Chapter 541: Change

On the southern Chenghuang Island north of the Miaodao Archipelago, several large Fujian junks rounded the island's eastern side and entered the harbor of southern Chenghuang Island.

Chen Xin and Liu Minyou disembarked via the gangplank. As far as the eye could see, there were rows upon rows of warehouses and barracks.

Ever since Chen Xin stationed himself in Dengzhou, he had colluded with Wang Tingshi and Lu Zhi to monopolize the Liaohai trade. The centralized trading point was on southern Chenghuang Island, which over the years had transformed into a large-scale market and also became a transit hub for the Dengzhou fleet. Besides merchant ships, fleets from the Dengzhou, Wendeng, and Dongjiang naval camps often took shelter here from the wind.

After the Dengzhou garrison began mobilization, all trade routes to Liaodong were halted. Southern Chenghuang Island turned into a military staging area, and most of the vessels coming and going were military ships.

Liu Minyou looked toward the eastern side of the harbor, where ten vessels flying no flags were anchored.

"Those should be the ships from Dongjiang. The men have all arrived."

Back when Mao Wenlong occupied Pi Island, any Dongjiang Garrison Commander who casually went over could threaten the local Korean officials. In the seventh year of Tianqi, Huang Taiji launched a surprise attack on Dongjiang and Korea, forcing Korea to sign a brotherhood pact. At that time, the Later Jin lacked the capacity to maintain a military deterrent in Korea, so they withdrew after the pact was signed. Soon after, the Battle of Shenmi Island broke out, and the Dengzhou garrison annihilated the Later Jin troops that had landed on the island, capturing a Niru Ejen alive. Riding on this major victory, the Dengzhou garrison began to influence the situation in Dongjiang and Korea.

Although they had not stationed troops near the Yalu River, Dengzhou's merchant ships traveled back and forth constantly, purchasing Korean ginseng, sable pelts, and tobacco. The Foreign Affairs Department sent personnel to Hanseong and Xuanchuan and other places every year, establishing channels of communication with Korea.

The Great Ming had shown Korea the grace of rebirth, and both the Emperor and the ministers were more pro-people. Chen Xin nodded and leisurely took the lead, walking ahead. The island had very few civilian households. The local businesses were basically Dengzhou's general stores, operating under a state akin to military control.

Yang Yunnong, who was accompanying them, twisted his portly frame and kept pace right behind the two without falling behind. He caught up to Chen Xin. "My lord, your subordinate just inquired with the Foreign Affairs officer stationed on the island. The men from Dongjiang have all arrived. Shen Shikui came personally, and the man Huang Long sent is Shang Keyi."

"Shang Keyi." Chen Xin said coldly. "I appreciate Shang Keyi, but he is not Huang Long."

Huang Long was still the nominal Regional Commander of the Dongjiang Garrison. His territory was on Zhangzi Island at the mouth of the Yalu River. His sea and land communications with the imperial court were completely cut off. The surrounding Pi Island, Shicheng, and Zhenjiang were all under the control of other Dongjiang factions. During the spring offensive earlier in the year, the Dengzhou garrison had also occupied Xiuyan and Fenghuang City. Huang Long was now completely surrounded in the middle.

Among the factions within Dongjiang, Mao Chenglu and Shang Kexi had both completely sided with the Dengzhou garrison. With Dengzhou's aid, their strength had long surpassed the other Dongjiang factions. Shen Shikui, meanwhile, occupied Pi Island, Tieshan, and Yizhou, monopolizing the military farm regions. Huang Long was forced to expand along the western bank of the Yalu River, his forces intermingling with Shen Shikui's in the six forts of Kuandian and other areas. The two sides still clashed from time to time. Huang Long could not replenish his population or his troops; his fighting men numbered only around a thousand, and he was often at a disadvantage.

To the east, Korea still sent tribute to the Great Ming every year. Their tribute route went via the Liaohai Sea to Ningyuan, where they landed, traversing the entire sphere of influence of the Deng-Lai power bloc. In this era, Korea was weak in national strength and pro-Ming. After the Battle of Lushun, the Jianzhou bandits pulled back across the board, and Korea immediately tossed that brotherhood pact aside. However, Shen Shikui still acted as he had in Mao Wenlong's time, threatening local Korean officials at every turn. The Dengzhou garrison, on the other hand, had military force as its backing, and the trading company's commerce was quite fair. Korea not only exported ginseng, sable, and tobacco but also imported southern goods, cigarettes, cotton cloth, liquor, and other products from Dengzhou. Every year, when Dengzhou's foreign affairs officers went to Korea, they also presented ceremonial gifts according to official convention. Therefore, between the Dongjiang Garrison and the Dengzhou Garrison, Korea clearly leaned toward Dengzhou. A faction of pro-Dengzhou officials had already emerged in the Joseon court.

However, Korea's information lagged behind, and they were not yet fully aware of the changes in the relationship between the Dengzhou Garrison and the imperial court. At the very least, they would only learn the details after this year's tribute mission concluded. How they would choose then would lead to another round of tangled struggle within the Joseon court.

Although Huang Long had always been at odds with Chen Xin, his channels for military pay, grain supply, and smuggling were now all controlled by the Dengzhou Garrison, and he was surrounded on all sides by Dengzhou-aligned forces. Starting from the end of last year, he began to take the initiative to ease tensions. The one acting as the go-between was Shang Kexi's elder brother, Shang Keyi.

This Shang Keyi could be considered one of Huang Long's trusted confidants. During the Pi Island mutiny of Liu Xingzhi, he had contributed to suppressing the rebel soldiers. Later, when Huang Long was seized by Geng Zhongyu and others, his nose was cut off and his ears sliced, utterly humiliating him and making it impossible for him to maintain a foothold on Pi Island. Shang Keyi continued to follow him then. After Shang Kexi defected to the Dengzhou Garrison, Shang Keyi also sent his family to the safety of Dengzhou. This both ensured his family's safety and served as a pledge of loyalty to Chen Xin. Thus, his relations with both sides were quite good.

Although Dengzhou controlled the sea transport grain route, it had not deliberately withheld Huang Long's provisions. However, in the smuggling of goods and other items, it had consistently suppressed Huang Long considerably. This made conditions on Zhangzi Island, which Huang Long controlled, worse than those on any other Dongjiang island. Many people fled and scattered. Huang Long gradually found himself unable to hold on. From the end of last year, he began to actively ease relations with the Dengzhou Garrison, and Shang Keyi played the role of intermediary.

Yang Yunnong lowered his voice. "My lord, Huang Long sent a letter saying his old wounds are acting up and it's inconvenient for him to travel far, so he dispatched Shang Keyi to pay his respects to you. But he stated he will certainly obey any military orders you issue."

Chen Xin stopped walking and looked at Yang Yunnong. Wu Jianzhong, who was accompanying the army as the Intelligence Bureau's liaison officer, was following behind Chen Xin. Upon hearing this, he listened with rapt attention, watching to see if Chen Xin would move against Huang Long. After years of infiltration, many of Huang Long's subordinates had been bought off or planted.

Yang Yunnong lowered his head, awaiting Chen Xin's orders. He estimated that Huang Long might not come out of this well. For this autumn offensive, Chen Xin had summoned the various Dongjiang island commanders to meet on southern Chenghuang Island. On one hand, it was to deploy for battle; on the other, it was to make them pick a side. Because this offensive was different from previous ones—it lacked an order from the Provincial Governor of Deng-Lai. In the past, whenever an offensive required Dongjiang's cooperation, Chen Xin would always have Wang Tingshi issue a pro forma order. This time, he deliberately did not do so, meaning the Dengzhou Garrison was mobilizing troops on its own authority. Although Huang Long had not come personally and was clearly still somewhat wary, sending his trusted aide Shang Keyi indicated a stance of obeying orders. But in such a critical military operation, every possible risk had to be eliminated as much as possible.

Chen Xin suddenly smiled, said nothing more, and continued walking. Yang Yunnong and Wu Jianzhong exchanged a glance. Both knew this matter would not be dropped just like that.

Chen Xin and Liu Minyou walked ahead. Liu Minyou asked quietly, "This Huang Long really can endure. Could it be that after all these years, he still remembers the matter of Sun Yuanhua back then?"

"Would he remember Sun Yuanhua's kindness? Huang Long is of Liaozhen origin. Back when Sun Yuanhua was the Military Defense Circuit of Ningyuan, he followed him in training with the red-barbarian cannons. During the Battle of the Four Cities, he led the Guan-Ning army's red-barbarian cannon unit. If he truly remembered kindness like that, why would he have run away from Liaozhen and followed Sun Yuanhua to the Dongjiang Garrison? He knew the Emperor wanted him to be a nail in Dongjiang. After Geng Zhongyu cut off his nose last time, he simply decided to be at odds with everyone." After saying this, Chen Xin recalled that this Huang Long was actually fairly competent in battle, just excessively greedy, and his ability to lead troops was truly abysmal. However, he was not muddled on major matters of principle. Historically, he died fighting fiercely at Lushun in the sixth year of Chongzhen, which was considerably better than the Three Loyal Kings.

"Then you... how do you plan to deal with him? He's attacking from the direction of Hetu Ala. It doesn't seem to hinder the overall situation..."

Chen Xin interrupted, "Every direction is important. Huang Long's words sound pleasant enough for now, but he remains a hidden danger."

Liu Minyou fell silent for a moment. He knew this was a critical, major battle, and Chen Xin's considerations were reasonable. However, moving against Huang Long right before a major battle could also lead to unexpected incidents. Moreover, he had also heard Chen Xin say that this Huang Long was historically a hero who resisted the Jin.

Chen Xin looked at Liu Minyou and smiled. "Dealing with him doesn't necessarily mean killing him. Let me think about this matter further."

Liu Minyou advised, "Last time he did well attacking Hetu Ala. Before a major battle, stability must be the top priority."

Chen Xin nodded. Led by the Foreign Affairs officer stationed on the island, the two followed the mountain path up a small hill on the north side of the island. There were several compounds here, normally used by passing officials and trading company managers. Shang Kexi, Mao Chenglu, and the others were already waiting at the main gate. Chen Xin also immediately recognized Shen Shikui, whom he had met once before.

This nominal father-in-law of Mao Wenlong had met Chen Xin during the Battle of Shenmi Island back then. After all these years, he surprisingly showed no signs of aging; in fact, he looked remarkably well. Liu Minyou recalled the Intelligence Bureau's report, which stated that Shen Shikui was undertaking massive construction projects on Pi Island and lived an extremely extravagant life. He couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Historically, Shen Shikui was somewhat similar to Huang Long. His background was also the same as Wu Xiang's—he was previously a merchant, riddled with flaws. His corruption and decadence were no less than any other official's, and he also enjoyed internal power struggles. However, in the end, he also stood firm on major principles. After Pi Island was breached, he refused to surrender. Facing Ajige, he neither bowed nor knelt, and was ultimately killed by the Jianzhou bandits.

"Your subordinates pay respects to my lord!"

The several men knelt in unison to salute Chen Xin. Chen Xin's gaze swept over them: in order, Shang Kexi, Mao Chenglu, Shang Keyi, Shen Shikui, Shen Zhixiang. It was now the eighth year of Chongzhen. In the original history, Shang Kexi would have already surrendered to the Later Jin, Mao Chenglu would have died in the Dengzhou Mutiny, Shang Keyi would have died alongside Huang Long at Lushun, Shen Shikui would die on Pi Island in the tenth year of Chongzhen, and Shen Zhixiang would surrender to the Jianzhou bandits. The Dongjiang Garrison would vanish completely like smoke.

Yet now, all these men were still here. Another of the Three Loyal Kings, Geng Zhongming, was stationed at the border of Qingzhou Prefecture. Chen Xin felt considerable emotion in his heart. His arrival had changed the fates of these men, changed the fates of countless people in Deng-Lai and Dongjiang, and changed the situation in Liaodong. And he was about to go and change this era.

"Gentlemen, please rise." Chen Xin helped each man up one by one. Without entering the house, he stood at the doorway and addressed them. "This battle is fought for our Dengzhou Garrison, and it is also fought for you, generals. I never use people without recompense, and this time is the same. The specific terms will be discussed in detail with you by Director Yang Yunnong. As for how to fight, Military Director Liu Po will distribute the written plans to each of you. Here, I will only speak a few words from the heart to you all. Like me, you are all men of Liaodong. People say it's hard to leave one's homeland, yet we were forced to abandon our homes and wander for over a decade. When I dream at midnight, I can always envision the appearance of our homeland. But when I open my eyes, I know our homes have long since become desolate graves, and our loved ones are all wandering ghosts."

Before Chen Xin had even finished, Shang Kexi and Mao Chenglu's eyes were already reddening. The remaining men also wore grave expressions. Even the corrupt official Shen Shikui was the same. The depth of the Liaodong people's suffering could no longer be expressed in words.

Chen Xin raised his voice and continued, "Today, we go to recover Liaodong, to reclaim our land. This is a war of vengeance for millions of Liaodong people, and it is also the hope that the world has held for over a decade. There is no room for personal feelings. Our Dengzhou Garrison rewards merit without fail and punishes faults without exception. All military orders must be strictly followed. Anyone who shows the slightest defiance or negligence will not be let off by me. This battle will be watched by all under heaven. I hope everyone will unite sincerely and work with me to recover Liaodong."

Shang Kexi took the lead in kneeling again. The men said in unison, "We strictly obey the general's orders! Recover Liaodong!..."

Liu Minyou stood behind Chen Xin. Here, only he knew that Chen Xin was not a Liaodong native at all. But from the moment they arrived in this era, they had been considered fugitives from Liaodong. Within the Dengzhou Garrison, there were countless Liaodong escapees. That bone-deep hatred and homesickness were feelings they could both empathize with. Many times, Liu Minyou also thought of himself as a Liaodong man, which made him firmly believe that in the war against the Later Jin, he was always on the side of justice.

"Recover Liaodong." Liu Minyou also murmured a sentence. He turned his head to gaze out over the sea. Amidst the vast expanse of ocean waves between the northern and southern Chenghuang Islands, sail shadows blanketed the sea, masts and spars stood like a forest. Countless ships cleaved through the sea's surface, riding the wind toward the direction of Liaodong. (To be continued...)