Chapter 143: Section Twenty-Seven: The Dengzhou Military Rations

Deng Ken mercilessly shattered Huang Shi’s daydream: “General, forgive my bluntness, but casting eighteen-pounder cannon on Zhangsheng Island right now is simply unrealistic. I fear that will have to wait a very, very long time.”

“Why? How long is a very long time?”

Deng Ken shrugged and spread his hands helplessly: “Our army must first begin with one-pounder and three-pounder guns, training the craftsmen and familiarizing them with the raw materials, then move on to six-pounder and twelve-pounder cannon. That will take at least a year. Only after that can we cast eighteen-pounder cannon.”

Huang Shi fell silent at once. But in this area Deng Ken was the expert, and he could not possibly contradict the expert opinion of this era: “Everything is hardest at the start. I understand that perfectly. Still, let us begin casting cannon as soon as possible.”

Seeing Huang Shi’s displeased expression, Deng Ken hastily added: “General, the priority is field artillery. As long as we can win in the field, what fortress could we not take? If we lose in the field, no siege cannon will be of any use.”

These words made Huang Shi nod. His confidence greatly bolstered, Deng Ken added: “In that case, I will also need blacksmiths and carpenters. If all of them must be trained from scratch, I fear it will take another year.”

Huang Shi considered this. This problem should be solvable: “No problem. Incidentally, Mr. Deng Ken, Zhangsheng Island already has several dozen Catholics. Shouldn’t the Jesuit Order consider giving us some help now as well?”

If those people can even be counted as Catholics… Deng Ken grumbled inwardly: “It can be done. There are quite a few craftsmen in Macao and other places. The Jesuit Order can help make introductions. I will write a letter to Beijing at once.”

Deng Ken hesitated, as if there were still something else he wanted to say. Huang Shi gestured for him to speak freely.

“General, I am first and foremost a soldier, and a very qualified artillery officer at that. Cannon-casting is merely a necessary part of my military expertise. Based on my contributions to the army these past days, I believe I am fully qualified to become an officer.” Huang Shi’s list of personnel recommended to the imperial court this time naturally did not include Deng Ken’s name, which left him somewhat indignant.

This dissatisfaction surprised Huang Shi somewhat. He hurriedly explained to his foreign friend: “Mr. Deng Ken is my, Huang Shi’s, private advisor. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Deng Ken is also a Scotsman, and is not registered in the household or military rolls of our Great Ming.”

Unexpectedly, this explanation did nothing to dispel Deng Ken’s discontent. He puffed up and argued heatedly: “This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. According to the customs of our Taixi, I can perfectly well be considered a mercenary officer, fully capable of leading troops independently. By refusing to give me a specific post, the General is showing contempt for my professional quality.”

“Mr. Deng Ken is a Scotsman, correct?”

“Of course. But that in no way prevents you from hiring me as an officer.”

“The armies of our Great Ming must be placed under the command of Great Ming officers. There is no such thing as a mercenary officer. That is the rule and law of the Great Ming.”

“Then can I join the Great Ming military rolls?”

“That depends on whether Mr. Deng Ken is willing to renounce his Scottish nationality. Moreover, to join the Great Ming military rolls, one must adopt a Han surname and use a Han given name.”

Deng Ken was immediately tongue-tied. Huang Shi smiled slightly, walked over, and patted him on the shoulder to console him: “Mr. Deng Ken, I am very sorry, but our Great Ming does not recognize dual nationality.”

…

After New Year’s Day in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the grain ships from Shandong arrived at Zhangsheng Island.

Once again wearing his black-gauze official robes, Huang Shi respectfully welcomed ashore the Dengzhou grain commissioner escorting the ships: “My lord Zhen, you have toiled all the way here.”

Zhangsheng Island’s two thousand troops were entitled to an annual ration in kind of twenty-four thousand shi of rice and six thousand bolts of cloth, plus fifteen thousand taels of silver. Although Dongjiang had taken five thousand taels of that, this shipment also included head bounties and imperial reward coinage, which together should amount to twenty thousand taels of silver.

“These are the issue receipts for the rations in kind and the silver commutation. Once General Huang has inspected and accepted them, please provide the receipt of actual receipt.” Zhen Yucun had passed the metropolitan examination in the forty-second year of the Wanli reign and now held the rank of Assistant Prefectural Grain Intendant of Dengzhou Prefecture, a junior sixth-rank post.

Huang Shi assented and invited the grain commissioner into the Zhangsheng residence for tea. Yang Zhiyuan hurriedly led men to move the supplies into the storehouse.

When Yang Zhiyuan handed over the inventory list, Huang Shi examined it carefully again and again, then secretly pulled Yang Zhiyuan aside and whispered a few words in his ear. Zhen Yucun acted as if he saw nothing, simply sitting there quietly drinking his tea.

“My lord Zhen,” Huang Shi edged closer to Zhen Yucun with an ingratiating smile and cautiously pointed at the inventory list: “The silver here is exactly fourteen thousand taels.”

Zhen Yucun did not even glance at the list and softly uttered two words: “Spoilage at sea.”

Huang Shi immediately nodded vigorously: “So that is how it is. This humble officer understands.” His finger moved down the list: “Then the rice is also seventeen thousand shi, precisely thirty percent short.”

“Spoilage at sea.”

“So that is how it is. My lord has truly toiled all along this journey.”

The cloth on the inventory list was likewise short by exactly thirty percent, presumably also due to “spoilage at sea.” Huang Shi did not dare ask further.

“Can General Huang provide the receipt of actual receipt now?”

“Of course, of course.” Huang Shi hastily signed the receipt for twenty thousand taels of silver commutation and twenty-four thousand shi of rice and six thousand bolts of cloth. As the saying goes, by making things convenient for others, one makes things convenient for oneself. Antagonizing the Shandong civil official clique that controlled the Dengzhou military supplies would bring not the slightest benefit.

After seeing off the Dengzhou grain commissioner with fanfare, Huang Shi hurried off to inspect the craftsmen who had arrived with the ships. Eunuch Wu had put in a good word for Huang Shi with the palace, and the Tianqi Emperor had issued a directive to the Ministry of Works, ordering them to transfer a batch of artisan households from Shandong to Zhangsheng Island.

These twenty households of carpenters and blacksmiths stood before Huang Shi, dragging their families along. After performing their salutes, they waited with lifeless eyes for their assignments. After all, wherever they went, they were outcasts, fated to do bitter labor and exhausting work.

“Now that you have arrived at Zhangsheng, are you willing to join the Dongjiang Garrison and become military households?” Huang Shi loudly asked the hundred or so men and women, young and old.

Military households ranked just a little higher than artisan households. A stir ran through the crowd below; they could not believe such good fortune. The looks they cast at Huang Shi held some hesitation, wary of what catch might be waiting for them.

“You will not be sent to the battlefield. On Zhangsheng Island you will still work as craftsmen. Marriage, children, and everything else will be exactly the same as for other military households. Moreover…” Huang Shi drew out his tone with a beaming smile. He hoped these craftsmen would work more proactively and not spend every day feeling they were slaves for generations: “If you do well, you can earn head-count merits and promotions, and you can also receive hereditary land grants from the Dongjiang Garrison.”

…

Although Deng Ken blew the conch trumpet till it wailed, few people were willing to come to the remote island of Zhangsheng. In the end, only one Dutchman arrived — a down-and-out sailor who had been begging in Macao, just drifting along waiting to die.

“A Dutchman?” Huang Shi looked at the record in surprise. “Aren’t the Dutch all Protestants?”

This breadth of knowledge startled Deng Ken. He hastily made the sign of the cross: “May the Lord save their souls.” Then he closed his eyes and pretended to pray while he thought of an explanation. By the time he opened his eyes again, he was fully prepared: “After he drifted to Macao, he was moved by the Lord, and so he confessed his past sins to the Jesuit Order.”

“Just like you?” Huang Shi vaguely recalled Deng Ken describing himself the same way.

“Yes, just like me.” Deng Ken made the sign of the cross again: “Praise the Lord.”