Chapter 139: Section 23: Divergence

After hearing this account, Mao Wenlong felt that although six thousand might be an overstatement, routing several thousand combat soldiers and auxiliaries along the way was probably true — after all, five hundred heads were right there as proof, so calling it six thousand wasn't really out of line. In any case, Huang Shi's military merit was calculated by heads; how many enemies he routed only mattered for court propaganda: "Huang Shi, by your achievements you could be promoted to Vice Regional Commander, Vice Battalion Commander of Dongjiang Town. However, the court considers you young and only recently promoted, so you will be raised only one rank."

Huang Shi understood the implication — the court feared that promoting him too quickly would make him arrogant and complacent, causing him to lose his drive for advancement. Holding back a rank was precisely the way to temper young generals. He quickly expressed his understanding: "This humble officer knows it was merely a stroke of luck; I harbor no resentment whatsoever."

"Huang Shi, it is good that you understand. But our Great Ming rewards merit without fail." Mao Wenlong rose to his feet and called to the personal guards behind him: "Bring forth the Silver Command Arrow!"

After the personal guard brought out the Silver Command Arrow, Mao Wenlong personally removed it from the brocade box, raised the dazzling Silver Command Arrow high and displayed it in a full circle to the assembled officers, then stepped down from the central hall and solemnly placed it in Huang Shi's hands. Huang Shi, with the utmost deference, received the weighty token of the Son of Heaven with both hands, cradled it, stepped back two paces, and stood at rigid attention.

Mao Wenlong proclaimed in a clear voice: "With the imperially bestowed Silver Command Arrow in hand, you may deploy local troops first and report to the Son of Heaven afterward. Huang Shi, do you understand?"

"This humble officer understands."

"With the imperially bestowed Silver Command Arrow in hand, local officials of the fifth rank shall obey your deployment, and those of equal rank shall defer to you. Huang Shi, do you understand?"

"This humble officer understands." Without waiting for Mao Wenlong to continue, Huang Shi hastily asked: "This humble officer dares to ask — will civil officials of the fifth rank obey my command and deployment?"

The atmosphere in the tent grew momentarily awkward. Mao Wenlong laughed: "Huang Shi, you are truly greedy. Yes, that is the ancestral regulation, but civil officials will not listen to you. Now, the final article: with the imperially bestowed Silver Command Arrow in hand, Huang Shi, you may submit sealed memorials directly to the Son of Heaven, and the Office of Transmission has no authority to reject them. Huang Shi, do you understand?"

"This humble officer understands."

After the final "understands" was spoken, Mao Wenlong's personal guard presented the yellow silk brocade box. Huang Shi carefully and gently put the Silver Command Arrow away, then handed it to Zhang Pan to hold. The transfer ceremony was thus concluded.

"Open the feast — welcome the heroes of our Dongjiang Town."

Two days later, another welcome feast was to be held on Dongjiang Island, but this time it was for Zhang Pan of Lushun. The auxiliaries at Jinzhou Fort (civilian laborers repairing city walls, able-bodied men digging trenches, etc.) had all surrendered to the Ming army at Lushun after the main Later Jin force fled. Zhang Pan had a larger territory and had newly pacified another fortress, so he had more work to arrange. His civil and military officer system was also not as carefully cultivated as Huang Shi's, so in the end he arrived several days later than Huang Shi.

Kong Youde went to the dock again to receive him, and Huang Shi went along as well.

"Brother Huang, we are neighbors, yet after parting at Lushun, we meet again only here." Zhang Pan greeted him warmly, then noticed Kong Youde at his side. He looked familiar but Zhang Pan could not place him for a moment, so he asked hesitantly: "This brother — have we met before?"

"This is Marshal Mao's adopted son, Garrison Commander Mao Youshi, Mao Youde. He and I are old acquaintances." As Huang Shi spoke, he stole a glance at Kong Youde and saw that he accepted the description "old acquaintances." Huang Shi now felt that his coming along to the welcome was somewhat presumptuous, but he had no choice but to press on: "A year ago, Garrison Commander Mao and I arrived at Lushun together. Brother Zhang, do you not remember?"

"Oh, I remember. Garrison Commander Mao, please forgive me." Zhang Pan was also a clever man; in a flash he understood the intricacies involved, and he greeted Kong Youde with a smile.

As the three walked, Kong Youde fell behind like an attendant, which made Huang Shi even more embarrassed. He silently cursed himself for coming along to the welcome. Zhang Pan's tone toward Kong Youde was not very respectful; he clearly felt that Huang Shi was more honorable, having earned his place among the direct-line officers of Dongjiang through military merit. Huang Shi sighed inwardly — a general like Zhang Pan, who had come up through Mao Wenlong's personal guard, truly could not understand the suffering of outside military officers. He quickly changed the subject to the battle of Jinzhou.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Pan immediately began to frown. He fixed his gaze on Huang Shi and asked: "I hear that in Brother Huang's report, there were only a few children presented as captives. Was there not a single living surrender among the Jianzhou renegades' Han troops?"

Huang Shi had no intention of hiding it: "They were all killed."

These cold words made Zhang Pan's frown deepen. He closed his mouth and stared at Huang Shi for a moment. Seeing no trace of shame on Huang Shi's face, he could not help but say: "Brother Huang, killing captives is inauspicious."

Huang Shi still showed no shame: "Brother Zhang, at Sarhu, did the Jianzhou renegades spare any of our Great Ming's captives? At Kaiyuan, at Shenyang — not to mention captives, even the common people were slaughtered to the last by the Jianzhou renegades. Several hundred thousand people."

"That is why they are barbarians. General Huang, why learn from them instead of learning what is good?"

Hearing Zhang Pan's form of address change, Huang Shi gave a cold snort: "General Zhang, those Han troops surrendered to the Jianzhou renegades and committed every evil in their plundering. By their crimes, killing them ten times over would be justified."

This speech made Zhang Pan shake his head repeatedly. The Hua-Xia tradition had always held reservations about killing enemy captives and civilians. In history, because the Tang army incorporated large numbers of Hu people, they often massacred cities, and were frequently criticized by contemporary and later Hua-Xia histories for violating the sages' teachings on "benevolence."

"Brother Huang, many of our subordinates are Liaodong people. Many of their neighbors, even relatives, are barely surviving in the renegades' territory. Many had no choice. We are the imperial army — how can we kill indiscriminately without distinguishing right from wrong? We should execute the ringleaders and pardon those who were coerced."

Huang Shi sneered in retort: "The Jianzhou renegades can give them land, property, and women. What can our Dongjiang Town give them?"

"Then we should distinguish. If they coveted wealth and rank, kill them. If they had no choice, we should spare them."

Zhang Pan spoke these words with firm conviction, each word ringing with weight. But Huang Shi responded with a burst of laughter. As he laughed up at the sky, the surrounding guards cast astonished glances their way, and Zhang Pan's face turned ashen.

Still sneering, Huang Shi mocked: "Brother Zhang, such lofty insight — truly lofty. But the heart is hidden behind the flesh. How does Brother Zhang know whether they coveted wealth and rank, or had no choice?"

The two walked the rest of the way in silence and afterward kept their distance from each other.

Huang Shi thought to himself: "Zhang Pan, in my original history, weren't you soft-hearted toward these Han troops, and in the end betrayed and killed by them? But I can't say that. When the time comes and I save your life, then I'll come back and embarrass you with it."