even adapting many popular songs into tunes. The results were quite good, with "The Girl Next Door" being the most popular. Of course, Huang Shi replaced erasers with steamed buns and the way home from school with returning from planting rice.

"Sir, how was today's harvest?" Jin Qiude, one of the soldiers left behind, asked eagerly. Without supplies, the income from such ambushes was crucial.

"Very good, seven warhorses, some weapons, rations, and four horse legs." Huang Shi sat down happily and drank a large bowl of water. "How are the wounded and sick?"

"Very bad."

To prevent the spread of disease, Huang Shi enforced strict military discipline—everyone had to wash their hands. This was an era without running water, and his troops, now operating as bandits, couldn't possibly have a stable water source. The only thing Huang Shi could do was to require all his soldiers to wash their hands whenever they encountered a water source, even if it meant a slight delay in their march, since the constant circling was already slow enough.

After successfully crossing the Liao River at Sanchahe, despite Huang Shi's various health and hygiene measures, disease inevitably appeared in his army. Several men contracted colds and waterborne illnesses—Huang Shi strongly suspected dysentery. To obtain supplies, Huang Shi had to slow his march and occasionally launch surprise attacks on small Jin detachments, which inevitably resulted in casualties.

For those soldiers who were seriously ill and had essentially lost their ability to move independently, Jin Qiude hinted that Huang Shi should give them a quick death. However, Huang Shi disregarded this suggestion. He knew that the soldiers who followed him now were truly loyal followers. These were his truly trustworthy subordinates. Abandoning them might make the march a little faster, but it would completely destroy the morale of the army.

“My lord, at this moment, even if we abandon them or send them on their way, the other soldiers won’t complain. Everyone is only thinking about how to march faster.” Jin Qiude still wouldn’t give up his idea.

Huang Shi looked at this stubborn killer and shook his head.

Jin Qiude became angry: “My lord, benevolence is not the way of an army!”

Huang Shi ignored Jin Qiude and turned to Zhao Manxiong beside him: “What do you think?”

Zhao Manxiong thought for a while: “My lord, I believe we are already deep in enemy territory, with no way to retreat. Even if some people are dissatisfied, they won’t run away.”

“I don’t see it that way. Your understanding disappoints me. What was the purpose of our army leaving Guangning Army and going through so much hardship to Lushun? If it was just to reach Lushun, you are right. But we have suffered so much, was it just to escape to Lushun?”

Huang Shi angrily put down his water bowl:

“The sick soldiers all abandoned their safe arrival in western Liaoning, risking their lives to follow me, Huang Shi, on my expedition to eastern Liaoning. Today I have abandoned them. The remaining soldiers may not say anything, but morale will crumble. Once we reach Lushun, this news will spread, and who will still be willing to serve me, Huang Shi?”

Although Huang Shi would rather travel two days' journey than abandon a single sick soldier, death still came to visit his troops. Huang Shi carefully buried the bodies, erected tombstones, and saluted them in front of all his men, burying their medals from the suppression of the Guangning rebellion before the tombstone.

After the salute, his personal guards marked the detailed locations of the bodies on a map. Huang Shi said he would definitely return to pay respects to these loyal subordinates.

Using the dead to win hearts and minds is a good method, but its effects are more likely to be seen in the future than in the present. If people continue to die, Huang Shi cannot guarantee that the morale of the army will not collapse.

Since they wouldn't let their men die, others had to die in their place. After the second soldier died, Huang Shi immediately organized a night raid on a small village. No one in the village had a chance to escape Zhao Manxiong's elaborate trap. After the villagers gave up resistance, Huang Shi's troops received much-needed hot water, hot meals, and warm bedding.

Jin Qiude suggested burying all the villagers who had helped them alive, and Zhao Manxiong volunteered to dig the pits.

"What about the young women?" Zhao Manxiong asked before leaving.

"Of course, bury them all together. Are you going to let them go and report?" Jin Qiude replied dismissively.

“Well, what I mean is, why don’t we do it tomorrow morning? Let the soldiers relax tonight too.”

Jin Qiude countered, “What if the soldiers don’t want to do it tomorrow?”

Zhao Manxiong was surprised: “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

Not long after Zhao Manxiong left, there was a sudden commotion outside. Just as Huang Shi and Jin Qiude were looking at each other, He Baodao strode in, still grabbing Zhao Manxiong by the collar and dragging him along. Yang Zhiyuan, who was on guard duty outside, followed the two of them in.

"My lord," He Baodao slammed Zhao Manxiong to the ground, his eyes wide with rage, his hair standing on end, "My lord, did you really give this order?"

Zhao Manxiong coughed violently as soon as he landed, and Jin Qiude sprang up as if pricked by a needle, his cold gaze sweeping over He Baodao.

Huang Shi slowly stood up: "It was I who gave the order."

(End of Chapter 7)

Chapter 8

He Baodao, mouth agape, panting heavily, pointed sharply at Jin Qiude beside Huang Shi: "My lord, was it this fellow who suggested it?"

"It has nothing to do with Commander Jin," Huang Shi replied decisively, "nor with Commander Zhao, it was all my idea."

Yang Zhiyuan lowered his head upon hearing this. He Baodao's face was filled with disbelief, his head tilted to one side, and he stared at Huang Shi for a long time: "My lord, I don't believe it."

"Execute the order."

"My lord, I must say something!" He Baodao shrugged off Yang Zhiyuan's outstretched hand and pushed him back, making him stumble: "We are the Great Ming army, our duty is to protect the borders and the people!"

"Have they shaved their heads and grown queues? If so, then they are also Jurchens!" Huang Shi asked with a cold smile, "Our army needs hot water and warm campsites, where will they come from if we don't plunder the villagers?"

"That's right, they have queues, and I don't think there's anything wrong with plundering them. But they were originally subjects of the Great Ming, and when our Great Ming army recovers Liaodong, they will still be His Majesty's children."

Huang Shi stared intently at He Baodao for a while, and finally decided to "reason with him" so that He Baodao could fully understand the meaning of the order: "You think killing them is unnecessary, right? Then let me ask you, what if they go and report our army's whereabouts to the Jurchens?"

"Make them swear a poisonous oath," He Baodao said without hesitation, "Make them swear on the tombs of their ancestors and the well-being of their descendants."

If even one of these dozens of villagers coveted the Later Jin's rewards, it would bring disaster to the entire army. Huang Shi still vividly remembered his previous encounter, and he laughed angrily, "Commander He, the safety of the entire army is my primary concern. I must guarantee the absolute safety of my men."

Unexpectedly, this only enraged He Baodao. He took a large step forward, clenching his fists, "Does Your Excellency mean it's for self-preservation? Is killing for self-preservation?"

"What's wrong with self-preservation?"

"Don't deceive me, Your Excellency. I'm educated," He Baodao retorted loudly, "Our Chinese sages taught us that even beasts know how to protect themselves. Self-preservation is the nature of barbarians, but we Chinese have a sense of shame. Our Chinese righteousness is benevolence, loyalty, filial piety, and justice..."

Since arriving in this world, the transmigrator Huang Shi had been invincible due to his shamelessness. Now, he had a strange feeling that perhaps he wasn't a Chinese in the Ming Dynasty sense. "

...

The reason why the Chinese are different from the barbarians is because we have the Confucian teachings," Mr. Zhao, who had safely arrived at Shanhaiguan with his family, spoke to a group of children who had come with him. "Studying is to learn the Confucian teachings, and then to educate the people, so that the descendants of the Chinese will understand shame and righteousness. For example, killing is inhumane..."

"Then what about killing barbarians? Wouldn't that be inhumane?" These children were filled with hatred for the Later Jin.

"The sage said that barbarians are like beasts. However, killing them indiscriminately is still inhumane. The sage also said that we should repay evil with justice. If the barbarians do not offend the Chinese, we will not kill them. If the barbarians offend the Chinese..."

Mr. Zhao taught the children peacefully. In the distance, his two daughters were washing rice to prepare dinner, whispering intimate words to each other.

"Sister, the soldier from Guangning who came with our family the day before yesterday, his new wife seems to have seen General Huang!"

"Really?"

"It's said that this woman is Sun Degong's maid, and also the personal maid of Miss Sun. She's seen General Huang many times..."

The young girl, yearning for a fictional idol, told her sister she wanted to get close to that maid from the Sun family; she wanted to find out some gossip about this legendary figure.

"I want to go too."

"You?" The older sister was surprised: "Aren't you very afraid of General Huang?"

"General Huang is indeed a terrifying person. I really don't like him, but I also want to hear his stories." Long eyelashes drooped, obscuring the slight curiosity within: "A man who can so cruelly kill his betrothed wife! May God protect me, don't let me meet such a person." "

You think too badly of General Huang. Didn't Father say that General Huang is a hero who put righteousness before family?"

"Fortunately, there aren't many heroes in this world. If every man were a hero, there would be no way for us women to survive."

...

The argument went on for a long time.

Huang Shi now realized his mistake. He should have adopted a superior's stance from the start, instead of engaging He Baodao in a pedantic debate about the distinction between Chinese and barbarians. As a result, Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong were helpless, staring at each other blankly. Huang Shi cursed Jin Qiude inwardly; he also claimed to be a scholar, but what had he been reading, and where had it all gone?

However, he finally understood He Baodao's logic: human life was at stake, and killing had to conform to the noble principle of "loyalty and righteousness": "Those villagers shaved their heads and changed their clothes, not adhering to the traditional Chinese attire and etiquette, therefore they are barbarians!"

Seeing He Baodao take a breath, about to retort, Huang Shi waved his hand to stop the discussion: "Stop, let's not argue."

He Baodao now seemed completely unlike a soldier, more like a Confucian scholar. It seemed he had indeed read a lot, and all of it was outdated and corrupt Confucian classics. After making this judgment, Huang Shi knew that there was no point in arguing today; modern thinking and Confucian thought were incompatible, existing in completely different parallel universes.

"Commander He, go ask your men. Would they rather kill for a hot meal, or squat in the snow eating cold bread?"

"My lord, you are mistaken. Our duty as officers is to discipline our soldiers. Otherwise, what's the difference between us Chinese and the Jurchens?"

There was no point in arguing with a Confucian scholar who constantly talked about "Chinese" and "barbarians." Huang Shi sighed. A remnant of youthful indignation remained in his bones; the word "Chinese" still held considerable sway over him. "Fine, you go and make them swear an oath."

"My lord, you are wise."

He Baodao left happily, followed by Yang Zhiyuan. Only Huang Shi, Jin Qiude, Zhao Manxiong, and the accompanying guard Zhang Zaidi remained. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Confucians use their words to disrupt the law, and knights use their martial arts to break the law," Huang Shi concluded, summarizing the earlier discussion.

"My lord, you are wise." Jin Qiude had always looked down on Confucian "benevolence and righteousness," and Zhao Manxiong had almost been strangled to death by He Baodao.

"But don't upset Commander He."

"Understood, sir." The two bowed and withdrew.

"Brother," Zhang Zaidi asked anxiously, "Won't such a commotion leak out?"

"Old Zhao is very reliable." Huang Shi had great confidence in Zhao Manxiong. He himself had already come up with several strategies, such as locking all the villagers in one house and having a trusted confidant set it on fire before leaving, so Zhao Manxiong, with his careful planning, would naturally have no problem.

"Brother, why are you taking the blame for Jin Qiude? He was the one who suggested the killing. Let him fight Commander He to the death."

"He's my subordinate, so I have to take the blame for him. I have to take the blame for every one of my subordinates." Huang Shi, with a serious expression, had his own set of logic. He then added, "I can't let them fight it out themselves."

Zhang Zaidi seemed to understand, then smiled broadly: "They all become very strange in front of you, Brother."

According to Zhang Zaidi's description, Jin Qiude wasn't always gloomy behind Huang Shi's back; he would tell jokes. Zhao Manxiong would also talk nonsense, and similarly, speak without thinking.

Huang Shi nodded thoughtfully. Jin Qiude knew he was appreciated because of his ruthlessness, coldness, and ruthlessness; Zhao Manxiong also knew Huang Shi valued his composure and wisdom; similarly, He Baodao and Yang Zhiyuan gained Huang Shi's favor because of their special charm.

"So they all try their best to show their characteristics in front of me. Is this what they call understanding the superior's intentions?" Huang Shi thought to himself. "No wonder I feel that each of their ideas can move me; when they are in front of me, they all reflect a certain aspect of my personality. When they argue, it is actually several branches of my thoughts fighting."

Huang Shi's troops continued to advance towards Lushun, and horses continued to die in large numbers. Huang Shi's troops still had over a hundred men, but of their four hundred and fifty horses, less than two hundred remained. The surviving horses were severely dehydrated due to not having fodder for more than ten days.

In the 21st century, it's unimaginable for a small force of a hundred men to penetrate deep into enemy territory without being annihilated. Fortunately, this isn't modern society; there are no railways, highways, telephones, or telegraphs. Villages are sparsely populated on the vast Liaodong plain.

At this time, the Later Jin's rule here was basically the same as the Ming Dynasty: they would come down to collect grain during the autumn harvest, and in daily life, village elders still governed themselves. Therefore, Huang Shi and his men's biggest enemy wasn't the Later Jin's regular army, but the village self-defense forces used to defend against bandits.

Completely unfamiliar with the terrain, Huang Shi's army once went a day and a night without hot water or a warm campsite. Being exposed to the night winds of Northeast China in February of the lunar calendar was hardly a romantic experience, and the next day Huang Shi found two more sick soldiers.

Fortunately, Huang Shi's current personal guard captain was very capable. He was a convict from a bandit background, surnamed Ma. Because he always claimed to be Huang Shi's vanguard, everyone gradually forgot his original name.

This vanguard used his specialty—the art of observing qi (vital energy)—to help the army find new prey time and time again. The art of observing the smoke from cooking fires was a skill even within the army. Although Huang Shi observed it firsthand, he hadn't fully grasped all the techniques.

Locating villages by observing the smoke at dusk was understandable, but determining the size, layout, and population of a village from the smoke was a different story. Regardless, Huang Shi and his men always managed to raid some unfortunate little village.

"But relying solely on raiding isn't sustainable," Huang Shi thought. His army was suffering increasing wounds and slowing their pace. Without a stable base, the wounded were constantly tossed about.

"Hang in there, hang in there, things will get better once we reach Lushun," Huang Shi comforted himself. "At least we haven't encountered a large enemy force, that's good enough."

(End of Chapter 8)

Chapter 9: The

repeated raids brought about subtle changes in this Ming army. Huang Shi adopted a cunning tactic he'd learned from Huang Taiji: no unauthorized raiding. Each "spoils of war" were collected and then handed over to Zhao Manxiong for distribution. Through this method, Huang Shi managed to maintain military discipline and prevent the troops from collapsing.

The plan of marching by day and hiding by night had failed; Huang Shi had realized this method was unworkable even before reaching Sanchahe. The reason was night blindness; due to severe malnutrition at the time, at least half of Huang Shi's men suffered from this disease.

Although the large number of horses alleviated the difficulties of night marching, the soldiers still needed to carry torches for light. Therefore, Huang Shi simply avoided the midday hours and tried to cover as much distance as possible during the day.

Problems kept piling up; the dwindling number of horses and the lack of fodder caused Huang Shi great distress. Finally, he decided to take a risk and attack the Later Jin post stations. At this time, the post stations were essentially small fortresses, with their own watchtowers, observation posts, barracks, and wooden walls, and inside there was also a small warehouse and a well. A

direct assault on the post stations would result in manpower losses that Huang Shi could not tolerate, not to mention the wounded would slow down the march. Furthermore, the post stations also had beacon towers; being surrounded and intercepted by the Later Jin forces was no laughing matter.

Since a direct assault was impossible, a sneak attack was the only option. The vanguard had gone to scout the area during the day. His report upon returning was optimistic: perhaps because it was located in the safe rear, the post station seemed largely unguarded.

The vanguard and several other scouts had observed it for a long time during the day, finding the sentries listless and often unguarded.

"Based on my experience," the vanguard confidently stated, "a sneak attack in the latter half of the night is best, when people are sleeping the most soundly. My lord, I've plundered at least eighty or a hundred manors in Shandong; the latter half of the night is definitely the best time for a night raid."

Huang Shi's officers, lacking experience in this area, all leaned towards the vanguard's plan. However, Huang Shi pondered deeply; the soldiers needed rest, and they needed to travel the next day. Therefore, no plan could be based solely on military considerations.

As soon as darkness fell, Huang Shi eagerly organized the night raiding party.

"Reporting to my lord, the troops have assembled."

"Good. He Baodao, the vanguard, it's all yours."

"My lord, rest assured."

Night fell, and forty soldiers, none of whom had night blindness, were assembled and, led by He Baodao, stealthily made their way to the post station.

Huang Shi had already discovered that among his men, Yang Zhiyuan was the least distinctive, good at everything but mediocre at everything; He Baodao was a daredevil; Jin Qiude was best suited for commanding battles, ruthless in killing; Zhao Manxiong, though full of tricks, always stood far back in battles, and his reactions were incredibly slow—he would never make a decision until he had thoroughly understood it.

In the darkness, Huang Shi strained his eyes and vaguely saw four or five dark figures dart past. Soon, the post station door was gently opened. The vanguard was truly skilled; the wooden door of the post station was thick and heavy, yet the vanguard opened it without making a sound.

After a while, Huang Shi didn't even hear any fighting or shouting. His foot soldier returned, saying, "Sir, not a single person escaped, and not a single sound was made."

He was indeed an old bandit; he had robbed at least eighty, if not a hundred, households.

"Very good. Light the fire, and the whole army can rest."

The bodies of the five Later Jin couriers were dragged aside, and after the gate was closed, the soldiers immediately started a fire to cook. To Huang Shi's delight, the post station had urgently needed fodder and ten horses. The post station's barracks were designed for a hundred men, but even with everyone squeezing in, it was large enough.

After the meal was cooked, Huang Shi, as usual, ordered his personal guards and captains to supervise the soldiers as they washed their hands and faces, and everyone was required to drink boiled water, not to mention the sick. They would be assigned beds like the officers.

The devil is in the details; Huang Shi personally comforted the wounded and sick, tucking them in and saying a few comforting words. In this era, officers were often ruthless towards their soldiers. Zhang Zaidi reported that some people privately said Huang Shi was somewhat "womanly," but they were all deeply moved.

After ordering Jin Qiude to arrange the night patrol, Huang Shi washed up and went to sleep. The relentless marching day and night had exhausted him, so Huang Shi fell asleep as soon as he lay down. When Jin Qiude shook him awake, Huang Shi felt as if he hadn't slept for long, and he quickly realized he hadn't. It was still pitch black all around.

"Sir, sir, wake up! We're in trouble!" Jin Qiude's voice sounded anxious.

"What is it?"

"The night sentry spotted shadowy figures around us."

This made Huang Shi jump out of bed. The night raid team had already been woken up, and the soldiers who weren't part of the night raid team were waiting for orders in the darkness.

"How many?"

"Can't see clearly, but they seem to have ill intentions. We've probably been discovered."

Huang Shi followed Jin Qiude to the wooden wall and peered through the cracks, seemingly seeing something in the darkness.

"Sir, there seem to be people on three sides, their numbers are unclear, but we seem to be surrounded," Zhao Manxiong whispered to Huang Shi as he slipped over.

Huang Shi was both shocked and furious. Although he knew this wasn't the time to assign blame, he couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say no one escaped?"

"My lord, please forgive me."

"Forget it," Huang Shi said irritably. Now was not the time to reprimand his subordinates; not knowing the enemy's numbers was what worried him most.

"Sir, the enemy isn't attacking; they're clearly waiting for reinforcements," Jin Qiude whispered again as he slipped over. "The people outside seem to be still deploying. Should our army take this opportunity to break out?"

These words sent a chill down Huang Shi's spine. If the enemy was merely monitoring him, he would have no chance if the Later Jin army surrounded him. He pulled a few trusted men along, and together they tiptoed back into the house.

“We can’t break out,” He Baodao objected first. “What will happen to the wounded if we break out?”

“Exactly. Should we carry torches or not? If we don’t, what will happen to the night-blind soldiers? If we carry torches, we’ll all be targets,” Yang Zhiyuan also disagreed.

Huang Shi felt someone had secretly stabbed him, knowing that it was Jin Qiude implying that he should abandon the night-blind and sick soldiers.

"My lord, if our army doesn't break out now, we'll be surrounded by the main force, and I fear we'll have no chance left." Seeing Huang Shi's lack of reaction, Jin Qiude said anxiously, "Break out, my lord, make a decision quickly."

(End of Chapter 09)

Chapter 10

"My lord, I have a different opinion." Zhao Manxiong suddenly said in a low voice. Because of the urgency of the situation, he didn't stand on ceremony: "The enemy may have reinforcements, but I estimate they are already nearby and will soon launch an attack. I think we should repel their first attack and then look for an opening to break out."

"Why are you so sure they will attack soon?"

"Because I think if I were the enemy general, I wouldn't act like this before reinforcements arrive." Zhao Manxiong analyzed that if the enemy was still waiting for reinforcements, they should be hiding in the distance. The current actions are more like a deployment before a general offensive than reconnaissance.

"I agree with Commander Zhao's opinion." The foot soldier also chimed in, "I also think this is like preparation before an attack."

When people think about future dangers, they sometimes forget the situation at hand. Zhao Manxiong's words reminded Huang Shi. Huang Shi cursed Jin Qiude inwardly; it was his words, "If we're surrounded by a large army

, there's no chance of survival," that had thrown him into disarray. "The enemy might not know we've detected them. Continue to lull them into a false sense of security. When they attack, launch a fierce counterattack, then break out—break out with fire!" Huang Shi decisively gave the order.

"Yes, sir!" Jin Qiude and the officers immediately responded.

"Sir, I think we can also convince them that we haven't detected anything," the foot soldier added, offering another idea: "There's a saying among thieves: 'Test the waters.'"

"Tell me."

The enemy outside seemed genuinely unaware of Huang Shi's preparations. Approaching the wooden wall, they became even more cautious, barely noticing movement without their eyes wide open.

"Thud." Something struck the wooden wall beside the post station gate, but no sound came from inside.

"Thud." Another thud.

One of the men positioned on the left immediately created a loud commotion, deliberately kicking over a wooden barrel as he got up.

"What's going on?" another soldier shouted towards the wall.

The soldier who got up didn't say a word, making quite a commotion before lighting a torch and peering over the wall. Huang Shi, watching the sleepy face illuminated by the torchlight, secretly praised his acting skills.

After a long while, the soldier extinguished the torch and shouted as he left the wall, "It sounds like something's happening."

Huang Shi dealt with the next two attempts to probe with stones using a similar method. Finally, Jin Qiude arrived: "This subordinate has started probing with stones."

"Good," Huang Shi nodded, grinning maliciously, "All troops, prepare."

The chosen location was the back door of the house, and a large number of soldiers were all lying in ambush inside. Huang Shi opened

the door a crack and peeked over the wall. After a while, Huang Shi saw a dark figure emerge from the wall, followed by several more. The first figure landed with a very faint sound, and the others followed silently with his help.

The landing spot was far from the main gate. The figure darted to the side of the gate, where two soldiers were snoring loudly. Seeing the figure slowly moving towards them, Zhao Manxiong, hidden by the doorway, immediately shoved the soldier beside him.

"Changing shift!" the man shouted immediately. "Get up!"

The figure retreated into the shadows, and three soldiers stumbled to the gate. The leader feigned kicking the sleeping soldier a few times: "Go inside and sleep. Aren't you afraid of freezing to death?"

The two soldiers muttered a couple of times and walked heavily back to the camp. The two who replaced them sat down facing each other and began to chat quietly.

After a while, several dark figures disappeared from Zhao Manxiong's sight and reappeared in Huang Shi's view. One of them climbed over the wall again.

"They went out to discuss countermeasures. A large group should be climbing in now and forcibly taking the gate," the foot soldier whispered in Huang Shi's ear. Huang Shi gripped his sword hilt; the time for a counterattack was approaching.

Not long after, figures appeared, and this time the commotion was significantly louder. However, to Huang Shi's surprise, only seven people entered.

"Could they be planning to use so few men to storm the gate?" Huang Shi hesitated and whispered to the foot soldier.

"That's one method, but it's less common. They'll definitely have the main force waiting at the gate. These few will unlock the bolt, and the rest of the men will rush in," the experienced foot soldier replied immediately. "Robbing a wealthy household like that isn't impossible; I've used it a few times."

This sounded reasonable, and Huang Shi signaled to the soldiers lying in ambush behind him not to act rashly. He gave Jin Qiude a few instructions, and the latter led several archers stealthily to the front. After the figures circled around the base of the house along the wall, Huang Shi also directed the main force of soldiers to split into small teams and ambush behind the front gate.

"Once their main force enters, immediately throw torches over, then shoot arrows, and rush in together."

"Understood, sir," Yang Zhiyuan nodded.

The plan to use torches wasn't Ma Qianzu's idea—he only knew how to openly charge in with torches and sticks.

Zhao Manxiong, on the other hand, was a seasoned veteran, digging pits and watching his prey jump in. After Huang Shi decided on an ambush, Zhao Manxiong offered a wicked plan: when the enemy's main force rushed in, throw the torches at them all at once, dazzling a group of people first. Moreover, in the darkness, these people would immediately become targets.

The same soldier swaggered out again, saying to the two soldiers still chatting at the gate, "You two come here, come with me to feed the horses."

After the two soldiers left, Huang Shi was delighted to see the figures quickly flash to the gate. One dark figure seemed to be the leader; he let out a cricket chirp, and soon a response came from outside the gate.

"You scoundrel, hurry up," Huang Shi muttered from his hiding place. Hearing the cricket chirp in response, the dark figure at the front gate immediately and swiftly bolted and locked the door, opening it silently. This swift movement suggested he was a seasoned bandit.

As Huang Shi raised his arm in a ready gesture, ten soldiers immediately and slowly drew their iron bows to their fullest extent, steadily pointing them at the gate. The next group of soldiers followed in pairs, one holding flint in both hands, the other carrying a torch soaked in grease.

The wooden gate finally opened, wide enough, but instead of the expected large force rushing in, there was no one.

"What are they waiting for? Aren't they afraid the sentries will return?" Huang Shi observed the enemy's actions with suspicion. As he waited, he finally heard another cricket chirping outside.

With that sound, the leading figure in black immediately waved his hand.

"Finally here." Huang Shi felt he was sweating profusely from waiting.

A dozen or so enemies rushed out the gate following the gesture, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The silent night was suddenly broken by a series of chaotic, heavy footsteps.

"What are they doing?" Huang Shi, stunned, still held his arm in mid-air, and the archers behind him, also frozen in shock.

(End of Chapter 10)

Chapter 11

:

A loud crash from behind startled Huang Shi, who was still petrified.

"Ah!"

A long, agonizing scream rang out from behind, followed by a series of screams and shouts. Huang Shi immediately saw the shadow in front of him. He whirled around and saw that the back door had been kicked open. Several torches were thrown in, along with a hail of arrows. Several soldiers, pierced by arrows, were already rolling on the ground.

"Enemy attack!"

"In the back!"

"Back door! Back door!"

The post station was immediately filled with panicked cries. The soldiers near the back door tried to fight back, but more and more torches were thrown in, some right at their feet. The light was so bright that Huang Shi, standing near the front door, had to squint.

Several more soldiers were hit by arrows that flew out of the darkness, and the things inside the house were set ablaze. The smell of blood and thick smoke filled the air.

Zhao Manxiong, who always hid at the back, was now in the front line. He was hit in the thigh by an arrow and fell to the ground, rolling and howling. Chaos reigned at the post station, with soldiers at the back pushing and shoving towards the front gate in a panic.

"No retreating! Form ranks!" Jin Qiude roared, the throng pushing Huang Shi and him out the front gate.

"Shieldbearers, raise your shields!" Amidst the commotion, Yang Zhiyuan organized a shield wall, but some soldiers had already broken ranks and begun to flee.

Huang Shi couldn't stop them, but he saw the empty gate swaying in the wind and knew he was in trouble: "Close the gate!"

But Huang Shi realized it too late. At the same moment he shouted, a troop of cavalry carrying torches burst through the gate from the darkness.

He Baodao charged towards the gate with his spear, plunging it into the belly of the leading enemy horse. The horse neighed and threw the soldier off. Without even glancing at the broken spear, He Baodao swung it around, yelling as he pulled another cavalryman from his horse. But before he could unleash his power again, several cavalrymen charged past from the side, slashing He Baodao across the back with a casual stroke of

their blades. He collapsed headfirst into the yellow earth, clearly dead. Several soldiers who had just run past Huang Shi had already reached the gate. They had long since thrown down their weapons. Facing the enemy army that had appeared before them like divine intervention, one of them hesitated for a moment before kneeling down and raising his hands high.

"Spare us!"

The soldiers at the gate followed suit. And they seemed to think their cries weren't loud enough: "Spare us! Spare us!"

But they were still mercilessly cut down. The cavalry charged straight at Huang Shi, and his personal guards rushed forward with their swords drawn: "Protect the lord!"

"Stop! Stop!" A shout came from the direction of the gate. The knights reined in their horses upon hearing this, but the closest horse still collided with the captain of the personal guards before stopping. He was sent flying like a broken playing card, soaring over the top of Huang Shi and crashing into the wall of the post station with a loud thud.

Huang Shi then noticed that these knights were not Later Jin soldiers, but rather a uniformly Liaodong guerrilla force.

"Pass on my order, all troops cease fire!" the shout rang out again. The knights immediately began to disperse, shouting along the wooden wall, "Stop! Stop!"

The shouts of battle gradually subsided, only the crackling of flames and occasional screams remained. Huang Shi took several deep breaths to calm himself, noticing that several of his personal guards were still trembling.

"Who are these heroes over there?" Huang Shi clasped his hands in a fist salute to the knight who had ordered the ceasefire, trying to keep his voice calm.

The knight appeared to be around thirty years old, a burly man whose full beard was tinged bronze by the firelight. He sat upright on his horse, shouting at Huang Shi, "You're not a Jurchen?"

"No."

"You're not a guerrilla either." The man asked in an unquestionable tone.

"No," Huang Shi answered loudly.

"I'm no hero either." The burly man chuckled upon hearing this, raised his head, and shouted, "Put away your weapons! We've attacked the wrong person! Come here!"

A series of clanging sounds rang out, and the burly man also sheathed his sword and slowly spurred his horse towards Huang Shi. Several bodyguards immediately moved aside, trying to cover Huang Shi.

"Get out of the way!" Huang Shi shoved the bodyguards away fiercely. Where were they all before?

Seeing the reaction of Huang Shi's personal guards, the burly man calmly asked, "You are soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, aren't you? What is your name, and what is your rank?"

"Yes, I am Huang Shi, the guerrilla commander of the Guangning Army. May I ask your name?"

The burly man exclaimed, his face immediately showing surprise: "Are you the Huang Shi who killed the traitor Sun Degong?"

"Indeed, that's me."

"Your name is renowned." The burly man immediately dropped his arrogance, dismounted, and respectfully returned the salute with the Ming army's standard: "I am Kong Youde, the guerrilla commander of Xining Fortress of the Guangning Army."

Huang Shi, secretly relieved to have escaped death, quickly ordered his men to extinguish the fire and rescue the people. Kong Youde also hurriedly ordered his soldiers to join in, and soon the fire at the post station was extinguished. Kong Youde's men brought out a lot of medicine and rushed to help Huang Shi's men bandage their wounds.

He Baodao was still alive; the knife wound to his back had almost severed his spine. When Huang Shi picked him up, He Baodao struggled to speak, blood and sand gushing from his mouth and nostrils, leaving Huang Shi at a loss.

"Your subordinate is truly as strong as an ox; such a wound didn't kill him immediately, he might not die," Kong Youde's voice rang in his ears. "Spitting out some blood is normal; the knife must have shaken his lungs."

Zhao Manxiong had been wounded in the thigh by an arrow, and Huang Shi personally bandaged him, with Kong Youde standing to the side. Ever since hearing that his attackers were Ming soldiers, Zhao Manxiong had been glaring angrily at Kong Youde, who hadn't even glanced at him, seemingly oblivious to his fury.

The vanguard soldier who had been knocked away by the horse died the most tragically; his ribs and limbs were shattered, his internal organs spilling from his mouth, and he was limp when they collected the body.

Ten were dead, eighteen were seriously wounded, and a number were burned and trampled. Three of the soldiers who had shouted to surrender survived. Jin Qiude wanted to kill them, but Huang Shi immediately stopped him. The three of them were also slightly injured, and Huang Shi personally treated them again.

After the wounded were settled, Huang Shi bowed deeply to the entire army: "Huang Shi is incompetent and has dragged you all down."

The subordinates quickly cried out that they dared not, and even the lightly wounded among the wounded struggled to their feet to return the salute.

"Especially these three brothers," Huang Shi said, bowing again to the three soldiers who had shown signs of surrender, "It's truly unfortunate to have encountered such a mediocre person as Huang Shi."

The soldiers were Huang Shi's current source of strength, and he would never be stingy with his generosity towards them.

"Sir!" The three immediately blushed deeply.

(End of Chapter 11)

Chapter 12

Not daring to wait for them to say anything more, Huang Shi quickly began to resolve the conflict between his subordinates and Kong Youde, and at the same time, continue to mitigate the negative impact. He loudly addressed all the soldiers, "Tonight we were fortunate to have met General Kong, otherwise Huang Shi would still think he knew military affairs, and one day he would have killed everyone without even realizing it. It's all thanks to General Kong. If any of you want to leave a useless person like Huang Shi, I certainly wouldn't dare to force you."

"Sir, you flatter me." Immediately, everyone in the room knelt down.

Kong Youde, standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer: "General Huang, you don't know, today was just a coincidence, we were really lucky."

"It was clearly me who dragged you down, sir; it was clearly this humble servant who failed to see through the treacherous plot..." Zhao Manxiong dragged his injured leg to his feet. He stopped mid-sentence, realizing his mistake, and quickly changed his tune: "It was this humble servant who failed to see through General Kong's brilliant plan, please punish me, sir."

"Please rise, everyone. I am the commander-in-chief; even if the blame isn't entirely mine, I am still the most responsible," Huang Shi sighed sincerely. "As long as you don't despise Huang Shi, I will be eternally grateful."

"We are willing to die for you, sir."

Huang Shi then offered further reassurance, simultaneously dispelling the hatred his men harbored towards Kong Youde. Kong Youde, meanwhile, watched coldly from the sidelines. Afterwards, Huang Shi invited Kong Youde to talk in the night, and Kong Youde readily agreed.

After the two men slipped away from the crowd, Kong Youde, who had been deep in thought, exclaimed, "General Huang treats his soldiers like his own children; truly a general's demeanor!"

"What general? He was utterly defeated by General Kong."

"General Huang, would you... um, would you be willing to discuss the gains and losses with me?" Kong Youde, worried that Huang Shi might become angry, hesitated, trying to find a more palatable word.

"I was just about to ask General Kong for advice; I hope General Kong will be so kind as to offer his guidance."

It turned out that Kong Youde had also been eyeing this post station during the day, hoping to replenish his food and fodder. Unexpectedly, Huang Shi had beaten him to it, but coincidentally, Kong Youde's men hadn't seen Huang Shi and his men storm the post station. By the time Kong Youde's surveillance men noticed the fire at the post station, Huang Shi and his men were cooking, and the commotion and noise of their men and horses had been thoroughly investigated by their scouts.

"My scouts reported that quite a few Jurchen cavalry were spending the night at the post station. Judging from the sounds of men and horses, there were about a hundred of them, and over two hundred horses. I tried to seize the horses, but ended up injuring many of General Huang's men. I'm ashamed," Kong Youde said with an apologetic smile.

Hearing that his carelessness had allowed the enemy to figure out their numbers, Huang Shi blushed deeply, thankfully unseen in the darkness. "Ignorance is no excuse, but how did General Kong know that I was going to ambush them at the gate?"

"It was just a lucky coincidence," Kong Youde laughed heartily. "That's why I said General Huang was being too modest."

When Kong Youde surrounded the post station, Huang Shi and his men assumed it was the Later Jin army surrounding it, so the sentries naturally spoke in Chinese to mislead the enemy. Kong Youde, however, was convinced it was the Later Jin army inside, so he became suspicious, believing the Later Jin knew someone was coming and deliberately spoke in Chinese. And the content of their conversation was intentionally meant to mislead him—this was his guess.

However, Kong Youde harbored suspicions, and he noticed Huang Shi's attempt to lure him to an ambush. Since he suspected a trap within the post station, the guards' actions at the gate after he scaled the wall immediately revealed their deception.

Kong Youde personally scaled the wall to investigate. Convinced Huang Shi was setting a snare, he scaled back out to revise his plan, deciding to turn the tables and ambush Huang Shi.

The soldiers who entered did indeed use cricket chirping to contact the outside, but not to summon reinforcements to seize the gate as Huang Shi suspected. On the contrary, they were reporting that they had diverted the guards' attention, and their slow opening of the gate was a way to buy time. While Huang Shi and his group waited anxiously at the front and back gates, Kong Youde's large army had already scaled the wall from elsewhere.

"General Huang, look, isn't this a coincidence?" Kong Youde laughed heartily after explaining.

When Kong Youde heard Huang Shi's men shouting in Chinese, and Huang Shi issuing orders in Chinese, Kong Youde suspected he had attacked the wrong people. The behavior and shouts of Huang Shi's men confirmed their military identity, immediately ruling out bandits. Once Kong Youde realized they weren't Later Jin Han troops, he knew he was facing a small Ming army.

Understanding the situation, Huang Shi felt much relieved and laughed.

After the laughter subsided, Kong Youde suddenly stammered, "General Huang and that scoundrel Sun Degong, weren't they... weren't they..."

"Indeed, I was blind; I was once engaged to the daughter of that traitor Sun."

Kong Youde showed great respect: "General Huang regards wealth and honor as dirt, upholding justice even at the cost of family ties, bravely storming Guangning. I greatly admire you."

"General Kong flatters me."

Kong Youde hesitated, then asked, "Judging from General Huang's accent, you don't seem to be from Liaodong. You don't have an irreconcilable hatred for the Jurchens, do you?"

"Isn't national hatred an irreconcilable enmity?"

Kong Youde, his tone becoming even more respectful, cried out his slip of the tongue while greatly praising Huang Shi's loyalty and righteousness. He exclaimed, "I, Kong, was originally a miner from Tieling. My grandfather and father both died at the hands of the Jurchens, so I joined the army. This time, after the defeat at Guangning, I swore never to surrender to the enemy, yet I thought myself loyal and righteous. Compared to General Huang, I am ashamed, utterly ashamed."

The Kong family were originally miners from Liaodong and organizers of the Tieling uprising. They were all wiped out in the Later Jin's retaliation, except for Kong Youde, who led the remaining miners to Guangning and became a local officer. Due to his outstanding achievements over the years, he accumulated merits and became a guerrilla commander. His long-term experience made him rich in combat experience.

In the Battle of Shaling, the elite Guangning army was annihilated. After the loss of Guangning, the surrounding fortresses surrendered one after another. Although Kong Youde refused to surrender because of the blood feud between his father and grandfather, he also knew that the mere Xining Fort could not possibly stop the Later Jin army. So he first summoned his entire army, feigning surrender, then turned on them and killed all those who most actively supported his decision.

After purging his troops, Kong Youde didn't plan to go to Liaoxi. Firstly, he hadn't avenged his father and brother's deaths; secondly, he couldn't go to Liaoxi, as Xining was east of Xipingbao. Therefore, Kong Youde decided to go to Lushun to join Mao Wenlong, the deputy commander of the Guangning army. Mao's officers were mostly old comrades from Tieling, and they had experience fleeing after the previous failed uprising, so their escape was surprisingly orderly.

Unlike Huang Shi's light cavalry, he had many infantrymen under his command, and he also had to take many military dependents with him. So, despite the shorter distance and earlier departure, he and Huang Shi still met there.

What impressed Huang Shi was that Kong Youde dared to flee with two thousand civilians, and even marched during the day. Kong Youde had anticipated that most of the Later Jin cavalry had gone to Guangning, and would naturally pursue Wang Huazhen and Xiong Tingbi, leaving few Later Jin mobile forces in the Haizhou area.

"At most, a few scouts might spot me, so naturally they wouldn't dare attack my six hundred-plus soldiers. Even if they return to the city to report, it would take several castles to gather troops to deal with me, which would take a considerable amount of time. I've already gone far enough away that it will all fizzle out," Kong Youde said confidently.

"Indeed, General Kong's insight is brilliant."

(Chapter 13 of "Don't Say There Are No True Friends in the World ")

After a while of flattery and humility, Huang Shi sensed that Kong Youde seemed to want to say something, but kept hesitating. Unable to contain himself, he asked directly, "I feel General Kong wants to say something to me; please speak frankly."

Kong Youde laughed again, "I think General Huang is also a straightforward person, so I apologize for the intrusion. General Huang is certainly not leading troops for the first time, but tonight there are some perplexing aspects."

"Please speak."

"Does General Huang know the approximate strength of my troops?"

"No, but it's certainly more than mine."

"Exactly, that's what I wanted to say." Kong Youde said seriously, "Since General Huang knows the enemy is strong, he should have used fire and defended the walls. Since General Huang knows the enemy's situation is unclear, then honest defense is the right way; it's best to use fewer schemes."

Seeing Huang Shi speechless, Kong Youde quickly added, "I haven't led troops much either, so what I say may not be correct."

“No, General Kong is quite right,” Huang Shi said. This Kong Youde was a first-rate general, a figure of considerable renown. Even if he claimed to be able to defeat a hundred men, Huang Shi would still be skeptical. He quickly seized the opportunity to learn: “I have some questions to ask General Kong. Please enlighten me.”

Huang Shi and Kong Youde talked for half the night. Along the way, Huang Shi had accumulated many questions about marching, setting up camp, and reconnaissance. Kong Youde admired Huang Shi’s integrity and generously shared his insights. The two parted on good terms at dawn.

Kong Youde naturally invited Huang Shi to travel with him. Huang Shi felt that his chances of survival were much higher with such a man, as history had shown he had made it to Dongjiang alive.

Huang Shi’s immediate acceptance surprised Kong Youde. In truth, Kong Youde’s invitation was merely a polite gesture. He had assumed Huang Shi’s troops were all cavalry and would flee alone, unwilling to be burdened by civilians and infantry. To everyone's surprise, Huang Shi readily agreed. Kong Youde mistakenly believed that Huang Shi intended to stay and help him, and was deeply moved, believing Huang Shi to be exceptionally loyal and righteous.

Not only Kong Youde was unaware of Huang Shi's ulterior motives, but even Huang Shi's own men were puzzled. Although they had resigned themselves to their fate, they still harbored some hostility towards Kong Youde, and thus began clamoring to leave first. Huang Shi immediately used wounded soldiers to subdue them, saying he would never abandon a single subordinate.

After leaving with Kong Youde, Huang Shi discovered that Kong Youde's actions in leading the people to safety were not solely out of kindness. Firstly, Kong Youde's several hundred soldiers didn't need to worry about food or setting up camp. Secondly, the wounded would be easier to care for.

Under these favorable conditions, He Baodao displayed an almost cockroach-like resilience, stubbornly surviving. A few days later, Huang Shi saw him eat a bowl of porridge with the help of a woman, knowing that the man's life was most likely saved.

Kong Youde's intentions weren't purely altruistic. He had considered this issue before fleeing Xining Fort. Previously, the Ming army relied on its home base for warfare, securing food and medicine from its garrisons. However, as an isolated force, these supplies couldn't be replenished locally. Having soldiers gather provisions and perform manual labor would significantly impact the army's combat effectiveness and mobility.

Kong Youde's concerns mirrored Huang Shi's earlier struggles: severe non-combat casualties and the need for combat personnel to care for each sick and wounded soldier.

Kong Youde's decision to lead the civilians in their escape stemmed from the belief that every extra person added to the force. He also reasoned that the Later Jin's attention was drawn to their main force in Guangning, making a slightly slower march less of a concern—a gamble that paid off.

Taking advantage of daytime travel, the massive column of nearly three thousand men didn't move particularly slowly. Huang Shi observed for several days and noticed a surprising number of elderly people in the group.

When Huang Shi questioned this, Kong Youde casually replied that he carefully selected both the soldiers and civilians he received before departure and along the way.

"I told those old people that taking them along wouldn't guarantee their descendants' survival, so they voluntarily withdrew."

"Withdraw?"

"Leave or commit suicide," Kong Youde answered emotionlessly.

"Didn't the young people go looking for their fathers and grandfathers?" Huang Shi's voice rose. Weren't people in this era supposed to value family?

"Looking for what? Most of them had already said goodbye to their children and grandchildren." Kong Youde sighed, seemingly recalling those life-and-death farewells: "Very tragic and sorrowful scenes."

"And then? They just accepted the sacrifice of the old people?" Huang Shi's mouth gaped open, almost big enough to fit an apple.

"Everyone wants to live. Most people just need an excuse. An excuse to comfort themselves." Kong Youde's eyes were filled with sorrow; his current expression somewhat matched Huang Shi's image of a wise man.

Since the Later Jin occupied Liaodong, Nurhaci implemented the shaving edict, allowing the Eight Banners soldiers to seize the property and wives of Han people, using the butcher's knife against the resistance of the common people. Ming soldiers could surrender without much hesitation, but every commoner thought about how to escape to the Ming Dynasty.

"The old man told them to preserve the family line, and I told them that if they wanted revenge, they had to save their lives." Kong Youde finished speaking and fell silent, as did Huang Shi. Yes, when people have an excuse to comfort themselves, their instinctive will to survive takes over. This is the chaos of the world, a world where human life is cheap as dogs.

After joining forces with Kong Youde, Huang Shi and his men still established their own camp. Although Huang Shi didn't believe Kong Youde wanted to absorb his men, he wasn't going to be completely unprepared.

Huang Shi's men had always been confident in the elite strength of the Guangning Army, but they had been humiliated in a night raid by a group of local garrison troops. They didn't say it aloud, but they couldn't swallow their anger. Now, every glance and smile from Kong Youde's soldiers was interpreted as sarcasm. Huang Shi tried his best to suppress these emotions, but with little success. In fact, he also harbored resentment.

After setting up camp today, Huang Shi crawled into his tent, spread his limbs, and collapsed, letting out a satisfied sigh, intending to drift off to sleep.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

"Sir!"

The limping Zhao Manxiong rushed in.

"What is it?" Disturbed, Huang Shi looked impatient, lazily sitting up. He was also annoyed by Zhao Manxiong's sudden intrusion.

Zhao Manxiong, his face contorted with anger, replied gruffly, "Sir, a fight has broken out outside! Kong Youde's bastards have come to our door!"

He then gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently. This sight frightened Huang Shi even more than his words.

"A fight with Kong Youde's men? Don't you think I'm annoying enough already?"

Huang Shi sprang to his feet, glaring fiercely at Zhao Manxiong as he angrily shoved his boots into place. Grabbing his cloak and helmet, Huang Shi shoved Zhao Manxiong aside, who was blocking his way, and rushed out of the tent. Zhao Manxiong scratched his head and hurriedly followed.

The fight was taking place on the edge of Huang Shi's camp. Dozens of soldiers were fighting hand-to-hand, while a group of refugees watched the spectacle from outside the circle. Jin Qiude and several of his men came running over, each carrying a stick, seemingly intending to join the fray.

(End of Chapter 13)

Chapter 14

"Jin Qiude, stop!" Huang Shi, having run all the way, saw the situation and quickly stopped it from escalating further, while loudly ordering all the officers and soldiers to stop.

Huang Shi's own men naturally obeyed and jumped back, and Kong Youde's men did not dare to be disrespectful to Huang Shi, collectively clasping their fists in salute.

"What happened?"

"They called our elder brother a dung heap general." It was Zhang Zaidi who spoke, and then he angrily pointed at a soldier opposite him: "It's him!"

The soldier Zhang Zaidi pointed at had a large dark shadow around his right eye, half his face was swollen, and his clothes were torn in several places. When Huang Shi first saw him, the soldier was very agitated, trying several times to break free from his comrades and rush forward, but as soon as Zhang Zaidi spoke, he immediately wilted.

Huang Shi stared at the soldier until the hairs on his body stood on end, and the soldier knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "General Huang, please forgive me."

"General Huang, this dog really deserves to be beaten to death, but he did make some contributions along the way, General Huang, please be magnanimous..." The speaker seemed to be a captain, but after saying the first part, he couldn't think of what to say next, so he turned around and kicked the soldier twice: "Dog, you foul mouth, I'll kick you to death!"

"Stop, I didn't say I was going to do anything to him." Huang Shi finally spoke.

"Thank you, General Huang." The leader hurriedly thanked him, then kicked the soldier, sending him rolling. "Hurry up and thank General Huang for sparing your life."

"No need for thanks, get up and answer." As he spoke, Huang Shi glanced around at the soldiers, noticing the smug looks on his men's faces.

"Why did you call me the 'Dung Pit General'?" Huang Shi put on what he considered his most amiable smile.

"General Huang, please forgive me." The soldier immediately prostrated himself again.

"And not just one, he, he, he, and him, they all told me." Zhang Zaidi arrogantly pointed at each of them, and immediately a whole group of them knelt down.

"Tell me what happened." Huang Shi patted Zhang Zaidi's shoulder encouragingly.

Greatly encouraged, Zhang Zaidi immediately spilled everything he knew like melon seeds.

Soon Huang Shi understood the whole story; it all stemmed from the hygiene regulations he had set for his men. For the past two days, his men had been following his orders, starting to build latrines as soon as they set up camp. Kong Youde's men, finding it intriguing, asked why they were deliberately building toilets.

Huang Shi's men, already annoyed by Kong Youde's soldiers, naturally didn't bother answering. Kong Youde's men, who already disliked them, secretly called them "cesspool soldiers."

Later, when someone else asked them about it, Huang Shi's men, who hadn't liked building toilets before, retorted with mockery: "This is our superior's order, what do you know?"

Thus, Huang Shi unknowingly earned the nickname "Cesspool General." Today, when they started digging toilets again, a few onlookers called them "Cesspool General's Cesspool Soldiers."

Huang Shi's men were naturally furious. They initially only wanted to argue, but the hot-blooded young Zhang Zaidi, without saying a word, targeted the loudest guy, walked around to his side, and punched him.

The most foul-mouthed soldier was spitting as he spoke—the same soldier who had been pointed out earlier, whose dark circles under his eyes were also Zhang Zaidi's handiwork. He was knocked to the ground by Zhang Zaidi's punch, and then kicked several times. Nothing seemed amiss below; a brawl ensued.

"So that's how it is," Huang Shi snorted, questioning his men, "Did you tell them why I was building the latrines?"

"Who wants to tell them?" Zhang Zaidi grinned, gesturing towards Kong Youde's men.

"That's why they call me the latrine general!" Huang Shi snorted again, this time even Zhang Zaidi sensed the hostility in Huang Shi's tone, immediately shutting up and lowering his head.

"You, sit!" Huang Shi gestured in a circle, ordering Kong Youde's soldiers to sit down, then squatted down himself, vividly recounting why he was building the latrines, what benefits they would bring, and his experiences and techniques for building and dealing with the aftermath of the latrine construction.

"Hehe, that's it." Having finished his long speech, Huang Shi clapped his hands, stood up, and smiled at the onlookers, saying, "General Kong is a great warrior, let's call him the Ever-Victorious General. I dug latrines to prevent everyone from getting sick, so from now on, call me the Laundry General, and let the whole army know the contribution I, Huang Shi, have made."

"General Huang, you are so magnanimous! We know we were wrong!" Seeing the soldiers bowing again in unison, Huang Shi knew this apology was much more sincere than before.

"Hmm," Huang Shi had made a decision while speaking, so he called over the squad leader: "Take me to see General Kong."

Huang Shi arrived at Kong Youde's tent and met the person in charge. Kong Youde, who had heard about the dispute, had also come. After hearing Huang Shi's handling of the situation, Kong Youde first praised him a few times, then flew into a rage and wanted to punish the unfortunate soldiers. Huang Shi firmly objected.

Kong Youde, who had only intended to put on a show, scolded the soldiers for a while, then let them go.

Upon arriving at Kong Youde's camp, he asked, "Huang Shi, what brings you here?"

"I intend to entrust my men to General Kong," Huang Shi stated casually.

"You said you'd hand over your men to me?" Kong Youde stared at Huang Shi in astonishment, clearly surprised by his suggestion.

"Yes, my ability to command troops is far inferior to yours, Brother Kong, so I'm entrusting them to you."

"That won't do," Kong Youde refused decisively. "Brother Huang, you just lack experience; you'll improve with time."

"Then let's talk about it when I'm better," Huang Shi said with a grin. "Brother Kong, I'm sincere."

Seeing that Huang Shi's expression didn't seem feigned, Kong Youde hesitated but still agreed: "Alright, I'll manage them for you for now, and return them to you when we reach Lushun."

"Good," Huang Shi extended his hand to Kong Youde, and the two immediately shook hands. "Brother Kong, now is the time to work together; unified command is essential."

This was indeed true, but it was usually something someone trying to seize military power would say. This Huang Shi was truly interesting. Kong Youde thought this to himself, but only smiled slightly: "Brother Huang is right."

"But Brother Kong can't just take my hundred cavalrymen for nothing." Huang Shi still had that same grinning expression.

Oh, that's more like it, there must be some conditions. Kong Youde smiled slightly again: "General Huang, please speak."

(End of Chapter 14)

Chapter 15

The next day, Kong Youde announced that from now on, the two armies would be under unified command, with Kong Youde as the commander and Huang Shi as the deputy. Kong Youde would be responsible for matters such as marching and fighting, while logistical matters such as setting up camp could be handled by consulting Huang Shi. In this way, the Huang Shi bandit gang and the Kong Youde bandit gang were merged.

Huang Shi's first order was that the entire army must build military toilets. Undoubtedly, Huang Shi's reputation as the "General of the Dung Pit" would become even more renowned. Other things also quickly spread to Kong Youde's bandit gang, such as folk songs.

After the reorganization, the folk songs modified by Huang Shi quickly spread, and now you could hear a group of people singing "The Girl Next Door" in various accents all day long. Among Kong Youde's troops, this modified pop song was the most popular, reminding Huang Shi of the Soviet army's fondness for Katyusha and the German army's fondness for Lili Marlene during World War II. It seemed the monotonous life of soldiers made them appreciate this slightly melancholic yet emotionally stirring melody.

Huang Shi's request was somewhat unexpected by Kong Youde. In his view, the rights Huang Shi sought were thankless tasks, offering neither merit nor good reputation. Although Huang Shi's request differed from Kong Youde's expectations, it was ultimately a harmless arrangement, and considering the face of the hundred cavalrymen, he readily agreed.

Relinquishing command of this cavalry unit was a somewhat painful decision for Huang Shi. He fully trusted that Kong Youde wouldn't arbitrarily replace the officers, but in the eyes of these soldiers, Huang Shi's authority would undoubtedly be affected.

"You have to give to receive."

Huang Shi understood that this decision didn't conform to the formula of "better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond"—the rise of a powerful figure. However, he believed he had no chance of becoming a powerful figure in the short term, so a loyal army wasn't particularly important at the moment.

As Zhao Manxiong said, Huang Shi wasn't just concerned with the present; he valued the future even more. Kong Youde's six hundred men and nearly three thousand Liaodong civilians would have a long-term impact, and being the adjutant leading them out of Liaodong would be very beneficial, certainly ten times better than being the head of a hundred-man squad. Furthermore, Huang Shi's voluntary relinquishment of military power today would also bring political benefits in the future, the most immediate being seen with Mao Wenlong.

Just as Kong Youde had predicted, the Later Jin army's attack on Guangning did indeed leave the rear very vulnerable, and the vast land of Liaodong was already sparsely populated. Along the way, Kong Youde relentlessly plundered villages and towns. Relying on refugees for logistical support, Kong Youde's bandit gang was already quite efficient, and with the addition of an elite cavalry unit, their efficiency increased even more. Many Han Chinese who had been demoted to bondservants and serfs also joined their ranks.

Several of Huang Shi's subordinates didn't quite understand why he was relinquishing military power, with Jin Qiude reacting particularly strongly. At a private gathering of Huang Shi's old subordinates, he loudly expressed his dissatisfaction:

"Sir, power is earned, not waited for. It's one thing if you don't fight for it, but to just give it away for nothing! Don't you know that giving it away is easy, but getting it back is difficult?"

"If Kong Youde and I give different orders now, whose will you listen to, mine or Kong Youde's?" Huang Shi's question left Jin Qiude speechless: "So how much power have I actually relinquished?"

Zhao Manxiong pondered for a long time: "Sir, perhaps there won't be a problem immediately, but over time..."

"Immediately? How long until we reach Lushun? Ten days, fifteen days?"

"Sir!" Zhao Manxiong argued: "Even so, you're going to Lushun as Kong Youde's adjutant, meaning you'll be overshadowed by him, no longer on equal footing."

"That's right," Yang Zhiyuan and Jin Qiude agreed in unison.

They even fight over such a trivial honor; no wonder the Ming army was so disorganized. Moreover, Huang Shi was somewhat angry that he had given up real benefits for empty fame. He couldn't vent his anger on his loyal subordinates, which made him even more displeased: "Without Kong Youde's refugees, what would happen to our wounded soldiers? We'd have to go hunting ourselves. Now we're the ones who need Kong Youde's help!"

Yang Zhiyuan shouted, "Sir, He Baodao can't even stand up yet!"

"Do you want revenge?" Huang Shi roared, "A defeat is a defeat, there's nothing to say. He survived entirely because of Kong Youde's men."

"That's because he was lucky, recruiting so many refugees along the way," Yang Zhiyuan retorted angrily. He still couldn't face the crushing defeat that day: "If we had so many refugees, it's hard to say who would have been utterly defeated."

Pretending to be mysterious would likely alienate them. Looking at the three indignant captains before him, Huang Shi decided to reveal some military considerations: "I have an idea, and what you said is exactly what I'm considering..."

Huang Shi had been summarizing his experiences and lessons learned, and he felt that the reason his fighting strength had declined so drastically was because he had only trained combat soldiers. Pure combat units cannot sustain operations for long without logistical support. He recalled the combat organization of later generations, where units capable of independent action all possessed various support units.

In his initial plan, the construction of camps and the repair of bridges and roads would be handled by engineers, the transport of provisions and the maintenance of equipment would be handled by supply troops, and a medical corps would be established. If possible, Huang Shi also planned to recruit some female soldiers as nurses.

He revealed a corner of this grand plan to a few subordinates, but even so, they found it difficult to digest.

"Sir, there are laborers to transport provisions, craftsmen to maintain equipment, and doctors to treat the wounded. As for repairing bridges and roads, that's the work of soldiers," Yang Zhiyuan worried that Huang Shi was unaware of large-scale troop operations.

“Yes, I know all that, but these people aren’t soldiers; most of them were temporarily conscripted.”

Jin Qiude was also visibly shocked. “Your Excellency plans to turn artisans, laborers, and doctors into soldiers? But they’re useless in peacetime. Temporary conscription saves a lot of money.”

Temporary conscription meant forcing men into service. Forcing men into service certainly saved money, but the results were poor. Huang Shi believed that an army built from these units would be a true field army: “They’ll train in peacetime. Combat soldiers will train in combat skills, and these soldiers will train in their special skills.”

Zhao Manxiong shook his head again, his signature gesture: “The court won’t support a bunch of soldiers who can’t fight.”

“If the court won’t support them, I will,” Huang Shi waved his hand generously. “We can draw salaries without working.”

“Draw salaries without working to support laborers, doctors, and blacksmiths?”

“Yes.” Huang Shi answered with an unquestionable tone.

The three men in front of him hesitated. Huang Shi knew that hesitation would lead to suspicion, and suspicion would shake loyalty. He stared at Yang Zhiyuan and asked, "You said you would always follow me, do you regret it now?"

"No, sir. I will always follow you," Yang Zhiyuan answered without hesitation.

After a moment, Yang Zhiyuan hesitated and added, "But I still believe that all the money should be spent on soldiers with fighting ability."

Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude also silently agreed. In feudal armies, the consensus of subordinates is a great pressure, because they are the source of the commander's power.

"Understood. I asked Kong Youde for this job because of this idea, but I still need to see if I'm wrong." Faced with this pressure, Huang Shi also relented: "If I'm wrong, I will correct myself immediately, and I will take back the military power."

"You are wise, sir." The three subordinates bowed in unison.

"Haha," Huang Shi laughed loudly, pretending to be relaxed: "Why are we thinking so far ahead now? We can think about these things after we get to Lushun."

Damn feudal army and feudal officers! Huang Shi cursed inwardly, "I'll reform you all as soon as I get the chance."

However, precisely because it was a feudal army, Huang Shi still firmly controlled his old troops, and he wasn't sure if his anger counted as "biting the hand that feeds him."

The Later Jin local army had no good solutions for such a large, roaming bandit gang. Most of their elite forces had gone to Guangning, and Mao Wenlong still commanded several thousand cavalry in Zhenjiang.

Huang Shi had initially thought he could safely reach Lushun, until today, before setting up camp.

Kong Youde pulled him aside, his face turning grim: "We're probably in trouble."

(End of Chapter 15)

Chapter 16

"What's wrong?"

"Those Later Jin cavalrymen who followed us until nightfall are probably scouts for the main force."

"Why?" Huang Shi was also surprised. Their column was too conspicuous; after bypassing Haizhou, there were always Later Jin cavalrymen circling around. After the initial unease of the first few days, Huang Shi had gotten used to it.

The Later Jin fortresses generally only had about a hundred garrison troops; they were only capable of holding their ground. Given the limited communication capabilities of the Ming Dynasty, it wouldn't have been easy for the Later Jin garrison to muster the strength for an attack.

"They only arrived in the afternoon, and they've been keeping a very, very far distance from us, as if they dared not approach," Kong Youde explained further, seeing Huang Shi's still bewildered expression. "If it were a warning force sent from a nearby fortress, they would have arrived in the morning."

"Perhaps they're just late," Huang Shi pondered the implication of Kong Youde's words, sweat beading on his forehead. He was shocked by his own slowed battlefield awareness, but there would never be a next time.

“No, the usual early warning cavalry would stay relatively far ahead to better observe our movements. Why are these few so far away? I think there are two reasons. First, they only need to keep track of our general direction. Second, they've been traveling all morning, and even yesterday they were traveling, so their horses aren't as powerful as the other early warning cavalry. They're afraid that if they get too close, they'll be caught up by our cavalry and won't be able to escape.”

“Then how many people do you think their main force is, and when will they arrive?”

“I don't know, but the scouts will arrive this afternoon, so the main force of the Jurchens won't be able to catch up with us until tomorrow.” Kong Youde unconsciously bit his thumb, briefly explaining the records in military books: cavalry like to rest their horses at night and attack in the early morning.

They analyzed and concluded that if the Later Jin arrive tonight, they will attack early tomorrow morning; otherwise, the main force of the Later Jin will march normally, set up camp early tomorrow night, rest well, and attack the day after tomorrow morning.

“In short, it will be within the next two days.”

“But at the speed of the large civilian population, it will take about five more days to reach Lushun.” Huang Shi also understood the perilous situation; most civilians were unarmed.

Unlike Huang Shi's direct troops, Kong Youde's local garrison all had families, so they decided to leave troops behind to cover the rear, planning to hold off the Later Jin army for three days and cover the civilians' retreat.

Huang Shi felt his throat go dry, and he finally couldn't bring himself to suggest fleeing first: "Tomorrow, all the cavalry will stay behind to cover the main force's escape. The cavalry can also escape using their speed."

"No," Kong Youde flatly rejected the idea: "Cavalleria's defensive capabilities are poor. Besides, their numbers are too small. If the enemy sends two hundred cavalry to bypass the cavalry and pursue the main force, the rearguard won't dare to intercept, and the main force will still be tied down. Therefore, all the infantry must stay behind, and the cavalry will follow the main force to guard against possible small groups of Jurchens."

"What if the enemy bypasses the infantry?"

“No, the enemy doesn’t know our strength. If they rashly bypass us, they might be caught in a pincer movement. Splitting our forces to bypass them is even more dangerous, as they could be easily defeated piecemeal by our main force in the middle. Besides, the cavalry is in the vanguard. As long as we take the initiative to disperse the Jurchen scouts, we can cut off their intelligence.”

Huang Shi felt he had discovered a fatal flaw in Kong Youde’s strategy: “What if the enemy has a thousand cavalry, divided into two groups? One group pursues the vanguard, and the other destroys the rearguard. Even if all our infantry are left behind, we still can’t defeat either group.”

Kong Youde stared at Huang Shi, as if there was something strange on his face: “If they have a thousand cavalry, what are we even discussing now? No

matter how we deploy, we’re doomed! If the Jurchens have more than five hundred cavalry, we’re doomed!” Huang Shi struggled internally for a moment, but finally, his pride prevailed: “Then tell me the plan. I don’t know how to command the infantry to counter the cavalry pursuit.”

“You said you’re going to stay behind?” Kong Youde’s eyes widened even more.

“Yes, are you going to stay behind?” Huang Shi asked in surprise.

“Of course I’ll stay. Even if you stay, I can’t escape,” Kong Youde said bluntly, unaware that his words were hurtful. “So you go first. As long as you can take the civilians and escape, I won’t have any worries. That way, it will be much easier for me to act.”

Huang Shi, his face flushed, was about to argue when suddenly they heard a loud commotion outside the door, followed by one of Kong Youde’s personal guards shouting, “Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

Kong Youde and Huang Shi both tensed up at the same time and shouted, “Come in!”

The guard lifted the tent flap and ran in, quickly saluting Huang Shi before reporting to Kong Youde. About twenty Later Jin cavalrymen had attacked the vicinity of the camp, killing some civilians who were chopping wood and fetching water. The troops outside the camp had spontaneously assembled, and this soldier had come to ask whether they should immediately move out to disperse the Later Jin cavalry harassing the area.

"No rush." Kong Youde finished speaking and pondered for a moment. After a while, he looked up at Huang Shi and decisively ordered, "Hold the camp. No unit is allowed to attack without authorization. Have the surrounding civilians retreat."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier answered loudly, giving Kong Youde a solemn military salute.

Huang Shi looked at the expressions of Kong Youde's subordinates and felt a strange feeling. These days, he had a feeling that since being utterly defeated by Kong Youde, his subordinates had become increasingly inclined to object to his orders, lacking the spirit of unwavering obedience that Kong Youde's men possessed. Intelligence

reports kept pouring in. Outside the tent, there were only about twenty cavalrymen, circling and killing the civilians working on the outer perimeter, even displaying the heads of the dead on their spears, standing outside the range of arrows and loudly mocking the Ming soldiers inside.

“Arrogant and unruly,” Kong Youde sneered. “A mere twenty-odd men dare to act so recklessly around my army.”

“They have reason to be arrogant,” Huang Shi added emotionlessly. These enemy soldiers appeared to be the elite of the Later Jin central army.

For years, the Ming army had crumbled at the mere sight of the Later Jin forces, with each battle resulting in a ratio of one to ten, or even one to dozens of Ming soldiers—a few dozen Later Jin soldiers daring to chase after thousands of Ming troops. Therefore, it was not surprising that the Later Jin cavalry outside were so arrogant.

“They have already killed and wounded several dozen of my civilians,” Kong Youde snorted again.

“So they’ll become even more arrogant,” Huang Shi understood what Kong Youde was thinking. “It’s perfectly normal for them that our army doesn’t dare to attack.”

A slight smile appeared on Kong Youde’s cold face: “Brother Huang, continue. Let’s see if you agree with me.”

“Good. I thought they would soon realize that our army is nothing but cowardly rats, just like the other Ming armies. They’re wasting their time and energy now, and they’ll be exhausted by nightfall, not to mention they’ve been traveling all day.”

Kong Youde clapped his hands and laughed: “Brother Huang, you and I are on the same page.”

“Great minds think alike,” Huang Shi laughed as well: “Let me handle tonight’s night raid.”

“Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Twenty cavalrymen are nothing. Sending fifty is already giving them too much credit. Tomorrow we might encounter real danger. Brother Huang, you should get a good rest tonight.”

(End of Chapter 16)

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/14736.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=14736&aspx=1

Last access time:

Previous Page : Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 5

Next Page : Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 7

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 6

comment Open a new window to view comments