Chapter 586: Night Talk in the Cabin

After nightfall, a formation consisting of one gunboat and two small escort ships began nighttime exercises.

At this moment, the Dongjiang Generals, who originally had matters weighing on their minds, had no choice but to set aside their emotions for now and focus on observing their host's "night battle at sea capability."

It must be said, the so-called nighttime combat exercise was actually quite a novel thing for people like Kong Youde.

Before this, the command of the sea across the entire Liaodong Peninsula had been in the hands of the Dongjiang Garrison. The Manchus, born and raised among the White Mountains and Black Waters, were a semi-fishing, semi-farming people with little connection to the sea.

However, possessing command of the sea was not equivalent to possessing superb maritime skills.

Apart from being able to "overpower" the Manchus, who simply never took to the water, the Dongjiang Garrison had no regular naval forces.

Their so-called "Navy," though busy with operations on ordinary days... sailing south to Shandong to transport supplies, heading north to Korea for private trade—all of that was done in daylight, sailing civilian ships with the wind, and if they weren't careful they'd even get blown to Japan. It truly had little to do with the term "Navy."

In fact, even during the Great Ming's most powerful era, limited by underdeveloped science and technology, the Water Army could only be said to be capable of fighting, far from possessing night combat capability.

So when Kong Youde and his men, using night vision devices, witnessed the full set of routine training subjects—fleet nighttime formation changes plus bombardment—it was hardly surprising that they felt "panic."

"Big Brother, can this thing truly see people at night?!"

Even when surrounded by the Later Jin's White Armored Soldiers outside Lüshun, Kong Youde had never lost his composure like this. But he was, after all, a young commander barely past thirty, so when the soldiers on the deck of the neighboring ship appeared clearly in the lens, Kong Youde still could not suppress the impact of his emotions and ultimately let out a cry of alarm.

His sworn elder brother Geng Zhongming, though older, was equally startled by the night vision device in his hands. At this moment, standing in the icy sea wind outside the bridge, Geng Zhongming habitually drew a sharp breath: "Hiss... this thing is wondrous, nearly supernatural... with this, who could stand against us?"

Only those who have truly led troops into battle understand the fearsome advantage of night vision. In an ancient era where soldiers were plagued by night blindness and camps could erupt into panic at the slightest provocation, causing an entire army to collapse overnight, night vision capability was simply too fantastical a skill.

"It's just that this item seems precious and delicate; perhaps there are some hidden limitations we don't know about."

After his shock and fear, Kong Youde was a military commander after all, and he quickly shook off his abnormal state of mind. Then he thought of a possible reason: could it be that this thing has some usage restrictions?

Geng Zhongming laughed upon hearing this: "Heh... no need to guess. We can simply ask and find out."

Not long after, in the brightly lit operations room, Geng Zhongming openly and directly raised his questions about night vision: Could this item be used in land battles? What were the specifics?

Sha Zhengming burst out laughing upon hearing this: "No specifics! Why wouldn't it work in land battles? You gentlemen may not know, but back during the recapture of Santunying, it was our army's elite who entered the city at night, launched a sudden raid, and killed every last Tartar inside cleanly, not letting a single one escape. That's how the case of Shuotuo's forces being kept completely in the dark came about."

Having said this, Sha Zhengming turned his head and gestured toward Zhang Zhongqi, who was leisurely drinking coffee: "Here, you've asked the right person. In that day's battle, it was precisely Officer Zhang who led the troops."

The content and process of that original "King's Rescue Self-Defense Counterattack," after being "processed" by the transmigrators in the aftermath, had long since become known throughout the entire Great Ming. Storytellers in wine shops across the land had already produced who knows how many serialized tales from it, using them as their headline acts.

So upon hearing that the protagonist of "The Raid on Santunying"—a climactic episode universally acknowledged by storytellers—was actually this very Hundred-Household Officer Zhang standing before them, the gazes of Kong Youde and the others toward Zhang Zhongqi instantly became far more solemn.

They truly had not expected that a seemingly unremarkable personal retinue Hundred-Household Officer was actually a veteran commander who had accomplished such great deeds!

This time, Kong Youde and his men cupped their fists respectfully, adopting the bearing of a fresh introduction: "We greet Officer Zhang."

Zhang Zhongqi chuckled, rose to his full height, and slowly walked over, coffee cup in hand. Standing face to face, he nodded at Kong Youde: "Perhaps it's fate, but I feel joy in my heart the moment I see a true warrior. General Kong, the moonlight tonight is quite fine. Why not step aside for a moment and join me, brother, in brewing some coffee and discussing heroes?"

As for coffee, the guests today had the good fortune to drink a cup with everyone else at lunch. To be honest, this imported "bitter tea" did not suit the natives' palates. However, everyone present was astute and knew that this Hundred-Household Officer Zhang was deliberately inviting Kong Youde, and he certainly had something to say. So after a brief moment of consideration, Kong Youde nodded and followed Zhang Zhongqi to the captain's cabin.

Even the captain's cabin, on an 800-ton gunboat, was cramped, let alone suitable for moon-viewing and wine-warming.

Fortunately, the kerosene lamp inside the captain's cabin shone brightly. After entering, Zhang Zhongqi gestured for Kong Youde to sit, then cheerfully used an iron warm pot to brew a cup of hot tea and handed it over: "I was joking just now. I know you're not used to it, so let's both just drink tea."

Kong Youde accepted the green tea mug with both hands. By now, he had sensed something unusual, but he still could not fathom what the other party was up to, so he merely smiled and said nothing.

"Brother Ruitu, allow me to formally introduce myself." Zhang Zhongqi extended his right hand: "I am stationed in the north by our Grand Commandant, specifically responsible for all intelligence matters in the North China region."

Perhaps fearing the other might not understand, Zhang Zhongqi, while shaking hands with Kong Youde, added with a smile: "Eastern Depot and Brocade Guard."

"A seated Thousand-Household Officer of the Judicial Office? What audacity!" Awkwardly shaking hands with the other man, Kong Youde, once the realization hit him, felt a twinge of fear in his heart, but he still hurriedly replied: "So it is Officer Zhang standing before me. This... I understand, brother, I understand!"

Kong Youde, who had harbored vague suspicions in his heart, now understood everything perfectly. And the reason for his slight fear was the other party's utter recklessness: comparing himself to the Eastern Depot and Brocade Guard, showing no regard for the law.

However, after this first exchange, when he sat back down in his chair, he inexplicably felt the atmosphere relax a little... perhaps because the other party had voluntarily revealed his own "weakness"? Or perhaps because they both harbored dissatisfaction toward the imperial court?

Next, in order to continue easing the atmosphere, Zhang Zhongqi refrained from bringing up any more sensitive topics and instead chatted with him about everything under the sun.

Once he grasped the rhythm of the conversation, a clever man like Kong Youde quickly adapted. And when the atmosphere in the room grew even more congenial, Kong Youde finally seized the opportunity to ask a question he had wanted to ask earlier: Was Earl Cao a Southerner or a Northerner?

In reality, Cao Chuan's identity card from before his crossing over indicated that this fellow was a loser from a county-level city in southern Hebei. So Zhang Zhongqi had nothing to hide at this moment. He openly told Kong Youde: Cao Chuan, Lord Cao, was a Northerner through and through. If one were to divide it according to ancient maps, then Lord Cao would be a person of the state of Yan.

Upon hearing this, Kong Youde immediately slapped his thigh: "Right on the mark! I, your brother, guessed it!"

After Zhang Zhongqi listened with some surprise to Kong Youde's explanation, he chuckled again. When his laughter subsided, Zhang Zhongqi told him: Your guess is correct. Among the old brothers who originally went to sea with Lord Cao to establish their foundation, at least half were Northerners. Including Zhang Zhongqi himself and Sha Zhengming, they were all Northerners.

Zhang Zhongqi also told Kong Youde: Among them, there were also those of Liaodong origin, so at certain times, their accents did carry a hint of Liaodong flavor...

A quick aside: Mimi Read is truly excellent and worth installing. After all, it allows for cached reading and offline listening!

Unlike later generations, in ancient times, regional ties were an extremely crucial link among all relationships—interpersonal, clan, master-disciple, court faction, and every other kind.

The news that Lord Cao was a Northerner and that among the high officials under his command there were even Liaodong natives was, for Kong Youde, without a doubt, tremendously good news. At the very least, in the foreseeable future, dealings between the two sides would be much more convenient.

In that moment, Kong Youde instantly felt much closer to the other man.

So he took the initiative to stand up, cheerfully picked up the warm pot, and refilled Zhang Zhongqi's mug with boiling water.

The next moment, after taking a sip of tea, Kong Youde wiped his mouth and asked with a serious expression: "May I ask, sir, in calling me here today, is there something you wish to instruct me on?"

Zhang Zhongqi nodded, unsurprised: "Heh heh, Brother Kong is a clever man, and now that we've acknowledged each other as distant kin, I'll speak plainly."

"This fleet's visit to Dengzhou—on the surface, naturally, it's to relieve the court's urgent need, to relieve Zu Dashou's urgent need. However, as for the intricacies involved, I presume you, brother, already know them?"

"Understood, understood!" Kong Youde nodded repeatedly: He had already probed for information from Sun Yuanhua earlier and knew that both their brother units were here this time just to go through the motions.

"Mm. We won't discuss the overt matters. As for the covert side, the truth is that I, your brother, received word from Lord Cao: to use this affair to establish contact with Brother Kong, so that from now on, our two families may serve as mutual support for each other."

"Ah?!" Even though he had already vaguely anticipated this outcome in his heart, Kong Youde was still stunned at this moment.

"Mm!" Zhang Zhongqi nodded affirmatively: "There's a name for it: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement."

The topic the two were discussing in the ship's cabin at this moment was naturally not something that could be committed to paper. So Zhang Zhongqi proceeded to explain it to Brother Kong point by point.

According to Zhang Zhongqi, once the two sides became "mutual support," Kong Youde's forces in Dengzhou (including Geng Zhongming and the others) would, over a long period to come, continuously receive covert support from a certain esteemed personage in the south.

This support would be comprehensive. It would include not only funds, fodder, medicine, and various other military supplies, but under certain circumstances, even military arms support.

Additionally, Zhang Zhongqi emphasized a key point: What Kong Youde's forces, and indeed the entire Dongjiang faction of generals, had always lacked most was not actually weapons, but rather the protection of a political bloc.

And on this point, Zhang Zhongqi also promised: Once the matter was accomplished, from then on, he, Kong Youde, would effectively have joined Lord Cao's faction at court—an extraordinarily powerful faction, possessing not only a core political alliance of the sitting Grand Chancellor and a powerful eunuch, but also the broader Meritorious Aristocracy Bloc, as well as a scholar-official clique that held goodwill toward them.

Finally, with truly utter recklessness, Zhang Zhongqi declared: "Aside from His Majesty, practically every civil and military official filling the court is a good friend of our lord!"

By the time Zhang Zhongqi finished speaking, Kong Youde, who had lowered his head at some unknown point, was already drenched in cold sweat upon his forehead. A long while later, this young native commander raised his head and slowly asked: "Is Lord Cao planning to rebel?"