Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 4

Volume 4,

Chapter 1:

After the Guangning army completed its assembly, it immediately moved to Zhenwu Fort.

On the night of the 19th day of the first month of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Zhenwu Fort received definite news that the Later Jin vanguard had crossed the Sancha River, and the river defense army quickly collapsed. The Later Jin then began to build a pontoon bridge. On the other side of the Sancha River pontoon bridge was Xiping Fort, and urgent reports from the Liaohe River garrison came one after another.

Huang Shi's army was actually a thousand-man cavalry unit. Although they were called cavalry, most of them had only received basic horse riding training. The soldiers had no problem with riding and maneuvering, but half of them lacked the skills for mounted combat.

With the departure of the army imminent, a sense of panic permeated Huang Shi's subordinates. He sent his capable general, Acting Battalion Commander Zhao Manxiong, to appease them. Yang Luhuo had volunteered to do this job, but Huang Shi was still worried that he was Sun Degong's man and would take the opportunity to spread words that would undermine morale. Therefore, Yang Luhuo was only given a few words of encouragement.

Now, Liaodong Governor Wang Huazhen was in a dilemma. Chen Qu, the General of Guangning, strongly advocated an immediate attack, urging them to establish fortifications behind Xiping Fort as soon as the Later Jin army crossed the river, preventing the Later Jin from launching a full-scale attack on Xiping. Sun Degong, however, repeatedly advised Wang Huazhen to proceed cautiously and not rush into an attack, lest he fall into the Later Jin's trap of luring him away from his base.

Wang Huazhen hesitated for a long time, unable to make a decision. The 60,000-strong Guangning army remained stationary for a day at Zhenwu, an hour's journey from Xiping.

The next afternoon, the chaotic Liaodong governor's temporary residence received another urgent report from Xiping: most of the Later Jin's 30,000 troops had crossed the river, and the defending forces had been waiting for reinforcements in vain. The Xiping guerrillas, unable to remain calm, launched their own attack, attempting to burn down the Sanchahe Bridge, but several attempts failed due to insufficient troops.

At midnight, Deputy General Luo Yiguan sent another urgent report: the 40,000 auxiliary and supply troops of the Later Jin had all crossed the Liao River and were setting up siege equipment opposite Xiping, which was estimated to be completed by tomorrow morning.

Deputy General Luo claimed that the soldiers were puzzled as to why Zhenwu, so close to Xiping, had not made a move. He also reported that the generals in the fortress were insisting on launching an attack to destroy the Later Jin siege equipment; otherwise, with ten times the strength of the Later Jin, Xiping would not be able to hold out for long.

This indicated that the morale of Xiping Fortress was beginning to crumble, the troops were starting to fall into disarray, and Luo Yiguan was losing control of the troops. Wang Huazhen pondered for a long time but could not come up with a foolproof plan.

Sun Degong urgently summoned Huang Shi at dawn, then bombarded him with orders: "Huang Shi, Wang Huazhen has made his final decision. He wants to hear Xiong Tingbi's opinion before making a final decision, and he also wants to request some reinforcements. This task is assigned to me. Now, go to Guangning Youtun to see Xiong Tingbi immediately."

"May I ask, sir, what should I say?" "

Say whatever Wang Huazhen tells you to say," Sun Degong said nonchalantly. He then handed Huang Shi a letter and explained Wang Huazhen's instructions.

According to historical records, Xiong Tingbi refused to mobilize the entire Guan Ning army because of his discord with Wang Huazhen. However, to gain Sun Degong's trust, Huang Shi still asked, "If Xiong Tingbi leads the Guan Ning army, should I try to delay him?"

"Oh, don't worry," Sun Degong laughed, patting Huang Shi on the shoulder. "Xiong Tingbi will definitely not send troops. Go with peace of mind."

"Yes, sir."

After leaving, Huang Shi immediately ordered Jin Qiude to prepare a horse and travel south with him. He originally wanted to send Zhao Manxiong, but that guy had spent the night appeasing the soldiers and was now sleeping. After leaving

Zhenwu Fort, Huang Shi rode ahead, with Jin Qiude following behind, holding a torch. "Sir, where are we going?"

"To Guangning Youtun, where Commander Xiong is." Huang Shi, on horseback, could no longer suppress his excitement.

Since the rise of the Later Jin, the Ming Dynasty had accumulated the resources of the entire nation in Liaodong to suppress it, which was truly extraordinary. As long as Guangning remained intact, resources from the Ming Dynasty would flow continuously into this vital town—the last remaining major town in Liaodong. Those who controlled Guangning would effectively control half of the Ming Dynasty's treasury expenditures.

With the Later Jin's relentless advance and the Ming army suffering repeated defeats in Liaodong, the court and the Ming emperor realized the need to empower military generals. Huang Shi recalled that Sun Chengzong was a vocal advocate for "reinforcing military power," and historically, the court gradually delegated authority to generals, ultimately leading to the regionalization of the Liaodong military clique and the powerful military families of Liaoxi.

The Tianqi Emperor's trust in Wei Zhongxian and the Chongzhen Emperor's extremely low political intelligence were historical details Huang Shi only knew. The military strength of the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns did indeed grow steadily; Huang Shi remembered that by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Liaoxi military clique had become a veritable independent regional power.

Combining these three points, Huang Shi drew an undeniable conclusion: as long as Guangning remained intact, the general controlling Guangning would possess the most powerful army in the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, this person would have ample opportunity and time to privatize this army, turning it into a force that only knew its generals and not the imperial court.

The first step was to hold Guangning. Both reports Huang Shi gave to Sun Degong were exaggerated; the only difference was which one was more exaggerated. After Huang Shi verified the reports, excluding the weapons brought on this expedition, the Guangning army still had more than two hundred artillery pieces in stock, including forty heavy cannons.

When inspecting the city's defenses, Huang Shi was surprised to find that the heavy cannons had not yet been moved to the city walls.

Historically, the first time heavy cannons were used for city defense was by Yuan Chonghuan. When Ningyuan first received heavy field artillery, the defenders even suggested discarding it, arguing that since they didn't intend to engage in field battles, the heavy cannons were useless!

Although he didn't know this history, Huang Shi immediately realized that Guangning could actually be held. The Battle of Zhenjiang had shown him the various siege tactics of the Later Jin. He had no doubt that under the bombardment of heavy artillery, neither watchtowers, ladder towers, nor earthen mounds would stand a chance. Most importantly, neither the Later Jin nor the Ming Dynasty had realized this—the Later Jin was completely unprepared for this tactic.

Realizing that Guangning might hold, Huang Shi's only remaining question was how to maximize his gains in this defensive battle.

Huang Shi's overall plan was to wait for Sun Degong to launch his attack, then kill Sun Degong to gain the trust of the idiot Wang Huazhen, and use two hundred cannons to defend against the Later Jin offensive. He was very confident that a few days of defense would suffice. Mongol reinforcements were also on their way, historically the ones who had stopped the Later Jin's pursuit of Xiong Tingbi's army.

Furthermore, Mao Wenlong was currently mobilizing his entire army to launch a strong attack on Zhenjiang, aiming to seize Jianzhou. Huang Shi remembered that it was Nurhaci who personally led his elite cavalry back to drive Mao Wenlong away again. The Later Jin couldn't afford to waste much time at the fortified city of Guangning; they were currently fighting on three fronts.

The impending disastrous defeat at Shaling would shock the entire nation. Whether it was Wang Huazhen trying to shirk responsibility or the court trying to boost morale, they needed to establish a hero. If Huang Shi could play this savior role well, honor and status would follow.

His personal purpose in going to see Xiong Tingbi today was to move towards this goal. Thinking of how Sun Degong had readily given him an opportunity to gain Xiong Tingbi's trust, Huang Shi couldn't help but smile smugly. That guy was truly foolish.

"My lord, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Jin Qiude suddenly interrupted Huang Shi's thoughts.

Huang Shi looked at Jin Qiude in surprise: "What? What's inappropriate?"

Jin Qiude said loudly, as if he had made a great decision: "This subordinate believes that it's inappropriate for you, sir, to send me instead of Yang Luhuo to accompany you to see Commander Xiong. This subordinate also believes that it's even more inappropriate for you

, sir, to send only me to accompany you." Huang Shi abruptly reined in his horse. Jin Qiude rushed past Huang Shi, circled back, dismounted, and stood before Huang Shi's horse.

Huang Shi looked at Jin Qiude's face, which was flickering in the firelight, and coldly asked, "Why is it inappropriate? Explain yourself."

"Reporting to you, sir," Jin Qiude replied in a deep voice, "I believe that even if you are wary of Sun Degong, you shouldn't be so obvious about it!"

(End of Chapter 1)

Chapter 2:

Even a thunderbolt striking Huang Shi couldn't have shocked him more than Jin Qiude's words. His hand involuntarily went to his waist and gripped his sword.

Jin Qiude, as if he hadn't seen anything, stood straight, holding the torch high in his right hand: "My lord, I dare to guess your intentions. The guess is long, and I naturally dare not ask you to confirm its accuracy. I only ask that you let me finish speaking."

Jin Qiude was worried that Huang Shi would misunderstand that he was trying to extract information, so he told Huang Shi not to speak, but just to listen to him.

Huang Shi's guard relaxed slightly: "Speak."

"Last time, when I mentioned the gift-giving incident, the lord suddenly flew into a rage and threatened to punish me. Afterwards, I reflected carefully and concluded that I hadn't said anything wrong to provoke such anger. Afterwards, the lord suddenly showed me great favor. I carefully observed his attitude towards me, and it was noticeably different from his attitude towards the other personal guards, except perhaps his confidant Zhao Manxiong. I was grateful, but also somewhat puzzled. The lord's personal guards were all selected by Sun Degong. The lord treats them well, but he doesn't truly trust them; his treatment of me and Zhao Manxiong is different."

There were quite a few people around who were adept at reading between the lines, and Huang Shi couldn't help but worry whether the other personal guards had also noticed what Jin Qiude was saying.

"So, I suspected at the time that you were wary of Sun Degong, which would explain everything. Later, when you and Sun Degong got engaged, I thought it was just overthinking. But after you went to meet Miss Sun in secret, I became suspicious. Miss Sun is your wife, so you would definitely try to keep this a secret. But you didn't mind Yang Luhuo revealing it, and even intentionally allowed him to tell everyone."

Huang Shi, whose scheme had been exposed, couldn't help but shout, "I didn't allow Yang Luhuo to say that I met with Miss Sun in secret! When did I ever tell you that I met with Miss Sun in secret?"

"My lord didn't say anything openly, only that he stood up for those three guards. But if you press him a little, everyone knows that you and Miss Sun had a secret rendezvous. My lord has always been very good to his subordinates. If Miss Sun were to marry into the family, her maid would most likely be our second wife. My lord is throwing mud at his own wife and second wife for no reason. If you say there's no special reason behind this, I absolutely don't believe it."

Jin Qiude's words left Huang Shi speechless. Although he was shrouded in the darkness before dawn, Huang Shi felt as if he were completely naked and exposed to the light of day.

“I believe there’s only one explanation: the lord wants his personal guards and Sun Degong’s spies embedded among them to believe that the lord’s relationship with the Sun family is unbreakable. Another important factor is that the lord may not necessarily believe that he will marry Sun Degong, so he doesn’t care what people think of Miss Sun; deep down, the lord doesn’t care.”

“Aren’t you worried that you’re wrong?” Huang Shi asked hoarsely. Jin Qiude’s last analysis was truly brilliant, a veritable exploration of Huang Shi’s subconscious.

"You're right, sir. There is indeed another possibility regarding Miss Sun's secret meeting. It's that Yang Luhuo's mouth isn't reliable, which is why I wasn't certain of these analyses before leaving Zhenwu Fort. But since you chose me instead of Yang Luhuo to accompany you, I have no further doubts. If you truly trust Yang Luhuo and have no grudge against Sun Degong, then Yang Luhuo should accompany you to see Commander Xiong today, because Commander Xiong..."

"Stop." Huang Shi knew what Jin Qiude was about to say. Xiong Tingbi's dissatisfaction with Sun Degong was already common knowledge in the Guangning Army. Xiong Tingbi always said that Sun Degong was a villain, and if Huang Shi wanted to badmouth him to Xiong Tingbi, it was indeed necessary to send the unsafe person away.

Huang Shi scrutinized the man in front of him for a long time, feeling that he had truly underestimated the heroes of the world. However, since this person dared to say such things, it meant he was at least not one of Sun Degong's traitors. Huang Shi comforted himself for a moment, then cleared his throat and said,

"You speak very well, very well. Now all you have to do is tell me why I trust you. If you can't answer, then pull out a knife and slit your own throat."

"You flatter me, sir. I was able to see through your arrangements because I don't trust you at all. I've always harbored suspicions about you."

These words struck Huang Shi like a thunderbolt. Although he understood Jin Qiude's words, he still couldn't quite believe it. His voice was hoarse and low, almost inhuman: "Are you someone Sun Degong sent to monitor me?"

"Yes, sir, you are wise. Sun Degong ordered me to pay attention to all suspicious behavior of you and your personal guards. What I said a few days ago was also arranged by Sun Degong, ordering me to use this to gain your trust."

"There should be more than one spy," Huang Shi concluded.

"Definitely more than one," Jin Qiude replied decisively.

Jin Qiude was merely a spy, and Sun Degong wouldn't reveal the names of the other spies, so Huang Shi didn't intend to waste his energy asking this question.

Huang Shi's decision not to press Jin Qiude about the other sands had an unexpected consequence. Seeing Huang Shi's accurate judgment after a moment of shock, Jin Qiude couldn't help but show a hint of admiration.

Huang Shi's actions convinced Jin Qiude that his judgment was sound. If he had lacked confidence and insisted on confirming the previous statement, Jin Qiude would have considered this man nothing more than a tool, a ladder to climb higher.

"So you've already proven your loyalty. But why? Why did you betray Sun Degong? Why won't you betray me?"

"Because you are the most ambitious person I've ever met, and you are also one of the rarest people I've seen who can rise from nothing." Jin Qiude knew that even if he betrayed Huang Shi, Sun Degong wouldn't make him a commander.

Sun Degong was a hereditary military general, surrounded by relatives and friends; most of those he promoted were relatives. Huang Shi, on the other hand, had no trusted confidants. Therefore, Jin Qiude ultimately chose Huang Shi.

"My lord," Jin Qiude said, "I believe your future is limitless, but you need countless lackeys to bravely advance on this glorious yet thorny path. I am confident in my abilities; I am far more than just a spy. I am very capable and will certainly prove it to you; I will definitely be your most trusted lackey."

Jin Qiude's fearsome ambition surged from his words, echoing the surging ambition in Huang Shi's heart. The powerful resonance between them caused Huang Shi to loosen his grip on his sword. This resonance finally made Huang Shi nod. The two ambitious men faced each other in the wilderness, feeling each other's insatiable thirst for power.

"Your ambition—" Huang Shi paused halfway through his sentence, searching for the right words to describe it: "Admirable."

"It is indeed ambition. Everyone in the world thinks ambition is a bad word, but you, sir, are not, and I am not a common man."

As the Bible says: Only the devil can recognize the devil. Jin Qiude, who had been secretly observing Huang Shi, was finally attracted by the kindred spirit in his target, and Huang Shi, at this moment, also accepted this kindred spirit because of the same attraction.

"You don't know how big my ambition is, it's beyond your imagination."

"As long as it's to seize the world, I will follow you to the death!"

(End of Chapter 02)

Opening a path of life and death with both hands Chapter 03

In the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, there were two very famous monks. One was naturally the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the other was Yao Guangxiao. Monk Yao believed in the art of slaying dragons, which was the art of killing the emperor and rebelling.

After talking with Jin Qiude on the way, Huang Shi discovered that he was also a researcher of the art of slaying dragons. Jin Qiude was from Suzhou and came from a well-off family. But he held a deep and unwavering belief in his mind: he was born to disrupt the Ming Dynasty.

There's an old saying that China experiences a major calamity every three hundred years, and that great chaos leads to great order. From a later materialist historical perspective, this represents the later stages of agricultural civilization. Population pressure became unbearable for society, and dynasties, weakened by institutional corruption and rigid systems, lost their vitality, leading to their collapse.

People of that era, of course, didn't understand this. For example, Jin Qiude inexplicably believed he was born to face this calamity, diligently practicing martial arts and horsemanship from a young age—things his wealthy family could provide. However, after turning sixteen, Jin Qiude began to act on his beliefs, running away from home to the Huai River region.

He believed "people crave steamed buns," so he attempted to distribute steamed buns to recruit starving people to organize basic armed forces. However, he was caught by local powerful figures and brought to the authorities on charges of treason. This nearly terrified his entire family, as such a charge was far too serious for one person to bear. Fortunately,

money could buy anything, and besides, the officials didn't believe a sixteen-year-old would consider rebellion in such a peaceful era. Jin Qiude's act of distributing steamed buns was ultimately framed as a wealthy child's act of charity, while his organization of displaced people was accused of a crime akin to the creation of a criminal gang. He was exiled to Liaodong, and his clan seized the opportunity to expel this scourge from their ancestral home.

After being exiled to Liaodong, Jin Qiude showed no remorse, instead believing it to be a sign of a great mission from heaven. Although he became more discreet, to those with ulterior motives, Jin Qiude remained as conspicuous as a grain of charcoal in white sand. When discovered by Sun Degong, Jin Qiude began his career as a spy.

The clever and resourceful Jin Qiude was never discovered by other soldiers, and he even hoped to use this side job to gain an opportunity for advancement. However, year after year, Sun Degong only saw Jin Qiude as an informant planted among the soldiers. As

the flames of war approached Guangning in Liaodong, Jin Qiude once again knelt down to thank heaven for giving him such a war, which he saw as a harbinger of chaos. However, he soon discovered with disappointment that he was still a spy, only now his targets were hidden Later Jin spies. Until one day, Sun Degong gave him a new task—to monitor a newly appointed commander named Huang Shi.

"When did you decide to defect to me?" Huang Shi asked with interest.

Jin Qiude, mounted on his horse, gave a slight bow: "Does my lord recall a conversation about reconnaissance?"

"Which one?"

"About half a month ago, when I was discussing reconnaissance during marches with a few of my personal guards."

"Oh, I remember, but you didn't offer any particularly insightful opinions; you hardly said a word."

"Yes, I have no experience in reconnaissance during marches. I remember clearly: when we talked about how arduous reconnaissance work is, Yang Luhuo said that most reconnaissance is meaningless because discovering the enemy is rare; most of the time it's a wasted effort." Jin Qiude recalled the conversation casually: "Zhao Manxiong disagreed; he said it's called being prepared."

"Zhao Manxiong is right."

“He’s right, but you’re even more right, sir.”

Huang Shi’s curiosity was piqued. “Oh, what did I say? I probably just said it offhand, I don’t remember now.”

Jin Qiude remained calm and said, “Then please repeat what you just said, sir.”

Huang Shi lowered his head and thought for a while. “I really don’t remember what I said, but now I think it’s not just a matter of being prepared. Reconnaissance is not only about finding where there is danger, but also about finding where it is safe; both are equally important. Finding a water source is certainly valuable, but confirming that there is absolutely no water source in a certain place is just as valuable. When I spread out a map, the places marked on it must have something, and the places not marked should be empty.”

“Then, sir, how should the reconnaissance personnel who make discoveries and those who don’t be rewarded?”

“It depends on the level of detail in their reconnaissance,” Huang Shi said without hesitation. “I’m concerned not only with the degree of insecurity, but also with the degree of security.”

“That’s right. Your explanation today is more detailed, but it’s completely consistent with what you said the other day.” Jin Qiude then recounted his experience as a spy. Although he worked hard, both Jin spies and soldiers with ulterior motives were a minority. Jin Qiude was unlucky and didn’t encounter many, but he meticulously investigated the people around him and was certain that there were a large number of absolutely safe personnel.

“Sun Degong has no interest in the results of my work; he only rewards or promotes me when he discovers problems.” Jin Qiude sighed at his terrible luck:

“No matter how hard I work or how thoroughly I analyze, I always have to compete with lazybones or idiots in terms of luck. I dislike being framed even more. Before, I just lamented my bad luck and could only work harder and hope for luck. But what you said that day made me realize: it's not that I'm unlucky, but that I haven't followed the right person. If Sun Degong had your insight, I wouldn't have been buried.”

“So you made up your mind like that?”

“Yes, but not just for this time. Your insights are often unprecedented, often giving me a sense of sudden enlightenment.”

“This is my luck,” Huang Shi smiled. “No matter what, it's not wrong for you to work hard. A person can be without luck, but when luck comes, you must never let it slip away. Those who can do this are talented regardless of whether they have luck or not.”

"I've heard you say those words before, sir. I felt then that you were truly my confidant, understanding my ambition. Your principles also made me realize your ambition." Jin Qiude sighed again. "If Sun Degong had half your insight, sir, I wouldn't have had the chance to follow you. All that happened before was truly fate. It must be that Heaven wanted me to follow you and assist you in turning the world upside down..."

"Stop! Enough. Take things one step at a time. Don't think too much."

When they arrived at Guangning Youtun, it was only just dawn. Huang Shi straightened his armor and stood solemnly outside the Liaodong Military Commander's camp. Upon hearing the order to summon him, he hurriedly stepped inside, bowing deeply as soon as he entered the camp: "Huang Shi, the Training Commander under Sun Degong, the Assistant General of Guangning Town, pays his respects to the Grand Coordinator."

(End of Chapter 3)

Chapter 4:

"Rise."

Huang Shi stood up and carefully examined the person before him, the Liaodong Grand Coordinator whom Emperor Wanli had personally promoted despite opposition. Xiong Tingbi, still dressed in his bright red official robes in the military tent, was also looking at Huang Shi with a serious expression.

After reading the letter from Wang Huazhen that Huang Shi presented, Xiong Tingbi's face remained impassive; he merely gave a soft hum, as if to say, "Just as I expected."

Xiong Tingbi sneered at Huang Shi, saying, "Governor Huang, you speak so arrogantly, asking for supplies today and troops tomorrow. What? You don't even dare to rescue Xiping? Now that the Jurchens have delivered themselves to your doorstep, where have all your boasts gone?"

After saying this, Xiong Tingbi glanced at the trembling Huang Shi and softened his tone, saying, "I, the strategist, knew that a mere governor like you wouldn't dare to reply like that. I will give you a reply."

Just as Xiong Tingbi was writing his reply, Huang Shi gave his final mental rehearsal and suddenly knelt down again: "My lord, I have a confidential report to report."

Xiong Tingbi stopped writing, looked up at him, then lowered his head to write again, saying in a calm tone, "Speak."

"I dare to ask, my lord, to dismiss all those around you."

"You may all leave." After all the Guan Ning officers in the tent had left, Xiong Tingbi continued writing without looking up: "You may speak now."

"This humble servant knows that according to the military law of the Ming Dynasty, a subordinate who slanders a superior is punishable by death. I am not certain about the matter I have reported, and I fear death..."

"Stop!" Xiong Tingbi shouted in a low voice as he wrote, "Just say what you want to say." "

This humble servant believes that Lord Wang's spies in the Later Jin are unreliable." In Huang Shi's memory, Xiong Tingbi was suspicious of Li Yongfang, and when Sun Degong rebelled, Huang Shi wanted to clear himself of any wrongdoing, so he decided to use this to gain Xiong Tingbi's trust: "This humble servant believes Li Yongfang is highly suspicious."

Xiong Tingbi snorted again, remaining silent and continuing to write furiously. Huang Shi knelt on the ground until he finished writing his reply and sealed it. Xiong Tingbi threw the reply in front of him before coldly asking, "Did you report this matter to the Governor?"

"No," Huang Shi answered loudly, but Xiong Tingbi only grunted and then gestured for him to leave.

“My lord, I dare not report to Lord Wang. First, I have no evidence. Second,” Huang Shi didn’t understand why Xiong Tingbi seemed so indifferent, but he had come determined to seize this opportunity to clear his name. He gritted his teeth and shouted, “I suspect that Lieutenant General Sun is also involved. I have no real evidence. I deserve death, I deserve death!”

After saying this, Huang Shi bowed his head deeply. Finally, he heard Xiong Tingbi exclaim in surprise, and then he heard him say, “Raise your head and answer.”

“Yes, my lord.” Huang Shi raised his head and found that Xiong Tingbi’s expression had softened, and was now full of suspicion.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t have concrete evidence. Tell me why you suspect me.”

Huang Shi secretly organized his thoughts, but this momentary hesitation earned him encouragement from Xiong Tingbi: “No matter how ridiculous your words are, I, the strategist, will not take offense. So don’t worry about being guilty, speak freely.”

“Lord Wang ordered me to contact the spies among the Jurchens, but recently, Lord Sun has stopped letting me handle this matter. Instead, he’s had me inspect the city defenses and count the troops, and…” Huang Shi raised some suspicious points, while shifting all the blame to Sun Degong.

Xiong Tingbi remained silent throughout, but as he listened, he began to nod repeatedly, and the look of suspicion on his face gradually faded.

"...Lord Sun suddenly wanted to arrange a marriage between me and his wife before the New Year. I was filled with gratitude and trepidation,

but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became..." "No need to say anymore." Xiong Tingbi sighed. "Sun Degong has been very kind to you, hasn't he?"

"Yes."

"That's why you hesitated. Besides, Sun Degong is Governor Wang's confidant; you wouldn't believe him even if you told him." Xiong Tingbi looked at Huang Shi for a while and nodded. "Although you have your own selfish motives, you are still loyal."

"Your Excellency is right to rebuke me; I deserve to die."

“I never demand perfection, please rise.”

After Huang Shi stood up, Xiong Tingbi turned and walked back to the table to sit down. “I have investigated your situation. I was initially suspicious of you, but your words have put my mind at ease. You can also rest assured, General Sun is loyal to the emperor and loves his country.”

Seeing Huang Shi’s hesitant expression, Xiong Tingbi smiled gently. “You truly are worthy of being General Sun’s son-in-law. Birds of a feather flock together. General Sun reported to me that Li Yongfang is unreliable…”

Xiong Tingbi seemed to want to say something more, but hesitated and stopped. “In short, with the great battle imminent, do not doubt General Sun. Go with peace of mind, and you will understand in time.”

Huang Shi was already sweating profusely. Xiong Tingbi misunderstood his concerns and added with a smile, “Of course I would not ruin your relationship as father-in-law and son-in-law, but your selflessness is truly admirable.”

Huang Shi obediently withdrew. Why would Xiong Tingbi trust Sun Degong? What he said alone was not enough to win his trust, but unfortunately, Xiong Tingbi did not finish his sentence. Huang Shi racked his brains but still couldn't figure out what was going on. However, he still had a mission to

complete. After leaving Guangning Youtun, Huang Shi recounted the meeting to Jin Qiude and expressed his doubts. Jin Qiude was somewhat dizzy from listening: "Does Your Excellency mean that Sun Degong is planning a rebellion? I don't understand at all."

Huang Shi smiled, realizing he had been too hasty and had completely forgotten that Jin Qiude was just a lowly spy who knew nothing of the core secrets. He told Jin Qiude, "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say, don't be too surprised, and definitely don't tell anyone else."

Huang Shi then briefly recounted Sun Degong's treason, telling Jin Qiude everything he could. Since Jin Qiude had shown a certain degree of loyalty, Huang Shi needed to reciprocate with corresponding trust. Loyalty cannot go unrewarded.

Jin Qiude spent a considerable amount of time digesting the intelligence he had just received. This shocking information made him shudder, and these secrets revealed Huang Shi's hidden ambition—the ambition to betray both the Ming and Later Jin dynasties simultaneously. This newfound knowledge impressed him greatly: "Indeed, only someone like this deserves my loyalty, Jin Qiude."

After Huang Shi had processed his thoughts, he asked, "Where do you think the problem lies?"

"General Xiong is fine," Jin Qiude replied immediately. If Xiong Tingbi were a problem, Huang Shi would have been dead inside just now.

"No need to say, I know that,"

Jin Qiude nodded. Huang Shi wouldn't have dared to say those words without certainty. Although he didn't understand why Huang Shi was so confident, he knew that the right to know was in Huang Shi's hands; he wouldn't ask unless Huang Shi brought it up.

"There must be something wrong with Xiong Tingbi's associates. There's a Jurchen spy, either high-ranking or someone General Xiong trusts."

"Well said," Huang Shi clapped his hands in praise. Jin Qiude's judgment was very similar to his own. There must be a Jurchen spy, using some method to cover up Sun Degong. Since this spy knew Sun Degong's identity, he must also be a key figure.

Huang Shi rushed back to Zhenwu Fort with the reply. Wang Huazhen, after reading the letter, was furious and immediately ordered his army to reinforce Xiping Fort.

As the governor of Liaodong, Wang Huazhen naturally refused to take the risk and immediately led his guards back to the safety of Guangning. He delegated military command to Chen Qu, the commander-in-chief of Guangning, and ordered Sun Degong to assist him.

Chen Qu was already frantic, and as soon as he received command, he immediately ordered the entire army to march on Xiping Fort. Since Wang Huazhen had not made any prior preparations, Chen Qu decisively ordered the artillery and supply troops to remain, while the main force set off at full speed.

This decision was opposed by Sun Degong, who argued that unprotected logistical supplies should not be left behind. Chen Qu considered it and agreed. The Guangning army was divided again; besides the 15,000 troops Wang Huazhen had used to protect himself, tens of thousands of soldiers were left in Zhenwu to guard against the Later Jin attacking their base and flanking them.

Guangning Garrison boasted 130,000 troops. Excluding the river defense forces and garrisons at various fortresses, Guangning City alone had a field army of 60,000. However, only 34,000 soldiers ultimately marched towards Xiping Fort. Compared to the Later Jin's 30,000 soldiers, the Ming army no longer held a significant numerical advantage.

"The essence of tactics is to concentrate forces to the greatest extent possible at decisive locations. This seems to be something Napoleon said," Huang Shi realized as he rode out of the camp gate, finding that military thought was universal. "Chairman Mao also seemed to have said something about concentrating superior forces."

Since Wang Huazhen was determined to save Xiping Fort, even a fool could see that this would inevitably lead to a strategic decisive battle between the Ming army and the Later Jin.

"If I were Wang Huazhen, I would definitely draw troops from various forts, even if it meant emptying them all,"

Huang Shi believed. He argued that if they won this field battle, the forts wouldn't need any defense, yet Wang Huazhen was dispersing his 130,000 troops across dozens of fortresses to strengthen their defenses.

"Historically, the Ming army suffered a crushing defeat at Shaling, resulting in the annihilation of the assembled forces. Furthermore, the command center at Guangning fell, Wang Huazhen fled, and the remaining 100,000 troops were unable to even regroup for another battle." Huang Shi smiled coldly to himself, "However, since I have transmigrated here, things are completely different."

Sun Degong, the vanguard commander of the Guangning Army, immediately ordered Huang Shi to set off as the advance scout, accompanied by Fei Liguo. Fei Liguo was Sun Degong's newly appointed personal guard captain, and after Sun Degong expanded his army, Fei Liguo also became a centurion.

Although Huang Shi was a supervisor, he only had two hundred men under his command, while Fei Liguo's overstaffed centurion squad had one hundred and twenty men. Since Huang Shi knew from Guai Baobao that Sun Degong didn't fully trust him yet, Fei Liguo was currently his equal.

Before departing, Sun Degong carefully instructed Huang Shi to act according to his plan. With Fei Liguo as a thorn in his side, Huang Shi knew there was no chance for any underhanded tactics, so he simply handed over command, following Fei Liguo's lead in everything.

Less than half an hour later, Fei Liguo ran over and whispered to Huang Shi, "We've arrived."

(End of Chapter 4)

Opening the

marching map, Huang Shi saw that the small hill ahead was the very spot Sun Degong had shown him the day before yesterday. Before Fei Liguo finished speaking, the lead scout rushed back, shouting before the horse even stopped, "Reporting to Lord Huang, there seem to be suspicious figures moving on the hill." Under

Fei Liguo's watchful gaze, Huang Shi shouted, "Stop!"

The advance cavalry immediately halted.

"Scout again," Huang Shi ordered.

A short while later, two scouts returned, panting, carrying some items: "Reporting to Lord Huang, we didn't find the suspicious figures, but we did find these."

The items were several kinds of civilian clothing and a damaged horseshoe. Huang Shi and Fei Liguo exchanged a knowing glance, then ordered the cavalry to disperse and search, while simultaneously reporting back to the rear the signs of Jin scout activity.

Sun Degong, commanding the vanguard of the Guangning army, immediately halted the advance. His scouts searched the area for a while before resuming their march. Chen Qu, having received a safety report, also urged the entire army to move out.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, at the second ink dot placed by Sun Degong, in a forest, they discovered Later Jin flags. Although this was again proven to be a feint, the army halted for nearly two quarters of an hour. The only good news was that Zu Dashou, with a thousand Guan Ning cavalry, had caught up with the main Guangning force.

Along the way, they encountered various signs, all of which turned out to be false alarms. The army had been moving intermittently for almost three hours, covering only a third of their normal march.

The soldiers in the vanguard cavalry were on edge, as if they were about to be ambushed, while the main Guangning army behind them was filled with complaints.

Even at their slowest pace, the journey would eventually come to an end, but Huang Shi, acting as the scout, had already seen a column of smoke rising from the direction of Xipingbao on the horizon. Soon he saw dozens of Later Jin scouts appear in small squads in front of and on both flanks of their cavalry, with the Xiping Fortress, engulfed in flames, behind them.

"Halt! Send more scouts to the flanks!" Huang Shi shouted, then consulted Fei Liguo: "Brother Fei, is it better to stop or continue?"

Fei Liguo smiled wryly: "Brother Huang, you're putting me in a difficult position. I've never fought a battle before."

His personal guards were even less of a threat. Huang Shi knew that none of the scouts in the entire vanguard had any experience as scouts. Since the fierce battle in Liaodong, the Ming army's elite forces had been almost entirely wiped out. The vast majority of soldiers in Guangning Town were newly recruited or former settlers; veteran soldiers were practically nonexistent.

"Outposts, keep advancing," Huang Shi gritted his teeth and gave the order, pulling over a messenger at the same time: "Report back immediately, our troops have encountered the Jurchens and may need reinforcements."

The Jurchen scouts advanced to within four or five hundred meters of Huang Shi before stopping. They looked over casually, retreating westward at the same slow pace as the several hundred Ming soldiers cautiously advanced.

Huang Shi felt his palms begin to sweat. He glanced at the soldiers around him; they were all pale-faced, many with their hands on their weapons, some repeatedly drawing their swords and then sheathing them, making a grating sound.

"All troops, listen to my command! Draw your swords!" Huang Shi could no longer bear the tense atmosphere created by the sounds. At his command, the outposts eagerly drew their weapons, followed by a chorus of exhalations as the soldiers whispered to themselves for courage.

Huang Shi squinted and looked over. The Later Jin scouts opposite him still held their reins, their squads spreading out further, scattered across the ground, while the Ming cavalry were increasingly packed together. At first glance, it seemed as if dozens of Later Jin scouts had surrounded the four hundred Ming cavalry.

As they advanced, the dark mass of the Later Jin army began to appear in the view of Huang Shi and his Ming troops.

"Brother Huang, we should stop advancing." Fei Liguo felt he could hardly urge his men to continue.

"The enemy is still a long way off." Huang Shi stood up in his stirrups and peered into the distance. "I can't see how many men there are. How do we report to the central command?"

"Continue advancing." Huang Shi ignored the stunned Fei Liguo and decisively gave the order. Although the soldiers were on their first battlefield, their performance was terrible.

But before the cavalry could advance, a soldier shouted, "Sir, look!" The soldier pointed to a group of Later Jin cavalry slowly approaching the Ming army, numbering about three or four hundred.

"Enemy troops behind us!" a soldier suddenly cried out in despair. A murmur of panic rippled through the crowd.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Huang Shi roared, quickly turning his horse backward. The Ming army's vanguard cavalry, already tightly packed into a battle formation due to their high alert, had created a gap between themselves and the main force. Huang Shi saw two or three Later Jin scouts swagger into this opening, running to observe the Ming vanguard.

When Huang Shi returned to the front, he still couldn't make out the Later Jin's formation or numbers, but the several hundred Later Jin cavalry closing in were less than two miles away.

"Sir, give the order quickly!" several of his personal guards urged Huang Shi.

"Sir, give the order!" the soldiers around him shouted spontaneously.

Huang Shi knew what kind of order they wanted, and reluctantly gave the order:

"Retreat, rejoin the vanguard."

The scattered Later Jin scouts maintained the same speed and distance around them, guiding them back into the Ming vanguard formation.

"How many troops are in the enemy's vanguard?" Upon returning to the vanguard, Sun Degong bombarded the officers with questions.

"Reporting to you, sir, three or four thousand," Huang Shi replied calmly.

"Hmm, how many Jurchen troops are there in total?"

"Forty thousand," Huang Shi replied immediately, though he hadn't seen them.

"You saw them clearly?"

"Absolutely." "Nonsense!

" Sun Degong suddenly erupted in fury, startling Huang Shi. He roared, "How could you possibly see them so clearly? Did you get close enough to see them?" Huang Shi

quickly bowed and said, "This humble officer dares not boast, the Jurchens indeed have forty thousand troops, this humble officer saw them with his own eyes." He then pointed to Fei Liguo, who was standing dumbfounded to the side, "Commander Fei, you saw them too."

"That's right, the Jurchens indeed have forty thousand, this humble officer also saw them with his own eyes," Fei Liguo immediately echoed. "

There is no joking in the army," Sun Degong persisted. "

This humble officer would absolutely not dare," Fei Liguo and Huang Shi replied in unison.

Sun Degong silently repeated "40,000" several times, then coughed sharply: "Fei Liguo, this is a major military matter, do not deceive this general."

Fei Liguo stared at Sun Degong for a moment, stunned, and replied helplessly, "This humble officer certainly wouldn't dare."

"Hmm, 40,000, are you really sure? The entire army halts its advance and rendezvous with the central army." Sun Degong issued the order, and Huang Shi hurriedly began to call upon his subordinates.

Recalling the conversation between Sun Degong and Fei Liguo, Huang Shi was filled with confusion. A vague idea flickered before his eyes, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

(Chapter 5)

Opening a Path of Life and Death with Both Hands (Chapter 6

) After the central and vanguard armies of the Guangning army rendezvoused, they immediately formed a battle formation for a decisive battle. The resounding drumbeats echoed across the land and reached the sky. The cavalry of Ming generals such as Sun Degong were divided into two and deployed on the two flanks. The commander of the left flank was Sun Degong himself, while Zu Dashou's thousand Guan Ning cavalry were reinforced on the right flank.

Tens of thousands of Ming infantrymen formed the central route, with long-armored soldiers leading the way. Behind them, swordsmen and axemen, led by their officers, drew their swords, rhythmically striking their shields and shouting rousing battle cries.

The Later Jin and Ming armies gradually converged, and both sides raised their general's flags. In this era without radio, tens of thousands of troops relied entirely on flags for command. Every officer looked at their superior's flag and then used it to direct their officers and soldiers.

As the general's sixteen-foot red flag waved gently, the Ming deputy generals and corps commanders adjusted their marching pace, issuing orders to their respective commanders and garrisons using their flags.

Sun Degong's twelve-foot corps commander then waved his flag and issued orders, while Huang Shi, watching his flag, smoothly gave his command, and his personal guards immediately raised his ten-foot commander's flag high.

Although Huang Shi lacked officers, under the full control of Yang Zhiyuan and Jin Qiude, there was no chaos. Zhao Manxiong hid at the rear of the column, vigilantly directing his soldiers and personal guards to hold the front.

The Ming army's center consisted of a thick contingent of heavy infantry, with cavalry covering the flanks. Tens of thousands stretched out a long battle line, and as the center advanced, the general's banner soon aligned with Huang Shi's position. It was a

standard center-breakthrough formation; Huang Shi hadn't expected tens of thousands of soldiers lined up in such a long line. Looking from the end of his formation towards the center, it was a sea of banners, the once-imposing sixteen-foot general's banner now resembling a toothpick.

The Later Jin army's center halted its movement, while the flanks continued to advance. The Ming army's full-moon formation was designed to counter the Later Jin's mobility advantage. If the center broke through to the Later Jin's banner first, the Later Jin army would have no choice but to retreat, or they would lose command and fight independently. If the Later Jin retreated and regrouped, the Ming army would suffer a blow to morale, and both sides would gain the advantage of capturing wounded soldiers in the ensuing battle.

Conversely, if the Later Jin managed to outflank the Ming army's banners on the flanks before the center was breached, the Ming army would suffer a crushing defeat.

Huang Shi and his men were naturally on the left flank. Sun Degong sent his personal guard to summon him: "Huang Shi, when the battle begins, you immediately lead your men to break away from the Ming army and rush to the Jin side, then defect."

"Defect?" Huang Shi was extremely surprised and almost shouted: "Defect on the battlefield?" "

Yes, tie a red cloth around your head, like this. When the Jin see someone wearing a red cloth, they'll know you're one of theirs." Sun Degong said, pointing to a red scarf on his forehead.

"What about my men? There's no time to persuade them now." Huang Shi's thoughts were a bit confused; this plan clearly didn't conform to history.

Sun Degong gave Huang Shi a strange look. "What time is it now? Why worry about what your trusted subordinates are doing? You and your confidants tie red cloths and go to the Jin side, then turn around and shout 'Those who abandon their troops will be spared death!' The Ming army will inevitably be thrown into chaos and at a loss, causing a pause. Plus, I'll turn around and launch a surprise attack from behind the lines, naturally causing confusion. It doesn't matter if the rest of the men you don't trust die, as long as we win this battle, the Guangning army is finished."

"That's it?"

"Simple, isn't it? Haha." Sun Degong smiled smugly. "The battlefield is ever-changing. Your actions only need to make the Ming army pause for a moment. This is a plan personally devised by the Khan. I'm only telling you now to keep it a secret. Go and prepare."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand." Huang Shi reluctantly replied, but couldn't help asking, "And what about you, sir?"

"I will shout from behind the lines that the Ming army has been defeated, making the Ming army even more chaotic." Sun Degong answered without hesitation, "You cause trouble in front, and I'll cause trouble from behind."

That was correct. Seeing Huang Shi still deep in thought, Sun Degong urged, "Hurry up and prepare!"

"Yes, Your subordinate will go immediately," Huang Shi replied somewhat insincerely.

Unexpectedly, Sun Degong burst into laughter: "Little Huang, this is probably the last time you'll refer to yourself as your subordinate. After this battle, I'll arrange your marriage."

"Thank you, sir," Huang Shi said, "but I haven't decided on a date yet."

"Haha, I can't wait. Never mind, auspicious or inauspicious, I'll set one for you."

"Thank you, sir."

"Be very careful, very careful not to hesitate at the last minute. After shouting, quickly hide behind the Jin army, otherwise you'll be in danger when the chaos begins. Remember, remember." Sun Degong added at the end, "I don't want my daughter to be a widow."

It only took Huang Shi half a minute to return to his own cavalry. He felt this arrangement was wrong. It was true that Sun Degong shouted "Defeat!" behind the Ming army, but he didn't remember any defection on the front lines.

This did indeed have a significant local advantage. One defection would cause widespread chaos. But those who defected at the front were all Sun Degong's men. Wouldn't that arouse suspicion? Tens of thousands of Ming soldiers couldn't possibly have all perished. How could Sun Degong launch his uprising in Guangning then? Could it be that not a single one could escape?

"Brother Huang!" A shout interrupted Huang Shi's reverie. It was Fei Liguo, a red turban tied around his head, riding up on horseback. He glanced at Huang Shi's red turban with a smile, then winked slyly at him.

"Brother Fei," Huang Shi forced a smile, "Brother Fei, are you coming with me too?"

"Yes." Fei Liguo returned the smile knowingly, "Same mission."

Fei Liguo was Sun Degong's confidant; it seemed this arrangement was correct.

However, Huang Shi's brow furrowed more and more involuntarily. With this turn of events, it would be impossible for him to claim ignorance of Sun Degong's conspiracy.

"Why aren't you telling your men to tie their red turbans?" Fei Liguo seemed to be preparing to instruct his men.

"We'll set up camp at the front; it's too conspicuous now," Huang Shi replied casually, his thoughts already on the matter, inadvertently revealing his inner complaint: "It's too rushed. You can't read people's minds; if someone shouts, everything will fall apart. I'll decide at the last minute."

"Yes, I'll wait a bit longer then," Fei Liguo also abandoned the idea of immediately informing his men.

"I'll go prepare," Fei Liguo suddenly realized he was still beside Huang Shi and quickly ran to direct his flag bearers.

At this moment, the Ming and Later Jin armies had stopped and were facing off after reaching their designated positions. Huang Shi was still pondering how to overcome the current predicament. After the Ming army's defeat, he could indeed continue to Guangning, but with so many people having witnessed his actions, he couldn't explain himself to the Ming court.

If he did that, he would have no choice but to side with the Later Jin.

"But let's get through this predicament first," Huang Shi ordered his soldiers to tie on their red headscarves, glancing one last time at Sun Degong's flag, which was still not far behind him.

"What are your orders, sir?" Jin Qiude, who was the first to finish, asked anxiously.

"In a moment..." Huang Shi was about to speak, but he felt that this plan was too dangerous. If the defeated soldiers rushed back to Guangning first, Sun Degong could easily explain the defeat, but the defection of his subordinates would be impossible to explain. And Sun Degong really did want to return to Guangning to rebel; Huang Shi remembered this history clearly.

"Wait!" Huang Shi's shout broke the silence before the battle. He

spurred his horse and, ignoring the astonished looks of the surrounding soldiers, galloped to Fei Liguo's side. "What's wrong? Keep your voice down." Fei Liguo was startled. He was about to order the red headscarves to be tied when he muttered annoyedly, "What are you doing here? Go back to your place."

Huang Shi asked anxiously, "Has Lord Sun ever been this rushed before?"

"What?"

"Brother Fei, you've been with Lord Sun for so many years. He's not a careless person, is he?"

"Of course not." Fei Liguo's eyes were somewhat blank, but he still answered without hesitation.

Huang Shi didn't say another word. He turned back and called to Zhao Manxiong and the others, "Come with me." Right there in front of the large group of dumbfounded Ming soldiers, he circled around the flank and began to run towards the rear.

Just as Huang Shi's men spurred their horses to catch up, the Ming army's war drums began to sound. The Ming soldiers on Huang Shi's flank stared blankly at him, but Huang Shi remained unmoved. Without hesitation, he charged towards Sun Degong's banner, shouting at the Ming soldiers in front of him, "Make way! Make way!"

With his eyes fixed on Sun Degong's banner, Huang Shi drew his saber and, without turning back, shouted, "Draw your swords!"

History changed.

But immediately, Huang Shi saw Sun Degong's banner fall in his sight, and at the same time, a cloud of dust rose from behind the lines, accompanied by hoarse shouts: "Defeat! Defeat!"

When Huang Shi reached the rear of the lines, he could see the central army's eighteen-foot red banner; Chen Qu's general's banner had already crashed to the ground. Without the banner's guidance, Huang Shi could not find Sun Degong among tens of thousands of men, and panicked cries filled the air.

Huang Shi halted his horse in despair, muttering to himself, "Was Chen Qu killed by Sun Degong? Without the general's banner, tens of thousands of Ming soldiers believe other lines have collapsed, and the Guangning army has lost command. From this moment on, every Ming officer and soldier has begun to retreat and fight independently."

"History has indeed changed, but not because of me, Huang Shi, but for my sake, for the sake of killing me."

"What...what's going on?"

Fei Liguo and his men had caught up sometime earlier.

Huang Shi snorted, silently spurring his horse westward. His men quickly followed, followed by Fei Liguo and his troops. Behind them, the battlefield erupted in deafening battle cries.

Ahead of them, a troop of cavalry dragging the "Zu" banner fled at an astonishing speed, their position indicating they had left the battlefield earlier than Huang Shi and Fei Liguo's group. Their banners were still flying high, and the thousands of cavalry maintained excellent formation.

Even while galloping on horseback, Fei Liguo couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing this scene: "What is this?"

"Zu Dashou, the famous general of Liaoxi!" Huang Shi snorted coldly again. No matter how fast he spurred his horse, he was falling further and further behind the Guan Ning army ahead.

In the Battle of Guangning, Zu Dashou displayed his breathtaking retreat skills in front of the enemy, managing to lead his entire army away from the battlefield without missing a single one, even before Sun Degong, who had secretly colluded with the Later Jin, had done so.

Huang Shi maliciously recalled the Battle of Dalinghe ten years later:

tens of thousands of Ming troops from Zhejiang, Lianghuai, and Sichuan attempted to help 20,000 Guan Ning troops escape. Zu Dashou's nephew, Wu Sangui, suddenly ordered the right flank of the Guan Ning army to turn back at the last moment before the battle, annihilating the 40,000 Ming troops who had come to Liaodong to reinforce them. Zu Dashou had no choice but to surrender, for the first time.

Twenty years later, Zu Dashou and tens of thousands of Guan Ning troops were besieged in Jinzhou. Hong Chengchou led the Qin army—the last strategic reserve of the Ming Dynasty—to rescue them, and the strategic decisive battle between the Ming and Qing dynasties unfolded at Songshan. Wu Sangui and Wang Pu once again suddenly led the Guan Ning cavalry in a desertion, causing the 100,000 Ming troops to riot, the Qin army to be wiped out, Hong Chengchou to be defeated and captured, and his maternal uncle Zu Dashou to surrender again.

Wu Sangui proved his lineage and family's unique skills; his retreat techniques and mobility were no less impressive than Zu Dashou's today. This was a double accusation for Zu Dashou. A

100,000-strong army rioting—a truly unprecedented event. Moreover, the Guan Ning army emerged unscathed both times, with friendly forces traveling thousands of miles to Liaodong to relieve them, only to be blamed each time. Without Yuan Chonghuan, these Guan Ning bastards really knew how to play.

However, he didn't have time to make any more connections.

"Guangning, we can't afford to lose it!" Huang Shi was extremely anxious, as he couldn't see Sun Degong's banners; his men's horsemanship was simply too poor.

(End of Chapter 6)

Cleaving a Path of Life and Death with Both Hands Chapter 7

The battle cries had already faded into the distance behind Huang Shi and his men, and some of Huang Shi's subordinates were also falling behind. As his anger gradually subsided, Huang Shi realized that even if he caught up with Sun Degong, his men would most likely be sent to their deaths. Zu Dashou had already turned south and headed straight for Ningyuan. Those bastards from the Liaoxi military families were masters of evasion, always shamelessly deserting their posts and leaving their allies to take the fall; it seemed they couldn't be relied upon.

But Guangning was to the west, and Huang Shi had to go there, otherwise everything would be in vain. He had no choice but to rein in his horse and catch his breath.

"Stop, stop!"

Fei Liguo shouted as he caught up. "Stop! I need to know what's going on!"

"You really don't know what's going on?" Huang Shi asked coldly.

Fei Liguo nodded, then shook his head. "I can't believe it, Lord Sun wants to..."

"He wants us dead!" Huang Shi, no longer looking at Fei Liguo, shouted to the panicked soldiers, "Brothers, listen to me!"

He yelled at the approaching soldiers, "We were betrayed by Sun Degong, that son of a bitch Sun Degong!"

He spat on the ground, "That bastard made me and Commander Fei lead the charge, but when I looked back, his own flag was at the very back!" Huang Shi passionately accused

Sun Degong, "He wanted to escape long ago, but he was afraid the governor would pursue him, so he sent me to my death, so he could say we were outmatched!"

As he spoke, Huang Shi ripped off the red turban from his head and pointed to the one on Fei Liguo's head, his lie flowing freely: "Commander Fei and I actually believed that son of a bitch's lie, so we made a pact: to wear the bright red Ming Dynasty flag on our heads when we fought the enemy. To be the first to charge!" "Well, the result..."

Seeing that Huang Shi seemed too angry to speak, Fei Liguo immediately continued, "Before the battle, Commander Huang discovered that Sun Degong, who was supposed to be on the front line, had actually gone to the very back. By the time Commander Huang and I went to ask him for instructions, we found that he had already fled. As a result, our left flank collapsed. He was our left flank commander!"

Huang Shi waved his hand weakly, "There's no need to say more now. Our retreat is the priority. We need to get out of danger first."

At this moment, Fei Liguo rode up to Huang Shi's side and whispered, "We must have a good talk in private. We can't go back to Guangning yet."

Huang Shi nodded to Fei Liguo, indicating that they agreed, "I know that, but we must escape from here. We can talk about everything after we're out of danger."

Fei Liguo pointed his whip to the west, "Five miles ahead is Shaling. After Shaling is the official road to Guangning. Let's go to the post station on the official road to find something to eat."

"Wait, you said Shaling is ahead." This name was undoubtedly a thunderbolt to Huang Shi.

“That’s right, Shaling.”

Huang Shi closed his eyes, and historical records flowed through his mind like water. The Later Jin deliberately only defeated the Guangning Army and let them flee to Shaling. The exhausted Ming army was blocked by the Later Jin army that had already outmaneuvered them at Shaling. The book said that even forty years later, the white corpses here had not been completely collected. At night, the phosphorescent lights were bright, and pedestrians did not need to carry torches when walking at night.

“Brother Huang,” Fei Liguo nudged Huang Shi.

“Brother Fei, let’s talk in private.” Pulling Fei Liguo aside, Huang Shi whispered, “We can’t go to Shaling; there’s definitely an ambush there.”

“How do you know?” Fei Liguo’s eyes widened.

Huang Shi wasn’t sure, but it was a possibility. With a big traitor like Sun Degong, it was highly likely that the blocking force would sneak past. But before he could answer, the soldiers shouted, “Sir, they’re here! They’re here!”

To their east, on both the north and south flanks, billowing dust appeared.

The fleeing Ming soldiers were too panicked to calmly analyze why the Later Jin cavalry was only following them slowly. Huang Shi looked at the two plumes of dust and said softly, “They’re trying to force our army towards Shaling, waiting for us to exhaust ourselves in the retreat.”

Even if there were no ambushes at Shaling, even if these were the main force of cavalry that had made the detour, Huang Shi felt that his few hundred cavalrymen could still easily break through. After all, their primary objective was to reach Shaling immediately, and Huang Shi had no intention of risking going there; being ambushed was no laughing matter.

While he and Fei Liguo were talking, scattered Ming cavalrymen continued to flee. Seeing their three hundred riders, some continued their reckless escape towards Shaling, while others hesitated, stopping to let their foaming horses rest. Gradually, over four hundred cavalrymen gathered, all anxiously glancing back repeatedly at the two approaching plumes of dust in the distance.

Huang Shi shook his reins, spurred his horse to the soldiers, pointed at the two plumes of dust, and shouted, "Brothers, these Jurchens are clearly trying to force us to Shaling, so there must be an ambush there!"

This immediately sparked a murmur of discussion. One unfamiliar Ming soldier even shouted, "Who are you?"

"I am Commander Huang Shi, and this is Captain Fei Liguo." Huang Shi had no interest in adding Sun Degong's name before his, but the soldiers seemed to have no further questions.

“So, I’ve decided to head there,” Huang Shi pointed to the dust in the south, “and charge through the Jurchen cavalry.”

To Huang Shi’s disappointment, the soldiers immediately wore expressions of fear, involuntarily retreating as if Huang Shi were one of the Jurchens.

“This is our only chance; Shaling is suicide!” Huang Shi shouted hoarsely, hoping to take as many soldiers as possible—these were all valuable cavalry.

But most soldiers remained unmoved, including many of Huang Shi’s own men who silently opposed him. Although time was of the essence, Huang Shi hesitated, preparing to launch another mobilization.

"We'll only send soldiers with weapons." Fei Liguo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spurred his horse forward and said in a cold voice, "Those without weapons, don't come. Otherwise, you

'll be killed without mercy." After saying that, Fei Liguo took off his cloak and threw it to his personal guard, the standard-bearer: "Use this as my military flag for now. Those with weapons, come with me. The rest, go to Shaling and leave it to fate."

The standard-bearer, who had already thrown away his flag, felt like he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly searched for wooden sticks on the ground. One soldier, who had obviously already thrown away his weapon, shouted desperately, "Lord Fei, we are loyal to you. You can't abandon me, sir!"

"Who told you to be unarmed? You're a burden." Fei Liguo coldly said this and turned south. Huang Shi winked at him again when he saw Fei Liguo turn around.

"Lord Huang, my riding skills are superb. I won't be a burden." This time, one of Huang Shi's men shouted. This guy had fallen off his horse when he was running away, but luckily he hadn't broken his arms and legs, and his horse had stopped. He heard this after catching up, but naturally, he had no idea where his weapon was.

"I won't abandon you, just stick close to me." Huang Shi said, mimicking Fei Liguo's actions, taking off his cloak and tossing it to his personal guard. Then, he said to the burdensome soldier who had been scolded by Fei Liguo and looked ashen-faced, "Follow those with weapons. As long as you don't disrupt our formation, I won't bother with you."

"Thank you, sir."

Regardless of whether they were subordinates of the two men, the soldiers with weapons proudly followed the two men's personal guards who were holding up their cloaks. Fei Liguo's personal guards had found two sticks and gave one to Huang Shi's personal guard, who was holding up the two men's cloaks. The majority of those following behind were unarmed soldiers, each one cowering and not daring to raise their heads or make a sound.

Thinking of Zu Dashou with his banners fluttering earlier, and then looking at his bunch of cowardly soldiers, Huang Shi cursed inwardly. He thought they were no match for the Later Jin army, let alone the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry. It would probably be beneficial for him to practice on Sun Degong first. After catching up with Fei Liguo, who was leading the charge, he praised him in a low voice, "You're really something."

Fei Liguo curled his lip: "Do you think we have a good chance?"

"Very good. We are outnumbered and not the main target. They can't stop us and won't pursue us. Besides, the Jurchens have a large force in the east. Their north and south are probably just bluffing. We are all cavalry, so it's easy for

us to break through." "Good," Fei Liguo nodded and shouted, "Men, let's charge through!"

The cavalry galloped up and headed straight south.

(End of Chapter 7)

Opening a path of life and death with both hands Chapter 8 The

Later Jin cavalry on both flanks were indeed mostly scattered scouts, and much of the dust was created by using branches tied to the back of their horses. Most importantly, the Later Jin clearly did not expect such a large-scale organized cavalry charge. In their original plan, their opponents should have been isolated cavalry or exhausted infantry.

Some newly arrived cavalrymen also broke out of the encirclement with them. The Later Jin soldiers dared not pursue them and instead restored their defensive line. When Huang Shi finally counted the men, he found that the losses were negligible. He happily counted out 473 cavalrymen, almost the size of a guerrilla general's unit.

"Thanks to your support!" After ordering the soldiers to rest, Huang Shi bowed excitedly to Fei Liguo.

"Frankly, I was half-convinced by what you said at the time, but I knew that such a life-or-death situation was definitely not a good time for infighting. Since we were going to be in the same boat, I had to support you whether I believed it or not," Fei Liguo smiled bitterly, then said fiercely, "Now we have to have a good talk!"

The two walked to a secluded corner, and after staring at each other for a long time, Huang Shi spoke first.

"I think Sun Degong plans to defect to the enemy," Huang Shi said evasively, "He mentioned this to me."

"Really? Hmm, it seems he also vaguely mentioned it to me." Fei Liguo also stammered in agreement.

“But I pretended not to understand, so he sent me to my death.” Huang Shi said, looking into Fei Liguo’s eyes.

“I ignored him, so he wanted me to die too,” Fei Liguo muttered.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

“Damn it,” Huang Shi cursed, “If we don’t figure out what’s going on, we’re all going to die sooner or later. Damn it, you and I both know what wearing red headscarves means.”

Fei Liguo stroked his chin: “Then you tell me what it means first.”

“We’re still in a life-or-death situation, we still have to stick together!” Huang Shi said through gritted teeth, “Sun Degong said that those wearing red headscarves are safe, but now we all know that if we really charge in, we’ll be riddled with arrows.”

Fei Liguo added with a forced smile, “He told me to be the first to charge in, so as not to be held back by the Ming army behind us. I guess he told you the same thing.”

“Things were fine before we set out, otherwise he wouldn’t have made us responsible for slowing down the march.” Huang Shi made his judgment without hesitation.

After a moment of silence, Fei Liguo said with difficulty, “When we went back to report the numbers, he was after you.”

Next, Fei Liguo told Huang Shi that Sun Degong had ordered Fei Liguo to monitor Huang Shi. The last few sentences were a question asking if Huang Shi was acting strangely. If Fei Liguo publicly accused Huang Shi of lying about military intelligence, it would mean Huang Shi had acted suspiciously, and Sun Degong could then punish Huang Shi according to military law.

"But you really didn't act strangely. I saw it clearly. You diligently completed the task Sun Degong assigned you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fei Liguo suddenly looked up. Huang Shi met his gaze and exclaimed simultaneously,

"The problem started this morning!"

"Sun Degong is absolutely certain you have something going on; that's beyond doubt." Fei Liguo stared into Huang Shi's eyes. "He thinks I'm covering for you. In the end, he even thought the situation was extremely urgent, so he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure to eliminate us."

Now was not the time for scheming. Huang Shi immediately recounted his conversation with Xiong Tingbi that morning, picking and choosing the key points.

"Heavens, are you still planning to betray Sun Degong?"

Huang Shi naturally wouldn't reveal his plan, so he simply said, "Sun Degong hasn't told me anything. I'm not sure he'll succeed, so I need to leave myself an escape route."

"There must be someone around Xiong Jinglue who has secured Xiong Tingbi's trust for Sun Degong. They even informed Sun Degong today that you're a major threat. After Sun Degong pulled this stunt this afternoon, if you go to Wang Huazhen and tell him, he's doomed." Fei Liguo analyzed shrewdly, then suddenly flew into a rage: "You've ruined me! Just because I didn't notice anything unusual about you this morning, Sun Degong actually thinks I'm also a problem."

"How could that be? You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" Huang Shi, having calmed down, keenly sensed the loophole. Fei Liguo couldn't possibly be purged simply because he didn't notice anything unusual this morning: "Brother Fei, we're in the same boat now."

Fei Liguo readily admitted that he had been monitoring Huang Shi for a long time: "You don't blame me, do you?"

"Each serves their own master," Huang Shi said calmly, "But it's best if we can be completely honest with each other now."

“Jin Qiude,” Fei Liguo immediately gave a name. “He used Sun Degong’s strategy to gain your trust, and he succeeded. He even became your acting battalion commander. He reports to me regularly about your situation. At first, he had some information, but in the last two weeks, even though he’s been keeping a close eye on you, he tells me there’s nothing unusual.”

Seeing Huang Shi’s ambiguous smile, Fei Liguo suddenly realized: “He’s switched sides with you, right?”

“Yes.”

“That bastard, he’s really gotten me into trouble.” Fei Liguo regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth and quickly apologized: “Luckily it’s like this, otherwise, if Brother Huang had been hurt, what would have happened?”

After saying this, Fei Liguo also felt that his logic was flawed, and he laughed awkwardly, then gave the name of another personal guard.

"So it was him." Huang Shi sneered, intending to hand it over to Jin Qiude to deal with in a moment; he felt Jin Qiude was perfect for this dirty work. "He's an idiot."

"He really is an idiot, he didn't see anything." Fei Liguo said resentfully, "Damn idiot."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Everything made sense now. Fei Liguo kept reporting that he was safe, but he made such a huge mess. Even if Sun Degong didn't suspect him, he would hate him to death. Besides, Huang Shi guessed that Sun Degong was also afraid of arousing his suspicion, so sending Fei Liguo to his death would better ensure Huang Shi's obedience in defecting. Furthermore, even if Huang Shi wanted to make trouble, having Fei Liguo along would be a hindrance, giving Sun Degong time to implement his plan.

After figuring everything out, Huang Shi breathed a sigh of relief. His suspicion of Yang Luhuo was unfair, which made him even happier. Yang Luhuo had always been diligent, and now that his suspicions were cleared, Huang Shi felt nothing but guilt towards him. He felt he should find a way to make amends: "Sun Degong took too much risk, and he doesn't trust anyone, including you, Brother Fei."

Huang Shi knew perfectly well how much of a threat he posed. He could also imagine Sun Degong's shock today, so he had no choice but to kill him to silence him. Sun Degong had sacrificed three hundred cavalrymen without hesitation, so Fei Liguo would certainly prefer to let the guilty go free.

"How did you figure that out?" Fei Liguo's face was full of confusion: "I thought Sun Degong was going to ambush us from behind. How did you guess so quickly that he wanted us to die?" He

couldn't very well say it was recorded in history, could he? Huang Shi replied with a wry smile: "Don't think that just because I'm his son-in-law in name, I don't trust him. I have to think twice about everything he says."

Fei Liguo sighed and remained silent. Sun Degong's plan was full of flaws; anyone who calmed down and thought about it would have seen through them. But time was so tight at the time, and Fei Liguo was used to obeying orders, so he naturally didn't think much of it.

"Luckily you guessed right, otherwise..." Fei Liguo shuddered.

Huang Shi interrupted him: "Luckily I guessed right."

Otherwise, the two of them would have been shot into porcupines. Fei Liguo shuddered again: "What else did you guess? For example, did you guess who Sun Degong's collaborator was?"

Faced with Fei Liguo's question, Huang Shi shook his head helplessly.

"Zu Dashou!" Fei Liguo suddenly shouted.

(End of Chapter 8)

Opening a Path of Life and Death with Both Hands Chapter 9

"That's right, it's Zu Dashou. Sun Degong was on the left wing, and he was on the right wing. They both fled at the same time. Moreover, he is the deputy commander of the Guan Ning Army, from a prominent military family in Liaoxi, and he is also very close to Xiong Tingbi." Fei Liguo jumped up and down cursing: "If I can go back alive, I will definitely sue him."

"It's not Zu Dashou." Huang Shi said decisively. He felt that it was the Guan Ning Army's tendency to flee in the face of battle acting up. The Guan Ning Army had done this more than once or twice in history. The Liaoxi military family group only cared about their own interests.

"Why?"

Huang Shi couldn't very well tell Fei Liguo that he had seen the historical records of Zu Dashou's future, so he said helplessly, "Maybe it is. Even if it's not him, it's one of the Guan Ning troops who came to reinforce us this morning. But it doesn't matter now, what we should be thinking about now is what to do next."

"It's definitely Zu Dashou, but what's done is done, there's really no need to think about it anymore." Fei Liguo muttered unhappily, he also knew that the most important thing was what was happening now: "We obviously can't go back to Guangning now, otherwise Sun Degong will definitely kill us to silence us. Even if we surrender to the Later Jin, it won't work, Sun Degong will still kill us. My God, we've already reached a dead end."

"So we have to kill Sun Degong first."

"How?"

Huang Shi decided to intimidate Fei Liguo, at least to suppress his distracting thoughts: "Since Sun Degong has escaped back to Guangning, and today he wants to kill us to silence us, that means..." "

It means he has a follow-up plan, otherwise he wouldn't need to do this." Fei Liguo was not stupid at all.

“That’s right, otherwise he could have just surrendered to Nurhaci and accomplished his goal. If he really wanted to kill us, he would have just killed two dogs. Why bother with these tricks? So…”

Fei Liguo scratched his head, still managing to follow Huang Shi’s train of thought: “So he has a plan in Guangning.”

“Very right.” Huang Shi continued to guide him: “Since he wants to kill us, it means we will threaten his plan. His plan is…”

Fei Liguo scratched his head for a long time, unable to keep up with Huang Shi’s thoughts: “I can’t figure it out. We can’t possibly know his next plan.”

“We know!” With his historical knowledge as a background, all the mysteries no longer existed for Huang Shi: “Since Sun Degong has fled back to Guangning, then he must be going to surrender Guangning City. Since he is going to surrender Guangning City, he must capture Wang Huazhen. With today’s defeat, the Guangning army will definitely be wiped out, and Wang Huazhen’s prestige will be ruined. So Sun Degong’s next step must be a mutiny in Guangning City.”

Seeing Fei Liguo's stunned expression, stunned by his fluent logic, Huang Shi smiled and continued, "The only flaw in Sun Degong's plan is that Xiong Tingbi went to Guangning, hoping to use his years of prestige as the Liaodong military commissioner to suppress potential rebels. But since we've confirmed that Xiong Tingbi has someone by his side..."

"Zu Dashou!" Fei Liguo immediately interrupted.

Huang Shi ignored him and continued, "Therefore, Military Commissioner Xiong won't go to Guangning. Sun Degong's plan against Wang Huazhen was calculated, but he didn't expect us to be alive. Moreover, we've seen through Sun Degong's entire plan. As long as we strike him at the moment he launches his rebellion, it will be a case of calculated surprise."

Huang Shi had already compared his new plan with his original one. He realized that his geographical location was unfavorable, but if he could persuade Fei Liguo, his strength would actually increase significantly.

"Go kill Sun Degong? Are you crazy? We're with him! The Ming Dynasty won't forgive us!"

"We won't go back yet. Sun Degong will definitely say we died in battle to increase Wang Huazhen's trust. We'll kill him when he was causing trouble to clear our names and shift all the blame to him. Our situation today clearly doesn't involve Sun Degong's faction. Wang Huazhen was saved by us, so there's even less reason for him to suspect us."

Fei Liguo thought for a while, clarifying his logic. He realized that Huang Shi was right; they could completely clear their names by simply shifting all the blame to Sun Degong.

Moreover, every step Sun Degong took afterward seemed inevitable. Fei Liguo, of course, didn't know Huang Shi's secret. After spending a great deal of effort understanding all of Huang Shi's reasoning, he thought Huang Shi had just made his judgment and hadn't shown any outward signs, but Fei Liguo was already horrified.

“However, regarding contacting Li Yongfang…” Fei Liguo suddenly realized a major problem. He raised his head grimly: “You weren’t originally planning to pass this on to me, were you?”

After the Battle of Zhenjiang, the task of contacting Li Yongfang was transferred from Huang Shi to Fei Liguo. Huang Shi had originally planned to do just that, and he said somewhat embarrassedly, “Brother Fei, why say such hurtful things between us? I imagine you didn’t go to Liaoyang personally, did you?”

“I was in charge, but I certainly didn’t go personally.” Fei Liguo nodded. He decided to kill him to silence him: “As long as…” As soon as

this thought crossed his mind, Fei Liguo suddenly remembered that the person in front of him had most likely had similar intentions towards him before, and he couldn’t finish his sentence. Seeing the change in his expression, Huang Shi knew what he was thinking and quickly explained, "I'll definitely say I have no idea who the contact between Sun Degong and Li Yongfang is. Let Da Ming guess whoever he wants. Since I'm not a spy, of course I don't know anything."

"Hmm, pin everything on Sun Degong, good idea, good method!" Fei Liguo decided to kill the specific contact soldier in a moment, making up any excuse, since no one else knew anyway. Fei Liguo knew perfectly well that Huang Shi was lying, but now the two were in the same boat, neither could do without the other, so he pretended not to know and let it go. He now felt that Huang Shi was unfathomable and had long since given up any intention of opposing him.

"Plus what you said to Xiong Jinglue this morning, you must be a great hero. Huang Shi, you've really thought ahead." Fei Liguo looked at Huang Shi as if he were a monster.

"Brother Fei, even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone us smart people."

Huang Shi didn't have such a good feeling. This time he almost died at Sun Degong's hands. Ultimately, Huang Shi benefited from the historical precedent. He could see through Sun Degong's every move, easily discern the complexities Sun Degong had laid, and then choose the most opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow.

However, Sun Degong couldn't see through Huang Shi's thoughts, nor could he discern Huang Shi's intentions, let alone know Huang Shi's specific plans. Huang Shi imagined Sun Degong's reaction that morning upon hearing of his betrayal—the shock must have been extraordinary.

Fei Liguo had repeatedly assured him Huang Shi was safe and, at Sun Degong's prompting, had desperately tried to protect him. Sun Degong must have sensed the looming danger, so he resorted to this desperate measure of using someone else to kill, a risky gamble. Surprisingly, Sun Degong's hastily devised plan had a high chance of success; if Huang Shi hadn't known history, he would probably be a corpse by now. This gave Huang Shi a sense of having underestimated the ancients.

Fei Liguo said softly, "I don't know about your affair with Sun Degong, but Sun Degong is truly foolish. Going against you is the biggest mistake a person can make."

Was he trying to portray himself as harmless? Huang Shi smiled and replied, "You flatter me. Now let's discuss how to ambush Sun Degong."

(Chapter 9)

Opening a Path of Life and Death with Both Hands (Chapter 10 )

Although this suggestion didn't surprise Fei Liguo, he still considered it for a long time. Sitting on the ground, Fei Liguo gripped his waist knife in his right hand, drawing circles on the sand with it, occasionally letting out a sigh.

After careful consideration, Fei Liguo believed he was well-prepared and had organized his thoughts: "Why should we kill Sun Degong? As you said, Sun Degong will inevitably rebel in Guangning. The sooner the better, so he will definitely act either tonight or tomorrow morning. Then we can escape to Liaoxi and be safe. I won't risk my life."

"Zu Dashou," Huang Shi simply said three words. Since Fei Liguo had determined that Deputy General Zu Dashou was a spy, escaping to Liaoxi was clearly not safe.

Having failed to achieve his goal of first praising and then criticizing, Fei Liguo asked again, "What are the benefits of killing Sun Degong?"

This was the crucial question. Huang Shi understood that Fei Liguo's previous long explanation was a common bargaining tactic; after all, Huang Shi was a military commander while Fei Liguo was a battalion commander. Since Fei Liguo was to risk his life, he wouldn't feel at ease without clearly explaining the benefits beforehand.

"General Liu Qu is dead, Deputy General Luo Yiguan is dead, and Deputy General Mao Wenlong is far away in Korea. Not to mention Sun Degong's rebellion, the other generals of Guangning Army are probably all in grave danger. The vacancies are obvious, and their assets are all in Guangning." With both fame and fortune at stake, Huang Shi had offered a huge reward, waiting for Fei Liguo to make his move.

“If Guangning can’t be held,” Fei Liguo began drawing circles on the ground again, “since the Later Jin rose up, the Ming army has never successfully defended it once. We may not even have enough time to move their wealth, let alone their official positions.”

“The two of us together have nearly five hundred soldiers and enough horses. Besides, how much do you think Sun Degong’s head is worth in rewards?” Huang Shi saw that Fei Liguo was already tempted, so he tried his best to encourage him.

“Sigh, my wife and sister are in Guangning. If there’s a real chance of success, I have to try.” Fei Liguo sighed heavily, finally making up his mind: “Sun Degong has eight battalions, 1,100 men. You have 200, and my battalion has 120. He also has 700 soldiers. Adding the servants of the Sun family, we can gather another 100. He must have contacted other officers, so let’s say 1,000. What are your plans?”

“When we left Guangning, there were 15,000 reserve soldiers in the city, and Wang Huazhen had over 100 personal guards. Sun Degong’s 700 men have to control several city gates, control tens of thousands of soldiers in the city, deal with Wang Huazhen, and occupy the armory, gunpowder depot, and various government offices. This will make his forces very dispersed.” Fei Liguo

calculated in his mind: “He has at most 100 men with him, or only a few dozen, or even just his personal guards. Even so, it will be a struggle. Once he realizes what’s happening, his forces will be several times ours, and the soldiers in the city may not be reliable. Besides, do you think he might have gone to the Jurchens to borrow troops?”

"No, there's not enough time. Guangning doesn't have two or three generals right now. Sun Degong is taking advantage of their situation and has dealt with them. Guangning will practically be an empty city. I bet Sun Degong will loudly proclaim that the Guangning army has been completely wiped out and that the Jurchens are at the city gates. For him, letting the soldiers escape Guangning is the best policy. We think the soldiers defending the city are unreliable, and Sun Degong will think they are even more unreliable."

Historically, Sun Degong had done just that. When the tens of thousands of soldiers in Guangning heard that the Later Jin army was approaching, they either scattered or surrendered to Sun Degong. Because there were few high-ranking officers besides Sun Degong, the rebels, with a force of just over a thousand men, seized the city gates and the armory.

"So all we need to do is claim that Xiong Tingbi defeated the Jurchens and recaptured Xipingbao," Fei Liguo's plan coincided with Huang Shi's.

"That's right. Sun Degong's captains will follow him without a problem, but the ordinary soldiers will definitely be driven by the desire to survive. As soon as they hear of Xiong Tingbi's victory or the arrival of the Guan Ning army, not only the coerced ordinary soldiers, but even the rebels themselves will be thrown into chaos."

Fei Liguo stood up, tucked his sword back into his armor: "Then our only problem is how to enter the city. I don't believe Sun Degong won't immediately take control of the city gates."

"Exactly. That's our only problem."

Huang Shi explained the general plan, and Fei Liguo, with his experience, corrected any flaws in the plan. After their discussion, the two immediately split up to act.

Originally, Guangning Town had drawn upon the strongest soldiers from various garrisons and post stations for this major battle. News of the defeat led to the desertion of some remaining soldiers, making Huang Shi's sweep of the surrounding post stations effortless. Any officials or garrison commanders who resisted were slaughtered by Jin Qiude and his men. Horses were taken, and even the remaining post station soldiers and guards were all forcibly recruited into Huang Shi's army, adding nearly two hundred men to the force.

Fei Liguo had dozens of flagpoles made, all bearing the banners of the Guan Ning Army, and even found a burly subordinate to impersonate a Guan Ning Army adjutant. Then, Fei Liguo commanded his men to surround a village, massacring everyone, young and old, men and women, tying dozens of heads in braids to resemble Later Jin heads, which were then displayed on flagpoles to deceive the rebels and spread rumors of a Later Jin defeat. In addition, Fei Liguo also captured dozens of scattered Guangning soldiers, killing a few who disobeyed, and then dispersing the rest into his own battalion.

In just one afternoon, the two men expanded their force to seven hundred men. Three hundred against a thousand was hardly a good deal, but seven hundred against a thousand was about right. They excitedly began dividing the power. Military strength meant status, and even more so, merit, so neither was willing to suffer a loss.

After some haggling, Huang Shi took the lion's share, commanding five hundred men, while the remaining two hundred-odd men went to Fei Liguo. Fei Liguo was relieved; he knew the credit wouldn't all go to Huang Shi, and a governorship was guaranteed after the successful suppression of the rebellion. Huang Shi

, on the other hand, assembled a guerrilla force, believing that after defeating Sun Degong, he would have the largest army in Guangning City, which would greatly benefit his bid for the position of city defense commander. However, both men soon faced hardship. Huang Shi's suffering was even greater than Fei Liguo's; he only had three acting captains, none of whom even had personal guards, and he couldn't control his five hundred men. Although he promoted three acting battalion commanders to acting centurions in one go, Yang Luhuo and his men were all newly appointed without any real power, each leading an overstaffed centurion unit of 120 men, which was quite a strain.

Yang Luhuo and his men urgently established their own personal guards, selected from Huang Shi's old subordinates. Huang Shi originally had nine personal guards, but three had left, and after killing a spy from Sun Degong, only five remained. Each of the three acting centurions also took one man to become a battalion commander, essentially their deputy.

However, there were no suitable candidates for acting battalion commanders, meaning each centurion unit of 120 men only had two officers: an acting centurion commander and a battalion commander. By recklessly burdening his subordinates, Huang Shi eventually found himself not only managing three centurion units but also directly commanding 140 men, and without the assistance of battalion commanders, he only had two personal guards left. Huang Shi felt he couldn't continue like this.

Fei Liguo's situation wasn't much better, so they decided to urgently brainwash him.

Addressing the seven hundred soldiers, Fei Liguo first denounced the war crimes of the Later Jin, describing the devastation left by the Manchu army. He then told the soldiers that if they didn't want their parents and brothers to die and their wives and daughters to be taken by others, their only option was to fight their way back to Guangning.

Huang Shi followed suit, promising rewards for killing all the rebels in Guangning, including a share of the rebel generals' children and wealth. The combined attack of Fei Liguo and Huang Shi managed to maintain basic discipline, barely qualifying them as a "semi-regular army, semi-disorganized mob."

It was time for Jin Qiude to demonstrate his abilities. That night, he volunteered to patrol the area around the camp to prevent desertion. Just as night fell, Jin Qiude had two soldiers who came out to relieve themselves skinned alive, accusing them of trying to escape. The two unfortunate men's piercing screams immediately silenced the rest of the soldiers.

On the 22nd day of the first lunar month, before dawn, Huang Shi and Fei Liguo assembled their semi-regular army and set off. Although a dozen or so soldiers managed to slip away, they still managed to reach Shaling in time.

The area around Shaling was littered with endless corpses; the annihilation of tens of thousands of Guangning's elite troops left behind a considerable amount of weapons and armor. Although the Later Jin had cleared the area, many items remained, which benefited Huang Shi's group. Jin Qiude once again went on a killing spree, beheading several who, after finding weapons, still wanted to steal some money from the dead. At

9:00 AM, the two men's semi-ragtag army approached Guangning, and the imposing city walls were already in sight. They dared not advance further. Huang Shi sent out several small teams to scout the gates, and soon they reported that all four gates were tightly closed.

Although it was expected, Fei Liguo was still somewhat disappointed: "Man proposes, God disposes. If Sun Degong had subdued Lord Wang yesterday, or if none of the people inside had managed to break through today, we would ultimately be useless." "

Don't worry," Fei Liguo said, "Sun Degong has already made arrangements at the fastest speed last night. He can't make a move until today at the earliest. The governor and prefect have hundreds of soldiers under their command, plus the soldiers who refuse to surrender. Taking a city gate shouldn't be a problem."

After ordering the entire army to dismount and rest, Fei Liguo anxiously chopped at a tree with his knife. Whether they could even enter the city was another matter. He didn't even have enough officers, and even his personal guards were newly recruited. The thought of commanding such an army to fight Sun Degong's elite forces made Fei Liguo feel uneasy. Just two months ago, he was a personal guard, and now he had to command hundreds of men.

At this moment, Huang Shi was leisurely resting under the shade of a tree. Fei Liguo didn't know if this newly promoted governor was confident or just ignorant of his own limitations. Fei Liguo now had two wishes: It would be best if Huang Shi's bluffing strategy succeeded, or even better, if Sun Degong encountered him on a narrow path with seven or eight personal guards, hundreds of men could swarm him and hack him to pieces.

"My lord," a scout on horseback shouted from afar, "North Gate! North Gate!"

(End of Chapter 10)

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