[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-195":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},1220812,1614,"Chapter 195: Section Twelve: Lying Low","stealing-ming-chapter-195",195,"\u003Cp>Before nightfall, the Left Wing’s supply officer had already distributed rations to the various Dongjiang Army units inside and outside Pangu Fort. Supplies for Zhang Pan and the Shang brothers were delivered directly to their main camps, but both the Firefighting and Rock-solid Battalions still followed the old rules from Changsheng Island — every man went to the makeshift field kitchen that had been set up to collect his food. At Zhang Minghe’s insistent request, the Vanguard Battalion’s rations were also not issued to that battalion’s supply officer; instead, all the officers and men of the Vanguard Battalion were ordered to go together to the Changsheng Army’s field kitchen to collect their food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi and He Dingyuan had also come out of their tents by this time and were queuing up one behind the other. The two men’s presence in the line caused ripples of commotion among the Vanguard Battalion’s officers and men. The Vanguard Battalion soldiers around them knelt down one after another to salute the two generals, and Vanguard Battalion soldiers in the other lines also tried to push their way over to catch a glimpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Changsheng Island officers did their utmost to maintain order in the lines. The Firefighting Battalion and Rock-solid Battalion soldiers, who were queuing up obediently, also cursed with an air of superiority: “Bumpkins who’ve never seen the world — stop shoving! Anyone who shoves will be dragged out and beaten with the army cane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving their food, the Changsheng Island officers and men in Huang Shi and He Dingyuan’s line and the two adjacent lines all walked past the kneeling and saluting Vanguard Battalion soldiers with heads high and chests out, merely nodding slightly to the two men: “My lord. Lord He.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi nodded back to each one in return. Behind him, He Dingyuan was also kept extremely busy. After receiving the two men’s acknowledgment, those Changsheng Island soldiers and officers each thrust their chins up to the sky and strode swaggeringly past the kneeling soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, Shang Kexi and his elder brother were also watching coldly from the sidelines. Under the Changsheng Island officers’ strenuous efforts to suppress the crowd, although many people were still jostling and refusing to leave, the ration line continued to crawl slowly forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have long heard that Military Commander Huang runs a tight army, but to this extent…” Shang Keyi stared at the noisy, jostling crowd for a long time. “Military Commander Huang queuing together with the soldiers… to… to collect rations, and yet it does not cause a riot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Brother, look closely.” Shang Kexi pointed at the officers and attendants who were desperately maintaining order; he was now far more familiar with the Changsheng Army than his elder brother. “Those officers and men are called the Changsheng Island Internal Guard. They are Military Commander Huang’s claws and teeth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Retainers and personal guards?” Shang Keyi was slightly startled and quickly pressed further. “Isn’t there a rumor that Military Commander Huang has no retainers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re not retainers. It seems Military Commander Huang truly has no retainers.” Shang Kexi waved over a personal guard and told him to go closer and take a look. After a short while, that personal guard returned and reported what he had seen and heard. Shang Kexi grinned smugly at his elder brother. “What did I tell you? Whether ordinary soldiers or those Internal Guard officers and men, they all call Military Commander Huang ‘my lord’ and not ‘house master.’ Military Commander Huang simply has no retainers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Keyi shook his head repeatedly as he listened. “What arrogant little soldiers — just nodding and walking past. My own personal guards wouldn’t dare treat me like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those Internal Guards aren’t personal guards either. They hardly ever go to the battlefield, but their authority is immense.” Shang Kexi did not know how to describe the power of Huang Shi’s Internal Guard unit. At present, they were essentially a fusion of military police and security guard force from Huang Shi’s previous life, and their specific functions had not yet fully differentiated and separated. Shang Kexi scratched his head. “Your younger brother can’t explain it clearly either, but from what I know, those Internal Guards meddle in practically everything. Sometimes they don’t even seem to obey Military Commander Huang entirely. The Changsheng Island military judges and drill officers also frequently make use of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Minghe had originally intended to let his personal guard fetch his meal for him, but when he saw that both Huang Shi and He Dingyuan were queuing up in person, he hastily led his personal guard over to join the excitement. Zhang Minghe clutched his helmet and sprinted ahead with great strides, and his personal guards followed closely behind him at a hundred-meter dash pace. This group of men charged past the Shang brothers like fierce tigers descending a mountain, their armor and waist sabers clanking and clattering in a continuous din. Watching them plunge headlong into the crowd of queuing officers and men, Shang Kexi could not help but beat his chest and stamp his feet. “Aiya! If I’d known, I would have asked to collect rations together with the Firefighting Battalion too. Now that scoundrel Zhang Minghe has run off to curry favor with Military Commander Huang, while I can only stand here and watch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You go if you want. I’m not going to squeeze in with those common soldiers — what if there’s an evildoer among them?” Shang Keyi gave a cold laugh and turned to ask his younger brother. “I’m going back to camp to eat. Are you coming with me or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhang Minghe’s group was stopped by a Changsheng Island Internal Guard officer. Although this Internal Guard did not recognize Zhang Minghe, he could see that his armor was bright and distinctive and that he had come with a large retinue, so he naturally understood that the man before him was someone of considerable status. The Internal Guard said politely, “My lords, please go to the back of the line and queue up. This is a regulation of our Changsheng Island. We can also guarantee that everyone will receive hot food. You may rest assured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Minghe, who had just sprinted over, was panting heavily. He shot a glance, and immediately a personal guard stepped forward and said with an ingratiating smile, “And how should I address this brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t dare.” The Internal Guard clasped his fist in salute. “Your subordinate is a Squad Commander of the Changsheng Island Internal Guard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That personal guard listened with a grin, then tilted his head toward the rear. “My master is Battalion Commander Zhang of the Vanguard Battalion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that the man was a battalion commander, the Internal Guard Squad Commander hurriedly bowed and clasped his fist toward Zhang Minghe again. “Your subordinate has eyes but failed to see. I beg Lord Zhang’s forgiveness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No offense, no offense.” Zhang Minghe spoke very quickly. He had only been an officer for a few months and had not yet developed any commanding presence. Zhang Minghe pointed at Huang Shi and He Dingyuan ahead and personally explained to a mere Squad Commander, “This general wishes to go over and exchange a few words with Military Commander Huang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your subordinate ventures to beg Lord Zhang’s forgiveness.” The Internal Guard’s manner was extremely respectful, but his tone was unwavering. “Our Changsheng Island has regulations: everyone must start queuing from the end of the line. Even the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent himself is no exception. If Lord Zhang has urgent words to convey, your subordinate can relay them on your behalf and call the Junior Guardian out of the line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Minghe said hastily, “No need, no need.” His gaze swept over and saw that while they were talking, Huang Shi and He Dingyuan had moved forward another step. He said urgently to the Internal Guard, “Just let me alone go over. Do me this small favor.” The moment these words left his mouth, one of his personal guards immediately produced silver and tried to stuff it into the Internal Guard’s bosom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Internal Guard Squad Commander was scared out of his wits. He hastily flung the silver aside and retreated two steps, then dragged over a Changsheng Island Internal Guard colleague who had been watching dumbstruck. “Lord Zhang, forgive me. It is not that your subordinate is unwilling to grant Lord Zhang this convenience; it is truly that our Changsheng Island’s military law is as unyielding as a mountain. This colleague is also an Internal Guard Squad Commander. Lord Zhang may ask him. Your subordinate truly has difficulties he cannot speak of. I beg Lord Zhang’s forgiveness. Forgiveness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Huang Shi and He Dingyuan had moved forward again, Zhang Minghe was so anxious he paced in circles like an ant on a hot pan. Yet he did not dare push aside the Changsheng Island Internal Guard and force his way through. At that moment, one of the personal guards beside him rolled his eyes and asked, “What if we swap one for one — would that be allowed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the Internal Guard officer did not grasp his meaning, the personal guard pointed at a Vanguard Battalion soldier near the front of the line and said, “That man comes out, we go in — is that acceptable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Internal Guard Squad Commanders exchanged a glance. Before they could open their mouths to speak, Zhang Minghe’s personal guard added, “He was queuing on behalf of my master. It was arranged long ago. Please, you must grant us this small convenience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Internal Guard Squad Commanders exchanged another glance. Neither of them was a fool, and they naturally knew that the personal guard opposite them was talking nonsense. But after all, they were facing a battalion commander, and the other party was humbling himself and speaking so softly to plead with them. Moreover, he was a battalion commander from an outside unit, so they could not be too harsh. One of them nodded and clarified the Changsheng Island regulation: “Queuing by proxy is permitted, but the other party must be willing…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course he’s willing.” Before the Changsheng Island Internal Guard could finish, that personal guard began squeezing his way in, shouting as he pushed, “Protect the master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they squeezed in, they immediately began identifying people. Zhang Minghe’s personal guards kept asking the people ahead of them whether they were from the Vanguard Battalion. If they mistakenly identified a Firefighting Battalion or Rock-solid Battalion soldier, they did not forget to say sorry, but nine times out of ten they got it right. Very quickly, they shooed out a large crowd of Vanguard Battalion soldiers. Those soldiers did not utter a single word of complaint; every one of them obediently went to the back of the line and queued up again. They worked their way all the way to behind He Dingyuan, and Zhang Minghe, beaming, began greeting Huang Shi and He Dingyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because these five or six men absolutely had to squeeze in, in the blink of an eye several dozen soldiers with wooden expressions were driven out. These soldiers’ faces showed no trace of resentment. It was the several Firefighting Battalion Internal Guards responsible for this line who, watching, began whispering to one another. The Firefighting and Rock-solid Battalion soldiers also shook their heads repeatedly. Among these three lines, there were still a few Rock-solid Battalion soldiers who had come from the Vanguard Battalion after the Battle of Nanguan; now, seeing this scene, they secretly rejoiced in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Huang Shi received his food, he held his tray and waited a moment for He Dingyuan and Zhang Minghe. When Zhang Minghe’s personal guard attempted to carry his tray for him, the former shot him a fierce glare. As Huang Shi stepped out of the line, the soldiers behind him called out softly one after another:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright, alright…” Huang Shi responded as he walked, nodding left and right as he emerged from the crowd. Only then did the Internal Guards maintaining order withdraw the vigilant gazes that had been circling around Huang Shi. Outside, there were many makeshift tabletops, with felled large trees laid horizontally around them as seats. Huang Shi and He Dingyuan casually picked one and sat down, and Zhang Minghe hurriedly sat down beside them as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were all very large tables that could seat over a dozen people at once. From time to time, soldiers would call out “my lord” and then sit down around the table to eat. Huang Shi and He Dingyuan buried their heads and ate with great relish. Only Zhang Minghe kept scrutinizing the people at the same table with hawk-like eyes. After they finished eating, Huang Shi and He Dingyuan rose and left. Zhang Minghe abandoned his unfinished food and followed closely behind them. He did not notice that several Internal Guards in the distance had been observing the table where Huang Shi ate with seeming casualness the entire time, and only after seeing them leave did they turn their attention to the safety of the other officers of various ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Huang Shi and the others left, Dugu Qiu had just received his own portion of auxiliary soldier’s food. If Later Jin Han troops defected to other Dongjiang units, they would, according to Mao Wenlong’s orders, be formed into independent units and placed under the command of surrendered Han officers from the Later Jin side. But Huang Shi’s Changsheng Island did not permit the establishment of separate Han troop units. Sturdy soldiers like the Dugu Qiu brothers were immediately assigned to an isolated auxiliary soldier camp. After several witnesses from multiple angles confirmed their status as local Han troops, the two brothers were then assigned to the Rock-solid Battalion’s baggage train. It was precisely because of this policy that the tragedy had occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Dugu Qiu began to eat, not far away a pair of eyes was watching him with a tiger-like glare. Song Army Supervisor’s second younger brother was the murderer who had killed Dugu Qiu’s elder brother. Six years ago, the hundred-thousand-strong army at Liaoyang and Shenyang had been annihilated. The court thereupon abandoned the lands east of the river. At the time, Song Army Supervisor, a military household soldier from Gaizhou, had thought it was no big deal — wherever you go, you’re a soldier eating the emperor’s grain. But after the Later Jin implemented the hair-shaving decree, he grew uneasy, always feeling he had betrayed his ancestors. In the end, three years ago, he finally made up his mind and fled south with his younger brother and sister…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his younger brother was executed days earlier, Song Army Supervisor had wept as if his heart would break. He kept thinking that his younger brother, who had earned battle merits many times, did not deserve death — this meant someone had schemed against him. But Song Army Supervisor’s simple mind could not figure out who had schemed against him. He never once suspected Huang Shi — this invincible god of war who never treated their brothers like slaves and gave them enough food and warm clothing was surely a good man. He did not suspect Yang Zhiyuan either — Chief Yang had never bullied anyone and had always been fair in enforcing military law. Song Army Supervisor did not hate He Dingyuan, who had supervised the execution — though Lord He often beat soldiers savagely, he also often beat officers savagely. Besides, being beaten as a soldier was only right and proper. Song Army Supervisor even felt that it was precisely thanks to Lord Huang’s tactics and Lord He’s training that he had been able to return alive from the battlefield time and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the only villain was clearly Dugu Qiu, not far before his eyes. It was precisely these fellows who had come running to Changsheng Island and been assigned to his brothers’ unit as auxiliary soldiers that had destroyed Song Army Supervisor’s peaceful life. The more Song Army Supervisor thought, the angrier he became. Both his fists clenched tight, and his eyes could see nothing but Dugu Qiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Song Army Supervisor, halt!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud shout rang out beside Song Army Supervisor’s ear. Only then did he realize that, without knowing it, he had already walked up behind Dugu Qiu. That scoundrel had also been startled by the shout. Dugu Qiu turned around and looked at him, fear and fury intertwined in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had shouted to stop Song Army Supervisor was the Firefighting Battalion Squad Commander. The Song Army Supervisor brothers were both his subordinates. The Dugu Qiu brothers had previously been his company’s baggage soldiers. That fatal incident had occurred during a joint training exercise. Yang Zhiyuan had even questioned him for his testimony regarding the case, and he had also written to Yang Zhiyuan begging that the murderer’s life be spared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, during the meal, the Squad Commander had been keeping an eye on this pair of adversaries. Although in his heart he sympathized with Song Army Supervisor, the higher-ups’ intent was already very clear: absolutely no private punishment targeting former Han troops would be tolerated in the company. Therefore, stopping Song Army Supervisor’s rash action was to protect him. The Squad Commander called out to the hotheaded Song Army Supervisor, walked up behind him, and asked icily, “Song Army Supervisor, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Army Supervisor’s chest heaved violently, and he clenched his fists until they cracked. He took several deep breaths, then suddenly let out a roar at Dugu Qiu: “I know you’re a turncoat, you son of a turtle…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut your mouth! Do you want a taste of the army cane?” The Squad Commander barked angrily. “Song Army Supervisor, get back to camp and rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-accumulated authority of the officer immediately made Song Army Supervisor deflate. He shot Dugu Qiu one last vicious glare, then left in a fury. That night, as he lay under his blanket, Song Army Supervisor kept clenching his fists and swearing to himself, “I’m going to kill him. I’m definitely going to kill him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Song Army Supervisor left, the officer looked coldly at Dugu Qiu again and said without emotion, “Eat quickly. When you’re done, go back to camp and rest.” Then he walked away with his hands behind his back. Emotionally speaking, even if Song Army Supervisor had given Dugu Qiu a beating, this Squad Commander would not have considered it too excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the handling of Song Army Supervisor’s younger brother’s case this time was extremely thought-provoking. The murderer had been swiftly executed according to the law, and Huang Shi, the Regional Commander of Changsheng Island, had shown not the slightest sympathy. Song Army Supervisor and Dugu Qiu’s Squad Commander had secretly inquired of Yang Zhiyuan about the old camp high command’s reaction to the matter. According to Yang Zhiyuan, the Changsheng Island command was deeply shocked by and bitterly hated such blatant defiance of military law. Soon, the directive issued by the Internal Guard system confirmed this account. The Internal Guard officers had displayed the executed murderer’s severed head as a warning and repeatedly made high-profile declarations — all Changsheng Island soldiers were comrades-in-arms, and acts of harming comrades would absolutely not be tolerated in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, out of concern for Song Army Supervisor, this Squad Commander would resolutely stop any act of private vengeance. To indulge subordinates in skirting the edges of military law now would undoubtedly be asking for trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating, Dugu Qiu returned to his own tent. When night fell, the soldiers in the tent drifted into dreamland one after another, and snores and sleep-talk rose and fell in waves. But Dugu Qiu could not fall asleep. The dispute that had just occurred made him think of his elder brother again…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His elder brother had been the village leader since childhood — tall, strong, and warm-hearted. Once he entered the military household, he became a Squad Commander, then was promoted to corporal, and by the time Shenyang fell, he was already a vice squad commander. In the village, his elder brother often helped the neighbors, and the younger generation all listened to him. When Fuzhou surrendered to the Later Jin regime, the anxious old village chief had come to ask his elder brother what the future would hold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, wherever we go, aren’t we just soldiers eating grain? Wherever we are, isn’t it all just scratching food from the dirt?” Dugu Qiu’s elder brother’s single sentence set the villagers at ease. After the Later Jin regime in Fuzhou stabilized, to facilitate governance, they did as they did elsewhere and appointed the most authoritative and strongest able-bodied man as the head of the village’s Han self-defense force. Thus, Dugu Qiu’s elder brother became a Han company commander. Later, the Ming army came again… The Ming army occupied Lüshun… Ming army spies began posting proclamations calling on the Liao populace to flee south…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fuzhou side responded tit-for-tat by issuing a blockade order. The order required the Han troops to kill any Liao populace fleeing south without exception. Each head was even worth a string of reward money. This immediately set the village aboil. It must be understood that the harvests had been poor for years, the village was growing poorer and poorer, the village girls refused to stay, and girls from outside refused to marry in. The village youths’ eyes turned red with the desire to kill and earn money for a wife. Dugu Qiu remembered that the old village chief had even come to see his elder brother about this. In his old age, the village chief had taken to chanting Buddha’s name, and he said to Dugu Qiu’s elder brother, “If those people can produce money to buy their passage, then let them go. Kill less, create less evil karma…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Done!” Dugu Qiu’s elder brother had agreed on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu still remembered the scene when his elder brother brought his sister-in-law home. One day two years ago, his elder brother had gone out on patrol in the morning with two other village youths and returned before noon, jubilant. Each of them had brought back a woman. The other two kept praising Dugu Qiu’s elder brother’s good eye without pause and were endlessly grateful to him. The other village youths, seeing that they had saved on betrothal gifts, were all envious to death. The old village chief, seeing that the village had gained three more mouths, also kept praising Dugu Qiu’s elder brother for his ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three men did not waste words with anyone, nor could they even wait until dark. Each scooped up the woman from his horse and ran, shouting and leaping, into his own house, then slammed the door shut with a bang. At the time, the village elders all opened their wide mouths, with few teeth left, and beamed happily at those tightly shut doors. The village women also laughed and clamored, arguing over which one would bring new mouths to the village…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the joyful scene of that time, Dugu Qiu, under his blanket, revealed a faint smile in the darkness… After that, the village’s harvests grew worse and worse. Last year, when the old village chief mobilized the whole village to dig a channel by the Sha River to divert water, his youngest son was swept away by the swift current. The village chief’s eldest son failed to save his younger brother’s life and ended up following him instead…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month, when Dugu Qiu, his elder brother, and several village youths returned from the fields, they found the village already filled with wailing. The village elders lay fallen in pools of blood. The old village chief had also been stabbed in the belly and had passed out from shock at the time. When he woke, his grandsons and granddaughters had already been killed. His widowed daughter-in-law and his unmarried daughter had also been seized by the Plain Red Banner troops of the Later Jin — according to Nurhaci’s order, they would be sold to the Mongols in exchange for grain… Dugu Qiu and his elder brother held the hands of the old village chief as he lay at death’s door, watching the old village chief’s clouded, uncomprehending eyes, and listened to the last question he uttered before breathing his last: “Without a man in the house, does the whole family deserve to die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, all the village youths gathered in Dugu Qiu’s elder brother’s home. The most hot-tempered among them shouted loudly, “Brother Dugu, we’re just waiting for your word. Whatever you say, we’ll do!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu’s eldest brother cast a worried glance at his wife behind him, and at the infant not yet one full year in her arms, then finally spat fiercely on the ground, stood up, and stamped his foot hard: “To Jinzhou — damn it, isn’t soldiering for food the same anywhere? Wherever you go, you’re still scratching a living from the dirt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling his eldest brother’s decision that day, Dugu Qiu saw again before his eyes his eldest brother’s blood-soaked corpse, and those eyes that even in death refused to close — to the very end he had not recognized his own killer, knowing only that the man was a soldier he was to train alongside. The murderer was pinned to the ground on the spot by the training ground’s military judge, and the officers and men all over the training ground erupted into a chaotic uproar. Amid that chaos, Dugu Qiu wept as he closed his eldest brother’s eyes: “Eldest Brother, go in peace. Your son — I will surely raise him to manhood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu felt his tears about to flow again. He struggled to creep lightly and quietly out of the bedding, and groped his way in the dark toward the tent door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This too was a skill Dugu Qiu’s eldest brother had taught him. The Great Ming strictly forbade any clamor in the tents, because it could trigger a “camp wail” — it was all too common for Ming officers to oppress the soldiers, so once someone in the tent began weeping bitterly or sighing, it was very likely to set off a chain reaction among those who shared the same misery. In the darkness no one could tell who was who. The soldiers had the perfect chance to settle grudges and redress grievances. Over the centuries, countless officers had died in soldiers’ camp wails, so in the Great Ming army, anyone who dared make a clamor in the tent would certainly be put to death on the spot, without the slightest mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Dugu Qiu had not heard that the Longsheng Army had this same rule, and there did not seem to be any camp regulations here about ten beheadings or five slow slicings, he dared not gamble with his own life. So he kept groping his way out of the tent in the dark. The patrolling soldiers looked over warily. Dugu Qiu said in a hoarse voice, “Relieving myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached the spot the patrol had pointed out, Dugu Qiu did not go to the latrine but threw himself to the ground, clutched his head, and wept bitterly. In the old days, when they were military households of the Ming army, Dugu Qiu and his eldest brother had also taken part in the field training outside Fuzhou Guard. On those days, many soldiers would be enslaved and abused by the commanders, and those soldiers would always scatter into the wilderness like this, weeping aloud, none paying any heed to the others. Once they had cried enough, they would return to camp and sleep. And without pause, new people would come to find a place to cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother.” The first time Dugu Qiu took part in the Fuzhou field training, he too had been bullied until he was covered in bruises. That day he had also collapsed in the wilds weeping like this, only that night his eldest brother had still been there, staying up all night to keep him company out in the wilderness, soothing the young Dugu Qiu with the warmth of family. Here in the Longsheng Army, where he knew no one and the land was unfamiliar, Dugu Qiu missed his old home and his neighbors twice as keenly. Feeling utterly alone, he clutched his head tighter and tighter, curling up on the ground and wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Soldier, what is the matter with you?” A gentle voice came over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu loosened his arms and looked out through tear-filled eyes. In the night, a blurry figure stood before him, blocking the moon behind. Dugu Qiu choked out, “I am relieving myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s voice was very, very slow, yet within its gentleness there was a force of confidence. “Soldier, why are you weeping? Has an officer bullied you? Tell me, and I will see justice done for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no… go away, it is none of your business…” The moment Dugu Qiu said this he regretted it. He stared fearfully at the dark figure before him and asked timidly, “Is my lord an officer?” As he spoke, he scrambled to his feet and knelt: “My lord, my lord, I was only out to relieve myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am no lord. I am only your friend. If an officer has bullied you, tell me, and I will stand up for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu found the man’s words utterly absurd and laughable. He hesitated a moment, then suddenly said, “I have no money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft laugh came from the darkness: “Soldier, I do not want your money. I am only here to help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dugu Qiu rubbed his eyes. The man in the darkness seemed to be dressed all in black as well, and possessed an indescribable authority and bearing. Recalling the words the dark figure had just spoken, he suddenly shivered: “Are you a divine immortal?” Dugu Qiu’s tone grew more urgent: “Are you an immortal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am no immortal.” The dark figure slowly shook his head, then gave another soft laugh: “But I am one sent by God to help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bodhisattva, Old Patriarch…” Dugu Qiu cried out, throwing himself to the ground: “Save me from my suffering.” After wailing twice, he suddenly grew anxious again: “Immortal, this humble one’s story is very long-winded, and very long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, it may be very long, but I also have plenty of time to listen.” The dark figure had just finished urinating when he heard someone weeping, and had followed the sound to find him. He lifted the hem of his robe and sat down on the ground. After settling into a comfortable position, he let out a satisfied sigh: “Speak. I like listening to others talk the most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had an eldest brother. He was a very good man, very good to me. My eldest brother was very good to everyone…” Dugu Qiu opened the floodgates of his speech…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man listened in silence, his right hand stroking the crucifix on his chest and the holy image upon it. This was the very emblem of the Loyalist Catholic Church. Every military chaplain wore it upon his chest at all times. On this crucifix was engraved a line of text — the motto and watchword of the Loyalist Catholic faith: “No one is beyond redemption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dense forest twenty li outside Fuzhou City, there was a very well-concealed camp. For several dozen li around this camp, the area was a restricted military zone. Any unauthorized personnel who approached would be killed without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reporting to the Grand Beile, the Third Beile,” the Later Jin soldier turned full circle, then addressed the last man, “Fourth Beile, the Ming army has already finished building a bridgehead at the Sha River.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. You are dismissed.” Amin waved his hand and the soldier withdrew. He cast a deep look at Huang Taiji, who sat at the lowest place: “You were right after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji smiled calmly: “I have reviewed every record from Changsheng Island over these past three years. The interval between Huang Shi’s operations is always around three to four months. This time is no exception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not relying on spies?” Mang Gurtai asked in surprise upon hearing this, then pressed with another question: “Then do you know why it is three and a half months?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Taiji shook his head, a trace of helplessness appearing on his face: “Not relying on spies. Infiltrating Changsheng Island is not too difficult, but getting any news out is utterly impossible. Right now, everything I know about Changsheng Island has been gathered from Jinzhou, and much of it is a jumbled mess, full of contradictions.” Huang Taiji paused briefly: “As for why it is three and a half months, I estimate that it takes Huang Shi about three and a half months to train each batch of new recruits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amin’s expression only changed slightly, but Mang Gurtai drew in a great gasp of cold air. On this campaign, Huang Taiji had gone into northern Liaodong and brought back a batch of captives, and had even allotted Mang Gurtai fifteen hundred able-bodied people and quite a few cattle and sheep — only this had allowed his Plain Blue Banner to catch its breath. The moment he heard that Huang Shi could turn out a batch of new recruits in three and a half months, he could not help feeling wave after wave of dizziness: “Is this truly so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe I have not guessed wrong. I have repeatedly verified the battle of Jinzhou — it was roughly five or six hundred. Gaizhou was over a thousand. Nanguan was one battalion. This time it is two battalions. I suspect Huang Shi’s training method is one leading one. Each time they are trained, he brings these new recruits out to see the battlefield.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Huang Taiji smiled and clapped his hands: “He also has a habit of seeking stability, always preparing a line of retreat as thoroughly as possible, relying on superior numbers to strike at inferior numbers. Our month and more of waiting in Fuzhou has not been in vain after all. Those treasures we labored to transport from Liaoyang have also not been transported in vain.”\u003C\u002Fp>",5747,"2026-06-04T07:54:30.907Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","daef114ce941b4a4ae4e53b46ce9930cfe8f9ace89a6d5cee71bc6b87bb7cc25","stealing-ming-chapter-196","stealing-ming-chapter-194",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]