Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 31

Can the towering peak withstand

the pressure? Chapter 50: Reconnaissance. "Disobeying the imperial decree? Who? General Man Gui?"

Upon hearing Wei Zhongxian's report, Emperor Tianqi was filled with astonishment. In the Battle of Ningjin, Man Gui had beheaded sixty enemies, earning the highest merit. Therefore, Emperor Tianqi had issued a special imperial decree to Man Gui, promoting him from Assistant Commander-in-Chief to Right Commander-in-Chief. Unexpectedly, Emperor Tianqi's envoy encountered a snub at Shanhaiguan with Man Gui, who refused to accept the decree.

"Disobeying the imperial decree has even extended to a favor." Emperor Tianqi smiled bitterly, feeling that he, as emperor, had lost face. Not only were civil officials constantly disobeying imperial decrees, but now even military generals were doing so: "General Man Gui was awarded the highest merit in the great victory at Ningjin. Why did he disobey the imperial decree?"

The envoy honestly replied, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This humble subject was unaware that General Man Gui insisted on going to the capital to meet the Emperor."

This made Wei Zhongxian's expression change slightly. It was already a taboo for a border general to disobey an imperial decree, and to insist on going to the capital to meet the Emperor was even more unreasonable. Seeing the hesitation on Tianqi's face, Wei Zhongxian secretly asked, "Your Majesty, what if we issue another imperial edict, besides promoting General Man Gui to Right Vice-Commander-in-Chief, and adding another two hundred taels of silver as a reward? What do you think?"

"Hmm, that sounds good." Tianqi hesitated for a moment, but his kind heart ultimately prevailed: "Alas, well, General Man Gui has rendered great service to the country. He has never met me. Since he has such a loyal heart, I shouldn't disappoint him. Anyway, it won't take long to see him once. Today, issue an imperial edict to Shanhaiguan, summoning General Man Gui to the capital for an audience."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

...

July 22nd, Tianqi 7th year, Guizhou Provincial Administration Commission, Dujun Prefecture, Pingding Division.

"General, just ahead is Xintianwei, past Xintianwei is Longliwei, past Longliwei is Guiyang Prefecture." The speaker was Ouyang Xin, the chief engineer of the training corps. He had already taken a boat by sea and headed north directly to Guiyang. Besides acting as a vanguard for the fire brigade, Ouyang Xin was also responsible for paving the way for He Dingyuan's Panshi Battalion.

"Hmm, good. How far is it to Guiyang from here?" With victory in sight, Huang Shi's joy was boundless.

"The straight-line distance is two hundred li. Following the official road of Guizhou, it's another two hundred and forty li to Guiyang. At your current speed, it will take about seven days." Ouyang Xin cautiously asked again, "General, Lord Zhang should have arrived in Guiyang by now. Should you go ahead and pay him a visit?"

The Lord Zhang Ouyang Xin referred to was Zhang Heming. He was a typical Donglin gentleman, or rather, a party hack, whose only duty to the country was to "practice self-cultivation in ordinary times, and die for the emperor in times of crisis." Because besides death, Zhang Heming had no other ability to serve the country.

This Lord Zhang Heming was a close friend of Ye Xianggao, Sun Chengzong's teacher, and also the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet in the early years of the Tianqi reign. When Xiong Tingbi went beyond the Great Wall to manage Liaodong, Ye Xianggao and Zhang Heming hosted a banquet for him. After conversing with the two, Xiong Tingbi turned around and said to others, "These two are complete fools, knowing nothing about Liaodong."

From then on, Zhang Heming became Xiong Tingbi's sworn enemy. He then recommended Wang Huazhen, a disciple of his old friend Ye Xianggao, to Emperor Tianqi as the governor of Liaodong. In the struggle between Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen for the governorship, Zhang Heming consistently and vehemently supported Wang Huazhen. After the disastrous defeat at Guangning, although Zhang Heming volunteered to oversee the troops outside the Great Wall, Emperor Tianqi was thoroughly disgusted with Zhang Heming's strategy for pacifying Liaodong and didn't even bother to reply to him with an imperial edict.

After the defeat at Guangning, Emperor Tianqi sent Zhang Heming back to his hometown to recuperate. Before leaving, Zhang Heming recommended another disciple of Ye Xianggao, Sun Chengzong, Emperor Tianqi's teacher, to oversee the troops in Liaodong. This idea suited Emperor Tianqi's mind perfectly, so he sent Zhang Heming to Nanjing as Minister of Works, essentially giving him a chance to retire.

However, Zhang had only been in Nanjing for two days when the Guangning Case and the coinage case erupted one after the other. As a seasoned member of the Donglin Party, Zhang had risked his life to exonerate Wang Huazhen, and now he was fiercely defending the Donglin Party members in Nanjing. This finally made the emperor thoroughly fed up with Zhang.

In the sixth year of Tianqi's reign, the emperor bestowed upon the 75-year-old Zhang the title of Minister of War and an imperial sword, ordering him to immediately leave the scenic Nanjing retreat and go to the southwest to quell the She-An Rebellion. Zhang accepted the decree and set off immediately, traversing mountains and rivers until he finally arrived in Guiyang.

In Huangshi's local history, the only thing Zhang Heming did in the southwest was to do nothing. After Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne and the Donglin Party came to power, Zhang's followers bestowed upon him the honorary title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, allowing him to leave the southwest and retire. In the eighth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Li Zicheng's forces occupied Zhang Heming's hometown. Despite his family's objections, the 85-year-old Zhang Heming blocked Li Zicheng's attempt to persuade him to surrender to the imperial court.

After the disagreement, Zhang Heming launched into a tirade against Li Zicheng. Li Zicheng, not intending to argue with an old man, ordered Zhang Heming to be hung upside down from a tree, with two soldiers watching over him, telling him to be released when he stopped cursing. However, the old man was incredibly stubborn; he continued his tirade until, after being hung for several hours, he apparently died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Although Huang Shi was unaware of Zhang Heming's future experiences, he had no goodwill towards the Donglin Party members. However, at the time of the Nanjing minting scandal, Zhang Heming was the Minister of Works in Nanjing, and Huang Shi had helped him dispose of a large quantity of copper coins minted by the Donglin Party. The Minister of Works in Nanjing owed Huang Shi a considerable favor, and the two had a fairly good personal relationship.

Now that Zhang Heming is overseeing the southwestern campaign, commanding the four provincial administrations of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi to jointly suppress the She'an Rebellion, Huang Shi naturally wants to cultivate a good relationship with him. However, after careful consideration, he decides to travel with the troops. No one can say anything if the commander-in-chief travels with the troops. Huang Shi is now the center of attention. If he were to meet Zhang Heming alone, some might accuse him of currying favor with a civil official.

Of course, it's natural for military officers to curry favor with civil officials, but such things are best done privately. Huang Shi feels that Zhang Heming is already seventy-six years old, and there's no need for him to invite trouble by trying to build a relationship with an old man. Besides, Zhang Heming has been navigating the political landscape for decades; he's a seasoned veteran, and Huang Shi believes he can fully understand Huang Shi's predicament.

...

July 24th, Beijing.

After Man Gui arrived in Beijing, the emperor didn't keep him waiting but quickly summoned him. While Man Gui was presenting his report to the emperor, Wei Zhongxian, out of curiosity, stood aside and helped serve tea and water. After listening for a while, beads of sweat the size of soybeans began to seep from Wei Zhongxian's forehead. Tianqi's expression was eerily calm, which gave Wei Zhongxian a sense of impending doom.

Tianqi offered Man Gui tribute tea, then hastily dispatched someone to fetch the Imperial Sword, bestowing it upon Man Gui. Simultaneously, Tianqi decided not to grant Man Gui the position of Right Vice-Commander-in-Chief; instead, Man Gui would be directly promoted from Vice-Commander-in-Chief to Left Vice-Commander-in-Chief.

As Man Gui departed, the emperor smiled, but Wei Zhongxian behind him was already deathly pale. Before Man Gui's figure had completely disappeared from the Imperial Archives, before Tianqi could even turn around, Wei Zhongxian collapsed to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "This humble subject deserves death ten thousand times over, deserves death ten thousand times over."

When Tianqi turned back to his desk, his face was devoid of any smile, and all color had vanished. He was almost as pale as a corpse. He seemed oblivious to Wei Zhongxian's frantic kowtowing beside him, silently sitting down, his head bowed deeply to his chest, his fingers entangled in his hair.

After a long while, Tianqi managed to utter a few syllables in a low voice: "Controlling soldiers, watching plunder and debauchery—is this what my regional ministers are like? Am I so wicked?"

This was nothing short of an imperial pardon for Wei Zhongxian. He sprang to his feet, shouting hoarsely, "Yuan Chonghuan! Deceiving the emperor, unilaterally advocating peace talks, halting the army without fighting, allowing the enemy to advance unchecked. His crimes deserve—beheading, and his brothers, wife, and children exiled three thousand li!"

Tianqi lifted his head from his hands, turning to look at Wei Zhongxian. The latter, seeing this, quickly knelt and crawled a few steps, crying out, "Your Majesty, immediately dispatch the Imperial Guards to imprison Yuan Chonghuan and thoroughly punish him!"

Unexpectedly, Emperor Tianqi shook his head. These past few days, the emperor had been cheerful, but now his words were filled with endless weariness: "This isn't just the Liaodong governor's problem. In the Battle of Ningyuan, Yuan Chonghuan arbitrarily took two-thirds of the Manchu commander's head to claim credit for the Guan-Ning generals. This time, Yuan Chonghuan again privately divided the Manchu commander's head… And he did such a huge thing, and I knew absolutely nothing about it! Ha! I even issued an edict to celebrate the 'Great Victory of Ningjin'! Ha! What will all the nations of the world think of me? What will they consider me?"

Saying this, Tianqi turned to Wei Zhongxian and softly asked, "Besides the loyal Manchu commander, I have so many censors and so many officials in the Liaodong Military Command, why hasn't anyone told me the truth? Why do I know nothing?"

Sweat streamed down Wei Zhongxian's forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to beg Your Majesty to entrust this case to me. I will certainly investigate this case thoroughly and ensure that not a single villain escapes justice!"

"Including you too?" Tianqi suddenly roared angrily, standing up and pointing his spear at Wei Zhongxian, about to reprimand him, when he suddenly burst into a violent cough. This cough was so violent that it sounded like he was about to cough up his lungs.

The surrounding eunuchs rushed over to help the emperor sit down. After Tianqi caught his breath, Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground and kowtowed, crying out, "This humble subject deserves to die a thousand deaths!"

Tianqi felt dizzy. He took a few deep breaths and felt his head clear up a little, but his legs were still weak. He said weakly, panting, "I knew it. Those foreign officials always report good news and never bad news. Not one out of a hundred is reliable. That's why I heavily relied on you eunuchs, hoping you could share my burdens. I never imagined... that you would collude with foreign officials!"

Tianqi's voice was soft, but to Wei Zhongxian it was like being struck by lightning. He wept uncontrollably, snot and tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty! Your humble servant is utterly loyal and righteous; there is absolutely no such thing!"

"Then what has the Eastern Depot been doing? And what has the Northern Garrison been doing?" Tianqi's vision began to blur, and his voice became intermittent, but he felt his mind was much sharper than usual. "Ah, right, a few days ago Yuan Chonghuan submitted a memorial saying he wanted to build a shrine for you. I guess he bribed you with a lot of money, didn't he?"

"But your humble servant didn't agree to him! Your Majesty, your humble servant is truly innocent!" Wei Zhongxian lay on the ground, crying incessantly. He desperately tried to defend himself, saying, "Your humble servant begs Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this case and restore my innocence."

"Thoroughly investigate this case? Ha, I just announced the great victory at Ningjin to the whole world, and now you're going to thoroughly investigate this case?" Tianqi laughed mockingly twice, then suddenly shouted sharply, "Li Jinzhong, you have no shame, but I still have a shame!"

Li Jinzhong was Wei Zhongxian's name before he rose to prominence. Hearing Tianqi address him in this way, Wei Zhongxian knew the emperor was furious. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, blood and sweat mingling on his forehead. Wei Zhongxian knew Tianqi was soft-hearted. As long as he desperately admitted his mistakes, he could get away with it.

"Yuan Chonghuan is no longer usable, but it's not entirely his fault. If it weren't for your collusion with foreign powers, he would never have dared to do this! Therefore, I cannot let him bear the blame for deceiving the emperor alone. That's unfair."

Emperor Tianqi suddenly perked up. He stood up, spun around rapidly several times, and, head held high, instructed Wei Zhongxian behind him: "I have ruled for seven years, governing the world with benevolence. If the world is guilty, the guilt lies with me. Since Yuan Chonghuan has rendered meritorious service in pacifying Yuan, I will not pursue his crimes of unauthorized peace negotiations and delaying the battle this time. According to the regulations for vice ministers, bestow upon him red cloth and white silk. Let him return to his hometown and live a peaceful life."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Also, Zhao Shuaijiao is a tough man. Relying on a group of military households in the military settlements, he was able to defend Jinzhou, and without external reinforcements, he did not lose heart. He should be granted an imperial sword as encouragement."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Emperor

Tianqi stood silently for a while, then slowly turned to face southwest: "When did Marshal Huang leave?"

"Your Majesty, Commander Huang left Xiapu on the eighth day of the fifth month."

After calculating the distance and speed in his mind, Tianqi sighed, "It will probably be December before he reaches Guiyang. I wonder when Commander Huang will be able to quell the rebellion in the southwest."

"Your Majesty need not worry. Commander Huang is brave and invincible. In less than a year or two, the two traitors, She Chongming and An Bangyan, will surely be captured."

"Hmm." Tianqi nodded and said coldly, "At that time, no matter what the cabinet says, I will immediately recall Commander Huang. I want him to personally capture that fickle Hong Tai and bring him to the capital, then execute him by a thousand cuts."

Wei Zhongxian's voice became somewhat hesitant, but at this juncture, he dared not say too much: "Your Majesty..." "

In the whole world, only Commander Huang makes me feel at ease, and only Commander Huang will not betray me." Tianqi stared unblinkingly at the southwest, as if his gaze could traverse thousands of miles of space, reaching directly to the side of his trusted and beloved general. Tianqi sighed again: "The Eastern Depot is always keeping an eye on Commander Huang. Hmph, after Commander Huang quells the rebellion in the southwest, I'll definitely back him up. I'll even repay that huge loan he used to pay the army for the pacification of the barbarians."

...

July 29th, Guizhou, Guiyang Prefecture, Guiyang.

The She-An Rebellion affected four provinces: Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, with Guizhou being the hardest hit. Guiyang had been attacked multiple times by the Shui-An family. In the second year of Tianqi's reign, the rebel army besieged Guiyang for ten months. The soldiers and civilians in the city suffered from food shortages, leading to cannibalism. Many Guizhou officials committed suicide or killed their wives and daughters to feed their soldiers. The number of martyrs in Guiyang was in the hundreds of thousands.

Over the years, the soldiers and civilians of Guizhou and the Shui-An family had developed a deep-seated hatred. An Bangyan was still eyeing Guiyang covetously. Last year, the rebel army even attacked Weiqing, which was nearly fifty miles from Guiyang. If it weren't for the effective resistance of the government troops, it would have almost led to a second siege of Guiyang.

The Ming army had just driven the rebels out of Yunnan, and now the focus of the She-An Rebellion had returned to An Bangyan's base—Shuixi. Huang Shi's three elite battalions were currently converging on Guiyang. One hundred li northwest of here lay the Shuixi region of Guizhou, and Shuixi City was only one hundred and seventy li from Guiyang.

"I didn't expect our fire brigade to be the first,"

Ouyang Xin reported to Huang Shi. He Dingyuan's Panshi Battalion was rushing over, but it would take them three more days to reach Guiyang. The Xuanfeng Battalion, sailing up the river, wouldn't arrive immediately, but they would arrive around August 5th. Zhang Heming had already ordered a barracks to be built for the Funing Army within the city; he believed it would be a waste not to put such elite troops in Guiyang.

The weather in Guiyang had been pleasant these past few days in the seventh lunar month. The medicinal herbs, including artemisia, that Huang Shi had ordered had already arrived, and Hu Qingbai had also arrived in Guiyang long ago. The barracks being built for the Funing Army had all been inspected by Hu's medical staff.

After resting for a day on the outskirts of Guiyang, Huang Shi led his men into full military uniform. These clothes and armor, transported via the Yangtze River, had been kept in the Guiyang camp along with the vanguard of the Fuzhou army. Yesterday, Zhang Heming sent men to help Huang Shi transport them out of the city. Zhang Heming was determined to have Huang Shi's troops enter Guiyang fully armed to intimidate the rebels and the Guizhou chieftains, a plan that perfectly aligned with Huang Shi's intentions.

The fire brigade had silently formed its column; their nearly three-month journey had finally come to an end. Huang Shi wore gleaming armor, his helmet so shiny it reflected his image. Looking at his spirited subordinates, this army didn't seem like the kind of people who had marched nearly three thousand miles on foot for months. "Truly worthy of being the sons of Huangshi! Let the people of Guiyang cheer for our army just like the people of the capital!"

Ouyang Xin, standing beside Huangshi, smiled and said, "General, you've led your troops across three thousand miles of mountains and rivers in two months. Lord Zhang and the people of Guiyang call you the Flying General,

and my Funing Army is the Divine Marching Army." After a slight pause, Ouyang Xin added, "General, after hearing that my Funing Army was going to enter the city in the next few days, people from the surrounding areas have been flocking to Guiyang, just to catch a glimpse of you and my Funing Army."

Huang Shi laughed heartily. The soldiers and civilians of the four southwestern provinces had suffered greatly under An Bangyan's rule, with many losing loved ones in his rebellion. They harbored a deep-seated hatred for She Chongming and An Bangyan. Upon hearing that the renowned Huang Shi was coming to quell the rebellion, they spread the news and eagerly awaited his arrival. After entering Guizhou, merchants and civilians spontaneously flocked to the army to offer their support. Along the way, firefighters saw many children wearing white feathers in their hair, playing war games depicting Huang Shi's suppression of the rebellion.

The 180,000-strong army from the four provinces was also greatly encouraged upon hearing that Huang Shi was leading his elite troops. A few days earlier, Zhang Heming, upon hearing that Huang Shi was about to arrive, not only personally came to Guiyang to welcome him but also ordered a report to be sent to the Ming army in the four provinces. It is said that after the report was sent, the Guiyang garrison was in an uproar.

"Now that the commander-in-chief has arrived, the end is near for the two traitors, She Chongming and An Bangyan!"

Ouyang Xin's confident tone made Huang Shi nod repeatedly. Looking at the steel-like army before him, the officers and soldiers all solemn and motionless, gripping their weapons and flags, Huang Shi turned to face Guiyang and shouted with high spirits, "Forward! Let our drums beat loudly!"

On July 29th of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Huang Shi led the Firefighting Battalion into Guiyang. This entry ceremony was even more grand than the one in Beijing. Besides drums, the Firefighting Battalion had developed a variety of military instruments, including flutes and horns, which were now behind Huang Shi. A special commander in the battalion waved his ceremonial baton up and down in a specific rhythm, directing the musicians following closely behind.

As the entire battalion marched into the gates of Guiyang to the sound of military music, they were flanked by cheering citizens from the southwest. News of Huang Shi's army arriving from Fujian in less than three months had spread throughout the city. Historically, even with the support of the Grand Canal, it took Zhejiang troops more than half a year to travel from the south to Liaodong, while the powerful Southwest White-Clad Army took almost three years to reach the north. The fire brigade's march felt incredibly swift to officials and civilians alike, though they were unaware that Huang Shi had spent tens of thousands of taels of silver on just this one battalion.

Knowledgeable people knew that in the past, even elite troops would take about a year to move such a distance; for ordinary people, thousands of miles was a completely different world. Most people in that era couldn't even imagine such a journey, so word spread, making Huang Shi's troops seem almost mythical.

But whether they understood the concept or not, they all vaguely realized one thing: an army's marching speed was closely related to its elite status. Throughout history, it seems rare for a ragtag army to maintain its formation and undertake a rapid march; conversely, an army capable of high-speed marches was never known to be incapable of fighting.

Before entering Guiyang, Huang Shi remembered his previous experience in Beijing. When faced with the approaching fire brigade, the onlookers were tense and uncomfortable. At that time, with the advance of the Dongjiang Army, the people of Beijing gradually quieted down, simply watching this unprecedented army. Many cautiously kept their distance.

Therefore, Huang Shi had made prior arrangements. He strode at the head of the column, and shortly after entering the city gate, he slowly raised his right arm parallel to his torso, took a deep breath, and, while waving his fist, led the entire army in a resounding shout:

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

"Suppress the bandits and pacify the people!"

The entire battalion, following their rehearsals, marched forward in unison, chanting slogans in Mandarin… Even

before reaching the Guiyang government office, the fire brigade and Huang Shi were once again surrounded by enthusiastic people. Their experience was even worse than in Beijing, for example, the unfortunate Li Gen, the battalion commander. Now that he was a battalion commander, his nose was smashed again, this time with a string of copper coins thrown at him.

Finally squeezing through the crowd and back to the camp, Wang Qinian grumbled as he removed his armor, "I can't stand these people! Look how they've squeezed me so much I'm sweating, and they even tore a piece off the tiger skin on my helmet!"

"These are righteous people, righteous people indeed!" Zhang Chengye, standing beside him, laughed. "So, you don't want to be a battalion commander anymore?"

"Of course they're righteous people, that's what I've always said." Wang Qinian quickly changed into his uniform; they had arranged to go to the city for drinks that morning. Before leaving, Wang Qinian first patted his neatly trimmed uniform again, then untied and retied his helmet straps, pulling them tightly around his chin. "I mean, I've never seen so many righteous people in my entire life!"

As Zhang Chengye and Wang Qinian walked out side by side, Zhang Chengye exclaimed with emotion, "Actually, our Great Ming is full of righteous people everywhere, it's just that they don't often encounter our Firefighting Battalion." While

the Firefighting Battalion soldiers went to Guiyang City for drinks, Huang Shi was leading two imperial guards into the Guiyang Prefectural Government Office. Hong Antong could no longer protect him at all times, as Hong Antong's work had become very heavy. Especially at this crucial time, in order to maintain military discipline, all the imperial guards had been dispersed into the city, and the head of the military police naturally had to attend to his own affairs.

Huang Shi was already used to this situation; he had seen many such fanatical scenes in his previous life—who said our nation was numb? They just hadn't encountered genuine feelings that could move people.

Inside the government office, Zhang Heming and Wu Mu were waiting for Huang Shi.

Huang Shi first greeted Elder Zhang Heming, who returned the greeting. Huang Shi then exchanged pleasantries with Wu Mu, whom he hadn't seen for several months, saying, "Eunuch Wu, it's been a long journey to Guiyang." "You must be exhausted."

Wu Mu smiled and patted his chest. "General Huang is too kind. I'm not exhausted at all. I've been traveling by boat since Nanchang. It's you who's truly exhausted."

After Huang Shi was seated, Zhang Heming coughed and cut straight to the point: "Preparation is key to success. Before General Huang arrived in Guiyang, Eunuch Wu and I had already discussed the issue of quelling the rebellion in the southwest. As the Emperor's appointed Southwest Supervisor, I dare not neglect my duty to the country. I will be in charge of the unified command of these 200,000 troops. Eunuch Wu is the Imperial Supervisor sent by the court, so he will be in charge of allocating and distributing the grain and supplies for these four provinces."

As Zhang Heming spoke, he looked at Wu Mu. Wu Mu, of course, had already discussed the matter with Zhang Heming. He immediately smiled and nodded, "Good. I will do my best and ensure that the soldiers on the front lines do not suffer from hunger or cold."

After Zhang Heming and Wu Mu divided the powers of strategic decision-making and logistical supply, Zhang Heming looked at Huang Shi and said, "Marshal Huang is in charge of military affairs in four provinces. Victory in defeating the enemy and pacifying the people depends entirely on your might." After

saying this, Zhang Heming bowed to Huang Shi, who quickly rose from his seat and apologized, saying, "I dare not, Lord Zhang, you flatter me. This is all my duty." Huang

Shi had long known that Zhang Heming and Wu Mu would devise such a command system. Since the closure of the Grand Military Commission, the military command of the Ming Dynasty had essentially followed this framework. The supervising civil officials were responsible for the overall strategy, troop deployment, and the timing, location, and enemy of battles—all decided by civil officials. The supervising eunuchs were responsible for the army's food and supplies, pay, and the transportation and distribution of various supplies and weapons. The specific tasks of attacking cities, defending, troop deployment, and defeating the enemy in open battle were handled by military officers.

Huang Shi had always found this system devised by the civil officials ingenious. If a victory could be won, the primary credit would naturally go to the civil officials responsible for strategy. China has always been highly competitive... The decisive role of strategy is especially emphasized by civil officials; people are like iron, food is like steel, and one will starve if one misses a meal. After a victory, the supervising eunuchs naturally receive credit, while the military generals' credit is calculated solely based on the number of soldiers killed.

However, if a defeat occurs, then the civil officials no longer acknowledge the immense guiding significance of strategy, and the blame for the defeat will inevitably fall on the military generals, because they are the ones who specifically commanded the battle, and it must be these soldiers who botched the well-thought-out plan; if a military general dies in battle, the civil officials can usually shift the blame to the supervising eunuchs, arguing that these eunuchs embezzled armor and military pay, or that their inherently harmful nature led them to fail to provide the army with sufficient provisions, thus causing the defeat.

What pleased Huang Shi was that Wu Mu was in charge of logistics. This ensured the supplies for the Fuzhou army were fully guaranteed. It was impossible for Wu Mu to be completely virtuous, as this violated the unspoken rules of the Ming Dynasty. Not only did the eunuch system need supplies, but the civil service system also relied on Wu Mu for distribution. However, as long as Wu Mu held this position, Huang Shi wouldn't worry about him lacking supplies; even if Wu Mu were to embezzle, he would only do so from other generals.

Although Wu Mu's workload wasn't as heavy as Huang Shi's, his job was still far from easy. A large amount of grain, provisions, and supplies for 200,000 Ming troops across four provinces—how many people were waiting to share this pie? Wu Mu, responsible for distributing the pie, not only had to ensure that most civil and military officials were satisfied, but also had to control them from overeating and exhausting the army.

The easiest job, of course, belonged to Zhang Heming. Huang Shi would fight desperately, and when Wu Mu embezzled, he certainly wouldn't dare shortchange Zhang Heming's large share. Zhang Heming's only job was to sit safely in Guiyang, looking at a map... or designing various strategic plans without even looking at a map, and then handing them over to Huang Shi to execute.

Now, Zhang Heming, Wu Mu, and Huang Shi were forming a new "three-horse chariot" to quell the She'an Rebellion, following the tradition of the Ming army. Well, a more apt analogy might not be three chariots, but rather a horse, a coachman, and a guide. Even if the guide pointed to a cliff, the horse would be the first to fall, while the other two would still have a chance to jump off.

After assigning tasks, Zhang Heming, the guide, began to ask the horse's opinion: "General Huang, in your opinion, how should this She'an Rebellion be quelled?"

Since it concerned the horse's life and death, Huang Shi naturally roused himself. He laid out his thoughts, which he had pondered repeatedly along the way: "Lord Zhang, in my humble opinion, the two traitors, She Chongming and An Bangyan, are mutually supportive. In the past, when the government army attacked the Yongning bandits, An Bangyan would either mobilize all his troops to come to Shuixi to help, or harass the government army from behind. If the government army besieged the Shuixi bandits, She Chongming would definitely launch attacks from all sides, trying to contain the imperial army for the Shuixi bandits and transport grain and fodder to Shuixi. Therefore, although the imperial army has been stationed here for several years, it has been in vain."

Huang Shi paused for a moment, looking at Zhang Heming's face, and saw that the old man immediately fell into deep thought, probably recalling the past battles. After a long silence, Zhang Heming opened his eyes and nodded, saying, "General Huang's memory is correct; it aligns with my own views."

Reaching a strategic consensus with Zhang Heming was the first step in discussing strategic issues. Having passed the first hurdle, Huang Shi took a breath and began the second round of challenges: "You flatter me, Elder Zhang. This humble general is rather dull and has some wild thoughts. I humbly request your guidance."

Zhang Heming stroked his beard and smiled, seemingly satisfied with Huang Shi's performance: "Today is meant to be an open and frank discussion of military affairs; General Huang, please speak freely."

"Lord Zhang, you are wise. If our army can first eliminate one of the two rebel routes, Shuixi and Yongning, then the other route will be no longer a concern. This is a strategy of divide and conquer. I believe our Ming army can take the route through Bozhou (Zunyi), then forcefully cross the Chishui River, reclaim Chishuiwei, and isolate the north and south. Then, if Lord Zhang wishes, he can attack Shuixi first, or destroy Yongning first. What do you think, Lord Zhang?"

Zhang Heming glared and turned to call out, "Bring me the map."

After the attendant brought the map, Huang Shi explained his views to Zhang Heming and Wu Mu in detail: "Military operations in the southwest depend entirely on supplies. If the supply lines are blocked, even a million strong troops will be useless. Therefore, I intend to use Bozhou as a major grain storage camp. Our army can rely on the Xiangjiang River to transport grain and troops from here, which is very convenient."

From Zunyi westward, along the Chishui River, they can advance by both land and water directly to Chishuiwei. Located on the north bank of the Chishui River, this place acts like a natural moat, its shape resembling a sharp dagger inserted

into the junction of the rebel forces, perfectly dividing the Shuixi and Yongning regions in two. "Lord Zhang, Eunuch Wu, our Great Ming has encircled the Shuixi and Yongning rebels from all sides. This is the mighty force of the royal army. If the rebels don't move, all is well; but if they do, they will be attacked from all sides. Meanwhile, the two rebels are inside, and no matter how many routes the royal army attacks from, they can use the terrain to delay them, first concentrating their forces on one route for a counterattack, making the single royal army outnumbered..."

Huang Shi was essentially describing the advantages of strategic encirclement and inside-line warfare. Similar to the Ming Dynasty's war against the Later Jin, the alliance of She Chongming and An Bangyan also utilized their superior combat strength to conduct continuous inside-line warfare, repeatedly defusing the Ming Dynasty's four-pronged attack. However, in this era, due to limitations in communication, coordination within the strategic encirclement network was always problematic. If combat strength was inferior, it was easy for the enemy inside to repeatedly defeat them piecemeal.

“If our Great Ming army can hold Chishui Guard, then our Great Ming will be inside, while the two traitors, She Chongming and An Bangyan, will be outside. No matter how they move, Chishui Guard will see them clearly. Lord Zhang can then choose one to eliminate first, leaving the remaining traitor helpless.”

After Huang Shi finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Heming with hope, awaiting his final decision.

From a military officer's perspective, Huang Shi would inevitably offer his best plan, as it concerned his life. But Zhang Heming had more options. For a civil official to accept a military officer's opinion was considered magnanimous, and victory would naturally bring him the greatest credit; but even if he didn't accept it, it would still demonstrate foresight and wisdom in recognizing the recklessness in the military officer's plan.

After much deliberation, Zhang Heming finally shook his head: "Commander Huang's words are somewhat hasty and reckless. The Chishui Guard is deep in the heart of Yongning and Shuixi, close to the rebels but far from us. If we send a large army directly to Bozhou beforehand, the two rebels will surely arrive first. Once the rebels have fortified Chishui, sending troops to Bozhou will be futile. If we send an elite force directly to Chishui, even if we succeed temporarily, we will be attacked from both the north and south by the two rebels. By the time our main army reaches Bozhou, the vanguard will likely be in grave danger!"

Huang Shi had already prepared his response, so as soon as Zhang Heming finished speaking, he added: "Lord Zhang, in the end..." "You have three battalions of elite troops under your command, all of them heroes. I believe we should send one battalion directly to the Chishui River, and then use the river to stockpile provisions for them. They will surely be able to hold off the main force of the rebel army until the main royal army arrives."

After listening to Huang Shi's words, Zhang Heming pondered for a long time, but still shook his head again: "The art of war says, 'First, make yourself invincible; then, make yourself vulnerable to the enemy.' Now, with the four provinces of our Great Ming united, our 200,000 royal troops have the two rebels of Shuixi and Yongning completely surrounded. This is precisely the so-called invincible situation. Now, we only need to wait patiently for the two rebels to show a weakness, and that will be the time to defeat them."

"Lord Zhang, those two traitors, She Chongming and An Bangyan, are both local officials with many kinship ties to the chieftains of the four provinces. Countless rebels have secretly sold them grain and fodder land. If this siege drags on for so long, when will it ever end?" Huang Shi spoke politely, but in reality, he felt the encirclement was riddled with holes. Such a vast area of rebel activity was simply beyond the reach of 200,000 Ming troops, not to mention that many of these Ming soldiers had questionable allegiance.

As for Zhang Heming's claim that victory lay with the enemy, not with themselves, Huang Shi disagreed even more. With 200,000 Ming troops deployed in a single line, this circular encirclement was full of weaknesses. The situation here was similar to that faced by the Later Jin. She Chongming and An Bangyan, besieged on all sides, had no time to expand in any direction, but a prolonged stalemate meant they could be easily ambushed and plundered by the enemy.

Most importantly, Zhang Heming's overall strategy was to do nothing, waiting for the enemy to make a fatal mistake. In Huang Shi's view, this was simply a matter of observing and nurturing the enemy. Not to mention whether they could withstand the attack once the enemy had gathered their strength, just sitting so loosely in Guiyang, without maintaining any military pressure, how could the enemy possibly make a mistake?

At this moment, Zhang Heming was still looking down at the map, almost slumped over the table. Wu Mu, wanting to say a few words in Huang Shi's defense, muttered, "I wonder about the water volume of the Xiang River and the Chishui River, and how many troops they can support?"

Huang Shi gave Wu Mu a grateful look and said to Zhang Heming, who was still studying the map, "So that you may know, Eunuch Wu, the Xiang River has a large volume of water, enough to stockpile tens of thousands of troops within a month. The Chishui River also has a considerable volume. It can support at least three thousand men."

Wu Mu said loudly, "Then I can rest assured."

Zhang Heming, still frowning as he stared at the map of Chishuiwei, his long, white beard trailing across the table, looked up after a long, long time. Finally, he raised his head and said solemnly, "This is a risky move, not advisable, not advisable."

Seeing Huang Shi about to argue again, Zhang Heming waved his hand and said, "I understand General Huang's patriotism, but in my opinion, if we must attack Chishuiwei, it would be best to first gather a large army in Bozhou, secure sufficient supplies, and then conquer it in one fell swoop."

"Lord Zhang," Huang Shi said, "gathering troops from four provinces in Bozhou will inevitably be a protracted affair, at least three months. Yongning and Shuixi are only a few days away from Chishuiwei. By the time the government troops arrive in Bozhou, the Chishui rebels' defenses will be solid. Taking Chishui will not be easy."

"Then it depends on General Huang's martial prowess. If General Huang cannot conquer Chishuiwei, then perhaps no one in the world can."

"Lord Zhang, military strategy dictates avoiding the enemy's strength and attacking their weakness. Currently, our Ming army is concentrated in Guiyang and Weiqing, drawing An Bangyan's main force here, while She Chongming is tied down in the northwest by the Sichuan army. This humble general believes that a surprise attack on Chishui now will surely succeed. The enemy will be caught off guard and it will take them at least ten days to return to Chishui. By then, our city will be fortified, our supplies plentiful, and victory will be assured."

"There is no such thing as a guaranteed victory. Commander Huang is exaggerating."

"Lord Zhang's criticism is correct; this humble general was arrogant, but nine out of ten times, victory is assured."

"It is ultimately not a foolproof strategy!" Zhang Heming slowly sat back in his chair, shaking his head vigorously: "To ensure invincibility within ourselves, and to wait for the enemy to become vulnerable, that is the true and righteous path."

"Lord Zhang..."

"Alright." Zhang Heming calmly interrupted Huang Shi's urgent explanation, and earnestly admonished him, "Commander Huang, it's not that I'm being presumptuous because of my age. It's just that you're still too young, and young people are often a bit frivolous. Alas. Even if you resent me, Commander Huang, war is dangerous and perilous; we really can't be hasty."

Huang Shi pouted, and finally bowed deeply, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Zhang. It has enlightened me."

...

In July of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, a Ming court censor impeached Yuan Chonghuan for "failing to rescue Korea before and Jinzhou afterward, stagnating his troops and showing signs of lethargy." The cabinet also believed that Yuan Chonghuan's failure to rescue Jinzhou was due to "lethargy." As a result, Yuan Chonghuan resigned from his position as Governor of Liaodong. The Tianqi Emperor ordered that the investigation into Yuan Chonghuan's responsibilities during his tenure cease, and according to the precedent of retiring to one's hometown, Yuan Chonghuan was awarded the retirement pay he would have received as Vice Minister of War. The aftermath of the Ningjin Campaign thus subsided unnoticed.

Subsequently, Yan Mingtai, the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty, personally intervened in the Liaodong affairs. He immediately dispatched envoys to appease the various

Mongol tribes, assuring them that the Ming Dynasty would never negotiate peace with the Later Jin. After receiving repeated assurances from the Ming Dynasty, the Mongol tribes finally chose to believe in the Ming's consistent national policy. The Kharachin Mongols, who had already openly allied with the Later Jin and exchanged oaths, sent envoys to Huang Taiji to declare the alliance null and void after receiving Yan Mingtai's assurances. They then joined forces with the Bayan Mongols to attack Liaobei and the Khorchin Mongols. The Northern Front, which had been peaceful for only six months, was once again engulfed in war.

...

On August 5th, the Panshi Camp and the Xuanfeng Camp arrived in Guiyang. At the same time, the Yangtze River shipping also transported some military equipment produced in Funing Town

more than a month earlier. Huang Shi picked up a metal tube from the box, stretched it out in a flash, closed one eye, placed the tube in front of his other eye, and gently adjusted its length with both hands while slowly turning his body to take in the surrounding scenery.

"Very good." Huang Shi took the metal tube down from his eyes and handed it to He Dingyuan, who was standing to the side. He also had Jia Minghe and the others take one out of the box. "This thing is called a telescope.

" Huang Shi taught them how to use the telescope one by one, letting his men try to see the surrounding scenery with it. "If you can't see clearly, gently stretch or shorten it a little until you can see what you want to see clearly."

He Dingyuan slightly opened his mouth, closed his left eye tightly, and looked silently through the telescope. After looking for a while, He Dingyuan suddenly stretched out his right hand and grabbed at the air in front of him... Unsurprisingly, He Dingyuan grabbed nothing. After putting down the telescope with his other hand, He Dingyuan looked down at his empty hand, which was still clenched into a fist and hanging in mid-air. "It really felt like it was right in front of me. The mountains, the trees, and the birds. It seemed like I could reach out and touch them."

The others also put down their binoculars, their faces filled with astonishment. Pu Guanshui, the deputy commander of the Vanguard Battalion, spoke first: "General, this is truly a powerful military tool, worth hundreds of scouts!" "

Indeed, I think so too," Jia Minghe said, raising his binoculars again to examine the enemy. He praised them, "In the past, at this distance, it was impossible to see if anyone was in the woods or bushes. And when scouts got closer, the enemy soldiers would likely hide in the bushes, and we'd easily miss them. Now, with this, the enemy has nowhere to hide."

"Hmm, unless they're hiding in the bushes the whole time, but then they won't see anything," He Dingyuan said, raising his binoculars again. He looked at the woods and then at his own military flag: "General, with this binocular, our flag signals can reach several miles away. It's truly a wonderful thing."

"Alright, put all the binoculars back in their cases." "At Huang Shi's command, his men put their equipment back. This time, Funing Town had delivered ten telescopes to Huang Shi. Huang Shi hadn't yet decided how to allocate these precious supplies, but the purpose of one was undeniable.

Besides the telescopes, Huang Shi also received another batch of boxes, but he was in a hurry to get things done and would only open them upon his return.

Two days ago, after the Vanguard Battalion arrived, Zhang Heming held another meeting of the three commanders, but he still wanted to concentrate Huang Shi's three battalions in Guiyang for safety. According to Zhang Heming, with Huang Shi's arrival, the rebel forces in Weiqing had increased, thus increasing the pressure on Guiyang. A fierce general like Huang Shi naturally needed to remain in Guiyang to prepare for an enemy attack.

However, in Huang Shi's view, this was simply a reactive response from the enemy, provoked by the arrival of his large army. Therefore, he again proposed a surprise attack on Chishuiwei, taking advantage of the rebels'..." When their attention was drawn to the north and south flanks, they were cut off in one fell swoop.

At the last meeting, due to Huang Shi's repeated requests, Zhang Heming seemed somewhat tempted. He suggested convening the main Ming army generals to discuss this, but Huang Shi firmly opposed the idea. There were too many local chieftain generals among the Ming army gathered in the southwest. Huang Shi had always been suspicious of their loyalty; in past battles, there had been repeated instances of local chieftain troops defecting, and Huang Shi believed that many were secretly informing An Bangyan.

After finishing his official duties, Huang Shi visited Minister Zhang Heming again, carrying a high-quality telescope. This gift looked very good, and Zhang Heming was also very fond of the telescope, standing in the courtyard examining it with great interest, leaving Huang Shi standing aside for a long time.

After putting down the telescope, Zhang Heming let out a sincere sigh: "The Hongyi still have many good things; our Great Ming should learn from them."

Then, Old Zhang lowered his head and fiddled with the telescope in his hand for a moment, then suddenly looked up and asked eagerly, "Did Commander Huang buy this from the Dutch, or is it made by us?" " Replying

to Lord Zhang, it was..." Huang Shi briefly introduced Desmond, telling Zhang Heming that this Dutchman had joined the Ming army, and that he was merely a technical instructor in Funing Town. The telescope, from its lens to its casing, was made by craftsmen in Funing Town.

"Very good. Such a powerful military weapon should not ultimately be controlled by the Dutch. In my opinion, this telescope should be widely distributed throughout the Ming military towns. Only when the Ministry of Works in both capitals and all the military towns can manufacture it will this telescope truly be a weapon of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Heming pondered for a moment, then added, "General Huang, I have seen the Hongyi cannons; those things are incredibly powerful. As the commander of Fujian, you should send men to spy on the Hongyi more often, to see what other valuable things they have. We can either buy them or learn from them; in short, we should make them our own."

"Replying to Lord Zhang, my military town has already recruited several Westerners. Besides these telescopes, there are also cannon-casting masters. The techniques for manufacturing Hongyi cannons have also been learned in Funing Town..." Since Zhang Heming would find out sooner or later once war broke out, Huang Shi didn't need to hide anything and mentioned Duncan and the others' situation as well.

Zhang Heming stroked his beard and smiled, "Learning from others' strengths to compensate for one's own weaknesses has always been the best strategy. Barbarians have often been beneficial to our China. General Huang has spent his life fighting against barbarians; to have such a broad mind is truly remarkable. I am deeply gratified."

"You flatter me, Lord Zhang."

After Huang Shi's modest remark, a brief silence fell between them. Zhang Heming sized Huang Shi up and down a few more times, then walked towards the pavilion in the backyard. "General Huang, please come with me. I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Once they were alone, Zhang Heming asked casually, "What does General Huang think of Wang Huazhen?"

Huang Shi was taken aback, then bowed and said, "Lord Zhang, I am a minister of state. If you are asking me this question as Minister of War, I will naturally..." "To be frank; but if Lord Zhang were to ask me privately, I, having received the favor of a prince, would not wish to speak ill of him."

Zhang Heming nodded repeatedly, and after a long while, sighed softly, "Well said." Then Zhang Heming suddenly raised his voice: "And what does Commander Huang think of Sun Chengzong?"

Huang Shi bowed again, cupping his hands, and replied in a deep voice, "Reporting to Lord Zhang, Grand Secretary Sun is broad-minded, a true gentleman and a great man. I, too, have received the favor of Grand Secretary Sun, and I will never forget this for a single day."

Zhang Heming smiled slightly upon hearing this. Huang Shi's answer seemed to be exactly what he expected. Zhang Heming lifted his official robes and sat down on the bench in the pavilion, smoothing out his sleeves as he said, "Huang Shi, please sit."

"Thank you, Elder Zhang."

"From now on, when we meet in private, there's no need to use the word 'elder' anymore."

"Thank you, Elder Zhang."

After Huang Shi sat down, Zhang Heming said in a calm tone, "Wang Huazhen was originally a talented person, but unfortunately, he went astray. Alas, it's truly heartbreaking. Hmm, it

was also Xiong Tingbi who ruined him. That Xiong Tingbi truly deserved to die!" Zhang Heming was the presiding judge in the Guangning disastrous case back then. As Huang Shi was considering how to respond, Zhang Heming paused for a moment and then continued, "Back then, it was I who recommended Wang Huazhen. Although he failed the country's trust, his heart for the country was indeed good. His promotion of you and Marshal Mao is enough to prove this."

"Elder Zhang is right," Huang Shi replied softly, bowing his head.

“Sun Chengzong was also recommended by me, Huang Shi—” Zhang Heming called out in a deep voice. Huang Shi looked up at the sound of his voice. Zhang Heming looked at him seriously: “Huang Shi, you are one of our Donglin people!”

“Old Zhang is right, of course I am one of Donglin people.”

“I have been watching you for a long time. You and Marshal Mao have both remembered your roots and resolutely refused to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian. That is very good. It shows that you are pure of heart and loyal to the end.” Of course, Zhang Heming would never build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian. Moreover, he did his best to prevent the people around him from building a shrine for Wei Zhongxian. As for an old man in his seventies, Wei Zhongxian had no dirt on him and felt that it was unnecessary to fight to the death with an old man who was half buried. So he let him be.

“In the Nanjing coinage case, the eunuchs wanted to take the opportunity to frame the loyal and good. Although I was determined to fight them to the death, I also felt that I was outnumbered and outmatched. At that time, Huang Shi, you were able to stand up for me. I was very moved.”

“Old Zhang is too kind.” Huang Shi was sweating. He felt it was reasonable to avoid building a shrine for Wei Zhongxian to praise himself, and the Nanjing minting case was never a miscarriage of justice. The coins minted by the Donglin Party led to widespread rejection by the southern population, severely damaging the nation's credibility. Huang Shi had seen those coins himself; their quality was truly appalling.

He recalled Liu Qingyang commenting to Huang Shi: "This kind of 'genuine' money isn't entirely without its advantages. If the Donglin Party were allowed to continue minting, it would bankrupt all counterfeiters and completely eliminate all counterfeit money in the Ming Dynasty." Zhang Heming's so-called "sworn to fight to the death" only demonstrated his unwavering loyalty to the Donglin Party; it proved nothing else.

In fact, neither Huang Shi nor Liu Qingyang knew that after the Donglin Party regained power, the coins minted during the Chongzhen era were the worst in Ming Dynasty history, with copper coins said to be blacker than lead and thinner than paper. Following a series of serious refusal incidents, the Donglin Party even used state coercion to force merchants to buy "real" coins. As a result, whenever news broke that the court was minting coins again, merchants in both capitals would flee the cities, only returning to continue their business after the storm had passed.

"Huang Shi, I understand your eagerness to achieve merit, but as the art of war says: 'Pride comes before a fall.' My decision not to send you into battle is out of concern for you."

"Old Zhang is right."

"The art of war says: 'Which soldiers are better trained? Which has more strategic planning? From this I know the outcome.' Huang Shi, your troops are well-trained, but too impatient and restless. Therefore, I must calculate the strategic planning again and again!"

"Old Zhang is insightful."

"The art of war says: 'The skillful attacker moves high above the heavens, the skillful defender hides deep underground…immovable as a mountain, swift as thunder!' Therefore, Huang Shi, you must remain calm and not act rashly."

"Old Zhang…"

"The art of war says:…"

"Zhang..."

After lecturing Huang Shi, Zhang Heming took a deep breath: "Huang Shi, if you can agree to three things, I will let you launch the attack."

Huang Shi's spirits lifted, and he quickly looked up and said, "Please speak, Elder Zhang."

Zhang Heming held up one finger: "First, after the troops are dispatched, you must not drink alcohol. Can you do that?"

Huang Shi lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked up and laughed loudly: "Don't worry, Elder Zhang, this humble general can do it!" He

held up another finger: "Second, you must not be greedy for merit and act rashly. Think thrice before you act. Can you do that?"

"This humble general can!" Huang Shi nodded without hesitation.

Zhang Heming also raised a third finger: "You must listen carefully to what I have to say for the last one. I want you to first set up camp in Bozhou, strengthen your foundation, and ensure your own invincibility; then conduct thorough reconnaissance and make sure the enemy is unprepared before you move out. This is called 'making the enemy vulnerable later.' Can you do that?"

"Elder Zhang's insight is brilliant. This humble general will certainly act accordingly." Huang Shi solemnly agreed.

Zhang Heming stroked his beard for a long time, still seemingly uneasy, so he added again, "Military strategy says, 'The dead cannot be brought back to life, and a lost nation cannot be restored.' Huang Shi, if you heed my words, you will be assured of success.

Please remember this." Huang Shi rose and bowed deeply to Zhang Heming, clasping his hands in a fist and saying loudly, "I will certainly keep Elder Zhang's golden words firmly in mind. After I arrive in Bozhou, I will first scout, then scout again, repeatedly confirming that the enemy is indeed unprepared before sending troops to Chishuiwei."

"Good," Zhang Heming shouted, then stroked his beard and smiled, "Then you can go... But if the enemy has no opening, Huang Shi, you must not act rashly."

"Your subordinate obeys." Finally free from Zhang Heming's endless nagging, Huang Shi felt a sense of relief.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Heming, Huang Shi ran back to his camp and immediately convened an emergency military meeting with his subordinates. Zhang Heming would consider deploying other Ming troops after receiving further reports from Huang Shi. Besides his own loyal troops, Huang Shi now has two battalions transferred from Guiyang City to his command by Zhang Heming.

"Speed is of the essence in war. Jia Minghe and the Vanguard Battalion should continue to rest. Tonight, I will lead the Firefighting Battalion, the Panshi Battalion, and four thousand troops from Guiyang to Bozhou to build a main camp. At the same time, I will request grain from Eunuch Wu. Once the first batch of grain arrives, He Dingyuan

will immediately lead the Panshi Battalion across the Chishui River to conduct large-scale fire reconnaissance of Chishuiwei."

After assigning the tasks, Huang Shi summoned the senior officers together again. He personally opened another wooden box next to the binoculars. The box was stuffed full of straw. Huang Shi pulled out a cloth bag, took out a small, golden-yellow disc from it, and let it fall to the ground until it was caught by a shiny chain.

Huang Shi held it up and showed it to his subordinates, saying, "This is called a pocket watch, a high-grade military weapon just produced by the Funing Town Military Industry Bureau." While explaining its uses, Huang Shi showed his men how to read, wind, and set the watch.

Of the twenty pocket watches, Huang Shi kept one for himself, distributed a few to senior officers in each battalion and the head of the military police, and gave the rest to Ouyang Xin's engineering corps. Huang Shi taught them how to use the pocket watches; with them, the army's coordinated attacks would be easier to control and coordinate, and military plans could be formulated more meticulously.

Besides the pocket watches and binoculars, the Funing Town Military Industry Bureau also sent two other new types of engineering equipment: a compass with a glass cover and a graduated bubble level. After the production of this important military material, glass, Huang Shi racked his brains to recall these simple instruments; he had no doubt that these things would greatly benefit the army.

Besides these small toys, the Funing Army also sent 500 crates of military supplies via the Yangtze River shipping, including several hundred entrenching tools, a large quantity of iron hammers, nimble and sharp short-handled axes, crates of iron nails, steel saw blades, and matching saw bows. These supplies were all manufactured by the newly expanded Funing Town Military Industry. To meet Huangshi's various needs, Bao Bowen had already devoted 80% of his manpower to the production of these tools.

Bao Bowen also included a letter with the supplies, explaining that armor production had slowed down and that the Funing Town Military Industry's production capacity would continue to shift towards tools. According to Huangshi's orders before his departure, once conditions permitted, Funing Town should attempt to manufacture metal gears to replace the wooden gears currently used in waterwheels. Bao Bowen reported that this project had already begun. Furthermore, the Funing Town Military Industry had produced the first batch of metal pulley sets. He would send these goods to Guiyang from Huangshi within three days.

If there hadn't been any delays on the road, Huang Shi knew he would receive the metal engineer loading and unloading pulleys within a few days. Currently, Ouyang Xin's engineer team was still using rudimentary wooden pulleys, which were far inferior to metal pulley systems in both safety and efficiency. It seemed that with the rapid increase in tool production capacity, the engineers' efficiency would soon be several times higher than before.

On August 4th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the Fuling Army's fire brigade and Panshi Battalion rapidly departed from Guiyang, heading north along the official road towards Bozhou, two hundred li away. Along the way, local military stations were responsible for supplying provisions, and baggage was transported by post stations, government offices, and the army. Therefore, Huang Shi ordered the entire army to march at full speed. After marching sixty li for three consecutive days, they arrived at the Ming army camp in Bozhou on the afternoon of the fourth day, August 8th.

Upon entering Bozhou, Huang Shi immediately took control of the garrisoned Ming army, ordering the mobilization of all available manpower to expand the Bozhou camp, while simultaneously searching for and gathering guides familiar with the terrain near the Chishui River. Bozhou itself is surrounded by the Xiang River, and there are also many other rivers such as the Ren River, Hong River,

and Luomin River. Even before Huang Shi had a firm foothold, the first batch of supplies had already arrived by waterway. On August 9th, the mobilized manpower left Bozhou and headed towards the Chishui River. Huang Shi's two battalions began to rest. The garrisons along the way at places like Yamen Pass, Luomeng Pass, and Loushan Pass were also dispatched by Huang Shi. His next forward base was Yongzhen Post Station, only forty li from the Chishui River. On

August 10th, another batch of supplies arrived at the Ming army camp in Bozhou. Two squads of soldiers and engineers from the Panshi Battalion set off as the vanguard in the morning, entering the Dalou Mountain area. In the

afternoon of the 10th, two more squads of Panshi Battalion soldiers, fully equipped, set off, following the vanguard towards the Chishui River basin.

On the night of the 10th, the Ming army camp in Bozhou...

"Tomorrow, Guerrilla General He will lead the main force of the Panshi Battalion to depart. They will pass through the Dalou Mountain area towards the Yongzhen camp. You will also depart with them, but your target is not Yongzhen, but rather to travel along the Tongzi River, heading north out of the Dalou Mountain area, directly to Erlangba."

Huang Shi instructed Zhang Chengye, the squad leader of the fire brigade. Today, Zhang Chengye would lead his men and the fire brigade's engineering corps to depart at dawn. Their objective was to capture Erlangba on the Tongzi River north of the Dalou Mountain area and establish a strong defensive position there.

"The Tongzi River is crucial for our army's successful resupply to the Yongzhen camp. Zhang, take a look at the map." Huang Shi always liked to explain the strategic situation to his subordinates, believing that making them fully understand the significance of their operations was very beneficial in enhancing their sense of honor and mission.

Huang Shi called Zhang Chengye to the side of the map and showed him the terrain between Bozhou and Yongzhen: "The road between our Bozhou camp and Yongzhen camp is 160 li long and crosses the entire Dalou Mountain area, so it's mostly mountain roads. If we rely on this road to supply Yongzhen camp, it will require a lot of manpower, which will greatly affect our marching speed."

Then Huang Shi pointed to the Luomin River and said to Zhang Chengye: "Commander Zhang, there is only about 30 li of land between the Luomin River and the Tongzi River. I plan to use the Luomin River and the Tongzi River to supply Yongzhen camp. After the battle line is stabilized in the future, we may even be able to transport grain and supplies directly from Guiyang through the Luomin River, without going through Bozhou, directly to Yongzhen camp. Therefore, if our army wants to assemble troops and supplies at Yongzhen camp, we must ensure that the Tongzi River is firmly in our hands."

Erlangba is located at the confluence of the Tongzi River and the Chishui River. These two rivers form a protruding river bend, like a natural moat, enclosing Yongzhen camp. Huang Shi pointed to Erlangba and emphasized to Zhang Chengye, "This place also protects the flank of Yongzhen, isolating the Yongning and Yongzhen areas. As long as Erlangba is in our hands, the Yongzhen camp need not worry about attacks from the north or west. Moreover, besides protecting the unimpeded transportation along the Tongzi River, it is also the northern entrance to the Chishui River. If we hold this place, half of the Chishui River will already be in our hands. Only then can our army transport supplies from Yongzhen to Chishuiwei via the Chishui River in the future. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Commander," Zhang Chengye replied firmly. He stared at the map for a while, then suddenly asked, "Commander, I have a question."

"Please speak, Commander Zhang."

"Commander, I think that since Erlangba is so important, why not send more troops instead of just my infantry?"

"Good question!" Huang Shi praised, then asked encouragingly, "Commander Zhang, how many troops do you think should be sent?"

Zhang Chengye stared at the map for a while, then fluently recited his thoughts in one breath: "General, I believe at least five troops should be dispatched to Erlangba. This will not only firmly protect the entire Tongzi River and Chishui River, but also contain the Yongning rebels' movements. After our army occupies Chishuiwei, we can also launch an attack on Linzhou from Erlangba. This way, if the rebels..." "If the Yongning region attacks Chishuiwei from the south, we can launch a counterattack from Linzhou and strike them hard in the rear."

Huang Shi clapped his hands and laughed, "Commander Zhang's words are exactly what I wanted. Currently, the Tongzi River is supplying the Yongzhen camp, so we can't maintain a large force at Erlangba for the time being. But once things are settled in Yongzhen, I will personally lead the entire relief battalion to Erlangba, seeking an opportunity to cross the Chishui River and attack Linzhou. This way, the Yongning bandits will have no choice but to watch Chishui fall into our hands; otherwise, when they march south to relieve Chishuiwei, they will fall into our trap."

"The Commander-in-Chief is wise."

"Haha, so Commander Zhang, you have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders. Whether you can successfully capture and consolidate Erlangba is crucial to the Yongzhen camp's supply. It also determines whether we can advance from Yongzhen to attack Chishui, and ultimately, whether we can trap the main force of the Yongning bandits between Pushi and Monisuo. It can be said that although your team is small, Commander Zhang, it determines the victory or defeat of our army in this battle."

"Yes, Commander, I understand. I will certainly not fail your orders."

...

August 12th, Tianqi 7th year, near Tieshan, Dongjiang Army's harbor camp.

Bai Youcai and the three Sun brothers were building a new fortress. During the last Korean War, the Sun brothers and Bai Youcai had followed Mao Wenlong to attack Zhenjiang, while Bai's grandfather, due to his advanced age, stayed home. When Bai Youcai left, his grandfather was digging for field mice. So when Bai Youcai said goodbye for the last time, the old man, engrossed in digging for field mice, didn't even look up, only giving a casual reply.

That farewell became a final one. Bai Youcai was now all alone in the world. The Sun brothers, who had also lost a relative, took him into their family. Bai Youcai's age was similar to that of the third brother in the Sun family, and now the fourth brother gradually started calling him "Third Brother" instead of "Third Brother Bai."

From Tieshan to Changcheng, the Dongjiang Army and the Later Jin Army were still at war. Although Korea promised not to allow the Dongjiang Army to farm at sea, in reality, Korea was powerless to stop the Dongjiang Army's military operations. However, the Later Jin Army had now occupied Yizhou, deeply distorting the Ming army's battle lines, and repeatedly attempted to cut off the transportation line from Tieshan to Shuozhou.

The Sun brothers were cutting branches from trees, while Bai Youcai took a large comb and carefully applied mixed mud to wooden sticks. After these sticks dried, they would be used to build city walls. Tieshan Fort and the nearby Dongjiang Army fortresses were built using this material.

Lunch was again wild vegetables and mixed grain pancakes, but Bai Youcai and the Sun brothers ate with relish. After sitting cross-legged, Bai Youcai took off his dirty shirt before eating, placing it on his lap. After carefully finishing his pancake, he opened his eyes wide and searched the cloth, picking up every crumb that had fallen onto his clothes.

"Look, another ship is coming," the second son of the Sun brothers' voice rang in his ears. Bai Youcai, having finished searching his clothes, turned to look at the grain ships slowly entering the harbor, swallowing hard.

Bai Youcai and the Sun brothers returned to their work. Based on their experience, they knew that soon the gates of the port camp would open, and a troop of fully armed Dongjiang soldiers would lead the way, followed by wheelbarrows loaded with grain. However, Bai Youcai and the Sun brothers knew that this grain was not for them, but to be sent to Shuozhou to supply the Dongjiang army in Kuandian.

Since the Later Jin army occupied Yizhou, the Yalu River, a natural barrier, had been divided equally between the Dongjiang Army and the Later Jin army. Therefore, the situation in Korea couldn't be entirely secure. The Dongjiang soldiers responsible for protecting the grain transport were given double rations. This was because the grain convoys from Tieshan to Shuozhou were frequently attacked by the Later Jin army. In recent days, the Dongjiang army had already lost hundreds of lives on this route to keep the grain supply to Shuozhou open.

Although resupplying Shuozhou was difficult, Mao Wenlong stubbornly refused to relinquish the Kuandian region. Just as Yizhou was the Later Jin's bridgehead south of the Yalu River, Kuandian was the Dongjiang army's attack base north of the river. If Kuandian were abandoned, the Yalu River would fall entirely to the Later Jin, and the Dongjiang army in Liaodong would be completely on the defensive. As long as Kuandian remained in the hands of the Dongjiang army, the Later Jin had to deploy a large force around it to confront Chen Jisheng. This also served as a powerful restraint on the Dongjiang army headquarters.

However, Bai Youcai and his men had clearly misjudged the situation.

Not long after the ships docked, thunderous cheers erupted from the port camp. As the gates slowly opened, the Dongjiang soldiers surrounding the fortress stood up in astonishment, watching the Dongjiang Commander-in-Chief and his banner proudly emerge from beneath the port gates.

"Commander Mao!"

"It's Commander Mao!"

Bai Youcai dropped his mud-filled bucket, shouting as he leaped to his feet and ran towards Mao Wenlong. In his run, Bai Youcai overtook some, but was overtaken by others who ran even faster. He reached the roadside, panting, and greedily gazed at the fiery red banner. Together with the hundreds of men around him, he roared with fervor:

"Commander Mao, are we going to counterattack Liaodong?"

"Are we going to counterattack Liaodong?"

...

From the port to the Dongjiang army camp on the Tieshan Road, Mao Wenlong tirelessly explained to his troops. Fortunately, their dark, thin faces did not show much disappointment. Mao Wenlong was merely conducting a patrol of the war zone, and once the Dongjiang soldiers understood this, they all returned to their work with renewed vigor. They demonstrated to their commander that they had not lost faith; on the contrary, this setback and renewed hatred had boosted their morale even further.

The Dongjiang officers at Tieshan and other forts were also filled with fighting spirit. Seven years ago, when Mao Wenlong arrived in Longchuan, Korea, with two hundred men, the Later Jin regime was like the rising sun, exuding an invincible aura, while the Ming army in Liaodong had no foothold. But in seven years, the Dongjiang army had expanded to hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, covering thousands of miles, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

After the Korean War, whenever Mao Wenlong boosted the morale of his troops, he received a positive response. Although Dongjiang Town was currently experiencing a low point, everyone believed it was just a temporary setback. For example, General Pan, who had obtained a large amount of engineering equipment from Huangshi in Haizhou, had escaped from Yizhou alone, a remarkable survival.

When Mao Wenlong inquired about the battle situation from General Pan at Tieshan Fort, the man everyone called "Fool Pan" chuckled again. Full of fighting spirit, he said to Mao Wenlong, "No matter how difficult it is, is it as difficult as it was for the Commander-in-Chief back then? The Commander-in-Chief only had two hundred men, and the Tartars couldn't wipe out our Dongjiang Army. Do you think they can now?"

Huang Shi had already approached Mao Wenlong through a merchant to purchase large timbers. Private transactions within the military garrison were a major taboo in the Ming Dynasty's officialdom, but the presence of merchants as intermediaries made things easier. Huang Shi and Mao Wenlong had a close relationship, and using merchants as a smokescreen might prevent them from being caught. For Mao Wenlong, taking Huang Shi's money without contributing timber was absolutely unacceptable. Therefore, Mao Wenlong's trip was partly to boost the morale of the Korean Dongjiang Army, and partly to find a way to transport the large timbers from Changbai Mountain to Tieshan.

...

August 14th, Sichuan, Bozhou Ming Army Camp.

The local Ming troops from Guiyang, who had departed at the same time as the fire brigade a few days ago, had just arrived, while the Vanguard Battalion, which had set off from Guiyang ten days prior, arrived at the Bozhou camp yesterday under the leadership of Jia Minghe.

Huang Shi was now fully armed and about to set off for the Yongzhen camp. The Ming army had already set up temporary post stations along the road from Bozhou to Yongzhen and arranged a small number of post horses. Huang Shi and several guards changed horses along the way and estimated that they would arrive at the Yongzhen camp within two days.

After the Vanguard Battalion arrived in Bozhou, there was no need for the last few squads of the fire brigade to remain there. They would hand over their defenses to the Vanguard Battalion and immediately set off for Erlangba.

Huang Shi would also be heading to Erlangba after inspecting the Yongzhen camp, given the current means of communication. The subsequent developments of the war would be beyond his real-time control. So before leaving, Huang Shi could only give Jia Minghe a rough outline of the strategic points. He pointed at the map on the wall with his riding whip and said,

"Brother Jia, if nothing unexpected happens, Commander He will definitely attack Chishuiwei within four days. I estimate that the bandits haven't figured out our movements yet, and it will be at least August 20th before they react. So they won't be able to reinforce Chishuiwei in time. By the end of this month, the bandits in Yongning may launch a counterattack on Chishuiwei."

Seeing Jia Minghe's apparent doubt, Huang Shi paused, indicating he could ask questions. Jia Minghe immediately pointed to the map and asked, "Sir, although the Yongning bandits are relatively close to Chishuiwei, I believe they might first contact the Shuixi bandits and then attack our army from both sides."

"Yes, if the bandits knew our fighting strength, they would do so, but they don't. So they likely think a few thousand soldiers, isolated deep in enemy territory, are nothing special. Moreover, once our army controls the Chishui River, the two bandits, She Chongming and An Bangyan, will be split in two, with no room for maneuver. These two bandits are quite cunning. They certainly won't miss this. Speed is of the essence in war. I guess She Chongming will immediately send his tens of thousands of main forces south to launch a fierce attack on Chishuiwei, striving to wipe out our isolated army in one fell swoop."

Jia Minghe thought for a moment and nodded, "What the commander-in-chief says is very true, but even if She Chongming dares to come, we are not afraid. Once we consolidate Chishuiwei, these two bandits are doomed."

"Hehe, if they really lack the wisdom to do this, then we will have a significant advantage." Huang Shi chuckled twice. Jia Minghe clearly didn't take the rebels' fighting strength seriously, so he thought the other side wouldn't dare to launch a full-scale attack on a battalion of the Fu Ning army. However, Huang Shi thought that since She Chongming and An Bangyan dared to raise the banner of rebellion, they must still be very confident in their military strength.

"While He Youji attacks Chishuiwei along the Chishui River, I will go to Erlangba to command the Firefighting Battalion to attack Linzhou. When She Chongming's main force appears north of Chishuiwei, I will use the Panshi Battalion as the anvil and the Firefighting Battalion as the hammer to annihilate She Chongming's elite troops between Pushi and Monisuo."

If She Chongming cannot arrive in time, He Dingyuan's city defenses will have more time to fortify. If She Chongming rushes in, Huang Shi estimates he won't have much baggage, and a crushing defeat would be uncontrollable. "She Chongming will probably arrive in ten days. The two bandits of Shuixi and Yongning are interdependent. Although An Bangyan is far away, he will also rush here within fifteen to twenty days, hoping to annihilate our army and restore the situation of fighting on the inner lines."

"The commander is right."

"Therefore, you must take over the defense there after He Youji leaves the Yongzhen camp, ensuring the unimpeded supply lines of the Firefighting and Panshi Battalions."

"Yes, sir, rest assured, commander."

"Then the other Ming armies will arrive one after another. After they arrive, the two Ming army battalions in Guiyang should also have arrived at the Yongzhen camp. You will lead the Xuanfeng Battalion westward along the south bank of the Chishui River. If An Bangyan does not cross the Chishui River, then fine. If he does cross, you must cut off his retreat and block the Shuixi bandits on the north bank of the Chishui River. This time, the Xuanfeng Battalion will be the anvil, while the Jiuhuo and Panshi Battalions will be the hammer, annihilating An Bangyan here in one fell swoop."

"Yes, Commander."

Although Huang Shi trusted Jia Minghe's loyalty, there was never too much motivation for his subordinates. After hearing Jia Minghe's respectful and cautious reply, Huang Shi threw aside his riding whip, solemnly bowed to Jia Minghe, startling the latter who jumped back quickly: "Commander, this humble general will certainly do his duty, I dare not accept such praise."

Huang Shi straightened up and looked at Jia Minghe with a solemn expression: "Brother Jia, Chishuiwei is a place the bandits will surely defend. I am certain that An Bangyan will do everything in his power to save it. This An family has been entrenched in Shuixi for two thousand years, since the Han Dynasty. They are truly deeply rooted bandits, and their followers probably number in the tens of thousands. If we were to go to Shuixi's lair to wipe out these bandits, we would probably have to sacrifice the lives of tens of thousands of brothers. Therefore, I very much hope that we can annihilate this bandit army at Chishuiwei."

Jia Minghe also looked solemn. He had rarely seen Huang Shi speak to him in such a solemn tone before. Huang Shi continued, "The art of war says: 'Do not block a returning army.' If An Bangyan is truly trapped north of the Chishui River by Brother Jia, they will definitely fight to the death to return to their stronghold. Therefore, I know that Brother Jia bears a heavy responsibility this time, but I still have to entrust it to you. This time, you are only fully responsible for the left wing of my Fuzhou army, but its importance goes far beyond that. It concerns the lives of thousands, even tens of thousands of brothers."

Jia Minghe was stunned for a moment. Then, he lifted his cloak, knelt on one knee, bowed his head, clasped his hands, and shouted, "General, you flatter me! If An Bangyan really comes, I swear to block him in Hebei with my life, so that you may annihilate him!"

After a pause, Jia Minghe suddenly raised his voice an octave higher and said passionately, "General, rest assured, as long as the Vanguard Battalion is here, your left flank is as secure as Mount Tai."

"Good!" Huang Shi helped Jia Minghe up with both hands: "I have no doubt about this."

...

August 16th, Yongzhen Camp of the Ming Army.

A month ago, this place was just an ordinary post station and reconnaissance post. For the past two years, it had been very peaceful, but now it was like a bustling beehive. In addition to the five thousand officers and soldiers of the Panshi Battalion, several thousand auxiliary troops were busy around the Yongzhen Camp, transporting supplies that had just been brought from the Tongzi River in an endless stream.

The engineering corps of Panshi Camp had already built a simple dock on the Tongzi River, and yesterday the advance engineering corps on the Chishui River reported that the dock on the Chishui River had also been completed two days ago. The engineering corps is now working hard to build bamboo rafts and has begun to install tow ropes along the river.

"So far, everything is going smoothly." Chief of Staff Jin Qiude had arrived at the Yongzhen camp with He Dingyuan from the beginning. For the past two days, a large number of staff officers had been calculating the transport capacity of the Chishui River and establishing a comprehensive postal network centered on the Yongzhen camp. "For now, we have enough post horses, but before the full-scale campaign begins, we need to transfer another three hundred from Guizhou to establish a wider command network."

Huang Shi carefully reviewed Jin Qiude's plan and asked, "Are you suggesting setting up the main camp here in Yongzhen?"

"Yes, the Yongzhen area currently seems relatively safe. Once the fire brigade and the vanguard battalion spread out on both flanks, it will become even safer. Therefore, I believe it's unnecessary to build the Bozhou camp anymore. All reinforcements and supplies from Guiyang should be concentrated in Yongzhen as much as possible."

"Then let's do as you say."

"Yes, sir."

Huang Shi left his general's seal with Jin Qiude so that he could unify the command of the upcoming Guizhou reinforcements. Huang Shi didn't give Jin Qiude any overly rigid orders. Jin Qiude's most important task was not coordinating operations, but rather overseeing transportation and supplies. Given the current means of communication, coordinating military operations within a radius of a hundred miles was nothing short of a pipe dream.

"It seems we came to the right place. The Shuixi and Yongning bandits never expected our army to move so quickly. Although we are operating on the outer lines, we are still far ahead of them." Huang Shi had already read the analysis made by Jin Qiude and other staff officers. It would take Shuixi and Yongning at least four or five days to determine the scale and direction of the Ming army's attack. By the time they completed their assembly and launched a counterattack, it would be at least the end of the month.

Jin Qiude was also confident about the first phase of the offensive: "According to the veterans of Yongzhen Post Station, there are only a few hundred rebels in the Chishuiwei area, most of whom are probably old and weak, and even women. They can't possibly have any elite troops; they can only rely on the strategic terrain to put up a fight. We can transport the six-pound cannons of the Panshi Camp along the river. Taking Chishuiwei shouldn't be a big problem. The only problem is that the road is difficult to travel. Compared to the rebels, this journey is a bigger problem for us."

"It's just a problem." Huang Shi was dismissive of this. He said coldly, "Without a steadfast defender, even a natural barrier is a thoroughfare; with a steadfast defender, even a thoroughfare is a natural barrier."

"The commander is right."

...

On the afternoon of the 16th, on the banks of the Chishui River, at the Panshi Camp headquarters.

"Chishuiwei!"

When giving He Dingyuan his final instructions, Huang Shi slammed his whip onto the map. With a "rip," a hole was punched in the map. Huang Shi turned his head, his arm still pointing straight at the map, and looked into He Dingyuan's eyes, shouting:

"This attack will decide the outcome of the campaign to quell the rebellion in the southwest. The bandits will either be completely ground to death in the millstone of Chishuiwei, or they will sit and wait for their demise in their stronghold. Now, the entire four southwestern provinces are squeezing out supplies and baggage for this attack. The grain, troops, horses, and aid funds of the entire four southwestern provinces are being transported here. The civil and military officials, the people of the entire four southwestern provinces... no, the Emperor, the entire court of civil and military officials, the scholars and the people of the whole country are all holding their breath, watching this decisive blow, and—"

Huang Shi's right arm holding the riding whip remained unchanged, while his left arm was raised and pointed heavily at He Dingyuan: "And this decisive blow, I, the commander, entrust it to you."

"Commander..." He Dingyuan was so excited that his face turned red, and he roared at Huang Shi with a thunderous voice: "This humble general will definitely take Chishuiwei and personally present it to the commander's camp."

"I firmly believe this. But this is just the beginning." Huang Shi glanced at the large map hanging on the wall, then poked a hole in the Yongning Pacification Commissioner's location. He then said to He Dingyuan, "The enemy will surely come to Chishui with all their might. I will personally lead the fire brigade to attack from behind the enemy, joining forces with Brother He to launch a pincer attack. We will first annihilate the Yongning enemy under the walls of Chishuiwei, then turn south and join Brother Jia to fight the river enemy.

" Huang Shi looked intently at He Dingyuan and slowly said in a deep voice, "If Chishuiwei is there, the enemy will be trapped like turtles in a jar. Our army can attack or defend at will. If Chishuiwei falls, our three-pronged Funing army will be defeated one by one by the enemy. Brother He, you not only hold the fate of the southwest in your hands, but also the lives of 15,000 officers and soldiers of the three battalions of my Funing army."

"Don't worry, Commander, I will defend the city as long as I am here..."

"No, Chishuiwei cannot be lost." " This general cannot use a flying sword to deliver messages. Once Chishui Guard falls, my Funing Army will be completely annihilated. Chishui Guard cannot be lost! It absolutely cannot be lost!"

He Dingyuan took a deep breath and raised his head high: "General, I misspoke. Let alone tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, even if there were one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand enemy soldiers, it would be impossible for them to take the castle from five thousand Funing soldiers. Please rest assured, General. I will definitely defend Chishui Guard like an impregnable fortress."

"Alright, then prepare yourself. Let's set off now," Huang Shi took out his pocket watch and glanced at it. It was 2:43 PM on August 16th, the seventh year of Tianqi. He wrote down the number on a piece of paper, then looked up at He Dingyuan and said: "Every minute and every second is precious now. They determine whether this battle will be won or lost, and they determine the number of enemy casualties and losses." Under Huang Shi

's gaze, He Dingyuan strode up to the platform of the camp. Below him stood a densely packed 5,000 soldiers of the Pan Shi Camp. The entire area was silent; everyone craned their necks to look at He Dingyuan high above.

He Dingyuan stood firmly on his feet, one hand on his hip, the other raised high in the air, and shouted with piercing eyes: "All troops, proceed! Towards Chishui Guard, conduct—reconnaissance!"

"Awesome!" "

The soldiers shouted in unison, and instantly various military instruments sounded. The Panshi Battalion marched out of the camp gate in single file to the beat of the drums and music, advancing along both sides of the Chishui River towards Chishuiwei, a hundred miles away, by both land and water...

Seven days later, on August 23, the Ming army's Yongzhen camp.

The Yongzhen camp was now even more bustling than a few days ago. The camp's perimeter had been expanded to a radius of twenty miles, and simple watchtowers and beacon towers had been built in several directions. Every moment, large groups of laborers were entering and leaving the camp gate, carrying large quantities of supplies in bundles on their arms and shoulders.

Inside the camp, a staff officer was reporting to Jin Qiude: "Today, another thousand auxiliary soldiers, fifty pack horses, and fifty post horses have arrived. Now the entire camp has fifteen thousand auxiliary soldiers and one thousand horses. According to a letter from Guiyang, this number may double again within ten days."

After putting down the report, the staff officer reported to Jin Qiude, "Sir, you wrote to Ambassador Wu last time requesting him to expedite the transport of supplies, and Ambassador Wu replied." "

What did Ambassador Wu say?"

"Sir, Ambassador Wu said he has sent every laborer, every horse, every grain of rice, every blade of grass, and every nail he has to the Yongzhen camp; Ambassador Wu also said he has seized all the Ming army's supplies from all other directions, and is only short of demolishing the houses in Guiyang."

Hearing this exaggerated statement, Jin Qiude couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Haha, Ambassador Wu is still the same old man. Hmm, where are the reinforcements?"

"No reinforcements have arrived today. Apart from the Vanguard Battalion, the Yongzhen camp still only has four thousand Ming troops. However, Lord Zhang has ordered all nearby Ming troops to move towards Bozhou. At least forty thousand Ming troops in Sichuan and Guizhou provinces have received the order, and it is estimated that about twenty thousand Ming troops are already on their way here." “

Hmm, such a large-scale military mobilization couldn't possibly escape the notice of the Yongning and Shuixi bandits. Moreover, Lord Zhang's orders were so clear; they certainly wouldn't misjudge the situation. The first batch of bandits reinforcing Chishui Guard might already be on their way.” Jin Qiude frowned, looked at the map, and scratched his head, asking, “Any news from Panshi Camp today?”

Yesterday, He Dingyuan reported that they had reached the foot of Chishui Guard. The enemy's sporadic resistance along the way was very weak, posing no threat whatsoever to the five thousand Ming soldiers. However, no news had come back today.

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

“General Jin, General Jin.” A messenger rushed in, his excitement palpable, holding a slip of paper. He quickly saluted and loudly read aloud He Dingyuan's victory report…

An hour later, the Vanguard Battalion had assembled outside the camp. Jia Minghe, clad in gleaming armor, slowly ascended the high platform of the Yongzhen camp. He waved He Dingyuan's slip of paper vigorously in his right hand and briefly shouted to the listening officers and soldiers, "General He captured Chishuiwei the day before yesterday morning!"

"Awesome!"

Jia Minghe first let the soldiers cheer, then pressed his arm down, instantly silencing the entire area. Jia Minghe, cheeks puffed out, shouted, "All troops, listen up! The Vanguard Battalion, depart immediately for the direction of Aluomi—to conduct powerful reconnaissance!"

...

August 24th, Erlangba.

The Ming army's central breakthrough was complete; now it was time to see how the flanks unfolded. The Chishui River's water transport was sufficient to sustain the Panshi Camp's high-speed offensive operations. Once the Panshi Camp shifted to defense, the Xuanfeng Camp could also utilize some of its transport capacity to maintain troop mobility. However, the Xuanfeng Camp's speed was temporarily limited, as its main transport capacity was currently being prioritized for supplying the Chishui Guard with provisions and ammunition. No one knew when the Chishui River's water transport would be cut off, nor how long the Panshi Camp would need to fight under siege. Meanwhile, the

Jihuo Camp could exclusively utilize the northern end of the Chishui River... With its superior water transport capacity, the fire brigade could utilize a 60-mile waterway from Erlangba to Linzhou, thus shortening the land transport distance to only 60 miles. Currently, in addition to the fire brigade's main supply train, Erlangba also houses several thousand auxiliary soldiers and seven hundred horses. Under the skillful guidance of the fire brigade's engineering corps, the daily supply unloaded at Erlangba from the Tongzi River is steadily increasing.

Huang Shi sat quietly in his chair, carefully reading the military intelligence delivered by the courier. He sighed softly, raised his head, and handed a pre-written letter to the messenger: "Send this to Guiyang and give it to Lord Zhang."

"Let's go, brothers!" Zhang Chengye shouted loudly outside the Erlangba camp: "Reconnaissance! Direction—Linzhou!" "

Can the towering peak bear the weight of the emperor? Chapter 52 Contact

. August 22nd, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, the capital.

Since the beginning of August, the emperor's health has been poor. This kind-hearted young man is completely unable to cope with the imminent crisis of his rule, and thus has fallen into severe depression."

Emperor Tianqi felt that dismissing officials would likely bring no benefit. After all, for over a century, the selection of officials for the Ming Dynasty's cabinet had been based on court recommendations, with the list then presented to the emperor, who generally only had the right to approve or disapprove. Therefore, Tianqi had long since given up hope for the cabinet. However, forcibly changing this situation was against his nature, so the desperate Tianqi had no other recourse but torment himself.

After diagnosing the emperor, the imperial physician told the empress and Wei Zhongxian: "Your Majesty's ailment is of the heart; medicine will likely be ineffective. It would be best if you could find something to make him happy, and his health would gradually improve."

Wei Zhongxian had previously suggested that the emperor practice carpentry to relax, but after the Battle of Ningjin, even carpentry couldn't alleviate Tianqi's worries, so he no longer wanted to do it. Wei Zhongxian then painstakingly arranged some plays, which the actors performed at the emperor's bedside. After watching them with a smile, Tianqi told Wei Zhongxian, "It's too noisy. Don't bring them in again."

Around the fifteenth and sixteenth of August, Tianqi fell ill several times and was bedridden. The attending physicians and the empress were very worried, and Wei Zhongxian wept behind his back. The emperor's weakness and night sweats worsened. He complained to the physicians who inquired about his condition, "Every time I think about state affairs, I feel so distressed that I can't sleep all night. Sometimes I almost fall asleep, but I'm always suddenly awakened, covered in cold sweat."

Fortunately, the emperor's health improved somewhat. On the twentieth of August, Tianqi regained some appetite and dozed off several times. When he woke up, his face had regained some color. He said to the Empress, who stayed by his bedside without changing her clothes, "I dreamt that Commander Huang sent me another report of victory, and I was standing on the Great Ming Gate, surrounded by cheering people. Alas, I really can't wait any longer." On

August 24th, the urgent report from Guiyang arrived in the capital. Wei Zhongxian once again personally carried the report from the Directorate of Ceremonial to Tianqi's bedchamber. Zhang Heming reported in the report that Huang Shi had arrived in Guiyang and that the offensive against the southwestern rebels was about to begin. Tianqi, who was already listless, suddenly sprang from his bed as if divinely inspired.

After verifying the date on the report, Tianqi was overjoyed and praised Huang Shi's marching speed to his attendants. That day, the young emperor ate two bowls of rice, which was unprecedented for him. He also chatted happily with the Empress for a long time. Finally, he remembered his carpentry shed and specially sent several eunuchs to take good care of it, making sure the tools didn't get wet in the rain.

...

On the 25th, in Guiyang, far to the southwest,

Zhang Heming received Huang Shi's report. In the report, Huang Shi made no mention of his previous plan to directly attack Chishuiwei, as if he had completely forgotten about it. Huang Shi, from beginning to end, lavishly praised Zhang Heming's foresight, making the entire plan seem like Zhang Heming's idea, and portraying the surprise attack on Chishuiwei as a successful execution of Zhang Heming's brilliant strategy, showering him with praise.

Furthermore, Huang Shi emphasized that it was thanks to Zhang Heming's guidance, especially his approach of reconnaissance before infiltration. This method not only perfectly preserved the idea of dividing the rebels in two but also greatly reduced the risk of ambush and counterattack—truly a case of "striving for perfection." After the Panshi Camp successfully reconnoitered Chishuiwei without incident, Huang Shi was even more impressed by Zhang Heming's strategic vision. Therefore, he said that he was still adhering to Zhang Heming's steady approach and cautiously expanding the reconnaissance and search area.

After praising Zhang Heming to the skies, Huang Shi enclosed a separate letter with the existing military action plan. This was, of course, a separate letter. With the capture of Chishuiwei, the middle section of the Chishui River was now under Ming control, and the central breakthrough phase was complete. The Ming army was now naturally expanding towards the flanks. The initial flanking positions of the Firefighting Battalion and the Vanguard Battalion were now conducting reconnaissance and advancing. Huang Shi requested Zhang Heming's guidance on this plan.

Zhang Heming considered it carefully and replied, instructing Huang Shi not to be greedy for merit or to act rashly. After writing his reply and sending it out immediately, Zhang Heming could no longer contain his pride. He summoned his advisors and disciples and loudly proclaimed Huang Shi's letter to them—this renowned military general, in his letter to Zhang Heming, spoke with the utmost respect, like a humble student, earnestly requesting his guidance.

"That scoundrel Xiong Tingbi, back then he even called me a 'good-for-nothing' behind my back. Humph, how laughable how presumptuous he was. He also said that my and Grand Secretary Ye's military strategies came from plays and storytelling, only good for...good for prostitutes. Humph, that Xiong Tingbi is truly a disgrace to literature." For years, Zhang Heming had forbidden anyone from mentioning his feud with Xiong Tingbi. But now he brought it up himself, and even spoke at length about it. Right and wrong are known to

all, and Zhang Heming wasn't afraid of public opinion. Amidst the sycophantic murmurs, Zhang Heming, still not satisfied, happily summoned all the officials of Guiyang to his residence and repeated his points. From "divide and conquer" to "think thrice before acting," Zhang Heming finally claimed the strategic plan as his own. However, at the end, he also highly praised Huang Shi's martial prowess and loyalty.

According to Zhang Heming, he had been brewing this plan in his mind for a long time, but after surveying the generals of the Southwest, he had not found a valiant general capable of carrying out this heart-piercing strategy. It wasn't until Huang Shi arrived that Zhang Heming finally found someone he could entrust with this important task. Finally, the old master Zhang set the tone for his cooperation with Huang Shi: "Although I have a wealth of strategic ideas, no one but Commander Huang can achieve this great feat!"

After everyone bowed in admiration, Zhang Heming also briefly mentioned his concerns: given the current favorable situation, Huang Shi might become overconfident. Therefore, Zhang Heming had sent someone to advise Huang Shi to proceed cautiously and not to be greedy for credit: "Military strategy says: 'A general in the field may disobey orders,' but I am truly worried, so I hurriedly sent someone to chase after Commander Huang. As long as Commander Huang listens to my words, then Chishuiwei will be in our hands."

...

September 9th, the seventh year of the Tianqi reign.

Noon, near the Pushi Garrison.

Two brothers from the Yongning Pacification Commission were eating on the ground, surrounded by over a hundred local Yongning residents. They were laboriously transporting grain from Pushi to Manisuo. Since learning of the Ming army's surprise attack on Chishuiwei in mid-last month, She Chongming had hurriedly mobilized troops to reinforce Chishui.

However, the news that followed was increasingly bad. Spies from Sichuan and other places reported that the Ming army's mobilization was unprecedented in scale; in just twenty days, tens of thousands of Ming soldiers had received strict orders to advance towards Bozhou, and the commander was said to be Huang Shi, the Ming Dynasty's foremost general. His story of leading troops on a 3,000-li (approximately 1,500 km) march in eighty days to fight in the southwest was widely known throughout the four provinces. Leaving aside the immense deterrent effect of this marching speed, Huang Shi's aggressive approach alone demonstrated his formidable strength.

Around the twenty-second... After She Chongming barely managed to assemble his army, devastating news arrived from Chishui: thousands of Ming soldiers had appeared at Chishuiwei like a celestial army descending from the heavens, and the castle fell in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the earliest reinforcements She Chongming had sent were still almost two days' journey from Chishuiwei.

While shocked by the speed of the Ming army's movement, She Chongming, based on common sense, estimated that this Ming army's strength would be very limited. He hurriedly led all his main forces to Chishui, traveling day and night, finally arriving at Manisuo on the 28th. By then, She Chongming had already received several more reports.

Because She Chongming had repeatedly emphasized that Chishuiwei was a crucial transportation route between Shuixi and Yongning, its geographical location could not be overstated. Therefore, the reinforcements She Chongming sent immediately attempted to retake Chishuiwei, but were met with a crushing defeat by the Ming army. The first attack lasted less than fifteen minutes before completely collapsing, at the cost of more than seventy dead.

On the 27th, after the reinforcements sent by She Chongming had regrouped and rested for a period of time, they launched another offensive against Chishuiwei. However, this time the Ming army suffered an even faster defeat than before. The Ming army had already deployed artillery into Chishuiwei, and in the blink of an eye, more than 270 of the more than 3,000 rebels were killed, and more than 100 more were killed after fleeing.

The series of defeats severely demoralized the Yongning rebels, but they weren't entirely without gains. First, they learned that the Ming army stationed at Chishuiwei was indeed weak, numbering only about four or five thousand. Second, they noticed the Ming army showed no desire to expand their territory, seemingly focusing all their efforts on maintaining the Chishui River supply line.

She Chongming thus concluded that the Ming army's supply capacity had reached its limit; they couldn't sustain more troops solely on a single river. This was reasonable, given the Ming army's rapid arrival and the possibility of insufficient preparation. However, given time, the Ming army would certainly build more ships for transporting supplies, at which point the number of troops would likely exceed a few thousand.

Adhering to the principle of overestimating the enemy, She Chongming tentatively estimated five thousand Ming troops at Chishuiwei. Based on general patterns, only about two thousand of these should be combat soldiers. She Chongming believed he could handle this number, so he hastily and fiercely attacked Chishuiwei, while scouts scouted out in all directions, intending to cut off the Ming army's Chishui River supply line in one fell swoop and then annihilate this infiltrated Ming force.

Both in terms of marching speed and combat effectiveness, this Ming army was an elite force that She Chongming had never seen before, so he believed it must be the backbone of the Ming offensive. Therefore, he planned to put aside all distractions and first eliminate this core Ming army, thus inflicting a severe defeat on the Ming army in terms of both strategy and morale.

More than 30,000 elite field troops from the Yongning Pacification Commissioner's Office had gathered at Manisuo, while the remaining local people were mobilized and desperately moved the stored grain and fodder from Yongning through Pushisuo to Manisuo. The two brothers had also been urgently conscripted recently.

"Brother, the chieftain said that as long as we win this battle, we can allow marriage." The younger brother's eyes were full of anticipation as he spoke.

In the Yunnan-Guizhou region, the local chieftains were hereditary landlords, a situation that would not change for a thousand or two thousand years, while the local people were always the subjects of the chieftains. Last year, She Chongming's youngest son came of age, so She Chongming, in accordance with the tradition of the chieftains, prohibited the local people from marrying until his youngest son had chosen a wife or concubine.

The local people dared not resist such actions. The Ming Dynasty repeatedly attempted to implement the "abolition of the native chieftain system and its replacement with direct imperial administration" in the Yunnan and Guizhou regions, but all attempts failed due to the collective resistance of the chieftains. According to the agreements and customs between the Ming government and the local chieftains, cases concerning the local people could only be handled by their local officials; no matter how much injustice the local people suffered, the Ming officials had no right to intervene.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, some local people, unable to endure the humiliation, fled to the jurisdiction of the imperial officials, hoping for protection. However, as time passed, the imperial military power in Yunnan steadily declined, and the local officials grew increasingly emboldened, resorting to violence at the slightest provocation. Therefore, in the last hundred years or so, if fleeing local people were encountered, they would invariably be handed over to their local officials, because the Ming's Yunnan and Guizhou provincial administrations no longer had the courage to wage large-scale war against the chieftains, and the "abolition of the native chieftain system and its replacement with direct imperial administration" had become an empty promise.

“Yes, is there a girl you fancy? Take this opportunity and marry her quickly,” the older brother sighed. Because of the absolute authority of the local officials for thousands of years, the bride's wedding night belonged to them, and the Yongning Pacification Commission was no exception. The older brother was a victim of this system.

Since it had been this way for centuries, he had no intention of resisting, and besides, he was powerless to do so. A few days ago, to boost morale, She Chongming announced that if they won this battle, not only would marriage not be prohibited, but he and his sons would also relinquish their right to their first night for a year.

The younger brother quickly stuffed his food down. His beloved girl was waiting for him back home. Thinking of his sweetheart filled him with energy: “Okay. But first, we have to win.”

“Hmm, wait a minute,” the older brother said, looking at his smiling brother, and also hastily swallowed his food, preparing to get up and move the grain.

After standing up, the younger brother squinted at the woods by the roadside for a while, then suddenly shouted, "Brother, there seems to be something flashing in the woods!"

"Hmm?" The older brother, his mouth full of food, turned around to look. However, since he was squatting, he couldn't see anything. He tried to swallow a few times, but failed and choked. He frantically pounded his chest while searching the ground for a water gourd.

After finding it, he eagerly opened the stopper and took two big gulps. When he turned back to talk to his brother, he saw that his brother's mouth was wide open, staring ahead in astonishment, unable to utter a sound.

The older brother looked around; everyone around him was also staring blankly at the woods to the east. Then, a series of chaotic sounds came from that direction. The older brother stood up, gourd in hand, and glanced sideways at the woods.

"Good heavens!"

With a cry of surprise, the water gourd slipped from his grasp. The older brother stared at the old forest. It was said to be a deep, ancient forest, sixty miles wide, with leaves so dense they almost blocked out the sun. Anyone not a seasoned local hunter would surely become disoriented and lose their bearings. Not to mention the treacherous swamps within. No one wanted to travel through this forest from Linzhou to Pushi, let alone hundreds or thousands of people.

Sunlight streamed through the leaves, illuminating the gleaming armor of the soldiers in the Firefighting Battalion's A platoon. After receiving a report from scouts that they had reached the edge of the forest, Wang Qinian ordered his soldiers to rest one last time before donning their armor and advancing in columns. Although the opposing force appeared to be merely a transport unit, the Firefighting Battalion still formed a battle formation, their spearmen brandishing their bayonets.

Following behind the Firefighting Battalion's A platoon was the advance detachment of the engineering corps. Besides the Firefighting Battalion's own engineering corps, Huang Shi had also brought along the main engineering corps directly under the jurisdiction of Funing Town. They forged their way through mountains and built bridges across rivers, constructing suspension bridges one after another in mountain ravines. They also felled many trees to create a passage across the swamp, allowing the supply corps to haul up the six-pound cannons as well.

At Wang Qinian's command, the heavy infantry of Team A lowered their helmet masks and strode forward with unwavering steps, mercilessly trampling branches and weeds into the mud. This group silently surged from the woods onto the main road. Although Team C of the fire brigade was prepared for battle, the enemy troops opposite them appeared to be completely unarmed, and were clearly terrified.

Wang Qinian, holding a pistol in one hand and a saber in the other, stepped onto the main road. Of the original hundred or so enemy soldiers, some had already fled, and the rest huddled together on the ground. Wang Qinian looked down at the two men lying at his feet. They appeared to be young brothers. Beside them lay an overturned gourd, water still gushing out. The older brother held the younger one tightly in his arms, their four black eyes fixed on him, filled with grief and despair.

The brothers, believing they were doomed, watched as the steel-clad leader of the Ming soldiers glanced down at them. Then, he sheathed his gleaming longsword, raised his head, and strode away. The Ming soldiers behind him, all clad in dazzling armor, passed by the brothers in single file, never glancing at them again, as if they had all lost interest.

After the brothers' eyes regained their mobility, more Ming soldiers emerged from the forest, some even leading out several horses. But no one paid any attention to the brothers, as if they didn't exist. But they were wrong. It was as if the men of the Yongning Pacification Commission didn't exist; the Ming soldiers rested their spears on their shoulders and silently followed in the footsteps of those in front of them.

The two brothers nervously watched the soldiers pass by them as they stepped onto the main road and dispersed in a strange formation. Suddenly, a voice behind them asked a question, startling the two brothers. When they turned around, they saw a kindly smiling face and heard familiar local dialect.

"Excuse me, brothers, we need to get to Pushi. Could you tell us how to get there? Thank you." The smiling man who asked the question appeared to be a local. Behind him stood a Ming soldier wearing a yellow helmet. The helmet was not only oddly colored, but instead of white feathers, it had a tall red tassel that looked almost a foot long.

This Ming soldier, wearing a dark purple leather armor and a black, round box around his neck, carried no weapon but a bronze metal rod. Noticing the brothers' gazes, the soldier smiled and nodded repeatedly

…

When Huang Shi emerged from the forest, Ouyang Xin and several engineering officers from Funing Town were gathered around a wooden stump, bent over and discussing something. As Huang Shi approached, Ouyang Xin and the others immediately stood at attention and greeted him. Huang Shi glanced at the stump; a piece of paper was spread out on it, with a helmet pressing down on the paper.

“Brother Ouyang, according to regulations, helmets are not allowed on the battlefield.”

“Yes, Commander,” Ouyang Xin replied first, then pointed to the back of his head, where a charcoal pencil was tucked behind his ear: “Commander, I was just doing it for convenience.”

“You can hold the pencil, but you must not take off your helmet.”

“Yes, Commander.” Ouyang Xin picked up his helmet from the wooden stump and put it on. Then he took the compass box hanging from his neck and placed it under the paper. He then picked up the monocular telescope leaning against the tree root and used it to cover the other side of the paper.

After finishing this work, Ouyang Xin pointed with a charcoal pencil at the paper, which was the map that the engineering officers had just drawn: "General, we are located between Pushi and Manisuo. Pushi is about fifteen li to the north, and Manisuo is forty-five li to the south. According to the prisoners, most of the enemy's supplies are in Pushi, while their main force is in Manisuo."

"Well done! Brother Ouyang deserves the greatest credit for this march."

"General, although we should be closer to Pushi now, we still haven't reached its walls..."

Huang Shi interrupted Ouyang Xin's apology. This time, they relied entirely on the engineers to maintain their direction. Being more than ten li away from their target was already quite remarkable, considering that all maps of this era had considerable errors.

The first few horses that had been led out were assigned to the engineers, who were advancing north and south along the road to draw terrain maps.

The first two teams of the fire brigade had already headed north towards Pushi. Huang Shi instructed the messengers behind him, "Tell the supply corps to disregard food supplies and prioritize transporting medicine and cannons."

"Yes, sir."

Huang Shi then ordered, "Pass the order to the rear teams C, xu, and g, that they advance south after they emerge, to prevent the enemy from turning back."

"Yes, sir."

In the past few days, the fire brigade had been taking turns advancing and resting in the forest, so Zhang Chengye and his men, who had initially set out earlier, had fallen behind. Although this forest could be used for surprise attacks, large quantities of supplies still needed to be transported via sturdy roads. Therefore, if Huang Shi could not capture the Yongning Pacification Commissioner's supply depot, the number of troops that could be resupplyed through this forest would be limited.

Huang Shi had brought enough food for this expedition, so the troops were advancing slowly, thanks to the well-trained supply corps, which worked alongside the engineering corps. Using various tools, they finally managed to haul hundreds of thousands of kilograms of grain, along with armor, cannons, and other supplies, to catch up with the main force. Even if Huang Shi couldn't obtain the grain supplies from Yongning Pacification Commissioner's territory, he could sustain himself here for more than three days. Moreover, Huang Shi had hidden a considerable amount of grain along the way from this forest; even if he had to turn back, his reserves would be sufficient. As long as the road from Pushi to Chishuiwei wasn't controlled by Yongning Pacification Commissioner's forces, She Chongming and his army were effectively surrounded. Huang Shi's primary objective now was to quickly capture Pushi. Once Pushi fell, the Yongning army, situated between Pushi and Linzhou, would immediately lose its supplies. They would either abandon their positions and flee or wait to starve to death between Pushi and Linzhou.

Yongning Pacification Commissioner's grain reserves in Pushi were enough for tens of thousands of troops; capturing it would greatly alleviate Huang Shi's logistical burden, allowing him to avoid the urgent need to open a road to Linzhou to transport grain. Moreover, once Pushesuo was captured, even in the worst-case scenario—the fall of Chishuiwei—Huang Shi could simply set fire to She Chongming's grain supplies, ensuring the fire brigade's safe retreat to Linzhou. Without food, She Chongming and his army would have to return home hungry.

The cavalry was once again left behind, as the forest was thick with grass and branches. Carelessness could easily injure the horses' eyes, so they had to proceed cautiously, unlikely to emerge from the deep forest anytime soon. Before nightfall, two six-pound cannons were dragged out of the forest. Huang Shi didn't wait any longer; he left one squad to defend the south and took the rest of his troops with him. The fire brigade would march north at night with torches, aiming to launch an attack on Pushesuo at dawn.

Each time a complete infantry unit emerged from the forest… It would then take over the defensive positions from the garrison troops, while the original garrison troops would immediately head north to catch up with the main force. Huang Shi took most of the fire-fighting engineering team with him, and the rest, along with the main engineering team, were handed over to Ouyang Xin's command.

At noon on September 10th, the last three infantry and cavalry units emerged from the woods one after another. The cavalry soldiers, who had been crammed into the forest, were finally on the main road and quickly mounted their horses, heading north at high speed. Teams C, E, and G, after a brief reorganization, began to head south. Huang Shi's orders were to push the battle line as far south as possible; the further south the enemy was compressed, the harder it would be for them to escape back to their stronghold in Yongning by eating tree bark and grass roots.

"There is a ridge seven miles ahead, with a stream flowing across it from both the front and back. So there is an open area in front of and behind this ridge, not very large, but enough to accommodate over a thousand troops,"

Ouyang Xin drew a map after the returning engineers reported the terrain. Zhang Chengye, now a senior officer, was also the temporary commander of the Third Infantry Squad. After looking at the map, he immediately ordered an accelerated advance: "This place must be secured by our army."

Ouyang Xin had long been in charge of engineers, so he wasn't very familiar with warfare. Seeing Zhang Chengye's hasty departure, he ordered the engineers to follow, while asking, "Brother Zhang, is this location very important?"

"Very important," although Zhang Chengye had followed Huang Shi long before Ouyang Xin, he was still a rank lower than Ouyang Xin. Ouyang Xin was now a near-senior officer in the Fuzhou military and civilian government, while Zhang Chengye was only a mid-level officer: "The roads on both sides of this ridge are relatively narrow. Only here can we deploy our forces. This kind of place, which allows for both offense and defense, is repeatedly emphasized in the infantry regulations as needing to be taken as quickly as possible."

"Oh." "Ouyang Xin gave a simple reply. Although he was still somewhat confused, since it was in the regulations, there was no need to consider it further, as their engineering regulations were the basis of their operation. Huang Shi had always wanted to build a professional army, so his requirement for the officers and soldiers of the Fuzhou Army was to be as professional as possible, and this goal was mainly achieved through familiarity with the regulations for their respective duties.

...

"Bandits spotted ahead! Behind the mountain."

When they were less than two miles from the target location, a scout reported that an enemy force had arrived.

"How many bandits? How far away?" Zhang Chengye asked nervously. If the enemy occupied this open area, the Fuzhou Army would only be able to attack the enemy forces in a column formation from the road, which, while not impossible, would likely increase the difficulty of the attack.

"Several hundred, they are coming towards us from the opposite road. We can't see the exact number, and they are a little over three miles from the mountain."

"All troops, advance at a run!" Zhang Chengye roared. The soldiers of the fire brigade, helmets and weapons in hand, jogged forward. Ouyang Xin quickly ordered the engineers to make way, then everyone turned back to help the supply corps drag armor.

By the time Ouyang Xin, carrying a suit of armor and panting, reached their destination, the three squads of fire brigade soldiers had already deployed behind the mountain, forming a line. Some musketeers had already climbed the ridge and begun setting up their musket positions.

The supply and engineering corps frantically carried the armor, while the infantry officers ordered the combat soldiers to sit down for their final pre-battle rest.

"The retreating rabble of bandits must have rushed back," Zhang Chengye said, walking down the ridge and leisurely donning his armor. He seemed relaxed, and calmly explained to Ouyang Xin, "Their march is too slow, but we don't know their numbers. Our army doesn't need to approach the opposite forest; we just need to hold this ridge."

After donning his armor, Zhang Chengye drank a bowl of stream water before slowly walking up the ridge. The engineers and supply train soldiers stood behind, discussing the situation with a mixture of tension and curiosity. Meanwhile, the supply train officers were frantic, worried that the cannons were still not being brought up.

A command seemed to come from the ridge. The pikemen remaining on this side of the hill rose and, led by their officers, slowly ascended the high ground. They crossed the front line and gradually disappeared from Ouyang Xin's sight. In the end, all he could see were countless gleaming spear shafts and blades peeking out from the horizon, densely packed and pointing towards the sky.

After a while, those spear blades sank down in unison. They descended below the horizon in batches, and then the rest fell forward as well. In the blink of an eye, Ouyang Xin couldn't even see a single spear. He muttered to himself, "It's begun, the enemy is coming."

In fact, this experienced engineer officer was wrong again. Zhang Chengye simply ordered the front-line pikemen to march forward a little further and then have the soldiers lay their spears flat to avoid obstructing the firing line of the musketeers behind them.

The Yongning army opposite seemed quite shocked to encounter the Ming army here. They seemed to realize the value of this terrain, but since the Ming army had already deployed, they couldn't come out and form ranks. Zhang Chengye coldly watched his opponents don their armor and receive their troops on the road, making chaotic preparations for battle.

Once the Yongning army finished donning their armor, they dispersed directly into the woods on either side of the road. Zhang Chengye knew they planned to form a line in the woods and then advance to engage in battle. This plan only elicited a cold laugh from Zhang Chengye; forming ranks in the woods would not only waste time but also be extremely exhausting. The entire fire brigade remained eerily silent, watching the enemy's figures gradually emerge from the woods below. They were still about fifty meters away from the Ming army's battle line that had descended halfway down the hillside.

Bows and crossbows were highly dependent on weather conditions; even in Liaodong, cloudy days greatly affected their effectiveness. In the southwest, due to the humid climate, bows and crossbows were unusable, so they relied on blowguns and slingshots. Seeing the enemy's intention to launch a ranged attack, Zhang Chengye ordered everyone to kneel. Stones were hurled from the opposite side, and numerous poisoned arrows were blown out. Most of these weapons couldn't reach the fire brigade's position. The few arrows and stones that struck the fire brigade's pikemen were powerless to penetrate the Ming soldiers' iron armor, only producing a few clanging sounds.

"Musketeers, fire!"

One hundred and fifty Ming musketeers on the mountaintop launched a volley. As gunpowder billowed from their barrels, screams erupted from the edge of the woods a hundred meters away. Many Yongning soldiers fell to the ground, their bodies slamming heavily against the earth.

"Musketeers, fire!"

Another one hundred and fifty musketeers launched a volley. Heart-wrenching screams echoed again at the junction of the woods and the stream. More Yongning soldiers fell to the ground, and those struck in the torso by Ming musket fire almost immediately breathed their last. Those shot in the limbs had their hands and feet almost instantly broken by the 24mm lead bullets. The wounded rolled on the ground, helplessly uttering cries of impending death.

After two volleys, Zhang Chengye noticed the enemy seemed to hesitate. At that moment, the Ming musketeers fired a third volley. The enemy in sight seemed to retreat in panic. Opposite Zhang Chengye, a Yongning soldier, seemingly drunk, staggered a few steps under the Ming soldiers' gaze, then turned and hugged a large tree, slowly, slowly collapsing to the ground. As his arms moved down the tree, they left a wide, long red gash in the trunk.

A chaotic shout erupted from the Yongning army's position. After a while, figures moved again in the opposite woods. The Ming soldiers waited patiently. This time, the Yongning army seemed unwilling to exchange fire again. They paused briefly at the edge of the woods before emerging from the dividing line.

Countless feet trod across the stream. The Yongning army, holding their rattan shields, pressed forward in a dark mass towards the Ming army, numbering over a thousand.

Zhang Chengye had already raised his pistol to his ear; this time, the weapon in his hand was a new type of flintlock pistol issued specifically to officers in Funing Town.

Bang!

With Zhang Chengye's shot, four hundred and fifty Ming muskets unleashed a powerful volley. Simultaneously, the Ming pikemen rose to their feet after the volley, preparing to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the support of the musketeers.

However, it was no longer necessary. The enemy before them had abandoned nearly a hundred corpses and almost as many wounded. The remaining seven or eight hundred Yongning soldiers discarded their armor and weapons, fleeing into the woods in a chaotic mass. The Ming army pursued them again with their muskets, felling a number of the fleeing Yongning soldiers.

Corpses lay scattered haphazardly on the verdant hillside, stretching from the mountainside all the way to the stream. A dozen or so Yongning soldiers now lay dead in the stream, staining the once clear water a pale red. More

than seven hundred Ming spearmen stood in neat rows on the hillside, their spears forming a dense forest. Behind them, the Ming musketeers stood at attention, muskets raised, eyes fixed straight ahead.

Zhang Chengye estimated that there were originally fifteen to two thousand Yongning soldiers on the opposite side. The entire battle lasted no more than half an hour, and the enemy had left behind nearly four hundred corpses, yet had inflicted no casualties on the Ming army. Both routs were caused by volleys of musket fire; close combat was unnecessary.

"This is really bad. What kind of battle is this? Looks like they're just the rearguard scum."

Just as Zhang Chengye was lamenting, the sound of wheels rolling came from the hillside behind him. Soon, two six-pound cast iron cannons emerged from Zhang Chengye's sides with their dark muzzles.

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