Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 13

" See how my long spear can easily pierce through,

" Duncan bluntly shattered Huang Shi's hopes, "General, forgive my bluntness, but it's unrealistic for Long Life Island to cast 18-pound cannons now. I'm afraid it will be a very, very long time from now."

"Why? How long is 'a very long time'?"

Duncan shrugged, spreading his hands helplessly. "Our army must first start with 1-pound and 3-pound cannons, training technicians and familiarizing them with the raw materials, then 6-pound and 12-pound cannons. This will take at least a year before we can cast 18-pound cannons."

Huang Shi immediately fell silent. However, Duncan was an expert in this area, and he couldn't refute the opinion of an expert of this era. "Everything is difficult at the beginning, I understand, but let's start casting cannons as soon as possible."

Seeing Huang Shi's displeasure, Duncan quickly added, "General, the first priority should be field artillery. As long as we win in the field battles, what castle can't we take? If we lose in the field battles, no siege cannons will be of any use." "Ah."

This made Huang Shi nod, and Duncan, his confidence boosted, added, "Then, I still need blacksmiths and carpenters. If we have to train them all from scratch, it will probably take another year."

Huang Shi pondered for a moment, thinking this problem could be solved: "No problem. By the way, Mr. Duncan, there are already dozens of Catholics on Longevity Island. Shouldn't the Jesuits consider helping us as well?"

If those people could be considered Catholics… Duncan thought to himself, "Sure, there are many skilled workers in Macau and other places. The Jesuits can help introduce them. I'll write a letter to Beijing right now."

Duncan hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something more, so Huang Shi gestured for him to speak freely.

"General, I am first and foremost a soldier, and a very qualified artillery officer. Casting cannons is just a necessary military skill. Based on my contributions to the army these past few days, I believe I am fully qualified to be an officer." Of course, Duncan's name wasn't on Huang Shi's list of recommended personnel to the court, which made him somewhat resentful.

Huang Shi was somewhat surprised by this dissatisfaction. He quickly explained to his foreign friend, "Mr. Duncan is my personal advisor. If I remember correctly, Mr. Duncan is Scottish, not registered in the Ming Dynasty's household registration or military register."

However, this explanation did little to quell Duncan's discontent. He angrily argued, "This makes absolutely no sense! According to our Western customs, I am perfectly qualified to be a mercenary officer, capable of leading troops independently. The general's refusal to give me a specific position is a disregard for my professional competence." "

Mr. Duncan is Scottish, isn't he?" "

Of course, but that doesn't prevent you from hiring me as an officer."

"The Ming Dynasty's army must be commanded by Ming Dynasty officers. There is no such thing as a mercenary officer. This is the Ming Dynasty's rule and law."

"Then can I join the Ming Dynasty's military?"

"That depends on whether Mr. Duncan is willing to renounce his Scottish citizenship. Moreover, to join the Ming Dynasty's military, you must change your surname and use a Chinese name." Duncan was

immediately speechless. Huang Shi smiled, walked over, and patted him on the shoulder in consolation: "Mr. Duncan, I regret to inform you, but the Ming Dynasty does not recognize dual citizenship."

...

After New Year's Day in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, grain ships from Shandong arrived at Changsheng Island.

Huang Shi, once again dressed in his official robes, respectfully greeted the Dengzhou grain official escorting the ship at the dock: "Lord Zhen, you've had a long journey."

Changsheng Island had two thousand soldiers, and the annual allowance was 24,000 shi of rice and 6,000 bolts of cloth, plus 15,000 taels of silver. Although Dongjiang had taken 5,000 taels, this time, rewards for captured soldiers and imperial gifts were also distributed, totaling 20,000 taels of silver.

"These are the receipts for the original and discounted amounts. General Huang, please accept them after inspection." Zhen Yucun, a Jinshi graduate from the 42nd year of the Wanli reign, was currently the sixth-rank grain official in charge of the Dengzhou prefecture.

Huang Shi acknowledged the order and invited the grain official into the Changsheng residence for tea. Yang Zhiyuan hurriedly led his men to move the supplies into the warehouse.

After Yang Zhiyuan handed over the list, Huang Shi examined it carefully, then secretly pulled Yang Zhiyuan aside and whispered a few words in his ear. Zhen Yucun ignored this, simply sitting there quietly drinking tea.

"Lord Zhen," Huang Shi said with a fawning smile, leaning closer to Zhen Yucun, and cautiously pointed to the list, asking, "The silver here is exactly fourteen thousand taels."

Zhen Yucun didn't even glance at the list, softly uttering two words: "Drifted away."

Huang Shi quickly nodded vigorously: "I see, I understand," his finger moving down: "The rice is also seventeen thousand shi, exactly thirty percent short."

"Drifted away."

"I see, you've had a hard journey, sir."

The cloth on the list also showed exactly thirty percent missing, presumably also "drifted away," so Huang Shi didn't dare ask any more questions.

"General Huang, can we proceed with the payment now?"

"Of course, of course." Huang Shi quickly signed off on the payment of 20,000 taels of silver, 24,000 shi of rice, and 6,000 shi of cloth. As the saying goes, helping others is helping yourself; going against the Shandong civil officials who control the grain rations will bring no benefit whatsoever. After

sending off the Dengzhou grain official with fanfare, Huang Shi hurried to inspect the artisans who had been transported by ship. Eunuch Wu had spoken favorably of Huang Shi to the palace, and the Tianqi Emperor had issued an order to the Ministry of Works to transfer a group of artisan households from Shandong to Changsheng Island.

These twenty carpenters and blacksmiths, with their families, stood before Huang Shi. After bowing, they waited listlessly for their assignments, knowing they were destined to be lowly people wherever they went, destined to do hard labor.

"Now that you've arrived in Changsheng, are you willing to join Dongjiang Town and become military households?" Huang Shi loudly asked the hundred or so men, women, and children.

Military households were slightly higher than artisan households, causing a stir among the crowd. They couldn't believe such a good thing was happening, and their eyes were filled with hesitation as they looked at Huang Shi, worried about what might follow.

"You won't be sent to the battlefield. You'll remain artisans on Changsheng Island. Your marriages and children will be treated exactly the same as other military households, and..." Huang Shi smiled and drew out his words, hoping these artisans would work more proactively and not always feel like their ancestors had been slaves: "If you do well, you'll receive merit and promotions, and you can also obtain hereditary land in Dongjiang Town."

...

Although Duncan blew his conch shell loudly, few people were willing to come to this remote island of Changsheng. In the end, only one Dutchman arrived, a down-on-his-luck sailor who had been begging and waiting to die in Macau.

"The Dutch?" Huang Shi looked at the resume in surprise. "Aren't all Dutch people Protestants?"

This extensive knowledge startled Duncan. He quickly made the sign of the cross: "May God save their souls." Then he closed his eyes, pretending to pray while thinking of his words. When he opened his eyes, he was already confident: "After he wandered to Macau, he was called by God, so he confessed his past sins to the Jesuits."

"Like you?" Huang Shi vaguely remembered that Duncan had said the same thing about him.

"Yes, like me." Duncan made the sign of the cross again: "Praise be to God."

(End of Section 27)

(End of Chapter) Excerpt from

the spin-off

"Biographies of Famous Dutch Figures":

Stevenson van Rosenford… In 1620, the Rosenford brothers chose drastically different paths. One sailed west, eventually reaching New Amsterdam (then the name of the continent). Stevenson, however, traveled east, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, all the way to China. Four years later, he met Stonethegreat in Northeast China… Stonethegreat's pioneering spirit and support for science and technology were clearly influenced by Stevenson. This pragmatic spirit is characteristic of Protestantism, not the outdated and corrupt Catholic mindset… Stonethegreat's ability to extricate himself from the quagmire of Jesuit superstition demonstrates the invaluable contribution of Dutch Protestants… Throughout Stonethegreat's life, we see the Protestant acceptance of science and disdain for superstition. We firmly believe that it was this deeply ingrained Protestant imprint on Stonethegre that brought China more scientific ideas and remarkable technological advancements.

Volume 9 The Fierce North Wind's Intentions Unfulfilled

Chapter 01 A New

Spring In the first month of the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Qi, the Ministry of War and the Dongjiang Garrison issued their approvals, and Huang Shi's recommendations for a large number of officers under his command were recognized and formally approved.

"He Baodao and Yang Zhiyuan were appointed as Vice Commanders of Jinzhou Guard, and Zhao Manxiong and Jin Qiude were appointed as Deputy Commanders of Changshengtun of Jinzhou Guard." From then on, all four of them were third-rank military officers.

Huang Shi then read out their individual appointments: "He Baodao, Training Commander of Changsheng Island; Yang Zhiyuan, Old Camp Commander of Changsheng Island; Jin Qiude, Commander of the Banner of Changsheng Island; Zhao Manxiong, Commander of the Seal of Changsheng Island." Finally, Huang Shi announced their positions in Dongjiang Town: "The four of you will lead the Dongjiang Guerrilla Forces, with hereditary positions as Banner Officers of Dongjiang Town."

Huang Shi's Changsheng Island was said to have 6,000 soldiers, exceeding the quota for a general. After verification, it still had 2,000 men, equivalent to the direct command of a deputy general in other small military towns. Therefore, he immediately requested four guerrilla positions.

"This humble general thanks Your Excellency for your promotion." The four men sincerely knelt and bowed. Two years ago, when they set out from Guangning, their troops numbered only 200, and the four of them were just minor officers. Yet, in such a short time, they had all become generals and theoretically possessed several hundred acres of hereditary land.

"Please rise, Generals," Huang Shi said with a smile, handing them the official documents.

Wu Mu, who was observing the ceremony, also smiled and said, "I congratulate the four generals as well."

In addition, officers such as Liu Qingyang, Bao Jiusun, and Li Yunrui also rose in rank. Duncan was still considering his nationality, so he wouldn't have a chance to get a share this time.

After the formal ceremony of rewarding merits ended, Huang Shi and Bao Jiusun began discussing domestic affairs, starting with weapon improvement.

"From now on, the spears should be nine feet long, with a seven-and-a-half-foot shaft and a one-and-a-half-foot blade." Huang Shi personally drew a design sketch for the blade: a streamlined blade with two small flying blades at the bottom to prevent excessive penetration, and four blood grooves on the blade that converge at the tip, making it easier to pull out and greatly reducing the weight of the blade.

Bao Jiusun looked at it and thought there were no major problems: "How many do you need, sir?"

"If you need to make a thousand, how long will it take to complete?"

The shafts were easy to handle; most carpenters were currently idle. Most of the metalworkers on the island were counterfeiting money, and the remaining skilled craftsmen could only produce one spear blade per day. Bao Jiusun calculated, "Reporting to my lord, it will take three months."

It seemed a full-scale replacement would have to wait. "Then make twenty first, complete them within three days, and hand them over to Guerrilla Commander He for inspection."

"Yes, sir."

If the results were good, then large-scale production and replacement could begin. In this era, spear blades over a foot long had to be forged and grooved by hand by craftsmen, which was quite inefficient.

Changsheng Island had already banned the use of coal to forge weapons. According to Huang Shi's orders, craftsmen had to first make charcoal from firewood and then use the charcoal fire to forge weapons. China had long ago mined large quantities of coal to supply the Ministry of Works, but this was also a disadvantage. The phosphorus in the coal seeped into the iron, making the weapons brittle, while the West, due to its backward handicraft workshops, could produce armor and weapons with better toughness.

"And there's farmland. We need to reclaim another 30,000 mu this year." Nearly 30,000 mu of land on Changsheng Island has already been reclaimed, and the total arable area of the entire island is confirmed to be approximately 80,000 mu. West Island and Middle Island also have tens of thousands of mu remaining. However, due to a shortage of manpower, reclamation can only proceed slowly.

"This subordinate will do his best, sir, please rest assured." Bao Jiusun looked troubled but still readily agreed.

"How many ducks have you raised?"

"Five thousand, and we can collect 1,500 eggs every day.

" "Raise more."

"Yes."

"There's also fishing and salt production. We have plenty of fish, over 100,000 jin per month, but the salt is too scarce."

"Sir, you understand, we are severely lacking in manpower for salt production, and General Yang has allocated very little firewood."

...

The copper coin trade with Japan is becoming increasingly smooth. The copper coin minting workshop is operating day and night, and Kuroshima Yasuo will soon be able to set sail again. Huang Shi estimates that by the end of this year, the profit from the trade with Japan will reach 5,000 taels of silver per month.

So far, Huang Shi has been cautiously reinvesting profits into production, so Changsheng Island's military and civilian sectors haven't benefited much from it. Moreover, the counterfeiting of money hasn't reached its marginal effect; the amount invested and the resulting profit growth are still largely linear. Liu Qingyang is already considering buying another secondhand, dilapidated ship, a plan Captain Kuroshima Yasuo naturally agrees with, dreaming of becoming the captain of the Kuroshima Fleet.

"If only we could build our own ships," Huang Shi thought, observing the changes every day as he surveyed his territory. More people were flocking to Changsheng Island, new houses were being built everywhere, and a baby was born this month. "But manpower...it's all about manpower..."

Changsheng Island's population has surpassed ten thousand, but there's still a severe manpower shortage. In Huang Shi's view, the agricultural population can provide very little military support to the regime. For example, in his previous life, during the Opium War, many people remarked on China's nearly 30% share of the global GDP at the time… Undoubtedly, the output of 400 million farmers paled in comparison to that of 5 million industrial workers. However, most of what farmers produced was consumed in daily life, and it was difficult to concentrate and transform it into combat power. The war potential that a nation could tap into from a few million workers was something that 400 million farmers could never match.

The Dutchman Rosenford also brought a treasure. Huang Shi once again came to the warehouse that had been hastily built specifically to preserve this treasure. Several soldiers were oiling her under Rosenford's command. The heartless Jesuits had exchanged this treasure for a full 500 taels of silver, supposedly only because Huang Shi had helped with missionary work. That was a month's salary for 800 soldiers to bring her to Longevity Island.

Now she lay quietly at Huang Shi's feet, radiating a soft metallic sheen. When Huang Shi knelt down to stroke her, the coldness from his fingertips filled him with admiration—her name was "Water-Powered Boring Machine."

(End of Chapter 1)

The fierce north wind's intent remains unfulfilled. Chapter 2: Sowing the

Seeds. Wang Yangming, a great figure in military, philosophical, political, and financial affairs during the Ming Dynasty, and Leonardo da Vinci from the West—these two men made Huang Shi realize that "geniuses" truly exist in the world.

The mechanical genius Leonardo da Vinci had died a century ago, but the machines and weapons he tinkered with as a hobby still exerted influence. Even today, in the late Ming Dynasty, the thousands of machines and weapons he designed in his spare time still have epoch-making significance.

The utilization of energy and using machines to produce machines—this was Huang Shi's personal understanding of the nascent form of industrialization. News of the Jesuits bringing in some machine tools made him extremely eager, and he immediately sent Duncan and Rosenford to arrange the purchase. However, the Jesuits said that these hydraulic machine tools were ordered by Sun Yuanhua, so they could not be sold.

After repeated pleas and haggling, the Jesuits sold a boring machine worth less than a hundred taels of silver to Huang Shi for five hundred taels, and the rest was still transported to Shandong for Sun Yuanhua.

Through his own observation and explanations from Duncan and Rosenford, Huang Shi learned that this water-powered boring machine was handcrafted, which slightly disappointed him. But it was, after all, an industrial machine tool, radiating mechanical beauty—a beauty that others couldn't comprehend for Huang Shi's profound appreciation. Seeing

Huang Shi once again stroking the boring machine for a long time without standing up, Duncan couldn't help but ask again, "How many cannons does the general intend to build?"

The main function of boring machines in this era was in cannon manufacturing. After the casting was completed, the boring machine could grind the inner wall of the pre-set holes to form a smooth bore. As the name suggests, a water-powered boring machine required a waterwheel-like device for power, which could expand the inner wall of the cannon barrel until the mechanical requirements were met.

Historically, after Sun Yuanhua converted to Catholicism, he used the Jesuits to translate "Illustrations of Western Weapons" and imported a large number of hydraulic machines, initiating a vigorous cannon-casting campaign in Shandong.

Huang Shi stood up, still lingering on the machine tool, his gaze reluctant to leave: "Duncan, do you still think it's a waste?"

Duncan noticed Huang Shi's mechanical obsession. Although he didn't understand how such a condition existed, he still reminded him out of duty: "Yes, manual polishing is sufficient. Unless the general wants to cast hundreds of cannons, boring machines are simply too expensive. Besides, we haven't even gathered enough bronze for casting cannons yet."

"But if we don't buy them now, we won't be able to. The Jesuits can't just ship one or two boring machines and drilling machines from Europe for us, and I don't think they're that expensive."

Rosenford, looking at the sulking Duncan, added to Huang Shi: "Longevity Island only has streams. If we want to build waterwheels, the general will need to dig irrigation canals, and, well, build dams to store water, so that these boring machines can work."

"Then let's build dams. I can organize people to build a reservoir, no, several reservoirs. Later, I'll buy even more boring machines and drilling machines."

Duncan sneered, "With this much time, we could have finished grinding ten cannons by hand, and we don't even have enough copper for the cannon castings yet, and we're already building dams for the next few cannons. General, you really have money."

Huang Shi smiled unfazed, "Waterwheels have many other uses."

"They're only used for grinding flour!"

Duncan's indignant words made Huang Shi burst into laughter, "Let me tell you a story. There were two people who were about to starve to death. They found a basket of fish and a fishing rod. One wanted the fish, and the other wanted the fishing rod. In the end, the former still starved to death, and the latter starved to death when he saw the sea. What do you think? On Changsheng Island, we want both fish and fishing rods. We have to grasp both and make both strong."

"It's nothing more than a penny underfoot and a gold mine overseas. Can this boring machine be a gold mine?" Duncan was still unconvinced.

“Waterwheels can be used for many years, can’t we just look at them for a few months?”

Duncan scoffed again. “With that time and money, General, you would have already achieved greater merit, received more fiefdoms, and recruited more men. General, forgive my bluntness, but your understanding of foresight is flawed; you have absolutely no foresight.”

Huang Shi ignored him and looked at Rosenford instead: “I remember you saying that water-powered sawing has already appeared in the Netherlands.” — If it were only five years, Duncan’s foresight would undoubtedly be correct; perhaps he would be correct even after ten years, and maybe he would be correct for my entire life. But I come from an industrial age; I know the inevitable direction of history. The Four Great Inventions were known in my time as blossoming in the East and fragrant in the West; this time, let mechanical inventions blossom in the West and fragrant in the East.

“Yes, but it’s not very meaningful, just a fun toy.” Rosenford shrugged. He had told Huang Shi about it as an anecdote last time: “The General’s Changsheng Island has enough manpower to saw wood.”

“I’d like to play with it too. Once the waterwheel is built, Mr. Rosenford, could you help me build one?”

“Then so be it, General.” Rosenford reluctantly agreed.

The history of mechanical development is full of setbacks and ups and downs. First, the cost of primitive machinery was far higher than the cost of manpower. For example, two oxen could handle the work of grinding flour with a waterwheel, and with the time it takes to build a reservoir, wooden planks could be sawed into a small mountain. Second, there was the pressure of population. During the Roman Empire, a machine for moving stones was invented, which the Roman emperor denounced as “stealing bread from the mouths of the poor.” China once planned to transport grain by sea, which was also called “the livelihood of millions of canal workers.”

“Very good, I will immediately organize manpower to build a reservoir.” — I don’t care about the cost. I have a good understanding of the power of industry. It’s just a matter of population. Now, Changsheng Island has no pressure at all.

In the first month of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign (1624), Mao Wenlong launched his four-year offensive, on which he had placed high hopes. The Ming army in Liaodong first clashed with the Later Jin army at Kuandian. The Ming left flank, led by the future generals Kong Youde, Geng Jingzhong, and Shang Kexi, defeated a portion of the Bordered Blue Banner at Zhendian Fort, beheading 361 men. After being inspected by Yuan Chonghuan, the Ningyuan military commissioner, they were praised as "truly formidable warriors." Kong, Geng, and Shang all came from Liaodong mining families, and the reputation of the three miners of Dongjiang began to resound.

The left and central Ming armies suffered heavy losses, relentlessly pursued by the Later Jin's two Blue Banner cavalry to the vicinity of Zhenjiang. According to Korean officials, the battlefield of Dongjiang was littered with the corpses of soldiers, a scene of utter devastation.

The Ming offensive in Liaodong in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign ended in failure, and after this heavy blow, the Ming army in Liaodong was forced to adopt a defensive posture.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. The Eastern General's headquarters was suffocating under the pressure of the two Blue Banners. Both the imperial court and the Eastern River headquarters wanted to know what the Eastern River Army in Liaonan was doing.

(End of Chapter 02)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 03 The Storm

March of the fourth year of Tianqi, Changsheng Island.

Huang Shi strode in, then stood aside. Wu Mu followed him into the tent, returned a half salute to the officers, and then sat down to one side. During Huang Shi's absence, Wu Mu seized the opportunity to familiarize himself with the management system and became acquainted with all the officers. Now, the possibility of holding military meetings without his presence was no longer possible.

No wonder Zhao Manxiong had once asked Huang Shi how to deal with Wu Mu. However, since he had not thought of taking isolation measures at the time, there was no going back now. Forcibly ordering officers not to contact the supervisor would arouse suspicion of rebellion.

"Let's begin the military council."

The current procedure was for the intelligence officer to report first, and Li Yunrui, sitting last in the table, naturally stepped forward first: "Reporting to you, sir, it has been confirmed that the elite Zheng Hong Banner

troops from Gaizhou have marched south. All twenty-one Niru (military units) of the Jurchen Zheng Hong Banner have been mobilized, with each Niru contributing an average of fifty soldiers, totaling over a thousand. I estimate this is the same group deployed north of Jinzhou." Huang Shi no longer required detailed reports on military intelligence; this kind of overview made the situation clear to him. However, occasional spot checks were still necessary, such as at today's military council: "How did you determine this?"

"I reviewed intelligence from spies near Gaizhou, and about 30% of it was indeed credible. This intelligence involved nine Jurchen Niru, and without exception, each mobilized forty-five to fifty-five soldiers, with all the white-armored soldiers from each Niru deployed. Therefore, I conclude that this is a general mobilization of the Jurchen Zheng Hong Banner."

There were specific methods for judging the credibility of intelligence, and many successful and unsuccessful experiences and lessons learned, so Huang Shi didn't ask further: "Very good, continue."

"Your subordinate dispatched personnel to Lushun Fortress, retrieved the military intelligence, and analyzed it. The Jurchens in northern Jinzhou have constructed four camps, some bearing the Jurchen Red Banner. Your subordinate believes the Jurchens' strength against our Changsheng Island forces comprises approximately 1,500 combat troops and over 2,000 auxiliary troops… No signs of shipbuilding or siege weaponry have been found. Our forces and our allies in Jinzhou are not under threat."

"And what about the Jurchen defenses in the Gaizhou region?"

"In Gaizhou, the Jianzhou Jurchen Plain Red Banner comprises twenty-one Niru with six thousand men, of whom only about six hundred are combat soldiers. The remaining four thousand are unarmored auxiliary troops. The villages have already moved further inland, and are now more than twenty li from the coast."

Twenty li is quite a distance, giving the enemy a considerable amount of warning time. Huang Shi pondered this intelligence. Li Yunrui had already clasped his hands in greeting to Wu Mu beside him and Huang Shi in the center: "Supervisor, sir, I have finished speaking."

"Hmm," Huang Shi responded absentmindedly, still deep in thought, then perked up and asked, "Does Eunuch Wu have any questions?"

Wu Mu shook his head and replied in a high-pitched voice, "I have no questions, General Huang, please proceed."

"Guerrilla General Yang, if we march on Gaizhou, what about our supplies and ships?"

"Reporting to sir, our ships can transport one thousand soldiers and three hundred horses at a time, and our provisions can support the troops for fifteen days..."

After Yang Zhiyuan finished speaking, Wu Mu still indicated that he had no questions. Then He Baodao reported on the training situation.

"...Supervisor, sir, I have finished speaking."

"Does Eunuch Wu have any questions?" Huang Shi asked routinely.

“No,” Wu Mu couldn’t help but praise, “I also know the saying, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated,’ but it’s only after meeting General Huang that I truly understand how to know yourself and your enemy. Haha, General Huang is truly a pillar of our Great Ming.”

“Eunuch Wu is too kind,” Huang Shi said modestly, then addressed the officers below, “It is currently spring planting season, and the Jurchen auxiliary troops have all gone to the fields. They cannot assemble in time. In previous years, from March to July, our Dongjiang Army has rarely fought against the Jurchens. Therefore, I have made up my mind to send troops to the outskirts of Gaizhou to harass and kill the Jurchen auxiliary troops who are currently working in the fields. The force should be sufficient to repel six hundred Jurchen soldiers in a direct confrontation.”

After saying this long speech, Huang Shi took a deep breath: “Where is Zhao Youji?”

“Your subordinate is here.”

“Formulate a plan.” Huang Shi always believed that the General Staff was responsible for turning the commander’s decisions into feasible strategies on paper.

"Your subordinate obeys."

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing oneself is enlightenment—Huang Shi had long since cast aside the arrogance he displayed in Guangning. He realized he had been too ignorant, believing he could contend with ancient heroes and generals with mere historical knowledge. Now, his new goal was to cultivate a military system that transcended individual capabilities.

"Don't strive for perfection; imperfections are acceptable."

"Your subordinate understands."

Huang Shi discovered that his past series of prescient predictions had a negative side effect: severely limiting Zhao Manxiong's imagination. Huang Shi investigated the plans Zhao Manxiong had devised when leading the army; they were all the same: luring the enemy to a chosen location, exhausting their forces, and preparing traps and roadblocks beforehand. Huang Shi harshly criticized this way of thinking, but Zhao Manxiong still seemed somewhat puzzled, unable to understand why Huang Shi alone could think so clearly, while his entire staff of officers couldn't devise such perfect plans.

During the conversation, Huang Shi noticed that Jin Qiude looked somewhat somber. At every military meeting like this, this military judge always seemed unable to get a word in edgewise. "Guerrilla Jin."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Go assist Guerrilla Zhao in formulating the plan."

Jin Qiude gasped, then exclaimed joyfully, "Your subordinate obeys!"

"Eunuch Wu?" Seeing Wu Mu shake his head, Huang Shi immediately announced, "Military meeting adjourned."

Before he finished speaking, Yang Zhiyuan stepped forward and said loudly, "Supervisor, Your Excellency, Your Excellency has something to say."

"Speak," Huang Shi said, slightly surprised to see the indignation on Yang Zhiyuan's face.

"Your Excellency believes that Guerrilla Jin has acted unjustly in enforcing military law, failing Your Excellency's trust." After saying this, Yang Zhiyuan glared at Jin Qiude.

Although Jin Qiude's face darkened, he didn't seem surprised and glared back.

Huang Shi frowned: "Guerrilla General Yang, speak slowly. What exactly happened?"

(End of Chapter 3)

The Fierce North Wind's Intent Fails Chapter 4: The Strategist

"Reporting to you, sir, two men in the camp assaulted someone's betrothed wife. Guerrilla General Jin only sentenced each of them to forty lashes. What's even worse is..." Yang Zhiyuan glared angrily at Jin Qiude again, while loudly reporting, "Guerrilla General Jin personally supervised the punishment, and those two scoundrels were able to continue drills the next day as if nothing had happened! Yesterday, after hearing about it, I went to argue with Guerrilla General Jin, but he refused to punish them severely. Therefore, I humbly request that you, sir, personally punish the culprits to reassure the soldiers." "

Guerrilla General Jin, what do you have to say?"

"There is no provision in military law against raping someone's betrothed wife. General Yang wants me to sentence the two men to eighty strokes of the cane and thirty days of hard labor for seriously injuring a colleague, but I cannot agree to that."

Jin Qiude glanced at Yang Zhiyuan and snorted, continuing, "According to the Ming Dynasty's household law, I determined their crime to be exile, forty strokes of the cane, and double the betrothal money to the aggrieved party. These two were already in the army, so there was no question of exile. I also inquired and found that the groom had no betrothal gifts, so there was no need for compensation. They were still given forty strokes of the cane; what's wrong with that? As for their ability to drill the next day, that's because they are physically strong, and their insistence on drills should be encouraged. Should we force them to deliberately stay in bed for days to be reasonable?"

Hearing this, everyone understood that Jin Qiude was arguing unreasonably. Huang Shi went straight to the point, asking, "General Jin, who are these two people? And who is the aggrieved groom?"

“This humble general has already inquired with Commander He. Both men distinguished themselves in the Battle of Jinzhou. One of them followed you to Lushun and is now an acting battalion commander, while the other is a sergeant. The man who suffered the loss is an auxiliary soldier who has only been on my Changsheng Island for less than four months.”

Jin Qiude finished speaking and listed the names and achievements of the two men. He Baodao sighed in acknowledgment.

Yang Zhiyuan bowed to Huang Shi again: “This humble general humbly requests that you uphold justice, sir, to reassure the officers and soldiers.”

Seeing Huang Shi remain silent, Jin Qiude looked smug and gave Yang Zhiyuan a defiant snort.

After a long silence in the tent, Huang Shi slowly asked, "How did you rule on the case of the victim and the woman in the end?"

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, raping a woman's family is not a crime, and there is no need to pay double the dowry. If the man insists on annulling the engagement, he can claim half of the dowry and allow her to remarry; otherwise, the couple should be encouraged to stay together. The victim was unwilling to annul the engagement, so I asked them to choose a date for the wedding, and the matter was settled in one lump sum." Jin Qiude explained in detail, his words truly reasonable and well-founded.

"If they were already married, how would you sentence them?" "

According to the Ming Dynasty's Household Law, rapists are exiled to the army and given eighty strokes of the cane. Couples are encouraged to stay together, and if the wife remarries, the betrothal gifts are not refunded, and the dowry is returned."

"So it's still just eighty strokes, and they can still go to drill the next day? And the victim gets nothing?"

Hearing Huang Shi's unfriendly tone, Wu Mu couldn't help but chime in, "General Huang, I'd like to say a few words."

"Please speak, Eunuch Wu." "Guerrilla

Jin has been in charge of military law for a long time, and I think he's done a pretty good job. Those two soldiers, I think they've also made contributions."

Huang Shi knew what Wu Mu was referring to. Icebreaking, drills, and production on Changsheng Island had always been well-organized, which was inseparable from Jin Qiude's strict enforcement of military law. Jin Qiude had personally examined the sick and wounded, not allowing anyone to slack off, and he had indeed thoroughly understood the spirit of the Changsheng Army's military law. The flexible enforcement of military law had become a great help to the training and production on Changsheng Island.

However, Huang Shi intuitively felt that this system wouldn't have a good long-term outcome. In feudal society, those with official titles could refuse to bow to officials or be subjected to torture, while commoners who sued officials would first be beaten with forty strokes of the rod. Jin Qiude's standard was not fundamentally different from general feudal law; it was still the same old rule that etiquette did not apply to commoners and that punishment did not apply to scholars and officials.

However, this feudal remnant wasn't so easy to sever, especially since the military supervisor had subtly expressed his opinion. This forced Huang Shi to come up with a plausible reason. In short, this momentum couldn't be allowed to continue, otherwise the feudal traditions of Changsheng Island would be revived, which would weaken Huang Shi's power and authority.

Since the military supervisor Wu Mu had spoken, Huang Shi, his superior, seemed unsure of what to say, so Yang Zhiyuan silently withdrew, and the meeting ended.

Two days later, Zhao Manxiong brought a dozen military plans for Huang Shi to review, which Huang Shi approved repeatedly: "Very good. This time it was fast and plentiful, without pursuing too many details. The battlefield is ever-changing, Brother Manxiong, you finally understand this principle."

"Most of the decisions were made by Jin Qiude; I dare not take credit."

Zhao Manxiong said this with emphasis, without a trace of shame or jealousy in his tone.

Huang Shi, intently studying the report in his hands, said coldly, "Slow Bear, just say what you mean. Stop beating around the bush."

"Sir, your incorporation of the personal guards of your generals is truly a brilliant move,"

Huang Shi chuckled. "I intended to turn this fire brigade into the Huang Family Army; I haven't hidden that from you."

"Then you shouldn't have let Jin Qiude take charge of military law. That's too much power. I've noticed many officers and soldiers are extremely respectful to Jin Qiude, mostly out of fear, but some seem to be out of respect."

His gaze remained fixed on the report, but Huang Shi's hand had already begun unconsciously rubbing the paper. "Brother Slow Bear, please continue."

"After the Guangning Campaign, do you remember that time I accompanied you for a chat, sir?"

"The one where you advised me to become a wealthy landowner, hunting and taking concubines?"

"Yes, I said Jin Qiude was decisive and ambitious, but you commented, 'He's just a knife.' I wholeheartedly agree. But if he's a knife, he has to hold it firmly, right?"

The current Chief of Staff, Zhao Manxiong, said leisurely, "Looking at all the officers on Changsheng Island, my position has the least power. When you have an idea, I lead the team to formulate a plan and then submit it to you for review. Every move is completely monitored by you."

"Is Jin Qiude capable?"

"No problem. He's meticulous and more decisive than I am. This position doesn't require someone who thinks too much; I'm afraid I always overthink things."

(End of Chapter 4)

The fierce north wind's ambition remains unfulfilled. Chapter 5: The Military Law

Staff is indeed merely an executive body of the Commander-in-Chief, perfecting and implementing the Commander-in-Chief's strategic and operational decisions. Huang Shi expressed his appreciation for Zhao Manxiong's idea and asked if he had anything else to say.

"Loyalty to the Emperor, Patriotism, Catholicism, and the Internal Guard are also problematic?" Huang Shi's face darkened instantly. These two were also important tools for him to transform the Longevity Army into his private army. "What's the problem?"

"Hong Antong's loyalty to you isn't fanatical enough, and that church needs to be led by your fervent admirers and absolutely reliable confidants. As for the Internal Guard you established, it seems to be your personal spies, right?" "

Yes." Huang Shi had already established the Internal Guard. If Li Yunrui's organization was a relatively pure military intelligence agency, then the Internal Guard was a KGB-like secret intelligence agency.

"My relationship with you is too close, and I'm prone to becoming arrogant. We must be wary of this. I think it would be best to switch him and Hong Antong's positions." "

That's easy, but if your position is given to Jin Qiude, what will you do?"

"I don't want to do anything. I'll just stay by your side and slowly come up with ideas."

That's also easy to handle. If Zhao Manxiong wants to be the head of the "No-Man's Department," then so be it.

"...

Before the military council begins, the first thing is personnel changes. Guerrilla Jin assisted in formulating the military plan, and his work was outstanding. I am very satisfied. Effective immediately, Guerrilla Zhao is suspended from his post, and all his work is handed over to Guerrilla Jin."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Manxiong immediately drooped his head like a wilted eggplant, and said with a mournful face, "This subordinate obeys."

Jin Qiude glanced at the gloomy Zhao Manxiong and stepped forward, saying, "Sir, Guerrilla Zhao has worked diligently and conscientiously. Even if he has not made any great contributions, he has certainly put in a lot of effort. This subordinate would like to ask that Your Excellency rescind your order."

Huang Shi smiled broadly at Jin Qiude and said, "This general has made up his mind. Guerrilla Jin will reluctantly accept the order."

Jin Qiude suppressed his pride and joy and bowed, saying, "This subordinate obeys."

"However," Huang Shi changed his tone, "this general believes that Guerrilla Jin cannot act with impartiality in all matters, so he is not suitable to continue serving as military judge. This position will be given to Guerrilla Yang."

"This subordinate obeys." Before the astonished Jin Qiude could react, Yang Zhiyuan jumped out and agreed.

Everyone in the tent knew exactly what Huang Shi was referring to. Jin Qiude knelt on one knee: "This humble general is foolish and has failed your trust, sir. I am filled with trepidation. May I ask, sir, how should the case be judged?"

Huang Shi gestured for him to rise and said softly, "Guerrilla General Jin, please rise." After Jin Qiude carefully stood up, Huang Shi withdrew his arm and asked Yang Zhiyuan, "Guerrilla General Yang, how will you handle this case?"

Yang Zhiyuan took a deep breath, his lips pursed, and exhaled before speaking: "This humble general believes that we should bring up the case again, questioning the aggrieved party and the two convicted soldiers, ensuring that the aggrieved party receives justice and the convicted soldiers are compensated."

Huang Shi shook his head without speaking, clearly disagreeing with this decision.

Yang Zhiyuan bowed hastily, "This humble general is foolish and ignorant, daring to ask—Sir, please enlighten me."

"Commander Jin has already been punished according to military law, and the offending soldier has been executed, so this case has been closed." Huang Shi had long made up his mind—he absolutely could not let the soldiers think that he was being harsh on his meritorious subordinates, and he would not pursue the people that Jin Qiude had let go this time.

It sounded like a fifty-fifty-fifty-stroke approach, but everyone, including Zhao Manxiong, was somewhat puzzled. Neither Jin Qiude nor Yang Zhiyuan would be satisfied with this treatment, so what was Huang Shi's purpose in doing this?

Huang Shi stepped down from the center of the tent and bowed twice towards Beijing, "I am foolish and incompetent, and I rely entirely on the grace of His Majesty and the court to be here in charge of the military affairs of Changsheng, Zhong, and Xi Islands, and to control the officers and soldiers."

Everyone hurriedly followed suit and bowed twice, even Wu Mu, who was dissatisfied, quickly stood up.

Huang Shi's face was solemn, his deep gaze seemingly piercing through the tent and reaching the sky. His tone was meticulous and trembling with fear: "The Longevity Army is the army of the nation, the army of His Majesty, not mine. Therefore, since I established the military judges, I have never dared to change their judgments based on my own likes or dislikes. This intention is as clear as the sun and moon."

"His Majesty's great favor and trust have enabled me to establish military laws for the masses. Although the military laws were written by me, they are not my laws, but His Majesty's laws governing the Longevity Army, the military laws of the Great Ming. If I were to change the judgment in this case today based on my own likes or dislikes, then the Longevity Army would only know to fear me, not the military laws of the nation. I dare not overstep my bounds, and I dare not fail to nip this in the bud."

After finishing his impassioned speech, Huang Shi slowly walked back to the center, allowing those in the tent to digest the logic in his words. Then he took out a stack of papers, held them up with both hands, and said to Wu Mu, "This humble general believes that the Changsheng Military Law has some shortcomings, so I have reviewed it overnight. Please review it, Supervisor."

After Wu Mu blankly accepted the set of laws, Huang Shi turned to the entire battalion and said, "Once the military law is approved by the Supervisor, it will be the common military law of Changsheng, Zhongdao, and Xidao. If there are still shortcomings, I will revise it again, but one case will not be judged twice, and one crime will not be punished twice. If I have made a mistake, I will be punished the same as a common soldier. Before the military law, all officers and soldiers are equal. Please make sure that Guerrilla Commander Yang remembers this well. Because the military law is the law of the country, it is above everyone else, and it is also above me, Huang Shi."

Wu Mu had always felt that Huang Shi was a very pure soldier, and Huang Shi's declaration today was even more resounding. As the commander of an army, to publicly declare that he would not interfere with military law and act as a local tyrant was truly unbelievable. He excitedly said, "General Huang's loyalty to the emperor and his patriotism have once again been witnessed firsthand. General Huang, rest assured, I will carefully review the military law and will not let your efforts be in vain."

"Thank you, Eunuch Wu." Huang Shi smiled inwardly. In this way, the military judges in the army would no longer have the opportunity to cultivate private power. Moreover, the entire army would have unified orders, and there would be no private law, family law... well, it was Huang Shi's feudal private law that swallowed up the private law territory of his subordinates.

Although Huang Shi had given up the power of life and death, he believed that there was gain in loss. His power to decide the life and death of his subordinates with a single word was the root of the feudal power on Changsheng Island. Without overthrowing this power, the attempt to cut off the tail of feudalism would not succeed.

Although Yang Zhiyuan's loyalty was reliable, Huang Shi believed that a sound system was more reliable than human hearts, and that it would be even better if power were further dispersed. Therefore...

"Yang Zhiyuan shall be in charge of military law, and the punishment of flogging shall be handed over to He Baodao for supervision."

"Your subordinate obeys."

Yang Zhiyuan, He Baodao, and Li Yunrui all bowed in submission: "Your subordinate will remember your teachings today."

Jin Qiude was dazed and astonished. He was pulled by Zhao Manxiong beside him and bowed down as well, singing: "Your subordinate has learned a lot."

After once again stripping his subordinates of their feudal power, Huang Shi had unified the territory of Changsheng Island once more. With the internal integration completed, the next step was to figure out how to gain military merit from the Later Jin.

(End of Chapter 05)

The Fierce North Wind's Intent Unfulfilled Chapter 06 Harassment

For the sake of prudence, Huang Shi preferred to send out thousands of soldiers at once, so that he would not be afraid of the garrison troops of the Plain Red Banner, nor would he be afraid of the Han army self-defense forces in the villages occupied by the enemy. However, the General Staff believed that this was not feasible. They believed Huang Shi's plan was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. Liaodong was vast and sparsely populated; even a thousand troops, if grouped together, couldn't sweep through more than a few villages in a day.

Furthermore, frequent deployments would draw protests from Yang Zhiyuan; deploying a thousand men at a time would necessitate halting all fishing and placing immense pressure on military supplies. Jin Qiude also suggested harassment warfare, with units of a dozen or so men, guided by local spies, launching multiple attacks for sabotage.

This idea initially appealed to Huang Shi, but intelligence chief Li Yunrui vehemently opposed it. Changsheng Island had long strictly prohibited spies from participating in any sabotage operations, allowing its spy network in enemy-occupied territory to continuously expand. Multiple harassment operations would consume vast amounts of intelligence resources. Li Yunrui also pointed out that due to the lack of unified command in southern Liaodong, the harassment operations by the Lushun army had already caused losses to the Changsheng army's intelligence network in Fuzhou.

Conversely, if the intelligence network doesn't support this kind of harassment warfare, then the raiding soldiers will become expendable resources. Huang Shi is unwilling to waste his painstakingly trained army fighting a war of attrition against the Han Chinese self-defense forces in the villages. Small raiding units are also easily annihilated by the few hundred Plain Red Banner cavalry left behind.

"Each time, forty horses and twenty cavalrymen are smuggled across..." Yang Zhiyuan approves of maintaining this transport volume in the long term; it won't have much impact on the fishing industry on Changsheng Island. "

...Ashore before dawn, back to the island before sunset..." "The cavalry's mobility ensures they can run if they can't win. Such small units are more flexible and their harassment efficiency is higher.

" "...The main targets are draft cattle and draft horses, the secondary targets are enemy sows and goats, and of course, piglets and calves won't be spared either. Our army's motto is 'Better to kill one cow than three horses, better to kill one horse than three people.' This way, it won't incite too much hatred among the Han people, it's easier to strike, and we can even get some meat to eat. What do you think, sir?" "Jin Qiude has completed the strategic planning report.

" That's settled then. However, during the July harvest, we must prepare for a major offensive, intensifying our efforts to gather information on the grain requisition patterns and transshipment points in Gaizhou, to see if we can inflict a heavy blow on the Jurchens. "

Your subordinate obeys." "

In June of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign,

Changsheng Island, utilizing its maritime mobility, launched a three-month-long harassment campaign near Gaizhou, resulting in the deaths of over seventy officers and soldiers, the beheading of dozens, the slaughter of over three hundred oxen and calves, over seven hundred draft horses, the burning of hundreds of granaries and mills, and the destruction of thousands of livestock such as pigs and sheep. The cavalry, through combat training, has also expanded to over two hundred men.

" "Reporting to you, sir, this is my analysis of the grain transshipment routes." After a year of practice and effort, Li Yunrui now reports intelligence with great confidence. Pointing to several red dots on the map, he said, "The grain requisitioned by the Jurchens will first be delivered to these locations before being sent to Gaizhou. The defensive facilities of these reserve locations have been ascertained; the specific manpower will only be clear once the grain requisition begins." Huang

Shi carefully examined the situation for a while, then selected two locations he considered relatively easy to capture and retreat from, before handing them to Li Yunrui: "Give this to Guerrilla Jin for planning."

"Yes, sir, I take my leave."

Guerrilla warfare could keep the enemy on edge, intimidate local surrender factions, and train soldiers and boost morale. However, direct combat was a necessary means to ensure the safety of one's own base and expand territory. Huang Shi decided to borrow from his previous life's experience, combining guerrilla warfare with regular battles. Changsheng Island was currently unable to wage a major battle against the two Red Flag forces, but mobile warfare seemed worth trying.

So, after finishing this task, Huang Shi rushed to inspect the army's drills. On the training ground, drums thundered, and soldiers marched forward in unison to the beat.

The Scotsman Duncan had originally suggested using wind... Huang Shi, a fan of "Braveheart," initially admired the idea of using a flute, but He Baodao dismissed it with disdain, proposing instead the use of Shaanxi waist drums as military instruments.

Considering the difficulty of production and national pride, Huang Shi ultimately chose the waist drum, so for the past few months, the soldiers marched to its rhythm every day. This drumbeat ensured the integrity of the infantry formation during marches; if the soldiers were well-trained, the formation could even advance at a slow jog without breaking apart.

Huang Shi had barely stood at the edge of the training ground when He Baodao ran over and saluted: "Sir." "

Hmm." Huang Shi nodded to indicate he had heard, still watching the soldiers on the field, their steps moving to the beat of the drums, looking rather impressive. The officers on either side of the ranks, whips and batons in hand, glared menacingly at the soldiers' feet, chanting commands and slogans in drawn-out voices… the same tunes these officers trained by He Baodao chanted, which sounded strangely like the Shaanxi folk song "Xintianyou" to Huang Shi.

Finally, the drill time was over. He Baodao excused himself and ran back, whip in hand, while the soldiers, drenched in sweat, waited for the intermission.

"All troops—" He Baodao shouted at the top of his lungs: —Dismissed. "

Kill!" The soldiers

shouted in unison and scrambled to find shady spots to rest. This final shout, borrowed by Huang Shi from the People's Liberation Army, undeniably carried a powerful momentum and subconsciously kept the resting soldiers on high alert.

Soon, auxiliary soldiers from the main camp would bring water and lunch. After lunch and a half-hour rest, afternoon tactical training would begin.

The auxiliary soldiers bringing supplies were all women. To conserve manpower, Huang Shi ordered that women be formally organized into battalions as well, with tasks like boiling water and cooking all handled by the auxiliary soldiers in the female battalion. However, the female battalion on Changsheng Island wasn't called a "female battalion," as that term generally referred to military prostitutes. The entire island vehemently opposed this name, feeling it was too shameful to speak of their wives or sisters working in a female battalion. Therefore, Huang Shi named this female soldiers' battalion the "Rescue Battalion."

Mixed grain rice, coarse flatbread, roasted fish, and boiled alfalfa. As officers, Huang Shi and He Baodao were allowed an extra fish. While they sat down to eat, He Baodao seemed to have two mouths at once, spitting saliva and food scraps repeatedly onto Huang Shi's face: "My lord, I'm not bragging, but the fighting spirit of our ordinary soldiers in the Fire Rescue Battalion far surpasses that of the Jurchen soldiers, and can rival the Jurchen White-Armored Soldiers."

(End of Chapter 6)

The fierce north wind's intent unfulfilled. Chapter 7: The musket .

The White-Armored Soldiers He Baodao spoke of were the Bayara Guards. The Bayara Guards were servants of each Niru, their status equivalent to the household servants of Ming generals. Skilled in archery and horsemanship, the White-Armored Soldiers were considered professional soldiers, their interests closely tied to their masters, and they were the elite of the Later Jin Eight Banners. During Nurhaci's time, each Niru had three hundred bannermen, including one hundred armored soldiers and two hundred unarmored auxiliary soldiers, but only fifteen to seventeen White-Armored Soldiers.

"Yes, I agree." Huang Shi noticed that He Baodao spat a crumb of bread along with a fish bone into his bowl. Taking advantage of He Baodao's lowered head while eating, he quickly and discreetly flicked away the disgusting object. "Their fighting spirit is almost there, but in terms of the number of people our army has killed and the battles we've fought, they are far inferior to the Jurchen White Armor soldiers."

This time it was He Baodao's turn to reply in a low voice, "Yes, I agree..." He Baodao paused for a moment, then suddenly threw down the half-eaten bread and was about to get up. "They are far inferior; they must be rigorously trained." Huang Shi quickly grabbed

him. "Brother He, I said we should rest for half an hour after the meal. We can't rush the soldiers." Huang Shi didn't want to create a batch of appendicitis cases; it was an incurable disease in this era.

"Rest assured, sir, I am merely going to discuss the afternoon's drills with the officers. With the drill regulations personally written by you, I dare not act recklessly."

"Since the regulations are in place, why the rush? Sit, sit, sit, finish your meal first."

The fire brigade currently has one cavalry unit and two infantry units. Huang Shi is still considering the specific organization of the cavalry unit, which is currently temporarily numbered 270 combat soldiers. The infantry unit organization has been basically finalized, with each unit theoretically consisting of 400 men: 250 pikemen and 150 musketeers. Changsheng Island currently has nearly 900 infantrymen participating in drills, more than enough for both units.

Because the unit is newly established, there are two monthly parades for inspection. Huang Shi frankly calls this a "competition." Problems exposed during the competition are immediately discussed, and outstanding units are commended. Huang Shi orders all officers of commended units to report their training experiences, which will be recorded to refine and improve the drill regulations.

Huang Shi, holding He Baodao's hand, sipped his soup with peace of mind. Alfalfa was truly excellent; not only was the yield high, but the raw kind could be fed to horses, and the cooked kind could supplement vitamins for humans. The alfalfa soup with sea salt wasn't too bad, and even the highest-ranking officer ate it—Wu Mu often ate this stuff in public—so the soldiers didn't complain.

"Brother Yang delivered three more muskets today, bringing the camp to nearly ninety-five. This afternoon, ninety-five men will practice with the muskets, while the rest will continue training in bayonet fighting. What do you think, sir?"

Because Huang Shi insisted on investing manpower in the waterwheel—actually just two blacksmiths and three carpenters—Duncan's musket production was relatively slow. The cast musket blanks needed to be manually enlarged with pre-drilled holes and the bore polished. A skilled blacksmith could only complete one barrel a day, and occasionally there were scraps or blacksmiths falling ill, so they could only produce two or three barrels a day.

"Hmm, I have no objection. You're in charge of training guerrillas on Changsheng Island, so you're in charge. By September, we should have three hundred muskets."

Except for the first month, none of the muskets exploded in the last two months, showing that the craftsmen's profits were steadily increasing. The muskets were described as "muskets" because of Ming Dynasty custom; even Huang Shi felt that the muskets Duncan made didn't resemble guns but rather small cannons.

In the initial tests, Huang Shi and Duncan immediately discovered that the muskets weren't powerful enough to penetrate two layers of padded armor. Against Later Jin rattan shield soldiers, their lethality would be limited, only slightly stronger than bows and arrows, similar to a broadsword.

Duncan insisted that the muskets must be able to penetrate both rattan shields and padded armor, finally persuading the hesitant Huang Shi to abandon considerations of flexibility. The muskets produced on Changsheng Island now have a heavy wooden stock, with a thick barrel that is very bulky and heavy. Therefore, a separate wooden support is needed—the musket must be placed on the support before it can be fired; otherwise, the soldier cannot hold the gun steadily, and with the recoil, who knows where the bullet will go.

Nearly a hundred soldiers practice shooting to the sound of the officer's whistle… Yes, a whistle. The carpenter made several whistles for the officers to choose from; the one they were using now was a loud and shrill wooden whistle. The officer used different lengths of whistle notes to direct the soldiers' technical movements, also reminding them not to miss any steps. The musketeer

holds the support with his right hand, and after setting it up, he moves the trigger with his left hand to make the match cord contact the touch valve. After firing, he releases the support and lets it rest against his waist, simultaneously completing a series of technical movements: clearing slag, loading powder, compacting, and reloading the round.

"Very slow. Between two shots, an archer can easily fire three or four arrows. We need to intensify our training."

After Huang Shi's assessment, a sharp, short whistle sounded, and the musketeers fired another volley. Several thick wooden planks opposite were hit, instantly shattering into large holes with flying sawdust. Although the musketeers were supported by batons, the recoil still sent them staggering backward.

"Fortunately, the power is not bad, not inferior to a spear, hmm, maybe even stronger."

As the soldiers cleared debris and loaded powder at the sound of the whistle, the auxiliary soldiers assisting in the training threw clods of dirt at them. The musketeers merely lowered their straw hats slightly to avoid being hit on the head, continuing their movements meticulously. The supervising officer on the right side of the formation cracked his whip in satisfaction. That officer knew Huang Shi was observing discipline; if any of his soldiers tried to block or dodge, it would be his turn to receive a beating.

Of course, he dared not stop whistling. This officer had already been beaten so badly he couldn't get out of bed several times for blowing the wrong whistle. Actually, there was nothing shameful about it; for the past two months, all the officers and drummers in the room had been sleeping on their stomachs. During their days of recuperation, they were either repeatedly blowing whistles with whistles in their mouths or desperately practicing drumming despite the excruciating pain in their buttocks.

"Tell those auxiliary soldiers who threw clods of dirt to put all their strength into it and swing their arms around as hard as they can!" Huang Shi pointed with his whip, and a messenger ran over.

After a while, the tension on the faces of the officers accompanying the parade turned into smugness, and Huang Shi also seemed very satisfied: "This army is usable."

He Baodao suddenly exclaimed again: "The lord only used military rods, but the Qin dynasty punished entire families. The legendary tiger and wolf army, I finally understand how it was trained."

(Chapter 7)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 8 The cannon

A brand-new three-pound cannon was placed in front of them. After inspecting the inner barrel, Huang Shi smiled at Duncan: "The boring machine is still working very well, isn't it? What would take several blacksmiths a month to do, it can be done in a day with the boring machine."

"Five hundred taels of silver, how could it not work well? Besides, we used it once this time, who knows when we'll be able to use it again."

Huang Shi smiled but did not say anything. Duncan added angrily: "There is also a waterwheel and a reservoir, which took two whole months to build. With that manpower, three cannons could be made."

"The waterwheel can also be used to saw wood..." After repairing the waterwheel, Huang Shi also ordered the carpenters to build a water-powered sawing machine. What used to take two carpenters three days to saw planks could be done by the waterwheel in an hour.

"But it's only an hour," Rosenford couldn't help but remind him as Huang Shi kept boasting about the power of the waterwheel. "The stream can only carry water for two days and make this waterwheel run for a little over an hour. There are no large rivers on Changsheng Island, so the waterwheel's use is really limited."

“You don’t need to worry about that, I’ve already thought it through, it’s just that we don’t have enough manpower right now,” Huang Shi said with a grin, keeping everyone in suspense before returning the question to the cannon in front of him: “This cannon is a field cannon, right? I don’t plan to produce a bunch of fortress cannons.”

Duncan nodded: “Yes, a standard field cannon, with wheels, two draft horses can run very fast.”

“I can equip each cannon with four horses,” Huang Shi was always generous with field artillery, patting the cannon as he muttered to himself, “Looks like it’s time to form an artillery unit.”

Duncan’s eyes lit up immediately: “General, I am an absolutely qualified artillery officer, I have stated this repeatedly.”

“My Ming army…” Huang Shi’s intention was to have Duncan do the training work.

Duncan impatiently interrupted Huang Shi's statement: "General, I've made up my mind. I want to join the Ming army."

"No regrets? Once you join the Ming army, you can't just leave easily."

"Absolutely no regrets. I'll take the surname Deng and the name Ken."

Huang Shi tilted his head, thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "No, single-character names are considered lowly in the Ming Dynasty, used by the poor and those without status. Look at my men, once they become officers, they all have to have double-character names."

"Then isn't the General's name also a single character?"

"Yes, I'm too lazy to change my name," Huang Shi felt that this name was given to him by his parents, and it was the only thing he could keep as a memento in this alternate time and space: "Me, and Zhang Pan of the Lushun Army, etc., people can tell we're of lowly birth just by hearing our names. Our parents didn't dare to overstep their bounds and give us double-character names. So Duncan, you should change your name. Hmm, what do you think of the name D?nitz?"

"No, I think Duncan is a good name, that's it."

"Whatever you want. I can apply for Dongjiang Town military household status for you, and you'll be a Ming Dynasty military officer of Semu (non-Han ethnicity). Finally, I must remind you that according to the Ming Dynasty's household registration law, the wife of a Semu officer must be a Han woman, and your eldest son and grandson will also be Han citizens."

Duncan shrugged. "No problem." Then he pulled Rosenford over. "He also wants to join the Ming Dynasty military household."

"Really? Surname Luo?"

"No, General, I plan to use the surname Fan, so my descendants can remember our noble lineage." Rosenford, whose ancestors were fishermen and craftsmen, said, his eyes darting around. "I'll call myself Fan Zhongzheng. I think my noble lineage is worthy of a two-character name."

Huang Shi glanced at Fan Zhongzheng, probing maliciously, "Isn't that name a bit too un-military? It sounds more like a scholar's name."

"Then what does the General suggest? Of course, I need a two-character name."

“No problem,” Huang Shi said casually, since all he wanted was a two-character name. “Le You, let’s call you Fan Le You. This name comes from the Book of Songs, it’s very meaningful, and the last two characters can be your courtesy name.”

“Okay, thank you, General.” Fan Le You was overjoyed.

“But General, you can still call me Duncan from now on, and I will still call you General.”

“That’s fine, Duncan.”

“Me too, General can just call me Le You.”

Huang Shi laughed heartily, “Of course, I will also call you by your courtesy name.”

…

In July of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the autumn harvest had just begun when Huang Shi impatiently mobilized the entire fire brigade. It seemed that an unprecedented war was about to break out in Liaonan. Huang Shi believed that the strategic situation of the Later Jin had not changed much, so this war was inevitable. He was eager to let his soldiers learn war from war, so as to further expand his fighting force—to reach more than two thousand men by the fifth year of the Tianqi reign.

Huang Shi summoned all officers of the battalion above the rank of centurion. The first task was to give a briefing: "There are only a few hundred Jurchen soldiers in the Fuzhou area, all second-rate troops. Including the temporary auxiliary troops, the Jurchen forces won't exceed 1,500..."

"My fire brigade is deploying one cavalry unit of 200 cavalry, two infantry units of 800 soldiers, and a temporary artillery unit with 20 officers and soldiers."

This troop configuration could be considered the full force of Changsheng Island's elite troops, because Li Yunrui had confidently assured them that the Later Jin army at Nanxinkou had no ships built, and there were no fishing boats available within hundreds of miles.

To maximize efficiency, each cannon needed one commander, one gunner, three gunners, and five porters. In addition, carpenters, blacksmiths, grooms, and other miscellaneous auxiliary troops were required. Therefore, Duncan suggested sixteen men per cannon group, but Huang Shi generously allocated twenty.

"The naval battalion is responsible for transporting soldiers. Commander Shi, the safety of our army is entrusted to you."

"Rest assured, sir."

Shi Ce came from a family of pirates. In his hometown of Fujian, he was a merchant trading with Japan, and in the Zhejiang region, he was a Japanese pirate. As a young man, Shi Ce was arrested during a crackdown by the imperial court and, because he was too young, was sent to Liaodong. Now, he has transformed into a commander of the Ming Dynasty's army, with the additional title of supervisor, leading the naval battalion of Changsheng Island.

"Finally, we will need to deploy 600 auxiliary troops. This time, our Changsheng Island forces a total of 1,825 officers and soldiers, 350 horses, 130 muskets, and one 3-pound field gun."

This scale of attack was believed to be enough to rout the Han Chinese self-defense forces in the villages of southern Liaoning. Wu Mu, the two Imperial Guards, and the officers in the camp were all in high spirits. Huang Shi was also full of confidence: "Our objective in this attack is to burn more than 30% of the autumn grain of the Jurchens in Gaizhou, roam the outskirts of Gaizhou for three days, severely punish the Jurchens stationed in Fuzhou, and return safely before the other Jurchen banners arrive to reinforce us." "Gentlemen,

do your best!"

(End of Chapter 8)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 9 Landing:

The first landing force landed north of Shenjingdun at dusk. With the assistance of spies, they quickly occupied a small village as a forward base. Before dawn, subsequent troops arrived at the coast and disembarked.

The entire army advanced swiftly to its forward base for rest and reorganization. The plan stipulated no major military operations on the first day, allowing the troops to recover their strength. However, the signs of a landing could not be concealed from the Later Jin scouts. Therefore

, Huang Shi's cavalry were deployed in all directions to prevent Later Jin scouts from approaching the base and gathering intelligence, hoping to convince the enemy that the Ming army numbered only two or three hundred men, rather than a large force of nearly two thousand. The result pleased Huang Shi. Early the next morning, shortly after the Ming army set out, the vanguard reported encountering a contingent of Later Jin cavalry. Judging from their banners, they appeared to be seven or eight *niru* (military units) leading over a hundred combat soldiers, along with a similar number of auxiliary troops. Upon discovering the Ming army's imposing column, the enemy scouts turned and rode away, disappearing from the Ming vanguard's sight in the blink of an eye.

This partial mobilization of the intelligence network greatly facilitated the Ming army. Over twenty wagons had been incorporated into the operational formation, loaded with gunpowder, ammunition, and rations. These supplies, along with six hundred auxiliary troops, formed the core of Huang Shi's central army, while the combat troops were scattered around to protect it.

Nearly two thousand Ming soldiers marched across the sparsely populated Liaodong plains. Occasionally, civilians working in the fields would appear, drawn by the resounding sound of waist drums. They watched as the long Ming army column, its banners blazing like fire, marched in perfect unison northeast. Some of the sharp-eyed soldiers, recognizing the snake-shaped banners of the "Fire Rescue Battalion," began to tell their companions about the Ming army's origins.

"General Huang, how is everything?" Wu Mu, though feeling things were going smoothly, still lacked confidence and rode up to Huang Shi for confirmation.

"Rest assured, Eunuch Wu, everything is going well." Huang Shi's standard marching distance was forty li per day; at this pace, they would reach Yulinpu—Huang Shi's army's first objective—this afternoon.

The enemy force Huang Shi encountered this morning was likely the regular garrison of Gaizhou. Even if they rushed back to Gaizhou and immediately requested reinforcements from Haizhou and Fuzhou, Huang Shi estimated that reinforcements would take many days to arrive. The Bordered White Banner troops in Haizhou and Anshan, which were closer, were probably not yet fully mobilized, and it would take several days for the various Niru to assemble. Although the Later Jin army in Fuzhou, which posed a greater threat, had completed its mobilization, the distance negated this advantage. For the next three days, Gaizhou would have to rely on its own strength for self-defense.

The map provided by the intelligence department was also very good. The Ming army, which always maintained a road march, was fast and conserved energy. By the time they rested at noon, they had already covered 90% of the distance to Yulinpu. The resting place was also pre-selected—a village by the roadside. As soon as He Baodao's cavalry approached the village entrance, the village chief and elders rushed out and knelt by the roadside. The dozen or so Han Chinese self-defense forces in the village, who had already heard rumors, fled without a trace.

"General Huang's fame spreads far and wide. Though I am a humble commoner, I have long heard of your benevolence and righteousness..."

The snake flag fluttered in the wind, and the village chief, kneeling by the roadside, almost pressed his head to the ground, incessantly flattering and fawning. In this feudal society where there was almost no sense of national identity, if the peasants felt that shaving their heads was no big deal, then to them it was just a matter of changing masters and paying taxes. Huang Shi, riding on his horse, didn't even glance at the village elders kneeling all over the ground, but simply asked indifferently, "Where have all the Jurchen rebels gone?"

"General Huang's might shakes Liaodong, those cowards naturally fled at the mere sight of him," the village chief's trembling voice immediately rang out.

Huang Shi's voice remained calm as he asked, "Aren't those scoundrels from the village?"

The poor village chief, not daring to wipe the cold sweat from his brow, trembled as he replied, "They're all scoundrels who have betrayed their ancestors. They fled like rabbits as soon as they heard the royal army was coming."

After a chilling laugh that sent shivers down the villagers' spines, Huang Shi continued, "Those scoundrels must have relatives, right? Have you heard the saying: 'One person rebels, nine generations are executed'?"

"Please, General, have mercy, have mercy..." The village chief's voice was already choked with sobs.

"Hand them over, and I'll spare the rest."

The village chief pleaded again, but Huang Shi's expression hardened, threatening to slaughter the entire village. The village chief stammered, trying to point to a few households at random. Before he could speak, an old man kneeling beside him suddenly looked up and shouted angrily, "My eldest son is a bandit! General Huang, take his life if you wish!"

"Guards!" Huang Shi shouted, and his guards pulled the old man out of the crowd and pressed him in front of Huang Shi's horse, ready to behead him. The other villagers fell silent, but the old man continued to curse.

"Wait!" Huang Shi stopped his guards who were about to attack, glancing down at the villagers for the first time. "You're about to die and you still won't submit? You want to die a quick death?"

"This humble subject is not convinced!" The old man's stubbornness seemed to flare up, and he shouted defiantly, "The people of Liaodong all say that General Huang's martial arts are unparalleled, yet today you only dare to attack our village. If General Huang is so capable, go and attack the fortress! There are plenty of Jurchens there."

Huang Shi laughed heartily, pointing at the old man who was spitting as he spoke, "Fine, today I'll spare your village for your audacity. I won't kill a single one of you. You can keep your lives and see my skills. Guards, release him."

The guards reluctantly released the old man, who seemed stunned. He was pulled by the village chief on the ground and then knelt down as if from a dream, kowtowing repeatedly, "This humble subject thanks General for sparing my life."

Next, Huang Shi had the villagers provide firewood and well water, and the auxiliary soldiers took out their rations and began to cook.

During the meal, Huang Shi asked Li Yunrui with a smile, "How did my performance go?"

Li Yunrui replied with a smile, "Your Excellency is wise. This old man has won the gratitude of the entire village in one fell swoop, which will make his military intelligence work easier in the future. His family escaped death this time, and the Jurchens will have no reason to suspect them."

Among the auxiliary troops were fifty female soldiers from the medical battalion. Although these female soldiers also wore straw hats, they were not armored. Their straw hats, uniforms, and boots were all dyed plain white according to Huang Shi's orders. This was mainly because Huang Shi thought women looked better in white, and also because of his subconscious morbid interest in "angels in white."

These female soldiers had large carts to ride in on the road. Their equipment consisted of knives, herbs, and needles and thread. Huang Shi discovered that if the female soldiers were to cut flesh and sew up the wounded, the soldiers would not cry and scream wildly, but instead would try their best to appear as tough men. Moreover, women, being more meticulous, would sew more carefully—of course, it would hurt more, but it was always beneficial to the wounded.

After the meal, Huang Shi ordered a 15-minute rest before continuing the journey. Fifty female soldiers began singing for the soldiers, who all sat quietly on the ground listening.

(End of Chapter 9)

The fierce north wind failed to achieve its purpose. Chapter 10: The sweep.

After arriving at Yulinpu, the Ming army immediately began to prepare for the siege. Although it was a simple earthen and wooden fortress, the Ming army's three-pound field guns were clearly ineffective against the city walls. Of course, the wooden fortress gate was no problem at all; a single shot from a three-pound cannon created a large hole, and after a few shots, the gate collapsed like waste paper.

After the musketeers lined up, the Ming soldiers, wearing huge rattan shields, began to approach the inner gate of the fortress—a side gate that the cannons dared not approach and could not reach. Although the Later Jin soldiers on the watchtowers were shooting arrows desperately, it was completely ineffective. Although the accuracy of the muskets against these few isolated targets was extremely poor, they were outnumbered. One hundred and thirty muskets fired in turn, and any Later Jin soldier hit would fall down with a scream.

After firing over a dozen shots that missed their mark, the three-pounder finally struck the left-side enemy tower with a single, deafening blast. The tower tilted several degrees, and most of the Later Jin soldiers on it tumbled down. One soldier desperately clung to the wooden railing to hold on, but was quickly shot down by the musket.

Once the right-side enemy tower had also collapsed, the moat in front of the fortress gate had been partially filled in, and the roadblocks had been removed. The Ming army laid out prepared planks and bamboo rafts across the moat, supporting them with wooden stakes. At the command of the frontline officer, dozens of suicide squads began ramming the inner gate with large logs.

Huang Shi, watching the battle progress smoothly, sighed comfortably, "How easy." This fortress was only used to defend against bandits and thieves; it had almost no ability to defend itself against two thousand troops.

The Later Jin soldiers inside the fortress knew this was a matter of life and death. Heads kept peeking out from the wooden walls on both sides of the gate, and stones and logs were hurled down at the Ming soldiers ramming the gate.

Despite the protection of rattan shields, Ming soldiers were still occasionally struck and bled from the blows. Unfortunately, such casualties were negligible for nearly two thousand Ming soldiers; each fall was immediately replaced by a new soldier. The fortress gate emitted increasingly terrifying cracking sounds, bending further inward with each impact.

With the threat of the watchtower gone, the Ming musketeers had already set up their muskets along the moat, and volleys of gunfire sent splinters and stones flying from the fortress walls.

Soon, women appeared on the wooden walls, bravely leaning out to throw stones down, just like the Later Jin men. The merciless Ming musketeers riddled them with bullets, leaving them bleeding profusely.

A moment later, thick smoke suddenly billowed from inside the fortress. Huang Shi shrugged and said to Wu Mu with a cold smile, "The Jurchens are desperate and are burning their supplies. But I don't want them anyway, so it saves me the trouble."

The scouts, who kept sending out reports, still hadn't found any enemy reinforcements. Finally, the fortress gate collapsed with a loud crash. The Jurchen soldiers inside rushed forward to block the gate, while the Ming soldiers who were ramming the gate scattered and fled with a shout. The shield bearers who were providing cover hurled their large shields at the enemy and then jumped into the trenches in a panic.

Two hundred Ming soldiers, holding long spears, had already formed a battle formation, their spear tips pointing densely at the enemy at the gate. The enemy soldiers didn't rush out either. Instead, they resolutely brandished their swords and spears and charged out to block the gate. Then, some people threw javelins at the Ming army's battle formation, and a few arrows were shot at them.

After the Ming soldiers jumped down into the trench, the three-pound cannons, which had been dormant for a long time after the enemy tower collapsed, roared again. A large burst of bloody light swept through the enemy troops in front of the gate and rolled and bounced into the fortress.

Then came a volley of musket fire. The remaining Later Jin soldiers struggled to charge into the Ming army's hail of gunfire, only to be impaled and killed one by one on the battlefield.

After another cannon barrage, the defenders blocking the gate were almost wiped out by the musket fire. Just as the Ming army's gun corps cautiously advanced, a man suddenly crawled up from the corpses at the gate.

This Later Jin warrior planted his spear on the ground with his left hand and drew a semi-circle in the air with his right hand, holding his long sword horizontally, as if he wanted to say something. The front-line officer glanced back at Huang Shi, then sneered, whistled, and took two steps back. The musketeers took the opportunity to leisurely adjust their guns.

The Later Jin warrior coughed up blood, and Huang Shi finally saw that the burly man had been ripped open in the stomach by a musket: "His intestines are spilling out, yet he can still stand up. What a brave warrior!"

"I...I am a Balutu of the Plain Red Banner..." the Later Jin warrior said haltingly in broken Chinese, his legs and left hand supporting the gun trembling more and more violently: "...Who dares to fight me? You Han dogs, Han dogs, dare to fight!"

"Idiot!" Huang Shi couldn't help but curse. He thought he would hear some heroic words, but after waiting for so long, this was what he got. Huang Shi waved his hand to stop the eager He Baodao, "I brought so many people here, it's obviously for a gang fight, who the hell wants to fight you one-on-one?" He shouted, "Musket man, finish him off!"

...

More than a hundred Later Jin soldiers' corpses were laid out in a row for inspection, including men, women, and children. Before the last group of pig-like Later Jin soldiers rushed out, they killed their wives. Huang Shi slowly paced from beginning to end: "Why are there more than thirty armored soldiers?"

He Baodao, standing behind him, chimed in: "It seems the Jurchen Bordered Red Banner hasn't assembled immediately. The Jurchens in Gaizhou are still unaware of our army's size and determination to attack."

"Indeed, I think so too." Huang Shi didn't know if this was an opportunity or a setback. If the Bordered Red Banner couldn't quickly complete its assembly, then Huang Shi could use the opportunity to sweep through more Later Jin strongholds to eliminate more enemies. With such an absolute advantage, the Ming army's exchange ratio would be quite good. But on the other hand, if Gaizhou couldn't assemble an army comparable to the Ming army, the enemy might not dare to come out and fight, and the plan to severely damage the enemy would fall through.

"Put the wounded on the wagons, and take the fallen soldiers with you as well. On the return journey, bring them all back to Changsheng Island for burial." In this battle, the Ming army suffered twelve dead and more than thirty wounded, both lightly and seriously.

The several post stations and warehouses encountered before evening had all been burned down by the Later Jin army, and the garrison had long since fled. The afternoon's battle made the Later Jin army realize that this Ming army was not there for an armed parade, so they wisely avoided the Ming army's sharp edge.

"Let's set up camp and rest."

After giving the order, Huang Shi summoned He Baodao and Li Yunrui, who were accompanying him: "It seems that the Jurchens are beginning to assemble. Tonight, their messenger will arrive in Haizhou soon. Tomorrow, we will cross the Qinghe River as planned, sweep through the post stations and warehouses between Boluowo and Gaizhou, and see how the Jurchens react."

(End of Chapter 10)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 11: Dividing the troops

and instructing the night watchmen, Huang Shi returned to camp to rest, and the night passed peacefully.

At dawn, the Ming army set off early and quickly reached Qinghekou to cross the river. The naval support unit swiftly began transporting the troops across. The first fifty cavalrymen to cross quickly dispersed to scout, followed by the entire army, then the central force, and finally the whole army across the Anranqing River. The naval officers and soldiers also quickly departed, heading towards Lianyun Island.

After the troops had reorganized, they resumed their march, beating drums. Around noon, the Ming army's advance was evident, and several post stations were once again shrouded in black smoke.

Wu Mu noticed that Huang Shi's brow was furrowing more and more deeply, and asked curiously, "General Huang, is something amiss?"

"Does Eunuch Wu remember what happened yesterday afternoon?" Yesterday, during the Ming army's march, the surrounding Later Jin garrison burned their supplies and retreated. However, today, as long as the Ming army didn't approach, the Later Jin army wouldn't retreat, causing the Ming army to take many unnecessary detours without catching any prey.

“Yesterday, in the first battle, the Jurchens were complacent, and in the afternoon they were panicked. Today they are much calmer.” Huang Shi thought for a moment and ordered the troops to slow down their march to conserve energy, while sending out more scouts in all directions.

Half an hour later, Huang Shi’s worries came true. A scout rushed over to report: “Sir, a Jurchen cavalry force of about a thousand men has appeared ten miles to our left flank in the direction of Gaizhou, and they are approaching our army.”

“Scout again.”

Soon the Jurchen cavalry appeared in the central army’s field of vision. The scouts reported the military situation in a steady stream. The Jurchen army was the Gaizhou army, which was flying the Bordered Red Banner. There were about five hundred armored soldiers and about five or six hundred unarmored auxiliary soldiers.

The Later Jin army closed to within about five li of the Ming army's left flank and then stopped approaching. The two field armies advanced parallel to each other at this distance. After a long time, seeing no sign of an attack from the Later Jin army, Huang Shi could no longer contain himself. He believed that this threat on the left flank had to be eliminated, otherwise, safe and free strategic maneuvering would be impossible.

The Ming army changed its drumbeats and flag signals, shifting its formation and direction, slowly tilting towards the left flank. However, the Later Jin army also simultaneously shifted to the left flank, maintaining a distance of about five li. When the Ming army turned back to the west, the Later Jin army closed in again, following the Ming army's flank closely.

Looking at the persistent enemy forces, Huang Shi swallowed hard and said to Wu Mu with a wry smile, "Our fighting force is more than twice that of the Jurchens, and our total strength is almost twice that of the Jurchens. Therefore, the Jurchens are unwilling to accept battle, and we are infantry, so we cannot force them to accept a decisive battle."

"General Huang is too modest. Please use any brilliant strategies you have. I will not object." Wu Mu clearly had great confidence in Huang Shi. "Reporting to

my lord," another scout rushed back and abruptly reined in his horse in front of Huang Shi, "My lord, the Jurchens at the granary ahead are holding firm and will not retreat!"

"How many defenders are there?"

"It looks like there are over a hundred men, at least several dozen armored Jurchens."

Huang Shi chuckled coldly. The Later Jin army's plan was already very clear. As long as the main force of the Ming army launched a strong attack on the granary, the Later Jin army's field troops would be able to move freely. They could not launch a strong attack without defeating the Later Jin field troops, and the Later Jin army obviously would not give the Ming army the opportunity to defeat them.

Logically, the Ming army could spend time building a strong fortified camp and then use it as a base to attack the Later Jin strongholds. This would provide cover for their flanks and auxiliary troops, freeing up the majority of their fighting force. However, the current situation was that the Ming army did not have enough time to construct a camp. Huang Shi could imagine that the Later Jin reinforcements were rapidly approaching. Perhaps the reinforcements had not yet set off, but Huang Shi dared not take the risk. Leaving the predominantly infantry-based army in this dangerous place for more than two days would be tantamount to suicide.

The Ming army had stopped advancing, and the Later Jin army was observing them from a distance. He Baodao and other officers had also arrived at the central command, awaiting Huang Shi's final decision.

"How about we withdraw?" Wu Mu cautiously suggested.

"We can attack other Jurchen granaries; they can't possibly defend every single one thoroughly," He Baodao also offered his opinion.

Huang Shi shook his head, immediately rejecting He Baodao's suggestion: "It's useless. This is Jurchen territory. No matter which fortress we advance towards, the Jurchens can send a detachment ahead of us to join the defense. Then they can pick up the garrison in this granary and continue to follow us. No matter where we attack, it's all for nothing."

Once they deploy into battle formation and expose their rear, no matter how careful the Ming army is, there will definitely be openings. Hundreds of Jurchen soldiers could launch a fierce attack, inflicting heavy losses on the Ming army before quickly retreating. The Ming army, mainly composed of infantry, cannot catch up with the enemy.

"Retreating is absolutely out of the question. Our army has twice the strength of the enemy, and our purpose in this expedition is to ravage Jurchen territory and humiliate their army. Retreating now would only boost their morale and diminish our own."

After Huang Shi finished speaking, he gritted his teeth and grinned maliciously. He glanced at the Later Jin army, which was also resting five miles away: "We must defeat them first."

"The problem is that the Jurchens absolutely refuse to fight our army." He Baodao was very impatient. He made a suggestion, but his expression showed little confidence: "This humble general can lead the cavalry to hold off the Jurchens, and then you can command the whole army to attack."

Huang Shi shook his head as expected: "How long can two hundred cavalry hold them off? Besides, the Jurchens' rear is open. What threat can infantry pose if they pursue from one side? That's the advantage of cavalry. Who told us we have fewer cavalry?"

Now, when conducting military discussions, Wu Mu had become accustomed to silence. He listened silently from the side, not saying a word.

“Unless,” Huang Shi gestured with his knife on a rough diagram on the ground, “unless our army splits its forces.”

All the officers involved in the discussion immediately erupted in anger: “Splitting forces is a cardinal sin in military strategy!”

“There’s no other way, since we’re all infantry.” Huang Shi explained his plan: if an infantry unit was left three miles behind, the Later Jin army would find it difficult to harass the vanguard. He Baodao’s cavalry could always hold them off for a short while, and the Ming army could attack from both sides, which would surely block a portion of the enemy.

"The cavalry, artillery, infantry, and auxiliary troops will all attack the granary. The remaining four hundred soldiers will guard the rear. I estimate the Jurchens will think that attacking the rear is a foolproof strategy. The Jurchens are unwilling to engage our entire army in battle, but that doesn't mean they are unwilling to fight a part of our army. I think the rear guard can hold them off for a while. After the vanguard returns, unless the Jurchens abandon their wounded, they will have no choice but to engage our entire army." Huang Shi finished speaking and then fell silent. If the Later Jin army, tempted by the prospect of annihilating four hundred Ming soldiers in one fell swoop, still did not relinquish their cavalry's mobility advantage, then there would still be many variables on the battlefield.

"Leave three hundred and twenty spearmen and eighty musketeers. I will personally lead this infantry unit, and raise my banner high. Also, take my horse with you." — If the cavalry is unwilling to voluntarily relinquish the initiative brought by mobility, then the infantry is helpless. But the Later Jin are determined to capture me, Huang Shi, and at this moment I only have four hundred men with me.

(End of Chapter 11)

The fierce north wind did not prevail. Chapter 12 Huang

Shi, in white armor, clenched and unclenched his fists several times before finally making up his mind: "This general has decided that Commander He will lead the cavalry, infantry, artillery, and auxiliary troops to attack the granary. If the Jurchens attack us, Commander He must not move rashly. He must wait until we have started fighting the Jurchens before sending out the infantry to reinforce us. The cavalry should not engage in battle proactively, but conserve their energy for pursuit."

...

Three hundred and twenty Ming soldiers with long spears formed a square formation twenty men wide. There were two rows of forty musketeers in the front, and the remaining forty were divided into two teams deployed on the flanks. Huang Shi, with a few personal guards, stood in the middle of the four hundred soldiers. A low earthen platform was built at his feet, from which he could have a clear view of the surrounding scenery.

The Later Jin army of a thousand had closed in considerably, less than two li from the Ming army's battle formation. The main Ming force had advanced to within three li and was preparing for the siege, with Ming scouts observing the battlefield.

If the Later Jin army detoured, they might have a chance to attack the weak points of the Ming vanguard, but if they were caught in the melee, Huang Shi would attack them from the rear. If they lost the engagement, the wounded would be doomed. Huang Shi believed that if the Later Jin army was confident of defeating the entire Ming army, they wouldn't need to employ such close-quarters tactics. Therefore, they would never detour and force their way into the Ming ranks; such a battle would be worse than a direct confrontation.

The tall, imposing banner fluttered conspicuously in the middle of the formation. Huang Shi calmly awaited the Later Jin army's approach, but once they were within two li, they stopped moving, seemingly also waiting for something.

This scene reminded Huang Shi of his escape from Guangning to Lushun. Back then, he and Kong Youde felt the sky was falling when they saw a thousand men. But now, with four hundred against a thousand, he felt so confident. Looking around at his men, all of them were spearmen and musketeers. Huang Shi had broken the late Ming tactical dogma of "a mixed army is valuable." He had also learned from the previous rearguard action, where his four hundred soldiers included a motley crew of spearmen, muskets, bows and arrows, shields, swords, and axes—a thin layer of spears was no match for a cavalry charge.

A muffled cannon blast came from afar, signaling that the main Ming army had begun its assault. The Later Jin army's ranks wavered slightly before they began to advance slowly.

"Excellent timing, increasing the time for our army to withdraw from the battle and reinforce," Huang Shi nodded to himself. "All troops—prepare for battle."

The musketeers quickly set up their muskets, and the Later Jin army gradually formed a fan shape, flanking from both sides, slowly creating a three-way encirclement. "

It's the same old 'leaving a gap' tactic again," Huang Shi sneered inwardly. He estimated that the Later Jin army would ultimately choose to dismount and fight on foot. Regarding the Ming army's disciplined long-spear infantry formation, both historical records and Huang Shi's personal experience showed that the Later Jin army always used fierce infantry assaults to break up the Ming army's formation, followed by a fierce pursuit with cavalry. (For example, Ao Bai of the Bordered Yellow Banner, whose historical military achievements all involved dismounting and fighting on foot to break through the Ming infantry formation.)

As for the Later Jin's mounted archery, Huang Shi wasn't worried. Cavalry exchanging fire with infantry was suicidal; horses were much larger targets than infantry, not to mention their range and rate of fire. As for the cavalry's indiscriminate firing, Huang Shi always thought it was just a bluff. Shooting arrows into the sky from the back of a jolting horse—where they would fly was entirely a matter of luck. If they stopped to shoot… Huang Shi really hoped the Later Jin army would do that. (Historically, in the Battle of Hunhe, 50,000 Later Jin cavalry were helpless against 5,000 Ming spearmen, eventually having to bring in cannons to blast open the battle lines and then rely on sheer numbers to win.)

The Later Jin army on the front began to accelerate a few hundred meters away, while those flanking them drew their longswords, waiting for the opportunity to pursue the fleeing Ming army.

Three hundred meters… they accelerated.

Two hundred meters… still accelerating!

One hundred meters… were they really going to charge at the spearmen's formation?

A sharp whistle rang out, and the first rank of Ming muskets fired in unison. Several Later Jin soldiers and their horses immediately rolled into a heap, and the musketeers immediately ran to the sides of the formation. The Later Jin cavalry continued their surging advance.

Fifty meters…

Another whistle blew, and the second rank of musketeers fired. This time, more than ten men fell. At the same time, the Ming soldiers' nine-foot-long spears, which had been standing upright, were lowered and thrust outwards in all directions from the square formation. Layer upon layer of spears formed a forest, and the entire army formation instantly became a hedgehog covered in steel bristles.

The first wave of nearly a hundred Later Jin cavalrymen did not crash into the Ming army's spear forest as Huang Shi had imagined. Instead, they quickly separated and swept across the flanks, throwing javelins and broadswords at the Ming army's battle formation. Several knights who rushed past the spear forest also fired arrows from the side. The Ming musketeers on both flanks also opened fire, and more than twenty men on each side were felled in the blink of an eye.

Huang Shi's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the flanks. Watching the enemy soldiers tumble off their horses one by one, his first thought was that this exchange was very advantageous. As long as they were not hit in the head, the killing power of arrows could not compare with that of muskets.

But this thought only lasted a moment. In a flash, his gaze returned to the front. Behind the first wave of Later Jin cavalry were about twenty Later Jin warriors whose horses were not moving very fast. They had already turned their horses sideways and charged to within thirty meters of the Ming army's formation. Almost simultaneously, these Later Jin warriors released their reins, nimbly leaping to their ground and using the momentum to rush to within twenty meters of the formation.

This superb horsemanship and agile movements made Huang Shi suddenly think—were they White-Armored Soldiers?

As one of the White-Armored Soldiers crouched down to cushion the impact, he magically took a quiver from his quiver and, to Huang Shi's astonishment, rolled to dissipate the last bit of momentum, landing steadily on one knee, his bow and arrow already pointed at the Ming army's battle formation.

The white-armored soldier wielded a standard infantry iron bow. With a supple twist of his body, he used his waist to unleash an arrow, which pierced the air and struck a Ming soldier in the face. As the soldier fell with a scream, the white-armored soldier nocked another arrow and, with a shout, fired again, this time hitting another Ming soldier in the cheek.

Twenty white-armored soldiers fired three volleys in quick succession, wiping out the first two ranks of Ming spearmen, while the musketeers on the other side frantically loaded their gunpowder. The anxious Ming officer, seeing the musketeers loading their bullets and about to blow his whistle to fire at the white-armored soldiers, heard a unified shout from the opposite side. As Ming soldiers fell in droves, the Later Jin's rattan shield bearers surged forward.

(End of Chapter 12)

The fierce north wind has not yet fulfilled its purpose. Chapter 13: Fierce Struggle.

Several white-armored soldiers had already thrown down their bows and arrows. As they charged into the enemy lines, they twisted their bodies and drew heavy swords from their backs. In the blink of an eye, they had already pounced on the Ming army.

"Thrust to the right!" The spear captain of the fire brigade shouted with all his might as he attacked the enemy on his right.

"Kill!"

The fire brigade's rule was: if you have no comrades in front of you, then thrust to the right. Just like in the last battle, the fierce right thrust attack killed a large number of enemy soldiers from the flank. Even the brave white-armored soldiers were killed without any chance to defend themselves when spears were thrust from two directions at the same time.

Half of the Ming soldiers in the front row were also stabbed by the Later Jin spearmen who followed up or fell under the javelins thrown at them. The third row of Ming soldiers followed closely behind with their spears, piercing the necks of the Later Jin soldiers who entered their range. As the Ming troops at the flanks turned to face the front, the Later Jin rattan shield soldiers on both flanks seized the opportunity to charge. The Ming flanks echoed with the command to "thrust to the right!"...

Just as the Ming soldiers finished their thrusts and began to retract their spears, several white-armored soldiers seized the fleeting opening in the Ming spear forest, leaping out from behind the Later Jin lines. They plunged to the ground, rolling under the spears, heads in their hands. Despite their heavy armor, they rolled with incredible speed. The first white-armored soldier to reach the Ming soldiers' feet had already drawn his sword, slashing at a Ming soldier's leg. Using the momentum, he regained his balance and with a swift upward slash, severed a thigh.

Within moments, several more white-armored soldiers successfully rolled through the spear forest. They crouched to avoid the spears overhead, hid in front of the Ming soldiers to avoid the spears from the rear, and simultaneously thrust their swords at the Ming soldiers to the side, while also charging at Ming soldiers on the other side. As they charged, the Later Jin army, in three lines, once again launched a fierce assault on the Ming army's battle formation.

Huang Shi shouted with all his might, "Musketeers, discard your muskets and draw your swords!" He leaped off the earthen platform, and his personal guards drew their swords and followed him, pushing towards the enemy soldiers who had penetrated the Ming ranks. As he pushed, Huang Shi quickly ripped off his cloak, hoping that the musketeers or officers had heard his command.

"Thrust to the right!"

"Thrust to the right!"

"Thrust to the right!"

...

Above the Ming army's battle formation, it wasn't just the officers' shouts; every soldier, while desperately attacking the enemy on the right, mechanically repeated these commands. Under the influence of this frenzied shouting, the Ming soldiers not being attacked performed the drills repeatedly as if possessed. For every Ming soldier who fell in the attack, a soldier from the rear would take his place. When the Later Jin soldiers charged, even if they managed to block the spears thrust from the right, they would still be struck by the long spears coming from the front. Every Ming soldier's life was exchanged for at least one Later Jin soldier's.

The dozen or so white-armored soldiers charging into the Ming ranks attacked the Ming soldiers around them with increasing ferocity, but aside from those entangled, the remaining soldiers instinctively obeyed orders. The Ming battle lines, like a dam, were shattered by the Later Jin's relentless, tidal waves of attacks.

The musketeers and officers seemed to have heard Huang Shi's final command; the musketeers had already discarded their muskets and drawn their protective daggers—the 1.5-foot blade and handle of the standard fire brigade's long spears. They brandished their clubs and daggers, fighting the invading enemy soldiers. The musketeers and the dozen or so white-armored soldiers crouched on the ground, wrestling like rats. Spears flew overhead, and the deafening shouts of "Thrust to the right!" echoed through the air.

Huang Shi was among the rats scrambling in the hail of bullets. Many Later Jin soldiers, attempting to emulate their successful predecessors, crawled or rolled, trying to charge into the Ming army's formation. However, this group was poorly trained and completely defenseless when they managed to get through. Huang Shi, sitting on the ground, stabbed one to death, then kicked the corpse in the skull and drew his sword.

As he drew his sword, a Later Jin soldier suddenly leaped at his side. Huang Shi's gleaming general's armor was too conspicuous. A guard straightened up slightly to cover Huang Shi, but was instead struck in the neck by a spear thrust from his own men from the side and behind. The guard's body immediately flew out of the formation, blood and flesh spraying all over Huang Shi's body and face, causing him to instinctively close his eyes for a moment.

The body of the guard ironically shielded the charging Jin soldiers, but Huang Shi wasn't so lucky in his final leap. Two spears thrusting from different directions immediately tore two large holes in him. The shock caused the Jin soldiers' swords to lose their aim and power, only striking Huang Shi's arm armor and sending him tumbling to the ground.

Although the fire brigade had all been equipped with iron helmets thanks to the spoils of war, Huang Shi's armor was still far superior to that of ordinary soldiers. His Mountain-Patterned General Armor was a perk reserved for third-rank military officers. This armor was exquisitely crafted, without a single rivet, so there was no need to worry about injury. Huang Shi's Mountain-Patterned Armor was undoubtedly hard armor; when worn, the weight rested on his hips and back, rather than on his shoulders like the soft armor of soldiers, allowing for flexible arm movements.

Huang Shi crouched low, using both hands and feet. He felt a spear brush past the red tassel on his helmet, causing him to bend over again and crawl past his own soldiers' legs. Huang Shi accidentally stomped on his right hand, and simultaneously heard a madman's roar above him: "Stab to the right!" A Jin soldier collapsed in front of Huang Shi with a thud, blood and fragments of his liver and intestines gushing from a gaping hole in his right side.

Pushing the corpse aside, Huang Shi crouched and moved forward, approaching a Jin soldier in white armor. Beside him lay two Ming musketeers, two Ming soldiers clutching their clubs and short swords, their eyes wide open in death, and one man's dagger pinning the Jin soldier's arm to the ground.

Huang Shi saw that the Jin soldier was utterly exhausted, lacking even the strength to pull out his dagger and free his right hand. Knowing that he wouldn't receive reinforcements unless he broke through the Ming formation, the soldier struggled weakly with his left hand, then grabbed the boot and lunged to bite the Ming soldier's calf.

The white-armored soldier was also killed by Huang Shi with a single stab. The Ming soldier, bitten, was clearly still mechanically obeying orders, continuing his fierce attack on the Later Jin reinforcements. Huang Shi pushed the corpse aside, panting heavily. He crouched down and looked around; there seemed to be no enemy in sight. He looked up, panting heavily, and saw that the Later Jin army's battle line had retreated some distance. Huang Shi adjusted his stance on the ground, forcefully thrusting his sword forward, waiting for another charge.

But this time, no further charge came. Huang Shi squinted at the enemy. The Later Jin soldiers' chests heaved violently, their mouths wide open, exhaling heavy breaths. The light in their eyes was strange; it seemed...it seemed to be fear. Could

these Tartars, who knew nothing of death, also feel fear? Huang Shi gripped his long sword tightly, every muscle in his body tense.

There were not many armored soldiers left standing. The daily work of the unarmored auxiliary soldiers of the Later Jin was farming. When they joined the army, they did tasks such as cutting grass and feeding horses. These bannermen originally had their sabers ready to participate in the pursuit, but now that the battle was at a stalemate, they cowered and followed behind the soldiers. Huang Shi thought that these auxiliary soldiers of the Later Jin were only good at putting on a show.

The Later Jin forces had retreated further, and the enemy's bugle calls urging them to attack had ceased. Soldiers and auxiliary troops alike picked up bows and arrows from the ground and began firing sporadically. Huang Shi discovered that his general's armor acted as a magnet for the arrows; several arrows quickly flew towards him. However, the two arrows that struck him failed to shatter the armor plates. Using the momentum, Huang Shi dodged backward into the enemy ranks.

The Ming army's spearmen maintained their formation, while the musketeers picked up their weapons from the ground, throwing back javelins, broadswords, and ring-pommel sabers. For the armored soldiers, these weapons had limited lethality, but for the auxiliary troops, it was a different story. The unarmored Later Jin soldiers were easily grazed by the flying swords and sabers, leaving gaping, bloody gashes.

Huang Shi slowly walked back to the earthen platform in the center of the formation. When he came out, the town was packed with people, but now it was much quieter, and the area in front of the platform was empty. When he stood on the earthen platform again, several musketeers had already set up their muskets. A mournful bugle call came from the opposite side. The Later Jin battle line in front of Huang Shi retreated steadily, then slowly pulled towards his right. Huang Shi's vision suddenly opened up.

Behind the retreating enemy lines, a forest of spears pointed straight to the sky, slowly approaching, rising and falling.

When Huang Shi had first straightened up, he had felt a wave of dizziness, his vision blurred, and his head still felt heavy. He shook his head, feeling much better. A mile away, the Ming army's center was a forest of spears, with what appeared to be cavalry on the outer flanks.

Some Later Jin soldiers dragged away their wounded comrades right before Huang Shi's eyes, even loading wounded soldiers onto horses, but he still didn't give any orders.

As He Baodao charged towards them on horseback, Huang Shi was vigorously pounding his aching back. Looking at the departing Later Jin cavalry, he said in a deep voice, "He Youji, cancel the pursuit. The enemy is far from collapsing." "

Yes, sir."

(End of Chapter 13)

The fierce north wind's intent unfulfilled. Chapter 14: The

retreat. Over 130 soldiers fell and died, dozens were seriously wounded and awaiting death, and the remaining soldiers were almost all wounded this time.

Scattered across this small area of the battlefield were the bodies of 270 Later Jin soldiers, 100 of whom were too wounded to crawl back to their own lines and were subsequently killed by the Ming army that had occupied the battlefield. The number of deaths on both sides in direct confrontation was roughly equal.

Huang Shi pointed at the twenty corpses of the white-armored soldiers and said to He Baodao, "Half of our army's casualties were caused by these beasts. How formidable, truly formidable. This is only the elite white-armored troops of the Jurchens, maybe two or three Niru at most."

He Baodao just smiled and said, "The Jurchens' white-armored soldiers are all veterans, having fought for over ten or twenty years. How could they not be formidable? Your soldiers have only trained for a few months, and the Jurchens have all died here. I have said long ago that once this army is established, there will be no more generals like Guan Zhang in the world."

Huang Shi suddenly remembered that he had not yet ordered the guards to be lifted. He hurriedly gave the order, and the Ming soldiers began to remove arrows from their armor. Many of the soldiers in the front ranks had several arrows stuck in their bodies. Although Lushun and Jinzhou had captured a large amount of supplies, Changsheng Island had not been expanding its army wildly. This time, some of the strong and powerful spearmen even wore two layers of armor.

Looking at the well-ordered troops, He Baodao said, "Perhaps the Jurchens only think that my Fire Rescue Battalion is slightly stronger than other Ming armies. This battle should wake them up."

“Commander He is right, but we need to tell Commander Yang when we get back that all our troops’ helmets need to have face shields,” Huang Shi said with lingering fear. “Those White-Armored Soldiers are such accurate archers.”

Wu Mu also arrived quickly. He dismounted and rushed towards Huang Shi, grabbing his arm and shouting, “General Huang, are you alright? When the scouts came back just now, they really scared me to death.”

Huang Shi looked at He Baodao with a puzzled expression. The latter smiled and said, “The scouts came back at breakneck speed and said that the battle is very fierce, and your main force is in danger of being wiped out.” He Baodao smiled and added, “But I am confident that my fire brigade will definitely not be wiped out.”

After the scouts reported that fierce fighting had broken out here, the Ming army immediately withdrew from the siege. However, the artillery moved slowly, so He Baodao commanded the cavalry to cover the artillery and auxiliary troops as they retreated to a safe distance before chasing the infantry. Therefore, the two arrived almost at the same time.

After understanding the situation, Huang Shi smiled calmly and said to Wu Mu, "Commander He is right. My fire brigade will not be wiped out, only exhausted."

"Sir, the Jurchens set fire to the granary and then all fled." A scout rode up to report.

"Hmm, that's how it should be." Huang Shi smiled even more easily. Five hundred Jurchen soldiers and over six hundred auxiliary troops couldn't even defeat a single infantry unit of four hundred Ming soldiers, and their elite forces were wiped out. Their casualties were heavy, and they were naturally terrified.

Soon, the female soldiers of the medical battalion arrived and began to treat the wounded. Wu Mu was staring at Huang Shi's left side when he suddenly asked, "What happened to General Huang's left arm?"

"What happened to my left arm?" Huang Shi turned his head to look, puzzled. Hmm, there seemed to be blood flowing from the wrist of his uniform. With a little effort, he couldn't lift his left arm anymore. The sharp pain from his upper arm made him cry out.

"Medic!" He Baodao shouted at the top of his lungs. The name "Medic"

was given to him by Huang Shi. It took a lot of effort to remove the arm guard. Huang Shi had long forgotten that his left upper arm had been hit so hard. The arm guard was deeply dented in, shockingly tightly bound to the flesh, and the scales were folded back and pierced into the lining. If it weren't for the good quality of his armor, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep his arm.

"Sir, it seems you've injured your bone."

The female soldier's voice was pleasant, filling Huang Shi with a surge of pride. He smiled as he looked at his swollen left upper arm; the lack of deformity meant it was just a fracture. "Help me bandage it up." Huang Shi smiled as if he felt no pain at all, and he didn't forget to add, "Thank you."

As the medic disinfected the wound with a branding iron and salt, Huang Shi was in excruciating pain, beads of sweat pouring down his face. But with a woman beside him, he forced a smile, desperately trying to make it look like nothing was wrong. The medic, probably because of his rank, was extra careful, which only intensified Huang Shi's agony.

"General Huang, you fought bravely and fiercely, truly a valiant warrior." Fortunately, Wu Mu was chatting nearby, which distracted him somewhat.

However, Huang Shi didn't take this compliment seriously. He felt that a general who was forced to draw his sword was no longer a good general, and Huang Shi remembered that this was the second time he had been forced into such a situation. He only hoped that there wouldn't be a third time: "Eunuch Wu, I'll have to trouble you to write this memorial again."

"No problem, I'll take care of it." Wu Mu's tone was always particularly sharp when he was smug.

"What should we do next?" He Baodao interrupted again.

"Next step... hiss..." Huang Shi was about to speak when he felt another sharp pain in his left arm. The vicious woman had started stitching him up. He grimaced and gasped, forcing a scream back down his throat, and then forced a smile: "Our losses... hiss... are not small either, and the wounded... hiss... are many too. We must go back immediately!" He gritted his teeth and finally managed to finish the last sentence in one breath.

Huang Shi then pretended to ponder, patiently waiting until the medics began to bandage him before leisurely continuing, "It won't be safe starting the day after tomorrow, so we absolutely cannot delay setting sail before tomorrow evening. But before we leave, we need to go to Gaizhou. Since we're going to humiliate the Jurchens, we must do it perfectly."

The Ming army marched to the walls of Gaizhou. The Jurchen garrison, who had fled back, tightly closed the four gates and stood on the city walls as if facing a formidable enemy. Even the lightly wounded soldiers donned armor and climbed the walls. The Jurchen women and children were also given weapons, and the Han Chinese people in the city were mobilized to carry out construction work.

Huang Shi took the lead, stopping at the main road leading from the south gate of Gaizhou to Fuzhou. Under the stunned gaze of the Later Jin soldiers on the city wall, he loosened his belt and urinated profusely. Afterwards, he sighed, seemingly unsatisfied, calmly fastened his belt, and slowly walked away, waving for He Baodao to continue.

The fifty rescue soldiers, already ordered to turn away, covered their faces even as they faced the spot where the soldiers had relieved themselves. These young women and wives blushed and giggled. Huang Shi returned with his head held high amidst thunderous cheers, followed by officers leading wave after wave of troops, finally turning the long stretch of official road from Gaizhou to Fuzhou into a muddy swamp.

The Later Jin soldiers watched the Ming army recede into the distance, their unrestrained mockery and curses finally dissipating in the autumn wind. They listened to the Ming army's cheerful drumbeats, gritting their teeth as they stared at the proudly waving snake flags of the fire brigade.

Lianyun Island was the designated evacuation point. Because of its proximity to the mainland, the fire brigade was quickly transferred to the island, and from there, they returned to Changsheng Island in batches from this safe location.

The staff officers began analyzing the gains and losses of the battle, and they quickly proposed many imaginative and targeted tactics. These specific tactics would be tested on the training grounds, and if deemed reasonable and feasible, they would be implemented throughout the army.

Another important issue was artillery. The artillery accuracy was very poor this time, but training qualified gunners required a great deal of knowledge. Duncan and Huang Shi discussed this issue for a very long time. From Huang Shi's personal perspective, Duncan's description seemed to be simple trigonometric functions, which greatly troubled Huang Shi, as he couldn't imagine how long it would take illiterate soldiers to master such concepts.

When he mentioned this problem to his officers during a military council, Li Yunrui inquired with great interest for a long time before reporting, "Sir, I've heard of this. There seems to be a group of people who are also proficient in this technique."

Measurement methods such as the double-pole elevation method were already well-established in China. With slight modifications, they became what Western military and artillery surveying was at the time. In Li Yunrui's words, those experienced surveyors were no less skilled than Duncan, this Semu officer.

Why the need for slight modifications? Because at that time, this technology was still considered civilian use in China, used for feng shui and selecting tombs, while others skilled in this technique were in the tomb-robbing industry.

The officers of the fire brigade discussed some legal issues. The ringleader of the tomb robbers would either be executed by slow slicing or beheading, so there was no hope. However, the apprentice tomb robbers who assisted in the crime did not deserve death; they should be exiled to various border towns. While Huang Shi and his group were discussing this, Wu Mu listened and laughed heartily, also offering to help smooth things over.

Finally, it was decided that the fire brigade should accept prisoners convicted of tomb raiding, criminal feng shui masters, and tomb repair workers. Huang Shi immediately sent a letter to Dongjiang Town requesting that these skilled individuals be assigned to Changsheng Island. He would also send letters to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Administration requesting the transfer of such criminals. Wu Mu would also secretly submit a memorial to the Emperor explaining the situation. Although there weren't many such criminals, there were probably quite a few throughout the country. Moreover, the artillery didn't need many officers, so the artillery personnel problem seemed to have been solved.

This time, Huang Shi beheaded three hundred people, roamed around Gaizhou City for three days, and burned countless warehouses, once again shocking the court and the public. Wu Mu vividly described how the entire army urinated under the walls of Gaizhou City. When Emperor Tianqi read this, he laughed uncontrollably, and Wei Zhongxian hurriedly followed beside the emperor, shouting, "How delightful! How delightful!"

...

Wu Mu was now a favorite of Wei Zhongxian, and every time he delivered a message, Wei Zhongxian would receive a ton of praise. He proudly told Huang Shi, "News has come from the palace. His Majesty says he very much wants to meet General Huang, who has won four battles in four campaigns, but of course, he'll have to wait until military affairs are less busy."

Huang Shi didn't reply, but smiled and read an official document to Wu Mu. After hearing it, Wu Mu's expression changed drastically: "Minister Sun, the Liaodong Military Commissioner, wants to inspect Dongjiang Town?"

(End of Chapter 14)

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