Chapter 585: Preface to Volume Four

"Ducha Yuan Participating Politics Zu Kefa and Zhang Cunren memorialize: We humbly submit that a state must have a grand strategy; only when the grand strategy is settled can measures be deployed, and only when measures are deployed can swift success be achieved..."

In the Grand Political Hall of Shengjing, Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary of the Inner Secretariat, held the memorial and read it aloud in an even tone. The broad-framed Qing Emperor Huang Taiji paced slowly in the hall. Hearing this, he raised his head and said, "Skip the empty words before. The strategy that follows — you and I shall examine it together."

The tall Fan Wencheng lowered the memorial, bowed slightly, and said, "These two propose three plans — upper, middle, and lower — named respectively Stabbing the Heart, Severing the Throat, and Pruning Branches. Crossing the Yan Mountains to strike directly at the Capital and seize Hebei is called Stabbing the Heart — that is the upper plan. Driving straight to the pass-gate and breaking Shanhai Pass, which would leave all cities beyond the pass cut off and easily taken — that is the middle plan. Pruning branches to fell the tree is the lower plan. The two naturally advocate the upper plan, but your slave believes all are driven by haste for quick gain and lack prudence."

Huang Taiji said nothing and continued pacing slowly.

Fan Wencheng followed two steps behind him and continued, "Since Sarhu, the Ming State has suffered defeat after defeat, never winning a single major battle, yet it can still block our great army beyond the pass — this is the advantage of a large state. Our Great Qing wins battle after battle, yet to this day remains confined to a corner of Liaodong — this is the weakness of a small state. Stabbing the Heart and Severing the Throat both offer great gains, but they also carry great danger. Stabbing the Heart requires crossing the Yan Mountains into enemy territory, separated from Liaodong by a thousand li, and storming the Capital's strong walls demands Heavy Troops for a siege, unable to forage on the march. If a swift assault fails, the army will be bogged down beneath strong walls. Shanhai Pass is the same in principle — for a hundred li along the route, every town is an enemy garrison fort. With a great army isolated deep behind enemy lines, whether one besieges the enemy or besieges oneself is still an unknown. Zu and Zhang advocate the upper and middle plans not because they fail to see the danger, but because they seek to profit from risk for the Great Qing in name, while in truth pursuing their own path of advancement, turning a blind eye to the peril."

"Does Mr. Fan believe we should still use the Pruning Branches strategy?"

"Successive reports have come back from the Shanxi border. The Roving Bandits in the Ming State's interior have flared up again. In Henan, Shaanxi, Huguang, and Nanzhili, large and small bandit camps number no fewer than a hundred. This is not Stabbing the Heart, Severing the Throat, or Pruning Branches. Your slave believes it may be called Stirring the Belly. With turmoil in the Ming State's heartland, its national strength is draining away and declining day by day. Our Great Qing should advance steadily and solidly, wearing down its Border Army elite beyond the pass, and when we enter the interior, ravage its land and people. After several such campaigns, the Ming State will have no source of Rations and Pay. Your slave believes that within a few years, the time of Heaven will arrive. The Emperor bears the Heavenly Mandate — quietly await Heaven's time, and that will suffice."

Huang Taiji stopped walking, closed his eyes, and stood in place. For a long while, he said nothing.

Fan Wencheng waited quietly. Having attended Huang Taiji for a long time, he knew this Qing Emperor very well. When a momentous decision was needed, Huang Taiji would not summon many people to deliberate — it was always just two or three trusted confidants, and the most trusted among them was Fan Wencheng.

Thus Fan Wencheng held a transcendent position among the Han Officials, one that many Manchu-Mongol Eight Banners military aristocrats could not match. But this was limited to him alone. The overall status of Han Officials remained the lowest, and among Han Officials, they were further divided by time of surrender into Old Hands and newcomers, with differences in status. Zu Kefa and Zhang Cunren had both been captured at the Beating the Bell River and had shallow seniority in the Manchu Qing; they needed conspicuous merit to raise their standing.

The shorter the time since a Han Official had surrendered, the more radical the strategies they proposed — one more aggressive than the next. Besides striking directly at the Capital and storming Shanhai Pass, there were also proposals to land and occupy Dengzhou to sever the Shandong Canal, then pinch the Capital in a two-pronged attack with Qing forces entering the interior from the Ji Garrison, and so on.

Whether Huang Taiji chose radical or prudent action depended on the situation and the balance of power at the time. When he had just succeeded as Khan of the Later Jin, the Later Jin's situation was already extremely dire. Huang Taiji keenly spotted an opportunity and decisively chose the most radical plan — a thousand-li raid into the interior to strike directly at the Ming Capital, reversing the Later Jin's strategic disadvantage in one stroke.

But the present circumstances were different. The Ming Dynasty was beset by troubles both within and without, while the Qing army had subjugated Mongolia and Joseon, holding a strategic advantage. The Qing army's weakness still lay in its size being far smaller than the Ming's, unable to withstand a major defeat.

Huang Taiji was in the midst of making his choice, and Fan Wencheng dared not disturb him. The plans laid out on Huang Taiji's table were many, each carrying different risks and rewards. He had to consider his own risks while also worrying about missing an opportunity for greater gain. Even within the relatively prudent direction, many choices existed — which of the Eight Cities Beyond the Pass to select as the target of attack, and what strategic objective to achieve — all required Huang Taiji to weigh repeatedly.

Huang Taiji was the final decision-maker and the one who bore ultimate responsibility. Every decision was difficult. Each time Fan Wencheng accompanied Huang Taiji and they discussed back and forth, Huang Taiji would afterward close his eyes and ponder, making the final choice.

After a long while, Huang Taiji slowly opened his eyes. Fan Wencheng knew Huang Taiji had likely reached an answer. He raised his eyes slightly to look. The noon sunlight streamed in from outside, casting the imprint of the window lattice upon the floor. Huang Taiji's face was deeply flushed, as though he had just fought a great battle in his mind.

Huang Taiji reached up and slowly rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaling wearily. "To fell a tree, naturally cutting the trunk is the most direct. No one starts by cutting the branches first. Even if you strip all the branches bare, the tree will not fall over on its own — you only waste your strength in vain."

Fan Wencheng bent his waist a little lower. The analogy of felling a great tree was one Huang Taiji had raised before. Now that Zu and Zhang deemed it the lower plan, Huang Taiji had not flown into a rage; instead, he was himself refining its meaning.

"Your slave believes that His Majesty's strategy of pruning branches to fell the tree was phrased so that your ministers could easily grasp it. In name it is pruning branches, but in truth it is felling the tree. Since His Majesty succeeded to the throne, through many campaigns, every sword-stroke and axe-blow has landed on the trunk. That great tree already shows signs of toppling — that is precisely the achievement of felling the tree."

Huang Taiji smiled. "It is true that Zu Kefa and Zhang Cunren harbor the selfish motive of seeking their own advancement. Yet all men have selfish motives. If selfish motives are useful, they should be used. These two should be commended for their enterprising spirit, and though their risky schemes are not adopted, they need not be criticized. In this way, all officials will dare to offer plans boldly, maintaining our Great Qing's momentum of advance."

"Your slave obeys the decree."

"Mr. Fan is seasoned and prudent. I also deem it proper to proceed with steady measures. But those risky schemes are not entirely without use. From this day forward, spread word among all banners: at the start of the year, each company is to select ten Armored Soldiers to raid the West Side. Additionally, send a Herald to the Goryeo region to build boats and transport grain to wait off the coast of Dengzhou, coordinating with Kong Youde's attack on Dengzhou. Third, advance on Shanhai Pass by both water and land, with different banners launching separately." (Note 2)

"His Majesty is divinely wise. Every year, fugitives from each banner are unending; this information will surely reach that Ming State. And there will naturally be those in Joseon who report it as well. The Ming State will be forced to prepare. Without expending a single soldier or ration, His Majesty has already dispersed their strength." Fan Wencheng said respectfully, "Has His Majesty already chosen the point of focus?"

"The Relay Grain is insufficient to supply the Guan-Ning defenses. All cities beyond the pass depend on farming and harvests outside their walls. The farther from Ningyuan, the harder it is to transport grain. Our great army should press close to the Ningjin Gateway, so that their farming is abandoned and they struggle to survive. Songshan, Xingshan, Jinzhou — in the past, whenever we attacked these three cities, if a direct assault failed, we lacked the strength to besiege them, all because grain and fodder supply was difficult. This time, I am determined to take them, but we must guard against impatience. We should proceed gradually, from far to near, slowly and deliberately." The flush on Huang Taiji's face deepened, and a ceaseless gleam flickered in his eyes. "We shall begin from Yizhou. On this rotten trunk of the Ming State, I intend to land another heavy axe-blow."

Before the sky had brightened, at the Central Left Gate of the Forbidden City, a column of eunuch officials arrived outside the Warm Pavilion, each carrying a charcoal basket in hand.

The leader gave an order, and the eunuch officials dispersed, beginning preparations in each of the waiting rooms for the Imperial Summons.

Lin Dengwan busied himself in the Tea Room. He first took the kindling from the Copper Kettle and placed it in the warming stove, then began scooping up wood shavings to prepare the fire.

Before noon, the Emperor would hold a Platform Summons. Today there were many people awaiting summons — both Grand Secretaries and ordinary ministers. Many rooms would be needed. Before the summons began, personnel from the Directorate of Ceremonial would come to inspect the site, so the Fuel Office also had to prepare in advance. The warming stoves in several rooms had to be lit first, the room temperatures had to be suitable, the water in the Tea Room had to be boiled first and then kept warm so it could be used directly when needed, and some snacks and pastries also had to be ready. If the Emperor's audience ran long and he suddenly wished to bestow food upon his ministers to share, it had to be produced immediately.

Thus the Tea Room also bore heavy responsibility. If any detail was not done well and the Emperor showed the slightest displeasure, the Directorate of Ceremonial would make trouble for the Fuel Office.

Lin Dengwan placed the wood shavings and was about to blow on the kindling when suddenly a voice beside him said, "Have you grown accustomed to working in the Warm Pavilion?"

The moment Lin Dengwan heard the voice, he knew at once it was Bai Laogong. Last time, outside the Hall of Union, he had dropped a piece of charcoal and been thoroughly disciplined by this Bai Laogong. In the end, it was only after Master Zhang gave silver that the matter was settled. Now Lin Dengwan had to pay his monthly respects to Bai Laogong, and his treatment had improved accordingly. Bai Laogong controlled the Red Wicker Charcoal and also managed the firewood and charcoal supply for the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Warm Pavilion. Lin Dengwan had been assigned back to work in the Warm Pavilion, though only in the Tea Room — still somewhat inferior to his previous post in the waiting rooms for the Imperial Summons.

He immediately turned around and knelt. "I thank Bai Laogong for his favor. This slave has handled duties in the Warm Pavilion before and is accustomed to it all."

Bai Laogong clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed the room before speaking. "Since you've worked in the Warm Pavilion before, I need not say too much. But the Warm Pavilion is a critical place. The Emperor is here, the Directorate of Ceremonial is here, the deliberating Court Officials are here. All the great affairs under Heaven are decided here. Those coming and going are all important figures. When we perform our duties here, everything is a matter of importance. Whatever you do, carry caution with you first."

"This slave understands. I will certainly handle affairs with caution and not bring trouble to Bai Laogong." Lin Dengwan lowered his voice. "This humble one working in the Warm Pavilion is spared the freezing cold outside and can also bask in the Fortune of the noble and wealthy within. It is all grace bestowed by Bai Laogong. This humble one will never forget it in this lifetime. I mentioned it to that relative of mine last time, and he too was deeply moved and grateful."

Bai Laogong grunted, seemingly not paying much attention. Lin Dengwan knew this Bai Laogong could not be moved by empty words. He lowered his voice further. "That relative of this humble one also deals in the firewood and charcoal trade in the Inner City, specializing in selling firewood and charcoal to great households. He happens to need some good charcoal. Some days ago, this humble one helped with the inventory and noticed some Red Basket Charcoal had spoiled — inconvenient for use inside the palace, but still usable outside."

Bai Laogong's tone shifted slightly. "There is indeed such a thing."

"This humble one recalled Laogong's daily teachings: firewood and charcoal are all the lifeblood of the common people, gathered through every kind of hardship. Those items inconvenient for use in the palace, if given to the common people for use outside, are spared from being discarded and wasted — that too is a form of Merit."

"It's just that such firewood and charcoal are conspicuous and inconvenient to transport out."

"This humble one means that some firewood and charcoal spoil outside the palace, saving the trouble of transporting them into the palace at all."

After a moment of silence, Bai Laogong's voice said, "From now on, you will help manage the Red Wicker Charcoal and Long Firewood. Do not let what is unusable go to waste, but wash the red clay clean to avoid any misunderstanding."

Helping to manage the Red Wicker Charcoal and Long Firewood meant making it convenient for him to connect with the outside. The silver from selling off this firewood and charcoal would become Bai Laogong's. This was helping Bai Laogong with private affairs — entirely different from simply paying respects before. He could now be considered a trusted confidant. Once again, he had someone to rely on in the palace.

Every office in the palace had its own channels of profit on the outside. The Fuel Office was a weak office, but it still had its own, relatively fixed over so many years. But since the Tartars invaded last year, the palace's demand for silver seemed to have increased again. Many Laogong were seeking new avenues. Finding growth within already entrenched channels was not easy. Lin Dengwan had presented an opportunity, and regardless of the amount, Bai Laogong would naturally give it a try.

Lin Dengwan kept his voice as steady as possible. "This humble one will remember firmly."

Bai Laogong grunted, turned, and walked out the door. Several tea-room eunuch officials were waiting outside. Bai Laogong stopped at the doorway and said slowly, "The affairs of this Tea Room — Lin Dengwan, you will take charge of them for now."

"How come Bai Laogong is treating you well again, even making you a supervisor in the Warm Pavilion?"

In their own small room within the Imperial City, Lin Dengwan sat at the wooden table, his face brimming with pride. He looked up at the palace maid who had just returned and said, "Perhaps Bai Laogong has had a change of Nature, or perhaps my Fortune has simply arrived."

The palace maid shook her head. "Bai Laogong's reputation is poor. Everyone knows his Nature — he's always been harsh with underlings, only after Wealth. We have no silver to give him. Could it be that he's truly had a change of Nature in his old age?"

Lin Dengwan laughed. "Who cares what he's thinking? Being supervisor of the Tea Room is a happy matter. Tonight I feel like Eating something good."

The palace maid placed the food box on the bench and took out the bowls and dishes of food, setting them on the table. As she did so, she said, "The Tea Room is the Tea Room of the Platform — other tea rooms can't compare. Of course it's a happy matter. And today, as it happens, you won't lack for good things to eat."

Lin Dengwan looked at the dishes with a beaming smile. "Why so much food today?"

"Today the Emperor came to the Palace of Heavenly Favor again. He sat for an hour, and just when it looked like he would eat, he left again. The Imperial Catering Office had already delivered a great deal of food. The Emperor didn't eat, so it was left behind. The Imperial Consort was happy to see the Emperor and told the matron to reward us. It's all fine things. I was anxious to bring it back to you, so I told the matron I'd stained my apron with soup and wanted to come back and change. It just so happens the Emperor is coming again this evening, and I absolutely dared not spoil His Majesty's mood by being filthy. The matron let me come back to change, so I hurried back with it. It's still a bit cold, though."

"No matter. I'll just heat it up, and we'll eat together." Lin Dengwan walked to the corner of the room, where a warming brazier sat, along with a large pile of firewood and charcoal.

The palace maid froze when she saw the firewood and charcoal. Ordinary Palace Attendants could not possibly have charcoal fires to use. The Capital's winters were bitterly cold, and indoors it was like an ice cellar. To be able to warm oneself by a fire in winter was a symbol of privilege within the palace. Before this, though Lin Dengwan had been in the Fuel Office for so long, he had never been able to obtain a warming brazier or firewood and charcoal.

"You'll be going on duty soon. I'll start the fire first and wait for you right here in this room. When you return, this room will be warm, and the food will be warm too."

Tears glistened in the palace maid's eyes as she gazed straight at Lin Dengwan.

Lin Dengwan looked at her and smiled, then turned around to light the fire. As he did so, he said, "The Emperor went to the Palace of Heavenly Favor during the day and is coming again in the evening. He must have a great deal to say to Consort Tian."

"The person in the palace the Emperor most wants to talk with at length is Consort Tian. When he comes, he talks without stopping — about affairs inside and outside the palace, everything."

Lin Dengwan's hands paused briefly, then he continued building the fire. "At today's Platform Summons, Grand Secretary Xue was present. The one pouring tea inside said the Emperor showed some Displeasure. Perhaps Grand Secretary Xue provoked the Emperor's Anger. Be careful when you serve this evening."

After the palace maid arranged the dishes, she sat down at the table and sighed. "Today in the Palace of Heavenly Favor, His Majesty also mentioned the Chief Grand Secretary. He sounded somewhat displeased. Later, he praised Wen Tiren for being capable, but it's a pity he died after returning home. I could see His Majesty felt some regret. He also mentioned Elder Zhou, and that Elder Yang has gone to Huguang to suppress the bandits — His Majesty brought that up many times as well."

Lin Dengwan turned his head. "When His Majesty mentioned Grand Secretary Xue, how did he address him?"

The palace maid looked puzzled. "Why do you ask that?"

Lin Dengwan smiled. "I can't compare to you, serving right beside the Imperial Consort. Sometimes I just wonder how His Majesty addresses other people."

The palace maid thought for a moment. "He called him Xue Guoguan. That's how it was today. Before, he used to call him Mister Xue."

Lin Dengwan had finished stoking the fire by now. He clapped his hands and said, "I'll heat up the food. Since we've nothing else to do, let's chat a while longer."

……

"My lord, word has come from Elder Feng's side. His Majesty is already displeased with Xue Guoguan. During the platform audience, he rebuked him without leaving any face. Many times in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he has called him directly by name. That Mister Zhang under General-in-Chief Pang has also sent word that His Majesty, in the Palace of Heavenly Favor, called Xue Guoguan by name and cursed the old man for only knowing how to ramble on and on. In a single day, he mentioned Wen Tiren several times, and also brought up Elder Zhou once. Both sides are asking whether we can move to topple Xue now."

Inside a large three-courtyard residence in the inner city of the Capital, Wu Changshi frowned and stood up. He paced two circles around the room, then stopped and looked at the Advisor before him. "Xue Guoguan is the Chief Grand Secretary. To move against him, the Donglin, the Restoration Society, and the palace must all act together. We must prepare thoroughly before we strike. If we fail once, no one will follow me in handling matters again."

The Advisor said in a low voice, "This humble one shares that view. After all, he is the Chief Grand Secretary. If my lord is to move, he must strike a single fatal blow. But Xue Guoguan conducts his daily affairs with extreme caution. We have searched for so long and still haven't found solid evidence against him. To act rashly would indeed be somewhat hasty."

"Solid evidence against Xue Guoguan is indeed not easy to obtain." Wu Changshi paused in Strategic Patience, then said, "What matters most is not whether the evidence is solid, but whether His Majesty needs it. If His Majesty needs it, even hearsay becomes solid."

The Advisor said quietly, "Then my lord, give your instructions."

Wu Changshi's eyes flickered unceasingly. After a moment, he said, "The evidence must firmly stand on moral grounds. His Majesty values the word 'filial piety' above all. The first charge must rest on filial piety. First, impeach Vegetable Yichen for, during his mourning period, still seeking favors from Xue Guoguan — behaving furtively, neither loyal nor filial. There is no concrete proof for this matter, so first find a Method through Wu Daozheng. Have it sent from the Eastern Depot's listening records to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, then ask Elder Feng to find a way for His Majesty to see it."

"This humble one notes it down."

"The second is shielding Shi Service Ticket. His Majesty already harbors suspicions about this matter — it must be raised together." Wu Changshi's expression turned grave. "What His Majesty detests most about Xue Guoguan is the forced donations from the imperial relatives. Xue Guoguan proposed the idea, then pushed His Majesty to the front. In the end, not only did they fail to collect any donations, they offended the imperial relatives and left themselves covered in dirt. The instigator of it all was Xue Guoguan saying the imperial relatives had silver. So the third charge must be accepting bribes. Xue Guoguan took silver for himself, yet caused His Majesty to incur the wrath of the imperial relatives over silver — that is enough to make His Majesty erupt in fury."

The Advisor said quietly, "Your Excellency, Xue Guoguan is extremely cautious in money matters. Gifts from people he does not trust, he won't even accept. This charge will not be easy to obtain solid proof for."

Wu Changshi paused in Strategic Patience. "I recall Wang Biyan sent him three thousand taels of silver. That solid proof I can obtain."

"My lord, he is, after all, your nephew. If you obtain solid proof, Wang Biyan will inevitably be implicated as well. If handled poorly, he could end up at the West Market… It will be hard to explain to his mother's side."

Wu Changshi furrowed his brow, as if engaged in a difficult internal struggle. After a long while, he sighed and said, "A nephew carries the word 'outside' — in the end, he is an outsider. It is not that I am hard-hearted. To speak truthfully with you, this official's heart is at this moment wracked with torment. But considering that the traitor Xue holds power and brings calamity to the state and people, for the sake of family, country, and the common folk, I can only endure the pain and let my own kin suffer a little grievance."

The Advisor raised his head to look. Wu Changshi lowered his gaze toward him. The Advisor hurriedly buried his head again and said, "My lord's noble righteousness, for country and people — this humble one is filled with admiration."

"If not for that old wretch Xue Guoguan obstructing me, would I be stuck as a mere Ministry of Rites Principal Officer?" Wu Changshi's face was cold. "If Xue Guoguan does not fall, Elder Zhou cannot be restored to office. This matter must be carried out. We must plan meticulously. We move to topple Xue."

……

Note 1: Regarding the previous chapter's depiction of the Roving Bandits mutilating commoners' limbs — before the Gucheng Recruit to Surrender, the Roving Bandits' main methods of mutilating commoners' bodies were cutting off ears and noses, and carving characters like "Great King" or "Heavenly King" onto faces, possibly because these characters had few strokes and were convenient to carve. Severing hands and feet was rarely seen. After the rebellion resumed at Gucheng, they began by severing a single hand, which later escalated to both hands and feet. Records from Wuchang state that among the surviving commoners, "not one retained a whole form." Records from Sichuan are even more numerous — for instance, Fu Diji's Chronicle of Master Wuma from Jianyang frequently contains records of hand-severing. A possible reason for this shift is that limb mutilation has a more lasting impact, because many victims survive, creating a visual shock upon others and thereby fostering an atmosphere of terror, weakening the will of soldiers and civilians to defend their cities. This aligns with the objectives of terror strategy, and is also the Outcome of the Roving Bandits' years of evolution and continuous self-reinforcement.

Note 2: Before the Song-Jin Campaign, the Qing army employed various methods to deceive the enemy. Some false intelligence eventually reached the Ming Ministry of War, as in the following records: Bondservants who fled back from the Qing army reported, "We heard the Eastern Invaders say that around the twentieth of the second month, each company will dispatch one Tartar to raid east of the pass, mixing in to prevent Farming. By the fourth month, they will raid west of the pass." "We heard the Tartars say that when the planting season comes, they will come to wreak havoc and disrupt the sowing of crops, with intentions of raiding Linqing. It is also said that the Tartar rebels are building boats in the Goryeo region to go to Dengzhou with Kong Youde." etc.