[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-158":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Stealing Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1220775,1614,"Chapter 158: Section Fifteen: A Cunning Plan","stealing-ming-chapter-158",158,"\u003Cp>It had already been two years since Sun Chengzong, with the revered status of the Emperor's teacher, took command in Liaoxi. By this time, the imperial court had recovered from the shock of the disastrous defeat at Guangning and was no longer content to merely hold Shanhai Pass. Even the activists within the Regional Military Commission were clamoring to march north and recover the lands west of the river. Yuan Chonghuan, for instance, had once sent cavalry to patrol the abandoned city of Guangning and vigorously advocated for building the three cities of Tashan, Jinzhou, and Xingshan to control the entire Liaoxi Corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Sun Chengzong was convinced that the Ming army in Liaoxi lacked the capability for field battles against the Later Jin. Therefore, although the Later Jin had abandoned the Hexi region after the Battle of Guangning, Sun Chengzong still strictly forbade the Liaoxi Ming army from advancing a single step into Hexi. He insisted on using Shanhai Pass as the defensive baseline and Ningyuan as the forward limit of the defense zone. As for the area around Jinzhou, only a few sentry posts were set up for reconnaissance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Huang Shi's victory report from Gaizhou reached Beijing, Sun Chengzong, already pressured from within and without, came under even greater strain. Contrary to his usual practice, he did not request written reports from Dongjiangzhen but instead decided to personally inspect the combat readiness of all Dongjiangzhen units. The route Sun Chengzong planned was to first go to Dengzhou in Shandong to inspect Dongjiangzhen's grain depot, then sail directly to Dongjiang Island to hear Mao Wenlong's overall report, and finally, on his way back west to Shanhai Pass, he would stop and disembark at places like Guanglu and Lushun in Liaonan. Huang Shi's Changsheng Island would be Sun Chengzong's final stop before returning to the Liaodong Viceroy's headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third day of the ninth month, the fourth year of the Tianqi reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marshal Mao's order has arrived,\" Huang Shi said. Before the meeting, he had summoned Zhao Manxiong. Mao Wenlong's order was somewhat vague, and he decided to first confirm it with his chief advisor: \"Marshal Mao wants us to be sure to leave a deep impression on His Excellency Sun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A deep impression?\" Zhao Manxiong asked, full of suspicion. \"Not a good impression?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong was originally illiterate. Although he was now diligently studying cultural knowledge, his reading ability was still very limited. And since Huang Shi did not want outsiders to learn these secrets, he personally read the letter aloud to Zhao Manxiong. Mao Wenlong's letter was ambiguous, seemingly wanting each Dongjiang unit to plan on its own, but it was imperative to make Sun Chengzong feel that aiding Dongjiangzhen was an extremely urgent matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi read through the entire secret letter, then picked out some points he considered key and read them to Zhao Manxiong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Zhao Manxiong pondered for a moment and summarized what he understood from the letter: \"Marshal Mao means that the court plans to default on our military pay again this year. So he wants all Dongjiangzhen units to use the opportunity of His Excellency Sun's inspection to make the court feel our hardship and at least give us some supplies. This subordinate believes Marshal Mao's intention is that the more miserable we look, the better; the poorer, the better. It would be best if His Excellency Sun thinks that without supplies, our Dongjiangzhen is on the verge of collapse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi nodded approvingly: \"Yes, that's why he said a deep impression, not a good impression. Your view and mine are completely identical. It seems we must prepare thoroughly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong pondered again for a long time, nearly scratching his scalp raw before speaking: \"This meaning cannot be wrong, but how to arrange it—this subordinate has not yet figured out the pros and cons... I must think slowly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then go back and think slowly. Just be sure to figure it out before His Excellency Sun arrives at Changsheng Island. First, go to the military council; don't keep the others waiting too long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue discussed at the military council was not this, but rather new developments in the Later Jin's military deployments. Li Yunrui pointed out that the Later Jin army had already made major adjustments. According to reliable intelligence, the Plain Red Banner's strength had been pulled back toward Gaizhou, the stockades close to Jinzhou had been burned down, and the Bordered Red Banner had also pulled back to Fuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Zhang's pressure has suddenly lessened, and the gate for Liaodong refugees fleeing south to Lushun has opened wide again. However, the pressure on our Changsheng Island has increased rather than decreased. The Jianzhou slaves in Fuzhou are frantically building beacon towers along the coast, and the Jianzhou slaves in Gaizhou are driving the populace to do the same. This will undoubtedly cause enormous difficulties for our operations. Also, our intelligence gathering has been severely suppressed. Previously, the naval camp could easily transport personnel into the interior, but now it is already very difficult during the day. They must cross a twenty-li no-man's-land under cover of night, gather intelligence, and then rush back under darkness to board the ships. And picking them up at night is not easy; it's easy to get lost or miss the rendezvous. In the eighth month, our army's intelligence inflow had already dropped by fifty percent compared to the seventh month, and personnel losses have been heavy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intelligence department's anxiety also troubled Huang Shi greatly. However, since Li Yunrui mentioned that pressure in the Jinzhou direction had lessened, Huang Shi had an idea: \"Could we go via the Lushun direction? Can Guard Commander Li have your subordinates all enter near Jinzhou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yunrui gave a wry smile: \"It would mean taking many unnecessary detours, but this humble officer will try. My lord has entrusted the heavy responsibility of military intelligence to this humble officer; how would I dare not rack my brains? It's just that Lushun, Guanglu, and our Changsheng Island are not under unified command. There is no coordination whatsoever among the Dongjiang forces in Liaonan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing this opportunity, Li Yunrui voiced another round of complaints. Changsheng Island's intelligence work focused on infiltration. Huang Shi encouraged spies to actively cooperate with the Later Jin's local regime, encouraging them to join the Later Jin's Han army self-defense forces. Before Changsheng Island's Mobile Corps Commander squads went out on sweeps, the staff department would also communicate with the intelligence department, so that intelligence personnel hidden behind enemy lines could evade in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Lushun army's intelligence apparatus was a separate system. Incidents where Lushun Mobile Corps Commander units wiped out Changsheng Island intelligence personnel as Han traitors had already occurred many times, and the Lushun side had also protested that Changsheng Island had killed their spies. Both had their own operating rules and clients they served, so intelligence sharing between Changsheng Island and Lushun was impossible; neither side fully trusted the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>End of the ninth month, the fourth year of the Tianqi reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the military council, the rewards for the Battle of Gaizhou were announced. Huang Shi had sent over three hundred and twenty heads to Ningyuan. Although the Jianzhou slaves' women, children, and elderly had participated in the battle, he absolutely would not send those to the civil officials. Being branded with the crime of killing civilians to claim merit was no joke. This batch of heads had been exchanged for over sixteen hundred taels of reward silver. Other than that... there was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, the reported troop strength of the entire Dongjiangzhen had reached as high as one hundred and eighty thousand, but as for military pay... the Ministry of Revenue, of course, could not possibly provide that much. The troop strength recorded by the Ministry of War was still last year's twenty thousand. Huang Shi naturally complied with the orders of Dongjiang headquarters, so Changsheng Island registered all able-bodied males. The reported troop strength was now twelve thousand. The number of troops under Huang Shi, an Assistant Regional Commander, was roughly equivalent to the combined forces of two Regional Commanders in other garrisons... but that was not the problem. The problem was that even with a reported strength of twelve thousand, over three hundred heads should count as a second-grade merit. Everyone was therefore disgruntled; each man hoped for Huang Shi's promotion so they could rise with the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the first to speak today was not Huang Shi but Wu Mu; and there was a more important issue to discuss—the face project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Excellency Sun will arrive at our Changsheng Island on the second day of next month...\" Wu Mu roared at the top of his shrill voice, the muscles on his face twitching with tension. Huang Shi silently listened to his speech. Now Wu Mu also always spoke of \"our\" Changsheng Island, which was a very good sign, indicating that his self-identification was shifting from central supervisory officer to a member of this army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It has been clearly scouted out. Whether on Dongjiang Island, Guanglu Island, or at Lushun Port, His Excellency Sun reviewed the troops wearing armor. Therefore, everyone on our Changsheng Island, from top to bottom, must wear armor, not gauze caps and official robes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Mu's words hit the mark, and Huang Shi deeply agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the Dongjiang army units have hidden their weapons! Zhang Pan, Mobile Corps Commander Zhang of Guanglu Island, and Zhang Pan, Assistant Regional Commander Zhang of Lushun Port, have both done so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that Zhang Pan had also adopted the strategy of the Army Supervisor Eunuch Wang, having the old and weak also take up wooden sticks and stand in the rear ranks of the formation. At a glance, less than ten percent of the army had armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although they won't tell us, hmph, hmph, these deceitful tricks have still been thoroughly scouted out by our Changsheng Island.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, Huang Shi always felt that Wu Mu's redirection of Li Yunrui's intelligence system to spy on friendly forces was going too far. Over the past half-month and more, Changsheng Island's intelligence system had been driven to frantic activity by Wu Mu, and had finally managed to clearly ascertain the movements of the various friendly forces in Liaonan. Guanglu Army and Lushun Army indeed had not notified Changsheng Island about these little face-project tricks. Everyone was now engaged in a \"who is poorer\" competition, with the prize being support from the imperial court. Every unit of Dongjiangzhen was participating in this contest with reddened eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since we are the last one, we absolutely must do better than them!\" Wu Mu completed his mobilization at the top of his lungs. \"Now, listen to General Huang deploy the military affairs.\" He yielded the central position to Huang Shi and, panting heavily, returned to his bench as Army Supervisor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi's draft had been worked out overnight by Wu Mu and the two brothers from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ruike advocated burying all iron weapons and armor underground. Zhang Gaosheng felt that leaving absolutely nothing would not look genuine. In the end, Wu Mu made the final decision to keep only ten percent; the rest must be hidden away. Cannons and firearms, of course, not a single one could remain; they must be deeply buried in the mountains, so that even if Sun Chengzong dug three feet into the ground, he would not find them. Any decent ships in the naval camp were to be sailed to Dengzhou, under the pretext of transporting grain, and would return only after Sun Chengzong left. Holes were to be poked in the building ceilings, and water stains created on the walls to fabricate the illusion of long-term leaks... there were many other tricks as well...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the deployment was arranged, Huang Shi went back to rest. If what Sun Chengzong saw in the various Dongjiang units were one \"beggar\" army after another, then Huang Shi was certain that compared to the Changsheng Island he and Wu Mu had designed, those garrisons could absolutely be considered paradise on earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi had barely settled down when Zhao Manxiong came sneaking in to request an audience: \"My lord, this subordinate has thought slowly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he heard the beginning, Huang Shi waved his hand to cut him off, walked over with a smile, and patted Zhao Manxiong on the shoulder: \"Manxiong, Manxiong, you're coming up with another rotten idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please hear this subordinate out,\" Zhao Manxiong said, his tone intensifying. \"My lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi was somewhat surprised to see a sharp, keen edge in Zhao Manxiong's eyes. He suppressed his smile and listened intently...\u003C\u002Fp>",2127,"2026-06-04T07:54:30.907Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","1c8a117775420cd8e14b55f87d306784e7e1cdab908166258703b765a2a998fb","stealing-ming-chapter-159","stealing-ming-chapter-157",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]