Stealing the Ming Dynasty [Complete] - 14

The fierce north wind failed to achieve its purpose. Chapter 15: A brilliant plan.

Sun Chengzong, as the Imperial Tutor, had been stationed in Liaoxi for two years. By this time, the court had recovered from the shock of the disastrous defeat at Guangning and was no longer satisfied with simply holding Shanhaiguan. Even the most zealous members of the Military Command were demanding to go north and recover the Hexi Corridor. For example, Yuan Chonghuan had sent cavalry to inspect the ruined city of Guangning and strongly advocated for the construction of three cities: Tashan, Jinzhou, and Xingshan, to control the entire Liaoxi Corridor.

However, Sun Chengzong believed that the Ming army in Liaoxi did not have the ability to fight the Later Jin in open battle. Therefore, although the Later Jin had abandoned the Hexi region after the Battle of Guangning, Sun Chengzong still strictly ordered the Ming army in Liaoxi not to enter Hexi. He insisted on Shanhaiguan as the bottom line of defense and Ningyuan as the middle line of the defense zone. As for the area around Jinzhou, he only set up a few outposts for reconnaissance.

After the victory report from Gaizhou in Huangshi was sent to Beijing, Sun Chengzong, who was under pressure from both inside and outside the country, was under even greater pressure. He unusually refused to accept reports from Dongjiang Town and instead personally inspected the war preparations of the various units in Dongjiang Town. Sun Chengzong's planned route was to first inspect the granary in Dongjiang Town, Dengzhou, Shandong, then take a boat directly to Dongjiang Island to receive Mao Wenlong's overall report. Finally, on his return journey west to Shanhaiguan, he would stop at Guanglu and Lushun in southern Liaoning. Changsheng Island in Huangshi would be Sun Chengzong's last stop before returning to the Liaodong Governor's Office.

September 3rd, 4th year of the Tianqi reign.

"Marshal Mao's orders have arrived," Huangshi told Zhao Manxiong before the meeting. Mao Wenlong's orders were somewhat vague, so he decided to confirm with his chief strategist first: "Marshal Mao wants us to make a deep impression on Minister Sun."

"A deep impression?" Zhao Manxiong said suspiciously, "Isn't it a good impression?"

Zhao Manxiong was originally illiterate, and although he had diligently studied, his reading ability was still limited. Huangshi didn't want outsiders to know these secrets, so he personally read the letter to Zhao Manxiong. Mao Wenlong's letter was vague, seemingly instructing the various tribes of Dongjiang to make their own plans, but it was imperative that Sun Chengzong feel that aiding Dongjiang Town was a very urgent matter.

Huang Shi read the entire secret letter, and then picked out some of the key points he thought were important to share with Zhao Manxiong.

After listening, Zhao Manxiong pondered for a while, summarizing what he had gleaned from the letter: "Commander Mao means that the court plans to owe us military pay again this year, so he wants the various units of Dongjiang Town to take advantage of Minister Sun's inspection to make the court feel our difficulties and at least provide some supplies. I think: Commander Mao seems to mean the more difficult the situation, the poorer the better, ideally making Minister Sun think that if we don't receive supplies, Dongjiang Town will be on the verge of collapse."

Huang Shi nodded approvingly: "Yes, so it's about making a deep impression, not a good one. Your view is completely consistent with mine, it seems we need to prepare well."

Zhao Manxiong pondered for a long time, almost scratching his head, before finally speaking: "This meaning is undoubtedly correct, but how to arrange it, the pros and cons, I haven't figured it out yet... I still need to think about it slowly."

"Then go back and think about it slowly. As long as you figure it out before Minister Sun arrives at Changsheng Island, go discuss it with the troops first, don't keep the others waiting too long."

…

The issue discussed at the military council wasn't this, but rather the new developments in the Later Jin's military deployment. Li Yunrui pointed out that the Later Jin army had made significant adjustments. According to reliable intelligence, the Plain Red Banner's strength had retreated to Gaizhou, and its camps near Jinzhou had been burned down. The Bordered Red Banner had also retreated to Fuzhou.

"General Zhang's pressure has suddenly eased, and the gates for Liaodong civilians to flee south to Lushun have reopened. However, the pressure on my Changsheng Island has only increased. The Jurchens in Fuzhou are frantically building beacon towers on the coast, and the Jurchens in Gaizhou are also driving civilians to do the same. This will undoubtedly cause enormous difficulties for our operations. Furthermore, our intelligence gathering has been severely suppressed. In the past, the naval forces could easily transport personnel inland, but now it's difficult even during the day. They must cross a twenty-mile-long no-man's-land at night to gather intelligence and then rush back to board the ships in the dark. Responding to them at night is not easy; they are prone to getting lost or missing their trains. In August, our intelligence inflow had decreased by 50% compared to July, and personnel losses were also significant."

…

The anxiety of the intelligence department also troubled Huang Shi. However, since Li Yunrui mentioned that the pressure in the Jinzhou direction had eased, Huang Shi had an idea: “Could we go through Lushun? Could Commander Li have your men enter from the vicinity of Jinzhou?”

Li Yunrui smiled bitterly: “It will be a lot of detours, but I will try. My lord has entrusted me with the important task of military intelligence, how could I not be meticulous? It’s just that Lushun, Guanglu and my Changsheng Island are not under each other’s command, and there is no coordination between the Liaonan Dongjiang Army.”

Taking this opportunity, Li Yunrui complained again. The intelligence work on Changsheng Island is mainly based on infiltration. Huang Shi encouraged the spies to actively cooperate with the Later Jin local government and to join the Later Jin Han Army Self-Defense Force. The guerrilla detachments on Changsheng Island would also communicate with the intelligence department before going to sweep through the enemy lines, so that the intelligence personnel hiding on the enemy lines could hide in advance.

However, the Lushun army's intelligence agencies were a single entity. The Lushun guerrillas had repeatedly targeted and killed Changsheng Island intelligence agents, mistaking them for traitors, and Lushun had also protested against Changsheng Island's killing of their spies. Both had their own operating rules and service targets, so intelligence sharing between Changsheng Island and Lushun was impossible, and neither side fully trusted the other. At the end

of September of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign

, before the military council, the rewards for the Battle of Gaizhou were announced. Huang Shi sent over 320 heads to Ningyuan. Although the Jurchen women, children, and elderly had participated in the battle, he refused to send them to the civil officials, as being accused of killing innocent people and claiming credit was no joke. These heads earned him over 1,600 taels of silver as a reward, but that was all.

The entire Dongjiang garrison had reported a troop strength of 180,000, but the military pay… the Ministry of Revenue certainly couldn't provide that much; the Ministry of War's records still showed only 20,000 soldiers from the previous year. Huang Shi would naturally obey the orders of the Dongjiang headquarters, so Changsheng Island had registered all the men, and now there were 12,000 soldiers reported. Huang Shi, as a deputy general, had troops under his command roughly equivalent to the combined forces of two generals from other military garrisons... However, this was not the problem. The problem was that even with 12,000 soldiers reported, the more than 300 heads taken would still qualify for two-rank merit, which made everyone resentful. Everyone hoped that Huang Shi would be promoted so that they could rise in rank as well.

However, today it was not Huang Shi who spoke first, but Wu Mu; there was a more important issue to discuss—the vanity project.

"Minister Sun will arrive at my Changsheng Island on the second day of next month..." Wu Mu roared loudly in a shrill voice, his facial muscles trembling with tension. Huang Shi listened silently to his speech. Now Wu Mu always talked about how "my" Changsheng Island was doing, which was a good sign, indicating that his self-perception was shifting from a central supervisor to a member of this army.

"We've already investigated thoroughly. Whether on Dongjiang Island, Guanglu Island, or Lushun Port, Minister Sun always conducts military reviews in full armor. Therefore, everyone on Changsheng Island must wear armor instead of official hats."

Wu Mu's words hit the nail on the head, and Huang Shi wholeheartedly agreed.

"The various units of the Dongjiang Army have all hidden their weapons! Zhang Pan, the guerrilla commander on Guanglu Island, and Zhang Pan, the adjutant general at Lushun Port, are doing the same."

It was said that Zhang Pan had also adopted the strategy of the supervising eunuch, Eunuch Wang, having the elderly and weak also stand at the back of the ranks with wooden sticks. At a glance, less than 10% of the army was wearing armor.

"Although they don't tell us, hmph, hmph, these underhanded tricks have still been thoroughly investigated by Changsheng Island."

In any case, Huang Shi felt that it was excessive for Wu Mu to use Li Yunrui's intelligence system to spy on friendly forces. For more than half a month, Wu Mu had been pushing Changsheng Island's intelligence system to the limit, and they had finally figured out the movements of the various friendly forces in Liaonan. These superficial tricks by the Guanglu and Lushun armies were indeed not communicated to Changsheng Island. Everyone was currently engaged in a "who's poorer" competition, the prize being government aid. Each unit in Dongjiang Town was participating in this contest with envious eyes.

"Since we're the last one, we must do better than them!" Wu Mu shouted hoarsely as he finished his mobilization. "Now, listen to General Huang's military deployment." He relinquished his central position to Huang Shi and, panting heavily, returned to his supervisor's bench.

Huang Shi's draft was prepared overnight by Wu Mu and the two brothers Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Chen Ruike advocated burying all iron weapons and armor underground, while Zhang Gaosheng thought that leaving none at all wouldn't look real. In the end, Wu Mu decided to leave only 10%, and the rest should be hidden well; of course, not a single cannon or musket could be left, and they had to be buried deep in the mountains so that Sun Chengzong wouldn't be able to find them even if he dug three feet into the ground; all the decent ships in the naval camp had to be sent to Dengzhou under the pretext of transporting grain, and would return after Sun Chengzong left; holes had to be punched in the ceilings of the buildings, and watermarks had to be created in the walls to create the illusion of long-term leaks... There were many other techniques...

After the arrangements were made, Huang Shi went back to rest. If what Sun Chengzong saw in the various tribes of Dongjiang were armies of "beggars," then Huang Shi was certain that compared to Changsheng Island designed by Wu Mu, those camps would definitely be considered paradise on earth.

Huang Shi hadn't even settled into his seat when Zhao Manxiong sneaked in to request an audience: "My lord, I've thought about it carefully..."

Before he could finish, Huang Shi waved him off, laughing as he walked over and patted Zhao Manxiong on the shoulder: "Manxiong, Manxiong, you've come up with another bad idea."

"Please let me finish," Zhao Manxiong emphasized, "My lord!"

Huang Shi was somewhat surprised to see a sharp edge in Zhao Manxiong's eyes. He suppressed his smile and listened intently...

(End of Chapter 15)

The fierce north wind's intent unfulfilled. Chapter 16: Inspection.

Over a hundred Dongjiang soldiers and their officers at the dock, dressed in their finest armor, stood in neat formation, awaiting Sun Chengzong's arrival.

The soldiers' clothes were all tattered and old, but every single piece was washed clean. The women had removed their hairpins and small garments, but Huang Shi ordered that each of them must wear flowers, so the wildflowers of Changsheng Island were unfortunately left out. Even the oldest livestock were groomed until their coats gleamed; no matter how poor Changsheng Island was, morale couldn't be low, and the soldiers had to remain optimistic despite the difficulties.

Huang Shi, still recovering from his injury, stood at the front of the column with one arm in a sling. Wu Mu stood nervously to the side. After Sun Chengzong, dressed in full military uniform, disembarked, the two led the entire army in saluting: "Lord Sun," "Mr. Sun." "

Eunuch Wu, Lieutenant General Huang, no need for formalities." Sun Chengzong smiled amiably, walking proudly at the front, gesturing for Huang Shi to follow behind.

The officials accompanying Sun Chengzong also made room for one person. Huang Shi apologized and followed, while Wu Mu could only respectfully stay at the back of the column.

Huang Shi eagerly pulled on the reins, and Sun Chengzong mounted his horse on his own. His guards made no attempt to assist, clearly already accustomed to this. Huang Shi, however, struggled to climb onto his horse, his arm injured.

Sun Chengzong waited quietly until Huang Shi was settled before saying calmly, "No need to rest, go directly to the drill ground."

Fifteen hundred soldiers had already gathered at the drill ground. Huang Shi had eight hundred veterans line up in formation and then reported to Sun Chengzong, "Lord Sun, these are my most capable soldiers. The remaining few hundred are new recruits and haven't been properly trained yet."

"Then let's look at these first," Sun Chengzong nodded magnanimously and began issuing a series of commands. Huang Shi translated these commands into various firefighting battalion codes and flag signals, passing them down through the ranks for the soldiers to execute.

Several formation changes were easily completed, followed by repeated advances, retreats, and dispersals. Sun Chengzong's face remained expressionless, but he grew increasingly intrigued, intentionally dragging out the process. Repeated dozens of times, the Ming army on the training ground still displayed its banners fluttering, and not a single spear in the forest was scattered.

"...The whole army charges forward to kill the enemy... Enemy cavalry attacks from the left... Enemy infantry attacks from the right... Both flanks are simultaneously encircled..." Sun Chengzong finally changed it to a simulated battle situation. Huang Shi gave the corresponding orders with ease, and the various teams and squads of the fire brigade reacted as if they were extensions of their own limbs under the command of their officers...

This simulated exercise continued for a while, and Huang Shi felt that Sun Chengzong was gradually becoming a bit difficult. He roused his spirits and completed the exercise with three formation changes that were very simple for modern armies, but absolutely invincible and fancy for feudal armies: continuous front, back, left, and right turns of the whole army; the squad leader raised his arm to guide the four hundred men in a neat fan-shaped rotation with himself as the axis; the last one was two infantry squads rapidly alternating leaps, with soldiers carrying spears advancing at a slow pace, their steps perfectly in place to the sound of waist drums, always maintaining a dense square formation.

After finishing, Huang Shi calmly turned and bowed. He believed Sun Chengzong understood what such a change of formation meant on the battlefield. Sun Chengzong pondered for a while before letting Huang Shi rise: "General Huang has trained well! Very good, let the soldiers rest."

"Kill!" Eight hundred soldiers roared in the direction of Sun Chengzong and Huang Shi, then were led away by the officers in charge.

The other accompanying officials were startled by the last thunderous shout. Sun Chengzong's face was full of approval. After a slight pause, he randomly pointed to a soldier and called out, "Let him come here."

The soldier stood straight in front of Sun Chengzong and turned around a few times as ordered.

"Most of General Huang's soldiers have helmets now?"

"Reporting to Lord Sun, I have captured quite a few in the past few battles, so I have over a thousand iron helmets and more than a thousand suits of armor."

"Hmm, bring him his spear."

Sun Chengzong examined the soldier's nine-foot-long spear closely: "This spear is very sharp. Did General Huang forge it?"

"Reporting to Lord Sun, it was forged by me to counter the Jurchen charge."

"How many have you forged?"

"We currently have 1,500, and we can forge another 200 each month."

Sun Chengzong nodded and returned the spear to the soldier. After the soldier returned to his unit, he said in a deep voice, "Then, let's go check on the musket squad."

When they fired, Sun Chengzong immediately realized that these were not standard muskets, but firearms made by Changsheng Island itself. After seeing the soldiers fire the firearms in volley, Sun Chengzong wanted to fire one himself. After Huang Shi had the soldiers load the gunpowder and ammunition, he intended to hold the musket for him, but Sun Chengzong waved him away. Huang Shi fired several shots in a row before getting used to the recoil of the musket. Finally, after hitting the target, he began to check the power of the musket. After

examining the shattered target for a long time, Sun Chengzong asked, "If it hit, not only would it kill a man, but it would also kill a horse, right?"

"Lord Sun, you are wise enough to know that it would kill even a cow." The rate of fire and penetrating power of a muzzle-loading musket cannot be compared with that of a breech-loading musket. If the torso is hit, it generally cannot penetrate, so all the energy of the bullet is transferred to the human body, crushing the internal organs like a sledgehammer.

Sun Chengzong gently placed the musket on the ground, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "How many blacksmiths does Changsheng Island have? How come they produced so many muskets and spears so quickly?"

"Reporting to Lord Sun, the Ministry of Works allocated ten households of blacksmiths to me. Each craftsman can make one musket barrel or two spear blades per day."

This efficiency made Sun Chengzong gasp: "Six hundred spears or three hundred muskets a month?" The slave craftsmen of the Ministry of Works always slacked off, producing only a few muskets a month, and ninety percent of them were defective.

Huang Shi smiled obsequiously and said, "Of course not, because we also need to repair armor and make helmets." As he spoke, a personal guard handed over a new type of helmet from Changsheng Island. This helmet had holes in the ears, and with two iron bolts, a mask could be put on. This mask was a curved iron ring that could protect the cheeks and nose.

As Sun Chengzong played with the new helmet, Huang Shi briefly introduced the white-armored soldiers they had encountered in the previous battle: "The Jurchens are ruthless; they always shoot arrows straight at our soldiers' faces, and those hit will surely die. Therefore, I designed this iron ring to protect the soldiers' faces." "

General Huang truly loves his soldiers like his own children," Sun Chengzong sighed.

“My men have a deep-seated hatred for the Jurchens. They would rather take a stick than not seek revenge. But I hope these men can return to their homeland in Liaodong alive, so I always try my best to ensure they are well-armored and well-equipped.”

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly. “General Huang probably doesn’t know this, but Emperor Taizong of Tang once said, ‘I can fight ten men with one, and the only reason is that my armor is strong and my weapons are sharp.’ General Huang’s words are in line with ancient wisdom and resonate with me.” Unconsciously, he also changed how he addressed Huang Shi.

"You flatter me, Lord Sun. I have already cast two cannons. Would you like to take a look?"

"Cannons?" Sun Chengzong was even more surprised. "How much military pay did General Huang receive?"

"Reporting to Lord Sun, I received 15,000 taels, plus a 10,000 tael imperial reward."

"25,000 taels... You didn't distribute them, did you?"

"No, I only made sure the soldiers were well-fed. My men are all from Liaodong. They joined the army to reclaim their homeland, not just for military pay. Besides, what use is silver on this island?"

"Liaodong natives, reclaiming their homeland, not bad..." The other units of the Dongjiang Army were also from Liaodong. As Sun Chengzong traveled, the other units were like beggars. "...Where did the tens of thousands of taels of military pay and imperial reward from Lushun and Guanglu go?" Sun Chengzong seemed to be talking to himself.

Standing solemnly to one side, Huang Shi secretly gloated. Zhao Manxiong's plan was to do the opposite of what was expected. The court had only given Huang Shi a little over 20,000 taels of silver, yet he had already obtained such a strong army. Wouldn't giving the silver to Changsheng Island be ten times more efficient than giving it to others?

Sun Chengzong suddenly looked up and shouted, "Let's go, take this strategist to see the cannons."

After seeing the cannons, Huang Shi led Sun Chengzong to inspect the craftsmen and the naval camp, and finally showed him the ships of Black Island.

"My men have also collected deerskins, sea cucumbers, and medicinal herbs, all of which are transported to Japan by this ship to sell. Every two months, they can earn over a thousand taels of silver."

Sun Chengzong, while touring the ship with great interest, casually asked, "Oh? Why not sell them to Dengzhou? I heard that your sea salt is all sold to Dengzhou."

"Lord Sun, you are wise. A deerskin can only sell for five taels of silver in Dengzhou, but it can sell for fifteen taels in Japan."

Sun Chengzong nodded, "It's just a bit more arduous."

"Lord Sun is brilliant." Huang Shi took the opportunity to explain some of the hardships faced by the sailors. He casually picked up a fish from a bucket, "Lord Sun, please look, these fish were deliberately placed in this bucket to let them rot."

Sun Chengzong smiled slightly, indicating that Huang Shi could continue.

“When a ship goes to sea, the meat stored in it will quickly rot and become infested with maggots. You’ll need to use the fish in this bucket to get rid of them,” Huang Shi said. As he said this, the faces of Sun Chengzong’s accompanying officials turned pale, but Sun Chengzong’s smile remained unchanged. Encouraged, Huang Shi continued, “Put a rotten fish in the bucket of meat, and it will soon be crawling with maggots. Repeat this several times, and when there are no more maggots on the fish, it means that the bucket of meat has been cleaned of maggots and is ready to eat.”

This was one of the navigation tips from the Age of Exploration, and it made Sun Chengzong’s accompanying officials turn pale. One official couldn’t help but lean against the side of the ship and vomit. Sun Chengzong's smile gradually faded. He walked to the barrel, looked at it, and shook his head: "General Huang, you said you can get a thousand taels of silver every two months?"

"Yes, Lord Sun is wise."

Sun Chengzong chuckled twice, then suddenly shouted: "Where are General Huang's sailors? This strategist wants to reward them personally."

(End of Chapter 16)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 17 Grand Secretary

Huang Shi was taken aback, then smiled apologetically and said: "What use is silver on an island? I will remember what Lord Sun said. Just give them a few days of rest and some wine and meat."

"Very well. Someone, give General Huang fifty taels of silver and tell him to buy a few more pigs."

After thanking Sun Chengzong for the reward again, Huang Shi carefully said: "The owner of this ship wants to join the Ming Dynasty's military households."

"Oh?" Sun Chengzong drawled.

Huang Shi gave a signal, and a guard went to fetch Kuroshima Yasuo. Huang Shi pointed to Kuroshima and introduced him, finally saying carefully, "His ancestors were Japanese pirates, so this humble general dares not act on his own."

"His ancestors were Japanese pirates? Surely he isn't?"

"No, otherwise this humble general would never dare to take him in."

Sun Chengzong laughed heartily, "Very well, this matter is agreed upon by the Grand Coordinator. The laws of our Great Ming are glorious, Japanese pirates are to be executed, but their crimes do not extend to their descendants. He can join the Ming army. Consider him a Tartar official, and he can use the surname Kuroshima directly without changing it."

Huang Shi turned around and laughed and scolded, "You rascal, hurry up and thank Lord Sun."

Kuroshima hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Grand Coordinator. From now on, I will be called Kuroshima Ichio, and I will wholeheartedly serve the Great Ming."

After the grateful Kuroshima Ichio crawled away, Sun Chengzong was in a great mood. After disembarking, he asked all sorts of questions along the way, full of curiosity about the various rules and regulations of Changsheng Island.

Following Huang Shi's orders, all the soldiers donned their medals. Sun Chengzong, eyeing the large trinkets on He Baodao's chest, remarked, "General Huang, this valiant warrior must be your most formidable general, right?"

"Yes, Commander He is my trusted and beloved general, his bravery surpassing all others in the army,"

He Baodao replied, bowing and clasping his hands in a loud voice, "This humble general, He Baodao, greets Lord Sun."

Huang Shi, seizing the opportunity, praised He Baodao's bravery, elevating his subordinate's reputation indirectly elevating his own. Sun Chengzong listened with a smile to this long speech, growing increasingly fond of He Baodao: "A descendant of a military family, indeed formidable."

Hearing Sun Chengzong praise his family, He Baodao beamed with pride, his mustache twitching. Seeing this, Sun Chengzong encouraged him further, "Now that you've come to Liaodong, settle down here and fight the enemy with peace of mind, so that your descendants may defend the borders of our Great Ming."

"My only wish is to achieve great merit, and then the court will grant me permission to return to my hometown," He Baodao, completely lacking in manners, began to speak again. Huang Shi, unable to stop him, immediately tightened his face, but He Baodao, oblivious to Huang Shi's expression, continued rambling on: "Last month, a letter came from my hometown in Shaanxi. My family heard that I had become a third-rank military officer, and the clan was overjoyed. No one of my generation can compare to me, so everyone in the clan says I have brought honor to the He family ancestors."

A fleeting look of excitement crossed He Baodao's face, followed by a sense of desolation: "I also told the clan that I wanted to achieve merit and return home, but in last month's letter, my family told me that I had been expelled from the clan. They also sent a memorial tablet, telling me to settle down in Liaodong and not to think about going back, because there would be no place for me there."

The ancients valued returning to one's roots, but the He family's intention was clearly for He Baodao to settle down and not keep thinking about changing his place of origin to return home. The He family also arranged for He Baodao to have a wife in his hometown, who was said to be sent to Changsheng Island at the end of this month or the beginning of next month. Huang Shi understood that this was the He family's good intention. He Baodao's position was already so high; if he still longed to return to his hometown, which superior officer wouldn't feel resentful? Sun Chengzong praised, "It's rare to see such a righteous family like yours." He turned to Huang Shi and asked, "What is He Baodao's current hereditary title?"

Huang Shi was secretly pleased that He Baodao hadn't said anything out of line, and quickly replied, "He Baodao's hereditary title is Deputy Hundred-Household Commander of Dongjiang Town."

"Very good," Sun Chengzong praised again, "You're so young. If you follow General Huang well, the hereditary title of Thousand-Household Commander or Hundred-Household Commander will be within your grasp."

"Lord Sun is right. This humble general will certainly pave the way for General Huang for the rest of his life, and my descendants will follow General Huang's descendants to defend Liaodong for our Great Ming."

He Baodao's declaration of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and Huang Shi only elicited a cold laugh from the latter. If things were to develop as He Baodao predicted, the Liaodong military forces led by Mao Wenlong would form a new clique of generals—something Huang Shi detested most.

However, Sun Chengzong laughed, "Ambitious! Well said!" He pondered for a moment, "Commander He is already a third-rank military officer; the name 'Baodao' is unworthy of his status."

Huang Shi shoved the oblivious He Baodao hard, yelling, "Hurry up and thank Lord Sun for bestowing this name!" Before He Baodao could react, Huang Shi kicked him again.

After He Baodao kowtowed in gratitude, Sun Chengzong stroked his beard and thought for a moment, "Let's call him Dingyuan. Go and quell the barbarians causing trouble in distant lands, and share the Emperor's burdens."

There was already Zhiyuan, and now Dingyuan… However, Huang Shi didn't object to establishing a Beiyang Fleet within his army.

Sun Chengzong's gaze shifted to a soldier behind He Dingyuan, noticing three iron plates on his chest. He sighed, "A strong general has no weak soldiers; any soldier here could be beheaded three times over."

This made Huang Shi and his men laugh awkwardly. The soldier blushed deeply, lowering his head in shame.

"Lord Sun, you are wise. These iron plates don't signify beheading; he hasn't killed anyone." This time, Huang Shi had stepped in to stir things up.

"Oh? Then what do these iron plates mean?" Sun Chengzong squinted, examining the soldier's chest plates closely. They were quite exquisitely made.

"It means he's been seriously wounded three times. My men receive one of these iron plates for each serious injury." Huang Shi walked to the soldier, ordering him to stand up straight, head held high, and not to look down.

Huang Shi stood shoulder to shoulder with the soldier, facing Sun Chengzong in the same direction. "Lord Sun," he said, "sometimes killing traitors and beheadings depends entirely on luck. This soldier has been seriously wounded three times and bedridden, yet he has managed to get up and return to his unit each time. Although he hasn't yet achieved a beheading, seeing these three iron plaques, who wouldn't exclaim, 'How brave! What a hero!'"

The soldier's shame had vanished, and he knelt on one knee. "Lord Sun, rest assured, sir," he said. "Next time I go to the battlefield, I will surely kill the traitors to serve my country."

Sun Chengzong stared at the soldier for a while, then gave a soft shout: "Men, reward General Huang with five taels of silver. General Huang, buy some wine and meat for this hero as well."

In less than a day, Sun Chengzong had already rewarded several hundred taels of silver. After only two days of inspection, he decided not to continue. He still had over three thousand taels of silver left from the originally prepared rewards, which Sun Chengzong decisively left entirely to Changsheng Island. Before returning to Shanhaiguan, he kept everyone except Huang Shi at a distance.

"What year did you join the army?"

"Replying to Lord Sun..."

Huang Shi was interrupted by Sun Chengzong before he could even begin: "You keep calling me 'Lord Sun,' it makes me very uncomfortable. I am a second-rank official, and you are a third-rank official. General Huang, you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord,' do you expect me to call you 'Lord Huang' too?"

"Lord Sun, you flatter me..." Hearing Sun Chengzong snort again, Huang Shi immediately changed his address: "Grand Secretary Sun." Unexpectedly, Sun Chengzong's brows were still furrowed, so Huang Shi called out again in a low voice: "Grand Secretary."

"Hmm, Huang Shi, you don't need to be so polite with me anymore." Sun Chengzong smiled with satisfaction, his furrowed brows relaxing. He suddenly asked: "Did Commander Mao tell you to hide your weapons so I wouldn't see them?"

This question, which was not in accordance with official etiquette, left Huang Shi at a loss: "How could that be? This humble general doesn't understand why Grand Secretary would say such a thing?"

"Hehe, Huang Shi, your mouth is still as tight-lipped as it was back in Liaoxi." Sun Chengzong recalled his conversation with Huang Shi about the sea route, chuckled a few times, and then stopped pressing the matter: "On my way to Changsheng Island, I saw that the various troops of Dongjiang Town were like beggars, and I already had my suspicions. Since Commander Mao established the town, he has beheaded thousands of people. How could this army of beggars and vagrants do that?"

Sun Chengzong's voice was already booming, and these words were even louder: "They must have hidden all their weapons, not wanting me to see them! Hmph, I have forty battalions of Guan Ning Army and more than a dozen generals and deputy generals by my side. Such tricks, hmph, do you all think I haven't seen them before? I just don't expose them because I know the hardships of border soldiers."

Huang Shi trembled and dared not answer. After Sun Chengzong encouraged him a couple of times, he asked again: "Huang Shi, in what year did you join the army?"

"The forty-sixth year of Wanli."

"When did you become a garrison commander?"

"This humble general has never been a garrison commander?"

"Squad leader?...No, what about deputy battalion commander?...Battalion commander?...Deputy centurion?" Sun Chengzong's eyebrows rose higher in surprise: "So you were directly appointed as a sixth-rank centurion by Wang Huazhen in the first year of the Tianqi reign?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Sun Chengzong said seemingly casually, "Marshal Mao was also appointed as a guerrilla commander by Wang Huazhen that year, and he also led troops to Liaodong that year."

What did he mean by that?

(End of Chapter 17)

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 18.

Sun Chengzong narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyelashes trembling as if he wanted to say something, but Huang Shi waited for a long time and only heard a seemingly unrelated sigh: "Indeed, you have stood out and your talent has been fully revealed."

Before Huang Shi could thank him, Sun Chengzong said: "I know the rest. Huang Shi, you quelled the Guangning rebellion and were promoted to guerrilla commander for your merits. Then, in the Battle of Lushun, you accumulated merits and were promoted to adjutant general. In the Battle of Jinzhou, you were responsible for 467 heads, right?"

"You are right, Your Excellency."

"Hmm." Sun Chengzong nodded: "It is remarkable for an adjutant general to have such merits. In other military towns, it would not be entirely unreasonable to be promoted to general. Although Dongjiang Town is large, it is more than enough to be promoted to deputy general. But you are too young. Too fast a promotion may not be a good thing. I might as well tell you frankly today. At that time, I suggested to the court that only silver and silver tokens be awarded, and no promotion be made."

"This humble general was only fortunate at the time. A sudden promotion would likely cause resentment among my colleagues. I am well aware of the Grand Secretary's kindness and care for me."

Sun Chengzong did indeed have this concern. He smiled encouragingly at Huang Shi: "Huang, what you said was just polite talk. At the time, as the Liaodong Military Commissioner, I suppressed your promotion, not without my worries. I was afraid you would harbor resentment and lose your ambition." "

This humble general dares not."

"I know, I know," Sun Chengzong's face was full of warm smiles: "Seeing you send over 323 heads this time, a great weight has been lifted from my heart. Huang Shi, you have done very well."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency."

Sun Chengzong's expression changed, and his tone became serious. "But you still can't be promoted this time, Huang Shi. Do you know why?"

Huang Shi felt somewhat dejected, but could only reply, "This humble general is dull-witted. Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

Sun Chengzong paced back and forth, finding it difficult to bring up the topic of depriving others of their credit. "When I went to Dongjiang this time, I discussed the issue of the Dongjiang Town garrison with Commander Mao. Commander Mao seemed to be in a dilemma as well. Let me guess for now: Commander Mao also knows that Liaonan must be under unified command and cannot fight independently. However, the garrison must be led by a deputy general, and both Commander Mao and I are deadlocked between you and Zhang Pan for the position."

"Your Excellency..." Huang Shi didn't know what to say.

Sun Chengzong asked sternly, "Huang Shi, don't you want me to allocate silver and provisions?"

"This humble general does." Huang Shi didn't know why Sun Chengzong had suddenly become angry with him.

Sun Chengzong then asked sternly, "Don't you want to achieve military merit and have your wife and children rewarded?"

Huang Shi lowered his head and replied, "Of course, this humble general does."

“That’s your selfishness!” Sun Chengzong then softened his tone: “Selfishness is human nature, which is why public-spiritedness is especially valuable. I told you back at Shanhaiguan that I never demand perfection. As long as you don’t let personal matters interfere with public duty, you are a loyal and capable general of the country. From what I’ve seen along the way, I believe you are the most suitable deputy general after the establishment of the corps, and Marshal Mao also highly praises you…”

Huang Shi listened quietly, waiting for the turning point, the “but.”

As expected, Sun Chengzong said, "But Zhang Pan has followed Marshal Mao for many years and has risked his life to protect him. Marshal Mao probably favors Zhang Pan a little more, which is also a bit of his own selfishness. I understand this, and you should understand as well."

"This subordinate understands."

Sun Chengzong smiled and said, "If others said this, I would think it was just perfunctory, but Huang Shi, I am very confident in your loyalty and dedication to the country. Although Marshal Mao may have some selfishness, who doesn't? In Lushun, although Zhang Pan didn't say it, I could see that he wanted to cut costs for military affairs in Liaonan and greatly admired you. I will not show any favoritism. If you can't hold onto this position, I will never speak up for you."

"This humble general understands," Huang Shi replied loudly, raising his head. "This humble general will certainly strive to achieve further merits, leaving the Grand Secretary, Commander Mao, and my colleagues in Dongjiang with nothing to say."

Encouraging military officers to fight the enemy was the primary responsibility of the supervising civil officials, so hearing Huang Shi's words, Sun Chengzong was relieved. Having just said he "would not show favoritism," Sun Chengzong smiled and asked, "What does Changsheng Island need?"

"They need more pig iron, so this humble general can forge more armor and weapons, reducing casualties among these men and allowing them to kill more enemy soldiers… They need ships, so this humble general can engage in more maritime trade, ensuring the men eat better… They need cloth and craftsmen… They need coal…"

Zhao Manxiong and Huang Shi's plan was determined to show Sun Chengzong what Changsheng Island had done, letting the court know that Changsheng Island had done its utmost. But even more importantly, they wanted to clearly explain how they would use these resources, because this would allow Sun Chengzong to clearly feel that he had genuinely helped Changsheng Island, letting the court know that the aid would greatly improve Huang Shi's situation.

Sun Chengzong listened attentively to all of Huang Shi's requests, then pressed on, "Huang Shi, you never mentioned building fortresses. I see your coastal fortifications are very flimsy; shouldn't they be reinforced as soon as possible?"

Huang Shi, pondering the implication of Sun Chengzong's words, calmly replied, "When Commander Mao was the General Who Pacifies Liaodong, and Lord Wang Huazhen was still the Governor, I was an officer in the Pacifying Liaodong Army. The court provided us with pay and supplies to quell the Jurchen rebellion, not to hold our positions on the islands. Therefore, I believe these supplies should be used to forge weapons, not to build fortresses."

"Well said," Sun Chengzong nodded. "What about the soldiers who died in battle? What have you done with them?"

"I have a roster that records their names. If there are any surviving family members, Dongjiang Town will provide them with compensation after the recapture of Liaodong."

"I heard you disbanded your household guards and forbade the adoption of sons, is that right?" Sun Chengzong's tone suggested some dissatisfaction with Huang Shi's actions.

The idea that soldiers belong to their generals is inherently a major problem in the military, easily leading generals to consider preserving their strength—this is a very simple principle. Huang Shi dared not openly ridicule the Ming Dynasty's military system, so he offered a few indirect reminders.

However, Sun Chengzong disagreed: "Huang Shi, you are loyal and courageous, but just because you can do it doesn't mean others can. I must say a few unlucky things, Huang Shi, please don't take offense."

Huang Shi quickly launched into a passionate speech: "Dying on the battlefield, wrapped in a horse's hide, is the duty of a warrior. Since the day I joined the army, I have never been afraid of any unlucky things. Please speak, Your Excellency."

Sun Chengzong recounted his observations in Dongjiang, how Mao Wenlong had adopted the orphans and younger brothers who died in battle as his adopted sons and grandsons, and in three years these people had grown to hundreds: "Huang Shi, you are also made of flesh and blood. If one day you are gone, these fallen generals..." Who will remember these soldiers? But if you adopt these orphans and their families, they can also stand tall and say, "I am the adopted son of the late General Huang." At that time, as long as Changsheng Island is still under your old command, they will not be bullied. After the recovery of Liaodong, these families will certainly receive the hereditary land of Dongjiang Town. Don't you agree?

The sources of cohesion for feudal armies and modern armies are different. Some people have said that modern armies and nation-states are two sides of the same coin (Note: the Later Jin dynasty under slavery was not a nation-state). Huang Shi deeply agrees with this. The organizational structure of an army is a reflection of society. Under Huang Shi's efforts, Changsheng Island has always tried to create an atmosphere of "I am an organic part of Changsheng Island." The feudal system may be able to forcibly construct a modern army, but it is definitely not as effective. Huang Shi not only wanted to revive classical militarism, but he also wanted to go a step further.

If Changsheng Island had a rigid feudal hierarchy, and the soldiers were so subservient to their masters in daily life, then the trust, unity, and spirit of sacrifice within the fire brigade would vanish—how could officers and soldiers from such vastly different social classes possibly trust each other enough to have someone else protect their backs? If the generals of Changsheng Island also tolerated their personal guards' tyranny and their personal soldiers' subjugation of ordinary military households, why would they expect soldiers to endure brutal training without pay?

Ordinary military households in the Ming Dynasty suffered constant mistreatment and could never be promoted like their personal guards. On the battlefield, they naturally fought for heads and spoils, and it was normal for them to scatter and flee in times of danger—who would risk their lives for the bastards above them? If these already resentful soldiers were trained through beatings in peacetime, forget about building a modern army; they'd be lucky to avoid producing a Chen Sheng or Wu Guang (a notorious figure in Chinese folklore known for his tragic endeavors).

Over the years, Huang Shi meticulously sought to eradicate feudalism, starting with his small, loyal unit, relentlessly cracking down on the vestiges of feudal society. Under the guise of righteousness, he confiscated the land rightfully belonging to his subordinates, painstakingly disbanded the household guards, and turned everyone on the island into equal military households. He declared equality before military law, established a medal system, and even stipulated that soldiers should be considered first in marriage, while proclaiming, "We are all equal brothers and sisters before God."

Huang Shi indiscriminately shoved everything he could remember about nation-states into the melting pot of Changsheng Island, practically declaring, "Generals, officers, soldiers, and craftsmen are simply different social roles; there is no distinction of high or low status in work." He attempted to cultivate a sense of ownership, making soldiers feel that "fighting, training, and working for Changsheng Island is for my own benefit." He believed that as long as everyone understood Huang Shi's purpose was to protect the island's safety, they could endure all kinds of hardships, such as brutal training and dangerous ice-breaking.

Considering the frequent desertions of Ming generals, it's clear that Ming generals not only had the desire but also the ability to pull their private armies away from the battlefield… Huang Shi didn't intend to give a lengthy explanation, nor did he have the courage, but Sun Chengzong's question was one he absolutely couldn't compromise on.

Yet, he still had to answer. While pondering, Huang Shi sighed inwardly—"Grand Secretary Sun, you're trying to uproot me!"

(Chapter 18)

The Fierce North Wind's Intent Fails Chapter 19 Rescuing People

"There's also a medical battalion on Changsheng Island, and the auxiliary soldiers there are all women…" Huang Shi pondered for a moment before bringing up a new topic. After several years of development, the military households on Changsheng Island generally felt a sense of belonging, and they no longer had to live like slaves under equal military law. Since the military households on the island no longer believed they were fighting for Huang Shi personally or for the future of any other master, mobilizing women to help the wounded warriors would be approved by the military households.

The female soldiers were engaged in saving lives, not providing pleasure for the generals, so they received due respect. The wounded soldiers who received help even encouraged their wives and sisters to serve. Huang Shi believed that the ancients weren't stupid; as long as those in power didn't deliberately try to fool them, most of his ancestors were capable of thinking and discerning right from wrong, and he had successfully proven this point once again.

"...Your Excellency, on Changsheng Island, not only are the officers and soldiers united in fighting the enemy, but even the women are willing to show their faces and contribute to the firefighting effort. Although I, Huang Shi, am foolish, if I were to allocate land and adopt sons now, the soldiers might think I'm enriching myself at the expense of the public good. If that happens, and the morale of the army is lost, I fear it will be too late for regrets."

While the principle of men and women not touching hands was still somewhat based on circumstances, and the lower classes didn't adhere to such strict rules, the large-scale formation of female soldiers was still quite alarming. Huang Shi pointed to his injured left arm as he explained the contributions of these female soldiers. Although Sun Chengzong believed him, he still found it hard to imagine that men and women could live together peacefully in the army.

Upon hearing of this astonishing morale, Sun Chengzong changed his mind: "Huang Shi, your strict military discipline is probably comparable to that of famous generals of the past. I have never heard of soldiers not harassing the women's camp." Sun Chengzong slowly shook his head twice: "Onlookers see things more clearly. The morale of your troops is not something that can be achieved by good luck, but rather because of you. It is precisely because of your selflessness that you have such high morale. Very good, very good." Finally, Sun Chengzong repeated: "You were promoted by Wang Huazhen. Although he is muddle-headed, at least he promoted Marshal Mao and you."

Wang Huazhen was a disciple of Yang Lian, a bigwig in the Donglin Party. In the first year of the Taichang era, the Donglin Party used the Red Pill and Palace Relocation cases to crush the Qi Party and Chu Party, the outer forces of the eunuch faction, and also brought down Xiong Tingbi of the Chu Party. As a result, Wang Huazhen was appointed as the governor of Liaodong. After the crushing defeat at Guangning, the Donglin Party held a joint trial and assured the weeping Wang Huazhen, "You will be reinstated to the court; there's no need to worry."

Huang Shi understood that this implied he and Mao Wenlong were both Donglin members, and that the Dongjiang Army had been promoted by Donglin. The current political situation at court was extremely treacherous, with a storm brewing; the Dongjiang Army must not choose the wrong side.

"Your Excellency, I have always remembered Lord Wang's promotion; I have never forgotten it."

"I know you are not an ungrateful person. After the suppression of the Guangning rebellion, you were promoted to guerrilla commander, and then to adjutant general under Commander Mao."

"I am also deeply grateful for Commander Mao's patronage."

"If we had listened to Xiong Tingbi, Mao Wenlong's expedition to Liaodong would not have been a merit but a crime, and there would be no Dongjiang Town."

In fact, setting aside the factional strife between the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction, Xiong Tingbi had originally held Mao Wenlong in high regard when he was stationed in Shenyang. At that time, Mao Wenlong led a small force in a highly effective defensive operation in Kuandian, holding off the Jurchen army at Changbai Mountain for a year. He firmly protected the flank of Shenyang. Xiong Tingbi once said, "Mao Wenlong, who was in charge of the Iron Cavalry Battalion and was given the title of Commander-in-Chief, abandoned his studies to join the army, determined to destroy the Jurchens. He was well aware of the terrain and dangers of the Yi lands in Kuandian, and was proficient in all the methods of attack, defense and surprise attacks. He was truly a man of great wisdom, insight, courage and ability among the soldiers. How rare is he!"

However, after the fall of Shenyang, Mao Wenlong's army on the flank also collapsed. Mao Wenlong fled to Guangning alone, where Wang Huazhen helped him and gave him two hundred soldiers to go to Liaodong by sea. Sun Chengzong was referring to this old case from the first year of the Tianqi reign (1621). Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen were already irreconcilable enemies. Because Wang Huazhen praised Mao Wenlong's achievements, Xiong Tingbi insisted on saying the opposite, viciously attacking Mao Wenlong's great achievement of recovering four hundred li of territory.

"Xiong Tingbi never said anything good, and never did anything good," Huang Shi reluctantly agreed.

"No, Xiong Tingbi was capable. While he was in Liaodong, Liaodong survived; when he left, Liaodong perished. He even foresaw the defeat at Guangning." Historically, the Donglin Party characterized Xiong Tingbi's crimes as: having the ability but deliberately not exerting it, therefore his intentions were despicable; Wang Huazhen was fundamentally incompetent, so the great defeat was merely a matter of ability, not attitude.

To Huang Shi's surprise, Sun Chengzong didn't seize the opportunity to criticize the eunuch faction. Instead, he sighed inexplicably, but seemingly burdened by something he couldn't say, he didn't elaborate. The topic quickly shifted: "Marshal Mao is willing to use all his military merits to ensure Wang Huazhen's innocence."

Was this the last stand of the Donglin Party during the Tianqi reign? Huang Shi vaguely remembered that the magnanimous Sun Chengzong had historically disliked factional strife and was very lenient towards talented dissidents. After the Donglin Party sentenced Xiong Tingbi to death, Sun Chengzong also advised his imperial disciple not to rush into execution. Born into a scholarly family, Sun Chengzong, as a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, consistently advocated for "restoring military power" and preventing scholars from arbitrarily commanding military affairs. Unfortunately, as the emperor's tutor, Sun Chengzong was both the Donglin Party's biggest backer and the eunuch faction's greatest threat. Perhaps this is what they mean by being caught in the web of power and not having control over one's own destiny.

But Wang Huazhen would definitely betray the Donglin Party to save his own life. During the retrial of the Guangning case, Wang Huazhen sensed the impending collapse of the Donglin Party and betrayed his teacher and Zuo Guangdou. Xiong Tingbi, known for his inflexibility, learned from the lessons of the first year of the Tianqi reign and joined the Donglin Party…

Seeing Huang Shi hesitate for a long time, Sun Chengzong said softly, “Marshal Mao’s words carry a lot of weight, and I think your words also carry a lot of weight.”

As weighty as a general? A general, the general of a garrison—what a huge carrot! Huang Shi understood what kind of future Sun Chengzong was implying.

“You—are you willing to protect Wang Huazhen?”

Huang Shi heard a trembling of shame in his words. Given Sun Chengzong’s upright character, it must have been very painful for him to say this. But Ye Xianggao was, after all, Sun Chengzong’s mentor. Now that his school was in trouble, Sun Chengzong’s tone was almost pleading, and he was pleading with a military general, a young military general about the same age as his grandson.

Huang Shi looked up at the old man before him. Though his voice was still booming and his posture still sturdy, his temples were now streaked with gray beneath his helmet. State affairs and military matters were already demanding enough; now Sun Chengzong had to meddle in this, cleaning up the mess left by a bunch of idiots from his sect. Huang Shi blurted out, "This humble general is willing to use all his military merits to protect Wang Huazhen from…" It was useless; the Donglin Party was doomed this time. Huang Shi didn't want to fall into a lose-lose situation, so he lowered his head: "…This humble general is willing to protect Wang Huazhen from dying."

At the last moment, Huang Shi changed "innocent" to "shouldn't die."

Sun Chengzong stared at Huang Shi for a while, seeing that Huang Shi, though head bowed, showed no intention of changing his words, and finally said coldly, "No need. General Huang, you're just a lowly general; you're probably useless anyway." With that, Sun Chengzong turned and left.

Huang Shi, stunned, even forgot to follow—had all my efforts these past few days been in vain? But as Sun Chengzong said, could a mere brigade commander like myself, by joining, possibly reverse the inevitable defeat of the Donglin Party in the court?

However… Huang Shi suddenly realized that Sun Chengzong no longer needed to submit his memorial, and he could safely and securely remain outside the factional strife. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

…

Shanhaiguan.

Sun Chengzong finished his memorial, in which he suggested that the court prioritize supporting Changsheng Island, placing it above all other units of the Dongjiang Army, and even above the Liaoxi Guan Ning Army. Sun Chengzong felt that the army he had encountered on Changsheng Island was an army determined to fight its way back home, not an army that simply joined for pay.

However, Sun Chengzong also knew that this memorial would most likely be ignored by the court. Since June of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the Donglin Party had launched a full-scale attack on Wei Zhongxian, and memorials from the factional struggle had piled up before the emperor's throne. The Tianqi Emperor had even ordered that people not attend court anymore, which was the place and time for discussing serious matters.

So Sun Chengzong, within his authority, allocated two ships to Changsheng Island, transporting some grain and weapons. He also generously allocated tens of thousands of catties of pig iron and a large quantity of coal. As the Liaodong military commissioner, this amount was negligible compared to the 160,000 Guan Ning troops; he could easily decide on it with a word.

After giving all these instructions, his old servant had already brought him water to wash his feet. Sun Chengzong sighed comfortably, "It's a pity Huang Shi is just a military man."

The old servant chimed in, "Does Your Excellency value this man highly?"

"Yes, why did I return him to Mao Wenlong back then? Now, even if I wanted him, no one would give him to me." Sun Chengzong regretted it more and more. At the time, he thought Huang Shi was just a minor guerrilla fighter, and when he was in charge of Liaoxi, he didn't think the man had anything particularly outstanding about him.

For three years, Sun Chengzong had trained dozens of battalions of the Guan Ning Army and built over fifty castles, a feat that had taken a heavy toll on him. The officers of each battalion and rank in the Guan Ning Army were all recommended by powerful families in Liaoxi, resulting in a complex web of personal relationships and kinship ties, with soldiers treated like slaves, ultimately leading to arrogance among the officers and laziness among the soldiers. Although Sun Chengzong was very capable, he couldn't defy fate and eradicate centuries-old feudal customs. He recalled the profound impression the fire-fighting battalion had left on him, feeling that Huang Shi's fighting spirit and morale were stronger than any of his own battalions.

"A broken island, only 20,000 taels of silver in total, and Huang Shi can train a strong army," Sun Chengzong tapped his forehead. "Liaoning has three million taels of silver a year, nearly ten million taels in three years. Why didn't I keep him to train my troops back then? Otherwise, I would have already pacified the Jurchens."

Sun Chengzong didn't realize he had exaggerated Huang Shi's abilities. If Huang Shi had truly been part of the Guan Ning Army, he would at best have eked out a living within the power of the Liaoxi military families, destined for certain demise.

The final conversation with Huang Shi left Sun Chengzong with some regret: "I wonder if he looked down on me on this trip to Changsheng Island?"

The old servant said indignantly, "He's just a warrior, how dare he be so disrespectful to the Imperial Tutor?"

Sun Chengzong just smiled: "This Huang Shi is upright and promising..." Having witnessed firsthand Huang Shi's ability to maintain his principles despite the temptation of promotion, and his refusal to flatter high-ranking officials, Sun Chengzong couldn't bear to drag Huang Shi into the vortex of factional strife. Although he made a gesture of leaving in a huff, he still admired Huang Shi's integrity. Then Sun Chengzong sighed regretfully: "If he were a scholar, I would very much like to take him as my disciple."

(End of Chapter 19)

The fierce north wind's intentions were not fulfilled. Chapter 20 The screw

. October of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign.

Huang Shi was discussing government affairs with Yang Zhiyuan, Bao Jiusun, and others: "Minister Sun's ships have been handed over to Kuroshima Kazuo, and Liu Qingyang has spent 10,000 guan to buy a small town in Choshu, Japan, which can house thirty people. It's located near Nagasaki Port."

"Something that can house thirty people is called a town?" Bao Jiusun asked, his eyes wide. "That's more like a stockade."

Huang Shi couldn't help but laugh. "Don't have too high expectations for Japanese towns. Let me tell you a story." This story was actually something Huang Shi had seen on television in his previous life, but now he pretended it was Kuroshima who relayed it: "In the wars between the feudal lords of Japan, a clan called the Amago and a clan called the Mori fought for ten or twenty years..."

Huang Shi recalled the events of that time while describing them with great amusement:

The first scene was a Mori general reporting to the main force: "The enemy has breached our xx town!"

"What?" The lord, sitting high in the center, was shocked. "I'll give you fifty men. Take the town back immediately!"

"Yes, sir." The Mori general left, full of energy.

The final scene shows the general returning triumphantly: "Reporting to my lord, I have recaptured the city!"

...

Yang Zhiyuan and Bao Jiusun were dumbfounded: "This is a feudal lord? This is clearly a fight between village chiefs!"

"Haha, our Ming Dynasty's village chiefs would be feudal lords in Japan." Huang Shi casually recounted the story of the powerful Japanese feudal lord, the Hojo family. The Hojo father and son's food on campaign was rice porridge with rice; the son ate two bowls of porridge, which angered the father, who complained he ate too much. "

No wonder that Kuroshima fellow cried and begged to join our Ming Dynasty's army." Bao Jiusun looked enlightened.

Yang Zhiyuan seized the opportunity to flatter him: "Your Excellency is learned and knowledgeable; I admire you greatly."

In his previous life, Huang Shi had played many Japanese games and greatly admired the so-called "three thousand muskets defeating ten thousand cavalry," but after living with these Liaodong soldiers for several years, he increasingly felt it wasn't quite what it seemed. Two hundred thousand Japanese troops in Korea. Tens of thousands of arquebuses were repeatedly routed by the Ming army in Liaodong, which numbered only 40,000 at its peak. They were eventually pinned down in a few coastal fortresses by a Ming force less than 30% of their own. Huang Shi's own tests showed that the imitation Japanese arquebuses were utterly incapable of damaging the Ming cavalry's iron armor; it's truly baffling whether Takeda Katsuyori had even managed to equip his troops with bamboo armor.

While Yang Zhiyuan and Bao Jiusun flattered Huang Shi, they were also astonished by Japan's abundant silver and copper resources, finding it difficult to understand why a country possessing such vast amounts of silver could be so poor. Huang Shi also struggled to explain this natural wonder: the Iwami Silver Mine, discovered in the 17th century, produced over 30% of the world's silver. Current exploration suggests that this silver mine was not a typical silver deposit, but rather a massive exposed silver bed.

Nature often plays tricks, arbitrarily concentrating the earth's precious resources in a single point. This time, its gift bestowed upon Japan the reputation of a "land of silver" for over a century. Historically, the Tokugawa Shogunate squandered this enormous amount of silver, and once the silver reserves were depleted, Japan fell into poverty once more.

As the three were chatting happily, He Dingyuan requested an audience outside the door. After a casual greeting, he asked, "This humble general heard that Minister Sun has allocated a batch of supplies, including armor."

"Yes, all genuine iron armor." Huang Shi had already inspected the items sent by the Liaodong Military Command. Initially, he was somewhat nonchalant when he saw the list of a thousand armors, but he was astonished upon seeing the actual items—these were not leather armor but iron armor, and of the highest quality. The casually written word "armor" on Sun Chengzong's issuance order was clearly a wordplay.

This batch of iron armor consisted of long-sleeved, scale-patterned iron vests held together by cowhide. The armor featured a large breastplate in the center, raw cowhide lining the joints, and matching shoulder armor to protect the collarbone and neck. This type of iron armor was originally reserved for officers of the rank of deputy colonel and above. Huang Shi wore similar iron armor before becoming a general.

Huang Shi estimated that the 160,000 Guan Ning troops only had two or three thousand sets of this armor, each costing about one hundred taels of silver. Unexpectedly, Sun Chengzong allocated a thousand sets in one go—worth one hundred thousand taels of silver!

Of course, armor could also "disappear," but Sun Chengzong had considerable influence. So this time only ten percent "disappeared," and Huang Shi still managed to salvage nine hundred sets.

Although Changsheng Island armor was also called iron armor, much of it consisted of iron plates densely nailed to leather armor or sandwiched inside cotton armor. These iron armors were incredibly heavy; a suit weighing nearly forty jin (approximately 20 kg) only contained a little over ten jin (approximately 5 kg) of iron plates. The infantry armor, once donned, became incredibly bulky and inflexible. The iron armor provided by Sun Chengzong, however, was not only lightweight but also

offered significantly enhanced protection—nearly twenty pounds of iron were embedded in the thirty-pound armor, making sword cuts and javelins unlikely to inflict serious injury on soldiers… Of course, the sharp scales of spears wouldn't stop them. Sun Chengzong hadn't provided helmets, but the supply list included twenty pairs of precious iron gloves. These gloves featured plates connected by iron rings, making them far safer than leather gloves when gripping enemy weapons. As usual, two gloves "disappeared," much to Huang Shi's amusement and exasperation; truly, without rules, there is no order.

Although there was no telegram, Huang Shi couldn't help but remind him, "Guerrilla Commander He, don't say anything out of line. The other units in Dongjiang Town haven't received anything."

Huang Shi knew that a copy of this batch of issuance slips would be sent to Dongjiang Headquarters, and of course, it would also specify "armor" of one thousand sets. So Huang Shi immediately ordered five hundred sets of old armor to be sent to Dongjiang Headquarters. Normally, sending two or three hundred sets would have been acceptable, but Huang Shi didn't plan to share the other supplies with Dongjiang Headquarters, so he sent all the armor. Armor was a scarce resource in the Dongjiang Army, and it was never turned over after being captured. These five hundred sets would probably make Mao Wenlong happy for a while.

Changsheng Island redefined the concept of iron armor. The batch of equipment sent by Sun Chengzong could now be called iron armor, while the original Changsheng Island standard equipment was called heavy armor. Huang Shi previously possessed only about a hundred sets of armor that met current standards. In the battle of Gaizhou, the fire brigade lost nearly two hundred infantrymen, leaving over seven hundred veteran infantrymen who had completed training, each equipped with a set of armor. Their original heavy armor, after deducting those given to Mao Wenlong, was transferred to the new recruits undergoing training.

"This subordinate understands..." He Dingyuan was about to explain his purpose when he noticed something on Huang Shi's table and reached out to take it.

"Guerrilla Commander He, you're becoming increasingly unruly," Huang Shi snorted.

But these words had little effect; the officers on Changsheng Island were generally quite informal with Huang Shi. The egalitarian ideals of modern times were already part of Huang Shi's soul. Although his men were deeply ingrained Ming Dynasty people, they had figured out this hidden aspect of Huang Shi's character. The Ming Dynasty people didn't have a strong sense of servility, and through this subtle influence, they became increasingly unrestrained.

There were two iron rods on the table. He Dingyuan first picked up the shorter one, weighed it in his hand, and then suddenly grabbed the longer one, casually assuming a thrusting motion.

"Stop!"

"Watch out!"

Huang Shi and Yang Zhiyuan shouted simultaneously; their agitation startled He Dingyuan. He hurriedly lifted the iron rod with both hands: "Sir, what's so important about this iron rod?"

"This isn't an iron rod," Huang Shi reached out and took the object back, carefully placing it back on the table. He then handed another short rod to He Dingyuan: "Take a look at this one; it's not very important."

The short rod in He Dingyuan's hand was only about twenty centimeters long, while the one he had just given Huang Shi was a full 1.5 meters long.

Huang Shi waited for He Dingyuan to examine it thoroughly before leisurely asking him, "Do you see anything special about it?"

"The patterns on it are very interesting." The iron rod had spiral patterns wrapped around it. There were three turns from beginning to end.

"So this isn't called an iron rod, it's called a screw rod." Huang Shi turned to Yang Zhiyuan and said, "Guerrilla Commander Yang, tell him how much this thing is worth."

"Five thousand taels of silver."

Yang Zhiyuan's words startled He Dingyuan, who shuddered. He gripped the short screw rod tightly, looking at it from left to right, and asked incredulously, "This iron thing is worth five thousand taels—silver? More expensive than gold?"

“Yes,” Yang Ganyuan was satisfied with the expression on He Dingyuan’s face. He adjusted his body in the chair to make himself more comfortable. “Two years ago, after returning from Shanhaiguan, the magistrate selected two blacksmiths who did nothing but make this thing every day. It wasn’t finished until July of this year. Not to mention how many iron rods were wasted and how many knives were worn out during that time, just think about how many suits of armor and weapons these two blacksmiths could have made in two years if they hadn’t made this screw. I’m underestimating the cost of five thousand taels of silver.”

He Dingyuan swallowed and examined the thing in his hand repeatedly. “What’s so special about this iron rod… no, screw?”

Yang Zhiyuan told He Dingyuan that although the screw only had three short turns of thread, the entire thread was exactly the thickness of a blacksmith’s thumb, almost without any error. The protrusion in the middle of the thread was also about the thickness of three fingers. Huang Shi had instructed that it could not be any different. This screw was almost the pinnacle of human craftsmanship. Therefore, these three threads took two blacksmiths two years of manual labor.

After the three-turn screw passed inspection in July, it was used as the mother rod to manufacture a batch of three-turn wooden screws, followed by five-turn, nine-turn, seventeen-turn, and so on wooden screws. Huangshi also specially built a water-powered mill. Finally, a 1.5-meter-long seventeen-turn iron screw was ground using a large number of uniform wooden screws and waterwheel power. The screw designed by Leonardo da Vinci appeared in practical use 150 years earlier than in history.

Seeing He Dingyuan sweating profusely, Huang Shi held the primitive screw rod in his hand like a piece of jade. Huang Shi smiled and said, "This three-turn screw rod is useless now. Guerrilla He can take it back and play with it. Today, Guerrilla Yang and Garrison Commander Bao brought me this long screw rod. This thing is now my lifeline." "

Two blacksmiths worked hard for two years, crafting a special set of water-powered cutting tools, all for this long screw rod." He Dingyuan stared blankly at the screw rod on Huang Shi's table, asking incredulously, "Spending so much manpower and effort to make this iron rod, its value must be equivalent to a hundred sets of armor. What is its use?" "

Very, very useful." Huang Shi once again displayed that expression that Duncan called "mechanical obsession." He stroked the screw rod on the table and sighed, "This thing is priceless, its value cannot be measured in silver."

...

There were still more than three hundred suits of iron armor in the warehouse, which Huang Shi refused to hand over to the cavalry. This was also the reason He Dingyuan came to see Huang Shi. He Dingyuan, who came from a cavalry background, was quite close to the cavalrymen in the fire brigade. So, he shamelessly tried to get the remaining iron armor for the cavalry: "Sir, how can cavalry be equipped worse than infantry? This will seriously affect morale, and cavalrymen are hard to come by. Each one should be issued a set of iron armor." "

You say cavalrymen are precious?"

"Yes, aren't they?"

"Precisely because cavalrymen are so precious, that's why I'm not issuing iron armor."

Huang Shi turned to Yang Zhiyuan, his face hardening, and said, "Don't secretly give He Dingyuan iron armor, or I will not let you off lightly!"

"This subordinate understands." Yang Zhiyuan replied with a smile, giving He Dingyuan a helpless look.

"This subordinate doesn't understand." He Dingyuan dragged a stool over and sat down, adopting a posture of determined to fight Huang Shi.

Huang Shi wasn't in a hurry. He picked up a brush and twirled it between his fingers. This thing was much harder to twirl than the ballpoint pen from his previous life. "Commander He, how should I use my firefighting cavalry?" "

Scouting, pursuit."

"Good," Huang Shi was reluctant to use his hundreds of cavalry in a charge, so the training at the firefighting camp was all focused on infantry. In Huang Shi's vision, cavalry combat should be avoided as much as possible, and the task of direct engagement should be entirely left to the infantry. "Pursuit? A saber is enough. Reconnaissance doesn't require iron armor either; their current heavy armor is quite good."

"But...but..." He Dingyuan felt that Huang Shi was clearly talking nonsense. But he couldn't think of a way to refute Huang Shi's twisted logic.

Huang Shi put the brush back on the table: "I will equip the cavalry with iron armor sooner or later, but not now, after I have more supplies. Commander He, I assure you, I will give the cavalry the finest armor, much better than what you see now."

"What armor?"

"You will see." Huang Shi tapped the screw: "Let's fix it on this treasure."

Huang Shi was actually a plate armor enthusiast; he felt plate armor was far superior to scale armor. First, if the armor plates were of equal thickness, scale armor would be heavier due to the overlapping parts. Second, the weight of scale armor mainly rested on the shoulders, significantly hindering arm movement. Third, thirty pounds of scale armor contained less than twenty pounds of iron plates, while thirty pounds of plate armor was entirely iron, meaning twenty pounds of plate armor could provide the same defensive effect as thirty pounds of scale armor.

The advantage of scale armor lay in its ability to be repaired simply by replacing damaged scales. This design philosophy aimed to share some of the impact force with the human body, since armor was more valuable than human life. However, since Huang Shi intended to pursue an elite force strategy, he preferred to damage the armor to protect the human body inside.

Whether arrows could tear through metal plate armor was a question in itself; even if they could, according to the law of conservation of energy, it would certainly require more energy. It was simply that plate armor was too expensive with current technology, and difficult to obtain. Repairs were needed. But now that the screw was available, a water-powered forging machine would soon be invented. Once water power could be used to cold forge armor, plate armor could be made faster than scale armor.

Sun Chengzong plundered a lot of Huang Shi's supplies. Although Wu Mu and his group were also happy, they felt they had lost face. They tried their best to find reasons to prove that Huang Shi's success was accidental and that Sun Chengzong was an anomaly among anomalies.

On October 10th, He Dingyuan got married. The bride also came from a Qin army general's family, making her a good match for He Dingyuan. Other high-ranking officers were very envious. Zhao Manxiong and the others already held high positions, and their positions would rise even higher in the foreseeable future. This made them unwilling to propose to the daughters of military households, but they couldn't find suitable candidates.

They toasted He Dingyuan round after round with ill intentions, clearly wanting to see him make a fool of himself. Huang Shi, seeing everyone having a good time, secretly slipped away. He wasn't discovered... except for Wu Mu—it seems this guy doesn't like wedding night pranks either.

Wu Mu expressed a desire to speak privately with Huang Shi. Upon arriving at Wu Mu's residence, Huang Shi saw him solemnly presenting a set of armor: "I heard that General Huang was bravely wounded. His Majesty originally intended to bestow upon him a set of armor, but Eunuch Wei worried that General Huang might be reluctant to use the imperial armor, so His Majesty changed his mind and asked Eunuch Wei to select this precious armor for him. General Huang, please try it on and see if it fits."

The exquisite mountain-patterned armor was even better than what Huang Shi was currently wearing. Each gleaming plate was meticulously forged, and there were also cold-forged knee and greaves. For a military general, armor was his second life. As Huang Shi swallowed hard at the sight of the mountain-patterned armor, Wu Mu then handed him a sword: "I heard that General Huang lacked a suitable weapon, so Eunuch Wei carefully selected this precious sword."

The Ming army's custom was for soldiers to carry sabers and officers to carry swords. However, based on his own combat experience, Huang Shi felt that a long saber was more convenient to use, so he had never changed to a sword. In fact, all the officers in the fire brigade used knives. They had all climbed up from the bottom to their current positions and hadn't learned to put on airs yet. It's unexpected that even Wu Mu reported this to the palace.

After hearing Huang Shi's explanation, Wu Mu smiled magnanimously: "Eunuch Wei meant well, General Huang, please accept it and keep it in your tent."

Huang Shi didn't refuse any longer, took the longsword, and examined it. It was indeed a fine sword, far superior to his own dagger in both quality and craftsmanship. He said somewhat embarrassedly, "This sword is indeed better than my dagger. I've changed my mind; I'll use this one." "

Alright, General Huang, use it for now." Wu Mu smiled as he watched Huang Shi fasten the sword, but his tone became somewhat sinister as he spoke again: "This time there are over three hundred heads, and Changsheng Island reported twelve thousand troops. By all accounts, General Huang should be promoted again. I truly feel sorry for General Huang, and Eunuch Wei also feels it's very unfair."

Huang Shi listened intently to Wu Mu's next words—what does Wei Zhongxian want me to do?

In Chapter 21 of "The Fierce North Wind's Intent Fails,"

Wu Mu, after a few casual remarks, launched into a tirade against the Donglin Party, whom he considered utterly wicked. Having already gained considerable influence through the "Clubbing Case," the Donglin Party then fabricated the baseless "Red Pill Case," effectively crippling their political enemies. The "Palace Transfer Case" was the icing on the cake. Emperor Tianqi's foster mother, Consort Li, aspired to become Empress Dowager through her son's rise to power, but the Donglin Party accused her of plotting rebellion. A group of ministers first seized Tianqi, then stormed the palace gates daily, hurling insults until finally driving the weeping widow out of the palace. This marked the third time the Donglin Party had performed a crucial service in protecting the nation.

By the third year of Tianqi's reign, the Donglin Party, through a crackdown in the capital, had expelled all dissidents from the capital. For a time, only officials from the Donglin faction remained in the court. Huang Shi, having read the History of Ming, praised this period as one where "righteous officials filled the court." Huang Shi had also heard of Wu Mu's scathing criticism of history. According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, the appointment of officials below the third rank did not require the emperor's approval... Therefore, Huang Shi had long known that the Qing scholar's claim that nine out of ten officials during the Wanli era were dismissed was nonsense—this matter was not under the jurisdiction of the Ming emperor at all.

Officials of the third rank and above had to be recommended by court officials, and then the list would be reported to the emperor. In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the short-sighted Tianqi Emperor changed the order of the recommended list. He changed the second-ranked candidate to the first, which immediately stirred up a hornet's nest among the Donglin Party. In reality, no one knew whether this was actually the emperor's intention. The Donglin Party used this issue as a starting point, questioning Tianqi whether it was his own idea or the idea of the inner court eunuchs.

Personally, Huang Shi strongly supported the Ming Dynasty's system of a figurehead emperor. The Grand Secretaries of the Wenyuan Pavilion were all seasoned veterans; those who could rise to the inner court were all shrewd and far more knowledgeable about governing the country than an emperor who was accustomed to the inner palace. After Zhu Di established the cabinet system, Ming emperors could travel, go to war, practice alchemy, or even become carpenters, as long as they had the self-awareness to know they weren't as clever as the officials in the outer court.

In fact, all Ming emperors possessed this self-awareness. The Jiajing Emperor once didn't change a single word of the cabinet's draft proposals for ten years, and the Wanli Emperor never rejected a single annual review or appointment by the Ministry of Personnel. The Ming emperors followed a policy similar to the later responsible cabinet system—good performance was rewarded, bad performance was dismissed.

However, the Tianqi Emperor clearly lacked the forbearance of his ancestors. The young emperor told his ministers that the changes were his idea, which undoubtedly fueled the anger of the civil officials. But they couldn't say the emperor was wrong. Because while the emperor theoretically had this power, it was precisely because this power was only theoretical and had been absent in practice for many years. So, starting in June of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, a deluge of impeachment memorials targeted Tianqi's close advisor, Wei Zhongxian. The Donglin Party demanded that Tianqi "be enraged and execute Wei Zhongxian," beheading him and displaying his head publicly.

During this period, Wei Zhongxian was so frightened that he clung to Tianqi's leg and wept bitterly several times…

This, of course, is not Wu Mu's account. Wei Zhongxian even summoned his retainer to join him in weeping while clinging to Tianqi's leg… This, of course, is also not Wu Mu's account.

By October of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the attacks on Wei Zhongxian had lasted for over three months.

"He has oppressed the Emperor! A truly treacherous and disloyal subject!" Wu Mu angrily denounced.

If it were Huang Shi's previous life, many might have sympathized with Tianqi's plight, but Huang Shi knew that if his words of agreement were to spread, it would be enough to ruin his reputation in the late Ming Dynasty, because these Ming officials were upholding the ancient Chinese tradition of "the emperor and scholar-officials jointly governing the world." The Confucian tradition in China is one of "separation of governance and the Way," with the emperor holding the authority of the Way and the scholar-officials holding the authority of governance. Before the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the only person in China who dared to physically punish a subject was that soldier Zhao, who, despite his desperate apologies afterward, was still severely reprimanded.

Huang Shi quietly agreed, "Eunuch Wu is right."

Although the Ming dynasty, in its ill-advised inheritance of "court flogging" from the Mongols, still retained some Confucian integrity. Even Zhu Yuanzhang, known for his brutality, had a Confucian scholar refuse to kneel before him, and Zhu Hongwu would praise this scholar for having "the demeanor of an ancient virtuous minister." They could say, "Where the Way is, there is also governance." The dynasty that turned all intellectuals into slaves had not yet arrived. In the history of Chinese dynasties, the emperor's naked dictatorship was what Confucianists called "the absence of the Way," and those who supported the emperor's dictatorship were all considered "treacherous officials."

Therefore, Wu Mu was overjoyed by this agreement, believing it to be Huang Shi's clear statement: "General Huang was there during the Guangning Rebellion. Eunuch Wei hopes that General Huang can write down what he saw in a memorial and present it to the Emperor."

The re-examination of the Guangning defeat was a crucial battle in the eunuch faction's defeat of the Donglin Party. Wei Zhongxian successfully proved to Tianqi the corruption and selfishness of the Donglin Party and seized upon their weakness. Huang Shi was probably the most influential witness; his current achievements and on-site actions at the time would give his statement undeniable persuasiveness.

"Eunuch Wu, is this memorial submitted to the Ministry of Justice using my special power to submit memorials?" Huang Shi knew that once this matter was exposed, his reputation would be ruined. "His Majesty is wise

; General Huang need not worry." Wu Mu's meaning was clear: the eunuch faction needed this information as a bombshell. "

This humble general is of low rank and his words carry little weight; I'm afraid no one will listen to me." Huang Shi knew Wei Zhongxian would win, but Tianqi wouldn't live for many more years, and Wei Zhongxian couldn't maintain his absolute power forever.

"General Huang has a bright future, and Dongjiang Town should be established soon. Eunuch Wei believes General Huang is the perfect candidate for deputy general." Seeing the uncertain expression on Huang Shi's face, he hurriedly added, "General Huang establishing the town is only a matter of time." Wu Mu also offered a very generous reward.

"This matter has been over for so long. I am merely a military man, not an imperial censor. I'm afraid it's not my place to submit a memorial, much less to impeach a civil official." Huang Shi's uncertain expression stemmed from his fear of being in trouble—once Wei Zhongxian died, the Donglin Party would not forget his past actions.

"General Huang is right." Wu Mu understood that if Huang Shi pressed him further, they would part ways. He glanced at Huang Shi's face—this guy was still too timid; it was a pity about the wealth and honor prepared for him.

Wu Mu clapped his hands: "Then I'll write it. General Huang will speak, I'll record it, and then I'll submit a secret memorial to the palace." As long as the emperor believed Huang Shi, Wei Zhongxian would have won a victory.

Huang Shi knew that Wei Zhongxian was destined to win regardless of whether he had the report or not; the Tianqi Emperor would still believe him rather than the Donglin Party, thus securing a safe favor for Huang Shi. Huang Shi, of course, would never be the first to act as cannon fodder. He let out a sigh of relief: "What does Eunuch Wei want me to say?"

The deal began…

After writing the letter, Wu Mu dismissed the clerk. Only the two of them remained in the room. He took out a small seal, pressed it on, then picked up a pen and handed it to Huang Shi with a broad smile, saying, "General Huang, please."

Huang Shi took the pen with a serious expression; it seemed to weigh a ton. He hesitated to write.

Wu Mu, growing anxious, couldn't help but ask, "General Huang, what's wrong?"

Huang Shi shook his head with a wry smile, "With this one stroke, my thousand suits of armor have vanished."

This made Wu Mu laugh out loud, "A thousand suits of armor? What's so special about them? How could they vanish?"

"A thousand suits of armor are nothing special, but what if they were a thousand suits of the finest iron armor?" Huang Shi successfully piqued Wu Mu's curiosity, then casually mentioned the iron armor Sun Chengzong had given him.

Wu Mu, his face turning pale, stammered for a long time before anxiously asking repeatedly, "How much silver is this armor worth? What did Minister Sun ask General Huang to write?"

"One hundred thousand taels of silver."

These words immediately left Wu Mu speechless. After a long while, he murmured, "Ten thousand taels, what a huge sum of money!"

During this time, Huang Shi had already signed his name on the memorial, then put down his pen and blew the ink to dry. Wu Mu then stammered, "Now that we've arrived at Changsheng Island, we can't take it back... General Huang didn't write anything, did he?"

Wu Mu anxiously grabbed Huang Shi's arm and shook it desperately, "What did General Huang write? Tell me quickly!"

“These thousand suits of armor certainly won’t fly away,” Huang Shi handed the memorial to Wu Mu, who took it with a dazed expression. Huang Shi pointed to his signature on the memorial and said, “Now that I have this, I will never write anything more to Minister Sun. I reported two thousand soldiers. Minister Sun said he would give a thousand suits of armor first, but I meant the remaining thousand.”

Wu Mu glanced ashamedly at the armor and sword given to Huang Shi, then took a deep breath and slapped his thigh hard. “General Huang, rest assured, it’s just ten thousand taels of silver. I believe Eunuch Wei will never let you suffer a loss.” After saying this, Wu Mu seemed a little less confident. He added, with a blustering but weak tone, “Ten thousand taels is nothing. If General Huang trusts Eunuch Wei, rest assured, rest assured.”

After leaving Wu Mu’s residence, Huang Shi tried his best to suppress a fit of laughter—who else could he kick if not Wei Zhongxian? If Mao Wenlong were as good at interpersonal relationships as I am, how could he have ended up with only a little over 200,000 taels of military pay for Dongjiang Town in a year? And he wouldn't have gotten the better of either side.

In mid-October of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign,

Huang Shi led a group of high- and mid-level officers to inspect the trial operation of the water-powered forging machine. Six iron screws, driven by water power, slowly rotated in the nuts, pushing the hard mold towards a rectangular wrought iron plate. Previous trials had yielded a suitable speed; although the iron plate twisted, it did not break.

After the mold was removed, Huang Shi proudly took out the finished product: the rectangular iron plate had been transformed into an arc-shaped mask. After changing the mold and casting, the water-powered forging machine forged a smooth helmet.

“In the past, it would take a blacksmith at least half a day to make a helmet. Last time, our new helmets, including the masks, took a whole day to make.” Huang Shi said, placing two finished products on his head to assemble a complete mask and helmet. He then made a buzzing sound from behind the mask: “Now, all the blacksmiths have to do is drill holes and attach bolts. Two blacksmiths operating this water-powered forging machine can complete at least twenty helmets a day, even with the water shortage on

Changsheng Island.”

Helmets don’t actually need to be made in large quantities; most of the equipment needed is the mask. Making a few holes in the old-fashioned helmets is enough. Huang Shi believes that the pig iron given by Sun Chengzong was for this purpose. During his last inspection of Changsheng Island, Huang Shi had already indicated that the helmets needed to be modified, and helmets were not among the supplies sent this time.

After removing his helmet, Huang Shi noticed Duncan seemed about to speak again. He impatiently preemptively said, "Duncan, I know what you're going to say. If we had used all this manpower to make helmets earlier, we would have made thousands or even tens of thousands of helmets, right? But have you considered that two years ago we didn't realize helmets needed masks, and the application of water power allows us to react immediately to weapon improvements?"

"What improvements?" He Dingyuan hurriedly interjected.

"I don't know," Huang Shi shrugged. "I'm not a god, how could I know what improvements we'd need in the future?" He pointed to the waterwheel and added, "But once we discover it, this waterwheel can immediately mass-produce the equipment we need, and it can also save precious coal and charcoal."

"General, you misunderstand me," Duncan finally found an opportunity to interject. He blinked and looked at the waterwheel seriously. "What I was thinking about was the water power problem. The reservoir only stores enough water each day to make the waterwheel work for one hour. But the general has built a water-powered rolling mill and said he'll use the waterwheel to drive the bellows to smelt iron, and he'll also use a water-powered boring machine to grind cannons. So many machines will need to be powered by waterwheels."

Fan Leyou also spoke up: "I remember the general said there was a way to solve the water power problem and make the waterwheel run. I wonder when the general plans to tell us about this method."

"There is a way, but it requires manpower, and we don't have enough manpower right now." Huang Shi was using manpower to blow bellows to forge weapons and armor. After the off-season, all the wealthy men on Changsheng Island were pulled in to help make gunpowder, grind muskets, and make spears. Huang Shi was still frantically training his new recruits, a move that was exhausting Changsheng Island's manpower.

"Can we stop the other work for now and wait until the waterwheels are running? What do the adults need to build?" Yang Zhiyuan also wanted to solve the water power problem as soon as possible, after all, the money and time invested in this project had already been enormous, and he was eager to turn these investments into power as soon as possible.

"I want to build a new reservoir, and..." Huang Shi stopped halfway through his sentence. He planned to build some windmills to lift water and the reservoir as an energy storage device. Although windmills could not provide a stable power output, one windmill could provide the strength of hundreds of people, and they would never tire. They wouldn't need to eat, and with such strong winds on the island, it would be a waste not to use them. However, Huang Shi still shook his head: "It's too long. It will take at least four thousand people several months to work."

As the saying goes, building a ship is not as good as buying a ship, and buying a ship is not as good as renting a ship. Renting a ship is profitable, while buying a ship might only just break even, and the ship you build hasn't even been launched yet. Huang Shi also understood that heavy industry was a bottomless pit of money. However, this is a highly exponential function with a sharp turn. Once skilled worker training and machinery manufacturing reach a certain scale, the power brought by industry will experience explosive growth, with the value created in a few years equivalent to that of a century in the past.

Another reform was the system of weights and measures. Huang Shi used the outstretched hand of the blacksmith who made screws as the standard: the distance between the thumb and little finger was 20 centimeters, 100 li was one meter, one cubic decimeter of water was one liter, one liter of water was one kilogram, an ice-water mixture was zero degrees, and boiling water was 100 degrees. Time was copied from the clocks of the Jesuits: 24 hours a day, 60 minutes an hour.

However, Huang Shi's steelmaking plan failed. Although he built some kilns and had craftsmen make crucibles, the pig iron refused to melt into liquid. In addition, limestone and sand were equally stubborn, so Huang Shi obtained neither steel, glass, nor cement. He simply wasted several hundred taels of silver and a lot of manpower.

Besides these supplies, there were also ten blacksmith households. Huang Shi did not hesitate to convert all these craftsmen into military households, and they also received a testimonial from a senior craftsman. That hardworking and meritorious craftsman is now a high-ranking officer, and his name is recorded in the welfare book. After the recapture of Liaodong, this craftsman will receive ten acres of land in Dongjiang Town and a cow.

Theoretically, wrought iron breastplates were already immune to arrows; the next step was to find a way to forge steel. Undoubtedly, this would require a significant investment of silver and manpower, but once the steel was produced, the armor would be able to defend against broadswords and javelins, and incidentally show the Later Jin what it meant to cut through iron like mud. By

the end of October of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the actions of the two Red Banners became increasingly strange. The Plain Red Banner was continuously retreating to cities like Gaizhou and Fuzhou. The Bordered Red Banner, on the other hand, simply withdrew from southern Liaoning to Shenyang for reorganization. According to Later Jin custom, every spring, males turning fifteen were required to join the banners. This year, the Bordered Red Banner would not be able to replenish its ranks to three hundred men per Niru. Based on precedent, this banner might absorb some "outstanding" Han soldiers, but until it was fully replenished, it would no longer pose a threat.

The countryside of southern Liaoning suddenly became a paradise for the Dongjiang guerrillas. The retreat of Later Jin field units caused widespread anxiety among the local Han soldiers, who began to secretly collude with the Liaodong army.

Mao Wenlong finally decided to turn his attention to Lushun to open up the situation. He ordered 10,000 able-bodied men to be transferred from his headquarters to Lushun.

Zhao Manxiong asked Huang Shi in an ambiguous tone, "Commander Mao hopes that General Zhang Pan can achieve great merit, right?"

In July, Huang Shi dispersed the veteran soldiers to the three newly formed infantry units to train the new recruits. After August, taking advantage of the off-season for farming, the five infantry units of 2,000 soldiers on Changsheng Island drilled every day. The large number of experienced veterans and officers helped the new recruits grow rapidly. Now, Changsheng Island also received strong support from Sun Chengzong, who was known for being "impartial." Not to mention equipment, even the grain that Huang Shi received last time was something that Lushun could only dream of.

"Commander Mao hopes that Zhang Pan is at least not too much worse than me." Huang Shi smiled happily, "But I'm afraid that's difficult."

The fierce north wind did not achieve its purpose. Chapter 22.

On the fifth day of the eleventh month of the fourth year of Tianqi, Changsheng Island.

Huang Shi was admiring the gift Wu Mu had given him: a beautifully crafted longsword. The blade was forged from refined steel through countless hammer blows, held in place by two iron clamps on the sides. The polished, gleaming surface of the blade was like a mirror, reflecting Huang Shi's face even more clearly than a bronze mirror. The iron clamping the blade was also polished to a perfect smoothness; running a finger across the blade revealed no unevenness.

Wu Mu watched Huang Shi examine the sword quietly, patiently waiting until Huang Shi sighed and looked up before speaking: "General Huang, are you satisfied?"

"Truly a fine sword," Huang Shi murmured, admiring the longsword. In this era, such a sword would require immense manpower and resources. He lightly twirled the sword in the air; its weight and the curve of its blade were impeccable—a true masterpiece.

"After hearing that General Huang loved this sword, Eunuch Wei immediately ordered people to work day and night to forge it, as mentioned in the letter we wrote last month." Wu Mu drew the design of Huang Shi's old sword on a sketch and sent it off. He remembered that Huang Shi had complained that the sword wasn't heavy enough, so this sword was specially made 10% heavier.

The blade glided lightly across the bench, carving a deep groove without any hesitation, much sharper than steel swords of later generations. Huang Shi couldn't help but marvel at the power of the imperial authority. Even disregarding the travel time, the skilled craftsmen of the palace could produce a weapon tailor-made for him in just a few days. "Thank you, Eunuch Wei,"

Wu Mu said with rare humility. "Eunuch Wei said he wanted me to convey his gratitude to General Huang."

Huang Shi quickly avoided the bow and returned it. "Is Eunuch Wei's important matter resolved?"

"A resounding victory," Wu Mu told Huang Shi with a grin. The Donglin Party in the court had suffered a crushing defeat. This time, the capital inspection had expelled all Donglin officials from the capital. Emperor Tianqi, who had initially hesitated to agree to a retrial of the Guangning case, was enraged after receiving Wu Mu's secret report. He overturned the imperial desk in front of Wei Zhongxian, repeatedly cursing Xiong Tingbi and Wang Huazhen for misleading the country, and arguing that the Donglin Party must have had ulterior motives to spare their lives.

Wei Zhongxian's demand for land was merely a pretext; his true target wasn't Xiong Tingbi or Wang Huazhen, but his political enemies, the Donglin Party. Therefore, Huang Shi felt it was safe to sign the secret memorial. Wu Mu's memorial would only be seen by Wei Zhongxian and the Tianqi Emperor, and a memorial from an unrelated eunuch couldn't be used as interrogation material; historically, eunuchs' secret memorials were generally not preserved.

However, Huang Shi still took precautions. In the memorial, he focused his attacks on Wang Huazhen, hoping this would prompt Wei Zhongxian to destroy the file later. Even if the Chongzhen Emperor saw it, his righteous indignation in the memorial would provide a way out; at worst, he would be seen as a good person misled and manipulated by a few bad elements.

"Mr. Sun requested to return to the capital to meet the Emperor several times," even in private, Wu Mu dared not address the Imperial Tutor by his given name, though his expression betrayed his inner smugness: "His Majesty issued three imperial edicts in succession, ordering Mr. Sun to remain in charge of the capital and not to return."

Huang Shi had secretly pondered the psychology of the Tianqi Emperor. Having lost his mother at a young age, Tianqi had never received any fatherly love from his lecherous father. Judging from later records, Huang Shi felt that Tianqi seemed to be a lonely and withdrawn child, showing excessive dependence on some acquaintances. For example, in the Red Pill Trap, Tianqi even requested that his adoptive mother, Consort Li, be made Empress on his father's deathbed—so that his adoptive mother could rightfully become Empress Dowager. And when the Donglin Party drove Consort Li out of the palace, Tianqi disregarded propriety and shed tears. Later, this apparent attachment to his mother seemed to transfer to Madam Ke. Emperor Tianqi was extremely doting on her, and surprisingly, he used the pronoun "I" when referring to her. He even went so far as to act as arbitrator to appease the two eunuchs, Wei Zhongxian and Wei Tai, who were vying for Madam Ke's affections.

Similarly, Huang Shi felt that Tianqi's projected paternal affection onto Sun Chengzong. Whenever this aloof emperor saw Sun Chengzong, he would smile happily and say with delight, "My heart is open." During the life-or-death struggle between the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction at the end of the fourth year of Tianqi's reign, Sun Chengzong requested to return to the capital for an audience with the emperor, which terrified Wei Zhongxian. His advisors were also wailing in despair, "If Minister Sun returns to the capital, you and we will all be reduced to dust."

Therefore, Wei Zhongxian repeatedly used the pretext of an urgent military situation at Shanhaiguan to persuade Emperor Tianqi to issue repeated edicts to prevent Sun Chengzong from entering the capital. Even after Sun Chengzong was overthrown, the eunuch faction still did everything in their power to prevent Sun Chengzong from meeting with Emperor Tianqi and his student. However, that was all; unlike the other Donglin Party members who were persecuted to death, Wei Zhongxian realized that Sun Chengzong had gained Emperor Tianqi's complete trust, and getting the emperor to agree to imprison Sun Chengzong was an action Wei Zhongxian had never dared to attempt.

Finally, Wu Mu began to get to the point: "His Majesty has read Mr. Sun's memorial. Mr. Sun advocates for strong support for Changsheng Island." Wu Mu seemed to want to mock Sun Chengzong for shooting himself in the foot, but the eunuch faction's fear of Sun Chengzong also influenced him. In the end, Wu Mu didn't dare to say anything more: "General Huang, Eunuch Wei has said many good things about you, so His Majesty has given his permission."

How satisfying! Huang Shi inwardly admired the shrewdness only a time traveler could possess. What was true skill? It was getting Sun Chengzong, Ke Shi, and Wei Zhongxian—the most trusted men of the Tianqi Emperor—to speak favorably of you.

"Eunuch Wei personally sent men to select armor for General Huang," Wu Mu emphasized the word "armor," but then stressed the next few words even more: "1,500 sets!"

Huang Shi was overjoyed: "Thank you, Eunuch Wei! Thank you, Eunuch Wu!"

Wu Mu generously waved his hand; after all, it was all from the capital's garrison, not a penny of his own money: "They will definitely arrive at Changsheng Island by the middle of this month. Eunuch Wei will send palace personnel to supervise the transport, ensuring nothing is lost. An additional 150 sets will be added when they leave the capital to prevent losses along the way, so it will only be more, not less. General Huang doesn't need to make any arrangements; Eunuch Wei has everything taken care of. In short, this matter is in our hands. General Huang only needs to send men to move them into the storeroom."

Otherwise, how could the eunuch faction have won? They certainly handled things brilliantly.

After leaving with profuse thanks, Huang Shi immediately summoned Yang Zhiyuan: "Check the remaining heavy armor in the warehouse. I remember there are still six hundred sets, right? Prepare to load them up and transport them to the Dongjiang headquarters. Tell the blacksmiths not to forge the armor anymore, and to focus on making muskets, spears, and helmets."

"By the way," Huang Shi stopped Yang Zhiyuan, who was about to leave to receive his orders, "you can secretly give He Dingyuan some good news. His cavalry armor has been secured."

The fire brigade's upgrade from muskets to cannons was complete. Supplies worth over two hundred thousand taels of silver were nothing to the Ming Dynasty, and for the entire Dongjiang Town, it was just a year's salary. But concentrated on a small island like Changsheng Island, it was a significant amount. In

the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Wei Zhongxian was still not very confident. This batch of supplies for Changsheng Island was both a reward and a way to prevent the enraged Huang Shi from defecting to the Donglin Party. However, before leaving, Wu Mu gave a final reminder: "General Huang, with Eunuch Wei here, any supplies are negotiable. But Eunuch Wei doesn't like hearing bad news, and we can't tolerate failure. Whether we hand them over to Eunuch Wei or he presents them to the Emperor, it must be one victory after another!"

After years of bloody battles, he had only managed to persuade Sun Chengzong to give him a thousand bodies, while providing Wei Zhongxian with "factional ammunition" yielded him fifteen hundred. Huang Shi couldn't help but sigh, "Surely, going out and selling yourself is the fastest way to make money!" He said, "Grand Secretary Sun, Eunuch Wei, I won't let you two down." At the

Kuandian front, the Dongjiang Army was still firmly suppressed by the two Blue Banners. Compared to the two Red Banners, the two Blue Banners were undoubtedly much larger, with the Bordered Blue Banner alone possessing sixty-one Niru (military units) and over six thousand soldiers. The two Red Banners deployed in Liaonan only had fifty-two Niru, smaller than a single Bordered Blue Banner, and now the Bordered Red Banner had withdrawn.

Jin Qiude, Zhao Manxiong, and Huang Shi were discussing the intelligence report. Li Yunrui sat smugly to the left of the three, awaiting their questions. He was doing quite well under Huang Shi, and his position in the intelligence department was rising.

"Commander Mao's goals are still quite ambitious. It seems the Jurchens won't launch a major offensive against Liaonan," Jin Qiude concluded, and Zhao Manxiong nodded in agreement.

To be honest, Huang Shi was also confused about the situation in Liaonan. He remembered that historically, the Later Jin would take advantage of their successive defeats of the Dongjiang main force to launch another major southward attack on Lushun, and Zhang Pan would be betrayed and killed by the Han army in this battle. If what Huang Shi knew was true, Mao Wenlong had already dispatched a large number of elite soldiers to reinforce Lushun. His plan was to wait until the Later Jin army entered Dalian Bay, then lead his troops to strike them in the back of the head while they were besieged by the fortified city.

If they could combine the forces of Lushun and Changsheng, Huang Shi believed that a pincer attack and a surprise attack would easily crush the two Red Banners. He only needed to take the initiative to relieve Zhang Pan and achieve another great victory, and the position of deputy general would be his. The problem was that the Later Jin's military deployment was completely chaotic; it seemed their focus was entirely on dealing with Changsheng Island.

"This is my winter offensive plan, please review it, sir." Jin Qiude produced three copies of the plan. Li Yunrui, as usual, took the copy given to him and carefully examined it. He would later assess whether the intelligence resources could support the military operation.

The main target of this plan was the coastal beacon towers. The Changsheng Island naval force would transport three hundred men with cannons to dismantle these watchtowers. However, Jin Qiude also believed that the dismantling speed might not keep up with the repair speed. The General Staff believed that the Later Jin's possible countermeasure was "you dismantle yours, I'll build mine," since they had a large number of Liaodong civilians idle during the off-season.

The Later Jin army hidden inland would pose a threat to the Ming army, but Li Yunrui didn't think this was too terrible. The Ming army possessed an absolute advantage in mobility by sea, and the Later Jin army's field forces were expected to adopt a wait-and-see strategy. However, the assembly location of thousands of cavalrymen would not escape the notice of Changsheng Island's intelligence network. Conversely, this operation did not help the Ming army's intelligence network. With a section of beacon towers along the coast dismantled, the enemy forces behind it would certainly be more vigilant, and intelligence officers could not risk infiltrating.

Huang Shi was very dissatisfied with this plan: "We should still try to engage in field battle and seek a direct confrontation."

The fire brigade had now been organized into five infantry units, one cavalry unit, and one artillery unit. With Sun Chengzong's food aid, the infantry training was basically completed. Changsheng Island also received 2,500 sets of iron armor, which greatly reduced the burden of military production.

All soldiers were equipped with modern helmets, and several more cannons were produced. Each infantry unit consisted of 400 men, including ten officers, deputy officers, drummers, and standard bearers, as well as 240 spearmen and 150 musketeers. After adjustments, most of the veterans had been trained as musketeers. The current musketeer captains are all veterans with distinguished service records. Pikeman captains, on the other hand, can be ordinary veterans. A musketeer's standard equipment includes a musket, a harpoon-headed support, and a long dagger—a 1.5-foot-long spearhead with a handle. Research shows that this harpoon and dagger are most effective in the rat-like warfare of the long spear forest.

Of course, theoretical organization is one thing; currently, the proportion of pikemen is far higher than theoretically required. By mid-November of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Changsheng Island, no longer needing to produce armor, had 1,500 spearheads. However, it had fewer than 400 muskets. Huang Shi had ordered most of the spearhead blacksmiths to revert to grinding gun barrels, leading to a recurrence of barrel explosions.

The cavalry consisted of 200 combat soldiers. In addition, 200 auxiliary soldiers were organized to perform tasks such as cutting grass and feeding horses, allowing the combat soldiers sufficient rest.

According to the written battalion organization, there should also be a battalion guard of 10 riders to protect the battalion commander and two deputy commanders.

After discussing with Duncan, Huang Shi also assigned two hundred men to the artillery unit. There were six artillery teams: four three-pounder cannons and two six-pounder cannons. Each team consisted of a team leader, a gunner, three gunners, five porters, two craftsmen, three grooms, a coachman, and five shield bearers. The shield bearers had no offensive weapons; their mission was to ensure the cannons could be loaded and fired even under enemy arrow threats. Each artillery team also needed eight pikemen for protection.

Combat soldiers, of course, received better treatment; for example, an extra fish at mealtimes was one of their perks. So, trouble arose… Duncan insisted on classifying all artillery members as combat soldiers, but He Dingyuan and others vehemently disagreed. Not only did they insist on classifying the grooms and porters as auxiliary troops, but they also didn't consider the shield bearers to be combat soldiers.

In any case, with such a field force at his disposal, Huang Shi was inclined to find an opportunity for a direct confrontation.

But Jin Qiude quickly retorted: "My lord, I believe this is impossible. With the equipment and training of my Firefighting Battalion, we can certainly defeat two or three thousand Jurchens. Although the Jurchens are unaware of the true fighting strength of my Firefighting Battalion, my reputation is already well-established, and the Jurchen Plain Red Banner will never engage my two thousand-plus soldiers. If my troops venture deep inland, they will easily be surrounded by two or three banners due to a lack of horses."

Zhao Manxiong was slowly thinking, and Huang Shi did not disturb him but asked Li Yunrui: "What does Commander Li think?" "

This humble servant agrees with Guerrilla Jin's opinion... If my lord wants to mobilize the entire battalion at once, then about two thousand auxiliary soldiers will definitely accompany him, which would be a force of over four thousand. This humble servant is incompetent; my spies on Changsheng Island absolutely cannot cover such a large-scale march. Such strength cannot be hidden for more than a day."

Huang Shi estimated that it would take three days just to transport four thousand men ashore, rest, and reorganize, and even if Liaodong was large, the Later Jin army would arrive in three or four days. Furthermore, Huang Shi had also asked Yang Zhiyuan, and it turned out that four thousand men could consume all the stored cured meat, salted fish, and dry rations in ten days, requiring a complete halt to all production on the island.

After listening to Huang Shi's explanation and reflecting on the situation, Chief of Staff Jin Qiude offered a new perspective: "Sir, the army's expenditure on the front lines is too great. Let's eliminate the Jurchens in front of us first."

Jin Qiude was referring to the fortress opposite Nanxinkou. Originally, the Later Jin army had built three fortresses around Changsheng Island at Nanxinkou and Beixinkou. After the Battle of Gaizhou, they built three more, forming a pincer movement. Huang Shi hadn't destroyed them because he hoped these large fortresses would occupy some resources, and he felt that since they were already in their grasp, the earthen and wooden fortresses were no match for cannons, so there was no need to rush to eliminate them.

Zhao Manxiong finally came out with his opinion. He suggested that we should be patient and wait until spring plowing began, when the banner soldiers of the Later Jin banners would go to the fields to work. Most of the soldiers, except for the White Armor Soldiers, would also have to work. This would give Changsheng Island more time to carry out its operations, since the scale of this mobilization could be even larger.

“Mobilizing at that time would also severely damage production on Changsheng Island.” Huang Shi shook his head. A total mobilization during the busy farming season would be a lose-lose situation. In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, he planned to send two thousand men to cause trouble, and Yang Zhiyuan cried out in despair. This time, mobilizing four or five thousand men might look impressive on the surface, but it would also cause internal damage.

“We can ask Lord Sun to provide some grain,” Zhao Manxiong blinked desperately. “There’s plenty of grain in Liaoxi, much faster than we can grow it ourselves.”

“Lord Sun has already given quite a lot this time. We must achieve something.” Huang Shi sighed. Now, military issues are no longer purely military; political factors have also been involved. Wei Zhongxian probably won’t have much patience for long. Although he didn’t know if the Ningyuan Campaign would happen in this world, Huang Shi knew that if a major war broke out in Liaoxi, there was nothing he could do with his current capabilities.

"My decision is made. Once the South Sea Pass freezes over, our army will march across and annihilate the Jurchens on the coast." This way, at least some decapitations will be carried out, and with Wu Mu's eloquent writing, they should be able to deal with them.

In the first month of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, when the north wind blew across the South Sea Pass once more, Huang Shi secretly ordered the mobilization of the fire brigade while simultaneously halting the routine ice-breaking activities, preparing to cross the sea to launch a surprise attack on the Plain Red Banner.

"I just went to look for General Huang. I heard you came to the beach early this morning, so I came looking for you." Hearing the shrill voice, Huang Shi knew who it was without turning around.

Wu Mu walked to the high ground on the shore and, together, gazed at the opposite bank of the South Sea Pass. The beach was densely packed with people, including many Han Chinese who appeared to have been driven there. Wu Mu observed for a while: "General Huang, what are the Jurchens doing?"

Huang Shi chuckled self-deprecatingly: "The Jurchens are breaking the ice."

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