Chapter 341: Schemes in Shengjing (Part 2)

The parade ground in Shengjing lay north of the city, while the west of the city was crowded with countless workshops and smithies, all devoted to forging weapons for the army.

At first, Tong Yangxing was put in charge of all military and civilian affairs concerning the Han people, casting cannons and drilling artillerymen, and overseeing all matters of weapons and equipment for the Han troops. After Tong Yangxing died, Ma Guangyuan was appointed Imperial Commissioner Superintending Engineering and General Military Headquarters, responsible for logistics and engineering affairs in the Qing state, including the manufacture of weapons and the casting of cannons. Shi Tingzhu was assigned to train the artillery corps, and now Kong Youde has been added to their ranks.

The reason Huang Taiji set out from the west of the city was twofold: first, to review the troops at the parade ground north of the city; second, to personally inquire about the progress of cannon and arquebus production at the workshops, thereby demonstrating the importance he placed on the establishment of firearms units.

Huang Taiji's imperial procession, with all its pomp and banners, arrived outside the craftsmen's quarter. Here, countless workshops, large and small, stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless, most of them smithies. Tens of thousands of gaunt, sallow-faced craftsmen in ragged clothes toiled with intense concentration, forging swords and spears, making arquebuses, casting cannons. Not a single one dared to be anything less than meticulous.

Fierce Manchu and Han overseers prowled nearby, glaring like tigers watching their prey. Anyone who dared slack off would be flogged for minor offenses or lose their life for serious ones.

After the dozens of large-scale ethnic massacres of the Han people in Liaodong carried out by Nurhaci and Huang Taiji, the outcome for the common people of Liaodong was this: the bravest, those who resisted most fiercely, were all dead. Only those who submitted to oppression could survive.

Weapons supervision in the Qing state was also relatively strict. Every cannon, every sword and spear, bore the names and titles of the relevant personnel — first, to recognize merit, and second, to assign responsibility. If the firearms proved excellent and led to victory, the Qing state was not stingy with rewards. Outstanding craftsmen could be granted official positions, especially the coppersmiths who cast cannons.

Those unwilling to become officials were rewarded with a monthly stipend of two taels of silver and grain, along with five dan and three dou of rice each quarter. They were also granted houses and farmland, and even bestowed with the hereditary title of Jinhuo Baitang'a.

In the fourth year of Tiancong, because the Later Jin army returned in triumph, a special edict was issued granting generous rewards to the iron official Fan Jupao. In the fifth year of Tiancong, the cannon-casting craftsman Wang Tianxiang was promoted from a slave to Baitahalabulehafan. In the third month of the seventh year of Tiancong, he was further promoted to Beiyu for his achievements in casting cannons.

For the submissive Han people living in Liaodong, casting cannons and making arquebuses was their stepping stone to advancement in the Qing state.

It was precisely because of these craftsmen's dedicated work that the weapons produced by the Qing state were of such excellent quality.

When Huang Taiji's imperial carriage arrived, the Superintendent Ma Guangyuan, the Supervising Officials Ding Qiming and Ji Shichang, the Beiyu Zhu Shizhan and Wang Tianxiang, along with a host of iron officials and important foundrymen, respectfully welcomed him.

Among the Han officials, great and small, who came to greet him, the one at the very front was the Superintendent Ma Guangyuan.

He had originally been an Assistant Regional Commander of Jianchang in the Great Ming. When the Later Jin army captured Yongping in the fourth year of Tiancong, Ma Guangyuan led his troops to surrender and was appointed Meile Ezhen. In the eighth month of the second year of Chongde, Huang Taiji divided the Ujen Cooha into two wings, with Shi Tingzhu commanding the left wing and Ma Guangyuan commanding the right wing, both serving as Gushan Ezhen.

Ma Guangyuan was slick and cunning by nature, his mindset no different from that of other military commanders in the Great Ming. He schemed by every possible means to preserve the strength of his own troops as the capital to secure his own position and life. In the third year of Chongde, when Ma Guangyuan and Shi Tingzhu transported firearms to attack Jinzhou and besieged a fort beside it, the Ming defending general fled, but Ma Guangyuan did not pursue.

In the fourth year of Chongde, historically, when Ma Guangyuan led his troops to attack Songshan, he was also unwilling to exert effort. He repeatedly shielded his subordinate, Assistant Regional Commander Ji Shichang, which resulted in the cannonballs Ji cast falling short of their targets. He was reprimanded and punished by Huang Taiji several times.

However, Ma Guangyuan's official career had always been smooth. Due to Wang Dou's influence, earlier than in the original history, Huang Taiji established the Han Eight Banners. Not long ago, Ma Guangyuan was appointed Gushan Ezhen of the Han Bordered Yellow Banner.

After Huang Taiji arrived, Ma Guangyuan led the crowd in shouting "Long live His Majesty!" Huang Taiji bade them rise. After inspecting the cannon-casting and arquebus-making site, he asked Ma Guangyuan, "How goes the production of the Hongyi cannons and the arquebuses?"

Ignoring the filth on the ground, Ma Guangyuan hastily knelt and replied, "In reply to Your Majesty, if the iron supply is sufficient, thirty 'Divine Might Grand General' cannons can be cast within the year. Each cannon weighs four thousand jin, uses five jin of powder, and fires a ten-jin iron ball. Mounted on gun carriages, they will surely breach strong cities and bolster our national might. Compared to the 'Heaven-Blessed Might Grand General' cannons of the Tiancong era, they are far more formidable!"

"As for the production of arquebuses, although there is a shortage of relevant craftsmen, I have already selected personnel. I estimate that five thousand guns can be completed within the year."

Huang Taiji nodded slowly. Back when they were still the Great Jin, the first "Heaven-Blessed Might Grand General" cannons cast weighed as much as five thousand jin, used eight jin of powder, and fired an eight-jin iron ball, making them extremely cumbersome. In terms of power, they were inferior to the newly built Divine Might Grand General cannons.

As for arquebuses, the Qing state even had craftsmen who could cast cannons, so there was certainly no lack of artisans to make arquebuses. However, in the past, the Qing court had not attached importance to them. But after encountering Wang Dou... the related production had been hastily launched, inevitably leading to some unfamiliarity. Making arquebuses was not as proficient as casting cannons.

He said, "I have heard that in the West, when casting cannons, one who succeeds two or three times out of ten is already considered a national master. There has never been one who succeeded a hundred times out of a hundred. These Hongyi cannons are the sharp weapons of the state. Do not be overly concerned about the cost of materials, yet there must be no wasteful expenditure. The arquebus is a sharp weapon for confronting the Ming general Wang Dou; it must also be meticulously made. Do not be negligent."

Ma Guangyuan hurriedly said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will certainly economize on military equipment, strictly regulate the bureaus for storing cannons and gunpowder, and inspect them monthly, ensuring that every item is in proper order, thereby fulfilling my duty."

Huang Taiji expressed his approval and said to the Supervising Official Ding Qiming, "Minister Ding, in supervising the manufacture of various weapons, you must also be diligent and increase your oversight."

That Supervising Official Ding Qiming was responsible for the production of all the Hongyi cannons and arquebuses in the Qing state. He had originally been a personal general under Liu Zhilun, the Vice Director of the Bureau of Military Affairs in the capital garrison and Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, holding the rank of Vice Regional Commander. Even in the Great Ming, he had a reputation for being "skilled in casting Hongyi cannons."

After surrendering, during the Tiancong era, he was responsible for supervising the casting of a series of "Heaven-Blessed Might Grand General" Hongyi cannons. He directed the craftsmen Jin Shixiang, Wang Tianxiang, and others, successfully casting a batch of cannons, and received Huang Taiji's praise.

However... because he was captured in battle rather than surrendering voluntarily, his official career in the Qing state was not as successful as Ma Guangyuan's. Ma Guangyuan had surrendered of his own accord and even brought his family from the Great Ming capital, so he was promoted to First-Class Regional Commander. His elder brother Ma Guangxian was also appointed Second-Class Assistant Regional Commander, and his younger brother Ma Guanghui was appointed Mobile Corps Commander.

Ding Qiming had already been a Vice Regional Commander in the Great Ming, yet he was only appointed a Second-Class Assistant Regional Commander. How could he be content with that? Recently, Ma Guangyuan was further appointed Gushan Ezhen of the Han Bordered Yellow Banner. Every time Ding Qiming saw his smug expression, it infuriated him.

Upon hearing Huang Taiji's words, he also hastily knelt and said, "When the sovereign is troubled, it is the minister's shame; when the sovereign is shamed, the minister should die. Your Majesty may rest assured. I will exhaust my wisdom and devote my utmost loyalty, and will certainly supervise the production of a full range of firearms for Your Majesty."

He boasted, "In the past, the workshops used the lost-wax method to cast cannons. If the weather turned hot, the wax was difficult to solidify, often limiting production by season. I have considered switching to the clay mold casting method. The clay molds for the gun barrels can dry thoroughly in four months. Once cast, the mold clay can simply be knocked away, unrestricted by the weather."

"Of course..."

He then offered a self-critique: "Although this method is not limited by the seasons, the clay molds cannot be reused. If flaws such as blowholes appear on the inner wall of the barrel, it must also be destroyed and recast."

Ding Qiming wore an expression of profound regret.

A smile appeared on Huang Taiji's face. He said, "For a minister to possess such devotion to the state is already rare. If all my officials were like Minister Ding, how could our Great Qing not prosper?"

The crowd of officials behind him erupted in a chorus of "His Majesty is sagely and wise," except for Dorgon, whose face was dark and sullen.

Just last month, his younger brother Dodo had been demoted to Beile, his slaves, livestock, and property divided up. What was even more infuriating was that the Manchu, Han, and Mongol companies belonging to his own banner were split into three parts. The population and wealth left to the once-mighty Prince Yu were now meager.

Killing the chicken to warn the monkey — it seemed Huang Taiji's future target was himself.

Watching Ding Qiming vie for the emperor's favor right in front of him, Ma Guangyuan, standing nearby, cast a meaningful glance at him.

Huang Taiji finally declared, "Ma Guangyuan, Ding Qiming, and all ministers supervising the production of firearms have rendered meritorious service. Issue an edict: bestow upon Minister Ma a carved saddle and a fine horse, along with one hundred taels of silver. Bestow upon Minister Ding a fine horse and fifty taels of silver. Bestow upon Jin Shixiang, Wang Tianxiang, and the other craftsmen ten taels of silver and two bolts of cloth each."

As Huang Taiji's imperial procession departed, amidst the chorus of voices bidding His Majesty farewell, Ma Guangyuan, Ding Qiming, and the others knelt deeply on the ground, not raising their heads for a long time.

After inspecting the workshops, Huang Taiji was in excellent spirits and proceeded with his entourage to the parade ground north of Shengjing city.

When Huang Taiji arrived, Kong Youde, Gushan Ezhen of the Han Plain Red Banner; Shang Kexi, Gushan Ezhen of the Bordered Blue Banner; Geng Zhongming, Gushan Ezhen of the Plain Yellow Banner; along with Shi Tingzhu, Gushan Ezhen of the Plain White Banner, and others were waiting to greet him before the main gate of the parade ground.

Kong Youde, Shang Kexi, and Geng Zhongming were known as the Three Miners of Shandong. After surrendering to the Qing state, all three were enfeoffed as princes, also called the Three Obedient Kings. After returning from their plundering expedition in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji established the Han Eight Banners, and all three were appointed Gushan Ezhen. Kong Youde's original Tianyou troops and Geng Zhongming's Tianzhu troops were all absorbed into the various Han banners.

All three had been subordinates of Mao Wenlong and were of miner origin, each tall and burly, with ferocious, menacing appearances. Historically, even after surrendering to the Qing state, they never abandoned their evil habits of raping and pillaging. However, their combat effectiveness did improve considerably, and they dyed their official hat knobs red with the blood of their slaughtered compatriots.

Beside the three stood Shi Tingzhu, Gushan Ezhen of the Han Plain White Banner, also a burly, towering man with bulging, knotted flesh on his face. He had originally been a Garrison Commander of Guangning in the Great Ming. When Nurhaci attacked Guangning, Shi Tingzhu, along with his elder brother Shi Tianzhu and others, surrendered and was granted the hereditary rank of Mobile Corps Commander.

Shi Tingzhu had a violent and cruel nature. Every time he went on campaign, he allowed his troops to plunder without restraint. Even after surrendering to the Qing state, he never changed his true nature.

It seemed that many military officers of the Great Ming fit this crude, brutal image — cowering and hesitant before the enemy, yet fierce as wolves and tigers toward the common people. Even if one blamed suppression by civil officials, when they finally turned the tables and became masters themselves in the late Ming, they showed little loyalty or righteousness. They desperately hoarded their strength, only waiting for the day they could defect to a new master. The scourge of military men, from the late Tang and Five Dynasties to the late Ming, had not changed in the slightest.

Like Ma Guangyuan, what Shi Tingzhu valued most was the strength of his own troops. He would avoid battle if possible and plunder as much as he could. In the sixth month of the second year of Chongde, Bao Chengxian impeached him on ten charges, including "disrupting formation and removing armor," and he was dismissed from his post as Gushan Ezhen of the Left Wing of the Han Army.

Historically, in the fourth year of Chongde, both Shi Tingzhu and Ma Guangyuan were accused of not exerting full effort during the attack on Songshan. Shi Tingzhu was sentenced to confiscation of thirty percent of his family property, and Ma Guangyuan was sentenced to death. Although Huang Taiji pardoned their crimes, he used this opportunity to weaken their power once again. Before Huang Taiji arrived, they were laughing uproariously and discussing something, maintaining a surface appearance of harmony, but only they themselves knew what was truly in their hearts.

The internal strife within the Han Eight Banners was equally fierce, full of mutual scheming and intrigue. Originally, there was the conflict between Shi Tingzhu's old Han troops and Ma Guangyuan's new Han troops. After Kong Youde and the others arrived, there was then the conflict between the old Han troops of Shi and Ma and the new Han troops of Kong Youde and his ilk.

Even among the Three Obedient Kings themselves, there was open strife and veiled struggle. During the Tiancong era, Kong Youde had impeached Geng Zhongming for encroaching upon his former troops, causing quite a stir.

However, after Huang Taiji established the Han Eight Banners, in the face of attacks from the various Manchu and Mongol banner lords, the various Han officials and generals vaguely began to show a tendency to unite as one faction, jointly vying for Huang Taiji's favor. The situation was extremely delicate.

When Huang Taiji's procession arrived, the first to enter were his Gabsihiyan elite warriors, their iron hooves rolling in like thunder, their armor gleaming, their military bearing strict and imposing.

This display of might caused expressions of awe and fear to appear on the faces of Kong Youde and the others. Although their banners possessed large numbers of Ujen Cooha artillery teams, they still instinctively feared the Qing state's mounted archery prowess. The very reason they had surrendered was their fear of those fierce iron hooves.

Following them came Huang Taiji's grand imperial procession. When the ceremonial guard parted, it revealed Huang Taiji's enormous canopy.

Kong Youde and the others stepped forward to prostrate themselves, performing the three kneelings and nine kowtows, shouting "Long live His Majesty!" Looking at these Han generals, a complex expression flickered across Huang Taiji's face. Quickly, he said, "Ministers, please rise."

After they had all risen, he asked, "How goes the Han army's drilling in firing cannons and practicing with arquebuses?"

Shi Tingzhu, Gushan Ezhen of the Han Plain White Banner, hurriedly replied, "In answer to Your Majesty, your humble servant has not failed Your Majesty's expectations. The soldiers within my banner are proficient in test-firing cannons and arquebuses. I request Your Majesty to review them."

Shi Tingzhu had originally been an officer under Tong Yangxing's banner. In the fifth year of Tiancong, when Huang Taiji inspected the newly organized Han troops under Tong Yangxing, he had greatly admired their disciplined military appearance. After Tong Yangxing's death, Shi Tingzhu was put in charge of the Han army's artillery training and other matters. The proficiency in test-firing cannons and arquebuses within Shi Tingzhu's banner was, in fact, the foundation laid by Tong Yangxing back in those days.

Huang Taiji did not expose him, and instead praised Shi Tingzhu lavishly.

Kong Youde had once followed Huang Taiji in battle against Wang Dou at Pinggu. He pondered the Emperor's thoughts and understood what his sovereign yearned for in his heart. He said, "In reply to Your Majesty, ever since your subject withdrew his forces from the Ming realm, I have thought day and night about how to fight Wang Dou's army. Fortunately, I have not failed in my duty. Through your subject's strenuous drilling, the soldiers are now quite proficient in the techniques of firearm formations. Given time, they will be able to do battle with Wang Dou!"

"Good!"

Huang Taiji was indeed very pleased. He said, "I shall personally observe Minister Kong's military formation drill!"

The attire of Kong Youde's Han Army Plain Red Banner was no different from that of the Manchu and Mongol banners, except they carried arquebuses and wore sabers at their waists. His armored soldiers numbered only a few thousand, and they wore only cotton armor without iron plates. The formation they displayed was a direct copy of Wang Dou's at Pinggu back then.

How to line up the ranks, how to hold the arquebuses, what to do during battle, and so on and so forth—all were arranged exactly the same as Wang Dou's army at that time.

With the Emperor watching from the head of the troops, the Han soldiers of the Plain Red Banner all strained to hold their heads high and puff out their chests; their battle cries shook heaven and earth, creating quite an imposing display.

Watching them don armor and form ranks with a highly disciplined military bearing, Huang Taiji nodded from time to time. Behind him, the various princes, dukes, and nobles also whispered among themselves.

Kong Youde stood beside Huang Taiji, his tall frame bent low with great effort. He said in a low voice, "When I fought Wang Dou several months ago, your subject deployed the three-tiered formation. Wang Dou's unit met the attack with only a thin formation of a few ranks, and the result was far beyond expectations. Afterward, your subject carefully pondered the reason for Wang Dou's unit doing so, and understood the principle behind their formation. Only in this way can the power of the arquebuses be maximized!"

"Therefore, your subject has followed the same method. In days to come, I will surely be able to use his own ways against him, and make that rebel general Wang Dou suffer unbearably!"

His tone carried a hint of pride: "Our Great Qing also possesses the Ujen Cooha heavy cannons. When we fight Wang Dou in the future, our grand army will blast open his units with red-barbarian cannons, then meet them with arquebuses, and will certainly rout his forces utterly!"