Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 1

Prologue:

Liaodong

"I can't go on."

The vast white expanse and the swirling snow merged before him. Huang Shi trudged along, his cane bobbing incessantly, his hands straining to control it. The biting wind made it almost impossible for him to open his eyes, but he encouraged himself to persevere—a village would soon emerge from behind the white curtain.

"I can't go on..."

A heavy blast of snow hit his face, and Huang Shi's eyelids slowly drooped, cutting off the view. When only darkness remained, he felt the soft earth support his body, the coolness on his face seemingly instantly relieving the exhaustion of his burning body.

...

"Mom and Dad," Huang Shi said, sitting at the table with his parents before setting off, his mouth still full of food, "I'm going on a trip with some friends for a few days, um, a trip to another city."

...

A sudden explosion, a blinding white light. "

...

Wanli year! Are you kidding me? Still all alone," Huang Shi finished the last bag of raw shrimp chips in his backpack, then tried to fall asleep. "If I'm asleep, I won't have to think about anything. I'll talk about tomorrow."

...

"...The stars in the sky are divided into different constellations, and everyone has a constellation protecting them..." Huang Shi spoke eloquently, fiddling with a piece of paper in his hand, on which the stars were wrapped in patterns. Seeing that his master was no longer sitting upright, he was greatly encouraged and vigorously smoothed the paper.

"Hmm, interesting. Someone, give this gentleman ten coins."

"Thank you, sir." After carefully putting the money into his pocket, Huang Shi folded the paper into a square and pressed down the wrinkles on it.

As he walked out the door, Huang Shi turned back to thank the old servant who had seen him out. The old man lazily waved his hand and was about to go back inside when, perhaps because of his age, he stumbled on the steps. Quick-witted Huang Shi helped him up, smiling as he said, "Grandpa, be careful."

The old man didn't thank him, but pondered for a moment, then shook off Huang Shi's arm and said seriously, "Young man, you should do something respectable while you're young. Otherwise, you'll bring shame to your ancestors."

The smile froze on Huang Shi's face, and he bowed deeply to the ground: "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I thank you."

...

"Grandpa, give me something to eat."

The person who had been stopped glanced coldly at the beggar's physique and walked away without a word.

"Grandpa, give me something to eat."

Seeing the person stop, Huang Shi rallied his spirits and repeated himself, forcing a smile at the man in front of him. The man smiled back and turned away. Without bothering to wipe his smile away, Huang Shi crawled a few steps and begged another passerby.

He stuffed half a cornbread into his mouth, swallowed it, and then collapsed sprawled on the ground. The violent movement elicited a loud groan. The spots where he had been pounded by dozens of beggars that morning were all aggravated, but he remained motionless. Huang Shi bitterly recalled his conflicts with the Beggars' Sect members over the past few days and his failed attempt to join: "If it were a one-on-one fight, I could have become the leader..."

...

Huang Shi, squatting in the corner, was eating the chicken he had stolen. His arms were covered in bruises, and there were likely traces of the guard goose under his clothes. His disheveled hair had covered his eyebrows, and his bare calves were covered in bumps and blisters.

“Barefoot doctor, I have no beard, and wealthy families wouldn’t let me in dressed like this. Farmers will let me in, but if it weren’t for all the vaccines I’m covered in, I probably would have collapsed and couldn’t get up.”

“Without a travel permit, no place will take me. I can’t be a teacher. I can do accounting, I can use an abacus. Just give me two meals a day and a place to stay.”

After finishing his meal, Huang Shi frantically wiped his mouth with his hand. His nose was extremely itchy, and he scratched it fiercely until the stinging pain replaced the itch. He jumped up and yelled, “Damn, that hurts like hell!” Then he looked down at his clothes, wiped his hands on a patch of ground, and tied his tattered shoes with a rope he’d found.

“If only I knew Spanish. It’s the 46th year of the Wanli Emperor’s reign, there are no missionaries who speak English. And they’re not in Beijing, how am I supposed to get meals at church?”

…

“Are you sure?” The person who asked raised his eyebrows, his tone high.

"I'm willing to do the work, but I won't sell my body." Although his clothes were tattered and about to fall off, and his cheeks were deeply sunken, Huang Shi's voice was still strong.

"Suit yourself, next."

Hearing this, he could only turn and leave.

"Hey sir, there's some leftover food. Do you want some?"

Hearing this, Huang Shi immediately turned and kowtowed: "May you live a long and healthy life, sir."

"You're quite an interesting fellow, actually willing to be a beggar." The steward chuckled and scolded a few times. His wife had just given him a son, so he'd use the employer's leftovers to accumulate some good karma for his son.

...

"Every free man is his own king."

After the last glimmer of light faded, Huang Shi's world vanished completely.

Snowflakes fell on him, and the wooden stick in his hand fell to the side. The wind continued to whiten his body, gradually blending it into the surrounding world. In Liaodong in the first month of the forty-sixth year of the Wanli reign, Guangning Liuhe was already covered in silver.

(The End...I'll probably get cursed by readers)

...

The person lying on the bed was covered by an old quilt, with a tattered mattress added to their lower body. The face exposed was as pale as a dead fish, and a metallic sound was whistling rhythmically from their throat.

The patient let out a groan and struggled to open their eyelids a crack.

"Are you awake?"

A clear voice seemed to come from afar. Huang Shi's eyelids slumped heavily again, plunging him back into darkness...

"Are you awake?"

This time the voice came from beside his ear. Huang Shi, who didn't even have the strength to lift a finger, couldn't turn their head. They opened their mouths to ask, but only some hoarse breathing came out. Then they felt some liquid being poured in. Although they couldn't taste it, they knew it wasn't water. Before falling asleep again, they only realized one thing—they were still alive...

Their eyes could open wide, and the pain throughout their body immediately surged. Huang Shi's eyes rolled around a few times. A very dilapidated bed began to creak as they moved their arms. The blanket under his nose emitted a slightly sour smell, but it wasn't pungent. As he turned his neck, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen appeared before him. "It's a boy, isn't it?" Huang Shi blinked, trying to get a better look.

A very delicate-looking boy was staring at him, his dark eyes fixed on him, with a pointed chin, a high nose, and slightly curly hair on his forehead.

The boy looked at him for a moment and then ran off: "I'll go get you your medicine."

It was a small hut, seemingly the front yard of the whole house.

After the medicine was brought over, the boy began to feed him. "My father found you in the snow, and my mother made this medicine for you."

"Thank you." Although the ancients said that great kindness doesn't need words of thanks, Huang Shi didn't know what to say at this moment.

"You're sleeping on my blanket," the boy said with the pride of a giver.

"Thank you." This time, Huang Shi expressed his gratitude with a slight smile.

"I'll go call my mother."

A short while later, Huang Shi, who had been struggling to look up, saw a woman step across the threshold, her hands still rubbing together on her apron. She quickly went to the bedside, staring at Huang Shi's eyes for a long time—bright and clear. She sighed, "Young man

, where are you from?" "I'm from Tianjin, Hebei. I've wandered here. Thank you so much for saving my life, ma'am." The woman looked to be at least forty-five, while Huang Shi was only twenty-two, so he felt this was a perfect way to address her.

Meeting Huang Shi's unwavering gaze, the woman said, "Young man, please rest."

"Ma'am, I'm fine. You don't need to brew any medicine; hot water will do." After arriving in this era, he had worked as a barefoot doctor for a couple of days, so he had some understanding of medicine prices. Moreover, his future medical knowledge said that no herbal medicine was effective for pneumonia, and for non-pneumonia, boiled water and vitamins were sufficient. The woman sighed and left without a word.

After noon, an old man and two young men returned, having also visited Huang Shi. Their clothing revealed their identities as Ming Dynasty military households, clearly having just returned from drills.

For the next few days, Huang Shi received some porridge and pickled vegetables daily. The child also brought him a bowl of medicine each day, eagerly waiting for Huang Shi to finish it before moving a stool to listen to his stories. Although the long conversations left Huang Shi, recovering from a serious illness, feeling exhausted, he felt this was the only way to express his gratitude.

(End of Prologue)

Related Introduction:

"Finally, it's a success!!" Cheers erupted in a certain QQ group.

With the help of a Martian (female) and a Zentradi (male) hidden on Earth, the time-traveling community gathered on the SC forum created a time portal powered by a prehistoric energy engine—a magnificent technological invention capable of transporting people to any parallel universe and any other timeline…

"I declare the Heavenly Change Operation open!" Chairman Ma waved his hand triumphantly, and Chairman Nanshan was the first to stand and applaud.

Among the wildly cheering crowd was a young man named Huang Shi. He had heard about this "two-way gate" and had signed up hoping for a free trip.

The first step of the plan: hijack a merchant ship in the Qiongzhou Strait to use as a supply depot;

the second step: sail through the two-way gate to the late Ming Dynasty and seize Hainan as a base;

the third step…

“Plant the Double Bear Underpants Flag all over the universe!” A hoarse shout echoed across the sky: “Long live the Pits Party! Long live the Eunuch Party! May the Setting Party live forever!”

The leader surrounded by fanatics was actually only the second generation. The excited crowd did not notice a sinister figure in the distance. The former leader, who claimed to have withdrawn from the Pits Party, Eunuch Party, and Setting Party, revealed a cold smile: “I—will—be—back.”

…

Huang Shi was not originally very suitable for the requirements. When Chairman Ma reviewed the form submitted by Huang Shi, he felt that his only possible strengths were: first, he had practiced calligraphy for fifteen years; second, he was 1.85 meters tall and weighed nearly 100 kilograms.

“People in the Ming Dynasty practiced calligraphy using sand and straw paper. This guy has been practicing large characters for fifteen years; the amount of paper he's used would be more than a hundred Ming Dynasty scholars could afford. Besides, in the late Ming Dynasty, when the average height was only 1.6 meters, this guy could be used to scare people. Oh well, one more of him won't make a difference,” thought Chairman Ma, the chief architect of Operation Sky Change.

“Your education is only at a vocational school level, that's too poor. You don't know anything about metallurgy or breeding… How about this, we're going to travel to the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, and you can go and study the history of the late Ming Dynasty.”

“Thank you, Chairman Ma, you are the person I admire most in SC!” Huang Shi left with a smile.

Although Chairman Ma was very satisfied with the overall progress of the Sky Change Project, as the date approached, an inexplicable premonition seemed to linger in his heart. He couldn't help but verify with the Zentradi again: “Are you sure it's a two-way portal?”

“Yes.”

“We will arrive in the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.”

“Absolutely no problem.”

“It's a collective time travel; no one will be left behind in an unknown time and space.” Chairman Ma's unease grew stronger.

"Absolutely foolproof."

At the same time, Huang Shi, who was buying travel bags, sneezed.

...

"Chairman Nanshan, you personally lead the team to hijack the ship."

"Just you wait and see, Chairman Ma."

At 1:00 PM on September 18, 2009 (for the auspicious phrase "just about to get rich"), Operation "Sky Change" began...

That evening's Hainan news reported: "A dozen or so bandits attempted to hijack a cargo ship in the Qiongzhou Strait, but were subdued by police officers who rushed to the scene, and all suspects were apprehended."

On September 18, 2009, at 12:00 PM Beijing time, the Time-Space Gate exploded. Its creators and operators—the Martians and Zentradi—died instantly. Hundreds of time travelers were arrested in connection with the explosion, while the remaining hundreds were sucked into the created time-space vortex… The Time-Space Gate's beacon pointed to January 1st of the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, so the landing times of most people followed a normal distribution with the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor as its apex.

The wheels of history were spinning wildly because a poorly constructed time-space device on the third satellite of the Sun in a certain time-space galaxy exploded. This device sent hundreds of people to different stages in hundreds of time-spaces in a very short time. Therefore, the history of these hundreds of time-spaces had to be re-enacted. Feeling the increased burden, the wheel cursed and continued to spin wildly, ignoring its fatigue.

Meanwhile, a story from another time-space: (cause and effect cannot be changed)

A certain leader of the Dragon Sky sect received prior warning and also became a time-space smuggler. As a traveler traversing the original timeline rather than a parallel one (the time portal exploded, and the wheels of history assigned landing points to the time travelers), he returned to a mountain range in northeastern China in 1911 (this mountain range was once known as Luding Mountain). The cult leader's domineering aura clashed violently with the Manchu dragon vein there. After the explosion, the dragon vein, the Manchu fortune, and the cult leader perished together... In the same year, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and the imperial aura of Beijing faded...

In short, there's a reason why "the wind rises" and "the wind goes against us" cannot be renewed.

Another story from the same timeline: (Meteorite escape)

A woman's cry: "Your Highness, others abandon their children because they can't support them, but you raise a child only to strangle him."

"It's too flat here," the man said thoughtfully. Before the crazed woman could pounce on him, he shouted: "God said—let there be light."

Billions of light-years were easily torn apart by the summons—auspicious flames descended from the sky, and the Tunguska event occurred. After the smoke cleared, the man had vanished without a trace. The woman only heard the deep male voice echoing in the crater: "The meteorite is my power!"

Parallel universe story one: (A middle school textbook suspended in time and space)

Historians have noticed that starting from the second year of Chongzhen's reign, the Ming Dynasty experienced astonishing technological and industrial growth. The then-Grand Chancellor of the Empire was glorious, great, and correct. His ideas have endured for a thousand years. The Grand Chancellor's prophetic intuition about the laws of the universe and science and technology is even more astonishing. His works on physics, mathematics, and chemistry are still used as middle school textbooks in the Empire a thousand years later.

By the tenth year of the Ming Dynasty's cultural era, the Ming Empire's territory had expanded to every corner of the universe, and experiments with migration to other universes began cautiously. Technology supported safe time travel without affecting the past. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, time travel always failed around the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, making the rise of the legendary Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty impossible to observe. In the fifteenth year of the Ming Dynasty's cultural era, courage and admiration led a history professor from a Ming Dynasty's Mars province and her boyfriend—a Ming Dynasty journalist from the highest planet—to attempt to travel back to the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign to see the legendary Grand Secretary and record his extraordinary experiences.

Unfortunately, the pirated operating system on their travel agency's computer malfunctioned at the moment of travel, and the two were mistakenly sent to an unknown universe where the Ming Dynasty had already perished in the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, more than 360 years ago. Through the primitive computer network on Earth in this universe, they met a group of netizens who also dreamed of time travel on a BBS (Baidu forum) abbreviated as sc.

A professor from the Martian province, utilizing his exceptional knowledge of Martian history and with the help of his Zentradi boyfriend's uncanny appliance repair skills, collaborated with these primitive beings to build a new engine and a prehistoric energy engine, setting the spacetime coordinates as September 18, 2007 (Earth's calendar) to January 1, 2008 (the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty).

Although, for work purposes, the Martians and Zentradi introduced all their knowledge of cosmic laws and science to one person and had him assist them, their deep-seated contempt for primitive beings and shameless pragmatism meant they provided him with a complete set of high school physics, mathematics, and chemistry textbooks, but failed to introduce him to their knowledge of cosmic history. They were also unaware that the person assisting them shared the same name as the great figure they were searching for… Furthermore, the spacetime field that this assistant traveled to experienced an abnormal fluctuation with a probability of 10 to the power of negative one billion, causing this universe to deviate from Earth's spatial coordinates… Recently, around the second year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, time travel is destined to fail...

The story of parallel universe two: (The Heavenly Change is coming soon, please look forward to it—by Eunuch Yang)

Time: 2403 years after Confucius' death; Location: Beijing History Museum; A teacher is introducing a statue to a group of elementary school students: "Children, this is Yang, our famous reformer, politician, and scientist. Despite his physical disability, he overthrew the feudal autocracy and established the Republic of China. His achievements changed the traditional Chinese contempt and hostility towards eunuchs... The only regret is that his autobiography, 'The Heavenly Change,' which he claimed to write, was only completed in its first chapter throughout his life." Although he has said for decades that he wants to update, the future is bright, but the road is tortuous. "I am not the eunuch," the teacher read aloud the words below the statue: "The words that Eunuch Yang kept repeating on his deathbed have inspired generations of people to sing and strive forward..."

The story of Parallel Universe 3: (For detailed history, please see "Xin Shun" by Zao Manxiong)

Cheng Xi was dressed in rags. The explosion of the time portal almost turned him into a Kunlun slave. After confirming that he had no companions, he sighed and decided to go to the nearest city to see if he could find a job as an accountant or something similar... At the same time, a scholar was wandering around a rice shop when he came to this Ten years have passed, and he still hasn't found a way to get rich. The problem is, his wife still needs to eat. "Zao Mou Xiong," the scholar, recalls his online name from ten years ago before crossing the time portal, and tears well up in his eyes. "Refrigerator, air conditioner, internet, and my most beloved settings—have they all just left me like this? The 'Second Confrontation,' 'The Kremlin Werewolf,' 'The Life of Shooting Willows,' and so on, I haven't filled them in yet. (Author's note: Hopefully he remembers.)"

The story of Parallel Universe Four: (The Legend of the Guangzhou Stud)

It is said that a single drop of a man's semen can impregnate all women on Earth; it is said that everyone's ancestry points to one woman. All of the above are just rumors, but we know one fact: he appeared on Earth in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, his charm sweeping across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, becoming the common ancestor of all men worldwide… Extremely erotic, unsuitable for children. Those 18 years and older can view it in this cosmic library; after viewing, one must undergo forced brainwashing. "I once had a name: Ventes, my power lies in never filling a hole." This statement left behind by the stallion remains an unsolved mystery, causing countless men aspiring to become stallions to ponder for a lifetime, regret it for life, and die with their eyes wide open in disbelief.

The story of Parallel Universe Five: (The Astonishment of Free Civilization)

This universe has reached communism, everything is free, so travelers from different universes live happily. They often recount the strange tales of paid universes to evoke astonishment from the original inhabitants.

"I've seen compulsory primary schools charge fees."

"Pshaw, I've seen socialist countries charge for housing."

"Pshaw, I've seen hospitals charge people who are about to die."

"Pshaw,..."

...

"I've seen non-pornographic websites charge for registration." An old man from an SC forum said

, "Ah..." This person won unanimous astonishment.

...

The Queen's Conjecture in Parallel Universes: (The War and Destruction Caused by the Number of the Queen's Male Opponents and the Queen's Self-Defense Technique)

Conjecture Statement: Define the universes the Queen has visited as the Queen's Sequence universe. For any n belonging to the Queen's Sequence and n greater than 0, there exists 1 nn 1 1 (abbreviated form).

For example, n=1, a certain queen travels to Queen Sequence Time 1. At the landing location, there is a guard dog who intends to harm the queen. The queen uses her self-defense technique—no, the queen's self-defense technique is eunuch-ified—and uses a massive number of numbers to persuade (or rather, bewilder) the village officials. A fight breaks out, a gasoline barrel war ensues, a massive explosion occurs, and the village is destroyed. The queen uses her great power to reach Queen Sequence Time 2 before the explosion. In another scenario, n=2, a queen lands at a location where two polar bears intend to harm her. The queen uses her self-defense technique to eunuch-ify them. The Soviet leader is persuaded by the queen using a massive number of numbers (or rather, bewilder) a great war occurs, a massive explosion occurs, Europe is destroyed, and the queen uses her great power to escape to another timeline. Hmm, n=3, one queen, three world boxing champions at the landing site, intending to assault the queen, queen's self-defense techniques, three world eunuch boxing champions, massive numbers, a leader of a certain Western country, world war, nuclear war, big bang, world destruction, queen's powerful escape; ... Queen's sequence time 10, one queen, 10 Tyrannosaurus Rex at the landing site, queen's self-defense techniques, 10 Tyrannosaurus Rex eunuchs, massive numbers, a dinosaur leader, a war, asteroid, big bang, destruction, powerful; ... Sequence 100, 100 Super Saiyans, queen's self-defense techniques, 100 Saiyan divorce cases, massive numbers, galactic war, big bang, destruction, powerful, n 1; ... n=1000, god above god, queen's self-defense techniques; extinction of the god race, numbers, god war, explosion, destruction, n=n 1…

Countless epic tales, both moving and tragic, unfold across hundreds of parallel universes, forcing the wheels of history to turn laboriously. Now, we will tell the story of parallel universe n—the story of Huang Shi:

(End of introduction)

Side Story:

*The Records of the National History,

Veritable Records of Emperor Taizu* "Emperor Taizu, who received the mandate of Heaven, established the dynasty, was wise and sagacious, possessed divine wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, martial prowess, and outstanding virtue, successfully established the dynasty, promoted Confucianism, and expanded the territory. His name was Shi, his courtesy name was Yilan, and his surname was Huang. His ancestors were from Hebei. Emperor Taizu's given name was Shiren. His wife, Yang, dreamt of a divine being entering her room and bowing. She kowtowed nine times before rising, and thus became pregnant. Twenty-one months later, she gave birth to Emperor Taizu. At that time, the heavens displayed nine colors, the earth emitted a great sound, beasts praised human speech, birds sang like phoenixes, red light filled the room, and a strange fragrance permeated the air.

Emperor Taizu possessed a majestic appearance, far-reaching ambitions, flawless strategic planning, and unfathomable wisdom. His voice was like thunder, and he commanded respect without anger. At the age of one, he could write..." I never forgot what I saw. As a child, I would play with the neighborhood boys, never daring to look up. Emperor Taizu once sat high above, ordering the boys to greet him with the respect due to subjects; his aura was as lifelike as a dragon or tiger. A strange man encountered him, greatly astonished, saying, "This is the aura of an emperor! Why does it surround this child?" Emperor Gaozu felt something, and spoke to the strange man, hoping he wouldn't reveal it. The man bowed to Emperor Taizu three times, then disappeared without a trace.

A side note regarding the explanation of the main plot of Chapter One:

Dear readers, I must first apologize for my poor writing. Many readers have expressed that they don't understand the main plot of Chapter One. This truly makes me ashamed.

I've reviewed the draft and it's indeed quite rough. Actually, starting from Chapter Two, I've significantly slowed down to try and clearly explain the cause and effect. I don't plan to drastically revise Chapter One, so I'll explain it from beginning to end here:

The main plot of Chapter One—Sun Degong's betrayal—is a crucial event in the Ming-Later Jin conflict on the Liaodong battlefield. I've arranged for the protagonist to directly participate in this event.

History continues on its original course: Wang Huazhen, the Ming governor of Liaodong, attempts to bribe Li Yongfang. Li Yongfang was originally a Ming general who surrendered to Nurhaci after being surrounded by the Later Jin. Wang Huazhen believes he can be brought back to the Ming army. This task is assigned to Sun Degong, a close friend of Li Yongfang.

Directly persuading a high-ranking enemy official is undoubtedly a risky task, and Sun Degong is unwilling to send his old subordinate to his death, so he sends the protagonist to deliver the message. If successful, it's because Sun Degong's personal guards are efficient; if it fails, a newcomer dies, but Sun Degong has no regrets. At this point, the protagonist's intelligence network naturally belonged to the Ming Dynasty, as they hadn't yet made contact with Li Yongfang.

Li Yongfang was now Nurhaci's son-in-law (Li Yongfang and Nurhaci were both adopted sons of Li Chengliang, though I'm unsure how to calculate their generational relationship). Furthermore, Li Yongfang had joined the Plain Blue Banner and commanded a large retinue. The Liaodong governor, Wang Huazhen, wanted to bribe him—an idea I find inconceivable.

Thus, as in history, Li Yongfang not only disregarded the Ming army's resources but also attempted to bribe Sun Degong at a high price. Li Yongfang initially treated the protagonist with courtesy before resorting to force, and the protagonist encountered various attempts at bribery. A simple choice was presented to the protagonist: obey the Later Jin's orders, or die. The protagonist refused to die and chose to submit.

The Later Jin demanded that the protagonist betray the Ming army's intelligence network—a three-pronged strategy.

First, to destroy part of the Ming army's intelligence network, which goes without saying.

Second, the protagonist had to prove his submission.

Third, a pledge of loyalty. If the protagonist were to betray the Ming dynasty, he would have to admit to the Ming court that he was cowardly and had betrayed the spies.

Wanting to survive, the protagonist betrayed the merchant, thus returning to Guangning. At this point, informing Wang Huazhen was pointless, as Sun Degong had not agreed to the defection. Moreover, besides the merchant's pledge of loyalty, the protagonist believed there were other Later Jin spies lurking within his ranks.

The Later Jin did not directly persuade Sun Degong to surrender; instead, they hinted to him: "He only received such a reward for informing; if you betray the Guangning army, the high rank and generous salary are unimaginable." Sun Degong understood this. As a result, Wang Huazhen's attempt to bribe Li Yongfang failed, and instead, his trusted confidant Sun Degong was won over. (For years, Wang Huazhen had considered Sun Degong a confidant, revealing his poor judgment and clumsy methods of winning him over.)

However, this immediately made the protagonist's position crucial, and Sun Degong promptly promoted him to the rank of Qianzong (a military rank), mainly for two reasons:

first, to win over the protagonist, since he was the one in the know. Sun Degong needed to keep the secret as much as possible, and the protagonist was one of the few reliable confidants.

Secondly, he needed to show Wang Huazhen how much importance he placed on the mission, while simultaneously conveying his stance to the Later Jin.

In the eyes of the Later Jin and Sun Degong, the Ming Dynasty had shown no favor to the protagonist, who had already pledged allegiance; Wang Huazhen was unlikely to believe his words. Sun Degong could completely absolve himself of responsibility, shifting all blame onto the protagonist.

The protagonist agreed with most of Sun Degong's assessments, so he needed solid evidence to retaliate. The protagonist also had his own plans, which would unfold later in the story. Furthermore, the protagonist didn't believe there weren't other Later Jin spies around him.

The Later Jin also valued the protagonist as a contact, so Huang Taiji personally came to see this lowly soldier. He didn't need to reveal his identity; appearing as an advisor, he immediately discovered the flaws. Chapter Two thus begins.

This book will first unfold the story through intelligence warfare, followed by a struggle of control and counter-control. Only by breaking free from others' control and simultaneously gaining control of his subordinates can the protagonist master military power, and only then will his conquest begin.

Volume 1 Unaware

of Being in the Mountains Chapter 1

We should really thank Uncle Zhang.

The old soldier who brought Huang Shi back was surnamed Zhang. He had three sons, whose names were very much in keeping with the times: Youdi (有弟), Youdi (又弟), and Zaidi (再弟).

The gods probably heard Old Zhang's prayers, so they bestowed three sons upon him at once. However, naming the youngest "Zaididi" was clearly too greedy. It seems the gods were somewhat angry and didn't send any more children.

The eldest and second sons had already joined the army, and Zhang Zaidi was still young. However, as a son of a Ming Dynasty military household, his fate as a soldier was already sealed at birth—if Huang Shi hadn't time-traveled.

Through Old Zhang's introduction, in February of the 46th year of the Wanli reign, Huang Shi also joined the army, finally having food to eat.

In July, again with Old Zhang's sponsorship and the help of his sons, Huang Shi finally built his own hut and received the old bed and complete set of old bedding he had been using for the past six months. After the door was installed, Old Zhang's youngest son, Zhang Zaidi, skipped and hopped from home, bringing firecrackers.

Huang Shi had completely won over Zhang's youngest son with all sorts of stories. Huang Shi had spent so much time on the forum, learning little real skill, but accumulating a wealth of miscellaneous knowledge. Since Zhang Zaidi was still young and hadn't joined the army, he always had time to idolize him.

Amidst the firecrackers, Huang Shi stroked the brand-new door, greedily inhaling the fresh scent of the wood. From today onward, Huang Shi was no longer a homeless dog; even if he faced hunger and cold again, he wouldn't be lost.

Dinner was eaten at Old Zhang's house as usual. To help Huang Shi buy some furniture, Old Zhang's eldest son, Zhang Youdi, sold his waist knife. With the extra money from the furniture, Old Zhang's wife bought two ounces of meat and stir-fried a plate of shredded pork, a way of celebrating his housewarming.

Huang Shi originally wanted to use Old Zhang's bowls, chopsticks, and pots, keeping the new things, but they insisted that it was unlucky for the house to be full of old things. In addition, Old Zhang's wife had taken out three insurances for Huang Shi's new house: she got a wooden Bodhisattva statue from a temple, bought a wooden sword from a wandering Taoist priest, and even retrieved a bag of incense ash from the City God Temple.

"Stone, now all you need is a woman." The moment these words echoed in his ears, Huang Shi felt a large hand slap him hard on the back, causing him to spit out the food he was chewing back into his bowl.

Caught off guard, Huang Shi nearly fell headfirst into the bowl. After swallowing the rest of his food, he looked up and replied, "That's a long way off. I'll pay you back, Uncle Zhang, after I get my paycheck."

Old Zhang waved his hand dismissively, "No rush. If you can't pay me back this year, pay me back next year. If you can't pay me back, your son can pay my son. Our two families will be neighbors for generations."

Huang Shi understood that joining the army in the Ming Dynasty was like boarding a pirate ship; his descendants would essentially be sacrificed to the Ming emperor and the court. If he were reincarnated in the early Ming Dynasty, his descendants would probably indeed be neighbors with Old Zhang's family for hundreds of years.

Sitting on the right, Old Zhang's eldest son nodded repeatedly. "Not bad, Shitou, hurry up and find a wife and have a child. You're not getting any younger."

Before Huang Shi could answer, Old Zhang, satisfied with his son's words, pushed away his rice bowl, first coughing to attract everyone's attention, then pointing to his eldest daughter-in-law standing by the wall, and smilingly saying to Huang Shi, "If she can give birth to a son, you can marry your daughter to my grandson in the future. You don't need to give a dowry, and I won't give a bride price."

A bitter smile involuntarily spread across Huang Shi's face. He didn't even have a wife, let alone a daughter. Old Zhang really thought ahead. "Definitely, definitely."

Seeing that Old Zhang's second son had also finished eating, Huang Shi quickly stuffed the remaining coarse rice in his bowl into his mouth in one gulp, chewing and mumbling, "I'm done eating."

"Come and eat." As Huang Shi, Lao Zhang, and his two eldest sons left the table, Lao Zhang's wife, along with Zhang Zaidi and her eldest daughter-in-law, came over and sat down to eat. Zhang Zaidi picked up his chopsticks and began picking out the remaining shredded meat. His sister-in-law first served rice to her mother-in-law, then filled her younger brother-in-law's bowl.

Back home, Huang Shi bolted the door, groped his way to the bed in the dark, lifted the covers, and lay down. In the silence, he gradually drifted off to sleep, his eyes already brimming with tears.

For several months since joining the army, he had received nothing but his uniform. The next morning, Huang Shi, as usual, swung his thick wooden stick to morning exercises, even striking a few poses like the Monkey King for his own amusement.

After exercises, Huang Shi swung it again as he went home with Lao Zhang's family for lunch. After wiping his mouth after dinner, Huang Shi went out to chop firewood. However, when he brought the things back that evening, Old Zhang's wife refused to leave them for nothing. She insisted on giving Huang Shi a copper coin, saying that starting tomorrow, all the things would be considered as her purchases, and that Old Zhang had also given him the old axe.

The next six months were uneventful, like still water. Huang Shi's daily routine consisted of morning exercises, meals, chopping firewood, meals, and sleep—a monotonous cycle. It turned out that leaving the new household items to Huang Shi's family was a waste; he didn't cook a single thing until the New Year, always eating New Year's Eve dinner at Old Zhang's house.

Old Zhang refused his suggestion to return the new iron pot and other items, reasoning that a house full of new things would look impressive when Huang Shi got married, otherwise, they would have to spend more money on new things, and no girl would want to use someone else's old things. Old Zhang reiterated his final request: that Huang Shi marry his daughter to his grandson, even though Huang Shi didn't know where his wife was yet.

Experience is easy to gain, but physical advantages are innate. Huang Shi, born under the red flag and raised in the new society, ate meat and eggs and drank cola. The Party's care had given him a tall stature of 1.85 meters.

Although he suffered a lot after transmigrating, the average height of men in the Ming Dynasty, who generally suffered from calcium and vitamin deficiencies in childhood, was only 1.6 meters. Neither bone strength nor organ development could compare with the modern, well-rounded young people.

By the first year of the Taichang era, Huang Shi had chopped as much firewood as two ordinary people and occasionally caught some small animals. These advantages, along with his physique, brought him considerable charm. Some military households with adult daughters had hinted to Huang Shi that for a promising young man like him, a 50% reduction in the bride price was not out of the question.

Although he couldn't afford a few strings of cash right now, it wasn't a considerable sum either. Judging from Huang Shi's current situation, he could raise the money within a few months, but he had other plans.

In addition, Huang Shi was actually quite good at calligraphy, since paper was readily available in modern society. Huang Shi's original hobby was calligraphy, and he had even won awards in amateur competitions.

Paper was quite expensive in the Ming Dynasty. The paper Huang Shi used in modern society would be worth at least several hundred taels of silver in this era. Diligent scholars in the Ming Dynasty preferred to practice calligraphy with twigs and sand, drawing and sketching on white paper every day. Even for wealthy families, this was not an easy burden.

Huang Shi dared not reveal this skill yet, because in a feudal society where the average literacy rate was less than one percent, literacy was a very conspicuous characteristic, let alone writing well.

He had once secretly peeked at the writings of several private tutors, and in the 21st century, their handwriting would only be considered unbearable. This reminded him of the cautious reverence later calligraphers showed to their predecessors. For example, Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy, founded a school of calligraphy. His status as a master is unshakeable, but if a modern calligrapher with more resources claimed that his writing was inferior to that of the Sage, then that would be a disservice to the Sage. As an amateur calligraphy enthusiast, Huang Shi's writing could not be considered outstanding, but it was certainly much better than that of most Ming Dynasty intellectuals.

This was also Huang Shi's view of the ancients. If future generations were inferior to the sages of China, it would not be a way of honoring the ancients, but rather a disgrace to their ancestors. With this thought in mind, he resolved to accomplish something extraordinary in this era.

On the 24th day of the first month of the first year of the Tianqi reign, Huang Shi braved the wind and snow to chop firewood in the afternoon. His axe had been sharpened at Chen the blacksmith's yesterday, so he found the work easy. As he swung the axe, he couldn't help but recall yesterday's events, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

Chen the blacksmith had a daughter who had just turned seventeen. Yesterday, while Huang Shi was waiting in the shop, her father called her out to fetch water. At that time, Huang Shi noticed something amiss in the girl's expression. After the girl returned, Chen the blacksmith subtly praised her for her diligence and thrift, even mentioning that a fortune teller had said she had the appearance of a son.

Huang Shi immediately understood the implication: the girl's appearance was a prelude to a blind date. Then, Chen the blacksmith began to praise Huang Shi himself. Because of his height, he quickly rose to the top rank within a few months and was likely to be promoted to sergeant soon. Wang the blacksmith meant that a smart person not only focuses on the present but also on the future. If a young man is ambitious and can provide a good future for his daughter, then delaying the payment of the bride price for a few years wouldn't be a big problem.

Of course, it wouldn't be a big problem; Wang the blacksmith had three daughters and one son, how could there be any problems? Ultimately, Old Zhang suffered because of this, naming his first two sons "You Di" (meaning "Having a Younger Brother") and "You Di" (meaning "Having a Younger Brother"). As a result, he didn't have a daughter, and now he's racking his brains over his second son's marriage.

With his income over the next few months, Huang Shi was confident he could save a small sum of money, thus securing a place for Old Zhang's second son

. However, thinking about next year's history, a sense of absurdity welled up in his chest—in the end, it would all be for nothing. This thought caused all his enthusiasm to vanish. After casually collecting his earnings for the day, Huang Shi set off early on the path home. As Huang Shi reached the edge of the forest, a strange sight caught his eye. He approached to examine it more closely when he heard a loud shout.

"Don't touch my birds!"

(End of Chapter 1)

Unaware of his surroundings

, Huang Shi immediately turned around. The voice belonged to a panting young man. He looked to be around twenty years old, with sparse beard and a faded deerskin hat on his head; his attire suggested he was the son of a hunter.

The young hunter angrily approached, and upon seeing Huang Shi's 1.85-meter frame, his expression immediately became uneasy.

Huang Shi smiled amicably: "Are these your birds?"

Four birds stood upright in the snow, their rear ends facing upwards, legs straight, long, thin necks jutting into the ground, heads buried in the snow.

The young man grunted "Yes," his gaze shifting as he looked at Huang Shi. Huang Shi carefully examined the birds on the ground. Their necks were stretched into a pit in the ground, and he also noticed several small round holes around them, though they weren't very noticeable and he hadn't seen them before.

After observing them, Huang Shi noticed the hunter's son was still scanning him, so he smiled at him amicably and gestured for him to proceed. The young man then walked past Huang Shi and went to the small "ostriches," squatted down, pulled them out one by one, and snapped their necks.

Old Zhang's family hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and Huang Shi couldn't help but drool at the sight of these little birds. "Brother, can I trade you some firewood for two birds?"

The hunter pondered for a moment,

then said, "Sure." He tossed two birds over and then looked down at the two bundles of firewood at Huang Shi's feet. He pressed down one bundle of firewood and tore off a few remaining leaves, indicating that he had already chosen them.

"What kind of birds are these?" Huang Shi weighed the birds in his hands; the two of them weighed about a pound.

"They're called 'Silly Half-Jin'." The hunter hoisted the firewood onto his shoulder and walked away without looking back.

After the young man had gone some distance, Huang Shi squatted down to examine the pits where no birds had been caught. Each pit contained a few grains of rice. He used the dead bird in his hand to test the depth of the pit. "Perfect." He weighed the two birds separately; they were about the same weight. He muttered to himself, "He really is a fool."

From the next day onward, Huang Shi took Zhang Zaidi with him when he went to the woods to chop firewood. From then on, roasted bird meat appeared on Old Zhang's dinner table, and his savings increased at an even faster pace. Half a month later, he even bought Zhang Zaidi a new pair of shoes. The boy now had the right to eat at the table before his mother and sister-in-law.

After February, the harvest gradually decreased. Huang Shi guessed that there was more food in the wild, and a little millet was no longer enough to lure the prey.

Zhang Zaidi became very irritable because of this. He was always impatient and would run to check the pits he had dug every few days. But the more frequently he checked the pits he had dug, the less he caught. Huang Shi told him twice, but it had no effect, so he finally gave up.

Zhang Zaidi had made several trips today, and this time he hadn't returned for a long time. Just as Huang Shi was about to put down his axe and go check on him, he heard the sound of arguing coming from that direction.

Huang Shi rushed over and saw Zhang Zaidi arguing heatedly with someone. Upon closer inspection, he realized the other person was none other than Sha Banjin.

After recognizing Huang Shi, Sha Banjin became even angrier, pointing angrily at the prey in Zhang Zaidi's hand and the several holes in the ground: "This is my method! You secretly copied me and started digging holes!"

"Methods are all about fate; whoever uses them keeps them," Huang Shi said with a grin, feeling a little embarrassed after recognizing Sha Banjin.

After Huang Shi arrived, Zhang Zaidi fell silent, secretly circling behind Sha Banjin. Hearing Huang Shi's shameless words, Zhang Zaidi punched Sha Banjin hard in the back of the head.

Just as he was trying to figure out how to retort, Sha Banjin screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. Zhang Zaidi picked up a tree branch and started hitting him indiscriminately, yelling, "You think of ideas? You dig pits? I'll beat you to death, you pit king!"

The sudden turn of events stunned Huang Shi. In the blink of an eye, Sha Banjin was rolling around on the ground, whipped by Zhang Zaidi. Huang Shi suddenly realized what was happening: "Stop! Little brother, stop!"

Sha Banjin, helped up by Huang Shi, was red-faced and waved his hands frantically without uttering a word. He then stomped his feet a few times, glared at Huang Shi, but still didn't utter a single syllable. Zhang Zaidi watched him coldly, the tree branch lightly tapping his left hand. Finally, Sha Banjin slumped to the ground in frustration, rubbing his sore spot.

“Alright, buddy.” While Sha Banjin was licking his wound, Huang Shi took out half a bundle of firewood and handed it to him. “You can come here every day to take some as compensation, how about it?” Sha

Banjin looked at Huang Shi’s face suspiciously for a few moments, and just as he reached out his hand, he heard Zhang Zaidi snort fiercely, so he quickly withdrew his hand. Huang Shi turned around and glared at Zhang Zaidi, then stuffed the firewood into Sha Banjin’s arms.

Sha Banjin hugged the firewood with a wronged expression: “Okay, it’s settled then, you can’t go back on your word.”

Now Sha Banjin clearly knew who was more difficult to talk to, so he kept his eyes warily fixed on Zhang Zaidi as he spoke.

Huang Shi patted Sha Banjin on the shoulder, drawing his attention back: "Of course, we're acquainted now. What's your name, young man?"

"My name is Zhao Manxiong!" Sha Banjin proudly announced, adding, "Zhao as in Zhao Zilong of Changshan, Man as in slow, and Xiong as in bear."

Huang Shi memorized the name: "Hmm, so it's Brother Zhao. You're quite skilled, young man. My name is Huang Shi, you can just call me Stone. This Brother Zhang is called Zaidi."

Zhao Manxiong repeated the name twice and nodded: "Hmm, Brother Stone, Brother Zhang, I'll remember."

Now that they were acquainted, Huang Shi started chatting with Zhao Manxiong, sharing his rations with him and inquiring why the number of prey caught wasn't increasing despite the increasing number of pits he was digging.

Zhao Manxiong didn't answer immediately, but instead his eyes darted around as he nervously pondered. Seeing that this wasn't working, Huang Shi added, "I may not have much else, but I'm strong. Brother Zhao, you can plan, I'll dig, and we'll split the prey."

"When the weather gets warmer, fewer silly birds will be trapped! They're more likely to fall into the pits when food is scarce," Huang Shi assured him. Zhao Manxiong immediately gave him a knowing look, clearly very experienced: "Digging pits can't be about just one type of prey; you have to constantly change the pattern and the bait. That way you catch more and dig better pits."

Indeed, he was farsighted. After inwardly praising Zhao Manxiong's pit-digging skills, Huang Shi smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance. How about this, from now on, we'll split the firewood we chop into three parts, and you'll take one."

"Okay, it's a deal," Zhao Manxiong immediately agreed, while shrewdly glancing at Zhang Zaidi. Seeing that Huang Shi had already spoken, the boy helplessly remained silent.

In the days that followed, Huang Shi's small team dwindled to three men. Zhao Manxiong wasn't particularly strong, but he was resourceful and clever, using small pits to trap birds and large pits to catch rabbits. He also frequently came up with ways to catch fish. He even designed several digging tools, all of which proved quite effective.

Huang Shi divided the catch into three portions, and everyone was satisfied. Zhao Manxiong suggested that they start digging larger pits later, deeper ones of course, to trap larger fish. Huang Shi admired his enthusiasm and ambition for digging.

Zhang Zaidi, however, wasn't very satisfied with Zhao Manxiong. He felt that although Zhao Manxiong offered many ideas, Huang Shi did most of the heavy lifting, so he always made sarcastic remarks when dividing the spoils.

Behind his back, Zhang Zaidi always wanted to take less, and he repeatedly told Huang Shi that it was completely unreasonable for him to share the spoils equally with Huang Shi. At

the end of February, General Chen Ce led the renowned Sichuan White-Clad Soldiers to reinforce the Shenyang front. As they passed through Liuhe, Huang Shi was among the soldiers and civilians watching. Looking at the proud or arrogant expressions on the faces of the passing soldiers, he felt only sorrow and pity, knowing full well that these young soldiers were embarking on a path of no return.

Ten thousand bodies, still full of life, would soon become corpses, but Huang Shi could do nothing. He imagined these Sichuan soldiers bidding farewell to their parents, wives, and children, traveling thousands of miles to Liaodong amidst the worry and longing of their loved ones, and then watching them pass by in orderly ranks, heading towards their destined future.

The resounding drumbeats faded into the distance, and the crowds along the roadside gradually dispersed, leaving only Huang Shi staring blankly at the swirling dust.

The eyes of the time traveler pierced through the mists of history; he felt as if he were standing on a cloud, watching the vanguard of the Later Jin's six thousand Plain Yellow Banner troops cross Fengjibao and rush towards Shenyang. He seemed to hear the grief-stricken roar of General You Shigong when the gates of Shenyang were opened by spies. As Huang Shi imagined the moment a sharp sword slit his throat, his body trembled.

Once the trembling began, it was unstoppable. The faces of those who had just passed by were still imprinted in his mind; tonight, these men would meet their wives and children in their dreams. A month later, these soldiers, still alive, would be surrounded by several times their number of Later Jin cavalry. Huang Shi knew they would huddle together, shoulder to shoulder, spears raised, fighting against the overwhelming cavalry until Nurhaci brought in cannons to blast them into mincemeat.

Thinking this, Huang Shi closed his eyes, immersed in the illusion, his arms unconsciously raised, as if he too were one of those brave soldiers, fighting a life-or-death battle against a non-existent enemy. Suddenly, he felt a stab to his back... The one

who patted his shoulder was Old Zhang's second son, Zhang Youdi. He looked at Huang Shi, who was drenched in sweat with shock, with surprise, and took a step back in a daze: "Shi Shi

, what's wrong?" His heart was about to jump out of his throat. Being startled awake from the illusion made Huang Shi almost suffocate. He opened his mouth for a long time before he managed to squeeze out a voice: "I'm fine. Brother Zhang, is there anything wrong?"

"What are you still looking at? You've gone far enough. Hurry back, dinner's ready."

(End of Chapter 2)

Lost in the Mountains, Unaware of His Own Fate Chapter 3

Reaching Old Zhang's doorstep, Huang Shi felt his heart gradually calm down, but the feeling of impending death lingered. He was completely distracted during the meal. Old Zhang's family asked him several times, but he only gave perfunctory hums and haws.

"I know, I know," Zhang Youdi tried his best to show off his loud voice, "He must have fallen for some girl and is lovesick."

This caused a burst of laughter, and the two women at the table laughed and echoed, even naming several names. Huang Shi, chopsticks in hand, remained silent, still unconsciously chewing. Their voices gradually subsided, and Zhang Youdi awkwardly touched his nose, ceasing his teasing.

"I'm done eating," Huang Shi slammed his chopsticks on the table and left Old Zhang's house, seemingly lost in thought.

Back home, Huang Shi lay awake for a long time, feeling the torrent of history screaming and rushing towards him, threatening to tear him to pieces. The thought of the entire town being burned to the ground, his familiar neighbors hacked to pieces, overwhelmed him with emotion. These people weren't like the soldiers who had passed by earlier; in Huang Shi's mind, they were flesh-and-blood human beings.

The cunning smile of the town's general store owner flashed before Huang Shi's eyes—the same expression that always appeared after a disastrous bargaining defeat. The monotonous complaints from his neighbor to his left annoyed him to no end. What good did it do for his wives to complain to him? Several families with sons of marriageable age saw him as a desirable catch, and the girls from these families always cast shy or bold glances at him.

Finally, there were the faces of the benefactor's family. Old Zhang burped contentedly after his meal; the housewife kept grumbling about the rising price of salt, carefully plucking bird feathers; the eldest son always left a piece of meat in his bowl, only turning to listen to everyone's chatter after watching his wife put it in her mouth; the second son always talked about someone else's daughter, and after hearing about Huang Shi's plan to sponsor him with some money, he first offered a few weak words of modesty, then kept muttering that the two families had been good brothers for generations.

"I have no power to protect you," a helpless voice broke the silence in the room. Huang Shi, with his hands behind his head, stared wide-eyed, wondering why he had suddenly spoken his thoughts, "Now I can only try to escape." At

the end of March, bad news came one after another: Shenyang and Liaoyang fell one after another, and hundreds of thousands of Liaodong troops were wiped out. The entire army in Guangning was in an uproar. Amid the panic and chaos around him, Huang Shi accepted the reality without changing his expression, continuing to chop wood and hunt as usual. This chaos caused everyone to lose their focus on work, which allowed him to make a small profit.

Contrary to everyone's fears, the Later Jin army did not launch a counterattack. Governor Wang Huazhen of Liaodong quickly began assembling troops in Guangning. Within a month, life returned to normal. Huang Shi's calm demeanor left a deep impression on the neighbors, and the Zhang family was filled with admiration.

"Mao Wenlong should have already been recommended to Wang Huazhen. He's dreaming of one day being ennobled, and his aggressive ambition suits Wang Huazhen's tastes perfectly. He'll be sent to Liaohai in two months. Within a few years, this army of less than two hundred will grow to nearly one hundred thousand. So, if I can catch this expedition, with my historical knowledge, I should reach the rank of Assistant General within three years, and Deputy General within five."

After once again calculating his escape plan, Huang Shi breathed a sigh of relief. His escape plan was to follow Mao Wenlong's army. He knew about the Later Jin's sweep of Liaodong. His intensive study of Ming history before his transmigration had made him remember the name Mao Wenlong.

The only thing to consider now is how to take some of Old Zhang's sons with him. Old Zhang is so old, he's probably helpless and can only hope he escapes the war. But Huang Shi really wants to take all three of his sons with him to the future Dongjiang Army.

The next day after drills, Zhang Youdi ran over to Huang Shi to go back to town. Seeing his mysterious expression, Huang Shi knew he had another story to tell.

"Shi Tou, have you heard that General Cheng led his troops across the Liao River? I wonder how it went this time?"

This month, Wang Huazhen sent another detachment of Guangning troops to attack the Later Jin territory. Huang Shi estimated that the chances of success were slim, so he clearly stated that he didn't have a good feeling about this attack.

Zhang Youdi seemed to disagree: "General Cheng is a hero of our Guangning army, there shouldn't be any problem with that."

The series of defeats after the Battle of Sairhu had demoralized the Liaodong army. To boost morale, Liaodong Governor Wang Huazhen repeatedly sent small detachments across the Liao River to launch surprise attacks, but the repeated defeats only further dampened morale. Huang Shi silently plotted when he could use Mao Wenlong's opportunity to escape this soon-to-be-occupied land.

At lunch, the Zhang family argued about this again. Zhang Youdi supported his younger brother's view, calling General Cheng a remarkable hero. Huang Shi, too lazy to say more, simply expressed his opinion and then buried his head in his food. Zhang Zaidi, however, argued with his two older brothers, getting quite red in the face.

When Huang Shi took Zhang Zaidi to work on the mountain, he was still indignant: "Brother Huang is certainly right."

"Hmm," Huang Shi replied, ignoring him.

"My eldest and second brothers are both ignorant," Zhang Zaidi added.

"Hmm."

"By the way, I talked to them about Old Zhao." After spending some time together, Zhao Manxiong had become Old Zhao in Zhang Zaidi's words.

"Oh."

"My mother said I'm ignorant. Brother Huang wants to learn all of Old Zhao's skills and then kick him out to go it alone." Zhang Zaidi excitedly exclaimed, "I said it's not like that, but my mother laughed at me for being young and told me to learn and observe more."

"Oh?" This topic piqued Huang Shi's interest. He knew about the disasters that would come in the next few years, so he didn't have any long-term plans. He didn't intend to use Zhao Manxiong and then discard him. He didn't expect Old Zhang's wife to have already defined his actions: "What do you think?"

"Doesn't Brother Huang always say that people should keep their promises?" Zhang Zaidi said confidently, "Of course I know that Brother Huang isn't that kind of person."

Huang Shi was lost in thought for the rest of the way and didn't notice what Zhang Zaidi was saying. He didn't even notice the noise ahead when they reached the forest until Zhang Zaidi reminded him.

Three men dressed as hunters were shouting at Zhao Manxiong, shoving and pushing each other in an unfriendly manner.

Huang Shi frowned and walked over, blocking their path. "Who are you? What do you have to do with him?"

The three hunters appeared to be brothers. The eldest glanced at Huang Shi and said, "And who are you? This is none of your business!"

Huang Shi's face darkened immediately. He was about to retort when the youngest of the three let out a shrill scream. Zhang Zaidi had circled around to their side and swung an axe at his leg. There

was no way to stay put. Zhang Zaidi was clearly ruthless. The man he had tricked never got up. Huang Shi knocked down one of the two 1.6-meter-tall Ming Dynasty hunters with a few punches. He then pounced on the last man fighting Zhang Zaidi.

After all three men fell to the ground, Zhao Manxiong immediately shouted, "Stop! Don't hit him anymore!"

Huang Shi stopped, but Zhang Zaidi refused. He had taken several blows before Huang Shi came to help, and now he was kicking back.

Zhao Manxiong shouted, "Stop hitting him!" as he went around to help the other two men lying on the ground.

Zhang Zaidi kicked a few more times, finally feeling better, and started to back down, panting heavily. In a flash, Zhao Manxiong rushed forward, grabbed Zhang Zaidi tightly, and shouted at him, "Get out of here!"

After the three men scrambled away, Huang Shi, who had witnessed the whole thing, couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Zhao Manxiong, what are you doing?"

Zhao Manxiong laughed too, and after laughing, he first thanked Zhang Zaidi, saying, "Little Brother Zhang, you really stood up for me."

"They dared to insult Brother Huang, they're really tired of living."

The three men were indeed three brothers, hunters from the same village as Zhao Manxiong, or as Zhao Manxiong put it, three scoundrels. Zhao Manxiong was skillful and adept at making various traps, and he had also designed and made many useful tools, but his parents had died early and he was all alone, so these three brothers always bullied him.

"They stole a lot of my skills and even forcibly took my prey and tools," Zhao Manxiong said angrily. "If I didn't give them to them, they would beat me up."

"What scoundrels," Zhang Zaidi said, spitting on the ground.

Huang Shi gave Zhang Zaidi a strange look, then looked at Zhao Manxiong, feeling that these words had the air of insulting a monk.

Upon seeing Huang Shi's expression, Zhao Manxiong immediately realized, "Brother Shi is very kind and fair when dividing things. I feel embarrassed."

"That time I fought with you, it wasn't to steal your things," Zhang Zaidi, not being stupid, also felt embarrassed after hearing this, scratching his head and saying awkwardly, "You were too rude to Brother Huang."

"I know, I know," Zhao Manxiong seemed very magnanimous, waving his hand with a smile to indicate he didn't care at all. Speaking of his own opinion, Zhao Manxiong believed that offending these scoundrels was unacceptable, but one shouldn't be too weak and easily bullied either. Therefore, for a long time, he had helped the three brothers with some things, but always kept a tight rein on himself, ensuring he didn't give them too much to avoid stimulating their greed.

"The animal traps I had Brother Stone make were my improved version, and they saw them today and tried to steal them." Zhao Manxiong drew a few circles on the ground, thought for a moment, and looked up at Huang Shi, saying, "Brother Stone, could you make a few more? I want to deliver them to them tonight."

"Why should we?" Zhang Zaidi shouted angrily, "I'll beat those kinds of people every time I see them."

Zhao Manxiong ignored Zhang Zaidi and instead faced Huang Shi, saying, "I think Brother Stone will definitely agree."

"Why?"

(End of Chapter 3)

Unaware of One's Own Inner World Chapter 4

"With your help, I'm no longer afraid of them. Now they should be the ones afraid." Zhao Manxiong said, drawing circles on the ground again, "But I think if they deliberately cause trouble for us and destroy our traps and snares, it won't do us any good." "

They dare." Zhang Zaidi swung the axe in his hand.

"We work hard to earn money, but beating people doesn't bring in cash," Zhao Manxiong said calmly. "I've always believed that intelligent people never forget their goals, and their methods always serve those goals."

Huang Shi clapped lightly, "Well said."

Encouraged by this, Zhao Manxiong continued, "They need to vent the anger they received today; that's human nature. I can imagine that when they recall the beating they suffered today, they'll become even more resentful and want to cause us trouble. But if we give them a few traps, when they think back, they'll immediately associate them with those traps and think, 'Oh well, we didn't really suffer a big loss anyway.'"

A slap followed by a treat—a simple psychological principle. For the first time, Huang Shi looked at the young Zhao Manxiong with seriousness, and Zhao Manxiong smiled back at him. In

April of the first year of the Tianqi reign,

news of General Cheng's tragic defeat quickly reached the Guangning army. They suffered another crushing defeat; of the five hundred men who went out, only a dozen or so escaped with their lives.

A few days later, a new order from Wang Huazhen, the governor of Liaodong, was delivered and read aloud during drills at Liuhewei. Huang Shi was among those reading the order. The Guangning Army was about to launch another attack on the Later Jin, led by General Mao Wenlong, the newly appointed guerrilla commander. Upon hearing this, the soldiers below began to whisper amongst themselves; none of them had ever heard of Mao Wenlong.

Ignoring their reactions, the officer in charge of reading the order continued to proclaim it aloud. Amidst the murmuring crowd, only Huang Shi listened intently, holding his breath. The governor of Liaodong urged all warriors of the Guangning Army to volunteer, as guerrilla commander Mao Wenlong had just been appointed and did not yet have his own troops. Wang Huazhen promised generous rewards to anyone who volunteered.

Huang Shi could no longer hear anything more; his blood was boiling, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh without him noticing. Overwhelmed with excitement, Huang Shi trembled all over, his heart surging with emotion, almost making him shout, "Mao Wenlong, Mao Wenlong! Yes, it's him! The first step towards wealth and glory has finally appeared before me!"

After drill, Huang Shi rushed to the sergeant to inquire about the specific arrangements, straining with all his might to keep his voice from trembling. The sergeant confirmed Huang Shi's statement; the general leading the troops was indeed Mao Wenlong. As for his background, the sergeant vaguely mentioned that he was very capable, and then eagerly pointed out that the treatment was very generous.

Listening to the sergeant's incessant chatter about how each soldier would receive five taels of silver as a resettlement allowance and would also get back the wages owed for the past ten months, Huang Shi understood his calculations perfectly. The more soldiers from Liuhe Guard were willing to join the army, the more the sergeant could skim off. As for whether Mao Wenlong was as brave and skilled in battle as he described, the sergeant didn't care at all.

At dinner, Huang Shi tried to persuade the Zhang family to join Mao Wenlong's army. After listening, Old Zhang was speechless for a long time. "In the past, Lord Wang sent many teams of soldiers to raid the Jurchen territory, and none of them returned." After a pause, Old Zhang emphasized, "Never have they come back. I heard that the Jurchens are all cavalry, and their arrows never miss. Now, any soldier with food to eat certainly won't go to their death with Lord Mao or any other official. Shi Tou, don't risk your life for a few taels of silver."

"I think this money, although not much, is quick money. We can be clever when the time comes. It will be back in ten days at most. Besides, I heard that weapons will be issued this time, and we'll be going to the battlefield again. We can sell them to Chen the blacksmith and say they were lost on the battlefield. We can still get a few taels of silver." Huang Shi still refused to give up.

“It’s still money earned by risking your life. It’s not like we’re starving now. After drills, you can do odd jobs. Liuhewei isn’t like Guangning. There are forests and rivers around. You can catch rabbits, birds, fish, and shrimp. Unlike other garrisons, you won’t go hungry. During festivals, you can even eat pork after receiving a reward. I don’t think you need to risk your life.”

Knowing that Old Zhang couldn’t persuade him, Huang Shi had no choice but to register himself with the sergeant. A few days later, Mao Wenlong ordered the registered warriors to assemble in Guangning. At the same time, the sergeant also notified Huang Shi to collect his 7.5 taels of silver and 2 taels of cash—a resettlement allowance and part of his back pay. After giving the sergeant the bribe, he took a little over 5 taels of silver and 2 taels of cash to Old Zhang’s house to say goodbye. He gave everything except the 2 taels of silver to Old Zhang’s wife, asking her to help him prepare some clean clothes, dry food, and luggage.

Dinner was very good, with meat included. This time, Mao Wenlong, whom Old Zhang had described, was practically a god descended from heaven. Huang Shi, seeing that the person who should be comforted was instead comforting him, felt miserable and could only keep drinking. Old Zhang, observing Huang Shi's expression, assumed that Huang Shi was worried about not returning, so he worked even harder to tell witty remarks and dirty jokes, and even escorted Huang Shi to the door after dinner.

"In the third year of the Tianqi reign, Japan, fearing the power of the Ming Dynasty, released the King of Ryukyu to return home. If we make good use of this, we can seize this land. The Dongjiang Army happens to have a navy that we can utilize, and Mao Wenlong is also short of money. In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Zheng Yiguan and the Dutch arrived in Taiwan one after another. Before that, it was still an undeveloped virgin land. Then the Dutch and the Spanish will have conflicts, which is the perfect opportunity to advance into Southeast Asia. Hmm, as long as we can get to a high enough position beforehand, then every step should be seamless."

After reporting to Zhang Yuanzhi, the Qianzong (military officer) in Guangning, Huang Shi became unusually calm and confident. He felt that the heavy, gloomy fate and the shadow of death were being cast far behind him. He was thinking that he must trick Zhang Zaidi into joining Mao Wenlong's army.

Regardless of what Lao Zhang thought, Huang Shi couldn't predict what would happen to his family if they stayed in Liuhe. Taking the child with him was always a precaution. As the saying goes, you can't put all your eggs in one basket.

"The whole team will set off tomorrow afternoon. I need to go back to Liuhe to get some things anyway. I'll just lie to Zhang Zaidi tonight and bring him to join the army tomorrow morning. Lao Zhang won't have anywhere to look for us. This plan is brilliant." Having finished planning, Huang Shi immediately went to ask Zhang Yuanzhi, the commander, for leave. He had already been appointed as a personal guard, and he figured Zhang Yuanzhi wouldn't refuse this small favor.

Huang Shi was about to leave when he suddenly saw a general lift the curtain and enter, wearing a golden helmet and silver armor, with tiger-like eyes and a bronze beard. Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhang Yuanzhi jumped up, ran down from the tent, and bowed deeply, saying, "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency."

Seeing the newcomer's imposing presence and commanding aura, Zhang Yuanzhi, using the salutation of a subordinate, assumed it was Mao Wenlong. Huang Shi immediately returned the bow, saying, "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency."

(End of Chapter 4)

Unaware of his surroundings, Chapter 5

: The newcomer's eyes lit up upon seeing Huang Shi's imposing physique. Huang Shi, bowing, felt the gaze sweep over him several times before hearing a loud exclamation: "What a fine man! A true hero!"

"Yuanzhi, who is this man?"

"He is my newly recruited personal guard, named Huang Shi," came Zhang Yuanzhi's respectful voice.

"Such a hero as a personal guard, I truly envy him!"

Huang Shi, head bowed, heard the newcomer's continued praise. The general even moved aside to look at him again, but Huang Shi remained motionless, maintaining his posture.

"Yuanzhi, I greatly admire this man. Are you willing to part with him?"

"My lord, how could I dare disobey? Huang Shi, you should quickly thank my lord for his favor."

Being Mao Wenlong's personal guard was certainly better than being Zhang Yuanzhi's. Huang Shi suppressed his joy at the promotion and answered loudly, "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. I will repay

you even with my life." "Very well, rise."

Huang Shi thanked him again, and as he rose, the general had already sat down in the middle. Zhang Yuanzhi said with a forced smile, "My lord, you are busy with military affairs. What brings you here today?"

"When I rushed back to Guangning today, I heard that Lord Wang wanted to send you all out to fight, so I came to see if there were any problems."

"My lord, rest assured, everything is fine here."

“Yuanzhi, stop referring to yourself as your subordinate. You are now Mao Wenlong’s subordinate. If he finds out, I won’t look good.”

Zhang Yuanzhi bowed again, “Your Excellency will always be my Excellency.”

The general smiled at this, then turned his gaze to Huang Shi. Hearing this, he already knew things were going badly. Sure enough, the general said,

“Huang Shi, right? Listen carefully, I am Sun Degong, the guerrilla commander of Guangning.”

When Huang Shi returned to Guangning with Sun Degong, he was already dejected and down on his luck. He wasn’t entirely sure what kind of person he was now following, but he vaguely remembered that a year later this traitor would betray the Ming army and bring about the disastrous defeat at Shaling.

Historical records of this massacre state that the corpses piled up like mountains, and even decades later, they could not be collected.

Sun Degong treated Huang Shi well. He not only immediately rewarded him with five taels of silver but also arranged a temporary residence for him in Guangning City. Although it was small, it was fully furnished. Upon hearing that Huang Shi had no family, Sun Degong assured him that as long as he performed his duties diligently, there was nothing to worry about.

The next day, Huang Shi was ordered to interrogate a Later Jin spy, but the man couldn't withstand the torture and died in prison before he could say anything. Sun Degong didn't reprimand him, only telling him to be careful in the future.

Huang Shi then asked for leave to return to Liuhe to move. His appearance surprised Old Zhang's family, as Mao Wenlong's army had already departed the day before, and they all assumed Huang Shi had left with them.

Old Zhang's wife brought out a stack of newly made clothes from the inner room: "Shi Tou, I was wondering why you left without coming to collect your things. Yesterday, I had my younger brother deliver them to you, but he waited all night and didn't see you return."

After Huang Shi finished recounting his extraordinary adventure, Old Zhang and his three sons all showed envy on their faces. The five taels of silver were unceremoniously given to Old Zhang. In Huang Shi's words, this small amount of money was a way to repay a deep debt of gratitude, as he would no longer have to worry about money in the future. At the last dinner at Old Zhang's house, Huang Shi sensed his father's strong desire for him to mentor his sons in the future.

Mention them for what purpose? To make them traitors? Huang Shi smiled bitterly and agreed, thinking that being a traitor was better than death. Now he and Sun Degong were in the same boat. He had finally escaped the shadow of death, achieving half his goal, he comforted himself, saying it wasn't so bad, at least he could protect those who cared about him.

"I thought I could make something of myself in this era, but I've ended up on the completely opposite path. Fate is truly cruel." The next morning, Huang Shi woke up with a throbbing headache; the hangover from the previous night hadn't completely worn off. Seeing that it was getting late, he quickly got up to say goodbye to Old Zhang, returned the small house to them, and then mounted his horse to return to Guangning.

In June of the first year of the Tianqi reign

, Huang Shi, filled with jealousy, had been eagerly awaiting news of the victory at Zhenjiang. His original plan was to gain as much benefit as possible from this victory, but now that dream was shattered.

Sun Degong, who shattered Huang Shi's dreams, was naturally the object of his hatred. Sun Degong, unaware of Huang Shi's opinion of him, received an order from his personal guard captain, Fei Liguo, for Huang Shi to come to his court immediately. Sun Degong had an important command for him.

Sun Degong had just received a mission from Wang Huazhen, the governor of Liaodong, to persuade Li Yongfang to surrender. Sun Degong considered that going to Liaoyang as a spy would likely be a one-way trip, and naturally wouldn't risk his trusted confidant. However, seeing such a great opportunity, he wasn't willing to let it slip away, so he decided to send Huang Shi. A newcomer, his death wouldn't matter; success would be even better.

In the study, only Huang Shi, Fei Liguo, and Sun Degong were present. In the solemn atmosphere, Sun Degong began by asking, "Huang Shi, how have I treated you?"

Could he possibly say that you had ruined my fortune and wealth? Huang Shi replied sincerely, "Your kindness to me is as high as the sky and as deep as the sea."

Sun Degong nodded in satisfaction, "Very well, I have a dangerous mission for you."

"I am willing to go through fire and water for you, sir."

"Here is a letter you must deliver to Liaoyang." Before Sun Degong finished speaking, Fei Liguo came over carrying a box.

"Yes." Huang Shi agreed decisively.

Sun Degong clearly hadn't expected such a straightforward answer. After confirming Huang Shi wasn't going to ask any more questions, he asked curiously, "Huang Shi, aren't you going to ask who I'm sending this letter to, or why I'm writing it?"

"Sir, you must already have a complete plan. I only know to obey orders."

"Hmm, very good. After crossing the Liao River, someone will come to meet you. Just follow them. Now I'll tell you the meeting place and the code."

"Yes."

"This letter is for General Li Yongfang. You must personally deliver it to him."

"Yes."

"Destroying the letter is a last resort. I hope there will be no witnesses."

"Sir, rest assured, I will not be afraid of death."

"Huang Shi, when you return after completing your mission, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

"I thank you in advance, sir."

"We'll depart tomorrow night. Does Huang Shi have any requests tonight?"

"I cannot accept rewards without merit. I will certainly fulfill your orders, sir. I will ask for a reward later."

"Then Huang Shi, go and prepare." Sun Degong was extremely satisfied and signaled that Huang Shi could leave.

After memorizing the location and code, Huang Shi bid farewell to Sun Degong and left the study. His first thought upon leaving was to curse. Entrusting him with such a life-or-death mission, Sun Degong spoke as if he were being given a huge reward for nothing.

Sun Degong obviously knew that the chances of survival were slim, so he just sent a newcomer to handle the task. Huang Shi's first thought was to run away, but he immediately dismissed the idea: "Be a deserter? Do I intend to become a beggar?"

"It's not too late. I must not give up. I should think carefully about how to proceed." That night, Huang Shi couldn't sleep a wink, and a vague plan appeared in his mind.

The next day, Huang Shi shaved off the hair on his forehead. Sun Degong praised him repeatedly after seeing it. Huang Shi secretly chuckled to himself, finally putting his years of watching Qing Dynasty dramas to good use.

After a night of contemplation, Huang Shi remembered that Sun Degong had apparently been bribed by Li Yongfang. Therefore, he felt he was unlikely to be in any real danger; survival was the best-case scenario. He couldn't escape; escaping meant returning to begging.

That night, he rode straight to the Liao River. After crossing the river at Sancha River, Huang Shi met the spy from Guangning at the rendezvous point. They traveled by night and hid by

day until they reached the vicinity of Liaoyang City. The spy introduced Huang Shi to a middle-aged man before leaving. No one spoke a word of unnecessary conversation. The middle-aged man sized Huang Shi up and down for a long time: "Tonight, you and I will rest here. Tomorrow evening, when the Tartars are less vigilant at the city gates, I will take you into the city."

"Okay, but what if we are questioned at the city gates?"

"That's already been arranged for you. The Tartars know I'm a merchant with a wife and property in the city. I'm going home tomorrow to buy goods. You're my manager; the Tartars won't suspect anything."

"I know your name, but what if they ask for other specific names?" Huang Shi pressed.

“Not bad,” the merchant seemed quite satisfied with Huang Shi’s reaction. No one wants to work as a spy with an idiot. “I’ll tell you now, remember this well. First, the mistress’s surname is…”

Huang Shi quickly interrupted the merchant, “Do you have paper and pen? Wouldn’t it be better to write it down?”

The middle-aged merchant looked at Huang Shi with surprise. “You can read?”

“How could the shopkeeper not be literate?” Huang Shi asked with a smile.

…

After reciting a large number of names, ages, and appearances in one breath, Huang Shi picked up the slip of paper and looked at it again, then smiled and said, “How is it?”

The middle-aged man nodded in praise, “Although you don’t have a photographic memory, you are certainly a man of intelligence.”

Huang Shi stretched his arm and yawned. “Everything is ready. You should get some rest.”

The merchant rubbed his hands together and got up to go back to his room.

“You’re very nervous, aren’t you?” Huang Shi noticed that the merchant had been habitually rubbing his hands lately.

The man in front of him forced a smile and said to Huang Shi, "How could you not be nervous about a deal with a knife to your throat?"

"It's all for the Ming Dynasty, for His Majesty," Huang Shi said, extending his hand.

The middle-aged man stepped forward, grabbing Huang Shi's hands, his tense expression vanishing instantly: "For His Majesty, for the Ming Dynasty!"

The next day, on the road to Liaoyang, the merchant kept pointing things out to Huang. Huang Shi would occasionally ask about the origins of the place names, and the merchant patiently explained.

"This road has been here since I was a boy. My father used to take me here when he was a merchant," the middle-aged man said talkatively. "Look at that bridge; there are words I carved when I was a child. My wife and I even came here to play when we were young..."

Huang Shi politely glanced at the merchant's calligraphy, which was nothing more than childish graffiti, like "So-and-so was here." The merchant rubbed his hands together, laughing smugly, and Huang Shi politely returned the laugh.

Even the longest road eventually comes to an end, and besides, the inn they started from wasn't far from Liaoyang City. Huang Shi heard the man beside him stop, took two deep breaths, and said in a low voice, "Let's go in."

"Is this your first time leading someone in?"

"Yes." The merchant nodded, took another breath, and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No, don't be too nervous, nothing will happen." Huang Shi didn't want the merchant's expression to give anything away.

The middle-aged man's face paled slightly, and he didn't move forward. "Several people have already died because they were delivering messages for the Ming Dynasty; their entire families were slaughtered by the Jurchens..."

Seeing the half-smile on Huang Shi's face, he quickly bowed, "Please forgive my rudeness."

"Let's go in."

The merchant took another deep breath, stabilizing his breathing. "Alright."

As they entered Liaoyang City, the merchant began rubbing his hands together again. He looked back at the composed Huang Shi, smiled sheepishly, straightened his chest, and strode forward.

When they checked Huang Shi, he raised his hands and allowed the Later Jin soldiers to pat him on the body, appearing relaxed and at ease. The Later Jin soldiers hadn't yet discovered the secret letter. Although Huang Shi was nervous, his expression remained impassive.

"Wait!"

A Later Jin official ran over, squatted down, and reached into Huang Shi's shoe, pinching a corner of paper between his fingers. He pulled sharply, revealing a slip of paper.

(End of Chapter 5)

Unaware of his surroundings, Chapter 6.

As the slip of paper was pulled out, both Huang Shi and the other man's faces changed drastically. Before Huang Shi could speak, the merchant shouted, "Sir, I know nothing! This fellow is definitely a spy!"

All the Later Jin soldiers at the city gate surrounded him. Two dragged the middle-aged man aside, while several others drew their swords and held them to Huang Shi's neck. A chill and a sharp pain immediately shot through the area where his head and neck met. Huang Shi first felt a heat in his groin, then he knelt on the ground, his mouth agape, gasping for breath, his eyes frozen like a corpse.

The Later Jin official glanced disgustedly at Huang Shi, who was sprawled on the ground, soiled with excrement. He took two steps back and looked at the note, finding it written entirely in Chinese. He then handed it to a Han Chinese official. Their eyes were like those of bloodthirsty beasts

as they looked at Huang Shi. The Han Chinese official's face changed color halfway through the note. After finishing, he looked up at Huang Shi and saw the despair in the man's eyes. He then turned to look at the trembling merchant on the other side, his face filled with undisguised astonishment.

The Han Chinese official leaned close to the Later Jin official's ear and whispered, waving the note. Huang Shi's gaze shifted constantly, finally becoming extremely complex.

The Later Jin official walked up to Huang Shi, who was curled up in a ball on the ground, and kicked him hard, forcing him to get up and kneel. After Huang Shi trembled and knelt down, the Later Jin official began to scornfully curse, "Han dog, you have the guts to do things but not the guts to take responsibility. You're such a big guy, and at first glance you even look somewhat manly."

At this point, the Later Jin official couldn't help but cover his nose and back away again. He stared at Huang Shi for a couple more times, then finally burst into laughter: "You Han dog, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll spare your dog's life. Don't die blocking my way, get out of here—"

Amid the laughter of the Later Jin official, several soldiers withdrew their weapons from Huang Shi, turned around, and began to kick and beat him until he rolled all over the ground. The soldiers only stopped when Huang Shi scrambled to the side of the middle-aged merchant.

"Alright, alright." The Later Jin official, who had finally managed to stop laughing, turned a wicked look in his eyes, circling Huang Shi and the merchant a few times before suddenly bursting into laughter again, wiping away tears as he laughed and cursed: "Get out of here now, you Han dog, I'll beat you every time I see you in the future."

Huang Shi and his companion kowtowed several times to the official, then scrambled away for dozens of steps before daring to stand and flee in terror.

Just as they were about to celebrate their safe passage, they heard a thunderous laugh coming from the direction of the city gate. They glanced back and saw several Later Jin soldiers pointing and whispering behind them.

"You were truly a brilliant strategist," the merchant praised sincerely.

Huang Shi smiled apologetically at the merchant, "But your reputation is ruined."

"Being called a cuckold is better than being beheaded; at least you have a head to wear a cuckold's hat," the merchant laughed. "You'd better come with me quickly; you can change your clothes when we get home."

Hearing this, Huang Shi felt increasingly uncomfortable in his crotch. He had deliberately drunk a lot of water before entering the city, and it seemed he had drunk too much.

"Well, it's just a love letter from my wife to the housekeeper anyway, it might not have any real substance. If all else fails, you can say you discovered it in time and kicked me out."

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly, thinking that Huang Shi was truly an optimistic and carefree fellow; gossip spreads like wildfire. "But your handwriting is really elegant, you can tell at a glance that it's not something a roughneck like me could write." "

You flatter me." Huang Shi couldn't help but smile at being called elegant in his slender gold script.

After walking through several streets, the merchant stopped in front of a large courtyard. Huang Shi looked up at the small building inside and couldn't help but praise, "Indeed, a wealthy family, I'm truly envious."

"Even with a fortune, one is nothing more than a dog dependent on the whims of foreigners."

After changing his clothes inside, a maid brought over a tray with two teacups on it. The merchant picked up one cup first and then gestured for Huang Shi to drink.

The girl moved closer to Huang Shi and knelt down. Looking closely, he saw she was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with light makeup, a slender waist, pearly white teeth, and beautiful features. Huang Shi inwardly praised her beauty, picked up his teacup, and gently blew on the lid. The girl remained kneeling quietly, her long eyelashes framing her eyes.

With the merchant's words, "Go," the girl rose, curtsied, swayed gracefully, and withdrew.

The merchant, who had been observing coldly, noticed Huang Shi glance at her briefly before placing the teacup on the table. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you think of my girl, sir?"

"Very beautiful," Huang Shi replied casually.

The merchant hesitated for a moment before asking, "I naturally cannot and dare not ask about your identity, but in my humble opinion, you are probably not a soldier, are you?"

Huang Shi didn't answer, but simply picked up his teacup again and began to blow on it with a smile.

"I misspoke, but I have something I

must say. I hope you will forgive me." Seeing Huang Shi's nonchalant attitude, the merchant hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I heard that General Xiong, the Liaodong Military Commissioner, advocates a defensive strategy and intends to abandon the people of Liaodong?"

"The Liaodong Governor advocates an offensive strategy." Huang Shi did not answer the question directly.

"Sir, you must be someone who can speak with the Governor?" The merchant's form of address for Huang Shi changed from "you" to "Your Excellency," and now from "Your Excellency" to "Your Excellency.

" "Sir, you flatter me. I am of lowly rank and my words are insignificant. I'm afraid I am not worthy of the Governor's ears."

"Your Excellency is a man of refined taste and far-sighted wisdom. To say that you are an unknown nobody is simply unbelievable." Seeing Huang Shi skillfully playing the game of evasion, the merchant became anxious.

Huang Shi, sighing inwardly, put down his teacup and looked into the merchant's eyes until the merchant looked away. Then, he said seriously, "If I were to be valued by the court, why would I be doing this kind of job?"

The merchant remained silent for a long time, finally sighing and saying, "Your calligraphy is excellent, and your words flow smoothly. I thought even learned scholars were no better than this. Even with such beauty before you, you remained composed, and when asked what you thought, you spoke frankly. Truly the demeanor of a renowned scholar. In my decades of observing people, I have rarely been wrong."

Hearing this, Huang Shi's heart tightened, and his palms sweated slightly. He suddenly realized: if he were to behave like this in front of Li Yongfang, his life would be in grave danger.

Seeing that Huang Shi didn't respond, the merchant continued, "If you could meet the Governor, I earnestly hope you could speak on behalf of the people of Liaodong. Our longing for the imperial army is like that of children longing for their mother. Please, the court, send a large army as soon as possible to save us from this misery."

As the merchant finished speaking, Huang Shi saw tears welling in his eyes and felt a pang of sorrow himself. He could only offer words of comfort, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, the Governor of Liaodong will surely send troops to Liaoyang soon to relieve the people's suffering."

Upon hearing this, the merchant knelt down and loudly proclaimed, "On behalf of the people of this city, I thank you

, Your Excellency." Huang Shi initially wanted to rise and help him up, but then he thought, how could these people survive without hope? So he accepted the bow with equanimity and said with a smile, "Then thank me with that beautiful girl. Have her serve me tonight."

The next morning, after waking up, Huang Shi leisurely ate lunch, then bid farewell to the merchant and went to an official residence in the center of Liaoyang.

He glanced at the plaque above the gate, and after confirming it was correct, handed the prepared calling card to the guard:

"Please inform the mansion that someone requests an audience."

Above, the plaque bore five large, gleaming gold characters:

Fushun Imperial Son-in-Law's Residence.

(End of Chapter 6)

Unaware of his surroundings, Chapter 7.

Huang Shi didn't have to wait long. A soldier in blue uniform emerged from the gate, his round breastplate gleaming, his cotton armor neatly inlaid with diamond-shaped metal plates, and his boots brand new and black. He didn't even look at Huang Shi, simply saying, "Come with me." He turned and walked inside, and Huang Shi quickly caught up.

The mansion was filled with pavilions and terraces, red bricks and green tiles. A long corridor stretched across the front, with white jade railings and blue stone steps. Beyond the corridor, to the left, was a newly built garden. In the center of the garden was a pool of emerald green water, from which rose a cluster of rocks, a small fountain spouting water that trickled down the rock face in two clear streams…

A soldier in blue stopped before a mahogany door, bowed, and reported, “Your Highness, the messenger has arrived.”

“Bring him in.”

Having already seen everything on his way here, Huang Shi, who had only a cursory glance, was now fully aware of the situation, only able to sneer at Wang Huazhen. Hearing the order from inside, he quickly composed himself and followed the soldier inside.

After hearing the door close behind him, Huang Shi immediately knelt down and kowtowed before the desk: "General Li, I have brought a letter."

"Bring it here."

Huang Shi stood up at the sound of the command, took out a wax pill from his pocket, held it with both hands, and walked forward, respectfully placing it on the desk. Without even raising his eyelids, he stepped back and stood at attention.

"Raise your head."

Huang Shi obediently looked up to observe this old friend of Nurhaci. He saw that the man had a square head, large ears, a long beard, thick eyebrows, and large eyes

, and possessed a certain masculine air. Li Yongfang stroked his beard, looked at Huang Shi for a while, narrowed his eyes, and then opened the wax pill to read the letter. After a while, he chuckled and said, "How bold! A spy dares to visit in broad daylight." "My master and General Li are old friends. I am merely delivering a letter between two old friends. Does General Li not wish to see my master's letter?" Huang Shi had already decided that the more repetitive his words, the better, and the more crude and uncultured he appeared, the better.

Li Yongfang's sharp gaze lingered on Huang Shi for a long time: "How dare you come during the day?"

"I thought that General Li's residence would be heavily guarded at night, with many eyes and ears. My coming during the day would be unexpected by the General, and even more so by others."

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Yongfang's hawk-like eyes: "What's your name?"

“I am Huang Shi.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being beheaded?”

“My master told me that General Li is a loyal and good friend. Besides, in war between two countries, envoys are not to be killed.”

This idiom made Li Yongfang pause for a moment, then he stroked his beard and laughed heartily: “That’s right, envoys are not to be killed, that’s exactly right, sit down!” As he spoke, Li Yongfang cursed inwardly, “You uncultured, crude soldier, what kind of envoy are you? You’re clearly a spy.”

Huang Shi thanked him and sat down against the edge of a chair. After bowing his head for a long time, he raised his eyelids and met Li Yongfang’s gaze. He quickly lowered his head even further.

Li Yongfang casually asked about the situation in Guangning, Sun Degong’s appearance and physique, to which Huang Shi answered fluently and without hesitation. Then Li Yongfang asked Huang Shi about what he had seen and heard along the way, the people’s lives and the local customs, but these questions left Huang Shi speechless and unable to express himself clearly.

Seeing that Huang Shi seemed rather clueless, Li Kaifang didn't press him further. Their conversation made no mention of the military situation in Guangning, nor of Huang Shi's arrival in Liaoyang. Li Yongfang casually said a few more words before summoning guards to take Huang Shi away and make proper arrangements.

At dinner, Li Yongfang again invited Huang Shi to join them. After they were seated as host and guest, Huang Shi, seated at the lower end, enjoyed a sumptuous meal and fine wine. After several rounds of drinks, Li Yongfang clapped his hands and summoned singing girls to perform in the hall. A diverse array of beauties, both plump and slender, graced the room. When one of the singing girls came to offer a toast, Huang Shi was stunned. She was even more beautiful than the maid he had seen the day before, and he couldn't even lift his wine bowl.

"Huang Shi, since you're here, stay for a few days. I'll consider everything carefully before making any further plans," Li Yongfang said, bringing Huang Shi back from his reverie. He readily agreed. Seeing that it was getting late, Li Yongfang chose two more singing girls to accompany Huang Shi back. These two were just as impressive as the one who had served wine earlier.

The room was filled with the sweet scent of sandalwood, and the gauze curtains billowed like smoke. He stayed for three days, during which the two maids accompanied Huang Shi on tours of the mansion. Although he knew there were many places he shouldn't go, when Li Yongfang summoned him again, the sights he had seen still left him wanting more.

This time, Li Yongfang rewarded him with a gold ingot and gave him a few instructions. Huang Shi bowed and obeyed, then left the prince consort's mansion and returned to the merchant's house by the same route.

"My ambition is to conquer the world, and for this I cannot have the slightest hesitation or doubt," Huang Shi reaffirmed his goal in his heart, then knocked on the copper ring of the door.

The merchant was both surprised and delighted to see Huang Shi return. He quickly led him to the inner room, ordering a maid to serve tea. After Huang Shi finally sat down and took a sip, the merchant impatiently asked, "How did your business in Liaoyang go?"

"A great success."

"Then are you returning to Guangning?"

Huang Shi put down his teacup and said with a smile, "If possible, I'll leave today. Please make the arrangements quickly."

"Very well, I'll arrange it immediately." After saying this, the merchant rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around. "However, I have one more request."

"Please speak freely; I'm all ears."

"Please have a seat and wait a moment, sir."

The merchant finished speaking and hurried out. Before his tea had even cooled, he returned with a boy, about ten years old. The merchant placed his hands on the child's shoulders: "This is my youngest son. I hope you can take him to Guangning to preserve our ancestral line. My entire family will be deeply grateful for your great kindness."

Huang Shi looked at the child for a moment. The boy's lips were tightly pressed together, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his still-childish face revealed an interesting, resolute expression. Huang Shi sighed inwardly: "Very well, sir, your kindness is truly admirable. I am deeply grateful. This is certainly no problem."

"Thank you, sir."

The merchant finished speaking and led the child out. A moment later, he returned alone: "My son is going to say goodbye to his mother, brother, and sisters. We've troubled you with the journey."

Bowing to Huang Shi, the merchant placed a wad of silver on the table: "A small token of my travel expenses, please accept it."

Huang Shi was slightly taken aback, then stood up, smiled, and accepted the silver, saying calmly, "It would be impolite to refuse, but I would feel unworthy to accept it."

Before the merchant could thank him again, Huang Shi asked somewhat impatiently, "Now that your business is settled, can you tell me how to leave Liaoyang?"

Although a bitter feeling still lingered in his heart, it was finally a weight lifted from his shoulders. Upon landing, the merchant forced a smile and said, "Please sit, sir, and allow me to explain..."

As the merchant spoke, Huang Shi took notes with pen and paper. After verifying the information, he stood up and

asked, "May I open the window and take one last look at Liaoyang City?" He walked over and opened the window, taking in the entire cityscape before him. He reassured himself, "I will surely conquer the world; I have no doubt about it. No matter the sacrifice, I can make amends. For the sake of millions of Han people, the sacrifice of a few is inevitable."

Then, without closing the window, Huang Shi coldly said to the merchant, "You too, sir, take one last look at Liaoyang City!"

(End of Chapter 7)

Unaware of his own predicament, Chapter 8.

The merchant stared dumbfounded at Huang Shi. These words struck him like a hammer blow, knocking him unconscious. Before he could recover, both of them simultaneously heard a violent banging on the door, and hundreds of people shouted in unison from the street: "By imperial decree, arrest Ming spies! By imperial decree, arrest Ming spies!"

The roars of soldiers and the cries of women quickly rose beneath their feet. Seeing the merchant's face turn pale, and then he slumped limply into a chair, Huang Shi shook his head helplessly: "I'm sorry I couldn't preserve your clan's lineage. I'm truly sorry."

These words struck the man like lightning, instantly snapping him out of his petrified state. The merchant leaped to the wall and grabbed a small paper cutter from the table.

Huang Shi coldly watched the blade pointing at him in the distance, seeing it tremble more and more violently. He leaned against the window, arms crossed, his eyes filled with both disdain and pity: "Save your energy, you've misunderstood me. I really just wanted to apologize."

The Later Jin soldiers kicked open the study door and surged in. The merchant smiled bitterly, gripped his knife, and cut off his queue (braid) with a single stroke, contemptuously tossing it at Huang Shi's feet. "Traitor, take it."

With that, the merchant's right arm fell limply to his side, the blade sliding powerlessly to the ground. He strode confidently toward the door. As the merchant passed Huang Shi, his mouth twitched, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful

of phlegm, landing on the face of the man by the window: "Pah, traitor, you'll die a horrible death!" Huang Shi, already prepared, didn't even blink, maintaining his arms crossed, saliva dripping from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. He merely tilted his head slightly, controlling the flow to make it run down his cheek. "I am a traitor to the Ming Dynasty, and I've received two meals and a maid from you. I certainly deserve this spit. You can spit a few more times."

The merchant, who had been pouting, was stunned by these words, his mouth agape. After a long while, he shook his head, sighed helplessly, and walked past Huang Shi. The merchant was immediately dragged away by several ruthless Later Jin soldiers, his hands bound behind his back. No matter how painful the position, he remained completely silent.

Standing at this window, one could see the gate directly. The entire family, young and old, were being strung together in two rows by Later Jin soldiers. An infant was being snatched from its mother's arms. Just as Huang Shi was observing how the soldier inserted the swaddling clothes onto the tip of a spear, a respectful low voice sounded beside him:

"Sir, please move aside!"

Huang Shi touched his face; his saliva had dried. So this was what it felt like to have saliva dry on your face. His chest heaved violently, but Huang Shi tried his best to suppress his emotions. "I'll get used to it," he comforted himself. This merchant had gotten what he wanted.

As he walked out the gate, Huang Shi silently murmured in the direction the prison cart had gone,

"I'm sorry, I also want to live."

After sitting down again in Li Yongfang's study, Huang Shi calmly accepted the fragrant tea offered by a maid, casually pinning a piece of cloth to her chest.

"This is the official seal issued to you by the Khan. With this, you can freely enter and leave the entire territory of the Great Jin. Remove your queue when you leave."

"Yes, thank you, Prince Consort."

"What will you say when you return?" "

I will report to my master that, in order to gain the Khan's trust, we had to sacrifice these spies to uphold the Great Jin's credibility. We have successfully obtained the seal, a very successful counter-espionage plan. It will be much easier to gather intelligence in the Great Jin in the future."

"Very good."

"Thank you for your praise, Prince Consort."

"This is a letter to your master. Keep it safe."

Huang Shi walked over, took the letter with both hands, and carefully tucked it into his robes.

"What do you think of that rebel merchant's courtyard?"

Li Yongfang had already said he would bestow the rebel's property upon him, so Huang Shi casually replied, "Thank you, Your Highness."

However, Li Yongfang's expression was quite strange, seemingly showing some displeasure. Huang Shi paused for a moment before realizing what he meant, "Thank you, Khan, thank you, Your Highness."

This brought a smile to Li Yongfang's face: "Go back and tell your master that the Khan bestowed that courtyard upon you entirely out of respect for him. Since you are his personal guard, you should live with dignity."

"Yes, Your Highness, I obey."

"The two singing girls who accompanied you these past few days have already moved to that courtyard. They will wait for you there."

"Thank you, Your Highness, I will certainly go through fire and water for the Great Jin."

After returning to Guangning, Huang Shi presented Li Yongfang's letter. Sun Degong was overjoyed that he had survived, thinking that the great achievement of persuading Li Yongfang to surrender was within his grasp. He frowned and stared at the letter for a long time, completely baffled. He waved his hand and dismissed Fei Liguo and several other guards. "Huang Shi."

"Yes, sir."

"The letter says nothing, only that I have a few questions for you. First, what was the Prince Consort's mansion like?"

"Your Excellency, it was breathtakingly beautiful, truly a paradise on earth."

"Second, what were the appearances of the two singing girls given to you?"

Huang Shi smirked. "Absolutely stunning beauties. I thought they were fairies."

"Third, what was the residence given to you like?"

Meeting Sun Degong's gaze, Huang Shi looked up and answered, "It's about four times the size of your mansion."

"Fourth, what about the rewards? And finally, the fifth question is why you were given all this? Answer it all at once." "

Countless gold and silver jewels; General Li said he was giving these to me solely because I am your personal guard."

Upon hearing this, Sun Degong's face changed, and he shouted, "Huang Shi, you scoundrel, how dare you act as an envoy for the Jurchens? Don't you value your life?"

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare. Your Excellency asks, and I will answer truthfully."

Staring into Huang Shi's pure and innocent eyes, Sun Degong spoke slowly and solemnly, "Lord Wang instructed me to use our past relationship to persuade Li Yongfang to surrender. The condition given in the letter is that Li Yongfang be granted the position of Lieutenant General."

With the help of swallowing, Huang Shi finally managed to suppress a near-burst of laughter.

Perhaps sensing Huang Shi's amusement, Sun Degong's eyes also flashed with mockery: "Huang Shi, you should understand that everything you have comes from me."

"Your Excellency's kindness in promoting and selecting me is something I will never forget."

"The Khan has truly bestowed upon you a great fortune."

"Your Excellency is wise."

"There's no need for me to say anything more, is

there?" "Heaven above, earth below, if I divulge even a single word, may I be childless and struck by lightning!" Huang Shi swore a poisonous oath while inwardly cursing Sun Degong's ancestors.

Before him lay the Guangning military uniform newly issued by Sun Degong. Freshly starched, the trousers and undergarments were crisp and stiff, fitting snugly against his body. He slipped on the high-top buffalo leather boots, which Huang Shi had specially coated with tung oil until they reflected his image. Reaching the table, Huang Shi swung his chainmail vest, which jingled as it clattered, and pulled it over his neck. The custom-made metal vest was the perfect width, its hem just reaching his hips. Hundreds of fine steel scales shimmered like stars in the sky.

Next, he fastened the rawhide belt around his waist, his fingers gliding over the purplish-red edges, still feeling the rough edges that hadn't been properly polished. He gripped the belt tightly, fastened the gleaming yellow scabbard, and inserted the long, gleaming blade. Huang Shi carefully wiped the breastplate and shoulder armor with a damp cloth, then put on the arm guards and wristbands. He tightened the scarlet cloak around his neck collar, letting the hem fall to his boot heels.

Finally, Huang Shi walked to the bronze mirror and looked at the person in the mirror, whose hands were raised above his head, his eyebrows covered by a full iron silver helmet. Behind him were deep eyes and a straight nose, and a red scarf tied under his thick black beard.

"The Governor of Liaodong summons—Huang Shi, a Qianzong (commander) under Sun Degong, the guerrilla commander of Guangning Army, to an audience."

As this shout rang out, Huang Shi strode forward with long legs, his steps firm and powerful.

(End of Chapter 8)

Unaware of his own predicament in the mountains Chapter 9

After rising, Huang Shi scrutinized this most incompetent minister of Liaodong, who had lost 100,000 troops and 3,000 miles of territory. His bright red official robe was embroidered with green mountains and white cranes. His ten long, white fingers, like those of a scholar, had neatly trimmed nails. His weathered scholar's long face was covered with a long, gray beard, and his eyes, full of crow's feet, shimmered with melancholy.

"Huang Shi, you have done very well. In addition to your promotion to Qianzong (a military rank), I will also reward you with ten taels of silver."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Next time you see Li Yongfang, be sure to reassure him. No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. It is a great virtue for him to repent

and return to the right path." "Yes, Your Excellency, I will certainly convey your message."

"General Sun and I are grateful for Li Yongfang's loyalty and righteousness. Since he has shown shame and a desire to return to the right path, you must be respectful when you see him. He will be the Assistant Commander of Guangning in the future, a higher rank than you. Also, do not discourage others from abandoning their allegiance to the right path."

"Yes, Your Excellency, I will remember your teachings."

"You sacrificed a few spies to gain the trust of the Jurchens, but don't blame yourself too much. They are all petty merchants, not civil or military officials, uneducated, and lack any sense of loyalty or righteousness. I determined they were only after the court's rewards, and now it has been worthwhile."

"Your Excellency's insight is remarkable; I admire you greatly."

"I'll pretend I don't know anything about this, and you mustn't easily show your Jurchen official seal to anyone."

"Yes, sir, you're wise."

In Wang Huazhen's view, the communication channel, which had been an insecure chain of spies, had become a cover for Nurhaci's seal—a shrewd deal.

Huang Shi had prepared an explanation for why he had acted without authorization, exchanging spies for official seals without permission. However, he hadn't expected Wang Huazhen to not ask a single question, let alone reprimand him.

Huang Shi believed that the army should strictly obey orders, and rewards and punishments should be based on whether orders were strictly followed, not on the specific consequences. Therefore, he held Wang Huazhen in even greater contempt.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, many military orders were very vague, only giving a general objective, such as suppressing bandits in a certain place or supervising a certain region. The specific methods were not the concern of the superiors; only the consequences were used to judge merit.

This approach is often criticized as China lacking the Western tradition of digital management, a view Huang Shi, as an internet user, also believes.

However, Huang Shi didn't consider that in a vast country like China, without telephones or radios, seeking instructions on every matter was impossible. Therefore, the traditional Chinese practice was to give vague instructions, allowing subordinates to act proactively. As long as the task was completed well, considerable freedom was allowed in terms of methods.

The limited technology and China's vast territory meant that the command traditions of the Ming Dynasty differed greatly from those of small Western European countries.

The Song Dynasty attempted precise management, but with very poor results. The collapse of the Song Dynasty made the Ming Dynasty wary, leading to more ambiguous military orders. Delegating on-the-spot decision-making authority to frontline officials familiar with the situation greatly improved command efficiency and response speed.

However, Huang Shi didn't consider this point; he believed Wang Huazhen didn't understand the importance of military discipline and inwardly mocked him.

In the following month, Huang Shi went to Liaoyang twice more. Li Yongfang told Huang Shi not to come again for the time being and to go back and tell Wang Huazhen that Huang Shi had pretended to agree to open the city gates for the Later Jin to attack Guangning. The Later Jin were very happy and had complete faith in Huang Shi.

"What is the Later Jin's specific plan?" Wang Huazhen asked carefully upon hearing this.

"Your Excellency, the Later Jin have ordered me to find an opportunity to bribe one or more of the gatekeepers."

"Hmm, the losses of Shenyang and Liaoyang were all due to spies opening the city gates. The Jurchens are trying the same trick again. Hmph." Wang Huazhen stroked his long beard and sneered, then asked, "How do the Jurchens intend to bribe them?"

"Your Excellency, the Jurchens gave me 150 taels of silver, saying 50 taels were for me, and 100 was for bribing traitors. They said more could be asked for if that wasn't enough."

"Very good. I'll give you all 150 taels."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Haha, since the Jurchens have arranged for you to open the city gates, then tell them everything is convenient. That way, they won't bribe anyone else."

"Your Excellency is brilliant."

"Alright, what did Li Yongfang say?"

"He said he doesn't have the power to launch an attack in Liaoyang, but once the Jurchens send troops, he can seize the opportunity to raid the Jurchen chieftain's old camp. He'll definitely capture Nurhaci alive."

"Very good, the Jurchens' fate is sealed. Maintain close contact with them, and make sure to keep their hearts steadfast." Seeing the suppression of the Liaodong rebellion so close, Wang Huazhen was overjoyed.

"Yes, sir. The Jurchens have also given me the names of several spies in Guangning, instructing me to use them to pass messages."

"Bring up the list."

"Yes." Huang Shi immediately presented the list. After Wang Huazhen began to look at it, he whispered, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency, but I dare ask, how do you intend to deal with these people?"

"Traitors, they deserve to die. Of course, they should be executed by slow slicing as a warning to others," Wang Huazhen cursed bitterly.

Huang Shi couldn't help but chuckle. The Later Jin's assumption that Wang Huazhen's reaction was based on their intelligence was clearly a grave mistake. It seemed the Later Jin was about to backfire. "I think it's best not to alert them. Once these traitors are captured, I'll be exposed."

"Hmm." Wang Huazhen stroked his beard for a while before finally understanding the intricacies of this intelligence war, and nodded. "Good, let's not touch them for now." "

Your Excellency is wise. Moreover, I think we can deliberately send them to bribe the generals of Guangning. If successful, the Governor will know who is unreliable."

Wang Huazhen thought for a long time, then clapped his hands and laughed loudly. "Excellent! That's called turning the tables. I understand, you may leave now."

"Yes, I take my leave."

The next day, Sun Degong, who had gained Wang Huazhen's unwavering trust, summoned Huang Shi. Huang Shi knew all of Sun Degong's personal guards; they were his seniors. Now, their eyes were filled with jealousy and envy.

Sun Degong first dismissed everyone around him. When only the two of them remained, Sun Degong couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That's right, everything is just as Li Yongfang predicted. That old scoundrel Wang Huazhen is determined not to touch the Jin spies, and for your safety, he won't monitor you. Now they can freely gather information and bribe generals." His

next words made Huang Shi understand the reason for the jealousy he was being targeted. He had always thought that his position as a commander of a thousand men was just a special reward, and that he wouldn't receive his own troops anytime soon. But today's words filled him with joy. Sun Degong told him that he would soon receive his own commandery, and that he would complete it as quickly as possible.

It turned out that after Sun Degong's subtle probing yesterday, Wang Huazhen also believed that giving Huang Shi more power would help lull the Jurchens into a false sense of security and facilitate intelligence work.

"Your subordinate thanks you for your guidance, sir." Huang Shi suppressed his inner elation and asked Sun Degong, "Sir, but what good will this do for the Khan's plan? If I stand out too much, it might not be a good thing, right?"

"Don't worry, we're just replenishing the army, not increasing its size." Seeing Huang Shi's confused expression, Sun Degong quickly understood what he was thinking and explained. Although, as Huang Shi knew, the Guangning Army hadn't engaged in any major battles with the Later Jin, the defensive posture and the static border didn't mean the troops weren't bleeding.

Since the Guangning Army's territory was in close contact with the Later Jin's territory, small-scale battles had never stopped. Adding to this the recent constant dispatch of assault teams by Wang Huazhen, the Guangning Army had lost about a dozen thousand-man squads in the past few months, totaling dozens of officers and over two thousand soldiers. The losses were mostly borne by the river defense troops and the Guangning Army headquarters—real field troops—so replenishing these units was imperative.

"Wang Huazhen really admires you, you little rascal, so when I suggested you command a thousand-man squad, he immediately agreed." Sun Degong squinted, seemingly quite envious of Huang Shi's imposing physique. After arriving in the Ming Dynasty, Huang Shi himself felt his 1.85-meter height was very impressive. His robust limbs, honed by a diet rich in meat and fish, were far superior to those of the malnourished and calcium-deficient commoners.

Recently, Sun Degong's address to Huang Shi had gradually shifted towards "little rascal," and Huang Shi secretly rejoiced upon hearing this insulting term. He immediately declared that he would firmly control this force under Sun Degong's command.

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Wang Huazhen said that if we defeat the Khan, he'll make me a military commander. It's best not to announce it now, but I can first set up the thousand-man squad under your command."

"This scholar is daydreaming."

"Haha, he thinks I'm really interested in the position of military commander of Guangning." Sun Degong nodded, stood up, and Huang Shi quickly jumped up as well.

“I’ve come here today to select your personal guards. It’s outrageous that a commander of a thousand doesn’t even have personal guards.”

Sun Degong led him to the front courtyard, where dozens of burly soldiers stood. Sun Degong and Huang Shi came out one after the other. Sun Degong glanced at them with a smug look, then turned to Huang Shi with a smile and said, “These are all elite soldiers under my command. Commander Huang, you can choose a few to be your personal guards.”

(End of Chapter 9)

Unaware of their own predicament, Chapter 10

After hearing Sun Degong’s words, although the soldiers dared not look Huang Shi in the eye, their eyes were immediately filled with eagerness. They all tried their best to straighten their chests, pull in their stomachs, and tense their legs.

Huang Shi walked past Sun Degong, stood there blankly for a moment, then turned back to Sun Degong behind him, clasped his hands in a salute, and said loudly, "I was originally a mediocre soldier, and a few years ago I was begging on the streets to make a living. It is all thanks to your esteemed opinion that I am where I am today. I am incompetent in choosing this person and truly do not know. Please, sir, make a wise judgment."

Sun Degong shook his head and listened to him finish speaking: "Huang Shi, come in with me for a moment."

After Huang Shi respectfully entered the room, Sun Degong waved for someone to close the door, then laughed and scolded, "Foolish, foolish, Huang Shi, you're really naive. Even if you don't understand, if you have something to ask me, you should ask behind closed doors. What kind of official are you?"

"Your subordinate is foolish, please punish me, sir."

"You really are foolish. Why would I punish you?" Sun Degong laughed heartily. "You still don't understand why I said to ask behind closed doors."

Huang Shi chuckled sheepishly. "Your subordinate is indeed foolish, truly unaware of your meaning, sir."

"I ask you, what do I call you outside, you brat?" Seeing Huang Shi's bewildered expression, Sun Degong explained with exasperation,

"Behind closed doors, I call you brat, I call you Huang Shi. But in front of your subordinates, I naturally call you Commander Huang. Those people will be your personal guards, and in the future, they will be your battalion commanders. When you become a lieutenant general..." "They are your guerrillas and centurions. You're foolish! From now on, you'll be their leader. How can you let them think you're incompetent?"

Huang Shi's bewilderment was partly feigned, but he genuinely didn't understand what Sun Degong was saying. In this era, while he could foresee the general direction of history through historical knowledge, he had to learn and experience the specific details and unspoken rules of the time himself.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I am deeply grateful."

"It's not your fault. Normally, my personal guards need several years of training. I'll find an opportunity to send them down to be battalion commanders. By the time they're promoted to centurion, it will be at least eight or ten years, and they'll have enough experience. I was worried about you, young man; rising too quickly might not be a good thing. Fortunately, you're humble and haven't lost your head, so it's not too bad. In the future, if you're unsure about anything, come and ask me first."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, sir."

Sun Degong walked to the side window and gestured for Huang Shi to follow. From their angle, they could see the side of the soldiers in the front courtyard, all standing ramrod straight. Sun Degong pondered for a moment, then pointed out a few men to Huang Shi, explaining the criteria for selecting personal guards. These included being quick-witted and physically strong, among other things.

"Go out in a bit, ask them a few casual questions, and then nod authoritatively regardless of whether you're satisfied or not. Finally, pick out these few and make sure they know it was you who chose them, so they'll be grateful!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

"Good." Sun Degong closed the window. "Do you have any acquaintances or relatives among your military households? Now is a good opportunity; you can ask them if you want to promote them."

"I do have a few good friends, but I'm afraid it will delay the Khan and Your Excellency's affairs."

Sun Degong looked at Huang Shi with surprise: "Don't you have anyone you trust?"

"They are my saviors, not relatives. I owe them, not they owe me. If they are unwilling to serve the Khan, I simply cannot bring myself to do it."

"I see." Sun Degong nodded in agreement, satisfied. "You've considered this very thoroughly. Let's wait until this matter is settled, then see if they're willing to share wealth and status with you. Otherwise, give them more money; after all, they saved your life."

"Yes."

“But it’s always difficult to get things done without connections,” Sun Degong sighed. Then, remembering something else, he casually asked, “Do you have any money?”

“Yes, sir. I’m probably the richest captain in the Guangning army right now,” Huang Shi replied with a smile.

“Indeed, indeed, I know that, which is why I asked you,” Sun Degong said with a smile. “What I want to say is, don’t be too generous to your personal guards. Regular rewards are enough.”

Seeing Huang Shi’s astonished expression, Sun Degong didn’t get impatient and explained the general work and rewards to him. Each errand was basically worth a few copper coins, and each guard had the opportunity to embezzle a few taels of silver each month, and so on. The two of them, one asking questions and the other instructing, chatted on for a long time. Then Huang Shi went out and imposingly selected eight soldiers, leading them to bid farewell to Sun Degong.

For Wang Huazhen, Huang Shi's risky actions and great achievements, especially as a commander under his trusted confidant Sun Degong, were a

significant reward. Therefore, he bestowed upon Huang Shi a small house so that Huang Shi could have a place to live in Guangning. Huang Shi returned to his quarters with eight personal guards. The guards were surprised to see the empty house, then their faces lit up with undisguised joy. They immediately began helping their new commander tidy up.

Huang Shi, mimicking the swagger of bandits he'd seen on television, leisurely reclined in a chair, enjoying the servants' tea and water. Their excited expressions pleased Huang Shi. As the first group of personal guards for a high-ranking officer, they naturally felt they had a bright future ahead of them.

According to the Ming military system, a commander (千总) theoretically commanded the forces of a thousand-household garrison (千户所). Although Liaodong was not particularly wealthy, and many military households had left, a thousand-household garrison still provided at least one hundred soldiers. So there will be at least four or five vacancies for battalion commanders in the future. Even if one or two are placed in higher positions, there will still be two or three positions for the centurions who have no cronies. Huang Shi estimates that the eight men who were just lowly soldiers yesterday are probably having sleepless nights thinking about the chance to become officers in a few months.

As for which of these eight men were spies sent by Sun Degong, Huang Shi doesn't bother to find out. It's impossible not to have spies mixed in anyway, so today he simply lets Sun Degong choose for him, everyone's happy.

Sun Degong wouldn't be foolish enough to send four or five spies at once; that would be the man who has to be wary of being spies mixed in by Huang Shi, and it would greatly cross the line of tacit understanding between superiors and subordinates, after all, this is Huang Shi's personal guard. Huang Shi estimates that there will probably be two of them, after all, he's doing a death-defying job for Sun Degong, one is still a bit too few.

That evening, Huang Shi ordered his personal guards to prepare several fine dishes and plenty of wine. He then pulled the timid guards to the table and raised his cup to them, saying,

“Today you are my personal guards, tomorrow you will be my battalion commanders, and the day after tomorrow you will be my centurions. My life, my soldiers, my future—everything depends on you. In short, you will be my right-hand men for life. Please do your best for me, for that is doing your best for yourselves.”

(End of Chapter 10)

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