Chapter 1: Explanation of the Main Storyline

Dear readers, the author must first apologize for his clumsy writing. Many readers have said they couldn't understand the main storyline of Chapter 1. This truly shames the author.

The author looked over the draft and it was indeed far too rough. In fact, starting from Chapter 2, the author has already greatly slowed the pace, doing his utmost to clearly lay out the causes and consequences. Chapter 1 will not be heavily revised, so I will explain it here from beginning to end:

The main storyline of this book's Chapter 1 — Sun Degong's defection — was a major event on the Liaodong battlefield between the Ming and the Later Jin. The author arranged for the protagonist to directly participate in this event.

History still proceeded along its original course. Wang Huazhen, the Ming Military Commissioner of Liaodong, attempted to buy off Li Yongfang. Li Yongfang was originally a Ming general who surrendered to Nurhaci after being surrounded by the Later Jin. Wang Huazhen believed this man could be pulled back into the Ming army's camp. This specific task was assigned to Sun Degong, who was a good friend of Li Yongfang.

Directly persuading a key minister of the enemy was undoubtedly a near-certain-death mission. Unwilling to send his old subordinates to their deaths, Sun Degong had the protagonist deliver the letter. If it succeeded, it was thanks to the capable work of Sun Degong's personal soldier; if it failed, a newcomer died, and Sun Degong would feel no great loss. The intelligence system the protagonist used at this time was naturally on the Great Ming's side, because contact with Li Yongfang had not yet been established.

By this time, Li Yongfang was already Nurhaci's son-in-law (Li Yongfang and Nurhaci were both originally Li Chengliang's adopted sons — I have no idea how to calculate that seniority). Furthermore, Li Yongfang had also joined the Plain Blue Banner and commanded a large number of retainers. That the Liaodong Military Commissioner Wang Huazhen wanted to buy this man off is, in the author's opinion, an inconceivable notion.

Thus, just as in history, not only did Li Yongfang look down on the Ming army's bargaining chips, he in turn attempted to buy off Sun Degong at a high price. Li Yongfang treated the protagonist with courtesy before resorting to force, and the protagonist faced all manner of bribery attempts. A simple multiple-choice question was thus laid before the protagonist: carry out the Later Jin's orders, or die. The protagonist was unwilling to die; he chose to submit.

The Later Jin demanded that the protagonist betray the Ming army's intelligence system. This was a scheme to kill three birds with one stone.

First, destroy part of the Ming army's intelligence system — this needs no further explanation.

Second, the protagonist had to prove that he had truly submitted.

Third, a pledge of allegiance. If the protagonist turned traitor, he would then have to confess to the Ming court that he had feared death and betrayed their spies.

The protagonist wanted to live, so he betrayed the merchant and was able to return to Guangning. At this point, informing Wang Huazhen would have been utterly pointless, because Sun Degong had not yet agreed to defect. And aside from the merchant as his pledge of allegiance, the protagonist believed there were other hidden Later Jin spies around him.

The Later Jin also did not directly urge Sun Degong to surrender. They hinted to him: "For merely the merit of delivering a message, he received such a reward. If you betray the Guangning army, high office and generous pay can be imagined." Sun Degong understood the meaning. The result was that Wang Huazhen's attempt to buy off Li Yongfang failed, and instead his own trusted aide Sun Degong was bought off. (For years Wang Huazhen had firmly regarded Sun Degong as his trusted aide — his poor judgment and clumsy means of winning loyalty are evident.)

But this immediately made the protagonist's position important. Sun Degong decisively promoted him to Battalion Commander, for two main reasons:

First, to win over the protagonist — after all, he was in the know. Sun Degong had to keep the secret as much as possible, and the protagonist was one of the few he could count on.

Second, to show Wang Huazhen that he valued this mission, and at the same time to demonstrate his stance to the Later Jin.

In the eyes of the Later Jin and Sun Degong, the Great Ming had shown the protagonist no kindness, the protagonist had already made his pledge of allegiance, and the likelihood of Wang Huazhen believing anything the protagonist said was slim. From start to finish, Sun Degong could wash his hands completely clean, shifting all the blame onto the protagonist.

The protagonist agreed with most of Sun Degong's assessments, so he absolutely needed conclusive evidence before he could strike back. The protagonist had his own separate plan, which is also a plotline to be unfolded later. Moreover, the protagonist did not believe there were no other Later Jin spies around him.

The Later Jin also valued the protagonist as a contact, so Hong Taiji came in person to take a look at this lowly soldier. Naturally, he had no need to reveal his identity, so he appeared in the guise of an advisor and immediately spotted a flaw. Chapter 2 unfolds from there.

This book will first unfold the story through an intelligence war, followed by a struggle of control and counter-control. Only after breaking free of others' control while simultaneously securing control over his own subordinates can the protagonist grasp military power, and only then will his campaign truly begin to unfold.