Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 9

Volume 7,

Chapter 1:

In his letter to the Liaodong Military Commissioner, Mao Wenlong cited the imminent counter-offensive as one of the reasons for leaving Huangshi, and this was not unfounded. In

January of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Mao Wenlong launched the Second Battle of Zhenjiang, attempting to divert attention from Guangning. However, Guangning quickly fell, and Nurhaci's return and defeat of him made Mao Wenlong realize that the Ming army in Liaodong could not yet directly confront the Later Jin army. In early February, Mao Wenlong fled back to Dongjiang Island and began planning a new offensive, this time deciding to try terrorism first.

The first step in Mao Wenlong's terrorist plan was to poison his Manchu compatriots, as the rapid expansion of Later Jin territory had led to instability in his rule. Mao Wenlong used this to develop underground activities. Under Mao Wenlong's instigation, a large number of unscrupulous merchants sympathetic to the Ming army began to harm their ethnic minority brothers, selling poisoned rice, oil, and flour.

Dissatisfaction leads to confrontation, and resistance to terrorism—this formula for launching a just cause was also the basis for Nurhaci's rise.

First, the conflict escalated from displeasure to outright hostility.

The Later Jin propaganda portrayed

the Ming Empire as having committed countless atrocities, interfering not only with women's freedom of marriage but also distorting the friendly visits of the Manchu people to neighboring regions into acts of robbery… The Korean people had longed to relocate to the "rich" Jianzhou, and the hospitable Manchus had been eager to help them move, indeed contributing their modest efforts.

However, the Ming Empire's Nurgan Regional Military Commission was misled. For 170 years since the third year of the Chenghua reign, due to the repeated appeals of the Korean king—the representative of the Korean landlord class—the Jurchen relocation teams, who had been voluntarily helping the surrounding people move, were repeatedly killed by the Ming army, including Nurhaci's grandfather and father.

Nurhaci himself was absolutely peace-loving, as evidenced by his willingness to sell himself into slavery to Li Chengliang, his father's killer, and even acknowledging him as his godfather. Although the Ming Empire did not completely exterminate the Gioro family, it still failed to appreciate Nurhaci's sincere efforts to reconcile the conflict and continued to prevent him from leading the local people to prosperity…

Huang Shi prefers to interpret this as the nature of a ruthless hero. His experience with Sun Degong shows that Huang Shi is inferior to predecessors like Nurhaci in this respect.

After his adoptive father Li Chengliang died, Nurhaci saw the heavy losses suffered by the Ming army in Liaodong during the war against Japanese pirates in Korea. It was as if he had been slapped in the face, and he immediately realized that he had already reached the limit of tolerance. Nurhaci eagerly listed these crimes as the "Seven Grievances," and thus severed ties with this evil suzerain state, embarking on the revolutionary path of resisting the evil "Ming-Korea" axis…

Huang Shi also does not believe that Nurhaci only realized "the hatred of killing one's father is irreconcilable" after decades of contemplation; he feels that this was undoubtedly taking advantage of someone in distress.

There's nothing new under the sun. If things didn't improve, then counter-terrorism was the only option. Therefore, it was only natural for the Later Jin to severely crack down on Mao Wenlong's bandit gang's terrorism and ensure the peace and prosperity of the people of Liaodong.

Nurhaci quickly issued orders to crack down on counterfeit and shoddy goods, and hundreds of shops were raided. Under the influence of the atmosphere of terror, Manchu women generally developed a habit of noting down the names of shops after purchasing food, so they could hold the merchants accountable. This habit of recording shop names finally brought the wave of terror to its peak in May of the second year of the Tianqi reign. In the original history of Huangshi, this good consumer awareness continued for several years, gradually disappearing only after the decline of Dongjiang Town in the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign.

Mao Wenlong, failing with his first plan, tried another. He dispatched a successive fifth column to try to win over wavering and opportunistic elements within the Later Jin Han army. In June of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Nurhaci received reports of discovering spies in Dongjiang almost daily. In that month alone, Liaoyang detected twenty-two failed bribery attempts.

The Later Jin regime's countermeasure was to implement a strict censorship system and increase the number of scouts to hunt down Ming spies who had illegally crossed the border. At the same time, the Later Jin regime issued a series of edicts rewarding steadfast revolutionary comrades who had escorted spies to Liaoyang. These measures caused considerable losses to the Ming army's intelligence network and effectively dealt a blow to the arrogance of Mao Wenlong's bandit gang in Liaodong…

Meanwhile, Huang Shi had returned to Changsheng Island. He responded to the Dongjiang call to "grasp revolution and promote production"… first and foremost, to "promote production.

" "General, you must be tired from your journey."

Huang Shi, who had just jumped off the small boat, was warmly welcomed by the port soldiers. A simple port had been built, and next to it was an open-air shipyard, which, if not carefully observed, could be mistaken for a refugee shack.

Returning to Changsheng Island after dozens of days away truly felt like coming home.

Beside the refugee shack were four or five refugees… no, next to the shipyard were four or five Dongjiang soldiers painting a brand-new fishing boat.

Every single person on the island, whether farmer, craftsman, or fisherman, even those picking wild fruit in the mountains, was a soldier as long as they could speak human language; this was the case throughout the entire Dongjiang Army.

Everyone was incorporated into military households, and all their produce was to be handed over. As soldiers, their daily necessities of food and cloth were uniformly allocated by the officers of Changsheng Island. The surplus value they created—perhaps called surplus output—was used to arm a small number of soldiers. Just like the traditional Ming Dynasty garrison towns, the primary occupation of the soldiers on Changsheng Island was labor and production, striving to be well-fed and clothed, and also boiling salt to sell for silver. Fighting was merely a secondary occupation for most military households.

Although the Dongjiang Army was nominally a conscription system at this time, compared to the genuine Guan Ning cavalry, the difference was like that between an amateur enthusiast and a professional sports team.

The purpose of the conscription system is to create a full-time professional army. He Baodao said with some regret

, "It would be better if our army could be paid by the emperor like the Shanhaiguan army, then we would have enough time to train our soldiers." Huang Shi replied without hesitation, "That's General Mao's problem. Only when Dongjiang is officially established as a garrison and the Ministry of War has approved the number of soldiers can we receive military pay."

"Dongjiang Garrison, is that the name you're sure about, sir?"

Huang Shi smiled slightly, "There's absolutely no mistake, it's Dongjiang Garrison, I have that feeling."

Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude arrived quickly and gave Huang Shi a brief report on the progress of the past few days. Farmland had not been cultivated much, but fishing and hunting were going very well.

"Your subordinate recommends two people to you, sir. The first one is named Bao Jiusun, he is very capable!" Huang Shi's authority was growing daily, and Zhao Manxiong was also very respectful. One of the two people he recommended had gone out to sea to fish, while Bao Jiusun was still on the island.

"Bring him to me." The simple and clear reply gave him a very good feeling of being bossy.

(End of Chapter 01)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 02

"Your humble servant obeys." Zhao Manxiong replied loudly upon hearing the order, bowed, took a few steps back, and then hurriedly left.

Huang Shi's personal guards had already served him tea. This tea set and tea table were unique on Changsheng Island, bestowed by Mao Wenlong. Huang Shi had also brought back some tea from Shanhaiguan. This was a rare treat on this desolate island.

Regarding the future, Huang Shi had a long-term plan in mind—to fill Changsheng Island with factories, transport various raw materials by sea, process them, and then sell them back to the mainland, revitalizing industry, supplemented by science and education, and forming commercial capital to harvest the surrounding economic zones. This would achieve industrial modernization, commercial export, and grain import...

Well, Huang Shi's current policy is still "agriculture as the foundation, grain as the key link." This outdated thinking, compared to the long-term plan above, is as different as the difference between a single-celled organism and a primate.

The social model that Huang Shi plans to temporarily implement on Changsheng Island is far from democracy; it is probably in the late stage of slavery, just as civil officials regard military officers as servants, and military officers also regard military households in the same way.

A metaphor aptly illustrates that slavery was an inevitable path for the development of Changsheng Island: just as a human embryo, from fertilized egg to infant, always repeats the evolutionary process. Therefore, Huang Shi felt no shame in implementing a military household slave system in Changsheng; after all, one cannot rush into capitalism.

As for the military system, he had to temporarily set aside the excellent conscription system, and the even more excellent compulsory military system was out of the question. The economic base determines the superstructure, and for now, Huang Shi could only start with the agricultural soldiers of the garrisons.

A successful garrison town needs not only excellent generals but also talent skilled in management from all aspects. This contradicts the requirements of a conscription army; a professional, off-the-job army only needs professional officers. But if Changsheng Island, which Huang Shi currently controls, cannot cultivate a large number of agricultural and fishing talents, the entire army will soon starve.

Previously, this problem was usually handled by the civil officials supervising the army, who had rich administrative experience, thus ensuring the professionalization of the officers in the garrison towns. But since Huang Shi was determined to break free from the control of the civil officials, he had to find a solution himself.

Judging from Zhao Manxiong's tone, this Bao Jiusun seemed to be a very capable person, with considerable experience in farming. Zhao Manxiong hadn't given him many men, but he had already cultivated over a thousand acres of land, all planted with sesame.

After Zhao Manxiong left, Jin Qiude began to give subtle signals.

"You may all leave." Only Zhang Zaidi and Hong Antong, who were guarding Huang Shi on either side, remained in the room.

Seeing that Jin Qiude still didn't speak, Huang Shi dismissed the two guards as well.

"This subordinate believes that Your Excellency doesn't need to promote them immediately." Jin Qiude reverted to the title he used during his time as a personal guard. Although Huang Shi also felt that this title sounded more intimate, it didn't seem to be the point. He felt that Jin Qiude was also taking the opportunity to hint at certain issues.

The tea was scalding hot. Huang Shi blew on it without looking up, asking, "Are you afraid they're Mao Wenlong's spies?"

"My lord, you are wise. These two officers both followed Mao Wenlong from the Sancha River to the sea,"

Huang Shi casually mentioned Hong Antong's experience, "He was too."

"Hong is just a sailor, and he was promoted by you, so we can't generalize," Jin Qiude paused, "I believe we can't completely ignore them, but we also can't

give them too much responsibility." The implication was that these men should be treated as mere decorations, never allowed to participate in the core leadership.

It felt like a tempting but dangerous trap, and Huang Shi instinctively wanted to use his own loyal followers. In a sense, the loyal followers Huang Shi had cultivated, though separated by a layer of kinship, were still his loyal followers. Whether it was personal affection or reliability, officers always prioritized their own subordinates.

"I understand," Huang Shi said noncommittally, indicating to Jin Qiude that he didn't need to say more.

In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through Huang Shi's mind: which was more important, loyalty or talent? This was a difficult question to answer.

"Only the talented are promoted"—this sounds nice, but Huang Shi isn't a mind-controlling demon, and he can't read people's minds. His recent experiences have made him value loyalty highly.

"Nepotism"—he used to abhor this, but now he finds some truth in it.

This behavior, if allowed to develop further, would likely create an inefficient feudal army. Given time, subordinates would begin cultivating and supporting their own loyalists, while simultaneously undermining each other. Completing tasks assigned by superiors and building a clique of loyalists would be their capital, allowing them to continuously improve their status, take on more important tasks, and ultimately gain more room for expansion.

But what if it's just a temporary measure? After all, quantity can compensate for efficiency, as long as no one becomes too powerful. Could things be corrected once the army is large enough?

—This feudalization of the army will take a long time, and perhaps it's not irreversible.

—It's a pity to destroy an army that hasn't yet reached its full potential for short-term gains, just for the sake of momentary pleasure.

Under the guise of drinking tea, Huang Shi was weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency," Bao Jiusun arrived. "

No need for formalities. Commander Zhao mentioned you to me, saying you've done a very good job."

Huang Shi didn't forget Zhao Manxiong standing to the side; he was eagerly awaiting this achievement.

Bao Jiusun expressed his gratitude to both Huang Shi for his appreciation and Zhao Manxiong for his recommendation. Huang Shi gained talent, and Zhao Manxiong gained favor—a fairer exchange than anything else in this era. Who would rise early if not for themselves? Without following this rule, Huang Shi couldn't expect anyone to recommend talent.

"This humble servant is from Zhili, Zhen Ding Prefecture, a family that has a tradition of farming and scholarship..."

The Bao family had accumulated some wealth through generations of hard work, and by the time of Bao Jiusun's father, they had even bought over a hundred acres of good land during a natural disaster, making them a well-off family in the village.

"This humble servant began his studies as a child..."

The old man was thirty years old when he had Bao Jiusun, his only son, whom he cherished dearly. He wholeheartedly wanted Bao Jiusun to study hard, achieve academic success, and bring honor to the Bao family.

"This humble servant was expelled from school..."

This boy was too wild by nature, spending his days playing with the village children. When he was seventeen, he even burned off half of his teacher's beard.

"This humble servant will return home to farm..."

Bao's father was heartbroken but couldn't bear to scold Bao Jiusun, so he took him back to the village to farm, hoping to find him a good family's daughter to have some grandchildren.

"This humble servant injured someone and was crippled, and was exiled to Liaodong..."

The Ming army was truly a concentration camp of scum, Huang Shi thought, both amused and exasperated.

(End of Chapter 2)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword Chapter 3

"This humble servant went to sea with General Mao, but unfortunately did not participate in the Battle of Zhenjiang." Bao Jiusun had a distant cousin surnamed Wang in Liaodong. When that cousin went to sea with Mao Wenlong, he went with him. Although Bao Jiusun hadn't achieved any significant merit, as an older man, he had risen through the ranks to become a battalion commander.

"Now that the country is in trouble, it's truly an opportunity for us to make our mark. Joining the army isn't a life wasted," Huang Shi comforted Bao Jiusun, adding a casual joke, "Don't let your name down, Jiusun, hehe, quite ambitious, isn't it?"

Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude quickly joined in with laughter, and Bao Jiusun laughed too, "My name doesn't reflect any ambition. My cousin's name is Baisun."

"Baisun, Wang Baisun," Huang Shi casually uttered the name, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. "A nice name. Where is he?"

"My cousin was under Lord Zhang Yuanzhi's command. After the Battle of Zhenjiang, he stayed behind as a soldier to defend the city. He must have died a heroic death," Bao Jiusun said, his face full of pride…

The topic quickly shifted back to agriculture.

"The entire Dongshan is a rocky mountain, making it impossible to cultivate terraced fields. My estimation is that the island has approximately 60,000 to 100,000 mu of arable land."

Changsheng Island's mountains are composed of limestone. During the Republic era, this place produced top-quality cement, which was exported throughout Asia.

Although Huang Shi wasn't familiar with this geographical fact, he knew that rocky mountains were mostly useless, and his frustration made his face grim. He quickly calculated the numbers in his mind; even planting corn seemed insufficient to support tens of thousands of people, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Bao Jiusun continued, "The harvest from fishing and hunting is unstable. If we rely solely on the island's arable land and fish and animals, I believe the island can support 10,000 military households, each with wives, along with 5,000 elderly people and 20,000 children. Any more than that would be insufficient. During the off-season, it can provide 10,000 peasant soldiers, and in peacetime, it can maintain 2,000 combat soldiers."

The peasant soldiers could only be used for defense, or to launch attacks on nearby areas during the off-season, and their daily training time was also very limited. Huang Shi, hearing this, was already greatly disappointed, frowning as he paced back and forth.

"Your Excellency is wise, ordering that all soldiers on this island must marry women with large feet..."

"No need for such flattery," Huang Shi impatiently interrupted Bao Jiusun's compliments: "I ask you, isn't 10,000 households the limit?"

"Your Excellency," Bao Jiusun bowed, seemingly oblivious to Huang Shi's unease, and loudly reported to the front: "Although the current soldiers on this island are all single and have no family ties, in the future, as we gather refugees, there will inevitably be elderly people and children, and the current soldiers will also start families. Therefore, relying solely on farmland, 10,000 households is indeed the upper limit."

Huang Shi immediately pointed out: "I don't intend to feed everyone."

"My lord, you are wise. I do not intend to feed the elderly, children, or women. Even the able-bodied men will only eat when they are busy and drink porridge on other days, with only two meals a day."

The elderly and children are of little use, and if a large number of babies are born, they will only be mouths to feed. Huang Shi became increasingly anxious and loudly ordered, "Re-examine the land and see if there is any arable mountainous area."

Bao Jiusun fell silent for a moment, and after a while, he finally mustered the courage not to obey the order, but instead retorted in a low voice, "I dare say that more than 70% of the nearshore mudflats and mountains of Changsheng Island are arable land. I have already surveyed the entire area, and there is absolutely no way that the arable land exceeds 100,000 mu."

Huang Shi, who was already very unhappy, suddenly became angry. Seeing this, Bao Jiusun quickly added, "I believe that if our army wants to obtain more food, we must find another way."

"What way?" Huang Shi asked coldly, barely suppressing his dissatisfaction. His understanding of agriculture was limited to arable land.

"This humble servant has discovered that the trees in the mountains of this island are mainly locust and jujube trees. Although the rocky mountains cannot be cultivated into farmland, there is soil in almost every crevice of the rocks, so there are mostly jujube trees growing in the crevices. If our army organizes manpower to collect them, little by little, it will be a considerable food source. Moreover, this work does not require strong men or women; the elderly and children are sufficient."

Huang Shi had not considered using jujubes as food, but it sounded like it could at least solve the problem of food consumption, and it could also provide some work for the elderly and children. Huang Shi pondered for a moment, deciding that it was best to trust the agricultural experience of people in this era: "That sounds good. Continue, continue."

"This humble servant obeys."

Bao Jiusun was fundamentally opposed to clearing forests for farmland in the mountains. He believed that it was better to utilize existing wild resources than to grow radishes on the mountains. He seemed to have been busy these past few dozen days, as Huang Shi heard him introduce another batch of wild vegetables.

There were also bitter gourd, dandelion, violet, wild onion, goat's milk, bitter lettuce, sow thistle, and so on on the island. In Bao Jiusun's words, the yield of these wild vegetables was not low. Most importantly, growing vegetables in the mountains requires the labor of able-bodied men, while gathering wild vegetables makes better use of human resources. After all, able-bodied men will inevitably have dependents, so even if the output is lower, precious food won't be wasted, making it a net gain overall.

Bao Jiusun also found Imperata cylindrica root on the sandy land where cultivation was impossible. Both the petals and fibrous roots are edible, and the abundant juice can be used to feed the children, though this is seasonal. It's also said to have medicinal uses, meaning it can be sold for money.

Next, Bao Jiusun rattled off a list of herbs: Polygala tenuifolia, Agrimonia pilosa, Geranium wilfordii, Plantago asiatica, Cassia tora, Periploca sepium, Prunus japonica, Pueraria lobata, Isatis indigotica, Codonopsis pilosula, Adenophora stricta, Platycodon grandiflorus… Huang Shi's head was spinning; he couldn't remember many of them. It seemed the mountains had a good variety of medicinal herbs, which could meet the army's needs and generate income, all of which could be left to the non-able-bodied men.

Although Bao Jiusun said the yield of wild vegetables was not low, Huang Shi didn't believe him. The reason wild vegetables are wild is mainly because of their low yield; otherwise, they would have been widely promoted long ago. He felt there was a hidden meaning in this statement: "So we shouldn't burn mountains to clear land; instead, we should protect forests. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Your Excellency is wise."

Just surviving is good enough; even modern people need vitamin pills, right? After all, wild vegetables don't compete with grain for land, and there's no need to assign able-bodied men to cultivate them. Huang Shi understood that his emotions could determine the fate of his subordinates, so it was understandable that others would try to guess his thoughts and force themselves to say nice things.

In any case, he was a very conscientious person, and he had some courage in his words. Huang Shi forced a smile: "You did very well."

"You flatter me, sir. I was just being foolish."

(End of Chapter 3)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 4

In the subsequent core meeting, Huang Shi tapped the table for a long time before finally saying slowly to a few confidants, "Bao Jiusun will be promoted to centurion in a while."

Several confidants looked somewhat displeased. The first to object was He Baodao: "Sir, he has no military merits."

"Mao sent him here, which means his ability is only average. Otherwise, he would have made it big long ago." Jin Qiude spoke indirectly, reminding Huang Shi to pay attention to Bao Jiusun's outside connections.

Zhao Manxiong, who was standing detachedly to the side, originally wanted to remain silent, but after being forced to express his opinion by Huang Shi, he began to ramble on and on, trying to please everyone. Not promoting someone from outside the connections wouldn't hurt Zhao Manxiong, and even if he did... after all, Bao was the one who recommended him.

While Zhao Manxiong spouted nonsense with spittle flying, his small eyes darted rapidly across the faces of several people, observing them with remarkable dexterity, as if two separate souls controlled his mouth and eyes… truly resembling a schizophrenic.

Huang Shiben had also planned to change the medal-awarding rules—imitating the Soviet medal system, allowing not only soldiers but also those in military industry and logistics to receive medals. This would make military households on other fronts feel valued and proud of their work. The Ming Dynasty's system of calculating merit solely based on the number of heads taken was too crude and had led to the distorted development of the army.

Unexpectedly, several of his confidants still opposed this, insisting that military merit came first, followed by strategy and troop training. As for logistics and production work, doing it well was expected, but doing it poorly should be severely punished.

Finally, Huang Shi, unable to contain his anger any longer, snapped. The more patient and amiable he was, the more ungrateful his subordinates became. "This is my decision. I don't need your permission. I'm just informing you, that's all!"

Huang Shi overturned the tea table. "Get out! All of you, get out!"

The four captains rarely saw Huang Shi so enraged, and they retreated meekly. This made Huang Shi feel somewhat relieved.

"Please calm down, sir." After the captains left, Hong Antong and Zhang Zaidi immediately righted the tea table.

Huang Shi leaned forward, looking at the mahogany tea table with concern. Fortunately, the teapot and three cups had only fallen to the ground. Out of pride, Huang Shi didn't bend down to check, but asked nervously, "Are they alright?"

"No, don't worry, sir." Hong Antong and Zhang Zaidi kept their faces tense, neither daring to smile. They carefully placed the tea set back on the table.

At least he didn't have to use an iron bucket to brew tea anymore. If this system had broken, there was nowhere to get a new one unless he specially sent someone to Shanhaiguan to buy a new one, but that would have been making a mountain out of a molehill.

Knowing that the treasure was intact, Huang Shi felt relieved. After calming down, he sighed again. Although his subordinates fought among themselves, they were united in protecting their shared territory, forming a tight strategic alliance, afraid of being taken away by others.

"When I was away, were Jin Qiude and Zhao Manxiong on good terms?" Huang Shi began to ask his informant, Hong Antong.

"Reporting to you, sir, they were very harmonious. They could be described as working together wholeheartedly," Hong Antong had already been warned by Huang Shi. "They often came to chat with their subordinates and gave them a lot of guidance as senior figures."

Huang Shi smiled upon hearing this: "Hmm, I reckon they'll be asking you for information again soon, especially about my reaction today. Just say I'm quite remorseful."

"Understood."

"What are your impressions of the two of them?"

"Commander Zhao is a very magnanimous man, acting like an elder brother in front of me. Commander Jin is very good at telling jokes, and I always laugh out loud when I hear them..."

It's not easy to make Hong Antong laugh, and Huang Shi didn't think he had that ability. As for Zhao Manxiong, that schemer, he had absolutely nothing to do with the word "magnanimous.

" "Commander Yang and Commander He don't have a good opinion of them." Zhang Zaidi also began to secretly report: "I've heard them talking about them, and they both think that Old Zhao and Commander Jin are a bit cunning."

Huang Shi laughed heartily upon hearing this: "They said it's true, especially Zhao Manxiong—particularly cunning."

The two personal guards also laughed, and seeing that Huang Shi's mood had improved, they brewed him another pot of tea. As he raised his cup to drink tea, Hong Antong smiled and said, "Sir, you don't know, but every time Commander Zhao comes here and sees this tea set, he clamors that he wants to buy one too, so he can enjoy a leisurely cup of tea like you."

"Is that so?" Huang Shi said nonchalantly, "Then why don't you let him use it for a few days? I won't be here anyway."

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare, this is Your Excellency's treasure."

Huang Shi held the teacup, stunned. He carefully examined the tea set for a while—it was extremely clean: "I've been away for so long, and no one has ever used this, right?"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Do you wipe them down often too?" The tea table was spotless.

"Yes, Your Excellency." Hong Antong cleaned it every day without fail.

It was unclear whether Hong Antong cleaned it by the stream outside; if he did, many soldiers would have seen it. However, cleaning it back inside after fetching water was just as good. Huang Shi slammed down his teacup. He himself felt nothing, but outsiders would surely think it was a privilege… and indeed it was.

Huang Shi stood up, looked at the tea table and tea set, and sighed. These things were symbols of status; Zhao Manxiong envied them but dared not use them. The other soldiers were probably envious too—while they toiled day and night, their commander could leisurely drink tea, with personal guards attending to these things.

Two guards saw Huang Shi suddenly draw his saber and slam it down on the tea table, sending the tea set flying to the floor… The fine mahogany was hard; the saber was easily blocked. Huang Shi shook it forcefully a few times before finally pulling it out.

Zhang Zaidi and Hong Antong stared wide-eyed, especially Hong Antong, who was too frightened to breathe. They watched as Huang Shi's military boots slammed heavily onto the teacups, one after another shattering with a piercing sound. Finally, Huang Shi swung his saber and smashed the teapot as well.

“Sir, this…” Zhang Zaidi finally uttered a question.

"The soldiers eat wild fruits when hungry and drink mountain spring water when thirsty, while I am brewing tea for my own amusement, thinking myself refined." Huang Shi sneered as he sheathed his sword and kicked the shards twice in disgust.

"My lord..." Hong Antong and Zhang Zaidi called out in unison, but neither said anything more; they were at a loss for words.

Huang Shi laughed self-deprecatingly, "The soldiers have come to this desolate island, their lives and fates uncertain, and the Northern Expedition against the Jurchens is even more distant. How can I sit here drinking tea?"

In the eyes of the two young guards, fear had been completely replaced by respect, and their chests stood straight.

"This thing," Huang Shi said, pointing to the tea table, "Chop it up! Use it as firewood for the soldiers."

(End of Chapter 4)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 5

Another person recommended by Zhao Manxiong was Li Yunrui. Like Bao Jiusun, he was literate, and such talent was extremely rare. After meeting Bao Jiusun, Huang Shi initially thought Li Yunrui would be a fishing expert, but after Zhao Manxiong's brief introduction, he learned that this man was actually quite talented in intelligence gathering and attached great importance to reconnaissance work, possessing considerable experience in the field. During Huang Shi's absence from Changsheng Island, Li Yunrui helped Zhao Manxiong establish a system for fishing boats to take turns monitoring Nanxinkou and Beixinkou.

Li Yunrui's original name was Li Rui, courtesy name Zongyun, a native of Panyu, Guangdong, and the eldest son of a wealthy man. He was imprisoned for causing the death of a woman through rape, a crime punishable by death. However, his father bribed a local official, successfully framing a bandit named He Laoyao in the same cell, making that man a scapegoat. "

Another scumbag!" Huang Shi secretly judged, but in those days, anything that could be put on the plate was considered food; even scumbags were used if they could read. Then again, Ming Dynasty intellectuals who weren't scumbags wouldn't have joined the army anyway.

After arriving in Liaodong under the name He Laoyao, Li Yunrui's standard of living plummeted. He had neither money nor women, and the brutal military life failed to reform his thinking. Unrepentant, Li Yunrui even attempted to rape a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl last year—though that might not apply to the Ming Dynasty. The attempted

rape resulted in Li Yunrui being thrown into prison again to await death. Fortunately, Mao Wenlong was short of troops, and knowing he was doomed, Li Yunrui volunteered for a suicide squad. After arriving in Liaodong, Li Yunrui used the victory at Zhenjiang to clear his name, reverting to his original name, Li Rui, and even becoming a deputy battalion commander after the Korean War.

"Beast."

These weren't Huang Shi's words. Li Yunrui recounted his experiences to Huang Shi without a trace of shame. The officers listening, though showing disdain and contempt, managed to control their emotions—except for He Baodao.

Huang Shi also found the scum's crimes truly heinous. However, many Ming Dynasty soldiers were such desperados. Those exiled to the border weren't just bandits like the foot soldiers, but also villains like Li Yunrui and Bao Jiusun. Jin Qiude was one of the few good people among them… No wonder the Ming people looked down on soldiers.

Li Yunrui remained unfazed, as if he had heard this many times before. His ability to remain unperturbed by insults was almost Taoist… Huang Shi admired him, while He Baodao was reprimanded.

Continuing…

Li Yunrui's emphasis on intelligence stemmed from the painful experience of Korea's disastrous defeat. According to his own account, Li Yunrui had only been in the army for a short time, but had already survived four near-death experiences.

"I was originally under Lord Zhang Yuanzhi. After the recapture of Zhenjiang, I was assigned to Commander Ma Bo's unit. Commander Ma was ordered to return to Longchuan to transport grain. After we left, the Jurchens besieged Zhenjiang. I was fortunate enough to survive in Zhenjiang; this was the first time."

Huang Shi nodded: "Last October, the Jurchens launched a surprise attack on Longchuan. Where did you escape from?"

"Reporting to you, sir, that night, I and three brothers were ordered to go to the Beishan camp to move clothing. We had just arrived at Beishan when we saw fire breaking out in the direction of Longchuan. The entire Longchuan army was wiped out. Commander Ma and the other brothers all died for their country. Only a few of us survived."

This man was indeed lucky; he had already escaped certain death twice. Huang Shi continued to ask: "I heard that the Jurchens did not find Commander Mao in Longchuan that night and immediately attacked the Beishan camp."

"My lord, you are wise. At that time, the Beishan camp was also in chaos. Of the thousands of men, less than a hundred had weapons. Although we were prepared, we still couldn't stop the five thousand Jurchen cavalry. We fell before dawn." As Li Yunrui spoke, the muscles on his cheeks twitched, as if he were recalling the panic of that night, thousands of unarmed men helplessly slaughtered by the Later Jin.

"So you believe that reconnaissance is the most important task of the army?"

"My lord is wise. I believe that not only is reconnaissance necessary, but we should also actively send spies to infiltrate Later Jin territory and actively prevent the Jurchens from infiltrating our army. I believe that reconnaissance is a zero-sum game; the better we do, the worse the Jurchens will be. Korea is an example. If our army had started military intelligence gathering early, we wouldn't have been ambushed, and the Jurchens wouldn't have been able to figure out our deployment."

Although it was a general statement, Huang Shi thought it was quite good that a low-ranking officer had this kind of understanding.

"Have you never reported these things to your former superiors?"

"My position is lowly and my words carry little weight, and many of my specific ideas are not accepted by my superiors. Furthermore, I lack your bravery, sir, which is why I have never been promoted. I am even more despised by my colleagues for feigning death to escape."

He Baodao sneered again—this was extremely impolite in a military council, but Huang Shi knew his temperament well and pretended not to hear. Such cowardly behavior was indeed despised in the Ming army, especially considering Li Yunrui's valiant act of bullying women. Huang Shi felt somewhat displeased: "Feigning death to escape, that's not easy."

"Your Excellency is wise," Li Yunrui shamelessly accepted the praise—if it was a praise.

After the fall of the Beishan camp, Li Yunrui fled south with the routed soldiers and refugees. The Ming army, lacking weapons, was completely routed, and officers and soldiers were no longer under each other's command. Several hundred soldiers and civilians were driven by twenty Later Jin cavalrymen all the way through the snow and ice for dozens of miles. Many of them died with blood gushing from their mouths and noses. Finally, they fled to Yihu Forest north of Linpanguan, where the entire army was wiped out. Only Li Yunrui seized the opportunity and hid in a pile of dead bodies to escape with his life.

He Baodao, who had been listening to this long account with a cold laugh, finally snorted, "Several hundred men, preferring to run themselves to death rather than fight back against twenty Jurchen soldiers—what a bunch of cowards!"

Li Yunrui remained unmoved by the mockery, still maintaining his self-righteous demeanor: "Many people have criticized me like that, but at that time, morale was low. Everyone was just running south in a daze. Anyone who stopped had to fight twenty pursuing Jurchen soldiers bare-handed. Even though we were hundreds of men, we were no match for a well-organized battalion commander. All I could do then was seize the opportunity to survive and preserve these lessons."

Seeing He Baodao about to speak again, Huang Shi immediately shouted, "Commander He, shut up!"

Huang Shi had already abandoned his contempt for Li Yunrui. It was a rare virtue to confront one's own cowardice, but to maintain a clear head, formulate a plan, and preserve oneself in adversity was even more remarkable. Falling down wasn't unusual, but getting back up each time was truly commendable. This Li Yunrui had escaped death four times. Huang Shi didn't believe in luck, nor in any instinctive sense of danger. This person was probably just very observant.

His experiences in Zhenjiang and Longchuan were likely not as simple as he made them out to be.

(End of Chapter 5)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 6

Li Yunrui didn't seem angry: "In Dongjiang, my original name 'Li Rui' became synonymous with coward. I was so miserable that I changed my name."

"So you never got promoted?"

"Yes, I wouldn't even have been a battalion commander..." Li Yunrui's position originally belonged to a battalion commander named Cao Shou, who was praised for his bravery. As his deputy, Li Yunrui always advised him to be careful, but Cao Shou ridiculed him for being cowardly, and Cao Shou eventually died in battle due to his reckless attack. Li Yunrui then took over the position of battalion commander. Although Battalion Commander Li was not skilled in battle, he successfully covered the escape of civilians to Anzhou and their departure by sea: "...This humble officer considers himself competent."

"You are undoubtedly competent; this should be a merit. Why are you still just a lowly battalion commander?"

Li Yunrui's reputation was terrible; in Dongjiang, he was practically a rat everyone wanted to kill. Mao Wenlong then reorganized the army on Dongjiang Island and discovered many Jurchen spies. In an attempt to turn the tide, Li Yunrui advised his superiors that these spies should not be killed outright, but rather used to convey information that the army wanted the Jurchens to know.

As a result, his superiors severely reprimanded Li, saying that he was not only cowardly but also condoned evil, and almost had him court-martialed. Li Yunrui's tone remained neither humble nor arrogant, showing confidence in his ideas.

Huang Shi was also infected by this confidence: "Then what do you think we should do to deal with the Jurchen spies?"

"Of course, we should pretend not to know. There are two advantages to doing this. First, the intelligence these spies are trying to collect is also important intelligence for our army. We can see where the Jurchens' attention is. Second, people have feelings. Our army has been trying to win them over for a long time. In time, it will be hard to

say which side these spies are on." Li Yunrui glanced at Zhao Manxiong beside him as he said this: "I have told Zhao Qianzong about all this."

Zhao Manxiong explained to Huang Shi: "I think what Li said makes a lot of sense, but Jin Qianzong disagrees."

Why is Jin Qiude involved again? Huang Shi cast an inquiring look at him. Jin Qiude immediately retorted: "I am responsible for identifying military households. I believe that it is better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free."

During the time Huang Shi was away, Jin Qiude, adhering to the principle of better to wrongly accuse than to let the guilty go free, repeatedly investigated more than a thousand soldiers and killed more than a dozen of them who he thought were of suspicious origin. Huang Shi had just received Jin Qiude's report, and he had also taken the opportunity to identify a group of absolutely safe individuals—these people wouldn't be Mao Wenlong's accomplices.

Huang Shi couldn't immediately assess the pros and cons. Li Yunrui's words seemed reasonable, and Jin Qiude's cautious approach was commendable. However, intelligence work had always been Jin Qiude's responsibility, and suddenly inserting Li Yunrui seemed inappropriate; judging from Jin Qiude's demeanor, conflict was likely.

"That's enough for today. I'll consider it further."

The officers saluted and withdrew. Huang Shi watched them leave, then suddenly blurted out, "You won't know how much there is until you go to China."

"Sir?" Hong Antong asked softly.

"Nothing, I just feel there are too many people at the military council." Huang Shi found the arrangement of all his officers gathered together uncomfortable. For example, this time, He Baodao and Yang Zhiyuan couldn't get a word in edgewise, yet they had to listen in. Wouldn't it be better to use that time for something more productive?

“Even lying down and resting for a while is better than coming here for a meeting,” Huang Shi shook his head and laughed. “Standing here for half a day is exhausting.”

“Others don’t even have the right to stand here!” Hong Antong laughed after understanding. “Sir, for example, Yang Zhiyuan. If you don’t let him come to listen, others will definitely think he did something wrong and is being punished.”

This is the same principle as attending court. Being able to stand on the sidelines and listen is already a symbol of status. Huang Shi pondered for a moment and decided that it would be best to change the rules in the future and adopt an office model, where everyone does what they are supposed to do. Now there are fewer people and less work, so there is no need to gather together all day long. It’s troublesome and inefficient. It’s not too late to hold more meetings when there is more work.

As soon as this idea came to mind, Huang Shi immediately put it into action. He immediately formulated a set of rules: the daily boarding ceremony was canceled, and the monthly briefing was changed to an irregular schedule. Anyone who has something to do should come on their own without notifying all officers. If Huang Shi thinks it is necessary to hold a meeting, he will decide on the participants based on the scope of the matter. His subordinate captains must also change their habits.

After much deliberation, Huang Shi finally decided to put Li Yunrui in charge of intelligence work—a task that wasn't too demanding at the moment. Jin Qiude was assigned to maintain military discipline and, incidentally, to draft the code of conduct; this task was relatively more important and urgent.

Huang Shi successfully led his troops to Liaodong, established a base, and even managed to plunder a batch of supplies from Shanhaiguan, which brought him considerable prestige. Using this prestige, Huang Shi smoothly implemented a reform without causing any discontent.

"A small victory over tradition!"

Somewhat smug, Huang Shi didn't pay attention to the class composition of his subordinates; the traditional ruling class had silently occupied vast territories. Almost all of Huang Shi's officers were sons of landlords—these people, because of their literacy, always had opportunities for promotion, with only the hunter Zhao Manxiong and the military household Yang Zhiyuan being exceptions.

Shortly after returning from Shanhaiguan, Mao Wenlong granted Changsheng Island a battalion designation—a quota of two thousand soldiers. He asked Huang Shi to name his battalion, design a military flag, and submit it.

"Let's call this battalion the Firefighting Battalion. As for the military flag..."

Generally, the Ming army's military flags would be painted with tigers and leopards. The Imperial Guards used dragon flags, and the emperor's personal guards also had their own flags. For example, the Embroidered Uniform Guards used flying fish flags.

So, beside the fiery red Ming army flag on Changsheng Island, another camp flag appeared, with a blue venomous snake coiled around it, its body wrapped once, its sharp tail hidden beneath; its belly rose abruptly, spreading into a ferocious fan; its head opened wide, revealing long fangs, seemingly ready to devour someone.

The soldiers of the Firefighting Battalion looked up at their flag with joy, everyone knowing that from now on they would fight under this flag. Standing at a distance, admiring his own flag, Huang Shi, like his soldiers, was filled with an inexplicable fighting spirit: "This is my flag, I will make the enemy tremble before it." However, with

only a thousand or so men under his command, Huang Shi could only think about it for the time being...

In July of the second year of the Tianqi reign, the islands and the Dongjiang Army in Korea had finished harvesting their grain. With a command from the General Commander of Pingliao, the Ming army in Liaodong finally released the offensive momentum that had been accumulating for half a year, and began a new round of strategic counter-offensive.

(End of Chapter 6)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 7:

Li Yunrui and Bao Jiusun were still battalion commanders. Huang Shi was angry mainly because his subordinates attempted to question his decision. Objectively speaking, Huang Shi also believed that these two still needed testing, as they had only been with him for a short time, and he hadn't fully assimilated and integrated them.

The medal reform was ultimately not implemented because the accumulated prestige had been largely used up. There was no hope of recouping the investment before the reforms brought any benefits. Since Huang Shi didn't intend to push through the new policies at all costs, military reforms could not proceed for the time being.

Meanwhile, along the thousand-mile coast of Liaodong, the Ming army's island commanders were working diligently to produce supplies and gather manpower. After careful consideration, Mao Wenlong believed that after this period of rest and recuperation, the Liaodong Ming army had regained its offensive capabilities.

In July of the second year of the Tianqi reign, the Ming army captured Yingtaowo and burned Xianshan Fort.

In August, the Ming army recaptured Wozhan Fort.

In September, the Ming army recaptured Changcheng and subsequently defeated the Later Jin army in the Battle of Manpu, forcing the Later Jin to abandon their fortress.

"My lord, Commander Mao will surely launch a major offensive," He Dingyuan declared confidently. The Ming army's consecutive victories over the past three months had greatly boosted morale throughout Dongjiang, including Changsheng Island: "Our troops are determined to be the first to kill the Jurchens and claim the greatest credit!"

He Baodao strongly advocated for an attack on Fuzhou, but Huang Shi was not optimistic about such a military adventure. The reports from the garrison were indeed very favorable, with the Liaodong Ming army estimating the number of enemy casualties to be between 10,000 and 20,000. However, Huang Shi lacked confidence. Although he wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, he felt that while this number was good for boosting morale within the Great Wall, it absolutely could not be used as a military basis.

Huang Shi convened an emergency military meeting, summoning all four commanders to discuss the matter. If the calls for battle were too strong, Huang Shi planned to use a small force to raid Fuzhou as training material.

"General Mao has about five thousand soldiers. It seems like the number of enemy kills in the past few months is a bit too high?" Huang Shi expressed his doubts carefully at the meeting. The total number of kills in three months was nearly 20,000. "On average, each soldier must have killed three Jurchens. Isn't that a bit much?"

"That's nothing. One of my men can kill seven or eight a day." He Baodao said nonchalantly. The other three captains remained silent, each trying to figure out what Huang Shi meant.

“According to the old laws of the Han and Tang dynasties, those who kill the enemy in the army are rewarded tenfold, which deters the disobedient from the outside and reassures the people from the inside,” Huang Shi did not want to be seen as a pessimist by his subordinates, so he was very careful with his words and tone: “I’m afraid that all the generals and Commander Mao have this in mind, right?”

Although Huang Shi spoke very tactfully, He Baodao was already somewhat dissatisfied, “The Jurchens have also suffered heavy losses! My lord, if we don’t hurry up and seize the credit, I’m afraid I won’t have any left to claim.”

Zhao Manxiong finally came to the rescue, feeling that he had understood the superior’s intentions: “The Jurchens have about 30,000 combat troops, as well as Han troops and unarmored soldiers, so they are still stronger than our army.”

Guerrilla warfare is generally a tactic used by the disadvantaged side. When the strength is greater, they naturally tend to engage in battle. Therefore, after more than half a year of reorganization, the Ming army on the islands of Liaodong began to launch a counter-offensive. But Huang Shi was worried that the people of Dongjiang had become hot-headed. History told him that the Later Jin was not an easy target. The officers were more likely to embellish their battle records, creating a competitive atmosphere and leading to collective misjudgments.

"How's the recruit training going?" Huang Shi asked Yang Zhiyuan before He Baodao could speak.

Yang Zhiyuan glanced apologetically at He Baodao: "Reporting to you, sir, I am incompetent. My unit has less than five hundred usable soldiers."

"It's not your fault," Huang Shi waved his hand magnanimously, already expecting this answer: "Insufficient weaponry, there's nothing we can do about it."

"I am incompetent." This time it was Jin Qiude's turn to apologize.

Although nominally several people were assigned to different tasks, Changshan was newly established, and the island only had a little over a thousand people, so Huang Shi had to do everything personally. Leveling the land, building ships and fishing, constructing the harbor, and setting up camps—after completing these tasks, very little time was left for manufacturing weapons and organizing training.

Over the past few months, Huang Shi had finally reclaimed five thousand acres of land and planted sesame seeds throughout, completely suppressing the weeds. He also manufactured some weapons, namely two hundred oak spears. He had originally planned to make some wooden bows, but those bows and arrows were weak and the craftsmanship was complicated, so he abandoned that idea.

"That's it. My troops are incapable of going on an expedition." Huang Shi looked at He Baodao's disappointed face and ruthlessly rejected the proposal: "The proposal to attack Fuzhou is not permitted by this general."

Not going to Fuzhou to die did not mean not taking any military action. After careful consideration, Huang Shi felt that deploying three hundred soldiers was still feasible. The key was that the operation must preserve themselves and weaken the enemy.

"First, let's talk about the operational objectives." Huang Shi's latest rule was to give a mission briefing to ensure that every officer understood the operational objectives and general plan.

All the officers—four centurions and eight captains—waited quietly. Huang Shi cleared his throat: "The target of this attack is a village with twenty-two households. Our army will move all the villagers to Changsheng Island and take away all the grain, farm tools, livestock, and furniture."

Huang Shi's veteran soldiers were basically equipped with iron weapons and twenty strong bows. Two hundred peasant soldiers, each armed with a spear, were paired with a veteran. The three hundred soldiers were divided into four teams, each led by a centurion. The entire fire brigade was mobilized for this operation.

"The village we're heading to is twenty li from the coast and forty-eight li from Fuzhou Garrison. Our vanguard is Centurion He, who should arrive around 3:45 PM. The rest of the troops will follow shortly after." Huang Shi avoided using vague terms like "evening" or "dusk.

" "Try to prevent anyone from escaping to report, but even if they do, it doesn't matter. They can't possibly reach Fuzhou before the city gates close at night. Complete the operation tonight, return to the coast before dawn, and leave by boat. Our army lacks reconnaissance capabilities, so everything must be carried out strictly according to plan."

Changsheng Island only had three horses, making its land reconnaissance capabilities extremely limited.

Mao Wenlong's order to all units was to treat civilians kindly, something Huang Shi understood perfectly: "In this operation, civilians are not allowed to be harmed. They will be part of our army, your future subordinates."

Huang Shi smiled slyly at this point: "Of course, there's no need to explain this to the villagers beforehand. If anyone is very afraid, you can reassure them, but don't say it's my order. Have the soldiers say, 'We won't harm you.' In short, reassure them in the name of the soldiers. Don't let the villagers rebel out of excessive fear, but don't let them act recklessly either."

(End of Chapter 7)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword Chapter 9

"Old man, why are you doing this? You have sons and grandsons, don't you want to be with them anymore?"

The old village chief, prostrate on the ground, explained in a respectful tone that the Later Jin had issued orders that any able-bodied man who deserted would be executed, and the entire village would be punished by having their ancestral graves exhumed. The village chief, wanting to protect his ancestors' tombs, pleaded with Huang Shi to let him stay, so that the Later Jin regime would have a target for their anger.

"We commoners don't have many days left to live," the chief pleaded.

The other elders also knelt, saying, "General, our ancestors' graves are all here. If the village is gone, no one will visit the graves anymore. We must at least leave the graves standing so that when the royal army returns, our children will have a place to offer incense."

"Please, General, take care of our descendants!" a dozen or so old men cried out, kowtowing.

The surrounding villagers stopped what they were doing and looked over, and many soldiers showed expressions of pity.

Huang Shi was stunned for a long time, then suddenly shouted, "Since that's the case, I don't want you to relocate."

He yelled at the hundreds of villagers, "I'll be leaving soon, you can all stay."

The village chief looked up in surprise, "But the general has military orders to follow."

"A general in the field may disobey some orders." Huang Shi laughed loudly, his mind suddenly clearing, "I am a general of the Ming Dynasty, if I cannot protect the land and its people, how can I force them to do what they don't want?"

"Go." Huang Shi waved his hand and left immediately.

The village chief brought forty shi of grain and five pigs, but Huang Shi ordered that only twenty shi of grain be taken—he couldn't explain to his subordinates if he took nothing.

After leaving, Jin Qiude secretly asked, "Sir, are you worried that these people will hold a grudge against our army and blame us for the deaths of the old people?"

"That's right." Huang Shi sighed.

Zhao Manxiong also seized an opportunity and privately asked Huang Shi, "Does Your Excellency think that two or three hundred bushels of grain is not much, and it would be better to use it to win over the hearts of the people?"

"That's right."

Yang Zhiyuan also asked him when no one was around, "Does Your Excellency pity those old people? Would you rather our army suffer a little than let the people suffer?"

"That's right."

Only He Baodao shouted loudly, "As expected of Your Excellency, our Great Ming army must protect the borders and the people, and we must launch a counterattack on Liaodong as soon as possible."

"General—General, please wait." The army had walked two miles in a somewhat dejected manner when a shout came from behind. Huang Shi turned around and stopped for a moment, seeing four or five people carrying torches chasing after them.

The one in the lead was an old man he had just seen. He came panting and knelt down, kowtowing again—it seemed that this was the only way for commoners to greet officials. The old man asked breathlessly, "May I ask Your Excellency's name?"

For the sake of secrecy, Huang Shi had ordered his soldiers not to reveal his name, so the people in this village did not know his name. Just as he hesitated, the old man added, "General, your righteousness is deeply appreciated by all in our village. We humbly request that you leave your name so we may pray for your well-being."

"Ha, pray for my well-being?" Huang Shi burst into laughter upon hearing this—even a lie shouldn't be this fake. He retorted to the old man, "Aren't you afraid the Jurchens will slaughter the entire village?"

The old man, kneeling on the ground, didn't argue, but simply pointed to four young men behind him: "General, these children must come with you. We'll pretend they're dead, and the village will dig their graves tomorrow."

"I see..." Huang Shi scrutinized these people for a while, realizing that the village wanted to secretly erect a longevity tablet for him. Every village has countless kinship ties, and if news of these four men leaked, the whole village would be doomed.

Therefore, Huang Shi couldn't refuse these unfortunate people's good intentions. He pondered for a moment and said loudly, "I am Huang Shi, the Vice Commander of Liaodong, the Guerrilla General of Dongjiang, and the Supervisor of Longevity."

"General Huang!" Several villagers shouted in unison, startling Huang Shi with the sudden outcry.

Several villagers simultaneously showed expressions of disbelief. The old man asked in a trembling voice, "General, are you General Huang Shi, who is renowned throughout Guangning?"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers around him immediately puffed out their chests, their faces filled with arrogance.

Huang Shi, unaware that his reputation had become so widespread, smiled and replied, "Indeed, I am this general, currently serving under General Mao Wenlong, the commander-in-chief of Pingliao."

"I have long admired your unparalleled loyalty and martial prowess, General. To be able to meet you today is truly a blessing from my ancestors." The old man said respectfully, his expression solemn. "These children are fortunate to be with you, General."

Huang Shi turned his gaze to the four young men: "What are your names?"

The four looked at each other, and suddenly one of them knelt down and began kowtowing repeatedly—kowtowing again: "We are nameless and have no surname, but we humbly request that General Huang take us into your household."

The other three also snapped out of their daze and kowtowed several times: "We are also nameless and have no surname, but we are willing to become servants in the Huang family. Please take us in, General."

The old man nodded repeatedly: "General Huang, they are already dead according to their ancestral records."

Huang Shi was stunned and speechless. The men thought he was not going to agree, so they shouted again: "We will serve you like cattle and horses, without hesitation."

As they spoke, two more men led over an ox and a donkey, with several farm tools and a large bundle of hay on their backs. Seeing this, they waited to the side.

Zhao Manxiong crept up behind him and whispered to Huang Shi, "My lord, I think it's good."

"Very well, then you are members of my Huang family." Huang Shi nodded.

The four men still didn't get up: "Please, Master, bestow names upon us."

This turn of events left Huang Shi feeling utterly bewildered. His modern education made him very uncomfortable in this situation, and coming up with four names at once was impossible.

Fortunately, Zhao Manxiong came to his rescue again, immediately whispering four names in Huang Shi's ear: "Huang Da, Huang Er, Huang San, Huang Si, according to age."

Is this even possible? This is ridiculous! Huang Shi hesitated before speaking to the four servants who had come to his door.

Unexpectedly, the four men cheered in unison, expressing their gratitude once more: "We thank Master."

The old man revealed his incomplete teeth, chuckling as he said to the young men, "You are truly blessed."

The two villagers who had brought the livestock also offered their congratulations. The old man explained that the village was very small, so this was all the food they could offer to the imperial army.

Huang Shi thanked him and ordered the livestock to be brought along. He then left with the four young men—"I still don't understand the Ming Dynasty enough, nor do I understand feudal society enough."

Huang Shi had brought three hundred soldiers this time, fearing there wouldn't be enough manpower for all the supplies. However, after a hard night's work, he brought back very little. Nevertheless, the army's morale soared on the return journey, as if they had won a great victory.

(End of Chapter 9)

Chapter 10:

Although many convicts were exiled to the border army, Liaodong people still made up the majority. As for the Dongjiang army, they were mostly Liaodong natives. They deeply understood the villagers' plight, and since food wasn't particularly scarce,

they unanimously supported Huang Shi's decision. Several officers under his command, though harboring their own thoughts, understood Huang Shi's decision based on the soldiers' widespread support. Huang Shi increasingly felt a sense of "domineering authority." Soldiers and generals showed increasing respect, and his subordinates dared not question his orders anymore… He just didn't know if the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.

Fuzhou may not have known, but Huangshi's name spread quickly in the vicinity. Many nearby villages secretly sent some food and supplies, and some hot-blooded Liao people even went to Nanxinkou and Beixinkou to tell the fire brigade patrol team that they wanted to join the army.

In this way, Huang Shi gradually gathered nearly two hundred Liao people, all of whom were young and strong. Li Yunrui also reported to Huang Shi that intelligence work was progressing smoothly, with many villagers secretly communicating with the Dongjiang Army. The intelligence network on Changsheng Island was gradually expanding. After discussing with Li Yunrui, Huang Shi strictly prohibited any form of terrorism, and underground workers were not allowed to launch surprise attacks on Later Jin patrols—otherwise, Huang Shi worried that it would help improve Later Jin's intelligence work and also alert Later Jin to the underground forces on Changsheng Island.

Another problem arose: the head of the Huang family discovered that his family was rapidly expanding, and a month later, a newly recruited servant was named Huang Sanliu. Unlike modern people's views, these servants, who had no blood or marriage ties, were regarded by Changsheng Island as members of the Huang family, as part of the Huang family...

"This sea ban is really vicious," Huang Shi complained to Hong Antong beside him as he inspected the territory again.

Since September, Huang Shi had been looking for an opportunity to ambush the Later Jin patrols, but due to the maritime ban, his intelligence gathering was always slow. Furthermore, raiding the Later Jin forces required venturing deep inland, greatly increasing the danger of the attack, especially since Huang Shi had few horses.

Finally, there was the issue of gathering people and supplies. It was said that some able-bodied men who came to join him were captured by the Later Jin on the way, and each village required a journey of ten or twenty miles, making it difficult to raid the Later Jin grain requisition teams. A complete annihilation was impossible, and without it, there was no time to escape back to the sea.

"Didn't you tell Lord Zhang Pan about a solution?" Hong Antong asked, puzzled, behind him were twenty of Huang Shi's personal guards.

The various captains didn't want Huang Shi's guards as subordinates, saying they were difficult to manage, so Huang Shi had to form his own personal guard unit. He sent his surplus personal guards to become captains, leaving only Zhang Zaidi and Hong Antong to manage his personal guard unit. The guards privately called the two of them Steward Hong and Steward Zhang.

Huang Shi laughed, "It's not about breaking the law, it's about saying the sea ban is foolish."

"Then why does Your Excellency say the sea ban is ruthless?" Hong Antong was even more puzzled.

"Strategically foolish, tactically ruthless." Huang Shi was a little flustered by the questions.

"Strategy? Tactics?" Hong Antong had a persistent spirit of getting to the bottom of things.

"Yes, I'll find an opportunity to explain it to you later; you can't understand it now." As Huang Shi's personal guard, Hong Antong was naturally a confidant. Both he and the other Changsheng officers and soldiers believed he would be Huang Shi's future officer and general. Hong Antong himself was also very aware of this and worked hard in this direction, seizing every opportunity to learn military knowledge from Huang Shi. However, Huang Shi felt that tactical innovation was more urgent, and it would be more useful to instill some tactical knowledge in Hong Antong first.

While Huang Shi was struggling with insufficient equipment, the counter-offensive launched by the Ming army in Liaodong since July continued to develop, with the offensive constantly expanding into the Liaodong region.

In October of the second year of the Tianqi reign (1622), Zhang Pan of Dongjiang swore an oath to lead his troops to Lushun. The Dongjiang army in Lushun, having absorbed a large number of defeated soldiers and acquired equipment, had become a formidable force under Mao Wenlong's command. Therefore, Mao Wenlong placed high

hopes on the Lushun army. Zhang Pan did not disappoint Mao Wenlong, easily defeating the Later Jin garrison forces near Nanguan and Jinzhou, and subsequently capturing Yongning Fort in southern Liaodong. Latitude-wise, they had advanced north of Changsheng Island near Huangshi, and the people of Liaodong rose up in support along the way.

Encouraged by this, at the end of October, Mao Wenlong sacrificed an ox to raise his flag in Dongjiang, preparing to personally lead an expedition, targeting the Hengjiang and Kuandian regions he knew best.

After his previous surprise attack on Zhenjiang, Mao Wenlong had attempted to break through the mountain fortresses to enter the Kuandian region. This time, he repeated his tactics, simultaneously intensifying his efforts to win over local Han Chinese troops and contacting local forces with whom he had previously had contact.

Meanwhile, the Later Jin also began to react. As Mao Wenlong led his troops to Shuozhou, the Later Jin's Plain Blue, Plain White, and Bordered Red Banners assembled and marched south, with the garrison of Fuzhou also sending troops to support them, attempting to besiege Zhang Pan's army in Lushun.

Faced with a powerful enemy, Zhang Pan had no choice but to abandon Yongning Fort and relocate the nearby people back to Lushun. The Later Jin army pursued them all the way to Nanguan, but Zhang Pan held them off at every turn, finally managing to safely evacuate his troops and civilians back to Lushun.

Unaware of the situation in Liaonan, Mao Wenlong was still marching north. After arriving in Shuozhou, he assembled five battalions, seven thousand soldiers, claiming a force of thirty thousand, and directed his troops towards Hengjiang and Kuandian, intending to directly attack Jianzhou.

The main force of the Dongjiang army easily swept through Changdian Fort, Yongdian Fort, and Dadian Fort, and then captured Xindian Fort and Aiyang Fort through Kuandian. While the Ming army in Liaodong attempted to capture Gushan Fort and enter Jianzhou, several thousand Later Jin reinforcements rapidly arrived at Caohe Fort via Lianshan.

Caohebao was located thirty li west of Aiyangbao. To protect their retreat and supply lines, the Ming army was forced to turn back and engage in a decisive battle. The Later Jin and Ming armies fought a fierce battle between Jiumajibao and Aiyangbao, and after three days of intense fighting, both sides simultaneously withdrew, claiming a major victory afterward.

The Ming offensive of the second year of the Tianqi reign essentially ended there. However, when the news from Dongjiangtang reached Changsheng Island, the entire Ming army on the island was in an uproar. Although the Ming army knew they had ultimately been forced to retreat, this was the first time since the Battle of Sarhu that a field battle involving more than ten thousand Ming troops had resulted in a complete retreat and a draw.

Although the Liaodong Ming army had retreated into the Kuandian region, the Later Jin army had also retreated to Caohebao, meaning the Later Jin had also suffered considerable losses. However, since Huang Shi knew the Later Jin army would remain invincible for a long time, his excitement was actually quite limited.

Other officers in the Dongjiang army lacked this awareness. The entire Liaodong Ming army was filled with a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and even Mao Wenlong himself began to get carried away. The Dongjiang army's recapture of Kuandian and 10,000 households made him somewhat arrogant.

In his memorial to the court after the war, Mao Wenlong claimed:

"The recapture of all of Liaodong is within a year."

...

He Baodao again requested to attack Fuzhou and pull off a major victory. However, Huang Shi was not optimistic. He believed that the draw in this battle had a large element of luck.

"I am not cowardly..."

Huang Shi led his generals on a distant expedition to Liaodong, so He Baodao had never doubted Huang Shi's martial prowess.

"I just need to wait a few more days."

He Baodao sighed and said no more.

After September of the second year of the Tianqi reign, after driving back Mao Wenlong's main force to Kuandian, the Later Jin launched a winter offensive.

Tens of thousands of Later Jin cavalry began to gradually sweep through the Liaodong Ming army, with Changcheng bearing the brunt. The garrison commander of Changcheng was originally the garrison commander of Guangning Left Garrison. Seeing the overwhelming force of the Later Jin army, he ordered the Ming army to cover the retreat of the civilians towards Yizhou, while he led his personal guards to cover the rear.

After inquiring about the defeated soldiers, Mao Wenlong sent a report to Dongjiangtang to request commendation for the garrison commander of Changcheng who had died in battle. Although the civilians successfully evacuated, the garrison commander of Changcheng was seriously wounded with dozens of wounds, his intestines dragging on the ground, and he bled to death. Therefore, Mao Wenlong posthumously recognized the garrison commander Shang Xueli as the garrison commander of Dongjiang, and had his eldest son adopt the orphans left behind by the garrison commander—the brothers Keyi and Kexi.

...

Over the course of several months, Changsheng boiled tens of thousands of catties of salt and also made five bear skins and dozens of deer skins, which could probably be exchanged for more than a thousand taels of silver. Huang Shi somewhat regretted that he had been too extravagant in the past, and that he had hardly any of the money he had embezzled and taken bribes in Guangning left.

Huang Shi decided to entrust this task to Zhang Zaidi: "Little brother, when you go to Zhili, don't be too stingy. It's your first time selling goods, just get acquainted with the locals."

"Yes, brother, don't worry." Zhang Zaidi seemed very confident, which made Huang Shi increasingly uneasy, fearing that he might be taken advantage of when buying pig iron and cloth. But right now, there were no people available on the island, so it seemed that Jin Qiude would have to accompany him.

"I have a mission for you, a secret mission." Huang Shi's words made Zhang Zaidi and Jin Qiude's eyes light up.

"Have the others transport the goods back, and you take fifty taels of silver to Beijing. I will give you a special official document, ostensibly to buy rice." As he spoke, Huang Shi took out a piece of paper with some religious symbols he remembered drawn on it.

"What are these?" Zhang Zaidi was attracted by the strange cross and the crooked holy image.

“There are some Western monks in Beijing; this is the god they believe in,” Huang Shi explained, giving a detailed introduction to their religion. Jin Qiude occasionally asked a question or two, while Zhang Zaidi listened with great interest.

“Tell them that I have been inspired by God… the God of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of the Princess… therefore, I hope to promote this faith in my army.”

Huang Shi carefully explained to the two men that he didn’t want devout Western monks, nor did he want to believe in any Western religion, but these Westerners possessed considerable unique military knowledge.

“Buy some crosses and some scriptures, then tell them you hope to receive some military assistance. I’m not in a hurry; you don’t need to ask everything at once. I’ll leave you with a few questions to take to the Western monks and tell them I might send someone to consult them again next year.”

Huang Shi’s questions mainly focused on infantry formations and training. From this era onward, Western infantry tactics had made significant progress, and the threat of cavalry had diminished, shifting from being the main force in frontal combat to engaging in pursuit and reconnaissance.

Whether it was horses, armor, or pistols, the quality of the Manchu heavy cavalry was inferior to that of the West, so Huang Shi was very curious about how the "white-haired baboons" managed it—Huang Shi thought "white-haired baboons" was a derogatory term for "yellow-skinned monkeys."

Another issue that Huang Shi was very concerned about was the construction of fortifications; bastions were beginning to appear on the historical stage. The advent of artillery had already rendered medieval castle tactics obsolete, but in the coming decades, bastions would largely replace old-style castles and become even more powerful.

Multifaceted bastions would render attackers helpless for over a hundred years. In the Thirty Years' War in Europe, where cannons were rampant, Western soldiers called assaulting artillery-equipped bastions "a hopeless task." Long sieges once again became the mainstream method of siege warfare, until the more brutal 24-pounder cannon appeared, changing the tactics.

Historically, early bastions also appeared near China, and Huang Shi remembered that these things caused the Chinese a lot of headaches. The Zheng family's recapture of Taiwan goes without saying, and then there were the tens of thousands of Qing troops at Nerchinsk, who could only rely on hunger and disease to break down the defenders—just a few hundred old Russian thugs.

Therefore, Huang Shi was also eager to know what kind of structure this bastion was. He was determined to use the bastion in conjunction with the coastal port to teach the Later Jin army a lesson.

In December of the second year of the Tianqi reign, the Later Jin army completely defeated the Ming army in Liaodong, and the Dongjiang army basically retreated to the line of attack launched in July. Mao Wenlong devoted himself to reinforcing Yizhou, Lushun, and Kuandian.

There were already nearly two thousand soldiers on Changsheng Island. As floating ice continued to appear at Beixinkou, Huang Shi originally planned to build a stone wall along the coast, but this plan failed after only two days. Quarrying stone was simply not a project that his manpower could handle.

The imminent danger made Huang Shi's heart tighten: "Build an ice wall!"

(End of Chapter 10)

Who will sharpen my sword for me? Chapter 11 Loyalty

Changsheng Island is not like the islands in the Yellow Sea. There is also a winter sea closure here. However, the south of the island is about the inner ocean current, so Zhongdao and Xizhongdao do not have this problem. The freezing time at Beixinkou is not long, which is much better than Juehua on the inner side of the Bohai Sea.

Huang Shi initially had a wildly ambitious plan to build a wall using ice blocks, but soon discovered that progress was extremely slow. Breaking ice required water to reinforce it, and while the weather wasn't cold enough for water to freeze instantly, building an ice wall in that weather would be too dangerous.

After his dream was shattered, Huang Shi reluctantly resorted to using firewood for the foundation, ordering his soldiers to stop collecting firewood and instead cut down large trees, further exacerbating the manpower shortage.

"A 300-meter-long wooden wall, sir, is too long," Bao Jiusun complained. The soldiers' physical exertion was immense, causing food rations to exceed the plan. "Could we make it a little looser, not so dense?"

"No, we need to pour water on the wooden wall to freeze it." Huang Shi watched thousands of soldiers toiling in the cold wind. Fishing had been suspended, and the temperature was dropping day by day. They had to break up the floating ice twice a day to prevent it from freezing. "Let's throw in some more firewood. We have to build the wall no matter what."

"Sir, this won't work." A few days later, Zhao Manxiong and Bao Jiusun suggested together, "We still need to fill it with stones, then sprinkle soil, and finally pour water. There's no way we can build a wooden wall in time."

"If we had sandbags, we could collect sand and fill the base of the wall." Zhao Manxiong's words were pointless; there wasn't enough cloth on the island to make sandbags.

The biting north wind howled over Changsheng Island, and the dark blue sea churned slightly, with ice floes of varying sizes bobbing on it, slowly being blown across the strait by the current and wind. The clouds overhead weren't thick; the tips of the white clouds, illuminated by the sunlight, were still visible. Yet, the scenery around Huang Shi was shrouded in a gray haze.

Standing on the shore, Huang Shi gazed at the land opposite. The dry, cold continent seemed devoid of even the traces of wild animals. The lack of snowfall foreshadowed another year of disaster. The winter wheat seedlings in the Nine Border Garrison Town were likely about to succumb.

…

“Sir, if this continues, we'll be exhausted to death before the Jurchens even attack.”

Zhao Manxiong was nearly in tears as he reported to Huang Shi. It was late December, and large chunks of ice were forming on the southern and northern seawalls. Huang Shi ordered the entire army to split into several groups and chisel the ice every morning and evening, absolutely preventing it from freezing. The current in the Changsheng Island Strait was swift, and coupled with the howling north wind, the ice was constantly being washed away.

“Continue chiseling the ice,” Huang Shi ordered without a trace of emotion.

Since establishing Changsheng Island as their base, Huang Shi had constantly remembered the historical tragedy of Juehua, always fearing that such a tragedy would befall his own Changsheng Island.

In the historical Battle of Juehua, the Later Jin army used the frozen sea to cross the natural barrier, slaughtering three thousand Guan Ning soldiers and nearly five thousand family members. This was all because the Guan Ning army failed to strictly follow orders; the garrison commander did not follow regulations to break the ice, resulting in the sea ice spreading and freezing ships to the shore, preventing nearly ten thousand soldiers and civilians from escaping to sea. By the end

of the twelfth lunar month, the weather was increasingly cold. Huang Shi arranged for patrols, and once ice formed on the shore, teams were immediately dispatched to break it. Even at night, people were sent to patrol with torches, breaking ice as it formed, otherwise the ice could cover most of the strait overnight.

"Two more soldiers fell into the water today; one was pulled out already frozen to death, and ten more soldiers have fallen ill," Yang Zhiyuan stammered during the routine report. Looking at Huang Shi's stern face, he ultimately couldn't utter any words of advice.

The wall-building project was basically abandoned; the ground was frozen as hard as steel, and the Dongjiang soldiers, lacking tools, could no longer dig out much soil and stone. Therefore, Huang Shi devoted all his energy to the ice-breaking operation. Whenever ice was found protruding above the water, it had to be broken open immediately.

"How wide is the unfrozen sea?"

"A little over forty zhang, less than fifty zhang." Every day, fishing boats from Changsheng Island would break the ice extending from the east coast. Combined with erosion from the sea currents, half the strait remained unfrozen.

"Very good," Huang Shi nodded, "I will go see the sick."

Huang Shi remembered clearly that the garrison commander of Juehua Island had allowed the ice to thicken, only organizing men to break it all night after the Later Jin army arrived. They had worked tirelessly all night without breaking it, and at dawn, the Later Jin army attacked. The exhausted Ming army offered no effective resistance.

The Juehua tragedy must never be repeated at Changsheng!

Huang Shi entered the military camp where the sick were being housed. The soldiers boiling water saluted him, and the sick also struggled to salute him. After the inspection, He Baodao secretly followed Huang Shi out of the tent.

Silver-gray clouds swirled in the sky, and the howling north wind made it almost impossible to stand. Huang Shi shouted to He Baodao, "Commander He, what's the matter?"

"Sir," He Baodao, though standing right behind Huang Shi, had to raise his voice to shout, "We can't break the ice anymore! One hundred and twenty people have already fallen ill, and nearly ten have died."

"We haven't finished repairing the embankment, that's my responsibility, but we must continue breaking the ice!"

Once the ice thickens, it becomes impossible to break through; there's no room for luck. Huang Shi felt his will was stronger than the ice itself. The mistake of building the shore wall had already been made; Changsheng Island couldn't afford another failure.

...

Today, Zhao Manxiong, He Baodao, Yang Zhiyuan, and all the officers came to Huang Shi's tent. After being let in, they all knelt down in unison: "We beg you, sir, to show mercy to the soldiers."

Huang Shi stood up, both surprised and furious, his voice trembling with anger: "Are you trying to rebel?"

As soon as he said this, Hong Antong behind him snorted, and several other servants also grabbed their sword hilts and gathered behind Huang Shi.

Not a single kneeling officer raised their head to speak, which fueled Huang Shi's rage: "My orders are absolute! Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law."

Silence remained .

"Back off!"

"Back off!"

"All of you, back off!"

Giving in now would mean losing all authority; this is what you forced me to do—Huang Shi grinned maliciously: "Guards, throw them out!"

Hong Antong immediately led several servants forward, wielding swords and clubs, and began to strike. At first, they were relatively gentle, but even cowards like Zhao Manxiong didn't back down.

Seeing Huang Shi's face turn ashen, Hong Antong finally gritted his teeth and swung his club heavily. Yang Zhiyuan, in the front row, took a blow to the face, leaving a bloody welt. Huang Shi saw him stagger, but then immediately straighten up again.

(End of Chapter 11)

Who Will Sharpen My Sword? Chapter 12: Reckless

Action "Stop!" Huang Shi cried out sadly, then added, "My orders are final. Your kneeling here won't change anything."

Zhao Manxiong, enduring excruciating pain, cried out, "My lord, the morale of the army is already wavering!"

Seeing that Huang Shi did not rebuke him decisively, He Baodao also shouted, "My lord, it's not that we haven't tried our best, but twenty soldiers have already fallen into the water and frozen to death. One hundred and fifty have fallen ill and collapsed, and more are dying every day. The soldiers are starting to riot. What should we do? What should we do?" "

I said, if we don't persist in breaking the ice, the lives of all the officers and soldiers on the island will be in danger," Huang Shi walked up to them, bent down, and said with exasperation, "How can you not understand such a simple truth, huh?"

"We'd rather fight to the death against the Jurchens than freeze to death without even seeing the enemy." He Baodao raised an eyebrow, his pent-up grievances welling up: "Sir, the soldiers' complaints have been ongoing for a long time. We've cursed them, we've beaten them, but we simply can't suppress them anymore... Sir, we're here to speak to you out of utmost loyalty."

Huang Shi also retorted with a cold smile: "The military regulations in Liaodong clearly state that ice-breaking is a rule for all coastal camps. If others can do it, why can't you?"

"Sir, those regulations were established a hundred years ago. Who knows if they're even feasible? The soldiers all say that ice-breaking is defying God." Zhao Manxiong's courage also rose.

“Yes, I’m not afraid of the Jurchens, but I don’t have the ability to go against the heavens,” He Baodao chimed in. “How can a mantis’s leg twist an elephant’s trunk? Going against the heavens will bring divine retribution.”

Huang Shi straightened up and said with a cold smile, “If there are military regulations, then it means they are permissible. Are you bandits? You dare not even obey military orders, and you can’t even control your soldiers. With this little ability, you still want to go to the battlefield to kill the Jurchens? Ridiculous, it’s laughable.”

“We are not bandits!” Yang Zhiyuan, who had always respected Huang Shi, suddenly found the courage to raise his head indignantly. Huang Shi saw that there were already tears in his eyes.

"We were originally the elite troops of the Guangning Army. We traveled thousands of miles from Guangning to Lushun, following you all the way, even unto death. I dare ask you, sir, could any bandit do that?" Yang Zhiyuan finished speaking and glared at Huang Shi, shouting hoarsely, "Breaking the ice caused nearly ten percent of my soldiers to fall, yet we still didn't mutinied. I dare ask you, sir, besides my Changsheng Island fire brigade, what other army could do that?"

Except when facing certain death, even the best feudal armies could only endure one or two tenths of their troops' casualties without collapsing. Historically, many times, Ming armies suffered only a few hundred casualties, yet tens of thousands began to disintegrate, eventually leading to total annihilation. Even the most elite Later Jin army of that era, whose field casualty tolerance was negligible by modern standards, was invincible in the late Ming Dynasty.

Huang Shi's troops were his staunch supporters, trained by him personally. Countless trials and tribulations had forged their cohesion even stronger than that of a typical general's personal guards; otherwise, such a high casualty rate in peacetime would have long since thrown the army into complete chaos. These men desperately suppressed their soldiers, striving to achieve what they considered an almost impossible goal, yet they were still beaten—now Huang Shi somewhat understood their anger.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the tent was as cold as the weather. Huang Shi felt he had discovered the problem, and knew where he had gone wrong—using feudal methods to control officers would naturally not yield a modern army…

Huang Shi stood with his hands behind his back for a long time. When he spoke again, his gaze, once fixed straight ahead, now held a longing: "If I said that a band of outlaws could march a thousand miles, would you believe me?"

"No!" the officers roared simultaneously, all ready to fight to the death.

"If I said that this band of outlaws didn't just march a thousand miles, but fifty thousand miles, would you believe me?"

The kneeling officers looked at Huang Shi as if he were a madman, their mouths agape, speechless.

“I can also tell you that this band of bandits, on their 50,000-li journey (okay, Huang Shi misremembered, confusing kilometers and miles), didn’t even need to resort to burning, killing, and looting to maintain morale.” Huang Shi looked down at his men, his expression calm and serene, showing no sign of lying.

“How could such a thing be?” Zhao Manxiong was the first to react: “Is this even human?” Huang Shi

retorted fiercely, “I don’t think so either!”

He ripped off his cloak and strode to the door—“It’s so cold outside, I should feel ashamed.” He tightened his helmet and walked towards the sea without looking back, leaving the dumbfounded officers and guards in the tent.

His breath had already condensed into icicles on his beard, and the strong wind blew Huang Shi about, making him stagger. The thick wooden stick he carried on his shoulder was now being used as a walking stick.

“My lord… my lord…” came a distant call from behind, but he didn’t turn around.

In Huang Shi's memory, there once existed a tenacious and indomitable army in China. The average quality of that army was probably not much higher than that of any peasant army or bandit group, and it certainly wasn't a regular army like Huang Shi's, with a systematic officer corps and authority.

Some people believe that the army's strength was forged through brainwashing, indoctrination, and land redistribution. Huang Shi didn't know if they were right, but he always felt that this couldn't explain the army's resilience in the face of adversity—things couldn't be that simple.

Huang Shi, who hadn't received much formal education, also recalled a few small incidents:

—To counter the economic blockade, the Central Soviet Area ordered the excavation of latrines to boil salt. After the salt was boiled, no one wanted to eat it; who would want to eat it… Zhu De ate the first bite, and from then on, he only ate this kind of salt.

—When crossing the grasslands, ordinary soldiers were given one jin of rice… Party members were given eight liang of rice.

—Many parents couldn't bear to leave their children behind… Mao Zedong gave his son to a villager.

"Since I can't get my subordinates to share the good times with me, then at least I must share the bad times with them…"

Huang Shi tripped and fell, but quickly got up and continued forward. Although this was inconceivable to people of this era, Huang Shi believed that an army could be stronger and more resilient: "This is what an army should be. We are far behind, to the point that I don't even expect to reach half of their level. I would be satisfied with just 30%, and that should be enough to conquer the world."

...

"This is Duncan, a soldier recommended by the Jesuits."

Zhang Zaidi and Jin Qiude returned, bringing with them a foreigner with a long nose. This Westerner had gray-blue eyes and a peculiar mustache, and was wearing a set of Chinese-style clothes.

"Rest well and drink more hot water." Huang Shi, still recovering from a serious illness, looked a little weak. He extended his hand to the foreigner: "Welcome, sir."

When they returned to Changsheng Island, ice floes appeared on the north, west, and south sides, and they couldn't find a place to disembark. Jin Qiude, warming his hands over the fire, exclaimed, "I didn't expect Beixinkou to be unfrozen yet; there are still exposed rocks and shorelines."

Before Huang Shi could speak, Duncan interjected, "General, forgive my bluntness, but I don't understand why you're breaking ice there. Our landing site isn't a good port."

"It's for defense," Huang Shi explained with a smile, describing the current situation: the failed ice wall plan and the unavoidable ice-breaking operation.

"Thirty percent of the soldiers are already sick?" Jin Qiude was stunned.

"That's right. Jin Qiude, go check on Zhao Manxiong later; he's delirious with fever."

Duncan also became serious: "Are you still breaking ice?

" "Indeed, Changsheng Island is as safe as Mount Tai."

(Chapter 12)

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