Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 32

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Can He Bear the Weight of a Towering Peak? Chapter 54: The Raging Tide.

The ministers urged Prince Xin to ascend the throne, but he politely declined, citing the recent passing of the late emperor and his own grief, stating he had no heart to consider the matter of a title. The ministers then argued that the country could not be without a ruler for a day and again urged Prince Xin to take the throne. Prince Xin, admitting his lack of virtue and ability, refused a second time. The ministers, believing no sage in the land surpassed Prince Xin, urged him a third

time to take the throne. Prince Xin stated he wished to observe three years of mourning and asked the ministers to bring up the matter again later. Upon receiving Prince Xin's third refusal, officials from the Six Ministries jointly submitted a petition urging him to ascend the throne, which was presented by the Grand Secretary to Prince Xin's fiefdom. They earnestly requested that Prince Xin, for the sake of the ancestral land and the people, leave his fiefdom to inherit the throne.

Thus, the three-fold refusal process, which every emperor of China throughout history had to go through, was completed. Prince Xin accepted the petition, offered sacrifices to Heaven at the ancestral temple, ascended the throne, and proclaimed to the world that the following year would be the first year of the Chongzhen reign.

On October 26th of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (nine days after Emperor Xizong's death), Wei Zhongxian, who had once wielded immense power, now appeared to have aged twenty years. As the saying goes, each new emperor brings a new

court. Currently, the two most favored eunuchs were Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen. Wang Chengen was one thing, but Cao Huachun was a protégé of the powerful eunuch Wang An, who had been Wei Zhongxian's greatest political enemy and had died at his hands. Wang An was a highly praised prime minister by the Donglin Party, so Cao Huachun was naturally a member of the Donglin Party as well. The emperor's favor towards him naturally made Wei Zhongxian uneasy. After observing for several days, he concluded that while the new emperor was polite, he was far from being friendly. Having navigated the officialdom for many years,

Wei Zhongxian was confident in his judgment. He knew he had offended too many people over the years, and seeing that the new emperor no longer trusted him, he had no choice but to consider his exit. Therefore, Wei Zhongxian waited outside Cao Huachun's door early this morning. As soon as Cao Huachun opened the door, Wei Zhongxian knelt down, pleading, "Eunuch Cao, please spare my life!"

Cao Huachun was startled. He stepped back, hesitated, but didn't help Wei Zhongxian up. He simply said, "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable."

Wei Zhongxian kowtowed several times, earnestly pleading, "Eunuch Cao, please speak to His Majesty. I am old. I only ask to leave the palace and return home to live out my remaining years in peace. I have no other requests."

Cao Huachun forced a smile, finally going over to help Wei Zhongxian up and even dusting off his clothes. During this time, Wei Zhongxian stood with his head bowed and hands clasped, motionless like a puppet, completely at Cao Huachun's mercy.

"Eunuch Wei..."

Upon hearing this address, Wei Zhongxian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his stiff shoulders seeming to loosen slightly, but he still acted like a schoolboy facing his teacher, obediently waiting for Cao Huachun to continue.

"His Majesty has always praised Eunuch Wei, and the late Emperor also mentioned Eunuch Wei's merits and talents on his deathbed..."

October 18th.

Zhang Heming, the Southwest Military Governor, submitted a memorial to the capital. The various tribes of Shuixi and Yongning had all surrendered. Zhang Heming stated that he believed Heaven had a benevolent heart. Since the rebels had already surrendered, further killing was inappropriate. At the same time, Zhang Heming also presented his views on the situation in the Southwest. He believed the court should implement the "abolition of the native chieftain system" in the Shuixi and Yongning regions.

This policy had three obvious advantages: First, the land and population controlled by the court would increase, naturally boosting the fiscal revenue of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces; second, it would eliminate the separatist forces of ethnic minorities, ensuring that in the event of future unrest in the Southwest, the manpower and resources of Shuixi and Yongning would be at the court's disposal, not the other way around; finally, it would serve as a warning to others. If the powerful families of the She and An clans, with their thousand-year history, were completely eradicated this time, it would greatly deter other chieftains in the Southwest.

In his memorial, Zhang Heming claimed that if the "abolition of the native chieftain system and its replacement with direct imperial administration" could be successfully implemented, it would ensure fifty years of peace in the southwest and bring lasting benefits to future generations, allowing the nation to enjoy enduring prosperity.

However…

Zhang Heming spoke emphatically about the arduous nature of this reform, arguing that if it were not handled carefully, it could easily incite popular uprisings and become an excuse for a few with ulterior motives to cause trouble.

Therefore, Zhang Heming proposed a comprehensive plan of "using barbarians to control barbarians."

The first step was to exterminate the chieftains and their close associates in Yongning and Shuixi. These people were the backbone of the rebel army during the She'an Rebellion and were the most destructive, so Zhang Heming advocated killing them all. This would serve as a deterrent and also deprive the ethnic minorities of Shuixi and Yongning of potential leaders for rebellion. Zhang Heming had already identified and executed all these prisoners, and he suggested that the same treatment be applied to the remaining rebels in Shuixi and Yongning.

The second step was to adopt a policy of appeasement towards the other ethnic minorities. Zhang Heming said he planned to grant amnesty to tens of thousands of prisoners to win over the hearts of the people. He also said he would distribute the land and property of the executed chieftains equally among them to demonstrate the court's magnanimity. Previously, when Zhang Heming killed the chieftains in these two areas, he had these prisoners do it, and he even organized some kind of "accusation meeting" to dig up the chieftains' past acts of bullying and oppression, ultimately having the local people kill their chieftains to prove their repentance and loyalty to the court.

All of the above measures were not inappropriate, but Zhang Heming's third point was somewhat strange. Before discussing this third point, he first talked at length about the hostility of the ethnic minorities towards the Han people. Although the court's implementation of the "abolition of the hereditary chieftain system" would effectively reduce the burden on the ethnic minorities, there was always the possibility that some would accuse it of being a Han enslavement of the ethnic minorities, so extreme caution was necessary.

Zhang Heming's third step was to organize a system for these ethnic minorities to elect local officials. These officials would elect a temporary local official, called a temporary one, because they would be re-elected every three years, not allowed to serve a third term, and their positions would not be hereditary. Zhang Heming suggested maintaining this temporary local official position for a period until Shuixi and Yongning were completely Sinicized, and until some people passed the imperial examinations (xiucai, juren, jinshi) and were appointed as officials in other regions. Only then would the imperial court send officials to govern these two areas.

As for the benefits of doing so, Zhang Heming believed there were three: First, allowing local officials to govern for a period of time would help eliminate the local people's fear of the imperial court, preventing anyone from inciting them to revolt again; second, without long-term and hereditary local chieftains, it would be difficult for them to form a core that would oppose the imperial court again; third, the Ming Dynasty could send people called "observers" to supervise the election of local officials, prohibiting them from bribing or coercing the election with force. Finally, the election of local officials would need to be approved by the Sichuan and Guizhou provincial administrations to be valid. Zhang Heming believed that this would make both the local people and local officials dependent on the Ming government, thus preventing

them from becoming a monolithic entity. In his memorial, Zhang Heming also suggested establishing two parties for the local people, allowing them to compete for the position of local official themselves. He even suggested names for the two parties: one called the "Democratic Party"—now that the local people were no longer slaves of the local chieftains, they were in charge of their own affairs; the other called the "Republican Party," where they would jointly elect officials and maintain peace with the Ming Dynasty, embodying the concept of a "republic."

After reading the memorial, the newly enthroned emperor pondered for a long time before finally laughing, praising Zhang Heming's insightful and wise words. He intended to approve its implementation and also planned to bestow three thousand volumes of Confucian classics upon Shuixi and Yongning, so that the ethnic minorities in these two places could quickly pass the imperial examinations to become scholars. However,

some in the cabinet questioned Zhang Heming's method, saying that while it sounded good, there was no precedent for it. The Ming Dynasty had never had a similar method of governance. The young emperor, however, believed these were not reasons for opposition. He addressed his officials, saying that the Ming Dynasty covered vast territories, with hundreds of millions of subjects, and customs varied from place to place. He felt that different methods of governance were not a problem; the country was so large, and there were so many ethnic minorities, that several completely different methods of governance could coexist.

With the emperor's support, Zhang Heming's suggestion was approved. The hereditary chieftainships in Shuixi and Yongning were abolished, and the laws of the Ming Dynasty were henceforth applied in both places.

...

October 20th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Yongning.

Today, Huang Shi personally led a contingent of guards to the Yongning area. After the Battle of Chishui, at Huang Shi's insistence, Zhang Heming agreed to adopt a policy of appeasement towards Yongning. After the surrender of Shuixi and Yongning, Zhang Heming prohibited other large Ming army units from entering these two areas and gradually released tens of thousands of captured former rebel soldiers.

Following Huang Shi's advice, Zhang Heming readily adopted his policy of "using barbarians to control barbarians," almost completely wiping out the local inhabitants. Even those chieftains who surrendered were not spared; all their crimes of oppressing their people were unearthed, and the Ming army then had their former enemies execute them all.

After the Ming army distributed all the land to the local people, they seemed to have largely let go of their past hatred. When the Ming army then led them to divide the property of the hereditary chieftains and the headman class, the local people's support for the Ming army reached a level comparable to their previous support for the chieftains. Finally, after Zhang Heming announced that he would not forcibly send Han officials, the last worry in the hearts of the local people vanished. Never before in history had a defeated army received such lenient treatment.

Traveling through the Yongning region, Huang Shi sensed a deep fear still lingering among the local people towards the White Feather Soldiers, but he was relieved to find that their eyes held no hatred. In the past, when the Ming army fought against minority rebels in the southwest, once the rebels suffered defeats, the Ming army would often enter the minority settlements and massacre them, using their heads to gain military merit. Therefore, the minority people in the southwest, if they didn't rebel, they were content; but once they rose up, they would fight the Ming army to the death, because they were not only fighting for their chieftains, but also for their own lives and the lives of their families.

Huang Shi's purpose this time was to tell these minority people that if the chieftains rebelled again, it would only be a problem between them and the Ming Dynasty, and had nothing to do with the vast majority of the minority people. Huang Shi spurred his horse forward, looking around at the fearful and submissive faces, his heart filled with emotion. He knew that countless people among them had been saved because of his words.

Upon arriving at Yongningwei, Huang Shi met the temporarily appointed local official, Luo Meiluo, the elder of the two brothers captured by the fire brigade in the first wave. With the support of the Ming army, he had defected and personally killed a chieftain who had insulted his sister, thus gaining the Ming army's trust and being appointed as the temporary official. Huang Shi had come to inquire whether any Ming troops had disobeyed orders and invaded the Yongning area.

After receiving a negative reply, Huang Shi prepared to leave. The Shuixi and Yongning areas were becoming increasingly peaceful. Seeing that the Ming army strictly adhered to orders and had not committed any looting or killing, the local people were reassured. Songs praising the Ming army's magnanimity even began to appear, and many people even requested that shrines be erected to pray for Zhang Heming and Huang Shi.

This truly made Huang Shi somewhat amused and exasperated. These ethnic minorities' demands were so low; they were grateful simply for not slaughtering them. Huang Shi then personally paid for some tools to leave for the local people of Yongning and Shuixi, as they were facing the arduous task of rebuilding their homes. If these two places could be completely stabilized, Huang Shi wouldn't have to worry about being sent to the southwest on official business again.

"We've dug out a huge festering sore from the Ming Dynasty's limbs," Huang Shi remarked to He Dingyuan, Jin Qiude, and others after leaving Yongning Guard. He then glanced northeast, "But there's an even bigger festering sore waiting for us to dig it out."

...

November 5th, Guiyang.

After the Battle of Chishui. Not only had Shuixi and Yongning surrendered, but the other chieftains in the southwest had also become very docile. A month earlier, Huang Shi had proposed to Zhang Heming that he lead his troops back to Funing Town. Zhang Heming also felt that there was no need to waste food on the Funing army here any longer. The rebellion didn't seem to have any major setbacks, and even if there were some minor disturbances, the 180,000 Ming troops from the four provinces would be enough to suppress them.

With Zhang Heming's approval, the Firefighting Battalion began its journey south along the Yangtze River back to Fujian at the end of last month. Meanwhile, news arrived from Guangdong that pirate forces in Fujian and Guangdong had grown significantly since the latter half of the year. Although government troops had tried their best to suppress them, the sea routes were now blocked, making it impossible for Huang Shi to return to Fujian by sea from Guangzhou.

After receiving the report from Guangdong about the pirates, Huang Shi went to see Zhang Heming again. The rebellion in the southwest had been quelled. He naturally needed to return to Fujian as soon as possible to prepare for dealing with the Japanese pirates, as he was still the garrison commander of Fujian. Seeing that the situation in the southwest had become more stable in recent days, Zhang Heming decided it was not appropriate to keep Huang Shi there any longer and allowed him to lead

his troops away from the southwest. Since the sea route from Guangdong to Fujian was blocked, Huang Shi had no choice but to send the Panshi and Xuanfeng Battalions back to Fujian by land. This time, they had more time, allowing for more deliberate preparations. Huang Shi had already sent the advance troops to procure provisions, and with the good reputation left by the Firefighting Battalion, he was confident they could acquire enough food.

After issuing this decision, Huang Shi inquired with his loyal and patriotic Catholic followers about the soldiers' private reactions. They secretly reported back to Huang Shi that while the officers and soldiers of the Panshi and Xuanfeng battalions dared not say it openly, they all deeply hoped that Huang Shi would personally lead them back to Fujian. Many of Huang Shi's former subordinates were also in these two battalions; although they had been transferred from the Firefighting Battalion, they did not want to be disregarded as Huang Shi's core troops.

Besides these veterans, the other soldiers in these two battalions also hoped that Huang Shi would lead them back as he had led the Firefighting Battalion, as they did not want to be considered inferior to the Firefighting Battalion. However, although many soldiers in these two battalions shared this sentiment, they did not hold high hopes, because while they did not want to be considered a second-rate force, the Firefighting Battalion's status was undeniable.

This issue gave Huang Shi pause for thought, and he then wrote a series of orders and instructions for the Funing Town. Then, he announced to the officers and soldiers of the Panshi and Xuanfeng battalions that he, Huang Shi, would walk back to Fujian with them. This once again earned Huang Shi a thunderous roar of cheers. The morale of the two battalions was exceptionally high, just as it had been when the fire brigade was about to depart from Fujian.

Today was the day he would lead his troops on their departure. Zhang Heming led the civil and military officials of the southwest to see him off. Now, almost no Ming general in the southwest dared to look Huang Shi in the eye. Even Qin Liangyu, whom Huang Shi secretly admired, was very polite to him. Her flattery made Huang Shi suddenly realize that in front of his own troops, even his once-renowned White-Spear Army paled in comparison.

Zhang Heming escorted Huang Shi for several miles, which was considered a great honor. Before parting, Huang Shi brought up the old topic again: "Old Zhang, regarding the Liaodong matter I mentioned last time, do you have any plans?"

Since the great victory at the Chishui River and the pacification of the southwest turmoil, Zhang Heming had told everyone he met the story of Xiong Tingbi calling him an incompetent fool. Now, Zhang Heming doesn't even bother to offer an evaluation. He simply states the facts and lets everyone judge for themselves whether he or Xiong Tingbi is the incompetent one. It seems Zhang Heming has harbored resentment over Xiong Tingbi's insults for years, but he had no way to refute them before, so his anger only festered and became a deep-seated problem.

Seeing Zhang Heming's current behavior, Huang Shi guessed that he must want to personally quell the Liaodong rebellion. So, he casually brought up the topic, and sure enough, Zhang Heming was very interested and discussed the strategy for pacifying Liaodong with Huang Shi many times. Huang Shi discovered that the old man had a good memory. Although Zhang Heming didn't openly record Huang Shi's words, after several conversations, he could almost recite Huang Shi's plans by heart.

Of course, Huang Shi's plan wouldn't be without him, which was why he had been enticing Zhang Heming to quell the Liaodong rebellion. As long as Zhang Heming could continue to act so unhindered, Huang Shi was quite confident in dealing with the Later Jin. Dongjiang Town and Huang Shi had a good relationship, and Huang Shi also had several old friends in the Guan Ning Army, so unifying command wouldn't be too difficult.

Moreover, since Huang Shi took charge of Funing Town, Huang Shi's finances had improved significantly, and training four battalions of 20,000 men next year seemed like no major problem. As long as Huang Shi adopted his strategy of using the sea as a route, he was confident he could wage a war of attrition against Huang Taiji on the Liaozhong Plain. And once a war of attrition was established, Huang Shi was confident he could drive Huang Taiji back to Jianzhou within three years, and back to Tunguska within five years.

Hearing Huang Shi bring up this issue again, Zhang Heming remained silent for a moment before saying, "In my opinion, pacifying Liaodong will take at least six years."

This timeframe wasn't Zhang Heming's original idea; it was basically the approximate timeframe Huang Shi had mentioned during their conversation. Besides the five years needed to drive Huang Taiji out of Jianzhou, Zhang Heming added a year for transferring Huang Shi to Liaodong. He always liked to plan ahead, anticipating the enemy's moves in every aspect.

"Old Zhang, you're wise. Six years is absolutely no problem, but five years isn't impossible..." Huang Shi, fearing Zhang Heming might lose in the bidding, vigorously promoted his "five-year Liaodong pacification" strategy. Huang Shi said he believed the biggest problem was the siege, but since there were millions in grain and provisions annually, logistics shouldn't be a major issue: "Your Majesty is wise. If Elder Zhang needs more grain, provisions, and artillery for the pacification of Liaodong, I believe His Majesty will certainly support him."

"Be careful what you say," Zhang Heming chuckled dismissively. He said earnestly, "Three million in Liaodong provisions is already a huge burden on the country. There's also grain, armor, artillery, and castles—all of that costs money. The country's revenue and expenditure must be balanced. Impatience and short-sightedness are the worst thing you can do."

"I've heard about your family affairs, Huang Shi, and know you have an irreconcilable hatred for the Jurchens. If His Majesty truly consults me, I will certainly recommend you, but that's still uncertain. You should focus on pacifying the Japanese pirates in Fujian; otherwise, even if someone wanted to transfer you to Liaodong, they wouldn't be able to."

"Elder Zhang's advice is correct. I was rash. I take my leave."

"Take care on your journey."

"Yes, Elder Zhang, rest assured."

…

After the Ningjin Campaign, Yan Mingtai, the leader of the eunuch faction, ordered the abandonment of Jinzhou. He believed that without a force willing to relieve the siege, defending the fortress was meaningless; without an offensive force, building forward positions was pointless.

Abandoning Jinzhou would save the Liaodong Military Command over one million taels of silver annually. Since the Ningjin Campaign, the eunuch faction had completely lost faith in the Liaodong Garrison and the Guan-Ning Army. Therefore, Yan Mingtai ordered a reassessment of the Dongjiang Garrison's personnel, immediately increasing the number of registered troops from 24,000 to 36,000, and raising the annual military pay for Dongjiang Garrison from 200,000 to 300,000, doubling the rice allowance.

Similarly, after the Ningjin Campaign, the Later Jin intensified its offensive against southern Liaodong and recaptured Haizhou. However, with increased support from the central government, the fighting strength of the Dongjiang Garrison also increased. Mao Wenlong launched a counter-offensive in the direction of Haizhou in November of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, quickly reaching the city walls.

Mid-November of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Haizhou…

At the cost of the lives of many soldiers, including General Zhang Pan, the newly repaired city wall of the Later Jin army was breached again. However, some of the defenders managed to escape through the north gate before the Ming army could flood into the city.

Bai Youcai and the Sun brothers stood below the city walls, watching their white-haired commander personally climb the wall with a red flag and wave it vigorously at them:

"Long live the Great Ming!"

"Our Dongjiang Army is mighty!"

After capturing Haizhou, Mao Wenlong immediately sent men to occupy it and began to cultivate the land around Gaizhou. In the original history of Huangshi, the recapture of Haizhou marked the peak of Dongjiang Town's control, and the Ming court began to seriously consider moving Mao Wenlong's garrison to Gaizhou.

Mao Wenlong's actions in recaptured Haizhou and stationed troops there not only marked the complete failure of the Later Jin's attempt to defeat Dongjiang Town in the Korean War, but also signified that Dongjiang Town had finally begun to attempt to fight the Later Jin army head-on on the Liaozhong Plain. In this timeline, Huangshi, the intruder, arrived in Liaodong and then left, but Dongjiang Town stubbornly persisted.

At General Zhang Pan's funeral, Mao Wenlong passionately addressed his impoverished soldiers: "Soldiers of Liaodong, our descendants will remember: there was once a ragged army, a hungry army, who, though suffering from hunger and cold, still reclaimed their ancestral land from the barbarians, and finally achieved final victory!"... At

the

end of November, the impeachments against Wei Zhongxian by court officials intensified. Wei Zhongxian petitioned to retire and return to his hometown, but the emperor decreed against it and instead ordered Wei Zhongxian to guard the imperial tombs in Fengyang.

Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed upon hearing this, believing his life was saved. He hurriedly packed his bags and set off for Fengyang overnight...

December 5th, 7th year of the Tianqi reign, You's Inn, South Gate, Fucheng.

After a long day's journey, Wei Zhongxian asked the innkeeper to prepare a basin of water for him to soak his feet. As soon as the water arrived, he was about to put his feet in when Li Chaoqin suddenly burst in, holding a letter. "Eunuch Wei," he said, "a letter has arrived from the capital."

Wei Zhongxian glanced at Li Chaoqin's anxious face, lowered his head, placed his feet in the basin, and then let out a satisfied sigh. He closed his eyes to rest for a moment before slowly saying, "Read it."

The letter was from Li Yongzhen. The Donglin Party had recently impeached Wei Zhongxian for secretly gathering assassins on his way to Fengyang, plotting a rebellion. The Emperor had ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to leave the capital to arrest him. Li Yongzhen's letter urged Wei Zhongxian to make preparations.

Wei Zhongxian scoffed at this. He shook his head and sighed repeatedly, "Donglin Party, Donglin Party, I've seen far too many incompetent people, but to be as incompetent as you is truly rare. For over a decade, you haven't even changed the charges you use to frame people; it's always treason. Alas, in the past two years, the charges against people I've persecuted have never been the same. At your age, have you all wasted your lives?"

"Eunuch Wei!"

came the urgent call. Wei Zhongxian looked up at Li Chaoqin beside him and sneered again: "Am I wrong? The 'Strike Case'—the Donglin Party said Consort Zheng was plotting rebellion with a madman and a stick; the 'Red Pill Case'—the Donglin Party said Grand Secretary Fang presented poison to Emperor Zhen, conspiring with Consort Zheng and Consort Li to rebel; the 'Palace Transfer Case'—the Donglin Party said Consort Li was plotting rebellion with Princess Le'an; and now, one of my old eunuchs, with a few servants, went to Fengyang, haha, and he can even plot rebellion!"

Li Chaoqin, having listened to Wei Zhongxian's long rambling without getting to the point, couldn't help but call out for the third time, "Eunuch Wei!"

"Wine, bring it! Tonight, we won't stop until we're drunk!" Wei Zhongxian shouted. He then burst into laughter.

The sixth day, at the fourth watch of the morning.

Before drinking, Wei Zhongxian had Li Chaoqin hang a rope for him from the roof beam, but Li Chaoqin had hung two ropes

instead. Wei Zhongxian looked at the two ropes side by side, shook his head with a wry smile, and then invited Li Chaoqin to sit down and drink with him. By this time, both Wei Zhongxian and Li Chaoqin were already quite drunk. "I used to take a lot of money behind the late emperor's back, but he never held it against me. Even if he found out, he would just laugh it off. Eunuch Cao once told me that the late emperor mentioned me to His Majesty before he passed away. Alas..." Wei Zhongxian sighed and picked up his wine cup again, a look of lingering affection returning to his face: "Whenever I think of this, I hope to be able to do my part for His Majesty and repay the late emperor's deep kindness."

"The Donglin Party says that if they dismiss me and restore the ancestral system, the natural disasters will pass, and the Ming Dynasty will enjoy good weather and abundant harvests. Hmm, my life was given to me by the late Emperor. If that's really the case, then my death is nothing to regret. Hehe, but if the natural disasters continue, does Your Majesty really want to rely on the Donglin Party to govern the country?"

Wei Zhongxian downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, grinned, and shouted with satisfaction. Then he sighed, "Your Majesty is still too young. Born in the deep palace and raised within high walls, alas, Your Majesty has no idea how treacherous people's hearts can be in this world."

"How could His Majesty trust the Donglin Party?... Never mind, never mind." Wei Zhongxian had been grumbling all night, but he himself felt he had been being a bit too long-winded. He staggered to his feet, dragging a stool toward the noose. Wei Zhongxian staggered to the noose, drunkenly trying to climb onto the stool, when Li Chaoqin, reeking of alcohol, came over and helped him onto the stool.

"Thank you," Wei Zhongxian said softly. He knelt on the stool, reached up, and gripped the noose tightly, pulling himself upright.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, your humble servant has arrived." Wei Zhongxian muttered as he put the noose around his neck, about to kick the stool, but after closing his eyes, he suddenly seemed to remember something important and quickly opened them again, removing the noose from his neck.

At this moment, Li Chaoqin had already dragged his stool over. As he shakily climbed onto it, Wei Zhongxian turned to him and loudly said, "Thank you."

Then Wei Zhongxian turned his head again, pulled the noose around his neck a second time, and closed his eyes...

On the sixth day of the twelfth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Wei Zhongxian hanged himself in Fucheng. He was hastily buried by his attendants. Later, at the request of the Donglin Party, the emperor ordered Wei Zhongxian's body to be exhumed, sentenced to three thousand cuts for treason, and beheaded as a warning to the public.

...

At the end of December of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign.

After purging the eunuch faction, the young emperor formed a completely new Donglin Party cabinet. The Donglin Cabinet then advised the emperor to abolish the Eastern Depot, a secret service agency, arguing that such surveillance was an insult to the Donglin gentlemen. The young successor trusted the moral integrity of the Donglin gentlemen, believing that even without surveillance, civil officials would not embezzle state funds and would diligently perform their duties. Therefore, the emperor readily approved the cabinet's suggestion and disbanded the Ming Dynasty's national security bureau.

After disbanding the Eastern Depot, the young emperor, aspiring to be a sage ruler like Yao and Shun, asked his ministers how they should cooperate to achieve his ambition of revitalizing the Ming Dynasty. The Donglin gentlemen believed the emperor should also abolish other surveillance agencies deployed throughout the country, such as the provincial river management bureaus. The Jiajing

Emperor had a penchant for sending eunuchs to monitor river management. Because floods repeatedly occurred despite efforts to control them, Jiajing unjustly suspected that lower-ranking officials were embezzling public funds allocated for river management. However, lacking evidence, he resorted to sending eunuchs to supervise flood control. This distrust fueled the resentment of civil officials, who successfully abolished the practice during the Longqing reign.

The Wanli Emperor, unlike his weak father, resembled more his unscrupulous grandfather. After assuming personal rule, he not only reinstated eunuchs to oversee flood control but also significantly strengthened it, declaring that all flood control funds must be reviewed by eunuchs. Previously, the emperor was powerless against civil officials during floods, but he was very effective against eunuchs. Wanli decreed that in the event of a flood, he would execute the supervising eunuchs without question.

While this practice was unreasonable, it greatly motivated the river management officials. During the spring and autumn floods of the Wanli reign, many head eunuchs even moved to live on the riverbanks. Despite this, many eunuchs still died under Wanli's barbaric law. Therefore, civil officials hated this evil law of the Wanli Emperor even more than they hated the Jiajing Emperor.

After the Donglin Party seized power during the Tianqi reign, they once again revoked the position of River Supervisors. From the first year of the Tianqi reign until Wei Zhongxian's rise to power in the sixth year, the Donglin gentlemen had not repaired a single river throughout the country. This time, since the emperor inquired, the Donglin cabinet immediately cited the River Supervisors as a result of Wei Zhongxian's misdeeds.

Since this law was promulgated after Wei Zhongxian framed the Donglin gentlemen, the young emperor accepted it as an evil rule. He believed that insulting the virtues of the Donglin gentlemen was destroying the harmony and trust between the emperor and his ministers. Therefore, the emperor readily ordered the revocation of all River Supervisors nationwide.

In Huang Shi's previous life, from the time Chongzhen revoked the River Supervisors until Li Zicheng captured Beijing, the entire Ming Dynasty did not repair or manage any rivers or waterways for seventeen years, whether it was the Yellow River or the Yangtze River, or Shandong or Zhejiang. During these seventeen years, the rivers were allowed to flood repeatedly, and each time the Donglin gentlemen used the excuse of "thrift" to squander the funds for river repair and water management.

The Donglin cabinet and its members, both within and outside the court, cheered the emperor's wise decision. The cabinet then proposed a comprehensive tax reduction plan, arguing that natural disasters were primarily caused by Wanli Emperor's haphazard tax collection and that now was the time to rectify the situation. Therefore, they suggested a general tax reduction to please Heaven and ensure favorable weather for the Ming Dynasty.

After the emperor agreed, the first issue raised by the Donglin gentlemen was the tea tax. Previously, Emperor Wanli, distrustful of civil officials, had sent supervising eunuchs to inspect tea gardens in various provinces—a highly corrupt practice. The Donglin gentlemen, determined not to embezzle state tax revenue, were thus removed from their posts by the emperor. Consequently, tea tax revenue in various provinces plummeted. Civil officials reported disasters year after year, resulting in annual tea crop failures. By the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign, tea tax in Zhejiang province alone had dropped from 200,000 taels of silver during the Wanli and Tianqi reigns to a mere 12 taels of silver annually!

Next came the maritime tax. Ming Dynasty officials and local maritime merchants had always maintained close ties, and they proposed to the emperor that the "sea ban" should be reinstated. Emperor Wanli's decision to lift the ban and send eunuchs to collect taxes was a serious violation of ancestral rules and a grave misdeed. Furthermore, the subsequent series of natural disasters proved the extreme injustice of collecting maritime taxes. The emperor once again endorsed the judgment of the Donglin Cabinet and ordered the eunuchs of all customs offices to return to the palace.

Since Emperor Wanli's promotion of maritime trade, maritime tax revenue had been a major pillar of the Ming Dynasty's finances and an important source of domestic currency. By the 40th year of Wanli's reign, the emperor received four million taels of silver annually in maritime tax revenue. After the first year of Chongzhen's reign, when the maritime tax revenue was suspended under the pretext of reinstating the sea ban, the imperial treasury could no longer obtain even a single tael of silver from the increasingly prosperous national maritime trade.

Then came the silk tax. Wanli believed merchants could make money selling silk and weaving fabrics, so he levied a commercial tax. The Donglin scholars argued this was "the emperor competing with the common people for profit," a cause of natural disasters, and therefore the tax exemption plan had to be abolished. Chongzhen agreed.

There was also a cloth tax. Like in the Tang and Song dynasties, the Ming dynasty had regulations on the colors of clothing that commoners and officials could use. For example, bright yellow was the emperor's color, and scarlet was reserved for high-ranking officials. After the shameless Wanli Emperor assumed power, he loosened these restrictions to collect more taxes. Soon, commoners and officials were vying for attention with each other's clothing.

Officials, feeling this was a loss of decorum, protested to Wanli, questioning what would happen if commoners wore yellow clothes one day, given his current disregard for official decorum. Wanli replied that as long as the cloth merchants paid taxes, selling yellow cloth was permissible… Thus, the Ming court was once again defeated by the emperor's scoundrelry.

After abolishing various taxes that "competed with the people for profit" and violated ancestral rules at the request of civil officials, the new emperor once again enjoyed high praise that his grandfather, father, and elder brother had never received. The Donglin scholars of the court and the public unanimously praised this young emperor as the undisputed restorer of the Ming Dynasty, assuring him that, according to the principle of the interaction between Heaven and Man, the Ming Dynasty would soon enjoy favorable weather and national peace.

Having so easily gained the reputation of being a sage ruler, the young emperor, pleased with himself, decided to pay attention to the Ming Dynasty's defense. The She-An rebellion in the southwest had been largely quelled, making the unrest in Liaodong particularly noticeable.

Excluding the eunuch faction members who had been completely purged, it seemed there were two candidates for military commanders to consider; both were civil officials with experience in leading troops.

"Issue an imperial decree to summon Zhang Heming and Yuan Chonghuan to the capital."

After the rebellion in the southwest was quelled, the emperor bestowed upon Zhang Heming the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and promoted Huang Shi to Left Grand Commandant, Junior Guardian, and Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince, along with a python robe and jade belt. At this time, Mao Wenlong had already been promoted to Grand Guardian due to his tenacious resistance in Liaodong. Among all the military generals in the country, only he was slightly higher in rank than Huang Shi.

January of the first year of Chongzhen's reign, Liaoyang.

Today, after Huang Taiji came to his brothers, he waved a letter at them: "Mao Wenlong, the General of the Dongjiang Garrison of the Ming Dynasty, has sent another letter requesting peace talks with us."

"Again?" Amin keenly grasped the word.

"Yes, last November, after the Dongjiang Army of the Ming Dynasty captured Haizhou, Mao Wenlong sent someone to say he wanted to negotiate peace."

"Liars!" Mangultai jumped up, cursing through gritted teeth, "They are all liars from the Dongjiang Garrison."

"Fifth Brother, don't be hasty, let me explain slowly." Huang Taiji soothed Mangultai into sitting down and addressed the others in the room, "I initially thought Mao Wenlong was just using this as a delaying tactic. If he wanted to negotiate peace, why would he attack our Haizhou? So I killed his envoy. But unexpectedly, Mao Wenlong sent another letter, and now his Haizhou city is fortified. I find this a bit strange."

"What's strange about it? Dongjiang Town is full of liars," Mangultai muttered. Daishan and Amin glared at him, but Mangultai glanced at the ceiling and kept quiet.

"This time, Mao Wenlong emphasized that it was a secret letter, saying he hasn't reported the two communications to the Ming court yet. It seems like he's communicating with us privately." Huang Taiji stressed the word "privately," because such communication was too easy to exploit, so Huang Taiji was quite inclined to try it out.

Amin and Daishan exchanged a glance, and Amin asked, "What are Mao Wenlong's conditions?"

"We withdraw from the border wall, and Mao Wenlong will be responsible for restraining the Dongjiang garrison and guarantees not to retaliate against us," Huang Taiji stated Mao Wenlong's conditions without changing his expression.

"Liar! Traitor!" Mangultai jumped up as if branded with a red-hot iron. This wasn't the first time he'd heard these conditions, so Mangultai was almost beyond control. He yelled at Huang Taiji, "Publicly execute the envoy, then have him sliced to pieces! I'll be the one to carry out the execution!"

"Shut up!" Before Huang Taiji could speak, Daishan and Amin shouted in unison. Mangultai's face flushed red, and he stormed out of the tent, throwing down a parting remark as he opened the tent flap: "You never believe me. Anyway, I've told you, Dongjiang Town is a bunch of scoundrels. Go ahead and try to outsmart Mao Wenlong."

After Mangultai left, Daishan nodded: "I think it's feasible. The former Liaodong governor of the Ming Dynasty... that's Yuan Chonghuan. Last time he was in Korea... " When they were attacked, he told the Ming court that Korea was a remote country and losing it wouldn't matter much, which had already chilled Korea's heart. However, because of the tyrant Mao Wenlong's presence, Korea had never dared to show any intention of peaceful coexistence with us. Now, if Mao Wenlong starts negotiating peace, Korea will probably have even less confidence to continue the war with us.”

Huang Taiji clapped his hands and laughed, “What the Great Beile said coincides with my own thoughts. I also suggest we give it a try. If we can really get Mao Wenlong to negotiate peace with us, our situation will improve considerably.”

“Hmm, not bad. Mao Wenlong is so annoying. Every time we are busy fighting with the Mongols, he comes to do bad things. Now that he has occupied Haizhou, we still can't do anything about him. If we can negotiate peace, that would be the best outcome.”

Since Amin also agreed, three of the four Beile were in favor of negotiating peace with Dongjiang Town. Huang Taiji told the other two Beile that he would personally go to work on Mangultai later and guarantee that he could persuade him as well.

Amin, with an indifferent expression, said, "It doesn't matter if they can't reason with us. Fifth Brother is just one person, while we have three. But you must send a capable person to make sure Mao Wenlong is completely confused."

"Don't worry. I'll agree to Mao Wenlong's opinion first, as long as Dongjiang Town is willing to talk. As long as the Ming Dynasty's vassal states see this, that's fine."

...

Meanwhile, Huang Shi had returned to Fujian and found the situation had become a mess. After the fierce battle between the Fujian government forces and the Dutch army in Penghu, although the Dutch were forced to abandon Penghu, the Fujian government forces, having received a written guarantee from the Dutch, believed they were safe and withdrew from the Penghu area.

This created a power vacuum between Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and Manila, leaving the northern end of the entire Maritime Silk Road undefended. Pirates quickly rose to fill this void left by the Dutch and the Ming army. The most powerful pirate leader at the time was Zheng Yiguan. After defeating the Dutch, the Fuzhou garrison immediately disbanded the Penghu fleet. Zheng Yiguan then spent a large sum of money to hire these retired soldiers, almost completely taking over the elite naval forces of the former Fuzhou army. He even took away most of the Fuzhou army's warships.

By the first half of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Zheng Yiguan began to set up checkpoints along the Fujian coast, stipulating that every merchant ship passing through this sea area must pay him taxes. By the second half of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Zheng Yiguan's monthly income had reached over 100,000 taels of silver. By August of the Tianqi reign, of the 43 large merchant ships that had sailed out of Fujian, 12 had been captured by Zheng Yiguan, who seized nearly 2 million taels of silver and goods, making him even more powerful. He then attempted to accomplish what the Dutch had failed to do—to completely monopolize maritime trade between China and Spain.

In August of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, seeing the strength of the pirates, the Fujian governor Zhu Yifeng ordered Yu Zigao, the deputy commander of the southern route of the Fuzhou garrison's navy and a general with the additional title of commander-in-chief, to rebuild the navy and launch a campaign to suppress them. As a result, the hastily assembled Ming Dynasty navy in Fujian suffered repeated defeats in mid-September. Yu Zigao, severely reprimanded, was desperate and helpless, and simply suggested "using barbarians to control bandits," renting Dutch ships and sailors to attack Zheng Yiguan.

In October, Yu Zigao gave a written guarantee that he would apply for a trade permit from the emperor for the Dutch. Upon hearing this, the Dutch assembled all their warships in Taiwan and attacked Zheng Yiguan on Tongshan Island in Fujian. By this time, Zheng's army numbered over 20,000, half of whom were veterans of the naval forces in Funing Town. The Dutch navy crumbled at the first encounter; one of their seven warships was destroyed, four were captured, and two others didn't even dare return to Taiwan, instead heading straight for Batavia.

After defeating the Dutch, Zheng Yiguan continued to spend heavily to recruit sailors and soldiers from Fujian and Japan. Once preparations were complete, he began his attack on Haicheng in Fujian. The entire 1,000-strong garrison was annihilated, and all their supplies and ships fell into the hands of pirates. Fujian Governor Zhu Yifeng lamented, "The pirates are all wicked youths from the interior, mixed with fierce foreign pirates; they number over 30,000..."

After capturing Haicheng in November, Zheng Yiguan amassed nearly 20,000 sailors and over 500 ships. In December, he launched a fierce attack on Xiamen, where the deputy commander of the Fuzhou-Ningxia garrison was stationed. Several thousand government troops resisted for several days before collapsing, and Yu Zigao fled to Quanzhou. After incorporating the Fuzhou-Ningxia garrison's navy, Zheng Yiguan continued to plunder Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and tens of thousands of Fuzhou-Ningxia troops in southern Fujian disintegrated and surrendered. Zheng Yiguan took all the ships he could carry, and burned everything else. "The soldiers, ships, and equipment were all reduced to nothing; the whole of Fujian was shaken."

In late December of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1627), Zheng Yiguan attacked Fujian from the coast. "The pirates, in groups, rampaged inland, burning, looting, and killing in coastal areas such as Wuzhou, Lieyu, Dadeng, Aotou, Liuwudian, and Zhongzuo. Nine out of ten households fled, and the roads were filled with refugees." When the southern route of Fuzhou collapsed, the desperate Yu Zigao sent messengers to the Fuzhou garrison headquarters for help. At this time, Huang Shi's three battalions were still en route, and Zhao Manxiong had no troops available, so he could only refuse Yu Zigao's request.

After annihilating the Fuzhou army in southern Fujian, Zheng Yiguan released the captured Ming officers and had them deliver a message to the court, indicating his willingness to accept amnesty and "defend the coast" for the Ming Dynasty. After releasing the Ming officers, Zheng Yiguan set up notices in southern Fujian, announcing that he would collect taxes from passing merchants. Those going to sea would also have to pay him a protection fee.

The Fujian Provincial Administration Commissioner submitted a memorial to the court, stating, "The seas are teeming with pirates; no sails can carry people across, and merchants' livelihoods have been shattered." Upon receiving this memorial in the capital, Emperor Chongzhen immediately ordered the arrest and interrogation of Yu Zigao.

Meanwhile, a heated debate erupted within the court. Some advocated for Huang Shi to personally lead the campaign to suppress the pirates along the Fujian coast, while others championed the pacification of Zheng Yiguan and his promotion to the position of coastal defense officer in Funing Garrison. The current situation was that the southern garrison of Funing Garrison had collapsed, and although Huang Shi was renowned, he and his troops were not known for their naval prowess. Ultimately, the emperor decided to simultaneously order Huang Shi to suppress the pirates and also planned to promote Xiong Wencan to the position of Fujian Governor, thus combining suppression and appeasement.

However, the military expenses still had to be raised by Fujian Province and Funing Garrison themselves. After Chongzhen's significant tax cuts, the imperial treasury's revenue had almost completely dried up, making it impossible to subsidize the national treasury. Therefore, the Donglin Party suggested increasing agricultural taxes. The practice of increasing agricultural taxes did not begin during the Chongzhen reign. Although the Wanli reign set the agricultural tax at approximately one-thirtieth of farmers' income, he still imposed an additional five million taels of silver for Liaodong affairs. However, during the Wanli and Tianqi reigns, the court would reduce or waive taxes for provinces experiencing natural disasters.

Emperor Chongzhen, intending to revitalize the country, faced a severe shortage of funds. Therefore, he decreed that all provinces must collect their taxes accurately, prohibiting local officials from delaying or neglecting this task. Simultaneously, Chongzhen and the Donglin Cabinet believed that a new dynasty should be established, and resolved to investigate and rectify the accumulated arrears and abuses in each province, aiming to fill the gaps left by previous reigns.

Taking Shaanxi as an example, during the Wanli reign, it was estimated that each mu (unit of land area) of grain could be sold for about five qian (unit of silver), with a mu tax of about two fen (unit of silver). Adding the Liaodong tax of two fen and seven li, the total tax was around four to five fen of silver. During the Wanli and Tianqi reigns, this tax was waived during famines, and local relief was provided.

However, by the first year of the Chongzhen reign, the emperor's treasury was insufficient to provide relief to the disaster-stricken areas of Shaanxi. Furthermore, Chongzhen ordered that taxes be collected equally on all fronts.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the military garrisons in Shaanxi were responsible for their own food, weapons, and clothing. After the Little Ice Age began, these supplies were mainly subsidized by miscellaneous taxes collected during the Wanli reign. Now that the source of domestic currency was nearly exhausted, the Donglin Party suggested that, according to the Single Whip Law, this tax be distributed equally among the farmers in the disaster-stricken areas of Shaanxi, equivalent to two qian of silver per mu. The emperor approved this proposal.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the court established a horse administration in Shaanxi, specifically designating pastures for raising horses for military use. By the first year of the Chongzhen reign, the Shaanxi horse administration should have had 570,000 warhorses and draft horses on paper, but in reality… there wasn't even a single horse skeleton, and the pastures had long since degraded and disappeared.

During the Wanli reign, military horses were mainly purchased with revenue from mining taxes on domestic currency. After the Donglin Party abolished the mining tax during the Taichang reign, Wei Zhongxian, who came from a peasant background, dared not exploit the poor farmers. Therefore, he secretly ordered the Eastern Depot to investigate which civil and military officials were wealthy, and then collect horses by granting them the right to ride horses in the Forbidden City (this policy has been discussed before in this book, so I won't repeat it here).

After the wicked Wei Zhongxian was overthrown, the Donglin gentlemen immediately abolished this unpopular decree. However, executing Wei Zhongxian wouldn't magically create 570,000 horses in Shaanxi, yet the nine border garrisons still needed horses. The Donglin scholars, not being farmers, lacked Wei Zhongxian's small-farmer mentality. The Donglin cabinet first blamed Wei Zhongxian for the neglect of horse administration, then told the emperor that the inability to raise horses was due to Shaanxi's "troublemakers" seizing the horse farms for farming. Therefore, they suggested the emperor increase the allowance for horses by five qian of silver per mu in Shaanxi, according to the Single Whip Law. Chongzhen approved this proposal.

During Zhang Juzheng's reign, the number of Ming dynasty imperial relatives had already increased significantly, and Zhang Juzheng, to save money, only provided 80% of the allotted allowance. When the shameless Wanli Emperor took power, he only provided 50% or even less to some imperial relatives. Moreover, the Wanli Emperor creatively invented a method of not giving names, thus not providing money. During his reign, some distant relatives of the Ming dynasty never received a formal name and therefore never received a government stipend.

After Emperor Chongzhen, a ruler considered paragons of virtue, ascended the throne, the Donglin Party cabinet suggested he supplement the imperial family's expenses by imposing additional taxes on farmers, following the Single Whip Tax System. Chongzhen approved this proposal, resulting in an additional tax burden on Shaanxi.

Furthermore, the Donglin Party claimed they would improve water management and increase production in Shaanxi, following the Single Whip Tax System…

Moreover, the Donglin Party argued that the cost of transporting grain to the Gansu and Shaanxi military garrisons should not rely entirely on salt permits…

Also…

In Shaanxi, where Zhang Juzheng had assessed yields of four or five qian of silver per mu during bumper years, the emperor and the Donglin Party had imposed a total tax of two taels of silver per mu on farmers in the first year of Chongzhen's reign.

…

Huang Shi returned to Fujian at the end of January. Just then, the imperial order to arrest Yu Zigao arrived, and upon hearing the news, he immediately went to Quanzhou to meet with Zhu Yifeng, the Fujian governor. Upon meeting Governor Zhu, Huang Shi didn't stand on ceremony and said bluntly, "Lord Zhu, I am unfamiliar with naval warfare. If General Yu is imprisoned, I will be even less able to train the navy and suppress the bandits."

Zhu Yifeng was already as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. But in the current situation, he was in dire need of protection himself, let alone Yu Zigao. He smiled bitterly at Huang Shi, "General Huang, this time the bandits have penetrated deep into Fujian Province. Such a major incident has caused a huge uproar among the censors. How can they not investigate?"

"Lord Zhu," Zhu Yifeng nodded repeatedly, casually agreeing, "at least ten to twenty thousand of these bandits were originally soldiers from the Fuzhou garrison. If the court hadn't withdrawn the Penghu naval forces, things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

He added, "General Huang is right. It's all that traitor Wei's fault. If he hadn't withdrawn the Penghu coastal defenses, there wouldn't be this chaos today. But now, nothing we say will change anything." Zheng

Yiguan himself hoped to escalate the situation to secure amnesty, thus legitimizing his collection of protection money in Fujian. The main force of Zheng's army consisted of former Fuzhou garrison troops, making amnesty a very appealing proposition within the Zheng army. Historically, after Xiong Wencan took command, Zheng Yiguan immediately accepted the court's offer of amnesty, becoming a coastal defense guerrilla in Fuzhou.

After obtaining an official position from the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Yiguan closely cooperated with the Fuzhou garrison, utilizing the court's resources to annihilate other major pirate groups along the Fujian coast. He stipulated that all ships passing through the Taiwan Strait must pay him taxes, otherwise the safety of merchants' cargo ships would not be guaranteed. After the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Zheng Yiguan's annual income exceeded several million taels of silver. He monopolized trade along the southeastern coast by virtue of his official position and fleet, and maintained an army of hundreds of thousands.

If it were merely a personal sentiment, Huang Shi still held a favorable impression of the Zheng family. He remembered when he was a child, visiting Xiamen, an adult pointed to a statue on Gulangyu Island and told him, "This is the national hero Zheng Chenggong. He recovered the motherland's territory from foreign invaders, and his heroic name will be passed down through generations."

Huang Shi's elders had also told him, "The biggest mistake Zheng Chenggong made in his life was promoting a traitor named Shi Lang. This Shi Lang, driven by greed for wealth and power, betrayed his homeland, selling out his ancestors' culture and traditions to foreigners, staining his official hat with the blood of his compatriots. A kneeling statue of Shi Lang should truly be erected in front of Zheng Chenggong's statue!"

As Huang Shi grew older, he gradually learned that Zheng Chenggong's father had done the same thing as Shi Lang. When the Qing army marched south, Zheng Yiguan, whom the Longwu Emperor relied on as a pillar of the state, secretly reached an agreement with the Manchus, betraying the trusting Longwu Emperor and the people of Fujian. While the Manchus were brutally massacring civilians along a thirty-mile stretch of coastline, Zheng Yiguan, a native of Quanzhou, humbly begged the Manchus to bestow upon him the title of "King of the Min Sea." He even went to Beijing with his vast fortune of tens of millions of taels of silver, adopting a queue (traditional Manchu hairstyle) and living a life

of seclusion. Zheng Chenggong, however, emphatically declared, "If the father is not a loyal minister, then the son will not be a filial son," resolutely refusing the Manchus' offer of surrender.

Because of Zheng Chenggong, Huang Shi initially harbored no ill will towards the Zheng family, nor did he intend to kill them. However, Huang Shi was now a government soldier, while Zheng Yiguan was a pirate.

This was not a personal grudge.

Huang Shi told himself this in his heart, then looked up and asked Zhu Yifeng, "May I ask, Lord Zhu, do you advocate appeasement or suppression?"

Zhu Yifeng naturally favored suppression, but it was clear that suppression was no longer viable. Since the court had already considered employing Xiong Wencan, it meant that the appeasement faction had gained the upper hand in the court. Zheng Yiguan has repeatedly claimed that he will accept the offer of amnesty, and it seems that Xiong Wencan is likely to succeed in doing so. In that case, Zhu Yifeng might lose his chance to be reinstated forever due to "improper handling and inciting unrest."

Zhu Yifeng has been thinking this over and over these past few days. Having almost given up hope for his future, he could only offer a bitter smile upon hearing Huang Shi's question: "The Southern Fleet has been destroyed, General Yu is imprisoned, what else can Commander Huang do?"

"Building bridges and roads leaves no bones, killing and arson bring wealth. Gathering followers to rebel, attacking and plundering prefectures and counties, then accepting amnesty and becoming officials. Is there such a cheap way to live?" Huang Shi chuckled coldly, then loudly addressed Zhu Yifeng: "Lord Zhu, this humble general believes we should severely punish them, absolutely no amnesty."

"Commander Huang has good spirit, but the dynasty has always appeased internal bandits."

"That's for starving refugees, not pirates or Japanese pirates. This time, the bandits have penetrated deep into the interior, killing tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, leading to the impeachment of Lord Zhu and General Yu, with General Yu even facing a life-threatening situation. If something were to happen to General Yu, and this humble general were to become comrades with the bandits, this humble general simply cannot understand it."

"Huang Shuai is right!" Zhu Yifeng couldn't help but agree. Zheng Yiguan's recent conquest of many prefectures and counties had nearly cost Zhu Yifeng his official position. If Zhu Yifeng lost his post and then saw Zheng Yiguan become an official of the imperial court, he felt he would be driven to his death by anger.

Despite his anger, Zhu Yifeng quickly resigned himself to his fate: "What can we do without provisions, ships, sailors, and a naval commander? How can we possibly suppress them?"

Huang Shi gently removed his official hat, held it up, and solemnly said to Zhu Yifeng, "Lord Zhu, I am willing to use this official hat to vouch for General Yu. I request that the court be ordered to suppress the pirates. I wonder if Lord Zhu would be willing to lead the submission?"

Zhu Yifeng was both surprised and delighted by these words. Normally, Huang Shi shouldn't have been the one to suffer in this situation. If Huang Shi had remained silent, Zheng Yiguan would likely have become his nominal subordinate. Protecting Yu Zigao under Huang Shi's current name wouldn't have been a problem, and if the court approved the suppression, Zhu Yifeng's position would likely be secure.

Of course, this security would only be temporary; if the suppression failed, the punishment would be much harsher. Zhu Yifeng knew that retiring now would only mean losing his position, but another disastrous defeat in the suppression would likely result in execution. After his initial surprise, he hesitated for a moment: "General Huang, I wonder if the suppression operation is going well?" "

This humble general is willing to set a two-year limit and guarantee that General Yu will succeed in suppressing the bandits."

Zhu Yifeng considered it for a moment. Two years wasn't too long, and the court could probably accept it. If the situation didn't deteriorate too much by then, he might be able to pull some strings and be transferred elsewhere. Even if it deteriorated too much, he might not face the death penalty, which was better than losing his position now. Thinking of this, Zhu Yifeng agreed with Huang Shi's plan: "Since General Huang is so confident, I will also use this as my guarantee for General Yu."

The two quickly wrote an urgent memorial, and then they began to discuss the army. Zhu Yifeng immediately proposed: "Funing Town originally had an organization of eight battalions, but in my opinion, that might not be enough. I think we can submit another memorial to expand the troops of Funing Town to ten battalions, with General Huang in full charge of the battalion organization."

Huang Shi's battalion consisted of five thousand soldiers. Zhu Yifeng gritted his teeth and said, "The pirates number around forty or fifty thousand. If the government troops in Funing Town had ten battalions of fifty thousand soldiers, with Commander Huang's martial prowess, they could definitely drive the pirates out of Fujian Province."

However, Funing Town simply couldn't afford to support fifty thousand soldiers. Although Zhu Yifeng didn't mention it aloud, he had heard about the large loan for pacifying the barbarians. Therefore, he guessed that Huang Shi originally planned to disband the existing three battalions to save expenses. If he wanted to support Huang Shi and Yu Zigao in their fight, Zhu Yifeng would definitely have to find a way to come up with some money.

When Zhu Yifeng inquired about expenses, Huang Shi honestly reported, "Each soldier in Fuzhou receives 1.5 taels of silver per month. Including armor, provisions, weapons, shipbuilding, and cannon casting, the average monthly cost is at least 2 taels of silver."

As the Governor of Fujian, Zhu Yifeng was familiar with the basic figures for Fuzhou: "Hmm, Commander Huang is right. Those 50,000 soldiers will require 100,000 taels of silver per month, totaling 1.2 million taels of silver per year. We also need to give each recruit 5 taels of silver for resettlement, which adds up to another 250,000 taels. We need to come up with 500,000 taels of silver as soon as possible, for a total of 1.5 million taels of silver per year."

Huang Shi suggested using military scrip to save some money; if everything were settled in silver coins, it would only cost about 1 million taels of silver per year, and Fuzhou could even cover a portion itself. The two calculated again and again, ultimately concluding that Fujian Province would still bear the lion's share of the provisions and pay, requiring at least 700,000 taels of silver in the first year, and no less in the second.

"What should we do? The imperial court has already ordered the cessation of maritime tax collection." If the maritime tax collection hadn't stopped, Fujian could probably still receive 100,000 taels of silver per month from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou. A large portion of this money was originally allocated to Fuzhou to maintain the navy, but now that was no longer possible. Before Huang Shi could answer, Zhu Yifeng lowered his head and began to calculate. After a while, he looked up and said, "The only solution now is to increase the 'Sea Pacification Tax'."

According to Zhu Yifeng's calculations, he could impose some extra special taxes on merchants and citizens. He could extort at least 200,000 taels a year from the entire province. As for the remaining 500,000 taels, Zhu Yifeng planned to shift the burden onto the farmers under the guise of the "Sea Pacification Tax" and the "fire loss tax." To be on the safe side, he also planned to collect a little more: "Adopt the 'single whip' system, adding a tax per mu..."

Huang Shi had no liking for this plan because he believed that the farmers might not be able to pay it at all. Moreover, with an additional tax of several hundred thousand taels of silver, it would be strange if local officials didn't embezzle some of it. In fact, Zhu Yifeng also believed that the people's hard-earned savings for a year might not even be worth this tax. Fujian's grain production has always been low, forcing coastal farmers to farm and fish at sea to make a living.

Now, to combat pirates, the Fuzhou Army and the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission are likely to impose martial law and a maritime ban on the Fujian coast, further harming farmers and fishermen. Furthermore, increased taxes on citizens and merchants will damage commerce. Coupled with the pirates and the imperial martial law and maritime ban, merchants will likely suffer even greater losses.

However, Zhu Yifeng believes that the common people's money is like water in a sponge; if you're willing to squeeze, you can always get some out: "Ordinary people generally have some savings, and if all else fails, they can pawn their property. If Commander Huang can quell the pirates within two years, I think they can come up with the money."

Huang Shi, however, secretly shook his head.

Currently, Zheng Yi, in order to gather intelligence, deliberately adopts a generous attitude, giving scholars money for their exams and giving the poor some copper coins. He has also spent heavily to bribe many spies, leading to a situation where the people are "kind to the traitors, and their ambition is to join them."

However, such people were a minority. Zheng Jun's looting along the Fujian coast left many Fujianese starving, and he also burned numerous merchant ships in Zhangzhou and Xiamen. Therefore, most of Fujian's scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants eagerly hoped that government troops would suppress the bandits and restore their peaceful lives.

If Zhu Yifeng's strategy were implemented, the court would inevitably lose popular support, and the elders of Fujian might even hate the government troops for being outlawed by the pirates, making the calls for Zheng Yiguan's surrender even louder.

"Lord Zhu, may I ask if the court and the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission could agree to allow the Fuzhou Garrison to collect taxes in the Fujian coast? For example, a certain amount of silver could be collected based on the size of the goods or ships, and this money could be used to build a navy." Huang Shi was referring to the rights Zheng Yiguan had in his original history. At that time, Zheng Yiguan was the coastal defense guerrilla of Fuzhou Garrison, and he could earn at least a million taels of silver a year by setting up checkpoints and collecting taxes along the Taiwan Strait.

"It's just changing the name of the maritime tax. Hmm, although the court has a maritime ban, I don't think there should be any major problems. As long as..."

Zhu Yifeng gestured for money, and Huang Shi nodded: "Of course, I won't keep this money for myself. Please grant me permission, Lord Zhu. I plan to use this to build a navy."

"Hmm? A permit is easy to obtain, but this is a long-term solution that can't address the immediate problem. Moreover, there are pirates everywhere outside Fujian now, and without a navy, we can't collect the maritime tax..." Zhu Yifeng stopped mid-sentence, feeling his thoughts were a bit disorganized.

"Lord Zhu, are you saying that we need a navy before we can collect taxes, and we need to collect taxes before we can have a navy? Therefore, given the current situation, we will have neither a navy nor taxes. Is that so?" Zhu

Yifeng stared blankly at Huang Shi for a while: "General Huang is right, that's exactly it."

"In other words, as long as we have a navy and wipe out the pirates, we will definitely be able to collect taxes?" Huang Shi asked with a smile. Before Zhu Yifeng could answer, he interrupted, "Then please grant me permission immediately, Lord Zhu, and announce to the entire Fujian province that every merchant knows the naval force in Fuzhou has the right to collect this money."

"But...we don't have the money yet!"

"Borrow! Use the naval tax as collateral."

...

February 21st, Beijing.

After receiving the urgent memorials from Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng, the Donglin Party's chief minister Li Biao and deputy minister Qian Longxi couldn't help but laugh. They then drafted a proposal suggesting that the emperor accept Huang Shi's recommendation and allow him to adopt a two-year strategy to suppress the pirates in Fujian.

Unexpectedly, Chongzhen did not immediately approve the proposal. Instead, he summoned Qian Longxi for questioning: "Grand Secretary, General Huang doesn't seem to be known for naval warfare. Isn't this a bit too much to ask?"

"Your Majesty, Commander Huang is truly the most valiant general of our Great Ming. He was previously stationed on Changsheng Island, and in my opinion, his naval prowess must have been considerable, though he never had the opportunity to demonstrate it. Furthermore, Commander Huang's military achievements are outstanding, and he has rendered great service to the nation. Since Commander Huang is so earnest in his plea to ensure Yu Zigao atones for his crimes through meritorious service, I believe it is inappropriate to reject this memorial."

The boy in the dragon robe pondered for a moment, agreeing with Qian Longxi's assessment. He nodded and asked, "What crime should Yu Zigao have been charged with?"

"Your Majesty, I believe Yu Zigao deserves death. However, he has served on the border for many years and helped the nation recover Penghu. Even if he is sentenced to death, I believe his sentence should be reduced by one degree; stripping him of his hereditary title would be sufficient."

"Very well, since his crime does not warrant death, then let Commander Huang ensure he atones for his crimes through meritorious service."

"Your Majesty's wisdom is boundless."

Qian Longxi immediately ordered an imperial edict to be issued to Fujian, changing the policy from appeasement to suppression. At the same time, he withheld the imperial edict dismissing Zhu Yifeng and promoting Xiong Wencan to the position of Governor of Fujian in order to persuade Zheng Yiguan to surrender. After work that evening, Qian Longxi personally visited Sun Chengzong. Since it was a cabinet minister visiting, Sun Chengzong naturally dared not be negligent. After the two sat down as host and guest, they quickly began to talk like equals.

After a long while, Sun Chengzong finally inquired about Qian Longxi's purpose. The latter then told Sun Chengzong about the memorials from Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng that day, as well as the cabinet's decision.

Sun Chengzong asked, somewhat puzzled, "Brother Jishan, what is the meaning of this? I have never heard of Huang Shi being skilled in naval warfare, and besides, how could the forces of only one garrison in Funing Town quickly wipe out the Japanese pirates?" "

It was precisely to blunt his arrogance!" Qian Longxi sneered, picking up his tea and drinking it. When the eunuch faction in the cabinet transferred Huang Shi to quell the She-An Rebellion, it was partly to divide Mao Wenlong's power, but also because they felt Huang Shi was becoming too prominent, so they intended to let him temper his arrogance in the southwest.

Unexpectedly, the She-An Rebellion, which had lasted for several years, was quelled by Huang Shi's rapid march of three thousand li to reinforce the area. Although Huang Shi attributed all the credit to Zhang Heming, discerning people could easily see whose credit it truly was. Not only did the court officials think this way, but even the storytellers in the capital attributed the credit to Huang Shi, making Zhang Heming, who had made the greatest contribution to quelling the southwest, a supporting character.

When Emperor Chongzhen received the memorial after the suppression of the She-An Rebellion, he immediately inquired with the cabinet whether Huang Shi could be granted a title, which greatly alarmed the civil officials. Huang Shi was only thirty years old, yet he already showed signs of overshadowing the civil officials; what would he become given more time? So they desperately tried to persuade the emperor to abandon this idea. On one hand, they said it was inappropriate to bestow a heavy reward on the late emperor; on the other hand, they said the new emperor should be cautious in using official titles. They finally dissuaded the young Chongzhen from this idea.

Qian Longxi slowly took a sip of tea, then leaned slightly towards Sun Chengzong: "His Majesty has summoned Zhang Weng and Yuan Chonghuan to the capital, presumably to inquire about the Liaodong strategy. In my opinion, Zhang Weng will probably recommend Huang Shi as the Liaodong commander?"

Sun Chengzong knew that Qian Longxi's attitude towards Zhang Heming was not friendly. Qian Longxi had once served as the Right Vice Minister of War, but was dismissed by Wei Zhongxian. However, the old man Zhang Heming had always been a political survivor, even at his worst, he still held the title of Minister of Works in Nanjing. Zhang Heming's writings were flawless from beginning to end, and Wei Zhongxian had no good excuse to get rid of him. In the end, he simply sent him to the southwest, hoping the old man would suffer from acclimatization problems and die.

Unexpectedly, this 76-year-old man not only grew more energetic with age but also rose to a higher position thanks to the great victory at Huangshi. Those Donglin Party members like Qian Longxi, who had been dismissed from office during the Tianqi reign, already harbored envy, jealousy, and hatred towards this old man, and now they were even more envious. However, even if they had harbored some resentment towards Old Man Zhang in the past, they dared not vent it now, given Old Man Zhang's merits and seniority.

Unlike Qian Longxi, Sun Chengzong and Zhang Heming had a very good relationship. Besides his relationship with his teacher Ye Xianggao, Sun Chengzong hadn't suffered much misfortune during the Tianqi reign and had actually fared quite well. For this reason, the likes of Li Biao and Qian Longxi in the Donglin Party didn't think much of Sun Chengzong, always feeling he wasn't one of their own who had shared hardships. Since the Chongzhen reign, the Donglin Party cabinet had also been quite hostile towards Sun Chengzong, so Sun Chengzong and Zhang Heming shared a similar fate.

"I'm afraid so,"

Qian Longxi said cautiously. "Some people are gossiping about Zhang Weng behind his back, saying he got his official position through the traitor Wei."

"Nonsense!"

"And some people say Huang Shi is also colluding with the traitor Wei."

"That's even more baseless speculation. Huang Shi is upright and honest; I guarantee he has no connection to such things."

"Then why would the traitor Wei give them both such a great achievement?"

Sun Chengzong immediately fell silent. Over the years, he had long seen through the ways of officialdom. Sun Chengzong remembered that in the past, the Donglin Party would use the Three Cases to hurl insults at each other, accusing others of being traitors. Now that the other parties had been overthrown, the Donglin Party was bewildered and began accusing each other of being remnants of the eunuch faction, with each faction indiscriminately labeling each other as traitors.

"Brother Kaiyang, I support Elder Zhang. You see, I even delayed sending the imperial edict summoning Yuan Chonghuan to the capital. It wasn't an urgent document, and the edict itself was vague, only mentioning dismissal along the way. By the time Yuan Chonghuan receives the edict and sets off for the capital, it will be at least July. By then, Elder Zhang will probably have finished dealing with the aftermath in the southwest, and might even arrive before Yuan Chonghuan."

"Yuan Chonghuan isn't inexperienced in warfare. The victories at Ningyuan and Juehua were all due to his strategic planning. That time, over two thousand heads were taken, the first victory against the northern barbarians in a century." "

Brother Kaiyang, I remember Huang Shi was also there that time, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but Yuan Chonghuan and Huang Shi seem to have a very bad relationship."

"Exactly!" Qian Longxi lightly slapped the table, then said solemnly to Sun Chengzong, "The cabinet has already reached a decision: Huang Shi cannot be used in the Liaodong affair. If Elder Zhang does not recommend this man to His Majesty, we will support Elder Zhang in supervising the Liaodong campaign; otherwise, we would rather have Yuan the Barbarian. Elder Zhang will surely listen to Brother Kaiyang's words, so we will trouble you with this matter."

February of the first year of Chongzhen's reign.

The Fujian governor had already announced the collection of the Jinghai tax to consolidate the coastal defenses. This time, he had gone to great lengths for his career, persuading the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission to only accept 30% of the Jinghai tax in the future. This money was nominally intended for the construction of post stations and official roads in Funing Town. Previously, the sea tax in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou was only levied on ships that docked at the ports, amounting to approximately 100,000 taels of silver per month.

The new maritime tax system implemented by Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng is vastly different from previous ones. The Jinghai Tax stipulates that all ships passing through the Taiwan Strait must pay taxes, and the price is determined by the Funing Town government without needing imperial approval. Therefore, everyone understands that this Jinghai Tax will be significantly more profitable than before.

Moreover, previously, most of the maritime tax revenue had to be sent to the central government; the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission could only retain 20-30%, with the remaining half going to Funing Town. Now, with the maritime ban in effect, not a single tael of tax revenue needs to be transported to Nanjing or Beijing, thus greatly appealing to officials throughout the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission.

Even based on previous maritime tax rates, the Commission could easily pocket 30,000 taels of silver per month. If Huang Shi further increases the tax, local officials believe that 50,000 to 60,000 taels per month is not impossible. As for Funing Town, which received the lion's share, earning one or two million taels of silver a year, it was not surprising. This news quickly spread throughout Fujian Province, leading to an increase in people volunteering to join or marry into Funing Town, almost completely offsetting the impact of the previous setbacks suffered by the government troops.

Based on this Jinghai tax, Funing Town finally launched its long-planned Jinghai Loan, a high-interest loan with a term of twelve years. Starting from the third year, Funing Town would repay 30% of the loan amount annually, achieving a full repayment of 300% after twelve years. Funing Town vigorously promoted the Jinghai Loan, claiming it was secured by the Jinghai tax and absolutely guaranteed, with the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission also acting as guarantor.

To facilitate fundraising, Huang Shi specially organized the printing of exquisite promissory notes. The Jinghai Loan notes, from top to bottom, came in five denominations: 1,000 taels, 100 taels, 50 taels, 10 taels, and 1 tael. These were bearer securities, and Huang Shi hoped this would allow for wider circulation, meaning more money could be borrowed.

Of course, anti-counterfeiting was also crucial. For the past month, the Funing Town Military Industry Bureau had been busy with this, finally completing a set of original watermarks and engravings. The bonds were then densely covered with various seals. Even Huang Shi's personal signature was engraved and printed on the Jinghai bonds.

Recently, due to rampant piracy, many Fujian merchants had a lot of money stuck in their hands. With a renowned figure like Huang Shi as guarantor, and the good repayments on the one-year Pingman Loan, many people rushed to buy Jinghai Loans. At this time, there were no insurance companies, and trading on one's own carried considerable risk.

Huang Shi has now opened a mysterious door before everyone, behind which lies a brand new path to wealth, leading to an unprecedented treasure trove. From now on, everyone will have to do nothing but sit in their own courtyards and gaze at the sky, and within twelve years, the principal and interest will total 300%. This offer is simply too tempting, and many flock to it.

February 20th, Quanzhou.

Today, the Jinghai Loan officially begins its sale. Huang Shi printed a total of one million taels of silver for the first batch of bonds. Because Huang Shi urgently needed the money, he offered a two-month discount to buyers of these bonds. The loan period begins on January 1st of the first year of the Chongzhen reign. The purchasing results exceeded Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng's expectations; in just one day, over 700,000 taels of the one million Jinghai Loan bonds were sold.

Looking at the crowd eagerly buying bonds outside the Provincial Administration Office, Huang Shi thoughtfully remarked, "It seems necessary to print another 500,000 taels of silver in bonds as quickly as possible."

Besides Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi, several trusted officials from the Fujian Provincial Administration Office, close to Governor Zhu, were also present in the office. Upon hearing Huang Shi's words, their faces paled. Unlike the delighted Huang Shi, these local officials grew increasingly anxious as more and more bonds were sold. What if they couldn't repay the money? The court would surely kill someone to make a scapegoat.

Huang Shi was the only one among them who wasn't worried. He explained to the officials, "Gentlemen, rest assured. This is called using future prosperity as collateral to overcome current difficulties; it's also called spending tomorrow's money today—the most magical and excellent method of financial management in the world."

"Isn't this just living beyond one's means?" one official muttered quietly behind him. Huang Shi simply laughed.

Now, Zhu Yifeng had abandoned all airs of a civil official. He hurriedly said to Huang Shi, "General Huang, let's build a navy quickly! We must win this battle, otherwise where will we find so much silver in the next few years?"

"If we can borrow more silver, won't we be able to wipe out the pirates faster and start collecting the pacification tax?" Huang Shi retorted nonchalantly. After a slight pause, he muttered to himself, "It's settled then. I'll rush back to Xiapu now and print another 500,000... no, a million taels of silver for the pacification loan. I'll send it to Governor Zhu later."

Before Huang Shi left, Zhu Yifeng grabbed his clothes again, his face full of excitement, and said, "General Huang, we must win this battle! Otherwise, where will we find millions of taels of silver?"

"Haha, haha," Huang Shi laughed a few times, comforting Zhu Yifeng, "Don't worry, Lord Zhu, if we can't quell the pirates within two years, we won't have to worry about repaying the money."

Seeing Zhu Yifeng's pale face, Huang Shi quickly added, "Don't worry, Lord Zhu, with so many righteous people supporting the Fuzhou Army, we will wipe out the pirates and restore peace to the people of Fujian."

"Since Commander Huang is so confident, then I'll wait to hear the good news." Zhu Yifeng seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Huang Shi's definition of those who bought the bonds as "righteous people." He turned around and looked at the large group of merchants outside the yamen, coldly saying, "What righteous people? They're clearly a bunch of profit-seekers. They reek of money."

On the 25th, in Xiapu, at the Fuzhou Town headquarters.

"General, our Fuzhou-Ningxia army has driven most of the pirates out of southern Fujian, and the losses of the Panshi and Xuanfeng battalions are negligible. However, the pirates are still entrenched in Zhongzuosuo (Xiamen), Tongshan, and Penghu. Our Fuzhou-Ningxia army has no navy and cannot drive them out. The pirates constantly land and harass us. Our forces are insufficient, and I'm afraid we cannot protect the entire Fujian province for the time being."

"Hmm." Huang Shi stared at the map for a long time without speaking. After the annihilation of the Fuzhou-Ningxia army's navy, Zheng Yiguan had firmly grasped control of the sea. Tens of thousands of pirates could move back and forth by water, while the Fuzhou-Ningxia army could only rely on their own two feet. In order to prevent unforeseen circumstances, the fire brigade had to stay at the old camp in Xiapu and dared not be deployed to fight. Facing the long coastline of Fujian, the officers and soldiers were really stretched thin.

In the months that Huang Shi was away, more than 5,000 heroes came to Xiapu to join the army. Together with the Tianyi battalion, they could form about two more battalions of combat troops, only lacking technical personnel. The training corps is currently training them at the Xiapu camp. Huang Shi plans not to assign artillery and engineering units to these two battalions for now. Once the pikemen and musketeers are trained, they will be sent to defend key points along the Fujian coast.

The staff officer emphasized again: "The blocked sea routes have led to a sharp decline in Fujian's revenue. General Liu wrote that the Pingman Loan can no longer provide much silver."

The first batch of Pingman Loans has entered its repayment period, and with the greatly increased risks of sea transport to Fujian, Liu Qingyang's monthly profit is now less than 150,000 taels. Adding to the repayment issues, the monthly subsidy that Shandong can provide to Huang Shi has dropped below 100,000 taels. Liu Qingyang wrote again to complain, telling Huang Shi that the Dark Council is a very productive hen, but the current priority should be to fatten it up, not kill it for its eggs.

Fortunately, the "Jinghai Loan" has been relatively successful, and Huang Shi's troops still have a way to survive for the time being. This reduces the pressure on the Dark Council.

Two hundred thousand taels of silver were spent by Huang Shi in the blink of an eye. The 12-pound cast iron cannon was confirmed for mass production, and the test version of the 18-pound cannon was taken off the boring machine yesterday and will begin experimental firing today. At the same time, Bao Jiusun's military industry department also submitted a production plan for 24-pound cannons to Huang Shi. This plan was just a formality for Huang Shi; after he signed it, the military industry department would include the design, production, and testing of the 24-pound cannons in the schedule.

Meanwhile, ten warships were already under construction. This time, Huang Shi went all out and built a one-off fleet, directly cutting fresh timber to build ships, although these ships would fall apart after sailing for a dozen months or so. But for Huang Shi, this time was basically enough, since he didn't intend to fight the pirates for four or five years anyway.

Envoys from Funing Town were dispatched to the Zhejiang coast. These men were all former officers of the Funing Town navy. Huang Shi ordered them to scout the Zhejiang coast for any large ships that could be converted into warships and to inquire about the prices and report back quickly. Meanwhile, officers were also dispatched to Yunnan and Guizhou. At this critical juncture, in addition to continuing to have Shandong merchants purchase timber from Chen Jisheng, Huangshi also decided to take the convenient Yangtze River waterway and start purchasing timber from Yunnan and Guizhou as well.

Looking at the massive production plans under his command and the ever-increasing supply figures, Huang Shi was the one who could best feel the vibrant energy of Funing Town. He smiled at the staff officers around him and said, "The civil officials in the court are all waiting to see Funing Town make a fool of itself. They all know, more or less, that I, Huang Shi, am already deeply in debt, and they all think that I can't possibly scrape together the silver to build a naval force."

Several staff officers, their faces filled with admiration, almost simultaneously shouted, "They're wrong."

"Yes, they're wrong. Because the civil officials aren't a monolith. Although countless people want to see me, Huang Shi, fail, there are also many who want to share the credit and silver from me. Soon, the high-ranking officials in the court will be hoping that I can't quell the pirates, and in the end, they'll have to cry and beg them to help me out." Huang Shi grinned and swept his gaze across the staff officers around him, asking loudly, "Will they succeed?"

Several staff officers puffed out their chests, answering with high spirits, "No, those corrupt officials will never succeed!"

"Yes, gentlemen, do your best!"

...

March of the first year of Chongzhen's reign.

The imperial envoy arrived in Fujian, and Yu Zigao was immediately released and ordered to report to the headquarters of Fuzhou Garrison as soon as possible to atone for his crimes. At the same time, the imperial envoy also brought another imperial decree...

March 7th. Xiapu.

Today, Huang Shi, Zhao Manxiong, Jin Qiude, He Dingyuan, Yang Zhiyuan, and Jia Minghe, all the senior officers of Fuzhou Garrison, were present. They had come to see Wu Mu off. Emperor Chongzhen had ordered the recall of eunuchs throughout the country, including the military supervisors. According to past practice, civil officials were responsible for deployment, while eunuchs were responsible for supervising provisions. Now, Chongzhen had ordered the transfer of power from the eunuchs to civil officials. All the military supervisors were to return to the palace to await orders.

"Today, Commander Huang and all the generals have come to see me off, which shows their great hospitality!" Wu Mu raised his wine cup and toasted everyone in the circle, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Please, Eunuch Wu."

"Please, Ambassador Wu."

The voices of the crowd were all low and somber. After speaking softly, they carefully finished their drinks and slowly placed their cups back on the table.

"Haha. I'm no longer Ambassador Wu... Alas, I was never an ambassador to begin with; it was all thanks to the patronage of these generals." Wu Mu was now dressed only in a plain, unranked cloth robe. The imperial edict had stripped him of his official title and declared him a wanted criminal awaiting investigation. Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng were also simultaneously transferred back to the capital. The edict stipulated that they escort Wu Mu back to the capital along the way. The two men were still standing behind Wu Mu as usual, but now they looked like two schoolchildren who had done something wrong, timid and uneasy.

"Commander Zhang, Commander Chen, have a safe journey." Huang Shi led the way in toasting the two men again. Years ago, when they followed Wu Mu to Changsheng Island, they were just two minor officers. Now, they were both imposing commanders of the Imperial Guard. The capital was currently discussing their achievements in the southwest, and it was rumored that they might be awarded the rank of commander.

"Thank you," the two Imperial Guard commanders replied quietly, silently finishing their drinks.

From the moment they arrived on Changsheng Island, Wu Mu, Chen Ruike, and Zhang Gaosheng, then three nobodys, had always gotten together to drink and boast. They would also chat about their ambitions for wealth and status, a habit they had maintained for many years. Seeing the two men finish their drinks... As usual, Wu Mu generously raised his wine jug and filled the cups of his two escorting officers. The two officers nodded vigorously, as always, saying, "Thank you, Eunuch Wu."

"News has already come from the palace. Several people have reported us to be Eunuch Wei..."

Wu Mu began, but Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng interrupted him, shouting in unison, "Eunuch Wu!"

Wu Mu remained unconcerned, smiling broadly, "What am I afraid of? Even if everyone in the world says Eunuch Wei is a traitor, I will still call him Eunuch Wei!"

Everyone fell silent, and Wu Mu continued his previous topic, "Some people in the palace say that Eunuch Wei selected me to enter the palace. They also say that Eunuch Wei sent me to Changsheng Island, and that Eunuch Wei has been promoting me... They are not wrong about any of this. So this time, they are framing Eunuch Wei for treason, claiming that I am also an insider."

"The Donglin Party wants to thoroughly investigate this case, to take my confession, and to force me to admit that Eunuch Wei plotted treason." Everyone remained silent, but Wu Mu laughed heartily. "But I will only loudly proclaim: This is not true. Even if Eunuch Wei has made a thousand mistakes, he was utterly loyal to the late Emperor."

Wu Mu had already written a memorial, which he handed to Chen Ruike to present to the Emperor. "I heard that most people have spoken ill of Eunuch Wei, and those who refused to agree have been beaten to death."

As he said this, the muscles on Wu Mu's face twitched, and he recalled the pain of the paddle hitting his buttocks. "I will never fall into the hands of these villains. I will never cry and beg for mercy."

Huang Shi couldn't help but speak up, "Eunuch Wu!"

"Commander Huang, you don't need to say anything!" Wu Mu suddenly pushed his right arm forward, his five fingers choking Huang Shi's words. After stopping Huang Shi, Wu Mu slowly withdrew his arm, placed his hands on his knees, and sat down on the bench with an air of authority, speaking eloquently:

"I know Commander Huang wants to persuade me to be patient and get through this difficult time first, but I won't do that. I've been traveling the world with my master since I was a child, and I've always known that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. If it weren't for Eunuch Wei, I would have starved to death on the streets years ago. If it weren't for Eunuch Wei, I wouldn't have been sent to Changsheng Island, and I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet Commander Huang and all the generals, and..."

Wu Mu then turned to Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "...and I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet you two brothers either."

Both of them respectfully returned the salute: "Eunuch Wu, you're too kind."

Wu Mu then turned back to Huang Shi. With a calm expression, he said, "Our family has enjoyed several good years and has accumulated a considerable amount of savings. Eunuch Wei even allowed us to adopt a son, thus preserving our ancestral line. Although I am a father-in-law, I am a father-in-law with a sense of honor. I would never repay kindness with enmity."

Huang Shi said solemnly, "Eunuch Wu is loyal to the emperor and loves his country, and he will not disgrace himself. I toast you, Eunuch Wu."

Wu Mu chuckled twice. He downed the wine in his cup in one gulp: "Over the years, I consider myself diligent and loyal to the king, although..." Wu Mu's voice suddenly lowered, "Although I received a lot of gifts from Commander Huang, but..."

Wu Mu's voice then rose again, "But the tasks His Majesty entrusted to me, I have always kept in mind, and I have never held back the soldiers. I have never plotted against anyone!"

Huang Shi nodded in agreement: "It is truly my great fortune that Eunuch Wu has come to serve as my supervisor."

After receiving Huang Shi's affirmation, Wu Mu shook his head and sighed for a long time, finally giving a bitter smile: "Alas, if I were a civil official, with all these years of hard work, I could at least have a peaceful end."

In the end, Wu Mu was just a eunuch, and no one would object to whatever the emperor did to him. Wu Mu's spirits were slightly low, but then he rallied, untied a small bundle beside him, took out a silk package, and solemnly handed it to Huang Shi.

Huang Shi accepted the silk bundle with both hands; it was square and heavy. Under Wu Mu's expectant gaze, he carefully opened it. Inside were several thick volumes. The cover bore the large, crooked characters "Wu's Art of War," clearly written by someone who had only recently learned to write.

"This is the culmination of our family's efforts over the past few years," Wu Mu said, his eyes still fixed on the books, his gaze warm as if looking at his own children, his tone softening. "We've often heard people say, 'A book can leave a lasting legacy.' Alas, we have no descendants, so we've always wanted to leave something behind, so that our lives wouldn't have been in vain."

"General Huang, I'd like you to take a look at these books. If there are any minor flaws, please help us revise them so that our son can publish them in the future."

Wu Mu's face was full of anticipation as he spoke. Huang Shi nodded slightly: "Don't worry, Eunuch Wu, I will definitely fix it."

"Thank you very much, Commander Huang."

Just like the banquet before leaving Changsheng Island, Wu Mu ended up getting completely drunk. During the banquet, he once again performed a play for the generals of Fu Ning Army. After finishing his drink, Wu Mu asked Chen Ruike to help him, and he staggered towards the ship escorting him back to the capital.

Huang Shi suddenly remembered something, so he ran a few steps to catch up, took off the sword that Wei Zhongxian had given him, and handed it to Chen Ruike, but his eyes were on Wu Mu as he said: "This sword was given to me by Eunuch Wu. I don't know how much blood of living people has been stained on it. Eunuch Wu, please take it for self-defense."

Chen Ruike paused for a moment, then quickly took the sword and put it away. Wu Mu was always somewhat superstitious, constantly worrying that his yang energy was insufficient and that evil spirits would invade his tomb after death, not only causing him unrest in the afterlife but also harming the future of his adopted son. Wu Mu often said that Huang Shi's sword was full of qi, so Huang Shi gave it to him as a burial offering to protect Wu Mu. Reeking of alcohol, Wu Mu bowed to Huang Shi again: "It is enough for me to have met Brother Huang in this life!"

After boarding the boat, Zhang Gaosheng helped Wu Mu tie a rope and an iron ball around his waist. Wu Mu first bid farewell to the two men, then waved to Huang Shi and the others on the shore, turned around, and jumped off the boat...

Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng, commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, reported: On the eleventh day of the third month of the first year of Chongzhen, the wanted criminal Wu Mu took advantage of the situation and drowned himself out of fear of punishment. His body has been recovered and sent back to the capital to verify his identity.

...

Three days later, on the tenth day of the third month, at night.

For the past two nights, Huang Shi had been going to his study every evening to take out Wu Mu's handbook and read it for a while. At first, Huang Shi patiently helped him revise it, but by the second night, he had become somewhat impatient. After reading two pages of Wu Mu's will tonight, Huang Shi finally sighed, "Rewriting is more tiring than rewriting! Eunuch Wu is completely missing the point!"

After grumbling for a while, Huang Shi finally mustered the courage to examine it again. Although the characters in the book were all crooked and messy, they were not at all sloppy; every character was written clearly and neatly. There wasn't a single correction in the entire book, which made Huang Shi sigh again. It was clear how many drafts the book's owner had gone through.

Huang Shi gently closed Wu Mu's book and carefully tied it with silk cloth. Then he took out several scrolls from the bottom of his book box. These were Huang Shi's own handwritten military training notes, which he had kept secret, and which also included numerous battle examples from his time leading an army. Huang Shi stroked the book cover for a while, then opened it with his painstaking effort, finding what he was looking for by candlelight.

It was Huang Shi's command diary from various battles, detailing his predictions of the battle situation and the battlefield, as well as the reasons for his chosen strategies and tactics. Xiong Tingbi's comments and analyses of these battles were also included. These volumes were all written in neat, meticulous small regular script, each battle accompanied by a topographical map and the commander's self-reflection on gains and losses.

Huang Shi's pen moved swiftly, changing many first-person narratives into dialogues between two people, making it seem as if Wu Mu had collected the information from Huang Shi through conversation. The chapter on the Battle of Jinzhou was quickly revised, and Huang Shi checked it again from the beginning. He felt there were no major problems; similar revisions, as long as they were done carefully, would be flawless.

Tearing off the original cover, Huang Shi added a new blank cover to his manuscript, then neatly wrote on it: "Wu's Military Strategy, written by Wu Mu."

…

Since the Dongjiang Army captured Haizhou, the Chongzhen Emperor's cabinet had been discussing the issue of relocating Mao Wenlong's garrison to Gaizhou. Mao Wenlong firmly opposed this, claiming that most of the Dongjiang Army's provisions came from Korea, and if they moved to Gaizhou, the court would have to support hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town.

The next day, March 11th. Liaodong.

The envoy sent by Huang Taiji to Dongjiang Town arrived in Zhenjiang today. This envoy was named Kuo Ke, a confidant of Huang Taiji. Upon arriving in Zhenjiang, he immediately attempted to contact Mao Wenlong and request the commencement of peace negotiations.

On the 13th, after learning of this, Mao Wenlong immediately ordered Kuo Ke to be sent to Tieshan, and on the same day, he hastily sent a report to the court. In the report of the 13th, Mao Wenlong made no mention of his previous envoy to Liaoyang, only stating that Huang Taiji feared the military strength of Dongjiang Town, and therefore sent someone to sue for peace.

Subsequently, Mao Wenlong issued two more reports to the Dongjiang Tang court on the 15th and 17th, repeatedly emphasizing Huang Taiji's request for peace and insisting that this was a proactive action by the Later Jin under military pressure from the Dongjiang army. To further bolster his position, Mao Wenlong also hastily requested that Korea send an envoy to observe the ceremony.

On the 20th, after the Korean envoy arrived on Dongjiang Island... Mao Wenlong opened the gate, where soldiers stood in rows. After Kuo Ke handed over Huang Taiji's letter, Mao Wenlong solemnly declared that these were conditions he absolutely could not agree to. "You have been rebellious for a long time. Now you wish to offer terms and sue for peace, which should be granted. As I am ordered to serve in the field, it is my duty to punish the enemy. Moreover, since the Celestial Empire has not yet granted peace, I cannot make a decision on your behalf. Let us wait for the court to decide."

This statement naturally left Kuo Ke completely bewildered. Mao Wenlong did not say much, insisting that Kuo Ke was a "servant" and that it was impossible to explain to him. He quickly sent Kuo Ke back to Zhenjiang, and also had Kuo Ke take back a letter demanding that Huang Taiji "return the old lands and swear an oath to Heaven," and that a high-ranking official be sent to negotiate next time.

After finishing this task, Mao Wenlong immediately sent a report to the court, stating that under the threat of the Dongjiang Army, the Later Jin regime was on the verge of collapse. If the court forced the Dongjiang garrison to relocate to Gaizhou without providing sufficient provisions, it might affect the Dongjiang garrison's ability to continue fighting the enemy. On

April 4th, officials from the Ming Ministry of Revenue arrived at Dongjiang Island to begin counting the troops in Dongjiang Garrison.

On April 26th, Koko arrived in Zhenjiang with Huang Taiji's second letter. Two days later, after receiving the news, Mao Wenlong immediately reported to the court again on the 28th, lamenting Koko's low rank. Mao Wenlong explained that he had released Koko last time to lure out a bigger fish, "The sea and the slave colluded, but it didn't succeed."

On May 1st, Koko arrived at Dongjiang Island. This time, Mao Wenlong not only invited the Korean envoy again but also had officials such as Huang Zhongse from the Ministry of Revenue attend the ceremony. According to Huang Zhongse's report from the Ministry of Revenue, Mao Wenlong had bound the Later Jin translator and traitor Ma Tongshi, and they were quickly beaten to death by the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang. Kuoko, on

the other hand, was bound by Mao Wenlong and taken to the Ministry of Revenue's ship. On May 6th, Mao Wenlong sent another report to the Ming Dynasty, detailing the events leading up to Kuoko's capture and using the opportunity to elaborate on the significance of Dongjiang Town, even claiming, "I dare not boast of my achievements."

On May 13th, Huang Taiji, seeing that the envoy had not returned, sent someone to the Yalu River to gather information. Mao Wenlong hurriedly reported this in his report on the 15th, and also sent a letter to Huang Taiji. The letter made no mention of Kuoko's whereabouts, but warned Huang Taiji that someone from the Ming Ministry of Revenue was on Dongjiang Island, and that secret peace negotiations were extremely dangerous.

On May 22nd, Huang Taiji learned from the Korean side that Kuoko had been captured, and was furious, calling Mao Wenlong a "rogue." The first peace negotiations between the Later Jin and Dongjiang Town broke down.

...

Late June of the first year of the Chongzhen reign. The capital.

Having just returned to the capital and settled into his room, Zhang Heming was informed by a gatekeeper that Sun Chengzong requested an audience. Zhang Heming immediately instructed the gatekeeper to bring him in. Upon entering, Sun Chengzong bowed respectfully to his late teacher Ye Xianggao, a friend of his own generation. Zhang Heming smiled and said, "Kaiyang, you've come at a good time! Sit down!"

Zhang Heming had rendered great service this time, and was currently enjoying immense prestige.

After Sun Chengzong sat down, he cautiously asked, "Old Zhang, tomorrow His Majesty may inquire about strategies for pacifying Liaodong. I wonder if you have a plan?"

Zhang Heming stroked his beard, pondering for a long time before replying, "I have no plan yet. Kaiyang, could you advise me?"

Sun Chengzong replied without hesitation, "Old Zhang, your memorial regarding Huangshi's role in pacifying the southwest is the most important. If you were to command the troops in Liaodong, I believe Huangshi would be unsuitable."

"Oh," Zhang Heming shook his head, thinking for a moment before asking, "Why is that?"

“Uncle Zhang, Huang Shi’s merit this time is already too great. His Majesty originally intended to bestow upon him the title of Earl, but the court officials went to great lengths to persuade him to abandon this idea.” Sun Chengzong shook his head slightly, almost imperceptibly, his booming voice becoming much lower: “Uncle Zhang, Huang Shi is only thirty years old, and has only been in the army for a few years.”

Zhang Heming and Sun Chengzong looked at each other in silence for a long time. Finally, Zhang Heming nodded slightly and said in a drawn-out tone, “However…”

“Huang Shi is indeed the foremost general of the Ming Dynasty’s revival,” Sun Chengzong eagerly interjected, his voice regaining its usual booming quality. “But he became too complacent too early, his arrogance excessive and his composure lacking. The emperor was already considering bestowing a title upon him at only thirty. With Elder Zhang around, there’s no problem now, and I can barely keep him in check, but in another thirty years, which of the younger generation of scholars can rival his brilliance?”

Zhang Heming nodded again, drawing out his words, “However…”

“Elder Zhang,” Sun Chengzong shifted uneasily on the bench. The emperor seemed somewhat impatient for quick success, and also seemed to value Huang Shi highly. However, if military commanders were to lose control, it could very well lead to chaos and widespread suffering. Therefore, Sun Chengzong felt he still had to shoulder the responsibility of being a minister entrusted with the care of three emperors: "Currently, the Japanese pirates in Fujian are extremely arrogant. In my humble opinion, it would be best to let Huang Shi fulfill his duties as the Commander-in-Chief for Pacification and Defense against the Japanese Pirates. I will speak to His Majesty on his behalf. As long as you, Elder Zhang, do not mention Huang Shi in front of His Majesty, everything will be fine."

Zhang Heming nodded slightly: "Kaiyang is right."

...

July 3rd, the Imperial Palace.

Since Zhang Heming entered the capital, Chongzhen had summoned him twice. The emperor and his minister had a very pleasant conversation. The emperor liked this energetic old man very much, and Chongzhen also admired Zhang Heming's insights into military strategy.

Today, Chongzhen summoned Zhang Heming for the third time, listening to the old man recount the process of pacifying the southwest. During the conversation, the young man was so excited that he stood up from the dragon throne several times, and after each thrilling moment, he would let out an innocent cheer.

"Can't Elder Zhang give me a definite answer?" After hearing the story, Chongzhen brought up the Liaodong affairs again, looking at Zhang Heming with eager anticipation: "If I let Elder Zhang take charge, wouldn't this Liaodong affair take ten years? Eight years?"

Zhang Heming calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I still maintain that military strategy states: 'First, make yourself invincible; then, make yourself vulnerable to the enemy.'"

Chongzhen pressed further, "What constitutes invincibility, and what constitutes vulnerability?"

Zhang Heming narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, gently stroking his long, snow-white beard, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, military strategy states: 'Military formations resemble water; water avoids high ground and flows downwards, military formations avoid strength and attack weakness.' Military formations are not fixed." "Water has no fixed shape."

Chongzhen was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. He asked directly, "Old Zhang, your strategy for pacifying the south is so brilliant, but how come your strategy for pacifying Liaodong is so lacking in substance? You always say you must adapt to changing circumstances, but couldn't you have planned ahead?"

Zhang Heming smiled faintly and bowed slightly, "Your Majesty is wise. Yue Fei is right. The essence of military strategy lies in the mind."

Although Chongzhen was somewhat discouraged, Zhang Heming's contribution was undeniable. After these two audiences with Zhang Heming, Chongzhen would recount their exchange to the cabinet, and the cabinet ministers all praised Zhang Heming as a "mature and insightful strategist." Chongzhen

personally escorted Zhang Heming out of the Imperial Library, and then summoned the cabinet to discuss today's exchange. Qian Longxi and the others were full of praise for Zhang Heming's opinions. They unanimously declared that Old Zhang was truly a pillar of the nation.

"I also believe that Elder Zhang is skilled in border affairs and adept at military matters," Emperor Chongzhen agreed, instructing the cabinet, "However, Yuan Chonghuan arrived in the capital yesterday. I will also meet him tomorrow. If he is also suitable, then let Elder Zhang be appointed as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong. Yuan Chonghuan will be the governor of Liaodong, assisting Elder Zhang in military affairs."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The next day, Yuan Chonghuan, now a dismissed official, met with the emperor. After paying his respects to Emperor Chongzhen, Yuan Chonghuan straightened his robes and sat down on the bench the emperor had given him, his legs slightly apart, his hands clenched into fists and resting lightly on his knees, looking up at the young emperor with his head held high.

"Minister Yuan, do you know why I summoned you to the capital?"

"This humble subject believes that Your Majesty summoned me for the Liaodong affairs!"

Although Emperor Chongzhen knew that Yuan Chonghuan certainly knew this. But Yuan Chonghuan's answer wasn't the standard one. Logically, a subject should humbly feign ignorance and wait for the emperor to enlighten him.

Chongzhen nodded slightly in surprise, "Indeed."

Yuan Chonghuan raised his head high, smiled slightly at the emperor, exuding an air of complete confidence, and said loudly, "This humble subject has come to the capital to relieve Your Majesty's worries about the east!"

Having been on the throne for nearly a year, the young emperor had become accustomed to ministers merely kowtowing without offering any advice. The sharp wit emanating from the man before him now truly surprised and delighted Chongzhen. After a moment's thought, he quickly bowed and asked, "Minister Yuan, do you have a strategy for pacifying Liaodong?"

A proud smile appeared on Yuan Chonghuan's lips. It was as if the emperor had asked a question that couldn't be more simple; a hint of disdain seemed to linger in his eyes, as if to say that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish; his face radiated a resolute determination that instilled immense confidence:

"Your Majesty can pacify Liaodong in five years!"

...

After Yuan Chonghuan finished his audience with the emperor and left, Li Biao hadn't yet recovered from the shock. In the empty Wenyuan Pavilion, only Qian Longxi sat quietly drinking tea.

"His Majesty didn't even consult the cabinet, yet insisted on making Yuan Chonghuan... no, Lord Yuan the military governor of Jiliao?"

Qian Longxi took a sip of tea and nodded, "That's right."

Li Biao leaned over and peered in Qian Longxi's direction: "Lord Qian, he's in charge of Jizhou, Liaodong, Laideng, and Tianjin Garrison—three garrisons and one garrison in total. The entire army of the capital region is entrusted to Lord Yuan alone."

Qian Longxi felt the tea was a bit hot, and he blew on it while nodding repeatedly: "Yes, Lord Li, you're right."

Li Biao again ... He leaned forward, placing an arm on the table between them. "Lord Qian," he said, "Lord Yuan just requested that His Majesty not appoint military supervisors or governors!"

Historically, the Ming dynasty required that anyone commanding troops in the field be subject to checks and balances, especially regarding the distribution of provisions and salaries, which required multiple reviewers to prevent corruption. However, Yuan Chonghuan requested that Chongzhen not appoint censors, and that he decide the allocation of the annual six million taels of silver for military pay with his own word. In other words, he could decide 70% of the court's expenditures without supervision.

"Yes, His Majesty has granted it," Qian Longxi sighed, then continued blowing into his teacup. "

Lord Yuan also requested the abolition of the special right to submit memorials to the emperor for other Liaodong officials."

Yuan Chonghuan wanted Chongzhen to listen only to him and trust only him on Liaodong affairs, so it was best to prevent others from having a chance to speak.

“Well, except for Mao Wenlong.” Qian Longxi pointed out that Chongzhen hadn’t fully agreed to Yuan Chonghuan’s demands on this matter. The emperor had only revoked the imperial swords of Man Gui, Zhao Lüjiao, and the governors and military commissioners of the three towns. He told them to speak to Yuan Chonghuan directly. Chongzhen had made it clear that he would only listen to Yuan Chonghuan’s side of the story and explicitly told everyone not to come and file a complaint with the emperor.

Li Biao continued to lean towards Qian Longxi, almost leaning on the table: “Before today’s audience with His Majesty, Lord Yuan was just a dismissed official. He even petitioned for the construction of a shrine for the traitor Wei Zhongxian. His Majesty hates Wei Zhongxian the most!”

Qian Longxi had just taken another sip of tea, so he simply nodded silently, regardless of his past, his position, or whether there had been any precedents in the Ming Dynasty. In any case, Yuan Chonghuan was now the Minister of War, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Governor-General of Jiliao, holding the imperial sword.

Li Biao abruptly sat bolt upright on the table, his back ramrod straight. He slammed

his hand on the table and shouted in utter bewilderment, "Lord Qian, how on earth did Yuan Chonghuan manage that?" Qian Longxi, who was drinking tea, darkened his face and slammed his teacup down on the table, making an even louder noise than Li Biao's slam. Without even glancing at the tea splashed all over the table, Qian Longxi angrily shouted at Li Biao, "Lord Li, are you asking me that?"

...

The Ming Dynasty had been plagued by the Little Ice Age for nearly fifty years, resulting in persistent arrears in the annual agricultural tax of two million taels. Some disaster victims had received tax reductions or exemptions for over thirty years during the reigns of Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi. In July of the first year of the Chongzhen reign, in order to achieve the monumental feat of "pacifying Liaodong in five years," the "ruler of Yao and Shun," Chongzhen, not only ensured that the annual agricultural tax of two million taels was paid in full, but also demanded the recovery of all past arrears.

In addition to recovering the tax arrears, Chongzhen was determined to collect 7.33 million taels for the Liaodong military service, and he strictly ordered local officials in all provinces to absolutely prohibit farmers from defaulting on taxes. According to Emperor Chongzhen's orders, officials who could collect all taxes would be eligible for the annual performance evaluation, while those who defaulted would be demoted and have their salaries reduced.

Emperor Chongzhen swiftly implemented his policies; those officials who were reluctant to collect taxes from disaster victims were quickly punished. Some seventh-rank officials were demoted more than ten ranks, and some were fined over a hundred years' worth of salary. Many local officials felt they were incapable of continuing their duties. The emperor granted their resignations because a large number of prospective officials were eager to take office and squeeze the last drop of blood from the peasants, in order to prove their abilities to the emperor.

Taking Shaanxi as an example, officials in various regions commonly used the method of beating peasants every three days to collect taxes. Soon, long queues formed outside the government offices in these areas. Initially, honest and hardworking peasants would come to the offices on time to be beaten, and then return home to continue farming.

As time went on, a new profession emerged in Shaanxi: the so-called "taking beatings for others." Initially, this was a spontaneous act in each village, because almost all the able-bodied men in a village had to be beaten every three days. Therefore, each village would elect several people specifically to take beatings for the entire village. Later, this developed into a fixed profession, with the standard price in Shaanxi being two copper coins for each beating.

This profession quickly spread to Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and Beizhili… Henan Province, in particular, experienced continuous severe droughts during the Wanli and Tianqi periods. One of the worst-hit counties had a record of eight years without rain, and even witnessed the tragedy of cannibalism. However, thanks to the effective relief efforts of the Tianqi Emperor, no refugees emerged in Henan Province. When the Henan Provincial Administration Office pleaded with the Chongzhen Emperor for relief, his reply was: "I know, but taxes must still be collected."

In August, Huang Shi had Yu Zigao in charge of training the navy. The new navy already possessed over fifty warships and nearly ten thousand officers and soldiers. When this decree reached Fujian, Huang Shi silently left his camp in Funing Town, gazing at the land of Fujian Province.

Fujian's sandy soil has historically yielded little grain, so it was customary for women to farm while men risked their lives fishing at sea. Nevertheless, the harvests in the south were always better than those in the disaster-stricken north. Therefore, historically, as rebellions broke out in the north, the Chongzhen Emperor would impose increasingly heavy taxes on these territories that had not yet experienced major rebellions.

The soldiers of Funing Town were training on the drill ground. Huang Shi saw nearby children playing and laughing around the drill ground, sometimes even begging the soldiers for a few steamed buns or a bowl of wontons. But Huang Shi knew that if he remembered correctly, this harmonious scene between the army and the people would soon be gone.

During the Chongzhen reign, land taxes in Fujian rose steadily, eventually requiring a tax of ten taels of silver for land that yielded less than five qian of silver. At that time, farmers would fortify themselves in villages to protect themselves during tax season, while the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission would send Funing troops to forcibly collect grain, break down the farmers' villages, and drag away their property and wives and daughters to offset the taxes. Every year, the Funing troops would engage in countless fierce battles with the Fujian farmers.

In the deserted wilderness, Huang Shi murmured to himself, "If I don't do something, the anger of these poor farmers will eventually become an unstoppable torrent, sweeping across the Central Plains."

Since the Ming Dynasty established the policy of the emperor guarding the country's borders, the Central Plains had not experienced the ravages of war for two hundred years. Millions of people live and work in peace on this land, providing taxes and soldiers to the nation, ensuring that the Ming Empire can rise again and again in foreign wars. These millions of people and this peaceful land are the very lifeblood of the nation.

"A raging storm is coming... and can I turn the tide?"

Chapter 55: Can the Mighty Peak Bear the Burden?

Last month, Mao Wenlong sent Kuo Ke to the capital. Because this man was a trusted lieutenant of Huang Taiji, the Imperial Guards extracted valuable information from him. Soon, the court issued a commendation to Mao Wenlong and approved his yellow-colored official seal, acknowledging that Dongjiang Town had as many as 36,000 soldiers. However, due to the Liaodong issue, the court could not yet provide Dongjiang Town with its full military pay. The monthly pay for these 36,000 men remained half that of Liaodong Town, that is, seven qian per person, totaling 240,000 taels for Dongjiang Town annually.

Upon receiving this result, Mao Wenlong, in his official report, condemned the Ministry of Revenue for its utter lack of conscience. He first stated that he completely failed to understand why the soldiers of Dongjiang Town were only receiving half their pay. Secondly, Mao Wenlong exposed that Huang Zhongse had only counted 36,000 soldiers on Dongjiang Island as the entire town's number. He firmly demanded that the Ministry of Revenue send someone to Lushun, Jinzhou, Changsheng Island, Gaizhou, Fuzhou, Tieshan, and Kuandian to recount the numbers.

Mao Wenlong claimed that giving only half the pay to 36,000 men would plunge hundreds of thousands of people in Dongjiang into starvation, therefore he resolutely opposed moving the town to Gaizhou. Given Mao Wenlong's overly strong reaction, the court decided to suspend discussions on the relocation, allowing Mao Wenlong to continue stationed in Liaodong, and the Korean tribute route would remain in Dongjiang.

The Korean side was naturally very dissatisfied. The Korean king again sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty to complain, stating that according to Ming custom, tribute should be reciprocated with gifts, but for eight years Mao Wenlong had only given Korea half the usual gifts. In the past two years, even half of the return gifts have been paid for by Mao Wenlong using Ming Dynasty banknotes. However, the cabinet ministers believed that Dongjiang Town was more important than Korea, so they could only appease the Korean envoys with kind words, and the matter of relocating the town was ultimately dropped.

...

September 10th, Fujian, Xiapu.

Fujian is probably the province in the entire Ming Dynasty with the least shortage of poor fishermen. Relying on the high salaries offered by Huang Shi, Yu Zigao quickly built up a navy again. When the Penghu Navy was disbanded before, some people did not become pirates but returned home to farm. Now, hearing that the Funing Town Navy was being reorganized, these people rushed to join the army.

For the past six months, the Funing Town Military Works have been producing cannons like crazy, producing a total of 520 nine-pound cannons, more than 150 twelve-pound cannons, and even more than a dozen eighteen-pound cannons. The existing fifty warships of the Funing Army are equipped with multiple cannons, the forty small boats have four or five cannons, and the ten large ships have twenty cannons. The Fuzhou naval artillery crews operated on a ten-man system, and Huangshi urgently trained over three thousand naval artillerymen to operate these cannons. However, the quality of these men was still far from adequate.

While the naval gunners' skills were lacking, the Fuzhou naval tradition of large artillery crews was a significant help. A ten-man crew still had the advantage of numbers, and Yu Zigao said that the firing rate and accuracy of each cannon were barely acceptable. However, the Fuzhou naval force lacked captains, not sailors.

Although Kuroshima Kazuo and Shize provided some sailors and captains, Yu Zigao believed that those captains were only suitable for smuggling and transport ship captain positions. Most of the existing captains were veterans hastily promoted by Yu Zigao. In Yu Zigao's words, no amount of training could solve the captains' combat effectiveness. A qualified navy ultimately had to be forged in battle.

While the Fuzhou naval force was a headache, the overall situation in Fujian Province had stabilized. For the past eight months, the headquarters of Fuzhou has been working overtime to train its soldiers. Now, the number of land troops in Fujian has reached nearly 30,000. In all ground conflicts involving more than a thousand men, the pirates have been defeated without exception. In one battle, a single infantry unit of the Panshi Battalion fought against more than 3,000 pirates, yet Zheng Yiguan's army still suffered a defeat. Now, the pirates have completely abandoned any thought of conventional warfare and are focusing solely on guerrilla warfare against the government troops.

Since the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission repeatedly and decisively rejected Zheng Yiguan's requests for amnesty in March of this year, the pirates knew they were preparing for a long-term confrontation. Therefore, they began stockpiling food and supplies in their overseas strongholds, while the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission and the Fuzhou Army have been countering this by implementing increasingly strict maritime bans.

"General, the martial law orders along the coast have been strictly enforced." A staff officer presented Huang Shi with the August report for review. To cut off the pirates' supplies, the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission had ordered coastal fishermen to suspend fishing and strictly prohibited any ships from going to sea.

Initially, after Zheng Yiguan's request for amnesty was rejected, the other pirates in Fujian were amused and thought it was a matter for the Zheng family, believing he had angered the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission by making too much noise. During this period, several pirate groups even sent envoys to Funing Town to probe the issue of amnesty, hoping to take the opportunity to don the tiger's skin and transform themselves from pirates into soldiers of Funing Town.

However, to their surprise, Huang Shi, the commander of Funing Town, was unusually firm in his attitude. The Fujian Provincial Administration Commission and Funing Town publicly announced several times that the imperial court would only accept the surrender of pirates and would never offer amnesty. The pirate leaders could receive a pardon if they surrendered early, but their ships would be confiscated, their troops would be subject to reorganization by the Funing Town, and they would absolutely not be granted official positions.

This firm stance gradually sobered up the pirates, and this time the government troops were quite determined to wipe them out in one fell swoop. Even Liu Xiangqi, Zheng Yiguan's old enemy, put aside his personal grudges and went to Xiamen to join Zheng's army. Huang Shi's tough stance was mainly because he did not want to repeat Xiong Wencan's mistakes. Historically, Xiong Wencan had given Zheng Yiguan a powerful position. In ten years, he used the power of Funing Town to wipe out various Fujian pirates, including Liu Xiangqi, creating a situation of absolute dominance. In the end, Funing Town could no longer control Zheng Yiguan.

In Huang Shi's view, using pirates to fight pirates was simply a way to drive Zheng Yiguan away and make him Wang Yiguan or Li Yiguan. Therefore, he was determined to build a navy and troops completely under the control of Funing Town, adhering to a hardline policy of absolute non-compliance against pirates. Zhu Yifeng of Fujian argued with him several times about this, but the two were now in the same boat, and since he couldn't win against Huang Shi, Zhu Yifeng had no choice but to compromise.

Of the nearly 30,000 land troops in Fujian Province, 20,000 belonged to the four battalions of firefighting, rock, vanguard, and Tianyi, while the remaining 10,000 were coastal defense troops. Funing Town transported a large number of nine-pound cannons to major ports in Fujian, establishing one coastal defense fort after another. Like the navy, Funing Town's artillery was also the fastest-growing branch of the military, and in just a few months, Funing Town had more than 2,000 coastal defense artillerymen, exceeding one-tenth of the total coastal defense force.

Huang Shi's strategy was to establish a series of coastal defense outposts to monitor river estuaries and other suitable landing sites for pirates. They primarily relied on artillery fire for self-defense. Small groups of pirates couldn't do anything to them, and they could hold out for a while even against larger groups.

This allowed the four battalions of field troops from Funing Town to be deployed on the second line, giving them time to rest and enabling them to launch attacks to rescue strongholds under attack by larger groups of pirates. In May, Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi jointly attacked government-held strongholds near Zhangzhou. However, before they could even breach the government troops' defenses, the Tianyi Battalion stationed in Zhangzhou arrived on the scene, forcing the pirates to flee back into the sea.

Since the Fujian Provincial Administration and Funing Town issued their declaration of no compromise, the rapid expansion of the pirates was somewhat controlled. Some former Funing officers and soldiers who had mingled with the pirates even secretly slipped home and then joined the newly established Funing Navy. They were all just trying to make a living, and since the court seemed unwilling to pardon the pirates, some of them naturally didn't want to stay in a place with no future.

"Hmm, very good," Huang Shi said, satisfied with the report. In recent months, the Fuzhou-Ningxia Army has established an increasing number of coastal patrols along the mainland coast, but the total number of illegal sea voyages they have discovered has been decreasing. According to the Military Intelligence Department's report, the food reserves of the pirates entrenched on islands such as Xiamen and Tongshan have not increased for three consecutive months, and a reversal may not be imminent.

Zhu Yifeng originally planned to use administrative orders to force the coastal people to relocate inland. Huang Shi felt that the entire plan was no different from the Qing Dynasty's ban on sea voyages, except for the avoidance of killing. Therefore, he asked Zhu Yifeng what to do if fishermen refused to leave their homes, and Zhu Yifeng's answer was to send government troops to demolish their houses and then escort them inland as thieves.

Huang Shi strongly opposed this plan because many Fujian fishermen relied on fishing for their livelihood, and forcing them to relocate inland would mean their wives and children would starve. Huang Shi believed that this would definitely drive a large number of good people to the pirates, so he promoted his theory of "righteous people" to Zhu Yifeng. Huang Shi defined all the fishermen who responded to the call of the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission to retreat to the interior as "righteous people", and then took money from the Jinghai Loan to support them and their families.

Zhu Yifeng immediately felt that Huang Shi was being unreasonable. If this plan were implemented, the demolition compensation would be calculated at 100,000 taels of silver: "If the pirates can't be quelled in a month, Commander Huang plans to support them for a month; if they can't be quelled in two months, Commander Huang plans to support them for two months?"

"Yes, if they can't be quelled in a year, support them for a year. If they can't be quelled in two years, support them for two years."

"How much silver will that cost? At least 50,000 taels a month." "

Let's say 100,000 taels," Huang Shi immediately doubled the figure. He didn't intend to just provide the fishermen with enough food to survive: "They are righteous people; we should make sure they eat better than usual. This matter shouldn't be handled by the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission; my Fuzhou Town will be responsible, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the people."

"Commander Huang, we don't have that much silver!"

"Borrow!"

Seeing Zhu Yifeng's face turn pale, Huang Shi insisted loudly, "Lord Zhu, if these people can't eat, they'll defect to the pirates, sell them grain, or run off to inform them... Then, we'll never be able to pacify the seas for two years. Without pacifying the seas, we can't collect the pacification tax! As long as we can collect the pacification tax, we can repay it even if we borrow more now; if we can't collect the pacification tax, we won't be able to repay it no matter how little we borrow!"

By early September of the first year of Chongzhen's reign, Zhu Yifeng in Quanzhou sent someone to inform Huang Shi that he had sold all of the third batch of one million taels of pacification bonds, bringing the total amount borrowed for the pacification project to two and a half million taels of silver.

"That's great!" Huang Shi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this good news. The one and a half million taels of silver he had borrowed before had almost all been spent.

In the end, Zhu Yifeng reluctantly agreed to distribute compensation silver to the people. After the Fujian Provincial Administration issued a proclamation to reassure the people, the Funing Army acted according to Huang Shi's orders. Any coastal fishermen willing to relocate inland were to have their fishing boats and farmhouses purchased at exorbitant prices: dilapidated boats were priced like new, thatched huts like earthen houses, and earthen houses like brick houses.

After relocation, Funing Town would issue each resident a "citizen's certificate." With this certificate, they could collect a monthly stipend of one qian (approximately 3.5 grams) from a designated location, regardless of age or gender. As a result, not only did fishermen in the planned relocation areas enthusiastically respond to the call, but even residents in areas deemed safe by Funing Town strongly demanded to move to "safer" places. When Funing Town refused their demands, some agitated people even spontaneously staged a demonstration in front of the town's stronghold, which the garrison had to persuade to disperse.

"General, the people of Fujian are firmly supporting our army. The pirates' manpower replenishment is almost cut off. With the support of the people, their spies have become very conspicuous, and their intelligence gathering should have almost ceased in the past two months."

"Of course, if it weren't for hunger and cold, who would willingly oppose the government?" Huang Shi wasn't surprised by this outcome. The Chinese people have always been timid and honest; unless absolutely necessary, how could they dare to resist the imperial army?

Another staff officer reported to Huang Shi with a serious expression: "A new problem has arisen, a very serious one."

"Oh? What problem?"

Accompanied by several staff officers and Yu Zigao, Huang Shi inspected his own warships. The wood at the bottom of the ships had begun to warp. These ships, built with fresh wood, had only been used for training for a few months and hadn't been subjected to any heavy loads, yet they were already close to disintegrating.

Yu Zigao patted the side of the ship, where the wood was slightly warped. "General, this ship will fall apart in two months at most."

"It seems we'll have to build new ships."

"General, I think it's time to attack Xiamen." Yu Zigao pointed to the fifty warships moored in the harbor. Most of them were built with fresh wood and wouldn't last more than three months. "While they're still usable, let's fight the pirates. If we win, we won't have to build new ships."

This idea also tempted Huang Shi. Building ships would cost a lot of money. Even if they didn't completely eliminate the pirates, as long as they could recover Xiamen, they could greatly reduce the area under maritime restrictions. This single transaction cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver: "However, training the navy and casting cannons have already cost a lot. If we lose, we'll lose more than just the cost of a few ships. General Yu, are you confident of victory?"

"Don't worry, Commander. Last time we lost to Zheng Yiguan because our military preparedness was poor. This time, I have ten thousand naval troops and so many warships. Dealing with Zheng Yiguan will be a piece of cake."

Yu Zigao seemed very confident, and his tone suggested he didn't think much of Zheng Yiguan. However, Huang Shi valued Zheng Yiguan

highly, and he hesitated before asking, "General Yu, didn't you say last time that our captains were incompetent?" "With me here, our captains and sailors are almost there. Most of the bandits under Zheng Yiguan were trained by me. Do you think I don't know their strengths and weaknesses?" Yu Zigao remained confident, but seeing Huang Shi still hesitating, he became angry. [Commander]: "Does the General not trust this humble general?"

...

In the end, Huang Shi agreed to Yu Zigao's plan, entrusting him with full command of ten thousand sailors. Besides the fifty warships, Huang Shi also allocated all twenty purchased ships to Yu Zigao's command without reservation. Yu Zigao's plan was to first transfer the navy from northern Fujian to Quanzhou, and then station it in Zhangzhou. After a naval victory, the Panshi Battalion would be transported to Xiamen for landing.

After Yu Zigao led his troops out, Huang Shi still felt a vague sense of unease. For someone like him, who knew nothing about naval warfare, the pressure from Zheng Yiguan was no less than that from Huang Taiji back in the day: "It's really frustrating. I was transported to this era and first had to fight Huang Taiji on land. I finally managed to rise through the ranks, and now I'm being forced into a naval battle with Zheng Yiguan."

But Yu Zigao was also a renowned naval commander; a few years ago, the Fujian navy of the Ming Dynasty was also formidable. After two days of anxiety, Huang Shi finally came to his senses: "Sigh, I shouldn't overthink it. Let these professionals make the judgment. Yu Zigao definitely has more authority to speak on Zheng Yiguan's abilities than I do."

...

At the end of September, Mao Wenlong sent his subordinates, including Supervisor Su Wanliang, to Liaoyang. Three months after the first round of negotiations broke down, Mao Wenlong once again extended a "hand of friendship" to Huang Taiji. He expressed his desire to mend fences with Huang Taiji and resume peace negotiations. Regarding the previous incident involving Kuo Ke, Mao Wenlong provided a formal explanation in this letter. He stated that

Kuo Ke and his companions had "accidentally" boarded a grain ship belonging to the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of Revenue, and were subsequently kidnapped by Huang Zhongse through a series of unfortunate events. However, Mao Wenlong, being a very righteous man, had personally bribed court officials with 40,000 taels of silver after the incident, thus reducing Kuo Ke's death sentence. Mao Wenlong also assured Huang Taiji that once the time was right, he would intervene to get Kuo Ke out of the Jinyiwei Zhenfusi prison.

Mao Wenlong expressed his hope that this minor incident would not affect the trust between Dongjiang Town and the Later Jin. He further hoped that Huang Taiji would quickly send envoys to Dongjiang Island again to negotiate peace.

...

September 25th, Fujian, Xiapu.

After disembarking at the port, Yu Zigao immediately sent someone to report to his headquarters, while he himself first took a bath, then changed into a clean set of new clothes, and donned a neat set of military armor.

One of Yu Zigao's personal guards urged anxiously, "Sir, let's hurry and pay our respects to Commander Huang. Don't keep him waiting too long."

"It makes no difference," Yu Zigao said, but his hands moved faster. He polished his helmet until it gleamed, and neatly combed his hair and beard. Yu Zigao sighed, "A gentleman dies, but his cap is not removed. Anyway, Commander Huang saved my life; at least I've been spared for a few months."

Yu Zigao and his small squad of guards reached the outside of the main camp. Upon hearing the news, Huang Shi rushed out with his guards to greet them. Before Yu Zigao could speak, Huang Shi leaped forward and patted Yu Zigao on the shoulders, saying, "It's good that General Yu is safe and sound."

Huang Shi then looked Yu Zigao up and down, before taking his hand and saying, "General Yu, please come in. I've already had wine, food, and hot water prepared. Please take a bath first, and then the food will be heated up."

This gesture made Yu Zigao even more uneasy. He took two steps back and bowed, apologizing, "General, I have suffered heavy losses. Please punish me."

"Take a bath and eat first, and then we can talk slowly. We can talk slowly."

After Yu Zigao led his navy south, the navy of Funing Town was quickly discovered by the pirate group. By the time the government troops and navy arrived in Zhangzhou, the pirates had also completed their assembly and quickly came to challenge them. Before the battle, Zheng Yiguan, Liu Xiangqi, and other notorious pirates from Fujian Province had tried their best to encourage their subordinates, telling them that this was an important battle to win amnesty. The pirates believed the government's refusal to compromise stemmed from their belief that the Fuzhou-Ningxia naval force could reclaim control of the seas. Therefore, defeating the Fuzhou-Ningxia naval force would force the government to reconsider its strategy. The

leaders repeatedly emphasized to the pirates that a decisive victory would end their impending doom. This propaganda greatly boosted their morale. Furthermore, the pirates had suffered repeated setbacks on land in recent months, leaving them frustrated and resentful. However, the Fuzhou-Ningxia naval force remained stationary in northern Fujian, leaving them with no outlet for their anger. Seeing the main force of the Fuzhou-Ningxia naval force, the pirates were eager to prove themselves.

On the other hand, Yu Zigao, from a family of generals and a veteran of countless battles, inherently despised the pirates. He attributed his previous defeat to the court's reduction of naval funding. Now commanding a large army, Yu Zigao not only did not shy away from the assembled pirates but actively accepted their challenge.

Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi deployed large warships, including Western giants, to fight against the Fuzhou naval force. During the initial long-range cannon battles, the officers and soldiers didn't suffer significant losses. The Fuzhou fleet possessed over four hundred cannons and nearly three thousand gunners, and the distance and psychological pressure allowed them to hold their own against the pirates.

However, once the pirates deployed their fire ships, the Fuzhou forces began to struggle. Most of the gunners, due to tension and inadequate skills, were unable to stop the enemy from approaching. The pirates were eager to show the government their power, while the officers and soldiers largely lacked this fighting spirit. Therefore, when the pirates' numerous small boats boarded the enemy, the Fuzhou forces collapsed.

Relying on Yu Zigao's years of experience commanding naval battles, he decisively ordered a retreat upon seeing the dire situation. Yu Zigao realized the pirates thought the government troops would flee back to Zhangzhou, so he ordered his entire army to flee north at breakneck speed. Although they were relentlessly pursued and attacked by the pirates, he still managed to escape the battlefield with some ships.

"Our army lost four large ships and eleven small ships. Over three thousand officers and soldiers were lost, and the twenty ships given to us by the commander were all stolen by the pirates." He concluded with a somber expression, "This humble general should have committed suicide, but I kept thinking of reporting the gains and losses to the commander-in-chief..." "

Fortunately, fortunately! It is a great blessing for our army that General Yu has returned safely." Huang Shi quickly comforted Yu Zigao. He had listened to the entire battle from beginning to end, and it seemed the main problems were the government troops' lack of experience and morale, as well as the insufficient power of their artillery. Although Yu Zigao had made mistakes such as underestimating the enemy, his command ability did not seem to be inferior.

"General Yu, rest assured. I will find a way to obtain silver and ships. Soon, General Yu will be able to fight the pirates again. You can rest assured."

The more polite Huang Shi was, the more uneasy Yu Zigao felt: "General, in the army, merits must be rewarded and mistakes must be corrected, only then can..."

"General Yu, to be honest, I have no idea how to fight a naval battle. All I can do is figure out how to cast cannons and build ships, everything else is up to you, General Yu." Huang Shi was indeed telling the truth. Asking him to command the navy against Zheng Yiguan was utterly impossible. And his other subordinates probably didn't have the ability either, like He Dingyuan; asking them to command the navy was no different from murder.

"General Yu, my future and life, the lives of tens of thousands of officers and soldiers in Funing Town, and the safety and well-being of millions of people in Fujian Province all depend on you, General Yu. I will set off for Quanzhou now to discuss the issue of money with Lord Zhu. I will definitely be able to rebuild the navy, General Yu need not worry."

"General, you flatter me. This humble general will definitely train the navy with double the effort."

After seeing Yu Zigao off, Huang Shi summoned Shi Ce. This time, he arranged for Shi Ce to sail with Yu Zigao so that he could observe and learn from Yu's command style. Huang Shi dismissed the irrelevant people and asked directly, "Brother Shi, do you think General Yu's defeat this time was due to a lack of ability, or to underestimating the enemy, the sailors' lack of experience, and the quality of the artillery?"

Shi Ce seemed to have been prepared for this question. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Underestimating the enemy, too much underestimation. In the past, during training, we looked down on the pirates, and after the expedition, we thought that the officers and soldiers would scatter like birds and beasts as soon as they arrived."

"Not a lack of ability?"

Shi Ce answered decisively, "Absolutely not."

"That's good."

In addition to Shi Ce, Huang Shi also placed the Inner Guard, a loyal and patriotic Catholic, and werewolves from Funing Town (whose predecessor was the werewolves of Changsheng Island) in the fleet. They all wrote their own analysis reports on the defeat. After Huang Shi read them, he handed them over to the General Staff to draft naval regulations, and then set sail for Quanzhou.

...

The 27th, Quanzhou.

Upon hearing of the naval defeat, with the fleet and sailors losing 30%, Zhu Yifeng's teacup slipped from his hand and shattered into pieces. He stood there, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

"Lord Zhu, Lord Zhu, Lord Zhu..."

Huang Shi called out for a long time before finally managing to rouse Zhu Yifeng from his daze. The Fujian governor realized his nightmare of the past few days had become reality. If he could turn back time, he would have preferred to have Xiong Wencan take over this mess in March.

"General Huang, let's consider offering amnesty."

"Why offer amnesty? We should rebuild our navy and send troops again to wipe out the pirates."

"But...but that will take several more months, and during that time we'll have to support a large number of relocated people. We're afraid we won't have enough money."

"Not afraid, definitely not enough." Huang Shi coldly shattered Zhu Yifeng's illusions. He had already done the accounting before coming to Quanzhou. Huang Shi tossed the account book in front of Zhu Yifeng, who hurriedly opened it and began to sweat profusely.

“Rebuilding the navy will take about six months, and the monthly maintenance costs for the military and civilians will be 150,000 taels of silver, totaling 900,000 taels for six months. That's about all the silver we have on hand right now,” Huang Shi told Zhu Yifeng as he looked at the documents. “Rebuilding the navy also requires building ships, casting cannons, and using ammunition for training. Hmm, that will probably require another 500,000 taels of silver. Let's be lenient and sell another million taels of silver worth of bonds.”

Zhu Yifeng looked up at Huang Shi pitifully, unable to utter a single word for a long time. Huang Shi understood the meaning behind that look and encouraged him, “Lord Zhu, the pirates are now even more arrogant and will definitely make demands regarding maritime taxes. If we don't agree, we certainly won't be able to appease them. If we do agree… how will we repay the money without the Jinghai tax?”

Zhu Yifeng knew he was now in a difficult position. He and Huang Shi had jointly submitted a petition to protect Yu Zigao and had also persuaded the Fujian Provincial Administration Commission to guarantee the Jinghai loan. These past few months had been filled with maritime bans and military training, causing such a commotion and leaving them with so much debt. If the matter ends in surrender, it won't just be a matter of career setbacks, but a loss of life.

After a moment of weakness, Zhu Yifeng gritted his teeth, his eyes turning bloodshot like a gambler's: "General Huang, this time it was just underestimating the enemy, not Yu Zigao's incompetence, nor the pirates being too troublesome. Right?"

"Right."

"Good!" Zhu Yifeng slammed his hand on the table: "Continue selling bonds, this time inscribe my name as well, I will borrow in the name of the Fujian provincial governor along with General Huang!"

"There's also the matter of the official gazette." During the Ming Dynasty, each province began issuing official gazettes, similar to newspapers in later times. Besides excerpts from imperial edicts and local reports, these gazettes also contained rumors from the streets and alleys, making them an important way for the people of the Ming Dynasty to stay informed.

"What's wrong with the official gazette?"

"Lord Zhu, I estimate that an official gazette will soon report the army's defeat, which will likely be detrimental to our sale of Jinghai bonds."

"Hmm, Commander Huang is right. We should deny it first."

"No, Lord Zhu, wouldn't that create conflict in the official gazettes? I think it's better for us to admit it first." Huang Shi believed that a blatant denial would be pointless. The official gazettes in the Ming Dynasty weren't all government-run; completely blocking them would be difficult.

"Wouldn't that mean no one would buy our bonds? The people would probably worry about losing everything."

"Lord Zhu is wise. Rumors are the hardest thing to stop. Our bonds have already circulated in Zhejiang and Southern Zhili. If the people see us denying it and then starting to sell a new round of bonds, most will suspect that we have indeed been defeated. The people aren't stupid."

Huang Shi's words made Zhu Yifeng lower his head in thought. After a long pause, he asked in return, "Commander Huang, do you mean that once the people start to doubt, rumors can spread like wildfire, and it might even turn a 30% loss into a total annihilation?"

"Lord Zhu, your insight is profound. This is exactly what I'm worried about. In my opinion, we should honestly admit our losses, explain our uncompromising stance, and point out that we underestimated the enemy this time. Hmm, it was I, Huang Shi, who underestimated the enemy. We will definitely win next time and return the borrowed silver."

Seeing that Zhu Yifeng was still hesitating, Huang Shi further persuaded him, "Lord Zhu, if the people doubt our honesty, then no one will buy bonds anymore. This time, by frankly admitting our defeat, we are telling the people that we are honest people. I think this is still beneficial for us to sell bonds."

Zhu Yifeng remained silent for a long time, then nodded slightly and let out a long sigh: "Alas, I hope it is as Commander Huang predicts!"

In early October of the first year of Chongzhen, Zheng Yiguan and Liu Xiangqi released another batch of captured officers and soldiers. Just as Huang Shi had predicted, they put forward even harsher conditions for amnesty, demanding that the two of them serve as guerrillas for the coastal defense of Fuzhou and Ningxia, and that Xiamen, Tongshan, Chaozhou and other places be included in their defense zones, while also being fully responsible for the security of maritime trade.

"You coward, delusional!" Zhu Yifeng sneered, crumpling the letter and throwing it to the ground. He ordered his men to beat the pirate messenger out of the yamen with sticks.

The joint letter of apology from Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng had already been sent to Beijing. They both estimated that the capital would at most issue a stern reprimand. First, this was only a minor setback for the imperial army; second, it was still within the two-year period; third, Fujian was in such a state that no one wanted to take on the role of Fujian governor; and finally, Huang Shi's reputation still held some weight.

October, the ninth day, early morning.

Zhu Yifeng held a newly printed Jinghai Loan Certificate in his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing his name. Huang Shi waited a moment, then softly called out, "Lord Zhu."

"Understood." Zhu Yifeng tossed the bond into the box and waved to the yamen runners: "Open the main gate, let's begin."

Two days later, over 500,000 more bonds from the one million-dollar Jinghai Loan were sold. Huang Shi, while directing the army to transport the silver, exclaimed to Zhu Yifeng, "Fujian has so many righteous men and civilians; it's all thanks to Lord Zhu's effective guidance!"

"Righteous men... perhaps." Today, people continued to stream outside the yamen to buy bonds. Many who had previously purchased bonds, hearing of the Fuzhou Army's resurgence, came to invest more, saying they couldn't let the blood of fallen soldiers be shed in vain. However, Zhu Yifeng seemed unmoved: "But I think they're probably afraid of losing their previous money... The Jinghai Loan is a dangerous ship; it's easy to get on but hard to get off. I know this all too well." "

Haha, Lord Zhu is joking. This humble general will now go rebuild the navy."

...

October 15th, Xiapu.

Fuzhou Town, learning from past lessons, decided to build ten larger warships this time. The original plan was to equip each ship with ten 18-pounder cannons and twenty 12-pounder cannons, eliminating the bow and stern guns and deploying fifteen cannons on each side. Each ship would be paired with fifteen gun crews and one hundred and fifty men, plus another one hundred and fifty sailors and enlisted men, all equipped with muskets and longswords.

The quality of the latest batch of 18-pounder cannons had stabilized, with all indicators exceeding the test data from Juehua. Today, Bao Bowen demonstrated the new weapon of the Fujian Military Industry Bureau—the 24-pounder cannon—to Huang Shi and Yu Zigao.

"General, Vice General Yu, what do you think of this cannon?"

After the exercise, Bao Bowen asked the two men with great pride.

In the past, various cannons were either made with the help of Westerners or obtained prototypes from friendly forces, but this 24-pounder cannon was developed entirely by the Fujian Military Industry Bureau itself.

"Can this cannon be used on our new warships?"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief. I suggest adding two centerline gun mounts and two gun groups to the new warships, using 24-pounder cannons."

"Very well, discuss it with General Yu."

"Yes, sir." "

Yes, Commander-in-Chief. Furthermore, the Military Industry Department suggests starting trial production of 32-pounder cannons."

"Submit the report. If there are no problems, I will approve it today."

"Yes, sir."

...

On October 17th of the first year of Chongzhen's reign, Mao Wenlong's envoy arrived in Liaoyang, demanding that Huang Taiji begin a second round of peace talks. He also claimed that Korea had reached an agreement with him to establish an army of tens of thousands to cooperate with the Dongjiang Army in its operations, preparing for a major offensive against Zhenjiang and Shenyang. Therefore, Huang Taiji's peace talks with Mao Wenlong were beneficial and harmless.

Huang Taiji refused to send an envoy to Dongjiang, instead having Su Wanliang deliver a letter back. In this letter, Huang Taiji appeared extremely angry. He accused Mao Wenlong, saying, "A person who keeps their word is a true virtue; one who gains power is a true hero. What good is it to lure a few men with empty words?" He also mocked Mao Wenlong's bluff, saying, "If things don't work out, I might attack Shanhaiguan and Shandong. I'll take them from all sides. Would I let you know?"

After receiving the letter on November 9th, Mao Wenlong immediately reported it to the Ming court on the same day and sent the garrison commander Liu De to Liaoyang again on the 15th. In this letter, Mao Wenlong declared that he had long harbored rebellious intentions against the Ming, stating, "Whether you take Shanhaiguan or I take Shandong," and agreed with Huang Taiji that "if we attack from both sides, the matter will be settled." He also anxiously urged Huang Taiji to quickly send a trusted envoy to Dongjiang Island for further discussions.

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