Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 27

Can the towering peak withstand the weight of the enemy? Chapter 26: Heroic

History. Nurhaci hurriedly returned from Liaobei, ordering the four great beile, the main banner beile, and the gushan ejen to all assemble in Liaoyang, concentrating all his field troops to prepare for a decisive battle with the main force of the Dongjiang Army. This time, the number would certainly be no less. Although Jinzhou City and the Dalinghe and Xiaolinghe areas in western Liaobei were damaged, the foundations of the various castles were still intact. If the 70,000-strong Guan Ning Army in western Liaobei were willing to put in the effort, they should have almost repaired the city walls.

As for Ligdan Khan in northern Liaobei, it is said that he was circling around Nurhaci on the grasslands, hoping to rely on his youth and physical strength to wear down the seventy-year-old Nurhaci. If Nurhaci retreated at this time, the Khorchin Mongols would be isolated and helpless, and naturally, they would also have no choice but to retreat. Ligdan Khan would then be able to escape a calamity.

"Yes, that's right." Mao Wenlong nodded. This time, the scale of the Dongjiang army's assembly was even larger than in Huangshi's original history, but neither Mao Wenlong nor Huangshi dared to entertain the idea of a decisive battle, because the Later Jin army's fighting force was no smaller than that of the Dongjiang army, and the Jurchens also had the advantage of fighting on home ground.

As long as they could sit idly by in Liaoyang for half a month, the Dongjiang army on the other side would run out of food. Even if they exhausted all the supplies of the Left Wing, they would not last more than a month. Since Huangshi understood this simple principle, Mao Wenlong certainly understood it as well. Without the support of Liaoxi, confronting the enemy with the devastated Liaonan and Liaozhong plains would be tantamount to suicide.

"Huangshi, you have rendered great service to the country. I heard that the Emperor also admires you very much."

"It's all thanks to the General's cultivation." Although there was some flattery in Huangshi's words, there was also a lot of his heartfelt opinion. After all, it was Mao Wenlong who stepped in to keep him in Dongjiang and provided him with military households and provisions for going to Changsheng Island. It can be said that without Mao Wenlong's establishment of Dongjiang Town, There would be no room for Huang Shi to survive, let alone achieve anything.

"Back when Dongjiang Town was about to establish its Left Brigade, Grand Secretary Sun suggested you take the position. I hesitated for a long time, unable to choose between you and Zhang Pan."

This past event was far from pleasant for Huang Shi, and it remained a lingering grudge between him and Mao Wenlong. As for the subsequent tragedy in Lushun, Huang Shi felt guilty. He constantly questioned himself—if I hadn't been so eager to seize the deputy general's position, wouldn't Zhang Pan and the soldiers and civilians of Lushun have survived?

Although Huang Shi secretly blamed himself, instinctively, he also shifted some of the blame to Mao Wenlong. Huang Shi once tried to justify himself—if Mao Wenlong hadn't hesitated, there wouldn't have been such a deep rift between him and Zhang Pan, to the point that they both concealed military intelligence from each other, each fearing the other would steal their credit.

Mao Wenlong was unaware of Huang Shi's thoughts. He continued, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings: "Back then, your military achievements surpassed Zhang Pan's, but he single-handedly created the situation in Liaonan. Alas, that was back in Zhenjiang. I still remember the scene when he left."

Mao Wenlong stood frozen, his arm outstretched as if trying to grasp a phantom: "Zhang Pan stood just a short distance away from me, exuding charisma and confidence, saying to me: 'My lord, with your subordinates here, the situation in Liaonan will be worry-free.' Alas. At that time, I only had a few hundred men, while he led fifty soldiers nearly two thousand li by sea, landed at Lushun, and repeatedly defeated the Jurchens, opening up new territory in Liaonan.

He also saved over ten thousand people in Liaodong." Mao Wenlong himself was like a dandelion seed. After establishing himself in Liaodong, he again scattered dozens, even hundreds, of troops across the vast Liaodong lands, like dandelion seeds being sown. The vast majority of them died silently in battle, but many others successfully took root and flourished. They established guerrilla zones and bases behind enemy lines.

Thinking of the hardships of the early days of Dongjiang and the heroes who sacrificed their lives for their country, Huang Shi felt a surge of patriotic fervor: "Not being able to meet the heroes of Dongjiang is truly a lifelong regret for this

humble general." "Yes, you won't have the chance to see them," Mao Wenlong sighed. His body seemed to sway slightly, though there was no major change. But suddenly, Huang Shi felt an inviolable, awe-inspiring majesty emanating from Mao: "But I have seen them all. Most of them were as young and brave as you were back then, just like you. They, like you, would casually pick an island or a fortress on a map, and then set off with a few dozen men by boat..."

“Zhang Pan chose Changshan Island, Chen Jisheng chose Kuandian, and many, many others. Before they all left, they would come to see me one last time. They would simply clasp their hands in a fist salute, say ‘Take care, my lord, until we meet again,’ and then turn and leave without looking back. Ninety percent of them never returned, never to be seen again…”

Mao Wenlong’s voice grew increasingly low, but Huang Shi felt an ever-growing strength within it: “Hmm, by the time you leave, Dongjiang Town will be much stronger. I can give you over a thousand men. You have the ability and the luck. Those young men who are loyal to the country may not be as good as you in this respect, but they are just like you, good sons of Liaodong, with the same ambition and a heart full of patriotism.”

Although he knew Mao Wenlong couldn’t see him, Huang Shi still nodded silently behind his back.

"So when Grand Secretary Sun asked me to choose last time, I really had a hard time deciding, because I know you and Zhang Pan are both good men, both true heroes. I couldn't bear to lose either of you, so..." Mao Wenlong's voice suddenly filled with sorrow, as if he had aged ten years in an instant: "So I wanted to delay, to postpone making a decision for a few more days. I didn't expect it to create a rift between you. Not only did we lose Zhang Pan, but you almost lost your life too."

"General, you don't need to blame yourself. This is our..."

Mao Wenlong raised his hand to stop Huang Shi from continuing. Huang Shi looked at him as he turned around. Although they were both in the dark, Huang Shi could still see Mao Wenlong's eyes shining in the night, and he seemed to be smiling: "So this time I won't make the same mistake again. After last time, I've figured it out. You and Chen Jisheng are both heroes. I know that choosing either of you wouldn't be wrong."

"General, don't say such unlucky things."

"Haha, even a general can die young. I've been in Liaodong for decades, and fought the Jurchens for ten years. Your commander-in-chief must have thought about this day." Mao Wenlong said, touching his head. In the moonlight, his hair was a stark white. "I've seen batch after batch of young men go, though most of them are gone. But the blood of those warriors seems to still flow in my veins. When I think of them, my back doesn't ache, and my old wounds don't hurt anymore..."

Mao Wenlong glanced towards Beijing, then suddenly let out a weary sigh. "The war in Liaodong is urgent. I haven't seen my son for almost five years. Alas, he's an upright and good son, very loyal to the country. But he probably won't be a general."

After the sigh, Mao Wenlong turned to Huang Shi, his tone becoming deep and powerful again: "I've made my decision. If I'm gone one day, you will be the next Dongjiang Commander-in-Chief I recommend, Commander Huang!"

...

In May of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), after the Dongjiang Army entered the Liaozhong Plain, they were unstoppable, but their attack on Anshan failed, resulting in the loss of one guerrilla commander and nearly a thousand soldiers. At this time, Nurhaci had already hastily returned from northern Liao, and the Dongjiang Army subsequently withdrew to Korea. Ligdan Khan thus escaped annihilation, and the current Genghis Khan once again led his troops back to northern Liao, setting up his golden tent near the borders of the Khorchin Mongols.

Meanwhile, the construction of Jinzhou City in western Liao was completed. The Liaodong governor and the 70,000 Guan Ning cavalry, feeling as if granted a pardon, submitted a memorial praising: "Who knew that Mao Wenlong would directly attack Liaoyang? His troops responded promptly, and if it weren't for Mao's attack, Jinzhou and Ningzhou would have been attacked again! Although Mao suffered losses, his years of containment efforts are the most remarkable!"

At this time, Huang Shi had returned to Changsheng Island, and before leaving, the Dongjiang Army destroyed the city walls of Haizhou. Then they retreated in large strides to the starting point of their attack. Of the several hundred genuine Tartars in the Battle of Haizhou, three hundred were former artillerymen from the Guan Ning Army's artillery battalion. Huang Shi spared the ten youngest among them and had them return to demonstrate the various cannons they had captured.

Among the large number of cannons that Changsheng Island towed back from Haizhou in this battle were four 18-pound bronze cannons. These weapons, copied by the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of Works, were quite powerful, and their range far exceeded that of the field artillery produced by Changsheng Island itself.

Therefore, Huang Shi initially intended to incorporate these four cannons into the operational order of battle. However, to his surprise, although Jin Qiude, Duncan, and others also admired the power of the 18-pound bronze cannons, they unanimously opposed equipping the troops with this weapon. Their main reason was that Changsheng Island could not produce this weapon, and if it were damaged or lost, it could not be replaced. Therefore, the Changsheng Island staff, training corps, and artillery reached a consensus: it was not worthwhile to train artillery crews for a disposable weapon.

Furthermore, there was the issue of cannon mobility. Duncan and Bao Jiusun preferred nine-pound cast iron cannons. Changsheng Island had just completed the production of experimental prototypes of this weapon, and the training corps had already begun testing it. According to the general weapon production process, Changsheng Island could begin producing and equipping nine-pound cannons within a few months. Finally, Huang Shi decided to put the 18-pound cannons aside for now.

Recently, Changsheng Island and the Choshu Domain in Japan have been engaged in a large-scale arms trade. This is because the sudden change in the domestic situation in Japan has made the Choshu Domain feel a great sense of crisis. Last year, the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan carried out currency reform. Knowing that merchants capable of importing or counterfeiting money would not be small fry, the Shogunate issued strong warnings to major merchants before the currency exchange began.

Under the military threat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japanese merchants dared not import or counterfeit Ming Dynasty coins anymore. Unfortunately, because of the Choshu Domain as a major traitor, the currency reform of the Shogunate since last year suffered a shameful failure. A large amount of Ming Dynasty coins flooded in, and the pressure on the Shogunate to exchange currency remained unresolved. The

counterfeit currency trade was extremely profitable. In just six months, Changsheng Island and the Choshu Domain gained a net profit of one million taels of silver from this trade. "Sharing the meat and the soup" is the core of Huang Shiliu's leadership art. Although the Choshu Domain was Japanese, Huang Shi did not discriminate against them because of this.

"There are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests." This wise saying once again proved its truth. A 50/50 split of pure profits naturally moved the Choshu Domain, and the substantial gains made the previously half-hearted Mori Clan completely loyal. They have now evolved into staunch allies of Chosei Island, mobilizing the entire Choshu Domain's potential to help Huangshi sell counterfeit money.

Another core element of Huangshi's leadership art is: whoever is closest to me benefits the most. "Based on this guiding principle, Huangshi signed a secret treaty with the Choshu Domain. The treaty stipulated that any personnel changes within the Choshu Domain involving Chosei Island must be approved by Chosei Island in advance.

According to this secret clause, Huangshi could ensure that the notorious traitor Nobuyoshi remained firmly entrenched in the upper echelons of the Choshu Domain. A year ago, Nobuyoshi was merely a foot soldier's head; now he was a prominent elder statesman of the Choshu Domain, controlling 70% of the Mori family's revenue and having full authority over trade with Chosei Island.

Meanwhile, the counterfeit money business was booming. The Tokugawa Shogunate, on the other hand, insisted on..." While working on this, the shogunate began searching for suspicious individuals within the country, hoping to eliminate the source of counterfeit money production. Although Choshu had tried its best to cover up their counterfeit money trafficking activities, the shogunate gradually took notice of Choshu.

This magistrate, Nobuyoshi, was exactly the kind of intelligent person that Huangshi liked; he was keenly aware of the source of his power. In recent days, Nobuyoshi had done a lot of work for Chosei Island, and now he was a staunch hawk, because trade with Chosei Island was everything to him. The wealth that had poured into Choshu over the past year had also created an interest group that believed "it's better to rely on yourself than on others," and that it was better to cover up their crimes than to rely on others. Instead of hoping the shogunate would turn a blind eye, it would be better to leverage the "Great Ming" connection to make the Tokugawa shogunate hesitant to act.

Five months ago, Morisui Nobuyoshi, representing the Choshu hawks towards Japan and the doves towards the Ming, visited two high-ranking representatives from Chosei Island stationed in Japan: Liu Qingyang, a native of Beizhili with a red-blooded lineage, and Kuroshima Kazuo, who had already acquired Ming citizenship. Morisui Nobuyoshi hoped to purchase arms from Chosei Island and requested assistance from the Choshu Domain in training its army.

In Morisui Nobuyoshi's plan, the Choshu Domain would invest 70-80% of its counterfeit money trade revenue into military construction; in addition to purchasing arms, the Choshu Domain would also cover the training costs of its officers and soldiers. They even... They planned to hire engineers from Changsheng Island at a high price to come to Japan to design fortifications sufficient to withstand an attack from the Shogunate and equip them with cannons.

Both Kuroshima Kazuo and Yang Liuqing highly praised Morisui Nobuyoshi's strategic vision and philosophy of life, and quickly reported his plan to Changsheng Island. Huang Shi, upon hearing the news, was also deeply moved to have such an international friend as Morisui Nobuyoshi. Regarding this talented young Japanese man, Huang Shi also offered high praise: "Lord Morisui is the greatest statesman, military strategist, and diplomat in Japan's three thousand years of history. Such a figure is rare even in China. He is a living national hero of the Japanese Yamato people! I, Huang Shi, am deeply honored to work with the visionary and virtuous Lord Morisui." "

Now there are over a thousand Japanese soldiers on Changsheng Island. They were originally starving wandering samurai, recruited by Morisui Nobuyoshi with two full meals a day. They were then transported to Changsheng Island by Kuroshima Kazuo. Although the training fees proposed by Huangshi were very expensive, Morisui Nobuyoshi paid them without hesitation. In return, Huangshi specifically instructed that these Japanese officers and soldiers be provided with the best food and accommodation.

These Japanese soldiers drilled during the day and studied cultural knowledge at night. In the training camp specially set up for them, speaking Japanese was absolutely forbidden. These Japanese friends not only ate rice that was even better than what the Emperor ate on Changsheng Island, but also learned Chinese Pinyin and simple Chinese characters with the help of the enthusiastic Changsheng Island training team. The training motto on Changsheng Island was: 'Eat the food of emperors, speak the language of the Celestial Empire!'" "

The representative of the Choshu Domain currently stationed on Chosei Island is a trusted confidant of the elder statesman, Nobuyoshi. Huang Shi suggested to this plenipotentiary representative that, in order to strengthen the defenses of the Choshu Domain's fortress, they could purchase some small cannons captured from Haizhou from Huang Shi at a price of two thousand taels of silver per cannon. The confidant of Nobuyoshi agreed immediately without batting an eye. He immediately decided to order five bronze cannons first, and even planned to use next year's trade revenue as collateral to pre-order the remaining cannons.

After the deal was made, Huang Shi spared no expense in making several full-body wax figures of Nobuyoshi and plastered the portrait of the elder statesman all over the Japanese officers' and soldiers' dormitories, so that they could see Nobuyoshi's solemn posture and profound gaze whether they were eating or training: 'From the Onin War to now, Japan is undergoing a great change unseen in three thousand years. For the Emperor and for the Choshu Domain, every ambitious Japanese should learn from the elder statesman's vision and magnanimity!'" "

Later, many Japanese officers who studied on Changsheng Island returned to Japan and became fervent admirers of Morisui Nobuyoshi. Many of them, even in their old age, would fondly recall to their children and grandchildren: "Although the Han people are proud and arrogant, they all sincerely admire Lord Morisui. Whenever they talk about him, they will respectfully call him 'Lord Morisui' or 'Lord Morisui'!" "

To fulfill the musket order from Shou Sui Xinji, the military industry on Changsheng Island had to work overtime to produce them. Huang Shi repeatedly emphasized to the military industry that he was very concerned about the quality of the munitions sold to Japan, because it was related to the long-term friendship between the two countries and was closely related to the reputation of Changsheng Island.

Overall, the cultivation of pro-China forces in Japan was progressing relatively smoothly. However, yesterday Huang Shi encountered a new problem. Wu Mu asked him if it was possible to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian on Changsheng Island.

Can Wanren Zhifeng bear the burden? Chapter 27: Shame and Integrity.

With the downfall of Sun Chengzong, the eunuch faction in the court seemed to have become unmatched. Although the eunuch faction was also a group of thoroughly corrupt officials, Huang Shi had to admit that at least the proportion of incompetent officials among them was lower than that of the Donglin Party. The rampant counterfeiting of coins that began at the end of the Wanli era was brought under control to some extent. The court also carried out more disaster relief efforts for the large-scale famine in the north. Local governments, though unwilling, also began to build river embankments and carried out limited flood control work."

Huang Shi had no doubt that if Zhu Hongwu were still sitting on the throne of the Ming Dynasty today, the years of inaction by local officials would have resulted in a large number of executions. Unfortunately, the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty was the young Tianqi Emperor. This twenty-one-year-old was kind to his teachers, stewards, generals, and ministers, but that was all.

Tianqi was just an ordinary young man. Compared to the early years of Tianqi's reign, the Ming court and local governments were still just as corrupt, only slightly more proactive and less passive in their work. But even this small improvement delighted Tianqi, and he lavishly rewarded the cabinet for these achievements. As for Eunuch Wei, who was always seen as "loyal and diligent" in the emperor's eyes, he naturally received the largest share of the spoils.

Faced with the overwhelming power wielded by Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch faction within the cabinet, a wave of fervor arose in the Ming Dynasty to build shrines in his honor. This was undoubtedly a political declaration by the governors-general and governors of various regions—and, of course, the most foolish kind of political declaration, remarkably similar to the famous saying of Zuo Guangdou, a prominent figure in the Donglin Party: "If not allies, then enemies."

Furthermore, Huang Shi's policy throughout the late Ming Dynasty had always been one of fence-sitting. Since this was Huang Shi's principle, building shrines in honor was even more out of the question. Considering these two factors, Huang Shi tactfully stated, "Uncle Wu, please understand, this humble general has absolutely no

money to build a shrine for Uncle Wei." This surprised Wu Mu. Governors-general and governors of various regions vying to build shrines for Wei Zhongxian naturally used extremely exquisite materials, from sandalwood thresholds to white marble railings—these were not things that could be bought with a small amount of money. As far as Huang Shi knew, no one had spent less than 100,000 taels of silver to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian. Currently, this trend of extravagance was intensifying, and the cost of land for such shrines was constantly rising, with some even costing 300,000 taels of silver.

The annual military pay of Dongjiang Town was only 200,000 taels of silver, which translates to no more than 40,000 taels for Huang Shi's Left Assistant Commander. Embezzling tens or even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to build a shrine might not have been a problem for the Liaodong Governor, but for Dongjiang Town, it was an astronomical figure.

"Well..." Wu Mu hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then finally steeled himself and revealed his trump card: "Eunuch Wei said that all you need to do, Commander Huang, is submit a memorial requesting the establishment of a shrine for living people. Once Eunuch Wei sees this memorial, he will persuade His Majesty to speak on your behalf, opening up Changsheng Town and sending a special envoy to Liaonan to reassess the troop numbers."

Seeing Huang Shi remain silent for a long time, Wu Mu, fearing that Huang Shi was truly worried that Wei Zhongxian would not grant his request, lowered his voice and added, "Eunuch Wei said that as soon as Commander Huang submits the memorial requesting the establishment of a shrine for living people, he will immediately approve it."

Little did Huang Shi know that he was inwardly cursing: "This is truly sycophancy!"

The practice of "sycophancy" originated in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was also related to eunuchs. At that time, Emperor Shenzong of Song sent the eunuch Li Xian to inspect the border. The Northern Song civil officials, who always prided themselves on their integrity, heard that Li Xian's feet were very smelly, so they rushed to wash Li Xian's feet. When the civil officials knelt on the ground and held Li Xian's feet... He even took a sniff first and exclaimed, "How fragrant are the Grand Commandant's feet!"

Wu Mu's subsequent comment further confirmed Huang Shi's belief in the significance of the living shrine. In the past, Song Dynasty officials could be proud of washing Li Xian's feet; today, Ming Dynasty officials could cry and beg for a living shrine for Wei Zhongxian. Flattery actually represented a kind of status; those who successfully flattered could naturally look down on those who failed. Building a living shrine and flattery were just different in form, but essentially the same.

Although governors and viceroys across the country vied to build a living shrine for Wei Zhongxian, his inner circle was not easily won over. With so many high-ranking officials requesting such a shrine, Wei Zhongxian naturally had to carefully select. Wu Mu was essentially telling Huang Shi, "Eunuch Wei looks at you differently. He hopes to bring you into his inner circle; this is a golden opportunity."

Although historically, Wei Zhongxian's glory lasted only a few years before his downfall. However, the situation might be different in this timeline. If Wei Zhongxian hadn't fallen from power this time, or if his fall had been delayed, then Huang Shi's refusal of Wei Zhongxian's goodwill today would have been unwise and would have brought him a lot of trouble. Undoubtedly, Wei Zhongxian was far from a magnanimous gentleman; once this grudge was formed, it would be difficult to resolve.

Conversely, if Huang Shi had requested the establishment of a shrine to Wei Zhongxian, the benefits would have been substantial; Wei Zhongxian wouldn't want his close associates to lose face. Even if Wei Zhongxian fell from power as in the original historical account, Huang Shi wouldn't stand out amidst the vast clamor for his shrine. Moreover, as long as Huang Shi could accumulate enough military merit, these stains would be insignificant. Huang Shi wasn't a civil official; no one could demand the integrity of a scholar-official from him.

Having considered both sides, the correct choice was becoming clear. Huang Shi sighed, silently apologizing, and then said to Wu Mu, "Eunuch Wu, you are wise. I am still under the command of Dongjiang Town. If anyone is going to request the erection of a shrine, it should be Commander Mao who takes the lead. I don't want people to say I'm ignorant of my place and arrogant. Please consider this carefully."

Wu Mu pondered for a moment, then looked up to confirm, "Commander Huang means that if Commander Mao requests the erection of a shrine first, I will follow suit, is that right?"

"Yes," Huang Shi answered without hesitation, silently apologizing to Mao Wenlong once again.

Powerful people always want people everywhere to fawn over them, and they can then select some of them and grant them the privilege of doing so. This best satisfies their sense of superiority. Wei Zhongxian had even granted Huang Shi permission before he made the request, which was undoubtedly a special honor in Wei Zhongxian's eyes.

But... but Huang Shi once asked himself: if he had arrived in the Song Dynasty instead of the Ming Dynasty; if he had become an officer in the Western Route Army; if Li Xian had generously offered to wash his feet at night... what would his answer have been?

There are only three kinds of people in the world: those who fawn, those who want to fawn but cannot, and those who disdain to do so. As a modern man, Huang Shi had his own bottom line. Although he might say some insincere flattering words and make some deals, he couldn't bring himself to completely abandon his pride and fawn over everyone in front of the world. Moreover, he believed that this should not only be the bottom line of a modern man, but also the bottom line of a person with a sense of shame.

However, Huang Shi still didn't have the courage to decisively refuse Wei Zhongxian, and he knew he could place his hopes on Mao Wenlong. Huang Shi had read the Veritable Records of Emperor Xizong. During the years when Wei Zhongxian held immense power, amidst the farce of governors vying to have shrines built in his honor, only Mao Wenlong remained untainted, maintaining the bottom line of a person with a sense of shame.

On May 27th, the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Changsheng Island.

The general consensus on Changsheng Island regarding the 18-pound cannon was that it would be suitable for equipping the naval camp or fortresses. However, Changsheng Island lacked the funds to build fortresses and had no need to equip the naval camp with such heavy firepower. Therefore, Huang Shi ultimately decided to retain the 18-pound cannon for future sieges, since rate of fire wouldn't be a major concern at that time.

At this moment, Huang Shi was fiddling with a transparent crystal, holding it up to the sunlight, squinting to observe the bubbles and impurities inside. After a long while, he finally nodded and said, "You've done very well."

Bao Jiusun, as always, humbly replied, "You flatter me, sir. I have no merit whatsoever."

"Brother Bao, you are now the commander of the Jinzhou Guard. Don't keep referring to yourself as 'this humble servant,' 'this humble servant.'" Although Bao Jiusun had been in charge of production work in the rear, Huang Shi had never forgotten to report his achievements.

"Yes, sir. This subordinate obeys."

"Hmm, that's right." Since Bao Jiusun is now a general, his name naturally needs to be changed. His current record in the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of War is that of the dignified Commander of Jinzhou Guard, Bao Bowen.

Huang Shi tossed the piece of glass back to Bao Bowen, hoping that the next batch would have fewer bubbles and fewer impurities. Bao Bowen kept Huang Shi's orders firmly in mind and then took his leave.

Originally, Changsheng Island couldn't produce glass no matter what he tried, and last month, disheartened, Huang Shi was about to give up. However, after he stopped trying to keep it a secret and openly told his subordinates what he wanted, Huang Shi was surprised to discover that the Ming Dynasty was already capable of producing glass.

The glass craftsmen Huang Shi had brought from the Ministry of Works arrived on Changsheng Island at the beginning of this month, and in less than ten days, the kilns on Changsheng Island, which they had modified, began producing glass. Although this type of glass was still far from what Huang Shi needed, Changsheng Island possessed large waterwheels and blowers that were unique elsewhere, so producing relatively pure glass seemed to be only a matter of time.

After much contemplation, Huang Shi realized that apart from the term "silver mirror reaction," he had no idea how to produce mirrors. Fortunately, Huang Shi's purpose in producing glass wasn't to make mirrors; he valued the three important military supplies that would arrive with the glass:

"mechanical pocket watches, monocular telescopes. And... canned goods."

Technicians for both mechanical pocket watches and telescopes could be obtained from the Jesuits, and to appease them, Huang Shi even organized a special forces unit. This special forces unit included a choir and a group of people who could recite the Bible backwards. These special forces soldiers were loyal subordinates trained by Zhang Zaidi, and they all understood the heavy responsibility they bore.

During the last time the Jesuits sent people to inspect Changsheng Island, Zhang Zaidi first used this team of special forces to move the priests to tears. Then, he had everyone swarm around them, bombarding the priests with a barrage of silly questions for days, giving them little opportunity to examine the ordinary believers on Changsheng Island.

The few "ordinary believers" questioned by the Jesuit priests were all, without exception, Zhang Zaidi's special forces in disguise; their fervor for the Bible made the Jesuit priests feel somewhat ashamed. Therefore, it wouldn't be a problem for Huang Shi to ask the Jesuits to help find a few watchmakers. Technicians who could grind telescope lenses might be fewer, but there was no need to rush; they could be found sooner or later.

With glass, Huang Shi felt he could start working on canned goods. He remembered that all it needed to do was seal and cook; the specific storage time could be figured out by Bo Bowen. Once this was available, it would not only greatly reduce the logistical burden but also enrich the troops' rations and increase their operational range.

After Wu Mu left, Huang Shi summoned Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong to discuss the matter. Although they seemed to have some reservations about Huang Shi's decision, they still obeyed their superior's will and discussed the follow-up steps.

Both of them believed that Huang Shi's strategy was sound, but the key lay with Mao Wenlong. Zhao Manxiong, pondering Huang Shi's earlier words and what he had revealed, asked, "Sir, even if Commander Mao requests the erection of a shrine, will you still find an excuse to decline?"

Huang Shi answered without hesitation, "Yes."

This resolute answer caused Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong to exchange a glance. Huang Shi spread his hands, "If you two have anything to say, please speak frankly."

"Sir," Jin Qiude said, "I believe that if we could have the strong support of Eunuch Wei in court, Changsheng Island would be much more well-off in terms of resources." Jin Qiude's words were not without merit, considering the civil and military situation in Liaodong. Yan Mingtai, a member of the eunuch faction, had successfully curried favor with Wei Zhongxian, and in the following period, Yan Mingtai received strong support from Wei Zhongxian.

"Moreover, Your Excellency is currently at odds with that corrupt official Yuan Chonghuan. If Eunuch Wei helps, bringing him down wouldn't be difficult, would it?" Jin Qiude paused, and seeing Huang Shi still unsure, added, "That corrupt official Yuan was promoted by Grand Secretary Sun; he's a member of the Donglin Party."

Huang Shi knew Jin Qiude was right. Historically, although Yuan Chonghuan wanted to curry favor with Wei Zhongxian, he even wrote a lengthy petition requesting the establishment of a shrine in his honor. He praised Wei Zhongxian to the skies, making sure all his memorials included Wei Zhongxian. But Wei Zhongxian didn't appreciate this act of selling out, so he kicked Yuan Chonghuan aside, leaving him as someone who wanted to curry favor but couldn't.

"I was also promoted by Grand Secretary Sun, and my captaincy was obtained from Wang Huazhen. So was Marshal Mao's." Huang Shi's expression remained unchanged as he calmly retorted, "I am also from the Donglin Party. Although people in the world will not hold me to the standards of a scholar-official, selling oneself into servitude is selling oneself into servitude, and I, as a military officer, cannot change this fundamental nature."

"Dongjiang Town is not like Liao Town. Our officers and soldiers are starving and poorly clothed, and the bones of our fallen soldiers have not been recovered for years. The only reason we have managed to survive is because of the unity and shared purpose of our soldiers. If Commander Mao and I were to actually request the construction of a shrine in their honor, it might bring some benefits in terms of military supplies, but once word gets out that we are each spending tens of thousands of taels of silver, I fear that everyone in Dongjiang Town will be dissatisfied and will despise our character. In the blink of an eye, the entire town will fall apart and disintegrate."

Huang Shi's words made Zhao Manxiong nod slightly: "What you say is right, sir. I will go back and think carefully for you, sir, and I will definitely find a plausible reason."

"Go back and think it over carefully. But this is just a precaution, because Marshal Mao won't let me down." Huang Shi felt that Mao Wenlong was the kind of person who would disdain doing such things. Historically, he had never written a single petition for establishing a capital, nor had he ever praised Wei Zhongxian in his memorials. "I hope Marshal Mao is still the Marshal Mao I know."

Recently, some personnel conflicts had occurred on Changsheng Island that were bothering Huang Shi. One of them involved Li Yunrui and Yang Zhiyuan, and the instigator was He Dingyuan. When Huang Shi went to the capital, Yang Zhiyuan took a liking to a girl in the teachers' corps. She was the daughter of the late Xiong Jinglue. To please Xiong's daughter, Yang Zhiyuan decided to help her collect Xiong Jinglue's remains and even helped her build a tomb and erect a tombstone.

On the day everything was finally arranged for Xiong Jinglue, Li Yunrui happened to pass by. He saw Yang Zhiyuan and Xiong's daughter and went up to talk to them. Although Yang Zhiyuan was also handsome, he was no match for Li Yunrui. The latter had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a long beard that reached his chest. He paid great attention to his appearance and was incredibly eloquent, easily winning over Miss Xiong's heart with just a few words.

At the time, Yang Zhiyuan was oblivious, but Li Yunrui, who dared to claim he could flit from flower to flower without getting attached, naturally had some skill. After discerning something from Miss Xiong's expression, he launched his offensive without hesitation, and within days the two were almost engaged.

"That woman is a lovesick fool!" When Huang Shi brought in He Dingyuan, the main culprit, for questioning, the latter was still indignant, showing no remorse or remorse for causing trouble.

"Guerrilla Commander He, I'm not asking about your opinion of Xiong Xiaoniangzi, but I think your evaluation of Guerrilla Commander Yang is extremely disrespectful!"

Huang Shi slammed his fist on the table and roared, finally calming He Dingyuan down a bit. He Dingyuan lowered his head, his voice dropping several octaves: "My lord, I'm just indignant. Brother Yang is such a good person."

Huang Shi sneered, his tone turning sinister: "Brother Yang considers himself my good brother, but Guerrilla Commander He, you deliberately spread rumors and slander our comrade..." "What crime should be punished for this?"
Chapter 28: Rumors.

Unexpectedly, He Dingyuan, upon hearing Huang Shi's words, seemed to have grasped a lifeline. He immediately raised his head and loudly retorted, "That's not slander! I have evidence. Li Yunrui himself told the lord what I heard with my own ears."

Long before Yang Zhiyuan began to have feelings for Xiong Xiaoniangzi, He Dingyuan knew about it and dragged his wife into advising Yang Zhiyuan. It is said that the He family couple played a significant role in Yang Zhiyuan's words and letters.

When Yang Zhiyuan faced the crisis of being heartbroken, He Dingyuan was so anxious that he scratched his head in frustration. In the end, he simply sent his wife to speak ill of Li Yunrui to Xiong Xiaoniangzi. However, the more He Dingyuan helped, the more trouble he made. The more Madam He spoke, the more Xiong Xiaoniangzi viewed Yang Zhiyuan and became more determined to side with Li Yunrui.

In desperation, He Dingyuan revealed the reason why Li Yunrui had been convicted in his hometown, and also confessed that Li Yunrui had attempted to sexually assault a respectable woman in Guangning. This was something Li Yunrui had confessed to Huang Shi when he first arrived on Changsheng Island, and apart from his old buddies, no one else knew about it. As a result, this explosive news spread like wildfire throughout Changsheng Island.

In the blink of an eye, the entire island was in an uproar, and Li Yunrui's reputation was ruined. Now, wherever Li Yunrui goes, people point fingers behind his back, and even his close friends often joke about him, saying things like, "Who would have thought that someone as handsome and dignified as Commander Li would do such a thing behind the scenes?"

Amidst this overwhelming uproar, Li Yunrui naturally couldn't propose to Xiong Xiaoniangzi. Even if he did go, she would politely decline. With his reputation ruined and the hatred of having his wife stolen, Li Yunrui hated He Dingyuan to the core. He went to Huang Shi and shouted that he couldn't work on Changsheng Island anymore and insisted on being transferred to Fuzhou.

Huang Shi felt a little uneasy while trying to appease Li Yunrui. He didn't have any good solutions at the moment. Besides having He Dingyuan apologize to Li Yunrui, Huang Shi also gave Commander Li a long leave, allowing him to go to Shandong for a month or so in July to clear his head.

Seeing He Dingyuan's stubborn face, Huang Shi's anger suddenly subsided. He Dingyuan was loyal to his superiors, devoted to his friends, and benevolent to the people of Liaodong. He acted impulsively in everything he did. If it weren't for Huang Shi protecting him, He Dingyuan would probably be dead long ago, even if he had a hundred lives. But... did Huang Shi protect He Dingyuan only because of his bravery?

"Enough said. There's no point in reasoning with a scoundrel like you."

Huang Shi magnanimously waved his hand, intending to end the discussion. But He Dingyuan persisted, "My lord, I've always been the most reasonable person. I've never refused to admit my mistakes. I resent being called a scoundrel."

"Hmm, you're the most reasonable," Huang Shi laughed, having no intention of arguing with He Dingyuan any further. He Dingyuan's logic clashed terribly with Huang Shi's principles. "Guerrilla General He, listen to my order. I'm punishing you by making you apologize to Li Yunrui. Until he comes to tell me he forgives you, you won't receive your salary. I'll transfer it directly to Li Yunrui." "

How can that be? What if he deliberately doesn't forgive me for years? What will my wife and children eat?"

"Do you think everyone is like you, He Dingyuan? Alright, it's settled. Go back to the training grounds and get to work." Huang Shi then called in the guards and had them throw the still-arguing He Dingyuan out.

After getting rid of He Dingyuan, Huang Shi began to worry about how to appease Li Yunrui. Besides the Li Yunrui incident, Zhang Zaidi also injured Zhao Manxiong the day before yesterday. Zhao Manxiong is still recovering, while Zhang Zaidi, the perpetrator, is imprisoned in the old camp's jail. Huang Shi sat alone in his tent, tapping on the table for a long time, still feeling somewhat lost. This matter seemed easy on the surface. According to military regulations, Zhang Zaidi could be dealt with as a case of causing trouble and seriously injuring a colleague, but the private appeasement was proving to be very troublesome, leaving Huang Shi unsure how to handle it.

...

In June of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Liaodong, began constructing the Guangning Right Garrison to coordinate with the fortification plan in western Liaodong. Mao Wenlong dispatched his troops to Liaodong to support the Right Wing of the Dongjiang Garrison. After the reinforcements arrived, Chen Jisheng, the deputy general of the Dongjiang Right Wing, sacrificed a cow to the flag in Kuandian. Then, they swore an oath and set off to attack Jianzhou.

In late June of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), the Later Jin's Changbai Mountain defense line was breached by the Dongjiang Army. A large contingent of Ming troops then crossed the Changbai Mountains from Kuandian and entered the Jianzhou region. Chen Jisheng first besieged Hetu Ala (Jianzhou Guard). Seeing that Hetu Ala was difficult to capture immediately, Chen Jisheng left Kong Youde behind for a long-term siege, while he himself led his army north along the Suzi River. Along the way, forts such as Maldun fell, and the Dongjiang Army's advance pointed directly at Sarhu City and Fushun Pass.

...

On July 10th of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626),

Huang Shi on Changsheng Island not only saw the report of the Dongjiang Army's departure from Kuandian, but also saw Mao Wenlong's memorial, a petition pleading for justice for the Donglin Party. This completely reassured Huang Shi: "Marshal Mao is indeed Marshal Mao." Huang Shi had written a letter to Mao Wenlong explaining his concerns, and the latter seemed to agree with his worries.

Although history had changed in this timeline, Mao Wenlong's character remained exactly the same as the Mao Wenlong Huang Shi knew. In the sixth year of the Tianqi Emperor's reign, a time of widespread silence in the court, Mao Wenlong not only remained untainted by the issue of the shrine to Wei Zhongxian, but he was also the only one to speak out for the Donglin Party, submitting

a memorial to the Emperor stating that the punishment of the eunuch faction was too harsh and that the implicated individuals were too numerous. Of course, this did not prevent Yuan Chonghuan, who, having failed to curry favor with Wei Zhongxian, later from fabricating charges to execute Mao Wenlong. When Yuan Chonghuan used the charge of erecting a shrine and statue for Wei Zhongxian to execute Mao Wenlong, it caused an uproar in the court and among the public. From high-ranking officials like Xu Erjie to scholars preparing for the imperial examinations, everyone spoke out in defense of Mao Wenlong.

Tan Qian even questioned: "

First, Mao Wenlong erected a shrine to Wei Zhongxian; the Emperor did not know, Wei Zhongxian did not know, the grain official from Dengzhou on his way to Dongjiang did not know, and the whole world did not know. So how did you, Yuan Chonghuan, know?"

Secondly, those who erected the shrine were merely trying to flatter Wei Zhongxian, while Mao Wenlong didn't erect it in Dengzhou or Lushun, but secretly on a deserted island unknown to anyone, making it known only to Yuan Chonghuan. What was Mao Wenlong after?

Because Huang Shi knew this history, he firmly believed Mao Wenlong was a man of principle, and Mao indeed lived up to Huang Shi's trust, once again becoming Huang Shi's shield and taking the blame for his subordinates' dissatisfaction under Wei Zhongxian's wrath.

Two days later, Wu Mu came to talk to Huang Shi again, but Huang Shi now had a clear understanding and easily resolved the issue of erecting the shrine. Huang Shi insisted that he could not act independently outside Dongjiang Town. Although it seemed somewhat pedantic, Huang Shi was unwilling to be ungrateful, and Wu Mu couldn't force him to do so.

After Wu Mu left, Huang Shi summoned Zhao Manxiong and Zhang Zaidi, who had just recovered from their injuries. Zhao Manxiong's wound was only superficial and had almost healed in a few days. Conversely, Zhang Zaidi was beaten with eighty strokes of the cane, more severely than Zhao Manxiong, and could only barely get out of bed the day before yesterday; he is still having difficulty walking today.

After the defeat at Guangning, the people of Liuhewei, like other people from Hexi, were relocated to Liaozhong within a year. Therefore, although Huang Shi inquired extensively for several years, he had no news of the Zhang family until last month when news came from the Jurchens.

The Jurchens' official account fabricated a story, saying that when Huang Shi and a few guards passed through Liuhe, he imitated Cao Cao's killing of Lü Boshe's family, and to keep their whereabouts secret, he slaughtered all the villagers who had entertained him. The Zhang family, who protected Huang Shi, took the brunt of the villagers' anger. The inhuman Huang Shi, however, stood by and did nothing, leaving with his benefactors' youngest son, feeling at ease, believing he had repaid the Zhang family's repeated life-saving grace.

The Later Jin side recounted this story in great detail. They even found some former villagers from Liuhe to testify, spreading rumors about Huang Shi's ingratitude. Changsheng Island, of course, scoffed at these rumors, and the officials of the Ming court also disregarded them. Although censors had the right to impeach based on rumors, not a single one used this as grounds for criticism.

Generally speaking, only a few people were skeptical, thinking that given Huang Shi's ruthlessness in killing his wife, he might be capable of such a thing. However, when these reports reached Huang Shi and Zhang Zaidi, the two insiders, they were utterly horrified, because some of the information given by the Jurchens was almost identical to their experience that night.

Huang Shi and Zhang Zaidi reviewed the intelligence gathered by the Changsheng Island intelligence agency, and the names of almost everyone mentioned in the Later Jin propaganda were generally correct. Even a minor figure like Chen the blacksmith's youngest son knew everything clearly; the only difference was that the original plan to escort Huang Shi to claim a reward was changed to sending Huang Shi and his party away.

After Huang Shi and Zhang Zaidi carefully analyzed the details of the incident, they confirmed that the Later Jin were unaware of the strength of the troops Huang Shi had led. Huang Shi couldn't help but wonder what had become of the people of Liuhewei after he and Zhang Zaidi left. Huang Shi recalled the events of that day and even had several of his old guards do the same. They finally managed to identify a few people who had stayed behind with Zhao Manxiong that day.

Under Huang Shi's stern interrogation, they confessed that after Huang Shi left, Zhao Manxiong ordered the massacre of all the civilians. At the time, they were all Zhao Manxiong's trusted subordinates, and Zhao Manxiong forbade them to report to Huang Shi, so they kept the matter a secret. After the military reorganization on Changsheng Island, everyone had long forgotten about it, and no one would bring it up with Huang Shi.

After hearing their account, Huang Shi immediately slumped into a chair, burying his face in his hands. If such a thing had happened, the Zhang family would have been utterly doomed; he couldn't even bear to imagine the Zhang family falling into the hands of the angry villagers.

When Huang Shi recovered from his daze, he discovered that Zhang Zaidi had disappeared. Huang Shi knew something was terribly wrong, but before he could even order a search, the military police captain, Hong Antong, stormed in, furious. As Huang Shi predicted, Zhang Zaidi stormed into Zhao Manxiong's room. Zhao Manxiong was chairing a meeting on Huang Shi's behalf when, without a word, Zhang Zaidi drew his knife and attacked.

Fortunately, he was subdued by Zhao Manxiong's men after only one strike, and the old camp's internal guards arrived and arrested him. Hong Antong arrived at the scene and ordered Zhang Zaidi detained while Zhao Manxiong was immediately taken to Hu Qingbai for treatment.

Huang Shi approved of Hong Antong's actions and even ordered the internal guards to imprison Zhang Zaidi. When he arrived at the military medical station, Hu Qingbai had already bandaged Zhao Manxiong's wounds. Seeing Zhao Manxiong unharmed a few days later brought Huang Shi a great sense of relief. This wasn't just because Zhao Manxiong was his chief strategist; Huang Shi was also happy for Zhang Zaidi, as he was now spared the consequences of his actions.

Zhang Zaidi and Zhao Manxiong sat on either side of Huang Shi. From the moment they entered, they remained silent, heads bowed, even after Huang Shi dismissed the guards. Huang Shi coughed and prepared to mediate, his approach as always: to take all the blame upon himself.

Unexpectedly, before he could even speak, Zhang Zaidi abruptly stood up, bowing respectfully to Zhao Manxiong: "Brother Manxiong, I was wrong last time. If you want to punish me, just name your terms, and I won't hesitate." Zhang Zaidi's stance

clearly surprised Zhao Manxiong as well. He quickly returned the bow, but he didn't know what to say. His actions had led to the massacre of the Zhang family, and now Zhang Zaidi was being so polite; he was caught in a dilemma. Just as

Zhao Manxiong began to ponder how to proceed, Huang Shi pressed his hands down, gesturing for them to sit down and listen to him. When Huang Shi first heard the news, he was also angry about Zhao Manxiong's actions. However, after calming down, he realized that his handling of the situation was indeed problematic. If his relationship with the Zhang family were disregarded, Zhao Manxiong's actions were truly responsible to all the soldiers.

Therefore, Huang Shi felt he bore a great deal of responsibility; his orders had been inappropriate, and ultimately, Zhao Manxiong was trying to rectify Huang Shi's mistake. Moreover, strict military discipline had not yet been established at that time. If Huang Shi were to make Zhao Manxiong take the blame, it would be unfair to Zhao Manxiong and would also dampen the morale of his subordinates.

As Huang Shi took full responsibility, Zhao Manxiong and Zhang Zaidi listened silently. After he finished speaking, Huang Shi first warned Zhao Manxiong against acting without authorization in the future. Otherwise, he would be severely punished according to the regulations. Then he said to Zhang Zaidi, "Little brother, I already owe your family a life, and now I've ruined your whole family. If you don't want to stay on Changsheng Island anymore, I can give you some money..."

"Brother, you don't need to say anything. It's no use saying this now." Zhang Zaidi sighed and interrupted Huang Shi. Huang Shi felt that whatever he did was futile, so he shut his mouth. After a moment of silence, Zhang Zaidi spoke again: "In the end, our enemy is the Jurchens. If it weren't for the Jurchens, none of this would have happened. We would still be good neighbors; if my mother hadn't betrayed my elder brother, none of this would have occurred."

"Younger brother..."

Zhang Zaidi continued, seemingly oblivious to his own words, "Elder brother, I'm a general now, and after serving by your side for so many years, I know how cunning the Jurchens are. Their words were meant to incite infighting. These past few days, while I was recovering from my injuries, I was still filled with lingering fear. If I had truly harmed Brother Manxiong, it would have been like cutting off one of your arms, and I probably wouldn't have had the chance to avenge myself against the Jurchens. That's what it means to grieve for loved ones and rejoice for enemies."

Although Zhang Zaidi's words reassured Huang Shi somewhat, he still felt a growing unease. However, given the tragedy of his entire family's annihilation, Huang Shi had no words of comfort to offer.

“I heard the Jurchens spread rumors again a couple of days ago, spreading more lies about you, brother. I knew I was terribly wrong; I'd fallen for their trap.” Zhang Zaidi took a deep breath, looked up at Huang Shi, his eyes filled with sorrow, but his expression was resolute. “Brother, don’t worry. I swear I won’t hold this against Brother Manxiong anymore, and I will never hold you back.” Faced

with this declaration, Huang Shi could only pat Zhang Zaidi’s shoulder, moved, and softly say, “Thanks, little brother.”

The new rumor Zhang Zaidi mentioned referred to the Later Jin propaganda about Huang Shi’s background.

Previously, Huang Shi claimed to be the son of a merchant from Kaiyuan, Liaodong. Now, the Later Jin propaganda also acknowledged that he was from Kaiyuan, but they added a story to Huang Shi’s tale. The Later Jin said that Huang Shi’s family was originally well-off, with an older brother and a wife, but Huang Shi’s older brother joined the Later Jin Han army, and his father-in-law also cooperated with the Later Jin regime. Huang Shi killed his elder brother in an argument and then strangled his wife, who refused to flee with him—two instances of righteous indignation against his own family in one day. His actions towards Sun Degong in Guangning marked the third time he had harmed his own relatives.

"It's already quite an achievement for a person to 'kill one's own family member once,' heh heh, now I've done it three times," Huang Shi said with a bitter smile to Zhao Manxiong and Zhang Zaidi. Huang Shi found it difficult to defend himself on this issue because his resume was fabricated, and he couldn't find any reliable witnesses. The more he tried to explain, the more skeptical people became.

Huang Shi couldn't even defend himself regarding the Zhang family. If he revealed that the Zhang family and the villagers of Liuhe had betrayed him, everyone would think that Huang Shi had once again "righteously killed the entire family of his savior." Because those people were dead, Huang Shi couldn't convince anyone that he hadn't intended to kill them.

"If someone really did betray their own family three or four times for the greater good, I think no one would dare to associate with them again," Huang Shi sighed.

The story fabricated by the Later Jin left him in a dilemma, unsure whether to defend himself or not. He decided to leave this thorny matter to Zhao Manxiong: "Brother Manxiong, I'm leaving this to you. Go back and think it over carefully, and tell me when you've come up with a plan."

Chapter 29: Undercurrents.

July 12th, Tianqi 6th year, Changsheng Island.

"This is the list of Jurchen spies infiltrating my Changsheng Island. Please take a look, sir." Zhao Manxiong handed Huang Shi a report listing over twenty men and women, six of whom had infiltrated Changsheng Island, and the remaining dozen or so were recruits from these spies. Each name was followed by their rank.

Huang Shi carefully reviewed the list and, finding no one who had infiltrated key positions, put it down with satisfaction. "Hmm, what about our people?"

"Our personnel list, please review it, sir." Zhao Manxiong handed over a thick report containing over eighty names, including individuals from various key departments such as the Internal Security, Military Intelligence, Military Law, and Training Corps. About ten percent of the names were officers.

"Most of these people operate independently; they are unaware of our entire intelligence network." For the past six months, Huang Shi had entrusted Zhao Manxiong with overseeing the Internal Security intelligence work. Zhao Manxiong believed that with such a large island as Changsheng Island and such strict military regulations, there must be countless individuals who disagreed with the regulations. Zhang Zaidi's original confessional records from the church fully supported Zhao Manxiong's view.

In Zhao Manxiong's view, these resentful people couldn't be completely eliminated, and Changsheng Island couldn't stop the officers and soldiers from complaining all the time. However, these people who liked to complain were the ones who were potentially easy to bribe by the enemy. Therefore, Zhao Manxiong fabricated one opposition group after another, each expressing dissatisfaction with different policies on Changsheng Island.

"No matter how well the adults handle things, no matter how thoughtfully they consider things, there will always be a few dissatisfied people. And given enough time, they will definitely form small groups with common ground. I think it's better for us to create these groups ourselves than to wait for them to form them on their own; this will make them easier to control," Zhao Manxiong said when he presented his entire plan to Huang Shi. Huang Shi greatly appreciated this idea. It's better to release the flood than to block it; prevention is better than cure. Most of the dissatisfied officers and soldiers were just grumbling. Besides the loyalist, patriotic, and Catholic groups, having another organization to listen to complaints wouldn't be a bad thing.

Aside from being a bit slow-paced, Zhao the guerrilla commander was quite capable. A virtual resistance group has now been established on Changsheng Island. Those most vocal in their attacks on Huang Shi's marriage and military regulations are actually informants within the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau. Zhao Manxiong codenamed this virtual internal resistance group "The Werewolves of Changsheng Island."

Once the "Werewolves of Changsheng Island" group was fully formed, Zhao Manxiong quickly used it to observe some suspicious individuals. These were all particularly active members, not only actively contacting disgruntled officers and soldiers but also always trying to act as their confidants and listeners.

"Excellent. We now have the Jurchen spies basically in our hands," Huang Shi said, flipping through another document Zhao Manxiong was handling. It contained intelligence that the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau was preparing to leak to the Later Jin. Zhao Manxiong and Li Yunrui had painstakingly broken down the large volume of intelligence into fragments and then leaked them through different people.

These fragments might eventually be compiled and sent to the Later Jin. Zhao Manxiong intended to make his opponents play a jigsaw puzzle; he believed that easily obtained complete military intelligence would arouse suspicion. It would be better to provide the enemy with various vague fragments of intelligence, some of which should be contradictory. Only then can the Later Jin side fully trust the military intelligence they deduce on their own.

After proudly accepting Huang Shi's praise, Zhao Manxiong smiled and said, "I was worried they wouldn't be able to deduce it. After all, we have a Military Intelligence Division that does this every day; the Jurchens might not have one."

"That's your problem then. Make a set of regulations."

Huang Shi had long admitted that his intelligence was insufficient to compete with the top minds of this era. Therefore, his first reaction was to establish a set of rules, record the lessons learned, and form a system to combat the enemy.

Zhao Manxiong had followed Huang Shi for so many years and was already accustomed to and agreed with Huang Shi's method. He confidently replied, "Your Excellency's insight is brilliant. I am currently working on this. I believe that if the Jurchens understand what we want them to see, they will try to confirm it or devise corresponding countermeasures; if they do not understand, then the Jurchens will try to gather more military intelligence. Therefore, we can infer our effectiveness based on the Jurchens' reactions, record these, and thus understand the Jurchens' ability to piece together fragments. This should also be the basis for our army's regulations."

"Well said."

Ever since removing Zhao Manxiong from the position of Chief of Staff, Huang Shi felt that he was roughly equivalent to the Minister of the "No Matter What," or perhaps the Minister of the "All-Round Management Department." In any case, when Huang Shi was too busy, he would send Zhao Manxiong to handle specific matters. Currently, Zhao Manxiong is in charge of reorganizing the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau.

The Changsheng Island Internal Security Bureau also seems to need some reorganization. Just as Huang Shi was considering whether he could remove Zhao Manxiong from the "Werewolf" organization... The latter then produced two more reports: "Sir, I have two more lists here. Please take a look."

Huang Shi took the two thin pieces of paper, each with several names written on it. Like the previous two lists, each name was followed by a specific position, but the annotations below were completely different. This made Huang Shi hesitate for a while before looking up and asking, "Are you sure?"

"Based on the intelligence they gathered and their contacts, I have basically confirmed their identities. One group is gathering intelligence for the Liaodong Military Command, and the other is secretly gathering information for Military Supervisor Wu. However, given the strong defenses of my Changsheng Island, they have no reliable sources of information." Zhao Manxiong was referring to these people as mere soldiers, probably bribed with petty gains.

Huang Shi remembered that his inner guard system also had relevant secret records, so after a moment's thought, he said to Zhao Manxiong, "Although we always pretend not to see the court's surveillance system, the inner guard has actually noticed it and has even secretly recorded some information behind Eunuch Wu's back. You can check this with Hong Antong."

"Yes, sir, that's the issue I wanted to address."

Zhao Manxiong pointed out to Huang Shi: According to the Changsheng Island regulations, the Military Intelligence Bureau is responsible for dealing with the Later Jin. The information obtained is not kept secret from Wu Mu; while intelligence on the Ming Dynasty is managed by the inner guard. Although Wu Mu has also interfered with the inner guard, there are some core secrets he has never known. Therefore, for security reasons, the inner guard's intelligence is not open to the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau.

This werewolf system was originally created to deal with the Later Jin, but as it began to operate, it also uncovered the spies of the Liaodong Military Command, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, thus creating a jurisdictional problem.

"Either place this system under the Internal Security Department, or under the Military Intelligence Department. For the sake of both secrecy and streamlining, I believe we must change the current situation of internal checks and balances."

"Hmm, that makes sense. So, which department do you think should manage it, the Military Intelligence Department or the Internal Security Department?"

"The Military Intelligence Department." Zhao Manxiong answered without hesitation. He had already given this matter considerable thought before coming to see Huang Shi.

"Why?"

"Your Excellency is wise..."

It seemed that Zhao Manxiong had indeed given this matter much thought. Facing Huang Shi's question, he appeared confident. His answer was very fluent: "The members of the 'Werewolves of Changsheng Island' are all subordinates of the Military Intelligence Department. Moreover, this organization was originally created under the planning of the Military Intelligence Department from the beginning. All the officers in charge at all levels are now under the command of the Military Intelligence Department. Therefore, Zhao Manxiong believes that incorporating the 'Werewolves' organization into the Military Intelligence Department is completely reasonable and efficient."

As for secrecy, Zhao Manxiong didn't think it was a big problem. He figured they could simply assign someone to handle the information on the Liaodong Military Command, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Eastern Depot. He even suggested transferring personnel from the Inner Guard who had previously handled related matters to the Military Intelligence Bureau. Since the Inner Guard could do it before, the Military Intelligence Bureau could too, and it wouldn't increase the number of informants.

Zhao Manxiong explained his reasons in detail, and Huang Shi, after listening, also felt there were no major issues. However, hastily agreeing wasn't Huang Shi's habit, nor was it in line with the practices of Changsheng Island. Now that Zhao Manxiong was the direct manager of the Military Intelligence Bureau, Huang Shi instructed him: "Write down these reasons and give them to me for careful review. If there are no major problems, I will give them to Hong Antong, who will hand over the personnel and files to you."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. There's one more thing, regarding the rumors about the Jurchens. I asked you to think about it last time; have you made any progress?"

"My lord, I think it's best if we don't speak about this matter, lest we arouse further suspicion." Zhao Manxiong felt there was no good solution. The more you argue about this kind of thing, the worse it gets; it only makes things worse. Therefore, Zhao Manxiong believed the best approach was to ignore it, either by pretending not to hear or by adopting a dismissive attitude.

Huang Shi smiled bitterly upon hearing this: "How I wish I could be still, but the wind won't stop. I just received news from the court. A censor has already impeached me for inhumanity."

"The court? A censor? Impeaching you for inhumanity?"

"Yes, a censor has reported this on the hearsay. He wants me to explain whether I killed my elder brother and wife, and if so, he wants me to explain my reasons for killing them. Heh heh, the rumors from the Jurchen lands have already spread throughout the capital."

Seeing Zhao Manxiong's stunned expression, Huang Shi sneered again: "If it were just the Jurchens spreading the rumor unilaterally, the censor wouldn't have much confidence in impeaching him. But the problem is that the Liaodong Military Command is also saying so, so the impact will be huge."

Zhao Manxiong realized what was going on. He leaned closer to Huang Shi and whispered, "Is it that dog Yuan?"

"Who else could it be but that traitor Yuan Chonghuan?"

After the rumors originated from the Later Jin at the beginning of the month, Yuan Chonghuan immediately wrote a passionate memorial to the court, praising Huang Shi's repeated acts of selflessness in putting family members before his own. In the memorial, Yuan Chonghuan not only immediately acknowledged Huang Shi's "righteous deeds," but also vividly described them. After Yuan Chonghuan's artistic embellishment, the Later Jin's originally somewhat dry rumors became much more lifelike.

First, Huang Shi recounted his legendary adventures: arguing with his traitorous elder brother in Kaiyuan, then righteously executing him; strangling his wife with his bare hands before smothering her with a blanket; and his verbal battle with the crowd at Liuhe, ultimately fighting his way out of his savior's house. Yuan Chonghuan described these adventures as if he had witnessed them firsthand, even praising Huang Shi's "genuine character"!

As he spoke, Huang Shi burst into laughter. After finishing his narration, he couldn't help but exclaim, "It's such a waste that Yuan Chonghuan isn't a storyteller!"

Zhao Manxiong, of course, knew many of the inside stories of Huang Shi and Yuan Chonghuan, and he was also well aware of Huang Shi's opinion of Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Chonghuan's seemingly complimentary words concealed malicious intent. Although Huang Shi laughed, Zhao Manxiong's face remained expressionless: "If the Liaodong governor is truly as you say, then he is utterly shameless."

Huang Shi's smile vanished, and he coldly snorted, "Just a small test."

Perhaps Zhao Manxiong was clever, but Huang Shi understood the personalities of historical figures far better, thus his view of Yuan Chonghuan was far more insightful. The course of history may differ, but a person's character remains largely unchanged. Huang Shi had once compared Yuan Chonghuan to Qin Hui. When Qin Hui killed Yue Fei at Fengbo Pavilion, the fabricated charges he used were utterly shameless, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to accuse Yue Fei of "strongly advocating for peace negotiations."

The "national hero" Yuan Chonghuan, whom the slave chieftain Hongli (Emperor Tianqi) erected for the Han people, was far too powerful. Not only did he flatter the eunuch faction, but he also managed to pin his own disgraceful deeds on Mao Wenlong, who was known for his incorruptibility. He claimed that Mao Wenlong had secretly recognized Wei Zhongxian as his godfather, hiding it from everyone except Yuan Chonghuan, and that Mao Wenlong must have erected a statue of Wei Zhongxian on some unknown deserted island, unbeknownst to anyone except Yuan Chonghuan.

Therefore, Huang Shi felt that in terms of "shamelessness," even Prime Minister Qin Hui would have to admit defeat before Yuan Chonghuan. Thus, when Huang Shi saw Yuan Chonghuan's fabricated stories in his memorials during his two audiences with Emperor Tianqi, his feeling afterward was not "So that's how it is," but rather "It's exactly as expected."

Huang Shi suppressed his mockery, tapped the table thoughtfully, and explained his thoughts to Zhao Manxiong: "Yuan Chonghuan's actions won't be a fatal blow to me, because just as I have no evidence that I didn't kill my elder brother, Yuan Chonghuan and the censors also have no evidence that I killed him. My own denial is far more powerful than the Jurchen rumors. But the key isn't here, but in the Emperor's opinion." The

current Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is a kind and honest young man who trusts those around him and hasn't yet had much opportunity to witness the wickedness of human nature. Tianqi has treated his foster mother, Consort Li, his wet nurse, Madam Ke, his teacher, Sun Chengzong, his old servant, Wei Zhongxian, and his younger brother, Prince Xin, very well, so he naturally assumes everyone should be the same.

Furthermore, Tianqi isn't a very opinionated person. As these rumors continue to spread, Tianqi will certainly be affected; as the saying goes, "three men can make a tiger." Huang Shi reiterated his old argument: if the person sitting in the seat of power were someone like Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor), he wouldn't worry about these words being detrimental to him, because Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't care about Huang Shi's personal morality. As long as Huang Shi could win battles and be controlled by the emperor, there wouldn't be any problems.

But Tianqi wasn't such a cold-blooded pragmatist. With his kind heart, he would definitely feel disgusted by Huang Shi's actions. Huang Shi also deeply suspected that an honest young man like Tianqi was easily influenced by his personal emotions when making decisions, thus making unwise judgments.

"The key now is the emperor. As long as the emperor believes I did it... no. As long as the emperor doubts that I might have done it, then the emperor's trust in me will be greatly diminished." Huang Shi said, spreading his hands, a helpless expression on his face. Huang Shi wasn't a civil official and couldn't gain the support of the civil officials across the country. Huang Shi also didn't intend to flatter Wei Zhongxian, so Tianqi's personal goodwill was Huang Shi's biggest reliance in suppressing Yuan Chonghuan's arrogance.

“Yuan Chonghuan’s assessment is indeed accurate. Your advantage lies in your position in the Emperor’s eyes, which is why the Emperor supported your independence from civil officials during the Liaoxi campaign, and why the court did not pursue the matter of you taking away Juehua’s inventory… Hmm, currently there are no civil officials supervising the army in Dongjiang Town, and the cabinet is unwilling to allocate military pay and provisions. If you want to lead your troops to Liaozhong, you can only rely on the Emperor’s support.”

“Yes.”

“Let me go back and think about it some more,” Zhao Manxiong paused, then added, “However, I think the Liaodong governor’s plan has no major flaws. I dare not say I can come up with a countermeasure.”

“I also think it has no flaws. You go and think about it first. I won’t blame you if you can’t come up with one.”

“Yes, sir.”

On July 14th of the sixth year of Tianqi,

“The Jurchens have sent a secret envoy?” Huang Shi asked, his eyebrows involuntarily rising, his tone both surprised and disdainful.

"Yes." Only Hong Antong and Huang Shi were in the room. "How to deal with this person? Please advise, sir."

This envoy had traversed mountains and valleys, taking only small paths, carrying his own provisions and water, bypassing Fuzhou until he reached Beixin Pass before revealing his identity to the fire brigade patrol.

"Impressive." After hearing the envoy's adventurous story, Huang Shi couldn't help but praise him, then his tone became reproachful: "From Fuzhou to Gaizhou, I remember there were patrols, and the reconnaissance along this route was handled by the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau. How could the Jurchens have managed to reach Beixin Pass?"

"There must have been a spy leading the way. If sir permits, I can definitely get this person to talk."

"No need to rush. Bring him to me first." Huang Shi planned to ask Zhao Manxiong first, to see if his "werewolf" organization knew anything about this.

"Yes, sir."

—The

following is not counted. This humble work is a historical fiction, not a fantasy novel. I have seen some claims that the first two sections of this book drastically alter history. If this is indeed the case, I hope those who criticize me can provide detailed evidence so that I can correct these errors. Thank you very much.

Due to space constraints, I will briefly explain the arguments presented in the first two sections later. If there are any problems, please feel free to point them out.

Yuan Chonghuan's request to build a shrine in his honor and Mao Wenlong's petition to redress the grievances of Zuo Guangdou and others are both from the Veritable Records of Emperor Xizong. How can this be considered historical alteration?

Moreover, besides Mao Wenlong's advocacy for the Donglin Party, the Donglin leader Qian Qianyi also wrote a poem praising Mao Wenlong: "

Raising drums and flags at the head of the Yalu River, Through countless battles, the army's might is strengthened. Under the clear

sky, he pledged his unwavering loyalty, Barehandedly capturing a traitorous general.

In the still of the night, beacon fires reached Deer Island; Under the bright moon, arrows were passed over Tuofan.

All those who feasted on meat were his subjects; In the remote lands, we see him lying in iron armor.

" How can this be considered a claim that Mao Wenlong was a member of the eunuch faction?

Local officials and military officers vied to build shrines for Wei Zhongxian and recognize him as their godfather. The names of all these people were recorded in the Veritable Records of Emperor Xizong. Mao Wenlong was not among them, so how can it be said that the author tampered with history?

How could the censors and officials of the Ming Dynasty not be impeached for recognizing Wei Zhongxian as their godfather? How could it be that no one in the world knew about it?

The claim that Mao Wenlong erected a crown for Wei Zhongxian on an unknown deserted island—besides Yuan Chonghuan's own account, what other source is there? Moreover, Yuan Chonghuan didn't even mention the island's name; with hundreds upon hundreds of islands in Liaodong, where would they find such a statue?

The

Jin envoy had been thoroughly searched. After Huang Shi changed into his armor, Hong Antong personally led him in, then quietly stepped back to Huang Shi's side as a guard, handing him the secret letter the envoy carried.

"Peace talks?" Huang Shi sneered after reading the letter, casually tossing it aside. "Did your master send you here to die?"

"General Huang, I'm here to deliver a confidential message." The man paused, looking up at Hong Antong and the others beside Huang Shi.

"Speak quickly," Huang Shi said impatiently.

"Your humble servant obeys." The Jin envoy kowtowed again, then spoke rapidly without raising his head: "The Grand Commander of Jianzhou Guard sends his regards to Commander Huang of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Emperor is wise and virtuous, but many of his close attendants are treacherous. Commander Huang is invincible and will surely be feared by petty villains, and may be in danger of being discarded like a bow after the birds are all gone."

After finishing this in one breath, the envoy looked up and glanced at the people in front of him. Huang Shi, who sat in the center, was expressionless. Hong Antong behind him kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word. Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude, who were listening on either side of Huang Shi, stared at the envoy's face, seemingly waiting to hear what he would say next.

Encouraged, the envoy's confidence swelled, and his voice rose slightly: "The Grand Commandant of Jianzhou Guard conveys his message to Commander Huang of the Great Ming: As long as my country exists, Commander Huang exists; as long as my country perishes, Commander Huang perishes with me."

Having said this, the envoy straightened up, gazing expectantly at Huang Shi. The latter gave a soft "hmm" and asked in a calm voice, "Have you finished saying everything?"

The envoy's face paled, and he hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "Even if Commander Huang wishes to use my head to gain a noble title, I beg you to cease hostilities. My country is truly Commander Huang's stepping stone to advancement; why must you press this so hard?"

"It seems you've finished,"

Huang Shi leaned back in his chair. With a wave of his arm, Hong Antong behind him shouted, "Yes, sir!"

Several guards rushed into the camp, and Hong Antong directed them to tie up the envoy, drag him away, and lock him in a cell. After Hong Antong left... Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked at Huang Shi: "There's a trap here!" "

Indeed, the Jurchens have occupied Liaozhong and Jianzhou, and although they have suffered repeated setbacks at our hands, they are definitely not in this predicament." Huang Shi picked up the letter he had just tossed aside and examined it carefully. After a long while, he handed it to Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude with a puzzled look: "But why are the Jurchens so obsequious? What is their intention?"

"A delaying tactic?" Jin Qiude suggested a possibility. After Chen Jisheng captured Jianzhou, the situation in Liaodong became much worse for the Later Jin. Nurhaci, leading sixty banners from each Niru, along with the four Beile and the Eight Banners troops, rushed back to Jianzhou and was engaged in fierce fighting with the Dongjiang Army along the Suzi River. However,

Chen Jisheng had initially occupied all the strategic locations between Sarhu and Hetu Ala. The terrain there was treacherous, and there were no wide official roads to travel on. Therefore, the Later Jin army could only advance along the Suzi River, gradually squeezing the Dongjiang Army out of Jianzhou. Therefore, the Later Jin army's progress was very slow.

When the Dongjiang headquarters sent a report in July, the Ming army was still putting up a series of resistances in the hilly and jungle areas east of the Suzi River. In this terrain, which was only suitable for small-scale operations, the Later Jin army could not exert its strength. Several large-scale attacks only pushed the Ming army back a little towards Kuandian, without any fear of being encircled and annihilated.

"Perhaps, but our army is currently training troops. We cannot attack Liaozhong. In addition, our army is simply incapable of attacking Liaozhong. The last attack on Haizhou almost depleted our reserves." "Then

how does Your Excellency intend to handle this matter?"

"Hand the messenger over to Eunuch Wu for safekeeping, and then have the Embroidered Uniform Guard bind him and send him to the capital. This is always the safest course of action." Huang Shi thought it over and over. He absolutely could not reply to the letter from the Jurchens. To avoid giving others grounds for criticism. Of course, he also absolutely could not kill the messenger, to avoid being accused of "killing to silence him." The most cautious way was to send him to the capital, so that no one could say anything.

"My lord, I think this is not a good idea." Jin Qiude and the others all knew that Huang Shi always listened to advice. Therefore, they didn't keep their differing opinions to themselves: "The saying goes, 'When two countries are at war, envoys are not to be killed.' Although the Jurchens are not an enemy of our Great Ming, if we can kill their envoys today, the Jurchens can kill our envoys tomorrow. Since Commander Xiong took charge of Liaodong affairs, apart from envoys who have been persuaded to surrender, our Great Ming civil and military officials have never made things difficult for envoys who have submitted letters, and the Jurchens have never made things difficult for our envoys either."

Huang Shi was always willing to exchange views with his subordinates, so he answered without hesitation: "Brother Jin is right. Our Great Ming does indeed generally not make things difficult for Jurchen envoys who have submitted letters. But I think this situation should be changed. Changsheng Island will not accept any terms other than the Jurchens' surrender, and if the Jurchens really want to surrender, they will not be afraid of death and refuse to come."

Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong clasped their fists together: "Your Excellency's insight is profound, your subordinates understand."

...

After sending the Jurchen envoy and letter to Wu Mu, Eunuch Wu was somewhat surprised. He felt that treating a envoy who had submitted a letter in this way was making a mountain out of a molehill. However, since Huang Shi had this opinion, Wu Mu went along with it and sent Zhang Gaosheng to escort the envoy to Dengzhou.

Huang Shi felt that this envoy's arrival was not so simple; it was likely part of the Later Jin's propaganda offensive. If he were to let him go without being careful, who knew what other tricks the other side might have up their sleeve? These were turbulent times, and Huang Shi thought it best to be cautious to avoid trouble.

Although he knew the Later Jin's main force had shifted eastward, Huang Shi was helpless regarding Liaozhong. Because Dongjiang Town lacked civil officials to supervise it, the court remained wary of it, unwilling to provide more military pay and provisions to avoid another border warlord like those after the Tang Dynasty. However, the poor relationship between Mao Wenlong and the Shandong civil officials continued. With his repeated attacks on Shandong officials for embezzling his supplies over the past two years, the antagonism between the two sides intensified.

Not long ago, when Zhen Yucun came to Changsheng Island, he hinted to Huang Shi that the Shandong civil officials hoped Mao Wenlong would leave as soon as possible. They all supported Huang Shi taking over the Dongjiang Army. Adhering to the principle of never offending anyone, Huang Shi also hinted that once he became the Dongjiang Commander-in-Chief, he would not only avoid making things difficult for Dengzhou regarding the allowances, but would also agree to allow Shandong civil officials to send someone to supervise the Dongjiang garrison.

Recently, Mao Wenlong's petition to redress the grievances of the Donglin Party had offended even the eunuch faction. Although Wu Mu didn't mention the issue of establishing a shrine for living people, his implication was that he wanted to find a way to promote Huang Shi to Commander-in-Chief. Huang Shi didn't respond to this, because he believed that no one truly liked ungrateful people. Therefore, Huang Shi clearly stated that unless Mao Wenlong was promoted to Liaodong Commander-in-Chief, he would never request to open a garrison, much less attempt to be on equal footing with Mao Wenlong.

Since Mao Wenlong had already shouldered the main responsibility, Huang Shi felt it would be too dishonorable to kick him in the back. Furthermore, Wu Mu greatly admired those who were grateful for their past kindness, and Huang Shi even suspected that Wei Zhongxian, who was behind Wu Mu, valued such people who did not forget old favors. Therefore, the eunuch faction no longer forced Huang Shi to leave Dongjiang Town.

Changsheng Island's war budget for this year was 100,000 taels of silver, but the last attack on Haizhou cost nearly 70,000 taels of silver. The remaining budget was only enough for some simple military mobilizations in the second half of the year, and there was no capacity for large-scale offensives. The Dongjiang Left Army was now increasingly distant from the main force, and their fighting styles were quite different. This caused Huang Shi's expenses to increase with each battle, which gave him a great headache.

To save costs, Changsheng Island decided to further reduce the proportion of cavalry in its forces. The new organization of the fire brigade after the Battle of Haizhou was deemed satisfactory, so Changsheng Island decided that each future field battalion should be equipped with eight 400-man infantry units, one 200-man cavalry unit, and one artillery unit. In addition, there would be a 400-man engineer unit and a 1000-man supply unit, totaling 5000 men.

From then on, the battalion guards and reconnaissance cavalry units would all be included in the cavalry unit organization. Once economic conditions permitted, the artillery units would be expanded to ten artillery groups. The engineer and supply units would also be equipped with proper tools. Changsheng Island now possessed a large number of experienced veterans, and officers at all levels were confident in using infantry to directly confront cavalry, so Huangshi prioritized cost-saving measures.

Although Changsheng Island had made every effort to reduce military expenditures, with the increasing professionalization of its field forces, Huangshi could no longer rely on fighting for profit like the headquarters, except for necessary military mobilization expenses. Long Life Island's equipment shortage has reached an appalling level.

The most pressing issue is armor. If Huang Shi were to reorganize all three battalions to their theoretical strength, he would need at least 11,000 suits of armor. Although Long Life Island has made every effort to repair every damaged piece of iron armor, the current stock has dropped to 2,400 sets. The Firefighting Battalion, which has expanded to 5,000 men, currently only has 800 sets.

To cope with the armor crisis, the Firefighting, Rock, and Vanguard Battalions have re-equipped their troops with various captured armors, but the Firefighting Battalion's infantry equipment rate is still less than half. To address this problem, Long Life Island has adopted a system where the front ranks wear full armor, while the rear ranks only wear helmets.

While musket production is still acceptable, manufacturing the tools needed for engineers will take a long time. Bao Bowen can only guarantee that one battalion's engineer team in the Firefighting Battalion will be operational by September. As for the equipment needed by the Firefighting Battalion's artillery, and the artillery and engineer equipment missing from the other two battalions, those are simply a distant prospect.

Despite knowing there was a huge equipment shortage, Huang Shi still had to order the military industry department to produce a new type of equipment—a breastplate. At the beginning of the month, the hydraulic rolling mill, after half a year of work, finally successfully rolled out steel plates one to two millimeters thick. Three days ago, Bao Bowen finally managed to produce a steel mold with a passable hardness, and used it to forge a breastplate.

This breastplate weighed approximately thirteen pounds. Adding the chainmail vest, shoulder armor, and iron gloves, it weighed about eighteen pounds. Compared to the thirty-two-pound iron scale armor standard from Changsheng Island, the total weight was slightly lighter. If the shoulder armor and sleeves were removed, the iron scale vest weighed about twenty pounds, making them roughly equivalent. A twenty-pound iron scale vest contained about twelve pounds of iron; the rest was leather and raw rubber, thus the breastplate offered significantly stronger protection.

The thickest part of this breastplate is nearly two millimeters thick, capable of protecting against infantry arrows fired from over five meters away. While attacks within five meters might penetrate the curved outer shell of the breastplate, the arrows lose their power after tearing through the steel, posing no harm to the scarecrow inside. Matchlock guns and swords are also largely ineffective against this breastplate.

He Dingyuan personally took a long spear and tried to pierce the armor. After several attacks, he concluded: "It's very uncomfortable. When you pierce it, it feels like pushing the entire armor and the person inside backward, similar to piercing a mountain armor. Unless there's something blocking from behind, it's difficult to kill someone instantly."

"Of course, this breastplate, like the mountain armor, is hard armor, and it's quite effective against spears." Huang Shi personally poked the breastplate a few times with his sword, but either the sword slipped away or the scarecrow and breastplate were pushed aside together. It couldn't penetrate the body.

"It's good, but once it's pierced, how do you repair this breastplate?" He Dingyuan asked, stroking the hole in the breastplate. Scale armor can be repaired simply by nailing a new scale onto the cowhide; while mountain armor is complex to assemble, it can be repaired by replacing it with better plates; this breastplate, however, is much more difficult to fix, and will likely have to be sent back to the blacksmith to

have iron patches made in the holes. "Anyway, it was forged using a water-powered forging press, so if it's really broken, we can just melt it down and reforge it." Historically, the main point of contention between plate armor and scale armor was whether human life or armor was cheaper. Huang Shi always believed that human life was more precious, especially those veteran soldiers who had seen much of the battlefield. Now, water-powered machinery had greatly reduced the cost of plate armor, so Huang Shi had decided to equip his soldiers with breastplates.

"However, although this armor is good, we still can't afford it right now," Huang Shi casually replied, then forcefully swung his sword a few more times at the breastplate, only adding a few scratches. Huang Shi pulled He Dingyuan back, and the technical soldiers of Changsheng Island were about to conduct the final test when a 24mm caliber musket roared. The two-millimeter-thick breastplate was easily pierced like cardboard, leaving a bowl-sized hole in the scarecrow.

"Very good, I'm relieved. Let's forge a hundred breastplates first." Huang Shi nodded in satisfaction. The complete set of machinery for making the plate armor had cost Huang Shi tens of thousands of taels of silver. How to recoup the costs had been a long-standing concern for him, and he already had a preliminary plan. He turned to Bao Bowen and asked, "Brother Bao, how much silver does it cost to make a set of breastplates?"

"Replying to you, sir, the materials won't cost too much silver, but it's hard to say how long the mold will last."

"According to Gao Li..."

"Your Excellency, a set of breastplates costs about one hundred taels of silver. If you add the matching shoulder armor, arm armor, and chainmail vest, it will cost at least fifty taels of silver. Speaking of which, the chainmail vest isn't very useful, but it's quite expensive." "

That much? Is that the cost calculated based on forging only one hundred sets of breastplates?"

"Yes."

"Good, send twenty sets to Liu Qingyang in Japan. I heard the Red Hairs sell these for three hundred taels of gold each there. I don't want that much; two hundred or one hundred and fifty taels of gold is acceptable."

"Yes, sir, but the Japanese buy them very beautifully finished. The Red Hairs gild them with gold and silver, and add many fancy accessories. If we sell them like this, we probably won't get a good price."

"Then find a few cloisonné enamel makers, make it as ornate as possible, use filigree enamel, gilded background, everything. Tell Liu Qingyang not to limit himself to Choshu, but to the Japanese shogunate, Kanazawa Domain, Satsuma Domain, everywhere. After selling this batch, we'll ship a second and a third batch, gradually lowering the price. In the end, as long as we don't lose money, I'll sell it for two hundred taels of silver. Remember to establish a brand, operate it as a cultural and fashion brand, create this trend in Japan."

"Yes, sir."

"Take the remaining thirty sets and send them to Marshal Mao's horse market. There are many Mongol princes there, and I've heard many of them are quite wealthy. But under no circumstances should the price be lowered here. I absolutely do not want to see the Jurchen armored soldiers equipped with breastplates before our army."

"This subordinate understands, sir, rest assured."

"Also, send one set to Marshal Mao and Vice General Chen. See who needs to be sent, and give me a list."

"Yes, sir."

Once sold, the costs of the waterwheel, rolling mill, and forging machine would be recovered. "Brother Bao, if we don't count these machines, how much does each set of breastplate cost?"

"First, the wrought iron is rolled into plates, then carburized into steel. After that, it's roughly machined into a blank using a forging machine, and then the blacksmith uses his hand and foot-operated hammer to finish the shaping..." Bao Bowen recited the process smoothly, even using the term carburizing, which had just been introduced to the Ming Dynasty from Europe. The Changsheng Island breastplate consisted of two pieces, front and back, connected by a pin. "It will definitely not exceed ten taels." "

Ten taels?" Although Huang Shi knew that large-scale production using machines could greatly reduce costs, this figure still surprised him greatly. He paused for a moment before hurriedly asking, "It's cheaper than the worst leather and cotton armor, is that right?"

"Yes."

...

July 28th, Tianqi 6th year, Zhongdao.

Bao Bowen was accompanying Huang Shi on an inspection of the large amount of equipment on Zhongdao Island. Right before their eyes, three more windmills were breaking ground. According to Bao Bowen's calculations, each windmill would cost approximately two thousand taels of silver, and once completed, it would earn Changsheng Island over thirty taels of silver daily. After deducting depreciation and maintenance costs, it would net an average of about twenty taels of silver per day, breaking even in just three months. At

lunchtime, Zhao Manxiong came to see Huang Shi and whispered in his ear, "News has come from the capital again, and it's very bad." "Okay, I understand." Huang Shi looked up at Zhao Manxiong's serious face, then lowered his head again to pick up his rice bowl. "But at least wait until I finish eating before we talk. No official business during lunchtime; this is the military regulation of Changsheng Island. As the commander of an army, I cannot break the law." After lunch, Huang Shi didn't rush back to the island but continued his inspection of Zhongdao Island as planned. Several wide canals have now been dug on the island, connecting reservoirs on and below the mountain, powering several waterwheels. On both sides of the canals are windmills that work day and night to carry water up the mountain for the canals. In addition, two windmills have been built by the sea to produce sea salt. "When you come back in a few years, I will definitely follow these canals..." Bao Bowen first pointed to the canals, then waved his hand across the entire island: "I will definitely dig canals all over this island, cover it with waterwheels, and build windmills even denser than the forests on Changsheng Island!" "Good, good. Brother Bao is truly my right-hand man." After Huang Shi finished speaking, he looked at Fan Leyou, the technical advisor for the windmills and waterwheels on Zhongdao Island: "Brother Fan has also worked hard. I have also petitioned for your merit in the Battle of Haizhou. You will definitely be promoted to the position of Deputy Commander of Jinzhou Guard." Although Zhongdao Island is much smaller than Changsheng Island, its population of men and women has now reached 50,000. This is mainly because Huang Shi used the excuse that Liaonan was unsafe to relocate all the civilians and military households to Changsheng Island. There simply wasn't enough land on Changsheng Island and Zhongdao Island for the people to farm. In fact, Huang Shi even tried to prevent them from farming, sending them all to work as laborers. Those with skills manufactured weapons and smelted iron and steel; those without skills dug canals, built kilns, and repaired windmills and waterwheels. Now, Zhongdao, a small island with little arable land, provided over 70% of Changsheng Island's economic resources and manufactured about 90% of Huangshi's munitions, ships, and clothing. After completing his tour of Zhongdao as planned, Huangshi, along with Zhao Manxiong and Hong Antong, returned to their old camp on Changsheng Island. Exhausted, Huangshi entered his camp, first brewing a pot of tea, then pouring himself a full cup. He then comfortably leaned back in his chair, drinking water as he spoke to Zhao Manxiong: "Speak, I'm listening." A dozen days ago, after detaining the Later Jin envoy, Changsheng Island sent him to Tianjin. According to the escorts, the Later Jin envoy changed his story when given his testimony in Tianjin, insisting that Nurhaci genuinely surrendered. He also claimed that Huangshi heartlessly abandoned his betrothed wife. Back at the old camp on Changsheng Island, from the moment he sat in the central command chair, Huang Shi knew his subordinates wouldn't tell him anything pleasant. He was mentally prepared for this and thought he wouldn't be surprised by any rumors. Unfortunately, when Huang Shi heard this part, he found his composure was still somewhat lacking: "Abandoning his betrothed wife, what is this talk about?" "He's referring to Miss Zhao. The Jurchens say that when you were on the Juehua battlefield, you were confident of victory, so you brought your betrothed wife to the battlefield. But when the battle became critical, you abandoned her and ran away." Huang Shi was completely defeated by the humor of the Jurchens. He accidentally choked on his tea, hurriedly put the teacup back on the table, and coughed for a while before he could catch his breath: "The Jurchens really dare to say that, really dare to say that. I've been in the army for six years, during which time I've encountered countless bloody battles. How could I possibly bring my wife to the battlefield? That's utterly ridiculous." "It is indeed laughable." Although he said this, there wasn't even a trace of a smile on Zhao Manxiong's face. Huang Shi also forgot to smile. He subconsciously reached out and patted his helmet on the table. The lingering smile on his lips was now tinged with increasing sarcasm: "Aim high, and you'll achieve something. The Jurchens only need to confirm that I didn't save anyone. Hmph, if someone defends me, embellishes the story, and portrays me as someone who sacrificed family for the sake of soldiers, then it will be perfect." "You're right, sir. I was worried about that too. Hmm, we have another one ready-made." "Hmph, no need to mention that corrupt official Yuan. What else did the envoy say?" "My lord, you are wise. The envoy also said that the Jurchens were determined to surrender and were willing to return Miss Zhao. However, you were only interested in border merit and thus cruelly rejected their peace request." Huang Shi shook his head repeatedly, his face full of disapproval. "I have always been firmly opposed to peace talks. The Emperor and the court have long known this stance. No matter how eloquent the Jurchen envoy is, he cannot sway me in the slightest. Furthermore, what this envoy said to Eunuch Wu is clearly inconsistent with what he said in Tianjin. Even if he insists that I threatened him, with Eunuch Wu as a witness, the court will be more inclined to believe me." "My lord is right. I also find it strange, which is why I am so uneasy. I suspect the Jurchens must have a backup plan." Zhao Manxiong paused, then mustered his courage and said, "My lord, there are rumors circulating in the capital." " What rumors?" "It's said that His Majesty intends to transfer you and the soldiers from Changsheng Island back to the capital garrison." Huang Shi pondered for a moment after hearing this, his face showing no unusual expression. Years of experience had made him increasingly adept at concealing his emotions. Zhao Manxiong fell silent after speaking, waiting for his superior to ask questions. After a while, his turn finally came. "When? Is His Majesty's attitude firm?" According to Changsheng Island's regulations, baseless rumors wouldn't be reported to Huang Shi. Since Zhao Manxiong had raised this question so earnestly, Huang Shi knew it wasn't just hearsay. He felt a chill in his heart, a mixture of resentment and anger, but mostly helplessness. Huang Shi's biggest backer was the Tianqi Emperor. If the emperor didn't support him, he couldn't count on the corrupt eunuchs. "Still considering it, but it seems the recent rumors are having a significant impact on your reputation, sir." This news, verified by the Changsheng Island Guard, was considered 70% credible by Zhao Manxiong, so he reported it to Huang Shi: "Sir, the Emperor is still hesitant. I believe that as long as you don't give others any leverage, there's nothing to fear." "Hmm." Huang Shi nodded again. He increasingly felt that kidnapping the envoy and taking him to the capital was a wise move. If he hadn't done it, who knows how many more rumors would have spread. Huang Shi proactively kidnapped the Later Jin envoy and took him to Beijing. At least the first impression was that he had nothing to hide, which was better than waiting for the Later Jin to start spreading rumors before trying to defend himself. "If you have no further instructions, sir, I'll take my leave." Huang Shi scratched his head. The work of the Military Intelligence Bureau seemed to be progressing quite well, having already surpassed the Inner Guard. Huang Shi was extremely busy all day long, and with so much time on his hands, he didn't have time to carefully review the Inner Guard's regulations. The other department heads were also very busy, and it wasn't appropriate to ask them to oversee such a crucial department as the Internal Security Bureau: "Brother Manxiong, you don't need to worry about the Military Intelligence Bureau anymore. Starting tomorrow, you can keep an eye on the Internal Security Bureau for me. Xiao Hong is still a bit unreliable." Zhao Manxiong had been managing the Military Intelligence Bureau for almost half a year, and when he heard Huang Shi pushing the huge task of the Internal Security Bureau onto him, Zhao Manxiong's face showed some difficulty. Seeing that Zhao Manxiong was a little hesitant, Huang Shi quickly encouraged his confidant: "Don't rush. You can take your time to reorganize the Internal Security Bureau. A few months, half a year, I'll listen to you. Don't feel any pressure or burden."

"Alright, I'm counting on you." Huang Shi saw Zhao Manxiong out the door with satisfaction. Zhao Manxiong had helped Huang Shi lay a solid foundation for the General Staff, and for a time even managed the money-making work. The newly established "Werewolves of Changsheng Island" organization also pleased Huang Shi. Huang Shi's original plan was for Zhao Manxiong to thoroughly review Zhang Zaidi's work, but Zhao Manxiong and Zhang Zaidi had just had a conflict, so he decided to wait until Zhao Manxiong had clarified the regulations for the Internal Security department.

In the small society of Changsheng Island, Huang Shi remained firmly at the center of power; he knew everything and controlled everything. Even within their own work areas, others were bound by various regulations. Furthermore, Huang Shi would occasionally send Zhao Manxiong to intrude into the jurisdictions of high-ranking officers, preventing them from establishing absolute authority.

Huang Shi always felt very good about this.

Two

days later, Li Yunrui and Zhao Manxiong had lunch together in the Military Intelligence Division office on Changsheng Island. The two high-ranking officers enjoyed fresh fish from Changsheng Island, cut into small pieces and eaten with garlic—it was delicious. Afterwards, Li Yunrui offered his colleague tea from his allotted quota.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Brother Li. This tea and fish are truly excellent," Zhao Manxiong praised loudly, though he was sure Li Yunrui didn't think he was just there to freeload.

"Please speak your mind, Lord Zhao. I will do my best to assist you," Li Yunrui replied, seemingly agreeing. Over the years, the two had developed a certain understanding, especially since Zhao Manxiong had been his temporary superior for the past six months.

"I just read the memorandum the Military Intelligence Division sent to the Internal Security yesterday. You requested that the 'Werewolf of Changsheng Island' system be placed under the direct leadership of the Military Intelligence Division, and that the Internal Security transfer relevant personnel to the Military Intelligence Division. I cannot agree to such a request,"

Li Yunrui said without a word, simply staring intently at Zhao Manxiong, seemingly waiting for the latter to blush.

However, Li Yunrui was clearly going to be disappointed, because when Zhao Manxiong said, "Okay, I know I drafted this memorandum," his tone was still as impassioned as ever.

"Okay, I must admit, at the time I was mainly looking at this issue from the perspective of the Military Intelligence Bureau." Zhao Manxiong's tone rose and fell, hoping not to give Li Yunrui the impression that, "This guy is now looking at the issue from the perspective of the Internal Security."

Before Li Yunrui could react, Zhao Manxiong raised his voice eight octaves: "Later, I re-examined this issue from a completely new perspective, that is, from the position of the former Commander-in-Chief of Changsheng Island."

Having served as the acting leader when Huang Shi went out, Zhao Manxiong's image in the eyes of others had always been close to that of the second-in-command of Changsheng Island. He tapped the memorandum on the table and said, "Undeniably, the Internal Security Bureau has always done a good job in security and confidentiality, while the Military Intelligence Bureau has not undergone similar tests. If the 'werewolfs of Changsheng Island' are under the control of the Internal Security, the most important thing is..." "The secrecy has already been guaranteed."

Li Yunrui didn't speak but looked down at the table. Zhao Manxiong could only continue to spew his saliva: "If the Inner Guard really discovers any military intelligence that needs to be reported to the Military Intelligence Division, the Inner Guard can also react immediately. Moreover, with the participation of the Inner Guard, it will undoubtedly greatly reduce the pressure on the Military Intelligence Division, thereby improving the military intelligence analysis capabilities of Changsheng Island."

After listening to Zhao Manxiong's words, Li Yunrui lowered his head and pondered for a long time, then stammered, "Five years ago, it was Lord Zhao who recommended me to you, and I will never forget that."

"So many years have passed, why bring it up again?"

Zhao Manxiong breathed a long sigh of satisfaction, although he knew he owed a great favor. However, he had managed to preserve his achievements over the past six months. Without any foundation in the army, even sitting in the second-in-command position would not give anyone a sense of security.

August 3rd, 6th year of Tianqi.

Today, Hong Antong reported to Huang Shi some very interesting news: Wang Xiaoniangzi had returned to Changsheng Island.

On his way back from Juehua last time, Huang Shi felt he couldn't explain how he had suddenly acquired an extra betrothed wife. Besides, he had indeed planned to propose to the Zhao family while in Juehua, so he had no intention of defending himself.

Shortly afterward, the Wang siblings moved to Shandong. It was said they had found their maternal uncle's family and planned to transfer their household registration to Shandong, something Huang Shi naturally wouldn't object to.

Hearing that Wang Xiaoniangzi and her family had returned, Huang Shi frowned and asked, "Why did they come back? If the Wang siblings want to be removed from the military register, I absolutely cannot do it, unless he can reach the rank of Minister."

Huang Shi's joke made Hong Antong laugh as well: "Sir, do you still plan to see Wang Xiaoniangzi?"

"No," Huang Shi answered without hesitation, then hesitated for a moment: "Why did they come back?" "

It's said that the military households in Shandong don't earn as much as the military households on Changsheng Island, so they came back. It seems their maternal relatives can't help much either."

"It seems so; every family has its own troubles." Now, with the increase in income on Changsheng Island, the military pay of the Dongjiang Left Brigade soldiers has also become increasingly higher. Of course, according to Huang Shi's consistent principle, the benefits of the soldiers on Changsheng Island and the Vanguard Battalion will still be higher than those of other Dongjiang Left Brigade soldiers.

If there are no benefits for their own people, who would come to join Huang Shi?

"I heard the Wang brothers said, 'You don't know until you see it for yourself. Once you do, you realize Changsheng Island is the best. As long as you can learn a skill, life is much better than farming.'"

"Yes, I hope so too."

Changsheng Island has partially achieved social division of labor. Thousands of military households have begun to evolve into industrial workers. They have gradually forgotten how to farm and are becoming increasingly proficient in their professions, living a good life through them. This group is the one Huang Shi relies on the most, but conversely, they are also the most dependent on Huang Shi, becoming inseparable from the small society of Changsheng Island.

Fourth day.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Jurchens have sent...sent an envoy." Hong Antong's tone was not very smooth when he gave the report, and his expression seemed a little strange.

"Oh~?" Huang Shi put down his work. It seemed that the envoy had brought important news again; otherwise, Hong Antong would not have disturbed him while he was busy.

"My lord, the envoy is Lady Chen."

"Oh~" Huang Shi lowered his head again without changing his expression, marked the spot he saw with his pen, and then sighed: "Please ask her to sit in the study for a while. I'll come right away after I've dressed."

Huang Shi changed into his neat military uniform. Zhao Manxiong and Li Yunrui had arrived at the study before him. When Huang Shi came in, they and Hong Antong had already been gathering intelligence on Liaoyang for a while and had recorded quite a bit.

"Lady Chen." Huang Shi greeted her politely, glanced at the tea table of the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, and then quickly called for his personal guards to add hot water, smiling and asking after her well-being. The

eldest daughter of the Zhao family had been carried to the Gaizhou outpost by the Later Jin soldiers in a sedan chair. After the scouts of the Dongjiang outpost in Gaizhou confirmed her identity, they dared not delay and quickly sent her to Fuzhou. Jia Minghe of Fuzhou was greatly surprised and strictly ordered that no word be leaked, so he sent the eldest daughter of the Zhao family to Changsheng Island.

"General Huang, you don't need to be so polite with me." Miss Zhao sat weakly in her chair. The fear and anxiety of the past few days, along with the arduous journey, had brought this twenty-four-year-old girl to the brink of collapse. But Miss Zhao had gritted her teeth and refused to give in. Just moments before

, she had forced herself to answer the questions from the Changsheng Island guards and the Military Intelligence Bureau, doing her best to cooperate with their work. Now, finally having made it to this moment of seeing Huang Shi, Miss Zhao pulled out a letter she kept close to her body, and held it out straight to Huang Shi: "General Huang, with just one word from you, my sister's life can be saved."

Huang Shi silently accepted the letter and paced around the room reading it.

Huang Taiji insisted that the Later Jin dynasty was genuinely seeking peace, and therefore intended to return Zhao Er and the two concubines from Liaoyang to Huang Shi. However, to avoid misunderstandings, Huang Taiji had to send his sister to confirm with Huang Shi. If Huang Shi acknowledged that Zhao Er was his betrothed wife, then with just a note, Huang Taiji would hand Zhao Er over to Huang Shi's men at the time and place specified by Huang Shi. The

letter

wasn't very long, and Huang Shi finished reading it quickly. Huang Taiji was as polite as ever, saying that since hearing that Zhao Er was Huang Shi's betrothed wife, he had always treated her with great hospitality, and had arranged for the two sisters to stay in Huang Shi's old residence in Liaoyang, never daring to deprive them of their food and clothing.

Huang Shi read the letter several times, then calmly closed it and handed it to Zhao Manxiong, who immediately opened it and began to read it carefully.

While Huang Shi was pacing around the room, Miss Zhao's gaze hadn't left him for a moment. Seeing that Huang Shi had finished reading the letter, she hurriedly asked, "General Huang, are you willing to save my sister's life?"

Her pitiful question left everyone in the hall speechless. Huang Shi slightly turned his face away, avoiding Miss Zhao's gaze. Coaxing this twenty-four-year-old girl shouldn't have been too difficult, but Huang Shi couldn't bring himself to say it.

Seeing that Huang Shi remained silent, Miss Zhao suddenly stood up and then knelt down at Huang Shi's feet: "General Huang, if you would only grant me a few words, my sister will be saved."

Her sorrowful voice echoed in the tent, and even Zhao Manxiong couldn't help but temporarily look away from the paper in his hand. Her sad face was full of pleading, and her eyes were full of thick expectation as she stared intently at Huang Shi's face: "General Huang, my brother once worked with you, and my sister..."

Miss Zhao's shoulders trembled, as if she had swallowed back some words. She crawled forward two steps on her knees: "Lord Huang, if you just say the word, my sister can come back alive."

Huang Shi's expression remained unchanged. He couldn't very well reach out to help a young, respectable girl, so he stepped aside: "Madam Chen, please rise. I will consider this carefully."

"No, Lord Huang!" Miss Zhao grabbed Huang Shi's military uniform hem, tears streaming down her face: "My lord, even if you don't want my sister, just give me a note. Proof that she is indeed your betrothed, and she can live."

Huang Shi didn't struggle, but Miss Zhao gripped his clothes even tighter, her knuckles turning white. She didn't bother wiping away her tears, only sobbing: "...Lord Huang. Just a note is enough, just a note is enough."

Silence fell over the tent. Hong Antong and Li Yunrui looked at Huang Shi, somewhat at a loss. But after hearing the plea, Zhao Manxiong seemed to lose interest and looked down at the letter again.

"Lord Huang, my little sister is only twenty years old. You could save her life with just one word." Miss Zhao was still kneeling on the ground, pleading, her hands gripping Huang Shi's clothes tighter and tighter. "Lord Huang, are you really going to stand by and watch her die? Are you really heartless?"

After saying this, Huang Shi remained unmoved. Exhausted, Miss Zhao finally broke down completely. She let go of his hands, collapsed at Huang Shi's feet, and pounded the ground, crying, "But Lord Huang, you have saved so many people. Millions of people in Guangning, tens of thousands of lives in Juehua. Countless people have been saved because of you over the years. How could you be heartless? How could this be?"

"When did our family offend you? Why are you so stingy with us?" Miss Zhao shook her head desperately. She couldn't understand the reasoning behind it all, and finally just collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly. The pitiful cries nearly broke the hearts of everyone except Huang Shi and Zhao Manxiong.

After a moment, Huang Shi silently waved his hand, signaling Li Yunrui to take the unconscious Zhao away. He gently said to the unresponsive Zhao, "Madam Chen, I have always respected your sister's character."

...

"Sending a letter to the Jurchens to release her is absolutely unacceptable; there is no room for discussion on this."

Huang Shi's words elicited a chorus of agreement. Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude, who were now participating in the discussion, were both shrewd. If Huang Shi really did that, not only would he give the enemy another excuse to attack, but he would also be despised by the world, and the label of "loyalty to lust and disregard for righteousness" would be impossible to escape.

"And even if I write this letter, I doubt I'll get her back."

Huang Shi had already analyzed the situation. If the Later Jin truly considered Zhao Ergu a valuable asset, they certainly wouldn't release her. Currently, their opponents likely believe Zhao Ergu holds little weight in Huang Shi's eyes. Huang Shi's past actions—whether in Guangning or Juehua—proved that a betrothed wife held almost no importance in his heart. They were merely trying to exploit Zhao Ergu's status.

"Chen Xiaoniangzi's perspective is always too superficial, or rather, she's grasping at straws. She doesn't consider that if I publicly declare her sister my betrothed wife, Zhao Ergu will suffer even more, because torturing her would be an insult to me, Huang Shi. Right now, the Jurchens claim they want peace talks, so perhaps there's nothing serious, but if the peace talks break down, Zhao Ergu will definitely be the first victim."

"Your Excellency is absolutely right," Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude echoed in unison. They also believed that maintaining this ambiguous situation of neither admitting nor denying was better, and perhaps more advantageous for the hostage.

After Huang Shi finished his general discourse, Jin Qiude spoke first, saying, "If it weren't for that corrupt official Yuan, we could have dragged this out. But now, Yuan and the Jurchens are working together seamlessly; I'm afraid we can't afford to delay much longer."

Yuan Chonghuan had already started making trouble over Huang Shi's previous incident of kidnapping the envoy and taking him to the capital. With the current situation involving Miss Zhao, it was obvious that Yuan Chonghuan would create trouble again, putting on a righteous front to sow discord between Huang Shi and Yuan.

"Indeed, it's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person; the ancients were right," Huang Shi sighed. With Yuan Chonghuan pulling his weight behind the scenes, dealing with Huang Taiji's offensive became extremely difficult.

If it were just normal enemy rumors, Huang Shi could easily suppress them, but now, with someone harboring malicious intentions fueling the Jurchens' actions, things were much more complicated. What pained Huang Shitou most was that he couldn't effectively retaliate against Yuan Chonghuan's report. Yuan Chonghuan consistently championed the cause of Huang Shi, and if Huang Shi confronted him, he would only solidify his reputation as "narrow-minded" before even harming his opponent.

Yet, ignoring the situation was impossible; Huang Shi's image in Tianqi's eyes was already precarious. Many officials constantly compared Huang Shi to Wu Qi, who killed his wife to gain a generalship. If Huang Shi simply ignored this, his reputation would suffer greatly, making the previous rumors even more believable.

This predicament reminded Huang Shi of the trap Zhao Manxiong had set for the Zhao family years ago. That marriage proposal had also ended badly regardless of the opponent's choice. Huang Shi smiled and made the analogy. Then he said to Zhao Manxiong, "The wheel of fortune turns; now, no matter what I do, I'm jumping into someone else's trap."

Zhao Manxiong shrugged. He said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Since we're going to use a scheme, then of course we should use this kind of scheme. That slave chieftain is not someone to be trifled with. If we were to just pick a counter-espionage scheme that any roadside storyteller could see through at a glance, and then burn incense and pray that everyone else is a fool who can't understand it, that would be an insult to our eyesight and an insult to the intelligence of all the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty."

There was another solution: to pass the buck to someone else, that is, to report the matter to the Liaodong Military Command or the imperial court. This way, no matter how the higher-ups resolved it, Huang Shitou wouldn't be blamed. However, Huang Taiji had already blocked this path for Huang Shi. In his letter, he threatened that if he didn't receive a reply from Huang Shi within a short time, it meant Huang Shi didn't acknowledge Zhao Er as his betrothed.

However, Huang Shi believed this threat was largely deceptive, and even if it were to be carried out, it would only be a last resort: "The chieftain is mostly bluffing. They certainly wouldn't easily destroy such a good attack method. But this is also a precaution. If I really pass the buck, they can still accuse me of abandoning someone in distress, and they certainly won't let me escape easily."

"What you say is very true, sir,"

Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude both lowered their heads in deep thought. Huang Shi waited a while longer, but neither of them offered any further opinions or suggestions. Huang Shi clapped his hands and loudly commanded, "Alright, that's enough for today. You have one day to devise a plan. We'll discuss it again tomorrow. I know time is a bit tight, but there's no time to lose, so this is the only way."

"Yes, sir."

...

After dinner, Huang Shi took a few trinkets to visit He Dingyuan. At the end of last month, He Dingyuan's son had turned one year old. When Huang Shi arrived at He Dingyuan's door, he saw his general holding his son in his arms, sitting in the field, seemingly talking to the child.

Ever since Huang Shi took out the rattle and other toys from his robes, the little boy's eyes widened, and he stretched out his chubby hands to take them. Huang Shi bent down and personally placed the toys in the boy's hands, then sat down next to his father and started chatting.

A few days ago, after hearing that Huang Shi was going to cut his salary, He Dingyuan went to Li Yunrui that very night to apologize. The next day, Li Yunrui told Huang Shi that he had forgiven He Dingyuan, because he couldn't rest peacefully at home or even sleep if he hadn't forgiven him.

After defeating Li Yunrui, this "demon king," Yang Zhiyuan and Xiong Xiaoniangzi's relationship seemed to be returning to normal. Since things cleared up between them, He Dingyuan had begun to feel genuinely sorry for Li Yunrui. Today, while chatting with Huang Shi, He Dingyuan even said that he would try to act as a matchmaker for Li Yunrui if he had the chance, to make up for his mistakes.

"It seems Li Yunrui's matchmaking plans are off; he's quite famous on Changsheng Island now," Huang Shi chuckled, playing with He Dingyuan's son. "I think you should hurry up and have a daughter, then marry her off to Brother Li."

"I wouldn't marry him even if I had a daughter!"

The two gradually began talking about the day's events. After Huang Shi explained the whole story, He Dingyuan fell silent. Bored, Huang Shi picked up a handful of pebbles and threw them at the ducks on the beach, making them quack loudly and splashing water.

A long time later... He Dingyuan shouted from behind Huang Shi, "If writing a letter can save a life, I think it's best to write one."

"Knowing it's useless..."

"But I have a clear conscience." Although He Dingyuan was sitting on the ground, his voice was still full of energy: "Otherwise, you will definitely regret it later, and you will think back on this matter for the rest of your life, and you will doubt the judgment you made; 'Would I have been able to save a life if I had written a few lines?', my lord, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

Huang Shi, who was throwing stones, paused slightly, and then suddenly threw out all the stones in his hand. A loud commotion erupted on the beach: "Hmm, you're right. But what if I get framed for this?"

"Sir, at most you'll be smeared, but Miss Zhao could lose her life. The difference is immense. Besides..."

"Besides, even if I escape unscathed today, I'll inevitably ask myself later: If I had written that note, wouldn't nothing serious have happened? Right?"

"Your Excellency is wise."

Huang Shi and He Dingyuan remained silent for a long time, only the babbling of He Dingyuan's son could be heard. The little guy was completely absorbed in his own world; he couldn't understand what the adults were saying at all.

"Sir, you bear the weight of Liaonan's safety on your shoulders. How you decide is none of my business, but since you have asked, I dare not remain silent." He Dingyuan hugged his son tighter. After finishing his daily duties training the troops, he always went home to enjoy family time with his wife and children, rarely worrying about official business. "If you have any questions, you can ask Brother Zhao and Brother Jin. They are both very thoughtful."

"Yes. But I'd also like to hear your opinion." Huang Shi turned around and gently patted the boy's head. The boy looked up at Huang Shi, then glanced at his father, before lowering his head again to intently play with his toys.

The next day, Huang Shi summoned Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude for a meeting.

"The only solution now is to put righteousness before family!"

Before Huang Shi could ask, Zhao Manxiong stammered out a sentence.

"Bullshit!" Huang Shi cursed before Zhao Manxiong could finish. Zhao Manxiong racked his brains all night and came up with such a terrible idea. How could he even have the nerve to say it? If it were about upholding justice even at the cost of family ties, what would Huang Shi need Zhao Manxiong for?

But Huang Shi's momentary lapse in composure was just that. He raised his hand to express his apology, then took a breath and softened his voice: "Up to uphold justice even at the cost of family ties? I've already killed a father-in-law, an elder brother, a wife, a betrothed, and the family of my savior. And now I have to kill another betrothed… Brother Zhao, I, Huang Shi, am a human being! Not an animal! I can't just kill whoever I can."

“But we absolutely cannot, and must not, get involved in this matter,” Zhao Manxiong said, lowering his head, but still saying, “My lord, you are wise. If we intervene in this matter, the consequences will be endless.”

Huang Shi immediately retorted, “Not intervening will also lead to endless consequences.”

Zhao Manxiong raised his head and argued, “That’s still better than intervening. At most, my lord will have to stay in the capital garrison or the south for a few years, and things will become clear in time. According to the old customs of our Great Ming Dynasty, soldiers are always transferred with their generals. My lord, you can take the military households of Changsheng Island…” "Let's send two more battalions, plus the four battalions led by the Firefighters and the Rock Guards. The Northern Barbarians, Southern Barbarians, Eastern Japanese, and Western Barbarians are always causing trouble. With your military power in hand, why worry about them not rising again?"

Huang Shi knew that Zhao Manxiong's words made sense, but he still couldn't make up his mind. Seeing this, the latter said anxiously, "My lord, you absolutely cannot get involved in this matter, otherwise I fear I will be in danger of losing my reputation."

Just as Huang Shi was pondering, Jin Qiude suddenly called out from the other side, "My lord, I have an idea that can help you turn danger into safety."

"Oh?"

"My lord, in my opinion, it seems that the only way is to kill him to silence him!"

Kill him, kill an innocent person, kill an innocent woman, kill an innocent young woman who once favored Huang Shi. Jin Qiude presented this idea as casually as if he were talking about killing a chicken, without any hesitation or excitement. He loudly proclaimed his opinion: "We might as well say that Madam Chen died of exhaustion upon arriving at Changsheng Island, without saying a word. We can transport her body back to Juehua and give it to her brother. As for the letter, Madam Chen can keep it hidden close to her body. If Zhao Yingong finds it, he'll be the one who has to worry, not us."

"This plan is brilliant!" Before Huang Shi could even react, Zhao Manxiong exclaimed in admiration: "My lord, if the Zhao family doesn't want us to write the letter, then naturally nothing will happen. But if they do want us to write the letter, then you can write it openly and honestly. Whether it succeeds or not, everyone can only praise you for being sensible and mindful of the bigger picture, willing to damage your reputation for the sake of harmony between the civil and military officials."

"As long as you approve, I will handle things cleanly and thoroughly." Chief of Staff Jin Qiude then took out a document listing the names of people who had contacted Zhao Da in the past two days, followed by various statements that Jin Qiude had already prepared. As for the cause of death and related evidence, he had arranged them flawlessly.

In this way, Huang Shi could safely pass the buck to the Liaodong Military Command. Zhao Manxiong seriously reviewed Jin Qiude's plan and bowed to Huang Shi, saying, "Sir, by acting this way, even if the chieftain is hostile to Miss Zhao, we can completely absolve ourselves of responsibility because we know nothing. It's perfectly reasonable for Lady Chen to keep the secret letter close to her body, and it's even more reasonable that we didn't discover it. No one can say a word against you, sir."

After the two subordinates finished speaking, they both stared intently at Huang Shi.

(Chapter 33: Can the Ten Thousand Blades Point to the Peak Bear the Burden? Liaoyang)

Helmet, armor, military uniform, sword, tiger-head belt, black military boots, and a bright red cloak—everything was neatly arranged. Huang Shi had carefully combed his long hair, styled it into a bun, and then began to put on this outfit.

"Cleverness backfires."

This was Huang Shi's assessment of Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude. Could such a useful tactic as silencing witnesses have caught the other side completely off guard? Perhaps not, but Huang Shi wasn't so confident. His opponent might have a backup plan, waiting for him to kill without hesitation to silence witnesses.

On Huang Shi's blood-stained hands were not the marks of innocent victims; these sacrifices constantly gnawed at his soul, causing his usually buried conscience to leap out and accuse him, often waking him in the dead of night, drenched in sweat, unable to fall back asleep.

For years, Huang Shi's only solace was this: these sacrifices were not unavoidable, but to save more lives.

"The house in Liaoyang, and those two concubines... Huang Taiji, are you reminding me?" As Huang Shi put on his helmet, he saw himself reflected in the water of the basin. The iron helmet obscured his brow, behind which were dark eyes and a straight nose, a red scarf tied under his beard.

Looking at the familiar figure, Huang Shi couldn't help but sigh softly, "It's just like when Sun Degong recommended me to Wang Huazhen as a commander."

Back then, Huang Shi was young and looked down on the ancients. He thought he could manipulate them at will, and he even made some earth-shattering ambitions: to usurp the throne, to make his mark on history, to hold power over the world while indulging in the company of beautiful women…

"Then, I gave up the wealth and glory within my grasp, I tacitly allowed Jin Qiude to murder a young girl… but I saved the entire population of Guangning…"

Dressed neatly, Huang Shi fell into deep thought. The head of the inner guards, Hong Antong, walked behind him and offered one last, feeble attempt at persuasion: "My lord, you bear the safety of Liaonan on your shoulders. How can you put yourself in danger for the sake of a woman?"

Since making his decision yesterday, Huang Shi had been bombarded with all sorts of earnest advice. Hong Antong had spoken the most. But Huang Shi had been too lazy to answer them, because neither his reasons nor his plans could be discussed with his trusted confidants.

So, just like yesterday, Huang Shi silently turned around, offering no further explanation, and strode towards the door. Just before stepping over the threshold, Huang Shi reiterated his earlier instructions: "In two days, inform Eunuch Wu, He Dingyuan, and Yang Zhiyuan of this matter. In three days, inform the entire army."

Behind him, Hong Antong not only failed to comply with Huang Shi's order but also shouted again, "Sir! How can you put yourself in danger for a woman?"

His voice was filled with anger and reproach, causing Huang Shi to glance back. His loyal military police chief was flushed with anger, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Do you think I did this just for a woman?"

Huang Shi coldly uttered these words. Then, without looking back, he left the old camp on Changsheng Island, still clutching the official seal that the Later Jin had sent for Miss Zhao.

Yesterday, after listening to the advice of Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong, Huang Shi resolved to go to Liaoyang alone. Although the officers on Changsheng Island were shocked, Huang Shi was determined. Last night, Huang Shi wrote a memorial to Emperor Tianqi, in which he elaborated on why he believed peace negotiations were absolutely impossible. It was essentially a synthesis of the ideas of Hong Antong, Wu Mu, and Jin Qiude.

In this memorial to the emperor, Huang Shi told Tianqi that his trip to Liaoyang was to prove that peace negotiations were unfeasible, and the stake was his own life. Huang Shi assured Tianqi that the Later Jin would either torture him to death or make all sorts of excuses, refusing to return the entire Liaodong region.

Huang Shi also subtly expressed his dissatisfaction with Tianqi's suspicions in the memorial. He frankly told the emperor about Zhao Er's problems and then analyzed the recent attacks he had suffered. The saying goes, "A dying man's words are often wise," and Huang Shi believed this memorial would deeply move Tianqi, far more persuasive than the boastful man sitting in Ningyuan Fortress.

Currently, only Zhao Manxiong, Jin Qiude, Li Yunrui, Hong Antong, and Zhang Zaidi knew of this, as Huang Shi wanted to give them instructions before leaving. Huang Shi was relatively satisfied with his men's reaction. He had strictly ordered them not to spread the news, and although they strongly objected, they all kept their mouths shut, none daring to inform Wu Mu or any other officers.

After landing on Liaodong land at Beixin Pass, Huang Shi checked his belongings one last time, making sure nothing was missing: "Alright, little brother, let's part ways here. I'm heading straight for Fuzhou."

"Big brother, you must return safely." Zhang Zaidi always had a unique trust in Huang Shi, no matter how dangerous his actions, Zhang Zaidi instinctively believed he could handle things well.

Huang Shi smiled and patted Zhang Zaidi on the shoulder. The young man was growing stronger and more robust, gradually exuding a masculine air. Huang Shi pulled a heavy envelope from his bag. This was his last memorial, filled with scathing criticism and questioning of Yuan Chonghuan, telling the emperor that it was Yuan Chonghuan's actions that had driven him to this dead end.

"If I truly do not return, remember to give this to Eunuch Wu. But until there is absolutely conclusive evidence that I am dead, do not take this out. Remember, remember."

Huang Shi knew that if this were presented by a living person, it would likely provoke strong resentment. But if the emperor and the cabinet saw it after Huang Shi's death, he believed the memorial would still be very impactful. More importantly, Huang Shi believed that Prince Xin would see this memorial.

Zhang Zaidi stopped bending over and nodded heavily: "Understood, Brother."

Huang Shi believed that as long as Yuan Chonghuan didn't have a chance to rise to power, the fall of the Later Jin was only a matter of time. Watching Zhang Zaidi carefully put away his last counterattack, Huang Shi breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself, "In that case, my life won't have been in vain."

Jumping onto his horse, Huang Shi was about to whip it when he suddenly saw a hand reach out and grab the reins. Zhang Zaidi tightly pulled on the reins of Huang Shi's mount, looked up at Huang Shi, and called out urgently, "Brother, is it really necessary to go?"

Huang Shi looked deeply at Zhang Zaidi in front of him. This man, who had always worshipped Huang Shi to the point of almost revering him as a god, now had a face full of anxiety and confusion. Huang Shi nodded solemnly: "Yes, little brother, you know what you're doing."

"Loyalty should be repaid with loyalty. Brother, are you doing this for Marshal Mao?"

Regarding the issue of building a shrine. Huang Shi had written a letter to Mao Wenlong, who generously accepted the heavy responsibility. In his private reply to Huang Shi, Mao told him not to feel guilty. In Mao Wenlong's words, as the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town, it was his duty to protect his men.

Huang Shi's military achievements were never without Mao Wenlong's contribution, and Huang Shi had never acted independently. Therefore, Mao Wenlong felt it was only right that he take on this task. Not many people on Changsheng Island knew about this letter. Zhang Zaidi happened to be one of them, and after reading it, he praised Huang Shi, saying, "Truly worthy of being called Commander Mao."

At the time, Huang Shi jokingly said to him, "If Commander Mao doesn't even have this much sense of responsibility, how can such a large town like Dongjiang be maintained?"

Just like Huang Shi's own Changsheng Island, with extremely scarce resources, Huang Shi could only rely on his personal charisma to maintain the cohesion of the army. Overall, Dongjiang Town was in even more dire straits than Changsheng Island. Mao Wenlong's pressure was also far greater than Huang Shi's; he had almost no ability to provide his subordinates with any material rewards.

Therefore, Mao Wenlong could only rely on personal relationships to unite his troops, and with his prestige, he painstakingly maintained Dongjiang Town, preventing the hundreds of thousands of Liaodong people from falling apart in hardship. Zhang Zaidi remembered that Huang Shi had expressed his concerns about Yuan Chonghuan several times, saying that he suspected Yuan Chonghuan would be detrimental to Dongjiang Town and Mao Wenlong. Therefore, Zhang Zaidi interpreted Huang Shi's hostility towards Yuan Chonghuan as loyalty to Mao Wenlong. This time, Huang Shi risked his life to go to Liaoyang, also to fight against the Liaodong Military Command and protect Mao Wenlong and Dongjiang Town.

Huang Shi didn't answer the question, but smiled and said, "Let go."

"Yes," Zhang Zaidi replied sullenly, releasing his grip and taking a step back.

Huang Shi didn't say anything more, spurring his horse onto the official road leading to Fuzhou.

There were already rumors in the capital that Huang Shi was to be transferred to the Beijing garrison. If he didn't resolve the Zhao Er issue, Huang Shi estimated that his transfer away from Liaodong was a foregone conclusion. In Huang Shi's original history, the Later Jin regime was already teetering on the brink of collapse, and in this timeline, they were even closer to destruction.

If things reversed, if the Later Jin regime were to rise again, it would mean countless more deaths—tens of thousands of innocent people. Huang Shi looked at the vast Liaodong land. In his calculations, this danger wouldn't be greater than leading the charge in sword-wielding combat, but it concerned far more lives.

"At first, I set my sights too high, my interests above everyone else in the world. Later, I resolved to save the people, but this confused me, and I didn't know what standards to use to make choices."

The sound of hooves beneath him gradually quickened, and Huang Shi was lost in thought: "Today's situation is just as Brother He said. If I have the opportunity to save tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of lives and don't do it, I will definitely regret it later."

Watching Huang Shi's rapidly receding figure, Zhang Zaidi suddenly shouted, "Brother, if the Jurchens harm even a hair on your head, I will never let them off easily!"

Accompanying him were several officers and soldiers from Changsheng Island whom Zhang Zaidi had specially selected, as well as four or five sailors. They had only just learned of Huang Shi's plan after leaving Changsheng Island, and they also shouted in the direction Huang Shi disappeared, "Sir, we will never let the Jurchens off easily!"

It was unclear whether their words reached Huang Shi's ears, but soon the man and his horse had already sped away. According to intelligence from Changsheng Island, it seems that only Huang Taiji, a Beile of the Later Jin, is currently in Liaoyang, along with Nurhaci's two younger sons, Dorgon and Dodo. This is mainly because Chen Jisheng's offensive in Liaodong has diverted the Later Jin's primary attention.

Since the Dongjiang Army entered Jianzhou at the end of June, not only was Hetu Ala quickly surrounded by the Ming army, but Chen Jisheng also desecrated Nurhaci's ancestral graves in Jianzhou. Furthermore, this is the second time the Ming army has come to the Sarhu battlefield. Besides ordering the collection of as many remains as possible, Chen Jisheng also presided over a memorial service.

After the Later Jin garrison in Fushun lit the beacon fires, Nurhaci quickly led four Beile to reinforce Jianzhou. After twenty-four days and nights of fierce fighting, the Later Jin army finally recovered the jungle area along the Suzi River, relieving the siege of Hetu Ala. Due to the threat from the Dongjiang Army in southern Liaodong, Mangultai and Huang Taiji rushed back to Liaoyang after achieving their major strategic objectives to prepare for defense to the south.

By early August, intelligence from Changsheng Island indicated that Nurhaci was still entrenched in the dense forests of Jianzhou with Mangultai, Dai?an, and Amin. Small detachments of Chen Jisheng's troops were still engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Later Jin army. Nurhaci was relentlessly pressing forward, determined to drive the Ming army completely back to the Kuandian region.

Upon hearing that Huang Taiji was the leader of Liaoyang, Huang Shi felt his chances of returning alive were still quite high. Based on Huang Shi's understanding, Huang Taiji was a very pragmatic and calm man, so his actions were predictable. If it were the madman Nurhaci instead of Huang Taiji currently in Liaoyang, Huang Shi's life and plans would be completely jeopardized.

This time, Huang Shi was determined to openly declare his intention to negotiate peace. If Huang Taiji killed him, Huang Shi would have proven that peace negotiations were a dead end. Moreover, this political declaration would not only be effective against the Ming court, but would also be clearly understood by the various Mongol tribes, who would know that aligning with the Later Jin was futile.

In Huang Shi's view, Huang Taiji could still label him a defector from the Ming Dynasty, but that would make it even less likely that Huang would kill him... If even high-ranking traitors were killed, who would still defect to the Later Jin?

This time, venturing deep into the lion's den, Huang Shi knew that bringing guards was pointless. If the enemy wanted to attack, even a hundred guards wouldn't help; if everything went according to plan, he could be safe even without any soldiers. Therefore, Huang Shi went to Liaoyang alone. Because he was traveling alone, he encountered far fewer problems and traveled much faster than a large army.

Upon arriving in Fuzhou, Huang Shi didn't explain his purpose to the local troops. After a simple change of horses, he headed straight for Gaizhou along the official road. Although Changsheng Island was economically strapped, to ensure a rapid grasp of the Later Jin army's movements, numerous post stations had been established along this section of the official road from Fuzhou Island to Gaizhou.

Although these post stations were expensive, they were also one of the most important intelligence outreach points for the Ming army in Liaonan, making Huang Shi's journey much more comfortable. He changed horses at post stations during the day and rested at them at night. Whether changing horses or resting, Huang Shi covered his face with a cloth, only showing his Ming army seal for verification by the post station staff.

This time, Huang Shi had obtained the seal from Li Yunrui. The soldiers at the post stations were probably used to the methods of the Changsheng Island Military Intelligence Bureau; after carefully verifying the seal, they didn't question Huang Shi further. They silently helped the masked man change horses or led him to guest rooms, never causing him any trouble. On

August 7th of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign,

Huang Shi left a post station near Gaizhou, the last post station for the Ming army. The previous garrison of Yaozhou had abandoned the city and fled immediately upon hearing of Haizhou's fall, leaving Huang Shi's captured eighteen-pound cannon useless. Passing through Yaozhou this time, Huang Shi saw only a lifeless castle, no longer even a castle, but merely a ruin burned by both the Later Jin and Ming armies.

Continuing onward, Huang Shi soon arrived at Haizhou, a city that had once been an important stronghold in Liaozhong, now abandoned by the Later Jin army. After the last major battle, the Dongjiang army had extensively damaged Haizhou's city walls. They hadn't been repaired, indicating that the Later Jin army had no desire to defend the city anymore and therefore didn't intend to waste manpower on its restoration.

After clearing his mind, Huang Shi chuckled self-deprecatingly, "He still values my army highly, but underestimates me personally."

After observing for a while, Huang Shi leaped several times from the city wall back to the ground, mounted his horse, and continued north. Soon, he arrived at Anshan Fort, a newly expanded castle like Yaozhou, garrisoned by thousands of Later Jin cavalry and infantry, with cannons mounted on the city walls.

When the Later Jin cavalry came to inspect, Huang Shi still wore the upright white plume on his helmet. He calmly took out the official seal brought by Zhao Da and handed it to the enemy cavalry.

...

On August 8th of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign,

after hearing that Changsheng Island had sent someone to pick up the envoy, Huang Taiji was slightly surprised, but this was still within his calculations. Huang Taiji ordered that wine and food be prepared to entertain the envoy, and he changed into more formal attire and went to his Plain White Banner tent to meet the envoy.

His subordinates reported to Huang Taiji that the envoy had brought white feathers all the way to Liaoyang City and refused to change them. They were ordered to treat the envoy with utmost courtesy, so they did not force him. Huang Taiji was slightly displeased upon hearing this, but he did not show it on his face. After settling into his tent, he ordered, "Bring that envoy in."

The man walked in with his head held high and a friendly smile on his face: "Fourth Prince, how have you been?"

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