Chapter 18: Section Six

But who would know? Deep in Huang Shi's heart echoed a cold voice — who would know that I alone defeated the great enemy of Huaxia? Even if he succeeded, the imperial court would only know that Huang Shi had killed one of Nurhaci's sons. After all, the Jurchens were now just a small tribe of two hundred thousand people, and from top to bottom, the Great Ming had not yet realized that this large cold-weapon tribe would one day grow into their mortal foe.

If he failed to kill Hong Taiji, it would surely mean death; even if he killed him, he might not escape. In the end, Huang Shi did not take the risk. He consoled himself that such a hero should not die under the blade of someone he trusted — to defeat him openly and honorably was what a true man should do. Having found an excuse to convince himself, Huang Shi set the thought aside and waited quietly to one side.

"All right, Huang Shi, let us go back." As the words rang out, Hong Taiji turned his horse and rode ahead toward the main camp.

Huang Shi, following close behind, quickly gave his horse a lash. "Yes, my lord Beile."

Galloping back to the main camp, Hong Taiji dismounted lightly, casually handed his riding crop to a bondservant, and strode back into the tent. The other Later Jin soldiers watched Huang Shi with hostility as he followed him inside.

"Huang Shi, what do you think of Mao Wenlong?"

"A hero! He penetrated three thousand li deep behind enemy lines and attacked Zhenjiang with two hundred men — his courage and stratagem are rare among Ming officers."

"I originally thought he was a hero too, which is why I asked the Khan to let me come to Zhenjiang to deal with him. But he has been a great disappointment — to actually stay in this death trap. Haha, does he think some miracle will happen?"

Huang Shi found this assessment rather harsh. Mao Wenlong's recapture of Zhenjiang had sent the entire Ming court into ecstasy. If he withdrew to Longchuan without a fight, it would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to the Son of Heaven and the entire civil and military bureaucracy, and would have an even more disastrous effect on the morale and fighting spirit of the Guangning army.

At this thought, Huang Shi spoke up in Mao Wenlong's defense: "My lord Beile, this humble one believes that war is the continuation of politics. Mao Wenlong stayed to defend Zhenjiang to the death because he had unavoidable difficulties."

"Politics? What does 'politics' mean?" Setting aside the topic of Mao Wenlong, Hong Taiji studied the concept of politics with keen interest alongside Huang Shi. Huang Shi only barely managed to avoid having too much drawn out of him by Hong Taiji. In the end, Hong Taiji affirmed his explanation and opinion: "War is the continuation of politics? Haha, a very interesting way of putting it. But quite correct."

Then Hong Taiji shifted his tone and returned to the earlier topic: "However, if I were Mao Wenlong, I would still have to abandon Zhenjiang. As long as the army is preserved, one can always return at any time. If the army is completely annihilated, would that not deal an even greater blow to the Guangning army's morale, and an even greater blow to the Ming people's hearts?"

Huang Shi was certainly not so arrogant as to think he now had the ability to compete with Hong Taiji in military matters. But he very much hoped to draw something out through rebuttal, so without hesitation he raised his voice in protest: "What my lord Beile says — this humble one does not agree."

"Oh? Huang Shi, speak freely."

It is easy to talk boldly when one is not in the hot seat, and Huang Shi immediately launched into a fervent speech: "Fleeing without a fight is the act of a coward! How would the Ming court view a general timid as a mouse? How would the soldiers under his command view their commander? Therefore, it is better to lose a battle than to fail to show the courage to dare to fight."

Hong Taiji listened with a smile. "I will not argue these twisted principles with you, nor do I believe you truly believe in this set of ideas. Mao Wenlong is merely clinging to false hope, unable to let go of this merit, even fantasizing that he can take a risk and hold Zhenjiang. As a commander, to be unable to assess the situation and the trends, to have so many distracting thoughts in one's heart — this already places him in the lower class... A general leading troops in the field, not thinking about how to win battles, but instead dwelling entirely on so-called political factors — these are all crooked and deviant paths. Mao Wenlong is nothing more than a rat, and this time he will certainly be captured by me."

This long speech made Huang Shi nod inwardly in agreement, and he hurried to flatter: "Who is Mao Wenlong? How can he compare with my lord Beile?"

Hong Taiji, his smile undiminished, asked: "From this speech of mine, Huang Shi, have you gained any insight?"

Realizing his thoughts had once again been seen through, Huang Shi could not keep his composure and could only bow his head and make a respectful salute. "This humble one thanks my lord Beile for his instruction."

"Although you, Huang Shi, claim not to care whether you can become famous across the land, I do not believe that a man of talent would be content to remain obscure. If you have any doubts, ask freely, and I will teach you everything I know."

Was Hong Taiji's favor so easy to accept? He was no philanthropist, but a loan shark through and through — sooner or later, one would have to pay back both principal and interest. Huang Shi was greatly alarmed by these words and immediately fell to his knees. He knew that if he accepted even a drop of kindness from Hong Taiji, the idea of not repaying it with a gushing spring would be sheer fantasy. "What virtue or ability does this humble one possess, to dare accept such words from my lord Beile?"

Hong Taiji did not help him up, but walked off on his own to drink water, then returned to his seat to read. Huang Shi, kneeling on the ground, dared not raise his head. Cold sweat streamed from his forehead and dripped down his chin onto the ground. The harmonious atmosphere inside the tent had, in an instant, turned as icy and deadly as a winter storm. Huang Shi waited there in utter terror, not knowing what he had said wrong.

It felt as if a very long time had passed. Huang Shi, his mind racing with wild thoughts, was already at a peak of tension, his nerves feeling like lute strings about to snap. At last, he heard a question: "If I were a Han, Huang Shi, would you then be willing to serve me?"

The voice tore through the suffocating silence, and the great mass of stifled air pent up in Huang Shi's chest suddenly burst forth: "Yes."

"In my heart, there is no distinction between Manchu and Han."

These words sounded very familiar. Having been in this era for so long, Huang Shi could no longer clearly remember those queue dramas he had watched before. In the television series, the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors, who slaughtered Han like cutting grass and practiced great *, all spoke lines like this. But now, in Huang Shi's memory, there was only the late Ming Liaodong history he had repeatedly studied over these past few years:

Nurhaci established system after system. The Han troops were merely small squads under Jurchen surveillance. Han people could not carry weapons, could not serve as officials... Within a few years, Later Jin also carried out massacre after massacre. Five years later, when the slaughter reached its peak, even Han who had rendered great merit, like Li Yongfang, were thrown into prison and barely escaped with their lives. The several million Han in Liaodong numbered fewer than five hundred thousand by the time Nurhaci died.

He also remembered the various measures Hong Taiji implemented after taking power. By the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, there were more Han than Manchu in the Later Jin army, a large number of Han were appointed to local government posts, and the Han in Liaodong also gained the right to obtain land...

"Huang Shi, raise your head."

The magnetic voice drew Huang Shi's gaze over, and it was immediately seized by Hong Taiji's clear, bright eyes.

"If one day I can hold the reins of power, I will certainly treat Manchu and Han as equals."

Hearing this resounding promise with his own ears, Huang Shi was, for a moment, entranced. At that instant, he was completely unaware that the creed a person loudly proclaims is often precisely what that person lacks. If Hong Taiji truly had no distinction between Manchu and Han in his heart, why would he talk about it incessantly, preaching and declaring to everyone he met that he would treat all equally?

"Huang Shi, your instincts are very good, but you lack tempering. For example, the plan to dispatch troops to Zhenjiang — you said you would stake your head on the guarantee that the Ming court would not send reinforcements. What childish words! If they really did come, what use would your head be to me? Most of your other various strategies are like this — judgments based solely on instinct, disregarding intelligence. Although your instincts are very accurate, very good, there is no place anywhere for you to put them to use. Only I can give you the opportunity to spread your wings and make your name known across the land. In this life, is that not what one seeks?"

Seeing that Huang Shi still remained silent, Hong Taiji was in no hurry. He stood up and sighed with deep emotion: "Worrying about one's posthumous reputation — I consider that the cowardice of pedantic Confucians. A true man does not seek to protect himself at all costs. Seeing injustice in the world, he rises with his sword, gratifying his enmities and repaying his debts of honor — haha, that is the conduct of a true man!"

As he spoke, Hong Taiji had already walked up to Huang Shi. He gazed into Huang Shi's eyes and asked softly:

"If there are some practices of my Great Jin that you cannot bear to see, do you not wish to change them? You can very well come and help your compatriots yourself. Do you not wish to help the Han people? Do you not wish to speak for the Han in the court of my Great Jin? Do you not want to, or are you unwilling to, help them with your own hands? A true man need only have a clear conscience; a true man need only be worthy of the blue sky above and the thick earth below. Huang Shi, am I right or am I not?"

In a certain religion, there is a saying: when the devil extends a hand of temptation, his pure image makes even angels feel ashamed of their own appearance. Yet how can ordinary mortals see through the devil's charm and distinguish him clearly from an angel?

At this moment, Huang Shi, kneeling on the ground, was asking himself in his heart: Was what Hong Taiji said right, or wrong?