Chapter 192: General Wang

By June, visible heatwaves rose from the northern land, unbearable in their dryness.

In Jinzhou, at Chengnan, soldiers and artisan households working on the city walls paused their labor; merchants and clerks coming and going at the gate kept their distance, pointing and whispering about the two groups of Ming troops in the distance.

Today was the day the higher-ups ordered a change of garrison—the frontline military stronghold, recently ravaged by war and bearing the Great Ming's grand ambition to reclaim Liaodong—welcomed its new master.

"Congratulations, General Wang, on your promotion…" Zhao Shuaijiao regarded the young man before him with complex eyes: "I never imagined you, so young, had reached this level—your future is limitless…"

Wang Yan bowed his hands and smiled humbly: "Commandant, you flatter me—you are my true goal to strive for, haha…"

Zhao Shuaijiao had once been on good terms with Man Gui; during the Ningyuan campaign, when the Later Jin besieged Ningyuan for three days, Zhao was stationed at Shanhai Pass and failed to send reinforcements—Man Gui was displeased, and the two fell out badly. Of course, bad feelings aside, Man Gui still gave Zhao business deals—not for the man, but for Zhao's position as Commandant.

This time, when Man Gui came to rescue Jinzhou and scored a major victory en route, their relationship improved considerably. It was natural—they both gained merit mutually. If Zhao hadn't held out, there would've been no rescue. Likewise, if the battle at Zhaoli Mountain had been lost, Jinzhou might have fallen. Man Gui saved Zhao's life; Zhao held his ground at the cost of his own, securing Man Gui's fortune—and all ended happily, everyone promoted and enriched.

This time, the verification of battle merits moved quickly, completed in just over a month—much faster than the previous Ningyuan campaign. After Fushun, this was the Great Ming's rare victory; if anyone below dared to drag their feet, they'd see whether Zhu Youxiao, Wei Zhongxian, and the batch of Donglin Party elders would cut heads or not.

Previously, the dispute centered on whether this Jinzhou Zhu Zhu Dajie belonged more to Wei Zhongxian's eunuch faction or to the Donglin Party's stream of clean officials. As for other minor factions, they were useless—mere bottom-feeders before these two camps. Eventually, Zhu Youxiao struck a balance: all were loyal ministers of the Great Ming, all had merit—and quelled the half-month-long quarrel.

In the final tally, Yuan Chonghuan remained as in history—only a nominal promotion in rank, a verbal commendation, and that was it.

Zhu Youxiao held deep resentment toward Yuan Chonghuan; after days of back-and-forth communication, he still refused to budge from Ningyuan? Only when pushed to the brink did he send reinforcements. Had he moved sooner, wouldn't the victory have been greater? Wouldn't he have avoided sleepless nights and anxious meals? A consolation prize was all he got—no demotion was already generous; what more did he want?

Thus, Wei Zhongxian, reading the Emperor's mood, began impeaching Yuan Chonghuan—and ended up with precisely this outcome.

But Yuan Chonghuan refused to accept it. He believed this victory stemmed entirely from his prior military training, land reclamation, and fort-building strategies, which laid the foundation—this victory should have been his greatest merit. Why did everyone else get promoted and enriched, while old Yuan got nothing? Wasn't this bullying the honest? Could he endure it? Of course not.

So Yuan Chonghuan submitted a petition to resign. Zhu Youxiao, with a look of quiet satisfaction—"Ah, this old fellow finally understands"—happily approved, ordering Yuan to pack up and leave. Then he appointed Wang Zhichen, who had previously defended Man Gui, as the Regional Commander of Liaodong, concurrently serving as Governor and still stationed at Ningyuan.

As for Yuan Chonghuan, no one defended him this time, and Zhu Youxiao genuinely held grievances—there was no point saving him. Yuan had been an outer member of the Donglin Party; after rising to power through the Ningyuan campaign, Wei Zhongxian sought to bring him under his control, but Yuan proved uncooperative—hence Wei sent a swarm of men to sideline him.

Later, Yuan somehow decided to build a living shrine for Wei Zhongxian—perhaps to appease him and beg for mercy. But this act angered the Donglin Party elders. Hmm… his maneuvers were simply incomprehensible.

In any case, Yuan Chonghuan was gone.

The greatest contributors to this Jinzhou Zhu Zhu Dajie—Man Gui, Zhao Shuaijiao, and Wang Yan—Man Gui and Zhao were already at the peak of military rank; their titles had been piled high, and the next step was noble titles. But this battle's merit clearly wasn't enough; in the end, both were granted hereditary commandant positions for their sons, thirty taels of silver, and imperial gifts of flying-fish robes. Man Gui retained his post as Regional Commander of Liaodong, now the sole Commandant, with all troops under his command. Zhao Shuaijiao was reassigned as Commandant of Jizhen, also the sole Commandant there.

Wang Yan, however, soared directly to Acting Deputy Commander of the Capital Military Commission, added the title of Zhao Yi General, appointed as actual Regimental Commander, placed in charge of twenty thousand troops, stationed in Jinzhou, granted hereditary status as a Hundred-Man Commander for one son, and awarded twenty taels of silver.

This was the accumulation of his past kills since becoming Garrison Commander, the merit from this Jinzhou Zhu Zhu Dajie, his own cleverness in gifting Wei Zhongxian generously, and Zhu Youxiao's delight—all at once lifting him from a minor garrison commander to a powerful general guarding a critical frontier stronghold.

That's why Zhao Shuaijiao called him "General Wang."

Others reacted differently to Wang Yan's rise, but none could deny that among the Nine Borders, Wang Yan—the boy under eighteen—was the most formidable fighter. Thus, Zhu Youxiao placing such a capable youth in Jinzhou clearly meant more than mere defense—he intended to strike north. And to fight the Jianzhou Jurchens, the others should stay behind. Win, and they gain nothing; lose, and how many generals have been killed these past years? Let the boy go…

Civil officials naturally objected: how could state affairs be entrusted to a child? Their true motive was to prevent Zhu Youxiao from gaining loyal troops. As for Wang Yan commanding twenty thousand men—even eighty thousand—they saw him as merely a minor military officer, a lackey. Ultimately, Zhu Youxiao granted civil officials two positions and spurred Wei Zhongxian to act, quelling the controversy over Wang Yan's appointment.

"You brat…" Zhao Shuaijiao chuckled, clapping Wang Yan on the shoulder: "Jinzhou is yours now—do well. I'm off…"

Wang Yan bowed deeply, clasping his fists: "Respectfully see off Commandant."

Zhao Shuaijiao didn't turn back—only waved from horseback, then galloped away with his band of Retainers.

Only after Zhao Shuaijiao and his men vanished from sight did Wang Yan wave his hand and shout loudly: "Brothers, enter the city!"

Behind him, the troops roared three times in unison, marching in disciplined formation behind their general, footsteps thundering in perfect rhythm as they entered the city.

At the front marched the frontline troops; behind came the soldier-farmers, cooks, doctors, artisans, and their families, escorting a long convoy of carts.

This time, Wang Yan had moved his entire base here—Jinzhou was now his permanent headquarters. And now, operating in Liaodong was incredibly convenient: his elder brother was Man Gui, commanding all troops in Liaodong; Man Gui's elder brother was Wang Zhichen, the supreme military and civil authority. After so long working together, Man Gui trusted him completely. Now, he didn't even need to consult Man Gui before fighting—just report victory afterward…

Still, things weren't easy. After all, Ningyuan housed Wei Zhongxian's adopted son, the military supervisor, and civil officials managing civilian affairs—both were constraints. But the issue wasn't serious; soon, these two would likely become allies… If they refused to recognize their place, they wouldn't fare well.

After entering the city, Wang Yan spoke briefly with the supervisor and the civil official, then let it go. The supervisor was tolerable—he was Wei Zhongxian's adopted son, with strong backing; Wang Yan owed him some courtesy. The civil official, however, was merely a seventh-rank official. Anyone with even a sliver of influence wouldn't be exiled to the front. Still, anyone bold enough to come here carried some ambition.

At the General's residence, a group of subordinates swept and arranged belongings.

Wang Yan sat at the head of the main hall; Sun Fugui set down his teacup and said: "My lord, what's the next plan?"

Sun Fugui had good fortune: during the Zhaoli Mountain campaign, he'd charged alongside Wang Yan, only pierced by one arrow and slashed a few times.

He survived, so Wang Yan had no intention of sending him back to battle—there'd be no more chances anyway. Sun Fugui had always handled affairs well; Wang Yan planned to assign him to manage logistics back home.

"Inventory the city's supplies, tally everything we brought, see how many men we can sustain, and report the figures to me. As for the ongoing fortification work, just repair what's damaged—no need to build heavy watchtowers. These defenses can hold for ten to fifteen days easily, and our goal is to repel enemies before they reach our walls, not let them taunt us beneath them."

"Deploy our brothers as officers. Rally all troops in the city and drill them in formations—follow our old standards. Once they've regained strength, hold martial competitions. As per our original rules, reorganize the units based on strength rankings."

"Also push forward land reclamation—we can't keep buying grain from outside; military rations won't suffice. We must be self-reliant. Soldier-farmers as reserves must still be recruited; they can also work the fields—go to Commander Man Gui and request them."

"Artisans and Physicians continue as before, slowly. But find a group skilled in building seagoing ships—this is top priority, no delays. Pay close attention."

Wang Yan said: "That's all. Arrange it as you see fit. Right now, our main task is to stabilize Jinzhou—any major moves won't happen for at least two months."

"Yes, my lord." Sun Fugui replied crisply, then glanced around, leaned forward, and whispered: "My lord, last month the Emperor fell into the water—rumor says he still hasn't recovered, still bedridden. Could this affect us?"

Yes, Zhu Youxiao had indeed fallen into the water—around the tenth of last month.

Wang Yan, this little butterfly, had somewhat altered the Great Ming's minor fortune, but his greatest impact was on the Later Jin. Other effects were merely ripple changes in personnel due to his victory—his influence on the Great Ming's overall tide was minimal.

Regardless of how Zhu Youxiao died in original history, in this Brocade Dagger world, it was Prince Zhu Youjian and a cohort of civil officials who conspired to kill him. Behind this, however, lay far more than surface appearances.

It involved ideological struggles among Confucian schools—Heart Learning versus Principle Learning, disputes over governance methods, power struggles between imperial authority and the Grand Secretariat, between central and local governance—deep waters indeed.

Thus, simply winning a battle didn't cause Zhu Youxiao's early death—that was already fortunate.

The Jinzhou Zhu Zhu Dajie was the Great Ming's first true triumph over the Later Jin. For Zhu Youxiao, it was like eating ice cream in summer—cooling, exhilarating. Thus, this victory might grant him a small expansion of imperial power, enabling him to enact more radical, unpopular policies.

Fortunately, this victory came late. Had Ningyuan last year been as decisive as Jinzhou this time, Zhu Youxiao would likely be dead already. After all, the Great Ming's external threat was the Later Jin—too big to kill outright, dragging the empire deeper into war, military spending rising yearly. If this victory brought prolonged peace, redirected energy inward, and cut military expenditures, who could say what might happen…

Who the Emperor is doesn't matter—whether there is an Emperor does.

You, Zhu Youxiao, refuse to submit, stirring trouble? Fine—we'll replace you. Zhu Youjian is a fine boy—clever since childhood, close to us—he's perfect…

Thus, Zhu Youxiao was clearly nearing his end…

"How could this affect us?" Wang Yan waved dismissively, smiling: "Old Sun, you worry too much. We've climbed step by step—we haven't taken sides. Relax, nothing will happen."

"But… Factory Director Wei Zhongxian…"

Sun Fugui had seen much, read books to enrich himself—he understood Wei Zhongxian well. Wei's entire power came from imperial authority; as a eunuch, he was the Emperor's household slave. If Zhu Youxiao thrived, all was well. If he faltered, Wei Zhongxian's downfall was certain—no good end awaited him.

Sun Fugui knew Wang's close ties to Wei Zhongxian—many affairs had been handled by him personally. If Wei fell, they'd inevitably suffer.

"Relax. We didn't openly flaunt our gifts—we acted secretly. Even if we're affected, it's no big deal. We can simply launch an offensive against the Jianzhou Jurchens—no one dares touch us at a critical moment. Then we win another great victory, and everything's resolved."

Sun Fugui stared in shock at Wang Yan: "My lord, you're thinking of…?"

"Since ancient times, when the birds are gone, the bow is stored; when the rabbits are dead, the hounds are cooked. After fighting the Jianzhou Jurchens so long, you know—they're paper tigers. Give us time, and we'll crush them easily. So… we must plan our exit."

Wang Yan cut him off with a shake of his head and a scoff: "Otherwise, how do you think the Jianzhou Jurchens rose? Was Nurhachi truly so brilliant? Did our Great Ming's countless millions truly lose to a mere million Jianzhou Jurchens? Old Sun, there's far more here than you realize—think deeper. Don't be afraid of everything."

The shock was too great; Sun Fugui was still stunned—partly because of Wang Yan's revelations about secret matters, but mostly because the next line after "cultivating bandits to strengthen oneself" was either "separate and rule a region" or "divide the land and be crowned king"—neither of which was anything but a death sentence. This kid was only seventeen, and he was already thinking of rebellion?

After a long silence, Sun Fugui asked dully, "My lord, are you thinking of…?"

"Rebellion?"

Wang Yan said it outright—Sun Fugui nodded, dumbfounded.

"You're overthinking it, Lao Sun. I told you, we're just securing our own safety," Wang Yan said. "You're with me. If one day I truly fall, think—what good will come to you?"

Seeing Sun Fugui still lost in thought, Wang Yan cut in: "Enough. Stop daydreaming. I've got a task for you."

Sun Fugui snapped back to attention. "Huh? Ah… Your lordship, please instruct."

"Find a reliable brother, take a squad, spend some silver with the Ministry of Justice, and buy me back a courtesan named Zhou Miaotong from the Entertainment Bureau."

"My lord, I dare to ask—do you want a woman? Looking for a wife?" Sun Fugui stared up at Wang Yan in surprise. Before Wang Yan could answer, he stood up. "You don't need to pick a government courtesan—there are plenty of good girls! Besides, if you really want one like that, why not Liu Ruyi from Jiang Nan? She's famous everywhere! We've got silver—we could afford her easily…"

"What? I'm looking for a woman and you're freaking out?!" Wang Yan glared at him. "Can't I bring her back as a concubine? Why so many words? Just go do it!"

Hearing this, Sun Fugui grinned. "Concubine? Good! Good! I'll get right on it—I'll have her back within ten days." Without another thought about Great Ming's struggles against the Jianzhou Jurchens, he rushed out to find men and get things done.

He truly regarded Wang Yan as family—that's why he reacted so strongly. For Wang Yan to seek a woman was a serious matter. After all, Wang Yan was of advanced age and held such a high position; not just Sun Fugui, but even the lowliest soldiers under him were worried.

Wang Yan watched helplessly as Sun Fugui dashed off. If he wasn't mistaken, by tonight, everyone would know he was looking for a woman.

To be honest, since arriving in Great Ming over a year ago, he hadn't touched a woman. His body was young and strong—he had strong physical needs. Not psychological, purely biological.

He hadn't sought one because he had no time, and the brothel girls weren't good enough. He wouldn't kidnap common girls or seize them by force—and so here he was, finally thinking about it. In the future, he'd have more time, and room to indulge in trivial things…

He didn't absolutely need Zhou Miaotong—but at least he knew what she looked like. As for Liu Ruyi, that was for later. If he now went to Nanjing and spent silver to drag her back, within a week, a whole swarm of Jiang Nan literati claiming moral purity would impeach him to death.

Zhou Miaotong was simpler—unnoticed, no entanglements. As for Shen Lian? A mere captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—if Shen Lian weren't the protagonist of this Spring Blade World, he wouldn't even register in Wang Yan's eyes. Too low a rank. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't help.

Wang Yan thought a moment, then remembered Master Beizhai—he'd almost forgotten her.

Beizhai was Yang Zixi from the last life. Honestly, same person—one was merely money-driven, beautiful but empty; the other, a cultured, well-educated noblewoman, trained by a prestigious family, skilled in poetry and painting. One laughed all day, obsessed with dressing up to please men and earn cash; the other, a pitiful woman under feudal rites, with no support, no control over her own life. The contrast… was oddly fascinating.

As for whether Beizhai—Zhou Miaoxuan—and Zhou Miaotong were sisters? That wasn't his concern. As long as they shared the same bed and brought comfort, that was enough.

But Zhou Miaoxuan was tricky—she was Zhu Youjian's woman. If things went wrong and Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, it wouldn't be good…

Thinking of this, Wang Yan called out: "Wang An."

A man of ordinary appearance, unremarkable in any crowd, entered. But unlike ordinary men, his eyes betrayed an unconscious bloodlust and cruelty.

Wang An stepped forward, bowed deeply: "My lord."

"Hmm. Less of these useless formalities from now on."

"Yes." Wang An bowed again, accepting the order.

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile. He'd said this more than once—these people never listened. Sun Fugui included.

"Can you quietly kidnap someone without drawing attention? Do we have enough manpower in Jingcheng?"

Wang An thought before replying: "My lord, we have many men, but you know their combat ability. The new recruits haven't been trained yet, and the children we've taken in are still recovering—they're not combat-ready."

Hearing this, Wang Yan pondered: Should he go himself? But he dismissed the immature thought. It was just a woman—not worth risking his life traveling to Jingcheng. But if he didn't go, his men weren't strong enough… and the itch to get her remained.

"Hmm…" Wang Yan paused, then said: "Fine. First, send people to investigate a woman named Zhou Miaoxuan, known as Beizhai. Find out her guard arrangements. Report back to me before we act."

"A woman?" Wang An frowned at his boss. "My lord, didn't you just send Sun Fugui to buy someone in Jingcheng? Why another?"

Wang Yan glared. "Why so many questions? Get out and do your job!"

"Come on, you're getting worked up over a little talk," Wang An winked. "You're truly impressive, my lord—going after two women at once. I'm impressed, truly."

"Get lost."

"Alright, got it."

Wang Yan sighed. They'd grown too comfortable with him, knew his ways—as long as they did the job, everything else was ignored. And since he was young, they all got a little too cheeky.

Wang An was one of the men who followed him after the battle of Shengjing, where he was crippled by Huang Taiji. He chose to switch roles—and rose above the rest. His real name wasn't Wang An; it was Wang Qi. Wang Yan later gave him the name "An," to match the covert intelligence and surveillance force he founded: the Anwei.

Publicly, Wang An was Wang Yan's personal guard. In truth, he handled all Anwei affairs—building up the structure, filling its ranks. But the Anwei was still new—only a few months old. To truly function, it needed ten or even twenty years of secret planning and cultivation.

Correspondingly, where there was Anwei, there was Mingwei. Among the guards outside stood one named Wang Ming. No need to explain—he was essentially identical to today's Embroidered Uniform Guard. Today, they were called private soldiers, retainers. In the future, they'd be called imperial guards, personal guards.

Over the next few days, Wang Yan visited Jinzhou and the two cities ahead—Dalinghe and Youtunwei—the very two towns Huang Taiji had taken without firing a shot.

Jinzhou was a military stronghold. After the Ningyuan battle, Gao Di had fled with many troops. Now, aside from a few who stayed or couldn't leave, the population was almost entirely soldiers and military households. The surrounding farmland was ownerless. The fields previously cultivated had been destroyed by Huang Taiji's orders—wasted effort.

Reorganizing manpower to survey land, then assigning military households to cultivate it—all this was handled by Sun Fugui and the civil official.

As for the civil official and the imperial censor… let's say this: in Jinzhou, Wang Yan called the shots. Adequate silver helped—but more importantly, Wang Yan's grand plan to reclaim Liaodong brought prestige that silenced them. Combined with the intimidation of Man Gui and Wang Zhichen, controlling civil officials was easy. As for the censor—Wei Zhongxian was already in deep trouble. A minor censor had to think of self-preservation.

Regarding city defenses—just as Wang Yan told Sun Fugui—there was no point. He'd fight with guns and cannons. What use were walls? Repair them a little for decoration, sure—but no need to waste silver and materials building a turtle shell.

Most crucially, Huang Taiji had no capacity to march south in the short term. He had a window for peaceful development. Not even long—one year. Give Wang Yan one year, and if Huang Taiji still believed his cavalry could roam Liaodong freely, then Wang Yan would take his surname: Aisin Gioro.

Huang Taiji's inability to march south was primarily due to Wang Yan's famed victory: the Zhu Zhu Dajie at Jinzhou.

Because Wang Yan's actions destabilized the Later Jin's rear, causing supply shortages, the Jinzhou battle was meant to seize supplies. But they lost—no supplies captured, over ten thousand dead. For Huang Taiji, who'd only been in power six months and whose position was already shaky, this was a crushing blow.

Armies never return empty-handed. So after retreating from Jinzhou, Huang Taiji turned west and attacked the Chahar Mongols.

Leaving other factors aside, strategically, attacking Chahar was a brilliant move.

He had already subdued some Mongol tribes. If he crushed Chahar, the other Mongol clans who'd been acting up would fall silent.

This battle at Jinzhou also made him realize: entering Great Ming through Shanhai Pass was impossible. But if he subdued Chahar, he could bypass Shanhai Pass entirely. This was precisely the path taken in history—the JiSi Incident—when Huang Taiji besieged Beijing, Man Gui and Zhao Shujiao died, and Yuan Chonghuan was flayed alive.

Also, by crushing Chahar, Huang Taiji could stabilize his own shaky khanship, suppress the ambitions of those watching him, and silence their plots.

Moreover, Chahar's cattle, sheep, horses, and people were resources he needed. With these supplies, he could endure and regain maneuverability.

So Huang Taiji acted—but too soon.

Let's be fair: the descendants of Genghis Khan, the Golden Clan who once ruled Eurasia, had grown weak after decades of war with Great Ming. They couldn't match Huang Taiji—even once begged Great Ming for aid. Great Ming was happy to see this—though they sent few troops (they couldn't win), they did provide substantial supplies.

Huang Taiji had just suffered defeat, yet he pressed on. He's still fighting now. He's certainly gained something—Mongol tribes are numerous; sweeping through them yields plenty.

But now, due to Later Jin's supply shortages, prices have skyrocketed. Not just Han civilians—even Manchu banners are suffering. Han uprisings flare up constantly—chaos everywhere.

So even if Huang Taiji wipes out Chahar, it won't help—he must stabilize first. He needs time to secure livelihoods and his khanship, eliminate rivals.

Wang Yan, meanwhile, enjoys rare peace. Though he could now strike Shengjing while Huang Taiji is away, he's not a fool—he won't.

Moreover, the court did not support going to war either. After all, fighting a war requires silver, and things are quite difficult right now—flood on top of severe drought. Better to lie low for a while, develop in stability, and advance step by step on solid ground.

Wang Yan scoffed at those arguments. It was simply that if he wiped out the Later Jin, it would cut into other people's profits. Right now, Later Jin's side was clearly a treasure trove for making money—as long as you had goods to bring over, they would never turn anyone away.

Still, it happened to suit Wang Yan's wishes. He didn't want to fight anyway. Now that he had a territory of his own, the hard truth was to farm in peace, grow the population, and start climbing the tech tree.

His Jinzhou was still the front line, and with all of Liaodong connected through, as long as he moved north, basically no one could stop him—it was all his territory.

With such a vast world, naturally there was great room to accomplish great things.

That day, Wang Yan was at the training ground watching the rank-and-file soldiers drill below, when he spotted Sun Fugui scurrying over from a distance.

Sun Fugui, who had come up close, grinned and said to the frowning Wang Yan with a fawning look, "Reporting to my lord, the people have arrived…"